INsite Atlanta February 2013 Issue

FEBRUARY 2013

www. insiteatlanta .com

VOL. 21, NO.7 FREE

Mark Wahlberg Jessica Alba Betty White John Stamos

BUDGET DINING Hot Atlanta Restaurants that Won’t Break the Bank!

PG 2 • February 2013 • insiteatlanta.com

CONTENTS • FEBRUARY 2013 • VOLUME 21, NO.7

#1 Chinese Restaurant in Atlanta

Atlanta’s

Entertainment Monthly

INTERVIEWS 06 10 12 16 21 22 23 25 26 26 27 27 28 28

John Stamos Jonathon Schaech Mark Wahlberg Betty White Jen Lancaster Jessica Alba Taraji Henson Peter Greenberg M. “Gripp” Gillson Killer Mike Connor Christian Gary U.S. Bonds Billy Wallace La Armada

VALENTINE’S DINNER FOR TWO

06

$29.95

(Brookhaven Location)

ORIGINAL AWARD WINNING CHEF

1998-2012 Best Chinese by Creative Loafing | "Mouthwatering Chin Chin spices things up." – AJC Best Chinese – Atlanta Jewish Times | 2 1/2 Stars – Knife & Fork

3887 PEACHTREE RD • 404-816-2229 1100 Hammond Drive • 770-913-0266 Sandy Springs BUCKHEAD/BROOKHAVEN

12

Budget Dining Oscar Predictions Valentine’s Day Travel to Churchill High College Night NBA MVP Pics Naughty Valentine

617 Johnson Ferry Rd • 678-560-5550 East Cobb

1715 Howell Mill Rd • 404-609-5618 Atlanta

699 Ponce de Leon • 404-881-1511 Midtown

270 Rucker Rd. • 770-569-9883 Alpharetta

DELIVERY (LIMITED AREA; MIN $10) CARRY OUT • CATERING • FULL BAR SERVICE

WWW.CHINCHINATLANTA.COM

Healthy Vegetarian Items Always Available

COLUMNS

16

04 05 05 07 13 18 19 19 20 21 30 30

22

Around Town On Tap On A Dime Events Under The Lights Movie Reviews Concert Calendar Road Warriors We Got Next Album Reviews Vidiots Favorite Things Fanatic

LUNCH SPECIAL

$4.99

FEATURES 08 15 17 24 25 29 30

(Soup, Appetizer, Entrée, Dessert)

(Brookhaven Location)

www.insiteatlanta.com STAFF LISTING Publisher Stephen Miller steve@insiteatlanta.com Managing Editor Bret Love bret@insiteatlanta.com Art Director / Web Design Nick Tipton graphics@insiteatlanta.com Sports Editor DeMarco Williams demarco@insiteatlanta.com Local Events Editor Marci Miller marci@insiteatlanta.com Music Editor John Moore john@insiteatlanta.com

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Contributing Writers / Interns: Jon Latham, Ryan Loftis, Rodney Hill, Alex S. Morrison, Steve Warren, Dave Cohen, Jennifer Williams, Matt Connor, Ed Morales, Sacha Dzuba, David Weinthal, Benjamin Carr, Kalena Smith, Justin Patterson, Lee Valentine Smith, Amanda Miles, Patrick Flanary, Ian Coverdale CONTACT US 130 West Wieuca Road, Ste. 111 Atlanta, GA 30342 phone (404) 256-4328 • website insiteatlanta.com ADVERTISING INFORMATION (404) 256-4328 • advertising@insiteatlanta.com 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.

Holiday

FEBRUARY 2013

www. insiteatlant a .com

VOL. 21, NO.7 FREE

Mark Wahlberg Jessica Alba Betty White John Stamos

BUDGET DINING

© Copyright 2013, Be Bop Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Check out our Budget Dining Guide on page 8!

Hot Atlanta Restaurants that Won’t Break the Bank!

insiteatlanta.com • February 2013 • PG 3

Around Town

Theatre/Film/Performance

Bellator MMA Championship Tournaments comes to Gwinnett Arena on Feb 7 with a Middleweight World Title fight between Russian knockout artist Alexander “Storm” Shlemenko and dominating Brazilian Maiquel Falcao. The event will be live on Spike TV. Ticket prices range from $40-$128. Go to gwinnettcenter.com for details.

FEB 07

Spring is just around the corner and there’s no better way to enjoy the beautiful weather than to get outdoors and play. Spring registration is open for Atlanta Sport and Social Club’s adult sports leagues. It is a great way for active Atlantans to meet people, make friends and have some fun. They offer a variety of sports with Men’s, Co-Ed, and Women’s divisions. For more information, or to sign up for any of their spring Sports Leagues, Tournaments, or Social Events visit www.atlantasportandsocialclub.com.

ALL FEB

Zoo Atlanta will host “Komodo dragon Wild Encounters” Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays this month at 12:45pm each day. It’s lunchtime for the world’s largest lizard species – and you get to help. Go behind-the-scenes to meet and feed a Komodo dragon. Visit zooatlanta.org for reservations and details.

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra welcome’s Montenegro artist Milos Karadaglic for three shows from Feb. 7-10. Ticket prices range from $24-$75. Visit atlantasymphony.org for showtimes and event information.

FEB 07

ALL FEB

The Atlanta History Center hosts the groundbreaking exhibition, Slavery at Jefferson’s Monticello: How the Word is Passed Down.

Thomas Jefferson’s records, oral histories, archaeology, and genealogy, Slavery at Jefferson’s Monticello explores slavery and enslaved people in America through the lens of Jefferson’s Monticello plantation. Go to atlantahistorycenter. com for more info.

ALL FEB

Join the Atlanta Symphony for a very special show with Wynton Marsalis on the trumpet Feb. 9 at 8pm. Tickets range from $30-$90 and are available at atlantasyphony.org or by calling 404-733-5000.

Don’t miss this lovely night of jazz.

FEB 09

The Center for Puppetry Arts will present “Tales of Edgar Allan Poe” from Feb. 12-March 3. Gothic designs, haunting music, and shadowy figures breathe life into Poe’s tapestry of terror, weaving his classics The Raven, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Bells, The Black Cat, and The Cask of Amontillado with his lesser

FEB 12

Museums/Exhibits/Arts

Music/Comedy/Sports

known works, Berenice, The Oval Portrait, M.S. Found in a Bottle, and Lenore. The show is recommended for ages 12 through adult. Go to puppet.org for details.

Spend Valentine’s Day at Variety Playhouse with the soulful sounds of Lalah Hathaway. The show is at 7:30pm on Feb. 14. Tickets are $32.50 advance / $35 day of show.

FEB 14

It’s time again for the Polar Plunge on Feb. 16, presented by Special Olympics of Georgia at Lake Lanier Islands Beach and Water Park. What’s more fun than diving in ice cold water for a good cause? Not much. Prizes will be awarded for the best costume, highest fundraiser and highest fundraising team. All you have to do is register and encourage your friends to donate. Visit specialolympicsga.org for more information.

FEB 16

Take out your special lady for Valentine’s. Have her take you to Monster Jam on Feb. 16 at the Georgia Dome. Tickets start at $20 for the very best in monster truck destruction entertainment available.

Other Stuff

Alliance Theatre will present the children’s classic, Charlotte’s Web, Feb. 23-March 10 as part of its Alliance Stage Family Series.

Introduce your children to the kind of theatre magic only found on the Alliance Stage. Rosemary Newcott, the Sally G. Tomlinson Artistic Director of Theatre for Youth and Families, directs the heart-warming tale of Wilbur the Pig and Charlotte the Spider, whose clever planning saves him from becoming bacon. Adult tickets are $35 and child tickets are $20. Call 404-733-5000 or online at www.alliancetheatre.org/charlotte.

FEB 23

The original Oysterfest returns to Steamhouse Lounge and Midtown on Feb. 23-24. Lines the streets with thousands of other hungry participants for a huge buffet of oyster treats and music. Go to steamhouselounge.com for tickets.

FEB 23

FEB 16

The Georgia Aquarium will host the 21st Annual Max Awards on Feb. 22 at 7:30pm with Keynote Speaker and Spanx CEO Laurie Ann Goldman. The awards recognize outstanding marketing innovations introduced in Georgia in the previous year. Go to maxawards.com for reservations and details.

FEB 22

The Ferst Center presents Jake Shimabukuro on March 2. The Hawaiian-born artist has redefined what it means to play the ukulele.

Renowned for his lightning-fast fingers and revolutionary technique, this young virtuoso defies labels or category, mixing jazz, rock, classical, traditional Hawaiian music and folk, creating a sound that is both technically masterful and emotionally powerful. Tickets and information at www.ferstcenter.org.

MAR 02

Women helping women EGG DONORS NEEDED

Make up to $8,000 Plus Free Annual Exams Reproductive Biology Egg Bank is seeking women between the ages of 21 and 30 who would like to donate their eggs to infertile couples who otherwise could not conceive.

The advantages of donating to the RBA egg bank include: • • • • • • • •

Quick compensation of $6000-$8000 as no recipient matching is required Free annual exams up to age 30 Completely anonymous process Free Medical Screening in accordance to FDA guidelines Donation planned around your busy schedule Increased compensation with additional donation FREE Apple® iPad or $500 Referral Reward* Giving someone the gift of life!

For more information about our EGG DONATION PROGRAM call 404-8430579 or visit our website at www.rba-online.com.

New hope. New life.

1100 Johnson Ferry Rd., Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30342 404.257.1900 / 888.722.4483 www.rba-online.com *Donor must complete the entire cycle PG 4 • February 2013 • insiteatlanta.com

Toco Hill Shopping Center • 404-634-3197

2891 North Druid Hills Road • Atlanta, Georgia 30329

alexandersofatlanta.com

LOCAL

LOCAL EVENTS

On Tap this Month

EVENTS HAPPENING FOR SMALL CHANGE IN ATLANTA

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

EMAIL EVENTS TO ONTAP@INSITEATLANTA.COM

Through Feb. 20: Various Locations

ATLANTA JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival is a 22-day cinematic exploration of Jewish life, culture and history. Seeking to use the power of film to both entertain and educate, AJFF challenges conventional perspectives on complex and challenging issues facing both the Jewish and global communities. Founded in 2000, AJFF ranks as the largest film festival in Atlanta, and second largest Jewish film festival in the United States, having attracted an audience of more than 30,000 moviegoers in 2012.

For a complete list of venues and films, go to ajff.org.

Feb. 9: Atlantic Station

WINTER BEER CARNIVAL

The 4th annual Winter Beer Carnival has unveiled its initial beer lineup for the 2013 event scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 9 from 3 to 7 p.m. at Atlantic Station. Festival goers are invited to sample an array of styles from their favorite breweries from around the world including traditional favorites and premium craft beers to the best winter brews, ciders and even gluten-free options.

Hosting a sold out event last year, general and VIP tickets for the 2013 Winter Beer Carnival are on sale now for ages 21 and up at ticketalternative.com and 877.725.8849.

Feb. 13-March 3: Philips Arena/Gwinnett Arena

RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM & BAILEY

There are view joys better than the circus. There are the animals, the high flying acts, the incredible performances.

It’s certainly something the entire family can enjoy Don’t miss the original circus as it returns to Atlanta. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey stops by Philips Arena (Feb. 13-18) and Gwinnett Arena (Feb. 21-March 3) for one of the world’s greatest shows and, this year, a unique spin: dragons. Myth and majesty will share the stage for this special show. Go to ringling.com for ticket information.

Feb. 20: Philips Arena

HAWKS HOST MIAMI HEAT

King James is coming to Atlanta this month. The defending champions will visit the Atlanta Hawks on Feb. 20 at Philips Arena for a battle of two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. The Heat have seemingly kept momentum from their breakthrough title a year ago. The addition of Ray Allen on the wing makes Miami dangerous and difficult to defend. How will that challenge the Hawks? Head to the Highlight Factory to find out. Go to atlantahawks.com for ticket information.

Feb. 23: High Museum of Art

HIGH COLLEGE NIGHT

Explore the paintings, passion, and politics of the art world’s most fiery duo, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Take a tour of this exhibition, then, like Frida, turn part of your body into a work of art with a body-paint artist. Work with artists from the Indie Craft Experience then watch choreographer Helen Hale interpret their iconic works through dance with help from Emory dance students. Afterward, practice your moves during salsa and tango lessons or just groove to the sounds of DJs Santiago Paramo and Ree de la Vega. Visit high.org.

February 23: Georgia Dome

MONSTER ENERGY SUPERCROSS

Who doesn’t like high-flying stunts and near death experiences? We certainly do. The Monster Energy Supercross brings their high-flying stunts to the Georgia Dome on Feb. 23, featuring the very best in motorcross entertainment and racing. The supercross starts at 7pm.

Tickets are as low as $20 or $55 for club access. Go online to supercrossonline.com for complete details. For those interesting in meeting the riders for autographs and pictures, there will be a Pit Pass available for purchase fror $15.

SIPS IN THE CITY CALLAWAY GARDENS PHOENIX FLIES ATLANTA COMIC CONVENTION

August, Website forLANDMARKS” Deals Through Feb. 28,3,Check FREE Sunday, February 11:00am 4:30pm, $5.00 “CITYWIDE CELEBRATION OF–LIVING Various Downtown Restaurants Callaway Gardens Marriott Hotel Century March 5-20, Free Center, Atlanta www.atlantadowntown.com 17800 Hwy 27 Around the City atlantacomicconvention.com VariousUS Landmarks Pine Mountain, phoenixflies.orgGeorgia This Atlanta summer The Comicpromotion Convention encourages is a mix of callawaygardens.com

comic book and collectible dealers from patrons to experience Downtown The Phoenix Flies: A Celebration ofAtlanta Living

around region, plus selection of Atlanta special on ice! the Throughout the heated months of Admission tocreated Callaway Gardens is Landmarks was ina 2003 by The guests from the world of television, movies, July and August, featured restaurants in the complimentary through the end of this Preservation Center as a way toattendees celebrate will the and independent All Downtown Dining District will be offering month (Price isofcomics. normally $15 for adults, 25th anniversary the dramatic rescue of the receive a free t-shirt while supplies last. refreshing signature cocktails, hipAtlanta’s happy $6.50 per child) providing guests with Fox Theatre, an event that changed Guests include zombies from AMC’s hit hours and deals that you won’t want tothe miss. the opportunity to forever. enjoy time with their preservation outlook This year, list series The Walking Dead.

Participating restaurants Atlanta family reconnecting in Theatre, nature. includesand freefriends guided tours of include The Fox Grill, Azio Downtown, BLT Steak, Max Free admission includes the Virginia Piedmont Park, Historic Oakland Cemetery, Lager’s, No Mas! Cantina and The Sundial Hand Callaway Discovery Center, Day Civil War Atlanta Walking Tour,NEW Tullie Smith ATLANTA CHINESE LUNAR YEAR Restaurant.

Visit the website for a complete Butterfly Center, Sibley Horticultural Farm House, Margaret Mitchell House, the FESTIVAL list deals.

Center, Mr.Park Cason’s Vegetable Saturday, February 9 &and Sunday, February newofBeltline much more. 10Garden, Callaway Brothers Azalea Bowl, Overlook $5.00 per person Garden, Discovery Bicycle Trail, Pioneer Atlanta Chinese Culture Center, Chamblee AMERICAN CRAFT COUNCIL SHOW IN ATLANTA Log Cabin, Ida Cason Callaway Memorial facebook.com/AtlantaChineseLunarNewYearFestival March 10-13, Regular admission: $13 Chapel, nature trails and daily programs.

Children under 12: free The festival will feature the traditional Cobb Galleria Center dragon and lion dancers, authentic Chinese THE UNIVERSOUL CIRCUS Two Galleria Parkway, Atlanta food, Chinese calligraphy, arts crafts, Feb. 10 - 27, Tickets range from $15and - $35 craftcouncil.org/Atlanta traditional Chinese music and dance Turner Field Green Lot performances and children’s games.

521 Avenue, Atlanta ThisCapitol 3-day event is the largest juried fine craft universoulcircus.com ShowTHE in the show has been FOR LOVEsoutheast.

OF LEGO®The PARTY Thursday, Februarymarketplace 14, 7pm – 10pm, online fine the premiere for $30 regional UniverSoul $40 the doorand The craftat lovers collectors, and offersCircus guests continues itsworksurge LEGOLAND Discovery Center, the chance to meet andAtlanta purchase from YELLOW JACKET to around the toptheofcountry. the live legolanddiscoverycenter.com esteemed artists from To entertainment FAN reachDAY first-time collectors and establishedranks craft LEGOLAND Center iscategory hosting with interactive funky Saturday, 6, 3pm –its 6pm, Free collectorsAugust alike,Discovery the newest show fora Valentine’s Day outing especially for adult rendition of a traditional Bobby Dodd Stadium Grant Field Under $100. participating artists isatHandmade LEGO lovers. On February 14, grownhas up UniverSoul www.ramblinwreck.com Artists who sell workcircus. for under $100 will have LEGO fans are invited to the first adult night captivated audiences their specially marked for evening patrons of the booths Newbegin Year from 7-10 around the world Festivities at from 3ap.m. onp.m.The Callaway Plaza interested in starting collection. will feature a LEGO Tunnel of Love brand and a with its unique with music, prizes, inflatables and games for LEGO “traffic light”that partyblends for allcircus the singles. arts, the kids.

From 4-6 p.m. the gates will open ATLANTA SPEEDWAY FREEand OPEN HOUSE All adultsMOTOR are invited to a night full of games, music. and can enter theater the stadium meet the music, food, beverages and LEGOtoloving fun!

Marchfans 12, 11am-3pm, Free Founded in players Atlantawill over 2011 Yellow Jackets.

Football be Atlanta Motor Speedway 17 position years ago, the at audience seated with their groups various 1500 Tara Place, Hampton willthewatch amazement as Paul stilt points on playinginfield.

Head coach atlantamotorspeedway.com walkers make their way across a tight Johnson will sign autographs from 4-5 p.m. rope, horse riders perform death-defying and be available for photographs from Visit will the track’s Open House for free.

Activities stunts, and contortionists bend into 5-6 p.m.

Please limit autographs to ONE include championship legends racing on the incredible and beautiful shapes. item per player or coach. be the quarter-mile “Thunder Ring.This ”, freewilldrawings first opportunity to get the 2011 football for big prizes, drive your own car on the track poster well2011 as ofschedule cards, ticket CHEERSPORT NATIONAL with theaspurchase Labor Day NASCAR information and other items throughout the CHEERLEADING & DANCE tickets, fans can select their seats for the Labor afternoon.

Most campus parking lots will Day Race Weekend, tour the Speedway’s race CHAMPIONSHIP be available. control tower and suites, take photos with

By Marci Miller 2011 SOUTHEASTERN HUNGER WALK/RUN 5KFLOWER SHOW Feb. 25 27, Adults $18 in advance) March 13, Noon-4pm, $25($15 for runners 8th ANNUAL GERMAN BIERFEST

Youth/Student $7,27, Kids2 under Free for walkers Saturday, August – 7pm5 are Free Cobb Galleria Centre Parking is free $30 Online, $35 At the Door Two Galleria Parkway, Turner Field Green LotAtlanta Woodruff Park, Downtown Atlanta sehort.org 755 Hank Aaron Drive, Atlanta www.germanbierfest.com hungerwalkrun.org Presented by celebrates the Southeastern This summer event the greatness Horticultural Society, this annual premier Join thousands of runners and walkers at of German beer in a family-friendly gardening event promotes preservation this annual event that benefits the Atlanta environment. Complete with authentic and awareness of Community Food Bankflowers and fiveand otherplants local German food, activities for the kids, music through andBierfest artistic expression. nonprofits.

Participants can register as a team and fun,education the German is not only Show activities include speakers, or individually online or register the juried day in of the only authentic German Bierfest competition, kids’ activities, Landscape & the event.but There will befamily-friendly activities for all beer ages Atlanta, the only Discovery Gardens and more. includingasgames, livethe entertainment & more. festival well.

For price of admittance,

Gates opencan at noon, & walk attendees drinktheall5Ktherunbeer theybegin can at 2 p.m. safely consume.

Designated drivers are 10th ANNUAL OAKHURST WINE CRAWL encouraged and can attend for free.

No one Saturday, Feb. 26, 4 pm-7 pm under the 21 will be permitted to $25 in advance for of Tasting Glass A-TOWN DAYage consume alcohol.

A designated driver $30 day26,ofNoon-8pm, event March $5 service will also be on site for those who Oakhurst LakewoodBusiness District find themselves in an unsafe condition to oakhurstga.org 2002 Lakewood Ave SE, Atlanta drive home. atownday.com

Participants in this year’s event will get to sample wines from around theconcert, world A-TOWN DAY is a health festival, PIGS & PEACHES BBQcare FESTIVAL while exploring all the businesses in the and a 26 major of2013 Awareness August & 27,day Friday 5pm - 11pm celebrating CHEERSPORT NATIONAL Oakhurst neighborhood.

There will be 20 all things10am Atlanta.

A-TOWN DAY benefits Saturday – AND 10pm, Free CHAMPIONSHIP CHEERLEADING DANCE participating establishments and the event the ofpass Atlanta and The Ben Diabetes Robertson Community Kennesaw February 15 - 17,Association $20 for 1-dayCenter, expects Thewill Fur Bus B-Aware This event feature www.facebook.com/PigsAndPeaches Kids Under to 5Foundation. aresell Freeout quickly. will be on hand to transport participants live music, show and lots of family Georgia Worldpoetry, Congresscar Center from bar to bar.

Ticketsacannon-sanctioned be purchased cheersport.net friendly events.

The event features from Steinbeck’s Ale House, Backyard BBQ, Anything Butt andUjoint, Peach Bring it PARK on…this electrifying cheerleading and Karvana Coffee Shop, locatedCity in Dessert Contest, as well as all a WEEK Kansas INMAN RESTAURANT and dance competition features teams Oakhurst village.

Barbeque Society March 28-April 3, $15sanctioned Professional

competing from isacross America.

This year, Contest, recognized $25 & $35which for three-course meal as a Georgia it expects to grow larger than ever with over State NATIONAL Championship Cookoff.

IHOP PANCAKEBarbeque DAY CELEBRATION inmanparkrestaurantweek.com 900 teams participating, from ages three Over $14,000 cash and prizes will be Tuesday, March 1,in7 am-10 pm, Free Pancakes through college. Cheersport was founded awarded to contest winners.

Besides food International House of Pancakes Savor historic Inman Park with three-course by all-star coaches who loved competitive for sale, and free music from a number of Locations throughout Metro Atlanta dinners from 11 local restaurants.

Proceeds cheerleading and dance. Check the website local and national acts, festival goers will IHOPPancakeday.com will benefit Project Open Hand, which helps for the full competition schedule. be treated to a large Kid Zone (withchronic many people prevent or better manage attractions FREE to families), vendor On thisthrough day, customers willunique receive one disease comprehensive nutrition care. booths andstack sponsor exhibits.

Silver free short ofand IHOP’s OAKHURST WINE CRAWL $1 raffle tickets will(three) be sold willThe gofamous towards Wings paratrooper aerial exhibition buttermilk pancakes.

All they askwill is team that Saturday, February 4:00pm 7:00pm the charity.

The23, winner of– the raffle win returns toconsider thefor event, and will jump the $25 in advance Tasting Glass, $30 day of into event patrons making aand donation to a hosted hor d’ouerves, beer wine party Oakhurst District August festival on Saturday, 27. through Crowds support local children’s hospitals at Park’sBusiness Edge Restaurant for thirty of their oakhurstga.org will be Each treated to Network aPark wonderful display of Children’s Miracle or other friends.

Inman restaurant will local bring aerobatics performances in charities.

Since beginning tastes from and their patriotic restaurants foritstheNational winner.

Participants incelebration this year’s get to the There will be aevent fireworks Pancake Day inhuge, 2006, IHOP The sky. winner will be also announced at will the end of sample wines from around the world while grand finale.more has raised than $5.35 million toa the restaurant week.

Check the website for exploringcharities all the businesses in the Oakhurst support in the communities in complete list of There participating neighborhood. will be restaurants.

20 participating which it operates.

FESTIVAL PEACHTREE LATINO Feb. 18 – 20 establishments and the event expects to Sunday, 28, Tickets 11am – 7:30pm, the Atlanta $30 for 2-dayMotor pass Speedway pace car and a sell outAugust quickly. will be Free available SIMON GAMEPLAY TOUR Piedmont Park NASCAR Sprint $20 for 1-day passCup Series winner’s trophy, to purchase on at Oakhurst Market and Saturday, 20gift @ shop 10am,and Free www.festivalpeachtreelatino.com Universal Joint. Cash only, no checks or discounts at5 AMS much more.

Kids UnderAugust are Free Discover Mills Mall, Lawrenceville credit cards.

Georgia World Congress Center www.simon.com Festival Peachtree Latino has been the 285 Andrew Young International Blvd., Atlanta PUPPETPALOOZA largest family & multicultural event in the cheersport.net February @ 11:00am The Simon GamePlay tour will connect fans Saturday, southeast since232000.

They have featured $10 adults, $5 kids of all ages to the hottest video games before hundreds of exhibitions, family activities, Bring it on…this electrifying cheerleading Academy Theatre, Avondale Estates they are launched and available in stores. sporting events, parades, arts & crafts, ethnic and dance competition features teams academytheatre.org The recently launched Nintendo 3DS foods and outdoor musical performances competing from across America. This gaming system will take center stage with featuring renowned international musicians year, it expects to grow larger than ever Bring the kids to this fun puppet variety awith “Nintendo 3DS Lounge, ” with couches, on two stages.

The best part about it isshow that over 900 teams participating, from featuring the talents of the Atlanta Puppetry snacks and games.

Nintendo will also offer the event is absolutely FREE!!

This year, ages three through college. Cheersport Guild. There will be games and activities for “Street Pass,”bytournament-style play loved using kids Festival Latino has more was founded all-star coaches who and Peachtree parents alike in between actstoasoffer, well Nintendo 3DS devices.

GamePlay will with new attractions and a larger competitive cheerleading and dance. as merchandise for sale including schedule one of a featurethe 10 gaming including 2 mature kind of musical performances.

Check websitepods, for the full competition puppets.

Proceeds will go to the Atlanta zones, with products from instrusty leaders Puppetry Guild to support scholarships and schedule. like SEGA, Capcom, 2K and Atari. grants

UPDATED EVENTSWEEKLY. WEEKLY. SIGN UP BY RECEIVERECEIVE UPDATED EVENTS SIGN UPEMAILING

BY E-MAILING SUBSCRIPTIONS@ATLANTAONADIME.COM SUBSCRIPTIONS@ATLANTAONADIME.COM

ENTER ON SUBJECT LINE:SIGN SIGNME MEUP UP INSITE! INSITE! ENTER ONTHE SUBJECT LINE: insiteatlanta.com • February 2013 • PG 5

TV

STILL STEAMY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS John Stamos Returns to TV with a Lot to Say What was it like filming with the legendary Ellen Barkin?

NCE AN IMMENSELY Oh, so good! I think it was our first POPULAR heartthrob on show where we had to kiss. But we did the General Hospital and Full House, read-through of the first episode and I John Stamos today is earning a rep as felt like we were kind of cat-and-mousing, a rock-solid guest star popping up on circling each other.

I said to Ryan, “What TV’s hottest shows (Law & Order: SVU, if I just grab the back of her hair and Glee, etc.). make out with What’s the grand scheme her?” He looked IT I THINK IT’S behind his current career at me, and we did direction? He’s not really GOOD GENES AND, it. I know Ryan sure. But he is sure that likes surprises, TRUTHFULLY, I he loves the people he’s especially when working with, the projects DO TAKE CARE OF he’s directing. He’s he’s working on, and the very spontaneous, ideals he’s working to MYSELF IN A SENSE. and he loves to advocate. From making throw out jokes I MEAN, IF THERE’S out with Ellen Barkin to and ideas. So I cracking jokes with NeNe ANY SECRET, IT’S thought, I’m going Leakes, this guy’s got it stick my tongue THAT I SLEEP A LOT. I todown going on. And with a spot Ellen’s on Glee creator Ryan throat.

I wanted GET A LOT OF SLEEP Murphy’s new show, The to elicit some sort New Normal (Tuesdays at AND, YOU KNOW, of natural, weird 9:30pm on NBC), he just surprise or REJUVENATION. I TRY or whateverfear, may have found his next she regular gig.

TO GO TO BED EARLY. was going to show, INsite recently got the because it would chance to grab all the have worked for the character. And the deets straight from the hottie himself. woman didn’t flinch! Looks like a normal Here, he dishes (yes, a straight guy can kiss– Cut!– and then we go to lunch. I “dish”) on kissing Barkin, staying hot and was hoping for something with Ellen. I playing gay. think I hit– what’s the farthest thing you

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can touch in the back of a throat?– the uvula or whatever it was, and she didn’t even move.

So would that be most memorable part of filming for you?

Well, no. I mean, that was the early stuff. Ryan is sort of the modern day Sinatra. Remember when Sinatra used to call Sammy Davis? I’m not comparing myself to them or Dean Martin or these guys. But Sinatra would say, “By the way, you’re doing a show on this night.” And they’d go, “Okay, what time do we get there?” That’s sort of the way Ryan is with me, and he’s always been so good to me.

He’ll say, “I’m going to go over and write you this, and I’m going to write you that,” and he always comes through for me. I’ve known him since right after Full House, when we first talked about doing a show together. But when Ellen and I started working together it was just this great chemistry. I think it was set up where I would come on and do one episode so they could see if they like me and I could see if I like working there. After we did this great first episode they were like, “How about tomorrow?” And I’m like, “I’m free. Let’s do it!”

Matt Bomer and you have now both been on Glee and The New Normal. Have you been trying to talk to Ryan to also get on American Horror Story, to be on all three of his shows?

I haven’t, but I’m going to call him right after this.

Was there anything about your role that wasn’t originally scripted for you that you felt added to the character?

So I already played through the character and this result, where he ends up not being gay. You know, this is a modern world, and just because a guy wears a bracelet or is into hair processing and culture and fashion doesn’t make him gay, you know? And just as I say that, my gay hair stylist walks by and goes, “Here, here!” I’ve never played that sort of guy before. But, you know, the rules don’t apply anymore, and I think that’s what we were trying to get at. So I had to come on and play this guy that you just didn’t know what he was. It was a very difficult line to walk because, as it turns out, he’s not gay.

There’s such great chemistry between all of the cast members. Was it instant for you when you began working with them?

They’re really good. You know, I have to be honest: I didn’t watch the show a lot before. I knew it was good and I knew the acting was good, but I didn’t realize how good it was until I got down there and read the writing. It’s a very well-run show.

So obviously you’re surrounded by so many funny people on the set. I’m just curious, who cracks you up the most and makes you laugh?

NeNe is very funny. I wasn’t familiar with her show, The Real Housewives of Atlanta, but we share a trailer. I’ve seen a lot of naturally funny people in the past, but this girl is really funny.

What’s the difference between this show and the show you did 25 years ago?

Well, it’s three men in San Francisco raising kids, so there’s basically no difference! (Laughs) I wanted to do this show because you can say things and do things now that you couldn’t back then.

I remember emailing with Ryan the first week, saying, “Let me be the straight advocate, because that’s how I am in real life. Let me just talk the way that I talk, and let me say that I love people for who they are, not what they are.”

Why is it that John Stamos never ages?

What are you doing?

I don’t know! You know, truthfully I’m very flattered when people say that. And you have to be careful to not play into it, because then you get this Peter Pan syndrome going on. Right? “I’m 30, I can do anything!” You know, I’m not. But I think it’s good genes and, truthfully, I do take care of myself in a sense. I mean, if there’s any secret, it’s that I sleep a lot. I get a lot of sleep and, you know, rejuvenation. I try to go to bed early.

Will we ever see you back on TV fulltime?

Of course! Television these days has become a whole new landscape. That’s why I did this show. To be honest with you, I had some of my people say, “Maybe this isn’t the show for you.” Not because of the subject matter, but because the ratings aren’t so good and they thought I should hold out for a bigger guest role or an (arc) on the show. I said, “No, no, no...

I get this show. I LIKE this show. And I have not played this character before.” I think what I’m getting at is that, when you find a good character, you’ve got to go for it, you know?

Under The Lights BIKE AMERICA

FLY

Box Office (404) 733.5000 alliancetheatre.org/bike

Box Office (877) 725.8849 theatricaloutfit.org

February 1 - 24 Alliance Theatre

Through Feb 24 Balzer Theatre

THE TONY® AWARD-WINNING BROADWAY MUSICAL

Bike America tells the story of Penny, a damaged student who sets out on a crosscountry bike trip to find her place in the world. Along the way Penny meets a colorful crew of bikers from the lesbian couple who’ve decided to get a marriage license in every state they visit to the mysterious Man with the Van who transports their stuff. As the bikers travel through iconic towns across the country from the deep North down to the deep South (and the highways between them), they discover things about each other and the communities around them. The play captures the temperature and the restlessness of a millennial generation that will go to any length to find a place that always seems just out of reach.

The new Theatrical Outfit production Fly tells the remarkable story of the brave and ground breaking Tuskegee Airmen. The African-American Army Air Corp fighters who flew over the skies of Europe during World War II made historic contributions toward the desegregation of the American military and furthering of civil rights.

Travel with these dedicated and determined young men who accepted the challenge to take flight for a country that showed them nothing but adversity on the ground. The Tuskegee Airmen show us what happens when the playing field is truly level. Fly is written by Trey Ellis & Ricardo Khan and directed by Patdro Harris.

FLASHDANCE

Feb 28 - March 3 Fox Theatre

Feb 5 - 10 The Fox Theatre Tickets (855) ATL-TIXX foxatltix.com/Flashdance

FELA! THE MUSICAL Tickets (855) ATL-TIXX felaonbroadway.com

North American Tour Cast. Photo by Jeremy Daniel.

INSPIRED BY THE ELECTRIFYING TRUE STORY

MARCH 12-17 FOX THEATRE FoxAtlTix.com/MDQ 855-ATL-TIXX GROUPS 10+ SAVE! CALL 404.881.2000

Flashdance tells the story of Alex Owens, a working-class girl from Pittsburgh striving to make her dream of becoming a professional dancer. She works by day at a steel mill and by night as a “flashdancer” at a local bar. The film was a worldwide smash hit that became a pop culture phenomenon featuring a Grammy Award-winning soundtrack. Flashdance The Musical features a score including the hit songs from the movie, all of which became Top Ten hits on the radio around the world including the Academy Award-winning title song “Flashdance – What a Feeling,” “Maniac,” “Gloria,” “Manhunt,” “I Love Rock & Roll.”

In addition to these hits, 16 brand new original songs have been written for the stage by Robbie Roth and Robert Cary.

3-Time Tony Award Winning Musical FELA! is returning to Atlanta at the Fox Theatre on Thursday, February 28th playing through Sunday, March 3rd for a limited weekend engagement. Following a hugely successful run on Broadway FELA! is touring the country and wowing audiences.

FELA! explores the extravagant, and rebellious world of Nigerian musical icon and Afrobeat legend- Fela Kuti through his incredible life and musical legacy. Atlanta native Duain Richmond will perform in the starring role of "Fela Kuti." International R&B superstar Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child fame will star in the role of "Sandra Isadore," activist. FELA! is directed and choreographed by Tony Award Winner Bill T. Jones and produced by Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter and Will & Jada Pinkett Smith.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

MARCH 14-17 Call 800-745-3000 • Ticketmaster.com or visit the Centre’s box office • Groups of 10+ call 770.916.2855 Email: groups@cobbenergycentre.com GAS-SOUTHBROADWAY.COM

insiteatlanta.com • February 2013 • PG 7

Atlanta Dining on a Budget Great places in town to get a good meal without breaking the bank

only the freshest produce garnishes every sub as ordered. Salads, soups and delicious baked goodies compliment a true value menu. Check out Baldinos $3.49 Daily Special - a different sub every day that will keep you coming back.

Eats

600 Ponce de Leon 404.888.9149 eatsonponce.net

Chin Chin

Eats keeps their menu simple and their prices low. First choose from a variety of pastas. You pay by the sauce which range from $5.50 and $6.50 and includes: marinara, olive and garlic, pesto, Alfredo, creamy marinara, turkey meat sauce and chicken chili. All pasta plates come with garlic bread and you can add on extras from meatballs to chicken breast for just $2 more. They offer meat and vegetable plate dinners too.

Choose from their prized jerk chicken, lemon pepper chicken and turkey meatloaf.

Some of the vegetables include: couscous, broccoli, green beans, and collards.

Vegetable plates are priced at $4.75 for three or $5.75 for four. A meat and two sides run $7.25 and $7.75 for three sides. Eats is open seven days a week from 11am until 10pm.

Johnny’s NY Style Pizza

1810 Cheshire Bridge Rd. 404.874.8304 Multiple Locations at JohnnysPizza.com

Johnny’s Pizza has come to be synonymous with great pizza and subs in Atlanta. They specialize in NY Style pizza, which is thin in the middle and thick around the edges. Try the Johnny’s Italian Special with sausage,

mushrooms, onions, pepperoni and green peppers; large pizza is $19.40. All their menu items are also reasonably priced. They have two Calzones on the menu for $5.20 and the Stombolli is $8. They have 11 subs on the menu for just $5.60. The Cheshire Bridge location featured has lunch specials from $6 to $7.40 and offers $5 pitchers of PBR .

Johnny’s restaurants offer dine-in, take-out and delivery.

Baldinos Giant Jersey Subs

80 Powers Ferry Rd. 770.321.1177 Marietta 5697 Buford Hwy. 770.455.8570 Buford Hwy. baldinos.us

Brookhaven 3887 Peachtree Rd. 404.816.2229 Multiple locations chinchinatlanta.com

Escorpion

800 Peachtree St. 678.666.5198 urestaurants.com

Chin Chin is consistently voted Atlanta’s Best Chinese restaurant. Their menu offers standard favorites and many exotic dishes in Chinese cuisine at affordable prices. The Brookhaven location featured currently is offering an amazing lunch special for just $4.99. You get an entree along with Egg Roll, Soup and Fried Rice. They have over 20 chicken dishes for just $10.25 and over a dozen beef and pork dishes for $10.95 or less. Soups start at $2.50.

Havana Restaurant

Since 1975, Baldinos has been repeatedly recognized for serving the best sub sandwich in the South. Their true New Jersey style subs are as fresh as any sandwich anywhere.

The rolls are baked in-store everyday - all day; each sub is sliced fresh as ordered; hot subs are grilled, not nuked or pressed, and

black bean soup to name a few at the same great prices. All the dishes served at the restaurant originate from Ms. Benedit's late husband Eddie Benedit Sr., and his family.

His emphasis on quality, consistency and affordability is still alive and well.

3979 Buford Hwy #108 404.633.7549 havanarestaurantatlanta.com

Havana Restaurant has thrived since moving up the road to their new Buford Hwy. location in the Crossroads Village Shopping Center just north of Clairmont. They still have your favorite menu items: Cuban sandwiches, empanadas, steak and pork plates,

Escorpion is an authentic Mexican tequilla bar and cantina located on the corner of 5th and Peachtree. The atmoshpere is electric making Escorpion one of the hottest new additions to the Midtown scene. Here you will find fine cuisine at affordable prices.

Their inspired tacos come in a wide variety that includes Jumbo Shrimp, Hanger Steak and Braised Beef Tongue. Escorpion also has great salads, quesadillas and an assortment of tortas (pressed sandwiches).

Appetizers range from just $4 and up to $8.

Full entrees are also available.

Burritos • Tacos • Quesadillas • Empanadas • Beer • Wine • Margaritas

Your Neighborhood Pizzeria!

In Beans We Trust!

BEST TACOS Sunday – Tuesday 11am – 10pm • Wednesday – Saturday 11am – 11pm

1242 Glenwood Ave • East Atlanta 404.622.9448 www.tomatillos-atlanta.com

BEST PIZZA!

& Multiple Atlanta Locations: www.JohnnysPizza.com PG 8 • February 2013 • insiteatlanta.com

NOVEMBER SPECIALS

www.baldinos.us

MONDAY – Baldinos Extra Special (#7) TUESDAY – Like it Hot? Grilled & Toasted The HOT Italian WEDNESDAY – Ham it Up - (#5) Boiled Ham & Cheese w/ soup or side THURSDAY – “Check Out Our New Chicken Breast” – Try our #21 FRIDAY – Meatless Combo - Tuna (#10) or Veg Stir Fry (#27) w/ side SATURDAY – Steak Out- A-Steak Sub Your Choice (#11,13, or 19) SUNDAY – American Special - (#14) w/ choice of soup or side

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

$3.49 All Day!

Doraville 5697 Buford Hwy. 770-455-8570

VOTED BEST SUBS IN ATLANTA

In e Best

ensive Re xp s ant ur

Grant Park 563 Memorial Dr. 404.688.4238 Emory 1556 N. Decatur Rd. 404.378.8188 Morningside 1424 N. Highland Ave. 404.888.0777 doccheys.com

Midtown and Candler Park locations offer a wide assortment of bakery items as well as new beer and wine selections. The Flying Biscuit’s menu is organic friendly. Enjoy weekend Sweet Specials on a variety of pancakes including chocolate chip, blueberry and more. And don't forget, Kids Eat Free Monday thru Thursday from 4-7pm.

ta

Doc Chey’s Noodle House

Tomatillos

1242 Glenwood Ave. East Atlanta 404.622.9448 tomatillos-atlanta.com

Doc Chey's is the original pan-Asian noodle house in Atlanta. Enjoy an affordable menu of freshly wok'd stir-fries, heaping noodle bowls and handmade dim sum, all at a price that won't put a dent in your piggy bank. Founded on the principal of serving a "Beer & a Bowl for 10 Bucks", Doc Chey's generous noodle bowls are an excellent value and likely to send you home with lunch for tomorrow. Pick up one of their free Karma Cards to get a free birthday entrée & other freebees throughout the year. Doc Chey's was voted Best Noodle Bowl by INsite readers for 8 years in a row.

Athens Pizza House

1341 Clairmont Rd. Decatur 404.636.1100 www.AthensPizzaAtlanta.com

Tomatillos is relatively new to East Atlanta but has already earned a large following. The owners are from the area and their roots go back to the former and one of Atlanta’s favorite establishments, Tortillas. Their credo “In Beans We Trust” harkens back to the Tortillas days. Here you will find great Tacos, Burritos, Quesadillas, Nachos and Salads. They use inspiring ingredients including potato green chili, slow-cooked brisket and tofu. Their customers also rave about their catfish and fried chicken tacos.

Come Tuesday for the Crunchy Taco Special: Three Tacos for $5!

eatsonponce.net • now accepting Visa & Mastercard

The Elder Tree Public House 469 Flat Shoals Ave. East Atlanta 404.658.6108 eldertreeatl.com

Since 1966, the Papadopoulos family has been serving up great Greek and Italian cuisine to the Emory / Decatur area. Athens Pizza is Zagat rated and winner of several awards including Best Greek Cuisine. So don’t let the name fool you, there is much more here than great pizza. Some of the favorite recipes on their Greek dishes go back over 50 years! Athens Pizza offers daily specials for lunch and dinner. They have an extensive catering menu while the restaurant can also accomodate parties large and small with their private room.

Mediterranean Grill

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

This European-style Irish pub serves gastro fare rooted within authentic Irish tradition.

The menu, heavily peppered with housecured meats, features hearty pub food, staples like Fish-n-Chips and Bangers and Mash. You will find great appetizers like Crab Cakes for just $10 and sandwiches like Lamb Sliders and Corned Beef for just $9.

Dinner entrees start at just $12. At the bar, there are 13 European beers on draft and a full range of whiskey cocktails. It is the perfect place to grab a meal and a pint with family and friends.

WWW.SAVAGEPIZZA.COM

484 Moreland Avenue • L5P • 404.523.0500 | 115 Laredo Dr. • Avondale • 404.299.5799

Twin Peaks

3365 Piedmont Rd. Buckhead 404.961.8946 twinpeaksrestaurant.com

Mediterranean Grill is the place to go for authentic Mediterranean food. Their loyal customers keep this family/chef-owned and operated restaurant busy. Here you will find regional dishes like gyros, falafel and kabob sandwiches. They have a great Business Lunch Special offering Shish kabob, Kufta kabab & Gyro slices w/rice pilaf, salad, pita and drink ($7.60). Mediterranean Grill has tasty sandwiches including: Gyro, Kufta Kabob, Chicken Kabob, Falafel and a Grilled Vegetable sandwich. All sandwiches are just $5.75 and entrees start at $8.00. Wait until you try their pita bread; it’s the best in Atlanta!

The Flying Biscuit

1655 McLendon Ave 404.687.8888 1001 Piedmont Ave. 404.874.8887 flyingbiscuit.com

The Flying Biscuit serves great breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 days a week. One of Atlanta's home grown gems, they are best known for their mouth watering biscuits and original affordable menu items.

The

Twin Peaks has recently opened the concept’s largest location in Buckhead. The mountain lodge-style sports restaurant, and its beautiful Twin Peaks girls, has definitely created “scenic views”. Twin Peaks features high-quality comfort foods like their Green Chili Meatloaf and Ribeye Pot Roast. There is a wide array of sandwiches and salads to choose from plus an extensive selection of draft beers served from 32 taps. This is a great place to meet up for a business lunch or to get together with friends.

They have private rooms that may be booked and a lively rooftop patio adorned with the beautiful Twin Peaks Girls.

Landmark Diner

3652 Roswell Rd. 404.816.9090 Multiple locations at LandmarkDiner.com

Atlanta’s favorite diner offers great meals at affordable prices at all hours of the day. For breakfast they offer a variety of omelettes for $9.99. Try the Florentine with spinach and feta or the Greek with gyro meat, feta and continues on page 11

insiteatlanta.com • February 2013 • PG 9

FILM

RHYMES WITH SHREK

Meet Johnathan Schaech, a Movie Star 20 Years in the Making

BY ALEX S. MORRISON

J

ohnathan Schaech is one of those “Don’t I know you?” guys. You’ve seen his handsome face a million times before, but the odds of you remembering his name are probably slim.

Schaech, age 43, has certainly done his time in Hollywood. He appeared opposite Vanessa Redgrave in Franco Zeffirelli’s Sparrow and opposite Winona Ryder in How To Make An American Quilt before landing his breakthrough role in Tom Hanks’ directorial debut, That Thing You Do. But despite being named alongside Will Smith and Leonardo DiCaprio among Hollywood’s brightest rising talent in the mid- ‘90s, he went on to an erratic career filled with b-movies and failed TV shows.

That all looks likely to change in 2013.

Schaech has big roles in upcoming films such as the submarine thriller Phantom (opposite Ed Harris and David Duchovny) and 7500 (opposite Ryan Kwanten and Leslie Bibb, directed by The Grudge’s Takashi Shimizu).

He’s got a leading role on this summer’s new Showtime drama Ray Donovan, which will follow Dexter. And he’s working behind the scenes as well, working on a script and book based on one of the craziest true story’s we’ve ever heard.

So now’s a good time to re-acquaint yourself with this Baltimore native. Because Johnathan Schaech is a name you’ll be seeing a lot more of in the very near future…

The first time we met was the junket for That Thing You Do. Was there anything you learned from Tom Hanks that helped guide you through your career?

After I started working with other people, I looked back at that time and thought about how he treated everybody, how he was so professional, and how he was so specific about what he wanted. He’d always say, “There is no better job in the world,” and he would always tell us that we could do no wrong. I started realizing that I could do a lot wrong. (Laughs) But his one rule was that you’ve got to come to the set knowing your lines, and from there we would just play.

How did you get interested in acting, and what was your impetus for wanting to give it a shot as a career?

I took one acting class a UMBC (University of Maryland- Baltimore County), and thought, “I could really do this!” So I literally packed up my bags and moved to California.

It was like a spiritual calling at a young age that I was supposed to find my bliss.

You’ve teetered between indie films and studio films, but seem more comfortable in the indie world. Did you make a conscious choice to pursue those roles rather than becoming the next big whatever?

I think the studios work to fit you into a niche and consistently put you in that niche.

But I didn’t know any better. I wanted to

grow as an actor, and I knew that if anything scared me then I should do it. All these indies had great roles that scared the shit out of me. My late acting teacher Roy London always told me if I’m afraid of it, then I have to do it. The roles were really challenging, and made you do different things and explore the human being inside. Plus, I was playing the lead opposite some of the greatest actors I love.

You’ve been doing some screenwriting in recent years. How does the creative process of being off camera differ from the thrill of being on camera?

I’m dyslexic, so when I would interpret material I wouldn’t necessarily comprehend the story they were telling. I thought I was autistic, and reading comprehension skills were not my best. I always had problems in school. Bruce Paltrow, Gwyneth’s father, was very instrumental in pushing me to write. He said, “This is what you need to do, continually write and read. When you do that, you will get better and better at it, and it will only feed this creative muscle that you need to get out.”

How did that impact you as an actor?

I understood the material more, and therefore was able to add creative elements as opposed to just artful elements. I helped tell the story as opposed to getting by with creativity. I understood why they did what they did after I started writing so much.

I heard that you were working on a screenplay for Adam Sandler’s company, Happy Madison. Is that true?

They hired me to write the script, but they still own the screenplay. We’re waiting to hear if there is any hope [of it getting made there]. But it’s a great story: In 1963, the first West Coast team made it to the Little League World Series. In order to get there, they had to win games in 13 different cities. In each one of those 13 cities, a bank was robbed.

Their coach would rob banks in each city they went to to fund their travels. True story!

Nine of the players on that team ultimately made it to the pros, and the team’s batboy was [future Milwaukee Brewers legend] Robin Yount, who’s a Hall of Famer. I got the story from Rick Dempsey, who was a catcher for the Baltimore Orioles when I grew up.

Did I read that you and Dempsey are also working on a book?

We’re just starting to put it out there.

I have a book agent, and we’re actively pitching it. So far, people are really responding to it. It’s going to be different from the screenplay, because Happy Madison owns the rights to the screenplay. We’re going to tell more of the true story of what happened from what Rick can remember.

I’m pitching it as Catch Me If You Can meets The Bad News Bears.

Let’s talk about some of the big projects you have coming up. Tell me about your role and experience in the movie Phantom.

This is a Russian submarine movie based on true events. It’s different from Hunt For Red October and Crimson Tide, but has similar elements. It’s about this mysterious trip that happened in the late ‘60s, during

PG 10 • February 2013 • insiteatlanta.com

the Cold War. My character is the political officer on board. When the Russian military was under Communist rule, they would always have a political observer to guide them, because they had to answer to the Communist Party. This particular submarine had KGB officers on board. David Duchovny plays one of the KGB Officers, and he has a mission he wants to accomplish. He has to get the Captain, Ed Harris, to do it. I’m the in-between guy trying to play both sides to do the right thing for the Communist Party and for the Motherland.

What can you tell me about this summer’s Showtime series Ray Donovan, and working with Jon Voigt?

Most of my stuff is with Liev Shrieber, who plays Ray Donovan. He’s a Hollywood fixer who shuts down some of the storylines that we see in the National Enquirer before they get out. I play a big movie star, and Ray has always taken care of me. I did something in my past with Ray’s dad, played by Jon Voigt, who gets out of prison and comes to get me.

They’re really pushing the envelope with this show, and it follows Dexter. For the first couple of episodes, you’re like, “That’s blank blank’s story!” because it’s got a rippedfrom-the-headlines feel. They’re really exploring what happens behind all those headlines that we see.

Where do you hope to see your career go from here on out?

I’ve watched it so many times with my career before: One thing leads to the next. I just hope it leads to the right thing. I want to be a better vessel so that I can get those ideals across that I know are important, not only for myself, but for everybody else. The projects that come around, I hope they lead to me being able to serve for the people who really know what they’re talking about in a bigger way. I hope that I keep working at the high level that I’m working at right now.

I want to keep working with the best. Since my teacher died in 1993, when I was getting into all of this stuff, I always ask for teachers to come my way. Now that I’m older, I want to give back in a big way.

continued from page 9

tomato. You can also get French Toast and Golden Pancakes for just $6.99. For lunch try one of their many sandwiches starting at just $6.49. You will find everything from Sliced Turkey, to Egg Salad to the BLT. You can also find several large burgers served “all the way” for under $10. For dinner they offer all types of options at affordable prices. Try seafood dishes: Blackened Florida Grouper and Jumbo Shrimp Scampi; Italian dishes: Veal Parmigiana and Baked Lasagna; Greek dishes: Spanakopita and Rack of Lamb.

Landmark is currently offering select complete dinners with dessert for $9.99.

Osteria 832 Pasta & Pizza

832 N. Highland Ave. 404.897.1414 osteria832.com

Osteria serves delicious rustic Italian fare at humble prices in the heart of the charming Virginia Highland neighborhood of Atlanta.

The menu features thin-crust artisan pizzas, made-fromscratch pasta sauces, with plenty of options under 10 bucks.

Osteria is open for dinner 7 nights a week, and the weekend brunch is becoming increasingly popular with diners who are craving savory brunch favorites without the expensive price tag. Try the freshly-baked French Toast with nutella, bananas and genuine Vermont maple syrup. Grab a Karma Card to get in on special deals throughout the year, also valid at Doc Chey's Noodle House.

Win gift cards at trivia every Monday night at 8pm.

Agave Restaurant

242 Boulevard SE 404.588.0006 agaverestaurant.com

Consistently voted the Best Southwestern Restaurant in Atlanta, Agave uses only the freshest ingredients to create chef inspired dishes with a authentic southwestern flare.

They offer Two for One Appetizers at the bar from 5pm - 7pm seven days a week. Other popular low priced menu items include: Agave's Famous Cayenne Fried Chicken $15.00, Slow Cooked Angus Beef Short Ribs $16.50, & Stuffed Mountain Trout Tomatillo $17.50. They boast the largest tequila selection in the city as well as over 100 wines from around the world. Enjoy their award winning Margaritas and be sure to sign up for Agave's VIP Email List which features huge monthly discounts on dinner and details on all of Agave's special events.

Savage Pizza

484 Moreland Ave. 404.523.0500 115 Laredo Dr. 404.299.5799 SavagePizza.com

This eclectic neighborhood restaurant is a favorite hangout among residents of Little 5 and Avondale Estates. Both locations offer indoor and patio seating. Savage prepares all their menu items using only the freshest veg-

agave restaurant agave restaurant an eclectic southwestern eatery

etables and first quality meats, cheeses, breads and pastas. On their menu you'll find innovative homemade sauces, fresh dough and thoughtfully prepared dishes, made from scratch every day. They offer is a wide variety of salads, subs, calzones and of course pizzas to choose from at affordable prices.

an eclectic southwestern eatery & tequila bar . est. 2000 & tequila bar est. 2000 Reservations at 404.588.0006 Reservations 404 588 0006 online at at: : ororonline www.agaverestaurant.com www.agaverestaurant.com 242242Boulevard S.E.Atlanta Atlanta 30312 Boulevard S.E. . 30312

Mezza

2751 Lavista Rd. Decatur 404.633.8833 mezzabistro.com

Mezza is similar to tapas where all menu items are served in small portions allowing diners to sample and share. There is a wide assortment of vegetarian dishes for $6.50 each, soups and salads are $5.99, non-vegetarian mezza is $6.99 and baked mezza is $5.99. Mezza Bistro is Zagat rated and one of Atlanta Magazine's "Top 100 Restaurants". A variety of more than 60 menu items ranging from the traditional dishes such as hummus, falafel, tabbouleh, kebabs and legs of lamb are available.

PREFIXED MENUS & PRIVATE ROOMS AVAILABLE

Grant Central East Pizza

1279 Glenwood Ave. 404.627.0007 facebook.com/GrantCentralEast

PHOTOS BY MARK PETKO

Consistently Voted One Of Atlanta’s Best Restaurants CONSISTENTLY VOTED ONE OF ATLANTA’S BEST RESTAURANTS INsite Magazine Best of Atlanta Winner Grant Central East is located in the heart of East Atlanta Village on the corner of Glenwood and Flat Shoals. It is the sister restaurant to Grant Central in Grant Park.

The original was named after Grand Central Station for its NY Style pizza. Here you can find great pizza, subs and salads for under $10. You can also get pizza by the slice for just $2.05. They have an open kitchen so you can check out your pizza as it comes out of the oven and there is a large dining area with plenty of tables to accommodate large groups. Grant Central East gives its customers the option of customizing their pizza, even when only ordering a slice. Toppings are 50 cents extra per slice while $3.95 buys a slice of their house pizza, the Cardiac Arrest (pepperoni, spicy sausage, meatballs, ham and extra cheese), which is every bit as good as it sounds.

2012 BEST SOUTHWESTERN CUISINE Best Southwestern Cuisine & Best Margarita !!

Fritti

309 N. Highland Ave. 404.880.9559 frittirestaurant.com

Located in the heart of Inman Park, Fritti is nationally recognized for their pizza and state of the art brick oven. For lunch, Fritti offers a variety of Anti-pasta dishes for $10 or less including offerings of Portobello mushrooms, fresh calamari, and Sicilian risotto and Bruschetta. For Dinner, many of the lunch items are offered along with other dishes.

One Anti-pasta to try is the Bresaola di Tonno (Cured sashimi grade tuna, arugula, radish and lemon); $10. They also offer a great Caesar Salad for $8. Among their great variety of pizzas include: The Salsiccia e Pepperoni (Italian sausage and roasted peppers) $13 and the Speck e Rucola (Smoked prosciutto, smoked mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and arugula) $14. insiteatlanta.com • February 2013 • PG 11

FILM MELISSA VILLASENOR

Impressionist and Comedian, Finalist from NBC’s Hit Show “America’s Got Talent”

FEB. 7TH–9TH ILIZA SHLESINGER

FEB. 14 –16 TH

Winner of NBC’s “Last Comic Standing”

TH

SHANE MAUSS

Seen on His Own Comedy Central Special “Comedy Central Presents Shane Mauss”

FEB. 21ST–23RD CHRIS PORTER

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MARK WAHLBERG:

The Hardest Working Man in Show Business!

BY MARCI MILLER

A

CTOR/PRODUCER MARK Wahlberg has come a long way. He first arrived on the scene in 1991 as Marky Mark, the rap star brother of New Kid on the Block’s Donnie Wahlberg, who also captured the modeling world with a series of Calvin Klein underwear ads. Although he prefers to look ahead and not dwell on his past, no one would have predicted that this one time troubled teen from the streets of Boston would become one of the hottest properties in Hollywood. Wahlberg is now known not only for his acting abilities but also as a powerful producer whose company, Closest to the Hole Productions, has brought huge hits like Entourage, Boardwalk Empire and more to the American viewing public.

Wahlberg’s success relies on his ability to bigger wrong that the mayor was doing and pick great projects and understand the new stop what potentially could happen to the way of doing things in Tinsletown, where people in both the village and New York City. those who can deliver quality projects with a lower price tag are in high demand.

Was it a challenge getting this film made?

In his new film, Broken City, Mark Every day was a challenge, but everything Wahlberg wears two hats, that of producer was a blessing too. Because we got to and star. This is familiar territory for this make this movie the way we wanted to. It multi-tasking talent. The film’s director and was Alan and I, and we were there doing co-producer Alan Hughes credits Wahlberg our thing and nobody was interfering or with keeping things calm during Broken interrupting or trying to control us in any City’s difficult shoot in both New York City way, shape and form. Which is why it was and New Orleans. such a great thing Hughes explains, IT’S ALL ABOUT THE RIGHT getting the film financed “It was a brutal independently. It was DECISIONS, PICKING THE production like; okay we can do which was done RIGHT PROJECTS. AND EVEN what we want. We in 40 days. I tell worked than we would THEN, IT’S JUST HARD everyone, I would go to my trailer and talk not have been able about the day and the MAKING GOOD MOVIES, to do this without next day and things to REALLY HARD. YOU JUST Mark. He never come. gets negative. He KIND OF GO WITH YOUR GUT. just puts his hands You are so busy both in his pocket and acting and producing, how do you keep it smiles.” Hughes said he pictured Wahlberg all together? in the role 10 pages into the script because of You just have to stay on top of it all. Don’t his life experience and “this underdog quality go out at night. Go to bed really early, start that always overachieves.” your day really early. Keep a list of things We recently go to sit down with Mark that you need to be focusing on. But it’s Wahlberg who was in Atlanta promoting especially easy when you’re acting in and the film on a recent publicity tour. His producing the movie because you’re just character, Billy Taggart, is an ex-cop who there all the time anyway. It’s keeping track seeks redemption and revenge after being of the stuff that you’re not involved with as double-crossed by the city’s powerful mayor an actor or as a producer that can be a little who is played by Russell Crowe. We got to hard and daunting. hear more about the film, his character and his life in front of and behind the camera: Do you look back on your career and think about where you started and where you What attracted you to the role of are now?

Billy Taggart?

I do every once in a while. But I don’t like I was attracted to the role mostly because to spend too much time dwelling on the past of the redemption aspect of the story. I love as opposed to mapping out my future and that he’s not a very apologetic character. But planning what the next moves are and how I don’t think he should be living in the world we can get more control. It’s all about the and dealing with the people he deals with. It right decisions, picking the right projects. just reminded me of one of those characters And even then, it’s just hard making good from those great 70’s movies that they don’t movies, really hard. You just kind of go with make anymore. The kind I grew up watching your gut. If you have a system that works, with my dad like “Serpico.” Just trying to do stick with it. But you also have to be able to the right thing against all odds. adapt and change with the times.

What life lessons does your character Billy take away from the movie?

I think he just comes to the realization that sometimes things are just bigger than you, and that you have to go ahead and bite the bullet and pay for the horrible mistakes that you have made in the past. To right the

How has working in television changed the way you do business?

I think that working in television has really allowed me to understand and accept and be proactive when the studios started complaining about losing money

and wanting to spend less money to make movies. We’re already living in that television world where you don’t get as much money and don’t get as much time but are still making quality stuff. I just take that mentality and attitude and apply that to producing feature films. For “The Fighter” they said they wanted to do it for $75 Million and we said we could do it for $11 Million. Contraband was going to be a $45 Million movie, we did it for $25. We just kind of get in there and figure it out. TV helped us stay ahead of the times. There are film makers and actors that can never accept the fact that the studios just don’t spend as much money on movies, therefore they don’t have as much time. They don’t understand the times which we live in now…where the business is at. They just think there is no way this can be done. And then WE do it.

We heard you are getting into reality TV, specifically with a new show called “Breaking Boston.” Can you tell us more?

We’ve got that, we’ve got the Teamsters show. We’ve got the “Most Popular” at MTV about these young rock star kids from the Valley which is going to be crazy. We’re doing a show with the History Channel called “Wahlburgers” about building a family business with my mother and my brother - a burger franchise. We’re shooting the pilot. We’re starting in Boston, but we’ve got a serious team. The guy who is our CEO was the number two guy at Panera Bread which is the largest growing franchise in the United States.

He came over to be our CEO so it’s a real business. It should make for a very interesting show, building a family business.

And all the complications that come with it.

Working with your siblings, and of course my mother being at the center of it all.

What else can we look forward to seeing from you?

We’ve got two pilots we’re shooting at HBO, one Baltasar Kormákur is directing.

He did Contraband with me and Denzel and we have a pilot at ABC and just shot a pilot for Fox. And we’ve got another show at NBC, so that’s on the television side. I’ve got four movies coming out this year that I’ve starred in, two that I’ve produced and two that I’m acting in, one that I also got the financing for. And I’m shooting four movies this year and developing a slate of about 14 – 15 other projects.

FILM FILM

TRUMP Movie Reviews CARD BEAUTIFUL CREATURES (PG-13) 

I’d likely love this teen supernatural romance if I were a 13-year-old girl going through Edward-and-Bella withdrawal. But, as an adult male movie critic, I thought the film took itself too seriously, proved a bit too complicated in plot, and was never quite over-the-top enough to be a camp classic.

Though it sparks some with its witty lines and gorgeous gothic design, Beautiful Creatures never quite catches fire. And though they are movie stars, Emma Thompson, Viola Davis and Jeremy Irons aren’t this movie’s stars; By B. Love they’re the supporting players to two starone of AmericA’s crossed s teenagers in love (themost thoroughly successful and high profile businesscharming Alden Ehrenreich and the prettymen, Donald trumpEhrenreich was well known but-bland Alice Englert). plays long before Burnett Ethan, a survivor well-readproducer South mark Carolina boy tapped himbytoweird star indreams the Apprentice.

But plagued of a raven-haired there’s denying that the reality show beautynonamed Lena (Englert), who comes to turned trump from a cartoonish curiosity town with dark secrets and a potential for into a bona fide witchcraft.

Willphenomenon, she becomewith an his evil,signadark ture catchphrase– fired!”– inextricapower on her 16th“You’re birthday?

Perhaps love can bly entering theher popaccursed culture lexicon. save her from fate. Perhaps love Although the Apprentice can save him from South initially Carolina.flounWriterdered a bitRichard in the ratings, Burnett and director LaGravenese is a trump talent, stumbled upon a winning formula recruitand Emmy Rossum has fun as a by dark witch. ing secondand third-tier athletes, There’s enough good stuffactors, here that I’d see a models musicians for a celebrity edition sequel,and if they made one. of the show. now in its third incarnation, –Benjamin Carr

his perfect family apart after falling for a much younger woman in modern-day Quebec. The film is slick and flashy, drifting along in a dreamy metaphysical haze that carries you along until you suddenly realize you have no idea what the two stories have in common.

The singular thematic through-line seems to have something to do with love and betrayal: Jacqueline goes a bit bonkers with jealousy when her young son develops a major crush on a schoolmate with Down syndrome, while Antoine struggles in therapy with feelings for the ex he unceremoniously dumped in the midst of his mid-life crisis. In the end, neither of thesereading storylines through aboutfeels themfully for sofleshed many out, and none is strong years, but aoflotthe of characters times somebody thatenough you or likeable enough thatturns you want for don’t think of so highly out totoberoot a star. them. moody, navelYou justBut don’tif know whatself-indulgent will happen with gazing (what I believe French call ennui) pressure and the heat ofthe battle. is your thing, Café de Flore has it in spades.

What does a celebrity have to do to –Bret reallyLove

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

A

set themselves apart and show that they’re in it to winUNCHAINED it?

DJANGO (R) i can tell you from seasons 1 and 2 and  from the regular Apprentice, people really Quentin Tarantino’s fansinlike me know want to win. every once a while you’ll what to expect and but can’tit be offended by anything have a quitter, doesn’t happen often. throws way, whether ihe think the their reason they do it isit’sthemore leveluses of of the N-word than in a box set of gangsta intensity they feel for their charity. Unlikerap or outrageously violent bloodbaths.

His latest the regular Apprentice, where somebody film provides in agood spaghetti works for me forboth a pretty salary western for a view with of mid-19th-century American year, this one the money goes to history. charthe celebrity Apprentice tosses disparate Bounty flesh-fority.

Last hunter year we(“Like raisedslavery, millionsit’sof adollars. stars such as rocker Bret michaels, wrestler cash business”) Kingthat Schultz (Christoph everybody has a Dr. charity they love; some BROKEN CITY (R) Goldberg, baseball legend Darryl strawberry, Waltz) frees thethey’ve slave set Django (Jamie Foxx) are foundations up themselves  former governor ron Blagojevich and sharon in return for his ofhelp.

WhensoDjango years in advance the show. i thinkproves they osbourne for a variety teamThe best together thing about BrokenofCity is that really adept fight withmore firearms hebecause could it’s never have intense a charbuilding exercises and challenges designed to Russell Crowe doesn’t sing! But Allen Hughes’ ity they’re fighting for. of before, they become been on the right end test theirnoir business twisty thrillermettle. has a lot more going for partners, but Django’s goal has always been Donald, ” as thea crazy-coiffed real be it,“the even if it drags bit when it should What your favorite to watch to freearehis wife (Kerrychallenges Washington).

She’s estate magnate oftenWahlberg known, recently held wrapping up. ifMark left the NYPD the celebrities tackle? DiCaprio’s plantation, enslaved on Leonardo court reporters discuss the show’s underwith a cloud seventoyears ago after executing where Well, Samuel we do have a lot ofkeeps different challengL. Jackson the household current season. a rapist/murderer and claiming self-defense. es, whether go back the selling of the help in line.weOnce theytoreach the plantation Now he’s a private detective taking pictures lemonade or doing something else very the overlong movie slows down – basic some Can you tell us asituations little bit about the selecof adulterous for divorce cases. without having to down deal with Proctor & Gamwould say bogs – apparently to pad tion process?

Mayor Russell Crowe, in the throes of a ble or Kodak,part, etc. until sometimes [sponsor-based DiCaprio’s all hell breaks loose it’s very interesting, because manyPepper, close re-election battle againstsoBarry challenges] are sort of interesting, but they’re in the climax.

Tarantino still manages to celebrities want to be on the show hires Wahlberg to find out whoafter histhe wife, expensive for us to do. the ratings suggest surprise, and we can’t be shocked by his selfsuccess of the previous two seasons.

We Catherine Zeta-Jones, is sleeping with. His that the fans’atfavorite part of show by is indulgence this point.

Histheown cameo wanted actors, some Honor some is in athletes, bed withsome developers, to whom far isworst the boardroom, andinthe boardroom the performance the movie, but he models and some wrestlers, so i would say gotten longer over the his years because of to he recently sold a Hispanic housing project has self-deprecatingly stages own demise probably six or seven people per spot we the challenges still have plenty of time for $4 billion, and it’s become a campaign that. bring cheers from the audience. were turning down. the hardest thing is that but we issue. That candidates, their families and and we’re focused on both aspects, –Steve Warren we really have some good people that want have been trying to lengthen the boardroom campaign managers have so much free time to go on very badly. But i guess maybe we’ll strong viewer requests. andthem are able media so close to an because 56 UP of(NR) save for to theavoid next the show, because it looks election, accounts for several minor plot holes  like that’s going to happen. in Brian Tucker’s screenplay. There are too You’re like a prosecuting attorney in the boardroom. you meter approach The originalDoreality showyour is back with to its many of them butgoing nonetois be a deal breaker How is this season different thanas different personalities? eighth episode.

It began in 1964 with Seven long as murders and revelations keep the stew past seasons?

Yes, i think you deal with different people boiling.

Wahlberg is sympathetic, Well, when you have a success likeCrowe we’ve oily Up, in which 14 British seven-year-olds were differently. i deal with Goldberg differently profiled and interviewed, and has followed and hateful, and they’ve got a solid cast to had, you don’t like to do too many changes. than ian deal with Governor Blagojevich. iseven with update on most of them every back them up.

Considering that the studios What we do have is a different tone. the cast dealt with Dennis rodman and Joan rivers years since. The idea was to see if their usebeen January a dumpingthey’ve groundbeen for horror has veryas interesting: very differently than some of theatother contespersonalities were defined the age of seven movies Chainsaw 3D) and tough and(Texas very nasty, but there’s alsoambitious a lot of tants.

You have to have that ability. and whether their futures were predetermined disappointments Broken fun and humor with(Gangster respect toSquad), what happens, by the class into which they were born. One City isi don’t a jewel. which think we had in the last one.

How do you going in the boarddropped outfeel after 21 back but another who quit –Steve Warren With Joan [rivers] and with Piers [morgan], room after a little hiatus? after 28 Up is back because he has a band to it was really nasty people really hating each i just get aAsgreat kicktime out isof spent it. i really like promote. much recapping other. these people hate each other, but it’s it a lot. they want to renew it for another their lives to date as introducing CAFÉ DE FLORE (R) might be the biggest two or three seasons, and we’re thinking new also funny. i think that information, with few surprises this time  differentiation in terms of the three casts. about that.Most i likeofhaving a little bit a break around. the subjects areofwell into between shows, where it goes on once a year.

This French art-house indie from writer/ their first (up to 37 years) or second marriages Can you usually tell right off the bat who is director Jean-Marc going to do well and who Vallée isn’t? starts off and few have changed careers since our last youalthough ever feelsome badhave about firing promisingly, juggling two stories set in two Do visit, been hit someone, hard by the that’s always the most interesting quesor is it just part of the job? different eras.

The first follows Jacqueline economy. Some express frustration but few tion to me because i’d like to think of myself i always feel bad… no, not always. someParadis, barely recognizable here), have regrets. Around the time we’re looking as(Vanessa being okay with people.

But often i’ll say, times i don’t like people. the hard ones are a single mother struggling to raise her Down at our watches and wondering how many “this one is going to be a star,” and then he when you really like and respect somebody syndrome-afflicted to never be handi-capable turns out to be a dud.son You really know.in more are left, another subject starts rattling 1969 The second follows DJ who rips and they make a mistake. Like, as an exYou feelParis. like you’ve known these acelebrities

THE LAST STAND “There’s a little romance, a lot of humor and bloodshed, and no more surprises than you’d want or expect. Go in with mid-level expectations and it’s actually pretty entertaining.”

Our review:  off the names of his grandchildren. The one taking more Botox than steroids, returns for dramatic moment of the enterprise comes what, despite its title and puny box office when director Michael Apted calls cab driver returns, will not be his last stand. The plot is as simple as the target Ah-nold’s Tony on racism for out his comments It his turned to Beabout a good phrase, Butaudience.

It was a immigrants. The series is still to be applauded job as sheriff of a sleepy Arizona county is the FLuke. durIng the very FIrst show I was a LIttLe as a significant piece of social history, and 56 next best thing to retirement – better, because wIth onecareoF contestants and used he gets a paycheck. Cartel bossI Eduardo Upexasperated has been assembled with the same as the the LIne, “you’re FIred!” when [producer] escapes from the ForestMark Whitakerits predecessors.

It’s just that the fifties are Noriega FBI show with a well-orchestrated plan to notBurnett the most exciting of most lives; anddecade I agreed to doledthe we dIdn’t have the border at Schwarzeneggertown certainlythat. not these.we thought we’d cross say, “get the heLL out in a –Steve Warren souped-up Corvette, with the help of a small oF here” or army. soMethIng. The odds seem impossible but the HANSELscott & GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS (R) star localself-sufficient gun nut Johnny facthas thatthree you deputies, raised such ample, Hamilton, from the last season. children?and the screenwriter on his side, so ihad to let scott go. i’m a great fan of scott: Knoxville don’t beti’m against him.a lot There’s a little Well, getting of credit onromance, the chilHe gold medals he’s a great Thiswon filmolympic really wants to be and a parody of a a lot of humor and bloodshed, and noivanka more dren. everybody’s been asking about champion.

But he understood that he made stupid action movie. I’m inclined to believe surprises than you’d want or expect. Go in and the answer is yes, she’ll be back on the athat, mistake on the show and i really had no in the early stages of its development, with mid-level expectations and it’s actually show.

But they’re very good kids. they went choice. i felt very badly about that, because that’s exactly what it was. There were some pretty entertaining. great i considered him to be a great person, but i interesting folks behind the scenes: It was to very good schools, and they were –SteveonWarren the have to do what’s right. it’s never fun, but it’s students. i couldn’t wait to get them written/directed by Tommy Wirkola, whose show. i had no idea the show would be into easier when i don’t like somebody or when previous film (Dead Snow) was a horror LES MISERABLES (PG-13) itsninth and tenth season, which is pretty they’re really, really bad. comedy cult classic about Nazi zombies, and  amazing in the world of television. produced Adamfired, McKay and Will Ferrell.

That line, by “You’re ” became a pop culDuring Jean Valjean Even the premise— Hansel and Gretel survive There’s the beenFrench lots ofRevolution, news surrounding NBC ture phenomenon. Can you talk about the (Hugh Jackman) spent 29 years prison their encounter with a witch, then grow up lately, and your show does well forinthem. origin of it? for stealing a loafNBC of bread. toitbeturned badass What you think needs Inspector to do to getJavert back outsupernatural to be a goodbounty phrase,hunters— but it (Russell Crowe) is his nemesis, driven by sounds like an SNL sketch (imagine Ferrell in the ratings game? was a fluke. During the very first show i was that Jeff the Gaspin law is (chairman just. He pursues Amy Poehler in theone titleof roles).

Well, i know of nBc aand little exasperated with the con-So my conviction Valjean over the years as the paroleeand, takes money says this was originally intended Universal television entertainment) as testants and i used the line, “You’re fired!” in the daughter of Fantine (Anne Hathaway), to be a comedy.

But, at some point, some you know, he’s new to the role. i think he’s When [producer] mark Burnett and i agreed the girl job (Amanda Seyfried) knucklehead a position of power decided attempting going to dotoa raise spectacular at nBc. they to do the showinwe didn’t have that. We a lifemore thatshows doesn’tlike resemble his own. When it was a we’d safersay, financial bethell to out minimize need the Apprentice. not thought “Get the of here”the or in breaks Valjean must give but up the humor and And play all theofthing straight.

The went end rebellion necessarily fromout, a reality standpoint, something. a sudden America loves so that mightthe have a future result over is a the movie thatit succeeds theyheneed shows thatshe capture imaginacrazy show. happens toasbeneither a greata one while he faces the consequences of his past. comedy or an action flick… it’s simply a really tion. catchphrase. tV Guide or one of the major the hands of director TomareHooper (The bad joke. certain shows that on should entertainment magazines did a poll and, after In frankly, Speech), the long-running –Ian Covell King’s be changed because, while they getBroadway some “Here’s Johnny!” and one other great, it was musical translates well onto thegetbigpeople screen, pretty good reviews, they don’t #3 on the top 100 phrases in television hisTHE LAST (R) big honor. it’s been but the pacing is tomuch slower thanhadyour watching. tory! so thatSTAND was a pretty it’s nice get both.

We’ve  blockbuster and anda lottheof good dialogue an amazing thing and an amazing phrase that typical emmy nominations ac- is almost It’s well cast overall, just seems to work. it really caught on, and coladesentirely passed sung. our way, and that’s always but Thatbeen action refuse toto retire is good news Russell it’s an heroes amazing thing watch.

Crowe falls short, unable to provide nice. But ultimately you have to have people for those who earn their living as stunt doubles the watch. nBc istogoing to really well. i know gravitas which we’redo accustomed but a mixed bestbiggest for moviegoers.

What do youblessing think isatyour accomtheir leadership and i think winners, while singing. Hathaway, on they’re the other hand, Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger, plishment, your business success or thenow issoincredible i think they’ll turnsingle it around. as the mother forced to insiteatlanta.com • February 2013 • PG 13

turn to prostitution in order to support her daughter. Unfortunately, the songs were not set in the actors’ vocal ranges, so we have Jackman and Crowe desperately trying to reach notes that they should not. But it’s beautiful to look at, the emotion is palpable and the storytelling is almost excellent. Not a film for the average moviegoer, but fans of the musical will find enough here to appreciate it.

–Justin Patterson

suggests what Dali might have done if he’d had a computer to work with. My vote, if I had one, would go to Head over Heels, a topsy-turvy metaphor for the life of an old married couple.

It’s Hope Springs in gravity-defying, stopmotion animation. The additions are Dripped, which was short-listed by the Academy but didn’t get nominated; Abiogenesis and The Gruffalo’s Child.

–Steve Warren

MAMA (PG-13)

OSCAR-NOMINATED SHORT FILMS 2013: LIVE ACTION (NR)



A crooked financier kills three people and takes refuge with his daughters, aged 1 and 3, in a haunted cabin. The girls soon become orphans but are taken care of by a supernatural/ supermaternal entity they call “Mama.” Five years later the girls (Megan Charpentier and Isabelle Nélisse) are found and go to live with their Uncle Luke (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) and his rocker girlfriend Annabel (Jessica Chastain in a role that seems written for Juliette Lewis), as psychiatrist Daniel Kash charts the girls’ progress toward civilization.

Mama follows and soon puts Luke in a coma, leaving Annabel to serve as sole parent. From there Mama becomes a typical haunted house movie (though far less amusing than A Haunted House), if artier and duller than most, with feral waifs and a vengeful wraith. Guillermo del Toro is only executive producer but gets top billing in the ads to attract his fans. The children give better performances than the adults. Mama is technically well made but not likely to haunt your memory for long.

–Steve Warren

MOVIE 43 (R) 

The final credits of Movie 43 thank “anyone who has ever had a dirty thought.” You’re welcome. It would be easy to put on my uppity critic hat and dump on this juvenile smutfest, as many have done; but I’ll be honest and admit that it made me laugh at times, more than some comedies I could name with higher principles and lower batting averages. It’s worth seeing just to gasp at the number of stars who are slumming in this anthology of comic shorts, including three of this year’s Oscar nominees (Hugh Jackman, Naomi Watts, Seth MacFarlane) and two previous winners (Kate Winslet, Halle Berry). The framework story has desperate screenwriter Dennis Quaid pitching his stupid ideas to producer Greg Kinnear.

Some of them are filth for filth’s sake but some show flashes of wit, including Watts and Liev Schreiber trying to give the full high school experience to their homeschooled son and Batman (Jason Sudeikis) cock-blocking Robin (Justin Long) at Superhero Speed Dating. Like browsing on Funny or Die or YouTube, you get some winners and some losers; but with 13 shorts plus the framing story, nothing lasts long enough to be unbearable.

–Steve Warren

OSCAR-NOMINATED SHORT FILMS 2013: ANIMATED (NR) 

The five nominees, two of which were shown with features last year, only add up to about 45 minutes; so they’ve added three other (unpreviewed) titles to round out the program.

You may have already seen Maggie Simpson in “The Longest Daycare” with Ice Age: Continental Drift. It’s a vignette spun off from The Simpsons in which the baby goes to the Ayn Rand Daycare Center. Paperman, a sweet urban romance in which animated inanimate objects play Cupid, played with Wreck-It Ralph. The weakest of the lot is Adam and Dog, in which the first human bonds with the first canine.

Along comes Eve to create the first triangle – or the first ménage? Fresh Guacamole is a brief, brilliant bit of surrealism by Pes, who PG 14 • February 2013 • insiteatlanta.com



A tough choice for the Academy means a good deal for you. The five nominated live action shorts take you around the world in under two hours, with more locations than a Bond movie. One is about a senior citizen, three are about children. My favorite is Asad, about a Somali boy mentored by an old fisherman but tempted to join local pirates. In Buzkashi Boys a Kabul street boy takes his BFF, the son of a blacksmith, to the Buzkashi, an Afghan rodeo where goats are abused. In Curfew director Shawn Christensen stars as Richie, who gets to know his precocious niece when his estranged sister interrupts his suicide attempt to ask him to babysit. It’s weirdly uplifting. Gerard Poirier excels in Henry, a heartbreaking portrait of a delusional old man confusing past and present.

With Quartet and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel not nominated and Amour a longshot, this French-Canadian drama could be the standard bearer in this Year of the Old. My least favorite is Death of a Shadow, in which a photographer time-travels for an obsessed patron to capture the silhouettes of people at the moment of their death. The complex tale doesn’t make its mythology clear enough in the short time it has.

–Steve Warren

PARKER (R) 

A B- movie with a B+ cast, Parker is one part caper and two parts revenge flick. Based on one of a series of novels by Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake), it pits a relatively good criminal against some relatively bad ones. Nick Nolte, whose daughter is with Parker (Jason Statham), hooks him up with a gang led by Michael Chiklis to rob the Ohio State Fair. They have a falling out when Chiklis wants to use their million-dollar haul to finance a bigger job in West Palm Beach but Parker just wants to collect his share. They try to kill him, which would only be wise if they succeeded. Getting a tour of West Palm from novice real estate agent Jennifer Lopez, Parker intuits what they’re going to steal and where they’re going to lay low afterward. Parker could lay low with J.Lo. but he’s loyal to his woman so their sexual tension only works one way. Parker’s not exactly Robin Hood but he’s selective about who he robs and he only hurts people in self-defense, which affords him plenty of opportunity. Like the old Timex watches, he takes a licking and keeps on ticking. There are no surprises in the plot but it’s surprising to see director Taylor Hackford (Ray) reduced to something so unexceptional.

–Steve Warren

SIDE EFFECTS (R) 

Need a break from the Oscar race currently battling it out in theaters? Check out this psycho-thriller/murder mystery/twistedromance from indie auteur Steven Soderbergh.

The trailer reveals a mash-up of a cast including Rooney Mara, Jude Law, Channing Tatum and Catherine Zeta-Jones. The result is a brilliant, interwoven story of whodunit, how and with what. The basic storyline follows a young newlywed (Mara, of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) who suffers from deep depression, which is recurring as a result of her husband

LES MISERABLES “But it’s beautiful to look at, the emotion is palpable and the storytelling is almost excellent.

Not a film for the average moviegoer, but fans of the musical will find enough here to appreciate it.”

Our review:  being freshly released from jail with no real plan for the rest of their lives. Law plays the new therapist, who’s aided by Zeta-Jones, the veteran therapist. What ensues is a rabbit hole of a case involving back-stabbing (literally), secret-keeping and ridiculous tomfoolery that keeps you guessing until the end. It’s a classic suspense tale that refuses to succumb to the usual predictability. As with almost everything we see Soderbergh do, it’s creepy, mysterious and seriously f’ed up. I loved it.

–Jennifer Smith Williams

STAND UP GUYS (R) 

Al Pacino plays Val, coming off a 28-year prison stint for murdering a mob boss’ son. Alan Arkin is Hirsch, a getaway driver who resides in a retirement home and is dying of cancer. Christopher Walken is Doc, Val’s former partner in crime, who now paints sunrises every day. For 28 years, Doc has had an assignment: Within one day of Val being freed, he has to kill him. Stand Up Guys is director Fisher Stevens’ sometimes funny, sometimes grim look at tough guys succumbing to age and melancholy.

His three lead actors are entirely believable, with good chemistry and a natural repartee. Val knows that Doc must kill him, and the tension, sadness and quiet resignation between them is the glue that holds the film together. The film has action, moments of tenderness, and plenty of suspense and humor (though it dwells too long on Val’s restored libido). The actors work incredibly well off of each other, including several supporting characters that flesh out the film. Definitely worth your time and money.

–Justin Patterson

WARM BODIES (PG-13) 

The normal cycle is that we live, and then we die. Warm Bodies goes beyond that. When the world is swarmed by zombies and humans are living in cities behind massive walls, R (Nicholas Hoult, About A Boy) devours a young man and

begins to feel for his ex, Julie (Teresa Palmer, The Sorceror’s Apprentice). He saves her from other zombies, begins to use words, and the whole world starts to change. This is not purely a comedy, nor a horror film. While it has both humor and zombies, it’s actually a strangely charming story about two young people thrust together by fate. We see Julie’s terror and mistrust gradually replaced by acceptance and affection. We see R (who narrates the film) gradually begin to look less dead, to speak and feel again. Just as it begins to look like a zombie film, it turns touching. Just as it begins to look like young love, it turns into a zombie film.

Director Jonathan Levine has made a quirky, funny, touching and gory film that doesn’t fit a mold. It’s not brilliant and likely won’t win any Oscars, but it’s enjoyable and interesting and different.

–Justin Patterson

YOSSI (NR) 

Sequelitis is not a strictly American phenomenon. Israeli director Eytan Fox waited ten years to make an inferior follow-up to his excellent gay romance Yossi & Jagger. It was a film of its time, when being openly gay in the Israeli army was as novel as it is in the U.S. military today. Yossi (Ohad Knoller), an officer, refused to go public about his ill-fated affair, and ten years later he’s still in the closet, though not fooling anyone. Now he’s a cardiologist working in a Tel Aviv hospital, and no one can snap him out of his depression, which has apparently been going on since the last movie.

They force him to take a vacation and he gives a ride to four young soldiers. One of them, Tom (Oz Zehavi) is openly gay and his comrades are fine with it, showing how the army has changed in ten years. When Tom tries to be more than friendly, the question is whether Yossi can change too. It certainly won’t be easy for him.

While Yossi & Jagger mixed wild humor with drama and tragedy, Yossi runs the gamut from mildly depressing to extremely depressing.

–Steve Warren

FILM

ARGO GET YOUR OSCAR! Our 2013 Academy Award Predictions

BY STEVE WARREN

A

FUNNY THING HAPPENED on the way to the 2013 Academy Awards. The early frontrunner, the Ben Affleck-directed Argo, whose critical and popular acclaim kicked off awards season with its October release, saw its Oscar chances appear to diminish as it was eclipsed by later releases and its director was snubbed by the Academy.

But then January precursors from the Golden Globes, Producers Guild and Screen Actors Guild (whose Best Cast award is the equivalent of Best Picture) made Argo appear unstoppable again. It looks as if the Oscar love will be spread around this year, with no film getting more than one or two (well, maybe three) major awards.

BEST PICTURE

Amour Argo Beasts of the Southern Wild Django Unchained Les Misérables Life of Pi Lincoln Silver Linings Playbook Zero Dark Thirty WILL/SHOULD WIN: Argo DARK HORSE: Lincoln You’ve probably seen most of the nominees by now. At least five, and possibly seven, of these films will have grossed over $100 million by the time the Academy Awards are handed out. My personal favorite, Life of Pi, may have to settle for awards for Best Musical Score and Best Visual Effects (if voters realize “Richard Parker” wasn’t a real Bengal tiger...although I still suspect he was played by Andy Serkis).

BEST DIRECTOR

Michael Haneke, Amour Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild Ang Lee, Life of Pi Steven Spielberg, Lincoln David O. Russell, Silver Linings Playbook WILL WIN: Steven Spielberg SHOULD WIN: Ang Lee DARK HORSE: David O. Russell Give the kid a break! Spielberg’s only won two Oscars for directing in nearly 40 years of turning out often great, usually entertaining films. Lincoln got the most overall nominations (12) this year, so this award wouldn’t be inappropriate. But if Lee pulls an upset, it wouldn’t be the first time he’s won for directing a popular film that lost in the Best Picture race.

This is the most controversial category at this year’s Oscars, with gripes about Ben Affleck, Kathryn Bigelow (Zero Dark Thirty) and Tom Hooper (Les Miserables) not receiving nominations for creating Best Picture nominees. The same could be argued for Quentin Tarantino, but he didn’t get a Directors Guild nomination, while the others did. Consider it payback for Spielberg, who wasn’t nominated when The Color Purple was. But I’m sure someone’s thinking about increasing the number of directing nominees. Of course, these odds could change completely once the Directors Guild has a chance to weigh in on the subject.

BEST ACTOR

Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook Daniel Day-Lewis, Lincoln Hugh Jackman, Les Misérables Joaquin Phoenix, The Master Denzel Washington, Flight WILL/SHOULD WIN: Daniel Day-Lewis The dark horse in this category would be an asteroid striking the planet on Oscar Night, which is probably slightly more likely to happen than Daniel being Day-Loser. I didn’t even like Lincoln, but I can’t deny the fact that he gave the best performance of the year in any category (not to mention one for the ages).

BEST ACTRESS

Jessica Chastain, Zero Dark Thirty Jennifer Lawrence, Silver Linings Playbook Emmanuelle Riva, Amour Quvenzhané Wallis, Beasts of the Southern Wild Naomi Watts, The Impossible WILL/SHOULD WIN: Jennifer Lawrence DARK HORSE: Jessica Chastain DARKER HORSE: Emmanuelle Riva This has been considered a two-horse race between Lawrence and Chastain from the starting gate. Lawrence has been trending lately, especially since winning the SAG award. She’s the best actress of her generation (see Winter’s Bone for proof ), and 22 isn’t too young to give her what should be the first of many Oscars to come.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Alan Arkin, Argo Robert De Niro, Silver Linings Playbook Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Master Tommy Lee Jones, Lincoln Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained WILL WIN: Robert De Niro SHOULD WIN: Alan Arkin DARK HORSE: Tommy Lee Jones This category could go just about any way.

Jones lost votes with his memorable “sore loser face” at the Golden Globes.

Waltz was amazing, but his role was perhaps a bit too similar to his Oscar-winning performance in Inglourious Basterds. Besides, he was really a co-lead opposite Jamie Foxx in Django. He’s only in this category through the manipulation of Harvey Weinstein, who is to movie awards what Karl Rove is to elections. But De Niro’s only won twice in over 45 years, and almost all of his work has been award-worthy.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Amy Adams, The Master

Sally Field, Lincoln Anne Hathaway, Les Misérables Helen Hunt, The Sessions Jacki Weaver, Silver Linings Playbook WILL/SHOULD WIN: Anne Hathaway DARK HORSE: Sally Field Field was the early frontrunner. But, even though the Academy really likes the Norma Rae star, Hathaway seems to have all the momentum going into the homestretch... assuming they’ve forgiven her hosting stint with James Franco two years ago.

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

5 Broken Cameras The Gatekeepers How to Survive a Plague The Invisible War Searching for Sugar Man WILL/SHOULD WIN: Searching for Sugar Man Every award is about politics. But, with four political films in this category competing against one that just tells an interesting story (and features music to boot), Sugar Man’s search for an Oscar should have a happy ending. Cameras and Gatekeepers will split the “Jewish vote,” while Plague and War will attract the true believers in their causes. But there should be more than enough music lovers who can’t resist an underdog story to make Oscar night sweet for Sugar Man.

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

Brave Frankenweenie ParaNorman The Pirates! Band of Misfits Wreck-It Ralph WILL/SHOULD WIN: Frankenweenie OK, it could just be wishful thinking because it was my favorite, but Frankenweenie is a good excuse for the Academy to give long overdue recognition to Tim Burton (as long as they forget that he also released the godawful Dark Shadows last year).

Still, if the popular ParaNorman siphons off enough fans of kiddie horror, it could give plucky Producers Guild winner Wreck-It Ralph a chance to slip in and wreck Burton’s chances.

BEST ORIGNAL SONG

The nominees in this category don’t matter, because they’ll give it to Adele’s “Skyfall” as part of the “50 Years of James Bond” tribute, where they wheel in all of the actors who have ever played Agent 007. I just wanted to note the similarity to 2000, when they nominated “Blame Canada” from South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut because “Uncle Fucka” was considered too dirty for TV. This year it’s “Everybody Needs a Best Friend” from Ted, which is standing in for “Thunder Buddies.”

Either way, the nomination gives some Oscar cred to this year’s host, Seth MacFarlane. insiteatlanta.com • February 2013 • PG 15

FILM

THE PASSWORD IS LONGEVITY Betty White lives on! And on…

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

E

©2012 Feld Entertainment

VEN THOUGH HER ACTUAL birthday was in January, seven-time Emmy Award winner Betty White will officially celebrate her 91st year of life in a special televised tribute this month.

Appropriately titled “Betty White’s 2nd Annual 90th Birthday Special,” it airs airs Tuesday, February 5 and features an impressive roster of stars. Blake Shelton, Bill Cosby, Whoopi Goldberg, Lily Tomlin, Sarah Silverman and President Bill Clinton will honor America’s enduring sweetheart, currently known for her roles on TV Land’s “Hot in Cleveland” and NBC’s “Betty White’s Off Their Rockers.”

White’s career actually spans more than six decades, with endearing stints in “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “Golden Girls” and even “Password.” She has also authored seven books and tirelessly works for animal welfare charities. Recently, the engaging and hilariously saucy actress spoke to the press on the eve of her birthday.

“MAGICAL” “WONDROUS” “AMAZING” And that’s just the ticket price.

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More info at www.cinemoms.com PG 16 • February 2013 • insiteatlanta.com

How do you plan to celebrate your big day?

Well, I think NBC is taking care of that. Last year they did a “Betty White’s 90th Birthday Party” on television. We got nominated for an Emmy for it, and this year they’re doing my “Second Annual 90th birthday,” so they’re doing another one on camera, which should be fun.

What was your favorite part from last year?

My favorite part was being surprised with the number of friends, celebrity friends, that showed up. Each one was such a lovely surprise. I mean, to have Mary there and well, if I start naming, I’ll leave somebody out, and I don’t want to do that, but it was just delightful.

So your parents encouraged your own sense of humor at a very early age.

Oh yes, that was my mother and father. We had the best time together. My dad would ask me how things went at school, and I would start telling him, and pretty soon we’d begin to make jokes about it. It was a love of laughter at home that just was a precious commodity to have. Sunday morning breakfast would last two hours sometimes, when we all giggled and talked.

What is your theory of comedic timing? You are obviously a master of it.

Well, I think humor is like music. It’s a rhythm, and you just kind of get the rhythm of it, and you have to know not to let the beat go too long, but to leave a beat in there for it to gel, you know. It’s hard to explain.

With all the resurgence of your popularity, you seem to be surrounded by a lot of young, attractive men. A woman in her 40s, with younger men, are sometimes called “cougars.” What do they call a woman in her 90s who has an eye for the boys?

Well, my problem is, all my life, I never was interested in younger men.

He always had to be a little older than I, and my problem now, at 90, is I can’t find anybody older than I am!

I THINK HUMOR IS LIKE MUSIC. IT’S A RHYTHM…

What sort of mindset do you recommend for longevity in the entertainment business?

Oh, honesty. You can fool everybody else, maybe, that you know, but you can’t fool that camera. That camera will know when you’re faking it, every time.

You’ve accomplished so much, what keeps you interested, creative and motivated?

Why quit something you’re enjoying so much? And who would ever expect, at 91, to still get invited to do shows? I mean, that’s unheard of, so if they don’t want me to do it, don’t ask me. Because if they ask me, I’ll take it. I love what I’m doing, I love this business and the people that I work with. Everybody says, “Well, when are you going to retire? Why don’t you quit?” I’m blessed with good health and good energy, so as long as they ask me, I’m thrilled to say yes.

How did you develop your unique take on risqué humor and sauciness?

I was an only child and my mother and dad were great and good buddies, and my dad would bring jokes home. He was a salesman, and when he would tell his jokes, he’d say, ‘Now, sweetheart, you can take that one to school, but I wouldn’t take that one to school.’

And so, I always see more than one meaning to a word, so the double entendre kind of came naturally. But a double entendre is one thing, and then dirty humor is something else. I don’t like dirty jokes, but I do enjoy a double entendre.

So you have no choice than to go after younger ones now?

Yes, well, let’s face it. I enjoy men.

How you think you’ve achieved the notoriety that you have, and what advice do you usually offer to other women who may just be starting out in the business?

I hope it’s fame, not notoriety. I’ve been so lucky, I just can’t tell you how lucky, to get to this age. Who would ever dream that you’d get to be 91 years old and you’re still working as much as I am? But I think it’s because I thoroughly enjoy what I do. It is such a privilege. I think women have come a long way over the years in coming into their own and roles that they get and well, in the whole business. Women executives and all that. But it still is a very lovely position to be in, to be taken seriously as well as laughed at.

Is there anything outstanding that you haven’t done yet that you’d like to do?

Robert Redford. No, no, no. It’s been 65 years and I think in that time, I’ve been the luckiest person on two feet, so I think I’ve done about as much as I can do. I’d just like to keep on doing the same thing.

ATTRACTION Atlanta Ballet

Michael Pink’s Dracula

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre (404) 817- 8700 atlantaballet.com February 8 - 16 Tickets start at $20

Valentine's Day! There will be live Mexican music, salsa dancing, a couple's photo booth and Frida impersonators.

Premier Exhibition Center Titanic the Exhibition Atlantic Station (404) 496-4274 Bodies the Exhibition bodiesatlanta.com Titanic the Exhibition titanicatlanta.com

RESTAURANT Agave agaverestaurant.com 242 Boulevard SE (404) 588-0006

This romantic eatery nestled in Cabbagetown is the perfect place to celebrate with that special someone. To celebrate Valentine's Day this year, Agave has added to their award winning southwestern cuisine some playful menu items meant to be shared.

Call for details; reservations recommended.

Sotto Sotto sottosottorestaurant.com 313 N. Highland Ave. (404) 523-6678

Five years have passed since Count Dracula last sauntered onto the Atlanta Ballet stage, but the seductive vampire is back just in time for Valentine’s Day. Based on Bram Stoker’s 1897 classic gothic horror story, choreographer Michael Pink’s Dracula mixes romance and passion with horror and pain. The lush cinematic work, complete with sensuous costumes, theatrical sets and a gripping original score by Philip Feeney, has become one of the biggest hits in Atlanta Ballet’s 83-year history and one of the most popular renditions of Dracula in the world.

Atlanta Botanical Garden

404.876.5859 atlantabotanicalgarden.org Thursday, Feb. 14 7:00pm - 11:00pm $30 per person (Members $25)

This Valentine’s Day come explore, experience and celebrate the wonder of the human form and take in an intimate and informative view into the human body. Bodies the Exhibition features actual human specimens and allows people of all ages access to sights and knowledge normally reserved only for medical professionals. Relive the romantic maiden voyage of the Titanic 100 years later through the authentic artifacts that have been recovered from the wreck site in Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition. It is an unprecedented opportunity to travel back in time and experience the wonder and tragedy of this ill-fated Ship.

Dinner at this award winning restaurant is sure to enhance your Valentine's experience.

Sotto Sotto offers a romantically lit intimate dining room perfect for the special evening.

Their celebrated menu is accompanied by an inspiring all-Italian wine list. Make reservations early as seating is limited.

Mezza mezzabistro.com

2751 Lavista Rd. (404) 633-8833

Mezza is a traditional way of dining in which all menu items are served in small portions allowing couples to share from a large variety of dishes. Mezza serves a variety of over 60 menu items along with a wide assortment of wines and unique desserts. Call for special Valentine menu and to make reservations.

Chin Chin chinchinatlanta.com

3887 Peachtree Rd. (404) 816-2229

Chin Chin boasts an award winning chef and elegant décor that makes this a great option for Valentine’s Day. Enjoy dinner for two for just $29.95. Price includes soup, appetizer, entree and dessert. (Brookhaven Location)

GIFTS

Alexander’s of Atlanta

2891 N. Druid Hills Rd. (404) 634-1397 alexandersofatlanta.com

Alexander’s Of Atlanta maintains a strong commitment to the highest standard of quality and service expected from a fine jewelry establishment. Our membership in the prestigious American Gem Society speaks to this commitment and almost 50 years of service speaks to our dedication to the community.

Nature’s Kiss Skin Care

3297 Northcrest Rd. #101 (404) 220.8085 natureskissskincare.com

Licensed & Certified Esthetician serving women & men all skin types. Valentine's Special: Deep Pore Facial, Body Wrap,Foot Massage and Goodie Bag for $120 ($200 value) Offer expires Feb. 28 2013.

GETAWAY

W Atlanta Buckhead (678) 500-3100 watlantabuckhead.com/spark Valid for stays February 1 - 24

Celebrate this Valentine’s Day by enjoying cocktails, dancing and desserts in the most romantic setting in town the Atlanta Botanical Garden, where in February fragrant orchids set a romantic mood with an exotic backdrop. The night will feature decadent chocolates and other scrumptious sweets while visitors sip cocktails from cash bars, dance to live entertainment. Guests may explore Orchid Daze by night featuring thousands of hanging orchids cascading with lush, fragrant beauty.

High Museum of Art

(404) 733-5000 high.org Thursday, Feb. 14 6:00pm - 10:00pm Tickets are $25 per person, $40 per couple.

Member cost: $10 person, $20 couple

Visit the HIGH on Opening Night of the much anticipated special exhibition Frida & Diego: Passion, Politics, and Painting for a special celebration of a very passionate and intriguing couple and their legacy. And it ‘s happening on

W Atlanta - Buckhead invites guests to heat things up with the SPARK Package. The SPARK package includes a wonderful room, chilled bottle of Domaine Chandon Brut Rosé champagne, rose petal turndown service, complimentary in-room movie, complimentary valet parking and 4 PM late checkout.

Priced from $235/night, this package is sure to rekindle your romance.

Callaway Gardens callawaygardens.com

800.225-5292 Valentine Package You and your sweetheart can stroll through beautiful Gardens during the day, then dine and dance the night away before retiring to your cozy accommodations. Calloway’s romantic Valentine's package includes: a bundle of firewood, dinner at the Callaway Discovery Center, dancing to the sounds of the Sounds Of Motown and transportation back to your room. Prices start at $164.50 per person.

PASSIONATE. DRAMATIC. SE NSATIONAL.

February 8-16, 2013 Live with the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Sponsored by

TICKETS AS LOW AS $20!

Call 800-982-2787 www.atlantaballet.com Groups of 10 or more call 404.873.5811 ext. 207 Season sponsored by

Art by Rainingcrow

insiteatlanta.com • February 2013 • PG 17

CONCERT CALENDAR FRIDAY FEBRUARY 1 529 Corrections House BLIND WILLIE’S Francine Reed EARL Holopaw EDDIE’S ATTIC Austin Renfroe FAT MATT’S Kerry Hill Band FIVE SPOT Doug Funny & the Freshtones MASQUERADE Churchill PEACHTREE TAVERN 17th Floor SMITH’S Col. Bruce Hapton STAR BAR The Show That Should Not Happen TABERNACLE Big Gigantic w/ Will Weber VARIETY Jim Jefferies VINYL The Black Cadillacs WILD BILL’S Public Enemies SATURDAY FEBRUARY 2 529 The Hotels BUCKHEAD THEATRE Big Head Todd EARL Young Widows EDDIE’S ATTIC Gustafer Yellowgold FAT MATT’S J.T. Speed FIVE SPOT Lazy Locomotive MASQUERADE Doro Pesch PEACHTREE TAVERN Kurt Thomas SMITH’S Justin Kennedy STAR BAR Hollyfest 5 TABERNACLE The xx VARIETY Delbert McClinton VINYL Ben Deignan WILD BILL’S The Jawga Boyz SUNDAY FEBRUARY 3 EARL Peter Alan DeLorenzo EDDIE’S ATTIC Play More Music Recital FAT MATT’S Tony Bryant MASQUERADE Turisas SMITH’S The Goddamn Gallows MONDAY FEBRUARY 4 529 Tim Kohler EDDIE’S ATTIC Songwriter’s Open Mic FAT MATT’S Dry White Toast MASQUERADE Allstar Weekend TABERNACLE The Used TUESDAY FEBRUARY 5 529 Wolves & Jackals EDDIE’S ATTIC Leon Redbone FAT MATT’S Crosstown Allstars FIVE SPOT Cheap Shots Comedy MASQUERADE Gojira SMITH’S Wild Feathers VARIETY The Residents WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 6 529 Jeffrey Butzer EARL Antbrain EDDIE’S ATTIC Lindi Ortega FAT MATT’S Frankies Blues Mission FIVE SPOT The Jauntee MASQUERADE Toro y Moi SMITH’S Corb Lund STAR BAR Demonaut VINYL Bob Marley Tribute THURSDAY FEBRUARY 7 529 U.S. Girls CENTER STAGE Dwele EARL Scott H. Biram EDDIE’S ATTIC Ted Vigil FAT MATT’S Chickenshack FIVE SPOT Welcome to Atlanta MASQUERADE Warren J Gallimore SMITH’S Jerry Joseph STAR BAR Nightmare Boyzzz VINYL The Vespers & Caleb WILD BILL’S Naughty Gras FRIDAY FEBRUARY 8 529 Torche EARL Whiskey Gentry EDDIE’S ATTIC Patterson Hood FAT MATT’S Fat Back Deluxe FIVE SPOT California Guitar Trio PEACHTREE TAVERN The Mantras SMITH’S Rosco Bandana STAR BAR Kenny Howes & The Wow VINYL Stevens Layne WILD BILL’S Montgomery Gentry PG 18 • February 2013 • insiteatlanta.com

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 9 529 Acid Freaks EARL Whiskey Gentry EDDIE’S ATTIC Patterson Hood FAT MATT’S Atlanta Boogie FIVE SPOT The Vixens Burlesque Shoq MASQUERADE Testament PEACHTREE TAVERN Tyler Reeve SMITH’S The Jompson Bros STAR BAR Darling Norman TABERNACLE Flogging Molly VARIETY Steven Wright VINYL Clap For Daylight WILD BILL’S Full Decibel Rock SUNDAY FEBRUARY 10 EARL Whiskey Gentry EDDIE’S ATTIC Ben Sollee FAT MATT’S Tony Bryant MASQUERADE Hudson Falcons PHILIPS Winter Jam SMITH’S Trampled Under Foot MONDAY FEBRUARY 11 EARL The Wedding Present EDDIE’S ATTIC Songwriter’s Open Mic FAT MATT’S Dry White Toast MASQUERADE Reel Big Fish TUESDAY FEBRUARY 12 529 PUDGE CENTER STAGE Meshuggah EDDIE’S ATTIC Peachtree String Quartet FAT MATT’S Crosstown Allstars FIVE SPOT Cheap Shots Comedy SMITH’S Wild Feathers VINYL Courrier & Suite 709 WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 13 529 Pinecones EARL deadCat EDDIE’S ATTIC Heather Luttrell FAT MATT’S Frankies Blues Mission MASQUERADE Geoff Rickly THURSDAY FEBRUARY 14 529 Hello Ocho EARL The K-Holes EDDIE’S ATTIC Cathie Ryan FAT MATT’S Chickenshack FIVE SPOT Jeff Bujak MASQUERADE Earphunk SMITH’S The Corduroy Road STAR BAR Valentine’s Day Show TABERNACLE Imagine Dragons VARIETY Lalah Hathaway VINYL Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds WILD BILL’S Exex to Ashes FRIDAY FEBRUARY 15 529 To Hell With Valentine’s EARL Fishhawk EDDIE’S ATTIC Howie Day FAT MATT’S Sana Blues MASQUERADE Daybreak SMITH’S Swamp Juice Benefit STAR BAR Trappers Cabin TABERNACLE Fun. VARIETY Railroad Earth VINYL Low Tree Grow Tall WILD BILL’S Saving Abel SATURDAY FEBRUARY 16 529 Psychic Ills EARL Cotton Jones EDDIE’S ATTIC Mike Farris & The Roseland FAT MATT’S Eddie Harris & The Contents MASQUERADE Lindsey Stirling LOFT Heavy and Light PEACHTREE TAVERN Southside of the Tracks SMITH’S Rockets To Ruin STAR BAR The Woggles TABERNACLE moe.

VARIETY Railroad Earth VINYL Inviolate WILD BILL’S Lee Brice SUNDAY FEBRUARY 17 EDDIE’S ATTIC Young Artists Showcase FAT MATT’S Tony Bryant

PHILIPS presents Bon Jovi (Feb. 27)

FIVE SPOT Two Man Gentleman Band MASQUERADE Silverstein SMITH’S Copious Jones VARIETY Dark Star Orchestra WILD BILL’S Post Valentine’s Day Teen Party MONDAY FEBRUARY 18 529 Shepherds EDDIE’S ATTIC Songwriter’s Open Mic FAT MATT’S Dry White Toast MASQUERADE Jukebox the Ghost TUESDAY FEBRUARY 19 529 Wumbhi Live CENTER STAGE Anberlin EARL Comedy Death Match EDDIE’S ATTIC Ed Roland FAT MATT’S Crosstown Allstars FIVE SPOT Cheap Shots Comedy MASQUERADE Flyleak PEACHTREE TAVERN Whiskey Jam SMITH’S Kevin Scott’s Musicians Jam WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 20 529 Order of the Owl EARL Calm White Noise EDDIE’S ATTIC Nathan Angelo FAT MATT’S Frankies Blues Mission FIVE SPOT Skyfoot & Guests MASQUERADE Caspain STAR BAR An English Place

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 23 529 Unknown Mortal Orchestra EARL Takenobu EDDIE’S ATTIC Five Eight w/ James Hall FAT MATT’S Ron Cooley & The Hard Times FIVE SPOT Jeff Cox Quartet MASQUERADE All For Nothing PEACHTREE TAVERN Ty Bates & Rickey Young SMITH’S The Bluefields STAR BAR M.O.T.O. TABERNACLE Corey Smith VARIETY Tommy Emmanuel SUNDAY FEBRUARY 24 EARL Pallbearer EDDIE’S ATTIC Francine Reed FAT MATT’S Tony Bryant MASQUERADE Every Time I Die MONDAY FEBRUARY 25 529 Deep Funk EARL Weatherbox EDDIE’S ATTIC Songwriter’s Open Mic FAT MATT’S Dry White Toast TUESDAY FEBRUARY 26 529 Samothrace EDDIE’S ATTIC Ed Roland FAT MATT’S Crosstown Allstars FIVE SPOT Cheap Shots Comedy SMITH’S Kevin Scott’s Musicians Jam

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 21 529 Left Field Experiment EARL Stokeswood EDDIE’S ATTIC Sans Abri FAT MATT’S Chickenshack FIVE SPOT SHEL w/ Sailing to Denver FOX THEATRE Sarah Brightman MASQUERADE Doc Wallace Band VARIETY Desaparecidos

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 27 529 Wet Rainbow EDDIE’S ATTIC Karla Bonoff FAT MATT’S Frankies Blues Mission FIVE SPOT Red Honey LOFT Crowder MASQUERADE Mobile Deathcamp PHILIPS Bon Jovi SMITH’S Knumbskull Vs. Cancer

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 22 529 Cory Branan CENTER STAGE Josh Garrels EARL Holy Ghost Tent Revival EDDIE’S ATTIC Charlie Mars FAT MATT’S Rough Draft FIVE SPOT Skytree SMITH’S The Cheaters TABERNACLE Rizinstar Tour VARIETY Big Mike Geier’s Elvis Royale VINYL Good Old War

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 28 EDDIE’S ATTIC Dean Fields FAT MATT’S Chickenshack FIVE SPOTBubonik Funk MASQUERADE Solange SMITH’S Playboy Tre & Sean Faylon VINYL Wayne Hancock

Road Warriors

This Month’s Hottest Shows

BY SACHA DZUBA

FEB. 9 – FLOGGING MOLLY: 9TH ANNUAL GREEN 17 TOUR

The Tabernacle Flogging Molly blends the traditional sounds of Celtic music with punk rock and introspective lyrics.

There really is nothing like distorted rock guitars and pounding rhythms mixed with violin, mandolin and accordion. Created by an Irish expatriate, Flogging Molly grew their fan base initially through regular pub performances at their namesake, Molly Malone’s. Their latest release, Speed of Darkness, features some of their heaviest, most passionate and dramatic music to date with a focus on the economic plight of the world.

The Green 17 Tour has grown yearly and is Flogging Molly’s way of counting down to St. Patrick’s Day. Known for incendiary live performances, head out and experience their infectious music and intense onstage energy! Bring on the Shamrock Bombs!

FEB. 19 – ANBERLIN

Center Stage Anberlin presents an alternative pop/rock sound that brings to mind an Emo version of Third Eye Blind, radio friendly alternative rock in line with bands such as Fall Out Boy and 30 Seconds from Mars. Their latest album, Vital, is heavily influenced by indie electro elements, building on their previous

sounds and styles, and yet moving in a different direction entirely. Their high energy performances are punctuated by the stage antics and polished vocals from frontman Stephen Christian. Vital aimed to infuse their new music with the palpable raw vigor that they have become known for. “I recognize now that what I love the most about Anberlin is the high energy, the high momentum, the veins that are popping from necks when the fans scream along,” Stephen notes. Emo girls and boys, get your punk duds and rim your eyes with some kohl, time to hit the dancefloor.

FEB. 21 – YO GABBA GABBA

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Yo Gabba Gabba is a well-known, lauded, children’s television show…but is it just for kids?! This is the best kid’s television since classic Sesame Street, The Electric Company, and H. R. Pufnstuf. Created by two fathers, Christian Jacobs (lead singer of The Aquabats) and Scott Schultz (a long-time collaborator and friend); Yo Gabba Gabba boasts regular appearances from Biz Markie, teaching kids how to beatbox and Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo), showing children how to draw. The show has broad appeal to a wide audience ranging from children, to teens, adults, and indie music fans; owing to appearances by many famous celebrities such as Elijah Wood and Jack Black, as well as performances by bands such as the Killers, My Chemical Romance, Weezer, and the Flaming Lips. There’s sure to be lots of kiddies and families there, don’t miss the chance to shake your sillies out!

FEB. 19 – BUDDY GUY AND JONNY LANG FEB. 24 – THE TOASTERS Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Buddy Guy and Jonny Lang, both Grammywinning, incredible blues guitarists, bring the blues to the city of Atlanta. Now 76 years old, Buddy Guy has influenced a wide range of guitarists from Hendrix, to Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughn. A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee; Guy’s most recent release, Living Proof, is a partial aural autobiography of his life. Starkly addressing aspects of the hard working musician’s life, it is Buddy’s highest charting album to date. Jonny Lang, a former prodigy, topped the Billboard New Artist chart at only 15 years old. Now a more mature musician at 31, he is still a brilliant guitarist with added sensitivities and toughness from his life’s adventures. Two amazing and legendary guitarists under one roof for a singular night of singing and slinging the blues.

The Masquerade The Toasters have been skunking with the best of them for over 30 years! That’s right, this influential American third wave ska band has been around since the 80’s and are still going strong. Their song “Don’t Let the Bastards Grind You Down” is a particular favorite of mine, though you may know them better for their song “Two-Tone Army” as it is the theme song for Nickelodeon show, KaBlam! The up-beat forefather to reggae, ska is tenacious, energetic and made for getting you on your feet to dance. Horns, jangly guitars, and a groovy bass punctuate a set that will span their career and most certainly cover many of their popular and well known hits. Get their new vinyl 45 The House of Soul, a prequel to their upcoming album Life is a Party (to be released sometime later this year). You may not know them, but among ska fans, they’re true classics.

WE GOT NEXT STEREO STATE

Philips Arena Bon Jovi got his first taste of success with the song “Runaway”, but his later album Slippery When Wet was the top selling album of 1987.

The songs “You Give Love a Bad Name” and “Livin’ On a Prayer” are still heard regularly on the radio stations the world over, as well as at any and every 80’s dance night. Now, over 30 years later, these all-American rock icons are touring to support the release of their forthcoming new album, What About Now. This is sure to be a state-of-the-art music production, showcasing an immense back catalog of hits, as well as new music.

I fully expect to hear the girls screaming all over Atlanta when Jon Bon Jovi takes the stage. A night of classic hard rock hits from one of rock’s finest.

MARCH 1 – PINK

Philips Arena The Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter and pop culture icon, P!nk is touring in support of her latest album. Though initially rising to fame as a cookie-cutter pop star, P!nk sought more creative control and has set an example of artistic empowerment. One of the great things about P!nk is that she has her own mind, she writes most of her own music (as well as music for other artists), has a great voice live, and is a strong force for self-acceptance and selfesteem. Many of her songs focus on helping women feel comfortable in their own skin. I loved her video for “Stupid Girls”, where she parodied and lampooned celebrities such as Lindsey Lohan, Jessica Simpson, Mary-Kate Olsen, and Paris Hilton. Her latest album The Truth About Love debuted at number one and continues her dedication to fearless and raw emotional expression through songwriting. One of the best current female pop artists, don’t miss her!

Artists on the verge of making it big

Latest Project: Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon (Bloodshot Records) For Fans of: The Bouncing Souls, Samiam and Lifetime.

Why You Should Care: Because a new generation of punk rockers are picking up the mid-‘90s hardcore flag, but with a lot more melody.

BY JOHN B. MOORE

I

FEB. 27 - BON JOVI

N THE ‘80S AND ‘90S, COLLEGE rock staples like Dinosaur Jr. and Sebadoh got their start in Western Massachusetts. But it was the hardcore scene in that area that really caught the attention of the guys in Holyoke, MAbased Stereo State.

Traces of those influence are certainly apparent on the group’s new six-song EP, Crossing Canyons, but so is the more straight-ahead, melodic anthem rock of everyone from Springsteen to The Replacements, making it a promising sign of what’s to come from this already-impressive five-piece.

The band’s lineup has changed slightly since their debut effort, Caffeine, Beer & Quoting Movies, but Crossing Canyons serves as a stellar introduction for the uninitiated.

Guitarist Matthew Spence spoke with us recently about the band’s founding, the new EP and Western MA’s influence on their sound.

Let’s start with how the band first got together.

In 2007-2008 all of our respective previous bands were coming to an end. Brandon (Spence, drums), Gabe (Griffin, guitar and vocals), and myself have been actively playing together in a band since the late 90’s. In those last years we toured with and became close friends with Andy (Frongillo, vocals) while he was doing his last band. We really wanted to work with each other and it was a very natural progression transferring into this band. Mike Poulin (Defeater) was our original bass player but his band had put out their first LP that year and got very busy. Eventually he left to focus on that full time and I started playing bass for the next few years. It changed the dynamic of the band very much and I really think you can hear the difference from the demo to Caffeine, Beer & Quoting Movies which was our first recorded effort as a four-piece band.

That area (Western, MA) has a strong reputation for churning out great bands. Did you guys look up to any of those groups as influences?

I’m actually surprised to hear you say that because in my opinion Western Massachusetts is very much overlooked compared to Boston, etc. The artistic quality level doesn’t seem to be well recognized in comparison. That being said, the three of us from Holyoke were very much influenced by local bands when we were coming up. My whole world was blown when I discovered

the hardcore scene from our area. We were getting into punk in the mid-‘90s mostly through BMX and skate videos. To find so many bands putting out the rawest form of music I had ever heard at the time playing right up the road from us made a large impact on me. Shortly after that we were discovering these melodic bands that were playing with the same passion but ultimately a very different sonic signature. That was so inspiring to me even years before I picked up a guitar, but once I did that was the type of music I wanted to create.

What can you tell me about the EP? Half of Crossing Canyons was material carried over from the demo sessions from our full length and the other half was brand new material. The ideas that became “American Bones” and “Say it Again” were some of my favorite material from those demos but the songs weren’t nearly solid enough to record and appear on Have All My Friends Gone Deaf?. Those songs are very different from their demo form. We knew they had potential and I’m glad we gave the time to naturally be written. “On the Next Time” was an old one too but honestly that song had been perfect since Gabe first wrote it. It didn’t feel right for Have All My Friends Gone Deaf? But for this album it couldn’t be better. The other three songs had been written since the full length. I wrote “Across The Susquehanna” the day after I came home from the actual sessions for the full length. “Beachball” was the first song we wrote

after Pat joined the band (February 2012) and I wrote “The Flood” in the months to follow.

How long did you have to write and record this one?

To be honest we weren’t “writing for a record” the way we did with the full length. Everyone in this band is a songwriter and we are always writing music. In the spring of this year we had an offer to do a split so we started assembling material we thought would work best for that.

We started to demo and finalize the songs we had been writing. During that period the idea for the “split” changed several times. We had the studio time booked and decided to record these songs in any case. We did everything with Jay Maas at his new studio in Haverhill, MA. Everything was tracked, mixed, and mastered in a week. When we heard the completed work we decided this was a very strong EP. The songs worked better together than we had ever envisioned and collectively we thought this was our best recorded performances we had ever done. We chose to keep the recording together as an EP and began speaking to labels to make arrangements for the release.

What’s next for the band?

Writing, laughing, and hopefully touring some places in 2013 we’ve never had the opportunity to get to. I think you’ll see us do a west coast tour in the summer and our plans for the fall/winter are a little more exotic...stay tuned! insiteatlanta.com • February 2013 • PG 19

MUSIC

MUSIC

Album Reviews Reviews by B. Love, John B. Moore, & Lee Valentine Smith

The Dean’s List VARIOUS ARTISTS – Drop On Down In BLUR – Parklive: Live in Hyde Park (Virgin) Someone awoke the Brit pop giant Florida (Dust-To-Digital) Crucial collections of Southern music history

BL: Originally released in 1981 as a 2-LP set, this collection has been out of print for more than 20 years now. But, like Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music or the field recordings of Alan Lomax, Dust-to-Digital’s reissue feels like more than a mere collection of music. Instead, it’s an essential historical document of 20th century African American culture– the umbilical cord connecting modern popular music (rock ‘n’ roll, soul, jazz, hip-hop) to its ancient African roots via the blues and gospel.

As music scholar Dwight DeVane relates in his essay, “I’m Going To Down To Florida: African American Migration & Musical Traditions Across Time & Place,” Florida was the only southern state that recorded an increase in black population between 1920 and 1950, with the largest group of migrants coming from Georgia. They were drawn by reports from friends and family of “eternal sunshine, bountiful harvests, and probably most of all… potential economic prosperity.”

With two discs divided into secular and sacred recordings, the traditional music on Drop On Down provides a raw and unfiltered look at the harsh realities of life for African Americans in the early 20th century. But the liner notes, which reveal incredible tales that seem tailor-made for Hollywood productions, substantially strengthen the music’s emotional impact.

Take, for example, the story of Moses “Doorman” Wilson, who appears on 13 tracks. Wilson, born in 1919, grew up dirtpoor in the heart of the Mississippi Delta.

His father was murdered before he was born, so his mother moved Moses and his four siblings from plantation to plantation in search of work. She also took in boarders, including bluesman Aleck “Rice” Miller, who rose to fame under the name Sonny Boy Williamson after the original died.

After Wilson mastered the One-String “guitar,” a simple instrument of African origin (one long string stretched across a hollow wooden door, a tin can resonator and a bottle used to bend notes), he got a job touring with the Silas Green minstrel show as a “pickaninny” novelty act, clown and cleaning crewman. He later worked briefly with the Ringling Brothers Circus, but eventually turned to migrant labor, playing music for tips on the side Wilson’s fascinating story of struggle and strife is just one of many documented on this priceless collection– not only in text, but also in autobiographical songs such as “I Was Natalie Roberta’s Son” and “The Train.”

Taken individually, these tales are riveting accounts of deeply personal journeys. But when viewed collectively, it’s like traveling back in time to a rich historical past that left an indelible imprint on the Southern culture of today.

PG 20 • February 2013 • insiteatlanta.com

HERO JR. – Backup Plan (Desa)

Indiana rockers try something new… but not necessarily better JM: You’ve got to respect what the guys in Hero Jr. are doing. The Indianapolisbased group eschews easy c l a s s i f i c at i o n , sounding nothing like vest-sporting folkies (see: Mumford & Sons and the Avett Brothers), or blues-worshiping revivalists (see: Black Keys and Alabama Shakes), or any other fad currently playing out on the web pages of Pitchfork and on various tastemakers’ Spotify lists.

But, on the other hand, that doesn’t mean the band has an irresistible sound. Their debut album, Backup Plan, sounds like background music.

Not necessarily background music to anything significant or exciting, just innocuous, inoffensive rock music with no real discernible hooks to keep your attention. You get hints of classic rock from the ‘70s and a few modern indie bands (most notable Kings of Leon) among their influences, but they all sort of bleed into one another and the result is hard to love or hate.

The band seems sure to find fans, thanks in part to the few bright spots on the album (like “Cracked and Kindred”), but there aren’t enough impressive tracks to keep many hanging around. GRADE: C+

JM: Man, if you were/are a fan of the ‘90s Britpop band Blur, 2012 was your year.

They started it off by getting the Outstanding Contribution to Music award from the Brit Awards, and then headlined a show at Hyde Park for the 2012 Olympics, re-released every single one of their studio albums with a ton of extras, and entered the studio to start recording new music. They ultimately scrapped plans for a new record, but life can’t be all rainbows and unicorns, can it?

That fantastic Hyde Park show is finally available on DVD and CD now with the release of Parklive (which comes in the deluxe 4 CD/1 DVD set, or the more affordable double CD set). The band is still rockin’ like it’s the mid-‘90s, and the audience response is just as enthusiastic. On the 2-CD version, the group plows through 25 tracks, including plenty of career greats (such as “Girls & Boys,” “Coffee & TV,” “Tender,” and a slew of other great tracks you’ve likely forgotten).

BIG BOI – Vicious Lies & Dangerous The band is in top form here, leading many Rumors (Def Jam) critics (ok, mainly me) to wonder why Oasis made Two heads are better than one? a much bigger impact in the US in the ‘90s than the clearly more talented Damon Albarn-led band.

BL: In the past, Honestly, the Blur songs seem to stand up a whole Antwan “Big lot better over time.

Boi” Patton has occasionally HERB ALPERT – Fandango (Shout! Factory) been criticized as Long-lost classic proves to be a gem a less visionary creative talent LVS: Herb than his Outkast Alpert’s Fandango partner-inwas originally rhyme, Andre released in 1982 Benjamin. But, with his debut solo album, and easily opened 2010’s Sir Lucious Left Foot… The Son of his shape-shifting Chico Dusty, Patton showed impressive artistic ‘80s catalog maturity, formidable lyrical prowess and an as the perfect increasing willingness to experiment. So, with follow-up to no Outkast reunion album on the horizon, 1979’s successful expectations were high for Big Boi’s second Rise. It stands proudly as the thematic bridge to proper solo LP. Keep Your Eye On Me in 1987 and pulses with a There’s certainly no shortage of smooth Latin sway. With typical flair and his usual experimentation here. If anything, fans may superb performances, the long out-of-print album wish Big Boi had thrown fewer ingredients into has finally been reissued in a deluxe package by his flavorful musical stew. Of the 16 proper venerable Shout! Factory in all its sonic glory. The tunes on Vicious Lies, 15 feature guests, not glorious positivism of the disc is punctuated by the all of which blend well with his stylish swagger. familiar and the mysterious grooves it contains.

Sleepy Brown fits in perfectly on the soulful The difference between the populist but “The Thickets,” T.I. and Ludacris positively undeniably great Tijuana Brass records of the ‘60s kill the slamming “In The A,” and Sweden’s and the more intimate sincerity of his solo catalog Little Dragon adds a dash of indie eclecticism is Alpert’s honest approach to the spicy material. to the funky-as-hell “Thom Pettie” and the Here, in a set culled with co-producer Jose Prince-influenced ballad “Descending.” But Quintana, the album features rhythms from south other collaborations don’t fare quite so well, of the border Mexico to the actual South America, including electro-pop act Phantogram’s all augmented by subdued strings and keys. appearance on the tepid “CPU” and “Shoes For Alpert’s own brassy pop delivery shines Running,” which sounds more like a vehicle for brightest on the single “Route 101” but the album lo-fi rocker Wavves than it does a Big Boi track. is packed with intricate selections from Juan Carlos It’s good to see Patton flexing his creative Calderon, and Robert Carlos. In fact, Calderon’s muscles, stepping outside his comfort zone “101” and the penultimate “Margarita” remain the and working with a diverse range of artists his staples of the collection. But fun also ensues with fans would never expect. But the experiments “Coco Loco,” and the medley of Latin American that don’t work as well will make you long for sounds at the final track seal this as Alpert’s the absent partner who always provided such greatest solo hit. a perfect yang to Big Boi’s yin. Andre 3000, wherefore art thou? GRADE: B-

BIG DIPPER – Crashes on the Platinum Planet (Almost Ready) Boston-based ‘90s rockers make a return

JM: There was a point in time when, if your favorite band called it quits, they meant it. But for college rock bands from the ‘80s and ‘90s, apparently calling it a day has an expiration date.

Maybe it’s the lure of a prime comeback spot at Coachella, or simply the fact that they’re realizing a decade or two later that the best music they ever made was with their old band.

In 2012, the Afghan Whigs, Soundgarden and Redd Kross were among the many classic acts willing to put aside hurt feelings and strained relationships (in some cases) to play some shows and/or put out new music. Now you can add Boston’s Big Dipper to the list.

The cult indie band originally closed up shop in 1990 after releasing their major label debut.

But a 2008 anthology proved there was still a lot of interest in the group, and Crashes On The Platinum Planet is their first full album of new material in 22 years. The result is sure to please longtime fans, but their sound may be an acquired taste for the uninitiated. Their brand of janglepop, with quirky lyrics delivered by Bill Goffrier’s pinched vocals, takes more than a couple of spins before the new songs start to settle in.

Now, if we could all just get working on a plan to get The Replacements to give it another shot, all would be right with the world. GRADE: B

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE – XX [20th Anniversary Edition Deluxe Box Set] (Legacy) “Fight the Power” rap-rockers’ debut turns 20!

JM: I’ve always been a little troubled that little was made of the fact that Rage Against the Machine – a rock band known for scathingly a nt i - c o r p o r at e lyrics chose not to sign with an established independent record label to release their music, or even take the Ani Di Franco/Fugazi route and start their own label.

That personal quibble aside, it’s hard to argue against the fact that the California band’s 20-year old, self-titled debut was an extremely influential, explosively powerful collection of alt-metal bombast.

Though much has been made of this being one of the first commercially successful blends of rap and hard rock, the band generally kept a stronger dose of metal in the mixture and shouldn’t be blamed for the slew of watereddown imitators that followed in their wake (from Limp Bizkit to Disturbed) any more than Nirvana and Pearl Jam were responsible for Candlebox and Seven Mary Three.

With the band’s blessing, the Legacy imprint has re-released the complete album with a trio of live songs, a second disc featuring the band’s demo, and two separate DVDs of live performances and videos. From the lyrically biting “Killing in the Name” right through to the album closer, “Freedom,” the band delivered a nearly flawless debut that deserves the royal re-release treatment. Keep fighting the power!

Even if The Man has made you a millionaire…

GRADE: A+

BOOKS

SECOND TIME AROUND

Bestselling Author Jen Lancaster’s New Book Tackles the Other Side of Her Own Reality

BY JENNIFER SMITH WILLIAMS

W

HEN I GOT TO CHAT WITH writer Jen Lancaster for the first time, I have to admit that I was expecting someone young and sprightly, spitting tidbits that would reminisce akin to something from an Emily Giffin novel.

Wrong.

Lancaster is wise, witty and perfectly settled into a domestic life with her husband and many pets. She started writing through memoirs—all regaling stories about real life and what happens in it. After her sixth book, she was ready to jump the fictional fence and start writing fictional stories that didn’t actually happen.

Her first novel, If You Were Here, followed a fantastical couple buying and renovating their first home. It was well received, clever and candid. But, in Lancaster’s opinion, it did one thing wrong—it fooled readers who knew her all too well into paralleling her own story into it.

“My fans were frustrated because they couldn’t tell which parts of the story were true and which weren’t. That didn’t really bode well for a work that was supposed to be fiction, “ Lancaster says.

And while the book succeeded on its own merits (helped considerably by those of us non-personal friends with no clue as to what was true, and no concern whatsoever that it mattered), Lancaster felt she hadn’t quite accomplished the true work of fiction that was originally intended.

“It was so much fun to write,” she remembers. “I made the chapters very similar to me and my husband. But I didn’t want readers to have to keep guessing at what was real and what wasn’t.”

Lancaster acknowledges that her second fictional novel, Here I Go Again, was a more complete step outside of her comfort zone.

The characters were truly, fully imagined, mirroring no one in her personal life (except of course that most of the time we readers will associate real-life characters with the ones we read about). And this time around, Lancaster focused intently on crafting a universal story that anyone could identify with and appreciate.

“This one is about a very young protagonist who gets the chance to go back to earlier years and do things over again,” Lancaster explains.

“I wouldn’t change a lot in my life,” she admits, ”except high school. That, I would do again. I’d work harder so I could go to a better college.”

Lancaster explains that the idea for the book literally just came to her one day. She marinated for weeks on the creation of an unlikable protagonist who gets the chance to fix her past, because she knows she was so awful.

If you’re thinking Mean Girls II,

VIDIOTS UPCOMING DVD RELEASESAND REVIEWS

BY B. LOVE & JOHN B. MOORE

ANGER MANAGEMENT: SEASON ONE Charlie Sheen supporters were quick to point to the ratings of his new F/X series as proof that he was back on top. But those ratings quickly leveled off once folks realized he wouldn’t be snorting coke off a porn star’s ass on live TV. By traditional sitcom standards, the show’s actually quite good, with laugh-out-loud moments in nearly every episode. Sheen is appropriately cast as a former baseball player with rage issues, now a therapist leading anger management sessions. Sheen is surprisingly good– not that far removed from his smarmy character on Two & a Half Men, but different enough to be likeable.

ARCHER: SEASON THREE For my money, this animated cult hit has emerged as one of the best comedies on cable.

And I’m not just saying that because I used to perform improv with cast members Amber Nash (Pam) and Lucky Yates (Dr. Krieger).

In season three, the anachronistic spy show boasted inventive storylines (see: Archer becomes leader of modern-day pirate crew, Archer in space), incredible guest stars (Patrick Warburton, David Cross, Burt Reynolds), and the same blend of rapid-fire dialogue and memorable catchphrases that made it such a hit with the ComicCon set. All of which only makes the fact that creator Adam Reed maintains an ongoing story arc all the more impressive.

I WOULDN’T CHANGE A LOT IN MY LIFE,EXCEPT HIGH SCHOOL. THAT, I WOULD DO AGAIN. I’D WORK HARDER SO I COULD GO TO A BETTER COLLEGE. think again: Lancaster’s inspiration is more dripping in John Hughes, the creator of ‘80s teen classics like The Breakfast Club. In fact, her favorite movie growing up (and still today) was Sixteen Candles, and her own house lies right smack in the middle of Lake Forest, Illinois.

“Molly Ringwald was my idol,” she confesses. And it’s evident that the characters she tends to create follow suit, fitting into the same “not cool, but not uncool” traits that make even the lowliest of lowlifes all the more endearing. She still lives in that Hughes house, accompanied by her husband, three dogs, five cats and a whole lot of scratch paper.

Coming up after her current book tour to promote Here I Go Again, Lancaster will be working on her next novel (well, she says she should be working on it, since the first draft is due in a few months) and finishing up a memoir about a year lived in experimentation through the teachings of one Martha Stewart.

BEING HUMAN: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON

When SYFY is not flogging its own monster B-movies starring ‘80s has-beens, you can catch a handful of great sci-fi TV shows, such as this Canadian import (a remake of the BBC series).

Season two brings back three roommates in Boston– vampire Aidan (Sam Witwer), ghost Sally (Meaghan Rath) and werewolf Josh (Sam Huntington)– trying to keep the real world from finding out what they really are. It may not be as memorable as Mega Python Vs. Gatoroid, but you won’t have to erase from your DVR immediately after viewing it either.

LIFE’S TOO SHORT: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON Ricky Gervais has proven he’s an acquired taste: You either love his brilliant brand of highly uncomfortable comedy or you have no sense of humor. His latest, brought to HBO with the help of writing partner Stephen Merchant, stars veteran actor Warwick Davis (Willow, Harry Potter). Playing himself, Davis’ Dwarfism is the focal point of the series, as he tries– and fails miserably– to pick up his acting career after his wife leaves him and overdue tax bills pile up. Davis is perfect for the Gervais/Merchant hallmark of dark, but extremely witty situations.

WAR OF THE DEAD- I love a good zombie story as much as (if not more than) the next guy. This indie from Finnish director Marko Mäkilaakso, pitched as a cross between Night of the Living Dead and The Great Escape, shows lots of promise but ultimately fails to deliver the goods. The story follows a platoon of American and Finnish soldiers battling Nazis in WWII Russia. But when the enemies they’ve killed come back to life, they’re forced to beat ‘em or join ‘em. The film is neither as scary as Walking Dead or as fun/funny as Dead Snow. It’s just a somewhat creative idea that never quite springs to life.

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insiteatlanta.com • February 2013 • PG 21

FILM

HOT MAMA Jessica Alba Talks About Her 18-Year Career & How Motherhood Changes Everything

BY BRET LOVE

T

changed her life. As always, she proved charming and thoughtful, without a hint of celebrity attitude or artifice.

HE ROCKY ROAD FROM precocious child star to successful adult actor is a notoriously treacherous one.

Your family moved around pretty often when For every Natalie Portman-style success story, you were a kid. How do you think the nomadic there’s a dozen River Phoenixes and Edward lifestyle of an Air Force brat impacted you?

Furlongs, who burned out under the harsh glare I think it made it easier to be an actor, of fame’s spotlight. So you’ve got to have some because you’re always moving around, having measure of respect for Jessica Alba, who began to adapt to different environments. I went to her career at the ripe old age of 12, carefully nine different schools before I was 12, and now avoided becoming another tabloid-exploited it’s backfired because if I ever stay in one place cliché and emerged as one of Hollywood’s most for too long, I start to go nutty. I had a hard popular sex symbols. time making friends because kids are so used to There’s a widely held belief in Hollywood consistency, and I was inconsistent just because that momentum is everything: A career in I wasn’t always around. motion tends to stay in motion, and a career at rest tends to lead to obscurity. So when the You decided you wanted to be an actress at an former Dark Angel star, early age. Did your parents who famously listed the support your dream?

I THINK YOU WILL BE Cayman Islands as her My family didn’t have the favorite place in the world A BETTER ARTIST THE means [for me to take acting to dive during an interview MORE LIFE EXPERIENCE classes]. I wanted to, but my with Scuba Diving dad was making no money. It magazine several years YOU HAVE. BUT I was hard because we only had ago, largely faded from one income and one car, and public view after releasing WOULDN’T ENCOURAGE my parents weren’t really in a two poorly received films THEM TO WORK IN THIS position for me to do that. I (The Eye and The Love didn’t take any kind TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT actually Guru) back in 2008, it of professional training until was understandable that AS CHILDREN. I was 16, after I graduated her rabid fans became a high school. bit concerned.

Fortunately, the California native’s absence You landed your first professional role [in was mostly motivated by personal decision the Christopher Lloyd family film Camp rather than professional difficulties: She took Nowhere] at the age of 12. How did that two years off from acting in order to marry come about? longtime boyfriend Cash Warren and spend It wasn’t like a big break or anything. The girl time raising her first-born daughter, Honor. But they originally had for the part got sick, and then the former child star-turned-sex symbol they needed someone to play “Kissing Girl.” (who appeared on The New Adventures of They went into casting and matched our hair to Flipper TV show when she was 14 years old) hers, because we were replacing somebody who came back with a vengeance, releasing five was already in the movie. When I got the part, films in 2010 alone. Now, after returning to the director liked me and gave me a couple of her action-adventure roots in two films from lines, so I got my SAG card. her Sin City director Robert Rodriguez (2010’s Machete and 2011’s Spy Kids: All The Time In But that eventually led to bigger and better The World), Alba seems to be taking another parts, including your breakthrough role hiatus after the birth of her second daughter, on James Cameron’s cult sci-fi series Dark Haven.

Angel. Were you surprised when the show got But that doesn’t mean she’s become a hermit: cancelled after just two seasons?

Alba was nominated for a 2012 Kids’ Choice Yeah, we were shocked. [James Cameron] Award as “Favorite Buttkicker” for her role in had a really tough time with it. He was trying Spy Kids, and recently voiced a role (alongside to explain, but he really couldn’t, because it was Brendan Fraser, Sarah Jessica Parker, James all weird and political and had nothing to do Gandolfini and Rob Corddry) in the animated with our ratings or the fanbase. Our fans were film Escape From Planet Earth, which is due to very loyal, and they really missed the show. be released this month.

But luckily, the same day it got cancelled the She also remains socio-politically active, head of Universal called me about Honey, working as an ambassador to the 1Goal so I jumped right into doing that. movement to provide education for children in Africa, working with charities such as Your role in Sin City really helped your Habitat For Humanity and the National career explode. Were you a fan of the Center for Missing & Exploited Children, comic book on which the film was based? and participating in a two-day lobbying I wanted to do that movie because effort in Washington, D.C. in support of the Robert Rodriguez was directing it, first Safe Chemicals Act (a revision of the Toxic and foremost. I didn’t really know it was Substances Control Act of 1976). a comic book before I read the script. I Clearly the self-proclaimed “Air Force brat” would just ask my agent every month, (who turned 31 in April) is all grown up, “What’s Robert doing? I want to do with her role in Spy Kids sealing her career something with him!” I auditioned the transition from twentysomething sex symbol to old-fashioned way: I met with a casting a maternal force to be reckoned with. I’ve been director and put myself on tape. It was fortunate to interview Alba numerous times a week of, “Does [Robert] think I suck? I over the years, and in our latest conversation we don’t even care if I get the role, I just don’t touched on topics ranging from the evolution want Robert to think I suck.” I was soooo of her 18-year career and her frequent with nervous: I went to strip clubs to see how Rodriguez to how becoming a mother has

PG 22 • February 2013 • insiteatlanta.com

strippers do it, and I had some Texans teach me how to rope and lasso.

to do Sin City 2?

Of course!

You worked with Rodriguez again in Machete and Spy Kids: All The Time In The World.

What was it like playing a character that was a mom for the first time?

I definitely brought a lot of my experience of being a new mom with a baby to work every day. I talked to Robert a lot about it. He’s a father of five, so he has tons of experience with children. I would ask him questions about parenting like, “What do you do when you’re out and your kid has an explosion, and you don’t have anything with you?” Or, “What do you do when you have to work, but you’re so tired, and you just want to spend time with them? How do you balance it?” So, I think a lot of these things we talked about probably inspired some of the circumstances that my character was in.

How is it being a working mom?

It’s always challenging, in its own way. I always feel like I’m sacrificing one thing or another. I don’t feel like I ever really have a perfect balance. I think that’s just what happens when you’re a working mom. On the weekends my husband and I make a concerted effort to not email or text, but really spend our time with our children and be completely, 100 percent focused on them. During the week, it’s here and there, depending on if I am busy with meetings or not. It is tough, because I do care about my career. I do have that, but she’s my number one priority. If she’s not doing okay, nothing matters.

What is the magic connection that you guys have when you’re working together?

We come from a similar cultural background.

We’re both Mexican-American and we grew up with a lot of the same traditions. We’ve shared stories about the way we grew up, and they’re quite similar, in the way that our families raised us. We just have a comfort and a shorthand with each other. We always have. And we’re friends, so I respect him completely as an artist, and I trust him. I’m not sitting there, resisting everything he says, and fighting and arguing with him. We don’t have that relationship.

Although sometimes I disagree, most of the time we seem to find some common ground.

Now that Robert says it’s a go, would you want

What would you say if your kids expressed an interest in pursuing acting as a career?

I was a child actor and it worked for me, given the circumstances I was in. But I’m lucky enough to be able to give my children a completely different life and an education that I never had the opportunity to have. When they’re done with college, if they want to get into the arts, that’s fine. I think you will be a better artist the more life experience you have. But I wouldn’t encourage them to work in this type of environment as children.

FILM

PERSON OF INTEREST

8 Years After Hustle & Flow, Taraji P. Henson Continues To Intrigue

BY ALEX S. MORRISON

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careers and break careers. So I just stay passionate about the craft. That’s all I can do. Stay focused on that, and the crowd will come.

ARAJI PENDA HENSON’S FIRST and middle names are Swahili, meaning “hope” and “love.” Those are just two of the powerfully potent There’s been a lot written about the role energies that radiate from the charismatic of race in Hollywood over the years. actress during our nearly hour-long I interviewed Halle Berry after she telephone interview from the set of her hit won the Oscar. Has that moment that CBS show, Person Of Interest. was so historic opened up the field, or Born in Washington DC, Henson is Hollywood still the same for black worked as a secretary in the Pentagon actresses as it was before? by day and as a singing/dancing waitress Nothing really drastically changed. It on a dinner cruise ship by night to pay always seems like there is only one Halle for her education at Howard University.

Berry, and she’s the face of the black Originally an Electrical Engineering major, female in the movies. That’s why I’m so she ultimately made the switch to Theatre elated to see what’s happening on TV Arts and won the Triple Threat Award at right now. People have options now, as Howard for her diverse array of talents. you should. It shouldn’t just be one black Though she had minor roles in Baby person carrying the torch, but that seems Boy and Four Brothers, her breakout turn like how it goes. You’re came through playing talking to an extreme Shug in Hustle & Flow.

I JUST STAY optimist: I can’t sit and She also sang on the wallow in the mud, PASSIONATE ABOUT soundtrack, performing saying, “Woe is me! It’s at the Oscars with Three THE CRAFT. THAT’S so tough!” But there 6 Mafia for their Best moments when I ALL I CAN DO. STAY are Original Song-winning think, “If I were a white “It’s Hard Out Here For FOCUSED ON THAT, AND girl, I’d have 10 movie A Pimp.” She returned offers right now, living to the Oscar stage three THE CROWD WILL COME. in a $12 million estate!” years later, this time The difference in pay is ridiculous, but as a Best Supporting Actree nominee for I can’t think about it, because that’s not playing Brad Pitt’s mother, Queenie, in The my focus. I’m living great. I’m bi-coastal.

Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

I have a rockin’ palace in L.A. I just don’t But, despite a string of impressive turns compare myself to other people. I stay on in films such as Talk To Me and Smokin’ my mission and I stay in my lane.

Aces, Henson is hardly what you’d call a household name, and certainly doesn’t What was it like when you returned get the type of above-the-title roles her to the Oscars a few years later for prodigious talent would seem to merit.

Benjamin Button?

Perhaps that explains why she turned to Hustle & Flow will always be special to TV in 2011, playing Detective Joss Carter me because that’s when my dad was dying on Person Of Interest. of cancer. He died two weeks before I sang Created by Christopher Nolan’s brother at the Oscars. My dad always told me since Jonathan (who wrote the story Memento I was a little girl, “You’re going to win an was based on and has co-written many Oscar!” This is even before I got serious of Christopher’s most successful films) about acting. He saw it in me, and I grew and co-produced by JJ Abrams, the crime up hearing it. So part of me was like, “Oh drama gives Henson a chance to showcase my god, I’m really here!” I just knew I was her stuff on TV every week. It also gives going to be back, so I’m backstage rubbing her the time to make movies on the side, elbows with Tom Hanks, like, “Hey, see such as 2012’s Think Like A Man. Still, at you next year!” the age of 42, you get the sense that this talented actress is still waiting for the You move between TV and film a good perfect vehicle to make her a star. bit. Is there one form you prefer over We spoke about that, as well as the the other? issue of race in Hollywood, her preference Feature, Feature, Feature! Feature Films between film and TV acting, and a whole are my favorite. With films you have 3 lot more… months, a year, or however long it takes to get it in the can. You know what your What was it like for you to perform the character is, from beginning to middle song from Hustle & Flow at the Oscars so to end. You can create this incredible early in your career? back-story and, whatever you create, let it It was surreal, but at the same time I live on the screen. TV moves so fast, you felt like I belonged there. I knew I would don’t always know what your character is get there one day. It wasn’t a state of because they’re building it as they go. It’s a cockiness. When they say, “see it and little bit like walking a tightrope. You have you can achieve it,” you’ve got to see it to have faith and believe in your team. The happen first. I’d seen myself go to the great thing about Person of Interest is that Oscars several times before I even got Jonathan Nolan, [producer] Greg Plageman there. So it was like an amazing out-ofand the writers are incredible. I trust them, body experience. I got to see the inner so they are my safety net on that tightrope. workings of how it happens at the Oscars.

But scripts are coming at you so fast! Just Sometimes the best actor gets it that year now, we’ve got three different units going and sometimes they don’t, and that’s just “Wait a minute, where are we? Ack!” It’s how it goes. That can’t drive you, trying to throwing me off of my rhythm, but at the win some kind of trophy. I’ve seen it make

same time it’s sharpening my tools. The scary thing about it is that it can create bad habits, too.

What was the initial appeal of the role?

What drew you to commit to a series like that when you prefer feature films?

Well, Jonathan Nolan called me. Come on, it’s Jonathan Nolan, calling me! He’s telling me about the script and he’s pitching it to me. I had gotten the script, but I wasn’t interested in television. I later found out from Jonathan that when he and [producer] J.J. Abrams were talking about the project, J.J. said, “You’ve got one person you should go to for Carter,” and he said my name. Jonathan said, “So that’s what I did: I picked up the phone and called you!” He just sold me on it. How many times in your career are you going to get a writer like that calling and saying, “I want to write for you”? What?!?

So then I read the script and I’m like, “Oh my God, this is something that is not on television. I’ve never seen this before on TV.” It just spoke to me.

He said, “Your character isn’t really in the pilot, but I promise you I have amazing things in store for her.”

The writing, the style of it, I love. I see where they’re going with it and I stay open. As long as I can do movies in between, then I think I can balance it.

My fear of TV is that I’ll get bored.

Where would you like to see your career go from here? I know you’re looking for movies. Tell me about the career you’d like to evolve into as you increase you- profile.

I’m putting my producer hat on. I want to start producing more comedy for myself. I want to move more into romantic comedy.

What’s the appeal of that for you?

When I think about my favorite movies, I think of Bridget Jones Diary, Pretty Woman, Love Jones, Brown Sugar. They’re feel-good movies. They’re movies where you can get swept away.

Crazy, Stupid, Love? I can’t stop watching that. Bridesmaids? I’ve seen it 10,000 times. I had so much fun on Think Like a Man. I’ve been doing the serious stuff for years.

People know that I can do that. Funny is where the money is, because everybody in the family can go to the movies together.

insiteatlanta.com • February 2013 • PG 23

TRAVEL

INTO THE WILD

A Voyage To the Remote Sub-Arctic Tundra of Churchill, Manitoba

BY BRET LOVE; PHOTOS BY BRET LOVE & MARY GABBETT

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AM VEXED. ANXIOUS. PERHAPS even worried… which is strange, given the fact that I am not historically prone to such a purposeless emotion.

We’re in the middle of the barren tundra in Churchill, Manitoba, riding in a massive ATV “Polar Rover,” which is built on a fire engine’s chassis with massive wheels like you’d see on a combine. We move at a crawl, bouncing over rocks, crossing shallow lakes fringed with ice, scattering little flocks of Snow Buntings who fly in our wake.

Our Natural Habitat Adventures guide is talking, but I’m so distracted by the vast, expansive terrain– the multi-colored lichens, the cloudy sunset reflected in the tiny lakes that dot the landscape, the boulders on the horizon (which are easily mistaken for polar bears sleeping in the tundra)– that her voice sounds like the teacher in the old Peanuts cartoons. Even Mary, sitting less than 10 feet away from me on the other side of the aisle, feels a million miles away.

It’s taken 36 hours– four flights (8 hours), 2 short layovers (3 hours), 2 flight delays (6 hours) and an overnight stay in Winnipeg to get from our home in Atlanta to here. But even here is not yet “there.” My butt and back are tired from sitting. My mood is sour from waiting. And, for the first time in my travel life, I am truly concerned that perhaps the reality of this trip cannot possibly live up to my Arctic dreams.

I first fell in love with bears in my early twenties. Trying to escape a troubled past, and spurred by stories of Native American rites of passage and South American shamanic traditions, I embarked upon a self-styled coming-of-age “Vision Quest” to discover my innermost self. I dug within my layers of consciousness, twisting and turning them like a metaphysical Rubik’s Cube, curious to figure out, not just who I was, but why, and whether or not my life’s journey had led me to become the man I wanted to be.

One night, in a moment of lightning-bolt hallucinatory clarity, it occurred to me that the bear was my spirit animal. At 6’2” and 250 pounds, I am big and burly, with copious hair that seems to emerge from every possible follicle. I am generally very easygoing, somewhat silly and incredibly playful. Yet I can also be moody, defensive, and fiercely protective of those closest to me.

Within a few years, I had several bear tattoos and was wearing bear totems almost daily. I felt empowered by my connection to the bear, and seeing my brethren in the wild went right to the top of my World Travel Bucket List.

If you want to see polar bears in their natural habitat, there’s no better place than Churchill, which bills itself as “Polar Bear Capital Of The World.” Located on the shores of Hudson Bay in the sub-Arctic region of northern Manitoba, Churchill is prime bear-watching real estate thanks to polar winds that turn the shallow water into ice early in the season. In October and November, hundreds of hungry polar bears make the pilgrimage to these shores to wait… and wait… and wait for enough ice to form that they can go out in search of their favorite delicacy: Ringed seals.

Up until the 1970s, when polar bears wandered into the tiny town of 900 people (more than 50% of aboriginal origin), they were typically shot on sight. But in the mid‘70s, a now-defunct company called Churchill Wilderness Encounters got the bright idea that tourists might pay a lot of money to see these bears up close, and a booming ecotourism industry, which now attracts several thousand people per year in a short 5-week season, was born.

Over the years, Churchill has proven a trailblazer in responsible ecotourism practices. In 1983, after a man was killed by a bear in the streets, the town created its first “Polar Bear Jail.” Problem bears that enter the town are darted, caged without food for 2-30 days (repeat offenders stay longer each time), then darted again and helicoptered out to the boonies, where they are tagged and set free. There are “Polar Bear Alert” signs all around town warning visitors and residents against venturing on foot into polar bear hotspots near the Churchill River and

PG 24 • February 2013 • insiteatlanta.com

Hudson Bay. And there is no limit for the town’s budget to take care of “bad” bears.

Outside of town, only 19 tourist vehicles have permits to enter the protected wilderness area. Even those are strictly regulated: They’re not allowed to deviate from the bumpy roads originally created when the military tested rockets in the area; tourists are not allowed to set a single foot on solid ground; and feeding a bear will not only get you removed via helicopter immediately, but you will be handed a bill for the evacuation expenses. Clearly, these people were serious about protecting their bears.

As for us, we’re headed to a prime polar bear-viewing spot I’ve been dreaming about ever since I first learned of its existence back in the late ‘90s: Natural Habitat’s Tundra Lodge. It’s essentially a rolling train– two sleeper cars holding up to 29 passengers total, a lounge car, a dining car, and a car for the 6-person crew– set on the shore of the Hudson Bay, smack dab in the heart of prime polar bear activity. During four days there, you’re virtually guaranteed a bear-lover’s dream come true, with 24-hour a day access to all the sleeping, staring, cuddling and play-fighting polar bears your heart desires.

So why the hell can’t I relax?

It’s not until I sit for a chat with naturalist guide Annie Van Dinther on the way home that I finally understand my anxiety. “Polar bears are humbling,” she said. “And I think deep down inside of all of us, we need to be humbled. We need to be put in our place relative to Mother Nature and our place in the balance of things.

Polar bears are a big old reminder that we’re not at the top of the food chain. I think there’s something in us that likes to be reminded of that.”

So perhaps that explains why I’m beside myself, worried about all the “What ifs.” What if it’s too hot on the lodge and I can’t get comfortable? What if there’s someone I don’t like on the lodge, and I can’t get away from them?

What if I can’t get enough exercise and my blood sugar starts to rise? What if I’m hungry and it’s not mealtime yet? What if there are no bears to see— how will we pass our time? What if? What if? What if?

We’re not even there yet, but already I feel trapped.

In the land of the polar bear, we humans are the ones in cages, while the bears roam free (and deservedly so). For the first time in my adult life, I am acutely aware that I’m not in control of my own destiny. And clearly, I am not responding well. After 36 hours of travel, I feel as if I am on the verge of an emotional breakdown, hiding inside a shell that reminds me of a teenage me I’d just as soon orget.

And then finally, just when I feel as if I’m about to snap, the Tundra Lodge comes into view. Set against the expansive Hudson Bay backdrop, its lights glow brightly against the grey-clouded dusk. Almost immediately, I see two massive white forms, like oversized puppy dogs, sitting on their haunches just outside the lodge. I almost weep with relief, and suddenly I know everything will be OK…

TV

THE TRAVEL DETECTIVE

CBS News Travel Editor Peter Greenberg on the Travel Business & Budget Travel

BY BRET LOVE

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OT MANY PEOPLE CAN rightfully claim to be a travel guru, but Peter Greenberg is arguably among the world’s foremost experts on the subject.

As the CBS News Travel Editor, he reports on travel news for CBS This Morning and the CBS Evening News. Known as “The Travel Detective,” he’s written numerous books, including The Travel Detective Bible, The Traveler’s Diet and Don’t Go There: The Travel Detective’s Essential Guide to the Must-Miss Places of the World.

You started out at Newsweek. How did you make the transition into travel journalism?

It really wasn’t a transition. I’m an investigative reporter, and I’m applying my reporting techniques to the largest industry in the world, which is travel and tourism. Travel is one out of every seven jobs, and almost 10% of Global GDP. But the way I got started was as a West Coast correspondent for Newsweek. It dawned on me very early that no one was covering travel as news. So I used my access as a journalist to immerse myself in the process of travel– to train in the cockpit simulator, cabin simulator and cruise ship simulator so I could understand the process. Once you understand the process, you can value the product and explain it to the public. I still train six times a year in a cockpit, and I’m still a licensed Coast Guard person. It’s an important part of being a good journalist to truly understand what you’re covering.

What are the most significant changes you’ve seen in the travel industry?

Access to travel. More and more people are traveling, not just in this country, but worldwide.

As restrictions become more relaxed, you see an entire generation of new travelers, especially in Asia, Russia, India, and parts of South America.

What are your thoughts on ecotourism and sustainable travel as an emerging market?

“Ecotourism” and “sustainable” are two of the most misunderstood and overused words I can think of. Yet we’ve come to a point of critical mass where the world has got to come to grips with the fact that it can’t do short-term greed without long-term consequences when you’re not being responsible to the environment or the culture.

Slowly, there has been great progress made in re-educating travelers and local communities, so that they can be sustainable. It’s all about following the money. If I’m going on an eco-tour, where does that money go? If I go to a resort and I flush the toilet, where does that go? If I’m not happy with either of those two answers, then I’m not coming back. Travelers have to vote with their wallets, and the economic consequences of that are having a positive impact on a lot of these destinations.

Let’s talk about your latest book, New Rules of the Road.

I actually have three books out now. What that one boils down to is the fact that when the going gets tough, smart people go traveling. I wanted to let people know that, even in tough times, you can go to A, B & C and experience X, Y & Z, and not have to declare bankruptcy in the process.

The second book is called The Best Places for

Everything, which covers cities around the world with notes on everything from bird watching to ziplining, from pizza to tango, from plastic surgery to bungee jumping. The third book is part of a series I’ve done with Michelin called Like a Local. We did five different guidebooks (Buenos Aries, Cuba, The Caribbean, New Orleans, Miami and The Keys), all done from the perspective of people that live there.

People are looking to make smart decisions about travel in these economic times. What basic money-saving tips would you give them?

We’ve all been raised to wait until the last minute to find your best deal. But as airlines reach max capacity, with fewer flights and fewer seats, it’s not necessarily true. If you’re booking online, I think you lose, and I know that’s going to fly in the face of an entire generation. Booking online is convenient– you can do it late at night in your bathrobe and you don’t have to talk to anyone– but not all inventory is available online.

You do yourself a disservice by not having a conversation with a human being to see what’s out there, then going online and seeing if you can beat it.

free and informational. For me, content is king, but it’s going to be dethroned if you don’t have credibility. If you’re a handicapped snowboarder, you have an area of expertise and experience that you should share with everybody. But we have to understand what people are bringing to the party, and then vet it. It’s sort of like the old days of the Soviet Union and Reagan: Trust & verify. Until they do, I find most blogs entertaining, but not necessarily all that useful.

What’s your advice for aspiring travel journalists?

We live in a world of specialization, so start with what you know. In any city, within 10 blocks of where someone lives, there are probably 300 fascinating stories ready to be told that are relatable to the human condition in general. Why wouldn’t you talk to the woman who sells flowers, or the grocer on the corner, to find out their view on things? Maybe this grocer had something on his shelf that no one else has. I don’t need you to tell me that Paris is lovely, or that London is beautiful. That’s useless. Start with what you know, your own creative passions, and branch out from there.

As a traditional journalist, what do you think about the rise of travel blogging?

Bloggers have had a great impact on the industry, and it’s growing exponentially. But who is vetting it? Who is fact checking? I agree with what Morely Safer said: “I trust citizen journalism as much as I trust citizen surgeons.” I write a blog and have a substantial online presence, but I don’t endorse any products. My website is

EVENTS

COLLEGE NIGHT AT THE HIGH MUSEUM OF ART

Saturday, February 23, 7PM - Midnight

I

MAGINATION IS EVERYWHERE. What excites your imagination? Few artists have captured the public’s imagination like Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and her husband, Diego Rivera. The myths that surrounded them during their lifetime arose not only from their significant body of work, but also from their active participation in the historical happenings around them.

Attend College Night at the High Museum of Art on Saturday, February 23rd, from 7 p.m. to 12 midnight and join us for a night of celebrating the art world’s most fiery duo! Take a tour of Frida and Diego:Passion, Politics and Painting, the Museum’s latest exhibition featuring more than 75 works, then, like Frida, turn part of your body into a work of art with a body-paint artist. Work with artists from the Indie Craft Experience to make Frida- and Diego-inspired swag, then watch choreographer Helen Hale interpret their iconic works through dance with help from Emory University dance students. Finally, practice your moves during salsa and tango lessons or just groove to the sounds of DJs Santiago Paramo and Ree de la Vega. Student admission will be $7 with a valid student I.D. and groups of 10 or more can receive $5 by contacting Group Sales at 404-733-4550 or groupsales@woodruffcenter.org. 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.

insiteatlanta.com • February 2013 • PG 25

MUSIC

COMMUNITY MINDED

Killer Mike May Be Blowing Up Globally, But He Still Acts Locally

BY BRET LOVE

M

ICHAEL RENDER, A.K.A. KILLER Mike, has never been nearly as popular on the national stage as local peers like T.I. or Ludacris. But he’s been doing his thing since 2000, when he made his debut with Outkast on “Snappin’ and Trappin’.” Initially signed to Big Boi’s Purple Ribbon roster, he made a move to T.I.’s Grand Hustle/Atlantic imprint in 2008. Yet mainstream success eluded the big man until he joined forces with Brooklyn-based producer El-P (an indie hip-hop icon from his years with Company Flow and as Definitive Jux’s CEO) for 2012’s R.A.P. Music.

Arguably among the year’s best albums of any genre, the record earned rave reviews and established Mike as a sociopolitical force to be reckoned with. We recently spoke with Mike about his long and winding career path, and what comes next.

You were at the epicenter of the local hip-hop scene back in 2000. How would you say the Atlanta sound changed the face of rap music?

I was so caught up in the moment of having a record deal, I didn’t even recognize the paradigm shift that was happening. I just knew that the first year T.I. and I went to New York they were playing no Atlanta rap music besides Outkast and Lil’ Jon. Six years later, New York radio sounded exactly like Georgia radio. That’s when I realized the power of the music we had produced.

How has the game changed in the decade since you made your debut album, Monster?

Artists have had to become independently minded. They have to think strategically and be proactive. You’re in the middle of the jungle and you’re figuring out how to kill, hunt, and eat. I like it. The survival environment is better suited to me. My formula– drop music, tour, drop more music, tour– works flawlessly. I do my own music, shoot my own video, and get whatever college or community radio play we get, and then tour around that. I’m a people person, so I want to be out there in people’s faces.

Sociopolitical rap isn’t trendy these days. Why is it important for you to have a strong message in your music?

I can’t profess to be a real nigga, to be one with the people and represent, if all I’m talking about are things that are above the means of the average person on the street. I see it as my responsibility to speak out on their behalf. I don’t think everyone has that responsibility. I don’t think everyone is even capable of doing it. But there are MCs like me, Bambu out of California and Saigon out of the northeast that people should embrace.

It seems like social consciousness is more essential now than ever, given the current U.S. political climate, which you address on R.A.P. Music. Can you talk about working with El-P and how that album came together?

The record was made during one week in Atlanta and four weeks in New York, over a lot of marijuana and a lot of cool talk between two people. That’s what this record is about– friendship, a love of rap and making dope music.

It didn’t matter that he was from New York and I was from Atlanta. We’re both the same age and grew up on the same musical influences. When we came together, it was like lemon pepper and hot wings: You don’t understand how lemon pepper on wings is going to be good, but once you taste it, it’s like, “That shit needs to be together!”

Do you feel like the rap game on the whole has yet to recognize your brilliance?

Absolutely! I’ve been slept on, bullshitted and damn near forgot about. That’s part of what makes me even more tenacious. I can remember being young and liking Johnny Cash, and not understanding why he wasn’t as big as Elvis. It took me a long time to realize that when you’re doing something of substance, when you’re coming from a raw place, sometimes it’s going to take people a little longer to get it. I’ve had faith that people were going to get it, and now it finally seems that they are.

If it’s not record sales or major label deals that fuel you, what is it about music that continues to reward you and keeps you hungry on a day to day basis?

Touring. Being out there and getting a chance to exchange that energy between me and an audience.

You opened a barbershop, Graffiti’s Swag, in Atlanta in 2011. How’s that going?

We just celebrated our first year anniversary.

Last summer, when I was recording R.A.P. Music, a barbershop came up for sale via Craigslist and I bought it over the telephone.

I’ll never forget telling my wife. She was like, “WHAT?!?” But it’s a beautiful shop, and we have great barbers. I would eventually like to have three shops in every major black market. I think it’s going to be an incredible franchise.

You don’t seem to be motivated by money.

What’s your ultimate mission?

Don’t get me wrong: I like making money! I have no aspirations of being a noble poor man.

But capitalism does not take precedence over my community. My barbershop plan has more to do with money than not, but my focus is on the black community. If I have 10 barbers that pay me $100 a week, that’s $1000 a week for me, but they each take $900 back into their community. If they buy a car from one of the black car dealers located in our strip mall, then that has turned the black dollar over three times in that community. These barbers donate to our kids’ baseball and basketball teams, so the community is taken care of… and all because a rapper chose to buy a barbershop instead of a gold chain. I think creating that sort of symbiotic relationship with the community is something more entertainers should be doing.

GET A GRIPP

Why Did Atlanta’s Best Underground MC Just Move to Boston?

BY BRET LOVE

M

ARSHALL “GRIPP” GILLSON may be a self-avowed nerd, but he’s no newbie trying to cash in on the popularity of ComicCon-friendly fare: The indie hip-hop artist (who has also earned acclaim on the national slam poetry circuit) has earned his geek stripes, recently graduating from Georgia Tech with a Master’s Degree in Computer Science.

It was Gripp’s distinctive rhyme style– blending intricate lyricism with a scholar’s impressive scope of knowledge– that initially piqued my curiosity when I saw him at a local slam poetry performance. But it was the way those rhymes were married with slick, creatively accessible backing tracks on 2012’s Head In The Clouds (his fourth self-produced, self-released album) that earned my attention, recalling influential indierap greats such as Sage Francis and Atmosphere.

I recently spoke with the up-and-coming MC about nerdcore, moving to Boston, and whether his future science will be more of the academic or rhyme-dropping variety.

You’ve spent the last 6 years dividing your time between studying Computer Science at Morehouse and Ga Tech and pursuing your artistic muse as a rapper/producer and slam poet: Where do those seemingly disparate interests intersect?

My art is a reflection of the person I am when I create it. So in that sense, of course my academic career has influenced it. But more so, in the last few years, I’ve kind of come out of the closet as a nerd rapper. I’ve always been a nerd, but I’m starting now to be more upfront about it in my art. There’s an emerging fiction that nerds are becoming cool. They’re not. I want it to be PG 26 • February 2013 • insiteatlanta.com

cool to be an individual, to think critically, to do science, to accept people, so those are the topics I cover in my music. Science and academia have been integral parts of my day-to-day life over the last few years, so that came out on Head in the Cloud. It would be disingenuous for me to not rap about them.

You describe yourself as a “Nerdcore” artist: How would you define that genre, and what about it appeals to you?

Nerdcore is a strange label to paste to an artist.

It’s all about self-identification. I’ve started to call myself nerdcore as I put my nerdiness on display in my music. But not all of my music deals with nerd-specific topics, obviously. Head in the Cloud was kind of heavy on them, but some of my other projects lean more toward more general emotional expression. Some artists are in the opposite position: they deal with nerdy topics, but don’t call themselves nerdcore. I use the term because I consider being a nerd to be an important part of my identity, and want my music to identify the same way I do.

You write, produce, record and mix everything yourself, which is something very few hip-hop artists can do. Is there anyone else you turn to for a gut-check on quality control?

Not quite everything! Head in the Cloud had one track that I didn’t produce! I’m always very excited by my new music, so I’m always playing it for friends and family. Most of my friends are artists themselves, and they’re definitely not afraid to give me critique. As independent as I am, nothing can really be produced in isolation.

Your songs are surprisingly accessible for

an artist that might get saddled with the backpacker hip-hop tag. Who are your biggest musical influences?

A lot of backpacker hip-hop artists. I love the way Sage Francis infuses poetry into his rap.

Atmosphere paints amazingly realistic pictures of emotion and personal struggle. Nas and Lupe Fiasco both do a great job of translating the problems they see in society into powerful lyrics. Eminem’s flow is incredible. I appreciate Kanye West for his willingness to experiment and push his limits, especially production-wise.

I listen to The Beatles a lot. I draw elements of song variation and development from them. The key, though, is to take small elements from each of the artists I appreciate without copying them wholesale. No one is doing exactly what I want to do. If they were, there would be no reason for me to make my art at all.

You recently left Atlanta after graduating from Tech. Was that a tough decision?

Sure. Any big life change like that is going to be a tough decision. I’ve lived most of my adult life in Atlanta, and I have a lot of close friends there.

I’ve been a perennial on the area slam teams for the last few years. It really was an artistic home. I certainly didn’t take leaving it lightly. That being said, I think that living in the Boston area is going to be a great new experience. There are five slam teams within an hour drive of the city, so I expect to keep doing that. And the Internet makes it much easier for independent artists to maintain more widespread fan bases. I will definitely be keeping in touch.

Now that you’ve got a Masters Degree, where do you see your music/poetry going from here?

At this point, my only concrete goal is to keep making art, trying to make it both personally and universally meaningful. I’ve never found that my academic goals interfere with my artistic ones.

Even working full-time and then transitioning back to being a full-time student, I’ve released four albums since 2009. But now I can focus entirely on making my art good, without having to worry about bankrupting myself with a bad project—fingers crossed. I have the security to experiment freely.

Is it going to be a part time thing, or do you want to make it into a career?

Basically, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. I’m already knee-deep in another solo album.

I’ve been working behind the boards producing an EP for another Atlanta rapper named Quez.

My biggest goal is to just keep improving and keep releasing new art. I am continually humbled by the support I get. I feel like people expect me to maintain a certain level of quality and artistic integrity, and I owe it to them to keep developing.

MUSIC

TAKING STOCK OF BONDS

Legendary R&B Vocalist and Songwriter Gary U.S. Bonds Does it Right

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

F

LORIDA-BORN GARY L. ANDERSON aka Gary “US“ Bonds broke out in the 60’s with feel-good, soulful hits including “Quarter To Three,” “New Orleans,” and “School Is Out.” He played shows all over the world with the royalty of genres -while garnering a dedicated fan-base that includes Bill Wyman, Jeff Beck and Bruce Springsteen. In the ’80s, Springsteen helped his hero return to the charts with two well-received albums and the second-biggest single of Bonds’ career, “This Little Girl.”

This list of rock royalty that you have worked with is impressive but can you tell us about working with Dickie Betts of the Allman Brothers? How did that come about? It seems you two come from different musical points of view.

Well, Dickie and I are golfers, I met him at a golf tournament and we said ‘Well, let’s get together and do something.’ A few months later I called him up and asked him to be on my album.

I went down to Sarasota where he lives. We played some golf recorded some music and we had a blast.

That was almost like a homecoming for you, right, being from Florida.

Well, I’m from Jacksonville, so we call it ‘Southern Georgia.’

Speaking of Georgia, you spent some time in Macon with another Southern legend, Otis Redding, in the ‘60s.

Yeah, I sure did. My step-father is from Macon

and when I was living in Norfolk, we would go down to Macon and spend time with his family down there. It was great, way back up in the woods, with nothing but some good music coming from between the trees.

You two became pretty good friends in those days, didn’t you?

I was the first one in the club because I had no friends there and the last one to leave, because I had no where else to go! So I’d talk to Otis and we’d have a few beers. We struck up a friendship.

When you had your biggest hits and began touring, you were still a teenager.

Oh yeah, 18-19 years old and I had nothing on my breath but Similac. It was wonderful. I had a chance to meet all of my heroes then. When the records were out, I was on the road with Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson and B.B. King and The Drifters and The Coasters, just so many. My eyes were wide open all day!

I’m sure you learned a lot, with the company you kept in those days.

A whole lot and very fast! Between Jackie, B.B. and Sam Cooke, they really taught me the ropes of the road.

What was one of the earliest lessons?

Well, when Sam Cooke slapped me on the side of my head, because I wasn’t saying enough on stage, that was a lesson, right there.

What was he trying to teach you, to engage the audience more, or what?

Yeah that’s what he wanted me to do and I kept going out there and not doing what he said.

I walked off-stage one day and he said, ‘Come here.’ I walked over there and he slapped on the side of my head! He said, ‘Now if you don’t do what I tell you to do, next time, I’m gonna punch you in the mouth.’ I said ‘Oh, okay, I think I got it now.’

That was Sam’s method of constructive criticism?

I’ve been talking ever since. I haven’t shut up yet!

And you’ve influenced a ton of great musicians in the process. How did you first meet your friend Bruce Springsteen? I’ve heard that he and Miami Steve came to see you work a little club somewhere, but what really happened?

Well, it was just Bruce at first. He came to see me with some friends at a place called The Hanger in New Jersey. I guess he saw the placard or sign outside and they decided to come in.

He was obviously a fan. Your sound is definitely an influence on his records.

Yeah, from what I understand, he was a fan.

He came in to see the show, sat down and one of his friends requested that I bring him up to sing a song with me. I had no idea who he was, but I brought him up anyway.

How did it go?

The crowd went wild and we had a blast. He was up there for about an hour, hour and a half.

We were just jamming and doing all kinds of

stupid things. Three years later, we went in the studio together for the first time.

And two very good albums (1981’s Dedication and ‘82’s On The Line) came from that comeback. Those two albums are the best two Springsteen records of the ’80s. They have that Springsteen production sound but with your great vocals on top.

Well, thank you very much. We had a great time doing them and I was happy to be back.

He’s a gentleman and a scholar. A great musician.

How is he in the studio? I’ve heard he’s a bit of a perfectionist on his projects.

Well, it doesn’t interfere with anything. He’s cool. It’s not like he’s got a whip and chain or anything. We get along fine, even though he does owe me five dollars!

For more information about Bonds’ music and upcoming performances, visit www.garyusbonds.com

CONNOR CHAMELEON

Y’allternative Singer-Songwriter Finds His New Hometown

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

A

TLANTA-BASED CONNOR CHRISTIAN AND his band Southern Gothic is a popular attraction on the local and national circuit. Early last year, Billboard Magazine tagged the band as one of the new breed of “Artists On The Verge” and now, a year later, the band, which averages 250 shows per year and boasts a rabid fan-base, is poised to release a hefty volume of songs called New Hometown. New York-based national indie label Rocket Science, home to artists as diverse as Margaret Cho and John 5, is issuing the album in February. The band, which features Christian (vocals, guitar and keyboards), Joe Abramson (bass, vocals), Shawn Thacker (drums, vocals), Jeff Spirko (guitar, fiddle, banjo, piano, mandolin) and Elena Martin (fiddle, keys, mandolin, vocals) will tour the country to promote it. On a recent afternoon between business meetings, work outs and packing for yet another road trip, Christian talked about his passions.

You started 2012 by being named an “Artist On The Verge”

by Billboard Magazine. How did that honor change or help

you and the band?

Connor Christian: Well, it was quite an honor. Honestly, we didn’t see it coming. It was a lot to live up to, but I feel we’ve done a pretty good job of living up to the billing. We’ve had so many positive things happen. We signed a record deal with Rocket Science Records recently, a major booking agency, we did our three biggest shows ever 34,000, 15,000 and 12,000. It was a big year.

How do you adjust to playing those big festivals?

I remember when we weren’t even selling out smaller clubs, playing to maybe 50 people, when I was a younger guy and we played the Somber Reptile or some place like that. It’s been a long journey, and there’s things to be said for both those kinds of shows. When we’re playing for a few hundred people, like at Peachtree Tavern, it’s really cool because they know all the lyrics, they’re there to see you. If I want to tell a story about where a song came from, I’m not gonna lose the crowd. But playing for 35,000 in Chicago, that’s a different story. It’s fun because you’ve got 60 minutes and you’ve got to win them over, maybe sell them a record. If they don’t go home with something, then they’re bound to forget you. So you want to make sure to get a flyer or a sticker or a CD to everyone.

Word of mouth is so important for any band.

It is. I could make a record a week if I was just in my basement, making music for myself, But I want to share it with other people. It’s very important to me that we go and connect with the fans and grow our base. I’ve had people come up to us at the merch table and say, “I have a burned copy of your CD but I want to buy one, too.” That doesn’t bother me at all. I just love to get the music out to the people.

The new album will be released in Feb, and it’s two of your selfreleased records in one, right?

We’ve been touring with this music for a while and luckily, a couple of different companies realized that we have viable music that people dig. They wanted to get it out there, which is great

because there’s maybe 3,000 people have heard all of these songs before. But that leaves us with a good 7 billion that haven’t yet.

This is a long album, even for a national release.

Yeah, it’s a lot of stuff. When someone buys the record, they’ll get 18 songs and two that we couldn’t fit on the record. And then another eight demo versions of stuff we made when we were writing the songs. It’s interesting to hear, and as a music fan myself, I like having all the material right there in one place.

Tell us a little about your history. How did you finally settle on Atlanta as home?

I moved around a lot when I was young. I was born in L.A., and then thought I wanted to go back there, but I heard about a band in Atlanta, looking for a singer. We exchanged tapes and I ended up coming out here [in 1995] and ended up staying. I think once you hit the 15-year mark, I’m “from here” now.

Is the writing process a democracy?

Historically, I write the songs and everybody makes their contributions. I don’t micro-manage solos or leads too much.

Jeff is a really good sounding board and that’s been very helpful.

When I was writing for New Hometown, I did write with a few people, just to try a few things. Of the 18 songs, ten of them, I wrote myself.

You are often labeled country, but what do you call your music?

I just write songs that I think are good songs and I hope other people with think so, too. My go-to name is “y’all-ternative” or I’ll say we play “rock and roll with redneck tendencies.” There’s so many elements to it: rock, country, southern rock, bluegrass, even soul. Growing up, I had the two favorite, strangest singers ever to be had; the two guys I wanted to be were a cross between Sam Cooke and Ed Kowalczyk of the band Live. To me, it’s just trying to take all of my influences and experiences and mix them together in a way that people can relate to them and is honest and meaningful. It doesn’t matter what it’s called, really. insiteatlanta.com • February 2013 • PG 27

MUSIC

THE VIRGINIA BLUES Folksy Punk-Rocker Billy Wallace Goes Solo

BY JOHN B. MOORE

B

ILLY WALLACE HAD BUILT A REP as Virginia’s go-to guy for folksy punkrock– first as the frontman and guitarist for The Wading Girl, and more recently as bassist for Tim Barry. With a slew of songs piling up, Wallace finally put out his first solo record in 2009 (The Road Spit Me Out). After relocating to his hometown of Cincinnati, he got to work on the follow-up and pulled together a (emi-constant band. The result is the impressive Tucumcari, New Mexico and Other Songs, which has a sound somewhat similar to artists like Drag the River, Cory Branan and his former boss, Barry. Wallace spoke with us recently about his move to Ohio, The Virginia Blues and, of course, girls.

You’ve spent a number of years playing in other people’s bands. What made you finally decide to go out on your own?

I suppose the simplest answer, logistically anyway, is that it’s easier to tour when you’re by yourself. It’s not as much fun when you don’t have your friends with you, but you can drive a smaller car and find places to crash a lot easier.

On the more creative side of things, I’ve always written songs, ever since I first started playing in bands back in high school. Coming up with the lyrics has always been my favorite part of the creation process. Playing solo really lends itself to a more storytelling approach, both while performing live and while writing.

So is the Virginia Blues a set band, or do the members come and go?

For the last two years, Jonathan Lohr (guitar, backing vocals) and I have done a ton of shows with just the two of us - an acoustic guitar, vocal harmony thing. In addition to his great guitar parts, he’s gotten really involved in writing melodies and harmonies and offering strong ideas on dynamic and song structure.

Shannon Lewis started singing with us a couple months ago and she’s really bringing new and interesting vocal ideas to the table.

She’s a theater kid and she fills in spots that old punk rock guys like Jon and me didn’t even know existed, (laughs). Our horn player, Matt Mitchell, lives in Columbus, so he doesn’t get to play live with us as often as we’d like, but he’s an amazing player.

SOME OF MY FAVORITE PARTS OF THE NEW RECORD WERE RECORDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT IN MY APARTMENT OR SPONTANEOUS STONEDRUNK CROWD VOCALS WHEN FRIENDS WERE OVER, THINGS LIKE THAT

NEW REPUBLIC

Dominican Hardcore Band La Armada Finds A New Home in Chicago

BY JOHN B. MOORE

T

HE MIDWESTERN US HARDLY SEEMS LIKE THE ideal location for a Dominican Republic-based hardcore band to re-settle. But Chicago has been pretty damn good to the guys in La Armada over the past few years.

With few options for playing in their native Santo Domingo (not to mention the overbearing influence of the Catholic Church and a corrupt government), the band decided to split. Having made a slew of contacts in the Windy City over the years (most notably the folks at Southkore Records), Chicago made the final cut and the band put down roots.

For the past year they’ve been touring the country, supporting their self-titled album, playing everywhere from basements in Middle America to a 1,500-capacity theater in Denver. Guitarist Paul Rivera spoke with us recently about the band’s founding, their move to Chicago and how corrupt governments make fuel for great punk rock music.

So what prompted the move to Chicago? How did you pick that city?

The idea of taking this band overseas was always in the back our minds. Even though in the Dominican Republic we were facing many challenges as individuals– a failing third world economy combined with an ultra-conservative and isolated society– we knew that playing aggressive anti-establishment music was all we ever wanted to do. We either had to leave the island in order to continue playing or stay in DR, adapt, and disappear as a band. The first time we heard of Chicago hardcore punk was through a small PG 28 • February 2013 • insiteatlanta.com

What was it like working on this album compared to the last one?

On The Road Spit Me Out, I was just trying to figure out what I was doing, musically and in my life in general. I was living in the tour van at the time, right after leaving Virginia.

The songs on that record were recorded in about 20 different places. I think this new one feels steadier because, honestly, my life is much less turbulent. We’ve always recorded everything ourselves. I realize that I sacrifice some sound quality since I don’t really know what the hell I’m doing as an engineer, but it’s worth it to have constant access and control.

Some of my favorite parts of the new record were recorded in the middle of the night in my apartment or spontaneous stone-drunk crowd vocals when friends were over, things like that.

Those moments capture who I think we are as people and friends and I love that about it. It might not sound perfect and it might not mean a damn thing to anyone else, but you have to make music for yourself first. If other people on the outside end up feeling something from it, then that’s pretty cool.

What can you tell me about the inspiration for the songs on this one?

Girls, mostly (laughs). A few of the songs, like “Noel’s Blues” and “Seen the Light” were ones that I’ve been playing live for a couple years but I never got a chance to record them the way I wanted. The Golden Ratio is a reoccurring theme throughout the record. I love the idea that it occurs in nature, in every art form, and can be applied to one’s own life as well. We’re all trying to find the right mix of work, art, sex, drugs, religion, or the like

that adds up to a ratio that equals something resembling contentment and happiness. I’ve got a lot of songs about trying different ways to get that ratio right.

What prompted the move to Cincinnati?

I was born here. My family is all here. I left when I went away to school and then lived in Roanoke for a long time, but once The Wading Girl (my old band) broke up, there wasn’t a lot left there for me. It’s one of the most beautiful towns in the country and I do miss some folks there, but it’s good to be back in Cincy. The music scene is full of talent right now. I’ve got a good job that still allows me to travel. I’ve got a cool apartment with my girl and my amazing dog. And the Reds won the NL Central this past year. So far, so good.

Are you currently on tour?

I just finished a few weeks up and down the East Coast. It was a great run and I fell in love with the road again after a long time off. Jon, Shannon and I are doing some weekends to finish out the year in Florida and then in the Midwest. I’ll probably go on a longer tour again in late February/early March.

What’s next for you?

Jon and I already have a slew of new songs written. We’re talking to some of our friends’ bands about possible split EP’s in the new year.

This last tour was pretty great and I’ve been writing a lot since it ended, so we’ll probably have something new in the works pretty soon.

I also want to have the shitty novel I’m writing finished by my 31st birthday in April. Of course, I wanted to have it finished by my 30th birthday, too, so we’ll see how that goes.

DIY distro we used to run in the DR in the early to mid 2000’s. We became fans of bands like MK Ultra, Charles Bronson, Tras de Nada, and things like that.

How did you hook up with the guys at Southkore?

In 2005 the Chicago label decided to include La Armada in the international hardcore punk compilation Hardcore or Die. The record was a success. In 2006 we were invited to play the Southkore Fest, where bands from all over the US and South America shared the stage. Los Crudos, one of our favorite bands, was headlining. It was a great experience and we made some good contacts with other Latino hardcore bands and labels. La Armada was very well received by Chicago punks. There is a large Latino punk population here, and I can honestly say kids here are able to identify with us and the things we talk about in our songs.

How did the band first get together?

We started jamming in the summer of 2000. We were all really angry teenagers growing up in Santo Domingo, where in addition to all the poverty and lack of resources, we also had to deal with things like the Catholic Church being a real powerful and repressive institution that shaped every aspect of Dominican “morality” and the remaining tail end of the 22 year dictatorship of Dr. Balaguer. By the time we discovered punk and metal we were already so fed up with all the bullshit of Dominican society that we became obsessed with this music. It was so raw, so irreverent, and it matched perfectly with the reality we were living at the moment.

Can you talk a little more about the punk scene like in Dominican Republic?

Like any other small Caribbean city, Santo Domingo didn’t really offer a lot of options when it came down to underground music.

We often had to play shows with metal bands or even hip-hop acts.

There just wasn’t enough hardcore and punk to have something exclusive there.

What can you tell me about this record?

Recording-wise this is the first time we got close to the sound we wanted, and that had to do with our engineer, and a lot years of getting it wrong. At the time we recorded it we knew we wanted something that sounded good and where you could appreciate

some of the arrangements the songs have. Concept-wise, it was the first time we sat down as a band and figured out how to get our point across. So everything from the artwork to the music to the lyrics are tied together.

Since moving to the U.S. have you been able to tour much in this country?

Once the band got its things in semi-order (gear, van, merch, etc.) we took to the road here and there for a couple weeks at a time from 2008 to 2010, but it wasn’t until 2011 when we decided we would make the band as full time as we possibly could, and now it seems all we do is tour. So (in 2012) we just wrapped up our touring schedule and counted 100 shows coast to coast, playing anywhere from a 10 x 10 foot basements in middle America to a 1,500 capacity theater like the Ogden in Denver. One of the best experiences we had was when Strung Out took us on the road, it was our first time being a part of a production or package tour and when you hang out and play every night with guys that have been at it for 20 plus years you’d be a fool not to try and soak in as much as you can from an experience like that. They offered us to come along literally with two days’ notice and we quit our jobs and went.

What’s next for the band?

This coming year we are gonna match and hopefully exceed our previous tour schedule, we wanna getting our music in front of as many people as we can, as we all feel we are a live band more than anything. Some more international shows are in order as well, we plan on going to Canada, Costa Rica and Mexico as soon as we can. We feel that as long as we’re doing our part and getting this band in front of as many people we can everything else will follow suit. So basically we’ll be in the van a long, long time.

SPORTS

THE TOP 10 NBA MVP CANDIDATES THUS FAR

BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

W

E’RE HALFWAY THROUGH the 2012-13 NBA campaign already.

Some teams are starting to assert themselves atop the standings. The same can be said about individuals vying for the MVP trophy. Of course, two of those names are LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Now, before dismissing this as a two-man race, hear out the cases for eight others who’ve done some remarkable things with the rock this year.

Best Martial Arts KEVIN DURANT

10. STEPHEN CURRY, GOLDEN STATE We’ve had the luxury of watching Steph live a couple of times this year, and on both occasions he’s looked poised beyond his 24 years. As he matures even more, so will his already-gaudy numbers (21 and 6 per game).

9. DWYANE WADE, MIAMI Though he’s off his career ppg average a bit (down over 4 points), D-Wade is still as good a sidekick as we’ve seen in the league. To beat San Antonio or OKC in the Finals though, he’ll need lots of flashes of the old Flash.

LEBRON JAMES

8. KOBE BRYANT, L.A. LAKERS We’re not sure who this new Kobe is —In late January, he had three straight games of 11+ assists— but we like him. And it’s no coincidence that the more Mamba spreads the love, the more his teammates grow confident and the more the Lakers get things back in order.

7. TONY PARKER, SAN ANTONIO The best player you’re not talking about, Parker delivers the numbers (20/7.5/3) without any of the fanfare. Most folks knew the Spurs would be good, but because of Parker’s relentlessness, they’re Finals good.

6. TIM DUNCAN, SAN ANTONIO The other reason San Antonio is head and shoulders above most of the Western Conference is the ageless Duncan, a 36-yearold who’s averaging over 17 points, nearly 10 boards and a career-high 2.7 blocks per contest.

CARMELO ANTHONY

5. JAMES HARDEN, HOUSTON The bearded one isn’t single-handedly making the Rockets relevant again (Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik are certainly helping), but his 26 points a contest are the main reason they’ll be problem come the playoffs.

4. CHRIS PAUL, L.A. CLIPPERS This is exactly what the Clippers organization had in mind when it brought CP3 from New Orleans to L.A. When his knee isn’t acting up, Paul’s exploding to the rack (nearly 17 ppg), finding open teammates (9.7 apg) and making it a living hell for the opposition (2.6 spg).

3. CARMELO ANTHONY, NEW YORK Offensively, there are few people we’d rather have on our team than Melo (29.4 ppg). And this year, it seems he’s allowing the flow of the game to come to him. Without forcing things, Anthony’s Knicks have soared to an unmistakable No. 2 in the East.

2. LEBRON JAMES, MIAMI The No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference is held by the Heat, a squad that also boasts the No. 1 talent in the galaxy. But truthfully,

numbers do ‘Bron no justice. If he wanted to lead the NBA in scoring, he could. If he wanted to top the assists chart, he probably would. But he doesn’t. He just wants rings.

1. KEVIN DURANT, OKLAHOMA CITY Most folks thought the loss of James Harden would mean the end to the Thunder’s reign.

All it really meant was KD putting more of the team’s load on his scrawny shoulders (nearly 30 points and over 7 rebounds per).

If he and Russell Westbrook lead OKC to a No. 1 seed in the West, he may have enough strength left to snatch the MVP trophy from LeBron’s grasp. insiteatlanta.com • February 2013 • PG 29

COLUMN

SPORTS

FANATIC A Monthly Sports Wrap-up

BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

Alex Rodriguez

“Once baseball is gone, [ALEX] RODRIGUEZ will realize what a sad existence he created for himself. He was given everything. Red Sox executive Allard Baird was frightened to file his scouting report on a high school-aged A-Rod because it was too glowing. A-Rod could’ve been an icon whose 647 home runs aren’t subject to question and doubt. He has become a sullied, pathetic liar, an abuser of the game he loved, the only one who doesn’t seem to understand the jig is up.” -Yahoo’s Jeff Passan, after a Miami New Times report said A-Rod’s used performance-enhancing drugs since 2003 Fanatic’s as big an NCAA hoops fan as the next guy, but this 2012-13 season has been a relative snore. No dominant teams. Few elite players. Lots of mediocrity. Still, even in this so-so season, a couple of things have caught our eye: 1) The state of Indiana is beaming over its Hoosiers, but Valparaiso (16-5), Indiana State (14-7), Notre Dame (16-4) and Butler (17-3) are also putting up tourney-worthy years; 2) Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel may not be in the Player of the Year conversation, but we nominate the 6-11 swat-master for Most Exciting Player honors; 3) If there’s one other player we watch every time he’s on the tube, it’s Michigan’s Trey Burkey, the 6-0 sensation who scores and facilitates better than anyone in the land.

“You only had to look down in the stands and see the number of [Chipper Jones] No. 10 jerseys to know whose team it was. We knew we were going to be transitioning, and we were looking for that player throughout the winter. And quite frankly, in free agency we didn’t find that young superstar player that you could wrap your arms around and say, ‘This is a key building block for the future.’ That’s what made this trade so intriguing for us, and that’s why we stayed on it for almost two months.” – ATLANTA BRAVES GM FRANK WREN, after trading for budding star Justin Upton, just a month after acquiring his brother, B.J. Though the February NBA calendar is highlighted by the All-Star Game (Feb. 14, TNT), that isn’t the only high-profile contest of the month. Here are four

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PG 30 • February 2013 • insiteatlanta.com

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T’S VALENTINE’S DAY AGAIN, and you fellas know what that means: Time to make like Christian Slater and show your lady a little “true romance.”

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Before your better half starts getting ready for your big night on the town, surprise her with the Hudson Valley Gift Basket from KISS MY FACE (www.kissmyface. com). A hot bath via candlelight with these relaxation-centered beauty products– including Anti-Stress Shower Gel, Lavender & Shea Butter Moisturizer, and Lavender Shea Moisture Hand Soap– will go long way towards soothing away the tensions of the day and getting her ready to focus on fun. A shoulder massage from you can’t hurt, either.

Pointer Sisters (i.e. “Slow Hand”), using soft paint brushes and feather applicators with a delicate touch to apply white chocolate body paint, strawberry soufflé and strawberry honey dust to all of her most sensitive parts. Soon enough, you’ll find that you are the sweet treat she’s hungry for!

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As she slips into her sexy little dress, you slip a few pieces from the Vintage Glam line of ISABELLE GRACE JEWELRY (www. isabellegracejewelry.com) into her hot little hands. The suggestively-shaped pendants of the Aurora Necklace are sure to accentuate her gorgeous neckline, while the red Rubilite Garnet stones and sterling silver nuggets of the Gemma Earrings will add just enough flash to draw your attention up to her eyes, where they belong… for now.

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STEP 3 other televised match-ups that should be explosive: 4) San Antonio vs. Golden State (Feb. 22, ESPN); 3) L.A. Lakers vs.

Miami (Feb. 10, ABC); 2) L.A. Clippers vs.

L.A. Lakers (Feb. 14, TNT); 1) Miami vs.

Oklahoma City (Feb. 14, TNT).

And finally…

Tiger Woods’ win at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines was his 14th in the state of California… If Fanatic were a betting man (and he is), he’d wage that the next cities to get an NHL team are Seattle and Markham, a city in the Greater Toronto Area… According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, L.A.-based groups have reached out to the Falcons about a possible relocation to Southern California… Already set for Super Bowl XLVIII in New York-New Jersey on Feb. 2, 2014? Better bundle up because the average Feb. 2 temp in Newark is a balmy 39 degrees.

Did you know that chocolate, whose potency as an aphrodisiac was legendary among the Aztecs, contains phenylethylamine, a chemical that causes elevated energy and euphoria, not unlike being madly in love? After dinner, heat her up a cup of Chocolate Bliss, one of the Nightly Beauty blends from BEAUTY FOODS (www.beautyfoods.com). With just 40 calories, more than a half-dozen vitamins designed to promote healthy skin, and 200 mg of cinnamon bark to give it a little bite, it’ll get her motor purring just in time for dessert (a.k.a. YOU).

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Few things pair better with chocolate than strawberries. But, if you really want to send her libido into overdrive, try bringing out the Sweet Heart Strawberry Body Treats for Lovers from KAMA SUTRA (www. kamasutra.com) as your piece de resistance.

Tantalize your partner by making like the

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Now that SUPER BOWL XLV is over, football fans can get to the real issue: Will there be a 2011 season? If you let NFL commissioner Roger Goodell tell it, a new collective bargaining agreement is imminent. But listen to others close to the situation and they’ll say it’s not such a sure thing. While officials work out the numbers, Fanatic knows three things that’ll happen, lockout or no lockout: 1) An SEC defender (Auburn’s Nick Fairley or LSU’s Patrick Peterson) will be the No. 1 pick in the Draft; 2) An 18-game season will be approved; 3) Super Bowl XLVI will kick-off as planned on Feb. 5, 2012 in Indianapolis.

(Blake Griffin, L.A. Clippers); Coach of the Year (Gregg Popovich, San Antonio); Most Improved Player (Kevin Love, Minnesota); Sixth Man of the Year (Jamal Crawford, Atlanta); Most Surprising Team (New Orleans Hornets); Biggest Disappointment (Phoenix Suns).

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“He’s a beast. What can you say? Some of the shots he made, I was like, ‘Wow. Did he just make that in my face?’

A player like that, you have to live and die defending him one on one. If he makes big shots, you have to go to the other end and stay poised.” –New Mexico guard Dairese Gary, on JIMMER FREDETTE, BYU star and college’s leading scorer

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“I feel like a better player now than I was three years ago, because I think that physically I’m stronger, faster, mentally I’m more motivated on the court. I know how to react in certain moments, and I know how to play on a big stage.

I have been more focused and dedicated to the sport than ck Up I have ever been before.e ” -2011 AUSTRALIAN s of MEN’SPi d a h S 0 5 OPEN WINNER NOVAK DJOKOVIC Today! !

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“When I signed my contract, my main goal was to earn it. Once I started to realize I wasn’t earning my money, I felt bad. I was making a crazy amount of money for not even pitching. Honestly, I didn’t feel like I deserved it. I didn’t want to have those feelings again.” –GIL MECHE, 32, who retired instead of taking a guaranteed $12 million to pitch for Kansas City this season

“St. Louis was fourth in baseball last year in attendance, but only 13th in payroll. In other words the Cardinals have money to burn, and it’s time to light the match. So here’s what you do if you’re St. Louis: Whatever [Albert] Pujols reason, you give it to him. What’s XZewants, n 12within 00idea. TheFclosest within reason?

No leshbaseball lighthas had to a Her eN free agent likeow this!wasN Alex Rodriguez in 2001, when he ow inThat Sto k! million received $252 million for 10 years. wasc$25.2 annually, and that was a decade ago. And Pujols is better.”

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4. Daytona 500 Gentlemen, start your quest to stop Jimmie Johnson from winning an unprecedented sixth straight Sprint Cup championship.

5. This UNC at Duke (Feb. 9, 9PM, ESPN) big meeting (and another on March 5) goes a long way in deciding North Carolina bragging rights and the ACC crown.

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Hawaii pays $4 million to host the NFL’s annual Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium… If early estimates are accurate, Super Bowl XLV should be Stub Hub’s top-selling event ever… At press time, the Cleveland Cavs were in the midst of a 1-29 February, of course, marks the NBA’S halfway point. stretch, the NBA’s worst since 1996… If there’s an NFL work With that landmark also comes Fanatic’s midseason stoppage next season, it’s reported that Las Vegas casinos awards: MVP (Derrick Rose, Chicago); Defensive Player would take an $850 million hit on unplaced betting… A of the Year (Dwight Howard, Orlando); Rookie ofSOUTHERN the Year record 56 underclassmen declared for the NFL Draft.

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