Vol. 2, Issue 46 Nov. 24, 2016

INSIDE:

Our Giving Guide to Area Nonprofits

NOVEMBER 24, 2016 KNOXMERCURY.COM

THANKS FOR READING US! V.

2 / N.46

Inside Knoxville’s nonprofit, low-powered, community-oriented, DJ-supported radio station STORY AND PHOTOS BY CLAY DUDA

NEWS

Knoxville’s Advocacy Groups Prepare for the Trump Presidency

JACK NEELY

Does Knoxville’s Elusive City Flag Need a Makeover?

OUTDOORS

Enjoying Clear Night Skies (and a Big Moon) at Obed Wild and Scenic River

STEPHANIE PIPER

Gathering Together in Humility, Patience, and Much Restraint

A Knoxville Thanksgiving There was a time when the family holiday was less predictable. food. But General Ambrose Burnside obeyed the orders of the commander in chief, issuing General Field Order Number 32, instructing his soldiers to observe Thanksgiving. As historian Dr. Digby Seymour remarked, the Union soldiers defending Knoxville received “a full ration of bullets but only a half-ration of bread.”

Although Thanksgiving harks back to an event in 1621, it wasn’t commonly celebrated nationally until the middle 1800s. For many years, Thanksgiving, with its associations with a Massachusetts event, was regarded as a New England holiday.

New England magazine journalist Sarah Josepha Hale (1788-1879), well known for writing “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” began campaigning to make Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1827.

Though some sources claim Thanksgiving was not celebrated in the South until Virginia started a tradition in 1855, there was at least an awareness of the holiday in Knoxville by 1847, when the newspaper The Knoxville Register urged the “universal adoption” of the holiday previously celebrated in just a few states in the North. That year it’s also mentioned in the diary of Drury Paine Armstrong (1799-1856), a planter who lived in what’s now known as Crescent Bend, on Kingston Pike. He remarked that it had been “proclaimed by the governor,” but doesn’t mention what his family did in observance.

A desperate charge on Union Fort Sanders would come three days later, turned back by the well-entrenched, if not well fed, Union defenders.

Over the decades, the Knoxville Thanksgiving has included fireworks, church services, tennis tournaments, wacky vaudeville comedy, hunting expeditions, and roller-skating parties, but a turkey was often somewhere near the center of it.

Thanksgiving began life in Knoxville as a religious holiday, but bloomed after the Civil War into a noisy festival that often included fireworks, hunting parties, roller-skating parties, vaudeville comedy and musical shows in theaters on Gay Street, and even, as early as 1887, tennis tournaments. Churches kept having Thanksgiving Day services, but sometimes complained that fireworks interrupted hymn singing.

Image clip art

A few years later, Gov. Andrew Johnson, the 47-year-old former tailor from Greeneville, declared a Thanksgiving Day to be held on Thursday, Dec. 6, 1855. In Knoxville, it was celebrated in a public way, with an ecumenical “Divine Service.” The event was held at First Presbyterian Church, at the corner of Church Avenue and State Street, but most local churches participated.

“We presume our citizens will properly observe the day, and as is customary allow a suspension of business on the occasion,” stated the Knoxville Register. The line “as is customary” suggests Thanksgiving was already a habit in Knoxville.

In 1856, Tennessee was apparently still out of step with the rest of the nation, celebrating the holiday on Nov. 27, a week later than most other states did. That year, the Register described Thanksgiving as “a day of prayer and feasting—prayer for those who will, and feasting for those who can.”

President Abraham Lincoln first declared Thanksgiving to be a national holiday in 1863, to be held on Nov. 26. That Thursday, Knoxville was under siege, and more than half surrounded, by 20,000 Confederate soldiers, who were attempting to starve the city. It’s unlikely many Knoxvillians celebrated Thanksgiving with a feast, because most did not have access to much

Reformers made a point to feed the less fortunate on Thanksgiving Day. By the early 1900s, the YMCA and the Salvation Army, and the Children’s Mission Home, run by two German immigrants, served free Thanksgiving dinners.

Reformer Carrie Nation spent Thanksgiving, 1906, in Knoxville. The prohibitionist famous for smashing up saloons with her hatchet, Nation had threatened to do the same in Knoxville. Saloonkeepers put out signs saying “All Nations Welcome Except Carrie.” To their relief, Ms. Nation celebrated the holiday quietly with a dinner at the Cumberland Hotel’s dining room at the corner of Gay and Cumberland.

We don’t know whether she was tempted by sports, but that year Thanksgiving Day football and also basketball were becoming common diversions.

That year, UT’s “scrubs” played against Knoxville High School.

In the 20th century Thanksgiving became a quiet family holiday. But Tennessee remained out of step with the nation, in some ways. As late at the 1940s, Tennessee was still observing the last Thursday of the month as Thanksgiving, not the fourth Thursday, as most of the rest of the nation celebrated it. As a result, Tennessee Thanksgivings were sometimes a week later than national Thanksgivings.

Source: Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection

The Knoxville History Project, a new nonprofit organization devoted to the promotion of and education about the history of Knoxville, presents this page each week to raise awareness of the themes, personalities, and stories of our unique city.

Learn more on www.facebook.com/knoxvillehistoryproject • email jack@knoxhistoryproject.org 2

KNOXVILLE MERCURY November 24, 2016

Nov. 24, 2016 Volume 02 / Issue 46 knoxmercury.com

CONTENTS

“Do something wonderful, people may imitate it.” —Albert Schweitzer

12 Let’s Go WOZO! COVER STORY

WOZO 103.9 FM went on the air in June 2015, after earning a Low Power FM Radio license from the FCC, which divvied out a number of local radio licenses to projects it deemed worthwhile. The FCC launched this class specifically “to create opportunities for new voices to be heard on the radio.”

And that’s certainly been the case at WOZO: The station is on the air 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with a mix of live broadcasts and syndicated shows. Since its inception it has steadily grown it roster of dues-paying DJs and stretched its sonic footprint further, broadcasting online and over the airwaves, covering much of Knoxville’s center city. Clay Duda files his final report.

16 Giving Guide to Nonprofits

Here are 12 Knoxville-based and regional charities that are helping East Tennesseans live better lives in specific ways. And you can help them!

DEPARTMENTS

OPINION

A&E

4

6

Scruffy Citizen

19

8

Architecture Matters

38

Howdy Start Here: By the Numbers, Public Affairs, and PechaKucha Knoxville—each week, we run a slide from an interesting local presentation.

’Bye Finish There: At This Point by Stephanie Piper. Plus Crooked Street Crossword by Ian Blackburn and Jack Neely, Spirit of the Staircase by Matthew Foltz-Gray, and our new puzzle: Mulberry Place Cryptoquote by Joan Keuper

Jack Neely makes a few suggestions for improvement of our intermittently popular city flag.

George Dodds considers the possibilities of taking our power lines underground.

20 21 22

NEWS

10 Bracing for Impact Unity is a recurring theme among Knoxvillearea advocacy groups as the Donald Trump presidency draws near and their constituencies face an uncertain future. In fact, some groups are more galvanized than ever to fight what they see as good fights for reproductive rights, religious freedom, immigrants, and environmental conservation and preservation. Thomas Fraser checks in to hear their thoughts and plans.

CALENDAR Program Notes: Will Knoxville make an appearance in Ken Burns’ upcoming epic documentary on country music?

Classical Music: Alan Sherrod reviews KSO’s Masterworks program of American music.

23

Spotlights: Count Bass D, Carl Gombert’s “Seeing Diversity,” Brownie’s Black Friday Blues Bash, Tatsuya Nakatani and Makoto Kawabata

Shelf Life: Chris Barrett shares racy new film titles at the library’s A/V department.

Music: Nick Huinker digs Ex Gold.

November 24, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 3

thinkstock.com

HOWDY

BY THE NUMBERS

Fire Drill-Down

6 62 16,800

Fires burning in counties adjacent to Knox on Monday, Nov. 21 Active fires statewide

Photo by Holly Briggs

PECHA KUCHA NIGHT KNOXVILLE MY INTANGIBLE COLLECTION | Holly Briggs | Presented Aug. 18, 2016 What if there was a permanent record of an unfortunate mishap? What if this permanent record was on display for countless people to see and pass daily?

What if you, yourself, had to face the physical evidence of your mishap and reflect upon the unfortunate event that led to its creation. The mishap and the record are forever intertwined, as one can not exist without the other. What if the streets of your town were adorned with the reminders, recollections, and records of repeated mishaps? Would you see them? Would you stop to ponder the creation? Would you collect these permanent records and store them in a bank of abstraction? In this presentation, Holly Briggs asks: Could this become your intangible collection? | Watch the 6-minute presentation at pechakucha.org/cities/knoxville

Acres burned statewide by active fires

42,034 31,061

Total acres burned statewide since beginning of the year

Acres burned this year (so far) in the East Tennessee district headquartered in Knoxville

77

percent of the land burned by wildfires in Tennessee this year was in the East Tennessee district

51 78

Tennessee counties where burning has been banned by Gov. Haslam percent of acres burned in the state were a result of arson

—S. Heather Duncan Source: Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry

PUBLIC AFFAIRS

11/25 REGAL CELEBRATION OF LIGHTS™ 11/29 SPEAKER: JOE MINICOZZI FRIDAY

5:30-9 p.m., Downtown Knoxville. Free.

The Krutch Park Extension will have a new 42-foot-high Christmas tree (lighting starts at 6 p.m.), plus carolers, train rides, and the beloved AT&T Snow Globe™. Market Street will feature crafts and Home Depot’s Little Elves Workshop™. And the WDVX Holiday Ho Ho Ho Down will be on Bill Lyons Pavilion starting at 6:30 p.m. O come all ye faithful!

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KNOXVILLE MERCURY November 24, 2016

TUESDAY

6-7:30 p.m., Knox County Health Department (140 Dameron Ave.). Free.

Minicozzi, a principal of Urban 3 in Asheville, will speak on “Understanding the True Costs of Development.”

Urban 3 specializes in data visualization and property tax analysis for city planners, and Minicozzi will examine the fiscal impact of various types of development.

11/30 LEGAL ADVICE CLINIC FOR VETERANS WEDNESDAY

Noon-2 p.m., Knox County Public Defender’s Community Law Office (1101 Liberty St.). Free.

Veterans get free consultations on legal issues ranging from benefits and bankruptcy to criminal defense and personal injury. Sponsored by the Knoxville Bar Association, Knoxville Barristers, Legal Aid of East Tennessee - Knoxville, UT College of Law, and the local Veteran’s Affairs Office. Get info from the KBA at 865-522-6522.

12/1 ART WALK: ‘SEEING DIVERSITY’ THURSDAY

7 p.m., Grand Corridor, Clayton Center for the Arts, Maryville College. Free.

Maryville College art prof Carl Gombert has created a series of 25 self-portraits, each portraying himself from different races, ethnicities, lifestyles, or occupations. As part of the Talking with Kids and Teens about Race initiative, viewers can also participate in a workshop called “Identity Circles,” exploring how labels can limit and define identity. Info: office@fuuf.org.

EDITOR Coury Turczyn coury@knoxmercury.com SENIOR EDITOR Matthew Everett matthew@knoxmercury.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Jack Neely jack@knoxhistoryproject.org STAFF WRITERS S. Heather Duncan heather@knoxmercury.com CONTRIBUTORS

Chris Barrett Ian Blackburn Patrice Cole Eric Dawson George Dodds Thomas Fraser Lee Gardner Mike Gibson Nick Huinker Donna Johnson Tracy Jones Catherine Landis

Dennis Perkins Stephanie Piper Ryan Reed Eleanor Scott Alan Sherrod Nathan Smith April Snellings Joe Sullivan Kim Trevathan Chris Wohlwend Angie Vicars Carol Z. Shane

INTERNS

Hayley Brundige Maria Smith

DESIGN ART DIRECTOR Tricia Bateman tricia@knoxmercury.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Charlie Finch

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

David Luttrell Shawn Poynter Justin Fee Tyler Oxendine CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS

Matthew Foltz-Gray

ADVERTISING PUBLISHER & DIRECTOR OF SALES Charlie Vogel charlie@knoxmercury.com SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Scott Hamstead scott@knoxmercury.com Stacey Pastor stacey@knoxmercury.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Michael Tremoulis michael@knoxmercury.com

BUSINESS BUSINESS MANAGER Scott Dickey scott.dickey@knoxmercury.com

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 618 South Gay St., Suite L2, Knoxville, TN 37902 knoxmercury.com • 865-313-2059 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR & PRESS RELEASES editor@knoxmercury.com CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS calendar@knoxmercury.com SALES QUERIES sales@knoxmercury.com DISTRIBUTION distribution@knoxmercury.com

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jack Neely Coury Turczyn Joe Sullivan Charlie Vogel The Knoxville Mercury is an independent weekly news magazine devoted to informing and connecting Knoxville’s many different communities. It is a taxable, not-for-profit company governed by the Knoxville History Project, a non-profit organization devoted to exploring, disseminating, and celebrating Knoxville’s unique cultural heritage. It publishes 25,000 copies per week, available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader.

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November 24, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 5

SCRUFFY CITIZEN

Courtesy of the McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture

Something to Salute Does Knoxville’s elusive city flag need a makeover?

BY JACK NEELY

A

recent weekly history page, sponsored by the Knoxville History Project, stirred up some interest in Knoxville’s ancient city flag. Long neglected, forgotten, practically unknown to most, it was designed and approved by City Council in 1896, just in time for it to fly over the Knoxville Building at the Tennessee Centennial in Nashville.

Knoxville’s flag and Nashville’s Parthenon were both designed for the same event.

It got some attention this year thanks to renewed interest in Knoxville artist Lloyd Branson—the flag was displayed earlier this year at the Museum of East Tennessee History as part of an exhibit of Branson’s art—and the city’s 225th anniversary last month.

The KHP feature got more attention than I expected. Several readers now say they want to get their

6

KNOXVILLE MERCURY November 24, 2016

own Knoxville flag.

A review of records proves that the Knoxville flag has emerged and re-emerged, several times, and people have always responded the same way: Gosh, I didn’t know Knoxville had a flag. And how can I get one? By my count, the flag has enjoyed eight separate mini-revivals. After which, of course, it’s always forgotten again.

The latest revival of Knoxville’s flag, perhaps unfortunately, happens to coincide with a viral TED Talk lecture about city flags. The speaker was Roman Mars, a previously obscure design pundit (his podcast/ radio show is called “99% Invisible”).

Mars’ TED talk, first posted in 2015, has made him a podcast superstar.

The flag talk has garnered almost 4 million views.

His presentation was based, in part, on a 2004 survey by the North American Vexillological Association

of 150 American cities’ municipal flags. Knoxville is often counted among America’s 150 most notable cities, but it’s not on this list. Our flag is obscure, even in Knoxville.

But now that we’re getting to see it again, we have to admit our flag has some problems. It violates two, maybe three of Mars’ five precepts for what makes a good city flag: Keep it simple. Use meaningful symbolism. Use two to three basic colors. Never use text or seals. Be distinctive.

The Knoxville flag is definitely distinctive. Its main problems are with No. 1 and No. 3. It is not simple.

The NAVA guidelines suggest a good flag should be easily drawn from memory, by a child. It also uses more than two or three basic colors. I count at least five basic colors. Different versions of it over the years suggest there may have been even more colors at times. And though it doesn’t use the city seal, its quartered shield is very similar to a seal. One could argue about how meaningful its symbolism is, considering that the colors, in particular, have been re-interpreted over the years.

It has some other problems, too, beyond NAVA’s five guidelines. One could object to it on aesthetic grounds.

I have a lot of respect for Lloyd Branson’s career, which produced some gorgeous paintings, a dozen or so of them good enough to hang in the finest museums in America. Some of his work that’s not obviously great is intriguing. But Branson was a practical man, trying to make a living as an artist, as unlikely as that might seem in 1890s Knoxville. Sometimes he was just trying to flatter or please a committee. I bet that was the case with this particular mess.

If we were to come up with a new flag—and succeeded against all odds in keeping it simple, with just three basic colors—what would be Knoxville’s meaningful symbolism? A diverse economy and culture is a credit to any city, but it poses a challenge when picking an appropriate symbol. In the 1890s, coal and marble and railroads were the big things about Knoxville. Today, what would it be? Cooking shows? Cinema magnates? Coffee K-Cups? Bike trails? Gioachino Rossini? A good biscuit?

Some, naturally, would insist a Knoxville flag include orange and

white. If the Vols can’t beat Alabama, damn it, at least they can conquer Knoxville. I’m not sure that emphasis would help the city. One of the heartbreaks of my career as a tour guide is my slow realization that the Vols aren’t all that famous outside of our region.

The size of Neyland Stadium often requires some explaining.

In creating city flags, I’m not sure our sister cities have done much better.

I do like Nashville’s city flag, for reasons that have nothing to do with the Nashville I know. It portrays an Indian contemplating a skull, Hamlet-like, with a tobacco plant nearby.

Unless the Indian is Kaw-Liga himself, the image does not reference country music. Maybe it’s an early warning about the dangers of cigarettes.

Chattanooga’s relatively new flag, adopted four years ago to replace a plainer one criticized as boring, features a Civil War cannon on Lookout Mountain, overlooking Moccasin Bend. It’s a popular postcard image, and Civil War tourism has been a big part of Chattanooga’s economy for decades.

It’s picturesque, if you don’t think about it too much. The people who first saw this image were laboring under the Confederacy’s most incompetent general, and their cannon is aimed right at downtown Chattanooga. Is that a good thing?

Atlanta has a coin-type bird which, judging by the flames, may be a Phoenix. Of course, the Phoenix flag also features a phoenix. But in Atlanta’s flag there’s an unusual word, Resurgens, which is Latin but sounds like one of those medications aimed at older men and advertised during the Nightly News.

In comparing our flag to others around the region, the bar is low.

I propose it be green. Seven or eight months a year, Knoxville is greener than any other city I’ve ever visited, and we’ve done a lot with it.

The flag needs some greenery, and it doesn’t have to be indigenous. Mimosas and kudzu are every bit as Knoxvillian as college football and automobiles. And it should have a tamale. We have a 130-year tradition of making and eating tamales here. Our beer-making tradition is even older. So some greenery, and a tamale, and a beer, and I think we’ve got a flag for the 21st century. And something to look forward to after work. ◆

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KNOXVILLE MERCURY 7

Bury the Grid Power lines are an eyesore and a public hazard.

Why do we put up with them?

BY GEORGE DODDS

E

veryone seems to agree: They are ugly. They sag at varying heights from improbably tall poles, often cocked at sharp angles. They interrupt sidewalks in unsightly ways.

Often they are located dangerously close to the edges of roads intended to carry vehicles at much slower speeds than today’s traffic. Hence, we’ve become accustomed to cars and trucks plowing into them and causing intermittent power outages, property damage, personal injuries, loss of productivity, loss of life.

Although we depend on them for virtually everything in our increasingly automated and digitized world, they are first to fail even in a relatively mild storm; when severe, the losses can be

stupefying. Once felled, they are fiercely dangerous, risking injury or death by electrocution. And those are just the electric supply lines that thread through the neighborhoods of our cities, towns, and suburbs such as Knox County. The high-voltage lines that crisscross our natural landscapes feeding local substations and arterials are an entirely different matter.

In contrast to the risks posed by our power supply network, the greatest threat to the power grid in the United States is not “radical Muslims,” lone-wolf terrorists, Oregon’s National Wildlife Refuge liberator Ammon Bundy, or any of the other usual suspects; it is arboreal.

Yes, what was once an imaginary

Photo courtesy of Engineering and Technology History Wiki

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KNOXVILLE MERCURY November 24, 2016

Photo courtesy of the City of San Diego

ARCHITECTURE MATTERS

major air pollutant during the Reagan administration is the actual and most serious danger to our electrical supply lines: trees.

An August 2013, White House “Grid Resiliency Report” on improving the nation’s ability to recover from power outages owing to storm damage begins with sobering statistics: “Severe weather is the leading cause of power outages in the United States. Between 2003 and 2012, an estimated 679 widespread power outages occurred due to severe weather.

Power outages close schools, shut down businesses and impede emergency services, costing the economy billions of dollars and disrupting the lives of millions of Americans.”

Sadly, when it comes to the topic of what is commonly known in the industry as “undergrounding” power supply lines, the White House report quickly demurs: “Placing utility lines underground eliminates the distribution system’s susceptibility to wind damage, lightning, and vegetation contact.

However, underground utility lines present significant challenges, including additional repair time and much higher installation and repair costs. Burying overhead wires costs between $500,000 and $2 million per mile, plus expenses for coolants and pumping stations.”

Sadder still, these White House figures, which range by a whopping 400 percent, are unaccompanied by the much-needed one-to-one comparison of overhead versus underground power lines costs that would take into account: 1) installing overhead lines,

2) repairing storm-damaged lines, 3) loss of life from downed lines, 4) loss of productivity from power outages, 5) cost of tree-trimming programs, 6) maintaining the personnel and specialized equipment for all of this maintenance.

A primary reason for this enormous quantitative and analytical lapse in the White House’s report is the appalling dearth of scientific studies on this basic issue. Dr. Yilu Liu, UT Governor’s Chair for Power Grids, responding via e-mail to my request for guidance owing to this absence, offered: “Interesting question. I am not an expert to comment [on this particular topic]. I know Denmark has plans to bury all their transmission system underground.”

With unintended irony she suggested: “dig there.” The reason for this lacuna is difficult to suss out, other than the topic lacks funding, which, of course, preserves the status quo, which must profit someone, somewhere.

Meanwhile, citing losses from Super Storm Sandy (2012), the “Grid Resiliency Report” continues: “Perhaps the most important issue for coastal regions is that underground wires are more vulnerable to damage from storm surge flooding than overhead wires.” It’s hard to argue with that; storm surges erode shorelines and riverbeds. Only a fool argues with the obvious. Yet, there are times when the obvious is oblivious and makes LEFT: Early installation of above ground electric supply system, Pratt, Kan., 1911.

RIGHT: Entrance to Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego— without overhead utilities.

Photos courtesy of the City of Knoxville

fools of us all. For instance, this sort of simplistic conclusion is at odds with the experience of anyone who has lived outside the United States in proximity to the littoral edge of a landmass.

Venice, Italy, for example, home to many unique and world-class works of art and artifice, is perhaps best known for something natural: its high water, the acqua alta. While most talk of Venice’s sinking, it is actually the water level that is rising. Once limited to lunar cycles and high tides, the flooding has been made much worse by global warming.

When the high water hits in late winter or early spring, on a particularly foggy night, it’s impossible to tell where the sidewalk (fondamenta) ends and the canal or lagoon begins. Yet, amid all of this water—creating hydrostatic pressure so great it has created permanent waves in the famous mosaic floor of the church of St. Mark—and buried beneath the stone-covered walkways and squares lays hidden some extraordinary artifice: a gaggle of plastic conduit carrying the city’s utilities, including its electrical supply and high-speed Internet cable. Venice is a wired city and has been for decades.

Admittedly, Venice seems an improbable place for a city such as Knoxville, or any city for that matter, to use as a model from which to learn. Built almost entirely on artificial ground, long before Napoleon’s army crossed the Alps, Venice ceased functioning as the major maritime power it had been for centuries, becoming the museum-city we know today.

Closer to home, San Diego has

been undergrounding its utilities since 1970. Before looking more closely at San Diego, however, it may help first to get a broader view of this issue. After all, why are high-voltage utilities not underground to begin with? Why do we, in the United States, take for granted that they ought to clutter our streets, roadways, and landscapes?

Part of the answer is simple; they have become so ubiquitous—such a standard part of our public realm—that we tend to edit them out of our conscious field of view. They are the normative static of everyday life.

Not all utilities and their delivery systems are the same. There are good reasons why the Romans, during antiquity, situated their water supply far above ground and now, not. Even during Augustus’ time, the sewage and rainwater often ran underground. And while electric lines are dangerous when they “break,” they don’t leak and risk explosion the way gas lines do.

This country became electrified in the same manner its diverse parts were connected with train and telegraph lines—bit by bit through private investment. This certainly rings true in the Tennessee Valley where it seemed unprofitable for the private sector to provide 20th-century services, prompting the greatest single work of artifice since the pharaohs and the electrification of much of rural Tennessee.

Unlike powerful railroad magnates, however, armed with land grants and rights-of-way who reconfigured vast landscapes to suit their purposes, private electric companies—particularly Mr. Edison’s (failed direct-current)

enterprise in New York—chose to do so above ground as it was infinitely less expensive and far faster. Even today, utility companies in many American cities operate in quasi-private manner with arm’s-length government oversight and much autonomy. The Knoxville Utilities Board is an “independent agency of the City of Knoxville” operated under the aegis of the Office of the Mayor who appoints its seven board members to seven-year terms in service of Knox and seven other counties.

While in the midst of an infamous flood zone, for the past 80 years Knoxville has been made all but impregnable to the vicissitudes of floodwaters owing to Sen. Norris and the TVA. There are still flash floods, of course, as there are anywhere there are shallow-banked streams susceptible to intense downpours, the latter of which are happening with increasing frequency owing to climate change.

That said, Knoxville remains an excellent venue for undergrounding its electrical grid. And the best place to begin is where it has already begun, downtown and on Cumberland Avenue.

It is one of the reasons Gay Street and Market Square are so attractive, and Cumberland Avenue, until now, was so ugly. Anywhere infrastructural construction on existing or new underground utilities is underway is an equally good opportunity for a few more lines of conduit.

This is largely how the San Diego “Utilities Undergrounding Program” has been operating for four decades. It is a self-financed program, recently bolstered by a forward-looking “2003 California Public Utilities Commis-

LEFT: Architect’s rendering of projected Cumberland Avenue improvements (2012).

RIGHT: Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project underground utilities channel (2016). sion-approved undergrounding surcharge on San Diego residents’ electricity bills.” The initiative is funded at $54 million per year and undergrounds 15 miles of unsightly electrical supply lines annually. The century-long program is on track for completion in 2070. There are few American cities that have taken such a long view of such a long-standing problem.

San Diego’s program ought to stand as a signpost to any forward-looking city. It has a Republican mayor; its downtown is moderately liberal, politically; and it’s surrounded by several extremely conservative precincts, the latter of which voted heavily Republican in the recent presidential election. All of which ought to sound somewhat familiar to Knoxvillians, at least historically.

Located at the extreme southwest corner of the state, bordering Mexico’s Baja Peninsula and Tijuana, San Diego is making its city more beautiful, its roads safer, and its electrical grid more reliable for businesses and homeowners, by burying its grid, truly, bigly, and deeply. Not every tunnel near the Mexican border creates problems that require building protective walls; some offer solutions that open doors. ◆ George Dodds is the Alvin and Sally Beaman Professor of Architecture at the University of Tennessee. Architecture Matters explores issues concerning the human-made environment in Knoxville and its environs.

November 24, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 9

Photo by Thomas Fraser

Bracing for Impact

Knoxville’s progressive advocacy groups prepare for the Trump presidency

BY THOMAS FRASER

F

ear made André Canty dance in the boxing ring. Fear gave him strength. Fear made him take the fight to his opponent.

“Fear and anger can work to your advantage,” Canty said during a multimedia and discussion program—“We Gon’ Be Alright: Surviving 2016 and Entering the Third Reconstruction”—last Thursday at the University of Tennessee’s Black Cultural Center. “How can we get through this in love and justice and not be so scared you can’t do anything?”

About three-dozen students and citizens—including African-Americans, Muslims, and other minorities— came to the meeting seeking succor and solidarity. During his campaign, Donald Trump pledged to deport millions; demonized Muslims; promised extensive environmental-protection rollbacks; ran on an anti-abortion platform; and made grossly misogynistic statements about his sexual domination over women.

The president-elect’s actions since the election don’t bode well for progressives, either: He appointed an attorney general who has made racist statements and named a far-right figure with ties to the white supremacist movement as his chief strategist.

But those floored and frightened by the Nov. 8 election of the flame-throwing Republican should forget about flight, and instead focus on the fight, said Canty, a former amateur boxer. At 31, the black activist is president of 100 Black Men of Knoxville and development director at Highlander Research and Education Center.

The message resonated with

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KNOXVILLE MERCURY November 24, 2016

audience members who pledged increased collaboration to protect human rights—and they took comfort in seeing they weren’t alone. Based on a canvass of Knoxville-area advocacy groups, unity is a recurring theme as their constituencies face an uncertain future. In fact, some groups are more galvanized than ever to fight what they see as good fights for reproductive rights, religious freedom, immigrants, and environmental conservation and preservation.

The message to the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition bleeds fear and uncertainty: “I want to know how to prepare in case the deportations start. I have three little girls, and I don’t know if it’s a good idea to go ahead and get a notarized letter that would allow someone who is legally in the country to bring my citizen children to me after I get deported to Mexico. What I can do? I am desperate.”

The message—one of many such pleas for help received since the election—is front and center on the TIRRC website, and includes a statement from the coalition: “We received this message on Wednesday, the day after Donald Trump was elected president. It’s one of hundreds of questions we’ve received as immigrants and refugees process what the election means for the future and what it says about our country. Our hearts are broken for the thousands of Tennesseans who are living with such a deep sense of fear and uncertainty right now.”

Refugees and undocumented

André Canty, fifth from left, leads students and community members in a prayer and empowerment chant last week at the Black Cultural Center at the University of Tennessee. immigrants are terrified, says Lisa Sherman-Nikolaus, TIRRC policy manager. While the deportation issues loom, of more immediate concern is Trump’s promised repeal of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, an executive order from President Barack Obama that offered special work and education status for undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. Revocation of DACA would affect some 14,000 young immigrants in the state, Sherman-Nikolaus says. They would lose driver’s licenses and the ability to work, and that would cause a cascade of negative economic effects.

“Their whole livelihood is at stake,” she says, and the overwhelming concern and angst in the immigrant community “is sort of unprecedented.” People are sending money to Mexico, and signing powers of attorney to others should they be deported and removed from their children. “We’ve never gone into this level of help,” she says.

A Trump presidency is two months away. “This is the time to organize … to tell the broader community we are here to stay and we are not leaving without a fight,” Sherman-Nickolaus says.

University of Tennessee Muslim chaplain Nadeem Siddiqi says that phone calls from the press making queries about religious-freedom concerns are a sure sign things are amiss. But it shouldn’t be that surprising. Trump won the presidency despite nationalist and racist ideologies, and America needs to own the fact, Siddiqi says.

“Now that the veil has been lifted we can see it for what it is across the country,” Siddiqi says. “The Republican National Committee and conservatives didn’t just elect a conservative.

They went beyond that.”

He has only heard anecdotal evidence of harassment of Muslims in Knoxville, he says, though some Muslim students have voiced concerns about walking across the UT campus alone at night. And he does voice what might be described as a

sort of “guarded optimism” when it comes to Trump’s plans for mass deportation or immigration bans based on religion.

“Trump doesn’t seem to understand complexity,” like how difficult it would be to deport millions and ban the entry of Muslims to the country or force followers of Islam to register themselves, he says.

At the same time, Siddiqi urges Americans of all stripes to try and understand the issues facing rural America and other slices of the electorate they may not be familiar with.

His advice to Muslims: “Work locally on a community level and develop good relationships. Stand up for those who are oppressed.”

Mayar Desouki, a Muslim student from Nashville studying audiology and speech pathology at UT, says she was in “anxiety-attack panic mode” following Trump’s election.

While Siddiqi and several people at the Black Cultural Center forum cautioned against shutting out others and reinforcing the echo-chamber of social media, Desouki, among those who now feel uneasy walking across campus as a visible Muslim, says she feels better knowing she is in collaboration and solidarity with others.

“Since the election I hadn’t met with other minority groups,” she says.

“There’s a sense of hope you can get being around others like you.”

Planned Parenthood celebrated its centennial this year.

“We’ve been through a lot, for 100 years,” says Tory Mills, external affairs director for Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood provides numerous reproductive-health services such as STD testing, health checks and contraception, as well as abortions, but has long been a lightning rod for abortion foes.

Restrictive laws on the practice are already in place in Tennessee, including a 48-hour waiting period following initial abortion counseling and examination.

“What we’ve seen that do is really create burdens” on women seeking abortions, she says.

Trump now opposes abortion and will make at least one pick for the Supreme Court. But Mills says advocates for reproductive rights are

galvanized, and most Americans support access to safe, legal abortions and health care.

“Post-election, what has been dramatic is our supporters reaching out and recommitting themselves to this kind of work protecting access to reproductive health care,” Mills says.

A surge in social media support and volunteer applications began soon after Nov. 8.

“This has made people really aware they need to stand up for groups they support,” she says.

At the Knoxville Center for Reproductive Health, a provider of surgical abortions on West Clinch Avenue, anti-abortion protesters became increasingly strident in the waning weeks of the election.

They have blocked the clinic driveway and have trespassed, says Knoxville Abortion Doula Collective founder Amelia Caron in a phone interview. The collective provides emotional support to women in the process of obtaining an abortion and provides patient escorts into the clinic when needed.

“We have seen an increase in both turnout numbers and tactics of harassment and law-breaking,” she says.

In a follow-up statement she says: “Our biggest concern is that people with unplanned pregnancies are unaware of the resources available to help them, which is where our volunteers come in to fill that gap. Currently people contact us for help through social media and email, but we will be launching a website and hotline in 2017.”

Corinne Rovetti, co-director of the KCRH, says Trump supported abortion rights prior to his campaign, so his motives are unclear.

“But given who he has surrounded himself with [including staunch anti-choice Vice President-elect Mike Pence and anti-abortion firebrand Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions as attorney general] and the Republican party’s obsession with legislating women’s health issues, the future threats to women’s autonomy to make decisions for themselves is very real,” Rovetti says in a statement. “KCRH will continue providing safe abortions with dignity and being a refuge from shame for the women of our communities as we have done for the last 41 years. We will stand against all and any intimidation and fear and champion at the state and federal level to maintain women’s constitutional rights to freedom and privacy of decision

making; keeping the government out of our health and medical visits.”

Trump has called climate change a hoax and is expected to wind down any international American leadership on the matter and withdraw the U.S. from global agreements to curb carbon dioxide emissions. He has also pledged to ramp up domestic extraction of fossil fuels.

Save Our Cumberland Mountains was formed in response to coal-industry abuses in East Tennessee. The 40-year-old group is now called Statewide Organizing for Community Empowerment and has more of a social and environmental justice focus these days, but Executive Director Ann League was asked to reference the group’s coal-black roots.

All those mining jobs and the resurrection of the coal industry promised by Trump? It likely won’t happen on a big level in East Tennessee, League says. Seams have been largely tapped and the remaining coal is too expensive to extract; natural gas offers a cheaper energy alternative for utility plants.

“All the low-hanging fruit is gone, at least in East Tennessee,” League says. “The market drives coal-mining, and the market isn’t there for Appalachian coal.”

Not that the extractive practices won’t continue at all; League is encouraging people to scrutinize the proposed 1,500-acre Cooper Ridge Mine on the Campbell and Claiborne county line. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation is holding a public hearing on the mine on Dec. 20 in Knoxville.

SOCM is also concerned about the rollback of water- and air-quality regulations by the Trump administration and Republican congress.

Its community-based foundation bridges the very divides that were so apparent on Nov. 8.

“We have never been partisan; we have members from all walks of life and political parties because they are protecting their communities,” she says.

And, like others contacted for this article, League says members are fi red up; some were dejected at the election results, but others came to the fi rst board meeting after Nov. 8 “with an attitude they are not going to let it stop them doing their work.” ◆

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November 24, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 11

Inside Knoxville’s nonprofit, low-powered, community-oriented, DJ-supported radio station STORY AND PHOTOS BY CLAY DUDA

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KNOXVILLE MERCURY November 24, 2016

I

t’s 7:58 p.m. Friday evening and 12-year-old Orion Carpenter has shuttered himself in an upstairs bedroom. But this is not a typical boy’s bedroom in suburbia. It is the broadcasting booth for a low-powered community radio station, WOZO FM, tucked in the Birdhouse Community Center at the corner of Fourth and Gill. arpenter twists knobs and checks the time, waiting for it to strike 8 p.m. He clicks off the air-conditioning unit sucking through the window frame, but nothing can drown out the rhythmic sounds of cicadas droning through the trees. Still, the show must go on.

Carpenter shimmies a well-worn office chair up to the desk, adjusting his Beats headphones and tweaking the flat bill of his black hat before leaning in toward the microphone. It’s covered with a knitted sock to soften his voice. His white Air Jordans shuffle underfoot as he starts in.

“It’s 8 now, which means it’s my time to shine! Starting in 3, 2, 1—” The radio goes live.

“You are listening to WOZO LP Knoxville, the one and only, the people’s radio,” Carpenter says, repeating the station’s tagline. “So what’s up, guys? This is Orion here.

I’m here every Friday night 8 to 10 p.m. I always have a great show here—it’s all about you guys. I play a lot of electronic type of music, remixes, and fun stuff you guys will hopefully enjoy. This is Chaos Time.

Keep it locked right here on WOZO 103.9 FM.” Carpenter clicks off the receiver

C

and electronic beats fill the airwaves.

He can’t even remember the name of the first song, or the producer. It’s a remix of Donald Trump campaign speeches and interviews reworked to bash the presidential candidate (now president-elect). “I am a racist person,” Trump’s voice says as it cuts through the music. Tracks by Eminem and Wiz Khalifa follow, then another remix by a producer Carpenter can’t name—it’s hard when so many tracks are sampled and dubbed over. This one borrows from the Mario Bros. video game soundtrack.

“I just really like the upbeat of rap. A lot of songs I know of have a really true meaning,” says Carpenter, a seventh-grader at South-Doyle Middle School. “I just really hope people have a good time listening to the show and relaxing, even though it’s chaotic.”

His show may be defined as chaotic because of the breadth of music capture in this two-hour time slot, but his playlist has been refined over the previous week, mostly during school hours. (Don’t tell his teachers.)

Then his dad helps cull out curse words and make the tracks radio-ready, a necessary step to avoid running afoul of the Federal Communications Commission.

Posters and stickers crowd the walls of the small bedroom-turned-radio studio, reaching the ceiling and starting to fill the space overhead. The station’s phone number is taped next to the table where most of the 50 or so DJs scoot up to broadcast. Above that, there’s a reminder to say the station’s tagline at the top of the hour, every

hour. But for DJs like Carpenter, the hour or two they’re on the air each week is virtual freedom to do whatever moves them. The door to this studio office doesn’t say “WOZO” but instead is marked with a “Question Authority” sticker. Another poster, a mock advertisement for headache medicine, says “Anarchism 2002, fast effective relief from authority.” Other anti-establishment slogans and a host of concert bills dangle from the sheetrock.

They call WOZO headquarters “The Nest” because of its location in an upstairs bedroom. Carpenter is the youngest radio host in Knoxville and quite possibly one of the youngest in the country, but here at the community radio station he’s afforded the same freedoms and respect as the other DJs. He’s earned them.

WOZO went on the air in June 2015, after earning a Low Power FM

WOZO is a local, low-powered radio station with a signal strength strong enough to reach most of Knoxville (above left), and also stream for free online. Above, Orion Carpenter hosts Chaos Time—often an eclectic playlist of hip-hop and trap music—every Friday evening at 8 p.m. on WOZO 103.9.

Radio license from the FCC, which divvied out a number of local radio licenses to projects it deemed worthwhile. The FCC launched this class specifically “to create opportunities for new voices to be heard on the radio.” And that’s certainly been the case at WOZO: The station is on the air 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with a mix of live broadcasts and November 24, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 13

Left, Yasameen Hoffman leads members of the band Southern Cities in a lesson of Beyogancé (Beyoncé + yoga) following a set on Down 2 Brunch. Above, DJs Holly Rainey and Yasameen Hoffman host their weekly show, Down 2 Brunch, Sundays at 1 p.m. on WOZO.

syndicated shows. Since its inception it has steadily grown it roster of dues-paying DJs and stretched its sonic footprint further, broadcasting online and over the airwaves, covering much of Knoxville’s center city.

Carpenter’s dad, Jason “Ratchet” Carpenter, has worked with the station since its inception, and Orion started attending meeting and earned a slot as a DJ a short time later.

Each show is different. There’s nothing else like it in Knoxville, and its unique financial structure allows it the freedom to play what it wants, when it wants. WOZO is DJ-supported, and through that makeup it’s hoping to become an asset to Knoxville’s inner city. Eighteen months in, the nonprofit station is financially stable and continues to hone its sound, one voice at a time.

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KNOXVILLE MERCURY November 24, 2016

FOUNDING RADIO

“We officially started broadcasting in June 2015, but for us the process started in 2013 when President Obama released the last low-powered FM [frequencies],” says Margo Miller, the executive director of the Appalachian Community Fund and host of Moods Music on Tuesdays, 7-9 p.m.

“When they were released, nonprofits all over the U.S. were encouraged to apply for a license, and we put in our application in 2013.”

Several other Knoxville nonprofits applied as well, and the ACF eventually partnered with the Birdhouse and United Mountain Defense in order to submit a stronger application to the FCC. The union resulted in WOZO. The organizations see the radio station as a way to engage with the community, expand their reach, further their missions, and have a pos-

itive impact on the people and lives around them. The work paid off, and in March 2015 the nonprofits were issued a license.

“There definitely wasn’t really a community radio station here in Knoxville,” Miller says. “WUOT has some pretty diverse programming, but as far as a station that represents the whole community, it wasn’t really there. We’re unique in that regard, and we’re filling a huge gap.”

Much of the equipment needed to start the station was donated by DJs, many of whom were involved from the beginning—eager to get on the airwaves, some with backgrounds in radio or other technical experience. It only took a couple of thousand dollars to get things off the ground, Miller says. The main expense was a piece of hardware allowing the station to broadcast online.

From its formation, WOZO has proven sustainable, Miller says. DJs pay monthly dues of $20, sometimes contributing a little extra to help cover other members. In all, there are about 50 DJs active at the station, although not everyone has his or her own show.

The dues and occasional fundraisers

cover rent at the Birdhouse, licensing fees, and other bills that total just a few thousand dollars annually.

Anyone can go through the steps to apply to be a DJ, though picking up a slot is competitive—the other DJs have the final say on each applicant. They also run and operate the station, meeting the first Sunday of each month to discuss WOZO business.

Miller serves as the station’s treasurer, but there is no central leadership structure. Instead, the DJs make decisions together. It’s a consensus-minus-one style of democracy: A single objection from a dues-paying member can stop any item up for consideration.

Prospective DJs must attend at least two of these meetings and have three existing DJs willing vouch for them before they can apply for a spot.

“We only have 10 rules,” Miller says. “We have a bunch of anarchists in the group who don’t like rules or systems, which helps keep it simple.

They can play whatever they want.”

The eclectic nature of the station’s on-air voices shows through in its variety of programming, which includes just about any and all kinds of music you might imagine—hip-hop, rock, dance, soul, classical, and blues, plus commentary, syndicated Democracy Now! programming, and more.

It’s broadcast locally by an antenna situated in a tree in South Knoxville, and streaming at wozoradio.com. The signal strength is modest, covering Knoxville’s city center roughly from Zoo Knoxville to Sequoyah Hills, from Sharp’s Ridge down to through South Knoxville.

Miller likes to let her mood decide

what’s on her weekly playlist, hence the show’s title: Mood Music with Margo Miller. She walks into the studio four minutes before 7 p.m., taking over from Adam Hughes, who plays an hour of classical music on Tuesdays. Miller rolls the office chair up to the folding table-turned-desk, opens her notebook, where she’s scribbled her playlist for the week, and starts queuing up songs on Spotify.

This week, it’s all about cover songs.

“This playlist took several hours. A lot of people will just play one song, and then another one, but I like to do little tricks like play Stevie Wonder before going into a song of someone covering Stevie Wonder,” Miller says. “It’s tough, though, when I have too much music. I like to put time in my playlist, and cutting music is the hardest.”

Miller makes her introductions on air and gets some feedback—few of the DJs are tech wizards. As the first track, Annie Lennox’s version of “I Put a Spell on You,” starts, Miller starts making phone calls to troubleshoot the problem with the microphone. After leaving a few voicemails, she decides to let the music do the talking.

Lauryn Hill follows, singing Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good.” Then comes the voice of Simone herself,

covering Bob Dylan’s “Ballad of Hollis Brown.” That’s followed by Jimi Hendrix’s rendition of Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower.”

Miller leans heavily toward soul and R&B, tonight incorporating a slew of cover songs into a smooth two-hour set that at times moves you to your feet and at others envelops the room in visions of twilight. Even with so many covers, the show is distinctly original, a mark of Miller’s taste and DJ prowess—it’s different from WOZO’s other shows, and that’s sort of the whole point. You can’t get this anywhere else in Knoxville.

SUNDAY PICK-ME-UPS

DJs “Holly WhaAaat” (Holly Rainey) and “TheyCallMeYaz” (Yasameen Hoffman-Shahin) make their show, Down 2 Brunch, all about energy.

Each Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. they’re in the studio chatting away, playing “hype music”—which can mean just about anything upbeat—to get people up and moving on sluggish Sunday afternoons. They say they came up with the show’s name because they’re always down to brunch on the seventh day, usually moving slow after a fun-filled weekend.

“We used to go to brunch all the

time, but now we actually miss brunch because of the show,” Rainey says with a laugh. This Sunday she’s wearing a vivid T-shirt covered in prints of hamburgers and condiments.

Hoffman is wrapped in a glowing pink shirt and patterned yoga pants, her hair pulled back in braids.

Their show is usually marked by a handful of original features, such as a guest band or musicians, call-in karaoke, and a “Beyogance” workout live broadcast to Facebook.

“Take On Me” by a-ha fills the studio, only quieting down as Rainey and Hoffman talk with today’s guests, the members of Southern Cities, a Knoxville-based Americana band that incorporates undertones of hard rock and psychedelia.

“What’s your favorite hot sauce?

We judge people by their sauce,” Hoffman says.

“Oh, Luke’s dad make this hot sauce with habanero and vinegar.

That’s the best,” says drummer Andrew Tinsley. “I really like hot sauce or honey mustard.”

“Oooooh, I love honey mustard,” Hoffman replies.

“Anything habanero sauce for sure, but give me stone-ground mustard,” guitarist Matt Montgomery says.

Southern Cities performs live during a broadcast of Down 2 Brunch, a weekly radio show on WOZO.

The conversation turns to Polynesian sauce, and Hoffman chimes in again. “Speaking of Polynesian sauce, here’s ‘Aloha’ by Mome, featuring Merryn Jeann.”

A few minutes later and the boys of Southern Cities are back on the air.

It’s time for a live karaoke cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams.” Hoffman, who is a singer herself, joins in. “Now here you go again, you say you want your freedom/Well, who am I to keep you down?”

As the show winds down everyone files out the back of the Birdhouse and into the grassy yard. It’s time for Beyogance (Beyonce + Yoga = Beyogance), a weekly ritual live-streamed on Facebook to a Beyonce song.

They all stretch out, bending forward into down dog. Reaching for the sun. Warrior two. It’s a fine segue to Zen Sunday with DJ 49, starting at 3 p.m. on WOZO 103.9 FM. ◆ November 24, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 15

E H T

g n i iv

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E D I U G

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ere are 12 Knoxville-based and regional charities that are helping East Tennesseans live better lives in specific ways. And you can help them! Find out about their missions and learn what sort of assistance they need to get these important jobs done.

• OTHER SALARIES AND WAGES: $456,222 CONTACT: 3839 Buffat Mill Rd., Knoxville, TN 37914 , 865-540-1311, bridgerefugees.org , info@bridgerefugees.org

Bridge Refugee Services MISSION: Bridge Refugee Services, an ecumenical organization that was founded in 1982, works to facilitate the resettlement of refugees in East Tennessee and alleviate some of the specific hardships they face. Through support services and programs, Bridge aims to empower refugees to become self-sufficient, taking them “from despair to dignity.”

SERVICES/PROGRAMS: Case management, Employment assistance, English language training services for refugees.

HOW TO HELP: Donate household items (mattresses, couches, kitchen items, etc.). Sponsor a refugee or refugee family: groups of 5-15 volunteers commit to assisting a refugee family for (at least) their first three months in Knoxville. Sponsors welcome refugees at the airport, help them get established with things like applying for social security cards, getting to medical appointments, etc.

HOW TO GIVE: Email Katie Weber for a full list of items needed or to schedule a time for case managers to pick up donated items: koneal@bridgerefugees.org TOTAL 2014 FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES: $1,110,470 TOP 2014 SPENDING CATEGORIES: • GRANTS AND OTHER ASSISTANCE TO DOMESTIC INDIVIDUALS: $388,606 16

KNOXVILLE MERCURY November 24, 2016

Centro Hispano de East Tennessee MISSION: The Centro Hispano is a grassroots organization and community center that works to empower the Hispanic community in East Tennessee. They partner with organizations like the Helen Ross McNabb Center and HoLa Hora Latina to promote civic participation through education and social services and give people a “second home and a second chance” in East Tennessee.

SERVICES/PROGRAMS: Classes in general education development, language literacy, financial education; a legal advice clinic; wellness group meetings to provide women with the tools for personal development and well-being; a hotline (865-522-0052) that connects Hispanic families to important information and services in the community; a child development program.

HOW TO HELP: Volunteer to help with educational programs, tutoring, office work, childcare services, and more (call or email them to learn more). Intern with

Centro Hispano. UT students (in Spanish 494 or Spanish 490) can intern and receive credit for their work. Donate supplies to support their programs and services.

HOW TO GIVE: Donate on their website or mail donations to Centro Hispano de East Tennessee, P.O. Box 10041, Knoxville, TN 37939.

TOTAL 2014 FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES: $63,532 TOP 2014 SPENDING CATEGORIES: • SALARIES/WAGES: $50,072 • OCCUPANCY: $2,748 • TELEPHONE: $2,364 CONTACT: 2455 Sutherland Ave. , Knoxville, TN 37919, 865-522-0052, centrohispanotn.org , info@ centrohispanotn.org

the spotlight on The Price is Right—come true for kids with leukemia, cerebral palsy, or other illnesses.

SERVICES/PROGRAMS: They fulfill about 30 to 40 kids’ dreams per year on average HOW TO HELP: Help with fundraisers, meet with kids/ families, develop marketing, design Web pages, create videos, and more.

HOW TO GIVE: Donate through their online donation page at dreamconnection.org.

TOTAL 2014 FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES: $133,425 TOP 2014 SPENDING CATEGORIES: • OTHER EXPENSES: $130,396 • “DREAM COSTS”: $123,950 • SUPPLIES: $6,446 • PROFESSIONAL FEES AND OTHER PAYMENTS TO INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS: $3,029 CONTACT: P.O. Box 10924 , Knoxville, TN 37939 , 865-971-2447, dreamconnection.org

Change Center MISSION: When the Change Center opens in the fall of 2017, it will provide a safe space for young people to go for entertainment, community, and mentorship in their own neighborhood. The idea for this center sprang from Mayor Rogero’s Save Our Sons Initiative, which looks at how Knoxville can reduce violence-related deaths for boys and young men of color, and its cause was proven vital by the tragic death of 15-year-old Zaevion Dobson last year. With a climbing wall, video games, a roller skating rink, and more, the center will definitely be a place for fun. But the Change Center also aims to help teens and young adults build relationships in their community and gain skills through job training.

SERVICES/PROGRAMS: A safe space for young people to go after school/in the evening. Community activities for relationship building, like family skate nights and sporting events. The Change Center Jobs Initiative will provide job training, entry level positions at the center, job creation through entrepreneurship, and connections to employers throughout Knoxville HOW TO HELP: Learn more at changecenterknoxville. com/partner HOW TO GIVE: Donate at their GoFundMe page: gofundme.com/changecenter SPENDING: N/A CONTACT: 203 Harriet Tubman St., Knoxville, TN 37915, 865-951-1567, changecenterknoxville.com

Friends of Tennessee’s Babies with Special Needs MISSION: This organization creates a network of support for the families and early intervention professionals that serve infants and young children with disabilities. Whether through lending necessary hearing aids or providing support in the case of an emergency, Friends of Tennessee’s Babies with Special Needs aims to foster a community of care and compassion for children with special needs.

SERVICES/PROGRAMS: Respite care—giving families of children with special needs a break by helping with the cost of professional respite care and offering day camps. Emergency support for families. Support groups, workshops, lending libraries, loaner hearing aids.

HOW TO HELP: Provide necessities for families like loaner hearing aids, adaptive equipment, and toys.

Help with respite care, professional support, and family-based events to provide relief and entertainment for children and their families.

HOW TO GIVE: Credit card payments through their website, or send to their P.O. box.

TOTAL 2014 FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES: $131,026 TOP 2014 SPENDING CATEGORIES: • FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES: $53,805 • SALARIES AND WAGES: $48,808 CONTACT: P.O. Box 544, Alcoa, TN 37701-0544, 865-9844326, fotbabies.org, helpingbabies@fotbabies.org

Dream Connection MISSION: Sometimes being able to fulfill a long-harbored dream can profoundly impact someone’s life.

Since 1985, The Dream Connection has been working to make these once-in-a-lifetime dreams a reality for children age 3 to 18 with life-threatening or chronically debilitating illnesses in East Tennessee. All charitable donations to Dream Connection go toward making these dreams—from taking a trip to Disney World to stealing

InterFaith Health Clinic MISSION: The InterFaith Health Clinic provides everything from primary care to mental health counseling—but it isn’t a free clinic. They serve

low-income individuals, the working uninsured, and other underserved populations in Knoxville, but they stress the importance of patients making even a small investment in their own healthcare. The nonprofit offers quality, affordable healthcare on a sliding-fee scale and is supported by a small staff of paid professionals—nurses, doctors, and dentists—as well as many volunteers.

SERVICES/PROGRAMS: Primary care, dental care, mental health counseling, affordable medications.

HOW TO HELP: What they need most is clinical volunteers, such as physicians, dentists, nurses, dental hygienists, specialists, etc. They occasionally need non-clinical volunteers for things like painting, yard work, and clerical duties. To volunteer, contact the appropriate volunteer coordinator from this list at interfaithhealthclinic.org/volunteer HOW TO GIVE: Donate to help provide medical services. Each $40 donation provides for one patient visit to the clinic. Sponsor a “Day of Care” at the clinic (overall clinic: $2,000; medical clinic: $1,000; dental clinic: $750; mental health clinic: $250). Donate via credit card/cash/check on their website.

TOTAL 2013 FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES: $2,636,844 TOP 2013 SPENDING CATEGORIES: • COMPENSATION (FOR EMPLOYEES): $1,346,621 • CONTRIBUTED SUPPLIES: $807,467 • OFFICE EXPENSES: $139,586 CONTACT: 315 Gill Ave., Knoxville, TN 37917, 865-546-7330, interfaithhealthclinic.org

Joy of Music School MISSION: Exposing young people to music can change their lives tremendously. At the Joy of Music School, they aim to do just that. The school works to provide free music lessons and instruments to financially disadvantaged, at-risk children and teens. Started in 1998, the nonprofit believes that music can broaden horizons and help young people thrive.

SERVICES/PROGRAMS: Free music lessons and instruments for underprivileged children.

HOW TO HELP: Volunteer to be a music teacher (apply on their website).

HOW TO GIVE: Donate via PayPal or credit card on their website.

TOTAL 2014 FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES: $398,665 TOP 2014 SPENDING CATEGORIES: • SALARIES/WAGES: $110,628 • OCCUPANCY: $31,341 • OUTREACH MUSIC TEACHER: $31,009 CONTACT: 1209 Euclid Ave., Knoxville, TN 37921, 865-525-6806, joyofmusicschool.org

Knoxville Center for the Deaf MISSION: The Knoxville Center for the Deaf is dedicated to improving the quality of life for Deaf, Deaf-Blind, and Hard-of-Hearing people in the region.

Founded in 1977, the private, member-owned nonprofit provides a variety of services to 20 counties in Middle and East Tennessee, including sign language interpreting and workshops.

SERVICES/PROGRAMS: Sign Language interpreting.

EmerCorps Program (after-hours interpreting for emergencies, 5 p.m.-8 a.m. and weekends). SSP (Support Service Person) Voucher Program, which helps assist volunteers who help Deaf-Blind community members with transportation to/from medical appointments, grocery shopping, and other necessary errands. Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) Program. ASL classes. Interpreter training workshops.

HOW TO HELP: Request an interpreter/support their interpreting services. Volunteer at one of their fundraising events (like their Golfing with the Deaf Tournament or annual yard sale). Visit their website for how to get involved with this. Spread awareness of their programs with friends and on social media HOW TO GIVE: Donate on their website via PayPal or with a credit/debit card.

TOTAL 2014 FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES: $790,425 TOP 2014 SPENDING CATEGORIES: • COMPENSATION: $301,921 • FEES FOR SERVICES (OTHER): $140,503 • OTHER EMPLOYEE BENEFITS: $52,632 • TRAVEL: $50,274 CONTACT: 3731 Martin Mill Pike, Knoxville, TN 37920, 865-579-0832 (voice), 865-978-6051 Video, kcdtn.org, interpreter@kcdtn.org

Pantry for Feeding Pets MISSION: The Pantry for Feeding Pets has been soliciting pet food donations and distributing them to dog and cat owners since March 2009. Their goal is simple: help pet owners—especially those in economic need, shut-ins, and formerly homeless veterans— take better care of their pets while retaining the chance to have companionship. In 2015, the organization was able to distribute over 30,000 pet food family portions.

SERVICES/PROGRAMS: Distributing pet food donations to needy pet owners HOW TO HELP: Help with re-bagging and distributing pet food at their location at Fish Hospitality Pantries (122 West Scott Ave.) on Thursdays from 9:45 a.m. until the pet food supply is exhausted. Contact Ted Hembree (865-805-1111) or Lisa Cope (865-806-0978) to volunteer.

HOW TO GIVE: Donating $10 can provide six bags of food for animals for two-three days. Or donate pet food—many businesses/orgs around Knoxville have blue collection barrels near their front doors for pet food donations, like the Concord Veterinary Hospital and Pet Supplies Plus. Donate with a credit card or PayPal on their website.

TOTAL 2014 FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES: $2,714 TOP 2014 SPENDING CATEGORIES: • OTHER EXPENSES: $2,459 • PRINTING, PUBLICATIONS, POSTAGE, AND SHIPPING: $255 CONTACT: 11904 Kingston Pike, Farragut, TN 37934, 865-805-1111, pantryforfeedingpets.org, info@ pantryforfeedingpets.org

Rural Resources MISSION: The folks at Rural Resources know that where and how we get our food matters. And they work to foster a thriving, healthy community in East Tennessee by providing a network of resources and educational programs focused on connecting food, families, and farms. Their aim is to build a vibrant local food economy through learning experiences on preserving farmland and natural resources, like the “farm and food teen training program,” and local efforts to address food insecurity.

SERVICES/PROGRAMS: Rural resources farm: a year-round classroom and training center. Farm & food teen training program: teens grow and cook food and learn about beginning farm and food-related businesses. Food security task force: organizations, agencies, churches, farmers, businesses, school systems, etc. meet and work together to address food insecurity HOW TO HELP: Volunteer to garden, help in the office, train teens, feed the farm animals and more by contacting the volunteer coordinator, sharon@ruralresources.net HOW TO GIVE: Become a member (with a one-time donation starting at $10) or a sustainer (register for their billing service for monthly payments of anywhere from $10 to $500). Donate to ensure that animals have feed every month, the site is ready for field trips/trainings, and upkeep on the market garden.

You can also donate to the Sowing Seeds campaign to support events, scholarships, and programs; the building of a new outdoor pavilion/classroom; or a new farm and food training facility. Pay with a credit card online or call their office to donate.

TOTAL 2014 FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES: $262,241 TOP 2014 SPENDING CATEGORIES: • FEES FOR SERVICES (OTHER): $108,016 • MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES: $54,674 • SALARIES/WAGES: $41,650 • FARM SITE LEASE: $25,294 CONTACT: 2870 Holley Creek Rd., Greeneville, TN 37745, 423-636-8171, ruralresources.net, info@ruralresources.net

SEEED Knoxville MISSION: SEEED has a dual purpose: to create and sustain jobs for urban youth in Knoxville and ensure that low-income residents have access to clean energy technologies. This community development nonprofit seeks to make Knoxville a greener, more sustainable city and to create sustainable careers for its residents.

SERVICES/PROGRAMS: Career Readiness Program: this program serves young people ages 16-28, providing them with training on resume writing, goal setting, cover letters, job applications, and other life and job skills. Home energy workshops in low-income communities. Community garden with fruit trees and plants and six raised garden beds.

HOW TO HELP: Volunteer in a variety of positions: instructors for the career readiness program; canvassing team leaders; community gardening; cleaning and maintenance of the community center; administrative help.

HOW TO GIVE: At their website via credit card or PayPal. TOTAL 2014 FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES: $46,765.04 CONTACT: 1617 Dandridge Ave., Knoxville, TN 37915, 865-766-5185, seeedknox.com, seeedknox@gmail.com

Sunshine Ambassadors MISSION: This nonprofit aims to enrich the lives of people with disabilities through dance. And for the Sunshine Ambassadors, dance isn’t about perfection.

Rather, it’s about each individual making their own kind of progress. With dance classes in several locations across East Tennessee and dancers aged 3 to 92, Sunshine Ambassadors provides a unique way to make an impact on individuals living with disabilities.

SERVICES/PROGRAMS: Dance classes, public dance performances HOW TO HELP: Start a dance class in your area. Invite them to dance and/or speak at your event/civic function. Sponsor a dance student, event, or class: $40 per month for a student; $500-$700 per year to hold a class in a public school or group home; $150-$300 for a performance or event; $50 to purchase real dance shoes for a student.

HOW TO GIVE: Send a check to their P.O. box. Pay online with credit card or PayPal. TOTAL 2010 FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES: $5,243 TOP 2010 SPENDING CATEGORIES: • PROFESSIONAL FEES AND OTHER PAYMENTS TO INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS: $3,472 • OTHER EXPENSES: $1,426 • INSURANCE: $400 • SUPPLIES: $330 CONTACT: P.O. Box 18094, Knoxville, TN 37928, 865-621-8273, sunshineambassadors-dance.org, melodowd77@gmail.com November 24, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 17

More East Tennessee Nonprofits You Can Help Here’s the complete membership list of the Alliance for Better Nonprofits, a Knoxville-based organization that serves nonprofits in 25 East Tennessee counties by helping them achieve their missions. More info: betternonprofits.org.

100 Black Men of Greater Knoxville, 100bmok.org A 1 Learning Connections, a1learningconnections.com A Hand Up For Women, ahandupforwomen.org Accounting & Financial Womens Alliance, afwaknox.org Africa Education & Leadership Initiative, africaeli.org AIA East Tennessee Chapter, aiaetn.org Alliance for Better Nonprofits, betternonprofits.org Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention of Anderson County, Inc, ASAPofAnderson.org Alpha House, Inc., ouralphahouse.org American Diabetes Association, diabetes.org Amputee Coalition of America, amputee-coalition.org Appalachian Outreach, aoministry.org Arc Knox County, sunshinekcarc.com Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, arrowmont.org Arts & Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville, knoxalliance.com Asian Culture Center of TN, knoxasianfestival.com BEAM Foundation Inc, beamyouth.com Bethany Christian Services of East Tennessee, bethany.orgknoxville Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee, tennesseebig.org Bike Elf, bike-elf.org Bike Walk Tennessee, bikewalktn.org Black Bear Solar Institute, BlackBearSolarInstitute.org Blossom Center for Childhood Excellence, Inc., blossomchildhood.org New Hope - Blount County Children’s Advocacy Center, blountkids.org Blount Mansion Association, blountmansion.org Blount Memorial Foundation & Community Outreach, blounthealth.org Boy Scouts of America, Great Smoky Mountain Council, bsa-gsmc.org Bridge Refugee Services, Inc., bridgerefugees.org C.O.N.N.E.C.T. Ministries, connectministries.net Cancer Support Community East Tennessee, CancerSupportET.org Candoro Arts and Heritage Center, CandoroMarble.org Carson-Newman University, cn.edu/ CASA Corridor of East TN, casacorridor.org CEDnet, cednetworks.org Centro Hispano de East Tennessee, centrohispanotn.org Childhelp, childhelp.org Children’s Center of the Cumberlands, childrenscenterofthecumberlands.org Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, childrensmuseumofoakridge.org Community Coalition Against Human Trafficking, ccaht.org Community School of the Arts, csaknox.org Compassion Coalition, compassioncoalition.org COMPASSion Counseling, cccmaryville.org Cornerstone Foundation of Knoxville, cornerstoneofknoxville.org 18

KNOXVILLE MERCURY November 24, 2016

Courage Incorporated, courageforall.org Crutcher Memorial Youth Enrichment Center Cumberland County Christian Women’s Job Corps, tnbaptist.org East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, etch.com East Tennessee Community Design Center, communitydc.org East Tennessee Foundation, easttennesseefoundation.org East Tennessee Historical Society, eastTNhistory.org East Tennessee Human Resource Agency, ethra.org East Tennessee Kidney Foundation, ETKidney.org East Tennessee Permaculture Research Institute, etpri.org East Tennessee Quality Growth, etqualitygrowth. orgnewsite/ East Tennessee Regional Leadership, etrla.com East TN PBS, easttennesseepbs.org Elgin Children’s Foundation, elginfoundation.org Emerald Youth Foundation, emeraldyouth.org Emory Valley Center, emoryvalleycenter.org Encore Theatrical Company, etcplays.org East Tennessee Technology Access Center, ettac.org Florence Crittenton Agency, fcaknox.org Flourish Inc., livingvessels.org Forever Families, Inc, foreverfamilies.com French Broad Preservation Association, frenchbroadpres.org Friends of Literacy, friendsofliteracy.org Friends of Tennessee’s Babies with Special Needs, fotbabies.org Friends of the Knox County Public Library, knoxfriends.org Front Page Foundation Inc., frontpagefoundation.org Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians, girlscoutcsa.org Girl Talk, Inc., girltalkinc.com Girls Inc of Oak Ridge/Knoxville, girlsincor.org Global Church Growth Inc., globalchurchgrowth. blogspot.com Global SEEDS, globalseeds.org Great Schools Partnership, greatschoolspartnership.com Harbours Gate, harboursgate.org Harmony Family Center, Inc., harmonyfamilycenter.org Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of East Tennessee, hccet.org Historic Ramsey House, ramseyhouse.org HoLa Hora Latina, holahoralatina.org HomeSource east tennessee, homesourcetn.org Hosea’s Heart, hoseasheartknox.org Humane Society of the Tennessee Valley, humanesocietytennessee.com Ijams Nature Center, ijams.org InterFaith Health Clinic, Inc, interfaithhealthclinic.org International Biscuit Festival, biscuitfest.com JC Evangelistic Ministries, jasonroe.org

Jefferson County Habitat for Humanity, jeffersoncountyhabitat.com John 316 Outreach Ministries, john316outreach.net Joy of Music School, joyofmusicschool.org JPA Ministry, jpaministry.org Junior League of Knoxville, jlknoxville.org Keep Blount Beautiful, keepblountbeautiful.org Keep It Real Ministries, kirministry.com Keep Knoxville Beautiful, keepknoxvillebeautiful.org Keep Monroe County Beautiful, kmctnb.org Kingswood Home for Children, kingswood-school.com Knox Area Rescue Ministries, Inc., karm.org Knox County Association of Baptists, kcab.org Knox Heritage, knoxheritage.org Knoxville Center of the Deaf, kcdtn.org Knoxville Choral Society, knoxvillechoralsociety.org Knoxville Entrepreneur Center, knoxec.com Knoxville Fellows, knoxvillefellows.com Knoxville Habitat for Humanity, knoxvillehabitatforhumanity.com Knoxville Internationals Network - KIN, kin-connect.org Knoxville Leadership Foundation, klf.org Knoxville Montessori School, knoxvillemontessori.org Knoxville Museum of Art, knoxart.org Knoxville Pays It Forward Inc., knoxvillepaysitforward.com Knoxville Track Club, ktc.org Knoxville Volunteer Emergency Rescue Squad, Inc, kvers.org Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee, knoxcac.org Koinonia Foundation of TN/Camp Koinonia Foundation, kftn.org Lakeway Area Habitat for Humanity, lakewayareahabitat.org Leadership Knoxville, leadershipknoxville.com Legacy Parks Foundation, legacyparks.org LifeSigns, lifesigns.us LIVE-IT Ministries Inc., liveitministry.org Maryville City Schools Foundation, maryvillecityschoolsfoundation.org McGrath Solutions, Inc., mcgrathsolutions.org McMinn Senior Activity Center, mcminnseniors.com Metro Drug Coalition, metrodrug.org Missional Living, Inc. Monroe County Health Council, monroehealth.org More To Life, moretolifeus.orgknoxville National Embryo Donation Center, embryodonation.org Next Door Knoxville, thenextdoor.org Nourish Knoxville, nourishknoxville.org Open Heart Doula Services, Inc, openheartdoula.com Our Place Art Organization Incorporated, ourplaceart.com Pantry for Feeding Pets, pantryforfeedingpets.org Partners In Christ, partnersinchrist.info Pellissippi State Community College, pstcc.edu People Empowering People Project, Inc. Power of Play - Rocky Top, power-of-play.org Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee, pcat.org Project GRAD Knoxville, projectgradknoxville.org Random Acts of Flowers, randomactsofflowers.org Remote Area Medical, ramusa.org Renovatus, renovatusministry.com Rescue Docs Media, rescuedocsmedia.com Roane County Anti-Drug Coalition, roaneantidrug.org Rural Resources, ruralresources.net SafeSpace, safespacetn.org

Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, secondharvestetn.org SEEED Inc, seeedknox.org Senior Citizens Home Assistance Service, Inc. (SCHAS), schas.org Servolution Ministries, servolutionhealthservices.org Shangri-La Therapeutic Academy of Riding (STAR), rideatstar.org Shora Foundation, Smoky Mountain Area Rescue Ministries, smarm.org Smoky Mountain Family Matters, smfamilymatters.org South Knoxville Foundation, soknox.averra.com Special Spaces, specialspaces.org Stepping Out Inc., steppingoutinc.org Street Hope TN, streethopetn.org Sunset Gap, sunsetgap.com Sunshine Ambassadors, Inc., sunshineambassadorsdance.org Susannah’s House, Inc., susannahshouse.org Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, tennesseedeathpenalty.org Tennessee Clean Water Network, tcwn.org Tennessee Equality Project Foundation, tnep.org Tennessee Geographic Alliance, tngeographicalliance.org Tennessee Immigrant Empowerment Solutions, tiesknoxville.org Tennessee Men’s Health Network, menshealthnetwork.orgtnchapter Tennessee Theatre, tennesseetheatre.com The Bijou Theatre, KnoxBijou.com The Carpetbag Theatre, Inc., carpetbagtheatre.org The Change Center, changecenterknoxville.com The Dream Connection, dreamconnection.org The First Tee of Greater Knoxville, thefirstteegreaterknoxville.org The Knoxville Area Urban League, thekaul.org The Lighthouse at Austin Homes The Muse Knoxville, themuseknoxville.org The Paramount Foundation, paramountbristol.org The Restoration House of East Tennessee, therestorationhouse.net The Salvation Army, salvationarmyknoxville.org tnAchieves, tnachieves.org TN-China Network, tnchinanetwork.org Trinity Health Foundation of East Tennessee, trinityfound.org Trinity Out-Reach Center of Hope, oakridgetorch.org TRU Dog Network, trudognetwork.com United Way of Greater Knoxville, uwgk.org United Way of Rhea County, rheaunitedway.org UUNIK Academy, uunikacademy.org Visit Knoxville, visitknoxville.com Volunteer Knoxville, VolunteerKnoxville.org Volunteer Ministry Center, Inc, vmcinc.org Wallace Mobile Healthcare, wallacemobile.com Wesley House Community Center, wesleyhouse.com With, Inc., withincorporated.org Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, wbhof.com Women’s Fund of East Tennessee, womensfundetn.org YMCA of ET, ymcaknoxville.org YOKE Youth, yokeyouth.com Young Professionals of Knoxville, ypknox.com Young-Williams Animal Center, young-williams.org YWCA Knoxville, ywcaknox.com Zoo Knoxville, zooknoxville.org

Photo courtesy of kenburns.com

America’s Music How will Knoxville fit into Ken Burns’ upcoming history of country music?

F

ifteen years after his landmark 10-part PBS documentary Jazz, Ken Burns and his team of filmmakers, writers, and editors are preparing to tackle America’s other great original music form in a documentary series titled, with Burns’ typical flourish, Country Music.

“Country Music will chronicle the history of a uniquely American art form, rising from the experiences of remarkable people in distinctive regions of our nation,” reads the synopsis at kenburns.com. “From southern Appalachia’s songs of struggle, heartbreak and faith to the rollicking western swing of Texas, from California honky tonks to Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, we will follow the evolution of country music over the course of the twentieth century, as it eventually emerged to become America’s music.”

Knoxville’s contributions—the 1929-30 recording sessions at the St. James Hotel, Arthur Q. Smith’s semitragic songwriting career, WNOX and the Mid-Day Merry Go Round, and the early careers of Dolly Parton,

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Classical Music: American Music

Chet Atkins, and Roy Acuff, among many others—are essential to the development of country music as an art form and an industry. But they’re often overlooked in general histories that focus on Nashville and Bristol.

But Knoxville will almost assuredly get some screen time in Country Music. One of the documentary’s producers, Julie Dunfey—also a producer and consultant on some of Burns’ biggest projects, like Jazz, The Civil War, and The National Parks: America’s Best Idea—visited the Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound earlier this month and got an introduction to the often-overlooked Knoxville chapters of country music’s storied history—and a hard drive full of home-video footage from the archives.

“We mainly looked at film and video,” says TAMIS audio-visual archivist Eric Dawson (who is also a Mercury contributor). “The photograph and stills team will probably come at a later date to go through photos and pieces of ephemera. We’re fortunate to have several home movies

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Shelf Life: Run and Gun

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Photo courtesy of PBS

P rogram Notes

featuring WNOX stars, some of whom later went on to larger success in Nashville, including what might be the earliest film footage of Chet Atkins.

She was primarily interested in what we had on Dolly Parton, and we do have a few home moves with her, as well as an appearance on Cas Walker’s show.” Dawson and Dunfey also looked through home movies from Carl and Pearl Butler, who were stars on the Mid-Day Merry Go Round in the 1950s and topped the country singles chart with “Don’t Let Me Cross Over” in 1962. Dawson took Dunfey to visit Carl Butler’s brother, who still lives in Knoxville, and also took her to East Side soul-food emporium Jackie’s Dream—“which she loved,” he says.

Country Music is scheduled to air on PBS in 2019. According to kenburns.com, the series will focus on Nashville, Bakersfield, Calif., and Texas, with profiles of the Carter family, Jimmie Rodgers, Bob Wills, Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, and Garth Brooks. At an expected 16 hours, it will rank alongside Burns’ major documentaries: The Civil War, Baseball, Jazz, and The National Parks.

East Tennessee played a part in another recent Burns’ documentary series, though The National Parks, from 2009, shortchanged some significant local contributions to the origins of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, according to Jack

22

Ken Burns (above left) and an image of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park from Burns’ PBS documentary series The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.

Neely, director of the Knoxville History Project (and a Mercury contributor). The documentary, Neely contends, focused too much attention on North Carolina writer and early Great Smoky Mountain National Park advocate Horace Kephart and overlooked several more interesting characters from around Knoxville, like Willis and Annie Davis, Harvey Broome, Jim Thompson, and David Chapman, among others.

“Some of this is maybe our own fault, for being shyer about promoting our own side of the history than our Asheville neighbors are,” Neely wrote in a 2009 Metro Pulse blog post. “If you look up the Wikipedia entry for the history of the Great Smokies, at least as of this morning, you’ll see mentions of Kephart and Masa as founders, but not one thing about Chapman, the Davises, Campbell, Broome, Thompson, or the others who appear in the standard histories of the Smokies, and who are heroic to generations who grew up with the Smokies, hearing the extraordinary stories of the founding of the park. …

It makes you want to make your own documentary.”

Let’s hope the same thing doesn’t happen with Country Music.

—Matthew Everett

Music: Ex Gold November 24, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 19

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Variations in America

ARAM

KSO offers a balm for political differences with a program of American music

The

from ERA:BetheThere Beginning!

New Music Director Aram Demirjian will conduct these upcoming concerts!

THIS SUNDAY

A CLASSICAL CHRISTMAS Sunday, Nov. 27 • 2:30 p.m.

BIJOU THEATRE Aram Demirjian, conductor Pellissippi State Variations Choir

This concert sold out last season, so be sure to order tickets early!

Sponsored by Asbury Place Continuing Care Retirement Communities Presented with support from the Aslan Foundation

COMING APRIL 2017

GOLKA PLAYS CHOPIN Thursday, April 20 • 7:30 p.m.

Friday, April 21 • 7:30 p.m.

TENNESSEE THEATRE Aram Demirjian, conductor Adam Golka, piano Sponsored by John H. Daniel

GOLKA

CLASSICAL TICKETS start at just $15!

CALL: (865) 291-3310 CLICK: knoxvillesymphony.com VISIT: Monday-Friday, 9-5 20

KNOXVILLE MERCURY November 24, 2016

Classical

BY ALAN SHERROD

I

n his introductory remarks to last weekend’s Knoxville Symphony Orchestra Masterworks concert, KSO music director Aram Demirjian admitted that planning a program of American music for the week between Veterans Day and Thanksgiving had seemed to make perfect sense. Then he described the painful moment when he realized that he had overlooked the fact that the U.S. presidential election would fall nine days before the concerts. With the election turning a spotlight on real questions of America’s future, Demirjian concluded with the moderating hope that music could somehow help us fi nd common ground and assuage anxious fear.

Quite coincidentally, Demirjian had as his concert opener the perfect icebreaking metaphor for our national condition—Charles Ives’ Variations on “America.” Based on the tune also known as “My Country, ’Tis of Thee,” the work was composed for pipe organ by the 17-year-old Ives in 1891.

The William Schuman-orchestrated version, heard on this concert, has opened this snarky, enjoyable piece to much wider appreciation. The work’s whimsical variations run the gamut from mock hymn-like solemnity to fugue-like constructions, comical barbershop and Spanish castanet flavors, and angry, bitter dissonance, all wrapped up by an ironically pompous conclusion that never manages to take itself all that seriously. By Friday evening’s performance, this energetic work found the perfect blend of tempo, pacing, and attitude from the KSO. One of the major virtues of this concert, however, beyond its interesting selection of American works, was the indication that Demirjian and the

orchestra are making positive adjustments to each other. By Friday evening’s performance, the thorny balance and tempo issues that had troubled some earlier Masterworks concerts were replaced with the sensitive, solid ensemble playing that KSO audiences have come to expect.

A good example of this was found in the second work on the program, William Grant Still’s Symphony No. 1 (Afro-American Symphony). Premiered in 1931 by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the work was the fi rst symphony by an African-American composer performed by a major orchestra. Feeling somewhat cinematic in a revealing construction of four movements—“Longing,” “Sorrows,” “Humor,” and “Aspirations”—the symphony oozes a blues flavor, seasoned with jazz rhythms and diverse instrumental textures. Those diverse textures provided opportunity for some beautifully performed solo turns by KSO players: Ayca Yayman on English horn, Claire Chenette on oboe, Johanna Gruskin on flute, Phillip Chase Hawkins on trumpet, and Gary Sperl on clarinet.

A relatively new work, from 2011, opened the second half of the program: Jeff Midkiff ’s Mandolin Concer-

to “From the Blue Ridge.” A true mandolin virtuoso, Midkiff himself performed as soloist.

With a desire to “say something with the mandolin on a symphonic scale,” Midkiff created an engaging work that brought the two distinct sounds together in an evocative mixture of Appalachian music sensibilities. There was much to be admired in the piece, specifically its genuineness and the absence of pastoral clichés. The third movement, lively and upbeat, was practically a road map through the bluegrass country of southwestern Virginia. Notable here was an exposed violin passage by concertmaster Gabriel Lefkowitz in true “fiddle music” style and color.

Closing out the evening was Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring, a work that is justifiably hailed as the quintessence of American music, or at least the America we dream of being.

Just as in the Still symphony, I was struck by the reclaimed ensemble sensitivity shown by Demirjian and the orchestra in sculpting phrasing and dynamics with attention to both minute details and the big picture.

Demirjian paired the performance of Appalachian Spring with projected images from the Knoxville Museum of Art’s collection of paintings evocative of Southern life. While such pairings, carefully programmed, can be enormously effective and poignant, doing so creates additional and alternative storylines to the music. The danger is that the two compete unnecessarily for the audience’s attention, which was the case here. Nevertheless, this was a quietly euphoric performance of Appalachian Spring—just what an anxious nation needed. ◆

Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring is justifiably hailed as the quintessence of American music, or at least the America we dream of being.

Shelf Life

Run and Gun These recent video arrivals at Knox County Public Library suggest that one must chase or be chased

BY CHRIS BARRETT

SCHNEIDER VS. BAX (2015)

Like so many things Dutch, this dark comedy is sleek and stylish and defiant of convention. Ramon Bax (Alex van Warmerdam, who also directed) is sequestered at a waterside bungalow, pecking away at his novel and enjoying the company of a female friend. Unexpected and undesired guests—mostly family—begin arriving at about the same time as the apparently expected but still unwelcome news that an assassin, Schneider (Tom Dewispelaere), is en route. Bax proves to be more than capable of self-defense as the two men engage in a cat-and-mouse farce. The marshy nature preserve surrounding the cottage, with all of its noisy, living, shimmering camouflage, provides a beautiful yet uncomfortable setting for watching two likable enough fellows stalk each other with high-tech weapons and unclear motivations.

Under some stress, Bax self-medicates. Cinematographer Tom Erisman gingerly throttles the light passing through his lens, washing out white interiors and expanding swampish and claustrophobic hiding places so that we can better empathize with our drugged hero. The ending is, alas, neither surprising nor satisfying nor complete. But the overlapping stories that unfold in these scenes, given the limitations of landscape and genre, are rich and surprising.

GHOSTBUSTERS (2016)

The moral of this: Don’t hate on the ladies or the ’80s. The primary disappointment here is to learn that all of the intemperate so-called debate

over this movie turns out to have been industry-generated poof intended to bait summer audiences into theaters.

It’s not feminism. And it adheres too rigorously to the 1984 original to be considered remotely irreverent. It’s a pretty good remake without much to add to what was a slight story all along. Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, and Leslie Jones are cast in slightly modified pseudoscientist roles fi rst fleshed out by Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson. The women have great chemistry—Wiig and McCarthy are restrained, and their characters are scripted to seem thoughtful and bright instead of belligerent. If nothing else, use this new release as just cause to revisit the original Ghostbusters and its sequel. Those fi lms make a great time capsule of a pretty disposable period, and it’s a treat to see a not-yet-jaded Bill Murray improvising shrugs, smirks, and general dumbfoundedness to enlarge himself, by gradations, from one scene to the next.

WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT (1988)

Imagine hard-boiled kingpins like Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett mixing with golden-age animators Tex Avery and Chuck Jones and the voice talent who supported them, maybe all sharing a limo to a midnight screening of Chinatown. No doubt this noir mash-up was considered overly ambitious, building an entire feature out of interacting animated and live-action characters and sets. But the puppet characters of Star Wars and Sesame Street had

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braced us for that juxtaposition. When you combine Blu-ray detail with the fact that this animation is largely hand-drawn and colored on cels, predating CGI, the residents of Toontown often seem more human than much of our current young A-list talent. And casting fi replug Bob Hoskins as private eye Eddie Valiant was genius. He’s about a Barney Rubble anyway, and he does a great job of treading the line between fantasy and, well, fantasy—the real world here is 1940s Hollywood, after all. In view of the fact that it’s a family fi lm, the pacing is pretty lively and the plot never turns corny or too juvenile.

AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON (1981)

In the same vein as the original Ghostbusters, John Landis’ An American Werewolf in London combined a script that swung between horror and comedy with a romantic subplot, incorporating cutting-edge-forthe-time special effects. Released the same year, Wolfen and The Howling also featured grisly transitions from human to monster made realistic by stop-motion filming and sculpted latex stretched over armature prosthetics.

Werewolf also made hay of a rock soundtrack that placed familiar songs incongruously into pivotal scenes.

(Landis had a bigger hit two years later when he did all of the above in short form, with the music video for Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”) The plot: Two American college students (David Naughton and Griffin Dunne) are bumming around England when a werewolf kills one and wounds the other. The decomposing corpse of the former taunts the cursed latter as he recovers with werewolf lore and introductions to his undead victims, who must idle among the ether until the werewolf is killed. It’s dated in ways that only help defend its cult status, and on Blu-ray the clueless, cheerful Yanks, old-school frame composition, and boggy/foggy locations push all the right buttons. ◆ Shelf Life explores new and timely entries from the Knox County Public Library’s collection of movies and music.

November 24, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 21

A&E

Music

Sweet Simplicity Chris Rusk’s inner 14-year-old finds a creative outlet in Ex Gold

BY NICK HUINKER

I

n the four years since they introduced their stripped-down rock ’n’ roll to Knoxville audiences, Ex Gold has built a reputation for coupling smarts and skill with the familiar sound of power chords and chantalongs. But for anyone who walked away thinking they’d seen a fairly basic punk-rock set, guitarist and vocalist Chris Rusk seems fine with that, too.

“Most of my favorite music is made by people who hardly know how to play guitar or drums, and I wanted to do something like that,” Rusk says.

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KNOXVILLE MERCURY November 24, 2016

“It’s overproduced to sound dumb.”

The band’s focus on simplicity extends even to its origins in 2012, when Rusk—an in-demand drummer known for juggling multiple projects, most famously Royal Bangs and most recently indie startup band Caps— found his musical output slowed by unpredictable food-service shifts.

Hoping to outsmart his scheduling complications, he sought out bandmates with no other musical commitments, and Ex Gold quickly came together, with Rusk stepping for the first time into the frontman role.

The lineup has changed almost entirely since then, currently featuring bassist Kelsey Tanner, drummer Zach Gilleran, and Rusk’s longtime collaborator Sam Stratton on guitar.

(The no-other-bands stipulation has also fallen by the wayside; Gilleran drums for local notables Sweet Years and Guy Marshall, and Stratton fronts Wife Pile and plays with Rusk in Royal Bangs.) But the concept behind Ex Gold has stayed the same, offering a welcome musical extension of Rusk’s own ebullient deadpan.

“I’m a Man”—arguably Ex Gold’s signature tune, if only because a 2013 SoundCloud demo, is their only available recording—offers a ready example of the band’s sensibility. Like many of their songs, it centers around mantra-like repetition of the title, eventually elaborated on: “And I walk down the street/And I walk down the street/And I shit and I eat/And I shit and I eat.” It’s a simultaneously earnest and mocking expression of clueless masculinity, but it also hints at something more ambiguous as it wraps up.

It’s hard to get a straight answer from Rusk about his songs’ serious undercurrents, but it’s clear the ironic distance falls intentionally short of parody. Instead, Rusk describes his character in Ex Gold as one that “14-year-old me wanted to hear.”

“I didn’t want to think too hard, I wanted to be dictated to about something that was really simple and exciting,” he says. “I’m not making fun of it. I love that stuff.”

This deceptively considered approach also extends to the music itself. Rusk and Stratton cast Ex Gold’s writing process as the most painless in a musical partnership that dates back to their childhood, owing largely to the simplicity of their chosen format. But the band’s self-imposed constraints run deeper than simply emulating specific bands or songs; they’re more likely to seize on a specific flourish or happy mistake within a single track, then build an Ex Gold song around the opportunity to replicate it.

“It’s very conceptual. We put ourselves in this tiny, tiny box,” says

Stratton. “It’s an emphasis on [musical] devices. ‘You know when songs do this thing? Let’s do that thing over and over again.’”

“It’s surprisingly methodical— surprisingly thought-out for what you’re hearing,” Rusk says. “All of our favorite punk groups, they were art-school kids.”

After years of amassing these songs (including many more that were abandoned as their novelty wore off) Ex Gold is finally putting the finishing touches on its debut album, recorded

by Pilot Light owner Jason Boardman.

They hope to release it in April on Boardman’s Striped Light Records.

But for now the only way to catch them is at one of their tight, infectious live sets, like next week’s spot alongside Sweet Years, Peak Physique, and Tree Tops at this semester’s WUTK Exam Jam. Asked what Ex Gold’s set might have to offer stressed college students, Stratton helpfully points to their cheerfully nihilistic song “You Don’t Matter.”

“Whether you choose to think of it as a reality check, or an incentive to try harder—either way, you don’t matter,” he says. ◆

WHAT

WUTK Exam Jam: Sweet Years with Peak Physique, Ex Gold, and Tree Tops

WHERE

Scruffy City Hall (32 Market Square)

WHEN

Thursday, Dec. 1, at 8 p.m.

HOW MUCH $5

INFO

scruffycity.com

Thursday, Nov. 24 - Sunday, Dec. 4

MUSIC

Thursday, Nov. 24 GUY MARSHALL • Preservation Pub • 10PM • Guy Marshall’s full-length debut, The Depression Blues, is an earnest arsenal of country-folk songs that touch on themes of whiskey and wallowing.21 and up.

Friday, Nov. 25 SCOTT MCMAHON WITH SPARKLE MOTION • WDVX • 12PM • Part of WDVX’s Blue Plate Special, a six-days-a-week lunchtime concert series featuring local, regional, and national Americana, folk, pop, rock, and everything else. • FREE THE BETTER HALVES • Vienna Coffee House (Maryville) • 7PM • FREE JIMMY AND THE JAWBONES • Sugarlands Distilling Co. (Gatlinburg) • 7PM • FREE BROWNIE’S BLACK FRIDAY BLUES BASH • Relix Variety Theatre • 7PM • A showcase of Knoxville blues, in honor of Brownie McGhee (born November 30, 1915 in Knoxville), featuring The Tommie John Band with special guests Jenna Jefferson, “Blue” Barry Faust, Blair, Matt Coker, Dwight Hardin, Shawn Irwin, Bluegill, Buck Hoffman & Paul McQuade, and more. • $10-$12 • See Spotlight on page 29.

FROG AND TOAD’S DIXIE QUARTET • The Crown and Goose • 8PM • Jason Thompson’s band doesn’t play bebop, the mainstay of the American saxman for more than half a century. He prefers to do something different. Frog & Toad can sound more old-fashioned than bebop, with Dixieland and ragtime tunes. But then, in the same set, they’ll sound more modern than bebop, with funk or fusion, or something original he wrote last week. • FREE THE MATTHEW HICKEY BAND • Two Doors Down (Maryville) • 9PM THE T. MICHAEL BRANNER CONCEPTET • The Bistro at the Bijou • 9PM • Live jazz. • FREE THE JAYSTORM PROJECT • Brackins Blues Club ( Maryville) • 9PM BIG SMO • Cotton Eyed Joe • 9PM • So says Smo, whose growth as a force in American music cannot be denied.

Having topped 50 million views on YouTube, sold more than 450,000 tracks and dominated both the country and rap charts, the charismatic Tennessee-bred artist, outdoorsman and family man draws fans from across all social boundaries. 18 and up. • $10 COUNT BASS D WITH BLACK ATTICUS • Pilot Light • 10PM • 2015 marked two decades since Count Bass D’s debut, Pre-Life Crisis, hit the scene. Since then, the “Rapper With the Most Chords” and “Fender Rhodes Scholar” has augmented his Hip Hop skills as a multi-instrumentalist by truly mastering the art of sampling as well as the art of intellect. 18 and up. • $7 • See Spotlight.

TEEN SPIRIT • Preservation Pub • 10PM • 21 and up.

EXIT ANNIE • Wild Wing Cafe • 10PM • FREE IF BIRDS COULD FLY • Boyd’s Jig and Reel • 10PM • FREE DANKSGIVING VII: HEROBUST AND OOKAY • The International • 10PM • Herobust, otherwise known as Hayden Kramer, is an electronic producer from Atlanta, Georgia. 18 and up. • $15-$22 Friday, Nov. 26 JOSEPH PUZEY WITH FAITH WILLIN’ • WDVX • 12PM • Part of WDVX’s Blue Plate Special, a six-days-a-week lunchtime

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Spotlight: Seeing Diversity

concert series featuring local, regional, and national Americana, folk, pop, rock, and everything else. • FREE KATY FREE AND WENDEL WERNER • Red Piano Lounge • 6PM WARD DAVIS • The Shed at Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson (Maryville) • 7PM • $10 CHRIS LONG • Vienna Coffee House (Maryville) • 7PM • FREE ZOE NUTT • Sugarlands Distilling Co. (Gatlinburg) • 7PM • Raised in Knoxville, and a graduate of the prestigious songwriting school at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, Zoë Nutt has a way of quieting a room and hushing those voices in our heads that make it hard to sit and listen, so that all you want to do is hear the next thing she is going to sing. • FREE NOVEMBER 2 REMEMBER • The Open Chord • 7PM • With Indie Lagone, Autumn Reflection, Falling Awake, and Clockwork Asylum. All ages. • $8 SOUTHBOUND • Two Doors Down (Maryville) • 9PM MARK BOLING • The Bistro at the Bijou • 9PM • Live jazz. • FREE THE LONESOME COYOTES • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria (Maryville) • 9PM MAKOTO KAWABATA AND TATSUYA NAKATANI • Pilot Light • 10PM • Kawabata, the founder and leader of Japanese psychedelic adventurers Acid Mothers Temple, joins the acclaimed avant-garde percussionist Nakatani for a winter U.S. tour. Bet on a mind-expanding experience. 18 and up. • $5 • See Spotlight on page 34.

ROMAN REESE AND THE CARDINAL SINS • Preservation Pub • 10PM • 21 and up.

BIG COUNTRY’S EMPTY BOTTLE • Boyd’s Jig and Reel • 10PM • FREE

CALENDAR

CAROLINE REECE WITH THE JANK • WDVX • 12PM • Part of WDVX’s Blue Plate Special, a six-days-a-week lunchtime concert series featuring local, regional, and national Americana, folk, pop, rock, and everything else. • FREE FROG AND TOAD’S DIXIE QUARTET • The Crown and Goose • 6:30PM • Jason Thompson’s band doesn’t play bebop, the mainstay of the American saxman for more than half a century. He prefers to do something different. Frog & Toad can sound more old-fashioned than bebop, with Dixieland and ragtime tunes. But then, in the same set, they’ll sound more modern than bebop, with funk or fusion, or something original he wrote last week. • FREE TENNESSEE SHINES: SIERRA HULL • Boyd’s Jig and Reel • 7PM • Since age 11, Sierra Hull has been recognized as a virtuoso mandolin-player, astonishing audiences and

fellow musicians alike. Now a seasoned touring musician nearing her mid-20s, Hull has delivered her most inspired, accomplished, and mature recorded work to date. Weighted Mind is a landmark achievement, not just in Sierra Hull’s career, but in the world of folk-pop, bluegrass, and acoustic music overall. Her song “Black River” is a particular favorite on WDVX. Part of Tennessee Shines, WDVX’s series of weekly live-broadcast concerts.

• $10 THE GOO GOO DOLLS • Tennessee Theatre • 8PM • Since forming in 1986, the Goo Goo Dolls have evolved from a scrappy punk-influenced trio into the platinum-selling, chart-topping act behind such radio staples as “Name,” “Iris,” “Slide,” and “Here is Gone.” • $44.50-$59.50 KNOXVILLE CIVIC COLISEUM • 8PM • Before Matty Healy

Sunday, Nov. 27 SHIFFLETT’S JAZZ BENEDICT • The Bistro at the Bijou • 12PM • Live jazz. • FREE SUNDAY JAZZ BRUNCH • Downtown Grill and Brewery • 12:45PM • Knoxville’s coolest jazz artists perform every Sunday. • FREE THE BROCKEFELLERS • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 8PM KIP BRADLEY AND THE COLQUITT BAND • Preservation Pub • 10PM • 21 and up.

Monday, Nov. 28 DAVID RALSTON WITH MATT PRATER • WDVX • 12PM • Part of WDVX’s Blue Plate Special, a six-days-a-week lunchtime concert series featuring local, regional, and national Americana, folk, pop, rock, and everything else. • FREE MATT PRATER • Sugarlands Distilling Co. (Gatlinburg) • 7PM • FREE MAN’S TRASH WITH BENNY BOELDT • Pilot Light • 9:30PM • 18 and up.

THE BLUEPRINT • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 10PM Tuesday, Nov. 29 FORT DEFIANCE WITH GABRIELLE LOUISE • WDVX • 12PM • Part of WDVX’s Blue Plate Special, a six-days-a-week lunchtime concert series featuring local, regional, and national Americana, folk, pop, rock, and everything else. • FREE THE STONY POINT BLUEGRASS BAND • Wild Wing Cafe • 5:30PM • FREE

COUNT BASS D Pilot Light (106 E. Jackson Ave.) • Friday, Nov. 25 • 10 p.m. • $7 • 18 and up • thepilotlight.com or facebook.com/countbassd

The world was not ready for Count Bass D in 1995. The Atlanta rapper’s debut album, Pre-Life Crisis—a visionary Deep South DIY take on the urbane style of upscale jazz-rap pioneered by Digable Planets and Pharcyde, with grimy soul grooves and uplifting gospel vibes—never found its footing during the era of G-funk and the height of the West Coast/East Coast rivalry. But the Count, aka Dwight Conroy Farrell, has stayed true to his vision, with a cavalcade of albums and mixtapes over the last 20 years that mix crate-digging samples, live instruments, and Bass D’s mellow, confident sing/rap croon. In 2008, he followed up Pre-Life Crisis with L7 (Mid-Life Crisis), a minor classic of old-school hip-hop beats, neo-soul, and space-age lounge music. His latest, Instantly New, is a murkier, somnambulant affair, a lo-fi experiment in hip-hop soul that mostly works. And last year, Count Bass D reissued a 20th-anniversary digital version of Pre-Life Crisis, reminding the world what had been possible in the mid ’90s. (Matthew Everett)

Wednesday, Nov. 30

30

Spotlight: Brownie’s Black Friday Blues Bash

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Spotlight: Tatsuya Nakatani and Makoto Kawabata November 24, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 23

CALENDAR

Thursday, Nov. 24 - Sunday, Dec. 4

could go forth and do battle with the world again, he had to get the small matter of doing battle with himself out of the way first. The 17 songs on The 1975’s remarkable, incandescent new album “I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it” give some hints as to what that battle involves. Confidence, anguished self-doubt, morbid introspection and ceaseless self-laceration surely play a part; ditto arrogance, urgency, passion, panic; add to that already over-crowded space ambition, exhaustion, elation and dejection. • $29-$39 MIKE SNODGRASS • Wild Wing Cafe • 8:30PM • FREE JAHMAN BRAHMAN • Preservation Pub • 10PM • 21 and up.

CARL GOMBERT: “SEEING DIVERSITY: USING ART TO TALK ABOUT IDENTITY” Clayton Center for the Arts (502 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville) • Thursday, Dec. 1 • 7 p.m. • Free • carlgombert.com

What do we assume about other people based simply on their skin color, their clothes, or the shape of their eyes?

Many parents have been grappling with how to have meaningful conversations with their kids about current events. Start (or continue) with this free art walk and workshop, which invites toddlers through adults to view and make art while discussing cultural labels and assumptions.

Maryville College art professor Carl Gombert will talk about 25 of his self-portraits, in which the white artist envisions himself as he would appear if he had a different race, occupation, or lifestyle. The portraits challenge viewers by presenting one person with many different identities (and are, incidentally, on permanent display at Maryville College’s Clayton Center for the Arts). In the second half of the event, participants will use words, drawings, stickers, and doodles to explore the labels that define their identities.

“Seeing Diversity: Using Art to Talk about Identity” is the second in a series of monthly activities around the theme of talking with kids and teens about race. This community education initiative is sponsored by a broad coalition of Blount County groups, led by Foothills Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Crystal Colter, a coordinator of the series for the church and a Maryville College professor, says the program is motivated by trends in the last few years— from police shootings of unarmed black men to Islamophobia—that have illuminated the need for more work on racial justice.

“Parents need to have conversations about race with kids before someone else has those conversations for us,” Colter says. “Seeing Diversity” is appropriate even for very young children, who start recognizing physical differences earlier than most adults imagine, she says. “The notion that colorblindness is the way to go is just not accurate. Kids need to have the language and values to talk about difference and to talk about race and racism.”

To find out more about the series, email office@fuuf.org or call (865) 282-3883. (S. Heather Duncan)

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KNOXVILLE MERCURY November 24, 2016

Thursday, Dec. 1 MATT BROWN WITH BRANDON FULSON • WDVX • 12PM • Part of WDVX’s Blue Plate Special, a six-days-a-week lunchtime concert series featuring local, regional, and national Americana, folk, pop, rock, and everything else. • FREE THE JONNY MONSTER BAND • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 6PM • FREE WUTK EXAM JAM • Scruffy City Hall • 8PM • A fundraiser for WUTK, produced by the station’s music department.

With Sweet Years, Peak Physique, Ex Gold, and Tree Tops.

• See preview on page 22.

O RYNE WARNER AND WES TIREY • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 10PM THE BLUE LINE BLUES • Preservation Pub • 10PM • 21 and up.

Friday, Dec. 2 MORGAN WADE WITH NEWTOWN • WDVX • 12PM • Part of WDVX’s Blue Plate Special, a six-days-a-week lunchtime concert series featuring local, regional, and national Americana, folk, pop, rock, and everything else. • FREE THE JOHN HATCHETT BAND • Sugarlands Distilling Co. (Gatlinburg) • 7PM • FREE THE DELTAS • The Open Chord • 7PM • Old-school R&B and beach music. All ages. • $10 THE HOT SARDINES: HOLIDAY STOMP • Clayton Center for the Arts (Maryville) • 7:30PM • Capping off a year that’s seen the Sardines play to sold-out venues throughout the U.S., New York’s hot-jazz darlings get into the big, brass-filled spirit of the holiday season. • $27-$43 FROG AND TOAD’S DIXIE QUARTET • The Crown and Goose • 8PM • Jason Thompson’s band doesn’t play bebop, the mainstay of the American saxman for more than half a century. He prefers to do something different. Frog & Toad can sound more old-fashioned than bebop, with Dixieland and ragtime tunes. But then, in the same set, they’ll sound more modern than bebop, with funk or fusion, or something original he wrote last week. • FREE JAMIE LAVAL • Laurel Theater • 8PM • Fiddler Jamie Laval will present a program of traditional music from Scotland, Ireland, Bretagne, Galicea, Quebec, and Appalachia. Winner of the U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Championship (2002), Laval has appeared on the NBC Today Show, has performed for Her Majesty the Queen, and won Best World Traditional Song in the 2007 Independent Music Awards Vox Populi. His recent tour of Scotland found him performing at the Scots Fiddle Festival in Edinburgh and teaching at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama. • $20 1964: THE TRIBUTE • The International • 8PM • A tribute to the Beatles. All ages. • $25-$40 JACK’D UP • Two Doors Down (Maryville) • 9PM RICK RUSHING • Brackins Blues Club ( Maryville) • 9PM RUMOURS • The Concourse • 9PM • A tribute to Fleetwood Mac. 18 and up. • $12-$15

SCOTT STEVENS • Wild Wing Cafe • 10PM • FREE THE BURNIN’ HERMANS • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 10PM THE DEAD RINGERS • Preservation Pub • 10PM • 21 and up.

THE HOWLIN’ BROTHERS • Boyd’s Jig and Reel • 10PM • FREE Saturday, Dec. 3 FREQUENCY WITH LOOSE HINGES • WDVX • 12PM • Part of WDVX’s Blue Plate Special, a six-days-a-week lunchtime concert series featuring local, regional, and national Americana, folk, pop, rock, and everything else. • FREE KATY FREE AND WENDEL WERNER • Red Piano Lounge • 6PM JAY CLARK AND GREG HORNE • Royal Oaks Event Center • 7:30PM • Visit storiesbeyondthemusic.com. • $15 TENNESSEE SHEIKS • Laurel Theater • 8PM • The Sheiks are Don Cassell on mandolin, guitar, dobro, and vocals; Nancy Brennan Strange on guitar, vocals; Don Wood on guitar; Barry (Po) Hannah on guitar; Ken Wood on percussion, vocals; Michael Crawley on blues harp, vocals; and Will Yeager on bass. Taking inspiration from the great Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt, they describe their music as acoustic swing. The Sheiks are known individually for their work with area bands and musicians for over 20 years working in bluegrass, old-time, jazz and swing idioms, including the Dismembered Tennesseans and Strange Company. The Sheiks are currently in the process of recording a new record, and while there is still not a release date, they will be performing music form the new record, titled appropriately Road to Cazmo.

• $13 GIRL POWER: ANNANDALE, THE BILLY WIDGETS, THE CRYPTOIDS, AND IN SERVICE OF SOUND • The Open Chord • 8PM • Welcome to the Open Chord’s third installment of our Girl Power series, celebrating women in music. The night will feature four incredible female-fronted rock acts from the region. All ages.

NEAL MCCOY • Knoxville Civic Coliseum • 8PM • Neal McCoy is an American country music singer. He has released ten studio albums on various labels, and has released 34 singles to country radio. Although he first charted on Billboard Hot Country Songs in 1988, he did not reach Top 40 for the first time until 1992’s “Where Forever Begins”, which peaked at number 40. McCoy broke through a year later with the back-to-back number 1 singles “No Doubt About It” and “Wink” from his platinum-certified album No Doubt About It. Presented by the Knoxville Fire Fighters Association. • $29 CYPHER: A HIP-HOP SHOW • The Birdhouse • 9PM • Open mic for the first half of the night, then two featured artists to close out the night. 18 and up.

EXIT 60 • Two Doors Down (Maryville) • 9PM JOHN SUTTON • Brackins Blues Club (Maryville) • 9PM ALMOST DEAD • Scruffy City Hall • 9PM • A tribute to the Grateful Dead.

C2 AND THE BROTHERS REED • Preservation Pub • 10PM • 21 and up.

KUKULY AND THE GYPSY FUEGO • Boyd’s Jig and Reel • 10PM • FREE WOODY PINES • Sugarlands Distilling Co. (Gatlinburg) • 10PM • FREE THE JERRY GARCIA COVER BAND • The Concourse • 10PM • 18 and up. • $5 CRAVE ON WITH BEIGE BLOOD • Pilot Light • 10PM • 18 and up. • $5 Sunday, Dec. 4 SHIFFLETT’S JAZZ BENEDICT • The Bistro at the Bijou • 12PM • Live jazz. • FREE

CALENDAR SUNDAY JAZZ BRUNCH • Downtown Grill and Brewery • 12:45PM • Knoxville’s coolest jazz artists perform every Sunday. • FREE DETROIT DAVE: A CELEBRATION OF LIFE • The Concourse • 4PM • Join us in celebrating the life of Knoxville guitar legend and friend, Detroit Dave Meer. This will be an afternoon of music, storytelling, and fellowship by those who loved Dave. Donations for for Dave’s arrangements will be accepted and a silent auction will be held. All ages. Visit internationalknox.com. • FREE BOBAFLEX WITH SUPER BOB, MEDICINE MANN, AND BELFAST 6 PACK • The Open Chord • 7PM • Bobaflex is known as one of the hardest working bands in the country. Renowned for their high energy, live shows and relentless touring the band was formed in 1998 by brothers Shaun and Marty McCoy. The brothers are known for their ancestral ties to the most infamous family feud in American history between the Hatfield and McCoy. Bobaflex is on tour now supporting their seventh album Anything That Moves. All ages. • $8-$10 THE CHARLES WALKER BAND • Preservation Pub • 10PM • 21 and up.

OPEN MIC AND SONGWRITER NIGHTS

Tuesday, Nov. 29 PRESERVATION PUB SINGER/SONGWRITER NIGHT • Preservation Pub • 7PM OLD-TIME JAM SESSION • Boyd’s Jig and Reel • 7:15PM • The musicians sit together and pick and strum familiar tunes on fiddles, guitars, and bass. Open to all lovers and players of music. No need to build up the courage to join in. Just grab an instrument off the wall and take a seat.

Hosted by Sarah Pirkle. • FREE Wednesday, Nov. 30 SECRET CITY CYPHERS • The Open Chord • 8PM • Secret City Cyphers is Knoxville’s premier open mic-style event that allows emcees, poets, singers, musicians, dancers, comedians, visual artists, and others to not only have a place to showcase their talent, but a place to network with other artists, and build their fan base. Please remember the 3 SCC rules: No disrespecting anyone; no violence; and limited vulgarity. Other than that, everything’s game. • $5 BRACKINS BLUES JAM • Brackins Blues Club ( Maryville) • 9PM • A weekly open session hosted by Tommie John. • FREE TIME WARP TEA ROOM OLD-TIME JAM • Time Warp Tea Room • 7PM • Regular speed old-time/fiddle jam every Wednesday. All instruments and skill levels welcome.

Thursday, Dec. 1 IRISH MUSIC SESSION • Boyd’s Jig and Reel • 7:15PM • Held on the first and third Thursdays of each month. Visit jigandreel.com. • FREE BREWHOUSE BLUES JAM • The Open Chord • 8PM • Join Robert Higginbotham and the Smoking Section for the Brewhouse Blues Jam. Bring your instrument, sign up, and join the jammers. We supply drums and a full backline of amps. Sign-ups begin at 7 p.m.

DJ AND DANCE NIGHTS Friday, Dec. 2

PILOT LIGHT DANCE NIGHT • Pilot Light • 10PM • With Big Merg, Mini Tiger, J.S. Bowman, Dr. Hollywood, B.J. Alumbaugh, and Nathan Moses. 18 and up. • $5

CLASSICAL MUSIC

Sunday, Nov. 27 KSO CHAMBER CLASSICS: A CLASSICAL CHRISTMAS • Bijou Theatre • 2:30PM • The Knoxville Symphony Chamber Orchestra will perform “A Classical Christmas” again this year at the Bijou Theatre just in time to get you and yours in the holiday spirit. This performance, conducted by James Fellenbaum, will feature some favorite holiday selections including Sleigh Ride, O Little Town of Bethlehem, and selections from Handel’s “Messiah,” plus many more. • $13.50-$31.50 Thursday, Dec. 1 CHRISTMAS WITH THE KNOXVILLE CHAMBER CHORALE • St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral • 7PM • The Knoxville Chamber Chorale is a 31-member choral ensemble auditioned from the membership of the Knoxville Choral Society and conducted by Dr. John R. Orr. The Chamber Chorale is Knoxville’s premier chamber choir. The program features choral arrangements of Christmas classics as well as newer music arranged for a cappella choir by modern composers such as Connor Koppin, Joseph Gregorio, Philip Lawson and Ēriks Ešenvalds. The concert includes holiday favorites such as Deck the Hall, and Silver Bells.

Also included are standards like Victoria’s O Magnum Mysterium and We Three Kings by Matthew Culloton. The concert provides a full evening of Christmas music and is not to be missed. Visit www.knoxvillechoralsociety.org.

• $10 Sunday, Dec. 4 STILE ANTICO: A WONDROUS MYSTERY • St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral • 7:30PM • Stile Antico is firmly established as one of the world’s most accomplished and innovative vocal ensembles. Working without a conductor, its twelve members have thrilled audiences throughout Europe and North America with their fresh, vibrant and moving performances of Renaissance polyphony. The ensemble’s Christmas programme is a delightful mixture of the formal and the informal, of sophisticated polyphony and folk-like dances. Alongside a glorious, richly scored Christmas mass by the Flemish composer Clemens non Papa, Stile Antico performs traditional old-German carols and motets, many of them still familiar today. Amongst the highlights are Eccard’s infectiously joyful Übers Gebirg Maria geht and Praetorius’ double-choir Magnificat, which includes the carols In dulci jubilo and Josef lieber, Josef mein. Based on the same Josef lieber melody, and neatly joining the two strands of the programme, is Resonet in laudibus by the Flemish-born, German-resident master Orlandus Lassus. An irresistibly festive performance. Visit stileantico.co.uk. • $25-$50

THEATER AND DANCE Thursday, Nov. 24 OAK RIDGE PLAYHOUSE: 1940S RADIO HOUR • Oak Ridge Playhouse • 8PM • Just before Christmas 1942, a seedy little New York radio station—WOV—takes to the air to record a broadcast of The Mutual Manhattan Variety Cavalcade for the troops overseas. As the harassed producer copes with the lead singer who is often drunk, the second banana who dreams of singing a ballad, the

November 24, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 25

CALENDAR sexy chanteuse who drives the men wild, and the delivery boy who just wants to be on the air, the show bursts forth with the rhythm and stomp of the big band sound. Nov. 24-Dec. 11. Visit orplayhouse.com.

Thursday, Nov. 24 - Sunday, Dec. 4

theatreknoxville.com. • $15

Friday, Nov. 25 CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 7:30PM • The tradition continues – anew! With a brand new look and a new adaptation, we return with a classic holiday favorite. Join us as Ebenezer Scrooge gets one last chance for redemption when he sees his past, present, and the possibilities for the future with four persuasive ghosts.

Nov. 23-Dec. 11. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com.

OAK RIDGE PLAYHOUSE: 1940S RADIO HOUR • Oak Ridge Playhouse • 8PM • Nov. 24-Dec. 11. Visit orplayhouse.com.

THEATRE KNOXVILLE DOWNTOWN: ‘SEASONAL ALLERGIES’ • Theatre Knoxville Downtown • 8PM • Nine out of 10 people have seasonal allergies, but nobody has a case worse than Julia Shelby and her brother Peter. So get ready to laugh away your throat tickle, and clear your sinuses with a healthy dose of holiday fun. Nov. 25-Dec. 11. Visit theatreknoxville.com. • $15 Saturday, Nov. 26 CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 7:30PM • Nov. 23-Dec. 11. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com.

OAK RIDGE PLAYHOUSE: 1940S RADIO HOUR • Oak Ridge Playhouse • 8PM • Nov. 24-Dec. 11. Visit orplayhouse.com.

THEATRE KNOXVILLE DOWNTOWN: ‘SEASONAL ALLERGIES’ • Theatre Knoxville Downtown • 8PM • Nov. 25-Dec. 11. Visit

Sunday, Nov. 27 CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 2PM • Nov. 23-Dec. 11. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com.

THEATRE KNOXVILLE DOWNTOWN: ‘SEASONAL ALLERGIES’ • Theatre Knoxville Downtown • 3PM • Nov. 25-Dec. 11. Visit theatreknoxville.com. • $15 Wednesday, Nov. 30 CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 7:30PM • Nov. 23-Dec. 11. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com.

Thursday, Dec. 1 CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 7:30PM • Nov. 23-Dec. 11. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com.

THEATRE KNOXVILLE DOWNTOWN: ‘SEASONAL ALLERGIES’ • Theatre Knoxville Downtown • 8PM • Nov. 25-Dec. 11. Visit theatreknoxville.com. • $15 Friday, Dec. 2 KNOXVILLE CHILDREN’S THEATRE: ‘GODSPELL JR.’ • Knoxville Children’s Theatre • 7PM • Prepare ye for the timeless tale of friendship, loyalty and love based on the Broadway musical that inspired a generation. The disciples help Jesus Christ tell parables, using a wide variety of songs and comic timing. An eclectic blend of music, ranging in style from pop to vaudeville, is employed as the story of Jesus’ messages of kindness,

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tolerance and love come vibrantly to life. Dec. 2-18. Visit knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com. • $12 BROADWAY AT THE TENNESSEE: ‘RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN’S CINDERELLA’ • Tennessee Theatre • 8PM • The 2016-2017 season kicks off with the Tony Award-winning Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.

From the creators of The Sound of Music and South Pacific, this lush production features an incredible orchestra, jaw-dropping transformations and all the moments you love – the pumpkin, the glass slipper, the masked ball and more – plus some surprising new twists! Be transported back to your childhood as you rediscover some of Rodgers + Hammerstein’s most beloved songs, including “In My Own Little Corner,â€? “Impossible/It’s Possibleâ€? and “Ten Minutes Ago,â€? in this hilarious and romantic Broadway experience for anyone who’s ever had a wish, a dream‌ or a really great pair of shoes. • $37-$77 CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 7:30PM • Nov. 23-Dec. 11. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com.

OAK RIDGE PLAYHOUSE: 1940S RADIO HOUR • Oak Ridge Playhouse • 8PM • Nov. 24-Dec. 11. Visit orplayhouse.com.

THEATRE KNOXVILLE DOWNTOWN: ‘SEASONAL ALLERGIES’ • Theatre Knoxville Downtown • 8PM • Nov. 25-Dec. 11. Visit theatreknoxville.com. • $15 Saturday, Dec. 3 KNOXVILLE CHILDREN’S THEATRE: ‘GODSPELL JR.’ • Knoxville Children’s Theatre • 1PM and 5PM • Dec. 2-18.

Visit knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com. • $12

APPALACHIAN BALLET COMPANY: THE NUTCRACKER • Knoxville Civic Auditorium • 7:30PM • The Appalachian Ballet Company will present the annual holiday tradition The Nutcracker in their 45th anniversary season. The production features live music by the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. New sets, props and costumes will bring the charming and spellbinding production to life.

BROADWAY AT THE TENNESSEE: ‘RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN’S CINDERELLA’ • Tennessee Theatre • 1PM and 7PM • $37-$77 CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 7:30PM • Nov. 23-Dec. 11. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com.

OAK RIDGE PLAYHOUSE: 1940S RADIO HOUR • Oak Ridge Playhouse • 8PM • Nov. 24-Dec. 11. Visit orplayhouse.com.

THEATRE KNOXVILLE DOWNTOWN: ‘SEASONAL ALLERGIES’ • Theatre Knoxville Downtown • 8PM • Nov. 25-Dec. 11. Visit theatreknoxville.com. • $15 Sunday, Dec. 4 APPALACHIAN BALLET COMPANY: THE NUTCRACKER • Knoxville Civic Auditorium • 3PM • The Appalachian Ballet Company will present the annual holiday tradition The Nutcracker in their 45th anniversary season. The production features live music by the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. New sets, props and costumes will bring the charming and spellbinding production to life.

KNOXVILLE CHILDREN’S THEATRE: ‘GODSPELL JR.’ • Knoxville Children’s Theatre • 3PM • Dec. 2-18. Visit knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com. • $12 BROADWAY AT THE TENNESSEE: ‘RODGERS AND

CALENDAR HAMMERSTEIN’S CINDERELLA’ • Tennessee Theatre • 1:30PM and 6:30PM • $37-$77 CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘A CHRISTMAS CAROL’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 2PM • Nov. 23-Dec. 11. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com.

OAK RIDGE PLAYHOUSE: 1940S RADIO HOUR • Oak Ridge Playhouse • 2PM • Nov. 24-Dec. 11. Visit orplayhouse.com.

THEATRE KNOXVILLE DOWNTOWN: ‘SEASONAL ALLERGIES’ • Theatre Knoxville Downtown • 3PM • Nov. 25-Dec. 11. Visit theatreknoxville.com. • $15

COMEDY AND SPOKEN WORD

Friday, Nov. 25 BILLY WAYNE DAVIS • Central Collective • 7:30PM • Join us for a post-Thanksgiving evening of comedy with Billy Wayne Davis, who’s touring the country to promote the upcoming release of his vinyl album, “Live at Third Man Records.” • $12 Sunday, Nov. 27 UPSTAIRS UNDERGROUND COMEDY • Preservation Pub • 8PM • A weekly comedy open mic. Visit scruffycity.com.

POBOYS AND POETS • Big Fatty’s Catering Kitchen • 8PM • Poboys and Poets Knoxville is a spoken-word poetry-based open mic that invites lyricists, songwriters, poets, and anyone who wants to share, listen, or both.

Held on the fourth Saturday of every month. • FREE Monday, Nov. 28 FRIENDLYTOWN • Pilot Light • 7:30PM • A weekly comedy night named after the former red-light district near the Old City. Visit facebook.com/friendlytownknoxville. 18 and up. • FREE Tuesday, Dec. 29 EINSTEIN SIMPLIFIED • Scruffy City Hall • 8PM • Einstein Simplified Comedy performs live comedy improv at Scruffy City Hall. It’s just like Whose Line Is It Anyway, but you get to make the suggestions. Show starts at 8:15, get there early for the best seats. No cover. • FREE OPEN MIC STAND-UP COMEDY • Longbranch Saloon • 8PM • Come laugh until you cry at the Longbranch every Tuesday night. Doors open at 8:30, first comic at 9. No cover charge, all are welcome. Aspiring or experienced comics interested in joining in the fun can email us at longbranch.info@gmail.com to learn more, or simply come to the show a few minutes early. • FREE SPIKE COLLAR COMEDY: CARLOS VALENCIA • The Open Chord • 8PM • Through years of rigorous comedy research at the Carlos Valencia Intercontinental Institute for the Advancement of Shtick, Valencia’s line of cutting edge jokes have set new standards in stand-up quality. His comedic leadership in the field of enhanced joke telling techniques manages to make audiences laugh at rates that meet and often exceed the industry average. Carlos’ patented atomic punchline timing has been tested to far surpass the latest precision standards set forth by the American World Congress of Local Comedy. His state-of-the-art timing accuracy is designed to lose no more than one millisecond every 273 years. Carlos tolerates no less than utmost comedic operating excellence for guaranteed costumer success. With Jay Kendrick, Chase Dyer, Boston McCown and host J.C. Ratliff.

18 and up. • FREE Friday, Dec. 2 FIRST FRIDAY COMEDY • Saw Works Brewing Company •

7PM • A monthly showcase featuring local and touring stand-ups comics. • FREE THE OOH OOH REVUE • Cocoa Moon • 10PM • Knoxville’s exciting monthly fun and sexy variety show. We are classy cabaret, song, dance, comedy and bedazzling burlesque, every First Friday. This show features some of Knoxville’s best and emerging talent: singers, dancers, comedians, spoken word poets, burlesque artists and so much more. It’s a variety show where each cast member brings a different sizzling act each month to entertain, delight, surprise and more. It’s an evening designed to make you say “ooh!” Visit oohoohrevue.com. 18 and up. • $10 Sunday, Dec. 4 UPSTAIRS UNDERGROUND COMEDY • Preservation Pub • 8PM • A weekly comedy open mic. Visit scruffycity.com.

FESTIVALS

Friday, Nov. 25 REGAL CELEBRATION OF LIGHTS • Krutch Park • 6PM • Lighting of the 42’ tree in Krutch Park Ext. Music, carolers, train rides, pictures with Santa, face painting, marshmallow roasting and more. Market Street will have children’s craft activities, Home Depot’s Little Elves Workshop, and the opportunity to make cards to send to soldiers with ‘Cards for Heroes’ by the American Red Cross. Kids can enjoy a ride on a miniature train down Gay St. Come enjoy it all, there’s too much to list. Live music by the Blue Line Blues begins at 5:30pm, tree ceremony begins at 6pm. • FREE Friday, Dec. 2 WIVK CHRISTMAS PARADE • Downtown Knoxville • 7PM • Bands, dancers, floats, characters, and Santa Claus parade down Gay Street bringing fun holiday spirit to all.

• FREE IVAN RACHEFF HOUSE AND GARDENS OPEN HOUSE AND GREENS TEA • Historic Ivan Racheff House and Gardens • 12PM • The historic Racheff House and Gardens is the headquarters of the Tennessee Federation of Garden Clubs and is open to the public from March to December at no charge. The house and gardens, donated by the owner of Knoxville Irons Works Ivan Racheff, is located next to the Gerdau Ameristeel foundry which is on the site of the original Iron Works. Available for purchase at the Open House are holiday wreaths, centerpieces, and tabletop designs created by members of the Board of Governors of Racheff. Also available for purchase will be baked goods, pecans, and gift shop items. For further information call 865-681-1704.

FILM SCREENINGS

Sunday, Nov. 27 THE PUBLIC CINEMA: STARLESS DREAMS • Knoxville Museum of Art • 2PM • A haunting portrait of stolen childhood, Starless Dreams plunges us into the lives of seven young teenage girls sharing temporary quarters at a rehabilitation and correction center on the outskirts of Tehran. Visit publiccinema.org. • FREE Monday, Nov. 28 THE BIRDHOUSE WALK-IN THEATER • The Birdhouse • 8:15PM • A weekly free movie screening. Visit birdhouseknoxville.com. • FREE Tuesday, Dec. 29

November 24, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 27

CALENDAR NOKNOX CINEMATHEQUE: ‘DUTCH’ • Central Collective • 7PM • To get to know his girlfriend’s son, a working-class good guy volunteers to pick him up from a prep school— only to learn that her son isn’t the nicest kid—in this 1991 comedy starring Ed O’Neill. • FREE Sunday, Dec. 4 MASTERPIECES OF INDIAN CINEMA: ‘MONSOON WEDDING’ • Lawson McGee Public Library • 2PM • A stressed father, a bride-to-be with a secret, a smitten event planner, and relatives from around the world create much ado about the preparations for an arranged marriage in India. • FREE

SPORTS AND RECREATION

Thursday, Nov. 24 HOT TO TROT 5K/10K/FUN RUN • Fleet Feet Sports Knoxville • 7:30AM • The Hot to Trot 5k, 10k and Fun Run are great ways to start your Thanksgiving Day. The 5K course starts on Parkside Drive in front of Fleet Feet Sports and runs through Turkey Creek area then loops back. The 10K course is a 2 loop course. The Fun Run is out and back on Parkside Drive total of one mile. • $20-$30 CYCOLOGY BICYCLES THURSDAY MORNING RIDE • Cycology Bicycles • 10AM • Join Cycology Bicycles every Thursday morning for a road ride with two group options. A Group does a two- to three-hour ride at 20-plus mph pace; B

Thursday, Nov. 24 - Sunday, Dec. 4

group does an intermediate ride at 15-18 mph. Weather permitting. Visit cycologybicycles.com. • FREE RIVER SPORTS GREENWAY RIDE • River Sports Outfitters • 6PM • Join us every Thursday night from 6-8 to ride the greenway with our bike shop staff. Riding is free, and bikes are available to rent for $10. Test out our bikes or bring your own and then enjoy a cold $2 pint back at our store afterwards. Visit riversportsoutfitters.com. • FREE KTC TURKEY TROT 5K AND LITTLE GOBBLER RUN • Downtown Knoxville • 8AM • Knoxville Track Club’s annual Thanksgiving Day race starts on Depot Avenue and tours downtown Knoxville. Visit ktc.org.

Friday, Nov. 25 SMOKY MOUNTAIN HIKING CLUB: DADDY’S CREEK/CRAB ORCHARD • 9AM • You should forgo the shopping crowds and join us as we hike the moderate 8-mile Daddy’s Creek/Crab Orchard section of the Justin P. Wilson Cumberland Trail State Scenic Trail State Park. Be prepared to leave Midtown Lowes parking lot at I-40 Exit 350 at 8:30 am or the Marathon gas station in Crab Orchard at I-40 Exit 329 at 9 AM. Leaders: Betty Glenn, glennbj@roanestate.edu and Diane Petrilla, petrillad@ gmail.com. For info on the Cumberland trail, visit www. cumberlandtrail.org. • FREE Monday, Nov. 28 KTC GROUP RUN • Mellow Mushroom • 6PM • Join Knoxville Track Club every Monday evening for a group run starting at the Mellow Mushroom on the Cumberland Avenue strip on the University of Tennessee campus. Visit ktc.org. • FREE

Bach or Basie?

Your music, your choice.

TVB MONDAY NIGHT ROAD RIDE • Tennessee Valley Bikes • 6PM • The soon to be famous Monday night road ride happens every Monday. We usually split into two groups according to speed. Both groups are no-drop groups. The faster group averages over 17 mph and the B group averages around 14 mph. • FREE BEARDEN BEER MARKET FUN RUN • Bearden Beer Market • 6:30PM • Come run with us. Every Monday year round we do a group fun run through the neighborhood. Open to all levels of walkers and runners. Everyone who participates earns $1 off their beer. Visit beardenbeermarket.com. • FREE YOGA FOR RUNNERS • Fleet Feet Sports Knoxville • 7PM • Join us on the second and fourth Monday of every month for our Yoga for Runners session with Shaheen Dewji, a certified yoga instructor and an experienced runner, with the knowledge and experience to help you improve your running through yoga. Sessions are free for current training program members, and $5 for everyone else.

Visit fleetfeetknoxville.com/training/yoga-for-runners. • $5 Tuesday, Nov. 29 CYCOLOGY BICYCLES TUESDAY MORNING RIDE • Cycology Bicycles • 9AM • Join Cycology Bicycles every Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. and 10:30 am for a road ride with two group options. Weather permitting. Visit cycologybicycles.com. • FREE CYCOLOGY BICYCLES TUESDAY MORNING RIDE • Cycology Bicycles • 10:30AM • Join Cycology Bicycles every Tuesday morning at 9 a.m. and 10:30 am for a road ride

with two group options. Weather permitting. Visit cycologybicycles.com. • FREE HARD KNOX TUESDAY FUN RUN • Hard Knox Pizzeria • 6:30PM • Join Hard Knox Pizzeria every Tuesday evening (rain or shine) for a 2-3 mile fun run. Burn calories.

Devour pizza. Quench thirst. Follow us on Facebook. • FREE Wednesday, Nov. 30 FLEET FEET WEDNESDAY LUNCH BREAK RUN • Fleet Feet Sports Knoxville • 12PM • Join us every Wednesday at for our lunch break run. All levels welcome. We’ll run 30-60 minutes. Visit fleetfeetknoxville.com. • FREE KTC GROUP RUN • Runner’s Market • 5:30PM • If you are visiting Knoxville, new to town, new to the club, or just looking to get more involved, this is the place to start. A festive and relaxed group get-together occurs every Wednesday afternoon at 5:30 p.m. at Runners Market.

Visit ktc.org. • FREE TVB EASY RIDER MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE • Ijams Nature Center • 6PM • On Wednesday nights we hit the local trails for an easy-paced mountain bike ride. Riders of all skill levels are welcome, and if you would like to demo a mountain bike from our shop this is a great opportunity to do so. Call 865-540-9979 or visit tnvalleybikes.com. • FREE Thursday, Dec. 1 CYCOLOGY BICYCLES THURSDAY MORNING RIDE • Cycology Bicycles • 10AM • Join Cycology Bicycles every Thursday morning for a road ride with two group options. A Group does a two- to three-hour ride at 20-plus mph pace; B

historic buildings, including one of the South’s oldest libraries on fresh local dishes and classic British favorites for antiques, art, and crafts from Appalachian artisans trails that lead into a national park and state natural area In vintage accommodations dating back to the 1880s in one of the most stunningly beautiful places in Tennessee

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KNOXVILLE MERCURY November 24, 2016

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Thursday, Nov. 24 - Sunday, Dec. 4

group does an intermediate ride at 15-18 mph. Weather permitting. Visit cycologybicycles.com. • FREE NORTH KNOXVILLE BEER RUNNERS • Central Flats and Taps • 6PM • Meet us at Central Flats and Taps every Thursday night for a fun and easy run leading us right through Saw Works for a midway beer. • FREE FLEET FEET GROUP RUN/WALK • Fleet Feet Sports Knoxville • 6PM • Join us every Thursday night at our store for a fun group run/walk. We have all levels come out, so no matter what your speed you’ll have someone to keep you company. Our 30 - 60 minute route varies week by week in the various neighborhoods and greenways around the store, so be sure to show up on time so you can join up with the group. All levels welcome. Visit fleetfeetknoxville.com. • FREE RIVER SPORTS GREENWAY RIDE • River Sports Outfitters • 6PM • Join us every Thursday night from 6-8 to ride the greenway with our bike shop staff. Riding is free, and bikes are available to rent for $10. Test out our bikes or bring your own and then enjoy a cold $2 pint back at our store afterwards. Visit riversportsoutfitters.com. • FREE

CALENDAR

422 S. Gay St. NOV. 1-DEC. 2 : Paintings by George Rothery and jewelry

by Jenifer Lindsey. Visit artmarketgallery.net.

Bennett Galleries 6308 Kingston Pike NOV. 4-26: Nothing Is Ordinary, paintings by Christine Patterson. Visit bennettgalleries.com.

Broadway Studios and Gallery 1127 N. Broadway NOV. 4-26: Hope and Intuition, paintings by Jessica Payne and fiber art by Bailey Earith. Visit broadwaystudioandgalleries.com.

Carson-Newman University Omega Gallery 1646 Russell Ave. (Jefferson City)

OCT. 29-NOV. 30: Here and There, recent photos by Andrew Gresham. Visit cn.edu.

The Central Collective 923 N. Central St. DEC. 2: Halitide, installation art by Chris Spurgin and Joshua Shorey. A First Friday reception will be held from 7-10 p.m.

The District Gallery 5113 Kingston Pike NOV. 4-26: States of Matter, pottery by Lisa Kurtz and paintings by Ginger Oglesby. DEC. 2-30: My Knoxville: Interpretations of Home, a group exhibit featuring artwork

by Cinamon Airhart, Mike C. Berry, Gary Dagnan, Connie Gaertner, Kathie Odom, and Joe Parrott. Visit thedistrictgallery.com.

Friday, Dec. 2 VALOR FIGHTS 39 • Knoxville Civic Coliseum • 5:30PM • Live MMA action. Visit knoxvillecoliseum.com. • $28-$106 Saturday, Dec. 3 RUNNER’S MARKET SATURDAY GROUP RUN • Runner’s Market • 9AM • Every first Saturday of the month at 9 a.m., join us for a relaxed-pace run of 3 to 5.5 miles or beyond along the Third Creek and Sequoyah Hills Greenways. Afterwards, enjoy coffee and refreshments provided by the gang at Runner’s Market. Visit runnersmarket.com. • FREE CATALYST ADAPTIVE CLIMB • River Sports Outfitters • 10AM • Join us the first Saturday of every month as we climb with Catalyst Sports. This event is for anyone with physical disabilities. All ages are welcome to come and climb our rock wall. • $10 Sunday, Dec. 4 KTC LEFTOVER RUN • Tyson Park • 2PM • The Leftover Run will take place on Sunday, December 6 at 2:00 pm at Tyson Park. Registration cost is $5 and there are no discounts. All money goes to The Empty Stocking Fund.

This is a social event and not a timed event. This is a no frills event and there will be no post race food so please bring your own. Course is roughly 5k and will run out and back on the greenway. Bring a bag and fill it with all of the leftover t-shirts and awards that you want from 2015.

Any leftovers will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club of the TN Valley. Registration will take place on Sunday, December 6, beginning at 1 pm. To give the most money to The Empty Stocking Fund, there is no online or early registration. • $5

ART

Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts 556 Parkway (Gatlinburg) OCT. 20-DEC. 13: Pigment of Our Imagination, mixed-media jewelry by Sam Mitchell and Aric Verrastro. NOV. 14-JAN. 14: Piecing Together a Changing Planet, a juried exhibition of 25 quilts highlighting climate change in America’s national parks. An opening reception will be held on Thursday, Nov. 17, from 6-8 p.m. Visit arrowmont.org.

Art Market Gallery

BROWNIE’S BLACK FRIDAY BLUES BASH Relix Variety Theatre (1208 N. Central St.) • Friday, Nov. 25 • 7 p.m. • $10-$12

Walter Brown McGhee was one of Knoxville’s most significant musical exports of the 20th century. In the 1940s, he collaborated with his younger brother, Granville “Stick” McGhee, on an early version of “Drinkin’ Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee,” an R&B hit that might be considered an early version of rock ’n’ roll. He studied under Blind Boy Fuller, one of the first generation of blues recording artists (and one of the most prolific), performed with Champion Jack Dupree, and, with his longtime musical partner Sonny Terry, carved out one of the most durable careers of the mid-century bluesmen who traveled north to Chicago and New York after World War II. With McGhee on guitar and Terry on harmonica, the duo played gut-busting electric blues and R&B on the black entertainment circuit and throwback acoustic blues for college audiences during the folk revival of the 1950s and ’60s. They recorded dozens of albums together during a partnership that lasted more than 20 years. They even recorded a crossover album in 1973, covering songs

by Randy Newman and Curtis Mayfield alongside their own songs, with contributions from Arlo Guthrie, John Mayall, and John Hammond. If they never achieved the mainstream success of Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker, Terry and McGhee managed to stay active into their 70s.

Before he died, in 1996, McGhee even turned to film, with memorable appearances in The Jerk and Angel Heart.

McGhee’s 101st birthday is next week, on Nov. 30. An all-star lineup of local blues, jazz, and R&B performers—Jenna Jefferson, Jeanine Fuller, Matt Coker, and “Blue” Barry Faust, among others—will join the Tommie John Band in Happy Holler this weekend to commemorate the occasion with Brownie’s Black Friday Blues Bash, a tribute to Knoxville’s King of the Blues.

(Matthew Everett)

November 24, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 29

CALENDAR Downtown Gallery 106 S. Gay St. NOV. 4-23: Guts Coming and Going, new video, sculpture, and installation work by Jessica Ann. Visit downtown.utk. edu.

East Tennessee History Center 601 S. Gay St. NOV. 19-APRIL 30: Rock of Ages: East Tennessee’s Marble Industry. NOV. 19-JAN. 2: A Man and His Bike, an exhibit remembering Waymon Earl Terrell. Visit easttnhistory. org.

Emporium Center for Arts and Culture 100 S. Gay St. NOV 4-23: The Variety and Beauty of Friends, a group show featuring artwork by Mike C. Berry, Steve Bryan, Tina Curry, Eun-Sook Kim, Cynthia Markert, and Ericka Ryba; fiber artwork by Eun-Sook Kim; Here, There, and Beyond, photos by Marta Goebel-Pietrasz; photography

by Brian R. McDaniel; and artwork by Marty Elmer. DEC. 2-23: Arts and Culture Alliance 2016 Members Show. An opening reception will be held on Friday, Dec. 2, from 5-9 p.m. Visit knoxalliance.com.

Ewing Gallery 1715 Volunteer Boulevard NOV. 7-DEC. 11: The View Out His Window [and in his mind’s eye]: Photographs by Jeffrey Becton and The Lure of Main: Work by Carl Sublett and Holly Stevens. Visit ewing-gallery.utk.edu.

Thursday, Nov. 24 - Sunday, Dec. 4

Fountain City Art Center 213 Hotel Road NOV. 18-JAN. 12: Fountain City Art Guild Annual Holiday Show and Sale. Visit fountaincityartcenter.com.

Knoxville Museum of Art 1050 World’s Fair Park Drive NOV. 25-JAN. 8: East Tennessee Regional Student Art Competition. ONGOING: Higher Ground: A Century of the Visual Arts in Tennessee; Currents: Recent Art From East Tennessee and Beyond; and Facets of Modern and Contemporary Glass.

McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture 1327 Circle Park Drive SEPT. 17-JAN. 8: Knoxville Unearthed: Archaeology in the Heart of the Valley. ONGOING: The Flora and Fauna of Catesby, Mason, and Audubon and Life on the Roman Frontier.

Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike (Oak Ridge) NOV. 6-30: Artwork by Gary Dagnan. Visit oucc.org.

Pioneer House 413 S. Gay St. NOV. 4-DEC. 31: Folk art, clothing, Nativa American artifacts, and more from the personal collection of Marty Stuart. Visit pioneer-house.com.

Striped Light

107 Bearden Place NOV. 4-18: Amity, photos by Asafe Pereira. Visit stripedlight.com.

Westminster Presbyterian Church Schilling Gallery 6500 Northshore Drive NOV. 8-JAN. 2: Paintings by Rebecca Mullen. Visit wpcknox.org.

FAMILY AND KIDS’ EVENTS

Saturday, Nov. 26 CHESS AT THE LIBRARY • Blount County Public Library • 10AM • For middle and high school students, with coach Tom Jobe. Visit blountlibrary.org. • FREE BLOUNT COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY FAMILY STORYTIME • Blount County Public Library • 10:30AM • Recommended for ages 5 and under. Bring the whole family out for stories, songs, movement and activities that are fun for all ages and that help encourage important early literacy skills. • FREE BLOUNT COUNTY NERD GROUP • Blount County Public Library • 3PM • Starting this summer, students can learn the basic principles of computer programming, also known as coding. By participating in the newly-formed Blount County Nerd Group, students seventh grade and up can learn skills such as making simple games,

developing professional websites and creating mobile apps. Visit blountlibrary.org. • FREE S.T.E.A.M. KIDS • Blount County Public Library • 4PM • For grades K-5. Every week will be a different adventure, from science experiments to art projects and everything in between. Visit blountlibrary.org. • FREE Tuesday, Nov. 29 LITTLE LEARNERS • Blount County Public Library • 10:30AM • Recommended for ages 3-5. Interactive sessions focus on language acquisition and pre-literacy skills incorporating stories, music, motion, play, crafts and more. Visit blountlibrary.org. • FREE DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS • Blount County Public Library • 5:30PM • Recommended for ages 10 and up but any age may join in the fun of this tabletop role-playing game by learning about the game and sharing your love of fantasy.

Visit blountlibrary.org. • FREE SENSORY STORY TIME • Blount County Public Library • 6PM • An interactive storytime with stories, songs, movement, and activities designed to increase early literacy skills and provide a safe and open space for children and families to learn and interact. Open to children of all abilities but especially designed for the kids with special needs between the developmental ages of 3 - 5. • FREE Wednesday, Dec. 30 BABY AND ME • Blount County Public Library • 10:30AM • Recommended for ages 2 and under. These lapsit sessions for baby and caregiver feature short stories, action rhymes, music and pre-literacy tips and tricks for caregivers. Visit blountlibrary.org. • FREE

Brownie’s Black Friday Blues Bash in honor of brownie mcghee, born november 30, 1915, in knoxville

friday, November 25 7:00pm featuring:

The tommie john band with special guests:

Jenna Jefferson, Blair, “blue” barry faust, jeanine fuller, matt coker, dwight hardin, shawn irwin, and bluegill, plus buck hoffman & paul McQuade **food available from m&j catering**

Relix variety Theatre 1208 N. Central Street, Knoxville Admission: $12 at the door, $10 for KMA, SMBS, and KSDA members

Brought to you by: 30

KNOXVILLE MERCURY November 24, 2016

Thursday, Nov. 24 - Sunday, Dec. 4

Thursday, Dec. 1 CARL GOMBERT: “SEEING DIVERSITY: USING ART TO TALK ABOUT IDENTITY” • Clayton Center for the Arts (Maryville) • 7PM • Many parents have been grappling with how to have meaningful conversations with their kids about current events. Start (or continue) with this free art walk and workshop, which invites toddlers through adults to view and make art while discussing cultural labels and assumptions. To find out more about the series, email office@fuuf.org or call (865) 282-3883. • FREE • See Spotlight on page 24.

LITTLE LEARNERS • Blount County Public Library • 10:30AM • Recommended for ages 3-5. Interactive sessions focus on language acquisition and pre-literacy skills incorporating stories, music, motion, play, crafts and more. Visit blountlibrary.org. • FREE CHESS AT THE LIBRARY • Blount County Public Library • 1PM • For middle and high school students, with coach Tom Jobe. Visit blountlibrary.org. • FREE LEGO CLUB • Blount County Public Library • 4PM • LEGO Club will take place in the children’s library. Kids will complete different-themed and timed LEGO Challenges, as well as have some time for free building. The library will provide the LEGOs, so all you have to bring is your imagination. Visit blountlibrary.org. • FREE Friday, Dec. 2 WIVK CHRISTMAS PARADE • Downtown Knoxville • 7PM • Bands, dancers, floats, characters, and Santa Claus parade down Gay Street bringing fun holiday spirit to all.

• FREE Saturday, Dec. 3 CHESS AT THE LIBRARY • Blount County Public Library • 10AM • For middle and high school students, with coach Tom Jobe. Visit blountlibrary.org. • FREE BATH FIZZLE WORKSHOP FOR KIDS • Central Collective • 10AM • Time to get the kids involved in the maker movement. Parents and guardians- bring your child to learn how to make spa-like bath fizzies for holiday gifts.

You’ll make memories and take home your own creations.

(For children 8 and up. A parent or guardian is required to attend with each child.) --- Eileen Moffatt, of Ms. Moffatt’s Curds & Ways gets crafty too. Along with teaching people how to make cheese and gluten-free meals and treats, Ms. Moffatt has a holiday idea or two. Come see for yourself. • $42 BLOUNT COUNTY NERD GROUP • Blount County Public Library • 3PM • Starting this summer, students can learn the basic principles of computer programming, also known as coding. By participating in the newly-formed Blount County Nerd Group, students seventh grade and up can learn skills such as making simple games, developing professional websites and creating mobile apps. Visit blountlibrary.org. • FREE S.T.E.A.M. KIDS • Blount County Public Library • 4PM • For grades K-5. Every week will be a different adventure, from science experiments to art projects and everything in between. Visit blountlibrary.org. • FREE

LECTURES, READINGS, AND BOOK SIGNINGS

Sunday, Nov. 27 BIRDHOUSE SUNDAY DINNER POTLUCK AND PRESENTATION • The Birdhouse • 6PM • Every month, the Birdhouse hosts a Sunday dinner program. It begins with a potluck dinner, followed by a speaker and presentation on a wide range

CALENDAR

of timely topics. Sunday dinner is always free and open to the public. Please bring a dish to share—but if you are for some reason unable to contribute food, please just bring yourself, and share in our feast. Children are especially welcome here. • FREE Tuesday, Nov. 29 MATT BUEHLER AND MAHDI AYARI: “OPENING THE BLACK BOX OF AUTHORITARIAN COALITIONS” • Howard H. Baker Center for Public Policy • 12:30PM • Buehler and Mehdi Ayari, graduate teaching assistant in political science, will present “Opening the Black Box of Authoritarian Coalitions: Minister Retention and Tunisia’s Autocratic Ruling Elite.” • FREE NAN KLEE • Seymour Public Library • 5:30PM • In late July, Ms. Klee released her science fiction/romance novel, DreaganStar, the first in the DreaganStar trilogy. The second novel in this saga, DreaganThing, is scheduled for release on November 28. Come and hear more about her life and this new and exciting book series. Books will be available for sale during the book signing and author event. For more information, call 865.573.0728. • FREE JOE MINICOZZI: “UNDERSTANDING THE TRUE COSTS OF DEVELOPMENT” • Knox County Health Department • 6PM • Come learn about the fiscal impact of the various types of development in our communities. Joe Minicozzi, principal of Urban 3, LLC, and an architect based in Asheville, NC, is changing the way we look at growth in our communities. His analysis of property taxes will make you rethink everything you know about development.

Doors open at 5:30, program starts at 6:00. • FREE Saturday, Dec. 3 EDWARD FRANCISCO AND MALLORY DILLON: ‘MALLORY’S WORLD FROM A TO Z’ • Union Ave Books • 2PM • Book signing with Edward Francisco and Mallory Dillon authors of Mallory’s World from A to Z. • FREE Sunday, Dec. 4 WILLIAM C. MCDONALD III: ‘SHADOW TIGER’ • Union Ave Books • 2PM • Book signing and talk with William C. McDonald III author of The Shadow Tiger: Billy McDonald, Wingman to Chennault. Visit unionavebooks.com. • FREE

CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS

Saturday, Nov. 26 YOGA AT NARROW RIDGE • Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center • 9:30AM • Narrow Ridge invites you to join us every Saturday morning for yoga instruction from Angela Gibson. This class can be tailored to each individual’s ability level. F or information call 865-497-2753 or email community@narrowridge.org. • FREE Sunday, Nov. 27 CIRCLE MODERN DANCE BALLET BARRE CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 1PM • This open-level barre class is designed to help students build and maintain strength, flexibility, and coordination for ballet technique.

This is a great class for beginning and experienced students alike. Visit circlemoderndance.com. • $10 CIRCLE MODERN DANCE OPEN LEVEL MODERN TECHNIQUE CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 2PM • This class is open to all. Teachers cover basic technique and vocabulary for modern and contemporary dance. The class includes floor and standing work to build proficiency in alignment, balance, initiation and

articulation of movement, weight shift, elevation and landing, and fall and recovery. Instruction is adjusted to meet the experience and ability of those in attendance.

Visit circlemoderndance.com. • $10 CIRCLE MODERN DANCE IMPROVISATION CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 3:30PM • Our improv classes offer an introduction to dance improvisation as a movement practice, performance technique, and a tool for creating choreography. Class involves both structured and free improvisations aimed at developing creativity, spontaneous decision-making, freedom of movement, and confidence in performance.

No dance experience is necessary—only the desire to move. Visit circlemoderndance.com. • $10 ACROYOGA FOUNDATIONS CLASS • Dragonfly Aerial Arts Studio • 5:30PM • Visit acroknox.com. • $5 Monday, Nov. 28 CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY: QUICK AND TASTY COOKING • Cancer Support Community • 12PM • Call 865-546-4661 for more info. All Cancer Support Community programs are offered at no cost to individuals affected by cancer.

RESTORATIVE YOGA • St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral • 5PM • Performance Training, Inc. offers yoga to St. John’s members and friends. This class is offered at a slower pace for those who want to learn to relax. It will focus on the restorative aspects of stretching and yoga.

Participants can expect to learn about proper breathing and body posture as well as basic mindfulness practices.

All ages and backgrounds are welcome to join. For more information or to reserve your spot, email sjc@ performancetraininginc.com.

BEGINNER MODERN BELLY DANCE • Broadway Academy of Performing Arts • 6PM • Tribal fusion belly dance is a modern blend of traditional belly dance infused with hip-hop, modern dance, and more to create a new, unique dance form. Each class will include an invigorating warm-up designed to increase flexibility and strength followed by an overview of posture, isolations, and basic footwork. At the end of class we put the moves together in a fun and simple combination. No dance experience is necessary. • $13 KNOXVILLE PERSONAL TRAINING BOOT CAMP • Beaver Creek Cumberland Presbyterian Church • 6:30PM • First class is free. Call (865) 622-3103 or visit knoxvillepersonaltraining.com. • $15 GENTLE YOGA AND MEDITATION • Balanced You Studios • 7PM • Call 865-577-2021 or email yogaway249@gmail. com. Donations accepted.

BEGINNING CHEN-STYLE TAI CHI • Breezeway Yoga Studio • 8:15PM • An eight-week introductory-level training with Shifu Russell Sauls in the original form of Tai Chi. Chen style is significantly more dynamic than most other styles while expressing the mindful, fluid movement for which Tai Chi is famous. No experience necessary for this beginners’ series. Begins Monday, Oct. 10. $120 for the eight-week series. Visit breezewayyoga.com or email russellsauls@gmail.com for more info • $120

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Become an SSI Open Water Diver Classes Dec. 3-4th, 9am-6:30pm Learn a skill that is recognized worldwide so your diving experiences will be limitless.

Tuesday, Nov. 29 OPEN PROFESSIONAL-LEVEL CONTEMPORARY DANCE CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 9:30AM • Taught by Harper Addison. First class is free. Class is designed to develop a well-rounded set of technical skills as well as encourage individual artistic expression.

Her movement style and choreography highlight dynamic quality changes, level changes, and movement through space. • $10 GENTLE YOGA AND MEDITATION • Balanced You Studios • November 24, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 31

CALENDAR 12PM • Call 865-577-2021 or email yogaway249@gmail. com. Donations accepted.

KNOXVILLE CAPOEIRA CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 6PM • Capoeira originated in Brazil and is a dynamic expression of Afro-Brazilian culture. It is an art form that encompasses martial arts, dance, and acrobatic movements as well as its own philosophy, history, culture, music, and songs. Visit capoeiraknoxville.org. • $10 KNOXVILLE PERSONAL TRAINING PILATES • Beaver Creek Cumberland Presbyterian Church • 6:30PM • Every Tuesday and Thursday. First class is free. Call (865) 622-3103 or visit knoxvillepersonaltraining.com. • $4 Wednesday, Nov. 30 KNOX COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY WINDOWS 10 COMPUTER WORKSHOPS • Cedar Bluff Branch Library • 1PM • Knox County Public Library is pleased to announce a new series of computer workshops based on Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system. All classes are free and open to the public. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (865) 215-8723. • FREE CIRCLE MODERN DANCE INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED MODERN TECHNIQUE CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 6PM • A rotation of core members and guest artists of Circle Modern Dance teach this class. They present a variety of modern and contemporary styles, including Bartenieff and release-based techniques. This class is primarily designed for students with a basic knowledge of modern dance technique and vocabulary, but is open to any mover who is willing to be challenged.

Thursday, Nov. 24 - Sunday, Dec. 4

Visit circlemoderndance.com. • $10 BEGINNER MODERN BELLY DANCE • Broadway Academy of Performing Arts • 6PM • Tribal fusion belly dance is a modern blend of traditional belly dance infused with hip-hop, modern dance, and more to create a new, unique dance form. Each class will include an invigorating warm-up designed to increase flexibility and strength followed by an overview of posture, isolations, and basic footwork. At the end of class we put the moves together in a fun and simple combination. No dance experience is necessary. • $13 CIRCLE MODERN DANCE OPEN LEVEL BALLET CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 7:30PM • This is a basic ballet class open to students of all levels of experience and ability. Students will learn new steps, build coordination and flexibility, and learn choreography.

Visit circlemoderndance.com. • $10 Thursday, Dec. 1 GENTLE YOGA AND MEDITATION • Balanced You Studios • 12PM • Call 865-577-2021 or email yogaway249@gmail. com. Donations accepted.

CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY: KNIT YOUR WAY TO WELLNESS • Cancer Support Community • 1PM • Whether you are a novice knitter or an old pro, you are invited to bring your own project or join others in learning a new one. Special attention will be provided to beginners interested in learning how to knit and experience the meditative quality of knitting. Supplies provided. Call 865-546-4661. All Cancer Support Community programs are offered at no cost to individuals affected by cancer.

KNOXVILLE CAPOEIRA CLASS • #N/A • 6PM • This class is an hour of student-led training and review of Capoeira skills and exercises. Come prepared to sweat. Visit knoxvillecapoeira.org. • $10|$10 KNOXVILLE PERSONAL TRAINING PILATES • Beaver Creek Cumberland Presbyterian Church • 6:30PM • Every Tuesday and Thursday. First class is free. Call (865) 622-3103 or visit knoxvillepersonaltraining.com. • $4 BEGINNING ACROYOGA • Breezeway Yoga Studio • 7:30PM • This beginner level class is for those either brand new to AcroYoga or just starting out. Each class explores the foundations of the AcroYoga practice. • $15 BELLY DANCE LEVELS 1 AND 2 • Knox Dance Worx • 8PM • Call (865) 898-2126 or email alexia@alexia-dance.com. • $12 Friday, Dec. 2 UT ARBORETUM HOLIDAY CRAFT BRUNCH • University of Tennessee Arboretum • 10AM • A UTAS member will be conducting the workshop which will be held at the UT Arboretum Auditorium. Cuttings from the Arboretum’s Harold Elmore Holly Collection will be used to make the unique wreaths. Participants may bring clippings from their own yard as well. It is suggested that participants bring gloves. Brunch will include breakfast casserole, muffins, juice, and coffee. There will be a maximum of 15 participants. UTAS will maintain a waiting list if there are cancellations.Cost is $25, payable in advance. Call or email Janet Bigelow at (865) 675-3822 or janet_bigelow@tds.net to register. Sign up today. To learn more about the Arboretum Society, go to www.utarboretumso-

Winter 2017 Non-Credit Courses Choose from new courses in leadership and how to design your life master plan, a workshop for creators and makers, a variety of online opportunities for busy professionals, and many more!

32

KNOXVILLE MERCURY November 24, 2016

Saturday, Dec. 3 YOGA AT NARROW RIDGE • Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center • 9:30AM • Narrow Ridge invites you to join us every Saturday morning for yoga instruction from Angela Gibson. This class can be tailored to each individual’s ability level. For information call 865-497-2753 or email community@narrowridge.org. • FREE MARBLE SPRINGS CANDLE-MAKING WORKSHOP • Marble Springs State Historic Site • 11AM • This hands-on workshop will teach visitors about lighting sources of the 18th century; participants will get to make their own beeswax candle by the open hearth. Packing a lunch is recommended. Reservations are required and space is limited to twenty participants. The enrollment fee is $20 for the cost of materials. Details are subject to change.

For more information call (865)573-5508, email info@ marblesprings.net, or visit our website at www. marblesprings.net. • $20 Sunday, Dec. 4 CIRCLE MODERN DANCE BALLET BARRE CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 1PM • This open-level barre class is designed to help students build and maintain strength, flexibility, and coordination for ballet technique.

This is a great class for beginning and experienced students alike. Visit circlemoderndance.com. • $10 CIRCLE MODERN DANCE OPEN LEVEL MODERN TECHNIQUE CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 2PM • This class is open to all. Teachers cover basic technique and vocabulary for modern and contemporary dance. The

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class includes floor and standing work to build proficiency in alignment, balance, initiation and articulation of movement, weight shift, elevation and landing, and fall and recovery. Instruction is adjusted to meet the experience and ability of those in attendance.

Visit circlemoderndance.com. • $10 CIRCLE MODERN DANCE IMPROVISATION CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 3:30PM • Our improv classes offer an introduction to dance improvisation as a movement practice, performance technique, and a tool for creating choreography. Class involves both structured and free improvisations aimed at developing creativity, spontaneous decision-making, freedom of movement, and confidence in performance.

No dance experience is necessary—only the desire to move. Visit circlemoderndance.com. • $10 ACROYOGA FOUNDATIONS CLASS • Dragonfly Aerial Arts Studio • 5:30PM • Visit acroknox.com. • $5

MEETINGS

Thursday, Nov. 24 ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS/DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES • The Birdhouse • 6PM • A 12-step meeting for adults who grew up in alcoholic or dysfunctional homes.

The group offers a safe space for emotional healing.

Contact Laura at 706-621-2238 or lamohendricksll@ gmail.com for more information or visit the international ACA website at adultchildren.org. • FREE AL-ANON • Faith Lutheran Church • 6PM • Al-Anon’s purpose is to help families and friends of alcoholics recover from the effects of living with the problem drinking of a relative or friend. Five different meetings during the week: Understanding Ourselves literature study (Sundays), fellowship family group (Tuesdays), literature study (Wednesdays), Beginning Again Family Group (Thursday), and Reflections book study (Saturdays).

Visit farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@ Farragutalanon.org. • FREE Saturday, Nov. 26 AL-ANON • Faith Lutheran Church • 11AM • Al-Anon’s purpose is to help families and friends of alcoholics recover from the effects of living with the problem drinking of a relative or friend. Five different meetings during the week: Understanding Ourselves literature study (Sundays), fellowship family group (Tuesdays), literature study (Wednesdays), Beginning Again Family Group (Thursday), and Reflections book study (Saturdays).

Visit farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@ Farragutalanon.org. • FREE NARROW RIDGE SILENT MEDITATION GATHERING • Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center • 11AM • Narrow Ridge invites you to join us for our Silent Meditation Gathering. The gatherings are intended to be inclusive of people of all faiths as well as those who do not align themselves with a particular religious denomination. For information call 865-497-2753 or email community@narrowridge.org. • FREE Sunday, Nov. 27 SUNDAY ASSEMBLY • The Concourse • 10:30AM • Sunday Assembly is a secular congregation without deity, dogma, or doctrine. Our motto: Live Better, Help Often, Wonder More. Our monthly celebrations feature a different theme every month, with inspiring speakers and lively sing-alongs. Our community is also involved in rewarding service projects, with various discussion groups and events planned throughout the month. Sunday Assembly

CALENDAR

Knoxville is part of the international movement of people who want to celebrate the one life we know we have. We meet the fourth Sunday of every month. Assemblies are attended by around 50 people, are family-friendly, and children are welcome. We always follow up with a potluck, so please bring your appetite and a dish to share.

To find out more, visit knoxville-tn.sundayassembly.com or email saknoxville.info@gmail.com. • FREE AL-ANON • Faith Lutheran Church • 5PM • Al-Anon’s purpose is to help families and friends of alcoholics recover from the effects of living with the problem drinking of a relative or friend. Five different meetings during the week: Understanding Ourselves literature study (Sundays), fellowship family group (Tuesdays), literature study (Wednesdays), Beginning Again Family Group (Thursday), and Reflections book study (Saturdays). Visit farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@Farragutalanon.org. • FREE Monday, Nov. 28 GAY MEN’S DISCUSSION GROUP • Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church • 7:30PM • We hold facilitated discussions on topics and issues relevant to

local gay men in a safe and open environment. Visit gaygroupknoxville.org.

APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN BIKE CLUB • Central Flats and Taps • 7PM • Interested in getting involved with the mountain biking community here in Knoxville? The Appalachian Mountain Bike Club meets the fourth Monday of each month. Visit ambc-sorba.org. • FREE Tuesday, Nov. 29 ATHEISTS SOCIETY OF KNOXVILLE • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 5:30PM • Weekly atheists meetup and happy hour. Come join us for food, drink and great conversation.

Everyone welcome. • FREE DER GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS STAMMTISCH • Los Amigos • 6PM • A weekly gathering for Germans and anyone interested in German culture and the German language. • FREE AL-ANON • Faith Lutheran Church • 7PM • Al-Anon’s purpose is to help families and friends of alcoholics recover from the effects of living with the problem drinking of a relative or friend. Five different meetings during the week: Understanding Ourselves literature

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Tatsuya Nakatani and Makoto Kawabata Pilot Light (106 E. Jackson Ave.) • Saturday, Nov. 26 • 10 p.m. • $7 • 18 and up • the pilotlight.com, hhproduction.org, or acidmothers.com Tatsuya Nakatani has appeared on dozens of recordings over the last 20 years, and participated in even more live musical partnerships. None of his projects are alike—they range from solo percussion improvisation and meditative drone duos to cacophonous collaborations with avant-jazz all-stars Mary Halvorsen, Michael Doneda, and Susan Alcorn and, recently, the Nakatani Gong Orchestra—but Nakatani brings a recognizable sensibility to each one. He pursues percussion as an exploration of sound, an ongoing experiment to blur the boundaries between music and noise.

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It was perhaps inevitable that Nakatani and Kawabata would team up. Their collaboration began in 2014; this is their first full U.S. tour. Expect fireworks and freakouts, for sure, but plenty of meditative moments as well. (Matthew Everett)

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KNOXVILLE MERCURY 33

CALENDAR study (Sundays), fellowship family group (Tuesdays), literature study (Wednesdays), Beginning Again Family Group (Thursday), and Reflections book study (Saturdays).

Visit farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@ Farragutalanon.org. • FREE THREE RIVERS! EARTH FIRST! • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 8PM • Three Rivers! Earth First! is the local dirt-worshiping, tree-hugging, anarchist collective that meets every Sunday night on the second floor of Barley’s in the back room (when its available) to organize against strip mining, counter protest the KKK and Nazis, to clean up Third Creek and to fight evil corporations in general.

Open meeting, rotating facilitation, collective model. Y’all come. Call (865) 257-4029 for more information. • FREE Wednesday, Nov. 30 AL-ANON • Faith Lutheran Church • 11AM • Al-Anon’s purpose is to help families and friends of alcoholics recover from the effects of living with the problem drinking of a relative or friend. Five different meetings during the week: Understanding Ourselves literature study (Sundays), fellowship family group (Tuesdays), literature study (Wednesdays), Beginning Again Family Group (Thursday), and Reflections book study (Saturdays).

Visit farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@ Farragutalanon.org. • FREE THE BOOKAHOLICS BOOK GROUP • Union Ave Books • 12PM • Union Ave Books’ monthly book discussion group. Visit unionavebooks.com. • FREE KNOX HERITAGE PRESERVATION AND LIBATIONS • The Crown and Goose • 5:30PM • Join friends of historic

Thursday, Nov. 24 - Sunday, Dec. 4

preservation for a drink and good conversation. No need to RSVP, just stop by. Free and open to the public. Visit knoxheritage.org. • FREE AGAPE CAFE • St. Paul United Methodist Church • 5:30PM • A monthly program featuring good food, good ideas and good fellowship. • FREE Thursday, Dec. 1 CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY FAMILY BEREAVEMENT GROUP • Cancer Support Community • 6PM • CSC is committed to providing bereavement services to those who have lost a loved one to cancer. Please contact our clinical staff before attending. Call 865-546-4661 for more info. All Cancer Support Community programs are offered at no cost to individuals affected by cancer.

CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY BREAST CANCER NETWORKER • Thompson Cancer Survivor Center West • 6PM • This drop-in group is an opportunity for women who have or have had breast cancer to come together to exchange information, offer support, education and encouragement. Bring your favorite seasonal snack to share. Call 865-546-4661 for more info. All Cancer Support Community programs are offered at no cost to individuals affected by cancer.

ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS/DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES • The Birdhouse • 6PM • A 12-step meeting for adults who grew up in alcoholic or dysfunctional homes.

The group offers a safe space for emotional healing.

Contact Laura at 706-621-2238 or lamohendricksll@ gmail.com for more information or visit the international ACA website at adultchildren.org. • FREE

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KNOXVILLE MERCURY November 24, 2016

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AL-ANON • Faith Lutheran Church • 6PM • Al-Anon’s purpose is to help families and friends of alcoholics recover from the effects of living with the problem drinking of a relative or friend. Five different meetings during the week: Understanding Ourselves literature study (Sundays), fellowship family group (Tuesdays), literature study (Wednesdays), Beginning Again Family Group (Thursday), and Reflections book study (Saturdays).

Visit farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@ Farragutalanon.org. • FREE KNOXVILLE WRITERS’ GUILD • Central United Methodist Church • 7PM • The Knoxville Writers’ Guild exists to facilitate a broad and inclusive community for area writers, provide a forum for information, support and sharing among writers, help members improve and market their writing skills and promote writing and creativity. A $2 donation is requested. Additional information about KWG can be found at www.

KnoxvilleWritersGuild.org.

BLACK LIVES MATTER • The Birdhouse • 7:30PM • #BlackLivesMatter is working for a world where Black lives are no longer systematically and intentionally targeted for demise. Visit blacklivesmatterknoxville.org. • FREE Saturday, Dec. 3 SEEKERS OF SILENCE • Church of the Savior United Church of Christ • 9AM • Seekers of Silence is an ecumenical and interfaith gathering of men and women who come together to listen. We listen to presenters speak on spirituality topics; we listen to God in silent prayer; we

listen to each other in small group sharing.Participants come from a variety of religious traditions. Members of several denominations as well as followers of other faiths come from all over East Tennessee to attend. All are welcome. Our meetings are on the first Saturday of each month (except July). Meetings start with 20 minutes of silent meditation, followed by a talk and small group discussions. We end with another 20-minute meditation and a shared lunch. The meetings are open to all and free of charge, although donations are accepted. Visit sosknoxville.org. • FREE AL-ANON • Faith Lutheran Church • 11AM • Al-Anon’s purpose is to help families and friends of alcoholics recover from the effects of living with the problem drinking of a relative or friend. Five different meetings during the week: Understanding Ourselves literature study (Sundays), fellowship family group (Tuesdays), literature study (Wednesdays), Beginning Again Family Group (Thursday), and Reflections book study (Saturdays).

Visit farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@ Farragutalanon.org. • FREE NARROW RIDGE SILENT MEDITATION GATHERING • Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center • 11AM • Narrow Ridge invites you to join us for our Silent Meditation Gathering. The gatherings are intended to be inclusive of people of all faiths as well as those who do not align themselves with a particular religious denomination. For information call 865-497-2753 or email community@narrowridge.org. • FREE GERMAN TREFF • GruJo’s German Restaurant • 2PM • Whether you have lived in Germany and would like to

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Copyright by American Assoc. for State and Local History, Nashville, TN)

CALENDAR Sunday, Dec. 4 AL-ANON • Faith Lutheran Church • 5PM • Al-Anon’s purpose is to help families and friends of alcoholics recover from the effects of living with the problem drinking of a relative or friend. Five different meetings during the week: Understanding Ourselves literature study (Sundays), fellowship family group (Tuesdays), literature study (Wednesdays), Beginning Again Family Group (Thursday), and Reflections book study (Saturdays). Visit farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@Farragutalanon. org. • FREE

ETC.

Friday, Nov. 25 LAKESHORE PARK FARMERS MARKET • Lakeshore Park • 2PM • Offering a wide variety of hand-picked produce, artisan breads, grass-fed beef, natural pork and chicken, farm fresh eggs and farm-based crafts. • FREE Tuesday, Nov. 29 ARROWMONT SOUPER BOWL XIII • Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts (Gatlinburg) • 11:30AM • Enjoy a home-cooked meal with family and friends. Participants get to choose an original hand-crafted bowl – yours to keep! Each bowl is designed and crafted by local artists including Arrowmont instructors, students, staff, volunteers and studio and educational assistants. Call 865-436-5860 for tickets. • $30-$35 Wednesday, Dec. 30 CDMX DINNER WITH JONATHAN ZARAGOZA • Central Collective • 7PM • Chef Jonathan Zaragoza, executive chef of Chicago’s Birrieria Zaragoza, will return to The Central Collective to present a five-course meal. The CDMX (short for Mexico City in Spanish) dinner will combine traditional and innovative elements of Mexican cuisine.In December, 2014, Jonathan re-joined the family business, Birrieria Zaragoza as Executive Chef, overseeing the day-to-day operations, in particular, all aspects of the kitchen for process improvement initiatives. Prior to joining Birrieria Zaragoza, he served as Executive Chef at Logan Square’s Masa Azul from September 2012-August 2014. BYOB. • $70 Thursday, Dec. 1 SANTA MOUSE CHRISTMAS HOUSE • Maryville College • 10AM • This show offers unique, one of a kind handcrafted items by 50 well known artisans from the area. You will find Christmas gifts and ornaments, holiday home décor, fine art paintings, prints and cards, exceptional one of a kind beaded and sterling jewelry, glasswork, wood turnings, pottery, basketry, clay figurines, handmade soaps and creams, unique gourd creations, wearable and knit items, and much more.

Parking and admission to the event are free. For more information, online at www.blountartsandcraftsguild.com or 865-983-4825. • FREE Friday, Dec. 2 IRONWOOD STUDIOS HOLIDAY MARKET • Ironwood Studios • 6PM • You are cordially invited to a holiday shopping event at Ironwood Studios featuring original art and crafts made by local artisans. The two-day market will

include woodwork, ironwork, leather goods, pottery, photography, jewelry, rare books and more. • FREE HISTORIC RAMSEY HOUSE HOLIDAY DINNER • Historic Ramsey House • 6PM • Join us for a unique holiday experience—a candlelight tour and dinner in the beautifully decorated, 1797 historic home of Francis and Peggy Alexander Ramsey. Reservations required; call 865-546-0745 or email judy@ramseyhouse.org. Proceeds benefit Historic Ramsey House. • $125 SANTA MOUSE CHRISTMAS HOUSE • Maryville College • 10AM • This show offers unique, one of a kind handcrafted items by 50 well known artisans from the area. You will find Christmas gifts and ornaments, holiday home décor, fine art paintings, prints and cards, exceptional one of a kind beaded and sterling jewelry, glasswork, wood turnings, pottery, basketry, clay figurines, handmade soaps and creams, unique gourd creations, wearable and knit items, and much more.

Parking and admission to the event are free. For more information, online at www.blountartsandcraftsguild.com or 865-983-4825. • FREE Saturday, Dec. 3 IRONWOOD STUDIOS HOLIDAY MARKET • Ironwood Studios • 10AM • You are cordially invited to a holiday shopping event at Ironwood Studios featuring original art and crafts made by local artisans. The two-day market will include woodwork, ironwork, leather goods, pottery, photography, jewelry, rare books and more. • FREE HOLIDAY GIFT MARKET 2016 • Holiday Inn Knoxville West • 9AM • Come support a group of local small business owners and get all of your holiday shopping done at one stop. This event features a huge variety of ready made and artisan goods perfect for everyone on your holiday gift list. Family photo sessions and visits with Santa Clause are also available.

SANTA MOUSE CHRISTMAS HOUSE • Maryville College • 10AM • This show offers unique, one of a kind handcrafted items by 50 well known artisans from the area. You will find Christmas gifts and ornaments, holiday home décor, fine art paintings, prints and cards, exceptional one of a kind beaded and sterling jewelry, glasswork, wood turnings, pottery, basketry, clay figurines, handmade soaps and creams, unique gourd creations, wearable and knit items, and much more.

Parking and admission to the event are free. For more information, online at www.blountartsandcraftsguild.com or 865-983-4825. • FREE SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCE • Boyd’s Jig and Reel • 4PM • Dancing is just as important as music in the Scottish tradition, and upbeat rhythms make for great foot stomping. Those that are more experienced can even present a well-practiced jig or reel. Led by Cynthia West on the first Saturday of every month. Visit jigandreel.com.

• FREE Sunday, Dec. 4 WINTER SOLSTICE SACRED CIRCLE DANCE • Square Dance Center • 7PM • For thousands of years, people all over the world have been celebrating the passing of the longest night of the year. Come join a festive Yule community gathering. All circle dances will be taught and no partner is necessary. Please wear white and bring a candle to add to the center of the circle. Children are welcome. • $5

L

r a b t e e l e L C ocal! s te ’

LAW´S INTERIORS & DESIGN KNOXVILLE MONTESSORI SCHOOL

grow

share some memories, would like to explore your roots, practice the language, or if you are just curious and like to meet new people, this monthly meeting, held on the first Saturday of each month, is a great opportunity to have a wonderful time. • FREE

Keller Williams Haun-Laing

est8te

Kaleidoscope Boutique

HOLLY´S GOURMET´S MARKET

Join The District in Bearden for local bites, libations and cheer!

Friday, December 2 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 3 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Shop locally. www.TheDistrictInBearden.com facebook.com/TheDistrictInBearden

Send your events to calendar@knoxmercury.com

November 24, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 35

OUTDOORS

Voice in the Wilder ness

Photo by Kim Trevathan

Moon Over Obed Getting a good view of the supermoon at Obed Wild and Scenic River

BY KIM TREVATHAN

S

oft-spoken ranger Rick Ryan stood near the edge of a precipice 100 feet above Clear Creek and said this: “Parks are great places where we can go to find ourselves and where we can think about our place in the larger world and the universe.”

“Night Skies over the Obed,” at the Lilly Bridge Overlook on Saturday, Nov. 12, gave visitors an excellent vantage point to view an (almost) supermoon that would, by Monday, be closer to Earth—221,000 miles away—than it had been since 1948. It

36

KNOXVILLE MERCURY November 24, 2016

won’t be that close again until 2034.

The drive from Maryville to the Obed Wild and Scenic River area, about an hour and half through the smoky haze created by area forest fires, made me wonder how sharp the nightscape would be, supermoon or not.

The sun, a remote, a flat disk, faded in its descent to the horizon, its power diminished by the yellowish haze.

The parking area at the overlook was full when I got there, a little before 6 p.m., and after a walk of about a third of a mile through the

woods, I was on the boardwalk of the overlook, where Ryan readied the park’s newly purchased 12-inch Dobsonian telescope. Three other star-gazing enthusiasts had telescopes aimed at the moon, Venus, Mars, and Vega, a star that twinkled from 24 light years away.

Thirty or so people strolled from telescope to telescope as Dr. F. Owen Hoffman circled the boardwalk delivering a scholarly disquisition in a folksy, humorous voice whose gravelly tone reminded me of Harry Caray, the Chicago Cubs broadcaster.

Hoffman, 72, an environmental scientist from Oak Ridge, who had been a park ranger out West at places like Oregon’s Crater Lake, mixed fact with humorous anecdote and poetic observation, as he commandeered the overlook, our host for the universe.

Vega, he said, pointing a red laser to the north, was made famous in Contact, a 1997 film starring Jodie Foster, in which communications were emanating from the distant star.

Much of the movie was factually accurate, he said, except for the part about the messages.

Ranger Ryan introduced me to

the park’s new telescope and its moon filter, which was necessary, he said, because the moon was so bright tonight that it would be painful to look at it without the filter.

Gazing at the white cratered surface for a couple of minutes through the scope, I stepped away as if stunned—moonstruck, I suppose, by its reflective punch. Hoffman had pointed out that the moon was reflecting sunlight.

Ryan said that one of the goals of Obed Wild and Scenic River was to earn International Dark-Sky Association certification, which requires educational programs like this one and efforts to help restore and protect dark sky areas absent of artificial light.

The nearest officially designated dark skies are at Pickett State Park, near Jamestown, and at the Blue Ridge Observatory and Star Park in North Carolina.

Meanwhile, Hoffman told us if we wanted to see Venus, we needed to get it in gear because it was quickly dropping below the horizon. Mars, he said, was over 100 million miles away from us and would be disappearing from view in about a month. Every

OUTDOORS

UNCLE LEM’S MOUNTAIN OUTFITTERS COMING SOON: SOUTH KNOXVILLE WATERFRONT LOCATION

BLACK FRIDAY 2016 two years the red planet orbits within 30-60 million miles away from Earth.

Meanwhile, Venus, he said, was about 80 to 90 million miles away as we observed it.

Somebody said they saw Fred Flintstone’s profi le on the moon and there was a rush toward the 12-inch telescope.

In spite of all the commotion and the Hoff man’s amplified narration, I heard the hoot of a barred owl, the howl of a coyote, and the call of a whip-poor-will, as if they too were stimulated by the rare moon. The nightscape, surreal in its glow, as Hoff man said, was so bright you could still see the colors of people’s clothing as well as the gentle gradations of tints in the trees on the bluff across the gorge. Below, the rocky bones of Clear Creek glimmered in the moonlight, the drought having reduced the whitewater to a trickle.

The later it got, the more stars emerged, though the moon dominated the skyscape, and the smoke, so pervasive in the daylight, seemed to recede to the horizon, as if moonlight had burned it away and cleansed the air.

People gathered in groups, faces raised

to the sky. They asked Hoffman question after question, and there was a general air of enthusiasm and excitement when his voice boomed over the gorge.

Saturn was below the treeline at this time, he said. Jupiter wouldn’t be visible until 6 a.m. and not visible at night until spring. What did the Japanese call the Pleiades, also known as the Seven Sisters? he asked. Could anyone guess? “Subaru,” he said. “That’s funny, isn’t it?”

Hoff man knew more about the sky than Harry Caray had known about the Cubs.

Stargazers were still emerging from the dark woods when I left, around 8, and the temperature had dropped into the low 40s.

Darkness, like silence, can be a good thing. On the drive home, I felt restored, no worse off for having inhaled the smoke from all the fi res, and glad to have been in a dark place contemplating lights from other worlds. ◆ A writing instructor at Maryville College, Kim Trevathan is the author of Paddling the Tennessee River: A Voyage on East Water and Coldhearted River: A Canoe Odyssey Down the Cumberland.

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November 24, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 37

’BYE

At This Point

We Gather Together All politics are local

BY STEPHANIE PIPER

J

ust in time for Thanksgiving, there’s a new batch of holiday tips from the media. They aren’t about free-range turkey and gluten-free pumpkin pie. The subject is avoiding political discord at the festive table.

I can relate. My childhood Thanksgivings were mostly spent with my mother’s family, an eclectic mix of teachers, social workers, cops, and newspaper reporters. We gathered at the home of my formidable Great Aunt Hattie, a retired school principal and yellow-dog Democrat who did not suffer fools, academic slackers, or anyone on the Republican ticket gladly. The widow of an NYPD detective, she lived in shabby splendor in a creaky old house on Long Island.

We sat down to our 26-pound turkey at a table set with threadbare Irish linen and chipped Limoges china and a bountiful harvest of divergent opinions.

My relatives all liked to talk politics and they agreed on two points: that good food and plenty of Canadian Club were essential to a spirited discussion, and that nobody would go away mad. After the shouting and the storming and the fire-breathing

rhetoric, the aunts and uncles still hugged goodbye in the front hall.

It was a mystery to me that they managed to pull this off year after year. I was too young to understand most of the conversation, but there was no mistaking the loud clash of opposing views.

I have a vivid recollection of two Thanksgivings in the early 1960s. At the first, Aunt Hattie held forth about her recent trip to the polls. At age 85 and with failing eyesight, she required some assistance in the voting booth.

When the election official asked her to indicate her choice, she thumped the floor with her cane and bellowed, “I will cast my vote for the only candidate any reasonable American will support: John Fitzgerald Kennedy!”

So much for the secret ballot. Even the Nixon loyalists at the table laughed.

Three years later, the mood at Thanksgiving was somber. Only days after President Kennedy’s funeral, the holiday felt hollow. The usual lively debate was muted. When a glass of Canadian Club was raised to the departed, the cops and social workers and teachers and reporters put aside

BY MATTHEW FOLTZ-GRAY

38

KNOXVILLE MERCURY November 24, 2016

www.thespiritofthestaircase.com

personal politics and stood up for the toast. Have a drink and remember the man, they said together.

After dessert, we moved to the living room to watch President Johnson on the ancient black-andwhite TV. He looked old and tired, as though he had aged several decades in 72 hours. The picture was fuzzy, but his words were clear. “We are not given the divine wisdom to understand why this has been, but we are given the human duty of determining what is to be, what is to be for America, for the world…for all the hopes that live in our hearts.”

When I read these words now, I am struck by their relevance to the challenges we face today, challenges that extend far beyond snarky comments and hurt feelings at Thanksgiving dinner. The recent holiday tips for family harmony are fine as far as they go. Don’t make blanket assumptions based on political affiliation. Find common

ground. Don’t be a jerk.

But the human duty of determining what is to be for America, for the world, will require more than tips. It will require courage and compassion.

It will require humility and patience and deep reservoirs of restraint.

My Great Aunt Hattie is long gone. One of her threadbare white tablecloths lies folded in my linen closet, and I might bring it out this year, spruce it up with starch and put it on my own Thanksgiving table. I want to remember those old November holidays when the air crackled with dissent. I want to remember the loud voices and the fierce arguments and the hugs in the front hall. I want to remember our human duty to all the hopes that live in our hearts.

In all our hearts. ◆ Stephanie Piper’s At This Point examines the mystery, absurdity, and persistent beauty of daily life. She has been a newspaper reporter, editor, and award-winning columnist for more than 30 years.

The human duty of determining what is to be for America, for the world, will require more than tips.

It will require courage and compassion.

’BYE

BY IAN BLACKBURN AND JACK NEELY

CLASSIFIEDS

Place your ad at store.knoxmercury.com

Support the Knoxville Mercury and sell your stuff by purchasing an ad in our classifieds section.

JOBS POTBELLY SANDWICH SHOP - is coming to downtown!

We are hiring all team members to bring our “good vibes and great sandwiches” to Knoxville. $9/hr starting wage.

Vacation & sick pay accrual. Flexible hours.

Clean, fun, high energy environment. We will be interviewing Tuesday, Nov. 15th, Wednesday, Nov. 16th, and Friday, Nov. 18th from 9-5 at the Knoxville Chamber Of Commerce located at 17 Market Square. Please call 865-679-6450 for more info.

WHOLE FOODS PREP PERSON NEEDED - NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY. 865-588-1010. Sprouting, fermenting, dehydrating skills helpful. Flexible PT schedule.

MULBERRY PLACE CRYPTOQUOTE BY JOAN KEUPER

SHEBA - a 7 year old, bright-eyed, adult cat with a loving personality.

She is gorgeous and belongs in a loving, permanent home. She enjoys being the center of attention. Visit Young-Williams Animal Center / call 865-2156599 for more information.

QUEEN ISABUNNY - is a 1 year old American Rabbit who enjoys playing with cat toys, and is extremely fuzzy and affectionate.

Visit Young-Williams Animal Center / call 865-215-6599 for more information.

music store

school of music

BINGO - is a one year old Beagle/ mix, who’s ears are as big as his heart!

He has great leash manners and is ready to go home today! Visit Young-Williams Animal Center / call 865-2156599 for more information.

TURKEY - is a high-spirited, loving four month old Terrier / mix who’s looking for a home to grow up in! Adopt him today. Visit Young-Williams Animal Center / call 865-215-6599 for more information.

DO YOU HAVE HEALTH RECORDS WITH LISA ROSS BIRTH AND WOMEN’S CENTER? We are leaving our current location on Ailor Avenue in early 2017.

Medical records that are more than five years old will not be moved and may be destroyed. If you would like copies of your records, please send an email to records@ lisarosscenter.org by December 31, 2016. A minimum fee of $20 and postage costs may apply.

KNOXVILLE’S BEST

PLACE YOUR AD AT STORE.KNOXMERCURY.COM

COMMUNITY

café

restaurant

concert venue

Happy Hour 4pm - 8pm mon - fri Huge selection of Craft, Import & Local beer Locally roasted coffee

Each letter takes the place of another. Hint: In this solution, “O” replaces “B”.

_______ _____ ________ ___ [R C E D Y B W C R Y C R] G C H D A F C W L D R _ ________ __ _____ _____ D WCTKEVCW B H Y U B R C H K W R Y __________ ___ ____ ___ ____ Y CEECRCDER LU B G E C L U B L Y U C S ______ _____ __________ __ L D EYCV YUCKW N B F C W E T C E Y Y B ________ ___ ____ _______ __ H A EOYKBE DE V L C W C L K M MK E N Y B _ _ _ _, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ L B W G, N W A I I K M S D R L C M M D R _ _ _ _ _ _ _, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .

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sat dec. 3 • 8pm

Girl Power series Annandale + more $8 • all ages ( rock )

sun dec. 4 • 7pm

TUE NOV. 29 • 8pm

bobaflex + more $8 ADV | $10 Day of all ages ( rock )

SPIKE COLLAR COMEDY Carlos Valencia & more 18+ ( COMEDY )

FRI DEC. 2 • 7pm

the deltas $10 • all ages ( R&B / Beach Music )

thurs dec. 8 • 8pm

bonnie bishop $8 ADV | $10 Day of all ages ( Singer-songwriter )

8502 KINGSTON PIKE • (865) 281-5874 openchordmusic.com November 24, 2016

KNOXVILLE MERCURY 39

Your Downtown Experience Begins Here 129 S. Gay St # 201

Selling?? I will market your property here!

Considering Buying or Selling a Downtown property? Call Melinda Grimac today for a personal property evaluation.

Call today for an appointment!

MELINDA GRIMAC | Affiliate Broker | o. 865.357.3232 | c. 865-356-4178 Melinda.Grimac@SothebysRealty.com | melindagrimac.alliancesothebysrealty.com Each office is independently owned and operated

Nestled in the 100 Block of Gay Street, owners enjoy the vibrant residential scene with wonderful restaurants and shops. Just a short walk away are both Market Square and The Old City adding to the list of fun downtown activities. Original hardwood floors glow from the natural light from the large front windows back to the multiple French doors that lead out onto a private covered balcony just off the oversized master suite.

Solid wood cabinetry, granite countertops, ss appliances, extra storage, and an open floor plan are just a few more wonderful traits of this great space!

Only 1 unit available, at 1,771 sq ft