INsite Atlanta July 2006 Issue

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

Thurs-Texas Hold’em Tourney & Live music Fri & Sat - Voted Best College bar in Atlanta Never A Cover! Never a Cover!

Voted Best Neighborhood Bar (2003, 2004), Best Wings (2005), Best Looking Waitstaff (2004)

Wheel of Beer,

www.holeinthewallatlanta.com

All Day, Every Saturday Salads, Sandwiches, Wings, Burgers & Entrees Dine in, Delivery, Carry Out or Catering

CONTENTS

JULY 2006 VOL. 10-10

INTERVIEWS 15 DAMIAN MARLEY

13

18 JACK BLACK 26 NICKEL CREEK 27 ATMOSPHERE 28 YELLOWCARD

r anufacture National M illowtop

P New Queen s Sets Mattres from

$ 299.99 Cityscape with Cosmopolitan Living Room

349 99

14999

5 PC. DINETTE SETS 99 FROM 149

29 33 34 35

THE COUP FIELD MOB BUZZCOCKS FLAMING LIPS

36 MIAMI HEAT

18

FEATURES 10 ATLANTA’S BEST BBQ

Does any food sum up summertime fun better than barbecue? We think not, and our guide covers some of the city’s coolest spots, including Dusty’s, Fat Matt’s, Slope’s and Sonny’s.

13 SUMMER MUSIC PREVIEW

26

With record labels unveiling their biggest releases and tours, there’s no hotter time of year for music fans. So take off your clothes, put on your shades and sunscreen, and strap in for our huge annual feature.

22 WE GOT NEXT

This month featuring Forgive Duden, the Seattle-based quartet at the forefront of a new movement to put the “pop” back in pop-punk.

35 MUSIC VENUE GUIDE

The city’s concert venue landscape has changed significantly in recent years with the demise of revered clubs such as the Echo Lounge and the rise of upstarts such as the Blue Room, Our guide will turn you on to some of our favorite polaces to catch a show.

28

COLUMNS

6 ON TAP

8 AROUND TOWN 9 UNDER THE LIGHTS

35

12 BOOK REVIEWS 16 MOVIE REVIEWS 19 VIDIOTS 20 CONCERT CALENDAR 22 ROAD WARRIORS 24 ALBUM REVIEWS 37 FANATIC 38 HOROSCOPES

36

www.insiteatlanta.com

PG 4 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2006

Volume 10.10 July 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

Call 404-315-8485 advertising@insiteatlanta.com President Stephen Miller National Managing Editor Bret Love Sports Editor DeMarco Williams Local Managing Editor Rav Mansfield Graphic Designer Nicholas Tipton Web Designer Michael Faber Contributing Writers / Interns

John Davidson, Josh Moore, Erin Semple, Laura Estep, Russell Fisher, Ben Beard, Zena Scott, Margo Aaron, Andrew Gilstrap 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 metro 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.

© Copyright 2006, Be Bop Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Happenings National Black Arts Festival...returns to Atlanta on July

14-23 and will feature visual and literary arts, as well as a wide variety of performances, in venues all around the city. This year's festival will explore the style, culture and artistic achievements of South Africa and the American South.

A complete festival schedule can be found online at www.nbaf.org. Highlights include: The premiere of "A Great and Shining Light" by Grammy-nominated composer Hannibal Lokumbe, featuring a 150-voice choir and a solo dance work. The piece, influenced by jazz, blues and gospel, is a commentary on the life of civil rights leader and former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young.

July 14 at 8 p.m., Symphony Hall.

"Amajuba: Like Doves We Rise." A play incorporating music and testimony about growing up in South Africa. July 13-15 at 8 p.m. and July 16 at 2 p.m. at the Rialto.

Jazz great Paquito D'Rivera. July 20 at 8 p.m. Rialto Center. Forces of Nature Dance Theater Company. July 21-22 at the Rialto.

Casting Call...Busch Gardens

will hold auditions for live shows in Atlanta, Georgia on Saturday, July 22, 2006 at The Alliance Theatre, 1280 Peachtree St. Rehearsal Hall 1 and 2, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm.

Busch Gardens also holds auditions in Tampa, Florida on the first Wednesday of each month. Positions are available for a variety of live shows including a spectacular Broadwaystyle show called Katonga - Tales from the Jungle. Singers, Dancers, Dancers skilled in West Aftrican dance styles, Comedic Actors who can sing, Specialty Acts, and other talents are welcome to audition.

No appointment necessary. Bring prepared audition and a current non-returnable resume and headshot. Also seeking technicians and stage managers. Visit their website www.buschgardenstalent.com for helpful audition tips, photos and pay rates.

PG 5 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2006

“Chin Chin . . .

A Window Into Hong Kong.”

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.

The Local Scene

On Tap for July ontap@insiteatlanta.com

July 4: Peachtree Road Race At 7:30 A.M. on what is likely to be a hazy warm morning this coming 4th of July, 55,000 runners in the 37th running of the Peachtree Road Race will line up from Lenox Square north to the horizon. The Peachtree is the world’s largest 10K road race and arguably the best and most famous.

This year it will again host the PRRO Race of Champions, the culminating event in the 5-race Professional Road Running Organization’s circuit.

The elite field will be drawn from the top pointearners in the circuit. For more information, head to: http://www.atlantatrackclub.org/at02000.htm

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

Chin Chin

Chinese Restaurant 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

July 4: Centennial Olympic Park’s Fourth Of July Celebration

Atlanta's best fireworks display and Independence Day festival is at downtown Centennial Olympic Park's Fourth of July Celebration. Festivities include music, children's activities, and our famous fireworks display against the beautiful downtown skyline. Onstage entertainment begins at 6 p.m. and the fireworks commence at 9:30 p.m.Each year, thousands of people come to the Park to celebrate Independence Day and MARTA is strongly encouraged. For more information, head to: http://www. centennialpark.com/events/fjuly.html.

July 6-9: AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour

OPEN EVERY DAY!!!

Atlanta's biggest beach party will be held at Atlantic Station as the AVP's Pro Beach Volleyball Tour returns to Atlanta. Featuring former and current Olympic beach volleyball athletes, 2,000 tons of sand (that's 4 million lbs!), sun, fun and music, this event is a can't miss. For more information, head to: http://www.allthehitsq100.com/ calendars/avp06/

www.chinchinonline.com ww

July 14-15: Chastain Park Presents Anita Baker

Saturday July 22 at The Alliance Theatre 1280 Peachtree St. NE Rehearsal Hall 1 & 2. 9:00 am to 2:00 pm

Two nights in July, audiences will be able to thrill to the sultry sounds of Anita Baker at Chastain Park Amphitheater. Influences of R&B, jazz, gospel, and pop are laced throughout romantic soul singer Anita Bakers distinct repertoire of songs. A GRAMMY Award-winner, Baker is a favorite of both urban and adult contemporary listeners. For more information, head to: http://www.classicchastain.org.

July 20: 4th Annual Best Bartender Competition

Attention: singers, dancers, dancers skilled in West African dance styles, comedic actors who can sing, specialty acts. All talents welcome . . .

Paid positions are available for a variety of live shows including a spectacular Broadway-style show called Katonga: Tales From The Jungle. No appointment necessary. Bring prepared audition and a current non-returnable resume and headshot. Also seeking technicians and stage managers. Visit our website for helpful audition tips, photos, show descriptions and pay rates.

Excellent Benefits!

Busch Gardens also holds auditions in Tampa on the first Wednesday of each month.

For more information visit:

www.buschgardenstalent.com You must be 18 years old to apply. Busch Gardens is an equal opportunity employer and supports a safe and drug free workplace. Applicants for positions in every BEC job classification will be subject to testing (both pre and post employment) for the presence of illegal drugs.

PG 6 PG • insiteatlanta.com • July 2006 2005 • insiteatlanta.com • April

Patrick Kelly-The Tavern at Phipps 2005 Best Bartender

This year’s competition will be held at The North End Bars: The Peachtree Tavern, Moondog’s and Hole in the Wall. Come see our seven Finalists contend for the 2006 crown. Festivities will begin at 9:30 PM with prizes and give-aways all night!

Bartenders will ge judged on pouring skills including: accuracy, taste, originality, appearance and speed. Make sure to come out and support your favorite bartender in what is sure to be an unforgetable night.

July 28-29: Battle Of Atlanta The Battle of Atlanta, the largest and most prestigious Open Karate Tournament in the world is returning to Atlanta for the 39th time. This year brings some changes to the competition with the largest being the inclusion of the much-ballyhooed Ultimate Fighters vs. World Champion Point Karate Fighters at the Battle of Atlanta Finals. This pits speedy karate combatants vs. the new style “mixed martial arts” warriors! For more information, head to: http://www. battleofatlanta.com/.

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.

Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries is a proud steward of several cultural treasures. The galleries are renowned for their historic and comprehensive collections. To see for yourself, call 404-880-6644.

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.

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.

Museum of Design Atlanta wants art lovers to 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 tic look at America’s fascination with guns. With a collection of artists whose styles vary as much as the opinions on this controversial subject, “My Uzi” is a multimedia show aimed to spark conversation.

For info on the showing that starts July 15 at the Art on 5 Gallery, visit www.myuziweighsaton.com

Theatre & Dance

Agatha’s welcomes the comic book comedy The Adventures of Flab Man and Slobbin’ under its roof thru July 19. For details on how you can help outof-shape crusaders kick some villain booty, call 404-875-1610.

Callanwolde Your iPod isn’t the only thing rockin’ in July. Callanwolde offers plenty to get toes a-tappin’ and fingers a-snappin’: Tammy Allen (July 7); Capitol City Opera (July 14-16); International Groove Conspiracy (July 28). And while you’re there, might as well check out the oil exhibit “Offering” and underwater photography showing “Neptune’s Realm.” For info, call 404-872-5338. with Cheer Bear, Wish Bear, Funshine Bear and the bunch. For info on this two-day show (July 22-23), visit the Philips Arena box office or click www.ticketmaster.com

Georgia Shakespeare ventures on an adventure right up Johnny Depp’s alley as the theater company presents Treasure Island July 5-22 at Oglethorpe’s the Conant Performing Arts Center.

For details, call 404-264-0020.

Revisited: The Architecture of Landscape, an exhibition probing the 18th century’s ideal of rural contentment, at the Athens gallery through July 30.

For more info, cll 1-706-542-4662.

PG 8 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2006

Midtown Art Cinema If you’re an indie fan who doesn’t have the Bravo Channel, it’ll be in your best interest to make it down here in July, as The Lost City, Wordplay, The Fallen Idol, The Heart of the Game and Islam: What the West Needs to Know all premiere this month. Call 678-495-1424 for times.

My Uzi Weighs A Ton is a politically-charged artis-

Care Bears Live is a musical journey to Care-A-Lot

Georgia Museum of Art presents “Arcadia

male/female youth), the July 22 tournament will help determine who gets to go to New York for the big prize. Sign-up at www.footlocker3on3.com.

Peachtree Battle is the hit theatrical event (held over thru July 30!) 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. The Annual Pow-Wow (July 1-2) is also worth the visit. Click www.cherokee-nc.com for more details.

Special Events Adoption Come learn about building your family through open adoption. The Independent Adoption Center will hold an adoption information session on June 3. For reservations, call 404-321-6900.

Camp Avenue Want to give your kids the true camp experience -you know white shirts, khakis, whistles- without paying the true camp prices?

Camp Avenue, in Peachtree City, is a FREE day camp (9:30AM-11:30AM daily) that’s safe and fun.

For info, click www.campavenue.com.

Coca-Cola Summer Movie Series is offering flicks for families (Madea’s Family Reunion, July 9), young folk (Ice Age: The Meltdown, July 23), old folk (The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, July 17) and everyone in between (King Kong, July 20; V For Vendetta, July 31) this month. Visit www.foxtheatre.0.org for more info.

Foot Locker 3 on 3 Basketball Tour is for anybody who thinks he’s the sweetest thing at the local YMCA. Sectioned off in seven categories (elite, men/women competitive, men/women rec,

National Black Arts Festival Artists’ Market at Greenbriar Mall (July 14-23) promises to be special. With over 75 professional artists selling their one-of-a-kind fine art, custom fashion, ceramics, sculptures and jewelry, you’re bound to find something worthwhile to charge to your Visa card.

Restaurant Week Join in on this spectacular dining experience -$26/person at upscale venues or $26/couple at casual venues- across Atlanta July 24-30. Restaurants like Azio, B.E.D., Endenu, McCormick & Schmick’s and Trader Vic’s are a part of the promotion, but you’ll want to go to www.atlantadowntown.com for the entire list.

Summer

Sounds Concert Series Atlantic Station’s free concert series continues its groovy lineup with Jade Hollow (July 1) and Coy Bowles & the Fellowship (July 28). Also, you’ll want to stop by the Station July 6-9 for the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour and the Frank’s Redhot Hot Sauce Buffalo Wing-Eating Contest on July 8.

The Ar ts

Under The Lights What’s Happening on Stage in Atlanta

steals scenes as a Boss Hogg-style Mayor.

Silly, yet with serious underpinnings, Lawrenceburg has our vote for this month’s can’t-miss show. Dad’s Garage Top Shelf, 280 Elizabeth St, Suite C-101.

404-523-3141. www.dadsgarage.com.

and Goliath… In Space!!!” as well as the choir’s rousin’ rendition of “Hold On While The Holdin’ Is Here To Be Held By The Holderer.” Best of all, no lengthy, boring sermons! Center for Puppetry Arts, 1404 Spring St NW. 404-873-3391. www.puppet.org.

PAQUITO D’RIVERA Rialto Center of Perf. Arts July 20

L AWRENCEBURG Dad’s Garage Theatre Thru July 15 Want our definition of subversive genius?

Take the story of Star Wars, relocate it to the rural South of “The Dukes of Hazzard,” and create a pop cultureobsessed satire exploring the devastating impact Wal-Mart has had on small town America. Leia becomes activist/ homecoming queen Lily Mae (Eve Krueger), who enlists the help of young postal employee Mark (Z Gillespie) to recruit rag-tag allies against the invasion of “Mall-Mart.” Obi-Wan becomes Weird Wally (Randy Havens), an aging hippie lawyer, while playwright Travis Sharp

SUNDAY MORNING PUPPET SHOW Center for Puppetry Arts July 14-23 From the warped mind of Xperimental Puppetry Theatre vet Raymond Carr comes this family-friendly ode to the African-American gospel experience.

Inspired by Carr’s childhood memories of traveling with his parents’ puppet and clown ministry, the show welcomes guest to the First Assembly Twice Removed Congregation of the Living Way of Life Gospel Puppet Church. Services will include a children’s production of “David

Born in 1948 in Havana, Paquito D'Rivera started out as a child prodigy, playing clarinet and sax with the Cuban National Symphony Orchestra. He eventually became one of the founding members of the Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna and the fusion group Irakere, which combined elements of jazz, rock, classical and traditional Cuban music. This blending of different influences has become a trademark for D'Rivera, who has since earned six Grammy Awards (including Latin Grammies in both classical and Latin jazz categories) and played with world-renowned crossover artists such as the Turtle Island String Quartet and YoYo Ma. He has also performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall and played with the London Royal Symphony. The recipient of the 2005 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters honor, D'Rivera will be making a rare Atlanta appearance as part of the National Black Arts Festival.

Rialto Center of Performing Arts, 80 Forsyth St NW, Atlanta. 404-651-4727. www.nbaf.org.

PG 9 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2006

Taste of the Month

Barbecue!

Our Guide to the Best in the City

Sonny’s Bar-B-Q 14 Metro locations Catering 770.368.1653 www.sonnysbarbq.com Come to your neighborhood Sonny's Bar-B-Q. With 14 metro Atlanta locations, and an extensive catering department, Sonny's makes it easy to get terrific barbecue close to home!

With 37 years of experience, they serve barbecue done right. After hours of slow cooking you can tell genuine barbecue by the smoke ring and reddish color in the beef, pork, chicken and ribs. It's caused by Sonny's basting sauce and the smoke from their wood fired Bar-B-Q pit. They slice their pork from the choicest cuts of lean pork. Then chicken is shipped direct to their restaurants fresh, never frozen, assuring Sonny's guests enjoy the freshest chicken possible.

Their signiture item, Baby Back Ribs can be purchased by the slab or if you are really hungry, all you can eat. Also try their Sweet & Smokey St. Louis Ribs.

A very meaty cut that fills you up. They are basted twice in Sonny’s famous Sweet Bar-B-Q Sauce and slow-smoked over a real hardwood fire. They offer four flavors of sauce: Original, Hot, Sweet and Mustard - a recipe for every taste!

Sauces are packed in bottles for purchase.

Sonny's also has a salad bar featuring garden-fresh fruits and vegetables. Their chicken and tuna salads are made from scratch using the freshest and finest ingredients available, all for only $2.69 with your meal. Their hearty soups and Brunswick stew are prepared fresh each day and slowly simmered just for you.

Sonny’s is famous for their sweet tea that has people coming from across the south.

At Sonny's, your meal is served fast and friendly. They offer more than great food and excellent value. Sonny's is a favorite gathering place to share laughter, conversation and friendship over a plate of award-winning barbecue. They are a full service restaurant making Sonny’s the perfect destination for a family outing or meeting with friends.

Dusty’s Barbecue

1815 Briarcliff Rd. 404.687.8002 www.dustys.com

PGPG 10 10 • insiteatlanta.com • July February 2006 insiteatlanta.com 2005

Dusty's has always given Rib and Barbecue lovers a lot to get excited about; the reason: the food. Located near Emory University, the restaurant is an Atlanta tradition reaching back 25 years. The barbecue is clearly authentic eastern NC (North Carolina) style recognizably having the pepper-vinegar basted flavor. The ribs at Dusty's are genuine baby back ribs, slow cooked open pit style (never boiled as some places do). Pulled pork, beef and chicken are chopped and served either as an entrée on plates with other menu favorites or in sandwiches.

All meats are slow cooked and hickory smoked; the pork is cooked 16 hours.

Dusty's makes 4 different barbecue sauces each providing a distinct flavor enhancement for the already savory meats. The Hot, a thin pepper-vinegar sauce, is the NC type. The Regular is a thicker sauce with some tomato, Sweet is thick with more smoky flavor and Sizzlin® is thin and hotter than the Hot. When hunger strikes, Dusty's customers can choose from a full menu selection of other barbecue favorites ready and waiting, many of which are Dusty's signature items. The Brunswick stew is an old family recipe containing chopped pork, beef and chicken. Other unique accompaniments include barbecued chicken wings, barbecue salads, garden burgers, Sizzlin® ribs, home-style potato chips, pork rinds, and Carolina corn salad. As stated on Dusty's menu: "Wherever you are, it's worth the trip!"

But when you can’t go to Dusty’s, Dusty’s Catering can come to you and serve the same menu of your choice plus an even greater selection of good, delectable classic southern food items. Consider, for example, “to die for” selections of baked or smoked turkey with homemade items of cornbread dressing, giblet gravy, mashed potatoes, squash casserole, fresh collard greens and cornbread then topped off with “real” banana pudding for dessert. Or, how about a pig pickin’, a slow-cooked barbecued pig served on-site right from the cooker along with all the trimmings. From casual to formal or backyard to corporate, Dusty’s catering seems to cover it all.

Recently, by popular demand, Dusty’s started serving take-out lunches at its catering center (the “barbecue warehouse”) in the Decatur-Avondale Estates area. Though the menu is an abbreviated version, it allows the population living or working in that area to enjoy much of same good food daily that is served at the restaurant.

Slope’s BBQ

200 Johnson Ferry Rd. 404.252.3220 www.slopesbbq.com

Slope’s BBQ is georgia home grown. They started out with their Roswell store in 1991,

Continued on Page 25

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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The Ar ts

BOOK REVIEWS

REVOLUTION ON CANVAS, VOLUME 1: POETRY FROM THE PUNK/INDIE SCENE Edited by Rich Balling How do you get teens to read poetry nowadays? on Revolution Canvas relies on punk-rockers and emo heroes to bleed out their thoughts on the page.

“Actions speak louder than words, but it was those words that inspired action,” writes H2O's Rusty Pistachio in the intro.

“Too many bands out there underestimate the influence their lyrics have on people, and that irony can be a double-edge sword.”

Overall, the results are pretty solid.

The collection includes a few shortcuts, with musicians like NOFX's Fat Mike sending in song lyrics rather than original poems. Hey Mercedes' Bob Nanna seems to have interpreted his assignment as a call for diary entries and a glorified to-do list.

Among the other poets included here are members from Taking Back Sunday, RX Bandits, Finch, Rise Against and Something Corporate. The poems vacillate between the impressively powerful (“On Your Porch,” from Nate Ruess of The Format) and the lame (Action Action's Mark Thomas Kluepfel's 20-word poem comparing his life to an '80 B-movie), from predictably dark writings from hardcore bands to snatches of brilliance that mark some of today's indie icons as Dylans-in-waiting. All in all, not bad for rock star poetry. (B) --John Moore

LOVELESS: A KIN OF HOMECOMING

by Brian Azzarello & Marcelo Frusin In the tradition of HBO’s Deadwood and the excellent new Australian indie film The Proposition, this lushly illustrated graphic novel vividly captures the gritty brutality of the Old West in a style that comes across like a Sergio Leone spaghetti western re-imagined by Quentin Tarantino.

The story (by Brian Azzarello of “Hellblazer” and “Batman” fame) follows Wes Cutter, a wanted man running from a violent past that includes the horrors of the civil War, a stint in a Union prison camp and the savagery of the Reconstruction-era South.

Now he’s back home in Blackwater, a town rife with dirty secrets, in search of his wife Ruth, the beautiful Bonnie to Cutter’s haunted Clyde. Along the way he encounters shady Union officers, vioent former slaves and plenty of demons from his past, which haunt him in memory-dreams that seem to unfold in a hallucinatory parallel to his waking reality.

This is visceral, gut-wrenching stuff rife with racist lynchings and unspeakable war-related crimes, all rendered in a dustand blood-splattered style by Marcelo Frusin.

Every bit as compelling as The Sopranos or any of Sam Peckinpah’s violence-laden Western classics, “Loveless” is provocative storytelling that proves comic books aren’t just for kids anymore. (A) --B. Love

Technology

Google Earth

Virtually See The Entire World

MARIETTA

New London Square Shopping Center 1467 Roswell Rd. (1 Block E. of Big Chicken) (770) 565-6310

PG 12 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2006

LITTLE 5 PTS 428 Moreland Ave. (Next to the Vortex) (404) 523-0100

FF

$3

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Exchange @ Hammond 5964 Roswell Rd. (1/2 mile. N. of I-285 exit 25) (Next to Dollar Store) (404) 255-5578

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SANDY SPRINGS

Google Earth is a free-of-charge, downloadable virtual globe program. It maps the entire earth by pasting images obtained from satellite imagery, aerial photography and GIS over a 3D globe.

Formerly known as Earth Viewer, Google Earth was developed by Keyhole, Inc., a company Google acquired in 2004. The product was renamed Google Earth in 2005 and is currently available for use on personal computers running Mac OS X 10.3.9 and above, Microsoft Windows 2000 or XP, and Linux. In addition to releasing an updated Keyhole based client, Google also added the satellite imagery from the Earth database to their web based mapping software.

Many large cities are available in a resolution high enough to see individual buildings, houses, and even cars. In cities such as London and Washington DC, individual people can be clearly discerned.

The degree of resolution available is based somewhat on the points of interest, but all land is covered in at least 15 meters of resolution. Google Earth allows users to search for addresses (for the USA, Canada, and UK only), enter coordinates, or simply use the mouse to browse to a location.

PG 12 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2006

Google Earth also has digital terrain model data collected by NASA's Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. This means one can view the Grand Canyon or Mount Everest in three dimensions, instead of 2D like other map programs/sites. In addition, Google has provided a layer allowing one to see 3D buildings for some major cities in the US. When started up, Google Earth's view is centered on Lawrence, Kansas. The director of engineering for Google Earth is Brian McClendon, whose online biography says he is a 1986 graduate of the University of Kansas.

A feature implemented

by Google after its acquisition of Keyhole is a 3D dataset for (as of December 2005) 39 cities. This data is provided by Sanborn Citysets. This feature is limited to displaying grey overlaying "blocky" buildings. On March 14, 2006, Google acquired @Last Software, makers of SketchUp, who had created a plugin for 3d renderings in Google Earth.

The cities currently included are only from the United States. However, 3D buildings are available for certain buildings around the world using programs from other websites. So log on to http://earth.google.com/ and take a trip today!

SUMMER MUSIC PREVIEW A

h, summer! Season of barbeque, beer, blockbusters and, of course, beaches. For music lovers, it's also the season when many of the biggest and best artists release new material. It's sink or swim, if you will. While some acts will try to reclaim their day in the sun (Kelis, Soul Asylum, Christina Aguilera, etc.), we’re generally more concerned about the acts who are bringing something interesting to the table. And this summer, that table is not only a hot list of album releases, but the growing festival business.

Lollapalooza created a viable concert vehicle in the 1990s, and oddly enough, its greatest legacy is a product that doesn't travel. An eclectic collection of acts remains the draw for a proliferating number of city-based music festivals, more or less emulating what has long been a cultural institution in Europe. Credit Perry Farrell for getting the idea to the United States and showing promoters that the product was marketable and profitable.

In the face of declining album sales and crowded airwaves, live music has never played a greater role in getting the music to the people.

The most anticipated albums of the summer often vanish under bad tours, and the unexpected hits often arise from legendary live shows.

We're not going to prognosticate who will sell and who won't, but we'll tell you who we're most excited to hear from.

Sit back, grab a cold one, and let your ears be pleased with this handy guide...

SUMMER ALBUMS

ented bands from that genre fare with this comeback attempt. (July 18)

PHARRELL WILLIAMS- IN MY MIND (Star Trak/Interscope)

Call Kanye West the Louis Vutton Don all you want, but the title now officially belongs to Pharrell (dude just signed on as the brand's fall spokesman). Considering all the work that entails, it's a good thing Skateboard P's long-delayed solo debut essentially sells itself with its unique blend of straight-up rap cuts and lighter R&B numbers that feature a virtual TRL Live roster, including West, Gwen Stefani, Jay-Z, Slim Thug and Daddy Yankee. (July 25)

THOM YORKE- THE ERASER (XL)

It's been three years since Radiohead's last album, so frontman Thom Yorke has had plenty of time to come up with material for his Nigel Godrich-produced solo debut. As usual with the cryptic Brit, details are sketchy to say the least, but Yorke has revealed that the album will be largely electronic, will have relatively conventional songwriting structure (rather than, say, Kid A's occasionally unintelligible alien transmission frequencies) and will NOT sound like Radiohead. Color us intrigued. (July 11)

S U F J A N S T E V E N S - T H E AVA L A N C H E : O U T TA K E S AND EXTRAS FROM THE ILLINOIS ALBUM (Asthmatic Kitty)

Unless you were camping in Afghanistan during 2005, you know that Sufjan Stevens swept the indie-rock world off its feet with his delightful song cycle, Illinois.

Two states into his threatened complete tour of the United States by album, the guy is pretty much batting 1.000. He's lived up to the hype thus far, so… (July 11)

PEACHES- IMPEACH MY BUSH (XL)

For her follow-up to 2003's Fatherfucker, this Canadian electro-funk provocateur recruited guests such as Joan Jett, Josh Homme (Queens Of The Stone Age) and exroommate Leslie Feist. Song titles like “Tent In Your Pants” and “Hit It Hard” prove the sex-obsessed siren hasn't given up on sleaze, but the album also features political content, attacking Bush for slashing stem cell research funding that could help her wheelchair-bound sister, who suffers from multiple sclerosis. (July 11)

GOLDEN SMOG- ANOTHER FINE DAY (Lost Highway)

DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL- DUSK AND SUMMER (Vagrant)

Chris Carrabba always seems to be about 15 minutes away from getting discovered by the rest of the world.

While 2003's A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar was a remarkably solid record, it failed to catch on with many listeners outside of the insular emo community.

Perhaps with veteran U2 producer Daniel Lanois on board, Dusk and Summer will be the disc that finally brings Dashboard Confessional the recognition a singer-songwriter of Carrabba’s caliber ultimately deserves. (June 27)

JOHNNY CASH- AMERICAN V: A HUNDRED H I G H WAY S ( A m e r i c a n / L o s t H i g h w a y )

Recorded with producer Rick Rubin in the year before the Man in Black's death in 2003, this album is rumored to be every bit as eclectic as previous entries in the “American Recordings” series, featuring contributions from legendary songwriters running the gamut from Bruce Springsteen to Hank Williams (as well as two from Cash himself). We're not normally huge fans of posthumous releases, but this is one we can't wait to hear. (July 4)

For their third full-length record, which is being released after a long eight-year hiatus, this alt-rock supergroup promises more power-pop and less alternative country influence. Made up of members from Wilco, Soul Asylum, the Replacements and the Jayhawks, among others, you can just about guarantee Golden Smog will be the best thing to come out of Minneapolis in 2006. (July 18)

LO S LO N E LY B O Y S - S A C R E D ( O r M u s i c / E p i c )

Not since Los Lobos has a Tex-Mex band kicked so much ass. Finding fame via Nashville (getting handpicked by Willie Nelson, no less) has turned into quite the ride for this band, whose sound picks deftly through the bones of Stevie Ray Vaughn, Santana, and edgy R&B. Sacred threatens to make Los Lonely Boys damn near ubiquitous. (July 18)

A L I E N A N T FA R M - U P I N T H E AT T I C ( N e w Door/UME)

When Alien Ant Farm released their debut a decade ago, the record-buying public had an appetite for anything and everything associated with nu-metal. Now, Papa Roach is now playing tiny clubs in the middle of nowhere and Fred Durst is little more than a punchline, so it will be interesting to see how one of the more tal-

T O M P ET T Y - H I G H WAY C O M PA N I O N (American/Warner)

Petty, like all great musical legends, continues to perform past his prime. It's been almost two decades since he had an album that mattered, and about ten years since he had one that was any good. That said, the guy has never sucked, and working with his old friend Jeff Lynne (ELO, etc.) typically results in at least four or five great songs. If it gets the old people out of the house to buy a CD, we're all the better for it. (July 25)

HARVEY DANGER- LITTLE BY LITTLE (Kill Rock Stars)

Though best-known for one big hit in the late '90s (the infectious "Flagpole Sitta”), this Seattle-based indie-pop band has quietly turned in three solid albums, each better than the last. The more complex Little By Little was released last year on a tiny label, and is thankfully getting a much-deserved broader release this summer.

(July 25)

DJ SHADOW- THE OUTSIDER (Universal)

There was a time back in the mid-'90s when DJ Shadow seemed like the artists most likely to bridge the alt-rock and underground hip-hop communities. But we're a decade on from the groundbreaking Endtroducing and the reclusive Bay Area b-boy has only one CD (2002's The Private Press) to show for it. Hopefully this CD (his first for a major label), which features guest appearances by Q-Tip and David Banner, will prove worth the 4-year wait. (Aug. 1)

DMX- YEAR OF THE DOG, AGAIN (Sony Urban)

The suits at Sony Urban really want to be excited about the late summer release of DMX's Year of the Dog, Again (X's first Ruff Ryders-free project), but they can't. The growling one won't stay out of trouble long enough for them to blow up the balloons. If the man authorities know very well as Earl Simmons could just stay out of handcuffs (and in recording booths, with hit-making producers like Scott Storch and Swizz Beatz), perhaps folks can foam at the mouth together. (Aug. 1)

PG 13 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2006

SUMMER MUSIC PREVIEW SUMMER FESTIVALS & TOURS

as AFI, the Buzzcocks, Helmet, Joan Jett, Less Than Jake, the Living End, NOFX, and Saves the Day. (Through August 13, various cities)

SOUNDS OF THE UNDERGROUND TOUR

This is the eleventh year of Ozzfest, a traveling brigade of mullets and unapologetic heavy metal. Really, is there anything more punk rock than showing up the Lollapaloozers by creating a true community that has outlasted a million other “artistic” music festivals? Kickass headliners (System of a Down, the Disturbed, Hatebreed, etc.) and the festival's namesake (his only tour this -ear!) keep the rock and roll at100 proof; mook sightings are expected to be unsurpassed anywhere.

(Through August 13, various cities)

OZZFEST

T H E PA N I C C H A N N E L - ( O N e ) ( C a p i t o l )

While Perry Farrell was off pursuing his DJ dreams with new band Satellite Party, the other 3/4 of Jane's Addiction– guitar god Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Chris Chaney– recruited singer Steve Isaacs to form this band, which blends modern and classic rock influences. The resulting sound is somewhere between Jane's Addiction and Navarro's solo work, with a subtle dash of Pink Floyd's experimental tendencies. (Aug. 15)

K E L I S - K E L I S WA S H E R E ( S t a r T r a k / A r i s t a )

Kelis' fans will never say their favorite singer has the world's best voice, but they won't hesitate in stating how they just adore the way Nas' sassy wife handles herself. “Bossy,” Kelis' empowering Spring chart-topper, got radio's full attention. A bouncy album featuring Too Short's saucy lyrics and the beats of Raphael Saadiq, Cee-lo and Max Martin (Britney Spears, Kelly Clarkston) should handle everything else. (Aug. 22)

M . WA R D - P O S T- WA R ( M e r g e )

Country-folkster Matt Ward is a gentle soul, a singer-songwriter in the league of Mark Kozelek or maybe Ron Sexsmith. He works the Americana angle like Jay Farrar,but when Ward gets the impulse to try something new, he seems perfectly comfortable doing it without the self-conscious intellectualizing of, say, Jeff Tweedy. His catalog is only three albums deep, but the quality is so astounding that we are prepared to grant Post-War a preemptive high grade before it's even released. (Aug.22)

Ozzfest and Family values may boast bigger names, but our vote for the summer tour most likely to leave ears bleeding (and perhaps other body parts, depending on your moshing propensity) is this metal and hardcore festival, sponsored by the unholy alliance of Hot Topic and Jagermeister. Brain-bludgeoning acts such as Cannibal Corpse, In Flames, As I Lay Dying, Trivium, GWAR, Behemoth, Black Dahlia Murder and more will keep the amps cranked to 11 and the throat-shredding vocals front and center, keeping headbangers' noggins rocking with blistering riffs and machine gun rhythms sure to induce headaches in audience members over the age of 30. (July 8-Aug 12, various cities)

A L LG O O D S U M M E R F E S T I VA L

Jam band fans gather themselves up at Marvin's Mountaintop for a weekend of bowls and bands. The guest list (Trey Anastasio & Mike Gordon, Ween, Les Claypool, John Medeski & The Itch, The Black Crowes, The Wailers, Aquarium Rescue Unit, etc.) is a veritable who's who of hippie bands, so it will be hard to avoid the purple cloud of secondhand smoke. The upside is that this crowd is generally friendly, and the mountain setting not only provides great weather but stellar views. (July 14-16, Masontown, WV)

T H E M O U N TA I N G O AT S - G ET LO N E LY ( 4 A D )

The prolific John Darnielle leads his band into its second decade with his 15th album of erudite folk songs. Unlike Conor Oberst or Ryan Adams, Darnelle easily matches his quantity with quality, and we fully expect Get Lonely to be on par with virtually anything else the Mountain Goats have released thus far. This won't be the album that makes this band a household name, but it will be yet another worth owning. (Aug. 22)

J DILLA- THE SHINING (BBE)

J Dilla's rhymes were above average, his Motown-splicing production was amazing. But scratch all that. The Detroit MC/beatsmith was a good dude, and that's why it was so easy for him to amass many of music's elite (Busta Rhymes, Common, D'Angelo) onto a project that was near completion before his February death from Lupus. Still, Jay Loves Japan: Operation Unknown, landing stateside in late '06, will be the unheralded legend's official goodbye. (Aug. 22)

THE ROOTS- GAME THEORY (Def Jam)

This Philly-based hip-hop collective has long been viewed as the voice of the common rapper. But quietly, for the past four or five years, Black Thought and Co. have done lots of buddying up with one of the mainstream's biggest figures, Jay-Z. With the group now signed to Def Jam, the imprint Jigga presides over, folks have done even more talking.

Reports say Hove's been hands-off with Theor y, a project promising a Mos Def/Talib Kweli collabo, the return of former Roots member Malik B and a very special tribute to the late Jay Dilla. (Aug. 29)

PG 14 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2006

FA M I LY VA L U E S

The lineup here is a little thin, making this basically sound like a Korn tour with some pretty great support: Deftones, Stonesour, Flyleaf, Direngrey, 10 Years, Bury Your Dead, Bullets and Octane duking it out on the undercard. The end result is that the Family Values tour ends up being a little bit like the red-headed stepchild to Warped or Ozzfest, a smallish affair yet one with potent testosterone-driven fist pumping and a swordfest in the moshpit. (July 27-Sept 10, various cities)

B O B M A R L E Y R O O T S , R O C K & R E G G A E F E S T I VA L

O U T K A S T- I D L E W I L D S O U N D T R A C K ( L a F a c e / J i v e )

Rumors of Outkast's imminent breakup have been swirling for years; before Andre Benjamin went Hollywood, and before he and Big Boi chose to work separately on their multi-platinum 2-CD smash, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below.

If this album– the soundtrack to their movie musical set in the Depression-era South– is to be the duo's last, it should send them out on a high note, combining their next-level hip-hop with decidedly retro influences. (Aug. 22)

B . B . K I N G 8 0 T H B I R T H D AY C E L E B R AT I O N T O U R

One of the few surviving legends of the original electric blues scene, B.B. King has become the genre's unofficial mascot, serving as its foremost ambassador for over four decades now. With iconic guitar Lucille in tow, King is touring to celebrate becoming an octogenarian.

He's also bringing New Orleans musical legends Dr. John and the Neville Brothers along for the ride, each act rockin' their distinctive brand of bayou voodoo as they continue to raise awareness of the Crescent City's ongoing rebuilding process. Should be a fun show.

(Through Aug. 20, various cities)

LO L L A PA LO O Z A

Now that Perry Farrell's baby has officially made the transition from struggling tour to annual destination festival, the goal of this year's Lollapalooza seems to be to elevate it to the level of standard-setters such as Bonnaroo and Coachella. The 130-band lineup goes a long way towards doing just that, with big-name draws such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kanye West, Flaming Lips, Queens of the Stone Age, Nickel Creek, Common, Coheed & Cambria, Sonic Youth and Matisyahu, not to mention beloved indie acts such as The Shins, Gnarls Barkley, Broken Social Scene and more. Can you say road trip? (Aug 4-6, Chicago's Grant Park)

N E W P O R T F O L K F E S T I VA L

One of the longest-running musical gatherings in the country, this 40-year-old festival takes over the town of Newport with an eclectic lineup that defies categorization. With tenor Ronan Tynan and Cherish the Ladies performing August 4; David Gray, Roseanne Cash, guitarist Sonny Landreth and blues diva Bettye LaVette appearing on August 5; and the Indigo Girls, Madeleine Peyroux, Patty Larkin and Keller Williams on August 6, there's something here to suit almost every musical taste. But it doesn't get any better than the reunion of original N'awlins funk legends The Meters, who will be closing out the weekend. (August 4-6, Newport, RI)

WA R P E D T O U R

Skate-rat punk lives on and frankly it's a lot more of a reliable draw than anything Perry Farrell has come up with in five years. So while this tour verges on the side of bubblegum punk more often than the anarchist hardcore, the kidz are still digging it and keeping the dream alive for another generation of disaffected youth. See anarchy upfront and personal, featuring great acts such

Reggaeton, a mix of Caribbean rhythms and New Yorkstyle rap, is all the craze with kids these days. But that's not to say the more traditional sounds Bob Marley made famous are obsolete. Hardly. The only reason this tour can plan such an ambitious nationwide jaunt (from CA to MA to VA) is because so many people still love the stuff. Ziggy Marley, Bob and Rita's eldest, is doing his thing. So are brother Stephen and family friend/reggae legend Bunny Wailer. Latino rap-rockers Ozomatli round out this musical voyage to Jamaica and back. (August 6-27, various cities)

B U M B E R S H O O T S E AT T L E A R T S F E S T I VA L

Set at a 74-acre park that includes indoor theaters, outdoor stages, an opera house and a stadium (built for the 1962 World's Fair), this ambitious event showcases the work of more than 2,500 artists, including poets, painters, dancers, comedians, filmmakers, acrobats and DJs. Acts in the diverse lineup include: Kanye West, AFI, Yellowcard, Badly Drawn Boy, Rogue Wave, Bettye LaVette, Lady Sovereign, and many others. An added bonus is that you can check out the magnificent Frank O. Gehry-designed Experience Music Project, an interactive museum that surpasses the official Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame. (Sept. 2-4, Seattle Center, Seattle)

A U S T I N C I T Y L I M I T S F E S T I VA L

PBS watchers may be familiar with Austin City Limits concerts, which are separate from the actual festival.

The flavor here trends indie Americana with a dose of the U.K. to keep the hipsters happy: Gomez, Nada Surf, Feist, Goldfrapp, Donavon Frankenreiter, BoDeans, The Long Winters, The Stills, Okkervil River, Ted Leo/Pharmacists, Jose Gonzalez, Sam Roberts and many more. Local restaurants set up shop on the grounds for good eats, but therein lies the rub: you can't bring in your own food or beverages (save for two “factory sealed water bottles” limited to 1 liter each).

--John (Sept. 15-17, Zilker Park, Austin, Texas) Davidson, B. Love, John Moore & DeMarco Williams

Son of a Gong Damian Marley explains why being a revered music legend’s offspring ain’t half bad

T

he phone rings at 4:01PM, June 9.

It's Damian Marley's publicist saying the young man's running about 10 minutes late for our inter view because a writer from South Africa's taking a bit longer than expected. No troubles. It makes all the sense that, given the opportunity to chat with a son of one of the most beloved musicians in history, Bob Marley, you'd take your precious time. Add in the lil' tidbit of Damian, the second youngest of 12 children, being super gifted (Marley's Welcome to Jamrock won the Best Reggae Album and the hit title song won Best Urban/Alternative Performance at the '06 Grammys) in his own right, and you further understand one's reluctance to get off the horn.

The phone rings at 4:33. It's the publicist again. This time she says Damian has just got off with the Brazilian media. Junior Gong, as he's affectionately called in homage to his father's “Tuff Gong” nickname, seemingly has more of the globe's attention these days than that soccer tournament over in Germany. Unlike the World Cup, however, America appears ready for its close-up this time. They proved it at the raucous Bonnaroo Festival last month, and they'll do so again during Marley's upcoming U.S. tour with Ben Harper.

Here Damian, who turns 28 on July 21, talks about both in-between a discussion of everything from politics to people wearing t-shirts with his dad's image on them.

What kind of things is the world press asking you?

I wouldn't say it's anything that much different than the press in America to tell you the truth.

Is there anything going on politically that you're passionate about?

Well, I'm watching the immigration thing because it affects us as Jamaicans, you know? I'm watching to see what happens with that. Really, the atmosphere of what's going on globally is enough to have anyone concerned, you know?

What was it like getting an invitation to the big Bonnaroo Festival?

Bonnaroo is a prestigious festival. We heard a lot of things about it from people, so I'm flattered to be a part of it.

And a lil' bit after that you get started with touring with Ben Harper, right?

Yeah.

What's his energy been like?

To tell you the truth, I haven't really spent that much time around him. I met him a couple of times. From what I've seen, he seems to be a very humble person. He's very true to the music. He loves the music as opposed to just being in the music to have a name or whatever. That's something that I respect.

Is that easy to detect, figuring out the ones who do it for the love and those that do it for the money?

Well, I guess, real can recognize real. We

do music for the music. We love playing music. I guess you can see that light in someone else also.

What are some of the biggest differences between fans you'll see with Ben Harper compared to the ones you see in Kingston?

Definitely. This is [Jamaican fans'] dominant music. This is their music of choice in terms of their everyday listening, as opposed to here in America where reggae isn't the No. 1 music on the radio stations, you know? Of course,

you have that difference in terms of what songs they're used to.

If you were going to a concert, name a couple of people you'd pay to see?

Shabba Ranks, Supercat, Sade, of course, any of the Marleys and KRS-One. I know I'm about four months late, but congratulations on the Grammy Awards.

Thank you very much.

Was U.S. acceptance something you always strived for?

Definitely. I want acceptance globally, but the U.S. is very special to me. I'm a big fan of hip hop music. To be really appreciated by fans of the hip hop community in general is something that's really important to me.

This very second I'm wearing a Zion tshirt with your father's image on it.

Like millions, I love his music. On the flipside, there are many who just wear his likeness to be trendy. Does that bother you?

You gotta start somewhere. For some people, you gotta start with a trend, and hopefully, it'll lead them to getting more involved in the music and the culture.

But you have to start somewhere.

So as long as they find the music a lil' bit later, it’s cool?

Yeah, you have to start somewhere. As long as people are truly in some ways listening.

Is your family directly connected to the Zion clothing line?

Yeah.

With the name Marley, I'm assuming there are a lot of privileges and expectations. What's the toughest part about having that last name?

It's all in how you look at it. I can think of a lot of things in life that come from having my last name. You've got to look at it. But like you said, there are expectations. There are challenges, but that makes you better. You want to either meet the expectations or beat them. It's still good for me at the end of the day.

Welcome to Jamrock offers a smorgasbord of styles and sounds. Did it accomplish everything you intended?

Yeah, for that point in time, yes.

What's the direction of your next project?

When I make music, I'm not conscious in terms of [direction]. I just work off of inspiration and vibe. So, if I told you --DeMarco something, I'd be lying.

Williams

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PG 15• insiteatlanta.com • July 2006

Entertainment

MOVIE REVIEWS

CARS- Pixar honcho John Lasseter seems to have the Midas touch when it comes to storytelling, and his instincts certainly don't fail him in this, his fourth directorial feature.

Owen Wilson is perfectly cast as the voice of Lightning McQueen, a cocky, self-assured speedster well on his way to the most successful rookie season in Piston Cup history when he finds himself waylaid on Route 66 in a one-traffic-light town called Radiator Springs. Sentenced by the local judge (Paul Newman) to community service, McQueen is forced to interact with local yokels including Fillmore (George Carlin), a hippified VW van who sells organic fuel; Ramon (Cheech Marin), a customized low-rider who changes paint jobs like Madonna changes outfits; and Mater (the scene-stealing Larry the Cable Guy), a kind-hearted good ol' boy who tips cow-like tractors for kicks. But it's Sally (Bonnie Hunt), a cute Porsche who gave up life in the fast lane for a quiet existence as a motel proprietor, who teaches the hotshot that bigger, faster and newer does not always equal better. Like Toy Story, Cars seems nostalgic for America's past, lamenting the way our often ham-fisted desire for progress tends to deny us of the things that made this country great in the first place. The lusciously detailed CG renderings of everything from classic cars to scenic vistas of the American West are every bit as dazzling as the visceral opening scenes that take viewers into a NASCAR race like never before. But it's the film's message- that life is about the journey, not the destinationthat hits you square in the heart the way only a Pixar masterpiece can. Hint: Stay for the closing credits. (A) -B. Love 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 non-stop 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 semi-autobiographical 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 PG 16 • insiteatlanta.com insiteatlanta.com ••July July2006 2006

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-in-chief, 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– dog-walking, 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 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-to-princess 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

DISTRICT B13 -

If Jackie Chan and Guy Ritchie collaborated on a subtitled remake of Escape From New York, it might look a lot like this 2004 French film, which is just now finding its way into American theaters.

Co-written and produced by Luc Besson (The Professional, La Femme Nikita), the film is notable for introducing the French physical discipline of Parkour, in which participants (called “traceurs,” which translates as “bullets”) move over, around, under and through urban obstacles in the quickest and most fluid form possible. Part extreme sport, part martial art, Parkour has become so hot as an art form in Europe that it's been the subject of a documentary (Jump London) and reportedly plays a major role in the forthcoming James Bond flick, Casino Royale. In this suspense thriller set in 2010 Paris, where slums are walled off to keep the hoods in the 'hood, the visceral action grabs your attention from the opening scene, as ex-thug Leïto (David Belle, who founded the Parkour movement) evades an armed gang whose heroin he just washed down the drain by walking on walls, crashing through small windows over apartment doors, leaping from building to building and making 20-foot drops in a blinding action sequence that will leave you in utter disbelief. There's no greenscreen, no Matrix-style wires, only one crazyass acrobat improvising his way through the urban terrain like a cross between Bruce Lee and Spider-Man. But when drug lord Taka (co-writer Bibi Narceri) kidnaps his spunky sister Lola (Dany Verissimo) as bait, Leïto is forced to form an unlikely partnership with equally athletic undercover cop Damien (Cyril Raffaelli), who's on a mission to infiltrate Taka's gang in order to defuse a neutron bomb. Okay, so the story's a little preposterous, but with action this visceral and violent, you won't get much time to catch your breath, much less notice holes in the plot. At less than 90 minutes in length, District B13 flies by at a (literally!) breakneck pace, offering fans of films like The Matrix and Kill Bill a look at the next generation of action heroes, who don't need expensive special effects to blow that mind. (B) –B. Love

FAST & THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT- Can't you just see Bow Wow doing the PSA now?

“Friends don't let friends drift and drive,” he'd say. You'd, of course, blurt to the screen, “What in the hell is drifting? And why is Bow Wow's voice so deep?” To answer your first question, drifting is this extreme form of racing where cars slide (Think: the slalom on asphalt) around twists and turns on a course. Supposedly, this breed of driving was started in Japan by a group of impatient teens who wanted to figure out the quickest way possible to get down mountain roads in their tricked-out Mazda RX-7s. If this is your first time hearing about the madly-popular racing style, it's cool. You can join Sean (Lucas Black) in getting initiated. Sean, a troubled youth who hasn't encountered a race he doesn't like, stays in

Brandon Routh proves his power to leap box office charts in a single bound in director Bryan Singer’s long-awaited Superman Returns. and out of handcuffs. When his last challenge goes awry (“Winner gets me,” entices a bimbo before the race), local authorities offer the kid's mom one last choice: Either Sean moves to Asia to live with his father or he goes to prison. Director Justin Lin (Annapolis) gets love for making Fast & the Furious: Tokyo Drift feel like, you know, Tokyo. The movie studio could've easily gone frugal and made Vancouver look like Asia but they didn't; instead, scenes along real Japanese streets and amazing hillsides are captured. The music (Mos Def, N.E.R.D., some weird Asian trip-hop) and overall club culture are also both prevalent, making for lots of energy on screen and lots of play room for Bow Wow's Twinkie, Sean's “I got the hook up” homie, to wiggle. If Twinkie had some dialogue fixers in his bag to go along with the iPods, this third installment in the testosterone-spilling series could've been crazy. All the cool screeching, slow-mo wreck footage and jazzy camera angles do nothing for the man-sized potholes in the script. But thankfully, for the greater part of this cinematic journey, Tokyo Drift is a smooth ride 18-year-olds are going to love.

Parents a row or two over, however, will have nightmares for weeks over the potentiality for craziness the movie will spark on local roads. (C) –DeMarco Williams

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH-

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 illfated 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 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

NACHO LIBRE- Where on earth did they find this guy? No, not Nacho Libre star Jack Black. We know that ball of rotund wackiness comes from Santa Monica. The weirdo in question this time is Nacho's trusty (and frail-looking) sidekick, Esqueleto, played by Hector Jimenez. The guy is not only oddly built, but he's animated in the face and borderline queer. But he works. Nacho is the unappreciated cook at a Mexican monastery.

When he isn't in town hustling up chips and dip for the kids or attempting to impress the sexy new nun (Ana de la Reguera), he's trying to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming a pro wrestler. Esqueleto is his tag-team partner. Sound bizarre? It is bizarre. Director Jared Hess knows about pairing oddball characters, as his coupling of Napoleon and Pedro in the surprise 2005 smash Napoleon Dynamite was a pop culture pile-driver.

Nacho and Esqueleto aren't nearly as adorably sad as those two, but the loving losers have their moments, the shining one coming at a V.I.P. party they sneak into to convince the top wrestling promoter to get them better gigs. But even with that shtickfilled scene and obvious ad libs elsewhere, Black seems restricted by a lot more than a silly mustache and a pair of extra tight tights. Laughs won't be nearly as fake as the clotheslines on WWE, but they won't be the gut-busting body slams you'd hope for either. Throw blame a thousand directions for the disappointing Napoleon 2, but none Esqueleto's way. The guy's only about 107 pounds. He carries as much of the movie as he can. (C+) –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

NACHO DADDY JACK BLACK ON TOM CRUISE, MIDGET WRESTLERS & TENACIOUS D

W

e've been down with Jack Black (and his Tenacious D partner-incrime, Kyle Gass) since the days before he became a multimillionaire movie star and a hotshot film producer with a major label record deal. So we were delighted to see that, while in L.A. to promote his latest comedy, Nacho Libre, JB has lost none of the tangy sauce that made him such an unusual Hollywood breakout in the first place.

The film, writer/director Jared Hess' follow-up to Napolean Dynamite, casts Black as a monk who moonlights as a luchador (Mexican wrestler) in order to fulfill his dreams and help out some poor orphan kids. We spoke to the clearly exhausted singer/ actor/comedian (whose wife, Tanya Haden, gave birth to Black’s son less than 48 hours later) about everything from Tom Cruise's sonogram machine and midget wrestlers to the return of the mighty D in their own film later this year.

You're on baby watch?

I am.

What have you learned from Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt about being a celebrity dad?

Hmmm, Tom Cruise... Yeah, I guess there's a couple times I wished I had the invisomachine. What is that thing he bought from the hospital?

The sonogram machine.

That would've been cool, actually. But you know, I heard he goes and plays ball with his kids, so I'm sure he's a fine dad, if a little nutty. I'd be a little scared. But you know, it's probably like growing up Orthodox Jew or really hardcore Christian; they're religious people, so they're a little nutty in general.

You seem tired. Did you have a late night last night?

Sometimes I wake up and I'll be tired and I'll be like, Ah, I was gonna get up anyway, it's all right. But today was not one of those days. Today was like, Ooh, I would definitely sleep seven more hours if I didn't have to get up and do things. It was actual physical and emotional distress.

And that was just five minutes ago?

Yeah, and now [they’ve got me in] makeup, and they brought me here, fresh-faced.

Anyway. What were we talking about? Tom Cruise? Yeah, he's a daddy, too. A lot of celebrity daddies all of the sudden, but I just want to say I called it first and everybody else just got busy. I called it, like, two years ago, saying I wanna have a kid. And then everybody else was like, “What? Jack's having a kid?!” And I'm pretty pissed.

What attracted you to this film?

Well, mainly it was wanting to work with Jared Hess. Great director, loved Napoleon Dynamite, and I wanted me some of that sweet, nappy D. So me and my partner, Mike White, we got a movie company now called Black & White. We called him up and said, “Hey, let's party!” And he said, “It's a coincidence; I wanted to party with you guys cause I liked School of Rock.” So we hung out and tried to think of something to do and he was like, “You know, I've always been really obsessed with Mexican wrestling, with Lucha Libre. Would you want to be in a movie where you were a Mexican wrestler?” And I was like, Well, if you're at the helm my friend, I will go with you.

What do you respond to in Jared's vision?

He's definitely drawn to the peculiar, and he's got a very quirky sense of humor that is unique. That's what he brings to the table- something fresh, which is so refreshing when everything is so cookie-cutter boring now.

“There are a lot of celebrity daddies all of the sudden, but I just want to say I called it first and everybody else just got busy. I called it, like, two years ago, saying I wanna have a kid.

And then everybody else was like, ‘What? Jack's having a kid?!’ And I'm pretty pissed.”

PG 18 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2006

You had some pretty good moves in this film. What kind of preparation did you do?

I had a real Luchador pro who taught me all the moves. His name was Tom, and he didn't reveal his secret wrestler's identity to me. He said that I was a natural. I don't know if he was trying to pump up my confidence, but I believed him. He was like, “There's no move that you can't do. You're gonna do it all.” But I was pretty sweaty. It was not easy. There was a lot of days when I needed the deep tish, or the Mr. Myagi rub.

Did you do it all? Wearing the mask, you could've had a double sometimes.

Yeah, that was the benefit of having the mask. Not only did I look like a kick-ass superhero, but it was also easy to slip in my fat stuntman. But I did probably 95% of it, maybe 92%.

Was this one of those things where you figured you're in the best shape of your life now, so you wanted to do a movie where you're topless the entire time?

You jest, but a couple of those shots in the movie I was watching, like, Wow, I'm kinda ripped there! I see some actual washerboard definition!

Was there a lot of improv?

Not a lot. Little nuggets fly in and out here or there. I can't really remember if I had any good improvs or not, but it was a fun, collaborative feeling on the set. If I thought of something funny, Jared was always into trying it, so that was cool.

Were there any injuries on-set? It looked like those midgets could cause a lot of damage.

Those dudes were cool, actually. One of them was probably the best wrestler of all the wrestlers. He had a really busy schedule. I don't think he liked me, cuz there was a weird thing there. We were rehearsing and he didn't want to be there. He'd be like, “Ah man, I'd rather be in Mexico City doing my next wrestling match.” He was like the Michael Jordan of the little people's wrestling association.

What about working with the kids?

They were really funny. I always like working with the kids. I've had good experiences. I'm kind of the Pied Piper of the children, and they all want to know what Jack's doing. I wasn't sure if my pied pipe worked south of the border; maybe it only works on American kids. But no, it works in Mexico, too, and they come following me around all through the land.

What was it like working with the other wrestlers?

It turned out they're mostly sweethearts. I was worried going into it, like, Oh man, I'm gonna be wrestling real luchadors who haven't acted in movies before. They're gonna break my neck, because I'm a sweet, delicate Hollywood comedian. I can't deal with this real athleticism. But it turned out that I was kick-ass and there was nothing to worry about.

Did you hurt anyone?

I actually hurt myself. It wasn't all butter and cookies. I hit my head on a metal chair when I was diving at my opponent and I needed stitches. So I got some Mexico stitches, but it healed up pretty good. Yeah, sexy.

Where’d you get the idea to do the confessional podcasts to promote the film?

Somebody in marketing at Paramount was like, “All the kids are watching the iTunes podcasts. We need to get in on the latest technology...” So they gave me a video camera and said, “Can you tape yourself every day?” I said no, but I'll do it once or twice a week. So that's why there are some pretty grumpy podcasts in there, where I woke up like I did today and had to go to work and then talk to the camera for extra credit. I'm glad we did that, because now I look at them and laugh. It's like a video diary. Wish I had a real video diary of my life, kind of. I should've been doing that podcast for myself, every couple days for the last fucking 36 years. That'd be unbelievable!

Did you write the song you sang in the locker room scene?

I write the songs that make the whole world sing. I did write the song with Jared and Mike. We all jammed that out together. I was stoked that came out funny. It's my specialty, writing bad songs that are also really good.

What can you tell us about the Tenacious D movie?

Sorry, I was just thinking really good bad songs, not really bad good songs. What's the status of Tenacious D? Speaking of badgood/good-bad songs? We've finished our movie, which will come out in November, along with our album. I'm very excited, because it is kick-ass.

How did you distinguish between Jack Black, actor and Jack Black, producer?

There's virtually no distinction. The only difference was that this time we were the bosses. There was nobody that was the father figure telling us to have our homework done. We were self-governing. It's like going to college, as opposed to high school, when you're producing your own movie. The freedom is there and it's good.

How did you run things differently on this set?

With an iron fist and a velvet glove. I think we were good producers. It's just that you have to be filled with opinions. You can't just be like, “I don't know, what do you want?” You have to really think about every aspect of the movie and weigh in and oversee other people's stuff.

Which skills that you learned on this movie will you integrate into your everyday life?

Well, I can perform the Anaconda Squeeze at the drop of a hat. If somebody tries to come at me from behind, I know how to do the Wind-of-the-Land Double-Squat, so they'd better think twice... --B. Love

VIDIOTS This month’s DVD & VHS releases

A N N A P O L I S - Why this cringe-inducing cliché of a movie ever got made is a mystery. It follows the story of a hardscrabble kid fighting to realize his dream of entering the Naval Academy, but the result insults your intelligence from here to West Point. But it's not the leaden acting or laughable plot that gets me; it's the downright scary dialogue, which makes the film feel like a really long recruitment commercial. If Navy Seals is one of your favorite movies, you'll probably enjoy this one. As for everyone else, you already knew you weren't going to waste your money on this movie anyway. (F) -Betsy Jones JOHNNY CASH: MAN IN BLACK: LIVE IN DENMARK 1 9 7 1 - There's a bit of a cash-in going on with everything

Johnny Cash ever recorded, so it's no surprise that his many concerts are starting to show up. This one is from a strong period, just prior to the release of his seminal Man In Black album, and features all the usual suspects of his concert entourage (his wife June Carter Cash, the Carter Family, his ace backing band, etc.) Essential? Well, it's a rental for sure, if only to see the power and charisma that the legend had onstage, the unstoppable performer whose humanity was depicted in Walk the Line.

(B) -John Davidson

T H E M ATA D O R - Pierce Brosnan trades his spy persona

for an offensive, aging hit man in Mexico City on a job when he realizes his way of life has left him with no friends, no family, no home to call his own. Drinking away his loneliness in a hotel bar, he meets a businessman (Greg Kinnear) and they form an unusual friendship. This is Brosnan as you've never seen him before– edgy, unabashedly vulgar, at the end of his rope– and he's never been better. With its razor-sharp dialogue and the fascinating chemistry between the leads (not to mention Hope Davis as Kinnear's wife) this underdog of a movie ends up winning big. (A) -Betsy Jones

N I G H T WAT C H - Stylistically, this Russian action-horrorfantasy tale of vampires and those who hunt them is a feast for the eyes and ears. Its flashy cinematic tech-

* * * P I C KS O F T H E M O N T H * * * THE BOYS OF BARAK A - This emo-

tionally-charged documentary follows a group of 12-year-old boys growing up in a violent Baltimore ghetto, where 76% of all black males do not finish high school. Struggling with incarcerated fathers, drugaddicted mothers and the pressures of growing up in extreme poverty, 20 brave boys are sent to an experimental boarding school in rural Kenya. There, they struggle to become something more than a mere statistic, learning everything from reading and mathematics to anger management and conflict resolution. As they interact with villagers, learn that they possess an intelligence they never realized, and climb mountains, you'll find their journey heartwarming and inspiring. But this is no Hollywood fairy tale: The bombing in Kenya prevented them from returning to Baraka for their second year. An updated epilogue shows that not all the boys have gone on to great things. But, as Bill Cosby suggests in an interview, The Boys of Baraka proves that all these young men really need to set them straight is “a body on 'em”-someone who cares enough to watch their every move and steer them down the right path. Like Hillary Clinton once said, it takes a village... -B. Love

WE JAM ECONO: THE STORY OF T H E M I N U T E M E N - This is a must-

see film for fans of independent rock– a visual companion piece of sorts to the glorious tome Our Band Could Be Your Life. The Minutemen (best-known today as bassist Mike Watt’s first band) were a Southern California trio whose enthralling blend of punk, rock, and jazz ignited the West Coast punk scene until the mid-1980s and the untimely death of raucous frontman D. Boon.

But it was the band's legendary do-it-yourself aesthetic that gives this film unbelievable spirit: it was ALL about the music for these guys, and their dedication to spreading the frenzied fervor of punk-rock to all corners of the earth continues to inspire bands even today, more than two decades after their heyday. This set also contains a bonus DVD’s worth of material that is equally as compelling as the original, theatrically-shown film.

–John Davidson

niques create mood and suspense, especially in the first third. Wisely, the film doesn't over-explain the rules of its fantasy universe, but some of its surprises are a little too easy to guess. It turns into a story about the ultimate battle between Good and Evil, but it would do better to stick to the individual conflicts, which seem so promising at the start. To make an analogy with Stephen King novels: The Shining beats The Stand any day of the week. Still, the admirable talents involved manage to carry the movie, despite the fact that the story plays out like a glorified episode of Buffy or Charmed. (B) -Rodney Hill

T H E S M I T H S : U N D E R R E V I E W - What Lennon and

McCartney were to the British music of the '60s and '70s, Morrissey and Johnny Marr were to the '80s. This DVD charts the influential quartet's rapid ascension and equally unpredictable dissolution, using insiders such as producer Stephen Street, long-term associate Grant Showbiz, and Factory Records impresario Tony Wilson to tell the tale. There are numerous "Top of the Pops" performances and videos, plus lots of inside dirt on the power struggle between Marr and Morrissey, who evolved from a shy intellectual into an ego-driven ball of attitude.

What's missing are more substantial soundbytes from The Smiths themselves. Though Morrissey's often-controversial lyrics are analyzed and discussed ad infinitum, there's only a brief mention of Rourke's heroin addiction, and none of Joyce's lawsuit over songwriting royalties. All in all, this is a great primer for novices, but a bit unfulfilling for diehard Smiths fans. (B) -B. Love

T S O T S I - In this dreary story of redemption based in South Africa, the ruthless Tsotsi (Presley Chweneyagae) can be seen waving a gun in the face of Miriam (Terry Pheto), but you can't deny the unspoken intensity felt in his heart. Torment peppers Tsotsi's (“thug” in South African street language) past like memories of balloons and circuses do yours. His mother wilted away from disease. His alcoholic father beat the dog. Now, the man’s only solace comes when he's doing something felonious.

During one night of mayhem, he shoots and carjacks a woman whose baby is in the backseat, and we begin to see some decent qualities in this troubled young man. He leaves the car but takes the baby, believing he can care for it himself. Failing miserably as a caregiver, he demands the aid of lovely seamstress Miriam. By the time her foreign breast enters the hungry baby's mouth, if your heart hasn't taken to the man's internal anguish, something's wrong. This Oscar-nominated film doesn't follow your usual script. Redemption is found at the oddest moments. Shots are fired when you least expect them. Eyes twinkle at the oddest times. And in the end, a thug learns to love himself. (B+) -DeMarco Williams

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��������������������� PG 19 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2006 PG 19 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2006

MASQUERADE Akward Romance NORTHSIDE TAVERN Breeze Kings PEACHTREE TAVERN U.S. SMITH’S Tim Reynolds STAR BAR Rubber City Rebels

FRIDAY JULY 7

CONCERT CALENDAR FRIDAY JUNE 30

APACHE CAFE Mausiki Scales CALLANWOLDE Will Scruggs Jazz Fellowship CJ’S LANDING Gareth and Naked THE EARL Unknown Henson EDDIE’S ATTIC The Packway Handle Band FAT MATT’S Black Cat Bone FUNNY FARM D.C. Curry THE LOFT Sol Fusion/Dawn Robinson NORTHSIDE TAVERN Donnie McCormick PUNCHLINE Guy Torry PUNCHLINE Bill Burr

ANDREWS UPSTAIRS Countdown to Ecstasy APACHE CAFE Industry Rules 2 BLIND WILLIE’S Houserocker Johnson CALLANWOLDE Tammy Allen and the Colors of Jazz CJ’S LANDING Pea Ridge City Council EDDIE’S ATTIC Cassie Driessen Band FAT MATT’S Kenny and Them FOX THEATRE Bill Maher FUNNY FARM Mark Curry JAKE’S TOADHOUSE Oteil and the Peacemakers MASQUERADE Ministry/Revolting Cocks NORTHSIDE TAVERN Zydefunk PEACHTREE TAVERN Trotline PUNCHLINE Ralphie May RED LIGHT CAFE Tom Freund THE ROXY Rehab SMITH’S Gates of Berlin VARIETY PLAYHOUSE Hot Tuna VELVET UNDERGROUND Steadlur VINYL Cotton Pickin’ Comedy Show

SATURDAY JULY 1

ANDREWS UPSTAIRS State of Man APACHE CAFE Chocolate Thaii & Jubilee BLIND WILLIE’S Houserocker Johnson CHASTAIN Gipsy Kings CJ’S LANDING The Brian Wiltsey Band THE EARL A Fir-Ju Well EDDIE’S ATTIC Blue Mother Tupelo FAT MATT’S Dr. Dixon and the Operators FUNNY FARM T. Pescatelli LITHONIA AMPHITHEATRE Morris Day & The Time NORTHSIDE TAVERN Fat City Wildcats PEACHTREE TAVERN Dean Dollar Band PUNCHLINE Guy Torry RED LIGHT The Greencards SMITH’S Slowearth VARIETY PLAYHOUSE Jefferson Starship

SUNDAY JULY 2

BLIND WILLIE’S The Shadows CENTER STAGE Greg Street Showcase THE EARL Revolution Church FAT MATT’S T-Bone Smith FUNNY FARM D. C. Curry LITHONIA AMPHITHEATRE Kurtis Blow/Sugar HIll Gang NORTHSIDE TAVERN Fat City Wildcats PUNCHLINE Guy Torry

Kids, there was a time when hip hop wasn’t proliferated with snapping, trapping and gun clapping. No, really! If you miss that easier time -and with your bad hearing, we know you do- you’ll want to be at this Kurtis Blow and Sugar Hill Gang show. Word! (7/2, Lithonia Amphitheatre)

MONDAY JULY 3

In April 2006, the Brand New Heavies reunited with N'Dea Davenport and former label Delicious Vinyl. A snazzy new album, Get Used to It was released last month via Starbucks and more traditional music retail outlets. It’d be sweet if you got a free CD with a latte, huh? Dream on, dreamer. (7/5,

SATURDAY JULY 8

ANDREWS UPSTAIRS Unzipt BLIND WILLIE’S Sandra Hall CHASTAIN Randy Travis CJ’S LANDING The Brian Wiltsey Band THE EARL Seely EDDIE’S ATTIC Larry Jon Wilson FAT MATT’S The Santos Bros.

FUNNY FARM Mark Curry THE LOFT KRS-One MASQUERADE Action Action/The Matches NORTHSIDE TAVERN Lola PEACHTREE TAVERN Cole Swindell Band PHILIPS ARENA Faith Hill/Tim McGraw PUNCHLINE Ralphie May THE ROXY Tristan Prettyman SMITH’S Johnny Winter STONE MOUNTAIN STADIUM Kem/Anthony David VINYL Needle to the Record DJ Competition

SUNDAY JULY 9

BLIND WILLIE’S Hound Dog Radio Birthday Bash THE EARL Revolution Church EDDIE’S ATTIC Cowboy Envy NORTHSIDE TAVERN Fat City Wildcats PUNCHLINE Ralphie May SMITH’S Peter May

10 HIGH Metal-Some Monday BLIND WILLIE’S Bob Page Trio THE EARL Trappers Cabin FAT MATT’S Fat City Wild Cats THE LOFT The Storm Tour NORTHSIDE TAVERN Northside Blues Jam SMITH’S Redbelly

TUESDAY JULY 4

APACHE CAFE Mic Club/Dres tha Beatnik FAT MATT’S Crosstown All-Stars NORTHSIDE TAVERN Bill Sheffield

WEDNESDAY JULY 5

ANDREW’S UPSTAIRS White Leppard Crue APACHE CAFE Al Smith BLIND WILLIE’S The Cazanovas EDDIE’S ATTIC Hillside Manor FAT MATT’S Frankie’s Blues Mission MASQUERADE Diary of Dreams NORTHSIDE TAVERN Mudcat Dudeck PEACHTREE TAVERN Steel Horses PUNCHLINE Mike Speenberg THE ROXY Brand New Heavies SMITH’S Packway Handle Band STAR BAR Sound of Urchin

THURSDAY JULY 6

APACHE CAFE Jahah/Dukes of DaVille BLIND WILLIE’S Duwayne Burnside CENTER STAGE Lifehouse THE EARL The Mendoza Line FAT MATT’S Chickenshack FUNNY FARM Mark Curry HI-FI BUYS The Black Crowes MASQUERADE The Summer Obsession PEACHTREE TAVERN Radio Cut PUNCHLINE Craig Shoemaker

PG 20 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2006

Back in March, The Black Crowes released their first DVD entitled Freak n' Roll... into the Fog that features a live performance recorded at the historic Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco, CA. This show probably won’t make anyone’s DVD, but with Robert Randolph and the Drive-by Truckers also on stage, it will be rocking. (7/6, Hi-Fi Buys)

MONDAY JULY 10

10 HIGH Metal-Some Monday BLIND WILLIE’S Luxury Kings NORTHSIDE TAVERN Northside Blues Jam VARIETY PLAYHOUSE Les Claypool/The Coup

TUESDAY JULY 11

APACHE CAFE Mic Club- Dres tha Beatnik BLIND WILLIE’S Electromatics EDDIE’S ATTIC Ron Hipp NORTHSIDE TAVERN Bill Sheffield

WEDNESDAY JULY 12

ANDREW’S UPSTAIRS White Leppard Crue APACHE CAFE Al Smith BLIND WILLIE’S The Shadows

CHASTAIN Peter Frampton THE EARL Camera Obscure/Six Organs of Admittance EDDIE’S ATTIC Jay Nash MASQUERADE Dead Poetic NORTHSIDE TAVERN Mudcat Dudeck PEACHTREE TAVERN Who’s Bad SMITH’S Rebirth Brass Band TABERNACLE Jodeci

MASQUERADE I Am the Avalanche NORTHSIDE TAVERN Mudcat PEACHTREE TAVERN Wes Loper Band THE ROXY Katie Melua SMITH’S Stooges Brass Band VARIETY PLAYHOUSE Butch Walker

THURSDAY JULY 13

APACHE CAFE DJ Cann BLIND WILLIE’S Deacon Bluz CENTER STAGE Avant THE EARL National Grain EDDIE’S ATTIC Caroline Herring Trio FUNNY FARM Paul Provenza MASQUERADE Houston Calls NORTHSIDE TAVERN The Breeze Kings PEACHTREE TAVERN Velcro Pygmies PUNCHLINE Killer Beaz SMITH’S Golden TABERNACLE Beck VARIETY PLAYHOUSE Dark Star Orchestra VINYL The Muckrackers

FRIDAY JULY 14

ANDREWS UPSTAIRS Ten Story Relapse APACHE CAFE Cat Chang BLIND WILLIE’S Sandra Hall CHASTAIN Anita Baker CJ’S LANDING Scott Munns and Woody THE EARL Asobi Seksu EDDIE’S ATTIC Shawn Mullins FAT MATT’S Sana Blues FUNNY FARM Paul Provenza THE LOFT Goapele MASQUERADE The Futurists/Circa Survive NORTHSIDE TAVERN Sean Costello PEACHTREE TAVERN The Breakfast Club PUNCHLINE Killer Beaz SMITH’S Randall Branblett VARIETY PLAYHOUSE The Roches VINYL Creve Coeur

BLIND WILLIES Levee Town THE EARL Sound Team EDDIE’S ATTIC Jolie Holland FUNNY FARM Rich Vos & Bonnie McFarlane MASQUERADE The Adolescents/Street Dogs NORTHSIDE TAVERN The Breeze Kings PEACHTREE TAVERN 2 Hypnotic PUNCHLINE Jimmy Shubert SMITH’S Tim Brantly ANDREWS UPSTAIRS Frontiers APACHE CAFE Jon Bibbs BLIND WILLIE’S Houserocker Johnson CHASTAIN Guster/Ray LaMontagne CJ’S LANDING Bedhead/Unzipt THE EARL You/Modern Skirts FAT MATT’S The Squirrel Heads FUNNY FARM Rich Vos & Bonnie McFarlane NORTHSIDE TAVERN Electromatics PEACHTREE TAVERN Grayson Hill PHILIPS ARENA Just Churchin’ Comedy Show PUNCHLINE Jimmy Shubert SMITH’S Shady Deal VARIETY PLAYHOUSE Paul Thorn

SATURDAY JULY 22

ANDREWS UPSTAIRS The Alternatives ATLANTIC STATION Train/Nickel Creek/Pink BLIND WILLIE’S Stoop Down Man Wilis CHASTAIN Ian Anderson CJ’S LANDING The Brian Wlitsey Band THE EARL Wierd Inferno Friendship Society EDDIE’S ATTIC John Jorgenson Quintet FAT MATT’S Totally Savage FUNNY FARM Rich Vos & Bonnie McFarlane LITHONIA AMPHITHEATRE Michael Franks/Alex Bugnon MABLE HOUSE Jim Brickman NORTHSIDE TAVERN Reese & the Cazanovas PEACHTREE TAVERN The Wrong Way PUNCHLINE Jimmy Shubert SMITH’S Blueground Undergrass THE EARL Revolution Church EDDIE’S ATTIC Matt Keating FUNNY FARM Rich Vos & Bonnie McFarlane LITHONIA AMPHITHEATRE Clarence Carter/Theodis Ealy

MONDAY JULY 24

10 HIGH Metal-Some Mondays ATLANTA CIVIC CENTER Dashboard Confession BLIND WILLIE’S Barrelhouse Bob Page NORTHSIDE TAVERN Northside Blues Jam

TUESDAY JULY 25

APACHE CAFE Mic Club- Dres tha Beatnik BLIND WILLIE’S The Breeze Kings CENTER STAGE Rob Bell THE EARL Hotel Lights EDDIE’S ATTIC Matthew Perryman Jones NORTHSIDE TAVERN Bill Sheffield ROXY Kottonmouth Kings SMITH’S Pete Yorn VARIETY PLAYHOUSE Butch Walker VINYL Sons of William

WEDNESDAY JULY 19

ANDREW’S UPSTAIRS White Leppard Crue APACHE CAFE Al Smith BLIND WILLIE’S The Shadows CHASTAIN Paul Simon EDDIE’S ATTIC Lindsay Rakers Band

ON THE DECK Friday, June 30 GARETH & NAKED Saturday, July 1, 8, 22 & 29 THE BRIAN WILTSEY BAND Friday, July 14, 15 SCOTT MUNNS AND WOODY Friday, July 28 MATT & DAVIS

Nightly

CONCERT HALL Friday, July 7

PEA RIDGE CITY COUNCIL

CONNOR RAND & THE RED DIRT BAND

GARLINGTON

SUNDAY JULY 16

TUESDAY JULY 18

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

THE BRIAN WILTSEY BAND MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA

The music is back in midtown! Star 94’s inaugural Star Fest music fest is coming to Atlantic Station. The one-day, two-stage outdoor festival will feature performances by some of today’s hottest national talent including Train, Nickel Creek, Pink, The Whigs and several of Atlanta’s own emerging local artists. (7/22, Atlantic Station)

10 HIGH Metal-Some Mondays BLIND WILLIE’S Georgia Jooks NORTHSIDE TAVERN Northside Blues Jam

FREE POKER

Saturday, July 8

ANDREWS UPSTAIRS Pleezer APACHE CAFE Shamora BLIND WILLIE’S Houserocker Johnson CHASTAIN Anita Baker CJ’S LANDING Scott Munns and Woody THE EARL Cassavetes EDDIE’S ATTIC Mike Willis FAT MATT’S J.T. Speed FUNNY FARM Paul Provenza LITHONIA AMPHITHEATRE Wanda Smith Comedy MABLE HOUSE Ruben Studdard NORTHSIDE TAVERN Sean Costello PEACHTREE TAVERN Slippery When Wet PUNCHLINE Killer Beaz SMITH’S Five Eight STAR BAR Zorzaster/Music Hates You VARIETY PLAYHOUSE Los Amigos Invisibles/La Rua VINYL Need to Breath

MONDAY JULY 17

&Thursday

SUNDAY JULY 23

SATURDAY JULY 15

CENTER STAGE Anglelique Kidjo THE EARL Revolution Church EDDIE’S ATTIC Jack Williams NORTHSIDE TAVERN Fat City Wildcats PUNCHLINE Killer Beaz

Wednesday

THURSDAY JULY 20

FRIDAY JULY 21 Anita Baker, who lives in Michigan with her growing family, hasn’t recorded much new music (she released My Everything in ’04) and hopped onto many tour buses lately, making this rare, grown-ups-only show all the more of a treat. For two nights the jazzy crooner will refresh fans’ memories as to why they love the 80s. (7/14-15, Chastain Amphitheatre)

NO COVER

Friday, July 14

CRASH DAVIS

Saturday, July 15

APACHE CAFE Mic Club- Dres tha Beatnik BLIND WILLIE’S Scott Glazer’s Mojo Dojo THE EARL From Monument to Masses THE LOFT Ryan Cabrera MASQUERADE Rancid NORTHSIDE TAVERN Bill Sheffield ROXY Editors

WEDNESDAY JULY 26

ANDREW’S UPSTAIRS White Leppard Crue BLIND WILLIE’S Sean Costello CHASTAIN Beach Boys THE EARL Handsome Family EDDIE’S ATTIC Tony Rich/Doria Roberts NORTHSIDE TAVERN Mudcat Dudeck PEACHTREE TAVERN Willie Hill Blues Review THE ROXY Rihanna SMITH’S Bob Schneider VARIETY PLAYHOUSE Josh Ritter

THURSDAY JULY 27

THE EARL Sleep Therapy FAT MATT’S Chickenshack MABLE HOUSE Art Garfunkel MASQUERADE The Format/Anathallo PEACHTREE TAVERN Kassie Miller Band SMITH’S Papa Grows Funk

ELLER MORNING STAR

Friday, July 21

BEDHEAD

UNZIPT

Friday, July 28

FOUR WAY FREE

MATT AND DAVIS

Friday, July 28 PSYCHEDELIC BLUES TRAIN THE LOFT WILX

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 • July 2006

ROAD WARRIORS THIS MONTH’S HOTTEST SHOWS

BL ACK CROWES/DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS

(HiFi Buys Amphitheatre- 7/6) So it looks like the Drive-By Truckers will never be the next Allmans, and probably not even the next Black Crowes. That's okay with us; we'd rather not venture to a shed show in the dead of July heat when we know that the DBTs will probably be hitting the airconditioned comfort of Smith's sometime soon. But if you're out to see the Crowes, please get there early to catch one of Athens' best bands.

THE MENDOZ A LINE (The EARL- 7/6) This band has caught a lot of critical love over the past decade, but all they've got to show for it is just that. They play the indie-country-rock thing pretty well, and last year's Full of Light and Fire was a pretty ace take on classic Americana; if they hadn't been the subject of record label misadventures, the Mendoza Line would probably be much closer to household names.

L E S C L AY P O O L / T H E C O U P (Variety Playhouse- 7/10) It’s been weird to watch Primus frontman Claypool go from Lollapalooza headliner to jam circuit staple, but his solo stuff has proven consistently compelling, if not necessarily remarkable. But the real reason to see this show is hip-hoppers The Coup, who blend sociopolitical rhymes with some of the funkiest jams this side of George Clinton.

CAMERA OBSCURA

(The EARL- 7/12) Perhaps because they hail from Glasgow, Camera Obscura often get compared to Belle & Sebastian. They've got that a similar ethereal, baroque pop sound, but the

fact is that the songwriting wasn't anywhere close until the recently released Let's Get Out of This Countr y. They're still not that great, but we're glad to see that progress is being made to live up to the hype.

T R E Y A N A S TA S I O

(Masquerade- 7/15) Remember when Phish was the greatest jam band after Lord Jerry Garcia died? Anastasio broke up the band in high style, which was possibly the right thing at the right time, but his solo career has largely been contained to being “the guy from Phish.” Kind of odd to see him playing such a small venue, assuming that you've grown used to the idea that Phish will never, ever get back together.

PETE

YORN

(Smith's Olde Bar- 7/18) Yorn was sitting on top of the pop world a few years back, having come up the musical ladder via impromptu busking to total chart awareness.

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy, what with his charming good looks and betterthan-Ryan Adams songwriting chops.

That really doesn't explain such a rapid career descent, so we're hoping that his new album is pretty good.

PA U L

SIMON (Chastain Park Amphitheatre- 7/19) No matter what you read, Simon's solo work has never topped his recordings with Art Garfunkel. Yes, Simon won Grammys and many platitudes without Mr. G., but the music was never as

good. Still, his new album is pretty impressive for an old guy, and his entire career will be well-represented at this show, so go give the legend your ears, especially if you've never done so.

STAR FEST

(Atlantic Station- 7/22) The demise of Music Midtown left a gaping hole in Atlanta's summer concert schedule, so it was hardly a surprise to learn that a major media conglomerate had stepped up to try to fill the void.

Presented by Star 94 and co-sponsored by Bell South and Bud Light, the inaugural Star Fest will be a one-day, twostage, outdoor music festival set in Atlantic Station.

The lineup is remarkably diverse, ranging from pop stars like Pink and Train to adult alternative act Aqualung, newgrass icons Nickel Creek and local up ‘n’ comers The Whigs.

Considering the sponsors, it could be a lot worse.

future star M.I.A. threaten to make him a star. If you’re into dance music, no doubt you’re already booking this night out. But if you're curious about one of the hottest underground genres going, then hit the Unicorn for what will likely be a very hot show.

CURT KIRKWOOD

(The EARL- 7/26) Once famous as half of the Meat Puppets, Curt Kirkwood isn't giving up his occupation with age. Before his brother gave his life to heroin, the Meat Puppets were namechecked by the likes of Nirvana, and even had a platinum album. The genial Kirkwood is always an interesting act from the stage, so catch him before he throws in the towel.

P E A C H E S / E A G L E S O F D E AT H M E TA L

(Variety Playhouse- 7/27) Like a bar band version of Queens of the Stone Age, the Eagles of Death Metal are more AC/DC than, say, the Foo Fighters. It's a pretty big venue for the band, but maybe more surprising is the addition of Peaches to the lineup. Lewd, crude and tattooed, Peaches (a.k.a. Merrill Nisker) is an insane combination of folk, electronica, hip-hop, dance and punk. You probably won't find a more interesting show this month.

D A S H B O A R D C O N F E S S I O N A L (Atlanta

RYAN ADAMS (Tabernacle- 7/29) It's probably too early to call Adams washed up, because he still sells out in Europe and he hasn't alienated many of his core fans here in America. But despite denials to the contrary, he releases too much music and his live shows are frequently spotty and indulgent. Still, he can be charismatic and even enigmatic when he wants to, which keeps 'em coming back time and time again.

(Drunken Unicorn- 7/24) Diplo is one of those DJ dudes you've heard about– a remixer from Philly whose cut-ups for

FIONA APPLE (Chastain Park Amphitheatre- 8/2) Extraordinar y Machine was an ordinary album, albeit one that came so late it seriously threatened Apple's career relevance. We're glad to see her touring again, especially that she's playing a near-perfect venue in Atlanta, where the stars and candles can make us forget that she has the ability to be a completely erratic performer due to her alleged stage fright. --John Davidson

Civic Center- 7/24) We were thinking that maybe Dashboard Confessional was going to go away and take the rest of emo with them on the way out the door, but then we realized they're not such a bad act. As the band Sloan likes to say, “It's not the band we hate, it's their fans.”

DIPLO

WE GOT NEXT ARTISTS ON THE VERGE OF MAKING IT BIG

NAME: Forgive Durden CURRENT PROJECT: Wonderland (Fueled By Ramen) FOR FANS OF: Fall Out Boy, The Format, Panic! At the Disco WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: Because they play incredibly catchy, thinking man's pop music.

RANDOM QUOTE: “In Seattle, it’s impossible for a band unless you’re doing something different, making your own sound. Seattle won't allow generic music to prosper right now.”

Unless you're in Green Day and have a wall full of platinum records, the idea of a concept album is still kind of ballsy these days. So imagine how the label heads at Fueled By Ramen must have reacted when Forgive Durden– an untested, two-year-old band from Seattle– handed in their first effort, a sprawling musical tale of greed and corruption, with each song tying together characters and plot.

“Our label was actually a lot more excited than I think they normally are,” says frontman Thomas Dutton. “They loved the idea of tying in artwork and videos with the story line. As far as us, we loved making a concept album. It felt like writing an album, a movie, and book all at once.”

Their conceptual debut, Wonderland, is a story about a big city run by money. “The plot follows five characters and their struggles with dealing with Wonderland. Some of the characters are new to the city and struggle with their role in their industry. Others have decided the city is no longer for them and struggle with their attempt to escape.”

The concept behind the album was actually inspired by a bus full of businessmen. “The first song we wrote for the record is called 'Ear To Ear.' The song concept came about when I'd ride the bus to downtown Seattle and see all these businessmen with their Wall Street Journals and Blackberries,” says Dutton. “They really started to disgust me, so Thomas (Hunter) and I wrote a very satirical song mocking them. From there, all the songs we started writing seemed to have this big-city theme and so after a few songs I sat down and figured out the whole plot and what songs we needed to complete the story.”

To help generate interest for the album, the band took cartoon images from the album cover and inserts and turned them into flash animation, backed by the first couple of singles. The files have been bouncing between fans

PG 22 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2006

online even before the record officially came out. Along with peers like The Format and Plain White-T's, Forgive Durden is on the front lines of a movement to amp up the “pop” element in punk-pop, bringing literate lyrics to debunk the myth that pop music has to be inane.

Though Wonderland was released just a couple of months ago, word of mouth and an exhaustive schedule of touring has made it one of the most talked-about releases this summer... not an easy feat when you consider Dashboard Confessional, Taking Back Sunday and Tom DeLonge's Angels & Airwaves all have releases out.

“We're so happy to be where we are as a band right now,” says Dutton. “Though we've only been a band for two years, we've worked very hard to tour and write good music.

We're very fortunate to have a great team behind us with Fueled By Ramen, and our management and booking agent. We couldn't have asked for a better family to help us with our career.”

That support comes in the form of highly influential fans, like labelmates Fall Out Boy and Fueled By Ramen label founder/Less Than Jake drummer Vinnie. “FBR was the first premiere label to show any interest in us,” says

Dutton. “From the first time we talked with them, we got along great and just really clicked. I could not imagine us anywhere else right now. And no, we have no intentions of moving to a major label.”

Formed in 2004 in Seattle, the group is also comprised of drummer Andy Mannino, guitarist Thomas Hunter and bassist Jesse Bauer, a schoolmate of Dutton's. “Andy and I played in a band together in high school, and I was in other bands going as far back as middle school,” Dutton said. “Thomas was in another band with some of the guys from The Classic Crime a long time ago. For Jesse, however, this was his first band.”

Though the band has obvious pop-punk influences (everything from The Get Up Kids to NOFX), Hunter, the last member to be added to the band, actually went to USC to study Jazz Guitar before he left to join the band. “Thomas was the final piece to our band, being complete and he joined in January of 2005,” Dutton says. “We had selfreleased an EP the previous fall, so with the addition of Thomas the music was able to explore a much more vast spectrum. We drew influences from across the board– Bright Eyes, Fiona Apple, Gatsby's American Dream, Tom Waits, even musicals like Newsies and Moulin Rouge.

The melodic, hook-heavy songs on Wonderland stand in deep contrast to the more aggressive sound favored by the genre when Forgive Durden was recording their debut.

The album is coming out at a time when the scene is finally starting to accept their rock without all the angst-heavy screaming. “More and more people are starting to explore their musical taste,” Dutton says. “There is so much amazing, creative, interesting music out there. From a band's perspective, especially in Seattle right now, it is impossible for a band unless you are doing something different, making your own sound. Seattle won't allow generic music to prosper right now. It's great.”

The band has just wrapped up The Stampeding Machines Tour with Gatsby's American Dream, Horse the Band and Portugal the Man, and is about to start a summer's worth of Warped Tour gigs. “This will be our first time on Warped. We all grew up anticipating (the tour) every year,” Dutton says. “It's an amazing environment for a music fan. We can't wait to play them. It's definitely been a dream of mine since I was young.” --John Moore

Places to Go

INsite’s Music Venue Guide The best places to hear live music in Atlanta!!!!

quent appearances of the Indigo Girls, they still offer some great acts. Michelle Malone, July 1; Casey Driessen, July 7; Shawn Mullins, July 14.

HiFi Buys Amphitheatre 2002 Lakewood Way • 4.249.6400 www.hob.com

Atlanta’s largest and premier dedicated concert venue. Advanced lighting and clear, unrestricted sightlines make HiFi Buys Amphitheatre the favorite summer concert site for the avid music fan.

Some of their hotly anticipated upcoming shows include: The Black Crowes, July 6; Dave Mathews Band, August 15; Allman Bothers Band, Aug. 20; and Poison, Aug.25.

Variety Playhouse

1099 Euclid Ave. L5pts • 4.521.1786 www.variety-playhouse.com This is Little Five Points’ largest music venue, but it can also be one of its most intimate. The Variety has great accoustics and sound combined with an eclectic mix of artists. Some of the great shows appearing at here this summer include: Les Claypool, July 10; Paul Thorn, July 21; Josh Ritter, July 26; and Eagles of Death Metal, July 27.

Smith’s Olde Bar 1578 Piedmont Ave 4.875.1522 www.smithsoldebar.com

Chastain Park

4469 Stella Dr. NW.• 4.253.5926 www.classicchastain.com One of the great outdoor concert venues in the country. A place where wine and cheese among candlelight converge with often raucous concerts. Performers frequently complain about the talking through the show, but they are only taking part of this wonderful experience.

Upcoming shows include: Anita Baker, July14 & 15; Paul Simon, July 19; Beach Boys, July 26; and India Arie, July 29.

Mable House Barnes

Amphitheatre

5239 Floyd Rd, Mableton 770.819.7765 www.theMHBA.com Nestled amongst trees in the quaint suburbs of Mableton, Georgia, this award-winning amphitheatre offers more than 1200 covered seats, intimate dining tables protected from the weather, oversized seats, spacious aisles and a cozy lawn to lounge on.

Mable House is just a short drive from Atlanta and easily accessible from the East-West Connector, I20 and I285.

Shows performing this summer include: Ruben Studdard, July 15; Back to School Bash, Aug. 5; and The Pointer Sisters, Aug. 26

The Arena at Gwinnett Center

6400 Sugarloaf Pkwy. 770.813.7600 www.GwinnettCenter.com As part of the 80 acre Gwinnett Center campus, The Arena is a stae of the art 13,000 seat facility hosting concerts and other large events. It boasts widened seats, a high-end sound system along with accoustical enhancements and versatile lighting. Some of the upcoming performances here include: Taking Back Sunday, July 10; And 1 Mixtape Tour, July 30; American Idols Live, Aug. 3.

If you’re looking for live music, Smith’s Olde Bar has it seven nights a week!

Expect to see the best national, regional, and upcoming acts while enjoying the laid-back, intimate atmosphere. Check out Johnny Winter, July 8; Bob Schneider, July 26; and The Pete Best Band, July 31.

The Tabernacle

152 Luckie Street • 4.659.9022 www.livenation.com This turn of the century church converted into one of Atlanta’s top concert venues attracts some of the biggest names that make their way down to Atlanta. The Tabernacle’s interior is worth seeing even if the show its hosting isn’t, though this is rare. With three floors of psychadellically painted walls and room after rooms of bars and pool tables, it’s hard not to enjoy yourself. A great downtown musi experience. Some great shows appearing this summer include: Jodeci, July 12; Muse, Aug. 6; and Rollins Band, Aug.24.

Andrews Upstairs

56 East Andrews Dr. • 4.467.1600 www.ANDREWSUPSTAIRS.com Andrews Upstairs is a 400 capacity music venue, located in Buckhead’s West Village boutique district. The venue prides itself on being an upscale entertainment spot catering to the young professionals of Atlanta, bringing back the excitement to Buckhead in the East Andrews Village.

Touted as “Atlanta’s most intimate concert setting”, Andrews’ amphitheater-shaped dance floor hugs the large stage, which is comfortable without being cramped; while the three tiers of stools and tables rise into the back of the room for excellent views of the stage. Countdown to Ecstasy, July 7; Pleezer, July 15; tim Brantley, August 5.

The Roxy 3110 Roswell Rd. 404.233.7699 LiveNation.com

Located in the heart of Buckhead, the CocaCola Roxy Theatre is the predominant focus of one of the city's busiest intersections. Unique features of the CocaCola Roxy include an open dance floor, a balcony equipped with comfortable reclining cushion seats, two fullservice bars and a lobby full of memorabilia.

The Peachtree Tavern 3179 Peachtree Rd. • 4.842.1700 www.peachtreetavern.com

The Peachtree Tavern offers an intimate setting, a large selection of drinks from the bar, and will pay tribute to the always growing southeast music scene by featuring a wide variety of incredible cover bands, upcoming artists, and nationally acclaimed recording acts. The Peachtree Tavern is recognized as one of the premier spots in Buckhead to build memories with friends, artists, and family. This month check out: Trotline, July 7; Grayson Hill, July 21; Jared Ashley, July 28.

Masquerade

Dixie Tavern

2319 Windy Hill Rd. 770.690.0090 www.dixietavern.com Featuring live entertainment on stage Thursday through Saturday, Dixie is the "in your face place" to see the newest and the best talent in Atlanta. Zac Brown and Dixie's grew up together over the past several years, and Zac continues to entertain the Dixie faithful every Thursday night. Come to Dixie Tavern to hear the sounds of your favorite "Covers" and the music that is defining the future. Father Peter, July 7; Hipnotic, July 8.

695 North Ave. NE • 4.577.8178 www.masq.com With three rooms for dancing and lounging and an outdoor deck, this mid-sized concert venue encourages concert-goers to stick around after a show to get their dance on or just chill out amist its turn-ofthe-century architecture. Masquerade attracts a combination of loud rock, 80s retro music, and modern electronics.

Expect to see a changing crowd depending on the night. This Month: Ministry, July 7; Yellowcard, July 19; Bowling for Soup, July 27; The Format, July 29.

CJ’s Landing

270 Buckhead Ave • 4.237.7657 www.cjslanding.com Their covered deck is a Buckhead landmark, featuring great accoustic music to sing along to. In the back of CJ’s is The Concert Hall, which features live local and regional rock bands. Upstairs is the Tango Bar which can be used for private parties and special events. Expect to see a crowd of college grads to middle classers in this relaxed, feel-at-home atmosphere.

A selection of shows at their concert hall in July include: Garlington, July 8; Ellr, July 15; Bedhead, July 21; Psychedelic Blues Train, July 28.

Wild Bill’s

2075 Market St. 678-473-1000 www.wildbillsatlanta.com Billed as the largest country-music dance club and concert hall in the country, this massive Duluth complex is a weekend hot spot. It has an upscale vibe, with only spotted-cow carpet alluding to its country theme. A multilevel bar overlooks the 5,000-square-foot solid oak dance floor, where country-music fans vie for stomping space. Fight Night, July 14; Tracy Byrd, July 19.

Fat Matt’s Rib Shack

1811 Piedmont Rd. 4.607.1622 www.fatmatts.com

You like ribs? You like the blues? You can get both 7 nights a week. Live music begins at 8pm. One of the best places in Atlanta for both. Come often, because you never know what blues legend is going to stop in and play.

Santos Brothers, July 8; J.T. Speed July 15; Totally Savage, July 22.

10 HIGH 10 High

The Earl

488 Flat Shoals Ave. • 4.522.3950 www.badearl.com An East Atlanta institution for great live music. Anything and everything can be heard, and the crowd varies with the bands. However, many of the more popular local acts frequent here. The Earl just celebrated their 10th Annual Corndogorama this past month. In July check out, A Fir-Ju Well, July 1; Tenement Halls, July 7; Seely, July 8.

816 N. Highland Ave 404.873.3607 www.tenhighclub.com The 10 High is located directly below the Dark Horse Tavern in the heart of the Virginia Highlands neighborhood.

The venue is a favorite spot for local music lovers and bands as well. Monday nights feature the well-known Metal-some Monday live band karaoke, where everyone is given the opportunity to hop on stage and re-incarnate the big hair days.

Golucky, July 6; Trances Arc, July 7.

EDDIE’S

ATTIC Eddie’s Attic

Decatur Square. • 4.377.4976 www.eddiesattic.com Decatur’s most prominent music venue features some of the best accoustical music in the city. Made famous by the fre-

The Darkside

1440 Roswell Rd. 404.468.2666 www.the darksideatl.com Located inside the Sidelines sports complex on Roswell Rd. in Marietta, The Darkside is home to hard rock and heavy metal. Kid Ego, July 8; 36 Crazyfists, July 14; Echovalve, July 29.

PG 23 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2006

NEW GRASS T

hough they've only released three albums and guitarist Sean Watkins only recently reached the ripe old age of 29 (his bandmates, violinist sister Sara Watkins and mandolin virtuoso Chris Thile, are both 25), Nickel Creek has already been together over 15 years, and stands tall as the world's most influential modern bluegrass group. Though it's rare to find any band with three equally capable singer/songwriters, Thile and the Watkins siblings seem to share the spotlight fairly equally, each bringing their own unique talents to the table.

In the six years since the release of their Allison Krauss-produced debut, the band has grown from a niche market act into a festival-friendly phenomenon that sells out 3,000-seat theaters and small arenas. Now touring in support of their third group effort, 2005's Why Should The Fire Die?, the elder Watkins and Thile both have new solo albums to promote as well.

We recently spoke with guitarist Sean (who's described in his own bio as “the shy, quiet one”) about working with family, sharing the spotlight and his excellent new album, Blinders On.

You guys have been performing since you were teenagers. Do you feel like you missed out on anything, being on the road so much?

Not at all. Anytime you do anything in life, you miss out on something, but I don't think I missed out on anything vital to my development as a h u m a n being.

PG 26 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2006

Nickel Creek Break s f o s e i r a d n u o B Down the American Roots M usic

It wasn't until right after my first year of college that things really started to take off.

Before that, the touring was mostly on weekends, so life was pretty normal.

Bands tend to take on a family atmosphere, with all the love and bickering that comes with it. What's it like being in a group with your sister?

It's made our relationship better, definitely.

We're very close friends, and it's nice to have a family member with you on the road. You get more of that connected feeling.

It's been six years now since the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack made bluegrass mainstream again. Did you notice a change in how audiences responded to bluegrass in the wake of that album's success?

Definitely. There was a huge change, and the audience grew. We weren't associated with the soundtrack, obviously, but we were part of the same movement, so a lot of the articles that were talking about O Brother also mentioned us. We got a lot of good press because of that.

It's obviously been a gradual evolution, but has it been weird and rewarding to watch your audience grow from small, intimate venues to filling huge auditoriums?

Of course! It's really great. Like you said, it didn't happen overnight, but it didn't happen that slowly. There was a year in which it kinda happened, and we suddenly realized we could play bigger venues. That was really a fun time, and the fact that we can still do it, I just feel so blessed.

It's not often that a band has three equally talented singer-songwriters. How does the process work of determining which songs make the album?

Well, usually the producer is the one that makes the call. On the road, we'll be writing songs and working things up, and sometimes stuff just falls by the wayside naturally and sometimes it sticks. If it works and everybody likes it, it's easy to tell. But making a record is certainly a process that requires going through the songs to find a cohesive batch. It's all about the songs, no matter who wrote 'em.

Is it tough sometimes, when a song you like doesn't make it on the album?

Don't you guys ever get proprietary about it?

Sometimes, but in general we usually agree. We all have the attitude that the band is [a democracy], and we need to agree on something. If we disagree with a song choice, we talk about it and try to work on it, but in general it's a pretty natural process.

Then there's also our solo projects, which are a g r e a t place t o put

songs like that.

I was gonna ask you about that. What differentiates a Sean Watkins solo song from a Sean Watkins song with Nickel Creek?

Well, the band usually gets first pick, but there are songs that were written specifically for my solo record. It's like, if we've just finished a band record, it's easy to see a solo project coming together and write songs to fill the specific gaps. But I just write to write, and wherever the song ends up is where it ends up.

Matters of the heart seem to be a prominent subject for your songs. Do you consider yourself a romantic?

No, not especially. I mean, I think everybody is a romantic to some degree. Most songs, in general, are about love. But it's also food for songwriting. If you go along in life not having anything happen to you emotionally or relationship-wise, it's really hard to write songs. So when something happens, whether good or bad, I usually try to capitalize on it and get a few songs out of it.

I don't remember the name of the song, but when I saw you guys live recently you introduced one of the songs off the last album as being the first Nickel Creek had ever written collectively. How did that process go, and is it something you plan to do more of in the future?

Definitely. A few people that we know and trust had suggested we try to do that. It's always kind of scary to dive into that sort of thing because you don't know where people'a boundaries are and don't want anybody to get their feelings hurt. But we did it, and it went great. We actually co-wrote a lot of the songs on Why Should the Fire Die?, and we'll definitely do more of that in the future.

Let's talk about your solo album, because there were definitely some stylistic influences there that you don't hear in Nickel Creek's sound. Do you see solo work as an opportunity to stretch yourself creatively?

Well, with the solo stuff, it's not really my [main] career-it's not my bread and butter-so there's not really any repercussions or consequences if I fall flat on my face. It's nice to have that and to be able to experiment freely without worrying about whether or not you're gonna have a job next year.

And that's the way music should be anyway.

There's definitely things I did on there that I probably shouldn't have done, but oh well...

(Laughs) On “Happy New Year” in particular, you really took your sound in a very experimental direction, with trippy effects and a beat that almost sounds like hip-hop.

Yeah, that one wasn't even gonna end up being on the record, but it ended up being cool. It was New Year's Eve, right after the tsunami happened, and I went back to my little garage studio because I just felt like expressing myself musically. I was playing with this little drum machine my friend loaned me and ran it through this amp, then I started layering acoustic and electric guitar, organ and piano... It took two or three hours to record, and then I went out to a New Year's Eve party. I came back later and listened to it and I thought it was cool, so I left exactly the way it was.

Nickel Creek is pretty adventurous as far as Americana acts go. But with such a broad scope of personal influences, do you ever feel limited by the band's sound?

No, it's pretty limitless. To define it or put it in a box would defeat the purpose of the band, and it really wouldn't accomplish anything. The only thing that defines Nickel Creek is whether or not we're having fun and feel like we're doing something new and relevant. It's a simple band, and as long as we're proud of our songs... Just because we use acoustic instruments, we have nothing against electronics. It's nice to have sideprojects where you can experiment and use that part of your brain, then when you come back to the Nickel Creek table you have more ideas to work with.

Having seen the band live a few times, it seems like Chris has the hardcore music geek and screaming girl fanbase and Sara has guys like me who drool over her, while you get characterized even in your own press releases as “the shy, quiet one.” Is that something you're comfortable with?

(Laughs) Um, I feel it's kinda relative to who I'm in the band with. Maybe compared to Chris and Sara I am quiet, but I feel like I'm a very outgoing person. People make those generalizations based on our interviews and how we are onstage, but if they saw us offstage they might think the opposite. There are times when it's definitely like that. But if we're all freaking out and interrupting and talking over each other in interviews, it's not gonna be a fun interview. And onstage, I have to spend a lot of my time tuning, so I can't get up to the mic and talk as much. But I'm definitely not shy and quiet in person.

Maybe it's because when Chris is in the spotlight, he wails on his mandolin like a red-headed stepchild. It's not like you're up there doing the Pete Townsend air circles on your guitar. You're almost like the George Harrison of the group.

(Laughs) I love George Harrison! –B. Love

M

we were doing them, it seemed very inneapolis is the home to some hard. I think we were being really hard great combinations: Jimmy Jam on ourselves. and Terri Lewis, Best Buy and But it's finally settling down now?

Target, Daunte Culpepper and Randy Yeah, yeah. We're finally getting to the Moss. (Okay, so we'll scratch that last point where we feel confident and comone.) Before the Twin Cities' rap underfortable with what we've done. So, it's ground can hit the “send” button on been a very weird process. Every record their hate-filled emails, we'll add another is different, but this one was definitely a terrific tandem to the list: Sean “Slug” challenge. His expectations are pretty Daley and Anthony “Ant” Davis.

Slug high. and Ant collectively go by Atmosphere, What is Ali like in comparison to and for nearly a decade now (they Slug? started indie hit factory It's night and day. Ali will have a Rhymesayers Entertainment, home specific idea of what he's going of underrated artists like M.F. to do and he takes a long time Doom, Soul Position and Brother “(Touring when he works on his verses, Ali, in '97), they've steadily is) like a big whereas Slug will breathed fresh air

party. People appreciating your music actud seeing it and being able n a ally try into a anything. rap industo touch and feel it is pretty astounding.

He'll write try that far I don't know, there's a rush to it. w h a t e v e r too often comes It's really crazy-- like a big, comes up. It's off stuffy and rekinda strange. He circulated. Ant's the bad drug-- and I think just writes a lot! He group's producer, so you get addicted writes more than anyhis part in the cleanone I've ever met. snare campaign to it.”

involves sparse drums, inventive horns and any other nod to ‘70s-era funk the Okalahomaborn Army brat can think of. Slug, on the other hand, relies on sharp, often amazingly revealing bars that do all the talking for him.

The partnership almost always sounds brilliant, especially on 2005's You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having. But for this interview, conducted right before the crew's summer tour took off, the roles are reversed: Ant's doing the talking, and we were all ears…

With all the touring and whatnot, Ant, you must be exhausted.

We head out on tour on June 15 for six weeks. Yeah, it's pretty intense. I'm in the middle of finishing up Brother Ali's record and getting some tour ideas together and finishing up last-minute stuff like that. So yeah, it's pretty hectic.

What's the most fun you've had putting together Brother Ali's album?

The most fun I've had is just getting ready for that last song, and I think we're done. It hasn't really been fun at all. It's been elements of fun like, “Oh, man! We finally figured out how to do this song!”

But it's all in retrospect 'cuz at the time

He's constantly doing stuff. It's just a lil' different as far as that process, but otherwise, they both take it equally serious.

Atmosphere's about to hit the road again. What do you love about going on tour?

I love being 16. It's like a big party. It's pretty cool. With people appreciating your music and seeing it and being able to touch and feel it is pretty astounding.

I don't know, there's a rush to it. It's really crazy. It's like a big, bad drug and I think you get addicted to it. I've wanted it for years, and now I can't seem to get enough. It's very, very strange. I try to keep my level head.

Do you miss anything about the late ‘90s, before people went crazy over your music?

All we gotta do to experience that is go in the East Coast and maybe down South, where there aren't as many people at the shows. I can even go back to when I was DJing parties and little shows in the ‘80s and I was worried about getting beat up [for playing unique music]. I never worry about that at any show now... well, maybe if I [DJ’d] at a 50 Cent show. In the underground game, I think we'll be okay. So I miss that excitement

of “Man, I might get beat up at this show!”

Why have Boston and New York been kinda slow to receiving Atmosphere?

We do have a big crowd there, but I think the way they ask for hip hop and the way they respond to it is just different than, say, the West Coast. It's just a lil', subtle difference; it's not real dramatic. I think they appreciate it the same. I don't know.

It feels like the 90s there still to me.

There's something in the air. That can go either way. Whatever gets them going, that doesn't matter to me much.

When it's time to go to the lab to make music, is there a particular time period you go to for motivation and inspiration?

I'm constantly traveling the ‘80s era. It's what I got into and what made me try to do this thing, you know? It's the same old shit that I constantly listen to. I still listen to Public Enemy records and I'm constantly listening to Marley Marl-produced albums. There are certain L.L. Cool J records. I don't think a week that goes by where I don't listen to one of those, or Rakim or something. So, I think that fills my inspiration. But I listen to the new stuff that comes out now, too.

That's when I'm like, “Oh, shit! Check this out!” There's always a lil' bit of everything. But my roots are my roots, you know?

Who in the game today makes you step your production game up?

They all have great moments where I'm like, “Shit, I better do something totally opposite.” It's kinda weird. Nowadays, there are so many producers that are nonames that are just as phenomenal. They just haven't had their moments yet.

Today is just so different. I don't know what's in the water these days, but [young producers] seem to be catching on way quicker and coming up with some interesting shit. But that's mostly with beats. I don't know about production wise. To me, making a beat and producing are two different things. I can't put my finger on any other producers besides Dr. Dre and the Neptunes that make hits for anybody. In the underground, we're just lucky to make a good beat and some rapper picks it out. When I look at producers, I still look at Dre. As far as I'm concerned, he's the only. He creates icons.

What's your biggest goal for the next 12 months?

To make a record that’s totally different from the one we just put out. Right now I have no fucking clue what I'm about to do. That's about as sincere as I can be with that. We're just throwing around ideas. A year from now, if we've figured out a whole different thing from our last record, it'd be great. --DeMarco Williams

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P

unk-rock fans can be among the most intimidating obstacles facing a freshman pop-punk band. It's a tough sort of initiation to have to take the stage night after night and try to win over a crowd of fickle fans crammed into a tiny club.

But if you ask Pete Mosley, bassist for the platinum-selling band Yellowcard, the task is that much harder when your lineup includes a full-time violinist. “It definitely got us a lot of double takes when we were starting out,” he says. “I think the toughest thing was to not be thought of as a novelty act or a gimmick.”

Six years and four albums later, the once-untested band of teenagers from Florida has managed to dodge that novelty act label once and for all.

Meanwhile, violinist Sean Mackin, who had been the target of criticism when the band was first starting out, has his nimble fingerprints all over their latest record, Lights and Sounds.

“Sean has done an amazing job arranging the strings, and it's a very complex and beautiful incorporation of the strings that hopefully shows the violin isn't just for show, but an integral part of our sound,” praises Mosley.

Yellowcard's lineup has evolved over time. The core group, originally formed in Jacksonville, was comprised of vocalistguitarist Ryan Key, Mackin, drummer Longineu Parsons, bassist Warren Cooke and guitarist Ben Harper.

Cooke was replaced in 2003 by Mosley, who left a year later only to rejoin the group shortly after. Harper split after the band released the highly-successful Ocean Avenue in 2003.

The reason for his departure was debated by fans of the band exhaustively on Internet message boards and in music magazines for months.

“We had just grown apart, musically and as far as our goals in life. It's always sad when you lose a member, but Ben will always be one of our best friends,” Mosley says diplomatically.

Harper was quickly replaced by Staring Back guitarist Ryan Mendez, and the lineup was finally in place to record the follow-up to Ocean Avenue (which went on to sell over 2.5 million copies). Lights and Sounds was eagerly anticipated by many in the music world, some of whom merely wanted to see if its predecessor was simply a fluke.

“There certainly is some pressure to live up to expectations, but in a way it

was very liberating,” Mosley acknowledges.

“After the success of Ocean Avenue, we kind of felt free to explore musically and really go for it. I think a lot of people were surprised to hear this record.”

The band could've easily recorded Ocean Avenue II, guaranteeing millions more in sales, but instead shocked many fans by choosing to turn in a more mature record with less focus on their punk roots.

Mosely admits the decision to turn the corner and develop a deeper sound on Lights and Sounds was a conscious one.

“We wanted to take a step in a new direction,” he recalls, “and we had to make that record at that time.”

The concept behind the album focuses on the band's new adopted home of Southern California. “The album is about the loss of innocence in a Hollywood world.

Ocean Avenue was great for us and helped us break out, but we've grown up a lot since that record, and Lights and Sounds reflects that,” he says. “It sounds so cliché, but Lights and Sounds is really a coming-of- age record for us.

[It’s] more rock-oriented, with different

“There certainly is some pressure to live up to expectations, but in a way it was very liberating. After the success of Ocean Avenue , we kind of felt free to explore musically and really go for it.”

PG 28 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2006

musical influences in it, and fortunately everyone we've talked to has really enjoyed the record and been behind it, so we're happy and thankful for our amazing fans.”

The result must have been jarring for those expecting more of the same.

While it does still carry some of the urgency associated with Yellowcard’s earlier releases, there seems to have been much more thought put into the writing and the instrumentation this time around. Along with the use of more elaborate string arrangements and more detailed guitar parts, Dixie Chicks frontwoman (and Red State punching bag) Natalie Maines makes a guest vocal appearance on one track.

“The Dixie Chicks happened to be in the same recording studio as us, and we think they're such amazing, talented musicians,” Mosley confesses. “It was a no-brainer on our part, and when she agreed to sing on ‘How I Go,’ we were elated. Her vocals are what really make that a beautiful, moving song in my opinion.”

Whereas their earlier records showed obvious influences such as Lagwagon and No Use for a Name, Lights and Sounds shows hints of a much more diverse record collection.

Astute listeners can pick out Ben Folds references, along with elements of jazz and straight-ahead rock.

So far, it appears as if their fans' tastes have matured along with the band.

The album was #5 on the Billboard charts the first week of its release, and logged in at #1 on the alternative albums chart. Meanwhile, their summer club tour with Matchbook Romance is also already starting to sell out in a number of cities.

“Everyone we've talked to who has the record has had nothing but positive things to say to us,” Mosley says.

“Fortunately, they love the new direction and admire that we did what we believed in when making it. If anybody doesn't like the record, they're saying it behind our backs.”

The band is notably absent from the rooster of this year's Warped Tour, the place where many of their fans first heard Yellowcard's music.

This has nothing to do with wanting to distance themselves from the genre, Mosley stresses.

“We just had the opportunity to tour with some amazing bands and play a full set,” he reasons, “and we couldn't say no. We have an amazing group of bands touring with us all summer long, including Matchbook Romance, Rock Kills Kid and Hedley.

I'm a huge fan of all those groups, and am looking forward to hitting the road and really putting on some fun shows.”

--John Moore

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Music______ Continued from Page 25 managed to take the songs to heart. Their debut, The Inevitability of a Strange World, is soaked in “Shout at the Devil”-era guitar solos and earnest vocals. The result is mixed, leaning somewhere between great ("Nightmare," "Our Revolution") and needs improvement ("Hey Italy"). Regardless of the mixed effort, it's refreshing to hear a band that has listened to something from the ‘80s other than Jawbreaker and Sunny Day Real Estate. (B-)

ZERO 7- THE GARDEN (Atlantic) & JOSE GONZALEZVENEER (Mute) CLASS: Fading favorites and rising talents.

BL Zero 7's third CD reveals chinks in the armor of the celebrated UK groove merchants. Gone are the soulful vocals of Mozes; the subdued Sophie Barker and Tina Dico; and the almost exotic sense of experimentalism that made their debut, Simple Things, such a classic downbeat album. What we get instead are six songs featuring the wonderful Sia Furler, several featuring newcomer Jose Gonzalez, and a more streamlined approach that finds the band channeling classic soft-rock icons like Fleetwood Mac and the Alan Parsons Project. It's not a bad record, but its smoothedged blandness trades Z7's seductive cosmic soul for a more detached sense of retro folk-jazz cool that recalls Steely Dan. Gonzalez is a perfect match for the new sound, and Furler delivers in spades on tracks like "You're My Flame" and "This Fine Social Scene." But in the last two years Dico, Furler and Mozes have all released solo efforts that far surpass The Garden on nearly every level, leaving diehard Zero 7 fans wondering how this album's whole could possibly equal so much less than the sum of its parts.

"My moves are slow but soon they'll know," the Swedish-born Gonzalez sings softly on "Slow Moves," and the line suggests he may be on the brink of breakout indie stardom. There's no way to avoid Nick Drake comparisons, as Gonzalez (whose father is of Argentenian descent) follows the same less-is-more approach, matching delicately complex guitar-picking with a subdued voice that makes up for a lack of dynamic range with rich emotional warmth. Like Elliott Smith, Gonzalez's stripped-down sound masks dark demons at work. On the infectious "Lovestain," he accuses a lover of leaving "a lovestain on my heart and... a bloodstain on the ground," while on "Heartbeats" he recalls a brief, passionate affair with lines like "You knew the hand of a devil/And you kept us awake with wolves teeth/Sharing different heartbeats in one night." There's striking beauty in such aching melancholy, and a romantic lushness in the simplicity of the guitar/vocals approach.

Veneer suggests that Zero 7's rotating cast of vocalists wisely save their best material for their own releases, and that the production duo of Sam Hardaker and Henry Binns are more admirable for their talent-scouting skills than for their abilities as composer/musicians. Zero 7= (C+); Gonzalez= (B+) LUNA- THE BEST OF LUNA (Rhino) CLASS: A f o n d farewell.

JD Despite ten albums over the past dozen years or so with the minimalist pop group Luna, Dean Wareham is still generally mentioned with the act that he disbanded in 1991, Galaxie 500. Then again, that group is still releasing product– a concert DVD and an album of rarities came out a couple of years ago– so maybe escaping his past successes wasn't ever part of the game plan.

Luna, his mainstay for almost 15 years, called it quits following the conclusion of touring behind their last album, PG 32 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2006

Rendezvous, and now Wareham's going to have two influential former bands in his rearview mirror.

Best Of Luna is overall a pretty solid representation of a band that was never all that essential, yet always somehow matters. Luna's oft-mentioned musical nostalgia with the Velvet Underground is well-represented here, with songs like “Moon Palace” ringing a little too close to the influence. Fortunately, tracks like “Astronaut” and “Tracy I Love You” ditch the Lou Reed configuration for something a little more original, albeit one that doesn't stray too far from the bait. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then maybe the Velvet Underground's massive hype is somewhat validated by Luna.

Also, later-generation bassist Britta Phillips' cooing vocals make the selections (which run in chronological order) finish strong. Luna was evolving towards Yo La Tengo by the end, into a pop band with a deft psychedelic edge. Closer “23 Minutes In Brussels” makes us miss Luna more than we should. (B+) LESS THAN JAKE- ANTHEM (Sire) CLASS: Time to call it quits.

JM The fact that the Florida-based pop-punks in Less Than Jake were still playing thirdwave ska well into the late '90s– years past the genre's expiration date– was admirable. Now that they're still playing the same music a good decade past ska's relevancy, it's starting to sound a little sad.

On In With the Out Crowd , the band's tenth record, it's pretty much a new serving of the same old sound.

Pogo-worthy horns, sped-up guitar and jokey lyrics fill out the dozen tracks, few of which manage to stand apart from the next (“A Still Life Franchise” and “The Rest of My life” are the few exceptions).

The band’s sound is still crowdfriendly enough to impress that 13 year old at the Warped Tour who's discovering ska for the first time. But for anyone with a Specials album or more than one Reel Big Fish CD in their collection, In With the Out Crowd sounds like the product of a one-hit wonder from the mid-'90s. (C+) ARTIMUS PYLEDRIVER- SELF-TITLED (Rte) CLASS: Get yer motor runnin'.

BL Named after Artimus Pyle, the wild-man drummer for Lynyrd Skynyrd, this Atlanta-based quintet is to local scenemates Mastodon what Motorhead is to Tool. Which is to say that while both are ostensibly rooted in heavy metal, their sounds are about as far apart as they could possibly be.

"Rollin' down the highway/Crossin' 5 county line/Big block Chevy, the Lord can't save me/Gonna have myself a time," screams frontman Dave Slocum on the opening "Swamp Devil," his voicing boasting all the glass-gargling clarity of AC/DC's Bon Scott as he extolls the virtues of Southern rock, homemade wine and fast cars over a chugging 3-chord riff that sounds like the perfect soundtrack to unlawful shenanigans. And well, if you dig the vibe, there's a pretty good chance you'll find yourself rocking out to every track on the band's hard-hitting 10-song debut, as neither the music nor the lyrical themes change much from there.

"Ride On," "Dixie Fight Song," "Dirt Road White Girl"... they're all relatively interchangeable, with monolithic metal grooves and a deep love of Southern imagery (Appalachian hills, runnin' from the law, moonshine stills) that should appeal to fans of Lynyrd Skynyrd, PBR and hard livin'. But for listeners with more refined tastes, the BBQ and beer diet that AP's music represents eventually grows tiresome, and you'll find yourself wishing they had more than one musical trick up their tattooed sleeves. Still, there's nobody else quite like 'em. (B)

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FROM ALBANY TO MTV WITH A LIL’ HELP FROM LUDACRIS, FIELD MOB GETS ITS CHANCE TO SHINE I felt like God didn't take his time with me/Must have made me late night, tired and sleepy/'Cuz life wasn't easy, they dogged me/Said I was so dark, they bet I could sweat coffee.

--Field Mob, “Blacker the Berry”

S

moke and Shawn Jay have a lot of things working against them: skin tone, their place of origin (Albany, GA), a thankless career (rapping with substance), an uncaring ex-label (MCA) and a mild controversy (more on that later). But listen to “Blacker the Berry” in its entirety and you'll see that it takes more than sticks, stones and Soundscan slumps to hurt these long-time friends.

Adversity is what has made Field Mob the group it is today.

Light Poles and Pine Trees is the group's third album. The country grammar expressed on it doesn't blow its subpar-selling predecessors (2000's 613: Ashy to Classy or 2002's From tha Roota to tha Toota) away, as the other two were both well-done, comedy-stuffed gems.

But that's not to say Field Mob's first release with Ludacris' Disturbing Tha Peace imprint isn't as strong as moonshine. Besides “Berry,” there are four or five other Pulitzer-worthy moments on the disc, and that doesn't even include the Ciarra-featured spring smash “So What.”

But somebody didn't want you to know that. A few months ago, in fact, some hater went on the popular website Youtube.com with a bogus video purporting that Smoke and Shawn wanted beef with New York rappers. How silly is that? These guys had seen enough exclusionary practices against them to never participate in them themselves. Still, the Apple was mad to the core. Who knows what kind of lasting effects the online hoax will have? To let Field Mob tell it, they've struggled enough and, at this point, the controversy can't do anything but help…

ON THE INFAMOUS FAKE TAPE Shawn: Controversy is good, period. You got artists that sell records off of controversy. They put controversy in their plan to sell records.

We don't talk down on those artists, we just ain't with all of that. It's funny to us. We ain't mad at it. It helps us. But that's what they do, so…

We don't have to do all of that. We can just sell records.

ON STUFF THEY DISLIKE IN THE MUSIC BIZ Shawn: It's a lot of shit out

there that I don't like. But they gettin' rich off of it. They do what they do. We do what we do. You got the snap movement [in Atlanta], you got the hyphy movement [in Oakland]. Everybody wanna hear that, so they put it out. I'm not knocking that.

I hear cats say all the time, “I'm not with that controversy shit!” Okay, but you can't get mad at a cat for selling 20 million records. Get mad at the fans. They bought it! I can't make ‘em go buy my shit.

ON GOOD MUSIC Shawn: I can't tell you what I'm listening to now, but I can tell you what I listened to, past tense: Jay-Z and MC Eiht.

ON WITHSTANDING TWO WEAK-SELLING ALBUMS AND GETTING TO MAKE A THIRD Shawn: We're just happy to still be in the game, period. That's why we be [all happy]. It's better than doing what we were doing back in the day. We just wanna be recognized, period, not to be labeled or anything. We just want to be recognized as the total package.

ON SIDE HUSTLES Smoke: Nah, we don't have any, but we got some other things we tryin' to do. We got FBI, Field Boys Incorporated. We gonna sign some local artists [too]. We gonna get people from where we from a chance– people from Albany.

ON LUDACRIS' INFLUENCE Shawn: Luda is the same person, except in Crash or Hustle 'n Flow. He's not that cat right there. Luda is a cool cat, laidback, very humble. What I like about him is that he's very hands-on with his artists, and it shows. We have a good time with Chris. We go to parties with Chris. We go to the clubs with Chris. Then when it's time to handle bizness, we get serious with Chris. That's our boss man, but then, that's our homie.

ON WHY THE MCA DEAL DIDN'T WORK Smoke: They wouldn't let us say what we wanted to say. We got country drawl.

Luda don't care.

ON THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FIELD MOB IN 2000 AND 2006 Shawn: I see myself on TV more now… It shows that we gonna be all r i g h t .

Everything gets better each goround. We got bigger houses, better cars and more money.

Everything just keeps getting better and better. --DeMarco Williams

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A

long with the Sex Pistols and the Clash, the Buzzcocks fortified the foundation of punk rock. The Buzzcocks' were never as angry as the Pistols nor as political as the Clash, but their fervent energy and massive hooks have influenced bands for nearly thirty years now, and if punk indeed broke once again in the mid-‘90s via Green Day and the Offspring, they have the Buzzcocks to thank for it. We recently talked with 'Cocks co-founder Steve Diggle during a break from their headlining slot this summer's Warped tour.

What's the secret for keeping things together over all these years? What do you tell thse young bands?

Well, don't follow leaders, watch your parking meters! That's what it should say! (Laughs) The strength (for us) has been in the live acts and in the songs.

Our songs have kept us going always.

Everybody kind of knows a Buzzcocks song somewhere, but also the standard of it. We have songs on the new album that kind of connect with people, meet with the human condition. And they also have to be kind of catchy and memorable. That's seen us through the generations, wherever fashion comes and goes. That's one level there, and then the other level is when we perform it live, which is where we sort of take it to another level. There aren't many bands like us on this bill.

Do the old days seem like a gigantic blur of youth, or are the memories strong?

I can still remember the early shows, and I can remember our first show when we opened up for the Sex Pistols. And making our first record, Spiral Scratch, in England during the early punk days, it doesn't seem that long ago. If you measured thirty years of your life on an hourly basis, thirty years would seem like a long time, but in terms of records it's our thirtieth anniversary this year and fuck, I can still remember making the first one. So for this record, life seems so short if you just measure it in record terms. And you have those instant moments that flash over your life really quick…if you think about daily things like paying the gas bill

PG 34 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2006

each month, your life would seem like a long time. But it goes really quick. It's like Proust's Rememberance of Things Past, that book. He has a cup of tea, and he remembers something from his past.

So if I have a drink of champagne or a beer, memories come flowing back!

This guy wrote a book about me a couple of years ago called Harmony In My Head, and I said if you expect me to remember all this from the beginning, I can't do it. But in a Proust-ian way, when I have a drink or so, things can flow right back. I remember the White Riot tour with the Clash, and it all comes back as fragments. Or, people will come up to me and ask me if I remember something from back then and I can't!

There's a hell of a lot of information stored over thirty years. Most of it is there, though!

Is part of the reason you are able to pull this off and hold focus is because you're older and more mature than when you were younger?

Yeah, in a way, experience kind of guides you like a gyroscope through things. We still sort of run the ship in the same way. It's still a little ramshackle: we never sit down and have board meetings like this is some career.

We just get a bunch of songs, jump in the studio and make an album, and it's kind of weird. We've been used to that from the age of 20, really, with the pressure of having to write the songs and then perform them. That experience kind of helps you keep on track. But we STILL get drunk and take drugs and do all kinds of crazy things that we used to do!

Rock and roll does k e e p y o u

younger in that way!

So, in that sense, not much has changed in 30 years when it comes to the non-musical part of rock-n-roll lifestyle?

It's still sex, punk rock, rock-n-roll, drugs, the lot. Yeah. The social life is still the same except the girls are still 20 years old! (Laughs) Do you bump into friends who were in acts that came up with the Buzzcocks 30 years ago? Are they jealous that they still aren't in the business?

I don't know if they're jealous, but we do bump into people. We just got an award from Mojo magazine for “inspiration”, which I thought was a good choice for us. We could have gotten “long term” or this and that, but we got “inspiration.”

Mick Jones from the Clash was there, and I see him around London. We had a really good chat that night, and it's always good to see him because he's a good buddy from the old days. When I see him, it brings back the old school and the White Riot tour in '77. We see the Damned a lot, and that's really cool because all those guys are like from the punk school of '76. At the awards, Elton John was singing our praises! He went on and got an award, and then he said, “I wanna thank the Buzzcocks. I've been a fan for years.” I couldn't believe it! I nearly fell off the chair.

Same with Bruce Springsteen; I met him a couple of times and I told that I was Steve from the Buzzcocks, and he said, “I know who you are! I have some of your records at home.” I couldn't believe that the Boss has got our records!

Along that line of thinking, is it

“Over the years, many record companies have said, ‘You write catchy tunes. If you do it this way or that way, you'll have a hit.’ We've always stood against that. To me, standing in your boots and not moving away is our way of not selling out.”

possible to “sell out”?

I think it is, some way, but I don't think we've reached that yet. We're still a working band. We have trouble with record companies every time, and I think we may have found the right label with Cooking Vinyl. Over the years, many record companies have said, “You write catchy tunes. If you do it this way or that way, you'll have a hit.” We've always stood against that. We've always said, “Here's the songs, here's the way we're gonna do them, and that's what the Buzzcocks are about.” To me, standing in your boots and not moving away is our way of not selling out. We don't make these songs to be hits. If they are hits, like in the days when we had about eight hit sin the Top 10 in Britain, we maintain that it's because the fans bought them, not that the record company forced them to do it. It was our big fanbase that turned those into hits.

Do people give you a hard time if your music is used in a commercial ?

Some do. Some think it's great. I've thought it's a bit uncool, really, in some ways. They've been used that many times and they don't particularly have to have our permission. So the other thing is that we'd have to have court proceedings to stop them; under those circumstances, you just gotta kinda take it as a compliment. When it's for cars, it's not too bad, you know? But with other things, it might get a little crazy, like if they started using our music to sell washing pans. (Laughs) The other side that people say is that, “It's great to hear a Buzzcocks song on the TV.” I'd rather get your music out to as many people as possible. As long as you get paid for it.

Well, that's the thing. You do get a few bucks for them. We can't complain at that. It keeps the band rolling. You know, it's not something we look for or anything. Some of the people that use the music, the ones at the advertising agencies who make the commercials, are fans. So that's a great thing. If you're in charge of putting music on one of these commercials, you might as well use one of your favorite bands! So I've not much of a problem because it's a great compliment. --John Davidson

T

o our perpetual amusement and bewilderment, the Flaming Lips continue their miracle run with one of the world's most esteemed record companies, offering up album after album of perplexing, often weird pop music. Yet unlike most bands who never sell millions of albums, the Flaming Lips still curry favor with their suitors.

How else to explain their two-decade career, which includes a 4-CD set (1997's Zair eek a ) designed to play each disc separately or even simultaneously? Or maybe we should just shut up and be glad someone is giving them an artistic chance in the face of an industry-wide slump in sales.

Lips cofounder Michael Ivins recently sat down with us to talk about their fresh new album, At War Wit h the Mystics, and busy summer touring schedule.

Are you excited to be doing some major summer festivals this year?

We've been playing festivals since we started, including Royskil, which was years ago. It always sort of struck us, until the whole Lollapalooza concept got going, that the Americans really didn't do huge summer festivals like they did in Europe. But now it seems as though it has started to catch on. I think it's cool.

What's the difference between festi vals in the U.S. and the ones in Europe?

Reading and Glastonbury have been at it for, like, 30 years or something. And they've wrapped them around what they call “bank holidays” over there.

We have the Monday holidays here– the long weekend– but there definitely seems to be a different attitude here with those sorts of holidays. They're almost wrapped around how you stay home and watch a football game or party all night Sunday. Whereas the long weekend seems like a really big deal in England; everybody decides to get up and meet in a field in Reading or Glastonbury or something, and take in a big festival to go camping. Even people who aren't into rock ‘n’ roll don't just go on day trips for those, they go on longer excursions. There's something a little more culturally built-in over there, tmaybe. Plus, everything's so small, distance-wise, that you can live pretty much anywhere and get on a train to head up to Reading or something like that. As opposed to here, where it's just starting to get that feel. I think it goes beyond music over there, where there just happens to be music going on. It's more of a tradition. Here, I think it's more of a show.

Which is fine.

America is finally getting on board with more eclectic festivals: Bonnaroo, Bumbershoot, Coachella, etc. Maybe it's something we can embed into our culture.

Sometimes it's just so beneficial to go over to Europe or elsewhere to see how different people live. People are the same everywhere, for the most part. We have to get up and go to work or whatever. But there's also something different… sometimes I think that Americans, instead of driving their big huge cars all over the place and not walking and thinking that we have to have one-stop shopping and having everything open all the time.

THE FLAMING LIPS MYSTICAL MUSICAL MADNESS “People still like to read magazines and see the pictures in the magazines, so it's really not true that you can make it using only the Internet.

The Internet is an awesome tool for convenience and getting information from different sources. But even with shopping, there's something about going out to the store and picking something out that’s just different.”

You know, the whole convenience store idea. That was an interesting experiment, but is it a good idea? To have one or three convenience stores, that's fine. But really, at 3 AM, can't you just go back to sleep and get up at a reasonable hour to go get what you need? It's like our culture means you have to be consuming something at all times. Rather than it be a two-way street, the rest of the world seems to be embracing supersizing.

It's safe, because I know I can walk into a McDonald's wherever I go.

So how long have you been playing?

Do you remember coming up with the name of your band?

It's been more than 20 years. It was around late 1983 when Wayne and I got together to get things going. Back in the early ‘80s, it was the DIY/hardcore era and there were all these really angry names because a lot of them were kids who couldn't even vote. It was sort of a rallying point, because everyone hated Reagan. Everybody had these names like Agnostic Front. What happened was that we actually got our first gig and we realized we needed a name. I think we actually sat down with a list of names, and we definitely wanted something that wasn't going to peg us, because the hardcore thing had been going on at that point for a few years… We wanted something that just really didn't mean anything.

The Flaming Lips was one of the names on the list and we picked it, and our funny story of the time was that we'd named ourselves so that we'd have something to put on the posters.

And then if no one liked us, we could always change our name. No one really liked us (laughs), but we still stuck with the name.

Your career continues to progress, and you've outlasted pretty much everyone from that era.

A lot of it is dumb luck, really, as it is for anyone. There is a lot of hard luck and perseverance and all that, but you can pick anyone. Why Madonna? Why Britney, etc.? They do work hard, but at the same time, if not them, there are 50 other people right behind them saying, “Look at me, look at me!” You come to find out that the longer you do it, it's a lot more than meets the eye. If the music even matters! (Laughs) I'm not playing down the music all that much, but there is a lot more involved– a lot more people, a lot of timing. If you can get a lot of people who are on your side and working with you and for you, that definitely helps the process.

Plenty of people can put a record out, and word of mouth is great. You can point to Fall Out Boy and specifically because of MySpace, people think you don't need marketing and all the other stuff. That's true to an extent, but you can count on one hand the number of bands that got to the level of Fall Out Boy. You see them in all the magazines, but you think you don't need magazines if you have the Internet. But people still like to read magazines and see the pictures in the magazines, and so it's really not true that you can just make it using only the Internet. The Internet is an awesome tool for convenience and getting information from different sources. But even with shopping, there's something about going out to the store and picking something out that’s just different... –John Davidson

PG 35 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2006 PG 35 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2006

Sports

T

he Dallas Mavericks’ locker room is plush beyond belief. Walk through the heavy glass doors, across the hardwood floors, through the cozy maze of offices and you see what I'm talking about: plasma TVs, state-of-the-art weight stations, the whole nine. Still, I'd bet $100 every player in a Mavs uniform would pay to be in the amenity-free visiting team's locker room down the hall.

Yeah, the same blah Miami Heat locker room that paled in comparison before Game 6 of the NBA Finals is the happeningest place in the League after it, what with Finals MVP Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal caressing the Larry O'Brien trophy and role players James Posey and Jason Williams pouring champagne on everyone within suds-tossing distance... including yours truly.

Experiencing the whole chaotic scene– reporters everywhere, 16-year vet Gary Payton and kidney transplant recipient Alonzo Mourning finally wearing a hat with “champion” written on it– was one of the most amazing moments of my journalistic career. One can only imagine what the Heat must be thinking right now. Well, imagine no longer…

ALONZO MOURNING, CENTER Zo, it's been a long time coming for you.

Can you speak on your feelings right at this moment?

It's a mental state that we really had to be in. Pat Riley's always told us that winning a championship would be the toughest thing you’d ever do in your life. And I truly believe that, 'cuz it took a lot of patience, a lot of courage, a lot of resiliency. It just took so much for us to get to this point, even though so many people doubted us.

Everybody questioned us throughout the whole season.

What does your doctor say about drinking champagne with your kidney?

My doctor told me I could have a drink in moderation. To tell you the truth, I haven't had a drink since 2000, when I was diagnosed. I gave it all up. I used to drink beers with my boys. But I think my doctor will give me a note for today.

JAMES POSEY, SMALL FORWARD

How did you all hold Dirk Nowitzki to two points in the fourth quarter?

He was tired out there tonight. His shots weren't fallin'. We made him work for everything! All that floppin' and cryin' and everything [didn't matter]. We stuck with it and kept playing. It was a team effort.

[Ex-Bulls All-Star Scottie Pippen stops by and says, “Keep it up, boy! You got many more to come. You had a great series.

Way to play your role!”]

Talk about your role on the Heat.

I stepped into my role and played the best I can. That means a lot coming from that man right there. He did a lot of this (points to the champagne bottle). I'm trying to catch him!

happy that I can sit up here and talk about them now.

Do you think kids will do the same thing with you now?

I don't think I had any moves like that.

(Laughs) I don't think I did anything special like that in the series. You know, to me, it's still crazy when I walk around and I see people wearing my jersey, or my shoes. The demand for Wade stuff is truly a blessing and it’s still weird to me. I'm sure some kids will go in the backyard and try to be like me, and that's great. But it's one kid that really does it and that's my son at home. I see him do it every day. He wants to be Dwyane Wade and it's just great, man.

PAT RILEY, HEAD COACH

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS HOW DWYANE WADE & CO. MADE GOOD ON SHAQ’S PROMISE & BROUGHT THE HEAT GARY PAYTON, POINT GUARD

Speak on how much you all overcame to get to this point.

Every time we'd lose, it was always a setback. [Critics often said] we're not worthy of this. This team is not together. But I think Pat Riley did a damn good job, don't you think? He put a good team together and we won the championship.

SHAQUILLE O'NEAL , CENTER

You promised a title to Miami, and delivered on that. What does that feel like?

I didn't really have the type of Finals that I'm used to. They were doubling and tripling me. D-Wade told me that if they're going to keep doing that, he was going to take over the series. And as you can see, he put up MVP numbers. He was very, very unselfish about it. He still kept people involved. He took high percentage shots.

He's a great player.

What changed in Wade between Game 2 and Game 3?

I think everybody was counting us out.

Certain people [in Dallas] were planning parade routes. We knew we didn't play our best games up here. But when we saw they didn't give us the respect we deserved, we wanted to take it one game at a time. It was 2-1 [in the series], 2-2, 3-2 and actually, on June 8, Pat Riley told us we were going to win on June 20. He told us that!

You've seen Kobe Bryant and Wade shine in the Finals. Compare the two stars.

I don't compare. They're two different types of players. Dwyane Wade is a great player, very, very humble. He keeps everybody involved. He's the reason I came to Miami.

Both of them are very, very hard to stop.

Both of them are fabulous players. But this year, Dwyane is the champion.

DWYANE WADE, SHOOTING GUARD

You're going to hear it the rest of your career, the comparisons to Michael Jordan.

No comparison. He's my greatest role model as an athlete. Besides my father, he was kind of like my second father. The comparison is flattering, but at the same time I always stay away from them because there will never be another Jordan. All I can do is continue to go out there and play the way I know hoe and, hopefully, there will be someone sitting up here that y'all can mention my name with theirs. That would be good.

Growing up in Chicago, watching Jordan play, how often would you go out and copy those moves? Can you take us back to dreaming of becoming that guy?

I'm a big dreamer. I think you've got to PG 36 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2006

dream in life to know what you want. I remember when the Bulls won their first championship, sitting at home on my floor watching the games. And then Jordan did his shot [in the '98 Finals vs. Utah]. I went right in the backyard, turned the lights on and couldn't do it myself. I had no athletic ability. I was young. Every time I’d see Jordan or Pippen– my favorite athletes– do anything, I’d always go in the backyard and act like I was part of the team. The Bulls was a special team and I'm just

How does this championship compare with the ones that you won with L.A.?

I said it, I mean it: I'd give up six of them for this one. It's not disrespectful to any of them that I won. But after 18 years, and you keep chasing it and chasing it, you get tired. So this gives me a sense of absolute freedom from having to desperately chase it. So it's very special.

You all were down in the series 0-2. When did you realize that you said the right words to trigger the right response?

You never know. All you do is keep throwing things against the wall, and some of it sticks and some of it doesn't. We have a faith-based team here. A lot of people don't understand what that means. It really is.

You know, in order to summon the courage and have the perseverance that we've had, to be able to overcome a lot of things as individuals, your faith transcends all that.

Once they really started to believe in each other and in what they were doing [it worked]. Sometimes it didn't look pretty, but I just believe that at the very end, there was enough courage and perseverance on their part to get it done. And they proved that and you can never take that away from them. --DeMarco Williams

Sports

FANATIC A Monthly Sports Wrap-Up

by DeMarco Williams

• "I am who I am and I can't change that, and I can't allow people to change who I am. I think I've been successful on the football field being who I am. So, I don't care... You kind of grow and you learn from your mistakes, and I think I've done that. I've had a long time to sit back and think about a lot of things that have transpired over the last year or so. So I'm taking a different approach." –Terrell Owens, after his first day of practice with the Dallas Cowboys

• Speaking as a layman who follows soccer about as much as he does women's cricket, the 2006 World Cup has been amazing. While it was rather embarrassing Landon watching Donovan, D amarcus Beasley and the rest of Team USA flop in the opening round, it was great seeing an u n h e r a l d e d Ghanaian squad doing the eliminating. Brazil, Germany and Argentina have been super. The red card-waving referees have been deplorable. No matter who hoists the trophy after the July 9 final, everyone wins, as the ESPN networks have mostly done a nice job of hosting... save for Eric W ynalda's and Julie Foudy's repetitious commentary.

Fanatic can't wait for South Africa in 2010!

are as follows: 1) It's a three-year deal; 2) There will be four games each year; 3) Only four SEC teams will participate each year, but all 12 will participate over the three-year span; 4) Two neutral sites will host two games each year (one neutral SEC site and one Big East site); 5) All games will be televised on ESPN or ESPN 2.

• “Both cities attract millions of visitors each year.

They come to Miami to swim, dive, fish, boat, golf, shop, dine, enjoy the exciting club scene or simply ‘kick back’ on the beach. They go to Dallas mainly to change planes, which at the Dallas-Fort Worth airport can also be very exciting, as you know if you've ever attempted to get from gate B-36 to gate C-39 (a distance of eight miles) in time to make your connecting flight, which leaves in 13 minutes.” –The Miami Herald's Dave Barry

• How weird is it knowing that the last two NHL champs are Tampa Bay and Carolina?

• Forbes magazine recently released its Celebrity 100, listing the top headline-makers and dollar-earners in America. Tom Cruise is #1. Tiger Woods is the highest-ranking athlete at #5. Muhammad Ali (13), Phil Mickelson (18), Kobe Bryant (25), Michael Jordan (26), Michael Schumacher (30), Shaquille O'Neal (41), David Beckham (43), LeBron James (46) and Alex Rodriguez (48) round out the top 50.

• “I just can't believe that I did that. I am such an idiot. I can't believe I couldn't par the last hole. It really –Phil stings.”

Mickelson, after fumbling on the 18th hole at the U.S. Open, allowing Geoff Ogilvy to win

And finally…

• Chicago, Atlanta and Toronto could soon come knocking on Ben W allace's door…

Olympic sprinter and 100m world record holder Justin G atlin may have already been asked by the Philadelphia Eagles Team Brazil’s R onaldinho, a rguably t he if he'd be interested world’s b est s occer p layer, g ives t he in playing football… thumbs-u p, k nowing t hat e ven i f h is t eam Ken Griffey Jr. is the all-time leading votefalters i n t he W orld C up q uarterfinals, h e getter in All-Star still s cores m ore b abes t han y our s orry a ss.

Game history… Since 1930, only seven countries have won the World Cup… Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff edged out the Hurricanes' Peter Laviolette by a single • “You watch Cinderella 50 times and, on that 50th vote for NHL's coach of the year… L.A. Sparks star time, Cinderella doesn't get the prince.” –Braves Lisa Leslie scored her 5,000th WNBA point in late announcer Pete Van Wieren, on what appears to be June… Congrats go out to Willie Gault, former Atlanta's first non-playoff season since 1990 Raiders WR, for breaking the masters (ages 45-49) record in the 100m at the U.S. Track & Field • Been dreaming about a South Florida/Ole Miss basChampionships… Oregon State's College World Series ketball match-up? The Southeastern Conference will victory is only the school's second national title in any participate in a men's basketball showcase event sport (the other was for Cross Country in '61). involving the Big East Conference beginning in December '07. The details that have been finalized

Must-See TV

Top 5 Games this Month

1

WORLD CUP FINALS

2

WIMBLEDON FINALS

3

BRITISH OPEN

4

MLB ALL-STAR GAME

5

TOUR DE FRANCE

July 9 (2PM, ABC) Even if exciting Brazil and Argentina don't make the Berlin finale, this game promises to be a magnificent cap to a month's worth of great futbol.

July 4 (9AM, NBC) Even before the first balls are served, a Rafael Nadal/Roger Federer finale seems destined. Of course, if it's to stay a rivalry, Roger's gotta win the darn match.

July 23 (8AM, ABC) We know Tiger will be back. We expect Phil to shake off Winged Foot's collapse and return.

Umm, not so sure about Geoff Ogilvy.

July 11 (8PM, FOX) The Majors' best players– how far can Dave Ortiz smash a Brandon Webb fastball?– show their stuff in Pittsburgh.

All July (Various times, OLN) Lance's retiring and a cloud of drug allegations sour cycling's biggest events…well, at least they do until Jan Ullrich and Co. climb the picture-perfect countryside.

PG 37 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2006 PG 37 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2006

CAPRICORN

TAURUS

VIRGO

The full moon in Capricorn makes this a powerful month for you, so don’t be surprised if old relationships-whether business or personal-- end or new ones begin.

Don’t be surprised if you feel you’re taking one step forward and two steps back. Remember that sometimes even our best-laid plans go astray for very good reasons we don’t yet see.

Getting tired? That’s because your little social butterfly wings have been so busy flapping! This will be your most outgoing month, so embrace quality time with friends and colleagues.

AQUARIUS

GEMINI

LIBRA

July is a great month to focus on health and fitness, tossing out bad habits and reshaping your life (or body).

The second half of the month is perfect for trying new diets or exercise routines.

Issues of finance and self-worth may be weighing on your mind, but this is a great time to resolve any lingering money issues and set plans for your financial future in motion.

With the Sun in your career zone, don’t be surprised if unexpected opportunities begin to come your way.

The latter half of the month is a great time to ask for that promotion, or even seek a better job elsewhere.

PISCES

CANCER

SCORPIO

It’s in your nature to want to take care of others, but this month it’s time to start taking care of you! Take a day off, take a vacation, or just take a class to expand your horizons.

The Sun transiting Cancer brings a positive light shining on your life in general, and love life in particular.

The mid-month arrival of Venus only improves love’s chance of success.

Whether exploring the world or pondering the mysteries of the universe, July should find you expanding your horizons. Don’t be disappointed if your soul-searching yields no easy answers.

Apr. 21st thru May 21th

by Ms. Omniscient

Dec. 22nd thru Jan. 20th

May 22nd thru June 21s

Jan. 21st thru Feb. 19th

June 22nd thru July 23rd

Feb. 20th thru Mar. 20th

Aug. 24th thru Sept. 23rd

Sept. 24th thru Oct. 23rd

Oct. 24th thru Nov. 22nd

ARIES

LEO

SAGITTARIUS

With Mercury in retrograde, July is a time for reflection rather than action. Stay close to home and get a little R&R, providing the boost you need to recharge your batteries.

Spiritual matters may take precedence this month, making Leos feel more internally-focused and vulnerable.

It’s a good time to stick to life’s slow lane, and to trust your intuition.

If you’ve been frustrated by the feeling your life is in a holding pattern, don’t fret: Progress will soon bring joy and fun, not to mention more energy in your intimacy zone.

July 24th thru Aug. 23rd

Mar. 21st thru Apr. 20

Nov. 23rd thru Dec. 21st

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