INsite Atlanta April 2008 Issue by INsite Magazine

April 2008REE

F Vol. 16, No. 8

Our Annual

ertainment Monthly t n E s â&#x20AC;&#x2122; a t n a l At tlanta.com www.insitea

SPRING

Festival GUIDE

Also Interviews with Flogging Molly, Derek Trucks, Jackie Chan, Common & More

LAF_04-2008_Atlanta_InsiteMag_Ad.indd 1

3/25/2008 10:06:24 AM

The Launch Pad for Atlanta Night Life

CONTENTS • APRIL 2008 • VOLUME 16.8

INTERVIEWS 12 14 15 18 19 23 25 26 27 28 34 35 35

KEVIN SPACEY LES SAVY FAV JACKIE CHAN KEANU REEVES KIMBERLY PIERCE FLOGGING MOLLY RAVEN-SYMONE DEM FRANCHIZE BOYZ COMMON DEREK TRUCKS KEVIN LYMAN DENNIS QUAID BOBBY COX

FEATURES PHIPPS PLAZA • BUCKHEAD • 404.814.9640

OPEN DAILY • PRIORITY SEATING AVAILABLE www.TheTavernAtPhipps.com

10 13 30 36

OUTDOOR DINING BRUNCH SPRING FESTIVAL GUIDE BASEBALL PREVIEW

COLUMNS 05 06 07 07 08 16 19 20 22 22 24 38

UNDER THE LIGHTS ON TAP BOOKS WANTON DISTRACTION AROUND TOWN MOVIE REVIEWS VIDIOTS CONCERT CALENDAR ROAD WARRIORS WE GOT NEXT ALBUM REVIEWS FANATIC

www.insiteatlanta.com STAFF LISTING Publisher Stephen Miller steve@insiteatlanta.com National Managing Editor Bret Love bret@insiteatlanta.com Art Director Michael T. graphics@insiteatlanta.com Film Editor Matt Goldberg matt@insiteatlanta.com Local News Editor Glenn LaFollette glenn@insiteatlanta.com Local Events Editor Rav Mansﬁeld rav@insiteatlanta.com Sports Editor DeMarco Williams demarco@insiteatlanta.com Web Design Kalico Productions info@kalicopro.com PG 4 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

Contributing Writers / Interns: John Davidson, John Moore, Mathew Goldberg, Russell Fisher, Zena Scott, Margo Aaron, Andrea Hatter, Kim Guelcher, Richard Marsh, Tracy Gould, Mark Fitten, Dave Cohen & Russ Marshalek CONTACT US 2250 North Druid Hills Rd. #100 Atlanta, GA 30329-3118 phone 404-315-8485 website insiteatlanta.com ADVERTISING INFORMATION �� Editorial content of INsite is the opinion of each writer and is not necessarily the opinion of INsite, its staff, or its advertisers. INsite does not knowingly accept false or mi leading advertising or editorial content, nor do the publisher or editors of INsite assume responsibility should such advertising or editorial appear. No content, i.e., articles, graphics, designs and information (any and all) in this publication may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from publisher.

Check out our Spring Festival Guide on page 30!

THEATER

Under The Lights Theatrical Performances in April

Drama Critics award for Best Musical, the Evening Standard Award for the Theatrical Event of the Year, two Olivier Awards, a Theatre World Award, the Astaire Award for Outstanding Choreography, two Drama League Awards and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album.

Doubt

April 2 - May 4

Alliance Theatre 404-733-5000 www.alliancetheatre.org

AFAST PACED, RIVETING tale about two people caught in a classic "he said/she said" situation keeps audiences guessing: did he or didn't he? Winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and four 2005 Tony Awards® (including Best Play), John Patrick Shanley's masterpiece Doubt portrays an epic battle of iron wills. Directed by Alliance Theatre Artistic Director Susan V. Booth, the 90-minute, tension-filtension-filled story uses suspicion, fear and power to examine the role of uncertainty in our lives.

The Lion King April 3 - May 4

Atlanta Civic Center 404.658.6159 www.atlantaciviccenter.com

Atlanta Ballet’s “big” April 10 The Fox Theatre

404-873-5811 www.atlantaballet.com

IN HIS SIGNATURE TRADIITION of reflecting the culture and history of the South as a whole, Atlanta Ballet Artistic Director John McFall has outdone himself by bringing together the most unlikely partnership of art forms to create big, a provocative evening of dance and live music that captures the essence of our unique Southern city. "Hip-hop is a defining element of our city," says McFall. "It only makes sense that the two art forms would come together at some point." Bringing the hip-hop aspect to this project is Atlanta's own Grammy Award-winning visionary, Big Boi of OutKast, along with some friends such as Sleepy Brown and Janelle Monáe.

A Theatre of Trash Apri 12

Center for Puppetry Arts 404-873-3391 www.puppet.org

EXPERIENCE THE PHENOMENON of Disney's THE LION KING. Making it's triumphant return to the Atlanta Civic Center stage. Marvel at the breathtaking spectacle of animals brought to life by award-winning director Julie Taymor, whose visual images for this show you'll remember forever. Thrill to the pulsating rhythms of the African Pridelands and an unforgettable score including Elton John and Tim Rice's Oscar®-winning song "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" and "Circle of Life." Let your imagination run wild at the Tony® Award-winning Broadway sensation Newsweek calls "a landmark event in entertainment." Now in its eleventh sold-out year on Broadway, THE LION KING is the winner of six Tony Awards including Best Musical, eight Drama Desk Awards, six Outer Critics Circle Awards, the New York

JOIN PUPPETEER PAUL ZALOOM on a journey to the far reaches of the imagination. Explore improvisation, free association, humor, child's play as process, the nature of objects and puppetry in general. Workshop participants are asked to bring a minimum of six objects each - toys, appliances, packing materials, tools and other ordinary or extraordinary rubbish - to this highly creative class. Zaloom will open with a brief discussion of object theatre and then invite each person to operate the assembled junk as puppets and environments in an ad-libbed performance. Taught by Paul Zaloom in conjunction with The Mother of All Enemies.

CANDLER PARK

1655 McLendon Ave. | Atlanta | 30307

BEST BRUNCH!

404.687.8888 MIDTOWN

1001 Piedmont Ave. | Atlanta | 30309

404.874.8887

Get it online.

Winner Best Consignment Store

Current Issue Back Issues Contests Links & More! www.insiteatlanta.com PG 5 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

Chin Chin...

A Window Into Hong Kong. “Most Memorable Meal Award”

1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 – Where Magazine

“Mouthwatering Chin Chin spices things up”

– The Atlanta Journal Constitution

“Best Chinese” 2002–2007 – INsite Magazine

“Best Chinese” 1998–2007 – Creative Loaﬁng

LOCAL EVENTS

OnTap for April EMAIL EVENTS TO ONTAP@INSITEATLANTA.COM

April 4, 5 and 6: Lenox Square

ATLANTA DOGWOOD FESTIVAL

Now in it's 72nd year the Atlanta Dogwood Festival is the oldest continuing event in Atlanta. It provides a wonderful display of arts and entertainment in Piedmont Park. The nonprofit “Springtime Celebration of the South” is offered at no cost to the general public. This year's festival will take place at its new home – the Outdoor Forecourt of Lenox Square. Conveniently located in Buckhead, adjacent to MARTA , the new location allows festival organizers to keep the event in Atlanta. For more information call 404.817.6642 or visit www.dogwood.org

April 10-19: Landmark Arts Cinema

OPEN EVERY DAY!

www.chinchinonline.com

This year's Atlanta Film Festival slogan boasts: Fresh Films. Projected Daily. One hundred fifty-two films from sixty-six countries to be exact--including independent features, shorts, documentaries, and animation. The Film Festival will open on Thursday, April 10, 2008 at 7: 30 pm with the red carpet World Premiere of THE LENA BAKER STORY at the Atantic Station Regal Theatre. It will proceed for the next ten days. The Atlanta Film Festival is is one of only two dozen Academy Award® qualifying festivals in the U.S. For tickets and complete schedule, panel, party, venue, pricing, parking, and accommodation information call 404.352.4225 or go to www.AtlantaFilmFestival.com.

April 12: Kingston Downs, Rome Ga.

ATLANTA STEEPLECHASE

The Atlanta Steeplechase, "The Largest Lawn Party in Georgia" invite thousands of spectators to come tailgate and take part in the festivities. Last year about 9,000 spectators came to watch horses compete for $7,000 in prize money. The region’s premier spring social event, combines unmistakable style and entertainment with the thunderous and exhilarating sport of steeplechasing at Kingston Downs each year. The quiet Northwest Georgia countyside comes alive with thousands of spectators enjoying tailgate parties, Jack Russell terrier races, an air shpw, hat contests, and the running of some of the finest and fastest steeplechase horses in the country. For more info, head to: www.atlantasteeplechase.org

April 12: Atlantic Station

GEORGIA WALK FOR AUTISM

Join the Autism Speaks/Marcus Institute and Cure Autism Now communities and local committee members as they tackle autism! This years event is being held at Atlantic Station on Saturday April 12th beginning at 8:30 a.m. Experience the power of thousands united by a single cause by joining Walk for Autism. Walk Now for Autism offers families a fun-filled experience with music, bounce houses, food, an autism community resource fair, and much, much more. Be sure to raise $100 to earn your commemorative Walk for Autism t-shirt. For information and to register, visit www.walknowforautism.org

April 23: Atlanta Restaurants

DINING OUT FOR LIFE

Open Hand's Dining Out for Life fundraiser event is an Atlanta favorite with approximately 200 restaurants donating 20% of their proceeds on that day to benefit Open Hand. Dining Out for Life, their largest annual fundraising event, plays a vital role in helping raise funds to meet the nutrition needs of our neighbors whose health complications have impaired their ability to prepare meals for themselves. More information can be found at www.DiningOutforOH.org and www.projectopenhand.org.

April 25: Wild Bill’s in Duluth

FIGHT NIGHT WAR AND DESTRUCTION

PG 6 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

You’ve watched the UFC on Spike TV and PPV, now come watch live fights in your own backyard at Wild Bills! Dana Pitcher Productions brings you 12 LIVE action packed LIVE MMA fights! Fights start at 8pm and they are Ages 18 & up. Tickets are available at all Ticketmaster locations or by calling the Wild Bill's Fight Line at 404.626.2126 or Wild Bill's at 678.473.1000. For more information visit www.wildbillsatlanta.com

Book Review DO TRAVEL WRITERS GO TO HELL?

Author: Thomas Kohnstamm BY JOHN MOORE Have you ever looked at a Lonely Planet travel

guide and assumed the author was smoking something? Well, chances are pretty good that he/she was, if even half of Thomas Kohnstamm’s memoir of life as a travel writer is true. Fed up with his life as a New York City oﬃce drone, Kohnstamm lost his girlfriend and apartment on his quest to be a travel writer in early 2004. The primary appeal of Do Travel Writers Go to Hell? lies in his knack for telling a good story, his extreme candor about one-night stands with prostitutes and ﬂight attendants, and his inept attempt at a side job as a drug dealer. Facing nearly impossible deadlines and constant power outages (all for a pittance of a paycheck at the end of the job), Kohnstamm almost gives up on his quest to update a copy of Lonely Planet Brazil before stumbling on the travel writer’s holy grail– an online community of veteran writers who show him the short cuts and open his eyes to everything from free meals to free hotel rooms. Tossing in everything from cultural customs to genuinely helpful travel tips along the way, Do Travel Writers Go to Hell? actually seconds as a pretty useful travel guide… one that’s far more entertaining than anything Lonely Planet ever put out. Grade: B

CELEBRITY CORNER

Wanton Distraction Skewed Views on Entertainment News BY MATT GOLDBERG �� distance, it’s the chance that SAM RAIMI will direct the inevitable “Spider-Man 4”. After seeing “Spider-Man 3”, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Raimi’s time with the webslinger gets another nail in the coffin as Variety is reporting that Raimi has signed on to develop and direct a new Jack Ryanfilm. For those unfamiliar with the Jack Ryan character, he’s author Tom Clancy’s government-bureaucrat-cum-actionhero who saved the world in “The Hunt for Red October”, “Patriot Games”, “Clear and Present Danger”, and “The Sum of All Fears”. For his return to the screen, Variety describes the general outline for the film: The intention is to generate several films Raimi would develop and direct, featuring Ryan at a younger, more formative point in his career than previously depicted. One invention the studio is considering is to set the film in the present, with the action triggered by a global threat. Wow, you mean like 2002’s “The Sum of All Fears”? How’d that work out? �� television: “America’s Next Top Model” and the truly wretched “Gossip Girl”. But clearly the idiotic teen market is rich with free time and little-to-no taste so it’s time to bring back the show that captured a previous generation of stupid teenagers: “BEVERLY HILLS, 90210”. Boy, who doesn’t want to watch rich white teens deal with their superficial problems ��

than any number of programs on any other network. Some may want to take heart that the project is being developed by “Veronica Mars” creator Rob Thomas ��

the dark side of it. People will say that it’s so thrilling to watch cars drive in a circle ﬁve hundred times, but everyone really just wants to see a crash and destruction and quite possibly a little death if they’re lucky. You know that crowd that saw Dale Earnhardt �� vehicle. Who could have foreseen such a tragedy?” Ross’ NASCAR drama will focus on an up-and-coming driver who scratches his way into the circuit and develops a mentor/rival relationship with the driver he grew up idolizing. The dynamic is made more complex because the �� just go in circles. �� TERMINATOR 4 would no longer be titled “Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins”. �� that this would no longer be the titled. Then �� anxiously await the new title. Oh wait! Here it is! Let’s see, the new title is… “Terminator: The Return of the Terminator”

Terminator 4 changed titles. Exciting! was a wildly uneven show that could easily get away from Thomas. That being said, if Thomas wants to aim for anything so complex that it could possibly get away from him in “90210”, then he is really giving this spin-oﬀ way more attention than it’s worth. �� make a ﬁlm set in the world of NASCAR even though NASCAR is just about the worst entertainment ever. �� at best and one where no one seems to acknowledge

�� catatonic and drooling on himself. He’s now on his way to the hospital and hopefully he should be alright. The EMT said his brain had undergone some kind of shock likely resulting from being unable to process �� you know that we’re all pulling for him and that he should be up and posting soon. �� Neat!

School Supply Savings www.bindersart.com PIEDMONT PEACHTREE CROSSING 3330 Piedmont Road Suite 18 404.237.6331 MON-FRI 9-9 SAT 10-8 SUN 11-6

We’re known for our incredible customer service!

Come see us today! EVERYDAY DISCOUNTS 25% off Custom Framing Up to 30% off Frames Up to 30% off Paint Up to 30% off Brushes Up to 50% off Canvas All discounts are off of BINDERS list price. Discounts apply to certain manufacturers.

20% to 50% off

supply items such as:

��

$10 OFF YOUR PURCHASE OF $75 OR MORE Expires April 30, 2008. This coupon may not be used with any other BINDERS promotion or coupon. For one time use. NotBTS1075SCAD valid on previous sales, custom framing or pantone purchases. BTS1075 Binders Art & Frame

$0.00 BTS1075SCAD PG 7 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

��

PG 8 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

��

100 Tequilas Lime Optional.

Preview Party: Thursday, April 3rd 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm $30 per person

PG 9 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

DINING

shown, wraps around the building and is a prime people watching location. It is also available for private parties.

Outdoor Dining!

Some of the Best Patio Scenes this Spring! Agave

242 Boulevard S.E. 404.588.0006 www.agaverestaurant.com

ment it remains the Poncey Highlands destination for a refreshing take on cafe style dining. Patrons can enjoy casual dining under their quaint outdoor patio and take in the bustling Poncey Highland scene. Enjoy their nightly drink specials including $5 Martini Tuesdays, half price bottles of wine on Wednesdays and bottomless $10 Sangria on Sundays.

Coyote’s Mexican Grill

Named for the blue agave plant that is the heart and soul of the finest tequila, Agave ships the freshest seafood, beef and produce in daily. Agave's unique blend of eclectic southwestern cuisine, extensive tequila bar and wine list coupled with exceptional service makes this one of Atlanta's top restaurants. The tables on their romantic patio with fireplace and southwestern design are a first choice in spring. With creative daily specials, award winning margaritas and great ambiance one can see why this is a Cabbagetown favorite.

Cafe di Sol

640 N. Highland Ave. 404.724.0711 www.cafedisol.com Cafe di Sol is located just south of Ponce de Leon on N. Highland Ave. Under new manage-

2730 East College Ave. 404.373.9383 With great food, friendly staff and strong margaritas, Coyote’s has built up a loyal following in the Avindale Estates area of Decatur. Their patio is the place to be Friday nights as their live Mariachi band plays to the crowd. Coyote’s menu offers fine Mexican cuisine with emphasis on the grilled fair. They are also known for their long list of tequilas. Sample one of their exotic brands on the rocks or try one of their 7 giant flavored margaritas, all made with real fruit and Sauza Gold. Be sure to come early to get a table outside for Cinco de Mayo (Monday, May 5th) as they will be offering drink specials and giving away prizes along with a live band all day long!

Fellini’s

Multiple locations As The Varsity is with hamburgers, Fellini’s is to Atlanta for pizza. They offer a simple menu that focuses on quality that can’t be beat. But

as well known as they are for their terrific pizza, Fellini’s is also known around Atlanta for their great patio’s. Almost all include a fountain like the Ponce location shown, and are always bustling with people.

Johnny’s NY Style Pizza

Multiple Metro Area Locations www.JohnnysPizza.com

Loco’s serves up some of the best chicken wings and sandwiches in the city. Come in Fridays and enjoy their Giant Beers and Monster Margaritas. Loco’s has plenty of great beers on draft and multiple TV’s to watch the Braves compete in their exciting new season.

Mellow Mushroom

4058 Peachtree Rd. 404.266.1661 1770 Peachtree St. 404.687.4766 Since 1974, Mellow Mushroom has been the place for the best hand tossed pizza and calzones in the Southeast! All of their products are made fresh to order with their natural springwater dough, and it's hearth baked, like pizza's supposed to be! Johnny’s Pizza has come to be synonymous with great pizza and subs in Atlanta. The first metro area location opened in East Point in 1977. There are now 65 Johnny’s Pizza restaurants. The secret to their success is in the preparation. They always use the finest ingredients in their fantastic Pizza, Subs, Salads, Sandwiches, Strombolis, and everything else on their menu! Johnny’s restaurants offer dine-in, take-out and delivery. Many like the Cheshire Bridge location featured have great patios to enjoy in spring.

Loco’s Grill & Pub

3167 Peachtree Rd. 404.233.1989 With a great deck overlooking the view on Peachtree and multi-room dining area inside, Loco’s is the place to be this spring. They are located in the North End, the popular entertainment district of Buckhead. The patio area

They offer a variety of specialty pizzas including a house, veggie, pesto, mighty meaty and the ultimate shroom pie. There are four calzones on the menu from the house (spinach, shrooms, and tomato), cheese, steak & cheese and grilled chicken. Both featured locations, Buckhead pictured above and Brookhaven have awesome patios. They are packed with people come weekday nights in spring, Friday afternoons, and throughout the weekend. They have multiple TV’s to catch all the Braves action and free HiSpeed internet is available at both locations.

Catch the BRAVES On Our Multiple Screens! Check Out the Newly Renovated Patios at Both Locations

��

Recovery Sundays with DJs Rodd Summers & Steven Quinn at 9pm

www.westeggcafe.com Howell Mill Road & 14th Street 404.872.3973 PG 10 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

Margarita Mondays – $5 Jose Cuervo 1800 Margaritas Wednesdays – 1/2 Price Wine Bottles | Sundays – Bottomless Sangria $10

640��

Mo’s Pizza

deck in the front that offers a great view down Roswell Road in Buckhead’s West Village. They have “Bucket Specials” of Bud, Bud Light and Bud Select. They also have a “Draft Tower” a glass featuring 120 ounces of beer. While on the deck, check out their “Bucket Specials” of Bud, Bud Light and Bud Select. They also have a “Draft Tower” a glass featuring 120 ounces of beer. On hot days, try a Slush Puppie, their are ten flavors to choose. They are open 2pm to 3am each day and closed on Sunday.

3109 Briarcliff Rd. 404.320.1258

You may know about the burrito chain with the same name, but the original Mo’s resides on the corner of Briarcliff and Clairmont Roads just off the I-85 exit. They have been serving up great pizza for over 25 years! Mo’s menu isn’t limited to pizza either: sandwiches, subs, wings, nachos and salads ensure that anybody who comes here can find something they like. Mo’s uses the freshest ingredients; they make their own dough and grind their cheese daily. Come to Mo’s to watch the Braves or just enjoy the pleasant weather this Spring. They have a great deck to hang out on and plenty of new plasma TVs. Mo’s is one of the longest running pizza joints in Atlanta, come in and see why they are one of the best!

The Red Door Tavern

3180 Roswell Rd. 404.846.6525 Now in their fourth year, The Red Door Tavern has quickly become a favorite watering hole among locals in North Buckhead. They are located on Roswell Road, one block north of the Roxy Theatre. The Red Door Tavern features a large outdoor

Savage Pizza

484 Moreland Ave. 404.523.0500

With their homage to comic book super heroes adorning the walls, Savage Pizza is a perfect fit with Little Five Points. They prepare all the recipes using only the freshest vegetables and first quality meats, cheeses, breads and pastas. On Savage's menu you'll find innovative homemade sauces, fresh dough and thoughtfully prepared dishes, made from scratch every day. There is a wide variety of salads, subs, calzones and of course pizzas to choose from. Savage Pizza one of the most successful and popular neighborhood businesses in the Little Five Points/Virginia-Highland area. Savage serves both lunch and dinner with indoor and outdoor seating and offers catering and delivery.

Sweet Devil Moon

980 Piedmont Ave 404.347.3600 Sweet Devil Moon, located in the heart of Midtown, has recently re-opended under new management. The restaurant underwent a three month resoration and is better than ever. Sweet

Your Neighborhood Pizzeria!

Tin Roof Cantina

2591 Briarcliff Road 404.329.4700

Devil Moon offers a great enclosed patio to enjoy the view of the bustling Midtown scene. Inside you will find a Wine Bar with an excellent selection of wines from around the world. They serve Latin Tapas and other regional fare. On Monday and Tuesday nights they offer $3 tapas from 5:30 7:30pm. Be sure to check out their Paraiso International Thursday nights starting at 7PM. It is free to enter and offers a variety of Salsa, Samba, Euro House and Merengue. Friday Latin Andean Music features Mauricio Amaya and Sunday offers $10 bottomless Sangria.

Tin Roof Cantina is located at the intersection of North Druid Hills and Briarcliff Road. It is run by the same people who brought you CJ’s Landing at the old Buckhead Village. The Tin Roof offers a Tex Mex menu with ample seating indoor and out. They have plenty of plasma TV’s that can be tuned to your favorite game this spring and summer. Tin Roof offers live music tuesday thru sunday and trivia on tuesday and thursday nights.

The Tavern at Phipps

Zocolo

3500 Peachtree Rd. 404.814.9640

Midtown 404.249.7576 Grant Park 404.635.9930 Frequently ranked among the city’s best Mexican restaurants, Zocalo appeals to those who like to sit down with a hearty meal and a great margarita for a relaxing dining experience. Rated one of the Top 12 tequila bars in the country by Fortune magazine, you will find a variety of tequilas and beer to choose from, along with moderately priced food. What makes the experience even more attractive is the restaurant’s funky design highlighted by art and hanging baskets which line the amazing Midtown patio shown below.

Voted Atlanta’s “Best Happy Hour” and "Best Patio," The Tavern at Phipps is the place to be this spring. Menu features include gourmet “Tavern Chips,” New Orleans po’ boys, baby back ribs, bountiful salads, Carnegie Deli Pastrami and aged steaks broiled “Pittsburgh Style.” Full menu and bar are served on the patio overlooking Peachtree Road at Phipps Plaza in Buckhead. Check out The Tavern’s "Best Looking Waitstaff" serving nightly on the patio. It is the hottest place in town during Friday afternoon happy hour!

O C C I IT Y X E M Gourmet Cinco De M

�� ½ – AOL City Search �� Starting at $5.75 ��

ayo

Monday, May �� 5th ��

Located N. Decatur Plaza 404-634-1128 | www.MexicoCityGourment.com “Serving Emory / Decatur Since 1982”

SOAK UP THE SUN GREAT SUBS, SANDWICHES, SALADS & WINGS

BEST PIZZA!

& Multiple Atlanta Locations: www.JohnnysPizza.com

Happy Hour Beer Specials & 1/2 Priced Munchies Plenty of Outdoor Seating & Multiple Plasma TVs Since 1980

$7 Large Cheese Pizza

Mondays Only

Just off I-85 @ Clairmont (Corner of Briarcliff & Clairmont)

3109 Briarcliff Rd. | 404-320-1258

PG 11 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

FILM INTERVIEW BY ALEX S. MORRISON

T’S NOT A STORY YOU HEAR every day: Two-time Academy Awardwinning actor abandons Hollywood fame and fortune in favor of returning to his theatre roots. Then again, the Juilliardtrained Kevin Spacey is not your everyday actor, nor is London’s Old Vic your everyday theatre. So it was that, just a few years after winning the Best Actor Oscar for his role in American Beauty, Spacey put his lucrative film career on the backburner in 2003 to accept a 10-year appointment as Artistic Director of the newly-formed Old Vic Theatre Company, which was established in an effort to save the historic theatre once run by Sir Laurence Olivier. When he’s not making critically acclaimed turns in sold-out shows such as Eugene O’Neill’s “A Moon For The Misbegotten” and David Mamet’s “Speed-thePlow,” Spacey occasionally ventures back to Hollywood to produce and star in films like 2004’s Beyond The Sea and this year’s 21 (not to mention reuniting with The Usual Suspects director Bryan Singer for Superman Returns). But the 49-year-old thespian makes no bones about the fact that the theatre is his first love, so we were understandably excited when he made time to sit down with us for this recent interview in Las Vegas. How did your experience at Juilliard shape you? There were probably 5,000 actors and actresses who applied for the school and only 28 of us who were chosen for a class, so you start off feeling like one of the thoroughbreds. In my class, there was Elizabeth McGovern, Kelly McGillis, Ving Rhames and Evan Handler, and in the class below me there was Marcia Cross, David Hyde Pierce and Val Kilmer, so you see a lot of people you wind up growing up in the business with. It was life changing because it gives you a tremendous amount of confidence. But I think what makes great training great is that it keeps happening. How so? There are a lot of pieces of information that don’t have any value until you put them into a personal context. There were countless times when I’d find myself having a moment between myself and another actor or a conversation with the director, and someone would happen and it was like a flash card came over my eyes. I’d go, “THAT’S what they were talking about!” The lesson isn’t necessarily learned while you’re in school, but when you apply it later. So in many ways I’m still learning those lessons. Is there anything you learned in college that has really stuck with you? The thing it taught me that I’m most grateful for is the technical facility– the ability to get up on stage every single night, 8 performances a week, 12-14 weeks in a row, never lose my voice, always be alive and ready to take it somewhere else, and be there for your acting partners. And that’s still happening for me. When you first got the scripts for your breakthrough films, The Usual Suspects and Se7en, did you know they’d become classics? No, when I saw Se7en I thought the movie was gonna tank. It was too dark, and I thought audiences would never accept that Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt– who always win– lose at the end of the movie. I always thought The Usual Suspects would find critics, but I wasn’t PG 12 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

KEVIN SPACEY

Master Thespian

don’t feel like I’m trapped in the cog of the wheel anymore. So I’m much happier, and feel that the work I’m doing there is the most important work I’ve ever done. What has the Old Vic experience taught you about acting? What I’ve learned is how to create a story arc over the course of two hours. If you haven’t had that theatre experience, it’s much harder in a film situation to figure out how to create an arc in a very crazy shooting schedule. The frustration as an actor in movies is you never get to play the part [straight through]. But in the theatre you learn in front of an audience, because they’re going to tell you very quickly whether you’re holding their attention or not, and whether they’re following the story or not. I’ve always believed that the work I’ve been able to do in the theatre has had a huge effect on the work I’ve done in film. With all your theatrical responsibilities, what’s the most difficult aspect of making time to produce a film like 21? My job as a producer is to make sure we’re able to get the movie that we wanted on film. When we first found the book 5 or 6 years ago we were ahead of the curve, but after we sold it to MGM we went into a holding pattern while they got bought out. Once Sony picked it up, we had to look at how we could make Vegas interesting again after all the World Series of Poker [broadcasts] and Vegas movies and shows that have come out in the last 6 years. Fortunately we were welcomed by the casinos, and I suspect it’s because they like the film suggesting to audiences that they can come to Vegas and break the bank. (Laughs)

sure it would find an audience. That was the first experience where I put myself completely in the hands of a director, and when I saw the film I was dazzled by what he’d done. That, to me, was a great example of why film is a director’s medium. He went off and made this great painting: I just gave him some colors. Are there any insights on acting you’ve taken away from directing films like Albino Alligator and Beyond the Sea?

dailies, so I never see what I’ve done, so when I finally see the movie sometimes I’m really angry and sometimes I’m blown away. I don’t let any of the actors on my movies see dailies, because I don’t want them second-guessing their own work or falling in love with certain moments. How have your duties as the Old Vic’s artistic director changed the way you approach your film career? My priorities just changed many years

THE LESSON ISN’T NECESSARILY LEARNED WHILE YOU’RE IN SCHOOL, BUT WHEN YOU APPLY IT LATER. SO IN MANY WAYS I’M STILL LEARNING THOSE LESSONS. One thing I confirmed in my own mind was how important it is for actors to give a variety of possibilities to a director in the course of a scene. If an actor yells in every single take, you don’t have any takes where they do it in a different way. What you do then is give the director no choices in editing, where you can rewrite a film on a certain level. I’ve always tried to give a variety of interpretations, and then it’s the director’s job to decide on the final rhythm of the performance. I don’t go to

back when I made the decision that I wanted to start this theatre company. Theatre had always been my primary allegiance, and while I spent 10 years being driven by a personal ambition to have a film career, I got to a point where that was no longer of interest to me. I love movies and have been very grateful to them, because without them I couldn’t be in the position I’m in and doing what I’m able to do on behalf of the theatre. But I’m now doing exactly what I want to be doing, and

Bryan Singer recently said he’s moving forward with a Superman Returns sequel. Will you be coming back for that? I signed a deal to do a second film, but the truth is that you probably know more than I do about it. Bryan and I spoke last spring and my suspicion is that, if they are moving forward, it wouldn’t start shooting until 2009 and would be released in 2010. I just don’t think they’re ready yet. What are your primary goals for your remaining years with the Old Vic Theatre Company? I hope to be able to leave the theatre company in a position where I’ve raised enough money for them that whoever takes over my role as Artistic Director won’t have to spend as much time fundraising as I’ve had to. A lot of people don’t understand that I didn’t step into a role that existed. For 30 years, the Old Vic was a booking house– a theatre you could rent. When the National Theatre left in 1976 under Laurence Olivier’s artistic direction, it became a booking house. There was no theatre company, no education program, no outreach program, no “Old & New Voices,” so we’ve been trying to build a theatre company that will survive in a commercial world, even though we are a charitable organization. But when you have a 1,000-seat theatre and no subsidy from the government, it takes a lot to raise that money. So I hope to be able to leave an endowment to cover the running costs of the Company, to convince some of the government agencies that our outreach work deserves to be subsidized, and to raise the money to renovate the building to 21st century standards, which is a £30 million campaign. Those are my broader goals over the next five or so years.

DINING

Taste of the Month-Brunch Springtime’s favorite meal of the Day! J. Christopher’s

17 Metro Area Locations www.jchristophers.com

breakfast sausage. They feature several omelets including the health conscious Hollywood Omelet made from egg whites, spinach, mushrooms & mozzarella cheese topped with a warm tomato sauce. You can’t leave without trying at least one of their biscuits after which they are famously named. Both the Candler and Midtown locations open at 7am daily and close at 10pm weekly (10:30pm on Fri. and Sat.). They have daily specials and events. Check out their website for other store hours and more details.

West Egg Cafe’ J. Christopher's was founded in 1996 on a very simple idea: to provide cheerful, relaxing neighborhood eateries serving all your traditional breakfast favorites and a few new ones. There are 17 metro area locations; the newest serving Town Center with Brookhaven and Woodstock coming soon. Their restaurants stand out for their bright and contemporary casual dining and classic brunch items. Their signature item on the menu is the Eggs Benedict. The poached eggs and Hormel Canadian bacon are served on a English muffin smothered in Hollandaise. Another popular poached eggs dish is the Eggs Christopher. This is served on a bed of smoked turkey, crispy bacon and sliced tomato with the English muffin. There are also some southwestern egg dishes on the menu including the Breakfast Burrito and the Sunrise Quesadilla. J. Christopher's is also known for there many skillet dishes. Among them is the Route 66, which is a skillet full of corned beef hash and roasted red potatoes capped with sunny side up eggs. If omelets are your thing try the San Bernadino with diced chicken, avocado, tomato, chives and mixed cheeses. They have various pancakes, waffles and cereals on the menu. Those waking up late will find an assortment of great lunch items like the Tuscan Chicken Pannini: Grilled chicken breast with pesto sauce and roasted red peppers, topped with melted Jack cheese and served on Ciabatta bread. The Bistro Salad: A mix of fresh baby salad greens topped with Goat cheese, fresh strawberries, craisins, and sweet and spicy pecans. You can also add shrimp or chicken to any of their salads. The Classic Club: A whale of a triple-decker with all the Classic Club fixing's including turkey, bacon, ham, american, jack on wheat along with a fried egg in the middle. The Southwestern Salad: Mixed greens topped with black beans, sliced avocado, pico de gallo, mixed cheeses and a dollop of sour cream lined with toasted flour tortillas. J. Christopher's is open from 7am to 2pm daily. Patio seating and private rooms are available at most locations.

Flying Biscuit Cafe’ Candler Park 404.687.8888 Midtown 404-874-8887 Buckhead 404-816-3152 Terminus Bldg. 404-477-0013 East Cobb 770-321-4445 www.flyingbiscuit.com One of Atlanta’s favorite homegrown gems has five metro locations with more on the way. The original in the heart of historic Candler Park is about as happening on a Sunday morning as a Braves Opening Day. Since opening in 1993, the Candler Park restaurant has tripled in size and features a bakery next door. Many stop in to pick up some of their famous biscuits for the road. Their Midtown location near Piedmont Park allows for dining inside or on their corner patio. The patio is surrounded by windows which come off in spring offering great views of the bustling midtown scene. Their signature dish is the Flying Biscuit Breakfast served with two large farm-fresh eggs with free-range chicken and sage

Breakfast, Brunch & Lunch THE BEST BREAKFAST IN TOWN IS AT J. CHRISTOPHER’S!

1168 -A Howell Mill Rd. Atlanta, 30318 404-872-3973 www.westeggcafe.com

Owner Jennifer Johnson opened West Egg Cafe in March 2004. It is based on her college experiences at some of the wonderful breakfast and coffee shops in Ann Arbor, Michigan. West Egg is located in the "new" 1930s addition to the historic White Provision Company loft building at the intersection of 14th Street and Howell Mill Road. It is an independent coffeehouse and sandwich shop with a comfortable lounge area offering free wireless internet access and a bottomless cup of coffee. The cafe’ offers plenty of stand alone tables making it ideal for morning meetings. Breakfast is available throughout the day and includes: pancakes, Belgian waffles, omelets, black bean cakes with eggs, build-your-own biscuits, the blue plate, and their fried breakfast wraps. The pastry case is stocked with muffins, scones, cupcakes, cookies, s'mores brownies, and other delicious baked goods. West Egg offers unique brunch items on the weekends including: Fried Egg Sandwich, Banana Bread French Toast, Challah French Toast with Fruit Compote, Salmon Cakes Benedict, Classic Eggs Benedict, Huevos Tejanos, and Bagel & Lox. The Brunch favorite Peachtree Plate is served with eggs any style, brown sugar bacon, cheese grits, fried green tomatoes and biscuit. West Egg Cafe has plenty of parking in the front and offers free valet service for overflow parking during peek hours. They are open seven days a week, 7 a.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. on weekends, closing at 4 p.m. every day.

Cafe di Sol

640 N. Highland Ave. 404-724-0711 www.cafedisol.com

Cafe di Sol is located just south of Ponce de Leon on N. Highland Ave. Under new management it remains the Poncey Highlands destination for a refreshing take on cafe style dining. Patrons enjoy casual dining under their heated outdoor patio or inside where a warm, inviting atmosphere compliments Chef Andy Long's impressive menu. Cafe di Sol Poached Eggs served Brunch is served with Crawfsh Hollandaise until 4PM on the weekends; from 11am on Saturday and 10am on Sunday. Some favorite items include: Banana Pancakes with sliced bananas and sausage; Buttermilk Biscuits served with sausage gravy & scrambled eggs, choice of potatoes or grits; Eggs Benedict with Black Forest Ham and hollandaise along with choice of potatoes or grits; Southern Fried Chicken Biscuits with mushroom gravy and two sunny eggs; and Chef's Steak served with two sunny eggs, hollandaise and roasted potatoes.

17 LOCATIONS! MIDTOWN 950 West Peachtree St. 404.917.1790

BUCKHEAD 3050 Peachtree Rd 404.917.0350

DECATUR 250 E. Ponce De Leon Ave 404.378.2662

ALPHARETTA 3000 Old Alabama Rd. 770.360.0970

PONCE DE LEON 774 Ponce De Leon Ave 404.892.6262

CRABAPPLE 10930 Crabapple Rd. 678.822.0129 DUNWOODY 5482 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd. 770.395.1642

DULUTH 3294 Peachtree Ind. Blvd 770.622.4775 POWERS FERRY 1247 Powers Ferry Rd. 770.953.0002 SANDY SPRINGS 227 Sandy Springs Circle 404.531.0242 ROSWELL SQUARE 605 Atlanta Street 770.640.5548 EAST COBB 1205 Johnson Ferry Rd. 770.579.6800

WINDWARD PKWY. 3070 Windward Pkwy. 770.740.8571 PEACHTREE CITY 264 Commerce Drive 678.216.1010 NORTH ROSWELL 11725 Alpharetta Hwy 770.817.0200 VININGS 1675 Cumberland Pkwy. 678.213.0312

NEWEST LOCATION! TOWN CENTER

��

COMING SOON BROOKHAVEN AND WOODSTOCK

7 Days a Week from 7am–2pm

www.jchristophers.com

PG 13 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

MUSIC INTERVIEW

Les Savy Fav Reunited…

And It Feels So Good BY JOHN B. MOORE

ES SAVY FAV KNOW A THING OR two about the old adage, “keep ‘em wanting more.” With only a couple of proper releases to their name, the New Yorkbased indie rockers decided to let their fans stew for six years before finally turning in their latest release, Let’s Stay Friends, a collection of incendiary rockers that highlight why the record was worth the wait. Syd Butler, the band’s bassist and founder of the influential Frenchkiss Records, spoke with us recently about the band’s six year hiatus, his label and scouting YouTube for their next music video stars. I love the new record. As a fan, I need to ask about the hiatus. Why was there a six year delay between albums? Did you guys consider breaking up at one point? We wanted to do other things in our life. We had been touring like madmen, but we knew when we started that we didn’t want to be a career band. All of us have many creative interests and wanted to take that time to start them. Harrison (Haynes) started an art gallery called Branch Gallery, Tim (Harrington) started Deadly Squire, Seth (Jabber) focused on his illustrations and his art direction and I continued with Frenchkiss. We also wanted

to finish Inches, since it was the first thing we started recording-wise once the band started. We came up with the name of the band, then we came up with the Inches concept. We focused on that and toured on that, too. We toured Japan and the US with the Faint twice, so we actually kept pretty busy with the band... just not as busy.

IT WAS A BLAST TO BE MAKING MUSIC AGAIN. WE ALSO HAD A NEW APPROACH: IN THE PAST WE TOOK THINGS AWAY FROM SONGS, BUT WITH THIS RECORD WE BUILT THEM UP. Was it tough getting back and writing together after such a long break? Not really. It started with getting beers one night last winter, then Seth, our friend Andrew and I locked ourselves in a practice space last summer and cranked out a crapload of songs and went into the studio. It was a blast to be making music again. We also had a new approach: In the past we took things away from songs, but with this record we built them up.

. . . X T I E S N E O WHMES T IGNORANCE IS CO

DEFINITELY NOT BLISS

At the Feminist Women’s Health Center’s brand new clinic, we provide all the FACTS you need to understand your own body and to make the best choices for your gynecological health. � � � � � � � � �

�� 1924 Cliff Valley Way Atlanta, GA 30329

404-728-7900 www.feministcenter.org PG 14 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

Did you find that any of you changed musically during the time off? I’m sure we did change a bit. We are all in different places now. I do know that we didn’t want to copy our previous records. We wanted to explore new ground with our sounds and structures. I have been listening to a lot of Dub and Reggae, and also a lot of

Surgi-Center License 044-287

The Jam. I have no idea if you can hear that as an influence though. How was the process of writing and recording Let’s Stay Friends compare to working on earlier records? We started with very simple parts. Three notes, then started to add to it. Like cooking: a little salt here, pepper there. In the past we just dumped stuff into a pot and took the excess away.

happened to be in town with a day off and wanted to be a part of it. It was fantastic having their creativity and approach to our songs. I really feel that this record is better because of them. We can’t thank them enough. Why did you decide to start Frenchkiss Records? Are you surprised at how influential it has grown as an indie label? I’m flattered that you think it’s an influential label! We’re small and do our best to put out the best records possible. I started it years ago as a place for Les Savy Fav to have a home. Back then it was easy to run a label, but now it’s become a bit more complicated. We have released 32 records now. It seems small, but I’m in shock. It seems like yesterday when we released The Cat and the Cobra.

How is the YouTube video contest for “The Equestrian” going? Any decent submissions? I would say they were all great, but some were better than others. I know that each member has a favorite.

Did you always have plans to release albums by other bands? We were touring like crazy when this style of music was not in fashion. There were so many bands who ruled, but majors were not into the sound like they are now. We wanted to make Frenchkiss a home for them too.

You guys brought in a lot of friends and other musicians in working on Let’s Stay Friends. Was there a conscious decision made early on to bring in others or did the guest lineup just evolve during the process? We always wanted to have guests on the new record, just like we did with our previous records. In the past it didn’t work out, but with Let’s Stay Friends all the stars lined up. While we were recording all these awesome people

As the owner of a record label, are you nervous about what is happening in the music industry? Free downloads, Radiohead letting buyers decided how much to pay for their latest record, that kind of stuff. Yes and no. What’s hard is knowing and not knowing what the format is. The old one has been ingrained in my head. Some of those ideas still work, but some don’t. Trying to sell records is more a creative process now.

FILM INTERVIEW

JACKIE CHAN

THE LAST ACTION HERO BY B. LOVE

T’S BEEN MORE THAN 25 years since his introduction to the Hollywood mainstream in The Cannonball Run, and over 30 since he emerged as the heir apparent to Bruce Lee’s “King of Martial Arts Movies” throne. But even at the ripe old age of 53, Hong Kong superstar Jackie Chan doesn’t seem to be in any danger of slowing down, and if anything seems to be busier than ever. Returning to U.S. theaters in 2007 (for the first time since 2004’s Around the World in 80 Days) with Rush Hour 3, the action film legend has the energy and vitality of a man half his age, smiling broadly and chatting affably on topics ranging from the differences between the Asian and American film markets to his eagerly-anticipated 2008 project with Jet Li, The Forbidden Kingdom. Born Kong-sang Chan on Hong Kong’s famous Victoria Peak in 1954, young Jackie was sent by his father from the family’s home in Canberra, Australia to attend Hong Kong’s China Drama Academy (one of the Peking Opera Schools) at the age of six. There he was rigorously trained in acrobatics, martial arts and singing, and eventually became a member of the “Seven Little Fortunes” performing troupe with fellow martial artists/actors Sammo Hung Kam-Bo and Biao Yuen, who would also become his lifelong friends. By the early ‘70s he had launched a burgeoning movie career, appearing in minor roles in two films starring martial arts superstar Bruce Lee, 1972’s Fist of Fury (a.k.a. The Chinese Connection) and 1973’s classic Enter the Dragon. After Lee’s untimely death from cerebral edema at the age of 32, studios looking to cash in on the ‘70s martial arts film boom began a quest to find an actor who could follow in his footsteps, and Chan was cast in a string of low-budget action films that fared reasonably well at the box office. But, as Chan once famously said, “I never wanted to be the next Bruce Lee. I just wanted to be the first Jackie Chan.” And by the time 1978’s Drunken Master became a cult hit, Chan had begun to develop a distinctive style by blending dazzling action set pieces propelled by jaw-dropping stunt work with liberal doses of humor inspired by his idols, silent film stars Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd. Emerging as a masterful stunt coordinator and budding director, Chan became a revered legend among action film aficionados with Asian-produced film series such as Winners & Sinners, Police Story and Armour of God, but it wasn’t until 1995’s Rumble in the Bronx that he finally crossed over to become a bona-fide Hollywood commodity. Seemingly unlikely pairings with comedic actors Chris Tucker in fish-out-ofwater stories such as Rush Hour and Owen Wilson in Shanghai Noon gave him his first taste of blockbuster success in America, with his $5 million paycheck for the latter

elevating him into the top echelon of action film stars. Today, Jackie admits that it took him a while to understand and appreciate the inherent differences between the Asian and Hollywood film markets. “When I’m

jump on the set of Armour of God) to accidentally getting hit in the face with nunchucks by Bruce Lee on the set of Enter the Dragon. Still, Chan insists that neither his advancing age nor the increasing popularity of CGI in Hollywood will force him to change his unique approach to action anytime

I’M TRAINING A LOT AND I DO THE STUNT COORDINATION BY MYSELF, SO I KNOW HOW FAR I CAN GO, HOW HIGH I CAN JUMP, HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT LOCATION AND THINGS TO HELP ME.

making Hollywood movies for an American audience,” he reveals candidly, “I don’t care about the Asian audience. You have to be totally into American [mode]– the dialogue, the action sequences. But when I make an Asian film, I don’t care about the American audience. I tried to make a movie for both audiences for so many years. Like The Medallion and Mr. Nice Guy, both of which failed. Some producers think they can make an Asian film with a cheap budget and release it in the American market, but it just doesn’t work. Now, I plan: an American film is for an American audience, and an Asian film is for an Asian audience.” But regardless of which geographical region he’s working in, Jackie Chan is increasingly respected worldwide for his invigorating action films, choreographing intense fight scenes that largely eschew computer-generated effects in favor of heart-pounding stunts that leave little doubt that the star is genuinely putting his life in danger. Chan works with his own stuntman team, known as the Sing Ga Ban (or Jackie Chan Stuntman Association, members of which often appear as extras in his films), and has a litany of career injuries ranging from dozens of broken bones and a skull fracture (from a mistimed

soon. “The way they’re changing action right now, especially in Hollywood, they use a lot of special effects with [films like] Superman and Spider-Man. I think they’re very clever– Hollywood can make anyone become an action star! But actually I’m lucky, because if everybody was like me I’d probably be gone. But everyone chooses the easy way and I have my own audience, so that’s why I continue working and cannot retire.” Asked if the physical reality of entering his fifties has made it any harder to do the jaw-dropping stunts for which he is known, Chan insists that age isn’t as much of a problem as the struggle to come up with ideas he hasn’t tried before. “I’m training a lot and I do the stunt coordination by myself, so I know how far I can go, how high I can jump, how to choose the right location and things to help me. If I’m tired we go do a dialogue scene. And after a dialogue scene I come back and it’s easy. But it’s more difficult to [design new stunts]. Wherever I go, I sit at the window, thinking, ‘Ah, I can jump from the building, to a bus, to the second floor!’ But now, wherever I look, I realize I did this before,” he says, pointing to the Eiffel Tower scene in Rush Hour 3 as an example of how a distinctive location can help put a fresh

spin on what is essentially trademark Jackie Chan fight choreography. To be honest, lately he seems almost as interested in his singing career as he is in acting or martial arts. Though he has released numerous albums in Asia and frequently records the songs heard playing over the outtakes section of his Hong Kong movies, the Rush Hour series provided Western audiences with their first taste of Chan’s crooning ability, and the response has apparently been as rewarding as it was surprising. “It’s fun,” he admits with a broad grin. “Better than action! You can swing, somersault or vault, but I might get hurt! Now they ask me to sing, [sings] “Over and over again…’ One more time? Okay! ‘Over and over again…’ Easy! Sometimes you do a big stunt and people forget, but you do one joke and the audience remembers. ‘Oh, I loved the singing!’ I ask, ‘What about the stunt?’ ‘Oh, the stunt was good too, but I loved the singing!’” Of course, Chan is highly unlikely to exchange his spot atop the action hero heap for a singing gig in a Las Vegas lounge anytime soon. After being voted the World’s Most Popular Movie Star by Time magazine, receiving a Best Actor Award for his dramatic turn in 2004’s New Police Story, being honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and launching his own film production company, Jackie Chan Emperor Movies Ltd., Chan’s career has never looked brighter. And he currently has a slew of promising projects, including trying to open up a chain of his Jackie’s Java Coffee shops in the Philippines, on his plate. First up is The Forbidden Kingdom, the eagerly anticipated family film pairing Chan with Beijing-born martial arts star Jet Li. Directed by Rob Minkoff (The Lion King, Stuart Little), the film follows a kung fu-obsessed American teen on an adventure to China, where he joins up with a heroic band of martial arts warriors in order to free the imprisoned Monkey King (Li), with Chan as the Drunken Master. Along with his voiceover work in the animated film Kung Fu Panda (which also features the voiceover talents of Jack Black, Angelina Jolie and Dustin Hoffman), The Forbidden Kingdom is one of four Jackie Chan projects currently slated for a 2008 release. “My schedule is fully booked till 2010,” he acknowledges with frazzled smile. “That’s my schedule! Right after Rush Hour 3, I immediately went to work on The Forbidden Kingdom with Jet Li. As soon as I finish that, I start filming Shingoku Story in Japan. The director is Derek Yee, and it’s a Hong Kong movie based on a true story. That has to finish by April, because on April 1st I have to finish my own movie. I wanted to retire ten years ago! If you want to do Rush Hour 4,” he insists with a laugh, “you have to book right now!” PG 15 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

FILM

�� CARAMEL:� �� –Alexis Gray CHICAGO 10:� �� –Mitchell Hughes COLLEGE ROAD TRIP:� �� PG 16 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

�� –DeMarco Williams DRILLBIT TAYLOR:�� –Matt Goldberg FLAWLESS:��

George Clooney and that guy from “The Office” (John Krasinski) fight over football and Renee Zellweger in “Leatherheads.” We think Hollywood has given up on finding hot chicks that can act.

�� –Matt Goldberg FUNNY GAMES:�� –Mike Brune HORTON HEARS A WHO!:��

�� –B. Love LEATHERHEADS:�� –Matt Goldberg RUN FATBOY RUN:� ��

�� –Matt Goldberg STOP-LOSS:� �� –Matt Goldberg STREET KINGS:��

�� –DeMarco Williams 21:� �� –B. Love UNDER THE SAME MOON:�� –DeMarco Williams

IT Y M E D I A

ATIV ION WITH REL T LUKETIC “21” T A I C O S S A N I S PRESENTS ODUCTION A FILM BY ROBER KEVIN SPACEY E R U T C I P A I B M COLU ICHAEL DE LUCA PR CE FISHBURNE AND AVANAUGH RYAN K T R E E T/ M H LAUREN A TRIGGER S KATE BOSWORTH WIT EASLEY BRETT RATNER ELD AND AL AN LOEB GESS IVE S. B PLAY TEINF IC

JSIICM STUR ARDY EXPRECODUUTCEROSOKWIL IAM ZRICHSCREEN BYPETER S A DIRECTEDBYROBERT LUKET MU Y DAVID S PON THE B Y BEN ME E LUC D L B E A H C BASED UN THE HOUSE” B I M Y E G DOW EVIN SPAC “BRINGIN K I T T E N U ED R C IX), B U D O A PR BY DAN SOULWAX REM A ( S E N O T S ING ANN RES THE ROL SOUNDSYSTEM & RIH U T A FE K C A R T SOUND MGMT, LCD

NOW PLAYING

CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATERS AND SHOWTIMES SORRY, NO PASSES ACCEPTED FOR THIS ENGAGEMENT.

NOW PLAYING

CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATRES AND SHOWTIMES SPECIAL ENGAGEMENTS – NO PASSES OR DISCOUNT TICKETS ACCEPTED

Text Stoploss to 33287 for showtimes and mobile content. Standard messaging rates apply.

PG 17 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

FILM INTERVIEW

They say the movie star is dying. Good, cuz Street Kings’ Keanu Reeves never much fit the mold anyway. BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

HERE ARE MANY WAYS TO DEFINE success. Some do it in raw numbers. And man, does Keanu Reeves have raw numbers. The veteran actor has been in eight pictures -Speed, Something’s Gotta Give, Constantine, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Parenthood and The Matrix trilogythat earned over $75 million each at the box oﬃce. Of course, when numbers aren’t enough, some turn to popularity. Reeves, a Lebanon native with a demeanor as impassive as you’ll ﬁnd in Hollywood, has a star on the Walk of Fame and one of the most recognizable faces in the industry. There are also times when neither popularity nor numbers can tell the complete story. It’s then that we turn to a third scale of measuring success—happiness. Arguably the most important of the three, happiness is also the toughest one to gauge. When Reeves is asked about happiness and success at a recent press conference for the high-octane L.A. crime drama Street Kings, the 43-year-old (who portrays troubled cop Tom Ludlow) appears almost frazzled. He answers as thoroughly as he can below, and also does his best job explaining his new role here as the anti-Neo.

means to have your version of what is right and wrong [that is not right]. So, it’s okay for me to kill these people who kidnapped and hijacked these young girls? If I’m allowed to go do that, fix a crime scene and kill these people who I don’t deem the right to justice then what else can I do. It can become corrupted. In the specific case of Ludlow, no I don’t think he can [justify his actions]. Part of what the story is to me is that Wander (Whitaker’s character) is almost the extension of that. It doesn’t matter what it is; it’s what it looks like. If I can control what it looks like, if I can get away with what it looks like, you can have some problems. That can happen in the police force. That can happen in business. That can happen in any organized entity. But in the end, I think I’m sure there are certain situations where that might be. But like one of the actors, Naomie Harris, says, “Blood doesn’t wash away blood.” With a violent act against a violent act, I don’t know if it puts out the fire. But there is a place for it. You need violent people.

YEAH, TO ENTER INTO ANY PROJECT THAT YOU WORK ON, YOU HAVE THE HOPES TO REALIZE THE ROLE, TO REALIZE THE FILM. AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU HAVE YOUR PERSONAL JOURNEY AND YOU HAVE THE WORK THAT YOU’RE A PART OF.

Tom Ludlow is a sad alcoholic. Is he a hero in this movie? Is Tom Ludlow a good guy? Yeah, he’s a good guy. He’s a nice guy with a good sense of humor. Just don’t get on his wrong side, I guess. It was a great role. I really liked the story. I guess it was kind of fun to be pushed to a place that I don’t normally live in. David, you called me a hippie, right? [Street Kings director David Ayers nods in agreement.] So, the director’s calling me a hippie and I get to kill eight people. It was a good role to play. Keanu, I’m sure you’ve done some weapons training before this. But what did you learn this time around? What did I learn? Practice, practice, practice. You have to practice. I needed a lot of practice. I wasn’t very good. I just wanted to be able to look like I knew what I was doing. I just had to practice to learn some techniques and learn some footwork Did your thoughts about the L.A.P.D. change after this project? Yeah, I think I have a different sense about the man, the person, in the uniform. I have a deeper appreciation. He didn’t just become a cop and a man in a uniform. I just have a deeper appreciation for the person in the uniform. I just have a deeper respect for them. It’s not only the life of the job; it’s the life outside of the job. With the experience of this film, I got to have more knowledge of what it is to live outside of the job. It’s not an easy job to “live with.” It comes home. What was the experience like working with Forest Whitaker? The guy is amazing. When you’re working with him, there’s such a non-actory kind of thing. He’s just really present and real. It’s just action. You don’t see his craft, really. It’s a different kind of pretend with him because he’s not really pretending. It’s pretty intense. Your character doesn’t always follow protocol to get the bad guy. Does the end always justify the means? It’s depending on the context. But in the story of the movie, if you do what Ludlow does then that allows something else to happen. As a law enforcement officer, if you can control a crime scene and make a crime not a crime, even if you’re justifying your PG 18 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

Have you had a chance to reach out to your Point Break costar Patrick Swayze and oﬀer him any support? No, I have not. That is something to do. Being a part-time musician yourself, did it excite you working with rappers Com-

mon and The Game? Yeah, I met Common and Game as actors. Obviously, they’re very dynamic people with lots of talent. The Game is producing ﬁlms. He’s making music. He’s acting. Common is acting. They’re just really dynamic people. Common was speaking to [another actor] about East Coast/West Coast and some of the more historical aspects to music and the history of L.A. That was cool to listen in on. Is music still important to your life? No, I don’t play. Common said that a lot of people around the set were asking you about The Matrix. Do you feel like that will always be a part of your career? Hopefully. Maybe. Yeah. Do you feel like you have two separate careers? I’m the ambassador for The Matrix trilogy. My operating hours are… But we hear that folks around the set seemed in awe of you. I think it’s just ‘cuz I was probably the older guy. Maybe it’s just that they’re working with an actor that they had seen before.

Can you talk about how you measure individual success? Are you on pins and needles about the opening weekend? Yeah, we hope people like it. I liked it. Yeah, to enter into any project that you work on, you have the hopes to realize the role, to realize the ﬁlm. At the end of the day, you have your personal journey and you have the work that you’re a part of. I’m nervous about the ﬁlm opening because you want people to like it. You want to see what it is. That’s what you hope for. In terms of measuring success, I don’t know if that is a real thing. We all hope to have a career. Maybe that’s one of the things that you measure success with. It’s just one of those things that—I guess you could look at it from the money side, too, and the artistic side. I think it’s as complicated as life is. I guess it’s also one of those things that you can measure if you don’t have it. It’s easier not to measure it. If you don’t get to do the work and you don’t achieve what you hope to achieve then you weren’t successful, I guess.

Can you tell us about The Day the Earth Stood Still? Was the original important to you? It’s a classic film. Hopefully, we have a shot at making a good film. I just finished it last week. They’re still filming. I got to work with Kathy Bates, Jennifer Connelly, John Cleese and Jaden Smith. Great cast. Scott Derrickson directed it. Yeah, we’ll do the original right. It’s a reinvention, kind of an extension of [the original]. But it’s appropriate for our time. Anything special on your role wish list? Not today. I’m going to work with [director] Rebecca Miller in May [for The Private Lives of Pippa Lee], so I’m really excited about that. Is it important that people see different sides of you on the big screen? I’m just hoping to be able to work in different genres and play different roles. We all hope to do different kinds of work and be challenged and stretched and, hopefully, explore all that we can do as artists.

Vidiots This month’s DVD & VHS Releases

CLOVERFIELD – This is a monster movie like you’ve never

seen before– a loud, terrifying must-see. In many ways, it could be a conventional film: We meet our characters, learn their relationships and disaster strikes. It’s then that the DV camera becomes more than just a gimmick, providing a tool through which the audience can experience this terror first-hand. Sure, cameraman Hud cracks one too many jokes to cut the tension, and the relationships aren’t always convincing. But when you’re in a dark subway tunnel, seeing rats running away from something, all of those drawbacks don’t really seem to matter. There are rare occasions where obfuscation is beneficial and hype is real. Cloverfield is that rarity. Grade B+ MG

PICKS OF THE MONTH SWEENEY TODD

JUNO – Knocked Up and Superbad both brought in bigger box office bucks, but in my eyes this sly sleeper about a pregnant teen who elects to carry her baby to term and give it up for adoption was the year’s best comedy. Diablo Cody has the most original screenwriting voice to come along since Charlie Kaufman and, as the title character, Ellen Page proves her perfect muse, as intelligent and irreverent as Judd Apatow’s boys are gleefully sophomoric. And from Michael Cera as the adorably confused baby daddy to Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner as the adoptive parents, every casting decision is spot-on. Grade B+ BL

For me, it would be enough that this adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s grisly Broadway smash about a homicidal barber out for revenge after being wrongly imprisoned and losing his wife and daughter to a covetous judge (a deliciously wicked Alan Rickman) is arguably the best work of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp’s fruitful creative partnership. That it’s also among the finest movie musicals in modern cinema– artful, epic and hauntingly beautiful from start to finish– makes it my favorite film of 2007. BL

THE GOLDEN COMPASS – I don’t care how many digital

animals money can buy; not one of them can make up for a dull story and dull characters. In a parallel world where your soul lives outside your body in the form of an animal called a “daemon,” an authoritarian regime called The Magisterium is abducting children and trying to stop scientific discoveries that may challenge their rule. A young girl receives a golden compass that knows The Truth which leads her on an adventure where she encounters gypsies, witches and rasslin’ polar bears who all bark exposition at her. If New Line really wanted to make another fantasy film as successful as The Lord of the Rings trilogy, they should’ve just made The Hobbit. Grade D MG

HUSTLE 101: THE MOVIE – Bump the big chem test on Wednesday. The real issue is figuring out how to best promote your Morehouse party that Friday. This surprisingly-polished documentary (available at Hustle101themovie.com) from directors Michael Cooke and Donte Murry follows savvy cats named “That Dude” and “D-Nice” around to figure out how they do it. Hint: If you think a bash goes down with just flyers, prepare to be schooled. “There’s a science to this thing,” explains a

promoter. And that’s real. The chicks gotta be right. The business plan’s gotta be tight. Shuttles gotta run all night. Welcome to the cutthroat-but-potentially-lucrative world of party promotions. Grade B+ DM

LARS AND THE REAL GIRL – The best love story of 2007 was between a man and a life-sized doll. Its premise may seem contrived but the writing, directing, and the performances, not only Ryan Gosling as the titular Lars, but a powerful supporting cast, make the film a beautiful story of how not only finding love is difficult, but finding the ability to love can be a challenge all its own. Grade B+ MG

THERE WILL BE BLOOD

It’s to this film’s credit that, after two and a half hours of watching power absolutely corrode the souls of men, you want to watch the entire film again and give it an even closer study. DayLewis gives a performance that exceeds already high expectations and I pray we won’t have to wait another five years for writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson’s next film. There Will Be Blood is a familiar morality tale like you’ve never seen before. MG

THE ORPHANAGE – The feature film debut of director Juan Antonio Bayona follows Laura (Belén Rueda), who purchases the orphanage in which she grew up in hopes of restoring the run-down facility. Once there, disturbing developments lead her Laura first to the police, then to a team of parapsychologists in an effort to unravel the mysteries that consume her. Bayona ratchets up the tension with perfect pacing, with every chill earned and every emotion genuine. This is a ghost story played to the height of the audience’s intelligence. Don’t let the subtitles scare you away from the year’s finest frightfest. Grade A- BL 27 DRESSES – Katherine Heigl stars as hopeless romantic Jane, a CEO’s assistant at an REI-like outfitter who’s got the hots for her boss (Edward Burns) but can’t find the guts to say how she feels. When Jane’s visiting sister (Malin Akerman) swoops in and beats her to the hunk, Jane stays mum even as she plans their wedding’s every detail, a role she’s played for friends 26 times before. When we meet Enchanted’s James Marsden as Kevin, a cynical weddings section writer assigned a story on the nuptials. He’s a marriage-hating cynic, you just know director Anne Fletcher’s gonna come up with cute ways to have their Rolodexes meet. Grade B DM

FILM INTERVIEW

The Art of War: Kimberly Pierce On Stop-Loss A BY MATT GOLDBERG

S I TRANSCRIBED THIS INTERVIEW WITH Boys Don’t Cry writer/director Kimberly Pierce, whose latest film, Stop-Loss, explores the lives of soldiers torn between the horror of Iraq and the normal lives that can no longer hold the comfort of normalcy, it had just been reported that the 4,000th soldier had lost his life in this conflict. Pierce’s film attempts to make these men more than a statistic, and in trying to tell an honest story about honorable men, she spoke with dozens of soldiers and their families, trying to understand the war from their perspective.

You spoke with lots of servicemen in researching this ﬁlm, and I was wondering if they expressed how as Americans we can support them.

I think they don’t feel that people understand what’s going on for them over there and know what their frustrations are. One thing I heard from soldiers over and over again was something we put in the movie in that the way that we’re fighting it is difficult on a soldier because it feels like he or she can’t win it. She’s going into urban combat situations where it’s dangerous; they run the risk of killing innocent people and they don’t want to have that blood on their hands. I know that when they come home, the culture is not necessarily paying attention. With Vietnam, yes, people were anti-war and taking it out on them but at least the whole culture was involved in the war. Now they come home and it’s not the thing people are focusing on. It’s only a portion of the society is following it. I’ve been to 18 out of 22 cities [on this PA tour] and I’ve had Q&As at each one. What’s fascinating is that people not only say, “Thank you for making an emotional movie; thank you for making a movie about relationships,” but every single screening, soldiers stand up and tell their story. It’s amazing. They say “I was over here. Here’s is what I did. This movie is authentic and this is why it’s important for me to tell my story,” As a community and as a culture, we need to accept that it’s not just a certain group of people that’s fighting. I think we all need to accept that we’re in this together.

At the Q&A after the film last night, you mentioned how soldiers were shooting footage of their time in Iraq and Afghanistan, then editing it together. What prompted them to do that as a form of artistic expression? Well I found two things: Putting the camera on the sandbag or on the gun-turret or on the ground literally was a novelty to them. They were like, “Oh my God! We’re experiencing this really intense thing and we have a camera: let’s film it,” I mean, when you have a camera and you have something interesting, generally, you film it. So that the fact that they could capture it—soldiers come back and all they do is tell war-stories to each other. That they could record it meant that they had evidence of it. A lot of times you’ll hear soldiers say, “I’m getting it on tape! I got it on tape!” It’s a thrill to shoot something; it’s a

thrill to capture it. Then they come back to the barracks and it’s like, “Well, I’ve captured it…Let me tell it the way I want it to feel.” So you’ll see certain kinds of video, like The Patriotic Video. So there’s all the guys in uniform and their saluting and then you cut to the guys cleaning their guns and the camaraderie. And you put that to a Toby Keith song. Then you have other videos that are sort of Thrill Kill. You have aircraft carriers and planes taking off and bombs dropping and people shooting guns and they’ll cut that more to rock music. Some of that is, “You hit us? Screw you. We’re going to hit you back fifty times harder.” And that’s their message to the Taliban or to Osama or to Hussein. So there’s definitely a feeling of force. And then there are others that are memorial videos and it’s all about the fallen guys and it shows what happened to their brothers. So when I see they’re capturing the footage, I see that it’s thrilling to capture what they lived through. When I see them editing it and listen to them talk about it, I see them representing the story the way they want to represent it. And when they put it on YouTube, it’s A) to communicate with the people back home and B) to have an identity they can put it out there. Clearly if the guys are shooting it and editing it, they’re making it a fantasy version of themselves. But it also seems like there’s a war-journalist aspect to it. In talking to you, what did they express was important about conveying the honesty of their experiences? They want to be heard. “I’m experiencing something you guys don’t know about. You’re looking at the news and when I look at the news, that’s not getting it. Let me convey to you what’s really going on,” That’s the biggest reason I felt that they were doing it. They’re not activists in this classical sense of the term. They’re people who are going through a very profound experience and they need to be heard and they need to have their stories told. They need their stories reflected accurately. And I think the movie is born from those images and I think our service to our generation is to not only see their stories, hear their stories, tell their stories, but also communicate the movie in a way that’s reflected in this generation’s sensibility. PG 19 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

CONCERT

CALENDER

�� Philharmonic w/ Mac Frampton �� Tuff Whitﬁeld �� David Dondero, Ben Trickey �� Gabriel Kelley �� J.T. Speed �� Open Mic �� Totally Rockin’� �� Comcast On Demand Music Showcase �� Al Smith’s Midtown Jam �� Harry the Dirty Dog �� Clay Coley �� The Dirtbombs, Kelly Stoltz �� Lindsay Rakers Band �� Chicago Joe Jones �� Hoedown of Darkness in Little 5 �� Scandy �� Francisco Vidal Band �� The Hill Country Revue �� RJD2

Panic At The Disco @��(4-26, 4-27) �� 5th Anniversary Bash �� Aclarion Unplugged �� Sleep Therapy, Jeffery Butzer �� Vienna Teng �� Chickenshack �� Hand Job �� Say Anything �� Secret Lives of Freemasons �� Whiskey Bent �� Matt Reasor & The Madness �� Pink Police �� Gareth Asher & Friends

The spirit of a winter night. NOW AVAILABLE AT: Mac’s Beer & Wine 21 Peachtree Place Atlanta (404) 872-4898

Toco Giant Package 2941 N. Druid Hills Rd. NE Atlanta (404) 320-1904

Forsyth Liquor 1545 McFarland Pkwy. Alpharetta (678) 522-7813

Cheers Beer & Wine 2490 Briarcliff Road NE Atlanta (404) 321- 7997

AND OTHER FINE LIQUOR STORES FOR LOCATIONS NEAR YOU VISIT 1147VODKA.COM/BUY Distilled exclusively from ﬁnest wheat and rye. PG 20 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

1147vodka.com

White Birch birch ﬂavored vodka is 40% alc./vol., distilled from grain, produced in Russia, and imported by Pottsdam Import & Export, Inc., Atlanta, GA.

From Russia...

�� Justin �� DJ Maﬁoso �� Mad Margritt �� Sabri Brothers �� Tentonic, The Red Coats �� Tom Willner �� Andy Makely �� Phace Oricalz �� Saul Williams �� The South �� White Leppard �� The Last Waltz Ensemble �� Willie Nelson Tribute �� Villians �� Robert Earl Keen �� Fervor �� Craig Morgan �� Unzipt �� Las4Eva, Sky Hy �� Aclarion �� Mourdella, The Coathangers �� Packway Handle Band �� The Brethren �� Newberry Jam �� Nightmare of You �� Brantley Gilbert �� Zoroaster �� The Belmont Playboys �� The Mars Volta �� Brian Wiltsey & Gareth Asher �� Gary Louris �� Sun Domingo �� The Jupiter Watts �� The Felice Brothers �� Lori Jeanee Beneﬁt �� Bent Fender �� Songwriter’s Open Mic �� Ralph Roddenbery �� Karaoke Night �� High Tide Blues Band

�� Hipnotic Unplugged �� Sunday Improv �� Tony Lucca �� J.T. Speed �� Open Mic �� The Status �� Totally Rockin’ �� Mary J. Blige, Jay-Z �� Tab Benoit �� Flying Oatsmen �� Al Smith’s Midtown Jam �� Juanes �� Tony Sims & Dave Burkart �� Liz Carroll & John Doyle �� Chicago Joe Jones �� Thomas Ramirez Group �� Cougar Magnum �� Francisco Vidal Band �� The Hill Country Revue �� The Hiss �� The Levon Helm Band �� Vision Music Open Mic �� SpaceOut Project �� The Robert Cray Band �� Pistol Town �� Howlies, The Orphins, The Hotpipes �� Jeff Black �� Chickenshack �� Heather Luttrell & Brandy Robinson �� Hightide Blues �� Papa Mali �� The Barberries �� Mic Larry & Chainletter �� Colin Meloy of The Decemberists �� Sound On Film �� Reverse Bomonkey �� Amul9, Rev Rebel, Crop Circle �� Hipnotic �� Tiger! Tiger!, The Black & Whites �� Derek Webb �� Blues Highway �� Deep Blue Sun �� Asher & Quick �� The Breakfast Club �� Boombox �� Dropsonic �� Swami Gone Bananas �� Son Volt �� Fishhawk �� Slippery When Wet �� Girlz Girlz Girlz �� Dan Marshall Project �� Powerline �� Michael Baisden �� Unknown Hinson �� Women of Rock in the Round �� Roger Wilson �� Sonia Leigh �� Eisley �� Wax Fang �� Fly By Radio �� Lifehouse �� Brain Wiltsey & Bass Malone �� Shelby Lynne �� Chickens & Pigs �� Alexis Vear �� Stereoﬁdelics & Blair Lott Band �� Dave Barnes �� Holy Liars �� Spoon �� VHS or Beta, Tigercity �� Songwriter’s Open Mic �� The Hired Gun Band �� Carbon/Silicon �� Nonpoint �� Calhoun �� Iron & Wine �� J.T. Speed �� Open Mic �� Red Jumpsuit Apparatus �� Totally Rockin’ �� Porter Batiste Stoltz �� Kate Nash �� Al Smith’s Midtown Jam �� Eight Point Buck, Danger Bear �� Romantica �� Chicago Joe Jones �� Soul in Little 5 �� The Starting Line �� Hate Eternal �� Francisco Vidal Band �� The Hill Country Revue �� Love Rush

�� Chicago Joe Jones �� NodFactor 2 �� OTEP �� Francisco Vidal Band �� The Hill Country Revue �� Jason Mraz �� Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood �� Peelander-Z, Attractive 80s Women �� Kort McCumber �� Chickenshack �� Tift Merritt �� Anti-Flag �� Alesana �� Poptart Monkeys �� The Beggars’ Guild �� All Night Drug Prowling Wolves �� Mic Larry & Chainletter �� Who’s Bad �� Mausiki Scales & Common Ground Collective �� Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood �� Big Bill Morganﬁeld �� Tapes’n Tapes, White Denim �� Harmony for Life Beneﬁt �� Little Joey’s Big Band �� Snake Oil Medicine Show �� CULatour: Ministry �� Jeffre Star �� 17th Floor �� Bruce Springsteen �� Blueground Undergrass �� Nick Swardson �� Mic Larry & Chainletter �� The Julia Dream

otpipes

Jason Mraz @��(4-23) �� Kinchafoonee Cowboys �� David Allen Coe �� Chatham County Line �� ASLYN �� Totally Savage �� Vortex Park & Newberry Jam �� Bamboozie Road Show �� Planet Riders �� Sweetwater Junction �� Avril Lavigne �� Emerson Hart �� The Booze �� Feist �� Educators �� Reckless Kelly �� Uncrowned �� Raising the Bar Tour �� Slippery When Wet �� Fusion �� Mela Vaisakhi �� The Liverhearts, Lay Down Mains �� Tristan Prettyman �� Work in Progress �� The Ralph Roddenbery Band �� Streetlight Manifesto �� Murder By Death �� The Wrong Way �� Chemokaze �� The Jupiter Watts �� Brain Wiltsey & Hank Barbee �� Avett Brothers �� Drift & TX/RX� �� Cassavetes �� Tristan Prettyman �� Osmose & Special Guests �� Gigantour: Megadeth, In Flames �� Susan Cowsill �� Steve Earle �� British Sea Power, Film School �� Al Stewart �� The Future of Ghost �� The Dogs Divine �� Comedy Night �� J.T. Speed �� Open Mic �� Mae �� Making April �� Totally Rockin’ �� Cloud Cult �� Ty Reynolds Band �� Nick Lowe �� Teitur �� Al Smith’s Midtown Jam �� Clutch �� Todd Carey

�� Ten Story Relapse �� Chris Barron �� French Kicks �� Ben Wakeman �� Tomi Isobe �� Stop Drop & Roll �� Greedy White Citizens �� Thrice �� Grayson Hill �� Modern Skirts �� The Winter Sounds �� Panic At The Disco �� Joe Jackson �� Ski Club �� Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin �� Arlington Priest �� U-Melt �� Panic At The Disco �� Destroyer, Andre Ethier �� Songwriter’s Open Mic �� Joe McGuinness �� Poynte �� Elvis Costello & The Imposter

SEASON TICKET PACKAGES ON SALE NOW!

WEDNESDAY

Series

FRANKIE VALLI

LIVE MUSIC TUES–SUN

Wednesday, June 18

KENNY G

Every Wednesday THE MIKE VEAL BAND Every Sunday THE FRANSISCO VIDAL BAND

Wednesday, June 25

BOZ SCAGGS with ASO

Wednesday, July 2

MICHAEL McDONALD/ AL GREEN Wednesday, July 16

JILL SCOTT

Wednesday, July 30

THE BEACH BOYS

with ASO

Wednesday, August 13

t Concers More Great Music Coming Soon! August 6 & August 27 Serie

FRIDAY

Series

EMMYLOU HARRIS Friday, June 27

BOYZ II MEN/ MORRIS DAY & THE TIME Friday, July 25

HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH Friday, August 1

HIPPIEFEST

featuring JACK BRUCE of Cream, ERIC BURDON & THE ANIMALS, THE TURTLES featuring Flo & Eddie, MELANIE, BADFINGER featuring Joey Molland, JONATHAN EDWARDS

Friday, August 8

REGENERATION TOUR

featuring THE HUMAN LEAGUE, BELINDA CARLISLE, ABC, A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS, NAKED EYES

SATURDAY

��

437 Moreland Avenue Little Five Points 404-681-9018

Series

GEORGE BENSON

with ASO, plus special guest EARL KLUGH

Saturday, June 21

EDWIN McCAIN BAND with ASO, plus special guest

Saturday, July 12

CROSBY, STILLS & NASH Saturday, August 2

GIPSY KINGS

Saturday, August 9

�� Al Smith’s Midtown Jam �� Amy Cook �� Chicago Joe Jones �� Kenny Heard & Special Guests �� Crash Romeo �� Voltaire �� Bon Jovi �� Leon Russel �� The National Trust �� T-Pain & Family �� Sara Bareilles �� The Beautiful Girls

��

Friday, August 29

THE TEMPTATIONS/ THE FOUR TOPS

�� One Hand Loves The Other �� Damien Dempsey �� J.T. Speed �� Open Mic �� Converge �� Charlie Mussel White �� Wu-Tang Clan

Thursday, April 3 GARETH ASHER & FRIENDS Friday, April 4 VILLIANS Saturday, April 5 BRIAN WILTSEY & GARETH ASHER Thursday, April 10 MIC LARRY & CHAINLETTER Friday, April 11 SWAMI GONE BANANAS Saturday, April 12 BRIAN WILTSEY & BASS MALONE Friday, April 18 EDUCATORS Saturday, April 19 BRIAN WILTSEY & HANK BARBEE Fri., Sat., April 24 & 25 MIC LARRY & CHAINLETTER

t Concers More Great Music Coming Soon! July 11 & July 18 Serie

Saturday, June 28

Keith Urban @��(4-24, 4-25)

Tues & Thurs: Trivia 8pm Wednesdays: Texas Hold ‘em

INDIGO GIRLS

Saturday, September 13

t Concers More Great Music Coming Soon! June 14 & August 23 Serie

TANNER

Series

SOUL ASYLUM/ GIN BLOSSOMS Wednesday, July 9

COREY SMITH Saturday, July 19

G. LOVE & SPECIAL SAUCE

All Tanner Series Shows are Reserved Seating No Tables/ No Coolers or Carry Ins

Friday, August 22

BUY YOUR TICKET PACKAGES NOW!

TABLE PACKAGES AVAILABLE!

404.733.4800 classicchastain.com

To order tickets on Evenings & Weekends

404.733.4805

Group Sales (15 or more )

404.733.4848

Concerts take place rain or shine. Artists and schedules are subject to change. All sales ﬁnal. No exchanges or refunds.

Delta Classic Chastain Concerts at Chastain Park Amphitheater brought to you by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Promoter.

WED.APR30 SAT.APR26 THR.APR24 SAT.APR19 FRI.APR18 FRI.APR11 TRH.APR10 SAT.APR05 FRI.APR04 THR.APR03 TUESDAYS MONDAYS

�� Crane �� SpaceOut Project �� Kim Waters �� Ski Club, Josh Roberts & the Hinges �� Michelle Malone �� Chickenshack �� Patterson Hood �� Mushroomhead �� Alternative Press Tour �� Doro Pesch �� Delicious �� Proton, Jaspects �� Big Trouble in Little 5 �� Hellbound Orchestra �� Todd Rundgren �� Nathan Angelo

Yer 15 Minutes Karaoke! Rotknee Presents the Best in Amateur Comedy 8PM,FREE DJ Sars & B Static on the One’s & Two’s in the Lounge

ROMEO COLOGNE’S FUNK DISCO PARTY ISP MUSIC & PINE MAG PRSNTS

PINK POLICE

CASSAVETES LOVESICK SCIENTIST

$7 9PM

FREE 9PM

WILLIE NELSON TRIBUTE & CABBAGETOWN TORNADO BENEFIT

$8 9PM

THE BELMONT PLAYBOYS PSYCHODEVILLES THE RUSTY REBELS FREAKOUT!!! A FREE NIGHT OF ROCK N’ ROLL, GARAGE & PUNK WITH THE BARBERRIES & MORE

$10 9PM

FREE 9PM

DROPSONIC

$10 9PM

�� THE BOOZE

$7 9PM

VOODOO ORGANIST EL COBRA NEGRO

THE JUPITER WATTS

$8 9PM

�� ROB’S HOUSE RECORDS PRSNTS A FREE SHOW W/

FREE

ALL NIGHT DRUG PROWLING WOLVES 9PM ��

RROCK SOLID ENTERTAINMENT PRSNTS

THE WINTER SOUNDS EARLY ��

THE NATIONAL TRUST ROSEWOOD THIEVES

$7 9PM

$6 9PM

www.starbaratl.com for Full Schedule of Events

PG 21 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

Road Warriors This Month’s Hottest Shows BY JOHN DAVIDSON 04/04 SUGARLAND

Fox Theatre Local heroes Sugarland return for a glorious night at the Fabulous Fox Theatre, so expect a rabid crowd and an electric performance. Jennifer Nettles and company are longtime performers with not only deep ties to country music, but a surprising attachment to rock and soul as well. 2006’s Enjoy The Ride earned this band much deserved success, and as Sugarland continues to ready their next album, expectations are mounting.

04/05 THE MARS VOLTA

The Tabernacle At the Drive-In was once a powerful commodity, imploding just as the band was reaching its commercial zenith at the turn of the century. The members split up and formed two diﬀerent bands, Sparta and The Mars Volta. The latter has turned into a prog rock juggernaut while the former hasn’t seen nearly the recognition. But unless the wanky territory of prog is your interest, don’t wander into this show hoping to ﬁnd many elements of ADI.

04/05 GARY LOURIS

Variety Playhouse After leading the Jayhawks through a 20 year career (not to mention a nice career on the side as a producer, songwriter, and studio guitar player), Gary Louris ﬁnally decided to make a solo album. Vagabonds is stately and accomplished, but there’s a lack of vitality common in enterprises such as this. We’re hoping the songs translate better in a live setting.

04/11 SON VOLT

Variety Playhouse Jay Farrar—founder of Uncle Tupelo and onetime leader of the alternative country movement— revived Son Volt a few years ago when his solo career seemed to be on a permanent slide. 2005’s Okemah And The Melody Of Riot was a surprising return to strong form for Farrar, but last year’s The Search struggles to ﬁnd the right vibe. In any case, he’s a reliably good live draw.

04/12 EISLEY

The Loft At Center Stage Led by two sisters, Eisley’s widely heralded work hasn’t yet found them mainstream stardom. Too bad, since their gorgeous singing and lush arrangements recall the best of the Sundays, Belly, and even 10,000 Maniacs. They manage to sound lovelorn and whimsical at the same time, a harmonious act of endless melodies and fun.

04/12 SHELBY LYNNE

Variety Playhouse Shelby Lynne’s career hasn’t been the same since winning a Grammy back in 2001, but her voice and style continue to compel. She bares her soul and every ounce of courage this year on Just a Little Lovin’ by covering country soul legend Dusty Springﬁeld, a move that would be considered gimmicky if Lynne wouldn’t have been

able to pull it oﬀ. Don’t miss this.

4/14 SPOON

Center Stage Spoon crafted one of the best albums of last year and took many people surprise by their joyous riﬀs and crack rock songs. Still, their pop smarts are diversionary and at the heart of a great Spoon album will always be angular guitar lines and a middle ﬁnger towards the industry that has burned them on more than one occasion. Hazy noise-rockers The Walkmen make for an interesting opening act.

04/14 IRON & WINE

Variety Playhouse Sam Beam is one of those underrated singersongwriters on the college rock circuit whose proliﬁc career continues to gain traction, and this venue is the perfect showcase for his gentle folk rock stylings. Califone’s decade-long career as roots-cum-noisemakers continues to astound, a deceptively genial mix of sounds that hasn’t yet run its course.

04/18 FEIST

The Tabernacle The success of last year’s The Reminder— predicated, of course, by “1234” appearing on an iPod commercial —was welcomed by most indie observers despite the fact that it wasn’t as good as Feist’s breakthrough, 2004’s Let It Die. A chameleonic chanteuse who recalls Joni Mitchell, Leslie Feist’s curiosity with styles (bossa nova, folk, dance, rock) makes her an easy target for those who equate originality with quality.

04/20 STEVE EARLE/ALLISON MOORER

Variety Playhouse Outlaw country singer Steve Earle—yeah, an actual ex-con—has actually lived the rough life he sings about, right down to the drug-addled homelessness he endured after achieving stardom in Nashville 20 years ago. These days, he’s got a lot more in common with Bruce Springsteen and Michael Moore than the pretty-boy troubadours

WE GOT NEXT

currently residing on mainstream country radio, a political activist who wrote somewhat sympathetically about that American traitor who was ﬁghting against us with the Taliban. Meanwhile, Allison Moorer—Earle’s wife and Shelby Lynne’s half sister—opens the night with her spectacular voice and winning country prowess.

4/25 BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE E STREET BAND

Philips Arena Perhaps one of the most important pop artists of the past 40 years, Bruce Springsteen continues to be one of the most reliable live acts in the world. His voice isn’t nearly as passionate as it once was, but it’s grown more subtle and nuanced—he’ll give you three hours of performance and you’ll want to see more. He may be old but over the hill he’s not.

04/28 DESTROYER

The EARL Hard to believe, but Dan Bejar’s little side project has been chugging along in near obscurity since 1995. It’s only with his involvement with the New Pornographers that Destroyer has gotten any attention, and the end result is that Bejar has begun to understand the value of a full band behind him. This year’s Trouble In Dreams is the best Destroyer album yet.

4/30 BON JOVI

Philips Arena There’s no doubting the relevance or even the importance of Bon Jovi circa 1986; it’s just the rest of the next 22 years that we have a hard time of grasping. And that’s why we hope that this Jersey crew will stick to the core of Slippery When Wet and not lean so heavily on their recent move towards money-grabbing country songs.

Artists on the verge of making it big

MELISSA YOUNG

Latest Project: Just Up the Road (Suga Shack Music) Why You Should Care: Because she’s making your parents’ soul music cool again. For Fans of: Tweet, Angie Stone and Roberta Flack

BY DEMARKO WILLIAMS

sense, too, once you realize the lady who absothe country that has this problem. Just in general as what I wanted it to be. It’s exactly where I was at the lutely floors you with her sweet sound went to grad time that I wrote the songs. It’s an accurate portrayal musicians, as people, we need to learn to be a little of what I was feeling and where I was at the time. school in New York for film. While in school, the bit more open-minded and think outside the box. part-time singer got connected with Bob Marley’s That’s the thing that I’m most proud of. It took us a Except the people and let them do what they do. It has gotten better for me here. That’s just some of the long time to do it because we’re independent. But in son, Ky-mani. Young, a South Carolina native, sang background with Marley on his tours, all the while things that I wanna change. I wanna open up things the end, I can honestly say that I did it my way. That’s to where you don’t feel like you have to do a certain probably the thing I’m most proud of. Being able to capturing every moment on stage in her head like any good director might. She ultimately made the have my father on the album (the title song) is a very type of stuff. I’d love to see it get to that point. That’s trip down to Atlanta to focus on her solo music camy only lil’ thing that kinda got under my skin just a proud moment, too. reer. Just Up the Road is the result, and let’s just That song talks about some of the I THINK IF SOMETHING IS YOUR PASSION AND IT’S WHAT obstacles you’ve faced. Why didn’t say if Melissa knows her YOU LOVE, I THINK IT’S YOUR DUTY AS A HUMAN way around a camera you give up and try another career path? like she does warm BEING TO CONSTANTLY PURSUE IT... stories of the heart, the You know what? I think if someCoen Brothers had better watch out. thing is your passion and it’s what you love, I think lil’ bit. Everyone else all over the country they don’t have a problem with it, but in Atlanta, if you’re not it’s your duty as a human being to constantly pursue What’s your favorite part about this whole music doing a certain type of drum kick and a certain type it because it becomes a pursuit of happiness. To me, thing? of this, the powers that be can sometimes not be I’m happiest when I’m doing music. I can make films that receptive. But I hear that all cities are like that. all day long. I’ve been told I’m a sound filmmaker. I It has to be being on stage. Of all of it, that’s when When you’re accepted outside of the city that you’re enjoy it, but it’s not my passion. We shot my music I feel the most at home- when I’m on stage and I have good sound and I can perform and relate to the based out of, your city is the last one to come on video here on Saturday. That’s the first time I’ve been board. That’s what I hear. People are receptive hear audience. I love it the most. I’m absolutely certain. involved in a film production in well over a year, and to me, but I can still see how challenging it is. I have I don’t feel that I’ve missed anything. Say I go a week a lot of friends that are trying to make it. They’re without singing a note or writing down an idea that Has Atlanta been all that you had hoped? trying to get to the point that we’ve been lucky comes to my head, I literally feel ill. I tell people that Yes and no. It has definitely allowed me to do all enough to get to. This is challenging here in Atlanta of things that I’ve wanted to do musically up to this and they’re like, “Wooow!” I tell other artists, and point. There’s so much more I’d like to do. What I for them. they’re like, “I know what she means.” It’s what you would love for Atlanta’s soul community of artists have to do. If no one ever hears your music, I’d still to open their minds a lil’ more and expand their be making music. It’s inside of me. I have to get it What are you most proud of with Just Up the out. I just think, more than anything, you keep going minds to what they consider soul music. Sometimes Road? because you have to. It’s what drives you. Atlanta can be clique-ish. It’s not the only city in I’m most proud of the album being me. It’s exactly

HEN YOU ASK MELISSA YOUNG who some of her creative inspirations are, she won’t list names like Gladys Knight or Tina Turner like you might expect. “Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese and Terrence Malick are the three that sit at the top for me,” she’ll say. It all makes

PG 22 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

Float On

MUSIC INTERVIEW

Flogging Molly’s Irish Eyes Keep Smiling BY JOHN B. MOORE

TLANTA’S NOT EXACTLY THE first U.S. city that comes to mind when you think of St. Patrick’s Day, but judging from empty bottles of Guinness lining the sidewalk of outside The Tabernacle and the dozen or so kilted Rednecks hanging around, it might as well be Boston. The day devoted to green beer and soda bread is still a good two weeks away, but everyone’s claiming to be Irish tonight, biding their time while waiting for Flogging Molly to take the stage. The routine is a familiar one for the Dublinby-way-of-LA Irish punk band. For years now, Flogging Molly has been bringing their annual pre-Paddy’s Day music fest all across America. The fact that they’re playing in the “New South” rather than “Southie” seems to make not a bit of difference. For Flogging Molly co-founders Dave King and Bridget Regan, they’re just glad to be playing the type of music they want to play. King and Regan invited us on their tour bus recently to talk about the tour and Float, their brilliant, career-defining new record. How long ago did the tour start? Dave: I believe it’s been about four weeks. Hold on and I can tell you exactly. (Checks his itinerary.) Four weeks, we started in early February. What was the idea behind starting the Green 17 Tour? Bridget: Well we wanted to go to 17 cities leading up to St. Patrick’s Day, which is March 17th, as you know. Was it your intent to bring along different styles of music? Dave: Yeah, for example we’ve had three different opening acts on this tour so far, which is great. Bridget: What ended up happening is that we swapped out openers every couple of weeks, so there’s something different. Dave: We actually have a band from Japan starting on the tour tomorrow called the Cherry Cokes, and they’re an Irish traditional band for lack of a better word. Bridget: The opener tonight, The Mighty Stef, has been with us for two weeks and they’re friends of ours from Dublin. They’re a great band, and of course we also have The Reverend Peyton, who is excellent. Are you surprised at how well the U.S. audiences have embraced your sound and the type of music you play? Bridget: I’m surprised any audience has embraced us.

Dave: You know we’re a really, really good band and we write really, really good songs and that’s the main thing, ﬁrst and foremost. We really believe in the songs and when we’re on stage it’s like a celebration of that and the energy feeds oﬀ each other. But it is a surprise, yeah. Did you get a lot of strange reactions when you mentioned you were going to start a band blending traditional Irish instruments and music, considering you come from a hard rock background? Dave: No, it never occurred like that. I met Bridget like 14 years ago and we started playing music together, but the songs just developed into the way they are. Bridget: It was just an oppor-

major. They just want to control every aspect of what you are doing, including the creative aspects. As an artist, how can you be expected to do that? So as a label, SideOne Dummy has been pretty easy to deal with? Bridget: They’ve been a really good ﬁt. Dave: They don’t call and ask us what we’re writing or working on. Bridget: They’re on the same page as we are. They do their job, we do our job, we meet in the middle and that’s it. We do what we want, and we like it. How did the two of you meet? Dave: We meet in Molly Malone’s (in Los Angeles), where we ﬁrst started.

YOU KNOW WE’RE A REALLY, REALLY GOOD BAND AND WE WRITE REALLY, REALLY GOOD SONGS AND THAT’S THE MAIN THING, FIRST AND FOREMOST. tunity to do something that we like. Dave: Personally, I got sick of playing that type of music (metal) because it was all run by major record labels. I had a very hard time with major record labels and we knew instantly that we weren’t going to be dealing with them with this kind of music. We knew we deﬁnitely wanted to write music that we were interested in. Bridget: You’re not allowed to do that with a

Bridget: Eventually that’s where we all– every member of this band– met. Dave: For me, I remember when I first heard Bridget playing fiddle. I physically couldn’t go back to Ireland at the time because of problems I had, and it was almost like mixing what was known to us with traditional elements. But the chords that we write are no different than any of the chords any other bands would use. It’s just that we’ve really gelled it together. Over

four albums now, I think we’ve really developed Flogging Molly’s sound. Bridget: I was asked earlier today what bands are you compared to and why, and it’s like the obvious one. We’re always compared to The Pogues, but I honestly think we’re chalk and cheese– it’s two completely different sounds, in my opinion. But because what we do is so different from what everyone else is doing, it’s probably the closest thing that anyone can come up with. Dave: Don’t get us wrong: Bands like The Dubliners and The Pogues have as much to do with our influences as The Clash or The Smiths and Bob Marley. Everyone in this band has hugely different tastes. Bridget: Shane McGowan is an absolutely brilliant songwriter… Dave: Genius. Bridget: … and he has this just crazy unusual voice. But Dave is the exact same thing, just in a completely different way. Let’s talk a bit about the new album. Was that written in the U.S.? Dave: It was written in Ireland. People ask about the theme a lot and the lyrics especially, and I think going back to Ireland and writing the lyrics there was sort of like a homecoming. It was a good one, because when I left Ireland it wasn’t a great place to be– [there was] lots of unemployment and the war was still raging in Northern Ireland– and now it’s the opposite. Bridget: It’s prosperous… Dave: … and it gives you hope. I never thought I’d see in my life a time that the country would turn around in such a way. This was the first album you’ve recorded in Ireland. Was there a different feel versus being in some studio in LA.? Bridget: Well, sure, but a lot of it was the studio we were in. It was absolutely amazing. It’s called the Grouse Lodge, and it’s like an old Georgian estate that they’ve converted into a studio. It was all of us living together. We had our own pub, which was great, but also pretty dangerous. The album was an absolute joy to make. I think I can speak for the entire band when I say we had a lot of fun and an absolute blast. Dave: We’d eat together every day. Do you think you’ll record in Ireland again? Dave: I think we all said that as we were leaving. We’d love to come back here. You’ve got a couple more weeks of the Green 17 tour. What’s next after that? Bridget: We’ve got five days off, then we’re off to Japan and Australia, then we come back to America. Then we do Coachella and Jimmy Kimmel, then we have five days off and we start the European tour. So there’s no rest for the wicked. PG 23 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

MUSIC

��

By B. Love, DeMarco Williams, John Davidson, John B. Moore, Matt Goldberg & Jon Latham

��

AMERICAN MUSIC CLUB – THE GOLDEN AGE (Merge) Leaner and cleaner, but not meaner �� eMC – THE SHOW (M3) The greatest underground show on Earth ��

PG 24 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

GOOD RIDDANCE – REMAIN IN MEMORY (Fat Wreck Chords) Hardcore rockers’ last live show

STORY OF THE YEAR – THE BLACK SWAN (Epitaph) Former Scream-o band goes easy on their throats

THE BREEDERS – MOUNTAIN BATTLES (4AD) Angular, dissonant modern rock

��

�� ANANDA PROJECT – NIGHT BLOSSOM (King Street) �� The ATL’s hottest techno talent, remixed �� THE BONAVENTURE QUARTET – THE SECRET �� SEDUCTION OF THE GRAND POMPADOUR (Self �� Released) �� Continental jazz with warmth and reverence �� LYFE JENNINGS – LYFE CHANGE (Sony/Columbia) �� The pen is mightier with soulful chords ��

TOASTERS – LIVE JUNE 28, 2002: CBGB OMFUG MASTERS THE BOWERY COLLECTION (MVD) & TERROR – LIVE JUNE 10, 2004; CBGB OMFUG MASTERS THE BOWERY COLLECTION (MVD) Ska and hardcore legends rock legendary club ��

JORDAN ZEVON – INSIDES OUT (New West Records) Less than excitable debut from the son of the Excitable Boy

KEN WILL MORTON – KICKIN’ OUT THE RUNGS (selfreleased) A singer-songwriter with countrified roots

��

�� KAREN PARKS – NOBODY KNOWS: SONGS OF HARRY T. BURLEIGH (Thirty Tigers) Spirituals for the symphony set ��

�� ELVIS COSTELLO AND THE ATTRACTIONS – THIS YEAR’S MODEL: DELUXE EDITION (EMI) World class songwriting ��

�� JAMES MCMURTRY – JUST US KIDS (Lightning Rod) Americana’s unsung patriot…on his own terms ��

The World According to Raven

FILM INTERVIEW

Watch out, Oprah. Get nervous, Tyra. Mogul-in-the-making Raven-Symone is on the verge of total domination. BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

DMIT IT, YOU’D HAVE RAVENSymone over for dinner long before you would that darn Miley Cyrus. And you’re not alone. The star of last month’s College Road Trip and this spring’s hot concert tour, Raven simply knows how to sing, pout and wiggle her way into our hearts. INsite recently caught up with the 22-year-old busybody to gain some understanding as to exactly why we’re all so smitten. Why your 8-year-old nephew loves her: Though the hit Disney show That’s So Raven was essentially a Charmed for tweeners, the program worked with the youth because of Raven-Symone’s appeal. As a clairvoyant who would nudge her visions along to hilarious ends, Raven often was the wise big sister and goofy friend within the same frame. Kids were so into the show that it became the first one on the network to extend its contract beyond its original run. But the young ones don’t just find joy in the fact the proud Atlantan wears silly wigs and has food fights. They actually appreciate her singing talents, too. The occasional tune came out on Raven, but it wasn’t until the made-for-Mickey group The Cheetah Girls stepped out in ’03 that the masses truly began appreciating her pipes. A new

self-titled CD, featuring the bubbly single “Double Dutch Bus,” will be the talk of lunch rooms at the end of the month. “This is my senior album,” says the artist who actually broke into music with a lighthearted rap record when she was just eight. “I’ve had other albums out before and I’ve been on tour with N’SYNC.” The 55-city tour supporting the latest project this spring is called “Raven-Symone’s Pajama Party.” Hmmm, we wonder who that’s perfect for… Why your 15-year-old sister loves her: The high school girls may try to deny it to your face, but in their private spaces Raven is actually kinda cool. In fact, her character in College Road Trip, Raven’s largely-unfunny family romp with Martin Lawrence, likely typifies what the average teenager is striving for. “I love the character ‘Melanie’,” admits Raven, who also starred in the first two Dr. Dolittle movies. “She’s very smart, strong-willed and knows what she wants. She’s a really good girl. Even though she freaks out, she’s always on time and if she isn’t, she wasn’t acting crazy.” Wish we could say that for all the growing Mouseketeers, right Britney? Of course, being the positive example doesn’t just stop on the big screen; RavenSymone Pearman has also embarked on an online mission to inspire young ladies with RavenSymonePresents.com. A sort of virtual

how-to for Martha Stewart’s grandchildren, the site helps with everything from washing bras to making veggie dip. If she had a video segment that explained how she budgets her time that would really benefit the following… Why your 32-year-old coworker loves her: Adults aren’t mad at her for the omission though. 20 and 30 somethings are more grateful to Raven than anything else. Aside from the fact she’s responsible for many of their 90s sitcom memories from her days on The Cosby Show and Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper, Raven’s also managed to avoid much scandal. Can you name a child star who’s aged more gracefully? Didn’t think so. But when asked why she hasn’t followed in Lindsey’s or all the rest’s tabloid-filled shadow, the ever-eloquent Raven-Symone is careful not to step on any toes, only saying that she “can’t speak for any of them.” She doesn’t go on any selffulfilling rants about Ebony Magazine labeling her “The $400 Million Woman” on its March ’07 cover either. Nor does she nibble at the carrot of becoming the next logical link in the Oprah/Tyra brand-

ing chain. Raven simply shrugs, insisting she’s just doing her…yeah, in the form of hit DVDs, bedroom sets, perfumes, dolls, a clothing line and a production company. We all dig a good success story. We all hate a show off. Maybe that explains why everybody loves Raven.

PG 25 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

MUSIC INTERVIEW

Tired of being known strictly for mainstream jingles, Dem Franchize Boyz plan to come out hard on Da Point of No Return

BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

00% COTTON. PRESHRUNK. Small to 4XL. Made in China. There’s really nothing terribly exciting about a tee shirt. To a dedicated legion of teenagers, however, the plain white tee is as integral a part of their closet as blue jeans and Converse All-Stars are to yours. To Parlae, Pimpin’, Buddie and Jizzal Man of Dem Franchize Boyz the fashion stable took on a whole ‘nother meaning in ’04 when the Atlanta foursome mixed some basic snares and a couple of snaps to create an ode to the comfortable garment. “White Tee” basically essentially the snap music craze. The crew’s two follow-ups “Oh, I Think They Like Me” and “Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It” were even bigger, the latter going on to become one of the first singles to garner more than one million ringtone sales. Jizzal Man, the short, stocky one out the bunch, recently got at INsite about these past accomplishments. And while understandably proud, Jizzal knows that much more is expected of the group with their third release Da Point of No Return on the immediate horizon. But you won’t catch this rapper sweating the industry pressure, haters or a journalist’s straight-up questions. Jizzal Man believes in his group and all it stands for. Besides, it’s only April and there isn’t a whole lot of perspiring in cotton tee shirts anyway. You all were supposed to drop this new one in March. Now it’s pushed back to May. Does the delay give you more time to get back into the lab for more songs? I mean, we always working. But we did push a couple more [songs] in that knocked a couple of songs off the radar on the album. That’s good, too. It gave us enough time to get another visual out there. Speaking of visuals, paint the picture of what this new album is all about. Well, ya know, this is our third album. Everybody knows us for the snap ‘cuz that’s what we started. Dem Franchize Boyz and Da Point of No Return, we’re lettin’ people see what “Franchize” mean. We’ve grown a lot. We’ve had a lil’ success. Our lives have changed. We got children. We got our own families and shit now. We grown now. We want people to respect us as artists. Jizzal, be honest with me. Aren’t you about tired of all the snap music and white tees at this point? I mean, I’m not going to say I’m tired of it. I still be in one myself. Me personally, that was cool. That’s how we got started. We set the trend. We sold some records. We made some money. Now it’s time for people to know us as us. That ain’t the only type of music we make. We make all types of music, and we want people to know that. PG 26 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

Describe a DFB fan. A Franchize Boyz fan is really up on it. They familiar with the names of everybody in the crew. They familiar with records other than the ones that had a video to them. They at the shows. They holla at us on the Myspace. They constantly showing love with whatever we got going on. They a part of it or want to be a part of it. They’ve just been down with us since Day One. I read an interesting article the other day

Do you listen to anything beyond hip hop? I might listen to a lil’ reggae. I might listen to a lil’ oldie but goodie. That’s about as far as it go. I might listen to a lil’ orchestra or something like that. I can’t imagine you listening to Mozart. But seriously, Jizzal, what is your proudest accomplishment with this group? My proudest accomplishment is that we’re the best group that done came out of Atlanta. You can check the resume on that. I feel like

A FRANCHIZE BOYZ FAN IS REALLY UP ON IT. THEY FAMILIAR WITH THE NAMES OF EVERYBODY IN THE CREW. THEY FAMILIAR WITH RECORDS OTHER THAN THE ONES THAT HAD A VIDEO TO THEM. THEY AT THE SHOWS. THEY A PART OF IT OR WANT TO BE A PART OF IT. THEY’VE JUST BEEN DOWN WITH US SINCE DAY ONE. about a new breed of artists who do songs specifically for the ringtone sales. What do you think about that trend? I mean, that’s good. Here we go again with another trend. We were the first artists to ever be granted a ringtone plaque [for sales]. We were the first rappers to get a ringtone award, a ringtone check. That’s a good thing ‘cuz those checks were hella good. I ain’t even gonna lie. That shit was hella fuckin’ good. So, that is what it is. A lot of artists are going platinum off of ringtones and they’re getting’ accounted for as album sales. That’s a good thing. I’m wit it! We got some more ringtone songs on our [upcoming] album. Shit, give me another check.

I’m proud of us because out of all the groups that done came and left, we’re the only group that’s still together. Ain’t nobody still together. Everybody done broke up- everybody. When we first came out, everybody kinda wanted us to be local. We did what the fuck we had to do for us not to be a local act. I’m proud of us for that. What do you say to critics who say y’all don’t really get lyrical? That brings us to this third LP, Da Point of No Return. What I tell to critics is check out this third LP. Go get you two copies. Let that muthafucka ride, smoke you one and get at me.

What else do you love beyond making music? Other than my music thang, I do the Purple Ribbon thing like Big Boi. I mess with the blue pit bulls. I do the dog thing. I do the car thing. I’m infatuated with cars and shit. I got, like, eight cars. Three of them are old school, one is a real race car, the other is a Beamer, the other one is a truck and the other is a low-key lil’ hooptie that I been had and will never get rid of. You had to have some emotional conflicts during the whole Michael Vick situation. I mean, that shit was crazy. We fuck with Michael Vick on a personal level. I ain’t even know Vick was into dogs. We never talked about that shit. That shit caught me off guard, but the shit kinda fucked me up. At the time, I’m sittin’ in my backyard with, like, seven pit bulls. It kinda shook me up. Tell me what the three other cats in the group mean to you. They mean everything to me. They’re like brothers. We been together half a decade, a total of five years. We always knew each other. They mean everything to me. Pimp made the first three tracks that got us signed or whatever. It was him who had the studio that started us out. We used to be at Pimp’s house. There would be a gang of niggas there. You’d go in there and there would be, like, 30 niggas in there. We were the four that was most serious and the best ones. We had the chemistry over all the other dudes, so we just ran together. Buddie is great with concepts and shit. He’ll come up with a concept out this world. It was his concept to do the “White Tees.” That was Buddie’s idea. Parlae? He’s mean with hooks. He comes with crazyass hooks. He’s a helluva artist. Now he’s a helluva producer. And me? I’ve been doing this shit the longest. When we was in middle school and high school, I was the only one rappin’. I’m the most experienced, the most lyrical. I bring a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge to this shit. All together, we’re a whole dollar when everybody brings their 25 cents. Anything else you wanna clear up that you’ve seen in magazine stories or on the internet about your group? I mean, other than people thinkin’ there’s beef amongst us and other people [no]. Ain’t no beef out there. We’re cool with everybody. I just wanna say that the album comes out May 27. Holla at your boys. Other than that, man, I don’t really got nuthin’ to say. To the people hatin’, you can tell them I said fuck’em. We ain’t goin’ nowhere. Shouts out to Jermaine [Dupri, who signed the group to So So Def Records]. Other than that, respect our movement.

MUSIC INTERVIEW

ON COMMON GROUND

First a movie. Then an album. Now another movie. Common ﬁnally makes sense of it all. BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

OMMON LIVES A DOUBLE LIFE. For the past 10 years in the recording studio, the conscious Chicago MC has gushed about black love and an inner-city resurgence on superb albums like One Day It’ll All Make Sense, Be and Finding Forever. For the past few years on the big screen, however, the artisan has walked in the shoes of hitmen (Smokin’ Aces) and hustlers-in-training (American Gangster). Keeping the theme of uplifting musician by day and down low parasite at night, Common is back in theatres this month as a crocked cop in the violent L.A.P.D. drama Street Kings. But rest easy, hip hop fans. Rashied “Common” Lynn hasn’t altogether abandoned the cause. As he’ll detail in just a bit, a new album is on the way and it promises to be a fun, uplifting summer number— perfect to balance out things for when he starts shooting up the projector again in the June blockbuster Wanted. How’d you get attached to this bloody picture? My agent told me about the script. I read the script and then he said I could go ahead and audition. I went to audition at [director] David Ayers’ oﬃce. I remember the lights had went out that day. It was some type of blackout. I went in there and just gave it my all. We got a good call back that said, “Hey, you got the part.” It was a great experience. I love the process of auditioning because it’s such a humbling experience. What’s your motivation for wanting to get into acting? I wanted to express myself in a new way artistically, and it had to be something that I was passionate about, too. I took some acting courses, some classes, and I was so enthused about it. I feel like, “Man, I can’t wait to go to the next acting class.” I was discovering a lot of things about myself. I mean, I am discovering a lot of things through the process of acting. I’ve since come to ﬁnd out you discover a lot of things about other people as you take on these characters. You learn more about people. Also you just learn more information. If you’re taking on a character of being a pastor, you’re going to have to learn about being in the pulpit and learn more about the Bible. You take on these things while you’re researching. I love to learn, so I think that helps me as far as being passionate. You played a hitman in your last movie, so what are you learning? That it’s fun. Nah, I guess I’m learning that the things that you do do not denote you as being all bad. Just because in Smokin’ Aces I played Sir Ivy, who was this right-hand man to a hustler –he was a hustler himself- he wasn’t just a bad person. I guess what I’m discovering is that everybody has good and bad in them. I could play a pastor and within that character there still might be some lust going on. He still may be doing dirty things within the church. It’s good and bad in all people. Some people’s background and what they’ve been exposed to is why they end up being in those [unfortunate] situations. As Coates in Street Kings, I went to Compton and I went to Watts. I discovered a new part of L.A. that I felt was necessary for me to know because when I come here, I’m around Beverly Hills and West Hollywood area. I need to see the grit and I needed to feel the ghetto and another soul of this city. It was important for me to see that. That research helps me in understanding people. Like I said, it allows you not to judge when you see somebody. You try to come to more of an understanding.

What was that first Compton and Watts experience like? One of the times I drove through it was a police assignment ‘cuz I was learning more about being a police officer and deputy sheriff. I was driving through and a lot of the cats [in the neighborhood] were like, “Hey, that look like Common right there!” I was hoping they didn’t think I was like a police informant or something. Anyway, you go to observe and try not to make specimens out of the people. It’s people that are living this life. I try to look at each aspect of the ghetto because the ghetto has beauty to it, too. It’s a certain village atmosphere. It’s tribal and it’s community still. You try to look at those things and acknowledge the positives and negatives. That’s pretty much what I did. I didn’t actually go get an apartment. But I did what I call “touch down” with the people. Common, what’s interesting is how on the screen you’re primarily these bad asses, but on your CDs you’re one of the most likeable cats in the worlds. You like walking both sides? When I first began acting, I would tell my teacher that I wanted to do some dark roles. I’m always viewed as the

You’ve been around some serious Oscar power: Morgan Freeman, Denzel Washington and here with Forest Whitaker. What has that been like? All I can do is smile. Like you said, working with Oscar winners is kinda like a dream in a way. To sit across the table and do a scene with Denzel Washington and to go and do a re-shoot with Morgan Freeman [is amazing]. It’s funny ‘cuz in one of the scenes I was driving and he was in the backseat. So, it was a reverse of Driving Miss Daisy. I was “Driving Mr. Freeman.” I didn’t get to tell him that. I forgot. But I’ll tell him sooner than later. I’m just enthused. I want to surround myself with that type of talent ‘cuz that will help me to grow. That’s the pedigree of artists that I wanna work with. I feel like, me as a musician, I set a certain tone and certain integrity of the way I wanna put art out. I wanna do the same thing as an actor. You working on the next album after Finding Forever? Yeah, the new album is called Invincible Summer. It will be out in the later part of June. The music sounds new. It’s really developing. I’m really happy about it. It feels good. It’s not really heavy. The Neptunes are

How do you even have time to make music? Right now, I’m just focusing on the movies. I love music. God willing, I feel like I could do that for the rest of my life. I would be in a jazz club-like setting but it would be hip hop. Movies are something I focus on. I just look for the right next project. I audition and focus on that. The music comes so naturally after that. When I’m working on something else, the music becomes freer. When I’m expressing myself artistically over here, it allows me to not put as much pressure on the music. It’s not my only source of income. It’s not my only creative outlet. What are your thoughts about artists who strictly record for the purpose of selling ringtones? For me, a lot of rappers have come from places where they didn’t get to appreciate the artform. They didn’t feel hip hop when it was just so pure and it was like a thing of just fun. It wasn’t about business. Now they approach hip hop from a business perspective. It’s much more than that. You gotta let the art be the art and let the business take care of that afterward. Of course, I’m not one who approaches music and goes into the studio saying, “I’m going to make this so it can be a corporate song. This is going to make this person’s ringtone.” I’m not really a supporter of that, but if a person chooses to do it and that’s what they want their career to be, that’s for them. I’m thinking more from a longer term and just being an artist and an actor. Do people know that you write children’s books? Nah, they don’t.

poet, conscious, loving guy. That’s who I am. That’s the core of me. But there are some darker things that I felt could be expressed. It also gave me the opportunity to be an actor, to take on a role that was different from me. When you’re playing yourself, you don’t get acknowledged. For me, as an artist, I feel it’s more challenging to be an actor that takes on roles that really become a character who does things different from who I am. I’ve done some of these dark characters. I’m looking forward to doing something like playing a priest or a banker. I have had guns in most of my films. This is total opposite of Common. What are you playing in Wanted as the Gunsmith? The Gunsmith, as much as “gun” is in his name, is more of a peaceful, calm spirit. He’s more of a Buddha-like person in a certain way. He’s a part of a fraternity that are assassins. These assassins issue out fate. They tell us who we’re supposed to go take out. It’s the will of fate. It’s not like a bad thing that these assassins are doing. The Gunsmith is the calm spirit of that team that actually trains everybody with their weapons. The movie looks wild. Man, I’m really excited about that movie. It looks like something I’ve never seen before—from the storyline to the way it looks and the effects that it has. Also, just the diversity of the cast [is amazing]. You hit every facet. There’s Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman, James McAvoy, Common. All of these different genres. And if I could say humbly, I think they chose some good people to be a part of it. I’ve only seen the first 20 minutes of the film and I’m like, “Man, I can’t believe I’m a part of this.” I’m excited about it. We just did some re-shoots the other day. Even James was talking to me like, “Man, I think this is a good movie.” I could tell he’s critical about things.

producing a lot of it. Also a producer named Mr. DJ [is on the project]. He did a lot of work with Outkast. He did “Bombs Over Bahgdad” and “Ms. Jackson.” These cats are really giving me some new, fresh sounds. I’m taking it somewhere vocally that I haven’t been before. I’m enthused. I’m really excited. I think it’ll be a great summer album. I wanna make people smile and enjoy life. As much as I wanna make them think, it’s important that they smile, too. So, there will be a couple of club tracks in there? When I went on the Kanye West “Glow in the Dark” tour in Europe, I was overseas and just saw people partying overseas. Seeing the music that they were partying to was just a good feeling. I was like, “Wait, none of my sons are being played over here!” What am I missing in my music repertoire? You never stray away from [positive] music. You always need music that’s uplifting and conscious, but you also sometimes wanna relax and party. At a party, you might not wanna hear those things at that time. Common, why didn’t you mention Kanye’s name as a producer for this new CD? With Kanye, point blank, I’m on G.O.O.D. Music [Records]. We’re always going to collaborate. If he’s not producing it, he’s gonna executive produce it and say, “Yo, Rash, we need to do these things with it.” He’ll always be a part of it, but right now he’s focusing on getting his tour together, this “Glow in the Dark” tour. I always go with the ﬂow of things. This is what I’m doing for this album. On the next album, Kanye and I will be working on it with some other new artists. But I think this will give it something fresh and it’ll give it more spice when Kanye and I get back together. Who knows? He may do something for this album, too, because I’m not ﬁnished.

Where did that come from? I have a daughter that’s 10 years old. Also, I love the effect that music and art has on the children. I love the results of seeing children singing songs, knowing that it really influences them and impacts their lives. I was like, “Man, let me do these children’s books that I feel could be in a language and be something they would be interested in.” I also felt like children’s books would be lessons that adults could get. I was taking stories that could be adult stories, but putting them in children’s form. [I did] love lessons, lessons about not losing yourself in love. But I put it in a children’s story. That’s something that I gotta be reminded of sometimes. Are you actually doing the long-rumored Justice League of America movie? I can’t really talk about that situation, to be honest. I wish I could but I can’t. That sounds like a possibility if you can’t talk about it… [Common raises his brow] You’re intelligent. You can talk about the Common Ground Foundation, right? Hip hop is definitely a great communicator of art. Kids respond to hip hop. I respond to hip hop. Nationalities just respond to hip hop all over the world. When you say hip hop, it’s not only music; it’s a culture. We use all these attractive things about hip hop to educate the youth. Our premise is to empower them, to teach them about health, self-love, educate them academically and just [teach] them about community and entrepreneurship. Some of the ways we do that is through hip hop. They create their own videos, expressive ways for them to do it. My children’s books, I think, can teach them, too. Actually, some music that hip hop artists do are ways of teaching. I’ve learned a lot through artists like KRS-One and Rakim. PG 27 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

Key to the Highway

MUSIC INTERVIEW

An Interview With Derek Trucks BY JON LATHAM

S SPRING BLOOMS, THE SUMMER TOUR juggernaut begins to awaken from its winter slumber, bringing with it numerous music festivals and amphitheater venue draws. This year, nobody knows this better than slide guitar virtuoso Derek Trucks does. Just on the cusp of 30, Trucks has been a full-time member of the legendary Allman Brothers band for nearly a decade now. Add to that his critically acclaimed Derek Trucks Band and it’s safe to say that you’re juggling quite a hefty amount of time on the road. This year, Derek will be not only touring with the Allmans and DTB, but he will also be taking the Soul Stew Revival– a collaborative effort with his wife, Susan Tedeschi– on the road for the summer. On a visit to Atlanta, Derek took a little time to talk about the excitement of the rigorous touring ahead. You are going on the road this spring supporting Santana. Along with your tours with the Allman Brothers Band as well as the Derek Trucks band, you toured with Eric Clapton on his last tour. As a music fan, do you still get goosebumps when you look across the stage to see a Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer sharing the same stage? I don’t think that ever really goes away, especially when there are guys that really influenced you and inspired you to start playing in the first place. There were times during the Clapton tour when we would be playing Derek & the Dominoes tunes, and [I] look over and realize [I’m] onstage with the guy that wrote [the songs]. It’s pretty surreal; I imagine that the Santana tour will be similar. On the Clapton tour, was there any pressure in playing the part of Duane Allman on those Derek and the Dominoes cuts? I think [being] in the Allman Brothers for seven or eight years up to that point made it not so difficult, because it’s kind of the role I occupy in that band. It’s different fans in a different situation, but all you can really do is breathe new life into [the music] and see what happens. You and your wife will be taking the Soul Stew Revival outfit on the road this summer. Upon seeing this band at the Fox this past New Year, it was quite apparent that it was neither your standard Derek Trucks show nor a standard Susan Tedeschi show in regards to the material performed. Was that a natural development as the project developed, or was an effort made to mix it up a bit? When we do that tour, we make sure that it is not redundant of my band’s tours or Susan’s tours. We intentionally choose material that, for the most part, our personal bands don’t cover. There are a few tunes that end up crossing over into set from both bands’ repertoire; it’s nice to leave the option open. For the most part, we try to stay in new territory.

You will be pulling double duty when you return to the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival this June, both with the Allmans and Soul Stew Revival. For Bonnaroo, it is a year where the line-up sparked controversy among a fraction of the festival’s regular attendees with the inclusion of Metallica in the headlining slot. Are there any thoughts on the more diverse direction that the festival continues to take as opposed to its “jam band” roots? I think it’s always been that [diverse]. Whenever a festival is trying to draw that many people, that many times, you are going to have to shake it up. There are only a handful of bands in the “jam” scene that can draw people, so if it was solely [jam-oriented], there’s no way it could be that big.

THERE WERE TIMES DURING THE CLAPTON TOUR WHEN WE WOULD BE PLAYING DEREK & THE DOMINOES TUNES, AND [I] LOOK OVER AND REALIZE [I’M] ONSTAGE WITH THE GUY THAT WROTE [THE SONGS]. IT’S PRETTY SURREAL; I IMAGINE THAT THE SANTANA TOUR WILL BE SIMILAR.

Other interviews have shown the foundation of your influences derived from many of the old-time players. Have you found many new bands that have influenced you or caught your ear? Sadly, no. [Laughs] I wish there were more, but I don’t think a lot of the current stuff really knocks me out. There is so much great music that came before; a lot of it is still new to me. I’m stumbling across stuff all the time that I didn’t know existed. Occasionally, [I’ll] run across something that’s current, but for the most part I find myself listening back at this point. PG 28 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

Have you ever had an issue being put in the “jam band” category? Getting pigeonholed like that is frustrating. I don’t think we necessarily fit into that scenario or mentality, not to say that I am not into it. I just think of where [the Derek Trucks Band] is coming from and who is in [the band] now. We have [guys from] four different decades and different backgrounds, and most of them didn’t grow up listening to music in that realm.

One of the many acts at Bonnaroo this year is the legendary B.B. King, who was also at this past year’s Crossroads Festival. Any chance we could see Derek and B.B. jamming together on the Bonnaroo stage? If I can swing that, I’ll be front and center, for sure. I’ve had a chance to meet him a few times but never have been on stage with him. He’s at the top of my list of people I’d want to sit in with. My wife knows him pretty well, so I’ll see if she can put in a call. Can we expect a new studio album in the near future? While I was on tour with Clapton, I built a studio behind my house. I had the first month and a half off this year, the longest break in about fifteen years. I spent about 8 to 10 hours a day in the studio, just writing and recording tunes. I think we ended up with about sixteen new tunes, we plan on heading back in there to this weekend to keep recording and writing.

STARTS FRIDAY, APRIL 4

IMAX®

REGAL CINEMAS MALL OF GEORGIA 20 678-482-5858

AMC THEATRES BARRETT COMMONS 24 2600 Cobb Pl. Lane NW Kennesaw (404) 816-4AMC

AMC THEATRES PHIPPS PLAZA 14 Phipps Plaza Peachtree Rd. at Lenox Rd. (404) 816-4AMC

SPECIAL ENGAGEMENTS – NO PASSES OR DISCOUNT TICKETS ACCEPTED FOR GROUP TICKET SALES INFORMATION CALL: 1-877-PAR-GRP5 TEXT SHINE TO 33287 FOR SHOWTIMES AND MOBILE CONTENT. STANDARD MESSAGING RATES APPLY.

Atlanta Insite 10x14

FEATURE

Spring Festival Guide Spring Festival Guide Great events Happening throughout the Southeast Atlanta Dogwood Festival Lenox Square

APRIL 4, 5, AND 6

Now in it's 72nd year the Atlanta Dogwood Festival is the oldest continuing event in Atlanta. It provides a wonderful display of arts and entertainment in Piedmont Park. The non-profit “Springtime Celebration of the South” is offered at

Georgia Renaissance Festival Exit 61 -Peachtree City / Fairburn

APRIL 12 - JUNE 1

no cost to the general public. With past attendance reaching more than 400,000 this award winning festival continues to draw Atlanta natives, as well as visitors from across the country for three days filled with art and entertainment. This year's festival will take place the weekend of Friday, April 4 through Sunday, April 6, 2008 at its new home – the Outdoor Forecourt of Lenox Square. Due to the severe drought conditions in Atlanta, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival was unable to host this year’s event in Piedmont Park. After much searching the festival is delighted to have found a temporary home at Lenox Square in Buckhead. Conveniently located in Buckhead, adjacent to MARTA and incorporating plenty of space for the hundreds of thousands of visitors the festival brings to the city, the new location allows festival organizers to keep the event in Atlanta. This years event will feature the festival’s largest Artist Market ever including some of the best visual artists from across the United States.

New in 2008, the adult only Finlandia Art Bar will welcome the festival’s more mature guests with a high-tech art exhibition, refreshing cocktails and a selection of quality wines and premium beers. In the Art Bar, the display screen will feature curtains that can be “pulled back” to reveal the exhibition underneath. Viewers can choose the type of art they would like to see, and with a wave of the hand can move the selections based on their interests. A second display screen reveals a virtual spring pond with floating leaves and dogwood flowers, or course. Each year, the Atlanta Dogwood Festival offers non-stop entertainment throughout the weekend. Performances on the Coca-Cola Music Stage appeal to a wide range of tastes. The 2008 festival will include featured performers from a variety of musical genres. Designed just for the younger festival visitors, the Publix Kid’s Village has become a Dogwood favorite for families. An interactive zone complete with hands-on art projects allows this colorful area to provide hours of entertainment for children. For more information call 404.817.6642 or visit www.dogwood.org PG 30 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

This spring come join the merriment at the most spectacular party since Camelot. The Georgia Renaissance Festival returns for its 23rd anniversary run on weekends and Memorial Day, April 12th through June 1st. Inside the gates of the 15th Century Kingdom you will find castles and cottages, unique treasures, sword swallowing, jousting, dancing, music and so much more. Grab a drink at one of their cheery pubs or shop from one of 150 elaborately adorned vendor booths. You’ll feast like royalty on a huge variety of delectable delights including our new dessert Fried Coca-Cola! Experience a full day of fun with ten stages of non-stop sword swallowing, rope walking, juggling, music, dancing, comedic storytelling and interactive shows. New to the festival this year are All the King’s Horses ROYAL LIPIZZAN STALLION SHOW! The strength and athletic agility of these Arabian, Andalusian and Royal Lipizzan Stallions will amaze you! For a rollicking good time this spring visit the Renaissance Festival, just minutes south of Atlanta on I-85. For more information: www.georgiarenaissancefestival.com

Atlanta Steeplechase APRIL 12 Kingston Downs near Rome, Ga.

Saturday April 12 the Atlanta Steeplechase will celebrate it's 43nd Anniversary with their annual race. In what has been called "The Largest Lawn Party in Georgia" thousands of spectators will come to tailgate and take part in the festivities. Last year about 9,000 spectators came to watch horses compete for $7,000 in prize money.

The Steeplechase is the event to see and be seen. As Spring heralds in warm days and sunny skies, every fashion statement from designer dresses and showy hats to flip flops and halter tops can be seen at Kinston Downs. Gourmet food and tailgate parties are the staple of the event. Between races, spectators partake in picnic fare prepared by some of Atlanta’s top restaurants. Along with the racing of some of the finest steeplechase horses in the country, attendees are treated to Jack Russell terrier races, Pig races, Best Tailgate and Tent contests, an Air Show and the fan favorite Hat Contest. Information and tickets available from: www.atlantasteeplechase.org

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival APRIL 25-27 AND MAY 1-4

The 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell is set for April 25-27 and May 1-4 and will feature over 100 local and national artists spanning such diverse styles as

rock, jazz, reggae, blues and zydeco amongst others. Along with great tunes you can expect to find dancing, arts and crafts and paintings from locally recognized artists. Vendors will treat festival-goers to all of the great New Orleans style cajun food you have come to love including crawfish, jambalaya, creole and po' boys. Some of the headlining acts performing this year include Stevie Wonder, Jimmy Buffet, Al Green, Sheryl Crow and Billy Joel. The New Orleans Jazz Fest is an event that is not to be missed. For more information visit: www.nojazzfest.com

Atlanta Film Festival APRIL 10-19 Atlantic Station Regal (Opening Night) & Landmark Midtown Art Cinema

This year's Atlanta Film Festival slogan boasts: Fresh Films. Projected Daily. One hundred fiftytwo films from sixty-six countries to be exact-including independent features, shorts, documentaries, and animation. For over 30 years, the Atlanta Film Festival has been a beacon of film culture in the southeast. Brining together industry professionals, business leaders, and the filmmakers of tomorrow this annual ten-day event fostered the development of Georgia's thriving production industry by uniting. From its humble beginnings in the Piedmont Park Bath House, the Atlanta Film Festival has grown into the quintessential community experience, a celebration of cinema, a godsend for Atlanta audiences. Featuring prestigious juried awards the Atlanta Film Festival is is one of only two dozen Academy Award® qualifying festivals in the U.S. The Film Festival will open on Thursday, April 10, 2008 at 7: 30 pm with the red carpet World Premiere of THE LENA BAKER STORY, the debut film by Georgia-based producer, writer, and director Ralph Wilcox, starring Tichinia Arnold, Beverly Todd, Peter Coyote, and Michael Rooker. Shot in Colquitt, Georgia at the Southwest Film Commission's Jokara-Micheaux Film, Television, and Music Production Studio, THE LENA BAKER STORY recounts the tragic true story of the first and only woman sentenced to die in the electric chair in the state of Georgia. For tickets and complete schedule, panel, party, venue, pricing, parking, and accommodation information call 404.352.4225 or go to www.AtlantaFilmFestival.com.

Founded in 1889, just two miles from downtown Atlanta, historic Inman Park is the city's oldest suburb. The Festival is sponsored by the Inman Park Neighborhood Association (IPNA) - the non-profit association established in the early 1970s - to raise funds for local schools, theaters, libraries, and to improve and maintain area trees, parks and greenspaces, along with other community improvements and beautification projects. The city's quirkiest and colorful parade, led by the Inman Park Butterfly, and followed by floats, clowns, jugglers, and the legendary Kelly's Seed and Feed Marching Abominables. Children’s activities include: pony rides, moon walk, face painting and more. Grand Marshall for the 2008 Parade will be Mayor Shirley Franklin. The festival's home tour features elegant, turnof-the-century Victorian homes, bungalows, original contemporary designs and modern interpretations of traditional styles. Admission to all Festival events is FREE. Tour of Homes tickets cost $15 in advance; $20 atFestival. For information about the Festival or Tour of Homes, call their hotline at 770-242-4895 or visit www.inmanparkfestival.org

Atlanta Jazz Festival MAY 24-26 Memorial Day Weekend Woodruff Park

Celebrating 31 years and spanning 31 days the Atlanta Jazz Festival is back for another year of legendary performances, fine dining and eclectic jazz events all over the city. For 2008 the Atlanta Jazz Festival is introducing a new format and new venues. This year's festivities will be held throughout the month of May in four Atlanta neighborhoods over four consecutive weekends culminating over Memorial Day Weekend, May 24th -26th, in downtown Atlanta at Robert W. Woodruff Park, located on Auburn Avenue.

Last year's line-up included such critically acclaimed artists as Vijay Iyer Quartet, Charles Tolliver Big Band, and the Herbie Hancock Quartet. The Festival is produced by the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs and a majority of events are FREE and open to the public. For more information visit: www.atlantafestivals.com

Decatur Arts Festival MAY 24-25

Memorial Day Weekend Decatur Square

Inman Park Festival APRIL 25-27 and Tour of Homes

Atlanta's eclectic and revered Inman Park Spring Festival is back again for its 37th year, Saturday - April 25 through Sunday - April 27, offering food, music, fun, the city's largest street market, and its most outrageous parade.

The City of Decatur invites you to be a part of the 120th annual Decatur Arts Festival set for Memorial Day weekend, May 24-25, 2008. A number of festival events will take place throughout the month of May leading up to the final weekend. This interactive, inclusive arts extravaganza includes art and artists from all disciplines and features hands-on participatory art as well as demonstrating and performing arts.

Scheduled venues include: OUTDOOR ARTISTS MARKET - Saturday, May 24, 10am-6pm, Sunday, May 25, 11am-6pm - Over 140 artists set up tents to display and sell their works on the Square in downtown Decatur. This juried show offers the best talent from all over the nation. FINE ARTS EXHIBITION at Agnes Scott College Dalton Gallery - Tuesday, May 20 - Sunday, June 1. ARTWALK, Friday, May 23, 5 -10pm - Visit over 30 locations and enjoy art as well as beverages and snacks. CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL - Saturday, May 24, 10am until 2:30pm. Starts with a children's parade, includes hands on art activities, juggling, music and more. Scott Park behind the Decatur Recreation Center. FILM FESTIVAL-Saturday, May 24, 10am until 6pm, Holiday Inn Select Decatur. All events are free. Call 404.371.9583 or go to www.DecaturArtsFestival.org

Taste of Brookhaven JUNE 14

The fourth annual Taste of Brookhaven is a culinary experience you do not want to miss. Bringing you some of Brookhaven’s finest restaurants, the Brookhaven Arts Alliance and Presenting Sponsor Dan Woodley Communities have assembled an evening to savor. Come indulge your taste buds with a sampling of exquisite food and wine. Diners are treated to a variety of favorite menu items and wine pairing from Bones, Cassis - Grand Hyatt Buckhead, Haven, Hudson Grille, Library Coffee Company, Nava, Park 75 - Four Seasons Hotel, Repast, Roy’s, Spice Market, Sweet Water Growers, Valenza, Villa Christina, and Wisteria. The Cook’s Warehouse will delight guests with a wonderful paella cooking demonstration. The historical and picturesque grounds of Brookhaven’s own Oglethorpe University are the backdrop for this neighborhood dinner party on Saturday, June 14, 2008, 6p-10p. The opportunity to utilize the University’s beautiful quad adds to the charm of the evening. The Taste is honored to have Park 75 Executive Chef, Robert Gerstenecker as chair and Repast Executive Chef, Joseph Truex as chef co-chair of the event. Joining the Taste this year are guests of honor, Jovita Moore, WSB-TV Anchor and Valerie Hoff, WXIA-TV Anchor. Along with the excellent food and wine guests will enjoy the sounds of Latin Pop Jazz band Marea Alta. Ticket sales will begin May 14th, through the BAA website and at participating restaurants and community retail locations. Tickets are $40 prior to the event and $50 at the door. Included in the ticket price is unlimited food and wine, a commemorative wine glass and gift bag. For further information on the Brookhaven Arts Alliance or the Taste of Brookhaven please contact the office at 404-266-3426 or visit the website, www.brookhavenartsalliance.com.

Atlanta Botanical Gardens Sculpture in Motion MAY 3-OCT. 31 Amid the lavishly blooming flowers and trees at the Atlanta Botanical Garden this spring an array of extraordinary sculptures come to life with Sculpture in Motion: Art Choreographed by Nature. Moved (literally) by the power of the elements, more than 25 kinetic sculptures from 16 different artists will be on display beginning May 3 through Oct. 31, 2008. Each piece harnesses the forces of nature – air currents, water, solar power, sound waves, or human energy – forming endless compositions that change over time in perfect harmony with the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Fascinating to watch, the sculptures evoke personal responses as varied as the artwork itself. The continual changes in wind-powered kinetics are mesmerizing, as they capture and give form to breezes. . Other forms of moving sculpture, such as liquid magnetics that defy gravity.

For more information visit www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org or phone 404-876-5859.

40th Annual AT&T Classic at TPC Sugarloaf MAY 12 - 18 The AT&T Classic, Atlanta's annual stop on the PGA TOUR will take place at the TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth, Georgia during May 12 thru May 18. The tournament has now contributed more than $13 million to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, the primary recipient of tournament proceeds since 1981. The total for overall charitable contributions is over $16 million. The AT&T Classic features golfs top names including 2007 champion Zach Johnson(pictured). A broad variety of ticket packages are available including a weekly badge for $60 as well as individual day tickets. They, along with special corporate ticket packages, can be purchased by calling (770) 951-8777, by accessing the tournament web site at www.attclassic.com or at the gate.

JUNE 11

National Black Arts Festival JULY 18 - 27

The National Black Arts Festival (NBAF), the internationally acclaimed celebration of the arts, is pleased to announce its 20th Anniversary. The 2008 NBAF features a multitude of art and culture offerings, including: The Official NBAF Artist Market moving to its new home at the Georgia World Congress Center; the NBAF Children’s Education Village; Pan African Film Festival; Friday Night Jazz at the High; World Music Festival at Centennial Olympic Park (acts TBA); Funk Jazz Kafe; Summer Institute; and, Ebb and Flow: The Next Generation of Poets Speak. NBAF 2008 20th Anniversary Highlights include: The fine art fair of the National Black Arts Festival, Mason Murer Gallery, July 17 - 20. Legends Celebration: An Evening with Gladys Knight, Atlanta Civic Center, July 19. Wynton Marsalis/ Robert Spano concert with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Woodruff Arts Center, July 19. A Tribute to Judith Jamison, Artistic Director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, featuring The Urban Bush Women, Ron K. Brown/EVIDENCE and dancers from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Rialto Center for the Arts, July 19. A Requiem Marks the Moment, commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., featuring artist Carrie Mae Weems. Commissioned in partnership with Savannah College of Art & Design, Woodruff Arts Center, July 15-July 27. Oprah Winfrey Presents the Color Purple, The Fabulous Fox Theatre Atlanta, July 15-August 3. Tickets for the Festival, which takes place July 1827 in and around Atlanta, Georgia, are now on sale. Tickets for festival events are available via the web at www.nbaf.org or by calling the Woodruff Arts Center at 404-733-5000.

Fox Theatre Film Festival

The Coca-Cola Summer Film Festival offers an outstanding line-up of the year’s biggest releases as well as some of the classic movies of all time. Last season featured blockbusters including Dreamgirls, The Departed, Shrek The Third, Pirates Of The Caribbean: At World’s End, and classics The Wizard Of Oz and The Sound Of Music. Come early to see the movies and join in an Atlanta tradition: Wine Tastings at the Fox beginning at 5:30 p.m. Relax and unwind between work and the show, meet your friends and mix and mingle! Dates and movies were not available as of press time but for information about the Coca-Cola Summer Film Festival keep checking their web site at www.foxtheatre.org.

Special Guest

GOMEZ

JULY 9 www.davematthewsband.com THE OFFICIAL DAVE MATTHEWS BAND FAN ASSOCIATION

www.warehouse.davematthewsband.com

AUGUST 20

TICKETS ALSO AVAILABLE THROUGH TICKETMASTER AT 404-249-6400.

All dates, acts and ticket prices subject to change without notice. Ticket prices subject to applicable fees.

PG 31 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

Georgia Walk for Autism Atlantic Station APRIL 12

High Museum of Art MAY 17

Moviegoers are welcome to bring picnic baskets and food, but no glass containers or alcoholic beverages can be brought into Centennial Olympic Park. Food and beverage vendors will be available. In consideration of others, SCREEN ON THE GREEN attendees are asked to leave pets at home. Umbrellas and high-backed chairs are strongly discouraged to allow visibility for all viewers. Grills of any sort are strictly prohibited. Plans call for SCREEN ON THE GREEN to return to Piedmont Park once drought conditions subside.

The Artful Garden Tour

Taste of Alpharetta MAY 15 Old Milton Pkwy. @ Wills Park

The largest "Taste of" festival in the South is in its 18th year! Dine at over 70 restaurants in one unforgettable night that's become an annual tradition for 70,000 families, foodies and festival-goers. Sample delicious appetizers, entrees and desserts, experience the new Culinary Arts area featuring chef's competition, cooking demonstrations and exhibits. Bring a blanket to the new concert lawn for live jazz, rock and contemporary music. Play at the Kids Zone or the all new Fun Zone for older kids. Party with12 metro radio stations. After dinner, stroll the Artist Market for one of a kind finds or visit the new Community Corner. Free admission and parking. Food samples are 50 cents each and restaurants participating in the Taste will charge $1-3 per food sample. Parking is available and there will be shuttles running to the event. For more information go to call (678) 2976000 or go to www.alpharetta.ga.us.

The High Museum of Art’s “The Artful Garden Tour” will feature seven of Atlanta’s finest private gardens focusing on art and design. Environments range from contemporary to traditional and from formal to informal and include cottage, European, and drought-tolerant design. Gardens incorporate a variety of outdoor features such as patios, courtyards, ponds, fountains, outdoor sculptures, and found objects. The Tour highlights local and regional artists such as master clay sculptor and artist Glenn Dair, master glass artist Matt Janke, metal sculptor Bart Webb, clay artists Gwen Fryar and Tina Cox, plein-air painters Cheryl D’Amato, Linda Ely, Charles Scogins, Allen Rogers, Susan Knight Smith, Laura Goodman, and Nancy Everett. The gardens selected for this year’s Tour are located in Loring Heights, Virginia Highlands, Druid Hills, and Inman Park. The Tour will be held on Saturday, May 17, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance through May 15; $25 after May 15 and at the door; $18 groups of 10 or more. Tickets may be purchased online at: www.high.org/gardentour or at retail locations listed on the site on or before April 1.

Zoo Atlanta MAY 14

animal feedings also occur throughout the day and include gorilla and orangutan feedings between 2:00 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. daily. Celebrate Great Ape Awareness Month throughout April with special activities, keeper talks and training demonstrations devoted to Zoo Atlanta’s amazing apes. Visit zooatlanta.org for tickets and details.

Screen on the Green 5/29 - 6/26 Centennial Olympic Park

Peachtree TV will present Atlanta’s popular SCREEN ON THE GREEN, which has previously been presented by sister network TCM. The free summer outdoor movie festival that takes place each summer is also making a temporary move from Piedmont Park to Centennial Olympic Park because of drought conditions. The 2008 edition of SCREEN ON THE GREEN is set to launch May 29 and will feature a different movie each Thursday through June 26. Titles for the 2008 SCREEN ON THE GREEN movie festival were not announced as of press time but is sure to include Hollywood classics like last year’s Casablanca and E.T.

Brew at the Zoo

Kick off Memorial Day weekend at the Zoo with live music and exclusive beer tastings by Sweetwater Brewing Company. Something is always happening at Zoo Atlanta! Come visit their extensive exotic collection of animals, but make sure you don’t miss out on our daily events including zookeeper talks, training demonstrations, and animal encounters! Special

arts DECATUR

FESTIVAL•2008

The seventh annual Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival will take place June 12 - 15. The music festival will once again be held on the same 700acre farm in Manchester, TN, 60 miles southeast of Nashville. The three day camping event is described as a "one of a kind cultural happening" featuring cross-genre musical artists playing to feverish crowds. In addition to the dozens of musical acts, a wide array of art, entertainment options, food and beverages are available. Highlighting this year’s festival include: Pearl Jam, Metallica, Jack Johnson, Kanye West and comedian Chris Rock. For ticket information go to: www.bonnaroo.com

The Warped Tour JULY 9 Lakewood Amphitheatre

The Vans Warped Tour returns once again to our fair city this summer with another solid lineup. The Warped Tour is well established as

festival highlights

stage highlights

Fine Arts Exhibition Opening • May 20, 5-7 p.m.

Saturday, May 24

ArtWalk • May 23, 5-10 p.m.

11:20 am • Sehwe Village Percussion Noon • Gwen Hughes & Band 1 pm • Mieka Pauley 2 pm • Emily Kate Boyd & Band 3 pm • Morgan Rowe Band 4 pm • Golden 7 pm • Baatin & Top Secret

Artists Market • May 24-25

Sunday, May 25

Juried show with a diversity of fine art at the Dalton Gallery at Agnes Scott College. Show runs through June 1.

th 20 ANNUAL

Bonnaroo Music Festival JUNE 12-15

More than 30 participating galleries and shops feature special art and artists and receptions in each location. Stop by the Old Courthouse for the Speak...Easy! Transportation provided by the FurBus. More than 140 artists, Acoustic Music Performance Stage, Dance, Literary Arts and Childrens Arts Festival (Saturday, May 24 only). On the square and around downtown Decatur, Georgia. And much, much more!

Noon • Lindsay Rakers Band 1 pm • The Brilliant Inventions 2 pm • Bonaventure Quartet 3 pm • Larry Griffith Band 4 pm • Kristin Markiton

artists market may 24-25 • events throughout may many thanks to our sponsors

www.DecaturArtsFestival.org • 404-371-9583 • decaturartsalliance@earthlink.net The City of Decatur is inside I-285, just six miles east of Atlanta. Take MARTA’s east rail line to the Decatur station. PG 32 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

America's longest-running touring festival, breaking up-and-coming indie talent as well as showcasing established artists for the past 13 years. It has played a major role in bringing punkrock/skate/action sports culture from the underground to the forefront of American youth culture. Bands for the national tour that Alternative Press readers voted the "Best Tour/Festival" of 2006 and Rolling Stone called "America's most successful festival" (2005) have been revealed via the tour's website: www.warpedtour.com/warpedtour/band.asp. Among the dozens of bands confirmed to appear include Reel Big Fish, Against Me and The Lordz. There are many more performers along with tons of skaters and BMX riders. For ticket and show info visit: www.warpedtour.com

OUTDOOR MUSIC VENUES ASO Classic Chastain

4469 Stella Dr. NW; Chastain Park

for the 2008 season include: Kenny G (June 25); Jill Scott (July 30); Crosby, Stills & Nash (August 2); and the Indigo Girls (Sept. 13). For ticket information visit www.classicchastain.com

Manhattan Transfer, The Little River Band, Kevin Eubanks, and Three Mo’ Tenors w/ The Cobb Symphony Orchestra. For more information visit www.theMHBA.com

Lakewood Amphitheatre 2002 Lakewood Way

As Atlanta’s largest and premier dedicated concert venue, Lakewood Amphitheatre offers an unforgetable concert experience. Advanced lighting and clear, unrestricted sightlines make this the favorite summer concert site for the avid music fan. Some of their most anticipated summer shows include: Dave Mathews Band (July 7); Jonas Brothers (August 20); Radiohead (May 8); and Jack Johnson (August 13). For ticket information visit www.livenation.com

12,000 seat venue is located in Alpharetta just minutes off of 400. The amphitheatre is expected to hold approximately 55 events during its inaugural year including concerts, community events and movie nights. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre is also proud to be the outddor home to the Altanta Symphony Orchestra. Among the highly anticipated shows coming this summer include: Eagles (May 14,16,17); Steve Miller Band w/ Joe Cocker (May 26); Stevie Nicks (June 10); and Rush (July 22). For ticket information visit www.V ZWAMP.com

Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park in Alpharetta, GA

Atlanta’s highly anticipated new entertainment destination opens this May. The Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre is a state of the art facility. The

Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre

5239 Floyd Rd. Mableton, Georgia

Chastain Amphitheatre is one of the great outdoor concert venues in the country. It is an ideal setting to combine dining al fresco with a diverse range of musical talent. Patrons are encouraged to bring their own food, wine and spirits (when permitted) or take advantage of its preferred caterers and concessions to help enhance their concert experience. Among the top performances

The Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre is a mid-sized, yet intimate, outdoor venue located in a natural setting off Floyd Road in south Cobb County. Nestled amongst trees in the quaint suburbs of Mableton, Georgia, it is a beautifully landscaped and covered amphitheatre which boasts of intimate dining table seating protected from the weather, more than 1200 covered, oversized seats, spacious aisles and a cozy lawn to lounge on. The facility has the capacity to host 2,410 people. 2008 performances were not available at press time, but last year’s performances included: The

PG 33 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

MUSIC INTERVIEW

�� BY JOHN B. MOORE

T’S BEEN NEARLY 15 YEARS SINCE Kevin Lyman brought punk rock to the ‘burbs with the founding of the Warped Tour, the popular traveling music festival that has becoming a summer staple at outdoor amphitheaters across the US. Boasting a variety of bands to suit just about every taste and low-ticket prices, playing the tour has become a defining moment for many up and coming groups. Four years ago, he modified the template a bit and founded Taste of Chaos, a metal/hardcore mini-fest that had a smaller bill, but is steeped in the same philosophy that made Warped so popular. Lyman recently called us from a tour bus outside of St. Louis to give us an update on Taste of Chaos and a peek at the lineup for Warped and the inaugural Metal Mayhem tours. So do you go to all of the shows? I’m out for the beginning of Taste of Chaos, so the first 10 shows. It’s not too bad; I’m sitting on a bus watching a movie in the middle of the day. So tell me a little bit about Taste of Chaos and how it started.

I’d been doing Warped for many years and I’ve worked on other projects. The Warped Tour is great, but I never made enough to support the company year-round on it, so I’d take production projects for other people. I found myself doing things that my heart and soul weren’t really into, but it brought some income into the company. Then four years ago the merging of metal and punk were getting closer and closer, and I thought that maybe we could do something on the harder edge with some of the sponsors we worked with on Warped and take it indoors

Who’s on Taste of Chaos this year? It’s Avenged Sevenfold, Bullet for My Valentine and Atreyu, but the thing I’m most excited about is the connection with the JRock (Japanese Rock) bands. This is a scene we’ve been working with for the past few years. It’s fun to see these crowds reacting to these bands that are singing in Japanese, and they’re winning over the crowd as the night goes on.

AS FLETCHER FROM PENNYWISE SAID IN AN INTERVIEW “WHAT’S BETTER THAN A WARPED TOUR? YOU GET TO GO OUT AND BE A KID FOR TWO MONTHS!” to arenas with Taste of Chaos. Rockstar (Energy Drink) became the title sponsor, we’re now in our fourth year and it now goes around the world. It’s a scaled down version of Warped, but with a little more production. The Warped Tour is dirty still, in parking lots, and I love that. But with (Taste of Chaos) we bring lights and the production into an indoor arena, but try to run it with booths and other activities that kids are used to seeing at our shows. Is it because of the sponsors, like Vans and Rockstar, that you are able to keep the ticket prices so low? Yeah, absolutely. Without sponsors and tshirt sales I don’t think we’d be in business. We never make money on ticket sales on our tours. The sponsorships subsidize it quite a bit and actually allow us to do this. Energy drinks, Vans, these are the things that fit with what they are into. A lot of brands just don’t fit.

How did you come up with the idea to bring JRock bands on the tour? I had been working with bringing some of these bands over to the states and to South By South West. They connected very strongly with the audiences. And then I did a festival in Los Angeles and the bands we had were just great. What JRock bands are on the tour this year? We have D’Espairsray, Mucc and The Underneath. Mucc played in the Los Angeles festival. (JRock) has a very active online community and it think it’s going to break in the US in a couple of years. We’re seeing bands like Atreyu on this tour watching these groups from the side of the stage. How do you go about choosing the headliners for these shows? Is it bands that will pull in the crowds, along with bands you really like? Definitely having Avenge Sevenfold is someone who will bring in the crowd; I’m not rocking it on my iPod all day long, but bands like Bullet for My Valentine, we’ve been following their career for awhile and I just love their live show. Atreyu has been part of our family since the Warped Tour a few years ago and they’ve played Taste of Chaos before so they’re a great band to have around. They know the system and they’re great to work with. Do you have a lot of people submitting tapes to be considered? All day long! Which is great, because the day you don’t get those is the day your tour is no longer relevant. Are a lot of the bands on Taste of Chaos bands that wouldn’t normally fit on the Warped bill? No, now we’re crisscrossing back and forth. On Warped last year we had a band like As I Lay Dying, and they came out with one of the strongest metal albums of the summer. They were on Warped, but they would also fit on this tour. We’re putting to-

PG 34 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

gether a metal tour this summer, the Mayhem Metal Festival, and they would fit on that tour as well. Can you talk a little about Mayhem? It’s kind of trying to take the Warped philosophy into a different genre of music. I think we’re going to deliver a very strong show for a very fair ticket price. It will start in the middle of the summer. Have you set up the lineup yet? Yeah, it’s a pretty strong lineup: Slipknot, Disturbed, DragonForce, Mastodon. Then we really dug into the second stage. We were able to put together a young up-and-coming lineup that includes bands like Black Tide, but also bands like Underoath and Machine Head. You have broken a lot of bands through these tours. Do you take a certain amount of pride in that? I do. If we weren’t doing that I don’t think I’d want to do the tours. And I think that helps attract a lot of the bigger bands, because they want to come back and help the scene. They’re using their drawing power to help give these younger bands the opportunity to play in front of much larger audiences. Have you announced all of the bands for Warped yet? I think it’s a solid line up from top to bottom. We’re going to add a few more bands, but I just like that Angels and Airwaves is going to take part. I like that Gym Class Heroes is going to be a part of it. Bands that have gone on to a lot of success are coming back and being a part of the tour again. Tom (DeLonge) hasn’t played since Blink (182) was on the tour. But he all of a sudden told his manager, we had a call and we had a deal within a couple of days. I love that you bring along a lot of older bands that started the scene that many of the younger kids might not have heard. Any of those type bands on for this year? We have GBH coming in and playing for a few weeks; that’s awesome for me. We also have The Vandals coming back and still finding a place for a band like The Bouncing Souls, which is one of my favorite bands ever. They called and they want to play a few weeks if they can. That’s a connection for me of the roots of where I came from and it’s a great history for the fans to see. But it’s also a great opportunity for the bands to play. As Fletcher from Pennywise said in an interview “What’s better than a Warped Tour? You get to go out and be a kid for two months!”

FILM INTERVIEW

Dennis Quaid on Smart People, Sex Symbols & G.I. Joe BY B. LOVE

ITTING DOWN FOR AN interview in Santa Monica’s Casa Del Mar hotel, Dennis Quaid seems about as easygoing and affable as any major movie star could ever hope to be. After over 30 years in the business, it seems the star of this year’s Vantage Point, Smart People and a forthcoming film called The Express has finally gotten comfortable in his own skin, taking the ride to fame and fortune as it comes with grounded priorities intact. Here, he talks on topics ranging from being an aging sex symbol to the evolution of Hollywood over the past three decades. Vantage Point was plot-driven as opposed to a character study. As an actor, do you rely on different acting muscles to convey so little in such a short amount of time? Well, to me that’s really what acting is about, the silences between the words. I go to movies to feel things, and it was really kind of a challenge on that one. I only had 17 lines of dialogue in the film, and most of that is like, “Oh my God, what have you done?!” So it was a challenge to create the character, because it’s created in the doing. Then you get to do something like Smart

People, which has a lot more than 17 lines of dialogue in it. Is that kind of rich material hard to find? If I’ve done anything intentional about my career, I’ve chosen to do as many different types of things as possible. It makes it interesting for me, so I don’t even seek out any particular type of movie or role. It’s just that movies at this point seem to come rather than me seeking them out. This emotionally reserved professor is a very different character for you. How were you able to relate to him on a personal level? I identified with him emotionally in some ways. I think I’d been sort of emotionally stuck, or shut down, at different times in my life. But that was where it really ended, and I didn’t really see myself in the part. I thought it was really well-written, and I took the meeting to say, “Thank you, but why do you see me playing this?” I didn’t really get it at all [until meeting director Noam Murro]. We just talked about our favorite movies and directors, and I thought he had such a unique point of view on life and the world that I got really intrigued about working with him.

career. In our twenties and thirties, we’re all taking ourselves so seriously. Especially men, you know, with this whole careerbuilding thing. I’ve been doing it [so long], but I’m doing it for the same reasons that I started out in acting school back in college. I’m having fun with it. I mean, it’s not a real job, for God’s sake. Is it easier now than when you first started, because there’s so much more emphasis on celebrity? I don’t know, I wouldn’t want to be starting out now. I prefer the times that I started in, which were very exciting. I cut my teeth on movies from the ‘70s, and it was a very exciting time where you felt like the inmates had taken over the asylum, as far as the types of films that were being done in a mainstream way and the way American cinema was being shaped. It was great to be a part of that.

TO ME THAT’S REALLY WHAT ACTING IS ABOUT, THE SILENCES BETWEEN THE WORDS.

Do you still feel like a sex symbol? Sex symbol? I don’t have a vision. I just go along, basically just having more fun with my career than I’ve ever had. You go through different stages in your life and

Do you miss that Hollywood? Yeah, I do. But even back then, when they were doing movies like Badlands or Bonnie and Clyde or Five Easy Pieces, they also had commercial movies Earthquake and The Towering Inferno, and all the Burt Reynolds chase flicks. So it’s a little distorted by selective memory, in a way. But I think that tradition is actually being carried over today. I feel like there’s this sea change that has happened in the last five or six years where independent films have really taken over. Most of the films that are nominated for Oscars are these small independent

CAN BOBBY COX LEAD THE BRAVES BACK TO THE TOP? Y BY B. LOVE

OU’D BE HARDPRESSED TO NAME MANY active managers in the world of sports who have earned more respect from players and rival coaches alike than Bobby Cox. Cox, who turns 67 in May, returned to the Atlanta Braves (with whom he spent four years in the ‘70s and ‘80s before coaching the Toronto Blue Jays) during the 1990 season, guiding them from worst to first the following year and launching an unprecedented streak of 14 first-place finishes over the next 15 years. The fifth-winningest manager in baseball history and a virtual lock for future Hall of Fame induction, Cox has managed to consistently keep the Braves in pennant contention despite losing many of his best players to free agency or injury. He also finds time to work with charity organizations such as the Homeless Pets Foundation, for which he hosts an annual Paws Because fundraiser. We recently spoke with the baseball legend about how the game has changed since he started playing nearly 50 years ago, the agony of defeat, and his goals for the Braves’ 2008 season. How do the realities of being a Major League manager compare to your expectations when you first came into the game? I signed with the Dodgers rookie team in 1959, playing up and down the West coast. Your expectations as a player are always just to become a Major Leaguer, but things just seem to fall into place as your career develops. I finally made the Major Leagues and finished my playing career in 1970, but I didn’t know what lay ahead. The New York Yankees’ GM met me for lunch and thought I’d make a good Minor League manager, and they had a spot open in Ft. Lauderdale. It’s funny, because if he hadn’t made that trip I probably would never have become a manager.

Did you ever dream of leading this dynasty that the Atlanta Braves became? I don’t think it was even in my sights. I concentrated so much on developing players when I had them, I never even thought about moving up the ladder. Everyone was a prospect to me, and I wanted to see all my players get to the Major Leagues. There was an opening in AA the following year, then there was an opening in AAA, and it all just fell into place.

What are the most signiﬁcant changes you’ve seen in baseball since you started coaching? Free agency and arbitration have become big factors in how Major League clubs do business nowadays. I don’t think there was free agency when I played, and they hadn’t even formed a union. Players today move around a lot more. It used to be that, if you were good, you’d stay with your team forever or maybe be traded at the very end of your career. These days you don’t see that too often. No matter how much you want to keep players, your budget may keep you from doing it.

The Braves are known as one of the classiest organizations in baseball. Is that attitude something you try to instill in your players? Yeah. I got turned off by some of the hot-dogging I saw in other sports, so we try to encourage our guys to play the game the right way. Play it hard, play it right and act like professionals. You can get turned off by watching athletes showing off on the field. I don’t think it’s necessary, and I don’t know if fans like it or not, but a lot of coaches and managers don’t.

movies from Miramax or wherever, which really remind me of the ‘70s. No Country for Old Men is very much a ‘70s movie, and There Will Be Blood. These are films that remind me of that kind of filmmaking. They’re not structured. There’s no real sort of hero to them. You’re gonna be playing General Hawk in next year’s G.I. Joe. Can you talk a little bit about that project? They offered it to me about a month ago and I figured it’d be a lot of fun to do because we grew up with G.I. Joe. It’s basically kind of a cartoon thing, a big popcorn type of tent pole action movie that’s not too deep. The character that I’m playing is really kind of a cross between Chuck Yeager and Sergeant Rock, with maybe a naïve Hugh Hefner thrown in there since his aide-decamp is a Victoria’s Secret supermodel. So, I mean, how serious can it be? (Laughter)

SPORTS NEWS Which was more difficult, coaching the Braves through the losing seasons of the ‘80s or these recent years, when they’ve fallen just short of making the playoffs? The fun of baseball is being in a pennant chase in September, so when you get through that and get in the playoffs it’s even more fun. If you get to the World Series, that’s as exciting as it gets. In the early years it wasn’t so easy because we were developing, but there are a lot of rewards for managers to see their players get better until they get into a position to win. What moves do you think you guys need to make to get the team back in contention next year? We’re always working on that, which is one thing that has changed in baseball. There are no down days for the front office; they work 12 months a year to keep on top of things. John Schuerholz is now Team President and his assistant Frank Wren moved into John’s spot as General Manager, so it’s a win-win situation for everybody. You seem to do quite a lot of charity work in the offseason. Yeah, the one I’m most involved with right now is the Homeless Pets Foundation (www.homelesspets.com), which was founded in 1998 by veterinarian Dr. Michael Good. I met him and some of the other vets involved at an emergency animal clinic one night when one of our animals had a problem. They take in these homeless pets, and it’s not cheap to give them food, care and medical attention, so I got involved with them to try to raise a little money to help out. These animals are abused and neglected, kicked out of their homes when they haven’t done anything wrong, so this foundation takes them in, cares for them, gets them back to health and tries to get somebody to adopt them. It’s really a worthwhile cause. Are you a big pet person? Yeah, my wife and I love pets. We just have two dogs right now, but we’ve had horses, goats, chickens and just about everything else you could name. I think it’s real important to give back to a worthwhile cause, and I try to do the best I can. What are your major goals for the team as you enter this season? We’ve always set high goals, and our goal every Spring is to win a World Series. And we’ve been in it: Last year we almost got in the playoffs, but we got dinged up in Spring Training and lost some players. But our goal this year will again be to win a World Series, simply because we think we can. We’ve got a good team, and we think it’s gonna be better than it was when we started last season. PG 35 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

SPORTS NEWS

They’re Gr-r-r-reat!

The new and improved Detroit Tigers look like world beaters on paper. Now let’s see how they play against the world champion Boston Red Sox. BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

Y THE TIME THIS MLB PREVIEW COMES out, the Motor City could be nearing a Boston-like state of sports euphoria. Remember a few months back when the Celtics and Patriots were unstoppable and the Red Sox were having a championship parade? Looks like it’s time for the Midwest version. The Detroit Pistons and Red Wings should be preparing for lengthy spring playoff runs. On the diamond, the swaggering Tigers -Sluggers Magglio Ordonez, Gary Sheffield and newcomers Miguel Cabrera and Edgar Renteria are the centerpieces in what could be the AL’s most impressive offensive lineup in decades- could be gearing for a fireworks-filled summer. When fall hits, the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox might be the only obstacles (well, them and possibly the Tigers’ own middle relievers) in the way of Motown’s first World Series celebration in 24 years.

AMERICAN LEAGUE East

1. BOSTON – The only team with two titles in the 00s, the Red Sox have the pieces –ALCS MVP Josh Beckett, World Series MVP Mike Lowell, four other all-stars- for another October onslaught. 2. NEW YORK YANKEES – The hitting (reigning MVP Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter) will always be in the Bronx. To keep the Sox close, the Yanks need upstarts Chien-Ming Wang, Joba Chamberlain and Phil Hughes to hit all their spots from the mound. 3. TORONTO – If these birds are to fly over .500, they’re going to need Frank Thomas to go back to the well for another 25+ homer/95+ RBI year, newbie David Eckstein to fit in well and Vernon Wells to play like the Vernon Wells of old. 4. TAMPA BAY – The “Devil” part of the team’s nickname has been dropped by the slowly-improving Rays. Thank heavens more people are starting to realize how good B.J. Upton, Carl Crawford and Carlos Pena really are. 5. BALTIMORE – On August 22, 2007, the Orioles amazingly scored 30 runs against Texas. With this anemic lineup (Nick Markakis is the only stud in sight), it’s a wonder if they reach that total in the month of April.

Central

1. DETROIT – Beyond the talented bats mentioned in the opening paragraph, manager Jim Leyland will be all smiles this spring because he’s got one of the best sets of young arms (Justin Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman and ex-Marlin Dontrelle Willis) in the AL. 2. CLEVELAND – Who won the ’07 AL Cy Young? After a forgettable postseason, you might not remember it was C.C. Sabathia. Which shortstop hit the most homers in the league? That would be Jhonny Peralta. Two reasons the Tribe could top Detroit? Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner. 3. CHICAGO WHITE SOX – If the Sox are gonna be anything close to competitive in the Central, Jim “Mr. 500” Thome, Paul Konerko and Jermaine Dye have to hit better than the American League-worst .243 with men in scoring position the team did last season. 4. MINNESOTA – Carlos Gomez is the young man forced into the unenviable position of replacing longtime Twin Torii Hunter in center. As for Torii’s bat, the organization is leaning heavily on Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau and fresh face Delmon Young. 5. KANSAS CITY – Mark Teahen struck out 127 times with just seven homers a year ago. Ace Gil Meche got just 12 PG 36 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

runs of support in his 13 losses. If those numbers improve (and free agent Jose Guillen’s keep getting better), this might be the last time the Royals finish last.

West

1. LOS ANGELES ANGELS – Vlad Guerrero, a lifetime .325 hitter, batted a paltry .200 in last season’s ALDS. With so much protection in the order (Gary Matthews Jr. and godsend Torii Hunter), the silly swinging won’t reappear. We can’t say for certain how crazy the opposition will look against John Lackey and Jon Garland on the hill though. 2. SEATTLE – Ichiro Suzuki is gunning for his 8th straight year of 200+ clutch hits. Adrian Beltre and Raul Ibanez seem to get hits whenever the M’s need them. New pitcher Erik Bedard could be the hit of the Pacific Northwest if he wins over 18 games. 3. TEXAS – The Rangers have good players (Michael Young and Ian Kinsler immediately come to mind), but still appear maybe two seasons away from making serious noise. All the booing stems from Texas’ AL-high 124 errors last year. 4. OAKLAND – The A’s set a team record by using 54 players at various times last year. If relative unknowns Travis Buck, Daric Barton and Carlos Gonzalez don’t work out on the roster, a retooling Oakland might shake things up even more in ’08.

Playoff teams:

BOSTON, DETROIT, LOS ANGELES AND NEW YORK

ALCS:

DETROIT OVER LOS ANGE LES

NATIONAL LEAGUE East

1. PHILADELPHIA – The middle infielders (Chase Utley, NL MVP Jimmy Rollins) are breathtaking. The middle of the batting order (Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell) is beastly. The middle of the rotation (Brett Myers, Jamie Moyer and Kyle Kendrick) is the big question. 2. ATLANTA – They’re baaack. Okay, so they need Jeff Francoeur to hit 35 homers, Mark Teixeira to bat .335 and John Smoltz to pitch like he’s 35 to get back to the playoffs. So! With Tom Glavine and a (cross your fingers) healthy Mike Hampton in the clubhouse, it might all happen. 3. NEW YORK METS – The Johan Santana signing sent a jolt of life through Queens this past offseason. Rightfielder Ryan Church adds freshness to the lineup, too. Good for them because Pedro Martinez, Moises Alou and Carlos Delgado are starting to show wrinkles. 4. WASHINGTON – The Nationals made a Major Leaguerecord 588 pitching changes last year. This year’s sad starters (Shawn Hill) and potentially-sadder offense (Lastings Milledge and Austin Kearns) might beg for a record book rewrite. At least their new stadium, Nationals Park, is bad ass. 5. FLORIDA – Is Hanley Ramirez the best player in the NL most people know nothing about? Probably so. Is this nameless Marlins squad the worst team in baseball? Probably not, but Josh Willingham and Jeremy Hermida need big years to make that official.

Central

1. MILWAUKEE – Top (Rickie Weeks, J.J. Hardy) to bottom (Bill Hall, Jason Kendall), the Brew Crew might have

the best looking lineup in the game. The guy at the center of it all, Prince Fielder, is a world of talent- literally (270 pounds) and figuratively (50 HRs, 119 RBI). 2. CHICAGO CUBS – Carlos Zambrano and Co. led the Majors in strikeouts for the seventh straight season. Alfonso Soriano is a brilliant player but he strikes out too much. If pitchers even think about throwing a strike down the middle on Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez, the kids on Waveland Ave. are guaranteed a souvenir. 3. HOUSTON – Tears are still flowing after the beloved Craig Biggio’s retirement. There may be a few watery eyes about Roger Clemens’ demise. Once Carlos Lee, Hunter Pence and just-added Miguel Tejada get going, it’ll be happy times at Minute Maid Park. 4. CINCINNATI – The NL Central is going to be a bruiser, with every team pounding on the other. With manager Dusty Baker as the new cutman, the hard-hitting Reds (Adam Dunn, Ken Griffey Jr and Brandon Phillips) could bob ‘n weave their way into contention. 5. ST. LOUIS – It was all good just two seasons ago. With trades (Scott Rolen), injuries (Mark Mulder and Chris Carpenter) and “down years” (Albert Pujols’ HR numbers dropped 17 last season) looming, the Cards seem destined for a southward migration. 6. PITTSBURGH – It’s a shame that lovely PNC Park is inhabited by such putrid baseball. That swipe wasn’t directed at Freddy Sanchez or Jason Bay. However, if the team doesn’t improve on last year’s 68 wins, no one will care much wear the stench originates.

West

1. ARIZONA – With apologies to Eric Byrnes and Chris Young, the best hitter on the D-Backs might be hurler Micah Owings (he had a two-homer, six-RBI game last Aug.). If Brandon Webb and Dan Haren should struggle, he could prove the most important pitcher, too. 2. COLORADO – One of the gutsiest teams to step to the plate in recent memory, America simply fell in love with Matt Holliday’s hustle, Troy Tulowitzki’s glove and Jeff Francis’ fastball. Still folks in Denver are wondering what ever happened to Todd Helton’s power. 3. LOS ANGELES DODGERS – Being the Yankees skipper so many years certainly has Joe Torre equipped to handle the questions -Will Andruw Jones return to form at the plate? Can pitchers Brad Penny and Derek Lowe avoid a second half wither?- Tinseltown surely will ask. 4. SAN DIEGO – We’re not sure Khalil Greene is the best man for the Padres’ fourth slot. But then again, we’re almost certain Adrian Gonzalez, Brian Giles and Jim “Givin’ It One More Go” Edmonds aren’t better options either. 5. SAN FRANCISCO – Alas, the first season without you-know-who. The reeling Giants offer a half-hearted attempt at replacing Barry Bonds’ numbers with Aaron Rowand. Barry Zito, Matt Cain and Tim Lincecum try to work similar miracles from the mound.

Playoff teams:

PHILADELPHIA, MILWAUKEE, ATLANTA AND ARIZONA

NLCS:

PHILADELPHIA OVER ATLANTA

World Series:

DETROIT OVER PHILADELPHIA

SHOOTOUT AT S U GA R LOA F M A Y 1 2 - 1 8, 2 0 0 8

BE PART OF IT! Every year, the AT&T Classic provides one of the most exciting weeks of golf in Atlanta. Join us this year as we celebrate our 40th Anniversary. Defending champion Zach Johnson, Charles Howell III, Camilo Villegas, J.B. Holmes and Stewart Cink join some of the top players in the world at the highly acclaimed TPC Sugarloaf. Your attendance benefits the kids at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. For tickets contact us today. Visit attclassic.com or call 770-951-8777.

© 2008 AT&T Knowledge Ventures. All Rights reserved. AT&T and the AT&T Classic logo are trademarks of AT&T Knowledge Ventures. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

��

atlanta hawks ��

��

PG 37 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

FANATIC BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS “I had some of the best years of my career there. I hope people always remember the way I played and that was with all my heart. I left everything I had out there on the field – always. These are the hardest times as an athlete.” –Tampa Bay Buc running back WARRICK DUNN, after leaving the Falcons If you’re into FANTASY BASEBALL, you’re already plotting ways to trade for Ryan Howard, Prince Fielder and Alex Rodriguez. But let’s say your virtual GM skills are limited. Try to grab any of the following breakout candidates via a less-glamorous move: Geovany Soto (Chicago Cubs); Nick Swisher (Chicago White Sox); Kelly Johnson (Atlanta), Chone Figgins (L.A. Angels); Jeff Keppinger (Cincinnati). So, did you pick all of the teams in this year’s Final Four? I sure didn’t. Who would have guessed that Bradley and Houston would have the necessary guard play to make it? Oh, wait. You thought Fanatic was talking about the NCAA Tournament? Bradley, Houston, Virginia and Tulsa were actually the last four teams standing at the inaugural COLLEGE BASKETBALL INVITATIONAL. Yep, the N.I.T. officially has some competition for college basketball’s scraps. According to the CBI website though, the event provides “a meaningful opportunity for teams that are deserving of a postseason experience.” Yeah, I guess the world needs to see Cincinnati (13-18 this year) play as much as possible. “I heard a big cheer, and I got up and left. That’s why he’s Tiger Woods.” –BART BRYANT, after Woods’ birdie at 18 to win last month’s Arnold Palmer Invitational “The reason I thought an NBA or NHL team would do well here was because I thought there was a void for Oklahoma City sports, something that wasn’t [Oklahoma] or [Oklahoma State] but could be inclusive for the entire community and that’s what we saw with the Hornets. And I think the support for an NBA team, if and when it gets here, will start where the Hornets left off and build from there. It will be astronomical, not like this city has seen and it will rival the NBA’s most compelling stories anywhere. It will be extraordinary.”

BUY - SELL TRADE & RENT

A Monthly Sports Must-See TV Wrap-up Top 5 Games This Month

–OKLAHOMA CITY MAYOR MICK CORNETT, on the prospects of his city getting an NBA franchise

The NBA’S regular season is ending and it’s looking like a photo finish for playoff spots. It’s still unclear if Golden State or Denver will grab the 8th slot out West, but some things have come together lately, namely in the awards categories: Defensive Player of the Year- Marcus Camby (Denver); Rookie of the YearAl Horford (Atlanta); Sixth Man of the Year- Manu Ginobili (San Antonio); Coach of the Year- Byron WOODS DOING Scott (New Orleans). The MVP race, however, is WHAT HE DOES BEST...WINNING. one for the ages. You could argue Chris Paul, LeBron James and Tracy McGrady for the crown with little argument from anybody. But if Fanatic had a say, it would have to go to Kobe Bryant, whose 28 points, six rebounds and five assists don’t begin to explain how important he’s been to the Lake Show this season. “Too many governing bodies see Olympians as expendable, but those athletes will only have one shot. Everybody has a cause, and those causes are valid but people want the athletes to take a stand. I say if those big powerful movie stars who have made billions of dollars are asking people to boycott the opening ceremonies then I would ask them not to make another movie for four years, these athletes only get one shot every four years…The only things swimmers should be worried about during the games is whether or not their suit is tied on the block.” –GLENN MILLS, former swimmer who would have participated in the ’80 Summer Games had the U.S. not boycotted And finally… The Charlotte Bobcats’ longest winning streak ever is five. Oddly, Indiana’s longest one was only nine… With consecutive lopsided victories the first weekend of the NCAA tournament, North Carolina became just the third team in history to win its first two games by over 30 points… The Denver Nuggets scored an NBA season-high 168 points on March 16, yet not a single player scored over 26 points… While we’re on the Nuggets, stars Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony have tallied 30+ pts in the same game five times this season. Only the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and Paul Gasol have done that even twice… According to USA Today, Daniel Briere, Scott Gomez and Thomas Vanek are the NHL’s top-paid players. Each is making $10 million this season.

1 2

NCAA Title Game (April 7, CBS, TBD)

Even if the mouth-watering UNC/UCLA matchup doesn’t happen, you’re permitted to make that call to Pizza Hut around 6PM.

NCAA National Semifinals (April 5, CBS, TBD)

Wouldn’t it be amazing if Davidson made it this far? Stephen Curry would have to average 50 to even consider it.

3 4

Golden State at New Orleans; Dallas at Phoenix

New York Yankees at Boston

(April 6, ABC, 1PM and 3:30PM)

A Sunday ﬁlled with surprises (Hornets), shocking disappointments (Mavs) and Shaq.

Chicago White Sox at Detroit (ESPN, April 6, 8:05PM)

A national audience’s ﬁrst time to see the AL oﬀensive juggernauts bang each other on the heads.

(ESPN, April 13, 8:05PM)

The World Series champs show oﬀ their World Series rings to their friends from the Bronx.

��

VIDEOS DVD’S MAGAZINES 3432 Clairmont Rd.

404-320-7418

FAX 404-320-7337

www.usedmagazines.com

��

Spring is Fun! So is Growing your Business!

��

Gettin’ Our Spring On Since 1992.

PG 38 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

��

TO ADVERTISE CALL 404-315-8485

��

SPORTS NEWS

��

PG 39 • insiteatlanta.com • April 2008

The Red Door Tavern

Slush Puppies are Back! 10 Flavors * Make your Own Frozen Drink

Slurp one down While Watching the Braves on our Buckhead Deck ��

COYOTE’S MEXICAN GRILL COME CELEBRATE CINCO DE MAYO! Monday, May 5

Free Giveaways (Coyote’sT-Shirts & More) Drink Specials (Call for Details) All Day Outdoor Fiesta! st Live Music! Bigge in Party ur! Decat

Now Open “Al Dar” or lounge - Enjoy great food, wine, belly dancing and hookahs on the weekend.

2730 East College Avenue, Decatur GA��

2751 Lavista Rd. • Decatur, GA 30033 404.633.8833 • www.mezzabistro.com

Best Mediterranean

Monday & Tuesday 5:30-7:30pm

All TAPAS $3 10pm: Paraiso International Latin Dance Party

+ Thursdays: LIVE Flaminco

��

RESTAURANT

Open 24 Hours

��

N. Decatur Rd.

e Pl at t az a

Publix

Corner of N. Decatur & Clairmont

��

New Location! MIDTOWN

NOW OPEN! 404-917-1100

(10th and Monroe)

www.mediterraneangrill.com

��

�� Red Dawn, GHRelease, Sleepwalker & Zan-X Starting at $6.95

H O O K AH S Starting at $24.95

��

h r or u c

Landmark DINER

(404) 320-0101 N. Decatur Plaza D

& Latin Jazz Best Tapas! 7 & 10pm Open 7 Days a Week ��www.sdmatlanta.com 980 Piedmont Avenue (Corner of 10th & Piedmont)

�� Clairmont Rd.

Latin Tapas Bar & Lounge

��

+ Wednesdays 7pm: LIVE MUSIC

Hand-blown Bubblers

Detox Products

Pipes

��

New ROOR

Starting at $133.95

Posters

Self Body Cigars & Defense Cigarettes Jewelry Products

Atlanta / Sandy Springs: 6124 Roswell Rd. ��

��