INsite Atlanta September 2010 Issue by INsite Magazine

SEPTEMBER 2010

www. insiteatlanta .com

VOL. 19, NO. 2 FREE

Black Crows Jimmy Eat World NCAA & NFL Previews Fall TV Guide

The Annual

FALL

FESTiVAL Issue

Sweet Auburn Heritage Festival %FDBUVS #FFS 'FTUJWBM t "UMBOUB 1SJEF 'FTUJWBM .JEUPXO 'FTUJWBM PG UIF "SUT t &BTU "UMBOUB 4USVU "UMBOUB (SFFL 'FTUJWBM t "UMBOUB ##2 'FTUJWBM t #SPPLIBWFO "SUT 'FTUJWBM )PUPCFSGFTU #FFS 'FTUJWBM t 5BTUF PG "UMBOUB t "JET 8BML "UMBOUB

An Exhibition of Real Human Bodies This striking Exhibition showcases real human bodies, dissected and preserved through a revolutionary process allowing visitors to see themselves in a fascinating way like never before. BODIES...The Exhibition will enlghten, empower, and inspire.

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LIFE IN THE DARK

An Exhibition That Reveals The Strength of Your SENSES

INTERNATIONAL BLOCKBUSTER - U.S.A. DEBUT ONLY IN ATLANTA

“For about an hour, visitors navigate diﬀerent environments incomplete darkness, relying on all senses except sight, and ask questions of their visually impaired guide, whose faces they don’t see until leaving. Stumbling in darkness makes the Dialog visitor appreciate how visually oriented the world is - how would you go grocery shopping? How would you cross the street? - as well as the reliance on other senses such as sound and touch to navigate the world.” - Elizabeth Landou, CNN

www.DialogTickets.com

BOTH EXHIBITIONS AT ATLANTIC STATION! PREMIER EXHIBITION CENTER PRODUCED BY:

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CONTENTS • SEPTEMBER 2010 • VOLUME 19.2 Atlanta’s

Entertainment Monthly

INTERVIEWS 06 JEFF FOXWORTHY 10 STEVEN MCQUEEN 11 NINA DOBREV 12 IDRIS ELBA 15 T.I. 21 JIMMY EAT WORLD 22 LOTTERY TICKET STARS 23 BLACK CROWS 27 CHUCK D 28 ASHERS 28 THIS IS HELL

FEATURES 08 BURRITOS 09 HIGH COLLEGE NIGHT 09 EDUCATION GUIDE 16 FALL TV PREVIEW 24 FALL FESTIVAL GUIDE 29 NCAA PREVIEW 30 NFL PREVIEW

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�� Some of the Restaurants include:

COLUMNS 04 AROUND TOWN 05 ON TAP 05 ON A DIME EVENTS 07 UNDER THE LIGHTS 10 FASHION 13 MOVIE REVIEWS 14 VIDEO GAMES 14 VIDIOTS 18 CONCERT CALENDAR 19 ROAD WARRIORS 19 WE GOT NEXT 20 ALBUMS 29 FAVORITE THINGS 31 FANATIC

5th Anniversary September 18th 6 pm - 10 pm

Blue Pointe • Brookhaven Bistro • Buckhead Bottle Bar Eclipse De Luna • Haven • Hudson Grille Kaleidoscope • Maison Robert Fine Chocolates Nava • Terra Terroir • Sugar Shack • Valenza Horne’ Rum • New Belgium Beer

Presenting:

www.insiteatlanta.com STAFF LISTING Publisher Stephen Miller steve@insiteatlanta.com Managing Editor Bret Love bret@insiteatlanta.com Art Director / Web Design Michael Thompson graphics@insiteatlanta.com Sports Editor DeMarco Williams demarco@insiteatlanta.com Local Events Editor Marci Miller marci@insiteatlanta.com Music Editor Sacha Dzuba sacha@insiteatlanta.com

Contributing Writers / Interns: John Moore, Jon Latham, Ryan Loftis, Matt Goldberg, Rodney Hill, Alex S. Morrison, Alec Wooden, Roger Presswood, Dave Cohen, Russ Marshalek, Jennifer Sefa-Boakye, Jessica Cole, Jennifer Williams, Matt Connor, Rebecca Crosby and Brad Binkley CONTACT US 2250 North Druid Hills Rd. #234 Atlanta, GA 30329-3118 phone 404-315-8485 website insiteatlanta.com ADVERTISING INFORMATION �� Editorial content of INsite is the opinion of each writer and is not necessarily the opinion of INsite, its staff, or its advertisers. INsite does not knowingly accept false or misleading advertising or editorial content, nor do the publisher or editors of INsite assume responsibility should such advertising or editorial appear. No content, i.e., articles, graphics, designs and information (any and all) in this publication may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from publisher.

www.BrookhavenArtsAlliance.com

Check out our Fall Festival Guide on page 24. PG 3 • insiteatlanta.com • September 2010

Around Town “Heineken Inspire” will bring Big Boi, Jermaine Dupri, and DJ Trauma to an unnamed location in Atlanta for a special exclusive concert on Sept. 4. The show is for 21 and older. Check out inspire.heineken.com for details.

SEPT 04

The Atlanta History Museum adds “With Malice Toward None: The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition” on Sept. 4. Items on display will include the Emancipation Proclamation, General Lee’s original “Lost Order”, the actual Bible both Lincoln and Barack Obama were sworn in on and items from Lincoln’s pocket at the time of his assassination. Creepy, but cool.

SEPT 04

The seventh annual Party in the Kitchen event by Open Hand will be held on Sept. 9. The event brings together chefs from Rathbun’s, Krog Bar, Rathbun Steak and 4th & Swift. Single event tickets are $150. Visit projectopenhand.org.

SEPT 09

The Atlanta Braves bring in a National League heavyweight Sept. 9-12. The St. Louis Cardinals come to the ATL for a four-game series that should be considered a can’t-miss show. Albert Pujols is the best (non-steroids using) hitter of the last decade. Go to braves.com and get your tickets and see pitching matchups.

SEPT 9-12

The Center for Puppetry Arts will help you fondly remember Mr. Rogers on Sept. 10 from 8-9pm with “Mr. McFeely Remembers: A Tribute to Fred Rogers.” Actor David Newell will be onhand to share memories (including bloopers) and personal accounts of his time on the show. For more, go to puppet.org.

SEPT 10

Theatre/Film

The Duluth Fall Festival Concert will be held on Sept. 11 at 6:30pm at Duluth Town Green (W. Lawrence Street & Main Street in Duluth). This year’s featured artist will be Ruperts Orchestra. Go to duluthfallfestival.org for more information or call 770-476-0240.

SEPT 11

The Elia Kazan Film Series will be held this month at the Plaza Theatre on four consecutive Mondays this month. Don’t miss “A Letter To Elia” and “Viva Zapata!” on Sept. 13 at 7:30pm. Screenings will be $10. The Plaza is located at 1049 Ponce De Leon Avenue.

SEPT 13

Kings of Leon visit Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood on Sept. 15. The show starts at 7:30pm. Tickets start at $36.50. Check out livenation. com for more details about tickets and parking. They are a fantastic show live. Just hope no birds poop on the stage.

SEPT 15

Comedian Louis Katz comes to the Laughing Skull Comedy Club from Sept. 16-19. He’s been featured on HBO and “Last Call with Carson Daly.” Tickets range from $20-$25. Visit vortexcomedy. com for more about the show.

SEPT 16-19

Looking for your first taste of big time college football this season? Travel down to Athens for Georgia’s first home SEC football game against Arkansas on Sept. 18. The Razorbacks will be an electric offensive football teams with quarterback Ryan Mallet. The game could be one of the best at Sanford Stadium this season and could go a long way toward determining the Bulldogs’ conference title aspirations. Go to georgiabulls.com.

SEPT 18

Museums/Exhibits/Arts

Music/Comedy/Sports

Mist Live is a refreshing, stylish musical experience coming to Atlanta’s 595 North Lounge on Sept. 18. That evening, renowned poet Queen Sheba will bring two talents to the stage: funky Atlanta icon Joi and underground soul darling Res. And the whole while, Sol Factor will back everything up with a smooth, balanced symmetry like only that band can. Tickets for the performance range from $25-45 and can be purchased at mistlive.com.

SEPT 18

The Mommy & Me event at Zoo Atlanta is a great way for young children to see a special side of the zoo. On Sept. 23, the zoo will focus on Australian Birds. Children ages 2-3 can join their caregiver at this special event. Visit zooatlanta.org.

Other Stuff

runners in a figure-eight route, creating a six-mile and seven-mile loop through Brookhaven and Chamblee, finishing back at Oglethorpe University. Visit 131atlanta.com for more details. Professional football finally returns to the Georgia Dome on Oct. 3. The Falcons host San Francisco, which should be one of the best home games this season. The 49ers will be competing for the playoffs. Come see if Matt Ryan and the Falcons are ready for postseason competition. Check out atlantafalcons.com for game times.

SEPT 23

The High Museum of Art will host the 25th Annual Latin American Festival starting on Sept. 24. The opening ﬁlm will be “Alamar.” Films continue through Oct. 30. All are show in their original language with English subtitles. Go to high.org for more.

SEPT 24

Georgia Tech’s ﬁrst meaningful home game of the season comes on Sept. 25. The Yellow Jackets host North Carolina State. Paul Johnson should lead a team looking for another ACC Championship. Be part of the experience. Visit ramblinwreck.com for ticket info.

SEPT 25

The U.S. Road Sports & Entertainment Group will present the second Southern Rock-themed 13.1 Marathon Atlanta and Karhu 5k on Oct. 3. The race, which will start at 7 am on the Oglethorpe University campus, will take

OCT 03

International School

H I G H

of Skin, Nails, and Massage Therapy

The Largest, Most Experienced School in GA for Esthetician, Nail Training and Massage Therapy.

Celebrating 25 Years of Service and Education

SURREAL COLLEGE NIGHT

SATURDAY | SEPT. 25 7 P.M.–12 MIDNIGHT

FEATURING

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LIVE MUSIC

Just some services available that are performed by our professional students. For a full list of our services please visit our website at www.skin-nails.com SKIN CARE:

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TICKETS AT HIGH.ORG OR AT THE DOOR.

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WAXING:

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�� PG 4 • insiteatlanta.com • September 2010

The Balkans » The Back Pockets » Phonepunk

October is College Month $5 admission all month with student ID

Group discounts available. Call 404-733-4550. facebook.com/highmuseumofart

HIGH MUSEUM OF ART ATLANTA « 1280 PEACHTREE STREET, N.E. « 404-733-HIGH « HIGH.ORG

LOCAL EVENTS

LOCAL

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

September 10-12: Gwinnett Arena RINGLING BROS: ILLUSCINATION

If you ever wondered what it would be like if the Ringling Bros. & Barnum Baily Circus took on Cirque, here’s your answer. Gwinnett Arena will host Illuscination from Sept. 10-12 for tickets ranging from $15-$50. Call 1-800-745-3000 or visit ticketmaster.com for details. There is a special family four-pack that can be redeemed at the Gwinnett Center Web site. Don’t miss this family freindly event.

September 17-19: Fox Theatre

RAIN

Unlike the Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, KISS and every other aging rock-n-roll band, you can’t find the Beatles rolling into your local neighbor amphitheater. That’s a shame. But what you can do is see Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles at the Fox Theatre from Sept. 17-19. Tickets are only $25-$65. Some would say the experience is the next best thing to seeing the Beatles live. Others (us) would say it’s your only option, and a good one at that.

EVENTS HAPPENING FOR SMALL CHANGE IN ATLANTA

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

By Marci Miller

MIDTOWN BLOCK PARTY

Sept. 4, 6pm Party, 8pm performance of Twist, $25 Party – 15th & Peachtree Street Show – Alliance Theatre alliancetheatre.org Celebrate Twist and summer with food, music, and fun. Admission is only $25 and includes New Orleans-themed food selections, live music from DJ Tabone, a ticket to that night’s performance of Twist at the Alliance Theatre, raﬄes for gift certiﬁcates for great midtown dining and retail, and some fun surprises. You must use Promo Code MIDTOWN25 to get tickets to the Block Party.

DRAGON*CON PARADE

Saturday, Sept. 4, 10:00am, Free Dowtown Atlanta dragoncon.org

September 18: Oglethorpe University

TASTE OF BROOKHAVEN

Getting a taste for a community is really half the battle of getting to know a community. That means you’re sure to enjoy Taste of Brookhaven on Sept. 18 on the lovely campus of Oglethorpe University. That means access to some of the best restaurants in Atlanta like Blue Pointe, Brookhaven Bistro, Eclipse De Luna, Haven, Hudson Grille, Valenza, New Belgium Beer and Buckhead Bottle Bar. That’s enough food to enjoy on an afternoon.

September 25: ZOO ATLANTA JAZZOO

Zoo Atlanta is one of the often overlooked treats of the city. Don’t miss a chance to experience it with a side of class. Jazzoo is one of most unique parties of the year. The event beneﬁts the zoo. There are more than 30 restaurants represented as well as live music and 20 open bars. The event raises more than a million dollars and helps fund the zoo’s free educational programs. That means a night on the town for a very worthy cause. Visit jazzooatlanta.org.

September 25: HIGH MUSEUM OF ART HIGH COLLEGE NIGHT

There is one day out of the year that is special for college students at the High Museum of Art. It’s special because it’s cheap. The High College Night gives students a $7 night of fun. Bands like The Balkans, The Back Pockets and Phonepunk will spice of the evening with some sound, while the museum will host a melting materials DYI workshop. And don’t forget that Dali: The Late Work will be open and on display. Go to high.org.

September 27-29: Turner Field

MARLINS AT BRAVES

It’s nearing postseason time for the Atlanta Braves. Can the team hold onto its lead in the National League East long enough to get Bobby Cox back into the playoffs? Taking a series against the Florida Marlins would surely help. Make sure to plan a night at Turner Field to see one of the Braves final division series of the season. Tickets start as low as $6. And remember, this is Cox’s finally year as skipper. That’s something to see.

Every year several hundred costumed Dragon*Con members gather in the early Saturday morning hours, ready to take center stage on Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta for the largest event at Dragon*Con the annual costume parade. Thousands more line the parade route to participate in the fun and to cheer on their favorites. Plan to be there Saturday, September 4 as a participant or onlooker. The parade starts promptly at 10:00 am and the route follows Peachtree Street from Woodruﬀ Park (at Auburn Avenue) to the Hyatt, then continues down Baker Street and concludes at the Marriott.

MIDTOWN RESTAURANT WEEK Sept. 4-12, $25 three-course menu Various Midtown Restaurants atlrestaurantweek.com

Enjoy special three-course, gourmet prix-ﬁxe meals at participating Midtown restaurants ($25 dinners and $15 lunches where applicable). Prices are per person and do not include beverage, tax or gratuity. Restaurants include Ecco, Livingston, One Midtown Kitchen, Rosebud, Steel and many, many more. Check website for a full list and reservation information.

CONCERTS ON THE SQUARE

Sept. 5, 11, 18, 25, 7:00pm – 9:30pm, Free

BLUE SKY CONCERTS

Sept. 8, 15, 22, 30, noon – 1:00pm, Free Downtown Decatur Square decaturdba.org During the month of September, the city of Decatur is oﬀering two free concert series. Concerts on the Square will take place

every Saturday night in September at the Community Bandstand on the square in downtown Decatur (The September 5 date is a special Sunday concert in conjunction with the Decatur Book Festival). Concertgoers are encouraged to pack their picnics, bring the quilts and blankets and enjoy an evening of musical entertainment. Blue Sky Concerts oﬀers a break from the daily grind by oﬀering a free concert every Wednesday afternoon in September. Check the website for a complete schedule of performers for both series.

COBB COUNTY RESTAURANT WEEK Sept. 11-18, $20.10 per person Various Cobb County Restaurants cobbcvb.com/restaurantweek/

Visit local Cobb restaurants and celebrate their culinary talents, tasteful cuisine and vibrant atmospheres during Cobb County’s Second Annual Restaurant Week. Diners are encouraged to explore new oﬀerings from their favorite restaurants or try dishes in venues you have yet had the pleasure to experience. Participating restaurants include Aspens Signature Steaks, Soho, Noche, South City Kitchen Vinings and many more. $20.10 Lunch/Dinner per person and includes a 3 course prix ﬁxe menu.

TARGET FREE SECOND TUESDAYS

Tuesday, Sept. 14, 1-7pm, Free Imagine It! The Children’s Museum of Atlanta 275 Centennial Olympic Park Drive NW childrensmuseumatlanta.org 404-659-KIDS Through a sponsorship by Target, admission is free for all visitors who come during these special hours. Timed tickets are issued on a ﬁrst come ﬁrst served basis as museum capacity permits. Reservations are not accepted. Activities taking place that day include a “Mexican Hat Dance” lesson, reading of a classic tale featuring fun-loving character Juan Bobo and Otto Rondon, a member of Tahino, will teach children in Atlanta about the wonderful music and culture of Latin America. This is all part of the Fiesta de los Niños programming at the museum. Check the website for additional free Target dates happening throughout the year.

SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE MUSEUM DAY Saturday, Sept. 25, Free Various Museums throughout the City smithsonianmag.com

Enjoy free general admission for you and a guest at hundreds of museums and cultural venues nationwide. Download the Museum Day admission card from the website to receive free admission at participating locations. Venues in the Atlanta area include the High Museum of Art, Center for Puppetry Arts, Booth Western Art Museum and many more.

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 • September 2010

COMEDY

SOUTHERN MAN Jeﬀ Foxworthy On The Inspiration & Evolution Of His Blue Collar Comedy Style BY BRAD BINKLEY

EFF FOXWORTHY FIRST BECAME A HOUSEHOLD name when his wildly popular “You Might Be A Redneck If ” series sold more than 4 million copies in the early ‘90s. Known for his Southern humor and his affiliation with highly successful Blue Collar Comedy tour, Foxworthy is now also a best-selling author, game show host, radio personality, and family man whose insightful writing style has drawn comparison to Mark Twain. Foxworthy masterfully explores the humor in everyday situations, human nature and family interactions with a brilliant simplicity that has made him the best selling comedyrecording artist of all time. His ability to get inside people’s heads keeps audiences laughing and saying, “Oh my God, I’ve done that.” The laid-back Foxworthy hasn’t slowed down one bit. He is set to release his new Children’s book, HIDE!!!, this Fall. He just finished filming 170 episodes for the fifth season of Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? And he will be teaming up once again with pals Bill Engvail and Larry the Cable Guy to go on tour with fresh standup comedy material, bringing the laughs to Phillips Arena on January 29th. We recently caught up with Foxworthy as he geared up for the release of HIDE!!! I hear you’ve written a new children’s book. Yeah, it’s called HIDE!!!, with three exclamation points. Why? I don’t know. That’s just the way in my mind it was supposed to look. What is the book about? A neighborhood game of hide and go seek. All these kids in the neighborhood are playing. There is a little poem about everything. And you have to find them on the page (hidden kids) You also have to find like 15 more things on the page. It doesn’t matter if it was my generation or yours, every kid loves to play hide and go seek. What is it like writing for kids? I try to always make myself be like five or six years old because the things that entertain teenagers or adults aren’t necessarily the things little kids find fascinating. I really thought it would be easy but it ended up being one of the hardest things I’ve ever written. I ended up throwing away a lot more than I kept. I tried to think, “What did I like when I was that age?” What is your joke writing process? I always just kind of assume that if I think it, or if my wife says it, or if my kids do it, then surely we are not the only ones. And I kind of trust that. I remember one time, 25 years ago, I was writing a set for Johnny Carson and I said to my wife, “Is this funny?” I said, “I don’t know how women can lie down on the couch and take a nap without sticking their hand in the front of their pants.” And she says, “Well, you may be the only person that does that.” And I thought surely I’m not the only one who takes a nap and sticks his hand in the top of his pants. I went on the Tonight Show and told that joke and everyone laughed. And every woman elbowed the guy next to her. My theory was that men have a sleep button located just below our naval. We can’t really take a nap unless we have our hand on that button. Did you try that joke for the first time on the Tonight Show? You always have to write new stuﬀ for that show and I had timed the set at a couple of clubs. When you’re doing it on that format, you’re like, “Oh God, this better be funny.” You couldn’t really afford to have one that died out there and thankfully it didn’t. What is your pre-show ritual like? What do you do to get ready to get on stage? The guy you see on stage is pretty much the guy I am in real life. So it’s not like I have to get into a character. I’m usually thinking about how am I going to start off and then I’m trying to figure out what kind of audience it is. Is it single people? Married people? People with kids? What kind of stuff do they want to talk about? You go through and kind of try to figure out who you are talking to. The audience you have at a six o clock show may be totally different than the one at the nine o’clock show. PG 6 • insiteatlanta.com • September 2010

WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN. WRITE EVERY DAY. TO THIS DAY I HAVE A PAD AND A PEN NEXT TO MY BED BECAUSE I’LL TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND START THINKING ABOUT STUFF. AND I THINK OF A LOT OF STUFF IN THE SHOWER, SO I’VE GOT A PAD AND A PEN ON MY BATHROOM COUNTER. AND JUST DO IT EVERY CHANCE YOU GET. THAT IS REALLY THE WAY YOU GET GOOD AT IT. Who were your comedic inspirations as a kid? When I was a kid I would save my money and buy comedy records. Back then it was Bill Cosby and Flip Wilson. Then later on Richard Pryor and George Carlin. I would memorize them and I would go to school and do them. I was always getting in trouble for it. I remember my principal just sitting there staring at me going “What do you think you are, a comedian? The first time I ever played the Fox Theatre someone brought me a note backstage. It was from my high school principal and in the note it said, “I cannot believe I am shelling out money to listen to the same kind of junk I use to try to put a stop to.” You’ve done a lot of TV over the years. Which TV projects have you enjoyed the most? Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader has been fun. If you’d asked me 15 years ago if I would ever host a game show, I would’ve laughed. The only thing I’ve ever done that I didn’t enjoy doing very much was the sitcom in the mid ‘90s. They didn’t really let me have a hand in it. Seven or eight years ago we did Blue Collar TV, which was a sketch show, and I loved that. It was one of those things you could walk in and say, “Hey, I got an idea: I want to be a truck driver that weighs 300 pounds and has big Elvis sideburns.” And they were like, “Ok, let’s do it.” That was fun. I think the thing that made the Blue Collar Comedy thing work was that we were always having fun together. I think people saw that. How did you and the other Blue Collar Comedy guys get together? Ten or 11 years ago I was reading an article describing the Kings of Comedy and how it was a show for the urban hip audience. I called Engvall and said, “That leaves a lot of people out! There are a lot of people that either aren’t urban or aren’t hip. We ought to do one for everyone else!” He laughed and said, “What would you call it?” I said, “We’ll call it the Blue Collar tour.” We got Larry and Ron, and we went on the road. The response was so big and we were having so much fun that we ended up doing that first tour for three years.

What was it like when you started doing comedy? When I first started Leno was the king of the road comics and he was generous enough that he would sit around at the Waffle House at night and give advice. I remember him saying your goal should be to write 45 minutes a year. You won’t be able to do it but that should be your goal. I was a road warrior, for the first 8 years. I did over 500 shows a year. So I was doing it every night and some times multiple times a night. Where does the core of your material come from? I have a theory that I think everyone thinks the thoughts comics have. I think comics grab them and polish them, then show them to people. And that’s that laugh you hear when people go, “Oh my god, I’ve done that, I’ve thought that.” How did you come up with your style? I remember thinking, “What kind of style do I want to have?” Seinfeld said to me one night, “You just do it for ten years and then one day you have a style and you don’t even know you’ve got it.” And he was right. I went up there, was a workhorse at it and now I can go back and be like, “I do have a particular cadence. It’s not a planned thing. It’s kind of how it comes out of my mouth now.” Do you have anything in the works? Bill and Larry and I are doing a show. Ron didn’t want to do it. We’re calling it, “Them Idiots Whirled Tour.” We all sat down and said, we are going to do this. It’s a great show. I was kind of thinking that maybe people have kind of moved on and maybe they don’t want to see it anymore, but we’re doing 15,000 people a night. We’re doing Phillips Arena in January. What advice would you give up and coming comics? Write everything down. Write every day. To this day I have a pad and a pen next to my bed because I’ll turn the lights off and start thinking about stuff. And I think of a lot of stuff in the shower, so I’ve got a pad and a pen on my bathroom counter. And just do it every chance you get. That is really the way you get good at it.

Under The Lights �� New Theatrical Performances

�� BLOOMS �� TWIST �� NIGHT ��

Sept. 1 -11 Oct. 3 Alliance Stage August - Sept. 5 Box Office 404.733.5000 The Balzer Theatre at Herren’s www.alliancetheatre.org Box Office 678.528.1500

www.TheatricalOutfit.org TWIST brings audiences back to 1928 New Orleans. �� As the Roaring Twenties �� dance their way �� down Bourbon an orphan in search of home ��Street, �� finds family in the most unexpected places. �� Tony Nominee William F. Brown joins forces �� with ��Grammy �� Award ��winning composer/lyricist Tena Clark and legendary director and �� choreographer �� Debbie �� Allen in an exciting new musical twist on the Dickens classic. �� CHURCH GIRL �� September 21�� - 26 Fox�� Theatre �� 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster �� www.churchgirlstageplay.com ��

�� Emily Franklin, the daughter of a prominent Aug 24 - Aughas29it Fox Theatre Pastor, seemingly all. She has a great family, a wonderful love interest and is a role 800-982-2787 Box Office model in her father's church. But things aren't www.theaterofthestars.com always what they seem. Emily is hiding a �� shocking secret and has been working over�� to �� her �� time cover �� it up�� while �� maintaining ��girl �� good image. When�� her �� worlds��collide, �� are ��exposed �� events take a drastic turn, secrets �� and skeletons come crashing out of her��clos�� et. A hard-hitting musical�� drama, �� CHURCH� �� GIRL deals with the essence of innocence �� gone astray.

Sept 24 -Oct 3 Horizon Theatre �� Box Office 404.584.7450 ��

www.horizontheatre.com �� photo by Joan Marcus �� On a historic night in �� 1965 Selma, Alabama, �� two families of different races deal with con�� flicts and find their differences are not neces�� sarily black and white. NIGHT BLOOMS is inspired by Atlanta playwrite Margaret Baldwin’s own family history during this historic period Selma. Sept. 1 - inOct. 3 Alliance Stage Box Office 404.733.5000 www.alliancetheatre.org

��

9 TO 5

Sept 2 -Oct 3 Fox Theatre �� 800.982.2787 Box Office

�� www.theaterofthestars.com �� month �� This 9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL comes �� to the Fox Theatre starring Georgia’s own � � � � DeGarmo �� Diana �� in the �� role of �� Doralee. � � � � � 9� to � 5: The Musical��was �� nominated for �� four 2009 Tony �� Awards including �� original score that �� features Dolly �� Parton’s hit title �� song. ��

�� Horizon Theatre

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PG 7�� • insiteatlanta.com • September 2010

Taste of the Month... Burritos! Willy’s Mexicana Grill

19 Atlanta Locations / Athens 404.422.7107 Catering www.willys.com

Willy's Mexicana Grill offers a host of Fresh-Mex menu items made from the freshest ingredients. Each order is custom prepared right in front of the customer. These include Willy's award winning signature California-style burritos. Willy's is vegetarian friendly offering marinated and grilled tofu and veggie burritos. Their beans and rice are cooked daily using no lard or animal products. A variety of tacos and quesadillas are also on the menu. College Night is at Willy's this fall! Show your college ID the first Tuesday of the month and get a $4 burrito (limit one per customer). Enjoy a margarita and burrito on the patio at Piedmont Park or at the Howell Mill location. Howell Mill Happenings - Live Music every other Friday at 7pm and Sunday at 5pm, Trivia nights on Wed and Thurs at 8pm. Willy's Kennesaw - Trivia every Wed at 8pm - come early seating is limited! Willy's caters and delivers to a crowd! Taco Bars, Fajita Bars, Nacho Bars, Platters and more are perfect for tailgating, social gatherings or business functions of any size. Call 404.422.7107 to speak directly to Willy's Catering.

Agave Southwestern Restaurant

242 Boulevard SE 404.588.0006 www.agaverestaurant.com

Consistently voted best Southwestern Restaurant, this Cabbagetown eatery is an Atlanta favorite. Their Southwestern Burrito & Stew comes with a large flour tortilla stuffed with pulled red chili marinated pork, shredded smoked chicken breast, spanish rice, pinto beans, black beans & green chili, topped with mild cheddar, sour cream, red and green chili sauces, and accompanied by a cup of Homemade Hatch green chili stew. Agave also offers a Vegetarian Burrito upon requst. Be sure to make your reservation for their 10 Year Anniversary Tequila Dinner on Sept 28th featuring Herradura Estate Seleccion Suprema Tequila.

Chipotle

Multiple Locations www.Chipotle.com A simple menu, fresh ingredients, and attention to detail has made Chipotle a success. Their company slogan is “Food with Integrity”. This means ingredients that are

unprocessed, family farmed, added hormone free and organic. They offer meats including chicken, steak, naturally raised pork and shredded beef. All of Chipotle’s Atlanta locations have outdoor seating. The Buckhead location featured gets packed in the fall. Don’t forget to order sides of salsa, chips and guacamole before heading to your table.

Mexico City Gourmet 2134 N. Decatur Rd. 404.634.1128 www.mexicocitygourmet.net For over 30 years Mexico City Gourmet has been serving award winning cuisine to the Emory / Decatur area. The restaurant offers 3 dining rooms and bar area with multiple TV’s. They have a great vegetarian burrito called the Georgia which is stuffed with onions, peppers and potatoes. Mexico City also offers a Chicken Burrito as a lunch special for just $6.50. This burrito is served with onions, tomatoes, poblano peppers and topped with adobo sauce, cheese and side of refried beans or rice. Another popular burrito is the Steak Taco Poblano, with grilled strips of steak served with sauteed onions, mushrooms, poblano peppers, and topped with Chihuahua cheese. There are various other lunch specials to choose from starting at $5.75. Enjoy a free queso dip when two lunch specials are purchased. For dinner they offer the Burrito Supreme which comes with ground beef, refried beans and topped with lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream.

Pancho’s Mexican Restaurant & Cantina 2641 Buford Hwy. 404.325.2898 www.panchomexican.com Pancho’s Mexican Restaurant & Cantina has become a landmark in Atlanta. They are known for their Monster Margaritas as well as for their Monster Burritos, Tacos and Quesadillas. Pancho’s does a brisk lunch business. There are several great burritos on the menu to choose from. Many are offered among their lunch specials served as combinations for just $6.95. Besides the Burrito specials you will find other lunch specials for just $4.99. Choose from their Taco Salad or #1 Combo Platter (taco, enchilada, ric & beans). Pancho’s has a wide selection of dinner entrees including Combination Dinners for just $9.95. There are six offered that include Pancho’s famous burritos. Popular for dinner is their Steak Burrito served with prime grilled steak and topped with pico de gallo, quacamole and sour cream. If you prefer to have a steak without the burrito, they offer a 10 oz version prepared Mexican style with onions and bell peppers served with rice, refried beans, guacamole salad, pico de gallo & tortillas.

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�� PG 8 • insiteatlanta.com • September 2010

EVENT

Fall College Night Celebrates The Salvador Dali Exhibit FROM STAFF REPORTS

IZARRE. FANTASTIC. INTRIGUING. Experience the whacky world of Salvador Dalí at the High Museum of Art’s Surreal College Night on Saturday, September 25, from 7 p.m. to midnight. Students and visitors will enjoy a night of live music, gallery viewing, a do-it-yourself workshop, drawing from a live model, and photos. All the activities are inspired by the museum’s newest exhibition, “Dali: The Late Work.” which focuses on Dali’s art after 1940. The exhibition features 115 works, including 40 paintings and a related group of drawings, prints and other Dalí ephemera. While Dalí is best known as a leading member of the surrealist movement of the 1930s, “Dalí: The Late Work” reassess his career from 1940 to his death in 1989. Among the highlights of the exhibition are several works that have not been seen in the U.S. in 50 years, including the monumental “Christ of St. John of the Cross,” which was voted Scotland’s favorite painting in 2007, and “Santiago El Grande,” which has not left New Brunswick, Canada, since 1959. The exhibition also features “Assumpta Corpuscularia Lapislazulina,” from a private collection in Spain, which has not been seen publicly since 1959. Live performances by local bands including The Balkans, The Back Pockets and Phonepunk will entertain visitors as they walk through the galleries. The Balkans, a group of students whose energetic music draws from punk and surf rock, perform a blend of rock and other genres that transcends the familiar sounds of the 60’s. The Back Pockets are a carefree, eclectic, and theatrical group whose musical style is indie and folk. They believe in audience interaction and the beauty of being alive which is manifested in their music and performances. Phonepunk will entertain the crowd with technolog-

ically inspired electronic music that will showcases the abstract beats made using the intricate and varied sounds that come from microphones, pedals and the telephone as the primary sound source. In addition to “Dali” visitors can view “Signs of Life: Photographs by Peter Sekaer” the ﬁrst major exhibition dedicated to the work of the Danishborn American photographer Peter Sekaer. Consisting of approximately 75 vintage gelatin silver prints, several of which have never been on public view, the works in the exhibition span the years 1935 through 1945 and document the eﬀects of the Great Depression in several American cities. Also on view will be the High’s extensive permanent collection including 19th- and 20th-century American and decorative art; European paintings; American art; modern and contemporary art, photography, African art and Folk Art. Student admission will be $7 with a valid student I.D. Students with High Museum Student memberships get in FREE. Food and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase. Tickets and membership information are available online at www.high.org.

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The International School of Skin, Nails & Massage Therapy has over 25 years of experience as a school and day spa. Located in Sandy Springs, ISSN is where Atlanta’s professionals go to get trained for work in Spas, Salons, Network TV and anywhere skin care treatments are given or nail care beauty is performed. Courses from Classic Facials to Microdermbrasion Facials, to waxing, make-up, to manicures and nail art are taught at the renowned International School of Skin , Nails & Massage Therapy (ISSN). Job placement is excellent and has remained near 100-percent for over a decade - no other school is close. ISSN's long experience and being known in the Industry insures the graduate of a good job upon graduation. Over 320 active employers depend on ISSN for Esthetician and Nail Technician staffing. Programs start monthly for the convenience of today's student. They have morning, afternoon, or evening class in the Esthetician program and day or evening classes in the Nail Technician program. They also offer a fully accredited Massage Therapy Division. ISSN is conveniently located in the Prado, 5600 Roswell Road at I-295. It is an accredited school and approved by the Georgia State Board of Cosmetology. A quick call to their Admission's office can answer all of your questions. When you call ask for a tour of the school. Call the school at (404) 843-1005 or email them at issn@skin-nails.com

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Action Bartending School Action Bartending School prepares students for additional part-time employment or to enhance their careers. They offer flexible class schedules with expert trainers who have years of bartending experience. Three 4 hour classes are given on weekdays. Class times are 9am - 1pm, 1pm - 5pm and 6pm - 10 pm. For those who are not able to make the weekday class, they offer a class on the weekends that is 6 hours long from 11am - 5pm. The program requires 20 hours of practical in classroom training with certification availability within a week. The school offers an additional 20 hours of training at no cost to those who feel they need more time to master the course. All graduates receive a course manual and DVD that recreates the course step by step. Action Bartending School is very affordable offering plans for just $99 down. They are Georgia certified and conveniently located just off I-285 near Jimmy Cater and Buford Hwy. On October 1st, Action Bartending will open their second location at the Sutra Lounge in midtown. This location will offer training behind an actual bar. The Midtown location will offer classes in mornings and afternoons before opening to the public as a nightclub in the evenings. This setting will offer students unparalled on the job training. New Location at Sutra Lounge, 1136 Crescent Avenue, Atlanta, Ga.30309 For information on upcoming classes call (770) 300-8998 or visit them at www.actionbartendingschool.net

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ONCE YOU GO VAMP, YOU NEVER GO BACK Steven R. McQueen Sinks his Teeth into Something a Little Tougher this Season BY JENNI WILLIAMS

O YOU’RE SICK OF TURNING ON THE TV to yet another vampire love triangle. Yeah, yeah—we’ve heard it again and again; but you know they’re not making these TV shows, shooting these blockbusters and pumping out novel series for absolutely no one. People watch. People read. You probably watch…and what it really boils down to, you most likely love it. The first silver screen crossover is the teen angst drama, Vampire Diaries. For anyone that hasn’t caught on yet, this is the saga of the Salvatore brothers’ (Damon and Stefano) trek back to their birth land (their vampire birth land that is). They’re taking names and making lovers, stirring up ancient fantastical history amongst the smalltown people of Mystic Falls. With ageless vampires in high school, the drama barely needs fangs to erupt strife throughout the town’s seemingly ordinary lives—but they do make it a lot sexier. Insite sat down with VD star Steven R. McQueen to get his take on playing one of this decade’s heartthrobs. A 20-year old Hollywood heir (his grandfather is Steve McQueen) he is pursuing the world of make-believe in a career where nightlife is the key to success. Playing Jeremy Gilbert, the outcast, drug addict, vampire-hater, McQueen brings a dynamic emotional pool to the show. “I wasn’t really a huge fan of the new vampire craze. I dig the older stuff—Gary Oldman’s Dracula and From Dusk ‘til Dawn. That was cool,” McQueen admits, although he jumped at the audition, flew to Vancouver to shoot the pilot and has been in 44 episodes since. “This new stuff

brings a new level of romance. [Jeremy] is not really a romantic, so I can identify with him a little more. He’s more of a head case, kinda crazy really,” McQueen laughs. And crazy is just how he stayed. Jeremy Gilbert went from stoned-out orphan to lovesick suicide threat, to potentially vengeful vampire wannabe. “He’s been through a lot. He stays distant, he’s angry at the world. But when he falls in love with a vampire, he starts to soften. They’re both monsters, I guess, so they are safe with each other. But when he loses her too, he goes stone cold again. Life gets even darker.” Doesn’t sound like much fun, huh? McQueen is just pumped to be “playing make-believe” for a living… Well that and enjoying Lake Lanier every other day with his buddies. “My life was kind of a roller coaster before now. I had done a Disney movie, I was doing some TV, not really sure where any of it would take me. Then, in the middle of it, I decided I needed to feel like a kid again. I took sometime oﬀ.” It was a short break. He auditioned for VD and in the midst of starting the show, he went to Arizona to do a movie (Piranha 3D). Not to mention, he’s done CSI:Miami, Everwood, Threshold, Without a Trace, and a spot on Numb3rs) The next thing he knew, and probably the last thing he thought, he found himself moving to Atlanta. “I am not really thinking about my career as a whole right now. It’s not all about the hype for me,” McQueen says, getting serious for a minute. “Right now I am just living out my childhood imagination. It’s like a game of catch-you… You start the game, emotions are ﬂying and you’re all

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over the place, but you start doing it everyday and you’re learning something new, getting better at it with each throw.” McQueen is used to being cast as the boy next door, so Jeremy Gilbert is almost a breath of fresh air—well we won’t say fresh, but either way, its something new… “The writers, Kevin and Jake, provide so much good material that its fun to shoot, despite how depressing Jeremy might be. I just find a way to make it work,” he says. “I’ve learned that it’s about knowing your circumstances and putting it into action that works for that role. I am really attracted to the side kick role. They aren’t fully understood and I like to be the one that gets to tell their story.” Gilbert is no sidekick, but McQueen is taking his co-stardom very seriously. Can we expect to see anything new this season? “My character wore his heart on his sleeve last season; he was always acting emotionally…. But, you know you can’t be soft forever. This season, you’ll see a harder, more calloused Jeremy. He’s fighting back now. “Right now, I am just enjoying being a sponge,” McQueen says. “I’m getting to work with some really talented people and just learning from them and spending time around them helps me so much.” His favorites so far? James Gandolfini, who he calls “a force,” and thinks is “amazing,” Jerry O’Connell (co-stars in Piranha 3D), “a really nice guy, who is just great to be around,” and Elizabeth Shue, because “she used to hang with my dad, racing cars, so she tells lots of stories about him.”

And even though McQueen is barely legal, he manages to do quite a good job soaking up that talent. His advice is not to watch his Disney’s Minute Men role, he says, clearly embarrassed at his Mickey Mouse debut, but we’re on board with building a repertoire from somewhere—especially when it lands you in our backyard, on our city’s favorite lake or on screen dripping with good ole vampire-teen spirit.

IT’S LIKE A GAME OF CATCH-YOU… YOU START THE GAME, EMOTIONS ARE FLYING AND YOU’RE ALL OVER THE PLACE, BUT YOU START DOING IT EVERYDAY AND YOU’RE LEARNING SOMETHING NEW, GETTING BETTER AT IT WITH EACH THROW.

COLUMN

THE CASUAL OBSERVER: Thoughts on Functional Fashion BY REBECCA CROSBY

AST MONTH WE COVERED wardrobe staples for women. Now, here are 5 must-haves for men, and tips to transition from summer to winter without breaking the budget. SPORT COAT/CASUAL JACKET – A neutral, casual sport coat is as easy as a fleece jacket but infinitely more pulled-together, even when paired with jeans. Shell out for good tailoring and you’ll wear it for years. If sport coats aren’t your thing, a classic bomber jacket goes with everything. Dark hair can pull off severe black leather, but if you’re blond or fair opt for a lighter brown, unless you’re a T-Bird.

GREAT JEANS – Keep it simple: dark wash, light-tono-distressing, no holes, no embellishments, and boot-cut or straight leg. Make sure they fit correctly; this means no flood pants or skinny jeans. Gap has quality, classic jeans for under $70, with a range of styles and cuts to flatter every body type. PANTS OTHER THAN JEANS – Chinos or a pair of fine-wale corduroys are lightweight but still warm, and perfect for the finicky fall. The texture of cords will balance a knit t-shirt, and crisp chinos are fantastic with a soft blazer.

Tips on working with what you’ve got: �� see what a cobbler can do. Often they can re-sole, shine and polish an old pair for a fraction of the CASUAL SHOES THAT AREN’T SNEAKERS – Depending price of replacing. on your personal style, these shoes can be oxfords, loafers, cap-toes or even boots. The change of a shoe �� correctly or that you find on sale in the wrong size. will instantly transform any outfit-so keep athletic shoes at the gym, and forget flip flops once the leaves They can also replace worn lining in coats, and in some cases repair sweaters. The rule: before you throw start falling. Check Aldo or Zappos.com for deals. it out, try to take it in and see if it can be salvaged. �� T-SHIRTS – If it lists anything about a beer fest, seem like a lot to pay, but a quality haircut will last fraternity function or 5k, save it for sleeping or longer, be easier to manage and look a lot better than a working out. A simple, well-made t-shirt can be cheap one. There are plenty of places to budget, but a versatile, easy and cheap. Try a SLIGHT v-neck-no haircut isn’t one of them! Try something new, and ask one wants to see Meavage-and stick to solids. Avoid your stylist for grooming tips. anything with holograms, prints or tattoo designs Questions? Tips? Ideas? unless you’re ready to fist5 MUSTHAVES FOR MEN & Email me at fashionin404@ pump on the Jersey Shore. SEASON TRANSITION TIPS gmail.com

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CANADIAN CUTIE The Vampire Diaries Star Nina Dobrev On Acting, Elena and Why She Loves Atlanta BY BRET LOVE

INA DOBREV DIDN’T EXACTLY emerge from out of nowhere to land the highly coveted role of heroine Elena Gilbert on The Vampire Diaries. She’d previously spent four years on the Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation and had small parts in films such as Away From Her and Repo! The Genetic Opera. But the show (which is filmed in Decatur and Covington) was a huge step up the Hollywood ladder for the 21-yearold Dobrev, who clearly relishes the challenges the CW network hit presents. We recently spoke with the Bulgarian-born, Toronto-bred beauty about her acting background, her ATL food addictions and what fans can expect from season two of The Vampire Diaries. You got into the arts at a very early age. What initially sparked your interest in performing? I was always a really outgoing kid. My parents didn’t know what to do with me because I was so high-energy, and my friends and I were always putting on little plays at home. I started doing gymnastics and ballet, so I was always performing in some way. Then I went to a performing arts high school in Canada where we studied music, dance and theatre, and I realized that that was where I was happiest. Of all the art forms you studied, why did you choose to pursue acting? Theatre was probably my favorite thing, and that’s where I felt most comfortable. I loved creating characters, doing accents, being different people and exploring that side of myself. I’d watch all these films and envision myself in the roles, and I loved reading plays and scripts. I just decided to try it out and see where it took me. You landed a huge part on Degrassi: The Next Generation when you were just 16. How did that role change your life? I didn’t realize how big it was at the time. The part was originally just gonna be for a couple of episodes. As I went on, the show taught me a lot about being on set and how to act on camera, because I was very green. I ended up spending four years on Degrassi, but because it was a Canadian show made far away from Hollywood I was able to get into the business more progressively. A lot of people who start acting at an early age lose their sense of reality, but I had time to be a normal kid while at the same time doing this thing I loved. How did you get the role on The Vampire Diaries? When I finished Degrassi I decided to fly down for pilot season in L.A., but I didn’t have high expectations. Vampire Diaries was one of the first auditions I went on, and I loved the script. But I was sick for my first audition and they weren’t really sure about me, then I got a movie that was being shot in Canada, so I went home. [Vampire Diaries casting directors] asked me to put myself on tape and they liked what I did, so they flew

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me back down. It was a long process and I really had to fight for the role, because there were so many girls who wanted to play Elena. I was very lucky, and I still feel like I have the coolest character– or characters– on TV. Which do you enjoy more, being fought over by two hunky vampires or getting to play two different roles? I love getting to play two roles, because one is such a sweet, nice girl and the other is this crazy, conniving, narcissistic vampire killer. That’s an opportunity that rarely happens on one show. I’ve played nice girls before– Mia Jones of Degrassi was a nice girl– but Katherine has an edge to her that I haven’t had a chance to play before, so it’s a challenge that keeps things fresh and exciting. The first season finale was pretty epic. What can fans expect from the second season? It’s just going to get more and more intense. Katherine has been talked about for 22 episodes, so we’ve had an idea of what a horrible person she is and how much pain she’s caused. But now that she’s back, you can only imagine how much havoc she’s going to wreak. Everything’s going to be heightened next season. How has the popularity of the show impacted your personal life? It’s interesting because I get recognized a lot more often in big cities like L.A. and New York than I do in Atlanta. Being in Atlanta has been an amazing blessing: The city’s a little smaller, the people are so nice and the food is so delicious, I just love it! People know that we film [in Decatur], but they’re respectful. Even when people ask for autographs, it’s not as invasive because they’re so cool and sweet about it. Have you discovered any favorite places in Atlanta? I love the food so much that it’s kind of become a problem because we have to stay in shape for filming. (Laughs) I love TWO Urban Licks, Wisteria, ONE Midtown Kitchen, and Rathbun’s is just amazing. We’ve been to a lot of places around Atlanta, but still haven’t discovered as much of the city as we’d like to because we film 15-hour days. But when we do go out, I love that there are so many diverse pockets to explore, from Buckhead and Inman Park to Little 5 Points, which has that awesome urban edge. You’ve got Vampire Diaries coming back in the fall and you’re shooting an action film with Samuel L. Jackson that’s due out next year. What are your goals for the future? I’ve always wanted to constantly challenge myself and play different characters in different genres, whether it’s action, drama, romantic comedy or period piece. I’ll never take a part just for a paycheck of to fill time: I want to do projects that I really enjoy. I want to go above and beyond and exceed all the expectations that I have for myself and that others have for me. I don’t know exactly what the future will bring, but I’m really excited to see…

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THROUGH THE WIRE

YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD

Idris Elba Finds New Life In TV & Film After One Of HBO’s Most Critically Acclaimed Dramas

BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

OST WOULD AGREE THAT Idris Elba’s most memorable acting role to date is as Baltimore crime lord Stringer Bell on HBO’s riveting The Wire. In 2009, he also starred with Beyonce in the hit thriller Obsessed. Earlier this year he was a part of Losers on the big screen. He’s playing the title detective in the BBC America TV mini-series Luther this fall. And he’s back at the theater this month in Takers.

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What are your views in terms of quality work for black actors in the U.S. versus globally the work that is available for black actors, given that you are British? I sort of turn my nose up at the title of “black actor.” I think we are all actors, black or white. We’re just actors. Obviously, in America, there is a much bigger marketplace for actors and there is a bigger market for urban, cultural films that have black people and black culture whether it is Afro-Caribbean or American. In England, it’s a smaller marketplace and there isn’t so much of a scope for it, but it’s a healthy marketplace. Will you work with The Wire creators on their new show, Treme? As far as me working in Treme, no, I don’t foresee that happening anytime soon. David Simon and those guys are invested in those characters and I don’t think that they’ve written one for me in it. In your past films, you’ve often played the hero. Did you have any challenges going over to the dark side in Takers, especially working with modern-day bad boys like Chris Brown and T.I.? I was really just a small part of a big picture where my character, even though he’s the leader, he’s not so much the bad guy. Yes, it’s bad to steal. Yes, what these guys are doing is illegal. But my character wasn’t so much viewed a bad guy. He was just a criminal, a professional thief. I’ve played worse characters in my past that have a real mean streak. I do that pretty easily. I wanted to know how the sex symbol thing is playing out with your career. How are you handling that? I have to tell you, man, it’s quite third party to me. I’m told more than I actually

experience it that I’m a sex symbol. When I walk down the street, ain’t nobody chasing me so I don’t know how true that is. If you could speak on the role in Luther that I hear you’re connected to with the BBC, and also if you could clarify any of those Office season finale rumors about you possibly showing up. So Luther is my return to the small screen in a major way. I went back to the BBC which, by the way, is the number one channel on terrestrial TV out there and to have a show as the lead and part producer of that show is, honestly, one of the pinnacles of a UK career. So, I went there to do that. It’s a phenomenal piece of writing by a guy called Neil Cross. It’s about a very brilliant, intuitive detective with a really terrible personal life. For the BBC, it’s the first time casting a black man in a role like this on prime time television. So, I’m über excited. A lot of people, when they see you, think about Stringer Bell because you embodied the character so well. Do you think it’s a good thing or a bad thing that people still see you as him? I have to say, I think that’s debatable. For example, when people saw me in Obsessed many said they didn’t recognize me in that film and they certainly didn’t think that was Stringer Bell up there. But even if they do, Stringer Bell put me on the map as an actor in this country and I’m proud of the work in it. I tend not to play gangsters just because I think people will always want to see me play Stringer Bell. In [Taken], I play a leader of a group of thieves but he’s not really gangster per se but it’s more of a mastermind criminal. What other projects are you working on? I also have an independent film called Legacy. I premiered it at the Tribeca Film Festival. It’s a film that I’m very proud of. It’s quite a small film. It’s not a political film, but it’s about politics. It’s about a character that believes his brother, who is a senator, is in dirty politics. By the end of the film, you realize that my character has paranoid schizophrenia, and you’re not sure what’s true from what’s not true. It’s certainly one of my favorite parts that I’ve ever played because it really, really, really demanded a lot from me. I think my audiences will be surprised at where I go in that film.

I SORT OF TURN MY NOSE UP AT THE TITLE OF “BLACK ACTOR.” I THINK WE ARE ALL ACTORS, BLACK OR WHITE. WE’RE JUST ACTORS.

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TRUMP Movie Reviews CARD THE AMERICAN (R)

★★★★✩ Release Date: Sept. 1

Beautifully shot and well acted, with intriguing characters, George Clooney’s latest is a great film that seems more likely to appeal to high-minded critics than to average Joes. Jack (Clooney) is an assassin and proficient weapons craftsman who spends most of his time in solitude, but has a need for companionship that tends to get him in trouble. The film sets its tone– little dialogue, lots of intrigue– right away as Jack and his wouldbe lover encounter gunfire while walking across a snow-covered lake. Immediately we see Jack’s survival skills and paranoia take over. Haunted by BY his B. past,LOVE he vows that his next job (which takes him to a smallS ONE villageOF in Italy) will be hisMOST last. Posing AMERICA’S as a photographer, to craft a weapon for a successful he andis high profile businessfellow assassin whom he is not sure he can trust. men, Donald Trump was well known While thereSurvivor we see Jack’s need forMark moreBurnett than just long before producer solitudehim as he gets in to The knowApprentice. the inquisitive tapped to star Buttown priest and falls for athat localthe prostitute. But the more there’s no denying reality show people Trump Jack getsfrom to know, the morecuriosity paranoid he turned a cartoonish becomes. Clooney uses little dialogue lots into a bona fide phenomenon, with hisand signaof emotion to wonderfully portray ainextricaman who’s ture catchphrase– “You’re Fired!”– broken, empty andpop longs for more. Director Anton bly entering the culture lexicon. Corbijn (Control) does a nice job of usingflounthe visual Although The Apprentice initially landscape, the pacing, and the soundtrack to give dered a bit in the ratings, Burnett and Trump the film its gloomy feel. But despite the excellent stumbled upon a winning formula by recruitfilmmaking The American may be a bit ing second- and andacting, third-tier actors, athletes, too slow for mainstream audiences, with a vaguely models and musicians for a celebrity edition European feel that may limit its appeal to art of the show. Now in its third incarnation,house audiences. The Celebrity Apprentice tosses disparate –Brad Binkley stars such as rocker Bret Michaels, wrestler Goldberg, baseball legend Darryl Strawberry, former governor Ron Blagojevich ANIMAL KINGDOM (R) and Sharon Osbourne together for a variety of team★★★★★ Release Date: Aug. 13 building exercises and challenges designed to test their apropos businessthat mettle. It seems this gripping Aussie crime “The Donald, as theJoshua crazy-coiffed real(James thriller opens ” with “J” Cody Frecheville) zoning out in front of a TV playing estate magnate if often known, recently held Air Supply’s “All Out to Of discuss Love” asthe his show’s mother lies court with reporters dead from an overdose on the sofa beside him. current season. It’s an accurate summation of his existence, and a haunting of the hell to the come. Cody’s Can you tellharbinger us a little bit about selecjunkie mom is a peach compared to the rest of the tion process? estranged family he’s forced to livesowith: his uncles It’s very interesting, because many are a trio ofwant criminals by drugs, self-loathing celebrities to befueled on the show after the and explosive whiletwo his seasons. grandma (a success of the rage, previous Weriveting Jacki Weaver) the ultimate wolfactors, in sheep’s clothing wanted some isathletes, some some who cutand off all contact with hersoonly daughter models some wrestlers, I would sayafter an argument over a poker game. J is immediately probably six or seven people per spot we enlisted into the Codys’ business, were turning down. Thebrutal hardest thingstealing is that a getaway to use in agood murderous revenge we reallycar have some peopleplot thatforwant against the police who killed their partner-in-crime. to go on very badly. But I guess maybe we’ll He soon himself between gooditand evil save themfinds for the nexttorn show, because looks in the formgoing of a detective (Guy Pearce) who thinks like that’s to happen. the kid is worth saving and psychopathic uncle Popeis(Ben killer who has How thisMendelsohn), season goingatovicious be different than no qualms about eliminating anyone in his path. It’s past seasons? aWell, gut-wrenching, morality when you character-driven have a success like we’veplay, and you writer-director David Michôd turns had, don’t like to do too manyexpertly changes. the tension screws tighter and tighter with each What we do have is a different tone. The cast scene. It may not have a huge Hollywood budget, has been very interesting: They’ve been very A-list and actors or nasty, a major pusha lot behind tough very butmarketing there’s also of it, but Animal Kingdom deserves serious “Best fun and humor with respect to what happens,of 2010” Iconsideration. which don’t think we had in the last one. –B. Love With Joan [Rivers] and with Piers [Morgan], it was really nasty people really hating each other. people hate each other, but it’s THEThese CONCERT (PG-13) also funny. I think that might be the biggest ★★★★✩ Release differentiation in terms Date: of the July three18casts. Like Andrei Filipov and his ragtag Orchestra, this Can usuallyblend tell of right the bat is film you is a perfect fun, off intrigue, andwho passion going do well whoperfect isn’t? harmony. The that into the end, and achieves That’s always the prodigy most interesting quesfilm follows former and conductor Filipov tion to me because I’dwas likehumiliated to think of (Aleksei Guskov), who andmyself fired 30 agookay in thewith middle of conducting Technokovsky asyears being people. But often I’ll say, duringone theisCommunist for refusing to fire “This going to beEraa star, ” and then he his Jewishout musicians. NowYou working a janitor, turns to be a dud. never asreally know.he comes with a planknown to put together his old team You feeluplike you’ve these celebrities

of musicians to go to Paris and impersonate the Bolshoi Orchestra, regain his glory and finish the concert he started 30 years ago. In order to do this, Filipov must mysteriously enlist a striking, young, solo violin player, Anne-Marie Jacqut (Melanie Laurent) and stave off his own personal demons. The films funniest moments come when Filipov and his band of wild, drunken, money obsessed, musicians are making their way to Paris despite no ride to the airport, no passports, and no money. Once in Paris this comedic adventure takes an intriguing turn as we discover why Filipov must have the beautiful Anne Marie as the Soloist. It is then that we see that the film is more than just a comedic farce when we discover the deeper Starring: Danny Trejo, Robert DeNiro, Jessica Alba, Steven Seagal, Michelle Rodriguez. through reading them for many motivations of theabout characters thatsokeep getting Director: Robert Rodriquez & Ethan Maniquis. Release Date: Sept. 3 Rating: R years, but a lot of times somebody that youjust deeper until the film’s dramatic finish that ★★★✩✩ don’t of sobreathe highlyaway. turns out to be a star. mightthink take your You just don’t know what will happen with This film feels as creatively constricted as the original fake trailer felt liberated. The pressure and the heat of battle. –Brad Binkley beautiful thing about the fake movie trailers from “Grindhouse” was how the concept of making mock previews seemed to free the filmmakers behind them. Short and quick, What a celebrity have (R) to do to really THE does EXPENDABLES the fakes could focus on all the exciting bits of the imaginary movie in question while set themselves apart and show that they’re ★★★★★ Release Date: Aug. 13 leaving out all the boring crap like plot and characterization. in it to win it? A viewer’s imagination could fill in the movie that lay between the scenes, and the This film is not groundbreaking cinema. It IS an I can tell you from Seasons 1 and 2 and effect was a lot of fun. The feature version of “Machete” is not wall to wall action, in action movie fan’s dream. The story is pure action/ from the regular Apprentice, people really western/samurai filmonce standard guys are fact, most of the violence had already been shown in the original trailer. Retroactively want to win. Every in a fare. whileBad you’ll oppressing the weak. are hired to kill constructing and expanding the story weakens the impact, and it all ends up proving have a quitter, but itMercenaries doesn’t happen often. the small country’s leader but quit when they learn once again that less is more. No one is going to the feature version of “Machete” hoping I think the reason they do it is the level of the CIA is behind the plot. The country’s leader intensity they feel for their charity. Unlike to see multiple scenes of Jessica Alba or Michelle Rodriguez talking, but the movies’ has regular a beautiful, defiant daughter who appeals to the Apprentice, where somebody insistence upon refocusing on the female characters is a anchor that continually drags the leader of the teamsalary who finds works for me for mercenary a pretty good for ahis it down. It’s a shame, because Jeff Fahey seems to be enjoying performing as the heart,with ignores gut the and money comes togoes the rescue. This year, thishisone to charsupremely slimy villain, and Danny Trejo looks like an amazing badass even when is the penultimate summer popcorn flick. Billions ity. Last year we raised millions of dollars. he’s doing absolutely nothing. If every scene of Alba and Rodriguez’s bland characters of rounds are expended, lunges, parries, punches, Everybody has a charity that they love; some delivering essentially meaningless exposition was replaced by more Trejo and Fahey, kicks, bodyslams, explosions and car chases. It’s a are foundations they’ve set up themselves dream team cast of characters that action fans will years in advance of the show. So I think they or more action, the film would have been vastly improved. Cheech Marin as the salivatefight over.more Stallone is a stock character, hard potentially fascinating role of Machete’s brother is especially underused, and Lindsey really intense because it’s athecharman who finds his heart. Jason Statham departs Lohan IT as Fahey’s daughter stunt casting than anything ity they’re fighting for. TURNED OUTseems TO more BE Alike GOOD PHRASE, BUT ITelse. WAS A from his usual character by becoming a ruthless, In addition to Lohan appearing topless, it should also be noted that Machete does THE VERY FIRST SHOW I WAS A LITTLE FLUKE. DURING calculating killingfavorite machinechallenges who likes blades. Jet Li What are your to watch have a few things to say about the current illegal immigration debate. Who knew that is still lightning fast and we get to see him actually ONE OF THE CONTESTANTS EXASPERATED WITH the celebrities tackle? topical political commentary in theatres today would comeAND fromIaUSED movie be funny. Willis and Schwartzenegger are only in the most FIRED!” WHEN [PRODUCER] MARK THE LINE, “YOU’RE Well, we do have a lot of different challeng- featuring a man on a flying machine gun motorcycle? the film briefly, but their presence shows that they es, whether we go back to the selling of the HAVE BURNETT AND I AGREED TO DO THE SHOW WE DIDN’T–Jay Wayne know what the film’s about. Mickey Rourke has no lemonade or doing something else very basic THOUGHT WE’D SAY, “GET THE HELL OUT THAT. WE action, but turns in a great performance. Dolph without having to deal with Proctor & Gamyou HERE” wonder if anyOR movie completely entertained me. Although a little Lundgren turns in a stellar performance (!) and is carry any importance. It makesOF SOMETHING. ble or Kodak, etc. Sometimes [sponsor-based extremely noteworthy. The best part of this film is of the earlier scenes served any purpose other than mindless, it’s completely emotional, and carries a challenges] are sort of interesting, Hamilton, thethe lastfilms season. fact that raised such Scottyou to just make feel weird.from When ends, pretty goodyou message made funself-sufficient to watch by a lot of the anticipation. Throughout the film, but the they’re viewers ample, expensive for us to do. The ratings suggest confusion you feel might be best by bling and plenty of booty. cannot help but feel something: There’s a truly great Ithe had to let Scott go. I’m a great fandescribe of Scott: children? that fans’up. favorite part great of thefight, show one won of Henry’s favorite there fightthe coming After every youbyknow He Olympic goldquotes: medals“Soand he’swea are… great on theWilliams chilWell, I’m getting a lot of credit –Jenni far is the the boardroom Where are we?” there’s oneboardroom, even better and coming. My only regret champion. But he understood that he made dren. Everybody’s been asking about Ivanka has gotten longer over the yearswasn’t because about this film is that Jean-Claude in it.ofFor a mistake on the show and I really –Brad had no Binkley and the answer is yes, she’ll be back on the that. The challenges still have plenty of time MESRINE: KILLER INSTINCT the general public, this film would rate a D+. For choice. I felt very badly about that, because show. But they’re very good kids. They(R) went and aspects,it’sbut we thosewe’re of usfocused who grewonupboth on Rambo... a solid. I considered him to be a great person, but I to very good schools, and they were great ★★★★✩ Release Date: Aug. 27 have been trying to lengthen the boardroom LOTTERY TICKET to do what’s right. (PG-13) It’s never fun, but it’s students. I couldn’t wait to get them on the –Justin Patterson have We don’t typically cover the industry of making because of strong viewer requests. easier when I don’t show. I had no idea the show would be into likeDate: somebody ★★★✩✩ Release Aug. or 20when movies, but in the case of Music Box Films I’m they’re really, really bad. itsninth tenth which pretty Kevin Carson (Bow Wow, no longer Lil’) is a high going to and make an season, exception. In isdistributing You’re like a prosecuting attorney in the THE EXTRA MAN (R) amazing in the world of television. school grad living in the ‘hood. Never one to the Swedish film adaptations of Stieg Larsson’s boardroom. Do you meter your approach to That “You’re fired, a pop cul★★★★✩✩ Release Date: July 30 count line, on luck, a scare with” became a neighborhood thug Millennium trilogy and now this two-part biopic different personalities? ture been lots of news Jacques surrounding phenomenon. Can you talk about theand ofThere’s persuades him try his numbers. Well, he wins, notorious French gangster MesrineNBC (the This film withdifferent wildly interesting Yes, indie I think youbegins deal with people lately, and your show does well for them. origin of it? not just any lottery, but $370 million—enough second of which will hit theaters later this year), the characters and a promising plot, but ends with differently. I deal with Goldberg differently What you think NBC needs to do an to uncanny get back turned out to be phrase, butBut it he Chicago-based toItcompletely start overa good somewhere new. company has proven a fizzle andwith a feeling of, “isBlagojevich. that it?” The than I deal Governor I film was in theforratings fluke. the During thethat very first has show control money overI was him, knack findinggame? razor-sharp foreign films with an centers around LouisRodman Ives (Pauland Dano), aspiring soonarealizes dealt with Dennis JoananRivers Well, I a little exasperated with one of the conknow Jeff Gaspin (Chairman of NBC his sanity and the people around him. He fights innate appeal for American audiences. If it weren’t writer who pretends he’s a character in an F. Scott differently than some of the other contestestants and I Universal Television used the line, “You’re fired!” Entertainment) and, as Fitzgerald novel.toAfter his job teaching through fake friends, eager acquaintances and for the subtitles, it would be easy to imagine this tants. You have have losing that ability. When [producer] Mark you know, he’s new to the role. I Burnett and I agreed think he’s because of a strange bra incident, he moves to New greedy gangsters to make it to the lottery office, action-packed thriller becoming the next Bourne to do the show we didn’t have It’s that. We going to dooraatspectacular NBC. They where he can claim his money. a predictable franchise… the very leastjob theatnext Italian Job. York do Cityyou to feel startgoing anew. back Uponinhis How thearrival, board-Louis thought we’d say, “Get the hell out of here” or need more shows like The Apprentice. Not story of money-ridden morals, especially with the Based on Mesrine’s autobiography, the first film becomes protégé to his new roommate, eccentric room after a little hiatus? And all of astory sudden went follows necessarily majority of people in this downAmerica on their luck. his lifefrom froma reality his stintstandpoint, fighting for but France gentleman Kline).likeHe something. I just get Henry a great Harrison kick out (Kevin of it. I really crazy over the show. It happens they needwith shows thattocapture the imaginatoon belife a great It’s also an extremely provocative take in the in its war Algeria his first criminal venture longs for his co-worker, uptight activist Mary it a lot. They want to renew it for another tion. for a mobster named Guido (Gérard TV Guide or oneunrealistic of the major projects, suggesting a slightly sketch working (Katie and gives in to his urge to discover catchphrase. two orHolmes), three seasons, and we’re thinking Frankly, certain entertainment magazines did a poll and, after shows thatMesrine, are on should The charming played his inner woman. The besta part is the of Atlanta. Its edging on juvenile and the moral Depardieu). about that. I like having littleofbittheoffilm a break “Here’s Johnny!” and one other great, it was be changed because, while they get some runs a bit shallow, but it’s got a lot of heart and masterfully by Vincent Cassel, has a natural talent endlessly quotable Henry: Whether he’s painting between shows, where it goes on once a year. #3 on the Top 100 phrases in television hispretty goodwhen reviews, don’tcalls get for people violence the they situation it, but his ankles black because he’s out of sock, showing some pretty funny lines. T-Pain brings a dry, yet for watching. It’s anice So that was sarcasm a pretty to bigthehonor. been operates to get We’veHehad curiously uplifting screen,It’squickly under bizarre codeboth. of honor: always Louis peebad in the streetfiring or turning down tory! Do youhow evertofeel about someone, an amazing thing and an amazing phrase that Emmy nominations and a lot of good ac-best, establishing him as the funniest part of the film. tells the truth even when a lie would work coffee in a diner, watching him is a joy. However, or is it just part of the job? seems to work. It really plays colades passed our way,(in and always caught andgirl never Naturi Naughton (Notorious) theon, good attacks the innocent histhat’s eyes, no cops are one great character hold up a story just I always feel bad…can’t No,possibly not always. Somenice. But would ultimately to have an and amazing thing to watch. withbeen spunk assertiveness, and a return to innocent), ratheryou be have arrested than people engage that doesn’t really go anywhere. Louis has his it’s times I don’t like people. The hard ones are NBC when is going to really do well. I know a shootout there’s a woman around, and moments of self-discovery, particularly in a cross- the screen by Brandon T. Jackson (the wannabe inwatch. when you really like and respect somebody you think is your their leadership think rapper do in Tropic Thunder) addsbiggest him to accommy list of generally seems toand stealI for thethey’re sport ofwinners, it rather dressing scene so weird it would make RuPaul What and they make a mistake. Like, as an exbusiness or day, the this than so I the think they’llreturn. turn itHe’s around. newbies worthyour watching. At thesuccess end of the financial like a gallant Gallic cringe, but in the end his discoveries don’t seem to plishment,

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

MACHETE

PG 13 • insiteatlanta.com • September 2010

“

THE BEST COMEDY OF THE YEAR!

”

-Liam Mayclem, CBS-TV

“FINALLY!

A FRESH ROMANTIC COMEDY. IRRESISTIBLE!” “HILARIOUS!” “A GREAT DATE MOVIE.” “HIGHLY ENTERTAINING AND EXTREMELY FUNNY.” “SEXY AND SERIOUSLY FUNNY.” -Caryn James, MARIE CLAIRE

-Joel Amos, SHEKNOWS.COM

-Kerry Maller, KCBS-TV

-Ben Lyons, E! ENTERTAINMENT

-Jeff Craig, SIXTY SECOND PREVIEW

STARTS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 CHECK DIRECTORIES FOR LISTINGS

VIDIOTS

UPCOMING DVD RELEASES AND REVIEWS

BY B. LOVE & JOHN B. MOORE AMERICAN COWSLIP – This black comedy tells the story of an agoraphobic junkie (co-writer Ronnie Gene Blevins) who hasn’t left his yard in nine years. Director/co-writer Mark David somehow attracted an impressive cast that includes Val Kilmer as his religious sheriff brother, Dianne Ladd as his doting surrogate mother, and Rip Torn as his bombastic neighbor/landlord, but the unfocused ambition and crude humor ultimately fall flat. CHUCK: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON – The masterminds behind TV’s best actioncomedy amped up the intensity last year when computer geekturned-secret agent Chuck Bartowski (Zachary Levi) was transformed into Intersect 2.0. Watching him fight deadly foes was almost as much fun as watching him deal with jealousy over Sarah’s relationship with Agent Shaw, and we loved seeing Morgan (Joshua Gomez) trying to get in on the act. ECLIPSE SERIES 23: THE FIRST FILMS OF AKIRA KUROSAWA – The Criterion Collection’s latest excellent boxed set features four films made by Kurosawa in the early 1940s, before Rashomon and Seven Samurai made him a legend. The 2-part martial arts saga Sanshiro Sugata and Sanshiro Sugata: Part Two; war drama The Most Beautiful; and kabuki-influenced The Men Who Tread On The Tiger’s Tail may not be as well known as the director’s later works, but they’re essential viewing for fans of the master Japanese director. PG 14 • insiteatlanta.com • September 2010

THE NORM SHOW – It took seeing Norm MacDonald on a talk show recently to remind us how much we missed the sarcastic bastard. This boxed set containing all three seasons of his sitcom, created by Bruce Helford (Drew Carey Show) will remind you how funny the former SNL star can be, with killer co-stars (Laurie Metcalf, Artie Lang, Nikki Cox), memorable guest stars and some of the most hilarious oddball comedy ever to hit network TV. TEMPLE GRANDIN – If you ask us, Claire Danes is one of the more underrated actresses in Hollywood, but she delivers a knockout performance as the title character, an autistic woman who became an amazing success story through sheer will. But she’s also surrounded by great performances, including Julia Ormond as Grandin’s mother, Catherine O’Hara as her aunt, and David Straithairnas one of the few teachers who saw her remarkable potential. PAWN STARS: SEASON TWO – This History Channel show centers around three generations that own the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop (not far from the Vegas strip), led by Rick Harrison and his cranky father Richard. There’s actual suspense in several episodes when clients bring in shockingly rare items, like the bell from a 17th Century sunken ship. Two seasons in, Pawn Stars is holding up remarkably well, just as addictive as when it ﬁrst started. WADE IN THE WATER, CHILDREN – Six months after Katrina, two ﬁlmmakers moved to New Orleans to start a free art program designed to give students an outlet through which to express their feelings about the storm’s impact on their impoverished neighborhood. Over 300 hours of deeply personal video later, this award-winning documentary emerged as a devastating account of the havoc tragedy can wreak on young lives. A must-see.

modern-day Robin Hood, except he seems to prefer give his money to whores rather than to the poor. But it’s hard to truly embrace Mesrine as an anti-hero when his I-can-do-anything ballsiness (see: vowing to break out of prison each time he’s sentenced, then actually doing it in broad daylight) becomes self-destructive hubris. Though not quite a great action thriller, Mesrine is still damn good thanks to stellar pacing and performances all around, providing all the edge-of-your-seat intensity that was lacking from Johnny Depp’s strikingly similar John Dillinger biopic, Public Enemies. –B. Love

THE SWITCH (PG-13)

★★★★✩ Release Date: Aug. 20

The Switch is a Nick Hornby novel with turkey basters. It follows Kassie (Jennifer Aniston) and her “best friend” Wally (Jason Bateman) as she makes and goes through with the decision to have a baby via artificial insemination. Wally was put in the friend zone years before but still has feelings for her, which are obvious to everyone except him. Kassie’s token kooky best friend Debbie (Juliette Lewis) throws her an “Insemination Party,” which is attended by the handsome but married sperm donor, Roland (Patrick Wilson.) Wally gets drunk, finds the special offering in a jar in the bathroom, accidentally spills it, and, in a panic, replaces it with his own. Seven years pass with Kassie living in Minnesota raising little Sebastian (Thomas Robinson.) When she decides to move back to NYC, she rekindles her friendship with Wally and he notices striking similarities between himself and Sebastian, namely their OCD tendencies, hypocondria and fear of most anything. Trouble is, Kassie has begun to date Roland the Sperm Donor, mainly because she thinks he is Sebastian’s father, right when Wally is starting to acknowledge his feelings for her. The Switch is really more about a nearly middle-aged man growing up than it is about the semi-controversial topic. This only works because Wally is played by Jason Bateman, who manages to portray his character’s eccentricities in

a way that is neither oﬀ-putting nor woe-is-me. The plot had potential and talent to propel it outside it’s genre, yet somehow it still manages to ride that familiar rom-com line of being unrealistic while at the same time completely predictible. –Rebecca Crosby

THE TILLMAN STORY (R)

★★★★✩ Release Date: Aug. 20

This thought-provoking documentary explores the Tillman family’s relentless quest to expose the shocking facts surrounding their son’s death and the high level cover up afterwards. Pat Tillman left the NFL and millions of dollars to fight (and ultimately die) for his country. The initial story of his death was one of a fearless hero charging towards enemy combatant to save the lives of his fellow man. His name and image was used in a sickening manner as propaganda for people on both sides of the war argument. Soon after his death, facts emerged that he was killed by friendly fire and his mother, Dannie Tillman, led the charge in the quest for answers. With the help of retired military specialist, Stan Goff, she went through over 3,000 pages of redacted documents that covered the investigation of Tillman’s death. Together they solved the redacted portions like it was a horrifying crossword puzzle whose answers only angered them further. Among the shocking facts discovered were that Pat’s body army, diary, and uniform were burned after his death. The documentary is full of powerful moments like a congressional hearing where military generals are fumbling and refusing to give definite answers, interviews from fellow soldiers who were told to keep their mouths shut, and first hand accounts of the events leading up to and right after Tillman’s death. Tillman is shown as a thoughtful, honorable, and dedicated man who turned down an opportunity to be honorable discharged after his first tour because he committed to three years in the military and that is what he was going to do. In the end, the story of Pat’s death is tragic and the cover up leaves you wonder why. But amongst the tragedy, The Tillmans are shown to be an inspiring example of a family who stands up for what they believe in and love, their son. –Brad Binkley

GAMES PEOPLE PLAY UPCOMING VIDEO GAME RELEASES AND REVIEWS

BY B. LOVE

GOLD’S GYM DANCE WORKOUT (UBI Soft) Systems: Wii This title is as much about fitness as it is about fun, gradually ramping up the intensity of customizable circuit programs designed to get your butt off the couch and in shape. With a bevy of mini-games designed to target specific muscle groups, over 30 songs and a record of your calories burned and BMI, it’s a fun way to get/stay in shape without subjecting yourself to the agony of fitness boot camp.

GREASE (505 Games) Systems: DS, Wii For those who’ve made “Grease Sing-A-Long” screenings the hottest interactive movie since Rocky Horror, this game should prove a blast, using Wii Remotes, Mics and Balance Boards to provide an immersive experience. Sing along with 16 songs from the movie, dance the “Hand Jive,” drive to “Greased Lightning” and more, making this a perfect party game for fans of the classic Broadway musical. IVY THE KIWI? (Xseed) Systems: DS, Wii This platformer from Sonic the Hedgehog creator Yuji Naka may not have the immediate impact of a new Sonic title. But the combination of a cute central character (a baby bird looking for its mom), unique presentation (2D storybook-style scrolling) and 100 challenging stages make it engaging and entertaining. KANE & LYNCH 2: DOG DAYS (Square Enix)

Systems: PC, PS3, X360

In this sequel, hoodlums Kane and Lynch are on the run from the Shanghai underworld after a simple job goes wrong, casting players into an adrenalinefueled ﬁrst-person shooter. The shooting mechanics here are much better and the action and dialogue are Hollywood-ready, but the remarkably short playtime makes it a better rental than purchase.

MAFIA II (2K Games)

Systems: PC, PS3, X360 Another intense adventure into the criminal underworld, Maﬁa II’s wellcrafted story follows Italian-American Vito and his buddy Joe as the enter the world of organized crime, from gunﬁghts and hand-to-hand combat to car chases. Great story and stunning visuals, but it’s still no Grand Theft Auto.

OTHER SEPTEMBER RELEASES

��(DS/Wii, 9/3) �� (DS, 9/10) �� (PC/PS3/X360, 9/10) �� (Wii, 9/10) �� (DS, 9/12) �� (X360, 9/14) �� (DS/PS3/Wii/X360, 9/14) ��(PC, 9/15) �� (DS, 9/17) ��(PSP/PS3/X360, 9/17) �� (DS, 9/24) ��(PS3/Wii, 9/24) ��(PC/PS3/X360, 9/24) �� (PC/PS3/X360, 9/24) �� (Mac/PC/PS3/X360, 9/28) �� (PS3/Wii/X360, 9/30) �� (PS3/Wii/X360, 9/30)

FILM

THE RHYMIN’ KING

T.I. gets the Lion’s Share of his Attention for his Rap Talent and Rap Sheet, but with Takers, the Young Man Shows he’s Wrapping Himself in this Acting Stuﬀ too BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

FTER NINE YEARS OF DATING, Clifford “T.I.” Harris and Tameka “Tiny” Cottle officially tied the knot back on July 30. Most folks knew nothing of the ceremony prior to it actually happening, and then only caught glimpses of the happy newlyweds through a few internet snaps and US Weekly glimpses. So, you’ll have to excuse the writers who are anxiously awaiting nuptial details on a conference call with T.I. But before the first question can even be asked of the 30-year-old rap superstar about his proposal or honeymoon, some PR guy gets on the line and says, “Sorry, no questions about the wedding.” Umm, okay. Guess that just leaves his new movie, Taken, and his new career path to discuss. For some odd reason, we get the feeling that’ll leave plenty to discuss. Was the rapper-to-actor transition an easy for you to make? Well, I do believe myself that the whole process of the two that are completely different. Music is all of your thoughts, your opinions, your views, and based on your principles. The music that you make, the words that you are speaking come out of your mind, from your heart about your situation. Whereas on film, your personal views take a back seat for the views of the story. The views of the story tell the view of the writer or the director, so you’re just the instrument. As a musician, you play instruments, and a movie, as an actor, you are an instrument. The transition, I feel like it’s as easy as you allow it to be. If you make it difficult, it will be difficult. But as long as you’ve got a real passion for it, you love what you’re doing, and you love the stories that you are a part of telling, then I think that’s significant. It’s a piece of cake. Where or who did you draw inspiration from for this role or for any movies that you do? Well, you know what? I have been blessed. This is my third film that I have been blessed and fortunate to the fact that my first two films I got to work alongside two of the greatest actors in the game. My first film, ATL, was produced by Will Smith for Overbrook, and I got to really learn the ropes from the biggest box office super movie star in the world. The lessons I learned there I took with me to the set of American Gangster, where I got to share the screen and got to pick the brain from arguably one of the greatest black actors ever in Denzel Washington. The pieces of advice that they gave me I implement them into my approach to film every opportunity I can, each and every opportunity that I have because, obviously, I’m trying to get to where they are. One thing that Denzel told me that stuck with me and always will stick with me is he said, “Now, don’t ever let the camera catch you acting. Don’t act, just be.” Lately, your music has been really focused on sending the message of thinking about the consequences of your actions. But American Gangster and then this movie tend to focus on illicit activities? What message do you want your audience to take

from your work as a whole? I would like, first of all, for the separation to be made from art and life, from fact and fiction, from reality and entertainment. Now, I don’t think that I should be held any more accountable to the characters that I play in my films like American Gangster or like Ghost in Takers. I don’t think I should be held any more accountable to my characters than Arnold Schwarzenegger should be held for him playing the Terminator or for him playing Commando or any of these other violent characters that any other actor has played. No one questions their intentions. No one questions their values because they’re gangsters. No one questions [Al] Pacino’s values for playing Scarface. No one questions [Robert] De Niro’s values for playing the gangsters he played in Good Fellas and Casino, so what makes me any different? I’m an actor. I’m really just being used to tell a story and to convey a message, the message of the writer of the script, the message of the director. This is not T.I. or Clifford Harris’ message. I’m just accurately portraying what the story calls for. I’m taking what’s on the script and putting it on the screen.

Does your greatest joy lie in music still or are you hoping to shift more into film? I believe the answer to that question is yes and still yes. Music if my first love. I’m very passionate about everything I do. Film is something new and fresh and exciting to me. Right now, music is oversaturated. The music industry is so oversaturated and there’s so many…Let me just say, back when I began back in ‘88, ‘89, when I first decided I wanted to be a rapper, if you were to make it and become a rapper and get a video and a record deal and go platinum or go gold, man, you were something special. You were a cut above the rest. It was far and few between who could manage to be discovered, let alone manage to get a video spinning on MTV, let alone manage to do shows and go touring, let alone manage to go gold. But nowadays, if you tell somebody, “Yes, I’m a rapper,” they’re like, “Oh yeah, everybody’s a rapper. Of course you are, sure.” You tell somebody, “My video coming on TV.” [They say] “Yeah, right. Everybody video come on TV and YouTube, too.” There is no exclusivity to the artistry anymore. It’s sort of like it’s been diluted and oversaturated so much that if you want to be special, you got to find another way to be special. You got to step outside of this and do something else. I’m still going to do it because I love to do it, but the side of me that yearns to be special and exclusive and different and the side of me that wants to travel a narrow path, I’ve got to get out of this game and get into something that I can do that everybody else can’t do. Everybody can’t just hop into a box office smash and debut number one and earn $25 million the first week. Everybody can’t do that. If you veered away from the music and the acting, what could you see yourself doing? Law. There’s a lot of buzz about your statement that you want to win an Oscar by 40. What’s your strategy for that and do you

feel the need for validation from the academy and critics? Well, I have heard the statement regurgitated so many different times. I don’t believe that I said it. I think it was taken out of context a bit. My sentiment and my point was I’d rather be a full-time actor at 40 than a full-time rapper at 30. I’d rather be winning Oscars at the age of 40 than still trying to win Grammys. Now, I would like to win an Oscar by 35 if possible, but I’m not trying to rush the process. And validations from the critics, it’s wonderful. It’s wonderful to be noticed and acclaimed for your art and your passion, but at the end of the day now, I’m more concerned with how the public perceives my work because those are the people who are working hard and parting with their dollars and cents to be entertained by you. So, I’m more concerned with their perception and their opinions of my work than I am of the critics. I’m passionate about everything I do and whatever it is that is given to the best, then I want that in any field that I’m in, whether it’s fashion, whether it’s film, whether it’s endorsement deals, whether it’s music. Whatever it is, whatever they give out to the best in the business, then I want some of those.

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IN THEATERS SEPTEMBER 17

PG 15 • insiteatlanta.com • September 2010

2010 BY RYAN LOFTIS

FALLPreview TV

H, FALL… THE KIDS RETURN TO SCHOOL, WHILE viewers return to the television (at least in theory). After a long summer of reruns and cast-oﬀ shows the networks had to get on the air before burying, everything old is new again. Fans are no doubt eagerly awaiting fresh episodes of their favorite shows, but what about the new series? An unproven show can either give a network a boost or be its Achilles heel. As always, there will be examples of both in this season’s new crop of shows. What will be worth the attention of your TiVo/DVR? Read below and decide for yourself…

NBC THE EVENT (Mon., 9 PM)

THE STARS: Jason Ritter, Blair Underwood, Laura Innes, Sarah Roemer, Željko Ivanek, Bill Smitrovich, Ian Anthony Dale, Lisa Vidal, Scott Patterson, Taylor Cole THE SHILL: Sean Walker’s (Ritter) investigation into the disappearance of his ﬁancée leads to his discovery of the biggest cover-up in American history, which will impact the lives of various people, including President Elias Martinez (Underwood); Sophia (Innes), leader of a group of detainees; and Sean’s father-in-law Michael Buchanan (Patterson). THE SKINNY: This is clearly intended to be NBC’s new prestige drama. How to tell? A major marketing campaign, as well as the fact that cast members spent the summer assuring reporters that the show wouldn’t confuse viewers.

OUTSOURCED (Thu., 9:30 PM)

THE STARS: Ben Rappaport, Rizwan Manji, Sacha Dhawan, Parvesh Cheena, Rebecca Hazlewood, Anisha Nagarajan, Diedrich Bader, Jessica Gower THE SHILL: Whoopee cushions. Foam fingers. Wallets made out of bacon. Selling products like these, there’s no doubt Mid America Novelties is a true American company. But all that’s about to change when its call center is outsourced to India . Now manager Todd Dempsy (Rappaport) must teach his new staff to sell products to customers half a world away. Of course, learning the cultural rules of India will also be a challenge. THE SKINNY: Executive producers Robert Borden and Ken Kwapis are experienced in workplace sitcoms, having produced “The Drew Carey Show” and “The Office” respectively. Look for the same level of quality here. Setting the show in a foreign land is a nice twist, although it may scare off some viewers. “Outsourced” should fit nicely on NBC’s formidable Thursday night lineup.

CHASE (Mon., 10 PM)

THE STARS: Kelli Giddish, Cole Hauser, Amaury Nolasco, Rose Rollins, Jesse Metcalfe THE SHILL: She may live in Texas , but Annie Frost (Giddish) is no Southern belle. She’s a cowboy-boot wearing United States Marshal who loves the thrill accompanying the pursuit of outlaws. THE SKINNY: Executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer was once responsible for an impressive string of TV hits, including the CSI franchise, Without a Trace and Cold Case. In recent years, he’s lost the magic. Seen Eleventh Hour, The Forgotten or Miami Medical? Neither did most people. A Monday night show on a struggling network won’t put him back on track.

LAW & ORDER: LOS ANGELES (Wed., 10 P.M.)

THE STARS: Skeet Ulrich, Corey Stoll, Wanda De Jesus, Alfred Molina, Terrence Howard, Regina Hall, Megan Boone THE SHILL: The classic cops-and-lawyers format that served the original Law & Order so well for 20 years is back, transferred from the Big Apple to La La Land. THE SKINNY: Eleven consecutive Emmy nominations – and one win – for Outstanding Drama Series. Tied for the record of longestrunning drama in television history. There’s no question the original Law & Order set a seemingly impossible high standard for all followers to live up to. A new, more glamorous setting may be what’s PG 16 • insiteatlanta.com • September 2010

needed to breathe new life into the long-established L & O formula and give this newest installment a chance to succeed. NBC better hope this goes better than its last unoﬃcial remake, the Jay Leno Show, did.

OUTLAW (Fri., 10 PM)

THE STARS: Jimmy Smits, David Ramsey, Ellen Woglom, Carly Pope, Jesse Bradford THE SHILL: Disillusioned with the criminal justice system, womanizing and gambling Supreme Court Justice Cyrus Gaza (Smits) resigns his post and resumes his career as an attorney, representing the “little guy” in some of the country’s biggest cases. THE SKINNY: The role of a ﬂawed but compassionate man seems tailor-made for Smits. His chances for a TV comeback would be much better if not for the deadly Friday night timeslot.

SCHOOL PRIDE (Fri., 8 PM)

THE STARS: Tom Stroup, Kym Whitley, Jacob Soboroff, Susie Castillo THE SHILL: Call it Extreme Makeover: School Edition. Every week a rundown school will be renovated, while children, parents and teachers share their personal stories and celebrities make surprise appearances. THE SKINNY: Altruistic shows are well-intentioned, but often don’t attract viewers. No matter how touching the stories, most of the viewing audience likely just won’t be interested.

THE EVENT

UNDERCOVERS (Wed., 8 PM)

THE STARS: Boris Kodjoe, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Carter MacIntyre, Gerald McRaney, Ben Schwartz, Mekia Cox THE SHILL: Steven Bloom (Kodjoe) and his wife Samantha (Mbatha-Raw) seem like the typical married couple, owners of a small Los Angeles catering company. But 5 years ago it was a different story: They were two of the CIA’s best spies until they fell in love and retired. The disappearance of their friend and fellow spy Nash (MacIntyre) leads former boss Carlton Shaw (McRaney) to reinstate them. Traveling the world in search of their friend, Steven and Samantha ﬁnd espionage provides a spark previously lacking in their marriage. THE SKINNY: Espionage, globetrotting and rekindled passion. This could be the very deﬁnition of a guilty pleasure.

ABC NO ORDINARY FAMILY (Tue., 8 PM)

THE STARS: Michael Chiklis, Julie Benz, Jimmy Bennett, Kay Panabaker, Romany Malco, Autumn Reeser, Christina Chang, Tate Donovan THE SHILL: Meet the Powells: Jim (Chiklis), Stephanie (Benz), JJ (Bennett) and Daphne (Panabaker). Their seemingly ordinary life gets a major shakeup after a plane crash in the Amazon River gives each of them unique superpowers. THE SKINNY: The premise seems better suited to Nickoledean or Cartoon Network than primetime. Chiklis will no doubt add some class to the show, but that won’t be enough to ensure a successful run. Was this really the best work he could ﬁnd after his brilliant performance in “The Shield”?

DETROIT 1-8-7 (Tue., 10 PM)

THE STARS: Michael Imperioli, Jon Michael Hill, James McDaniel, Shaun Majumder, Aisha Hinds, Natalie Martinez, D.J.

Cotrona, Erin Cummings THE SHILL: A police detective squad investigates murders in Detroit , the city known as the “Murder Capital of the World.” THE SKINNY: Don’t be surprised if this show isn’t popular in Detroit: City oﬃcials have already been protesting that it gives the Motor City a bad image. Controversy aside, this looks like ABC’s best chance to have a ﬁrst-rate cop show since “NYPD Blue” debuted in 1993. Perhaps it’s not a coincidence that “Blue” veteran McDaniel is in the cast.

BETTER WITH YOU (Wed., 8:30 PM)

THE STARS: Joanna Garcia, Jennifer Finnigan, Josh Cooke, Jake Lacy, Kurt Fuller, Debra Jo Rupp THE SHILL: One family, three very different relationships. Maddie (Finnigan) and Ben (Cooke) have been dating for 9 years and feel no need to make it official. Maddie’s younger sister, Mia (Garcia) is marrying and having a baby with Casey (Lacy), despite having only dated him 7 weeks. Their parents, Vicky and Joel (Rupp and Fuller), have been married for 35 years and recently adopted a carefree attitude, perhaps as a result of having lost most of their savings in the economic collapse. THE SKINNY: This show joining The Middle, Modern Family and Cougar Town – all very successful first-year shows – officially solidifies Wednesday night as Family Night on ABC. Garcia is a charmer, but any That ‘70s Show fan knows that Rupp will be the true delight.

THE WHOLE TRUTH (Wed., 10 PM)

THE STARS: Rob Morrow, Maura Tierney, Eamonn Walker, Sean Wing, Christine Adams, Anthony Ruivivar THE SHILL: The events of a criminal trial are seen from the perspectives of both the prosecution and the defense. Representing the prosecution is Kathryn Peale (Tierney), the Deputy Bureau Chief in the New York State District Attorney’s Oﬃce. For the defense, meet Jimmy Brogan (Morrow), who rose from humble beginnings in Hell’s Kitchen to become a successful defense attorney. THE SKINNY: Anyone unfamiliar with the world outside of television might think that the only professions available are lawyers, cops and doctors. This show does nothing to dispute that notion. On the plus side, it’s great to see the wonderful Tierney recovered from illness and back to doing a weekly series.

MY GENERATION (Thu., 8 PM)

THE STARS: Michael Stahl-David, Jaime King, Keir O’Donnell, Sebastian Sozzi, Anne Son, Kelli Garner, Mehcad Brooks, Daniella Alonso, Julian Morris, Elizabeth Keener THE SHILL: The year is 2000, the place is Greenbelt High School in Austin , Texas . A documentary crew is following an eclectic group of seniors preparing for graduation. Ten years later the documentary crew revisits the former classmates as they return home. THE SKINNY: The mockumentary format was a huge success for ABC last year with Modern Family, the 2010 Outstanding Comedy Series. What’s to stop My Generation from having similar accolades? A tough timeslot against The Big Bang Theory for starters. Still, with so many shows featuring at least one highly recognizable actor, it’s nice to see a network take a chance on a series with so many new faces. My Generation has as good a chance as any debut series this year to prove the old saying, “Stars don’t make TV, TV makes stars.”

NO ORDINARY FAMILY

SECRET MILLIONAIRE (Fri., 8 PM)

THE SHILL: Each week, one of the wealthiest people in America will leave their life of luxury behind to live and volunteer in some of the country’s most impoverished and dangerous communities with the goal of discovering individuals who make great sacriﬁces to help those in need. On the ﬁnal day of their experience, the millionaire will give away at least $100,000 of their own money. THE SKINNY: CBS is already airing this show – except it’s called Undercover Boss. There’s no need for a clone.

BODY OF PROOF (Fri., 9 PM)

THE STARS: Dana Delany, Nic Bishop, Geoﬀrey Arend, Windell Middlebrooks, Jeri Ryan, John Carroll Lynch, Sonja Sohn THE SHILL: Dr. Megan Hunt (Delany) was a brilliant neurosurgeon until a car accident left her unable to continue performing operations. Still possessing an exceptional mind, Megan becomes a medical examiner, but her desire to discover what killed the people she performs autopsies on leads to conﬂicts with the police department. THE SKINNY: Delany is a major talent who made a well-deserved comeback with her role on “Desperate Housewives.” Don’t expect this show to continue that comeback.

CBS $#*! MY DAD SAYS (Thu., 8:30 PM)

THE STARS: William Shatner, Jonathan Sadowski, Will Sasso, Nicole Sullivan THE SHILL: Struggling writer Henry Goodson (Sadowski) must move back in with his dad, Ed (Shatner). It won’t be a sweet homecoming however, since Ed is proud to be politically incorrect and verbally abusive. THE SKINNY: Shatner is one of the few actors who have successfully avoided becoming deﬁned by one iconic role. In fact, it’s safe to say that interest in him is as high as at any point in his career. But the built-in audience won’t be entirely comprised of Star Trek fans: the many people who followed Justin Halpern’s Twitter feed on which this is based will no doubt be interested as well. The pedigree behind the camera is equally impressive: Executive producers David Kohan and Max Mutchnick were responsible for another outrageous comedy, Will & Grace, that turned into a ratings hit and an Emmy magnet. Pairing this with the new smash The Big Bang Theory could give CBS something unprecedented: a dominant Thursday night comedy lineup.

MIKE & MOLLY (Mon., 9:30 PM)

THE STARS: Billy Gardell, Melissa McCarthy, Reno Wilson, Katy Mixon, Swoosie Kurtz, Nyambi Nyambi THE SHILL: Mike Biggs (Gardell), a Chicago cop, and Molly Flynn (McCarthy), a fourth-grade teacher, encounter each other at an Overeaters Anonymous meeting and begin a romance. THE SKINNY: The he’s fat-she’s skinny romance (consider The King of Queens or According to Jim) has been seen so often on television it’s become a cliché. To have both lovers be overweight is quietly daring. It’s the sort of bold move that only Chuck Lorre – creator of the network’s two biggest hits, Two and a Half Men and the Big Bang Theory – could have gotten away with for CBS.

THE DEFENDERS (Wed., 10 PM)

THE STARS: Jim Belushi, Jerry O’Connell, Tanya Fischer, Jurnee Smollet THE SHILL: Nick Morelli (Belushi) and Pete Kaczmarek (O’Connell) are Las Vegas law partners with very diﬀerent personal lives. While Pete is a womanizer with a love of fast cars and expensive clothes, Nick is trying to repair his marriage and be a good father to his young son. Former exotic dancer Lisa Tyler (Smollett) is the ﬁrm’s new associate. THE SKINNY: Jim Belushi has a devoted following. How else to explain According to Jim staying on the air for 8 years despite being savaged by critics? His laid-back acting approach seems well suited to a Sin City. Viewers looking for something lighter than L & O: Los Angeles and The Whole Truth might want to give this a try.

HAWAII FIVE-0 (Mon., 10 PM)

THE STARS: Alex O’Loughlin, Scott Caan, Daniel Dae Kim, Grace Park THE SHILL: The 1968 – 80 CBS series gets an update. Detective Steve McGarrett (O’Loughlin), a former Naval oﬃcer, returns to Oahu to investigate his father’s murder. The governor convinces McGarrett to stay in Hawaii by oﬀering him leadership of the state’s new Five-0 unit, which will have blanket immunity to go after the worst criminals around. Other unit members include Detective Danny “Danno” Williams (Caan), newly relocated from New Jersey; ex-Honolulu detective Chin Ho Kelly (Kim), now assigned to a federal security patrol after being falsely accused of corruption; and Kim’s cousin, Kono (Park), an ambitious recent police academy graduate. THE SKINNY: For 8 years, CSI: Miami was very successful in the Monday at 10 timeslot. Why CBS chose to replace it with an unproven commodity like this is a mystery. The phrase “Book ‘em, Danno” went out of style many years ago, and if there was a clamoring for a return of the long-forgotten series, no one’s ever reported on it.

O’Loughlin’s previous two projects for CBS were dud: on the small screen it was the short-lived Three Rivers, at the movies it was The Back-Up Plan, which just may have been the ﬁnal nail in Jennifer Lopez’s career. Will the third time be the charm? It seems unlikely, but don’t underestimate the power of the two-hour comedy block preceding this show.

$#^! MY DAD SAYS

BLUE BLOODS ( Fri., 10 PM)

THE STARS: Tom Selleck, Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan, Will Estes, Len Cariou THE SHILL: Frank Reagan (Selleck) is chief of the New York Police Department. His sons Danny (Wahlberg) and Jamie (Estes) are NYPD members with very diﬀerent backgrounds. Danny is an experienced detective and Iraq War veteran willing to use questionable methods to solve crimes. Jamie is a Harvard Law graduate who changed directions and is now a rookie cop. His life faces another change when he’s asked to participate in a clandestine police investigation that could threaten the Regan legacy. Daughter Erin (Moynahan) is a single parent and New York Assistant District Attorney. THE SKINNY: Selleck’s Magnum P.I. days are long gone, but there’s no denying he still has appeal to a lot of fans. The family of cops storyline isn’t terribly original, but quality is what matters most. With Mitchell Burgess and Robin Green, Emmy winners for “The Sopranos,” producing, and a stellar cast, this looks to be a dependable entertainment, and perhaps more.

FOX RUNNING WILDE (Tue., 9:30 PM)

THE STARS: Will Arnett, Keri Russell, Stefania Owen, Joe Nunez, Jayne Houdyshell THE SHILL: Steve Wilde (Arnett) is the shiftless playboy son of an oil tycoon who can have anything he wants – except the love of his childhood sweetheart Emmy Kadubic (Russell). Unlike the spoiled Steve, Emmy – the daughter of a former Wilde housekeeper – has devoted her life to humanitarian causes. Along with her mute 12-year-old daughter Puddle (Owen), Emmy lives with an indigenous tribe in the Amazon rainforest that is about to be threatened by Wilde Oil’s expansion. When Emmy attends Steve’s self-thrown “Humanitarian of the Year” award ceremony in hopes that he can help her cause, Steve sees an opportunity to win her back. THE SKINNY: This show is the brainchild of the creators and star of the late “Arrested Development,” which was cancelled due to low ratings despite unanimous critical praise and has since become a cult classic with fans demanding a feature ﬁlm. FOX would be wise to take better care of this team’s latest oﬀering.

RAISING HOPE (Tue., 9 PM)

THE STARS: Lucas Neff, Garret Dillahunt, Martha Plimpton, Skyler Stone, Shannon Woodward THE SHILL: Twenty-three-year old Jimmy Chance (Neff) is a pool cleaner living with his mixed-up family and spending his nights partying. A romantic encounter with wanted felon Lucy (guest star Bijou Phillips) turns his meandering existence upside down. Visiting Lucy in prison, Jimmy discovers she has given birth to their daughter, Hope, whom he must now raise. THE SKINNY: Since it introduced us to the Bundys more than 20 years ago, there’s been no better network for a dysfunctional family sitcom than FOX. Shows with babies offer easy traps for falling into sentimentality, but hopefully the humor will avoid that pitfall. Something about the show must have been intriguing if Academy and Emmy Award winner Cloris Leachman was convinced to guest star.

HAWAII FIVE-O

LONE STAR (Mon., 9 PM)

THE STARS: James Wolk, Eloise Mumford, David Keith, Adrianne Palicki, Mark Deklin, Bryce Johnson, Jon Voight THE SHILL: Who is Robert Allen (Wolk)? It depends on which part of Texas he’s in. In Houston , he’s “Bob,” devoted husband to Cat

(Palicki). Cat’s father Clint (Voight) is the patriarch of a wealthy oil family that Bob wants to clean out. In the suburban town of Midland , he’s “Robert,” a seemingly perfect boyfriend to Lindsay (Mumford) who bilks investors out of their savings. He must balance his two lives while dealing with angry investors and the growing suspicions of people close to him. THE SKINNY: Obviously “Lone Star” is aiming to be the “Dallas” of the new century (the title gives it away). It’s been almost 20 years since that show, perhaps the greatest primetime soap opera ever, went oﬀ the air. Enough time has elapsed for a new show like this to take its place. But in today’s trigger-happy world of TV programming, don’t expect it to last 13 seasons.

CW HELLCATS (Wed., 9 PM)

THE STARS: Alyson Michalka, Ashley Tisdale, Robbie Jones, Heather Hemmens, Matt Barr, Sharon Leal THE SHILL: When aspiring lawyer Marti Perkins’ (Michalka) scholarship to Lancer University is cancelled, her only option to stay in school is earning a spot on the legendary cheerleader squad, the Hellcats. She must navigate the politics and pratfalls of being the squad’s newest member, including an ugly encounter with new roommate Savannah Monroe (Tisdale) and a potential romance with handsome squad partner Lewis Flynn (Jones). Like Marti, Hellcats coach Vanessa (Leal) is depending on success with the squad to stay in school. THE SKINNY: With beautiful people, soap opera plots and plenty of skin on display, this is sure to please the CW’s core audience. But will High School Musical fans be upset to seeing Tisdale trading in the squeaky clean phenomenon for something more adult?

NIKITA (Thu., 9 PM)

THE STARS: Maggie Q, Lyndsy Fonseca, Xander Berkeley, Shane West, Ashton Holmes, Tiﬀany Hines, Melinda Clarke, Aaron Stanford THE SHILL: While on Death Row, a deeply troubled teenager named Nikita (Maggie Q) was rescued by a secret government agency known as the Division, who faked her execution and gave her an opportunity to serve her country. Little did she know her service would involve becoming a spy and assassin. After being betrayed and forced into hiding for three years, Nikita wants revenge and makes clear to her former supervisors her intentions to expose and destroy the Division. THE SKINNY: This is a change of pace from a network known primarily for teen oriented shows. Roles in such ﬁlms as Mission: Impossible III and Live Free or Die Hard have prepared Maggie Q well for the ass-kicking she will be required to do here.

TERRIERS

FX TERRIERS (Wed., 10 PM)

THE STARS: Donal Logue, Michael Raymond-James, Laura Allen, Rockmond Dunbar, Jamie Denbo THE SHILL: Ex-policeman Hank Dolworth (Logue) and his best friend Britt Pollack (Raymond-James) create an unlicensed private investigation business. THE SKINNY: Logue has always been an underrated actor, but given the right role he’ll no doubt become a breakout star. This might not be that role, but the loyal fan base FX attracts will surely take notice. Interestingly enough, the director and one of the executive producers formerly worked on The Shield, another FX cop show. Unlike that one, Terriers oﬀers some comedy.

HBO BOARDWALK EMPIRE (Sun., 9 PM)

THE STARS: Steve Buscemi, Shea Whigham, Michael Stuhlbarg, Frank Crudele, Vincent Piazza, Stephen Gramm, Michael Pitt, Michael Shannon, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Kenneth Williams, Gretchen Mol, Dabney Coleman, Paz de la Huerta THE SHILL: Atlantic City, 1920. Town treasurer Enoch “Nucky” Thompson (Buscemi) rules the city known as “The World’s Playground.” Prohibition has made the sale of alcohol illegal throughout the United States, and Nucky is the go-to man for anyone seeking booze. When his former protégé and driver Jimmy Darmody (Pitt) becomes dissatisﬁed with the progress Nucky’s organization is making, he betrays Nucky, and soon federal agents are interested in the entrepreneur’s operation. THE SKINNY: Created and executive produced by Terence Winter, Emmy winner for writing “The Sopranos.” Executive produced by legendary ﬁlmmaker Martin Scorsese, Academy Award winner for “The Departed,” who will also step behind the camera. Starring one of the all-time great character actors in Buscemi. Playing on HBO, the undisputed king of showcasing outstanding, intelligent, mature programming (although Showtime is beginning to catch up). Pedigrees don’t come much better than this. PG 17 • insiteatlanta.com • September 2010

CONCERT C LENDER

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 3 529 Tasty Beverage APACHE CAFÉ Sista! & VARIETY Show BLIND WILLIES Houserocker Johnson BUCKHEAD SALOON Scott & Woody EARL The Love Language EDDIES ATTIC Geoff Achison FAT MATT’S Little G. Weevil FIVE SPOT J. Wail HIGHLAND INN A: The Color THE LOFT Little Brother MASQUERADE Exodus PEACHTREE TAVERN Dean Dollar Band SMITH’S Yelawolf STAR BAR Al & The Black Cats VARIETY The Chapin Sisters VINYL Mythology of Rhythm SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 4 529 The Customers AARON’S Disturbed & Avenged Sevenfold APACHE CAFÉ Mausiki Scales BUCKHEAD SALOON Scott & Woody BLIND WILLIES Sandra Hall EARL Three Bad Jacks EDDIES ATTIC Kate Campbell FAT MATT’S The Radio Ramblers FIVE SPOT The Mini Machine Guns HIGHLAND INN Dead Rabbits THE LOFT Goapele Live MASQUERADE Autolux PEACHTREE TAVERN Cole Swindell SMITH’S Yelawolf STAR BAR Voxhaul Broadcast WILD BILL’S Verce, Contagious, John Basin SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 5 APACHE CAFÉ Spoken Word Open Mic BLIND WILLIES Deacon Brandon Reeves EARL Front Porch Session Players EDDIES ATTIC Marshall Chapman FAT MATT’S Snake Legs SMITH’S Flow Tribe MONDAY SEPTEMBER 6 529 Fiend Without A Face EDDIES ATTIC Songwriter’s Open Mic FAT MATT’S Uncle Sugar FIVE SPOT Atlanta Funk Society SMITH’S Chris Jackson TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 7 529 Georgia Soul Council APACHE CAFÉ BFD’s Hip Hop Jam BLIND WILLIES Nathan Morgan Band EARL Catch 23 EDDIES ATTIC Jay Brannan FAT MATT’S Burning Time FIVE SPOT Open Mic THE LOFT Charlatans UK SMITH’S David Ryan Harris VINYL Ben In Black WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 8 529 Harvey Milk AARON’S John Mayer APACHE CAFÉ Al SMITH’S Midtown Jam BLIND WILLIES Joe McGuinness EDDIES ATTIC Matt Hires FAT MATT’S The Hollidays FIVE SPOT JK & The Lost Boys MASQUERADE Crystal Castles PEACHTREE TAVERN Nic Cowan SMITH’S Honey Island Swamp Band STAR BAR Blar Crimmins THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 9 529 Hotchacha APACHE CAFÉ Time 2 Shine BLIND WILLIES Tommy Brown BUCKHEAD SALOON Brack CENTER STAGE Progpower USA EARL Those Darlins EDDIES ATTIC Darden Smith FAT MATT’S Chickenshack FIVE SPOT Modern Paranoia HIGHLAND INN Boombox Cassette MASQUERADE Kottonmouth Kings PEACHTREE TAVERN Sons of Bill SMITH’S Grifﬁn House STAR BAR Imagination Head FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 10 529 Lyonnais BLIND WILLIES Sandra Hall BUCKHEAD SALOON Brack CHASTAIN The Avett Brothers EARL Those Darlins EDDIES ATTIC Hypnotist Fundraiser FAT MATT’S Fat Back Deluxe

FIVE SPOT Lingo Fall Fest HIGHLAND INN 4th Ward Afro Klemzer Orchestra MASQUERADE So Contagious PEACHTREE TAVERN Ingram Hill SMITH’S Abbey Road Live STAR BAR Andre Williams & The Goldstars WILD BILL’S Hysteria & Talk Dirty To Me SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 11 529 Valient BLIND WILLIES Houserocker Johnson BUCKHEAD SALOON Brack CHASTAIN Charlie Wilson EARL Tealights EDDIES ATTIC Michelle Malone FAT MATT’S The Blues Barons FIVE SPOT The Internationals HIGHLAND INN Teknobu MASQUERADE The Endless Summer PEACHTREE TAVERN Nick Malloy Band SMITH’S Justin Townes EARLe STAR BAR Patsy Cline Beneﬁt WILD BILL’S Fight Night SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 12 529 Richard Buckner APACHE CAFÉ Spoken Word Open Mic BLIND WILLIES Chli Cook-off for Leukemia EARL Sleepy Sun EDDIES ATTIC Nigels With Attitude FAT MATT’S Snake Legs FIVE SPOT Evan Barber SMITH’S Russ-T Cobb VARIETY Jon Anderson MONDAY SEPTEMBER 13 529 Roman Photos BLIND WILLIES Bill Shefﬁeld EDDIES ATTIC Songwriter’s Open Mic FAT MATT’S Uncle Sugar FIVE SPOT Atlanta Funk Society SMITH’S Chris Jackson TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 14 529 Sharon Van Etten APACHE CAFÉ BFD’s Hip Hop Jam BLIND WILLIES Spanky & The Love Handles WILD BILL’S Public Enemy EARL Dungen EDDIES ATTIC Kurt Scobie FAT MATT’S Burning Time FIVE SPOT Open Mic MASQUERADE Sick of it All & Street Dogs SMITH’S Bob Schneider WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 15 529 Lower Dens AARON’S Kings of Leon APACHE CAFÉ Al SMITH’S Midtown Jam BLIND WILLIES Joe McGuinness EARL GIVERS EDDIES ATTIC Sea Wolf FAT MATT’S The Hollidays FIVE SPOT Consider the Source THE LOFT The Drums & Surfer Blood PEACHTREE TAVERN Dot Dot Dot SMITH’S The Hypsys STAR BAR Blair Crimmins & The Hookers TABERNACLE Adam Lambert THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 16 529 Vermillion Sands BLIND WILLIES Sweet Betty BUCKHEAD SALOON Scott & Woody CENTER STAGE Brian Culbertson EARL Dean Wareham EDDIES ATTIC Krista Detor FAT MATT’S Chickenshack FIVE SPOT Cadillac Sky HIGHLAND INN Christmas MASQUERADE Future Rock PEACHTREE TAVERN Best Brothers Band SMITH’S Deep Dark STAR BAR Young Antiques FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 17 529 Edan the Dee Jay w/ Noot D’ Noot APACHE CAFÉ The Music Store BLIND WILLIES Houserocker Johnson BUCKHEAD SALOON Scott & Woody EARL Dean Wareham EDDIES ATTIC The Dappled Grays FAT MATT’S Beverly Guitar Watkins FIVE SPOT Cadillac Jones HIGHLAND INN Monstro THE LOFT Yahzarah MASQUERADE Shooter Jennings PEACHTREE TAVERN Wade Bowen SMITH’S Bess Rogers WILD BILL’S Void Where Prohibited

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 18 529 Edan BLIND WILLIES Francine Reed BUCKHEAD SALOON Scott & Woody CENTER STAGE Flyleaf EDDIES ATTIC Mindy Smith FAT MATT’S Mudcat FIVE SPOT Chronicles of the Landquid HIGHLAND INN Polar Dunes THE LOFT Big Sean & Donnis MASQUERADE Ghostland Observatory PEACHTREE TAVERN Craig Campbell SMITH’S Mandorico STAR BAR Totally Titties 4 TABERNACLE Aziz Ansari VARIETY Big Head Todd & The Monsters VINYL Ginza SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 19 APACHE CAFÉ Spoken Word Open Mic BLIND WILLIES Love for Laura Beneﬁt EARL Laura Veirs & The Hall of Flames EDDIES ATTIC Lori McKenna FAT MATT’S The Radio Ramblers FIVE SPOT Shear Perfection Hair Show MASQUERADE Jonny Craig SMITH’S The Devil Makes Three MONDAY SEPTEMBER 20 BLIND WILLIES Mudcat CENTER STAGE Slash EARL Titus Andronicus EDDIES ATTIC Songwriter’s Open Mic FAT MATT’S Uncle Sugar FIVE SPOT Atlanta Funk Society MASQUERADE Semi-Precious Weapons SMITH’S Chris Jackson TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 21 529 Falcon Lords APACHE CAFÉ BFD’s Hip Hop Jam BLIND WILLIES Heather Luttrell CENTER STAGE Jimmy Eat World EARL Bobby Bara Jr. EDDIES ATTIC Jason Reeves FAT MATT’S Burning Time FIVE SPOT Open Mic SMITH’S Kevn Kinney’s Truckstop VARIETY CocoRosie WENDESDAY SEPTEMBER 22 529 AIDS Wolf APACHE CAFÉ Al SMITH’S Midtown Jam BLIND WILLIES Deacon Brandon Reeves EDDIES ATTIC HuDost FAT MATT’S The Hollidays FIVE SPOT Anywhere Congregation Tour HIGHLAND INN The Dirty Souls PEACHTREE TAVERN Sunset Love Affair SMITH’S Dale Watson STAR BAR Blair Crimmins & The Hookers VARIETY James VINYL Hans David Rearick THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 23 529 Golden Triangle BLIND WILLIES Li’l Pink Anderson BUCKHEAD SALOON Brian Collins Band EDDIES ATTIC Mark Erelli FAT MATT’S Chickenshack FIVE SPOT Herman Put Down The Gun MASQUERADE Zo! & the FE Music All-Stars SMITH’S Chrystina Llore Fincher STAR BAR Scandinavian Cock

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 24 529 Letters Organize BLIND WILLIES Joe Louis Walker BUCKHEAD SALOON Brian Collins Band EDDIES ATTIC Michael Tolcher FAT MATT’S Reverbo Rockets HIGHLAND INN Laserbeam Kitty PEACHTREE TAVERN Roger Creager SMITH’S The Gourds STAR BAR Dex Romweber Duo VERIZON Widespread Panic SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 25 529 Flap BLIND WILLIES Francine Reed BUCKHEAD SALOON Brian Collins Band EARL Snowden EDDIES ATTIC Laughing Pizza FAT MATT’S Rod Hamdallah HIGHLAND INN Night Driving in Small Towns PEACHTREE TAVERN Benjy Davis Project SMITH’S The Mosier Brothers VARIETY Almee Mann VERIZON Widespread Panic WILD BILL’S Jamey Johnson SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 26 529 Howlies, Mermaids, Knaves Grave APACHE CAFÉ Spoken Word Open Mic EDDIES ATTIC Gustafer Yellowgold FAT MATT’S Snake Legs FIVE SPOT School of Rock MASQUERADE Nachmystium SMITH’S Greensky Bluegrass TABERNACLE Pavement VARIETY Pavement MONDAY SEPTEMBER 27 BLIND WILLIES Barrelhouse Bob Page EARL Efterklang EDDIES ATTIC Songwriter’s Open Mic FAT MATT’S Uncle Sugar THE LOFT Stephen Kellogg & The Sixers TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 28 529 Let The Night Roar AARON’S Alice In Chains APACHE CAFÉ BFD’s Hip Hop Jam BLIND WILLIES Boo Hoo Ramblers EARL David Bazan & Band EDDIES ATTIC Garrison Starr FAT MATT’S Burning Time WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 29 529 Bukkake Boys APACHE CAFÉ Al SMITH’S Midtown Jam BLIND WILLIES The Electromatics EARL Garotas Suecas EDDIES ATTIC Jeremy Aggers FAT MATT’S The Hollidays HIGHLAND INN Bernadette Seacrest PEACHTREE TAVERN Downstroke SMITH’S Please Please Rock Me STAR BAR Blair Crimmins & The Hookers VERIZON An Evening w/ Rush THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 30 APACHE CAFÉ The Phixx BLIND WILLIES Chris Smither EARL Cotton Jonesd EDDIES ATTIC Kim Richey FAT MATT’S Chickenshack PEACHTREE TAVERN Bodega Roja STAR BAR Nobody’s Darlings

Widespread Panic VERIZON AMPHITHEATRE SEPTEMBER 24 & 25

Road Warriors

This Month’s Hottest Shows BY SACHA DZUBA

SEPTEMBER 4 - ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK UPROAR FEST

Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood A powerful concert event full of energy and energy drinks, the Rockstar Uproar Festival will feature vendors, activities, wrestling tournaments, and of course plenty of music. Headliners include Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold, Stone Sour, and Hellyeah. Lots of great hard rock and metal bands, and check out Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater drumming for Avenged Sevenfold!

SEPTEMBER 8 – OWL CITY AND JOHN MAYER

Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood Owl City is a basement musical project that has become a fistfight waiting to happen for any fan of The Postal Service. Similarities in simplistic electronica and vocal styles aside, there’s some catchy tracks. John Mayer, he’s an amazing musician and a great live performer. He has drawn lots of media attention from his social comments and his dating choices, but he brings mean guitar stylings. It will be a great show filled the collective flutter-eyelash squeals from the primarily teenage girl draw.

SEPTEMBER 14, 15 – ADAM LAMBERT

Symphony Hall Atlanta, Tabernacle American Idol runner-up, Adam Lambert is sure to swagger and sway with glitter and glam. Laser lights, leather, sequins, feather-boas, costume changes, plenty of eye candy and theatrics to keep you entertained while the power-pop shadow of Freddie Mercury on Broadway invades your ears. Most of the tunes on Adam’s album were co-written by some fantastic songwriters, Lady Gaga, P!nk, Matt Bellamy, and Justin Hawkins to name a few. Surely the best part of the concert will be to see the fantastic mix of soccer moms and glittergoths alike.

SEPTEMBER 9, 10, 11 POWER XI: KAMELOT AND HAMMERFALL

Center Stage Atlanta This three-day event features some of the most exceptional prog/metal bands you’ve heard of and a few you probably haven’t. Poetry for the Poisoned is Kamelot’s latest release, due Sept. 14th. There really are too many fantastic bands to list and describe, you should probably check out progpowerusa.com for a comprehensive listing. The best part of this festival is the opportunity to meet other

metal fans, which gives the event a carnivallike atmosphere. Not to be missed!

SEPTEMBER 11 - FRIENDS OF GEORGIA MUSIC FESTIVAL, INC. 32ND ANNUAL GEORGIA MUSIC HALL OF FAME

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre This event marks the third decade that the Friends of Georgia Music Festival has recognized Georgia’s accomplished artists and musicians for their outstanding achievements. Attend and see the induction of India.Arie, The Black Crowes, Charlie Brusco, Jennifer Larmore, Charles Wadsworth, Paul Davis, Pete Drake, Rev. Pearly Brown, and John Jarrard. The evening will include live performances by The Black Crowes, India.Arie, Jennifer Larmore, legendary rock band, STYX and this year’s Horizon Award recipient, Spanish/English singer, Tyna Q.

SEPTEMBER 13 – PIXIES

The Fox Theatre Catch one of 11 US extension dates of the Pixies’ Doolittle 20th anniversary tour. One of the most influential indie bands of the past decade. Yowling and clean singing, female backing vocals, erratic-jarring guitars, and driving drums give the Pixies their distinctive alternative sound. Know them and love them, or discover them for the first time through a live performance of their album Doolittle, start to finish, with additional Pixies hits.

SEPTEMBER 24,25 – WIDESPREAD PANIC

Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

WE GOT NEXT GOOD OLD WAR

SEPTEMBER 28 – ALICE IN CHAINS, DEFTONES, MASTODON

HiFi Buys Amphitheatre Alice in Chains was all over the radio until frontman Layne Staley’s death caused the band to go on an extended, unexpected hiatus. New vocalist and Atlanta native, William DuVall, helps give the band new life and breath. Shoe-gazing metal that ﬁnally gained rightful recognition through White Pony, the Deftones have a great sense of listener-journey songwriting. Georgia’s own Mastodon comes back with their melodic complexity that stays crunchy in milk. Three great bands create a night of eargasmic musical assault.

SEPTEMBER 29 – RUSH

Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre With a back catalog spanning 35 years, you’d think the band Rush would be long past their sell by date…and you’d be wrong! Respected and celebrated worldwide, these rockers are just hitting their prime. All three performers are fantastic musicians. Progrockers, genius instrumentalists, and musicians who have inﬂuenced numerous well-known bands; these consummate performers bring frenetic energy and quirky humor to their live shows.

Artists on the verge of making it big

Latest Project: Self-titled (Sargent House) For Fans of: Maps & Atlases, The Deer Hunter and Days Away Why You Should Care: Why You Should Care: Out of the ashes of Days Away, this trio churns out album after album of brilliant, expansive indie folk rock, each record better than the next.

BY JOHN B. MOORE

Widespread Panic descends on Atlanta fresh off their release of Dirty Side Down. The album is something of an emotional travelogue, its ebb and flow evident in every aspect of the instrumental interplay, skittering rhythms, fanciful guitar flights and lowslung melodies alike. Expect a great show at this enchanting north side amphitheatre.

HILADELPHIA’S GOOD OLD WAR  two thirds of who are refuges from the band Days Away – is hardly wasting time. Together just two years, they already have two full lengths and an EP under their belts. Despite constant tours and collaborations with Circa Survive front man Anthony Green, the band is… well, not very punk (and that’s not a bad thing). They play expansive indie rock that leans more towards folk than it does punk. I emphasize expansive, because despite having just three players, they sound like they’ve got

all of Arcade Fire in the recording studio laying down massive songs. Having just released their third record (this one self-titled), guitarist Dan Schwartz spoke recently the band’s proliﬁc nature, appealing to the punk rockers and how three guys can make that much noise. You guys have been together for two years and already have an EP and now two full lengths to your name. Why so proliﬁc? We are under the impression that all you have is the music you release. That’s what matters. We are so inspired by each other and there’s some very healthy competition in the band. I know that for me, when Keith writes a great song, I always get to work on something new, and I think he’s the same way. I wouldn’t say we want to outdo each other, but we’re very inspired to keep up with wherever the other one goes. It’s a great feeling to have a person in the band who is such an incredible songwriter. I have learned a lot from him and none of the songs I’ve written since we started could exist without Keith’s inspiration. We both also have a tendency to write a lot. So there (are) two people writing a lot. I can’t tell you how

many songs I still have back logged and half finished. We’re always thinking about our next release. It’s very inspiring to have such a great group of collaborators. Did you intend to work on the records backto-back? The band does a lot of touring so that’s one of the only things slowing us down. There would probably be even more material released if we didn’t spend so much time on the road. We aren’t the type of band that releases every song we write or even record though. We do a lot of rewriting, and we sometimes record songs a couple of different ways before anyone hears it. Basically, our intention is to release as much music as we can, but the music we put out has to be of the highest quality possible. Despite the amount of touring we do, and the large amount of editing we do to every song, there’s still so much music that we have ready. So it’s pretty natural for us to start making a new record immediately after finishing the last. The same thing is already happening now. It was pointed out that the topics on this album sound a little weightier than the debut. Were you experiencing anything in particular that had an impact on these songs? Well, we’re growing up and it was inevitable that love songs wouldn’t be the only things we want to write. We both seemed a bit preoccupied with the idea that every day

you live is how you’re spending your life, and that theme runs through the entire record. We don’t want to waste a second of the one chance we have to live and we want to inspire people to get out and do something with their short time on this Earth. There still are love songs on there, because we’re both lucky enough to be inspired by the people we love, but the overall themes are heavier than they were on the first record. Because of your connection to bands like Circa Survive you get lumped in with the punk scene occasionally, but your music definitely has other influences. What have you guys been listening to lately? It’s actually been very interesting for us because we’re nothing like the bands in that scene. It’s great that they have embraced us, and we’re able to stand out automatically because our instrumentation is so different. Truthfully, we all take influence from such strange places to make the music we do. I’m a guitar fanatic, so I listen to tons of classic rock. My favorite band is probably the band Free. Paul Rodgers is one of the greatest front men that ever lived in my opinion. Keith is a huge reggae fan and I think that inspires him a lot when it comes to constructing his vocal lines. Tim pretty much listens to everything, and he’s definitely our main supplier of new music. Dr. Dog is probably the main band we all agree on and all look up to. They are just so good! PG 19 • insiteatlanta.com • September 2010

MUSIC

Album Reviews

By B. Love, John B. Moore, DeMarco Williams, Steven Westdahl & Ed Morales

JOHN MELLENCAMP – NO BETTER THAN THIS (Rounder) Moving forward by going back BL: It’s been said that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. But sometimes, if you leave an old dog to himself long enough, he figures out some new tricks all on his own. It’s been quite a few years since anyone I know has given a rat’s ass about the artist once known as Johnny Cougar– back to the “Hurts So Good” and “Jack & Diane” days of our ‘80s youth. I’d dismissed him long ago as a mere clone cut from Bruce Springsteen’s folk-rock cloth; a decent singersongwriter plucked from America’s heartland, but nothing worth writing home about. But irrelevance (and the near-death experience of a heart attack) is a funny thing: It either forces you onto a different path entirely or backs you into a corner where you have nothing left to lose in reconnecting with the artist you once longed to be. Stripping away all the glitz and glam of an overblown sound tailor-made for truck commercials, John Mellencamp went to back to square one and emerged with the finest album of his career. The concept is simple: Reunite with T-Bone Burnett (who also produced 2008’s critically acclaimed Life Death Love & Freedom), assemble the band in one room, and record everything in mono with a single microphone to an old Ampex 601, with no mixing or overdubs. Better still, record in historic locations such as the First African Baptist Church in Savannah, (the first African-American Christian church in the U.S.), Sun Studios in Memphis, and Room 414 of San Antonio’s Gunter Hotel, where Robert Johnson once recorded. The sound is like nothing he’s ever done, evoking everything from Hank Williams and early Bob Dylan to Robert Plant’s work with Allison Krauss, and establishing John Mellencamp as a fine singer-songwriter who only seems to be getting better with age. Who knew? MICHAEL FRANTI & SPEARHEAD – THE SOUND OF SUNSHINE (Capital/Boo Boo Wax) Near-death experience yields sun-drenched hip-hop/ pop /rock/reggae fusion SW: This seventh studio offering from Spearhead formed in a burst of inspiration after bandleader Michael Franti experienced a burst appendix while on tour last August. The 11-track record, conceived in a hospital bed, written and recorded while recuperating in Jamaica, Bali and California, and finished while touring with John Mayer, borders on a concept album, melding so many genres that new ones may need to be created. The titular sunshine has a particularly tropical flavor, but it’s peppered with rock riffs, pop hooks and rhythmic rhyming reminiscent of Franti’s time with The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. Opening with the title track and closing with the slightly slower reprise, “The Sound of Sunshine Going Down,” the songs contained in this bottle of musical light convey a unified tone and theme without a discernable narrative tying the tracks together. “The Thing That Helps Me Get Through” opens with “It’s rock and roll with a whole lot of soul,” yet half the PG 20 • insiteatlanta.com • September 2010

The Dean’s List

other songs could qualify for a hyphenated hip-hop modifier (though nobody would call it a ‘rap’ album). Offerings of hard rock give way to dancehall reggae (“Shake It”) and singalong pop anthems (the fan-named “Hey Hey Hey”). With a bright subject such as sunshine, the lyrical exploration of shadows should come as no surprise, and songs like “Gloria” and “Headphones” (which Franti wrote to be played at his funeral) explore the uplifting side of death and darkness. Released just as summer fades into fall, The Sound Of Sunshine serves as an audio artifact, preserving the optimistic spirit of a life lived with light and love that was almost cut short. Franti and Spearhead’s positive polyculturalism marries happily to their evolving, genre-defying music, and may actually keep you warm this winter. Call it “hip-pop-timism,” if you will. POOIS – OPERA HOUSE (Self-Released) Thinking man’s metal BL: After thousands of years of experimentation with sound over the course of human evolution, it’s safe to assume there are no completely new musical forms waiting to be discovered. These days, originality primarily comes in the form of unique fusions of pre-existing genres. So while Atlanta-byway-of-New York quintet Poois isn’t necessarily doing anything you’ve haven’t heard before, the creative way in which they combine the various elements of their sound somehow sets them apart. An amalgamation of metal, art-rock, prog and grunge, Poois’ off-kilter approach echoes influences ranging from Primus and Mr. Bungle to Tool and System Of A Down. They have everything you’d expect from a band that hangs out with Exodus vocalist Rob Dukes– a bludgeoning 2-guitar attack, thunderous drumming, stop-start tempo changes– but what distinguishes the band is the literate lyrics of frontman Tim Kaim, which are always delivered with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Whether it’s a trippy song sung from the perspective of Winnie The Pooh (“Beware The Frog”), a good natured jab at middle-aged MILFs (“Cougie McCougster”) or a maddeningly memorable ode to the joys of getting it on (“Horny American”), Poois is something few metal bands today dare to be: Fun. But it’s not all silliness and sex. There are plenty of pummeling riffs, infectious grooves and grand theatrics here to appeal to serious metal fans, not to mention the occasional incisive insight. My favorite track, “Just Say Cheese,” is a skewering of celebrity-obsessed culture, casting Kaim as an out-of-work actor who becomes a paparazzo after getting two girls pregnant, promising his victims 15 minutes of fame in exchange for posed shots. Like most of the songs on this excellent debut, it’s a killer cut that works on multiple levels, establishing Poois as thinking man’s metal for headbangers with a well-honed sense of humor. R.E.M. – FABLES OF THE RECONSTRUCTION [25th Anniversary Edition] (Capitol) Athens heroes get reissue treatment JM: Fables of the Reconstruction, the third album from college-rock poster boys R.E.M., showed the band evolving toward a tighter, more cohesive sound. Sure, Murmur and Reckoning

will always be trotted out by indie music snobs as among the band’s best (and they were both good albums, wholly unlike anything else that was being played at that time) but Fables of the Reconstruction was far more consistent. Songs like “Driver 8” and “Can’t Get There From Here” hold up remarkably well two decades later. Built around a concept of the South rebuilding after the Civil War, Fables also finds the band really starting to earn their reputation as innovators of “jangly pop,” thanks to Peter Buck’s vastly improved guitar work. Recently reissued by Capitol, this 25th anniversary release features a remastering of all the original tracks and a second disc of the full album demos, recorded before the band left Athens to go to London to formally record Fables, along with a few extra tracks. If you don’t already own this album– and there is really no good excuse not to– picking up this re-release is an absolute must.

Rest of the Class THE PAPERBACKS – LIT FROM WITHIN (Parliament of Trees) Way too much of a good thing from little-known indie rockers JM: It was a little more than overkill when The Smashing Pumpkins put out their double album in 1995, so the fact that The Paperbacks, a Canadian indie pop band with little recognition outside of the Pitchfork crowd, gave their latest release the double record treatment seems downright ballsy. A two disc, 32 track album in the era of iTunes is a little unheard of in 2010. Lit From Within, the band’s third full length, is a bit much to take on the first few listens. And, to be honest, it isn’t compelling enough to keep even the most patient listener around much longer to give the album a chance to sink in. There are a handful of good tracks hidden within the filler (“Good Lives…” and “Do You Sleep?” among others), but it’s a chore to dig through the excess. I might suggest a little restraint for the next offering. GRADE: C BEST COAST – CRAZY FOR YOU (Mexican Summer) The coda says it all: When I’m with you, I have fun EM: Crazy For You, the debut album by lo-fi surf-popsters Best Coast, is a 13-song collection with the coolness of an ocean breeze on an August day. With only one song eclipsing the three-minute mark (at a tidy 3:01), Crazy For You zips by, never once asking the listener to think too hard or tangle with complicated arrangements. Instead, Best Coast multiinstrumentalist Bobb Bruno fills tracks with driving guitar and fuzzy beats while lead singer Bethany Cosentino wishes “her cat could talk,” is “always waiting by the phone,” and dreams “he was my boyfriend.” This is not to say the album is all a vacuous series of lovelorn lyrics. The aforementioned “Boyfriend, the album’s lead single, may harp on how she wishes he was her guy, but Cosentino later laments that the other girl is indeed prettier, skinnier, and has a college degree. It’s not often that a song of yearning admits the other woman may be the better choice. “Summer Mood,” “Happy,” “Each and Every Day” and “When I’m With You” are all great songs despite predictable

(yet infectious) tempos. Does it become repetitive? Sure. Have you heard it all before? Yep. But none of this keeps you from enjoying what’s here. It’s a carefree compilation of one sunny single after another. What a welcome concept! GRADE: B LYFE JENNINGS – I STILL BELIEVE Maintaining career course, radio PDs be damned DW: We’re just gonna put this out there: Lyfe Jennings doesn’t care much for radio station program directors. Why should he? With or without their fickle airplay, the man’s product has consistently found its way to the throng of lady followers and helpless gents since 2004. Now, the scruffy-voiced one is back with more real, emotion-heavy prose put to insatiable production. On this fourth release, the Atlanta resident gets serious (“It Coulda Been Worse”), seductive (“Spotlight”) and even a little spiritual (the Anthony Hamilton-backed “Mama”). But not once on the moving ride does Lyfe stray far from the musical essence that has made him one of soul’s most consistent voices of the past halfdecade. When he says, “If you want your girl, need your girl, show her some love” on “Love,” you believe him. We can only imagine where Lyfe Jennings would be now if more decision-makers in the world of radio showed him some love. GRADE: B GREAT BIG SEA – SAFE UPON THE SHORE (Self-released) Canadian folk rockers still at it JM: The biggest band ever to come out of Newfoundland (I think there may have actually been more than one) is back with their tenth record, Safe Upon the Shore. The album is pretty standard fare for the band, featuring plenty of mandolins, sea chanteys, and a little bit of rock and pop mixed in (to satisfy those not usually into sea chanteys)… it’s like what The Pogues might sound like if they grew up in a Canadian fishing village and drank a little less. Coming in at 14 tracks, there is plenty here for fans to love, but for newbies the length is a bit overwhelming. The record starts off strong with “Long Life (Where Did You Go)”, but begins to drag toward the end. Kicking around for close to 20 years now, Great Big Sea is sounding tighter than they ever have before, but the lyrics are now focusing more on wistful reminiscing. Not a bad effort from a band that is comfortably slipping into cult-like status, at least for Canadians. GRADE: BAVERY SUNSHINE – SELF-TITLED (Bigshine Music) Soul struggling to be seen DW: If celebrities were made from talent alone, folks like Avery Sunshine would be all over the place. Unfortunately, when you have a look atypical from what BET generally showcases and subject matter that strays from the leave-my-man-alone silliness that dominates pop radio, you unfairly get the Angie Stone bump. Here’s hoping this former Spelman student’s affectionate release bucks said trend. Sincere melodies like the spunky “I Got Sunshine,” the apologetic “Ugly Part of Me” and the Roy Ayersfeatured “Sunshine” aren’t merely soulful moments, they’re warm hugs from someone who’s pouring out her heart. You’re enthralled by the 12 tracks on her debut, not just because they sound good, but because you remember other gifted friends like Ledisi and Leela James going through similar ordeals. Avery’s first single, “All in My Head,” is a bit more spirited than some of her other, more mellow selections, but it still probably isn’t risqué enough for urban radio. And that’s too bad. GRADE: B+

MUSIC

BLAZING THEIR OWN PATH Emo Icons Jimmy Eat World Return With a New Record & World Tour

BY ED MORALES

CARUS AND PUNKPOP BANDS have plenty in common– they both climb high for all to see, only to plummet hard when it seems they can’t get any hotter. Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Blink 182… these once- ubiquitous bands are now fodder for the 99-cent mp3 bin. So what can be said about Jimmy Eat World? Perhaps the Arizona foursome– which has been kicking around the emo/punk-pop scene for nearly 17 years– skirts the heights of all genres, allowing it the freedom to move along undeterred. Or maybe the band’s years in the business have shown it how to avoid the quick burnout. Whatever it is, it’s been working. Consisting of Jim Adkins (lead vocals, guitar), Rich Burch (bass), Zach Lind (drummer) and Tom Linton (guitar, vocals), Jimmy Eat World is primed for the release of its seventh studio album, Invented, and a worldwide tour starting this month in Atlanta. Linton took time out of his busy schedule to discuss the inspiration of photography books, singing on the new album, and how hot weather makes for better musicians. What can you tell me about Invented? The last record we did I think we got pretty crazy with production. We were happy with how it turned out, but with this record we tried a more stripped down version. We didn’t go as crazy. When Jim came down to writing lyrics, he took it in a different direction than he’s ever done before. One day we were at practice and he opened up this Cindy Sherman book, she’s a photographer, and he said “Hey guys, you want to know how I came up with each song? I would flip the book to a different page and would write a song based on the expression she had on her face and her surroundings.” I thought that was kind of interesting That is different. What wasn’t different was working with Mark Trombino again. How did that go? I know it’s been several years since you last worked with him. Was it a get to know you again phase or did you jump right into it? We jumped right into it. We did a Clarity 10year anniversary tour and he ended up coming to a show and we talked with him for a little bit. It turned out he wasn’t busy when we were going to start our record. When we recorded Futures we started with Mark, but when we went into the studio we weren’t ready to record and I don’t think he was ready, we had some bad vibes leaving that. But we made up and we’re happy with how this album turned out. One of the interesting aspects of the album is you’re the lead singer on one of the songs. Has your approach to singing changed since you last sang lead for the band? You know we never sat around and said “Alright,

I’m gonna sing on this record.” Jim will write a song and the band will say “Tom you sing vocals on this one” and sometimes I will and it doesn’t turn out. Then Jim will sing one and it doesn’t turn out and then I’ll sing the song. It all switches. Is that how it worked on the song you sang on Invented? Yeah. Jim had a melody idea and some lyrics but he was bogged down with so many other songs. So Zach said “Tom why don’t you give it a shot and see if you can ﬁnish it.” I ended up putting lyrics to it and it made the cut. I saw where the band had ﬂirted with leaving the label and putting the album out yourselves. Why did you choose to stay with the label? We’ve had a pretty good history with Interscope. We’ve become friends with a lot of the people – each city has a person who works the radio stations and we’ve become friends with all of them – and we decided it would be the best thing for us to stay on for this record. We’ll see how it goes – if we want to resign with them or even if they want to resign us (laughs).

NEW STUDIO ALBUM AVAILABLE NOW!

FRIDAY & SATURDAY

2CD/3LP SETAVAILABLE SEPTEMBER 28TH

SEPTEMBER 24 & 25

ON SALE NOW!

Tickets available at all Ticketmaster outlets including Publix Super Markets.

TICKETMASTER.COM � 1.800.745.3000

Tickets also at the box ofﬁce (M-F: 10am-6pm; Sat: 10am-2pm; Closed Sunday). The venue is conveniently located off GA-400 in Alpharetta. Venue info: VZWAMP.COM All artists and schedules subject to change without notice. All tickets subject to service charge. Concerts rain or shine.

A FOOD DRIVE EVENT

What is your take on the music business today, it’s changed quite a bit since you guys started out. We don’t let it get us down if we’re not selling records. We try to focus on writing the best songs we can and making sure for touring that we’re prepared and have all the best people we can get to do the sound. I think for a lot of bands their main concern is trying to get signed to a label, but these days you could put it out yourself and be successful doing that. Your band is from Arizona and the band takes pride in that. What is it about where you come from that comes out in your music? It’s so hot in the summer it’s almost unbearable to go outside. When I was younger starting to play music I would just lock myself in my room and play guitar all day because it was just so hot. When we ﬁrst started we would practice long hours – we started out a Zach’s parents house practicing during the day and then go to Jim’s parents house. It was something to keep us busy during those hot days.

SUNDAy OCTOBER 3

But they say it’s a dry heat. Yeah, it’s still really hot. Practice does make perfect. It sure does. What can you attribute to the band’s longevity, aside from staying out of the heat. It’s been almost 20 years now. We get along – and that’s a big one. But we have fans that want to hear more music and they keep coming back to our shows. The fact that people are still interested in what we’ve been doing makes all the diﬀerence.

ON SALE NOW! Tickets available at all Ticketmaster outlets including Publix Super Markets.

TICKETMASTER.COM � 1.800.745.3000

Tickets also at the box office (M-F: 10am-6pm; Sat: 10am-2pm; Closed Sunday). The venue is conveniently located off GA-400 in Alpharetta. Venue info: VZWAMP.COM All artists and schedules subject to change without notice. All tickets subject to service charge. Concerts rain or shine.

PG 21 • insiteatlanta.com • September 2010

FILM

MO MONEY, MO PROBLEMS… MO CHANGE

Brandon T. Jackson and Naturi Naughton Team up as Coed Sidekicks BY JENNI WILLIAMS

WENTYFIVE AND LOVING LIFE, Naturi Naughton and Brandon T. Jackson call working together like being on vacation… that is, if you consider the Westside projects of downtown Atlanta a hotspot. This was the site of filming for Eric White’s Lottery Ticket, the story stifled dreams and the road to change. More specifically, the story follows Kevin Carson (played by Bow Wow), a high school senior working at Foot Locker and dreaming of his own line of sneakers. By stroke of fate, he wins $370 million in the lottery, but has to survive a 3-day weekend before cashing it in. Everyone from a recently paroled thug, to the hottest girl in town, even the pastor are out for their share, and Kevin realizes he holds the power to make a pretty big change… if he wants. Jackson plays Kevin’s best friend, Benny, a high-strung and high-spirited tagalong, with a good heart and deep soul, but has accepted his life in the projects and stays focused on the day to day. Naughton’s character is the one trying to make a better life for herself. With good grades, conservative sense and an unrivaled loyalty, she’s the exhorter to Kevin, encouraging him to get out of the hood. Naughton, who comes off her stint as Lil Kim in Notorious, and a member of the former group 3LW, brings a softer side to the screen.

“It was organic, really, the way this crew felt,” she says. In fact, she and Jackson reiterate that filming was like “being on vacation with your friends.” Jackson backs this up saying; “everyone had really good chemistry on set. We worked together well, that’s what its all about.” “We’re not dating though,” Naughton interjects, both of them laughing, as Jackson pretends to slide his arm around her. In all seriousness (which is rare with Jackson in the room), shooting carried a punch home for both stars. They both admit that the extras were “really authentic,” meaning actual individuals from the surrounding dilapidated neighborhoods. “That helped us stay focused on the story, because it was real. And, I’ve been there. I lived through that,” says Jackson. Naughton agrees, admitting that she also identified with Stacie. “I was that home girl who wanted more than what she was, constantly trying to make something of herself.” “I always liked Aladdin,” Jackson says. “I was just like him. And Benny is just like him too. We’re just street rats, looking right across the street at all the money, dreaming it can one day be ours.” Lottery Ticket also gave Jackson the chance to speak his mind about his own ubringing, in the projects of Detroit, Michigan. “That rooftop scene, yeah, that was all improv. That was me, telling my story,” says Jackson, who is talking about an emotional scene between the friends, challenging each other’s motives and morals.

“People really do change,” he says, who has given back with his own fortune. In 2009, he started a 200-student charter school for the arts, giving kids another chance at an education; potentially in areas they wouldn’t have a chance to explore otherwise. “It wasn’t just a comedy—it was a comedy that made you think,” adds Naughton. But speaking of comedy, Jackson chimes in that his other favorite scene is the one in the church, where Mike Epps (with a pimp wig) gives his best sermon on the life God wants him to have (complete with a big mansion, hot wife and lots of bling). Naughton’s favorite scene was when Kevin confesses his love for Stacie. “I love that it

shows vulnerability on both sides—these characters connect one on one and it’s the most intimate moment in the film,” says Naughton. “Kevin sees that he can do something more,” says Naughton, as both she and Jackson agree that the film brings a great message about community. “It’s a true mirror to our society, revealing a great underlying mess,” says Jackson, laying it down matter-of-factly. “We’ve got to go after real dreams. Not everyone can be a rapper. Not everybody gonna be Drake.” Naughton laughs, but adds, “You can achieve your dreams even if you don’t win the lottery. That’s something I think people need to realize.”

��

Thur, Sept 9

��

Sat, Sept 11

�� FOOTBALL AT THE SALOON Saturdays & Sundays

SONS OF BILL ��

��

WADE BOWEN

(Texas Country) ��

INGRAM HILL nick malloy band ��

(Country Rock)

Sat, Sept 18

��

CRAIG CAMPBELL (Country) ��

NO COVER WEEKNIGHTS!

ROGER CREAGER (Texas Country)

�� PG 22 • insiteatlanta.com • September 2010

Biggest and best HDTVs in Buckhead playing the BIG GAME bucket and pitcher specials along with great food

SATURDAY, SEPT 11 DON’T MISS THE BIGGEST FOOTBALL PARTY OF THE SEASON!

Team A’s Football Extravaganza 10am–10pm (Team America Promotions), Tented Patio, TVs inside and out $4 O-Bombs, $5 Red Bull Vodkas $5 Sweet Tea and Vodkas, $3 Tall Boys and Comestic Bottles

TUESDAY NIGHT ALL-STAR’S Open Mic Night WEDNESDAY Trivia FRIDAY LSU/UNC KICK OFF PARTY

Starting at 5pm Featuring The LSU Alumni Band “questionable @ Best” and the Mums Band | Great Drink Specials

SATURDAY College Football

$7 Pitcher & $5 Red Bull Specials

SUNDAY NFL Football

$2.50 Bottles | $12 Buckets

BUCKHEAD SALOON

3227 Roswell | Atlanta, GA 30305 404.963.7739 | www.buckheadsaloonatlanta.com Monday CLOSED | Tuesday-Thursday 5- 2 | Friday 3-2:30 ��

MUSIC

SAY GOODNIGHT TO THE BAD GUYS With a Career-Spanning Acoustic Album & Worldwide Tour, The Black Crowes Prepare to Go Out with a Bang BY B. LOVE

HE REALIZATION SEEMS A LITTLE “HARD TO Handle,” but it’s been exactly 20 years since the Black Crowes (who were originally known as Mr. Crowe’s Garden) emerged from Atlanta’s indie-rock scene, caught the attention of American Recordings founder Rick Rubin (who was arguably the most successful producer in the world at the time), and sold over three million copies of their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker. But Chris and Rich Robinson, the Marietta-bred brothers behind an impressive string of hits that included the aforementioned Otis Redding cover, “Jealous Again,” “Twice As Hard” and “She Talks To Angels,” didn’t set out to become the biggest band in the world. To hear them tell it, all the Robinsons set out to do was to jam with their cousin, play Atlanta alt-rock club 688 and make the best album they could make. Who knew the fickle winds of fate would turn them into worldwide superstars virtually overnight? The band’s journey has been fraught with obstacles, to be sure– many of them of their own making. There are legendary stories of frontman Chris getting the Crowes tossed off a major tour opening for ZZ Top in 1991 after he lambasted Miller Beer (which just so happened to be the tour’s sponsor); of the brothers getting into actual fistfights that made Oasis’ Gallagher Brothers look like pansies by comparison; and enough interpersonal drama to fuel a whole series of Behind The Music episodes (the band has lost 10 members over the years, and several others have left or been fired, only to later return). In short, the Black Crowes seemed to success as a band almost in spite of themselves. But changing lineups, extended hiatuses and personal problems aside, the Black Crowes remain one of the biggest rock ‘n’ roll bands of the past two decades. They’re currently celebrating the 20th anniversary of their breakthrough album with a new 2-CD all-acoustic set, Croweology, and a world tour being billed as the “Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys Tour.” But first, the fellas are coming back to the Georgia clay from which they sprung this month to be inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, where they’ll be enshrined alongside legends such as Gram Parsons, the Allman Brothers, Otis Redding and James Brown. We recently spoke with Chris and Rich Robinson in separate interviews to get their respective perspectives on what a long, strange trip it’s been… I can still remember you guys playing around town as Mr. Crowe’s Garden. What are some of your favorite memories of coming up on the mid-‘80s Atlanta music scene? Rich: Atlanta didn’t really have a big rock ‘n’ roll scene like it does now. Chris and I came up in the alternative scene, and were heavily influenced by punk-rock, then R.E.M. and the whole Paisley Underground movement in the mid-‘80s. Through them we started getting into the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and Pink Floyd, which was how our roots grew. Did you guys aspire in the early days to get as huge as you did? Rich: It was never planned. We just started playing music and took it as it came. We started out writing punk-rock songs with our cousin, because we weren’t good enough to do cover songs. Eventually a friend offered to send a tape of us to A&M, and they paid for us to go to North Carolina and record a demo when I was 15 or 16. Doors just kind of opened for us, so we never had a 5-year plan like bands do these days. Chris: I don’t think anything prepares you to lose your anonymity, especially during that era, when you were on TV 8-10 times a day with your video. We were always a strange local act. We’d have a gig at the Cotton Club and all the other local bands would have set lists of material that they would work on. We’d write a song at sound check and play it that night! But we realized we had something to say in rock music. Millions of bands dream of playing arenas and living that rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle. What was the effect of achieving so much when you were still in your early twenties?

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS THAT WE’VE HAD AN INCREDIBLE 5 YEARS. THIS IS MY FAVORITE TENURE OF THIS GROUP, THE BAND AS IT IS THE LAST FIVE YEARS AND THE LAST THREE RECORDS, WITH ME, RICH, STEVE, SVEN, ADAM AND LUTHER. Chris: When anything is that successful, people get jealous. You get in an argument with someone at a bar and for the rest of your life you’re a piece of shit or whatever. It was hard to come home, where everyone used to be happy to see you, and now you’re a “Rock Star” and they don’t know how to behave. The band has gone through a lot of members over the years. Other than the obvious blood ties, what is it that you like about your brother enough to want to keep working together after all this time? Chris: In a musical sense, it’s a weird shared genetic thing, like the Louvin Brothers or the Everly Brothers. We’re not perfect harmony singers at all, but there’s a blend that is a part of our language. We wrote “She Talks To Angels” on my mom and dad’s couch, so there’s this shared history that I think made it easy for us to be able to communicate musically and be able to finish each other’s ideas. There’s an instinctive part of making music with a sibling that is super unique and special. It’s been 20 years since Shake Your Money Maker was released. How do you feel about the monumental changes in the music business over the past two decades? Rich: You could see it heading this way, but I don’t think anyone really knew what the Internet was going to be. I think people are becoming disenfranchised, because music is so important to people and it’s become disposable thanks to the invention of the Internet and ringtones and all that shit. There’s nothing tangible or tactile to it– most people don’t hold CDs or wear band T-shirts anymore. It’s shifted so much, and it’s beaten down this creative endeavor that’s been such a strong part of our human evolution. Throughout history, we’ve used music to evolve, from religious hymns to classical music that elevates people to great heights. And now it’s a fucking ringtone you can download on your little phone! People don’t have respect for things that are so easy to get, and now that people can download anything they want I think they’ve lost respect for it. It’s become more about spectacle than it is about the music.

How do you feel about being inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame? Rich: I’m obviously very excited and honored to be a part of it. Who wouldn’t be? Especially when you think about the lineage of artists that have come from Georgia– Gram Parsons, the Allman Brothers, James Brown, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Little Richard, even R.E.M. and the B-52’s. There’s such a broad spectrum of great music that came out of Georgia, and to be a part of that is both flattering and very humbling at the same time. You guys are calling this the Say Goodnight to the Bad Guys Tour. I understand the line comes from Scarface, but how does that relate to the band and what you want to accomplish on this tour? Chris: I think it’s a little bit tongue-in-cheek. We’ve been a difficult band over the years. Along the way you get called self-indulgent, self-destructive… and all those things apply. But I also think those are the things that make for the most soulful and intriguing rock music. Even our fans will argue over us. But to us, it’s just tongue-in-cheek– say goodnight to the bad guys! I know you’re going on hiatus at the end of the tour. Any idea what’s coming next for the band? Rich: We don’t really have a next step. It’s kind of like the beginning of this band, when we never really had a plan. This time, we’re just gonna take some time off until it feels right to get back together. Chris: The most important thing is that we’ve had an incredible 5 years. This is my favorite tenure of this group, the band as it is the last five years and the last three records, with me, Rich, Steve, Sven, Adam and Luther. I think we all feel in our hearts, minds and souls that we’re going to pick it up again– probably sooner than later, hopefully– but we need some space and time for our music and our minds and our families. It’s been five years solid of touring and touring and touring. We need to explore some other stuff, and I think it’s super-progressive to look at it that way. That’s something that you learn. If we had done that earlier in our career, we probably wouldn’t be talking now! (Laughs) PG 23 • insiteatlanta.com • September 2010

Fall Festival Guide

f you thought the spring was a busy time for festivals in Atlanta, wait until you see INsite's Fall Festival Guide. It is chock full of events happening throughout the metro in September, October and November. And boy, do we love our festivals!! Stop by any of the ones listed below and you are sure to see packed crowds filled with people of all ages and backgrounds. Many of these festivals have a similar theme: food, music, kid's area, local performers, arts and crafts, vendors and more! Most are free admission or have a small admission fee. Also included in the list are some hot exhibits and a few other big happenings. Check the individual websites for more details. Enjoy!!

Atlanta, all in Downtown Atlanta. Registration will take place at the Sheraton. Dragon*Con 2010 is expected to draw more than 40,000 fans, dealers, exhibitors, artists, guests, and volunteers from all over the world. Major events include the Annual Parade down Peachtree, Friday Night Costume Contest, Awards Banquet, Masquerade, and Guinness World Record Attempt.

Atlanta's finest restaurants, Beer Garden, Peachtree Street Photobooks and performing arts stages, this will be a celebration of all types of art, with exciting events for every

Enjoy food, fun and "opa" at this year's Atlanta Greek Festival, which brings all the aromas, sounds, tastes and traditions of Greece to your doorstep. Enjoy authentic Greek food (including a festival drive thru for those short on time), cooking demonstrations, music, dancing, singing, and a special performance by the Cathedral's very own Troupe Hellas: Lykion ton Ellinindon, a national award winning dance group, who will be full of flips, thrills and surprises. Adults are $5 and children are $3. The Greek Orthodox Cathedral is located at 2500 Clairmont Road.

member of your family. This will be a free event accessible by MARTA's Midtown and North Avenue stations. A festival kickoff event is planned for Friday, Sept. 24, with an Art Auction featuring 30 bar stools created by Midtown artists. On the morning of Saturday, Sept. 25, the Midtown Mile Road Race will take place from Colony Square to the Fox Theatre. A Saturday evening outdoor film event on Peachtree Street at 10th is planned with a start time of dusk on Saturday.

Cathedral Oglethorpe University www.atlantagreekfestival.org

TASTE OF BROOKHAVEN SEPT 18 Oglethorpe University www.brookhavenartsalliance.org

SEPTEMBER FESTIVALS DRAGON*CON SEPT 3-6

Downtown Atlanta www.dragoncon.org The 24th Annual Dragon*Con is the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the US. Dragon*Con 2010 is happening Labor Day weekend at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Marriott Marquis Atlanta, the Hilton Atlanta and the Sheraton Hotel

ATLANTA GREEK FESTIVAL SEPT 30 - Oct 3 Greek Orthodox

The Brookhaven Arts Alliance presents an evening to savor with the celebration of the Taste of Brookhaven's 5th anniversary. The picturesque grounds of Brookhaven's own Conant Performing Arts Center on the campus of Oglethorpe University will be the back drop for this delectable event taking place on Saturday, September 18th from 6pm-10pm. The Brookhaven area has some outstanding local restaurants, and those participating include Blue Pointe, Brookhaven Bistro, Eclipse De Luna, Haven, Buckhead Bottle Bar and many more.

Others...

MIDTOWN FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS SEPT 25-26 Peachtree St. @ 5th-10th www.midtownfestivalofthearts.org

September 3 - 5 DECATUR BOOK FESTIVAL Downtown Decatur Square www.decaturbookfestival.com

Come down to the Midtown Mile and celebrate the first Midtown Festival of the Arts. With a large Artist Market on Peachtree Street, Kid Zone, culinary area with some of

September 4 - 6 MARIETTA ART IN THE PARK Glover Park www.marietta.com September 4 - 5

u o Y o How D

? A OP

September 30 – October 3

"Opa" is a Greek word which translates to an expression of joy and happiness... and what better place to "Opa" than at the Atlanta Greek Festival! Bring your friends and family to enjoy a jam-packed weekend of delicious foods, exciting Greek dancing, music that is sure to get you on your feet, a Saturday toga contest for prizes, church tours, fantastic shopping and so much more! Join us and find out how YOU "Opa!"

Admission: $5 for adults $3 for children 12 & under

Hours of Operation: Thursday 11am – 10pm Fri./Sat. 11am – 11pm Sunday 11am – 7pm

For information & online sales visit PG 24 • insiteatlanta.com • September 2010

atlantagreekfestival.org

ARTS IN THE CREEK Perimeter Church, Johns Creek www.artsonthecreek.org September 5, 11, 18, 25 CONCERTS ON THE SQUARE Downtown Decatur Square www.decaturba.org September 5 BEER AND WHISKEY FEST Park Tavern, Midtown www.beerandwhiskeyfest.com September 5 ATLANTA CARIBBEAN JERK FESTIVAL Panthersville Stadium, Decatur www.atlantajerkfestival.com September 6 CONCERTS BY THE SPRINGS Sandy Springs Heritage Green www.heritagesandysprings.org September 8, 15, 22, 30 BLUE SKY CONCERTS (Wednesdays at noon) Downtown Decatur Square www.decaturba.com September 9 - 12 YELLOW DAISY FESTIVAL Stone Mountain Park www.stonemountainpark.com

September 25 SMYRNA BEER FEST Smyrna Market Village www.smyrnabeerfest.com

October 9 - 10 ATLANTA PRIDE FESTIVAL Piedmont Park www.atlantapride.org

September 25 THE MILLER LITE GREAT CHILI COOK-OFF Stone Mountain Park www.theatlantachilicookoff.com

October 10 STARLIGHT DRIVE-INVASION Starlight Drive-In, Moreland Avenue www.starlightdrivein.com

September 25 - 26 SANDY SPRINGS FESTIVAL Sandy Springs Heritage Green www.sandyspringsfestival.com September 25 - 26 DULUTH FALL FESTIVAL Downtown Duluth www.duluthfallfestival.org September 29 - October 2 PETIT LE MANS ROAD RACING FESTIVAL Road Atlanta, Braselton, GA www.roadatlanta.com

OCTOBER FESTIVALS THE GREAT DECATUR CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL OCTOBER 16 Downtown Decatur Square www.decaturbeerfestival.com

September 9, 16, 23, 30 JAZZ NIGHTS AT SCOTTISH RITE Oakhurst Village www.oakhurstjazznights.com September 9, 16, 23, 30 MOVIES & THE MARKET Atlantic Station, Midtown www.atlanticstation.com September 11 A TASTE OF KENNESAW Downtown Kennesaw www.kennesawbusiness.org September 11 LILBURN MUSIC ON MAIN Lilburn City Park www.lilburnbusiness.org September 16 - 26 GWINNETT COUNTY FAIR Gwinnett County Fairgrounds www.gwinnettcountyfair.com September 18 - 19 ATLANTA ARTS FESTIVAL Piedmont Park www.atlantaartsfestival.com

Come and enjoy an afternoon of beer tasting on the Decatur square. More than 100 of the finest local, American and international beers are showcased at this annual event sponsored by area distributors and Decatur's restaurants and pubs. Enjoy live music on the Community Bandstand and food from local restaurants available for sale. Admission is $35 per person and includes a commemorative tasting glass. The festival is limited to the first 4,000 ticket holders. All tickets are sold online. No tickets are available for purchase at the gate. You must be 21 or older to attend. No children or animals allowed in the festival area.

val is again at Tech Square in the heart of Midtown Atlanta encompassing Spring Street and 5th Street. The festival will feature over 70 of Atlanta's favorite restaurants, Celebrity Chefs, Farm to Festival Village, Family Food Zone, Music, Entertainment and the Wine + Beer + Cocktail Experience. Others... October 1 - 3 NORCROSS ARTS FEST Downtown Historic Norcross www.norcrossartfest.com October 2 ATLANTA BBQ FESTIVAL Atlantic Station www.atlantabbqfestival.com October 2 HOTOBERFEST BEER FESTIVAL Glenwood Park www.hotoberfest.net

October 15 - 16 L5P HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL & PARADE Little Five Points www.l5phalloween.com October 17 AIDS WALK ATLANTA Piedmont Park www.aidswalkatlanta.com October 23 - 24 CANDLER PARK FALL FESTIVAL Candler Park www.candlerpark.org October 23 - 24 SMYRNA FALL JONQUIL FESTIVAL Village Green, Downtown Smyrna www.presentingsmyrna.com

NOVEMBER FESTIVALS

October 2 HANDS ON ATLANTA DAY www.handsonatlanta.org

November 6 CHOMP AND STOMP CHILI COOK OFF & FESTIVAL Cabbagetown Park www.chompandstomp.com

October 9 OAKHURST ARTS & MUSIC FESTIVAL Oakhurst Village's Harmony Park www.oakhurstartsandmusicfestival.com

November 6 - 7 CHASTAIN PARK ARTS FESTIVAL Chastain Park www.chastainparkartsfestival.com

October 9 - 10 SWEET AUBURN HERITAGE FESTIVAL Historic Auburn Avenue www.sweetauburn.com

November 6 - 20 BOOK FESTIVAL OF THE MJCCA Marcus Jewish Community Center www.atlantajcc.org

BROOKHAVEN ARTS FESTIVAL October 17 - 18 Apple Valley Road www.brookhavenartsalliance.com

September 18 - 19 JAPANFEST Gwinnett Center Convention Center www.japanfest.org September 18 MARIETTA STREET FEST Historic Marietta Square www.mariettahistory.org September 18 EAST ATLANTA STRUT East Atlanta Village www.eastatlantastrut.com September 18 TASTE OF SMYRNA Village Green, Downtown Smyrna www.presentingsmyrna.com September 18 SUWANEE DAY FESTIVAL Town Center Park, Suwanee www.suwaneeday.com September 18 - 19 ROSWELL ARTS FESTIVAL Roswell Town Square www.roswellartsfestival.com September 23 - October 3 NORTH GEORGIA STATE FAIR Jim R. Miller State Park, Marietta www.northgeorgiastatefair.com

This festival offers something for everyone. Highlights include live entertainment featuring classic rock, blues, jazz and soul music. At the Children's Market, kids can create an heirloom bART, paint rocks, or contribute to the Community Mural Project. There will also be traditional fest food and beverages and lots of fine art. Blazing new talents and established artists alike from around the Southeast have helped make the Brookhaven Arts Festival (BAF) one of Atlanta's most popular fall events. The BAF is held on Apple Valley Road, directly behind the Brookhaven MARTA Station. There is convenient access to Peachtree Road, I-85, GA400, and MARTA plus ample free parking.

TASTE OF ATLANTA October 23 - 24 Tech Square, Midtown

www.tasteofatlanta.net

Taste of Atlanta is a dynamic, flavor filled 2day outdoor food festival that showcases the diversity of Atlanta's food scene and attracts food lovers from Atlanta, the Southeast and beyond. Now in its 9th year, this year's festiPG 25 • insiteatlanta.com • September 2010

Fall Festival Guide EVENTS & ATTRACTIONS NETHERWORLD SEPT 24 - NOV 6 Georgia Antique & Design Center 6624 Dawson Blvd. Norcross, GA www.fearworld.com

Spectacular Family Affordable Prices Starting at Just $15!

SAVE $4 on Tickets to all Saturday and Sunday Shows!

Just when you thought Netherworld Haunted House couldn’t outdo itself, it returns in its 14th year for an expanded house and a monster fest of epic proportions! GARGOYLE and DEAD SALVAGE, featuring the infamous MANGLER, will take fear-seeking fans to a whole new level of horror. Created by devilish duo and movie professionals Ben Armstrong and Billy Messina, Netherworld’s custom Hollywood-quality sets and special effects, hundreds of skilled actors and scary attention to detail has earned the haunt the distinction as one of the Top Haunted Houses in the world and #1 haunted house in America in 2009 by Fangoria. With supernatural creatures swarming guests before they enter the houses, Netherworldprovides an incredible fear factor from the moment you step on-site.

BODIES…THE EXHIBITION

HIGH MUSEUM OF ART

1280 Peachtree St. Woodruff Arts Center www.high.org

This fall, visitors will be able to catch the High Museum's new exhibit, Dalí: The Late Work (through January 9, 2011). The High is the sole venue for the first exhibition to focus on Dalí's art after 1940. Also on exhibit through January is Signs of Life: Photographs by Peter Sekaer which is the first major exhibition dedicated to the work of the Danishborn American photographer. The High will also present the 25th annual Latin American Film Festival from Friday, September 24, to Saturday, October 30. This year's festival will feature fifteen outstanding recent films. The museum will also hold much of its regular programming during the fall including a College Night Event on September 25, Friday Jazz, lectures, family programs and much more.

RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM & BAILEY "ILLUSCINATION" September 10 - 12

The Arena at Gwinnett Center, Duluth GA www.ringling.com

Atlantic Station www.bodiestheexhibition.com

(Offer valid on $15 & $25 price levels only. Excludes VIP and VIP Floor seats. Service charges, facility and handling fees may apply. No double discounts.)

SEPT 10 - 12 The Arena at Gwinnett Center

OFFER VALID:

Sat. SEPT. 11 � 11:30 AM, 3:30 & 7:30 PM Sun. SEPT. 12 � 1:30 & 5:30 PM

4 EASY WAYS TO REDEEM: 1. In person at The Arena at Gwinnett Center Box Ofﬁce with a copy of this ad. 2. Online at Ticketmaster.com and use savings code CLOWN2 3. Call 1-800-745-3000 and mention code CLOWN2 Retail Location and mention code CLOWN2 4. Visit a REGULAR TICKET PRICES: $15 - $25 - $35 VIP - $55 VIP Floor seats Come one hour early to meet our animals and performers at the All Access Pre-show – FREE with your ticket!

Ringling.com

BODIES . . . The Exhibition--which features actual human specimens-- takes visitors through galleries providing an up-close look inside the skeletal, muscular, reproductive, respiratory, circulatory and other systems of the human body. Visitors will gain a once in a lifetime understanding of how elaborate and fascinating the body truly is.

DIALOG IN THE DARK Atlantic Station www.dialogtickets.com

This fantasy-filled world where magic and daring create the most unexpected experiences makes a visit to Illuscinator David DaVinci takes audiences to a world that combines thrills and wonderment with the outlandish fun of the circus. All the action in Illuscination takes place just a few feet away from your seat. Audience members' eyes will be transfixed high above the center of the ring as they witness acts whose feet never come close to touching the ground. The Sky-High Sensation, Francleib Rodrigues, is a courageous daredevil who walks, upside down, across the ring, without a safety harness, three stories above the audience.

Disney on Ice Toy Story 3 Oct. 13-17 Philips Arena www.philipsarena.com

Also located at the Premiere Exhibition Center at Atlantic Station, Dialog in the Dark, a groundbreaking exhibition, is an hour long experience where visitors are lead by blind or visually impaired guides through everyday environments in complete darkness where scents, sounds and textures become alive and are experienced in a whole new way. The exhibition takes visitors on a life changing journey that will challenge conventional thinking as they learn to "see" without sight. PG 26 • insiteatlanta.com • September 2010

Have you heard the buzz? The Toys are back in town! Disney on Ice is back with Disney / Pixar’s Toy Story III, the 2010 summer blockbuster. See scenes from all three Toy Story movies in this fun filled production. Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, Rex and the whole gang will be there. Root them on as they carry out their mission to get back to Andy’s house.

MUSIC

REBEL WITHOUT A PAUSE

Just because Public Enemy’s Chuck D is on his Fifth Decade doesn’t Mean He’s not Staying Relevant in the Digital Age BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

OLLING STONE RELEASED two hugely-debated lists a few years ago. One was the 100 greatest artists of all time and another was the 500 best albums ever. Public Enemy and the group’s landmark release, It Takes a Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back, were the two highest hip hop entries on either list at No. 44 and No. 48 respectively. However Chuck D, the influential ensemble’s eloquent front man since its 1982 inception, has far more important things to be concerned with. Such as P.E.’s current tour (performing at Atlanta’s Center Stage on September 14), his new solo album, exciting web ventures and getting access to Barack Obama’s ear. Why is your latest project, Don’t Rhyme for the Sake of Riddling, so vital right now? It doesn’t have to be vital; it just is what it is. It’s like a bunch of songs I made over the years and some new songs over the years that I’m able to bind together in a sole statement. You know, my biggest advice for the artist and rappers or singers is to talk about what you see. If you don’t see enough, learn something and then talk about it or rhyme about it or sing about it. So, I think it’s saying it like it is. That’s very important. Okay, speaking of things that you see, what are few things going on in the world right now that have really captured your interest? Shit, everyday it’s something that goes on and then there’s a story going on behind the story. I mean, as far as black folks, you know, I always say this is the time to take advantage of this time when you have a Barack Obama in office and really sharpen your head to pay attention to all the games being played. [You should be] able to try to get past some of the lies and hypocrisies and the disadvantages. If you are over 25 or 30 years old and you don’t understand what you got to do, you are a goddamn fool! And you also gotta be able to understand that in 2012, you might not have a Barack Obama. There might be someone else in there. Then what you going to do? So, I’m not saying, “Hey, he stands for black people”, but I am saying that, you know, that whatever is on our horizon, you better be ready for. We already have so many disadvantages going on where the entertainment industry has make jail look like a joke. Entertainers can go in there for two weeks, whether it be Lil’ Wayne or Lindsey Lohan, but a real person goes in there for a 15-year bid for hardly doing anything. That’s a reality because prison is a big business, so the feeding of the prison industrial complex, to me, and the willingness for radio and television and magazines to glorify that lifestyle is just one of the biggest tragedies we got as black folks. It is borderline sickening. We glorify the T.I.s and the Waynes and Lindsey Lohans and whoever else serving two weeks. I mean, T.I. is a smart, good guy, man. But you know what? If somebody was to cover him because of whatever happened to him or some crimes aspect or somebody covers an aspect of what he said lyrically that might be on the edge, then whose fault is it?

YOU GOT TO BE MORE THAN ALRIGHT. YOU GOT TO BE MIND BLOWING. AND I HEARD ALL KINDS OF EXCUSES. YOU SHOULD GET UP ON THAT STAGE AND MAKE SURE SOMEBODY’S WATCHING YOU SAY, “I CAN’T DO THAT” OR “IN ORDER FOR ME TO DO THAT, I GOT TO REALLY WORK ON MY THING...

Is it T.I.’s or the coverage of T.I.? We know, as black folks, negativity travels very fast and it’s very viral and it’s very excitable and it ends up being another piece of consumption. That is the tragedy, man. The artist can do whatever they say ‘cuz we can always say that they’re fantasizing or they’re telling a reality. The problem is that when you have all these things around supporting it without an explanation. Rap cats under 30 look to you and P.E. as inspiration. Do you find any inspiration from today’s young artist? Yeah, of course, but we travel to 70 different countries. Although I live in Atlanta and New York, California and all that, understand Public Enemy goes to 70 different countries. That’s 70 different countries full of young people and rappers and a hip hop world that’s actually on a level just as equal or maybe surpassed that of the United States. So, I got to pay attention to all that. Why are you still hungry to rap? You’re a legend in music. I would think your money’s together. Well, you can do music forever. People say, “Yo, you still doing music?” I look at the Rolling Stones and BB King. BB King, when he gets his guitar, he’s going to go. He ain’t doing it ‘cuz he getting paid. He’s just got to be able to talk to the guys. He’s got to be able to talk to the moon or something. That’s what music is about. I look at guys in other genres and I think rap should be as strong as rock. You got to seriously get to the basis. I mean, I come from an era where cats go into an arena [and performed well]. Three groups could go into Philips Arena and tear it up—not physically, but people would leave there saying, “Yeah, that was the best thing I ever saw for $20.” Now they pay $85 and $90 or $150 a head and people like, “Well, I paid for it.” [Someone asks] How was it? “It was alright.” I mean, you got to be more than alright. You got to be mind blowing. And I heard all kinds of excuses. You should get up on that stage and make sure somebody’s watching you say, “I can’t

do that” or “In order for me to do that, I got to really work on my thing.” But, dude, we might go see a Falcons game or a Hawks game or a Braves game and, regardless of what you say as a fan in those seats, you know for damn sure you can’t do that. It’s got to be the same thing for hip hop or rap music. You get in that audience, there’s got to be a separation between the person on the stage and the one in the crowd. There should be a relationship with the person on the stage and the person in the crowd as being equal not superior. That’s what artists need to work on, but they can’t get it by themselves. They’ve got to be developed. They gotta be managed into understanding the importance of public relations. The public relations in rap music and hip hop in the last 15 years has been atrocious. I’ve always been fascinated with how you’ve adapted to the digital age and iTunes and all that kind of stuff. Were you reluctant to that at first? When we got into the digital age, there was no iTunes. Apple hadn’t even started their whole thing. Since 1998, Public Enemy was the first website by a rap group other than the Beastie Boys. So, getting involved with that allowed us to go right to our fan base around the world. And being with a company that was only a domestic thing, I kept asking, “Well, how come you can’t [package] what I’m doing around the world?” They had no answer for me so we immediately went to the internet and we left Def Jam. So, the minute we left Def Jam, that’s when we got into the world wide web. So, you can tell your people to go to publicenemy.com. Slamjamz.com is the label. Hiphopgods.com is my pride and joy right now. It’s where classic rap evolves. Speaking of classic rap, tell me a little about that Bring the Noise box that you’re about to drop? Yeah, man. It’s our post Def Jam years [stuff ]. It’s our 1999 to 2010 [material] and it covers the whole 10 years of what we’ve

done as an independent situation, taking advantage of the internet and songs people never heard before.

WIN PRIZES FOR VOTING!*

ATLANTA, CAST YOUR VOTE!

Please vote by October 19.

www.institeatlanta.com

*For eligibility of prizes, voter must vote in at least 15 categories. Qualiﬁed ballots will be entered in a pool. Prizes will be drawn at random and winners will receive awards via mail by November 15,2009.

PG 27 • insiteatlanta.com • September 2010

MUSIC

THAT WHICH HAS BEEN SEEN…

Ashers Frontman Mark Civitarese On His New Band, Classic Punk & The Future Of The Unseen BY JOHN B. MOORE PHOTO BY LAUREN MANGINI

ARK CIVITARESE AKA MARK Unseen) is probably one of the most recognizable punk rockers playing today. Sure, he’s got that impressive Mohawk, but he’s also got a solid rep the past two decades for turning out gritty, blistering street punk that pays tribute to everyone from Black Flag to Bad Religion. Best known as the front man for The Unseen, the Boston-based group that blends hardcore/ punk rock/metal and just about every other teeth rattling genre, Civitarese has spent the past year lending his voice to a new band: Ashers. Relax; The Unseen isn’t gone forever, they’re just taking some time oﬀ. Civitarese spoke recently about the new band, trying to break even,

and yes, he even put up with the inevitable question about the future of The Unseen.

So is The Unseen officially over? The Unseen is not over. We are just laying low for awhile. We toured non stop for over five years and some of the guys are just burnt out. The Unseen members all lost girlfriends, jobs, did not go to school, etc. We threw away our lives for punk rock and I don’t regret it at all but maybe some others do (laughs). For now, a few of ‘em wanna work, pay off debts and enjoy a normal life, myself, I wanna rock so here I am with Ashers and I’m fuckin’ psyched to release our album Kill Your Master. It’s one of my fav things I have ever recorded; right up there with Unseen’s Explode album and the Self Destruct EP. So is Ashers a one-time side project? A fulltime band?

Ashers is a full time band. We just got home from Europe where we had an amazing tour with Rejected Youth, Ticking Bombs, Riot Brigade and Obtrusive. All are European bands and all are awesome; check them out! Anyway yeah Ashers is a real band we have an American tour (this summer) then some weekend local shows and then off to Europe in August for some festival shows and club shows. This is all to support our album it comes out in July. Aside from the members, how does Ashers differ from some of the other bands you have all come from (The Unseen, Crash and Burn, etc.)? Well Ashers, to me, is a blend of hardcore punk similar to Black Flag and Circle Jerks mixed with some other styles like Motorhead and Zeke. This band is a bit different then what any of us have done because we are blending different styles and trying different things but meanwhile we are recording it to sound striped down and raw. This recording is way more raw then the last Unseen albums. It is recorded basic, not many overdubs on guitars and vocals. We did this on purpose. So how did you and Billy (Brown, lead guitar) first meet? I have known Billy for a long time. He used to live with friends of mine and we used to share a practice space in the basement of his house. We played shows together for years. I was in Unseen and Global Threat and both my bands played with his old bands Crash and Burn and Bill’s other old band Shoot the Hostages. Where did the other members come from? Our bassist Joe (Packard) was in the Deadly Sins, Billy’s last band. He is the best bassist I have ever played with! Justin (Brooks) plays second guitar.

He lived local and wanted in. We tried him out and he sounded good and had a Mohawk so we let him join. Kasey (Rivera), our drummer, joined the band after our last drummer quit 10 hours before tour. He is weird as fuck but anyone who is willin’ to join on 10 hours notice is ok with us!

When you’ve been working with another group of guys for years and know how each other communicates, is it tough at all to start all over again working with a new band? No, not really. We all just clicked and again I have known Bill for a long time. Plus I am used to traveling with different bands and having different people on tour with Unseen, like different bassists and different merch people, so I’m used to change. When did you start working on Kill Your Master? Well, four songs on Kill Your Master are over two years old. They were written when we started and are on our EP. We rerecorded them because they are great tunes and did not get the justice they deserve… The rest of the songs were written over the past year and a half, but a good chunk of them were done in past 5 or 6 months. I think the later songs, the newer ones, are our best. The last three tunes we did ”Vanished” and “Time Lapse,” both thrashy Black Flag meets Varukers sounding and “Blood and Grain,” a Motorhead meets filth sounding song, are all great. We had to wait longer then we wanted to record the album and I’m glad. The wait gave us some great tunes! What’s next for you? I’ll be making music and touring with Ashers for awhile and probably doing some Unseen shows next year. Aside from that I’ll be drinking Scorpion Bowls and listing to Blood for Blood.

HELL ON WHEELS

Hardcore Band This Is Hell Deals With Adversity By Hitting The Road BY JOHN B. MOORE PHOTO BY RUBEN NAVARRO

T’S BEEN A ROUGH COUPLE OF YEARS FOR LONG Island hardcore mainstays This is Hell. Parting with half of their band and their former label, not to mention scrapping the first few takes off of what would become their new album (Weight of the World), all in the span of about a year, it’s been… well, hell. But the six-year-old band, no strangers to set backs and hard knocks, picked themselves up and did what they always do best… hit the road. Well-accustomed to cramped vans and out of the way punk rock clubs from Atlanta to Amsterdam, This is Hell soldiers on, content with making an impact on hardcore kids one tour stop at a time. Founding member and guitarist Rick Jiminez spoke recently about the new record, living for the band and life on the road. You guys seem to be always on the road. Is that by design? When we first started that was kind of the point of the band, to go out full time as many shows a year as possible. All of us had done other bands for years, but none of us had really done it full time for one reason or another. This is just something we wanted to do, not just make hardcore music a hobby, but do it full time and make it our lives.

Oh, it deﬁnitely was going to be music. I think one of my earliest memories in life was about wanting to be in a band. I remember at 3 years old watching Def Leppard on MTV and making fake guitars out of cardboard and wanting to be in a band. And I didn’t even learn how to play guitar until I was 11 or 12. Once I started playing guitar, everything else was based around trying to be in a band. And once I heard hardcore, that was it!

So how did you get into hardcore and punk? I was actually more of a metal head growing up. The first band I really, really liked was Def Leppard, and from there went to Guns N’ Roses, which became Metallica and Megadeth, which became Pantera and Slayer. From there you discover other bands. When bands like Green Day and Offspring came out I was still a metal head and started to find punk bands and then hardcore bands. When I saw Sick of It All for the first time it was like a switch going off. Everything made sense. Musically it was what my life had been leading up to. You guys played with Sick of It All recently. What was that like? We’ve played with them a few times and it’s completely ridiculous. That band is the embodiment of everything that is correct with music, so being accepted and treated like a peer by them is ridiculous to me.

It seems like it would be tough to have a life outside of the band. It’s completely impossible. It was kind of the diﬀerence between a hobby and making this band a top priority. That’s why we are always out so much. We’ve gone through tons of label changes and member changes and writing a new record, which is why we haven’t been out as much lately.

You’ve got as new drummer, a new bass player; so half the band is new. How does that change the dynamic of the group? Dynamic wise it changes because it’s a different group of people hanging out, which in itself is a pretty big difference. Our last bass player and our current bass player are completely different personalities.

So did you know all along you were going to play music or was it just do anything but a normal job?

So did you make a conscious decision to change it up? It wasn’t “I don’t want to do this because it sounds just like the

PG 28 • insiteatlanta.com • September 2010

LITTLE BY LITTLE, AS I KEPT WRITING, THE STUFF BECAME FASTER, MORE AGGRESSIVE AND THRASHY AND METAL-ISH. IT WAS MORE OF THE ATTITUDE OF HOW THE BAND WAS FEELING AT THE TIME. last record;” It was more a concern of whether I liked what I was hearing and what I was trying to get out and express. The ﬁrst few songs that we wrote and we ended up scrapping weren’t really what I wanted to write about. It had a dark, brooding feel and I was really over that at this point. Little by little, as I kept writing, the stuﬀ became faster, more aggressive and thrashy and metal-ish. It was more of the attitude of how the band was feeling at the time.

Boy, Oh Boise!

SPORTS

2010 NCAA Football Preview

BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

he Grove Plaza is the centerpiece of downtown Boise. When city organizers plan the national championship parade route in early January, the popular attraction will undoubtedly play a big role in things. But who are we kidding? The state of Idaho probably has the celebration already planned out. Everyone’s just been waiting so patiently for the time to pull out the confetti. Since September 21, 2005, in fact, the beloved Boise State University football squad has gone 57-7, including undefeated runs in 2006 and last year. (Florida, by the way, has a 54-10 record over the same span.) But because the Broncos have begun past seasons so low in the polls, they haven’t been able to fully make the BCS climb. As AP’s preseason No. 3, that all changes this year. And after early wins vs. Virginia Tech and Oregon State, high-powered Boise State will be in great shape to cruise through the Western Athletic Conference, eek past defending champ Alabama in the title game on January 10 and schedule a well-deserved march to The Grove Plaza a few days later.

1. BOISE STATE

The mid-major bully has screamed for its shot. The polls have ﬁnally heard its cry. Stars Kellen Moore (QB), Jeremy Avery (RB), Austin Pettis (WR) and Chris Petersen (dynamic head coach) won’t ﬂinch under the lights.

2. ALABAMA

Everybody knows the big names: Nick Saban, Heisman winner Mark Ingram and Julio Jones. But for the Crimson Tide to dominate the SEC again, they’ll need Dont’a Hightower to star on a revamped defensive front.

4. TEXAS

Folks harp so much on upstart QB Garrett Gilbert and the Longhorns’ new downhill running that the amazing direction of the defense largely gets lost.

5. IOWA

Hawkeyes QB Rick Stanzi only completed 56.2% of his passes last year. The super stout

17. PENN STATE

Joe Paterno insists he’s going to coach until his dying day. Good thing for him Evan Royster, the school’s next alltime rushing leader, is so full of life.

18. UTAH

By relocating from the Mountain West to the Pac-10 next year, the Utes will be playing with the big boys. QB Jordan Wynn is a huge reason they’re not worried.

19. LSU

Only in the SEC can a coach like Les Miles go 9-4 and feel the mercury rise under his seat. Studs Patrick Peterson and Russell Shepard cool any more ﬁring rumors.

20. WEST VIRGINIA defense, however, connected on an unoﬃcial 90% of its hits.

6. MIAMI

If, and it’s a Everglades-sized if, this group has grown from last year’s 9-4 mark, they could shock OSU. If the Hurricanes do that, the ACC will need to evacuate.

7. FLORIDA

Before shedding too many tears for the Gators losing star Tim Tebow to the NFL, chomp on this: new QB John Brantley is darn good and the D is dynamite.

8. OREGON

Ducks coach Chip Kelly won’t allow Eugene to turn to a media circus around Jeremiah Masoli’s ousting. Cameras need to focus on a Pac-10 title repeat run anyways.

3. OHIO STATE

On Sept. 11, Bama plays Penn State and Oklahoma battles Florida State. Still, the day’s biggest non-conference ﬁght will be in Columbus between these exciting, Terrelle Pryor-led Buckeyes and Miami. The winner may get its big chance on Jan. 10.

name called. Sadly, not a soul would call this defense much good.

BOISE STATE’S QB KELLEN MOORE

9. TCU

The Horned Frogs’ QB, Andy Dalton, would love a do-over of his last BCS bowl game (three picks in a Boise State loss). Go undefeated and he may get his wish.

10. OKLAHOMA

We don’t see the Sooners losing ﬁve games like they did a year ago, but with Florida State, Cincinnati and a fuming Texas on the sked, we see three potentials.

11. VIRGINIA TECH

Had Boise State not been on their Sept. slate, the Hokies would be higher. We like Ryan Williams and the Michael Vick-like Tyrod Taylor just that much.

12. USC

Many have questioned Lane Kiﬃn’s coaching skills. If he can somehow keep this super talented (but postseason ineligible) bunch motivated, he’ll earn our respect.

13. GEORGIA TECH

Coach Paul Johnson’s triple option must work like a dream if the Jackets are to survive a nightmarish November vs. Va Tech, Miami, Duke and UGA.

The Moutaineers have hills to climb in the Big East, namely Mount Pitt and UConn. Thankfully, Noel Devine is an RB who can scale most any obstacle.

21. NORTH CAROLINA

It’s great the defense is so good in Chapel Hill because with all the rule infractions controversy, the PR team will be on the defensive the rest of the year.

22. OREGON STATE

Jacquizz Rodgers (1,440 yards, 21 TDs) has a lot of Heisman supporters. The Beavers’ sked (TCU, Louisville and Boise St.) gets the vote for toughest.

23. GEORGIA

Okay, so Aaron Murray ain’t exactly Matty Staﬀord. And sure, the guys see more police precincts than Dick Wolf. Still, these Dawgs have some bite. You’ll see.

14. NEBRASKA

The Huskers return 15 riled-up players from a team that went 10-4. The city of Lincoln’s gonna be ﬁghtin’ mad if Big Red isn’t 5-0 for its Texas tussle in Oct.

15. PITTSBURGH

The Panthers have almost every angle covered: by land (RB Dion Lewis) and by D (DE Greg Romeus). It’s the unproven air attack that may hold them back.

16. ARKANSAS

If the NFL draft was held today, Razorbacks signal caller Ryan Mallet could be the ﬁrst

24. WISCONSIN

If the Badgers are to win their ﬁrst Big Ten title since ’99, they’re going to need RB John Clay to be special every Saturday—especially on Oct. 16 vs. Ohio State.

25. FLORIDA STATE

If early chatter is to be taken as fact, the Noles’ defense is much better. QB Christian Ponder and ﬁrst-year coach Jimbo Fisher will take any help they can get.

COLUMN

OUR FAVORITE THINGS W BY B. LOVE

HEN YOU’RE ON VACATION, the last thing you want to worry about is your camera gear. That’s why we love our ZION NOTEBOOK CAMERA BACKPACK from M-ROCK (www.m-rock.com). With interior dimensions of H 16.5” x W 11” x D 6.25”, it has room for two camera bodies plus all of our lenses, ﬂashes and accessories. Its adjustable divider system allows us to modify the space to suit our needs, while the removable camera bag inside is perfect for run-and-shoot situations. Heavily padded but weighing just 7 pounds, the bag is comfortable and durable, ensuring it will be a musthave on our global adventures for years to come. Summer may be almost over, but

Atlanta’s dog days usually continue well into October. Inspired by local vendor The King Of Pops, we’ve had a blast cooling oﬀ by making our own adult treats with the ONYX STAINLESS STEEL POPSICLE MOLD (www.thetickletrunk. com). Each set comes with one stand, 6 molds, 6 lids and 12 removable silicone rings to ensure proper stick placement. There are tons of recipes online, but we created our own by blending fresh

watermelon and berries, a dash of Splenda for added sweetness, and a couple shots of melon vodka to give it that extra kick. Trust us: Try it once and you’ll ﬁnd your re-discovering the love of popsicles you had when you were a kid. I was extremely dubious when we got an email from the reps at chicBuds (www.chicbuds.com) touting the wonders of their CHICBOOM KEYCHAIN SPEAKER. After all, the thing is about the size of a small rock and looks like Hello Kitty getting mauled by a blinged-out leopard. But when we plugged our iPod into it at the lake one day, the diminutive 2-watt speaker delivered a

remarkably robust, distortion-free sound we could hear clearly from over 50 feet away. With a built-in lithium-ion rechargeable battery that plays for up to four hours on a single charge, it’s the perfect portable speaker: Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman. A ﬁerce individualist from the time I was a teen, I’ve always sought out distinctive clothing that would reﬂect my personality rather than some trendy designer’s logo. That’s why I love ZAZZLE, which allows you to create your own artful clothing and shoes from any image you can imagine– photographs from your vacation, your child’s drawings or, in this case, the artwork of my talented friend Loree Harrell (www.zazzle.com/loree_harrell+gifts). Made from her painting titled “We Are Still Here Waiting,” these Keds shoes are one-of-a-kind, and I’ve never gotten more compliments on a pair of sneakers. Can’t wait to design my own for Xmas gifts!

PG 29 • insiteatlanta.com • September 2010

SPORTS

BACK TO 2010 NFL PREVIEW SCHOOL! T BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

HE DALLAS COWBOYS AND Baltimore Ravens are the league’s best teams. New Orleans, Green Bay and Indianapolis will ﬁght to prevent the two from meeting at Super Bowl XLV in Texas.

NFC SOUTH

1. NEW ORLEANS – We’re not saying a repeat is impossible –We certainly know the voodoo that Drew Brees does so well- but we’re just not sold on Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush having enough rushing magic. 2. ATLANTA – Matt Ryan threw for 2,916 yards in ’09 and it was considered a bad year. Michael Turner rushed for 871 yards in just 11 games. When these two weapons play to their potential, the Saints will have a ﬁght on their hands. 3. CAROLINA – Though DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart make up one of the league’s best RB tandems, the Panthers can’t fully roar because Matt Moore and Jimmy Clausen form one of the league’s biggest QB quandaries. 4. TAMPA BAY – While owner Malcolm Glazer attempts to work on ﬁnancial issues with his futbol club, the Manchester United, his penny-pinching football team can’t land reputable free agents and home-grown talent (Josh Freeman) is slow to adjust.

NFC EAST

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1. DALLAS – The Super Bowl’s in their backyard. Because they have a good QB (Tony Romo), a great wideout duo (Miles Austin and rookie Dez Bryant) and a gigantic defensive line, the Cowboys may not have to pack for the big game. 2. NEW YORK – The Giants were completely lost last year. Eli Manning should have better directions. The defense seems to be going the right way and upstarts Ahmad Bradshaw and Hakeem Nicks have already left teammates in their dust. 3. PHILADELPHIA – Kevin Kolb replaces polarizing Philly staple Donovan McNabb. He’s got two receivers, DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, with stunning north-south speed. The moment Kolb slips though, he’s gonna be tossed out in the cold. 4. WASHINGTON – With Mike Shanahan on the sidelines and McNabb in the huddle, D.C.’s ushering in a new cabinet. If Clinton Portis’ platform were secure (he’s an old 29) and their defense more sound, the Redskins would have our vote.

NFC NORTH

1. GREEN BAY – So much attention goes Aaron Rodgers’ way that we sometimes forget about the folks he’s handing off (Ryan Grant) and passing (Greg Jennings, Jermichael Finley) the ball to. 2. MINNESOTA – Brett “The Diva from Dixie” Favre decided he’d give it one last try. When you’ve got Adrian Peterson, Percy Harvin and Sidney Rice (out ‘til Nov), the decision becomes a lot easier. 3. CHICAGO – The Bears may be the only team that’s a must-watch during punt returns (Johnny Knox) and kickoffs (Devin Hester). Sadly, those may be the only times. 4. DETROIT – Rookies elsewhere may be getting the fanfare, but if there’s a more important first-year guy to a team’s offense than Jahvid Best, we’d like to meet him.

NFC WEST

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1. SAN FRANCISCO – The Niners simply have too much going for them –Frank Gore’s calves, Michael Crabtree’s catches and the NFC West’s complacencynot to succeed. 2. ARIZONA – The Red Birds only need Matt Leinart to be half the QB Kurt Warner was. Larry Fitzgerald and the tailbacks (Beanie Wells, Tim Hightower) will manage the rest. 3. SEATTLE – Pete Carroll has tried the NFL coaching thing before and only got mixed results. We don’t expect much this year either because Matt Hasselbeck is aging, the run game is agonizing and the defense is anguishing. 4. ST. LOUIS – Donnie Avery, the Rams’ top receiver, is out for the year. That leaves new franchise QB Sam Bradford to pass to overmatched Laurent Robinson and hand oﬀ to the overworked Steven Jackson.

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP: Dallas over Green Bay, 34-24 AFC SOUTH

1. INDIANAPOLIS – One of these days Peyton Manning is going to slow down. But seeing as how Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon and Dallas Clark still run routes for him, that day ain’t here yet. 2. TENNESSEE – Chris Johnson says he’s going to gain 2,500 yards this season. That may be a tad ambitious, but expectations for these balanced Titans making the playoﬀs are quite real. 3. HOUSTON – We all know about Andre Johnson. We’ll soon know Arian Foster too. But we really don’t know why more folks don’t call Matt Schaub an elite QB. 4. JACKSONVILLE – Maurice Jones-Drew does everything well. He had 1,391 rushing yards and 52 receptions a year ago. But until he starts playing safety or running back punts, these Jags won’t be in the hunt.

AFC EAST

1. NEW YORK – You’ll have to excuse head coach Rex Ryan if he mixes up some of the new names on offense (LaDainian Tomlinson, Santonio Holmes) and D (Antonio Cromartie, Kyle Wilson). He’ll have them figured out by the playoffs. 2. NEW ENGLAND – To the folks saying Bill Belichick and Tom Brady’s best days are behind them, we say we’re looking forward to watching Randy Moss and a rehabbed Wes Welker prove you wrong. 3. MIAMI – Brandon Marshall had a super ’09 (1,120 yards, 10 TDs) with an average QB in Denver. Now that on-the-verge Chad Henne is tossing it to him, we expect even better from him and the Fins. 4. BUFFALO – We’ve seen the preseason tapes and, yes, C.J. Spiller appears to be the real deal in the backfield. We saw last year’s game footage too and, no, QB Trent Edwards isn’t all that good.

AFC NORTH

1. BALTIMORE – The Anquan Boldin signing puts this already-good group in another stratosphere. Joe Flacco controls the sky. Ray Rice dominates the earth. The ageless Ray Lewis orchestrates from the other side like few others in NFL history. 2. CINCINNATI – The Bengals were pretty smart to get Terrell Owens. He eases Chad Ochocinco’s load, presents Carson Palmer with another dependable target and takes some of the opposing D oﬀ the line, freeing up Cedric Benson for even more rushing yards. 3. PITTSBURGH – If the resilient Steelers can just keep above water while Ben Roethlisberger serves his suspension, they’ll battle the Bengals for second. If not, the Browns have a buddy in the basement. 4. CLEVELAND– Return magician Josh Cribbs is now probably the biggest star in Cleveland. That pretty much sums up the football prospects in Northeast Ohio for the foreseeable future.

AFC WEST

1. SAN DIEGO – Though some big names have sailed away (LT, Vincent Jackson), there is still lots of talent floating through Southern California—namely Philip Rivers. 2. OAKLAND – Raiders fans are optimistic every year. But this season, thanks to Jason Campbell’s arrival and Nnamdi Asomugha’s assertiveness, we finally understand why. 3. DENVER – There’s some good (Knowshon Moreno) and not-so-good (Kyle Orton, Eddie Royal) here, but not enough either way for us to take the Denver Blah-cos seriously. 4. KANSAS CITY – The Chiefs gave QB Matt Cassel $63 million and he responded with just four wins and 16 picks. RB Jamaal Charles makes about $400,000 yet he got 658 yards in the final four games. And we wonder why they’re consistently in last place…

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP: Baltimore over Indianapolis, 28-24 SUPER BOWL XLV: Baltimore over Dallas, 31-28

SPORTS

FANATIC A Monthly Sports Wrap-up BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS The road to the BCS title game is a winding, crooked one. These ﬁve huge September games will go a long way to determining who will stay on the right path: 1) Boise State vs. Virginia Tech, Sept 6; 2) Miami vs. Ohio State, Sept 11; 3) Alabama vs. Penn State, Sept 11; 4) Oregon State vs. TCU, Sept 4; 5) Georgia Tech vs. UNC, Sept 18.

5) St. Louis rookie QB Sam Bradford will have a 300yard passing game. “I don’t think I was an addict. I think I could control what I was doing. I just was wrong and I got caught. I actually went to some Gamblers Anonymous classes and I sat there for three or four of them and I’m trying to ﬁgure out what I have in similarities with these other people and I could never ﬁnd anything. It just seems like it wasn’t the right place for me. I didn’t take my last dime and go bet it. I was in control. I knew what I was doing.” PETE ROSE

“If you really look at where the guy’s at, you realize that he has his head on straight. I’m 100 percent comfortable that Maurice Clarett is not going to do anything to hurt this football team or this city.” Pete Rose And finally… –OMAHA NIGHTHAWKS GM By sweeping recent Truck Series, RICKMUELLER, after his team Nationwide and Nextel Cup races, Kyle Busch became signed Clarett, a former Ohio State star who served the first driver in NASCAR history to win all three 3 ½ years in prison for aggravated robbery major series races at the same track, in the same week… So many folks are fawning over Albert Pujols Hey, NFL fans, had your fill of Brett Favre and and Joey Votto’s NL triple crown run that they’re Darrelle Revis stories yet? We have too, so we overlooking Atlanta’s Omar Infante, an infielder who promise not to bore you with any more of that. We might snatch the batting title if he averages 4.42 at bats will, however, offer five other guarantees for the first through September… ESPN analyst John Clayton’s month of the regular season: 1) New England’s Wes five worst NFL QBs: Josh Freeman (Tampa Bay), Sam Welker will have at least one 100-yard receiving Bradford (St. Louis), Trent Edwards (Buffalo), Matt game; 2) The New York Jets will lose two of their Moore (Carolina) and Jake Delhomme (Cleveland)…. first three games; 3) The Terrell Owens experiment Chicago Cubs’ Carlos Zambrano is the first pitcher in Cincy won’t be as bad as many predicted; 4) The to homer in eight straight seasons since Gary Peters’ Detroit Lions will win their home opener vs. Philly; streak from ‘63-71.

1 . Boise State at Virginia Tech (Sept 6, 8PM, ESPN) Arguably the biggest game in the Broncos’ history, a win here and they very well may gallop to the national title contest.

2. Minnesota at New Orleans (Sept 9, 8:30PM, NBC) In this NFC championship rematch, the Saints want a repeat. The Vikes need revenge…and Favre on a plane in one piece.

3. New England at New York Jets (Sept 19, 4:15PM, CBS) These two AFC East foes have had a war of preseason words that should make for a great battle on the ﬁeld.

4. Indianapolis at New York Giants (Sept 19, 8:20PM, NBC) There’s always the brothers story here, but we’re equally excited about seeing Colts corners vs. NY’s Hakeem Nicks.

5. Philadelphia at Atlanta (Oct 1-3, TBA, Sport South/Fox Sports) This series is not only a ﬁnal clash for division rivals, it’s skipper Bobby Cox’s last regular season hurrah too.

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