INsite Atlanta May 2007 Issue by INsite Magazine

May 2080F7REE

Vol. 15, No.

ainment Monthly Atlanta’s Entert ta.com www.insiteatlan

INTERVIEWS Johnny Depp Halle Berry Ron White Dirk Nowitzki

PLUS… The New Faces of R&B Dinosaur Jr. Aesop Rock Fountains of Wayne YOUR GUIDE TO WHAT’S HOT THIS SUMMER AT THE BOX OFFICE

MOTIVATING. The atmosphere here keeps you going. There’s nothing like hearing the beat of the music and feeling the energy of this sports club. It will make you feel great and you’ll want to come back.

ONE WEEK

REDEEM BY 5/31/07

� DAYS

SPORTS CLUB PASS

Come into LA Fitness® Sports Clubs and redeem this Seven Consecutive Days Pass. Must be 18 years of age or older, a local resident and show valid I.D. One pass per person, per year. Pass activation hours 8am to 8pm. *Extra charge for some amenities. Sales presentation tour required. Other memberships may be presented. Redeemable by non-members only. Facilities and classes vary from club to club. Leagues extra. Not available for resale or redeemable for cash. 5/07

PEACHTREE CORNERS | 770.797.2661 7050 Jimmy Carter Blvd. #118

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

KENNESAW/TOWN CENTER 770.427.9668 2801 George Busbee Pkwy.

ROSWELL WEST | 678.494.6464 4801 Alabama Rd.

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

LENOX/BUCKHEAD | 404.233.8311 3232 Peachtree St.

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

EAST COBB | 770.973.3370 4400 Roswell Rd.

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

AUSTELL | 770.432.4262 1025 E. West Connector #2

HOLCOMB BRIDGE | 770.640.8137 1475 Holcomb Bridge Rd.

NORTHLAKE | 770.414.0651 1990 W. Exchange Place

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

BUFORD | NOW OPEN! 800.730.9786 3420 Highway 20

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

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CONTENTS • MAY 2007 • VOLUME 15.8

INTERVIEWS

12 JOHNNY DEPP 12 14 HALLE BARRY 15 RON WHITE 18 HIP HOP PROJECT 18 MIKE WHITE 23 DINOSAUR, JR 25 PEPPER 26 NEW FACES OF R&B 14 29 AES0P ROCK 34 FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE 35 DIRK NOWITZKI

FEATURES

09 EDUCATION GUIDE

Looking to enhance your career or expand your education? Check out our guide to great schools.

13 BURGERS

Perfect places to dine where the hamburger is more than just an item on the dollar menu.

30 2007 BARTENDER Atlanta’s drink slingers compete for the title 2007 Best Bartender in Atlanta.

32 SUMMER MOVIES Homer, Sheck, Harry – it’s all here. We take a

look at the most talked about ﬁlms hitting the big screen this summer.

COLUMNS

06 ON TAP 07 BOOKS 08 AROUND TOWN 16 MOVIE REVIEWS 19 WANTON DISTRACTION 29 19 VIDIOTS 20 CONCERT CALENDAR 22 ROAD WARRIORS 22 WE GOT NEXT 24 ALBUM REVIEWS 37 FANATIC 35 38 HOROSCOPES www.insiteatlanta.com PG 4 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

LOCAL EVENTS

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

Through May 31: Atlanta Jazz Festival

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Celebrating the 30th anniversary of presenting excellence in jazz, the Atlanta Jazz Festival is back for another year of legendary performances, fine dining and eclectic jazz events all over the city. With 31 days of exciting activities and events throughout May, the Atlanta Jazz Festival has become one of the premier free jazz events in the country! This outstanding festival gives Atlantans the opportunity to experience jazz, in every form and in many diverse venues, every day in May! For more information, head to: www.atlantafestivals.com.

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May 11 - 13: Sweet Auburn Springfest 2007 The Theme for Sweet Auburn Springfest 2007 is Linking The Global Family. This will be the largest Multi-Cultural, Music, Art, Film, Health, Sports and Food Festival in the South. Held in the Martin Luther King / Sweet Auburn Historical District. The festival traditionally attracts between 350,000 and 500,000 people over the three day period. Springfest 2007 is reaching beyond borders to showcase the best of all cultures, customs and traditions. It is a celebration of the global family. For more information, head to: www.sweetauburn.com/springfest2007/

May 15 - 20: Movin' Out

Movin' Out is a jukebox musical featuring the songs of Billy Joel. Conceived by Twyla Tharp, the musical tells the story of a generation of American youth growing up on Long Island during the 1960s and their experiences with the Vietnam War. The show is unusual in that, unlike the traditional musical, it essentially is a series of dances linked by a thin plot, and none of the dancers sing. All the vocals are performed by a pianist and band suspended on a platform above the stage while the dancers act out the narrative sans dialogue. For tickets, head to: www.ticketmaster.com

OUR BURGERS JUST GOT BETTER! HUMP DAY HAMBURGERS

$2all dayOff Our fresh ground 10 oz. burgers are perfect any day of the week…but even better on Wednesdays!

BRING IN THIS AD & RECEIVE A $2 SAM LIGHT TO HELP YOU GET OVER THE HUMP. Check our our new Spring dinner and brunch menus or reserve a table online: www.highlandtapatlanta.com

1026 North Highland Avenue Atlanta, GA 30306 404-875-3673 PG 6 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

May 18: Bright Eyes Bright Eyes is bringing their unique sound to the Fabulous Fox Theatre. They are a group consisting of singer-songwriter/guitarist Conor Oberst, multi-instrumentalist/producer Mike Mogis, Nate Walcott, and a rotating lineup of collaborators drawn primarily from Omaha's indie music scene. Though the band enjoys mainstream popularity that rivals that of their major label contemporaries: in 2004, the singles "Lua" and "Take It Easy (Love Nothing)" took the top two spots of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles Sales chart within two weeks of their simultaneous release. For tickets, head to: www.ticketmaster.com.

May 25 -27: Special Olympics Georgia Summer Games More than 2,000 athletes and coaches from all over Georgia will compete in Special Olympics Georgia Summer Games at Emory University. Athletes will compete in athletics, aquatics, soccer, badminton, volleyball, table tennis, tennis, and gymnastics. The games, which are free and open to the public, begin Friday with the Opening Ceremony at 8 p.m. For more information, head to: www.specialolympicsga.org.

May 26 - 27: 19TH Annual Decatur Arts Festival The City of Decatur invites the public to be a part of the 19th annual Decatur Arts Festival set for Memorial Day weekend. This interactive, inclusive arts extravaganza includes art and artists from all disciplines and features hands-on participatory art as well as demonstrating and performing arts. Some of the events taking place include: Outdoor Artists Market, Performing Arts Stage, Fine Arts Exhibition, Children's Arts Festival, and many many more. For event listings, head to: www.decaturartsalliance.org.

May 2007 Volume 15.8 INsite Magazine of Atlanta 2250 North Druid Hills Rd. #100 Atlanta, GA 30329-3118 phone 404-315-8485 email feedback@insiteatlanta website insiteatlanta.com Advertising Information Call 404-315-8485

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

Book Reviews SKINEMA

by Chris Nieratko BY B. LOVE Hunter S. Thompson may have pioneered the field of gonzo journalism with drug-fueled classics such as “Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas,” but Chris Nieratko’s debut is proof that Thompson’s aggressively in-your-face writing style didn’t die when Johnny Depp shot the old coot’s ashes out of a cannon. Some may remember Nieratko as a former editor at Big Brother magazine, where he was one of the founding members of the Jackass crew: His most notorious bit was puking after trying to reenact the 50-Egg Challenge scene from “Cool Hand Luke.” Described by buddy Johnny Knoxville in the book’s foreward as an unmitigated asshole who’s “always starting some type of shit,” Nieratko was more interested in booze and pills than he was in being bitten in the nipple by a baby alligator. So when Big Brother folded, he took a job reviewing pornos in a column for Vice Magazine. Much to his editor’s chagrin, the writer barely mentions the flicks, instead using their titles and box covers as the launching points for deliriously deviant confessions from his bizarre life. Written over the course of seven years, it’s intriguing to live vicariously through Nieratko’s stories, which range from a heartwrenching recollection of taking an early girlfriend to get an abortion to a hilarious tale of hiring a porn star as an escort for a story in Hustler, only to wind up getting drunk and passing out while watching TRL before anything sexual could happen. These columns are vulgar, perverted, offensive, demented and occasionally downright disgusting, but they also make for a remarkably compelling read. By the end, when he’s desperately trying to convince his miraculously patient fiancee to have a menáge á trois before they wed, you realize this Peter Pan Syndrome-laden lad is growing up, trading the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle of an idiotic Jackass for the simple pleasures of a woman who loves him dearly in spite of his many flaws. I couldn’t put it down. Grade: A

YOU’RE GROUNDED

by Vanessa Ven Petten BY MARGO AARON

Step back, mainstream self-help books: there’s a new genre taking over bookshelves nationwide. You’re Grounded tackles the issue of parent-child relationships from the most unexpected perspective– the child’s. The book dives into the minds of both parents and teens in hopes of understanding why each behaves in the manner in which they do. Van Petten not only explains what the issues are and how they come about, but how to approach them functionally from both a parental and teenage perspective. Unlike other experts, Van Petten highlights both sides of the story, pointing out their respective strengths, weaknesses and necessary improvements. The first-person narration style sets the tone to be friendly and light, while at the same time coming across as experienced and knowledgeable. That approach, combined with empirical evidence from recently published medical and psychological studies, serves to bolster the book’s message and help carry it home. The author confronts those issues that no one wants to talk about head-on and shares a point of view that is all too often discarded outright. Well-researched, well-informed and well-written, You’re Grounded offers a truly a refreshing new look at parentchild relationships from the perspective of an educated and articulate former teenager.

Grade: B+

PG 7 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

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FEATURE

SUMMER EDUCATION GUIDE

Atlanta has plenty of Continuing Education programs to suit practically every field of interest. Our Summer Education Guide profiles a diverse group of schools offering a variety of courses in different fields. We hope that this Guide will help in your search.

The Art Institute of Atlanta 6600 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd. 770-394-8300 www.artinstitutes.edu/atlanta

complete their education or to get a second degree as well as recent high school graduates. And our career focus is reflected the success of our graduates: of all 2005 graduates available for employment, 88.1% were working in a field related to their program of study within six months of graduation. Degree programs, diploma programs, community education workshops – want to know more? Call 770.394.8300 or visit www.artinstitutes.edu/

Brown College of Court Reporting and Medical Transcription 1740 Peachtree Street Atlanta, GA 30309 (404) 876-1227 (800) 849-0703 www.browncollege.com

nterested in a career in the creative arts? You’ll find the education to get started at The Art Institute of Atlanta, the college for creative minds. Here you’ll find relevant, practical, hands-on education in a creative environment. Our professional faculty brings real-world insight into the classroom. Internships, class projects, and community service projects help you build a portfolio you’ll be proud to show potential employers. In response to industry demand, the college recently introduced new programs in food and beverage management, visual effects & motion graphics, and fashion & retail management to its offerings, which include audio production, digital filmmaking & video production, game art, graphic design, Web design, interior design, and more. Our 2,700 students include students returning to college to

here is an insatiable demand nationwide for people with court reporting skills, and the rewards can be great, include high earning potential, flexible work hours, secure employment, even travel options. To meet this demand, Brown College of Court Reporting and Medical Transcription prepares students for rewarding careers as court reporters, broadcast captioners, CART reporters and medical transcriptionists. Court or judicial reporters are central in America's judicial system as

guardians of the record. They take down sworn testimony in trials and depositions, and use realtime technology to produce written transcripts quickly. They work in courthouses, conference rooms, congressional chambers, anywhere events must be written down precisely in a readable format. According to the NCRA, average income is $60,000, with experienced, productive reporters earning a great deal more. Broadcast Captioners or Realtime Reporters are also in great demand because of FCC requirements for TV broadcasts be captioned, which means tens of thousands of hours of TV programs such as CNN, the Weather Channel, NFL Football, presidential speeches, C-Span, the Academy Awards, emergency warnings, etc. CART Reporters also provide realtime captioning, but specifically for hearing impaired individuals. They accompany deaf clients to classes, business meetings, medical appointments, workshops, or other venues where translation is required. Medical Transcriptionists (MTs) are highly skilled medical language specialists who transcribe dictation and voice recognition files from healthcare professionals including doctors, surgeons, and medical specialists. MTs interpret and edit the information to create medical records which are essential to good healthcare. The future for Brown College graduates is bright indeed with national employment trends predicting continued strong demand and unlimited opportunities for their specialized skills. Brown College is nationally accredited and offers distance education. Financial aid is available to those who qualify.

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

eady for a new career or just starting out? Opportunities await within Atlanta's growing real estate market. Sales, R appraisal and home inspection positions offer you potential

unlimited income with relatively low investment and AREA can help you get started! America's Real Estate Academy, Inc. (AREA) is a full-service real estate education provider offering students high quality education and functional training. Improved and more relevant education make new and existing licensees more appealing to hiring brokers, appraisers, and home inspectors and more successful as entrepreneurs. A returning appraisal graduate stated "I have taken one CE course elsewhere since becoming registered through AREA and was very disappointed. Your team continues to provide quality education and resources. I am grateful!!"

PG 9 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

Spread Your Wings With a New Career!

AREA

AMERICA’S REAL ESTATE ACADEMY, INC. When you’re serious about Real Estate Education!

Appraising

Registered/License Series – May 15 or 16 / National 15 HR USPAP – May 19 Sales Comparison – May 10 / Income Approach – May 17 / USPAP Update – May 30 Appr.Techniques – May 19 / Report Writing – May 20 / Exam Prep - Mentoring

Home Inspection

Intro to Home Inspection – May 5 or 15 / Field Inspection / Nat’l Memberships

Real Estate Sales

Pre-License Sales – Starting May 8 – June 5 or Online Anytime! / Post-License State Exam Prep – Brokerage – CE – Online Courses and More!

770-591-5552

Get Started on Your Independent and Lucrative new Career!

WWW.EDUCATION-AREA-GA.COM

International SCHOOL OF SKIN & NAIL CARE Career Training That Counts

Esthetician Training ...The Leader for 22 Years

Curriculum director, Dick Viti, with over 30 years of real estate experience in Georgia and Florida, oversees AREA's instructors. All instructors are professionals who teach while conducting successful appraisal, home inspection, and/or real estate sales businesses bringing realism and practical instruction to the classroom. They have accomplished it and can assist a student's entry into the business. In addition to state mandated training, students receive superior industry reports that they can utilize with essential proven terminology to guide them and help them get started. Students also receive useful business and marketing tools and tips to assist them in their new careers, which includes access to national professional organization memberships and industry supplies at discounts. AREA bridges the gap between traditional academic programs and the real world, including offering an Appraisal Mentor Program; ability to hold sales licenses; and additional business and technology training and courses to give AREA students a competitive edge. AREA services the entire Metro and surrounding Atlanta area. Students have even traveled from surrounding states to receive AREA's professional training. Check schedules and register for classes now by visiting AREA's website at www.education-area-ga.com or by calling 770-591-5552.

Aveda Institute Atlanta 3402 Piedmont Road (404)-649-7119 (888) AVEDA.GA www.avedainstitutes.com

ISSN Provides Modern Facilities and State of the Art Equipment LEARN BY DOING • European Facial • Makeup

average earning potential of $36,100 or more for a full-time salon professional and $53,150 or more for salon and spa owners. And according to industry statistics, new hires are up nationally by 37%. Our Institutes also emphasize personal well-being as well as environmental responsibility. Using Aveda pure flower and plant essences and plant-based products, we affirm the relationship between personal beauty, wellness and the environment. For more information, please call our admissions director at 888.AVEDA.GA.

DeVry University 800.348.1017 www.devryUatl.com

eVry University provides high-quality, career-oriented undergraduate degree programs in technology, business, and management. DeVry University’s Georgia campus offers bachelor's degree programs in Game and Simulation Programming, Computer Engineering Technology, Electronics Engineering Technology, Computer Information Systems, Business Administration, Network and Communication Management and well as associate degree programs in Health Information Technology and Electronics and Computer Technology. DeVry University has five metro Atlanta locations including: Alpharetta, Atlanta (Cobb/Galleria), Decatur, Duluth (Gwinnett) and Stockbridge (Henry County). For more information call 800.348.1017 or visit www.devryuatl.com.

International School of Skin & Nailcare

• Waxing • Body Treatments • Microdermabrasion

Classes Starting Monthly Call Now for More Info 404-843-1005 x1 5600 Roswell Rd, NE Atlanta, GA 30342 www.skin-nails.com

JOB MARKET Increase Your Earning Potential with Additional Education KIMBERLY GUELCHER, GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY

tatistics show that job seekers with more education earn more than those who have less formal education. According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, (Fall 2006) the national median weekly earnings for full time workers, age 25 or older, is $696. On average, workers with an Associate degree or higher earn more than those who have not earned a college degree. Those with a Bachelor's degree or higher, earn significantly more. Doctoral degree Professional degree Master's degree PG 10 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

$1,421 $1,370 $1,129

Bachelor's degree Associate degree Some college, do degree High School diploma Less than HS diploma

he Aveda Institute was founded to create some of the most successful entrepreneurs in hair, skin and nail esthetics, makeup, massage and total body wellness. Our students are educated by accomplished professionals using innovative curriculums that blend professional techniques with retail and business-building skills. Each of our Institutes operates as a fullservice Aveda location with its own retail area, salon floor and booking system, which gives our students the most effective education and training possible. With the Aveda network, over 6,500 salons and spas worldwide, our students have endless opportunities for growth- both professionally and personally. Upon graduation, our students have an $ 937 $ 699 $ 653 $ 583 $ 409

Of course, you don't need statistics to motivate you to return to school. You've already made up your mind that 2007 is the year you're going to return to school! Right?! For many people who are interested in returning to school, getting started is the hardest part. There is a vast amount of career and educational information out there that can seem unfamiliar and overwhelming. Fortunately, here in Georgia future students (of all ages) have a valuable resource at their fingertips! The Georgia Career Information Center (GCIC), at Georgia State University provides a wealth of career and educational information all in one easy to navigate website! The Georgia

5600 Roswell Road, N.E. (404) 843-1005 www.skin-nails.com

he International School of Skin & Nail care (ISSN) is celebrating 22 years as a school and day spa in Sandy Springs. ISSN is where all the people get trained that work in Spas, Salons, Network TV, Doctors, Cruise Ships and manufacturing companies. Anywhere skin care treatments are given or nail care beauty is performed. Courses from Classic Facials to Microdermbrasion Facials, to waxing, make-up, to manicures and nail art are taught at the renowned International School of Skin and Nailcare (ISSN). Our job placement is excellent and has remained near 100-percent for over a decade - no other school is close. Our long experi-

Career Information System (GCIS) provides information about student financial aid, programs of study, quick links to trade schools, as well as traditional colleges and graduate programs, career profiles, salary resources like the information found above, and so much more though this valuable on-line resource! To access the GCIS website, simply visit your school counselor or the Georgia Department of Labor Career Center nearest you and ask how you can access the Georgia Career Information System.

ence and being known in the Industry insures the graduate of a good job upon graduation. Over 320 active employers depend on ISSN for Esthetician and Nail Technician staffing. Our programs start monthly for the convenience of today's student. We have morning, afternoon, or evening class in the Esthetician program and day or evening classes in the Nail Technician program. We are conveniently located in the Prado, Roswell Road at I-295. We are an accredited school and approved by the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology. A quick call to our Admission's office can answer all of your questions. When you call ask for a tour of the school. Call us today: Local 404-843-1005 X 1 or email us issn@skinnails.com

Janke Studios 659 Auburn Ave. Studioplex G-9 404-584-0305 www.jankestudios.com you have at Ithefmarveled beautiful

free-form and controlled works of Dale Chihuly or watched a glassblowing documentary, you should know that there is a thriving glass blowing community heating up in Atlanta! Janke Studios is Atlanta's premier Glassblowing Studio and Functional Art Glass Gallery. Celebrating 10 years in the metro area the Janke team continues to offer a variety of classes that will fit perfectly into your schedule. Courses are project based and designed for all from the novice to experienced glass craftsman and artist. Try a three hour paperweight workshop to get a

feel for the process or if you are more adventurous, but short on time take a two day weekend workshop. During this workshop you will experience all the basic skills and glassblowing floor environment. Create your own paperweight, check out the process and meet new people. For the enthusiast, nurture your skills in an extensive five week class or host a Remote; hot glass on your site for demos, classes or educational purposes.

Georgia Tech Professional Education

404-385-3542 www.gatech.edu

eorgia Institute of Technology is one of the world's top educational and research universities. The campus occupies 400 acres in the heart of the Atlanta where more than 16,000 undergraduate and graduate students receive a focused, technologically based education. Georgia Tech Professional Education coordinates the delivery of non-credit short courses and professional development programs to the public and to individual clients. Programs are held on campus at the new Global Learning and Conference Center at Technology Square as well as selected locations in the United States and other countries. Professional Education Computing short courses, varying in length from one-to-five days, are offered throughout the year to assist professionals with acquiring knowledge of different fields and new technology. Courses are offered on various topics in Project Management, Web Design, Unix/Linux System Management, Information Security, Java Technologies, Accessibility and Usability Engineering. There are six certificate programs, comprised of sequences of these short courses. For more information on course offerings and certificate programs, visit www.pe.gatech.edu.

Smar t Fun COMMUNITY AND PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION AT THE ART INSTITUTE OF ATLANTA

TAKE YOUR SKILLS TO A NEW LEVEL OR LEARN SOMETHING NEW JUST FOR FUN Graphic Design Web Site Design Photography Animation Audio and Video Production Interior Decorating Cooking and Cuisine The spring class schedule is now online! Go to www.artinstitutes.edu/atlanta and click on Community Education. For more information, call 770.689.4764 or contact us at aiasmartfun@aii.edu. In addition to community and professional education, The Art Institute of Atlanta offers diploma, associate’s, and bachelor’s programs in over a dozen ﬁelds in design, fashion, media arts, and culinary arts. For more information about degree programs, workshops, or Creations, the college’s student-run dining room open to the public, call or visit www.artinstitutes.edu/atlanta.

6600 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd. 100 Embassy Row, Atlanta, GA 30328

1.800.275.4242 / 770.394.8300 / www.artinstitutes.edu/atlanta 07-397 0507

PG 11 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

FILM INTERVIEW ??????

A Different Drum

JOHNNY DEPP MARCHES TO HIS OWN ECLECTIC BEAT

BY BRET LOVE

OLLYWOOD IS A WORLD THAT THRIVES ON familiarity, where words like “typecasting,” “stereotype” and “archetype” are tossed about as frequently as balls at a juggling convention. Directors and casting agents often characterize actors using celebrity shorthand, describing them as a Russell Crowe “type” (i.e. tough, brooding and intense) or a Rachel McAdams “type” (i.e. sweet, charming girl next door). Most actors, once they’ve established such a welldefined niche, are careful not to deviate too far from their comfort zones, lest their box office receipts take a hit that impacts their own bottom line. And then there’s Johnny Depp. In the 17 years since his 1990 breakthrough, it’s proven increasingly difficult to find any sort of rhyme or reason in the manner with which he approaches his career. Despite his rakishly handsome leading man looks, Depp has emerged as an unconventional chameleon with a dogged determination to subjugate his own personality in his quest to create intriguing characters. There is no Johnny Depp “type,” because his career choices seem to be about defying expectations at all costs... even at the expense of a bigger paycheck. This certainly was not the career path most pundits would have initially predicted for the actor, who was born in Owensboro, Kentucky, in 1963, then raised in Florida. After dropping out of high school at the age of 15 in hopes of becoming a rock star, Depp’s early acting career (which included A Nightmare On Elm Street and the TV show 21 Jump Street) seemed to have him on a date with destiny as a teen heartthrob, a pretty boy drooled over by young girls and ignored by virtually everyone else. But he soon realized that typical leading man roles held no interest for him. “It’s good fun playing characters like Captain Jack, Willy Wonka and Raoul Duke (from Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas) that can do things I would never dream of doing,” he admits. “I feel like all these guys are straight characters. They may seem bizarre, but I think everybody’s nuts. The weirdest thing in the world to me is to see some guy who’s super-earnest. As far as doing that, there would have to be something underneath for me to make that work. Otherwise, there are a bunch of guys who do that kind of thing very well. I don’t think I could. I’ve got to have a bunch of different things going on, with lots of layers.” Luckily for Depp, his depth and range as an actor quickly attracted the attention of two of Tinseltown’s most distinctive directors, John Waters and Tim Burton, who cast him as the lead in Cry-Baby and Edward Scissorhands, respectively. The former allowed him to subvert his burgeoning pin-up image as a James Dean-like juvenile delinquent, while the latter established him as an alienated outcast of boyish beauty and an almost tragic poetic grace, irrevocably altering the course of Depp’s career and establishing a creative bond with Burton that remains more vibrant than ever today. “Tim was the guy who went out on a limb and took a chance on me back in 1990,” Depp recalls fondly of the director (with whom he is currently filming Sweeney Todd, their sixth collaboration). “I know over the years he’s had to butt heads with the studios quite a few times to allow me to be in his films, because I wasn’t particularly popular at the time. He’s fought long, hard battles to get me in and won, so there’s a bond of love and respect that will be there forever. But he also happens to be one of the most interesting filmmakers of all time in my opinion, so I feel really lucky to have been chosen by him. We have a similar outlook, similar sensibilities, and a similar sense of humor and of the absurd.” But despite the success of Edward Scissorhands, Depp’s rise to the top of Hollywood’s A-list was hardly what you’d call meteoric. Throughout the ‘90s, for every critical success such as What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and Donnie Brasco, there was a string of disappointments, including Don Juan Demarco, Nick of Time, The Ninth Gate and The Astronaut’s Wife, which seemed to render his career more troublesomely erratic than endearingly eclectic. Tabloid stories of drugs and debauchery at his L.A. club the Viper Room (where River Phoenix succumbed to an overdose in 1993), fights with then-girlfriend Kate Moss,

and arrests for trashing a New York hotel suite and fighting paparazzi in London threatened to overshadow his career. Worst of all, the studio system didn’t seem to have a clue what to do with his idiosyncratic approach to acting. “For years, there were people saying, ‘You have to do this kind of movie because you’ve got to make money.’ I always felt like, hopefully the money will come at some point, but if it doesn’t, that’s all right. I’ve done the things I felt were right in terms of movies,” he insists proudly. “The only problem I ever had in terms of frustration with Hollywood was that I didn’t think they understood the movies that I did and didn’t know how to sell them properly, because they didn’t know how to label them.” All that changed, he claims, when he found out that his longtime girlfriend, French actress-singer Vanessa Paradis, was pregnant with the couple’s first child, daughter Lily-Rose. “Knowing I was going to have a kid made it a lot easier for me to roll with the punches,” he says when asked about the frustrations of being perceived as an outsider in the industry. “That put a lot of things in perspective. For a number of years, I didn’t understand any of it, in terms of success or career. But when I found out Vanessa and I were going to have a baby, you find out what’s important like [snaps fingers] real quick. It was like finally understanding what it was all about for me, really.” The result of that life-altering development was a move to a villa in France with Paradis; the purchase of a Tibetan restaurant in Paris called Man Ray that he co-owns with John Malkovich and Sean Penn; and a resurgent career that began with the double-whammy of 2000’s Chocolat and Before Night Falls, and exploded with 2003’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Loosely basing Captain Jack Sparrow on Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, Depp’s bold character captured the imaginations of audiences around the world, to the tune of over $650 million in worldwide box office, hundreds of millions more in merchandising and five Academy Award nominations (including one for Depp). “I had about 20 years of studio-defined failures,” Depp admits, “but to me they were all great successes because we got them done. In terms of what struck a chord with Pirates, I believe that studios were underestimating the intelligence of the audience. People go to the movies to be stimulated, but you don’t go to the movies to know what the end is going to be. That film had such a different angle– that hyper kind of realism, and the insane action sequences– it wasn’t something they’ve seen all that much.” The 44-year-old actor insists there was never a question in his mind that he would sign on for the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels, including last year’s Dead Man’s Chest and the new At World’s End, in which Sparrow and company must unite Pirate Lords from the four corners of the world to defeat Davey Jones, Lord Cutler Beckett and the entire Dutch East India Trading Company. “Some people could look at it and say, ‘A-ha! Depp sold out,’” he confesses. “But I don’t believe that I have, and that certainly wasn’t my intention. I wanted to play Captain Jack again because he’s so much fun to play, and I think there’s so much more to explore with that character that I’d keep going and do Pirates of the Caribbean 7. Why not?” As a result of this willingness to defy expectations, the onceoutcast actor has found himself in a remarkably enviable position, with a bevy of hits under his belt (including 2005’s Corpse Bride and Charlie & the Chocolate Factory), a reported $37 million paycheck for the two Pirates sequels and a prominent place on the shortlist of every major film director in Hollywood. But how has his life changed in the process? “Somebody mentioned me being on some Forbes list [of the world’s highest-paid actors],” he says with a bemused chuckle, “and it just made me laugh. It doesn’t make any sense to me at all, but if that’s where they wanna put me this week, that’s great. It doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll be there next week. I figure if this is what the ride is for the moment, great. But it’ll always change. I’m still doing the things I’ve chosen to do for a good stretch of time now, and I’m happy for that small core group of people– I hate to and won’t use the word ‘fans’– who have stuck with me all these years, because now they don’t have to hang their heads in shame... At least not as much.”

I HAD ABOUT 20 YEARS OF STUDIO-DEFINED FAILURES, BUT TO ME THEY WERE ALL GREAT SUCCESSES BECAUSE WE GOT THEM DONE.

PG 12 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

Taste of the Month-Burgers Some great spots to grab one when out in Atlanta

Highland Tap 1026 N. Highland Ave. 404.875.3673 www.highlandtapatlanta.com

Located under ground on the corner of North Highland and Virginia, Highland Tap is a subterranean hide-away offering a unique dining experience. Established in 1989, this VirginiaHighland 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 clubby atmosphere. The restaurant opens up into a great bar that is a favorite hang-out for Martini enthusiasts. The Highland Tap is a winner of multiple Best Martini Awards. While at the bar, ask for Markie to make you one as she is one of the Best Bartenders in Atlanta profiled in this issue. The dining room offers award winning Prime Rib. What makes the Prime Rib so special is that the high quality cuts of meat are slow roasted all day over a hickory wood grill which gives it tremendous flavor. The Prime Rib is offered in the Queen cut (14oz) and the giant “King Me”(28oz). 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 ribeye and tenderloin. The burgers are cooked on the same wood grill the steaks are on, which give them a backyard barbecue taste. You don’t get multiple types of burgers to choose from. Instead you get a 10oz. steak, fresh ground daily, that is one of the best burgers you ever tasted. While smoking is permitted at the bar, the dining room is a smoke free environment. The Highland Tap is currently offering $2 off on their burgers on wednesdays and a $2 Sam Light when you bring in a copy of their ad in INsite.

The Tavern at Phipps 3500 Peachtree Rd. 404.814.9640 www.TheTavernAtPhipps.com 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. But don’t be fooled, this is a full scale restaurant offering two dining rooms, white linens and plenty of seating on their vast outdoor patio. It is styled after the classic New York steakhouse with thick oak wood banisters, brick walls, and a tiled ceiling. The menu caters to their clientele, which varies. 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 the mall to those looking for an upscale sitdown experience. The meat used in their burgers are ground fresh daily and made using the same beef from their sister restaurant New York Prime. They offer a standard 1/2 pound burger which you can add toppings to prepare how you like it. Their Tavern Burger is made with homade stadium chili, bacon, melted cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion. As we mentioned earlier, The Tavern offers great cuts of meat. If you’re in the mood for a steak, try their 18oz bone-in strip sirlion. This is a Kansas City cut of 4 week aged top choice sirlion brushed with fresh garlic butter and accompanied by a salt rubbed baked potato.

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 the show. Smith’s offers 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 great 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. Smith’s is also the place to find Fox Brothers BBQ. The barbecue has been popular at Smith’s for years and this summer they plan to roll out a Fox Bothers dedicated barbecue restaurant on Dekalb Avenue. Smith’s is open Monday - Friday from 3pm 3am. On Saturday and Sunday they open at noon.

PG 13 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

FILM INTERVIEW

Halle Berry & BY BRET LOVE

HINK HALLE BERRY LOOKS GREAT UP ON THE big screen? You ain’t seen nothing until you’ve sat right next to the still-stunning siren in the intimate confines of a hotel room suite, with her warm doe eyes locked onto yours like a laser-guided heat-seeking missile. Your pulse races, your heart pounds and, if the woman is so bold as to reach out to stroke the hair on your chinny-chin-chin... well, just be thankful there’s a tablecloth there to disguise your excitement. Sure, Berry is rich and famous, with an Oscar, an Emmy and a new star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, yet she remains eminently approachable (if not downright flirtatious) as she enters her 40s, with none of the attitude you might expect from a star of her stature. Berry uses her sexuality to her advantage in her latest film, Perfect Stranger, in which she stars as a journalist who goes undercover in a variety of guises to uncover the truth about a giant in the advertising industry (played by Bruce Willis). Director James Foley’s (At Close Range, Glengarry Glen Ross) camera lingers long and lovingly on Halle’s lithe form, and though the film itself is flawed, Berry proves herself to be in sweet shape both physically and as an actress. We recently had the chance to talk with her about playing crackheads, kissing the Walk of Fame and how she’s bringing sexy back.

40 Fine

which is a piece of prime real estate, so it wasn’t a bad day.

A lot of critics have questioned your seemingly erratic choices in projects since winning the Oscar. What energizes me about my career is that factor of daring to take a risk that nobody thinks or expects you to do, but you do it anyway. The only way you win big is to risk big. You don’t win big by taking safe bets, but by risking big, because when you risk big that means you’re doing something that’s innovative, and that hasn’t been done before. I mean, Monster’s Ball was a risk! I thought that sex scene could end my career, and I remember thinking, “Oh my God, if people don’t get this, this could be like my Showgirls!” But I believed in the project enough to take the risk.

it works it could be great, and what it could do for women in ﬁlm is bigger than my fear of that risk.” What’s the worst that can happen? If it doesn’t do well, I can put on my big girl panties, deal with it and move on.

Do you get more validation from what critics think or the response from fans? Fans, definitely. A lot of people liked Catwoman. You’d be surprised how many people, especially young girls, came up and told me they really liked it. I try to focus on the positive things, so the validation is really from the fans because that’s who we make movies for. I think it’s our job to offer them a variety, and to do different kinds of things. I know that every time, for good or for bad, I give 100% of what I have to give and I make choices based on what’s happening in my life at that moment. Sometimes it’s for personal reasons, and sometimes for the art of it. Knowing that I make decisions from the right place, I can live with that at night, no matter what the outcome of the project.

I THINK THAT HAS COME WITH TURNING 40 – JUST GETTING OLDER I’VE BECOME REALLY COMFORTABLE WITH MY SEXUALITY AND MAKING NO EXCUSES FOR IT ANYMORE.

In this movie, someone asks your character, “What is it about powerful women and shitty men?” As someone who has experienced the turbulent ups and downs of loving someone who’s not good for you, how would you answer that question? (Laughs) I wish I knew, because the course of my life would be different if I knew the answer to that question before the age of 40. What was it that initially attracted you to this project? I love a character that gives me a chance to grow and do something different, and Rowena was so multifaceted. I never played a character that played a character who played a character before. That gave me a chance, as an artist, to stretch my limits and challenge myself. When I read the movie and I got to the end, I thought, “Wow! I don’t know how I’m going to pull this off, but if I can’t then at least I’m going to go down trying.” That’s how impassioned I was about it. This film really makes the most of your physical beauty, which you seemed determined to downplay in films such as Monster’s Ball and Gothika. Are you more confident now with playing overtly sexy roles? I think that has come with turning 40– just getting older I’ve become really comfortable with my sexuality and making no excuses for it anymore. It’s part of being a woman, part of what empowers us when we’re smart enough to know how to use it, and the character of Rowena certainly knew how to use it. So I think I’ve been learning as I’ve gotten older to become more comfortable with that side of who I am. In the beginning, I used to have to downplay it because I wanted to be taken so seriously as a thespian, as an artist and as an actor, so I’d play crackheads and other downtrodden women and disguise myself. But I think as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more comfortable with who I really am and all parts of me, knowing that my physical self doesn’t diminish me or my talent in any way. How did getting your star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame recently compare to winning the Oscar in terms of major events in your career? That image of you kissing it was pretty classic. Yeah, then somebody reminded me that it was frequented by crackheads and drug addicts, but that was just a spontaneous thing. I felt so proud of it and that’s what I wanted to do, so that’s what I did. It was another profound moment in my career. After Oscar, I wasn’t so sure I would ever have another one, and I was surprised that I found myself standing up there on the verge of tears because I’m an emotional train-wreck. So I found myself really moved, feeling proud and knowing that while it seemed like a simple star in the ground, it also represented Hollywood history and the fact that I was a part of it. Not to mention the fact that my star is right in the entrance of the Kodak Theatre, PG 14 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

Do you ever regret some of the high-proﬁle bombs, like Catwoman? You can’t be too careful about what you pick, because what looks on paper like it’s going to be a great script has often turned out to be a disaster. There’s no way to know what’s going to work. If you put that kind of pressure on yourself, I don’t think anybody would ever work because you never know for sure if it’s going to be good. With Catwoman, I thought, “If this doesn’t work this could be bad, but if

Is it tough for you, knowing that critics and fans watch you so closely, judging your every move? Not to get too spiritual, but I feel really lucky and blessed that I get to have this career, to make a living doing something that just feels like play and silliness. I think it’s important to give back, and I know many people resist being a role model. I hear other actors say, “I’m not a role model,” and that parents are your real role models. In a perfect world, that would be great, but that’s just not the reality. Kids look to people that they can identify with, and I’ve always taken that responsibility seriously. I take it to heart the best I can and try to do things because I know they’re watching, but I try not to let that compromise my sense of being who I am at the same time. I try to teach kids the best thing to do is to be authentic with who you are. What can you tell us about your forthcoming project with Benicio Del Toro, Things We Lost in the Fire? It’s a small movie that deals with love and loss, and it’s very different in the sense that while Perfect Stranger is designed to be a crowd-pleasing whodunit, this is a slice-of-life movie that has taken the festival route. From and Emmy and an Oscar to the Walk of Fame star, you’ve accomplished an awful lot already in your life. Are there any major goals you’ve yet to accomplish? I want to be a mother, and that feels really important. My career is one thing, and I think I’ve gotten a lot out of that and made the most of my opportunities. But I’m starting to feel like I need something more meaningful to wake me up in the morning, and it’s feeling very much like it’s family and children. You’ve been through a lot of struggles in your life and career, but you seem happier and more fulfilled than ever. To what would you attribute that happiness? I’m just in a really good space in my life, and I can honestly say it’s not because of anything in particular. It’s not because I have a really cute boyfriend now. It’s not because my career is in a good place. It’s because I feel good about me and, if any one of those things should dissipate, I’d still be happy. That feels like a really good place to finally have arrived to. You obviously still look amazing, but how did it feel to hit that 40-year-old milestone? It was really magical because I felt like I had the right say what I wanted to say and not accept what I didn’t want to accept. I felt more self-assured and more confident, and I felt like half my life is probably over now and thus I have the right to really be authentically who I want to be. I was getting there slowly but surely when I turned 35, but at 40, in a real way, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. Do people really care? Nobody goes home really pondering what Halle Berry did or said! (Laughs)

COMEDY INTERVIEW

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�� BY ALEX LASSITER

ONG BEFORE JEFF FOXWORTHY plucked him from obscurity to perform as his opening act, Ron “Tater Salad” White was paying his dues on the standup circuit, touring for nearly 20 years before landing his big break. But after the Blue Collar Comedy phenomenon hit 90 cities, grossed $15 million and expanded to include a TV show and a ﬁlm, White went from relatively anonymity to performing in front of sold-out audiences, sell-

(Laughing) In a world filled with rejection, it’s good to have an over-inflated sense of selfworth. Did you ever consider giving up and getting a real job? No, I never did. I actually went to Mexico for a while and owned a pottery company, but I was still doing standup on the weekends, opening up for Jeff [Foxworthy]. I had been getting most of my dates from the Funny Bone Comedy Club, which had 21 clubs at the time, so I got booked by them 42 weeks a year and worked all of their clubs twice a year. They’d just cut my pay by

I WORKED FOR NO MONEY, DRIVING THIS LITTLE NISSAN TRUCK WITH A BENCH VINYL SEAT THAT WOULD BEND YOU OVER THE STEERING WHEEL AFTER 50 MILES. ing nearly 500,000 copies of his debut comedy album. His 2006 Comedy Central special, “You Can’t Fix Stupid,” gave the network its third-largest audience in its history; the CD of the same name debuted in the Top 20 on the Billboard charts and was nominated for a Grammy; and his book, I Had the Right to Remain Silent... But I Didn’t Have the Ability, debuted at #15 on the bestseller list. But while other comics who achieve a modicum of fame tend to rest on their laurels and lose their edge, White elected to hone his chops with frequent Open Mic Night appearances at Roswell’s Funny Farm Comedy Club, where he tried out new material for his current tour. We recently caught up with the comedian to discuss his meteoric rise to the top of the standup comedy heap. When you were a kid growing up in small-town Texas, did you dream of growing up to be a world famous comedian? You know what? It really never dawned on me. They never talked about careers in entertainment or showbiz, which it turns out there’s actually a lot of, at Career Day in Deer Park or French, Texas. I was a fan of comedy as a child, and I listened to a couple of albums people had given my father, such as an old Andy Griﬃth record and a Bob Newhart record. I loved it, but I don’t know what I loved about it because I was too young to have understood the jokes. I guess I loved the response more than anything else, just hearing the laughter. I was a class clown in school, and even when I was a kid I had a great sense of timing, which I think is diﬃcult to teach someone. What were the best and worst things about the years you spent struggling to establish yourself as a comedian? I worked for no money, driving this little Nissan truck with a bench vinyl seat that would bend you over the steering wheel after 50 miles. I would drive it all over the country and do standup for barely enough money to get food to eat, and I loved it. I loved every aspect of my career for the almost 21 years I’ve doing it. Now, if I was where I am now and knew I’d have to do all that to get to here, there’s no way I would’ve done it. But at the time I was really just trying to avoid having a day job. I worked very hard at my craft– ok, not very hard, but I did a lot of shows, and always considered myself pretty good even when I was horrible. I think that helps.

a third, even though I was one of their better comics, so I basically told ‘em to go eat a steaming bowl of fuck. I wandered down to Mexico with this crazy girl who was doing mosaic tile applications to existing pottery that she’d sell at art shows. They’d all sell within hours, but it took her six months to make more stuff so she couldn’t make any money doing it. Like me, she was bound and determined not to get a real job, so we rented a building that was an abandoned taco factory, hired a woman whose husband spoke a little English and trained women from the neighborhood how to do it. I eventually gave the company to them, and it still makes money today. When you, Jeff, Bill Engvall and Larry the Cable Guy were planning the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, did you have any clue what a phenomenon it would prove to be? (Laughs) Make no mistake about it, there was no sitting down and planning anything. It was Jeff going, “Well, the Kings of Comedy are making a lotta money, so why don’t we do that with three of my friends?” I was already touring with Jeff and another guy was touring with Bill, but it was really Jeff’s idea. The first time I heard the idea, I said, “That’s retarded!” That’s how much of a seer I am, but Jeff always kinda gets things and I just don’t. But I don’t think even Jeff saw how big it would get over the years.

My wife, Barbara, was Jeff’s interior designer, helping them with this house that they were building for four years. She would have sex with me for free, so I thought, “Well, this is perfect.” I was opening for Jeff at the time, so Jeff would fly out of Peachtree-Dekalb Airport, and if I was here having sex with his interior designer I could just hop on the plane and it was convenient. But we love Georgia. It’s beautiful. We actually live up in Suwanee, in a big ol’ house my fans bought us. What do you think of the city’s current comedy scene? To tell you the truth, my next show here isn’t until November at the Fox, so I don’t really know that much about it. I do some open mic stuff at the Funny Farm, so I know there’s some really strong young comics around town, cuz they all come out and try to bury me at the Open Mic nights. And sometimes it works, but not usually. So the scene appears to be alive and well. I may open a comedy club in Suwanee, but I’m afraid if I do it as a restaurant, people will rant on my website every time they get a cold piece of chicken. I don’t know if I want that headache. But there’s plenty of people out here to support it, and the area has never had a comedy club. So when you’re playing major theatres that hold 7,500 people, what do you get out of playing open mic nights at an intimate club like the Funny Farm? A chance to work out my material in a different environment, which is very important. Any time somebody starts sitting on their couch when

they could be out doing shows, they’re making a mistake. This is a very difficult job, and it should be taken very seriously. I still try new stuff in big shows, but it’s usually stuff I know is gonna work. But if I really wanna practice my craft, I do it in comedy clubs.

With your suits, cigars and Scotch, you’re probably not what most northerners envision as a typical Southern man. Do you ﬁnd audiences outside of the South still believe in old stereotypes? I don’t even know what the old stereotypes are myself. I think a Scotch-drinking, cigar-smoking Southerner is stereotypical of some parts of the South. Maybe not the suits... But when I play golf at Cherokee, you still get a lot of those Foghorn Leghorn-style Southern men going, “I say, I say, son!” Those guys still exist, and I love ‘em! I think they’re genuine characters, and I enjoy their conversation. But I just played a show in Connecticut last week and 7,500 people paid to hear me talk, and I know Jeﬀ was as big in Detroit as he was in Birmingham. That’s true of all of us. The North has always supported us because it’s not a Southern show. We’re all fairly Southern, but it’s a blue collar show, and that reaches further than anybody ever thought it would. There’s blue collar everywhere, and people who are workin’ for a living can relate to us, even in Canada. What made you and your wife decide to settle down here in Atlanta? PG 15 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

FILM

�� AFTER THE WEDDING:� �� – Mitchell Hughes BLACK BOOK: ��

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DISTURBIA: �� – Matt Goldberg � FRACTURE:� �� – Mitchell Hughes

GRINDHOUSE: �� – Matt Goldberg �� Shia LeBeouf of DISTURBIA ��

PG 16 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

It’s good to see Kurt Russell working, even if it’s as a crazy stunt driver in “Death Proof.” The movie is the second ﬁlm of the recently released “Grindhouse” double-feature. �� – Matt Goldberg HOME OF THE BRAVE��

�� – Zena Scott HOT FUZZ:� ��

�� – Matt Goldberg KNOCKED UP:�� – Matt Goldberg LUCKY YOU:��

�� – Matt Goldberg ONCE:�� – Matt Goldberg PERFECT STRANGER:� �� – Zena Scott WAITRESS:��

COLUMBIA PICTURES PRESENTSORIGINAL A MARVEL STUDIOS/LAURA ZISKIN PRODUCTION TOBEY MAGUIRE “SPIDER-MAN 3” KIRSTEN DUNST JAMES FRANCO THOMAS HADEN CHURCH TOPHER GRACE SCORE EXECUTIVE BASED ON THE MARVEL HOWARD THEMESMUSICBY DANNY ELFMAN BRYCE DALLASSCREEN BY CHRISTOPHER YOUNG PRODUCERS STAN LEE KEVIN FEIGE JOSEPH M. CARACCIOLO COMIC BOOK BY STAN LEE AND STEVE DITKO PRODUCED DIRECTED SCREENPLAY BY LAURA ZISKIN AVI ARAD GRANT CURTIS BY SAM RAIMI STORY BY SAM RAIMI & IVAN RAIMI BY SAM RAIMI & IVAN RAIMI AND ALVIN SARGENT

NOW PLAYING

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CALL THEATERS OR CHECK DIRECTORIES. SORRY, NO PASSES ACCEPTED FOR THIS ENGAGEMENT.

Text SM3 and your zip code (e.g., “SM3 10003”) to 36346 (FNDGO) for showtimes and tickets! Standard messaging rates apply. May not be compatible on all carriers.

�� – Matt Goldberg �� ONCE:�� ﬁlm �� If Bruce Willis doesn’t sexually harass Halle Berry at�� 55-miles-per-hour, this will �� explode. Find out how in “Perfect Stranger.” �� – Matt Goldberg �� KNOCKED UP:�� – Matt Goldberg �� YEAR OF THE DOG:�� – Matt Goldberg �� PG 17 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007 �� PERFECT STRANGER:� ��

MUSIC INTERVIEW

FILM INTERVIEW

THE HIP-HOP PROJECT Giving Troubled Inner-City Youth a Creative Voice

BY B. LOVE

DESCRIBED BY DIRECTOR MATT Ruskin as “a call to end the destructive forces of violence, misogyny, and criminality that dominate the music our children are listening to,” The Hip-Hop Project is a powerful documentary about a unique after school program designed to give inner-city kids an outlet for positive and productive artistic expression. At the center of the ﬁlm is founder Chris “Kazi” Rolle, a formerly homeless teenager who inspires a group of teens to transform their emotionally gripping life stories into powerful works of art, using hip-hop as a force for hope, healing and the realization of dreams. We recently spoke with Rolle as he toured the country to promote the ﬁlm.

adopted me. I was moving away from the streets, and I didn’t really have a life! (Laughs) But it became my life, what I wanted to do morning, noon and night. I’d get so excited about it, I’d have visions. I think being a part of Art Start [the program that gave birth to the project] made me realize that there are tons of people on the street corner, or sitting behind a desk, or in the grave who had ideas and never went and fulﬁlled them, because they never really believed that it could happen. I was fortunate enough to see that I could go and make these ideas happen. Being so devoted and passionate about the project, was it frustrating for you when some of the kids didn’t take it quite as seriously as you did? Yes, deﬁnitely. Some of my biggest lessons were

SOME OF MY BIGGEST LESSONS WERE LEARNING THAT A TRUE TEACHER SAYS WHATEVER THEY HAVE TO SAY AND ALLOWS TIME FOR THE SEED TO GERMINATE AND GROW. Was hip-hop an important part of your life even in your early childhood, when you were growing up in the islands? Yeah. The first movie I ever went to see was “Beat Street,” so it was definitely something I loved. I learned all the words to LL Cool J’s “I Can’t Live Without My Radio,” and I would rap Fat Boys songs in the hallways at my school and stuff like that. So I’ve been rapping and performing for many years. What was the culture shock like when you came to New York at the age of 14? People used to laugh at my accent, and the fact that I would rap with an American accent. Back home I was considered a bad kid, but one thing we didn’t do was disrespect our teachers and adults the way it happens here. When I got to Wingate High School in New York, that was definitely a shock to me. But I was always excited about coming to America cuz I always used to watch rap videos as a kid and fantasize about America. With your background, you could very easily have become another negative inner-city statistic. Why do you think you wound up taking a more positive path? The same reason that I did the program: There were angels along the way who, for no reason at all other than being good people who genuinely wanna help other people, really looked out for me. I had a lot of opportunities I was exposed to, so even though I was in the streets I didn’t have to [resort to criminal activity]. A lot of my friends did. But my angels showed me other things. Catherine Brown, my foster mother, got me into the arts, took me to see “Beat Street,” bought me Kurtis Blow records and kept me acting at the church Sunday School. When I came to America, Elaine Roberson made sure I knew how to write plays and act and direct and dance and do martial arts. And then Scott Rosenberg, the producer and co-filmmaker of The Hip-Hop Project, gave me access and opportunity and taught me how to fulfill my dreams. What was it about the project that made you want to immerse yourself in it so completely? You really seemed to give your heart and soul to these kids. For one, the failure of my relationship with my mother and the way I met people along the way who PG 18 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

learning that a true teacher says whatever they have to say and allows time for the seed to germinate and grow. Some people’s soil is more nourished than others and is gonna grow quicker, while for others it’s a slow process. You have to be patient and have faith, and that trust you put into people helps them to grow. I think by trying to force things, like “Why aren’t y’all taking this seriously,” really strangles that process. These kids you worked with obviously became like a family to you, and vice versa. How difficult was it for you to turn over the project’s leadership reigns so you could pursue your own career? I was torn. In order to grow, I knew that I had to move away from that project, but I saw it more as a transition into a visionary position, allowing the people that I was planting the seeds with to take it over and keep it going. There’s other things I want to do in my life, one of which¬– doing my own music– was inspired by the young people in the project. So I went away and worked on my album, but I was still available to provide the vision for what I’d like to see the program become. I have a lot of ideas, and one of them was to put this film out with Scott Rosenberg, who made it happen. But leaving the program was essential in order to not be bogged down while I was making it happen. Enough people now believe in this vision that, if I died tomorrow, it would keep going. What did you learn from this experience, and how has it affected the way you approach

your own music? I think I’m more conﬁdent about living from the inside out. So many artists live from the outside in, letting what society and radio says dictate the type of music they put out. We all want to be signed, and that means your creativity is controlled by the person who signs your check. (Laughs) I think I’m more conﬁdent in this process because so many people loved this project. I think with what’s going on now in hip-hop, with people thinking about the boundaries within the genre, certain people want to be more responsible with the music. Coming from the streets and feeling like I was a nobody and nobody really cares about what I have to say, it’s amazing to see how things I did in my life for no other purpose than to survive is inspiring audiences. It makes me feel my life has purpose.

TOP DOG School of Rock Creator Mike White Returns with his Directorial Debut

BY MATT GOLDBERG

F YOU’VE SEEN SCHOOL OF ROCK, then you’ve seen the film’s writer, Mike White, an unassuming, non-confrontational character and that closely mirrors his real-life persona as opposed to the wholly-creepy character he played in his first feature film, Chuck & Buck. I sat down to talk to with Mike about his directorial debut, Year of the Dog and his career of being a writer in Hollywood. Year of the Dog is sure to stir up a lot of conflicting emotions in the viewer. How did you create that tone for the film? I like to feel a little not-surefooted about how the movie’s going and how I’m supposed to feel about it. I like a movie where some people come out finding it a funny, absurd movie and other people come out feeling it was very dramatic and tragic as well as different attitudes about the protagonist. Some really like her or if they think everything she does is really transgressive and wrong. Movies where the character has everything too good or everything is already pre-digested, those just don’t stay with me as long. I like to play with that. It makes for a divided response but it makes for more interesting conversations. The characters in this film feel very real. Did you draw from people you know when writing the script? I certainly know people who have the same obsessions as the people in the movie; like “the girl who’s in a new relationship,” or “the young couple who’s just had a kid and have all the anxieties that come with that,” and while they’re not specific people, I have culled from real experiences and some of my own and sort of inform those sorts of stories and people. This story focuses on a woman who has a very deep connection with her pet. Why do you think certain kinds of people develop connections like this? When you have a pet, that relationship is such a pure source of affection and it doesn’t have that same kind of bargaining you have to do with other kinds of relationships. Something about the loss of that pet, it hits a very soft spot in you because you don’t have a love-hate relationship with your pet. You can project a more innocent persona on to those pets and they’re more vulnerable and sweeter and something about it just makes everyone a little softer which is why I think there’s a need for pets. Why did you choose to focus on dogs as opposed to other kinds of pets? Dogs are easier from a film point of view to create a sentimental relationship. I think cats are a little more aloof and while I’m a cat-person, you can put a camera on a cat but it’s a little more blank. You have a dog looking up and there’s immeadeately a more visceral response to that dog. I think cats are just a little more fickle that way. This film is going to divide audiences, do you think films with wider appeal yet less cause to create discussion serve a purpose? Well, those films serve a purpose when they allow someone like me, who did School of Rock and Nacho Libre, to make a smaller film the space to do so. But I don’t think studios go “Okay, we made Wild Hogs, now we want to go make a little art-house, funny, quirky movie.” The filmmakers, in a sense, need to push that side of it and I don’t know if Wild Hogs-people will want to make that little art-house movie next. They’ll probably be wanting to make Wild Hogs 2.

What would you say is the biggest challenge in dealing with features? Well so far I’ve had a good experience. You can have a real career as a screenwriter and never get anything made. Or similarily, get things made and they have no relation to your original script or idea. They can rewrite you, they can not include you. I know a lot of screenwriters and some of them are very successful, but they’re very bitter at not being able to see their stuff translated in a way that’s satisfying to them. And I guess maybe because I do smaller stuff or how I’ve gone through the process, I’ve just had better luck in feeling that the scripts that I’ve written have been pretty much enacted in the movies. But if you’re trying to do the big-budget kind of stuff, there’s a lot of people’s input and at some point you feel like you’re a typist and not an actual writer. So when you decided to direct Year of the Dog, it wasn’t a case of “Now it will be my time!” Not at all! I feel like I’ve had really good experiences with directors and glad that director directed it instead of me because I wouldn’t have done as good a job. It helps to have another set of eyes on your material. It just felt like this is a good opportunity if I ever want to direct. Now’s a good time and this is a good size project to try it on and it just felt like the stars were aligning for me to do it. Now that you’ve directed, do you want to do it again? I’d love to do something in this scale. I felt like this was the perfect scale for me to do the stuff I actually care about. I would probably be hesitant to jump into a big, BIG studio comedy where you have to keep such an eye to the marketplace. I think I would be creatively inhibited by that. I mean I like to write those movies but I don’t know if I’d want to direct it. You’ve worked in television but you’ve had more difficulties in that arena. What are the obstacles in trying to work in that medium? The problem is that, at least in my experience is that, at least when you make a movie, [the studio] kind has to get behind it. If I turned in Year of the Dog and it wasn’t something that they loved, they would still have to find a way to sell it and make their money back. And they’ve been really supportive. I’m just saying that you’re all in it together. With TV, you’re always in an audition-mode. You give the pilot and they say “Well maybe we’ll make the show and maybe we won’t.” And when they put it on the air, throughout the run of the show, they can always—well, I’ve done two shows and made thirteen episodes and they never make a poster. You can spend months of your life on something that only airs twice and it’s just a weird vortex where things can vanish before they see the light of day. I get this sense that you’re always auditioning and they’re constantly changing what they want throughout the process. It’s just a lot more difficult to know what you’re getting into. I’ve had experiences where they’ll tell me “We really like what you do,” and when you do it, they’re like “Well, we want our version of what you do.” And when you say “they” you’re referring to the network? Yeah, and you understand that TV is a huge audience. I’m sure if Year of the Dog was a TV show, it would be very hard to sell it to the 25 million people they want to get to be flipping it on. It’s just been harder for me to figure out how to do that. Cable is probably a better place to get the kinds of stuff I want to do. And if my film career goes kaput, I’ll probably stumble down that path again, but right now it seems like I’m having a good run with features and I should just try to stick it out.

CELEBRITY GOSSIP

Wanton Distraction Skewed Views on Entertainment News BY MATT GOLDBERG If you work in the news business and you read this column well, then you have more free time than I expected from someone in your profession. But more importantly, I say to you: regarding Uwe Boll’s upcoming film, POSTAL, do not take the bait. The film is taking pride at it’s “nothing sacred” approach to what I assume is comedy (you always have to look at the opposite of the work to see what Boll intended because he’s such an inept filmmaker) and in the trailer, makes a joke about the planes crashing into the World Trade Center on 9/11. Too soon? Personally, I don’t care. Boll is a lousy filmmaker who’s just using the Ann Coulter/Bill O’Reilly Guide to Infamy by being as offensive as humanly possible (he has going to thave to try harder to catch up with Coulter as she recently wrote an article where she claimed that that the genocide in Darfur wasn’t going fast enough). But creating controversy about this film will only give it free advertising. Granted, this article probably does just that, but I’m taking the hit so you don’t have to. You have to focus on more important material, like telling us more about Anna Nicole’s baby-daddy. DON IMUS made dispariging comments about a woman’s basketball team and lost his job over it. Great! Now we only have to focus on Sean Hannity, Michael Savage, Bill O’Reilly, “Dr.” Laura, and pretty much every voice on the AM dial save for Clark Howard and we can effectively go back to actually promoting decent instead of just making a ritual sacrifice and let all the other scumbags continue to spew filth.

tured on the soundtrack for a major motion picture? Well now’s your chance! Geffen Records is calling all aspiring musicians to submit their music by May 15th! So what’s the movie? Unimportant! It’s a family picture! Uh, great brand-name recognition and clearly, your band will start its monumental rise to the top of the charts. Great, but what’s the movie? Um…how do you feel about a live-action adventure comedy inspired by the toyline BRATZ? Okay, we couldn’t get real bands to contribute so we need your crappy music to fillout the track listing. Are you happy now? No? Good. Neither am I. TMZ.com recently leaked a voice mail of actor ALEC BALDWIN yelling at his daughter, Ireland. Assuming that you can get past the cruelty of naming your daughter “Ireland”, everyone has decided to voice their opinion on what it essentially a father trying to deal with his daughter nad has absolutely no effect on anyone anywhere save for Kim Bassinger who probably leaked the recording in the first place. I just hope that all celebrities take away an important lesson from this incident: If you want to verbally discipline your kid and the kid has a recording device, you’re screwed.

Tom Hanks is due to make big bucks in the next installment of The Da Vinci Code. TOM HANKS has supposedly signed on to reprise the role of Boring Indiana Jones, Robert Langdon in Angels & Demons, the prequel to The Da Vinci Code. The rumored payout to Hanks is said to be $30 million, the largest salary ever payed to an actor (not counting back-end percentages). However, the value of that $30 million diminishes when you account for more lame jokes

Vidiots This month’s DVD & VHS Releases

ALPHA DOG – Director Nick Cassavetes’ thinly veiled telling of the case of Jesse James Hollywood stars Emile Hirsch as Johnny Truelove, a 90210 drug dealer whose frequent customer, Jake Mazursky (Ben Foster), takes him for $1200. To get even, he and his crew of wannabe gangstas– including Frankie (Justin Timberlake) and Elvis (Shawn Hatosy)–kidnap Zack (Anton Yelchin), hoping to scare his brother Jake into paying up. Distracted with partying non-stop, the kidnappers let Zack “hang” with them and his time as a victim turns into the party of his life. When the once-funny prank turns into an all-out police search, Johnny decides Zack must be dealt with. After one dead body turns up and four of his friends are convicted, Truelove dodges the police by fleeing the country. While many may think it’s over exaggerated and “for TV”, the most chilling part of this film is that it’s very reflective of the disassociation of parents and it shows exactly what happens when teens are unsupervised and live without consequence. Grade: B- ZC APOCALYPTO – Mel Gibson’s latest directorial effort is a visual mara-

thon driven on pure adrenaline. Hunters from an ancient Mayan village are celebrating their catch when a visibly fear-stricken tribe asks permission to pass through in search of a new home. After letting them pass, Flint Sky (Morris Birdyellowhead) describes fear as a contagious disease that must not infest their village, but his son, Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood), is clearly infested. The next morning his village is ravaged, his father is killed and he’s forced to leave his pregnant wife and young son behind as he is taken captive. From that point on, Jaguar Paw embarks on a quest to save what matters to him most in a world on the verge of total ruin. This is a story of survival, so the amount of bloodshed and gore isn’t at all alarming, and kudos should be given to Gibson for not shying away for diﬃcult subject matter. Some critics pointed out historical inaccuracies, but this is a courageous tale of human will and destiny that cannot be denied. Grade: A ZS

CATCH & RELEASE – Gray (Jennifer Garner) has lost her fiancée, Grady, whose death prompts a re-evaluation of her life as his secrets come to the surface. Unfortunately, the film works on generalized emotions and a concept that might work as a TV drama, but the constraints of a feature film shine a bright, hot light that leaves only warm, messy goop. Gray strikes up a relationship with Grady’s sleazy-charming friend, Francis (Timothy Olyphant), but their affair seems like a short-lived rebound that

about Hanks’ awful hairstyle and that this film will be even worse than Da Vinci. That latter accusation may seem unfair seeing as the film hasn’t even started production, but I read Angels & Demons and after suffering through that, you don’t get to talk to me about what’s “fair”. Want your band to finally make it big and be fea-

PICKS OF THE MONTH DREAMGIRLS – A rare bit

of pure Hollywood escapism in a difficult year that could’ve used a lot more razzle dazzle, writer/ director Bill Condon’s adaptation of the Broadway smash succeeds on every front. From the poignant script and showstopping musical numbers to gorgeous costumes and Oscar-worthy performances, this is arguably the finest movie musical in decades. And newcomer (and exAmerican Idol contestant) Jennifer Hudson’s gutwrenching turn as the proud, self-destructive Effie White, blowing the roof off with her emotionally gripping rendition of “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going,” ranks among the finest film debuts in recent memory. BL

PAN’S LABYRINTH –

This is the kind of story the Brothers Grimm would tell if they were still alive today. The film is folktale before fairy-tale– a grown-up myth that comes out of the past ,yet feels distinctly modern. Writer/director Guillermo Del Toro perfectly blends the most wondrous dreams with the most haunting nightmares and does the impossible by bringing the mythical into the real, with both sides enhanced rather than cheapened by the experience. It’s not just this year’s best foreign-language film; it’s the year’s best fantasy, best story and most beautiful and sorrowful melody. A lot of people like to toss around the word “masterpiece,” but when every frame of the film is masterful, Pan’s Labyrinth more than earns that title. MG

Looking back over previous columns, I discovered I hadn’t reported on THE CHRISTMAS COTTAGE, a film that recently signed Supernatural’s Jared Padelecki and Lawrence of Arabia’s Peter O’Toole to it’s cast. The film is based of the works of American painter, Thomas Kinkade. If you’re not familiar with Kinkade’s paintings, please visit your local motel. Look on the wall. Is there a painting? Is it sachrine, unremarkable, features unsettling Christian overtones done in pastels, and is sure to appeal to the lowest common denominator? Congratulations! You’ve spotted a real Kinkade! Hopefully the film will be sure to tell us how Kinkade decided to bestow upon himself the title (I swear I’m not making this up), “Painter of Light”. I didn’t know you were allowed to give yourself a title, so I will now be called “Matt Goldberg: Writer of SuperGod”. Memo to Kinkade: I WIN.

will end soon after the credits roll. There are also kooky friends Dennis (Sam Jaeger) and Sam (Kevin Smith), the latter of whom proves to be the heart of the picture. Dennis has a crush on Gray, but most of the time he’s either quarreling with Sam or trying to act cutesy with Grady’s secret mistress (Juliette Lewis) and her four-year-old spawn. On a longer timeline, characters like these could get the development they sorely need, but instead they feel broad and obvious in a ﬁlm that desperately needs them to be real and relatable. Grade: C- MG

THE FOUNTAIN – Indie auteur Darren Aronofsky’s labor of love is the

cinematic equivalent of Don Quixote tilting at windmills, and your ability to appreciate his vision will depend on your belief in the valor of dreaming the impossible dream. Plan to be confused for 30 minutes as Aronofsky connects the dots tying the stories of a 16th-century Spanish conquistador searching for the Mayan Tree of Life and a 26th-century space traveler ﬁnding the Tree in a giant translucent bubble to the modern-day tale of scientist Tom Creo (Hugh Jackman), who’s conducting experiments to ﬁnd a cure for the cancer killing his novelist wife (Rachel Weisz). The eye-popping bells and mind-bending whistles serve to obfuscate a classic tale of tragic love. Aronofsky’s trademark visual motifs are here in spades, but far more potent are the performances, particularly Jackman’s turn as a man for whom love becomes a grief-stricken obsession of almost toxic power. In the end, Aronofsky’s audacious ambitions never quite gel into a truly cohesive story. Grade: B BL

LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA – When Flags of Our Fathers garnered director Clint Eastwood his worst reviews in years, Warner Bros. wisely bumped up the release date on this companion piece, which tells the same story from the Japanese side. Ken Watanabe is the only recognizable actor, the dialogue is subtitled and there’s more fraternizing and ruminating than ﬁghting, yet Eastwood’s steady hand at the helm makes this one of the year’s most compelling and classic ﬁlms– a timeless koan about the inevitably of loss in war, and the grim senselessness of it all. Grade: A- BL THE PAINTED VEIL – Part period piece, part melodrama, The Painted

Veil’s story follows the fickle, spoiled Kitty (Naomi Watts), who marries Walter (Edward Norton), a stoic bacteriologist. He marries her because she’s enchanting and hopes that she’ll grow to love him. She marries him because she wants to get away from her mother. But since opposites don’t really attract, Kitty ends up having an affair with Charlie (Liev Schreiber). Once her transgression is discovered, Walter offers her a choice: Agree to a divorce or come along to a small Chinese village to help fight a cholera epidemic. The film deserves credit for remaining faithful to its time period. Unfortunately, the dedication to the setting never manages to translate into making the world feel real or compelling, and even the over-arching themes come down to Kitty’s personal growth. For whatever reason, the film doesn’t reach for the big love between the leads or the big conflict of 1920s rural China. The Painted Veil is just melodrama at its most mediocre. Grade: C MG PG 19 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

�� Chicken Shack �� Say Anything, Saves the Day, Manchester Orchestra �� Coco Rosie, Busdriver, Tez �� Luke Bryan �� 500 Songs For Kids Charity �� Greyboys Allstars

CONCERT CALENDER �� Zoso �� Malena Perez & Amanda Ray �� Ricky Martin �� Deacon Bluz & The Holy Smoke Band �� Strokin’ It, Wrong Way �� The Beggars’ Guild, Pasadena, Vulture Whale �� The Brilliant Inventions, Nathan Beaver, Adam Dunstan �� Kerry Hill Band �� Dan Barrazu �� Dear Enemy �� Celtic Frost, Brand New Sin, Type O Negative �� Silence Syndicate, Cinjed, S.M.I., Dequelo �� Zydefunk �� 2Hipnotic �� 500 Songs For Kids Charity �� The Burden Brothers �� John Butler Trio �� Blonde Redhead �� Open Sky Separators �� Slippery When Wet �� The Breakfast Club �� The House That Jack Built �� Martina McBride �� Chicago Bob Nelson & The Shadows �� Axis of Evil Comedy Tour �� Dishwater Blonde �� Cruisematic, The Rainmen �� Gringo Star, Mourdella, Tiger! Tiger!, Night of the Wolf �� Jay Clifford, Katie Herzig �� The Blue Monkeys �� Ike Stubbleﬁeld, Jeff Sipe, Gran Green Jr. �� Luna Halo & Guests �� Modest Mouse, Man Man, Love As Laughter �� Mudcat �� That 80’s Band �� Zach Galiﬁanakis �� 500 Songs For Kids Charity �� Buckcherry, Saliva �� Mac McAnally �� American Devils & Ultradrive �� Cripple Lillies �� Little Country Giants, Gabriel Kelly, Hoots & Hellmouth �� T-Bone Smith �� DJ Gandy Locks �� 500 Songs For Kids Charity �� Boo Hoo Ramblers �� The Cinematics, The Changes, Baumer �� Fat City Wildcats �� Emett Goods, Jazz Tromboe �� 500 Songs For Kids Charity �� Emergenza Acoustic �� Work In Progress Band �� The Crosstown Allstars �� Becoming the Archetype, With Blood Comes Cleansing �� 500 Songs For Kids Charity �� Al Smith Jam Session �� Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials �� The Album Leaf, Belong, Duet for Theremin & Lap Steel �� Paul Sanchez, Sonia Tetlow �� Frankie’s Blues Mission �� Ours �� Scott Little Band �� 500 Songs For Kids Charity �� Wild Sweet Orange �� The Good Vibe & Dance Concert �� Sweet Betty & The Shadows �� Mono, Worlds End Girlfriend, Grails �� Jeff O’Kelly, High Cotton, Radio Ramblers

PG 20 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

�� Ian Schumacher & Almost Blue �� Jaspects �� Francine Reed & The Shadows �� Umbrella Tree, Morning State �� Cadillac Jones, Eugene IV, 45 Split �� everybodyﬁelds, The Ginn Sisters, Gill Landry �� Sana Blues �� Gwen Stefani, Akon, Lady Sovereign �� American Head Charge, Godhead, Oblige �� Under the Inﬂuence of Giants, Young Love, PlayRadioPlay!, Liam & Me �� King Johnson �� The Velcro Pygmies �� 500 Songs For Kids Charity �� Unknown Hinson �� Paul Van Dyk �� Son Volt �� Uncrowned & Greedy White Citizens

Gwen Stefani @�� (5-11) �� Unzipt �� Alice Russell & Tabi Bonney �� Ludacris, Busta Rhymes �� Delta Moon �� Ben Gibbard �� The Unusual Suspects, Red News �� XL’s, Moonshadows �� The Clientele, Beach House, The Close �� Matthew Kahler, Justin Rosolino, Brad Colerick �� The Georgia Jooks �� Jazzmatic �� Battle of the Bands �� Echovalve, Under the Flood, Mandrake Theory, Smash Machine� �� The Electromatics, Pops Longo �� Trotline �� 500 Songs For Kids Charity �� Cowboy Junkies �� The Micky June Show �� Fred Eaglesmith �� T-Bone Smith �� Revelation �� The Wrights, Jon Byrd �� Georgia Jooks �� Fat City Wildcats �� Happy Lenny, Jim Hodgson, Scott Albert Johnson �� Roger Hurricane Wilson �� David Grier, Mike Compton �� The Crosstown Allstars �� Elliott Yamin �� Underoath, As I Lay Dying, Maylene & Sons of Disaster, The Glass Ocean �� As Cities Burn, Olympia, Cool Hand Luke �� Electric Mudd, Wesley Cook, Britten �� Al Smith Jam Session �� Rick Williams Band �� Goodnight Insomniacs, Myth of Mitch, Daniel Clay �� Frankie’s Blues Mission �� Underoath, As I Lay Dying, Maylene & Sons of Disaster, The Glass Ocean �� Scott Little Band �� The Drams, Justin Brogdon �� Robert Earl Keen �� Dickey Betts, Outlaws �� Nu-Berry Jam, King Robot & The Good Good �� Zac Harmon

�� The Selmanaires, Tussle, Noot D’ Noot �� David McMillin, Y-O-U, Kyle Riabko �� Chicken Shack �� 12 Guage Valentine, Vanna, The Silent Escape, Bloodjin �� 17th Floor �� Joseph Arthur & The Lonely Astronauts, Stars of Track & Field �� Sonia Leigh

�� Maura O’Connell �� Chicken Shack �� Days Ahead �� Hatebreed, God Forbid, Evergreen Terrace, Terror, The Acacia Strain, After the Burial �� Coconut Groove Band �� Ari Hest, The Damnwells, Evan McHugh �� Corey Crowder

�� Tron Jackson �� Keni Myles �� Houserocker Johnson & The Shadows �� Coy Bowles & The Fellowship, Hightide Blues �� Slack Republic, Tentonic �� The Drappled Grays, Brad Davis, The Lovell Sisters �� Rough Draft �� Jp3 �� Eric Church, John Anderson, Gretchen Wilson, Trace Adkins �� Sovus Radio, Clovis, The Venus In Furs, Lions & Scissors �� The Working Title, Leslie, Winston Audio �� Coy Bowles & The Fellowship �� Jared Ashley & The Dirty South Band �� Stephen Marley w/ Jr. Gong �� Bain Mattox, Rick Brantley Revival, The Bridges �� Relient K, Mae, Sherwood �� The Paper Champions �� Mark Chesnutt

�� Crash Davis �� Mausiki Scales & The Common Ground Collective �� Sweet Betty & The Shadows �� The Fleshtones, Tiger! Tiger!, Gentleman Jesse & His Men �� Cliff Eberhardt �� Patick Vining �� Blues Envy �� Shiny Toy Guns �� Sybaritic, Threat of Life, Vitriol �� LHS’s Shut Up & Jam �� John Michael Rose �� The Wrong Way �� Ross Childress Experience �� Deftones, Fall of Troy �� Continue & Save �� Jeffery Steele

�� Appetite For Destruction �� Alex Skolnick Trio �� Sandra Hall & The Shadows �� Ying Yang Twins �� Little Brown Peach, Under The Porch �� The Jupiter Watts, Silent Kids, Blake Rainey & His Demons, An Epic At Best �� Adrienne Young & Little Sadie �� Chilly Willy �� Uncle Jones Medicine Show �� Eric Church, John Anderson, Gretchen Wilson, Trace Adkins �� City Sleeps �� Nashville Pussy, Artemis Pyledriver �� Fishmouth Fools �� Slippery When Wet �� Scott Miller & The Commonwealth, Anne McCue, Sodajerk �� The Clutters, The Booze, Shanghai Gesture �� Arctic Monkeys, Be Your Own Pet �� Martin Sexton �� Martians See Red �� Sadgrass �� Garrison Starr, Adrianne, Jay Nash, Gabriel Mann, Rose Cousins �� T-Bone Smith �� The Eastern Standard �� Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk

�� SWEAT w/ Peven Everett �� Sandra Hall & The Shadows �� That 80’s Band �� Club Awesome, The Orphins, Moorish Idols �� Caroline Herring �� Seminole Jackson �� The Breaks �� 15th Summer, Papa Luigi Project, Axis of Audio, A Love Supreme �� Lola �� Slowearth, Alan Yates Band �� Mastodon, Cursive, Against Me!, These Arms Are Snakes �� Dishwater Blonde �� Willie Heath Neal �� Christine Kane �� T-Bone Smith �� Bamboo Station �� Ms. Francine Reed w/ Java Monkey

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�� PG 21 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

Road Warriors This Month’s Hottest Shows BY JOHN DAVIDSON 5/03 THE OOHLAS

Vinyl At Center Stage It would be easy to hate the Oohlas, what with their drummer who used to be in Everclear, the cutie-pie woman that sings some of the songs, and the rehashed indie pop that has been done previously so well by the likes of the Minders, the Breeders, and others. But their songs are just too memorable, too easily loved than to be lumped in with all the rest of the hipster detritus. The Oohlas are guaranteed to delight.

5/4 BLONDE REDHEAD

Variety Playhouse The rise of Blonde Redhead continues to surprise, what with their history as a second-rate noise band. The new album is outstanding, and if they can keep their art impulses to a minimum, 23 might be their ticket to lasting acclaim. This is a key show for late the spring season.

5/05 MODEST MOUSE

The Masquerade Modest Mouse followed up their platinum selling Good News For People Who Love Bad News by adding legendary guitaristJohnny Marr (Smiths, The The, etc.) to their lineup for the recently released We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. The result is an interesting album but one that is somewhat less immediate and catchy. And while the both Marr and the rest of the

band concede that his input wasn’t groundbreaking as far as the songwriting goes, expect a lot of old schoolers to show up at this one simply to pay homage.

5/10 PAT DINIZIO

Tavern On The Bridge Has it come to this, or are we just ﬁnally reading about it? Pat DiNizio wrote dozens of great songs for his band the Smithereens over the past couple of decades, and middle age ﬁnds him playing suburban joints in Duluth. We’d call this sort of behavior slumming but the truth is that a) DiNizio is a great songwriter and b) if his fans are older and living in the suburbs, it seems like a good idea to go where they go.

5/11 MATT & KIM

Drunken Unicorn We’ve seen this one before, right? Matt & Kim are a husband and wife duo making energetic music together. Matt’s the singer and the keyboard player, and Kim’s on the drums. Can they pull it oﬀ? Can they get a room to get up and dance? They didn’t get here from Brooklyn because they suck, so check out what the buzz is all about.

5/11 GWEN STEFANI W/ LADY SOVEREIGN

HiFi Buys Amphitheatre Hard to believe that No Doubt’s ﬁfteen minutes was

a dozen years ago, let alone that Stefani will turn 38 years old in October. And so here she is, proﬀered like a fading hip-hop pop idol and paired with a mouthy rapper from the U.K. Lady Sovereign is probably going to go down as one of the greatest misses of the past several years; not even fervent web hype and her boozy ways can get this kid any traction.

5/11 SON VOLT

Variety Playhouse Jay Farrar—founder of Uncle Tupelo and one-time leader of the alternative country movement—revived Son Volt a few years ago when his solo career seemed to be on a permanent slide. 2005’s Okemah And The Melody Of Riot was a surprising return to strong form for Farrar, but this year’s The Search struggles to ﬁnd the right vibe. In any case, he’s a reliably good live draw.

5/12 THE CLIENTELE

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

5/18 BRIGHT EYES

Fox Theatre Some people (me, at least) aren’t convinced that Conor Oberst is the second coming of Dylan or even that he’s worth the countless platitudes he’s received over the past few years. And honestly, his quivering, melodramatic voice takes some adjusting to upon ﬁrst listen. But the latest Bright Eyes album (Cassadega) is

WE GOT NEXT COLD WAR KIDS

Latest Project: Why You Should Care: For Fans of:

BY JOHN B. MOORE

OMING OUT OF NOWHERE, California’s Cold War Kids sent critics scurrying back to their laptops at last year’s SXSW music festival, each jockeying to be the first to praise the band in print. Unlike past critical darlings, who were often ignored once their record came out, the CWK managed to live up to the hype when they delivered their full-length debut, Robbers & Cowards, which was soaked in influences ranging from Jeff Buckley to the Velvet Underground.

PG 22 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

a pretty solid album and his band Bright Eyes, with all those members playing a wide variety of instruments, is a compelling sight to witness.

5/19 ARCTIC MONKEYS

Tabernacle Sadly, the Arctic Monkeys never lived up to their hype, or at least the hope that Americans had found the next platinum import a la Franz Ferdinand. The new Monkeys album isn’t as fresh as their debut but admittedly, it’s not a complete letdown either. So even if the hype didn’t sell a million CDs, it’s at least got them booked at the cavernous Tabernacle again.

5/26 MASTODON

Tabernacle Listen here, kids: Mastodon is the best damn hard rock band in the country and lo and behold, Atlanta is their hometown. Last year’s Blood Mountain was a little too proggy for most, but the fact is that few bands are throwing down quite like this one on a regular basis. If you haven’t seen them play out, then you really can’t begin to understand the excitement that is underpinning Mastodon.

5/31 BLOC PARTY

Tabernacle The rise and fall in the hype of Bloc Party might be one of the biggest casualties of the weblog era. Breathless chatter and raging anglophilia put their mugs and tracks all over the Internet, which of course soon spilled over to the months-behind music magazines in America. And when Bloc Party’s excellent Silent Alarm finally arrived in 2005, it promptly stiffed. This year’s A Weekend In the City is currently suffering from similar expectations, and anyone who thinks there’s prosperous future for a niche band like this one is myopic.

Artists on the verge of making it big

Robbers & Cowards (Downtown) Obsessed over by bloggers and anyone who has happened to catch their incendiary live shows, the Cold War Kids infuse indie-rock with a dose of the white boy blues. The Walkmen, The French Kicks, Jeff Buckley and The White Stripes

The band released three EPs on a tiny independent label near their hometown before getting the attention of Downtown Records, best known as home to Gnarls Barkley and the Eagles of Death Metal. In the months since the album’s release, CWK have been crammed in vans and the occasional plane

I don’t really know. Jonnie used to live in Fullerton and we practiced there for a while, but the rest of us were spread out all over LA and OC. We all live in Long Beach now. Richard Swift used to live in Fullerton, but now lives up in Oregon. He is pretty much the greatest guy in music.

LAST YEAR WAS OUR FIRST EXPOSURE TO THE MUSIC BUSINESS. WE HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS BEFORE THAT. on an endless tour crisscrossing the globe, which eventually brought them back to SXSW. This year, freshly signed and with an album already on the shelves, they actually had time to watch the other bands. Currently touring Europe and Asia, the band heads back to the U.S. in June, just in time to play a set at Bonnaroo. Frontman Nathan Willett took time recently to talk to us about the band’s beginnings, the role art plays in the group’s image and his surprise at just how many people have heard his music.

When you guys were working on the record, did you have any idea that Robbers & Cowards would be so big? No, we are continually surprised by how much people like our band. Were you guys listening to anything in particular when recording the album that had an inﬂuence on it? Tom Waits’ “Bone Machine” and Antony & the Johnsons’ “I’m A Bird Now.”

Can you talk a little about how the band ﬁrst got together? Jonnie was about to graduate from college and I was student teaching in Torrance. Maust was graphic designing and Aveiro was in junior college making pizzas. We started playing together because we were friends and are inspired by most of the same music.

You obviously had a lot of label attention after last year’s SXSW show. What made you decide to go with Downtown Records? They took us out to breakfast. Other labels took us out to big ﬂashy dinners with booze and dessert. We thought, “These guys are serious!” We know everyone’s names there, they have an eclectic roster and they would give up their children to let us do things the way we want to do things. They trust us.

What is the music scene in Fullerton like?

What diﬀerences did you see at SXSW this year,

after you had been “discovered,” versus last year? Last year was our ﬁrst exposure to the music business. We had no idea what it was before that. We did so much when we were there, and met people that we had to sift through who are ultimately the people that we work with now. It was exhausting and productive. This year we didn’t have to be so cunning and social. We just played and watched The Good, The Bad & the Queen, Spoon and Richard Swift. It was fun. Music seems to be just one aspect of the band. Your website looks almost like an art gallery. Was there a conscious decision to include visual elements as well as the music? Oh yeah, very conscious. Maust is a pretty famous artist in some circles. We have had the art from the beginning, and it helps us frame the music. What’s the toughest thing about being a touring indie band? We’ve been touring for about eight months of the last year. All the traveling has been amazing, but it is hard to write and record and stay creatively productive. What plans do you have for this summer? Playing Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, some UK festivals and short stints here and there, then some at-home writing time. Have you started thinking about the next record yet? Yeah, we have a few songs that we play live that we would like to see make it on there.

MUSIC INTERVIEW

BACK FROM EXTINCTION

THE RETURN OF DINOSAUR, JR

BY JOHN DAVIDSON

NCE UPON A TIME, THE LEAD guitar was kind of forbidden in punk rock. As a response to the classic rock of the 1970s (Led Zeppelin, the Who, Boston, etc.), it was rare to hear a guitar solo in the burgeoning world of underground music. That all changed in 1984, when a hardcore player named J. Mascis formed Dinosaur, Jr.: the massive, lead-guitar focused sound never pandered to basic blues like all those icky stadium rockers did, and his guitar-hero riffing kicked down doors so scores of noise mongers could enter the scene. Dino called it quits in 1993, but Mascis got the guys together last year to record a new album, the excellent Beyond. A notoriously slow talker, we nonetheless sat down with Mascis recently and this is what he had to say. Did you bring in songs or did everyone else in the band? At first, just I had songs. But near the end, I finally got Lou to come up with a couple. Did you have to prod him? Yeah. I knew he’d be more into it if he had some songs on it. He likes singing live better than I do, so I knew he’d wanna have something to sing. Is the tour going to be full of old stuff or off Beyond? I don’t know, but I’m sure there’ll be a lot of old stuff. How did you get back to working with Lou? I dunno. We’d just been playing for like a year or something, and we just thought if we were gonna do some more shows, we might as well have a new record. Was writing the same as always? Yeah. Murph doesn’t have much to add to anything, because I’ve already thought of the drums as part of the song. But the bass is pretty much open because I never think about that. Do you bring in demos with you drumming? Yeah.

I like it more now than I used to. What do you like about it now, or why do you have a better appreciation for it now? I don’t know. What are you playing through, as far as gears go? Two old Marshalls and this kind of Victoria amp that’s a Fender Twin copy. And maybe this Pete Townshend Hi-Watt. Probably just through all of those. You did that “In the Attic” radio show recently. Did you play with Pete Townshend on that? Yeah. It was cool. Had you met him before? No. Were you a big Who fan growing up? Average. Was it like meeting one of your idols or what was it like? He’s deﬁnitely like a genius/icon. The only thing that ever bummed me out about the Who was Roger Daltrey. That’s why they were never one of my total favorites. I couldn’t get past Daltrey for some reason. I did meet Lou Reed on the same show, and he is one of my idols. That was pretty cool. Who did you idolize growing up, as far as guitar players go? Ron Asheton, Mick Taylor and Keith Richards. I got into Greg Sage about the time we started Dino.

Did you guys just sit down and record and shop the record, or did your label get you going? How did you hook up with them? We started recording and then started shopping the songs around. How did you settle on Fat Possum? They seemed like the most enthusiastic, I guess. Did they wine and dine you, ﬂy you around in a Lear jet? Oh, yeah. (laughs) What do you think of the way the Internet has aﬀect music?

I like albums, still. I guess as long as vinyl stays popular and is part of the equation, I’m into it. When you are writing songs, do you look at the album as a cohesive unit or as a selection of the twelve or so best ideas you have at the time? More like the latter. When you were writing, do you churn through tons of ideas? Probably not that many, but a few of them we do that way. What are you looking forward to most about the Dino tour? Just playin’.

It’s too bad the Wipers don’t perform much anymore, although they never performed a whole lot to begin with. They had a bigger fanbase in Europe than they did here. Yeah, they were big in Germany. They could sell out theaters there and couldn’t get recognized here. Did you guys ever do a show with them or how did you get to know about the Wipers? I remember playing in Germany the ﬁrst time, and

WE’RE TAKING IT AS IT COMES. IT’S KIND OF…I DON’T KNOW, THE SITUATION IS ONE OF THOSE WHERE YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN SO IT’S HARD TO PLAN THAT FAR AHEAD. Have you always worked that way? Yeah. Do you consider yourself a drummer? Yeah. Are you excited to get back out and tour? Yeah, it should be fun. What are you looking forward to? I just like setting up all my gear and then cranking up. You’re one of the loudest bands I’ve ever seen. Are you going to be as loud as ever? I assume so. What do you like about getting out and touring? I like playing, but the rest of it is not so great. What are your touring plans? We’d like to see what gigs come in. We’ll probably just have a few that are deﬁnite. We have Canadian and American shows, but as for the rest of the world, I don’t know what’s going on. You’ll go wherever anyone wants to play? It’s got to ﬁt into our schedule somehow, but yeah. As you’ve gotten older and the kids at shows have gotten younger, are you still as enthusiastic about playing? What do you like about it?

we were opening for the Gun Club. The Wipers were playing maybe a month before, and they were playing the same places. Do you still listen to a lot of new music? Yeah, sometimes. What about other side projects? Yeah, I play drums in this other band called Tall Witch. We did one record. How often do you play out every year? I’ll guess maybe a hundred shows.

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Are you optimistic about Dinosaur Jr.? We’re taking it as it comes. It’s kind of…I don’t know, the situation is one of those where you never know what’s going to happen so it’s hard to plan that far ahead. Has your relationship with each other changed over time? Are you more grown up with each other? Yeah. As other bands from your era like the Pixies have toured recently, is that what inspired you guys to do it? You know, Misson of Burma was kind of an inﬂuence. I like them better now than back in the day. So, they were kind of the best example, I guess.

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MUSIC

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

WILCO – SKY BLUE SKY (Nonesuch) A move back towards the basics �� BLONDE REDHEAD – 23 (4AD) They finally deliver �� PG 24 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

�� BRANDI CARLILE – THE STORY (Sony) The new Etheridge ��

THE LUCKY STIFFS – GOLD IN PEACE, IRON IN WAR (Pirate Press) & SOCIETY’S PARASITES – SELFTITLED (Hellcat) California’s latest contribution to street punk ��

THE TEETH – YOU’RE MY LOVER NOW (Park the MARCO POLO – PORT AUTHORITY (Rawkus/Souls- Van) These Teeth Have Some Bite pazm) Real… Hip Hop �� THE WOGGLES – ROCK AND ROLL BACKLASH �� (Wicked Cool) �� Garage this cool is always in style ��

�� WILLIE NELSON, MERLE HAGGARD AND RAY PRICE – LAST OF THE BREED (Lost Highway) Classic country all stars star ting to wear out their welcome �� DIVISION DAY – BEARTRAP ISLAND (Mercy) Patience needed on this island ��

GOOD CHARLOTTE – GOOD MORNING REVIVAL (Epic/ Daylight) Love-to-hate-‘em pop-punks give you another reason to hate ‘em �� THE COMAS – SPELLS (Vagrant) They call it stoner pop ��

�� GREAT LAKES MYTH SOCIETY – COMPASS ROSE BOUQUET (Quack Media) Debunking the myth all roses are beautiful ��

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TODD SNIDER – PEACE, LOVE AND ANARCHY (Oh Boy) & LIVE AT GRIMEY’S (New Door) Poster boy for underrated musicians back with a double shot

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MAXIMO PARK – OUR EARTHLY PLEASURES (Warp) New Wave Brits even stronger on second outing.

MUSIC INTERVIEW

BY JOHN B. MOORE

AWAII HAS BEEN A LITTLE LAX in the past about turning out its share of rock stars. But Kona’s hometown boys, the reggae-fused pop-punk band Pepper, are poised to be the island’s first major rock act since former professional surfboarder Jack Johnson picked up a guitar. Just months after releasing No Shame, their fourth album (and first for Atlantic Records), the band is prepping for a summer long stint rocking the suburban punks at the Vans Warped Tour. Drummer Yesod Williams recently spoke about the band’s beginnings, their appeal to both hip-hop kids and punk rockers, and the pros and cons of playing the Warped Tour. You guys are one of the biggest acts to come out of Hawaii. Is there a specific Hawaiian sound or an active music scene in Hawaii? One of the biggest genres of music in Hawaii is reggae. It plays on the radio and TV all day and night, in heavy rotation. Hawaii has actually spawned its own form of reggae called jawaiian music, and the lyrical melodies and harmonies that these jawaiian bands bring to the table are unfadeable. What did you guys grow up listening to? Metallica, during the Cliff Burton days, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Run DMC, Slayer, Bob Marley, Sublime, The Dead Milkmen, NOFX, Bad Religion and Barrington Levy, just to name a few. In the few short years you guys have been playing together, you’ve managed to win over not only punk fans, but fans of reggae and hip-hop as well. How would you describe Pepper’s sound? The sound has elements of tons of different styles of music. It comes from the fact that we listen to so many different kinds of music. On top of that, the place we come from, Kona, is a melting pot of so many things – music, culture, etc. In a nutshell, I’d say we are a rock band with a reggae influence. Is it easier playing in front of a punk crowd or hip-hop fans? I don’t think there’s an easier crowd to play in front of between the two. I’d have to say that open-minded crowds are the easiest to play to. Our fans are the epitome of open-minded people. You have to be with a band like us.

You guys are getting ready to put out a collection of b-sides. Are these songs from compilations? No, the songs on the upcoming release are all unreleased, never heard before. Any covers? There actually is one cover, a live version of a song called “Armagideon Time,” which was originally written by an old reggae artist named Willie Williams and was later covered by The Clash. What made you decide to put out that album so soon after No Shame? We decided to put it out so soon ‘cause we realized we had so much unreleased material. The 20 songs that will be on To Da Max are only a small portion of the unreleased b-sides, so look out for Volumes 2, 3, and 4. Let’s talk about No Shame. How is this different from your three previous records? Was the writing or recording process different at all? The writing process I don’t think was much different than before. The songs usually start on an acoustic guitar, then later come full circle with the band. One difference was we did a good portion of the pre-production on tour. As far as the recording process, the main differences were that we worked with multiple producers– Nick Hexum (of 311), Paul Leary, Tony Kanal (of No Doubt)– and we also recorded one song at a time instead of recording all the drums, then all the bass, then all the guitar, etc. I think there was more attention given to each track this way. We would start a song and finish it before moving on. It seemed to work real good for No Shame.

You guys are playing the Warped Tour this year, aren’t you? Yes, we’re on the whole Warped Tour. Having played portions of it in the past, what are the pros and cons of playing that tour? One of the main pluses about the Warped Tour is that it’s not just your fans coming out. It’s a mixture of about 50 bands’ various followings, so it’s a great way for a band to grow, not to mention the fact that we’ve met some great bands in the past on Warped, like 2 Cent’s, Wanted Dead and The Mad Caddies, who are on tour with us now. One of the main cons is that you only get to play a half-hour, so song selection is tough, especially with four albums. It’s a bum-out for fans if they only came to see one or two bands. And sometimes you have to wake up super early– well, early for us– to make those 12:30-1:00PM sets. What else do you have planned for the rest of the year? Just a ton of touring. Since we put out No Shame in October, it’s been our main objective to hit the road and support the record. Touring is the heartbeat of this band. It’s what we do. In May we’re going to Europe on a three-week tour for the ﬁrst time, then of course Warped, then we don’t know... either another Euro tour or maybe Japan tour? I think what I’m trying to say is, we’ll be on tour.

Volcom was the ﬁrst label to really champion the band. Were there any hard feelings from either them or you when you left for Atlantic? No, not at all. Everyone is trying to keep the best interest of the band in mind, and we are still working with Volcom. (To Da Max) is a joint venture between our label, Law Records, and Volcom Entertainment. Those guys are family.

PG 25 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

MUSIC INTERVIEW

SOUL SURVIVORS WHOMEVER SAID R&B WAS DEAD CLEARLY HASN’T HEARD DWELE, CARL THOMAS AND DONNIE BREATHING LIFE BACK INTO THE GENRE.

BY ZENA SCOTT AND DEMARCO WILLIAMS

DONNIE

PRIL 20, 2007. THE VIRGINIA TECH tragedy is just eight hours old. Donnie’s been watching the television like everyone else. No matter how close your heart is to Blacksburg, VA, the CNN footage is having some kind of effect on you. Donnie, a Kentuckyborn/Atlantabred artist who’s as much a social commentator as he is an emotion stimulator, has mixed feelings about the whole incident. Of course, being a spiritual person (both of his parents were ministers) who bellowed with compassion long before his’02 debut, The Colored Section, Donnie feels for the loses. But as an innocent bystander to mass media’s inundation of bad news, Donnie’s almost numb to it all. Here the gentle voice expounds on that subject as well as many others, including his own new headline-worthy CD, The Daily News. When you see sad stuff like the Virginia Tech tragedy unfold on TV, what are your immediate reactions? At this time in my life, my immediate reaction is that these things happen. These things happen all of the time. We are children of the 20th Century, so it’s something that I’m used to. I know that may be sad to say, but until people make changes within them, the world is not going to change. You can’t force the world to change. You can only work with yourself. That’s where I am in my life. I don’t feel sad anymore. It’s really weird. I don’t cry anymore. I don’t feel real sad. I’m going to die one day. I want to be ready. When I say I want to be ready, I want to have done my best and live my life like a king and really I just want to do the things I dream of doing. When did you know being a professional singer would become more than a dream? I mean, I knew that as a kid around, maybe, 11. Growing up in church and growing up in gospel, you automatically know that if you’re a singer and you can move the crowd, you’re a singer! The ministry was part of the music. I knew that I would be doing that. I was comfortable doing gospel because of my beliefs. You’re a soul singer but you talk about a lot more than stuff that goes on in the bedroom. You touch on a lot of real world issues—especially with this new album. Why don’t more of your peers follow suit? Because I feel that people are, umm, trying to pay their rent and take care of their PG 26 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

kids. They want to have something. They figured they could this. Also, some people don’t really care about what’s going on in the world. They’re just trying to get them! I can’t blame them because of how intense the world and its violence is. I don’t know. But Donnie, you gotta pay rent, too. Yet you’ve managed to do both. Yes, but everybody got their role. I have to do certain things that somebody else doesn’t. I’m still a gospel singer but I don’t sing the gospel that Mary Mary, Kim Burrell and all of them sing. But I am a gospel singer. I am chosen to do that. I was grown up in the church. I was growing up listening to Commissioned, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Take 6, The Clark Sisters and The Winans. When you grow up listening to The Crouches and all that, you begin to see the need for a message in music. [The message] wasn’t always in the music, the contemporary gospel of the 70s, 80s and 90s. They always said “Jesus” or “God.” My whole thing is that I was chosen –some people say God chose me- to do this mission to be a message music maker not a gospel singer. I like that phrase “message music maker.” Yeah, man. I need to go and write a song about it. I appreciate messages in all of my music. But the counter argument I sometimes hear from people is that audiences just like great beats and simple hooks. Audiences do want lyrics, don’t they? Yes. From my fans in the first grade to elderly people, my audience is [the one that likes lyrics]. They say people don’t want it?! What people? It’s [some] people that don’t want it, but it’s all these other people around the world [who like it]. I feel that [radio] programming is a lot of that. People say, “You’re supposed to want this. Want this! Want this!” But if you make my music the trend tomorrow and it becomes the trend, people would follow it because people are sheep. They don’t wanna be caught outside of the in crowd. But the in crowd is gonna find something about you that’s wrong anyway. It’s always that, but the in crowd got mess [too]. When someone finishes listening to The Daily News, what kinds of thoughts do you want them to leave with? I want them to see each song as an album

more so than a traditionally-written song. I want them to feel messages around them. I want them to pay attention to what’s around you and be aware that we need a change. If there is no change, we ain’t gonna have no people. We gonna blow each other up! I’m not worried. We can’t be worried. We have to actually do something about it and not do a bunch of talking. Really do something that’ll be effective. That’s what I want people to carry away.

tions: Celebrating the Music of Earth, Wind and Fire, an ambitious project where artists put their vocal stamp on classic EWF tunes. Dwele’s contribution was “That’s The Way of the World.” If you’re at all familiar with his ’03 marvelously mellow debut, Subject, or the ’05 follow-up, Some Kinda, it’ll come as little surprise to find out Dwele does an admirable job on the track. The consummate hard worker, it shouldn’t shock anyone to hear

R&B RIGHT NOW ISN’T DEAD; IT’S JUST WEARING A LOT OF DIFFERENT HATS. RIGHT NOW, THE R&B THAT’S GETTING THE MOST LIGHT IS THAT CLUB/PARTY R&B. MAYBE THE TRUE R&B HEADS AREN’T FEELIN’ THAT. THEY’RE NOT FEELIN’ THAT THE OTHER HATS THAT R&B IS WEARING ARE WHAT’S GETTIN’ THE SHINE RIGHT NOW. The most effective song on the album, in my eyes, is “Over the Counter Culture.” Why a song about America’s obsession with the medicine cabinet? It’s like, [the U.S. government] is saying, “Say no to drugs,” but you’re letting all of these drugs in to the country and you’re selling them over the counter. Kids are getting high off the drugs over the counter. We need to take more herbs and stop eating the stuff we’re eating. We want it all. As a person in the human experience, I want it all [too]. I want to be able to do everything and still be okay. It may be foolish, but at least I know it. –DeMarco Williams

DWELE

NDWELE GARDNER KNOWS three things better than me and you: singing to the ladies, the city of Detroit and the game of pool. The first two you may have already gathered, seeing as how the Motown native’s been crooning atop jazzy beats since 2003. It’s that latter skill, however, that’ll get you to start calling Dwele a true renaissance man. “I’m a pool shark,” Dwele begins, between quick laughs. “I’m a hustler. Man, I’ve been doing that for a minute. I kinda grew up playing pool a lil’ bit.” Earth, Wind and Fire saw the skills in Dwele’s voice, so the timeless R&B ensemble reached out to him, Jill Scott, Chaka Khan and an esteemed list of others about performing on the Spring release Interpreta-

that the Stevie and Marvin devotee is busy in the studio, too, getting a yet-untitled summer ’07 project finished. That said, the man still found time to chat with us about dancing at clubs, diggin’ John Mayer and developing new fans. I know EWF played a role in your musical growth. How does it feel being able to recreate their music? I mean, it’s an honor. It was most definitely an honor when I was asked to do it. It was something that I had to do. To actually be able to sit down and do a rendition of one of my favorite songs for everybody to hear was most definitely an honor. I was reading a piece on Maurice White, EWF co-founder, and at one point he said, “The key was getting the right candidates from the start.” It’s got to be an honor he considered you the right candidate. That’s the first person I heard that. Like I said, it was most definitely great to actually do something that I grew up listening to. And to hear something like that [quote], it’s most definitely an honor. The soul music industry isn’t dead. What is it? R&B right now isn’t dead; it’s just wearing a lot of different hats. Right now, the R&B that’s getting the most light is that club/party R&B. Maybe the true R&B heads aren’t feelin’ that. They’re not feelin’ that the other hats that R&B is wearing are what’s gettin’ the shine right now. Are you a fan of that club/party R&B? I mean, I think it’s cool. When I’m in a club, yeah, I want to hear it. I have no problem with it. You’re not going to hear five club joints on my album featuring Lil’ Jon and all that. But I think it’s cool. Every type of music has its place. How would you describe the road Dwele’s career has taken up to this point? I think it’s still on the upward move. Even though I’ve been in the game for a minute, I still feel like a new artist. I still feel like it’s a whole ‘nother generation, a whole ‘nother group of listeners that haven’t really heard it yet. So, I think this is just the start and I got a lot of moves to make.

Yeah, what’s really interesting about you is your popularity. When I told one person I was talking to you, she said, “Wow, I love him.” Then I told somebody else and they were like, “Who’s he?” Folks either love you or don’t even know you. Yeah, exactly. There are a lot of heads I still got to get at out there. On the next album, the promotion has to be crazy. We just got to hit everybody we haven’t touched at. For those stuck in the “Who’s he?” mindset, what are they missing from not ever hearing Some Kinda? I think Some Kinda is a mix. I think Some Kinda is more jazzy than Subjects. I played a lot more horns on that. But at the same time, there’s still a few songs that have a hip hop feel, a hip hop element to them. That’s what I try to do with my style- mix a lil’ hip hop and a lil’ bit of jazz ‘cuz that’s what I was raised on. With the album, I try to touch on relationships, from family relationships to relationships with your girl or a girl with your guy. And that’s just something that I feel that everybody can relate to. There’s a lil’ sumthin’ on there for everybody.

Emotional and Let’s Talk About It, Thomas is back with what he calls a better team, a better sound and a better him. After a three year hiatus, you’re back with So Much Better. Tell us a little about the title and why you chose it? So Much Better is the title track first off but to throw a sense of duality in there, So Much Better reflects Carl Thomas in a better state of mind with music. Being able to

Dave Hollister to Lalah Hathaway. How was that? Well Dave Hollister and I grew up together. We’re both from Chicago and knew each other through church. You and Dave Hollister in the same church? Now that’s a youth choir I would’ve loved to listen to! Nah, not the same church (chuckling) but neighboring churches. We would be at the same church meetings and functions. You know how that is. But we had to do a track to put that Chicago thang out there, we’ve been trying to do a track for years and we finally had the opportunity.

MUSIC TRIGGERS MEMORIES, BOTH GOOD AND BAD, BUT IT ALSO HEALS. SO WITHOUT A GOOD BODY OF MUSIC TO CHOOSE FROM, IT’S LIKE A LACK OF THERAPY, AND THAT’S WHERE I COME IN, DR. THOMAS!

Does anybody outside of soul music move you right now? Outside of R&B and soul? There are a few artists, man. I’m inspired by everything from hip hop to rock music. Dude John Mayer, I’m really diggin’ him right now. As far as the hip hop, Jay [-Z] is always doing his thing. It’s a lot of people out there. I’m a fan of music. I listen to a lot of different music. When you aren’t in the studio or taking folks money at the pool hall, what do you enjoy doing? On a creative note, I’ve really been into sketching and painting. That’s my new thing. That’s my new “Some Kinda” right there. I’ve always sketched. I’ve always drawn. But the painting came about two or three months ago. I was kinda bored one day and I was like, “Oh, I think I wanna try and paint something.” So, I went out and got my acrylics and I got my lil’ easel and a couple of canvases and I went to work. I got a couple of pieces over here, man. I ain’t too mad at them. –DeMarco Williams

CARL THOMAS

O IT’S 1999, a big year in hiphop. Nas drops I Am. Dr.Dre puts out 2001. Newcomer Eminem re-births blue-eyed hip hop with The Slim Shady LP and Mos Def resurrects conscious rap with Black on Both Sides. On the R&B side, Ginuwine puts out his sophomore album 100% Ginuwine and a seemingly new cat named Carl Thomas jumps on the scene with a hot single, “Emotional”. Notice I said “seemingly.” Although he appeared to have come from nowhere, Mr. Thomas had been on several larger than life projects, including Notorious B.I.G’s Life after Death and Diddy’s No Way Out. Hailing from Chicago, a city that’s produced such talents as Curtis Mayfield and Donnie Hathaway, Carl Thomas says he’s never been short on inspiration; only this time around he searched within himself and what came out is so much better. After two well-received, Diddy-produced albums,

work freely without the pressures of authority makes me so much better equaling much better music. Last time around with Let’s Talk about It, Carl Thomas wasn’t just a singer/songwriter you had production credits, are you wearing a producer’s hat with this new project? Yes! A few songs on the album are coproduced by myself. But I owe a lot of credit to the magnificent producers that worked the album. Some of them I never thought I’d get a chance to work with, some legends and some new to the scene. Give us a few. Well, I have the legendary duo, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis on the album, Brian Cox and a new dynamic producer that goes by the name Pitch Black. Love, sex and relationships have been the focus of your past albums, are you using the “If it ain’t broke...” analogy or should we expect something new from Carl Thomas? (Laughing) all of those elements are on the album but the subject matter is mainly ‘getting back in’. By this I mean for all those brothers, for what reason, have found themselves on the wrong side of the front door, this is the album for you. Listen to this album and apply what I’m saying. This is the album to get you back in. With so many artists coming out with ‘R&B’ albums that have little or no sense of urgency in their lyrics, I often listen to Emotional and Let’s Talk About It and song by song, there’s an overwhelming sense of connection to both you, your voice and lyrics. Where does

that come from? The soul baby! I often say, ‘what comes from the heart reaches the heart,’ and that rings true more often than not. So is Carl Thomas more R&B or soul? I’m definitely a soul artist. R&B is rhythm & blues and that’s just that, a genre of music. Soul is… something you just got! You either have it or you don’t. You can have soul and be a gospel artist, a country singer or a rapper. You can’t fake soul and people can sense your realness when you got it. On So Much Better you worked with an arraignment of artists, from Brandy to

And what about the ladies? Well, we all know Miss Brandy’s work and what she’s famous for, so she blessed me with her talents on a track titled, “Something About You.” The song was produced by Mike City and it embodies the spirit of infatuation. You gotta check it out for yourself. It’s hot! Now the track with Lalah Hathaway, what can I say? Her father, Donny Hathaway’s lineage is sooo apparent in her. Our song, “You Should Know,” which was produced by Pitch Black, was one of the first songs I did. It’s definitely a ‘smooth groove’. She’s a wonderful addition to the album. Both ladies add a sense of femininity to the album and it was an honor to have both. Ejams.com quoted you as saying, “People have lost a sense of security, so what I’m trying to do is get back to the business of feel good music.” Do you still feel this way? I said that? That was a good one! I absolutely, positively stand by that statement. Since the beginning of time people have used a good song as a band-aid for whatever they were going through. You in the middle of a breakup, you got an album to help you through. You just got a promotion and in need of a celebration, I bet there’s a song you just have to hear. Music triggers memories, both good and bad, but it also heals. So without a good body of music to choose from, it’s like a lack of therapy, and that’s where I come in, Dr. Thomas! So, you’re from Chicago... This is true. With the countless talents hailing from Chicago, from Herbie Hancock to R. Kelly and Minnie Riperton to Jennifer Hudson, who’s hot in Chicago right now that I should look out for? Hmmm.... You know, if I had to put my money on one person, it would have to be Rhymefest. This dude is the truth. He co-wrote Kanye West’s “Jesus Walks” and is signed to J Records. Not only is he sick with the pen but he’s a serious MC. He appeals to everyday folk. Today, hip-hop is so rich. Everybody has money and grills and has become hard to relate to. Rhymefest ain’t that. I think I heard of him. He beat Eminem in a freestyle battle a few years back right? Yep, that’s him. If I had to bet, he’s the next to blow. You heard it here first! Okay, Dr. Thomas doubles as a talent scout, too. In this business, you gotta do it all. Speaking of doing it all, with both Ne-Yo and Musiq dropping new projects, how will set yourself apart from them? With my name first of all! People know me and my work so that’s my number one seller. But seriously though I’m a big Ne-Yo and Musiq Soulchild fan. Ne-Yo as a songwriter is phenomenal and his stage presence is strong. Musiq is in a class by himself and he keeps that ‘realness’ in his music. At the end of the day, we’re three separate artists, with three separate things to say and I think everyone appreciates it and wants to hear them all. –Zena Scott

The Five Other Soul Survivors Who Are Reviving the Industry. ANTHONY HAMILTON

Riddled with a thick southern drawl and an unmistakable voice, Mr. Hamilton continues to remind us of where he’s from. Gaining most of his acclaim from his sophomore album, Comin’ from Where I’m From, Anthony Hamilton wears not only his heart but his soul on his sleeve. With obvious choir roots and inspiration from James Brown, Hamilton’s music beckons you to sing out loud.

NEYO

A.k.a. Shaﬀer Smith. Released multi platinum debut, In My Own Words in 2006 and is slated to release sophomore album, Because of You in May 2007. Young and bubbling with talent, Ne-Yo is not only famous for his singing abilities but his song writing as well. Having written Mario’s smash hit, “Let Me Love You” and Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable”, many are waiting to hear what’s next. Rumored to be working on upcoming projects with Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson, it’s safe to say we’ll be hearing a lot of Ne-Yo.

KEM

A.k.a. Kem Owens. With his 2003 release of Kemisitry on Motown Records, many dubbed him as the “quiet storm king.” With a fascinating fusion of soul/jazz and R&B, his ﬁrst “Love Calls” was dubbed an instant Motown Classic. What most don’t know is that prior to being signed in 2002 by Motown Records, Kem wrote, produced and ﬁnanced his self-released debut album. During his 2005 Billboard Music Award win for Top Adult R&B Single of the Year, Kem attributed his success to both spirituality and patience. Those two combined cannot be denied.

JOHN LEGEND

A.k.a. John Stephens. Five-time Grammy Award winner John Legend deﬁnitely lives up to his stage name. After mega success of Get Lifted, Legend continues to strive for excellence with his second album, Once Again. Aside from putting out major solo hits like, “Ordinary People” and “Heaven” you can always ﬁnd him lending his vocals on fellow G.O.O.D. Music label mates Kanye West & Common. Not showing any signs of slowing down, Legend has been popping up at all sorts of events from the 2006 NBA All-Star Game to the Grammy’s sharing his good music and I doubt if he’ll stop there.

MOST ANTICIPATED PROJECT AWARD: MAXWELL

Since his 1996 debut Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite, we’ve been mesmerized with Maxwell. Deemed the second coming of Marvin Gaye, Maxwell oozes sex, style and a swagger that’s intoxicating. From “Tell the Cops Come Knockin’” to “This Woman’s Work” we’ve held on to every note yearning for the next. When word of Black Summer’s Night, his supposed next album, came out, a buzz like none other was awakened, only to go dead with a oﬃcial statement from him stating that there is indeed an album (a trilogy actually) coming but no date has been speciﬁed. We’re holding our breath Maxwell…… PG 27 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

�� Gwen Stefani with Akon

May 11

99X Big Day Out with

June 2

Chris Cornell, Interpol, Cake,The Bravery, Plain White T’s, The Almost and Madina Lake

Rush

June 13

An evening with

June 14

with +44, The Academy Is..., Paul Wall and Cobra Starship

July 10

The Fray with Gomez and Eisley

July 18

Vans Warped Tour

July 19

311 with Matisyahu

August 9

Toby Keith

August 26

Brooks & Dunn and Alan Jackson

September 8

Kenny Chesney

September 20

Brad Paisley

Fall Out Boy

with Miranda Lambert and Flynnville Train*

with Jake Owen and Catherine Britt*

with Sugarland and Pat Green *

with Rodney Atkins and Taylor Swift *

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MUSIC INTERVIEW

�� A DEFINITIVE ORIGINALA DEFI BY B. LOVE

HE LONG ISLAND NATIVE KNOWN as Aesop Rock (a.k.a Ian Bavitz) may not be the most popular MC on the underground hip-hop scene. But he’s inarguably among its most distinctive artists, matching intelligent lyrics packed with historical, mythological and pop culture references against backing beats clearly designed to challenge hip-hop’s increasingly stagnant status quo. Perhaps that’s why Nike approached him to record the latest installment in their Original Run CD series, which is designed to provide the soundtrack for a pulse-pounding workout. We recently caught up with Ace Rock as he put the finishing touches on his next CD, None Shall Pass, to talk about his influences, his critics and his experiences working with corporate America. Tell me a little bit about your earliest connections with hip-hop. When did you first fall in love with the genre? My earliest connections with hip-hop were listening to the Beastie Boys’ Licensed to Ill and Run-DMC’s Raising Hell. One day my mother said she needed to “borrow’ those two tapes from me. I was so young, I thought it was cool¬– maybe she liked rap. Needless to say, I never got the tapes back. She wasn’t a fan of cursing. Anyway, the second I knew my mom hated it I loved it even more.

render your music less appealing to the mainstream? I’m not really concerned with how appealing my music is to the mainstream. If you wanna take some risks and consciously do some shit that you know isn’t

Your lyrics are deep on an intellectual level, with lots of references to history and mythology. What inspired your interest in those subjects? I think just watching movies. I was raised being plopped in front of a TV, and not much has changed. I like watching movies as inspiration. Some people read books, some people take walks, but I like to watch movies. I like monsters and mythology. I like a lot of sci-ﬁ and fantasy shit. I like a lot of westerns, or anything with really interesting dialogue. Something where the people are gonna be saying things you wouldn’t normally hear in a conversation in 2007. I like that shit. I just really like hearing how diﬀerent people speak. Is there ever a concern that your lyrical smarts might

AT THE END OF THE DAY, I WANT TO MAKE COOL MUSIC. I’LL DEAL WITH THE SIDE EFFECTS OF BEING A WEIRD GUY. popular, you’re gonna pay for it by never being popular, at least on that level. It’s funny because every year, and this year more than ever, I get some calls in from various major labels. I guess they say, “Oh, this guy is doing pretty good indie numbers... ring ring ring.” I like to hear what they are talking about, just cuz I have a natural curiosity about that stuﬀ. But at the same time, I’d love to call

AT THE END DEAL WI

I loved it even more. Talk to me about getting involved with Nike’s Original series: who Howoriginally did they approach Who were some ofRun the artists made you regarding the project, and what was the appeal of it for you? you want to try your hand at MCing? Nikeexplosive contacted me somewhat out of the blue, basiI always liked how someone like KRS-One cally saying, is was this taking weird project was. He really let you know“Here that he controlwe’re doing, we And looked at it and thought, like tryofit?” of the next three toyou, fourwanna minutes your lifeI with each “This is the weirdest I’ve ever been EPMD a invited to do, song. Being from Long Island, I alsothing checked and I’the d be an ass to ” TheI always appeal of it was almost lot, and really liked rawness of say theirno. stuﬀ. 100%rhymes in howwere unlike anything I’vethan done it was. thought Slick Rick’s more timeless

Who were some of the artists who originally made you want to try your hand at MCing? I always liked how explosive someone like KRS-One was. He really let you know that he was taking control of the next three to four minutes of your life with each song. Being from Long Island, I also checked EPMD a lot, and really liked the rawness of their stuff. I always thought Slick Rick’s rhymes were more timeless than anybody in the whole game, to this day. So I guess it was a bunch of people. Talk to me about the origins of your unique style. Did it take a while for you to go from mimicking your rap idols to creating your own sound? I dunno, it’s hard to pinpoint an exact place. I definitely started by mimicking others. I would steal the entire pattern from like an Erick Sermon rhyme or a Q-Tip rhyme and just write different lyrics in. That was way early, but doing things like that helped me grasp what one can do with syllables and placing words on a beat. Eventually I just kept going with that. The thing I think I fell in love with more than anything is exploring how different words sound next to each other. I’m not concerned with how they read off paper, but sometimes if you pick a string of words in a row, the rhymes and alliterations and everything combine to make a sentence that really grips you, or pops out over a normal sentence just cuz of where all the individual sounds in the sentence fall. I started really choosing my wording carefully, and seeing what I could do to make a punchline really punch, or a grouping really stand out, just based on how it is delivered.

I’m on a label. Once I get in a comfort zone inBY anything aboutyour music less B. LOVETo be honest, I have heard so many criticismsrender in my life, I don’t like to leave it. At this point, I know I so much of what I’ve done that I really don’t care. I’m Inot really concern can make my shit on this label, so that’s where I’m at. HE LONG mean, ISLAND I do care, NATIVE but I try not to. With Bazooka Tooth, music is to the mainstr KNOWN attempt I’ve heard everything from “It’s and consciously d as Aesop Rock (a.k.a Ian Bavitz) mayAesop not beRock’srisks at being mainstream” to underground “It’s too inaccessible” to a the most popular MC on the bunch of other comments contradict hip-hop scene. But he’s inarguably amongthat its most dis- each other. thing is, each of these tinctive artists,The matching intelligent lyricsrecords packed carries with with it a vibe that’sand necessary for the point of that record to historical, mythological pop culture references sounded like it needed against backingcome beatsacross. clearlyBazooka designedTooth to challenge to, as did Labor Days, Fast Cars, etc. None Shall hip-hop’s increasingly stagnant statusFloat, quo. Perhaps my newhim record, doesn’tthe sound approached to record latestlike any of them. that’s why NikePass, Some people accused Bazooka Tooth of pushing the in their It sounds howRun it needs to sound in order as itsyou’re gonna p popular, installment Original CD series, which is to work production, subject matter and rhyme flowsdesigned too far to provide own thing. People willfor criticize it to no end, I’m sure,on that level. It’ at least the soundtrack a pulse-poundOf course I hate it when people towards inaccessibility in an attempt to maintain butrecently others will loveup it. with and this year more tha caught Ace Rock ing workout. We don’t liketouches the music, butnext it’s to beNone expected. various major labels. I the respect of the underground rap scene. Does as hethat put the finishing on his CD, sort of criticism affect you at doing pretty good indi Shall Pass, to talk about his influences, his critics and there with any specific lyricists on the current hip-hop all? like to hear what they a his experiencesAre working corporate America. scene who inspire you to want to become anaeven natural curiosity abou MC?your earliest connections same time, I’d love to c Tell me a littlebetter bit about I can’tdid sayyou I’vefirst discovered anyone with hip-hop. When fall in love withnew the recently. I know it’s a clichéd answer, but I really look to my genre? crew for sick lyrics, cuz I am My earliest connections with hip-hop weresurrounded listening by some of the best in the game. I like a lot of stuff, but not on to the Beastie Boys’ Licensed to Ill and Run-DMC’s a level it would inspire Raising Hell. One daywhere my mother saidactually she needed to me. Most rap thesefrom days,me. even on shit that I actually like and “borrow’ thoselyrics two tapes I was so young, I exactly inspiring. I do look outside of rap thought it was bump, cool¬–aren’t maybe she liked rap. Needless is about as ill sometimes. to say, I never got the tapesTom back.Waits She wasn’t a fan of as it gets on the lyrics, my buck. the for second I knew my mom hated it cursing. Anyway,

them and be like, “Honestly, man, what is anyone at your company gonna do with this? Do you guys REALLY want an Aesop Rock record? I mean, I’m not gonna make a hit, or at least not your version of one. So what can you really offer me?’ At the end of the day, I want to make cool music. I’ll deal with the side effects of being a weird guy. You’ve released your last few albums on Definitive Jux, which has definitely gained a rep as one of the most consistently excellent labels in hip-hop. What makes the label a good fit for you as an artist? Well, the only thing I ever really looked for in a label was that I don’t wanna be bothered with label shit. All the shit you hear about? I don’t want that. And while Def Jux is still a label at the end of the day, I know them and I’m comfortable with them, and that’s good enough for me. I need a label that lets me not have to think about the fact that

anybody in the whole game, to this day. So I guess it How did Nike’s requirements for the project force was a bunch of people. you to adjust from your usual approach to making Talk to me aboutmusic? the origins of your unique style. Did Well, subject matter and what it take a while for you to the go from mimicking your rapI was being asked to sound? do made me wanna change the approach idols to creating your own but an their main thing was to just chill out I dunno, it’s hard already, to pinpoint exact place. I defion the samples, I got to do the a bunch of live nitely started by mimicking others. so I would steal stuff. rhyme I usually orwill a start with entire pattern frominstrumentation like an Erick Sermon samples decorate with bass, Q-Tip rhyme and just writeand different lyrics in.live Thatinstruments– was guitar, Butme for grasp this I started with way early, but doing things likekeys, thatetc. helped the instruments andwords went from what one can do with syllables and placing on a there. Other thangoing that, with therethat. was The almost no restrictions. beat. Eventually I just kept thing They saidthan to make approximately I think I fell in love with more anything is explor- 45 minutes of music, withnext 8 minutes warm up, 30 minutes them andofbe like, “Hon ing how different words sound to eachofother. bodyhow [work] 8 minutes cool down. I asked anyone at your compan I’m not concerned with theyand read off paper,ofbut whata string tempoofand vibe,inbut theythe said, “It’s on you. ” you guys REA this? Do sometimes if you pick words a row, So I wasand being asked tocombine do me, and theRock record? I m Aesop rhymes and alliterations everything to I just took to try to make something andmake a hit, or at gonna make a sentenceopportunity that really grips you, or pops out over cleaner almost– gasp!– jazzier my normal stuff.version It was of one. So wha a normal sentence just cuz of where allthan the individual pretty fun. sounds in the sentence fall. I started really choosing my really offer me?’ At the day, I want to make coo wording carefully, and seeing what I could do to make Were thereor things you learned from this experience I’ll deal with the side eff a punchline really punch, a grouping really stand you’ll to incorporate into your nextbeing album? a weird guy. out, just based that on how it istry delivered. Sure, things like that always offer up ideas. I like to through thatlevel, world occasionally. It wasreleased your la You’ve Your lyrics aredrag deepmy onfoot an intellectual with really almost and like solving a puzzle, to a degree. Plus, I few albums on Definit lots of references to history mythology. What a has definite don’t exactly dealsubjects? with a Nike-sized corporation Jux,on which inspired your interest in those daily basis. The whole thing was foreign to me, but ita rep as one of gained I think just watching movies. I was raised being ended up being a lot of fun and a pretty big challenge. most consistently exce plopped in front of a TV, and not much has changed. lent labels in hip-hop. I like watching movies as inspiration. Some people When cantake we expect andmakes the label What read books, some people walks,another but I likeAesop to Rock CD, how do you think your sound has changed in the four a good fit for you as watch movies. I like monsters and mythology. I like a since Tooth was released? an artist? lot of sci-fi andyears fantasy shit.Bazooka I like a lot of westerns, or Theinteresting new album,dialogue. None Shall Pass, will be outWell, later the only thing anything with really Something thisare year, hopefully by the end you of summer. Since Ba-really looked for I ever where the people gonna be saying things Toin oth, I’ve had an EP and that project zooka label with was that I don’t w wouldn’t normally hear a conversation inout 2007. I like Fish, and ahow few other things that haveered hopefully with label shit. All that shit. I just Jeremy really like hearing different people kept people aware of what I’ve been up to. I really I don’t want that. And speak. wrote something this time. I think it’s kinda good. It of the day, I kn the end like that I didyour something butmight we shall see... with them, and that’s g Is there ever a feels concern lyricalright, smarts label that lets me not h PG 29 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

Presents...

Best

Bartender Atlanta 2007

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

Thomas Cornally

Fado’ Irish Pub

1. What famous person do people say you look like? A dead Harry Connick Jr. 2. Worst Pick-up Line? Is you’re father a theif? He stoll two stars and put them in your eyes. 3. Why did you become a bartender? I needed a job to support my alcohol habit. 4. What makes you a great bartender? Spreading sunshine through booze. 5. Signature SKYY Drink? SKYY Mellon Balls

TJ Mangrum

The Peachtree Tavern

1. What famous person do people say you look like? Cameron Diaz and Giselle Bundchen 2. Worst Pick-up Line? I want to be on you. 3. Why did you become a bartender? I get to hang out with my friends and make money at the same time. What more could you want in a job? 4. What makes you a great bartender? I give my patrons a hard time. 5. Signature SKYY Drink? SKYY Tic-Tac

Craig Taylor

Dawn Lewis Smith’s Olde Bar

1. What famous person do people say you look like? Jack Nicholson 2. Most outrageous thing you have seen bartending? A guy streaking through the bar on his birthday. 3. Why did you become a bartender? To make money while hanging out with friends. 4. What makes you a great bartender? I know every one in the neighborhood by name. 5. Signature SKYY Drink? SKYYWood

1. What famous person do people say you look like? Dr. Sue 2. Worst Pick-up Line? Are those space pants you are wearing? Because your ass is out of this world! 3. Most outrageous thing you have seen bartending? People that drink bar mat shots. Gross! 4. Why did you become a bartender? To make money while hanging out with friends.

Mellow Mushroom

5. Signature SKYY Drink? Crimson SKYY Martini

AQUABistro Pan-Asian Cuisine Sushi Bar

VOTED BEST CAJUN - 2006 Insite Magazine

Happy Hour Tue - Fri 4Pm - 7Pm Monday, Sushi Roll Special Tuesday, Hot Sake Night Wednesday, Martini Night Thursday, Wine Special Friday, Sake Bomb Special

264 Pharr Road.Buckhead 404 816 7332 404 816 7392 www.aquabistroatl.com Full Bar Delivery Catering

PG 30 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

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

Irina Dubovis

Dafne Castelan

Mac Conover

CJ’s Landing

Cosmopolitan

Moondog’s

Summer Carter Loco’s Grill & Pub

1. What famous person do people say you look like? Natalie Portman 2. Worst Pick-up Line? Do you come here often? 3. Most outrageous thing you have seen bartending? A baker’s dozen of filthy, naked, rugby players pounding cheap beer and spanking each other. 4. Why did you become a bartender? My man wouldn’t let me be a stockbroker. 5. Signature SKYY Drink? SKYY Red Bull

1. What famous person do people say you look like? I look like my Mom. 2. Worst Pick-up Line? If I was 30 years younger, not married, without kids, I would marry you. 3. Why did you become a bartender? You meet so many people and I am a night person and like the hours. 4. What makes you a great bartender? I like to have fun and make sure everyone else is having fun too. 5. Signature SKYY Drink? SKYY Red Bull

Russell Gana

1. What famous person do people say you look like? Johnny Bravo 2. Worst Pick-up Line? My parents are away this weekend. 3. Most outrageous thing you have seen bartending? A guy threw up in a shot glass and drank it. 4. What makes you a great bartender? My super fast service 5. Signature SKYY Drink? Sex with an Alien

Cheeseburger in Paradise

Markie Kinsman

Highland Tap

Heather Lewis

1. What famous person do people say you look like? Jennifer Aniston 2. Worst Pick-up Line? Would you like a hotdog for your bun? 3. Most outrageous thing you have seen bartending? Seven strippers on the bar. Use your imagination. 4. Why did you become a bartender? I am a beauty school drop out. 5. Signature SKYY Drink? SKYY Astro Pop

Wild Bill’s

Rio Grande Cantina

1. What famous person do people say you look like? Toby Keith 2. Why did you become a bartender? To pay for school. Sling’n drinks bitches! 3. Worst Pick-up Line? Are you’re feet tired? Because you have been running through my mind all day. 4. Most outrageous thing you have seen bartending? A lady beat up her cheating husband w/ baby in arm. 5. Signature SKYY Drink? Classic SKYY Martini

1. What famous person do people say you look like? Yancy Butler 2. Worst Pick-up Line? I don’t normally do this, but... 3. Most outrageous thing you have seen bartending? People taking their clothes off. 4. Why did you become a bartender? Because I enjoy it more than any other job I’ve ever had. 5. What makes you a great bartender? My co-workers 6. Signature SKYY Drink? SKYY Pink Lemonade

1. What famous person do people say you look like? Heather Locklear 2. Worst Pick-up Line? You look like my future wife. 3. What do you like best about bartending?The hours. 4. Why did you become a bartender? I got tired of paying for drinks. 5. What makes you a great bartender? Speed, accuracy, tasty cocktail with a smile, and natural tits. 6. Signature SKYY Drink? SKYY Booty Call

1. What famous person do people say you look like? Shemar Moore / LL Cool J 2. Worst Pick-up Line? Can I have a Margarita and you’re phone number? 3. What do you like best about bartending? It’s like going out, but making money instead of spending it. 4. What makes you a great bartender? My big smile. 5. Signature SKYY Drink? The Sneaky Pete

Geoffrey Dang Aqua Bistro

Christine Holtz Hole in the Wall

Jim Haviland Mike & Angelo’s

1. What famous person do people say you look like? Matthew Broderick 2. Why did you become a bartender? Bartending chose me. Working until 6am, that’s the best. 3. Worst Pick-up Line? Wanna do it in the bathroom? 4. Most outrageous thing you have seen bartending? It’s not fit to print. 5. What makes you a great bartender? I just keep smiling. 6. Signature SKYY Drink? The SKYY Jimmy

Sarah Glover Red Door Tavern

1. What famous person do people say you look like? Jennifer Capriati 2. Why did you become a bartender? It happened by accident. The bartender didn’t show and they threw me behind the bar. That was seven years ago. 3. Worst Pick-up Line? I’ll take 2 drinks and your number. 4. Most outrageous thing you have seen bartending? A wife came in and grabbed her husband out of the bar. 5. Signature SKYY Drink? SKYY Capriatti

• 300 Capacity Patio • LIVE Music on Weekends • Trivia on Tuesdays

BUCKHEAD

(One Block North of the Roxy Theatre) 3227 Roswell Rd. 404.237.3227

Vik Jordan

1. What famous person do people say you look like? Jet Li 2. Why did you become a bartender? The money is great and I enjoy mixology. 3. Worst Pick-up Line? I like what you’re drinking. What is it? 4. What makes you a great bartender? I give good service, I mean really good... 5. Signature SKYY Drink? SKYY Key lime pie

1. What famous person do people say you look like? Liv Tyler 2. Why did you become a bartender? Great money! 3. Worst Pick-up Line? You are the fourth hottest chick in here. 4. Most outrageous thing you have seen bartending? Someone taking a dump under a table. 5. What makes you a great bartender? My attitude. 5. Signature SKYY Drink? SKYY Christini

Catch the Braves On Our Multiple Screens! Buckhead has HD on the patio. ��

��

�� PG 31 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

2007

FILM

BY MATT GOLDBERG

T’S TIME TO OPEN YOUR WALLETS because summer is upon us. As always, there is no shortage of sequels, adaptations, and sequels to adaptations. This summer will be even more of a bloodbath as almost every weekend there’s a film that could easily set a new box office record. Oh, there’s also the question of whether or not these films will be any good, but that’s of far less importance.

MAY SPIDER-MAN 3

May 4th

The Stars: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, Bryce Dallas Howard. The Story: What isn’t in this story? Spidey gets taken over by the black costume, which turns him evil. He learns that Uncle Ben’s real killer is a common thug who now has the ability to reconstitute and transmogrify any part of his body with sand. And his best friend, Harry Osborne has taken up the mantle of the Green Goblin to exact vengeance. The Scoop: Unlike the disappointment of X-Men 3, Spider-Man 3 brings back all of the behind-the-camera talent (except composer Danny Elfman, whose lazy scoring makes his departure a bit of a bonus) and continues to show that despite all the outside factors that come down on our hero, Peter Parker continues to be Spider-Man’s worst enemy. The only place where this film can go wrong is having too many stories to tell. But director Sam Raimi has earned the benefit of the doubt by making the best superhero franchise to date.

GEORGIA RULE May 11th

The Stars: Jane Fonda, Felicity Huffman, Lindsay Lohan The Story: Problem teen (Lohan, showing that all her bad behavior has just been really good research) finally pushes her mother (Huffman) to make a trip to Idaho (where fun went to die until it learned that fun wasn’t allowed in Idaho) to visit strict but fair grandmother, Georgia (Fonda). Together they learn life lessons while men in the audience try to chew off their own legs. The Scoop: This was the film that had the studio CEO basically write an open letter to Lohan to get her shit together. Problem stars typically don’t lead to the smoothest of shoots and problem shoots typically don’t lead to the greatest of films. While the film might be passable as counter-programming to the big blockbusters, I’d rather just watch ninety minutes of Jane Lynch’s character from Talladega Nights laying down the “Granny Law” with Walker and Texas Ranger.

SHREK THE THIRD May 18th

The Stars: Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, Antonio Banderas, Justin PG 32 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

Timberlake. The Story: The land of Far, Far Away needs an heir to the throne and Shrek just wants to be heir to his swamp. Shrek, Donkey, and Puss try to bring back the rebellious Artie (Timberlake) while Princess Fiona and a gang of leading ladies of legend (Snow White, Cinderella, etc.) fend off the machinations of the evil Prince Charming. The Scoop: It will be funny and forgettable. It will feature pop culture references that will be dated by the time you leave the theatre. Puss will probably be the best character until he switches bodies with Donkey, at which point, Puss will probably be worst character. These films are instantly disposable but the families love them and it will make an ungodly sum of money.

SEVERANCE

Locker; The East India Trading Co. now had control of Davy Jones’ heart and by proxy, Davy Jones’ Kraken; and the villainous and formerly-deceased Captain Barbosa was the only one who help our crew bring Jack back from the abyss. The Scoop: If you didn’t like how Dead Man’s Chest was much bigger than the first film, then you’re probably going to be hesitant on At World’s End seeing as the entire pirate world gets together to fight the new partnership of Jones and the Trading Co. While this film probably won’t shatter the box office records like the previous film, as long as it avoids the pitfalls of previous trilogy-enders (Ewoks, pretty much anything from The Matrix Revolutions) it should be a great way to wrap up the saga of Jack Sparrow, or at least until they start work on Pirates of the Caribbean: Disney Loves Money.

May 18th

The Stars: Danny Dyer, Laura Harris, Tim McInnerny The Story: The only thing that could make a corporate team-building retreat any worse is if there was some murdering psychopath killing everyone. In Severance, things get “any worse”. The Scoop: I’m putting my money on Severance as the sleeper hit of the summer (provided the studio gives the film a chance to build an audience while in limited release). It’s got a great premise and it’s situations like these where the slasher-film can be more than just a by-the-numbers bore. With a tongue planted firmly in one cheek and a knife planted firmly in the other cheek, Severance could end up being a lot of fun.

THE EX May 25th

The Stars: Zach Braff, Amanda Peet, Jason Bateman The Story: Tom (Braff ) is on the fast track at his new job after he knocks up his girlfriend, who happens to be the boss’ daughter, Sofia (Peet). All seems well until he’s forced to compete professionally and romantically with Sofia’s ex, Chip (Bateman). The Scoop: A lof of the humor in the trailer seems to come from Braff competing with Chip and that Chip’s in a wheelchair. The trailer ends with Braff trying to prove that Chip isn’t handicapped by throwing him down a flight of stairs. If you’re like me and you’ve accepted your afterlife destination of Hell and abusing the disabled is comedy gold, then you should keep this film on your radar.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD’S END May 25th

The Stars: Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush, and Chow Yun-Fat The Story: At the end of the second film, Captain Jack had been sent to Davy Jones’

JUNE KNOCKED UP

June 1st

The Stars: Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, Leslie Bibb The Story: You’ve all heard the story: Guy (Rogen) meets Girl (Heigl), Girl meets Guy, Guy gets drunk, Girl gets drunk, Guy and Girl have drunken sex even though girl is way hotter and more successful than Guy, Guy ends up getting Girl pregnant, Guy and Girl decide they’re going try and have a real relationship for the sake of Little Guy or Girl growing inside of Girl. Oh, you haven’t heard the story? This is the story. The Scoop: Accept Judd Apatow as your new comedy god and you will be much happier. From producing great movies like Anchorman, creating brilliant-yet-cancelled TV shows like Undeclared and Freaks and Geeks, and writing/directing the beloved 40-Year-Old Virgin, Apatow not only taps into what makes us laugh, but actually makes us care about the characters and their situation. While tapping his longtime comic secret weapon Seth Rogen to lead is a risky move box-office-wise (Steve Carell at least had The Daily Show and Bruce Almighty), there’s little doubt in my mind that this premise and this cast will provide yet another reason you need to start building that altar to Apatow.

MR. BROOKS June 1st

The Stars: Kevin Costner, Demi Moore, Dane Cook, William Hurt The Story: Mr. Brooks (Costner) is a hero to his community and beloved figure by all who know him. However, he also has a bit of a dark side in that he likes to serial murder. We all have our vices. Unfortunately, when an amateur photographer (Cook) catches Brooks in the act, our serial killer will have to deal with a determined detective (Moore) and the devious photographer. A nice, sit-down chat will probably not be the resolution to the problem. The Scoop: There’s certainly nothing wrong with having a serial killer stand as your anti-

hero. However, there is something wrong when the last film your director has to his credit is Kuffs. And your lead is Kevin Costner, who’s about as threatening as the cup of warm piss he drank in Waterworld. And the only positive is that he may brutally murder Dane Cook who is pretending he belongs in a thriller as opposed to trying to pick up underage girls at the local high school.

OCEAN’S THIRTEEN June 8th

The Stars: George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, Bernie Mac, Al Pacino The Story: After casino-owner Willie Banks (Pacino) decides to drop a little craziness and pain on lovable casino owner Ruben (Elliot Gould), the other ten membes of Ocean’s Eleven decide that the best way to repay the favor is to rig all the games at Banks’ casino so that the guy goes bankrupt. The Scoop: Ocean’s Twelve didn’t resonate with viewers like the first film. There was the new setting, the stakes didn’t seem as high (although they were stealing for their lives), and some argued that the film just seemed a little too self-indulgent on its second time around. I say that the biggest strike against the film is that the gang is divided and that it never really feels like they’re building towards something as grand or as fun as their caper in Ocean’s Eleven. But now the boys are back in Vegas and while Cool and Charming will certainly be on the menu, the question remains about whether or not we’ll see the return of Clever.

FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER June 15th

The Stars: Ioan Gruﬀudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans, Michael Chiklis The Story: Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic (Gruﬀudd) is about to marry Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman (Alba) but that shindig gets slightly interrupted by the arrival of the Silver Surfer who is here to let everyone know that a being known as Galactus is coming to eat the planet. Litterally. He’s going to put Earth in his mouth, chew it up, swallow it, and wash it down with some Diet Coke. Being superpowered, The Fantastic Four take it upon themselves to make sure that we all don’t end up in the digestive tract of an intergalactic devourer of worlds. The Scoop: Damn if Tim Story (director of such classics as Barbershop and Taxi) didn’t deliver a damn fun movie back in 2005 with the original Fantastic Four. All other superhero franchises go dark and gritty so that their adult viewers don’t have to feel the acute shame of watching men in tights pummel each other (and how insecure do you have to be to feel ashamed about that?), but Story knew that “Marvel’s First Family” was about fun and that’s exactly what he delivered. Now the trick is integrating the mysterious Silver Surfer while still keeping the Fantastic Four’s charming family dynamic at the core of the film.

EVAN ALMIGHTY June 22nd

The Stars: Steve Carell, Lauren Graham, Morgan Freeman The Story: Evan Baxter (Carell), the prickish news anchor Jim Carrey fucked with in Bruce Almighty is now a congressman who is tasked by God (Freeman) to build an ark for a coming flood because as we all know, when you want to get something done, ask your congressman. The Scoop: Is it just me or is God suddenly less charming when you know he wants to drown the world? While I’m sure the film won’t have the full force of God’s wrath (which tested poorly everywhere but the South), Carell is so much better than a film that seems to be nothing more than animals doing wacky things and Carell being unable to shave. That’s right: Evan Almighty stole a gag from The Santa Clause. Dwell on that for a moment and then think if this film is going to be worth your ten bucks.

LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD June 27th

The Stars: Bruce Willis, Justin Long, Timothy Olyphant, Maggie Q The Story: Before there was Jack Bauer, there was John McClane and he didn’t yell at terrorists. He taunted them, cracked wise, got completely demolished, and delivered a signature catch phrase. That’s how you deal with terrorism. Unfortunately, no one told this film’s baddie (Olyphant) who wants to wreak cyber-terror on the USA. His plan? To make the entire Internet into a series of pop-up ads asking if you would like to download hilarious emoticons. Or at least that’s what I would do if I was a cyber-terrorist. The Scoop: Man, the 80s heroes are coming out of retirement! Between Rocky Balboa, this, and the upcoming Rambo IV called, appropriately, John Rambo (you give your full name when you show up in the 21st century), Schwarzenegger picked a bad time to start doing something serious with his life. But I love the Die Hard films because McClane is such an underdog. He’s not super-muscular, he doesn’t have any special training, and he doesn’t have any secret knowledge. He is, as always, a cop having a really bad day. While Justin Long probably won’t be as good a partner as Samuel L. Jackson, he’s going to make sure that when the terrorists wreak cyber-havoc on our country, they’ll do it with a Mac.

RATATOUILLE June 29th

The Stars: Patton Oswald, Brad Garrett, Ian Holm,

Janeane Garofalo, Peter O’Toole The Story: Everybody needs a dream. Remy has decided to be a chef! In Paris! There’s just one problem: Remy is a rat. Between his garbage-chewing family and the rodent-hating customers, Remy wonders if he should just follow in the footsteps of his cousin Rizzo and join a clan of Muppets. The Scoop: Pixar was a name that was instantly equated with “excellence”. Now it’s a name that’s instantly equated with “excellence and the great-but-not-excellent Cars”. But the studio has brought back animation/comic genuis Brad Bird to direct after his succesful superhero tale, The Incredibles. While Pixar’s credibility may have been slightly damaged by Cars, there’s simply no better bet when it comes to family entertainment the whole family can actually enjoy than a Pixar picture.

JULY TRANSFORMERS

July 4th The Stars: Shia LeBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Jon Voight, Robots in Disguise. The Story: The robots are in disguise. When they’re not in disguise, they’ll either be protecting us or trying to destroy our planet. Either way, expect a lot of collateral damage, especially in the form of anyone stupid enough to get inside a Transformer and attempting to drive it. The Scoop: Director Michael Bay and I think alike because when we think of 80s toys that could transform between robots and various modes of transportation, we think FUCKING EPIC. So for all the TransFans out there (and I do not see how there could be any confusion as to what you are fans of ), you will finally have your chance to talk about Optimus Prime, Megatron, and all the rest of your favorite characters without coming off as awkward and slightly creepy.

a film of this magnintude and a different screenwriter than the last four films. But if director David Yates and screenwriter Michael Goldenberg can pull this off, they have the potential to create the best Harry Potter movie yet.

I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY July 20th

The Stars: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Jessical Biel The Story: Two firefighters want marriage benefits so they pretend to be gay and get married. Things get complicated when one of them wants to bang a chick who looks like Jessica Biel. The Scoop: Didn’t they already make this film as Boat Trip? I’m pretty sure this is Boat Trip. Two guys pretend to be gay but then one wants to have sex with a chick. Most of the humor comes from gay relationship being yucky. Like, Sandler and James are totally straight, but they’ll have to kiss! Oh, and they’ll probably have limp wrists, high voices, and care about clothes! I think GLAAD doesn’t protest this stuff because it’s not just a blight on the homosexual community, but on humanity. So call Amnesty International.

HAIRSPRAY July 20th

The Stars: John Travolta, Nikki Blonsky, Amanda Bynes, Christopher Walken, Queen Latifah. The Story: Tracy Turnblad is a teenage with a little bit of a weight problem but with a whole lot of heart. When she manages to get on the beloved Corny Collins Show, she decides she’s going to de-segregate the show. And since it’s a musical, I imagine she and

other members of the cast will break out into song from time to time. The Scoop: Despite its overwhelming popularity as a musical (it won eight Tony Awards in 2003 including Best Musical) and the movie providing the opportunity to see John Travolta in fat drag, I’m not holding out a lot of hope seeing as the director is Adam Shankman. Despite his extensive experience as a choreographer, he also brought us Cheaper by the Dozen 2, The Pacifier, and Bringing Down the House. I understand bringing him in when you have a project that any idiot can direct, but musicals require imagination and vivacity and so far, Shankman simply knows how to cater to the lowest common denominator and make loads of money in the process.

THE SIMPSONS MOVIE July 27th

The Stars: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Harry Shearer, Hank Azaria The Story: Plot details are being kept very hush-hush. The website only offers this snipit: “Homer must save the world from a catastrophe he created.” So basically, most Simpsons episodes, but Bigger, Longer, & Uncut. The Scoop: The Simpsons is one of the greatest and most important shows to ever grace television sets. But ever since The Simpsons became a shadow of its former self, having exhausted most plotlines and ancillerary characters (give Moe and Nelson and break, already), its prestige has diminished somewhat. While this film has been in the making ever since the show was a hit, the movie has gone from a cause for excitement to something all former fans will see out of obligation, not because that antics of Homer arouse any actual excitement or hope for classic hilarity (although I’m sure the film will have its moments) continued on next page

HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX July 13th

The Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Imelda Stuanton, Ralph Fiennes The Story: You know his name. You know his foe. If you don’t, then you’re a muggle and that insult probably didn’t sting because you don’t know what that is either. But Harry Potter is back. He’s got a little PTSD and because people don’t want to believe that You-Know-Who is back, he’s become hated by almost the entire wizarding world. But there’s a war coming and not the world’s bitchiest Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher nor the evils of adolescense will stop Harry and his friends from banding together to fight Voldemort. The Scoop: This is the summer of Potter. Not only does the final book arrive in stores on July 21st, but the movie will adapt the longest Potter book to date with a director who has never done PG 33 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

MUSIC INTERVIEW

PUTTINGTHE POWER BACK INTO POWER-POP

The Return of Fountains of Wayne BY JOHN B. MOORE

OR NEARLY A DECADE NOW, Fountains of Wayne have somehow managed to make pop music cool again. In a genre once hijacked by lip syncers and boy bands in matching outfits, Adam Schlesinger and Chris Collingwood have mounting cred one record at a time for years. Originally founded while the two were attending Williams College in Massachusetts, Fountains of Wayne was short-lived in its first incarnation when the duo split to start other bands: Schlesinger formed Ivy, while Collingwood went on to work with Mercy Buckets. They eventually got back together, resurrected their old band and started sending out demos. They put out a couple of albums on Atlantic, but it wasn’t until their third record, Welcome Interstate Managers, that the rest of the world finally caught up with the overly-infectious, hook-heavy, melodydrenched music the duo had perfected. The record’s first single, “Stacy’s Mom” (complete with a matching video boasting Rachael Hunter in a bikini), became almost unavoidable in 2003, and was even picked up for a Dr. Pepper commercial. The album also spawned two follow-up singles, “Mexican Wine” and “Hey Julie,” keeping the band in constant rotation on the radio throughout the summer and well into fall. Though there were diehard fans that had been following the band since the mid-1990s, the rest of the world was just finally catching up to the infectious pop pleasures of the Fountains of Wayne sound. Nowhere was this more apparent than with their supposed peers who make up the staid Recording Academy, who decided to nominate the band for a “Best New Artist” award nearly a decade into their existence. Now, after a four-year hiatus, the band is finally back with a new record, Traffic and Weather, their first for

AUGUST UNDERDOG

August 3rd

The Stars: Jason Lee, Amy Adams, Patrick Warburton, Peter Dinklage The Story: Apparently there’s no need to fear because the little cartoon dog with superpowers is here and he’s here in live-action. The Scoop: Did the Rocky & Bullwinkle movie teach us nothing? Are focus groups constantly demanding talking animals who do awesome things and that’s why we get treated to Racing Stripes and Charlotte’s Web? And if that’s the case, then shouldn’t America’s Funniest Home Videos be the #1 show in the country? In any case, your kid will probably drag you to see it and you’ll try to find a reason to like it other than “Underdog is adorable.”

THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM August 3rd

The Stars: Matt Damon, Paddy Considine, Edgar Ramirez, Joan Allen The Story: The American Amnesiac Super Spy is back with more questions and he’s coming to kick ass in the US for the answers. The Scoop: Bourne was the king of the spies but with Casino Royale, Bond took a break from sucking and now Jason has to step up his game. However, with Bourne Supremacy director Paul Greengrass back at the helm and Damon having two films to flesh out the character, there’s a strong chance that this could be the best Bourne yet. PG 34 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

Virgin Records. The album’s 14 tracks are classic Fountains of Wayne, covering lyrical themes such as love and loneliness sung over utterly contagious music. Schlesinger, who was about to take oﬀ on a major tour behind the new record, took some time recently to talk to us about the band’s evolution, Traﬃc and Weather, and the oddness of being recognized by their peers as a great new band eight years after the fact.

Why did it take so long between the last record and Traﬃc and Weather? That’s just kind of the pace we seem to work at these days. After touring for a long time, we need a break from the whole thing for a while, just to do other stuﬀ and be with our families. Then it takes a while to write, and we like to record in a bunch of little sessions rather than one long block of time. Also, we like recording blindfolded, which is awesome but makes it take longer.

As a long-time follower and fan of the band, I have to ask: How puzzling was it for you to get a Best New Artist Grammy nomination several records into your career? It was a little bizarre, but we were happy to be considered “new” after eight years instead of washed-up.

Is there a general theme to the new record? Well, it’s called “Traﬃc and Weather,” so obviously it’s about Satan.

Welcome Interstate Managers brought a lot of attention to the band. Was it difficult to follow that album up? Did you feel some kind of pressure that this album needs to sell just as well? We didn’t really think about that stuff too much when we were writing and recording. We just tried to come up with stuff we personally liked. That’s really all you can ever do... Unless you get Shakira to sing on something.

RUSH HOUR 3 August 10th

The Stars: Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Vinnie Jones, Roman Polanski The Story: Tucker and Chan are back and this time they’re both fishes out of water because they’re in Paris, France. Think there will be a joke about the French being snooty? The Scoop: While I’ll cop to laughing at the first two films (the first more than the second), I kind of don’t want to see this film on general principle. Brett Ratner has made this his franchise and I’m still mad at him for ruining X-Men 3. And why has it been six years since the last film? Because that’s how long it takes to pull Chris Tucker away from his busy schedule of doing nothing with a paycheck of $20 million. But these films are guaranteed money makers so I guess my general principle can go screw.

SUPERBAD August 17th

The Stars: Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Seth Rogen, Bill Hader The Story: BFFs Seth (Hill) and Evan (Cera) are throwing one awesome party but things go awry. The Scoop: These guys are just too funny to let their movie pass by unnoticed. Hill was by far the funniest thing about Accepted (and he’ll be kicking even more ass in Knocked Up) and Cera was unforgettable as George Michael on Arrested Development. Throw in Seth Rogen (who co-wrote the film) and I’ll show up for these guys doing anything. Even interpretative dance.

THE INVASION August 17th

The Stars: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig The Story: It’s a remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and if you don’t know what that film is about, I don’t want to have anything to do with you. The Scoop: It’s not looking good. Appar-

Nicely put. There does seem to be themes and characters that show up again and again on the record. Can you talk about those? There honestly isn’t really a unifying concept. We just like to make up little stories and sometimes we focus on smaller moments and details within those stories. And some of the stuff is kind of inspired by stuff from our actual lives, even if it’s about fictional characters. Do you think the band’s sound has changed much since the mid-‘90s? Well, we try to mix it up a little from album to album ently the Wachowski Brothers (who boned us with the Matrix sequels but succeeded with V for Vendetta) were brought to rewrite two-thirds of the script after director Oliver Hirschbiegel (who made the great Das Experiment and Downfall) made a film that Warner Bros. deemed too “talky”. Of course, I’m sure we can all enjoy the irony that the film was “snatched” and “replaced” by something else. Oh, it’s just me enjoying the irony? Oh, okay.

GOOD LUCK CHUCK August 24th

The Stars: Dane Cook, Jessica Alba The Story: Chuck is such good luck because apparently after you sleep with him, you find the man you’re going to marry. Chuck is fine with this until he meets Alba and has to resist the urge to sleep with her which makes this film some kind of crazy science-fiction. The Scoop: Yes, you’ll be getting not one but two films with Dane Cook this summer! Lukcy you! But you’ll also be getting two films with Jessica Alba! Lucky you, and this time I mean that! So if Cook is suffering and Alba is bliss, will this film leave you totally numb?

in terms of musical styles, but it’s all still related. I definitely think the sound of the albums has gotten better. Our first album was basically a demo - we recorded it in a week-- and it has a charm maybe but it’s pretty lofi sounding, too. These days we enjoy spending more time on the recording process. This is your first release for Virgin. What happened to your deal with S Curve? S Curve was kind of a little boutique label within Virgin/EMI, but the guy that ran it left the company, so it got shut down and we got inherited by Virgin. It’s still the same record contract for us though. I heard that that same guy might start up a new version of S Curve again somewhere else. When it comes to the best power-pop bands, you guys always seem to show up on everyone’s lists. What’s your opinion on the current state of pop music? As always, there’s a lot of crap out there, but also a lot of great stuff if you search for it. I don’t only listen to power-pop. In fact, for the most part I don’t at all. You guys have had your songs picked up by commercials in the past, most recently by Dr. Pepper. Any chance Subaru is going to be interested in “92 Subaru” from the new record? I hope Subaru wants to use it... Or maybe Chevy. Do you plan on touring a lot behind this record? Yeah, we’re booked up through the fall already, but we’re psyched to go out and play again. What other musical plans do you have for the rest of 2007? A lot of humming and whistling.

THE BROTHERS SOLOMON August 31st

The Stars: Will Arnett, Will Forte The Story: Two brothers with a lot of heart but not a lot of social skills try to find mates and provide their dying father with a grandchild. The Scoop: Arnett and Forte are too funny not to be famous (or at least as famous as hacks Dane Cook and Carlos Mencia). While director Bob Odenkirk’s last film, Let’s Go to Prison, didn’t exactly set the world and catapult the careers of Arnett and co-star Dax Shepherd (who’s also funny but has yet to break out), he’s got a stronger premise this time around and if he just lets Arnett and Forte go to work, then he could have a sleeper hit, or at the very least, a future cult classic on DVD.

SPORTS NEWS

Blazing Trails in the Mavericks Locker Room BY ANDREA M. HATTER

HE AIR WAS ELECTRIC IN THE Hawks’ visitors’ locker room. Not so much because they won – I think the Mavs expected that; but because they have a good energy. They’re the kind of team that reminds you of that group of people you met by chance on a halfway lame night, when you were about to give up and go back home, and ended up having a really great time with them. They’re just cool guys. Then, for a sports writer, their locker room is like being in a candy store. You can literally talk to anybody and get a story. For instance, their rookie Pops Mensah-Bonsu (who doesn’t look half bad in a towel) is the first person of Ghanaian decent to play in the NBA. He was born and raised in London to Ghanaian immigrants, Henry and Agnes. “It feels pretty good to be the first person to do somethin. I guess that makes me a pioneer. I hope that inspires young Ghanaians, other kids from London, to work to play basketball, be in the NBA someday, and be like me. I looked up to people when I was younger and they helped me get here, so hopefully, I can do the same for them,” he said. Strangely enough, his original destination wasn’t basketball or the NBA. He grew up playing soccer and running track, doing the high jump. But his brother Kojo, who now plays professionally in Europe, was into basketball and Pops learned from him. The 6-9 forward said that he always wanted to be like his older brother, so that gave him a window into the sport and he hasn’t looked back since. He still follows soccer as often as possible and he’s proud of how far Ghana went in the World Cup games, although he hasn’t yet had a chance to visit the country. “I’m gonna go this summer. I’ve made it my goal to go this summer. I hope to do some clinics and camps there.” He’s been in the states for close to10 years, and his British accent is only slightly detectable in certain vowel pronunciations. But Pops still claims citizenship there and he said he’s already committed to playing for the British national team in the Olympics. TRIPLE THREAT HEALTH PROBS: Bad diet, obesity, & lack of exercise From there, I talked to Jerry Stackhouse, the veteran swingman who put that swat on Shaq in last year’s playoffs. Both of our families struggle with diabetes, so I knew going in that I wanted to talk to him about his philanthropic work with diabetes research. “Yeah, my mom and dad both have diabetes, but I’ve lost two sisters, so I put a lot of time and effort toward charities that deal with diabetes. Then, I have my own foundation, the Triple Threat Foundation, which is more of a grass-roots type of thing, helping families who are afflicted with diabetes, and try to help when their kids go to college and they’re not able to provide. Those are the things we try to do. We’ve always contributed money for research, but sometimes there are people who will never have the money [to get what they need], so we wanna help them.” Stack pointed out that the research has come a long way, but it takes active participation from the public. “Diabetes is one of the big three now, with cancer and heart disease, but it’s one where we actually have a fighting chance of getting a cure. “There are a lot of people walkin around with that disease and don’t even know it. We’re encouraging people to get tested. If you start to see that you’re losing your eyesight a little bit, or

having to go to the restroom frequently and things like that, people just take it for granted. But those are some of the early signs of diabetes and we want people to take notice of that and go get tested.” In our conversation, I told a brief anecdote about my aunt who was diagnosed with diabetes, but found that she no longer needed her medicine when she started playing for the (now-defunct) New Orleans Voo-doo Dolls. “Is there a link between activity and diabetes,” I asked. “Exercise is [a major deterrent],” he said. “One of the biggest components of diabetes is obesity, being overweight. Once people are able to lose weight and definitely control their diet – which is hard for people of color because we’ve been raised on “soul food” (which is high in salt and fat) – they can definitely deal with this disease a lot better. And obviously it’s one that you can live with as long as you do the right thing as far as diet and exercise. It’s just a matter of discipline with that disease.” GLAD TO BE HOME Jason Terry was his usual ebullient self, joking with all the hand-mic’ed writers encircling him. “Oh, I’m goin to tha house,” he said to someone who asked what he was doing after the game. He still has a house and a lot of family here in Atlanta, which he planned to visit. When asked how he felt to be back in Phillips Arena, he said “It feels great, man.” He was proud to see all the dedicated Hawks fans wearing Terry jerseys to the game. But the climate is very different from when he was here. “A lot more fans are here, I like the introductions and all the extra stuff they’re doing, the hawk flying down. That’s hot. I wish they had it when I was here,” he joshed. Then, ta-daaaaa! He unveiled his new project: The Jet Collection, his new clothing line that launched on April 2. “The style is everyday leisure. Stuff you can wear around the house.” I tilted my head, eyeballing him skeptically. “More baggy jeans?” “No, n-n-no, no,” JT said. “NO urbanwear. It’s more of just everyday wear. Men’s golf shirts, ladies’ tees, polos. I just got some people in Dallas, a guy named Danny Bollinger, and he added the logo design. It’s hot.”

Like a CD, he made with Steve Nash a few years back. Tired of waiting for G&R’s Chinese Democracy? You can check out one of his tracks, a southern rock style ditty called Courtside (that features him singing) online: http://www.dallasobserver.com/art/media/dirk_nowitzki-courtside.mp3. He’s said in previous interviews that southern rock is a genre he really likes. Would he be in music if not for basketball, or even in the states? “I don’t know,” he says. “There are a lot of things in Germany I could’ve done. We have a family business (painting), practically all my life. So I probably would’ve helped my dad with that.” “Are you an ARTISTE?” Dirk laughed. “Nah, nah. I wouldn’t go there. Just painting houses and stuﬀ. I probably woulda helped my dad out a little more if I had the time.” Since he, too, retains his overseas citizenship and had to fulﬁll mandatory service in the German army, I wanted to know if he could talk about some international politics. “You know what? Not at all. That’s one subject that I don’t even touch.” And then I asked him if he was married. He blushed. DIRK BLUSHED. Who knew he was such a sensitive type of guy? It was so cute. And it turns out, he’s not married. He’s still dating. So I had to know what it’s like for him to date, being such a star. “Y’know, it’s fun obviously. I said to myself I’m not gonna get married before I’m 30. After that, I’ll settle down, have kids, get a little family going and go from there.” Of course, he wouldn’t give up the goods on some dating stories. Those are reserved for chats with JT. But at almost 29, there’s not much time left, so hurry up ladies. Well, thick ladies that is. He has a preference for the curves. “I don’t like super skinny. A woman’s body has to have some curves, and I believe everyone should take care of themselves by eating healthy and exercising. Super skinny is just an image, and it isn’t a very good one.” I joked and called him Dirk Le Pimp. He laughed and ended our conversation with a throaty, “YEAH!”

I BELIEVE EVERYONE SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES BY EATING HEALTHY AND EXERCISING. SUPER SKINNY IS JUST AN IMAGE, AND IT ISN’T A VERY GOOD ONE. Then he joked with Dirk, just stepping out from the showers, about being his chief model. I prodded Dirk for a confirmation. He just smiled. JT added, “And it’s affordable.” “Affordable” for him or me? He said the line is moderately priced. You can see for yourself at TeamTakeOff.com or at their team store in Dallas. THE SOFTER SIDE OF DIRK Knowing that he was the prize everyone was waiting on, Dirk Nowitzki (who also doesn’t look half bad in a towel) took his sweet time making himself available to us word jockeys. Even though he’d crisscrossed through the room earlier, he was icing with the trainers, joking with teammates and, well, just taking his own time. It was funny to see, though, 7 feet of arms and legs stilting about – the avowed favorite of one of Terry’s daughters – buffooning like a comedian. So, he called out to us, “Alright, you guys ready,” as he took a seat in front of his cubbyhole. I asked him how he spends his off time. “Hang out, relax, get away from the court,” he says slowly. “I love music, play some guitar, play some piano a little bit. Just different stuff to get away from the NBA, get away from hoops.”

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“All the mass texts were a pain to deal with, but it was a lot better than getting a ton of phone calls and allowed me to talk to the coaches I wanted to and just delete the others. Text messaging also made it easier to communicate with the coaches and get questions answered quickly and easily.” –TEXAS CORNERBACK BEN WELLS, right before the NCAA voted on whether electronic communication between coaches and recruits should be banned “The key is not to get discouraged. In the long haul we will have more wins than losses.” –NEW YORK YANKEE ALEX RODRI GUEZ, whose best career start (.385, 14 HR, 34 RBI) happens to be during a tough April for the Yanks (8-11 at press time)

SPORTS NEWS

A Monthly Sports Must-See TV Wrap-up Top 5 Games This Month

Crazy!- for saying this, we’re thinking the Finals champ will come from the East. The DETROIT PISTONS are amazing. Up 2-0 vs. Orlando at press time in their first-round match-up, the Pistons have arguably the league’s best starting five, they have loads of playoff experience, a deep bench and, even though they’re a No. 1 seed, a slight underdog tag to win the whole thing. 2-2 against the Suns and Mavs during the regular season, the Pistons won’t be afraid of either. Both, however, should fear Detroit potentially ruining their great years.

“We in the South like to think we’ve made strides, and in many ways we have. But things like this make it fair to wonder just how great those strides have been. And after zero minority candidates were seriously considered for the Ole Miss, Kentucky and Arkansas jobs, it’s discouraging to look up in the year 2007 and realize [Arkansas’ Stan] Heath was dismissed with credentials comparable to more than half of the SEC’s white coaches and that [Georgia’s Dennis] Felton is the only SEC minority coach remaining.” –CBS SPORTSLINE’S GARY PARRISH, pointing out that only one of the SEC’s 12 men’s head coaches is black

But as crazy as it might sound, there was other stuff going on in the Majors this opening month beyond the Bronx. Here are a few things that stand out to the Fanatic: 1) The ATLANTA BRAVES are battling for NL East supremacy even though their best player, Andruw Jones Alex Rodriguez is having a good start, but (.243, 3 HR, team-high 19 Ks) is struggling; the Yankees are not. And finally… 2) Everyone’s sleeper team, the MILWAUKEE Atlanta’s Kelly Johnson followed a four-strikeout BREWERS, appears to be living up to the hype, night on April 21 with two homers the next day, making him the first player thanks in large part to surprise hot starts from shortstop J.J. Hardy and startsince Carlos Delgado in ’02 to have a multi-HR game after a 4+K one… Some er Jeff Suppan; 3) Surprisingly, the LA Angels of Anaheim, on paper one of are already calling Sweden’s Nicklas Backstrom the next Sidney Crosby… Jeff the most complete teams in the AL, has the worst home record (1-7) in the Gordon, the current NEXTEL Cup leader, has earned at least $22 million Bigs. more racing than any other driver on the circuit… 17 MLB games were postponed due to weather by April 15. Only 10 games were postponed dur“From our visits over the years, we’ve learned how special Virginia Tech ing that same span between ’04-06… Former NBA star Terry Cummings is is. For Gameday’s first trip there in 1999, an amazing 13,000 Maroon and now an R&B singer and he’s just released his first album, Finally… The KanOrange faithful wedged into a corner of Lane Stadium to roar that Saturday sas City Royals let one deserving fan per game at Kaufman Stadium sit in a morning. For our second visit that year, an even larger crowd showed up. special seat honoring the late Negro League pioneer Buck O’Neil… If the We knew folks hadn’t come for us, but to show the nation how deep Hokie Oakland Raiders didn’t pick QB JaMarcus Russell with the No. 1 pick in the passion runs. A new Gameday standard was set for enthusiasm and support. NFL draft, there’s a serious internal problem in that organization… An all Virginia Tech had raised the bar.” –ESPN’S CHRIS FOWLER, in an open star game-worn jersey of Sidney Crosby’s fetched over $47,000 in an NHL letter to the university just a week after the campus tragedy online charity auction… Toronto’s Royce Clayton is one of only two active shortstops (San Francisco’s Omar Vizquel is the other) who’ve played over Dallas and Phoenix’s handy work on the hardwood has left us all mesmer2,000 games at the position… When Ken Griffey Jr. hit his 564th homer last ized this season. It’ll do wonders for the NBA if these two highlight-reeling month, it knocked Reggie Jackson out of the career top 10 list for the first squads met in the Western Conference Championship. But call us crazy –Hi, time since June 17, 1985.

1 2 3 4 5

NBA Western Conference Quarterfinals (May, TNT/ESPN) We’re thinking Houston vs. Dallas and Phoenix vs. Denver. And if you’re thinking like we’re thinking, you think those are super match-ups.

NBA Eastern Conference Quarterfinals (May, TNT/ESPN) Detroit will probably play the Chicago Bulls. The Cleveland Cavs will likely tackle New Jersey. Nowhere near as compelling as the West, but still some quality hoops.

Players Championship (May 12-13, 2PM, NBC) Stephen Ames is the defending champ here, but any thoughts of repeating at the $8 million purse tourney will need to be discussed with Tiger, Phil and Masters champ Zach Johnson ﬁrst.

Atlanta Braves at Boston Red Sox (May 20, 2:05PM, TBS) Arguably the class of baseball in the ﬁrst 30 days, the Braves and BoSox tangle in an intriguing interleague ﬁnale that’s getting upwards of $300/ticket on eBay.

Georgia Force at Los Angeles Avengers (May 19, 10:30PM, FSN) If you’re one of those fans who can’t bear to watch arena football, you’re doing yourself a disservice because Force QB Chris Greisen is an absolute wonder on the pint-sized ﬁeld.

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CAPRICORN

CANCER

With the Sun in your creative house and Venus in your relationship zone, your desire for fun this month will encourage stronger romantic, personal, professional and familial connections.

Though crabs are known for being... well, crabby, May's stars encourage socialization and remind you that success is often not about what you know, but whom. This month, you've got charm to spare!

AQUARIUS

LEO

May brings Aquarians an increased domestic focus, offering a great opportunity to begin laying the foundation for projects that will bring better security and stability and improve your quality of life.

With the Sun highlighting your career zone, Leos may find that changes in their professional lives temporarily seem more important than the romance and passion of their love lives.

PISCES

VIRGO

This month, Pluto reminds Pisces that things you've swept under the rug will eventually be revealed, urging you to take the reigns of control over your life before Fate starts steering for you.

Struggling to achieve a work/ life balance, overwhelmed by feelings of frustration or disappointment yet unable to relax? This month brings an opportunity to resolve the quandary and re-establish priorities.

ARIES

LIBRA

With the Sun in your money zone, this is the time to focus on finances, whether that means creating a sensible budget, taking out a loan or exploring investment options.

Libras tend to shy away from con fronting problems head-on, but May is a month for rational discussions with loved ones about issues related to work, friendships and/or children.

Dec. 22nd thru Jan. 20th

Jan. 21st thru Feb. 19th

Feb. 20th thru Mar. 20th

Mar. 21st thru Apr. 20

TAURUS

June 22nd thru July 23rd

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Sept. 24th thru Oct. 23rd

SCORPIO

Oct. 24th thru Nov. 22nd

The full moon this month brings beginnings and endings to your relationships in general and love life in particular, which could mean taking it to the next level or cooling off completely.

With the sun in your partnership zone, relationships are key for Scorpios this month. Now is the time to consider which associations meet your needs, and which are more trouble than they're worth.

SAGITTARIUS

May 22nd thru June 21s

Nov. 23rd thru Dec. 21st

Introspection is afoot for Geminis this month, begging you to take a break from your life's usual hectic pace, reflect and pour your energies into examining what lies within.

Sagittarians often take on too much responsibility, exhausting themselves and keeping them from their goals. Put your health under a microscope and give thought to which daily routines help or hurt your cause.

PG 38 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

VIDEOS DVD’S MAGAZINES

Aug. 24th thru Sept. 23rd

Apr. 21st thru May 21th

GEMINI

BUY - SELL TRADE & RENT

July 24th thru Aug. 23rd

See it Online!

www.insiteatlanta.com

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PG 39 • insiteatlanta.com • May 2007

NOW

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TRIVIA

Sun. 4pm Sports Mon. 7:30pm General Interest

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Full Breakfast

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INsite Atlanta May 2007 Issue

Articles inside

FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE

HALLE BARRY