INsite Atlanta October 2016 Issue

OCTOBER 2016

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INSITEATLANTA.COM

5 YEARS! 2 G N I T ELEBRA

VOL. 25, NO. 3 FREE

e d i u G t aun

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y p aH p n e e w o l aH l

! e r o M & , s ume

t s o C , s t n Eve

Cabaret, Lewis Black, Carol Burnett, Out On Film

6624 Dawson Blvd. (on the I-85 access road) I-85 Exit 99 - Jimmy Carter Blvd. - Norcross

Haunted Hotline: 404-608-2484

/hauntedatlanta /netherworldhauntedhouse

www.FEARWORLD.com

Choose Atlanta’s Best!

Voting Currently taking place Online Ends midnight Sunday October, 9th • Winners featured in November Issue

insiteatlanta.com/bestofatlanta PG 2 • October 2016 • insiteatlanta.com

CONTENTS • OCTOBER 2016 • VOLUME 25, NO. 3

CELEB

R AT I N G

25 YEARS!

Atlanta’s

Entertainment Monthly

INTERVIEWS 10 Cabaret 16 Carol Burnett 17 Lewis Black 17 Roy Woods Jr. 19 Carrie 21 Big Star 21 The Moms 21 The Mahones 22 Warner Hodges

10

16

FEATURES 08 Fall Patios 11 Top Sandwiches 12 Halloween Haunts 13 Costumes 13 Netherworld 15 Out on Film 19 Movie Previews

Around Town On Tap Atlanta on a Dime Under The Lights Station Control New Releases Movie Reviews Album Reviews

FOXTHEATRE.ORG FOX TICKET OFFICE 8552858499

13

ay und n S th ! s o 16 n U ber Joi Octo

COLUMNS 04 05 06 07 14 15 18 20

THE FOX THEATRE OCTOBER 10

17

insiteatlanta.com STAFF LISTING Publisher Stephen Miller steve@insiteatlanta.com Art Director / Web Design Nick Tipton nick@insiteatlanta.com Managing Editor Lee Valentine Smith lee@insiteatlanta.com Local Events Editor Marci Miller marci@insiteatlanta.com Sports Editor DeMarco Williams demarco@insiteatlanta.com

Music Editor John Moore john@insiteatlanta.com Contributing Writers / Interns: Alex. S. Morrison, Steve Warren, Dave Cohen, Benjamin Carr MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 76483 Atlanta, GA 30358 WEBSITE • insiteatlanta.com ADVERTISING INFORMATION (404) 308-5119 • ads@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 OCTOBER 2016 or editors of INsite assume responsibility should INSITEATLAN TA.COM VOL. 25, NO. 3 FREE such advertising or editorial appear. No content, i.e., articles, graphics, designs and information (any Haunt Guide and all) in this publication may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from publisher.

S! TING 25 YEAR CELEBRA

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Happy Halloween

es, & More!

Check out our Halloween Guide on page 12!

Events, Costum

Cabaret, Lewis Black, Carol Burnett,

Out On Film

insiteatlanta.com • October 2016 • PG 3

Around Town NOW THROUGH OCTOBER 30 Oktoberfest Helen, GA

Beer, brats, bands and Lederhosen - the Helen Oktoberfest has them all. Join the longest running Oktoberfest in the United States, which runs this month through October 30. Every year the Helen Festhalle houses the event. German-style bands from around the country and around the world play on the stage. Grab your partner and take a spin on the dance floor to the timeless tunes of the Polka. Visit the helenchamber.com.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8

Marietta Craft Beer Festival Marietta Square

Marietta’s premier craft beer festival, Chalktoberfest, offers over 120 beers to choose from. The chalk festival is free to attend, but the craft beer section requires a ticket for tasting. There will be live music from AIA Jimmy Buffett, the Paul Hand Band and food from over a dozen vendors.

Artists ages 6 and up are invited to create their best chalk artwork during Chalktoberfest on Sunday, October 9. Visit chalktoberfest.com.

OCTOBER 8

Brookhaven Chili Cook Off Brookhaven Park

Come on out to this family friendly event in the heart of Brookhaven. Taste Chili &

Events and Performances taking place this Month

Stew Brunswick from 75+ Restaurant & Amateur Competition Teams. Enjoy live Music from Chelsea Shag & Sailing to Denver & DJ Suspense. Wash the chili down with beer & wine plus cold beverages for all ages. This event offers a Kid Zone from Southern Peach Inflatables & Cornhole.

Free parking behind MARTA & Brookhaven City Hall. Visit brookhavenchilicookoff.com.

place over the two days with featured performers. On Sunday from 1 – 4PM there will be a car show with children’s activities and food trucks throughout the weekend.

It’s a great time to take in the beauty of fall while enjoying terrific food, music and art.

The festival is located on 4047 Peachtree Road behind the Brookhaven MARTA station on the Apple Valley Road side.

Halloween Tours, a seasonal tradition! A costumed docent guides you through the cemetery’s beautifully-lit Victorian gardens as you experience the stories of Atlanta’s sons and daughters come to life. Capturing the Spirit of Oakland is always a sellout event, and spaces are limited. Be sure to check website for availability at oaklandcemetery.com.

OCTOBER 9 -30

OCTOBER 16

AIDS Walk & 5K Run

OCTOBER 22-23 & 29-30

Piedmont Park

Zoo Atlanta

Fox Ghost Tours The Fox Theatre

The Fox Theatre will host its 4th annual Fox Theatre Ghost Tours this Halloween season starring its resident spirits and specters. From Sunday, October 9 until Sunday, October 30 guests are invited to walk the haunted halls of one of the city's most treasured landmarks and to learn about the guests that loved the theatre so much they never left. They might even meet one, if they are lucky. Foxtheatre.org.

OCTOBER 15 & 16

Brookhaven Arts Festival Brookhaven MARTA

On Saturday & Sunday October 15 & 16 Brookhaven will host the 2nd Annual Brookhaven Arts Festival through the Brookhaven Community Foundation.

More than 125 participating artists will feature works of fiber, glass, jewelry, mixed media, painting, photography, sculpture and more. Musical performances will take

The 26th Annual AIDS Walk Atlanta & 5K Run is Sunday, October 16 in Piedmont Park. The event begins in the Meadow at Piedmont Park as the route travels through Midtown and returns to Piedmont Park. Actor Lamman Rucker serves as this year’s ambassador.

He is best known for his work on Tyler Perry’s films: Why Did I Get Married?, and Meet The Browns and currently starring in Oprah Winfrey’s Network drama series Greenleaf. This event has grown to be the largest AIDS-related fundraising event in the Southeast, with nearly 10,000 registered participants raising over $1 million in previous years. Visit aidswalkatlanta.com.

OCTOBER 21 - 30

Oakland Halloween Tours Oakland Cemetery

Enjoy historic Oakland Cemetery after dark at Capturing the Spirit of Oakland

Boo at the Zoo

Atlanta’s favorite family Halloween festival returns! Sample treats throughout the Zoo, and enjoy the sights, characters and adventures of whimsical Zoo Boo Town on four magical days with more than 1,000 animals from around the world. Don’t forget your costume. Stay tuned to zooatlanta.org for event details.

OCTOBER 28

Callanwolde Halloween Night Callanwolde Fine Arts Center

Callanwolde’s Halloween Night on Callanwolde Mountain offers night of family fun for both kids and adults. Join us with Legoland Discovery Center in celebrating this Halloween adventure with J&M Sound Design DJ. Callanwolde Concert Band performs with special guest Matthew Kaminski, organist for the Atlanta Braves. The event takes place Friday, October 28th, from 6:00pm – 9:00pm. Family Friendly costumes encouraged. Parking is free and there is a cash bar with Genki food truck on site. Tickets are $4 in advance and $5 at the door. Visit callanwolde.org for tickets.

You Will Love The Moment Freshwater Cultured Pearl Set Necklace, Bracelet and Earrings QSET - 10391

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A L E X A N D E R S O FAT L A N TA . C O M 4 0 4 - 63 4 -3 19 7 2891 NORTH DRUID HILLS ROAD TOCO HILL SHOPPING CENTER PG 4 • October 2016 • insiteatlanta.com

On Tap this Month MAJOR EVENTS COMING TO ATLANTA October 5 - 9: Philips Arena

DISNEY ON ICE

w o n y Bu s t e k c i for t as as low

$20

Follow your heart straight to adventure at Disney On Ice! Just keep swimming with Dory and new pal Hank from Disney Pixar’s Finding Dory as they set out to find her parents. Cheer with the Emotions from Disney Pixar’s Inside Out. Venture to wintery Arendelle where Olaf and Kristoff help reunite Anna and Elsa and learn love is the most powerful magic of all. Disney On Ice presents Follow Your Heart. Ticketmaster.com

Set sail for an epic adventure in this fantastical and daring adaptation of the American classic as you’ve never seen it before.

ADAPTED AND DIRECTED BY

David Catlin FROM THE NOVEL BY

Herman Melville ORIGINALLY PRODUCED BY

Lookingglass Theatre Company IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Actors Gymnasium

October 8: Turner Field

CO-PRODUCTION WITH

GREAT ATLANTA BEER FEST

Arena Stage Coast Repertory

AND South

Atlanta Beer Festivals will host the 6th Great Atlanta Beer Fest at Turner Field from 1 - 6 pm on Saturday, October 8. is event will feature 200+ beers, ciders, and a small selection of wines. ere will be live music, College Football on Big TVs plus fun and games around the event. is year the event will take place on the field. Come out and celebrate one final time at Turner Field. Visit GreatAtlantaBeerFest.com

Photo by Liz Lauren.

October 8 & 9: Piedmont Park

ATLANTA PRIDE FESTIVAL e Atlanta Pride Festival coincides with National Coming Out Day. e Official Kickoff Party returns to the Georgia Aquarium on Friday, October 7. is event that has now become a tradition for many and launches the Southeast’s largest Pride Festival. e Parade begins at 1 p.m. on Sunday from the Civic Center and enters the Piedmont Park through the Charles Allen entrance. Visit AtlantaPride.org

October 10: The Fox Theatre

ARW

Long-time Yes fans rejoice! Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman are back after a 25 year hiatus. e tour hits Atlanta for a one night performance at e Fox eatre Monday, October 10 at 8:00 p.m. is will be an evening of Yes music and more. See the three former members perform hits such as “Roundabout,” “I’ve Seen All Good People” and “Owner of a Lonely Heart” To purchase tickets visit Foxeatre.org

October 15: Downtown Decatur Square

DECATUR CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL

Come and enjoy an afternoon of beer tasting on the Decatur square. More than 100 of the finest local, American and international beers are showcased at this annual event sponsored by area distributors and Decatur's restaurants and pubs. Enjoy live music on the Community Bandstand and food from local restaurants available for sale. All tickets are sold online. No tickets are available at the gate. DecaturFestival.com

October 12–30

October 21 - 23: Midtown

TASTE OF ATLANTA

Taste of Atlanta, the city's original food festival, celebrates its 15th year. More than 90 neighborhood favorites will show off their most craveable dishes, the hottest local chefs will strut their stuff on four live demo stages, and VIP patrons will hit boozy nirvana sampling craft beers, wine and creative cocktails. Admission to the festival nets you 10 Taste Points loaded onto your RFID wristband. TasteofAtlanta.com

Get tickets

alliancetheatre.org/mobydick 404.733.5000

1280 Peachtree Street NE // Atlanta, GA 30309

Series on the Alliance Stage

insiteatlanta.com • October 2016 • PG 5

EVENTS HAPPENING FOR SMALL CHANGE IN ATLANTA

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

By Marci Miller

Saturday, October 1 10am – 5pm

AVONDALE AUTUMNFEST Free; Avondale Estates autumnfestavondale.com

is family-friendly festival offers an Artist Market, Kid Zone, Live Music, Food and from Avondale's favorite restaurants.

Explore the work of more than 90 regional artists representing a diversity of styles and media. See favorites such as the Southeastern Snake Encounter’s Reptile Wagon. AutumnEats returns with local chefs preparing delicious tastings with local farmed and sourced ingredients.

Saturday & Sunday, October 1 & 2

CANDLER PARK FALL FEST

Free; Marietta Square; 10am - 5pm candlerparkfallfest.com Atlanta’s Candler Park arts and music festival takes place Saturday, October 1 from 12pm - 10pm and Sunday, October 2nd from 12pm - 9pm. With a challenging 5K, Tour of Homes, live music, local food, funfilled Kids Zone, and over 110 artist booths this free festival is not to be missed. e 5K kicks things off at 9am on Saturday. Be sure to check out the tasty offerings of local restaurants and Atlanta Food

Trucks while enjoying an astonishing total 10 bands over the two days. e Bowie tribute band Pinups headlines Saturday night with Bumpin the Mango on Sunday.

Saturday, October 15

LITTLE FIVE POINTS HALLOWEEN PARADE

Free; Festival from 12 to 11 pm Parade 4 - 6 pm l5phalloween.com Head to Little Five Points this Halloween season for the 16th annual Halloween parade and festival. e festivities will consist of live entertainment on two stages, great food selections and shopping from local artisans who, along with the area businesses, provide a wide variety of offerings for festival attendees. e Parade begins on Euclid and ends at Freedom Parkway.

and live acoustic entertainment. Attendance is free. Stroll the event while enjoying the art on display and the historic gardens. is is a wonderful opportunity to appreciate the vision and legacy of one of America's most celebrated landscape architects, Fredrick Olmsted, Sr.

Saturday, October 22

WORLD KITE FESTIVAL

Free; Festival from 1:00 to 6:00 pm Meadow at Piedmont Park atlantaworldkitefestival.com Come soar into fall with the 5th annual World Kite Festival. is Family friendly event offers a Kids Zone, Pumpkin Decorating Contest and plenty of food and ice cream trucks to entertain kids of all ages.

Remember to bring your kite.

Saturday & Sunday, October 22 & 23

SMYRNA FALL JONQUIL FESTIVAL Free Admission

Village Green in downtown Smyrna

smyrnacity.com e Fall Jonquil Festival is located on the beautiful Village Green in downtown Smyrna. e festival takes place Saturday, October 22 from 10 am - 6 pm and Sunday, October 23 from 12 pm - 5 pm. Featuring hand-made arts & crafts booths, local non-profit booths, puppet shows, live music, plenty of festival foods, a local entertainment stage and all types of children's activities.

Sunday, October 30

DECATUR HALLOWEEN PARADE: HAINTS AND SAINTS Free; Decatur Square decaturhalloweenparade.com

Located in the Eastside neighborhoods on North Highland, Highland Ave, and Boulevard. e event kicks off at 2 pm with a bicycle parade, and it continues until 6 pm. Enjoy biking, skating, walking and rolling down the streets and take part in this fun, free, family-friendly event!

Saturday & Sunday, October 15 & 16

FESTIVAL ON PONCE Free; Olmsted Linear Park festivalonponce.com

e Festival on Ponce is a 2-Day local arts and crafts event held at the Olmsted Linear Park. e Artist's Market features arts and handmade crafts. ere is a Children's Park, local food and beverage concessions

Little Five Points Halloween Parade Saturday, Oct 15 l5phalloween.com

REceive Updated Events Weekly. Sign Up by Emailing Subscriptions@atlantaonadime.com Enter on the subject line: Sign me up Insite!

decaturga

@ ragingburrito

FALL FOR

DECATUR. Seasonal shopportunities are comin’ up!

Mark your calendar for Terrific Thursdays – special holiday deals all around Decatur in November and December. visitdecaturga.com PG 6 • October 2016 • insiteatlanta.com

Decatur-INsite-magazine-oct-2016-fnl.indd 1

Visitors Center 113 Clairemont Ave. 9/27/16 5:37 PM

Saturday, October 22 Sunday, October 23

Now through October 30 Horizon Theatre 404.584.7450 HorizonTheatre.com In FREED SPIRITS Oakland cemetery has a ghost. A freak tornado cuts a swath through Atlanta’s historic graveyard, exposing buried clues and evoking eerie sightings. Tour guide Susan and steampunk survivalist MJ unite with a geeky spirit photographer and a retired pathologist to solve the mystery. This band of urban misfits races through the monuments and headstones while the line between past and present blurs in Atlanta’s most spectacular spooky setting.

Playwright Daryl Lisa Fazio premieres this mystery-comedy under the direction of Lisa Adler. “This play IS Atlanta,” says Adler. “It’s written by an award-winning Atlanta playwright, about an Atlanta landmark, with a stellar Atlanta cast. It’s a fun, upbeat ghostly comedy about a cadre of quirky urban misfits solving a mystery in the midst of the gardens and tombs Oakland. It’s the perfect comedy for this fall and Halloween season in Atlanta, celebrating the unique Atlanta in town haunt.”

THE GHASTLY DREADFULS

October 12 - 29 Center for Puppetry Arts 404-873-3391 Puppet.org THE GHASTLY DREADFULS returns to the Center for Puppetry Arts, October 12-29 for a 10th season of spine-tingling storytelling with a cast of characters that has made it an Atlanta cult classic. This year’s Halloween adult and teen spectacular features a brand new French theatre piece, The Horrific Experiment: A Grand Guignol in addition to many other crowd-favorite scary stories, ominous songs and devilish dances from around the world that are included in the show! Artistic director Jon Ludwig describes the evening as, “a kind of dark vaudeville with a variety of performance styles and sensibilities. There’s really something for everybody.” The evening is a compendium of ghost stories and spectacle with puppets, live music and dance.

DIVINELY, DANGEROUSLY

DECADENT.” BEN BRANTLEY

CABARET

November 1 - 6 The Fox Theatre 855.285.8499 FoxTheatre.org/cabaret

MOBY DICK

October 12 - 30 Alliance Theatre 404.733.5000 AllianceTheatre.org Explore with Captain Ahab and the crew of the Pequod in this harrowing and intoxicating journey of fate vs. free will.

Madness rages like the angry sea when man pits himself against leviathan in Herman Melville’s MOBY DICK. The classic tale of man’s obsessive battle against nature comes to life in a triumph of grand theatrical imagination. Bold trapeze and acrobatic work turn this seafaring American classic into a thrilling experiment in aerial storytelling. Set sail for an epic adventure with Captain Ahab and his crew in this harrowing quest for the great white whale.

From Lookingglass Theatre Company he jaw-dropping production that delighted Chicago audiences, young and old.

Direct from Broadway, the musical masterpiece CABARET comes to Atlanta’s Fox Theatre. As part of their 50th Anniversary Season, the critically acclaimed and awardwinning Roundabout Theatre Company is bringing their national tour of Sam Mendes (Skyfall, American Beauty) and Rob Marshall’s (Into the Woods and Chicago, the films) Tony Award®-winning production. Cabaret is set in the infamous Kit Kat Klub, where the Emcee, Sally Bowles and a raucous ensemble take the stage nightly to tantalize the crowd––and to leave their troubles outside. John Kander, Fred Ebb, best known for their legendary musical, Chicago, and Joe Masteroff’s Tony-winning musical features some of the most memorable songs in theatre history, including “Cabaret,” “Willkommen” and “Maybe This Time.”

A MYSTERY-COMEDY! Atlanta’s Atla At ttlalaaanta nta ta s Oakland akla Ce akland Cemetery! etery! etery eter et

Freed SPIRITS BY

On Stage at Horizon!

Andrea Goss and the 2016 national touring cast of Roundabout Theatre Company’s CABARET. Photo by Joan Marcus

FREED SPIRITS

Andrea Goss and the 2016 national touring cast of Roundabout Theatre Company’s CABARET. Photo by Joan Marcus

Under The Lights

BROADWAY’S DEFINITIVE TONY®-WINNING MASTERPIECE

ON SALE NOW! NOVEMBER 1-6 FoxTheatre.org/Cabaret 855-285-8499

DARY L LISA FAZIO

NOW PLAYING EUCLID & AUSTIN AVES. IN LITTLE FIVE POINTS

404.584.7450 • HORIZONTHEATRE.COM

flx insiteatlanta.com • October 2016 • PG 7

Fall Patio Guide

Places to Go when Dining Outdoors!

Loca Luna

Fritti

550-C Amsterdam Ave. 404.875.4494 loca-luna.com

Samba. Salsa. Merengue. They have it all at Loca Luna, where you'll find live Latin music nightly and savory dishes from Spain, South America and Latin America.

Their location on Amsterdam Ave offers a tropical outdoor patio with Midtown skyline view. Enjoy a wide range of Snapchat worthy tapas. The happening bar is open till 2:30am on weekends.

Make sure to try their world famous Mojito. Loca Luna has also been voted best late night venue, patio, appetizers, latin music and girls night out, among others, by both local and national publications. They feature live Latin music every night on their large dance floor and the hottest DJ's spin late night on Fridays and Saturdays. There is plenty of free parking and free valet available.

Athens Pizza House

1341 Clairmont Rd. Decatur AthensPizzaAtlanta.com 404.636.1100

Since 1966 the Papadopoulos family has served up great Greek and Italian cuisine to the Emory / Decatur area. Athens Pizza is the recipient of various awards

appetizers at the bar; available from 5pm 7pm seven days a week. Then head to your table on their romantic southwestern designed patio with fireplace. With creative daily specials, award winning margaritas and great ambiance one can see why this is a Cabbagetown favorite.

ings including award winning burgers, great sandwiches and some of the best seafood in Atlanta. They offer a full bar and live music every Friday night from 7pm to close. Downwind is family friendly with an aviation themed playground for kids.

3109 Briarcliff Rd. 404.320.1258 309 N. Highland Ave. 404.880.9559 FrittiRestaurant.com

including Best Greek Cuisine in Atlanta.

Don’t let the name fool you, there is much more than great pizza, as some of the favorite recipes on their Greek dishes go back generations! As the weather accommodates in fall, diners head out to their patio. Their patio can also be booked for private parties. Athens Pizza offers an extensive catering menu for events.

Agave

242 Boulevard SE 404.588.0006 AgaveRestaurant.com

Mo’s Pizza

3109 Briarcliff Rd. 404.320.1258MosPizza.com

Located in the heart of historic Inman Park, Fritti is nationally recognized for its pizza. It is authentic Neapolitan and prepared according to traditional artisan methods in a state of the art wood-burning oven. This world class oven can maintain a temperature of 1,000 degrees and cooks pizza unlike anything you have ever experienced. Their patio is among the hottest places to be in Inman Park as the entire dining room opens up to the lively street scene.

The Downwind Restaurant

Consistently voted the Best Southwestern restaurant in Atlanta, Agave uses only the freshest ingredients to create chef inspired dishes with an authentic southwestern flare. Agave’s menu is a unique blend of eclectic southwestern cuisine and extensive tequila bar that goes great with al fresco dining. Start with their two for one

Dekalb Peachtree Airport 2000 Airport Rd. #201 770.452.0973 DownwindRestaurant.com

How many restaurants can boast patio seating with views of airplanes taking off and landing? The Downwind Restaurant & Lounge, a family owned establishment off of Clairmont Road can. Not only is their view superb, the food is fabulous too. Downwind boasts outstanding offer-

Mo’s has been serving up great pizza in Atlanta for over 30 years! But the menu isn’t limited to pizza: sandwiches, subs, wings, nachos and salads ensure that anybody who comes here can find something they like. Check for daily lunch and dinner specials. Everything is made using the freshest ingredients including the dough built from scratch every day. In fall, their front deck is the place to be. Families and friends gather to enjoy food and drink, watch the Falcons and college football on one of their many screens.

The Flying Biscuit Cafe’

1655 McLendon Ave. 404.687.8888 1001 Piedmont Ave. 404.874.8887 Catering 404.849.2283 FlyingBiscuit.com

Your Neighborhood Pizzeria!

Atlanta’s Favorite Pizza!

Multiple Atlanta Locations: JohnnysPizza.com PG 8 • October 2016 • insiteatlanta.com

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.

Escorpion

The Flying Biscuit serves great breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner seven days a week.

Their Candler Park location (shown) is the original Flying Biscuit cafe and boasts a newly renovated patio.

While the Midtown location off Piedmont Park allows for dining inside or on their corner patio which is surrounded by windows that come off when the weather cools, offering great views of the bustling Midtown scene. The Midtown and Candler Park locations are offering a new beer & wine menu this fall in addition to nightly dinner specials.

Savage Pizza

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

800 Peachtree St. Midtown 678.666.5198 urestaurants.net

Escorpion is a regionally inspired Mexican tequila bar and cantina from chef-owner Riccardo Ullio. The restaurant captures the authentic tastes and ingredients indigenous of the country. The atmosphere is fun and electric, making Escorpion one of the hottest restaurants in the bustling Midtown scene. Escorpion’s food and drink menus are rooted in Mexican flavors and culture.

Live Music & Entertainment • Full Bar • Daily Specials • Takeout Available

Downwind Restaurant & Lounge at the Dekalb Peachtree Airport

Mon-Fri 11am-10pm • Saturday Noon-10pm • Sunday Closed

770.452.0973 • 2000 Airport Rd. #201, Atlanta www.downwindrestaurant.com

Johnny’s NY Style Pizza Multiple Metro Area Locations JohnnysPizza.com

This eclectic neighborhood restaurant is a favorite hangout among residents of Little 5 and Avondale Estates. Both locations offer ample table seating inside and large patios. Savage prepares all their menu items using only the freshest vegetables and first quality meats, cheeses, breads and pastas. On their menu you'll

Johnny’s Pizza is 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.

Johnny’s is also known for their delicious calzones, subs, sandwiches and salads.

They have locations in Atlanta on Cheshire Bridge Rd., Chattahoochee Ave., and Cascade Rd. In Kennesaw on Old Hwy. 41. Find them on Lower Roswell Rd., Canton Rd. and Dallas Hwy. in Marietta.

Plus Smyrna, Sandy Springs and Roswell.

All Johnny’s locations offer patio seating.

See Atlanta’s

BEST!

Best Of Issue Coming Soon!

Issue on Streets November 4 insiteatlanta.com/ bestofatlanta

At the Helen Festhalle Daily Through October 30th!

Live Music • Dancing Brats • Beer Mondays - Thursdays 6PM-10:30PM Fridays 6PM-Midnight Saturdays 1PM-Midnight Sundays 1PM-7PM

Admission: Monday-Friday $8.00 per person, Saturday $10.00 per person, Sunday-Free Admission.

Food & Drink are extra.

1074 Edelweiss Strasse Helen, GA 30545

For more information, contact the Alpine Helen Chamber of Commerce at 706-878-1619

HelenChamber.com

insiteatlanta.com • October 2016 • PG 9

THEATER

COME TO THE CABARET

Oregon Actress Andrea Goss Tackles the Role of a Lifetime

BY BRET LOVE

B

and they made me feel so welcomed. They instantly became my family. With such a powerful show and brilliant cast, it was incredible to see the audience be moved and really affected every night. I feel truly lucky that I had that opportunity to be part of such an iconic show.

ORN THE YOUNGEST OF THREE children in Salem, Oregon, Andrea Goss didn’t always aspire to be an actress.

But thanks to parents who started her in piano lessons at the ripe old age of three (which she calls “the greatest gift they could’ve given me”), music has been her passion for nearly as This isn’t your first time performing in Atlanta. You were a cast long as she could talk. Her love of music eventually led her to member of the Alliance Theatre’s production of Zorro a few take violin lessons and join the school choir in elementary school, years back. What was that experience like for you? then she followed an older sister’s steps into dance It was such a great experience! I think getting classes. But it was music that gave birth to her love to work on a show that’s still evolving is always of the performing arts. exciting. The same production had been done It was in high school that she found a passion in London and several other cities outside of the November 1-6 for acting and performing musical theatre. She United States, but they brought it to the Alliance eventually went to Syracuse University to get her Fox Theatre to rework some of the material. It was incredible Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and refine her craft. to get the chance to learn a little flamenco and also foxtheatre.org Within a few years of graduating she’d nabbed have the chance to work on my sword fighting her first Broadway role in Rent, which eventually skills. I think what I really loved was getting to led to roles in Once and the Alliance Theatre’s work with so many incredible people. A lot of the cast consisted of production of Zorro. people who live in Atlanta, so it was great to get recommendations But now Goss is taking on the role of a lifetime, starring as of where to go and explore. The Alliance Theatre was absolutely a Sally Bowles in the national tour of the TonyAward-winning dream to work for. They really do some incredible work and allow revival of Cabaret. Starting out as an ensemble member in the the artists that they bring in to feel comfortable and supported, Broadway production, Goss served as understudy for a trio of giving them the freedom to try new things.

A-list actresses– Michelle Williams, Emma Stone and Sienna Miller. But the tour finds her tackling the role made famous by Did you enjoy your time in Atlanta?

Liza Minelli (in the 1972 Bob Fosse film version of the musical), a I loved my time in Atlanta. I didn’t have nearly the amount of singer at an underground cabaret with a striking appearance and free time I would’ve liked to explore, because of our rehearsal devil-may-care attitude who yearns to be a famous actress and/or schedule. But I thoroughly enjoyed the time we did have. We a kept woman. didn’t have cars, so we were restricted to the area near the We recently caught up with Goss to discuss the biggest break of Alliance. But I do remember loving the Flying Biscuit, where her burgeoning Broadway career.

I may have eaten five biscuits in one day. So many of the local people in our cast talked about how incredible the performing arts Was making it on Broadway always your career goal, or was scene is in Atlanta. I think it’s wonderful that there’s such a vibrant there a time when you thought you’d pursue something else arts scene in a place that’s so chill and welcoming. It’s nice to entirely? know that there’s a place that is slower paced than New York City, Being on Broadway was definitely a dream of mine, but to be but still thriving with acting opportunities. Not just wonderful honest I think my goal has always been to work consistently and theatres for stage work, but also multiple TV shows and films that work on challenging roles. I feel incredibly lucky to have been on are shooting there. I think it’s quickly becoming a hotspot for Broadway, but I feel even more lucky that I have had the chance to actors to move to. work on incredible shows that I believe in. I think that theatre is an amazing way to affect people and explore meaningful themes.

Cabaret is celebrating the 50th anniversary of its first I’ve been so grateful that I’ve had the chance to work on several performance in Boston. Why do think this show has endured shows that delve into some hard issues, including Cabaret. It so long? deals with discrimination and prejudice with wit, humor and Because it is, sadly, still relevant. This show explores how the heartbreak. It really moves people and it makes people think.

Nazi party came to power by looking at different people’s response to political turmoil. Some people were too frightened to fight You got your first Broadway role in Rent. Can you describe what back, some people (like my character Sally) chose to stay ignorant, it was like to appear on Broadway for the first time in such a and others chose to turn a blind eye. Anytime there’s prejudice, beloved show? discrimination and hatred, this show will still be relevant. I think Being in Rent was an incredible experience. It was not only my this particular production, directed by Sam Mendes and Rob first Broadway show, but it was my first union job. That show Marshall, is successful because they had an intricate knowledge of dives into the world of homosexuality, AIDS and the incredible that time. This production is very honest and gritty, and the club power of what love and what acceptance can do. I loved being a numbers are seamlessly incorporated to comment on the political part of the show every night. But, more than that, the people that state of the time. They really wanted to bring out the humanity in I got to work with changed my life. I was so new in the business, each character, even when they make difficult, unpopular choices.

CABERET

PG 10 • October 2016 • insiteatlanta.com

BEING ON BROADWAY WAS DEFINITELY A DREAM OF MINE, BUT TO BE HONEST I THINK MY GOAL HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO WORK CONSISTENTLY AND WORK ON CHALLENGING ROLES. This production is brilliant in how it grabs the audience from the opening number and makes them a part of this incredible, debaucherous party, but then turns the table on them and makes them leave the theatre thinking about powerful themes.

You started out as an Ensemble member and understudy for Sally Bowles, watching famous folks like Michelle Williams, Emma Stone and Sienna Miller take on the lead. Can you talk about the differences in their approaches to the role, and the challenges in making it your own?

Michelle, Emma and Sienna each brought so much of themselves to Sally. Whether it was their humor, honesty, innocence or charisma, they were so different from each other. But the show stayed strong and powerful through each interpretation. As an understudy, I was lucky because I was given quite a bit of freedom to find my own Sally. This creative team supported me and helped me to explore what I could bring to the role. It was daunting at first to go on for such incredible women, especially because they were celebrities. But my focus was always to just tell the story as best I could. I didn’t want to replicate someone else’s performance, because I don’t think that serves this incredible story. So the biggest challenge was just getting out of my own head and not letting nerves or comparing myself to anyone else get in my way.

How does it feel to be playing a lead role in a major national tour of a beloved Broadway favorite? What are the emotions that go through you when you’re about to step on stage and do something you’ve dreamed of your entire life?

I honestly can’t believe I get to do this role sometimes, even after 8 months of touring. It’s a dream role. From the writing to the direction and choreography, this is one of the most brilliant pieces of theatre that I’ve ever seen or been a part of. I take the responsibility of playing Sally very seriously. When I was first offered the role for the national tour. I was nervous because it is such an iconic role. But I love the challenge and thrill of exploring such a layered, complex part. I still feel like I’m exploring and learning new things every night. I honestly don’t think there are words to describe how grateful I am for this opportunity. I’m like a giddy child opening presents every time I step onto the stage as Sally.

Taste of the Month...Sandwiches!

Baldinos Giant Jersey Subs

Marietta 80 Powers Ferry Rd. (at Hwy. 120) 770.321.1177 I Doraville 5697 Buford Hwy. (Just north of 285) 770.455.8570 Milton 12890 Hwy. 9 (1/8 mile West of Windward Pkwy.) 678.580.0434 Baldinos.us

Voted Best in Atlanta again this past year, Baldinos is recognized as the only true New Jersey sub sandwich in the South. Their in-store bakery assures the freshest rolls baked daily. Throughout October they are offering up a different specialty sub each day for just $3.79! Baldinos also serves homemade soups and cookies and brownies baked daily. For catering they offer single subs, party subs, deli salads by the pound, cookies by the dozen and iced-tea by the gallon that won’t break the bank. Head on in to Baldinos and watch your favorite team or head on out with a Baldinos Family Sub (pictured) and enjoy the game at home with a few of your friends.

TAILGATE TAiLgATe HEADQUARTERS HeADquArTers

Harry’s Pizza and Subs

2150 Powers Ferry Rd. 770 .955.4413 harryspizzaandsubs.com

Since 1989, Harry’s has been serving exceptional New York style pizza and oven baked subs to Atlanta. Their Steak and Cheese is made with top round steak on French bread. The Chicken Philly comes with grilled chicken sautéed in Teriyaki and the Chicken Parmesan is a house favorite. Harry’s offers daily specials on menu items and always has a special on draft beers. Visit Wednesday nights for BINGO or come on a Thursday to find the restaurant filled for weekly trivia.

Harry’s is a great place to visit during football season and watch on the big screens downstairs as well as in the upstairs dining area.

Stop by and visit Rich, Ilene, and the family, and see for yourself why Harry’s is always filled with happy, pizza loving customers!

Mo’s Pizza

3109 Briarcliff Rd. 404.320.1258 MosPizza.com

Mo’s Pizza has been serving up great pizza and subs for over 30 years. Here you will find a huge Italian Sub made with ham, pepperoni, genoa salami, mozzarella, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions and Italian dressing. Their Italian Sausage comes from a special recipe and is sliced and grilled with onions, topped with Marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. Their Philly Cheese Steak is real sirloin steak that is trimmed and sliced on premise and grilled with onions and topped with American cheese. Come to Mo’s this fall to watch all your college and pro football games on one of the plenty of new plasma TVs offering great views from any table.

They are one of the longest running neighborhood restaurants in Atlanta, come in and see why their customers say they are one of the best.

Downwind Restaurant Dekalb Peachtree Airport 2000 Airport Rd. #201 770.452.0973 DownwindRestaurant.com Downwind boasts an outstanding menu including award winning sandwiches. They have a fabulous Turkey Club Sandwich (as shown). Other popular choices are the Salmon BLT, Triggerfish Reuben, and Roast Beef Blue Cheese Melt. They also have great burgers! All seafood at Downwind is "Wild Caught" as pilots fly in from Florida bringing Flounder, Sea Bass and fresh Fish of the Day. Get it as an entree or as a specially made sandwich.

Downwind Restaurant is family friendly with an aviation themed playground for kids.

They’re open Monday through Saturday 11:00am - 10:00pm and closed on Sunday.

Athens Pizza House 1341 Clairmont Rd.

404.636.1100 AthensPizzaAtlanta.com

Decatur

Since 1966 the Papadopoulos family has been serving up great Greek and Italian cuisine to the Emory / Decatur area. Some of the favorite recipes on their Greek dishes go back over 50 years! They have many terrific sandwiches on their menu with a Mediterranean flair. For example their half pound burger comes on grilled Ciabatta bread topped with roasted red pepper feta spread. There is also a Greek style oven roasted lamb sandwich on French roll.

The Italian Sub comes with Athens Greek dressing, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, capicola, pepperoni, Genoa salami and provolone cheese. While your here most haves are their Veal Parmesan, Roasted Lamb or the Oven Baked Chicken. Athens Pizza offers daily specials for lunch and dinner and has an extensive catering menu. Athens Pizza is Zagat rated and winner of several awards including Best Greek Cuisine. The restaurant can also accommodate parties large and small with their private room.

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FRIDAY: Meatless combo – Tuna (#10) or Veggie Stir Fry (#27) w/side Friday – Meatless – TunaSub (#10) VegChoice Stir Fry(#11, (#27)13w/orside SATURDAY: SteakCombo Out-A-Steak Your 19) saTurday SteakSpecial Out - Any Steakwith Subchoice Your Choice 13, or 19) SUNDAY: –Italian – (#15) of soup(#11, or side sunday –MARIETTA: Italian Special – (#15) DORAVILLE: w/ choice of soup or side MILTON 80 Powers80Ferry Rd. Ferry rd.

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Savage Pizza 484 Moreland Ave L5P 404.523.0500 115 Laredo Dr. Avondale 404.299.5799 SavagePizza.com Savage Pizza prepares all the sandwiches using only the freshest vegetables and top quality meats, cheeses, and breads. On Savage's menu you'll find thoughtfully prepared dishes made from scratch every day. Their Italian Sub is made with fresh cuts of capicola, salami, pepperoni and provolone -served hot, crusty and melted. The Turkey-Cheddar Sub comes with smoked black forest turkey and cheddar cheese served hot. Try Savage's Eggplant Parmesan Sub; breaded and baked eggplant, red tomato sauce, mozzarella, provolone and parmesan. Savage serves both lunch and dinner, has indoor and outdoor seating and offers catering and delivery.

Receive Deals at Retailers and Win Free Tickets to Movies, Concerts, Theatre Shows & Events

More info at www.cinemoms.com insiteatlanta.com • October 2016 • PG 11

INsite’s Guide to Halloween Haunts, Attractions, Events and Costume Suppliers Haunts

Netherworld

In the former Georgia Antique Center 6624 Dawson Blvd. Norcross 404.608.2484 fearworld.com Open Every Night in October plus Nov 4 & 5

Nationally recognized as one of the best haunted houses in the c o u n t r y , Netherworld Haunted House returns to celebrate its 20th Season of Screams in 2016!

Netherworld is a walk-through dark attraction filled with terrifying live actors, amazing special effects and incredible monsters that have thrilled and terrified visitors since 1997. This year features two all new haunts ... MONSTERS and VAULT13: MELTDOWN. Created by film and television professionals, Netherworld is known far and wide for its custom movie quality F/X, unique themes, and extremely detailed sets. The movie Zombieland was even partially shot there. The Travel Channel says "Netherworld Has More Scares Per Square Foot Than Any Other Haunt On Earth” and in 2015 it was rated the #1 Haunted House in America by DreadCentral.com and #1 of All-Time by Hauntworld Magazine. Read our exclusive interview with Netherworld founder Billy Messina located on page 20. It

offers a behind the scenes look at how it all got started and what goes into raising the bar each year.

Camp Blood

2277 Whooping Creek Rd. Carrolton, Ga. 30116 CampBlood.com 770.854.CAMP (2267) Open Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights thru October 29.

And Sunday the 30th and Monday the 31st. Opens at 9 pm; closes at 11pm Thu & midnight weekends

Now in their 26th year, Camp Blood offers three great adventures. First visit Mentalbrook Estates and see how the patients are doing since Lakeview Asylum has changed names & management. Then the trail is nearly a half mile of redneck terror where chainsaw wielding psychos try to separate you from your group. Take part in Zombie Shootin’ where you get 50 rounds of paintball ammunition to fend off an attack of redneck zombies and undead hillbillies. You can double your fun and ammo to 100 rounds by upgrading to the Ultimate Zombie Shoot for only $10 more. There are plenty of things to do while you wait your turn to enter the haunt including a redneck fortune teller named "maw maw", sitting by the campfire and singing songs with "paw paw", watching a movie in the "Redneck Theatre", visiting the gift shop, concession stand and paintball proshop or playing carnival games to help

raise money to buy toys for kids at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Be sure and purchase your carnival game tickets from the owner, Michelle at the box office window and do your part in putting a smile on a kids face this Christmas.

Camp Blood & Mentalbrook Estates is only $20 for both haunts. Zombie Paintball Shoot - $15. A combo ticket for all 3 only $30. That's only $10 per haunt!

Tickets can be purchased in advance online at www.campblood.com Watch for updates, guest appearances and other info on Facebook at facebook.com/camp.blood.haunt.

Attractions

Fright Fest at Six Flags Over Georgia 275 Riverside Parkway SW Austell, GA 30168 sixflags.com/overgeorgia Through Halloween night October 31 on select days.

More than 20 spine-chilling haunted attractions await those who dare to enter the gates at Six Flags Over Georgia for the largest Fright Fest® event in park history. The annual eerie experience ramps way up this season with the debut of one of the world’s first fully interactive virtual reality roller coasters, Rage of the Gargoyles at Dare Devil Dive, during the Fright Fest season. In all, Fright Fest will

feature more than 400 zombies and monsters, 12 hair-raising scare zones, six bloodcurdling mazes and four terrifying live shows.

Universal Orlando Halloween Horror Nights Orlando, FL HalloweenHorrorNights.com/Orlando 31 select nights through October 31st

The nation’s best Halloween event, Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights, is now open at Universal Orlando Resort, with more event nights than ever before. For 31 select nights through Oct. 31, guests can experience theme park thrills by day and become victims of their own horror film by night at Halloween Horror Nights. Nightmares come to life in nine disturbingly-real haunted houses based on some of the most terrifying legends in pop culture.

Desperately try to escape Leatherface’s lethal chain saw in “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre”. Fight to survive the return of masked killer Michael Myers in “Halloween II”. See, hear, feel – and even smell – every iconic levitating, headspinning, vomit-wrenching, skin-crawling moment from “The Exorcist”. And there’s even more horror lurking in the streets of Universal Studios Florida, with five unique scare zones and two live stage shows.

halloween store mention this for ten percent off

Makeup Costumes Special FX novelties Halloween Hours Oct 9th - Nov. 2nd M-Th: Fri: Sat: Sun:

9:00-8:00 9:00-9:00 10:00-9:00 12:00-6:00

Atlanta Costume

2089 Monroe Dr NE Atlanta, GA 30324 (404) 874-7511 www.norcostco.com PG 12 • October 2016 • insiteatlanta.com

Events

Boos and Brews Masquerade Saturday, October 29, 8 pm - 2 am atlantabeerfestivals.com/boos-and-brews Live Music, DJ, Costume Contest, & Chambers of Horror 2 Ticket types.

Party with Atlanta’s sexiest monsters. General Admission: $10 Advance, $15 after Oct. 20, $20 day of event. Beer Lovers Ticket (includes all beer samples 8pm-1am): $35 Advance, $40 after Oct. 20, $50 day of.

Haunted Heights Ponce City Market Saturday, October 29, from 8 pm - midnight skylineparkatlanta.com This Halloween, have a ghoulishly good time at Skyline Park and Nine Mile Station, located on The Roof at Ponce City Market. The rooftop amusement park and beer garden hosts its inaugural H a l l o w e e n - t h e m e d ext r av a g a n z a , Haunted Heights. Enjoy moonlight views of Atlanta’s skyline, access to old-time boardwalk-style games, haunted entertainment and themed refreshments, while dressed up in their Halloween best.

Costumes & Accessories

Norcostco Atlanta Costume

2089 Monroe Dr. 404.874.7511 norcostco.com Extended hours Oct. 9 – Nov. 2

Atlanta’s theatrical superstore for more than 40 years rents and s e l l s : Costumes, Makeup, Foggers, Black Lights, Strobe Lights, Wigs, Accessories and much more!

Norcostco has the country’s most outstanding collection of rental costumes available. Original costumes found nowhere else including Drag Wear, Masquerade and Rave/Club Wear. You will also find Atlanta’s largest selection of professional, air-brush and FX make-up, prosthetics, zombie kits, vampire teeth and more! Costumes are offered in the widest possible range of sizes. Because their extensive inventory covers all periods in costume history, they have virtually any costume you can imagine.

Psycho Sisters Little 5 Points 428 Moreland (Near Vortex) 404.523.0100 FB psychosistersatlanta

Far out. That’s we describe Psycho Sisters in Little 5 Points. If you love fashion, Psycho Sisters will offer you specialty clothing from the best of every era vintage, Halloween Costumes with closeout prices, festival wear for any occasion as well as the coolest trendy current styles featuring leather and lace, feathers, fur & fringe. If you love accessories Psycho Sisters offers a dazzling array of masquerade & specialty masks, sunglasses, top hats, cowboy boots, hosery, colorful wigs, coin sashes, wings and costume jewelry.

Psycho Sisters has great prices as well as a sales team that will help you mix and match the perfect outfit for any party, festival or occasion. Psycho Sisters outlet store is now open selling costumes at ridiculously low prices; many from $8 –$16. Check both Psycho Stores out in Little 5 Points.

HALLOWEEN COSTUME CLOSEOUTS

HALLOWEEN

TIME OF THE SEASON

Netherworld Celebrates the Scary and Fantastical in a Safe Place for Horror

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

A

S IT CELEBRATES ITS 20TH season, Netherworld continues to be one of the leading haunted house events in the country. The dark-themed, walkthrough attraction, housed in an airy multi-level warehouse just north of Spaghetti Junction in Norcross is a unique destination for horror and fantasy fanatics. The attraction is worldfamous for its original and elaborate themes as it continues to steer clear of tired slasher movie characters and scenes. INsite spoke with Netherworld co-owner Billy Messina as he prepped for this year’s busy Halloween season.

Since you’ve created the original storyline, are you forced to raise the bar every year?

It’s extremely important to us that we create something new and we do try to top ourselves every year but it’s becoming increasingly difficult. We keep taking up more and more space with more and more new ideas. But by topping ourselves, we now tend to top ourselves with bigger and bigger stuff.

And you have a lot of repeat customers.

Oh yes we have people who come from every state and foreign countries - just to come to Netherworld. We can’t believe it, but it’s quite gratifying so we’re always looking for something brand-new and a different way to do it for them. A couple of years ago, we introduced the lasers, and people went bananas for that. And the crazy big stuff with people hanging from bungees and people flying over the audience. We have a staff of around 300 very talented people so it’s a pretty elaborate operation. But I think we do it for us as much as for anyone else; we just want to do cool stuff and it’s still fun. We love seeing people laughing, joking, screaming, just having fun together, experiencing life and having a good time in this fantastical - and safe - little world.

For the uninitiated, tell us a little about the attraction. There’s an upstairs and a downstairs section.

Right, basically we have the two shows. The big show is on the main floor and then we have a basement show which is a little grittier than the upstairs. It’s more like a modern-day horror movie. The main floor is based on folklore and monsters with special effects and creatures of all kinds.

VINTAGE

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In honor of the 20th celebration, are you working up a retrospective of some of your greatest hits?

This year the upstairs show is kind of a way for us to show a sort of homage to the previous 20 years without it being a “best of” show. We don’t want to rehash, but we’ve been working really hard to instill some elements from previous years in there. We have a good number of folks who actually keep up with the themes of each year. So there’ll be plenty of cool “Easter eggs” mixed in there for the fans. And there are some elements in the museum that kind of bring back the history. Our focus since we opened was creating these iconic characters and creatures and monsters and stuff so we thought this year the upstairs shows will simply be called

“Monsters.” And the downstairs show is a sequel to last year’s “Vault13: Unearthed,” so this one is called “Vault13: Meltdown.” Oh, and we brought back the foam room, just because people love it.

You’ve also delved a bit into the world of escape games this year.

We have! We’ve added this three-minute escape game and we call it The Mangler’s Fear Machine. We’d been considering, over the past three years or so, jumping in to the trend but this is our first little foray into it.

Basically it’s five dollars to get in and you can go in with up to four of your friends. You walk into a room, a little video plays telling you what’s up then you’re “locked” into the room with three minutes to get out. So far I think there’s been about a 40% “survival” rate, it’s been really fun. If you survive, you come out and the music screams like you just won the Super Bowl and everybody cheers.

Of course there are plenty of photo ops at Netherworld.

Outside we have several cool scenes and monsters for pictures. Netherworld was actually rated the number one haunted house on Instagram – for both fictional attractions and for things that are “real.” Apparently it was a landslide, so whatever that means, it’s cool.

Tell us a bit about your involvement with the anti-bullying movement.

Several time a week, we send a team out to various schools around Atlanta to present an anti-bullying message with the theme “Don’t Be A Monster.” It’s entertaining, it’s empowering and we know the message definitely needs to be heard.” With this, we’re speaking to the bullied and to those who bully. The bottom line of it is: let’s keep the monsters in the haunted house where they belong.

Netherworld opens at 7:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and at 7:30 pm weekdays through Halloween. Tickets are available at fearworld. com. And for details on the anti-bullying campaign, visit dontbeamonster.org. insiteatlanta.com • October 2016 • PG 13

TV

Station Control

NEW OFFERINGS THIS FALL

BY BENJAMIN CARR

T

HOUGH THEY SAY THERE ARE no new stories under the sun, there are infinite ways to tell them. Some of fall’s latest offerings take traditional setups and attempt to knock them out of the park with inventive twists. We still get the standard family sitcoms and the emotions of a family drama, but writers and showrunners are providing variations on the norm in the new television season.

THE GOOD PLACE (NBC)

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PG 14 • October 2016 • insiteatlanta.com

The Good Place, a new fish-out-ofwater sitcom on NBC, is the most jarringly strange presentation of a fish-out-of-water sitcom that I have ever seen. And it is tremendous fun.

Kristen Bell, best known for her stunning performance in three seasons of Veronica Mars and as the voice of Anna in Frozen, plays Eleanor in the new show. In the opening scene, Eleanor is informed by a kind official, played by Ted Danson, that she has died and been selected for Heaven, as opposed to “the bad place.” Because of all her humanitarian work as a selfless lawyer, Eleanor is selected to live “the next phase of her existence in the universe” in a personal paradise alongside her selected soulmate Chidi (William Jackson Harper), a renowned ethics professor. Everything in her new existence will be completely hunky dory, much better than the eternal screaming suffering of Hell.

Except Eleanor reveals, near the middle of the first episode, that there’s been some mistake. Contrary to what the records indicate, her life on Earth was not as a humanitarian or a lawyer. In fact, she was a rude, selfish and mean pharmaceuticals exec who sold useless medication to the elderly.

The Good Place is exactly the wrong place for her, and her presence there endangers its paradise, as well.

This show, created by Michael Schur, is no Heaven Can Wait or Dead Like Me. This is something startling. The pilot episode was funny, daring, and Bell is a winning, engaging lead performer, as always. Very little about the show is predictable, and it’s impossible to know where it’s going. But it’s highly entertaining, perhaps the best new show of the fall season.

ONE MISSISSIPPI (Amazon)

Amazon’s newest offering One Mississippi, based upon the comedy of Tig Notaro and starring her, is not your traditional family sitcom either. Notaro, a noted stand-up comedienne, delivered one of the greatest, widely praised stand-up sets of her life a few years ago.

The set - which was recorded and nominated

for a Grammy Award - focused on a series of dark experiences she faced in a short period of time: her breast cancer diagnosis following an intestinal disease that nearly killed her, a breakup with her girlfriend and the sudden death of her mother. One Mississippi includes all of these details, slightly rearranged, as the character Tig attempts to reconnect with her washed-up brother and emotionally distant stepfather following her mom’s funeral. Episodes focus on Tig discovering her mother’s secrets, coping with the legal and emotional headaches that surrounds a family death. All the while, Tig is coming to terms with her changing body and her changing life.

The six-episode series maintains a consistent, fascinating tone. It’s funny. It’s adult, serious and deep. Similar to Amazon’s returning Transparent, One Mississippi uses comedy as a way to plunge into the emotional depths of honesty and vulnerability.

THIS IS US (NBC)

The pilot of NBC’s new drama This Is Us is built upon another strange premise.

It deals with multiple characters who live in Los Angeles. They all have the same 36th birthday, and the show focuses on the struggles that they all face in middle age.

Kevin, played by Smallville’s Justin Hartley, is a pin-up hunk on a dumb sitcom he hates, and he is now at an age where he believes his work should be deeper and more serious.

Kate, played by American Horror Story’s Chrissy Metz, is a severely overweight woman who wants to gain control over her life and pursue happiness. Sterling K. Brown, who just won an Emmy for his work on The People vs. O.J. Simpson, plays Randall, a man abandoned at birth at a gas station. In the pilot, he reconnects with his birth father.

Heroes star Milo Ventimiglia plays Jack, a man whose wife (Mandy Moore) is about to give birth to triplets.

Though these people seem random and unrelated in the pilot, there is a twist that somehow connects them beyond their birthdays. The way this twist is written, how it is revealed and what it means for the rest of the series is surprising.

With inventive approaches like these, viewers will find their DVRs full of richness throughout the season.

FILM

OUT ON FILM

Getting Away from Politics

BY STEVE WARREN

C

ONSIDERING THAT OUT ON FILM began, in 1987, for reasons at least partly political, it’s ironic that a selling point of this year’s festival of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) films is that it lets you escape from presidential politics for eight days.

If you embrace Atlanta’s marvelous diversity (as opposed to following West Side Story’s advice: “Stick to your own kind!”) you may want to check out some of these films, even if they’re not about people who look, think and as it was for the subject of Real Boy (Oct. 5, 8:20 act like you.

“This is an exceptional year for LGBT cinema,” p.m.), who found information and support there for his transition from girl to man. says Out On Film festival director Jim Farmer.

About the only good films I saw in which the “This is our biggest festival to date in terms of main characters are comfortable with their the number of films we are showing, as well as sexuality are Retake (Oct. 2, 7:05 p.m.) and Lazy the most diverse slate we’ve ever presented.”

Eye (Oct. 3, 7:15 p.m.). I guess that’s harder to There are films in this year’s festival, which write about because it’s also true in my least unfolds September 29-October 6 at the favorite of the festival films I Landmark Midtown Art saw, Do You Take This Man Cinemas, that should be as (Oct. 1, 7:40 p.m.) and Suicide palatable for general audiences Kale (Oct. 1, 5:40 p.m.). as TV series like Modern Family SEPTEMBER Documentaries, more than and The Real O’Neals. But when 29-OCTOBER 6 narrative films, are dependent I’m tempted to brand the likes of Taekwondo and Paris 05:59: LANDMARK MIDTOWN on your interest in their subject. If you care about the Theo & Hugo as too intensely ART CINEMAS topic you can overlook some gay, I’m reminded that Queer as OUTONFILM.ORG technicalities. Of several docs Folk, which would have fallen previewed The Slippers (Oct. into the same category, had huge 4, 3:30 p.m.), about Judy Garland’s ruby reds ratings among straight women. And that was jumpstarting the Hollywood memorabilia over a decade ago. industry; and Southwest of Salem: The Story of Here are some of my favorites of the features: the San Antonio Four (Oct. 6, 6:40 p.m.), about Ever have to choose between staying on the four lesbians wrongfully imprisoned, will be farm with your family or having a chance at enjoyed by those interested in the topics. true love in the city? That plot comes up in Better made, though not necessarily of Fair Haven (Sept. 30, 9:20 p.m.), where the city greater interest, are the aforementioned Real is Boston; Summertime (Sept. 30, 7:25 p.m.), Boy; opening night feature Strike a Pose (Sept. where the city is Paris; and AWOL (Oct. 1, 29, 7 p.m.), about the backup dancers from 11:40 a.m.), where the city is – well, Army duty Madonna’s 1990 tour; The Queen of Ireland in Afghanistan; but the true love is back home.

(Oct. 2, 11:05 a.m.), about a drag queen/activist All but the first involve women. who helped his country legalize same-sex Another recurring plot is having to choose marriage by popular vote; Letter to Anita (Oct. between a partner of the same or opposite sex.

3, 4 p.m.), about how Anita Bryant’s campaign That’s the case for the other woman in AWOL, against homosexuality broke up one woman’s and also the Chinese movie star in Front Cover (Oct. 2, 2:50 p.m.), high schoolers in Slash (Oct. family but galvanized the LGBT movement; An Act of Love (Oct. 6, 6:45 p.m.), about the 5, 6:15 p.m.) and First Girl I Loved (Oct. 3, 8:15 United Methodist Church defrocking ministers p.m.); and it was the case for a man who’s now at the end of life in Jonathan (Oct. 2, 11:10 a.m.; for performing same-sex weddings, one of them involving the man’s own son; and especially Oct. 6, 3:30 p.m.).

Political Animals (Oct. 2, 12:45 p.m.), about the Besides many of the characters in the films first four out politicians – all women – elected above, there are more denying, questioning or to the California legislature. struggling with their sexuality in Where Are All that plus the shorts and a dozen or so You Going, Habibi? (Oct. 1, 11 a.m.), Closet features and an encore of the beloved The Monster (Oct. 4, 9:15 p.m.), Being 17 (Oct. 4, Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert 7:05 p.m.) and Spa Night (Oct. 5, 9:20 p.m.).

(Oct. 1, 11 p.m.).

The Internet can be helpful for people wondering about their own gender or sexuality,

OUT ON FILM

AWOL

Food and Beverages

HOME THEATER

NEW RELEASES THE LATEST DVD, BLU RAY & VOD RELEASES

By John Moore

THE GOOD WIFE – THE FINAL SEASON (Paramount) With refreshingly creative characters and impressive writing, it’s pretty easy to see why The Good Wife continued to be a favorite show for many up until the end. Part legal drama and part political series, the show over its run mirrored current and past political scandals. The last bow finds Alicia Florrick (Julianna Margulies), mother, former political wife and attorney, adjusting to life as a partner at her firm while supporting her husband’s new White House bid. Eli Gold, the political strategist and crisis manager, played brilliantly by Alan Cumming, returns as well to usher out the show. After a sevenyear run, The Good Wife had one strong season after the next and though it will be missed, ended up on top before the writing became stale.

SCARRED BUT SMARTER: LIFE N TIMES OF DRIVIN N CRYIN (MVD Visual) It seems like every decent-sized city has that one great band that is massively popular in town, but cannot seem to catch a break beyond city borders. For Atlanta, Drivin N Cryin just happens to be their band.

The group finally snagged national airplay in 1991 with their fourth album, Fly Me

Courageous, a record that sounded little like the folk/country/ punk band that first came together on the mid-’80s. But despite a brief moment of national notoriety, the band quickly faded from the mainstream.

Scarred But Smarter was a passion project of ATL DJ Eric Von Haessler, who wanted to find out why the band never really enjoyed much national success. At the risk of giving too much away, he never really answers the question, but in the process gives a thoughtful, warts and all look at this tragically overlooked band through interviews with members past and present, ex’s, roadies and fellow musicians, like Peter Buck, Darius Rucker and Ed Roland.

ALL THINGS MUST PASS (MVD) Over the course of nearly five decades, Tower Records grew from a small CA-based indie record store run out of a drug store to a corporation with stores in every major city across the globe and sales totaling $1 billion dollars. By 2006, the empire imploded, the company filed for bankruptcy and shut down all of its retail stores. Along the way, the indie-turned-behemoth won over a slew of music fans and musicians alike, including Dave Grohl and Elton John, both of whom are interviewed throughout All Things Must Pass, a 90-minute documentary on Tower Records.

Directed by Colin Hanks, the doc succeeds in telling a pretty compelling story of music lovers who set out to open a record store and ended up becoming a fixture of pop culture in the process.

insiteatlanta.com • October 2016 • PG 15

FILM

THE ONE AND ONLY CAROL BURNETT

At 83, The Icon of Television, Film and Stage is a Timeless Treasure I like to see the way it looks on the page.

As you know, a lot of writing is rewriting.

And I had a great editor. So basically it’s my take on how we did it and anecdotes about the guests and the backstage stuff that was going on, trips that we took together, observations about comedy today and things like that.

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

H

ER CAREER INCLUDES SIX decades of television, theater and film, but Carol Burnett is best known for her iconic CBS variety show. Originally airing from Fall of 1967 through Spring of ‘78 - a tumultuous 11-year period that included jarring upheavals in entertainment as well as Your show remains the very best of a great global culture - The Carol Burnett Show crop of mid-‘60s/early ‘70s variety shows. remains one of the most influential You had some incredible competition. television shows ever produced.

Oh boy, yes. You know, when we did our In anticipation of the impending 50th show, there was many as nine comedyanniversary of the show’s debut, Burnett variety shows on television. Even at has penned In Such Good Company: Television City where we taped, it was Eleven Years of Laughter, Mayhem, and like a dorm on Friday nights. Next-door Fun in the Sandbox. The engrossing and to us was Sonny and Cher, across the hilarious book is not only a memoir of hall was the Smothers her best-known work, it’s Brothers show, down the an affectionate homage to a hall was Glen Campbell bygone era of comedy, music and then it was Jim Nabors and enduring comradery. and so forth. And then Additionally, the archivists over in the Valley, you had OCTOBER 24 & 25 at Time-Life have raided the Laugh In, Flip Wilson and Burnett show tape vault for Cobb Energy Center Perry Como. But it wasn’t a number of retrospective competition, it was all just collections from the original great fun.

276 episodes. The multidisc sets feature “lost” episodes, holiday There was a fair amount of crossover themes, bloopers and featurettes. Some between all the shows at times. versions include recent interviews with Yes! You know many times that did cast members, guests and friends of the happen. See, we did longform sketches. show.

Some of them were as long as 15 or 20 To coincide with the book and DVD minutes, when you think of what we did. releases, Burnett is back on the road with But with shows like Laugh In, it was just her live show. Comprised solely of her boom, boom, boom, joke, joke, joke. So replies to questions from the audience, An some of our writers, after a while they’d Evening of Laughter and Reflection is an want to go over to Laugh In and do that unpredictable glimpse into the mind of a style and some of their writers came true comedy legend. over to my show because they’d been Recently the affable Burnett spoke at wanting to write longform. There was length with INsite from her home in Santa just a plethora of wonderful writing talent Barbara. during that whole era. But the thing was, we didn’t take it all that seriously.

With the fall TV season in full gear, it’s a good time to look back at your show. In Like the best vaudeville-trained stars, Such Good Company really is a primer of you really brought the theater and live classic television. television background to the format.

I’d been getting a lot of requests from I did and for the tapings I really didn’t people who wanted to write about my want to keep our audiences waiting. Some show and interview me. I thought, “Well shows, they’d take their time changing I’m a writer so I should actually do it clothes and sets and the poor audience because I’m the one who was there.” would be sitting there for three or four hours. I didn’t want that. I knew if they As you wrote, you actually went back and got bored or tired, they wouldn’t stay watched every episode of the show. Talk with us as much, so we made it as close about binge watching! to a live show as possible. I had a bet with Yes, 11 years’ worth. But I didn’t watch the stagehands that I could do a costume them all the way through or I’d still be change, skin-out, wig and everything, doing it! I sort of fast-forwarded through faster than they could move a sofa across a lot of the sketches and stuff that I the floor. That’s why our show looked remembered and some of the musical spontaneous. If a microphone boom got numbers. But I watched so I could jog in the shot, we didn’t stop. Come on, just my memory about some of the bits I had keep on going. I think people liked that forgotten. spontaneous aspect of it.

CAROL BURNETT

Was it an enjoyable experience to delve into over a decade of your own work?

Well, some I looked at and said, “Wow that’s funny!” And then… some other times, it’d be, “Well ok, that’s not so funny” (laughs). Hey, you can’t win ‘em all!

This is your fourth book. Are you a disciplined writer like Stephen King? Do you try to write every day and turn out a certain amount of work?

I do try to write every day. And I do it all myself because I’m a good typist, actually.

PG 16 • October 2016 • insiteatlanta.com

I DO TRY TO WRITE EVERY DAY. AND I DO IT ALL MYSELF BECAUSE I’M A GOOD TYPIST, ACTUALLY. I LIKE TO SEE THE WAY IT LOOKS ON THE PAGE. monitors.

Yes you might as well stay home!

And unlike SNL, you could improvise freely and some of the best and funniest moments seem totally unscripted.

I have to give credit to our writers.

We’d be working on a sketch and Harvey [Korman] or, especially Tim [Conway] would have an idea or a line or two. We’d call the writers and ask if it was ok to change a line here or an attitude there.

They were great. They said, listen, as long as it makes it funnier, we’re happy. A lot of writers today, you’ve got to have every “the,” “and” and whatever, exactly the way they wrote it.

The years with Tim Conway really seemed to up the ante on going off script.

With Tim, we’d do two shows on Friday in front of two different audiences. The early show, we’d tape it, and Tim would do it exactly as it had been written and rehearsed. Then he would go to our director, Dave Powers and ask if he got all the shots he needed. Ok, so on the second show, we’d wing it because we knew we had it in the can from the first show. But I’d say 99 percent of the time, that’s what went on television because it was better and more fun. It was gold. The studio audience knew it and it came across to the home audience. It was just 11 years of fun.

And your studio itself was very different.

It was. Most audiences are up in bleechers looking down on the actors. I always call it the Christians versus the lions. Our studio was perfect because the cameras didn’t get in the way. The audience was seeing a live show in front of them, rather than having to look at the monitors.

And as a real performing troupe, quite often you’d stand back and let the rest of the cast shine.

Oh yes. It was a true rep company.

There were times when I’d be supporting Harvey or Vicki [Lawrence]. That’s the way I wanted it. It may have my name on it, but it was all of us working together, that’s what really made it work.

That’s the problem with Saturday Night Live. It’s so confusing, the audience watches most of the show on the

You mentioned the long form sketches.

Many of the shows featured complex

musical productions.

I’m a showtunes girl and I knew we had to have those songs on the show. We’d do tributes to Cole Porter or any of the standards because I love that music. I miss lyrics in music, really hearing lyrics you can relate to. That’s why I’m still thrilled about Tony Bennett - or even Harry Connick, Jr. He’s a throwback, yet he also writes new stuff. I feel like such an old lady when I say that. Well, I am an old lady!

You are not old; you’re timeless. And with all the new reissues, your work is as fresh now as it was the night of broadcast.

Well thank you and with the You Tube channel and the Time-Life DVDs and all, it’s true. I’m getting fan mail from tenyear-olds, teenagers, twenty-somethings.

Some of them have never seen anything like what we did. A couple of years ago I was doing my Q and A’s. This is in the book, actually it’s kind of the final line. A little boy raised his hand in the audience.

I called on him and I said, “What’s your name?” He said, “Andrew.” I said, “Well, how old are you Andrew?” He said, “Nine.” I said, “You’re nine and you know who I am?” There was a pause. Then he said, “Surprisingly, yes.” That was just so adorable but that’s what’s happening now. I dare anybody to look at Tim and Harvey doing, for example, their dentist sketch. It’s over 40 years old now. But today it’s still fall down funny. It could go into a time capsule. It’s all real, physical humor. You don’t see anything like that in today’s climate, you just don’t see it. Now they want edgy. But sometimes edgy just isn’t funny.

Carol Burnett appears at the Cobb Energy Center October 24 and 25. The Carol Burnett Show DVD collections are available at most retail outlets and from www.timelife.com.

COMEDY

ROY WOOD JR. TAKES CENTER STAGE

Daily Show Breakout Star Selects Atlanta for his Comedy Central Special

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

T

That show is an incredible launching pad for HE DAILY SHOW HAS BEEN THE the cast, especially comics. launching pad for a number of the Yeah but I try not to think too much world’s hottest comedians and comic about that aspect. For me, it’s more about actors. Currently, one of the many highlights of coming in, doing the work and honoring the the topical, Trevor Noah-helmed series is a visit foundation that Jon Stewart and all the other from correspondent Roy Wood, Jr. Whether it’s correspondents left. Everyone that came on the his hilarious “Black Trump” send-ups or culture show and left, it was ready so the next person skewering man-on-the-street segments, Wood could come on and do well has made quite an impact - by constantly contributing during his initial year on the stuff that matters. So if I can show. Rolling Stone named do that then everything else OCT 14 • 7:30 & 9:45PM him a “breakout star” and will take care of itself.

Center Stage Variety tagged him as one of this year’s Top Ten Comics theblacklistnyc.com/royw Is that the way you’ve to watch. steered your career The Birmingham-born in general?

Wood is no stranger to Atlanta and he’s such a Yeah, just dealing with what’s right in front of fan of the city, he’s decided to tape his firstme instead of worrying about next year and the ever one-hour stand-up special for Comedy year after that. Like, will I try and graduate to Central at Center Stage. It’ll crown (for now) an movies? I don’t know. That might happen and impressive career that includes years of radio it might not. There are so many different paths experience, three albums of phone pranks, guest after you leave the show. If you do the show shots on Late Night with David Letterman, well. So that’s my priority.

Def Comedy Jam, Last Comic Standing, The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Conan The Daily show is so immediate. What and a popular stint on the TBS sitcom Sullivan is the daily routine of producing such a and Son. topical broadcast?

Wood spoke with INsite during a break from a There’s definitely an element of crushDaily Show writing session. cooking. That’s the best way to put it. The news is the ingredients. We have a meeting in Congrats on your first year with the the morning and look over the ingredients and Daily Show. decide what jokes we want to tell, based on the Yeah, one whole year on the books. All I material that’s there in front of us. So from nine need to do is knock out, oh I don’t know, to noon you’ll have a couple of good spots and maybe twelve more years and I’ll be tied with then meetings. Then around 12 o’clock, a script Samantha Bee.

ROY WOOD JR.

goes to Trevor and the producers. Then there’s a rewrite process and we rehearse at 3:30. We look over the rehearsals and change the jokes that need to be changed. And then at 6 o’clock we shoot for real. Then it’s wash, rinse, repeat four days a week. We start every morning with a blank sheet of paper.

From all reports, it’s a truly collaborative effort.

That’s one of the things I was so shocked about when I first came up here. It’s so collaborative and everyone is in on the writing process. You have an opportunity to contribute, even if it’s on something that may not be centered on you.

You may not be the focal point. But if you have something funny to contribute, by all means you can throw it in the pot.

Right, there’s a very palatable since of comradery.

Yeah especially with the correspondents.

Everyone’s all over the place talking and yelling at each other, making everybody else’s things better. It’s always good to be in an atmosphere like that. Of course I don’t have anything else to compare this to, other than my time on TBS [with Sullivan and Son]. But this is a nightly news show, so it’s a completely different dynamic than a sitcom.

Have any outside collaborations stemmed from the communal environment?

Not really; not yet anyway. This hour special coming up is the first major thing I’m doing other than the show.

I FEEL THAT SOUTHERN PEOPLE CAN PROBABLY RELATE THE MOST TO MY IDEOLOGY AND MY SENSIBILITIES.

How do you prep for a full hour special of new material?

I’ve been doing it all over New York City for the past couple of months. I’ll dart out of town here and there, but for the most part, I’ve been here developing the act. That’s why I’m anxious to get to Atlanta because that’s where I feel most at home.

The South definitely has a distinct sense of humor.

Yeah, I feel that southern people can probably relate the most to my ideology and my sensibilities. I feel like Atlanta - white or black - can identify with what I feel because we’ve all walked that same walk.

How did you select the Center Stage?

I like the intimacy of it. It’s big but small. It lends itself to a different experience for the performer and the people attending the show.

BLACK TO THE TABERNACLE

Lewis Black Comes Back to Town with a New Show and New Irritations

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

L

EWIS BLACK IS HOARSE, LOW-KEY BUT GRACIOUS and just a little hung-over. It’s the morning, well ok, early afternoon on the day after the first Clinton-Trump debate.

He’d been up late the night before shooting a performance of his “Black to the Future” show at Broadway’s Marquis Theater, slated for broadcast this month on Comedy Central. Speaking from his home in New York City, the astute cultural observer quickly rose to the occasion for a wide-ranging conversation with INsite about the current state of the world and his Emperor’s New Clothes: The Naked Truth tour.

You were working when the debate was happening.

Yeah! No better place to be than not watching it. But I came home and started watching it and there was not enough wine in the universe to get me through it. Look at Trump, he speaks in such generalizations, “I know a rich person and he said…” Well who is this person? I mean, come on.

What bothers you the most about this strange new movement?

Well, the Republicans, until he came along, they all sort of barked as one. And Hillary, when Trump said he wouldn’t release his taxes, she should have gone after that, not said, “Well, I bet you’re hiding something.” Yeah, because you’re hiding something too, douchebag! It really makes you wonder what the two-party system is all about.

It’s not just racially fueled, either. There’s a lot of other shit that’s the kindling here.

You’re leading the current ACLU push for voter registration.

How’d you join forces with them?

The ACLU kinda came to me and asked if I’d be the ambassador about registration. And since the state that I spend some time in, North Carolina, came up with a It’s funny that the two main candidates are the voter registration law that is just foul and should two least likable choices. have been thrown out by the courts. I said, “Yeah Yeah what is this, a social experiment? We’ve I’ll do it, but don’t say I support all the things had candidates we’ve really liked and that hasn’t October 15 you do.” Because some of it is just nuts, just off really gotten us what we wanted, so now maybe Tabernacle the charts. We live in a country where, if we’re we should nominate candidates we don’t like? I lewisblack.com lucky, maybe 60 per cent of the people vote, ok? can’t understand running as their parties’ heads, if It’s hard enough to even get them to vote, now they’re not liked! you’re gonna make it even harder to vote? What’s the matter with you? And they’ve kinda put the transgender Comedy has become the new folk music in way because it really stuff on the backburner, but it’ll come poppin’ back up again. shows our collective temperature. Probably better than any current medium, it holds a mirror up to society.

I know you don’t change your act to suit the region, so the We sort of point out things, yeah. But it’s not that tough. My south gets equal treatment. act is based on the idea that I don’t know what purpose we really Sometimes that works to my advantage. Like when I was serve. But if you can’t turn on the TV and start laughing, or read talking about religion, being in the south sometimes has made the paper and realize how funny all this is, I mean, really? You can’t see it? But comics do point that out. I mean, everybody’s got that funnier and better. I had to sort of slowly draw them into the fact and then when they finally realized what was 30 Trump jokes. You need another one? Really? For me, a lot of happening, I had already f—ked with ‘em. Now in general, what I do is talk about a lot of the issues that a lot of these idiots people don’t like to be messed with, but I don’t mind making aren’t talking about. people maybe a little uneasy. I don’t see people walking out on the show to be a good thing. It makes me want to work on being And you definitely cover things that need to be said. even funnier.

Yeah, and a lot of it is the press. The press doesn’t help. We’re in this transition now where they can’t figure out if they’re gonna kill Lewis Black brings his Naked Truth Tour to the Tabernacle on newspapers. So you kinda go, “Well where’s the information gonna October 15. Showtime is 8 p.m. Visit lewisblack.com for tickets come from?” There’s a really great book that’s gonna be written and merchandise. His “Black To The Future on Broadway” someday about all this - not just this election, but everything that’s going on. And a lot of his has to do with the times we’re living in. premiers October 7 at 10 p.m. on Comedy Central.

LEWIS BLACK

insiteatlanta.com • October 2016 • PG 17

MOVIES

Movie Reviews

BY STEVE WARREN

SNOWDEN (R)

1/2 If Snowden is gone from theaters by the time you read this, seek it out on other platforms. It’s one of the best American films of the year so far. Joseph Gordon-Levitt gives a sincere, unshowy performance as the young, self-taught computer genius who made IT stand for I Tell. The marketers should have gone after Mr. Robot fans, with the NSA (or maybe USA) replacing Evil Corp as the institution Edward/Elliot is trying to bring down.

Director Oliver Stone does his best work in decades and his screenplay, co-written with Kieran Fitzgerald, is a model of how a story should be told. It flashes back from 2013, when Laura Poitras (Melissa Leo) is filming Snowden in his Hong Kong hotel room for her documentary Citizenfour, while Tom Wilkinson and Zachary Quinto negotiate with the Guardian to report the story of the files being released. In 2004 the patriotic Snowden washes out of Special Forces training because of two broken legs.

Looking for other ways to serve his country he works for the NSA and CIA, hacking foreign computers for our security. Later he learns programs he developed have been repurposed to spy on average Americans.

Meanwhile he’s fallen in love with a liberal, Lindsay Mills (Shailene Woodley), and his evolution has begun. Stone obviously sides with Snowden, but it’s doubtful that those who consider him a traitor rather than a patriotic whistle-blower will be convinced.

Either way, you couldn’t ask for a better presentation of his story.

- Steve Warren

STORKS (PG)

 Do kids still believe the stork brought them, when they can watch childbirth scenes on network TV? My shopaholic mother told me she bought me at a department store and she would return me if I was bad.

Those are imaginative ideas, but nothing compared to the thought that’s gone into Storks, a surprisingly well-written animated feature that goes far beyond creating a few wacky characters and giving them a simple goal. The storks quit delivering babies 18 years ago after they lost a delivery address and were forced to raise a human child themselves. Boss Hunter (Kelsey Grammer) shut down the baby factory and switched

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

the storks to delivering for the Amazonian cornerstore.com. He’s about to promote Junior (Andy Samberg) to Boss, if Junior can get the adoptee, Tulip (Katie Crown), out of their hair – er, feathers. Meanwhile, Nate, the neglected son of workaholic realtors (Ty Burrell, Jennifer Aniston), finds an old brochure and writes to the storks requesting a baby brother. It comes down to Junior and Tulip trying to deliver the baby against obstacles like glass and a wolf pack. It’s all very pro-family, both natural and chosen, and full of laughs for all ages, though they won’t all laugh at the same things for the same reasons. Storks is also a visual treat, although it’s not news that computer animation can show just about anything. There’s nothing political here, but I couldn’t help being reminded of someone when Junior insisted he wanted to be Boss but had no idea what he would do if he was.

- Steve Warren

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (PG-13)

1/2 If the 1960 version was The Magnificent Seven, Antoine Fuqua’s remake should be called The Pretty Good Seven. Both correct the subtle racial coding of the old “B” westerns, where you could judge a man’s character by the color of his hat: White = good, Black = evil. The new version goes further in the direction of diversity, with our heroes led by an African American (Denzel Washington) and including a Native American (Martin Sensmeier), a Latino (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), an Asian (Byung-Hun Lee), a weird old dude (Vincent D’Onofrio) and a former Rebel soldier (Ethan Hawke), along with a regular white guy (Chris Pratt). They’re recruited to help some “decent, hard-working people,” farmers whose water is being poisoned (Were they really aware of that in 1879?) by greedy miner Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard), one of the 1%, who is also forcing them off their land.

None of the characters are very interesting, so Act One, coming together and bonding, is a yawner. Act Two, training the locals to defend themselves and planning for battle, isn’t much better. Act Three is the fight you paid to see, and it doesn’t rise above the ordinary either. Having had a week to prepare and booby-trap the town, the good guys take out most of Bogue’s army in the first skirmish. Then Bogue brings out his Gatling gun to win Round Two. Before it’s

SNOWDEN

all over you can count what’s left of the seven on one hand, and I doubt you’ll be too busy applauding to do so. Denzel came along toward the end of the last generation of kids who wanted to be cowboys, and with his Oscar shot (Fences) coming up later this year he could afford to fulfill that dream. Sadly, he doesn’t look like he’s having much fun either.

- Steve Warren

A MAN CALLED OVE (PG-13)

 Grumpy Old Men meets Neighbors meets Gran Torino in Hannes Holm’s Swedish dramedy. Ove (Rolf Lassgård) is mourning the recent death of his wife and can’t wait to join her. No one will miss him. The authorities, who he calls “whiteshirts,” consider him “a nit-picking obstructionist.”

He calls everyone an “idiot.”

Even though he was voted out as chair of the neighborhood association, Ove makes the rounds every morning in search of minor infractions. And after 43 years at his job he’s being replaced by a computer. However carefully he plans his suicide, something always interferes. Sometimes it’s the new neighbors, a Swedish man with an Iranian wife and two young daughters; but it’s always something. Between attempts, flashbacks fill us in on Ove’s early life.

He always had good instincts and did the right thing but went wrong when he started trying to make everyone else live up to his standards. He met his wife (Ida Engvoll, an actress you’ll want to see more of ) as a shy youth and they grew well into middle-age together. More serious than funny, A Man Called Ove will make you look differently at the neighbor who tells you to get off his lawn; or if you’re that neighbor, it shows you it’s never too late to start enjoying life.

- Steve Warren

COMMAND AND CONTROL (NR)

 If Deepwater Horizon doesn’t leave you paranoid enough about the potential for industrial accidents, Command and Control should finish the job. Scarier than Fox News, it’s a documentary about a 1980 nuclear near-miss that might have leveled a significant portion of the Southeast. At a base in Damascus Arkansas, an airman doing routine maintenance on a Titan II missile drops a socket from a wrench. It falls 40 feet, hits the ground and bounces, PG 18 • October 2016 • insiteatlanta.com

striking the missile and causing a fuel leak.

Hours later there’s an explosion – not of the nuclear warhead atop the missile, but it could have been. Robert Kenner’s film, based on Eric Schlosser’s book, delves into the events of that night, including the memories of most of the key participants, and touches on other accidents – there have been thousands, many long kept under wraps – involving nuclear weapons in the US. The descriptions make it seem like a miracle that none of the nukes has been detonated accidentally, and inevitable that one eventually will. And you were worried about your cat throwing up in the living room?

- Steve Warren

GIRL ASLEEP (NR)

1/2 For about half its length I was ready to praise Girl Asleep as harking back to the golden age of such Australian classics as Muriel’s Wedding and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Then it took a wrong turn from which it never fully recovered. This somewhat surreal comedy, filmed with Wes Anderson-inspired whimsy, is about a girl coming of age when she turns 15. It was adapted from a play by its writer, Matthew Whittet, who also plays the father. Greta (Bethany Whitmore) is shy and awkward when she arrives at a new school. Her first friend, Elliott (Harrison Feldman, this year’s Napoleon Dynamite) is more awkward but less shy. They bond over a mutual love of plastic horses and origami, to the chagrin of the mean girls who have invited Greta to join them. Greta lives in a house from a ‘70s sitcom, perhaps the period of the film, with a father who looks like a pornstar of the era, a mother who looks like Kirstie Alley or Candice Bergen from the next decade, and a free-spirited older sister. Greta also has a fantasy life involving a forest, real or imagined, full of strange creatures, totally imagined. It’s when she retreats into this world for 15 minutes or so during her birthday party that the movie goes off the rails. Oh, well.

Her sister warned her, “Weird s**t can happen.” Director Rosemary Myers has a unique vision and definitely knows the difference between stage and screen. I’m disappointed that Girl Asleep doesn’t fulfill its early promise, but I look forward to what Myers comes up with next.

- Steve Warren

FILM

HALLOWEEN

NOW IN THEATERS

What’s Hot/Coming to the Big Screen

DEEPWATER HORIZON

Rated: PG-13 Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, John Malkovich, and Kate Hudson Synopsis: On April 20th, 2010, one of the world’s largest man-made disasters occurred on the Deepwater Horizon in the Gulf of Mexico. Directed by Peter Berg (Lone Survivor), this story honors the brave men and women whose heroism would save many on board, and change everyone’s lives forever.

“CARRIE” IS 40!

P.J. Soles Looks Back on the Classic ‘70s Telekinetic Thriller

MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN

Rated: PG-13 Cast: Eva Green, Samuel L. Jackson, Asa Butterfield, Terrence Stamp Synopsis: From visionary director Tim Burton, and based upon the best-selling novel, comes an unforgettable motion picture experience. When Jake discovers clues to a mystery that spans alternate realities and times, he uncovers a secret refuge known as Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As he learns about the residents and their unusual abilities, Jake realizes that safety is an illusion, and danger lurks in the form of powerful, hidden enemies. Jake must figure out who is real, who can be trusted, and who he really is.

In Theatres October 7

OUIJA: ORIGIN OF EVIL

Rating: PG-13 Cast: Elizabeth Reaser, Annalise Basso, Lulu Wilson and Henry Thomas Synopsis: It was never just a game. Inviting audiences again into the lore of the spirit board, Ouija: Origin of Evil tells a terrifying new tale as the follow-up to 2014’s sleeper hit that opened at number one. In 1965 Los Angeles, a widowed mother and her two daughters add a new stunt to bolster their séance scam business and unwittingly invite authentic evil into their home. When the youngest daughter is overtaken by the merciless spirit, this small family confronts unthinkable fears to save her and send her possessor back to the other side.

KEVIN HART: WHAT NOW?

Rating: R Cast: Kevin Hart Synopsis: In Universal Pictures’ Kevin Hart: What Now?, comedic rock-star Kevin Hart follows up his 2013 hit standup concert movie Let Me Explain, which grossed $32 million domestically and became the third-highest live stand-up comedy movie of all time. Hart takes center stage in this groundbreaking, recordsetting, sold-out performance of “What Now?”—filmed outdoors in front of 50,000 people at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field—marking the first time a comedian has ever performed to an at-capacity football stadium.

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN

Rating: R Cast: Emily Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, Haley Bennett, Justin Theroux Synopsis: Emily Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, Haley Bennett, Justin Theroux, Luke Evans, Allison Janney, Edgar Ramirez, Lisa Kudrow and Laura Prepon star in DreamWorks Pictures’ The Girl on the Train, from director Tate Taylor (The Help, Get on Up) and

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

producer Marc Platt (Bridge of Spies, Into the Woods). In the thriller, Rachel (Blunt), who is devastated by her recent divorce, spends her daily commute fantasizing about the seemingly perfect couple who live in a house that her train passes every day, until one morning she sees something shocking happen there and becomes entangled in the mystery that unfolds. Based on Paula Hawkins’ bestselling novel, The Girl on the Train is adapted for the screen by Erin Cressida Wilson. The film’s executive producers are Jared LeBoff and Celia Costas, and it will be released by Universal Pictures.

THE BIRTH OF A NATION

Rated: R Cast: Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, Mark Boone Jr., Gabrielle Union with Penelope Ann Miller Synopsis: Set against the antebellum South and based on a true story, THE BIRTH OF A NATION follows Nat Turner (Nate Parker), a literate slave and preacher whose financially strained owner Samuel Turner (Armie Hammer) accepts an offer to use Nat’s preaching to subdue unruly slaves. As he witnesses countless atrocities - against himself, his wife Cherry (Aja Naomi King), and fellow slaves - Nat orchestrates an uprising in the hopes of leading his people to freedom.

MIDDLE SCHOOL: THE WORST YEARS OF MY LIFE

Rating: PG Cast: Griffin Gluck, Lauren Graham, Rob Riggle, Thomas Barbusca, Andy Daly & Adam Pally Synopsis: Rafe has an epic imagination... and a slight problem with authority. Both collide when he transfers to an oppressive, rule-crazy middle school. Drowning in do’s and don’ts, Rafe and his scheming best friend Leo hatch a plan to break every rule in the school’s Code of Conduct. It’s Ferris Bueller meets Home Alone as their battle with Principal Dwight explodes into chaos both real and imagined. But Dwight displays his own fiendish creativity, striking back at the rulebreakers. Meanwhile, Rafe struggles to hide his misbehavior from Jeanne, the straight-A, overachieving girl of his dreams, and at home, his mother’s boyfriend -- a moochy, jack-of-no-trades named Bear -threatens to become his stepfather.

A

S YOU’RE READING THIS, STEPHEN King is probably finishing yet another novel, screenplay, adaptation, short story collection or political screed. But the ultra-prolific writer’s 1974 book “Carrie” was both his first published novel and the first to be adapted for a film. The 1976 supernatural thriller was directed

by Brian De Palma and solidified a talented cast of players as icons of pop culture. In addition to star turns from Nancy Allen, William Katt, Amy Irving and John Travolta it was also the first major glimpse of the delightful actress P.J. Soles.

Although November is the actual anniversary of “Carrie,” the crafty folks at Shout!

Factory are pulling out all the stops to celebrate four decades of teenage angst and mayhem this Halloween month. Coincidentally, Soles is also famous for her role as one of Michael Meyers’ victims in the first “Halloween” film from 1978. Her double whammy of iconic terror - along with featured roles in Rob Zombie’s “Devil’s Rejects” and as the cute Ramones-obsessed Riff Randell in “Rock and Roll High School” - have solidified her status as a sci-fi/fantasy convention superstar.

INsite caught up with the delightfully gregarious P.J. Soles at her home in Los Angeles to scare up a bloody bucket of “Carrie” highlights.

On the now-mythical “Carrie” casting session: I had only been in town for two weeks. I’d done modeling, commercials and a soap opera and everyone said, “If you want to get into movies, you have to go to L.A.” So I came out from New York City, literally with one suitcase, in 1975. I heard there was a casting session going on and it was with Brian De Palma and George Lucas.

Both names didn’t really mean much at that time, except maybe to insiders. They were holding a joint session. One was doing kind of a sci-fi movie, the other was doing a horror movie. They were looking for teenagers, actors from 18-25. I think they just wanted to run through everyone in town at once.

So I went in after about two hours of waiting in the hallway. I’m wearing my red baseball cap because I’d heard that since there’s a lot of sun in L.A. I have to save my face, being a model and all. So I walked in and Brian De Palma looked at George Lucas and said, “I’ll put her on my list.”

George said, “OK, but for the next audition don’t forget to bring your hat!” And that was the initial meeting. Evidently George Lucas didn’t want me for “Star Wars.” But that’s OK. On seeing De Palma’s original vision for the movie:

We went for readings at Brian de Palma’s apartment on Fountain Avenue. There were maybe 12 or 15 of us and we all read for different parts. I think he just wanted to hear the script read out loud. We went through the entire script, all three times that we did it.

In his apartment in the dining room were three walls that were just covered from ceiling to floor with storyboarded scenes from the movie. I thought, “Wow that’s how you make a movie? You draw out the scenes?” Well, that’s how Brian De Palma made a movie. He already knew how he wanted it to look.

On Sissy Spacek: The only one who hadn’t been at the auditions was Sissy Spacek.

People were like, “Who’s that girl?”

But I had known her from New York, because at that time she was trying to be a musician. And she’d been in “Prime Cut” and I’d seen that. So she had a little bit of notoriety.

Then someone said, “Well, her husband is Jack Fisk and he’s the set designer.” Supposedly he had begged Brian to screen-test her. Apparently Amy Irving was hoping to get the role of Carrie. But it worked out great because apparently Sissy’s performance just blew Brian away. After that there was no other Carrie but Sissy.

On taking a supporting role: I was up for the role that Nancy Allen played.

Early on my character Norma really wasn’t in the script much and she was not in the Stephen King book at all. She was just a good friend of Chris and would do her bidding. Originally I only had one line, but I took it and I was only going to be on set one week. Brian always invited the cast to see dailies and one day we saw the opening scene where I hit Sissy on the head with my baseball hat and go, “Thanks a lot, Carrie.” I had pins on my baseball cap and then when I hit her with it they ripped my hat. I was so apologetic and she said, “No, no it’s gonna look great!” It looks like a real vicious moment.

After Brian saw those dailies, he said, “All right P.J., I’m calling your agent. You’ll be on set for the rest of the shoot and you’re Chris’s best friend.”

So all of that was added because of that one first moment of ripping my hat. I learned that you never turn down anything for your first movie.

What started as a week’s worth of work has turned into 40 years!

“Carrie” is now available from Shout! Factory www.shoutfactory.com in a number of collectable formats and editions - with over two hours of bonus interviews and featurettes. insiteatlanta.com • October 2016 • PG 19

MUSIC

Album Reviews

REVIEWS BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH AND JOHN B. MOORE

experiment a bit with some cool backing vocals like never before. Sam King’s voice is still endearingly hard to understand at times, not unlike some of the brilliant British Oi and Street Punk bands of the 1970s, but that’s all part of the package. Punk rock’s not supposed to be pretty.

Luke Winslow-King

I’m Glad Trouble Don’t Last Always

(Bloodshot) It takes a cold person to cheer on heartbreak, but damn, Luke Winslow-King took his hell and turned it into an album that is equal parts beautiful and shattering. Written on tour while his marriage was falling apart, “I’m Glad Trouble Don’t Last Always” is raw emotion strained through a slew of genres. The songs vacillate between the blistering Blues, like the title track and more introspective, quieter spots like “Change Your Mind” and “Heartsick Blues,” both which borrow from old Hank Williams-era country. He tosses in plenty of traditional jazz influences as well for good measure. Experience certainly makes for good art as songs like “Act Like You Love Me” and “No More Crying Today” are among some of the best Winslow-King ever put to tape.

Lyrically, this is obviously his most personal work, and as a result you can’t help but feel like you’re eavesdropping on a conversation not meant for you. If it’s true, to paraphrase modern day troubadour Frank Turner, that you can find a song for every time you’ve lost and every time you’ve won, “I’m Glad Trouble Don’t Last Always,” is bound to help more than a few couples sailing through their own rough waters.

Get Dead

Honesty Lives Elsewhere

(Fat Wreck Chords) Get Dead’s second album, “Honesty Lives Elsewhere,” is gritty, a little sloppy and the veneer has been completely stripped down to the primer – which is everything a punk rock album should be. Recorded in their San Francisco hometown between responsibilities to their day jobs and families, there is an urgency here not found in many of the poppier punk bands that have flooded the market over the years.

On songs like “Dyin’ is Thirsty Work” and “Grandiose,” the band show a lot of growth musically from 2013’s “Bad News” and on tracks like “Keep Rowing, Stupid” they PG 20 • October 2016 • insiteatlanta.com

Dinosaur Jr.

Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not

(Jagjaguar) Of all the ‘80s/’90s college rock bands that grabbed nostalgia by the throat and announced plans to reunite with the original line up, Dinosaur Jr. seemed to be the one with the best chance of imploding in quick, spectacular fashion. Granted they never really had the blistering hatred that Morrissey seems to have for some of his former mates in The Smith’s (then again, he obviously holds the same disdain for just about everyone and everything), but drummer Lou Barlow pretty much made it Sebadoh’s mission statement to write as many songs possible about how much of a dick he thought J Mascis was for kicking him out of Dinosaur Jr. So many, likely including Barlow, Mascis and bassist, Murph included, were shocked that 2005’s European reunion tour ended not with instruments thrown at each other, but studio dates that led to a new album in 2007.

The resulting years, lead to more albums, each as solidly dependable as their now-classic late 1980s offerings.

The latest, “Give a Glimpse of What Yer Not,” may be their finest moment since “You’re Living All Over Me;” There’s a little less distortion this time around, a lot more focus and the trio has gone from simply being ambitious, angry punks thrashing out an identity to truly impressive musicians in the span of two decades. The guitar solo alone on a song like “Good to Know” or the big drum sound like “I Walk for Miles” would have been little more than wishful thinking in ’87.

Lyrically that band is also at its best here and the words get a beautiful showcase on some of the slower songs, like the surprisingly sweet “Knocked Around.”

Since reuniting, The Pixies split with Kim Deal, The Replacements gave it a shot and walked away almost mid set again and The Police quickly cashed their paychecks and just as quickly stopped taking each other’s calls. All the while, Dino Jr seems to have pulled off the once-unimaginable and are churning out some of their best songs ever.

Cantina

A Sea of Keys

(We Know Better Records) Supergroups tend to be hit or miss. They’re usually made up of members from the same scene that play in bands that sound remarkably

from time to time (like the more than twominute long guitar and bell intro to “Vincent” that just comes off as being quirky for the sake of quirkiness), but over all a satisfyingly fresh take on indie pop/rock.

similar and use the supergroup as their excuse to be a little goofier than they’re allowed to be in their normal gig or play a genre complete foreign to their fans.

Cantina is intriguing enough just for the fact that its members seem to come from strikingly different bands: alt country vets (The Old 97s), indie pop (The Apples In Stereo, The Polyphonic Spree) and punk (The Street Dogs).

They all call Texas home, but their musical styles are all over the map, which is one of the reason’s Cantina sounds so original.

“A Sea of Keys,” their latest, is part power pop (“Lucifer”), a little bit alt country (“God is the Sun”) and a little bit quirky indie pop (“These Machines,” “Snowman”), taking just about all of their influences and wedding them together.

Just about everything save for Marcus Hollar’s punk background can be found on this one.

Coming in at 15 tracks, the album feels a bit bloated, but they’re sound is charming enough, with plenty of banjo and ukulele and the occasional pedal steel and trombone, to make up for the rougher songs here.

Car Seat Headrest Teens of Denial

(Matador) Say what you will about Millenials, but at least in speaking about Car Seat Headrest’s Will Toledo, his work ethic and DIY attitude are right up there with any of the pioneering punk bands of the late ‘70s/early’80s. Even before securing a spot on Matador Records’ roster, he had self-released eight records since 2010.

His first album on a proper label, Teens of Denial, goes a long way to cement his reputation as not just prolific, but talented as well. From the opening track, the indie pop stunner “Fill in the Blank” to the noise rocker “Destroyed By Hippie Powers” all the way through to the mellow “Joe Goes to College,” Car Seat Headrest cherry picks the best attributes from bands like Pavement, Modest Mouse and early Radiohead for a solid collection that serves as a great introduction to those outside the northwest who are just now discovering him.

Toledo’s experimentation gets a little distracting

Tesla

Psychotic Supper 25th Anniversary Edition

[2 LPs] (Geffen/UME) The third studio record from Sacramento-based Tesla, may not have offered a chart-topping ballad like 1989s “Great Radio Controversy” (“Love Song” was a staple of just about every high school mix tape for years on) or gotten the MTV love that Five Man Acoustical Jam warranted a year later, but song for song, “Psychotic Supper” is the band’s best record.

Packaged by their label at the time as yet another hair metal band, Tesla was more of a Blues-loving hard rock band than their glammed up, threechord peers. You got a sense any hair spray was applied begrudgingly.

Released in 1991, “Psychotic Supper” was not as polished as the first two records giving it a closer feeling to how the band sounds live (which was almost necessary, coming on the heels of the justreleased acoustic live record “Five Man Acoustical Jam”), it was a little rawer and easily transcends the small, artistically-questionable hair metal ghetto the band was forced into at the time. The songs here are much longer than standard hard rock/metal fans at the time were used to (with the exception of maybe Queensryche fans), with most clocking in at over five minutes. “What You Give,” the best track on the album, is a whopping sevenminutes long, but honestly most of the 13-songs here stand up remarkable well so many years later.

UME and Geffen have re-released the album in time to mark its 25th anniversary, spreading it out over two LPs. Despite selling over a million copies, Tesla is still seen as “hair metal era” band. Hopefully this re-release will help dispel that notion.

Fialta

Shadow of a Drought

(Self-Released) California’s Fialta create a strain of dream pop that is so ethereal that it practically floats out of the speakers in measured wisps. “Shadow of a Drought,” their latest full length shows the fourpiece at their finest. With plenty of keyboards and male/female vocals trading off, the band has laid down a dozen tracks to prove they are destined for better things. Songs like “Do the Best We Can” and “Give Up Your Ghosts” are practically tailor made for summer nights on a porch, while the more upbeat “Subway State” manages to show off the band’s versatility.

Comprised of two married couples, Fialta creates music that melds together their voices perfectly, coming across like a mellower version of Vampire Weekend who’ve been together for decades.

MUSIC

CRITICAL DARLINGS

Big Star the Subject of New Book

BY JOHN B. MOORE

B

IG STAR MAY HAVE ONLY PUT out three proper studio albums with their best known line up, but the band’s influence is still tremendous. Perennial favorites of musicians and critics for decades, the band is one of the most over-deserving and underserved when it came to commercial success. So it’s not surprising that a Paris-based graphic designer and New York photographer would pool their collective talents and resources to pull together a beautifully executed book of essays and photos to continue to push the legacy of the band.

On October 14th, First Third Books is releasing a limited run of the book Big Star – Isolated in the Light. It boasts 200 images from photographers who chronicled the band from their beginnings in Memphis up through the solo projects of Alex Chilton and Chris Bell.

How did the idea for the book first come about?

Fabrice Couillerot, who is a graphic designer, started his publishing company First Third Books in 2011. His first book which included many of my photographs was on an English band from the 80’s called Felt. We finally met in New York after the book was published in 2012 and became good friends. There was such a commonality between us – our taste in photography, art, design and especially music.

One evening we started discussing the music of Big Star and how much it meant to both of us and he suggested collaborating on a monograph of the band.

Why Big Star?

Why does some music touch our souls and connect us all? I grew up in suburban Philadelphia during the 1970’s and still have my childhood 45 of the “The Letter” by The Boxtops - that was my first introduction to Alex Chilton. Fabrice, over a decade younger than me, grew up in rural Burgundy in France. It’s certainly a testament to the fact that music has no geographical boundaries!

Did either of you have a relationship with Big Star or any of the individual members prior to starting this project?

I had met Jody Stephens in the early 90’s on my first trip to Memphis. At the time I worked for a record producer in New York and thought it might be a good idea to check out Ardent Studios in case we ever felt like booking studio time there. I had made an appointment to meet him and remember ringing him from the pay phone in the back yard at Graceland! Most of the old Memphis signs that are shown in the end pages of the book were photographed by me during this trip. I had also casually met Alex Chilton in New York on several occasions with David Godlis, whose photos of Alex are also in the book.

Do you have one or two favorite pictures that made it into the book?

We both feel so close to all the images in the book…a few that stand out for me are the eerie image of Chris Bell reflected in the bathroom mirror, The Eggleston Black and White images of Alex Chilton and Andy Hummel roaming the streets of Memphis, Michael O’Brien’s first image of Alex strumming his guitar at his parents’ house and Maude Schuyler Clay’s image of the band in the Mississippi courthouse where the murderers of Emmett Till were tried and acquitted.

Did you learn anything new about the band going through the pictures or reading the essays here?

There has been a lot written about Chris Bell but speaking to his brother David gave me a better understanding of his complex nature and it’s all captured in his images of Chris, several which have never been published before. Also, I think the photographs, as much as the music itself, perfectly captures the youth and innocence of the times. With the exception of Eggleston who was older and more photographically trained, most of the images in the book were taken by friends and family who weren’t much older than the band members.

The level of talent of the people surrounding Ardent (studios) at the time is just astonishing.

THE MOMS Moving on Up

BY JOHN B. MOORE

S

OMETIMES HOUSE SITTING HAS ITS PERKS; you can live in a better neighborhood for a few weeks, stay in a bigger house and occasionally find time to pull together your next album. Joey Nester, singer/guitarist for the New Jersey trio The Moms did just that. “She was down in Florida, and we had set up a rehearsal space in her basement where we would jam a few nights a week. Ten songs came out of that batch.”

The band culled those 10 songs down to six for their latest, Snowbird EP. Bar/None Records released the album on September 16th. Nester spoke recently about the new record, signing to local label Bar/None and what lies ahead.

When did you start working on the songs for this new EP? The songs for this EP were written in early 2015 while I was “house-sitting” for my neighbor.

Was this your first time working with Pete and Brett? How was the experience?

PUNKS, THE MAHONES Mark 25 Year Anniversary

No, it was pretty easy to figure out. We like to play what we know our fans want INNY MCCONNELL JOKINGLY to hear, so this album was pretty close to cites stubbornness and stupidity as the live set from our last tour. We finished the two key elements for his Celtic The Hunger & The Fight world tour last Punk Band, The Mahones, having lasted December in Canada, and two days later so long. This year marks the 25-year we went to Telejet Recording Studio in anniversary for the band that appropriately Toronto, and recorded the songs we were enough started on a St. Patrick’s Day. doing on tour in the studio. The band was “We’ve had a few members part ways still hot from touring, and we recorded after the first few records, like many bands almost everything in one take. The album do, but the trick is to just keep is pretty much a live concert of going, and never give up,” says WE HAVE BEEN all of the fan favorites. It sounds McConnell, singer/guitarist GOING HARD amazing, and I’m so pleased with for the Canadian band. “Some musicians just want to make a few FOR 25 YEARS, how it turned out. To be honest, I like most of these recording albums, try a few tours, and then SO WE’VE better than the originals. move on, and that’s totally fine. A DEFINITELY full-time musician can make for a PAID OUR Do you still play all of these hard life sometimes, because there songs in your sets? Any that DUES. are lot of unpredictable highs and you had forgotten about before lows - but it’s the best job ever.” putting this record together?

He cites The Dubliners and The Who as We play all the songs from 25 Years of two of his favorite bands – both of whom Irish Punk in the live show. The album have stuck it out for decades. To celebrate is a combination of our favorites and fan their anniversary milestone, the band favorites. We also recorded a sister album released 25 Years of Irish Punk! on Sailor’s called 25 Years of Irish Folk (an acoustic Grave Records on September 2. album), and we went into deeper cuts on that record. We even recorded some songs Congrats on making it 25 years! That’s we never play live. In total, we recorded a massive milestone. Did you ever think and will release over 40 songs. The second when the band first started that The Mahones would still be playing more than album will be out early next year. two decades later?

What’s next for the band?

I always hoped I would be writing and We don’t want to tour as much as we used playing music in a band, and I’m so lucky to.

We have been going hard for 25 years, so it worked out this way. I never really made we’ve definitely paid our dues. Now, we’re any plans to do anything else. Music is what just planning to tour when we’re really into I love, so that’s what I do. it, and to play the places we really love. I think a lot more recording is in the cards.

Did you have difficulty deciding which Maybe even some side projects and solo songs to add to the Greatest Hits record? albums just for fun.

BY JOHN B. MOORE

F

We met Pete at a party several years ago, and that night we swore that we would make a record with him. Years later, Brett had invited us to come see Barbershop studios, a very nice studio that’s not far our home in Morristown. We reached to Pete to see if he would be interested in teaming up with Brett to work on the record and he was glad to join the team. Being in the studio with the two of them was a lot of fun and they made us feel very comfortable, which is a priority in recording.

How did you guys connect with Bar/None?

Very simply, our manager reached out to the label, they liked what they saw, and so did we. The rest is history.

As Jersey kids, does the Bar/None label hold special significance to you guys?

It is great knowing that Bar/None is a Jersey label. We consider ourselves proud to be from this state (not sure why) and it is nice to join forces with a label that also takes pride in that fact. Not to mention, it is a luxury having the label office a half an hour away.

We are honored that Bar/None will be releasing our music. They are a label that has stood the test of time without ever conforming to any particular genre or chasing trends. Throughout their lifespan, they seem to have always had a focus on songwriting and originality - so being on the label is very humbling.

I stumbled across the comics on your website - which are awesome.

Who did those?

Any plans for a full book or to keep these going?

I (Joey) drew the comics that are on our website. Currently there are only a few one page shorts available, but there IS a full 24 page zombie-thriller featuring The Moms and our good buddy Tom Dwyer that is sitting on my computer waiting to be colored. I would love to continue drawing - punk and shitty comics go hand in hand.

What’s next for you guys?

New shows, videos, music, comics, and merchandise will all be coming down the pike in the near future. In the meantime, we’re just keeping busy writing music in our basement and making sure the RV is in working order! insiteatlanta.com • October 2016 • PG 21

MUSIC

WARNER HODGES:

The Busiest Guitar Player in Atlanta You May have Never Heard Of Atlanta area all the time. It never ceases to amaze me how many gigs they can do a year in that area. I guess because Atlanta is so big people north of the city may not drive to a show that somewhere south of the city to see them so it’s cool.

BY DAVE COHEN

W

ARNER HODGES JUST might be the busiest guitar player in rock and roll today, lending his talents to no less than five different bands in and out of his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee. Fortunately for What’s it like for you to work with guys fans in Atlanta one of the bands that like Dan Baird, Kevn Kinney and Jason Hodges has been touring with is Kevn Ringenberg? Are there certain nuances Kinney’s Drivin’ N Cryin’, meaning he’s that you have to adjust to from one to been in and around the city quite a few the other? times in recent months. Best Well, with Kevn and Dan known for his guitar work with it’s a lot more spontaneous.

YOU START TALKING the legendary Jason & The ABOUT DOING A There’s no set list. They’re Scorchers, which periodically NEW PROJECT I really the only ones in the still plays shows, Hodges also GET EXCITED. OH building that really know what plays with former Georgia is coming up next. With Satellite Dan Baird and their WOW, NEW TUNES! song Jason we use a set list. We band Homemade Sin, the I’M IN TO THAT don’t work near as much as Bluefields and then fronts his AND I’M ALL FOR we used to so it’s a lot more own Warner E. Hodges Band.

THE DISCUSSION scripted. With the Bluefields Hodges recently released his solo OF DOING A NEW it’s a lot more scripted as well. album, Gunslinger and sat down RECORD. I LIKE THE We don’t play a lot with the for a chat.

THOUGHT OF THAT. Bluefields. It’s very technical music. I guess with Kevn and Atlanta has always been a Dan it’s a totally unscripted popular city for you to perform in and show. Whatever they have in their heads as you come through here quite a bit, going next is next. That’s the big difference. all the way back to the early days with the Scorchers. It’s even more so now with the Playing with five different bands covers a lot likes of Drivin’ N Cryin’ and Dan Baird. of material. Do you ever have to stop and I think, especially with Dan’s big Atlanta make sure you’re rehearsed on the songs you connections and the Drivin’ N Cryin’ boys. maybe haven’t played live in a while?

As you well know we do shows in the

When we pull a Scorchers or Bluefields show out of thin air I have to put in a little bit of time at the house beforehand because I’m not doing those songs all the time. Dan Baird and Homemade Sin, my solo stuff and the Drivin’ N Cryin’ material is a lot more in the front of my brain right now because I am doing it a lot.

The solo records you’ve released the last few years keep you writing fresh material and the solo shows with your band provide an outlet so that you’re not just playing one of the band’s songs.

It’s a cool thing and I do scratch a little bit of the Scorcher itch in there. I usually show out with some Scorchers stuff. It’s a weird thing that I never realized it before with the Scorchers and with Dan, there’s a lot of Scorchers fans that don’t listen to Dan and a lot of Dan Baird and Homemade Sin fans that don’t listen to Jason & The Scorchers. I don’t do any Dan Baird stuff in my solo shows but I fill the solo shows out with three or four Scorchers songs because I usually get more Scorchers fans coming out to my solo shows anyways.

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DC: Do you ever feel that fans have certain expectations, no matter which band you’re working with, because of the reputation you forged with Jason & The Scorchers?

Yes, but that can be a double-edged sword. It works both ways. It also is a door-opener for me. Because I was in the Scorchers sometimes I get consideration for something that I might not be justly due solo-wise. I can get to other people because of the Scorchers but, yes, they’re expecting something. I have been doing it long enough where that’s ok. That’s what I signed up for and that’s what I want to do.

You titled your most recent solo album “Gunslinger.” In your mind, and with your reputation as a guitar player and live performer, what does that title mean to you?

It’s almost the “Man With No Name” Clint Eastwood thing. You know I show up into town, we set up our gear, we’re all circus people. We’re one step above a

carny. We actually show up but we do have a talent. We set up our gear and perform our circus tricks then we tear our gear down and move along. As a Gunslinger I can do that inside of a whole bunch of different projects. What type of Gunslinger do you need? I can do that. I’m always looking for other outlets to play with because new and different is fun.

Has there been any talk about a new record with Jason & The Scorchers?

It does come up periodically but as with everything Scorcheresque, I mean we’ve done it so long, when it’s just a one-off show, let’s show up and play some tunes then that’s what that is. You start talking about doing a new project I get excited. Oh wow, new tunes! I’m in to that and I’m all for the discussion of doing a new record. I like the thought of that.

There’s no concrete plans to do so at this point though.

Whether for a solo record or something with any of the other bands, are you always writing and coming up with new material?

Always, yes. Right now I’m working on a new WEH solo record. We’re going to be recording in October the new Dan Baird and Homemade Sin record, which I’m producing and we’re talking about doing a new Bluefields record. We have not done one in a couple of years. As a triumvirate of Dan (Baird), myself and Joe (Blanton) we’re always writing. I’m always thinking about, you know, putting away bits and pieces for whichever band I think it goes to.

What have you been able to take away from working so closely with a musician like Dan Baird?

I’ve actually tried to do what Dan has done for his whole career. If Dan’s name is on a project it’s probably going to be pretty good. You should probably listen to it if you like rock and roll music. I’ve been trying to do the same thing with my brand. I mean, if I’m involved you might want to give it a listen if you like guitar. That’s what I’ve really worked hard to do, especially in the last ten years.

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