INsite Atlanta June 2009 Issue by INsite Magazine

J u n e 2 0 0F9REE

On the Grill

10 Vo l. 17, N o.

Atlanta’s Best

tainment Monthly r e t n E s ’ a t n Atla ta.com

BURGERS!

Summer insiteatlan

GUIDE 9 0 20

• Film Festivals • Summer Concerts • Local Events • Area Attractions • Travel Destinations

Plus Interviews With:

Cameron Diaz • Atlanta’s Clark Howard Big Pooh • Mark Ruffalo • Bradley Cooper

EXPLORE THE NORTH END �� &

Tuesday �� Wednesday �� Thursday �� Friday & Saturday ��

Sat, June 6

Fri, June 12

Fri, June 19

The Velcro Pygmies

GIRLZ GIRLZ GIRLZ

POOLSTICK

Sat, June 20

Fri, June 26

Sat, June 27

(80’s Rock Cover)

White Leppard Crue Trotline (Country Cover)

(Southern Rock)

HEAVY PETTIN’

(80’s Rock Cover) (80’s Rock Cover) THURSDAYS THIS MONTH Thr, June 4 Thr, June 11 Thr, June 18 Thr, June 25

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(The Nation’s #1 Hip-Hop Cover Band)

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(Rock Cover)

(Southern Rock Cover)

Welfare Wednesdays w/ Tyler Reeve | No Cover! ��

VOTED BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR ��

Monday:�� Wedednesday: �� Thursday:�� Sweetwater & Wine Specials and introducing...

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3177 & 3179 PEACHTREE RD. | BUCKHEAD

WINNER BEST LOCAL MUSIC!

JUNE 28

KID ROCK & LYNYRD SKYNYRD JULY 4

311

ZIGGY MARLEY & THE EXPENDABLES

6/5 Friday

JULY 15

ZOROASTER Royal Thunder The El Caminos

6/10 Wednesday

JESSICA LEA MAYFIELD Among The Oak & Ash Feat. Josh Joplin & Garrison Starr!

›

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE & MORE!

CHRIS DUARTE

W/ Special Guests Cedric Burnside & Lightnin’ Malcolm

LITTLE JOY

Starfish & Coffee Parachute Musical / K. Taylor

›

6/14 Sunday Circus House Band

TRAMPLED BY TURTLES THE LEE BOYS RYAN CABRERA

Ben Deignan & Suburban Soul Eren Cannata

VANS WARPED TOUR

3OH!3, LESS THAN JAKE, UNDEROATH, CHIODOS, BAD RELIGION, AND MANY MORE!

RASCAL FLATTS

6/19 Friday

6/20 Saturday

JULY 28

JULY 31

DIRTY SWEET

The Corduroy Road

JULY 24

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL

MARILYN MANSON & SLAYER

6/11 Thursday

6/12 Friday

AEROSMITH & ZZ TOP

›

DARIUS RUCKER

AUGUST 15

DEF LEPPARD & POISON CHEAP TRICK

6/25 Thursday

AUGUST 29

6/27 Saturday

MÖTLEY CRÜE & GODSAMCK

BENJY DAVIS PROJECT SONS OF BILL THE HACKENSAW BOYS The Sundogs

›

Thursdays & Saturdays 11pm in the Main Bar

DJ SKY OR DJ KNUMBSKULL Open Daily 5pm

CRÜE FEST 2

THEORY OF A DEADMAN, DROWNING POOL AND CHARM CITY DEVILS

VISIT LIVENATION.COM FOR FULL CONCERT SCHEDULE

Ask About Atlanta Room for Private Parties

1578 Piedmont Ave. 404-875-1522 www.smithsoldebar.com

TICKETS ALSO AVAILABLE THROUGH TICKETMASTER AT 800-745-3000.

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

PG 3 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

CONTENTS • JUNE 2009 • VOLUME 17.10 Atlanta’s

Entertainment Monthly

INTERVIEWS 10 CLARK HOWARD 10 RICHARD BLAIS 14 MARK RUFFALO 18 BIG POOH 21 BRADLEY COOPER 22 CAMERON DIAZ 23 WESTBOUND TRAIN 23 BLACK EYED PEAS 27 ELVIS CORTEZ 27 WEBB WILDER 28 DJ QUICK 28 OPERATION ALOHA 29 OSCAR DE LA HOYA

FEATURES 08 BURGERS 11 MARGARITAS 24 SUMMER GUIDE

COLUMNS MAKE YOUR LIFE

EXTRAORDINARY 8 Ways to Great

05 ON TAP 05 ON THE CHEAP EVENTS 06 AROUND TOWN 06 HEALTH 07 UNDER THE LIGHTS 13 MOVIE REVIEWS 16 CONCERT CALENDAR 19 ROAD WARRIORS 19 WE GOT NEXT 20 ALBUMS 30 FANATIC 30 WHEEL DEAL

www.insiteatlanta.com

For an experience beyond books and lectures… Life University prides itself on instilling eight core life proficiencies in every course. From psychology to biology, students receive a solid foundation in integrity, citizenship, and leadership. Just to name a few. These skills and values will allow our graduates to not just succeed within their respective fields, but to succeed with an ability to change the world.

Programs of Study: Doctor of Chiropractic Master’s of Sport Health Science Associate Degree Programs Computer Information Management Life Coaching

�� PG 4 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

Bachelor Degree Programs Business Administration Computer Information Management Biology Exercise Science Nutrition Dietetics Psychology Biopsychology General Studies

LIFE.edu • 800-543-3202

STAFF LISTING Publisher Stephen Miller steve@insiteatlanta.com National Managing Editor Bret Love bret@insiteatlanta.com Art Director Michael T. graphics@insiteatlanta.com Music / Sports Editor DeMarco Williams demarco@insiteatlanta.com Events Listing Editor Glenn LaFollette glenn@insiteatlanta.com Special Features Editor Marci Miller marci@insiteatlanta.com Entertainment Editor Matt Goldberg matt@insiteatlanta.com Web Design Michael T. graphics@insiteatlanta.com

Contributing Writers / Interns: John Moore, John Davidson, Jon Latham, John C. Snider Benjamin Carr, Ryan Loftis, Mike Brune, Matt Goldberg Mitchell Hughes, Alexis Gray, Rodney Hill, Rebecca Crosby, Zena Scott, Alex S. Morrison, Blue Sullivan Michele Fontanelli Arnett, Roger Presswood Dave Cohen and Russ Marshalek CONTACT US 2250 North Druid Hills Rd. #234 Atlanta, GA 30329-3118 phone 404-315-8485 website insiteatlanta.com ADVERTISING INFORMATION �� Editorial content of INsite is the opinion of each writer and is not necessarily the opinion of INsite, its staff, or its advertisers. INsite does not knowingly accept false or mi leading advertising or editorial content, nor do the publisher or editors of INsite assume responsibility should such advertising or editorial appear. No content, i.e., articles, graphics, designs and information (any and all) in this publication may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from publisher.

Check out our Margarita Guide on Page 11!

LOCAL EVENTS

OnTap this Month EMAIL EVENTS TO ONTAP@INSITEATLANTA.COM

June 4-7: The Laughing Skull Lounge

DOUG BENSON

The Laughing Skull Lounge is Atlanta's only full-time progressive stand-up comedy venue. Located in Midtown Atlanta, this intimate setting of just 74 seats gives a comedy experience that can't be found any where else in the city. Headlining the first week of June is Last Comic Standing contestant, Doug Benson. Doug is a series regular on VH1's Best Week Ever and also makes appearances on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live. He's appeared on Friends, Curb Your Enthusiasm and is a recurring character on The Sarah Silverman Program. For more information or to order tickets, visit www.vortexcomedy.com.

June 5 - 7: Virginia-Highland

VIRGINIA-HIGHLAND SUMMERFEST

Now in its 26th year, Summerfest is consistently revered by art professionals as one of the best artists' markets in the southeast. It is also a great neighborhood festival and fun for the entire family. This year's event also features a parade, community dinner, a 5K race and an acoustic street party on Friday and Saturday nights. Activities designed for children will take place in the KidsFest area on Arcadia, adjacent to John Howell Park all weekend long. For more information visit www.vahi.org/summerfest.html.

June: Centennial Olympic Park

SCREEN ON THE GREEN

This year summer line-up includes Dream Girls (June 4), Field of Dreams (June 11), Home Alone (June 18) and Ghostbusters (June 25). Moviegoers are welcome to bring picnic baskets and food, but no glass containers or alcoholic beverages can be brought into the park. Food and beverages can be purchased from on-site vendors. Moviegoers are also asked to leave pets at home. Umbrellas and highbacked chairs are strongly discouraged and grills are strictly prohibited. Films will start at sundown, admission is free. Call (404) 222-PARK or visit www.PeachtreeTV.com.

June 19: Decatur Square

DECATUR BEACH PARTY

Celebrate the beginning of summer in Decatur as it turns its landlocked square into the Decatur Beach with 60 tons of sand, a boardwalk, live music, and a stage built across Ponce de Leon for dancing on the street. Music will be performed by The Reputations on the Community Bandstand Stage beginning at 5pm. Enjoy dancing until midnight to the music of Terry Lee and the GTs. Tickets for adults are $10 at the gate and $6.50 in advance. Children under 12 are free (limit two per paying adult). No coolers, glass or pets in beach party area. For more information, visit www.decaturdba.com.

June 25: Fabulous Fox Theatre

ANTHONY HAMILTON

Popular R&B recording artist and Grammy Award winner Anthony Hamilton brings his top selling U.S. tour to Atlanta. He will perform songs from his popular "The Point of it All" CD featuring his hit single "Cool". Joining Hamilton is Musiq Soulchild and Chrisette Michele. Anthony has recently been working on collaborations with other artists' upcoming releases including Young Jeezy, Dr. Dre, and T-Pain. Hamilton hails from Charlotte, NC where he was discovered singing in a church choir at age 10. For more information or to order tickets visit www.foxtheatre.org or www.ticketmaster.com.

June 27 - 28: East Atlanta Village

CORNDOGORAMA

This year the festival leaves the bars and goes outdoors in the streets of East Atlanta Village. This 2-day outdoor music festival features the region's best underground music, eclectic street performers, artist market and lots of great food. An array of activities are planned including a corndog eating contest, crowning of the Corndog Queen, watermelon spitting contest, bobbing for beer, dunk tank, and more. The festival will run both days from 12:00 noon - 11:00pm, tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. For more information, visit www.corndogorama.com.

EVENTS HAPPENING FOR SMALL CHANGE IN ATLANTA

Know about a low cost event or happening in Atlanta? Email AtlantaOnADime@insiteatlanta.com

ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER

June, Special Deal for INsite Readers 130 West Paces Ferry Rd. 404.814.4000 www.atlantahistorycenter.com During the month of June, INsite Magazine readers can receive $5 off the price of general admission to the Atlanta History Center with our exclusive coupon. The Atlanta History Center is a great place for visitors to enjoy a day of history, culture, and fun. Located in Buckhead on 33 acres, the History Center features one of the Southeast's largest history museums, two historic houses including Swan House and Tullie Smith farm, Centennial Olympic Games Museum and 6 beautiful historic gardens. Visit http://www.atlantahistorycenter.com/cms/INs ite+Magazine+Discount/225.html to print your coupon. Redeem at Atlanta History Center admissions. Each coupon is good for one admission to the museum. Offer is good through June 30, 2009.

PASSPORT TO ADVENTURE Throughout the Summer, Free REI Stores in Metro Atlanta www.rei.com

REI Invites Metro Atlanta children to get outside with their "Passport to Adventure." Families can stop by any REI store to pick up an adventure journal, complete with fun games and activities to document their outdoor adventures. A list of local kid-friendly hikes and bike rides also help get families started. After completing at least one outdoor activity, participants can send in the tear-off postcard from the journal or visit www.rei.com/passport to get a certificate of completion and a special prize - kid's multi-function binoculars. For information on REI's Passport to Adventure program and other events and clinics, visit the Stores & Events pages at www.rei.com.

MUSIC @ NOON

Every Tuesday and Thursday through October, 12:00pm -1:00pm, Free Centennial Olympic Park 265 Park Avenue West NW, Atlanta www.centennialpark.com 404.222.PARK Bring your friends, coworkers and lunch to enjoy a variety of live music including pop, R&B and jazz, performed by your favorite local artists. If you don't have a packed lunch, there's a delicious selection of food and beverages available at the FountainSide Café, located near the park's visitor center. Visit the website for a complete concert schedule.

I HAVE A DREAM: ARTIST TRIBUTE TO MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. Ongoing through July 19, Free Martin Luther King Jr. Nat’l. Historic Site 450 Auburn Ave. NE Atlanta www.nps.gov/malu 404.331.5190

Organized by the Town Council of Sitges, Spain, the exhibit runs in Atlanta through July. Seventy artists from every continent are featured in this group exhibition, which establishes the universal relevance of Dr. King's dream for justice and human uplift proclaimed 45 years ago. When visiting the historic site, sign up at the visitor's center for the free park ranger led tour of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birth home.

FREE FULTON DAYS

Saturday, June 6 10a.m. - 5p.m., Free High Museum of Art 1280 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta www.high.org 404.733.HIGH On the first Saturday of every month, the High Museum of Art welcomes Fulton County residents to the museum for free. Fulton County residents who show proof of residency along with students of schools, colleges and universities located inside Fulton County may view the museum's permanent collection as well as current exhibitions, including the High's newest, Monet's Water Lillies, opening the same day.

RIVERSIDE SOUNDS CONCERT SERIES - PLANET ROCK

Saturday, June 6, 7:30 p.m. Free Riverside Park 575 Riverside Road, Roswell www.roswellgov.com 770.641.3705

Roswell's popular concert series continues with this year's theme "A Tribute to Tributes" featuring fantastic tribute bands. These free monthly outdoor concerts are held at Riverside Park, next to the Chattahoochee River.

GRILLIN’ IN THE VILLAGE BBQ FESTIVAL 2009

Saturday, June 20 9a.m. - 6 p.m., Free Stone Mountain Park, Main Street www.stonemountainvillage.com 770.498.8984 Billed as the only Memphis Barbeque Network sanctioned event in Metro Atlanta, 15 professional barbeque teams will compete for over $7000 in prize money and the title of Grand Champion. This event will also feature live music, crafts, children's area and a classic car show.

PUPPET SLAM

Saturday, June 27, Midnight, $5 - $7 Dad’s Garage Theatre 280 Elizabeth Street 404.523.3141 www.dadsgaragetheatre.com Hosted by Lucky Yates as the obnoxiously funny Foolio, the puppet pieces in this late night adventure are for adults only. Dad's Garage Theatre is a thriving mid-size theatre that now entertains more than 30,000 people a year at their two-theatre facility in Inman Park. In addition to their outrageous original productions, Dad's Garage produces 52 weeks per year with improv shows every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Atlanta on a Dime by Marci Miller

ATLANTA ON A DIME! E-MAIL NEWSLETTER Sign Up at : newsletter@insiteatlanta.com

PG 5 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

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HEALTH

Get Ready for Summer How? Get to Health and Wellness! BY RALPH DAVIS, D.C.

UMMER IS HERE! FOR MANY OF US that means getting the boat ready for another season on the lake, polishing the golf clubs, or perhaps ﬁnding that perfect bathing suit for lounging by the pool. Personally, are you at your best and ready to enjoy all that summer has to oﬀer? To enjoy life fully you need to be in your optimum state of health and wellness. The good news is that optimum health and wellness are the natural state that your body strives to maintain. Only when something interferes with that striving do we lose that optimum state. What are some of the interferences that you might experience? �� from spinal imbalance �� too long spent indoors Eliminate the interferences to optimum health and wellness, and your body will return to that natural state. Begin a program of regular exercise to strengthen your weak muscles. Improve your diet by replacing high fat and sugar foods with healthier choices such as fresh fruits, vegetables, water, and lean proteins. Improve your nerve system

function with a trip to your chiropractor to evaluate and correct any spinal imbalances. Eliminate mental fatigue with challenging outdoor activities and increased time in the sun. A basic exercise program can be as simple as taking a brisk walk for 30 minutes each day. Research has shown that a walking program can beneﬁt you in ways as diverse as lowering blood pressure and reducing your risk for gallstones. Your diet is the energy source for your body. Foods that are high in fat can drag your energy down and high sugar foods lead to spikes in your energy with a sudden crash soon to follow. Selecting healthy foods provides a steady energy source. Every cell, organ and system in your body depends on your nerves to guide and instruct them in healthy function. The majority of your nerves originate from your spine. Imbalances such as poor posture and misalignment of your spine can damage nerve function and lead to ill health. Routine spinal care is essential to good health. Exposure to the sun is a simple yet powerful way to improve your mental health. Studies have shown that sun exposure improves your mood. Taking these steps will help you to experience all that summer has to oﬀer in your state of optimum health and wellness. Ralph Davis, D.C. is the Dean of Clinics at Life University

Under The Lights New Theatrical Performances this Month JERSEY BOYS

May 27-June 21 The Fox Theatre Box Office 404.881.2100 www.JerseyBoysInfo.com

AN ELLE OF A SHOW! -Time Magazine

seem to get the stories right…what’s a guy to do? Using the art of shadow puppets (flat puppets against a screen which create a black-andwhite film-like quality), Jim Napolitano, a very charismatic storyteller, invites the audience to participate in an amusingly modern retelling of classic nursery rhymes, favorite tales, and children’s songs designed to entertain the whole family. Father Goose’s Tales performances are being held at the downstairs theatre.

LEGALLY BLOND

July 14 - 19 The Fox Theatre Box Office 404.881.2100

www.LegallyBlondeTheMusical.com

Jersey Boys is the story of the hit making group Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi. It artfully describes of how a group of blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks became one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sound and sold 175 million records worldwide all before they were thirty. The original members of the group were inducted into the Rock and Roll hall of Fame in 1990. Their rich harmonies, intricate chord progressions, top flight production and memorable lyrics all combined to make their songs hit the top of the charts. Hit songs “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Rag Doll,” “Oh What a Night” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” are performed like the original recordings. Jersey Boys is directed by two-time Tony Award-winner Des McAnuff and won the 2006 Tony Award for Best Musical, the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album, and most recently, the 2009 Olivier Award for Best New Musical, and continues to break box office records on Broadway and on tour.

Sorority star Elle Woods doesn't take "no" for an answer. So when her boyfriend dumps her for someone more "serious," Elle puts down the credit card, hits the books, and sets out to go where no Delta Nu has gone before: Harvard Law. Along the way, Elle proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style. Becky Gulsvig, the Elle understudy in the original Broadway cast, is Elle Woods in the tour. Fans of the MTV reality show "Legally Blonde The Musical: The Search for Elle Woods", will recognize two familiar faces in the tour casting: Third runner-up Rhiannon Hansen plays Elle's best friend Margot and fourth runner-up Lauren Zakrin is an ensemble member and understudies the role of Elle. In its first year on Broadway, Legally Blond The Musical earned seven 2007 Tony Award nominations. The show recently received three 2009 Touring Broadway Awards.

FATHER GOOSE’S TALES

Photo: Kate Turning

Photo: Joan Marcus

APPROPRIATE FOR ALL AGES

Tue. July 14–Sun. July 19

June 23 - 28 Puppetry Arts www.puppet.org 404.873.3391 Oh no, there’s trouble in the Nursery! When Mother Goose is away for the day, Father Goose is left to do the entertaining. But wouldn't it figure that storytelling is definitely not his specialty. Try as he might, he just can’t

AT THE

LIVE ON Photo: Joan Marcus

FOX THEATRE

800-982-2787

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PG 7 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

DINING

Taste of the Month - BURGERS! The Vortex Bar & Grill

Front Page News

Highland Tap

878 Peachtree Street 404-875-1667 438 Moreland Ave. 404-688-1828 www.thevortexbarandgrill.com

1104 Crescent Ave. 404-897-3500 351 Moreland Ave. 404-475-7777 www.frontpageatlanta.com

1026 N. Highland Ave. 404-875-3673 www.highlandtapatlanta.com

The original Vortex Bar & Grill opened up in Midtown in 1992. The family-owned corner pub soon earned a reputation for serving the best burgers in town and offering an excellent selection of drinks. In addition to the great food and spirits, the owners off-beat humor and large collection of kooky decor became hallmarks of The Vortex. In 1996 they took over the corner space in Little 5 Points currently being occupied by a vegetarian restaurant. A 20-foot high “Laughing Skull” facade was added to the building, which has since become an Atlanta landmark (pictured). Vortex burgers are made with a half-pound of 100% choice sirlion and chargrilled to perfection. There are 20 varieties offered and you can create your own version with a unique combination of toppings. The beef in any of their specialty Vortex burgers can be substituted with veggie or black bean patty, a grilled chicken breast, ground bison or turkey patty. The Vortex has been honored with “Best Burger” awards by several Atlanta publications. Popular selections include the Elvis, Spanish Fly and Double Bypass Burgers. They are also the recipient of “Best Veggie Burger”, “Best Beer Selection”, and “Best Neighborhood Bar” awards.

The Front Page News restaurants feel like New Orleans taverns. Here you will find great food and strong drink in a laid-back and inviting atmosphere. Their burgers are served on a bakery fresh sesame roll with lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles and your choice of side. The Bacon Cheese Burger comes with apple-wood smoked bacon and your choice of cheese. The Yellow Belly BBQ Burger is topped with their yellow

PG 8 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

BBQ sauce and your choice of cheese. The Blackened Blue Burger is cajun blackened with bleu cheese and bacon. The French Quarter Burger comes with melted cheese, sautéed mushrooms and onions. The Crescent City Burger are served with thinly sliced andouille sausage and melted pepper jack. Finally the Earthy-Crunchy comes with Front Page hummus, cucumbers and roasted red peppers. If none of these selctions are what you are looking for, build your own! It’s easy; pick a burger either prime beef, grilled or blackened chicken, turkey or veggie. It can be topped with any of a variety of cheeses. For the side, try the red beans and rice. It is a poular accompanyment with any dish.

Located on the corner of N. Highland and Virginia, Highland Tap is a subterranean hideaway offering a unique dining experience. Established in 1989, this Virginia-Highland restaurant resembles an old steakhouse from the 1920’s. It is dimly lit with a lot of wood and stone making for a warm and cozy atmosphere. The restaurant opens up into a great bar that is a favorite hang-out especially for Martini enthusiasts. Highland Tap has been the recipient of multiple Best Martini awards over the past 20 years. The dining room offers an award-winning Prime Rib. What makes the Prime Rib so special is that the high quality cuts of meat are slow roasted all day, which gives it tremendous flavor. The reason the burgers are so good at the Highland Tap has a lot to do with their meat. As opposed to building their burgers from store bought beef, the burgers here are made from the meat trimmings of their steaks, primarily rib eye and tenderloin. The burgers are cooked on the same hickory wood grill as the steaks, which give them a backyard barbecue taste. You get a 10oz. steak, fresh ground daily, that is one of the best burgers you ever tasted.

Vickery’s Bar & Grill 1106 Crescent Ave. 404-881-1106 933 Garrett St. 404-627-8818 www.vickerys.com

Offering a fun and funky atmosphere and exterior seating, Vickery's Bar and Grill is a great spot to enjoy a stiff, cold drink, casual comfort cuisine and have a good time. Vickery's serves a variety of creative dishes from various regions and cultures and offers two convenient Atlanta locations in Midtown and Glenwood Park. Both Atlanta Vickery's locations serve an all natural (hormone, steroid, preservative & antibiotic free) 100% certified Angus burger that is hand pattied and cooked fresh to order. Try the Traditional, Vick's, Ranch or Black n' Blue styles served with a thick cut sliced tomato, red onion, crisp lettuce and pickles. Come see why Vickery's has been a great Atlanta staple for over 25 years!

Taste of the Month-BURGERS

Continued from Page 8

The Tavern at Phipps

The Corner Tavern

3500 Peachtree Rd. 404-814-9640 www.TheTavernAtPhipps.com

East Point 2783 Main St. 404-768-0007 Little 5 1174 Euclid Ave. 404-521-0667 Edgewood 464 Edgewood 404-577-2310 www.thecornertavern.com All three Corner Tavern locations are fun hangouts offering billiards, darts, and trivia. They also offer live music with bands playing at Little 5 on Tuesday night and Sunday night at the other locations. The East Point bar stays open until 4am every Sunday night. The Corner Tavern is known for their upper class pub fare and great beer selection. Little 5

As Atlanta’s award winning “Hottest Spot for Cool Cocktails”, “Best Happy Hour”, and “Best Bartender”, the bar at The Tavern at Phipps has made a name for itself as one of Buckhead's premiere destinations for libations. However, do not overlook the Tavern's menu fare, as this is a full service restaurant offering two dining rooms, white linens, and plenty of seating on their popular outdoor patio. The restaurant is styled after the classic New York steakhouse with thick mahogany wood banisters, brick walls, and a tiled ceiling. The Tavern caters to the Atlanta elite and families alike. While the menu remains the same for lunch and dinner, it offers a wide range of items for those looking to grab a quick bite while shopping at the mall to those looking for an upscale sit down experience. The Tavern's famous burgers are made from Grade A choice Midwestern beef, ground fresh daily. They offer a hearty 10 oz. burger to which toppings may be added to your taste. For a real treat, try the Tavern Burger which boasts homemade stadium chili, bacon, melted cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion. As we mentioned earlier, The Tavern offers premium cuts of meat. If you’re in the mood for a great steak, try the 18 oz. bone-in strip sirloin. This is a Kansas City cut top choice sirloin, aged for 4 weeks, served brushed with fresh garlic butter and a salt rubbed baked potato. The Tavern has always been a staple at the upscale Phipps Plaza Mall for seventeen years and will continue to be the spot in Atlanta to see and be seen.

Smith’s Olde Bar 1578 Piedmont Ave. 404-875-1522 www.smithsoldebar.com

Best known as one of Atlanta’s most popular music venues, Smith’s also offers a full restaurant, bar and entertainment area. It is a popular place to enjoy dinner before heading upstairs to see a show. Smith’s has a variety of burgers to choose from. Their signature burger is the Smitty’s Awesome Original. This 1/2 pound all beef patty is served to perfection. Other burger offerings include the Bacon Cheese, Bacon Bleu, Turkey and Veggie burgers. All can be custom made with a variety of toppings. Unique to Smith’s is their Basket of Burgers, which are bite-sized and are great for sharing. In addition to their burgers, you can find great bar food items like plump chicken fingers and wings, salads and sandwiches. But they also have some eclectic items on the menu that may surprise you, like the Fried Green Tomatoes. Here you can also find Fox Bros. authentic BBQ. The award winning barbecue actually was first served at Smith’s before evolving into the popular restaurant it is known as today. Smith’s is open Monday - Friday from 3pm 3am. On Saturday and Sunday they open at noon.

Enjoy a Big Easy Burger on Us Traditional Tavern Fare with a Distinctive New Orleans Touch

Buy one Burger Get one FREE! of Equal or Lesser Value

Dine in only. Not valid with other discounts or offers. 18% gratuity will be added to the check total before discount. Offer expires 7/1/09

1104 Crescent Ave. | 404-897-3500 351 Moreland Ave. | 404-475-7777

Points has 27 beers on tap, East Point has 14 and the Edgewood location, Atlanta's only American Taproom, has over 100 American micro-brewed beers & native wines. Their menu offers something for everyone, but if you are drinking one of their great beers, there is nothing better to go with it than a burger. The basic burger here is a 1/2 lb. beef patty cooked just the way you like it and served with lettuce, tomato and onion. Also try the Jalapeno Jack Half-Pound Burger topped with Jalapenos and Jack Cheese. The Fort Mac HalfPound Burger is topped with bacon and your choice of cheese. The Trippin Heidi is topped with sauteed mushrooms and swiss cheese. Their vegetarian option, the Black Bean Burger is as juicy and tasty as the beef version. All the specialty burgers are served with lettuce, tomato and onion.

Tijuana Garage 351 Moreland Ave. 404-475-7777 www.sabrosomexicano.com On June 15th the long awaited re-opening of Tijuana Garage at the Sabroso Little 5 Points location will be complete. After several years of groans from Tijuana’s old customers, restaurant proprietor Josh Sagarin finally relented and brought the ever popular concept back. The food at Tijuana Garage is casual Mexican taqueria fare with an American bar chow twist. They offer two burgers on their menu. The Lone Star is their standard American burger. The Mexican Burger comes with guacamole and jalapeno peppers. Both are made with a 1/2 lb. of prime chargrilled beef served on a sesame seed bun along with a side of sweet potato fries or substitute. The menu offers old school TexMex favorites like chipotle chicken nachos, chips and queso, tacos and burritos. The taqueria side includes Southwestern flavors and even a dash of Italian influence. New to the menu are Armidillo Legs. These are actually bite sized pork ribs on the bone and tossed in one of three sauces (habanero, mojo and jalapeno BBQ). They are served in a basket and are to be eaten like wings. They are sure to become a menu favorite. Tijuana Garage still has its great patio with heated lanterns and tropical surroundings. After a few margaritas you will think you are enjoying an exotic respite in a Mexican hideway.

EXTENSIVE BEER SELECTION ��

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www.thecornertavern.com

PG 9 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

LOCAL CELEBRITIES

FOR THE LOVE OF MONEY Clark Howard on Saving, Spending & Running for Mayor

Do you have a favorite gripe? The one that people say the most, which I can’t do anything about, is my whiny, nasally voice. (Laughs)

BY BRET LOVE

IKE A RALPH NADER FOR THE 21st century, Atlanta’s own Clark Howard has emerged over the past decade as one of America’s most outspoken consumer advocates. Whether it’s via his radio show (which is heard on over 200 stations across the nation), his reporting for WSB TV, his “Clark Howard Show” on the HLN network, his series of Clark Smart books or his 140volunteer-staffed Consumer Action Center, Howard has been advising people on how to spend less and save more for decades. And while the revelation that he had prostate cancer earlier this year would’ve led a lesser man to take a step back from juggling so many responsibilities, Howard insist it hasn’t slowed him down one bit. In this exclusive interview, Atlanta’s favorite pocket protector talks about his health, your wealth, and where he currently stands on that whole running for mayor thing. Let’s start with the obvious question: How is your health these days? I don’t know. I have prostate cancer and I’ve been going through a series of diagnostics to figure out exactly how serious mine is. About 15% of people die from prostate cancer, while 85% die with it, meaning that the cancer is one you live with, not die from. I’m going to L.A. next month to have an evaluation. I think after that we should know what I should be doing. How did finding out you have cancer change your life? Because prostate cancer is just about the least bad cancer you can get if it’s diagnosed early, it really has made no difference at all. I went through two years of really bad back trouble and had to have surgery in 2002, and I was incapacitated. [The cancer] has affected nothing so far. Your last book was 2006’s Clark Smart Real Estate. What’s your advice for people looking to buy or sell a home in the current economy? This is the toughest market sellers may see in their lifetime, but the best market in a buyer’s lifetime, so there are several strategies. First-time buyers will get the deal of a lifetime if they shop around. Experienced people looking for investment property can steal jawdropping deals. I’ve already bought two properties in this economic cycle, and I’m going to buy probably more. People who own homes are in a real bind. Try to gauge what rent would be where you are. If the rent

THE ONLY WAY YOU GROW IS TO LET PEOPLE TAKE SHOTS AT YOU.

will cover 90% or more of your mortgage, taxes and insurance, rent the place. If it’s less than 90%, sell the property and deal with the consequences. Do you have any money-saving tips for people trying to stay afloat in this recession? Take a spiral notebook and write down everything you spend over a 14-day period, and you’ll find what you can cut out to generate money. The simplest example is bottled water: The average person spends $1,400 a year on bottled water, which they could save if they started drinking filtered tap water. Now the question is, what else can you cut out? Monthly, most of us can reduce cost for television; we’re either paying too much or buying more TV than we actually watch. We’re not shopping around to see what better deals there are. On Internet service there’s a price war right now if you shop around. The third monthly expense is cell phones: Everyone overpays for cell service. What are the smartest ways to invest your money when the stock market is so turbulent? It’s actually a brilliant time to go into the stock market. When everybody else is afraid of it, put in little chunks month-by-month and you’ll do fine. T. Rowe Price will allow you to automatically pop in $50 a month, and even someone who doesn’t think they have any money can find that through my two-week thing. You can start putting aside and investing in a target retirement fund, and pick the year it closes based on when you expect to retire. If somebody has $1,000 or more, I like for them to put their money with Vanguard’s Star Fund.

TOP CHEF

Richard Blais on Burgers, Failure & How TV Changed His Life BY BRET LOVE

T’S NO SECRET THAT THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY has been hit particularly hard by the economic recession. But you wouldn’t know it from a visit to Flip, where innovative concoctions such as the rBQ burger and nutella & burnt marshmallow milkshake have led to 2-hour weekend waits and a surge of praise for chef Richard Blais. With his career gaining major steam after his success on Bravo’s Top Chef, the culinary mastermind recently sat down with us to talk about his influences, his successes and his plans for the future. Can you talk about some of your earliest memories of cooking? My first job in a kitchen was at McDonalds. I sent out a tray of filet o fish PG 10 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

Can you tell us about some of your charitable ventures? I love Habitat for Humanity, and next January we’ll start our 15th year of building with Atlanta Habitat. Over the years I’ve sponsored over 33 houses, which means you put up a fee, provide the volunteers, feed them and organize each build day. It’s something I love doing because I’m so lucky to have that microphone, to be able to use it to organize the community and get people involved. Then we build a house in seven days and Habitat homeowners get the houses at 0% interest, and because of all the volunteer labor their monthly payments are very aﬀordable.

For people trying to cut back on spending who want to take their families on summer vacations, where are the best deals? If you want to take your family to Florida, pay a little more in gasoline to get a cheaper trip by crossing the point in Florida where it’s off-season, which is Clearwater. The biggest mistake Atlantans make is the onetank rule: They’ll go to Hilton Head, St. Simon’s or Panama City, but if you go a half-tank further south that’s where you get to the low off-season rate. The other thing people should know about is Vacation Rentals By Owner (VRBO.com), where you can rent a condo directly from the owner. My rule is that you want to rent a place that was built in 2004 or later, or an older unit renovated in 2005 or later. Never rent a place where they don’t have pictures showing you each bedroom and each bathroom, and never rent from anybody that you have to send a prepay check to. I find it hilarious that your website allows people to rant in the “Clark Stinks” section. Have you always been so resilient to criticism? Oh yeah! (Laughs) The only way you grow is to let people take shots at you. It’s hard when you get comfortable in your habits, so it’s great to have people upset that comfort. When I’m out and about people are extra nice to me. It’s only behind the scenes that people will really let me know what irritates them about me. I love the “Clark Stinks” thing!

Having spent a good portion of your life in Atlanta, what do you love most about the city? I love the fact that it looks like we live in a park. If you go up in any building in Atlanta and you look outside, it looks like you’re in the world’s biggest urban park because the green canopy is just aweinspiring. I travel all over the world, and there’s not a single other city this large that has this much greenery. It’s ironic, because we have almost no park space in Atlanta, which is why Piedmont Park is so overused. But we live in the midst of a giant park. What’s the current status on your plans to run for public office? The health factor is not an issue: I’m not going to die from prostate cancer. I was going to run for mayor this year, but when I started exploring the idea more with consultants it hit me that I was never going to see my children. I only have one chance to raise my kids, but I’ll have multiple chances to run for office. I have a 3-year-old, a 9-year-old and one in college. I just wasn’t going to do that thing where the only time they see me is when it’s time to take a campaign picture. So when the kids hit an age where they don’t care as much about me– which seems to be the teen years– I’ll reconsider running for office. But when I was a young kid I always wanted to run for office. My undergraduate degree was to be a City Manager. We don’t have a city manager form of government here, but it’s similar to being a mayor. It’s so funny because I graduated in ’76, it’s now 33 years later and I’ve never run for anything! I’m about to hit my 54th birthday, so if I waited until my youngest finished high school I’d be 70. (Laughs)

sandwiches without the top bun. Nowhere to go but up from there. I also had two grandmothers with distinctive cooking styles. One was French, and she was like Julia Child. At Thanksgiving she would make real gravy from stock and jus. My other grandmother was English/Irish and swould make boiled potatoes with a pinch of salt and butter. It was so simple, but delicious.

It’s really a balance. Flip is a recession-friendly restaurant, serving familiar food at a great price point. We’ve paired that with modern design, beautiful aesthetics, and a creative menu.

Who were some of the chefs who inﬂuenced you? Thomas Keller for his organization. He taught me how to live and work, to get up every morning and make my bed, and to work clean. Daniel Boulud for his charm and grace. He was the mayor of the dining room. Ferran Adria for his creativity and intuition. He uses modern techniques and ingredients to make food better. And that is the goal– not to be ﬂashy or a mad scientist, but to improve taste.

What other projects do you have developing on the horizon? A lot! My company, Trail Blais (www.trailblais.com), is currently developing a restaurant concept for a downtown L.A. location, a book, a modern sandwich shop (New Delhi) and a line of kitchen molecules for the home chef.

What lessons do you take away from having Blais, the restaurant, fail? Try, try again. Closing a restaurant is a tough experience, but we’re stronger and smarter for it. Resilience is something you can only learn through failure. My craft has grown and matured since then, and I’m preparing to do it again with the lessons learned in mind. I also met my wife at Blais, so that was a great “take away.”

How has your success on Top Chef impacted your career? Honestly, this will probably sound cheesy, but going on the show made me fall in love with my career again. It had been a while since I prepped long hours in a kitchen. It was fun, and a great test for my skill. My success on the show has opened all kinds of doors. I was already doing some ideation and product development, but now it’s ramped way up. It’s also given validation to our style of cuisine. I’m conﬁdent now that I can open a successful restaurant that showcases the techniques that I have become known for, and I’m excited for that opportunity.

A lot of restaurants are struggling to survive in this economy, yet Flip has lines out the door. What has been the key to their success?

MARGARITAS!

Agave Restaurant An eclectic southwestern eatery & tequila bar est. 2000 Cabbagetown / Grant Park Dinner nightly at 5pm 404-588-0006 www.agaverestaurant.com

Tequila is all the rage this Summer! Agave 242 Boulevard SE 404.588.0006 www.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 Atlanta’s top 50 dining facilities. Agave uses only the finest ingredients and products for their margaritas. All Agave margaritas are made with blue agave tequilas and fresh squeezed lime juice which has been why they have won so many awards for the drinks. There are 85 tequilas and 10 different award winning margaritas to choose from. Some of their more renowned drinks are: The Cuervo Traditional with Jose Cuervo Especial, fresh lime and 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 and sour served on the rocks. Agave should be your first stop on your quest for the best margarita in the city!

Mexico City Gourmet 2134 N. Decatur Rd. 404.634.1128 www.MexicoCityGourmet.com

Mexico City Gourmet has been a Decatur institution for 25 years. They are located in N. Decatur Plaza on the corner of N. Decatur Rd. and Clairmont. They have received various awards for their food and margaritas including best Mexican restaurant. All their margaritas are outstanding. The Classic is their original margarita and has been a favorite here for over 20 years. The El 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 margaritas are sold by the glass, jumbo size (18oz), by the liter or pitcher. They have 12 lunch specials on the menu for under $7 offered weekdays from 11-3:30pm with $3.50 margaritas. Each Monday at Mexico City Gourmet their classic margaritas are sold at $3 and every Thursday for the margarita aficionados they offer the ‘1800’ ultimate margarita for only $4! They also offer nightly specials for summer.

El Azteca

939 Ponce de Leon 404.881.6040 www.elaztecadelivery.com Overlooking Ponce De Leon Avenue, the award winning outdoor patio at El Azteca is one of the most happening places to be in summer. El Azteca boasts a renovated interior in case you can’t get a table outside. However if

you are lucky enough to grab one, there is nothing better than to hang out on their patio with one of their “kick-ass”margaritas. Served as small, medium, half-pitcher and pitcher they come in four flavors. The traditional Texas plus fruity Strawberry, Peach and Mango. Popular tequila served here include 1800, Cuervo and Patron. This long serving neighborhood restaurant serves all the standard Mexican dishes you'd expect, such as starters like chips and salsa and entrees including burritos, chalupas, enchiladas and a wide selection of vegetarian dishes. El Azteca now delivers to Ponce area.

Lola’s Cantina

4665 Lower Roswell Rd. 770-973-4747 www.lolascantina.com LoLa’s focuses on being much more than a restaurant. LoLa’s is an experience! They firmly believe to truly enjoy a meal or a drink one must experience it with all five senses. With this in mind, all aspects of LoLa’s set the mood for fun, relaxation and enjoyment of the five senses. They feature numerous unique and distinctive tequilas, the margarita selection alone entertains. You will find everything from the classics, to such trendy flavors as raspberry, pomegranate, coconut, peach, mango and jalapeno. All their margaritas are served RaspArita style (over crushed ice). Their best selling Lola house margarita is just $4. On the other end of the spectrum is the Grandma’s Cadillac which goes for $40 and is made with Patron Platinum, Grand Marnier 100 and comes with a complimentary glass and t-shirt. These margaritas are mostly sold in celebration. Lola’s has up-beat, classic and popular tunes pumping through the speakers daily and live bands on the patio during weekend nights. Lola’s is located at the corner of Lower Roswell Rd & Woodlawn Dr one block west of Johnson Ferry Rd in East Cobb. Lola’s stays open late for dinner but is closed for lunch.

Tijuana Garage

351 Moreland Ave. 404.475-7777 www.sabrosomexicano.com

On June 15th the long awaited re-opening of Tijuana Garage at the current Sabroso location next to Front Page News will be complete. After several years of hiatus restaurant proprietor Josh Sagarin has finally brought the ever popular concept back to Little 5 Points. All their margaritas have automobile or garage oriented names. Like the Catalytic Converter, Tijuana Taxi and Pink Cadilac. They are poured strong and made with a variety of their many tequilas. Margaritas are available by the glass or pitcher and can be served El Camino, Ranchero, frozen or neat for sipping.

Voted Best Southwestern Restaurant 2008 Insite Magazine, Creative Loafing, Atlanta Cuisine, The Sunday Paper, Jezebel Magazine

Lots of Love always

East Cobb’s NEWEST CANTINA! ��

incredible food! incredible fun! oh yeah! �� PG 11 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

2009

FILM

BY MITCHELL HUGHES

E’RE STILL WEEKS AWAY from the official equinox, but somebody clearly forgot to tell Hollywood that the sun doesn’t revolve around its movie making hills. The summer movie season has long since begun, with the month of May offering up its fair share of heavy hitters. Wolverine revealed his origins, but has come and gone; the crew from Star Trek has vanished out of plain sight; and even that blowhard Christian Bale as the Terminator’s John Conner is looking like just another pretender. Let’s let the real dogs of summer have their day…

JUNE LAND OF THE LOST

June 5th The Cast: Will Ferrell, Danny McBride, Anna Friel, Jorma Taccone The Plot: Ferrell plays Dr. Rick Marshall, a washed-up scientist in search of a redemptive discovery who, along with his wily research assistant Holly (Friel) and a redneck survivalist (McBride), gets sucked into a space-time vortex. The trio find themselves in a bizarre alternate universe inhabited by dinosaurs and slowmoving Sleestaks. They must rely on Chaka, their friendly primate guide, if they have any hope of making it back alive. The Scoop: Devotees of the original ‘70s Saturday morning kids show created by brothers Sid and Marty Krofft on which the film is based might be disappointed that the low-fi production values and druggy imagery have been replaced by CGI T-Rex’s and a frenetic visual style. But for those concerned that Mr. Ferrell’s improvisational indulgences might once again get the best of him, the presence of director Brad Silberling provides a sigh of relief.

AWAY WE GO

June 5th The Cast: John Krasinski, Maya Rudolph, Jeff Daniels, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Catherine O’Hara The Plot: Longtime couple Burt (Krasinski) and Verona (Rudolph) are going to have a baby. The pregnancy progresses smoothly, but six months in, the pair is put out by the news from Burt’s parents (Daniels and O’Hara) that they are moving. The shiftless couple embark on a cross country journey to reconnect with friends and relatives in an effort to find where best to put down roots and raise their child. The Scoop: Based on the writings of essayist Dave Eggers and real life wife Vendela Vida, who together wrote the screenPG 12 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

play, Away We Go has hipsters everywhere frothing at the mouth. Directed by Sam Mendes and featuring a hand-illustrated poster reminiscent of Juno, you’re looking at Independent Spirit Award bait all the way. Not to be overlooked is a heralded performance by Maya Rudolph.

TAKING OF PELHAM 1 2 3

June 12th The Cast: John Travolta, Denzel Washington, James Gandolfini, John Turtorro The Plot: Denzel Washington stars as New York City subway dispatcher Walter Garber, whose ordinary day is thrown into chaos by the hijacking of a subway train. Travolta plays Ryder, the criminal mastermind and leader of a heavily-armed gang of four who threatens to execute the train’s passengers unless he is paid a hefty ransom within one hour. The Scoop: After the tragic death of his son in January, the last thing John Travolta might wish to do is an all-out promotional blitz for his latest action thriller. But then isn’t that what we go to the movies for, escapism? In the words of Washington, who assumes the part played by Walter Matthau in the 1974 film, “John’s a legend.” High praise from his equally admired co-star. The two had not worked together prior to this remake, but you can bank on this duo for sure.

YEAR ONE

June 19th The Cast: Jack Black, Michael Cera, Olivia Wilde, Hank Azaria, Christopher MintzPlasse The Plot: Zed (Black) and Oh (Cera) are the two worst huntergatherers in their Stone Age tribe. Upon their latest failed attempt to procure sustenance they are expelled from their village and embark on an epic journey (there’s a lot of those going around these days, no?) that traces the Book of Genesis. The Scoop: What’s the fun in simply being a spectator in a comedy revolution that bears your imprint? After his role as Seth Rogen’s stoner dad in Knocked Up, Harold Ramis has finally decided to get back in the director’s chair. Judd Apatow, who grew up idolizing Ramis, serves as the film’s producer. It seems funny from the

trailer even but it does have the slapped together appearance of a funnyordie video.

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN

June 24th The Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Hugo Weaving, John Turturro, Josh Duhamel The Plot: The battle for Earth has ended but the battle for the universe has just begun. After returning to Cybertron, Starscream (Charles Adler) assumes command of the Decepticons, and has decided to return to Earth with force. The Autobots find that Megatron’s (Weaving) dead body has been stolen from the US Military by Skorpinox and revives him using his own spark. Now Megatron is back seeking revenge and with Starscream and Decepticon reinforcements, the Autobots may have more to deal with than meets the eye. The Scoop: If any of that made any sense to you just now you’ve probably been staring at a photo of Megan Fox for too long. Or perhaps not long enough. Either way this sequel to the surprisingly well received 2007 brainbuster is sure to be another bombastic success (for a week or two) for the master of nuance, Michael Bay.

JULY PUBLIC ENEMIES

July 1st The Cast: Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, Marion Cotillard, Billy Crudup, Channing Tatum The Plot: In economically devastated 1930s America, John Dillinger (Depp)

launched one of the most dizzying crime sprees ever on record. The charismatic bank robber whose lightening raids made him the number one target of J. Edgar Hoover’s fledgling FBI and its top agent, Melvin Purvis (Bale). No one could stop Dillinger and his gang. His bravado and electrifying jailbreaks made him into a national folk hero and endeared him to an American public who had no sympathy for the banks and the fat-cat executives that had plunged the country into the Depression. The Scoop: Hmm, Wall Street revenge fantasies? Johnny Depp breaking hearts and Tommy gunning his way across the Midwest in a three piece suit? It could work. Anybody looking for an unrelenting show of firepower from writer-director Michael Mann is also probably in luck. His last feature film, Miami Vice (based on the gaudy 1980s NBC series he created) was so violent Dick Cheney had to receive treatment for post traumatic stress disorder.

ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS

The Cast: Ray Romano, Dennis Leary, John Leguizamo, Queen Latifah, Simon Pegg The Plot: After the events of “Ice Age: The Meltdown”, life begins to change for Manny (Romano) and his friends. Manny and his mate Ellie (Latifah) are expecting a baby. Diego (Leary) is fed up with being treated like a house-cat and wonders if he is becoming too soft. Sid, wishing for a family of his own, steals some dinosaur eggs which leads ending up in a strange underground world where his herd must rescue him from, you guessed it… dinosaurs. The Scoop: Another Ice Age flick, seriously? Why don’t directors Carlos Saldanha and Mike Thrumeier just cut to the chase and make a movie about that pitiful sabre-toothed squirrel and his ever elusive acorn. Give the little guy a break. Lord knows he could use it. continues on page 15

FILM

�� ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL (R) ��

�� –Matt Goldberg

ANGELS & DEMONS (PG-13) ��

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�� –DeMarco Williams

THE BROTHERS BLOOM (PG-13) ��

�� –Matt Goldberg

DRAG ME TO HELL (PG-13)

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�� ANVIL! THE STORY OF

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�� Pixar really could make a ﬁlm about a steaming pile of poop heartwarming and an �� Oscar frontrunner. The studio’s lastest, “Up,” is anything but a steaming pile of poop. ��

�� ANGELS & DEMONS (P ��

�� –Matt Goldberg �� June 5: Land of the Lost (PG-13) �� June 19: Year One (R) �� June 24: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (PG-13) �� –��

coming this month

PG 13 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

�� –Matt Goldberg

THE HANGOVER (R) ��

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�� –DeMarco Williams

NIGHT AT THE MUSUEM: BATTLE OF THE SMITHONIAN (PG) ��

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�� –Matt Goldberg

TERMINATOR SALVATION (PG-13) ��

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�� –DeMarco Williams

TYSON (R) ��

�� –DeMarco Williams

FILM INTERVIEW

Mark Ruffalo – Pros & Cons BY B. LOVE

ESPITE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED turns in films such as You Can Count On Me, Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind, Collateral and Zodiac, Wisconsin native Mark Ruffalo has yet to become a household name on par with co-stars Jim Carrey, Kate Hudson, Tom Cruise or Robert Downey, Jr. But if the gods of Hollywood have any mercy, that should all change this year, as Ruffalo has appearances in Spike Jones’ eagerly-anticipated Where The Wild Things Are and Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island coming in the next few months. We sat down with the 41-year-old thespian at the Toronto Film Festival, where he was promoting his latest film, The Brothers Bloom. Here, he discusses his theatre background, how actors are like con men, and what he learned from the legendary Taxi Driver director.

You started out in the theatre. How did that training help you in your movie career? In the theater you get to play a bunch of diﬀerent characters and no one pigeonholes you. If you do a drama, then they don’t say, “He only does dramas.” If you do a comedy, they don’t say, “He only does comedies.” I’ve been able to, rather deftly, keep myself from falling into one or the other. As far as the training, you learn to work it out on a stage because you have to work it out. It’s the actor’s medium, because it’s just you and the audience basically, so you can’t really BS your way through it. I learned how to act on a stage, and I can take that anywhere with me. As a result, I feel pretty conﬁdent about being an actor.

Do you think that, in some ways, actors are just as much con men as your character in The Brothers Bloom? We are con men! We’re living out of a suitcase, with some nice clothes that aren’t always clean and well-pressed, always on the run, always hawking something like I’m doing here today, trying to get your confidence to buy what we’re selling. It’s kinda like you’re performing, trying to get something from somebody– get a job, impress the director, you know? You want to have the studio think that you’re worthy of their business… So yeah, I understand it. How do you come to be involved in the film? I met with [director] Rian Johnson and he was meeting with other actors for the part of Bloom, and I think Adrian was one of them. The first time I met him we set down for coffee and cigarettes and talked for an hour about what this movie was. I got sorta attached to the idea of playing the part of Bloom, but Rian called a couple of months later and said he wanted to talk to me about playing Stephen. “Stephen? Who’s playing Bloom?!” He said Adrian, which I thought was really cool, but I told him we needed to meet because I didn’t know if I could pull this off. Stephen is so

PG 14 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

gregarious and conﬁdent and all these things, and I’d never played anything like that before. But he thought I could do it and I said, “Well, if you think so then I’ll follow you if you’ve got a plan.” So we started to build this character from top to bottom. What did you do to prepare for the role? There’s this diamond thief I’ve known for a long time. A lot of Stephen is based on this guy, because he’s not just a diamond thief– he was a complete con his whole life. A hustler. He was the most charming, fun, fantastic, bigger than life person you would ever come across. Often times I would think, “How would he handle this situation?” Rian and I started talking about it and came up with [basing the character on] Marcello Mastroianni, and used the Martin Scorsese documentary The Last Waltz for a lot of inspiration.

Was there any hesitance to play a character that was essentially the bad brother? Some people are gonna say that Stephen’s not so great of a brother because he’s manipulative. It’s kind of tricky, but I think everything he does comes out of love for his brother. There is an enormous amount of love there. There’s also history, baggage and dysfunction, but I think at the bottom it’s a real love. You’ve got a lot of other movies due out this year. What is Sympathy For Delicious about? It’s kind of a modern fable about a guy in a wheelchair who gets the gift to heal, but he can’t heal himself. So he takes it and prostitutes his gift for sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. It’s kind of a satire on pop culture and religion and all these big things we are dealing with today. I directed it and it stars Christopher Thornton, who’s a paraplegic and dear close friend of

mine, Laura Linney, Orlando Bloom and myself.

Do you see yourself moving away from acting in the future? You know at some point they’re going to kick me out! (Laughs) What have you picked up from the directors you’ve worked with in the past? Little pieces, you know? You just see certain ways they use a camera, and their visual sense. Some directors are geared more towards a camera move coupled with a performance. Some let the camera find its way around a performance. But you have to find your voice and stay true to yourself no matter what comes at you. That’s what makes great directors stand out. How was it working with Martin Scorsese on October’s Shutter Island? I didn’t work with him back in the day, but now he has that grace about him. It’s easy for him. He has this intuition where he walks into a movie knowing every shot and how he’s going to tell the story visually. He loves actors, and he creates a space that is incredibly respectful of what we do and how we do it. And he’s just an all around film professor. You could talk for hours with him about film… and he will! It is very moving to see a man at his age working as he does, and you know you’re in the presence of a master. Do you think you will go back to theater? Yeah, that’s the idea. I hope I end up dying on the stage. If I could make a living to support a family of three, I would probably do a lot more theater. Right now I’ve been doing films and I’ve got these kids in college, and they’re expensive! But theater is probably my grand love, and that’s where I do my greatest stuff.

continued from page 12

BRUNO

July 10th The Cast: Sacha Baron Cohen The Plot: Gay Austrian TV fashion reporter Bruno brings his act to America to interview and interact with real life people he meets. Inspired by Madonna and Angelina Jolie, Bruno attempts to adopt a child from Africa; a baby boy to whom he gives the “traditional African name” of O.J. The Scoop: Mr. Cohen returns to the big screen embodying the third of three deadpan characters he developed on his cult HBO series Da Ali G Show. Significantly less abrasive than Kazakh journalist Borat Sagdiyev but no less inflammatory is Bruno, the flamboyantly gay Austrian fashion reporter. Cohen seems pathologically driven to risk life and limb to hit Middle America where it hurts.

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE

July 17th The Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon, Helena Bonham Carter, Maggie Smith The Plot: As Harry Potter begins his 6th year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he discovers an old book marked mysteriously “this book is the property of the Half-Blood Prince” and alongside Ron and Hermione begins to learn more about Lord Voldemort’s dark past. The Scoop: What can be said about young Harry Potter that hasn’t already been said? He’s a Socialist! Okay, so he’s still not voting age but it sure is a fun thing to say. As for director David Yates, he might be less acclaimed than the other filmmakers who have put their stamp on the fantasy-adventure series but then again he did direct the previous installment, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, only to see it ultimately gross $939 million. Not bad.

G-FORCE

July 24th The Cast: Will Arnett, Bill Nighy, with the voices of Sam Rockwell, Penelope Cruz, Tracy Morgan and Nicholas Cage The Plot: An elite team of guinea pigs trained as part of a government experiment take on a mission to stop an evil billionaire (Nighy) who plans to destroy the world with household appliances. The Scoop: And do what, make the perfect smoothie? In this live action film, Sam Rockwell provides the voice of the computer animated rodent leader Darwin. He heads up a partially international cast you’d expect to instead find in a lurid crime drama. That being said, it sounds no less ridiculous than any of Tracy Jordan’s previous star vehicles on 30 Rock. Speaking of which, when are they ever going to get around making Fat Bitch?

FUNNY PEOPLE

July 31st The Cast: Adam Sandler, Seth Rogan, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman The Plot: George Simmons (Sandler) is a beloved comedian whose films have made him a wealthy but self-centered man. Upon learning that he has an incurable blood disease and only a year to live begins to reevaluate his life. He returns to his stand-up roots and he encounters a struggling young comic (Rogen) who he decides to be his mentor and make him his personal assistant. When he learns that his disease has gone into remission he reconnects with an old flame (Mann) and is inspired to find what gives his life meaning. The Scoop: After convincing yourself that Forgetting Sarah Marshall or I Love You, Man were the least bit funny or that Jason Segel has any right to appear on another movie screen ever again, you are finally rewarded with another honest to goodness Judd Apatow movie. The man himself returns with his third and most anticipated directorial effort yet in which he teams Mr. Sander, his friend of twenty years, in a film he describes as “sort of a demented Tuesday’s With Morrie.” Notorious for turning their nose up to comedy, one would hope the Academy might give Funny People special consideration. On the plus side, Oscar has always had a thing for the infirmed.

AUGUST JULIE & JULIA

August 7th The Cast: Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Stanley Tucci, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Jane Lynch The Plot: Julie Powell (Adams) is a frustrated temp and an even more frustrated amateur chef living in New York circa 2002. Upon reading Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking she embarks on a culinary quest to cook all 524 recipes. She

chronicles her trials and tribulations in a blog that catches the attention of the food crowd. Her labors are mirrored by Child (Streep) who learns ropes at the famous Le Cordon Blue cooking school in post-war Paris. The Scoop: Julie & Julia is reportedly the first film based on a blog. It is also the second movie Ms. Streep and Ms. Adams have done together (the being the Academy Award nominated Doubt) although they do not share screen time. Adams is quickly becoming one of the best actresses of her socalled generation and for all the talk about the lack of good roles for women of a certain age, Streep keeps plugging away. Maybe some of her contemporaries might want to stop complaining and realize perhaps they’re just not that good.

G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF THE COBRA

The Cast: Channing Tatum, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dennis Quaid, Sienna Miller The Plot: A team of highly skilled operatives lead by Duke (Tatum), team captain Hawk (Quaid) and ninja Snake Eyes(Ray Park) take on villains like the beautiful and treacherous Baroness (Miller) and the mysterious Cobra Commander (Gordon-Levitt). The Scoop: For anyone who thinks that the latter of the two face melting action flicks this summer based on an 80’s cartoon phenomenon has anything to do with the animated series itself, you are sorely mistaken. According to Lorenzo di Bonaventura, the producer of both Transformers and G.I. Joe, the film is based on the comic books that came out in 1982 and ’83. Oh, burn.

IT MIGHT GET LOUD

August 21st The Cast: Jimmy Page, Jack White, the Edge The Plot: A gathering of three of the most innovative and influential musicians of the rock era, It Might Get Loud is a jam session and rumination on the electric guitar from perspectives of the Edge, Jack White and the

legendary Jimmy Page. The Scoop: It might get loud? Don’t be coy with us Davis Guggenheim. You know, the documentary form has taken many shapes in recent years, from Michael Moore’s cinematic editorializing to disciplined journalistic examinations of the Iraq war to formulaic sports dramas, but if Mr. Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth) wants to put three real life guitar heroes in a room and call it a documentary, who are we to stop him?

INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

August 21st The Cast: Brad Pitt, Mike Myers, Diane Kruger, B.J. Novak, Cloris Leachman The Plot: In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as “The Basterds” are chosen to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. The Basterds soon cross paths with a FrenchJewish teenage girl who runs a movie theater in Paris, which is targeted by the soldiers. The Scoop: Try typing that title into your word processor and watch your spellcheck have a hissy fit. It’s one of many touches from director Quentin Tarantino, making his first film since the Grindhouse double feature, that let you know he’s not interesting in contributing to the growing list of timid period dramas or ambivalent Holocaust pictures. Hey, who wouldn’t pay to see a little remorseless Nazi slaughtering for a change of pace?

THE BOAT THAT ROCKED

August 28th The Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh The Plot: A band of rebel English DJs aboard a ramshackle ship on the North Sea blast the latest American R&B and the best of the British beat to burgeoning generation of young Brits hooked on pirate radio. The year is 1966 and despite the irresistible sounds of swinging London the BBC only allows two hours of rock and roll a week. Meanwhile the Count (Hoffman) and his cohorts are broadcasting around the clock but when their actions are brought to the attention of government minister Dormandy (Brannagh) they must rely on their devoted followers to keep the good times afloat. The Scoop: The Boat That Rocked is the latest comedy from Richard Curtis, the writer of the smash hits Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones’s Diary and the director of Love Actually. In many of his countrymen’s eyes he can do no wrong and with Philip Seymour Hoffman on board in a performance that calls to mind his take on manic rock critic Lester Bangs in Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous, he’s taken it to a whole nother level. The Boat That Rocked is likely to end the summer season with a bang and kick start the ever encroaching award season march.

PG 15 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

CONCERT

CALENDER

�� Young Antiques �� Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne �� Unknown Hinson �� Jackopierce �� The Apostles �� Average White Guy Comedy �� Montgomery Gentry �� Testament �� Breezekings �� Wrong Way �� The Bridge �� Jonathan Coulton �� Skid Row �� Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne �� Sin City Fight Club �� Young Antiques �� Tony Furtado �� Average White Guy Comedy �� The Business �� Evelynn Rose �� Groovestain �� Clay Walker �� Heather Luttrell �� Helio Sequence �� Blues Envy �� Warsaw Poland Bros. �� Air Guitar Championships �� Patrick Vining �� Holly Howell �� Nobody’s Darlings �� Tru Skool Tuesdays �� PJ Harvey & John Parish �� Wolves in the Throne Room �� Pert Near Sandstone �� J.T. Speed �� Open Mic Jam �� Crash Test Comedy �� The Compromise �� Les Claypool, Matisyahu �� Al Smith’s Midtown Jam �� I was a King �� The Greencards �� Chicago Joe Jones �� Tyler Reeve �� Smokey’s Farmland Band �� The Decemberists �� I Do Music �� Spencer Bohren �� Liz Meledez �� Wayne Hancock �� Katie Melua �� Chickenshack �� Hill Country Revue �� The Richard & Sal Show �� New Kids On The Block �� Doug Benson �� Leela James �� 17th Floor �� Tab Benoit �� The WIld �� BMI Rock Showcase �� Yacht Rock �� Tom Principato �� Pink Martini w/ Sneakin’ Out ��Trances Arc �� Seminole Jackson �� Tommy Talton Band �� The Richard & Sal Show �� No Doubt �� Doug Benson �� Gaelic Storm �� Bassnectar �� The Toadies �� Matt Stillwell �� Zoroaster �� King Daddy Polecats �� Arc Angels �� Golden (INXS) �� Summer Session �� 311 & Incubus Tribute �� Sakari, Da Chop Shop �� John Prine w/ Levon Helm Band

PG 16 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

�� Detroit Cobras �� Bi-Annual Open Mic �� Blues Cat �� Deep Blue Sun �� MO Trio Plus �� Doug Benson ��Seven Story Fall �� The Velcro Pygmines �� The Downtown Executives �� Fishhawk �� Little Feat ��Earth, Wind & Fire, Chicago �� The Modern Society �� Fight Night �� Shawn Kegeles �� Blake Rainey & His Demons �� Randall Bramblett �� Blues Envy �� Bluegrass Jam Sessions �� Doug Benson �� Bon Iver �� Songwriter’s Open Mic �� Patrick Vining �� Mudcat �� Anybody Killa �� Threat Signal �� Chilton Music Project �� Tru Skool Tuesdays �� Songwriter’s Open Mic �� J.T. Speed �� Open Mic Jam� �� Me Without You �� Alex Baugh & The Crazy Carls �� Al Smith’s Midtown Jam �� Ocha La Rocha �� Songwriter’s Open Mic �� Chicago Joe Jones �� Tyler Reeve� �� Jessica Lea Mayﬁeld �� Ebony Love �� Black Dice �� Songwriter’s Opne Mic �� Chickenshack �� Nappy Roots �� J. Willis �� Greg Proops �� Chris Duarte �� FREAKOUT!! �� Femi Kuti, King Sunny Ade �� Mel & the Party Hats �� The New York Dolls �� Here We Go Magic �� Michael Jonathan �� Chilly Willy Band �� Newberry Jam �� Secret Weapon Quartet �� Greg Proops �� Girl in a Coma �� Girlz, Girlz, Girlz �� Little Joy �� Lost Boys, Y-O-U �� Laura Izibor �� Unzipt �� Peter Hadar, Stacy Epps �� Delta Moon �� Portugal. The Man. �� Susi French Connection �� Jumpin’ Jukes �� Chilly Willy Band Reunion �� Greg Proops �� KC & The Sunshine Band �� Necrophagist �� Keith Urban & Taylor Swift �� Eliot James & The Snakes �� Mad Tea Party �� TV on the Radio �� X �� Owl City �� Ozzy & AC/DC Tribute �� St. Vincent �� Mike Killeen �� Blues Envy �� The Movement �� Greg Proops �� Calahoney �� Better Than Ezra �� Russian Circles �� Songwriter’s Open Mic �� Patrick Vining �� Michael Hurley & Friends �� Peaches �� White Collar Crime

�� Tru Skool Tuesdays �� Meat Puppets �� Jay Nash �� J.T. Speed �� Open Mic Jam �� The Casualties �� Propain �� Civil Twilight �� Al Smith’s Midtown Jam �� The Tips �� Chicago Joe Jones �� Taking Back SUnday �� Tyler Reeve �� The Hard Lessons

�� Dax Riggs �� Jonathan Byrd �� Chickenshack �� The Funky Fiasco �� Anthony Hamilton & Musiq Soulchild �� Kirkwood Ballers �� Robert Schimmel �� ABSU �� Laney Strickland Band �� Sons of Bill �� Adron �� Road to Essence Music Fest �� Josh Hoge w/ Tim Brantley

�� Joe �� John Vanderslice �� Roxie Watson �� Chickenshack �� The Bill Hart Trio �� Bonaventure Quartet �� Jimmy Shubert �� The Working Title �� Poptart Monkeys �� Grayson Capps & The Stumpknockers �� Big Trouble in Little Five

�� Breakfast Club �� Atlanta Symphony �� It’s Elephants �� Gareth Asher �� Fat Back Deluxe �� Angie Aparo �� Robert Schimmel �� Marshall Tucker Band �� El Scorcho �� Trotline �� Turtle Folk �� All the Saints �� David Wilcox �� Dedset

�� Once �� I Love Gospel Music �� An Horse �� Evan McHugh �� Rough Draft �� Yonrico Scott �� Jacob Deaton �� Jimmy Shubert �� Framing Hanley �� Martians �� FUZE �� Poolstick �� Trampled By Turtles �� Paleface �� Ledisi �� Camera Obscura �� Depature

�� Tribute Night ��Shamora �� Anita Baker �� Marah �� J.T. Speed �� Spiritual Rez �� Sleep Creeps �� Robert Schimmel �� Patrick Wolf �� Last November �� Heavy Pettin’ �� Dane Cook �� The Hackensaw Boys �� Screamin’ Demons �� Richard Blais Cooking Demonstration �� ASO: Magniﬁcent Mozart �� Love Rush

�� Girlz, Girlz, Girlz �� Land E & Zombie �� Bijan Mortazavi �� Noot D’Noot �� Jay Clifford �� Dr. Dixon �� The Apostles �� Superdrag �� Jimmy Shubert �� Kenny Rogers & CSO �� Breaking Vegas �� White Leppard Crue �� Ryan Cabrera �� Dropsonic �� Errol Moore �� ASO Opening Night �� Brantley Gilbert

�� The Smart Brothers �� Blues Envy �� ASIFA Blowin’ Smoke �� Kid Rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd �� Robert Schimmel �� Triosity

�� Joey Cape �� Hayes Carll �� Blues Envy �� Mr. Lucky �� Jimmy Shubert �� Georgia Satellites �� Styx, REO Speedwagon

�� The Wooden Birds �� Patrick Vining �� The Breeze Kings � �� Tru Skool Tuesdays �� Gentleman Jesse & His Men �� J.T. Speed �� Open Mic Jam �� Movie Lounge �� Lustre King

No Doubt @ ��(6-5)

�� Death Match �� Songwriter’s Open Mic �� Patrick Vining �� Holly Belle �� Boys Like Girls �� The Hideous Strength �� Before the Solstice �� Tru Skool Tuesdays �� The Black Hollies �� Comedy Night �� J.T. Speed �� Open Mic Jam �� Peter Murphy �� Drop Dead Gorgeous �� Civil Twilight �� Al Smith’s Midtown Jam �� Buddy Guy & Jonny Lang �� Ben Lee �� Adam Carroll �� Chicago Joe Jones �� Bernadette Seacrest �� Goatwhore �� Tyler Reeve �� Tishamingo �� Stevie Wonder

SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE NOW! PINK MARTINI

JOE COCKER

JOHN PRINE WITH THE LEVON HELM BAND

The Randy Rogers Band Saturday, July 18

Sneakin’ Out Friday, June 5

Friday, July 17

COREY SMITH

Saturday, June 6

This show is reserved seating only. No tables, coolers or carry-ins.

Five Time Grammy Award Winner

��

Grammy Award Winner

BUDDY GUY

Wednesday, July 22

JONNY LANG

CHRIS ISAAK

Wednesday, June 24

Saturday, July 25

ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PERFORMS

THE NEVILLE BROTHERS DR. JOHN & THE LOWER 911

Friday, June 26

ANITA BAKER

An Evening with TOM JONES Friday, July 31

MICHAEL McDONALD BOZ SCAGGS

ASHFORD & SIMPSON

GLADYS & SMOKEY KNIGHT ROBINSON

Saturday, August 15

KANSAS

Christopher Cross Wednesday, August 19

THE MUSIC OF LED ZEPPELIN Saturday, June 27

Wednesday, July 29

THE TEMPTATIONS Friday, August 14

Wednesday, July 1

STEELY DAN

Wednesday, July 8

AMERICA

with Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Friday, July 10

EDWIN McCAIN

WITH FREDDY JONES BAND Friday, August 28

DIANA KRALL Saturday, July 11

EN VOGUE

REGENERATION TOUR

�� Saturday, August 29

��

LOGGINS & MESSINA

FEATURING

The Gabe Dixon Band Friday, September 25

Wednesday, July 15

Tickets available at all outlets including Publix Supermarkets. Charge-by-phone: 1.800.745.3000 Buy online: ticketmaster.com Tickets also at the Woodruff Arts Center box ofﬁce (M-F: 10AM-8 PM, Sat/Sun: Noon-8PM)

MAKE IT A GROUP! (15 or more) 404.733.4848

deltaclassicchastain.com Delta Classic Chastain Concerts at Chastain Park Amphitheater produced by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Promoter

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

ON SALE NOW! EARTH, WIND & FIRE CHICAGO

PROJECT 9-6-1’S FAMILY REUNION featuring

STYX REO SPEEDWAGON

The Duke Spirit

Saturday, June 6

INCUBUS

Friday, August 14

.38 Special

Sunday, June 21

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STEVIE WONDER Wednesday, June 24

Whitesnake PopEvil

Thursday, August 20

MAJIC 107.5/97.5 90’Z THROWBACK SUMMER JAM featuring HEADS OF STATE: Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill & Ralph Tresvant ��

O.A.R.

Brett Dennen

Friday, August 21

SOUND TRIBE SECTOR 9 Ghostland Observatory Lotus Dubconscious

Friday, July 3

Saturday, August 22

STARFEST 2009 featuring

JASON MRAZ

��

G. Love & Special Sauce Plain White T’s Monday, July 27

SUGARLAND

Jake Owen ��

Saturday, September 26

FOR CONCERT UPDATES AND VENUE INFO, VISIT Tickets available at all

JUDAS PRIEST

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outlets including Publix Supermarkets.

Charge-by-phone: 1.800.745.3000

Buy online: ticketmaster.com

Tickets also at the box ofﬁce (M-F: noon-4pm, Saturday: 10am-2pm, Closed Sundays). The venue is conveniently located off GA-400 in Alpharetta. All artists and schedules subject to change without notice. Concerts rain or shine.

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PG 17 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

MUSIC INTERVIEW

Give ‘N Go Rapper Pooh may not beAS Little SHE Brother’sGOES star, but with the STEADY Delicious Bars solo project, he’ll get due shine.

BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

NOW WHAT MO WILLIAMS, DER EK Fisher and Mario Chalmers all have in common? Each realizes that when the spotlight’s on, LeBron, Kobe and DWade are the ones who’ll get the most shine. Rapper Pooh knows the feeling. For eight years now, he’s essentially been the Scottie to Phonte’s MJ in the group Little Brother. (For argument’s sake, we’ll just call former producer 9th Wonder Phil Jackson.) The partnership, of course, has been a winning one, with albums like The Minstrel Show and Get Back in folks’ starting rotation to this day. Still, even the greatest of team players get a few oﬀensive plays ran for themselves. And Pooh’s no exception. Delightful Bars, the MC’s recentlyreleased CD dropped in four slightly-diﬀerent versions, is Pooh’s time in the limelight. INsite caught up with the underground MVP during a recent timeout to get his thoughts on the recording process, playing ‘Te’s wing man and, yes, loving basketball.

things that catch my attention, I deﬁnitely read a bit and see what people say. What’s the biggest misconception about you? The biggest misconception I think about me is that I’m replaceable. Most people who criticize me feel that you could put anybody in my position and the group would be ﬁne or whatever. I think people really misunderstand the role I play in Little Brother. Just that whole thing period. They don’t understand the whole inner workings of what’s going on. Because I’m the type of person that allows Phonte to take lead or allows Phonte and 9th to do they thing, people just thought I didn’t do nuthin’. That’s just them not understanding me. But like I said earlier, I’m the type of person that sees when you have somebody that’s more than capable of taking lead [you let them]. Everybody don’t have the personality and everybody’s not strong enough to step back. Because I did step back, you get, “Ah, you can take Pooh out and put such-and-such in and they’d be better.” Nah, that’s not the case.

Everybody can’t work with them two. Everybody can’t work with ‘Te. It takes my personality to have us work the way we work. Just like it takes his personality to mix with mine to make us work the way we work. I think a lot of people just underestimate the things I bring to the table. Nah, from your first joint Sleepers to Get Back to this new album, cats should definitely see that you know your way around the recording booth. Thank you. That was from me stepping back and just being able to take a lot of stuff and learn a lot of things just watching Phonte work and watching 9th work. It was kinda being developed without it being developed. Being able to do that meant a lot to my development, period. What are some of the biggest signs of development from Sleepers up to this new album? Just becoming a better songwriter. Being able to put together songs a lot more efficiently than it was able to before. Learning how to write hooks and all those necessary things. I still have a whole

Your chemistry with Phonte seems genuine. Would you say you and he agree 50% of the time? 80%? More? Less? We agree probably, at this point, about 80% of the time. That’s only because we’ve been able to work together for so many years. We kinda know how each other works. We kinda know what each other likes and don’t like. Also, when it comes to doing Little Brother stuﬀ, I kinda sit back and let Phonte take lead. You can’t have too many cooks in the kitchen. I have no problem stepping back and letting him take lead. But at the same time, I still voice my opinion.

What else are you great at? I’m a sports fanatic, man. I could get a job on ESPN. That’s one of the things I aspire to dosomething in sports. I love sports more than I love music. Straight up and down. I’ll tell anybody that any day of the week. Sports is No. 1. It’s at the top of my list. College basketball, football, professional basketball, baseball. I do a lil’ bit of hockey. I love sports. I’m starting to get into soccer a lil’ bit. I just love it. That competitiveness and that intensity, there’s just something about it that you can’t get anywhere else.

It takes a big man to acknowledge that you can’t have two Kobe Bryants on one squad. Exactly. That’s one of the things I learned early on –I used to play sports- is that when you have too many people [trying to lead] then you have nothing.

With regards to the people take and don’t take to the Little Brother sound, do you follow the blogs and hip hop sites much? Yeah, yeah. I try to keep up a lil’ bit. I don’t follow it deeply and read every single thing, but PG 18 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

You almost have a lil’ arrogance on a few Delightful Bars tracks. Yeah, you gotta have that. That’s part of being a rapper. Part of being an MC is that you have to have that. If people don’t hear and don’t believe you have it, they don’t believe you. That’s something you gotta have. That’s something that comes out from time to time. This is me holdin’ my dick a lil’ bit. No matter what people say or what comments people may have, I know what I do and I know my capabilities. Real talk, I’ve been in this game since 2001. There ain’t too many people that’s been in the game eight years and still have relevance. No matter what people say about me, I’m still going. Are there any aspirations for Billboard covers and car commercials? For me, I just look at it like this: If those things end up coming, then they come. I have no problem being on the cover of Billboard. But I just think that as I’ve been in this game for eight years, I’m just a person that realizes I have to do it on the terms that I want to do it on. If it comes with me doing it the way I wanna do it, that’s more the better. But if I have to do something I know I don’t wanna do or be ashamed of some of the things I did to get that look, what’s the point of doing it if I can’t look myself in the mirror? If it never comes and I’m still able to live at the level I’m living at comfortably, it is what it is. If it does come, the more the merrier. I’ve been living the good life outta just music since 2003. I haven’t had a job that I actually had to punch a clock since then. I think I’ve done pretty good for myself.

Is there a difference in the preparation when it’s a solo project compared to a group one? Yeah, it’s definitely a little different approach. That’s only because the dynamic changes. You don’t have to go to another person and sit and talk out how you’re going to do things. There’s no having to compromise some of the things that you wanna do for the greater good of the group. It’s just you. It’s about the direction you wanna go in and how you wanna do it. That’s the biggest difference.

Pooh, if you were describing yourself to someone relatively new to Little Brother, how would you describe yourself besides being a “team player”? Honest. Straight-forward. No frills. Those would probably be the words that I’d use ﬁrst because I’m a straight-forward person when I’m on the mic. That’s how I am in person as well outside of rap. I’m not a punchline-heavy guy. I can do stories, but I don’t do that too much. I just put it out there in plain black and white. No extras to it. This is what it is. This is what it’s gonna be. Some people take to that. Some people don’t.

lot of work to do, but I’ve come a long way from where I first started. I think that’s the most recognizable thing in my growth that a lot of people will be able to see if they go back to my first record up until now. My confidence [too]. You can hear the confidence that I have going from then to now. You can really hear it on record.

What kind of projects do you have lined up for the rest of ’09 and going into ’10? I’m still releasing the diﬀerent versions of Delightful Bars. I’m doing some spot tapes. Hopefully, I’ll jump on a tour or something in the fall. Little Brother Left Back EP/DVD coming up by the end of the year. Hopefully, at the top of ’10, Dirty, Pretty Things on Barak Records, the home of Slum Village.

I STILL HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF WORK TO DO, BUT I’VE COME A LONG WAY FROM WHERE I FIRST STARTED. I THINK THAT’S THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE THING IN MY GROWTH THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE IF THEY GO BACK TO MY FIRST RECORD UP UNTIL NOW.

Any new producers working with y’all on the upcoming Little Brother project? Not on this project. Like I said, this is just an EP, mostly comprised of songs that we never ﬁnished, or ﬁnished and they didn’t make the cut for Get Back. That’s why it’s titled Left Back. You’re not going to see a whole host of producers. Maybe when we sit back and start thinking about the next actual Little Brother album, some of that will come into play. Not with the EP.

Road Warriors June 2009 Hottest Shows BY JON LATHAM 6/2  P.J. HARVEY

Center Stage Polly Jean Harvey’s consistent library of alternative rock albums has made her one the scene’s biggest influences for almost two decades now. Be it the fuzz-grind rhythms from ‘Rid of Me’ or the more mellow styles from fan favorite ‘To Bring You My Love’, she has never been shy about stretching and bending her stylistic legs. Center Stage will provide you with the intimate setting that gives Harvey the commanding edge for her amazing live performances.

6/3  THE DECEMBERISTS

The Tabernacle Throughout their career, the Decemberists have brought literary narrative vision to the indie-rock sound, culminating in the breakout success of ‘The Crane Wife’ several years ago. Finally, their follow-up rock opera ‘The Hazards of Love’ is available, and Colin Meloy and company are bringing it to life, playing the album in its entirety in a new traveling stage show.

6/5  NO DOUBT

Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood Some of you may not know this, but before Gwen Stefani was on your radio dial spelling out B-A-N-A-N-A-S on “Hollaback Girl”, she was in this little band called No Doubt. No big

deal, really; their album ‘Tragic Kingdom’ only sold about sixteen-million copies worldwide and yielded several classic singles like “Just a Girl” and “Don’t Speak”. I can see why you may have never heard of ‘em. Paramore will be coming along for support on this road stint.

6/12  THE FRAY

a handy amount of crossover success into the pop-laden realm of female singers.

6/13  X

Variety Playhouse It’s hard to think of a band more synonymous with Los Angeles than X. Their punk rock has always been one of a kind with its poetic lyrics and off-kilter harmonies, care of Exene Cervenka and John Doe. After celebrating their 31st Anniversary last year, the original line-up have taken back to the road on what they have dubbed the TRL tour, allowing fans the opportunity through their website to pick what songs end up on the setlist every night.

Chastain Park Their debut album, ‘How to Save a Life’, brought the Fray a wave of success and exposure. How much exposure? I dare you to think of a medical drama that didn’t use that title cut at least once in an episode. Nevertheless, it’s the bands’ radio-friendly craftsmanship that puts them at the top of their game. Atlanta will be the kickoff show of their summer tour in support of their self-titled second release, already a smash with fans due to tracks like the popular single “You Found Me”.

6/17  TAKING BACK SUNDAY

6/13  KEITH URBAN/TAYLOR SWIFT

6/23  BEN LEE

Philips Arena Two of the biggest names in country music, rugged guitar man Keith Urban, and teen sensation Taylor Swift, bring a double dose of star power to Philips Arena. Urban has been steadfastly becoming one of the new generation’s country superstar, thanks in part to his heartfelt vocal delivery and his guitar skills. Young starlet Swift just can’t seem to be shaken from the Billboard charts, leading to

Masquerade New York’s Taking Back Sunday has amassed a rabid bevy of fans with the help of almost non-stop road work and constantly expansive sound from album to album. On June 2, the guys drop New Again, an album that rightly reflects the growth of the group since the arrival of guitarist Matt Fazzi last year. With a revived sound, the band hits Atlanta early on in their U.S. Tour; expect a high-energy show featuring favorites as well as new tracks ready to be road tested. The Earl Australian-born Ben Lee was considered a kid-genious when he signed on to the Beastie Boys’ Grand Royale label at the age of thirteen. Since then, Lee has grown into a man with an ear for power-pop melodies that fit beautifully with his quirky, sometimes selfdeprecating lyrics. Lee hit his stride over the

WE GOT NEXT COLOR OF VIOLENCE

6/27  THE HACKENSAW BOYS

Smith’s Olde Bar Hippie vibes meet with fresh Americana influences to create a sound that could only belong to the Hackensaw Boys. Formed in Virginia, the last decade of shows have seen the Boys become festival season favorites, from Mountain Stage, to High Sierra, to Telluride, to Bonnaroo. 2003 found them touring as the backing band for the legendary Charlie Louvin. Smith’s is one of Atlanta’s stand-out rooms, and a night at Smith’s with the Hackensaw Boys is a nice down-home recipe for a damn good time.

6/28  KID ROCK/ LYNYRD SKYNYRD

Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood Right at the cusp of the annual Independence Day festivities, two separate generations of Rock are sharing the stage in Atlanta. The legendary Lynyrd Skynyrd band will be on hand with a catalogue of classics such as “Gimme Three Steps”, “Saturday Night Special”, and “Sweet Home Alabama”. On the bill, as well, is Detroit’s finest export, besides great American automobiles, the one and only Kid Rock. Expect some cross collaboration, considering Kid Rock featured dominant bits of “Sweet Home Alabama” in his hit from last year, “All Summer Long”. Just don’t be that guy yelling “Freebird” all night. Be patient; they will play it.

Artists on the verge of making it big

Latest Project: Youthanize For Fans of: Bring Me the Horizon, From First to Last, Gallows Why You Should Care: Because two-fifths of screamo/hardcore outfit From First to Last decided to entertain their violent side and infuse it with a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor.

BY JOHN B. MOORE

last few years when he released ‘Awake is the New Sleep’ followed by ‘Ripe’. Inspired by his new marital bliss with wife Ione Skye (Diane Court to all you Cusack nerds), Lee has offered up ‘The Rebirth of Venus’, which he is touring to support.

ID YOU REALLY EXPECT A SIDE PROJECT from screamo throat shredders From First to Last to make a pop record? Nah, they just found an excuse to get heavier. Travis Richter (guitar/vocals) and Derek Bloom (drums) took a few months oﬀ from their day jobs in FFTL to put together the grindcore band The Color of Violence. The duo’s debut Youthanize comes out this spring, so Richter took some time to speak with InSite about the group, Geometry Wars and why punk rock is like 21 Jump Street.

How would you describe Color of Violence to those familiar with your work in From First to Last? It’s definitely a step away in many senses. But I think I get a lot of similar feelings from when we were making music together a long time ago. The feeling of I don’t know what to do kinda drove this process; Feeling blind to the outcome until you are sitting there listening to the record. It’s obviously heavier, mainly because I’m screaming my head off the whole CD. I kept being like “Derek let me try singing this part, and he was like no dude just rage,” so that’s exactly what I did. It’s all in good fun though. What was your motivation behind starting this band? The timing and all of that had to do with having a strong desire to express ourselves. Sure there is a lot of stuff going on in the world, but that’s not really why we did this. We just love being creative and love the idea and philosophy around creating and being artistic, and that by itself is a huge motivation, well, maybe more of a justification to write a record outside of FFTL. Before there was FFTL, I had my own pop punk band that was a three piece and I was the singer and Derek had his own black metal bands back in the day, so it’s inside both of us to want something different that our typical routine. What can you tell me about the album? It’s a lot of fun...probably too much because it’s devoid of anything super serious, and we sometimes did that by being overly serious. We wanted to make a really intense heavy record that was violent...violent like Atari Teenage Riot. It definitely has this indie or retro look at intense music. There’s no way in hell we were about to step out into the heavy world with tuned down guitars and chug

chug. We grew up in that first run of old screamo before The Used took that title. Derek had the idea to fly in a couple drummers, Jon from Daughters and Joel from Felix Culpa. They tracked all the songs in about a week and it was very fly by the seat of your pants, but a lot of the sound of the record is in the drums. Derek’s guitar work is also like nothing I’ve heard that’s out right now. He’s a lefty that plays right handed so his riffs are...unusual. Is this album a response at all to the current state of punk rock? I wish Derek was here to answer this for you. He’s like an encyclopedia of music history I think. I guess you could look at it as that. Seeing as we really tried to put the songs together with a punk rock vibe in mind, but more so than anything we just wanted it to be loud and fun and have tons of energy. It doesn’t let up at all and keeps me wanting to dance with a girl in that dirty way. Punk is a funny idea. It reminds me of 21 Jump Street or Punky Bruster... isn’t that the 80s? So maybe this album is a response to the 80’s. Did you listen to anything in particular writing and recording this record that had any influence on it? Yeah, I know Derek listened to The Creatures and Pixies a whole lot, and I was listening to like converge records, old NIN, Radiohead, Eminem. I listened to a lot of Mike Patton as well just because his voice sounds like a cartoon character and that’s all screaming is unless you are being serious, and I can’t take it too serious. I mean I am just screaming my head off and channeling these characters. It’s fun.

When did you first think about starting Color of Violence? It’s always been this side thing to FFTL. Its how Derek even joined From First to Last. He had a practice shed in Orlando and he would come over to my apartment and out of boredom we started a band one day called Skeleton Slaughter vs. Fetus Destroyer - I really wish we would have kept that name - and that became Color of Violence I guess. Is this a one-off project or do you plan more records? I think two records a year would be perfect for this project. The albums are short and sweet and to the point, so I don’t think a couple releases a year would be too overwhelming. Actually Jon is flying down to Georgia in March to write more. Any plans to tour? Yes definitely, I want take my expression to the stage and see what kind of craziness will go down. I have a loud mouth and would love to share the stage with Jon and Joel and watch them shred the drums. I got sweet dance moves to their drum parts. Derek said he wants to build a round platform that rotates in a circle and just stand there and smoke cigarettes. Anything else you want to add? Derek wants to me send out an official challenge to your readers to play the game Geometry Wars. He said he’s like a cyborg and will destroy you and you will cry. I don’t play that game though. I’ll seriously have a seizure. Maybe if I robo tripped like Lil Wayne I would have the focus to stay alive for longer than three seconds, but even seeing the world like Neo from the Matrix wouldn’t give me a leg up on Derek. PG 19 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

MUSIC

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

MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA – MEAN EVERYTHING TO NOTHING (Favorite Gentlemen/Canvasback) Aspiring to be the best ��

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�� GREEN DAY – 21ST CENTURY BREAKDOWN (Reprise) Ambitious rock opera with bleak implications

�� EMINEM – RELAPSE (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope) �� Rehab was good to one of hip-hop’s dopest MCs �� RAY CHARLES – GENIUS: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION �� (Concord) �� An album that lives up to its title �� PG 20 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

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�� STEVE KILBEY– PAINKILLER (Second Nature) Indecisive about what kind of record to make �� VAN HUNT – USE IN CASE OF EMERGENCY (SelfReleased) A phoenix rising from the music biz ashes ��

BEN FOLDS PRESENTS – UNIVERSITY A CAPPELLA! (Epic) A Capella never sounded so cool �� KING KHAN & THE SHRINES – WHAT IS?! (Vice) Garage-rock that evokes funkier times �� DEPECHE MODE – SOUNDS OF THE UNIVERSE (Mute/ EMI) Veterans rediscovering their older sound ��

FILM INTERVIEW

Dining at Chin Chin is pure pleasure 2 NEW LOCATIONS!

MuLan Chin Chin Chinese and Sushi (Suwanee) ��

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HANGIN’ WITH MR. COOPER

Hollywood had best acquaint itself with Bradley Cooper, star of The Hangover, now before he becomes an A-lister. BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

NE OF BRADLEY COOPER’S BEST friends is also the founder of the Atlantabased website HowStuffWorks.com. If you’ve ever visited the site, you already know it’s a nifty little place to learn the ins and outs about everything from how camera flashes work to why the taxman cometh on April 15. What’s ironic about the whole thing is that if the website ever wanted to put together a piece on becoming a respected Hollywood actor relatively fast, it needn’t look any further than the 34-year-old Cooper’s career arc. Step 1: Nurture the love of performing from an early age. Step 2: Follow that love to acting school. Step 3: Play bit roles in shows like Nip/Tuck and films like Yes, Man to get your feet wet. Step 4: Find a movie like The Hangover to officially announce your leading-man status. Step 5: Watch as the scripts –The Green Lantern?- roll onto your desk. It’s gotta be a blast filming in Las Vegas, doing a lot of things normal people aren’t able to do- like swim in the fountain at Caesars Palace. You’d be surprised. I think people do that often. Yeah, but they’d have to spend the night behind bars. Probably… But we shot a shotgun atop a police car for one of the stills. We didn’t let anyone know we were going to do that. Nothing happened. So, it’s amazing what you can get away with in Vegas. There’s a chicken in you guys’ hotel room when you wake up. We never know where it comes from. That’s great for the audience. But do you need to have a reason for a chicken being there? I don’t, but Zach [Galifianakis, co-star] kept a journal. He made sure everything was justified. He’s very methodic about what the smoking chair meant, everything. Is there a freeing aspect about just waking up in a hotel room? You don’t really need a back story. That’s right. You’re with the audience. That’s sorta the cool part about the movie. If you like these three guys together and you care about what they’re doing, then you’re going to go on the ride ‘cuz you’re in the exact same headspace that the guys are in. Well, maybe not exact. You haven’t been Ruffied. Maybe you have. I shouldn’t be so presumptuous. You seem like a single guy through the whole thing. Right. And I love the fact that, once I’m home, my kid is attached to me, like so many fathers. When I was growing up, I remember big guys with their kids [and they]

were like an appendage, you know what I mean? He’s back home and that’s his life again. Tell me about the movie you have coming out with Sandra Bullock. All About Steve. I think it comes out on Labor Day. That’s another comedy where she plays sort of a different character than she’s ever played before. She plays a quirky character who does the crossword puzzles at a local newspaper. She gets set up on this blind date with this field cameraman for, like, a CNN news group that I play, Steve. He learns really quickly in the back of his Bronco that she’s a lil’ crazy. He pretends that he’s gotta go to Boston to capture this storm that’s happening. He goes, “It would be really great if you could go with me.” She takes that literally. She quits her job and proceeds to stalk him around the country the rest of the movie. So, it’s this weird, rogue, stalking Sandra Bullock movie. There have been rumors about you being in the Green Lantern movie. Really? So many people have asked that. It’s very flattering, but I don’t know anything about it.

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Would you like to do it? I don’t know anything about it, man. [Laughs] Considering all that you’ve done, has your career gone at a speed and direction you would have hoped? If you would have told me when I was sitting at a bar in Georgetown that I’d be doing a movie with Mike Tyson, doing a play with Julia Roberts and hosting Saturday Night Live, I would be like, “Get outta here!” This is great, man. I certainly have a lot more I wanna do. I feel like I haven’t even started doing what I wanna do. But at the same time, I’m very grateful. But yeah, of course I have a lot of dreams and I wanna work with certain people. How’d you get into acting? I always wanted to do it. I just never did anything about it. Since I was a kid, I always knew I wanted to be an actor. At Georgetown, I applied to this grad school. The Actor’s Studio had a program. They had rolling admissions, so you could apply late. I applied there and got in. I remember renting a U-Haul and moving to New York. It was the best thing I ever did, going to that school ‘cuz it was in New York. I’d never been around guys that wanted to act and felt anything in common with them. It was like guys like me in the school. I just fell in love with it. We were in a lil’ bubble in New York for those three years. If I had any idea how brutal the business was, I probably would have quit the school. You know, you [have] your lil’ microcosm of scene work and think that’s all that exists. It was really kinda special. I had great teachers. Ellen Burstyn came and taught. It was fantastic.

BEST PIZZA!

& Multiple Atlanta Locations: www.JohnnysPizza.com PG 21 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

Happy-Go-Lucky

FIM INTERVIEW

WITH HER PERSONAL LIFE FINALLY AS FULFILLING AS HER PROFESSIONAL LIFE, CAMERON DIAZ IS ALL SMILES BY B. LOVE

HILE THE FORTHCOMING Nick Cassavetes film My Sister’s Keeper finds Cameron Diaz trading in her comedy roots for a serious family drama, in person she remains one of Hollywood’s most independent and happy-go-lucky actresses. Appearing for an interview at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills with minimal makeup and her hair tied back, the strikingly attractive blue-eyed blonde seems much more cheerful and talkative than usual, proving refreshingly forthcoming about a variety of topics ranging from the stresses of stardom and protecting the environment to the difficulties of finding everlasting love. Take, for example, her reaction to a question about whether she’s tackling dramatic roles such as My Sister’s Keeper’s Sara Fitzgerald or Norma Lewis in upcoming horror thriller The Box in an effort to change audience’s perceptions of her. “If I went around worrying how everyone perceived me, I’d be really exhausted,” Diaz says. “It’s none of my business how people perceive me, and it doesn’t interest me.” With an average paycheck of $10-$15 million and, according to Forbes magazine, an average box office return of $9 gross for every dollar she’s paid, Diaz may be the closest thing Hollywood has to a sure thing. In recent years, Diaz has emerged as her generation’s Meg Ryan, releasing a string of romantic comedies that includes My Best Friend’s Wedding, the trilogy of animated Shrek films, The Holiday and last year’s What Happens In Vegas. And whether it’s using Ben Stiller’s unconventional “hair gel” to create a gravity-defying hairstyle in There’s Something About Mary, shaking her underwear-clad booty in The Sweetest Thing, or dressing up as middleaged Latina cougar KiKi DiAmor and stalking the Jonas Brothers on Saturday Night Live, the San Diego-bred 36-year-old has long since established herself as the rare beauty willing to go to almost any lengths in her quest for a laugh. “The romantic comedies that I’ve done are all so different,” she says when asked about the genre’s enduring appeal. “The thing I love about [romantic comedies] so much is that they’re highly relatable. I think we’ve all been through these kinds of relationships before. That’s life. It’s the journey of love. This lifetime is about trying to figure out how to make love work and to nurture relationships. There’s definitely something that I think everybody can see a bit of themselves in– maybe not the exact same experiences, but certainly the human aspect of it.” She’s famously guarded about the details of her own relationships and neglects to discuss her current romance with British model Paul Sculfor (whom some tabloids have reported she is due to marry later this year), deflecting any direct personal questions by instead relating them to the characters she plays. But she is more than willing to talk about the problems with relationships as it relates to her films. “I think everybody has problems in romance,” she insists. “Who doesn’t? People spend a lot of time on it. What would we do if relationships were perfect? What would we do with our time? People spend their time trying to figure it out, whether it’s going to a movie to be entertained by it or to have a catharsis and learn something from it… I’ve heard a lot about the rules that men are from Mars and women are from Venus, but I haven’t gotten to that point yet. I think that the rules are no tricks, honesty, communication, PG 22 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

treat people the way you want to be treated and give unconditional love.” According to Diaz, the only downside to romantic comedies is the awkward experience of being intimate on camera with someone you’re not having an intimate relationship with in real life. “It’s a funny thing we do!” she acknowledges with a hearty laugh. “It’s a weird job. As actors we commit ourselves to certain emotions for the sake of telling the story. That’s what we do– we’re storytellers. It’s uncomfortable to be intimate with somebody who isn’t the person you’re intimate with, but it’s your job and there’s certainly a level of professionalism that’s essential to do that kind of work. You’re in a room with 50 people, and the camera is right here. It’s about making people believe it’s something that it’s not.” In her latest role, Diaz’s skill at making people believe she’s something she’s not will be put to the test in a way it hasn’t since her turn as Jenny Everdeane in Martin Scorsese’s 2002 epic Gangs Of New York. Based on Jodi Piccoult’s bestselling novel, My Sister’s Keeper finds her cast opposite Jason Patric as a couple who conceive a daughter (played by Little Miss Sunshine’s Abigail Breslin) as a bone marrow match to help her older sister fight leukemia, only to be sued for emancipation once the younger girl reaches her teens. The film (which was not screened for critics in advance of our deadline) has already encountered advance criticism from the author

for changing her famously shocking ending. But while changing a beloved story is nothing new for Hollywood, the ﬁlm marks a rare dramatic turn for the typically lighthearted Diaz. Yet she denies having any burning ambitions to spread her wings as an actress. “I’m sure there are a lot of really great roles out there,” she acknowledges, “but I’m really bad at commitment. I hate committing myself to anything, so it’s really hard for me to say, ‘Yeah, I’m going to be there in three months and I’m going to stay for three months.’ It has to be something that I’m really sure that I’m going to be happy to be there.” Asked where these problems with commitment come from, Diaz traces it back to an undisciplined lifestyle that began when she was young, leaving home at the age of 16 to travel the globe and living in destinations ranging from Morocco and Paris to Australia and Japan. “It’s probably being a spoiled brat and getting my way all the time. It’s a way of life,” she admits, adding that she has little current interest in the traditional trappings of family and domestic life. “I think everyone wants at some point to have that responsibility and be involved in that, but not at the moment. I don’t even want a dog or a cat! I’m sure I’ll suﬀer for it later, but I’m happy right now.” Some might see such comments as evidence that Diaz is yet another typical self-possessed movie star. But the actress has used her celebrity

THERE WERE A COUPLE OF YEARS THAT WERE HELL. LIKE, I CAN’T EVEN TELL YOU, IT WAS SO HARD. I DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE IT. HOLLYWOOD IS A FUNNY PLACE. IT OFFERS SO MUCH, BUT IT CAN ALSO TAKE A LOT AWAY FROM YOU. BUT I THINK I’M IN A MUCH BETTER PLACE NOW, BECAUSE I STEPPED AWAY FOR A SECOND AND TOOK A BREATH.”

to a certain degree to help promote the growing Green movement, which has blossomed exponentially in Hollywood in recent years. Whether it’s driving a hybrid car or espousing concerns for climate change and the energy crisis, Diaz has joined stars such as Hayden Panettiere and Leonardo DiCaprio in using the visibility of her celeb status to promote environmental issues, and seems convinced that such efforts can help to effect change. “I think as we’ve seen the trend of celebrities being the main thing that draws attention to anything these days, it’s obvious celebrities can definitely bring people’s attention to [important issues]. I also think it helps when you watch movies like An Inconvenient Truth, which is really geared towards an educational approach through the documentary style, or March of the Penguins, where you get so much information. When I saw March of the Penguins for the first time, I was amazed that it was really a story about the filmmakers as much as it was about the penguins, and then it was also about the environment as well. People go to the movies and see these things, and it’s got to make some sort of difference, I’m sure.” Whether making a difference or simply making people laugh, Diaz seems much happier and less guarded today than she has in previous interviews during the years wherein her relationships with celebrities like Jared Leto and Justin Timberlake (not to mention her friendship with Charlie’s Angels co-star Drew Barrymore) made her a regular tabloid staple. The constant media attention clearly took its toll for a while, but these days the actress seems relaxed, rejuvenated and ready to tackle the next phase in both her personal life and her film career. “There were a couple of years that were hell. Like, I can’t even tell you, it was so hard. I didn’t know how to handle it. Hollywood is a funny place. It offers so much, but it can also take a lot away from you. But I think I’m in a much better place now,” she insists with her trademark grin, “because I stepped away for a second and took a breath.”

RIDIN’ THAT TRAIN An Interview With

Westbound Train’s Obi Fernandez BY JOHN B. MOORE

Boston’s Westbound Train certainly didn’t invent ska and reggae, but they sure as hell have managed to put their stamp on the genres.

Four albums and eight years in, the 7-piece band has figured out how to blend classic American Soul to the Caribbean genres, bringing the echoes of bands like The Specials and The Skatalites to a generation of kids who thought Goldfinger and Reel Big Fish were the Alpha and Omega of ska. The band is about to release Come and Get It, an album that frontman Obi Fernandez describes as his favorite so far. Fernandez spoke with us recently about what makes this new record different from the others, new lineup changes and a summer plans that include plenty of BBQ.

Well, you always try to keep writing but I think it does seem to get a bit easier as you go. I think with this record I’ve really found my voice and have a much easier time communicating what I want to say. The more you write and with each record you put out it seems like each record gets more and more honest. Probably because you’ve just seen more of the world, lived a little more life. Touring enables you to have this enormous canvas of experiences to paint about. You guys were on the road a lot after Transitions. Did you take any time off before working on the new one? We did take time off before making this record. We were just going non stop and needed to take a break. We needed to charge up and make a couple changes to our roster. We’d been spending so much time together and going through a bunch of rough times together that everyone needed to just step out of the situation in order to think about things a little more clearly. We needed to sit in a room and hash a lot of things out and at the end of look at one another and be like “Wait a minute these dudes are my friends first not my colleagues”. After we were able to work out the kinks the next thing to do was start writing a new album. It was really great to go through that and start writing for a new record

What can you tell me about the new album? We’re all very excited about the new album. Everything that went into making the record seemed to happen completely natural and organic. We recorded at Sea Side Lounge Studios in Brooklyn, NY and just fell in love with the place as well as the people there. Dave Hillyard of The Slackers came on to produce the album and that was just amazing. He knew exactly where we were headed and didn’t let us lose any focus on the sound and the vibe of the record that. The record has tons of soul inﬂuence. Old Stax and Motown have always been a part of what we do but on this record we actually recorded some straight up soul tunes. Come and Get It has deﬁnitely been my favorite album to make. We did it live over the span of about two weeks. No matter what you are into this album has something for everyone. Fifteen songs that will hopefully get ya party feeling great.

MUSIC INTERVIEW because it really just brought us closer together. We were stronger now, so we really went into this project together and focused on making great music. We didn’t have to worry about submitting for tours, van calls, what were our next 10 steps... For the first time in a long time it was just purely about the music. You mentioned some changes to your roster. Yeah, we picked up Eric Novod and Luke Penella since Transitions. Both people are incredible people and add to the dynamic greatly on and off stage. Eric is a huge soul and jazz fan and when he came into the band our sound just changed automatically. He played a really huge part in allowing us to go into that soul direction that we’ve been wanting to go in for so long. Luke is an incredible sax player and one of the funniest dudes you will ever meet. Having the both of them has allowed us to really step up our game. They both bring such an arsenal of talent that totally forces everyone to always bring their A game. You guys have toured with some amazing ska and reggae bands, like the Skatalites and The Toasters. Ever get intimidated at all playing with these bands? I’ve been intimidated before, but in the way that it just inspires you to want to give you absolute best. Bands like that that have really carved out a path and in all that we do we want to be completely respectful of those who came before us. The Skatalites are probably one of the bands we listen to the most. If it weren’t for them we would be even further away from nailing the style of music that we play. Have you set up tour plans for the spring and summer yet? We will be on The Vans Warped tour all summer and are pumped! The fact that we get to play everyday is icing on the cake but getting to see bands like The Bouncing Souls and NOFX... That is going to rule! This will be our first time on the whole tour and we’re really looking forward to getting out there and trying to bring our blend of soul and reggae to a new audience. A lot of our friends are on the tour this summer so getting to see them every day will be a blast. Plus every night ends with a BBQ you can’t get any better than that. Anything else you want to add? We just want to make music for everyone regardless of what you are into. We want to show people a great time and set off dance parties all over the world. Please pick up our new record Come and Get It. Be sure to keep visiting www.myspace.com/westboundtrain and www. westboundtrain.net.

This is your fourth record. Has writing the albums gotten any easier?

Black Eyed Peas

APL DE AP ON WILL.I.AM, EAZY-E & THE E.N.D. BY B. LOVE

PL DE AP MAY NOT BE QUITE AS famous as bandmates Will.I.Am and Fergie, but the Black Eyed Peas co-founder remains one of the Philippines’ most successful exports. Here, the rapper talks about life growing up in Pampagna, the Peas’ new album and his forthcoming solo debut. I know you grew up in the Philippines. How did you initially get into hip-hop? I grew up in the province of Pampanga. When I went to high school in Angeles City, I saw breakdancing on street corners on the way to school. Ever since then I loved it, and I started breakdancing in the Philippines and this got me into music. How do you think growing up there impacted the artist you are today? Being adopted from the Philippines and having the opportunity to go to the United States and help out my parents, I think that gave me the motivation to succeed and to really cherish what I was given. I had that mentality to make it, coming from a third world country and wanting to be able to support my family. That was the strength that I had. I was supposed to be more into academics– I wanted to be a nurse– but then I met Will.i.am and we shared the same interest, and we pursued that. Was it hard to leave that life behind? Oh yeah. Being like 13 and going to America was a culture shock for me. I wasn’t really ﬂuent in speaking English yet, and I had to leave my family. A month after being adopted I was like, “Can you send me home now?

Obviously the bond you had with Will gave you more of a connection here in the U.S. What was it initially that tied you guys together? On weekdays my dad needed a babysitter because he had to go to work, and at the time Will’s uncle was rooming with my father. He recommended Will’s mom, so they took me to Will’s house. His mom made him stay home from school and he tells these stories about how I stayed in a chair for 8 hours without saying anything. We started talking and he asked what we did for fun in the Philippines and if I liked to dance. I’d just learned this new dance, so I started showing him the Running Man, and then he started doing the same thing. We started our ﬁrst dance group, Tribal Nation, and it all evolved from there. You guys were originally signed by Eazy-E. What was your connection with him like? He was pretty open-minded. He’d go to this place called Ballistics, where we would enter rap contests. One night he saw us rockin’ and asked if we had a demo. Everyone saw us as the weird guys, but he’d say, “They can freestyle their asses oﬀ!” He would have us perform at these gangster functions, and there were a couple of times gangsters threw bottle caps at us.

Back then the West Coast was all about the gangsta rap sound. Was there a lot of resistance to your sound? Yeah, there was always people that though we were from Europe because we dressed diﬀerent, but in LA there’s always that underground scene. Hip-hop, breakdancing and open mic sessions were what we knew; we didn’t want to be caught up in gangs and stuﬀ. Will came from East L.A., where there were a lot of gangsters, and I came from the Philippines to improve my life. That just didn’t make sense to us.

MUSIC INTERVIEW Bridging The Gap seemed like a mission statement designed to infiltrate the mainstream. Was that a conscious decision? Yeah, we wanted to expand as artists. We were always influenced groups like A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul, who were always underground but had a worldwide presence. We wanted to expand, but still keep the integrity of the music. What can you tell me about the new Black Eyed Peas CD, The E.N.D.? It’s a very energetic album, and this time around we were very influenced by electronic music. We tried to put our Black Eyed Pea style to electro music. I think The E.N.D. is really like a party album. We actually went out there and had to learn the culture of dance music while hanging out with cats who were big on that scene. Do you get back home to the Philippines much these days? Yeah, I go home every year at Christmas to visit my family. I just came from there a few months ago. I was doing a campaign called “Take Me to the Philippines,” where I did a song and dedicated it to the Department of Tourism. I even shot a video showcasing all the beautiful parts of the Philippines, which hopefully can help out the economy and bring more tourists to the area.

I’ve heard you are working on a debut solo album, working with Chad Hugo (Neptunes) and IllMind (G Unit). They’re both Filipino, right? Yes. How is that going to diﬀer from your work with the Black Eyed Peas? I think I can get more personal with my solo album. I can talk about the social activities in the Philippines and incorporate musical instruments from the Philippines. I’m interested to bring that sound, ya know? It’s more like people will get to know who I am as an individual. When you go back to the Philippines, how are you treated? I can’t really explain how nice it is to be embraced so well. The ﬁrst time we had a concert there the President of the Philippines came and they gave me the key to the city of Manila. Now I’m working on being a cultural ambassador for the Philippines, which is why I’m doing these little campaigns to bring tourism there. It’s crazy over there, but they love seeing another Filipino representing the whole country. It’s like almost overwhelming.

How has your success changed life for your family back home? Now that I’ve made it, I’m able to support my family and put my brothers and sisters through school. My sister just ﬁnished her degree as an RN (registered nurse). Now I’m able to petition for my mom so that she is able to go back and forth from the Philippines to America. I’m working on my siblings’ stuﬀ so they can all be with me. That was my main goal when I was adopted, and now I am able to do that. PG 23 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

FEATURE

2009 Summer Guide

FILM FESTIVALS:

2009 COCACOLA SUMMER FILM FESTIVAL

The Coca-Cola Summer Film Festival at The Fabulous Fox Theatre oﬀers an outstanding line-up of the year’s biggest releases as well as some of the classic movies of all time. Come early to see the movies and join in an Atlanta tradition including wine tastings at the Fox beginning at 5:30 p.m. Dates and movies were not available as of press time but for more information about the Coca-Cola Summer Film Festival, keep checking their web site at www.foxtheatre.org.

SCREEN ON THE GREEN

This popular summer movie series continues at its new home at Centennial Olympic Park with a dynamic line-up featuring titles Dream Girls (June 4), Field of Dreams (June 11) and Home Alone (June 18) and Ghostbusters (June 25). Moviegoers are welcome to bring picnic baskets and food, but no glass containers or alcoholic beverages can be brought into the park. Films will start at sundown, admission is free. For more information and complete list of restrictions, call (404) 222-PARK or visit www.peachtreetv.com.

FLICKS ON 5TH

Flicks on 5th returns this summer to 5th Street at Technology Square in Midtown with an incredible

lineup of the years’ blockbuster titles including: Quantum of Solace (June 10) ,Slumdog Millionaire (June 17), Duplicity (June 24), Taken (July 8), Monsters Vs. Aliens (July 15) and I Love You Man (July 22). This free summer movie series starts at dusk (approx. 9pm) every Wednesday evening starting June 10 through July 24 (no showing on July 4th week). This year 5th Street will be closed between Spring Street and Techwood Drive so guests can bring their own blankets and chairs for viewing and dining. For a more detailed movie schedule, please visit www.ﬂicksonﬁfth.com or call 404-894-2805.

DRIVE INVASION

Close out the summer with the ultimate movie experience. Happening over Labor Day weekend, Drive Invasion is two days of cool movies, hot music, car show, overnight camping and a wild tailgate party. The movies are a mix of classic comedy and sci-ﬁ titles. The invasion once again will be happening at the Starlight Six Drive-In Theatre on Moreland Avenue. For additional information, visit www.driveinvasion.com.

LOCAL EVENTS:

DECATUR BEACH PARTY

Celebrate the beginning of summer in Decatur on June 19 as it turns its landlocked square into the Decatur Beach with 60 tons of sand, a kids’ boardwalk, live music, a stage built across Ponce de Leon for dancing on the street. The Boardwalk features old fashioned carnival type games, as well as a moon walk and other inﬂatables. Music will be performed by The Reputations on the Community Bandstand Stage beginning at 5pm. Enjoy dancing in the street until midnight to the music of Terry Lee and the GTs. Tickets for adults are $10 at the gate and $6.50 in advance. Children under 12 are free (limit two per paying adult). No coolers, glass or pets in beach party area. For more information, visit www.decaturdba.com.

VIRGINIAHIGHLAND SUMMERFEST

Now in its 26th year, visitors to Virginia-Highland Summerfest can shop for original art, enjoy great

food and listen to an exceptional array of live music. This year’s event also features a parade, community dinner, a 5K race and an acoustic street party on Friday and Saturday nights. Dates and times include June 5 (7pm – 11pm), June 6 (10am – 6:30pm), and June 7 (11am -6pm). For more information, visit www.vahi.org/summerfest.

SCIFI SUMMER CON

Sci-Fi Summer Con rolls in to Crowne Plaza Hotel Atlanta-Marietta on June 12 - 14. Sci-Fi Summer Con Atlanta is a science ﬁction and fantasy convention featuring literary and media panel discussions, celebrity Q&A’s, 24-hour gaming, live musical and theatrical performances, ﬁlm screenings, costume contests, a dealer’s room and much more. Visit www.sfscon.net for more information or call 770-428-4400.

DRAGON*CON

Dragon*Con returns to Atlanta this Labor Day Weekend September 4 – 7, 2009. Located in the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, The Marriott Marquis, The Hilton Atlanta and The Atlanta Sheraton, DragonCon expects 30,000+ attendees. Among the highlights are the DragonCon Parade, a sea of merchandise vendors, panels and programming, live music and much more. Eric Roberts (Dark Knight) Leonard Nimoy (Star Trek), Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica), Kristy Swanson (Buﬀy the Vampire

REOPENING JUNE 15TH!

Best Burgers North or South of the Border

��

Adult tickets

FREE MEXICAN OR LONE STAR BURGER WITH PURCHASE OF ANOTHER OF EQUAL OR LESSER VALUE

DINE IN ONLY. NOT VALID WITH OTHER DISCOUNTS OR OFFERS. 18% GRATUITY WILL BE ADDED O THE CHECK TOTAL BEFORE DISCOUNT. VALID JUNE 15 – JULY 1.

351 Moreland Ave. | 404-475-7777 PG 24 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

Purchase in advance at decaturdba.com

at the gate

Children 12 and under, FREE! (limit two children per paying adult)

Slayer) and Catherine Bach (Dukes of Hazzard) are just a few of the celebrities slated to attend this years extravaganza. For more information, visit www. dragoncon.org.

NATIONAL BLACK ARTS FESTIVAL

The National Black Arts Festival takes place this year July 29 – August 2. All events will take place at the Woodruﬀ Arts Center located in Midtown Atlanta. This year’s events include The Coretta Scott King Book Fair (July 29), Children’s Education Village (July 31 – August 2), A Midsummer Gala: Brazilian Cool (August 1) and much more! For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.nbaf. org or call the Woodruﬀ Arts Center at 404-733-5000.

AREA ATTRACTIONS:

IMAGINE IT! ATLANTA CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

Imagine It!, Atlanta’s only children’s museum has a new exhibit opening on June 13, Exploring Trees Inside and Out. Other upcoming events include: A visit from Okefenokee Joe (exhibit opening day June 13), My Dad is an All-Star - Father’s Day Celebration (June 21), and Dr. of Fun Science Workshops (June 20 & 27). To see a full list of summer events, visit www.childrensmuseumatlanta.org.

High School Musical. With displays of laser lights, graphics, characters and ﬁreworks, this is an Atlanta attraction that is not to be missed. Visitors will hear favorites like “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” “An American Trilogy” and “Celestial Soda Pop”. Don’t miss the Flame Cannon eﬀect and the Laser Canopy that creates a ceiling of light right over guest’s heads. The Lasershow is free with the $8.00 vehicle entrance to Stone Mountain Park. For more information call 770-498-5690 or visit www.stonemountainpark.com.

PEACHTREE ROAD RACE

This year’s Fourth of July Atlanta tradition will feature 55,000 runners competing in one of the country’s best known 10K races. The race, which starts at Lenox Square, returns the ﬁnish line to its original home at Piedmont Park, which was forced to move last year due to drought conditions. Race time is at 7:30 AM so get up early. For more information on how to volunteer go to www.atlantatrackclub.org.

SUMMER CONCERTS:

SOUTHERN MUSIC: SHAKEN & STIRRED

The Atlanta History Center presents its new concert series, Southern Music: Shaken & Stirred. This series, which embraces Atlanta’s southern roots, presents four concerts exploring popular music

Lenox Square

GEORGIA AQUARIUM

With more than eight million gallons of fresh and marine water and more aquatic life than found in any other aquarium, you are sure to see things you’ve never seen before at The Georgia Aquarium. Guests can also check out the new Emerald Tree Boa exhibit and join in the World Ocean Day Celebration happening June 6 – 8 in the aquarium’s Ocean Ballroom. For additional information, visit www.georgiaaquarium.org.

genres - soul, Southern rock, jazz fusion, and blues. Concerts will take place the ﬁrst Thursday and Friday of each month. Doors open at 6:00 pm, show begins at 7:30 pm. For more information, Please call (404) 814-4150 or visit http://www.atlantahistorycenter. com/SMSS.

AARON’S AMPHITHEATRE AT LAKEWOOD

The World of Coca-Cola is the only place where you can explore the complete history of the world’s best-known brand. Taste over 60 diﬀerent products from around the globe, experience their thrilling 4-D Theater, be amazed by a fully-functioning bottling line and give their 7-foot-tall Coca-Cola® Polar Bear a big hug. For more information, visit www.worldofcoca-cola.com.

Atlanta’s largest outdoor concert venue has another stellar line-up of shows this summer. 2009 summer line-up includes: New Kids on the Block (June 4), No Doubt (June 5), Kid Rock (June 28), 311 (July 4), Aerosmith (July 15), Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival with Marilyn Manson (July 24), Vans Warped Tour (July 28), Rascal Flatts (July 31), Flashback Festival (August 8), Def Leppard (August 15) and Crue Fest (August 29). Tickets are available at www.livenation.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

4TH OF JULY AT LENOX SQUARE

ASO’S CLASSIC CHASTAIN

THE WORLD OF COCACOLA

Put on your red, white and blue, and head to Lenox Square for the largest ﬁreworks show in the Southeast. Activities for the whole family include the Kid Zone, featuring giant slides, a rock wall, face painters, balloon artist, an obstacle course and more. Live musical entertainment begins at 6 p.m. on Lenox Square’s outdoor main stage with the dazzling ﬁreworks display beginning at approximately 9:40 p.m. WSB-TV Channel 2 will broadcast the festivities live beginning at 9 p.m. Everyone is invited to join in Atlanta’s legendary celebration; admission is free! www.lenoxsquare.com.

STONE MOUNTAIN PARK LASERSHOW

The Lasershow Spectacular highlights musical scores featuring well-known themes from Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones and

The Delta Classic Chastain series is in full swing again this summer. Some of the most anticipated performances include: Anita Baker (June 27), Gladys Knight & Smokey Robinson (July 8), Diana Krall (July 11), Chris Isaak (July 25), Tom Jones (July 31), The Temptations (August 14) and Edwin McCain (August 28). Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com or www.classicchastain.com.

VERIZON AMPHITHEATRE

Atlanta’s newest concert venue kicks oﬀ its second season with a great line-up of shows. Some top performances include: Earth, Wind and Fire and Chicago (June 6), Styx and REO Speedwagon (June 21), Stevie Wonder (June 24) and O.A.R. (August 21). Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com or www.vzwamp.com. PG 25 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

MABLE HOUSE BARNES AMPHITHEATRE

Sandpiper Beacon Resort

Located in south Cobb County, this publiclyowned facility has the capacity to host 2,400 people for everything from country to rock concerts and from plays to symphony orchestra performances. Highlights of the 2009 summer concert schedule include: KC and The Sunshine Band (June 13), Kenny Rogers (June 20), Marshall Tucker Band (June 26), Sara Evans (August 8), The B-52s (August 14) and Peter Frampton (August 19). To order tickets, visit www.mablehouse.org.

ATHENS, GA

PEACHTREE TAVERN

Peachtree Tavern is Atlanta’s favorite small music venue for live music. This popular Buckhead bar hosts the best local acts and cover bands. Some of their more popular performances in June are Girlz, Girlz, Girlz (June 12); Poolstick (June 19) and Trotline (June 26). Check www.peachtreetavern.com for a complete list of musical acts and to purchase tickets.

SMITH’S OLDE BAR

Seven nights a week Smiths Olde Bar is the place to see live music. Smith’s unbeatable sound and lighting, along with the room’s unique stage and curtain showcase style presentation, oﬀers the best room in Atlanta for both musicians and music fans alike. Anticipated performances coming this month include: Jessica Lea Mayﬁeld (June 10); Little Joy (June 12); and Ryan Cabrera (June 20). For a complete list of concerts, visit www.smithsoldebar.com.

WILD BILL’S ATLANTA

Wild Bill’s Atlanta is America’s largest dance club and concert hall. Upcoming summer concerts include Skid Row (May 29), Clay Walker (May 30), Metal Mania Tour II (June 13), Departure – Journey Tribute Band and Georgia’s own Brantley Gilbert (June 20). Don’t miss their 20th Fight Night on June 6; tickets still available at press time. For more information, visit www.wildbillsatlanta.com.

PG 26 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

Jellies: Living Art which embodies the spirit of the award-winning, highly-rated gallery at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Visitors will ﬁnd themselves immersed in a glimmering world of animals and art. Six species of jellies capture the imagination as they pulse inside specially designed displays next to striking studio glass. Visit www. chattanoogafun.com for a complete list of other great Chattanooga attractions including The Chattanooga Choo Choo, Creative Discovery Museum, Lookout Mountain, Rock City Gardens, Ruby Falls and much more!

NEARBY TRAVEL DESTINATIONS:

PANAMA CITY BEACH, FL

Within a half day’s drive, the Sandpiper Beacon resort is one of the most popular vacation spots on the Florida Gulf Coast. There is a pool slide for the kids, a Lazy River Ride for all of the family, and a beach front pool with a large hot tub all oﬀered free to guests. This summer, a stay at the Sandpiper Beacon also includes a beachside Polynesian and Fire Dancer Review, a Luau at the beachfront Tiki Bar, Hula lessons for the kids, and the Magical Family Fun Night. Each weekend the smash hit duo “Gilligan Loves MaryAnn” performs daily at the Sandpiper Beacon Tiki Bar playing your favorite beach music, plus Family Friendly Karaoke every night from 6 to 10 p.m. Atlanta is only a ﬁve hour drive to one of the world’s most beautiful beaches. Panama City Beach! For more information visit www.SandpiperBeacon.com or call 1-800-488-8828.

ASHEVILLE, NC

Asheville, NC is only 3 ½ hours away from Atlanta by car. Treat yourself to a stay at the

historic Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa (www. groveparkinn.com) and recharge at their 40,000 square foot subterranean spa. Or visit The Biltmore Estate (www.biltmore.com), an 8,000 acre estate which is home to the 250-room Biltmore House, the Biltmore Winery and over 75 acres of professionally manicured gardens. There are many festivals taking place in Asheville this summer, several are free! Check out Shindig on the Green, (weekly free Saturday night concerts, July – September), River Arts District Studio Stroll (June 13 – 14), Craft Fair of the Southern Highlands (July 16 – 19), Bele Chere Arts Festival (July 24 – 26), Mountain Dance and Folk Festival (July 30 – August 1) and the Goombay Festival (August 28 – 30). For more information, visit www.exploreasheville.com.

CHATTANOOGA, TN

Less than two hours away from Atlanta, Chattanooga is a great summer destination. Visit the Tennessee Aquarium on the Chattanooga Riverfront (www.tnaqua.org) and see why it was rated one of the top aquariums in the country. While there, visit the aquarium’s newest exhibit,

Make the trip to Athens, GA for AthFest. This annual arts and music festival is held each June in the city’s historic downtown. For the past 12 years, AthFest has showcased the best in local, regional, and nationally recognized Athensbased talent. Over 175 bands and artists will perform over the course of festival, which will be held June 25-28, 2009. AthFest 2009 headlining artists include The Black Lips, Patterson Hood & The Screwtopians and the Randall Bramblett Band. For more information, visit www.athfest.com.

BROAD RIVER OUTPOST, GA

Located just 20 miles east of Athens, it’s close enough for an easy day trip but far enough to be a great get-a-way, the Broad River Outpost offers something for everyone. The BRO is located across the river from the 500+ acre Broad River Natural Area. No bikes or motor vehicles allowed! There are great hiking trails, vistas and wild flowers. This reserve is a perfect place to enjoy and experience the natural world and round out a perfect weekend of boating. Wooded camping areas are located on site and extended paddling trips to the Savannah River are available. Paddlers may float a total of 70 miles from the edge of the Appalachian Mountains toward the fall line at Anthony Shoals. For more information visit www.broadriveroutpost.com or call 706.795.3242.

MUSIC INTERVIEW

You May Say He’s a Dreamer

MUSIC INTERVIEW

Pleased to Meet Me:

THE RETURN OF LEFT Re-Introduction to Webb Wilder ALONE’S ELVIS CORTEZ BYADEMARCO WILLIAMS

BY JOHN B. MOORE

HERE ARE REALLY ONLY THREE GUYS named Elvis worth knowing. There’s the one who died about three decades ago, the one married to that hot blues singer, and Elvis Cortez, the founder and frontman of Left Alone, the phenomenally catchy ska-punk band from Wilmington, CA. After nearly three years on the road nonstop, Cortez put the band on hold briefly to work on some new songs. The hiatus was thankfully short lived and, with a new bassist and drummer, he reassembled Left Alone and managed to record quite possibly the best record in their already impressive cannon. With a new self-titled album, Cortez and the guys are back on the road. Calling from somewhere in Japan, he was kind enough to answer a few of our questions. What can you tell me about the new record? How does it compare to the first two? Our new record has a new tighter sound as a band. We moved into the studio (something we had never done) and worked on it there, that changed everything from the process of writing to even mixing the album. We had a lot of time to work on the album with no distractions. The songs are stronger in every way and that pushed the record into a new direction. Every song to me seems to complement each other and the whole album seems to be the most cohesive record we have done. This record, as compared to the last two, seems to be better written both musically and lyrically. I really feel I went out into new directions with both and it worked. Were you listening to anything in particular when writing this album that may have influenced the sound? I was just listening to the classics– Op Ivy, The Clash, stuff like that. Nothing too crazy that would make us bring out a string orchestra or something like that. I usually don’t get influenced by stuff I listen to when working on a record. Any songs in particular that you’re especially proud of? I think “Bombs Away” because it’s a political song lyrically and that’s something I have never done. It felt good to take a look around and put it down on paper the way I see it. Any guests on this record? No. Last record we had Tim Armstrong and Patricia Day of the Horrorpops and that was insane, but this time we kept it in the band. Well, we did have our buddy Pablo Fiasco from Baltimore fly in to do a few organ tracks. He always works on our records. You guys took some time off before recording this album - do you think that helped with writing the record? It really helped in a lot of ways. From the time we got signed in ‘05 till Feb. 08 we were on the road and that

was rad, but after two records in with Hellcat in what it seems to me in my mind of like a year span, I just had to pull back and take a breather and enjoy it. Plus I got a 1963 Chevy Nova and I wanted to drive it, not just park it and be on tour. The time oﬀ also helped me solidify the new lineup.

You also went on tour with The Unseen during the break. How was that? Yup, about two months after my “break” from touring Mark Unseen called and was like “Yo, you wanna play bass for a few tours?” And before I even asked “Where? When?” I was like, “Hell yeah!” The Unseen dudes are great so I jumped on that one quick. So Left Alone took a break (but) I didn’t. I left on tour from March till June. That was so much fun, to only play bass; no business no nothing just play bass and, well, get ripped every night with Pat and Scot. You mentioned the new lineup. You’ve got a new drummer and bass player. How did you recruit Kiel and Nick? Do they change the band’s sound at all? I Met Nick Danger when we toured Hawaii, his home, and he heard we were looking for a new bass player he hit me up. His other band while he was on tour was breaking up so he started learning our songs while on tour and when he came to Wilmington the first day I knew he was the guy. He plays so great and is down to tour and is a Vegan. His bass playing really fills out our songs like never before. I only play about three chords and it’s really nice to have a bass player who can back ya like that. Cobra kiel, on the other hand, we just hit up for a Europe tour as a fill in but the tour got cancelled and since he was done with his other band he joined at the perfect time. I have known Kiel for a few years now and have always thought he was a great drummer. With these two new guys to me it seems the pieces I have always been looking for to finish the puzzle have finally come together. I can say the band has never sounded so tight and been so ready! You released a bunch of EPs and singles before signing to Hellcat. Have most of those songs surfaced on other records or do you plan to re-release them in the future? They are on Smelvis, my label, but eventually I’d like them to be out on Hellcat. A lot is the early years’ stuff which is cool because when I get into the band, the early stuff seems to get my attention. So maybe in the future we will re-release everything on a double CD or something. You’re on the road a lot and play with a bunch of regional bands. Any acts you’ve discovered on tour that are worth watching out for? I’d say China Wife Motors from Japan, Random Hand from the UK. In the States there’s Forty Lashes, the Howlers and the Shoplifters. Anything else you want to add? Yeah. Thank you for your time and people please support true D.I.Y bands and labels. Right now times are tough for dreamers, so we need all the help we can get.

N THE OTHER END OF MY PHONE line, Webb Wilder, the self-proclaimed “last of the full-grown men”, is silently scanning his memory for the name of Bobby Russell, the Nashville songwriter who penned the Percy Sledge tune, “Sudden Stop”. Finally pinpointing Russell’s name gets Webb’s accumulation of musical knowledge fired up. He proceeds to tell me that this is the same songwriter that brought us “Little Green Apples” and “The Night the Lights Went out in Georgia”. Considering I have never heard Percy Sledge’s original recording, all of this newfound information leaves me somewhat astounded. To me, “Sudden Stop”, with its subtle Roy Orbison tremolo and Wilder’s signature Baritone voice streched into a hearttugging lament, is just one of several standout tracks on Webb’s new album, More Like Me, an album that dives deep into the rooted base of rock and roll, somewhere beneath the top soil of labels and sub-genres. Wilder, who has become a cult icon to his faithful fans, is not new to the the labeling game; he first busted out on the Nashville scene after transplanting from Mississippi with his friend and longtime collaborator R.S. Field in the early 1980’s with his band the Beatnecks, an outfit that brought southern twang to an otherwise rooted influence of blues, soul, and British rock. Donning his signature old hat and rimmed glasses, Wilder brought his electrifying stage persona to the movies, with the help of short film director Steve Mims, starring as Webb Wilder in three short films, The Saucer’s Reign, Horror Hayride, and Scattergun, two of which were released last year along with other short films by Mims on the DVD Webb Wilder’s Amazing B-Movie Shorts. Webb’s fanbase is rich with character all it’s own; Wilder, who admits he is “adored by dozens”, inspired the creation of WebbFest, an annual gathering of Webb fans to come together and enjoy a show in each others company. In all honesty, that is where the real magic lies, on stage in front of an audience. With a catalogue of songs that are immersed in guitar scratch and catchy choruses, Wilder is the Marshall Crenshaw of Nashville; every song is THAT good. Folks like you and Dave Edmunds have been slapped with the Roots Rock label. Have you had any issue with the labeling of your music? I like to just call it rock and roll quite frankly. I think labels are kind of a necessary evil; if you have to have them laid on you, you like them to be as accurate as possible. Roots Rock is not inaccurate; it’s a little confining. All the best music has some roots, but I like to just call it rock and roll.

Is the new album, ‘More Like Me’, a personal statement? It is deﬁnitely my most personal album to date. When I called it ‘More Like Me’, I didn’t do so to say that the other [albums] weren’t. I had written the song “More Like Me”, and what that’s all about is that as time goes by, I am learning to be more comfortable in my own skin. I think a lot of creative people aren’t, and some great art comes out of that pain. But you know, we all are given the opportunity to be the greatest [person] that we can ever be. We’re

all so unique, so let your light shine. My fondest wish is that more people pick up on [that message] and say, “Yeah I’m going to be more like me.”

A lot of the tracks on the new album like “Too Cool for Love” and “Sudden Stop” bring a new level of seriousness to your work. Did you find it difficult to balance out the songs of woe with the trademark style of other Webb Wilder albums? I was aware that was more seriousness, not to call it gravity, on this record. Hopefully [less serious selections] like “Don’t Slander Me” and “JuJu Man” balance it out a little bit. They say that getting older is not sissies or wimps, but there are some pluses; when you’re halfway through with your life you begin to learn something from your mistakes. I read a quote from [opera singer] Beverly Sills who said, “I’m not a happy woman; I’m a cheerful woman. A happy woman has no tears at all, but a cheerful woman, despite everything, just tries to remain positive.” In a song like “Too Cool for Love”, it takes on a dark thing without trying to be vicious. It’s just facing facts. How did Webb Fest come about? I wasn’t the first to say Webb-Fest; maybe somebody on the message boards got it buzzing. And I was just like, “Bingo. We’ll call it Webb-Fest, and make it an annual event.” Then it took on a life all its own. It was an evolution but a very short evolution from a private party that hardcore fans would attend. The Webb Wilder persona, complete with the credo, “Work hard, rock hard, eat hard, sleep hard, grow big, wear glasses if you need them,” adds somewhat of a cartoon character element to a show. How much of the real you is in the persona? I think as the years have gone by, I’ve probably let more of my true self come into the persona, if you will, but the persona has [also] come into me. If you do that for as many years as I’ve done it, it’s going to become [an integral] part of you. The real character kind of came out of the first film, The Saucers Reign. I drew from the fact that I was a southerner, I had a lot of exposure to country people and rustic types, and I had watched a lot of TV with people like Fess Parker’s Daniel Boone, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Andy Griffith. All those things are a part of me, but I do think I am more urbane than that. I don’t feel confined by it. So it’s not like a 24-hour a day type of character? I honestly admire an artist like Paul Reubens during his Pee Wee Herman phase. His character was airtight, pretty much 24/7.Or in a musical sense, Unknown Hinson. I guarantee you that [persona] is not him, but when he is on stage or doing anything related to his career, he never breaks character. But that is not really what I do. When it comes to [stage presence], Mick Jagger draws from a lot of different sources. Of course, I can’t think of anybody who is more charismatic than Johnny Cash, but I’m just sort of babbling now. The short answer I guess is that I’ve influenced the character, it has influenced me, and [in doing so], I have found a way for both to co-exist. PG 27 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

MUSIC INTERVIEW

LEFT BEHIND Cali Rap Icons DJ Quik and Kurupt Team up to put Some Life Back in the Mild, Mild West.

BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

T HURTS TO SAY IT, BUT THE LEFT COAST is nearly irrelevant these days. With Dr. Dre’s Detox album getting pushed back more than George Jeﬀerson’s hairline, there’s no excitement. With The Game retiring and un-retiring like Brett Favre, there’s no momentum. Honestly, right now, there’s no nothing to keep hip hop interested in L.A. or the Bay. But leave it to two of the 90s biggest noisemakers, DJ Quik and Kurupt, to take it upon themselves to collaborate on a project, the just-released Blaqkout, many feel will put some shine on an overlooked region. We recently sat down with the living legends to build for a minute on Myspace, making mistakes and manufacturing the perfect beat.

Considering these mistakes and successes you’ve had, would you say your career has gone the way you would have liked? Kurupt: You know, I don’t think nobody’s thing went the way they expected it to go. Coming from our generation, you really had no expectations. You never knew that you could be as big as you are. I’ll tell you this much: I’m a lot bigger than I thought I would be. I know that for

my day, you never knew you were makin’ history when you were makin’ it. Quik: I’ll be the ﬁrst to admit that I had a lot of missteps because I was naïve to some things. I really thought you were supposed to keep everybody close to you and try to take care of everybody. I only ended up makin’ enemies of my people close to me because I subjected them to my mistakes. I got emotionally involved in this and I

Being two of the most important torchbearers of the 90s, what are you two doing to stay relevant in this digital age? Quik: First of all, I’ve been working on Macintosh computers since I was in the third grade at Dickinson Elementary School in Compton. Compton was a suburb. They had a computer room and I took computer classes. I Twitter. I Facebook. I’m on Myspace. What other things have you seen change in the industry? Kurupt: I’mma tell you like this, I done seen it go up and down. Before I seen that, Quik seen it go up and down. If I’m not mistaken, you got over three decades of game here right now. Quik: I heard “Rapper’s Delight” when I was nineyears-old, and I bought the 12”, just to keep it funky. I used to buy Kurtis Blow records when people wasn’t fuckin’ with him. I bought “Basketball,” know what I mean? It was only six songs on it. I’m a hip hop kid. I’ve seen a lot of records come out as a hip hop fan that I wasn’t willin’ to buy. Kurupt: We’ve seen a lot of change in this game. We’ve made a lot of mistakes and came out of those mistakes with something positive. A lot of people ain’t make it. Their mistakes totally took them out the game. We’re still in it. We learned from our mistakes. We’re seasoned. That’s what we are nowadays. We’ve seen a lot.

WE’VE SEEN A LOT OF CHANGE IN THIS GAME. WE’VE MADE A LOT OF MISTAKES AND CAME OUT OF THOSE MISTAKES WITH SOMETHING POSITIVE. A LOT OF PEOPLE AIN’T MAKE IT. THEIR MISTAKES TOTALLY TOOK THEM OUT THE GAME. WE’RE STILL IN IT. a fact. When I was young, trying to get in the game, it was literally a dream. Dreams normally don’t come true. When it did come true, I still had no expectations. I didn’t even know it was comin’ true. You never know you’re makin’ history when you’re makin’ it- back in my days. Nowadays, you know. A lot of people paid dues for the knowledge that these youngsters got nowadays. Back in

shouldn’t have. That’s what caused some of my not-sobright moments in hip hop. It wasn’t until I started caring about me [that things changed]. I can’t save everybody. Kurupt and nem were even happy when they noticed I was just about me. I lost a lot of homeboys. I lost a lot of people that I really loved. It got traumatic. I’m talkin’ about people even in the industry- people that I was tou-

rin’ with, kin with. Hip hop got real dark. I didn’t adjust, so I got thrown off the motorcycle a couple of times. I got some road rash. But the cool thing about right now is that I’m not thinking about the past. The past don’t really owe me nuthin’. If I go back and try some shit, or try to live in the past, I would really fail. Seriously. Let’s speak on the future. What are you most proud about with Blaqkout? Quik: The funny thing is that we’re in the present. The thing that we’re most happy about with Blaqkout is that it really got done in just six months. We started in late June, early July and it was finished in December. It was done before we knew it, which let us know that we were in the zone. We were like Michael Jordan and [Scottie] Pippen, or Michael Cooper and Magic Johnson. Quik, how do you know when a beat is special? Quik: First of all, there’s really one time- when it sounds good in your head, before it even becomes a beat. If it’s a good idea, it’s worth it to try and get it outta your head and make it make sense to everybody else too. It’s special when it comes out like you want it. It’s called a composition, when you put your energy towards writing a good song- not because you need the money ‘cuz you spent all your royalties or because you got your heartbroken by a girl. We do music to recreate our energy. Me? I don’t wanna dwell on the past and I don’t want bad energy, so I do music to get my mind off shit. I like theatre music. I like energy music. I like all music. All of’em ain’t good ideas [though]. There are a lot of beats in my head that I’ll never write. Some of them are just not good ideas. Kurupt, I wanna know about Ras Kass. Are you guys working on a project together? Kurupt: You know Ras Kass gotta get up outta the [prison] situation right now, but the [Four] Horsemen are forever. I was just with Killah Priest the other day. We sat there and chopped it up about details about what these vicious, vile monsters are gonna do when we get together. Priest came up with a very, very special idea: When Ras touchdowns and we all communicate –me, Ras, Canibus and Killah Priest- we’re gonna disappear for a second and come back with a Horsemen album that’s gonna split’em. I got the distribution with Fontana and Universal. It’s on my list as one of the albums to release, the first official Horsemen album. Bullshit is nuthin’! I’m gonna step all over it! When Ras touch the street, we’re definitely gonna shut down for about two months and work on this album and give the people what they want. We love the fact that they love us. Me and Killah Priest, we had a long talk about it. We’re the ones that’s gonna orchestrate it. When you talk to Priest, he’s gonna tell you the same. Get ready! It’s definitely a 2010 event, you dig?

HOW MANY MUSICIANS DOES IT TAKE? Operation Aloha’s Jesse Carmichael BY JOHN B. MOORE

AST YEAR, 14 MUSICIANS FROM BANDS AS DIVERSE as Gomez, Maroon 5, Phantom Planet and others managed to manipulate their schedules and meet in Maui, Hawaii, spending 30 days living, writing, recording and God knows what else inside a compound of treehouses. And though it sounds more like a premise for a reality show than a serious musical endeavor, it’s hard to argue with the results. The group, christened Operation Aloha, managed to leave the island with a remarkably fresh, low key album that instantly brings to mind thoughts of beaches and unspoiled nature. Mixing a bit of blues, subtle rock and Hawaiian folk music, the record is unlike just about anything else that will be released this year. The sessions were documented by acclaimed photographer Christopher Wray-McCann (they can be viewed at www.bighassle.com) and the band recently self-released the eponymous album. We spoke with Jesse Carmichael (who has a daytime gig playing keyboards for Maroon 5) recently about the project and thoughts of a second act. So how long have you known the guys from Gomez, Phantom Planet and the others in Operation Aloha? Our bands have all known each other for years... Although some of us met for the ﬁrst time in the tree houses. When and how did the idea for Operation Aloha come up? Christopher Wray-Mccann was the mastermind of the project. He’s a world traveler and a mastermind at setting up the right vibe for creativity to PG 28 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

take place. He’d been to the Tree Houses in Hana and knew it would be a perfect place for something special to happen. Did you have specific rules for putting together the record? The only rule was to remember the spirit of Aloha. How did the songwriting work? It differed from song to song, but usually there was one person with the main idea for a song and everyone would pitch in to finish it up. What was the experience like? It was magic... a real break from the “normal” world. Anytime you’re in a place with no cell phone reception you can feel how quickly you settle into being in the moment and appreciating the people you’re with. You’ve been in Maroon 5 for so long, was it difficult working with others? Working with others is what it’s all about. So is Operation Aloha a one-time project or have you and the others talked about recording again? There might be a new operation in the works... maybe in Brazil. On a more general note, we’ve just seen a great example of the future of collaborations between artists from around the world in Kutiman’s genius remixes of YouTube videos (http://thru-you.com/). So stay tuned for more things like that.

Any plans to play some shows as Operation Aloha? We’re gonna have to see what happens with shows. Everyone’s schedules are hard to line up, but anything is possible.

Why did you decide to self-release this record? Self Releasing the record seemed like the most natural extension of how organic the whole experience was. Why did you decide to have the process documented by Christopher? That wasn’t so much a decision as much as it was just a given. Christopher takes amazing photographs. He’s one of the most unobtrusive and most naturally gifted photographers I’ve ever met. On an unrelated note, what’s next for Maroon 5? We’re gathering inspiration and writing music as we speak. (I’m) excited about ﬁnishing up our next album by the end of this year. Anything else you want to add? These are crazy times we’re all living in. We’re gonna see some big changes in the next decade and what I especially liked about this project was the sense of community and working together that naturally occurred in this little tree house. That’s the way forward, working together.

SPORTS NEWS

OSCAR DE LA HOYA

Good As Gold BY BRET LOVE

while now, and on June 27 he’ll be on HBO fighting for his first world title (NOTE: whoever is fact checking, find out if he won his first world title and update text accordingly). He’s only 20 years old, but a lot of people are recognizing his tremendous talent. He’s very diversified: Not only is he a fighter, he’s also a surfer, a golfer and an all-around good kid.

ORN INTO A BOXING FAMILY in 1973, Oscar De La Hoya is considered by many to be among the top fighters of all time. His Olympic Gold medalwinning amateur career included a stunning record of 223 wins (163 by KO) and only six losses, while as a pro he’s amassed a record of 39-6, defeating 17 world champions and How does a fight like your loss to Manny winning 10 world titles in six different weight Pacquiao in December make you re-evaluate classes. Along the way, he’s also generated more revenue than any other boxer in history. your career? I definitely analyzed my career very carefully But equally impressive are De La Hoya’s acand was torn between retiring and trying to complishments outside the ring. With the forcontinue. I am 36, but I now understand why mation of Golden Boy Promotions he became it’s so difficult for any athlete to retire. I’ve the first Hispanic to own a national boxing been in this sport since I was five years old, promotion firm, with a roster that includes so it took some time to make the decision. My legends Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosfamily, my health and my well-being all facley as well as up ‘n’ coming stars like Victor Ortiz. With his Oscar De La Hoya Foundation tored into my decision. I’m sure I can compete at a higher level physically, but what it came he’s helped thousands of families around the down to was whether or not my mind was country, donating millions to build schools, ready to be up for these fights. My work ethic develop communities and fight disease. And is at the highest level, but the question was with his purchase of a 25% interest in MLS whether mentally I still wanted it. team the Houston Dynamo, he’s also helping to generate U.S. interest in the world’s most Can you talk about the popular sport. mission of your Speaking to us just I’M DEFINITELY ANALYZING primary foundation and your after his 36th birthday efforts in urban developMY CAREER VERY (and just prior to his anment for Latino communouncement that he was CAREFULLY AND AM nities? retiring from boxing), As I traveled during STILL TORN BETWEEN the Mexican-American my boxing career, I was legend weighed in on RETIRING AND TRYING TO struck by the enormous topics ranging from his to improve the quallegendary career to the CONTINUE. I AM 36, SO I’M need ity of life in these comfuture of boxing. OBVIOUSLY AT THE TAIL munities. I realized that real estate was one of the Your family was full of END OF MY CAREER, BUT areas where I could make boxers. Was there ever I NOW UNDERSTAND WHY an impact, because it can any question that this build a fence of pride would be your career IT’S SO DIFFICULT FOR that you really can’t get path? any other form of Growing up I basiANY ATHLETE TO RETIRE. through economic development. cally didn’t have a The opportunity to own choice, though I think it ultimately turned out pretty good. I remember a home or business fosters a sense of pride in one’s community that can help increase safety, when I was in elementary school, one of the reduce crime and lead to higher property teachers always asked, “What do you want to values. My partner and I want to be financially be when you grow up?” I always said I wanted successful, but we also want to give back and to become an Olympic champion, so there help other people realize their dreams. was never a doubt in my mind. You’ve gotten more involved with the promotional aspects of boxing. What are the keys to helping the sport to thrive? We started Golden Boy Promotions about six years ago, and what I wanted to do was create a company that is by the fighters and for the fighters. My idea was to invite living legends of the sports, such as Bernard Hopkins and Shane Mosley, to become partners in the company. These are fighters that people look up to, and having them on board made it much easier for us to find and recruit the best young talent out there. The #1 key to our success has been making sure that the fighter is always first and their well-being is taken care of, and that’s made us the premier boxing promotion company in the world today. Who are some of the young boxers you’re working with that you think people should keep their eyes on? There’s an up ‘n’ coming fighter named Victor Ortiz that they’re calling the next Golden Boy. He’s been fighting on HBO for quite a

In the past you’ve done everything from albums and children’s books to clothing lines. What future projects do you have lined up? I feel a great responsibility in helping to grow another sport I have a lot of passion for, which is soccer. I became part-owner of the Houston Dynamo, which won back-to-back championships in 2006 and 2007. I really want to help develop this great sport, because I think soccer could be a major player in U.S. sports franchises. What did it mean to you to have a statue of yourself unveiled outside the Staples Center last year? It’s one of the biggest honors they’ve bestowed on me. The accomplishments I’ve had inside the ring have been incredible, and I feel so fortunate to have been able to conquer all of the dreams I’ve had. To get a statue next to legends like Magic Johnson and Wayne Gretzsky was huge, and knowing kids can go to the Staples Center and hopefully be inspired by our accomplishments is very special to me. It’s one of those rewards that will last forever.

PG 29 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

SPORTS NEWS

FANATIC BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

“BRIAN GRANT is one of the greatest team players and warriors that I have ever coached. I’m saddened by this news. Brian will find a way to fight this because that is the way he’s always been, a fighter. He will overcome this.” –Miami Heat president Pat Riley after Grant, who played 13 years in the NBA, announced he had Parkinson’s disease

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“I think my tears speak for everything. What a great team. I just have to thank, ﬁrst of all, the Lord for giving me this opportunity, to be strong, to have a family that I have. I have to thank (team owner) Roger (Penske), (Penske Racing president) Tim (Cindric), my guys, everybody because they gave my life back. I’m here today because of those guys, and obviously the fans who kept me strong.” –HELIO CASTRO NEVES, after winning his third Indy 500 just a month after being acquitted on federal tax evasion charges “I told y’all the other day that we ﬁnd it really disrespectful that everybody seems to be pulling for LeBron and Kobe to get to the Finals. Every time I look at TV, it seems like that’s all anybody is talking about. It’s like nobody is even giving us a shot at winning the series and we’ve used it as motivation.” –DWIGHT HOWARD, expressing displeasure for all of those Kobe/LeBron Muppet commercials from Nike

With the first pick in the June 26 NBA DRAFT, it’s pretty safe to say the L.A. Clippers will select Oklahoma stud Blake Griffin. The rest of the choices, while solid, are a bit more of a mystery. Here’s how NBADraft.net thinks No. 2-9 will shake out: 2) Ricky Rubio, Memphis; 3) Hasheem Thabeet, Oklahoma City; 4) Jordan Hill, Sacramento; 5) James Harden, Washington; 6) DeMar DeRozan, Minnesota; 7) Brandon Jennings, Golden State; 8) Stephen Curry, New York; 9) Earl Clark, Toronto; 10) Gerald HenderHelio son, Milwaukee. Castroneves “I don’t think we’ve looked that far at any point, really. Obviously we know we have an opportunity now, but I don’t think we’ve let ourselves get that far ahead. We’ve been focused on what we need to do. We had a similar approach last year, but this year, a little more experience helps.” –SIDNEY CROSBY, whose Pittsburgh Penguins were one win away from reaching the Stanley Cup Finals at press time And finally Pittsburgh had out-shot its opponents in 12 straight NHL playoff games… With a healthy Tom Brady in the fold, wide receiver Randy Moss fully expects the New England Patriots to break team records of 589 points and 75 TDs set in ’07…The past seven NCAA baseball champs have come from schools west of the Mississippi River. That, of course, bodes well for Texas… Northwestern’s women’s lacrosse team, winners of 20 straight postseason contests, recently won its fifth straight NCAA title… On Memorial Day, two MLB teams (Cleveland and San Diego) came back from six runs in the eighth inning or later for the first time ever.

Top 4 Games This Month Must-See TV NBA Finals NHL Finals

1 U.S. Open 2

(Starts June 4, ABC, Various Times) Remarkably, not everyone wants to see Kobe vs. LeBron. ABC, however, is not one of them.

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A Monthly Sports Wrap-up

(June 18-21, ESPN/NBC, Various Times) Though he’s had a tough time of it on the greens lately, Tiger Woods is the defending champ. That means something, right?

3 NBA Draft 4

(Early June, NBC, Various Times) If Detroit and Pittsburgh aren’t playing here, hell’s frozen over and Lucifer’s smoothing it all out in the zamboni.

(June 25, ESPN, 7PM) Sure, Blake is the Clippers’ No. 1 pick. The drama will come later when teams like Milwaukee and Sacramento fumble over their choices.

AUTOMOBILES BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

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June is typically the month for graduations. So, in the spirit of valedictorians everywhere, INsite would like to hand out a few superlatives to the vehicles that have triumphed amidst a trying economy. Ladies and gentlemen, we introduce the cream of the 2009 class of SUVs, trucks and crossovers…

MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED Volkswagen Tiguan SE 4Motion If you’re too big for a Volkswagen Passat or too budget-minded for a Touareg, this nice-looking RECESSION BUSTER baby works perfectly. Suzuki Grand Vitara Priced in the low $30s, the Xsport Tiguan (a mesh of “tiger” If appearances aren’t and “iguana”) might as vital as dependability be considered costly to and pricing, this reliable some, but for those more Suzuki is as smart a choice concerned with comfort 2009 KIA SOUL as you’re going to find on (single-zone AC), conthe car lot. The Grand Vitara venience (trailer hitch) and care (24-hour roadside doesn’t offer much in the way of navigation systems. assistance), the crossover couldn’t have come sooner. Still, its unibody construction w/integrated ladder But a word of caution: Just because the name’s exotic frame produces a sturdiness that’s hard to put a price and the frame’s similar to the Touareg’s, doesn’t mean tag on. But since we’re talking numbers, for a little this domestic VW should be taken off-road. ($33,165 over $20K, you get a quality sports utility –Maybe tested) you’re the one who finds beauty in simplicity- that BIGGEST HEAD TURNER Kia Soul The Scion xB and Honda Element have had their spaces carved out in the boxy, UFO-looking vehicle arena for a few years now. This Kia entry takes a nod from those two and has even more fun with it. Sadly though, for all the good times designers have with the exterior, there isn’t much to cheer for in the way of the Soul’s, well, soul. When you’re getting onto the interstate, for instance, acceleration isn’t as smooth as a moped’s. Atlanta potholes seem to gravitate to the struts too. But man, do you look cool jerking your neck behind the wheel. ($14,900)

PG 30 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

HARDEST WORKER Nissan Frontier 4x2 CC SE Pick-up trucks have never been much to look at. They’re bulky. They’re blah. They’re for that bald guy at Lowe’s. The Frontier won’t win any beauty contests either, but as far as getting the job done, Ford, Dodge and all the rest are hard-pressed matching up with something better. The four-dour we tested was not only a refuge for grown men knees, it was also one extremely pleasant ride. Thank the rear suspension w/solid axle for that. And the basic look? Credit uninspired designers there. ($25,805)

will take care of you and yours. ($22,613)

BEST ALL AROUND Kia Borrego EX 4x4 The largest vehicle in the Korean brand’s ﬂeet, the Borrego comes onto the scene at a time when most are downsizing in the driveway. The starch shirts at Kia have seen the Wall Street Journal headlines. That may explain why they’ve worked so at making this 4x4 a winner to the eye (Think: a sexier Toyota Sequoia) and touch (all-wheel drive w/3-mode selection). At $36K, all the bells still might not be enough to sway the casual consumer. But for those with it to spend, this is an all-around winner. ($36,295)

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PG 31 • insiteatlanta.com • June 2009

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Award Winning Chicago Pizza In Atlanta!

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BOOM BOOM ROOM

SLUSH PUPPIES SERVED ON BUCKHEAD DECK

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LIVE MUSIC DANCE FLOOR W/ 2 POLES!

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BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER SANDY SPRINGS 5975 ROSWELL RD. SUITE G-25 | 404 252-1158 7 DAYS A WEEK… NORCROSS STARTING AT 7AM! 5270 Peachtree Pkwy. | 770-407-5885

CANDLER PARK

EAST COBB

1655 McLendon Ave. | 404.687.8888

1084 E. Johnson Ferry Rd. | 770-321-4445

MIDTOWN

TERMINUS 3280 Peachtree Rd. | 404-477-0013

1001 Piedmont Ave. | 404.874.8887

BUCKHEAD

www.ﬂyingbiscuit.com

3515 Northside Pkwy. | 404-816-3152

VOTED BEST IN ATLANTA ��

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�� Corner of N. Decatur & Clairmont

HOURS FOR BOTH STORES: �� www.mediterraneangrill .com

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NOW OPEN! MARKET PLAZA East Cobb / Marietta 1255 Johnson Ferry Rd.

Now Open “Al Dar” or lounge - Enjoy great food, wine, belly dancing and hookahs on the weekend. 2751 Lavista Rd. • Decatur, GA 30033 404.633.8833 • www.mezzabistro.com

�� ½ – AOL City Search �� at $5.75 ��

Best Mexican Restaurant

Best Mediterranean

Mon: $3 Margaritas Tues: $2 Tecate Wed: $3 Modelo Especial Thur: $4 1800 Margaritas Fri & Sat: LIVE Music 7-10pm Sun: $3 Sangria

Authentic Middle Eastern and Greek Cuisine Cooked Fresh to Order

“Serving Emory / Decatur Since 1984” Located N. Decatur Plaza | 404-634-1128 | www.MexicoCityGourment.com

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Landmark DINER

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

HOOKAHS Starting at $24.95

Hand-blown Bubblers

New ROOR

Starting at $133.95

3652 Roswell Rd.

at the corner of Roswell & Piedmont Rd. 404-816-9090 www.landmarkdiner.com Detox Products

Pipes

Posters

Self Cigars & Body Defense Cigarettes Jewelry Products

We’ve Mo ved Across the Street

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RESTAURANT

Open 24 Hours

WRAPS AND EUROPEAN PANINI’S ARE HERE FOR SUMMER! 13 Varieties just $7.95 each Served with choice of potato salad, fries or pasta salad

CATERING AVAILABLE