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CONTENTS • FEBRUARY 2015 • VOLUME 23, NO. 7 Atlanta’s
Entertainment Monthly
INTERVIEWS
Robert Battle Artistic Director
12 Robin Meade 13 Stars of Blackhat 16 Kathleen Madigan 17 Lloyd Cole 20 Bauhaus 21 The Dodos 21 Derek Grant
Masazumi Chaya Associate Artistic Director
Glenn Allen Sims. Photo by Andrew Eccles.
12
FEATURES 08 09 14 19 22
Velentine’s Day Affordable Dining Guide Oscar Preview Indian Mardi Gras Sensual Valentine Guide
13
COLUMNS 04 05 06 07 15 17 17 19 18 22 22
Around Town On Tap On A Dime Events Under The Lights Movie Reviews Track Suits Home Releases Road Warriors Album Reviews Favorite Things Station Control
FEB 11-15
16
This Valentine’s Day, share Ailey with someone you love WED, FEB 11 AT 8PM Ailey Fan Night - all tickets $25
20
THUR, FEB 12 AT 8PM
www.insiteatlanta.com STAFF LISTING Publisher Stephen Miller steve@insiteatlanta.com Managing Editor Bret Love bret@insiteatlanta.com Art Director / Web Design Nick Tipton nick@insiteatlanta.com Sports Editor DeMarco Williams demarco@insiteatlanta.com Local Events Editor Marci Miller marci@insiteatlanta.com Music Editor Lee Valentine Smith lee@insiteatlanta.com
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FEBRUARY 2015
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Around Town NOW THROUGH FEBRUARY 28
Notable Events and Performances taking place in February
American Sabor: Latinos in Popular U.S. Music
FEBRUARY 20 - 22 Art Materials Expo
Atlanta History Center
The Atlanta History Center presents the stirring bilingual (English and Spanish) exhibition, American Sabor: Latinos in U.S. Popular Music. The exhibition celebrates and savors the musical contributions of U.S. Latinos from the 1940s to the present, while exploring the social history and individual creativity that produced stars like Tito Puente, Ritchie Valens, Celia Cruz, Carlos Santana, and Selena. Visit atlantahistorycenter.com
FEBRUARY 13
Mardi Gras Bar Crawl
Gwinnett Center
Brooklyn’s Red Baraat and New Orleans’ Dirty Dozen Brass Band share many things in common. They’ve stretched genre boundaries to their limits (the former with bhangra, the latter with traditional Crescent City brass). They play all types of venues but it’s in smaller spaces where their shows are made of legend. So when they share a stage this month at the rialto Center you know that something magical is going to happen. Visit rialtocenter.org
FEBRUARY 15
Mummenschanz
The Ferst Center for the Arts
Virginia Highlands
Come dressed in your best beads and drink like you're in the Big Easy. Party at Mardi Gras Pub Crawl in the Virginia Highlands. Your ticket to Beads & Booze includes beads, food and drink specials, and a drink at multiple bars within walking distance in Virginia Highlands. Registration is from 7pm-12am at Dark Horse and event goes to 2am. Visit atlantabartours.com
FEBRUARY 14
Red Baraat & Dirty Dozen Brass Band
The Rialto Center for the Arts
PG 4 • February 2015 • insiteatlanta.com
than 40 years. visit Ferstcenter.org
For three days this month the leading International Manufacturers of Art Materials for the Visual Artists will gather at the Gwinnett Center for an Artist Material Expo offering a gala of buying and learning opportunities. Experience special presentations, product demonstrations on new materials and techniques and classes for children through their advanced artists. Visit artmaterialsexpo.com.
FEBRUARY 20 - MARCH 28 Little Shop Of Horrors
OnStage Atlanta Theatre Company
Little Shop of Horrors is a comic-horror rock musical based on the movie where a nerdish florist finds his chance for success and romance. Too bad it is all due to the help of a giant man-eating plant who demands to be fed. Enjoy its demented humor and goofy songs live at OnStage Atlanta. Visit onstageatlanta.com
FEBRUARY 21 AND 22 Oysterfest
Steamhouse Lounge
Inspiring, captivating and playful, the performers of Mummenschanz create a magical world of possibilities, all without uttering a word. The troupe’s inventive use of forms, shadow, and light and the creative manipulation of masks result in a visually stunning spectacle of visual theatre that has entertained audiences of all ages for more
Atlanta’s original Oysterfest is back in Midtown for its 28th year and will be bigger and better than ever. The event takes place over two days of live music, brews and fresh seafood from the Louisiana Gulf Coast. Buckets of delicious, fresh roasted oysters will be ready for shucking. Check website for band line-up and prices. Visit steamhouselounge.com.
FEBRUARY 21 Polar Plunge Lake Lanier
Take the Plunge! Come enjoy live music, food, fire pits and the Snow World before the plunge begins at 1:30pm. Anyone ages ten and up may participate. The Polar Plunge is the largest fundraising effort benefiting Special Olympics. Participants collect pledges in exchange for the opportunity to jump into icy waters of Lake Lanier. All proceeds collected by Plungers will benefit the athletes of Special Olympics Georgia. Prizes will be awarded for the best costume, highest fundraiser and highest fundraising team. Visit specialolympicsga.org
MARCH 8
Shamrock & Roll Race
Atlantic Station Central Park
Get and early jump on St. Patrick’s Day when The Junior League of Atlanta welcomes runners of all ages to take part in this charity event. Also welcome walkers, dog walkers and strollers. The Shamrock ‘n Roll Road Race features a family-friendly 5k, 10k, and Belk Kids Fun Run 1k for little runners. Participants will also enjoy post-race festivities including food, beverages, and sponsor booths and activities. Visit jlatlanta.org
On Tap this Month MAJOR EVENTS COMING TO ATLANTA
Through February 19: Various Locations
ATLANTA JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL e Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (AJFF) is a cinematic exploration of Jewish life, culture and history. Seeking to use the power of film to both entertain and educate, AJFF challenges conventional perspectives on complex and challenging issues facing both the Jewish and global communities. is 15th year of the festival features 65 films from more than 25 countries that explore the Jewish experience. Visit ajff.org
February 11 - 16: Philips Arena February 19 - March 1: Gwinnett Arena
RINGLING BROS. CIRCUS
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey bring the all new show Legends to both Philips Arena and Gwinnett Arena this month. Enjoy in the family fun while amazing performers from around the globe take on awe-inspiring feats. is show summons mysterious creatures of the past including a Unicorn, a Pagasus and a wholly Mammoth. Visit ringling.com
February 21: Philips Arena
CHARLIE WILSON
Grammy nominated artist Charlie Wilson brings e Forever Charlie Tour with special guests Kem & Joe to Philips Arena. e tour is named after Wilson’s recently released hit album. Charlie Wilson’s new single “Goodnight Kisses” was the #1 most added song at Urban Radio. Billboard “the GAP Band co-founder sings sweetly. At 61 years old, Wilson is still as convincing a romantic as ever.” Visit philipsarena.com
February 21 & 28: Georgia Dome
MONSTER ENERGY MOTORCROSS For the first time Monster Energy Supercross comes to Atlanta with two Supercross events February 21 and 28. eir high-flying stunts take up the Georgia Dome. Come feel the excitement as the stars of Supercross show off their best moves, most breathtaking stunts, and battle it out for the top spot. e events feature the very best in motorcross entertainment and racing. Visit gadome.com or supercrossonline.com.
February 28: Atlantic Station
BEER, BOURBON & BBQ FESTIVAL Enjoy unlimited beer and bourbon tastings as you choose from 40 bourbons and 60 beers on tap. All guests receive a souvenir glass for tasting. Enjoy seminars in the Tasting eater with master distillers, brewmasters, and pit masters. Also enjoy live rock, blues music and great Bluegrass in addition to cool exhibits of Brewerania, hot sauces, bbq accessories, and a cigar tent for all guests. Visit atlanticstation.com
ATLANTA’S BEST CARDIO CLASS F I T N E S S
March 7: Philips Arena; March 14: Gwinnett
HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
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e iconic Harlem Globetrotters are coming to town with their unrivaled family show, featuring some of the greatest athletes on the planet. With incredible ball handling wizardry, amazing rim-rattling dunks and trick shots, side-splitting comedy and unequaled oncourt fan interaction, this must-see event is guaranteed to entertain the whole family – creating memories that will last a lifetime. Visit harlemglobetrotters.com
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11,000 SQ/FT Gym in Midtown • 240 Ponce De Leon Ave. ATL, GA 30308
(404)745-3019 • www.UNIT2FITNESS.com
insiteatlanta.com • February 2015 • PG 5
EVENTS HAPPENING FOR SMALL CHANGE IN ATLANTA
Know of a low cost event happening? EVENTS HAPPENING FOR SMALLEvent@AtlantaOnADime.com CHANGE IN ATLANTA Know of a low cost event happening? Event@AtlantaOnADime.com By Marci Miller Marci three-dayBy Emory JazzMiller Fest. Other Jazz Fest shows with paid admission include three-day Emory Jazz Fest. Other JazzIrvin Fest Mayfield and the New Orleans JazzIrvin Orshows with paid admission include Tennessee Aquarium, Chattanooga Month of February, 50% off Tickets chestra on February 7 and Regina Carter Mayfield and the New Orleans Jazz Ortnaqua.org/college-days Tennessee Aquarium, Chattanooga with theon Gary Motley7Trio February 13. chestra February andon Regina Carter tnaqua.org/college-days College students, faculty and staff can take with the Gary Motley Trio on February 13. advantage of special savings throughout College students, faculty and staff can take HERITAGE WINTER CLASSICS: the month of February at the Tennessee JULES & THE GENTSCLASSICS: advantage of special savings throughout HERITAGE WINTER Aquarium, IMAX 3D eater and River Sunday, February 15, 4:30pm – 6:30pm, the month of February at the Tennessee JULES & THE GENTS Gorge Explorer. Aquarium, IMAXe 3DAquarium’s eater andCollege River Sunday, HeritageFebruary Sandy Springs $5 per Person 15, 4:30pm – 6:30pm, Days Discount students, facGorge Explorer.offers e college Aquarium’s College heritagesandysprings.org ulty and staff half-price admission all Heritage Sandy Springs $5 per Person Days Discount offers college students,tofacthree attractions. e Heritage Winter Classics concert seulty and staff half-price admission to all heritagesandysprings.org Julesse& ries Heritage will conclude withClassics jazz group three attractions. e Winter concert the Gents performing a selection of jazz UNIVERSOUL CIRCUS ries will conclude with jazz group Jules & songs fromperforming the 20's-60's. Atlanta resident February 4 – MarchCIRCUS 1 the Gents a selection of jazz UNIVERSOUL Julie Stein leads the group Atlanta which integrates Turner Field The Green Lot at songs from the 20's-60's. resident February 4 – March 1 jazz Stein standards the greats like Louis leads from the group which integrates Tickets start $20; Discounts The Green Lotatat Turner Field Available Julie Armstrong, Miles Davis, Antonio standards from the greats likeJobim, Louis universoulcircus.com Tickets start at $20; Discounts Available jazz Benny Goodman, and more. Armstrong, MilesColtrane Davis, Antonio Jobim, universoulcircus.com UniverSoul connects with progressive, up- Benny Goodman, Coltrane and more. wardly mobile, urbanwith popprogressive, cultures from UniverSoul connects up- RAG-O-RAMA DOLLAR SALE around the world with a stellar production Little 5 PTS - February 21 & 22SALE wardly mobile, urban pop cultures from RAG-O-RAMA DOLLAR that blends circuswith arts,atheater and music. Sandy Springs - February around the world stellar production 5 PTS - February 21 &2822& March 1 It’s fresh, cool and hip to live fam- Little that blends circus arts,approach theater and music. ragorama.com Sandy Springs - February 28 & March 1 ily fresh, entertainment hasapproach earned ittoalive coveted It’s cool and hip fam- ragorama.com spot as one of Ticketmaster’s top ten most ily entertainment has earned it a coveted Get ready for Rag-O-Rama's biggest sale of requested attractions. top ten most Get the year, Dollar Sale! Shoppers never spot as onefamily of Ticketmaster’s readye for Rag-O-Rama's biggest sale of Rag-Oknow what they will find for $1.00. requested family attractions. the year, e Dollar Sale! Shoppers never Ramawhat carries current, classic, and Rag-Ovintage FREE PARK DAY know they will find for $1.00. styles, men's & women's clothing and acFebruary 14-16, 2015, FREE Rama carries current, classic, and vintage FREE PARK DAY cessories, one-of-a-kind items and much styles, men's & women's clothing and acLocal national February 14-16,parks 2015,nationwide FREE more. Shoppers can buy, sell or and trademuch gencessories, one-of-a-kind items nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm Local national parks nationwide tly used items. Sale takes place during the more. Shoppers can buy, sell or trade gennps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm final two weekends this month. Visit one of Georgia’s national parks for tly used items. Sale takes place during the free during Weekend.parks ParticiVisit one ofPresident’s Georgia’s national for final two weekends this month. pating parksPresident’s include Chattahoochee River BLACK HISTORY PARADE free during Weekend. ParticiNational Recreation Area, Chickamauga February HISTORY 28, 12:00pmPARADE – 5pm, FREE pating parks include Chattahoochee River BLACK and Chattanooga National Park, Historic MLK/Sweet National Recreation Area, Military Chickamauga Auburn District Cumberland IslandNational NationalMilitary Seashore,Park, Fort February 28, 12:00pm – 5pm, FREE and Chattanooga blackhistorymonthparade.com Frederica National Monument and Fort Fort Historic MLK/Sweet Auburn District Cumberland Island National Seashore, Pulaski National Monument. e Black History Month Parade celebrates Frederica National Monument and Fort blackhistorymonthparade.com the Black culture, heritage, history and accomPulaski National Monument. e History Month Parade celebrates plishments of Black/ African American JAZZ FEST: BIG BAND NIGHT the culture, heritage, history and accompeople in theofUnited States and from across February 14, 8:00pm, FREE NIGHT plishments Black/ African American JAZZ FEST: BIG BAND the world. e parade features marching Emory’s Schwartz Center people in the United States and from across February 14, 8:00pm, FREE bands, entertainers, dignitaries, civic the world. e parade features marching arts.emory.edu Emory’s Schwartz Center groups, non-profits, celebrities, corporate bands, entertainers, dignitaries, civic arts.emory.edu Come hear the Emory Big Band and Fac- groups, groups, non-profits, artistic expressionist, celebrities, entertaincorporate ulty Jazz Band free asBig they close outFacthe groups, ment andartistic fun forexpressionist, the whole family. Come hear thefor Emory Band and entertainulty Jazz Band for free as they close out the ment and fun for the whole family.
COLLEGE DAYS DISCOUNT Month of February, off Tickets COLLEGE DAYS 50% DISCOUNT
WWW.CDWAREHOUSEATL.COM
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CDs! LPs! Blu-Rays! TOWN CENTER 50 Barrett Parkway at Bells Ferry Road next to Barnes & Noble 770-425-3472
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DULUTH Pleasant Hill at Satellite Blvd Behind IHOP 770-623-1552
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ROSWELL 10800 Alpharetta Hwy At Mansell Road 770-518-3300
CHECK US OUT ON FACEBOOK! CD WAREHOUSE ATLANTA PG 6 • February 2015 • insiteatlanta.com
Universoul Circus
February 4–March 1 universoulcircus.com
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Under The Lights ON STAGE THIS MONTH
ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER
February 11 - 15 The Fox Theatre Tickets (855) 285-8499 FoxTheatre.org Join the worldrenowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as their extraordinary dancers return this Black History Month and take center stage at the Fox Theatre during their five day / six show engagement. Enjoy new this new production that includes the premiere of Odetta by Ailey’s own Matthew Rushing. It’s a tribute to the legendary singer, songwriter, actress, and activist known as the “voice of the Civil Rights Movement.” Also, Ailey’s American masterpiece Revelations are among the ten dynamic ballets to be featured.
WICKED
February 18 - March 8 Fox Theatre Tickets (855) 285-8499 FoxTheatre.org/wicked After breaking box office records in 2011, Wicked returns this month to The Fox Theatre. Based on the best-selling novel, Wicked is the untold story of the witches of Oz. Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the Land of Oz. One born with emerald-green skin is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is
Ticketss as low a
M u s ic a l beautiful, ambitious and very popular. Wicked tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, and how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good. Directed by two-time Tony Award winner Joe Mantello.
$ 35
Enter a young boy’s wild and surreal world of magic and adventure in this jazzy Broadwaystyle musical by Tony-nominated music and lyricists Pasek and Paul (A Christmas Story).
TUCK EVERLASTING
Run Ends February 22 Alliance Box Office (404) 733-5000 AllianceTheatre.org Based on the beloved best-selling novel by Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting is an exhilarating story about everlasting love, never-ending life, and discovering what it means to truly feel alive. Book-writer Claudia Shear states, “Tuck Everlasting, like all great tales of immortality, both tempts and frightens us. What makes it beloved is its romantic heart what makes it endure is the indefinable and timeless shiver of a magical story that makes us believe.”
Join the Club • Become a Member
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More info at www.cinemoms.com March 21 is the alliance Theatre’s annual FaMiliEs centerstage Festival. For more information, visit alliancetheatre.org/FaMiliEscenterstage
March 14–29
As a healthy young female, you have the power to give the gift of life and love.
You can help a couple build the family they’ve dreamed of by donating your eggs...and receive $7,000 for doing it! Donation is completely confidential and health screening is provided at no charge. If you are a non-smoking female between the ages of 21 and 31 and are interested in more information about egg donation, please visit our website or e-mail us at
donor@ivf.com
Tickets @ 404.733.5000
alliancetheatre.org/giantpeach | Groups 404.733.4690 School day performances available With additional support provided by
Family series on the alliance stage Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs
insiteatlanta.com • February 2015 • PG 7
Performances Atlanta Ballet Roméo et Juliette
Exhibits
Jean-Christophe Maillot’s Roméo et Juliette is back by popular demand in this alluring, etheral production that redefines the classic love story of the two starcrossed lovers of Verona. Perfect for Valentine’s Day, Roméo et Juliette takes you on an emotional, cinematic journey that will leave you breathless in anticipation.
Enjoy an elegant evening of music, dancing, cocktails, desserts and orchids at the most romantic spot in Atlanta. Take a romantic stroll through the tropical conservatories, sample heart-melting treats, sip specialty cocktails from cash bars, dance to live entertainment, and explore Orchid Daze: Pop Art! by night.
Atlanta Botanical Garden
Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre (404) 817- 8700 atlantaballet.com February 6 - 14 Tickets start at $20
February 14, 7 - 11:00 pm (404) 876-5859 atlantabotanicalgarden.org $32 per person (Members $25)
Atlanta Symphony Hall From the Heart Woodruff Arts Center (404) 733-4200 woodruffcenter.org February 13 & 14 8:00 pm
What's more romantic on Valentine's Day than taking your significant other out for an evening of love songs with your ASO. Conductor Michael Krajewski and singer/ songwriter Tony DeSare have created a special night of music made just for the romantics of the world. Come share in the magic of this unforgettable evening. e Magazine sit
Dining Agave agaverestaurant.com
242 Boulevard SE (404) 588-0006
This romantic eatery nestled in Cabbagetown is the perfect place to celebrate with that special someone. For Valentine's Day weekend, Agave has added to their award winning southwestern menu some playful dishes meant to be shared. Call for details; reservations recommended.
OT E DFOR VOTING US BEST 4 YEARS IN A ROW! THANKS
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BOOK SERVICE YOUR HOLIDAY PARTY AT BHOJANIC FULL CATERING AVAILABLE PPRIVATE R I VAT E DI N I NG AND A N D OFF OF F PREMISE PREMISE DINING
T TRADITIONAL R A D I T I O N A L INDIAN I N D I A NFOOD F O O DINI NA A NNON O N T TRADITIONAL R A D I T I O N A L ATMOSPHERE AT M O S P H E R E BUCKHEAD | 404.841.8472
D E C AT U R | 4 0 4 . 6 3 3 . 9 2 3 3
Shops Around Lenox
J u s t N ort h of N . D e c at u r a n d Clairmont Rd Intersection
PG 8 • February 2015 • insiteatlanta.com
Sotto Sotto 313 N. Highland Ave. (404) 523-6678 urestaurnats.net With Sotto Sotto, chef-owner Riccardo Ullio envisioned a restaurant serving all the delicacies from his childhood in Milan, Italy. Now this cozy authentic Italian spot in historic Inman Park is one of Atlanta’s premier restaurants. Sotto Sotto offers a romantically lit intimate dining room perfect for the special evening. The celebrated menu is accompanied by an inspiring all-Italian wine list. Make reservations early.
Bhojanic Decatur 404.633.9233
Buckhead 404.841.8472
Bhojanic has been serving Atlanta for over twenty years in Decatur and now also is in Buckhead at Shops Around Lenox. Both locations offer intimate settings and live music. bhojanic.com
Jewelry Alexander’s of Atlanta
2891 N. Druid Hills Rd. (404) 634-1397 alexandersofatlanta.com
Alexander’s Of Atlanta has been among the most respected jewelers in Atlanta for over 50 years. They have a steadfast commitment to providing the highest quality products and professional service. Have their friendly, experienced staff assist you in picking out the perfect piece for that special someone in your life. Let Alexander’s Of Atlanta make this Valentine’s Day unforgettable!
Atlanta Dining on a Budget Great places in town to get a good meal without breaking the bank Eats
600 Ponce de Leon 404.888.9149 eatsonponce.net
Eats keeps their menu simple and their prices low. First choose from a variety of pastas. You pay by the sauce which range from $6.00 and $7.00 and includes: marinara, olive and garlic, pesto, Alfredo, creamy marinara, turkey meat sauce and chicken chili. All pasta plates come with garlic bread and you can add on extras from meatballs to chicken breast for just $2 more. They offer meat and vegetable plate dinners too. Choose from their prized jerk chicken, lemon pepper chicken and turkey meatloaf. Some of the vegetables include: broccoli, green beans, and collards. Vegetable plates are priced at $5.25 for three or $6.25 for four. A meat and two sides run $7.75 and $8.00 for three sides. Eats is open seven days a week from 11am until 10pm.
The Flying Biscuit Café
1655 McLendon Ave 404.687.8888 1001 Piedmont Ave. 404.874.8887 flyingbiscuit.com The Flying Biscuit Café serves great breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 days a week. One of Atlanta's home grown gems, they are best known for their mouth-watering biscuits
and original affordable menu items. The Candler Park and Midtown locations offer a wide assortment of bakery items as well as new beer and wine selections. The Flying Biscuit’s menu is organic-friendly. Enjoy weekend Sweet Specials on a variety of pancakes including chocolate chip, blueberry and more. And don't forget, Kids Eat Free Monday through Thursday from 4 – 8 PM.
expanded over time with the inclusion of panini, meatballs and the establishment of the FIGO Favorites. Guests are now able to choose from a wide variety of fresh pasta and sauces, which make up a selection of more than 600 dishes! Try their Sapori di FIGO Lunch Special. You choose from a list of short pastas and sauces, cup of soup or salad for $5.95.
Baldinos Giant Jersey Subs 80 Powers Ferry Rd. 770.321.1177 5697 Buford Hwy. 770.455.8570 baldinos.us
FIGO Pasta
6 Area Locations figopasta.com As the original Italian fresh pasta place, FIGO’s food is anchored in their Italian roots. They believe in simple, genuine and delicious meals made in-house from scratch every day. Using only the freshest ingredients available, the recipes are centered on family traditions passed down for generations as well as with re-invented classics. When the first FIGO opened in 2002, the menu consisted of just one fresh pasta (penne) and two sauces (pomodoro and gamberi with peas). FIGO’s menu has
Savage Pizza
Since 1975, Baldinos has been repeatedly recognized for serving the best sub sandwich in the South. Their true New Jersey style subs are as fresh as any sandwich anywhere. The rolls are baked in-store everyday - all day; each sub is sliced fresh as ordered; hot subs are grilled, not nuked or pressed, and only the freshest produce garnishes every sub as ordered. Salads, soups and delicious baked goodies compliment a true value menu. Check out Baldinos $3.79 Daily Special - a different sub every day that will keep you coming back.
Twin Peaks
3365 Piedmont Rd. Buckhead 404.961.8946 twinpeaksrestaurant.com
Best Inexpensive Restaurant
484 Moreland Ave. 404.523.0500 115 Laredo Dr. 404.299.5799 savagepizza.com This eclectic neighborhood restaurant is a favorite hangout among residents of Little 5 and Avondale Estates. They offer a wide variety of salads, subs, calzones and of course pizzas to choose from at affordable prices. Savage Pizza prepares all their menu items using only the freshest vegetables, first quality meats, cheeses, breads and pastas. On their menu you'll find innovative homemade sauces, fresh dough and thoughtfully prepared dishes made from scratch every day. Savage offers lunch and dinner and delivery to the area. Both locations offer indoor and patio seating.
Exquisite mexican food with a hint of tequila in every dish, friendly staff and a party atmosphere.
e Magazine sit
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IN
Twin Peaks is more than great views. The mountain lodge-style sports restaurant features high-quality comfort foods like their Green Chili Meatloaf and Rib-eye Pot Roast. This month they are offering a great deal on a 17oz T-Bone while supplies last! There are also a wide array of sandwiches and salads to choose from plus an extensive selection of draft beers served from 32 taps. Twin Peaks is a great place to meet up for a business lunch or to get together with friends with rooms available for private party bookings.
2014
WINNER!
New Ponce Location! Ponce de Leon: 650 Ponce de Leon Ave. ATL 30308 Buckhead: 4279 Rosweell Rd. Suite 103 ATL 30342
eatsonponce.net • now accepting Visa & Mastercard
tandtatlanta.com
www.baldinos.us
Marietta 80 Powers Ferry Rd 770-321-1177 (closed Sundays)
$3.79 All Day!
Doraville 5697 Buford Hwy. 770-455-8570
VOTED BEST SUBS IN ATLANTA
e Magazine sit
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’s
MONDAY – Baldinos Extra Special (#7) TUESDAY – Like it Hot? Grilled & Toasted The HOT Italian WEDNESDAY – Ham it Up - (#5) Boiled Ham & Cheese w/ soup or side THURSDAY – “Check Out Our New Chicken Breast” – Try our #21 FRIDAY – Meatless Combo - Tuna (#10) or Veg Stir Fry (#27) w/ side SATURDAY – Steak Out- A-Steak Sub Your Choice (#11,13, or 19) SUNDAY – American Special - (#14) w/ choice of soup or side
IN
SEE OUR DAILY SPECIALS
2014
WINNER!
insiteatlanta.com • February 2015 • PG 9
have a great selection of salads and sandwiches. For dinner the small plates offer terrific value like the California Beach Tacos (3 for $10.95) and the grilled Shrimp Salad just $5.95! You will find an assortment of reasonably priced entrees including steaks and seafood plus several pizzas and flatbread dishes. Their large menu offers something for everyone.
N. Decatur Plaza 404.320.0101 Midtown 404.917.1100 East Cobb 678.996.0045 mediterraneangrill.com
Athens Pizza House
1341 Clairmont Rd. Decatur 404.636.1100 athenspizzaatlanta.com
Mediterranean Grill is the place to go for authentic Mediterranean food. Their loyal customers keep this family/chef-owned and operated restaurant busy. Here you will find regional dishes like gyros, falafel and kabob sandwiches. They have a great Business Lunch Special offering Shish kabob, Kufta kabab & Gyro slices w/rice pilaf, salad, pita and drink ($7.60). Mediterranean Grill has tasty sandwiches including: Gyro, Kufta Kabob, Chicken Kabob, Falafel and a Grilled Vegetable sandwich. All sandwiches are just $5.75 and entrees start at $8.50.
Gordon Biersch Brewery
848 Peachtree Street 404.870.0805 3242 Peachtree Road 404.264.0253 gordonbierschrestaurants.com
Chicago’s Nancy’s Midtown
265 Ponce De Leon 404.254.5103 nancyspizza.com
Since 1966, the Papadopoulos family has been serving up great Greek and Italian cuisine to the Emory / Decatur area. Athens Pizza is Zagat rated and winner of several awards including Best Greek Cuisine. So don’t let the name fool you, there is much more here than great pizza. Some of the favorite recipes on their Greek dishes go back over 50 years! Athens Pizza offers daily specials for lunch and dinner. They have an extensive catering menu while the restaurant can also accommodate parties large and small with their private room. 650 Ponce de Leon Ave 678.705.5955 4279 Roswell Rd. 404.705.8225 tandtatlanta.com Tacos & Tequilas is a family-owned traditional Mexican restaurant offering recipes passed down through generations. Here you’ll find all your Mexican favorites – tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, burritos, quesadillas and more. Their sauces along with everything on the menu is made fresh daily with wholesome, natural ingredients. The quality in their food is on par with the finest Mexican
BEST PIZZA! IN
’s
Best of Atlanta 2014
&
WINNER!
Multiple Atlanta Locations: www.JohnnysPizza.com PG 10 • February 2015 • insiteatlanta.com
Chicago has some the best pizza in America and that great pizza can be found in Midtown Atlanta at Chicago’s Nancy’s. Nancy's serves up thin and deep dish as well as take and bake pizza, appetizers, sandwiches and their signature salads. Nancy’s in Midtown has multiple TV screens and seats 70 inside and 25 on their patio. See their ad on the Back Page for coupons offering $4 and $5 Off online orders. They provide takeout and delivery to the area. Nancy's is the perfect place to call when looking for a great meal at a great price.
The Downwind Restaurant
Dekalb Peachtree Airport #201 770.452.0973 downwindrestaurant.com The Downwind Restaurant & Lounge located off Clairmont Rd. at the Dekalb Peachtree Airport offers amazing views of the runway. While watching the planes take off and land
Escorpion is a regionally inspired Mexican tequila bar and cantina located on the corner of 5th and Peachtree. The atmosphere is fun and electric, making Escorpion one of the hottest additions to the Midtown scene with fine, authentic cuisine at affordable prices. Inspired tacos come in a wide variety that includes crispy fried shrimp, arrachera (marinated skirt steak with caramelized onions and peppers and sauce arbol) and braised beef tongue. Order by the taco, plate or family style. Escorpion also has great salads, quesadillas and an assortment of antojitos (street-style appetizers), priced between $4 and $8. Full entrees are also available.
Landmark Diner
3652 Roswell Rd. 404.816.9090 landmarkdiner.com
e Magazine sit
Best of Atlanta
’s
Your Neighborhood Pizzeria!
e Magazine sit
Escorpion
800 Peachtree St. 678.666.5198 urestaurants.net
Tacos & Tequilas
Gordon Biersch is an upscale brewery restaurant specializing in handcrafted German lagers brewed in-house. They offer an American menu with bold international flavors. Start off with the Southwest Eggrolls or their Blue-crab Artichoke Dip. For lunch you can’t miss with one of Gordon Biersch’s award winning burgers. They also
restaurants in the city but at very reasonable prices. At Tacos & Tequila everything is authentic including their drinks as they offer 100 different brands of tequila. Both locations offer private dining rooms as well as full catering menu.
enjoy the great food here. Their menu has many outstanding offerings for lunch and dinner including their award winning burgers and sandwiches. Downwind Restaurant is known as having some of the freshest seafood in Atlanta as it gets flown in each day. They offer a full bar and live music every Friday night from 7pm - close. Downwind Restaurant is family friendly with an aviation themed playground for kids. They are open Monday through Saturday 11:00am - 10:00pm and closed on Sunday.
IN
Mediterranean Grill
2014
WINNER!
Cheeseburger Bobby’s Buckhead (678) 732-9531 Marietta (770) 919-9110 Sandy Springs (404) 600-2484 cheeseburgerbobbys.com
Chin Chin is consistently voted Atlanta’s Best Chinese restaurant. Their menu offers standard favorites and many exotic dishes in Chinese cuisine at affordable prices. The Brookhaven location featured offers over 30 lunch specials from $6.75 - $7.95. Choose an entree along with Vegetable Roll, Soup and Fried Rice. For dinner choose from over 20 chicken dishes for just $10.75 and over a dozen beef and pork dishes for $11.75 or less. Soups start at $2.50.
Fritti
IN
Best of Atlanta 2014
WINNER!
BEST IN GREEK & ITALIAN CUISINE Since 1966
Chin Chin
3887 Peachtree Rd. 404.816.2229 Multiple locations at chinchinga.com
e Magazine sit
’s
Atlanta’s favorite diner offers great meals at affordable prices 24 hours a day. Start the day with an omelet, french toast or golden pancakes. For lunch try one of their many sandwiches like sliced turkey, egg salad or the BLT. You can also find several great burgers and chicken fingers for the kids. For dinner they have all the finest dishes like blackened grouper, jumbo shrimp scampi and rack of lamb at very affordable prices. Visit their Side Lounge for nightly music and comedy.
Cheeseburger Bobby’s is a breakthrough concept offering its patrons freshly grilled burgers on the spot and made just the way you like it. At Bobby's you can order a gourmet hamburger or a sizzling hot dog and top it with an assortment of the freshest ingredients from their “Build Your Own Burger Bar”. It all starts with fresh, never frozen 100 % U.S. beef, seared on a grill after you order it and served on a lightly buttered, toasted bun. The rest is up to you. Order up a Bobby’s specialty burger like the Smokehouse, Mushroom & Swiss or Black & Bleu. Or build your own choosing from a variety of cheeses and colorful veggie toppings. Cheeseburger Bobby’s has nine metro area locations. Find one near you!
• Zagat Rated • Dine In or Take Out • Lunch & Dinner Specials
WE CATER!
All Day Breakfast, Lunch and Cocktails
Bhojanic Indian Restaurant
Decatur 404.633.9233 Buckhead 404.841.8472 Catering 404.702.8301 bhojanic.com
Mon-Fri 6:30am-3pm Sat & Sun 8am-3pm
309 N. Highland Ave. 404.880.9559 urestaurants.net
Insta
Located in the heart of historic Inman Park, Fritti is nationally recognized for its pizza and state of the art wood-burning oven. For lunch, Fritti offers a variety of antipasti dishes for $10 or less including offerings of funghi fritti (fried mushrooms), fried calamari, classic Sicilian arancini and bruschetta. For dinner, many of the lunch items are offered along with other dishes. One antipasta to try is the bresaola di tonno (cured sashimi grade tuna, arugula, radish and lemon); $10. They also offer a great Caesar salad for $8. Their great variety of Neopolitan-style pizzas include: salsiccia e peperoni (Italian sausage and roasted peppers), $13, and speck e rucola (smoked prosciutto, smoked mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and arugula), $14.
Stone Soup Kitchen
584 Woodward Ave. stonesoupkitchen.net In the ten years since opening in Cabbagetown near Historic Oakland Cemetery, Stone Soup Kitchen has grown a reputation for delicious food, made from fresh ingredients, served by a friendly staff. Breakfast and Lunch are served all day. Popular Stone Soup Kitchen breakfast specials include the Bagel Platter, Britt’s Benedict and the Firehouse Skillet. Stone Soup Kitchen offers great lunch specials. Try their Green Wrap, Original Auzielle or Buzz Boy Club. Don’t forget to order a side of soup! Soups change daily but regulars on the menu include Cuban Black Bean, Chicken Curry over Rice and Hungarian Mushroom. They are open Monday – Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Weekends 8 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Stone Soup Kitchen Caters! Send them an email catering@stonesoupkitchen.net or leave a message at 404.228.1763.
Bhojanic has been serving Atlanta for over twenty years through their popular restaurants and catering business. They offer a menu that is predominantly North Indian with some fusion additions and an assortment of Tapas. The restaurants offer an Express Lunch Combo for just $12. Choose from a rice bowl with meat or vegetable, Mini Thali with meat and vegetable or Entrée Salad and pair with Samosa, alu tikki or side salad. The lunch comes with soft drink. Bhojanic full service catering is perfect for weddings and corporate events as well as for smaller gatherings. Visit Bhojanic’s newest location in Buckhead at Shops Around Lenox. Decatur offers Live Music on Thursdays while Buckhead has Live Music on Fridays; both 8:30 p.m. to close.
Grant Park: (404) 524-1222 584 Woodward Ave. (Across from GardenHood) www.stonesoupkitchen.net Live Music & Entertainment • Full Bar • Daily Specials • Takeout Available
Downwind Restaurant & Lounge at the Dekalb Peachtree Airport
Johnny’s NY Style Pizza
1810 Cheshire Bridge Rd. 404.874.8304 johnnyspizza.com Johnny’s Pizza has come to be synonymous with great pizza and subs in Atlanta. They specialize in NY Style pizza, which is thin in the middle and thick around the edges. You can get a large cheese pizza for just $12.75 or slice for $2.00. Get a cheese Calzone or Stombolli for $5.55. They have 11 subs on the menu for just $5.95. The Cheshire Bridge location offers lunch specials from $6.85 and enjoy $5 pitchers of PBR on Tuesdays which is also Trivia night. Johnny’s restaurants offer dine-in, take-out and delivery.
Agave
242 Boulevard 404.588.0006 agaverestaurant.com Agave’s is known for their eclectic southwestern cuisine, extensive tequila bar and wine list. They offer all the trappings found at fine restaurants like complimentary valet but without the high price. Get free chips and salsa upon arrival and two for one appetizers at the bar nightly from 5 pm – 7 pm.
Mon-Fri 11am-10pm • Saturday Noon-10pm • Sunday Closed
770.452.0973 • 2000 Airport Rd. #201, Atlanta www.downwindrestaurant.com
9 Metro Area Locations. Check Website for a Cheeseburger Bobby’s nearest you!
BUCKHEAD
4365 Roswell Rd. (678) 732-9531
MARIETTA
125 Barrett Parkway (770) 919-9110
SANDY SPRINGS
5975 Roswell Rd. (404) 600-2484
CheeseburgerBobbys.com
$7 Classic Single
Cheeseburger Meal Deal
Includes Burger, Fresh Cut Fries and Medium Drink Expires (3/31/15)
insiteatlanta.com • February 2015 • PG 11
TV
ROUND ROBIN
Emmy-Winning Broadcaster, Bestselling Author, SingerSongwriter… Robin Meade Does It All BY ALEX S. MORRISON
T
Did you parents encourage you to go into the music business? No, my father discouraged that as a career choice. I instead went to college for journalism, after a high school aptitude test came back saying I was good at communications, writing, grammar, reading comprehensions, etc. I kept a healthy schedule of performing [music] at various events during that time. But I was all about learning my craft as an anchor/reporter and I was very fortunate to find success, as I moved up in markets, gaining experience in local television. I also loved holding the viewers’ hands, so to speak, emotionally guiding them through their mornings.
hink Robin Meade, host of HLN’s morning show Morning Express with Robin Meade, is just another impossibly perky talking head? Think again. The 45-year-old Ohio native has long since proven herself adept at just about any challenge she has ever cared to conquer. After graduating from Ashland University (where she majored in radio/ television production, programming and performance, and minored in political science) in 1991, Meade went on to become Miss Ohio and a semi-finalist in the Miss America pageant. Working her way up the TV news ranks at stations in Miami and Chicago, she was inducted into the Ohio Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2005. So how did you eventually work back into By the end of the decade, she had performed a tandem skydive with President pursuing your musical interests? Interestingly, it’s only been since I came George Herbert Walker Bush, anchored to Atlanta about 15 years ago to work at network coverage of wars in Afghanistan what was then CNN Headline News that and Iraq, and scored an exclusive interview I realized that, in order to with American hostages authentically express myself freed by Fuerzas Armadas THAT’S ANOTHER and who I truly am, I HAD Revolucionarias de to include music as part of ASPECT TO Colombia (FARC) captors. that expression. To just say, Her first book, 2009’s APPRECIATE ABOUT “I’m a journalist you see on Morning Sunshine! How OUR CITY– THE TV in the morning” wasn’t to Radiate Confidence a complete representation and Feel It, Too, was DIVERSITY OF of my being. So I started an instant New York dabbling in songwriting MUSIC STYLES YOU Times bestseller. In 2011, driving back and forth Meade released her CAN ENJOY ON ANY and to Nashville to co-write debut album as a country with some of Nashville’s GIVEN DAY. music singer-songwriter, best– and most generous Brand New Day, which and patient– songwriters. included tunes co-written with big guns Now, two albums later, I’m grateful and such as John Rich, American Idol’s Bo happy that I’ve been able to do BOTH Bice, and producer/songwriter Victoria television news and music. I’m grateful for Shaw (Lady Antebellum). And she recently bosses who understand what makes me had a holiday hit, “Sleigh Ride,” on which tick, and allow me the opportunities to do she sang opposite Australian pop group both. I’m thankful for viewers and fans who Human Nature. get that we don’t have to define ourselves So you might be excused for wondering one way in this life…that we are multiif there’s anything the woman can’t do. I faceted human beings. recently spoke to the quick-witted, selfdeprecating beauty at length, chatting Are there any similarities between what about everything from her early interest in you you do on TV and performing for music and the similarities between music the stage? and broadcasting to her favorite things to It may seem like an odd career combo do in Atlanta. on the surface, but it makes sense when you think about the parallels between Let’s start off talking about your early songwriting and journalism. In journalism interest in music. When did you become we shine a light on people’s wins, losses, interested in being a performer, and struggles, loves, lives… you name it. We who were some of the musicians that hold people in power accountable. We inspired you? inform. We challenge viewers to look at an My early interest in music started in issue from different angles. Well, don’t we the church as a preacher’s daughter… I do something similar in songwriting? We know, I know, insert funny joke about write about the human condition and the the stereotype of the preacher’s daughter here… Singing was my “normal.” I assumed human experience. It’s just in a different form, set to rhythm and melody. I love that! that everybody got up and sang in front of others. Funny, I don’t remember even being familiar with the concept of “stage fright” until about the 6th grade or so, when I started to think about my peers judging me. To me, music was edification and a shared experience. If I wasn’t singing at church or school, I was sitting around with the family making music, with my dad on guitar, me on the piano, and my siblings joining in on various Beatles songs my parents spoon-fed us via the record player. PG 12 • February 2015 • insiteatlanta.com
You mentioned that you’ve been in Atlanta for 15 years now. What do you love about the city? I love that it’s a modern metropolis mixed with a vibe of southern hospitality. It’s a charming combination. You’ve also gotta love hitting the plethora of restaurants we are spoiled with in Atlanta. You’re missing out in this foodie town if you’re not trying this chef ’s new farm-totable joint, or studying that mixologist’s take on craft drinks, or figuring out for
yourself why some longtime establishment can still reel in the crowds. I also love getting out to the area lakes! For a gal who doesn’t know how to swim, I sure do love a day on a boat, or an evening on a dock, doing a whole bunch o’nothing.
What do you think about Atlanta’s music scene? That’s another aspect to appreciate about our city– the diversity of music styles you can enjoy on any given day. Whether it’s hip-hop, rap, country, or southern rock, you can find it all here. And for musicians, I feel like there is a real variety, not only in styles, but in ideas about the way music gets made, produced and performed. This is not a “formula” town. What’s going on with you musically these days? Any future plans for album releases we can share with our readers, or tours in the works? The duet of “Sleigh Ride” that I recorded with the group Human Nature hit #16 on the holiday charts during December. A big thank you to the radio folks who played that, by the way! Plus, I just finished doing a run of shows with Human Nature at the Venetian in Vegas, as the special guest for their “Christmas, Motown & More” show. This has led to speculation that next on my musical to-do list is a Christmas album of my own. We shall see! A fun Atlanta note: Jan Smith (a.k.a. “Mama Jan,” who coached Usher and Justin Bieber) was my vocal producer on “Sleigh Ride.” She knocked it out of the park, handling a very digitalage recording session, with people virtually joining from other cities. I was with her in the recording booth in Atlanta. The producer was in Los Angeles, joining via phone or computer. And the lead singer of Human Nature was pitching in opinions via Skype from Vegas! It was enough to make a lesser maestro’s head spin. But not Jan. She was on it! Any chance we can catch you performing in concert around town sometime soon? In terms of live performances, folks will occasionally see me at Eddie’s Attic in Decatur, doing my “Robin Meade’s ‘Round Robin” acoustic shows. I bring
in various songwriter friends of mine, who generally have written TONS of hits you hear on the radio. We go back and forth, performing and telling the stories behind the tunes you know and love. As they say, “You haven’t REALLY heard a song until you’ve heard it performed by the person who wrote it.” Among those who’ve joined me in the past are songwriters Victoria Shaw (who produced Lady Antebellum and wrote hits for Garth Brooks, Ricky Martin, Cristina Aguilera, & Eric Church among others); Gary Burr (who was inducted into the Songwriting Hall of Fame); Andy Childs (of Nashville’s “Sixwire” and the house band on ABC’s Nashville), Angie Aparo (Atlanta singer-songwriter whose songs have been recorded by Faith Hill & Tim McGraw); Rivers Rutherford (a Nashville heavyweight who has written hits for Brad Paisley, Montgomery Gentry, Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw); and Kelley Lovelace (writer of many Brad Paisley hits, including “Water,” “Camouflage” and “American Saturday Night,” as well as tunes recorded by Carrie Underwood and many others). We’ll have to see who’s next to join me to perform for the Atlanta audiences as part of that concert series!
FILM
COMPUTER WORLD
With Blackhat, Director Michael Mann, Chris Hemsworth & Viola Davis Tackle the Growing Threat of Cyberterrorism
BY ALEX S. MORRISON
A
S THE VISIONARY AUTEUR behind action epics such as Manhunter, The Last of the Mohicans, Heat and The Insider, Michael Mann is widely regarded as one of cinema’s greatest living directors. In his latest crime thriller, Blackhat (which he co-wrote, directed and produced), Mann tackles the growing international threat of cyberterrorism. Unfolding stylishly in exotic Asian locations such as Hong Kong, Malaysia and Jakarta, the film features Chris Hemsworth (Thor) as convicted hacker Nick Hathaway, who is given a conditional release from federal prison to join a team (played by Viola Davis, Leehom Wang and Tang Wei) trying to track down a dangerous global network of cyber-criminals. At the film’s recent press conference, Mann and his cast talked about why they were attracted to the project, what they learned from the cyber experts who helped them prepare, and much more. Michael, when did this story start interesting you? MANN: The genesis was when I went to Washington and started talking to folks there about cyber intrusions and cyber thefts and what was happening in the world. It was an eye-opening experience to learn that we’re vulnerable to intrusions from everywhere, and we just don’t know it. It was a hot button issue in Washington two or three years ago, and we came back to LA and started talking about it, and people didn’t know what we were talking about. From there it went right to, “Okay, who’s the main character?” and to try and learn everything there is to know about black hat hackers, what motivates them, and what the exalting experience is. As actors, what excited you about this opportunity? CHRIS HEMSWORTH: Michael did. Michael’s one of my favorite filmmakers. I’ve grown up watching his films, so I was basically in even before I’d read the script. Then I read the script, and it was a subject I certainly hadn’t been involved in on screen. In my life, I was pretty limited in my digital-cyber involvement, so it fascinated me. All these things are in the news now, but then it wasn’t as public. The idea that we are as vulnerable as the film talks about was something that I wanted to learn more
about, so I jumped at the opportunity. VIOLA DAVIS: I can only repeat what Chris said: I wanted to work with Michael Mann. I think that you always gravitate towards people who are absolutely great at what they do and go for authenticity. Cyberterrorism was a subject matter that fascinated me also. I remember playing an FBI agent many moons ago, and I sat with some FBI agents, and they said cyberterrorism was more potent than actual terrorist attacks. It was something I wanted to learn more about, and the exotic [filming] locations did appeal to me also.
What did you learn from the cyber experts who acted as consultants on the film? MANN: We do an immersive preparation to get into character, and that starts many months before we start shooting. So, whether it’s learning coding or Viola visiting Michele Leonhart at the DEA and learning about women in law enforcement, you pick up how somebody thinks, what their attitudes are, what their background is, how they walk, how they talk, how they drink a cup of coffee. It’s so rich. It’s always a great idea to work with actors who are turned on by that same kind of immersive research. [We learned] coding from Mike Panico, and different kinds of hacking from Chris McKinlay. Kevin Poulsen had experience as a black hat hacker, and that’s how Leehom, Chris and Tang Wei all interacted with these folks. HEMSWORTH: As Michael said, by learning how to write code and understanding the brain of the computer. All that was new to me. It became evident pretty quickly that the majority of us knew nothing compared to what these guys knew. I remember asking one of the guys, “Knowing what you know, do you look at the world differently? Do you feel you have an upper hand?” He just started laughing and said, “Man, people have no idea how exposed they are, and what’s possible.” That’s the power now– the brains– and not just in the criminal world, but anywhere. DAVIS: I just learned that I’m a sitting duck because I can’t get ahead of [the hackers]. They’re far ahead of me. That’s what I learned, how vulnerable we are. It’s a big, silent monster out there. That’s what it feels like. Chris, as an Avenger you have to keep your body in great shape. Did that inform Hathaway’s philosophy of training his body as well as his mind in prison?
THE IDEA THAT WE ARE AS VULNERABLE AS THE FILM TALKS ABOUT WAS SOMETHING THAT I WANTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT, SO I JUMPED AT THE OPPORTUNITY.
HEMSWORTH: The training for this was [different]. Once I’m done with Thor, I get rid of that bulk, because that’s just for that character. But [for this movie] I wanted to train in some sort of martial arts. I’ve boxed a lot in the past, and I’ve done a lot of Muay Thai. Michael and I talked about the time he’d spent in prison. You go in one person and come out another. And through those experiences, he was going to physically be able to handle himself. Also, we went to certain prisons and spoke with people the way guys in prison speak. There’s a rhythm to that and a bounce, and I think we captured that. I had dialect coaches, but Michael was my guide. He was from the place, and knew what he was after. Michael, you’ve directed some of the greatest crime dramas of the last 30 years. How did you marry your style of storytelling with the world of cybercrime for this film? MANN: Thank you very much. If we’re successful in doing that, that would be great. You asked me back at the beginning what motivated me to do this. First of all, it takes place in our world as it is right now, on the cutting edge of this moment. The interconnectedness of all things is the world we live in now. It’s never going to go back to the way it used to be. You have a convicted blackhat hacker on a conditional release from federal prison to pursue a criminal adversary– a guy who’s world class dangerous. They don’t know who he is, where he is, or why he’s doing what he’s doing. In so doing, Hathaway is trying to outrun his past and take control of a future that he may or may not have. The thrill in making it was that the tropes and the mechanics of the storytelling were an
opportunity to pull from the world we live in right now. We’re used to China being depicted as an adversary. What I loved about this movie is that we work with China as much as we can. How important was that to you? MANN: Our relations with China are a fascinating balance. We’re adversarial with them in some areas, such as our naval presence and cyber intrusion. But we’re very close partners in freight and finance. It’s a balance between these two special relationships we have that are maintained. We’re China’s biggest trading partner, and they’re ours. One thing that’s interesting is when the Obama Administration asked China for help with North Korea on the recent cyber-attack (on Sony Studios). Way back when, we thought, if there was a common interest, that they would work together. That was why we depicted this American-Chinese group working together. Viola, are you reading a lot of comic books in preparation for playing Amanda Waller in Suicide Squad? DAVIS: I have not started reading it yet. I’ve read up about her, but I’m still working out my schedule for Suicide Squad. Is that something you look forward to doing? DAVIS: Absolutely! I’m fascinated by her, in this world of superheroe-ness, because she’s not a woman that you would expect. I think that she’s a mass of contradictions. She is this big, powerful black woman, hard and ready to pick up a gun and shoot anyone at will. I’m fascinated at exploring her psychology, let’s just just put it that way!
insiteatlanta.com • February 2015 • PG 13
FILM
OSCAR, OSCAR, WHO GETS THE OSCAR? Our 2015 Prediction List BY STEVE WARREN
W
HAT A DIFFERENCE TEN days make! Immediately after the nominations for the 87th Academy Awards were announced on January 15, there was no doubt about the winners of the top six awards – Best Picture, Best Director and the four acting categories. The Vegas odds announced within hours were wider than I’ve ever seen. Boyhood was 1/14 for Best Picture against second place The Grand Budapest Hotel at 12/1, and 1/14 for Best Director (Richard Linklater) against second place Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)’s Alejandro González Iñárritu at 13/2. The tightest race was for Best Actor, with Michael Keaton squeaking past Eddie Redmayne at 4/5 to 1/1. Julianne Moore (1/20) would win her overdue Best Actress Oscar over Reese Witherspoon (10/1). In the Supporting categories it was J.K. Simmons at 1/18 over Edward Norton (9/1) and Patricia Arquette (1/25) over Emma Stone (12/1). The longest odds in each category ranged from 25/1 to 50/1, so a major upset could have won some gambler – though obviously not Mark Wahlberg – big bucks. Then two things happened: American Sniper opened wide the next day, after scoring six nominations but being generally ignored by other award givers, and began setting the boxoffice on fire, doing more business in its first two weekends than the other seven Best Picture nominees combined in their entire runs. This raised Sniper’s profile and thus its chances for Oscar recognition. More significantly, on January 24 the Producers Guild named Birdman the Best Picture of the Year. The next night the Screen Actors Guild gave Birdman their Best Cast award (as close as they come to Best Picture) and gave the Best Actor award to Eddie Redmayne. And suddenly the odds for three of the top six were in flux. I haven’t heard from Vegas (or the Directors Guild, whose awards are February 7) at this writing, but the universe is humming with talk that Boyhood, Linklater and Keaton are no longer locks. A second viewing of Birdman moved it higher on my personal list, probably into my top five; and while I’d still pick Emma Stone by a narrow margin over Patricia Arquette, I’m more at peace than usual with any of the probable outcomes. That’s not true in all categories. While others lament the shortchanging of Selma, The Lego Movie and Life Itself, I wanted more love for Unbroken, Chadwick Boseman in Get On Up and my favorite documentary, Keep On Keepin’ On. But we’re here to predict, so let’s get on with it. From 2007 to 2012 the Academy gave Best Picture and Best Director awards to the same films (including The King’s Speech, The Artist and The Hurt Locker); then for the last two years they’ve divided them (giving the director awards to my favorite pictures, Life of Pi and Gravity, over Argo and 12 Years a Slave). I’m going to predict that they’ll continue to spread the joy around, so it’s a question of which award will go to Boyhood and which to Birdman. Both owe their success
PG 14 • February 2015 • insiteatlanta.com
to strong directorial visions and both can be considered gimmicky. Boyhood followed the cast as they aged over 12 years, while Birdman takes place within a few days but is made to look like one continuous camera shot, with fewer obvious cuts than Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope. I’m changing my mind on this one every three minutes, but I have to lock something in, so:
BEST PICTURE:
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
BEST DIRECTOR:
Richard Linklater, Boyhood While everyone seems to believe Michael Keaton went through an incredible transformation like his character in Birdman, from a lightweight who had done some superhero movies to a serious dramatic actor, Keaton has been a lot more versatile than people remember. He first proved his dramatic chops in Clean and Sober in 1988, the same year as Beetlejuice. While he’s terrific in Birdman, I think the Academy will follow SAG’s lead:
BEST ACTOR:
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything If Redmayne and Keaton split the vote, American Sniper’s Bradley Cooper could slip in as a spoiler, but I don’t think so. The other acting awards are as they’ve been from Day One:
BEST ACTRESS:
Julianne Moore, Still Alice
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood A lot of the other awards can be consolation prizes for films that missed the big ones. Not that they’re not deserving in many cases, but their also-ran status can give them an extra edge. Hence,
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
Whiplash
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY, BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN, BEST COSTUME DESIGN and BEST ORIGINAL SCORE: The Grand Budapest Hotel
BEST EDITING, BEST SOUND EDITING and BEST SOUND MIXING:
American Sniper Despite stiff competition, Emmanuel Lubezki’s incredible work should let him repeat last year’s victory (for Gravity):
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: Birdman Steve Carell’s
transformation didn’t score him an acting nomination but it should be good for:
BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING:
Foxcatcher I thought Interstellar was nominated in all the wrong categories. The way the music rose frequently, drowning out dialogue and giving viewers headaches, why would they cite it for its score (which may actually be good at a lower level) and the sound categories? I thought it deserved other nominations, but I’ll settle for its most likely win:
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS:
Interstellar And if Oprah looks under her seat she may be happy to find an Oscar:
BEST SONG:
Glory, from Selma It wasn’t a great year for animated features. The Academy didn’t nominate critical and popular favorite The Lego Movie, so this could be one of those years they think outside the Hollywood box. I’m going to go with the one nominee I haven’t seen, Japan’s entry:
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE:
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya I was worried about Force Majeure defeating my foreignlanguage favorite, as it did with many of the critics groups; but since it wasn’t nominated, I can go with my heart as well as my gut:
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
Ida Life Itself would have been a sentimental favorite among the documentaries, but it wasn’t nominated. The Academy has sidestepped controversy the last three years with films about music (Twenty Feet from Stardom, Searching for Sugar Man) and Football (Undefeated). Two of this year’s nominees are about photographers and one is about conservationists and park rangers protecting gorillas. Unless the Academy suddenly grows a pair and votes for Citizenfour, about
whistleblower Edward Snowden, I think they’ll dip safely into more distant history:
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:
Last Days in Vietnam There are no lightweights among the short docs. Faced with incurable illnesses and animal slaughter, I think the voters will go with another side of American Sniper’s account of PTSD:
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM: Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1 With no clear-cut alternative, the short cartoon voters will turn to Disney:
BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM:
Feast And while I admired Parvaneh and the others, I’m guessing that what may be my favorite film of any length this year will cast its spell over Academy voters too:
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM:
Butter Lamp (La Lampe Au Beurre De Yak) There’s often a shutout at the Oscars and this year’s big loser will be The Imitation Game, with no awards for eight nominations; but hey, it’s an honor to be nominated. The awards air on ABC on February 22 at 7 p.m. I’m feeling pretty good about my predictions, but don’t rely on them for your office pool. If the results are too humiliating I’ll spend the 23rd moving into a monastery – if I can find one with a good screening room.
FILM
INTO THE WILD Movie Reviews
Bear Grylls On Celebrities, Survival & Running Wild
from keeping myself alive. It’s definitely more challenging whensex. you’re somebody hints of softcore Thetaking film becomes more who’s done nothing like this before. You’ve got romantic as details of the women’ s relationship of the outdoors as a boy. My parents and toemerge, think for them aCynthia’ lot of the time. But including s jealousy andit’s fearbeen According to Kalique Abrasax (Tuppence grandparents took me backpacking in the exciting toherbeyounger able to take these guys away. of losing lover. Writer-director Middleton), one of the three royal heirs to one Appalachian mountains and to our rustic cabin IPeter love seeing them comemuch aliveinwhen they’re Strickland is very control. With the most powerful dynasties in the onofLake Hartwell, where I learned to galaxy, set up facing difficult terraininand big stages challenges, both images of butterflies various of their time —not oil, water or some sparkly mineral— camp, fish, start a fire (and cook on it), forage emotionally and physically. It’s great helping life cycle, lush countryside and Cynthia’ s palatial is the precious commodity in our solar for wildmost berries and, most importantly, respect overcome that, whether it’s sometimes a fear of estate, this is very much an art film, system. Ironically, timethat happens to beNature the onehas people the beauty and bounty Mother heights or snake or whatever it is. annoyingly so. Most critics have adopted the thing working against Jupiter Ascending’ s to offer. proper Pavlovian response and are drooling over directors, the Wachowskis, these days. Fifteen On Running Wild With Bear Grylls, the Were they given any kind of training it, but I’m a bad critic and should be spanked. years ago, the siblings rewrote the sci-fi cinema British adventurer does the same thing beforehand to made prepare Strickland has thethem? film he wanted to make booksome whenofNeo donned a leather jacket. with the first world’s biggest celebrities. When it comes to training, weaverage said, viewer and made it well, but I think the Butthrilling in nearlytoevery sinceBen TheStiller Matrix It’s watchinstance a nervous “You’ve just got to bring two things– will be shouting the safe word to get outa big before (The Matrix Revolutions, Speed Racer, Cloud rappelling down a mountain on Scotland’s Isle bag of fortitude and a big backpack full of it’ s over. Atlas) the duo has failed to recreate much of Skye, a terrified Tom Arnold conquering his enthusiasm– and we’ll do the best when –Steve Warren movie magic. Tick, tick, tick.aOh, s just fear of heights by traversing treethat’ over a 50we’re out there.” The fun thing about it is the drop soundinofOregon, filmgoers’ growing impatience. foot and a boyish Zac Efron they’re not too prepared, A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONEyou AT know? NIGHTWe (NR) In thisto latest attempt up withBut that stoked see jumbled a wild beaver in to thekeep Catskills. wing it together, and you see them on camera the Christopher Nolans and Joss Whedons of what makes the show even more interesting is and15 making mistakes, that’s the In the first minutes of A Girland Walks Home alternative universes, theyit introduce us to stars Jupiter learning the rare, honest glimpse offers of these fun real part of it. The only training I did with Alone at Night we see a prostitute, a classic ‘50s Jones (Mila overwhelmed Kunis), daughter poor Russian of emotionally byofthe challenges any was with I wanted car of andthem oil fields. SinceZac, the because protagonist, Arash immigrants relegatedtotothe a life of waking pushing themselves limit in someupofatthe to(Arash skydive with him. So I t-shirt gave him some Marandi), in tight and jeans, looks world’s most beautiful wilderness areas. 4:45 a.m. to clean rich people’ s toilets. (Can’t training forDean, a couple of hours suggest the dayabefore. like James the elements blackGrylls– a former reservist in the Britishfrom a you just smell the Cinderella-ish plotline But beyond that, everyone else justfilms. arrived and-white mashup of Dean’s three Then Special Forces But (SAS) whoslater climbed planet away?) Jupiter’ mundane existence with and enthusiasm, I said, “Thethat Girl”fortitude (Sheila Vand), wearing the and Iranian Everest crossed Atlantic and changesand when creepythe lil’North aliens hired by whispery “We’ll do it altogether. ” the Northwest in an inflatable boat– Balem AbrasaxPassage (Eddie Redmayne) attempt to kill version of Goth, does her vampire thing on a dealer/pimp, and we’re in another cinematic recently to ussheabout theoffshow celleggs her onespoke day when sneaks to sellviaher Of all the places you’ve been, what’s the place universe. Perhaps the closest equivalent is From phone from a little cove off the south coast under a false name in order to buy a telescope that you connect with the most? of England. Dusk to Dawn, another mashup of genre films, in memory of her slain father. (No, seriously. Home! (Laughs) A lifetime of doing this has but thisme one’ s more scary than funnyI do – although The story is that convoluted.) At the same time, taught two things. One is that love the Where did the (Douglas idea for Running Wild come how seriously can you take a skateboard-riding Titus Abrasax Booth) hires genetically adventure. I love being out there. It’s where from? I knowbounty you did popular whoand encounters a man high onatecstasy engineered hunter Caineepisodes (Channing Ivampire come alive, it’s where I perform my ofTatum) Man Vs Wild with Will Ferrell and who’sI dressed Dracula? Writer-director to capture Jupiter for his own selfish best. love theaswildernesses we’ve gone toAna Jake Gyllenhaal. Hasover thisthe concept been Lily Amirpour’ s references span amost of the 20th reasons. All the fuss lowly housekeeper around the world, and it’s such privilege. But germinating in your mind ever since? century, plus 21st-century cat videos. When you is a result of her having a genetic sequence that going away a lot has also taught me the value Yes. Those Man Vs shows [with guest think you know what the movie is, it changes; perfectly matches theWild late matriarch of the of home. You know, I’ve got a lovely family, stars] haveempire, been very successful all around but by the end it proves to have been amazingly Abrasax making Jupiter the rightful the with three young boys. It’s the greatest driving world. were done that show, consistent. It’s not everyone,orbut those a heir toOnce Earth.we You’ d call thiswith phenomenon force when I’m up aformountain infor a jungle– we wanted to revisit We knew it who willlight appreciate – aswork I did hard – it’s worth “reincarnation. ” Theythis callformat. it “recurrence. ” Sadly, shining makingitme to get going out was that worked for to me,decipher it’s just to great lengths to see. If it’ s meant to show the that’asformat pretty much all you’lland, be able of there in one piece. really becauseThe youWachowskis get to knowsimply peopledon’t and corrupting influences of Western culture on Iran, in onefun screening. it’s such a good dynamic. So it was exciting corruptlook away!up to you as a survival expert. make the time to explain much else, so save People getting the“Why health hoops. –Steve Warren logicalthrough questionsalllike didand theysafety wait so Is there a particular teacher that you would Not a lot of it is planned, so that was quite long to find Jupiter?” or “How can people breath credit for giving you the most survival a without mountain forsometimes us to climb we even THE OSCAR-NOMINATED SHORT FILMS suits butbefore not others?” None knowledge? started. But NBC helped us through that, and 2015: of that really matters. You’re simply supposed Well, toANIMATED be honest,(NR) I don’t feel like I’m a fought a fewwith of those battles. expert. When I started off doing Man to be awed Caine’s slick flying boots and survival field is surprisingly in this category, his slow-motion fight sequences with talking VsThe Wild, I felt like more ofweak a survival expert You have aAnd lottruthfully, of experience dealing even though they whole world chooseI dragons. the visuals arewith a pretty because I’d just lefthad thethe military. That’stowhere these harsh climates and wild places. But is from and fromskills. outside distraction sometimes. But after 15 minutes of learned allpicked of my three survival Butthe theU.S. more it a lot of responsibility to take someone who theyI’ve have dialogue or narration s mostly of(Ifthis done, the more I realizeit’that I’m high-speed spaceship chases over Chicago, you doesn’t have experience in dealing with these English.) should away with the ainjack of a lotDisney of things, butwalk a master of very won’t help but look down at your watch. conditions? OscarEvery for Feast, flashback little. day Iwhich meetrecalls betterthe climbers, better –DeMarco Williams Yes, it’s a nightmare! When I’m on my sequence of Up assurvivalists. it traces a dog’ s life – and skydivers, better The thing about own I’ve got nothing to worry about apart his master’ s – in a 6-minute montage that’ me is that I’ll always work damn hard, I’lls a THE DUKE OF BURGUNDY (NR) masterpiece of concise storytelling. The Bigger Picture has the most impressive visual style, More people will view The Duke of Burgundy mixing 2D drawings with 3D objects, but there’s as being about lesbian S/M than about not much to the story of two brothers caring butterflies, but that just shows where their for their dying mum. Me and My Moulton is interests lie. There are hundreds of butterflies a detailed memoir set in Norway in 1965, of framed under glass on the walls of the study Evelyn (Chiara D’Anna) cleans for Cynthia (Sidse a 7-year-old middle sister who, because her parents are nonconformists, envies the “normal” Babett Knudsen), but only those two women family downstairs. In A Single Life a 45 r.p.m. engaged in sexual power games. This strange record (remember those?) acts as a time machine European world (filmed in Hungary) could exist in a brief conceptual cartoon that begs to be in the 19th century if not for the occasional fleshed out. Finally, The Dam Keeper is a dense phonograph and slide projector where women (men apparently don’t exist) gather to learn about drama that children and most adults will be unable to understand. A young pig has inherited butterflies. At first it appears that Cynthia, the lepidopterist, is just in a bad mood (making this a the job of maintaining the dam that protects the village; but he’s still in school, where he’s period piece in more ways than one) and Evelyn friendless and bullied – until he meets a pretty is her employee-with-benefits; but we learn young fox. Four unpreviewed shorts, including they’re acting out a ritual Evelyn has devised, one by Bill Plympton, have been added to the the submissive partner calling the shots. Don’t program to boost the running time. Let’s hope go looking for porn. If you like black lingerie they’re winners, even though they weren’t you’ll see plenty, along with boot-polishing, nominated. panty-washing, keyhole-peeping, corset-lacing –Steve Warren and overnight imprisonment, but only slight
BY BRET LOVE
I
JUPITER ASCENDING DEVELOPED MY LIFELONG LOVE
THE WILD IS VERY REVEALING. YOU GET TO KNOW PEOPLE IN A WAY THAT YOU NEVER DO OTHERWISE, BECAUSE THEY’RE UNCOVERED AND VULNERABLE. YOU GET TO KNOW THEIR STRUGGLES, THEIR DOUBTS, THEIR TRIUMPHS, THEIR HIGHS AND THEIR LOWS.
THE OSCAR-NOMINATED SHORT FILMS 2015: LIVE ACTION (NR)
Once keep againcheerful the Academy gone always evenhas when it’sabroad miserable, for all the nominees in this category, it was and I always go for it. But as for thebut training, worthwas thefrom trip. the Parvaneh, madeaas a 99% militaryamazingly and I learned Masters’ about teenage Afghan bunch asthesis a kid film, with ismy dad,awho’d been a girl (Nissa Kashani expect and to seeloved moreallofthis her!) commander and a –climber who’ s being taken advantage of while she tries stuff. He’ll be turning in his grave if I only to get legal immigrant status in Switzerland. While credit him with 1 percent… He’s about 50%! attempting to send money family actually she But he taught me the lovetoofher it, which gets intofortheeverything. female equivalent of a bromance. counts Boogaloo and Graham is a bittersweet childhood vignette youngto brothers keeping Have youabout hadtwo a chance take your boys on chickens as pets amid the “troubles” in Belfast in any of these adventures? 1978. Yes, IAya barely get to do squeaks that the under rest ofthe the40-minute year, when limitdon’t to qualify as acameras short. Almost funny, almost we have TV around us. They romantic, thisnow encounter an Israeli love it! Right I’m in between a little cove off the womancoast whoofacts on impulse and aatDanish visitor south England, looking all three who doesn’t is awkward, charmingly boys, stark naked in thesometimes sea in the pouring rain. I’mPhone sheltered under fallen tree,oftrying to so. The Call has theaadvantage keep out ofasthe rain while talking to you. starpower Sally Hawkins takes a call fromBut a they love it.Jim They live it. It’s in their DNA, forat distraught Broadbent (heard but not seen) sure. a crisis center. My personal Oscar goes to Butter Lamp (La Lampe au Beurre de Yak), in which You’ve visited so many inhospitable places. a stationary camera captures a succession of How do as you nail down placesphotographer you want to families they pose for athe traveling film in?Tibet, just before changing times in rural Well, wetheir try village. and pickI liked diverse terrains. The overtake all five but I loved Isle Skye in Scotland is just barren and this of one! windswept, cold and rainy. So we contrasted –Steve Warren that with the hot deserts and dramatic rock faces Utah. If somebody has a real wish (NR) to SHE’SofBEAUTIFUL WHEN SHE’S ANGRY go somewhere, we pick that. But really, it’s all ½ about and Therediversity was more to the the challenging terrain. Women’s Movement than a “bunch o’ damn bra-burners.” Although Has beenitathere’ place traveled I livedthere through s ayou’ve lot I didn’t knowthat was so incredibly difficult that you or had forgotten until I saw Mary Dore’have s no desire to go back? documentary. By 1966 the Civil Rights and Probablymovements the black swamps of Sumatra, Anti-War were established, and where the tsunami hit in 2001 decimated both were run almost entirely byand men. Some awomen big part of the they island. just of this stinking, realized hadIt’s issues their own and black, rotting swamp, with all of these needed a movement of their own. It began with crocodiles off the for 6500 human(NOW), corpses. the Nationalfeeding Organization Women but they were too polite and conservative for some. Women of color and lesbians were among those who broke off to form more radical groups, which became known collectively as Women’s Liberation. Many of those activists are shown then and now, and Dore focuses more on grass roots movements than the national scene. She’d rather talk about Jane, the Chicago service that gave women access to safe abortions before they were legal; and the Boston women who authored “Our Bodies, Ourselves” to teach about women’s health issues. There’s a fair amount of Betty Friedan and Kate Millett but Gloria Steinem is barely glimpsed. Women have come a long way since then, doing jobs they weren’t previously considered for and sometimes earning almost as much as men for the same jobs; but continued opposition to abortion rights and issues around rape on campuses and in the military show there’s still a lot to be done. In that sense this well-made film is empowering as well as educational. –Steve Warren
STILL ALICE STILL ALICE (PG-13)
½ It distresses me that if/when I develop Alzheimer’s it won’t be considered They lost of disease a lot of lives in that disaster, and “early onset. ” That’s not the case for Alice it’s become a disease-ridden, crocodile-filled, Howland (Julianne Moore), brilliant, snake-filled place. So yes, I’ma vital, not going to 50-year-old Columbia hurry back to that one.linguistics professor. She quickly escalates from occasionally groping a wordbeing to getting on the that What isfor it about in thelost wilderness familiar campus, and consults a neurologist speaks to you personally? who the bad news. You The get lasttogreat Thegives wildher is very revealing. know dementia was you 2007’s Away people in drama a way that never dofrom otherwise, Her, withthey’re Julie Christie as a and woman nearly a because uncovered vulnerable. generation older than Alice. Neither You get to know their struggles, theirMoore doubts, nor film is quite good,and buttheir there’s an And theirher triumphs, theirashighs lows. awful to recommend here. might if stufflot happens in the wild, it’sMoore unpredictable. not scoop manyvery acting awardsand so I’ve easily Things canupgosowrong quickly, got in a more competitive year – notthese because a massive responsibility to keep guysshe’s not because writer-directors alive.perfection But I lovebut that challenge. Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland keep What do you think it ishelp thatbeing makesmoved a celebrity things subtle. You can’t by want to do kinddoesn’t of adventure? the story butthis Moore indulge in a lot of They’re not doing it for to thetug money, the at Oscar-baiting histrionics relentlessly fame,heartstrings. or the exposure. These haveyour all of your Instead sheguys reaches that. They don’t needbrain. to takeAlec risks. And the heart by way of your Baldwin is truthasofher doing this is that is a risk.and You’re fine amazingly loyalithusband even going toStewart look likeis you’re not brave Kristen surprisingly goodorasstrong, the or whatever. I think it’s a testament the are youngest of their three children (theto others idea that peopleand at heart love to challenge Kate Bosworth Hunter Parrish). The most themselves.plot These guys have allsetreached interesting twist is poorly up with a top cell of their profession, we all have that lost phone bit that’s but especially unbelievable yearningeverything inside: If our family’s because elselives ringsorsoour true. It’s lives were reallythat on athe line, havememory I got what likewise ironic film about loss it takes to survive? Almost all of these should be as unforgettable as Still Alice.guys said one of the best bits was having–Steve spaceWarren and time to think about life and how lucky they have been. TheINoutdoors does that.(NR) It creates WHAT WE DO THE SHADOWS bonds between people and it gives us space ½ toThey breathe. At the end of it, all of them had aof had me at “from the creators of Flight smile on their face light in their eyes the Conchords, ” butand theyacouldn’t hold on tothat me money can’t buy. Fame doesn’t do it. Drugs with this mildly amusing mockumentary about don’tZealand’s do it. Booze doesn’t doofit.the It’sundead, the power New secret society of the wild, and I’ve seen it a ton in people. primarily vampires. A mortal crew, protected by contracts and crucifixes, has been allowed to film four vampire flatmates, ranging in age from a “rebellious young” 183 to a Nosferatulooking 8000. They party together in search of blood but squabble at home about things like whose turn it is to do the dishes. There’s some turnover with the arrival of a convert and the final death of an old-timer, while their human servant waits to be initiated into eternal life in return for her work. There are a few good laughs, but surprisingly few considering the Conchords pedigree, which stems mostly from Jemaine Clement, who plays a grumpy old vampire with little flair. He co-wrote and co-directed with Taika Waititi, who had less to do with the TV series but plays a major role here, less than outstandingly. Hyped highlights, which prove not-so-high despite how low the bar’s been set, are the Unholy Masquerade ball and a vampires-vs.-werewolves confrontation. Come to think of it, there was more unintentional humor in the Twilight films than there is intentional humor here. –Steve Warren insiteatlanta.com • February 2015 • PG 15
COMEDY
THIS IS THE SPOT
Kathleen Madigan has Found the Perfect Level of Fame seen anyone misbehave, they’ll go “Shhhh!” Cosby shows have turned into “sex-joke Fridays” because there are basically no bouncers! Literally, you have 70 to 75-yearold ushers who only wanted to see the Sound Of Music sing along.
BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH
F
OR OVER A QUARTER CENTURY, Kathleen Madigan has been doing what makes her happy: making people laugh. With numerous appearances on every major talk and variety show, the natural progression would be to star in You were on the second episode of the new her own series or a choice film role, right? Larry Wilmore show on Comedy Central. She’s not interested, because she’s too I love him. He’s so smart, so irreverent, busy doing exactly what she enjoys. The without even trying. That’s just Larry. I’m Missouri-born performer, with a career gonna be back on there [February 11]. I resume that includes cable specials and like it that they’re gonna spend time on many visits to Leno, Letterman, Conan, one subject. Ferguson and Wilmore, was nominated for a 2014 American Comedy Award for Best He certainly doesn’t steer clear of Concert Comic and her third hour-long controversial topics or hot-button issues. special, Madigan Again, was named one Not at all! And I’m glad. You know, I of iTunes Best Comedy Albums of 2013. think for people in our ageShe’s currently playing range, we’re kinda sick of major theaters across the the five-second mentality. country and prepping for If I sat around with Lewis another tour of duty with Black and Larry and we’re CMT’s Salute to the Troops talking about Bill Cosby, special. The gregarious FEBRUARY 28 we’re gonna spend some Madigan spoke with INsite time on it; more than 30 Variety Playhouse from her home in Los seconds. To have a good Angeles about her comedy, variety-playhouse.com discussion, we need to career and friends Lewis keep talking. Black and Ron White.
KATHLEEN MADIGAN
When you perform, it really looks like you truly enjoy what you do. That’s real. I don’t even have to fake it. No matter how crappy the day, or if I have the flu or whatever, it’s still fun. And that’s why I prefer live shows to doing a sitcom or a movie. It’s the energy of the people. I couldn’t sit here and do it for myself. Well, I could, but it would be the first sign before I end up in the psych ward! I just love the energy of live people. They got off the couch, hired and sitter and came to the show. Good for them! So many comics are angling for a sitcom or a movie, or a hosting gig. Yeah and even my agents don’t really get it. From the beginning, my goal was to be a comedian. I’ve reached it, so why can’t I just do it? I blame it mostly on Oprah and Tony Robbins and all those people. If you have a goal and you’ve reached it, you’re supposed to immediately reset your engines? Why? This is fine. You’re in a great position. Like this tour, it’s not arenas, its comfortable theaters. This is the spot. I’d never want to be at a Madonna level of fame. Jerry Seinfeld has reached it, Chris Rock has reached it, but they can still do a club in New York if they want to. People would be excited but they’re not like lunatic, rock star fans. This is perfect. The theaters I’m playing, most of them are like 1500 seats, so we’ll have a good time. And it sure beats one-nighters. Oh yes. I don’t want to go back to those. I could, but I don’t have to now. I put on Twitter, that’s essentially what Bill Cosby’s shows are now. His shows have essentially become “Second Show Fridays in a comedy club.” Notoriously, the worst shows of the week. People go to Happy Hour, and head to the Punchline or whatever and by 11 o’clock they’re hammered and out of control. In a theater, with ushers that are basically my mother’s age who have never PG 16 • February 2015 • insiteatlanta.com
But in your own act, you aren’t directly controversial or combative at all. No, I don’t like it. It’s not my thing, and I think it’s because I’m the middle child of a big family and I prefer no commotion, if we can somehow arrange that. I’m here to point out the absurd – in a funny way. I’m not here to change your mind, really. For me, that’s the way the job gets done. Let’s talk about your friends Ron White and Lewis Black. They’re my golfing buddies! They’re both like really great, older brothers. Just fun, funny people. People say, “Isn’t it difficult being a woman comic?” I say, “I don’t know, because these guys are completely lovely to me.” I’m doing Ron’s Salute To The Troops again in March, too. That’s fun, because we get to go a day early and golf at a secret place. On the surface, you three make a
rather odd triple, but it works. Yeah. Well, Ron is Elvis. He’s impulsive, in the moment, he’s present. Then there’s me. Lewis overthinks everything. He’s the least impulsive. Like, if I’m with Ron, I can be led down very crazy roads. If I’m with Lew, we don’t do anything crazy, or impulsive. With Ron, I could end up in Mexico, on a donkey, wearing a sombrero and not even know how I got there, but having the time of my life. You’ve been on USO shows with those guys. Were you ever in danger over there? I think there was more danger than we were aware of. We were doing shows in Mosul, and the base was getting mortared. But it’s like a small community college size, so they were like, “Keep talking, that’s just the science building!” I just feel very safe with those Army guys. Maybe too safe. I feel like, “Ok this person could kill anyone, so it’s ok, right?” We were there, right when we were at the apex of controlling all of it. Now, ISIS took over Mosul, and I’m like, “That is so weird, we were just there, like three years ago, and now it’s all ISIS, unbelievable.” I wouldn’t go there now. Now that would be one tough crowd! (laughs) Yeah, especially as a
woman! I don’t complain about being a female comedian, I actually don’t mind it all, but here? Ah, no you guys, I am NOT going on first! Did you, Lewis or Ron alter your material to fit the military situation? We did the same stuff we’d do anywhere. Even Lewis, he can be really political and he also points out the absurd, and he just did his act. The guys don’t care, they are just so happy somebody showed up. A lot of these people are just doing a job, and they’re doing it really well. It doesn’t mean they either agree or disagree with Lewis, but he didn’t hold back, which I thought was pretty gutsy! Much more than I’d be onstage. As a visitor, were you surprised at the situation over there? Let’s say I’m your normal American. I had no idea, from television, what Afghanistan is like. Or if you drive into downtown Kabul, it makes Tijuana look like Vegas! You can’t even believe what we’re involved in over there. Do we want this? Why are we here? I say, “Let’s attack Italy. I love pasta and olives. I love wine. If somebody says we’re gonna attack Italy, I’d get it.” And you’re on another USO tour in March. It’s called Salute to the Troops, it’s on CMT and Ron’s the host and it’s his show. Four or five comics are on it, and all the money goes to the Wounded Warrior thing. I don’t know who else is going yet, but just show up, be nice and be funny. We don’t want any pains in the ass. Is there a line of good taste that you won’t cross? It’s not really a set line. There’s a lot of stuff I won’t talk about because I’m not interested, for various reasons. But I do think your taste onstage is directly in-line with your taste offstage. People go, “Oh well, he’s only like that onstage.” I go, “Hmm, I bet you’re wrong, I bet he or she is like that a lot.” What I bring onstage is me. You can present a different person onstage as a character, but that the end of the day, I think you’re still giving out some version of you. If it comes out on stage, it’s a part of you, whether you want to own it or not. Kathleen Madigan performs February 11 on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore on Comedy Central.
MUSIC
MUSIC
ON THE RECORD
Lloyd Cole’s Standards is a Superior Album culture in general. Yes. Culture indeed. Probably ever since I saw Joe Strummer with that mohawk, when it was too late, when he was in the final version of the Clash, it looked like he was just desperately trying to hang on to some concept of youth culture. I just thought, “God, I hope I really never do that!” I think I’ve always been terrified of that type of thing, and therefore, as soon as I got into my middle age, I started thinking about making sure I made age-appropriate music. Really, I do the same type of thing I did in 1984 now, I write songs.
BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH
S
INGER-SONGWRITER LLOYD COLE rose to prominence in the ‘80s, often backed by his stellar outfit of mates known as The Commotions. Since the early ‘90s, his considerable output has included gentle acoustic, electronic experimentations, ‘60s and ‘80s-influenced folk-rock and even delicately country-tinged material, all delivered with an enduring and often self-effacing confidence. It should come as no surprise to longtime fans that his newest release Standards carries on in the typical Cole fashion. Literate narratives, backed by precise musicianship and And what a great team you assembled. special guests including friends Matthew Sweet Matthew Sweet and Fred Maher have been and Fred Maher, propel the album to one of the constants on some of your best stuff from best in his catalog. The reserved Englishman is the past. on tour in the US and performs That was the thinking, if I’m two shows at Eddie’s Attic this gonna do this, I wanna work month. He spoke at length with the rhythm section I always with INsite from his home in FEBRUARY 12 & 13 thought could do it. I mean the Massachusetts. Commotions rhythm section Eddie’s Attic was fantastic as well. But that, You’ve said you want people you can’t really go there. We eddiesattic.com to have an “album” experience can’t really go there without with this record. calling it “reunited.” Fred, Yeah, the actual design, the Matthew and I have got a thing together, 21 packing of this record, was specifically aimed years after we’d done it previously, and it just at having a tactile experience. I wanted it to feel felt exactly the same. Matthew, particularly, was like a book or an album, not a playlist. And I really helpful, during the basic tracks. He was don’t have a problem with people that want to very vocally enthusiastic about the material I’d work in playlists, I just think that when I deliver written. It was nice to have a sort of cheerleader the album to people in the first place, this is while we were doing it. how I want it to be. Standards, like your previous release, was It has to make sense, and that’s the main fan-funded. Is that a necessity these days? function of the album concept. Some of the time, it’s a necessity, yeah. It is. I always remember reading about Bruce This time around, I basically called everyone Springsteen in the ‘70s and ‘80s. He had a song executive producers, which is what you are if called “Point Blank,” which he wrote in the you put money up for a project. mid-‘70s, and he didn’t put it on an album until the early ‘80s, because he couldn’t find the right J.J. Abrams (Star Wars, Star Trek) is also album for it. credited as an executive producer. We recorded basics in LA at his studio. He’s Bob Dylan’s Tempest (2012) was a big been a friend since he was getting started with influence on this album, right? the TV show Felicity. He approached me to see Well yeah. Salon.com actually asked me to if I might be able to help him with the music for review Tempest. So I spent a whole day with it. it. It never panned out, but we’ve been in touch It made me cry, like three times, which is quite ever since. We’re not best friends or anything, bizarre. I’m not much a crier in my old age, but but we’re in touch. He let me use the studio for that song “Long And Wasted Years” completely the basic tracks and I gave him a little concert hit me sideways a few times. in exchange.
TRACK SUITS 11 HOME RELEASES More Weapons THE LATEST DVD, BLU RAY & VOD RELEASES
BY BLUE SULLIVAN
I
T’S FEBRUARY, WHICH MEANS Valentine’s Day, a non-work holiday that is important largely for uniting candy-coated excess and undesired dinner reservations in an unbridled expression of love, sweet love. For the more cynical among you, it’s also the greatest hate-watch holiday of all time, so there’s no reason everyone can’t be happy for at least one day this month. To celebrate both the worst and best holiday of the year, Track Suits has lovingly compiled a set of Valentine’sthemed tracks which are sure to get your significant other in the mood. On second thought, let’s shelf that and give you a few choice dancefloor thumpers instead.
LLOYD COLE
What was your overall take on that album? I came away from the record with the distinct impression that Dylan has got no concept of age or “age appropriate” or any of those type of ideas. He’s just basically doing what he’s always done. Without regard to his audience, critics or
And now you’re out on the road playing the album. Yeah! I’m just really happy that the record is out and I’m very much looking forward to being back in Decatur. I know that area reasonably well as I’ve played Eddie’s a few times. I’m looking forward to putting on a great show.
FILM
MARK KNIGHT
“Return of Wolfy” This month’s suite of songs represents a kind of itunes closet-cleaning, since it centers on stuff I meant to write about last year, but never got around to. This is one such a song, a bouncy retro-house jam that could easily pass for a fantastic vocal-free club remix of John Newman’s “Love Me Again”. And since “Love Me Again” is the best pop song of the decade, that is very high praise, indeed.
BY BRET LOVE AND JOHN MOORE
BANSHEE: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON This Cinemax series has pivoted from being an oddly fascinating show with complex characters to being a run-of-the-mill action show with gratuitous sex scenes shoehorned between gunfights. Created by novelist Jonathan Tropper and Alan Ball (True Blood, Six Feet Under), Banshee is set in Amish country and focuses on an ex-con who moves in and takes over the identity of the new sheriff. He pairs up with his ex, who lives there, and battles the local gang. Here’s hoping season 3 tones down the action and refocuses more on the characters. THE BOB NEWHART SHOW: SEASON 5 & THE FINAL SEASON 20th Century Fox released the first four seasons of this classic ‘70s sitcom– which followed a psychologist (Bob Newhart), his sharp-tongued wife (Suzanne Pleshette) and his kooky patients– in 2005 and 2006. But until Shout Factory acquired the rights last year, these final two seasons had never been available in individual sets. Though the show had slipped somewhat in popularity by 1976, the quality remained high: Newhart is still the ultimate comedic straight man, and character actors such as Bill Daily, Marcia Wallace and Jack Riley helped make The Bob Newhart Show one of the greatest sitcoms of all time.
TRACQUES
PREDESTINATION Largely ignored in theaters, this sci-fi mindbender is unique enough to deserve a second life on DVD/Blu Ray. Based on a Robert A. Heinlein short story, the film follows a time traveling special agent (Ethan Hawke); a woman born with both male and female productive organs (excellent Aussie newcomer Sarah Snook); and the mysterious stranger/terrorist who ruined both their lives. It’s flawed and confusing at times, but endlessly inventive, marking another intriguing effort from German brothers Michael and Peter Spierig (Daybreakers) who wrote and directed the film.
Retro Pick
RICHARD PRYOR: OMIT THE LOGIC Richard Pryor set a standard for comedy that few of his many heirs (from Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Dave Chapelle, Kevin Hart) have been able to rival. This documentary offers an overview of his life and career, and includes interviews with comedy legends such as Mel Brooks, Lily Tomlin, Whoopi Goldberg and Robin Williams. But it barely scratches the surface on Pryor’s influential legacy, leaving fans wishing for a more in-depth examination. Hopefully we’ll see more depth from the forthcoming Lee Daniels biopic, starring Mike Epps and produced by Oprah.
“Lunartick” From one of the many pseudonyms of the mighty Stuart Price (aka Thin White Duke, aka Les Rhythmes Digitales, aka Paper Faces, aka Jacques Lu Cont). A grinding tech-house machine that builds and builds and builds until it explodes into a frenzy of white noise, this song shows that minimalism is sometimes capable of yielding maximum results. The Tracques album, entitled Volume 1, was criminally ignored by most of the press. Don’t make the same mistake.
LEFTFIELD
“Open Up” (Zoo DJs Breakbeat Mix) One of the true pioneers of what’s come to be known as EDM, Leftfield doesn’t get nearly the same love as their 90s/early-00s contemporaries like Daft Punk, Chemical Brothers or Fatboy Slim. Perhaps that’s because they only released two proper albums, 1995’s Leftism and 1999’s Rhythm and Stealth, before breaking up. But both of those albums contain absolutely seminal songs, so let’s salute one from Leftism with a freshly spit-shined make-over. If you would like to hear this month’s tracks-and a few more great ones we didn’t have room to write about--check our “Track Suits Mix” at: mixcloud.com/tracksuits. Or follow me on twitter @bluesullivan1. (Special thanks to TJ Kenney and my super sibling Jody for their help curating this.)
THE SKELETON TWINS This dark comedy boasts a stellar cast and engaging storyline, but– aside from two brief moments of levity– it’s mostly a bleak affair. Kristin Wiig and Bill Hader play estranged siblings living on opposite sides of the country who, coincidentally, attempt suicide on the same day. Afterwards, struggling actor Milo (Hader) moves in with his sister Maggie (Wiig) and her husband (Luke Wilson). The movie largely unfolds in typical Hollywood fashion. But, given how solid Wiig and Hader are, you can’t help but enjoy the result, even if you know exactly where the plot is heading. insiteatlanta.com • February 2015 • PG 17
MUSIC
Album Reviews
REVIEWS BY BRET LOVE, LEE VALENTINE SMITH AND JOHN B. MOORE
Meiko
Lovers and Fighters
(Fantasy/Concord Music)
Wonderfully charming EP collection of love songs, perfect for Valentine’s Day. Originally from Roberta, Georgia, and now based in Los Angeles, singer-songwriter Meiko often depicts the youthful joys and pain of romance. On Dear You, her previous full-length release, the engaging performer offered a loosely threaded concept album of post-break-up “letters” to former lovers. The electrotinged collection featured a number of brilliantly subtle ruminations on romance, culminating with the heartbreakingly effective “Sweeter.” Now, on her new ep, that song reappears as the cornerstone of an all-too brief five-song set. Following in the wake of Dear You, it’s not necessarily a happy clap-along collection, but the overall message remains one of emotional catharsis. At best, it’s a brightly painted ode to the pains of love. The slight and bittersweet “Raincoat Song” takes a blithe swipe at an ex. “You’re Mine” is a chilly, electro-shaded salute to a new relationship in progress, with an infectious chorus and hushed delivery. “Oh My Soul” straddles electronic and easy-listening folkcountry with a decidedly ‘60s take on the melancholy side of affection. The happiest romp on the record is the playful “Weather For The Better,” a quirky, keyboard-driven pop confection that could very well be the most perfect pop song the prolific singer has ever released. –Lee Valentine Smith
Paul Skowron
Resurrection Road
(Level Black Records)
Surprisingly effective solo album of hardedged, bluesy tales of survival from a ‘90s metal survivor. As the pop-dominated ‘80s came to a close, metal was at the forefront of a popular wave of fan appreciation and PG 18 • February 2015 • insiteatlanta.com
marketing genius. If you lived through that time, you can easily list a dozen or so contenders for coveted slots on MTV’s Headbangers Ball series. One of the better ones to emerge from that tangle of hairspray and guitars was Noisy Mama. Originally from Youngstown, Ohio, the band had a brief run as an Atco recording act and gained a number of dedicated fans with multiple national tours. The band’s hyperactive frontman, Paul Skowron is bringing back some of those days with his new solo album. Instead of tired hard rock clichés, he peppers the disc with worldwise, blues-influenced delivery. The results are actually quite good, and should please diehard metal and even some caustic pop fans. The tunes often depict a sense of triumph over hardship, in the time-honed Springsteen tradition. The title track is a damned catchy ode to survival in the face of adversity, while the rest of the album, landing in “Doldrums,” “This Sad Day,” and even the best track, “Shake Yer Luv,” follow the jagged story-arc to a gritty conclusion with “New World Disorder.” Don’t let the titles fool you, each one is a surprisingly effective vignette, dramatically narrated by Skowron’s Tyler-esque wail. –John B. Moore
Sugar Candy Mountain Mystic Hits
(Royal Oakie)
Moonlight Towers
Heartbeat Overdrive
(Chicken Shack Records)
RALPH STANLEY & FRIENDS Man of Constant Sorrow (Cracker Barrel)
Austin-based four-piece Moonlight Towers play nostalgia pop/rock. But rather than paying homage to some overlooked classic bands of yore, they appear to be trying to relive the bloated ‘70s/’80s corporate rock of Foreigner, Journey and Loverboy. Their latest, Heartbeat Overdrive (which actually sounds like it could have been a Foreigner album title), more than just about anything they have put out previously, hammers this point home. Crammed with plenty of hooks and pained vocals, the result ends up sounding more like an earnest regional cover band, than an outfit looking to stake out an original sound for themselves. Plenty of bands have managed to take that barroom rocker sound to a national audience, bands like The Clarks and The Hold Steady, but the catch with those guys is that they were able to carve out new territory rather than simply aping their influences. C –John B. Moore
The Fireworks Switch Me On
(Shelflife Records)
Yup, a band that goes by the name Sugar Candy Mountain is just as odd and trippy as you’d expect. But that’s part of the appeal of these Bay Area neo hippies. On their latest, Mystic Hits, they churn out a baker’s dozen of swirly guitars, vocal feedback and layers and layers of keyboards that sound like a mix between The Beatles in their LSD years and Tame Impala. Mystic Hits was recorded partially in Brazil (and the influences are subtle, but they are there if you listen a couple of times through), where Will Halsey was staying at the time, and completed when he returned to California, reconnected with bandmate Ash Reiter and a handful of friends. Despite the split up nature of the recording process, there is a strong cohesiveness to the songs on Mystic Hits. At a time when the Flaming Lips, modern psychedelic pop’s most visible flag wavers have opted to spend their studio time hanging out with future pop culture footnote Miley Cyrus, Sugar Candy Mountain are more than ready to pick up that flag and keep the genre moving forward. B –John B. Moore
to turn in an infectious collection of songs that will is bound to bring the group even more attention in 2015. B+ –John B. Moore
Despite a fairly generic moniker, the debut full length from the UK-based The Fireworks, Switch Me On, manages to blow away any preconceived notions about this being just another run-of-the-mill indie pop band. Even with two solid 7 inches and a well-received EP to their name, this full length is proof that the band is deserving of every bit of critical praise they’ve received so far, as well as the growing fan base. A baker’s dozen of sweet male/female pop vocals over abrasive guitars with plenty of feedback, everyone from the Buzzcocks to The Jesus and Mary Chain and The Ravonettes can be heard in their sound; Even The Ramones’ influence can be spotted in a song like “Which Way to Go.” Uncompromising yet still easily accessible, the band has managed
A bluegrass legend surrounded by acolytes. Ralph Stanley may not have invented bluegrass, but– at age 87– he’s old enough to know the man that did personally. Growing up in the Clinch Mountains of rural southwest Virginia, he learned to play clawhammer-style banjo from his mother and soon developed his own unique style, which continues to influence young banjo players today. By 1946 Ralph and his brother Carter had formed a duo, the Stanley Brothers (which later evolved into The Clinch Mountain Boys), becoming the first group to copy the bluegrass sound popularized by Bill Monroe. Carter sang lead and played guitar, while Ralph’s searing high tenor harmonies established a distinctive soulful sound that made them among the most popular bluegrass acts of the ‘50s and ‘60s. Unfortunately Carter passed away from cirrhosis in 1966, but Ralph eventually revived the Clinch Mountain Boys and added two future legends– Ricky Skaggs and Keith Whitley— to the lineup. It was the 2000 film O Brother Where Art Thou? and its multi-platinum soundtrack that finally made Ralph Stanley a mainstream star, thanks to its Grammy for Album of the Year and his Best Male Country Vocal Performance win for his chilling a cappella rendition of “O, Death.” Man of Constant Sorrow is clearly aimed at the same audience that loved that album, and it features some of Stanley’s biggest celebrity fans singing alongside the bluegrass legend. The album opens with “We Shall Rise,” a lively lament of lost love in which Stanley provides high lonesome harmonies for country star Josh Turner, which is followed by the mid tempo country waltz of “I Only Exist” (featuring Dierks Bentley). But things get more interesting when he collaborates with performers outside the country spectrum: Elvis Costello takes the lead on an emotionally subdued “Red Wicked Wine,” Gillian Welch and partner David Rawlings lend their distinctive harmonies to the boot-kicking “Pig In a Pen,” and Robert Plant trades vocal riffs with Ralph on the chilling “Two Coats.” If there’s any complaint to be made about Man of Constant Sorrow, it’s that Ralph is all too often content to remain in the background, much as he was back in the Stanley Brothers days. But one listen to his solo on the closing title track and you realize that Ralph Stanley is the last of the first generation of bluegrass legends, with a unique talent that deserves to be out front. If this ultimately proves to be his swan song, it definitely ends his influential 70-year career on a high note.
Road Warriors
This Month’s Hottest Shows BY SACHA DZUBA
FEB. 10 – PHOX
Terminal West This sextet brings sounds of alternative, indie, folk, jazz and pop together in an unlikely but surprisingly smooth blend. Aspects of Feist are certainly in singer Monica Martin, but her vocals run, leap, and soar, bolstered by piano, strings, guitar, bass, drums, and horns. Sometimes understated but always emotionally affecting, Phox is a group of very closely knit high school friends and musicians. Their show is filled with cracking jokes on stage and giving the crowd a glimpse into their familylike relationship; along with their incredible music. Wonderful musical moments are punctuated when an unexpected instruments suddenly appear in the mix; flute, rhodes organ, whistles, hand claps, and clarinet. Check out their self-titled album release and don’t miss the opportunity to be drawn into the crazy and fun musical family of Phox.
FEB. 12 – PETE YORN: YOU & ME (ACOUSTIC)
Terminal West Pete Yorn has always epitomized an AllAmerican roots ‘n rock sound; from Musicforthemorningafter to his S/T and Olms albums. He greatly enjoyed his solo acoustic gigs from last year and has extended his tour while he’s been finishing his forthcoming album. Yorn says, “You’ll hear stuff from all my side projects, the Olms (his duo with pal J.D. King), stuff from ‘Break Up’ (his album with actress-singer Scarlett Johansson), and rare stuff from the compilation albums.’’ The
duet album with Johansson is inspired by the famed 1970’s duets of Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot. Expect a tailor-made audience interactive show; Pete doesn’t use a set list…as he finds it feels restrictive.
FEB. 12 – JESSIE J
Center Stage Jessie J is a British singer and songwriter from London; soul vocals mixed with electropop, rap, pop, R&B, and hip hop. After years of being signed, she’s finally being discovered and embraced fully by America. She’s a brilliant and soulful singer, very much the UK’s answer to Katy Perry; and she has a charming sense of humor and party tricks to boot! The girl can actually sing with her mouth closed; youtube it. The really great thing about Jessie J however, is that she encapsulates and eclipses many of todays pops singers; likely owing to her own prowess as a ghost songwriter. Jessie co-wrote Miley Cyrus’ hit “Party in the USA” and Chris Brown’s “I Need This”. Jessie’s songs and music share aspects of Rihanna, Ellie Goulding, Pink, and Katy Perry…but she certainly has a style and voice that is all her own. Don’t miss this powerhouse performer from across the pond!
FEB. 14 – AILEEN LOY & TILL SOMEONE LOSES AN EYE
The Earl Passionate, intense, feral, and whimsical; Aileen’s unique vocal theatricality along with Michael A Robinson or drums, Sam McPherson on guitar, and Chris Tinsley on bass combine to form the brilliant and incomparable
musical madness of Aileen Loy & Till Someone Loses An Eye. An evening of the murder ballads of Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Nirvana and more await you; along with some lesserknown love ballads gone horribly wrong… and oh yes, there will be blood and photo ops. Joining them is Thimblerig Circus, made up of the last three surviving members of the famous Moldavian circus. Thimblerig is excited to share Moldavian traditions involving juggling, fire-eating, and putting nails where nails should not go. With so many bleeding hearts, Valentine’s Day pressure can be too much for some people. Relieve the pressure with Bloody Valentines – An Evening of Murder Ballads and Mayhem at the Earl.
FEB. 17 – THE SWEEPLINGS
Smith’s Olde Bar (The Atlanta Room) The Sweeplings are Nashville songwriter, singer/guitarist Whitney Dean, and America’s Got Talent singer/pianist Cami Bradley. The two began collaborating musically via Skype sessions; to quote Bradley herself, it was “a little bit magical”. Certainly the thing for fans of The Civil Wars, but furthering a more ethereal musical scope with piano, strings, guitar instrumentation, and brightly soaring melodies of entwining male and female vocals. Cami’s vocals particularly emanate silky smooth and clear as a bell with Whitney’s own softly supportive vocals weaving in, out, and around her own. A magical new duo, don’t miss the opportunity to experience their moving musical creations in the intimacy of Smith’s Atlanta room.
FEB. 28 – HELMET
The Masquerade Often considered “thinking man’s metal”, Helmet have always been alternative metal/ rock with experimental dabblings in other styles and noises. Helmet defined a signature sound of syncopated, staccato, jagged guitars, distorted and dissonant in dropped-D or dropped-C; with choruses punctuated by
Jessie J
guitar feedback waves. Though their release, Meantime, is still classic; this tour focuses instead on the 20th anniversary of their album Betty. Critically praised for its genre-defying exploration into jazz, blues and improvisation; the band will be playing Betty from start to finish followed by a second set ranging the entirety of Helmet’s catalog. Mastermind Page Hamilton said, “The Betty album presents a challenge because there are a lot of dynamic and textural things.” This is a treat for all intellectual metal heads. Safety first, don’t forget your metal horns and Helmet.
MARCH 3 – SCOTT WEILAND & THE WILDABOUTS
The Masquerade Scott Weiland, the brilliantly unpredictable and wild frontman of Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver brings his new band and music to town. Coming soon is Blaster, his debut album with band the Wildabouts. It is “guitarheavy” and “furry” with elements of garage rock and “sludgy, bluesy stomp”; inspired by noise bands of the ‘60s and ‘70s, says Weiland. Their performance will celebrate music from the performer’s illustrious past and gaze into the future with songs from STP, VR, and even some savvy covers; along with new music from the Wildabouts themselves. This is a consummate and talented performer with a fantastic voice and a sexy slithery shimmy; don’t miss Scott Weiland & the Wildabouts!
EVENTS
THE REAL SUPER SUNDAY
A Celebration of New Orleans’ Mardi Gras Indians
BY BRET LOVE
L
IKE MOST PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF New Orleans, I knew nothing about the cultural heritage of New Orleans’ Mardi Gras Indians until I watched the HBO show Treme. Created by David Simon and Eric Overmyer (who also created The Wire), the show followed a variety of different residents from the historic Tremé (pronounced Tre-may) neighborhood– a hodgepodge of musicians, chefs, community activists and Mardi Gras Indians– who are struggling to put their lives, homes and culture back together in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Historically a racially mixed neighborhood
located just outside the French Quarter of New Orleans, Tremé was populated by free people of color even before and during the Civil War, thanks to the period of Spanish rule. Today, it remains the center of the city’s rich musical and culinary culture– the place where African-American and Créole traditions intersect. Jazz was born there, evolving out of the African musical traditions kept alive by weekly celebrations in Congo Square, along with Second Line brass bands and Mardi Gras Indians. The history of Mardi Gras Indian culture can be traced back to the 1700s. When Jean-Baptise Le Moyne founded the port colony and river fort of Nouvelle Orle’ans in 1718, the French were using captive Native Americans as slaves. But the Indians prized their freedom, and often escaped into the bayous of Louisiana, where their captors were too afraid to follow. By 1719 the first ships of slaves from West Africa had arrived in the French Quarter, where many were sold and trained to work on local plantations. In 1725, the first of many African slaves escaped into the bayou with help from the Choctaw, Seminoles and Chickasaws. They were taught to live off the land in what were known as “Maroon Camps,” and many of them banded together with the Indians for the Natchez Revolt of 1729. Historical records suggest that blacks were dressing as Indians to celebrate Mardi Gras as early as 1746, and intermingling of the two races led to a boom in mulatto babies. Some of these Creoles even used their costumes to sneak
into secret society Mardi Gras balls, prompting the Spanish government that ran New Orleans at the time to ban them from wearing masks. So instead they stayed in the black neighborhoods around Congo Square, until the 1811 slave revolt led to a ban on all gatherings by people of color, regardless of whether they were slaves or free men. For over a hundred years the Mardi Gras Indian tradition remained largely underground, dividing geographically into loosely organized gangs, which are now known as tribes. They would gather to sing and chant in the ancient tribal tradition, working all year long to create colorful suits bedecked with intricate hand beading, false gems and decorative feathers, as well as matching accessories such as staffs, shields and tribal flags. On Mardi Gras day, when the police were busy protecting the French Quarter, they would take to the streets of their neighborhoods to strut their stuff and honor the Indians who had helped them obtain their freedom. This was how the black indians came to be known as Mardi Grad Indians. When they met with another rival tribe, it often led to violence, with stabbings and shootings a relatively common occurrence. By the mid-20th century, the ritualistic warfare had given way to a friendlier form of competition based on tribal-style dancing and singing, and who could make the prettiest costume. These days the Mardi Gras Indians tend to spend thousands of dollars on making their outfits, which they will wear only twice–
once on Mardi Gras, and once on Super Sunday– before destroying them or donating them to locals museums. Super Sunday is typically held on the third Sunday of March, in celebration of the Catholic holiday of St. Joseph’s Day. But because the Mardi Gras Indians put so much time and energy into their elaborate suits, and feathers do not look good when wet, they cancel the event anytime there’s a threat of rain. Fortunately last year the skies were clear and you could see the Mardi Gras Indians’ colorful costumes laid out at the corners of the park, most with Native American or African tribal themes in their remarkable beadwork. Nearly every “Big Chief”– the patriarchal leader of the tribe– was accompanied by his dancing “Queen.” Older sons occasionally served as “Spy Boys,” walking ahead of the tribe to clear a path through the thronged masses of people angling for a photo. Costumed kids ranged in age from around 2 years old to older teens, gamely trudging along behind their parents, strutting their stuff, and proudly showing off their costumes for the crowd. It seemed somehow appropriate that, as the Mardi Gras Indians passed down an AfricanAmerican tradition that dates back hundreds of years, I was passing down my love of culture and photography to my child. While Mardi Gras may get a lot more attention from the media and travelers alike, Super Sunday is an incredibly unique and intimate celebration of the Mardi Gras Indian tradition that everyone should experience at least once in their life.
insiteatlanta.com • February 2015 • PG 19
MUSIC
BAUHAUS, BLACK MAGICK & BENEDICTION David J’s New Book Pulls Back the Curtain On the Legendary Goth-Rock Pioneers BY BRET LOVE
O
FFERING A GROUNDBREAKING fusion of post-punk, funk, dub reggae and glam, Bauhaus burst out of Northampton, England in 1979 with a 9-minute single called “Bela Lugosi’s Dead.” Named after the German art movement of the 1920s, the quartet– Kevin Haskins on drums, his brother David J Haskins on bass, Daniel Ash on guitar and Peter Murphy on vocals– gave birth to what became known as goth-rock. On paper their personalities couldn’t have been more different, but the combustible chemistry that was their greatest asset ultimately proved their undoing. Though the band imploded in 1983, their brooding intensity and artful theatricality proved a formative influence on an array of the alt-rock scene’s leading lights, including Nirvana, Jane’s Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, Soundgarden, Elliott Smith, Smashing Pumpkins and Interpol. Ash and the Haskins brothers went on to have greater commercial success with their postBauhaus band, Love & Rockets. The band tried to work through their interpersonal issues for a 1998 tour and a 2005 reunion. But, as detailed in David J’s candid new tell-all book, Who Killed Mr. Moonlight? Bauhaus, Black Magick & Benediction, Murphy’s fragile ego and diva-like antics ultimately made him impossible to work with. The band called it quits, seemingly for good, in 2008 and haven’t spoken to each other since. A huge Bauhaus and Love & Rockets fan in the ‘80s, I was delighted to get a chance to talk with David about the book, which details the band’s rise and fall as well as revealing remarkable behind-the-scenes stories of meeting literary icons like William S. Burroughs and Bryon Gysin, partying with the Sex Pistols’ John Lydon and Iggy Pop, and dabbling in black magick with comic book legend Alan Moore. You mention in the book that Bauhaus originally had an antagonistic stance towards media. Has that relationship changed for you? It’s done a complete about-face, which started with the 1998 reunion tour. Our archenemy, NME, gave us rave reviews and all the other press followed suit. It was gratifying because we always felt like we were ahead of our time, but weren’t really appreciated. It was frustrating because we were being true to ourselves, making bloody good music and never pandering to the press. Our first reviews were really damning: We were considered very pretentious. And we were, but I personally don’t see anything wrong with that. You can be authentic to your real self by adopting a guise and becoming that rather than surrendering to a “know thy place” mindset, which is a very English thing. The four members of Bauhaus seem very different from one another. Why do you think the music worked so well? For all the clashes of different personalities, there was a lot of love there. There were times where we were a tight little gang. We were very much outsiders who banded together and bonded with a sense of camaraderie. It was strong through to the end, even though it was fractured on the last tour. There’s still love and deep empathy there, and I hope that comes through in my description of the band members. What motivated you to write Who Killed Mr. Moonlight at this stage in your life?
PG 20 • February 2015 • insiteatlanta.com
I knew it was the end of the band and I felt compelled to get the story out there. I started working on it a year after the last tour.
I’M VERY INTUITIVE IN THE WAY I WORK, ESPECIALLY IN THE STUDIO. THAT IS A KIND OF MAGIC, IN AND OF ITSELF, BECAUSE YOU’RE TAPPING INTO AN INEXPLICABLE PART OF THE PSYCHE.
Peter Murphy is one of the more difficult people I’ve ever interviewed. Help me understand the issues that drive him to be so great, yet so hard to get along with? He comes from a really big, working-class, Irish Catholic family. There was a lot of love in the family and, as the youngest, he was the golden boy. He could do no wrong in their eyes. His mom and dad were lovely people, and it was a very strong, close-knit family. For me and Daniel, our fathers were the opposite: We couldn’t do anything right. Even when we had success, they would find something to criticize. Unlike the rest of us, Peter didn’t really pay his dues and slog around working the pubs, where you’re hauling in your gear or getting bottled off the stage. Within six weeks of joining Bauhaus he had a #1 single on the alternative charts, and people were idolizing him. He looks like a rock star, and he’s incredibly aware of that. He’s a beautiful man, but very vain and complex. Underneath that huge ego, as is often the case, is great fragility and insecurity. You dug pretty deep into your own life to write this book. What was the emotional toll? Very intense. I’d remember stuff, write it down and laugh out loud. At other times I’d be near tears. I felt a pervasive sense of sadness for the slighted potential of the band, which was undone by that pupa of a man, Mr. Murphy. We could’ve evolved and been amazing, but you can’t work with somebody like that. We tried, but the last tour was the last straw. There’s a lot of discussion of magic, spirits and the supernatural in the book. Can you talk about the role these things have played in your work? I’m very intuitive in the way I work, especially in the studio. That is a kind of magic, in and of itself, because you’re tapping into an inexplicable part of the psyche. If you’re very intuitive, you can draw from “The Other” that is outside of ourselves. You can be sensitive to psychic vibrations left in the places you frequent, which influences your work. I think you become a channel for inspiration. It’s a delicate balancing act: You can impose the ego on it and start to feel very puffed-up. But it’s not about you, and it’s very important to get it into balance. How do you feel about the evolution of Alternative music over the last 40 years? I’m constantly surprised and delighted that there’s still vital music coming out from young artists. I really like Foxygen, and I’m going to see them in a couple of days. I also like a German band called The Blue Angel Lounge, which is very psychedelic and influenced by Velvet Underground, but they just split up. I keep my ear to the ground, and I’m continually knocked out by the invention and excitement that’s out there. I read that you haven’t had any contact with Peter or Daniel since that last Bauhaus tour. I’m curious if you’ve heard from them since the book came out? I’ll give you an exclusive scoop: I sent Daniel a copy of the book and it came back to me, so I thought I must have the wrong PO Box for him. So I dropped him an email and said, “My book has just come back. I must have your wrong PO
Box. Give us the new one and I’ll send it on.” I just got a reply that said, “No thanks.” I wrote a very heartfelt letter I sent with the book, and it was hurtful. We didn’t end on bad terms at all, so I don’t understand it. The only way I can explain it is that I know he finds it very hard to look back, and feels a bit of a guilt trip going on there… which is unfounded, really. I don’t really get it. I didn’t even send one to Peter. I have no idea if he is ready or not. Do you foresee a time when you and Daniel will mend fences? You’ve been friends for so long it’s hard to believe there wouldn’t be some sort of reconciliation. I would hope so. I invited him to see my play
a couple of years ago in L.A. He never picks up the phone, so I left a long, soulful message and I didn’t get a reply to that either. Do you have any plans for what comes next in your career? Music is still very much there, and I’m working on something new at the moment, possibly for a movie. As far as writing, there has been a critique of the book from people saying there isn’t enough about Love & Rockets in it. I only mention Love & Rockets when it pertains to the essential story, which is about Bauhaus. But it is my intention to write a book about Love & Rockets next, which is why it’s not in this book.
MUSIC
THE DODOS
Back with the Creative Record, Individ, a Follow-up to 2013’s Carrier BY JOHN B. MOORE
S
quickly, and without a lot of worrying over the details.
an Francisco-based indie band The Dodos hadn’t officially released their Is there a general theme that connects these 2013 album Carrier before heading eight songs? right back in the studio to start working on its There were some themes I kept coming follow up. back to, like the nature of resilience and what The result of this sudden burst of creative it means to sort of just exist without trying is the eight-song record, Individ. The duo, hard to. There’s a lot of questioning and comprised of Meric Long and Logan Kroeber, uncertainty regarding the future, in regard to felt so at easy with producers Jay and Ian the physical existence of something but also Pellicci that they quickly got back into albumemotions or mechanisms that tend to exist making mode and started working out music in ourselves. I find my relationship to those on the fly. sorts of things, my shadow, Long spoke recently about THERE WERE SOME whatever you wanna call it, a the sessions, working without pretty ripe place to draw from THEMES I KEPT pressure and how bay area some of the songs like COMING BACK TO, and musicians are dealing with the “Competition” or “Pattern/ changing economics of San LIKE THE NATURE Shadow” basically came out of Francisco. OF RESILIENCE AND thinking about that.
WHAT IT MEANS TO You just put out Carrier SORT OF JUST EXIST I’m interested in hearing how last year. Why immediately the changes in San Francisco, move onto the next record so WITHOUT TRYING especially the ballooning quickly? Were you just in a HARD TO. rents, is affecting the music very inspired period or were community there? I’ve even these songs left over from the Carrier album? heard stories of longtime clubs that are None of the songs were leftover from getting noise complaints. Are the changes Carrier, but the last song that we recorded for starting to affect the music community? Are that record was “The Ocean” and it served as musicians and artists being priced out of the a sort of starting point for the next record. city? That song came together in the studio as we This is a pretty heated topic for a lot of were recording it, and the way in which it people in the bay area right now. I mean, it’s was recorded really stoked me out, but since absolutely true that people are getting priced it was the last song we did it just felt like we out no doubt, and it’s no surprise that artists were stopping right when we were getting are some of the first to go. It’s really hard to started. Our comfort in working with Jay and sort of draw a conclusion about the overall Ian Pellicci was really at an all-time high and effect and/or state of the music community. I remember they were just as excited about You hear a lot of the same complaints from getting back in the studio with us as we were people, but I feel positive that things aren’t with them. We started Individ before Carrier going to just go to shit. There’s been some came out, and I think this really allowed us to clubs closing in San Francisco but at the same work without any pressure or any sort of “last time there are some other clubs opening effort” to compare it to. We were recording in in the bay area like in Oakland that are a vacuum. pretty rad. San Francisco and the bay area is definitely not at its coolest, and I’m sure In the press materials, you describe how this reflects how musicians within the city making this album was similar to 2008’s see themselves and their music community, Visiter. Can you talk about what you meant and while it sucks that the city is changing, by that? this place has been really good to me, I owe Both Visiter and Individ were recorded it a lot, and I’m gonna do everything I can to after what I would call “learning curve” stay here. records. Both our first record Beware of the Maniacs and Carrier were really What’s next for the band? us figuring out a lot of things, recording Probably some touring, some recording, but in a new studio and working with a new who knows? I feel like we just completed a engineer, producer, or whatever you wanna lot of stuff so I call it. Visiter and Individ came after those feel things are records respectively, and in both cases it pretty open. felt like a burst of energy, a sort of payoff from working on those previous records. It was also the case in both that we went in unprepared, lots of songs coming together in the studio
DEREK GRANT
Prominent Alkaline Trio Drummer on His Latest Solo Project
BY JOHN B. MOORE
F
or the past couple of decades, Derek Grant has cultivated a reputation as one of modern punk rock’s best drummers going, having played with everyone from The Vandals to Suicide Machines. Since 2001, his most prominent role has been with Alkaline Trio, but he’s been quietly working on his own music behind-the-scenes. This winter, Grant finally put out his first proper solo debut, Breakdown. Comprised of songs that date back to 2008, Grant played every instruments on the record. While prepping for a string of upcoming solo shows, Grant talked recently about the genesis of Breakdown, his love of Prince and discussed what’s next for Alkaline Trio.
You recorded all of the instruments yourself - why not just bring in a band to back you up while you focus on singing and guitar? I played everything, mainly because I was traveling a lot and trying to document my experience in the most honest way possible. The bones of the songs were all recorded on a laptop with an acoustic guitar. I’m getting ready to play some shows around the record release, and I’m bringing a band. I’m excited to hear how the same songs sound with other people’s influence. One of the reasons I really like this album is that the musical influences seem to be all over the map. Do you have any musical influences that would surprise people? Everything influences me! I hear shades of artists that were only in my peripheral when the songs were written. A little Gram Parsons with a bit of Bob Segar mixed in? I think my love for Prince’s work surprises some people, I did a project a few years back called the “Purple Trilogy” where I really studied his work in the ‘80s.
Given your resume with Alkaline Trio, The Vandals, Suicide Machines, and others, I think some folks may be surprised by the sound of the record. Did you go out of your way to make a non-punk album? Honestly, the songs just came out the way they did. I had no real musical reference point for writing at the time, but I was writing on a I THINK IT TOOK ME A small acoustic guitar which FEW YEARS TO REALIZE definitely influenced the WHAT THESE SONGS style of the album.
MEANT, AND WHEN I FINALLY STARTED WORKING THROUGH SOME OF MY ISSUES, I BEGAN TO THINK ABOUT RELEASING THEM INTO THE WILD.
How long have you wanted to put out a proper solo record? I’ve been sitting on these songs for about five years now, but I was never certain what to do with them. In fact, I released some rough versions of a few of the songs via the internet some years ago. They reflect a lot of the turmoil in my life during a particular time period. I think it took me a few years to realize what these songs meant, and when I finally started working through some of my issues, I began to think about releasing them into the wild. It wasn’t until Toby (Jeg) at Red Scare expressed interest that I realized I could release a proper album.
Were any of the songs that made it onto Breakdown written recently? All of the songs on the record were written in 2008 and 2009, and the recordings were tweaked and mixed over the past few years. I found it hard to keep these songs bottled up, but I needed to wait for the right time to do something with them.
Do you plan to put together a band and play some shows with these songs in 2015? Yes, to start, I have my old roommate, Neil Hennessey from the Lawrence Arms playing drums, Eli Caterer from Smoking Popes on guitar, and a dear friend from Detroit, Matt Van, on bass guitar.
What’s going on with Alkaline Trio? We are getting ready to do another, longer “Past Live” tour, where we play all eight full lengths over the course of four nights. Then it will be time to focus on writing a new album. Besides that, what’s next for you? This is going to be a busy year for me, starting with the solo shows, then some Vandals shows in Australia, followed by a short tour with another band I used to play with, then a bunch of Alkaline Trio stuff as well. I hope to do as many solo shows as possible. Those are all the questions I have. Anything else you want to cover? That about covers it. Thanks! insiteatlanta.com • February 2015 • PG 21
TV
Station Control
FOX’S HIT NEW DRAMA EMPIRE BY BENJAMIN CARR
O
VER THE COURSE OF ITS FIRST four episodes, Fox’s new drama Empire, which started with strong ratings, has seen its audience grow each week. In terms of ratings successes, what is happening with Empire is an anomaly. In TV these days, nothing ever blooms, grows and continues to grow in the way that Empire has. Usually, a pilot will attract a large number of curious viewers, but then only the devoted stick around. Things are happening differently for this hip-hop soap opera from creators Lee Daniels and Danny Strong, who styled it after classic palace-intrigue dramas like King Lear and The Lion in Winter. And the reason the ratings continue to grow, beyond the stellar cast headed by Oscar nominees and the excellent music that’s interwoven into each episode, is because Empire is a total blast that you don’t dare miss. The show opened with several turning points for the Lyon family, who run a successful hip-hop record label that’s about to go public. First, patriarch Lucious Lyon, played with ferocious power by Terrence Howard, is diagnosed with ALS and is given about
three years left to live, so he decides it is time to choose a successor from among his three vastly different, emotionally damaged sons. Second, ex-wife Cookie, the best role in the show masterfully portrayed by Taraji P. Henson, gets out of jail after 17 years and wants her stake in the company she funded with drug money. She’s alternately mad at Lucious for dumping her and leaving her in a cell, and she is maybe still in love with him and wants her family back. The character of Cookie, always dressed to the nines, always brimming over with emotions, blows into this otherwise standard drama with the force and intensity of a hurricane, and nearly every line out of her mouth - every episode so far - is quotable. She is fiercely protective of her family, demanding that they provide her with respect now after ignoring her for so long, and she takes serious issue with the way that Lucious conducts his business and has raised their sons. The oldest is a manipulative, scheming businessman who suffers from bipolar disorder. The middle child is a talented, gay songwriter whom the homophobic Lucious finds repellent and treats like garbage, sometimes literally. And the youngest is a spoiled brat who also happens to be an incredibly skilled rapper. With each week, the family intrigue gets more watchable as others get roped into Cookie’s plan to get what’s hers continues to play out. Lucious’ new fiancee Anika, meanwhile, is a very good foil for Cookie. This show is going to play out like a multicultural musical version of Dynasty, and none of us will be able to look away, particularly as actors like Gabourey Sidibe, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Courtney Love continue to show up in the halls of the record label.
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*Minimum order before tax & delivery. Not valid with any other offer. Must present at time of order. Valid thru 3/15/15
MIDTOWN • 265 PONCE DE LEON AVE. NE 404-254-5103
*Minimum order before tax & delivery. Not valid with any other offer. Must present at time of order. Valid thru 3/15/15
MIDTOWN • 265 PONCE DE LEON AVE. NE 404-254-5103
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