INsite Atlanta November 2010 Issue

November 2010

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Vol. 19, No. 4 FREE

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Over 100 Categories Chosen by You! George Clooney • Terrence Howard Johnny Knoxville • The Weepies

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CONTENTS • NOVEMBER 2010 • VOLUME 19.4 Atlanta’s

Entertainment Monthly

INTERVIEWS 06 GEORGE CLOONEY 10 STARS FROM JACKASS 14 DONALD GLOVER 15 JON HAMM 16 TERRENCE HOWARD 23 RUSSELL SIMMONS 27 CARL BROEMEL 27 DEVILS BRIGADE 28 THE WEEPIES

FEATURES 08 BEST OF ATLANTA 29 NBA PREVIEW 30 NCAA PREVIEW

06

10

COLUMNS 04 AROUND TOWN 05 ON TAP 05 ON A DIME EVENTS 07 UNDER THE LIGHTS 10 FASHION 13 MOVIE REVIEWS 17 VIDIOTS 18 CONCERT CALENDAR 19 ROAD WARRIORS 19 WE GOT NEXT 20 ALBUMS 28 FAVORITE THINGS 28 VIDEO GAMES 31 FANATIC

16

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23

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Around Town

Theatre/Film

Museums/Exhibits/Arts

Music/Comedy/Sports

The Pink Pig is back. Macy’s will once again host its seasonal swine recreational ride. Priscilla, the Pink Pig, has been giving Atlanta children rides for years. Visit Lenox Mall for a chance to start your own tradition. The ride is localed on the upper-level parking deck at Lenox Square or at 3393 Peachtree Road.

The Atlanta Falcons host one of their best home games this season on Nov. 11 when the Baltimore Ravens come to town. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:20pm at the Georgia Dome. Tickets will be difficult, but if you were going to scalp, this would be the game. Visit atlantafalcons.com for additional details.

The Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta is helping bring together homeowners and tenants. If you’re looking for a home or tenant, call 678-812-3729 or go online to housematematch. org. The service offers beautiful homes, fexible lease rates and below market rent.

The Athens Free to Breathe 5K run and one-mile walk will unite people fighting lung cancer on Nov. 13. The event takes place at Sandy Creek Park in Athens at 400 Bob Holman Road. Registration is $15 online or $20 at the event. Try going to freetobreathe.org for more.

The always-hilarious Bill Bellamy comes to Punchline Comedy Club from Nov. 4-7. Tickets are $25. That’s a low price for Bellamy and a trio of other talented comedians. For more info, go online to punchline.com.

The High Museum of Art adds yet another amazing piece of Salvador Dali’s work on Nov. 16. The famous “Persistence of Memory” surrealist icon will be on exhibit through January 9. Don’t miss a chance to see the iconic work. Go to high. org for ticket details.

Eddie’s Attic will hold two nights in support of the Georgia Music Hall of Fame on Nov. 21-22. Tickets are $15 per day. Various bands will play, including The Shadowboxers, Herman Put Down the Gun, Jackson County Line and Granville Automatic. For showtimes and a rundown of bands, go to eddiesattic.com.

The Laughing Skull Lounge welcomes Greg Proops from Nov. 18-21. You’ll remember the hilarious comedian from “Who’s Line Is It Anyway?” and much of his voice-over work.

Tickets are only $20-$25. Visit vortexcomedy.com for showtimes.

The Atlanta Hawks host the Boston Celtics on Nov. 22 at Philips Arena. Tip is scheduled for 7pm. Don’t miss your first chance to see Shaquille O’Neal in green, and two of the Eastern Conference’s best teams fight for the first time this season. For tickets, go to atlantahawks.com.

The Center for Puppetry Arts rings in the holiday season with “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” beginning on Nov. 18. The original production will include all of the story’s great characters, including Hermey, Yukon Cornelius and the Abominable Snow Monster. For showtimes, go online to puppet.org.

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will play “Disney in Concert” with pops conductor Michael Krajewski on Nov. 26-27 at 8pm. The show celebrates Disney’s 55th anniversary with songs from “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast.” Go to woodruffcenter.org for details.

ALL NOV

ALL NOV

NOV 4-7

Looking for an interesting hockey game? The Atlanta Thrashers host the Chicago Blackhawks on Nov. 6 at 7pm at Philips Arena. The game is interesting considering the defending Stanley Cup champions traded half their roster to Blueland in the offseason. See if the trade worked out. Go to atlantatrashers.com for details.

NOV 06

The Fernbank Museum of Natural History will host a swashbuckling adventure during the second annual Pirate Weekend from Nov. 6-7.

The event runs in conjunction with the “Water: H20=Life” exhibit. There will be everything from a limbo contest to a pirate name generator. Call 404929-6400 for tickets or visit fernbankmuseum.org.

NOV 6-7

NOV 11

NOV 13

NOV 16

NOV 18-21

NOV 18

DECATUR

�������� Thursdays

Shop Shop Local Local

Shop Shop Decatur

Nearly 30 boutiques and restaurants around downtown Decatur and Oakhurst Village stay open late every Thursday through Dec. 16

Shop and Win in November !

Make a purchase at a participating shop or restaurant on Terrific Thursdays in November and enter our prize drawing for one of three $50 gift cards.

decaturga.com thedecaturminute.com Downtown Decatur

Advertising funded by the Great Decatur Craft Beer Festival.

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The High Museum also offers another Friday Jazz this month on Nov. 19 from 5-10pm. This month’s performer will be trumpeter Etienne Charles.

Enjoy the sights of the museum and the sounds of smooth jazz. Go to high.org for ticket pricing.

NOV 19

Zoo Atlanta holds monthly events that allow families to embrace different aspects and animals of the zoo. On Nov. 20, don’t miss “Tusks at Dusk” for a chance to learn about the African elephant. There will be craft projects, observations and night vision scopes. Visit zooatlanta.org for more information.

NOV 20

NOV 21-22

NOV 22

NOV 26-27

Other Stuff

The Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School’s Jingle Jubilee will take place on Dec. 4-5. Try to get in the holiday spirit while also supporting a good cause. The event will feature designer trees, wreaths, fine gifts and gingerbread house by local chefs. The school is located at 805 Mt. Vernon Avenue. All proceeds benefit the school. Got to hies.org for more info.

DEC 4-5

LOCAL EVENTS

LOCAL

On Tap this Month EMAIL EVENTS TO ONTAP@INSITEATLANTA.COM

November 4-Decemebr 19: Atlantic Station

CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: OVO

Prepare to enter a world teeming with energy and insects in the Big Top behind Atlantic Station. You’re sure to find some dynamite performances as well. The original Cirque Du Soleil returns to Atlanta with a new show. “Ovo” immerses the audience into the world of bugs. Don’t miss this new experience from the creative minds at Cirque.

Tickets can be found at cirquedusoleil.com.

November 6-21: MJCCA

19TH ANNUAL BOOK FESTIVAL Looking for a book festival that covers everything from history to mystery, fiction to fact, politics to religion and humor to political satire? The Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta has that covered with its 19th Annual Book Festival. You can expect a range of different speakers, including Gene Wilder on Nov. 21.

There are several other events, including a storytelling festival for kids of all ages. For more information, call 678-812-4005 or go online to atlantajcc.org.

November 11: Cobb Performing Arts Center

COMEDY ROADSHOW

The pair is appearing in a film together soon. Why not catch Vince Vaughn and Kevin James live and in person?

Double V and Paul Blart Mall Cop will bring their comedy show to the Cobb Performing Arts Center. The show is hosted by Vaughn and James but will feature an assortment of other comedians. Tickets start at $49.55.

Check on ticketmaster.com for availability.

November 11: Fox Theatre

FANTASIA

The amazing voice of Fantasia will grace the stage of the Fabulous Fox Theatre this month. You’ll remember the talented American Idol winner turned Grammy nominee. Fantasia was the youngest winner (at the time) in the show’s history, and now performs on both Broadway and the small screen. Visit foxtheatre.org for ticket information. The show is at 8pm.

November 25: Macy’s at Lenox Square Mall

MACY’S GREAT TREE LIGHTING

It’s the unofficial start of the holiday season. Time to dust off your Christmas decorations and combat armor for Black Friday. Macy’s begins the holiday spirit with the Great Tree Lighting, its annual tradition for 63 years. There will be live performances and music by the Macy’s All-Star Holiday Choir. This event is free. Pre-show festivities begin at 6:15pm.

December 3: Georgia World Congress Center

THE BIG ROCK OUT 4

The appeal of boxing should not be forgotten with the recent wave of mixed martial arts success. The sport is amazing live, and the Georgia World Congress Center will offer you just that chance. Come down to the Thomas Murphy Ballroom on Dec. 3 for The Big Rock Out 4. There will be a IBF/USBA title fight between Paul Delgado and Chris Gray. Tickets start at $25. Visit thebigrockout.com.

EVENTS HAPPENING FOR SMALL CHANGE IN ATLANTA

Know of a low cost event of happening? Event@AtlantaOnADime.com

By Marci Miller

CHOMP AND STOMP CHILI FESTIVAL Nov. 6, 11am-6pm, Free Cabbagetown Park Corner of Tye Street and Kirkwood Avenue www.chompandstomp.com

This festival honors Cabbagetown’s past where music and food have always defined the neighborhood’s spirit. Chomp and Stomp will feature a chili cook-off, 5K run, artist market, live bluegrass music, beer and more.

CHASTAIN PARK ARTS FESTIVAL

Nov. 6-7, Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 11am-5pm, Free Chastain Park Along Terry O. Chastain Memorial Drive www.chastainparkartsfestival.com

This is a two-day outdoor event with an emphasis on the visual arts. Located in the largest public park in Fulton County, this event will feature approximately 100 fine painters, photographers, sculptors, leather and metal craftpersons, glass blowers, jewelers and more. It will also offer visitors the opportunity to view artist demonstrations, enjoy live entertainment, participate in handson arts activities, and enjoy festival foods and beverages.

DECATUR WINE FESTIVAL

Nov. 5, Decatur Artwalk, 1-5pm, Free Nov. 6, 1pm-4pm, $32 per ticket Downtown Decatur Square www.decaturwinefestival.com

Atlanta’s largest outdoor wine festival showcases organic and sustainably produced wines along with more than 300 other domestic and international wines. Sample the delicious food provided by local Decatur restaurants and vote for your top favorites at the Decatur Arts Alliance tent. Admission is limited to 2,000 people and attendees must be 21 or older. New this year, Decatur galleries, shops and restaurants kick off the Decatur Wine Festival with a Friday evening ArtWalk.

This single-night art experience, which is free and open to the public, features openings and receptions citywide. Proceeds benefit the Decatur Arts Alliance.

PAWS FOR COCKTAILS

Nov. 18, 5:30pm-10pm, $20 Park Tavern 10th & Monroe, Piedmont Park www.atlantapetrescue.org Join Atlanta Pet Rescue for an evening of friends, fun and celebration at Park Tavern at Piedmont Park. The event will include hot appetizers, a free drink ticket, raffle, and a live and silent auction. 21 and up. No pets allowed at Park Tavern.

CENTENNIAL OLYMPIC PARK’S HOLIDAY IN LIGHTS

Nov. 19 – Jan. 3, 7am-11pm, Free Ice Skating Rink Admission $7 per person $2 skate rentals Centennial Olympic Park 265 Park Ave West N.W., Atlanta www.centennialpark.com

In November, the park transforms into a winter wonderland with thousands of lights that make up a dazzling display. Come celebrate the 2009 holiday season by taking a stroll through the glowing 21-acre park or a spin around downtown Atlanta’s outdoor ice skating rink.

Marvel Comics

ATLANTA COMIC CON 2010

Dec. 3, Noon-6pm, Dec. 4, 10am-6pm Dec. 5, 10am-5pm $45 for weekend pass, $25 for 1 day tickets (Save $5 for ordering in advance) Children 10 and under: FREE Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center 2 Galleria Parkway, Atlanta wizardworld.ticketleap.net/atlanta

Join tens of thousands of fellow fans as they converge at Atlanta Comic Con 2010 Wizard World Convention to celebrate the best in pop culture. Atlanta Comic Con brings it all, movies, comics, toys, video gaming, games, TV, anime, manga, horror, wrestling, MMA, original art, collectibles & more! Atlanta Comic Con is brought to you by the group who produces the most widely attended Comic Con tour.

THE CHLDREN’S CHRISTMAS PARADE Dec. 4, 10:30am-Noon, FREE (Bleacher seats available for $12) Downtown Atlanta (Peachtree Street near Baker Street) www.choa.org

Strike up the band and join Children’s Healthcare along the streets of downtown Atlanta for one of the Southeast’s premier holiday parades, the Children’s Christmas Parade. If you can’t make it downtown, you can watch the Children’s Christmas Parade live on WSB-TV Channel 2 (ABC). Madison Queen, a patient of the Aflac Cancer Center from McDonough, Ga., will lead Santa and Mrs. Claus, Miss Georgia, award-winning marching bands, floats, dance groups and giant helium balloons along the parade route.

ATLANTA ON A DIME! Receive updated events weekly. Sign up by e-mailing Subscriptions@AtlantaonaDime.com Enter on subject line: Sign Me Up INsite!

PG 5 � insiteatlanta.com � November 2009 PG 5 • insiteatlanta.com • November 2010

FILM

THE AMERICAN George Clooney On Trying To Change The World, One Movie At A Time

BY ALEX S. MORRISON

T

HOUGH YOU’D BE HARDPRESSED to get him to admit it, George Clooney may very well be the perfect movie star for our time. In an era dominated by prefabricated pretty boys, metrosexual ambiguity and unbridled post-adolescent angst, the 49-yearold Kentucky native evokes images of old fashioned actors such as Clark Gable and Cary Grant– dashing, masculine and mysterious, the sort of man other men want to be like and women want to be with.

Once known primarily for crowd-pleasing fare such as Out Of Sight and the Ocean’s series, he has recently become focused on films with an underlying sociopolitical message, tackling timely topics such as the inherent dangers of fear-mongering (Good Night, and Good Luck), the political machinations of the oil industry (Syriana), the costs of corporate malfeasance (Michael Clayton) and the impact of the global economic downturn (Up In The Air).

He has won one Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and been nominated for four others (including Best Original Screenplay, Best Director and two for Best Actor) while also serving as one of the United Nations’ Messengers of Peace. In short, while other celebrities may talk about using their fame as a platform from which to make a difference in the world, outspoken activist Clooney– who has been named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People In The World the past three years in a row– actually puts his money, and his time, where his mouth is.

Clooney is no cultural elitist: He’ll still star in mainstream fare such as last year’s The Fantastic Mr. Fox and The American, his new Anton Corbijn-directed film, in which he plays an American assassin looking to get out of the deadly business who takes one last assignment in the Italian countryside. But for him, the occasional box office blockbusters seem more like a means to an end, affording his Smoke House production company the opportunity to develop passion projects such as Farragut North and Hamdan v. Rumsfeld (both of which he will reportedly direct).

In person, Clooney comes across as the celebrity you’d most like to have a drink with: Well-dressed, smiling bright enough to light up the Hollywood hills, greeting people with firm handshakes and direct eye contact like the bestlooking politician you’ve ever seen. But there’s no oil to his slickness, no smarminess to his charm: The man seems genuinely cool and comfortable in his well-tanned skin. He’s the perfect conversationalist– thoughtful, funny, self-aware, confident but not cocky, a gifted raconteur with genuine depth of character.

“What’s wonderful about George,” says Up In The Air director Jason Reitman, “is that unlike a lot of actors who create barriers between you and them to make sure there’s never intimacy, he breaks those barriers down. The second that you are in a working relationship with him and he trusts you, there are no barriers whatsoever. I can’t think of a single thing that I asked him to do that he said no to. And he creates a very lovely set environment.”

Asked where his renowned sense of humor and playfulness comes from, Clooney reflects on his many years as a young actor struggling to make it in Hollywood. “I’m lucky enough to have gotten success much later in life,” he says, noting that his breakthrough role as Danny Ocean came when he was 40 years old. “So I have some understanding of how much of it is about luck. A lot of times when you’re very young and successful, you think it’s all about your brilliance. Then you find out later that it probably isn’t. You’re never quite as good as they say you are, and you’re never quite PG 6 • insiteatlanta.com • November 2010

as bad as they say you are. It’s all about enjoying what you do, and I love what I do for a living. I have fun.”

Born to Nina (a former beauty pageant queen) and Nick Clooney, George grew up immersed in the world of entertainment: His aunt was singer Rosemary Clooney, his uncle was actor José Ferrer, and his father was a news anchormanturned-game show and American Movie Classics host. It was while hanging around on his father’s sets that the young Clooney first got bitten by the acting bug, and by the age of 17 he’d started landing small parts on TV shows ranging from Centennial and The Facts Of Life to The Golden Girls and Roseanne. It took 16 years of B-movies and mediocre supporting roles (see sidebar) before he landed his gig as Dr. Doug Ross on ER, but Clooney suggests that his success was essentially a crapshoot.

“Everything we do is luck,” he insists. “The truth of the matter is I ended up on a show that was averaging 40 million [viewers] a week. That makes you famous no matter what you do. A week before the show came out we were at the restaurant across the street from Warner Bros. and Tony Edwards had a brand new baby. He gave the baby half a French fry and the baby started to choke, and we’re all wearing doctor uniforms. We said, ‘Somebody help him!’ but everyone thought we were doctors! A week later everybody had figured out who we were. It was sort of an overnight thing after doing years of really bad television.”

For Clooney, the reasons behind his fame seem far less significant than what he chooses to do with the opportunities he’s been given. Alongside creative partner Grant Heslov, he has increasingly focused his attention behind the scenes, producing films by auteurs such as Christopher Nolan (Insomnia), Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven), Richard Linklater (A Scanner Darkly) and Anton Corbijn (The American, in which Clooney also stars). He’s also spent more time developing his own projects, co-writing and directing Good Night, and Good Luck and Leatherheads and producing films such as Syriana and Michael Clayton, with at least six other high-profile projects scheduled for release in the next two years.

“I enjoy the idea of making films like the studios used to make from 1965 to 1975,” he says of his move behind the camera. “Guys like Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola were making studio movies that were unparalleled, and I think that can happen again.

The trick is to have people like me take less money up front so that if they make money, you make money on the back end. And if they don’t, you got to make the movie you wanted to make.

We’re trying to stay within a budget because we want to make movies, but we don’t want to make tent poles. There’s nothing wrong with them, but there’s not really a place for me if that’s the only business in town.”

This determination to put art over commerce in the effort to make movies that matter has made Clooney one of the most respected artists of his generation, not to mention a role model for likeminded friends such as Matt Damon.

“The careers that I look to for inspiration are guys like Clooney, who are acting, writing, directing, and doing it all on their own terms,” Damon says of his Ocean’s Eleven co-star (who also produced The Informant!). “I love writing and acting and I really want to direct, so I’ve been taking these last 12 years to carefully study the craft of filmmaking. It’s hard to have a long career in this business, but George is smart about the work he’s doing and has integrity about the choices he makes.”

That integrity extends to Clooney’s activism off screen as well, whether he’s working to find

THE TRUTH IS THAT I’VE MADE PLENTY OF MISTAKES, BUT THEY ALL LED ME HERE. AND HERE IS FINE FOR ME RIGHT NOW a resolution to the conflict in Darfur through his organization Not On Our Watch (which he co-founded with Damon, Brad Pitt and Don Cheadle) or raising funds for earthquake victims through the Hope For Haiti Now telethon. The Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in Rome presented Clooney with the Summit Peace Award in 2007, but he acknowledges that his efforts to make a major difference in the world have been difficult.

“I’d love to say we’re succeeding, but we’re not,” he admits with an air of frustration. “We’re failing pretty miserably in Darfur. But we’ve got to keep trying until 2 ½ million people are able to leave these refugee camps and go home. We keep hoping that we can keep some attention on it and get some helicopters into sub-Saharan Africa, which would be helpful. I look up to people who have celebrity and use it well– Bono and guys like that– who’ve been so magnificent in the work they’ve done.”

Like Bono, Clooney has taken his fair share of criticism for his efforts to use his celebrity status as a platform for effecting sociopolitical change. But in his eyes, that sort of thing comes with the territory.

“I’m a grown-up,” he says with a smile. “If I’m going to speak out about things or raise issues, I know I’m going to get slapped around a little bit.

I could sit in my house in Italy and drink wine and have a good time, or I can stick my neck out.

The whole idea of America was based on dissent and raising questions. It’s why we left King George. But the thing about demanding freedom of speech is that you can’t say, ‘Don’t say bad things about me.’ You have to take your hits.”

Clooney has certainly taken his fair share of hits over the course of his career, but over the past decade his persistence has paid off in spades. The 49-year-old charmer has gone to great lengths to pay his good fortune forward, never losing sight of the fact that fame is a fleeting and fickle temptress. Still just as grounded and gregarious as ever, George seems content to enjoy the ride while it lasts, making the most of every moment.

“When I was working on The Facts of Life, I never thought I was gonna be where I am today,” he recalls. “But it is fun to be where I’m at right now, where I can pick and choose the projects I want. Coming out of Return of the Killer Tomatoes, that wasn’t an option, so you respect that position once you get it. The truth is that I’ve made plenty of mistakes, but they all led me here.

And here is fine for me right now.”

CLOONEY’S GREATEST MISSES 7 Stinkers George Would Probably Rather Forget

The Facts Of Life (1985-1987)

Sure, this show has a warm place in the heart of anyone with a fondness for ‘80s nostalgia. But by the time Clooney’s poofy-haired “George Burnett” came along, the sitcom was already on its last legs.

Return To Horror High (1987)

1988’s Return Of The Killer Tomatoes may be Clooney’s B-movie bomb most frequently referenced, but this stinker co-starring Maureen McCormick (The Brady Bunch’s Marcia) is actually MUCH worse.

Red Surf (1990)

One of his first leading roles, this by-the-numbers action “thriller” cast Clooney as a drugdealing surfer on the run from a revenge-driven crime lord. This is the kind of low-budget film for which “direct-to-DVD” was invented.

Baby Talk (1991)

Based on the Look Who’s Talking film series, this hilariously awful sitcom featured Tony Danza as the voice of a baby being raised by a single mother. The show somehow lasted 35 episodes, but Clooney’s run mercifully ended after five.

The Harvest (1992)

In this horror film following a screenwriter (Clooney’s cousin Miguel Ferrer) who becomes the victim of organ harvesting, Clooney is billed as “Lip Syncing Transvestite.” Even future superstars need to start somewhere!

Batman & Robin (1997)

The Bat-film so bad it killed the franchise for nearly a decade, this comic book travesty nearly derailed Clooney’s career with its nippled batsuits, ridiculous villains and groan-inducing comedic quips.

Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003)

Even an all-star cast including Sylvester Stallone, Salma Hayek and Clooney couldn’t save the third chapter in Robert Rodriguez’s Spy Kids saga from cheap special effects and a weak, hole-riddled plot.

Under The Lights

November Theatrical Performances THE NACIREMA SOCIETY WHITE CHRISTMAS Thru Nov. 14 Alliance Stage Box Office 404.733.5000 www.alliancetheatre.org

November 2-7 Fox Theatre

Ticketmaster 800.982.2787 www.foxtheatre.org

Tanner Photography

Greg Mooney

This romantic comedy takes a lighthearted look into one of Southern society's grandest traditions, the annual cotillion. As the new African-American debutants prepare for their introduction into the exclusive Nacirema Society of Montgomery, Alabama, their strong-willed grandmothers work behind the scenes to manage young love, the revelation of old flames, and the glare of the national spotlight.

THE NACIREMA SOCIETY boasts a combination of some of the nation's finest actresses, including the Tony Award winning Trezana Beverly, Atlanta's own Andrea Frye, and acclaimed television, film and stage actress Jasmine Guy. As Pearl Cleage's first new play in over a decade, this lively production filled with love, intrigue and comedy, brings the famed novelist back to her playwriting roots.

Performances are Tuesday through Friday at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2:30 p.m., on the Alliance Theatre's Alliance Stage. Tickets to The Nacirema Society are $20-$50.

Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS is a delightful new musical based on the 1954 smash hit Paramount movie. It tells the story of two army buddies, Bob and Phil, who have a successful song- and-dance act after the war. With romance in mind, the two follow a duo of beautiful singing sisters to a Christmas gig at a Vermont lodge, which just happens to be owned by their former Army commander.

The boys soon realize they are the only guests at the resort because there is no snow! In order to help the General, they come up with a scheme to bring in a crowd. They decide to stage their newest Broadway revue, as well as make a special television appeal to all their Army pals to show up on Christmas Eve. The show features classic Irving Berlin hits such as “Blue Skies,” “Sisters,” “Happy Holiday,” “Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep,” “I Love a Piano” and the unforgettable title song, “White Christmas.” Tickets are on sale at all Ticketmaster locations, the Fox Theatre Box Office, by calling 800-982-2787 and online at www.ticketmaster.com.”

Horizon Theatre

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PG 7 • insiteatlanta.com • November 2010

BEST BRUNCH Flying Biscuit

Over

100 Categories

2010

See the Full List Online at www.insiteatlanta.com

DINING BEST BAGELS BEST DELI Goldberg’s

BEST BAR FOOD Marlow’s Tavern Six Area Locations marlowstavern.com

Six Area Locations goldbergsdeli.net

Goldberg’s is a favorite stop for deli and bagels dine in or to go. Here you will find authentic kosher meats and dishes. All Goldberg’s locations offer full dine-in seating. check out their newest location at Toco Hills.

Elegant bar with feel of a sports tavern. But when you try something like the shrimp and grits you realize this is far better than the usual sports bar menu.

BEST BREAKFAST Radial 1530 Dekalb Ave. radial.us

BEST BARBECUE Fox Bros. BBQ

1238 Dekalb Ave NE 404.577.4030 foxbrosbbq.com Known as Bar-B-Q Southern, Fox Bros. say their Bar-B-Q has Texan roots with a southern influence. All their meats are cooked low and slow with Hickory Wood. Everything is made fresh daily, which is why this Bar-B-Q is a fan favorite of Atlanta.

Stop by and check out their Biscuits & Vegetarian Gravy, Mom's Strawberry-Rhubarb French Toast, Blackened Fish & Grits or Garlic-Leek Burger when you're there.

Radial is located in Candler Park just a few blocks from Little Five Points.

Your Neighborhood Pizzeria!

BEST PIZZA! 2010

Chosen By You!

&

Multiple Atlanta Locations: www.JohnnysPizza.com PG 8 • insiteatlanta.com • November 2010

Multiple Area Locations Catering 404.849.2283 flyingbiscuit.com One of Atlanta’s favorite home grown gems. Their famous biscuits are so good many still stop in to pick them up for the road.Call their catering hotline or check the Flying Biscuit website for the store location nearest you.

BEST BURGER The Vortex Bar & Grill Little 5 Points 404.688.1828 Midtown 404.875.1667 thevortexbarandgrill.com

The Vortex's award winning hamburgers are big, beautiful and delicious. There are 20 varieties offered and you can create your own version with a unique combination of toppings. Some unique varieties include the Elvis Burger, Splanish Fly and Double Bypass burger.

BEST BURRITO Willy’s Mexicana Grill 19 Area Locations Catering 404.422.7107 willys.com Atlanta’s original burrito chain. Willy’s award winning signature California-style burritos keep the concept of freshness true. Now with 19 area locations.

BEST CAJUN Copeland’s

Buckhead 404.475.1000 Cumberland 770.612.3311 Kennesaw 770.919.9612 copelandsatlanta.com

BEST COFFEE Java Jive

#1 Chinese Restaurant in Atlanta!

790 Ponce De Leon Ave 404.876-6161

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A popular breakfast joint for those in Virginia Highland and Inman Park. Customers keep coming to Java Jive for it’s eclectic atmosphere and great coffee.

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BEST CUBAN Havana Restaurant

Copeland's Famous New Orleans Restaurant and Bar offers great Cajun cuisine in a French Quarter inspired setting. Don’t miss their famous bruch buffet. Enjoy $5 Martinis and $6 Appetizers while listening to live music during Jazzy Fridays.

BEST CHINESE Chin Chin

3887 Peachtree Rd. 404.816.2229 and other area locatons chinchinonline.com

��������������������������������� Buckhead/Brookhaven

3979 Buford Hwy #108 404.633.7549 havanarestaurantatlanta.com

������������������������������������ East Cobb

An Atlanta icon at their original location at the intersection of Buford Hwy. and N. Druid Hills. After the building burnt down many thought that they would have to live without Havana’s great Cuban cuisine. Well they are back, and their Cuban food is as good as ever.

BEST DINER Landmark Diner

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3652 Roswell Rd. 404.816.9090 landmarkdiner.com

THANK YOU ATLANTA!

BEST CHINESE

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2010

1998-2010 Best Chinese by Creative Loafing "Mouthwatering Chin Chin spices things up." – AJC "Chin Chin...a window into Hong Kong." – Buckhead Weekly 2 1/2 Stars – Knife & Fork

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From crab rangoons to cashew chicken, Chin Chin offers fine dining that won’t break the bank. Chin Chin has several locations around Metro Atlanta, each with the same great flavor, healthy portions and elegant décor. A perennial Best Of winner!

A landmark of good eats, 24 hours a day!

When you crave a 2 a.m. breakfast or an 8 a.m. steak, the food at Landmark Diner will hit the spot. Check out their $19 Special.

Choose 2 Dinners from 10 blackboard daily specials plus 2 Appetizers & 2 Deserts.

agave restaurant

an eclectic southwestern eatery & tequila bar . est. 2000

�������������������� FULL BAR SERVICE

WWW.CHINCHINONLINE.COM Watch our Open Kitchen & Experience the Art of Chinese Cooking!

Winner Best Cajun!

2010

Reservations at 404 588 0006 or online at : www.agaverestaurant.com 242 Boulevard S.E. Atlanta . 30312

Served from 10am to 3pm

2010

Consistently Voted One Of Atlanta’s Best Restaurants INsite Magazine Best of Atlanta Winner Best Southwestern Cuisine & Best Margarita !!

PG 9 • insiteatlanta.com • November 2010

FILM

STILL BALLSY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS Johnny Knoxville & Bam Margera Keep It Jackass-y In 3D

BY BILL STUPAY

J

OHNNY KNOXVILLE MAY BE TURNING 40 in just a few months, but advancing age doesn’t seem to be slowing the star down one bit. Other performers may strive to “mature gracefully,” but Knoxville and his irreverent band of miscreants and misanthropes prove with their new film Jackass 3D that some boys will be boys, even 20 years after they could rightly be called boys. From ball-busting bulls to flying dildos, the film (which grossed over $50 million on opening weekend) is arguably the group’s best yet, promising many more stupid human tricks and death-defying daredevil stunts to come. We recently spoke with Knoxville and his perennial partner-in-crime Bam Margera to talk about the methods behind their madness.

Johnny, you went through some torturous stuff in this film. What keeps you motivated to do these things?

JOHNNY KNOXVILLE: It’s me and my friends doing something we created together and have been doing for 10 years. The cast and crew have all been together for all that time. You do something and it may be scary, but when you watch the footage afterwards, everyone’s laughing.

BAM MARGERA: The way that I look at it is that, when we film for eight months straight for a new Jackass movie, I know that I’m going to wind up with at least two broken bones. I don’t know when it’s going to happen, but you can’t contemplate how you’re going to fall and what’s going to happen. It’s easier to just get up there and do it.

Johnny, you’re almost 40 now. Do you think you’ll ever get to the point where you want to try something else, or are you happy to keep doing it?

JK: No, I’m more willing to do stunts now than when I first started the TV show.

BM: Knoxville actually had to have an intervention from Tremaine and Spike Jonze to stop doing stunts because they had too many already.

JK: They lured me to the office for one reason, and then they all got me in a big room and were like, “We’re out of time. The editors are bottlenecked with footage, so you have to stop.”

When you started this 10 years ago, there wasn’t a YouTube, or anything like that, but now there’s all this stuff that you can see on the Internet. Do you feel like you have to one-up those guys?

JK: That doesn’t enter our minds. We just do things to make ourselves laugh. There’s some funny stuff out there, but we’re not in competition with anybody.

We just love doing what we do, and we end up oneupping ourselves. It takes a little more to make us laugh than it did five or six years ago because we’ve been there and done that. It’s about what’s next. Going into this movie, we didn’t think, “We have to top this.” We just have to be funny. It’s such a competition to get footage. If Bam gets something great, then we all have to get something great.

You’ve had some pretty harsh criticism because of what you do. Do you pay any attention to people’s opinions of you?

JK: Well, we always bet on ourselves. If the movie doesn’t do good, we don’t do good. I don’t care what other people think. We don’t want people not to like

. . .

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YOU DO SOMETHING AND IT MAY BE SCARY, BUT WHEN YOU WATCH THE FOOTAGE AFTERWARDS, EVERYONE’S LAUGHING.

it, but people have their opinions. We’re psyched that we have a lot of people that do like it, and we understand that people don’t like it, but if you don’t like it, that’s fine.

BM: We showed the movie to an old folks’ home of 70-year-old ladies, and they loved it. And then, we showed it to a bunch of gay bikers, called the Bears, and they loved it.

JK: Yeah. We asked the old ladies, “Is there anything you’d like to change?,” and they were like, “We’d like to see more penis in the movie.” They were awesome! It was really fun. And, we went to a bar in Silver Lake with the Bears and showed it to them, and we had a ball.

Do you guys get that feeling of paranoia when you’re on set because you’re always pranking each other?

BM: Constantly. That’s the worst part about it. You’re never safe on set. When they would change angles with the 3D Phantom cameras, we’d have 2 hours to kill and that’s when things would happen like, “All right, I have to take a leak. I might as well take a leak on my bro! And, hopefully, I’ll get beat up by him!” You’re just always turning around and looking over your shoulder. We even have a masseuse on set, for if you hurt your neck, so that they can give you a massage, but you can’t do it because you’ll get stun-gunned, punched in the face or peed on. You’re doomed all around.

Who comes up with most of the ideas for the stunts and how do you guys select which ones you’ll do?

BM: Sometimes it’s a mixture of everybody. If they come up with an idea, they submit it to Paramount, then we have a stack of ideas, and people look at them and figure out what they would like to do. If it’s involving a bull, it’ll be Knoxville because it definitely won’t be me. Most of the ideas are two pages long and really descriptive, and then there will be one that is one sentence that says, “Shit shoe: find a shoe, and then shit in it.”

JK: The cast and crew all come up with ideas.

Sometimes they’re just crude pictures drawn on a napkin, and sometimes we’ll get together and pitch ideas. Bam likes to fax hilarious pictures, that’s how he submits most of his ideas, and they’re really funny.

BM: It’s just easier to draw what I want to happen, rather than explain it.

JK: So, the ideas all come to the office and we compile them, and then we send them to Paramount, just to go through all the legal stuff.

Paramount leaves us alone, so we vet the ideas and decide what to shoot or not.

Was this whole movie conceived in 3D, from the beginning?

JK: No. We decided to do another movie and the studio said we should do it in 3D, but we resisted because we thought it would change the way we shot.

With 3D, you’ve got these big cameras, and we can’t worry about getting too close to the camera, or going out of frame. We need to be able to just turn the chimpanzees loose and follow them with the camera.

We did some tests and they had some handheld rigs, and they made it where we didn’t have to think about it, so we were like, “Well, this could be fun.” Even in writing bits, the bits had to be funny in 2D first, before we would shoot them. With that said, there were a couple of bits where we were like, “That’d probably be funny in 3D.” BM: Even without the 3D cameras, there was always 9 hi-def cameras, filming something at all times, so some things had to get converted into 3D. JK: Yeah, but the film was shot with in-camera 3D for the largest part you see. There were very few things that we had to convert.

Johnny, you’re a newlywed with a newborn. Has that given you another perspective in life, in terms of being a grown-up, or perhaps thinking about the next phase of what you’re going to do?

JK: When Jackass started, my daughter was two or three, and my son was a month old when we went into production on this film. That’s what Daddy does.

Are your kids allowed to do this kind of stuff?

JK: They can do pranks, but no stunts.

Do you guys have to live in fear of pranks or getting hit, all the time?

JK: Constantly.

BM: If you notice, whenever we take a group photo, Knoxville is always covering his privates, just in case.

JK: Yeah, I’ve built up a lot of bad will, over the years, with the fellas.

When did you learn to have that habit?

JK: Actually, I had two older sisters, who were eight and 10 years older, and they loved to put me up to mean stuff. When I was three, my father had me hit all his friends in the ding-ding. Even as a little kid, I would walk in a room and grown men would immediately put their hands over their privates. I was like a little Tasmanian devil. I was a really bad kid. Then, I got sweet as I got older.

How difficult is it to get Spike Jonze to still help out?

JK: Luckily, Spike wasn’t directing a movie while we were doing this one. With the first two, he was always directing a movie. But, on this one, he was around more than ever. He loves it. It’s like a vacation for him because he’s a great filmmaker, and then he works with us.

BEST ETHIOPIAN Queen Of Sheba

1594 Woodcliff Dr. NE 404.321.1493 qsheba.com

BEST ITALIAN Ippolito’s Five Area Locations ippolitos.net Ippolito's Italian restaurant has been serving authentic Italian dishes in your neighborhood since 1989. Here you will find a casual, friendly atmosphere and excellent service in addition to the healthy portions.

Queen of Sheba, tucked in a shopping center on the corner of N. Druid Hills and Briarcliff Rd., has been serving great Ethiopian cuisine for 13 years. They offer the full experience of Ethiopian dining. When you walk in to the restaurant your eyes are drawn to the culture specific decor and all the Ethiopian wall art.

BEST MEDITERRANEAN Mediterranean Grill

N. Decatur Plaza 404.320.0101 Midtown 404.917.1100 East Cobb 678.996.0045 mediterraneangrill.com

NOVEMBER SPECIALS

www.baldinos.us

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

Marietta 80 Powers Ferry Rd 770-321-1177 (closed Sundays)

$3.49 All Day!

Doraville 5697 Buford Hwy. 770-455-8570

VOTED BEST SUBS IN ATLANTA

2010

BEST GREEK Athens Pizza

1341 Clairmont Rd. 404.636.1100 athenspizzaatlanta.com Authentic regional dishes like gyros, falafel and kabob sandwiches made to perfection.

Also try their fall off the bone lamb shank.

BEST MEXICAN Pancho’s Originally opened in the summer of 1977 by the Papadopoulos family. Athens Pizza is still serving the same delicious Greek cuisine their customers have come to expect. Some of the favorite recipes on their Greek dishes go back 50 years.

Bhojanic understands the need for authentic Indian fare.. The finest vegetables and meats are used to create the flavorful experience of the Indian culture. The food you find at Bhojanic is exactly like the food cooked in the homes of India.

2010

Pancho’s Mexican Restaurant & Cantina has become an Atlanta landmark. They do a brisk business lunch with their daily specials. Pancho’s fans love their selection of combination diners offered for just $9.95!

BEST MIDDLE EASTERN DINING Mezza

BEST INEXPENSIVE RESTAURANT Eats

2751 Lavista Rd. 404.633.8833 mezzabistro.com

For 18 years people have been heading down to Ponce to experience their great jerk chicken and pasta dishes. Over all this time Eats has maintained the great quality of their food and kept their prices low.

Mezza a Lebanese bistro and dar offers one of the most characteristic elements of Lebanese cuisine. Much like tapas, Mezza is an array of hot and cold appetizers. At Mezza you will find the most authentic middle eastern tapas and great wines. Enjoy belly dancing and hookahs while dining on the weekends.

600 Ponce de Leon Ave. 404.888.9149 eatsonponce.net

Now 33 Years!

2641 Buford Hwy. 404.325.2898 panchomexican.com

BEST INDIAN Bhojanic 1363 Clairmont Rd. 404.633.9233 bhojanic.com

BEST IN GREEK & ITALIAN CUISINE

• Zagat Rated • Dine In or Take Out • Lunch & Dinner Specials

YEAR AFTER YEAR…BEST IN ATLANTA! Full Breakfast & Lunch Menu www.goldbergbagel.com

Voted Best Deli, Best Bagels

25 Kinds of Bagels - Breads - Deli Sandwiches Deli Meats - Smoked Meats - Smoked Fish

2010

1272 W.Paces Colony Square 4520 Chamblee- 4383 Roswell Rd 1062 Johnsons 3003 N. Ferry Rd at Food Court Dunwoody Rd 404 256-3751 Ferry Rd. Druid Hills Rd. 404-266-0123 404-888-0877 770-455-1119 At Wieuca Toco Hills 770-578-3771 404-329-5000 Just off I-75 Road Georgetown Shopping Ctr

2010

PG 11 • insiteatlanta.com • November 2010

BEST NEW RESTAURANT Eleven 1065 Peachtree St. 404.745.5000 loewshotels.com

BEST RESTAURANT FOR A 1ST DATE The Melting Pot

BEST STEAKHOUSE Parker’s on Ponce

116 E. Ponce De Leon Ave. 404.924.2230 parkersonponce.com

Four Atlanta Area Locations meltingpot.com

Eleven is named for the street it faces and it stands as the first upscale addition to Midtown’s dining scene in some time. It’s southern inspired menu with sophisticated modern decor makes Eleven a hit in Atlanta.

What romantic situation can’t be made better with fondue!

The Melting Pot four Atlanta restaurants offer the perfect setting for inspiring romance.

Parker’s on Ponce is an independently-owned steakhouse located in historic Decatur. They offer various cuts at affordable prices. After opening in November of 2008, Parker’s has quickly gained a fan following among Decatur residents.

BEST NOODLE BOWL Doc Chey’s

BEST RIBS Fat Matt’s

BEST SUB SANDWICH Baldinos Giant Jersey Subs

1556 N. Decatur Rd. 404.378.8188 1424 N. Highland Ave. 404.888.0777 563 Memorial Dr. 404.688.4238 doccheys.com The original panasian noodle house in Atlanta.

Menu includes dim sum, salad bowls, soup bowls, noodle bowls and rice plates. Best Spicy Thai Basil Noodle Bowl in the city!

BEST PIZZA Johnny’s Pizza

1810 Cheshire Bridge Rd. 404.874.8304 and Multiple Area Locations johnnyspizza.com When their first location opened in East Point back in 1977, it was an instant success. There are now over 50 Johnny’s Pizza restaurants in Georgia with many in metro Atlanta. The secret to their success is in the preparation. They always have used the finest ingredients accompanied with friendly service that keeps customers coming back.

1811 Piedmont Ave. 404.607.1622 fatmattsribshack.com Featuring finger-licking-good smoked meat and tangy sauce. Eat ribs by the slab, half-slab, as a combo or on a sandwich and listen to local blues bands in this friendly honkytonk.

BEST SOUTHWESTERN Agave

242 Boulevard SE 404.588.0006 agaverestaurant.com Agave’s unique blend of eclectic southwestern cuisine, extensive tequila bar and wine list coupled with exceptional service makes this one of Atlanta’s top restaurants. They are the recipient of numerous awards from various publications for their cuisine and great margaritas.

80 Powers Ferry Rd. 770.321.1177 5697 Buford Hwy. 770.455.8570 baldinos.us Since 1975, Baldino’s Giant Jersey Subs has been recognized as the only true New Jersey Style submarine in the South. When you eat a Baldino’s sub, you know the difference.

This month Baldinos is offering a specialty sub each day for just $3.49!

BEST TAPAS Eclipse di Luna

Continued on page 21

4505 Ashford Dunwoody Rd. 678.205.5862 764 Miami Circle 404.846.0449 eclipsediluna.com Upon opening in 1997, Eclipse di Luna set the trend in tapas style restaurants in Atlanta.

With over two dozen tapas to choose from, there is something to please any taste. Their tapas is priced affordable, mostly between $3 and $5.50, to encourage multiple sampling.

THANK YOU ATLANTA! Voted Best Liquor Store #1 in Service, Selection and Price

2010

Thank you to our loyal customers and our dedicated Tower Team.

CHEERS! PG 12 • insiteatlanta.com • November 2010

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FILM FILM

TRUMP Movie Reviews CARD A FILM UNFINISHED (R)

★★★★✩ Release Date: Aug. 18

There’s one thing you can say about Oscilloscope Laboratories, the indie film company co-owned

by Beastie Boy Adam Yauch: Whether or not you like the edgy films they produce (including The Messenger and Howl), there’s no denying their intriguing creative choices. This documentary from director Yael Hersonski deconstructs a Naziproduced film about the Warsaw Ghetto shot in 1942 and discovered in an East German archive after WWII ended, presenting the 60-minute film in its entirety as well as interviews with nowelderly former residents of the ghetto and Willy BY B.aLOVE Wist, cinematographer identified in the original production.

Whether the Nazis are MOST filming staged S ONE OF AMERICA’S scenes ofsuccessful Jewish affluence shooting documentary and or high profile businessfootage of severe poverty and Jews treating their men, Donald Trump was well known less fortunate comrades with callous disdain, long before Survivor producer Mark Burnettthe 68-year-old footage an unsettlingBut insight The Apprentice. tapped him to star inoffers into the sheer deviousness of the Holocaust.

In there’s no denying that the reality show segments featuring Holocaust survivors watching turned Trump from a cartoonish curiosity the aghetto Hersonski separates truth into bonafootage, fide phenomenon, with histhe signafrom the lies, offering a quiet meditation on the ture catchphrase– “You’re Fired!”– inextricathin lines dividing reality from fantasy and showing bly entering the pop culture lexicon. how the subtle areas between the two can be Thegrey Apprentice initially flounAlthough used as a powerful weapon. The film plays out like dered a bit in the ratings, Burnett and Trump a raw historical document, but it’s still essential stumbled upon a winning formula by recruitviewing. ing second- and third-tier actors, athletes, –B. Love models and musicians for a celebrity edition of the show. Now in its third incarnation, The Celebrity tosses disparate THE GIRL Apprentice WHO KICKED THE stars such as rocker Bret Michaels, wrestler HORNET’S NEST (R) Goldberg, baseball legend Darryl Strawberry, Ron Blagojevich and former governorRelease ★★★✩✩ Date: Oct. 29Sharon Osbourne together for a variety of teamActress Noomi Rapace returns as the kick-ass, building exercises and challenges designed to mohawked, anti-social (and, yes, dragon-tattooed) test their business mettle. punk-rock hacker Lisbeth Salander in the closing “The Donald,” as the crazy-coiffed real chapter of this Swedish thriller series, based on the estate magnate if often recently heldby bestselling Girl With Theknown, Dragon Tattoo trilogy court with reporters to discuss the show’s the late Stieg Larson. Once again, Rapace’s fearless, current season. performance is the best thing in take-no-prisoners

of love and living, even in the face of tragedy or uncertainty. If you’re easily offended by views not in line with your own, maybe skip this one.

It definitely treads a fine line between religious and secular. But, if you can separate your beliefs from the fantasy of story telling, it’s actually a ponder-worthy illustration on different minds dealing with life after death. The film isn’t long, but occasionally runs a little slow—although in my opinion justified, as it mirrors an awkward forward motion the characters themselves face.

Their days drag on leaving them trapped in their own grieving thoughts. Because Clint is a genius, it’s worth seeing, but don’t feel guilty skipping the big screen ticket to wait this one out on Netflix. through reading about them for so many years, but a lot of times somebody–Jenni that Williams you

The Donald Waxes Rhapsodic On The Celebrity Apprentice, “You’re Fired!” & Fixing NBC

A

the film. Starting immediately after the cliffhanger Can a little bitWith aboutFire, thewhich selec-was fromyou Thetell GirlusWho Played tion process? released in theaters this summer, Lisbeth is in the It’s veryrecovering interesting, so many hospital, frombecause being shot in the head by celebrities to be on after the her abusive,want evil father Zalathe - ashow Russian informant success the previous two seasons.

We that theofSwedish government has been protecting wanted some actors, for years.

Zalaathletes, is in the some hospital, a fewsome beds away I would say models and wrestlers, sodead. from her, andsome Lisbeth wants him Meanwhile, probably six or seven in an attempt to findpeople justiceper forspot the we tortured The hardest thingjournalist is that were turning down. hacker who helps him solve mysteries, we really have some good people that want Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyquist) researches maybe iswe’ll tothe gogovernment on very badly.

But I guess conspiracy he believes trying save them for the nextThe show, because looks to destroy Lisbeth. whole thing itunwinds like to plot happen. withthat’s two going separate threads that occasionally prove confusing, but moments of the film are How this season going toKicked be different than very isexciting.

The Girl Who The Hornet’s past Nestseasons? would probably confuse uninitiated new Well, when you have a success we’ve viewers.

However, for fans of the like series, the film had, you don’tenough like toconclusion do too many changes. is a satisfying to Lisbeth’s story, What weit’sdonot have is as a different cast though quite good as thetone. first The movie. been veryCarr has been very interesting: They’ve –Benjamin tough and very nasty, but there’s also a lot of fun and humor with respect to what happens, HEREAFTER I don’t think(PG-13) we had in the last one. which and with With Joan [Rivers] ★★★★✩ Release Date:Piers Oct.[Morgan], 22 it was really nasty people really hating each Clint Eastwood’s latest is a turn from the usual other. These people hate each other, but it’s physical violence (boxing and gang fights), to a also funny. I think that might be the biggest more internal struggle—one requiring an immense differentiation in terms of the three casts. amount of faith to believe in or not. Eastwood offers opinions about the after life, the title defined Can you usually right the bat who is a as “believing in antell after life,”offintroducing us to going to do well and who isn’t? string of characters, each coping with death in always most interesting quesaThat’s different way.the Their stories reveal the lasting I’d like think tion to me effects thatbecause death brings intotolife, howofitmyself amends asanbeing okaypath, withwhether people.forBut often intended better or I’ll for say, worse.

“This one is going to be a star, ” and then Matt Damon and Cécile De France steerhethis turns outittodelicately be a dud.unfolds You never really know. film as a thoughtful story You feel like you’ve known these celebrities

JACKASS 3D

Starring: Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Ryan Dunn, Steve-O, Wee Man. Director: Jeff Tremaine. Release Date: Oct. 15 Rating: R ★★★★✩

don’t think of so highly turns out to be a star.

You just don’t know what will happen with Before seeing Jackass 3D, I only knew the franchise by reputation. I never watched the show HOWL (N/R) pressure and the heat ofDate: battle.Sept. 24 or saw the first two movies. I was familiar with the premise: guys torture themselves for our ★★★✩✩ Release Viewers seeking a greater understanding What does a celebrity have to do to really of legendary poet Allen or they’re the Beat set themselves apartGinsberg’s and showlife that Generation’s in it to win it?literary influence should look somewhere other than Howl, 1 which features I can tell you from Seasons and 2 and James Franco as the gay poet.

Oscar-winning from the regular Apprentice, people really documentary filmmakers and Jeffrey onceRob in aEpstein while you’ll want to win. Every Friedman (The Celluloid Closet) have have a quitter, but it doesn’t happen created often. a thoroughly bizarre, disjointed film that’s I think the reason they do it is the level more of about thethey poem it created intensity feeland for the theiruproar charity.

Unlike in 1955regular than itApprentice, is about Ginsberg The film the wherehimself. somebody is presented in three parts: Franco as Ginsberg works for me for a pretty good salary for a (essentially on his recitinggoes monologues, year, with this oneown) the money to char- a dry recreation of the court case (starring David ity. Last year we raised millions of dollars.

Strathairn and Jon Hamm), and a really terrible Everybody has a charity that they love; some animated film used to present scenes from the are foundations they’ve set up themselves poem. Because of the structure, it’s very difficult years in advance of the show. So I think they to judge Franco’s central performance, for he plays really fight more intense because it’s a charscenes against off-screen voices or on a stage apart ity they’re fighting for. from his other cast members. The presentation of the court case is interesting enough, but Franco What yourscenes favorite challenges to watch isn’t inare those at all.

The filmmakers are the celebrities tackle? out of their element here, and the film ultimately Well, we do have a lot of different challengdisappoints. es, whether we go back to the selling of the Carr lemonade or doing something else–Benjamin very basic without having to deal with Proctor & Gamble or Kodak, etc. Sometimes LOVE & OTHER DRUGS[sponsor-based (R) challenges] are sort of interesting, but they’re ★★★★★ Release Date: Nov. 24 expensive for us to do. The ratings suggest Jake Gyllenhaal gives anpart intensely charming that the fans’ favorite of thesexy, show by performance and Anne does great far is the boardroom, andHathaway the boardroom workgotten that may garner buzzof in has longer overher themore yearsOscar because director Zwick’s latest,plenty a very good, The Edward challenges still have of time that. hilarious, romantic movie that deserves to and we’re focused on both aspects, but webe a huge been hit. Gyllenhaal Jamie,the a handsome but have trying to plays lengthen boardroom aimless stereo equipment in 1995 whose because of strong viewersalesman requests. biggest talent is bedding lots (and lots) of women.

Lookinglike to amake more money, he in becomes You’re prosecuting attorney the a pharmaceutical in theyour Midwest for Pfizer boardroom.

Dosales yourep meter approach to - and finds that he can really capitalize on his different personalities? skills seduction the company Yes,ofI think you when deal with differentintroduces people Viagra.

While working in doctor’s offices, Jamie differently. I deal with Goldberg differently meetsI deal Maggie Hathaway), a baristaI who with(Anne Governor Blagojevich. than wants only sex without emotion or Rivers dealt with Dennis Rodman and Joanattachment from men because she’s of been with early differently than some thediagnosed other contesonset Parkinson’s disease.

So they have a tants. You have to have that ability. lot of sex - fun, adult, playful, hot sex like movies with big stars do haven’t in a while while not to How you shown feel going back-in the trying boarddevelop feelings for one another. The movie, based room after a little hiatus? upon the nonfiction book Hard Sell: The Evolution I just get a great kick out of it. I really like of a Viagra Salesman, takes on a lot of challenges, it a lot. They want to renew it for another and it manages to succeed at all of them. It treats two or three seasons, and we’re thinking its subjects - the drugs and the disease - with about that. I like having a little bit of a break weight and seriousness, but it’s also laugh-outbetween shows, goes on once year. loud funny (Josh where Gad is itparticularly gooda in the film as Jamie’s horny, newly divorced brother), just Do you ever feeland bad someone, raunchy enough an about effectivefiring tearjerker.

It’s just or is it just part of the job? a really smart, well-made, well-acted movie that I always bad…

No, not always. Somewill satisfy feel lots of theatergoers. times I don’t like people. The hard ones are –Benjamin Carr when you really like and respect somebody and they make a mistake. Like, as an ex-

amusement. The intellectual in me (tiny as he may be) always scoffed at the subject. “What a sad commentary on the state of entertainment in post-modern American (cue snobbish laugh)”.

But then I remember that I watch Tosh.0 every week and seeing the self-inflected misfortunes of others makes me giggle. With that in mind, I went to see Jackass 3D and got exactly what I expected. While the 3D is only used effectively for about a quarter of the film’s sketches (particularly the first and last sketch), most of the gags are clever and some of the gags will make you gag. But there is no mistaking Jackass 3D, even if this is the first time you’ve stared into their abyss of pain.

Because there’s no plot, you can walk into Jackass 3D and the only thing you’ll be missing is a familiarity with the cast. I’m sure fans have their favorite stuntmen, whether it’s Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Wee Man, or any cast member. I actually wish there had been a plot that came before since I would love to see the kind of avant-garde story that sets up random events like having a buffalo trample you or shooting shit skyward. What surprised me about Jackass (aside from the fact of how much these men must hate their own genitals), is the variety in the sketches. Going in, I was under the impression that Jackass is just about guys beating the shit out of themselves. But there are also pranks, gross-out-gags, and candid-camera antics. That variety keeps the feeling freshOUT so thatTO if one isn’t working for you, then youIT onlyWAS have toAwait ITfilm TURNED BEsketch A GOOD PHRASE, BUT a few minutes before moving on to something that you might enjoy more.

FLUKE. THE SHOW WAS A LITTLE The 3D in JackassDURING 3D is a mixed bag.VERY Some ofFIRST the film was shot inI 3D and other scenes were ONE OF THEbutCONTESTANTS I USED EXASPERATED post-converted.

When theWITH 3D works, it’s fantastic, that’s only about 25%AND of the time.

The THE LINE, “YOU’RE FIRED!” WHEN [PRODUCER] MARK rest of the time, you have a blurry, hand-held look that could have easily fit into the past two HAVE BURNETT AND AGREED TO back DO inTHE SHOW WE movies.

The 3D feels moreI like a way to draw viewers who may haveDIDN’T grown tired of the Jackass shtick and want to come back for thirds. is mostly review-proof.

THAT. WEa reason THOUGHT WE’D SAY,Jackass “GET3DTHE HELL OUT The Jackass brand has establishedOF itselfHERE” and you know this is the kind of humor you’ll enjoy or not.

ORifSOMETHING. It’s difficult to justify the cost of a 3D ticket, but if you need an excuse to come back for a third factmuch thatmotivation you raisedtosuch self-sufficient ample, from the lastme, season. time, youScott won’tHamilton, feel ripped-off.

As for I don’t feel see the first two films, children?

I had to let Scott go.

I’m a great fan of Scott: but if they ever came on late night TV, I’d probably take a ride on the pain train.

Well, I’m getting a lot of credit–Matt on the chilHe won Olympic gold medals and he’s a great Goldberg champion. But he understood that he made a mistake on the show and I really had no RED (PG-13) I felt very badly about that, because choice.

I★★★★✩ considered him to be Date: a greatOct. person, Release 15 but I have to do what’s right. It’s never fun, but it’s A retired CIA Iagent justsomebody settled intoorhiswhen routine don’thas like easier when life as a normal person, when an assassin threatens to they’re really, really bad. end it. As a result, Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) gathers his old team together to try and survive. Lucky for us, That line, “You’re fired,” became a pop culthe “old team” brings personalities together from the ture phenomenon. Can you talk about the still sexy Helen Mirren, a classic like Morgan Freeman origin it? and theofever-talented John Malkovich. And, as an It turned out to be Parker a goodplays phrase, but it extra perk, Mary-Louise the unassuming wasI was a fluke.

During the very first show tagalong love-interest of Moses in such a wayI that ahave little exasperated with one of the conto say she and Malkovich completely own this testants movie withand theirI used comicthe relief.line, Yes,“You’re the cast’sfired!” chemistry Mark Burnett I agreed When [producer] overall makes for fabulous dialogue andand emotion that to dousthe showinwe that. We leave laughing onedidn’t framehave and pensive in the next, thought we’d gripping say, “Getourthe out of here” or all before we’re seathell handles in suspense something.

And all of a sudden America when the action picks up. But, Parker’s attitudewent and happens beoverdone a great crazy overs quirk the show.

Malkovich’ makeItthis generictoand of the catchphrase. storyline a standTV out.Guide Slightlyoroutone of place in major the usual entertainment magazines did a poll after autumn Oscar race, this blockbuster is anand, enjoyable “Here’s Johnny!” and one other great, it was last stint of the summer action flicks. Plus, it’s a Top 100 phrases his#3 on the sensible story blending fantasy in andtelevision realism together So that wasenjoyable a prettyway. big Props honor.toIt’s been tory! in a ridiculously Director an amazing thing and an amazing phrase that Robert Schwentke for bringing light to a movie genre It really caught on,that andnot just to work.and that isseems both refreshing satisfying, proving it’s an amazing thing watch. onlybeen does Bruce Willis still got it,tobut that overall, age clearly doesn’t dwindle your ability to play a badass.

What do you think is your biggest accom–Jenni Williams plishment, your business success or the

dren. Everybody’s been asking about Ivanka and the answer is yes, she’ll be back on the RESTREPO (R) show. But they’re very good kids. They went to very good schools, they were ★★★★★ Release and Date: June 2 great students. I couldn’t wait to get them on the Directed by no famed ideajournalist the showSebastian would be Junger into show. I had (The Perfect Storm) and British photographer itsninth and tenth season, which is pretty Tim Hetherington, this Sundance Grand Jury amazing in the world of television.

Prize-winning documentary covers the year the filmmakers spent in Afghanistan on assignment for There’s been lots of news surrounding NBC Vanity Fair. The pair embedded themselves with lately, andPlatoon, your show does well2nd for Battalion, them. the Second B Company, What you think NBC needs to do to get173rd back 503rd Infantry Regiment (airborne) of the in the ratings game?

Airborne Brigade Combat Team in the Korangal Well,Here, I know Gaspin (Chairman NBC Valley. in a Jeff deadly battleground in theofheart Television Entertainment) and, as Universal of Taliban country, the platoon builds and defends I think he’s you know, he’s new to the role. a remote outpost called OP Restrepo, named for NBC. They do awas spectacular jobinat the agoing medictowho killed earlier campaign.

The Apprentice.

Notfor need more shows like With gritty camera work, an obvious empathy necessarily from a reality standpoint, but the soldiers and a complete disregard for external they need the shows that capture the imaginainfluences, filmmakers immerse themselves tion. by extension, the audience) in both the (and, Frankly, certain that are on shouldof tragedy of war and shows the fraternal camaraderie be changed because, while they get the men fighting it, getting so close to some the nearpretty good reviews, get peoplefeel constant combat that they you don’t can practically It’s nice to getThe both.

We’ve had watching. the bullets whizzing past. filmmakers wisely Emmy nominations and a lot of remain politically neutral: Othergood thanac-local colades elders, passedevery our way, always Afghani wordand herethat’s comes directly nice.the Butsoldier’s ultimately youconveying have to have people from mouths, unvarnished is going really doand well.

I know watch. NBC emotions ranging from to fierce pride brotherly I think they’re winners, their leadership and love to gripping fear and gut-wrenching grief. they’llfeelings turn it around. so I think your Whatever about the military’s PG 13 • insiteatlanta.com • November 2010

HILARIOUS!

“

‘DUE DATE’ IS SIDE-SPLITTING, ROLL IN THE AISLE, CAN’T STOP LAUGHING ’TIL IT HURTS FUNNY.”

continued presence in Afghanistan, you will find yourself moved on a deeply personal level, with a newfound awe and reverence for the horrors these young men (and women) subject themselves to in the name of protecting our freedom.

–B. Love

Shawn Edwards, FOX-TV

A RAUCOUS RIDE... ” “THE LAUGH-OUT-LOUD ” “TODD PHILLIPS ” A RECIPE FOR NUTSO FUN. COMEDY OF THE YEAR! SCORES AGAIN. “

Maria Salas, The CW

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Dennis Dermody, Paper Magazine

ROBERT DOWNEY JR. AND ZACH GALIFIANAKIS” HAVE THE PERFECT ON-SCREEN CHEMISTRY!

“

Sandie Newton, CBS-TV

STARTS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5 - CHECK DIRECTORIES FOR LISTINGS

SECRETARIAT (PG) ★★✩✩✩ Release Date: Oct. 8 Like the multitude of corny live action movies Disney used to produce in the ‘60s and ‘70s, Secretariat stumbles almost every step of the way.

Much of it really isn’t about the famous racehorse, but more about his owner, Penny Chenery. Like the The Blind Side, it’s a true story reshaped into a modern faux-feminist fantasy for the Soccer Mom audience, a story where the privileged woman and her barely existent problems are the main focus and everything else is incidental. As Chenery, Diane Lane is very pretty, but she overacts even when trying to be restrained, evoking the overly expressive and mannered style that audiences found cloying half a century ago. In her defense, she’s probably trying her best in a production that looks cheap and is constrained by a script littered with cliches. John Malkovitch as horse trainer Lucien Laurin occasionally gives the film a bit of life, but even then he’s reduced to being the comic relief, his funny clothes providing the basis for almost all of the humor. Everything else is a complete washout.

The filmmakers are hoping that you won’t notice that the Chenery children don’t age over the course of three years, and subplot regarding the eldest daughters political awakening rings so false that audiences might find themselves snickering. The worst part is that plot’s reasoning seems to shift back and forth depending on the cliche called for at the time. It’s implied that Chenery loves the horse, yet she insists on hiring a jockey that rides horses so hard their hearts burst. Before the last race, she says she feels she’s already won (since she stood up for herself), but when the trainer alerts her to the possibility that overtraining Secretariat could be dangerous to his health, she decides to extend the

training in order to win. It’s implied that she is doing it all to save her father’s farm, but once someone offers her millions of dollars for Secretariat, she refuses. If she’s doing it to save the farm, why refuse the offer? If she truly loves the horse, and feels that she’s “already won”, why repeatedly risk endangering his health? As far as the history of Hollywood horse movies goes, Secretariat is destined to remain at the back of the pack.

–Jay Wayne

STONE (R) ★★★★✩ Release Date: Oct. 10 Every so often there comes a film that follows you home from the theatre. It challenges your mentality, rustles your state of mind, and ties your stomach into knots. Stone is nothing short of these qualities. The story is of Stone, a young convict (Edward Norton) up for parole, attempting to manipulate his parole officer in hopes of an otherwise unlikely release.

Tortured himself from a life of strict rule-following and conservative indulgence, Officer Jack (Robert De Niro) finds himself caught up in his own ego, estranged from his wife (Frances Conroy) and prey to his convict’s plan—a deliberate ploy exploiting his wife’s (Milla Jovovich) flirtatious and limitless seduction. As the disturbed and lonely Jack, desperate to feel something (anything) for the first time in his life, De Niro is tragically riveting, his claims to being one of the most talented actors of our time truly evident.

Norton continues to excel as a phenomenal character actor. He clinches Stone’s persona, from cornrows to an urban accent, to a subtle ignorance that sends the audience on a roller coaster of perception while watching his enlightenment experience. The chemistry between the players here evokes a raw emotion that ranges from intense, violent and hard to swallow, to delicate, somber and downright sad. But Director John Curran (The Painted Veil) combines these elements in a powerful portrayal that is refreshing in its candor, completely unhindered in its calamity. Take a strong will and a confident conscious, but trade that in for ridiculously good story-telling and acting at its best.

–Jenni Williams

TV

COMMUNITY ACTIVIST

Donald Glover On Comedy, Zombies & Growing Up In Georgia

BY BRAD BINKLEY

I

T’S SAFE TO SAY THAT DONALD Glover has accomplished more in 26 years than most people could dream of. He’s been a writer on the critically acclaimed 30 Rock, a standup comedian, a rapper, and an ensemble member on one of television’s most consistently inventive comedies, Community, which follows a group of misfits who attend Greendale Community College.

He’s also a founding member of the sketch group, DERRICK comedy, whose YouTube channel has over a million views. It’s almost as though anything Glover touches turns to gold, which explains why he received the first-ever Rising Comedy Star of the Year Award at the 2010 Just For Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal.

Along with Glover, Community is full of comedic geniuses, including SNL legend Chevy Chase, The Soup’s Joel McHale and The Hangover scene-stealer Ken Cheong. Glover plays Troy, a former high school football star who’s trying to find his way.

When you speak with the charmingly silly Glover, it doesn’t take long to see why he is so successful.

How does Community compare to your college experience?

I was not around as many hot chicks, that’s for sure. I felt like I stayed indoors a lot. I was making music a lot on my computer. I was really into doing that. Me and my friends used to just go around and see comedy shows and chill out. So I guess there wasn’t as much adventure, you know, unless eating ramen noodles and watching the Chapelle Show on DVD is an adventure.

PG 14 • insiteatlanta.com • November 2010

Did you start doing standup when you were in college?

No, I actually started doing standup three years ago, in college. I was writing sketches and pilots and I was doing improv. But I didn’t start doing standup until very recently, because it was just something that somebody told me I should do.

How does improv compare with writing sketches and performing standup?

They’re kind of the same thing, to be honest. Improv is just writing on the spot, you know? Improv is like writing with a pen; writing sketches and all that stuff is writing with a pencil, where you get to erase and keep all the good parts. If you’re improvising, you have to take the good with the bad. All the bad parts, you just got to make those things work.

They’re both hard work, though.

Zombies are coming to an episode of Community.

Which actor on the show would survive a real-life zombie attack?

Me, definitely! Way before any of those guys. First of all,I’d be the first to be like, “We shouldn’t go in there, guys.” I’d be way ahead of everybody because I’m always looking for that stuff. So I’d be like, “This feels wrong.” And I have no problem with using other people as bait, or tripping them. I get dirty when my life is in danger.

Who would be the first to die?

First to die? Wow, that’s a good question. Oh… Chevy Chase! He’s a little older, so he’s a little slower.

Also, he’d be like, “This is nowhere near as good as the zombies we had on SNL,” and then he’d get eaten. Then it’d probably be Gillian, not because

she’s bad or anything, but because I don’t think she’s a good runner and she’s always in heels on the show.

Then Danny, then Joel, then Alison, then me.

What’s your favorite thing about doing the show?

I think it’s just a good show. I’m so lucky to be doing something I really, really like. I mean, I feel like I’m literally the luckiest person in the world because I got to work for 30 Rock and this show. How many people get to write for one of the best shows on TV, and then work as an actor on one of the best shows?

I’m very lucky to be on a show that’s not only fulfilling, but just enjoyable and something I would want to watch. I’ll be proud to show my kids someday.

You guys had Betty White on the show this season. Do you have any other dream guest stars that you’d like to see on the show?

Oh wow, that’s a good question. I’m not sure. I would love for Zach Galifianakis to be on the show.

I love him; I think he’s hysterical. My real father, because it would be great to meet him. I mean, it’d be weird maybe– I don’t even know if he’s a good actor– but it’d be great to meet him.

Where in Georgia did you go to school?

I graduated from the DeKalb School of the Arts, which was once Avondale.

How did that education help you get to where you are today?

I learned a ton! When you’re that young I think the thing that’s most important is that you’re exposed to [the arts] as much as possible. Being exposed to people writing and doing plays, making movies and being active in the arts made it way easier for me

to do it later on in life. I was aware that stuff was a possibility as a job, and the idea of doing it wasn’t so foreign to me. So yes, it was good.

How did growing up in Atlanta influence your music and your writing?

I think it influenced me a lot. I think Atlanta, especially when I was young, was a constantly changing city. There were a lot of different types of people, but you didn’t always run into them because I felt like it was a very divided city. It really opened my eyes to different viewpoints, and it made me more malleable as a person. Truthfully, you can’t do anything really fun in Atlanta until you’re 18. So, before I was 18, I was bored out of my mind, living in Stone Mountain and hating it. I really do credit that with me getting involved in the arts– writing, being a comedian and making music– because I was so bored it forced me to learn the things I liked at an early age. A lot of people don’t learn what they really like or really want to do until their early 30s, which, you know, is crazy. I knew what I wanted to do when I was 16, so I’m very lucky.

FILM

THE POWER OF PERSISTENCE

Jon Hamm on Mad Men, The Town & The 15 Years It Took Him To Catch A Break

BY B. LOVE

I

T WOULD BE EASY TO LOOK AT Jon Hamm’s handsome, All-American looks and his success on the critically-acclaimed TV show Mad Men and assume that the guy has always been blessed with luck. But in fact, Hamm’s story is a true testament to the value of hard work, patience and persistence.

Hamm’s mother died of cancer when he was just 10 years old, and his father died when he was 20. After visiting longtime friend Paul Rudd, Hamm moved to Hollywood in 1995 in hopes of making it as an actor, but was dropped as a client by the William Morris Agency three years later due to his inability to score work. For the next 10 years he appeared in minor roles on TV (Providence, The Division) and in film (Kissing Jessica Stein, We Were Soldiers), but he was 36 years old before he landed his breakthrough gig as ad man Don Draper.

Hamm’s long, winding road to fame ultimately made his success seem even sweeter, and these days he’s riding higher than ever. He’s got a hit TV show, stars as FBI agent Adam Frawley in The Town (Ben Affleck’s latest directorial effort), won GQ’s “International Man Award” in September, and has three more high-profile films due out within the next year. Perhaps not surprisingly, the actor seemed in a great mood when he sat down to discuss The Town at the Toronto Film Festival.

How has the success of Mad Men changed your life?

My life has changed significantly. It’s been a very exciting ride and some very strange times, indeed. But I get to work with some tremendous people and opportunities come a little easier now that my profile has gotten a little broader, so I’m very fortunate and very happy.

Were there times where you wondered if you’d ever get that kind of break?

Yeah, none of us would be in this business if we didn’t have thick skin. Starting off as an actor you get rejected more often than you get accepted, and my road here was probably a lot longer and a little more twisted than some. Most of acting is about being rejected, and I’m sure everyone has a story about walking into an audition room and failing horribly. I’m certainly no exception.

How did you land the Don Draper role?

I was on the bottom of everyone’s list. I really, really wanted to do it and really, really responded to the character. I knew it was an enormous risk for the network to put all their chips on… certainly no celebrity of any kind. No name to promote.

By the time I got the part, it had gone on for so long and I’d been so deluded by the fact that I had to prepare virtually every scene in the pilot and read it for the director, the writer, the executives and all this other stuff. They had finally flown me to New York, where all the executives were.

[Writer] Matt Weiner said, “Just walk around here like you own the place, because you are getting this part!” I was like, we’ll see.

Are you surprised by Mad Men’s success, especially given the questionable morals of your character?

It’s a curious phenomenon, I suppose, given the moral turpitude of that character. People are thrilled to watch other people doing this, relieved that they don’t have to deal with the consequences. There’s a vicarious thrill. It’s exciting to see people misbehave! That’s a big part of cinema and theatre and television. Watching people who are ostensibly good do bad things, and rooting for them to get away with it even though we know that it’s bad.

Don’s life fell apart on Mad Men this season.

What was it like for you playing such a cool cat completely losing control?

It’s always difficult to try to bring real, deep emotion — it’s hard, and it’s vulnerable, and you have to be real in that moment. Part of it was being as comfortable as I am with Elizabeth Moss, part of it was being as emotionally close to the character as I am now, four seasons in, and a big part of it was the relationship Don has with Anna [a character from Don’s past, played by Melinda Page Hamilton]. Melinda is such a wonderful actress, we just have this history, and it becomes very real.

Having such a successful TV show, what do you look for in a movie role?

I don’t have any sort of calculus to choosing film roles. I just responded to the story of “The Town” and really wanted to play the character. I read a very early version of the script when another director was attached to it, but I didn’t necessarily respond to the story then. Once Ben Affleck signed on, I became much more interested because I was a massive fan of “Gone, Baby Gone.”

So I just try to pick parts that somehow inspire me creatively, and I want to work with people whose work I respect and admire. Both of those boxes were checked for this project.

What did you learn from the research you did to play an FBI agent?

It was a tremendous advantage to be able to hang out and talk to several of the law enforcement officials in Boston, both at the federal, state and local level. What they do is a tremendous achievement and a collaborative effort between all three levels. They do some amazing work because there are a lot of robberies on Boston, and a lot of them do get solved because of these guys.

So it was nice to see from the inside how clear their objective is: Their job is to stop bad people from doing bad things, and they’re very clear on that. That was very helpful to me.

2010

Now that you’ve got a bit of caché in the industry, do you have any interest in writing or directing?

I can’t write. I find it terrifying. My girlfriend of 13 years is a writer, producer and accomplished actress who’s preparing to direct her first feature, but I just don’t have the focus to do all that. I have the attention span of a hopped-up squirrel...

PG 15 • insiteatlanta.com • November 2010

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L.A. LAW

We’ve reached a verdict: Terrence Howard, who stars on the all-new Law & Order: Los Angeles, is one of Hollywood’s most underrated actors.

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FILM

A

CCORDING TO LONGTIME LAW & Order executive producer Rene Balcer, the hit franchise carries a three-show statute of limitations on TV. So, let’s see now. There’s Law & Order: SVU. BBC America is currently airing Law & Order: UK. And then we have the highly-publicized Law & Order: Los Angeles, the series’ first foray into West Coast crime and punishment. The dependable Terrence Howard, who plays district attorney Joe Dekker, is a part of LOLA’s impressive cast, assuring that justice is swift and superbly acted. We haven’t seen the 41-year-old Chicago native much as a lawyer before this role, but if believable turns as a pimp (Hustle & Flow), civil rights leader (Boycott) and swim coach (Pride) have proven anything over the years, it’s that Howard will do just fine in the courtroom on Wednesday nights.

Terrence, can you talk about the similarities between actors and attorneys and how that’s useful when stepping into character?

Well, I’ve often been told that great attorneys would be tremendous actors and actors would make marvelous attorneys. Anytime you’re sitting inside of a situation where you have to adapt to an audience, adapt to the jury, adapt to -to be forced to- improvise because of new information being presented and because of a change in the script or a change in the character.

You’ve had a lot of great roles in your film career and you always bring such intensity to your roles. How did you approach the role of DA Joe Dekker?

Well, the first thing that I did is I spent time in the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office and spent a great deal of time exchanging numbers with a lot of different attorneys there and even some of the judges there.

They would walk me through the courtroom.

And just read as much information as you can on the individual case but also on the precedents because it gives you a better sense of when you’re inside that courtroom, you feel like you’re actually there and you’re actually prepared for something that may be said or not mentioned.

Talk a little bit about what was it that attracted to joining the cast and joining the series.

Well, I had just finished playing Nelson Mandela [in the 2011 release Winnie] and spending nine months working on that and there was the most important part of him was his legal appetite and his appetite for more rightness. When we finished the movie, I wasn’t finished being a lawyer. I have a couple of friends who were law students and one of

the things that their teachers had them do was watch Law and Order because it was so realistic. And when I got the call from Dick [Wolf, the series creator] to possibly join this team [I accepted it].

Even though you won’t appear in every episode, how are you acclimating yourself to the grind of a TV schedule?

Well, there’s no grind associated with it.

You have to remember, I started with the stage. The stage is grind and then I went to you know, what do you call it?- soap operas.

I did that for about two years, so those are grinds. With LOLA I get to see my character grow. I don’t have to relearn a new person every day. I have three months to get somebody out and put it in a movie, you know. If the good continues on like what happened with Law and Order, I’ve got 20 years to discover this side of me, this moral side of me, so I don’t look at it as a grind.

You’ll still be able to do movies but Law and Order is kind of a long deal generally.

How will this role impact your movie career?

You know what’s interesting, a couple of years ago I was in Toronto and I bumped into a friend of mine, Reese Witherspoon, and she said to me, she said you’re doing too many movies. You’re doing too many movies, so I had to think about what she was saying and it was true. I was just jumping on whatever I could jump on because I just wanted to keep working. But with this film, with this TV show -I call it a film because it feels more like film work- I’ll still be able to go and do one or two good movies a year. I would like to do one or two good movies every couple of years but still be able to keep up with my craft so no, I’ll do less films but better quality films.

So, if the script is good enough, you’ll jump and maybe do a film every year or every other year?

Definitely. I mean, I’ve worked for 26 years in this business to get to a particular place but you’ve got to be aware in this economic downturn that we’re about to fall into, that we’re falling into. I mean, we’re about to hit a horrible economic winter and I think the smartest move for most actors will be to, if they really are actors, if they’re a movie star, they [won’t] fade away. If they’re actors, they’ll find another medium under which to work. The next group of films that I do will be wonderful films because I will have the security of knowing that I have a great job to come back to. So, I think the work that I will do in film subsequent of this show will be 10 times better than any amount of work that I’ve ever done before.

THE NEXT GROUP OF FILMS THAT I DO WILL BE WONDERFUL FILMS BECAUSE I WILL HAVE THE SECURITY OF KNOWING THAT I HAVE A GREAT JOB TO COME BACK TO.

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������������������� FOOTBALL AT THE SALOON Saturdays & Sundays

Biggest & Best HDTVs in Buckhead playing the BIG GAMES bucket & pitcher specials along with great food

TUESDAY NIGHT ALL-STARS Open Mic Night

WEDNESDAY Trivia THURSDAY NIGHT THE

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NO COVER SATURDAY COLLEGE FOOTBALL! ����������������� ���������������������������������������

SUNDAY

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AND PATIO PARTY!

TVs inside & Out Showing All Your Favorite Games LIVE Music on the Patio with Francisco Vidal & Scotty Cram

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VIDIOTS

UPCOMING DVD RELEASES AND REVIEWS

BY B. LOVE & JOHN B. MOORE BENNY HILL: THE COMPLETE MEGASET – Anglophiles and fans of the Yakety Sax rejoice: A&E has just released the DVD megaset you’ve been waiting for. With 58 episodes parceled out over 18 DVDs, this hilarious, often raunchy set covers two decades of the Benny Hill show (1969-1989), including some skits that never aired in the U.S. The Benny Hill Show was goofy and occasionally sophomoric (scantily clad women were his bread and butter), but it remains strikingly original and often laugh-out-loud funny television.

THE HUMAN CENTIPEDE – If David Cronenberg, Eli Roth and Lars Von Trier collaborated on a fetish film that tapped into the sadistic horror craze, it might play out like Dutch director Tom Six’s U.S. debut. The story is simple: A maniacal doctor (Dieter Laser) surgically joins two American tourists and a Japanese businessman to create the monstrosity referred to in the title. Love it or loathe it, Six deserves props for relying on his actors to depict the macabre terror rather than graphic effects. Still, it’s not for the squeamish… or anyone who lets good taste get in the way of a good scare.

MONK: THE COMPLETE SERIES – Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) is the latest in a long line of

genius detectives, stretching from Columbo back to Sherlock Holmes, whose quirkiness makes the mysteries they solve more intriguing. Monk’s obsessiveness is perfectly matched by this 32-DVD set, which includes every episode from the show’s eight critically acclaimed seasons, hours of behind-thescenes bonus features and a collectible 32page “Defective Detective Handbook.” A great look back at what the LA Times called “TV’s most original sleuth ever.”

SURVIVING THE HOLIDAYS WITH LEWIS BLACK – No one can boil down the ridiculousness of the holidays quite like Lewis Black (The Daily Show), America’s favorite comedic curmudgeon. Between the awkward family discussions at Thanksgiving, the frenzy of Christmas presentbuying, and the drunken orgy that New Year’s never actually is, Black– along with a handful of other comics (like Bob Saget and Craig Ferguson)– tackles the stresses of the holiday season with comedic aplomb.

TWO & A HALF MEN: THE SEVENTH SEASON – One of the few TV shows on which my girlfriend and I do not agree, the success of this Charlie Sheen/Jon Cryer sitcom openly defies intellectual explanation. Created by sitcom vet Chuck Lorre, the show is rude, crude and features few socially redeeming characters. Still, it does something VERY few TV comedies have done in recent years: It makes me laugh on a regular basis thanks to Sheen’s self-parodying loutishness, Cryer’s self-deprecating mousiness, and Angus T. Jones’ portrayal of teen apathy.

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MAMA’S LOVE

STEVIEMONCE

JaSON Boland

& The Stragglers

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NICK MALLOY BAND

JUPITER COYOTE

SOUTHSIDE OF THE TRACKS

(Jam Rock)

(Country Rock)

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(Texas Country)

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NO COVER WEEKNIGHTS!

��������������������������������������������������������� PG 17 • insiteatlanta.com • November 2010

CONCERT C LENDER

MONDAY NOVEMBER 1 529 Banner Pilot EDDIE’S ATTIC Songwriter’s Open Mic FAT MATT’S Uncle Sugar FIVE SPOT Atlanta Funk Society MASQUERADE Mat Musto SMITH’S Grant’s Free For All TABERNACLE Interpol TUESDAY NOVEMBER 2 529 JEFF the Brotherhood BUCKHEAD SALOON Open Mic EARL Rasputina EDDIE’S ATTIC Jon Byrd & Byrd’s Auto Parts FAT MATT’S Crosstown Allstars FIVE SPOT Open Mic MASQUERADE Ra Ra Riot SMITH’S One Eskimo TABERNACLE MGMT VINYL Parachute WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 3 529 Worn In Red APACHE CAFÉ Al SMITH’S Midtown Jam EARL The Intelligence EDDIE’S ATTIC Caroline Pond FAT MATT’S Frankie’s Blues Mission MASQUERADE Powerman 5000 PEACHTREE TAVERN Generation Now SMITH’S The Shadowboxers STAR BAR Sneaky Hand THURSDAY NOVEMBER 4 529 Bambara APACHE CAFÉ The XO Band EARL Hawks EDDIE’S ATTIC Jack Ingram FAT MATT’S Chickenshack FIVE SPOT The 54 THE LOFT Pac Div & U-N-I MASQUERADE Legendary Pink Dots PEACHTREE TAVERN Capsule Corp SMITH’S Jonathan Tyler STAR BAR Villain Family VARIETY Mike Birbiglia VINYL Tyler Hilton & Josiah Leming FRIDAY NOVEMBER 5 529 Gaye Blades APACHE CAFÉ Bad Man & Woman BUCKHEAD SALOON Live Music EARL Shearwater EDDIE’S ATTIC Ryan Montbleau Band FAT MATT’S The Jumpin’ Jukes FIVE SPOT Summit Jazz Organ Review THE LOFT Calvin Harris MASQUERADE The New Mastersounds PEACHTREE TAVERN Mama’s Love SMITH’S James Hall & The Futura Bold STAR BAR Jon Lindsay Band TABERNACLE La Roux VINYL Band to Band Combat WILD BILL’S Jaron & The Long Road To Love SATURDAY NOVEMBER 6 529 Qwel & Maker APACHE CAFÉ Heratio EARL The Felice Brothers EDDIE’S ATTIC The Belleville Outfit FAT MATT’S Rough Draft FIVE SPOT The Dappled Grays MASQUERADE Yelawolf PEACHTREE TAVERN Stevie Monice SMITH’S Revival STAR BAR Josh Roberts & The Hinges TABERNACLE Sufjan Stevens VARIETY Of Montreal w/ Janelle Monae VINYL The Best Brothers Band WILD BILL’S Uncle Kracker SUNDAY NOVEMBER 7 EARL Chicken & Pigs FIVE SPOT The Shadowboxers THE LOFT Baby Loves Disco MASQUERADE Marcy Playground VARIETY Of Montreal w/ Janelle Monae MONDAY NOVEMBER 8 529 Wizardry EDDIE’S ATTIC Matt White FAT MATT’S Uncle Sugar FIVE SPOT The Atlanta Funk Society SMITH’S Grant’s Free For All TUESDAY NOVEMBER 9 529 Gentleman Jesse BUCKHEAD SALOON Open Mic CENTER STAGE Never Shout Never EDDIE’S ATTIC Hoots & Hellmouth FAT MATT’S Crosstown Allstars

PG 18 • insiteatlanta.com • November 2010

FIVE SPOT Open Mic THE LOFT DJ Shadow SMITH’S The Seriously Funny Show VARIETY Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 10 529 Nigredo APACHE CAFÉ Al SMITH’S Midtown Jam EARL Land of Talk EDDIE’S ATTIC AMP Student Showcase FAT MATT’S Frankie’s Blues Mission MASQUERADE Dimmu Borgir PEACHTREE TAVERN The 17th Floor SMITH’S Flow Tribe STAR BAR Joe Buck TABERNACLE Social Distortion VARIETY Hanson THURSDAY NOVEMBER 11 529 Paleface APACHE CAFÉ Time 2 Shine CENTER STAGE The Dandy Warhols EARL Jucifer EDDIE’S ATTIC The Vespers FAT MATT’S Chickenshack FIVE SPOT Veritgo Jazz Project FOX THEATRE Fantasia, Eric Benet MASQUERADE Bonobo SMITH’S Mark Karan & Jemimah Puddlebuck STAR BAR Glen Iris VINYL The Rocketboys FRIDAY NOVEMBER 12 529 Sons of Tonatiuh BUCKHEAD SALOON Live Music EARL Black Mountain EDDIE’S ATTIC Maura O’Connell FAT MATT’S Delta Rockers FIVE SPOT Joe McGuinness Trio FOX THEATRE Lady Antebellum THE LOFT Matt Costa MASQUERADE The AP Tour PEACHTREE TAVERN Jason Boland SMITH’S Future STAR BAR Young Orchids TABERNACLE The Cult VARIETY Wolf Parade VINYL Fervor SATURDAY NOVEMBER 13 529 Stay Productive APACHE CAFÉ Scholars Hip Hop Festival CENTER STAGE Pouya EARL Peelander-Z EDDIE’S ATTIC Scott Miller FAT MATT’S Swamp Funk Quartet FIVE SPOT The Phatty Acids FOX THEATRE Men of Soul THE LOFT 10 Miles of Blue MASQUERADE Congregation of the Damned Tour PEACHTREE TAVERN Nick Malloy Band SMITH’S The Dirty Guv’nahs STAR BAR April Smith & Great Picture Show VARIETY Donna The Buffalo VINYL Marked For Madness Music Fest SUNDAY NOVEMBER 14 EARL Bear in Heaven EDDIE’S ATTIC Slaid Cleaves FIVE SPOT Rising Appalachia SMITH’S The Roosters VARIETY Motion City Soundtrack MONDAY NOVEMBER 15 529 The Future Now EARL Lithurgy EDDIE’S ATTIC Songwriter’s Open Mic FAT MATT’S Uncle Sugar FIVE SPOT Atlanta Funk Society FOX THEATRE BBC Orchestra MASQUERADE Overkill SMITH’S Disgrace VARIETY Brooke Fraser TUESDAY NOVEMBER 16 529 Tornado Town BUCKHEAD SALOON Open Mic EDDIE’S ATTIC Michelle Shocked FAT MATT’S Crosstown Allstars FIVE SPOT Open Mic THE LOFT Toots & The Maytals MASQUERADE A Skylit Drive SMITH’S The Seriously Funny Show VARIETY Iron & White WENDESDAY NOVEMBER 17 APACHE CAFÉ Al SMITH’S Midtown Jam EARL Adron EDDIE’S ATTIC Autumn Defense FAT MATT’S Frankie’s Blues Mission

MASQUERADE Speak PEACHTREE TAVERN Downstroke SMITH’S Bellwether Station STAR BAR Scott H. Biram VARIETY The Weepies

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 18 529 Bridges and Powerlines APACHE CAFÉ Showtime BLIND WILLIE’S Nick Moss & The Fliptops EARL Horse Feathers EDDIE’S ATTIC Caroline Aiken FAT MATT’S Chickenshack FIVE SPOT Atl-Country Gone Hog Wild FOX THEATRE Gary Allen PHILIPS Rogers Waters SMITH’S Lullwater STAR BAR The Back Pockets VARIETY Grinderman VINYL Waterseed FRIDAY NOVEMBER 19 529 Small Reactions BLIND WILLIE’S Big Bill Morganfield BUCKHEAD SALOON Live Music EARL Maserati EDDIE’S ATTIC Edie Carey FOX THEATRE Kevin Hart THE LOFT Brand Nubian MASQUERADE Senses Fail PEACHTREE TAVERN Jupiter Coyote SMITH’S The Last Waltz Ensemble STAR BAR How I Became The Bomb TABERNACLE The Black Crowes VARIETY The Punch Bros.

VINYL The Gasoline Bros.

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 20 529 Roman Photos APACHE CAFÉ Signal Path BLIND WILLIE’S Big Bill Morganfield CENTER STAGE Charley Magruders Reunion EARL Double Dagger EDDIE’S ATTIC Georgia Music Heritage Benefit FAT MATT’S Lee Griffin FIVE SPOT Helltrash Party FOX THEATRE Celtic Thunder THE LOFT The Posies MASQUERADE Doomtree PEACHTREE TAVERN Southside of the Tracks SMITH’S The Hackensaw Boys VARIETY The Infamous Stringdusters VINYL Six Shot Revival SUNDAY NOVEMBER 21 EARL Junip EDDIE’S ATTIC Granvile Automatic FOX THEATRE Messiah Rocks MASQUERADE The Movement TABERNACLE Ben Folds VARIETY Bo Burnham MONDAY NOVEMBER 22 529 Cute Boots EDDIE’S ATTIC Songwriter’s Open Mic FAT MATT’S Uncle Sugar FIVE SPOT Atlanta Funk Society SMITH’S Grant’s Free For All TUESDAY NOVEMBER 23 BUCKHEAD SALOON Open Mic EARL The Ataris EDDIE’S ATTIC Ryan Horne FAT MATT’S Crosstown Allstars FIVE SPOT Open Mic MASQUERADE Aloe Blacc SMITH’S The District Attorneys WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 24 529 Hollow Stars APACHE CAFÉ Al SMITH’S Midtown Jam EARL Faithless Town EDDIE’S ATTIC Nicole Chillemi FAT MATT’S Frankie’s Blues Mission FIVE SPOT Sistas 4 Assata II MASQUERADE Behemoth PEACHTREE TAVERN Poptart Monkeys SMITH’S The Constellations STAR BAR Spinddrift VARIETY Donovan Frankenreiter VINYL The Stuffing THURSDAY NOVEMBER 25 529 Thanksgiving Death Disco FAT MATT’S Chickenshack SMITH’S Dubconscious FRIDAY NOVEMBER 26 529 Free Acid BUCKHEAD SALOON Live Music

EARL The Coathangers EDDIE’S ATTIC Songwriter’s Open Mic FAT MATT’S Johnny Scales MASQUERADE Minus The Bear PEACHTREE TAVERN Ben Diegnan SMITH’S Col. Bruce Hampton & The Quark Alliance STAR BAR Main Street Exiles TABERNACLE Corey Smith VARIETY The Whigs

SATURDAY NOVEMBER 27 529 Night Driving in Small Towns APACHE CAFÉ PJ Morton CENTER STAGE 4 Troops EDDIE’S ATTIC Michelle Malone FAT MATT’S Willy Jackson & The Exit Band SMITH’S The Swingin’ Richards STAR BAR The Booze VARIETY The Black Lips VINYL Almost Legendary SUNDAY NOVEMBER 28 EARL Tim Kasher MONDAY NOVEMBER 29 529 Wrister FAT MATT’S Uncle Sugar FIVE SPOT Atlanta Funk Society MASQUERADE Watain SMITH’S Grant’s Free For All TUESDAY NOVEMBER 30 BUCKHEAD SALOON Open Mic EDDIE’S ATTIC Paula Cole FAT MATT’S Crosstown Allstars FIVE SPOT Open Mic SMITH’S Tab Benoit

Fantasia FOX THEATRE NOVEMBER 11

Road Warriors

This Month’s Hottest Shows

BY SACHA DZUBA

NOVEMBER 4 – THE LEGENDARY PINK DOTS

The Masquerade With a word like “legendary” in your band’s name, you’ve already got a lot to live up to, tag on the fact that you’ve been around 30 years and still haven’t struck the mainstream and you would expect The Legendary Pink Dots to be sardonic and self-deprecating about their obscurity. You would be wrong, these musicians have no problem being a serious band. The Dots have touched on styles ranging from industrial, post-punk, jazz, prog, psychadelia, goth, electronica, and psych-folk; always with a distinctly avant-garde aesthetic. Their latest album Seconds Late for the Brighton Line is full of post-punk minimalist electronica with darkly atmospheric musical noiscapes. Expect to see lots of Goths out in the swirls and curls of smoke and dim lights, the perfect band to see so near to Halloween. This is what would’ve been if Syd Barrett was singing for Joy Division and they never discovered mainstream electronic/ dance to become New Order.

NOVEMBER 6 – SUFJAN STEVENS

The Tabernacle Sufjan Stevens is an indie darling, his songwriting is irresistible. Guess what, his patented banjo/lo-fi folk style has changed

to an incredibly significant degree. Sufjan’s newest album, The Age of Adz, is an autotune, sythesized, drum machine vision of robots, aliens, and the vastness of outer space.

Long time fans may be hesitant about this new direction, but Stevens is sure to play some fan favorites. He’s been touring with the support of eleven musicians, two fantastic backup singers, and a spectacle of visual effect. Don’t doubt the man, his charms don’t lie in his voice and banjo alone; this musician is curious about the world around him and charms the audience with his artistic vision.

NOVEMBER 10 – DIMMU BORGIR

The Masquerade Soul-searing evil with dark orchestrals, theatrics, and oldfashioned leather and spikes of the finest Norweigan black metal; Dimmu Borgir will pull your essence into the darkness. Dimmu Borgir translates to “dark cities” and that is where the music of this band will take you. Although they are dealing with a multitude of lineup changes, they do not disappoint with their latest album, Abrahadabra. Wear the corpse paint, don the spikes, pull on your boots, and bring your sharpest metal horns.

NOVEMBER 12 – LADY ANTEBELLUM

Fox Theatre Atlanta A trifecta combination of pop music, and

hints of rock ‘n’ roll and country, the trio that is Lady Antebellum brings their closely knit harmonies, backed with solid guitar and piano lines to the Fantastic Fox Theatre. Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley trade vocal lines that interweave throughout each song, supported with Dave Haywood’s backing vocals are classy and emotionally driven. These performers care about and believe in their music and have the ability to touch the audience without seeming forced. Crowd pleasers such as Love Don’t Live Here, I Run to You, and Need You Now are sure to get whoops and hollers from the cowboy hat crowd.

NOVEMBER 13 – THE DRESDEN DOLLS

Buckhead Theatre The girl anachronism and coin-operated boy are back together for a 10th anniversary reunion tour! Cabaret, Adam Ant, mime, punk, new wave, piano, goth, theatre, lipstick, guyliner, dress-up are all thrown together… and will it blend?! The answer is a resounding yes! Sideshow chaos at it’s finest that must be seen and heard to be believed, Miss Palmer and Mister Viglione bring humorous and insightful songs to inspired life through their animated performance. I thought I might never get to see them again and here they are, returned and ready to show the faithful into the circus tent of musical madness. Time to run off and join the Dresden Dolls in their Punk-Cabaret!

NOVEMBER 18 – GRINDERMAN (FEAT. NICK CAVE)

Variety Playhouse Fans of The Birthday Party take note, this is the closest you can get to revisitation of Nick Cave at his most raw, primal, and post-punk.

WE GOT NEXT THE CHALLENGED

With a songwriting approach that was far more collaborative and borne out of jamming and ad-libbed lyrics, as opposed to the Bad Seeds, the sound is dissonant and unhinged.

Essentially half of the Bad Seeds along with Nick, Grinderman has much more in common with garage-rock ala Sonic Youth. Be prepared to be plagued with nightmarish visions of abominable snowmen, apes, reanimated wolfmen, populating menacing landscape with slicked-back insectoid that is Grinderman.

NOVEMBER 20 – THE BLACK CROWES

The Tabernacle Sure Chris Robinson can be a grouch, but hey, respect the music, man! With a looming hiatus/breakup in December, this may be the last time to hear these next-generation hippies. There are sure to be some extended jams as well as performances of their radio friendly early hits such as “Thorn in my Pride” “Hard to Handle” or “She Talks to Angels” and “Jealous Again”. If you’ve never heard them, the Crowes are Allman Bros./Skynyrd meets roots reggae jam band. This year’s Croweology had the band acoustically re-record many of their hits and familiar covers. The rough ‘n’ ready Atlanta boys are sure to rock the homestead.

NOVEMBER 21 – BEN FOLDS

The Tabernacle Though Ben Folds was initially known for his trio rock band Ben Folds Five, he’s been enjoying success as a solo artist for some time now. He’s vamped some pretty funny tunes from on-the-spot inspiration of Chatroulette and still has a powerful presence with just one man and a piano. His latest album, Lonely Avenue, features 11 musical short stories and is Ben Folds’ collaborative effort with author Nick Hornby (of High Fidelity fame, yes). Be sure to listen for the hilarious “Levi Johnston’s Blues”, about Sarah Palin’s daughter’s baby-daddy.

Artists on the verge of making it big

Latest Project: Loaded language (Rally Records) For Fans of: Screeching Weasel, The Descendents, The Ramones & Teenage Bottlerocket Why You Should Care: Why You Should Care: Finally, there’s a Brooklyn band that couldn’t care less about churning out another hipster indie record, turning instead to ‘70s-era CBGB-style punk rock for inspiration.

BY JOHN B. MOORE

B

ELIEVE IT OR NOT, THERE’S AT least one band in Brooklyn that is not made up of skinny jeans-wearing hipsters. The Challenged, currently one of a handful of bands still holding on to the proud tradition of New York punk-rock, may be in the minority, but they more than make up for it with their music: three-minute bursts of catchy poppunk reminiscent of bands like Screeching Weasels and The Descendents.

And speaking of Screeching Weasel, founder Ben Weasel is a fan of The Challenged, playing their music on his radio show and bringing them along to open shows for him. With a new full-length just released (Loaded Language), bassist Colin Kane spoke recently about their new album, the band’s recent set at Insubordination Fest, and the many uses of whiskey.

You guys have had a lot of lineup changes since first starting. How long has this line up been together? Is it hard to find someone who can play who also gels

with everyone’s personality?

I think it is hard. There are some people who take being in bands way too seriously. There are some people who don’t take it serious enough and don’t show up to practice. There’s always a perfect middle ground where everyone is comfortable being in a tiny room with each other, the song writing flows, inside jokes get established, and you have fun on the road. I think that’s where we’re at.

When you think Brooklyn, you don’t exactly think pop/punk. Is it lonely playing punk rock in Brooklyn?

You’d be surprised. It is still a vast minority, but there is definitely a solid scene in Brooklyn these days.

A handful of bars, a handful of house show spaces, and a great bunch of bands. It has made playing in NYC fun again.

So how did you guys first hook up with Ben Weasel?

We had talked briefly over the web a few times, then we just sent him our CD. He ended up playing some of our songs on his Weasel Radio show, and said that he dug us. A few months later, after he has started playing shows under his own name, he asked us to open up in Chicago, so we built a small tour around it. It was a great time and a bit of a surreal experience.

Once Screeching Weasel reformed, we played a show with them in Philly. Again, a great night. He and his band mates are a great bunch of guys and we always look forward to working with them anytime.

You recorded your first record in just a few days. How long did you have to work on

Loaded Language?

I think we got an extra day this time, plus longer hours. It was amazing. The Idiot House, and its gentleman proprietor Phrank Martian (of Nancy fame) don’t exactly have strict hours. He would usually want to tap out after about 10 or 11 hours, but we quickly learned that a bottle of whiskey would get us another 2 or 3. Working with Phrank was the absolute best. You feel like you’re just hanging out with friends, which is exactly what we were doing, except we were also making a record. Phrank has a great ear, and did a fantastic job of pushing performances out of us at key times.

While part of me would love to experience some sort of decadent recording schedule that drags on for weeks, I feel like over thinking and a loss of urgency would get the best of us. Panic is a great creative fuel. It is up there with whiskey. We always want our recordings to match the energy of a live show, and I think a 4 day mad dash to lay down all the tracks is a good environment for that.

What can you tell me about this new record?

The new record is sonically different than Relapse.

Definitely reminiscent of 90’s pop punk and power pop, in terms of production. It feels more like us...like a trio. All the instruments are crisp and cut through the mix. The songs are the best we’ve done. Some are perfect compliments to each other, others stick out a bit with a slower tempo or softer intro, and some are just plain catchy sing-alongs. I think everyone’s vocals fall more into play. We spent more time on vocals than instruments. As a record, the tempo and flow is

great for sitting down and listening to the whole thing right through. It also would not have been possible without Phrank Martian, Justin Perkins, and Jonny Rally. So either thank or blame them.

You guys played Insubordination Fest this year. How was that? Any good stories?

Our CDs arrived at the 11th hour. They were ready the Thursday Insub started. Luckily for us, the pressing plant was about an hour outside of Baltimore.

Mark Enoch, who clearly didn’t have enough to do already besides running the fest, drove to the plant for us Thursday and grabbed a box of CDs -a real saint. So when we set up our merch Saturday afternoon, it was our first time seeing the finished product. That made for an extra giddy set, despite it being the first band early in the afternoon while at least one of us was still a bit hungover. Also, we played the pre-show last year, which I believe was Jonny Rally’s first time seeing us, and the first time I saw Jon Weiner defecate.

I know you guys booked a lot of your own tours starting out. Is the band still pretty hands on when it comes to booking shows?

Yeah. I’m sure a booking agent would be nice, but for the most part, we just pick a direction, draw a loop, and start contacting places. It is much less difficult than when you had to sit by the phone, fingers crossed that the BYOFL entry for that particular town is up to date. We’ve had some tumbleweeds for sure, but overall our tours, as short as they may be, have been really great. We’ve met a ton of great people along the way.

PG 19 • insiteatlanta.com • November 2010

MUSIC

MUSIC

Album Reviews

cowbell on “She Mighty Mighty”).

The band is also a big more confrontational lyrically about their faith this time around (“Salt in the Sea”),which is actually a big step for a

By B. Love, John B. Moore, DeMarco Williams, Steven Westdahl & Ed Morales Christian rock band when you consider the habit most in the genre have for trying to distance LEONARD COHEN – SONGS FROM THE ROAD (Legacy) themselves from their Bible-totting fans after Legendary singer-songwriter proves he’s still got it the first album or two.

THE BLACK ANGELS – PHOSPHENE DREAM But even after starting out strong with the album JM: It’s been more (Blue Horizon Ventures) opener “Relentless”, the songs quickly turn into than five years The return of ‘60s-inspired psychedelia little more than bland background noise a few since Leonard tracks in. Suburba may be the band’s best effort, Cohen put out EM: It’s but in context it’s still a pretty meek contribution a studio album dangerous to to rock music overall. GRADE: C and more than mime psychedelic 15 years since he music from the KINGS OF LEON – COME AROUND SUNDOWN (RCA) toured. So when 1960s without Nashville rock that’s more than ready for the world Cohen, one of the b e co m i n g best songwriters, mundane – the DW: They’ve been well… ever, decided to hit the road in 2008, fans icons of the called “Lynyrd couldn’t get enough. For the next year, Cohen era (Jefferson Skynyrd for the sold out shows across the globe.

Airplane, The iPad generation.”

Songs From the Road collects some of the best Doors) are so ingrained that bands seeking to Rolling Stone even moments of the tour, from Tel Aviv to San Jose, recreate them do so at their own peril. So you recently coined CA, on CD, as well as DVD. The collection have to hand it to psych-rock treasures The the Tennessee includes a dozen of Cohen’s best, from “Bird Black Angels for not only trying but succeeding titans as, “Our U2.” on a Wire” to “Hallelujah,” serving nicely as a in bringing the ’60s back to the teens with Now, if you were greatest hits package. flourish and style. in Marlboro-filled At 76 years old, Cohen’s voice is nearly as Phosphene Dream, the third album by the club somewhere, sharing a few cold ones with Kings strong as it was when he first started, with even Austin-based outfit, is a moving mix of reverb, of Leon (three Followill brothers and a cousin), more confidence. Though Cohen is a fantastic organ hooks and droning guitars which never you’d probably rise from the table to take a wiz and singer, he does little behind the mic aside from hides its love for acid trips and beat poetry. simply call them cool ass country boys the world a brief little shuffle of the feet here and there, But where the band’s previous releases kept the just likes to rock to and that would arguably be the so the accompanying DVD, much like Live in same formula throughout, Phosphene reveals a most appropriate description on them all.

London (released earlier this year), is not exactly profound brightness without losing its signature A sound that started out on four relativelyrequired viewing, but the CD is another thing. sound. It’s mature and breathtaking. quiet projects in the early 2000s and swelled to a With slightly different arrangements here and Where Brian Wilson’s Good Vibrations Grammy-winning, multiplatinum-selling smash there, but the same hauntingly beautiful vocals, noted “She’s somehow close now/Softly smile (Only By the Night) in ’08 probably rests somewhere the songs sound just as amazing as they did I know she must be kind”, Alex Mass counters in the middle with Come Around Sundown. The when they were first recorded decades ago. on Phosphene’s opening Bad Vibrations with CD, of course, has now-customary Kings anthems “Bad vibes around her/she’s eating hearts “Pony Up” and the Southern charmer “Radioactive” LUÍSA MAITA – LERO-LERO (Cumbancha/Oi Música) again.” Yikes. Yet a few songs later Mass sings that probably weren’t written for Madison Square The sexy new sound of Brazilian samba in the upbeat, British Invasion inspired Sunday Garden, but will work well there anyways. Other Afternoon “It’s OK over here/Up in my tree, slower, more morose moments like “The End,” BL: As exciting where you can see crystal visions, on a Sunday.” “Pyro” and “The Immortals” hark thoughts of as it has been River of Blood evokes the brooding of Black cross-country drives, not 50,000 crazies. to watch Bebel Sabbath, while I swear it’s Grace Slick singing But no matter the concert venue, every moment Gilberto ascend on True Believers. of Come Around Sundown feels warm and worn. to the Brazilian I feel your glare – what’s with all the homages? And even though frontman Caleb Followill is a music throne Sure, the past is present here, but what makes celebrity (he’s about to marry a Victoria Secret’s once held by her Phosphene work is the band never lets the model) now, his tremendous voice still aches legendary parents songs become endless jams – they have direct when he rhymes “pantyhose” with “bloody nose.”

(João and Astrid purpose. Look to Yellow Elevator #2 as proof So, yeah, Rolling Stone might have been right to Gilberto, who – a singing interlude midway through turns an call the twangy quartet “Our U2.” But we’re right, created and popularized the sound of bossa organ-laden song into dreamy coda the Beatles too: They’re just some cool-ass country boys, and nova), it’s also refreshing to discover a new talent would be proud of. they’re more than ready to share themselves with like Luísa Maita, who seemed to emerge out of The Black Angels have channeled the past and the world one more time. GRADE: B+ nowhere with a stunning debut album. created an album that could sit comfortably in Born in São Paulo in 1982, Maita’s parents the decade it emulates. But to produce such a BELLE & SEBASTIAN – WRITE ABOUT LOVE (Matador) were both music industry veterans– her father work 40 years later takes gumption and risk, Treading water, running in place Amado was a musician and composer, and her and the result is quite the reward. Don’t ever let mother Myriam is a producer– and she spent them say they don’t make them like they used to EM: Glasgow her childhood surrounded by music, with a – Phosphene Dream is an exception. Of course boasts a pair of particular interest in the traditional sounds of nowadays nobody makes them like this. pop darlings with samba and bossa nova. By 1999 she’d founded similar sounds, her first band, Urbanda, but her career really history and fan gained traction after Brazilian singers Virgínia bases. While Belle Rosa and Mariana Aydar recorded several of her & Sebastian and compositions (the latter’s recording of “Beleza,” Camera Obscura which Maita co-wrote with Rodrigo Campos, HOUSE OF HEROES – SUBURBA (GOTEE) (which both formed was named one of the best songs of 2009 by Christian rockers discover the mediocre in 1996) have won Rolling Stone Brazil). legions of supporters with caches of musical gems, So perhaps it’s no surprise that LeroJM: On their the new release of Belle & Sebastian Write About Lero boasts the assured artistry of a veteran fourth album, Love has finally shown a glaring difference between songwriter, incorporating modern influences Christian rockers the two: Only Camera Obscura is the one going such as jazz, R&B and downtempo electronica to House Of Heroes places. complement her more traditional musical roots. are finally finding It’s been four years since Belle’s last release, but Her soulful vocals sizzle on the lively opening their own sound. there’s nothing about Write About Love to indicate title track, then seduce with a sultry air of Their earlier the band has grown from 2006’s The Life Pursuit – tropical sensuality on the more laid-back “Aí Vem efforts were or any of its six other albums for that matter. For Ele.” The sensuous “Desencabulada” playfully muddled by those who love B&S this is a not a disappointing beckons listeners out onto the dance floor with generic Pop Punk development, as band leader Stuart Murdoch has its jubilant melody and syncopated rhythms, influences (and not the original Look Out! filled the album with gentle harmonies, crowning while the lively “Fulaninha” simply sounds like a Records brand of Pop Punk, but the watered- trumpets and lilting guitars and keyboards. But a party waiting to happen. It’s a diverse, polished down second wave of the late 90’s), but they new album should be, well, new, and this comes set that establishes Maita alongside artists such seem to have reached back deeper in their across as eight years too late. as Gilberto, Ceu and Cibelle at the forefront of record collections for stronger influences this Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John epitomizes this the modern Brazilian sound, heavily influenced time around, borrowing a sound from stadium lag – a by the numbers ballad featuring Murdoch by tradition, but by no means bound by it. rockers like U2 and Queen (and check out the and Norah Jones (remember her?) which never

The Dean’s List

Rest of the Class

PG 20 • insiteatlanta.com • November 2010

rises above the din of its steady cymbal. Come on Sister’s looping synths are typical and distracting, and Calculating Bimbo is dead on arrival – there’s no need to make a Muzak version of this one, the band has already provided it.

It’s not all a wash. I Want The World To Stop is catchy with the feel of a breezy afternoon; The Ghost of Rockschool is an inventive composition with an effortless feel even though there’s plenty going on in the background. To be sure Murdoch and mates write good songs and have for years; I can’t hate B&S for what it’s achieved here. But after a certain point the scenery must change before the run becomes rote – and right now Belle & Sebastian have been on the treadmill for some time. GRADE: BTWO HOURS TRAFFIC – TERRITORY (Bumstead) Canadian power-poppers deserve some buzz JM: Need proof that power-pop records are sold in Canada? Check out Two Hours Traffic – a dreadful band name with a mighty infectious sound.

On Territory, the band’s latest, there are obvious nods to Big Star and even Crowded House, but the group does a fine job of adding their own mark to the influences rather than simply aping them.

Coming in at 15 tracks the album does drag a bit in the middle, but over all includes some of the band’s best songs, specifically the album opener “Noisemaker” and the lush “Lost Boys”. Lyrically and musically, Two Hours Traffic is one of the most exciting exports Canada has sent our way in years. While the band has not generated the amount of buzz that fellow Canadians Arcade Fire or Broken Social Scene have to date, they certainly deserve all the admiration and more that has come their way over the past decade. GRADE: B BIG BOI – SIR LUCIOUS LEFT FOOT…THE SON OF CHICO DUSTY (Def Jam) Flyin’ solo, and feeliun’ fine BL: In the folklore of OutKast’s career as innovators of the Dirty South sound, popular opinion has always held that André “3000” Benjamin was the next-level visionary, while Antwan “Big Boi” Patton was the more grounded, streetwise thug. The duo’s always had a yin/yang creative balance (think of them as hip-hop’s Indigo Girls), but their Grammywinning double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below proved that each OutKast MC was uniquely talented in his own right. Long story short, if you’re coming into Big Boi’s eagerly-awaited solo debut thinking there might be something missing just because Dre is nowhere to be found, think again.

Label changes and leaked trackds have delayed this album’s release by several years, but you’d never know there were any snags from listening to it. Even without Dre, the Dungeon Family is still well represented, with Organized Noize providing production and Sleepy Brown adding vocals. But despite a litany of guest artists that include ATL homies B.o.B., Janelle Monae, Joi and T.I., this is Big Boi’s show, and he runs it with the assured authority of a battle-rap veteran.

There are no songs here as irresistibly infectious as “The Way You Move,” but nearly every track hits all the right notes, from the slinky blaxploitation funk of the “Feel Me” intro to the stutter-step electro of the closing “Back Up Plan.” Throughout, Big Boi sounds cool, confident and in control, dropping tongue-twisting lines that will leave you pressing rewind. Whether strutting like a pimp on “Daddy Fat Sax,” taking you back to rap’s party days on the stompin’ “Shutterbug,” or delivering a serious smackdown above symphonic brass and a choir on the bombastic “General Patton,” Big Boi proves himself the rare hip-hop royalty willing to scrap against all comers to protect his throne. He also proves he’s thoroughly capable of doing so with, or without, his OutKast partner-in-rhyme.

BEST LOOKING WAITSTAFF BEST COUNTRY HALL BEST APPETIZERS Cowboys 1750 N Roberts Rd 770.426.5006 BEST PATIO SCENE www.cowboysatlanta.com The Tavern at Phipps Cowboys in Kennesaw has a great combina3500 Peachtree Rd. 404.814.9640 thetavernatphipps.com

tion of live music, dancing and drinks. Their line dancing is legendary.

BEST DANCE CLUB Tongue & Groove 565 Main Street 404.261.2325 tandgonline.com

Their patio is the place to be. It is located just off the main bar that features some of the most entertaining bartenders in the city.

Their Best Looking Waitstaff happily bustles drink & appetizer orders back and forth.

NIGHTLIFE BEST ACOUSTIC CLUB Eddie’s Attic 515 N. McDonough St. 404.377.4976 eddiesattic.com Decatur's most prominent music venue features some of the best acoustical music in the city. Made famous by the frequent appearances of the Indigo Girls, they still offer some great acts.

BEST BEER SELECTION Brick Store Pub

125 E. Court Square 404.687-0990 brickstorepub.com

This versatile night spot has always offered great dancing. The music and dancing changes depending on the night. Don’t miss thier Latin Elegance featuring free salsa lessons every Wednesday night.

vzwamp.com

Thank you for your support, Atlanta!

See you next year!

BEST HAPPY HOUR Tin Lizzy’s 3639 Piedmont Rd. 404.846.6000 415 Memorial Dr. 404.554.8220 1136 Crescent Ave. 404.537.5060 tinlizzyscantina.com Tin Lizzy's is a fun and casual cantina and taqueria. If you need a good happy hour spot, Tin Lizzy's is the right place. They stock their bar with the finest spirits available. A lively happy hour crowd during the week attracts a group of young professionals drinking assorted draft beers and margaritas.

2010 Concert Season: Alan Jackson Dave FM’s Earth Day Birthday Project Cinco Party Van Morrison Zac Brown Band Majic ATL Summer Jam All-American Celebration: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Earth, Wind & Fire Phish Scorpions Planet Earth: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Corey Smith Broadway Rocks: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Steve Miller Band Sugarland Green Day Disney In Concert: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Arcade Fire The Wizard Of Oz: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra O.A.R. Sheryl Crow Maroon 5 The Dukes of September Rhythm Revue STS9 Widespread Panic Rush Make A Difference Tour Project Family Reunion

Best Music VenueOutdoor

BEST IMPROV Village Theatre 486 Decatur St. 404.688.8858 villagecomedy.com

Brick Store Pub is an authentic Southeastern craft beer drinking institution. There are 185 beers in the bottle and 25 on tap. They are currently the #2 rated beer bar in the world according to Beer Advocate magazine.

BEST BLUES CLUB Blind Willie’s 828 N. Highland Ave 404.873.2583 blindwilliesblues.com This popular Virgina Highland blues joint recently celebrated its 18th anniversary. They have won multiple awards and Blind Willie’s doesn’t seem to be slowing down one bit.

BEST BREWERY Red Brick Brewing 2323 Defoor Hills Rd. 404.355.5558 redbrickbrewing.com

Village Theatre is chock full of actors and funny types, each with many years of improv experience. After working together at various venues around the city they decided to band together and set up shop in Decatur.

BEST IRISH PUB Meehan’s Public House Three Area Locations 101concepts.com Meehan’s is an authentic Irish eatery that offers a full menu of classic Irish dishes elevated to the gourmet level. Meehan’s Public House offers guests a full menu of classic Irish fare with a gourmet touch. Meehan’s comfortable yet a lively atmosphere is a draw for the after work crowd, families and those out and about and visiting Atlanta alike.

BEST LATIN DANCING Loca Luna 550 Amsterdam Ave. 404.875.4494 loca-luna.com

Makers of the popular Laughing Skull and seasonal Red Brick beers, this brewery also offers tasting tours accompanied by live music.

BEST COMEDY CLUB Laughing Skull Lounge 878 Peachtree St. 877.523.3288 vortexcomedy.com Located in the back of the Vortex in Midtown, this intimate comedy club has made a big imprint on Atlanta’s comedy scene.

Samba. Salsa. Merengue. They have it all at Loca Luna, where you'll find live Latin music nightly and great food. Loca Luna offers a great space for getting your groove on. The entire place is drapped in tropical and authentic latin decor.

PG 21 • insiteatlanta.com • November 2010

BEST LOCAL MUSIC The Earl

BEST MUSIC VENUE - OUTDOOR BEST POOL HALL Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Twain’s Billiards and Tap

The Earl prides itself on booking the hottest local acts in Atlanta. Check their schedule and you'll see that the club features the best bands that the ATL has to offer. Shows run nightly, so keep checking back to see when your favorite is playing.

Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre has quickly become the entertainment destination for music lovers across the region. Set on 45 acres of beautifullylandscaped wooded land in Alpharetta, the 12,000-seat Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park provides a unique setting for both music lovers and first-time concertgoers.

Here you will find a great collection of local artists, cover bands and up and coming acts looking to burst onto the national scene. Views of the stage are unubstructed from any of their many bar stations.

BEST MUSIC VENUE - INDOOR Masquerade

BEST SMALL MUSIC VENUE Smith’s Olde Bar

488 Flat Shoals Ave. 404.522.3950 badearl.com

2200 Encore Pkwy. 404.733.5050 vzwamp.com

BEST MARGARITA Pure Taqueria

300 N. Highland Ave. 404.522.7873 puretaqueria.com Pure Taqueria offers strong drinks, a solid menu, exciting atmoshere and of course great margaritas.

Thier signature is the Margarita Texas that is served with a floater of gran gala orange liquor.

695 North Ave. 404.577.8178 masq.com

BEST MARTINI Fernbank’s Martinis & IMAX 767 Clifton Rd. 404.929.6300 fernbankmuseum.org

Atlanta loves sipping their martinis among the dinosaurs! Fernbank’s Martinis & IMAX offers great martinis, stunning films, live music, and creative cuisine within the museum atrium.

This is a popular spot for singles looking to mingle and couples in search of something different.

Masquerade continues on while offering great touring and local acts nightly. The venue has great acoustics for their eyedrum piercing acts. Along with a large stage the venue offers three rooms for dancing and lounging and an outdoor deck. It attracts a combination of loud rock, 80s retro music, and modern electronics. Expect to see a changing crowd depending on the night.

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR Corner Tavern Four Area Locations thecornertavern.com

Corner Tavern serves as a favorite watering hole in now four neighborhoods across Atlanta. They are known for their casul fare menu, large beer selection, billiards, darts and nightly events like trivia.

211 E. Trinity Place 404.373.0063 twains.net

This favorite Decatur establishment offers an eclectic mix of live music, a substantial menu, variety of draft beers, darts and of course the best billiards in the area.

BEST ROCK CLUB The Peachtree Tavern

3179 Peachtree Rd. 404.842.1700 peachtreetavern.com

1578 Piedmont Ave. 404.875.1522 smithsoldebar.com Original live music seven nights a week.

The music venue is located upstairs from the bar and offers an intimate setting.

Here you will find national acts on weekends as well as local artists during the week.

BEST SPORTS BAR BEST WINGS Taco Mac

Continued on page 24

Multiple Area Locations tacomac.com Taco Mac continues to expand with new locations across the city but they haven’t forgotten how to serve up great wings while providing plenty of screens to watch the games.

Atlanta’s Original Havana Restaurant established in 1976

East ATL Village | badearl.com 2010

Fri. November 05, 2010 | 9:00PM

SHEARWATER Damien Jurado

Wed. November 10, 2010 | 8:30PM

LAND OF TALK Suuns

FULL MENU OF CUBAN CUISINE

Sat. November 13, 2010 | 9:00PM

Same Smiling Faces & Great Food for over 33 Years

PEELANDER-Z

Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re The Falcon Lords Sun. November 14, 2010 | 8:00PM

BEAR IN HEAVEN Cloudland Canyon Sun Airway

Thu. November 18, 2010 | 8:30PM

HORSE FEATHERS Anais Mitchell Ben Trickey

Sun. November 21, 2010 | 8:00PM

JUNIP

Sharon Van Etten Tue. November 23, 2010 | 8:30AM

THE ATARIS

THANKS ATLANTA FOR VOTING S.O.B. BEST SMALL MUSIC VENUE IN ATLANTA See you at Smith’s!

Check out our calendar at www.smithsoldebar.com!

Follow us on twitter @ smithsoldebar, and “like” us at www.facebook.com/ smithsoldebar

3979 Buford hwy #108 Atlanta, Ga 30345 404.633.7549 404.636.4094 HavanaRestaurantAtlanta.com

BEST IMPROV COMEDY

Don’t Panic

Fri. November 26, 2010 | 9:00PM

THE COATHANGERS

All Night Drug Prowling Wolves Wolves and Jackals Sun. November 28, 2010 | 8:00PM

TIM KASHER

2010

Darren Hanlon

WINNER BEST SMALL MUSIC VENUE

Sat. December 04, 2010 | 9:00PM

Open Daily at 3pm BLUE PLATE SPECIALS EVERY DAY

EYEHATEGOD

Phobia Sons of Tonatiuh

Ask About Atlanta Room for Private Parties

2010

Tix available at Fantasyland Records, Decatur, CD, Criminal Records, The EARL & badearl.com PG 22 • insiteatlanta.com • November 2010

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

Shows: Wed 9:30PM $5 Fri & Sat 8:30PM $10 2010

486 Decatur St. Atl, GA 30312 www.villagecomedy.com 404.688.8858

TV

THE MERCIFUL MOGUL

Though Russell Simmons can talk hip hop and high-yield bonds forever, his heart lies in animal rights, yoga, at-risk teens and his new reality TV show.

BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

T

HERE ARE SOME JOBS MOST FOLKS WOULD rather pass on: Lady Gaga stylist, BP station owner in Louisiana and Tiger Woods’ image consultant are three that immediately stand out. Personal assistant to music pioneer/businessman/world changer Russell Simmons would have to be up there pretty high too. Between dealing with Simmons’ book publishing, his Argyleculture fashion label, political commitments, The Apprentice appearances, a jewelry and shoe line, the Global Grind blog, a video game company and a myriad of philanthropic works, Simmons’ longtime executive assistant, Simone Reyes, probably has 20 minutes a day for herself. “I’m available to Russell 24/7,” admits the hard-working shadow.

But, sad to say, even that teeny bit of Reyes’ time may be limited in the near future, seeing as how she and Simmons have joined the reality show fray on the Oxygen Network’s Running Russell Simmons, a program pitting two aspiring assistants against each other to see which one can survive Russ’ ridiculously crazy schedule. Simmons, who is worth over $340 million today, insists the show will be far from your run-of-the-mill reality program. We’re taking Russell’s word on the matter too because, be it with Def Jam or demonstrating the joys of yoga, the 53-year-old genius has yet to steer us in the wrong direction.

Do business and philanthropy go hand in hand?

I’d like to believe that business is a place to provide a service that is inspiring or promotes a lasting kind of effect on the consumer, that’s a good lasting effect that is stable and is helpful. So, in other words, whatever you sell makes people happy not for a short term but for a long term. So, you want a business that kind of gives something that you really believe in and believe has that kind of effect on them.

So, I look at my charities like businesses, you know, we want to inspire people and lift them up somehow or give them the tools to be successful or happy.

What part does yoga play in managing your life and business?

Well, for me, there are many ways to evolve spiritually or to promote that kind of happiness inside you. Or to kind of connect better or faster to what your natural evolution is to move towards a space where you can actually see what God has given us all. It’s through struggle or, you know, lots of times you speed up that evolution through scripture, through religious or spiritual practices. So, yoga, for me, was a practice that resonated. And the physical practice, of course, is a small part of it. But what is written in those scriptures, you know, is the basis of my last book and my new book that is coming out, Super Rich, is what we already know but we really haven’t defined so well always.

And so, when you read it in scripture and if it resonates right, then it kind of reminds you or rings a bell. And so yoga, for me, was the bell. You know, The Yoga Sutras, The Bhagavad-Gita and Hatha Yoga Pradipika, these books kind of help me to understand my purpose a little better and define what I was here for.

Russell, I’m wondering if you could just talk about what you look for in terms of an assistant, both in terms of working experience and education but also in temperament and overall personality.

Well, if it’s, you know, for the clothing company, I like to have the fashion people interview them. If it’s for, you know, any company, I like to delegate that responsibility. I meet them last. I have a very diverse office. I want to say this, so this is very important. We have Black Muslims and we have, you know, Orthodox Jews and we have Hindus and we have all kinds of people in our office. I think that diversity is key for the next American entrepreneurs. They want to be a part of this society where there is so much diversity they have to have people from all the experiences. Hip-hop was, you know, said to be a black experience and we knew that early on from the very beginning. There were these rock and roll clubs playing it and really invested even more than the mainstream black culture. In other words, Run

DMC was on MTV before BET. (Russell’s younger brother, Joseph “Run” Simmons, is a part of Run DMC). We have a shared American experience and we have separate cultural experiences. I know what I came from. I know it, and I like to have input from various different places. So race, religion and all those things are thrown out before I get started in an interview.

Why would people want to take their time to tune in and watch Running Russell Simmons?

I don’t know…I just started watching reality. Even though I had made a few [shows] and I was part of producing Kimora’s [Lee, Russell’s ex-wife] first shows, and Reverend [Run’s MTV show Run’s House] and, you know, and his daughters, I haven’t watched a lot of reality. And when I do watch it, you know, it’s not been that inspiring to me.

I think we’re fun enough, I hope. One friend says put one foot in the real world and one foot out, I don’t think we’re so holy. We’ll see. Maybe I am boring to some extent. You know. I mean, I don’t know.

What are some of the most important messages that you think will come as a result of your show?

Well, I must say this: We have very successful people around us and they have a format and so there’s a constant struggle to break their rules. Even though I’m the coproducer, there is a constant struggle to break their rules.

And so, you know, if I’m at the mosque speaking and I’m talking to moms and rabbis about exchange students and, at the same time, Courtney Love is in my office and we’re having a back and forth. Why don’t we talk about why we’re at the mosque? Courtney Love is in my office.

There’s fun stuff going on. But, why don’t we do both? It’s very difficult because they gravitate towards, you know, the reality and success stories and Emmys. Really, breaking the mold is not easy.

THE TRUTH IS THAT I’VE MADE PLENTY OF MISTAKES, BUT THEY ALL LED ME HERE. AND HERE IS FINE FOR ME RIGHT NOW

What do you want viewers to take away from your life?

I don’t like to carry a lot of weight. I want people to know that you can get up and do a lot of things and not have it stressed. You know, although the editing in this show and the constant work on the show in terms of, you know, getting it to a point where I’m satisfied is a little bit challenging. But mostly, you know, I want people to see that I wake up, no matter what, mediate. No matter what, I leave work before we sign contracts. If there is a check on the table, I say, “No, no, not today because I’m going to yoga.” I do things for myself and I make it easier for me to do things for others. When I take care of the first chakra, it allows me more freedom and a clearer mind to be a better servant.

When you look on the calendar, you can see it’s coming up is the anniversary of the death of Jam-Master Jay. What does Jay mean to hip hop and why do you think he’s relevant?

Well, in one of the episodes… although, we got to make sure it gets put in there no matter what. I’m sorry if I sound mean. I went back to Hollis [Queens, New York] recently and had a luncheon at the Hip-Hop Museum on the block that Jam-Master Jay was born, actually 23rd Street where he lived his whole life. The Hip-Hop Museum and I had a luncheon with the mothers of the deceased. Their program is Bury Da Beef, I Love My Life. My program that I fund, The Peacekeepers, is all over the country. To the moms in our community, it is overlooked… When I go to Hollis, I see kids I grew up with. Some of them have grown up, you know, one retired bus driver. With my man Butter Love, it’s like, Whoa. He is a bus driver and retired and his kids are grown. So, the Peacekeepers programs that is run by Captain Dennis Muhammad, I fund and I support and I want to make a big deal of. Jam-Master Jay, you know, there is a picture of him on the mural, but there is a picture of a whole bunch of dead kids around him, and no one knows them. We hope Jay lived for a good reason besides for making great music. He focuses me more on helping to fight the violence in our communities. To me, when I think of Jay, I think of all the other kids who are dying or at risk and who are not being serviced and not being protected.

PG 23 • insiteatlanta.com • November 2010

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3130 Mathis Airport Pkwy 678.525.6347 higherpurposefitness.com All Boot Camps are not alike. This one located in Swanee / Cumming burns fat fast. Thye offer 45 minute high energy sessions to get you in and out. Their trainers are highly certified with degrees from top nationally recognized organizations.

BEST CAR WASH Cactus Car Wash

lafitness.com

2010

LA Fitness offers tons of amenities at unusually low rates.

Here you can take classes in boxing and cycling, swim in their many pools, or take part in a game of basketball or racquetball. With so many locations, there is bound to be one near you.

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Midtown 404.876.3232 Buckhead 404.846.4040 cactuscarwash.com

Three Area Locations 404.339.5425 knuckleupfitness.com

Winner of multiple awards in Atlanta, their Ponce location was recently rated as best nationally.

See their Best Of Atlanta special, $3 off their Express Exterior Wash.

State of the art gyms offering martial arts classes in Boxing, Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Mauy Thai and sports training.

2010

Lavista Nails offers a wide variety of treatments and services at low prices. Located across from the Publix at the Lavista and Cheshire intersection it is a popular spot for Emory Students.

BEST SPA Natural Body Spa Multiple Area Locations naturalbody.com

Natural Body Spas offer natural services in a nurturing environment. They offer a wide selection of procedures and products to choose from. With their multiple locations they are an Atlanta favorite.

BEST TANNING SALON Hollywood Tans Multiple Area Locations hollywoodtan.com

As the largest chain of professional tanning salons, memberships at Hollywood Tans can be used at any of their 250+ locations nationwide. No appointments are necessary, and with an average of 15 booths at each location, you can be in and out on your schedule. Their vertical tanning system gives customers the most comfortable, sanitary way to achieve their perfect shade.

2010

BEST TATTOO PARLOR 13 Roses Tattoo

524 Flat Shoal Ave. 404.880.0713 thirteenroses.squarespace.com Located in the heart of East Atlanta, 13 Roses is a perenial favorite among tattoo artists and patrons..

THANKS fitness ATLANTA FOR VOTING Thanks ThanksAtlanta Atlantafor for ����������������������������������������� BEST ART sSTORE trA laitraM tsAGAIN eB Visit ���������������������������� Voting VotingCactus CactusCar CarWash WashUS �������������������������������� BEST BESTCAR CARWASH WASH2009 2010!TN!EM NOITANIDROOC YTILIBIXELF YTILIGA

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Valid only at Ponce and Buckhead locations.

2 Locations

BUCKHEAD 2980 Piedmont Rd. (at Pharr Rd.) 404-846-4040

MIDTOWN 575 Ponce De Leon Ave. 404-876-3232

www.cactuscarwash.com

PG 24 • insiteatlanta.com • November 2010

1159 Lavista Rd. 404.325.5977 lavistanails.com

RETAIL

BEST CONSIGNMENT Psycho Sisters Little 5 Points 404.523.0100 Sandy Springs 404.255.5578 Cartersville 770.607.0888

BEST ADULT STORE Starship

An out of the ordinary name for a unique boutique. From fun to funky, wacky to wild, Psycho Sisters is the queen of consignment.

Featured threads include Levis, Diesel, costumes, footwear and plenty of bling!

Multiple Area Locations 404.766.6993 shopstarship.com

An Atlanta favorite for those into the erotic.

Thousands of videos, dvd’s, adult toys, condoms, candles and novelties to meet whatever your desire. Their 22 locations make Starship a convenient on stop shop.

BEST ADULT TOY SELECTION Inserection Multiple Area Locations Plenty of adult toys and gag gifts for those on the naughty side. Everything from vibrators, swings and wedges and more not fit to list.

BEST HEALTH FOOD STORE Return to Eden 2335 Cheshire Bridge Rd. 404.320.3336 return2eden.com

Thanks ThanksAtlanta Atlantafor for Voting VotingCactus CactusCar CarWash Wash BEST BESTCAR CARWASH WASH2009 2010! !

Neighborhood grocery featuring fresh organic produce, grab and go prepared foods, cuting edge supplements and a huge vegan and vegetarian selection.

BEST HIP CLOTHING BEST VINTAGE CLOTHING Rag-O-Rama 1111 Euclid Ave 404.658.1988 ragorama.com

BEST ADULT VIDEO SELECTION Southern Nights

2010

$3 OFF EXPRESS EXTERIOR WASH With ad. Expires 12-15-10.

Valid only at Ponce and Buckhead locations.

2205 Cheshire Bridge Rd. 404.728.0701 Atlanta’s widest selection of adult vides and DVD’s. They have great themed videos offering an erotic take on your favorite TV shows.

Buy tow vidios and receive a free vhs cleaner.

BEST ART SUPPLY Sam Flax

Now You Know How Your Car Feels

2 Locations

Rag-O-Rama occupies an enormous industrial chic space in the heart of Little 5 Points. The store is filled to the brim with specatular men’s and women’s fashions and accesories.

They carry an changing inventory includes brand names, designer lables and vintage styles.

consignment shops

1460 Northside Dr. 404.352.7200 samflaxsouth.com

BEST INDEPENDENT STORE Junkman’s Daughter

464 Moreland Ave. 404.577.3188

BUCKHEAD 2980 Piedmont Rd. (at Pharr Rd.) 404-846-4040

www.cactuscarwash.com

ALWAYS BUYING CURRENT MALL CLOTHES

SANDY SPRINGS (404) 255-5578

PSYCHOSISTERSSHOPS.COM

The place to go for all your art supply needs. Sam Flax offers a wide selection in their huge warehouse at the lowest prices in town. Known for their Canvas Sale at 70% off retail, make sure to check out their website for their next big event.

PIEDMONT/CHESHIRE BRIDGE Little Five Point’s favorite and largest store.

Here you will find eclectic and unique clothing that has made the area a most stop shopping destination. At 10,000 square feet, Junkman’s is crammed full with far out fashions and groovy accesories.

MIDTOWN 575 Ponce De Leon Ave. 404-876-3232

90’S GOTHIC

THANK YOU ATLANTA!

404-733-5599

LITTLE FIVE POINTS (404) 523-0100

PSYCHO-SISTERS.COM

WE PAY MORE $ FOR USED CLOTHES

2010

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2010

VOTED BEST BOOT CAMP

2010

3130 Mathis Airport Pkwy, Suite 301, Suwanee, GA 30024

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These rubbers you won't mind wearing

BEST JEWELRY STORE Worthmore Jewelers 500 Amsterdam Ave. 404.892.8294 117 East Court Sq. 404.370.3979 worthmorejewelers.com Fine jewelry, watches and aRt...

Fine jewelry, watches and aRt...

500 L-3 Amsterdam Ave.+ 404/892-8294 117 East Court Square + 404/370-3979 www.worthmorejewelers.com

The Rubber Player Collection from Nixon Quartz movements in colorful molded silicone with stainless accents.

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www.worthmorejewelers.com fan base. With ample displays of all types of jewelry, Worthmore is the perfect place to go for that one of a kind piece.

8845 Roswell Rd. 770.888.2274 Up Roswell Road in Sandy Springs, Pawn Express offers Cash for Gold and great deals on whatever your hocking.

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8265 Hwy. 92 678.445.5550

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BEST LIQUOR STORE Tower Beer, Wine & Spirits

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Women’s · Men’s · Accessories

THANK YOU ATLANTA!

If you are looking for premium cigars, they have a walk-in humidor with all the accessories. This is the place to go from everything for your smoking needs and more. You will also find adult novelties, incense, vaporizers, and aromatherapy.

SANDYSPRINGS:������������� ����������������������������������� 2010 Voted Best ACWORTH:���������������������������������������� Liquor NEWLOCATI ��STORE �����������Selection ������Stor ������and ������������ BESTONWOODSTOCK: THRIFT #1 in Service, Price

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Best Hip Clothing Store Best Vintage Clothes

Multiple Store Locations lastchancethriftstore.com Tower's reputation has grown from statewide to regional as customers plan weekend trips to take advantage of theirThank selection and discounts.

Last Chance offers thousand’s of items in jewelery, clothing, gifts, housewares, books and furniture. Their four convenient locations make thrift shopping easy.

customers BESTloyal MUSIC STORE and our dedicated GuitarTower CenterTeam.

BEST USED BOOK STORE Book Nook

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6125 Roswell ProductsRd. 404.256.1116 117 East Court Square + 404/370-3979 ����� Cigarettes Jewelry prices, Worthmore Jewelers has built a huge 3466 Cobb Pkwy. 770.974.5585

2161 Piedmont Rd. 404.881.0902 5877 Buford Hwy. 770.458.3272 towerwinespirits.com

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& Zan-X Starting at $6.95

2010

1485 NE Expressway 404.320.7253

CHEERS!

3073 N. Druid Hills Rd ��������������������������������������������������������� 404.633.1328 ������������������������������������������������������

Your one stop shop for guitars, amps, keyboards, drums, basses, recording equipment, mics, accessories and more! Guitar Center always has plenty of knowledgable staff on hand.

THANKS BEST ORGANIC ATLANTA! SELECTION

THANKS ATLANTA!

Whole ForFoods Voting

Us multiple locations wholefoods.com Atlanta’s Best Music Store!

For Voting Us Atlanta’s Best Music Store!

This national grocer is very popular in Atlanta. Especially among those looking for a plentiful and fresh organic selection.

Great selection of used books, comics, cds and dvds. Their knowledgable staff has been with them forever. Located just off Clairment Road.

BEST WINE STORE Total Wine 124 Perimeter Center West totalwine.com 770.395.1678 8,000 wines and 2,000 spirits to choose from.

They now how three locations with their other two in Alpharetta and Kennesaw.

Best Martial Arts

2010

2010

1485 Northeast Expressway Atlanta, Georgia 30329 404-320-7253

2010

1485 Northeast Expressway Atlanta, Georgia 30329 404-320-7253 PG 26 • insiteatlanta.com • November 2010

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MUSIC

CARL BROEMEL STEPS OUT The My Morning Jacket Guitarist Goes Solo For A Spell

BY MATT CONNER

I

T’S THE FREEDOM AMONG THE members of My Morning Jacket to musically explore their own interests that Carl Broemel says will keep the band playing long after their colleagues call it quits. Front man Jim James has released his own material and worked with the famed Monsters of Folk project. Now, the band’s guitarist is stepping out on his own with All Birds Say, a collection he believes is his first official release even if there’s another one with his name on it floating in cyberspace.

With an undeniable Ron Sexsmith influence, Broemel doesn’t expect to make his solo career any real priority. Yet for now, it gives him a chance to one his craft while the band waits to record their new project in November. Here, Broemel gives us the lowdown on his new disc, the future of My Morning Jacket and why Ron Sexsmith should be much more successful than he apparently is.

The last time you had any sort of music out there was six years ago, so how much have you or your music changed in that time?

Yeah, I think it’s changed a lot. I think as you age and do lots of other things, you can’t help but change a lot. The first record, I just did it in my apartment in L.A. on my laptop and I was just experimenting. I was so busy that I just didn’t really know what to do with it. So I just decided to put it out that way. Since I’ve been with the band, I’ve been in so many different recording situations and musical things that I feel like a totally different person now.

Was it hard to pare down the material since it’s been so long?

Yeah, I naturally do that over the course of recording. I don’t really have a ton of songs or anything like that. Most of the recording we did in between when my schedule. Last year, I actually wrote a group of songs that became the second half of the record, while the first half is just having a song idea that we would mess around with. Then six months later, we’d put some saxophone on it. So it was this slow, methodical type of record with the way it was created.

So how long has the project been gestating?

Since 2005. Some of the songs are ones I wrote even before that. The song, “Carry Away,” I wrote that a long, long time ago. And we recorded it a long time ago, at least the basic tracks, right after I finished it. So it’s been a long time coming and it’s a project I always come back to when I have the time available and the energy available to go work on something.

Jim [James] has done his own material and now this. Is there a real freedom to explore what you want outside of My Morning Jacket?

Definitely. That’s one of the things we’ve realized as we’ve aged a bit together. I’ve only been in the band for six years and they were all together for four or five before that. But as we’ve grown as a band, we started realizing that we were capable of handling a certain amount of touring and activities to keep ourselves sane to keep the band together..

Your own press or publicity mentions Ron Sexsmith and I though that was an apt compari-

son. Is that something you would personally agree with or was that just written about you?

If so, are you a fan there?

Definitely. I remember hearing his record, Other Songs [1997], and being inspired because I realized that as far as my songwriting goes, I heard him in me and what I was doing. I was hearing in him the kind of things I had the tendencies to sing about and it was kind of mellow.

So hearing that record was really influential and I’ve always had that in the back of my mind -the way that record sounds.

I think it sounds like an old ‘70s record and it’s basically an extension of the songwriting of Paul McCartney but with Ron’s subject matter and sensibilities. I don’t think there’s anybody who sounds like him right now. I mean, I don’t really have a good handle on how popular he is, but I can’t believe not everybody knows about his songs.

SINCE I’VE BEEN WITH THE BAND, I’VE BEEN IN SO MANY DIFFERENT RECORDING SITUATIONS AND MUSICAL THINGS THAT I FEEL LIKE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT PERSON NOW.

How much material do you take to the band before you’re going to put something out there?

Actually, I gave everybody most of the songs even before I gave it to ATO [Records]. So it was good to get their reaction. I showed some of my earlier stuff to Jim and most of the guys had heard the Lose What’s Left record. They were encouraging, but they weren’t blown away by it. They were very honest about it and just said, ‘It’s pretty neat and cool. I didn’t know you could do that.’

So what’s coming up for the band?

We’re gonna be in New York for a while in October. We’re going to be doing some TV with Letterman and Jimmy Fallon.

DEVIL’S BRIGADE

Two Parts Rancid + 1 Part X = Punk-Rock Supergroup

BY JOHN B. MOORE

I

T’S TAKEN NEARLY A DECADE, BUT MATT Freeman– one of the best bassists in punk roc – has finally gotten his pschobilly project Devil’s Brigade out of the studio.

Between breaks with his day job (Rancid) and other projects (touring with Social Distortion, recording with The Transplants, etc.), Freeman continued to plug away at the threepiece, which is centered around his standup bass. The project was first teased on a Hellcat Records comp, “Give ‘Em The Boot III,” in 2002, when the band debuted its first single “Vampire Girl.”

The project – at one time a musical ode to a San Francisco monument - was put on the back burner for a while. But, thanks to a break in his schedule, Freeman finally decided to revisit the trio, which now includes longtime buddy and bandmate Tim Armstrong (Operation Ivy, Rancid, The Transplants) and former X drummer DJ Bonebrake.

Freeman spoke recently about the long road Devil’s Brigade had to take before finally releasing a proper album, the legacy of Operation Ivy and working with your childhood friend.

After all these years, what finally made you guys decide to get back together and put out a proper album?

Well, we had this idea about 10 years ago and we recorded a bunch of stuff, me and Tim wrote the songs together and at the time Brett Reed, Rancid’s old drummer came down and played on it, and the idea was to get some road musicians together and take

it on tour – sort of what Lars (Frederiksen, Rancid guitarist and front man for Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards) did. Things just sort of came up with Rancid, The Transplants and then in ’04 I was going to do it and Social Distortion asked me to be in the band for awhile and then I had kids and then I had this thing I had to have surgery for and it knocked me out for a year, then Rancid went on tour again… but now Rancid is taking a break, so I have time again.

I’m pretty blessed to have so much freakin’ work.

I read something that said you had originally conceived this album as being a musical.

Is that right?

Yeah, we started sort of with this idea; Tim had this idea of writing a musical about the building of the Golden Gate Bridge. The title was going to be “Halfway to Hell.” When they were building the bridge in the 30’s, they had this net that went under the roadway when they were working on it because there was some ratio when they were working on these big steal project that you lose something like one man for every million dollars you spend, some weird stat like that.

You’ve had a lot of side projects outside of Rancid, but you and Tim have been playing together a very long time. Is it odd at all when you’re playing with another band and Tim is not on the stage with you?

Um yeah, actually it is. The bottom line is - and this includes Lars and Branden (Steineckert, Rancid’s drummer) too now Rancid has this thing that we do and I can’t explain it. Tim and I have known each other since we were little kids. We grew up playing together and we just know each other’s strengths and

weaknesses and we trust each other completely. When we write together, no idea is a bad idea type of thing. I’ve played live with other bands and the first few times it’s a little strange. When I played with Social Distortion it was a little easier because they put me on the right side of the stage instead of the left side, but I found out that the hearing in my left ear was a lot better from all those years on the other side of the stage.

When you and Tim were in Operation Ivy, did you realize at the time that you were making music that would last so long or were you just kids out having a good time?

That band was definitely special, but we were just kids having a good time. We were young and we played a lot of shows and toured in a ’69 Chrysler... I think other people (thought we were going to be influential)… I remember we were on tour with this car and out in the desert somewhere and we were with Larry Livermore (owner of Lookout Records) and this car is overheating and I’m trying to put fluid in it without cracking the block and he’s just following me around going “You know, Operation Ivy is going to be one of those bands like the Dead Kennedys who get really influential after they break up.”

With Devil’s Brigade, do you have plans to do another album?

Well, yeah. Yes and no. We got this done and it took us this long to do it. I want to take it on tour and Rancid will do something new at some point. So yes I would like to do another record, but me and Armstrong will always be doing another record. These things sort of happen naturally. I know that sounds sort of hippie, but it will happen when it happens. I don’t have some grand plan for the next 10 years.

Have you and the band started talking about the new Rancid album yet?

No, not yet. We’re sort of taking a break. We just did the last one and I’m sort of focusing on this one.

PG 27 • insiteatlanta.com • November 2010

MUSIC

THE THRILL OF POP The Weepies Are Ready to Support Their New Pop Masterpiece

BY MATT CONNER

S

TEVE TANNEN AND DEB TALAN, otherwise known as The Weepies, are rediscovering music all over again–all through the ears of their 3-year-old son. It’s the reason Be My Thrill is the organic pop beauty that it is. It’s also the reason you haven’t seen them in the last four years.

While the folk/pop duo should have been supporting Hideaway, their blissful 2008 release, they were learning to be parents and largely skipped the touring/promotional cycle altogether. An album came and went, leaving fans coast-to-coast unable to sink their teeth into the live experience. Now that Thrill is here, the married couple are doing all they can to hit the road. And fans are buying into it, literally, with sold out shows from Ann Arbor to Austin.

Perhaps this is just my interpersonal circle, but it seems there’s a groundswell of people who know who The Weepies are. I’ve noticed more and more people who say they are fans or I will hear them playing your stuff without ever knowing that they were into you guys in the first place. Did you feel a momentum shift at all after Hideaway or is it just my own circle?

Deb: No, not in our day to day life. Well, there has been something cool where you’ll meet someone in a coffee shop and they’ll ask, ‘What do you do?’

We live in Hollywood, so you meet a lot of people who are actors. So we’ll say we’re in a band and then they’ll ask what band, and more and more they’re like, ‘Oh, I was just listening to you guys’ or ‘Oh, I heard you in a movie.’ That’s been happening a little bit more in our actual day to day life. But we don’t have any perspective or scope on it yet.

Steve: We literally sit in a room and write songs.

That’s what we’ve done for four years. It’s hard to get any feedback on that. We weren’t able to tour the last record, so we’ve been in this little bubble.

That’s been great. For me, I am very comfortable with people just being like, ‘Hey what do you do?’ and when I say musician, they will say, ‘Oh, does that mean you need a job doing dishes?’ I’m like, ‘Perfect. Keep me in mind.’ [Laughs] But we do get interviews now, so that’s cool. [Laughs] Deb: Yeah, I guess what we’re saying is that we’re both excited and nervous about going out in the world and playing for people and seeing who comes to the party.

You weren’t able to tour Hideaway and that was a great batch of songs. Were you sad in a way to not be able to fully support those songs?

Deb: Thanks. Yeah, we were a little sad about that, but we were also trying to figure out how to be parents for the first time. So in the end, it was actually okay for our life that we didn’t.

Steve: I would say that I was very, very disappoint-

ed. I mean, it wasn’t just us. Touring is very difficult -- and you don’t know this unless you’re in it. But there are so many elements to it. You can take off in your car and play in a coffee shop. That’s what we did for years and years. But you can’t do that with a baby and we had to figure out how to transport the baby and what to do with it while we’re on stage.

As a band with not much of a track record in bigger venues, it was hard to set that up. Now there’s some amazing people helping us now that we really didn’t have the last time, and that’s been the big difference.

Now that you’re out for the first time since 2006, what should the crowd expect when they come to a show?

Deb: Hopefully it will feel like the show has a little more diversity of sound to it. It will feel intimate, but I think we feel we can bring the fun a little bit more, even though that sounds cheesy. We’re hoping to have a broader palette to present and play these new songs and then some others that are familiar and be able to mix it up a bit more. We have this wonderful band of players and yet we can bring things down and just have me and Steve with a guitar. So I hope it’s just a bit more diverse.

What’s the ratio of songs from the catalog?

Deb: Yeah, we’re dippin’ way back for some. We thought it would be fun to go back a bit.

Steve: Basically we have meetings where we literally sit down and I’ll say that I want to play a certain song so we’ll trade one song for another. We want to play a bunch from the new record and a bunch from Hideaway since we never got to play out on it and the rest we’ll pick and choose.

Deb: Yeah, hopefully people who have been listening to what we do for a long time, that can be fun to hear these songs that a bunch of people who are there to hear us have no idea who they are. It can be a little wink to those people.

Steve: Not to bring everything back to Peter Gabriel... [Laughs] But I saw Peter Gabriel and it was after Us, so he was many years past some of my favorites. But he busted out “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” and maybe 60 of us went nuts in the stadium, but I was like, ‘That was super awesome!’

I know there are Deb Talan fans out there, so I’m trying to get one or two in where they can say, ‘That was for me.’ [Laughs] So the rest of the fall and winter and into next year is just a consistent touring schedule?

Both: Yes. Steve: And there’s a vague, cold and wet plan to get to Europe next year. We’re going to see how these first few weeks go and then say, ‘We could also do this in Spanish.’ [Laughs]

WE’RE BOTH EXCITED AND NERVOUS ABOUT GOING OUT IN THE WORLD AND PLAYING FOR PEOPLE AND SEEING WHO COMES TO THE PARTY.

PG 28 • insiteatlanta.com • November 2010

GAMES PEOPLE PLAY UPCOMING VIDEO GAME RELEASES AND REVIEWS

BY B. LOVE

DJ HERO 2 (Activision)

Systems: PS3, Wii, X360 This sequel to last year’s hip-hop twist on the Guitar Hero franchise ups the ante with an even better soundtrack, including hot hits from Deadmau5, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and more. New features include Freestyle sections (allowing players to cut, scratch and cross-fade their hearts out), a DJ Battle multiplayer mode, and an Empire story mode in which you mix your way to becoming a music mogul.

FABLE III (Microsoft)

System: X360 Picking up 5 decades after Fable II left off, this eagerly awaited sequel should appeal to fans of the franchise and attract new gamers with its impressive upgrades. Tracking a hero’s journey from revolutionary to ruler, Fable III features more diverse activities, better graphics, more challenging combat, a much bigger world to explore, and an epic storyline that provides hours of immersive play.

ENSLAVED: ODYSSEY TO THE WEST (Namco)

Systems: PS3, X360 A post-apocalyptic re-telling of the ancient Chinese novel “Journey To The West” set 150 years in the future, this action-adventure follows athletic hero Monkey (voiced by Andy Serkis, who also co-directed) and techsavvy hottie Trip as they escape from a slave and make the dangerous journey home. The stunning cinematic visuals make it a wonder to behold, but it’s the engaging story (co-written by 28 Days Later scribe Alex Garland)

and exhilarating game play that will keep you coming back for more.

FRONT MISSION EVOLVED (Square Enix)

Systems: PC, PS3, X360 The first 3rd-person game in the Front Mission series casts players as Dylan Ramsey, commanding a bipedal tank called a Wanzer to fight foes in a cold war set in 2171. These 25 ft tall war machines are fully customizable with up to four weapons at once, causing rampant destruction in intense battles that span the globe. Try the all-new multiplayer mode and kick your friends’ robo-butts online.

MMA (EA Sports)

Systems: PS3, X360 Writing may seem like a fairly sedate job, but there are days when the stress of deadlines is enough to make you want to strangle somebody. Those days are perfect for EA Sports’ latest, which allows players to suit up as legends such as Randy Coutoure or Rickson Gracie and punch, kick, wrestle and choke their way to the top. You can also create your own fighter, go online, host your own fight card and battle in front of spectators with live play-by-play.

SUPER SCRIBBLENAUTS (Warner)

Systems: Nintendo DS Arguably among the most inventive games ever, Scribblenauts challenged players to use their thinking caps to solve myriad puzzling situations. The follow-up is even better, offering over 120 more in-depth levels, tens of thousands of recognizable words/objects, a new Adjective System for object modification, and a createyour-own-level layout with easy-to-use templates. The rare game that appeals equally to kids and adults, Super Scribblenauts fixes the control issues and delivers one of the year’s most creative titles.

COLUMN

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

BY B. LOVE

J

ILL-E DESIGNS (www.jill-e. com) is best-known for their line of camera bags for women. But we love their “Jack” line, especially this handsome brown Colombian leather carry-all that’s clearly designed for the fellas. The weather-resistant exterior gives it such rugged good looks, you can imagine Indiana Jones carrying it on his extraordinary adventures.

But the inside is perfectly suited for professional photographers and gallant globe-trotters alike, with protective padded walls, adjustable/removable Velcro dividers, secure interior pockets and storage spaces, and protective “sleeve” pocket large enough to hold a 17” laptop.

I’ve always been more into mixed drinks than beer or wine, but as I get older I find myself more and more attracted to the taste of a good Scotch.

Lately I’ve had the privilege of sampling two exceptional single malt brands, THE DALMORE (www.thedalmore. com) and ISLE OF JURA ( www. isleofjura.com). The Dalmore, based in Alness, Scotland since 1839, produces Highland malt whose 40-year-old variety won gold at the International Wine and Spirit Challenge Awards in both 2007 and 2008. Isle of Jura, located off Scotland’s west coast near Islay, is a 200-year-old distillery whose “Profoundly Peated Single Malt” won a double gold medal at the 2010 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

I’m no expert, but both are a delicious

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I’m not much of a brand loyalist, but I’ve fallen for EXOFFICIO (www.exofficio. com), whose tagline is “Travel Clothing for the Adventurous Spirit.” Their Give-N-Go Underwear is remarkably comfortable, and treated with Aegis Microbe Shield to control odor-causing bacteria. Their Men’s Air Strip Lite Long Sleeve Shirt protects against harmful UVA rays, offers ventilation to keep you cool in hot climates, and is wrinkle-free. And their new line of eco-conscious sweaters are all made from a super-soft “Vona Blend” fabric, comprised of 71% nylon, 15% soybean and 14% wool.

All of their products are lightweight, designed to be washed in the sink and dried quickly, and take up virtually no space in your luggage, making them perfect for those who travel light.

I’ve always loved wildlife photography, which explains why I was so excited to get my hands on WINGSCAPES’ BIRDCAM 2.0 (www.wingscapes. com). Easily mountable on a tripod, fence or wall, this camera is rugged, weatherproof and features motionactivated sensor technology to capture high-resolution (8 MP) images and video.

A vast improvement over the company’s original BirdCam, the 2.0 model also offers a time-lapse setting and a flash for capturing nighttime photos of owls and other nocturnal birds of prey. For us aspiring National Geographic shutterbugs, or anyone who’s ever struggled to capture close-ups of animals in low-light situations, the BirdCam 2.0 is revolutionizing the way we approach wildlife photography.

SPORTS

2010-11 NBA PREVIEW our eyes centered on the Sunshine State. It’s just that we’re looking towards Central Florida, where Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and a deep bench are the main attractions.

2. MIAMI – We’re as interested as you are

to see who’s going to command the ball in crucial spots, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh. We’re even more fascinated to see exactly who Joel Anthony plans on stopping in the paint.

3. ATLANTA – Though they’re essentially the same team (save for new coach Larry Drew and rookie scorer Jordan Crawford), the Hawks are a pretty smart pick for a quality playoff run.

They just can’t have the same dumb mental lapses in games.

4. BOSTON – The NBA is no country for

old men. So, if Rajon Rondo and aging stars Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and the newly-acquired Jermaine O’Neal and Shaq are to hoist another trophy, they better do it now.

5. CHICAGO – If new coach Tom Thibodeau teaches his impressive roster (Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer) the meaning of “consistency,” the Bulls will have their eyes on the No. 2 or 3 spot in the East.

6. MILWAUKEE – Without star center Andrew Bogut, the Bucks nearly embarrassed the favored Hawks in the postseason. With him, John Salmons and the gifted Brandon Jennings, they’ll have moments where they make the entire league look bad.

7. NEW YORK – The Amar’e Stoudemire

addition helps in the Big Apple, but this team is still missing more scoring and better defense.

We wouldn’t be shocked if a disgruntled Carmelo Anthony moved in by the all-star break.

8. INDIANA – Led by an unheralded forward (Danny Granger), an underappreciated coach (Jim O’Brien) and a slept-on point guard (Darren Collison), this group’s on pace to make the playoffs without a soul noticing.

9. CHARLOTTE – We’re sorry, but we just

can’t take a team that starts D.J. Augustin and Nazr Mohammed seriously—no matter how many hustle plays we see Stephen Jackson and Gerald Wallace make.

10. WASHINGTON – The troubled Gilbert

Arenas (a 25 ppg man when sane) has given up any hope he once had of being a perennial all-star. However, No. 1 pick John Wall and No. 1 surprise Andray Blatche (22 ppg average after the break) seem right on course.

11. DETROIT – Though Richard Hamilton had an injury-riddled ’09-10, the man still ripped off 18 points a night. The Pistons only hurt their battered reputation by adding the hobbling Tracy McGrady to the roster.

12. NEW JERSEY – Anything will be bet-

ter than the 12-70 the Nets went last year. With the gifted Brook Lopez now helped underneath

by Troy Murphy and Derrick Favors, it’ll be tough finding a better young core of bigs.

13. PHILADELPHIA – The Sixers have

the right pieces on the perimeter (Andre Iguodala), at the point (Jrue Holiday) and with

the play-calling (new coach Doug Collins).

Fans just need to have some patience.

14. CLEVELAND – You-know-who packed his stuff and moved south. No worries. LeBron left behind Antawn Jamison, Mo Williams and Jamario Moon… Wait, we are worried.

ORLANDO’S DWIGHT HOWARD

15. TORONTO – Andres Bargnani is a solid

player (17 points and six rebounds per) and all, but when your next best talent is sophomore DeMar DeRozan, you know you’re in for a loooong winter.

WESTERN CONFERENCE 1. LA LAKERS – Here’s how we see it: Until

someone is big and bold enough to shoot down Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Ron Artest in a seven-game series, we don’t care how much heat they’re packing.

2. DALLAS – Jason Kidd is 37 years old,

but is arguably still a top 50 talent. Dirk Nowitzki is 32 and is easily a top 20 player. If this gifted bunch can finally win a few playoff series, owner Mark Cuban won’t prematurely age so much.

3. PORTLAND – Seattle’s Grey’s Anatomy should relocate to The Rose City, seeing as how many Blazers get injured annually. When Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden (who’s out ‘til Christmas) decide to play as one, the West had better call in sick.

4. OKLAHOMA CITY – Everybody’s trendy

pick to unseat the Lakers, the Kevin Durantsparked Thunder are quite the site. But it’s still something about the young squad that has us keeping our ticket for their bandwagon in our back pocket.

5. SAN ANTONIO – We can totally see the Spurs stalwarts (Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili) connecting with the upstarts (DeJuan Blair, George Hill, Tiago Splitter) to spark one more believable title run.

6. DENVER – If Anthony stays in Mile High,

the Nuggets’ chances remain pretty good. But if he leaves (and if Chauncey Billups follows) before February, Colorado is in for a frigid spring.

7. HOUSTON – The Rockets outlook is

pretty simple: If Yao Ming’s feet hold up, the team can stand toe-to-toe with most anybody.

If they ache, Aaron Brooks and Co. will limp to the postseason.

8. UTAH – Al Jefferson (17 and nine last

year) isn’t nearly as sexy a free agent name as LeBron or Amar’e, but couple the underrated forward with a heady guard like Deron Williams and he turns into quite the looker.

12. GOLDEN STATE – Stephen Curry was arguably the best rookie last year. David Lee could prove the best offseason acquire this year. Sadly, it won’t be ‘til next year before all the inexperienced pieces really come together.

so much a condemning of the Kings, but more a testament of the West’s toughness. Tyreke Evans, Omri Casspi and amazing rook DeMarcus Cousins could challenge for an eighth seed… if they were in the East.

13. LA CLIPPERS – Though they play in

15. MINNESOTA – The underwhelming T-Wolves are in really bad shape. It’s a good thing that Twin Cities fans have the Vikings… wait, the Gophers… err, dang. It’s an all-around tough sports time in Minny right now.

the shadows of Hollywood, Baron Davis and Eric Gordon haven’t had the ending they would have liked. Maybe, just maybe, Blake Griffin’s long-awaiting rookie season writes a new script.

14. SACRAMENTO – This position isn’t

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10. NEW ORLEANS – Call us crazy, but

we just don’t think the Trevor Ariza signing is going to be enough to get Hornets fans to forget about Chris Paul’s tumultuous summer with the front office.

11. MEMPHIS – There aren’t many more teams with a starting lineup (headlined by Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph) that has more natural talent. It’s just that nearly every other team has a better bench.

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9. PHOENIX – Any team with Steve Nash

at the wheel is a contending team. However, if these Suns are to race with the Lakers and Thunder all year, Jason Richardson, Grant Hill and Hedo Turkoglu need to have on their good running shoes.

NBA FINALS PREDICTION: LA LAKERS OVER ORLANDO, 4-2

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SPORTS

2010-11 NCAA YOUR TOYS! BASKETBALL PREVIEW

BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS 1. DUKE – Though the defending champs lost the spunky Jon Scheyer, they held on to National Player of the Year candidates (Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith) and found two of the best young guards in the nation (Seth Curry, Kyrie Irving).

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2. MICHIGAN STATE – What can we say? We sorta have a thing for Tom Izzo-coached teams— especially Izzo-coached teams that feature crafty guys like Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers.

NBA departure and Jared Sullinger’s Columbus arrival. But are you finally ready for David Lighty’s takeoff into the limelight?

5. KENTUCKY – We

SMITH

know this might be hard to imagine, but this year’s Wildcats may be nearly as physically talented as last year’s John Wall-anchored group. Don’t believe us?

YouTube highlights of Brandon Knight, Enes Kanter and Doron Lamb.

6. KANSAS STATE

– The combination of an even-better Jacob Pullen (19.3 ppg) and a so-so Big 12 Conference might add up to the Wildcats’ first-ever conference crown.

7. VILLANOVA – Word has it that point guard

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Corey Fisher may be an even better ball handler than All-American Scottie Reynolds was a season back. If so, we apologize for the low ranking.

8. KANSAS – Cole Aldrich, Xavier Henry and

Sherron Collins leave legacies most could never duplicate. Still, twins Marcus and Markieff Morris and super freshman Josh Selby will do their finest imitations.

9. NORTH CAROLINA– 2009’s Tar Heels

uncharacteristically lost 17 games, 11 of those were ACC affairs. The two big reasons that won’t happen again are the 6-10 John Henson and the 6-7 doeverything frosh Harrison Barnes.

10. BAYLOR – If the Bears’ LaceDarius Dunn can

stay on the roster (19.6 ppg) and not the Waco police blotter (an October assault), the team has a chance at stealing the postseason show like a year back.

11. MEMPHIS – We respect what Coach Josh

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of things –Some are big (forwards Tracy Smith and C.J. Leslie) and others are bit diminutive (the crafty Ryan Harrow)- fall just right, the Wolfpack will sneak into the Sweet 16.

15. MISSOURI – Kim English led the Tigers in

scoring last season. On the flip, English also paced the team with 71 turnovers. If he focuses on the former, Mizzou should get its third straight invite to the Dance.

3. OHIO STATE – You know about Evan Turner’s 16. GONZAGA – For the Zags to zig their way

4. PITTSBURGH – It truly is the pits for teams to come into Petersen Events Center to take on Ashton Gibbs and Co. The Panthers, who went 17-1 at home last year, boast a .923 winning percentage over the DUKE’S past eight years.

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14. NORTH CAROLINA STATE – If a couple

Pastner is doing. By combining homegrown talents (electric Joe Jackson) with outside pieces (Atlanta’s Wesley Witherspoon and Jelan Kendrick), Tiger fans can now ask, “John Calipari who?”

to a 10th straight regular season conference title, they’ll need a world of help…as in Germany (Elias Harris), France (Mathis Keita), Canada (Robert Sacre) and the U.S. (Steven Gray).

17. WASHINGTON – The Huskies’ Isaiah

Thomas isn’t the same one from the famed “Bad Boys” teams in Detroit. However, this one is nearly as good at shooting and distributing to one of the Pac-10’s deepest teams.

18. GEORGIA – Don’t beat yourself up for not knowing about Trey Thompkins and Travis Leslie before now. The Dawgs did lose 17 games. Of course, if you overlook them again this year, they just might bite ya in the ass.

19. GEORGETOWN

– With the Hoyas, it’s all about the Jason ClarkChris Wright backcourt.

Combined they topped 30 points, six boards, nearly seven dimes and an incalculable amount of opposing coach headaches.

20. PURDUE – Our heart goes out to Robbie Hummel, a physical forward lost for a third time due to serious injury. It’s a good thing that the Boilermakers have JaJuan Johnson around to put a hurtin’ on the Big Ten. 21. TEMPLE – The Owls are a lot like your first

high school girlfriend: smothering (Temple led the Atlantic-10 in defense in ’09-10), a bit of a tease (Lavoy Allen is on the verge of greatness) and completely forgotten about in three months.

22. Butler – Still not over how the Bulldogs ruined your office pool bracket yet? Well, we suggest you get over it pretty quickly ‘cuz Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack haven’t gone anywhere.

23. BYU – As long as the two best players (Jim-

mer Fredette and Jackson Emery) hold it down in the backcourt of a Cougars crew that went 30-6 last season, they’ll be a top 25 team.

24. TENNESSEE – Thank goodness the Volun-

12. SYRACUSE – Scoop Jardine and Brandon

teers’ headline-worthy freshman class (led by Tobias Harris and Jordan McRae) can steal some of the news coverage from head coach Bruce Pearl’s rule infractions.

13. TEXAS – The Longhorns lost three of their

25. VIRGINIA TECH – Malcolm Delaney, who averaged an ACC high 20.2 per last year, has a thirst for the bucket. If he gets more help, the Hokies will break a three-year tourney drought.

Triche are okay, but color us most confident in the Orange’s role players like Kris Joseph and underrated freshman Dion Waiters.

top four scorers. But we’ve seen newbies Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson ball. Trust, those points won’t be hard to relocate.

Four More to Watch: FLORIDA, GEORGIA

TECH, ILLINOIS AND UCLA

SPORTS

FANATIC A Monthly Sports Wrap-up

BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS “Doubters better enjoy this toddler stage of the Heat.

There were moments when, just noticing anew that James and Wade were on the same floor and on the same side, was stunning. Jarring. Gluttonous and unfair, too, and most certainly overkill, in an especially lethal way. If those two somehow can learn to complement each other like the attack Dobermans that DeSean Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were Jackson for more than a decade together.” –NBA. COM’S STEVE ASCHBURNER So much attention has gone Miami and Los Angeles’ way that many have no idea of the big moves other teams made over the offseason. Here are the five Miami-free roster alterations that’ll have the biggest impact on the 2010-11 NBA CAMPAIGN: 1) Amar’e Stoudemire, New York; 2) Carlos Boozer, Chicago; 3) Al Jefferson, Utah; 4) David Lee, Golden State; 5) Darren Collison, Indiana “Forget the 21-game winning streak, the longest in the nation. Forget the Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback and the nation’s No. 1 defense. The most impressive thing about Boise State’s football program is its complete disregard for the gathering storm that surrounds the program. Boise State’s entire season is playing out against a bigger backdrop. Each play is a referendum on the program’s worthiness for inclusion in the national championship discussion. Each victory ignites another ferocious debate about college football’s system

of determining a champion.” IDAHO STATESMAN’S BRIAN MURPHY Like any football fan and compassionate human, Fanatic hates seeing the likes of DeSean Jackson and Todd Head lying motionless on the grass after a big collision. We’ve heard sound arguments from both sides of the hardhit fence, but we’re taking the stand that repeat offenders should be dealt with. Fines are okay, but one-game suspensions will tell a stronger story. Here’s hoping NFL COMMISH ROGER GOODELL acts firmly and swiftly on this growing problem.

(The numbers are even worst in the collegiate and high school ranks.) Something needs to be done (harsher penalties, bigger shoulder pads, something) before a player ends up paralyzed or dead.

AND FINALLY… Of the 1,200-plus visitors to MiamiHerald.com who voted on the Heat’s disappointing season opener, a whopping 15% said their performance was either “good” or “excellent”…

The New Orleans Saints have the dubious honor of being the first defending Super Bowl champs to lose to two rookie QBs (Cleveland’s Colt McCoy, Arizona’s Max Hall) the following year… The Sporting News’ five worst sports cities: 1) Yakima, WA; 2) Billings, MT; 3) Burlington, NC; 4) Auburn, NY; 5) Troy, NY…And if you were wondering, Chicago was selected No. 1… Boston’s Kevin Garnett has won on opening night for an NBA-record 11 times… In the 14 NFL games played on Oct. 24-25, 737 points were scored, giving games a 52.6 average. That’s the secondhighest average for a weekend since 1970.

1. WeAuburn at Alabama (Nov. 26, TBA, CBS) hope you saved some room after Turkey Day because this football feast has all kinds of SEC and national implications to it.

2. Miami at Cleveland (Dec. 2, 8PM, TNT) Easily the most anticipated regular game of the NBA season… well, probably not for LeBron.

3. NFL on Thanksgiving (Nov. 25, Various times and channels) Of the six teams (New England-Detroit, New Orleans-Dallas, Cincy-NY Jets), we’re most excited to see the Lions.

4. like.

TCU at Utah (Nov. 6, 3:30PM, TBA) Call it the Mid-Major Title Game if you All we know is the winner has an outside shot at playing in the official BCS title game.

5. Baltimore at Atlanta (Nov. 11, 8:20 PM, NFL Network) If the Falcons (5-2) want to truly soar to the top of the NFC, they’ll have to prove it against the hard-headed Ravens (5-2).

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