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CONTENTS • SEPTEMBER 2017 • VOLUME 26, NO. 2
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CITY WINERY & EDDIE’S ATTIC PRESENT MIKE FARRIS
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CHAKA KHAN TRIBUTE
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COMEDY & COCKTAILS HOSTED BY DAMON SUMNER
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MICHAEL TOLCHER & FRIENDS
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TAILGATE KICKOFF PARTY
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12 Fall Festival Guide 16 New Orleans 18 NFL Preview
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insiteatlanta.com • September 2017 • PG 3
Around Town SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 3
Beauty & the Beast Sing-A-Long The Fox Theatre
Capping off the 2017 Summer Film Festival is the sing-a-long version of Walt Disney’s animated gem “Beauty and the Beast.” roughout the summer, modern and vintage movie classics were shown on Fox eatre’s big screen as patrons enjoyed movies under the “stars”. Foxeatre.org
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 10
Bob Bakert and his Six Piece Band Chattahoochee Nature Center
The Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell Sundays on the River Concerts series has been taking place the second Sunday of each month. See Bob Bakert and his 6-piece band Sunday, September 10 from 6:30 9:30 p.m. in the final concert of the summer. Enjoy a night out with families and friends listening to soothing live music on the river. For more information visit Chattnaturecenter.org.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 Star Wars and More: The Music of John Williams Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Come join the Atlanta Symphony Orches-
Events and Performances taking place this Month
tra at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre as Principal POPS Conductor Michael Krajewski leads a special performance featuring the very best of John Williams’ legendary film scores, including pieces from Hook, Harry Potter and the Star Wars series. Plan your dinner in advance with a themed picnic basket. Visit vzwamp.com.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 Upright Citizens Brigade Ferst Center for the Arts
Founded by Amy Poehler (SNL, Parks and Recreation), Upright Citizens Brigade Touring Company performs a night of provocative sketch comedy and absurd improv. An incubation lab for upcoming talent, the cast is hand-picked from the best improv comedians in the country and has included Jack McBrayer (30 Rock), Horatio Sanz (SNL), Ellie Kemper (Unbreakable Kimmie Schmidt, Bridesmaids), and Rob Corddry (The Daily Show), among many others. This performance may contain adult language. Tickets at arts.gatech.edu and 404-894-9600.
SEPTEMBER 20 & 21
Million Dollar Quartet Cobb Energy Centre
The Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Million Dollar Quartet inspired by the true story of four iconic rock & roll pioneers and how they came together for one magical night, comes to Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta on Septem-
ber 20 & 21. The real-life event turned smash hit musical reimagines four of the greatest rock n’ roll legends of all time: Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Relive the magical era featuring an incredible score of rock & roll, gospel, R&B and country hits, performed live onstage by world-class actors and musicians. Visit CobbEnergyCentre.com.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 Fall Folklife Festival Atlanta History Center
Celebrate all things Southern at the Atlanta History Center’s Fall Folklife Festival. The Smith Family Farm provides the ideal backdrop for exploring our Southern foodways traditions with chef demos and discussions in our open hearth kitchens. Hands-on demonstrations explore Southern crafts such as basket weaving, woodworking, pottery, food preservation and candle dipping. Sip local brews while listening to the sounds of Georgia folk musicians, visiting with regional folk artists and exploring signature exhibitions and the fall foliage in the Goizueta Gardens.
SEPTEMBER 29 - OCTOBER 1 Decatur Tiny House Festival Downtown Decatur
The Tiny House Festival offers three days of thought-provoking speakers and 20+ real and really cool tiny houses to tour. Attendees will be able to attend various sessions, such as a presentation from City of Atlanta’s Commissioner of City Planning Tim Keane who will consider the relationship between the micro movement and metropolitan cities. Visit TinyHouseAtlanta.com.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
The Dark Crystal Fan Film Event Center for Puppetry Arts
Cheryl Henson, President of the Jim Henson Foundation along with winners of the Dark Crystal Fan Film competition take part in a special event honoring “The Dark Crystal”. The enchanting evening will include a screening of the fan films and a talkback with Henson who judged the competition, along with grand prize-winning director Kristin Dalleske and runnerup James Pendleton. Henson will be on hand to sign copies of “The Dark Crystal: Ultimate Visual History.” Following the fan films there will be a special full-length screening of the original film “The Dark Crystal.” More information at Puppet.org.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 Oktoberfest Brookhaven
Put on your lederhosen and join Oktoberfest Atlanta on Saturday, September 30th. Enjoy a variety of cold beers, German food, live music, and an abundance of games and Oktoberfest themed activities. There will be plenty of Bavarian pretzels and food vendors with a variety of German fare available for purchase. Experience authentic German polka music performed by the Wurstbrats followed by additional live artists. A series of life-sized yard games will be on hand including: Giant Jenga, Super-Sized Connect Four, Cornhole, Ladder Ball, and more. Visit OktoberfestATL.com.
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On Tap this Month
FREE!
MAJOR EVENTS COMING TO ATLANTA
September 1 - 4: Downtown Atlanta
DRAGON CON
Celebrating their 31st year, Dragon Con returns this Labor Day weekend. Dragon Con is the largest multimedia, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music and film in the world. Dragon Con boasts close to 40 fan-based tracks, a film festival, parade, art show, comics, pop art exhibits and displays, nightly concerts and parties. Visit DragonCon.org for more details.
FESTIVAL SEPT 23 & 24 sandyspringsfestival.com
September 2 & 4: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
CHICK-FIL-A KICKOFF
is season opens with a pair of prime time Chick-filA Kickoff Games with top-ranked matchups Florida State vs. Alabama and Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech. ey will be the first college football games played in the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium. e Florida StateAlabama game will kick off at 8 pm on Saturday, Sept. 2, while the Tennessee-Georgia Tech game kicks off Monday, Sept. 4 at 8 pm. Chick-Fil-AKickoffGame.com.
September 8 & 9: Tabernacle / Lakewood
ONE MUSIC FEST
is music festival celebrates Hip Hop, EDM, Reggae, Funk, Trap, House, Classics, Alternative Rock and Soul. It takes place on Saturday, September 8th at e Tabernacle and Sunday, September 9th at Lakewood. Artists appearing this year include: undercat, Noname, Jill Scott, Yasin Bey, Sean Paul, Too Short, Ro James and many more. ere will be plenty of food trucks and a VIP Lounge. Visit OneMusicFest.com.
September 9: Frederick Brown Amphitheatre
PAT BENATAR AND NEIL GIRALDO
Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo have forged one of the most successful partnerships in music history. eir unprecedented sound created an arsenal of rocks most memorable hits including “Love is a Battlefield”, “Hell Is For Children”, Heartbreaker”, “We Live For Love”, “Promises In e Dark,” “We Belong,” and more. Pat and Neil continue to tour, selling out concerts and wowing audiences. Tickets at Amphitheatre.org.
September 14 - November 19:Atlantic Station
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL LUZIA
LUZIA by Cirque du Soleil is coming to Atlanta this month. Get ready to be transported to a surreal world of wonders. Experience water inside the big top, jaw dropping acts and larger than life props in this unique production unlike any show you have ever seen before. is show is inspired by Mexico and is vibrant and beautiful with Cirque du Soleil’s world class artistry and acrobatics. Tickets at CirqueduSoleil.com.
September 16 & 17: Piedmont Park
MUSIC MIDTOWN
Music Midtown Festival is back in Piedmont Park on Saturday, September 16 and Sunday, September 17. is year’s festival will be a treat for all music lovers with headliners Bruno Mars, Mumford & Sons, Future and Blink-182 as well as performances by chart-toppers Weezer, Big Sean, Wiz Khalifa, Young the Giant, Haim, Bastille, Two Door Cinema Club and more. Visit MusicMidtown.com.
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insiteatlanta.com • September 2017 • PG 5
Saturday, Sept 16 - Sunday, Sept 17
MARIETTA STREET FEST
EVENTS HAPPENING FOR SMALL CHANGE IN ATLANTA
Know of a low cost event happening? Event@AtlantaOnADime.com By Marci Miller
Friday, September 1 - Sun, Sept. 3
Thursday, Sept. 7 - Sunday Sept. 10
Decatur Square Free; DecaturbookFestival.com
Stone Mountain Park Free; StoneMountainPark.com
DECATUR BOOK FESTIVAL
YELLOW DAISY FESTIVAL
e AJC Decatur Book Festival is the largest independent book festival in the country. e festival features lectures and signings from more than 600 national and local authors, including award-winners, best-sellers, and some just getting started. National Public Radio host Brooke Gladstone headlines a panel of journalists for the DBF Keynote event.
An estimated 200,000 shopping enthusiasts are expected this year for the 49th annual Yellow Daisy Festival. Featuring more than 400 artists, daily live entertainment, Children's Corner activities, crafter demonstrations throughout the event and fabulous festival foods. Free with paid parking admission.
Saturday, Sept 2 - Monday, Sept 4
EAST COBBER PARADE & FESTIVAL
MARIETTA ART IN THE PARK
Saturday, September 16
Marietta Square; 10am - 5pm Free; ArtParkMarietta.com
Johnson Ferry Baptist Church Free; EastCobber.com/parade
Marietta Art in the Park will showcase 175 top-notch fine artists and plenty of entertainment for the entire family Labor Day Weekend, September 2 - 4 in historic Marietta Square. It all takes place amid a variety of dining options and historic sites. Admission is free. is three-day festival draws more than 45,000 attendees. e Chalk Spot a street chalk art display for children of all ages is scheduled for Saturday, September 2.
Parade begins at 10am at Mt Bethel Elementary School then travels south on Johnson Ferry Rd. Known as the candy parade, nearly all floats toss candy to the crowd. e parade includes over two thousand participants and more than eighty groups in floats, marching bands, classic cars, and more. After the parade enjoy live entertainment, arts & crafts, food & drinks and carnival games in the parking lot of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church.
Glover Park Historic Marietta Square Free; MariettaHistory.org Marietta StreetFest offers many free activities including arts & crafts booths, Classic Car Show, a kid-friendly activity zone, the Toy Box Trot fun run and the Marietta Grassroots Music Festival. e Kids Korner features “make and take” art stations, interactive games, inflatable slides and bounce houses. Young attendees can purchase a $5 wristband for unlimited play on the inflatables.
art, balloon animals and other activities are also available. e festival offers a variety of food trucks on site.
Sunday, September 24
ATLANTA STREETS ALIVE Peachtree Street Free; AtlantaStreetsAlive.com
is Central route celebrates Peachtree Street from Downtown to Midtown. Event takes place from 2 - 6pm. Enjoy biking, skating, walking and rolling down the street and take part in this fun, free, family-friendly event.
Saturday & Sunday, Sept. 17 - 18
Saturday Sept. 30 - Sunday, Oct. 1
Historic Town Square in Roswell Free; RoswellArtsFestival.com
Candler Park Free; CandlerParkFallfest.com
ROSWELL ARTS FESTIVAL
CANDLER PARK FALL FEST
Held on the third weekend in September at the Historic Town Square in Roswell. Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Entertainment featuring local singers and dance companies begins daily at noon. Children’s paintings, sand
With a challenging 5K, Tour of Homes, live music, local food, fun-filled Kids Zone, and over 110 artist booths this free festival is not to be missed. e 5K kicks things off at 9am on Saturday. Tour of Homes on Sunday from noon - 6 p.m. Atlanta Streets Alive
Peachtree Street Free • AtlantaStreetsAlive.com
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• FALL SESSION BEGINS OCTOBER 18 • CONVENIENT BROOKHAVEN CAMPUS, NEAR LENOX SQUARE, INTERSTATES AND MARTA • TAKE US FOR A TEST DRIVE AND SAVE 50% ON YOUR FIRST TWO CLASSES
COME VISIT! To find dates of our upcoming open houses, to go:
adults.oglethorpe.edu or call 404.364.8383. FOUNDED IN 1835, OGLETHORPE UNIVERSITY IS RANKED AMONG THE NATION’S BEST COLLEGES BY FORBES AND THE PRINCETON REVIEW PG 6 • September 2017 • insiteatlanta.com
STAGE
THE MAGIC OF MEXICO
Cirque du Soleil’s LUZIA Comes to Atlanta
BY BRET LOVE
T
a dream job for just about anyone in the artistic fields, so I’m guessing the competition must be difficult. What sort of process did you go through to become a stage manager? I was fortunate to have a mentor in the dance world who became an Artistic Director for one of the touring productions and introduced me to the idea that I could join Cirque du Soleil on the management side. I applied and had the experience to back my profile up. Soon enough I was packing my suitcases and running away with the circus!
HE RINGLING BROTHERS Barnum & Bailey Circus once billed itself as “the greatest show on Earth.” Given the fact that the iconic company took its final bow in May after a 146-year run, it’s safe to say that the Montreal-based Cirque du Soleil has laid claim to that title. LUZIA, which premiered in 2016 and makes its way to Atlanta this month, is Cirque du Soleil’s 38th original production since the company was founded in 1984. Subtitled “A Waking Can you talk about a few of Dream of Mexico,” the show the Cirque du Soleil shows incorporates an array of Southyou’ve worked on, and what of-the-border influences to you learned from those create a spellbinding artistic Sept. 14 – Nov. 19 experiences? vision rich with light (“luz” in Atlantic Station Through the years I’ve worked Spanish) and rain (“lluvia”). cirquedusoleil.com on three different Big Top We recently sat down with shows– KOOZA, TOTEM and Artistic Director Gracie Valdez now LUZIA– and also on IRIS, to talk about the production’s genesis, her which was a resident show in Los Angeles. history with the company, and what makes What I’ve learned is that every cast is different, Cirque du Soleil the greatest show on Earth. every environment is different, and you have to be flexible and adapt. Every show comes Before joining Cirque du Soleil in 2008, you with new apparatuses and acrobatic disciplines co-directed a modern dance company and you have to get familiar with, all of which have coached competitive dance teams. How do intricacies you would not have thought of. You you think that experience prepared you for learn about the things specialists from each what you do now? of these disciplines need to be able to fully Any experience managing different motivate and support them. For example, personality types and performers from I’ve worked with a swinging trapeze act on different backgrounds can help shape the skill KOOZA and IRIS, a duo fixed trapeze act on set needed to be an Artistic Director at Cirque TOTEM, and a dance trapeze act on LUZIA. du Soleil. My previous experiences leading Even though these three disciplines are all groups of performers through the creation performed on a trapeze, the type of acrobatic of shows supported the development of my vocabulary performed and the requirements managing style…but let’s be honest, nothing is are completely different. I’m learning every as unique as working in the circus. day and getting more versed in different types of performances in order to be able to Before you got the job as Stage Manager, were understand and creatively feed the artists. you one of those Cirque du Soleil fans (like me) who’d seen every tour? What was it about You joined LUZIA last year, at what is the company that made you excited to work described as “the last steps of its creation with them? process.” What was it like being part of the I grew up in the LA area. My family took genesis of this show, and seeing it develop me to the Cirque du Soleil Big Top shows on from creation to full-blown production? the Santa Monica Pier every time they would A show at Cirque du Soleil evolves a lot in come through. I was just blown away– for me, the last stages of its creation process, as the there was nothing like attending a Cirque du creation team is putting the final touches Soleil show live. I didn’t realize until way later to the staging and linking all the elements that I could even work for them. To me, it was together. It was amazing to see all the small a dream come true as I think it’s the world’s details that were thought through and best live entertainment company. developed by close to 100 people, who came together to support the vision of the Director Cirque du Soleil seems like it would be and the Associate Director. I was impressed
IN LUZIA, MEXICAN INFLUENCES ARE BROUGHT TO THE STAGE IN A SUBTLE WAY THROUGH ALL ELEMENTS OF THE PRODUCTION
CIRQUE DU SOLEIL’S LUZIA
Choose the City’s Best!
by how many changes would be made from one day to the next based on the inspiration of the creators, and their capacity for finding creative solutions to bring the show together. I’ve read that LUZIA was inspired by the richness of Mexican culture. Can you talk a bit about how those cultural elements influenced the show, and give us an idea of how this is different from previous Cirque Du Soleil shows? In LUZIA, Mexican influences are brought to the stage in a subtle way through all elements of the production- the costumes, the props, the set design, the music, the action, and the lighting design. All references might not stand out or seem obvious to all audience members, but are all rooted in some sort of historical significance. I think that’s what makes LUZIA unique; it’s based on one single region of the world, which gives the production a unique and multi-layered flavor. LUZIA is very human in scale. The audience feels a connection with the characters inhabiting the imaginary Mexico we are taking them to. It’s filled with true emotions that are felt and shared. Another strength of LUZIA is the fact that all acrobatic disciplines featured are taken to another level, either technically or artistically. What are some of the more unique acts
in this show that you think audiences will be talking about after leaving the Grand Chapiteau? All of our acts are quite surreal in their presentation and unique, but here’s two that I think audience will never forget. We are taking the Cyr Wheel (a giant metallic hoop in which an acrobat rolls) a step further by presenting it for the first time under pouring showers. At the same time, a trapeze artist flies through the rain above the audience. The image is so strong, it’s absolutely magical and soul-touching. Another show-stopper is a male contortionist: Although this discipline might sound familiar to Cirque du Soleil fans, they have never seen someone this flexible. They’ll have to see it to believe it! I use to run/direct my own improv comedy company, and found it to be like herding cats. What’s it like managing a team of stage managers, coaches, and cast members on a huge international production like LUZIA? Every day is different and brings its own set of problem solving. We are dealing with live entertainment, so some variables can always change, which keeps the job always fun and challenging. Thankfully I’m surrounded by a highly skilled and experienced artistic team, and we work together to constantly challenge the content of the show to maintain its quality and keep the morale of the artists.
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insiteatlanta.com/bestofatlanta insiteatlanta.com • September 2017 • PG 7
Under The Lights ON STAGE THIS MONTH
THE CHRISTIANS
Sept. 16 - Oct. 15 Actors Express (404) 607-7469 Actors-Express.com Actor’s Express opens its 30th Anniversary season with The Christians. Pastor Paul has built his congregation from modest storefront to shining megachurch with a membership of thousands. But when the beloved minister steps up to the pulpit to share a new belief, his stunning revelation leaves the entire church community rocked to its core. A provocative excavation of modern faith, The Christians will feature music from a community choir comprised of people from all faiths and backgrounds. This stunningly original play was a hit in New York and will have all of Atlanta talking.
Project Dawn, an innovative court designed to transform the lives of women in the sex trade. In this daring and vital tour de force, seven actresses double as victims/participants and Court staff. As part of a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere, this courtroom drama probes the thin lines between freedom and slavery, activism and obsession. Whether you are to the left or the right, Project Dawn will gnaw at your heart and open your eyes to see clearly what’s happening in your own backyard.
THE KING AND I
September 26 - October 1 The Fox Theatre (855) 285-8499 FoxTheatre.org/King
Set in 1860’s Bangkok, the musical tells the story of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna Leonowens, a British schoolteacher, whom the modernist King, in an imperialistic world, brings to Siam to teach his many wives and children. One of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s finest works, The King And I boasts a score that features such beloved classics as “Getting To Know You,” “Hello Young Lovers,” “Shall We Dance,” and “Something Wonderful.”
HOME THEATER
NEW RELEASES THE LATEST DVD, BLU RAY & VOD RELEASES By John Moore
HERE’S TO LIFE: THE STORY OF THE REFRESHMENTS (Pop Motion Pictures)
The Refreshments may be seen by many as a 1990s one-hit wonder, but the band is almost a religion to a smaller, but rabid group of music fans. Told through interviews with front man Roger Clyne, drummer PJ Naffah, former band member Brian Blush, as well as several folks who worked with the band throughout the ‘90s, including MTV’s Matt Pinefield, the doc concludes with Clyne and Naffah leading thousands in spirited nightly sing-alongs at their annual four-day Circus Mexicus in Mexico. The band may have been deserted by their record label, but have found consultation in the form of hundreds of thousands of fans who stuck with the band as they decided to simply go it alone rather than disappear.
EAGLES OF DEATH METAL – I LOVE YOU ALL THE TIME: LIVE AT THE OLYMPIA IN PARIS (Eagle Vision)
On November 13, 2015, as the Eagles of Death Metal were well into a sold-out show at The Bataclan, a 1,500-seat venue in Paris, gunman started shooting and ultimately killed PG 8 • September 2017 • insiteatlanta.com
Station Control
OLD IS NEW AGAIN THIS FALL BY BENJAMIN CARR
T
HOUGH THE FALL TELEVISION season usually is all about the new, this autumn will feel more like a blast from the past to many viewers. Because show business is a business, a lot of nostalgic, familiar titles are returning to your TV screens with slight variations upon their original flavor. Other new shows will offer you excitement or a different take upon a tried-and-true formula. With the rise of streaming services and bingewatched seasons all available at once, the oldfashioned return of fall TV to the traditional networks seems a little out-of-date. But gems can still emerge from this old business model, and there are a lot of new shows that will bring familiar excitement.
Dynasty
DYNASTY (CW)
PROJECT DAWN
September 22 - October 29 Horizon Theatre (404) 584-7450 HorizonTheatre.com Karen Hartman’s gritty, gripping, and shockingly funny play Project Dawn receives its Atlanta premiere at Horizon Theatre this month. Go behind the bench in this inspired by-real-life story of the women on both sides of the law in
TV
89 in attendance that night. Just three months later, the California band returned to Paris to finish the show, this time at The Olympia. In an emotional, yet brilliant concert, the band chronicles that February 16 set on I Love You All The Time. At one point, with the guitar chords still ringing from the amps, Homme gets close to the mic and says, “I love you motherfuckers so much. You have no idea.” And at that moment, I have no doubt that he truly does. I Love You All The Time captures live a band and its audience coming together to heal from a shared tragedy.
BILLIONS – SEASON TWO
(Showtime Entertainment) Billions has an almost laughable premise, a federal prosecutor, Chuck (Paul Giamatti), with a fetish for S&M is married to a successful psychiatrist Wendy (Maggie Still), who happens to work with a very rich hedge fund CEO Axe (Damian Lewis), who is being investigated by Giamatti’s character. It is so over the top (including the character name Axe), it reads like a farce, but thanks to strong writing and stellar acting from that trifecta, the drama somehow works. The second season picks up after Gaimatti and Lewis’ heated confrontation. Axe spends the bulk of the season trying to extract revenge on the U.S. attorney he blames for taking him down. If you can commit to the idea that this is simply a TV show with little grounding in reality, Billions is a fun ride.
The old Aaron Spelling soap has been rebooted by the CW, but this is not the same old 1980s catfight extravaganza. Reimagined by the brains behind The O.C. and Gossip Girl, the Colbys and the Carringtons now live in Atlanta, not Denver, but the family drama is still palpable and trashy. Billionaire Blake Carrington, played by Grant Show of Melrose Place, is marrying his employee Cristal Flores (Nathalie Kelly), even though his daughter Fallon suspects that Cristal is just slutty, gold-digging trash. Meanwhile, Blake’s gay son Steven falls for Cristal’s nephew Sammy Joe, and scandal ensues. In the original series, Sammy Jo was played by Heather Locklear, who was instrumental in Steven’s controversial gay conversion storyline. This time, Sammy Joe is a man, which is a step toward social progress, I guess. Blake’s ex-wife Alexis, famously played by Joan Collins in the original series, probably won’t show up until the first season finale, unless ratings are really bad.
DUCKTALES (Disney XD)
Disney XD has brought back the 1980s cartoon favorite, featuring Uncle Scrooge and Huey, Dewey and Louie on grand, globe-trotting adventures for treasure, and the pilot episode - which aired in August - was wonderful fun. The new series, featuring all-star voices like David Tennant, is different from the original series in its look, in its continuing storylines and its actual inclusion of Donald Duck. Still, the theme song everybody loves and the vibrant spirit of the original remain intact in this new version. Old and new fans will find much to enjoy in Duckburg.
YOUNG SHELDON (CBS)
CBS is capitalizing on its biggest hit, The Big Bang Theory, by showing us how child genius Sheldon Cooper survived college life in 1989. Narrated by original series star Jim Parsons, the new show stars Iain Armitage
- who co-starred on HBO’s Big Little Lies. Instead of being a three-camera sitcom like its predecessor, Young Sheldon is a single-camera, quirkier affair, reminiscent of Doogie Howser, M.D., or Everybody Hates Chris. Sheldon’s mom, memorably portrayed by Laurie Metcalf on Big Bang, will be played by Metcalf’s daughter Zoe Perry, who both looks and sounds like her mom. It’s sorta uncanny. Whether Young Sheldon is a hit or a blip on the pop culture radar, its existence is certainly interesting.
STAR TREK DISCOVERY (CBS)
In the newest Star Trek series, premiering on CBS All Access on Sept. 24, The Walking Dead star Sonequa Martin-Green plays a first officer aboard a Starfleet vessel, USS Discovery, but the officer is also involved in discovering how to connect with human and alien counterparts as they “boldly go” into new frontiers. Discovery, set around the same time as the original series, will bring us back to Gene Roddenberry’s idealized future and whizbang adventure. For 50 years, Star Trek has been a part of our culture, and this return is certainly exciting. But if you prefer your Star Trek with a little more snark, another show will have you covered.
THE ORVILLE (CBS)
A parody of Star Trek, starring Family Guy’s Seth MacFarlane, will hit Fox roughly the same time as Discovery arrives at CBS. And this one looks like it’s got all the jokes of Family Guy, all the costumes of Star Trek and none of the heart of Galaxy Quest, another Star Trek parody from a kinder, gentler time. In this show, an inept captain, played by MacFarlane, fumbles his way through space travel with a wacky crew and an interesting second-in-command, his ex-wife. The new season is bringing us a variety of flavors, many we have already tasted.
Ducktales
MUSIC
A CASE OF ROCK AND SOUL
Nothing Half-Hearted About Nancy Wilson’s Roadcase Royale
BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH
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so great to see all the people who want that fantasy of being in a rock band. They worked really hard on their songs, too. They learned a lot with their tutor guys so by the time I came in, the 18 bands I stood and played with were all so ready and they were such happy people.
HILE CLASSIC ROCK BAND Heart is currently on an indefinite hiatus, guitarist-singer-songwriter Nancy Wilson is focused on the creation of a brand new project. Roadcase Royale blends Wilson and the That fantasy is coveted by so many age current backing musicians of Heart - Dan groups. Who doesn’t want to run off and join Rothchild (bass), Ben Smith (drums) and a rock band at some point? Chris Joyner (keyboards) - with former Prince Exactly, and there were all kinds of people associates Liv Warfield of the New Power there. We had a whole band of teenage girls, Generation (vocals) and Ryan Waters (guitar). a couple of cops, just young and old and The new band first played live in March at a from all walks of life. It was a really big group charity gig in Los Angeles. Currently they’re who are all joined at alternating headlining the intersection of rock shows and opening slots and roll. on Bob Seger’s Runaway OPENING FOR BOB SEGER Train tour to support And you’ve been at that their debut album First October 7 crossroad for most of Things First. Infinite Energy Arena • Duluth your life at this point. Rock and Roll Hall Of Do you think you have roadcaseroyale.com Fame inductee Wilson, to be born to rock, or can back from vacation with it be taught? her family, recently spoke Well there’s some that can be taught and with INsite from her home in California. you can definitely learn a lot. I think if you’re a natural to it, if it’s in your DNA, then How’s it going today? it’s better. Great. I just had a really relaxing vacation and I got some yoga time in. We’re not on the The new band is also poised at the road yet, so right now it’s just the calm before crossroads. In your case, it’s rock and soul. the storm. How did it come about and why did you call it Roadcase Royale? Did you need a vacation after playing the Well I’d formed a production company recent Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp? called Roadcase Productions for various Oh it was just so much fun to do that. I’m projects including film and TV projects and going to do another one soon, too. It was things outside of the Heart moniker. When
ROADCASE ROYALE
we all got together - since Ann was off doing her Ann Wilson thing - we said, “Let’s just try something.”
What was the bond that brought you all together in the first place? Liv and her Blackbird band opened for us two nights at the Hollywood Bowl. We’d seen them on the Jimmy Fallon show and we were just blown away with Liv and her energy and her voice. So instead of going the kind of L.A. route, we went with something a little more surprising with Liv and her Blackbird band as openers. Then we just fell into a great friendship immediately. ‘We should make something together, we should do some kind of music together.’ “Get Loud” was the first track released, but was it the first song you wrote? Actually we got together to rehearse and we worked on this song that I’d been wanting to reimagine. It’s turned out to be the one cover on the new album. It’s written by Colin Hay from Men At Work and called “Hold On To My Hand.” I wanted to just rebuild it into more of the rock ethic. Then we started writing and “Get Loud” was one of the first songs we did. Liv and Ryan brought in “Not Giving Up,” and we all finished it together. And then we just finished up some songs that had been waiting in notebooks and files and brought them to life. “Get Loud” became sort of a rally cry at the first Women’s March early this year. Yeah at the big one in Washington and there
was a huge one in Texas, too. It became a bit of a theme for those marches. It doesn’t push too hard or sound too controversial but it does stand up for human rights. So it was nice timing. Music and art are the best ways to stand up to any sort of injustice. Yeah and I was there in the ‘60s at some of the rallies myself - for similar causes. To be quite honest, it’s a little bit of a déjà vu, unfortunately, of how similar they are. But music inspires and brings people together because it’s a source for good and for healing. Now I’m not just Pollyanna over here, but I feel really strongly that music can help.
GETTIN’ THERE AS FAST AS HE CAN
Devilishly Witty Storyteller Ray Wylie Hubbard Goes His Own Way
BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH
T
HE CONSUMMATE STORYTELLER, Ray Wylie Hubbard blends elements of raw Texas blues, traditional folk, dirt road country and roadhouse rock’n’roll with a unique and distinctly iconoclastic delivery. After surviving the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s with modest record sales and more dive bar gigs than he cares to remember, his music has finally found healthy support within the burgeoning Americana scene. Still as loveably ornery as ever, Hubbard’s quick wit and keen observational narratives are in peak form on his latest album Tell The Devil I’m Gettin’ There As Fast As I Can. INsite caught up with Hubbard on the road to a show in Missouri.
Many of your songs have a timeless quality, but do current events effect your songwriting? I’ve been doing a lot of blues lately! More so than ever. It does but I’m not into name-calling or pointing fingers much. I try to keep it subtle. Like in “Conversation With The Devil” a while back, I said who I thought wasn’t gonna get into heaven. I don’t make it too blatant because I’m too old to be a protest singer.
You’ve certainly offered some interesting observations on both sides of the political and spiritual spectrum. Yeah, you know the whole thing sort of started with “Up Against The Wall Redneck Mother” (the Hubbard-penned song famously covered by Jerry Jeff Walker in 1973). It was kind of an answer to songs like “Okie From Muskogee” and “Fightin’ Side Of Me,” back when the country was torn apart with the Vietnam war and hippies and rednecks and everything.
mentioned snakes a lot. You know in songwriting, a blackbird or crow can make a lot more images than a robin. You have a robin or a bluebird? Well that’ll probably be a happy song. But you put a crow, a blackbird or a snake in a song and there’s a difference; they’re like the cool ones.
Speaking of songwriting, in your book (2015’s “A Life… Well, Lived”) you mention that you didn’t get serious about writing until your ‘40s. That’s so rare. A lot of the musicians we both love peaked creatively by their mid-20s, and then it was just Your latest record really falls into that replication from then on. great ‘70s-style cautionary-tale vibe that In my 20s and 30s, I was a working Bob Dylan used to do so well. It’s irreverent musician but it was a pretty wild time. but it’s a very honest gospel record in Running around with the guys, you know, many ways. Jerry Jeff and Willie and Waylon and all September 15 • 8pm I guess I’m sort of a spiritual mongrel. I those cats. Everybody drank hard and City Winery don’t follow one particular religion but I try played hard. So in my 20s, songwriting to live on certain spiritual principles so it was secondary to just, “Let’s roar.” In my citywinery.com/atlanta/ does seep into the songwriting. I read the 40s when I did get clean and sober, I went, Bible up until it got to the begats and I was ‘Ok, what do I need to do to become a real like, ‘Ok, I get it.’ It’s something that’s kinda in the back of my songwriter?’ Somewhere in there I made a decision that I was head a little bit. You get older and you start thinking about your just gonna write songs and not think about the future. So as a mortality. But hopefully the title is just a metaphor. writer that was great. I could write about whatever.
RAY WYLIE HUBBARD
Your stuff always reminds me that our time here is really quite short. I’ve come to realize we have to give each day the respect it deserves. The whole attitude of gratitude thing, you know. Just try to be grateful for each day and keep your side of the street clean. These are turbulent times so what else can ya do? All we can do is the next right thing and that’s it for right now. As usual, there’s some great storytelling on your new album. You also seem to be continuing the snake imagery. Yeah, I didn’t realize it until this record that I’ve kinda
Your style of writing is so different than those Nashville “writer’s rooms” where they just crank out hits. Yeah, it’ll be about four or five guys in there and it’s like, “OK, Kenny Chesney needs a song,” so they’ll sit there and write it. I just never have thought I could do that. It’s like the difference between Nashville and Austin or even Athens and Atlanta. It’s the difference between livelihood and lifestyle. In Nashville it’s a livelihood, you’ve got to write a song and get somebody to cut it, while other places it’s a lifestyle. That’s what I am, I’m a songwriter, a musician, it’s what I do. If I get a cut, great - if not then I’m still doing it. insiteatlanta.com • September 2017 • PG 9
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COMEDY
NOT EASY BEIN’ CLEAN
But Brian Regan has Built a Successful Career on Family-Friendly Humor
BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH
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HILE OTHER COMICS casually drop f-bombs and graphically detail their sexual adventures, Brian Regan offers hilarious stories that avoid profanity, politics and controversy. The technique has been a successful one for the Miami born comedian/actor who regularly headlines arenas and amphitheaters all over the country. On a lengthy tour that takes him across the USA and ends this winter at Carnegie Hall, the affable raconteur will be mixing material from his upcoming Netflix special with brand new stuff and a few familiar bits for good measure. INsite caught up with Regan by phone. In your episode of Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee, your friend Jerry Seinfeld asks you probably the best - and worst question for a comic that I’ve ever heard: “Do you think comedians are kinda smart idiots?” There’s a lot of truth in the simplicity of that question. But there’s a lot to it, maybe more than the average person out there knows. A lot of people just sit back and laugh or don’t laugh, but there’s a lot of work and everything that goes into it. You gotta be kinda smart and on the idiot side of things, it’s a big risk to take, to get on stage and not do well. It’s very humiliating and I’ve done it. Or if you do a kind of self-deprecating, even if it’s working you’re still exploiting your own weaknesses.
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into the ether. Some comics don’t like to work outside for that reason. But I actually like outdoor shows and I’ve asked my bookers to get more outdoor shows in the summer, just for the experience of it.
You mentioned the Punchline; before you made it to that circuit you took a It’s literally a big step to SEPT. 23 • 8PM rather unorthodox career walk on stage alone. Chastain Park route in the early ‘80s. It really dawned on me Amphitheater I decided I wanted to be after my son was born. I took a comedian when I was in three months off to do the chastainseries.com college and when I made that daddy thing and it was the decision the only comedy longest time I’d ever taken clubs I knew about were in New York City off since I started doing comedy. Then one night I walked in, I saw the people sitting in and Los Angeles. I thought I was gonna the audience and then I looked at the empty have to move to one of those two cities. As luck with have it, I was at home in Miami stage with a microphone and I thought, and I saw an ad for a comedy club that was ‘Who do I think I am? I’m gonna entertain opening in Fort Lauderdale. It changed these people for an hour?’ But when I got my life! I was like, ‘Wow, I can get to that back on stage, it fell together, kinda like comedy club with a tank of gas!’ riding a bicycle.
For more information, contact the Alpine Helen Chamber of Commerce at 706-878-1619
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BRIAN REGAN
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The show coming up is at Chastain Park, which as you know, is an outdoor amphitheater. Does it change your performance style - to basically play in a room with no ceiling? Most comics do like to have a ceiling, so the laughs kinda bounce around and you want the show to feel like it’s just for this group of people. But when there’s no roof it feels a little murkier because it’s going up
In three decades of touring, you’ve certainly endured a number of major changes in the mercurial industry. When I started to go on the road, I was fortunate that comedy had just exploded and I was able to ride that wave. Then comedy dried up, but the people who already had a little bit of a following were able to survive that. I was lucky to have had enough of a following that I could perform in comedy clubs. If you were a draw, you could survive. I kinda rode that out. And now comedy is exploding again, and there’s all these different ways people can make it, with podcasts and this and that and the other. It’s tremendous. It’s like the wild west in a way, there’s so many ways of getting comedy to the people. I’m happy to be part of the ride.
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I’VE HAD A GOOD TIME IN ATLANTA OVER THE YEARS. I’VE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO DO THE FOX THEATER WHICH WAS A BIG DEAL FOR ME AND THE COBB ENERGY CENTER.
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You’ll have plenty of fans on your side in Atlanta. I’ve had a good time in Atlanta over the years. I’ve been fortunate enough to do the Fox Theater which was a big deal for me and the Cobb Energy Center. Then before that, for years I played at the Punchline and that’s where I really developed my following in Atlanta.
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Fall Festiva l Guide F
all is the perfect time to enjoy outdoor festivals in Atlanta. The hot humid days of August are behind us and the weather feels invigorating. If you thought the spring was a busy time for festivals in Atlanta, wait until you see our Fall Festival Guide! It is chock full of events happening throughout the metro area. Stop by any of the ones listed below and you are sure to see packed crowds filled with people of all ages and backgrounds. Many of these festivals have a similar theme: food, music, kid's area, local performers, arts and crafts, vendors and more. Many have free admission or a small admission fee. Check the individual websites for more details.
SEPTEMBER FESTIVALS OLD FOURTH WARD BEER FEST
Friday, September 8 7pm - 11pm Historic 4th Ward Skate Park atlantabeerfestivals.com This inaugural festival is a fundraising event benefiting the Atlanta BeltLine Partnership. There will be over 75 beers as well as a selection of wine and cider to choose from. Enjoy live music and food will be available for purchase. Tickets $40 in advance and $50 at the door. Sales tax and ticket fee to be added.
HELEN, GA OKTOBERFEST
September 7-10, 14-17, 21-24 then Sept 28 - Oct 29 Festhalle, Helen, GA helenchamber.com Beer, brats, bands and Lederhosen - the Helen Oktoberfest has them all! Join the longest running Oktoberfest in the United States, which runs weekends in September then everyday in October through October 29. 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 lively Polka music. Visit the helenchamber.com.
TASTE OF SMYRNA
Saturday, September 16 11am - 8pm Downtown Smyrna smyrnacity.com The Taste of Smyrna is food, fun and music all day long! Nibble and nosh your way around the Village Green. Admission is free and samples can be purchased
from $1 up to $4. Plan to sample from over 30 restaurants and listen to acoustic music on the beautiful Village Green and the Market Village. Scott Thompson provides acoustic music from 11am – 3pm adjacent to the Veteran’s Memorial. The kids will have a blast at the Kids Zone on the Quad Bungee, 24’ Rockwall, 33’ inflatable Shark Slide, bounces, 120’ roller coaster obstacle course and more!
NORTH GEORGIA STATE FAIR
September 21 - October 1 Jim Miller Park Marietta northgeorgiastatefair.com As the largest fair in metro Atlanta, the North Georgia State Fair attracts nearly 300,000 people every year from North Georgia and neighboring states. The fair features live music, free attractions and shows, farm animals, flower shows, blue ribbon competitions, local entertainment, and delicious fair foods. Headlining the Georgia Lottery Concert Series this year are: Colton Dixon (Friday, 9/22), Lauren Alaina (Saturday, 9/23), Trace Adkins (Wednesday, 9/27), Colt Ford (Thursday, 9/28), Chris Janson (Friday, 9/29) and Zach Seabaugh
(Saturday 9/30). All concerts begin at 8 p.m. and are free with fair admission. A covered arena guarantees concerts rain or shine. There are also games and rides on the Great James H. Drew Exposition midway. New this year is the Mega Slide which goes 50-feet high and rippling out another 170 feet. With wavy lengths of grooved, galvanized metal over a scaffolding support, the yellow and green Mega Slide will be one of the most iconic structures at the North Georgia State Fair. Admission to the fair is $7.00; Children 10 and under are free. Ride tickets are $1.25 each with packages available. Discounted fair tickets are available thru Sept. 22 at metro Atlanta Walgreens stores.
IMAGINE MUSIC FESTIVAL
Friday, Sept 22 - Sunday, Sept 24 Atlanta Motor Speedway ImagineFestival.com The psychedelic overload of sound, light, color and creatively exposed skin known as the Imagine Music Festival takes it up a big ol’ notch for its fourth annual event. Headliners include Above and Beyond, deadmau5, the legendary producer Tiesto, Pretty Lights Live and Gorgon City lifting
e r b 1 6 m e 2017 t p e S Saturday 11:00 am - 8:00, pm SmyrnaCity.com
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FREE ADMISSION Village Green 200 Village Green Circle, Smyrna, Georgia 30080 Admission is FREE and samples can be purchased from $1 up to $4 dollars.
Plan to eat, drink and listen to music all day long all on the beautiful Village Green in downtown Smyrna. Enjoy acoustic music from Scott Thompson from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. adjacent to the Veteran’s Memorial. The evening will be topped off with a live concert by a local artist. There will be a wide variety of children’s activities from a Quad Bungee, Rockwall, inflatable slides, bounces, obstacle courses and much more. PG 12 • September 2017 • insiteatlanta.com
insiteatlanta.com • September 2017 • PG 13
the EDM gathering to a whole new dimension of sensory pleasures. Georgia-born instrumental favorites Sound Tribe Sector 9 have been added to the constantly expanding line-up. Featured artists include Datsik, Big Gigantic, Claude Vonstroke and Netsky offering a literally dizzying array of acts on the expansive stages at the Speedway. Last year over 25,000 attendees jammed the site, enjoying the central music stage as well as art and an intriguing selection of related workshops.
EAST ATLANTA STRUT
September 23 11am - 9pm East Atlanta Village eastatlantastrut.com Celebrating its 20th year, the East Atlanta Strut is a free oneday extravaganza that showcases the city’s hottest intown neighborhood. East Atlanta is the place to eat, drink, shop and play. Enjoy live local music, an artist’s market and a game area with a theme of oversized games, including two for adults only: a giant Big Wheel course and a mechanical bull. Watch or join the beard contest, and be sure to check out the parade at 2pm. Dine at an array of food trucks and East Atlanta’s own terrific restaurants. Alcohol is available for purchase for those with valid 21 or older photo ID. All festival proceeds go back into the neighborhood and its community outreach. Leave the car at home. Parking will be limited to neighborhood streets, so take public transport or ride a bike.
SANDY SPRINGS FESTIVAL
Saturday Sept 23 and Sunday Sept 24 sandyspringsfestival.com
The Sandy Springs Festival - a community tradition for over three decades - returns on September 23-24 for two exciting days of family-friendly fun. The largest event in Sandy Springs, the Festival unites the community, creating lasting memories for local residents both young and old. And, for the first time EVER, the Festival is being offered FREE of charge. The 2017 Festival honors beloved traditions like the Lightning 10k/5k, Pet Parade, and Car Show while bringing in a refreshing new Artist Market and a variety of unique activities for kids and is pet friendly too. Festival hours are Saturday, September 23, 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. and Sunday, September 24, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Join Heritage Sandy Springs for this celebration of community. The Sandy Springs Festival is the primary fundraiser for Heritage Sandy Springs, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting history, stewarding a community park, and enhancing the cultural identity of Sandy Springs.
ATLANTA GREEK FESTIVAL September 28 - October 1 Greek
Orthodox Cathedral atlantagreekfestival.org
Enjoy food, fun and "Opa" at the Atlanta Greek Festival! This popular festival brings all the aromas, sounds, tastes and traditions of Greece to your doorstep. Enjoy authentic Greek food and pastries
35th Annual
Downtown Duluth Saturday, September 30
• All Day Entertainment • 9am-7pm: Booths • 10am: Parade • 11:30am: Opening Ceremony
Sunday, October 1
• All Day Entertainment • 8am: Road Race • 9am-5pm: Booths • 10am: Worship in the Park
Fullscale Carnival Thursday–Sunday! Coupons on Website! Free Free duluthfallfestival.org Admission! Shuttles!
Saturday • Oct. 21
Noon to 5 on the square ticketS ON SaLe Sept. 18 at NOON
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(including a festival drive thru for those short on time), cooking demonstrations, church tours, music, and dancing with special audience participation. Festival takes place Friday September 28 from 5pm - 11pm; Saturday 11am - 11pm; and Sunday from 11am - 7pm. Drive-Thru available Thursday - Saturday 11am - 8pm and Sunday 11am - 6pm. The Greek Orthodox Cathedral is located on Clairmont Rd. between Briarcliff Rd. and LaVista Rd. in Atlanta. Admission for adults is $5 and children 12 & under are admitted free. Go online, for special promotions and to purchase tickets. Free Parking and Shuttle buses from Century Center Office Park.
DULUTH FALL FESTIVAL
September 30 - October 1 Downtown Duluth duluthfallfestival.org
Come on out to the 35th annual Duluth Fall Festival. There will be 375 plus Arts & Crafts, Food and Sponsor booths with many exciting new vendors. A huge parade kicks off the Festival on Saturday morning at 10am followed by the Opening Ceremony. Then entertainment takes over on two stages where more than 20 acts will perform a variety of music and dance. Sunday starts with a 5K race at 8am followed by Worship on the Green and more entertainment. The Gold Medal Carnival is back. Go to Festival website to print off a ‘Buy One Get One Free’ Carnival coupon for Thursday and Friday nights. Website also lists pick-up locations for FREE shuttle buses.
OCTOBER FESTIVALS GREAT ATLANTA BEER FEST
October 7 1 - 5pm SunTrust Park greatatlantabeerfest.com The Great Atlanta Beer Fest moves this year from Turner Field to Suntrust Park on Saturday, October 7, 1-5pm. There will be over 150 beers to sample from the Southeast and across the country plus ciders and over 25 wines. The festival will take place inside the stadium using the concourse, both levels of the Chop House, and the games of “The Sandlot” (kids zone) will be open to beer fest patrons. College Football will be on the big screens in the outfield as well as the TVs in the Chop House and around the concourse. There will be live music with the Geeks Band and a DJ dance party with everyone’s favorite, DJ Qtip. Festival Tickets are $45 advance, $50 after Sept. 28, and $60 day of. First 500 tickets sold will be just $35.
ATLANTA PRIDE FESTIVAL
October 13 - 15 Piedmont Park atlantapride.org The Atlanta Pride Festival coincides with National Coming Out Day. The Official Kickoff Party returns to the Georgia Aquarium on Friday, October 13 from 7pm - 11:30pm. This ticketed event launches the Southeast’s largest Pride Festival. The Parade begins at 1 p.m. on Sunday from the Civic Center and enters the Piedmont Park through the Charles Allen entrance.
TASTE OF ACWORTH
Saturday October 14, 10am – 6:00pm Main Street – Downtown Acworth acworthbusiness.org The Superior Plumbing Taste of Acworth offers more than 25 restaurants and 100 booths featuring businesses from around the greater-Acworth area. There will be a local entertainment stage, complete with a dog show and a High School Team Cooking Challenge, children’s activities, lots of food, and more! More than 18,000 people are expected to attend the 2017 event. Plan to bring your family to experience a true “Taste” of Acworth.
FESTIVAL ON PONCE
Oct. 14 & 15 Olmsted Linear Park festivalonponce.com The Festival on Ponce is a 2-Day local arts and crafts event held at the Olmsted Linear Park. The Artist's Market features arts and handmade crafts. There is a Children's Park, local food and beverage concessions and live acoustic entertainment. Attendance is free. Stroll the event while enjoying the art on display and the historic gardens. This is a wonderful opportunity to appreciate the vision and legacy of one of America's most celebrated landscape architects, Fredrick Olmsted, Sr.
TASTE OF ATLANTA
October 20 - 22 Old Fourth Ward Park tasteofatlanta.com Taste of Atlanta, the city's original food
festival, moves to their new location at Old Fourth Ward Park. Experience delicious tastes from more than 90 of Atlanta's favorite restaurants. Sample exceptional food, wine, beer, and cocktail tastings and participate in seminars and food pairings and relaxing music cafes. Feast on Taste of Atlanta's fantastic programming in five different live demo areas. Watch chefs go head to head on the Home Plate Main Cooking stage or go Inside the Food Studio where Atlanta's top foodies will teach you about Atlanta's food history and current trends.
DECATUR CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL
Saturday October 21, Noon to 5 pm Downtown Decatur on the square decaturbeerfestival.com The Decatur Craft Beer Festival sets up on the downtown square on Saturday, Oct. 21, from noon to 5 pm. Organized by the beer-minded owners of the Brickstore Pub, and Twain’s Brewpub, this popular event features tastings from more than 80 American craft breweries. A line-up of live music and a DJ make for a lively and enjoyable afternoon on the square. A tasting glass is included in the ticket price, and festival swag, pretzel necklaces and food is available for sale within the venue. Tickets go on sale Sept. 18. Find details at decaturbeerfestival.com. Local tips: Tickets for this event always sell out, so buy yours early. On festival day, take MARTA to the downtown Decatur station and you will be at the event.
BROOKHAVEN ARTS FESTIVAL
October 21 & 22 behind Brookhaven MARTA brookhavenartsfestival.com On Saturday & Sunday October 21 & 22, Brookhaven will host the 13rd Annual Brookhaven Arts Festival. Over 140 participating artists will feature works of fiber, glass, jewelry, mixed media, painting, photography, sculpture and more. Musical performances will take place over the two days, with a classic car show on Sunday from 1 – 4PM in the MARTA parking lot. It’s a great time for individuals and families to take in the beauty of fall while enjoying terrific food, music, kids’ activities, and art. The festival is located at 4047 Peachtree Road behind the Brookhaven MARTA station on the Apple Valley Road between Dresden Dr. and N Druid Hills Rd. There is plenty of FREE parking in the MARTA lot.
AIDS Walk Atlanta & 5K Run
Saturday, October 22 Piedmont Park AIDSWalkAtlanta.com AIDS Walk Atlanta & 5K Run, produced by AID Atlanta, benefits thousands of people living with HIV/AIDS in Greater Atlanta. Since its inception in 1990, AIDS Walk Atlanta & 5K Run has increased awareness of HIV/AIDS throughout the community and has involved hundreds of thousands walkers, runners and volunteers. All funds raised here, stay here in Atlanta to benefit AID Atlanta and the six participating organizations that provide treatment and medica-
www.BrookhavenChiliCookOff.com
Saturday, October 21st (10 am-6 pm)
Sunday, October 22nd (12 pm-5 pm)
tions, prevention education, meals, hospice, mental health services, child care, substance abuse counseling, and clinical research to help thousands of our families, neighbors and friends living with, affected by, and at-risk for HIV/AIDS in Atlanta.
SMYRNA FALL JONQUIL FESTIVAL
Saturday, October 28 & Sunday Oct. 29 smyrnacity.com The Fall Jonquil Festival is located on the beautiful Village Green in downtown Smyrna. The festival takes place Saturday, October 28 from 10 am - 6 pm and Sunday, October 29 from 12 - 5 pm. Serving the area for 21 years the festival will feature over 125 handmade arts & crafts booths, local non-profit booths, puppet shows, live music, plenty of festival foods, and all types of children's activities. There will also be local entertainment on the stage in front of the library.
TASTE OF KENNESAW
Saturday, November 4 Downtown Kennesaw kennesawbusiness.org Come on out to Taste of Kennesaw Saturday, November 4 to sample over 30 local restaurants from the Kennesaw and Cobb County area. Admission is free and samples are just $1 - $4. Grab a cold beverage from the beer garden, sample delicious food, and sit back and listen to great music. The Main Street entertainment stage will have local entertainment all day and culminate with a free concert at 6:00 p.m. There will be an enormous Kids Zone with interactive inflatables.
• Over 140 artists • Live music • Car show Sun 1-4 pm • Children's area • Food and beverage vendors
Free Entry | Plenty of FREE PARKING or Ride MARTA
Apple Valley Road (Behind the Brookhaven MARTA Station) 4047 Peachtree Road, Brookhaven, GA 30319
www.BrookhavenArtsFestival.com
insiteatlanta.com • September 2017 • PG 15
TRAVEL
VISIT THE CRESCENT CITY IN STYLE AT THE RITZ-CARLTON, NEW ORLEANS T BY BEN MILLER
HE RITZ-CARLTON, NEW Orleans reflects the romance and charm of the Crescent City. Just a short stroll to the world-famous French Quarter, the hotel allows guests to experience America’s most uniquely European city along with the unmatched personal services of The RitzCarlton. Ideal for everything from weekend getaways to business conferences, this hotel possesses an allure that is all its own.
GETTING THERE
Located 469 miles from Atlanta, the Crescent City is just a two hour flight or 6 ½ hours by car. If flying into the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, there is a shuttle service for the city of New Orleans to and from the airport. Upon arrival at the airport, guests can purchase tickets for $20 one way or $38 round trip per person. This is the least expensive option however it can take longer as it stops and several hotels. Call 504-596-2699 for more information. A cab ride directly to the hotel takes about 30 minutes. Fares for one or two passengers from the airport are $33. For 3 or more passengers the fare is $14 per passenger, not to exceed 5 people. Taxicab Bureau: 504658-7102
THE HOTEL
Set within the historic 1908 Beaux Arts Maison Blanche building, The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans retains the grace and charm of an antebellum mansion. Guests of this French Quarter hotel have the advantage of staying near popular area attractions including Bourbon Street, but can also experience local traditions in their Courtyard, which hosts special events with our Crawfish Concierge, Snowball Sommelier and Oyster Butler. Their luxury guest rooms and suites blend elegant décor with modern amenities. The hotel restaurant M Bistro, offers a farm-to-table dining experience. Adjacent to the restaurant is the Davenport Lounge which offers great live music and dancing. The Courtyard provides a space for guests to relax or host private events. The hotel is a popular wedding destination and offers state-or-the-art meeting spaces. The 25,000 square foot European-style RitzCarlton Spa reflects the revered traditions of old-world elegance and offers a full menu of rejuvenation therapies, traditional treatments and indigenous services. The fitness & wellness center offers stream rooms, sauna, whirlpool, relaxation lounges, Spa Café and Spa Boutique.
GETTING AROUND
The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans resides on Canal Street straddling the French Quarter. You
are walking distance to the Quarter, Downtown and the Riverfront. Even though much of the area is accessible on foot, many enjoy riding the Streetcar. Ride through the Crescent City on a Streetcar for just $1.25. You can also purchase a Jazzy Pass which entitles the bearer to unlimited rides on all streetcars and bus lines. A 1-Day Jazzy Pass can be purchased from the bus or streetcar operator when you board. Only cash is accepted. The 1-day and 3-day Jazzy Passes are available from Walgreens Stores in New Orleans, various other stores and online. For the same price they have a new line of Riverfront Streetcars. The two-mile route includes stops at all the right places: the Convention Center at Julia Street, Riverwalk, the Aquarium, the French Market and the Old Mint on Esplanade. The newest re-established streetcar line in New Orleans is the Canal/Carrollton Streetcar and runs the length of Canal Street. This is the original “Cemeteries” line, which runs from the Mississippi River to the cemeteries located at the Mid-City end of Canal Street. Along the line there is a Carrollton Spur, which will take you to beautiful City Park, home of the New Orleans Museum of Art and the New Orleans Botanical Gardens. This stop is also within walking distance to the Fairgrounds Race Course, where the world-famous New Orleans Jazz Festival takes place every April-May. St. Charles Streetcar line is open around the clock with less frequent service in the evening and early-morning hours. It stops along St. Charles and Carondelet Streets and travels from the edge of the French Quarter all the way down beautiful St. Charles Avenue. The views of historic architecture beneath the shade of massive, ancient live oaks convey so much of New Orleans’ charm and character. The line passes by celebrated restaurants, shops and hotels; some destinations include the Garden District, Audubon Park, Audubon Zoo and Tulane and Loyola Universities.
FRENCH QUARTER
The original settlement of New Orleans and the oldest neighborhood in the city is Vieux Carre, better known as the French Quarter or simply The Quarter. The district is a National Historic Landmark and is bordered by popular streets, such as Canal Street, Decatur Street, Rampart Street and Esplanade Avenue. The French Quarter boasts a storied history of international influence with cultural contributions from the French, Spanish, Sicilians, Italians, Africans, Irish and others. So much of what makes New Orleans unique is captured in the melting pot atmosphere of the French Quarter, from the boisterous party vibe of Bourbon Street to the bohemian elegance of Royal Street. It’s a neighborhood full of
French Quarter
entertainment and surprises. A dominant feature throughout the neighborhood is the stunning architecture. Balconies adorned with intricate ironwork, courtyards filled with lush greenery and beautiful fountains showcase the French Quarter’s European roots. Majority of the architectural design is the handiwork of the Spanish who ruled and rebuilt the city after two overwhelming fires in 1788 and 1794. Many buildings don ceramic plaques informing visitors of the street names during Spanish rule such as Calle de Borbon.
almost every night and bystanders dance on the street. The party continues beneath beautiful cast-iron balconies overlooking a seemingly endless row of bars, music clubs, restaurants and gentlemen’s clubs. There is a section of Bourbon beginning at the intersection of St. Ann Street that caters to a vibrant gay community and is home to fantastic clubs and bars. Bourbon Street is a prime destination for bachelorette and bachelor parties, birthday celebrations and an overall mecca for those looking to have a good time.
TO DO
Tradition, opulence and beauty can all be used to describe New Orleans’ historic Garden District. With its well-preserved collection of antebellum mansions, pristine gardens and southern charm, the Garden District certainly stands out as one of the country’s most lovely neighborhoods. General boundaries for this famous neighborhood are St. Charles Avenue to Magazine Street and from Jackson Avenue to Louisiana Avenue. A common destination for those visiting the Garden District is the intersection of Prytania Street and Washington Avenue. Here, in the heart of the neighborhood, you will find a pocket with shopping, cafes and the historic Lafayette Cemetery # 1. The Garden District is easily accessible via the St. Charles Avenue streetcar, Magazine Street bus or even via carriage ride! Most travel to the Garden District to enjoy its pristine architecture but the area also offers shopping, delicious restaurants, cocktail bars and pubs.
Every street in the French Quarter has something to offer from classic restaurants, music venues, boutique shopping to voodoo temples. Some of the most popular areas include: Royal Street, Chartres Street and Bourbon Street but no trip to the Quarter is complete without a trip to the historic French Market for souvenirs. The Quarter’s allure draws millions of visitors each year. Come stroll the streets of this exotic neighborhood and experience the mystery, fun and magic.
BOURBON STREET
PG 16 • September 2017 • insiteatlanta.com
A carnival of sights and sounds, Bourbon Street is where people from all walks of life come to let their hair down. The street becomes a pedestrian walkway during the evening hours, preventing vehicular traffic and allowing visitors to walk freely on the street. New Orleans’ open-container law permits pedestrians to walk the streets with a “go-cup” in hand filled with one of New Orleans’ signature cocktails, like a “Hurricane” or “Hand Grenade.” The revelry begins at the intersection of Canal Street and Bourbon, where brass bands gather
GARDEN DISTRICT
The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, 921 Canal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112 (504) 524-1331; toll free (800) 241-3333 www.ritzcarlton.com/neworleans
MOVIES
Movie Reviews BY STEVE WARREN
I DO...UNTIL I DON’T (R)
1/2 With traditional marriage on the verge of obsolescence, this romantic comedy dares to offer an alternative: “a seven-year contract with an option to renew.” It’s a compromise between “’til death do us part” and “We’ll live together as long as this lasts.” Like the similarly “groundbreaking” Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice at the dawn of the sexual revolution, it’s all a tease that comes down firmly on the side of marriage as we know it in the end; but the concept could still catch on for unions less idyllic than those in the movie turn out to be. There’s some fun along the way as three couples whose relationships appear to be on shaky ground are recruited for a BBC documentary being made by bitter divorcee Vivian Prudeck (Dolly Wells). The honeymoon is over for Mary Steenburgen and Paul Reiser after 31 years. Ed Helms and Lake Bell (the film’s writer-director) are in dire financial straits and have been unable to conceive in seven years. Her younger sister, Amber Heard, is in an open relationship with Wyatt Cenac; they run a new age retreat together. Vivian tries to manipulate their lives like a reality show (fans of Lifetime’s UnREAL should appreciate this aspect), worsening their problems in hopes of catching one or more breakups on camera. This being a movie, she winds up solving their problems instead (except for some that are ignored for a happy ending). It won’t displace The Big Sick as the year’s best romcom but advocates of the short-term marriage concept will like it...until they don’t.
BEACH RATS (R)
1/2 An indie drama with production values, especially cinematography (Hélène Louvart), worthy of a studio production, Beach Rats is ultimately unsatisfying in terms of storytelling. Written and directed by Eliza Hittman, it might have been called Moonlight in Brooklyn. We know from the opening scene that Frankie (Harris Dickinson – a Brit, but you’d never guess) is gay because he’s cruising a gay chatroom. After a few weeks of his last summer as a teenager, he’s still trying to figure out how to integrate that into his life, and we’re left wondering if he ever will. Between hookups that are casual, though not to him, Frankie dates Simone (Madeline Weinstein), who’s far more enthusiastic than he is. He hangs with his three buddies, getting high and committing petty crimes; he buries his father, consoles and confounds his mother (Kate Hodge), and as the new man of the house tries to keep his younger sister from having a sex life. We want to feel sorry for Frankie, stuck as he is in an insular, unenlightened community; but
CROWN HEIGHTS
his behavior is often less than admirable. There’s lots to think and talk about here, and perhaps it’s a tribute to Hittman and Dickinson that we care too much about Frankie to leave his story unresolved. Do we have to wait for Beach Rats 2?
CROWN HEIGHTS (R)
Members of the Black Lives Don’t Matter movement will enjoy all but the ending of this true story. The rest of us will endure 90 minutes of anguish and frustration, but that’s nothing compared to the 21 years Colin Warner (Lakeith Stanfield of Atlanta and Straight Outta Compton) suffered in real life. He’s 18 in 1980 when he’s arrested for a murder he had nothing to do with. The state has no case except the testimony of an unreliable eyewitness who changes his story on the stand, but a jury hears “black man” and “gun” and draws the obvious (to them) conclusion. Warner is sentenced to 15 years to life. His best friend, Carl King (Nnamdi Asomugha) makes it his mission to get Warner released. “The truth is going to come out,” he promises Warner, but he doesn’t say when. King becomes a one-man Innocence Project, neglecting his family and going into debt as his friend remains in prison through one setback after another. Warner’s not painted as an angel – he steals a car shortly before his arrest – but he doesn’t deserve the things that happen to him in prison or the “justice” system, such as being denied parole because he refuses to express remorse for the crime he didn’t commit. Some supporting actors are hard to keep track of as they change appearance over the years, and writer-director Matt Ruskin prolongs the agony a bit too long; but Crown Heights tells an important story that needs to be heard, even if those who need to hear it most probably won’t go near it.
LETTERS FROM BAGHDAD (NR)
Gertrude Bell (1868-1926) was an extraordinary woman whose time has come. She was played by Nicole Kidman in Queen of the Desert, which was barely released last spring, and plays herself – with the voice of Tilda Swinton – in this brilliant documentary by first-time filmmakers Sabine Krayenbühl and Zeva Oelbaum. When Bell is mentioned elsewhere it’s usually as the female counterpart to her contemporary, T.E. Lawrence. (Think of her as “Florence of Arabia.”) After graduating from Oxford she visited relatives in Tehran and fell in love with the region. She explored the cities as well as the Arabian desert, arousing the suspicion of the Ottoman Empire that she was a British spy. Initially unaware that British Intelligence was paying attention to things she discovered in her travels, Bell was finally hired by the Admiralty
I DO...UNTIL I DON’T in 1915 to serve in various diplomatic posts in Cairo, then Baghdad. The British occupied Iraq after World War I. In 1921 Bell, Lawrence, Churchill and others held a high-level conference to recommend Faisal to run the country as king, which a popular election confirmed. Bell stayed on as chief British official and later, Director of Antiquities, in which capacity she created a museum of regional artifacts. Her letters were mostly to the family she rarely saw, but also to her great love, a married English diplomat. Swinton reads them beautifully over photos, many taken by Bell herself, and rare ancient footage of the region. There are talking heads too – people of the period played by excellent but mostly unfamiliar actors. Even if you’re as historically and geographically challenged as I, and left wondering whatever happened to Mesopotamia, you’ll be impressed by the visuals and by learning about a woman who embodied feminism without preaching it.
POLINA (NR)
1/2 Suddenly it’s ballet time at the movies. On the heels – er, toes – of the animated Leap! comes Polina, the story of a young woman seeking her place in the world, preferably the world of dance. The film begins with non sequiturs. Eight-year-old Polina (Veronika Zhovnytska) is one of dozens of girls auditioning for a Moscow ballet school. She doesn’t seem to do very well but she comes home and tells her parents she was accepted. Her mother says they won’t be able to afford it, but then Polina’s in the school and grows into a teenager (Anastasia Shevtsova), still evoking valid criticism from cruel ballet master Bojinsky (Aleksey Guskov). Her father apparently works for gangsters to pay for it. Early on, Polina’s impromptu dance in the snow suggests classical ballet may not be her forte. Though accepted by the Bolshoi she opts to join a less traditional company in France with her French boyfriend Adrien (Niels Schneider). This time her hard taskmaster is Liria, played by Juliette Binoche. (Who knew she could dance?) All goes well until Polina sprains her ankle and gets jealous watching Adrien dance with a new partner. She goes off on her own, growing sadder and more beautiful, and winds up working in a bar in Antwerp, Belgium. She’s too independent to perform someone else’s movements so she has to become a choreographer, but this comes down to a clichéd “Will she get there on time?” climax. That’s one of several minor annoyances in the film, including frequent intercutting of scenes that don’t go together. This is especially true in dance sequences. Polina won’t appeal to anyone who’s not interested in dance, so why not show entire numbers without cutaways? Aficionados will still want to see it, but they could have been indulged a bit more.
THE TRIP TO SPAIN (NR)
You needn’t have taken The Trip and The Trip to Italy to enjoy Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon’s latest buddy-foodie-travelogue, again cut down from a six-part BBC-TV series. Again the men are traveling for a week to write restaurant reviews. (Coogan’s hoping to write a book this time.) They hop a ferry from England to Spain and drive around, eating and seeing the sights, and engaging in banter all the time. The sights are magnificent (I wanted to hop on the next ferry to see them in person!), the food appetizing; and while the talk – apparently all improvised, as no writer is credited – occasionally gets tiresome, most of it is terrific. The guys take turns mocking themselves and each other. Brydon boasts of having younger children, while Coogan touts his Oscar nominations for Philomena. They also engage again in dueling celebrity impressions, perhaps more than ever: Mick Jagger, Ian McKellen, Marlon Brando, Sean Connery, David Bowie, etc. And they spend time on the phone dealing with situations back home or wherever, have some wild dreams and do a Don Quixote/ Sancho Panza photo shoot in La Mancha. I was expecting it to be same wit, different country; and that’s pretty much what I got, but I was pleasantly surprised to see it hasn’t gotten old.
THE FENCER (NR)
The Fencer gives you three genres for the price of one. It’s the story of a dedicated teacher who risks his own freedom for the sake of his students. It’s a sports movie with a climactic championship match. And in a low-key way it’s also a political thriller. There’s a romance too, but that fits in any genre. Based on a true story, The Fencer begins with title cards that told me more than I ever knew about the country of Estonia, which was occupied by the Soviets after World War II. Estonian men who had been drafted by the previous occupiers, the Germans, were hunted by the Secret Police and sent to labor camps. In 1953 Endel Nelis (Märt Avandi) arrives in a small Estonian town and takes a job as a phys ed teacher in a school run by a bureaucratic butthole. He starts a sports club and teaches the students fencing, his specialty, even though the authorities consider the sport unsuitable for the proletariat. With his suspicious boss checking up on him, he’s afraid to enter his students in a tournament in Leningrad, where he’s likely to be exposed and arrested; but Endel puts the kids first. The Finnish-Estonian-German production would probably get a PG rating; there’s nothing too strong for anyone old enough to read subtitles. Some details about Endel’s past aren’t too clear but the main plot is easy to follow, and the look young Marta gives the best fencer on the opposing Moscow team is priceless! See the rest of our movie reviews at insiteatlanta.com/movies.asp insiteatlanta.com • September 2017 • PG 17
SPORTS
2017 NFL FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS
Pittsburgh’s Ryan Shazier
8. MIAMI
We’re not particularly fond of the recently unretired Jay Cutler’s mannerisms either, but it doesn’t take a Mr. Congeniality to hand it off to Jay Ajayi (1,272 rushing yards) or drop a 15-yard pass to Jarvis Landry (1,136 receiving yards).
9. TENNESSEE
The Titans went 9-7 a season ago, so they aren’t far off. To build on that mild success, they’ll need major performances from QB Marcus Mariota, RB DeMarco Murray and underrated wideout Rishard Matthews.
10. CINCINNATI
If the Bengals, who haven’t won a playoff game since 1990, don’t win a postseason contest this year, that has to spell the end for head coach Marvin Lewis, right? A heady Andy Dalton and healthy A.J. Green are keys to his job security.
11. INDIANAPOLIS
Scott Tolzien (216 passing yards in ’16) is taking the snaps until Andrew Luck’s shoulder heals. We have to hand it to receivers T.Y. Hilton and Donte Moncrief — they’re putting on a good face in the midst of all the QB uncertainty.
12. L.A. CHARGERS
E
ARLY RUMORS HAVE JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE AND Jay-Z as the frontrunners to co-headline the halftime show for Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis’ sparkling new US. Bank Stadium. If this proves true, the performance should deliver a solid mix of smooth pop hits and street-savvy hip hop. It’ll be the best of both words, kind of like the NFL’s best team this season, the Pittsburgh Steelers. With Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown anchoring the offensive charge and a betterthan-advertised defense, the Steel Curtain will be akin to a JT/ Jigga halftime performance — hitting all the right notes come February.
1. PITTSBURGH
AFC
Jay-Z and JT collaborated on a Grammy-winning song called “Holy Grail” back in 2013. It’s no coincidence that we’re forecasting that these Steelers will reach their holy grail this season with the aforementioned offensive forces, solid linebackers (Ryan Shazier) and steady coaching (Mike Tomlin).
2. NEW ENGLAND
There’s so much talk about the great QB (Tom Brady), great coach (Bill Bellichick) and great acquisitions (Brandin Cooks, Mike Gillislee) that few speak on how great the defense is (NFLlow 15.63 points against in ’16).
3. OAKLAND
The franchise’s pending move to Las Vegas still doesn’t sit well with us. But we have to say that we like the direction that players like Derek Carr, Amari Cooper and Khalil Mack have the team going on the field.
4. KANSAS CITY
The (likely) season-ending injury to RB Spencer Ware certainly hurts, but these confident Chiefs still have the likes of Tyreek Hill, Travis Kelce and explosive rookie Kareem Hunt getting the ball up the field.
5. DENVER
If the Broncos had a little more certainty under center (Trevor Siemian, 23rd in passer rating in ’16), they could compete with the Raiders in the AFC West. But with the Von Miller-led D, they’ll still battle for a Wild Card spot.
6. HOUSTON
A city ravaged by Hurricane Harvey will find something to cheer about in the form of a young, talented team (DeAndre Hopkins, JJ Watt) that will be playing for pride and the playoffs all year.
7. BALTIMORE
The Ravens have lost 10 players to injuries, suspensions or retirement, including TE Dennis Pitta and LB Albert McClellan. Know who will be back, though? Head coach John Harbaugh, who just signed a contract extension through 2019. PG 18 • September 2017 • insiteatlanta.com
The team may have relocated up Interstate 405 from San Diego, put they won’t move up in the standings until linebackers Joey Bossa and Melvin Ingram have spent a little more time together.
13. BUFFALO
Every word we’re hearing out of the Panthers’ camp is that rookie spark plug Christian McCaffrey is fantastic, and QB Cam Newton and WR Kelvin Benjamin have forgotten about their subpar ’16 showing.
6. MINNESOTA
We get really excited when Stefon Diggs, Dalvin Cook, Jerick McKinnon and Kyle Rudolph have the ball, but it’s deflating that the way-too-conservative Sam Bradford is the one getting it to them.
7. NEW YORK GIANTS
Yes, we’re mildly concerned with Odell Beckham Jr.’s ankle, but it’s not nearly to the level of worry we have for the team’s nearly nonexistent running game.
8. ARIZONA
We still don’t know what’s scarier, seeing the Cardinals’ fourWR/one-RB sets on offense or watching their two stud DBs, Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu, give zero chances to opposing offenses in the secondary.
9. TAMPA BAY
Gunslingers like QB Jameis Winston need weapons, and in the mighty Michael Evans, merciless DeSean Jackson and manchild O.J. Howard, he is fully loaded.
10. PHILADELPHIA
The addition of speedster Alshon Jeffery should help slow the chances of Carson Wentz suffering much of a sophomore slump.
The Bills have the talent — RB LeSean McCoy, LB Lorenzo Alexander, QB Tyrod Taylor — to put up a fight in most games. But then again, this is Buffalo, so they’ll probably be knocked out of contention by Week 6.
11. DETROIT
14. CLEVELAND
12. NEW ORLEANS
15. JACKSONVILLE
13. CHICAGO
Browns fans, we have good news and bad news. First, the bad: your team won’t win more than five games this season. The good: rookies Deshone Kizer, Jabril Peppers and Myles Garrett could all be stars in five years. It’s easy to see why so many are fixated with gifted RB Leonard Fournette. But if he doesn’t shut up — he said the NFL is “a lot slower than I really thought” in early August — he’ll be making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
16. NEW YORK JETS
Polarizing QB Colin Kaepernick doesn’t have a job but sad New York arms Josh McCown (6 TDs, 6 INTs in ’16) and Bryce Petty (3 TDs, 7 INTs) do? Yeah, the J-E-T-S deserve to be in their current M-E-S-S.
1. SEATTLE
NFC
The Seahawks went a quiet 10-5-1 a season ago. We heard rumbles of a rift between Russell Wilson and Richard Sherman over the summer. We’re confident the D can regain its swag, allowing the team to cancel all the exterior noise.
2. ATLANTA
The Birds, who return much of the offense that ranked No. 1 in the NFL in points per game and No. 2 in yards per game in 2016, have an interesting stretch in October where they play every AFC East team in consecutive weeks. For some odd reason, most have the October 22 tilt with New England circled.
If the Lions don’t do something about the gaping holes in the defensive line, it won’t matter how many times QB Matthew Stafford finds Golden Tate and Marvin Jones in space. We’ve talked to a few NOLA locals lately and they feel that Drew Brees’ age (38) may start being a hindrance for the Saints. Adrian Peterson, 32, will use the doubters as motivation as he works his way up the backfield depth chart. The serious ACL injury to wideout Cameron Meredith hurts, but c’mon, were you really expecting Mike Glennon or rookie Mitch Trubisky to get him the ball much anyway?
14. WASHINGTON
Though this franchise is surrounded by questions — Where are they going to find linebacker depth? Who’ll Kirk Cousins throw it to? Why do people like Kirk Cousins? — it may have found its running back answer in Rob Kelley.
15. LA RAMS
While Todd Gurley’s 2016 numbers (885 yards, six TDs) pale in comparison to his 2015 effort (1,106 yards, 10 TDs), we still believe in the guy. As for the QB (Jared Goff) and just about everything else, we’re not sure what to believe.
16. SAN FRANCISCO
When a head coach hire (Kyle Shanahan) is the only encouraging thing to write about a team, you can put a 2-14 or 3-13 record down in Sharpie.
SUPER BOWL LII:
PITTSBURGH OVER SEATTLE, 27-21
3. GREEN BAY
Aaron Rodgers turns 34 on December 8. The wise old owl knows that if the offensive line doesn’t shore up quickly, he’ll suffer too many post-sack aches to lead the Pack to its ninth straight postseason appearance.
4. DALLAS
Dak Prescott looks good and ready to follow-up an unbelievable rookie campaign. We still don’t know if we’ll have to wait until Week 5, 6 or 7 to look at the suspended Ezekiel Elliott in a Cowboys uniform again.
5. CAROLINA
Seattle’s Russell Wilson
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