INsite Atlanta July 2007 Issue by INsite Magazine

July 2007REE

1F Vol. 14, No. 1

ntertainment Monthly E s ’ a t n a l t A tlanta.com www.insitea

11 th Annual

SUMMER

MUSIC ISSUE

Rooney • Bobby Valentino • The Draft • Against Me Talib Kweli • Sparta • Cute Is What We Aim For M. Ward • Plus Albums, Festivals & Tours

EXPLORE THE NORTH END Voted #1 &

Voted Atlanta’s

BEST SMALL VENUE

Tuesday Texas Hold ‘Em Tourney & FREE Pool Wednesday Beer Pong Tourney, Speed Texas Hold ‘Em & FREE Pool Thursday LIVE Music Friday & Saturday

2004 – 2006

VOTED BEST College Bar! VOTED BEST Bartenders!

NEVER A COVER!

Visit www.peachtreetavern.com for Schedule

“A Southern Alternative to Buckhead”

Voted Best dance party 2006!

Wednesday Night Karaoke! BROUGHT TO YOU BY STUDIO 1

VOTED BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR BEST WINGS • BEST PHILLY CHEESESTEAK BEST LOOKING WAITSTAFF

Monday: Texas Hold’em 8pm Wedednesday: Buckhead’s Best Trivia Thursday: Thirsty Thursdays Sweetwater & Wine Specials and introducing...

BiG FRiDAYS! GIANT BEERS to MONSTER MARGARITAS at small prices!

• BEER PONG • FREE BILLIARDS

$1 Drafts Everyday .MYSPACE.COM/HOLEINTHEWALLATLANTA

WWW

Salads • Sandwiches • Wings • Burgers • Entrees Dine In • Delivery • Carry Out • Catering

3177 & 3179 PEACHTREE RD.

Come in from the summer heat! It’s easy to enjoy your workout when you exercise your options at LA Fitness. We offer a variety of amenities to keep your workouts fun and effective. Start up strong! Tighten your muscles and increase your metabolism with our stateof-the-art weight equipment. Blast away calories with a fun kickbox cardio or indoor cycling class. Mix it up! Just minutes on 3 computerized cardio machines will give you a high energy workout. Improve flexibility and relieve stress with a yoga or pilates class. Dive In! Whether you prefer lap swimming or aqua fitness classes, a swim workout is refreshing in July. LA Fitness recommends that you consult with your physician before starting any exercise or weight loss program.

AKERS MILL | 770.956.9093 2995 Cobb Pkwy.

CAMP CREEK | 404.344.1248 3755 Carmia Dr. SW, Suite 700

LENOX/BUCKHEAD | 404.233.8311 3232 Peachtree St.

SNELLVILLE | 770.979.1288 2279 Pinehurst Rd.

ALPHARETTA/WINDWARD | 678.393.2733 5530 Windward Pkwy.

DUNWOODY/PERIMETER PT. | 770.350.4951 1155 Mount Vernon Hwy.,#600

MCDONOUGH | 800.607.1750 Upcoming Sports Club - Join Now! 2023 Jonesboro Rd.

SOUTHLAKE | 770.960.0393 7057 Mount Zion Circle

EAST COBB | 770.973.3370 4400 Roswell Rd.

MIDTOWN | 404.249.6404 75 Fifth St., NW, Suite E

HOLCOMB BRIDGE | 770.640.8137 1475 Holcomb Bridge Rd.

NORTHLAKE | 770.414.0651 1990 W. Exchange Place

ANSLEY MALL | 404.249.6463 1544 Piedmont Ave. NE ATLANTIC STATION | 404.810.9015 261 19th St., Suite 1140 AUSTELL | 770.432.4262 1025 E. West Connector #2 BUFORD | 678.714.5075 NOW OPEN! - 3420 Buford Dr. N.E.

JOHNS CREEK | 770.623.9433 11720 Medlock Bridge Rd. KENNESAW/TOWN CENTER | 770.427.9668 2801 George Busbee Pkwy.

SUGARLOAF | 770.822.2533 1860 Duluth Highway TOCO HILLS | 404.248.2998 2880 N. Druid Hills Rd.

PEACHTREE CORNERS | 770.797.2661 7050 Jimmy Carter Blvd. #118 ROSWELL WEST | 678.494.6464 4801 Alabama Rd.

KATY

REDEEM BY 7/31/07

ONE WEEK SPORTS CLUB PASS 19550 Restaurant Row (281) 578-0115

Come into LA Fitness® Sports Clubs and redeem this Seven Consecutive Days Pass. Must be 18 years of age or older, a local resident and show valid I.D. One pass per person, per year. Pass activation hours 8am to 8pm. *Extra charge for some amenities. Sales presentation tour required. Other memberships may be presented. Redeemable by non-members only. Facilities and classes vary from club to club. Leagues extra. Not available for resale or redeemable for cash. 07/07

CONTENTS • JULY 2007 • VOLUME 14.11

��

INTERVIEWS

07 STEVE CARRELL 07 12 SAMUEL JACKSON 14 BOBBY VALENTINO 15 M. WARD 19 KASI LEMMONS 25 THE DRAFT 26 CUTE IS WHAT WE AIM FOR 12 27 TALIB KWELI 29 SPARTA 34 ROONEY 35 AGAINST ME 36 TIM HUDSON

FEATURES 10 ATL’S BEST BBQ

Summer is the time for outdoor get-togethers, and nothing attracts a crowd like great BBQ.

12 GUIDE TO LITTLE 5 Atlanta’s most unique and eclectic neighborhood explored.

23 MUSIC VENUES 30 SUMMER MUSIC GUIDE Our preview to the top releases and tours this summer.

COLUMNS 06 ON TAP 07 BOOKS 08 AROUND TOWN 16 MOVIE REVIEWS 34 18 VIDIOTS 20 CONCERT CALENDAR 22 ROAD WARRIORS 22 WE GOT NEXT 24 ALBUM REVIEWS 37 FANATIC 38 WANTON DISTRACTION 38 HOROSCOPES 36 www.insiteatlanta.com PG 4 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

Presents...

Best

Bartender Atlanta 2007

LIVE FINALS EVENT Thursday, July 12 9:30pm at The North End

The Peachtree Tavern, Moondog’s, Hole in the Wall & Loco’s Deli & Pub

Heather Lewis Wild Bill’s

Sarah Glover

Red Door Tavern

Dafne Castelan Cosmopolitan

Smith’s Olde Bar

Adrian Evans

Patrick Kelly

Jennifer Smith

Bob Ruede

Star Bar

Tavern at Phipps

Redﬁsh

Dawn Lewis

Intercontinental XO Bar

Prizes and Giveaways All Night!

Come Watch Our Finalists Compete to Win the Title of ATLANTA’S BEST BARTENDER

LOCAL EVENTS

On Tap for July

EMAIL EVENTS TO ONTAP@INSITEATLANTA.COM

Through July 25: FLICKS ON 5TH

Looking for something to do on Wednesday nights? Not much money in your pocket? Don't fret because Georgia Tech is offering up free movies every week during July. Head down to Flicks on 5th at Technology Square in Atlanta. Sponsored by Georgia Tech, Flicks on 5th offers a eclectic lineup of movies, is a free event and is open to the general public. July movies include: Stranger Than Fiction, Dreamgirls, and 300. Note: There will be no movie on July 4th. For more information, head to: http://www.flickson5th.com

July 4: CENTENNIAL PARK’S 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION 2007 Atlanta's best fireworks display and Independence Day festival is at Centennial Olympic Park 's day-long, family-friendly 4th of July Celebration! The day kicks off with the WSB-TV's Salute 2 America Parade. The free musical entertainment begins at 5 p.m. with the popular, local band Stokeswood. The headliner of the evening Ruben Studdard, the winner from the second season of the popular television show American Idol, then takes the stage. The finale of the evening is the AirTran Airways Spectacular Fireworks show. For more information, head to: http://www.centennialpark.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 38th running of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race will line up from Lenox Square north to the horizon. Over 900 volunteers will help coordinate the start, and it will be a full hour and 15 minutes before the final runner gets a chance to begin his or her 6.2 mile run down Peachtree Road to finish on 10th Street. The Peachtree is the world's largest 10K road race and arguably the best and most prestigious. For more information, head to: http://www.atlantatrackclub.org/at02000.htm

July 4: SALUTE2AMERICA

This Fourth of July, celebrate the land of the free at Six Flags with fireworks, patriotic displays and family fun. There is always something to do at Six Flags. Whether you love music, fireworks, roller coasters, shows, or bumper cars, Six Flags over Georgia has you covered. The park is home to some of the largest coasters in the Southeast. Six Flags has also undergone a park renovation over the past 2 years. Head to Six Flags and see what you have been missing! For more information, head to: http://www.sixflags.com/overGeorgia/

July 12: 5TH ANNUAL INSITE BEST BARTENDER ATLANTA FINALS!

2006 Winner Anto Hogan, Fado

Over 2,500 Atlantans have spoken. All the hanging chads have been accounted for. Eight bartenders have emerged as the most popular in Atlanta. Who is the best bartender? That will be determined at the North End Bar District (Moondog’s, Peachtree Tavern and Hole in the Wall) on July 12th. Competition starts at 9:30 PM. Come and support your favorite bartender in what is sure to be an unforgetable night.

July 20 - 29: THE NATIONAL BLACK ARTS FESTIVAL The National Black Arts Festival is one of the premier national and international celebrations of the art, music and culture of people of African descent. Featuring music, theater, film, dance, visual arts and literature, the 10-day National Black Arts Festival, held July 18-27, is a dynamic celebration of the creativity of people of African descent in Atlanta and around the world. In an exploration of the power of the arts to connect cultures, this year's National Black Arts Festival spotlights W.E.B. DuBois. For a calendar of events, head to: http://www.nbaf.org PG 6 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

FILM INTERVIEW

July 2007

Volume Publisher Stephen Miller steve@insiteatlanta.com National Managing Editor Bret Love bret@insiteatlanta.com Art Director Michael T. graphics@insiteatlanta.com Local News Editor Glenn LaFollette glenn@insiteatlanta.com Local Events Editor Rav Mansﬁeld rav@insiteatlanta.com Sports Editor DeMarco Williams demarco@insiteatlanta.com

14.11

Web Design Kalico Productions Contributing Writers / Interns: John Davidson, John Moore, Mathew Goldberg, Russell Fisher, Zena Scott, Margo Aaron, Andrea Hatter, Kim Guelcher, Richard Marsh, Tracy Gould & Mark Fitten, Adam Partin CONTACT US 2250 North Druid Hills Rd. #100 Atlanta, GA 30329-3118 phone 404-315-8485 email feedback@insiteatlanta website insiteatlanta.com ADVERTISING INFORMATION 404-315-8485 • advertising@insiteatlanta.com 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.

Book Review PUNK ROCK DAD by Jim Lindberg BY JOHN MOORE

On the surface, it would appear Jim Lindberg is a walking contradiction. As frontman for longtime punk act Pennywise, he makes a living by standing before fans and singing the song “Fuck Authority.” “Raised by the system/Now it’s time to rage against them… Fuck no, we won’t listen!” Lindberg screams night after night. Now imagine that same voice telling his 4-year-old daughter that she needs to go back upstairs and get into bed, “because he’s the father and he told her to, that’s why.” In his autobiographical take on his dual role as punk icon and father of three young girls, Lindberg does a beautiful job of not only addressing what would appear to be inconsistencies in his world, but even admitting to the occasional hypocritical comment that comes along with these seemingly conflicting roles. Lindberg’s knack for storytelling is apparent just pages into the book when he details the annual ritual of having to introduce himself to teachers on parent’s night and explain just exactly what it is he does for a living. At times sweet, the core of the book’s allure is Lindberg’s willingness to be so self-deprecating and honest. His recounting of shopping for rash cream (his daughter’s) and hair dye (his own) and failing to get the teenage clerk to recognize his status as skatepunk icon is simply laugh-out-loud funny. Earlier this year, fellow writer and sometime musician Neal Pollock attempted to offer insights on the dual life of being a rocker and nurturing dad in his own fatherhood memoir, Alterndad. Where Pollock just came off as another spoiled Gen X’er trying desperately to cling to his selfish past life, Lindberg shines as the real deal: a punk rocker to the core, who just happens to also be a wonderful father. Grade: A

STEVE ALMIGHTY The Office Funnyman Steals the Spotlight

BY ALEX S. MORRISON

N THE YEARS SINCE HIS BREAK through role stealing scenes from Jim Carrey as a newscaster in Bruce Almighty, Steve Carrell has emerged as one of comedy’s most bankable stars. Whether on TV (The Office) or film (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Little Miss Sunshine), Carrell exhibits an ego-free affinity for playing the bumbling everyman, and many pundits have suggested that his leading man status in the new Evan Almighty represents a passing of America’s comedy torch. You had faith in this from the get-go: Why did you commit to it so quickly? Well, mostly because of Tom Shadyac. The first movie I ever did was Bruce Almighty, and Tom took very good care of me. To get the chance to work with Tom again, sort of on a one-on-one basis, was like a dream come true. It was very surreal for me. He actually pitched it to me, and I thought that he was going to pitch the idea of a sequel featuring me as another thorn in [Jim Carrey’s] side sort of character. But then when he said, “We’d like you to play the title role,” I was totally there. Are you trying to move into more leading man roles? I’m willing to take any job offered to me at this point. I’m pretty amenable. I don’t really have a path set, like, “I need to do this kind of movie and then switch it up and play a psychopathic...” I don’t look at it that way. With movies like this and next year’s Get Smart, you’re becoming a big movie star. Oh, I’m internationally famous. (Laughs.) How much longer do you see yourself doing The Office? I’ll give them 20 minutes every day for five days straight, and that will be it for the season! No, I love it. I think in terms of writing and value, nothing beats that show. It’s such a smart group of people who are really devoted to the show, and I think every one of the actors is fantastic. We’re very lucky. That sort of group of people doesn’t come together very often, in television or in movies. It’s sort of a brain trust, in my opinion,

especially the writing team. So I’m extremely happy and very proud to be a part of it. How do you think Michael Scott would handle being given Evan’s path from God? How would Michael Scott, like, become a modern day Noah? Wow, that’s an interesting [question]! I have no idea. He would probably get Creed to come in and build the ark. He wouldn’t want to do it himself. And Jan would convince him not to do it because she rides roughshod over him. So he probably wouldn’t end up doing it because, in his mind, Jan might be more powerful than God himself. (Laughs.)

Do you see this as a kids’ movie? Whenever I hear someone describe something as a kids’ movie or a family movie, it has a negative connotation in my mind. As an

I’M THE TYPE OF PERSON WHO’S ALWAYS WAITING FOR THE OTHER SHOE TO DROP, SO I’M NOT TAKING ANY OF WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW FOR GRANTED. Which were the most lovable animals, and which were the ones you liked least? The giraﬀes and elephants had very soulful faces, sweet and gentle. The baboons were horrifying. There’s one scene where the baboons bring me lemonade. In one take, the baboons spilled the lemonade and I improvised and said, “Hey, what are you doing?!” I raised my voice, and the baboon bared its teeth and took a very aggressive stance with me. It scared the hell out of me! After the take the trainer said, “Don’t do that! Really, don’t talk to the baboon.” Then he paused and said, “As a matter of fact, don’t look the baboon in the eye.” And I’m like, why didn’t you tell me before they were shooting not to look the baboon in the eye?! So they were a little ornery. And in an enclosed space, a camel’s breath can change the atmosphere of the room. Not only the smell, but they literally seem to change the atmospheric pressure. It’s so disgusting! It’s like they have eight stomachs, each more rancid then the next. So those two would probably be the ones I wouldn’t take home as pets.

adult, I wouldn’t go see it by myself, because I’d think it holds nothing for me and it’s simplistic. I don’t see this movie as that. I see it as having a fairly broad appeal. I think it would be very funny for kids, but I think likewise for adults. I was hoping it had a strong but subtle message about our environment– about taking care of it and of each other. But my goal beyond that was to make it funny without making it preachy or overly sentimental. I don’t think this movie crams any message down anybody’s throat. I think it’s done with a fairly light touch. How do you keep a balance between your family and your career? Highly caﬀeinated sports energy drinks. I’m the type of person who’s always waiting for the other shoe to drop, so I’m not taking any of what is happening now for granted. I know there’s a window of time when I’ll be able to do these things and I’m trying to take advantage of that now, while at the same time being very cautious to not let it interfere with my family life. That, to me, is the line, but so far I’ve been able to balance those things. PG 7 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

Around Town ��

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LITTLE FIVE POINTS

(404) 523-0100

SANDY SPRINGS

(404) 255-5578

PG 8 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

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LILBURN

(770) 923-5228 CARTERSVILLE

(770) 607-0888

RESTAURANT PROFILE

Taste of the Month-Barbecue! The perfect summer food for gatherings large or small

Sonny’s Real Pit Bar-B-Q 14 Metro Locations Catering 770.368.1653 www.sonnysbarbq.com

ome 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. They have been serving up great barbecue for 38 years and were recently awarded Best Barbecue in Atlanta. 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 signature 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

usty'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 slowcooked 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

Fat Matt’s Rib Shack 1811 Piedmont Rd. 404.607.1622 www.fatmattsribshack.com

n Atlanta institution for over 17 years, Fat Matt’s keeps packing them in. On most nights you will find a line out the door of people eager to get to their famous barbecue. Owner Matt Harper, who is actually quit slim, has perfected the fine art of Southern BBQ. Not limited to the North Carolina or Kentucky styles, Fat Matt’s uses their own seasoning and cooking technique. After leaving the barbecue, these ribs are smoked to perfection and literally falling off the bone. The ribs at Fat Matt’s can be ordered as a whole, half slab, or on a sandwich. They also serve great barbecue chicken and pork. The signature side is their Rum Baked Beans, but they also have delicious Brunswick Stew, Roasted Peanuts, Potato Salad, and Cole Slaw. Fat Matt’s serves up 9 beers on tap, and much more in bottle. They feature live blues seven nights a week. T. Bone Smith performs every Sunday night and has a huge following. The rest of the weeks schedule is as follows: Mondays-Fat City and Wild Oats; Tuesdays - Crosstown Allstars; Wednesdays - Frankies Blues Mission; Thursdays - Chickenshack. Check out their website for weekend performances as well as catering information and online purchases of such things as BBQ Sauce, T-Shirts and CD’s.

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RIBS CHICKEN PORK & MORE ��

PG 10 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

Ribs Etc. 4233 Roswell Road 404.843.8200 www.ribsetc.com

our neighborhood restaurant and catering headquarters since 1986. Serving North Atlanta, the Ribs Etc. roof is a landmark that cannot be missed. With a mountain lodge atmosphere, the dining room features a large fireplace, subdued lighting and a collection of pig paraphernalia. A large bar area is good for solo diners; the main room attracts groups and families. Servers dressed in jeans and well-worn T-shirts are quick to make you feel at home. The restaurant features “Fall off the Bone” Baby Back Ribs, BBQ Grilled Chicken - on the bone, Chopped Pork, Texas-style beef brisket sandwiches, and the best burgers in Buckhead! Their ribs are served with two side items and toast and can be purchased as a Full slab, 1/2 Slab, or 8 ribs. They have great sandwiches ranging from chopped pork, sliced beef brisket to a BLT. Salmon and fresh salads are available for those who want something different. Ribs Etc. is open 7 days a week (Mon - Thurs 11 am - 10 pm; Fri & Sat 11 am - 11pm; Sun 12 10pm) and are available to cater any event. Check out their spacious deck for private events. They will cater your party! No event too big or small for Ribs Etc.

KC Pit BBQ 234 Hilderbrand Dr. 404.459.6497 www.kcpitbbq.com

C Pit BBQ is a family owned business with the owners originating from Kansas City, MO. The Johnson Family (a husband and wife team) lived in Atlanta for several years before deciding to open a BBQ restaurant. The main Chef who has 26 years BBQ experience moved from Kansas City as well. They convinced some more Kansas City natives to help, found a great location in Sandy Springs in March of 2003 and the rest is history! The ribs here are served as a slab, 1/2 slab or as a plate consisting of 3 ribs and 2 side items. They also offer Beef short ribs, Chopped or sliced pork, Sliced Beef Brisket and Sliced Turkey. Their extensive menu also includes great Smoked BBQ Chicken, Pork Rib Tips, BBQ Lamb Ribs, Smoked Sausage and even seafood including Grilled Salmon, Jumbo Shrimp, Talapia and Fried catfish. Most of their meats can also be served as sandwiches and they offer platters for large parties. KC BBQ offers a kids menu and lunch specials. The restaurant is a WI FI “Hot Spot” with multiple flat screens. Wednesday nights offer “All you can Eat” Wings from 5-9PM. Thursday has “All you can Eat” Pork Ribs from 5-9PM. They are open Mon - Thur. 11am - 9pm; Fri & Sat 11am - 10pm; and Sunday noon-9pm. Full catering menu is available.

Where the Ribs Fall Off the Bone

25% OFF TOTAL GUEST CHECK PORK, BEEF & LAMB RIBS! FRESH HOMEMADE SIDES

Just for Trying Us Out!

excludes alcoholic drinks • expires 9/30/07

LIVE JAZZ THURS – SUN

THURS $10.99/PP

www.kcpitbbq.com ALL-U-CAN-EAT 404-459-6497 | Fax: 404-459-6427 RIBS 234 Hilderbrand Dr. | Sandy Springs, GA | 30328

Monday to Thursday 11am–9pm | Friday & Saturday 11am–10pm | Sunday Noon–9pm PG 11 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

FILM INTERVIEW

SAMUEL L. JACKSON The Hardest Working Man In Show Business BY ALEX S. MORRISON

AMUEL L. JACKSON STRIDES CONFIDENTLY into a New York City hotel suite with his Kangol cap cocked just so, prescription glasses lending his streetwise image an air of unpretentious intelligence and a broad smile on his face that suggests he is a man completely content with his lot in life. Both on- and off-screen, the veteran actor has long since established himself as the epitome of Hollywood cool, balancing dynamic passion and intensity with an easy-going sense of approachability. But unlike many Hollywood stars, who seem to possess the attitude of entitlement that comes from being given the gold keys to fame and fortune before they’ve sacrificed enough blood, sweat and tears to truly appreciate it, the 58-year-old Jackson worked hard to earn his position in the bright glare of celebrity’s spotlight. Born in Washington, DC, in 1948, Jackson spent his formative years in the sleepy town of Chattanooga, Tennessee, where he played various brass instruments in the elementary and high school orchestra. He also suffered from a serious stutter until a speech therapist suggested that acting might help. Eventually he moved to Atlanta to attend the historically black Morehouse College, where he was suspended after an altercation with several members of the Board of Trustees during a politically motivated protest. According to Jackson, it was just the beginning of his brushes with the long arm of the law as an active participant in the black student movement of the early ‘70s. “There were times in the ‘70s when I got pulled over because I used to wear Angela Davis and ‘Fight the War’ T-shirts,” he recalls. “That’s when the police were pretty much able to do whatever they wanted. Then when I was in Atlanta I used to get pulled over a lot because I drove fast and had a big afro. I looked like Jimi Hendrix, so there was always the suspicion that I was inebriated or high or something.” After graduating from Morehouse in 1972, Jackson began to pursue a career as an actor in earnest, joining the Negro Ensemble Company (which also featured Morgan Freeman) and getting bit parts in various TV movies. But by the time he’d turned 40, his biggest claims to thespian fame were working as a camera stand-in for Bill Cosby on “The Cosby Show” and a minor supporting role in fellow Morehouse grad Spike Lee’s debut film, “School Daze.” It wasn’t until 1991, when the admitted drug abuser completed rehab two weeks before filming his breakthrough role as a drug addict in Lee’s “Jungle Fever,” that Jackson began to attract the attention of casting directors and audiences alike. By 1992 Jackson had begun to work at a breakneck pace of three to four films a year– a tradition which continues even now, 15 years later, when mere financial necessity can no longer explain such dedicated commitment to his craft. “I like my job,” Jackson insists with a laugh

PG 12 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

when asked why he continues to work as such a feverish pace. “I mean, I am an actor, and I always think actors should act. If I had my way, I’d do film, television, theatre, whatever. It just so happens my agent and managers think I should continue to do films. Hopefully I’ll be like Michael Caine and find roles that fit what I can do in my age range even when I get older. But I grew up in a household of people that went to work every day, and I think that is what adults do– they go to work. I happen to have a very cool job where I can actually go to

“I still do movies that I think are going to be fun,” Jackson insists, his voice rising with his trademark brand of dramatic tension. “I do read scripts that are serious in tone that may or may not speak to some social issue, but I’m still that guy that likes to go to the movies and see myself in something kind of mindless and exciting. I don’t want to go to work every day and have to ruminate and deal with all the themes of human frailties all year long. I don’t make the conscious choice, like I have to do a big studio ﬁlm about nothing, then I have to

(IN THE 70S) WHEN I WAS IN ATLANTA I USED TO GET PULLED OVER A LOT BECAUSE I DROVE FAST AND HAD A BIG AFRO. I LOOKED LIKE JIMI HENDRIX, SO THERE WAS ALWAYS THE SUSPICION THAT I WAS INEBRIATED OR HIGH OR SOMETHING. work and go back to bed and nobody cares. I have a bed in my dressing room!” With this, Jackson lets loose a boisterous laugh that makes it clear he doesn’t take the perks of fame too seriously. Indeed, despite his ceaseless commitment to his craft, the Oscarnominated actor (for his endlessly quotable turn as hit man Jules Winnfield in Pulp Fiction) continues to approach his career with the everything-and-the-kitchen-sink mindset of an overgrown kid who’s finally been given the keys to the candy store. For every highbrow film like The Red Violin or art house favorite such as Eve’s Bayou on Jackson’s resume, there are a dozen crowd-pleasing genre flicks such as the Star Wars trilogy, xXx and Snakes on a Plane, and he admits that his eclectic choice of roles isn’t likely to change with his advancing age.

do a great independent film that’s kind of deep and has social relevance. I’m not one of those actors who’s sitting around thinking, I’m older now and I need to mature, so I need to do serious things.” That approach has served Jackson remarkably well over the last 15 years, as he has risen from complete unknown to one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, making the Forbes Celebrity 100 list in 2002 and 2003 with earnings of $34 million and $30 million respectively. Perhaps more impressively, the blockbuster success of The Incredibles in 2004 propelled Jackson past Harrison Ford as the actor whose films have grossed more money than the work of any other actor in cinematic history, bringing in over $3 billion at the box office. But for Jackson, it was the opportunity to put his

hands and feet in cement at Hollywood’s historic Grauman’s Theatre a few years ago that hammered home his status as one of filmdom’s most beloved modern icons. “I’m always saying that I’m not a movie star, I’m an actor. I just happen to be an actor who’s very popular,” he acknowledges, “and I’ve made some films that made some money. I don’t need an Academy Award to validate the things I’ve done. But the hands and feet ceremony is one of the things you watched when you were growing up, and the people doing that represented what Hollywood was at the time. I think ‘Hollywood stardom’ is more of an elite club than the Academy Award club, and it gave me a great sense of pride to know that there I was doing something that I watched James Cagney and other classic Hollywood icons do. It makes you admit to yourself, OK, maybe I am a movie star.” Asked if these sorts of career achievements remind him of how far he’s come over the 35 years since he graduated from Morehouse and what he went through to get here, Jackson denies any tendency for that sort of nostalgic reminiscence. “I didn’t reflect in that kind of way,” he insists. “You’re there putting your hands down, and you can see the names of other people all around as you’re doing it, and it’s kind of like, damn, I’m getting ready to be in the company of all these legends! There are only 230-something people there, and I think I’m maybe the seventh African-American to do it, so it is pretty important. I was just awed by the whole process.” Perhaps it’s not too surprising that Jackson spends less time looking back over his career when you consider how much he has to look forward to in the very near future, with at least five films and an animated TV show slated to hit screens in 2007. In addition to the alreadyreleased Black Snake Moan and Home of the Brave, there’s this month’s 1408 (a Stephen King adaptation co-starring John Cusack), the Rod Lurie-directed boxing drama Resurrecting the Champ, a Renny Harlin-directed crime thriller called Cleaner and the Spike TV animated series Afro Samurai. Yet despite his remarkable success, this consummate workaholic seems driven by a healthy fear of finding himself back in his presalad days as a struggling actor, working as a doorman at the Manhattan Plaza apartment complex to make ends meet. “There aren’t many acting opportunities for actors,” he says, without a single trace of irony. “I take the ones that are out there for me, and movies just happen to come one right behind the other, so I do them. I do have that healthy actor fear of never working again once my project is over. I just tend to go to work, I like it. And it’s actually not a hard job. Besides,” he with another hearty laugh, “my wife is still shopping!”

FEATURE

Little Five Points

A Neighborhood Spotlight plus some of the great places to visit in the area CENTERED ON THE CORNER OF EUCLID AND Savage Pizza

Moreland Ave, lies a business community, a neighborhood, and inarguably the coolest spot on the map between Greenwich Village and the French Quarter. This bohemian hangout has grown into a neighborhood with a rich mix of art, theater, and commerce. It's a tasty tossed salad embracing every lifestyle imaginable from Rasta to Gothic. It is home to dreadlocked drummers and suburban gawkers. The vast retail businesses offer unique psychedelic storefronts, while the many bars and restaurants provide a hard drinking, good time having, party atmosphere. Live music can be found a plenty. Venues like the Variety Playhouse and Star Bar are Atlanta favorites. With each year, the Little Five Points Halloween Parade continues to grow. The parade consists of marching musical units, self-built floats, specialty units, inflatable balloons, and neighborhood celebrities. Displays have included the world famous Seed & Feed marching Abominable, the Atlanta Freedom Marching Band, the Queen of Leather, the Queen of Tattoo, drag queens, punk queens, roller bladers, bicyclers, motorcycle enthusiasts, art cars, and L5P drill teams. Also participating are dancing witches, red devils, ghosts, purple wizards, black cats, and the Queen of Little Five Points on her giant pumkin float.

Junkman’s Daughter

485 Moreland Ave 404.577.3188

No place better encapsulates the raw edgy pulse of Little 5 Points like the alternative super store known as Junkman’s Daughter.

484 Moreland Ave 404.523.0500

With their homage to comic book super heroes adorning the walls, Savage Pizza is a perfect fit with Little Five Points. They prepare all the recipes using only freshest vegetables and first quality meats, cheeses, breads and pastas. On Savage's menu you'll find innovative homemade sauces, fresh dough and thoughtfully prepared dishes, made from scratch every day.

Savage’s hand-tossed crusts are thrown with real hands and get enough air to make Tony Hawk jealous. In addition to their famous pizzas, they also have calzones, salads, subs and pasta. They serve both lunch and dinner with indoor and outdoor seating and offer catering and delivery.

Flying Biscuit

1655 McLendon Ave 404.687.8888

The original location on McLendon Avenue is nestled among funky Craftsman bungalows and has remained one of Atlanta's favorite spots for brunch since it opened in 1993. The Flying Biscuit Café recipes have endured thanks to the diligence of the staff and the neighborhood customers. Try one of their "favorites", like the Turkey Meatloaf & Pudge or the Vegan Burrito. And, of course, there is their famous breakfast, with dishes like Orange Flavored French Toast and omelets named after local streets, and most importantly, their mouth watering biscuits. Be sure to visit the bakery right next door, so you can pick up biscuits for the road.

Five Spot The store had its beginnings in 1982, when Pam Majors the daughter of an actual junkman, rented a 1,000 sq. ft. storefront and filled it with tchotchkes and dead stock from her parents 40 year accumulation of stuff. Soon she began adding her own stock as her eye for the bizarre but beautiful drew everyone from neighborhood folk, artists, musicians and trend setters. Recently named “One of the Best, One of a Kind, Businesses in America” and now celebrating their 25th anniversary, the Junkman’s Daughter floor has grown to a staggering 10,000 square feet! The store is crammed full of far-out fashions and groovy accessories, for men and women, unique and unusual gifts and housewares from around the world, cool collectables, retro nick-nacks and toys. They offer terrific hard to find and unusual books and fully stocked tobacco shop. Make sure to check out Junkman’s this Halloween for the most irreverent and original wigs, masks and costumes in town.

Psycho Sisters

428 Moreland Ave 404.523.0100

Friendly staff, fun funky, unusual and outrageous Psycho Sisters has been the #1 consignment boutique in Atlanta for almost 20 Years.

Much more than a consignment shop, this original location of the hip Atlanta chain sells vintage clothing, new items from other stores that overstock, and second-hand goods (as long as they're still stylish and funky). From current mall trends such as BCBG, Abercrombie, 7 For All Mankind, bebe, Arden B, Lip Service to new trendy shoe styles, unbelievable bling, bracelets, earrings, headbands, shades, belt buckles to Gothic or Costumes, Psycho Sisters has something for everyone whether you are 12 or 90 years old!

1123 Euclid Ave 404.223.1100

When owners Kirk and Kevin opened the Five Spot in 2003 they envisioned a place that focused on food, music and art. They wanted Five Spot to serve the Little Five Points neighborhood and to grow along with it. Their dream has been realized, as L5P is a bustling thoroughfare and the Five Spot offers up an eclectic mix of live entertainment ranging from Open Mic on Tuesdays to a variety of music acts on the weekends. Local art adorns the walls and their popular menu based on sandwiches, quesidillas, and salads is expanding to include an array of pasta dishes. They have a wide ranging beer selection with a new brew every week.

Star Community Bar

437 Moreland Ave 404.681.9018

�� July 6: The Tri-Numeral July 7: Organized Time July 13: Uncle Joe’s Medicine Show July 14: Dixie Pistols Burlesque Show July 15: The Movement July 18: Danger Women

July 19: Kiss Tribute for Terry Williams July 20: Sam Kininger of Soul Live July 21: Chicken and Pigs July 23: ASIFA July 25: The NOD Factor July 26: Soul Sisters Juke Joint

��

Passed into the hands of The Keeper Brothers (The Plumbers formerly known as Dave and Marty) in lieu of payment, the Star Bar has been one of the mainstays of late night Little 5 Points since 1991. It's gone through its evolutions as has the community. In 2001 the bar passed into the hands of three fixtures, Jim Stacy, Dave Parker and Gary Yoxen. In 2007 The Star Community Bar torch is passed to Little Five Points resident Stephen Hudnall.

Upgrades have been made to the sound system and more space created for the audience and bands but this is still the one and only Star Bar. PBR is still $2 and you can still have conversations with people named "Cletis". PG 13 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007 PG 13 insiteatlanta.com March 2006

MUSIC INTERVIEW

SMOOTH OPERATOR

Bobby Valentino on the R&B Revival BY ZENA SCOTT

HILE MANY RECORDING artists dread the famous “sophomore curse,” R&B crooner Bobby Valentino chuckles at the mere mention of the cliché. While many recording artists and their record labels strategically plan release dates to avoid sales collisions, Bobby V simply states, “the more, the merrier… with the added foot traffic in the stores, more people are likely to see and buy my album.” It was clear from his drawl-riddled but seductive “Hello” that Valentino has his own take on everything, including the music industry, and that seems to be working just fine for him. We caught up with him via telephone recently to discuss his new album, his definition of staying power and the present state of R&B.

Tell us a little about the album, including the title. Why is this album special? Well, first off the album is HOT! Have you heard it? You gotta get that. This album is special in a few ways to me, mainly because every time you have the opportunity to release an album, it’s an occasion. But when you get the blessing of releasing a second album, it’s a special occasion. This business is cutthroat, man; you gotta be in to win it. What do you mean by that? You gotta have staying power. You gotta know how to fit and break the mold at the same time, you know, and make your own category. In this industry everyone wants to categorize you with someone else, but if you fashion yourself after “what’s hot right now” or “what’s working for someone else,” you’ll never get ahead.

YOU GOTTA HAVE STAYING POWER. YOU GOTTA KNOW HOW TO FIT AND BREAK THE MOLD AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, AND MAKE YOUR OWN CATEGORY.

So Special Occasion is in stores now. How are you feeling about the album? Man, I’ve been waiting to share this album with the world, so I’m feeling good about it.

So who’s on the album as far as producers and featured artists? What can we expect from Special Occasion and how does it diﬀer from your self-titled debut album?

Hmmm... so production-wise I got Bryan Michael Cox, Dre & Vidal, Timbaland, Rodney Jerkins and Darkchild, just to name a few, on the album. As far as featured artists, I got my man Ludacris on this crazy track called “Rearview (Ridin’)” and I got the one and only F-A-B-O on the album. Special Occasion, to me, is my best work yet. I’ve matured more as a singer and a songwriter on this record and I can say that there’s a song for every occasion on the album. Whether you hittin’ the club, chillin’ by yourself or going through some relationship stuﬀ, this album has a song for you.

from your smooth lyrics to your style of dress to the calmness that you emit over the phone. What do you attribute that to? Well, you gotta remember that I’ve been singing professionally since I was 13 and music comes natural to me. I don’t need to be coached. As far as my style, what can I say? I’m smooth! (Chuckling) But seriously, after being in a group (Mistah) in my teens and dealing with the ups and downs of the music biz, I know this business. It can be brutal on you if you let it. So many people try and control it, but I’ve been lucky to not have to deal with much of that.

“Turn the Page” and “Anonymous” are both blowing up on the radio right now… I know… “Turn the Page” was produced by the world-famous Rodney Jerkins, and it’s a song that many people can relate to. It’s about trust and going to the next level in your relationship. I love that song! “Anonymous” is another ballad– a love song about me basically looking for that special lady, knowing she’s out there but not being able to ﬁnd her or get her out my dreams. Both songs are classics.

So many refer to you as the “Soul of DTP.” Does being the only male R&B star on Disturbing Tha Peace Records ever get lonely? You know what, it’s actually the exact opposite! Growing up I was always that dude that could sing when every other dude was rapping, so it feels like home. You’d also be surprised to know that many of them have input on the album, and know the R&B world just as well as the hip-hop world.

Rumor has it that there’s a remake on the album. Is that true? Yeah, I remade the Babyface classic, “Soon as I Get Home”. What made you choose that song? Babyface, along with Marvin Gaye, Jodeci and Boyz II Men have been some of my biggest inﬂuences musically, so I was honored to do the song. Plus the ladies love it! One thing I’ve learned is that if you can get a hit with the ladies, then you got it made.

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PG 14 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

True. I have to comment on your poise or, as they say these days, swagger. You seem so relaxed,

Interesting. Earlier you stated that you had to create your own category in order to stay savvy in the music industry. Do you feel pressures to go above and beyond because of the overall decline in popularity of R&B music? People talk about the fall in popularity of R&B, but I don’t see it. When I see Ne-Yo, Usher and myself putting out good music and hear the fans wanting more, it’s all good. When the concerts stop selling out and the fan mail stops coming in, then I’ll be worried. You also have to understand that every type of music has a place in the market, and it’s big enough for all of us. Music is just like clothes– some type is in fashion at one time and out at the next. But whatever happens, that style repeats itself and comes back just as big as it did before.

Voices Carry BY JOHN DAVIDSON

ATT WARD CAN TRY OTHERWISE, but his voice will always be his calling card. A masterful guitar player and skilled arranger whose inﬂuences run from folk to jazz, it’s Ward’s voice that colors his work with distinction. Last year’s Post-War gained many critical accolades, and tours both with the White Stripes and on his own are steadily increasing his exposure. We recently caught up with Ward on a break in his current tour with Norah Jones.

I’m assuming that warming up the White Stripes was quite a bit different from warming up Norah Jones? Very different. The Norah Jones crowd is different from a White Stripes crowd in all the ways that you would expect it to be. Is it a better opportunity to connect with people you might normally not connect with, then? I don’t see it as better or worse, I just see it as different. The crowds that I’ve seen have been really supportive and appreciative, and they come to shows to listen to music, as oppose to other artists who might attract concert-goers that are more interested in the scene or party that it presents. It’s been really great.

MUSIC INTERVIEW

M. Ward’s BUZZ Continues to BUILD

the best way possible, especially on tours like this where we’re playing in these beautiful rooms. Is this something you’ve grown into? You’ve been recording since you were a teenager. Has performing gained importance for you as you’ve grown older? Yeah, it took me awhile to see the potential of performing. I deﬁnitely did not start playing the guitar to be in front of thousands of people; I played the guitar so that I could learn Beatles songs and make four track tapes to give to friends. Just to experiment with chords and musical ideas. The performance side is really kind of changing all the time, and I’m still learning how to do it and what you can achieve from it. You’ve been in bands before, but has it just seemed to work out better as an artistic endeavor as a solo artist? It’s half and half for me. When I’m playing solo, the most fun part is that you can return the song to the way it was composed, which is just me and a guitar and a four-track. I do a lot of four-tracking and writing, and for me, the only way that I know if a song is good is if it sounds good in those bare elements. As opposed to a band, you have a lot to lean on.

I SEE THE PERFORMANCE ASPECT OF MUSIC AS THE FINAL ASPECT. IT COMPLETES THE CYCLE OF COMPOSITION. IF YOU JUST WRITE SONGS AND NEVER TAKE THEM INTO THE LIGHT OF DAY, THEN THE SONGS ARE NEVER, IN A WAY, COMPLETE.

In picking out songs to play for this tour, are you picking mainly from Post-War, are you picking out favorites, or are you picking out songs that you think will suit the audience best? It’s always old and new and borrowed and blue, and I never really know what’s going to happen. I’ll probably keep it that way. Every once in awhile, I’ll try a new cover song. And I’m always writing, so sometimes I’ll try something new. When you cover a song, do you just play songs that you’re jazzed about, or do you consider how you might re-arrange it so that it sounds like you? I’m careful to never force anything. If I hear a great song and am moved by it, I’ll go home and learn the chords and play it to my four-track. I’ll let it sit for awhile, and if I come back and it’s something interesting, then a lot of times I’ll perform it. But in general, I don’t do anything spur of the moment. (Laughs) Do you prefer headlining your own shows? It depends on the match-up, and I like doing a bit of both. It’s good to have a challenge sometimes, to play out in left field sometimes and play to thousands of people who’ve never heard your music, in these beautiful environments that Norah Jones plays in, is a great opportunity. Is performance for you more of an artistic endeavor or is it mainly a promotional aspect to it? Some artists are uncomfortable performing live because it’s such a different environment from where they actually create their music. I see the performance aspect of music as the final aspect. It completes the cycle of composition. If you just write songs and never take them into the light of day, then the songs are never, in a way, complete. Even if they are on a record. Performance really feels like it completes the circle in

dence or are these kinds of collaborations fairly well thought out in advance? For the last Bright Eyes record, Conor wanted to come to Oregon to do some songs. It’s very similar to two friends who see each other often and make plans to do something in the future. With Conor, it’s actually something that comes true and happens. He’s one of the most determined musicians out there. I’m constantly amazed at the poetry in his music. It’s a similar thing with him, where he has the nuts and bolts written out but is looking for a guitar sound. He might have a window in a song that needs some ﬁlling up or percussion or something. It’s a similar process where if you come to the table without any skeleton and just playing free jazz…that’s something that he or I don’t know much about! You have to have some sort of

skeleton to it, and then you have your friends ﬂesh the skeleton out. Hopefully it gets up and walks on its own. Are you surprised where career is at these days? Absolutely! After day one, that thought occurred to me. I couldn’t be happier. I couldn’t ask for a better position, really. I’ve been in the music business for about six or seven years now, and to have other people pay for your musical experiments is the perfect job for me. I’m very happy to have all the questions of the marketplace and the business answered and handled by my manager, and am happy to have the freedom to just focus on music and creating it. I mean, I get a great joy out of experimenting with music on a daily level. It’s like fuel for me.

Are your recordings fairly wide open when you bring them to your band to make an album? I always have ideas for arrangements and fleshing out the songs, but I like to leave the door open a little bit for a little bit of chaos, and also for a little bit of breathing room for a drummer or a bass player to bring their instincts into it. It’s a balancing act. Because they are your songs, do you tend to be a pretty firm leader when they are getting fleshed out or are you pretty wide open to what people want to bring in? That’s another one that’s half and half. If I pre-arrange everything from top to bottom, the song can become sterile, and the best part of production and recording is creating elements of surprise for the listener and the composer of the song. Ideally, the song has a life of its own, and the more blood you can bring into the project, the more surprises you can potentially create. Is that one of the reasons that attract you to collaborating with other artists? When I’m writing, it’s always by myself. I’m not much of a co-writer; it happens very rarely. I like to put all the nuts and bolts ahead of time, and then bring in all these amazing, talented friends that I’ve made over the years to put the icing on the cake. That is one of the greatest parts of my job: to work with amazing friends. So, for example, when Bright Eyes calls you to collaborate, is it kind of a geographical coinciPG 15 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

FILM

�� A MIGHTY HEART:� �� – Matt Goldberg DEATH AT A FUNERAL:� �� PG 16 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

�� – Mitchell Hughes EAGLE VS. SHARK:� �� – Tom DeFreytas EVAN ALMIGHTY:� � �� – John Moore

So toys, bugs, monsters, a Fantastic Four/Watchmen ripoff, cars and now cooking rats? We feel like Pixar is running out of stuff to animate. You decide in “Ratatouille.” FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER:� �� – Matt Goldberg 1408:��

�� – Tom DeFreytas KNOCKED UP:��

�� – Matt Goldberg JOSHUA:� �� – Lonie Haynes LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD:� ��

��

COMPLIMENTARY PASSES

Invites you and a guest to a special advance screening of

– Matt Goldberg OCEAN’S THIRTEEN:� ��

on Tuesday, July 17 To pick up your complimentary screening pass stop by 6124 Roswell Rd NE | Atlanta, GA 30328 | (404) 256-1116 Mon–Sat: 10am–2am | Sun: Noon–2am

Passes are available on a ﬁrst-come, ﬁrst-served basis. One pass per person. Each pass admits two. No purchase necessary. Employees of all promotional partners and their agencies are not eligible.

Opens Nationwide Friday, July 20

A GREAT TIME AT THE ” MOVIES FOR EVERYONE! “

Pe t e H a m m o n d , M A X I M

Perfect for the whole family!

“

I t ’s d ef i n i t e ly t h e i d e a l m ov i e t o s e e w i t h l ov e d o n e s .” S a n d i e N ew t o n , C B S - T V

– Matt Goldberg RATATOUILLE:� ��

AMC THEATRES BUCKHEAD BACKLOT

AMC THEATRES PARKWAY POINTE 15

CARMIKE CINEMAS RIVERSTONE 15

AMC THEATRES COLONIAL 18

AMC THEATRES PHIPPS PLAZA 14

REGAL CINEMAS CONSOLIDATED THEATRES ARBOR PLACE 18 I-20 at Exit 9-Chapel Hill Rd. GEORGIAN 14

Peachtree Rd. at Piedmont (404) 467-9611

Hwy. 316 & 120 Lawrenceville (404) 816-4AMC

3101 Cobb Pkway SE (770) 333 - Film#282

Phipps Plaza Peachtree Rd. at Lenox Rd. (404) 816-4AMC

5 Reinhardt College Pkwy. (770) 720-9520

232 Newnan Crossing Bypass (770) 502-0866

PEACHTREE CINEMA 8 6135 Peachtree Parkway Norcross, GA (770) 448-7002

800-FANDANGO #221

AMC THEATRES DISCOVER MILLS 18

AMC THEATRES SOUTHLAKE PAVILION 24

THE GREAT ESCAPE MCDONOUGH STADIUM 16

REGAL CINEMAS ATLANTIC STATION STADIUM 16

AMC MAGIC JOHNSON GREENBRIAR MALL 12

AMC THEATRES STONECREST MALL 16

GEORGIA THEATRE CO. MERCHANT WALK 8

REGAL CINEMAS AUSTELL 22

AMC THEATRES MANSELL CROSSING 14

CARMIKE CINEMAS CARMIKE 12 SNELLVILLE

GEORGIA THEATRE CO. PARK 12 STADIUM

REGAL CINEMAS HOLLYWOOD 24

AMC THEATRES NORTH DEKALB MALL 16

CARMIKE CINEMAS CONYERS CROSSROADS 16

LEFONT THEATERS SANDY SPRINGS

REGAL CINEMAS MALL OF GEORGIA 20

I-85 at Sugarloaf Pkwy. Exit 108 (404) 816-4AMC

Greenbriar Mall 800 - FANDANGO #716

7730 N. Point Rd. Alpharetta (404) 816-4AMC

I-285 at Exit 29 (404) 816-4AMC

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

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

1905 Scenic Hwy. (770) 979-1519

All Stadium Seating (770) 922-4104

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

1301 Johnson Ferry Rd. Marietta, GA 30068

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

5920 Roswell Rd. (404) 255-0100

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

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

North I-85 at Shallowford 800-FANDANGO #220

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

REGAL CINEMAS MEDLOCK CROSSING 18 9700 Medlock Br. Rd. Duluth 800-FANDANGO #222

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

REGAL CINEMAS TOWN 16

2795 Town Ctr. Dr. Kennesaw 800-FANDANGO #230

STARLIGHT DRIVE-IN 2000 Moreland Ave. SE (404) 627-5786

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

SPECIAL ENGAGEMENTS NO PASSES OR DISCOUNT COUPONS ACCEPTED

CHECK THEATRE DIRECTORIES OR CALL FOR SOUND INFORMATION AND SHOWTIMES

PG 17 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

��

�� – Lonie Haynes

– Matt Goldberg RESCUE DAWN:� ��

�� – Nadine Graham

SICKO:��

Vidiots This month’s DVD & VHS Releases

THE ASTRONAUT FARMER – This is a feel-good movie that doesn’t want to work very hard to make you feel good. Your personal level of jaded bitterness is going to correspond to how you feel when you leave this film (I’m a film critic, so nothing short of babies playing with kittens is going to bring joy into my cold, dead heart), whose story follows Charlie Farmer (Billy Bob Thornton), a man who builds his own rocket and wants to launch himself into space. This dream has cost him over $600,000 in debt, but not the love of his family. The film follows Farmer as he rushes to launch before the bank can seize all his assets and leave his family destitute, making a little addition to the “dream-follower” tale by including Farmer’s family and showing how their combined strength gives Charlie strength... along with a giant sack of money. Plot massagers such as the one I just mentioned are what cheapen the film’s overall value. It’s hard to see a character’s wit, strength, character and tenacity when the plot and supporting characters remove any plausible obstacles from the character’s path. Huge praise goes to Thornton and Virginia Madsen (who plays Mrs. Farmer) for putting so much love and charm in their characters. Without it, Charlie would be a selfish prick who might as well be throwing the family’s money away at the track (at least then there would be some possibility of a return) and his wife would be the enabler who fails to convey a father’s responsibility to his family. The film is especially frustrating because, rather than explore the conflict PG 18 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

TALK TO ME:��

PICK OF THE MONTH 300 – The posters for Zach

Snyder’s adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel present various lines from the film, including “Prepare for Glory” and “You Will Not Enjoy This”. When it comes to those lines-cumtaglines, do the former and ignore the latter. 300 is a unique blend of history and mythology that uses Miller’s unique art-style and writing while still making its own mark as a unique and exciting film. For those that haven’t seen 1962’s The 300 Spartans or read The Histories by Herodotus, let me briefly supply the plot: 300 Spartans lead by King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) took a stand at the Pass of Thermopylae against an army of over one million Persians led by self-proclaimed god-king Xerxes I (Rodrigo Santoro). Each of the 300 Spartans died but not before holding the pass for two days and allowing the rest of Greece to gather their forces and ultimately defeat the Persians. The film doesn’t claim to be a 100% accurate historical account but rather how the Spartans would tell their story and elevate history into myth. The film lives somewhere in between and the result is a surreal blend that somehow manages to be both extraordinary yet proximate. What keeps the film from being more than just a two-hour magnificently choreographed battle is the wise addition of Leonida’s wife Gorgo (Lena Hedley) providing both emotional support to her husband and a political ass-kicking at home as she tries to prevent the slimy maneuvering of Theron (Dominic West). The strong chemistry between Butler and Hedley as well as the scenes in Sparta help remind the audience why this battle is important. If the battle scenes are the sweet, delicious meat of the film (and believe me, you’ve never seen anything quite like them), then Gorgo’s story is the vegetables you have to eat if you want to grow up big and strong and protect Sparta. While the film works in the broad strokes of mythology rather than the nuance of history and philosophy, it’s still a magnificent affair that may be very modern in its look and violence but as classic as the 1962 film that inspired Miller to render the tale as a graphic novel in the first place. You will enjoy this. –Matt Goldberg

�� – Matt Goldberg

of one family member’s dream vs. the needs of his family, it chooses to sidestep the problem with a deus ex machina (although I don’t know if it still counts as a deus ex machina if it’s painfully predictable). I saw this film with an audience who applauded at the end, so The Astronaut Farmer may be just the feel-good film you need if you’re feeling blue. Personally, I’ll stick with babies ‘n’ kittens. Grade: C MG

HOT FUZZ – While the makers of the brilliant Shaun of the Dead have delivered a great film, their newest effort pales in comparison to their romantic-comedy-withzombies. What I love about co-writers Simon Pegg (who stars as supercop Nicolas Angel) and Edgar Wright (who once again shows off his directing bravado) is that their films are homages, not spoofs. While there are plenty of references within the film, the strength of the writing ends up making the film a legitimate entry into the genre rather than just a humorous reflection of its tropes. This time, the filmmakers hold the mirror up to action films, specifically Lethal Weapon, Bad Boys II and Point Break. After a hilarious intro where idiot officers Martin Freeman, Steve Coogan and Bill Nighy send Angel and his 400% arrest rate from London to the small town of Sandford for “making them all look bad,” people start dying under gruesome and mysterious circumstances. Unfortunately, the time it takes between Nick’s arrival in Sandford and when things get interesting is a little too long and since Angel remains such an unlikable priss for the film’s first act, the film loses a lot of necessary momentum and it seems like Wright is trying to overcompensate wit h unnecessary flash and headache inducing editing. But part of me knows that these guys are immensely talented and upon repeat viewings, their attention to detail and remarkable narrative structure will shine through. And while the film is absolutely worth your time for the hilarious performances and the best kill of the decade alone, it needs more than one viewing to get past just following the plot and finding the excellence therein. For these guys, I’m certainly willing to look again and again. Grade: B+ MG

FILM INTERVIEW

KASI LEMMONS

Reel Talk – Director Talks About Her Follow-up to Eve’s Bayou BY MATT GOLDBERG

NVOLVED WITH THE PERFORMING arts since the age of nine when she started acting professionally, Kasi Lemmons has evolved into a writer/director of powerful filmmaking, from her critically acclaimed debut Eve’s Bayou to her latest film about radio deejay and cultural/racial icon Ralph “Petey” Greene, Talk To Me. We spoke to Lemmons about the complex and fascinating person of Greene as well as her own intriguing journey and thought process of bringing this film to life. How did you pull off such an authentic 70s-era setting in this film without having it dominate or distract from the story? We wanted it to be as real as the times were but not feel forced. Sometimes it helps to be

is very painful and elusive and exhilarating and wonderful and I love actors so much. But there’s something about sitting back and seeing a film with your whole name on it and it’s like a symphony. I’m really proud when I get to direct a film. Why do you think that when it comes to popular culture, African-Americans always have to stand-in for everyone whereas if a white guy does something stupid, it really only reflects on that individual? Well it’s any minority. We feel responsible for each other. After that horrifying shooting [at Virginia Tech] that Korean-Americans felt this sense of “Oh my God, why’d he have to be Korean?” and we feel like every time there’s a crime we feel like “Oh God, please don’t let it be a black person.” You see a black person stand up and say something stupid and you’re like “Oh man! You stabbed

SOMETIMES IT HELPS TO BE EXTREMELY AUTHENTIC IN DETAIL AND IT HELPS THE AUDIENCE TO “GO THERE”. SOMETIMES I THINK PEOPLE AREN’T AUTHENTIC ENOUGH. IF YOU’RE AUTHENTIC IN THE DETAILS, THEN IT’S EASIER TO JUST FLOW INTO IT. extremely authentic in detail and it helps the audience to “go there”. Sometimes I think people aren’t authentic enough. If you’re authentic in the details, then it’s easier to just flow into it. We had a great props person, a great costume designer, Gersha Phillips, I think she’s a total star, and a great production designer, Warren Alan Young. We had stacks of magazines we went though as references; watched tons of newsreel and old TV shows; we immersed ourselves in it. Wattstax was like our bible. I made everybody watch it. When the actors came, there would be a copy in their hotel room. There’s a CD I made of music I would listen to. I tried to pull people into the time. How did you decide to become a director? I went to film school to learn to make documentaries and at the same time I was acting and writing. I started acting professionally when I was nine and by the time I was seventeen, I was pretty much supporting myself as an actor. And yet at a certain point, I didn’t feel fulfilled. I felt like I had more to offer so I went to film school. Then, several movies happened for me. I did Silence of the Lambs and I wrote the script for Eve’s Bayou, not intending to direct it. I was looking for a director to do it. I literally woke up one day with the epiphany that I should do it and at that point, I made a short film, not like the films I made in film school but with a real 35mm camera and a real crew to show the producers whether or not I had the chops. And I made a film called Dr. Hugo and quickly knew that I was on to something, which certain friends of mine had already known when I came out of film school. After I made Eve’s Bayou, I was pretty certain I had something to offer as a director, as a filmmaker. Which is more fun: acting or directing? They’re completely different. Sometimes, when I’m directing and you have to make a million decision and all the pressure’s on you, you see those actors and you’re like “Look at them: goin’ to their trailers, getting their hair done…” But acting

me in the heart!” I think that’s a natural feeling of a minority. But there’s so many white people that you don’t have to take on all white people because you’re white. It’s the luxury of being in the majority. But certainly as African-Americans and any minority that I know, you feel responsible. You gotta represent. And the ﬁlm touches on that. There’s not a lot of outlets where black people can talk freely among themselves and Petey does that with no fear. Says whatever he wants whenever he wants and it gives people power to talk about those things. Yeah, the great thing about Petey is he’d say something crazy and it’d be “Here he goes again!” But what would be great is that sometimes at the end of a show he’d say, “Y’all are waiting for me to say something crazy but I’m not feeling like saying something crazy today.” He was really interesting and knew how to use it and do what wasn’t expected and if he knew people were expecting it, he wouldn’t do it.

him, Petey kind of blew the jokes. He said he must have done it on purpose. But I think Petey just resisted being packaged. Maybe it was something about being in prison that made him yearn to resist that kind of cage. He just wanted to be who he was. And if you really listen to tapes of Petey, you can’t really package that. I mean, once you try to clean it up and package it, it’s not Petey any more. I have copy of his TV show where he’s trying to be earnest and it’s not as good as when he’s completely raw and himself. In researching the film, what did you discover about Petey’s impact in the field of radio? With Petey, it was kind of a performance art. It was both very authentic and artistic. So much of it was social commentary but the way he came about it threw it in your face and made you think about it. It was really more about how he felt on a moment-to-moment basis. I think Petey’s just an iconoclast and he could have had a lot of respect for anyone who he’d say something bad but he expected everyone to have a sense of humor about it. He was always saying, “Black people take themselves too seriously!” He felt we should all be able to take a joke and look at ourselves and re-examine ourselves and be able to deal with those kind of analogies. And you had to roll with the punches if you were gonna be around Petey. Dewey said that Petey would haze you just to see if you were cool enough to talk to. He would initially really throw people off track and that was how he saw if you were cool enough. It came from a real story where this reporter came to interview him. And she had her papers and she had her pens and Petey would jus say “Lemme ask you something…” and she was

taken aback and didn’t know what to do, but after that, they were friends. He just liked to stir it up. He’d just be like “Let me throw you way off, and when you catch your breath, we can start again.” It cuts through the layers of bullshit. It seems like the heart of this story and its emotional core is the friendship between Petey and Dewey. Can you talk a little about how you came to focus on that relationship? I thought it was a beautiful friendship. That’s what I so admire about Petey and in this story and especially here in the individual courage it takes to say “I miss you,” or “I’m sorry.” It’s very, very difficult to say, especially between two men, but it’s very difficult for us to say in relationships and marriages, “I’m sorry.” It takes a lot of courage for us to say those things. Dewey can’t really say the things that Petey can say because the truth comes easily to Petey.

You spoke earlier about authenticity and one of the themes in this ﬁlm is about how contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to sacriﬁce authenticity for opportunity. Yeah, [Petey] stays the person that he stays. He really remains at core, who he always way. He sticks to himself. I think it’s really hard to do and really brave to know who you are and what you want. It’s something most of us struggle with; so many people in show business are like “I want it! I want it! I want it!” and they don’t know what that’s like to be in it, followed around by photographers, snapping your every moment. But shouldn’t he be jumping up and down at the opportunity to be on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson? I think he really rebelled against being packaged. For instance, Dewey told us a story: He’d get Petey in a bar or on stage and his routines were so down-pat he just knew they were perfect. But when he tried to produce a comedy album for PG 19 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

CONCERT

CALENDER

�� JULY 10

The Fray with Gomez and Eisley

JULY 18

featuring Bad Religion, New Found Glory, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Pennywise, Coheed and Cambria and more!

JULY 19 JULY 28 AUGUST 7

Vans Warped Tour

311 with Matisyahu and The English Beat Marilyn Manson/ Slayer with Bleeding Through

Projekt Revolution 2007featuring Linkin Park with My Chemical Romance, Taking Back Sunday and more!

AUGUST 9

Toby Keith

AUGUST 11

Family Values Tour featuring Korn and Evanescense and many more!

AUGUST 25

Def Leppard with Styx and Foreigner

AUGUST 26

Brooks & Dunn and Alan Jackson

AUGUST 28

Incubus

with Miranda Lambert and Flynnville Train

with Jake Owen and Catherine Britt

with The Bravery and Simon Dawes

TICKETS ALSO AVAILABLE THROUGH TICKETMASTER AT 404-249-6400. Venue box ofﬁce open Monday-Friday, 10AM - 5PM and day of show. All dates, acts and ticket prices are subject to change without notice. A service charge is added to each ticket price.

�� Bombadil ��T Bone Smith �� WRFG Fundraiser �� Fetchin’ Bones Reunion Show, VieTNam, The Swear �� Autovaughan, The Rewinds �� Pearlene, Stone Rider, Adam McIntyre & the Pinks ��Fat City Wild Cats �� The A Game, T.Smith, Janie Chu �� The Beat Down �� Adrianne, Emily Kate Boyd, South 70, Laura Tsaggaris ��Crosstown Allstars �� Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band �� Elevation �� Al Smith Jam Session �� The Barrel House Mamas �� Frankie’s Blues Mission �� The Velcro Pygmies �� JJ & the Hustlers, Anna Kramer, Roadside Graves �� The Good Good �� Thee Crucials, Can Can, Auditioning Alice �� Girlyman, Sonia Tetlow ��Chickenshack �� Royden Peachcake, The High Court, Go, Robo!, Go! �� JB Roberts Band �� Pride Parade, The Leavers, Sleepy Horses, Jumping Through Fiery Hoops, Still Small Voice & the Joyful Noise �� Das Manics, The White Barons ��Hope & Ryan �� 80’z Enuff �� Sun Toucher, Telepath & DJ King Smitt �� Ustad Rahat Fateh, Ali Khan �� Gentleman Jesse & His Men, allnightdrugprowlingwolves �� Austin Lounge Lizards, Chuck Pyle ��Work in Progress �� The Tri-Numeral �� Atlanta Xclusiveness ��Ricky Skaggs �� Zydefunk �� Dean Dollar Band �� Bobby Lee Rodgers & The Codetalkers, Escape Vehicle ��Slip Tripman ��Big In Japan �� Trent Tomlinson

Breaking Benjamin @�� (7-9) �� Father Peter �� Twisted Tongue Poetry Slam �� Last Band Standing �� The Fiery Furnaces, Deerhunter �� Robinella, Andrew Hyra, Morwenna Lasko & Jay Pun ��The Bretheren �� Organized Time ��The Trnimeral Fest �� Sean Costello �� Rollin’ in the Hay �� The 69 Eyes, Fair to Midland, Wednesday 13 �� Kelly Willis, Cory Branan

PG 20 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

�� Club Awesome, Ezra Hurman & the Harpoons, the Empties, Sound of Urchin �� Soulja Boy �� Tag Team, The Danny Family ��T Bone Smith �� The Wildbirds, Flurish �� Noot D’ Noot, Vampire Weekend, Batatdoce ��Fat City Wild Cats �� The High Rollers, Jim Hodgson, Mishka �� Breaking Benjamin, Sick Puppies, Red �� Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, Justin Townes Earle, Ben Trickey �� Adrianne, Stephanie Callahan, Sonia Leigh, Ken Will Morton, Clare Burson, Duquette Johnston ��Crosstown Allstars ��Theo & The Skyscrapers, The Static Age, Oh, Juliet! ��The Fray �� Moses Mayfield, Wilson Empire, Joal Rush �� Al Smith Jam Session �� St. Vincent, Scout Niblett, Tacks, the Boy Disaster �� Micah Dalton, Drew Holcomb, Sanders Bohike, Shane Alexander ��Frankie’s Blue Mission �� Esme, The Crown, The Waiting Hurt �� Fairwell, Rushmore Academy �� Scott Little Band �� Blues Old Stand, Jeff Hix & the Heretics �� Crescent Moon, Sound of Urchin �� Gary Pfaff Birthday Bash �� Ruby Red, Nut Skywalker, The Good Good �� Warm in the Wake, Hymns, Mary O Harrison �� Malcolm Holcombe, Jelly Roll Johnson, Ed Snodderly, Tony Arata ��Chickenshack ��Psychic TV �� Radio Cult �� The Gourds, David Childers & The Modern Day Juans �� The Lord is My Shotgun, Sinners & Songriders, Sonia Leigh �� Josh Roberts & The Hinges �� Kinchafoonee Cowboys �� Orquestsa MaCuba, Sazon, DJ Mafioso, B-Boy Quic! �� Marc Broussard, Shannon McNally ��The Features, The Hot Pipes, The Jennifers �� Ronnda Cadle & the String Poets, Arlington Priest, Jackson County Line ��Black Cat Bone �� Uncle Joe’s Medicine Show ��Jo Dee Messina ��Particle ��Mickey Avalon, Andre Legacy, Dirty Nasty �� Work in Progress Band �� Reckless �� The Gourds, David Childers & The Modern Day Juans �� The Wydelles, The Shutups, The Eyes �� Social Espionage �� Craig Morgan �� Who’s Bad �� As Tall As Lions �� Charles Walker & The Dynamites �� Kevin Lawson, Claire Holly, Mark Wiggins ��Kenny & Them �� The Dixie Pistols, Burlsque Show ��Crazy Anglos, 9th Corner, Suburban Camouflage, Bullhead Clap ��The Sleeping, Envy on the Coast, A Day to Remember �� Bill Sheffield �� Slippery When Wet �� Blueground Undergrass, Seth Walker �� Femi Kuti & The Positive Force �� The Blue Jays, Pela �� Dianne Durrett, Four Way Free, Sue Wilkinson, Mike Cady ��T Bone Smith �� The Movement �� Tramps & Thieves, Gene Owens Band, Love & Gasoline

�� Al Smith Jam Session �� Sonia Leigh, Meiko, Sally Jaye ��Frankie’s Blues Mission �� Danger Women ��New Found Glory, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Coheed & Cambria, Pennywise �� Jefferson Brothers �� The Two High String Band �� Adam & Dave’s Bloodline, Gasoline Heart, Hank Vegas

Academy

Heretics

ll Johnson,

g Poets,

The Eyes

th Corner,

n the Coast,

s Band,

311 @��(7-19) �� We Fly Standby �� The Good Good �� Lindsay Rakers Band, Janie Chu, T. Smith ��Chickenshack �� Kiss Tribute ��311, Matisyahu, English Beat ��SMB, Deareastazazel, Scarlet Androgyny �� Splendid Chaos �� Sam Thacker, Reckless Kelly �� Big Trouble in Little Five, The Rewinds, The Hiss �� Indigenous �� Benjy Davis Project �� ATL SOUL ��Rudy Ray Moore �� Paul Burch & the WPA, Ballclub, Libby Johnson ��The Georgia Jooks �� Sam Kininger ��Loverboy �� Mudcat �� Grayson Hill & Sequoyah Prep �� Beyonce �� Candlebox, Cinder Road �� Wilx, Ancient Harmony, Homemade Jam �� Twinkledome, Lust ��Matt Mautz & John Thrasher �� Chase 56 �� The Breakfast Club �� DJ Le Spam & The Spam Allstars �� Six Parts Seven, Richard Buckner, Trapper’s Cabin �� Cadillac Sky, Jared Crump, Women in Docs ��The Soul Shakers �� Chicken & Pigs �� Mudcat �� The Wrong Way �� Tim McGraw & Faith Hill �� Blue Dogs, Matt Stillwell �� Luigi, The Preakness, Bad Magic Number ��The Villians �� Zac Brown Band �� Bernadette Seacrest �� Old School Freight Train, Jenny Reynolds ��T Bone Smith �� Shannon McCoy Beneﬁt: Calling All Stars, The Lord is My Shotgun �� Fat City Wild Cats �� ASIFA �� Silverchair �� The Cringe, My Revolver, Nick Light

�� Al Smith Jam Session �� United States, NYMPH, Russian Spy Camera �� Will Hoge, The Lonely Hearts ��Frankie’s Blues Mission �� The Nod Factor �� Down Stroke �� Umbrellas, Lola Ray �� The Zydepunks, Sickﬁgures �� Chickenshack �� The Soul Sisters, Juke Joint �� Burke & Cole �� Warm In The Wake, Blake Rainey & His Demons, Dented �� Black Diamond Heavies, Spider Bags, Ghostﬁnger �� John Pringle �� Crash Davis �� Home Cookin’ �� Les Nubians, Vinx, Julie Dexter �� Detroit Cobras, The Willowz �� Jennifer Daniels, Gabriel Kelly, Nikki Warner ��The Night Shades �� The Swimming Pool Qs �� Modern Skirts ��Three Mo’ Tenors �� The Electromatics �� Fly By Radio �� Wall of Voodoo’s ‘Call of the West’ �� Junkrod Joe & the Cadillac Hearse, The Perfect Poor, Mic Harrison & the High Score ��The Villians �� Tyrone Wells �� Jupiter Coyote �� SWEAT �� Homemade Jam �� Bishop Don, The Judies, Skylarks ��The Dylan Blues Project �� Jerry Garcia B-Day ��Marilyn Manson, Slayer �� Uncrowned �� Georgia Jooks �� Trotline �� Ten Story Relapse, Golden, Lexi Street, DJ Moneyshot �� Yule Log, The Needles, The Villians ��Brian Wiltsey Band �� Hot Tuna, Oteil & the Peacemakers �� Dave Daniels ��T Bone Smith �� The Modern Society, Last November, To Whom, City Sleeps, The Estates �� Travis, Jakob Dylan, John Paul White �� The Comas, Great Northern ��Fat City Wild Cats �� The Lemurs, Benyaro, Chilton & TexBukSex �� Crosstown Allstars �� Jerry Joseph & Friends

The Fray @�� (7-10)

East Atlanta Village www.badearl.com Thr - July 5

9:30pm

Mondays: Karaoke 8pm Tuesdays: Trivia 8pm $2000 Tourney Wednesdays: Texas Hold ‘em

LIVE MUSIC TUES–SUN Wednesday, July 4 & 18 GARETH ASHER

The Fiery Furnaces

9:30pm

Sun - July 8

1pm

Tue - July 10

9pm

Fri - July 13

Sat & Fri, July 21 & 27 THE VILLIANS Saturday, July 28 BRIAN WILTSEY BAND

FULL TEX-MEX MENU 2591 Briarcliff Rd Atlanta 404-329-4700 tinroofcantina.com OPEN MON-SUN 11AM-4AM

Can Can ▪ Auditioning Alice

Sat - July 7

Every Tuesday STEVE & CHRIS

Friday, July 20 MATT MAUTZ & JOHN THRASHER

Thee Crucials

Gentleman Jesse & his Men

9:30pm

Wed - July 11

Friday, July 6 SLIP TRIPMAN

PAB Booking presents:

Fri - July 6

Wednesday, July 11 & 25 BRIAN WILTSEY

9pm

9:30pm

Sat - July 14 9:30pm

Sun - July 15

8pm

Fri - July 20

9:30pm

Sat - July 21 9:30pm

allnightdrugprowlingwolves Dan Melchoir ▪ Thomas Function

Deerhunter

MulletFest dunch

Tag Team

The Danny Family OK Productions presents: cd release

Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit Justin Townes Earle ▪ Ben Trickey OK Productions presents:

St. Vincent

Scout Niblett Tacks, the Boy Disaster

The Features

The Hot Pipes ▪ The Jennifers OK Productions presents:

Charles Walker & The Dynamites Cadillac Jones DJs Agent 45 & T1

OK Productions presents:

Pela

Scissors for Lefty Kiwis of the South Pacific

Rudy Ray Moore (Dolemite) OK Productions presents:

Richard Buckner (with full band) Six Parts Seven ▪ Trapper’s Cabin

Tue - July 24

Bishop Allen

Wed - July 25

7” inch release show

9pm

Fri - July 27

9:30pm

Sat - July 28 9:30pm

Page France ▪ The Teeth

United States

NYMPH ▪ Russian Spy Camera OK Productions presents:

Detriot Cobras

The Willowz ▪ The Hiss Kahle Davis presents: CD release show

Bishop Don

The Judies ▪ Skylarks

Tickets available at Criminal Records & badearl.com

437 Moreland Ave. Little Five Points SAT.JULY21 THR.JULY12 SAT.JULY07 TUESDAYS MONDAYS

Burson,

�� Crowd Control �� Adrianne, Caroline Herring, Nathan Beaver, Ameilia White, Nicole Reynolds ��Crosstown Allstars �� Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes, Beau Hall

�� Bishop Allen, Page France, The Teeth ��Crosstown Allstars �� Down Pour

SAT.JULY28

, Mishka Puppies,

�� Fat City Wild Cats �� Boys Night Out, Emmanuel, June, Olympia �� Bedlight For Blueyes, Tokyo Rose, Sound the Alarm ��Fireworks, Rushmore Academy, The White Tie Affair, We the Kings �� The Heavy Pets, Kilroy, Mr. Gnome

FRI.JULY29

n & the

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

ROMEO COLOGNE’S FUNK DISCO 9PM, $7 PARTY CLUB AWESOME Ezra Furman & The Harpoons The Empties

9PM, $8

THE LORD IS MY SHOTGUN Sinners & Songriders Sonia Leigh

9PM, $7

LUIGI

9PM, $8

The Preakness Bad Magic Number

THE ANNUAL STAR BAR X-MAS IN JULY CELEBRATION W/ YULELOG, THE NEEDLES, THE VILLIANS & A SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY SASSPARILLA THE SINGING 9PM, $8 GORILLA

��

�

��

JUNKROD JOE & THE CADILLAC HEARSE

The Perfect Poor Mic Harrison & The High Score 9PM, $8

www.starbar.net

for Full Schedule of Events PG 21 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

Road Warriors This Month’s Hottest Shows BY JOHN DAVIDSON 07/01 ROONEY

Variety Playhouse After capturing a fair amount of buzz in 2004 over the course of appearance on The OC, The Third W h e e l , and the Tiger Woods PGA Tour video game, Rooney was set to conquer the charts. Unfortunately, a trip to the studio for a follow-up to their self-titled debut album fizzled badly and the band nearly went M.I.A. They’ve spent the past couple of years rising from their own ashes and the new album Calling the World will be released a couple of weeks after they come through the ATL.

07/07 DEER HUNTER W/THE FIERY FURNAC ES

The EARL One of the hotter Atlanta acts of the

moment, Deerhunter probably doesn’t have the kind of legs to splash big nationally— they’re just a little to arty for their own sake, a little too extreme for the average PBR hipster to fall in love with. The Fiery Furnaces, with their shambolic approach to indie rock, are a pretty good match for the noise storm that follows, so expect a good turnout and a loud evening overall.

a long shot from the stages of small clubs. There are so many bands plying the same act that it’s a wonder these guys haven’t given up; the truth is that their staying power lies in the consistently high quality of their releases. Out in support of their new, excellent album Noble Creatures, expect the Gourds to be in a celebratory mood.

07/10 GOMEZ

07/13 THE DECEMBERISTS

HiFi Buys Amphitheatre Thank god Gomez keeps coming back to the United States to tour because they are one of the best live acts from the U.K. and they only register on the jam band circuit here. Unlike the snobby pop stars that populate star-ofthe-minute London, these guys have just enough hooks to make the freaky, inventive stuff seem perfectly aligned. As is typical, they’re bookended with a bit of a mismatch in mainstreamers like Eisley and The Fray, but maybe that means Gomez will finally escape the ghetto of cult status.

07/12 THE GOURDS

Smith’s Olde Bar The Gourds keep showing up and hoping that their hardened but earnest Americana will take hold, and a decade or so in, it’s still

Chastain Park Amphitheatre More cuddly than the Magnetic Fields and nearly as twee as Belle & Sebastian, the Decemberists none thele ss draw from the same circle of nerdy fans. It’s nice to know that indie rock still allows a few bands into the ranks that don’t bleed your ears, and the Decemberists are plenty quirky enough to drive away mainstream radio. As a special treat, they’re doing this one with an orchestra under the starry skies at Chastain.

7/27 MODERN SKIRTS

BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

ood people of Hip Hop America, we’re in desperate times. Times where poppin’, lockin’ and droppin’ and passin’ dranks are about the only things candidates talk about on the radio. Yeah, there are those out there who like that stuﬀ –With the right amount of gin in system, we’re susceptible to a dance, too—but we also know there’s a sector of voters that miss Gangstarr’s sound and Blackstar’s substance. That’s why it’s with great honor that I introduce to you, The Move.meant, a L.A.-based trio (Champ, Just Beats, Spyda) that’s smart enough to keep all the snappin’ out of its rappin’. Champ, the conﬁdent Michigan native you hear ripping bar after bar on the group’s Spring platform, The Scope of Things, gives INsite some insight as

PG 22 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

7/30 THE COMAS W/GREAT NORTHERN

The EARL The Comas swing back through town nary a month after a June ap p e a r a n ce ; that they’re joined by yet another fine opening act is yet another reason to go catch the pop fireworks. Goaded by a fine new album in Spells, the Comas also draw well from 2004’s scintillating Conductor. Great Northern’s debut Trading Twilight for Daylight has been receiving excellent reviews for its lush pop wonderment, so expect a solid show and a good crowd all around.

The Loft At Center Stage This Athens-based band recalls Ben Folds Five in that they often use the piano as a centerpiece, but the charm is sustained though memorable tunes and sure-footed indie rock. The Modern Skirts continue their quest for

WE GOT NEXT THE MOVE.MEANT

exposure outside the Southeast, and as they gear up to go back into the studio to record a new album, they’re working new songs on the road. Get them while small rooms like the Loft can still hold them down.

Artists on the verge of making it big

Latest Project: The Scope of Things (Wax Paper) Why You Should Care: Because these three white dudes mesh hip hop and soul better than many guys 20 shades darker than they are. For Fans of: Little Brother, Murs, Blackalicious

to why a makeover is necessary in West Coast rap, why the Move.meant’s sound is necessary in general and why Barack Obama is necessary for this country in ’08. First things ﬁrst, explain the group name spelling for me.

the resources in order to make music and get it out to the people. It’s easy for the community to establish an identity and get behind a few different artists of a particular style, you know? I definitely think Cali needs that a lil’ bit. Your sound has more of an East Coast flair.

WE DON’T REALLY DISCRIMINATE [AND SAY] WHETHER SOMETHING IS MAINSTREAM OR UNDERGROUND OR WHATEVER. IF IT’S DOPE, WE LIKE IT. The Move.meant—meant to move. Yeah, it’s that simple. It looks like Cali is searching for an identity. Any truth to that? When people talk about Cali, ﬁrst and foremost, they’re talking about LA. When you look at it, you got people moving from all over the country ‘cuz the entertainment industry is here. Mad people are moving here. That’s why there isn’t a strong identity for the West Coast. It’s not like when you go to St. Louis. They have a much smaller population. They only have a few artists coming out of there. There are only a few people with

Who are some of the early artists who molded you? For me, the stuff that really drew me in initially was stuff like Public Enemy because, when I was like 12 or 13 years old, their music was really about something. They were the real focal point of music that had a point to it—aside from KRS One and a few others. That was a big influence early on. Later I got into Wu Tang and Nas and Common and all those dudes. Common was a big influence on me. Production wise, we draw on a lot of different things. Obviously, DJ Premier was a big influence on us. Pete Rock and Dilla [too]. That’s just a sampling of the influences. Why is accessibility important in your music? It’s not necessarily a priority of wanting to be accessible. We just kinda feel it’s a natural by-product to how we make music. I think, content-wise, my outlook tends to resonate with people from all different walks of life. Because of

my experiences and being able to empathize with people from all walks of life, that’s a natural effect [with] the content of the music. When it comes to the production side, we don’t really discriminate [and say] whether something is mainstream or underground or whatever. If it’s dope, we like it. It has an influence on us. I think that kind of opens us up to do different songs and styles and stuff like that. The combination of those two things allows us to reach a broader audience, you know? What else keeps your interest these days? I’m a big fan of Obama. I’ve been following him the last couple of years. I’ve downloaded his podcast any time he makes a speech. I’ve been telling people for like the last year and a half that he’s gonna be the next president. A lot of people were doubting me. Now it’s real interesting to see him at the forefront of that conversation. I’m real interested to see how that’s gonna shake out. I really feel like he’s from a different generation. I feel he brings a new perspective on the game. I’d like to see what he can do. The Scope of Things is necessary because… … I feel there’s some deeper subject matter that can be a part of music. I feel that the content we provide is digestible. There are some artists out there that speak on the topics we talk about but they tend to do it where the average listener can’t relate to it or retain it. We show that you can make good, soulful music and it doesn’t have to be so over-the-top or anti-everything that your everyday listener can’t grasp it.

INsite’s Music Venue Guide

The best places to hear live music in Atlanta!!!!

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: Vans Warped Tour, July 18; 311, July 19; Marilyn Manson / Slayer, July 28; Family Values Tour August 11

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: Diana Krall, July 18; O.A.R., July 21; India Arie, July 25

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 EastWest Connector, I20 and I285. Shows performing this summer include: Loverboy, July 20; Three Mo’ Tenors July 27; Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Aug. 25

bined with an eclectic mix of artists. Some of the great shows appearing at here this summer include: Zac Brown, July 21; Ben Kweller, Aug. 7; Dark Star Orchestra, Sept. 7

Smith’s Olde Bar

ting, 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: Best Bartender Finals, July 12; Grayson Hill, July 20; Trotline, July 28

1578 Piedmont Ave 4.875.1522 www.smithsoldebar.com

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 Kelly Willis, July 7; Reckless Kelly, July 19; Kevin Kinney, August 4

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 music experience. Some great shows appearing this summer include: Travis, July 29; Lamb of God, August 29; G. Love , Sept. 1

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. 80’z Enuff, July 6; Father Peter, July 7

Masquerade

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-of-the-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.

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: The Features, July 13; Rudy Ray Moore, July 20; Detroit Cobras, July 27

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 frequent appearances of the Indigo Girls, they still offer some great acts. Cadillac Sky, July 21; Will Hodge, July 25 & 26; Jennifer Daniels, July 27

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. The most anticipated performance this summer is: Justin Timberlake, August 7

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 com-

Located in the heart of Buckhead, the Roxy Coca-Cola Theatre is the predominant focus of one of the city's busiest intersections. Unique features of the Coca-Cola Roxy include an open dance floor, a balcony equipped with comfortable reclining cushion seats, two full-service bars and a lobby full of memorabilia. 69 Eyes, July 7; Silverchair, July 23

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. Black Cat Bone, July 13; The Georgia Jooks, July 20; The Night Shades, July 27

10 high 10 High

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.

Five Spot

1123 Euclid Ave. 404.223.1100 www.fivespotatl.com

The Five Spot offers up an eclectic mix of live entertainment nightly ranging from Open Mic on Tuesdays to a variety of music acts on the weekends. Catch: Uncle Joe’s Medicine Show, July 13; Danger Women, July 18; ASIFA, July 23

Tin Roof

The Roxy 3110 Roswell Rd. 404.233.7699 LiveNation.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. Craig Morgan, July 13; Wild Bill’s Fight Night 10, July 20

2591 Briarcliff Road 404.329.4700 www.tinroofcantina.com

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 from time to time. Come to Dixie Tavern to hear the sounds of your favorite "Covers" and the music that is defining the future. Mad Margrit, July 13; Cosmic Gypsies, July 20

Popular Tex-Mex Cantina also boasts a indoor stage and huge outdoor patio. They feature live music Tuesday - Sunday and are open late, ‘till 4am. Under new ownership, the guys who brought you CJ’s Landing in Buckhead, also have brought with them their huge following and musical acts like The Brian Wiltsy Band (playing July 11, 25,& 28). Check out: Matt Mautz & John Thrasher, July 20th; The Villians, July 21 & 27

Star Bar

437 Moreland Ave. 404.681.9018 www.starbar.net

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

The Peachtree Tavern offers an intimate set-

Wild Bill’s

2075 Market St. 678-473-1000 www.wildbillsatlanta.com

This Little Five Points music cathedral keeps packing them in. Nothing seems to change here. Romeo Colgne still mixes up the funk disco Tuesday nights and the PBR’s are still $2. Don’t miss the Elvis Shrine which is still alive and well. This month check out: Club Awesome, July 7; Luigi, July 21; Junkrod Joe & The Cadillac Hearse, July 29 PG 23 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

MUSIC

��

By B. Love, DeMarco Williams, John Davidson, John Moore, Tom DeFreytas & Richard Marsh

SAVATH & SAVALAS – GOLDEN POLLEN (Anti-) IDM with a Brazilian fetish �� THE WOGGLES – ROCK AND ROLL BACKLASH (Wicked Cool) Band keeps spirit of the stage �� PG 24 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

��

�� DJ JAZZY JEFF – THE RETURN OF THE MAGNIFICENT (BBE/Rapster) & THE CHAPTER – THE PREWRECKWIZIT (AWthentix) Cool hip-hop to heat up the streets �� ELLIOTT SMITH – NEW MOON (Kill Rock Stars) Rising from the grave to pursue world domination ��

SICK PUPPIES – DRESSED UP AS LIFE (Virgin) Definitely NOT a metal band �� THE POLYPHONIC SPREE – THE FRAGILE ARMY (TVT) Come on, get happy �� BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB – BABY 81 (Sony) Out with the new, in with the old ��

�� DONNIE – THE DAILY NEWS (SoulThought) A What’s Going On for the 21st century �� BONE CRUSHER – Entertainment) Startling changes of pace

FREE

(Vainglorious

��

�� THE UNSEEN – INTERNAL SALVATION (Hellcat) & GALLOWS – ORCHESTRA OF WOLVES (Epitaph) Hardcore new and old

Ryan Adams (above) is back with a new album, Easy Tiger, and likely another drug habit or two. We gave it “B.” The drug habit gets a “C.”

��

�� BUFFALO TOM – THREE EASY PIECES (New West) Revival of the fittest ��

MUSIC INTERVIEW

FAR FROM ROUGH The Draft Expand On Their Former Band’s Sound

BY JOHN B. MOORE

HE DEMISE OF POSTHARDCORE band Hot Water Music last year came as a surprise to just about no one, but that didn’t make the breakup any easier. What did make it a bit easier was the competing records that have come out since the group called it quits. Former HWM singer Chuck Ragan released a powerfully emotional solo disc and The Draft, comprised of three/fourths of HWM, turned in their brilliant debut, In a Million Pieces. Just after the split, former HWM bassist Jason Black, drummer George Rebelo and guitarist-turnedsinger Chris Wollard started their own band. A few songs into their new group they added their longtime buddy, guitarist Todd Rockhill. The Draft’s songs, though just as aggressive as anything HWM ever put out, are complemented with a more melodic sound. Their debut album was immediately embraced by fans of their old band, and they continue to build a larger following with each stop on their current club tour. True to the working class punk-rock they’re known for, the band has a blue collar work ethic that’s just as strong. Less than a year after completing their debut, The Draft just released a 4-song, digital-only EP and are nearly halfway into recording another full length album. On the eve of an Australian tour opening for Gainesville scene-mates Against Me!, Black talked to us brieﬂy about the end of HWM, the need for two guitarists and the cost of making CDs.

Once HWM broke up, how long before you decided to put together The Draft? Chris, George and myself were already working on some of these songs while HWM was still together. We didn’t have a particular destination in mind for the songs. As far as we knew, they’d end up being new HWM material. Things went how they did, and we ended up with the first few songs for The Draft. Did you consider keeping the band a trio? Yes, but not for too long. Right away, we knew we’d definitely need more than three musicians for shows. We don’t really write songs for one guitar. Was there a conscious decision not to sound exactly like HWM? Yes and no. We wanted to step out as much as we could, but we didn’t want to force anything and end up making dishonest music. The next record, now that Todd will be involved in the writing from the ground up, will definitely show a new side to the band that’s much farther away from HWM. I get the feeling that things are still cool with you guys and Chuck - do you still talk?

Here and there. We don’t have a whole ton of time to catch up as we’re both pretty busy with shows and all. Anything happening to you guys, or around you, that had a big influence on the songs off “In a Million Pieces”? Well, three of us had our way of life for the past 10 or so years drastically altered, so I’m pretty certain that snuck its way on to the record a bit. Got it. Any musical influences that you drew on for this record that would surprise people? I doubt it. At least, I hope not. I think anyone that’s familiar with anything the four of us have been involved in knows we listen to pretty much everything under the sun. It’d be really hard to pinpoint an artist or a record that had a massive impact on “In a Million Pieces,” for sure. Why did you decide to release the new EP as a digital-only release? CD EPs cost the same as full-length CDs to manufacture. They do not, however, sell nearly as well as full-length CDs nor can you charge the same price as a full-length CD, even though the cost to you is the

same. Releasing the songs digitally cost us enough, and enabled us to price the EP for way less than we would’ve had to if it were a CD. We also think CD EPs pretty much blow. While we’re on the topic, people won’t even be buying CDs in another 2 years, so... I caught your show in Atlanta with Tim Barry and Smoke or Fire and it was amazing. Thanks! What other tour plans do you have this summer? We’re heading down to Australia and New Zealand with Against Me! in June, and we’ll be heading back over to Europe to headline and do some festivals in the end of August. The rest of the summer is reserved for working on the new record and watching baseball. I asked Tom from Against Me! This same question recently and was interested in your take; why is Gainesville such a breeding ground for great punk bands? Well, it’s cheap to live here and everyone kind of exists in this bizarre state of suspended adolescence. We also have a built-in outlet in No Idea Records that really, really is the linchpin of the whole operation, if you ask me. Have you started writing for the next full length yet? Yeah, we’re about ﬁve songs deep. We’re hoping to get back into the studio in November and have the record out in late winter or early spring of next year. PG 25 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

THE BRAVERY – THE SUN AND THE MOON (Island) An experiment in aural dichotomy �� TIGER ARMY – MUSIC FROM REGIONS BEYOND (Hellcat) Rockabilly goth �� RYAN ADAMS – EASY TIGER (Lost Highway) The saga continues �� PG 26 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

�� PLAN B – WHO NEEDS ACTIONS WHEN YOU GOT WORDS (Cordless) A dir ty sailor with a mic ��

MUSIC INTERVIEW

FUELED BY BUZZ

Cute Is What We Aim For Looks to Be the Fueled By Ramen Label’s Latest Success Story BY JOHN B. MOORE

ost bands two years in the making are lucky enough to be playing basements shows and VFW halls in their hometown. The guys in Cute Is What We Aim For have already played mid-sized clubs across the globe and they’re just one record into their career. Started out of the breakup of a local band, Cute Is What We Aim For formed in early 2005 in the not-so-rockin’ town of Buffalo, NY. Combining tongue-in-cheek lyrics with unbelievably hooky pop music, the band threw together some demos and started sending to their favorite labels. Florida-based Fueled By Ramen, who discovered bands like Fall Out Boy and Panic at the Disco!, saw potential, scoped up the band and put them on the emopop fast track. Guitarist Jeff Czum, in Atlanta to play a show at the Masquerade, talked to us recently about the start of the band, labelmates Fall Out Boy and Panic! At The Disco, and leaving Buffalo. Have you guys been on the road since the album came out last June? Yup, pretty much ever since. We went out with some bands like Spitalfield, headlined a few shows, then went out with Jack’s Mannequin and all these others, so we’ve been pretty busy this year. Have you had much time off? A few weeks here and there. After this tour we go to Europe then have like five weeks off until the Warped Tour, so it’s not too bad. This is the first band you’ve been in where you’ve had to tour this exhaustively. Is it getting old yet? No, it’s definitely still a cool experience. I get to travel all over the world, so I definitely don’t take it for granted. How did the band first get started? Shaant (Hacikyan, singer) and I were in another local band in Buffalo and he decided to quit. I decided to quit and we got together with some guys we knew from around the scene. We practiced together and wrote “Teasing to Please” as our first song and said, “Hey, we can do this.” So we’ve been together ever since.

pretty good and started practicing more and more, getting more songs together and then we recorded few demos. We started sending them out to labels. How important was the Internet in getting your band discovered? It was huge for us. We had to set up a MySpace page so people could hear us and that just started blowing up and we were like “Holy Shit.” We didn’t really forward links along, so it was all just word of mouth. That’s one thing I like about it. How did you guys come to the attention of your label, Fueled By Ramen? That’s actually the only label who wanted us. So it worked out because it was our favorite label, so we were definitely up for it. They called us and we were in traffic on our first tour in Washington D.C. and John Janic (label head) called and said, “Hey, I want to meet you guys.” We had a show in Florida, so we meet with them and signed a couple of months later. It’s a great label to be on right now, between Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco and The Academy Is… Is there a lot of competition between the other bands on

the label? Not at all, it’s much more of a family vibe. We all get along, so there’s not a lot of competition.

You had mentioned that you guys are getting ready to tour Europe. Is that you first time going there as a band? In Germany and France, yeah, but we’ve been to the UK a couple of times. But I am definitely excited to go and play Germany and Amsterdam and all those places. What was it like to play in the UK for the first time? It was really cool. All the kids are so cool. They are so appreciative of the music and so into it, so I love to play over there. Have you started putting songs together yet for the new record? We’ve been doing some writing here and there. It’s just a matter of all of us sitting down And putting it all together. We’ll probably record next winter.

When you first got together, did you have any intention of making a career out of this or was it just another band for fun? I thought we’d be just another local band, just playing around Buffalo. I never thought we’d make it out of that city.

Are you nervous at all about following up this record, considering how well it has done? No. I want it to be a little different from our first album, because our influences have changed a lot.

At what point did you start to really get serious about it? Pretty much at that first practice. We sat down and wrote “Teasing to Please,” that’s the last song on our record. We thought it was

How so? Like, the first album was pretty simple and I want to add more to it. We’ve all been listening to Bloc Party and Minus the Bear a lot, and I just want to experiment a bit more.

MUSIC INTERVIEW

R-E-S-P-E-C-T TALIB KWELI’S BEAUTIFUL STRUGGLE FOR SUCCESS

BY B. LOVE

f skills sold, truth be told/I’d probably be, lyrically, Talib Kweli. –Jay-Z, “Moment of Clarity” Actually, if skills sold, Talib Kweli would arguably be one of the richest MCs in the hip-hop game. The Brooklyn-born rapper (whose name translates as “seeker of truth or knowledge”) best-known for co-founding Black Star with Mos Def and recording Reflection Eternal with DJ Hi-Tek has long been a favorite among music critics, progressive hip-hop fans and even the game’s best lyricists. Yet still he struggles to move units, recording albums for five different labels over the past seven years. His latest CD, Ear Drum, finds Kweli’s Blacksmith label having signed a new distribution deal with Warner subsidiary Reprise. His always intelligent lyrics are backed by a veritable Who’s Who in hiphop production (see: Pete Rock, Hi-Tek, Madlib, Just Blaze and Kanye West). It’s all part of the latest step in Kweli’s mission to prove that a slow and steady career build ultimately wins the hip-hop race. We recently caught up with the influential MC by phone to get his take on the current state of hip-hop, the pervasiveness of negativity and whether or not music has the power to change the world. There have been a lot of people pointing fingers at hip-hop lately, blaming rappers for everything from widespread misogny to Don Imus. Where do you stand with regards to the assertion that MCs need to be held accountable to the influence they have over their listeners? Well, once you become an adult you’re a role model to the people coming up behind you, but a large numbers of MC today come from homes in which that wasn’t stressed. They don’t know any better. You can’t hold a baby responsible for being ignorant. The job of an artist is to create art and be honest within it, not to raise babies. In a perfect world, all art would be positive and contribute to the raising of our children. But we don’t live in a perfect world, so we have to accept art for what it is. Do you believe that music, as an artform, has a power to change or influence the world, whether for better or worse? Of course it does, which is why I try to make powerful music. But I know that because of how I was raised. My parents were educators, and when I started fuckin’ up in school they sent me to a school in which I wasn’t allowed to fuck up. I was kept on the positive path even when I started straying from that path, but a lot of rappers didn’t have that advantage. It’s very easy for someone who went to college or had people in their life to help them be ambitious to pass judgment on what comes out on the corners, but it’s really one-sided and backwards to be so hyper-concerned with the [negative] language and not deal with the issues that create the language and the situations these artists rap about. There are a lot of artists in other genres who use negative language and degrade women, but in hip-hop, the negative language and the blackness of it make it seem more dangerous. How do you feel about the current balance between positive, progressive hip-hop and the more mainstream sound? The more mainstream hip-hop isn’t selling, and I think the discussion of it is over-hyped because the images are a lot more in-your-face. But when my record comes out I think it’s gonna do just as well, if not better, than these guys with the iced-out chains and big rings and whatnot. Just because you see these Americanized images of success in a video doesn’t mean that the rapper is that successful. I went on a radio program with a dude in Columbus who told me that half the rappers he takes out who talk about how much money they got, he has to buy

them breakfast! (Laughs) You’re widely considered among the most elite lyricists in the game. Who were the MCs who originally inspired you to put pen to paper? Guys like Melle Mel, KRS-One, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, LL Cool J and Public Enemy were the original MCs that started the tradition I’m from. But as far as my direct influences, it was a mix of De La Soul, QTip and latter-day Ice Cube. When you were recording the Black Star with Mos Def and Hi-Tek, did you have any idea you had a future hip-hop classic on your hands? I think we knew the influence it was gonna have, because when we recorded it we were making the kind of music we felt was missing from hip-hop. Linking up with Rawkus at such a great time just enabled us to take it to another level, because they were working with other artists like Wordsworth, Rosco and Planet Asia who were doing similar stuff to what we were doing.

game, too, from Jay-Z and 50 to Kanye West. I didn’t really even know Jay-Z when he made that comment. But my relationships with people like Kanye, Mos Def and The Roots have really taken my music to a new level, because they’ve looked out for me when they got to a level where they could help me out. You’ve worked with some of the best producers in the business, from the Neptunes to Kanye West. What, in your eyes, makes these guys great collaborators to work with? I think they’ve mastered their sound and created something classic. I think we’ve had a liberation from sampling where everyone wants to do something new, but those guys create their own classic sound, That’s why I have people like Pete Rock, Hi-Tek, Madlib, Just Blaze and Kanye– because that’s what I’m trying to do.

WHEN MY RECORD COMES OUT I THINK IT’S GONNA DO JUST AS WELL, IF NOT BETTER, THAN THESE GUYS WITH THE ICED-OUT CHAINS AND BIG RINGS AND WHATNOT.

Though you’ve always been a favorite among critics and hardcore underground heads, you’ve never had a huge mainstream breakthrough. Is that frustrating, and if so is commercial success something you’d ever go out of your way to obtain? Um, no, it’s not frustrating at all. My props and my accolades have not come from material success, but, as you can see right now, material success in the music business is waning. An artist who sells 300,000 records now, 10 years ago they would’ve been selling 3 million. The industry [sales] standard goes up and down, but what I do is progressively going up with each new album. Who’s on top right now doesn’t really matter as long as I continue to do what I do, because I’m always gonna come out on top. How did you feel when you heard Jay-Z giving you props on “Moment of Clarity”? It was pretty cool, one of the coolest things that has happened to me in this business. I’ve been blessed, across the board, to receive a lot of love from people who have been in a position to help me. And from diﬀerent sides of the

People went crazy when they found out you and Mos Def were part of Dave Chappelle’s Block Party. How did that come about? Well, me and Mos Def did a tour together last year and we’ve performed together numerous times. The reason the Block Party thing came oﬀ so well is because that’s how we do often throughout the year. The Block Party thing was just sort of a tribute to that energy we have when we perform together.

Def and Talib Kweli album is because of how prolific we’ve each been outside of Black Star. If we weren’t as prolific, it’d just be like, “Hey, what happened to that kid you used to rap with?” (Laughs) I find that, more often than not, people say they want [a reunion], but when the artists get back together to record something that sounds like where they are NOW, fans are like, “What happened? This ain’t how it used to sound!” They aren’t satisfied. Talk to me about Ear Drum. How would you say it’s different from your previous solo albums? Well, it’s definitely being promoted differently because it’s on my own label (which has also signed Jean Grae). But it’s really just a progression, ya know? Over the last decade, my resources, my ability and my experience have made me a better musician. Are you confident that Reprise will be able to market your material better than your previous major labels have? I feel confident in MY ability. They’re still a corporation, and there are still a lot of things they don’t get. But, more than any of the labels I’ve been involved with in the past, they were interested in doing this with me and they’re open to new ideas. There’s a lot that I have to learn about the corporate structure, and there’s a lot that they have to learn about working with an artist like me, who doesn’t necessarily fit comfortably in that corporate structure. But hopefully we can get all that to come together. How has the hip-hop game changed most in the decade or so you’ve been in this business? What do you think of the current state of the genre? I think it’s in a beautiful state. I hear great hip-hop music all the time. I think all the discussion about what’s good and bad about hip-hop, and whether hip-hop should be responsible to the people, those things distract from the great music that comes out. If people would just focus on the music, all of those questions would be answered. The people asking most of those questions don’t now anything about hip-hop. They might hear a song or two on the radio, but they’re not participating in hip-hop culture and going to HipHopDX.com to see who’s the hot, new, young whatever. So those people have no right to talk about it.

Has there ever been any serious discussion about the possibility of a full-on Black Star reunion? Yeah, but I think there are a lot of things that are a lot more exciting to us. It’s hard. The reason why people are still so interested in a Mos

PG 27 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

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MUSIC INTERVIEW

SPARTA

Back From The Brink

BY JOHN B. MOORE

PARTA’S LATEST RECORD NEARLY DIDN’T happen. After breaking off with their record label, aborting their tour halfway into it and the defection of guitarist Paul Hinojos (who left to rejoin his former At the Drive In bandmates in Mars Volta), Sparta was close to slamming the lid shut. But after a much-needed break, some internal reflection and the addition of new guitarist Keeley Davis, they decided to give it another shot, soldiered on and ended up turning in the strongest record of their critically acclaimed career. Founding member and drummer Tony Hajjar (who also played in At The Drive In before that group splintered off into Sparta and Mars Volta) talked recently about the band’s near demise and the 16minute movie they created last year, which tells the story of his family fleeing Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War.

How does Threes compare to Sparta’s first two records? I think it’s our first album that we didn’t rush. And that’s not really because of anyone else, but because of ourselves. It’s the way we’ve always been. It was the tour, go home and start writing, record and tour again cycle. Since a lot of things happened to us in 2005, it made us slow down because we weren’t even sure if we were still going to be a band – from leaving Geffen to losing a member to leaving a tour – it was a lot of stuff. Anything that could possibly lead to breaking up a band almost happened to us. But we took the right breaks and it just worked out great and I think the big difference was that time and we got to work on the songs three or four times, through three or four versions, and the time let the songs breathe a bit.

CNN and you see dead people on the floor, you can’t just turn off the TV because you might know those people. You need to know that there are other people that are affected by this that might live next to you. That was one of the big points of the film. Have you thought about turning this into a much longer film? Never about the same topic, to be honest. I’m done. It was very difficult to do the film because I had the label counting on me, I had the band counting on me and I had my family to please. It was really difficult, but I got so much trust from everyone. Have you been back to Lebanon since you and your family left? No, I haven’t, but I’m hoping to go back in the next couple of years. You can’t go back and just spend a week or two, you have to go back and spend a moth and when I do have that time hopefully I will. Why did you go back to Texas to write the record?

As a drummer, you could do a whole lot worse than tapping into John Bonham. Exactly. Who else should I do that with? This is your first album off Geffen. What made you decide to go with Hollywood Records? We did the first record with DreamWorks. While we were recording the next record we got the call that they had been sold to Interscope. We also heard that 40 of the 60 bands were getting dropped. We knew for sure we were getting dropped. We sold 120,000 records at that point and there were bands that had sold way more than us, but we never got that call that we were being let go. We met everyone at Interscope and played that game then all of a sudden they divided up again and we got shipped to Geffen and had to play the game of meeting everyone with Geffen. At that point our next record was ready to come out and we got lied to and crushed pretty much. They said, let’s start working on the third record and we told them we’d rather be a garage band than be on their label, so we left. I think later, one of the things that crushed us in a sense was that we felt homeless on that last one. Thank God we (left). That was one of the best things we did, leaving that label.

Was there ever a period during the break when the band got together and had a serious talk about whether or not you would break up? We kind of got back together and started writing and then we brought out Keeley. I wouldn’t really call it an audition, he just kind of came out because we had known him, and he was in really good spirits and excited to be there and we were just not in the same ballpark and we realized at that point that we should stop again. That was in May of 2005 and we decided “This guy is all happy to be here and we should be excited to be writing” and we weren’t. We knew we didn’t have the right mentality yet. So after that, we said lets try this again a few more times. All it was really about was time and really remembering how fun it was to be in a band. There was never really the big talk. It was about feeling it out and if someone wasn’t into it then it was going to be over. What did Keeley bring to the band? He total brought that freshness in and he also brought that reminder of how lucky we are. You tend to forget because you get used to things and then all of a sudden, if you let yourself, you can start complaining. That’s just horrible. We’ve never been that way and I think we were slowly going to become that and that would have been the end of our band because we’ve never been those types of people. Keeley just really helped us remember just how lucky we were. He also brought in great songwriting and a different way of doing things and he’s totally faded into how we do things. We needed that fresh start. Let’s talk about the short movie you made “Eme Nakia” that shows up on the special edition of “Threes.” Tony: Originally it was an idea I had. At kind of the worst time that the band was going through, in April of 2005, a few weeks after coming back from that tour that we had to cancel, I called everyone and said “How about for the next record we try to do some kind of short film.” Everybody was like, “Yeah that sounds good.” At that point we were a three piece, nothing was going right and I think everybody in the band was kind of giggling at me because we didn’t even know if we were going to do another record. They asked me about what and I didn’t really know. I just wanted to bring that aesthetic back, a la “The Wall.” Jim called me like 10 minutes later and said “You know, if we ever get to do a film, I think the only thing that it should be about is your life.” We had about a year to meet the right people. My cousin is a screenwriter and an actor; he’s the one that really convinced me to do it as professional as possible. That’s when we started hiring people, got a budget. Were you happy with how it turned out? I was really happy with how it turned out. I think we put everything into it that we wanted to have. It’s a family story and a political story at the same time. It’s showing people that when you’re watching

before I write my part, is listening to Led Zeppelin. I am very, very obsessed with them. It’s just one of the reasons that made me continue to play and continue reaching for more whether it’s live or in the studio. That’s pretty much all I listen to when I am creating, to be honest. I try not to listen to any music, but sometimes you need something to help you out and I’d rather listen to something that holds that kind of ground.

Have you had any problems since signing to Hollywood? Hollywood’s been very, very supportive and great to us. I have zero complaints about this label. And it’s the only label that I’ve been on that I’ve had zero complaints about.

THERE’S ALWAYS UPS AND DOWNS IN EVERY KIND OF RELATIONSHIP. OBVIOUSLY THIS IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY MORE PERSONALITIES THAN IN A REGULAR RELATIONSHIP, BUT IT’S ALWAYS WORKED OUT AND WE’RE IN A REALLY GOOD PLACE RIGHT NOW.

They’re really trying to beef up their rock reputation, aren’t they? Yeah. They need us as much as we need them, if that makes any sense. It is really mutual. We needed a label that has power and money and didn’t have a lot of rock acts and they needed a band that – we’re very, very blessed and lucky to be respected and they needed that too. What made us feel really good was when we turned in the record and they were beyond pleased. It was way more than they expected. You don’t still keep in touch with any of your former band mates from At The Drive In, do you? No, not at all. What are your plans for the summer? We are actually making those plans now. We are right now on tour with mewithoutyou and Aloha and then that stops and we are touring across Canada with a Canadian band called Moneen, then we take two weeks oﬀ and ﬂy out to Europe for a few weeks to play some festivals. We are really excited about that because we haven’t gone to Europe on this record yet.

El Paso isn’t as easy as LA to find things like a rehearsal space, but if you want to find an open space or open warehouse, that’s the place to go and we found a great warehouse and we literally drove down everything that we owned that we thought we could be creative with– every instrument, every non-instrument, every piece of recording gear that we have– and we just set up shop. We spent some days two hours, if nothing was going on, and some days 12 hours if we had a million ideas. The plan was don’t bring a note in, we’re just going to jam and that’s where almost every single song on the record came from. It was the most productive time we ever had. We ended up writing almost 30 songs. We have another record pretty much on a hard drive that hasn’t been recorded officially. It was just so nice to be that productive.

You had mentioned earlier that you’ve written enough songs for a new record – will that be coming out soon? No, there are no plans right now. There has been very, very small talk about eventually taking some of those songs and recording them properly and maybe doing an EP or something, but at this point there’s no time. It’s just so nice to have them. It’s so nice to know that they’re there, because we’ve never had that. It’s really exciting that we can come back to those songs and either think that they’re horrible or think that a few of them can be ﬁxed and turned into songs.

Was there anything that you and the other guys in the band were listening while you were writing “Threes” that may have inspired some of the playing? We all listen to all kinds of different stuff, but some people are more influenced by certain bands than others. My biggest move, always

So the band is in a pretty good place right now? Oh, absolutely… There’s always ups and downs in every kind of relationship. Obviously this is diﬀerent because there are so many more personalities than in a regular relationship, but it’s always worked out and we’re in a really good place right now. PG 29 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

2007

11th AnnualSUMMER

MUSIC

MUSIC PREVIEW BY JOHN DAVIDSON, B. LOVE, JOHN MOORE, ZENA SCOTT & DEMARCO WILLIAMS

h, summer... The season of barbeque, beer, blockbusters and, of course, beaches. For music lovers, it’s also the time of year when many of the biggest and best artists release new material—it’s sink or swim, if you will. While some bands will try to reclaim their day in the sun, we’re generally more concerned about the acts that are bringing something interesting to the table. And this summer, that table is not only a hot list of album releases, but also 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. Of course, this year is also the one in which Ozzy and company will find out if the masses will turn out if you throw a rock festival for free (it certainly worked well enough for Woodstock back in the day). 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 which artists we’re most excited to hear from. Sit back, grab a cold one, and let your ears be pleased with this handy guide.

ALBUMS SPOON

GA, GA, GA, GA, GA (Merge)

Criminally under looked Austin, hipster band Spoon finally snuck into the mainstream via last year’s Stranger Than Fiction soundtrack. GA, GA, GA, GA, GA, the band’s sixth album is rumored to be fairly similar in sound to the band’s brilliant 2005 release Gimmie Fiction. Banished from Elektra Records after just one record, Spoon is just one of the latest brilliant bands that prove the argument that major labels simply don’t listen to decent music anymore. (July 10)

SMASHING PUMPKINS PG 30 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

Zeitgeist (Reprise)

After breaking apart his once nearly iconic alt rock band, Smashing Pumpkins front man Billy Corgan is getting the band back together… well at least the drummer, who is the only other original Pumpkin joining Billy in this reunion. After failing to make anyone care about his other ventures (Zwan and a solo record failed to impress most), Corgan cryptically announced the reunion in a full page ad last year. Whether or not Pumpkins 2007 will bring back any of the band’s 90’s appeal remains to be seen. We, like the rest of Gen X, are dying to find out. (July 7)

AESOP ROCK

None Shall Pass (Definitive Jux)

Though he contributed an “Original Mix” for Nike’s All-Day Workout series, None Shall Pass marks Aesop Rock’s first proper LP release since 2003. With beats provided by longtime collaborator Blockhead and A-Rock’s usual blend of bleak lyrics and dark production that occasionally borders on the bizarre, fans may be thinking they’re in for the same ‘ol same ol’. But the revered underground MC promises several curveballs, including a hefty dose of live instrumentation (used to skirt sampling issues) and a collaboration with John Darnielle, the singer-songwriter behind critically acclaimed indie-folk act Mountain Goats. (August 28)

BEN HARPER

Lifeline (Virgin)

For his follow-up to last year’s Both Sides of the Gun, Harper and his Innocent Criminals band hunkered down in a recording studio in Paris using only analog equipment, ultimately knocking out an 11-song set in a week. Recorded immediately after the band came off tour, the album continues to explore Harper’s broad range of musical styles, from the soulful “Fight Outta You” and the happy-go-lucky “Put It on Me” to the melancholy lament of “Fool for a Lonesome Train” and the piano-tinged “Having Wings.” (August 28)

RILO KILEY

Under the Blacklight (Warner Bros.)

With three full lengths and a handful of EPs in their catalogue, Rilo Kiley has quickly built a reputation as one of indie pops most consistently reliable bands. Their sound has evolved little since their 1999 debut, but they didn’t need much improvement. With full backing from major label Warner Bros., Under the Blacklight may

just be the record that finally brings Jenny Lewis and her band to the masses. (August 21)

producers lay tracks. We only hope it’s not as busy at it sounds. (July 3)

HOT HOT HEAT

50 CENT

Canada’s answer to XTC have always been hard to easily classify. Their sound is a little too commercial to be completely embraced by the trendy indie kids, but too New Wave for the mainstream. Regardless, the band has slowly built a fan base in the US through constant touring. Judging from the first couple of leaked tracks, their new record Happiness Ltd., promises to be their most ambitious to date. (September 11)

“Amusement Park,” huh? Yeah, we know Curtis Jackson’s new single is meant to be a metaphor for all the fun and games to be had in his bedroom, but the winning jingle also can symbolize dude’s improbable rise to superstardom. After two mega-selling albums, 50 Cent’s sitting comfortably amongst the elite. And thanks to a choice vocal roster (Mary J Blige, Justin Timberlake, Akon), the usually cryptic backdrops from Dr. Dre and Em and a promise of even darker subject matter, the streak should only continue once you buckle up for this ride. (Sept. 4)

Happiness Ltd. (Sire)

MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK

Even if it Kills Me (Epitaph)

Motion City Soundtrack are the only band on punk rock label Epitaph’s roster that cites both The Rentals and Jawbox as influences. In 2005, the synth-heavy indie pop band managed to avoid the sophomore slump by turning in a stellar follow up to their already solid debut I Am the Movie. With a knack for writing beautiful, but quirky rock, expect more hook-laden, melody-rich pop songs on this, their third outing. (September 18)

COMMON

Finding Forever (Geffen)

“Forever music” is the music that lasts in your heart long after the CD has ended. With a refocused pen and souled-out beats from Kanye West, Common reached that enviable place in ’05 with Be. On this seventh album, the zoned-in Chi-town MC goes for rap immortality through 15 pretension- and snap-free tracks that keep with Com’s genuine theme of understanding truth, justice and America’s ways. ‘Ye, Will.i.am and the late J. Dilla guarantee the journey feels good while Dwele, Bilal and English chirper Lily Allen assure choruses sound even better. (July 31)

T.I.

T.I. vs TIP (Atlantic)

Though King had its moments, the general consensus around the Air Force One-wearin’, Black-and-Mild-smokin’ set was that T.I.’s last one didn’t quite live up to the hype. Just one summer later, the rapper/actor/Chevy pitchman is back with this eventful, 18-song album that’s aiming to be some sort of operatic Me vs. Myself melodrama. With Jay-Z, Nelly and Eminen collaborating, it might all work. Wyclef (“You Know What It Is”), Just Blaze, Mannie Fresh and a bevy of other

Curtis (Universal)

TALIB KWELI

Eardrum (Reprise)

While Kweli’s been rhyming to true hip hoppers since Hillary was first lady, the astute Brooklyn rapper is ready to “speak to the people like Barack Obama” with this third solo joint. Be it through political undertones on “Say Something” or the get-it-together prowess of “More or Less,” the BK MC’s fluid delivery comes at you full throttle without being threatening. Thanks to Pete Rock, Madlib and Hi-Tek tracks and a few surprise guests –Wait, is that Norah Jones?!- Kweli’s declaration of this being the Year of the Blacksmith may, in fact, hold some weight. (July 24)

SWIZZ BEATZ

One Man Band Man (Universal Motown)

The “It’s Me Bitches” remix is hot. Lil’ Wayne, as is often the case, completely steals the show. And the beat? Whoa! Let’s just put it in that same rapid-fire, spaced-out category Swizz has loved for a decade now. With his first official solo CD, Swizzie isn’t straying from that winning formula—save for the fact he’s doing 90% of the rapping now. A couple of friends (Snoop, Coldplay’s Chris Martin) stop through, sure, but this right here is mostly about Swizz going for self with harmless, self-indulgent bars over zany, self-produced instrumentals that’ll leave your neck aching for months. (August 21)

MYA

Liberation (Universal Motown)

It’s been four years since R&B sensation Mya has had a studio album and, from the likes of the title, it’s been a therapeutic experience. With a new label and an all new management team, the newly single Mya has a lot to sing about. Recruiting super star producers Scott Storch and Bryan M. Cox and the lyrical prowess of Lil Wayne and Snoop on the album, Mya calls this album, “a lot more aggressive, very honest, in your

face and cut and dry.” With titles like, “Life’s Too Short” & “I Got That”, Mya is more than liberated, she’s grown. Although Liberation has been pushed back several times, the first single “Lock U Down” ft. Lil Wayne has been getting major radio play, just as her second single “Walka Not a Talka” has started to pick up a much talked about buzz. (August 14)

NATASHA BEDINGFIELD

N.B. (RCA)

The latest female singer/ songwriter to cross the “big pond,” Brit pop star Natasha Bedingfield is no overnight sensation. With dual continental success of her first album Unwritten, many would expect the same sound and focus but new album N.B. flips the script. Collaborating with the likes of Adam Levine and Eve and using obvious influences from both electronica and reggae on the album, Bedingfield is truly an international star. First single “I Wanna Have Your Babies” set the tone of young woman looking for Mr. Right, while “Soulmate” questions whether there is indeed someone for everyone. Being young and inquisitive about everything from love to celebrity status, N.B. is Natasha’s way of saying, “I’m young, I really don’t know what life entails but I’m here and I’m going to have fun and try everything.” (August 7)

GALACTIC

From the Corner to the Block (Anti-)

For their first post-Katrina album (and first for new label Anti-), this New Orleansbased quintet tones down the extended jam quotient in favor of enlisting an underground hip-hop fan’s dream lineup of guest MCs. Mr. Lif, Lyrics Born, Chali 2Na, Gift of Gab and Ladybug Mecca (of Digable Planets) all stopped by the studio to drop rhymes over the band’s sizzling jazz-funk grooves, while Trombone Shorty and Mardi Gras Indian Big Chief Monk Boudreaux add a bit of NOLA flavor to the proceedings. (August 21)

INTERPOL

Our Love To Admire (Capitol)

In the waning days of the major label cartel, it’s astonishing to see bands still willing to sign their dreams away. We can only assume that Interpol, who were once darlings of the post-9/11 New York scene but are now buried under an avalanche of skeptics and a forgettable sophomore album, left the independent scene for a shot at something much bigger and better. The early word is that if you like old schoolers such as Joy Division and the Chameleons, you’re going to love the new album. Sound familiar? (July 10)

M.I.A.

Kala (Interscope)

The biggest bust of the Internet age thus far is eclectic Sri Lankan artist M.I.A., a woman who brought baile beats and quirky ethnic sensibility to dance music. Massive amounts of hype for her debut Arular got her placement on loads of top-10 lists in 2005, but she was relatively unknown outside the coasts and college radio. That the hype was justified is lost on the fact that she only sold 126,000 albums, and a lot is riding on Kala given that Timbaland got involved and Interscope is going to spend a ton of money to make sure everyone knows M.I.A. throughout the fall. (August 21)

THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS

Challenges (Matador)

There is a sense that The New Pornographers will suffer the same fate as the Shins, that they’ll turn heads on the debut of the new album but won’t make much of a ripple beyond the first week of sales. Their record label seems up for the task of stoking interest, what with the various promotional add-ons they’re giving away if you pre-order and the usual wry quotes they’ve eked out of the band and posted at the usual

spots. And with a back catalog that absolutely delivers, it’s a pretty safe bet that the New Pornographers will be releasing something worth owning. (August 21)

EARLIMART

Mentor Tormentor (Majordomo)

After shopping this finished album for several months and finding no takers, Earlimart is essentially self-releasing this gem and taking on the task of selling it themselves. It’s too bad, given that, like their debut Treble & Tremble, Mentor Tormentor has a lot of good things to show for it: soothing melodies, a shifty sense of wordplay, and a lark that recalls Elliott Smith. And like so many independent efforts of the past few years, Earlimart has proven that a beautiful sounding album can be recorded without the services of an expensive studio; with a little momentum from the heaps of critical praise offered previously, Mentor Tormentor could be one of those little projects that finds a big audience organically. (August 21)

BEN LEE

Ripe (New West)

A dozen years into his career, Ben Lee continues to make music worth listening to. His gentle folk ways and coy pop sense have kept a steady audience in front of him, and despite starting out when he was an early teen, he’s never imploded into a cruel joke or craven experimentalist. Instead, Lee has simply gotten better at writing solid songs and letting everyone hum right along with him. Expect Ripe to be more of the same stuff you’ve always loved, with the only surprise being that he’s avoided yet another dud. (September 4)

BLACK FRANCIS

Bluefinger (Cooking Vinyl)

Maybe it’s the recent revival of the Pixies that has inspired to revert back to his nom de plume of the late 1990s, but most fans are anticipating a lot more rock and less brash folkslinging that a typical Frank Black album. Rumors continue to abound that the Pixies will have a new album in 2007, and seeing the name Black Francis listed on iTunes is only going to stoke that fire. Bluefinger is either going to prime the pump or put away the legendary Pixies forever. (September 11)

KT TUNSTALL

Drastic Fantastic (Virgin)

The “adult alternative” radio market’s always been for suckers, or at least suburban moms who want to feel cool by listening to something other than Top 40. Tunstall proved herself adept to this territory on last year’s Eye To the Telescope, but we’ll see if she’s more than merely a latter-day Dido when Drastic Fantastic is released in the early Fall. Don’t expect a Nelly Furtado-like makeover or a Fiona Apple-styled embrace of wounded jazz; Tunstall seems a lot more grounded and, well, simple in her vocal reading. Many think she’s ready to break out big time. (September 18)

FESTIVALS/ TOURS WARPED TOUR

(Through August 25, various cities)

A summer rite of passage for mall punks across the country, the Warped Tour has morphed from a money-losing venture that drew a handful of underground bands to the Masquerade a decade ago into one of the most successful summer outings, cramming in dozens and dozens of up and coming punk/emo/ska bands alongside the genres elder statesmen. This year’s lineup includes graying, but no less brilliant punk icons like Bad Religion, Circle Jerks, The Vandals, Pennywise and Fishbone, playing alongside genre newbies like Bayside, Daphne

PG 31 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

Loves Derby, The Briggs and Coheed & Cambria. The set up is perfect for those who like their punk rock in 40-minute doses.

OZZFEST

(Through August 30, various cities)

How did Ozzfest become the best deal for your money? By not charging anything for tickets. In an experiment that has managed to bring just as much negative press as praise, Ozzfest is relying on sponsors to foot the bill this year, letting metal fans see their favorites free of charge. Joining Ozzy Osbourne on the main stage this year are Lamb of God, Static X and Lordi, while Hatebreed, The Showdown, 3 Inches of Blood and others pack the smaller stages. Rawk on, metal nation!

BUMBERSHOOT SEATTLE’S MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL

(September 1-3)

Though always trailing Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo in terms of press clippings, this annual alt rock music fest, one of the longest running in the country, quietly pulls an amazing line up year after year. This year’s roster includes The Shins, Crowded House, Panic! At the Disco, the Wu-Tang Clan, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Lupe Fiasco, the Bouncing Souls and the Kings of Leon, among many, many more. A maze of large and small indoor and outdoor venues, the festival also features comedians, artists, dancers and filmmakers, all competing for your attention.

ROCK THE BELLS

(Various Dates)

PG 32 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

Put it like this: If “Rock The Bells” only featured reunion performances from Rage Against the Machine, Wu Tang Clan and Public Enemy, it would be a hot ticket. But seeing as how those three are just the icing on a 10-city tour that spans hip hop legends (Nas, Rakim, EPMD), lyricists (Blackstar, The Roots, Pharoache Monch) and the little guys (The Coup, Murs, Brother Ali), the show is fast-approaching Hoodstock status. Though not every artist will travel to every city, if this tour comes anywhere close to you, kick yourself in the ass if you aren’t in the stands for it.

ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL NEW ORLEANS

(July 5 – 7)

After the catastrophic devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the residents of New Orleans weren’t the only ones in search of a home. While many New Orleans natives are still spread about the US, the Essence Music Festival finally returns to New Orleans! With 3 full days of concerts planned, the Essence Music Festival goes far beyond, soul-stirring music. As part of this year’s homecoming festivities, expect the 2007 Empowerment Seminar Series to inspire, motivate and rejuvenate its attendants as they focus on “Claiming Our City & Claiming Ourselves.” With the help of Mary J. Blige, The Isleys, Beyonce’, Chris Brown,

Ciara and Maze, just to name a few, there’s no lack of talent. Reigning as one of the most coveted festivals on the annual concert circuit, the Essence Music Festival is bigger, better and back home.

PITCHFORK

Chicago (July 13-15)

Once you get past the fact that much of Pitchfork’s content is overwritten, overwrought, and overexposed, you see that the website is does what it does pretty well. In other words, while it suffers as a literary journal, it makes up for its dismaying lack of erudition with a whole lot of passion. It’s thus no surprise that it also curates one of the better summer festivals out there: Sonic Youth, GZA, Deerhunter, The New Pornographers, and a couple dozen other A-listers from the indie hipsters. Add in the fact that it’s located in the middle of the country and in the middle of a great city, and its popularity is assured.

LOLLA PALOOZA

Chicago (August 3-5)

Although the lineup (Iggy, Interpol, My Morning Jacket, Snow Patrol, Pearl Jam, Amy Winehouse, Spoon, etc.) and overall festival vibe is solid, there’s something about the brand that seems absolutely tired. The original Lollas—yep, nearly 15 years ago—were a celebratory burst of youth culture, and the

festival’s intent on regaining its lost status often comes off like a ploy for cash. After all, it used to be a traveling festival that rivaled something P.T. Barnum would have put on, and now it seems like Pepsi to Pitchfork’s Coke. Even worse, it rolls into town only a couple of weeks after Pitchfork has left Chicago a muddy mess. Couldn’t they have picked a different city this year?

VIRGIN FESTIVAL

Baltimore (August 4-5)

If it looks like a big corporate shindig, that’s because it is. Granted, Virgin is a brand with a wide cast, but in the end there’s something a little obnoxious about today’s festival business. The lineup is interesting— Smashing Pumpkins, Wu-Tang, The Police, Beastie Boys, LCD Soundsystem, TV On the Radio, Velvet Revolver, The Fratellis—but it’s not clear whether or not anyone in the country sees Baltimore (!) as a cultural destination, let alone a place that can bond with a slick cellphone carrier and stage an event that is prone to come off as sterile. Still, if it gets the kids listening to all different kinds of stuff, we’re all for it.

MUSIC INTERVIEW

Rooney The Return of

BY JOHN B. MOORE

ECOND CHANCES ARE PRETTY rare when you’re recording an album. Three shots at recording an album is the stuff of urban legends. But that’s exactly how many attempts the label granted the band Rooney in putting together just the right collection of songs for the follow up to their 2002 debut. Recorded with three different producers over a couple of years, Calling the World is a more dance-friendly version of the LA-based pop/rock band that came to epitomize the OC soundtrack mix of indie cred and mainstream appeal. Five years after their eponymous debut, the band is about to release the long-awaited follow-up and will spend much of the next couple of years on the road. Keyboardist Louie Stevens took some time recently to explain the group’s long absence; their opening for musicians as diverse as Weezer and Fergie; and the joys of discovering the genius of ELO.

Here’s a question you’re going to get sick of answering soon: Why so long between records? OK, that’s a reasonable question. We haven’t just been sitting around in lounge chairs on the beach wasting time. We’ve been in the studio three different times, with three different producers trying to get the sound the way we wanted it. By the way, that’s three albums of different material. We didn’t re-record the same songs, but the production style was pretty drastically different every time. We worked with a guy named Tony Hoffer, who is sort independent, a little more experimental producer; we worked with a guy named Howard Benson, he does tons of power rock type stuff; and then finally we settled with this guy John Field and we had a blast. He’s like a production ninja. He’s like the fastest producer any of us have ever worked with. Really? Yeah, it was like one version (of the record) was too hot, one was too cold and we finally got it just right. We just lucked out by stumbling upon a guy who just matched us perfectly. When did you go into a studio with John

and record these songs? Not long ago. We first went in around November of last year with John and then kind of had to take a break, did a little tour and came back. The total production time, it took three weeks, maybe a month with mixing and mastering.

had actually been playing for three years already. So we said “Let’s do something fresh and keep all of this other material and hopefully it will get a shot at some other point.” Maybe we’ll release it as a double album or something.

How did you guys come across John? He actually reached out to us originally. Someone through the grapevine said “This guy John really wants to work with you.” He was more in our peripheral vision. We sort of did a track on spec with him to see what would happen and all of a sudden we all got a renewed enthusiasm, the label all of a sudden was enthusiastic, and it was like wow, maybe we don’t have to fight the forces of nature to make an album that we like.

On Calling The World, there seem to be some influences that weren’t as noticeable on the first record, like Jeff Lynne and ELO. Was there anything you guys were listening to that had an influence on this record? Yeah, I think so. I think part of it is that it helps when the producer has the same influences and is into the same stuff as we are. He is an insane musical encyclopedia. He has our knowledge and beyond.

IT’S JUST HARD AND RARE TO GET SECOND CHANCES IN THIS BUSINESS AND IT GETS HARDER AND HARDER EVERY DAY. Were you getting a lot of pressure from the label to hurry up and get something out there? Yeah. It’s just hard and rare to get second chances in this business and it gets harder and harder every day. There’s a lot more pressure and generally speaking a lot of bands don’t get the opportunity that we had to go and search and find the right guy. But yeah, there was pressure. Are you pleased with this last batch of songs? Totally, I couldn’t be happier. I feel like we just got lucky. All the right sort of things had to happen to get where we finally are now. I noticed you had some new songs on your MySpace page last year that didn’t make it onto Calling The World. Do you plan to release these songs or the earlier recording sessions at some point? Yeah, all of us really want to at some point do that because they are not bad albums and they’re not bad songs. Maybe one or two of those songs did make this record, but it was just about having something that felt fresh to us because all of a sudden we’re about to go on tour for three years on songs that we

Did he turn you onto a lot of bands you hadn’t listened to before? Yeah, kind of, or songs I hadn’t heard before. You mentioned Jeff Lynne and ELO, if we were to go into my iTunes right now, that’s the band that I have the most of right now. I have every ELO album in the collection. It’s just amazing. It’s a cool thing to discover, because you feel like there’s a whole new world that not everyone knows about. What other stuff were you guys listening to a lot of? I think there was some Billy Joel going around. I got way into Supertramp while we were making the album. Even bands like Abba, I got into. A lot of times I would record my parts from home in a little home studio and send them in because we were in a bit of a time crunch. We all did that to a certain extent, doing some stuff in the studio and doing some stuff at home. It’s been awhile since your debut came out. Has the band changed a lot since you first got together? Well, the lineup is definitely the same and the dynamics within the band, I think, are the same. We’re still a tight group that’s together pretty much all the time. But, as far as the sound, I think you could describe it the same, but there’s more subtle differences in the music. I still call it pop-leaning rock and roll. It’s a new version of all the classic stuff that we like. I think we were listening more to The Cars on the first album. The single from the new album, “When Did Your Heart Go Missing,” I think that song has some major David Bowie influence going on. We wanted to make an album of rock songs, but that song almost has a dance feel. You guys have toured with punk bands and top 40 acts. Why do you think you appeal to so many different types of music fans? It’s actually difficult to find bands to tour with, because we’ve always had trouble finding our perfect match, be it someone to tour with or what radio stations to go to. We want to be heard on the radio and be seen on MTV and get as much exposure as we can, but not at the expense of making a sound that fits perfectly into a genre or a radio format. So it’s a challenge and a line

PG 34 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

we try and walk. But, then we end up blazing our own path and getting all those fans from different sources. You’ve toured with everyone from Weezer and The Strokes to Kelly Clarkson and now Fergie. Is it intimidating at all playing to these different types of crowds? Yeah, it goes back to not wanting to be a band that’s just considered The Strokes, or just considered a pop band like Kelly Clarkson and I think the only way to avoid that is to just tour with a variety of different groups and not just be put in one world or another. I think we’ve been lucky to be able to do that. How is the tour with Fergie going so far? It’s different. It’s very urban-leaning, but the people in the crowd are the same people that come to our shows. I think music listeners have a broader taste than people give them credit for. I think we go over well and get the crowd going for her. We do our own thing and she does her thing and it works out well. Do you see it as a challenge that you end up playing to people, in some cases, who may not have heard you before? Exactly. It’s a challenge. It’s always about trying to figure out how to get people to stand up on their feet, clap and get into it and enjoy our music. You guys recently had a residency at The Roxy in LA, didn’t you? We just wanted to make our presence known and play shows in our home town and have our friends be able to come. It was not based on pleasing anyone but ourselves, so we picked bands to play with that we really liked. We had Brett and Allison from The Donnas. Susanna Hoffs from the Bangles came and played “Walk Like An Egyptian” with us, which was great. We had Andy Dick as the master of ceremonies. Every night he would introduce each band, and sing. He had his own band and they would sing and perform skits between sets. It was the filthiest thing. It was insane. Sometimes frightening, but always entertaining. We did new stuff, old stuff, covers, stuff that’s never coming out. I can’t wait for us to do it again. What are your plans after finishing the Fergie tour? We’re going to headline some U.S. shows, at small clubs introducing new material. We’re actually still going to be on the Fergie tour when the album comes out and playing our own headlining shows in between, which is important. In my opinion, I’d rather play a headlining show than open for someone. Is it tough to go from playing these huge arenas with Kelly Clarkson and Fergie, to playing the smaller club shows? At this point, not really because A, it’s our crowd and B, it’s more personal. I know this sounds cliché and cheesy, but when you play a small club you’re just right there with the fans and I enjoy that.

MUSIC INTERVIEW

Anti-Pop Consortium Indie Punks Against Me! Move To The Majors

BY JOHN B. MOORE

GAINST ME! IS ABOUT AS FAR AWAY FROM TOP 40 pop-punk as one can get. They write songs about international injustice, not bitter high school breakups. Their hair is not asymmetrically styled, and it’s hard to imagine a single band member squeezing into a pair of ladies’ jeans. Though they’re clearly not afraid of melodies, the band doesn’t write traditional radio-friendly jams, so it surprised many fans when they announced they were signing to Sire Records last year. There were the predictable screams of “sellout!” and plenty of hand wringing in the close-knit world of indie punk. But it turns out all the worry was for nothing. The band’s soon-to-be released major label debut is just as defiant as their three other records, with the first single, “White People for Peace,” another stiff middle finger to Bush and his administration. The band carved out a niche early on as an intelligent punk-rock band– like Billy Bragg with louder amps– and the new record is no different. It seems like the rest of the world is finally catching on to their sound. They just played Coachella, and have been invited to take the stage at this year’s Lollapalooza. Frontman Tom Gabel sat down with us backstage last month as they prepared to play their final show on a tour with monolithic metal band Mastodon.

Yeah, that’s one of the reasons I wanted to go with Sire, because that’s the label The Replacements were on. The Replacements were on Sire, The Ramones were on Sire. I love all of these bands. Most peoples’ response to decisions you make as a band are usually pretty predictable. How was the reaction from the people at your old label, Fat Wreck Chords? Were they cool with it? Yeah, they were great. They were a little sad to see us go, but we had a great working relationship with them and it was not anything like “Things are bad, so we’re leaving.” Mike (Fat Wreck Records founder) was completely supportive. He said, “I want you guys to be happy with whatever you decide to do.” We still work with Vanessa, the publicist there. It’s not like we severed all ties. We still have working relationships with a lot of these

You’re in a good place right now in terms of job security. What was the hardest thing about being a touring band, playing music that was not exactly made for the masses? It really was kind of being broke all the time. The first three tours that we did, we basically did one tour a year for the first three years. It was kind of like you had to save up all year long to buy a piece of shit van and you book this tour yourself, you have your 7”or a t-shirt to sell on the tour and you’d just work all year long for this, go on tour for a month or two, half the shows fall through and you come home and you would just be destitute. Just completely fucking broke. The van would have broken down, you now have no job, no place to live and you were broke. It was just a drag. I’ve always been amazed with the music scene in Gainesville. Your band came out of there, Hot Water Music and others. What is it about that place that draws so many groups? The fact that there’s a good music scene is definitely because it’s a college town. You have young kids coming in, new and fresh each year that are excited about life, excited about playing music and then you also have a strong community that’s built there that coddles and brings up bands. You have No Idea Records that is really interested in documenting a scene; you have Rob McGregor who runs Goldentone Studios, who every No Idea band has recorded with, who will cheaply record your band. When bands there realize how possible it all is, it really pushes you to do it.

All of the songs on the new record where written on the road, right? Pretty much the whole entire thing and also, some of it was written while I was living in a hotel. I lived in a hotel for about a year and a half. After our last record came out, Searching for a Former Clarity, I knew that we were going to be touring so much, so I put all of my shit in storage, so even when we were home, I was living in a hotel. So are there a lot of road songs on this record? No not really. Surprisingly, considering we wrote it on the road.

IDEALLY, I JUST WISH THE WAR WOULD END, SO WE DIDN’T HAVE TO ADDRESS THIS ANY MORE.

Why was it written on the road? Was it because your new label wanted a record right away? Yeah. “Searching for a Former Clarity” came out on September 6 of 2005, we signed with Sire in December of 2005 and we usually tour for a year straight, so we were on the road through September of 2006. I knew they weren’t going to be like, “Oh, take a couple of years to work on it, take a break”. We were in the studio pretty much once we were done touring. We took a month to hammer out songs and then we went right into the studio.

Was that tough on you guys as a band? I found the process surprisingly easy. It felt really great to be that focused and that into it. Living in a hotel and having completely built my life into being in a band, there were no distractions. When I was in the hotel, I could either watch TV, go swimming or work out in the gym or write songs. Because we started writing so long in advance, we were so focused and there were never any panicked moments where we said “What are we going to do, we don’t have any songs.” This was your first record for a major label, how different was it to record? I’m assuming you had more money and more time in the studio? Exactly, and working with someone like (producer) Butch Vig was just amazing. I’d always been a fan of his work. I just never thought it would ever be a possibility, so I never considered it. Where you surprised by the flack you caught signing to Sire? No, I expected it. It’s funny, if you look back at The Clash and The Replacements, they were on majors and most people didn’t give them crap for it.

people. Fat’s been undergoing a lot of changes lately too with the way their label is structured, so it really was, I think, the right time for us to go. They’re scaling back their operations, and they really want to focus on the bands they already have and not so much on looking for new bands, so it was kind of the right time for us. Have you been pleased with Sire, so far? So far, so good. It helps that we made a record that we’re really happy with and that they’re really happy with, as well. Right now, before for the record comes out, they’re all saying “We love it. It’s great!”

Is that how you ended up in Gainesville? Yeah, because of the music scene. Growing up in Florida, you get to that age when you want to move out of your parent’s house and Gainesville is cheap rent. You don’t have to have a car, you can just walk around. And then there’s a great music scene, so that’s the place to go.

Is that where you met the rest of the guys in the band? I went to high school with James (Bowman), I knew Warren (Oakes) from around Florida – he lived in Sarasota before he moved to Gainesville. Andrew (Seward) played in a band called Kill Devil Hills that Against Me! played with a few times before and when our bass player went back to college we got a drunken e-mail from him one night that said “You should kick your bass player out and hire me.” Tell me a little bit about what this new record is going to sound like. Is it fairly consistent with the sound of the last album? I feel like in a lot of ways it’s a reaction to the last record.

WAR

But, you didn’t have them dropping by the recording studio saying, “Why don’t you just change this song or add this to it”? No, and that was actually a concern because we were recording so close to where they were located. They literally could stop by, but they were really respectful. Our A&R guys would call and say “Is it cool if we stop by?” They’d say “It sounds good,” but they weren’t asking us to make changes. I think a lot of that comes with the fact that we were working with Butch Vig.

I guess Sire has a pretty good reputation with the bands they sign. Yeah, and a reputation of sticking with their bands. They’re part of Warner, which has had the Flaming Lips for a long time. They at one point released an album that had three diﬀerent records you had to play at the same time. What major label is going to do that? That is not marketable. That’s what record labels should do. They should sign bands they believe in and are fans of and stick with them throughout their careers.

How so? The last record was really a kind of dark, moody record and writing it for me was really a cathartic experience. I was really working through a lot of things. At the end of writing it, I had figured out how I felt and was actually feeling good. After finishing it though, I still had to do interviews and tour, talking and singing about things I didn’t want to think about anymore. So it wasn’t fun in a lot of ways. It was really difficult to relive this stuff again every night and every day. I knew I didn’t want to write songs about that stuff again. I wanted to write songs that made me feel really good. So, musically it’s a lot more up beat and lyrically it’s just coming from a better place.

Any more anti-Bush songs this time around? “White People for Peace” is probably the most overtly anti-war songs we have. It’s challenging. For the past three records that we’ve done there’s been this war going on and for the past three records we’ve addressed the fact that there’s this war going on. You want to feel like you’re doing this in a creative way each time, you don’t want to feel like you’re just doing the same thing PG 35 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

SPORTS NEWS

In Person with Tim Hudson BY ANDREA M. HATTER

FTER A GREAT START, I ASKED TIM Huson his thoughts on being an All Star. “Well obviously, you wanna start the season well and keep it up throughout the season. Whether that grants an All Star or not, you just wanna be consistent enough to go out there and give your team a chance to win. It’s nice to get those personal accolades, but as long as you can win, that’s all that matters,” he said. “I’m a 100% eﬀort guy…So I feel like I need to go full board most of the time, and obviously that’s gonna be a little more wear and tear on your body. But at the same time, between starts, you have to do a really good job of taking care of yourself, taking care of the little aches and pains, doing your ice, then doing your workouts between starts, and eating right, staying hydrated. So when that ﬁfth day does come around, you can go out there and give it everything you got.” And that’s pretty much what he’s about: a giving player, who’s all about performance and wins. Nobody has anything bad to say about him. Roger McDowell, the Braves’ pitching coach, commented on Tim’s spirit at the clubhouse, “He enjoys the game, being here and being at the ball park,” and even gave him a nod on his attire, “He dresses well. He could grace the cover of GQ.”

get the heart rate up Day 3: Weights – full upper body; bullpen pitching Day 4: Weights – full lower body; bullpen pitching Day 5: Game day: eats a lot of carbs, stays hydrated, chews a lot of Bazooka gum

He’s open about obstacles in the game: “The biggest obstacle is the mental game. Trying to stay conﬁdent when deep down you know you don’t have your best stuﬀ.” The devoted family man, with three children aged 6, 3, and 2, is currently scouting a new place for a tattoo to symbolize his youngest addition, which will join two other homage tats on his forearms. They are Taurus and Leo for his daughters Kennedy and Tess. One was done during spring training in Scottsdale, Arizona; the other, inked in San Francisco. But the two are not equal. “I think this guy did a lot better job,” pointing to one and then to the other, “I think this guy might’ve been drunk when I got it. I think I smelled a bit of wacky weed in the back there,” he joked. A nearby teammate laughed with him, “Hey there, gimme a tattoo while you’re smoking that!” Family is strong with Mr. Hudson. Two of his biggest fans are his older brothers, who once inspired him on the diamond. “When you’re 16 or 17 years old, having your 6or-7-year-old brother tag along with you probably ain’t the coolest thing in the world. But I really appreciate the fact that they didn’t go ‘Ahhh, it’s the little turd brother. Beat it’. They let me hang

THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE IS THE MENTAL GAME. TRYING TO STAY CONFIDENT WHEN DEEP DOWN YOU KNOW YOU DON’T HAVE YOUR BEST STUFF.

He keeps his routine to stay in shape between starts:

Day 1: Recovery day. If he does any throwing, he might play catch just to get the blood pumping. Day 2: Cardio day. Runs for about 20 minutes to

Schlesinger Associates

an International Marketing Research Firm located in Dunwoody, GA is currently conducting:

• 2½ hour focus groups for Males • 21-45 yrs old • Who enjoy drinking beer

out with them and pal around. It’s somethin’ that I really appreciate now,” he said with his southern drawl. He’s a Georgia boy, born in Columbus, schooled in Alabama at Auburn University, where he met his wife of eight years. “She was my tutor. We were friends for about a year, we hung out with the same people and it was something that progressively became romantic.” “She’s great, an unbelievable wife and an even more unbelievable mother. And she’s smart. She’s an attorney for God’s sake, so needless to say I never win any arguments.” The two do a ton of community service together, working with the Make A Wish Foundation, visiting children with cancer, raising money for various foundations. They literally do it all, and they’re teaching their oldest daughter what it all means. “Kennedy, my oldest has a friend at her school that got diagnosed with a form of cancer. So we really had to start helping her to understand that sometimes kids are born and something may be wrong with them. We tell her these (organizations] are trying to help the kids get better. And she’s really starting to understand that they’re going through treatments to make them get better and that’s why their hair might be thin or something. So we’ll take her along on some of the visits to meet some of the kids, to interact with them, and she likes it. She’s got a pretty good handle on it.” But there’s another side of Mr. Hudson. He likes to play pranks. One, which he pulled on Eddie Perez, was showcased on TV. “When we’re on the road, and you check into the

hotel, all the keys are on a desk. And I’ll just go up and grab their key. It’s usually a rookie, on their first trip. When they come up, and they don’t find their key, they think ‘Well, I’m a rookie, I’m the new guy. They probably just forgot to put mine out there.’ So while they’re at the desk getting their key, I’ll go throw my stuff in my room, then run to hide in his room. I normally hide in the shower. And I usually keep this scary mask with me in my bag. And I put this mask on – me and another guy. One guy will get in the closet, and I’ll get in the shower. So when they come in, the first thing their gonna do is either put their coat up or use the bathroom. And think about it: you get in your room, you’re thinking you’re the only one there, and here’s somebody jumping’ out at you. It’s definitely an unbelievable laugh for about five or ten minutes!” “When you pull pranks like that you’re definitely going to have them come back at you,” he said. Let’s hope they know enough not to pull a prank on a future All Star.

At l a n ta’s Fav o r i t e Ba rt en der

This study will be taking place on Monday July 16 and Tuesday July 17, 2007. If you qualify and attend this will pay $150 for your time and insight. Please call (770) 658-1026 and ask for Pamela regarding the beer study.

Congratulations Patrick Kelly on Your Nomination for Best Bartender in Atlanta! 3500 PEACHTREE ROAD • PHIPPS PLAZA • BUCKHEAD • 404.814.9640 Lunch & Dinner Daily • Priority Seating Available

Vote at www.InsiteAtlanta.com PG 36 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

FANATIC

SPORTS NEWS

Must-See TV

A Monthly Sports Wrap-up

Top 5 Games This Month

BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

“Some coaches talk about addressing their teams’ codes of conduct; [San Francisco’s Mike] Nolan and [ Jacksonville’s Jack] Del Rio are doing something about it, and they’re starting with themselves. And they would have done more if they could. Nolan said he sought to wear suits for all 16 games, but the NFL told him it would get back to him on his request. When it did it offered a compromise -either six games of his choice or eight home games.” –CBS Sportsline’s Clark Judge, on some NFL coaches deciding to dress up more on the sidelines. ‘Hey ANDRUW, if you would start listening to your hitting coach you would get straightened out! Use the whole field and quit trying to pull the dang ball and hit 600 ft. home runs every at-bat! Hardhead! Look at the way [Edgar] Renteria and Chipper use the whole field. Do what they do! Grrrrrr!” –Joe, an Atlanta-Journal Constitution reader, speaking, more or less, for the entire BRAVES NATION This column was put to bed before the June 28 NBA draft, so we aren’t 100% certain where Kevin Durant, Greg Oden or even coveted Minnesota T-Wolves star Kevin Garnett ended up. Sure, on a certain level, it’s a big deal. But on another, more real-life level, it doesn’t matter. A few weeks ago, the BASKETBALL MAG AZINE SLAM presented the question, “What about the local kids in New Orleans still without a park to play the game they love?” However, instead of just leaving it at that, the mag teamed up with the playground-building company KABOOM! to do something about the ravaged Gulf Coast. Go to www.kaboom.org to learn about the wonderful things this group is doing for those not making $20 million a season. “There are certain things that you can only learn from experiencing them. I thought the Detroit series for him was huge in that he took so much crap for the first two games… But instead of putting his head between his legs, he responded with four unbelievable games.” –TEAM USA BASKETBALL COACH MIKE KRZYZEWSKI, after LeBron James formally announced he’d play with the team this summer FANATIC took a road trip a couple of weeks ago, hitting up sports hotbeds across America’s Heartland. We passed through Nashville (LP Field), Louisville (Cardinals Stadium), Indianapolis (RCA Dome), Chicago (Wrigley Field and U.S. Cellular), Detroit (Comerica Park and Ford Field) and Cincinnati (Riverfront Stadium). The most impressive facility –by far!- was Motown’s Comerica Park. That is an absolutely majestic ballpark.

Wrestler Chris Benoit’s recent death has been causing an uproar in the WWE. “[WWE chairman Vince] McMahon’s declarations of cleaning up the sport seem to be about as genuine as O.J.’s quest to find the real killer. Size sells, and until people tire of seeing 300-pound men being choked and slammed through tables, steroids will continue to be readily available to professional wrestlers. Unless, of course, McMahon is forced to take stiffer action.” –Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, after steroids were found at the murder-suicide scene of wrestler CHRIS BENOIT

Wimbledon

2 3 4 5

The British Open

( July 7-8, various times, NBC and ESPN2)

We’re sticking with our picks of Federer and Venus here. But if Rafael Nadal and Serena win out, we won’t be too mad.

( July 19-22, various times, TNT and ABC)

Zach Johnson and Angel Cabrera won the first two majors. Another Joe No-Name won’t win at Carnoustine.

Arena Bowl ( July 29, 3PM, ABC)

We can just see the girls lifting their shirts now for a souvenir ball at the indoor game’s title match-up in New Orleans.

MLB All-Star Game ( July 10, 8PM, FOX)

The game’s big shots strut their stuff in San Fran. Unlike many, Fanatic would love to see Barry Bonds in the lineup.

Pepsi 400

( July 7, 6:30PM, TNT)

What’s more American than apple pie, 4th of July fireworks and Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth racing to the death?!

And finally… Michigan’s Allen Park Cabrini concluded its undefeated high school softball year with a no-hitter to extend its high school winning streak to 74 games… Paul Konerko (Chicago White Sox) and Ty Wigginton (Tampa Bay) may become the apple of the Yankees’ eye at first base… Like surprise ’07 winner Angel Cabrera, Ernie Els (’94), Lee Trevino (’68) and Jack Nicklaus (’62) all got their first PGA tourn win at the U.S. Open… Hendrick Racing (Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s new home) has 10 Nextel victories this year. Childress and Roush Fenway are a distant second with two…According to reports, pitching aces Kerry Wood and Pedro Martinez are rehabbing quite nicely… Aside from joining the exclusive 600-homer club recently, Texas’ Sammy Sosa holds the MLB records for most 60+ home run seasons (3), most homers in a 5-year span (292) and most homers in a month (20, June ’98)…Wimbledon predictions: Roger Federer and Venus Williams… R.I.P. Justin Skaggs.

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�� PG 37 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

CELEBRITY GOSSIP

Wanton Distraction Skewed Views on the (Re-Rated) MPAA BY MATT GOLDBERG In reading this week’s EW, I expected to take issue with their cover story on the “25 Greatest Action Movies of All Time” (it’s controversial but not incompetent). But what got me thinking was Mark Harris’ closing word as he discussed the problematic rating of “R” for Hostel: Part II. He argues that Hostel and its ilk deserve the NC-17 rating but would never get it because the MPAA and the studios are too entwined and since an NC-17 or an NR will kill a film’s box-office without question, major studio films get a pass (he doesn’t mention films that feature no violence but indie films that feature sex and how easily those get slapped with an NC17; but that’s beside his point and I will explain why I note this discrepancy in just a moment). What Harris finds most problematic is that because the R-rating doesn’t really guard against parents who choose to bring their 5-year-old to see Hostel: Part II because they can’t get a sitter and fuck it, they want a night out to watch people get the shit tortured out of them (this isn’t even a hypothetical since my good friend Carl basically related this story to me when he caught the film on its opening weekend). Harris’ suggestion is that the MPAA drop the NC-17 and simply provide the maximum amount of information possible. I think that’s a lousy idea. NC-17 does serve a legitimate purpose but it should be withheld only in the most extreme circumstances. It shouldn’t be levied left and right but rather used sparingly; only in situations in which the ratings board, who have seen it all, find a new way to be offended (instead, they rate based on quantity of content that may be objectionable to an undefined ego-mass). Parents use the rating system because they don’t have the time or the consideration to do the research. While I like that the MPAA has added the objectionable content to the film’s rating (sometimes to unintentionally humorous effect, like when they noted all the objectionable material in Team America but at the end mentioning, “all involving puppets,”), this

The current MPAA film rating chart. CAPRICORN

CANCER

Mars should be adding a jolt of energy to your love life this month, whether it's the spark of a new relationship or merely an increase in the existing heat with an old flame.

Go Cancer, it's your birthday! A new moon in your sign brings renewed energy and an opportunity to be more proactive in your love life, which could be going through some welcome changes soon.

AQUARIUS

LEO

Open-minded Aquarians are usually up to try anything new. This month, try switching up your diet and/or exercise regimen and you'll be surprised by how much better you feel.

With the sun hiding in your 12th house, you may find yourself feeling more introspective, less confident. Take time to explore the depth that lies within you, and heed the epiphanies that await.

PISCES

VIRGO

With Venus entering your partner ship zone, July should be a lot more fun for our fishy friends, as the sun and new moon shine the spotlight on love, creativity and pleasure.

There's a theme of service and selfsacrifice for Virgos this month, with a friend in need who desperately requires you to be a friend indeed. Nobody does it better, or more willingly...

ARIES

LIBRA

Has communication proved a problem of late? The stars could help you make an improvement soon, especially if you're willing to sit down and have a heart-to-heart with you-know-who.

With the sun and new moon highlighting your career zone, expect improvements on the work front, bringing a harmonious balance to the ups and downs your job may have seen in recent years.

TAURUS

SCORPIO

Dec. 22nd thru Jan. 20th

Jan. 21st thru Feb. 19th

Feb. 20th thru Mar. 20th

Mar. 21st thru Apr. 20

July 24th thru Aug. 23rd

Aug. 24th thru Sept. 23rd

Sept. 24th thru Oct. 23rd

Oct. 24th thru Nov. 22nd

If you've been feeling lately as if there are too many obstacles on your road to happiness, July offers an opportunity to get out of your funk, get over the hump and get closer to those in your social network.

July begs our scorpion friends to take off in search of new adventures. With the sun and new moon in Cancer (another water sign), exploring the beach should prove both relaxing and rejuvenating.

SAGITTARIUS

May 22nd thru June 21s

Nov. 23rd thru Dec. 21st

The sun is transiting your resource zone soon, urging you to review your finances, check your investments and consider asking your boss for that raise you so justly deserve.

Is your financial situation under control? If so, you may find that your personal life will soon enter the spotlight, offering new commitments of the business or romantic variety.

PG 38 • insiteatlanta.com • July 2007

But I’m still concerned about indie flicks that get blackballed with the NC-17. These are films that require a maturity not so much because they’re objectionable in content (sorry, but if you find gay sex or war documentaries morally objectionable but think that gore-porn should slide, I find you morally objectionable…so there). Films like Boys Don’t Cry and But I both got NC-17s before they had to either be cut for content or bring in a 1st Amendment lawyer. I’m not a parent but I think that these films shouldn’t be withheld from those that wish to basically educate themselves and broaden their understanding of the world. This would be a boon to indie filmmakers. A: These are films that require an emotional maturity but appeal more to the aspiring intellectual than the aspiring voyeur. Those under the age of 15 cannot attend but those 15 and over can see the film without a guardian. It’s in depth, but I believe it’s a fair compromise. Parents don’t have to do more work, the MPAA doesn’t lose any power, indie filmmakers have a rating that doesn’t exclude their work, and five year olds don’t have to suffer nightmares from Hostel: Part II for the rest of their lives. The only losers in this are the hardcore, 5-year-old Roger Bart fans.

June 22nd thru July 23rd

Apr. 21st thru May 21th

GEMINI

clearly hasn’t stopped lazy Hostel II parents and more information won’t change anything because it’s besides the point. Part of the problem with NC-17 is that it simply stands as the replacement for the X rating, which became co-opted by porn even though classics like Midnight Cowboy and A Clockwork Orange were originally rated X. The problem is that R has become too broad. The ratings board is designed to protect children; they may state that their purpose is to help parents, but to help them do what? There ya go. So I suggest splitting the R into two, more specific ratings: R-15: These are films that completely remove those under the age of 14 from the film and viewers aged 15 to 17 can see the film with a guardian. This rating would essentially solve all of the Hostel II problems, ratings-wise.

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INsite Atlanta July 2007 Issue

Articles inside

AGAINST ME

SPARTA

THE DRAFT

ROONEY

TALIB KWELI

CUTE IS WHAT WE AIM FOR