INsite Atlanta August 2006 Issue by INsite Magazine

VOTED #1 Voted Atlanta’s Best Small Music Venue Tues-Texas Hold’em Tourney & Free Pool Weds- Martini night, Live music & Free Pool

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CONTENTS

AUGUST 2006 VOLUME 10.11

INTERVIEWS 14 AMBER SMITH

18 WILL FERRELL 23 JAMIE FOXX 26 BOOT CAMP CLIK 27 JURASSIC 5 29 ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN 30 ROSARIO DAWSON

36 ATLANTA BRAVES

FEATURES 12 ATLANTA’S BEST PIZZA

Whether you’re having your first back to school kegger or feeding the gang while watching the game, pizza is always a safe bet. Our guide highlights our ATL favorites, include Mo’s, Savage Pizza, Fellini’s, Grant Central and Chicago’s Nancy’s.

31 CONTINUING EDUCATION GUIDE Great opportunities abound for recent college grads looking to continue their education, or students of life looking to expand their horizons. Our annual guide explores the myriad possibilities available to those who want to keep learning as they grow.

22 WE GOT NEXT

This month featuring Algebra, the Atlanta-based neo-soul songstress signed by Kedar Massenburg, the midas touch mastermind who signed Erykah Badu and India.Arie.

COLUMNS

8 AROUND TOWN 10 TECHNOLOGY 15 ON TAP

15 THE WHEEL DEAL 16 MOVIE REVIEWS

19 VIDIOTS 20 CONCERT CALENDAR 22 ROAD WARRIORS 24 ALBUM REVIEWS 37 FANATIC 38 HOROSCOPES

www.insiteatlanta.com PG 4 • insiteatlanta.com • August 2006

The Local Scene

Photo by Candice Appling

Anto Hogan - Fado’

INsite Magazine Best Bartender in Atlanta 2006

Photo by Candice Appling

his year’s 4th Annual Best Bartender competition took place at the North End Bars in Buckhead. This popular destination is home to Moondog’s, The Peachtree Tavern, Hole in the Wall and Loco’s. This year’s Finals competition was a culmination of a three month contest held on the pages of INsite and online at www.insiteatlanta.com. Over 2,200 readers voted for the 28 bartenders from across Atlanta. The first grouping of bartenders were profiled in our May issue. Competing bartenders were as follows: Ava Thompson (Famous Pub), Andy Kalber (Moondog’s), Anto Hogan (Fado’), Brittany Burdett (Smith’s Olde Bar), Dave Monterde (Rio Grande Cantina), Michelle Follmer (Hole in the Wall), Steve Shamatta (Red Door Tavern), Eric Heinen (Eclipse Di Luna), Leeland McPhail (East Andrew’s Cafe), Ariana Hornsby (CJ’s Landing), Chris Stanley (The Peachtree Tavern), Mayolo Salgado (Coyote’s Mexican Grill), Nathan Rogers (Mako’s), Heather Chancey (The Lodge), Jean-Pierre Chery (Sweet Devil Moon),and Nikki Emeling (Loco’s Grill & Pub). Andy, Chris, Heather and Anto prevailed in the group. The second group of bartenders were profiled in the June is and were as follows: Jill Agin (Cantina la Casita), Jason Morgan (Fox Sports Grill), Viava Indrasiute (Twisted Taco), Clay Cash (Jocks and Jills), Mary Lisa Metzger (Agave), Greg Wright (Aiko), Holly Janczewski (Shout), and Angelica Bakhsh (Blue Frog Cantina). Mary, Clay and Angelica were able to make it out of this group and into our Finals competition. The Finals were held on Thursday night, July 20 and began upstairs at Moondog’s. Here our 7 finalists were asked to mix their signature drink using Absolut vodka. The drinks were judged on Taste, Appearance, and Originality. Mary Lisa Metzger from Agave won this round earning a the only perfect score in originality. Next came the Speed round in which bar-

tenders were tested in their ability to work a soda gun. As sodas were rapidly called out, our bartenders had to shoot in the matching cup. Most bartenders were able to handle this event with a few errors. Around 11:30 the event moved downstairs to The Peachtree Tavern in which the Accuracy round commenced. Here our bartenders were asked to pour an exact shot and another exact two shot drink using three bottles into an unmarked cup. This proved to be very challenging, as there was little room for error. All the bartenders then were called on stage and asked a question that allowed

them to describe to the audience what it meant to be a bartender. Contestants were judged by crowd response with Chris, Anto and Andy scoring points. The competition now moved one more time to Hole in the Wall as the bartenders were given their final challenge. the bartenders were tested on their knowledge of the ingredients in several Absolut drinks. With the competition being very close, this proved to be the difference as every point counted. Finally at about 1AM we were ready to announce this year’s Best Bartender in Atlanta. But first, we announced the raffle winners for the night. Those called received tickets to some great upcoming Hi Fi Buys shows including Poison, The Allman Brothers, Godsmack, and 311. With much suspense, the winning bartender was finally announced. The 2006 INsite Magazine Best Bartender in Atlanta goes to Anto Hogan of Fado! Thank you for everyone who helped make this event our best yet. From the thousands of people who voted online, to Absolut out sponsor, Moondog’s, The Peachtree Tavern and Hole in the Wall for holding the event, and all our bartenders who competed. Thank you!!

Volume 10.11 August 2006 INsite Magazine of Atlanta 2250 North Druid Hills Rd. #100 Atlanta, GA 30329-3118 404-315-8485 Fax 404-315-1755 email feedback@insiteatlanta website insiteatlanta.com

Advertising Information 404-315-8485 advertising@insiteatlanta.com President/General Manager Stephen Miller National Managing Editor Bret Love Graphic Designer Michael T.

Local Managing Editor Rav Mansfield Sports Editor DeMarco Williams Web Designer Michael Faber Contributing Writers / Interns John Davidson, John Moore, Erin Semple, Laura Estep, Russell Fisher, Ben Beard, Rikki Warner, Margo Aaron, Andrew Gilstrap & Zena Scott

INsite is published on the first Friday of the month and is distributed free on 23 college campuses and at over 1,000 locations throughout Atlanta. 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.

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*Offer only available in participating Comcast systems (and may not be transferred) and is limited to new residential customers (or former customers who have not subscribed to any Comcast service for the past 60 days, with accounts in good standing), located in Comcast Cable wired and serviceable areas. Offer limited to Comcast Enhanced Cable, 6.0 Mbps High Speed Internet Access and Comcast Digital Voice service. Advertised prices only available with subscription to all 3 services. If any service is cancelled or downgraded during the promotional period, Comcast’s regular charges apply for any remaining services. AFTER THE PROMOTIONAL PERIOD, COMCAST’S REGULAR CHARGES APPLY UNLESS SERVICE IS CANCELLED. YOU MAY CANCEL SERVICE BY CALLING 404-COMCAST. Comcast’s current monthly service charges for all three services is $132.89, depending on area. Offer only good for service to a single outlet. Service is subject to Comcast standard terms and conditions of service. Limited time offer. Additional outlets, including a converter and remote control (for certain cable services, current monthly fee is $5.99), cable modem (for High-Speed Service, current monthly fee is $3.00), and EMTA (for telephone service (and which may also be used for High-Speed Service), current monthly fee is $3.00) required and equipment and installation fees are additional. Prices shown do not include taxes and franchise fees, or in the case of Comcast Digital Voice, the Regulatory Recovery Fee, which is not a tax or government required or other applicable charges (e.g., per-call charges). Not all programming and services available in all areas. May not be combined with other offers. Please call 404-COMCAST for restrictions and complete details about service, prices and equipment. Comcast ©2006. All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owner’s. Cable Service: Certain services are available separately or as a part of other levels of service. Basic Service subscription is required to receive other levels of service. ON DEMAND requires a digital converter and ON DEMAND selections subject to charge indicated at the time of purchase. Additional features and services may be purchased at regular service rates. Programming subject to change. High Speed Service: Speeds stated for downloads only and compare Comcast 6.0 Mbps (maximum upstream limited to 768 Kbps) to 256 Kbps DSL and 56 Kbps. Many factors affect speed. Actual speeds will vary and are not guaranteed. Not all features, including McAfee, are compatible with Macintosh systems. Comcast Digital Voice: Unlimited package pricing applies only to direct-dialed calls to locations in the U.S. from home. No separate long distance carrier connection available. Plan does not include international calls. Comcast Digital Voice service (including 911/emergency services) may not function after an extended power outage. Certain customer premises equipment may not be compatible with Comcast Digital Voice services. Caller ID equipment is required. JMY10092 7/06 ©2006 SPECTRUM MARKETING, LLC

The Local Scene

Around Town

Museums & Exhibits

Bodies...The Exhibition Advanced ticket purchase is strongly advised for this sure-hit experience blending science and art. Simply stated, Bodies (thru Sept) is REAL human bodies, preserved through an innovative process and then respectfully presented. For info, call 404-5236275.

Callanwolde The 4th Annual Day for Women (Aug 25), a program honoring the women who make the world “happier,” highlights August’s festivities. But by no means does it end them. There’s Tango Night (Aug. 4), Femme de la Funk (Aug 11), Ken Gregory (Aug 25). Also, you won’t want to forget Aaron Fink’s undersea photography exhibit “Neptune’s Realm,” showing thru Sept 8. For details, click www.callanwolde.org

Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries is a proud

explore the vitality and diversity of contemporary African design with their Morehouse College-copresented “Design Made in Africa. For details on the showing (running through Sept 30), visit www.museumofdesign.org

My Uzi Weighs A Ton is a politically-charged artistic look at America’s fascination with guns. With a collection of artists whose styles vary as much as the opinions, “My Uzi” is a multimedia show aimed to spark conversation. For info on the Art on 5 Gallery showing, visit www.myuziweighsaton.com Agatha’s invites everyone to tune into the Voyeur Network, satellite programming of nothing but reality TV ran by Donald Trumpet and Martha Pewwart. Of course, with everything Agatha’s, someone dies, someone has an alibi and everyone (including you) laughs so hard they cry. For info on

Fernbank Museum‘s exhibition “Chocolate” immerses visitors in a delicious experience, engaging the senses and revealing facets of chocolate they never considered before. See all the sweet (and informative) goodness thru August 13. Click www.fernbank.edu/museum for details.

Georgia Museum of Art presents, “American Quilts at the Georgia Museum of Art,” an exhibition celebrating the quilts of the mid-19th century as well as casual quilts from the mid-20th century. For more info on the showing (Aug 19-Nov 19), visit www.uga.edu/gamuseum Museum of Design Atlanta wants art lovers to

PG 8 • insiteatlanta.com • August 2006

Atlanta. Okay, so that last bit may have been a bit much, but a simple glance of the confirmed authors to the 1st annual fest -Arianna Huffington, Michael Connelly, Emily Saliers- and you see where the excitement stems. More smiles come with the fact the Downtown Decatur event will feature live music, cooking demonstrations and a children’s stage.

Folk Fest 2006 is one of the largest folk art shows in the world. 90 prestigious galleries and dealers from all over the U.S. will fill the North Atlanta Trade Center with quilts, paintings and sculptures August 18-20. Call 770-932-1000 for further info.

Theatre & Dance

steward of several cultural treasures. The galleries are renowned for their historic and comprehensive collections. To see for yourself, call 404-8806644.

Emory University presents an extensive holding of manuscripts, letters and published materials from W.B. Yeats in the collection “Behind Many Veils: The Public and Private Personas of W.B. Yeats” (thru Aug 15). Also, catch the military photo exhibit “The Blur of War: World War II Images by Combat Photographer Dennis E. Wile” (Oct 15). Click www.arts.emory.edu for info.

the country will participate in the Festival of Native Peoples. Click www.cherokee-nc.com for details on even more events.

Sporting Events

Atlanta Aggression is minor league football at its

finest. Striving to be a place where athletes past their prep/college days can turn, the S.F.L. (Southern Football League) gathers teams from all over Dixie to knock helmets on the field. The Aggression, who play Aug. home games vs. S. Dekalb (Aug 5), Tennessee (Aug 12) and the Georgia Lions (Sept 2), are one of the fiercest groups. Click www.atlantaaggression.com for details.

Midtown Arts Cinema covers all the demographics this month: mind-speaking blacks (American Blackout), eccentric Europeans (Strangers with Candy), comical homosexuals (Another Gay Movie) and even Robin Williams fans (The Night Listener). Call 678-495-1424 for showtimes.

Atlanta Braves have some life left in them. We

Must Die TV (thru Nov 1), visit www.agathas.com

Peachtree Battle is the hit theatrical event (held over thru October 1!) everyone’s talking about. A farce about a Buckhead matriarch scandalized by her son’s plan to marry a Hooter’s waitress, Battle’s become a word-of-mouth smash that rumor has is about to go Hollywood. For tix, click www.ansleyparkplayhouse.com

Attractions

Cherokee, North Carolina will unveil a new script

for Unto These Hills (thru August 19) for the first time ever. The outdoor drama is just one of the many new things going on at the Native American destination. On August 25-26, tribes from across

just don’t know how much. A heartbreaking series with the Mets is long gone; now Andruw and Brian McCann have to focus on Philly (Aug 7-9), Mil (1113), Pitt (21-23), Wash (25-27) and SF (29-31). After Barry Bonds and Co. leave, we’ll know EXACTLY how much life they have. Visit www.atlantabraves.com for more info.

Atlanta Falcons training camp is in full swing, and the news is already painful from Flowery Branch: Brian Finneran tore his ACL in a non-contact drill. The team’s gotta shake it off though and get mentally and physically prepared for GA Dome preseason action vs. New England (Aug 11) and Jax (Aug 31). Go to www.atlantafalcons.com for tix.

Special Events AJC’s Decatur Book Festival From Sept 1-3, the center of the literary universe will be east of

Onstage Live Revue is Decatur’s answer to American Idol and America’s Got Talent. The next installment takes place this month and it promises to be THE event to catch the best rap, jazz, gospel, spoken word, dance and comedy talent. See for yourself on Aug 31 at the Atrium. Zoo Safari comes to the Zoo Atlanta on August 12. A unique outing for every two-legged individual in the family, the Safari is an evening (6:30PM9PM) event that includes a nighttime viewing of the animals, a lion parade, Chinese ribbon dancers and much more. Visit www.zooatlanta.com for more details.

Technology

Intel Core 2 Duo

The Speed, The Power, The Majesty Mama said knock you out. The new Intel chips are head and shoulders faster than the current AMD processors. Core 2 is an eighth-generation x86 architecture microprocessor produced by Intel based on an all-new CPU design called the Intel Core Microarchitecture, which is the successor of NetBurst microarchitecture that has powered most Intel processors since 2000. Core 2 also marks the retirement of Intel's Pentium brand name that has been used from 1993 and the reunion of Intel's notebook and desktop product lines since Pentium M was released apart from Pentium 4 in 2003. The first wave of Intel Core 2 Processors designed for desktops was released officially to market on July 27, 2006. Unlike NetBurst-based processors, such as the Pentium 4 and Pentium D, Core 2 does not stress designs based on extremely high clock speeds but rather improvements on other CPU features, including cache size and number of cores. Intel claims that the power consumption of these processors is to be extremely low compared to the Pentiums before. The first Intel Core 2 Duo processor core, codenamed Conroe, is built on a 65 nm process and is intended

PG 10 â&#x20AC;˘ insiteatlanta.com â&#x20AC;˘ August 2006

for desktops, replacing the Pentium 4 and Pentium D. Intel has claimed that Conroe provides 40% more performance at 40% less power compared to the Pentium D. Overclocking results show that the E6700 and E6600 are stable when overclocked to 4 GHz, despite having locked multipliers. Benchmarking tests in multimedia and gaming have shown that the X6800 can lead the best AMD processor by up to 36% in performance. AMD is fighting back against the new Intel processor. If you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t already heard, AMD has started a price war to compete against the new Core Duo chips and the one clear winner is the consumer. Once Intel announced the launch of their new line of processors, the Core(TM)2, AMD slashed their prices across all Athlon 64 and X2 desktop processors. In some cases, prices on their processors dropped over 50%. With the processor making up about 70% of the hardware costs of building a system, this equates into a tremendous savings for the customer. Now is the perfect time to purchase a computer system, Atlanta's own Monarchcomputer.com has both Intel and AMD lines of systems in stock at HUGE savings. Check them out at: http://www.monarchcomputer.com/

Local Cuisine

Taste of the Month:

Pizza!

Our Guide to the Best in the City

Mo’s Pizza

3109 Briarcliff Rd. 404-320-1258 www.mospizza.com 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. Mo’s Pizza is celebrating 25 years serving Toco Hills and the Emory area this fall. Owner Kevin Wright explains, “We have very loyal customers, some have been coming for all 25 years.” Their methods of preparation hearken back to when going out for dinner meant dining in a neighbor’s home. Mo’s doesn’t buy its ingredients in bulk because as Kevin says, “The freshness of our pizza is more important than saving a few bucks on a case of lettuce. We purchase only the finest ingredients for our menu items. Everything we make is fresh, the dough and pizza sauce are made on site every day. We believe our food quality and great staff are the reasons for our longevity.” Come to Mo’s this fall to watch all your college and pro football games. They have a great deck to hang out on, and great veiws from their multiple TV’s. They have a special on Monday nights where you get a Large Cheese Pizza for just $6.50! Mo’s menu isn’t limited to pizza either: sandwiches, subs, wings, nachos and salads ensure that anybody who comes there can find something good to eat. Mo’s is one of the longest running pizza joints in Atlanta, come in and see why they are one of the best!

Savage Pizza 484 Moreland Ave., Little Five Points 404-523-0500 www.savagepizza.com If the Incredible Hulk were to break down the walls of your house to deliver a pizza, he’d be carrying one of the original recipes from Savage Pizza. With a huge reproduction of a Silver Surfer comic book cover greeting you at the door, the mild-mannered folks working the take-out counter and the outdoor patio dining area must be concealing some powerful secret identities judging from their outstanding pizza. Savage’s hand-tossed crusts are thrown with real hands and get enough air to make Tony Hawk jealous. Available in whole-wheat or traditional, these crusts can be topped with any one of Savage’s SIX sauces! Ranging from your standard Red Tomato sauce (a slowly simmered marinara) to Garlic White sauce (mellow and creamy) and Salsa Fresca (fresh tomatoes, red onions and cilantro), choosing a sauce for your pizza adds an entirely new dimension to deciding on toppings. This is a popular take-out destination for those in town, so call here before settling in to watch the big game.

Chicago’s Nancy’s 3167 Peachtree Rd. 404-320-1258 265 Ponce De Leon 404-885-9199 www.nancyspizza.com The name Chicago conjures up images of some of the best pizza in the USA. Unfortunately, Atlanta never had great Chicago style Pizza until now. Mike Glover opened the first Chicago Nancy's in Atlanta on Ponce in 2003. With great word of mouth, the location became an immediate success. As Mike explains, “We commit ourselves to the customers being happy and make sure to thank them for coming to Chicago Nancy’s.” Since 1974, when Rocco Palese of Nancy's invented stuffed pizza, (Rocco is

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

3109 Briarcliff Rd. | 404-320-1258

PG 12 • insiteatlanta.com • August 2006

recognized as the official inventor of stuffed pizza) the Chicagoland pizzerias have been serving deep dish pizza along with it's very popular thin pizzas. The company developed a revolutionary conveyor pizza oven that cooks top quality deep dish pizza in just 13 ½ minutes…. less than one-third of the usual 45 minutes required. Nancy's offers thin and deep dish and take and bake pizza, appetizers, sandwiches, and their signature salads. Grab Chicago's best today! Soon after opening the orginal location on Ponce, Mike sought out to find a new larger location that could offer an upscale dinning area. He found it in the Buckhead Shopping Center anchored by Jeannie’s Gym. The new location has a large dinning room along with outside seating. It boasts six 48” flat screens on the walls all of which will be tuned to NFL games this fall. The new location also has a full bar which makes it great for watching the games or for private parties. Both locations still offer take-out and delivery.

Grant Central Grant Central East 1279 Glenwood Ave 404-627-0007 451Cherokee Ave 404-523-8900 Grant Central East is located in the heart of East Atlanta Villiage on the corner of Glenwood and Flat Shoals. It is the sister restaurant to Grant Central, the 13 year old original restaurant residing in Grant Park. The original was named after Grand Central Station for its NY Style pizza, but in Grant Park. East Atlanta resembles Little Five Points, but the manager is quick to point out that the nightlife here is where it's at. After residents of surrounding areas have called it a night, expect to see locals trickling into Grant Central East from neighborhood bars to get a slice before heading home. The relaxed atmosphere is reflected by the tattoo-adorned staff, and I couldn't help but notice the message decoratively written on the arm handing me my pizza: "no regrets." I certainly didn't have any regrets about the food. If you dropped most your cash at the bar across the street don't worry, because $1.65 will get you started with a slice, and for under $10.00 you can get an assortment of salads, sandwiches, and pizzas. Grant Central East gives its customers the option of customizing their pizza, even when only ordering a slice. For an extra $2.00 you can get a single piece of pizza with any four toppings, and three bucks buys a slice of their house pizza, the Cardiac Arrest (pepperoni, spicy sausage, meatballs, ham and extra cheese), which is every bit as good as it sounds. So if you're in the mood for great pizza or just hungry after four hours and 12 beers at the bar next door, head over to Grant Central East. -Cody Short

Fellini’s Pizza

4429 Roswell Rd., 404-303-8248 2809 Peachtree Rd. 404-266-0082 909 Ponce de Leon, 404-873-3088 1634 McLendon Ave. 404-687-9190 1991 Howell Mill Rd., 404-352-0799 2820 LaVista Rd. 404-633-6016 333 Commerce Dr. 404-370-0551 As The Varsity is with hamburgers, Fellini’s is to Atlanta for pizza. Their now seven locations are landmarks. Check out their newest location at Commerce Drive in Decatur. The fact that all seven locations are always bustling comes from the great pizzas they make here. They have kept their menu simple, and focus on what they do best. Fellini’s pizzas can be ordered by the slice or as medium, large and sicilian sizes. Try the classic Fellini’s special; which consists of pepperoni, mushrooms, itlaian sausage, onions, meatballs, green peppers, green and black olives, and extra cheese. Another popular menu item is the White Pizza with mozzarella cheese, fresh garlic, oregano, and ricotta cheese. They also have a great Spinich and Mushroom pizza, and a Vegetarian pizza filled with meatless toppings. Fellini’s also serves 5 different types of Calzones and great Salads. Fellini’s uses only the freshest ingredients. All there locations have large patios to enjoy the outdoors and the view. So come to on of the Fellini’s locations today, and you will see why they are the landmark of Atlanta pizza.

Best Southwestern Best Margarita

INsite Readers Poll 2005

Best Southwestern Restaurant August 2005 Cliff Bostock Creative Loafing

Rated Excellent 2005/ 2006 Zagat Survey

Best Grant Park Restaurant Southern Voice

Top 100 Atlanta Restaurants 2005 Jezebel Magazine

One of Atlanta’s Best Southwestern Flavor Magazine

Top 20 Atlanta Restaurants Atlanta Cuisine

www.agaverestaurant.com

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�� 2730 East College Avenue Decatur, GA | 404-373-9383 PG 13 • insiteatlanta.com • August 2006

AMBER ALERT WITH A NEW TV SHOW & A HIGH-PROFILE AD CAMPAIGN, MODEL AMBER SMITH IS HOTTER THAN EVER

ou may not recognize Amber Smith’s All-American girl name, but unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade you almost certainly recognize her heavenly form. In the past decade since she skyrocketed to fame on the strength of back-to-back appearances in Sports Illustrated’s coveted swimsuit edition, she’s posed for Playboy, launched the original Wonderbra ad campaign for Victoria’s Secret, appeared in films such as American Beauty and L.A. Confidential, and graced the covers of hundreds of fashion and men’s magazines. Now 34, the stunning 5’9” beauty is in the midst of one of her best years to date, with a Fox reality TV show in development and serving as the spokesmodel for a massive new ad campaign for Michelob’s new beer, Ultra Amber. We recently caught up with Smith via telephone as she prepared to tour the country to promote the beer that shares her name. What was it like for you growing up the daughter of a famous NFL football player (former San Diego Charger Russell Smith) and a famous model (Carol Smith)? My dad had a theory that I had a lot to live up to, but I was really too young to understand that I had two very popular parents. I didn't feel this immense pressure to make it big that they thought I did. I think I would've been fine had I not wanted to get into entertainment. You never realized they were famous and not like everyone else's parents? Yeah, but you see a lot of young stars out here with famous parents, and boom, they get into acting at the age of 16. My mother's theory is that they just don't know anything different. They're used to that lifestyle, but they don't understand that it's a difficult field to get into, because these days nepotism isn't a dirty word anymore. It's kinda interesting, because they have this attitude of, “I'm gonna become a world famous movie star,” and a year later they are. For me, I got into it at 15, but it was definitely not an overnight thing. It was six years of paying dues, making a little money and having a low-profile. How did you get your breakthrough? In 1995, Julie Campbell- this really popular editor at Sports illustrated- found an old Polaroid of me smiling on the floor of an agency I wasn't even with at the time. She thought I looked like Rita Hayworth because I had red hair and a big smile, and she said, “I want the girl in the Polaroid.” It took 'em two weeks to track me down, and it was then that things took off. How do you stay grounded in the wake of so much fame and adulation from guys? All that stuff came so slowly that there really wasn't anything overwhelming, so being grounded has never been a problem. If anything, I haven't taken advantage of the opportunities I have enough. The other day I said to someone that you have to get your name on a list to get into a club in L.A. They said, “Not you,” and I said, “Of course!” They asked why I didn't just walk up to the doorman, tell them who I am and walk right in. I said, “Because my name's not on the list!” I don't wanna get turned away, or stand there waiting, and it doesn't occur to me that

PG 14 • insiteatlanta.com • August 2006

those sorts of things should be a given. In 10 or 20 years, I'll probably look back and wonder why I didn't work it more, because you only have youth and beauty for so long before it goes away. But you don't really comprehend it when you're going through it: People look at you like you have the world, but you don't get it. There are divas out there, of course, but those are usually the people who become famous very quickly. It seems like there's an attitude of entitlement today among a certain generation. Yeah, it's unbelievable, this stuff like MTV's Sweet 16! These girls wanna be on the pages of Maxim, they wanna be models, they wanna be Paris Hilton. I have that, and I despise people who feel they're entitled to it... Sorry, I don't mean to be negative, but these kids wanna be like the people they see on TV. It's fake and distorted. Your bio says you have a geniuslevel IQ of 155. Do you find that people tend to underestimate your intelligence because you're beautiful? It's really gotten under my craw lately. When I was younger it didn't really bother me because I wanted to flit around the world, but now it really irks me because I'm looking at the big picture. I'm looking at what businesses I can start where I can start making the move behind the camera, because I've been out there in the entertainment industry and know what kind of business mind I have. To underestimate me because of what I look like... Unfortunately, attractive women don't need to be intelligent, because men in society haven't put the pressure on them to develop their personalities and use their brains. They've been allowed to get

away with their looks to a certain point. So it's not that they're not intelligent, it's that they haven't needed to use it, because they're “the pretty girl.” How would rank the intelligence of most successf u l

models? There are three types: The ass-kissers, who are best friends with everyone and every single editor loves them; the crazy divas, because the modeling world is most women and gay men who want great stories; or the funny girls, who amuse you with their stories. As a shy girl in my teens, I wanted to make it, but I was struggling, so I got real outgoing and funny. This was back in the days when you could be a big personality as a supermodel, and everyone was distinct. Christy Turlington was the sweetheart. Naomi Campbell was the wild one. Linda Evangelista was the diva. Carla Bruni, me and some of the others were the funny girls. But as far as intelligence goes, IQ is only your potential, and I don't think I've put myself in a field where I feel my potential has been challenged. But what am I gonna do? Run the other way, even though I fit into that very small percentage of women who are tall enough, good-looking enough and savvy enough to really make it in the modeling field? Hopefully the next challenge is doing something with what I have upstairs. Once you did break through, you racked up some impressive accomplishments fairly quickly: The two Sports Illustrated swimsuit editions, the cover of Playboy, the original Wonderbra campaign... Was there one achievement that stood out for you? Sports Illustrated was pretty cool, because that's a biggie. I love that image from SI, and the next one after that would be getting my own calendar. As a child of the '80s, having your own pin-up calendar was a big deal. Then this year is a biggie, between the TV show for Fox and the ad campaign for Anheuser Busch. I've had great longevity. I read in your bio you consider yourself a “neurotic reclusive...” Yeah, I’m obsessive-compulsive and have anxiety issues. That was something I hid for a while– it was only last year that I started talking about it– but I get on a thought and can’t get off of it. I deal with it, but I can’t stand anything that sedates my personality. I also read that you’re single. Is it difficult as a model to find true love? Oh, absolutely. I haven’t had a good time of it, but I’m just gonna stop actively looking. I did that last year, and I definitely met a few people, but it was too forced... I was dating someone through Christmas, and it was one of those feisty relationships. I’d never had one of those before, and it was actually kind of exciting. But then we had a major fight, and that was it. So yeah, I’m about as single as they come right now. What do you look for in a man? Intelligence. They’ve got to be able to, I don’t want to say debate, but match wits or have an intellectual exchange of ideas. A very dark, dry sense of humor, because I don’t have a commercial sense of humor. Tell me a little about this tour you’re doing to promote Michelob Ultra Amber? It’s really been a fun period in my life. We’ve been up and down the east coast, going to bars and clubs, talking to people about it and letting them try it and signing autographs. People seem to really enjoy coming out and having a beer with us. Well, it’s not every day you get to have a beer with a supermodel... –B. Love

“Chin Chin . . . A Window Into Hong Kong.”

The Local Scene

On Tap for August

Dine in Style while Enjoying the Art of Chinese Cooking!

At Chin Chin customers are able to enjoy the art of Chinese culinary while dining or relaxing at our bar. We sincerely hope that you will enjoy our expert cuisine and look forward to your visit.

ontap@insiteatlanta.com

August 2 - 20: The 3 Little Pigs & Other Terrific Tales The Center for Puppetry Arts has an amazing show coming in August. Three of the most popular children¹s folk tales come together on the stage in this imaginative creation from the renowned troupe, Grey Seal Puppets! Solo puppeteer Drew Allison delights the little ones with The Frog Prince, The 3 Billy Goats Gruff and The 3 Little Pigs. The wolf may be big and bad, but Allison¹s G-rated (for gentle) approach will leave kids wide-eyed with wonder. Perfect for tots, their parents and everyone in between! Performance will be held in the Main Stage Theatre. For more info, head to: http://www.puppet.org/

2002, 2003, 2004 & 2005 Readers Poll 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 - Creative Loafing

Chin Chin

Chinese Restaurant

August 8 - 13: Bombay Dreams Bollywood comes to the Fabulous Fox Theatre. With the self penned hits Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Cats and The Phantom of the Opera, Andrew Lloyd Webber has for over 30 years conquered the world with his popular and ground-breaking approach to musical entertainment. Now, as producer of Bombay Dreams, with music by phenomenal Indian composer A R Rahman, he rewrites the history books once more. A feast for the sense, Bombay Dreams combines the glamour of the movies, heart-aching romance and epic spectacle. It tells the story of Akaash, a young slum dweller, who dreams of becoming a huge movie star, and of his fateful encounter with beautiful Priya, the daughter of one of Bollywood's greatest film directors. For tickets, head to: www.ticketmaster.com

Several Locations Available: Dine In Delivery Take Out 3887 Peachtree Rd * Buckhead / Brookhaven * 404-816-2229 699 Ponce de Leon * Virginia Highland * 404-881-1511 1100 Hammond Drive * Sandy Springs * 770-913-0266 2800 Spring Rd * Cobb Parkway * 770-319-8331 1715 Howell Mill Rd. * Howell Mill * 404-609-5618

August 19 - 21: Kenny Chesney Philips Area will be home to one of country’s biggest stars when Kenny Chesney performs. With back-to-back double platinum records for Everywhere We Go and Greatest Hits, multiple week chart-toppers and career definers with "I Lost It," "How Forever Feels," "Don`t Happen Twice," "She Thinks My Tractor`s Sexy" and "Fall In Love," the launch of his first true major headlining tour, he`s the Everyguy who proves that dreams can come true. No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems finds Kenny Chesney again holding a mirror up to himself -- and all the folks back where he comes from. For ticket info, head to: www.ticketmaster.com

August 26: 311 Rock out to 311 at HiFi Buys Amphitheatre. The band was formed in 1990 in Omaha, Nebraska by five self-described "friends for life" (singer/guitarist Nick Hexum, singer S.A. Martinez, guitarist Tim Mahoney, drummer Chad Sexton and the bassist known only as P-Nut). Since that time, 311 have released several albums, including 1992's Music, 1993's Grassroots, and 1995's 311 (aka the "Blue" album), the latter reaching number 12 on the album chart, selling three million copies worldwide, and sporting the tracks "All Mixed Up" and "Down." For ticket info, head to: www.ticketmaster.com

OPEN EVERY DAY!!!

www.chinchinonline.com ww

Car Review

The Wheel Deal Road Tripping With Audi

hroughout the course of Detroit and Germany's assembly-line pasts, there may have come a better road trip car than the stunning 2006 Audi A3 or A6. It's just that we haven't ridden in it. Both cars not only kept its passengers all nice and cozy for hours on the highway -We took the A3 to Asheville; the A6 a bit further, to Columbus, Ohio- but they earned more than their share of glares on the road.

Audi A3

August 30: Cocktails in the Garden Atlanta Botanical Garden comes up smelling like roses with their Cocktails in the Garden. The Garden is host to monthly cocktail gatherings for young professionals on the last Wednesday of each month from May - October. An intriguing cocktail is paired with a featured flower or plant of the season highlighting different and unique locations in the Garden. Each month, one of the city's best restaurants will provide light tastings while friends of the Garden will co-host each event, bringing the theme to life via entertainment and decor. Admission is $12 for non-members and $6 for Garden members; Garden members receive one free cocktail. For more information, head to: www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org/

September 1 - 4: Dragon*Con Dragon*Con 2006 will be held over the Labor Day weekend, September 1-4 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Atlanta Marriott Marquis and Atlanta Hilton & Towers hotels located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Dragon*Con is America's largest annual convention for fans of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror, Comics and Art, Games and Computers, Animation, Science, Music, Television and Films. It is also one of the 10 largest annual conventions in metropolitan Atlanta. For more information, head to: http://www.dragoncon.org/

Audi A6

We'll officially start the shower of praise with the A3. The first year for its release, this Audi, at first glance, looks like any new station wagon you'd find in suburbia. But peer a little closer and you'll notice that the vehicle could've easily gone for one of those snazzy crossover utility vehicles had designers raised the framing an inch or two. Under the hood, you'll also notice how far from a Brady Bunch prop the A3 truly is. Asheville is tucked in the hilliest part of North Carolina, but this ride's super engine (4-CL with FSI direct injection) too to the Blue Ridges much better than we did in our Nike boots. Going to the Buckeye State, there are some mountainous areas in Tennessee and Kentucky, too. The super-classy Audi A6 we

strutted about in handled every incline like it was nothing to it. With its 4.2L/335 HPpowered heart, there probably wasn't anything to it. Because of the power it displays next to 18-wheelers on I-75, not to mention all the bells (universal phone prep w/Bluetooth) and whistles (rain sensor, rear parktronic), this head turner sets you back over $60,000. (There is a 3.2L A6 going for about $13,000 less.) Couple that sticker with the only other unpleasing feature (it doesn't drink gas; it just sips on it constantly!) and it might explain why consumers would pass over it to get to the A3. You won't go wrong with either choice, especially if you're planning on using vacation time for a Labor Day road trip. A3=(A); A6=(B+) -DeMarco Williams

A UDI A6 Tested Price: $63,490

335 HP, 17 City, 23 Highway MPG 4.2L/DOHC V8, 4-year/50,000 warranty

AUDI A3 Tested Price: $30,940

200HP, 25 City, 31 Highway MPG 2.OL/DOHC, 4-year/50,000 warranty PG 15 • insiteatlanta.com • August 2006

Entertainment

MOVIE REVIEWS

A C C E P T E D - This is the loudest plea in years for John Hughes to come back to the teen comedy genre. Bartleby Gaines, played by lovable loser go-to guy Justin Long (Dodgeball, Jeepers Creepers), is rejected from every college he applies to, so he and other rejected friends start their own fake college. In a tiresome gag, they name the school South Harmon Institute of Technology (SHIT, get it? Ha!). If you roll your eyes at that one, you might as well stay home, because that's the most creative bit in the entire script. Accepted borrows liberally from just about every ‘80s teen comedy set on a campus, including Revenge of the Nerds and Soul Man, from the goofy musical montage as they clean up the dump that'll be their dorms to the evil dean and jackass frat guys dead set on shutting them down. There's even the mandatory showdown at the end before the board, who decides whether or not to close down the school. All in all, an uninspired rip-off from start to finish. (D) -John Moore THE DESCENT-

Remember last year's The Cave? Didn't think so. Well, this film is everything that The Cave tried, but ultimately failed to be. Writer-director Neil Marshall has a knack for delivering the sort of genre films horror fans long for. Following the lauded Dog Soldiers, his sophomore effort scores once again. The plot construction is crisp and to the point, with a prologue involving a horrible accident in which the lead's family was killed. One year later, the woman and five female friends, all extreme sports enthusiasts, go on an adventurous cave expedition in the Appalachian mountains. Subsequently, they are trapped below ground when rocks fall and block their exit. While finding a way out, the spelunkers have to battle a breed of cannibalistic creatures lurking in the dark. The first half-hour is given to character development, allowing the audience to try guessing which one will die first. Word of advice: if you have to get popcorn or take a bathroom break, do it during that time frame. Because once the sextet gets inside the deadly cave, it's nonstop tension, peril, gore and action from that point on. Between the claustrophobia, the bone-cracking, the dangling on rocks, the moribund revelation, the nicely-crafted momentum is bound to get you. The chiller also benefits from strong performances by the unknown cast. Horror films are no longer merely about screaming damsels in distress. These are intrepid female characters you’ll root for... even the antagonist. Once again, Marshall has proven that with solid craftsmanship, you don't need a big studio budget to deliver a truly scary, suspenseful disconcerting film. (B) –Sean K

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA-

Fashionistas, get ready to drool: The slew of designers paraded throughout The Devil Wears Prada, the film based on the semiautobiographical book recalling author Lauren Weisberger's stint at Vogue, is one that cannot be missed: Jimmy Choo, Mark Jacobs, Chanel, Calvin Klein, Manolo Blahnik and, of course, Prada. But for Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway), these names hold little value. Her fashion sense is more Laura Ashley than Sarah Jessica, more J. Crew than D&G. But here she is anyway, fresh out of Northwestern's journalism school, interviewing for a job as Miranda Priestly's second assistant. (Yes, there is a first.) The editor-in-chief of Runway, Miranda– played with delicious iciness by Meryl Streep, with the Cruella De Vil hairdo to match– is the devil referred to in the title. (Anna Wintour, Vogue's editor-inchief, was apparently the inspiration.) And poor Andy has no idea what she's in for when she actually lands the job. Despite running all of Miranda's errands– dogwalking, Starbucks running and tracking down an advanced copy of the unpublished next Harry Potter novel– Andy still proves a disappointment to the impossible-to-please “Dragon Lady.” So she steps into Runway's sample closet and steps out emboldened with a new determination. But as first assistant Emily so blithely points out, she “sold her soul stepping into that first pair of Choos.” But will she end up in hell? You'll have to see. The film is entertaining summer fare with a life PG 16 • insiteatlanta.com insiteatlanta.com •• August PG August2006 2006

message– be true to yourself!– buried in for good measure. Streep steals every scene, and (unlike in the book) manages to let a little of Miranda's humanity shine through every now and again. Hathaway manages to hold her own and, as in The Princess Diaries, plays the duckling-toprincess journey very well. Stanley Tucci also shines as the requisite gay friend who helps Andy through some of the more treacherous trails. So girls, grab your friends and send the boys off to see Superman, because even if you don't love fashion, you'll love Prada. (B) --Michele Fontanelli Arnett

T H E I L L U S I O N I S T - Based on Pulitzer Prize-winning author Steven Millhauser's short story, “Eisenheim the Illusionist,” writer-director Neil Burger's period drama is a simple star-crossed love story that– true to its title– is more than what it seems. Set in early 20th-century Vienna, celebrated stage magician Eisenheim (Edward Norton) reunites with his first love, Duchess Sophie von Teschen (Jessica Biel), the fiancé of imperialistic Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell). Their forbidden affair incurs the wrath of Prince Leopold, and may have caused her death. It's up to the venal but sympathetic police inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti) to solve the case. The premise sounds typical, but it's actually a murder mystery with a touch of supernatural disguise and political under-

tones. Eisenheim's tricks are so convincing that the public believes he has supernatural power to call on spirits and subsequently help overturn the power of an Austrian prince. As the resolute illusionist, Norton once again provides a hard-hitting performance that proves he is one of the best actors of his generation. Giamatti and Sewell are both effective in their supporting roles, although I had a harder time accepting Jessica Biel as a turn-ofthe-century duchess. Great production values and crisp narration elevate the indie film from a conventional period drama into intriguing entertainment that will inevitably prove too difficult to market. (B) --Sean K

A N I N C O N V E N I E N T T R U T H - When former Vice President Al Gore lost (or, depending on your belief in political conspiracies, was robbed of) the highly controversial 2000 election to George W. Bush, he turned his attention toward an issue that had been part of his personal and professional agenda for three decades: Protecting the environment. This shockingly eye-opening documentary (from the same company who produced politically-oriented films such as “Syriana” and Good Night, and Good Luck) captures the former next President of the United States on his nationwide slideshow tour, in which he lays out the facts about the environmental crisis known as global warming, explaining how it works, why it's happening and the devastating effects that could confront humanity if we don't take action now to stop it. Remember the Al Gore who hit the campaign trail six years ago, almost robotic in his stiffness, haughty in his demeanor and downright boring in his delivery? He's gone, replaced by an earnest, engaging, eloquent storyteller who injects his litany of frightening facts with welcome doses of passion and humor, showcasing a personal side of himself rarely glimpsed during his ill-fated run for the White House. As he regales the audience with intimate stories and aweinspiring photos of the Earth from space, the grandeur of glaciers, and the potential impact of rising sea levels, Gore comes across as the professorial Johnny Appleseed of the environment, spreading seeds of knowledge on a grassroots level. Historically, conservatives have always done

Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx vow to bust a cap in the ass of anyone who suggests they wear pink leisure suits in Michael Mann’s Miami Vice. their best to portray environmental activists as nothing more than tree-hugging liberals-- modern-day Chicken Littles whose fears that the sky may be falling are rooted in unfounded paranoia. But Gore reaches out to preach beyond the choir in an effort to convince skeptics that global warming is not a political issue, but a moral one that EVERY American should take seriously. He uses a variety of entertaining tricks to get his undeniable points across, from visual evidence that glaciers and polar ice caps are melting to a geological graph showing the world's unprecedented, increasingly high temperatures. At the end of it all, you may not be willing to join the Greek chorus who remain convinced that there's a direct connection between America's thirst for oil, the war in the Middle East and Hurricane Katrina. But if you aren't scared into wanting the government to take action in adopting renewable resources, you simply aren't paying attention. (A) -B. Love

L A D Y I N T H E W A T E R - In the recently released book The Man Who Heard Voices, writer-director M. Night Shyamalan allowed author Michael Bamberger to honestly document his fallout with the suits at Disney (the studio behind his previous hits, including The Sixth Sense and Signs) over Lady In The Water. Their complaints– including his decision to cast himself as a central character despite the fact that he'd never played a major role before, his hamfisted handling of a scene involving the gory death of a film critic (played by Bob Balaban), the overall lack of story cohesion– ultimately prove valid, as Shyamalan's insistence of maintaining the purity of his artistic vision at all costs drags down a modern fairy tale with plenty of potential. Paul Giamatti is well-cast as Cleveland Heep, a stuttering apartment complex manager who discovers a strange woman named Story (Bryce Dallas Howard) living in the swimming pool. Turns out the nymphlike creature is a narf trying to get back to the Blue World from whence she came, with rather fierce, shadowy creatures called scrunts trying to take her out. The story plays out like a cross between Little Red Riding Hood, E.T. and The Terminator, as Story predicts that Shyamalan's writer character will produce a masterpiece that will profoundly affect the future of mankind. Shyamalan's turn provokes unintentional laughter– let's face it, dude is WEIRD– but supporting turns from Jeffrey Wright as a quiet crossword puzzle enthusiast and Cindy Cheung as a type-A Korean college student add character to a film that seems to search fruitlessly for its own greater meaning. In the end, Shyamalan appears to be creatively offbalance after the less-than-warm welcome The Village received. What could've been a unique family-friendly fantasy comes off as defensive, unfocused and self-serving, with only Giamatti's dramatic gravitas and the director's own distinctive voice saving it from utter failure. (C) –B. Love L I T T L E M I S S S U N S H I N E - You've got a compelling cast and an unusual storyline, so why doesn’t it work? This is a dark comedy about the great fears of appearing weak, becoming a failure and just not being thin enough. The film's agenda is to shine a bright light on our culture's over-

whelming fixation on winners and those “losers” that finish a mere second or third. The story chronicles the life of a dysfunctional family, the Hoovers, which includes a heroin-snorting grandpa (Arkin); a mother (Toni Collette) who’s utterly confused; and a litany of other family members who are struggling just to make it, including Steve Carrell as a gay uncle who recently attempted suicide after his lover left him. We watch their lives of dysfunction unfold on a National Lampoon’s Vacation-style trip to California to allow their little girl (the charming Abigail Breslin) to compete in the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant. There are a few laughs here and there, but the most funny of the scenes is climactic one, which takes place at the pageant. Along the way, the audience is dragged through a multitude of confusing scenes where nothing seems to gel and nothing seems humorous. Even worse, the film goes beyond comic exaggeration and crosses the line into desperately contrived antics. (C-) -Lonie Hayes

M I A M I V I C E - Who starts those silly Hollywood rumors? Were we supposed to believe that director Michael Mann actually banned the color red from the film? It all came off as illogical, seeing how much the shade would be needed for police sirens and splattered blood to color this raw version of Mann’s iconic ‘80s TV drama. As for early chatter about this Vice (Miami doesn't play much into the shots) being a far cry from the one Philip Michael-Thomas and Don Johnson made fashionably famous, the buzz is more on target. For one, the chemistry between Sonny Crockett (Colin Farrell) and Ricardo Tubbs (Jamie Foxx) as undercover detectives is less believable than Lance Bass kicking it with a Heat cheerleader. And then there's the plot– the two infiltrate a drug ring stretching from South Beach to Haiti to Columbia– which requires a master's degree in narcotics distribution to fully understand. Things just seemed simpler, snazzier and sexier back in the day. Even with the porno 'stache, Crockett cozies up with an Asian drug boss (Li Gong). Don't get too excited though; the whole courtship is silly, and way too long. Even with the script flop and zero sign of bikini tops, there is one brilliant fight sequence towards the end, but not much else to applaud. Oh wait, the underused Tubbs and his wife (28 Days Later's Naomie Harris) do get busy for a few steamy minutes. He stops as if he's climaxed, then jokes, “I was just playing,” and they keep going at it… If only Michael Mann were kidding. (C-) –DeMarco Williams O N C E I N A L I F E T I M E - Howard Cosell was

a bright, ultra-charismatic individual. His on-air bouts with boxing legend Muhammad Ali were classic. When fans listened to the man, they absorbed every syllable as if it were gospel. So when the famed ABC sports commentator went on record to say, “soccer will be the biggest big league of them all,” few had reason to doubt the declaration. In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, the game was, indeed, absolutely titanic. According to this entertaining soccumentary, the New York Cosmos– the forerunner of America's adoration for futbol– would routinely pack 75,000-seat Giants Stadium. There were

Entertainment groupies, the whole nine. But beyond the pom-poms and circumstance, there was much disorganization. Pele, the game's biggest name ever, was first brought to the team in '74 to right a franchise (and the entire North American Soccer League, for that matter) that was borderline laughable on the field. He did help passionate owner Steve Ross at the box office, but things didn't get much better in the standings until colorful foreign stars like Giorgia Chinaglia and Franz Beckenbauer came along. The talent would bump heads a looong time before Zidane ever had his first World Cup dreams. Directors Paul Crowder (Dogtown and ZBoys editor) and John Dower analyze the team's ascension and subsequent decline marvelously through sharp video of the time and insightful interviews with front-office brass, players (Chinaglia is a riot) and outsiders like Mia Hamm, who were affected by the movement. Oddly, Pele himself isn't interviewed. Maybe he was silently protesting the cheesy music that came before each mood swing of the camera. Otherwise, this movie plays out like a perfect tribute to ‘70s culture as a whole, and the U.S. and pro soccer’s first canoodlings in particular. (B) DeMarco Williams

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST- It may go without saying

that there are huge logical holes in this sequel to the big summer hit of 2003; after all, can a story about undead pirates really “make sense”? So let's just assume that disbelief will be suspended in a big way. Given that, Pirates 2 delivers everything we might expect and then some: tons of swashbuckling action, gruesome makeup, a prolonged quest for the eponymous chest, a rather delicious and creepy villain, a good dose of salty sea legend, and of course, plenty of swagger from Johnny Depp, reprising his role as Capt. Jack Sparrow. Other returning cast members include Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom, Jack Davenport and Jonathan Pryce. Very much a sequel, the film assumes that viewers have seen the first installment (not to mention the fact that it shamelessly sets up the next); it wastes little time on character introductions, preferring to get right down to the chase, which involves danger, romance, betrayal, and lots of pratfalls. Many of the gags will play well with the ‘tween crowd, but may leave adults nonplussed; thankfully, there’s also a refreshing level of (relatively) subtle sexual innuendo that will more than likely have the opposite effect. (B) –Rodney Hill

SCOOP- Woody Allen's return to his comedic

roots after his critically acclaimed suspense thriller, Match Point, is a bumpy one. Scoop is essentially a murder mystery farce that goes nowhere, and the major setback is that it's not entirely amusing. Set in contemporary London, it once again taps into the vices and deceptions of the British upper class society, in which an American journalism student (Scarlett Johansson) gets the scoop of a lifetime from the spirit of a world famous reporter (Ian McShane) about a British aristocrat (Hugh Jackman) being the notorious Tarot Card Serial Killer. With the help of a fellow American– a dispirited twobit magician (Woody Allen)– these amateurs set out to investigate and break the case. In the process, she inevitably falls in love with the subject of her investigation. So we spend 96 minutes watching the frisky Johansson running around with the highstrung Allen, spying on the handsome Jackman. The characters’ lack of resolution bugs me, but then again she is a student journalist who is completely clueless about Jack the Ripper. Allen's trademark muttering shtick is getting ridiculously tiresome, to the point where you feel like you're rooting for him to just finish the damn sentence. The investigation is a load of balderdash. The charade is all so silly that you can't help but

to chuckle at it, yet the much-needed humor seems sluggish. Although it put a smile on my face the whole time, deep down I knew this innocuous romp was one of Allen’s weakest works– the mild kind he used to be able to do in his sleep. (C) -Sean K

SUPERMAN RETURNS- True Kryptonite isn't green. The real stuff capable of stopping any super-movement in its tracks, especially one in Hollywood, is bad press. This visit back to Metropolis stalled, stopped, was written and re-written many times over the past 15 years. Not a good sign. And who was playing Superman? Brandon somebody?! For the record, it's Brandon James Routh, and if it weren't for the updated costume you probably wouldn't notice much difference between him and Christopher Reeve circa 1978. Back from a 5-year survey of his home planet, the Man of Steel finds Earth in relatively good shape, save for world wars, the engagement of his true love (reporter Lois Lane, played by Kate Bosworth), and the return of archnemesis Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey, at his contemptible best). “Whoever controls technology controls the world,” the diabolical baldy exclaims during one of his many soapbox oratories before girlfriend Kitty (Parker Posey). With the infinite knowledge gained from a crystallized message from Superman's deceased father (a digitally-enhanced Marlon Brando), Luthor plans to take over the world by creating a new one. After riding Superman's cape for two and a half joyous hours here, it's safe to say that whatever Steven Spielberg was to sci-fi in the ‘80s and ‘90s, director Bryan Singer (X-Men, X2) is now for comic enthusiasts. Airplane rescues and foiled bank robberies make for metaphoric page turns on the screen. From thunderous sonic booms, to motion-captured bullets, to the slightest hair motion in the wind, each frame here is nearly perfect. Superman Returns could have gone corny when Lois' son's paternity is questioned, but it doesn't. Warner Bros. is already preparing for another Superman in '09, with Singer at the helm. We hope time flies by. (A-) –DeMarco Williams TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY-

Nobody would ever accuse Will Ferrell of holding anything back in his pursuit of a laugh. Not since Chris Farley has a comedian been so gungho to make a complete and utter fool of himself for the sake of the funny, and whether it's running around in his tightywhiteys while hallucinating that he's on fire or giving some sweet man-tongue to French archrival Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen), this film finds Ferrell at his most inane/insane. Like many of his best characters, Ricky Bobby is a bit of an ass– a dimwitted redneck who lucks into a slot as a NASCAR driver when the team's regular loser decides to make a pit stop for fried chicken instead of continuing in last place. The initially shy Bobby soon rises to the top and becomes the epitome of loathsome oafs, taking advantage of best friend Cal (John C. Reilly, clearly having a blast), making out with his hot trophy wife (Leslie Bibb) in front of his foul-mouthed kids, and generally being an obnoxious redneck stereotype. But he gets his comeuppance in the form of Cohen's gay Formula One driver, who's come to America to steal Bobby's thunder. The rise-and-fall storyline (by Ferrell and longtime writing partner Adam McKay, who also directs) is somewhat cliché, but the cast squeezes the most out of every scene, from Ricky praying to the little baby Jesus to a scene in which his loser dad (Gary Cole) uses a cougar to teach Ricky to conquer his fear. It's not smart comedy by any means, but if you liked Ferrell in Old School and Anchorman, chances are you'll love him here, whether you're a NASCAR fan or not. (B) -B. Love

ner that wouldn't rub salt in the gaping wounds of grief that remain raw for thousands of families affected by the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center. The good news is that Stone acquits himself admirably, delivering a powerfully moving document of the tragedy that never feels exploitative. Nicolas Cage kicks his usual

hammy crap to the curb to nobly portray veteran Port Authority police officer John McLoughlin, who was leading a team on a rescue mission into the WTC towers when the entire thing began to crumble around them. McLoughlin and young Will Jimeno (Crash's Michael Pena) were numbers 18 and 19 of the mere 20 people pulled alive from the rubble, and World Trade Center tells their riveting story with subtlety and grace. Major props go to Andrea Berloff, whose elegant script deftly weaves together the tale of how these courageous men became trapped and what was done to save them with the stories of their families (including Maria Bello as Donna McLoughlin and Maggie Gyllenhaal as Jimeno's pregnant wife) and of Dave Karnes (Michael Shannon), the retired Marine who drove from Connecticut to Ground Zero after watching the towers fall and ultimately found the two officers. Though Karnes is imbued with a sort of mythic brand of heroism that recalls Stone's greatest film, Platoon, World Trade Center largely avoids the temptations of rah-rah patriotism or political finger-pointing. Instead, the director chooses to examine the grand-scale ramifications of the tragedy by focusing on the personal stories of the individuals who were most profoundly impacted by it. This is good old-fashioned storytelling from a master of the craft, and it will hit you

square in the heart with a velocity that will leave you breathless. (A) --B. Love

YOU, ME & DUPREE- One could only wish for the fairytale beginning of newlywed bliss that Carl (Matt Dillon) and Molly (Kate Hudson) have, including a dream destination wedding in Maui, a new home, fulfilling careers and an almost sickening love for each other. But when Carl runs into his best friend and best man, Dupree (Owen Wilson), things take an unexpected turn. After learning that Dupree consequently lost his job, apartment and car after taking off from work and attending his buddy’s wedding, Carl feels the least he could do is welcome him into his house “for a few days.” Suddenly the dynamics of the once-balanced home are shifted as Dupree's carefree and almost child-like persona oozes through the house. From the untimely walk-ins to the accidental house fire, Dupree is on a sure route to not only destroy the house, but his best friend's relationship too. Even though it may seem like Dupree is the only nuisance in the film, the meddling of Carl's boss, Mr. Thompson (Michael Douglas), who also happens to be his father-in-law, provides an equally annoying and entertaining character, with the standard “you're never gonna be good enough for my daughter” chip on his shoulder. Directors Anthony and Joe Russo try to put a comedic spin on this humdrum three's-acrowd premise by casting usually reliable Frat Pack funnyman Owen Wilson. But just like the title character, this film quickly wears out its welcome. Even when saddled with mediocre material, it's clear that Wilson is a standout actor who isn't afraid to look foolish to draw us into the character. But Dillon's character is poorly written and Hudson's is one-dimensional and predictable (very reminiscent of her mother, Goldie Hawn). There are countless scenes that were clearly “filler,” most of them overly dramatic and pointless. The Russo brothers spent too much time trying to force a viable storyline when they should've focused on character development and more gut-busting laughs (seeing as it was marketed as a comedy). Those expecting to get more than half-hearted chuckles will be let down. The only thing here that has any rhyme or reason is the title. (C-) –Zena Scott

– DEVIN FARACI, CHUD.COM–

“‘TALLADEGA NIGHTS’ WILL MAKE YOU LAUGH FROM START TO FINISH!” –BILL –BILL ZWECKER, ZWECKER, WBBM-TV(CBS)– WBBM-TV(CBS)–

WORLD TRADE CENTER -

You could almost hear the collective intake of breath when it was announced that Oliver Stone, the director behind controversial films such as JFK and Natural Born Killers, would tackle a story based on the tragic events of September 11. Forget for a moment the philosophical debates over whether five years might not be a bit too soon for our local multiplexes to be inundated with films about one of the worst tragedies in American history. The real question was whether a provocateur notorious for paranoid conspiracy theories and prickly politics could possibly handle such a delicate subject in a respectful man-

LM BY ADAM MCKAY COLUMBIA PICTURES PRESENTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH RELATIVITY MEDIA AN APATOW COMPANY/MOSAIC MEDIA GROUP PRODUCTION A FIMUSIC “EXECUTIVE TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY” JOHN C. REILLY SACHA BARON COHEN GARY COLE MICHAEL CLARKE DUNCAN BY ALEX WURMAN WRITTEN BY WILL FERRELL & ADAM MCKAY PRODUCERS WILL FERRELL ADAM MCKAY DAVID HOUSEHOLTER RICHARD GLOVER SARAH NETTINGA RYAN KAVANAUGH PRODUCED DIRECTED BY JIMMY MILLER JUDD APATOW BY ADAM MCKAY

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CHECK DIRECTORIES OR CALL THEATERS FOR INFORMATION. SORRY, NO PASSES ACCEPTED FOR THIS ENGAGEMENT. PG 17 • insiteatlanta.com • August 2006

WILL

Power

FUNNY MAN W I L L F E R R E L L STAYS ON TOP WITH TALLADEGA NIGHTS

t's almost shocking to see comedian Will Ferrell looking so... well, normal, when I walk into his suite at the Ritz Carlton Hotel for our scheduled interview to promote his latest film, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. In his breakout years on Saturday Night Live and in films such as Anchorman, Ferrell became known for outlandish characters that ran the gamut from the lounge lizard slickness of Robert Goulet to the thongclad cluelessness of an office drone. In short, Ferrell established himself as the sort of guy who'd do just about anything for a laugh, so it's a surprise to see that the most unusual thing about his current outfit is a vintage T-shirt that reads “Ass, Grass or Gas: Nobody Rides For Free!” In person, Ferrell almost seems like the typical guy next door, but in Talladega Nights he's up to his usual over-the-top shenanigans as Ricky Bobby, a red-hot NASCAR driver who falls from grace after getting his pale ass whooped by a gay Frenchman (Da Ali G Show's Sacha Baron Cohen). Here, he talks about the secrets of the Frat Pack, getting naked for laughs and being taken seriously... You started out wanting to be a sports broadcaster. What made you decide to pursue comedy? I graduated from college and started working on a show at a local closed-circuit cable news station. They had pretty good press credentials for such a rinky-dink operation, so I was able to get into Lakers games and stuff like that. This was when the Rams were still in L.A., and there was opportunity to interview the head coach. I remember thinking, “I don't wanna do that. It's too much work. I gotta load the camera and the audio equipment...” That's not a good instinct to have if you really wanna do that sort of job. At the same time my mother gave me a 9-week acting class, and I absolutely loved it. I tried my hand at standup comedy and taking classes with the started Groundlings, so I decided I might as well do that.

PG 18 • insiteatlanta.com • August 2006

How did working with the Groundlings influence what you do now? It was pivotal. It was a chance to learn the basic rules of improv, and the Groundlings emphasized a lot of writing. When I got hired to Saturday Night Live, Cheri Oteri, Chris Kattan and myself were a lot better equipped to enter the show because we knew how to write sketches and create characters. That's what the Groundlings was all about. That and the summer acting workshop were the two most important things I did. Who were your major influences? I'm a huge Bill Murray fan. I'm a big fan of a lot of my contemporaries, like Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson and Steve Carrell. Steve Martin was big- I loved watching his stuff. And The Tonight Show was a big influence, actually. I loved Johnny Carson. We kinda forget that there wasn't cable back then, and I'd always watch the beginning to see if there was a comedian on, and if there was I'd stay up and watch. That's where I saw standup comedians like Seinfeld and Garry Shandling do their stuff for the first time. This marks your second film collaboration with writer/director Adam McKay. What's the chemistry between you guys like? He's one of my best friends. We got hired on Saturday Night Live at the same time, and Adam cast me in a lot of his sketches. He said in an interview recently that I was kind of a buffer for him, because he could write the weirdest things and cast me in it and it would somehow work because I'm like the guy next door. If I go to a weird place, the audience is like, “It's okay, he's normal!” But we developed a relationship there and eventually decided to try to write a movie together (Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy). So we've transferred the same sort of fun we had on the show to a movie set. Adam is arguably the funniest person I know. He's super-smart, and he's the kind of guy who can sit behind the camera and just yell out lines he's making up in his head. We have this rhythm where I'll stay in character, he'll yell stuff out and I'll parrot it back to him. No offense to other people I've worked with, but collaborating with him is the most fun I have. You guys put together a strong ensemble here, with John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen, Amy Adams, David Koechner... Yeah, the comedies that were most influential to Adam and I– Caddyshack, Stripes, Blues Brothers, Animal House and things like that– were all ensemble films. It kinda struck us that it's more fun to have a bunch of funny characters, as opposed to just one, and it also takes pressure off the main character so it doesn't have to be funny all the time. It's a very calculated thing; we like to share the comedic wealth. There have been several articles about how films like Wedding Crashers and The 40-Year-Old Virgin have ushered in a more adult era of Hollywood comedies. You and the so-called “Frat Pack” (Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Jack

Black, etc.) seem to be at the center of that cultural shift. Can you talk about that? I think that's more in the eyes of the media, in a way. To me, it's more a convergence in that we all think that the same types of things are funny. That's what was so cool last summer, when Wedding Crashers and 40-Year-Old Virgin hit so hard. It was like, “Wow, people really do wanna see this!” But I think it's just a coincidence that we're all on the same page. But because of all the hype about us working together, I think you might see a little less of it, just because we're all so conscious of it now. Then again, Ben Stiller is producing Blades of Glory, which I'm working on now, and I'm still trying to work with Jack Black. But is he a member of the “Frat Pack”? I dunno... (Laughter) Do you guys have a secret handshake and hazing rituals? Yeah, a lot of hazing. We meet once a year in an undisclosed location– I can't tell you where– and decide the fate of comedy. (Laughter) You seem to relish crossing lines most actors shy away from and make a complete buffoon of yourself. Are you the sort of person who would do things like that in real life for the sake of a laugh? (Thinks for a second, then speaks deliberately) Not usually... I'm not so much an exhibitionist. And yet... I mean, I haven't had too many opportunities in my private life to streak since I became famous. But prior to being famous? I was the guy who didn't seek it out, but if someone dared me it wasn't that big a deal. I was in a fraternity, so I ran up and down fraternity/sorority row naked a fair amount of times. But it just wasn't that big a deal to me, so in the context of doing it on film or TV... I've always felt like, if you're gonna do comedy, you might as well go for it. Why do you think NASCAR is so popular? I think it's because every weekend is kind of an epic event. If you've been to a race, you'll know what I mean, but it's kind of like a mini-Super Bowl. The level of merchandise, the media, the number of fans and the tailgating make it this huge spectacle, and I think people love that. The sport is a really an intense, visceral experience with all the sights, sounds and smells, and I was really impressed with the way NASCAR gives fans so much access to the drivers. I was amazed by all these autograph-signing sessions and the way they let fans go into garages... they're really smart. Ricky Bobby is kind of an ass, and you seem to specialize in making loathsome characters likeable. What's the appeal in that for you? I've always been fascinated by cocky people who have this trait I call unearned confidence. Like that guy you meet on an airplane or at a BBQ who talks your ear off and acts like he knows everything. Then you're like, “By the way, what do you do for a living?” “Oh, I'm a security guard at the swap meet.” I think we have a lot of that in this country- people who are just like, “I'm the best!” and then you realize they're

idiots. I love that. Ricky Bobby almost seems to have a little bit of Bush in him. Did you incorporate elements of W's personality? Yeah, I noticed that later. It wasn't conscious, but I started watching some of the movie and I was like, “Wow, I kinda sound like W.” It's fun to play characters that are very self-assured, but at the same time are looking over their shoulder and checking the reaction, like, “I'm right, right?” I think there's a certain vulnerability to Ricky Bobby that makes him a sweet guy. You're hilarious in broad comedies like this, but Melinda & Melinda showed that you could handle dramatic subtlety as well. Do you have any interest in doing more serious work, and do you think Hollywood would accept that from you? We'll find out later this year. My next movie (November's Stranger Than Fiction) is a really low-key, realistic performance. I play an IRS agent who starts to hear this voice in his head and figures out that he's this writer's central character and his life is being narrated. It will be a radically different thing for people to see me in, with a wider release than Melinda & Melinda, so I'm excited to see how they’ll respond. What was it like working with director Marc Forster (Monster's Ball, Finding Neverland)? I think he's kind of a genius. He's great, not just with actors, but also visually. I told him, “Marc, I just wanna work with you and Adam from now on.” And he's like, “Yeah, okay, I'll call you.” Now he's scouting in China, about to film The Kite Runner. He does all these cool, different projects, and that was an amazing experience to work with him. Do you aspire to pull a Jim Carrey in an Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mindtype turn, where it's so different that it changes the way people perceive you? That appeals to me, but it's not an obsession of mine. I don't feel compelled to prove that I can do more dramatic stuff. At the same time, I think it's human nature to want to try to do different things and explore different aspects of yourself, so hopefully I'll have more opportunities like that. --B. Love

VIDIOTS

* * * P I C KS O F T H E M O N T H * * * THE BOONDOCKS: THE COMPLETE F I R S T S E A S O N - With his comic

This month’s DVD & VHS releases B A S TA R D S O F Y O U N G -

This two-disc DVD plays like a Decline of the Western Civilization for the Hot Topic generation, offering an exhaustive study of the late-‘90's punk/emo scene told through interviews with bands like Jimmy Eat World, Taking Back Sunday, Midtown, Fall Out Boy and many more. It’s annoying how much these bands bitch about being labeled emo, but there’s no denying they worked extremely hard to get discovered rather than sitting around waiting for help from a label. The doc is paired with a disc of great live performances from more than a half dozen bands who helped create the scene many are now trying to run from. (B) -John Moore

INSIDE MAN-

Detective Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) is caught up in missing-money situation at work and a hostage situation at a Manhattan bank. Dalton Russell (Clive Owen) and his crew appear to be your run-of-the-mill bank robbers, but when you look beyond the surveillance tapes, you see that his wellplanned heist has a lot to do with the bank chairman's (Christopher Plummer) past discretions. Jodie Foster is yet another enigma– a mysterious Ms. Fix-it who comes off as a money-hungry slickster. Director Spike Lee explores these dualities well, but there are too many silly gaps haphazardly filled in, and way too much filler. (B-) DeMarco Williams

LO O K I N G F O R C O M E D Y I N T H E M U S L I M W O R L D - In Albert Brooks’ comedic satire on the culture clash between the U.S. and the Muslim world, he heads a government study to find out what makes Muslims laugh. Lest the PC meter blow a fuse, rest assured Brooks neither exoticizes, romanticizes, nor belittles his Indian and Pakistani “subjects”; rather, he lampoons America's none-too-subtle foreign policy. As with all Brooks’ films, Looking for Comedy… is subtle in spots, while some scenes will have viewers belly-laughing to the point of tears. Ultimately, Brooks seems to suggest that we have a long way to go in reaching out to other cultures around the world, and that such gestures, if undertaken genuinely, could be of tremendous benefit to all involved. Or we could always just build more bombs. (A) –Rodney Hill

strip, militant liberal Aaron McGruder targets a broad spectrum of societal ills with an incisive sense of humor that leaves no fingers unpointed, recalling Bloom County if it’d been written by Chuck D. Added to the Adult Swim lineup in 2005, the animated version allows McGruder to expand his rich universe, in which militant Huey (voiced by Regina King) and misfit younger brother Riley (also King) try to adjust to life in the predominately white suburb of Woodcrest after granddad Robert Freeman (John Witherspoon) moves them from the gritty southside Chicago streets. Along the way, he tackles taboo topics such as race relations, hip-hop culture and the tabloid media, finding humor in dark places. Nearly every one of these 15 episodes is an instant classic that establishes The Boondocks as a new South Park-style pop cultural phenomenon waiting to happen. And with ample DVD extras that include printable storyboards, deleted scenes, animatics, a behind-the-scenes featurette and audio/video commentary by the cast and crew (including the hilarious Gary Anthony Williams in character as Uncle Ruckus), the 3DVD set is well worth the purchase price. –B. Love

AW E S O M E ; I F U C K I N ' S H O T THAT!- The Beastie Boys’ trade-

mark combination of new-school innovation and true-school hip-hop reverence makes this a captivating concert film, as they arm more than 40 fans with Hi-8 cameras. Directed by Nathaniel Hörnblowér (a.k.a. MCA), the film is a quick-cut burst of electric ADD energy that takes the audience on a kinetic thrill ride through 24 tunes spanning the group's catalogue. As “awesome” as the movie is, it's the 2.5 hours of bonus features that make it worth a purchase. Band commentary, hidden detours, a capella vocal tracks, show intros, messages from fans, and a documentary on “A Day in the Life of Nathaniel Hörnblowér” (starring David Cross) make this FAR more entertaining than most DVDs. 20+ years into their careers, the Beasties are still keeping it (sur)real, and Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That! shows no signs of a slowdown in their immediate future. -B. Love

TA K E T H E L E A D -

Take Michelle Pfeiffer out of Dangerous Minds and replace her with Fred Astaire and you've got Take the Lead. Inspired by the true story of the world-renowned Pierre Dulane, the film follows a former ballroom dancer who volunteers to teach in the New York City public schools. As Dulane, Antonio Banderas finds that ballroom clashes with the students’ instinctual hiphop styles. Only when the students introduce him to their culture do they develop their own dance style– a fusion of ballroom and hip music, moves and attitude. All in all, this is a decent film that shows that with a little faith, inspiration and motivation, you can do whatever you put your mind to... including the foxtrot. (C+) –Zena Scott

SILENT HILL-

Five minutes into this thinly-developed snooze, you know you're in for a troubling experience. Rose De Silva's (Radha Mitchell) adopted child not only sleepwalks to the point she almost jumps off a cliff, but she repeatedly speaks of something called Silent Hill, too. One day out the blue, Rose has the bright idea to take her daughter to this mysterious West Virginia ghost town to see what all her late-night mumbling is about. Bad idea. An even worse one was to have French director Christophe Gans translate the video game into this unused episode of The Twilight Zone. The actions of Rose, her passive husband (Sean Bean) and a nosy cop aren't rational. The effects come off dated, and not the least bit chilling. And the film's limp premise of good cleansing away evil has the audacity to want to be taken seriously, even though disappointed viewers will laugh at some silly bit of dialogue every 10 seconds. The only thing mildly scary about Silent Hill is the fact it did so well at the box office. (F) –DeMarco Williams

V F O R V E N D ET TA -

Set in a dystopian future where the UK has become a fascist society run by a raving demagogue (the brilliant John Hurt), V For Vendetta asks its audience to think about uncomfortable questions: is one man's terrorist another man's freedom fighter? If your government knowingly caused the deaths of thousands of innocents, would you want to know? Viewers who see the world in Manichean terms of absolute good (i.e., the U.S. and our allies) vs. absolute evil (i.,e., anyone who disagrees with said forces of “good”) no doubt will be enraged. Some reactionary critics have gone so far as to slam the film and everyone associated with it as being anti-Christian advocates of terrorism. Not only is such a claim absurd, but it is so far afield of the film's point as to be laughable, or perhaps pitiable. Inspired as much by Guy Fawkes, the 17th-century English rebel executed for his plot to blow up Parliament, as by Orwell's 1984, the story sadly hits just a touch too close to home in today's extremist political climate. (A-) –Rodney Hill

A TRUE STORY OF COURAGE AND SURVIVAL

“‘MIAMI VICE’ SIZZLES WITH ACTION, SEX AND“ THE VISCERAL JOLT OF LIFE ON THE EDGE.” Peter Travers

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5 Reinhardt College Pkwy. (770) 720-9520

THE GREAT ESCAPE MCDONOUGH STADIUM 16

7065 Mt. Zion Circle (404) 816-4AMC

AMC THEATRES STONECREST MALL 16

GEORGIA THEATRE CO. MERCHANT WALK 8

I-20 East at Turner Hill Rd. (770) 333-FILM #275

CARMIKE CINEMAS CARMIKE 12 SNELLVILLE 1905 Scenic Hwy. (770) 979-1519

931 Monroe Drive (678) 495-1424

232 Newnan Crossing Bypass (770) 502-0866

Jonesboro Rd., Exit 22/I-75 McDonough, GA (770) 954-3332

6135 Peachtree Parkway Norcross, GA (770) 448-7002

REGAL CINEMAS ARBOR PLACE 18

I-20 at Exit 9 Chapel Hill Rd. 800-FANDANGO #221

REGAL CINEMAS ATLANTIC STATION STADIUM 16

261 19th St. NW Ste. 1250 800-FANDANGO #1326

1301 Johnson Ferry Rd. Marietta, GA 30068

GEORGIA THEATRE CO. PARK 12 STADIUM

5920 Roswell Rd. (404) 255-0100

REGAL CINEMAS AUSTELL 22

Sandy Plains & Shallowford Rd. (770) 971-1200

2480 East/West Connector Rd. Austell 800-FANDANGO #218

North I-85 at Shallowford 800-FANDANGO #220

I-85 at Exit 45 (Buford Dr.) 800-FANDANGO #219

9700 Medlock Br. Rd. Duluth 800-FANDANGO #222

REGAL NORTH POINT MARKET 6500 N. Point Parkway 800-FANDANGO #550

REGAL CINEMAS PERIMETER POINTE STADIUM 10 1155 Mount Vernon Hwy. 800-FANDANGO #554

STARTIME CINEMAS ROSWELL TOWN CNTR 10 608 Holcomb Bridge Rd. (770) 642-1991

PG 19 • insiteatlanta.com • August 2006

THURSDAY AUGUST 10

CONCERT CALENDAR FRIDAY AUGUST 4

5 SPOT California Guitar Trio 10 HIGH Overwhelmed/Homeroom ANDREWS UPSTAIRS Slippery When Wet ATLANTA CIVIC CENTER Battle of the Jamz BLIND WILLIE’S Sweet Betty CENTER STAGE Teddy Geiger CHASTAIN George Benson CJ’S LANDING Gareth and Naked THE EARL Parker Blue Benefit EDDIE’S ATTIC Garrison Star FAT MATT’S Tommy Isobe FUNNY FARM Greg Proops THE LOFT Streetlight Syndrome MASQUERADE Troubled But Sincere NORTHSIDE TAVERN Zydefunk PEACHTREE TAVERN Redd Letter PUNCHLINE Jon Reep STAR BAR Blue Ribbon Benefit

SATURDAY AUGUST 5

ANDREWS UPSTAIRS Tim Brantley APACHE CAFE Heavy Mojo BLIND WILLIE’S Houserocker Johnson CHASTAIN Erykah Badu/Jill Scott/Queen CJ’S LANDING Jammin’ Freedom ReggaeFest THE EARL The Selmanaires EDDIE’S ATTIC Clay Cook FAT MATT’S Georgia Jooks FUNNY FARM Greg Proops THE LOFT Erykah Badu after-party MABLE HOUSEJump5/ChristyCarlson Romano MASQUERADE Shadows Fall NORTHSIDE TAVERN Andrew Black PEACHTREE TAVERN None the Wiser PUNCHLINE Jon Reep SMITH’S Slowearth STAR BAR Gary Fest VARIETY PLAYHOUSE Jefferson Starship

APACHE CAFE Darian Brockington THE EARL Social Espionage EDDIE’S ATTIC Don Dixon FAT MATT’S Chickenshack FUNNY FARM Gary Gulman MASQUERADE The Summer Obsession PEACHTREE TAVERN Radio Cut PHILIPS ARENA Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young PUNCHLINE Craig Shoemaker MASQUERADE Akward Romance NORTHSIDE TAVERN Breeze Kings PEACHTREE TAVERN Fly By Radio PUNCHLINE Bily Gardell SMITH’S Tim Reynolds

Faceless marked the debut of ex-Amen drummer Shannon Larkin in Godsmack. The allacoustic Other Side arrived in spring ‘04. This year, Sully Erna stepped behind the board to helm IV, a loud collection of new material that reached No. 1 while both retaining the group's trademark heft and expanding their sonic palette. (8/30, Hi-Fi Buys Amp.)

FRIDAY AUGUST 11

ANDREWS UPSTAIRS Kinchafoonee Cowboys APACHE CAFE Ursula Rucker BLIND WILLIE’S Houserocker Johnson CHASTAIN Chris Botti CJ’S LANDING Sourgreen THE EARL Charles Walker & Dynamites EDDIE’S ATTIC Bobby Young FAT MATT’S Eddie Tigner FOX THEATRE Bill Maher FUNNY FARM Gary Gulman MASQUERADE The Living End PEACHTREE TAVERN Reckless PUNCHLINE Bily Gardell THE ROXY Rehab SMITH’S Gates of Berlin STAR BAR Bon Voyage VELVET UNDERGROUND Steadlur WILD BILL’S Jeffery Steele

SATURDAY AUGUST 12

Calling Corrine Bailey Rae Norah Jones with an accent isn’t quite just, but for the sake of the alloted space, we’ll run with it and hope she forgives us later. After making the talk show circuit and playing the “Next Big Thing” game with the mags, Rae and her Spring-fresh sound take a load off in Atlanta. (8/16, Vinyl/The Loft)

SUNDAY AUGUST 6

CENTER STAGE Greg Street Showcase THE EARL The Clientele EDDIE’S ATTIC Brian Webb FAT MATT’S Blues Envy NORTHSIDE TAVERN Fat City Wildcats PUNCHLINE Jon Reep TABERNACLE Muse

APACHE CAFE Algebra/Marvin Winans BLIND WILLIE’S Sandra Hall CHASTAIN Hootie and the Blowfish CJ’S LANDING 80s Party THE EARL Copy Cat EDDIE’S ATTIC Cigar Store Indians FAT MATT’S “Guitar” Watson FUNNY FARM Gary Gulman HI-FI BUYS Brick/S.O.S.Band/Teena Marie MASQUERADE Dragon Force NORTHSIDE TAVERN Eddie Tigner’s Birthday PEACHTREE TAVERN McIvor PUNCHLINE Bily Gardell SMITH’S Johnny Winter STAR BAR Music Hates You VARIETY The Kingsized Orchestra

MONDAY AUGUST 7

10 HIGH Metal-Some Monday BLIND WILLIE’S JP3 CHASTAIN Steely Dan FAT MATT’S Fat City Wild Cats MASQUERADE The Rentals/Hearts Attack NORTHSIDE TAVERN Northside Blues Jam SMITH’S Redbelly VARIETY Eels/Smoosh VINYL Sandi Thom

TUESDAY AUGUST 8

APACHE CAFE Mic Club/Dres tha Beatnik BLIND WILLIE’S Scott Glazer’s Mojo Dojo FAT MATT’S JT Speed MASQUERADE Mae NORTHSIDE TAVERN Bill Sheffield THE ROXY Gustavo Cerati

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 9

ATL BOTANICAL GARDENS Blind Boys of AL BLIND WILLIE’S The Shadows CHASTAIN Bruce Hornsby THE EARL Thee Crucials FAT MATT’S Chicago Joe Jones MASQUERADE Faster Pussycats NORTHSIDE TAVERN Mudcat Dudeck PEACHTREE TAVERN Lucky Doggs PHILIPS ARENA Mariah Carey THE ROXY Jurassic 5/X-Clan SMITH’S Packway Handle Band VARIETY Duncan Sheik/Vienna Teng

PG 20 • insiteatlanta.com • August 2006

311 was formed in 1990 in Omaha by 5 selfdescribed "friends for life", whose common link was a passion for both music and life that eventually brought them together to make music with a positive message behind it. They’ve been providing radio-ready, feel-good reggae tones ever since. (8/26/Hi-Fi Buys Amp)

SUNDAY AUGUST 13

THE EARL Mario Speedwagon EDDIE’S ATTIC John Cowan FAT MATT’S Blues Envy MASQUERADE Hatebreed PUNCHLINE Bily Gardell SMITH’S Peter May

MONDAY AUGUST 14

10 HIGH Metal-Some Monday BLIND WILLIE’S Bill Sheffield FAT MATT’S Fat City Wlldcats NORTHSIDE TAVERN Northside Blues Jam VARIETY PLAYHOUSE Les Claypool/The Coup

TUESDAY AUGUST 15

APACHE CAFE Mic Club- Dres tha Beatnik BLIND WILLIE’S Electromatics

CHASTAIN Melissa Etheridge EDDIE’S ATTIC Brian Ashley Jones FAT MATT’S JT Speed HI-FI BUYS Dave Matthews Band THE LOFT The Walkmen NORTHSIDE TAVERN Bill Sheffield VARIETY The Rippingtons

NORTHSIDE TAVERN Bill Sheffield ROXY Candlebox SMITH’S Pete Yorn

NO COVER

Tuesday -

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 23

Thursday

APACHE CAFE Al Smith BLIND WILLIE’S “Hurricane” Wilson CHASTAIN Spyro Gyra EDDIE’S ATTIC Russell Carter FAT MATT’S Chicago Joe Jones NORTHSIDE TAVERN Mudcat PEACHTREE TAVERN Wes Loper Band PUNCHLINE Tommy James SMITH’S Stooges Brass Band STAR BAR The Vaginas

FREE POKER

Wednesday Nights No Limit Texas Hold Em’ Championship League Games Start at 10pm

THURSDAY AUGUST 24

There’s always been a bit of sanctimonious wit to Dave Matthews, an absorbed Southern charm that either mitigated his strange voice or made it repellant. His career as the commercial king of the jam band scene has been interesting, veering from superstardom to solo projects to political activism. You can only ignore him for so long. (8/15, Hi-Fi Buys Amp.)

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 16

APACHE CAFE Al Smith BLIND WILLIE’S Rick Williams’ Blues Olympics CENTER STAGE Marc Broussard CHASTAIN Bela Fleck and the Flectones THE EARL The Press EDDIE’S ATTIC Pierce Pettis FAT MATT’S Chicago Joe Jones MASQUERADE Blaze Ya Head Homie NORTHSIDE TAVERN Mudcat Dudeck PEACHTREE TAVERN Steel Horses PUNCHLINE Scotty K SMITH’S Rebirth Brass Band STAR BAR Indian VINYL Corrine Bailey Rae

THURSDAY AUGUST 17

BLIND WILLIE’S Bob Page Trio CHASTAIN Bela Fleck & the Flecktones THE EARL All The Saints EDDIE’S ATTIC Sonia Leigh FAT MATT’S Chickenshack FUNNY FARM Donnell Rawlings NORTHSIDE TAVERN The Breeze Kings PEACHTREE TAVERN Velcro Pygmies PUNCHLINE Scotty K SMITH’S Golden

FRIDAY AUGUST 18

APACHE CAFE Stoni Taylor ATL BOTANICAL GARDENS Taylor Dayne BLIND WILLIE’S Deacon Bluz CHASTAIN John Prine CJ’S LANDING Wrong Way THE EARL The Hiss EDDIE’S ATTIC Weaklazyliar FAT MATT’S Andy Makely Band FUNNY FARM Donnell Rawlings MASQUERADE Change of Pace PEACHTREE TAVERN Doug Clark’s Hot Nuts PUNCHLINE Earthquake SMITH’S Randall Branblett WILD BILL’S .38 Special

BLIND WILLIES Sweet Betty CHASTAIN James Gang THE EARL Rizzudo FUNNY FARM John Heffron FAT MATT’S Chickenshack NORTHSIDE TAVERN The Breeze Kings PUNCHLINE Tommy James SMITH’S Tim Brantly STAR BAR Doo Doo Dave’s Party TABERNACLE X/Rollins Band

SUNDAY AUGUST 20

THE EARL Groundhawgs EDDIE’S ATTIC Sue Wikinson FAT MATT’S Blues Envy HI-FI BUYS Allman Bros. Band MASQUERADE Viceroy NORTHSIDE TAVERN Mudcat PHILIPS ARENA Kenny Chesney

MONDAY AUGUST 21

10 HIGH Metal-Some Mondays BLIND WILLIE’S Boo Hoo Ramblers FAT MATT’S Fat City Wlldcats NORTHSIDE TAVERN Northside Blues Jam PHILIPS ARENA Kenny Chesney

TUESDAY AUGUST 22

APACHE CAFE Mic Club- Dres tha Beatnik BLIND WILLIE’S Torri Isobe CENTER STAGE Rob Bell FAT MATT’S JT Speed

Nightly Thursday, August 3, 17 & 31 GARETH AND NAKED Friday & Satruday, August 4, 5 MIKE LEE & JEFF BRAMWELL

FRIDAY AUGUST 25

Thursday, August 10 PETE WHITFIELD & COMPANY

ANDREWS UPSTAIRS Paradise City BLIND WILLIE’S Sandra Hall CHASTAIN Lyle Lovett CJ’S LANDING Jon Donson/Like Linus THE EARL Trachtenberg Family Slideshow EDDIE’S ATTIC David Mead FAT MATT’S Work in Progress FUNNY FARM John Heffron HI-FI BUYS Poison THE LOFT Kool Keith NORTHSIDE TAVERN Electromatics PEACHTREE TAV Appetite for Destruction PUNCHLINE Louis C.K. SMITH’S Shady Deal STAR BAR Blackberry Smoke VARIETY PLAYHOUSE Zac Brown Band

Friday, August 11 SCOTT LITTLE & SHAWN ARNOLD Saturday, August 12 THE BRIAN WILTSEY BAND W/ GUEST PETE WHITFIELD Friday, August 18 MATT & DAVIS Thursday, August 24 STEVE Q. & CHRISTIAN Friday, August 25 TRAVIS & TROY

SATURDAY AUGUST 26

ANDREWS UPSTAIRS SEC Kick-Off Party BLIND WILLIE’S Houserocker Johnson CHASTAIN Amy Grant CJ’S LANDING The Brian Wlitsey Band THE EARL Syd Barrett Tribute EDDIE’S ATTIC Kelley McRae FAT MATT’S The Squirrel Heads FUNNY FARM John Heffron HI-FI BUYS 311/The Wailers MABLE HOUSE The Pointer Sisters NORTHSIDE TAVERN Lyle Lovett PEACHTREE TAVERN Sun Domingo PHILIPS ARENA 50 Cent/Keyshia Cole PUNCHLINE Louis C.K. THE ROXY Head Automatica SMITH’S Blueground Undergrass STAR BAR Rock City Dropouts VARIETY Gregory Isaacs

Saturday, August 26 THE BRIAN WILTSEY BAND

CONCERT HALL

��

Friday, August 4

PRIVATE PARTY

Saturday, August 5

JAMMIN FREEDOM REGGAE FEST

Friday, August 11

SOURGREEN

SPENCER FRYE EXPLOSION TBA

Saturday, August 12

CJ’S LANDING 80’S PARTY W/ THAT 80’S BAND

SATURDAY AUGUST 19

ANDREWS UPSTAIRS Mel and the Party Hats APACHE CAFE Lando BLIND WILLIE’S The Cazanovas CHASTAIN Collective Soul CJ’S LANDING Donkey Party THE EARL Elf Power EDDIE’S ATTIC Greg Trooper FAT MATT’S Dr Dixon FUNNY FARM Donnell Rawlings LITHONIA AMPHITHEATRE Regina Belle THE LOFT Cadillac Jones MASQUERADE Corey Crowder NORTHSIDE TAVERN Mudcat PEACHTREE TAVERN Dean Dollar Band PHILIPS ARENA Kenny Chesney PUNCHLINE Earthquake SMITH’S Five Eight VARIETY PLAYHOUSE Little Jimmy Scott

ON THE DECK

Friday, August 18 Once upon a time, Melissa Etheridge was just another soul-voiced rock chick whose passion and anthemic rock carried the day. After a series of high profile relationships and a recent bout with cancer, Etheridge is back on the beat, ready to show that she hasn’t lost a step. (8/15, Chastain)

SUNDAY AUGUST 27

BLIND WILLIE’S Luxury Kings THE EARL Revolution Church FAT MATT’S Blues Envy HI-FI BUYS Mary J. Blige/Jaheim/LaToya MASQUERADE VAST

MONDAY AUGUST 28

10 HIGH Metal-Some Mondays BLIND WILLIE’S Barrelhouse Bob Page FAT MATT’S Fat City Wlldcats NORTHSIDE TAVERN Northside Blues Jam

TUESDAY AUGUST 29

APACHE CAFE Mic Club- Dres tha Beatnik BLIND WILLIE’S Breeze Kings THE EARL Criteria FAT MATT’S JT Speed THE LOFT Ryan Cabrera MASQUERADE Rancid NORTHSIDE TAVERN Soil TABERNACLE Queensryche VINYL Gorilla Biscuits

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 30

CENTER STAGE Cheyenne Kimball FAT MATT’S Chicago Joe Jones HI-FI BUYS Godsmack/Rob Zombie

WRONG WAY

(SUBLIME TRIBUTE)

Friday, August 19

DONKEY PARTY

Friday, August 25 JONDONSON, LIKE LINUS, THE USUAL SUSPECTS

Friday, August 19 WILX, JOSH GRAFF & CO.

TANGO BAR

OPEN FRIDAY & SATURDAY NIGHTS w/ Beer Pong Tables & DJ

For Bookings Send Press Kits to: 270 Buckhead Ave. Atlanta, GA 30305 404-237-7657 • www.cjslanding.com PG 21 • insiteatlanta.com • August 2006

ROAD WARRIORS THIS MONTH’S HOTTEST SHOWS BISHOP DON

(Smith's Olde Bar- 8/5) The rowdy rock of Bishop Don (not a vicar, but a trio) invades Smith's, recalling bits of southern rock and even the crunchgroove of Stone Temple Pilots. The buzz has been growing on this local band since Flowers From the Devil was released late last year, and you can expect a roomful of beer-swillers to drag the show late into the night.

THE SELMANAIRES

(The EARL- 8/5) These guys are kind of all over the map, wrapping psychedelia, funk, punk, and shards of classic rock into the mix. Luckily, the band is able to successfully merge these styles fairly competently from the stage, or it'd be a mess to watch unfold. If you haven't caught up with these guys yet, catch them either at the Earl this month or at one of their several local shows.

THE CLIENTELE

(The EARL8/6) Borrowing liberally from the dreamy post-punk of Galaxie 500, the Clientele create shimmering soundscapes with reverb and fey vocals. Like an electrified Nick Drake, their soft pathos and shimmering production are like a lazy Sunday where everything drifts by too quickly. We're excited to see these guys back in Atlanta, a place that they didn't used to get to very often.

THE CHURCH

(Variety Playhouse- 8/6) Honestly, the Church haven't had much notice here in the States since they broke through in the late ‘0s with their lone Top 40 hit, “Under the Milky Way.”

But their shimmering rock continues to beguile a core group of fans and keeps the band returning here from Australia fairly often, and this year's Uninvited Like the Clouds is a burst of their classic sound.

THE RENTALS

(Masquerade- 8/7) Matt Sharp co-founded Weezer, and all he has to show for it is this offshoot he started in 1995 after leaving Rivers Cuomo & Co behind. It's been an up and down ride for the Rentals (mostly down, compared to Weezer), but Sharp keeps plowing ahead with solo stuff and a n e w Rentals a l b u m nearing release. And here's the thing: t h e Rentals ARE pretty d a m n good, live and otherwise.

E E L S

(Variety Playhouse8/7) These guys continue to prosper to the beat of their own dr ummer, what with a decade of the mercurial “E” (Mark Everett) now in the can. So maybe his focus on death and sickness the past five years has been a little macabre. He's still got a persuasive way with melody, and his artistic touch has never been weird enough to kill off his career. A reliably good live act.

MELISSA ETHERIDGE

(Chastain Park8/15) Once upon a time, Etheridge was just another soul-voiced chick whose

passion and anthemic rock carried the day. Then she announced that she was gay, which, for better or worse, became her calling card in an industry that has never taken too kindly to homosexuals. After a series of high-profile relationships (including her partner getting pregnant from David Cosby's sperm) and a recent bout with cancer, Etheridge is back on the beat, ready to show that she hasn't lost a step.

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND

(HiFi Buys Amphitheatre- 8/15) There's always been a bit of sanctimonious wit to D a v e Matthews– a n absorbed Southern c h a r m that either mitigated h i s strange voice or made it str idently repellant. His career as the commercial king of the jam b a n d scene– he's sold m o r e records than any other act in that genre– has been interesting, veering from superstardom to solo projects to political activism. Try as he might, it seems unlikely he’ll ever leave the public eye. Try as you might, you can only ignore him for so long.

SILVERSUN PICKUPS/DIRTY ON PURPOSE

(Drunken Unicorn- 8/16) My Bloody Valentine has been gone for almost 15 years now, but people keep hoping that someone else will pick up the shoegaz-

ing reins and ride. The Silversun Pickups appear headed in that direction, but there's also a lot of Pavement in what they do. Playing with the excellent Dirty On Purpose is a perfect match... or at least one that will draw every hipster in town.

THE WHIGS

(Smith's Olde Bar- 8/19) Once one of the ATL’s hottest local rock acts, the Whigs lost some momentum over the past few years because of some industry issues. But last year's excellent Give 'Em All a Big Fat Lip got them a new record deal with that Dave Matthews label, ATO, so we expect a lot of good things in the future.

X/ROLLINS BAND

(Tabernacle- 8/24) Some people believe that few bands were as important to the West Coast punk scene of the early ‘80s as X. Their legacy continues to this day, even as the primary band members reach their fifties. This pairing with Henry Rollins, former frontman for Black Flag– arguably as important to punk as X, and certainly an essential band to the hardcore scene– is a seminal one. This is a night to live the life of 20 years ago, if not in age but in spirit.

TRACHTENBURG FAMILY SLIDESHOW PLAYERS (The EARL- 8/25) With a band

name like this, you might expect the Von Trapps and a Sound of Music singalong. Indeed, the act is heavy into kitsch, what with the Austin Powers vibe ripping up the set, the gonzo costumes circa 1973, and the totally amateurish musicianship. It's all a big act– one that can grow tiring if you're not prepared to take it for what it’s worth.

CHRIS ISAAK

(Chastain Park- 8/29) This adult-pop crooner had one modest hit 15 years ago, and has suavely parlayed it into an incredibly successful career. His smoky voice and killer looks bring suburban housewives to their knees, and the guy can flat-out perform with the best. Take your girl and catch this guy under the stars of Chastain, if you want to get lucky. --John Davidson

WE GOT NEXT ARTISTS ON THE VERGE OF MAKING IT BIG

NAME: Algebra CURRENT PROJECT: Purpose (Kedar Entertainment Group) FOR FANS OF: Alicia Keys, Tamia, Erykah Badu WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: Because the man who “invented” neo-soul believes she's the next big thing. RANDOM QUOTE: “I thought I was fly in the kindergarten and the first grade. I thought they named the [school] book after me. I went to the candy lady and bought a freeze cup and some Now & Laters. Her daughter was in high school and her math book was an Algebra book. I remember running home and going, 'Mama, mama! They named a book after me!'” She's from Georgia… just like India.Arie. She plays the guitar… just like India. She knows Kedar Massenburg's cellphone number by heart… just like India. She sings about love as if it went out of style many moons ago… just like... ah, hell, here we go with yet another Nag Champa-burning, “I Am Not My Hair”chanting singer. “I could say something real slick,” begins Algebra, as if she's shrugged off comparisons a million times before now. “But you just gotta get [the music]. My name is Algebra. I do me. I've been compared to a lot of artists and I am happy to be in the company of those artists because I do respect them for their craft. But I do me and I do me very well. I'm not able to do anybody else.” And it's that individualism that Kedar likely saw in Algebra (“It's not a stage name!”) when most could only could see a hard-working performer plucking her way through her native Atlanta's acoustic soul circuit in the early 2000s. But Massenburg, founder of the Kedar Entertainment Group, showed the gift of talent sniffing long before trekking to the Deep South to sign Algebra in early '05. D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, and yes, India were all put on by Massenburg, the man many say is responsible for founding the neo soul movement in the mid 90s. Algebra's a semi-eclectic extension of those groovy souls, not a replication. Let's call her music neon soul. “I don't think there are any stresses,” says the glowing Algebra Blesset when asked about her longPG August 2006 2006 PG 22 22 • insiteatlanta.com insiteatlanta.com • August

“I've been compared to a lot of artists and I am happy to be in the company of those artists because I do respect them for their craft. But I do me and I do me very well. I'm not able to do anybody else.”

awaited August debut, Purpose, being the first release from KEG. “[Kedar's] been doing this for a long time. There are a lot of pros and cons about that. But for me, I know where he's coming from. He has had major artists, but there's no pressure. I got a lot of faith in my craft, and his.” Back in March, the Nina Simone lover put her craft on display as the opening act for Common's show. As has been the case times before as the former choir girl approached the stage wearing bangles, free-flowing hair and a guitar, the audience offered a collected sigh of uneasiness, not really knowing how to calculate Algebra. “I just want people to be not so quick to judge,” she says, disturbed by reactions she sometimes get from the crowd. “I've been able to open for Kindred, Keyshia Cole, Common and the Roots. But as much as that makes me feel good, I also wonder about the boos, or 'Here we go with another spiritual sistah tryin' to get us to be vegan.' I wanna make sure I get that message across to whomever I'm in front of. But don't get it twisted. If I get in front of an audience and they're not receiving me, I don't know what'll happen.” That earlier-mentioned set, like all the rest, results in the boo birds transformed into favoring fans by the time the song “Nothing to Prove” comes to an end. Beyoncé and Janet Jackson both have albums coming out just weeks after Purpose's August 29 release. With its simple confessions of love and easy-tolove percussion pattern, Algebra's cute first single, “U Do It 4 Me,” could have been on either's CD. That moment may prove the only one truly built for mainstream acceptance. “Every song is going to have a different emotion,” Algebra confesses. “It will be a bit relatable, but I think that's what music does anyway; it ignites something in you to know that somebody else has been through something you've been through. It's a relationship-type album but not just with man. You search for clarity and you find it sometimes.” Ms. Arie couldn't have said it any better herself. DeMarco Williams

CRAZY LIKE A FOXX

JAMIE FOXX RETEAMS WITH DIRECTOR MICHAEL MANN TO MAKE MIAMI VICE I

t's been a bit of a rollercoaster ride for Jamie Foxx in the years since winning the Oscar for his portrayal of the legendary Ray Charles. From the immense failure of Stealth to the meager $25 million opening weekend for Miami Vice, director Michael Mann's slick re-imagining of his classic TV series, Foxx has seen his fair share of bumps in the Hollywood road, but the former In Living Color funnyman seemed to maintain his trademark sense of humor and winning smile during our recent interview. You've had a fairly broad and varied film career, from the Booty Call era... I still don't understand why we got overlooked at the Oscars! ...to films like Ray. Could you talk about that arc? It's been a great ride. If you look at In Living Color, you see the training ground. Those guys were doing things-- I laugh even harder now-- and they were doing things that weren't just jokes in your face, but real characters. We were trying to make them more than one-dimensional, so it was a great training ground, being under Keenan and Damon and Jim Carrey and all of those cats. So now I'm happy that I had that background and those tools. You do Ray Charles or Stevie Wonder, knock off the funny and actually DO the character, then let it play out like it's played out. It really makes you feel good on the inside f o r

whatever's coming next, knowing you're going to be able to get into it and try to make it happen for you. Have you ever had moments where you thought you'd quit? Oh yeah, man. I moved to Vegas right after In Living Color. I couldn't get any work, and it was like if you lived in L.A., you've got to have your shine on. I remember seeing this girl at the Comedy Store, and this is when I knew it was time for me to get out. This girl was walking towards me, and I was like, “Oh yeah, she's probably been watching the show!” She says hi. I say hey. She says, “Do you know where Chris Tucker is?” I said no, and she looked back and said, “You look so familiar.” And I was like, oh man, my shine is gone! I had gotten so into myself because I thought everybody was watching the show. I remember going up on stage and doing rich jokes in front of these folks from the hood. “Yeah man, I just got that Range Rover. Anybody else? My house went into Escrow. Anybody? Man, it's crazy when your house go on escrow!” It was like, “What are you talking about?!” I walk off stage, and I'm outside the club talking to somebody when I hear the doors open and [makes sound of audience's roar]. “Who is that? What are they laughing about?” I walked in, and it was Chris, and he was killing 'em. How did that blow to the ego affect you? I sat down and I said, “That's what I need to do– go back and find what it is that I do,” because I'd lost it. So I moved to Vegas, and found out the WB was looking for shows. So we went there and did The Jamie Foxx Show, and I got a brand new start. I said, “I don't want to ever slip like that again.” Years went by and I'm in the Laugh Factory, and they bring out Chris Tucker. He had a suit on and he was telling rich jokes. “I wonder if you girls really love me for me, or for my money.” I went to him and said, “I see what's happening. You've gotta go back and get it!” And I challenged him, Cedric the Entertainer and Bernie Mac. I said, “Don't lose that, because once you do, it's hard to get it back.” How have perceptions changed in the industry since you've won the Oscar? I don't know if it's necessarily that the perception has changed. But what you have to do every day is kill that Oscar beast and go out and try to take two or three steps back and not be the ugly person that, I guess, it could turn you into. The way I've done that is just kept telling jokes about it. If you feel like you've won the Oscar and you're at the top of your game, you're at the top of the mountain. Then you come off the elevator and there's a brother going, “Hey Jamie, man, congratulations on that Grammy, dog! I mean, you did your thing, dog! Hey, what song was that they acknowledged you for?" (Laughter) It lets you know that everybody ain't feelin' it. So you bring it back down and you use the Oscar for those things that you really wanted. Now they're offering great roles, and what's great is we create on the dribble. Are you more selective in the roles you take? Yeah, that's what I mean. It's like when they talk about the Oscar Curse. When I say create off the dribble, that's a person in basketball that has to come off the screen and shoot it, meaning that somebody's got to set up the shot for him. With us, we do standup comedy, so we can go to our left; we do music, so we can go to our right; we can write movies, so we can go around our backs. You know, we can shoot the three. So we use it as our tool and try not to bastardize it, because sometimes I've used it for the wrong things. Speaking of which, how is your pickup with the

ladies since the Oscars? It's changed drastically. I bought a Lamborghini, too. It's crazy. I think it's a different type of women [you attract] when you win an Oscar. All the young ladies in the club, I ain't messing with you right now. I got this over here- the 35 and over women with their own companies. They break down everything: “You know, that night I was soooo touched.” I say, “Girl, I'm gonna touch you again!” I'll never forget the joke I told Will Smith. I'm making love to this girl right after I won the Oscar. She said, “Oh, Jamie!” I said, “No, no, nothat's not my name!” “Oh, Academy Award Winner Jamie Foxx!” So I'll tell you, if you ain't got [an Oscar], get you one. So what attracted you to the idea of doing Miami Vice? The hotness of this idea. When I talked to Michael Mann, and just learned about who he was, I made a couple rookie mistakes, saying, "Why don't you do Miami Vice? You did it as a television show. We could get Jay-Z [to do the music], and we could do this and that..." He was like, "Get out of here!" But after enough of me going up to him and saying, "Look, I really think that this is a great opportunity for you to take a commercial hit- a franchise- and bring the real film capability that Michael Mann has together," he agreed. So now we're all protected, in the sense of we're doing a big-time summer movie, but it's still held together by the Michael Mann way of thinking. Do you think the film will make people forget the iconic imagery of the show? Not everybody is thinking about the TV series, because I don't think people are actually remembering every single episode. This is a different thing, and I don't think they're going to be comparing the two. I always view things like this: What do I want to see when I'm in the movie theater? I'm not quite as deep as Michael Mann is, in that sense. I've got my popcorn, I'm sitting there thinking, "What would be hot to see right now? A car, two guys in Miami, Jay-Z on the soundtrack and something is going down." Not everybody is relating back to what they saw [in the '80s]. They know what happened years ago, but they're ready to see what the new thing is. I believe this movie is high risk, high return because you do go away from what you think Miami Vice is. It's like watching the dunk contest today: You can't go in and do the Dr. J dunk anymore, because you're kinda past that. But if you're wearing Dr. J's jersey and you bounce it off the backboard from the back, then you dunk it, you've got the spirit of Dr. J and yet you changed it. Did that do it for you? Can you talk about your next movie, Dreamgirls? At first I wasn't going to do it. They didn't know what was going on. Then I found out that Eddie Murphy was doing it, Beyonce was on it... I said, “Come on, man, I've got to GET THAT! I don't care if you pay a dollar, I need to be in that!” Because it's going to be outstanding. You were so great as Ray Charles. Would you ever do more musical biopics, like maybe Marvin Gaye or Rick James? I always thought the Marvin Gaye story was incredible. I mean, if you know anything about his story, there's some things about his life that will blow your mind. Not even his music, just him as a man, there's some things that would make you go, “What?!” So whoever tells this story, it's going to be great. Do you think you could pull it off? Could I pull it off? I'm sure that I could give a good crack at it. But I think the Mike Tyson story is the most interesting thing to me that you don't know. The stuff that I found out about him would blow your mind. Mike Tyson gives you phrases that, if you listen to it, will blow your mind. They said, “How do you feel?” and he said (imitating Tyson's voice), “I'm more happy now that I don't have any money... I don't have to worry about anything. I'm just here.” I don't know if you saw the interview, but he was teaching a kid how to box. He stopped and said, “I'm so glad I don't have any more money. Nobody has to do me wrong. Nobody has to fuck me over.” To me, that's where you go. Do the story about THAT! About how he feels now, after he looks back on what all happened. A reporter once asked him, ”Why are things so crazy for you, Mike?” And [Tyson] says: “You give a 19 year old kid $60 million and see how crazy it'd be for him!” Are you trying to do a film based on that? No, but sometimes you just put things out there in the air and hopefully they catch on. That's what I did with Miami Vice– just threw it out there. –B. Love PG 23 23••insiteatlanta.com insiteatlanta.com• •August August2006 2006 PG

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ALBUM REVIEWS by B. Love, DeMarco Williams, Andrew Gilstrap, John Davidson & John Moore

The Dean's List HOT CHIP- THE WARNING (Astralwerks) CLASS: Techno with a knack for melody. BL These days it seems you can't swing a stick without hitting some garage-rock band using retro synths to make their music party like it's 1979, but does anyone remember the "electronica" revolution that never happened? Ten years ago, the Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim and Orbital were all hyped as the Next Big Thing, with major media outlets proclaiming "Rock is dead!" Then rapmetal took over, rave culture went back underground, and Moby was among the few electronic artists who emerged with multiplatinum success. Techno fans looking for an explanation for the genre's failure to penetrate the mainstream need look no further than Hot Chip's sophomore LP: It's the melody, stupid. Sure, the opening "Careful" pairs Alexis Taylor and Joe Goddard's yin-yang vocals with the sort of whacked-out breakbeat you might expect from IDM icons like Aphex Twin or Squarepusher. But "And I Was a Boy In School" recalls the more infectious dance-pop of old school Depeche Mode or Bronski Beat, with a memorable hook featuring dreamy, lush layers of vocal harmonies that imbeds the melody in your brain even as the insistent hi-hat drives the tune into a pure state of techno bliss. It's this juxtaposition of dance music traditions with more modern techno tendencies (experimental bleeps and blips, wildly syncopated beats) and classic pop songwriting that makes The Warning an enjoyable album that deserves to find an audience outside of the rave subculture. Not every track here is a winner; "Over and Over," for instance, is an overly reptitious ode to the mindless joys of dumb dance music. But songs like the shimmering "Colours," the robotically funky "(Just Like We) Breakdown" and the string-laden, R&B-tinged balladry of "Look After Me" prove this South London quintet has the songwriting chops to be enjoyable even outside the drug- and alcohol-tinged haze of the club. THE LONG WINTERS- PUTTING THE DAYS TO BED (Barsuk) CLASS: Tasteful indie rock. JD Barsuk was just another tiny indie until Death Cab For Cutie blew up. With DCFC now in the pastures of major labels, it's up to the rest of the stable to prove the label didn't simply win the lottery. The Long Winters’ new album does the trick. Fronted by singer/songwriter John Roderick, the Long Winters mine Death Cab territory on Putting the Days Back To Bed, with emo vocals, punchy pop melodies and contrasting dynamics to propel lyrical drama from song to song. The first three tracks (“Pushover,” “Fire Island, AK” and “Teaspoon”) are immediately accessible, radiating with radio-friendly moves and upbeat tempos. It's only towards the back end that Roderick retreats to the quirkier environs of his last record (2003's When I Pretend To Fall), which has more in common with the Mountain Goats than Death Cab. Given the volume of arty singer-songwriters out there these days (see: M. Ward, Matt Pond, etc.), Putting Days Back To Bed is more distinctive as a straight pop record. Roderick has a surprising amount of jingle in his songwriting, and it advances the idea that smaller labels can foster artists with mainstream appeal just as easily as the majors. Here's hoping that Barsuk can continue to develop more acts like this. RAY CASH- CASH ON DELIVERY (Sony Urban) CLASS: Delectable lunchpail rap. DW Besides the Rock 'n’ Roll Hall of Fame PG 24 • insiteatlanta.com • August 2006

and LeBron James, there's nothing much crackin' in Cleveland. But to hear Ray Cash tell it– as he does on his jazzy debut, Cash on Delivery– there's a lot more to the home of the Indians, like crack, robbers and other big-city filth. Discount the CD for its uncreative lyrical content if you like, but Ray Cizzy isn't trying to sell you the same ol’ bag of dope rhymes like Jeezy. His approach is more like a pop telling a child a bedtime story. “Back in my day...,” you can almost here him say. Remember Bone Thugs 'N Harmony? Make a 180º turn and you'll find Ray Cash and his early Andre Benjamin flow, which is nice and easy on neck-jarring delights like “Payback” and “Fiends, Fiends, Fiends.” The song you've heard, “Bumpin' My Music,” is a bit more up-tempo than “Sex Appeal” or “She a G/D Boy Anthem,” but each could walk around Euclid or Prospect Ave with the swagger of a pimp circa 1982. We hope there's more uplifting prose like “Fuck Amerikkka” to be found on the next album. If there is, the block where Ray Cash learned to rhyme ought to become Cleveland’s hottest new landmark. PAUL SIMON- SURPRISE (Warner Bros) CLASS: Rejuvenated legends. BL Having long since established himself as one of the 20th century's greatest singersongwriters, Paul Simon has spent the last two decades as a dabbler. What's remarkable is that he always acquits himself admirably. This time he's dabbling in ambient-techno, and he's brought in the genre's most influential talent, Brian Eno, to ensure he doesn't fuck it up. Which isn't to say that Surprise is Music For Airports 2: This is still Simon doing what he does best (i.e. writing mature songs full of intelligence and wit). But as with Eno's work with David Byrne on the classic My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, this album finds the techno auteur taking some of Simon's best material in 20 years and making it even better. The album plays out like a conceptual piece, with recurrent themes that include an appreciation of nature and observations on life in the 21st century. "Everything About It Is A Love Song" balances them nicely, opening with an acoustic riff augmented by Bill Frisell's atmospheric guitar tones and Eno's lush washes of ambient sound. This pastoral reverie is interrupted by a frenetic beat, as Simon's mind is overwhelmed by memories of problems ranging from monetary debts to a catalogue of regrets. "Outrageous" is a funky tune that finds him complaining about everything from people who line their pockets off the misery of the poor to the rituals he endures in an effort to fight the ravages of advancing age. "Wartime Prayers" features Herbie Hancock on piano and backing vocals by the Jessy Dixon Singers, creating a hauntingly evocative gospel number about the way war tears families apart, and how "People hungry for the voice of God hear lunatics and liars." He never mentions Bush by name, but the indictment is obvious. But the album's most impactful number is much more personal; "Father & Daughter" is a gorgeous paean to Simon's daughter, Adrian, who seems to have inspired the entire album. After all, nothing makes a man more concerned about the future than having a child who will inherit it. More than 40 years on, Simon seems rejuvenated, looking back into the past and forward into the future as he contemplates the present. This is a work of depth and maturity, concerned with the goings-on of the world at large because he understands their potential longterm impact on those he loves. In short, it's my favorite Paul Simon album yet.

VARIOUS ARTISTS- WE ARE THE '80S (Legacy) CLASS: Pop life in the pre-hip-hop era. JD Not long after there was MTV, there was VH-1, a channel for white people– and particularly those suburban parent types who buy (maybe) three CDs a year. These are the kind of people who have made iTunes a successful gambit; the people who sit around on weekends filling their iPods with “all the good songs” they once had on cassette tapes. VH-1 plows the whitebread mainstream with cheeky aplomb, and your parents could not be happier about it. We Are the '80s is a series of VH-1endorsed albums that feature the greatest hits of seven chart-topping bands, and there are some troubling caveats involved. For example, each of these artists has previously released excruciatingly similar hit compilations. If you already have one of those (and if you’re remotely into this music, I'm guessing you do), then these will seem superfluous despite the fancy packaging and marginally better remastered sound. There's nothing wrong with marketing nostalgia, but there's a hint of contempt towards consumers when Eddie Money's greatest hits are repackaged for the fifth time. Also, only a few of these artists (see: Loverboy, Eddie Money and Rick Springfield) actually had enough radio hits to fill an album. The other four artists represented here (The Bangles, Bow Wow Wow, A Flock of Seagulls and Scandal) are only valuable in a situation where you can skim the handful of hits. Head for iTunes, where each of these albums is available, and if you still haven't had enough of the awesome ‘80s, check out the summer tour package featuring most of the same artists. VH-1 is sponsoring that, too. (C+) THE LIVING END- STATE OF EMERGENCY (Adeline) CLASS: Giving stardom another shot. JM Australia's The Living End has been shamelessly overlooked in the U.S. for years now. Like many of the punkabilly bands that preceded them, they’ve been partly (but not enthusiastically) embraced by American punks and all but ignored by radio stations and MTV. But now, with Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong backing the band (they're signed to his indie label, Adeline), the Living End may finally get a decent shot at the recognition they deserve. On State of Emergency, the band's fourth effort, we see that they’ve changed little since their 1996 debut EP. The music is less sloppy and the vocals stronger, but the visceral immediacy of a young punk-rock band is still there. From the opening chords of the album starter, “'Til the End,” it's clear that the band is taking a now-or-never charge to winning over fans. The result is a fantastic collection of songs that sounds little like anything else in the genre right now. The album does falter once or twice in the span of 14 tracks– the somber “No Way Out” and “Wake Up” drag the record down a bit, and could easily have been trimmed away. But taken as a whole, this is the band's best album to date. When you consider how consistent the group has always been, that's quite a feat. (B+)

DEAD PREZ & OUTLAWZ- CAN'T SELL DOPE FOREVER (Affluent) & DEFARI- STREET MUSIC (ABB) CLASS: We told you not everybody snapped! DW On the back of the Can't Sell Dope Forever CD case, there's a short message

that reads, “We want to dedicate this LP to those who are striving for a better life for themselves, their families and their friends.” Brothers from another mutha Dead Prez and the Outlawz don't merely shout out the streets in the liners, they also do so via 13 insightful tracks. “1Nation,” “Holdin' On” and the title cut don't point fingers directly to the white tee-wearing homies, but it's obvious the poignant words of change are meant for them. “Like a Window” is Dead Prez's outstanding ode to anyone who's ever dealt with a substance-abusing loved one. Even when the disc makes a pitch for mainstream acceptance on the sing-songy “Searchin',” it's gravy, for their goal of getting the positive word out by any means stems from the right place. The left coast has tried to get word out on Santa Monica's Defari for years, largely to no avail. Soundscan likely won't get all excited about his third album, Street Music, either. But you should, as the underrated MC works his nasal magic on the mic. Distancing himself somewhat from the trademark sonic tinges of his Cali brethren, Tha Liks, the punchlineheavy Defari gets a New York feel by working with champion beatsmiths Alchemist (“Make My Own”) and Evidence (the neckjarring “Congratulations” and the Frank Sinatra-sampling “Clowns”). Of course, Defari hasn't forgotten his L.A. links, and Tha Liks' J-Ro and Cypress Hill's B. Real stop by to prove just that. Still, Street Music's occasional questionable production moves and uncreative choruses don't make it the wholly-enjoyable release fans might expect. DP & Lawz= (B); Defari= (B-) DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL- DUSK AND S U M M E R (Vagrant) CLASS: Emo for the lovestruck teen in all of us. BL There should probably be some sort of warning label on the latest Dashboard Confessional CD, advising "Do not listen under the influence of love." Because I'll be damned if lines like "Watch you spin around in your highest heels/You are the best one of the best ones, and we all look like we feel/You have stolen my heart" don't leave the lovelorn with a lump in their throat and an ache in their heart. Emo, shmemo: If you ask me, Chris Carrabba is nothing more or less than a modern-day Steve Perry, turning heart-onhis-sleeve poems into anthemic paeans to love by singing from his upper vocal register the vast majority of the time. "The sky glows/I see it shining when my eyes close/I hear your warnings but we both know/I'm gonna look at it again," he wails dramatically on the opening track, ultimately urging his would-be lover, "Don't wait/To lay your armor down." Carrabba's greatest strength is the fact that every song seems to emanate directly from his heart and gut, and the big, wide-open production by Don Gilmore (with help from Daniel Lanois) ensures that the emotions connect with his avid audience in a visceral way. If there's a weakness, it's that a guy who named his publishing company "Hey, did she ask about me? Music" has a tendency to come off a little melodramatic and immature when he begs, "My heart is sturdy but it needs you to survive." It's easy to hear why the O.C. crowd loves the guy, as few artists capture the energy and angst of teenage love better. But at some point it'd be nice to see Carrabba develop an emotional maturity that those of us over the legal drinking age could relate to more consistently. (B) RISE AGAINST- THE SUFFERER & THE WITNESS (Geffen) CLASS: Protest punk. JM You get the sense that the guys in Chicago's Rise Against would’ve felt more comfortable had they been around 20 years ago at the height of Southern Cali's punk-rock scene, churning out “Fuck you, Reagan!” records alongside the Dead Kennedys and Black Flag. Instead, they get lumped in with modern

Music______ pop-punk acts like Fall Out Boy and Panic! At the Disco, who come up with witty song titles about broken hearts rather than slamming the powers-that-be over their roles in starting wars. On their fourth record (their first for Geffen), Rise Against has done little to turn down the fury first introduced in 2001. The Suffer & Witness is a solid mix of melody (“Injection” and “Chamber the Cartridge”) and classic punk rock (“Bricks”), with a hint of metal. The result are powerful anthems for the oppressed, reminiscent of Pennywise and Anti-Flag. Though they may not be the most popular voice in punk-rock right now, they are nevertheless screaming to be heard over the more radiofriendly static out there. (B)

GREG GRAFFIN- COLD AS THE CLAY (Anti-) CLASS: Unleashing your inner Guthrie. JM Bad Religion fans looking for another blistering collection of anti-establishment punk blasts would be best served waiting for the band's next release (set to come out sometime in 2007). On his second solo disc, BR frontman Greg Graffin puts punk on hold, picks up an acoustic guitar and plays classic turn-of-the-century folk songs. Cold as the Clay (which comes six years after his last solo effort) draws inspiration from 18th and 19th century traditional folk songs. Though it sounds about as far away from punk as you can get, lyrically there are some parallels between genres, with songs about working class people struggling to survive. Backed by The Weakerthans and featuring labelmate Jolie Holland, whose gorgeous vocals complement Graffin’s well, the album proves simplicity is sometimes far more effective in getting your

PHARRELL- IN MY MIND (Star Trak) & J. DILLA- THE SHINING (BBE) CLASS: Two brilliant producers. DW Look at Pharrell over there at the bar, with his colorful sneakers, flashy belt buckles and models fumbling over themselves getting to him! Doesn't it all just make you sick? The man's on award shows and at the top of the Billboard charts with songs he's produced. Damn, what can't he do? Well, haters, apparently we've found the answer: make a tantalizing solo CD. Taking nothing away from Fo Real's skills behind the boards (In My Mind has a nice, chill vibe), but this is not fire. South Beach clubs might get all humid to “Stay With Me” and “Our Father,” but if you've heard one Pharrell coo, you've heard ‘em all. The Clipse, Jay-Z, Slim Thug and Snoop are on the V.I.P. list, but even they can’t liven this party of one. On the flip, the audio shindig thrown up in Detroit to honor the late J. Dilla is on and poppin' nearly from the jump. What separates the two parties is as clear as a shot of Patron: diversity. Pharrell is on some hammock-worthy cool shit for an hour; Dilla, the souladoring producer who passed of natural causes back in February, provides the chill (the Common-killed “So Far to Go” and the jazzy instrumental “Love Jones”) and the real (the percussion-heavy “Jungle Love” and “Geek Down” with Busta Rhymes). True, there have been prior moments where Jay Dee's work seemed more focused, and we've heard The Roots' Black Thought better than on “Love Movin'.” But as a last dance in a wondrous musical career, The Shining is more than a fitting tribute. Pharrell=(C); J. Dilla=(B)

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THOM YORKE- THE ERASER (XL) CLASS: Don't quit your day job. BL Rumors of a solo project from the cockeyed Radiohead frontman have been circulating for years, so it's hardly a surprise that this Nigel Godrich-produced album should come along during the increasingly lengthy hiatuses between Radiohead albums. What is surprising is how similar it sounds to the recent work of Yorke's main gig, particularly more danceable, electronic-influenced songs like "I Might Be Wrong" and "Backdrifts.” The opening title track may confuse you at first, as Yorke indulges in a bit of Aphex Twin-style IDM thomfoolery, building on an insistent piano chord progression to construct a rhythmically complex techno groove that puts his multi-layered vocals front and center as bleeps and blips percolate and bubble in the background like the electronic equivalent of primordial soup. But the next three tracks could all fit comfortably on any of Radiohead's last three albums: "Analyze" gradually builds dynamic tension by adding layers of percussion on top of a reverberating piano melody, as Yorke's vocals climb the scale to the top of his range; the sizzling "The Clock" adds guitars, dub-influenced bass and Yorke's beatbox to a skittering techno beat that sounds as if it's had a few too many espressos; while the deliciously funky "Black Swan" has a great bassline, droning guitars and a killer vocal hook, lacking only Phil Selway's live drums to make it a kick-ass Radiohead track. Occasionally Yorke's more avantgarde experimental tendencies get the better of him, such as on the boringly atonal "Skip Divided" (which goes nowhere) and the melodically simplistic "Atoms For Peace." In cases like this, you wish he had the boys in the band around to add some other colors to his distinctive palette of musical expression. But when his intsincts hit home, as they do on the lavishly constructed groove of "And It Rained All Night," he's arguably among the most original and innovative electronic music artists ever to twiddle a synth knob. (B-)

message across to the listener. Though not for every Bad Religion fan, Cold as the Clay is a smart, passionate album for punk-rockers with an open mind. (B)

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KIERAN KANE, KEVIN WELCH & FATS KAPLAN- LOST JOHN DEAN (Sugar Hill) CLASS: Session men take the spotlight. BL They say the blues is a dying artform (and they may be right), but apparently these three music festival favorites never got the memo. The follow-up to 2004's You Can't Save Everybody finds singer-songwriters Kieran Kane and Kevin Welch and multi-instrumentalist Fats Kaplan (who provides accordian, fiddle, pedal steel and oud here) recording live-to-tape with a rootsy, downhome vibe that sounds like every blues, country, bluegrass, folk and gospel act on the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack put into a blender and set on frappé. The results don't always blow you away, but the quality is consistent enough throughout to make the album a worthwhile investment for fans of the aforementioned genres. On the opening "Monkey Jump," Kane's banjo and Kaplan's fiddle establish an eerie, edgy mood as the lyrics set a vivid scene. "Pistol with half a grip/Torn white stain slip/10 yards of dirty drapes/Stack of old acetates," Kane sings, before Welch joins in to harmonize on a chorus that urges, "Let the wind blow... Let it all go." Welch takes the lead on "Satan's Paradise," a stripped-down blues tune full of sinful souls and salvation, while the title track is a more countrified tune that makes the most of Kane's spirited banjo plucking. These middle-aged musicians aren't exactly reinventing the wheel here, á la newgrass trailblazers Nickel Creek. But they do prove that some relatively unknown session musicians (all three get steady work on the Nashville scene) are every bit as solid as the songwriters they're often paid to support. With Lost John Dean, Kane, Kaplan and Welch deserve their own turn in the spotlight. (B+) PG 25 • insiteatlanta.com • August 2006

what happened to them boys? New York's Boot Camp Clik was once the epitome of grimy hip-hop. Last Stand, the group's first album in years, jars your memory.

hen VH-1 starts its inevitable I Love the ‘90s series, it'll likely include segments on Bill Clinton, Friends and Sony PlayStation. Hip-hop, of course, will have its place in the retrospective, but it's safe to say none of the guests will mention the Boot Camp Clik. It'll be a crying shame, too, as Biggie and the Wu-Tang Clan weren't the only cats walking around Brooklyn in Tims and chanting battle hymns back in '95. Ask the right rap historian and he'll say the BCC– an intimidating enclave of rapping “brothers” including the Originoo Gunn Clappaz (Starang Wondah, Top Dog and Louieville Sluggah), Black Moon's Buckshot, Heltah Skeltah (Sean Price and Rock) and the Coco Brovaz (Tek and Steele, who formerly went by SmifN-Wessun)– were as much a part of exposing the Big Apple's street core as Jay-Z, Mobb Deep or anyone else. Unfortunately, their glory was short-lived. A couple of critical album smashes (Black Moon's Enta Da Stage, Smif-N-Wessun's Da Shinin') and a mild fashion craze (camouflage gear) aside, only the diehard Boot Camp fans cared much about what happened to the eight MCs after their two so-so group efforts, '97's For The People and '02's The Chosen Few, failed at the cash register. Much has changed since the crew last marched around in sagging cargo pants and skull caps. NYC's no longer the centerpiece of the hip-hop universe, and the BCC ain't the least bit happy about it. So they decided to put solo efforts on hold, get back in the studio with some of the game's fiercest producers and create Last Stand, 16 tracks of ‘90s-era NYC ish that's the perfect antithesis to all the down south jingles this fall. Tek proudly tells us about splurging in the past, living modestly now and recording with Boot Camp for the first time in years. What kept your bills paid and what PG 26 • insiteatlanta.com • August 2006

kept food in your son's belly the past few years while you weren't recording? Man, me as an individual, I'm a streetaholic. From the umbilical cord, I'm attached to the slums, man. From the grace of the Most High, I've escaped a lot of jail time. I escaped a lot of the wrong crowds. If you hang with nine rich friends, you're bound to be the 10th one. It's an everyday grind for me. I got a lil– I don't have a problem, but I gamble a lot. I play dice. However it gotta go down. Once I get those stacks [of money], I throw that to the side. I put it in a lil' safe and I go about my business. I don't try to floss or live the extravagant life no more 'cuz it ain't just me and baby girl; it's lil' man now. In the day, it was three or four straight days of getting all the hot Louis [Vuitton] shoes or this watch or this chain. I had to bring that shit down a notch, you know? Other than that, that's what keeps the bills and the mortgage paid, man. Who out of the BCC do you consider your closest confidant? My partner in crime, Steele. Why do y'all have such a bond? We're related through marriage. Me and Starang are sorta like cousins. Plus, Dog and Steele are brothers. It's like everything is a family. That's why I got the tat “Family First.” Everybody keeps each other grounded. [Me and Steele's] bond comes from way back in the day, living together and doing everything together-from runnin' around in the street banging to switchin' up chicks to bein' in the projects and the trap together. We just made it all happen with one another. We always just knew what the other one was thinking without even speaking the words and we were able to move like that. That's one of the main reasons our [debut] album was called Da Shinin', 'cuz of the communication without having to speak. As we grew more in the business, we just

grew tighter and we just boys for life. What's an average non-recording day like for you? Let's see, I wake up every day about 5:30. That's, like, my alarm clock from my boxing days. That's just in my body. I get up and I jog probably a half a mile to a mile. That's on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Then I'm back inside, shower, wash my mouth and face and then I gotta walk the dog. That's about 8 o'clock [by then]. I take my son to school. After I drop him off, I'm back on the block, checking up on family, ma dukes and everything. I throw the dice around for a few hours. After that, once the sun goes down, I'm just making a bunch of calls and taking a bunch of calls from the people, checking to see what we're getting into for the night. Depending on the day, I might check out one of the hotspots in the city. Other than that, it's just the same ol' grind; just relaxing and taking it easy. You mention jogging and walking the dog. So is your physical well-being a big deal? Oh yeah. You gotta stay in shape. I don't wanna walk around all out of shape. You can't walk two city blocks. You need to take care of business, especially being in the business that I'm in-constantly on stage and performing. I can't get up there and fall out. Just for selfbeing, you should want to stay in shape to do what you do on a daily basis. But you and I know, with the fast life, that a lot of entertainers don't make the time to care for their bodies. I mean, don't get me wrong, I get my taste of brown water. I might fuck with some Belvy [Belvedere, a vodka] or something like that. But other than that, when I recuperate the next day, it's back to the gym. It's back to the block. You gotta shake that shit off. Take a nice shit, get some ginger ale and do what you do. You gotta get on the ball

and stay that way. You can't let this shit run you down. It'll definitely do it to you, if you allow it. Aside from your family, what are your motivations to get up and record music? That is my motivation. My little one is my motivation. It depends on what your definition of success is, but I was able to help my family [with this music]. I bought a house here and there. I got a nice lil' car. I gave out jobs to people. I was successful. I basically lived my life. Now I'm basically continuing that through my lil' me right now. That's my motivation for everything; just waking up and thanking the Most High for giving me another breath and another day to make music and a dollar so I can give [my son] a life that I didn't have. I hate tellin' the lil nigga no but sometimes I gotta just to keep him in line. Who was most vocal about the Boot Camp Clik doing another project? I would say Steele and Dru-Ha [Duck Down Records co-founder]. Everybody had their lil' two cents to put in it, but when it actually came down to it, I'd say they were actually pulling for it the most out of everybody. What needed to be in order for you guys to get back in the studio together? It was time due for it. Everything under the sun has its time, and it was time for another “Great Eight” Boot Camp album to be done. You know, everybody spread their oats around. Rock had his solo career. He got with Rockwilder. Ruck (Sean Price) did his album; he did the Triple Threat albums (Monkey Bars, coinciding with 9th Wonder & Buckshot's Chemistry and Smif-NWessun's Reloaded). It was just time due for another Great Eight to make it the last stand and just let you know that this is the end of the beginning. We're gonna make it start all over. –DeMarco Williams

5 JURASSIC

The last few days before a big tour, what kinds of things are you thinking about? Right now I'm a mess. I'm trying to get my Pro-Tools [DJing equipment] situation straight with my engineer. I'm trying to dump everything to portable drives and be able to be creative on the road. I'm making sure my DJ routine is tight. I'm making sure the family is good. I'm really just trying to maintain. So my mood goes up and down. I'm fluctuating, man. With the fam, do you have to go on a mini vacation with them to let them know that you still love them? What's that whole process like? (Laughing) No, you just gotta spend some time with them before you leave. If you do too much music work before you leave, it could be a problem. But I kinda have to. I have to pack up and get ready, record-wise, computer-wise and routine-wise, you know? The two weeks before a tour are a true test of a musician, and of a man! You gotta really stand on your own two and really balance all the parts of your life. You gotta make sure the bills are paid. It's crazy. You gotta have checks ready to go 'cuz you got bills coming in [when you're gone]. It's mad. I've never really thought about paying the bills while you guys are on the road. Right. There's a whole way of balancing [responsibilities] that cats don't understand. It's cool. I'm not complaining one bit. I love what I do. You just have to plan. That's all it is. You have children? Well, my girlfriend has a little boy, so yeah. What are your thoughts on J5's current level of success? Umm, I'm happy. I'm good. No matter what you do creatively, there's always going to be critics. The journalists, the press, the mags, the online press, everybody wants to label the group and say they're not doing enough here or doing too much there. Me personally, I haven't read anything on J5, feature-wise or review-wise, in five years because I need to be neutral. When I hear people say, “You're the dopest,” I don't agree but I say thank you. When I hear them say, “I'm not feelin' your shit,” I don't believe them. I have to stay neutral 'cuz I'ma do me no matter what. I'm gonna still express who I am. That's really the true hurdle: trying to stay neutral. This whole industry is one big mirage. What have you done lately? Are you hot? What's your image like? People are really quick to put titles on things. A cat can have one single and he's the next Nas. I have constantly reminded myself not to take any of these comments to heart, even if they're really good. You were always the Chad to Cut Chemist's Pharrell. You're okay with the more behind-the-scenes tag? Oh, yeah! I wouldn't even know how to handle being up front like that. I don't need that much attention. It takes very little water to make this plant grow, bro. If everybody gives me 50 feet, I'm able to create in my little dungeon and be able to do me in the back while the guys are spitting their rhymes on stage. I'm happy as a bird. Dave Matthews is on Feedback's first single. What sorts of things did you learn from him that you haven't from the lesser-known artists you've worked with?

SPA

f you know Jurassic 5's music, you're up on the fact that rappers Chali 2na, Akil, Zaakir (aka Soup), Mark 7even, and turntablist DJ Nu-Mark (longtime member Cut Chemist has gone solo) are in the business of putting an old school feel into the new. But lately it seems they've added a few things to their Native Tongue-sounding responsibilities, like letting America know that E-40's hyphy movement isn't the only music game in Cali, and lobbying urban radio stations to convince them that the infectious tunes from their 3-disc catalog are worthy of spins. We're not sure about the other members, but Nu-Mark is adamant about the latter. “Work It Out,” the new single from the forthcoming Feedback, features Dave Matthews on the chorus, so some discrimination on the dial might soon die. the band is about to unveil their new songs in an effort to capture audiences along J5's ambitious, 35-stop summer tour. We caught up with DJ Nu-Mark right before packing his bags for the long journey (literally and metaphorically) ahead…

J5’S

FIRE

FOR

AIRPLAY

Well, I think right off there's an inherent like that, but in the sense of what parts go goal– his vibe is just so down to earth– to where and how is this going to move effiget the song right. Not to say that other ciently. [It was about] the feng shui of the people wouldn't do that. But we were song. What do you mean? approached by him in more a musiHow is it going to flow? It cian fashion. For instance, it felt like how I would was focused about “YOU envision two jazz music. When you get into a studio, musicians would MAKE MUSIC it's so easy to get together. TO BE HEARD, BOTTOM It's more of a get distractLINE. OTHERWISE YOU'D creative dised because you're concussion. All JUST STAY IN YOUR ROOM AND f i n e d of the bullMIX THE RECORD AND MAKE YOUR shit is behind DEMOS. PEOPLE WHO SAY THEY JUST t h r ow n walls with no wina w a y . MAKE MUSIC FOR THEMSELVES Ever ything dows. You IS JUST BULLSHIT. YOU NEED just wanna is put to the side. All the leave someA CERTAIN LEVEL OF egos are put to times and take ACCEPTANCE.” the side, like who a break from the does what parts or room. When you go whatever. Let's get to the into a situation like that, heart of the matter. And that's you really have to be married kind of the vibe that Dave brought. It was a to the track and to what the producer is musicians' conversation and a musicians' giving you. It was a good, focused energy, session. That's what it was. I don't mean it and that's what made us stick with the in a sense of who plays trombone and shit song.

Was any of that feng shui able to translate into any other songs? Every song is completely different. That's what happened with that song. If you were to throw out a title, I can tell you what happened with each session. Okay, “Where We At,” the cut with Mos Def? Well, that was a homegrown cut that was done here at my studio. The story with that was we just wanted to have one song of complaining. We didn't want to be the typical underground group that complains all the way through the album about how the industry sucks, blah, blah, blah. Let's just take one song, make our peace and keep it moving. We did that. We brought Mos in 'cuz we couldn't get a sample cleared from Brown Sugar. Mos was in town and we knew that he was in the movie and we needed an New York accent on that part. We called him. He came down and blessed us. That was a relatively simple story. You all first dropped in '95. What do you like about the game now more than you did then? Well, my answer would be kinda selfish 'cuz it would pertain strictly to us. I'd have to say for us that the doors are just wide open for us to perform. See, I think in the early days we were really, really struggling. In old pictures of us, all of us are skinny as rails. We were literally hungry! We're still hungry, but it's more psychological and not from our stomach. But the thing about it is back then we were trying to get on as many stages as possible because we knew that was our video. We couldn't afford a video back then. Our stage show was our video. Back then, it was big struggle getting on stage. Now, people ask us all of the time if we're overground or underground. We're completely overground when it comes to our stage show, because we've played with everyone from Tribe Called Quest and Outkast, to Bruce Springsteen and Nelly, to Chingy and Run DMC. That's dope. I think that door being wide open for us has been the bloodline to our success. I think that's the biggest thing in the industry that's changed. I can't think of anything... well, I like the Internet factor. I like it and I hate it. I like the fact you can get music online, but I don't like the fact that people can only buy one song online now as opposed to buying 15. Basically, the artist takes a hit; instead of $16 going towards the artist or a portion of it going to the artist, now it's only 99 cents. That's a good and a bad thing, 'cuz the music is getting heard. You say you're still hungry, but you have the packed houses in Cali and the nationwide tours. What are you hungry for? We don't feel we've had a fair swing at the plate yet. You can ask every member of the group and they'll be like, “We're still hungry.” We really, really don't feel like we've made it yet. We wanna be heard on radio because we grew up listening to our favorite groups on the radio. We've never thought that being on the radio was selling out, because I never thought Chuck D or Tribe was a sellout. I heard all of those amazing groups on the radio growing up. You make music to be heard, bottom line. Otherwise you'd just stay in your room and mix the record and make your demos. People who say they just make music for themselves is just bullshit. You need a certain level of acceptance. Is that why somebody like Scott Storch is producing on the album? With this album, it was a conscious effort to incorporate other artists. The previous three records, if you include the EP (Jurrasick!), was just us standing on our own two. Yeah, we had the occasional people come through, like Big Daddy Kane and stuff. But for the most part it was 95% J5. We wanted to show who we are and stand on our own two feet. It just wasn't appropriate for us to incorporate a bunch of people on our first record. So, here we are on our fourth release. In order for us to move with the times, we gotta start meshing with some other people. It was just the right time, you know? It was time for us to branch out. You look at a lot of the 30something MCs, like LL Cool J or Fat Joe; the reason they're [still] around is because they move with the times. They're not afraid to get with the southern movement or get with a new producer or just keep the shit alive, basically. This was our step in the right direction. –DeMarco Williams PG 27 • insiteatlanta.com • August 2006

PG 28 • insiteatlanta.com • August 2006

cho & the Bunnymen began at the dawn of the ‘80s, with guitarist Will Sargeant and singer Ian McColloch writing songs with the aid of a drum machine. But although their band sprung from the same era as the punk explosion, the Bunnymen were never stylistically connected to explosive guitar ‘n’ guts primacy. Instead, the Bunnymen were heavily melodic and full of layered atmosphere– a sound connected more to the droning pop of the Velvet Underground. Nearly three decades later, the two old friends are still making great music (see: last year's sublime Siberia.) We recently sat down with Sargeant to dig a little deeper into the history of this highly influential post-punk act. Are you working on new songs at all while on tour? No, we really aren't into that yet. We're on the road until at least October, so we still have loads of dates to do. The record came out last year, so I suppose you've had a lot of opportunity to work out all the songs live. Yeah, but we only do a few songs from this one. The trouble is, we've got too many songs! We've got albums where we don't play anything off of them, and we sort of have to do the ones that people want to hear anyway. Is it tiring playing some of those great ones, like “Ocean Rain,” twenty years down the road? It's the same old thing, really. It's the crowds that make it worth the effort. It's cheesy and it's corny to say that, but it's true. There's a band from the ‘70s called The Groundhogs, and they were kind of like a blues band. But they had one great song, and when I saw them play, everyone was waiting for that one big song. And then when they did it, they kind of just rushed through it, sort of like, “Shit, I don't want to really play this for them.” It was really disappointing. That pissed me off a bit, so I've always remembered that. I think of somebody in the crowd thinking, “If he can't be bothered to do that, why come?!” But with all the albums you guys have, it would be pretty hard to pick just two off of each album due to time constraints. Yeah, we play most of the singles, but even then there’s still stuff that gets left off. We do a few that aren't exactly hits, but mostly we stick to what people want to hear. Since this is a long tour, does it make you want to take a large break once it's over or does it make you excited to write and record more as Echo & the Bunnymen? We want to make more records. That's never been a question, really. We're currently looking for a deal, actually. Not really looking, because we're speaking with some people and sort of examining the options because the Cooking Vinyl [their current label] deal came to an end. We've always had a good core following, and now there seems to be a steady influx of new people as well. People like Coldplay have cited us as an influence, so things like that really help. When people talk about us like that, it's pretty good. I recently interviewed the Buzzcocks, and your bands both came up around the same time frame in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Did you both spring from the same scene? Echo never really gets lumped into that first wave of punk bands, even though you guys came into the public view around the same time. Was the punk sound a competing scene with yours? It wasn't really competing, it was more like an inspiration for me. I love the Buzzcocks, and they were one of my favorite bands at the time. I've got all their early singles on 7”, and I probably saw them play at least ten times around that period. So it wasn't any competition. Those bands like the Buzzcocks and the Stranglers were going well at that time, and they were just part of the scenery. And that's what we came from, the punk scene, with a bit of the Velvet Underground and Bowie thrown into it. Even U2 came up around that same time frame, but they blew up huge and you guys kind of kept Echo more low-key somehow. Yeah, but they were prepared to do the

ECHO & THE BU N N Y M E N S T I L L L AZ Y AF T ER AL L T H E S E Y E ARS

work, and we weren't. and Pere Ubu, who were doing interesting Really? stuff. Joy Division still sounds amazing They did loads and loads more touring than today– they sound like nothing else. I don't we did. They did like 18 months or somecare how many times people say Interpol thing. We did three weeks. And back then, sounds like Joy Division. They don't sound that's how you broke America: you played like Joy Division! They're nowhere near on every little place in every little the same level. What's kept you and Ian's town constantly. They did relationship so successthat. It was a hard work ful over the years? thing. The similarities “U2 WERE in the soundS are Oh, I don't know. PREPARED TO DO THE pretty minimal, There was that big too, other than break in the midWORK, AND WE WEREN'T. the bass/ guidle, where for THEY DID LOADS MORE tar/drums about eight years we didthing. TOURING THAN WE DID. THEY And yet of n't do nothin'. DID LIKE 18 MONTHS OR SOMEthe bands He left the you came band to purTHING. WE DID THREE WEEKS. up with, it sue a solo AND BACK THEN, THAT'S HOW seems like thing right as only a handYOU BROKE AMERICA: YOU we got big ful survive over here in PLAYED EVERY LITTLE PLACE today. So America. We IN EVERY LITTLE TOWN while your sort of carried band was never a on, and got anothCONSTANTLY.” multiplatinum act er bloke for a singer. here in the United It was sort of a weird States, you're still able thing to do, but we did it. to get here and keep it Do you look back on that going 25 years later. and think, “That was a stupid move,” or do you wish that you would’ve Our fans are pretty loyal. We have a pretty begged him to stay in the band? Or was it hardcore following here. Some people think just the right thing at the time? of the ‘80s and think of Duran Duran or the The record itself is actually pretty good. I Culture Club, but there was a load of depth think we should’ve just changed the name to the ‘80s that people are only now just discovering. Like Gang of Four and the Mekons of the band. But I don't know. Maybe if we'd

done that, it wouldn't have led to this reformation. And nobody mentions it now. When we first got back together, everyone always asked about it. But not anymore. It was just a weird anomaly. And really, a lot of it was done out of spite. We'd done, like, ten years of hard graft to get where we'd gotten, and then he left, so we were all pissed off. It was a “fuck you” move, really, and there was also backbiting at the record label because it was actually their idea for us to continue on with the name at the time. And then when you reformed, was all this water under the dam? Yeah. Ian doesn't like mentioning it, though. I guess it's a “no go” area. The bloke we had take Ian's place was a really nice guy– as big a Bunnymen fan as anyone. We almost bullied him into doing it, really. We had a couple of good tours and made a reasonable record; it was just a weird thing that happened. Since the core of Echo is you and Mac, how hard is it to work with a different rhythm section? Do they have an impact on writing songs, or is it just pretty much the two of you? The producer, Hugh Jones, who’s done some Bunnymen albums, really worked hard with the rhythm section to get it all together. I was there all the time, too, but he really makes an impact. We just jam up the songs and then they'll take over, really. We've just been doing this for so long, me and Mac, and there have been people coming and going the whole time. We've had about five bass players! (Laughs) It's gotten to the point where the only appropriate picture of the band is me and Mac. But we've all also got other things going; our bass player is in another band, and so is the drummer. When people think of this band, they think of us, I suppose. What's the writing process for the two of you, then? I've got a little recording studio, so I'm always doing little demos. I'll make a CD and then give it to him, and he'll decide what he likes and then we'll work on them together. We mess with the vocals, the arrangements, everything. And he sort of does the same thing, brings in ideas for me. He'll bring in things on cassette, just on an acoustic guitar or whatever, and maybe a melody, like, “la-la-la” or with words. Then I'll take off on what he's doing. It's always worked this way, really. Sometimes, we'll just sit in a room with two acoustic guitars and turn on a cassette recorder and record anything. Sometimes things just come out of thin air. On this record, it's been quite balanced between the two of us. “Flowers” was probably more in my favor, in terms of contribution, but “What You Gonna Do With Your Life” was probably more in his. What are your expectations for the future at this point? Keep making records, I suppose. I also do a lot of DJing. I did one last night in Houston, I've got one coming up in Austin and one in New York. I have a night in Liverpool on Wednesdays at a really cool club called EBGBs. Do you do any producing, or do you always have another solo record in the back of your mind? I've always got things I'm working on for myself, but I just haven't had the time to complete anything. I've tried producing in the past, but I'm not really that interested into going into a studio with someone else. It would have to be with mates and stuff like that. I've done some stuff with a little local band called The Open, but never really gotten into producing as such. There's nothing that I'm really into, and you have to be into it in order to want to do it. I'm a bit of a control freak, so having to deal with a lot of other people is hard when you want to be in control of everything. Are you getting tired of touring life? Well, you get tired of touring as soon as you get on the bus! Playing live is the best thing about it. I don't mind playing the old songs, feeding off of the crowd and everything, but the rest of it… you can forget it! I wish there was a teleport where you could be at home ten minutes before you went on, and you could just teleport to the stage. That would be perfect! –John Davidson PG PG 29 29 •• insiteatlanta.com insiteatlanta.com •• August August 2006 2006

hey say boys don't make passes at girls who wear glasses, but 27-year-old New York native Rosario Dawson is living proof that geeks can be chic. Sure, she's been sexy as hell in a diverse variety of films ranging from Men In Black II to last year's Sin City. But deep down inside, this exotic hottie (she's of mixed Puerto Rican, Cuban, Africa-American, Native American and Irish descent) is a self-professed fangirl who grew up loving comic books and indie films. We recently caught up with the actress in Los Angeles, where she was promoting her role in Clerks 2, but also proved willing to discuss everything from anal bleaching and nudity to her metrosexual boyfriend. Thematically, there's a lot in Clerks 2 about being stuck in a rut in life. How do you deal with those feelings? You have to learn to be true to yourself. I came into this business not knowing any idea of success, so I didn't make any decision based on that brass ring idea. I'm one of those, "It's the journey, not the destination" type of people. I try to be busy for the right reasons with things I'm proud of, and work with people I care about. To me, that's way better than being on someone's "best something" list, because the next week you'll be replaced by someone else. What initially attracted you to the idea of doing a Kevin Smith film? I was excited. I've always wanted to work with Kevin. I really loved the first Clerks, which was monumental for that time in filmmaking, when new voices were taking on the independent world. That's when I really started paying attention to films for the first time, because it was right around the time that I did Kids and decided that I wanted to be an actor. So I started watching movies like that, and I thought all movies were like that. As I started working more in the industry, it was refreshing to see someone who's maintained his integrity. As popular as he's become, as many films as he's done, as many big actors as he's worked with, he's always maintained a career of working on controversial things, having really smart dialogue and really growing as a filmmaker. He's never watered down anything. How did you get the part? An offer was on the table when they sent the script to my agent and manager, who had to read it in this secret little office. They loved it and wanted me to read it, but I was in New York. So they sent it over with a messenger, who gave it to me and said, "I will be back in exactly three hours to pick it up!" And in exactly three hours, she came back. It was so funny how hush-hush it was. The script is immersed in jokes, and if any of those jokes were to get out in public, there goes your movie. Kevin's fans are so rabid, they would've leaked it on the Internet. But I loved the movie because it gave me new elements to play with-- a donkey show, Bollywood stuff, sexism, racism. And I was a normal girl, not the super-sexy character, all outrageous and unbelievable. I got to play someone really cool. Do you expect us to believe that you'd be attracted to a guy like Dante in real life? I really do think so, because it's about the person and the friendship. It's about the relationship. If you've gonna spend any time with somebody, they'd better be your best friend. I think that's a really important thing. I'm really lucky because I'm dating my best friend right now I know! I've had a very long, crazy relationship with the (Jason Lewis of Sex & the City fame). When I first met Weinsteins. I had an outstanding contract with them him, he came up to me with his long eyelashes and I was from back in the day. For so many years I wanted to work like, “Hello, metrosexual.” I'm not into the pretty boy type with them again, and there was just nothing coming at all. My friend introduced us and he was like, “Give him through there [that was right for me]. I held out for years, a chance,” and I was like, “Ok, whatever.” He's got more from Down to You to Sin City. I've done (grooming) products than I do. But a lot of different things just for the he's really an amazing guy– experience of it, but at this point extremely intelligent, and really in my career I'm being a little athletic, which is good for me more focused on what I'm because I never get out and doing. I love that, because I've do anything. So it's really earned the respect that I've fun. He's a huge comic always for the had book fan, so we go to the “I've done over 20 films and Weinsteins. It's really flattercomic book stores and maybe four or five have been ing to me that they're pushbond. He's a total geek, sexual. I think I'm blessed to ing me as the girl that they and I love that. want to put in the film. And Other than Clerks, are there be able to portray a diverse Kevin was like, “Sure!” I love any other films in Kevin's group of characters. Also, that. It opens up really great catalogue that stand out for opportunities. We're continuyou? I'm glad that, when I'm ing to work together. When Chasing Amy came out it in my 80s, I can look What collaborative projects do was a really big deal in my houseback at my old you have coming up? hold, because it was a whole movie We're doing the next Sin City; I'm about comics and my uncle Gus is a movies and be working with Quentin on Deathproof, comic book artist. I was so proud of him, like, ‘I was which is the Robert Rodriguez double feabecause he was a penciler and not an hot!’” ture they're doing together; I did Killshot, inker, because the film made fun of them which Quentin and the Weinsteins produced, for being tracers. It was a big deal! So (Kevin) based on an Elmore Leonard novel. It's pretty has always had a warm place in my heart, and awesome, because this is what you work your I was excited when I heard that he was even whole career for-- to get to a position where you're interested in me for this film… It's really striking to working on great projects with great people and me! I understand that people just don't know me there's mutual respect. Being on a Kevin Smith set, very well personally, so they don't necessarily see that these are the same people he's worked with for years, I was reading the script, laughing my ass off and going, from the actors to the crew. And that's an amazing thing. “I'm there, sir!” I was soooo ready for it, but it's not necIt's really hard to do in this industry, where you'll work on essarily something that you could get from watching me movies for years and ever see the same person twice. So in Rent or Sin City, you know? it's really great when you can get to a point where on the Kevin mentioned that the Weinstein brothers pushed same page, and I feel like that's happening. Kevin's proyou for the project. PG 30 • insiteatlanta.com • August 2006

GEEK LOVE ducer, Scott Mosier, helped me crew up on my film that I produced, and Kevin did the pre-interview for the comic book that I'm producing (called “Occult Crimes Taskforce”) and has been really supportive on that, giving me tips and information on the best way to proceed. It's really amazing. Kevin helped with your comic? We had to put out a preview book, because HeroesCon was before the release date of the comic. So we put out something that had some of the pages in it and an interview with me. And he did the interview, which was really great and helped sell the book. He's been putting press on his website, and he was the first one to put it out there. There's been a really great response, and he's been really helpful with teaching me how to approach it. He's one of the few people I know who've really found the balance between Hollywood and comics, because it's a totally different world. There's no ass-kissing in the comic book world. If they don't like you, they'll tell you to your face that you suck. And that's awesome. The fact that we've been getting really good reviews, I'm very appreciative of that. We're eventually gonna do a film with it and a video game and stuff. You've occasionally been pigeonholed as the sexy girl. Does that bother you? I've done over 20 films and maybe four or five of them have been quite sexual. I'm excited about Killshot, as the character I play lives in a trailer home and loves Elvis. So I have this really bad curly hair, with no makeup or anything except for pockmarks on my face. I think as sexual as someone like my character in Rent could be, you also see how insecure and needy she was. Just because you have that beauty on the outside doesn't mean that it's always working on the inside, because otherwise she wouldn't be taking heroin every five minutes. So I think I'm blessed to be able to portray a diverse group of characters. I'll do whatever I can for as long as I can. Also, I'm glad that, when I'm in my eighties, I can look back at my old movies and be like, “I was hot!” –B. Love

Continuing Education

Fall Education Guide Atlanta has plenty of Continuing Education programs to suit practically every field of interest, and our Fall Education Guide highlights some of the best! This Guide profiles a diverse group of schools offering a variety of courses in different fields.

America’s Real Estate Academy, Inc. 770-591-5552 www.education-area-ga.com

merica's Real Estate Academy, Inc. (AREA) is one of Atlanta's premier fullservice real estate education providers. AREA surpasses standard academics and offers students functional information as part of the core curriculum. Improved and more relevant education make new and existing licensees more appealing to hiring brokers, appraisers, and home inspectors and more successful entrepreneurs. A recent appraisal graduate stated "After talking to other appraisers about what was covered in their course, I feel that I not only made the correct choice but instead the only choice in taking this course by AREA"

Curriculum director, Dick Viti, with over 30 years of real estate experience in Georgia and Florida, oversees AREA's instructors. All instructors are professionals who teach while conducting successful appraisal, home inspection, and/or real estate sales businesses bringing realism and practical instruction to the classroom, thereby facilitating a student's entry into the business. In addition to state mandated training, students receive print and digital reports superior to those found in the industry with essential proven terminology to guide them and help them get started. Students receive useful business and marketing tools and tips to assist them in their new careers, which includes access to national professional organization memberships and industry supplies at discounts. AREA bridges the gap between traditional academic programs and the real world. AREA offers an Appraisal Mentor Program and offers real estate agents across the southeast HUD seminars to increase their business through

Nightmare Interviews P

AREA's affiliation with First Preston and AFR & Associates. Additional business and technology training and courses to give AREA students a competitive edge are offered at the corporate office and classroom facility. AREA services the entire Metro and surrounding Atlanta area with technologically equipped facilities including a computer and data center. Students have even traveled from surrounding states to receive AREA's professional training. Check schedules and register for classes now by visiting AREA's website at www.education-area-ga.com or by calling 770-591-5552.

International School of Skin & Nailcare 5600 Roswell Road, N.E. (404) 843-1005 www.skin-nails.com

he International School of Skin & Nail care (ISSN) is celebrating 21 years as a school and day spa in Sandy Springs. ISSN is where all the people get trained that work in Spas, Salons, Network TV, Doctors, Cruise Ships and manufacturing companies. Anywhere skin care treatments are given or nail care beauty is performed. Courses from Classic Facials to Microdermbrasion Facials, to waxing, make-up, to manicures and nail art are taught at the r e n o w n e d International School of Skin and Nailcare (ISSN). Our job placement is excellent and has remained near 100-percent for over a decade - no other school is close. Our long experience and being known in the Industry insures the graduate of a good job upon graduation. Over 320 active employers depend on ISSN for Esthetician and Nail Technician staffing. Our programs start monthly for the convenience of today's student. We have morning, afternoon, or evening class in the Esthetician program and day or evening classes in the Nail Technician program. We are conveniently located in the Prado, Roswell Road at I-295. We are an accredited school and approved by the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology. A quick call to our Admission's office can answer all of your questions. When you call ask for a tour of the school. Call us today: Local 404-8431005 X 1 or email us issn@skin-nails.com

Binders Art Supplies

3330 Piedmont Rd. Suite 18 404-237-6331 www.bindersart.com

INDERS Art Supplies and Frames is more than an art store! We are committed to bringing local and nationally recognized teachers for art classes, work-

reparing for a job interview is serious business. Interviews are emotionally charged events and because the job seeker wants to make a good impression, even the most confident of personalities can still feel a little anxious. So what happens when, despite careful preparation, your interview experience is a total disaster? Job seekers and human resources professionals alike can relate to the nightmare interview. Experienced interviewers typically have at least a few stories to tell about interviews that have gone very, very wrong. Whether it's the candidate who falls asleep during an interview, or the one who arrived in attire that is only appropriate in a nightclub, or who the one who speaks in a tone of voice audible from two miles away, their stories can be both tragic and amusing depending on the perspective.

But what happens when the interviewer seems to have taken a dive off the deep end and begins to act hostile manner toward you during the interview? If you recognize that you are in the middle of a Stress Interview and keep your composure, you can come through it with confidence and grace! Stress interviews are used sometimes used by employers who are attempting to determine how a candidate might react in stressful or uncomfortable situations that may arise in a work setting. They might ask confrontational questions, exhibit strange or rude behavior, or ask an impossible question for which there is no dignified response. Advance preparation and research can help you feel more confident if you ever find yourself in a Stress Interview situation. Keeping your composure and maintaining control of your responses are critical in such a situation. Ask for clarification when you are unsure about the relevance of interview questions and don't be afraid to re-direct the conversation back to your skills and suitability for the position. The worst thing you could do is take it personally

and verbally attack the interviewer. Remember, if you find the situation offensive and inappropriate, you have the right to politely end the interview. You may not get the job but the important question is, do you still want it? Even a nightmare interview is valuable. At the very least you gained some interview experience and you'll leave the office with a great story to tell your friends! By Kimberly Guelcher, Georgia State University PG 31 • insiteatlanta.com • August 2006

expect expect on the on the actual actual tests. tests. In addition In addition to the to the free free practice practicetests, tests, Kaplan Kaplan experts experts will will provide provide anan overview overviewof of each each exam exam and and its role its role in the in the admissions admissionsprocess. process. Within Within days days of the of the event, event, participants participantswill willreceive receive their their with with personalized personalized computer computer scores, scores, complete complete Kaplan will will offer offer analysis analysis of their of their performance. performance.Kaplan forforthe theLSAT, LSAT, GMAT, GMAT, GRE, GRE, free free practice practice tests tests MCAT, MCAT, PCAT, PCAT, Atlanta’s Atlanta’sColleges Colleges and and andand DAT DAT at at Universities Universities yearor oronline online anyanythroughout throughout the theyear time time at kaptest.com. at kaptest.com. shops andshops demonstrations and demonstrations throughout throughout the year. the year. Kaplan Kaplan alsoalso hashas FREE FREE admissions admissions & & strategy strategy We have created We have acreated diverse a diverse class schedule class schedule to to seminars seminars andand FREE FREE personal personalstatement statement workworkmeet eachmeet eachspecific artist's artist's specific needs, needs, whether whether you you graduate graduate school-bound school-bound students students shops shops to help to help are a novice areor a novice professional. or professional. Our instructors Our instructors are are understand understand thethe complex complexapplication application process process some of the somemost of the renowned most renowned professionals professionals in in Thesefree freeevents events are are aa and entrance and entrance exam(s). exam(s).These the business, the business, arethey committed are committed to proto proand theyand greatgreat tooltool for for anyone anyone interested interested in in attending attending viding you viding withyou knowledge with knowledge and training and training to to business, business, graduate, graduate, lawlaw oror medical medicalschool. school. advance your advance skills your asskills an artist. as an artist. Learning Learning at at BINDERS BINDERS is a unique is a experience. unique experience. Our classOur classrooms arerooms located are in located an 18,000 in an 18,000 squaresquare foot foot retail art retail supply art store supply- store everything - everything that you that you need is atneed yourisfingertips! at your fingertips! To ensure To ensure a produca productive and intimate tive and intimate learninglearning environment, environment, class class sign sign up enrollmentenrollment is limited, is limited, so be sure so betosure to up quickly! Please quickly! visit Pleasehttp://learning.bindervisit http://learning.bindersart.com or sart.com call 404.237.6331 or call 404.237.6331 for more for more infor- information! mation!

International

JankeJanke Studios Studios

659 Auburn 659 Auburn Ave. Studioplex Ave. Studioplex G-9 G-9 404-584-0305 404-584-0305 www.jankestudios.com www.jankestudios.com

SCHOOL OF SKIN & NAILCARE Career Training That Counts

Kaplan Kaplan TestTest Prep Prep and and Admissions, Admissions,the the nation’s nation’s f you havef maryou have marleader leader in test in test preparation preparation and andadmissions admissions servservveled at veled the at the prepare ices, ices, offers offers comprehensive comprehensiveoptions options to to prepare beautiful beautiful freefreefor admissions for admissions tests. tests. These Theseunparalleled unparalleled courscoursform andform con-and conyouyou with with in-depth in-depthreview review of of every every es provide es provide trolled works trolledofworks of for every every aspect aspect of the of the exam, exam, intensive intensivepractice practice for dale Chihuly dale or Chihuly or question question type, type, step-by-step step-by-step guidance guidance from from watched awatched glass- a glassKaplan's Kaplan's expert expert teachers, teachers,supplemental supplemental workworkshops, shops, andand home home study study materials. materials. blowing blowing docudocufor more for more information informationabout about Kaplan’s Kaplan’s Call today Call today mentary, mentary, you you enroll enrollininour ourfree free events events Test Test PrepPrep options, options, or or to to should know should thatknow there that is there a thriving is a thriving glass blowglass blowby by calling calling800-KAP-TEST 800-KAP-TEST oror online online at at ing community ing community heating heating up in Atlanta! up in Atlanta! http://www.kaptest.com/. http://www.kaptest.com/. Janke Studios Janke Studios is Atlanta's is Atlanta's premier premier Glassblowing Glassblowing Studio and Studio Functional and Functional Art Glass Art Glass Gallery. Celebrating Gallery. Celebrating 10 years10 inyears the metro in the metro area area the Jankethe team Janke continues team continues to offertoaoffer variety a variety of of 1460 1460 Northside NorthsideDrive Drive perfectly into your intoschedule. your schedule. classes that classes that will fit will fit perfectly 404.352.7200 404.352.7200 Courses are Courses project arebased projectand based designed and designed for allfor all from the novice from the tonovice experienced to experienced glass craftsman glass craftsman onveniently onveniently located locatedininmidtown midtown 1/2 1/2 mile mile and artist.and artist. south south off I75 off I75 on on Northside NorthsideDrive, Drive,and and only only 11 workshop workshop to getto get Try a three Try hour a three paperweight hour paperweight mile mile north north of the of the entrance entrancetotoAtlantic Atlantic Station, Station, a feel for the a feel process for the or process if youorare if you more are advenmore advenAtlanta’s Atlanta’s most most unique uniqueart art supply supply retail retail sits sits a two a two weekday weekturous, but turous, shortbut on short time on take time take day store. store. A 35,000 A 35,000 square square feet feetfacility facility contains contains aa end workshop. end workshop. During this During workshop this workshop you will you will widewide array array of art of art supplies, supplies, frames, frames,furniture furniture and and experienceexperience all the basic all the skills basic and skills glassblowing and glassblowing much much more! more! floor environment. floor environment. your own your paperown paper-The The Create Create store store hashas many many different differentdepartments departments all all weight, check weight, out check the out process the process and meet and meet new new geared geared toward toward thethe creative creative minds mindsof ofthe the people people people. For people. the enthusiast For the enthusiast nurturenurture your skills your skills in in Atlanta. OneOne of of those thosecreative creativeareas areas is the the of of Atlanta. an extensive an extensive five weekfive class week orclass hostora host Remote, a Remote, Presentation Presentation Department. Department. They They have have aa wide wide hot glass hot on your glass site on your (demos, site (demos, classesclasses or eduor eduselection selection of of archival archivalboxes, boxes, photography photography cational purposes). cational purposes). leather leatherbags, bags,high-end high-end binders, binders, and and sleeves, sleeves, otherother unique unique products products totomake makeyour your presentapresentation tion a success! a success! This This section sectionalso alsooffers offers unique unique for for general general office officeuse useincluding: including: date date supplies supplies books, books, calendars, calendars, organizational organizationalsystems, systems, desk desk accessories, accessories, CD CD cases, cases, sketchbooks, sketchbooks,and and everyevery3867 Roswell 3867 Roswell Rd. Suite Rd. Suite 200 200 Call Now For More Info youyou would would need needtotopersonalize personalize your your thingthing thatthat 1-800-kap-test 1-800-kap-test home home or office or office space. space.InInthe theFine Fine Art Art section section www.kaptest.com www.kaptest.com you will you will findfind poster all all types types of of mediums mediumsfrom from poster paintpaint to the to the finest finest oils, oils, acrylics, acrylics,and and watercolwatercolaplan is providing aplan is providing college college students students and othand oth5600 Roswell Road, N.E. Their Their Technical Technical Department Departmentisisthe the place place to to ors. gradfor school grad school the chance the chance to to ors. ers bound ersfor bound Atlanta, GA 30342take a practice you are are a student a student ororarchitect/engineer. architect/engineer. if you practice admissions test fortest FREE for FREE at a atgo a ifgo take a admissions HereHere you you will will findfind professional professionaltemplates, templates, rolls rolls can yougauge can gauge local practice local test practice event. testHere, event.you Here, www.skin-nails.com of wide-format paper/vellum paper/vellum&&mylar, mylar, compasscompassyour test-taking your test-taking skills and skills getand a feel getfor a feel what for to what of to wide-format es and es and measuring measuring tools. tools.

Sam SamFlax Flax

ISSN Provides Modern Facilites and State of the Art Equipment

European Facial Makeup Waxing Body Treatments Nail Care Microdermbrasion

Classes Starting Monthly

Kaplan Kaplan Test Test PrepPrep & Admissions & Admissions

404-843-1005 x 1

BLICK CONSOLIDATES BLICK CONSOLIDATES ROSWELL ROSWELL & KENNESAW & KENNESAW STORES STORES Will becomeWill thebecome largesttheprovider largest provider of art materials of art materials in Atlanta in Atlanta area.area.

About Blick

ick Blick Retail,ick Blick largest Inc., will be combining Inc., will betheir combining theirin largest the countr y, country, and Blick andisBlick is Retail, in the Kennesaw and Kennesaw Roswell locations and Roswell into locations a new into thea among new the theamong largest the maillargest mailsuper store located super order Woodstock Road Woodstock in the Road in the at store 1165located at 1165 art order material art material providersproviders thethe U.S. in the U.S. Roswell CornersRoswell Shopping Corners Center Shopping homeCenter to the home in to regional Super Target regionalCenter. Super Target The store Center. is The schedstore Robert is sched-Stone the General Robert is Stone is the General August, open in2006 early and August, will2006 provide and will provide ofManager Roswell uled to open in early uled to Manager Blick new of Blick new Roswell the largest selection the largest location location can be andreached can be reached Atlanta Atlanta and of art selection materials of in artthe materials in the at at been serhave ving been the Atlanta serving the Atlanta 770-993-0240. area. Blick stores area. 770-993-0240. have Blick stores artist communityartist since community 1984. since 1984. Family-owned and Family-owned operated since and operated 1911, Blick since is 1911, Blick is the only art materials the onlyretailer art materials to ownretailer and operate to own and operate its own st ate-of-the its own ar t state-of-the distribution arcenter, t distribution located center, located in Galesburg, Illinois in Galesburg, - and buys Illinois in bulk - and from buys in manbulk from manthe savings thetosavings their on cus-to their cusufacturers to pass ufacturers to pass on tomers. On top tomers. of an ever On top ydayofdiscounted an everyday price, discounted price, additional discounts additional are provided discountsthrough are provided through the prethe prefor teachers, students teachers, students ferred customerferred program customer program for and artists. and artists. their popular their popular Blick has 30 stores Blick in has1530States, stores in 15 States, the busiest and Internet site www.dickblick.com Internet site www.dickblick.com is the busiestisand PG 32 • insiteatlanta.com • August 2006

Announcing the largest selection of art materials in the Atlanta area. Blick’s New Roswell Store 1165 Woodstock Road Grand Opening August 17th! Enter to win: • $3,000 art school scholarship • $2,000 in product • $500 - $750 Dream Studio

Back To School Sale!

• Huge savings on canvas 50% - 70% off list • Paint sale 40% - 50% off list

...now providing custom framing

Present this ad at our New Store for One non-sale, in-stock item

20% OFF

Coupon must be surrendered at time of purchase; no copies will be honored. Limit one coupon per visit. Valid only on non-sale, in-stock items. Not valid with any other discounts or promotion, phone/mail/internet orders, purchases of gift cards and furniture pieces.

Valid: August 17-31, 2006

New Roswell Store: 1165 Woodstock Road, Ste. 830 770-993-0240

Roswell Corners Shopping Center/ Super Target Center

PG 33 • insiteatlanta.com • August 2006

NOW OPEN! Taco Mac Linbergh City Center & Johns Creek

FOOTBALL HEADQUARTERS

Glassware Give-Aways Each Monday Night, Domestic Beer Specials, Big Screen TVs, and the Best Beer Selection in the South!

www.tacomac.com

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PG 34 • insiteatlanta.com • August 2006

The Local Scene Taco Mac - Atlanta’s popular restaurant is opening near you.

aco Mac is affectionately known for their original Virginia Highland location with its tremendous beer selection and one of a kind wings. But in recent years, the company has been rapidly expanding, opening new locations in all corridors of the city. Taco Mac brought the southeast its first taste of Buffalo Style Chicken Wings back in 1979, when a couple of guys from Buffalo, NY on their way to Florida made a stop in Atlanta. After touring the city, they decided to stay and opened the first Taco Mac in Virginia Highland. Their wings immediately had people talking and since then, Taco Mac has consistently won awards for their wings. This is because their wings are cooked to order to ensure a consistent standard of quality every time. All their wings have variations of the secret sauce that has been famous for nearly thirty years. As the popularity of Taco Mac's Buffalo Wings increased, cold beer and sports seemed like natural partners. The wall of drafts grew to offer the biggest selection of micro-brewed beers and imports in the south. People from all over the world could enjoy their hometown brew while watching their hometown sports team at Taco Mac. It became a favorite spot for customers to share an evening of food, friends and family. In recent years, Taco Mac has opened new locations in Alpharetta, Decatur and the Perimeter. Perimeter is one of their largest locations and has an abundance of large screens to catch all the biggest sporting events. Decatur boasts a new patio. Two new locations are set to open this month. Johns Creek is scheduled to open on August 8, and Lindbergh which is located in front of the Marta station at Lindbergh City Center. Both locations will offer 100 beers on draft, and the Lindbergh location will have a semi-mezzanine patio offering great views of the city. www.tacomac.com

Brazilian Wax Opens New Location

ndreia Longshore has been waxing for over 15 years. 10+ years in Brazil and 5+ years in Marietta. She has recently expanded Brazilian Wax by Andreia to a new location to better serve her growing clientele. One reason for her local success is the wax that she imports directly from Brazil. It's a special blend of wax with honey, just like you would find at a waxing salon in Rio. This unique blend, and her technique, leaves your skin feeling smooth, hydrated and sexy. You will feel the difference. It only takes about 20 minutes! With Grand Opening specials of only $25 for a Brazilian bikini wax, or $55 full body – it's worth the drive. 80 Powers Ferry Road, Suite 9, Marietta. In front of Harry's Market at Roswell Road 770-579-3201 www.brazilianwaxinatlanta.com PG 35 • insiteatlanta.com • August 2006

Sports

ait, is this really happening? Are the 14-time division-winning Atlanta Braves truly just two months away from their first non-playoff-making season since 1990?! Can't be. Without them, Atlanta's most successful team becomes the (gulp!) Georgia Force, an arena football squad that's made the playoffs three of the past four seasons. April started pretty slowly for the Tomahawks, who went 10-14. May showed signs of what the city's come to expect, with an 18-11 mark. But while the Braves were teetering, those pesky Mets were running the tightest ship in the hitting business, dominating the NL East. Then June came. Oh, the horror of a 6-21 June. Please turn, calendar! Tuuuurn! It did, and so did the Braves' bats, for the better. “The offense was rolling,” Chipper Jones said in late July, “everything was hitting on all cylinders. I was a pretty big part of that.” His .500 batting average, 7 home runs and 20 RBI over the month certainly were. Too bad Braves fans were forced to play “What Could've Been,” when Jones’ nagging oblique injury sidelined him during a vital stretch that included a home series against NL East nemesis Florida and the division-leading Mets. Cover any underage kids' eyes, because here's where things get ugly. It all began when Atlanta came home from a prosperous road trip to lose two of three to so-so Florida. “We have trouble with the Marlins,” insisted right fielder Jeff Francoeur. “I just can't figure it out. [In] the eighth inning, I sat and asked [pitcher John] Smoltz, 'Why do we have trouble with the Marlins?' Last year even, when we had the division wrapped up, we still couldn't beat the Marlins. Hats off to their team.” John and Jeff couldn't come up with anything. Neither could fans. But the everoptimistic Braves supporters turned the other cheek, discounting the performance as a temporary letdown. But if that series was ill-timed, what do you call what hap-

PG 36 • insiteatlanta.com • August 2006

playoffs on the brain like a bad horror film, the braves’ postseason outlook isn’t so much scary as it is a bit bleak

pened against New York? Not since 1985 had the Mets come to Atlanta and swept a series. For years it just seemed like the Braves had their rival's number. Down 12 games in the NL East standings, the still-swaggering home team wanted to either take two or, better yet, sweep the kings from Queens. Said second baseman Marcus Giles a day before the NY series, “it's like that 'Look over your shoulder' thing. We either turn [the Mets] heads this way or drop it and let ‘em run. If we let this series slip, they're not going to feel heat anymore.” Consider the East under a late-sum-

mer blizzard watch. New York– and its MVPcaliber third baseman, Carlos Beltran (4 HRs and 12 RBI in the series)– not only stretched their cushion to 15 games, but they knocked most of the air out of Atlanta's spirit. Need proof? Look at the attendance figures over the Mets weekend: July 28 (53,943, a regular season record at Turner Field); July 29 (49,047); July 30 (40, 526). And you thought the trailer for The Descent was frightening? “It's unfortunate,” left fielder Ryan Langerhans said after the July 29 11-3 debacle, “to get that kind of fan support and not give them a better performance. Hopefully they'll stick with us, because this team's got

a lot of heart and is not going to give up.” The Braves have done too much for this city to be dismissed after one rough patch. Too many players have done too much this season to be forgotten. Chipper is one. Andruw Jones (25 homers and 91 RBI) is another. And it'd be wrong to neglect mentioning the things All-Star catcher Brian McCann (his .336 batting average is the best among NL catchers) and shortstop Edgar Renteria (.319) have done at the plate. It would be ignorant to think that one team could win its division every year. But it's equally naïve to think the Braves' playoff hopes are completely squandered. They can't be– not with the clubs in front of them in the wild card hunt (namely Cincinnati, San Francisco and Philadelphia) barely holding on themselves. At press time, there were eight teams in front of Atlanta for the final playoff spot. Oddly, the Braves play six of them (not Arizona or L.A.) in at least one series before the end of the year, meaning these guys aren’t dead yet. Who knows what could happen if Chipper got healthy, Smotlz and Tim Hudson got going on the mound, and Francoeur got some more patience at the plate? “If you look at a team like the Twins and see how far they've come back,” Francoeur said of Minnesota's improbable charge back into postseason contention, “when you put good hitting and good pitching together, you're going to make a difference. That's our goal right now– get back to .500. Take two of three [in a series] and you start creeping back.” Sounds like a plan, Jeff. Just don't say “creep,” or any other spooky horror movie terms right now. Braves fans are already a bit on edge, what with the semi-scary prospect of not making the playoffs for the first time in 15 years hovering about. Simply play some good ball these next two months and alter this nightmare into the uplifting, feel-good story Atlanta baseball fans are used to seeing unfold at this time of the year. --DeMarco Williams

Sports

FANATIC A Monthly Sports Wrap-Up by DeMarco Williams

• The Kit Kat Lounge and Supper Club, a gay bar in Chicago, has named a martini after White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen in support of the skipper, who they feel is a friend of the gay community. Guillen was denounced for calling Chicago Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti a derogatory name that's considered offensive to the gay community. "The Effen Ozzie GuillenTini" is now on the menu at the bar and comes with a free copy of the Sun-Times. "[Guillen] has been a supporter of the gay community," said John McCartney, one of the drink's creators. "What he said was no big deal, and we wanted people to know it's time to get over it."

just a matter of taking what you're doing on the practice court and applying it in matches.” –struggling Andy Roddick, on getting the eight-time Grand Slam-winning Connors to coach him • “As Africans, we know that we dare not fail. I can understand that some people may have some skepticism, but I have absolutely no worries that the World Cup will be a success.” –South African President Thabo Mbeki, on his country's 2010 hosting • Out of the 305 Associated Press-stamped newspapers in this country, only the New York Daily News (Leon Carter), St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Larry Starks), Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Garry Howard) and The Tennessean (Alan Whitt) have black sports editors, according to a column from ESPN's Scoop Jackson. Call the stats racist, disheartening or whatever: Fanatic simply considers it an insult to all the brilliant African-American sports journalists out there. • [Industry analysts] estimate that Mobile ESPN will lure a mere 30,000 subscribers over the course of this financial year– well below their original estimate of 240,000. Along with the losses generated by a second Disney-branded phone service, Merrill Lynch expects that the Mouse will lose $135 million on its experiment in '06. • "I think what the Bobcats saw in my workouts was that I can move better than people give me credit for and I'm faster, I guess, than people think at first.'' Morrison, –Adam after scoring 29 in his second summer league game for Charlotte

• “Am I the only one who thought Chicago wasted much of its cap space for two extra rebounds per game, a mild defensive upgrade and the ongoing comedy of a Buckwheat-caliber a f r o ? Congratulations, you get to play four-onfive for the next four And finally… years in a league • If Jim Mora doesn't where every rule lead the Falcons to adjustment favors an 11-5 or 12-4 seateams that can son, he may be out score. Why not just as head coach… keep Chandler for Damn, it looks like two-thirds the price? Mark Prior and Kerry Instead, they overWood will NEVER [Ben] for paid play together… Wallace and gave Sports Illustrated's away Chandler for a “Greatest College P.J. washed-up Athletes”: 1) Jim Brown and a draft How Andy Roddick got his groove back? Brown, Syracuse; 2) that New bust Thanks to coaching by the legendary Jackie Robinson, Orleans was trying to Jimmy Connors. UCLA; 3) Bo Jackson, dump? I don't get it. Auburn… The This is like Chicago White Sox Paramount Pictures led the majors in runs scored at the All-Star break… signing William H. Macy to a four-picture, $60 million Oddly enough, the Cubs led the majors in fewest runs deal– sure, he's a great actor, but that doesn't mean scored… San Diego manager Bruce Bochy wears a you pay him like a superstar.” –ESPN's Bill Simmons, size 8 hat, the largest in the majors… Sports on Chicago's Wallace signing Illustrated's “No. 1 College Sports Fans”: 1) Matthew McConaughey, Texas; 2) Ashley Judd, Kentucky; 3) • For the record, Fanatic thinks the signing of Big Counting Crows singer Adam Duritz, California… Ben to the Bulls will be wondrous to the clubhouse, Braves catcher Brian McCann is the first back-stopper in the paint and at the ticket window. since Sandy Alomar Jr. (Cleveland) to homer in five straight games… Through “Home Depot's Most • “It means a lot when someone who has won as Colorful Fan” program, customers can purchase many tennis championships as Jimmy Connors paint in the exact colors (600 shades representing comes through and says, 'I believe in you. I think you 170 different teams) of their favorite professional can really do some great things, and here's how.' I and college sports squads. never felt that I couldn't play tennis anymore. It was

Must-See TV

Top 5 Games this Month

1 2 3 4 5

WORLD BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

August 19-September 3 (Various times, ESPN) 11 of our country's best (and Brad Miller) go all the way to Japan to prove we're better at slamming than soccer.

NEW YORK vs. CHICAGO

August 9-10 (8:05PM, ESPN) Boston and Detroit have a hand on things, so this AL battle becomes a fight for the Wild Card.

MLS ALL-STAR GAME

August 5 (6:30PM, ESPN) Jaime Moreno, Freddy Adu and Major League Soccer's brightest take on European Premier League's Chelsea FC near Chicago.

U.S. OPEN

August 28-Sept 10 (Various times, USA/CBS) Andy Roddick and Kim Clijsters defend titles at the only Grand Slam event with evening matches. Wake us for the Finals.

BRICKYARD 400

August 6 (2PM, NBC) Matt Kenseth and all the rest do their best to catch points leader Jimmie Johnson on the famed Indy track.

PG PG 37 37 •• insiteatlanta.com insiteatlanta.com• •August August2006 2006

CAPRICORN

TAURUS

VIRGO

Remember the song that goes, “He’s got the whole world in his hands”? As long as you put forth a little effort, this month should prove your time to shine.

If there’s a certain shake-up going on in your love life, make sure you’re not tying your partner down, or vice versa. If they need space, give it; if you do, take it!

The new moon enters Virgo this month, offering a chance to move on from the past, forgive and forget, and prepare for a radical change or evolution in your love life.

AQUARIUS

GEMINI

May 22nd thru June 21s

Sept. 24th thru Oct. 23rd

Love? Romance? Sex? Whatever you fancy in the realm de l’amour, this month finds it at the top of your agenda. Don’t feel pressured or deperate, but do feel free to explore.

The heavens insist you should tread lightly this month and not let your pride get the best of you. Be humble and try to do unto others without worrying too much about them doing unto you.

Libras and friends go together like PB & J, but badass Saturn has been making things rockier than usual in this department. This month offers a chance to smooth things over.

PISCES

CANCER

June 22nd thru July 23rd

Oct. 24th thru Nov. 22nd

The stars promise big changes in store this month, and most of them will be for the better. No matter which way fate’s winds seem to be blowing, keep the faith and trust your gut.

Whether you’re scared of going broke or finally figure out a way to get ahead, this month finds financial issues at the forefront. Work hard, believe in yourself and you WILL be rewarded.

Whether in work or romance, this month should prove exciting and dramatic for you. Be careful what you wish you, because you just may get it, and above all try not to lose your cool.

ARIES

LEO

SAGITTARIUS

If you’re typically a carpe diemtype daredevil, this month it might prove wise to restrain yourself. Do your best to stay cool, calm and collected, even in the face of heavy stress.

If Saturn has been putting you through more than your fair share of trials and tribulations lately, don’t give up! Go easy on yourself and prepare to reap what your hard work has sown.

A few months ago you went through a period of chaotic change. Now, the Universe is checking to make sure you’ve broken free from the past so that you can embrace your fabulous future.

Apr. 21st thru May 21th

by Ms. Omniscient

Dec. 22nd thru Jan. 20th

Jan. 21st thru Feb. 19th

Feb. 20th thru Mar. 20th

July 24th thru Aug. 23rd

Mar. 21st thru Apr. 20

Aug. 24th thru Sept. 23rd

LIBRA

SCORPIO

Nov. 23rd thru Dec. 21st

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