INsite Atlanta June 2007 Issue by INsite Magazine

June 2.09 0F7REE

Vol. 15, No

ntertainment Monthly Atlanta’s E w.insiteatlanta.com ww

We Talk To: Tobey Maguire Kevin Costner Zach Braff Laura Linney

Fantastic

Jessica Alba Plus in Music... Sage Francis • LCD Soundsystem Grant Lee Phillips • Plain White T’s

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PEACHTREE CORNERS | 770.797.2661 7050 Jimmy Carter Blvd. #118

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

KENNESAW/TOWN CENTER 770.427.9668 2801 George Busbee Pkwy.

ROSWELL WEST | 678.494.6464 4801 Alabama Rd.

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

LENOX/BUCKHEAD | 404.233.8311 3232 Peachtree St.

ATLANTIC STATION | 800.730.9957 261 19th St., Suite 1140

EAST COBB | 770.973.3370 4400 Roswell Rd.

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

AUSTELL | 770.432.4262 1025 E. West Connector #2

HOLCOMB BRIDGE | 770.640.8137 1475 Holcomb Bridge Rd.

NORTHLAKE | 770.414.0651 1990 W. Exchange Place

AKERS MILL | 770.956.9093 2995 Cobb Pkwy. ALPHARETTA/WINDWARD | 678.393.2733 5530 Windward Pkwy. ANSLEY MALL | 404.249.6463 1544 Piedmont Ave. NE

BUFORD | NOW OPEN! 800.730.9786 3420 Highway 20

SNELLVILLE | 770.979.1288 2279 Pinehurst Rd. SOUTHLAKE | 770.960.0393 7057 Mount Zion Circle SUGARLOAF | 770.822.2533 1860 Duluth Highway TOCO HILLS | 404.248.2998 2880 N. Druid Hills Rd.

CONTENTS • JUNE 2007 • VOLUME 15.9

INTERVIEWS

12 TOBY MAQUIRE 12 13 JESSICA ALBA 14 LAURA LINNEY 15 ZACH BRAFF 23 SAGE FRANCIS 25 ANDY DICK 26 LCD SOUNDSYSTEM 13 27 GRANT PHILLIPS 29 PLAIN WHITE T’S 35 KEVIN COSTNER 36 DERREK LEE

FEATURES

10 ATL’S BEST WINGS

The days are long, the Braves are in the hunt, you gotta get some wings. Here are the best places in town to go.

30 2007 BARTENDER

An all new group competes for Best Bartender in Atlanta.

32 MARGARITAS Tequila is the taste of summer and we have found

some of the best places in the city to saturate your tequila cravings.

34 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC It’s one of the hottest travel destinations this summer.

COLUMNS

06 ON TAP 07 BOOKS 07 UNDER THE LIGHTS 08 AROUND TOWN 16 MOVIE REVIEWS 26 19 VIDIOTS 20 CONCERT CALENDAR 22 ROAD WARRIORS 22 WE GOT NEXT 24 ALBUM REVIEWS 37 WANTON DISTRACTION 38 FANATIC 29 38 HOROSCOPES www.insiteatlanta.com PG 4 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

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PG 5 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

LOCAL EVENTS

On Tap for June EMAIL EVENTS TO ONTAP@INSITEATLANTA.COM

Through June 28: Turner Classic Movies' Screen on the Green Film Festival

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Find the flip-flops and unpack the cargo shorts: Atlanta's favorite weekly summertime experience, Screen on the Green, is coming back for an eighth year at sunset Thursday, May 31, in beautiful Piedmont Park. The festival will offer Atlantans five consecutive Thursday evenings perfect for picnicking with friends or family on a swath of manicured park land. Films include: Car Wash, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Funny Girl, and E.T. All movies begin at sunset, approximately 9 p.m. For more information, visit the Web site at: tcmscreenonthegreen.com.

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June 8-9: Cirque Du Soleil’s Delirium

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After traveling to more than 30 U.S. cities and being seen by more than one million people, winning a Billboard Creative Content Award, and landing in the Top 5 box-office grossing concerts in North America, Cirque du Soleil's latest phenomenon, DELIRIUM, will debut at The Arena at Gwinnett Center on June 8, 2007. Created and directed by Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon DELIRIUM is a multifaceted event of unprecedented proportion featuring Cirque du Soleil music remixed. Driven by this urban tribal beat and aweinspiring visuals, musicians, singers and dancers transform the arena into joyous frenzy. For tickets, head to: www.ticketmaster.com.

June 15: Decatur Beach Party

Celebrate the beginning of summer at the annual Decatur Beach Party held the Friday evening before the summer solstice from 5pm until midnight. There's nothing more fun than downtown Decatur with 60 tons of sand and several thousand friends! Decatur turns its landlocked square into the Decatur Beach with plenty of wading pools, a kids' boardwalk, live music, a stage built across Ponce de Leon for dancing on the street, and more. Terry Lee and the GTs on the main stage at 8pm, with music at the community bandstand featuring Route 66 beginning at 5pm Visit www.decaturdba.com for ticket information. $8 in advance, $10 at the gate.

June 15 - 16: Buckhead Block Party Sports Radio 790 The Zone is transforming the streets of Buckhead into the area's heyday of the late 90's. Get ready for a full day of warm Atlanta weather, cold beer, and great music! Soon Buckhead will not be the party haven it once was, but they are sending it off in style with a "Bye Bye Buckhead Block Party". That's right, the streets of Buckhead Village will be closed for an all day long party with musical performances from your favorite bands from the late 90's including the Gin Blossoms. Doors open at 1:00PM. For more information, head to: http://www.790thezone.com.

Resume power. It's not just what you've done that counts – it's also who you've done it for. As a student, you have a great opportunity to land a terrific part-time job right now, one that will pay off for years to come. That's the strength of working for a leading Fortune company like UPS.

Part-Time Package Handlers •$8.50-$9.50/hr plus benefits (Medical/Dental/Vision/Life & 401K) •Weekly Paychecks •Paid Vacations •Weekends & Holidays Off •Consistent Work Schedules •Various shifts to choose from Opportunities available at each of these locations: Pleasantdale • Atlanta • Airport • Forest Park Apply online at:

www.upsjobs.com UPS is an equal opportunity employer.

PG 6 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

June 18 - 20: Boston Red Sox at The Atlanta Braves The Boston Red Sox, tops in the American League, comes 'callin on the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field. Can the Braves banged up pitching staff match the star power of Schilling, Dice K & company? If John Smoltz has anything to say about it, the answer will be yes. So come out and cheer on the hometown team. For tickets, head to: www.ticketmaster.com.

Through August 27: The Coca-Cola Summer Film Festival The time-honored tradition of The Coca-Cola Summer Film Festival at The Fox Theatre is an experience not to be missed! Beat the heat and enjoy a mix of classic and current films on the biggest screen in Atlanta. Come early and enjoy wine tastings, and the tradition of a magical pre-show experience including an organ concert and sing-a-long featuring Larry Douglas Embury and the showing of a classic cartoon. Films include: The Sound of Music, 300, Saturday Night Fever, and many more! For more information head to: http://www.foxtheatre.org/filmSchedule.htm.

June 2007 Volume 15.9 INsite Magazine of Atlanta 2250 North Druid Hills Rd. #100 Atlanta, GA 30329-3118 phone 404-315-8485 email feedback@insiteatlanta website insiteatlanta.com Advertising Information Call 404-315-8485

President: Stephen Miller National Managing Editor: Bret Love Art Director: Michael T. Local Events Editor: Rav Mansfield Local News Editor: Glenn LaFollette Sports Editor: DeMarco Williams Web Design: Kalico Productions Contributing Writers / Interns: John Davidson, John Moore, Russell Fisher, Zena Scott, Margo Aaron, Andrew Gilstrap, Mathew Goldberg, Kim Guelcher, Andrea Hatter, Tom DeFreytas, Richard Marsh, Tracy Gould, Mark Fitten INsite is published on the first Friday of the month and is distributed free on 23 college campuses and at over 1,000 locations throughout metro Atlanta. Editorial content of INsite is the opinion of each writer and is not necessarily the opinion of INsite, its staff, or its advertisers. INsite does not knowingly accept false or mi leading advertising or editorial content, nor do the publisher or editors of INsite assume responsibility should such advertising or editorial appear. No content, i.e., articles, graphics, designs and information (any and all) in this publication may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from publisher.

Under The Lights What’s Happening on Stage in June Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

June 26 - July 1 The Fox Theatre 404-817-8700 www.ticketmaster.com

et in 1850's Oregon territory, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers tells the story of Adam Pontipee and his seven brothers' pursuit for brides. Adam, the eldest of the brothers, goes to town to get a wife and convinces a young woman named Milly to marry him that same day. They return to his backwoods home, only for Milly to discover that all six of Adam's brothers also live in their log cabin. She sets out to reform the uncouth siblings, who are anxious to get wives of their own. Then, Adam

The Jammer June 8 - July 14 Dad’s Garage Theatre 404.523-3141 www.dadsgarage.com

his violently funny roller derby drama written by Obie award winner Rolin Jones is sure to warm your heart and bruise your soul all at the same time. A roller coaster ride of love, Catholicism, and flat out badassery, this menacing mama-jama of a comedy is circling the corner and gearing up to slam you into the wall. But don’t look back…you might get an invisible skate swiped across your kisser. That's right, there are no real roller skates in this 1950's style co-ed derby play, but bruis-

THEATER PREVIEW

develops an inspired solution to his brothers' loneliness…kidnap the women they want! Following the success of the MGM film version, which boasted the talents of Jane Powell and Howard Keel, the stage version of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers opened on Broadway in 1982 at the Alvin Theatre. The musical comedy has music by Gene de Paul, lyrics by Johnny Mercer (who penned the movie songs), and a book by Lawrence Kasha and David S. Landay. The two-time Tony nominated writing team of Lawrence Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn have created new songs with music by Saul Chaplin and de Paul, and lyrics by Mercer. In addition to several new songs including "I Married Seven Brothers" and "Where Were You," there are all the favorites such as "Bless Your Beautiful Hide,"

"Going Courtin'" and "Wonderful, Wonderful Day." Performances are scheduled for TuesdayFriday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

ing, bleeding, and laughing yourself into a coma are definitely all part of the game. The skating portion of the show was chorographed with help from the Atlanta Roller Girls, Atlanta’s flat track roller derby league. The Jammer is directed byKate Warner and features actors Randy Havens, Luis Hernandez, Enoch King, Megan Leahy, Tiffany Morgan, Matt Myers, Theroun Patterson, Tim Stoltenberg, and Sloane Warren . This show contains violence, sexual situations, and a whole bunch of cursing. Not recommended for children. Dad’s Garage produces 52 weeks a year with Improv shows every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The theatre includes a 140-seat Mainstage space and a 40-seat black box space.

Dad's Garage Theatre is located in Inman Park near Little 5 Points in Atlanta, Georgia. The Theatre address is 280 Elizabeth Street, Suite C-101, Atlanta, GA 30307

Edward Watts and Michelle Dawson star in the Theater of the Stars presentation of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

Book Review COMPANY by Max Barry BY JOHN MOORE

Max Barry has deftly skewered mass consumerism (Jennifer Government) and marketing to support mass consumerism (Syrup), so it’s only natural that he would continue in the same vein of extorting the foibles of corporate America. In his latest novel Company, just released in paperback, Barry aims his gun at self help business books and a corporate America that thrives on the tomes. Barry offers a level of detail, from social interactions among co-workers to the ridiculous hierarchal structures inherent in publicly-traded company – that can only be fully re-told by someone who has witnessed first hand. It comes as no surprise then to learn the Barry put in time with HewlettPackard, before making it as a writer. Company follows recent business-school grad Stephen Jones, still holding on tightly to his notes from ethics class, who goes to work for a Seattle-based company called Zephyr, where no one can quite figure out what exactly their company does. Jones uncovers a major scheme to study the habits of his co-workers and must choose to either go along with the secret and the massive pay increase it promises if he keeps quiet, or reveal what he’s learned to his fellow low-level worker ants. Just as cynically funny and u np re d i c t ab l y sharp as his previous two books, Company should be standard issue for anyone starting a job with a 401K.

Grade: B+

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INTERESTED IN BECOMING A BIG? Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta is seeking male volunteers interested in practicing their Spanish and making new friends with a local Hispanic family. Volunteers comfortable with speaking Spanish or have an appreciation for the Hispanic culture, are matched with a child to provide friendship and advise the child on the importance of staying in school. Bigs are also eligible to receive free tickets to area events and sports games when matched with a child.

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Around Town ��

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L A R G E S T D I S C O U N T E R O F Q U A L I T Y A R T M AT E R I A L S PG 8 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

RESTAURANT PROFILE

Taste of the Month-Wings

Where to find Some of Atlanta’s Best!

Buffalo’s Cafe’

Roswell, Ga. by a Georgia Tech graduate in 1985. It was an immediate hit, and quickly expanded to more locations. There are now more than 50 Buffalo’s Southwest Cafe’s across the country. With wings this good, it’s no wonder there are so many Buffalo’s around.

Multiple Metro Locations www.buffaloscafe.com

Taco Mac

Multiple Metro Locations www.tacomac.com

Buffalo’s wings were voted Best In Atlanta in the past two years. What makes them so special? According to executive Chef Shaun Curtis, “It’s the way they’re cooked and the special sauces we use. Our sauces are one-of-akind custom recipes that you can’t get anywhere else.” Their wings are always fresh, never frozen. The plump wings are deep-fried to perfection, doused in one of their 10 secret sauces of the customer’s choosing and served with rich blue-cheese dip. The original Buffalo’s Cafe was opened in

North End Entertainment district (right next to the buckhead bar district). This buckhead location boasts a patio that sports plenty of outdoor TV’s and a great view of Peachtree. Locos delivers their wings all over Buckhead 7 days a week from 11 to late.

Jock’s & Jill’s

5 Metro Locations www.jocksandjills.com

Locos Grill & Pub 3167 Peachtree Rd. 404.233.1989 www.locosgrillandpub.com

The original Taco Mac location featured above can be found on the corner of Virginia and North Highland.

Photo courtesy of Buffalo’s

Death. All their wings have variations of the secret sauce that has been famous for nearly thirty years. As the popularity of Taco Mac's Buffalo Wings increased, cold beer and sports seemed like natural partners. The wall of drafts grew to offer the biggest selection of micro-brewed beers and imports in the south. People from all over the world could enjoy their hometown brew while watching their hometown sports team at Taco Mac. It became a favorite spot for customers to share an evening of food, friends and family. The wings here are delicious and the beer selection unparralleled. Head to Taco Mac this summer for a great time!

When it comes to wings, the mantra at Taco Mac is “We did ‘em first and we still do ‘em best!” Taco Mac brought the southeast its first taste of Buffalo Style Chicken Wings back in 1979, when a couple of guys from Buffalo, NY on their way to Florida made a stop in Atlanta. After touring the city, they decided to stay and opened the first Taco Mac in VirginiaHighlands. Their wings immediately had people talking and since then, Taco Mac has consistently won awards for their wings. This is because their wings are cooked to order to ensure a consistent standard of quality every time. The wings here are served with one of five types of sauce: Mild, Medium, Hot, Three Mile Island, and

Atlanta's Favorite Buffalo Wings

At Locos, wings are the thing. They serve some of the best chicken wings in the city. Whether you want hot, mild, honey, BBQ, Lemon Pepper, Teriyaki, or Honey Mustard; Locos has you covered! There are nightly drink specials on pitchers to help wash them down. What kind of pitcher should you get? Well, Locos has 24 different kinds to choose from. The menu also includes hot sandwiches, big burgers, seafood, and steak. Many UGA, Auburn and Ga. Southern grads who are familiar with Locos from their college days will find the Peachtree location inside the

Back in 1987, a couple of Atlanta Hawks players and a TBS announcer decided to open a sports bar. Randy Wittman, Scott Hastings, and Craig Sager found the perfect location on the corner of 10th and Peachtree. The original Midtown location was a hit from the start with other locations soon to follow. In 1995 Jock’s partners added the popular Sandy Springs restaurant Frankie’s to the group. Frankie’s was voted America’s #1 Sports Bar by USA Today. Part of the success of Jock’s and Jill’s is because of their great menu and delicious wings. They proudly label their wings “Jumbo” and they are bigger than most. Their wings come in seven unique flavors: the traditional Hot and Mild, BBQ, Teriyaki, Lemmon Pepper, Italian, Sesame and Ginger. They also have Boneless Buffalo Bites on the menu along with a Buffalo Chicken Sandwich. Besides their Wings, they offer a wide variety of menu items with daily food and beverage specials.

VOTED BEST CAJUN - 2006 Insite Magazine VOTED BEST NEW RESTAURANT & BEST NEW CAJUN - 2006 Creative Loaﬁng

For a complete list of locations and our menu visit www.tacomac.com

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FILM INTERVIEW

Toby Maguire BY MATT GOLDBERG

OBEY MAGUIRE HAS DEFINED THE ROLE OF PETER Parker and made the man behind the Spider-Man the most compelling of alter-egos. Now that he’s donning the webs for the third and perhaps ﬁnal time, we caught up with him to ask about his experience in shooting Spider-Man 3 and his future as both an actor and a producer. The dark side of you in this movie, and the funniest moment in this movie, are the swaggering down the street and seeing all the girls and getting a reaction. How much of it was scripted and how much of it was you? You know, it’s hard, I do all these interviews and pretty soon I just answer how people ask. I’m not trying to think for myself anymore. Basically the general idea of it was choreographed and then, you know, we riﬀed from there, and Sam would say throw this out, do this, and then I would throw in some thoughts and ideas and just kind of messed around with it.

The Man Behind the Mask

And then we would have to come back and shoot some more later, and there’s different elements we’re putting together to create it. In terms of just uping the ante and raising the bar, that’s more the people who are conceiving them. So Sam, who I think is a great visualist and does it with humor and is really great with the camera and has a great style with that stuff, that’s largely in his hands. What challenges are there for you as an actor outside of this franchise? What are you looking for that you find challenging? I want to do everything. I love movies, and I want to work in every genre and I just want to work with great filmmakers that I respect and admire. As an actor, I just want to do everything. I do want to challenge myself and stretch myself and, I don’t really have any set ideas about what I want to do. . Tokyo Sucker Punch. What’s the story with that? It’s something I’m developing in my production company. It’s a great title. It’s something I’m developing with Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher’s company, and Ed Solomon’s writing the screenplay right now. It’s based on this book by Isaac Sin, called Tokyo Sucker Punch, and it’s the character, Billy Chaka, who lives in Cleveland and he does this kind of manga thing, that he uses his own character, or a heightened version of himself, Billy Chaka, in this thing, and it’s really a fantasy of who he is. And really he’s this small town kid in Cleveland who thinks he does have like a cult following and think he thinks he’s more worldly than he is, and he has to go to Japan for--they’ve made a movie out of the Billy Chaka character, so he goes to Japan go be part of the thingyou know, reluctantly. And he ends up getting involved in a Billy Chaka type of adventure in Tokyo. It’s really cool and I’m excited about it, so, we’ll see. We’re developing it right now.

IT’S FUNNY REALLY’ I GO TO SET AND I’M HAVING A BLAST. LIKE I WAKE UP IN THE MORNING AND IT’S NOT LIKE A NIGHTMARE THAT I’M UP AT 5:30, 6 IN THE MORNING, IT’S LIKE OKAY COOL. I’M GROGGY, I’VE GOT TO JUMP IN THE SHOWER, BUT I’M EXCITED TO GO OFF TO WORK.

I apologize for asking this question, because I know everybody asks it, about the 4th film. I talked with Sam about it and he said he wouldn’t do it unless you were onboard. I asked Sam what it would take to get him onboard, and now I’m going to ask you what it would take for you? What did Sam say it would take to get him onboard? He said he would have to see a deficit in the character of Peter Parker that still needed to be addressed. That’s a good answer. Mine won’t be as interesting or as well thought, but for me there would have to be a great screenplay, a great story, something really worth telling. Some new territory for us to go on with Peter Parker. Sam would have to be involved, the right cast would have to be in place, and then I would consider it. The producers said during this junket that in the last ten days everything is a little bit wider open in that people have changed their minds a little bit. Are they just being producers or is that true? Well the studio will make more Spider-Man movies one way or another and you know, you never know until you’re there, so it’s hard to say what people’s mind frames are. Today it might be one thing--there’s a lot that has to happen, and like I said, they’ll figure out how to make them one way or another. You know, Warner Brothers with Superman and Batman, it’s like, they can recast, they can bring in new people and they can reconceive things and come at it from, have a different take. Who knows? Whether we continue this story with this cast of people or not, we’ll see, and how open people are, I don’t really know. You don’t know until there’s something in front of you. Could you identify with Peter’s view of celebrity? I mean, Peter reacts very differently than I do. He is much more reflective about it and kind of soaking it in a different way. He loves it, he bathes in it, he’s swimming in it, he’s like “Oh, they love me!” He just loves it, and it gets to his head and he’s becoming kind of arrogant and believes his own hype. He’s got a real self-importance and I love it, the scenes we’re doing with Kirsten where Peter’s trying to give her advice, it’s just hilarious to me. And you know, it’s funny, because nobody really laughs at those scenes, but I’m just sitting there cracking up. I just find them so funny. So our experiences are different. I understand what you’re saying, but we just react differently. What are the challenges of being in these major action set pieces and how do you have to get ready? It’s a lot of work. I mean, it’s cool, the results are great and you know, that’s kind of like the means to the end, and that’s what helps sometimes with staying motivated through that stuff, because you have so much down time and then you’ve got to go and get yourself to the height of an action sequence, and you shoot something and it’s maybe one to six seconds of film. And it takes probably like a month for us to shoot a major action sequence. PG 12 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

You would star in it? I’m developing it for, with that idea, yeah. Would you consider being a bit player, say Spider-Man, in an Avengers-type movie? I don’t know. It depends, I guess. It depends on what the movie was or who the filmmaker was. I mean, that would probably be pretty complicated in terms of just getting different studios to figure out as they have the rights to those certain characters. But let’s just say in the fantasy world that it was all figured out: it depends. If there was a filmmaker I loved and my part, you know, I could go in and it would be more of a fun little thing where I worked for a couple of days. I probably wouldn’t go and work for several months and be in an ensemble type of thing. I mean, you never know, but I really doubt it. Would I walk through a scene and have a little conversation as Peter Parker with a little red suit showing that was just a fun little moment with a director that I loved in a movie that I thought would be great? Yeah, maybe I would consider that.

After wearing the red tights for two movies, was it nice getting to switch to the black for this? It was fun, I mean fun just to have a different suit, sure, and also just what it represented and you know, how it allowed us to explore new grounds for Peter Parker. Did you like the challenges of this film as opposed to the previous two? Yeah. and the thing I felt is really impressive is how Sam really wove all the stories together and didn’t make it feel disjointed like it was a bunch of separate storylines, but it really came together under common themes. So I feel like that was the greatest challenge with that, which wasn’t really my job, but that’s what I was most impressed with regarding that. Spider-Man was your first blockbuster, like in that genre. What have you learned from his whole experience as an actor? I’m not quite sure what I’ve learned, but I know I’ve learned a lot. It’s been six years and I feel like I’m just more at ease in general, working, which is great. One of the things I’ve really gained is a great relationship with a lot of the crew and cast but especially with Sam. I really love working with Sam, it’s such a pleasure, we have so much fun together, he’s so collaborative. It’s funny really’ I go to set and I’m having a blast. Like I wake up in the morning and it’s not like a nightmare that I’m up at 5:30, 6 in the morning, it’s like okay cool. I’m groggy, I’ve got to jump in the shower, but I’m excited to go off to work.

g Fantastic An el

BY ALEX LASSITER

HE ROCKY ROAD FROM PRECO CIOUS CHILD STAR to successful adult actor is a notoriously treacherous one. For every Natalie Portman-style success story, there’s a dozen River Phoenixes and Edward Furlongs, who burned out under the harsh glare of fame’s spotlight. So you’ve got to have some measure of respect for Jessica Alba, who began her career at the ripe old age of 12, carefully avoided becoming another tabloid-exploited cliché and emerged as one of Hollywood’s most popular sex symbols. Born in 1981 to a Mexican father and a mother of French and Danish descent, Alba’s family moved around frequently during her father’s stint in the Air Force before settling in Southern California when she was nine. According to the 26-year-old actress, it was this impermanent existence of her early childhood that initially prepared her for the nomadic life of a movie star. “I think it made it easier to be an actor, because you’re always moving around, having to adapt to different environments. I went to nine different schools before I was 12, and now it’s backfired because if I ever stay in one place for too long, I start to go nutty. I’m like, okay, it’s time to go!” she says with an infectious laugh. “I had a hard time making friends as a kid because kids are so used to consistency, and I’m so inconsistent just because I’m not always around.” Perhaps this explains why she was drawn to the escapist fantasies of her favorite childhood movies, including Flashdance, Fame, Dirty Dancing and Saturday Night Fever. It was during regular family trips to a Del Rio, Texas drive-in that the five-year-old Alba first decided she wanted to become an actress, but it would be seven more years before she would actually make her first move towards realizing that dream. “My family didn’t have the means [for me to take acting classes]. I wanted to, but my dad was making no money. It was hard because we only had one income and one car,” she recalls, “and my parents weren’t really in a position for me to do that. I actually didn’t take any kind of professional training until I was 16, after I graduated high school.” Of course, her family’s financial problems weren’t enough to prevent the determined young Alba from making her champagne wishes and caviar dreams come true. In 1993, soon after landing her first agent, she was hired for a minor role in the Christopher Lloyd family film Camp Nowhere. But when an actress in a principal role dropped out, director Jonathan Prince chose Alba to take over the part. “It wasn’t like a big break,” Alba laughs when asked about her first film. “The girl they originally had for the part got sick or something, and they needed someone to play ‘Kissing Girl.’ They went into casting and matched our hair to hers, because we were replacing somebody who was already in the movie. When I got the part, the director liked me and gave me a couple of lines, so I got my SAG card.” Though it’s easy for her to dismiss the film’s importance to her career now, Alba’s appearance in Camp Nowhere ultimately led to national ad campaigns for Nintendo and J.C. Penney, a supporting role on Nickelodeon’s popular sitcom The Secret World of Alex Mack, and a lead role in the 1995 revival of the classic TV series Flipper (which lasted two seasons). From there it was on to small roles in teen-friendly films such as Never Been Kissed and Idle Hands, but it was her butt-kicking breakthrough role on James Cameron’s cult sci-fi series Dark Angel that made Alba the object of a million fanboy fantasies. Set in a post-apocalyptic Seattle, Dark Angel cast Alba (who was barely 19 years old at the time) as Max Guevera, a genetically enhanced

superhuman prototype who escaped from a secret military lab. On the run from government agents who want to bring her back into the fold, the titular heroine took on ruthless power brokers while searching for others like her, desperately hoping to uncover the secrets of

FILM INTERVIEW

Jessica Alba Heats Up the Summer Movie Season

was altered so that when she expresses her emotions, she turns invisible. Though not quite the Spider Man smash 20th Century Fox had hoped for, the family-friendly ﬁlm performed well enough to merit a sequel, this month’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and Alba seemed

I ACTUALLY LIKE HAVING AN AUDIENCE AND SEEING PEOPLE AFFECTED BY STUFF THAT I’M IN. I LOVE ENTERTAINING! her past. The action-packed thriller achieved respectable ratings and attracted a diehard cult following– especially among the Maxim and FHM crowd– but still the show was cancelled after just two seasons, reportedly due to gargantuan production costs. According to Alba, the cast and crew were just as shocked as the show’s fans when they heard news of its unepected demise. “[James Cameron] had a really tough time with it,” she recalls. “He was trying to explain, but he really couldn’t, because it was all weird and political and had nothing to do with ratings or the fanbase. Our fans were very loyal, and they really missed the show. But luckily, the same day it got cancelled the head of Universal called me about Honey, so I jumped right into doing that.” Much like Camp Nowhere, Alba’s danceheavy teen flick seemed eminently disposable upon its 2003 release, coming off as a hip-hopinfluenced Flashdance update that had been watered down for mass consumption. But despite a paltry $17 million budget, the film brought in over $30 million at the U.S. box office, proving Alba’s fanbase (which had voted her #1 on Maxim’s Hot 100 Babe List in 2002) would turn out in droves to see her strutting her stuff. No wonder, then, that acclaimed indie director Robert Rodriguez tapped her to play lasso-twirling exotic dancer Nancy Callahan in his 2005 smash, Sin City. “I wanted to do that movie because Robert Rodriguez was directing it, first and foremost,” she acknowledges. “I didn’t really know it was a comic book before I read the script. I would just ask my agent every month, ‘What’s Robert doing? I want to do something with him!’ I auditioned the old-fashioned way: I met with a casting director and put myself on tape. It was a week of, ‘Does [Robert] think I suck? I don’t even care if I get the role, I just don’t want Robert to think I suck.’ He didn’t think I sucked.” Neither did audiences, who made the inventive adaptation of Frank Miller’s classic graphic novel the biggest hit of Alba’s career, to the tune of nearly $80 million (a sequel is already in production, for a planned 2008 release). Interestingly, the actress stuck to her guns and shunned the nudity of the original comic book character, insisting that dancing around in a lasso and chaps would be sexy enough and that her father would “probably disown me” if she went bottomless. The result was a potent performance that carefully treaded the thin line dividing lust from lasciviousness, much like one of Alba’s role models in a previous Rodriguez film. “I wanted a choreographer, but Robert said no. He said, ‘We’re going to play the music and I want you to just feel it, like Salma Hayek in From Dusk ‘til Dawn.’ Mind you, he’s [talking about] the sexiest dance I’ve ever seen on camera! I’m like, “Are you serious? I have to live up to that?!’ It’s iconic. She wasn’t naked, and she was gorgeous. My heart was beating so fast, I was soooo nervous. I went to strip clubs to see how strippers do it, and I had some Texans teach me how to rope and lasso.” Alba immediately followed with another major film franchise, The Fantastic Four, which she insists couldn’t be more different from Rodriguez’s gritty epic. Alba starred as Sue Storm, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed scientist whose DNA

to enjoy returning to the Invisible Girl role. “I think she’s a wonderful role model for women,” Alba insists proudly. “I think she’s intelligent, she’s maternal and she keeps these boys in line. She has an amazing power– a force ﬁeld which basically protects people– that, as a maternal person who wants to have kids and who does have dogs that are naughty and like to go into the middle of the street, is something I’d like to have. But she’s still very much a woman. She’s not walking in and kicking people’s butts for no reason. She does it when she has to, and

she does it all like a lady.” Much like Alba herself, who appears to be kicking major butt in the career department for the second half of 2007. The Ten, an indie about the Ten Commandments that made its debut at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, is due to for a gradual rollout starting in August. Good Luck Chuck, a romantic comedy in which she co-stars opposite Dane Cook, also hits theaters that month. Then she has Awake, a drama with Hayden Christensen and Terrence Howard, and The Eye, a remake of a supernatural thriller from Hong Kong, due out later in the year. For those keeping score, that’s five movies in six months, suggesting Alba may be making her own bid for Hollywood superpower. “I’ve been doing this for a lot of years, so it’s definitely not an overnight thing. These movies all just happen to come out this year. I don’t entertain and act for myself,” she confesses. “[If that were the case] I’d just act in the mirror. I actually like having an audience and seeing people affected by stuff that I’m in. I love entertaining!”

PG 13 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

FILM INTERVIEW

Laura Linney on Indie Cred and Blockbuster Success BY ALEX LASSITER

N HOLLYWOOD, THERE’S A WIDELY HELD PERCEPTION that there’s a gaping chasm dividing independent films from big-budget studio productions, and true thespians from movie stars. But even if these disparate realms were somehow diametrically opposed, Laura Linney is the rare performer who wouldn’t need a passport to move between them. She’s hardly a household name on the level of, say, Angelina Jolie, but if salaries were based on respect Linney would be one of the industry’s highest-paid actresses. Born in 1964 to prominent New York playwright Romulus Linney, Laura was seemingly destined for the stage, graduating from Brown University and studying at Juilliard before taking Broadway by storm in productions such as Hedda Gabler and Six Degrees of Separation. But in the 11 years since her breakthrough film role opposite Richard Gere in Primal Fear, she’s moved capably from stage to screen and from tiny indies (including You Can Count On Me and Kinsey) to major blockbusters (including The Truman Show and Mystic River), earning two Oscar nominations and critical acclaim along the way. In the new Australian indie Jindabyne she plays a woman whose marriage begins to crumble when she finds out that her husband (Gabriel Byrne) and his buddies found the body of a murdered girl on their fishing trip, yet waited several days to report their gruesome find. We recently sat down with the 43-year-old actress to discuss the ups and downs of her

eclectic career, ﬁghting for projects she believes in and the perils of being a self-proclaimed workaholic.

under the right circumstances. It does take patience, but you have to commit.

What do you look for when you’re choosing a role? It’s diﬀerent. Sometimes it’s the character when the roles are fantastic. Sometimes it’s the director. Sometimes it’s the script itself. Sometimes it’s the overall movie. Sometimes it’s the location. I agonize over roles occasionally, but not very often. Usually, it’s pretty clear.

Have you ever lost out on another job by holding out? You always check in to see what’s happening, asking them where they are in the process and telling them why you have to take this job or that job. Kinsey was on and off and on and off, then there was a point where it was finally going to happen. So Liam Neeson and I both cleared our schedules, praying and sort of gambling that the movie would happen in that window. And it did. But it was a bit of a risk.

As the daughter of a playwright, do you tend to stick to the script or do you like to improvise? With the more experience I have, I will go to writers and say, “What about this?” or “Can we tweak that?” More than anything I ask that things be taken out, because it’s just too much. You don’t have to tell the audience every single second how they should feel. There’s a big diﬀerence between a script that’s going through a studio system trying to get funding and an actual working script for us to act. A lot of times scripts aren’t actable. Primal Fear put you on the map... Well, I wouldn’t underestimate Congo. I wouldn’t underestimate the grand power of the ape! (Laughs)

THAT’S THE GREAT THING ABOUT BEING AN ACTOR, THROWING YOURSELF INTO THESE SITUATIONS AND LEARNING HOW TO ADAPT. CONSEQUENTLY, YOU LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUR OWN FACILITY AND WHAT YOU CAN DO.

Do most actors have such a good sense of humor about their stinkers? You have to. And the thing about Congo is that I learned a lot making that movie. It’s a ridiculous performance and I know it! It wasn’t Macbeth there (laughs). But that movie was profoundly important to me because it’s where I learned how to be on a film set. Coming out of Juilliard, I had a few days of making movies, but I didn’t know anything about making movies. I was scared to death! Congo was an opportunity that allowed me for six months to learn how movies were made. I didn’t have to worry about acting. I didn’t have to reach deep down. It wasn’t about that. So every three weeks I’d spend time with a different department. I used the time there very well, and really used those people well. It was a real kick in the pants. You were great on Fraiser a few years ago, and won an Emmy for your efforts. What’s the TV world like? When they called me to do it, it was one of those things I knew absolutely nothing about. I had done miniseries and hour-long dramas, but I’d never done a sitcom before, and thought that I might as well learn from the best people possible. What I found out was that a sitcom is unlike anything else, as far as how it’s put together and how it’s run. That’s the great thing about being an actor, throwing yourself into these situations and learning how to adapt. Consequently, you learn more about your own facility and what you can do. I loved every single second of it. You get there and they say, “Well, have you done a play?” I say, “Well, I’ve done a few.” Then they say that it’s just like doing a play. But it ain’t nothin’ like a play! (Laughs) It made me feel bad that they have to say that about it, because it really has to be respected as its own beast. I read somewhere that you stuck through project development on Kinsey for three years. Is that unusual, or do you have that kind of devotion to all your movies? The really good ones always have a hard time getting together, for some reason; the ones that are maybe a little bit more unusual or maybe not obviously commercial. They always take a long time, and you just have to stick by them and they ultimately will come together

�� PG 14 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

You’ve been nominated for two Oscars now. How do you feel about the hype of awards season? It’s lovely when you’re nominated for an Oscar. It’s really great fun. The way that I look at it– the way to not be completely embarrassed by it– is to recognize that it’s so hard to make a great movie. It’s so hard to act well in a movie. It’s like someone saying that you did good work this year, like a huge celebration that good work happened. You took a fairly light turn in last year’s Man of the Year. Do you occasionally yearn for an experience like that to break up the darker,

more serious fare? I certainly had fun doing it, but she was still complicated in a different sort of way. But I would love to do something that’s a little simpler, a little purer. The complicated ones are really hard work. I love doing them and chewing on them, but it’s nice to take a break and have a lark and twirl around and have fun. You flew down to a remote section of Australia to film Jindabyne. What was the draw? There’s so much going on, including the relationships that everybody has with each other and to the environment. I can’t exactly put my finger on what it is, but I love ensemble pieces and am always attracted to things where people’s behaviors have consequences that affect someone else. It was just beautifully written by a playwright (Beatrix Christian, based on a Raymond Carver short story), so there’s an ear for the actors. It’s very actable material– there’s not a lot in the way, and it’s very trusting in the actors, letting you do the work. It also has respect for the audience, which is a relief. It’s not result-oriented; it’s a very layered, delicate work. You’ve only 43, yet you’ve been working steadily for nearly two decades now. How do you feel about your success to date? It’s really nice, but it’s surprising. I guess I didn’t expect it because it wasn’t my goal. I just wanted to work with good people in the theatre, and I wanted to learn. I’ve been incredibly lucky. I don’t really restrict myself to any one medium, which has a lot to do with it, and I’m willing to do a movie no matter what I’m paid. It’s really been more about being open to new experiences than anything else You’ve referred to yourself as a workaholic in the past. Is it getting any easier to relax as you get older? It’s horrible to refer to life as a hobby, (laughs) but it has been an unusually busy few years. Even unhealthily busy, and I’m aware of that. But it’s also been the best years of work I’ve had, and every single project has been enormously satisfying for me. So I’m really, really grateful. I’m sure there will be a time where I’ll sit down and everyone will say, “What the hell happened to Laura Linney?”

FILM INTERVIEW

NO SCRUB – Zach Braff On His TV Show, Film Career & Burgeoning Tastemaker Status BY B. LOVE

OR SIX YEARS NOW, ZACH Braﬀ has been building a loyal following via his role as sensitive doctor John Dorian on the NBC sitcom Scrubs. But with the success of Garden State (which he wrote, directed, starred in and supervised the soundtrack for), he also established himself as one of the more talented auteurs on the indie ﬁlm scene, balancing elements of comedy and drama with a knock for heartfelt, genuinely emotional storytelling. In the years since, though

projects such as The Last Kiss and his latest film, The Ex, have failed to earn Garden State’s level of critical adulation, they have earned Braff enough Hollywood cache to get his next directorial effort, Open Heart, greenlit. We recently spoke to Braff via telephone just prior to the announcement that NBC had renewed Scrubs for one last season. You’ve covered a lot of stylistic ground in the last few years, going from Scrubs to Garden State, to Chicken Little, to the serious drama that was The Last Kiss. Now you’re doing borderline slapstick with The Ex. Is there any particular style you prefer? If you’re a stonemason, you don’t always want to do brick. I think no matter what your job is, you want to shake it up. I love doing broad comedy, like this [movie] is physical comedy, totally for the Scrubs audience. When I made this movie I made it thinking this was totally in the vein of Scrubs, and I think that people will really like it. But the next movie I’m thinking about directing is a dark drama. You know, you always want to do something different, because if you just start doing the same thing over and over again it gets really boring. It just depends on what mood you’re in, you know? Like some months you’re in a silly, goofy, wacky mood, and sometimes you’re in a more serious, brooding mood. After doing Scrubs for six years, I can tell you there’s been weeks where I was in a horrible mood and had to go do that, which makes it really hard. I mean, I don’t think anyone could tell, but it’s always challenging to try and be silly and wacky when you’re not feeling it.

Well, once you do it and it goes well, it’s hard to go back. As a filmmaker, you automatically have strong opinions about things, which is not to say that they’re necessarily right. But part of being a filmmaker is being someone who is decisive and has strong opinions on things, so that can be challenging when you’re working for somebody else and you don’t agree with them. But you ultimately have to yield to them, because it’s their movie. And that was the case with Jesse Peretz in this movie. Do you have any advice for aspiring filmmakers? I think that the best thing to do is just to make films, you know? Nowadays, with video and YouTube, it’s just so easy. You have no excuse.

terrified. And I really was. I was in a little bit over my head. You have a very unique style of comedy. Who were your early comedic influences? Well, I would obviously say Woody Allen is a big hero. Bob Newhart. When I was growing up, John Ritter was a hero of mine. You know, those are the first ones that come to mind. How did you originally get into acting in the first place? My father did community theatre as sort of a hobby, and he started bringing me to his rehearsals. He was in a production of Hello Dolly, and I came and watched rehearsal and just thought it was so cool. I wanted to be a part of it. Does making a film like The Ex interfere with your Scrubs shooting schedule at all? How supportive are your fellow cast members of your burgeoning film career? Scrubs is an incredibly supportive environment. We all root for each other and have movies coming out and we all go each other’s premieres. You know, the Scrubs thing is great because you do the show for seven months and then you have five months off to really pursue whatever you want, or take a vacation if that’s what you want. So it didn’t really interfere because I was able to squeeze it in.

IF YOU’RE A STONEMASON, YOU DON’T ALWAYS WANT TO DO BRICK. I THINK NO MATTER WHAT YOUR JOB IS, YOU WANT TO SHAKE IT UP.

You wrote and directed Garden State. How difﬁcult is it now to have a role in a ﬁlm you’re not writing or directing? Do you miss having more control over the creative process?

Anyone can get their hands on a video camera. I just tell people to go make short films and really put some time into them. Don’t just make crap. Make a short short– like under 10 minutes, because no one likes long shorts– and really come up with something that you feel best represents you and the kind of films you really want to make. That becomes sort of like your business card, and that’s a way that you can begin to get into film festivals and begin to network and begin to take the first steps towards making a feature film. You’ve just got to do it. No amount of taking classes and talking about it is going to make any difference. You’ve got to get out there and make films, and really spend a lot of time on developing a good script. That’s what sets certain ones apart. I read somewhere that you’ve wanted to be a filmmaker all your life. Could you pinpoint some of the films, directors or actors that inspired you? Well, before there were VCRs my father used to get a hold of prints of Woody Allen movies and show them in our house. He would have, like, an Annie Hall dinner party and project a 16-millimeter print of movies on the wall. So even at a very young age– before I knew anything about movies and before I could possibly understand a Woody Allen movie or anything– I have memories of my father celebrating the art of movies and filmmaking. It’s really a testament to my parents, because they are very involved in the arts and always supported the arts. I grew up in New Jersey, where you could commute into Manhattan and see theater and films that didn’t come to the suburbs. I mean, another early memory was, before “independent cinema” was all over the place as it is right now, my dad would bring me into these art house theaters in Manhattan. I remember he brought me to see the movie The Gods Must Be Crazy and I didn’t know anything about it, but I loved it. And it was something that I would never have had access to if I hadn’t had parents that sought it out. So it was just sort of ingrained into my childhood, this appreciation for the arts and particularly the performing arts. With your father’s early emphasis on Woody Allen, it must’ve really floored you to get a chance to appear in his 1993 film, Manhattan Murder Mystery. It did, yeah, because Annie Hall is one of my favorite movies of all time, so to play his and Diane Keaton’s son was pretty amazing. I mean, if you look at my face closely for the 45 seconds I’m on screen, you’ll notice that I look

If the show moves to ABC, as rumors have suggested it might, do you think that will affect the show’s tone at all? I don’t think so. You know, NBC has never really promoted the show a ton, because they don’t own it. I do think that if ABC [which does own the show] put it on the air and promoted it– especially since it would be probably be the last season– they could really promote the fact that we’re now on ABC. I mean, that doesn’t happen very often. And if you really gave it a good time slot and ran ads for it, I think that the audience could really grow, especially now that Scrubs has been doing so incredibly well in syndication. I really feel like it just needs someone to give it the extra push and it could graduate to the next level. I don’t know that NBC will ever do that, because they don’t really have too much stake in it. Because, you know, their sister or brother company doesn’t own the show. So I think a Touchstone show on ABC with a lot of promotion could do really well. After the success of the Scrubs, Garden State and The Last Kiss soundtracks, you’ve earned a reputation for having a great ear for new, undiscovered or little-known artists. Will you be assembling the soundtrack for your next film? Who are some of the artists you’re listening to? Well, I didn’t do it for The Ex, if that’s what you mean. But I will be doing it for Open Heart. There’s this girl, Schuyler Fisk, who doesn’t have an album out yet but you can hear her music on MySpace. She’s incredible, and I think that she’s going to be a big talent. Other than that, I like Regina Spektor right now, and I just got turned onto this girl Ingrid Michaelson that a thousand people have told me to listen to. I’ve been procrastinating, but I finally listened to her. I just put her on my MySpace page because she’s pretty good, too. I really don’t know anything about music other than the fact that I just like what I like. I’m sure you’ve run into this experience where you see an artist in any art form that you love, and you just can’t believe that no one knows about them yet. Out in L.A. or New York I’ll go see a musician and they’ll blow me away, then I find out they’re not signed or anything and it just shocks me. . If I can be a catalyst for some amazing musician to help get exposure, then I feel honored. PG 15 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

FILM

�� DEATH AT A FUNERAL:� �� – Mitchell Hughes DISTURBIA:�� – Matt Goldberg PG 16 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

KNOCKED UP:�� –Matt Goldberg HOT FUZZ:��

Do you think she feels bad for being pregnant or for having sex with this guy? Find out way which Katherine Heigl (left) feels in Judd Apatow’s “Knocked Up.” �� – Matt Goldberg MR. BROOKS:� ��

�� – Matt Goldberg NANCY DREW:�� – Zena Scott

ONCE:� �� – Matt Goldberg

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END:� ��

��

ROLLING STONE

HILARIOUS

“

in ways you have to see to believe!” Peter Travers

– Matt Goldberg SEVERANCE:� �� – Matt Goldberg SHREK THE THIRD:��

STARTS FRIDAY,

JUNE 1

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on Thursday, June 21 at AMC Phipps Plaza Pass can be picked up at the following locations:

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Opens Nationwide Friday, June 22 PG 17 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

It’s difﬁcult to decide who is the worse villian: Sandman (a.k.a. Lowell from “Wings”) or this guy with daddy issues. You decide in “Spider-Man 3.” �� – Matt Goldberg SPIDER-MAN 3:� �� PG 18 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

�� – Matt Goldberg �� – Zena Scott

Win a Night’s Stay in Room 1408 at the InterContinental Hotel in Buckhead Enter by going online to insiteatlanta.com. Tell us your SCARIEST hotel experience! Must be 21 years old to enter. Deadline to enter is June 22. Other hotel requirements may apply. Contest sponser employees are not eligible.

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Vidiots This month’s DVD & VHS Releases

BLACK SNAKE MOAN – Craig Brewer’s follow-up to Hustle & Flow re-

volves around the parallel stories of Lazarus (Samuel L. Jackson) and Rae (Christina Ricci), each of whom is left by their love at the beginning of the movie. While Lazarus drinks away his loneliness, Rae screws the town’s entire male population and ingests enough drugs to tranquilize a horse. The next day, Lazarus finds her passed out, beaten and nearly naked on the side of the road. Lazarus takes her in, but after she tries running off in a drug-induced stupor, he vows to keep her safe by chaining her to the living room heater. The plot development seems forced through most of the film and thus it never truly captures the spirit of the blues Brewer strived for, and what’s left is a shell of the film it could’ve been. Grade C+ (TD)

Breach – Based on a true story, this film follows the capture of FBI Agent Robert Hanssen (Chris Cooper), who leaked info to the Russians for 22 years, and how investigator Eric O’Neill (Ryan Phillippe) helped the FBI catch him. Hanssen is sinister, arrogant, pathetic, hypocritical and deep, and will have you absolutely enraptured. Unfortunately, Phillippe’s O’Neill ends up crippling the film, seeming like a complete tool. As the film progresses, more weight and time shifts to O’Neill, and neither the script nor Phillippe’s screen presence is up to the task. The film has a lot of maturity, and I respect its quest for realism, but a miscast Phillippe and his lack of an interesting character arc leave Cooper carrying the film. Grade B- (MG)

Bridge to Terabithia – Leslie (Annasophia Robb) is a city girl who’s just

moved to the country, while Jesse (Josh Hutcherson) is a poor farm boy who doesn’t ﬁt in anywhere. Leslie’s an only child, while Jesse is the middle of 5 kids, and the only boy. Though total opposites, their love of foot racing unites them after Leslie embarrasses him (and all the other boys) by winning one day. Their rivalry becomes a lasting friendship when they discover a magical place where bullies are replaced by ogres, chores are replaced by treasure hunts and reality is fused with imagination. Although the ﬁlm revolves around the lives of tweens, the situations they encounter provide a genuine emotional attachment, with the ultimate moral that while people we love will die, friendships and imagination never do. Grade B (ZS)

Ghost Rider – In Mark Stephen Johnson’s second Marvel Comics adap-

tation, Nicolas Cage understands the campy, comic nature of the character, and is clearly having a fun time. Johnson writes/directs it as if Ghost Rider is a great mythological avenger and, if his star doesn’t agree, he’ll just

PICK OF THE MONTH Reno 911!: Miami – The film debut of the world’s worst cops follows the inept Reno Sheriff ’s Dept when they’re invited to a Law Enforcement convention in Miami. When a bioterror quarantines off the entire convention hotel, the city is in desperate need of anyone with a gun and a badge, and from there the film is basically the show writ-large, allowing for raunchy humor basic cable won’t allow. There’s a bit of a missed opportunity to parody action films instead of merely making a big-screen parody of COPS, but I was laughing my ass off most of the time, so it’s hard to complain much. Reno 911!: Miami may not be as satirical, biting and ultimately popular as Borat, but fans of the show will be more than pleased. MG

reinforce the notion via every supporting player and the CGI creation of his title character. The result is a film that fails on almost every level. Mark Stephen Johnson should, at best, be the guy that fetches coffee for the real director, and Nicolas Cage should function as producer for a much better comic book movie. I didn’t subject you to the details of the plot because I don’t feel the need to repeat insults. If you want to laugh at a horrendous movie, Ghost Rider is definitely a ready target for your mockery. Grade D

Hannibal Rising – This prequel to the Hannibal Lecter saga falls short by not only ignoring the character’s wit and genius, but also turning him into the softest of anti-heroes. The plot is revenge, as Hannibal (Gaspard Ulliel) tracks down the men who ate his sister as an act of survival during WWII, but these men are so monstrous and simplistic that his revenge seems selfish, especially when he’s surrounded by others who lost everything in the war, including his aunt (Gong Li) and the world’s least threatening war crimes detective, Inspector Popil (Dominic West). Where Dr. Hannibal Lecter loves the study of the mind and became a psychologist, this young Hannibal is taciturn and only flickers to life during his brutal kills. Despite Ulliel’s tremendous screen presence and director Peter Webber’s earnest direction, Hannibal Rising is a denigration of an icon, truncating the character and feeding the appetite of gore-hounds who can’t wait for the next Hostel or Saw. Grade D (MG) Norbit – Clearly trying to bank on the success of past comedies in which he played a number of different roles, Norbit casts Eddie Murphy as Norbit, a wimpy doormat raised in an orphanage; Rasputia, his abusive, obese wife; and Mr. Wong, the racist owner of the orphanage/Chinese restaurant in which he was raised. The image of Murphy as a huge woman and an ancient Chinese man is amusing for about a minute, but the gag grows thin when he tries to build a 90-minute movie around what would barely pass as a sketch on SNL. Cuba Gooding Jr. pops up as a bad guy, serving as a cautionary reminder to other actors that an Oscar win doesn’t trump a career filled with bad movie choices. Advocacy groups for the overweight may complain about the movie, but they’ll need to get in line behind anyone who had to actually pay to see it. Grade D (JM) Pride – This fact-based film tells the story of Philadelphia Dept of Rec-

reation swim coach, Jim Ellis (Terrence Howard), who wills a handful of inner-city kids to a swimming title in the racially-tense ‘70s. Just from looking at previews, you knew there were going to be inspiring moments of despair and repair.With respect to tugs at the heartstring, this Speedowearing Coach Carter doesn’t disappoint. Then again, neither does Terrence Howard, who refuses to let predictable fare– the drug dealer (Gary Anthony Sturgis) who wants kids to stay in the streets, the hard-nosed parent (Kimberly Elise) who wants kids to stay in the books– get soaked in sappiness or contrivance. In less capable hands, this would’ve been nothing more than a feel-good bit of Hallmark Channel programming. But with Howard, Bernie Mac (as his assistant) and Elise anchoring the team, not to mention Pride’s uplifting sports story foundation, the ﬁlm somehow rises from the pool of clichéd, odds-defying cinema as something much more. Grade B (DW) PG 19 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

�� Michael Stacey Band �� Sam Thacker, Grayson Manor,

CONCERT CALENDER �� Block Party �� Kai Alce �� Silver Lakes, Wax Fang, Sluscho �� Pierce Pettis, Kate Campbell �� Little Joey �� Trey Wright Trio �� We Are Kings, Confined to the Shadows, T Minues Ten, The Promise Drive �� KillWhitneyDead, The Demonstration, War of Tyrants �� Zydefunk �� Reckless �� Lynyrd Skynyrd & Hank Williams Jr. �� Outformation, The Sundogs �� Kings of Leon, Snowden �� Chris Pierson �� Zac Brown Band �� Wilx �� Janelle Monae �� Dashboard Confessional, Daughtry, Augustana, Katharine McPhee �� Francine Reed & The Shadows �� Homemade Jam �� Mitch Easter, The Tim Lee 3, The Preakness �� 26th Bi-Annual Open Mic Shootout �� Frankie’s Blue Mission �� The Bridge, Newberry Jam �� 99X Big Day Out: Cornell, Interpol, Cake, The Bravery, Plain White T’s, The Almost, Madina Lake �� Altered Code Atom, Velocity �� Sage Francis, Buck 65, Alias, Buddy Wakefield �� Ike Stubblefield & Guests �� Grayson Hill, Justin Godsey �� Outformation, Captain Soularcat �� Fergie, Rooney �� ORT Rocks! Tock Legends Concert

�� Good Times Atlanta �� The Good Good �� Elevado, Moresight, Envie, Neva Geoffrey �� Gareth Asher, Joel Hamilton, Brian Wiltsey, Sam Shaber �� Chicken Shack �� The Soul of John Black �� Anthony David �� New Years Day, William Tell, Everybody Else, Honor Roll, Frequence �� Wolf Fest: The Breeze Kings �� Evan & Jaron, Wes Loper Band �� Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, Eclectic Collective, Geoff Achison �� Page McConnell �� Josh Roberts & The Hinges �� Southern Girls �� S.O.U.L., Kai Alce �� Dave Michealson �� Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Cheer Accident �� Brother Henry, Jeremy Lister, Jason Harrod �� The Georgia Gooks �� State Radio �� Rainn Beneﬁt Concert �� Vitriol, Dead to the World, Forge By Fire, Burning Sherman �� The Less, Flights From Egypt �� Reese & The Cazanovas �� The Breakfast Club �� To Whom, Rockets to Ruin, Greedy White Citizens �� Edwin McCain �� Frontiers �� Aloe Blacc, Eugene IV �� Dave Michealson �� Lavender Diamond, Entrance, JuJu B Solomon �� Matthew Perryman Jones, Katie Herzig, Christopher Williams �� Jason Pastras �� State Radio �� Second Shift �� The Bitter End, Last Hope Down, Noizy Oizys, NHN, Doomed Youth �� Ingrain, Project Mayhem, Journal of a Plague Year �� Beverly ‘Guitar’ Watkins �� Zoso �� The Heartless Bastards �� Tim Brantley, Florez, Over the Counter Culture �� Kubiks & Lomax �� Greg Conners �� Cowboy Envy, Rose Polenzani, Danielle Howle, The Near Misses �� Backwater Creek �� CC Booker II �� Rich Bicknell & The Shameless Lovers, Blake Rainy & His Demons

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�� Hounddog Radio B-Day Bash �� The Comas, The Broken West �� Jenni Alpert, David McMillin, Nathan Angelo, Micah Dalton, Josh Wilson, Stephen Hunton �� Backwater Creek �� Toubab Krewe �� Steven Wright �� Tool �� Fat City Wildcats �� Grey Market, Under the Flood, The High & Mighties �� Ne-Yo �� Trees on Fire, Colbie Caillat, Eleisha Eagle �� J.T. Speed �� Elizabeth Cook, Dappled Grays �� Al Smith Jam Session �� Lay Down Mains, Battlecat, Scars, Chopper �� Curtis Peoples, Tony Lucca, Keaton Simons �� Chicago Joe Jones �� The Summer Slaughter Tour

PG 20 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

�� Thee More Shallows, Continue & Save, The Long Shadows �� Fat City Wildcats �� The Audition, Monty Are I, New Atlantic, The Graduate 1997 �� Tapestry, Zach Deputy, James Grant, Stingrays �� Great Lake Swimmers, Eleni Mandell �� Nic Goodson, Idgy Vaughn �� J.T. Speed �� A Static Lullaby, A Thorn For Every Heart, Four Letter Lie, The Panic Division �� Peel, Standard Candle, Dirty Leg �� Ozma �� Al Smith Jam Session �� The National, Shapes & Sizes, Talk Demonic �� Clumsy Lovers, Chris Chandler, Heidi Schwartz �� Chicago Joe Jones �� Rush �� Program The Dead, Branded With Fear, Bury Me Breathing, S.M.I. �� Loose Chain �� DJ 23, Brass Knuckle Surfer, Kingrat �� Les Claypool �� The Click Five �� Crystal McGrath �� The Afromotive, The Good Good �� Skinny Puppy �� Maserati, The Liverhearts, Good Friday Experiment

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�� Dave Matthews Tribute Band �� Elektrik Butterfly, Kai Alce �� John Mooney �� Snowden, All The Saints, The NEC �� Telegram, Judith Owen, Esther Sparks �� Johnny Scales & Two-Timers �� Ede Wright �� He Is Legend, Modern Life Is War, House of Fools, A Heroes Welcome �� MewithoutYou, Piebald, Manchester Orchestra, The Snake The Cross The Crown �� Lee Griffin Band �� Trotline �� The Tennessee Rounders, South 70, Gabriel Kelley �� Feist �� Stokeswood �� Bucky Covington �� Sazon, DJ Mafioso, B-Boy Quic �� The Mark Richardson Memorial Benefit �� Mika �� Los Straitjackets, The Iguanas �� Kyler England, Divine MAGgees, Mieka Pauley, Jeff Cohen, Rachael Sage �� Santos Brothers �� Sam Mcpherson �� Permanent Me, Driving East, Holiday Parade, Words As Weapons, Time & Distance �� The Focus, The Status, Armored In Grace, Idea of Beauty �� Eddie Tigner & Friends �� Appetite for Destruction �� Connor Christian & The Morning Star Revival, Mizer Max, JJ & the Hustlers �� Love Rush �� Grace Braun �� Over the Wires �� Backwater Creek �� Revelation �� Asylum Street Spankers, Mad Tea Party �� Fat City Wildcats �� Atlanta Composer Forum �� Sonia Leigh, Wild Sweet Orange, John Paul White

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�� Takana Miyamoto �� J.T. Speed �� The Chariot, Misery Signals, I am Ghost, I Hate Sally Viceroy �� Ji-Hoon �� Fountains of Wayne �� Al Smith Jam Session �� Unsane, 400 Blows, Mouth of the Architect �� Little Country Giants, Laura Minor, James Apollo �� Chicago Joe Jones �� Lenny, Victory At Last, 23jinx, Astro Junkies �� Poptart Monkeys �� Joseph Israel �� Zac Brown Band, Crash Davis Trio �� The Good Good �� No River City, Long Knives, Georgia Fireﬂies �� Mindy Smith �� Chicken Shack �� The Velcro Pygmies �� The Nightwatchman, Dustin Kensrue �� The Black Keys, Dinosaur JR

�� Mel & the Party Hats �� Bob Margolin �� Lil’ Joe Burton �� The Rosebuds, Land of Talk, Beat the Devil �� Larry Jon Wilson �� The Casanovas �� The Robustosw, Cadillas Jones �� Boy Hits Car, To Whom, Dear Enemy �� Mystic Knights of Rhythm �� Poolstick �� A.R. Rahman �� Five Star Iris �� Ralph’s World �� Supersuckers, Anna Kramer �� Jan Smith Studios Student Showcase �� Backwater Creek �� Eastern Standard �� Fat City Wildcats

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�� J.T. Speed �� Black Light Burns, Horse The Band, Scarlet Androgyny �� Al Smith Jam Session �� Small Framed Boy, Akil, KIN, Team Gina �� John Pringle, Deke Spears �� Chicago Joe Jones �� Nod Factor �� The Veronica, Repeat Offender, Stefﬁ, The Desarios �� The Working Title, Days Away, Goodbye Tomorrow, Foreverdown �� The Ugli Stick �� The Polyphonic Spree �� Justin Brogdon �� Robin Rodgers �� Radio Birdman, Awesome Color, Burmese Crush �� Garrison Starr, Amy Correia �� Chicken Shack �� Unholy, Apiary, Year of Desolation, The Destro, Iscariot �� 17th-Floor �� The Cat Empire �� The Samples, Nathan Angelo, Erin Sax Seymour �� Sodajerk �� Heavy Mojo �� Deacon El Fly & Friends �� Unknown Hinson �� Jon Shain, Vicki Salz, The Harringtons, Levi Rose �� The Andy Makely Band �� Blackeyed Susan �� Groovestain, The Green Hit, The Bastard Suns, No Fuego �� The Street Dogs, The Tossers, 50:50 Shot �� Mudcat �� Luke Bryan �� Dubconscious �� De Novo Dahl & Homeroom �� Chris Young �� White Leppard Crue �� SWEAT �� Sovus Radio, Colour Revolt, Morning State �� The Susi French Connection, The Skylarks �� The Eadon Street Blues Band �� Sun Domingo �� Mudcat �� That ’80s Band �� Keith Urban �� Dubconscious �� Angie Stone, Jon B. & Kooll �� Tinsley Ellis �� The Unusual Suspects

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PG 21 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

Road Warriors This Month’s Hottest Shows BY JOHN DAVIDSON

to try to be relevant as the former leader of Soundgarden.

06/01 NELLY FURTADO

Fox Theatre The re-invention of Nelly Furtado is going to go down as one of the oddest career moves by an artist who had only credibility to lose. Furtado, in either a desperate ploy for relevancy or a midlife crisis, hired Timbaland to produce last year’s Loose, and now we’re supposed to accept her as danceﬂoor queen. Why bury her talent under so much narcissism?

06/01 KINGS OF LEON

Tabernacle The Kings of Leon continue to be much more popular overseas than they are in their own backyard, so it’s nice to see them doing a show at a venue this size. After all, it wasn’t that long ago that these southern rockers were opening for U2. Their most recent release, Because of the Times, isn’t nearly as accessible as the rest of their catalog but they’ve brought along the charming Snowden as a warm-up act to help sooth the rough edges.

06/02 99X BIG DAY OUT

HiFi Buys Amphitheatre The big radio stations seem to have awakened from their ignorant slumber and started to put on shows that don’t bring out the dumb jock in everyone. CAKE continues to blossom (a full decade into their career) and Interpol gets ready to pimp their big major label debut. The Bravery will be there in hopes of getting recognized, and unbelievably, Chris Cornell is going

06/02 FERGIE “VERIZON VIP TOUR”

Tabernacle As the saying goes, it would be harder to hate Fergie if she didn’t matter, but the reality is that hundreds, if not thousands of people are sucking on the tit of her career. Her talent is unrecognizable, and when the music industry ﬁnally crumbles under the weight of its own excesses, historians will point to people like Fergie as part of the problem. Rooney, a very talented pop band from Los Angeles, is opening this show in what we can only assume must be for a very lucrative paycheck.

06/03 THE COMAS / THE BROKEN WEST

The EARL The Comas and the Broken West are hot on the heels of two excellent releases, the Comas having previously established themselves with the well-praised Conductor a few years ago. The Broken West were a buzz band at SXSW, their jagged pop recalling the Shins or maybe Rogue Wave on a Replacements bender. Both acts are strong, and the night looks to be a good one.

6/07 BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB

Coca Cola Roxy Theatre BMRC were a red hot buzz band ﬁve years ago, but kind of put it in the ditch when they reverted to roots rock on 2005’s Howl. This year’s Baby 81 moves back towards their Jesus & Mary Chain inﬂuences, to somewhat diminished results; we’ve sort of already seen them do that little number already. Still, when they turn the fuzz up live, we admit to being entertained.

06/13 THE NATIONAL The EARL

Everybody’s digging the new album by the National, Boxer. The deep vocals are a little to close to Leonard Cohen for comfort, and the band seems a little to enthralled with old-school Interpol. But these guys admittedly have some songs, and they’ve got that new wave sound that all the kids are still keen to. That means that this show’s gonna be packed.

6/15 FEIST

Variety Playhouse It’s easy to see why Leslie Feist got the hipsters’ ear so quickly: her beguiling voice has enough jazz edge to sound mysterious, and her quaint nod to convention doesn’t require that you fake liking her songs. Her new album The Reminder is pretty good, but the real treat to this show is opening act Grizzly Bear, whose songs haunt and drift into every corner of your mind.

6/19 WILCO

Chastain Park Amphitheatre Now that the dust has settled from the fallout of their public battle with their record label, everyone’s sort of learned to love Wilco. Sky Blue Sky is terriﬁc because it’s not nearly as weird as A Ghost Is Born, which is either a nod to going overboard or the result of someone telling Jeﬀ Tweedy that his band needed more soul. In a very odd pairing, the masters of slowcore Low are the opening act.

6/19 FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE

Variety Playhouse Two months ago, FOW released the follow-up to their smash breakthrough Welcome Interstate Managers and the result seems to be a surprising amount of indifference. It’s not that Traffic and Weather is all bad, it’s that it’s the worst of the band’s four studio albums. Buyer beware: it’s a pretty big room to fill for a power pop band.

06/21 “THE TRUE COLORS TOUR” Chastain Park Amphitheatre

WE GOT NEXT SMOKE OR FIRE

At first blush, this lineup looks like something to avoid: washed up artists like Cyndi Lauper, Deborah Harry, and Erasure gather together to preach to the choir about tolerance, hate crimes, and our nincompoop president. But once you get past the predictable Gay Day stuff, the bands at the bottom of the list get interesting really quickly: The Dresden Dolls, The Gossip, and The Misshapes. Throw in some hip hop and it’d be an officially a diverse lineup.

6/23 THE ROSEBUDS

The Earl The Rosebuds keep getting better and better— they’ve moved far beyond the demo-ish The Make Out in arriving at this year’s delectable Night of the Furies. Who says a couple can’t make great pop music together? The throbbing indie rock of Land of Talk (touring behind their excellent Applause Cheer Boo Hiss) open up the show.

6/27 THE POLYPHONIC SPREE

Coca Cola Roxy Theatre Can the Spree move beyond novelty (Dozens of members! Costumes! Horns! Choreography!) to a worthwhile career? The jury seems hung, and the winds of hipness seem to have left this band somewhere around their 2003 debut album. Touring behind their new album Fragile Army should make or break this band once and for all.

6/29 RICK SPRINGFIELD

Chastain Park Amphitheatre For those of us who came of age in the mid-1980s, Rick Springﬁeld remains an enjoyable binge of nostalgia, a guy with a big handful of genuinely catchy songs and a link to days when skin deep music reigned supreme. Shockingly, there remains a signiﬁcant number of patrons who will make this show the suburban panty-soaker of the summer season.

Artists on the verge of making it big

Latest Project: This Sinking Ship (Fat Wreck Chords) Why You Should Care: One of the most-underrated bands playing punk music today For Fans of: Avail, The Replacements and Hot Water Music

BY JOHN B. MOORE

he Richmond, by way of Boston band Smoke or Fire play the type of preﬁxfree punk rock that has helped the genre survive for nearly three decades. Almost 10 years in the making, the band has perfected three-minute bursts of aggression juggling contradictory themes of hope and despair, reminiscent of groups like Avail and Hot Water Music. Nowhere is this more apparent then on their latest full length This Sinking Ship. The dozen tracks show subtle growth from their debut and spotlight a band that may very well be on their way to inspiring future punk rockers across the globe. Smoke or Fire front man and co-founder Joe McMahan recently talked about the band’s early beginnings, signing to their favorite label and life in a touring indie punk band.

You guys formed the band in Boston, than moved to Richmond. Did you notice a big diﬀerence between the music scenes? I’d say in Boston we didn’t really feel like we ﬁt in so well, I guess. For what we were doing, the bands that were similar were bands like Avail, and

How did you guys end up on Fat Wreck? We moved to Richmond to do this full time

IT’S STILL KIND OF WEIRD TO US THAT WE’RE DOING WHAT WE ALWAYS SAID WE WOULD DO. they were located more South. It was more kind of working class stuﬀ we were attracted to and we just didn’t feel like we ﬁt in too well in Boston. It’s a great city and all, but music-wise, there wasn’t a real camaraderie there, it was more competitive. In Richmond we were immediately embraced by the music community. Everyone pulls for each other, everyone helps each other out, it was a real community of music and that’s one of the reasons we moved there. How did you all get together? When you started the band, did you have any intentions that this was something you were going to make a living out of? No, never. Me and Jeremy grew up together, we’ve known each other since Little League and we went out in high school and bought our

PG 22 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

ﬁrst guitars together and we played in a cover band and tried to write some originals, but we were terrible.

because we decided we were either going to break up or do this full time, 100%. We moved into this big house and wrote “Above the City” in Jeremy’s bedroom and our friend in Boston was working in a studio and heard the demos and said “This stuﬀ is really good, let me record it and whoever picks it up will pay for.” We were worried no one would pick it up, but he said it was good and someone would. We went to Boston and spent 10 or 11 days up there, recorded the record and then just started sending it to labels. We almost didn’t send it to Fat, because we didn’t see it happening, but then went “What the hell,” so we sent it. All of the labels we sent the record to started calling us and were interested. I was sitting at home one day on my couch playing video games in my underwear and it was (label founder) Fat Mike. He was like, “I got your record, I love it and I want to put it out” and that was it. That must have been weird. Did you listen to NOFX growing up? Oh, yeah, all the Fat Wreck bands, Lagwagon, all of them. It was absolutely insane, that was our number one label; the one we always wanted to be

one. It was really bizarre, apparently they got it, put it on in the oﬃce, everyone liked it and said let’s give it to Mike and like 10 minutes later he said let’s sign these guys. Is there still a taboo about punk bands leaving for the major labels? It’s a weird thing for us to think about. I don’t know if we would ever be in a position where someone at (a major label) would want us. There was a label that was bought out by a major, MCA and they had us come out to California for the sole purpose of, they told us, “We want to sign you guys and sell you to MCA, and you guys will be rich and be on TV,” and they had just done this with New Found Glory and Midtown and all these other bands. We just wanted to go to California because we had never been there. So we went out there, played a couple of shows and said “No thanks, not our thing.” I guess it’s something we’ve thought about, but we don’t have that anti-major label thing, we’re just all about having control of our band. We don’t want anyone to buy us and market us the way they want to sell our records. We don’t want someone telling us what we can and can’t do. Against Me! got a great deal. They get to do what they love to do their way and they got paid to do it. There’s nothing wrong with making money. We still all work in warehouses when we’re not on tour. You don’t make a lot of money doing this and I think people don’t realize that it’s really hard to be approaching 30 and have no money in your bank account. So it’s not necessarily selling out if you go to a major, it’s when somebody pays you to change the way you are for them. That’s my deﬁnition of selling out.

MUSIC INTERVIEW

SAGE FRANCIS

The Battle for Respect BY B. LOVE

ORN IN MIAMI AND RAISED IN PROVI DENCE, the artist formerly known as Paul Francis began rhyming at the age of eight, and went on to win numerous prestigious MC battles in his teen years. After getting his B.A. in Journalism, Francis began working on solo material, and in 2004 became the first rap artist signed to the punk-friendly Epitaph Records. Which all goes a long way towards saying that Sage Francis is not your typical hip-hop MC. Coming two years after his critically acclaimed Epitaph debut, A Healthy Distrust, the excellent new Human the Death Dance is being billed as Francis’ most personal record to date, offering diehard fans a glimpse inside the mind of one of progressive rap’s finest wordsmiths. We recently spoke to the 30-year-old Francis, touching on everything from his formative influences and battle-rap background to the death of lyricism. Talk to me about your earliest hip-hop memories. Were there any specific artists or albums that made you fall in love with the music? I guess Run-DMC was the biggest influence on me. They got huge pretty early on, and the first concert I went to was Run-DMC, Public Enemy, EPMD and DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, with a special guest appearance by LL Cool J. That was an era of hip-hop where everyone was awesome. It was concentrated, there was solidarity and it was an incredible time period for hip-hop. I loved everything I got, from Rakim and KRS-One on the Boogie Down Productions albums to these mix tapes that had all these different artists on them. Even if they sucked at rapping, I loved the beats and the fact that they were rhyming. But it was after being introduced to Public Enemy through that tour that shit started getting heavier for me. It was rebel music– there’s fucked-up shit going on and they’re addressing it– and that was the appeal for me.

had a foundation that a lot of people hadn’t developed. Even though they were winning the big battles, they didn’t have the background or experience to use that as a platform to develop a real career. They’re like prize ﬁghters, and that’s all they’re good for. That’s unfortunate, because these cats are talented. It takes a lot of talent to

able to do more for you than you can do for yourself.” I think he was wrong at the time, so it went through Anticon instead. But Epitaph was the company that had the greater amount of resources and access, and as their ﬁrst hip-hop artist it wasn’t like I had to ﬁt into any preconceived stylistic aesthetic. It was complete freedom, and I think it helped me break the glass ceiling I kept butting my head on. They understood my music and why I make it and gave me all the support in the world, so it was kind of a no-brainer.

You’re arguably the most political MC on the scene this side of dead prez. Why do you think there aren’t more MCs addressing the serious political concerns confronting the world circa 2007? There are a lot, it’s just real tough for poltical rappers to gain any headway because a) people aren’t trying to put out that kind of music anymore, and b) it’s been done so well. I mean, Public Enemy was the top of that game, and they did it so well. Everybody who does it knows that PE, Paris and KRS-One were great and respected, and not too many people wanna touch it to the degree that they end up looking like jackasses because they can’t do it as well as those guys did. [Voices of dissent] are out there– I get demos all the time– but most people aren’t doing it in a great way. They’re kinda like battle rappers: If all you can do is address politics, but you can’t really write a great song, you’re not walking that line very well.

Ever since Nas released Hip-Hop Is Dead, there’s been an awful lot of talk about the state of hip-hop culture and the problems currently plaguing it. What’s your opinion? (Sighs heavily) That’s dangerous territory, especially because Nas is the one who said it. I think hip-hop is too many things right now. It’s tough to talk about hip-hop because it lacks definition, and people don’t really agree on what it is. Mainstream commercial radio hip-hop is so far off the mark of what I consider hip-hop to be, but the majority of people in the world consider that to be hip-hop, and the majority rules. I stay true to my understanding of what I grew up learning and enjoying about the genre. Lyricism is a huge deal: You have all these words and so much room to say a lot, but it seems like commercial hip-hop has systematically eliminated the need for lyrics by making songs completely chorus-based and sticking to predictable subject matter. I get no reward out of listening to that kind of music. Even in the underground, I feel like lyricism has gone the way of the dodo bird. That’s what’s kinda dead, I guess, but that’s where the most incredible things can happen if you do it right. Being a wordsmith– a craftsman of words– I’d rather listen to the evocative simplicity of a Neil Young song than these people yapping yapping yapping, but not saying a goddamn thing. But there are a few artists in hip-hop, like El-P for instance, who have matured and aren’t pandering to the lowest common denominator. As a white kid who grew up in the culture, I’m curious to know what you think about the Caucasian’s place in what began as an African-American culture? That’s one of the most difficult questions to answer because there’s a lot of racism and classism to deal with, and a lot about what is and what isn’t hiphop culture. I didn’t approach hip-hop as a white person, I approached it as a kid who had a huge love for what I was hearing and for some reason felt an affinity with it and identified with it. I know that I’m not black, can never be black and can never understand that struggle. All I can do is do my best to identify with it. White people’s place in hip-hop? All they can do is express themselves and talk about the life they live through the craft. When I started, and I was one of the only white people at the battles, there was an incredible amount of resistance. There was a lot of expectations, like if you’re gonna involve yourself with this and try to battle, you’d better bring some shit! I had no fear: I think I was kinda naïve. I thought, because I loved hip-hop so much, how could anybody question my involvement? Things could’ve gone wrong– I could’ve gotten beat down or killed– but I got up on those stages and I fuckin’ ripped into people and had a lot of fun. I wouldn’t say I won a lot of friends by doing that, but I won respect.

A lot of people were surprised when you signed with Epitaph Records rather than, say, Def Jux or Rhymesayers, either of which would appear at first glance to have more of an affinity for your style. Why did you decide to become the first hip-hop artist on what has historically been a punk rock-oriented label? Well, I’m in real good with Rhymesayers and just recorded a video that has Slug and Brother Ali in it, and we’ve toured together and have always been cool. In fact, when I released “Makeshift Patriot” as a 12” record, I asked Rhymesayers to put it out. But Slug was like, “You don’t need us to put that out, man; we’re not gonna be

What’s next for you? Do you have any aspirations to be a big major label superstar, or are you cool with the indie acclaim you have now? I’m really cool with where I’m at. I want my music to be heard by as many people as possible– I don’t make it so I can keep it under my pillow– but I’ve had tastes of fame in my life. I love being able to do a show and pack people in and people are all love and really positive, but I’m very personal and private and don’t like too many people to be in my circle, ya know what I’m sayin’? I want to make my music and have people enjoy it, but I don’t want people to know too much about me.

get up there in front of that many people, be quick-witted and battle head-to-head, but like I say in Midgets & Giants, 8 Mile wasn’t true. People watch that movie and think that’s how Eminem’s huge career happened. But you’ve gotta be able to write albums and understand songwriting. You have to study the craft.

I’M A WRITER FIRST AND FOREMOST, AND BECAUSE I’D BEEN STUDYING HIP-HOP FOR SO LONG BY THE TIME I GOT TO THOSE BATTLES, I HAD A FOUNDATION THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HADN’T DEVELOPED.

You grew up in Rhode Island, which isn’t exactly known as a hotbed of hip-hop culture. Was there much of a scene there at the time? At first it was difficult, but we’re lucky to be wedged between Boston and New York City. People were coming here to do shows, but I was too young to check out a lot of that shit. Mainly what I had access to was college radio stations that played hip-hop. It was minimal– hip-hop was hard to find at the time, as opposed to now, when you can walk down the street and hear an old lady listening to hip-hop in her car– but there was one hour every week on WVRS 88.9 called Rap Explosion, and it was a great fuckin’ show with good mixes and music I couldn’t get anywhere else. I’d go on a search and try to find these artists I’d heard on the radio, but that wasn’t enough to feed my appetite. If there was a black dude on the cover and the song titles sounded like hip-hop, I’d buy it. That’s how I discovered Too Short and all this other dark stuff, and all of that informed what I do now. You won Boston’s Superbowl Battle in 1999 and Cincinnati’s Scribble Jam in 2000 and 2001. A lot of successful battle rappers seem to have trouble delivering the goods once they get into the studio. What was your secret to making that transition? That’s tough to say, but I address that in two different songs on the new album. In “Underground For Dummies” I talk about smashing the trophy a week after I won it, which I did because I needed to get away from that stigma. I didn’t want to be boxed in as a battle rapper. It was obvious all these cats had dedicated all their mental energy to creating punchlines, and that doesn’t translate to writing records and making songs. I’m a writer first and foremost, and because I’d been studying hip-hop for so long by the time I got to those battles, I

PG 23 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

MUSIC

��

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

GREAT NORTHERN – TRADING TWILIGHT FOR DAYLIGHT (Eenie Meenie) Soothing, epic pop songs �� SAGE FRANCIS – HUMAN THE DEATH DANCE (Epitaph) The great white hope �� PG 24 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

�� SEAN NA NA – FAMILY TREES OR COPE WE MUST (Dim Mak) & EVERYBODY ELSE – SELF-TITLED (Militia Group) Two deeply satisfying takes on indie-pop �� ARMAND VAN HELDEN – GHETTOBLASTER (Southern Fried) Ghetto-blastin’ fake DJs ��

THE AGGROLITES – REGGAE HIT L.A. (Hellcat) More Sunny Reggae from California �� YOUNG GALAXY – SELF-TITLED (Arts & Crafts) Woozy space rock �� LEN PRICE 3 – RENTACROWD (Wicked Cool) Garage-rockers with a jones for The Kinks ��

�� JEFF BUCKLEY – SO REAL: THE SONGS OF JEFF BUCKLEY (Sony) You wanted the best, you get them again �� THE HIDDEN CAMERAS – AWOO (Outside) Attempts to make pop music more classy �� DOLOREAN – You Can’t Win (Yep Roc) Weary, wandering folk songs ��

�� A-TRAK – DIRTY SOUTH DANCE (Obey) Huge disappointments �� MOONBABIES – AT THE BALLROOM (Hidden Agenda) Sunny synth-pop ��

�� PLAN B – WHO NEEDS ACTIONS WHEN YOU GOT WORDS (Cordless) A dirty sailor with a mic �� WILLIE NELSON, MERLE HAGGARD AND RAY PRICE – LAST OF THE BREED (Lost Highway) Classic country all stars starting to wear out their welcome ��

COMEDY INTERVIEW

ANDY DICK Livin’ La Vida Loca

BY B. LOVE

OMEDIAN ANDY DICK HAS HAD an eclectic career that has ranged from hit sitcoms like NewsRadio and cult ﬁlms like Zoolander to a recent string of forgettable and regrettable projects. But even more erratic than his professional life was his personal one, which for years included tabloid stories of outlandish drug- and alcohol-fueled debauchery. Now 41, Dick has mellowed a bit with age, returning to standup comedy for a new album (Do Your Shows Always Suck?) and a tour that brings him to Roswell’s Funny Farm this weekend. We recently chatted with the South Carolina native by phone. I read that you grew up a Navy brat, and your dad worked on a submarine. Yeah, we moved around a lot, so I learned to hone my social skills pretty quickly and I think that really aﬀected who I am today. My dad was gone for nine months at a time, so he was completely inaccessible, and when he did come home he was a very strict guy. I think he felt like he was still on the submarine, and he led his family like a tightly run ship. He was a great guy– I really looked up to him– but he didn’t even like laughter at the dinner table. So what was it that inspired you to pursue a career in comedy? I honestly think it was just grow-

Zoolander, the Will Ferrell part was written for me, but I didn’t take it because I was working on a TV show that ultimately didn’t pan out. It was one of those bad choice career moves, but the show I was on wouldn’t let me out of my contract, so I couldn’t legally do it. Ben Stiller was telling me I should just walk away, but I had too much integrity. I wish I didn’t, because that would’ve really solidified my career in film, and I’m still looking for that sort of part. I’ve had a string of dumb movies... Is there any one particular career project you’re especially proud of? Well, I love NewsRadio, of course, and I loved the Andy Dick Show. That, for me, was the culmination of a lot of hard work. I’d been three years sober at that time, and really put a lot of work into that. At times it seems like your personal life has run the risk of overshadowing your professional work. How do you feel about the tabloid stories and rumors that have circulated about you over the years? Well, at first I had the philosophy that any press was good press, but I don’t really believe that anymore. I’d rather keep to myself and just let my work speak for me. I wish I could go back and re-do that, because it was just a mistake.

I’D RATHER KEEP TO MYSELF AND JUST LET MY WORK SPEAK FOR ME. I WISH I COULD GO BACK AND RE-DO THAT, BECAUSE IT WAS JUST A MISTAKE. ing up with my last name. The funny people in the class would all gravitate around me because I was their best fodder. I was an easy target, and I continue to be. People think I changed my name, but it’s not true. I was adopted into the Dick family and that’s been my name my whole life. I just recently found my biological mom (whose last name was Tomlinson) and dad (whose last name was Morgan), and I think I would’ve had a much smoother life if I’d had one of those last names. You were Homecoming King at your high school, which would seem to imply you weren’t quite as unusual back then. No, no, no, I was. It was kind of a joke. Me and my friends made all these posters, “Vote for A. Dick,” and it worked, but it was a joke. I’ve always loved pranking people, and I pranked the whole school. So when did you start to evolve into the wacky character we know today? I think it was always there, even at birth! (Laughs) You’ve had an eclectic career, from sketch comedy shows and sitcoms to animation voiceovers and ﬁlms like Zoolander and Old School. But you’ve never really had that one big hit that deﬁnes you as a performer. Is that by circumstance or by design? No, I’d prefer if I’d had a big breakthrough. In

There’s an uncomfortable element to your comedy that reminds me of people like Andy Kaufman. To what degree do you tend to do things just to screw with people’s expectations? I’d say about 98.7% (laughs). Andy Kaufman was one of my heroes, because he shook people up and woke them up. I remember watching Fridays when he broke the fourth wall live on TV, and that freaked me out as a child. I said, “I wanna do that!” It borders on just plain stupid, and my standup comedy show is kind of like that. It’s not your father’s comedy show. It’s not Bill Cosby, or even Bill Hicks. It’s more theatrical– I sing songs and tell stories– and it’s entertaining, but it’s not gonna leave you buckled over, with your ribs hurting from laughter. That’s just too much responsibility for me, and I’m just not that kind of writer. You’re notorious for having a fairly crazy life. Has that mellowed at all now that you’re

entering your 40s? Yes, because now I live alone with my 19-yearold son now, and I deﬁnitely think I’m better oﬀ for it. I’ve made it through the hard times and come out the other end. If I haven’t died yet, you’re not getting’ rid of me. Sorry, folks... PG 25 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

MUSIC INTERVIEW

DANCE THIS MESS AROUND LCD Soundsystem’s Mission to Make Disco Cool Again BY JOHN DAVIDSON

t’s been threatening to happen, this concept that white kids might like to dance. 1970s disco cast a horrible black cloud over the rock audience, and despite perennial interest in dub, R&B, hip-hop, and line dancing, the boys of rock have mostly been hesitant to shake their booties for the better part of three decades. Operating from the underground as one of the hippest tastemakers in New York City, James Murphy and his machines in LCD Soundsystem pack in hip-hop backbeats and washout guitars with funkytown riffing until they hit dancefloor glory. He recently spoke to INSITE about his punk past and disco future. Do you listen to a lot of new music? I recently read this interview with David Byrne, and he was talking about how his contemporaries don’t go to shows or listen to new music, and that made me kind of embarrassed. Not that I’m a contemporary of his, but I don’t pay that much attention. When I’m done with the tour, I’m going to remedy and work on that. Mostly what I listen to is dance music, because that’s what get sent to me and so there’s a little bit of a utilitarian thing to it. I might DJ it, so I’ll listen to it. I’m not a big Internet music guy, so I don’t know how people listen to music as much now. I gotta know how people find it; I don’t really go to a record store and hear it, like I used to.

It was no fun, it was just straight white dudes who may or may not have had beards. Look, I’m a straight white guy who sometimes has a beard, but I can’t get all that hate on me. I’m just saying that if I look around, and everybody looks just like me, the party’s over. The fun is gone. All the ponderous bullshit just didn’t work for me, really. A friend of mine in New York contends that the punk movement ended as soon as it got really macho and people quit dancing at shows. Totally. Punk, to me, was always arty and faggy and thuggish, all kind of mixed together. I always hated hardcore. Really macho stuﬀ really bugged me, just jock bullshit and low-I.Q. stuﬀ. I grew up in a small town where there was no scene, there wasn’t really anybody else. There was no one really telling me that I

routine. I mean, you get off the plane and somebody helps you with your record bags, then they drive you to a really nice hotel where you play records for a couple of hours. But on the other hand, I also take it really seriously because there’s kind of a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it. I try to be really respectful of people. If people feel like you’re being snotty and above them, then you’re a bad DJ. I don’t care what records you have or what you did last weekend. You kind of have to show people respect. If they don’t know shit about music, you still are there to make them happy. If you wanna be a punk and think, “I’m gonna play whatever I want because I know what good music is,” that’s great. But you have to make an effort to get them to hear it and enjoy it or you’re like a child who is screaming and yelling. You try to play records that make people happy, and once you show them that you respect their taste, then you can start playing them something new that they might listen to. You have to play things that the audience understands, and then find a way to bridge the gap. Is this starkly different than the approach you take with LCD Soundsystem? With LCD and DJing and stuff, it’s all part of the same body of work. DJing is related to the band, but they have to balance each other or be of the same gesture. I don’t see any of it as more or less of a two-way street, because you have to feed off the audience and assess the environment. Some artists have kind of a “Take it or leave it” attitude about their music. That could be good, but it all boils down to whether they are good at it or not. If they’re good at it, then fuck it. I’ll take Lou Reed doing whatever he wants, because he’s Lou Reed. But if it’s some regular old band who suddenly wants to do electronic music, and they suck at it, then fuck ‘em.

Did you grow up listening to a lot of dance music? No, I hated dance music. So what was the epithany? I was working with an English guy in ’99 and we went out and did ecstasy. It’s not that exciting of a story, but it’s true.

I liked what you did with Nike, and I disdain the argument over “selling out” or not. I think it’s a worthwhile argument, but I think most of the people who bring it up are wrongheaded. I think what they really mean is that what I’m doing is not cool. What they really mean is, “Nike’s not cool” and they resent the fact that be associated with me because they own the record or something, and then they might have that “not cool” rubbed all over them. I ﬁnd that to be an indefensible argument; I couldn’t care less how those kind of people feel. But on the other hand, it’s a worthwhile thing to ask. Like, should I be doing things for some giant company? I think that’s a good question. I certainly thought about it, and I asked myself what was bothering me and made a little list. It wasn’t part of an ad for a product I didn’t endorse, you didn’t have to buy some kind of other product to get the music that I made, it wasn’t packaged with anything, I wanted to be able to get it back to put it out myself. And so after they’d addressed all the things that I was worried about, then the only reason to say “no” was, “It’s not cool.” And I just couldn’t turn it down for that reason.

You recently described yourself as a colossal failure at one point. Was that because you didn’t know what you wanted to do with your life? No. I was just undisciplined, spoiled, and lazy. I was self-defeating and overwrought. I was failure. I was spoiled, but not like my parents had spoiled me. When I was a kid, certain things came very easily to me, and the things that were diﬃcult for me, I just abandoned. It just seems like an embarrassing way to live your life. I was around 26 when I realized that I was wasting my time and needed some discipline. I quit making music and became a technical person, and that really helped me. Doing technical work made me really happy and I always found it rewarding. There was a beginning, a middle, and and end, and you couldn’t really get lost in your creativity or other soft-logic shit that keeps you trapped. And then in about ’99, I started making music again, and I had a really diﬀerent headspace for it. I was really happy. Was part of the attraction to dance music that you were really bored with following the same path of satisfaction for the previous ten years or so? I just couldn’t answer the question, “Why do I make indie rock?” There was no good reason for it. To talk about my feelings? I don’t care, nobody cares about that. What was the point? With dance music, it was really clear: I make people dance. If it doesn’t make people dance, then it’s not good. Rather than, “They don’t understand it!” or the other kinds of bullshit that goes on in other kinds of music.

WITH DANCE MUSIC, IT WAS REALLY CLEAR: I MAKE PEOPLE DANCE. IF IT DOESN’T MAKE PEOPLE DANCE, THEN IT’S NOT GOOD.

Is that a little bit of a legacy with the way punk reacted to disco, at least to a small degree? I don’t think punk reacted to disco. I think punk reacted to classic rock. At least, if you’re talking about REAL disco and REAL punk, not the sort of cartoonish bullshit punk. Cartoonish bullshit punk didn’t like disco because it didn’t know shit about disco, and probably didn’t know shit about punk. John Lydon, a pretty fucking respectable punk guy, listened to the exact same shit that Larry Lavon listened to, had a lot of the exact same inﬂuences, and had a lot of the same disdain for mass culture. One was a depressed, English, working class guy in one situation, and one was a gay black DJ in New York. So where those kinds of impulses emerge are a lot of times, situational. I ﬁnd someone like Larry Lavon to be just as punk as John Lydon, at least in the kind of punk that meant something to me. It seemed like part of the 90s embrace of the indies and the underground was a rejection of happiness. PG 26 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

Do you have those same sorts of boundaries set up when you get asked to produce a record or remix? It’s very mechanical. First, we ask if we have enough time, and usually we don’t so that stops about 90% of the work oﬀered. Number two is, “Do we think we can do anything with it?” There are a lot of things that we like that we didn’t do, because we didn’t think we could do anything better. And then there are things that we’ve actually done that I haven’t liked because there was an easy way in, but I wasn’t sure what I could do to make it interesting. Then the last is whether or not they will be able to pay what they should pay, given who they are. So, if it’s a small band, then it shouldn’t be a lot and if if it’s a big band then it should be. We go through them in that order. Big names sometimes want to underpay you because they think it’s an honor to work with them, and I take great umbrage to that.

couldn’t listen to Black Flag and Heaven 17 together. I had mixed tapes of stuﬀ like that, and it was all ﬁne to me. There are people who could make an argument that you couldn’t put the B-52s and the Replacements together, but I remember being about 12 years old and being on a trip to the beach where I bought “Stink” and “Wild Planet”. Those were two of my favorite records; they blew me away. “Fuck School” and “Planet Claire” seemed to be totally compatible at the time. As soon as music started being accompanied by arguments of, “Look, you don’t understand!” then that’s the end of it. If I like the music, then I understand. You can’t tell me I don’t understand. Is that part of the inherent attraction of DJ’ing for you, that you impulsively play whatever you want to see if it will work? I don’t take myself very seriously as a DJ. It’s a pretty easy job. As a guy who used to carry his drums around and set them up for a hundred bucks a night split three ways, DJ’ing is a comedy

Didn’t it seem sort of left-ﬁeld, in a metaphysical way, that you were working with Brittney Spears? Um, no. It came up when we really didn’t know what to do with ourselves. The Rapture had just left, and we were really lost. It came along, and we asked those questions. We thought we should at least try it. What if we met her and she was amazing? You can’t pre-judge somebody just because you perceive them in the media in a certain way. You could meet her and she could blow your mind, or you could meet her and she could be a moron.

MUSIC INTERVIEW

OUT HERE ON MY OWN GRANT LEE PHILLIPS CONTINUES TO SHINE SOLO

BY JOHN B. MOORE

ESPITE TURNING IN SOME OF THE MOST satisfying alternative rock albums of the mid-90’s, Grant Lee Buffalo never really made it beyond the college music scene. Through four powerful records of distorted guitars mixed with aggressive acoustic romps, the band never got the adoration lavished on peers like Soul Asylum and Cracker. Nearly a decade after the band split up, frontman Grant Lee Phillips is continuing to release solo albums. Gone are the fulltime backing band and the fuzzy guitar, as Phillips, cradling an acoustic guitar, now focuses on more subtle, introspective songs. His knack for writing a remarkable hook and strong melodies, however are still there. On Strangelet, his fifth solo record, Phillips is at his lyrical peak, offering a dozen songs mixed with pessimism and optimism. He took time recently to talk to InSite about the new record, his part-time gig as resident troubadour for the TV show Gilmore Girls and the prospect of getting back together with his old band. How different is it to go from being the frontman of a band to being a solo artist? Where do I begin? I suppose there’s a lot about it that is different. Is it more nerve-wracking knowing that it’s just you out there? I never looked upon Grant Lee Buffalo as being me and a backup band. It was a different kind of situation. No matter how a band comes about its material it’s still collaborative among many levels, and Grant Lee Buffalo was certainly like that. I guess there’s a great deal of freedom and responsibility that you have to encounter and balance when you go at it alone. Some of that is stressful certainly, but having said that bands certainly carry their own set of stresses. It’s just different, I guess. I always wrote 100% of the material when I was in Grant Lee Buffalo, as I do today, so in that way my job hasn’t changed too much. I’ve certainly become a lot more involved with the recording process. I’ve become more self-reliant, at times of necessity, but also out of curiosity and my want to get my hands dirty and really get inside of that whole process. Was a lot of Strangelet recorded in your home studio? Yes it was. My home studio, however limited and humble, allows me to work through ideas and kind of bring things along from the very beginning, little touches as I go, which is nice. There’s something to be said for working within the structure and the constraints of a recording budget and that time crunch and all, but you also need solitude as a writer and you need time to explore. That’s the kind of thing where a home studio is really invaluable. You can try things out and throw them away if they don’t work out. In writing this new record, did you have a band for most of the recordings or did you play a lot of the instruments yourself? A lot of it was done on my own. I actually fleshed the songs out quite a bit with drum loops and percussion I had played, and I replaced that later on with live drums. I added on a few overdubs in the tenth or eleventh hour. That’s when Peter Buck came in for an afternoon and played guitar and ukulele on another song, and a string quartet came in and played on two or three tracks. So those little touches that I was seeking to give it that album kind of thing, these are the kinds of things that are nearly impossible to do on the road unless you’re Yes. For me, I’ve always had to pare it down on the road, so that meant when I was recording I took that liberty to add vibraphone to everything, sometimes to some excess. It is such an exciting thing to play around in the studio for me. I could get lost in there forever.

kind of go in with certain notions and you quickly realize well, that’s working or that works, but it doesn’t necessarily need to be on this album. “Ashes to Ashes,” the (David) Bowie song, was another one of those that I had played live on the road quite a bit and when it came to making the covers album I thought that’s an obvious one and yet it didn’t make as much sense in the context of the album. So I recorded it with a string quartet and made it an exclusive track that you can get via iTunes. That’s the thing; records can only be pushed around so much. They’re going to be what they choose to be. So don’t try and force it? No, that’s true. That happens with bands as well. Maybe more so because there are more components, more personalities and everybody’s kind of putting it out there, but in the end a record’s going to surprise you and hopefully it surprises you for the better and surpasses what you were looking for. On the new record, was there a central theme in your mind when you were putting it together? I don’t know if there was a conscious theme, but it’s true that when I complete an album I stand back from it and begin to see threads that run through the songs lyrically. I had a few sort of mental Post Its. I was really inspired over the last couple of years, going back and listening to some of the more primitive rock and roll albums by Gene Vincent and Buddy Holly, all that kind of stuff. A couple of years ago I had been on the road with John Doe from the band X and he’s definitely steeped in the country’s best music, so those kind of things played an influence. I thought, I’d really like to find a way to tap into that immediacy and that vitality of the really early stuff and yet I’m also strongly attracted to music that’s more dissonant and harder to pin down lyrically. How to find that combination and that was sort of my goal, to fuse together my record collection in a way. If you can imagine Scotty Moore jamming along to an Eric Satie song with words by Baudelarie. I had a certain set of inspirations, but it’s always going to be filtered through my own sensibilities which are pretty varied and at some point in time it comes out sounding, looking and smelling like me. Have you had a chance to play any of these new songs live yet? I played a lot of them live in a solo acoustic fashion before this tour and some of them I’ve played with a band in LA at a local club called Largo. This is kind of a new line up with Paul Brian on bass and Jay Melrose on drums. It’s really ferocious I have to say it’s been a work out. I feel like I go to the YMCA everyday to rehearse with these guys.

THERE’S SOMETHING TO BE SAID FOR WORKING WITHIN THE STRUCTURE AND THE CONSTRAINTS OF A RECORDING BUDGET AND THAT TIME CRUNCH AND ALL, BUT YOU ALSO NEED SOLITUDE AS A WRITER AND YOU NEED TIME TO EXPLORE.

You recorded a covers album before this record. Where there any songs that you wanted to record, but for whatever reason never made the record? I had a longer list of songs to begin with, and I typically do. There was a Siouxsie & The Banshees song “Spellbound” that I really wanted to record and I think I’ll probably play it live. You

This year in particular it seems there are a lot of bands reuniting, that were playing when Grant Lee Buffalo was still around; either for one off shows or full tours and albums. Have you ever thought about getting back together with the guys from your old band? I’ve been asked about it and it’s crossed my mind from time to time, but we haven’t remained in close contact, to tell you truth. I don’t know. Personalities being as they are, I think we’re all stubborn enough that it’s very doubtful. Let’s talk about your cameos on Gilmore Girls. How did that

first come about? Well, the creator of that show, Amy Sherman Palladino, is a big music fan and she basically sought me out and invited me to come on the show. I’m not sure how extensive my involvement was determined to be at that point, but I came out and lo and behold I guess they’re just wrapping up their seventh season and I’ve been on the show quite a few times. It’s so much fun. Was it a surreal experience, your first couple of times? It definitely was. I think the most surreal was the final episode of the last season which involved several other musicians turning up, posing as buskers and town troubadours and that included the band Sparks, Sonic Youth, I mean it was a real eclectic bunch that had gathered under the lamppost and the trees. It was a great excuse for me to introduce my niece to your music. I’m happy to hear that. I think that’s kind of a common phenomenon, that there are a few generations that are enjoying that show. I think that’s the great thing about Amy’s writing. They’ve had Yo La Tango on the show; they had The Shins a few years back. She defiantly was a real supporter of independent music from the very beginning. That’s all to her credit and it’s been a blast working on the show. PG 27 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

MUSIC INTERVIEW

WINDY CITY WONDERS

The Rise of the Plain White T’s

BY JOHN B. MOORE

OR DECADES NOW, CHICAGO has been the breeding ground for a slew of bands that sound little like each other, from the Smashing Pumpkins and Smoking Popes to Alkaline Trio and Fallout Boy. The only constant in the “Chicago sound” is the tendency to embrace pop music at their core. Though one band may fall in love with their distortion pedal and another may favor darker lyrics, most Chicago bands still rely on hooks strong enough to pierce. The Plain White-T’s are no different. Drawing on the influence of everyone from Jimmy Eat World to The Beatles, the band has been quietly churning out sing along choruses and winning over fans around the Midwest for nearly a decade. Two indie releases helped spread their appeal, and a new record on Hollywood Records promises to only bring more fans to their camp. Drummer De’Mar Hamilton took some time recently to talk about the pressures of recording for a major, the Chicago music scene and the accident that turned the band from a hobby to a career. Can you talk about how the band first got together? The band began back in 1997 after Tom (Higgenson) met Dave (Tirio) and they began to play Weezer covers in Tom’s basement. At what point did you realize you could actually make a career out of this? Tom was in a major car accident back in 2000 and that made him want to start writing songs that were more personal and meant more to him. When he began to do that, more people started catching on and it became a little bit more than a hobby. This is your first release for a major label. How was the recording experience different? Did you feel more pressure recording

Actually a best friend of mine told me before we released Every Second Counts that we should put Delilah on there. I thought he was crazy, but it did happen.

Are you worried that that song will always be the one you are associated with? It seems, no matter how many albums Radiohead puts out, people still remember them as the band that wrote “Creep.” I worry a little about that, but bands are associated with songs all the time and they still go on to have great careers. U2, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones are all bands that were associated with a particular song at one point in their careers, but they kept writing great songs and are associated with many songs. Let’s talk about the new record. Do you think your sound has changed much since Come on Over? I think since Come on Over the Plain White T’s sound has matured a lot, but in a good and positive way. There’s more development in the lyrics and music. Those songs were written back in like ‘99. You must hate this question by now, but is the song “Hate” about a specific person? “Hate” is written about someone in particular. Many of our songs are. Do you think she knows it was written about her? She knows there’s a song about her. She probably gets off on the fact there’s a song written about her.

OUR BURGERS JUST GOT BETTER! HUMP DAY HAMBURGERS

You have a lot of college-aged fans, and obviously college music fans have been in the news lately what with the RIAA threatening to sue universities for not doing enough to stop file-sharing. Where do you stand on file-sharing and the pressure the RIAA is putting on those who do it? The RIAA has a job to do, and they should

$2all dayOff

WE WENT TO NEW YORK TO ATTEND THE MTVU WOODIE AWARDS BECAUSE WE WERE NOMINATED. WE HAD NO IDEA THAT WE WERE GOING TO WIN. for a major label? I wouldn’t say we felt much pressure. We treated this record like we did with any other record we’ve made, but I would say that having a bigger budget helped out a lot. We got to record in a very nice studio and we concentrated a lot on getting the best tones possible. You recently beat out Chamillionaire, Lupe Fiasco and Arctic Monkeys for the Best Emerging Artist award for MTVU. What was your reaction to the news? We went to New York to attend the MTVU Woodie awards because we were nominated. We had no idea that we were going to win. I think our label and management had a pretty good idea of it, but we didn’t. Our first reaction was a reaction of shock. It was a crazy moment. Let’s talk about the song that was your introduction to many people, “Hey There Delilah.” Did anyone suggest that you include it on this record, as well?

continue to do what they have to do. Filesharing has helped our band, like it’s helped many others, but it has also hurt record sales. I think that’s just how the world works. New technology comes into action and things change. It’s inevitable. How have you seen the music scene in Chicago change since you first started the band? With your success and that of other bands in the area, have the record labels started paying attention to the scene more? To me the Chicago music scene has always been a great scene. Many bands have come out of Chicago, like the Smashing Pumpkins and Wilco. I think labels have paid a little bit more attention, but nothing too crazy. The one thing I can say that has changed since I first started out is that now I’m in a band that plays a significant part in the scene. What are your plans for the summer? Our plans are to just keep touring and continue to push our record.

In the UK everyone speaks English, and the crowds are very similar to the crowds in the US. When we went to Germany it was bit of a shock.

You guys just toured Europe for the first time. Are the audiences overseas different at all?

Our fresh ground 10 oz. burgers are perfect any day of the week…but even better on Wednesdays!

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1026 North Highland Avenue Atlanta, GA 30306 404-875-3673 PG 29 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

Presents...

Best

Bartender Atlanta 2007

Vote at insiteatlanta.com for your favorite bartender! All voters are eligible to win prizes.

Winners from the May Group

Be sure to check out next month’s issue for information on the LIVE FINALS EVENT! Heather Lewis Sarah Glover Dafne Castelan Dawn Lewis Cosmopolitan Wild Bill’s Red Door Tavern Smith’s Olde Bar

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1578 Piedmont Ave. • 404-875-1522 www.smithsoldebar.com PG 30 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

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Patrick Kelly Tavern at Phipps

Jillienne Gaddy Fritti

Brad Fowler Taco Mac-Lindbergh

Bo Keller Mexico City Gourmet

1. What famous person do people say you look like? Collin Ferrell 2. Worst Pick-up Line? Wow! You just ate that whole steak by yourself. 3. Why did you become a bartender? To be able to have fun at work and meet different people. 4. What makes you a great bartender? People enjoy it when I am behind the bar and I make a good drink.

1. What famous person do people say you look like? Juliette Lewis 2. Worst Pick-up Line? I can look into your soul and see it is sweet. Yeah right! 3. Why did you become a bartender? I like the money and it gives me an excuse to be sassy.

1. What famous person do people say you look like? Shaggy 2. Worst Pick-up Line? I’m not Fred Flinstone but I know how to make the bed rock. 3. Most outrageous thing you have seen bartending? A wasted girl trying to steal bread from our kitchen.

4. What makes you a great bartender? My charming wit. 5. Signature SKYY Drink? Come on I wanna lai ya!

4. What makes you a great bartender? Easy smile and strong drinks tend to make people happy.

1. What famous person do people say you look like? Joshua Jackson or Lance Bass 2. Worst Pick-up Line? Are you from Chattanooga, because you’re the only “Ten-I-See” 3. Why did you become a bartender? I got sick of drinking rum and cokes all the time. 4. What makes you a great bartender? I can make any drink and always willing to try something new. 5. Signature SKYY Drink? SKYY Relaxer Imperial

5. Signature SKYY? Raspberry Raindrops Citrus SKYY

5. Signature SKYY Drink? The Skyywalker

Melissa Agee Agave

Adrian Evans Star Bar

Michele Rivera Front Page News

1. What famous person do people say you look like? Sarah Jessica Parker 2. Why did you become a bartender? I love being social and constantly moving. Can’t sit still. 3. What makes you a great bartender? Being a patron for so long. 4. Most outrageous thing you have seen bartending? How fast people get picked up when liquor is involved.

1. What famous person do people say you look like? Charlie Sheen 2. Worst Pick-up Line? What religon are you? 3. Most Outrageous? Two getting it on in a phone booth. 4. Why did you choose to become a bartender? After the Army it seemed easy. Was I wrong? 5. What makes you a great bartender? Ability to sort through the B.S. and deal with all people. 6. Signature SKYY Drink? SKYY Black Orchid

1. What famous person do people say you look like? Jennifer Lopez 2. Worst Pick-up Line? If you want conversation I got it, if not I have good sex. 3. Why did you become a bartender? I love to make people happy with spirits and tantalize their tongue. 4. What makes you a great bartender? Getting to know the customer and their taste buds. 5. Signature SKYY Drink? SKYYs the Limit

1. What famous person do people say you look like? Clint Eastwood 2. Worst Pick-up line? I’m going to ask you to leave, your beauty is distracting the other customers. 3. Why did you choose to become a bartender? Chicks dig’em. I get paid to flirt and hob nob with celebs. 4. What makes you a great bartender? 30 years

Jeff Allen Pozole’

Jesus Castillo Zocalo

Jennifer Smith Redfish

Paul Cole Stool Pigeons

1. What famous person do people say you look like? Usher 2. Why did you become a bartender? I’m a terrible congressman. Big breasts and tank tops. 3. What makes you a great bartender? Endless patience and a great tan. 4. Most outrageous thing you have seen bartending? Pozole’ Cello body shots. I hope you have a wet towel.

1. What famous person do people say you look like? Carlos Solis from Desperate Housewives 2. Why did you become a bartender? It’s fun meeting people and partying with them. 3. What makes you a great bartender? I get along with everyone. 4. Most outrageous thing you have seen bartending? Someone ordered a frozen Margarita on the rocks.

1. What famous person do people say you look like? Jennifer Love Hewitt 2. Why did you become a bartender? People person. Love to make people smile by getting them drinks. 3. Worst Pick-up Line? Can I buy you a ticket? Why? For your fantastic voyage. 4. What makes you a great bartender? Always make good drinks and great times at the bar.

1. What famous person do people say you look like? Samuel L. Jackson 3. Worst Pick-up Line? Do you like chocolate? Do you have any in you? Would you like some? 4. Most outrageous thing you have seen bartending? A girl fell off her stool. Got up exposing no underwear. 5. What makes you a great bartender? I am aware of what’s going on at the whole bar at all times.

5. Signature SKYY Drink? The SKYY Hat Trick

5. Signature SKYY Drink? SKYY Cosmopolitan

5. Signature SKYY Drink? SKYY Melon Ball

5. Signature SKYY Drink? SKYY Sex in the Penthouse

5. Signature SKYY Drink? SKYY Melon Martini

Bob Ruede Intercontinental XO Bar

5. Signature SKYY Drink? SKYY Strong Island Ice-T

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�� PG 31 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

RESTAURANT PROFILE

Margaritas!

Tequila is all the rage this summer! Agave 242 Boulevard 404.588.0006 agaverestaurant.com

Voted Atlanta’s Best Margarita, Agave with its

high energy dining room, blends upscale Southwestern cuisine with an extensive wine list, tequila bar and exceptional service. For the past 5 years Agave has been rated excellent by the Zagat Survey, voted Best Margarita and one of ATL’s top 50 dining facilities. Agave only uses the finest ingredients and products and uses only fresh squeezed lime juice in all their margaritas which has been why they have won so many awards for the drinks. They have 85 tequilas and 10 different award winning margaritas. Some of their more renown drinks are: The Cuervo Traditional with Jose Cuervo Especial, Fresh Lime, Triple Sec & Sour. The Agave Reposado Margatini, served straight up with Cuervo Tradicional Reposado, Triple Sec, Fresh Lime & Sour. The Agave Don Eduardo Anejo with Don Eduardo Anejo, Triple Sec, Fresh Lime, & Sour served on the rocks. Agave should be your first stop on your quest for the best margarita in the city!

Coyote’s Mexican Grill 2740 East College Ave. 404.373.9383 Since moving from Decatur to Avondale Estates, Coyote’s has built up a loyal following.

The new location offers more seating indoors and has a great outdoor patio. Coyote’s is known for their extensive list of tequilas. Sample one of their exotic brands on the rocks or try one of their 7 GIANT flavored Margaritas. Guava, Mango, Strawberry, Papaya, Banana, Raspberry and Wild Berry are all made from 100% fruit. In addition, these fruity specialties are made using Sauza Gold premium tequila. Coyote’s features a four piece live Mariachi Band every Friday night; the perfect entertainment to go with their great food and giant margaritas.

Dorado is a blend of Jose Cuervo, Contreau and Gran Gala. Their Villa Margarita consists of Jose Cuervo Classico, 1800 Cuervo and Blue Curaceo. They also have several fruity margaritas including strawberry, mango and peach. You can also make a margarita of your own using any of their quality tequilas including Patron, Don Julio, Herradura and Tres Generationes. The margarita’s are sold by the glass, jumbo size (18oz) or by the litter. They have 12 lunch specials on the menu for under $7 offered weekdays from 11-3pm with $3.50 margaritas. They also offer nightly specials for summer.

Sweet Devil Moon

980 Piedmont Ave. 404.347.3600 www.sdmatlanta.com

Sweet Devil Moon serves authentic Peruvian Tapas and great Margaritas to boot! Located ½ block off the corner of Piedmont and 10th Street, they offer a great enclosed patio to enjoy the view of the bustling Midtown scene. It is

Rated one of the Top 12 tequila bars in the country by Fortune magazine, you will find a variety of tequila and beer to choose from, along with moderately priced food. Try their house Margarita made with Tequila Joven or the Zocarita with Cuervo tradicional and cointreau. They also have one made after their second home; the Atlantarita with Peach snapps, Cuervo gold and Grand Marnier. Make sure to try the new Zocalo at Grant Park which offers an extensive menu with moderately priced taqueria, tacos and especialidades.

Pozole’

nuevo latino y tequila bar

1044 Greenwood Ave. 404.892.0552 www.pozolerestaurant.com

Mexico City Gourmet 2134 N. Decatur Rd. 404.634.1128

For 25 years, Mexico City Gourmet has been a Decatur institution. They are located in N. Decatur Plaza on the corner of N. Decatur Rd. and Clairmont. In recent years, Mexico City Gourmet has been voted best Mexican Restaurant and won awards for their food and Margaritas. The margaritas here are outstanding. The Classic is their original margarita and has been a favorite here for over 20 years. The El

and named after Consitution square in Mexico City. Zocalo appeals to those who like to sit down with a hearty meal and a great margarita for a relaxing dining experience. Zocalo has been pleasing those looking for a true taste of Mexico since 1995.

perfect for people watching or enjoying live music any day of the week. One of the reasons people flock to this cozy yet contemporary bungalo is because of their Pomegranate Margaritas. It is their signature Margarita, and like no other made anywhere. Sweet Devil Moon also features a Wine Bar with an excellent selection of wines from around the world. Be sure to check out their Paraiso International Thursday nights starting at 8PM. It is free to enter and offers a variety of Salsa, Samba, Euro House and Merengue. Friday Latin Andean Music features Mauricio Amaya and Saturday Sweet Devil Moon offers live Flamenco dancing.

Just over a year old, Pozole’ has become one of Virginia Highland’s favorite destinations. A lot may be due to their 50 tequilas that they offer. Here you will find the Perfect Margarita served poured over shaved ice (a Pozole’ original). Find other originals like Pomegranate and Jalapeno Margaritas. They offer Trivia every Tuesday starting at 11pm - 1am to go along with $4 Pozole’ Margaritas. On Thursdays, pay a $5 cover and receive 50% off anything in the restaurant during late nite 11pm - 2:30am.

Zocalo Taqueria

465 Boulevard (Grant Park) 4-635-9930 www.zocalotaqueria.com

Frequently ranked among the city’s best Mexican restaurants, Zocalo was inspired by

PG 9 insiteatlanta.com June 2006 PG 32 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

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TRAVEL

The

Dominican Republic

Punta Cana Re-Discovered BY BRET LOVE

ISCOVERED BY CHRISTOPHER Columbus in 1492, the Dominican Republic has a storied history that has resulted in a rich tapestry of Spanish, French, Haitian and African cultural inﬂuences. From exploring archeological sites (reminders of the native Taíno Indian culture) and dancing to traditional merengue music to visiting museums and year-round baseball games, the island formerly known as Hispaniola oﬀers plenty of activities to attract more than 3 million tourists a year. But the DR’s greatest allure may be its natural resources, which led Columbus himself to describe this lush land as “a beautiful island paradise with high forested mountains and large river valleys.” Few areas exemplify this natural beauty as well as Punta Cana/Bávaro, whose sun, surf and 21 miles of white coral sand beaches have made it a haven for travelers seeking an easygoing, laid-back vacation. Situated along the island’s East Coast, Punta Cana/Bávaro is the Dominican Republic’s most popular and fastest growing tourist area, with more than 30 resorts– most of them all-inclusive– designed to ensure that your biggest worry during your stay is applying suntan lotion. One of the area’s most upscale properties, the Punta Cana Resort & Club is co-owned by famed designer Oscar de la Renta and music legend Julio Iglesias, and features a golf course designed

by P.B. Dye. The expansive resort complex was recently expanded to include Tortuga Bay, a boutique-style area with private pool and restaurant, as well as exquisite rooms designed by de la Renta himself. Golf aficionados will also love Casa de Campo, a walled compound in the quaint La Romana area. One of the island’s most acclaimed luxury attractions, the massive all-inclusive resort features three world-renowned championship courses designed by Pete Dye, villas affording breathtaking ocean views, a polo field, shooting range, marinas and the Mediterranean village of Altos de Chavon. Families will have a blast at the Meliá Caribe Tropical, where kids are greeted by Fred Flintstone and his trusty Dino at check-in, and can enjoy venues and activities such as Betty’s Kitchen, the Yabba-Dabba-Doo Bazaar, the Fun Park and Rocadventure. Meanwhile, adults can enjoy the resort’s golf course, casino and two spas. Another Sol Meliá property, the Paradisus Palma Real in Playas de Bávaro, features 554 luxury suites and world-class facilities, including spa treatments, a fitness center, tropical gardens, ecological walking park, a casino and access to the Cocotal Golf Course and Country Club. One of the area’s newest all-inclusives, the RIU Palace Punta Cana opened in the summer of 2006 on a spectacular stretch of Arena Gorda Beach, featuring 612 junior suites with hydro-massage bathtubs. The crown jewel of RIU’s five Punta

WHERE TO STAY CASA DE CAMPO 300 rooms and 150 villas, $$$, La Romana, 800-877-3643, www.casadecampo.cc. So much to see and do, you may not want to leave. MELIÁ CARIBE TROPICAL 1044 suites, $$$, Punta Cana, 866-43-MELIA, www.meliacaribetropical.com. Fun for adults, and a yabba-dabba-doo time for kids. PARADISUS PALMA REAL 554 suites, $$$, Playas de Bávaro, 888-95-MELIA, www.solmelia.com. 10 restaurants + 7 bars + 24-hour room service= 1 satiated appetite. PUNTA CANA RESORT & CLUB 355 rooms and 153 villas, $$, Punta Cana, 888-442-CANA. www.puntacana.com. A world-renowned model for sustainable tourism.

PG 34 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

Cana properties offers 5-star amenities such as in-room mini bar, continental breakfast room service, live entertainment, exercise facilities, introductory scuba lessons and an array of restaurants offering everything from Japanese and Brazilian fare to steaks and gourmet cuisine. Of course, despite all the fun these all-inclusive resorts have to offer, most tourists will eventually want to venture out and see the island sights. Nature-lovers will get a kick out of Manatí Park, a theme park dedicated to the conservation of the Dominican Republic’s flora and fauna, in which kids can get up close and personal with some of the island’s native species and even swim with dolphins for an extra charge. Foodies will enjoy an all-day adventure with Bávaro Runners, whose safaris venture from the mountains to the beaches, stopping along the way for guests to sample sugar cane, Caribbean fruits, coffee and rum, with stops for horseback riding and a traditional Dominican-style dinner. For more hands-on interaction with the island’s friendly native people, Amstar’s Outback Safari offers an opportunity to see “the real Dominican Republic” in open-air vehicles that roam over mountains and through tropical forests, across rivers to secluded beaches and remote villages. There, you’ll interact with local children, to whom tourists frequently enjoy bringing gifts such as crayons or small toys. For a less active, more immersive cultural

RIU PALACE PUNTA CANA 612 suites, $$$, Playa de Arena Gorda, 888-666-8816, www.riu.com. A palace of luxuries ﬁt for a king.

WHAT TO DO MANATÍ PARK $-$$, Bávaro, 809-221-9444, www.manatipark.com. A nature-lovers’ theme park oﬀering dolphin and reptile encounters. BÁVARO RUNNERS $$$, Bávaro, 809-552-1035, www.bavarorunners.com. A safari-style sampling of the island’s native ﬂavors. OUTBACK SAFARI $$$, Punta Cana, 809-244-4060, www.amstardmc.com. Explore the diverse beauty of the DR countryside. ALTOS DE CHAVON REGIONAL MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY $, La Romana, 809-523-3333, www.altosdechavon.com. A look at the island’s pre-Colombian past.

Miss Dominican Republic 2005 experience, take a tour of the Altos de Chavon Regional Museum of Archaeology, part of Altos de Chavon village in the immense Casa de Campo compound. Their remarkable collection of more than 3,000 artifacts (discovered in the same region where the Museum is now located, on the picturesque banks of the Chavon River) traces the evolution of indigenous cultures from the pre-ceramic era to the time of the Taíno Indians, the island’s predominant civilization during the arrival of the Spanish conquerors. Like any great Caribbean destination, the Dominican Republic oﬀers plenty of the usual outdoor activities, from snorkeling and scuba diving to ﬁshing and horseback riding, to ensure that you’re never at a loss for great ways to spend your sunny days. But the beauty of the all-inclusive ideal is that, should you decide to sit around doing a whole lot of nothing, you can still have blissful vacation memories sure to last a lifetime.

INSIDER TIPS AQUATIC TOUR BOAT ADVENTURE $$$, Punta Cana, 809-244-4060, www.amstardmc.com. Live out your wildest James Bond fantasies as zippy speed boats power you through crystal-clear Caribbean waters to the solitude of a private deck in the middle of the ocean. Bring bread to feed the ﬁsh, which will eat from your hands to provide a remarkable snorkeling experience. MOUNTAIN BIKING With its countless unpaved roads and mule trails, the Dominican Republic is a favorite destination for avid setting for mountain bikers, and most of the larger cities have a mountain biking club that welcomes foreigners for participation in their weekly rides.

MORE INFORMATION DOMINICAN REPUBLIC MINISTRY OF TOURISM 888-374-6361 or 888-358-9594, www.godominicanrepublic.com.

FILM INTERVIEW

KEVIN COSTNER

The Hollywood Road Less Traveled aspect of your character’s personality, affect your acting choices? We began where all actors should begin: when we were secure in our script. We weren’t going to override authorship. This is how I produce, I say “This is the movie. Do you want to do it?” The second thing is we started to rehearse because that’s where you really nuance things I start to find out stuff instead of just showing up on the day and just going “nyah, nyah, nyah”; I’m a preparation guy.

BY MATT GOLDBERG

E’S WON AN OSCAR FOR BEST Director and Best Picture. That Best Picture, Dances With Wolves, is on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movies list. He’s been in classic pictures like Field of Dreams (the only movie where it’s okay for guys to cry at the end) and The Untouchables as well as little-seen gems like A Perfect World and Open Range. But Kevin Costner seems to get an undue heap of scorn because his films tend to not set the box office on fire and he was in a movie where he drank his own urine (although granted, the urine was poured in a filtration device). Costner is once again eschewing what might be popular for the film he wants to make in Mr. Brooks, a thriller where he plays serial killer who struggles with his addiction to killing. I spoke with Costner about the film as well as his over twenty years of experience as an actor, producer, and director in Hollywood. Do you think you’ve been unfairly maligned in popular culture for your misses rather than celebrated for your hits? (Laughs) Yeah. That’s very well put. I’ve never had that big featherbed to just jump in and do a sequel or repeat a movie and “Let’s get back on that gravy train!” I’ve never really been afraid of that. I feel like there are people who are really champions for me and there voices are clear and maybe they’ve been quiet for a while. Look, I’m very content with what I do and I know forensically what’s wrong with the misses. I know who’s responsible for those. I know where they get wrapped around my neck. But you know, you look at your western-heroarchetype and like them, “you never blame and you never explain.” Having directed two westerns, why do you think we don’t see very many of them compared to other genre films? They’re not thought to have a big foreign upside and when people make a movie now, they don’t make it because they think it’s good; they make a movie that they think is going to translate around the world and if they don’t see the economic upside then they don’t feel like it’s worth making. I don’t feel like that and I live in the real world and I can see there’s not a big upside but I don’t think that renders a movie useless or not an economic opportunity. And the other problem is they’re hard to make. They’re hard to translate to modern audiences. There’s a hundred thousand bad westerns because they’re all ultimately reduced to “black-hat/white hat” [for those that need an explanation, in westerns, the good guy traditionally wore a white hat and the bad guy traditionally wore a black hat] which they all have to do anyway but what is so obvious about those movies is that they can get boring really quickly. I think they’re more delicate than just black-hat/white-hat.

Do you have any future plans to direct another film? Yeah, I’m going to direct another western and I’m producing and financing my next movie which is a comedy called Swing Vote and we’re going to shoot it in New Mexico and it’s about the election. It’s a comedy and it’s very Capraesque. It’s very different than Brooks, which I’m glad. I’ll go do that and after that I’ll hopefully go direct this western script I have. What appeals to you about doing a Capraesque film in such a politically divisive age? What appeals to me is I just liked its sense of humor. It’s not changing the Earth, just certain observation which are insightful and kind of funny. There’s a chance to laugh and a chance to think and you just do it all subtly. Just let it all work together. It’s a piece of entertainment that’s original in its approach. hours long, then a great story or a great script can suffer. It needs another seventeen minutes to make everything complete and understandable and therefore entertaining and that just seems to fall on deaf ears. [Studios] want the biggest possible audience possible and if a focus group tells them they don’t like a scene, then they’ll fix it or take it out and I think that can be very bad for a movie. The things you don’t like end up may making you like a movie more. A character you don’t like? You need him because it gives a sense of balance. A lot of times if it’s a lead character and he does something we don’t like, oh, then that fucking thing isn’t even gonna see the light of day!

I FEEL LIKE THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY CHAMPIONS FOR ME AND THERE VOICES ARE CLEAR AND MAYBE THEY’VE BEEN QUIET FOR A WHILE. LOOK, I’M VERY CONTENT WITH WHAT I DO AND I KNOW FORENSICALLY WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE MISSES.

Having to make films to appeal to a global audience, do you think that leads to a greater homogenization of the films that are out there? I really don’t. I think what leads to that is focus groups and marketing. I think a movie that’s really good and has honest behavior in it and an honest story; I think that does translate around the world. While there may be cultural differences, we feel a lot of the same things. When we touch on things that really touch on human behavior, then I think movies have a chance to work all over the world and that includes westerns. When they don’t and they’re flattened out to a demographic, to not offend, or made to go faster because they automatically have to be two

Directing a western for a third time, what are you hoping to explore this time out? I think this one has a lot more characters going on and it’s about friendship and one guy who’s a little bit luckier than another guy. One guy gets out of things without having to fight and the other guy, everything in his life is bloody. It’s like the difference between meeting a girl fifteen seconds before your friend meets her. It changes everything because that’s the way it’s gonna be. It’s gonna take a lot of familiar themes and put them into a very original work.

Is that what you’ve found the most frustrating working in Hollywood this long? Look, I love my industry. I don’t even mind the studios. I really don’t. But I’ve always been at odds with focus groups and marketing people who cut your movie. I’ll never not feel that. It’s not that opinions aren’t valued; I just think it robs the viewing experience. You have studios that only make sequels, period, because they’ve done the math. I don’t want to do the math. I don’t even want to know what the movie’s about. I want to go in and see an original experience and I think that’s where Mr. Brooks succeeds wildly. It’s just highly original. How did you get involved with Mr. Brooks? Well that was sent to me by my friend Kevin Reynolds saying that two guys he knew had this script and I was doing The Upside of Anger and I was able to read it when I finished that movie and I just thought “Hmm…if I do this movie, I’m really going to have to be persistent and have a final cut on this particular movie,” because I knew the nuances were really strong but they would be the first thing to get cut out of the movie so I can’t make this movie and have that shit cut out because then there’d be no sense in making the movie. How did playing off William Hurt, who represents an PG 35 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

SPORTS NEWS

General Lee: Chicago Cubs First Baseman Derrek Lee leads his troops in a NL Central battle this summer BY ZAIRE WILCOTT

ith apologies to Chicago Cub outfielder Alfonso Soriano and third baseman Aramiz Ramirez, Derrek Lee is the best player on the team this magazine chose back in April to play Boston in the World Series. (Though their 20-23 record should indicate otherwise, we’re sticking with said prediction until further notice.) Need some sort of substantiation to support that statement? Okay, where should we begin? How about Lee’s breakout ’04 season that included 32 homers and 98 RBI? Or what about the ’05 triple crown-threatening campaign that saw him put up better numbers -.335 BA/46 HR/107 RBI- than Pirates of the Caribbean’s first weekend? Or hell, take this past May 20. In a tight interleague game with the cross-town rival Chicago White Sox, Lee came up to bat in the bottom of the 8th, swung his majestic stick like he always does and sent a souvenir zooming into the Wrigley Field stands, further padding his MLB-leading .381 batting average. If it weren’t for nagging aches and pains the past year and a half –Lee’s already missed some this time year with back spasms- this Sacramento native’s name would easily earn a spot alongside Albert Pujols’ and Alex Rodriguez’s. And if folks knew that the former gold glover was also a really good basketball player and all-around great guy, the debate may not even be that close. Here the astounding Cub bares all about fighting the injury bug, becoming a Tar Heel and dealing with new manager Lou Piniella.

have been in? I was going in ’93, so that’s the year with Rasheed Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse. I never got a chance to meet those guys but they were fun to watch. Pardon the ignorance here, but is there anything in your contract that prohibits you from playing ball these days? Yeah, you can’t get hurt playing basketball. I can play, but if I get hurt, they have a right to void my contract. So, do thoughts of that come up when you’re hooping in the winter or whatever? Nah, man. I don’t play. I’ll shoot around. I’ll play H.O.R.S.E.. But as far as running up and down the court, I don’t play. Which teammate challenges you the most in H.O.R.S.E.? It used to be Juan Pierre but he left us [and signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers]. We got Cliﬀ Floyd this year. Supposedly, he’s pretty good. According to him, he could’ve played in the NBA. We’re going to have to have a contest and we’ll see who takes the title.

WE GOT THE TEAM ON PAPER, BUT IT’S ABOUT GOING OUT THERE AND PLAYING CONSISTENT BASEBALL. YOU KNOW, EVERYDAY SHOWING UP AND PLAYING GOOD BASEBALL.

That injury bug has hit you pretty hard. How frustrating is it really to be on the sidelines while your teammates are out there? It’s tough, man. [Last year] was the first time I had been hurt. We were playing so well and then the injury bug kinda hit us and the season just fell apart. When you’re on the sidelines you just don’t hardly even feel a part of the team. You want to be out there helping and you can’t. It’s real frustrating. When you’re healthy on the diamond, you do it all: hit for power, hit for average, great fielding. You’re a talented cat. I hear you were really good in basketball, too. I was all right, man. Basketball is what I like to play the most. In high school, I was the threeman, so I was on the wing. I could shoot. I was a pretty good shooter. I was a slasher, you know? I’d be on the wing and I’d take the three or take it to the basket. But I wasn’t as all around on the basketball court like I was on the baseball field. I couldn’t dribble that great. I wasn’t like a sky riser. You were good enough to be recruited by North Carolina. Any regrets about not going to Chapel Hill to play ball? Nah, you know what? Like I said, I was pretty good but I was red-shirting my first year. It was a small shot that I would’ve made it to the NBA. With baseball, I felt like it gave me a better chance to make it to the Major Leagues and have a career. So, no regrets really. Obviously, it would have been fun to go to North Carolina and play with some of those guys, but I have no regrets. What UNC class would you PG 34 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

Speaking of title, you’re trying to lead the Cubs to their ﬁrst one since 1908. You all got Soriano and a new skipper, Lou Piniella, this year. The city’s excited. How do you make this current team a World Series team? That’s a good question. We got the team on paper, but it’s about going out there and playing consistent baseball. You know, everyday showing up and playing good baseball. I think that if we do that, come the end of September, we’ll be right there. What kind of vibe has Piniella brought? He doesn’t stand for much. He’ll let you know right away if there’s something that he doesn’t like. Also, he commands a lot of respect. He’s a great manager. He’s won everywhere he’s been, so when a manager comes in with that reputation, he automatically commands respect. The same thing with Dusty Baker. He won everywhere he was, so he automatically commands that respect.

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CELEBRITY GOSSIP

Wanton Distraction Skewed Views on Entertainment News BY MATT GOLDBERG Love her or hate her (and how could anyone hate her after she was in that TV movie where she played a mentally disabled woman?), ABC should pay ROSIE O’DONNELL whatever she asks so that she’ll return to The View. You need a madwoman on stage because all of her verbal fisticuffs end up making the headlines. Honestly, other than Star Jones or Rosie being insane, has anyone ever cared about The View? Anyway, Rosie’s most recent scuffle with co-yapper Elizabeth Hasselbeck over the War in Iraq has led her to leave the show early. I say that the only way you’re going to top Rosie is to bring on Tyra Banks. I know she’s on two shows already, but that woman clearly has more than enough crazy to go around. Fans of the recently cancelled CBS show JERICHO have protested by signing an online petition (taking the two minutes to show you really care) and demonstrating more creativity than the show ever had, sent lots of nuts to CBS (which is either an inside joke or CBS is “nuts” for cancelling it). Either way, the fans have also raised $13,000 to save their TV show. God forbid they find another show to watch or get concerned about an actual tragedy like Darfur or the War in Iraq. All that is important is that we can bring Skeet Ulrich into our lives on a weekly basis. DIRECTOR GUS VAN SANT has said that more directors should use MySpace for their casting needs. He forgot to note that anyone found through MySpace must be photographed in black and white and only from a top-down angle unless you’re planning to reveal that they are actually chupacabras.

Adventures of Tintin. The will be made for a 3-D viewing experiences with the effects handled by Jackson’s WETA studios. Furthermore, Spielberg and Jackson will each direct one film of the trilogy with an third director to be announced at a later date. For those of you not familiar with the series, it apparently follows the adventures of a boy (Tintin) and his dog (Snowy). Why does it needs to be in 3-D and requires the attention of two of the most imaginative directors working today? I don’t know. I don’t speak Belgian. Or French. Or any European language. Including English. I have no idea how this column happens. PAUL NEWMAN has announced that he has retired from acting. Hollywood, you know something has gone wrong when one of the greatest actors of all-time has decided to put you behind racing cars and salad-dressing. LINDSAY LOHAN’S life continues to be far more entertaining than her films. Not only was she arrested for drunk driving and possession of what appeared to be cocaine (it turned out to be sugar because Lohan loves to bake), but now Vodka company Svedka has decided not to sponsor Lohan’s 21st birthday. Apparently Vodka doesn’t want Lohan to sully their image. I would ask when Lindsay’s going to get the wake-up call, but I’m pretty sure nobody’s home in the first place.

The Sims movie? What will the creators at Fox think of next? The Treasury Department has launched an investigation into MICHAEL MOORE’S recent ﬁlm, Sicko. The department has taken umbrage with the muckraking director’s trip to Cuba to give free health care to 9/11 ﬁrst responders as opposed to America where we let these heroes get raped by the healthcare industry. Moore would like to thank the Bush Administration for the free publicity and wishes them well in their continuing campaign against common sense.

Fox is planning to make a feature ﬁlm based on the popular video game, THE SIMS. Creators are making sure they remain faithful to the source material so everyone will have pixelated genitals and be obssessed with the acquiring of material possessions. Directors STEVEN SPIELBERG and PETER JACKSON will team up to make a trilogy of ﬁlms based on the popular-in-Europe-but-not-somuch-here-because-hey-it’s-Belgian comics The

Who’s less popular: the guy who disrupts a film or the guy that tattles on the guy disrupting the film? REGAL CINEMAS has decided to find out by beginning a program that will give select theatre patrons a device that allows them to remotely report a disrupt. The four options are “Picture”, “Sound”, “Piracy”, “Other Disturbance”. I would happily wield a ten pound version that also has the following options: “Light from cell phone,” “Talking on cell phone,” “Crying baby,” “Heavy breather,” “Irritating laugher,” “Old people who need every single line and plot point repeated to them,” “Person who feels the need to converse with characters on screen although such a conversation will in no way alter the plot of the film since it’s a fucking movie.”

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SPORTS NEWS

FANATIC BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

“[MICHAEL VICK is] a pit bull ﬁghter. He’s one of the ones that they call ‘the big boys:’ that’s who bets a large dollar. And they have the money to bet large money. As I’m talking about large money – $30,000 to $40,000 – even higher. He’s one of the heavyweights.” –an anonymous witness authorities say is quite reliable in the world of dog-ﬁghting “The French Open is my No. 1 priority, simply because I only have one trophy and she’s really lonely, so she really wants a friend. The other ones have friends so this is the only one that I have that doesn’t have a friend. So for me, just on a personal level, I really want to do well because then I could have at least two of each so far.” –SERENA WILLIAMS, at the French, the lone grand slam she hasn’t won twice

A Monthly Sports Must-See TV Wrap-up Top 5 Games This Month “I just feel like we lost. That’s how I feel. I don’t even talk about me or home runs anymore at all. If you want to talk about us and the team and us winning and losing, that’s fine, but not about me anymore.” –BARRY BONDS, after hitting home run No. 746 in San Francisco’s 10-inning loss to Colorado The NHL’S STANLEY CUP Final has begun. The Ottawa Senators vs. the Anaheim Ducks. Fans can’t take their eyes off the explosiveness on the ice. NBC programmers can’t bear to look at the horrendous Nielsen ratings. Historians can’t stop gushing over all the precedents that can potentially be set… No West Coast club has won the Stanley Cup since the NHL clubs exclusively began competing for the Cup in 1927… For the first time in 80 years, the Stanley Cup Final will be contested in Ottawa, birthplace of the world’s most famous trophy… Born in Sweden, Ottawa’s Daniel Alfredsson has the opportunity to be the first European captain to hoist the Stanley Cup… The Ducks’ Rob and Scott Niedermayer will be the first brothers to appear in the Final as teammates since the Philadelphia Flyers’ Rich and Ron Sutter in the 1985 Final

Even though visions of the NBA Finals are likely going through his head, CLEVELAND CAV IRA NEWBLE has something more important on his heart—the numbing state of civil unrest in Sudan. A reserve player on the Cavs roster, Newble is front and center with his game plan of making people aware of the genocide in the country’s Darfur region. “This is bigger than sports, “Chuck was right, he said somebody was going to Serena Williams really needs bigger than basketball,” told Newble, who’s begun a more trophies. get knocked out in the first round. It was all part of petition specifically aimed at ’08 Olympic host China my ‘whip your ass’ style.” –QUINTON “RAMPAGE” because the Asian nation buys 2/3 of Sudan’s oil. “This JACKSON, after beating Chuck Liddell in the first is about human beings, and how they are dying at an alarming rate because round of the UFC light heavyweight title bout we are standing by and doing nothing.” To do your part in ending the bloodshed, please visit www.SaveDarfur.org. And finally… The aforementioned Starks made an entire list of the most overrated ac“Overrated-underrated isn’t a study in talent. It’s a study of how what we tive players. Here are the top 5: 1) San Francisco’s Barry Zito; 2) Boston’s JD perceive differs from what’s actually going on out there. And [Andruw] Jones Drew; 3) Andruw Jones; 4) LA Dodger’s Juan Pierre; 5) New York Yankees’ was good enough to turn himself into a fabulous poster boy for that study.” Bobby Abreu… Though they aren’t recognized hoops sensations Greg Oden –ESPN’S JAYSON STARK, in an excerpt from his book, The Stark Truth and Kevin Durant, Matt Wieters (catcher, Georgia Tech) and David Price (pitcher, Vanderbilt) are the two sure things in this year’s baseball draft… …Everybody finished laughing at that last statement yet? I mean, yeah, Speaking of Oden, he and former Ohio State point guard Mike Conley Jr Andruw’s ’07 offensive start (.218/7 HR/32 RBI) is nothing to shout about, have played on the same team since the 4th grade and have NEVER lost a but to say the Brave who’s averaged 40 long one and 116 RBI the past three home game… Dario Franchitti collected a check worth at least $1.5 million full seasons is the most overrated center fielder ever is waaay off the mark. for winning this year’s Indianapolis 500… 39-year-old Paul Claxton, winner Adding to that, Starks is really pressing about Jones’ recent lapse in defense. of the Melwood Prince George’s County Open, is the first golfer to earn over That’s hilarious, too. Of course you won’t see PHILADELPHIA’S GREG $1 million on the Nationwide Tour. DOBBS laughing. Jones robbed him of an easy home run on May 27.

CAPRICORN

CANCER

Are you working in the career you've always dreamed of? Living the life you've always wanted? If not, look for opportunities this month to change those realities.

Feeling frustrated, like you've given your all and have little to show for it? Late June will bring a surge of renewed energy and optimism, plus a clearer picture of what you truly value in life.

AQUARIUS

LEO

June is full of fun and frivolity for Aquarians, particularly where friends are involved. With the latter half of the month bringing relationship pressures to the fore, group activities will provide sweet relief.

This end of this month may bring a battle between your heart and your head. Be careful not to ignore the road less traveled, as it is often the rockier path that leads to the highest summit.

PISCES

VIRGO

The past will make its presence felt this month, whether in the form of clearing out old keepsakes that trigger rich memories or reuniting with a person or place you haven't seen in years.

The sun is moving through your zone relating to career and life goals, so now is NOT the time to kick back and relax. With the stars clearing the obstacles blocking you, now is the time to put your plans into action.

ARIES

LIBRA

With the Sun in your communication zone and Mars urging you to be bold, don't be surprised by the surge of energy you feel this month, or by the bevy of people angling for their slice of your attention.

With the new moon/retrograde Mercury combo, this month may bring a fresh start or a return to something you once knew. If you encounter delays along your journey, retrace your steps and try a different route!

Dec. 22nd thru Jan. 20th

Jan. 21st thru Feb. 19th

Feb. 20th thru Mar. 20th

Mar. 21st thru Apr. 20

TAURUS

Apr. 21st thru May 21th

The stars are shining on your financial zone this month, offering career opportunities, business ventures or investment possibilities. But you may also feel torn between your ambitions and your family obligations.

GEMINI

May 22nd thru June 21s

As the sun makes you more aware of your personal needs, June finds relationship issues coming to the fore. The urge to spread your wings may lead to feeling tied down, provoking discussions with your partner. PG 38 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

1 2 3 4 5

NBA Finals

June 7-21 (TBD, NBC) At press time the two conference ﬁnal match-ups were much too close to call. Still, we’d be lying if we didn’t say we were rooting for San Antonio and Detroit to meet for all the marbles.

U.S. Open

June 16-17 (1PM-7PM, NBC) Not giving a darn about Oakmont Country Club decorum, the PGA’s best try to beat the snot out of reigning Open champ Geoﬀ Ogilvy.

French Open

June 9-10 (9AM, NBC) Both the men’s (Rafael Nadal) and women’s (Justine Henin-Hardenne) champs at Roland Garros have won two straight. Either three-peating would be tres magniﬁque!

Stanley Cup Final

June 11 (8PM, NBC) The Ducks and Sens aren’t the most appealing Final on a mass scale, but seeing the two oﬀensive squads go at it in a series-deciding Game 7 would capture everyone’s –okay, almost everyone’s- attention.

UFC 72: Victory

June 16 (PPV) Fanatic was a bit late jumping on the Ultimate Fighting Championship bandwagon, but now that I’m on it, hearing that Rich “Ace” Franklin (23-2) will battle Yushin Okami (21-3) in Belfast takes on a whole new meaning.

June 22nd thru July 23rd

July 24th thru Aug. 23rd

Aug. 24th thru Sept. 23rd

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Sept. 24th thru Oct. 23rd

SCORPIO

Oct. 24th thru Nov. 22nd

This month could bring a financial windfall or an unexpectedly large financial burden. Even if a cash-flow crisis develops, don't panic: for better or worse, a new path forward WILL present itself.

SAGITTARIUS

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Nov. 23rd thru Dec. 21st

June brings a theme of beginnings and endings, and with Sagittarians the focus is on relationships. Though life-changing decisions may have to be made, the results will bring a feeling of rebirth and renewal.

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PG 39 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2007

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3180 Roswell Rd. (1 Block N. of Roxy) • 404.846.6525

COYOTE’S MEXICAN GRILL HERE FOR SUMMER!

GIANT FRUIT MARGARITAS!

• Guava • Papaya • Mango • Banana • Strawberry • Raspberry •Wild Berry

All Made from 100% Fruit Using Suaza Gold Tequila

2730 East College Avenue, Decatur GA • 404-373-9383

Paraiso International Now in Midtown

Thursday Nights from 8pm–1am Eclectic Tapas • Multicultural Vibe FREE ENTRY Salsa, Samba, Euro All House, Merengue, Drink Specials Week Long! Top 40 & More! Peruvian Tapas Music by Atlanta’s Elite Global Lounge & Vinoteca in DJs featuring Fernando the Heart of Midtown

and Open for Lunch!

“One of the most characteristic elements of lebanese cuisine is the offering of an unlimited array of small hot and cold appetizers... we call them mezza” Expanded Dining Room

+ Friday Latin Andean Music featuring Mauricio Amaya + Saturday LIVE Flamenco

Open 7 Days a Week 404.347.3600 • www.sdmatlanta.com 980 Piedmont Avenue (Corner of 10th & Piedmont)

Landmark DINER RESTAURANT Open 24 Hours ��

��

NOW OPEN

Hookah & Belly Dancing on Weekends Zagat Rated 5 years in a Row • Atlanta Magazine Top 100

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

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

H O O K AH S Starting at $24.95

Vaporizers

New ROOR

Starting at $44.95

Starting at $129.95

�� Detox Products

Pipes

Posters

Self Cigars & Body Defense Cigarettes Jewelry Products

Atlanta / Sandy Springs 6124 Roswell Rd. 404-256-1116 Sun – Mon 10am – 2am

INsite Atlanta June 2007 Issue

Articles inside

KEVIN COSTNER

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM

LAURA LINNEY

ANDY DICK

JESSICA ALBA

SAGE FRANCIS

TOBY MAQUIRE

GRANT PHILLIPS