INSIDE: Our Guide to Fun Exercise Places (Really!)
KNOXVILLE’S SOMEWHAT WEEKLY CANVAS
JANUARY 26, 2017 KNOXMERCURY.COM V.
3 / N. 2
Jered Sprecher is the most well-adjusted abstract artist you’ll ever meet—and his new solo show at KMA should be a career milestone BY COURY TURCZYN
NEWS
KCS Makes Some Progress Tackling Education Disparities
JACK NEELY
Old Stories for a New Year: a Flag, a Ghost, and Cas Walker
PRESS FORWARD
Waynestock’s Steve Wildsmith Rallies the Music Community
GEORGE DODDS
Why Are So Many Local Buildings Plastered with Classical Bric-a-Brac?
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KNOXVILLE MERCURY January 26, 2017
Jan. 26, 2017 Volume 03 / Issue 02 knoxmercury.com
CONTENTS
“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” —George Orwell, 1984
NEWS
14 Second Effort When it comes to tackling racial disparities in education, history is not repeating itself at Knox County Schools—so far—as a task force’s recommendations start seeing some follow-up. S. Heather Duncan reports.
15 Getting Organized A new progressive group, the People’s Assembly at Mount Calvary Baptist Church in East Knoxville, hopes to lay the groundwork for selecting five City Council candidates in five districts. Thomas Fraser reports.
PRESS FORWARD
16 Waynestock In our new series highlighting people working toward a better Knoxville, Matthew Everett talks with Waynestock organizer Steve Wildsmith about rallying Knoxville’s music community to raise money for local charities and nonprofits.
18 The Untortured Artist
COVER STORY
Our popular image of abstract artists is that they’re temperamental geniuses who attack their canvases with violent splatters of pigment. But Knoxville artist Jered Sprecher—who already has gathered a long list of national accolades before age 40—is anything but tortured. Coury Turczyn profiles Sprecher as he embarks on his first solo show at the Knoxville Museum of Art.
27 Joy In Movement Want to work out without feeling like it’s “work”? Here’s our local guide to fun exercise options. Let’s do some belly dancing!
DEPARTMENTS
OPINION
A&E
4 Reporter’s Notes
8 Scruffy Citizen
24 Program Notes: A CD compilation
6 Howdy
10 Perspectives
25 Shelf Life: Chris Barrett gives us the
S. Heather Duncan on her trip to the Women’s March on Washington.
Start Here: Dumpster Dive, Public Affairs, and Local Life by Marissa Highfill
54 ’Bye
Finish There: Sacred & Profane by Donna Johnson. Plus: Crooked Street Crossword by Ian Blackburn and Jack Neely, Spirit of the Staircase by Matthew Foltz-Gray, and Mulberry Place Cryptoquote by Joan Keuper .
Jack Neely catches up with some old stories for the new year.
Joe Sullivan reports on the city’s effort to tackle mixed-use zoning outside of downtown.
12 Architecture Matters
George Dodds sees a lot of misplaced classical bric-a-brac adorning some awkward buildings around town.
CALENDAR benefitting the ACLU, plus new local releases. lowdown on new films at the library’s AV department.
26 Classical Music: Alan Sherrod
appreciates KSO’s run of memorable January Masterworks performances.
31 Movies: April Snellings heads toward a Split.
32 Spotlights: The Public Cinema:
Aquarius, Clarence Brown Theatre: Outside Mullingar, and Roman Polanski’s Baby (the musical group)
OUTDOORS
50 Voice in the Wilderness
Kim Trevathan chills out at Frozen Head State Park.
FOOD & DRINK
52 Sips & Shots
Rose Kennedy catches up with Stanton Webster’s latest endeavor, Post Modern Spirits. January 26, 2017
KNOXVILLE MERCURY 3
REPORTER’S NOTES This Is What Democracy Looks Like A s a journalist, I mostly avoid speaking my mind on issues that can entwine with politics. But after the election last fall, I decided that I needed to be a human being first. Most reporters, myself included, feel called to journalism as a career in public service. We want to provide citizens with the facts they need to make good decisions. I intend to continue that effort every day. But I am not going to excuse myself from humanity in order to be objective. Objectivity happens not because reporters pretend we have no opinions, but because we are aware that we do. We strive to be balanced to offset our own biases, which is also why we quote people with multiple perspectives. The trouble is, we often boil those perspectives down to just two: two opponents, either/or. The horse-race model. We really saw that in presidential election coverage. But really, Americans and even individuals are more complex than that. I am a reporter and a woman. And that is a big part of why I decided to try to go to the Women’s March in Washington the week after President Donald Trump’s election victory. I was attending not to protest that victory, but the general cultural assault on women I saw happening during the campaign. I also wanted to express my support for other marginalized groups such as immigrants and African Americans. A friend I hadn’t seen for half my life offered for me to crash at her apartment, and my new friend Stacey embarked on the adventure with me. We left Friday morning armed with Maker’s Donuts, a playlist of odes to (and by) powerful women, and red baseball caps she’d bought from the What a Joke comedy festival on Thursday night. Instead of “Make America Great Again,” our hats said, “What a Joke” and “Nasty Woman.” After parking at Reagan National Airport and taking the metro into the city Friday night, we all left my friend Julie’s apartment the next morning to walk the few blocks to the National Mall. We weren’t supposed to be there.
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KNOXVILLE MERCURY January 26, 2017
The march was so grassroots that women were booking tour buses for it before anyone had sought permits from the National Park Service. It turned out the inauguration committee had the mall booked—even after Trump’s swearing-in on Friday. The National Park Service, which manages Washington D.C. parks and monuments, decided to make other arrangements. Those proved inadequate to the crowds. March organizers predicted 200,000 attendees; the official estimate turned out to be 500,000, but I think even that was too conservative. Half an hour before the rally started, we could only get as close as a few blocks away to the stage on Independence Avenue. It was a sea of pussy hats. People climbed trees and stoplights. I carried a couple of signs I’d made at home about equal pay and paid maternity leave, partly because I wanted to emphasize that I want more than to “not go back to the 1950s.” I think we’re in trouble if our goal for the future is simply not to backtrack to normalizing sexual assault and denigrating women. The array of messages was staggering: Concerns about education or energy department heads, free speech, Russian election interference, just treatment for African Americans and immigrants, and the preservation of Obamacare, to name a few. There were countless signs with the general
theme of “Hands off” coupled with a picture of a black cat. As the rally was supposed to evolve into the march, we tried to edge toward Independence Avenue, not knowing it was already full for most of the intended march route. Finally a lone policeman yelled from behind us that we should turn back to the Mall to march. The energy returned, with people chanting “Tell me what democracy looks like. This is what democracy looks like!” plus creative cheers inspired in the moment like: “Hands too small to build a wall” and “We need a leader, not a creepy Tweeter!” Washington’s perfectly aligned layout allowed to me view crowds filling the streets that were not supposed to be closed, for as far as I could see. We continued past the Washington Monument and the Treasury, chanting “We will not go away. Welcome to your first day!” Occasionally a scream would start half a mile off and ripple through the march like a sonic wave. It was amazing to be part of something so big. Organizers of Knoxville sister marches are already working on follow-up moves. Caroline Mann, an organizer of the Market Square event Saturday, says she’ll keep the 2,500 people who RSVP’d posted via email after she meets with organizers of the University of Tennessee march, the March on Washington Knoxville group, and others. They planned an early foray this week into a planned “Resistance Tuesday” effort to flood Congressional offices with voters, in this case urging Sen. Lamar Alexander not to support confirmation of Betsy DeVos as education secretary. Politicians and Trump supporters who wish to dismiss the women’s marches as being about sour grapes or abortion rights are wrong. The motivations and messages of marchers were as diverse as the marchers themselves. The point is this: With all their diverse motivations and viewpoints, women will make their voices heard. They matter. They vote. Ignore them at your peril. —S. Heather Duncan
Delivering Fine Journalism Since 2015
EDITORIAL 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 Thomas Fraser thomas@knoxmercury.com CONTRIBUTORS Chris Barrett Catherine Landis Ian Blackburn Dennis Perkins Hayley Brundige Stephanie Piper Patrice Cole Ryan Reed Eric Dawson Eleanor Scott George Dodds Alan Sherrod Lee Gardner Nathan Smith Mike Gibson April Snellings Carey Hodges Joe Sullivan Nick Huinker Kim Trevathan Donna Johnson Chris Wohlwend Tracy Jones Angie Vicars Rose Kennedy Carol Z. Shane INTERN Jeffery Chastain
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 PHOTOGRAPHY INTERN Marissa Highfill
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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 Robin Easter Tommy Smith Melanie Faizer Joe Sullivan Jack Neely Coury Turczyn 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. © 2016 The Knoxville Mercury
H A PPY BIRTH DAY, DON D o n E v e r ly, s i n g e r - s o n g w r i t e r o f t h e E v e r ly B r o t h e r s , t u r n s 8 0 n e x t W e d n e s d ay, F e b . 1 .
However, the brothers wrote some of their own songs, including “(Till) I Kissed You,” “When Will I Be Loved” and their biggest American hit, “Cathy’s Clown,” which is known to be loosely based on a relationship one of the brothers had at West High.
Don and Phil Everly were known for their perfect brother harmonies, but made a global impact on popular music by taking chances with combining their old-time harmonies with a new form called rock ’n’ roll. Their influence on later bands like Simon and Garfunkel and the Beatles was profound. John Lennon and Paul McCartney admitted they got into music partly by way of imitating the Everlys. The early Beatles were compared to the Everlys so often that the English group joked they should be called the Four Everly Brothers. (Foreverly—get it?) They were not exactly from Knoxville. Elder brother Don was born in Muhlenberg County, in western Kentucky. Phil was born two years later in Chicago. They grew up mostly in Shenandoah, Iowa, singing with their parents in a family act. It was in Nashville that they became famous as successful recording artists.
Two of their hits, “All I Have to Do is Dream” and “Wake Up Little Susie,” rose to Number One on the pop, country, and R&B charts, an extraordinary feat.
Before Rock ’n’ Roll: The original Everly family, pictured here in March, 1954, performed on radio station WROL when it was located on the top floor of the Mechanics Bank building on Gay Street. Phil, barely 15 at the time, is at left. Don, 17, is on guitar. At right are father Ike Everly, on guitar, and mother, Margaret, on stand-up bass.
Surprisingly, though they sometimes remarked that they considered Knoxville home, they rarely performed in the area. Their biggest Knoxville show may have been in 1998, when they performed a sellout show at the Tennessee Theatre. That show celebrated the launch of the then-new Cradle of Country Music Tour, which marked the site of their first radio broadcasts, at the Mechanics Bank Building at 612 South Gay Street. That selfguided tour brochure and its markers have recently been refurbished by Visit Knoxville.
They lived in Knoxville just a couple of years, ca. Phil Everly, the younger brother, died in January, 1953-1955. Although they made semi-regular 2014, at age 74. appearances playing on WROL radio shows, they were rarely mentioned in the papers except as West High athletes. However, their Knoxville years marked They have recently become the subject of a new city a critical turning point in their career. It was in project, Everly Brothers Park. The small “pocket Knoxville that the brothers began performing as a park” will be at the corner of Kingston Pike and duo. It was here that they discovered rock’n’roll, by Image from the Robert Van Winkle collection at TAMIS Forest Park Boulevard, and connected to the wellway of new Bo Diddley records encountered at used Bearden Village Greenway. (Finally, Forest “Dougout Doug’s” record store, on Cumberland Park has a park!) The location is less than a mile Avenue near 17th Street. And it was here that they met former Knoxvillian from West High School, where Don graduated in 1955. For more, and to Chet Atkins, who encouraged them and guided their early career. contribute to the still-developing project, see http://www.legacyparks.org/ everly-brothers-park-2/. Most of their hits were written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, a songwriting team in Nashville who wrote “Love Hurts,” “All I Have to The Knoxville History Project needs your help to renew this Do is Dream,” “Bye Bye Love,” “Wake Up Little Susie,” “Problems,” and Knoxville History Page in the Mercury for another year. Please “Bird Dog,” all songs popularized by the Everlys. Coincidentally, the visit our website at knoxvillehistoryproject.org or send a Bryants later moved to Gatlinburg, where they wrote a very different song contribution to the Knoxville History Project, 516 West Vine called “Rocky Top.” Avenue, Ste. 8, Knoxville, 37902. We appreciate your help. Source The Calvin M. McClung Historical Collection, Lawson McGhee Library Image courtesy of Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound • knoxlib.org/local-family-history/tennessee-archive-moving-image-and-sound
T h e K n ox v i l l e H i s to ry P r o j ec t, a n o n p r o fi t o r g a n iz at i o n d e vot e d to t h e p r o m ot i o n o f a n d ed u c at i o n a b o u t t h e h i s to ry o f K n ox v i l l e , p r e s en t s t h i s pag e e ac h w e e k to r a i s e awa r en e s s o f t h e t h em e s , p er s o n a l i t i e s , a n d s to r i e s o f o u r u n i q u e c i t y. L e a r n m o r e at
knoxvillehistoryproject.org
o r em a i l
jack@knoxhistoryproject.org
January 26, 2017
KNOXVILLE MERCURY 5
Photo by Coury Turczyn
HOWDY DUMPSTER highlights DIVE Weekly from our blog Read more at knoxmercury.com/blog YASSIN’S TO BE FEATURED IN SHORT FILM Thursday will see the Knoxville premiere of a mini-documentary about local restaurateur Yassin Terou, owner of Yassin’s Falafel House. The film, made by the mobile payment company Square, is the first in its new short-film series. Jack Dorsey, CEO and founder of both Twitter and Square, will attend the invitation-only premier at Yassin’s.
LOCAL LIFE | Photo by Marissa Highfill An estimated 2,000+ protesters gathered in Market Square on Saturday to stand up for human rights after the presidential inauguration of reality TV star Donald J. Trump.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
1/26 SEMINAR: LOBBYING 101 THURSDAY
6-7:30 p.m., Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church (2931 Kingston Pike). Free. As the Tennessee Legislature dives into another session of tackling problems that don’t actually exist (like defining “mother” and “father” by “biological distinctions”), you might want to learn how to lobby your representatives before they go all quackadoodle again.
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KNOXVILLE MERCURY January 26, 2017
1/27 FUNDRAISER: SNOW DAY 2017 FRIDAY
7 p.m., Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria (200 E Jackson Ave.). $8. The 9th annual Beardsley Community Farm benefit will warm you up not only with a soup competition between local restaurants and a Homegrown and Homemade Beard Pageant, but also a dazzling array of local performers: J-Bush, Big Bad Oven, Count This Penny, Kelle Jolly, the Pinklets, Pleases, and Matt Nelson and Caleb Hall. Info: beardsleyfarm.org.
1/29 CIVIL WAR LECTURE SERIES SUNDAY
2 p.m., McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture (1327 Circle Park Dr.). Free. The McClung kicks off its 6th annual Civil War Lecture Series with curator Joan Markel’s talk, “It Happened in East Tennessee: Longstreet’s Plunge into Independent Command 1863-64.” Info on each month’s lecture: mcclungmuseum.utk.edu.
STATE LAWMAKERS TO TACKLE “DIVERSITY THINGS” Knoxville-area legislators chewed mainly on Republican red meat and conservative chestnuts during a luncheon sponsored by the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists. The majority of the officials said the Legislature would continue its restrictions on abortion; expand the ability of people carry guns in public; consider limitations on what can be purchased using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program subsidies; and continue oversight of University of Tennessee diversity efforts. FRENCH MARKET AND DOVER DEVELOPMENT SETTLE DISPUTE Ending their very public battle, the French Market and Dover Development have reached an accord that eases the popular creperie’s move to a new location just a block away on Clinch Avenue. “He’s leaving us alone, we’re leaving him alone, everything’s good,” French Market co-owner Allen Tate says.
2/4-5 REMOTE AREA MEDICAL CLINIC
SATURDAY & SUNDAY
6 a.m., Jacob Building in Chilhowee Park (3301 East Magnolia Ave.). Free. If you’re among the 18 million people who are about to lose their health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, you may soon find yourself seeking free clinics like these. Let’s hope Stan Brock can figure out how to continue helping the larger crowds. Tickets will start being dispensed at 3 a.m. Saturday.
January 26, 2017
KNOXVILLE MERCURY 7
SCRUFFY CITIZEN
Old Stories for a New Year An interesting parallel, more about the Knoxville flag, and the East Cumberland ghost’s landlord BY JACK NEELY
I
had a bit of a flashback moment last week, the sort of thing fellows over 50 suffer occasionally when we can’t remember what year it is. Picture a businessman who, despite decades of rumored questionable practices, becomes a very wealthy man, a multi-millionaire. Despite that detail, he holds himself forward as a simple, straight-talking man of the people. He shoots from the hip, speaks his mind. Some folks respect that, even when he seems reckless. He has a knack for insulting rivals, hitting them harder than they hit him. He denounces the elite power structure and is outspoken in his disdain of the press. However, he is irresistibly attracted to show business, and even develops his own sort of reality show. He becomes a familiar brand. He parlays his business and show-business celebrity into an unlikely political career. He lacks the usual qualifications, but is proud of that fact. He insists he knows how to proceed without much study. He warns us that crime’s getting out of hand, and that foreign ideologies are creeping into American life. He has a quick temper, but makes it seem like an asset. And soon after he takes the oath of his government’s top administrative job, he’s already facing murmurings about his removal. Cas Walker was one of a kind. (Who’d you think I was talking about?) For those who just joined us, Cas was an extremely successful grocer
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KNOXVILLE MERCURY January 26, 2017
from Sevier County who sponsored a country-music radio show and later a TV show. He was well known as a self-promoter for years before he was elected to Knoxville City Council. In 1946 he became mayor, by the rules of the day, as the most popular vote-getter on Council. But things started to go wrong right away, after he got angry at various colleagues, and within a short time citizens were calling for his removal. He served as mayor less than a year. But he remained on City Council for another quarter century and was a popular TV personality longer than that. Is Donald Trump America’s Cas Walker? There are, of course, some differences. Cas wasn’t born rich. He didn’t have a nuclear bomb, or Twitter. And he helped nurture a new form of country music called bluegrass. He’s mentioned in many scholarly histories of country music. For populist demagogues of the future, Cas set a high bar.
There’s been lot of flag-waving lately. If you want to wave Knoxville’s own interesting and complicated flag, you can. That Victorian-era flag I described in a column a few weeks ago was designed by artist Lloyd Branson and first unfurled in an 1896 ceremony on Market Square. Today it’s available in just one place I know of, the Allen Sign Co., at 2408 Chapman Highway.
Or you can design your own. I asked if there might be other proposals to update the flag for a new century, and got a few interesting responses. Anthony Norris apparently disagrees with my assertion that a Knoxville flag, being a municipal thing, shouldn’t necessarily emphasize the color orange. What he came up with does indeed shout a hearty “Go Vols!” with its main color, but with two shades of blue and white forming a design suggestive of the state flag. And one Caleb Hrothgar shared a design he’d already come up with, sketched in crayon in his biology notebook, and is arguably a simplified version of the 1896 flag, with golden wings encircling a suggestion of the state flag, over crossed double stripes of violet on a field of green. I’m no vexillologist, but I’m not sure we’re there yet.
Finally, I got a surprising response to my Halloween story about the “ghost house” at 309 East Cumberland that preoccupied the city in 1923. The house is long gone, as is the entirety of East Cumberland Avenue. The owner of the troublesome house, as I mentioned, was Austrian immigrant Joseph Ahler, a practical man who did what he could to dampen the superstitious hubbub. The gray man who kept showing up at the house gave the place a very high tenant turnover rate, and landlords never like that. When you write about someone who was born in the 1860s, you don’t alwyas expect to hear from someone who knew him well. But Mary Sue Hamilton, who lives in Maryville, does remember Mr. Ahler. He was her grandfather. Ms. Hamilton was born in
Knoxville, to an itinerant Prebysterian-minister’s family, and spent most of her life away, in Chicago, Kentucky, and Missouri, where she lived with her husband and taught elementary school for years. In retirement, she finally circled back to her ancestral home. She turns 90 this year, and remembers visiting her grandfather, who lived on East Church. Joseph Ahler was born near Vienna during the long and eventful reign of the Emperor Franz Joseph. She recalls him as “a thin, very wiry person” who had a little mustache and always wore white suits in the summer. People called him “the colonel.” He came to America as a teenager in the 1880s, and first settled with his family in the Oliver Springs area, where there were some other Austrians. His parents spoke mostly German at home. He gravitated to Knoxville, where he opened a plumbing and electrical business, and eventually owned a little shop on Gay Street, where he sold appliances. “I think he Americanized rapidly,” she says. In her memory he had no obvious accent. He liked to eat lunch at the S&W Cafeteria. She remembers crossing an iron bridge on foot to get to Gay Street. The first big concrete viaduct was built in 1937. He also owned a good deal of land on the east side of downtown, and in the ’50s sold much of it to the city for the construction of the Civic Coliseum. By then, Ahler had moved to Fountain City, and the East Church neighborhood was pretty run down, she recalls. She thinks his own home was approximately where the Coliseum’s sign is, at the corner of Hall of Fame and Howard Baker Jr. Boulevard. She recalls he liked to tell stories, but she never heard the one about his tenant who was a ghost. ◆
He holds himself forward as a simple, straight-talking man of the people. He shoots from the hip, speaks his mind. Some folks respect that, even when he seems reckless.:
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January 26, 2017
KNOXVILLE MERCURY 9
PERSPECTIVES
LOOK FOR OUR NEXT ISSUE ON FEB. 9TH Remember, we’re publishing every other week this winter to give us time to work on new content, design updates and sales initiatives. In the meantime, check out one of our new endavors, Press Forward, on page 16.
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KNOXVILLE MERCURY January 26, 2017
Use on Review The city takes a first step toward mixed-use zoning BY JOE SULLIVAN
A
fter a false start last year, the city appears to be on the verge of lifting what amounts to a ban on residences in commercial zones outside of downtown. A year ago the Metropolitan Planning Commission proposed a mixed-use zoning ordinance for Bearden that would have allowed residential in addition to commercial uses along a stretch of Kingston Pike from Western Plaza to Northshore Drive. But the complex 42-page proposal raised questions in many quarters and drew fire in some. So in November MPC tabled the ordinance. “We were trying to do too much. It’s a big step to go from a 1960s zoning ordinance to a 2016 ordinance in one step,” says MPC’s executive director, Gerald Green. Instead, with the backing of Mayor Madeline Rogero and City Council, MPC is taking a two-step approach to incorporating provisions for mixed uses into a comprehensive update of the city’s zoning code. For starters, MPC is proposing to allow residential uses in commercial zones under the existing code via what’s known as “use on review.” An ordinance setting standards for such uses is due to be offered for public comment next month, and Green is hopeful of getting approval by MPC in March and City Council in April.
Once the ordinance is in place, developers seeking to make use of it would submit their building plans for MPC approval, but City Council action wouldn’t be required (though any use on review decisions could be appealed to Council). New residential structures could be stand-alone or part of a mixed-use development, but would be limited to multi-family dwellings with a minimum of three units on a minimum of two stories, but with no limit on their height. However, Green says their height could be limited by parking requirements. More expansively than the abortive Bearden mixed-use ordinance, the use-on-review ordinance would apply to all of the city’s commercial corridors that are zoned C3. That primarily means Broadway, Central, Chapman Highway, and Magnolia in addition to Kingston Pike. (Cumberland Avenue and the South Knoxville Waterfront already have what are known as form-based codes of recent vintage that govern the size and shape of buildings more so than their uses.) At the same time, the city has launched what’s being characterized as a complete review and overhaul of its antiquated zoning ordinance. “We need an up-to-date ordinance that protects the things we all value in
our neighborhoods and commercial areas while allowing the kinds of smart, sustainable growth that will move Knoxville forward,” Rogero said when setting the process in motion. At a cost of $280,000, a Chicago-based consulting firm, Camiros Ltd., has been retained to conduct the process, which is expected to take close to two years. The Camiros team will be in town starting Jan. 31 for what Green terms an “initial scoping session” in conjunction with city and MPC officials. It’s hard to fathom how Knoxville could have gone so long with a zoning code that precludes people from living close to where they work, shop, and eat out. The development boom and vibrancy that downtown has achieved in the only type of zone that has allowed for this is proof enough of its desirability. While the new code is sure to protect traditional residential neighborhoods from commercial encroachment, elements of the Bearden mixed-use proposal are likely to be incorporated for commercial zones. In addition to building design, alignment, landscaping, and parking standards, these include an emphasis on pedestrian friendliness, bicycle lanes, and accessibility to public transit so as to lessen dependence on (and interference by) automobiles. In the meantime, Green believes the use-on-review approach can encourage good development on a parcel by parcel basis. “What it doesn’t do is address the district as a whole,” he says. So I could, for example, find a vacant lot and build a great looking mixed-use building. But next door there could be a vacant lot where someone decides to build a 24-hour convenience store with gas pumps in the front. So it can create a pedestrian-oriented island in a sea of other uses. In Bearden, there are at least two developers who have shown an interest in proceeding with the sorts of projects that are envisioned. One is Tony Cappiello who has been planning a new four-story building in Homberg Place with shops and restaurants on the ground floor and 40 to 60 apartments on the upper floors. The other is Asheville-based Biltmore Properties, which envisions the inclusion of residences in its makeover of Western Plaza that is well underway. ◆
BBC_KnoxvilleMercury_1.4page_1.26.pdf
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UT HEALTH CARE CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS We’re offering five health care programs this winter: Clinical Medical Assistant, Dental Assisting, Phlebotomy Technician, Medical Billing & Coding, and Pharmacy Technician. Most programs offer clinical externships.
LEARN MORE You’re invited to attend a free information session at the UT Conference Center in downtown Knoxville. Please call 865-974-0150, e-mail utnoncredit@utk.edu, or go online to make your reservation.
Thursday, February 9 6-7 p.m. Course # 17WIHEALTH-1
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January 26, 2017
KNOXVILLE MERCURY 11
down wasn’t so surprising; Palo Alto may be more pedestrian friendly than Wilshire Boulevard, but it’s no Venice Beach. What seemed off about this story, at first, is that the cornice stood only 15 feet from the ground. Indeed, the images documenting the event on Palo Alto Online tell a different story. The offending molding (that appears to be rendered stucco, not concrete) is an astragal, not a cornice fragment. An astragal is a bulbous linear edging that typically finishes the upper-most portion of a column, or in this case, one of the pilasters (engaged columns) that animate the Neoclassical 1906 bank façade. Cornice and astragal are different, not in degree, but in kind. The former is very large and composed of several smaller elements, one of which is invariably, an astragal. Why should any of this matter, save for the owners of the former bank building, the Palo Alto building inspectors, and students of architectural history? First, because when cornices fall off buildings it’s typically a pretty big news story. They tend to be big and heavy and they’ve been known to kill unsuspecting pedestrians. Sadly, this has fomented a rash of cornice-stripping in more than one city in the United States over the past century, leaving many turn-of-the-20th-century buildings scarred in the wake.
ARCHITECTURE MATTERS
The Treachery of Images Why are so many buildings in Knoxville plastered with classical bric-a-brac? BY GEORGE DODDS
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KNOXVILLE MERCURY January 26, 2017
example, between Gothic and Elizabethan Revival architectures on the UTK campus, or why we as a community would be better served by never building single-purpose parking garages in our city’s center? Is it really worth discussing the virtues of razing an elegant and unique, midcentury modern building by one of the region’s finest post-war architects, in lieu of constructing a poor copy of a Jim Crow-era high school? Aren’t these distinctions little different from choosing chamomile over Earl Grey? There are occasions, however, when verifiable facts and the true meanings of things matter, revealing larger, less obvious lessons, weightier than a cup of tea. A minor story published several months ago in a small regional California online news outlet, about a chunk of historic building slamming to the sidewalk, is a good place to start. That the “concrete cornice,” as reported, didn’t hit anyone on the way The Howard H. Baker, Jr. United States Courthouse. The About Knoxville (AK) website refers to this structure as a “postmodern rendition of neo-Georgian architecture.” Why a steroidally enhanced version of Philadelphia’s Independence Hall would seem an appropriate image for the publishing empire of Whittle communications remains unclear. Completed in 1991, AK reports it was sold three years later at a loss of $34 million and now, more appropriately, houses federal courtrooms and governmental offices.
Courtesy of City of Knoxville.
T
he Onion, the most reliable and consistently hilarious fake news outlet on the planet, is having financial problems. In no small measure owing to Donald J. Trump’s presidential campaign, they find themselves on the horns of a dilemma: How do you parody a “real world” that is already a parody of itself? It’s eating into their bottom line. For example, it’s generally accepted as true that for some time now we have been in a “post-truth” era, so much so that the Oxford English Dictionary chose it as the Word of the Year 2016. While the term first appeared in print in 1992, Casper Grathwohl, president of Oxford Dictionaries, explained: “We first saw the frequency really spike…in July [2016] when Donald Trump secured the Republican presidential nomination. …I wouldn’t be surprised if post-truth becomes one of the defining words of our time.” Logic and grammar, unfortunately, dictate that if something is both true and post-truth, it must be false. Therein lies the Onion’s bind, and our own. In an epoch of Trumpism, birtherism, and demi-fascism, it’s challenging to logically argue that anything at all—much less that something seemingly so distant from most peoples’ daily lives as architecture—really matters. Why write about the importance of distinguishing, for
Second, the difference between cornice and astragal matters because what we call a thing matters. This is especially true in the professional world where we expect skilled practitioners to know the nomenclature of their discipline. We presume they are well familiar with the geography of their professional territory, that they have traversed it so often they can do so unaided by map or compass. Whether it’s medical, legal, or the building arts, how we name a thing matters. We expect physicians to be well versed in things anatomical. If one’s doctor has a habit of conflating a sinus for a sphincter, it’s probably best to get a permanent second opinion. Lawyers who confuse a tort for a tart are better off oven-side baking than inside courtrooms. And architects, or those writing about architecture, unable to distinguish one style from another, a part from a whole—in this case, a cornice from an astragal—should probably either find another line of work or consider some additional education. The Palo Alto Online author surely gets a pass. But what of others who ought to know better, and right here in Knoxville? Cornices—a basic architectural element—long predate the ancient architectures of Greece and Rome, yet the term is relatively new, originating in the latter part of the Italian Renaissance. A brief walk along Knoxville’s
Courtesy of The Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Gay Street or Union Avenue demonstrates that they come in many different shapes and sizes, materials and manners, finishing the uppermost portion of the exterior walls of most public and civic buildings built before the middle of the last century. Architects in many parts of the country and schools of architecture with decent history courses still learn when and where these elements are best used, and best not. While they’re a normative part of certain building types and architectural styles—such as Neoclassicism—significant cornices don’t belong everywhere on every sort of building, in every situation. This is a matter of decorum. Even more suspect are those that appear overnight, rendered in a relatively retrograde material called EIFS (Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems), often erroneously referred to as “synthetic stucco.” EIFS originated in the fast-paced reconstruction of bomb-damaged post-war Europe. As the name indicates, it is both a finishing material and an insulation. Applied to masonry substrates, as was the case originally, it worked rather well. Unfortunately, here in the U.S., where most of what we build is wood-frame construction finished with veneers, EIFS (in addition to inherent technical problems) tends to produce something closer to exterior set design, a kind of treachery of images rather than
buildings in the service of architecture. Introduced in the U.S. in the 1960s, its popularity rose in the late 1970s owing to the Arab oil embargo (energy conservation), and the rise of decorative (and vaguely historical) post-modern architectural façadism. There was a time, however, just a few generations ago, when only select building types were the appropriate venue for a significant cornice, or a pedimented portico for that matter. Today, perfunctory EIFS-made classical embellishments (cornices, porticoes, dentils, niches, pilasters) have become as common as cockney. Locally, while there are plenty of examples of this sort of post-truth classicism (in EIFS, other polymer-based materials, wood, and even stone), one of the most egregious are the facades of the UT Federal Credit Union’s headquarters located on the edge of the Fort Sanders neighborhood. The pedimented porticoes pasted on its facades beggar comprehension for more reasons than space allows. In brief, it’s helpful to remember that porticoes are, simply put, porches writ large, intended for human occupation. However, much like the plastic shutters screwed onto suburban houses, the UTFCU porticoes may conjure vague associations of past-ness, but they are largely free of either utility or decorum. While many Neoclassical buildings from the 19th and early 20th century are adorned with University of Tennessee Federal Credit Union, in Fort Sanders.
upper-level porticoes, they typically create a gracious space outside that directly relates from a grand room inside. Moreover, invariably one enters the building through one. Here and elsewhere the Credit Union falls short, wherein it reduces the fullness of classical symbolism to a collection of empty signs. Then there is the question of number. In antiquity, numbers had discrete associations and actual meanings. The numerical problem with the Credit Union’s porticoes, however, is a far simpler case of a “fifth wheel”—something “superfluous, unnecessary, or burdensome.” In this case, the interloper is a fifth column further rendering the porticoes post-truth. Classical porticoes never have an odd number of columns. The spaces between the columns are always an odd number, in service of a major, and often
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.
Photo by Tricia Bateman
Courtesy of Google Maps.
The former First National Bank of Palo Alto. Sometime between Friday evening, Aug. 5, and Sunday morning, Aug. 7, it lost one of its astragals.
The Treachery of Images, René Magritte, (1929).
ceremonial, central axis that one moves along. Interruptus is as bad architecturally as it is uncomfortable physiologically. The Credit Union’s five-columned-thingy topped with a 45-degree angled pediment is not a portico any more than the pipe in René Magritte’s The Treachery of Images (1929) is a pipe. Knoxville is lousy with post-truth classicizing elements intended to aggrandize otherwise grandless buildings: the Hampton Inn at the corner of Main and Cumberland, the new Cumberland Avenue Holiday Inn (between 17th and 18th streets), and any number of EIFSed commercial facades along Kingston, Clinton, and Chapman roadways (and even in downtown) that are more bricolage than brick and mortar. Building is easy. Building well is hard. Building architecture is harder still, which is why it is so rare. It requires a far-ranging knowledge base and the exercise of prudence in the face of the frivolous. It is why we should honor it when it happens, care for it as it ages, and remember fondly the architects, designers, and craftspeople who help realize the visions of several, into the building of one. ◆
January 26, 2017
KNOXVILLE MERCURY 13
thinkstock.com
Second Effort Knox County Schools makes some progress tackling education disparities BY S. HEATHER DUNCAN
W
hen it comes to tackling racial disparities in education, history is not repeating itself at Knox County Schools—so far. A decade ago, recommendations to close the gap between treatment of black and white students were shelved during a transition between superintendents. Last spring, a larger Disparities in Education Task Force again tackled issues of disparities in student discipline and academic progress. But despite another leadership turnover, this time the district is moving ahead with many of those recommendations—although in some cases more slowly than originally envisioned. Many minority community members involved in the process say they are pleased so far—but at least one remains unconvinced that the process will create lasting change, and uncertainty remains about what will happen when a new superintendent takes over the school system. Last year, the Disparities in Education Task Force of community members and education officials made a list of 36 recommendations related to staff and school resource officer training, discipline and arrest policies, recruitment of minority staff, and more. The task force has been replaced by a steering committee, designated by interim Superintendent Buzz Thomas, which will review
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KNOXVILLE MERCURY January 26, 2017
progress and which has created several specialized committees, such as a discipline committee, to craft concrete policies. Each recommendation was given a time frame for implementation. The changes are meant to eliminate disparities in treatment based not only on race but also income, language, disability, or neighborhood. The process began primarily because the school district’s own data showed that since at least 2004, black students in Knox County schools have been suspended at about three times the rate of their white peers. This and other school district data were grounds for a 2014 federal discrimination complaint filed against Knox County Schools by the University of Tennessee School of Law Education Law Practicum, one of several such complaints lodged against the school district in recent years. Although the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights chose not to investigate because the complaint did not name specific people who had been harmed, the situation spurred former Superintendent Jim McIntyre to convene the task force. McIntyre left his job last summer, and the district is still seeking his replacement. Elizabeth Alves, who had been in charge of many of the initiatives as chief academic officer, also left for a new job.
But Thomas and his staff nonetheless report slow but steady progress on a number of the recommendations. “The interim superintendent has made this one of his highest priorities and remained personally involved,” says the Rev. John Butler, president of the local NAACP chapter and a member of the steering committee. He and Tomma Battle, a parent who serves on the steering committee and the discipline subcommittee, praise the school system’s efforts and its agreement to be publicly accountable via quarterly updates online. (The first will probably be posted in February, says Melissa Massie, executive director of student support services.) “I think the district is moving ahead and making progress in each of the areas,” says Coral Getino, a bilingual parent on the steering committee. “We’re behind, I can tell you that for sure. … It is a little frustrating to me not to have data yet.” Getino says the lack of a superintendent may be slowing things down, but she admits the timeline might have been unrealistic. However, Massie says she thinks the district is “on track overall in most areas.” The district has taken some significant steps toward the goals. It hired an ombudsman to mediate between the school system and families of disabled students. It has advertised for a minority recruiter and a general ombudsman, who will serve as a liaison in implementing the recommendations and will report directly to the superintendent. One recommendation was to restructure in-school suspension to reflect restorative practices, a model that de-emphasizes punishment in favor of working with students to solve problems and make reparations. Fulton and South-Doyle high schools and Gresham Middle School are piloting this approach this year, Massie says. Amelia Parker is an organizer of the Coalition to Stop School Push-Out who now serves on several committees to implement the task-force recommendations. One was assigned to help select a company to provide “cultural competency training,” intended to help staff recognize their inherent cultural biases and better understand the experience of those from different backgrounds. Parker says a vendor had been chosen when the school district
canceled the request for proposals in November and started over. The district now estimates it will choose a trainer by February. “It’s been really frustrating,” says Parker. “I was happy about the trainer we selected. … It’s thrown that whole timeline off and making us go through that whole process again.” Massie says the change was made because the district wanted to stipulate that all 8,000 employees receive job-specific training in person from the experts, rather than using a train-the-trainer model for a small number of staff, or training via remote classes. She says the district may spread the training over several years to achieve this. (Parker says the cost of individually training all employees would run around $4 million altogether, based on bids the district received in the fall.) Parker says the training was hobbled from the start by being underbudgeted. The entire Disparities in Education initiative was budgeted only $56,000 for the year, although Massie says the district earmarked other funds to afford $200,000 to $250,000 for the training. The school district has been somewhat slow in other areas, too. For example, all the recommendations related to regularly reviewing discipline and arrest reports and training school resource officers— some of which were projected for implementation last fall—were not worked on with law-enforcement officials until a meeting early this year. Massie says law-enforcement agencies are in the process of adding related training, probably this spring. Overall, Parker says the process of implementing the recommendations “feels like we’re being put through this process that won’t really produce much of anything.” There isn’t a clear leader at the central office since Alves left, Parker says. She says the discipline committee is being asked to develop policy armed with only partial information about current discipline practices. Although the leadership gap fuels uncertainty, other community members are more hopeful. “I’m very encouraged,” says Getino. “My hope is the new superintendent will have the same commitment to this issue that Dr. McIntyre had.” ◆ A previous story by Clay Duda contributed to this report.
Left: More than 100 people representing interests ranging from labor to civil and reproductive rights attended the first People’s Assembly on Jan. 21 at Mount Calvary Baptist Church in East Knoxville. Right: Rescue and Restoration of Knoxville organizer David Alex Hayes leads a group discussion.
Getting Organized Local progressives recruit candidates for November’s City Council elections BY THOMAS FRASER
K
noxville progressives and minorities hope five is the magic number as local political machines gear up to replace term-limited members of Knoxville City Council in November. Some also see an opportunity to build a more liberal Council as a bulwark against a new presidential administration they fear could be hostile to human rights. About 105 citizens of multiple backgrounds, representing interests ranging from organized labor to environmental protection and reproductive rights, attended the People’s Assembly at Mount Calvary Baptist Church in East Knoxville on Saturday. The intent was to lay the groundwork for selecting five candidates in five districts who would work in tandem to win the seats.
“This is not hyperbole. This is not pie in the sky,” Amaja Abdulahab, a People’s Assembly member and an organizer of the event, told the crowd. The People’s Assembly has its roots in the Knoxville Rescue and Restoration caucus focused on giving voices to minorities and the disenfranchised. The caucus, led in part by Zimbabwe Matavou, head of the Knoxville Black Contractor’s Association, has gained steam in recent months with input at Knoxville Community Development Corporation meetings, public housing meetings, and, most recently, opposition to the city’s Magnolia corridor improvement plan. “What we’re gonna do is look at how we can get five people to run for City Council as a team … understand-
ing how the budget works … understand what their job is as a City Council person, how to manage,” Abdulahab says. “And also to put together a cabinet, people who they work with to make decisions about getting things done in their district. That’s vitally important, so they’re not left out there by themselves.” Assembly members spent the morning articulating a familiar list of common grievances in minority and working-class communities, including stagnant incomes, poor relationships with law enforcement, and a lack of economic opportunity and health-care services. The People’s Assembly Facebook page billed the event as a way to stave off “a Trump presidency that promises to attack the civil and human rights of people of color, working class people, and marginalized folks of many backgrounds.” The event was planned long before the election of President Donald Trump, Abdulahab says. “It’s an ongoing effort of citizens who are underrepresented, or not represented at all, working toward getting representation,” he says. Seats will open in the 1st District (incumbent Nick Pavlis); 2nd District (Duane Grieve); 3rd District (Brenda Palmer); 4th District (Della Volpe); and 6th District (Daniel Brown). Five people have announced they are seeking seats or have appointed a treasurer and begun the requisite paperwork to appear on the Aug. 29
primary and Nov. 7 general election ballots: Lauren Rider, Harry Tindell, David Williams, David Gillette, and Thomas “Greg” Knox. Petitions required to officially appear on the ballot can be picked up beginning Feb. 17. They have until May 18 to qualify. Rider, a North Knoxville neighborhood organizer, is seeking the 4th District seat, as is Harry Tindell, a former member of the Knox County school board who served for 22 years as 13th District state representative. The Council seat is occupied now by Nick Della Volpe. He and four other Council incumbents can’t run again because term limits restrict service to two consecutive four-year terms. Williams is seeking the 2nd District seat; Knox intends to run in the 1st District. Mayor Madeline Rogero is also term-limited and her tenure will end in December 2019. The terms of three at-large members of City Council—George Wallace, Marshall Stair, and Finbarr Saunders—and 5th District Council member Mark Campen expire in 2019. Gillette, a Mechanicsville native, will run in the 6th District, now occupied by Brown. Gillette told those at Calvary his slogan is “trust, leadership, and commitment.” The field could expand greatly before candidates pick up their formal nominating petitions. Primary voting will be restricted to district residents; the top two vote-getters advance from there to the general election open to all city voters. East Knoxville activist André Canty told the crowd that he had not yet made up his mind, but “social justice has always been my lens.” Others say they were mulling a decision. But they were reminded that running for office is not an easy task. It can be expensive, and daunting, warned Kazi Wilkins, a former Statewide Organizing for Community Empowerment organizer who is now a community-level independent political advisor. Wilkins encouraged potential candidates to build relationships and networks across social, economic, ethnic and cultural stratums and take advantages of community resources. “Campaigning can be very difficult,” she said, adding that Saturday was a good first step. “You are already doing the work to prepare yourself.” ◆ January 26, 2017
KNOXVILLE MERCURY 15
Waynestock money for other community organizations
A
t the end of 2010, when News Sentinel music writer Wayne Bledsoe’s 23-year-old son Andrew died, the local music scene immediately went to work. In just a few weeks, Steve Wildsmith, entertainment editor of The Daily Times in Maryville, Wil Wright (Lil Iffy, Senryu), Tim and Susan Lee, and a handful of others had organized the first edition of Waynestock, a three-night festival of local music, headlined by a reunion of Andrew’s former band Psychotic Behavior, to raise money for Bledsoe’s family. Since then, Waynestock has turned into an annual celebration of the local music scene, with two or three generations of performers and their friends and fans heading down to Happy Holler for a weekend jam-packed with indie rock, punk, country, folk, blues, Americana, and hip-hop. Proceeds from the shows are donated to a local community organization—previous recipients include the Community School of the Arts, Knoxville Girls Rock Camp, the E.M. Jellinek Center, and WUTK. This year’s festival, scheduled for Feb. 3-4 at Relix Variety Theatre, will raise money for the Old City rock club Pilot Light, which acquired 501(c) (3) nonprofit status in 2016.
What was the plan when Waynestock started?
When Wayne’s son died, it was one of those things—you’ve got the shock of a young man dying so unexpectedly from a health problem he didn’t even know he had, and then Wayne had lost his wife to cancer more than a decade ago. To so many people who care about him and consider themselves his friend, it seemed so unfair. The 16
KNOXVILLE MERCURY January 26, 2017
STEVE WILDSMITH cofounder and organizer, Waynestock
Photo by Mark Andrew Large
An annual local music festival that raises
Photo by Ezra Wildsmith
CATEGORY: CIVIC AND HUMANITARIAN
feeling was like, this dude already had his turn. It seemed to fall into place pretty effortlessly. No one hesitated. No one said, “Let me check my schedule.” No one said, “Eh, I’m not sure, let me think about that.” Every single person we asked said, “All right, tell me what time to be there.”
The first Waynestock seemed like a one-time event. How did the second one come together?
At the time, we talked about whether it would cheapen it to do it again. There wasn’t really an idea, well, let’s do another benefit. We thought, that was a cool thing, a really special thing—do we just let it stand on its own? And then Phil Pollard died. Pretty immediately, Tim and Susan said if were going to do something, we needed to do it for Phil’s family. Again, the wheels started turning. At that point, Wayne was part of the planning process. Phil died in November, so we had basically about a month to pull it together. I think it was that second year, when Band of Humans did the finale and everybody, or most people who
played that weekend, got on stage with them. I’ll never forget looking up there and there’s Black Atticus with Band of Humans and Jack Rentfro and all these people and they’re going through “Gettysburg Address” and all these Band of Humans standards. It was just such a ramshackle, thrown-together experience, but it totally worked. It was like, this is magic—this is stuff you can’t plan for. That became the Waynestock motif, so to speak—the moments that fall into place by happy accident and become something special.
So the second one established it as an annual event.
When it was over, we thought it was too cool a thing to shutter it now. That third year is when we did it for the Community School of the Arts. We decided to just do it as a fundraiser for worthy organizations.
What goes into putting it on? And who does the work?
At one time, we talked about looking at nonprofit status. But it’s such a pain in the ass to fill out all that paperwork, and with everything else going on, we
NEW SERIES kept it as a loose, informal group. In the beginning, it was Wil and me and Tim and Susan and Mic Harrison and Jason Knight. The next year Wayne came on board. I think it was the third year that [Blank publisher] Rusty Odom came on board. Over the last several years it’s become Tim and Susan, Wayne, me, and Rusty in the beginning stages of that process. We call in Jay [Nations] and Jack [Stiles] over at Raven Records and Rarities to help out with the raffle. Paige Travis helped us out one year. Amanda Starnes has been part of it the last couple of years. She’s Tims right-hand person when it comes to stage-managing and marshaling the bands off and on. My wife and I come down to work the doors. It’s very much a grassroots thing, but we have no shortage of people we can ask for help.
What are some of the specific things you look for when picking an organization to raise money for? An organization that does some good, that is helping people. I think that’s the biggest thing—an organization that’s helping people, whether it’s the Jellinek Center in the recovery community, or groups like Community School of the Arts or Girls Rock Camp that are educating young people, or WUTK, a student laboratory, or Pilot Light, which is providing a place for bands that don’t have anywhere else to play here in Knoxville. I don’t think there’s a specific formula. We all bring ideas to the table and kick them around. We’re all pretty laid back and agreeable on most things, so whenever a beneficiary rises to the surface, it doesn’t take long for us to see that yeah, that sounds like the one this year.
How much money do you usually raise?
It depends. I think for the first couple of years it was in the ballpark of $7,000, the next year less than that. We expected that, because when people were turning out to support Wayne and to support Phil, we got a whole lot of people who may not ever come to stuff like that, but because it was for Wayne, because it was for Phil, they did. It wasn’t a significant drop-off, maybe $4,000 or $5,000 after that, but for an organization like the Community School of the Arts, it was an amount of money that was very gratefully received. The same with the Jellinek Center, which was a beneficiary one year. It just depends. I don’t think we’ve ever come out of it going, yeah, we didn’t do well enough. We’ve never wondered whether it’s run its course. This year we decided on Pilot Light. Especially since it’s become a nonprofit, Jason [Boardman, Pilot Light’s executive director], has indicated that the money will go to some things that he’s always wanted to do—some furniture, stuff like that, that he’s never had the discretionary funds for. So every little bit helps. With the Jellinek Center, it was going through a transition where state funding was being cut, so I know they were grateful. Same with WUTK.
WAYNESTOCK VII
waynestock.org Facebook.com/WayneStockFestival
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PROGRAMS
An annual local music festival that raises money for community organizations.
Initiative Name
HOW YOU CAN HELP
• Attend the festival! The $5 cover will go directly to Pilot Light, where it will be spent on new lighting and furniture. (“We plan to use the money raised to replace and repair things that have always had to wait due to more pressing priorities,” the club’s executive director, Jason Boardman, says. “These are features that will make it a more comfortable environment to see a show.”) • Volunteer! Contact organizers through the Waynestock Facebook page for information on helping out at the festival. • Donate! Every year, the festival holds a raffle, with donated prizes from local businesses, artists, and craftspeople.
FIRST AND LAST NAME title, workplace whatever else you want to include
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KNOXVILLE MERCURY
March 12, 2015
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intebus obus movehemum coma, tantrae, quit. Graessimus hor it. Fulicit rei curia m ad num es publius hactus opote iam P. Oltorum Pat Caterit elicii per ad conu liam tus et fatus. Satu m hicaperei in inatu s idesiliena, Ti.
Bonsuliquide cus, inatum patus, consCat, coentilnest? cemenam.
Rio, etimpra ciamquo vit, quod puliquam ta, videme aliam , Cas fuem us, nis consupio rbis fuem linte m te consunc estio nsidet quos, cone rteris rei concultus horibus comaio ma, send iis solus? Eperei consultus bone cota, consultod imis me moe reme hore propte nequ am nis hilicam omn ihi, Patu a vit, consupi max imunum senatu qui cust in det publ ibem, ut atiam turn icae facta m nu vitur bit, ca dit, mus fac inati ac vistiam adea tqua res inatu m ad nox notia m te atissil hos, simusse naties!
Press Forward is an ongoing series ... Romed catilicia mo porei conit re efaute cae nonuncum que re cavenatem hostru m omnosun untine que tastrac faci tus con re, coniam tem senatur ades cre, untis avehentiem, C. Go et in te nihil tellare , Ti. cercest
January 26, 2017
KNOXVILLE MERCURY 17
Jered Sprecher is the most well-adjusted abstract artist you’ll ever meet—and his new solo show at KMA should be a career milestone BY COURY TURCZYN
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Photo by Tricia Bateman
Photos by Coury Turczyn
Knoxville Museum of Art curator Stephen Wicks (top, at left) assists artist Jered Sprecher in preparing his new solo show, Outside In. Sprecher designed the presentation to reveal the backs of some works, and included a tabletop still-life.
Photo by Tricia Bateman
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t’s a perfect Saturday morning for a visit to the museum: chilly, gray, rainy. Although its administrators may argue that any day is a fine time to peruse the collections of the Knoxville Museum of Art, there’s something about the low clouds and wintry lack of green foliage that sparks an instinct to seek color, warmth, and inspiration. Off to the right of the entrance, inside the first-floor gallery, Knoxville artist Jered Sprecher is busily working to provide just that—and more. The room is in a state of intentional disarray as he prepares for his first solo museum exhibition: paintings are propped along the bare walls where they’ll soon hang; hammers, pliers, and measuring tapes lay scattered around; scraps of newly trimmed paper clutter the floor. In the middle of the space, six tall paintings stand like obelisks in a circle, creating a room within a room. But, as Sprecher rummages through a bin of thrift-store finds and some playground fossils contributed by his children for a tabletop still-life yet to be constructed, he does wonder if he’ll be able to communicate just enough of his intent to viewers. “Probably my biggest worry is how I talk about it—am I making it relatable enough and giving people enough of a handhold to get into the work?” he says. “I feel like that’s part of my job, too. Not to be like, ‘Here, this is what it’s all about,’ but maybe get them to voice their observations or questions about the work. And oftentimes, I find that people are in the right ballpark— they just haven’t allowed themselves to realize that. I think that’s when people feel challenged by an artwork. But when they start talking about it, I’m like, ‘You got it!’” Such thoughtful musings about the democratic nature of art and its creation come naturally to Sprecher, who doesn’t match any of the usual preconceptions of how a creative genius should behave. If you saw him walking on Market Square with his picture-perfect family or leading a class at the University of Tennessee, you would be hard-pressed to identify
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Photos courtsey of Jered Sprecher
him as one of the country’s leading abstract artists. With his full beard and stubbly shaved head, you might guess him to be a craft brewer. Beyond some rather stylish glasses, the only outward hint of any potential unconventionality is the fact that he still wears a wristwatch. However, one visit to KMA’s ongoing contemporary art display, Currents, will reveal the complex, dazzling nature of Sprecher’s art. On loan is “A Plane Is a Pocket in the Corners of the Mind,” an 8-by-20-foot explosion of color, geometry, and nature—simultaneously chaotic and orderly. As the culmination of his 2009 Guggenheim Fellowship and his 2013 residency in Marfa, Texas, it is an absolute mind-blower—a painting that immediately sparks the imagination and invites long study to discern its mysteries. Sprecher’s earliest memory of being impressed by art himself was at a sixth-grade field trip to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Mo. Amid the surprising collection of Roman statuary, works by Thomas Hart Benton, and Caravaggio’s John the Baptist, Sprecher discovered the singular expressions of contemporary artists Willem de Kooning, Fairfield Porter, and Robert Rauschenberg. He was amazed. “I think some people are shocked by those types of things—‘I’m not sure if that’s art’—but it was just completely 20
KNOXVILLE MERCURY January 26, 2017
“I liked the subtle, minimalist work we first showed, but the real draw was that Jered was highly experimental and that excited me.” —Wendy Cooper, the first gallery owner to feature Sprecher’s work
enthralling,” he says. “I’ve been back to that museum so many times it feels like old friends when I visit those works there. But back then I was like, ‘This is crazy—you can do this? And this?’ It opened up a whole other world of possibilities.” At 40, Sprecher is still eagerly exploring those vast possibilities, and with his solo show at the KMA, he is sharing his latest discoveries—Outside In should be another milestone in an art career that’s making waves far from Knoxville.
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hristine Bergt Sprecher remembers the first date with her future husband as getting off to an awkward start. They had friends in common at Concordia University in Seward, Neb., where they were both undergrads. She was studying math, while he was an art major—an odd-couple match-up that made her a bit wary. His plan was to take her to a coffeehouse in Lincoln, about a half-hour away, for some live jazz. “He called me an hour before we were going to go, and he was like,
‘Well, the guys on the floor are all going to Pizza Hut,’” she says—their goal was to each bring a date on this spontaneous Pizza Hut adventure (cue eyeroll). “Then he called me back a little bit later: ‘None of the guys can get dates. So do you still want to come?’” She acquiesced, and they did still manage to hit the coffeehouse where they talked, and she found him to be quite different than what she had expected. “He was kind, and engaged in thinking about things that are really at a mature level,” she says. “I was sort of freaked out by the fact that he was an artist initially, just because it seemed a little bit eccentric—and then when I got to know him I realized that he wasn’t eccentric in a negative way. Our minds work so differently that it was really fun to see the way that he would perceive things.” His unique way of viewing the world has led them on a circuitous journey to Knoxville. After graduating in 1999, they got married. (“We knew we had each found the person we were going to spend the rest of our life
with,” she says matter-of-factly. “Why not get married?”) They decided to enter graduate school together, and they chose the University of Iowa, where Jered earned a master of fine arts degree in 2002. His first “big” break came the next year, a two-person show with Dan Attoe at the Wendy Cooper Gallery in Chicago. Cooper, now the owner of Cooper Contemporary/ Artworld Services, launched her namesake gallery in 1999 with a focus on emerging artists who demonstrated a mature vision—ones that had the potential for long careers, which she sensed in Sprecher. “I liked the subtle, minimalist work we first showed, but the real draw was that Jered was highly experimental and that excited me,” Cooper says. “He made a lot of different-looking abstract work by pushing boundaries and integrating color and space in sometimes uncomfortable ways. He made some really beautiful drawings, minimal, on odd sheets of paper that he would pin up to the wall in a grid. They looked really great.” Cooper booked Sprecher for multiple solo shows through 2007, when the gallery finally closed. She recalls one experienced collector who very much disagreed with her assessment of his work. “He couldn’t understand why I was interested in it,” she says. “And even though this sounds like a
Jered Sprecher’s home studio resides in his South Knoxville home’s garage, allowing him to drop in for “guerrilla painting” when inspiration strikes. UT teaching assistant Austin Pratt built a 1/12 version of the gallery so Sprecher could preview its layout.
Photos by Coury Turczyn
negative story, I remember feeling absolutely certain that Jered was going somewhere—and that my disagreement with this collector was a sign that I really believed in Jered.” If there’s one constant running through Sprecher’s career, it’s his uncanny ability to connect with people who believe in his work. Since that first show, he’s appeared in scores of significant galleries and museums, from the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center to the Irish Museum of Modern Art (where he was artist in residence), and from Gallery 16 in San Francisco to the Jeff Bailey Gallery in New York, where he’s had three solo exhibitions. “There is a quiet intensity to Jered’s paintings and works on paper—a tension and balance achieved through manipulation of form, color, and touch,” Bailey says. “Whether the image is abstract or partially representational, the works feel like a window into something felt or observed.” Sprecher’s art career gained further velocity with another unique opportunity in 2003. While Christine was getting her second master’s degree in math, he got work as an $8.50 per hour art handler for UI Hospitals’ Project Art, while also producing his own art and applying to some 80 jobs and residencies. None of them came through—until the day Christine took her comprehensive exams for her second master’s. That morning, the Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation left a message on their answering machine, offering Jered a free studio in New York City for one year. “So he picked me up from the test, and said ‘Guess what? We’re moving to New York City!’” Christine says. Moving from Iowa City to New York widened his eyes—and the scope of his work. “I know was I was pretty afraid of going to New York, but it was the push that I needed,” Sprecher says. “I think when I look back at work I was making, say, when I was 25, it was a lot more modest in scale, and I was definitely skeptical of things that would be more complex or maximalized. If you compare it to architecture, maybe I was more in favor of the Quaker meeting house rather than the Grand Cathedral. “I think over the years I’ve come to understand that it can be like the singer/songwriter or the full orches-
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I
f there’s such a thing as a “rock star” in UT’s art program, Sprecher fits the bill, though he’d be uncomfortable with such a label. While he’s been able to advance his way in the national art world from here in Knoxville, Sprecher has also made himself an integral part of the UT art faculty, becoming a full professor with tenure last year. “Jered is someone who really has a deep commitment to East Tennessee,” says Dorothy Metzger Habel, former director of the UT School of Art and now professor emerita. “He’s really thrown himself into teaching here with great abandon, with a strong ambition to building a stronger graduate program.” And he’s done that not only by teaching and managing, but also by building a national reputation that reflects well on UT. Winning a Guggenheim Fellowship (awarded to those who “have already demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts”) and earning a residency with the famed Chinati Foundation in Marfa, Texas, are no small shakes. “We’ve become a destination for
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allows it to grow.” Although Habel has certainly seen Sprecher get stressed—whether it’s from being a harried administrator or dealing with a sometimes cutthroat profession—she says she’s never seen him lose his sense of humor or throw a temper tantrum. “He just lives with this wonderful sense of balance in his life. He has this level-headedness about him that I think is so endearing,” Habel says. “He is not a neurotic person, and he’s not somebody who has to be left alone. When he talks about his work, I think he projects this wonderful aura about how exciting it is to him. He doesn’t see his work as a burden, and I think a lot of artists do find that it becomes a burden—they’re not always ‘on,’ they get buffeted around, and they can be insecure at times about their own work. He takes everything in stride. But the core thing is that the most exciting thing to him is to go into the studio and work.”
Photos courtsey of Jered Sprecher
tra—it’s not like one is good or bad, they just feel different. So definitely, the work has become a lot more visually complex, and I think it took me a while to mature into that.” Still, throughout the two years they lived there, with Christine teaching math at the Chapin School for girls in Manhattan, Jered stayed true to his own compass. “I think he’s just always been ‘Jered,’” Christine says. “Whether we were in the middle of a cornfield in Nebraska, or in the graduate program at Iowa, or we went to New York City, he just kept doing his own thing, but taking little pieces of things he would learn everywhere we went. I think that work he made in New York was certainly influenced by his environment around him, but he is not somebody who would try to become a ‘New York artist,’ whatever that means. He just did his own thing.” And that included randomly applying for a job teaching at UT’s School of Art even as he was making connections in the New York art world—and then accepting the unexpected offer and moving to Knoxville in 2005.
L “I want [painting] to be a challenge, and have its own complications. So I’ll purposely do things to paint myself into a corner. Like, what’s a silly idea, or something that I’ll have to work against?” —Jered Sprecher
visiting artists and graduate students, and I think Jered was really the beginning of some of that,” Habel says. “He’s out and about a lot, he does a lot of visiting-artist stints at other colleges and universities, and that’s a way of recruiting star grad students. The higher profile your faculty, the more competitive you are for graduate students. And certainly our undergraduates have been great beneficiaries of Jered and the strength of his teaching—he has students going off to Yale and Columbia pretty routinely now. That speaks volumes, too.” UT graduate teaching assistant Austin Pratt helped Sprecher prepare his new work for the Outside In exhibit. He stretched canvas and linen on 100 substrates ranging from 8 by
10 inches to 7 feet tall—and for those large pieces, Sprecher wanted to expose their backsides to the public rather than hanging them on a wall, so Pratt had to “elegantly stretch” six of them into place and keep them neat. It was an unusual and somewhat difficult request—but it wasn’t a problem, Pratt says. “I was aware of Jered’s work before I knew him personally, and was initially slightly surprised by his personality in relation to his work,” he says. “Getting to know him and his practice better, I’ve realized that they are very similar. His work is meticulous and insightful, deeply considered and researched, generous to the viewer, open-minded, and rich with wonder and a genuine curiosity that
indbergh Forest is a unique neighborhood, and not just for South Knoxville—it’s a shady enclave of Tudor-style marble houses from the 1930s mixed with midcentury Lustron prefabs and pleasant Cape Cods. Roll up the Sprechers’ steep driveway, past the basketball hoop, and you’ll find a detached garage that hasn’t had a car (or banished household detritus) in it since 2013, when it was remodeled into an artist’s studio. Twelve steps away, in the house, the Sprechers’ three boys—Ezra, Levi, and Avram, each adorable in his own particular way—are in a constant flurry of brotherly activity. Here, he’s a dad, overseeing all the chaos that this entails. To stay on track, Christine and Jered sit down each week and compare Google calendars, carefully balancing their schedules between parenting, working, and creating art. After his familial duties have been attended to each day, he uses the garage for quick hits of guerrilla painting. If he’s stymied, he tackles an odd job just to keep his hands busy. Or he’ll stare at a work in progress before bedtime to keep it mind while he sleeps. Inside the garage studio, things are a bit calmer, with one corner offering the refuge of a turntable, LPs, and an Eames-style lounge chair. However, this small oasis is crowded by a riot of creativity: art supplies, paint-splotched rags, masking tape,
want his works to be completely done. “I don’t want the paintings to feel so locked in that it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, he’s tightened all the screws.’ It’s almost like I want one shoelace to be untied, or there’s a feeling that maybe the sweater is being knitted or taken apart. I always want there to be a loose-end quality to them.”
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Photos courtsey of Jered Sprecher
sketchpads, color everywhere. Currently encircling the room are the six large paintings that will soon serve as the centerpiece for Outside In. Just a month away from the show, they appear to be related pieces, but the artist is still trying to figure out how to make each of them work together as a whole. “I know that I want these bands of blue, yellow, and magenta through them. I know that I want them to have this sort of textile-like quality, or to look like a computer printout where the ink is losing its charge,” he says. “So I’ve got lots of things that I’m carrying in my mind that I’m trying to evoke, but it’s part of the puzzle—I don’t know how it’s all going to shake out. “I want [painting] to be a challenge, and have its own complications. So I’ll purposely do things to paint myself into a corner. Like, what’s a silly idea, or something that I’ll have to work against?” Although the ever-curious Sprecher makes lots of sketches and photographs wherever he goes, he does not create specific mock-ups or plans for his paintings. He’ll take one of his source images, sometimes years old—in this case, a photograph of a window reflection of himself and the architecture behind him, with foliage and trees—and expand from it with a combination of composed patterns and improvised splatters and smudges, creating a friction between what would seem to be very disparate styles: figurative and abstract. “I really like these in-between worlds, so I think when I go to make a painting or a drawing, I’m trying to find something that lies in that in-between milieu,” he says. “You can think of a poem by Walt Whitman where there’s a figure and it might be the father, the son, the comrade, the lover—it can change or morph through the poem. I like for that to happen in a painting. When you first see that something, and you say, ‘Oh, it looks like a wall.’ But it’s also this geometric shape, or it’s also like a curtain—it can allude to more than one thing.” Not long after Stephen Wicks returned to KMA as curator in 2006, he came across some of Sprecher’s work and knew immediately it would be only a matter of time before they worked together. Wicks recognized the traditions at play on Sprecher’s canvases—the abstract mark-making, the pop-art synthesis of images, the unfinished feel of provisional paint-
ing—but was most struck by how it all melded together into a unique personal expression. In 2009, Wick raised the money to buy Sprecher’s “A Type of Magic” for the museum’s permanent collection. “I was amazed at the way he’s able to take all of these elements—pictorial elements, pure brushwork—and make them co-exist on a canvas in a way that seems resolved, but yet also seems unresolved,” Wicks says. “He gets it all in there, and somehow it makes sense pictorially, but it still seems to be forming and dissolving before your eyes. There were passages there that were geometric and architectural, they had clean taped-off lines, and then you look over here and there was spray paint in gold and you have other areas that are brushed on with clear traces of the human hand in these organic dabs. Again, you sense all these different tools being used, all these different sources, the colors, the way they were hanging together—it was just really alive.” After Sprecher’s return from Marfa, Wicks felt the time was right
for a solo exhibition at KMA. As they began discussing it and he got to know Sprecher, Wicks realized just how much his art reflects who he is, a persona that’s in sharp contrast to the usual mythology of angsty abstract artists. Rather than using pigment in a violent way, Sprecher’s work is marked by an absence of violence, he says—it offers balance. “To be able to juggle all these facets of his life, to me, is mirrored in his ability to juggle all these facets within a single composition so seamlessly, so beautifully, in a way that seems to allow for infinite possibilities,” Wicks says. “What I think people need to understand with Jered’s work is that so much of the story is right there embedded in all of the gestures, the way the pigment is laid down. Anybody should be able to look at one of his paintings up close and begin to find this exciting track of decisions that were made in the studio using luminous pigment on a flat surface.” In the studio, Sprecher still doesn’t feel like the story is coming together for these new pieces. But neither does he
ack at the KMA, five days before his exhibition preview, Sprecher continues to putter with the found objects for his tabletop still-life, moving a sphere of concrete a few inches one way, the mound of fossils another way. He knows that this sort of art is not for everyone. “I want to think about how people are going to react to things, and find ways to make things relatable or have a crack in the door where people can see in. But then I know that things like the tables here—I’m arranging objects on a tabletop, and for some people, it’ll be like, ‘What? I can do that in my office or dining room table!’” he says. “But for me this is a way of talking about another sort of analogue to the practice of painting and drawing. I’m arranging the tabletop and also thinking about where the paintings are in the room and the conversation you can make between two paintings or two objects. “There are certain places where the architecture is just right and it makes your body feel different or more aware of yourself. And I like for that type of thing to happen with how a painting is hung in a room or how an object is placed next to something else.” ◆
WHAT
Jered Sprecher: Outside In
WHEN
Jan. 27-April 16 Exhibition preview Jan. 26, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
WHERE
Knoxville Museum of Art 1050 World’s Fair Park
HOW MUCH Free
INFO
knoxart.org
January 26, 2017
KNOXVILLE MERCURY 23
A&E
P rogram Notes
Upcoming Releases A ROUNDUP OF NEW LOCAL MUSIC RELEASES FOR EARLY 2017
SURFER BLOOD
Protest Music Knoxville label wins international attention with ACLU benefit album
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ast Friday’s inauguration of Donald Trump saw the kickoff of progressive resistance efforts across the spectrum, including the first official rush of a new era of protest-minded musical releases—and one recently minted Knoxville label has been making headlines alongside indie rock’s biggest names. Ben Smith first conceived of Gezellig Records while living abroad in 2013. He launched the label in July, when he released the debut from Knoxville’s DJ Hatred (aka Mercury movie reviewer Nathan Smith). A handful of other releases have followed, so when Trump’s election
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KNOXVILLE MERCURY January 26, 2017
spurred Smith’s friend Peter McCarville to pitch a benefit compilation, Smith was in a position to help him make it a reality. (McCarville’s Nashville-based music act, Best Friend, released the album Can You Believe It? on Gezellig in the fall.) After months of coordination the finished product, Is There Another Language?, was released on inauguration day. Smith expected a modest and positive reaction, but it wasn’t long before the compilation’s tracklist—including exclusive music from indie favorites like Mount Eerie and the Pains of Being Pure at Heart— drew widespread attention from
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Classical Music: Masterworks
websites like Pitchfork, Stereogum, and Spin, putting Gezellig Records firmly on the map. Smith is quick to give McCarville full credit for how the benefit turned out, from the curation (featuring other Gezellig acts and a few of McCarville’s Nashville contemporaries alongside bigger draws like Dean and Britta and Surfer Blood) to the selection of the American Civil Liberties Union as the destination for its proceeds. But Smith can’t deny that the deluge of attention has been a unique thrill. “It really hit home with the international coverage, since that’s the goal of the label, really—worldly togetherness through music and art,” Smith says. “It means a lot, and I can’t really express in words how all this support has felt. And all for a good cause.” The attention has been a boon for the benefit, with limited-edition cassette copies selling out within 24 hours and thousands of listeners visiting the album’s Bandcamp page. As for plans for his newly signal-boosted label, Smith hints at new music from local acts plus the debut record by Serbian band Crvi. But whatever’s beyond that is clearly up to the whims of a man keeping his ears open for what’s next. “I hope everyone likes ambient music from the Ukraine and Iran,” he says. —Nick Huinker
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Movie: Split
The restless folk-rock/Americana band the Lonetones—the songwriting team of Steph Gunnoe (vocals and guitar) and Sean McCollough (vocals, guitar, and various other stringed instruments), Cecilia Wright Miller (cello and vocals), Jamie Cook (drums), and rotating bassists Bryn Davies and Vince Ilagan—will release their fifth album, Dumbing It All Down, in February. The new record, the band’s first since Modern Victims in 2012, also features Will Boyd on saxophone on three tracks. The Lonetones will play a CD release show with North Carolina pop-folk band Bombadil at Open Chord Music on Saturday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m. Admission is $5, but $10 gets you in the door and a copy of the new disc. “We’re very excited that they accepted our invitation!” McCollough says about the release show. “We’re excited about the record, too.”
THE LONETONES Trippy prog quartet White Stag (Richi Worboys, Damon Ownby, Allen Finger, and Eric Sublett) is set to release its long-awaited debut album, Emergence, on Feb. 17. The disc follows two EPs of heavy, jazzy prog metal since 2014. The foreboding and majestic single “Accidental Entity” is available now at whitestagofficial. bandcamp.com. Expect details about a release show soon. —Matthew Everett
Shelf Life
A&E
Encore! Encore! New, and newly available, videos at Knox County Public Library BY CHRIS BARRETT
TRADITION IS A TEMPLE
THE THIN RED LINE (1998)
Hollywood has long loved the A-listroll-call war movie. A few are worth watching: Tora! Tora! Tora!, with its cast of elders, led by Martin Balsam and James Whitmore; and The Great Escape, with the hunky, smirking jawlines of Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, and James Coburn. The Monuments Men, made more recently, which limps along like a series of phoned-in cameos, demonstrates the risks directors run involving poor chemistry and inadequate vision. Even Bill Murray couldn’t save it. Terrence Malick’s adaptation of James Jones’ autobiographical novel is that odd specimen of a great film belonging to a dubious genre. Malick didn’t just inspire Nick Nolte, Sean Penn, John Cusack, Jim Caviezel, John Travolta, Woody Harrelson, Adrien Brody, and others to work brilliantly together, he sparked career performances from some of them. Mel Gibson would cast Caviezel as Jesus in 2004, in The Passion of Christ. That may have been a result of the solemn dignity Caviezel brought to the ambivalent, occasionally AWOL, Christ figure Pvt. Witt in this film. As members of the second wave of American infantrymen sent to take Guadalcanal from the Japanese in 1942 begin to understand that they will most
likely die during the conflict, Witt becomes the unit’s confessor and repository of regret. By the film’s end, even the dead seek his advice and share their own. Shot on location on Guadalcanal and Australia, this is a gorgeous film and an excellent testament in defense of Blu-ray technology.
DEKALOG (1989/1990)
Also new to Blu-ray, these 10 shorts, each roughly an hour long, made up a miniseries on Polish television almost three decades ago. Even though HBO and Showtime had launched here during the 1970s, it’s nearly impossible to imagine any content this potent, grim, and finely wrought being broadcast in 20th-century America. The series is directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski, after he had given up documentaries (claiming that he was unworthy to film real tears and would instead film false tears) and had cast his spell upon the European festival circuit. Each episode is ostensibly based on one or more of the Ten Commandments. Don’t let that dissuade you—there is no proselytizing and, let’s face it, the same can be said for the best work of Robert Bresson or Frank Capra. These films and the vast catalog of human emotion they contain are frightfully
real. You are apt to see the faces of these characters on strangers for the rest of your life. Kieslowski, who died in 1996, would spend the remainder of his career collaborating with his writer (and attorney) Krzysztof Piesiewicz and composer Zbigniew Preisner. Both colleagues served him well on this project, as they would on the culmination of their collaboration, the Three Colors trilogy, released in 1993 and 1994.
TRADITION IS A TEMPLE: THE MODERN MASTERS OF NEW ORLEANS (2016)
This is a sweet documentary about the incredible resilience of New Orleans culture and music. While there are a couple Marsalis sightings, the story is mostly told by older local heroes and the next generation. Hurricane Katrina is referred to, but this community sees a greater threat from jaded youth and the commodification of New Orleans music. “People are putting it in their will that they want a jazz funeral!” fumes a band leader. “You don’t buy a jazz funeral. You earn a jazz funeral.” Live music is very well presented, bouncing from clubs to parades to shedding sessions and transgenerational tutorials. The Baby Boyz Brass Band, average age maybe 14, are on screen for just a few
minutes. But you get to see them nail a new song, taking it from chaos to the sound of a bright and perfect future. The leader works his trumpet with one hand and a laptop with the other, while inventing body language cues to direct his mates.
GEORGE CRUMB: VOICE OF THE WHALE (1976)
There is a formula for film profiles of music personalities. Filmmaker Robert Mugge does not subscribe. Crumb is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer. Though he remains prolific as a composer, he had dedicated himself to teaching up until 1997. His music is beautiful in unusual ways, and he often scores for traditional instruments to be played in nontraditional ways. In the film, Crumb shows Mugge how a pianist can reach into his instrument with a steel chisel and create a desired tremolo effect. Crumb’s West Virginia drawl is mesmerizing, and his lilting descriptions of his music and the sources of his inspiration are as soothing as his music is not. Whether or not you lean toward 20th century avant-garde, this great conversation on great music is well worth your time. ◆ Shelf Life explores new and timely entries from the Knox County Public Library’s collection of movies and music. January 26, 2017
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A&E
Classical
Hot Streak KSO continues its run of memorable January Masterworks performances BY ALAN SHERROD
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here simply must be a mysterious quality to the air in downtown Knoxville in January. How else can one explain the fact that, over the last several years, the January concerts of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra— with guest conductors, no less—have ended up being arguably among the most accomplished and thrilling performances of the season? Last January saw the audition concert of Aram Demirjian, who was subsequently selected as KSO’s new music director, and there were memorable Masterworks performances conducted by Sean Newhouse and Lawrence Loh in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Unfortunately, these notable January performances seem to draw sparse crowds; KSO regulars should know better by now.
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KNOXVILLE MERCURY January 26, 2017
Last week’s KSO Masterworks concerts followed that pattern: Guest conductor Andrew Grams and the orchestra collaborated on a program of works by Smetana, Sibelius, and Dvořák—performances that projected deeply satisfying musical points of view and were delivered with an energy and clarity of purpose that produced a stunningly successful concert. Grams set the tone for the evening with a humorous explanation of the opening work—Šárka, the third symphonic poem of Bedřich Smetana’s Má Vlast—that was an effective icebreaker. Exchanging the microphone for the baton, Grams warmed up the audience even further with the work’s addictive momentum and instrumental color.
The featured soloist of the evening was violinist Bella Hristova, who joined Grams and the orchestra for Jean Sibelius’ Violin Concerto in D minor. As Hristova launched into the Allegro moderato movement’s first theme, one immediately admired her immaculate intonation and technique, qualities that she maintained with vitality all the way to the finale of this longish concerto. That accuracy was the perfect underpinning for the work’s lush expansive melodies, which contrast with virtuosic string effects and subtle pianissimo moments. However, it was her ability as a storyteller—and the gorgeous tone from her 1655 Amati violin—that won over the audience. And that storytelling was accomplished with the simple sophistication of confident phrasing and presented with uncomplicated freshness. Coincidentally, Grams was himself a violinist—trained in violin performance at the Juilliard School and a member of the New York City Ballet Orchestra from 1998 to 2004— before his transition to conducting. He seemed to sense the necessary ebb and flow of orchestral dynamics in the Sibelius that successfully support the soloist while still painting a vivid musical image. With half the evening completed and the January phenomena of superlative performances intact, Grams and the orchestra returned from intermission and sealed the deal with the Dvořák Symphony No. 6 in D major. As the symphony is the least-often heard of the composer’s last four, there was considerable joy in hearing the work at all, much less in the hands of a conductor capable of urging a fine orchestra to what was a sublime performance. Just as he had done in the Smetana, Grams took charge of the motion created by syncopated rhythms and repetitions, letting the interest build dynamically into the thematic material. By the finale movement, Grams and the orchestra had offered not only a beguiling take on rhythm and tempo but a solid lyricism, constructed of perfectly balanced woodwind melodic state-
ments against drama in the strings. However, in the conclusion, Grams again worked the Dvořák rhythm to urge the audience forward in their seats—something they were all too happy to do.
A change is in the air for KSO’s Principal Quartet, and for the dedicated audiences of the Chamber Classics series. While the Bijou Theatre will continue to be the venue for the chamber orchestra performances in the series, this Sunday’s Principal Quartet concert will move to the Sandra G. Powell Recital Hall in the University of Tennessee’s Natalie L. Haslam Music Center for the sake of a more intimate environment. Two important works from the string-quartet repertoire are on the program: Tchaikovsky’s String Quartet No. 1 in D major and Beethoven’s String Quartet in C major, Op. 59, No. 3, one of the “Razumovsky” quartets. The Principal Quartet consists of Gordon Tsai and Edward Pulgar (violins), Kathryn Gawne (viola), and Andy Bryenton (cello). ◆
WHAT
KSO Chamber Classics: Principal Quartet Plays Beethoven
WHERE
Haslam Music Center (1741 Volunteer Boulevard)
WHEN
Sunday, Jan. 29, at 2:30 p.m.
HOW MUCH
$12.50-$35
INFO
knoxvillesymphony.com
M
n i y Jo
t n e m e v o M
Want to work out w ithout feeling like it’s “w ork”? Here’s our local gu ide to fun exercise opti ons.
oaning and groaning about going to the gym? That attitude is as outdated as your mom’s 1990s treadmill. Approach exercise as a pleasure, not a punishment, and you can have some fun while doing your body good—from belly dancing to tumbling. Here are just some of the places in Knoxville where you can fi nd your inner joy-seeker. —Tracy Jones
ANGELA FLOYD SCHOOLS
If you catch yourself bopping to Beyoncé at red lights, it might be time to let your inner dancer out. Angela Floyd Schools, one of the top-ranked studio schools in the country, offers hip-hop and jazz dance classes for adults and teens, along with classical dance and music instruction for the younger set.
10845 Kingston Pike, 865-675-9894 6732 Jubilee Center Way, 865-947-9894 angelafloydschools.com
BARRE BELLE YOGA AND FITNESS
In the heart of downtown, Barre Belle Yoga and Fitness opens before dawn so that you can get your mindfulness on and still make it to your desk on time. A studio favorite, Buti Yoga sessions
January 26, 2017
KNOXVILLE MERCURY 27
combine yoga training with high-impact cardio for an addictive feel-good buzz. For beginners, the studio offers a 30-day trial period so that you can see what workout fits you best.
129 S. Gay St., 865-521-1879 barrebelleyoga.com
706 N. Broadway, 865-776-2739 broadwayacademyknoxville.com
BLUE RIDGE YOGA
Seriously focused on you and your whole self, Blue Ridge Yoga has a team of dedicated instructors from all approaches to yoga, ready to meet you wherever you are in your journey to wellness. Adults from 18 to 80-plus fi nd relaxation and lasting community at this Farragut-area favorite.
623 N. Campbell Station Rd., 865-288-3562 yogaknoxvilletn.com
BROADWAY ACADEMY OF PERFORMING ARTS Belly dance? Don’t mind if we do. Broadway Academy of Performing Arts brings glamour, fun and a little mystery to what is also a seriously great way to get moving. Besides
Intro Special
{
YOGA RUNNERS SERIES
beginner and advanced belly dance classes, the academy offers sessions in hoop dancing, NIA movement, and other creative favorites, old and new—all in a gorgeous space in the heart of Knoxville North.
BULLMAN’S KICKBOXING & KRAV MAGA
Let your inner warrior out—or get in some blood-pumping cardio kicks—at Bullman’s Kickboxing & Krav Maga. This West Knoxville fitness spot welcomes both genders and all fitness levels to its exciting Kickfit programs, as well as teaching the art of serious self-defense. Instructors have decades of fight and fitness experience, and are ready to help you learn.
4511 Kingston Pike, 865-386-8266 bullmansknoxville.com
DRAGONFLY AERIAL ARTS STUDIO
That daring young man (or woman) on the flying trapeze? That could be you.
ICE CHALET
THE GLOWING BODY YOGA STUDIO
100 Lebanon St., 865-588-1858 chaleticerinks.com
4504 Fennel Rd., 865-609-2012 dragonflyaerialartsstudio.com
From the absolute basics for beginners to deep dharma and meditation work, the Glowing Body Yoga Studio is a warm and welcoming spot for all. The studio offers a variety of yoga styles and classes—including yoga teacher instruction for those qualified—as well as massage therapy, group meditations/readings, and other self-development offerings.
711 Irwin St., 865-545-4088 glowingbody.net
GYM TEK ACADEMY
Gym Tek Academy welcomes the wee-est ones for tumbling lessons, and the school also offers progressive gymnastics instruction for kids and teens who want to study in earnest.
5331 Western Ave., 865-225-1835 gymtekacademy.com
For more than 50 years, the Ice Chalet has been one of West Knoxville’s favorite destinations. Balancing a program of rigorous skating instruction with fun for all ages, this ice castle offers cardio-boosting, community-building hockey get-togethers for adults, even if you’ve never laced up a pair of skates.
BARRE 3
From a beautifully appointed studio on Bearden Hill, you can bend, flex, plie, and tone at Barre 3. This serene, locally owned space offers a workout that combines ballet barre, yoga, and pilates for an uncluttered mind and a sculpted body. Bonus online instruction for days you can’t make it to the studio or want to supplement what you learned there.
6450 Kingston Pike, 865-206-8396 barre3.com
PREMIER MARTIAL ARTS
Premier Martial Arts of Knoxville has five locations across East Tennessee and a slate of programs to keep you coming back for more. There’s karate for the kids, fitness kickboxing and self-defense,
30 DAYS OF YOGA AND MEDITATION FOR $30
FEBRUARY 27TH- APRIL 3RD MONDAYS FROM 7:15PM - 8:15PM COST: $90 PREPAID FEE
JOIN SENIOR TEACHER, RANDY RAINEY, FOR A 6-WEEK YOGA SERIES DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY AROUND THE NEEDS OF RUNNERS. IN THIS SERIES YOU WILL LEARN TO SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS YOUR NEEDS AS A RUNNER. DURING THIS SERIES YOU WILL:
• STRETCH AND LENGTHEN SPECIFIC MUSCLES USED WHILE RUNNING • BUILD CORE STRENGTH TO MAKE YOU A STRONGER RUNNER • LEARN BREATH TECHNIQUES TO HELP WITH ENDURANCE AND STAMINA • LEARN POSES AND ROUTINES TO HELP YOU BECOME A STRONGER RUNNER
BLUE RIDGE YOGA & WELLNESS CENTER
623 N CAMPBELL STATION ROAD FARRAGUT, TN 37934 865-288-3562 WWW.YOGAKNOXVILLETN.COM 28
Founded and run by experienced aerialists, Dragonfly Aerial Arts Studio, in North Knoxville, offers a range of classes on flying acrobatics, vertical silks and other thrilling circus arts. Liberating, confidence-boosting, and, yes, fun for children of all ages.
KNOXVILLE MERCURY January 26, 2017
}
Upcoming Events: February 4 - Strawberry Plains Half Marathon and 10K Presented by Eddie's Health Shoppe
February 11 - Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon Training Run Presented by ZenEvo Chocolate
February 12 - Dirty South Half and Dirty Double Trail Marathon February 26 - Whitestone 30K and 3 Person Relay Join KTC and receive a $5 discount for road races including the Covenant Health Knoxville Marathon. Other benefits include discounts to local businesses, KTC car decal, Footnotes Magazine, and yearly wall calendar.
Find more information at ktc.org
trainers who are champs at making a hard workout fun.
134 N. Peters Rd., 865-219-1368 titleboxingclub.com and a killer program in Brazilian jiu jitsu (no pun intended). Find the facility closest to you and join the fun.
knoxvillema.com
RIVER SPORTS OUTFITTERS
The area’s first indoor rock-climbing facility rises like Everest inside River Sports Outfitters’ Sutherland Avenue flagship location. Climbing aficionados have been enjoying the ropes for almost 20 years, and the outfitter welcomes those new to the sport regularly, with beginners’ welcome nights and special ladies’ get-togethers. Got to get outdoors? Kayak or stand-up paddle around some of the area’s most beautiful parks and lakes while enjoying the outfitter’s rentals and get-togethers at Ijams and the Cove at Concord Park.
2918 Sutherland Ave., 865-523-0066 9292 Kingston Pike, 865-313-2642 riversportsoutfitters.com
SKI SCUBA CENTER
Dreaming about the Caribbean on an
overcast east Tennessee day? Get ready for your trip—or take an imagined one—while learning to scuba dive at Knoxville’s 30-year-old Ski Scuba Center. A heated indoor pool, a host of knowledgeable and certified instructors, and a fully equipped dive shop will get you started on what is sure to be a favorite new hobby.
2543 Sutherland Ave., 865-523-9177 skiscuba.com
TATARU’S GYMNASTICS AND TUMBLING
If you want to take a tumble, Tataru’s Gymnastics and Tumbling offers adult classes. Plus: indoor play time for kids.
11207 Outlet Dr., 865-675-5988 Find them on Facebook.
TITLE BOXING CLUB
Could have been a contender? You still are. Indulge your in-the-ring dreams with a streamlined, gloved workout, you versus the bag, at Title Boxing Club. Sessions are open to men and women, all under the eye of
meadowsweet Sports massage is a great tool for anyone with an active lifestyle. It is a great way to prevent injury, keep muscles loose and healthy, and recover faster from your workouts. Meadowsweet is open: Monday-Saturday 9am-6pm & on select Sundays 12pm-6pm. Book your sports, deep tissue or relaxation massage now! 865-221-0334 info@meadowsweetwellness.com www.meadowsweetwellness.com
Meadowsweet Massage and Wellness 117 S Gay St, Knoxville, TN, 37902
TURBOSPIN CYCLING STUDIO
Ride into the sunset, or into your lunch hour, with Knoxville’s fi rst dedicated indoor cycling spot. At Turbospin Cycling Studio, a music-fueled power trip takes you further into fitness than you ever thought you could go. Try one ride, reserve a block of rides or sign up for a discounted monthly pass.
215 Brookview Centre Way, 865-312-9256 turbospincycling.com
YMCA
Still not feeling the feeling-good vibe about getting fit? Get yourself to one of YMCA’s five Knoxville locations. The original fitness bastion has evolved with the times, with everything from water aerobics to Zumba classes, for everyone from the smallest member of your family to your dear old mom and dad. Become a member and contribute to all the ways the Y gives back to our community—while jump-starting your own fun, fit lifestyle.
ymcaknoxville.org
Whether you’ve never been diving or you haven’t been in years, Ski Scuba Center can help you reach your training & diving goals.
A 501 (c) (3) Charitable Organization
Balance Clarity Calm Joy
We specialize in local, organically-grown produce eggs from pastured hens from small, local farms fresh local dairy products free from artificial growth hormones grass-fed and humanely raised meats from local farms locally baked bread
Taoist Tai Chi Society of the USA 2543 SUTHERLAND AVE. 865-523-9177 • dive@skiscuba.com
Three Rivers Market has been connecting East Tennessee with healthy local, natural, and organic foods since 1981.
a fresh salad and hot food bar made fresh daily featuring local and organic ingredients
Stillness Flexibility Strength Fun
Classes available in:
Knoxville Kingston Farragut
Oak Ridge Tellico Village Morristown
tennessee@taoist.org (865)546-9222 (865)482-7761
w w w.taoist .org
Open daily 9 am - 10 pm 1100 N. Central St., Knoxville, TN 37917 www.threeriversmarket.coop
January 26, 2017
KNOXVILLE MERCURY 29
FUN CLUBS BIRDING
RTMC is a triathlon club comprised of local athletes from beginners to pros committed to train, share knowledge, and ultimately have fun together.
KNOXVILLE CHAPTER OF THE TENNESSEE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY
UT OUTDOOR REC PROGRAM
KTOS was organized in 1924 to promote the enjoyment, scientific study, and conservation of birds. Activities include monthly meetings, field trips each month, bid counts, and projects like the Sharp’s Ridge Clean-up each spring and fall.
knoxvillebirding.org CLIMBING
EAST TENNESSEE CLIMBER’S COALITION
Founded in 2004, the ETCC is dedicated to promoting a positive impact through education and stewardship.
Facebook: East Tennessee Climbers Coalition DISC GOLF
The UTOP mission is to provide the University of Tennessee community with outdoor adventure, recreation, and education.
Facebook: utoutdoor PADDLING
CHOTA CANOE CLUB OF KNOXVILLE
Chota’s mission is to promote community paddle sport activities, safety awareness and techniques while being actively, environmentally responsible.
paddlechota.org
EAST TENNESSEE WHITEWATER CLUB
An Oak Ridge disc golf club that helps manage the city’s disc-golf courses at Carl Yearwood Park and The Mounds Course in Groves Park.
KNOXVILLE DISC GOLF ASSOCIATION
KNOXVILLE ON THE WATER MEETUP
knoxdiscgolf.org
meetup.com/Knoxville-on-The-Water-Kayak-Canoe-River-Rafting-Sailing
Facebook: I.V.D.G.A.
KDGA promotes disc golf in the Knoxville area by performing maintenance on the courses, holding tournaments and weekly events, and teaching others about the game.
MULTIPLE ACTIVITIES
KNOXVILLE EXTREME SPORTS
With a focus on “action sports” such as skateboarding and BMX, Knox Extreme Sports is a nonprofit organization partnering with other local nonprofits to be a catalyst for hope and change in the lives of kids and adults.
knxsports.org
KNOXVILLE SKI & OUTING CLUB
You don’t have to ski to be in the Ski Club. They also generally like the outdoors, and like to socialize. They organize a wide variety of events year-round to suit most every outdoor interest.
knoxvilleskiclub.org KNOXVILLE MERCURY January 26, 2017
rockytopmultisportclub.org
ETWC plans trips almost every weekend and although you do not have to become a member to attend these trips, every little bit helps ensure that the whitewater we all enjoy remains free to use.
INNOVATION VALLEY DISC GOLF ASSOCIATION
30
ROCKY TOP MULTISPORT CLUB
etwcweb.com
This club is a collection of individuals who share a common interest in paddling, watercraft on the rivers, and lakes.
KTOWN SUP CLUB
This group is for anyone interested in Stand Up Paddle Boarding in Knoxville and East Tennessee. All skill levels welcome.
meetup.com/KTOWN-SUP-Club SAILING/BOATING
CONCORD YACHT CLUB
The Concord Yacht Club was incorporated in October 1951 as a nonprofit Tennessee corporation located on property acquired by TVA in association with the Loudon Dam Construction Program. CYC has several outreach programs to promote sailing in the greater Knoxville community.
concordyachtclub.org
Movies
Split Decision M. Night Shyamalan’s new girl-in-a-basement thriller is a (mostly) satisfying B-movie BY APRIL SNELLINGS
I
s there a support group for young women who are drugged, gassed, or conked on the noggin and forcibly extracted from troubled lives, only to awaken hours later, confined to a dank basement by a madman with ill intent? There certainly should be; if post-9/11 horror is any indication, there’s already a small army of these girls, with new recruits stumbling into the daylight every day. Although I guess the point of these films is that any young woman who emerges from a basement after such an ordeal doesn’t need a support group. Horror’s newest girl-in-a-basement is high-school student Casey Cooke (Anya Taylor-Joy), who finds herself kidnapped along with classmates Claire (Haley Lu Richardson) and Marcia ( Jessica Sula) in the opening moments of Split. Their abductor is Dennis ( James McAvoy), a buttoned-up, no-nonsense type whose
extreme OCD will later complicate his demands that the girls remove their clothing. (Is it really the dirt that bothers him, or is there something worse on his mind?) And since the “split” in the title refers to dissociative identity disorder (DID), their abductor is also a prudish religious zealot called Patricia, who might spend her Sundays shopping for shawls with Mrs. Bates; a lisping 9-year old Kanye West enthusiast known as Hedwig; an effete fashion designer named Barry; and so on, all fighting for “the light” in the body of their host, Kevin. So begins M. Night Shyamalan’s entry in the canon of films that mine a poorly understood mental illness for lurid thrills. Just as his found-footage potboiler The Visit alienated many viewers with its troubling depiction of dementia, Split won’t win any fans among people hoping for a sensitive, cogent exploration of DID. But it’s
two-thirds of a wholly engrossing, cracking-good B-movie that embraces its trashiness and doesn’t seem to mind too much if we laugh at how silly it can get. The main attraction, of course, is McAvoy, who takes visible delight in toggling between Kevin’s many personalities. There are 23 that have manifested so far, and none of them can shut up about a 24th personality whose ominous approach drives the plot. Known only as “the Beast,” it’s this nascent identity that the girls are repeatedly warned about. It’s enough to spur Claire and Marcia into full-on fight-or-flight mode for a series of tautly staged escape attempts, but Casey is reluctant to embrace her Final Girl status; maybe there’s some residual anxiety left over from own alter ego as the star of last year’s marvelous The Witch. Casey opts to engage Dennis et al. on their own terms, probing her
A&E
captor’s weaknesses in order to wage psychological warfare. For a guy who made a movie about a murderous uprising by plants, Shyamalan plays it pretty straight for the duration of Split. The fatal flaw of Lady in the Water and The Happening— that Shyamalan apparently expected us to take them seriously—is absent here, and with the exception of some needlessly ugly flashbacks, Split mostly feels like the guilty pleasure it is. Shyamalan’s knack for casting has never been more apparent. McAvoy’s contortions of character are as thrilling as any special effect, and the endlessly watchable Betty Buckley is impressive in an entirely different way as Kevin’s therapist, a character who exists solely for the purpose of dispensing large chunks of exposition via talking-head monologues and still manages to be an utterly engaging presence. I wish Taylor-Joy had more to do, but she makes the most of an underwritten character. It isn’t quite fair to say that Split marks a return to form for Shyamalan—he’s been on an upward swing with Wayward Pines and The Visit, and Split continues that trajectory, even if it descends into a jumble of worn-out genre tropes in its third act. (It can be argued that, in the wake of The Last Airbender and After Earth, the only way to go was up.) But it’s certainly his best film in years and another reminder that he’s a skilled suspense director, even if his instincts as a writer don’t always serve him well. I don’t think it spoils anything to say that Split has a few distinct personalities of its own, and that some work better than others. If the identity that finally emerges with Kevin’s 24th persona is a bit of a bore, the movie has one last trick up its sleeve in the form of a last-minute reveal that, depending on the viewer, either serves as a puzzling footnote to an afternoon of solid exploitation-movie thrills, or a brash jaw-dropper of a twist that not only makes up for Split’s stumbles, but demands that we re-evaluate them in a different light. For the time being, at least, it seems that Shyamalan is listening to the right voices. ◆ January 26, 2017
KNOXVILLE MERCURY 31
CALENDAR MUSIC
Thursday, Jan. 26 THE TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND WITH JACK PEARSON • Tennessee Theatre • 8PM • Driven by Susan Tedeschi’s impassioned, blues-soaked vocals and Derek Trucks’ virtuoso guitar, Tedeschi Trucks Band is a 12-member, American roots-rock tour-de-force. • $35-$79.50 RAT PUNCH WITH DAY AND AGE AND CONSENSUAL PISS • Pilot Light • 9PM • 18 and up. • $5 OOKAY WITH KILL REX, RA, AND IRELL • The Concourse • 10PM • 18 and up. • $10-$20 CRANFORD HOLLOW • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 10PM KINCAID DOS • Wild Wing Cafe • 8PM • FREE COL. WILLIAMS HOUSE BAND • Barley’s • 6PM • FREE JAY CLARK • Barley’s (Maryville) • 8PM Friday, Jan. 27 SNOW DAY 2017: A CAC BEARDSLEY COMMUNITY FARM BENEFIT • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 7PM • The ninth annual Snow Day, a CAC Beardsley Community Farm Benefit, will feature seven performances by a diverse group of local musicians, a soup contest between some of Knoxville’s finest restaurants, a Homegrown and Homemade Beard Pageant, and a silent auction. With performances by J-Bush, Big Bad Oven, Count This Penny, Kelle Jolly, the Pinklets, Pleases, and Matt Nelson and Caleb Hall and soup from Olibea, Tootsie Truck, Tupelo Honey, Lonesome Dove, and more. • $8 THE DEL MCCOURY BAND WITH VAN EATON • The Standard • 7:30PM • The Del McCoury Band may not play as many dates as some other hard-touring bands, or release as many albums, but the group has pretty much set the standard for high-quality traditional bluegrass for more than 25 years. Visit delmccouryband.com or wdvx.com. • $30-$35 DAVE EGGAR WITH KELLE JOLLY • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 12PM • WDVX’s live noontime shows will be taking a break through February 2017 during renovations to the Visitors Center, but the station is taking the show on the road every week during the hiatus. • FREE CHRIS LOVOY • Brackins Blues Club (Maryville) • 5:30PM CARLY BURRUSS • Sugarlands Distilling Co. (Gatlinburg) • 6PM • FREE ALIVE AFTER FIVE: THE TENNESSEE SHEIKS • Knoxville Museum of Art • 6PM • The Tennessee Sheiks is an acoustic swing band led by mandolin maestro, Don Cassell, and singer, Nancy Brennan Strange. • $5-$10 MICHAEL ROBERTS • Vienna Coffee House (Maryville) • 7PM • FREE MARSHALL CRENSHAW WITH THE BOTTLE ROCKETS • The Shed at Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson (Maryville) • 7PM • Over the course of a recording career that’s spanned three decades, 13 albums and hundreds of songs, Marshall Crenshaw’s musical output has maintained a consistently high level of artistry, craftsmanship and passion, endearing him to a broad and loyal fan base. • $20 FROG AND TOAD’S DIXIE QUARTET • The Crown and Goose • 8PM • FREE LUKE COMBS WITH MUSCADINE BLOODLINE • Bijou Theatre • 8PM • Luke began to develop his craft in the summer of 2011 while attending Appalachian State University and has been plowing ahead ever since. After 3 years playing with his band in his home state of North Carolina, Luke made the move to Nashville in September of 2014. Visit knoxbijou.com. • $12 SHAYLA MCDANIEL • Modern Studio • 8PM • Shayla 32
KNOXVILLE MERCURY January 26, 2017
Thursday, Jan. 25 - Sunday, Feb. 12
McDaniel comes to Modern Studio for a special show to celebrate the release of her new EP 26 Letters. AVENUE C • Two Doors Down (Maryville) • 9PM SISTER HAZEL • Cotton Eyed Joe • 9PM • Over the years, the band has sold over 2 million albums and had six top 30 singles; they earned a platinum disc with 1997’s Somewhere More Familiar and a gold with 2000’s Fortress. 18 and up. • $10 THE PAUL WARREN PROJECT • Brackins Blues Club (Maryville) • 9PM JOSHUA POWELL AND THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY • Boyd’s Jig and Reel • 10PM • FREE DIVA AND THE BLACK TIE AFFAIR WITH ROMAN REESE AND THE CARDINAL SINS AND KAREN JONAS • Preservation Pub • 10PM • 21 and up. ECHO HILL DINNER AND CONCERT • Erin Presbyterian Church • 6PM • The locally based literary arts journal Foundling House brings you a night of good food, great music, and splendid words, featuring artists Eric Peters, Ben Bannister, Bill Wolf, Janna Barber, and Adam Whipple, plus a surprise guest or two. Exquisite dinner by Sullivan’s of Knoxville. • $28 ROSSDAFAREYE • Sugar Mama’s • 8PM • “Appalachian space funk.” • FREE THE STEVE RUTLEDGE BAND • Wild Wing Cafe • 10PM • FREE PROJECT WOLFPACK • Barley’s (Maryville) • 9PM SKYTOWN RIOT WITH MAGNOLIA MOTEL, PEAK PHYSIQUE, AND HIGH HEAT • Open Chord Music • The local alt-rock band celebrates the release of a new album, Alive in the Fire. All ages. • $5-$8 Saturday, Jan. 28 THE BAILSMEN • Sugarlands Distilling Co. (Gatlinburg) • 6PM • FREE JON WHITLOCK • Vienna Coffee House (Maryville) • 7PM • FREE THE DIRTY DOORS • The Open Chord • 8PM • Celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Doors’ debut album. Performing the first album in its entirety along with all the hits and classics. All ages. • $12-$15 THE FREIGHT HOPPERS • Laurel Theater • 8PM • The Freight Hoppers have been presenting old-time string band music for more than 20 years. Their repertoire includes music that was first recorded in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s, and spans geographically from Mississippi to West Virginia. • $15 THE SOUTHERN DRAWL BAND • The Shed at Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson (Maryville) • 8PM • Local Southern rock. • $17 ZOE NUTT AND DEVIN BADGETT • Modern Studio • 8PM • Zoë Nutt is a storyteller. She likes to tell stories with music and poignant and meaningful lyrics, but it’s perhaps her vocal interpretation of those words that brings her musical tales to life. CONSENSUAL PISS WITH HEADFACE, ARC WELDER, PALATHEDA, AERANITE, OOSTANAULA, RURNT, AND SEGAWORMS • Pilot Light • 8PM • 18 and up. • $5 CHRIS ELLIS AND THE WEEKENDERS • Two Doors Down (Maryville) • 9PM SOULFINGER • Brackins Blues Club (Maryville) • 9PM • Funky big-band soul and R&B. THE CARMONAS • Boyd’s Jig and Reel • 10PM • FREE AMBROSE WAY WITH CHARGE THE ATLANTIC AND DANIMAL PLANET • Preservation Pub • 10PM • 21 and up. SWAMP CANDY • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 10PM DAVE LANDEO • Wild Wing Cafe • 10PM • FREE SARAH SIMMONS • Barley’s (Maryville) • 9PM LOOSE LEAVES • Scruffy City Hall • 8PM
THE PUBLIC CINEMA: AQUARIUS Knoxville Museum of Art • Sunday, Jan. 29 • 2 p.m. • Free • publiccinema.org
Aquarius, the second feature from Brazilian filmmaker and former critic Kleber Mendonça Filho, is a nuanced look into Brazilian social politics that approaches knotty issues from a personal angle. Filho’s films, including numerous shorts and documentaries as well as his debut feature, Neighboring Sounds, all take place in the coastal city of Recife and zero in on the problems faced by the residents of hotly contested urban areas. Sônia Braga, best known for her roles in Kiss of the Spider Woman, plays Clara, a vivacious former music critic who is the last resident of her beloved Art Deco apartment complex. She resists buy-out offers from developers who want to destroy the historic building and replace it with large-scale luxury condominiums, instigating a bitter feud. But Aquarius’ focus isn’t strictly sociopolitical; instead of transcribing a tired narrative about the little guy beating back against the man, Filho and Clara create a quiet portrait of a proud older woman living her beliefs to the fullest. This frank depiction of controversial political attitudes has stirred a considerable deal of controversy in the film’s home country; at its premiere at least year’s Cannes Film Festival, cast members staged a protest criticizing the ongoing impeachment of Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff. Despite success with audiences and critics, Aquarius was not selected by the Brazilian government’s Ministry of Culture as Brazil’s selection for submission to this year’s Oscars, an action some have taken as a statement against the film’s politics. One could suspect that American acclaim for Aquarius isn’t just about Braga’s complicated performance or its local politics; it just might have something to say about our own grapples against capitalist cronies here at home. (Nathan Smith)
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Spotlight: Roman Polanski’s Baby
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Spotlight: Outside Mullingar
CALENDAR Sunday, Jan. 29 EX GOLD WITH CAPS AND ROMAN POLANSKI’S BABY • Pilot Light • 9PM • 18 and up. • $5 • See Spotlight on page 35. SUNDAY JAZZ BRUNCH • Downtown Grill and Brewery • 11AM • Knoxville’s coolest jazz artists perform every Sunday. • FREE SHIFFLETT’S JAZZ BENEDICT • The Bistro at the Bijou • 12PM • Live jazz. • FREE THE BROCKEFELLERS • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 8PM THE DAWN DRAPES • Preservation Pub • 10PM • 21 and up. Monday, Jan. 30 LACEY STRUM WITH PALISADES, STITCHED UP HEART, AND LETTERS FROM THE FIRE • The Concourse • 7PM • 18 and up. • $12 GROUPLOVE WITH SWMRS • The Mill and Mine • 8PM • Turns out that a big mess can actually be a good thing. In the case of Grouplove’s third studio album, Big Mess refers not only to a lyric in the buoyant lead single “Welcome To Your Life,” but also to the situation in which they found themselves when they got off the road following 2013’s Spreading Rumours. For the first time since releasing their breakthrough 2011 debut, Never Trust A Happy Song, Grouplove were back in Los Angeles indefinitely, with a lot of catching upto do. Visit themillandmine.com. • $25-$28 DEAD HORSES • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 10PM Tuesday, Jan. 31 MOE. • Bijou Theatre • 8PM • moe. is the preeminent progressive rock band on the music scene today. With 20 years of touring and just as many albums under its belt, the quintet of Al Schnier and Chuck Garvey on guitars and vocals, Rob Derhak on bass and vocals, Jim Loughlin on percussion and vibes, and Vinnie Amico on Drums, continues to push the standard for performance art. • $27-$30 UPSTATE RUBDOWN WITH DAMN TALL BUILDINGS • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 10PM REVEREND RAVEN • Preservation Pub • 10PM Wednesday, Feb. 1 KJO JAZZ LUNCH: TOP BRASS WITH THOMAS HEFLIN AND MITCH BUTLER • The Square Room • 12PM • For this special concert, trumpeter Thomas Heflin (a former KJO member) and trombonist Mitch Butler team up to pay tribute to the great masters of brass who pioneered this exciting sound. Keith Brown (piano), Tommy Sauter (bass), and Kenneth Brown (drums) will join Heflin and Butler for this special jazz lunch concert. Visit knoxjazz.org. • $15 FROG AND TOAD’S DIXIE QUARTET • The Crown and Goose • 6:30PM • FREE YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND WITH THE RAILSPLITTERS • Bijou Theatre • 7:30PM • For nearly 17 years, Yonder Mountain String Band has redefined bluegrass music, expanding the traditional acoustic genre beyond its previously established boundaries by steadily pushing the envelope into the realms of rock n’ roll and improvisation. • $27.50-$30 UNIVERSAL SIGH • Preservation Pub • 10PM SHALLOW SIDE WITH SEASONS AFTER, GUNS OUT AT SUNDOWN, AND DIVIDED WE STAND • Open Chord Music • 8PM • All ages. • $10-$12 SUPERJOINT WITH BATTLECROSS, CHILD’S BITE, WARCLOWN, AND SCENT OF REMAINS • The Concourse • 7PM • Superjoint Ritual was formed by Phil Anselmo, Jimmy Bower, and Joe Fazzio in the early 1990’s. The New Orleans Sludge/Thrash group was later to be joined by Hank Williams III and Kevin Bond. 18 and up. Visit
internationalknox.com. • $15-$25 Thursday, Feb. 2 SARA EVANS • Knoxville Civic Auditorium • 7:30PM • American Country music singer-songwriter Sara Evans made the hit albums Real Fine Place and Stronger. Her song “Born to Fly,” won a 2001 Country Music Award. O RYNE WARNER • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 10PM THROWING PLATES • Preservation Pub • 10PM RICHARD LLOYD WITH BARK • Pilot Light • 8PM • The former Television guitarist, now a Chattanooga resident, released the bluesy garage-rock album Rosedale last year. 18 and up. • $7 Friday, Feb. 3 WAYNESTOCK VII • Relix Variety Theatre • 7PM • Waynestock VII, set for Feb. 3-4 at Relix, will benefit Pilot Light, the Old City rock club that earlier this year became a nonprofit organization. Visit waynestock.org/schedule for more info and a complete schedule. • $5 • See Press Forward on page 12. BLUE PLATE SPECIAL ROAD SHOW: TUNE JUNKIES • The Grove Theater • 12PM • WDVX’s live noontime shows will be taking a break through February 2017 during renovations to the Visitors Center, but the station is taking the show on the road every week during the hiatus. • FREE ALIVE AFTER FIVE: ORI NAFTALY AND SOUTHERN AVENUE • Knoxville Museum of Art • 6PM • Based in Memphis, Ori Naftaly and Southern Avenue brings infectious rhythms, soulful guitar sounds, and soulful vocals to the stage. • $10-$15 RANDY MOORE • Vienna Coffee House (Maryville) • 7PM • Nashville artist Randy Moore is from Humble, Texas. His writing and recording career began at the age of 15. Randy was a staple of the Houston and later the Texas music scene. • FREE FROG AND TOAD’S DIXIE QUARTET • The Crown and Goose • 8PM • FREE LUCERO WITH ESME PATTERSON • The Mill and Mine • 8PM • “You could say we were one of the lucky ones, starting this band in April of ’98 without a clue as to what we were doing. We were getting tired of the steady punk rock and metal diet and we wanted to try our hand at country songs, or do our best Tom Waits/Pogues impersonation.” • $20-$23 THE BLACK JACKET SYMPHONY: QUEEN’S A NIGHT AT THE OPERA • Tennessee Theatre • 8PM • ;The Black Jacket Symphony offers a unique concert experience by recreating classic albums in a live performance setting with a first class lighting and video production. • $25-$30 THE FOGHORN STRING BAND • Laurel Theater • 8PM • Caleb Klauder and Stephen ‘Sammy’ Lind are the core of the Portland, Oregon based Foghorn String Band on mandolin, fiddle and vocals. Their solid mastery of the old time string band tradition is the basis of their fame. • $13 THOR PLATTER • Preservation Pub • 8PM • 21 and up. JASON LEAMON • Two Doors Down (Maryville)• 9PM JONNY MONSTER • Brackins Blues Club (Maryville) • 9PM YARN • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 10PM CAUTION • Scruffy City Hall • 9PM C2 AND THE BROTHERS REED • Preservation Pub • 10PM BOBBY BARE JR. WITH RICHIE • Pilot Light • 9PM • The country-music scion has crafted a decade-plus career of oddball Americana psychedelic whimsy. 18 and up. • $10 MÜDD WITH THE HOLIFIELDS, POINTSEVEN, AND AN UNTITLED ENSEMBLE • Open Chord Music • 8PM • All ages. • $5-$8
CAC Beardsley Community Farm Benefit
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admission
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P r e o r d e r d i s c o u n t e d t i c k e t s at b e a r d s l e y fa r m . o r g
Saturday, Feb. 4 January 26, 2017
KNOXVILLE MERCURY 33
CALENDAR WAYNESTOCK VII • Relix Variety Theatre • 6PM • Waynestock VII, set for Feb. 3-4 at Relix, will benefit Pilot Light, the Old City rock club that earlier this year became a nonprofit organization. Visit waynestock.org/schedule for more info and a complete schedule. • $5 • See Press Forward on page 12. THE THOR PLATTER BAND • Sugarlands Distilling Co. (Gatlinburg) • 6PM • For singer-songwriter Thor Platter, being a working folk-roots musician in a gritty Rust Belt town affords him the kind of creative freedom few artists enjoy. • FREE NIGHT IDEA WITH AELUDE AND EPHEMERAL • Purple Polilla • 8PM • Experimental rock from Richmond, Va. • $5 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. BLACK TIGER SEX MACHINE WITH DABIN AND KAI WATCHI • The International • 9PM • 18 and up. Visit internationalknox.com. • $15 JACK’D UP • Two Doors Down (Maryville)• 9PM VIBE STREET • The Concourse • 10PM • Taking influences from game-changing producers in the ever exploding Electro-Hiphop-Glitch-Funk movement, and combining it with elements of bluegrass, folk, blues and jam, Ben Davis has coined the genre “Grass-Hop/Future-Folk” to describe his unique sound as Vibe Street. 18 and up. Visit internationalknox.com. • $7-$10 SEE MONSTERS WITH DREAM EASY AND GOODWOLF • Pilot Light • 10PM • 18 and up. • $5 THE VEGABONDS WITH THE MAMMOTHS • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 10PM
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KNOXVILLE MERCURY January 26, 2017
Thursday, Jan. 25 - Sunday, Feb. 12
THE DEAD RINGERS • Wild Wing Cafe • 10PM • FREE BACKUP PLANET WITH HANK AND THE CUPCAKES • Scruffy City Hall • 9PM VALLIE NOLES • Open Chord Music • 8PM • $8-$12 Sunday, Feb. 5 SUNDAY JAZZ BRUNCH • Downtown Grill and Brewery • 11AM • Knoxville’s coolest jazz artists perform every Sunday. • FREE SHIFFLETT’S JAZZ BENEDICT • The Bistro at the Bijou • 12PM • Live jazz. • FREE SUPERB OWL • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 8PM THE NATTI LOVEJOYS • Bar Marley • 8PM • Celebrate Bob Marley’s birthday. Monday, Feb. 6 MIGHTY MUSICAL MONDAY • Tennessee Theatre • 12PM • Wurlitzer meister Bill Snyder is joined by a special guest on the first Monday of each month for a music showcase inside Knoxville’s historic Tennessee Theatre. • FREE CHRISTY HAYS • Barley’s • 10PM Tuesday, Feb. 7 THE FIVE IRISH TENORS • Clayton Center for the Arts (Maryville) • 7:30PM • Following in the footsteps of the great Irish Tenor John McCormack, in a sensational program, “The Five Irish Tenors” fuses Irish wit and boisterous charm, with lyricism, dramatic flair and operatic style to bring you a unique Irish tenor concert experience. Visit claytonartscenter.com. • $27-$43 GINSTRINGS • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 10PM Wednesday, Feb. 8
FROG AND TOAD’S DIXIE QUARTET • The Crown and Goose • 6:30PM • FREE JUSTIN FURSTENFELD • The Square Room • 8PM Thursday, Feb. 9 COIN • The Concourse • 8PM • All ages. Visit internationalknox.com. • $12-$15 DAY AND AGE WITH EYELET • Pilot Light • 9PM • 18 and up. • $5 STARS REGARDLESS • Barley’s • 6PM • FREE THE JONNY MONSTER BAND • Barley’s • 10PM Friday, Feb. 10 ALIVE AFTER FIVE: WALLACE COLEMAN • Knoxville Museum of Art • 6PM • A self-taught musician, Coleman was playing harmonica in Guitar Slim’s band when he caught the ear of Robert Lockwood, Jr., stepson of legendary bluesman Robert Johnson. He played in Lockwood’s band for ten years and performed on the Grammy nominated CD “I Gotta Find Me A Woman.” Coleman formed his own band in 1997, and his fifth CD, “Blues in the Wind”, is a tribute to Lockwood. Visit knoxart.org. • $10-$15 BRAVE THE ROYALS WITH LUMINOTH, INDIE LAGONE AND THE BILLY WIDGETS • The Open Chord • 7:30PM • All ages. • $8-$10 FROG AND TOAD’S DIXIE QUARTET • The Crown and Goose • 8PM • FREE BADLANDS • Two Doors Down (Maryville) • 9PM PAPADOSIO WITH JAW GEMS • The International • 10PM • 18 and up. Visit internationalknox.com. • $15-$20 THE BROOMESTIX • Barley’s • 10PM
Saturday, Feb. 11 JANGLING SPARROWS • Sugarlands Distilling Co. (Gatlinburg) • 6PM • FREE COUNTY WIDE • Two Doors Down (Maryville) • 9PM ELEPHANTE • The Concourse • 9PM • 18 and up. • $12-$15 COL. BRUCE HAMPTON • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 10PM • Bruce Hampton is a surrealist American musician. • $5 SCOTT MILLER • Laurel Theater • 8PM • Naturalized Knoxvillian Scott Miller’s genuine interest and identity with the lore of the South and the Civil War, along with his intelligent and take-no-prisoners lyrics, set him apart from other roots rock artists and have propelled him to national and international prominence. • $19 Sunday, Feb. 12 SUNDAY JAZZ BRUNCH • Downtown Grill and Brewery • 11AM • Knoxville’s coolest jazz artists perform every Sunday. • FREE SHIFFLETT’S JAZZ BENEDICT • The Bistro at the Bijou • 12PM • Live jazz. • FREE PALE ROOT • Barley’s • 8PM
OPEN MIC AND SONGWRITER NIGHTS
Thursday, Jan. 26 SCOTTISH MUSIC SESSION • Boyd’s Jig and Reel • 7:15PM • Visit jigandreel.com. • FREE
CALENDAR Monday, Jan. 30 MONDAY BLUES • Bar Marley • 8PM • Live every Monday, blues, jazz, funk, reggae and jam musicians from all over Tennessee meet at a backwater crossroad to sit in and show what the blues are made of. • FREE Tuesday, Jan. 31 PRESERVATION PUB SINGER-SONGWRITER NIGHT • Preservation Pub • 7PM • 21 and up. Visit scruffycity.com. OLD-TIME JAM SESSION • Boyd’s Jig and Reel • 7:15PM • Visit jigandreel.com. • FREE
Wednesday, Feb. 1 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. BRACKINS BLUES JAM • Brackins Blues Club • 9PM • A weekly open session hosted by Tommie John. Visit Facebook.com/BrackinsBlues. • FREE Thursday, Feb. 2 IRISH MUSIC SESSION • Boyd’s Jig and Reel • 7:15PM • Held on the first and third Thursdays of each month. Visit jigandreel.com. • FREE
ROMAN POLANSKI’S BABY Pilot Light (106 E. Jackson Ave.) • Sunday, Jan. 29 • 9 p.m. • $5 • 18 and up • thepilotlight.com and facebook.com/RomanPolanskisBaby/
It’s only been a few weeks since we highlighted the exploits of ambiguously tongue-in-cheek Knoxville punkers Ex-Gold, but it’s been a busy period for the band: In addition to unleashing two more tracks from their upcoming LP, the band will hit the road this week for their first tour. Following stops in Atlanta, Asheville, and Nashville, Ex-Gold will roll back into town on Sunday for the tour’s closing show at the Pilot Light. But they’re far from the only draw: In addition to an opening set by up-and-coming locals Caps (featuring, as so many bands seem to, Ex-Gold frontman Chris Rusk), Knoxvillians are in for a forceful taste of Ex-Gold tourmates Roman Polanski’s Baby. Grafting the sound and attitude of riot grrl punk onto a surprising range of simple rock ’n’ roll sounds, the trio has been a sleeper success in its native Nashville. (They were also among the bands hand-selected by riot grrl figurehead Kathleen Hanna to perform at Calgary’s Sled Island music festival in 2014.) Live videos and the band’s 2014 album Get Right showcase a furious, funny, and aggressively female punk act sure to complement Ex-Gold’s own sideways tone, and the likelihood of the two sharp-witted bands building a musical rapport over the course of their Southeastern excursion makes this tour finale a can’t-miss proposition. (Nick Huinker)
January 26, 2017
KNOXVILLE MERCURY 35
CALENDAR 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. Monday, Feb. 6 MONDAY BLUES • Bar Marley • 8PM • Live every Monday, blues, jazz, funk, reggae and jam musicians from all over Tennessee meet at a backwater crossroad to sit in and show what the blues are made of. • FREE Tuesday, Feb. 7 PRESERVATION PUB SINGER-SONGWRITER NIGHT • Preservation Pub • 7PM • 21 and up. Visit scruffycity.com. 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. Visit jigandreel.com. • FREE Wednesday, Feb. 8 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. BRACKINS BLUES JAM • Brackins Blues Club • 9PM • A weekly open session hosted by Tommie John. Visit Facebook.com/BrackinsBlues. • FREE Thursday, Feb. 9 SCOTTISH MUSIC SESSION • Boyd’s Jig and Reel • 7:15PM •
Thursday, Jan. 25 - Sunday, Feb. 12
A proud tradition, Scots love nothing more than music and drink. The drink is strong and the music is steeped in the history of the green highlands and rocky cliffs. Whether lyrics or no lyrics, every song tells a story. The hills of East Tennessee are a home away from home for this style. Pull up a chair to listen or play along. Held on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month. Visit jigandreel.com. • FREE
• The Birdhouse • 4PM • An all-evening and into-the-nightfundraiser for the Fourth and Gill community center, starting with a potluck and soul music by DJ Nijoli and also featuring a spoken-word performance, hip-hop from the Good Guy Collective, and a dance party with TEKNOX. • $8 SOUTHBOUND SATURDAYS • Southbound Bar and Grill • 9PM • With DJ Eric B.
Sunday, Feb. 12 EPWORTH MONTHLY OLD HARP SHAPE NOTE SINGING • Laurel Theater • 6:30PM • Visit jubileearts.org. • FREE
Friday, Feb. 3 SOUTHBOUND FRIDAYS • Southbound Bar and Grill • 9PM • With DJ Eric B. RETRO WEEKEND DANCE PARTY • Hanna’s Old City • 9PM • Hanna’s Retro Weekend dance party with DJ Ray Funk is where you will hear all of your favorite 80’s and 90’s dance hits. So get down to Hanna’s in the Old City this weekend to party like it is 1999. HEADROOM • The Concourse • 9PM • With Alex Falk, James Scott, J Mo, and Lunch Money. 18 and up. • $5
DJ AND DANCE NIGHTS
Friday, Jan. 27 SOUTHBOUND FRIDAYS • Southbound Bar and Grill • 9PM • With DJ Eric B. RETRO WEEKEND DANCE PARTY • Hanna’s Old City • 9PM • Hanna’s Retro Weekend dance party with DJ Ray Funk is where you will hear all of your favorite 80’s and 90’s dance hits. So get down to Hanna’s in the Old City this weekend to party like it is 1999. ICE COLD FROSTY FRIDAY DANCE PARTY AND DRAG SHOW • Pilot Light • 10PM • With Persona La Ave, DJBJ, Tyra Chanel, Von Shade, and more. 18 and up. • $5 Saturday, Jan. 28 THE SOUL OF THE HOUSE: A KNOXVILLE BIRDHOUSE BENEFIT
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Saturday, Feb. 4 SOUTHBOUND SATURDAYS • Southbound Bar and Grill • 9PM • With DJ Eric B. Friday, Feb. 10 TEKNOX • The Birdhouse • 10PM • With Ryan Scannura and Occidental from Denver and Nikki Nair. 21 and up. • FREE SOUTHBOUND FRIDAYS • Southbound Bar and Grill • 9PM • With DJ Eric B. RETRO WEEKEND DANCE PARTY • Hanna’s Old City • 9PM • Hanna’s Retro Weekend dance party with DJ Ray Funk is
where you will hear all of your favorite 80’s and 90’s dance hits. So get down to Hanna’s in the Old City this weekend to party like it is 1999. Saturday, Feb. 11 SOUTHBOUND SATURDAYS • Southbound Bar and Grill • 9PM • With DJ Eric B.
CLASSICAL MUSIC
Friday, Jan. 27 DALI STRING QUARTET • University of Tennessee Natalie L. Haslam Music Center • 6PM • The Dalí Quartet brings its signature mix of Latin American, Classical and Romantic repertoire to stages and audiences of all kinds. Visit daliquartet.com. • FREE Saturday, Jan. 28 BEN PIERCE • University of Tennessee Alumni Memorial Building • 8PM • A guest artist tuba recital. • FREE Sunday, Jan. 29 KSO CHAMBER CLASSICS: PRINCIPAL QUARTET PLAYS BEETHOVEN • University of Tennessee Natalie L. Haslam Music Center • 2:30PM • $13.50-$31.50 • See preview on page 26. OAK RIDGE WIND ENSEMBLE/COMMUNITY BAND • First Baptist Church Oak Ridge • 3:30PM • The program will feature a number of entertaining groups performing a variety of musical selections including classical, jazz, swing, novelty, and show tunes. For more information,
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KNOXVILLE MERCURY January 26, 2017
Thursday, Jan. 25 - Sunday, Feb. 12
CALENDAR
visit www.orcb.org or call 865-482-3568. • $5 OAK RIDGE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FREE FAMILY CONCERT • Oak Ridge High School • 2PM • FREE
songs ever written, such as “We’re In the Money,” “Lullaby of Broadway,” “Shuffle Off To Buffalo,” “Dames,” “I Only Have Eyes For You” and of course “42nd Street.” • $37-$77
Wednesday, Feb. 1 ENSEMBLE KNOX AND JESSICA ASZODI • University of Tennessee Natalie L. Haslam Music Center • 8PM • The University of Tennessee’s new chamber percussion group, joined by soprano Jessica Aszodi, performs music by Ligeti, Nico Muhly, Aurel Hollo, and Juri Seo. • FREE
Saturday, Jan. 28 KNOXVILLE CHILDREN’S THEATRE: ‘THE SURPRISING STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS’ • Knoxville Children’s Theatre • 1PM and 5PM • Jan. 20-Feb. 5. Visit knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com. • $12
BROADWAY AT THE TENNESSEE: ‘42ND STREET’ • Tennessee Theatre • 2PM and 8PM • $37-$77 Sunday, Jan. 29 KNOXVILLE CHILDREN’S THEATRE: ‘THE SURPRISING STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS’ • Knoxville Children’s Theatre • 3PM • Jan. 20-Feb. 5. Visit knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com. • $12
Thursday, Feb. 2 ECHOING AIR • St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral • 7:30PM • A dynamic ensemble specializing in the repertoire of the English Baroque, with an emphasis on chamber works featuring countertenor voices with baroque ensemble. • FREE
UP NEXT!
Saturday, Feb. 4 KSO POPS SERIES: MARY WILSON OF THE SUPREMES • Knoxville Civic Auditorium • 8PM • ;An evening of Motown hits including Baby Love, Love Child, and more. Friday, Feb. 10 KNOXVILLE OPERA: ‘LA BOHÈME’ • Tennessee Theatre • 7:30PM • In the glittering Latin Quarter on Christmas Eve, Mimì and Rodolfo fall in love, but her failing health and his abject poverty threaten their happiness. Puccini’s ravishing music brilliantly depicts the joie de vivre and heartbreaks of the struggling Bohemian artists. Visit knoxvilleopera.com. • $21-$99 Sunday, Feb. 12 READY FOR THE WORLD MUSIC SERIES: BRAZIL • University of Tennessee Natalie L. Haslam Music Center • 2PM • Three countries will be featured in the 2016-2017 academic year are Poland (Sunday, Sept. 25); Brazil (Sunday, Feb. 12); and China (Sunday, April 2). Visit music. utk.edu/rftw. • FREE KNOXVILLE OPERA: ‘LA BOHÈME’ • Tennessee Theatre • 2:30PM • Visit knoxvilleopera.com. • $21-$99 OAK RIDGE COMMUNITY BAND: MUSIC OF THE BRITISH ISLES • Oak Ridge High School • 3:30PM • For more information visit www.orcb.org or call 865-482-3568. • $5 CARING FOR ALL CREATION: A CHORAL CELEBRATION • Messiah Lutheran Church • 4PM • The Caring for All Creation choral celebration is being offered to the community by faith group partners of Tennessee Interfaith Power and Light, an interfaith response to the challenges of climate change. • FREE
THEATER AND DANCE
Thursday, Jan. 26 KNOXVILLE CHILDREN’S THEATRE: ‘THE SURPRISING STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS’ • Knoxville Children’s Theatre • 7PM • Three classic fairy tales, with three famous trios (the Little Pigs, the Billy Goats Gruff, and the Three Bears) begin in their usual “once-upon-a-time” fashion... but things change on the way to “happily-ever-after.” Jan. 20-Feb. 5. Visit knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com. • $12 Friday, Jan. 27 KNOXVILLE CHILDREN’S THEATRE: ‘THE SURPRISING STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS’ • Knoxville Children’s Theatre • 7PM • Jan. 20-Feb. 5. Visit knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com. • $12 BROADWAY AT THE TENNESSEE: ‘42ND STREET’ • Tennessee Theatre • 8PM • The quintessential backstage musical comedy classic combines the fable of Broadway with an American Dream story and includes some of the greatest
CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: OUTSIDE MULLINGAR Clarence Brown Theatre • Feb. 1-19 • $22-$42 • clarencebrowntheatre.com
Playwright John Patrick Shanley has claimed he never wanted to write about the Irish. That might strike one as a bit odd seeing that he is a Kelly on his mother’s side and a Shanley on his father’s. Although he grew up in an Irish family in the Bronx, surrounded by everything Irish, he bristled at the prospect of being labeled an Irish-American writer. He just wanted to be a writer. “Italian-Americans were my particular specialty,” Shanley once wrote in a New York Times article. “I liked the way they talked. There was something free in it.” With a half a dozen plays under his belt, that “something” ended up as the Cher/Nicholas Cage romantic comedy Moonstruck, which won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 1988. A bit closer to his Irish roots in the Bronx, Shanley scored a success on Broadway with Doubt, a Parable, which earned him the 2005 Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award for Best Play. Shanley later adapted and directed it for the screen as Doubt, starring Meryl Streep and Phillip Seymour Hoffman. It was inevitable that Shanley would revisit his Irish roots. The memory of the farm where his father grew up in the Irish midlands fueled the playwright’s dramatic imagination with mixed feelings of love, grief, romantic hunger, and frustration—feelings that bubbled to life in Outside Mullingar, which premiered in 2014. With a dark and funny tale of middle-age romance, the character of a love-challenged farmer, neighbors feuding over a property line, and the complexity of family tradition, those who have called Outside Mullingar “an Irish Moonstruck” aren’t that far off. And we mean that in the nicest possible way. Kate Buckley, who directed the 2015 Clarence Brown Theatre production of The 39 Steps, directs this production of Outside Mullingar. The four-person cast consists of University of Tennessee Theatre faculty member Carol Mayo Jenkins as Aoife Muldoon, Katie Cunningham as Rosemary Muldoon, Dan Kremer as Tony Reilly, and Richard Price as Anthony Reilly. (Alan Sherrod)
January 26, 2017
KNOXVILLE MERCURY 37
CALENDAR Monday, Jan. 30 HAMMERSTEP: THE NEXT STEP IN DANCE • University of Tennessee Alumni Memorial Building • 7:30PM • Hammerstep is challenging the way dance and movement are presented. Combining hip hop, irish, african stepping and martial arts, they flow through a range of mediums. Hammerstep specializes in stunning live shows, film and video content, community workshops, and site specific, ambush performance.; • $5 Tuesday, Feb. 1 CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘OUTSIDE MULLINGAR’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 7:30PM • From the Tony and Academy Award winning playwright of “Doubt” and Moonstruck.” Filled with beautiful language and set in the rural hills of Ireland, this romantic comedy reminds us that – early or late – love always arrives on time. Farmers Anthony and Rosemary are clueless when it comes to love. To find it, they will have to overcome a land feud, family rivalries, and their own fears about romance. Feb. 1-19. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com. • $22-$42 • See Spotlight on page 37. Thursday, Feb. 2 KNOXVILLE CHILDREN’S THEATRE: ‘THE SURPRISING STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS’ • Knoxville Children’s Theatre • 7PM • Jan. 20-Feb. 5. Visit knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com. • $12 CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘OUTSIDE MULLINGAR’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 7:30PM • Feb. 1-19. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com. • $22-$42 • See Spotlight on
page 37. TENNESSEE STAGE COMPANY: ‘FOUND OBJECTS’ • Historic Southern Railway Station • 8PM • Does the truth always set us free? When a mother and daughter attempt to deal with the accidental death of their son/brother, the truth may indeed stand in the way of their healing. The world-premiere production of Marilynn Barner Anselmi’s drama kicks off the Tennessee Stage Company’s New Play Festival. Feb. 2-12. Visit tennesseestage.com. • $15 Friday, Feb. 3 KNOXVILLE CHILDREN’S THEATRE: ‘THE SURPRISING STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS’ • Knoxville Children’s Theatre • 7PM • Jan. 20-Feb. 5. Visit knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com. • $12 CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘OUTSIDE MULLINGAR’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 7:30PM • Feb. 1-19. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com. • $22-$42 • See Spotlight on page 37. TENNESSEE STAGE COMPANY: ‘FOUND OBJECTS’ • Historic Southern Railway Station • 8PM • Feb. 2-12. Visit tennesseestage.com. • $15 Saturday, Feb. 4 KNOXVILLE CHILDREN’S THEATRE: ‘THE SURPRISING STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS’ • Knoxville Children’s Theatre • 1PM and 5PM • Jan. 20-Feb. 5. Visit knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com. • $12 OAK RIDGE PLAYHOUSE: ‘BRAVE LITTLE TAILOR’ • Oak Ridge Playhouse • 1PM • Bullied and meek, a young tailor manages to kill seven flies in one blow while day-dreaming of slaying dragons. When exaggerated rumors of his
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KNOXVILLE MERCURY January 26, 2017
skill spread throughout the village, the tailor is brought before the cowardly king and given the tasks of battling not only two troublesome giants, but also a fierce dragon. Only time will tell if he can summon the courage to prove to himself that one need not be big to be strong. Feb. 4-5. Visit orplayhouse.com. CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘OUTSIDE MULLINGAR’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 7:30PM • Feb. 1-19. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com. • $22-$42 • See Spotlight on page 37. KORESH DANCE: CLASSIC KORESH • Clayton Center for the Arts (Maryville) • 7:30PM • In its 25th year, Koresh Dance Company presents Classic Koresh, a selection of favorites drawn from the company’s quarter century of innovative work. These repertoire classics include interpretations of Classical compositions by Bach, Beethoven, and Ravel, from the rolling strains of “Moonlight Sonata” to the trumpeting processions of “Bolero.” Visit koreshdance.org. • $12.50-$24.50 TENNESSEE STAGE COMPANY: ‘FOUND OBJECTS’ • Historic Southern Railway Station • 8PM • Feb. 2-12. Visit tennesseestage.com. • $15 Sunday, Feb. 5 KNOXVILLE CHILDREN’S THEATRE: ‘THE SURPRISING STORY OF THE THREE LITTLE PIGS’ • Knoxville Children’s Theatre • 3PM • Jan. 20-Feb. 5. Visit knoxvillechildrenstheatre.com. • $12 CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘OUTSIDE MULLINGAR’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 2PM • Feb. 1-19. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com. • $22-$42 • See Spotlight on
page 37. OAK RIDGE PLAYHOUSE: ‘BRAVE LITTLE TAILOR’ • Oak Ridge Playhouse • 2PM • Feb. 4-5. Visit orplayhouse.com. TENNESSEE STAGE COMPANY: ‘FOUND OBJECTS’ • Historic Southern Railway Station • 3PM • Feb. 2-12. Visit tennesseestage.com. • $15 Wednesday, Feb. 8 CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘OUTSIDE MULLINGAR’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 7:30PM • Feb. 1-19. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com. • $22-$42 • See Spotlight on page 37. Thursday, Feb. 9 CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘OUTSIDE MULLINGAR’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 7:30PM • Feb. 1-19. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com. • $22-$42 • See Spotlight on page 37. TENNESSEE STAGE COMPANY: ‘FOUND OBJECTS’ • Historic Southern Railway Station • 8PM • Feb. 2-12. Visit tennesseestage.com. • $15 Friday, Feb. 10 CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘OUTSIDE MULLINGAR’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 7:30PM • Feb. 1-19. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com. • $22-$42 • See Spotlight on page 37. TENNESSEE STAGE COMPANY: ‘FOUND OBJECTS’ • Historic Southern Railway Station • 8PM • Feb. 2-12. Visit tennesseestage.com. • $15 Saturday, Feb. 11
Thursday, Jan. 25 - Sunday, Feb. 12
CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘OUTSIDE MULLINGAR’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 7:30PM • Feb. 1-19. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com. • $22-$42 • See Spotlight on page 37. GO! CONTEMPORARY DANCE WORKS: ‘BARBAROSA: THE TALE OF PIRATE ANNE BONNY’ • Bijou Theatre • 8PM • Through a dynamic merging of ballet, modern dance, aerial work, fencing, and world cultural dance, GO! Contemporary Dance will introduce the audience to Anne Bonny, a 16th-century privileged and fiery teenager who turned to the seas for the rebellious life of a pirate. • $17-$50 TENNESSEE STAGE COMPANY: ‘FOUND OBJECTS’ • Historic Southern Railway Station • 8PM • Feb. 2-12. Visit tennesseestage.com. • $15 Sunday, Feb. 12 CLARENCE BROWN THEATRE: ‘OUTSIDE MULLINGAR’ • Clarence Brown Theatre • 2PM • Feb. 1-19. Visit clarencebrowntheatre.com. • $22-$42 • See Spotlight on page 37. GO! CONTEMPORARY DANCE WORKS: ‘BARBAROSA: THE TALE OF PIRATE ANNE BONNY’ • Bijou Theatre • 3PM • Through a dynamic merging of ballet, modern dance, aerial work, fencing, and world cultural dance, GO! Contemporary Dance will introduce the audience to Anne Bonny, a 16th-century privileged and fiery teenager who turned to the seas for the rebellious life of a pirate. $17-$50 TENNESSEE STAGE COMPANY: ‘FOUND OBJECTS’ • Historic Southern Railway Station • 3PM • Feb. 2-12. Visit tennesseestage.com. • $15
COMEDY AND SPOKEN WORD
Thursday, Jan. 26 KNOXVILLE COMEDY EXTRAVAGANZA: A NIGHT WITH THE DELIGHTS • The Open Chord • 8PM • Celebrate the new year by laughing with a local comedy improv troupe. All ages. • FREE Saturday, Jan. 28 CHRIS TITUS WITH RACHEL BRADLEY • Bijou Theatre • 8PM • Employing what he’s labeled “hard funny,” Christopher Titus has released seven ninety-minute albums in as many years. $27-$102 Sunday, Jan. 29 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, Jan. 30 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, Jan. 31 OPEN MIC STAND-UP COMEDY • Longbranch Saloon • 8PM • FREE EINSTEIN SIMPLIFIED • Scruffy City Hall • 8:15PM • Visit einsteinsimplified.com. • FREE Friday, Feb. 3 FIRST FRIDAY COMEDY • Saw Works Brewing Company •
CALENDAR
7PM • A monthly showcase featuring local and touring stand-ups comics. • FREE THE OOH OOH REVUE • Cocoa Moon • 10PM • Visit oohoohrevue.com. 18 and up. • $10 MONDAY, FEB. 6 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, FEB. 7 OPEN MIC STAND-UP COMEDY • Longbranch Saloon • 8PM • FREE EINSTEIN SIMPLIFIED • Scruffy City Hall • 8:15PM • Visit einsteinsimplified.com. • FREE Wednesday, Feb. 8 FULL DISCLOSURE COMEDY • The Open Chord • 8PM • Full Disclosure Comedy is Knoxville’s long-form improvisational troupe, bringing together community members for laughs and overall general merriment. • FREE Thursday, Feb. 9 PIZZA HAS • Pizza Hoss • 8PM • FREE
FESTIVALS
Friday, Jan. 27 SNOW DAY 2017: A CAC BEARDSLEY COMMUNITY FARM BENEFIT • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 7PM • The ninth annual Snow Day, a CAC Beardsley Community Farm Benefit, will feature seven performances by a diverse group of local musicians, a soup contest between some of Knoxville’s finest restaurants, a Homegrown and Homemade Beard Pageant, and a silent auction. With performances by J-Bush, Big Bad Oven, Count This Penny, Kelle Jolly, the Pinklets, Pleases, and Matt Nelson and Caleb Hall and soup from Olibea, Tootsie Truck, Tupelo Honey, Lonesome Dove, and more. • $8 Friday, Feb. 3 WAYNESTOCK VII • Relix Variety Theatre • 7PM • Waynestock VII, set for Feb. 3-4 at Relix, will benefit Pilot Light, the Old City rock club that earlier this year became a nonprofit organization. Visit waynestock.org/schedule for more info and a complete schedule. • $5 • See Press Forward on page 12. Saturday, Feb. 4 WAYNESTOCK VII • Relix Variety Theatre • 6PM • Waynestock VII, set for Feb. 3-4 at Relix, will benefit Pilot Light, the Old City rock club that earlier this year became a nonprofit organization. Visit waynestock.org/schedule for more info and a complete schedule. • $5 • See Press Forward on page 12. Sunday, Feb. 5 DARWIN’S BIRTHDAY PARTY • McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture • 2PM • Come and celebrate Charles Darwin’s 208th birthday with the McClung Museum. The party is part of the festivities happening across campus for Darwin Day. Look for Monty, the dinosaur in front of McClung Museum, wearing a party hat as he hosts the celebration. Giant puppets of Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace will also attend! Birthday cake will be served, and festivities will include music, games, crafts for young students, and a photo booth with Darwin himself. • FREE EAST TENNESSEE CHINESE NEW YEAR FESTIVAL • University of Tennessee Alumni Memorial Building • 3:30PM • The largest celebration of its kind in the region,
the East Tennessee Chinese New Year Festival is an exciting way to celebrate the coming of spring. Over the past decade, this annual variety show has featured dancing, singing, music, martial arts, drama, poetry, and some surprises from local performers and professional guests. Visit knoxvillechineseculture.org to purchase tickets and for more information. • $5-$12.50
FILM SCREENINGS
Thursday, Jan. 26 UNMASKED JUDEOPHOBIA • McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture • 7PM • The film showing is in commemoration of the International Hololcaust Remembrance Day and the 72nd Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz Death Camp. Gloria Z. Greenfield, honorary artist in residence at the University of Tennessee, is the filmmaker of this 2011 film which won the Platinum Remi Winner award at the WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival in 2012. Greenfield and Kenneth Marcus, former director of the United State Commission on Civil Rights will hold a Q&A session with remarks at the film showing. • FREE Sunday, Jan. 29 THE PUBLIC CINEMA: ‘AQUARIUS’ • Knoxville Museum of Art • 2PM • A retired music critic fights to protect her apartment from developers. Directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho. Visit publiccinema.org. • FREE • See Spotlight on page 32. Monday, Jan. 30 THE BIRDHOUSE WALK-IN THEATER • The Birdhouse • 8PM • A weekly free movie screening. Visit birdhouseknoxville. com. • FREE THURSDAY, FEB. 2 KNOXVILLE HORROR FILM FESTIVAL: ‘THE HONEYMOON KILLERS’ • Scruffy City Hall • 7:30PM • Love is in the air and we’re screening one of the most disturbing love stories ever filmed, The Honeymoon Killers. If you never seen this disturbing piece of cinema, it’s based on the true story of the”Lonely Hearts Killers” and has risen above other similar 70s exploitation films as a true classic. • FREE Monday, Feb. 6 THE BIRDHOUSE WALK-IN THEATER • The Birdhouse • 8PM • A weekly free movie screening. Visit birdhouseknoxville. com. • FREE Tuesday, Feb. 7 THE PUBLIC CINEMA: ‘THE DREAMED ONES’ • Pilot Light • 7:30PM • A staged correspondence between poets Ingeborg Bachmann and Paul Celan. Directed by Ruth Beckermann. Visit publiccinema.org. • FREE
SPORTS AND RECREATION
Thursday, Jan. 26 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 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 January 26, 2017
KNOXVILLE MERCURY 39
CALENDAR 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 CEDAR BLUFF CYCLES DOWNTOWN GREENWAY RIDE • Cedar Bluff Cycles • 6:30PM • Join us every Thursday evening for our winter greenway rides to downtown and back. Ride is 30+ miles at a 13/14 mph pace. Visit cedarbluffcycles.com. • FREE BEARDEN BEER MARKET FUN RUN • Bearden Beer Market • 6:30PM • Come run with us. Every Monday and Thursday 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 Saturday, Jan. 28 RUN 4 THEIR LIVES 5K • Market Square • 10AM • Run 4 Their Lives is a Freedom 4/24 event that raises awareness and funds to bring sexually exploited women and children into freedom. Freedom 4/24 is partnering with the Community Coalitition Against Human Trafficking and Street Hope. • $24 COVENANT KIDS’ RUN KICKOFF • Zoo Knoxville • 12PM •
Thursday, Jan. 25 - Sunday, Feb. 12
Join us on Saturday, January 28, at noon for our annual Covenant Kids Run Kickoff at Zoo Knoxville. This will be an opportunity for your child to run or walk one mile through the grounds of the Zoo. Upon completing that mile, we will give them a mileage log so that they can complete 26.2 miles over the course of the next two months, culminating with their last mile on April 1 at the Covenant Kids Run at Neyland Stadium. Visit knoxvillemarathon.com. WEST BICYCLES SATURDAY ROAD RIDE • West Bicycles • 9AM • Join us every Saturday morning for a group road ride. Divides into two groups: A Group at 17-20 mph and B Group at 14-16 mph. Store open for pre-ride services including full service tech support, energy bars/gels/ chews, clean restrooms, plenty of parking, and terrific routes. Cookies and coffee on return. Visit west bikes. com. • FREE BIKE ZOO SATURDAY ROAD RIDE • The Bike Zoo • 9AM • Join us every Saturday for a group three-hour road ride of 50+ miles at a fast pace of 18/20 mph. Weather permitting. Visit bikezoo.com. • FREE KNOXVILLE BICYCLE COMPANY SATURDAY RIDE • Knoxville Bicycle Company • 9AM • Join us every Saturday for a group road ride. Divides into groups: shorter route is 27 miles; longer route is determined at regroup at Melton Hill Dam. Weather permitting. Visit Facebook.com/ KnoxvilleBicycleCo. • FREE Sunday, Jan. 29 KNOXVILLE WOMEN’S RUGBY BEGINNER’S CLINIC • South Knoxville Community Center • 2PM • Have you ever been
interested in learning the game of rugby? Have a new year’s resolution to try new things or get in shape while having a blast with some pretty awesome people? If you answered ‘yes’ to any or all of the above, then this is your chance. • FREE Monday, Jan. 30 KTC GROUP RUN • Mellow Mushroom • 6PM • Visit ktc.org. • FREE TVB MONDAY NIGHT ROAD RIDE • Tennessee Valley Bikes • 6PM • Visit tnvalleybikes.com. • FREE Tuesday, Jan. 31 CYCOLOGY BICYCLES TUESDAY MORNING RIDE • Cycology Bicycles • 10:30AM • 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. • FREE Wednesday, Feb. 1 SMOKY MOUNTAINS HIKING CLUB: CUMBERLAND GAP NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK • 8AM • ;Hike: 8.5 miles, rated moderate. Meet at Hardees at I-75, Exit 122 (Rt 61) at 8:00 am. Leader: Ron Brandenburg, ronb86@comcast.net. • FREE FLEET FEET WEDNESDAY LUNCH BREAK RUN • Fleet Feet Sports Knoxville • 12PM • Visit fleetfeetknoxville.com. • FREE KTC GROUP RUN • Runner’s Market • 5:30PM • Visit ktc. org.; • FREE TVB EASY RIDER MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE • Ijams Nature
Bach or Basie? Your music, your choice. Your classical and jazz station.
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KNOXVILLE MERCURY January 26, 2017
WUOT_Ad_4.625x5.25_ClassicalJazz_KnoxMerc.indd 2
9/17/16 5:00 PM
Center • 6PM • Call 865-540-9979 or visit tnvalleybikes. com. • FREE Thursday, Feb. 2 CYCOLOGY BICYCLES THURSDAY MORNING RIDE • Cycology Bicycles • 10AM • 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 • Visit fleetfeetknoxville.com. • FREE BEARDEN BEER MARKET FUN RUN • Bearden Beer Market • 6:30PM • Visit beardenbeermarket.com. • FREE Saturday, Feb. 4 SMOKY MOUNTAINS HIKING CLUB: CHESTNUT TOP • 8:30AM • This hike starts with a climb on Chestnut Top that will warm us up on a cold winter’s day. Wintertime will afford some nice views along the way. Schoolhouse Gap and Bote Mountain trails will take us to the West Prong Trail to complete the loop. A short car shuttle is involved. Hike: 10.3 miles, rated moderate. Meet at Alcoa Food City, 121 North Hall Road, at 8:30 am to carpool or at the Townsend Wye at 9:00 am. Leader: David Smith, dcshiker@ bellsouth.net. • FREE RUNNER’S MARKET SATURDAY GROUP RUN • Runner’s Market • 9AM • Visit runnersmarket.com. • FREE KTC STRAWBERRY PLAINS HALF-MARATHON AND 10K • Rush Strong School • 9AM • Visit ktc.org. • $25-$50 BIKE ZOO SATURDAY ROAD RIDE • The Bike Zoo • 9AM • Visit bikezoo.com. • FREE
OLD CITY HISTORY WITH KNOXVILLE HISTORIAN, JACK NEELY
Join us Thursday January 26th 7pm-9pm for a few pints and a conversation with Jack as he shares his knowledge at the Pretentious Beer Company, 131 S. Central Street.
FEB 1-19 CBT MAINSTAGE
Directed by
Kate Buckley
Katie Cunningham and Rishard Price; photo by Elizabeth Aaron
January 26, 2017
KNOXVILLE MERCURY 41
CALENDAR WEST BICYCLES SATURDAY ROAD RIDE • West Bicycles • 9AM • Visit westbikes.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 Monday, Feb. 6 KTC GROUP RUN • Mellow Mushroom • 6PM • Visit ktc.org. • FREE TVB MONDAY NIGHT ROAD RIDE • Tennessee Valley Bikes • 6PM • Visit tnvalleybikes.com. • FREE Tuesday, Feb. 7 CYCOLOGY BICYCLES TUESDAY MORNING RIDE • Cycology Bicycles • 10:30AM • 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. • FREE Wednesday, Feb. 8 FLEET FEET WEDNESDAY LUNCH BREAK RUN • Fleet Feet Sports Knoxville • 12PM • Visit fleetfeetknoxville.com. • FREE KTC GROUP RUN • Runner’s Market • 5:30PM • Visit ktc. org.; • FREE TVB EASY RIDER MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE • Ijams Nature Center • 6PM • Call 865-540-9979 or visit tnvalleybikes. com. • FREE Saturday, Feb. 11
Thursday, Jan. 25 - Sunday, Feb. 12
SMOKY MOUNTAINS HIKING CLUB: OLD SUGARLANDS/TWIN CREEKS/GATLINBURG TRAIL LOOP • 8:30AM • Leaders: Rebekah Young, rebekahy27@aol.com and Brad Reese, bradktn@gmail.com. • FREE Sunday, Feb. 12 KTC DIRTY SOUTH TRAIL HALF AND DIRTY DOUBLE TRAIL MARATHON • Ijams Nature Center • 9AM • Visit ktc.org. • $20-$50
ART
Art Market Gallery 422 S. Gay St. JAN. 3-30: Mixed-media art by Lynnda Tenpenny and fiber art by Julia Malia. JAN. 31-FEB. 26: Artwork by Ron Smith and Carl Gombert. An opening reception will be held on Friday, Feb. 3, at 5:30 p.m. Visit artmarketgallery.net. Broadway Studios and Gallery 1127 N. Broadway JAN. 6-31: Opportunity Knocks, an open-call competition. Visit broadwaystudiosandgallery.com. An opening reception will be held on Friday, Jan. 13, from 5-9 p.m. Central Collective 923 N. Central St. THROUGH JANUARY: Delays and Interruptions, an exhibit of collaborative drawings by Brian Hitelsberger and Jessie Van der Laan. The gallery is open by appointment. Visit thecentralcollective.com.
Dogwood Arts 123 W. Jackson Ave. JAN. 6-31: Glass Guys, featuring work by glass artists Richard Jolley, Tommie Rush, Matthew Cummings, Matt Salley, Johnny Glass, and more. Visit dogwoodarts.com. Downtown Gallery 106 S. Gay St. JAN. 6-28: Meandering Mythologies by Gary Monroe and Timothy Massey. FEB. 3-28: Intersections, glass art from Ball State University’s Glick Center for Glass. An opening reception will be held on Friday, Feb. 3, from 5-9 p.m. Visit downtown.utk.edu. East Tennessee History Center 601 S. Gay St. NOV. 19-APRIL 30: Rock of Ages: East Tennessee’s Marble Industry. Visit easttnhistory.org. Emporium Center for Arts and Culture 100 S. Gay St. JAN. 6-27: Breaking Ground by the O’Connor Senior Center Painters; Beautiful Iron by the Appalachian Area Chapter of Blacksmiths; and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Commission Gallery of Arts Tribute. Visit knoxalliance.com. FEB. 3-24: Slovene Independent Biennial; Arts and Culture Alliance National Juried Exhibition; and Through My Eyes, by autistic artist Derrick Freeman. An opening reception will be held on Friday, Feb. 3, from 5-9 p.m.
2016 - 2017
S E A S O N
PERFORMANCES
FEBRUARY / 4 / 2017 7:30PM
KORESH DANCE 25TH ANNIVERSARY Classic Koresh “Earthy, folk-dancey, emotionally direct, physically intense, and ostentatious ly eccentric” – The New Yorker
Saturday, January 28 Noon Race Start
(Day of event registration is 10 a.m. – Noon) Kids 8th grade and under invited! For more information,visit www.knoxvillemarathon.com or call 541-4500.
2016 -2017 SPONSORS
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THE ARTS
42
KNOXVILLE MERCURY January 26, 2017
CLAYTON CENTER FOR THE ARTS
on the campus of Maryville College 502 E. Lamar Alexander Pkwy. Maryville, TN 37804
BOX OFFICE: 865-981-8590 ClaytonArtsCenter.com
Ewing Gallery 1715 Volunteer Boulevard JAN. 11-FEB. 11: A Common Lineage, sculpture by Lee Benson and his family. Visit ewing-gallery.utk.edu. Gallery 1010 113 S. Gay St. JAN. 26-28: Available Means, drawings by Mary-Margaret Lucas. A reception will be held on Friday, Jan. 27, from 6-9 p.m. Visit art.utk.edu/gallery1010. Knoxville Museum of Art 1050 World’s Fair Park Drive JAN. 27-APRIL 16: Outside In, new paintings by Jered Sprecher. FEB. 3-APRIL 16: Virtual Views: Digital Art From the Thoma Foundation. 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. Visit knoxart.org. See cover story on page 18. McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture 1327 Circle Park Drive FEB. 3-MAY 7: Divine Felines: Cats of Ancient Egypt. ONGOING: The Flora and Fauna of Catesby, Mason, and Audubon and Life on the Roman Frontier. Pellissippi State Community College Bagwell Center for Media and Art Gallery 10915 Hardin Valley Road
CALENDAR JAN. 17-FEB. 3: Views of the Big Nothing, sculpture by Travis Townsend and paintings by Brandon Smith. Visit pstcc.edu.
Monday, Feb. 6 UT WRITERS IN THE LIBRARY SERIES • University of Tennessee • 7PM • Visit lib.utk.edu/writers/. • FREE
Friday, Jan. 27 AARP DRIVE SAFETY SMART DRIVER COURSE • John T. O’Connor Senior Center • 12PM • Call (865) 382-5822.
FAMILY AND KIDS’ EVENTS
Thursday, Feb. 9 LAUREN MITCHELL AND MARY MAHONEY: ‘THE DOULAS: RADICAL CARE FOR PREGNANT PEOPLE’ • The Birdhouse • 5:30PM • Join authors Lauren Mitchell and Mary Mahoney for a reading from their book The Doulas: Radical Care for Pregnant People, followed by Q&A and a happy hour. • FREE
Sunday, Jan. 29 CIRCLE MODERN DANCE BALLET BARRE CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 1PM • Visit circlemoderndance.com. • $10 CIRCLE MODERN DANCE: MODERN DANCE FOUNDATIONS CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 2PM • Visit circlemoderndance.com. • $10 CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY MINDFULNESS-BASED STREET REDUCTION EIGHT-WEEK SERIES • Cancer Support Community • 4:30PM • This series is a systematic practice that involves focusing attention in the present moment in order to relax the body and calm the mind. Evidence shows regular mindfulness practice helps us manage stress, reduce anxiety and depression and cultivate well-being. This series meets January 22-March 12. RSVP. 865-546-4661. All Cancer Support Community programs are offered at no cost to individuals affected by cancer. • FREE
Thursday, Jan. 26 WE READ YA BOOK CLUB • Lawson McGhee Public Library • 6PM • January’s book is “The Female of the Species” by Mindy McGinnis. Light refreshments will be provided. This is a free event, open to teachers, librarians, parents, young adults, and young adults “at-heart” who read YA and want to talk about it. • FREE Saturday, Jan. 28 COVENANT KIDS’ RUN KICKOFF • Zoo Knoxville • 12PM • Join us on Saturday, January 28, at noon for our annual Covenant Kids Run Kickoff at Zoo Knoxville. This will be an opportunity for your child to run or walk one mile through the grounds of the Zoo. Upon completing that mile, we will give them a mileage log so that they can complete 26.2 miles over the course of the next two months, culminating with their last mile on April 1 at the Covenant Kids Run at Neyland Stadium. Visit knoxvillemarathon.com.
LECTURES, READINGS, AND BOOK SIGNINGS
Sunday, Jan. 29 MCCLUNG MUSEUM CIVIL WAR LECTURE SERIES • McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture • 2PM • The McClung Museum’s seventh annual Civil War Lecture series, given by Civil War Curator Joan Markel, will be held at 2 p.m. one Sunday each month, from January– April. The lectures are free and open to the public. • FREE Monday, Jan. 30 UT WRITERS IN THE LIBRARY SERIES • University of Tennessee • 7PM • The University of Tennessee’s annual Writers in the Library series features novelists, poets, and nonfiction writers from around the region and visiting writers at UT, reading from and discussing their work in the auditorium of the John C. Hodges Library. The 2016-17 schedule includes Christopher Hebert (Aug. 29); Leah Stewart (Sept. 19); Tawnysha Greene and Kristi Maxwell (Oct. 3); Angela Floury (Oct. 24); Bret Anthony Johnston (Nov. 7); Garrett Hongo (Nov. 15); Joy Harjo (Jan. 23); Austion Kodra and Linda Parsons Marion (Jan. 30); LeAnne Howe (Feb. 6); Ocean Vuong (Feb. 20); Maggie Shipstead (March 6); Kathering Smith and Tanque Jones (march 20); Bobby Caudle Rogers and Maria James-Thiaw (March 27); Manuel Gonzales (April 10); and graduate student award winners (April 17). Visit lib.utk.edu/writers/. • FREE Tuesday, Jan. 31 UNCOMMON STORIES: FLANNERY O’CONNOR’S SHORT FICTION • Lawson McGhee Public Library • 6:30PM • Weekly discussions of O’Connor’s stories led by O’Connor scholar and Pellissippi State writer-in-residence Edward Francisco. The schedule includes “Good Country People” (Jan. 10); “A Displaced Person” (Jan. 17); “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” (Jan. 24); and a concluding session on Jan. 31. Part of the Knox County Public Library’s Finding Flannery series of events in January.; • FREE
Friday, Feb. 10 LYDIA PEELLE: THE MIDNIGHT COOL REVUE • Union Ave Books • 5PM • Nashville based author Lydia Peelle will be celebrating the publication of her first novel The Midnight Cool with an appearance featuring music, mixed media and a reading. The Midnight Cool, set in Tennessee in 1916, features a haunting, richly told story of two flawed but endearing grifters who pursue women, wealth and mules. • FREE
CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS
Thursday, Jan. 26 GENTLE YOGA AND MEDITATION • Balanced You Studios • 12PM • Call 865-577-2021 or email yogaway249@gmail. com. Donations accepted. AARP DRIVE SAFETY SMART DRIVER COURSE • John T. O’Connor Senior Center • 12PM • Call (865) 382-5822. KNOXVILLE CAPOEIRA CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 6PM • $10 LOBBYING 101 • Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church • 6PM • Learn the basics of defending the LGBT community from state legislative attacks. • FREE 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 BELLY DANCE LEVELS 1 AND 2 • Knox Dance Worx • 8PM • Call (865) 898-2126 or email alexia@alexia-dance.com. • $12 GROOVEMENT DROP-IN DANCE CLASS FOR ALL BODIES • Broadway Academy of Performing Arts • 6PM • We start with a mild-movement warm up that also focuses on getting you destressed, focused, and mindful on the moment at hand. We then get in the groove—every night we learn something new and you never know what style we’ll take on, from lyrical to jazz to cabaret to hip hop to funk or whatever fusion we come up with. • $10 SEYMOUR FARMERS MARKET GARDENING CLASSES • Seymour Public Library • 7PM • Seymour Farmers Market will again be sponsoring a series of free gardening classes. These classes are fun and informative for both the novice and experienced gardener. Please contact Marjie Richardson at 865-453-0130. The schedule includes: planning a garden (Jan. 26); “It’s Soil, Not Dirt” (Feb. 2); improving your soil (March 2); and heirloom crops (April 6).;; • FREE BEGINNER ACROYOGA CLASS • Breezeway Yoga Studio • 7:30PM • Each class explores the foundations of the AcroYoga practice. We work closely with spotters, providing a safe and supported environment for newcomers to immerse themselves in the practice. Come and learn what it means to trust, to let go, to fly, and to play. No partner needed. • $15
Monday, Jan. 30 CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY CHAIR YOGA • Cancer Support Community • 1PM • Chair Yoga is one of the gentlest forms of yoga available. It incorporates yoga postures, breathing techniques, and ways of relaxation with the aid of a chair. This method of yoga is accessible to most everybody and builds strength while improving flexibility. RSVP. 865-546-4661. All Cancer Support Community programs are offered at no cost to individuals affected by cancer. GENTLE YOGA AND MEDITATION • Balanced You Studios • 6PM • Call 865-577-2021 or email yogaway249@gmail. com. Donations accepted. 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 REI COLD WEATHER CYCLING BASICS • REI • 6PM • Looking to extend your cycling season? Join REI experts as we share tips and tricks to keep you riding as the weather turns cold. Visit rei.com/stores/knoxville. • FREE Tuesday, Jan. 31 KNOX COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS: PRUNING 101 • Karns Community Center • 11AM • Join Master Gardener Marsha Lehman to learn the basic rules and techniques of pruning, along with the proper tools to use when pruning your favorite plants. Call 865-951-2653. • FREE GENTLE YOGA AND MEDITATION • Balanced You Studios • 12PM • Call 865-577-2021 or email yogaway249@gmail. com. Donations accepted. KNOXVILLE CAPOEIRA CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 6PM • 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, Feb. 1 CIRCLE MODERN DANCE OPEN LEVEL BALLET CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 6:30PM • Visit circlemoderndance.com. • $10 Thursday, Feb. 2 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 January 26, 2017
KNOXVILLE MERCURY 43
CALENDAR 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 • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 6PM • This class is an hour of student-led training and review of Capoeira skills and exercises. Come prepared to sweat. • $10 GROOVEMENT DROP-IN DANCE CLASS FOR ALL BODIES • Broadway Academy of Performing Arts • 6PM • $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 SEYMOUR FARMERS MARKET GARDENING CLASSES • Seymour Public Library • 7PM • Seymour Farmers Market will again be sponsoring a series of free gardening classes. These classes are fun and informative for both the novice and experienced gardener. Please contact Marjie Richardson at 865-453-0130. The schedule includes: planning a garden (Jan. 26); “It’s Soil, Not Dirt” (Feb. 2); improving your soil (March 2); and heirloom crops (April 6).;; • FREE BEGINNER ACROYOGA CLASS • Breezeway Yoga Studio • 7:30PM • Each class explores the foundations of the AcroYoga practice. We work closely with spotters, providing a safe and supported environment for
Thursday, Jan. 25 - Sunday, Feb. 12
newcomers to immerse themselves in the practice. Come and learn what it means to trust, to let go, to fly, and to play. No partner needed. • $15 BELLY DANCE LEVELS 1 AND 2 • Knox Dance Worx • 8PM • Call (865) 898-2126 or email alexia@alexia-dance.com. • $12 Saturday, Feb. 4 KNOX COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS: PRUNING 101 • Bearden Branch Public Library • 1:30PM • Join Master Gardener Marsha Lehman to learn the basic rules and techniques of pruning, along with the proper tools to use when pruning your favorite plants. 865- 588-8813 or web knoxlib.org. • FREE Sunday, Feb. 5 CIRCLE MODERN DANCE BALLET BARRE CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 1PM • Visit circlemoderndance.com. • $10 CIRCLE MODERN DANCE: MODERN DANCE FOUNDATIONS CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 2PM • Visit circlemoderndance.com. • $10 CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY MINDFULNESS-BASED STREET REDUCTION EIGHT-WEEK SERIES • Cancer Support Community • 4:30PM • This series is a systematic practice that involves focusing attention in the present moment in order to relax the body and calm the mind. 865-546-4661. All Cancer Support Community programs are offered at no cost to individuals affected by cancer. • FREE Monday, Feb. 6 HEART OF YOGA SERIES • Central Collective • 5:30PM •
February is National Heart Health Month and what better way to celebrate it then with yoga? Practicing yoga can help keep your heart healthy with its cardiovascular benefits. The Heart of Yoga will focus on all aspects of heart health. We will get our heart rate up with a moderately-paced vinyasa flow, reduce stress with breathing exercises, and cultivate love with a Pink Light meditation. You can purchase the series (4 classes) or drop in on individual sessions. • $15-$50 GENTLE YOGA AND MEDITATION • Balanced You Studios • 6PM • Call 865-577-2021 or email yogaway249@gmail. com. Donations accepted. 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
CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY: HEALING THROUGH ART • Cancer Support Community • 1PM • No experience necessary. Call 865-546-4661 for more info. All Cancer Support Community programs are offered at no cost to individuals affected by cancer. CIRCLE MODERN DANCE OPEN LEVEL BALLET CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 6:30PM • Visit circlemoderndance.com. • $10 CLIMBING FUNDAMENTALS • River Sports Outfitters • 6PM • Come learn the basics of climbing every second and fourth Wednesday of the month. Space is limited so call 865-673-4687 to reserve your spot now. Class fee $20. Visit riversportsoutfitters.com. • $20
Tuesday, Feb. 7 ARTS AND CULTURE ALLIANCE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ARTISTS’ SEMINARS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 12PM • Visit knoxalliance.com. • $5-$8 GENTLE YOGA AND MEDITATION • Balanced You Studios • 12PM • Call 865-577-2021 or email yogaway249@gmail. com. Donations accepted. KNOXVILLE CAPOEIRA CLASS • Emporium Center for Arts and Culture • 6PM • 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
Thursday, Jan. 26 WE READ YA BOOK CLUB • Lawson McGhee Public Library • 6PM • January’s book is “The Female of the Species” by Mindy McGinnis. Light refreshments will be provided. This is a free event, open to teachers, librarians, parents, young adults, and young adults “at-heart” who read YA and want to talk about it. • 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
Wednesday, Feb. 8
MEETINGS
! S T E K C I T N I W for Valentine’s Win a “Sweetheart Package” b. 17th performance Friday Fe To include: a pair of tickets to the arence Brown Theatre. Cl at of Outside Mullingar ANSWER TO WIN
How / where did you meet your love?
ry.com to contests@knoxmercuevent. er sw an the g din sen by to Enter tacted prior 2017. Winner will be con ry 6, Drawing will be Februa
will be notified in advance. ry from weekly submissions. Winners reside nt, 18 years of age or older, n at random by the Knoxville Mercuwhere prohibited. Must be a legal U.S. r has 24 hours to respond. *Disclaimer: Winners will be chosePURC Void Y. SSAR NECE HASE winne (1 Pair of tickets per winner.) NOyee, family member, or household member of a sponsor. Once notified, Suite 404, Knoxville, TN 37902. and not be a sponsor or an emplo er of entries received. Sponsor: Knoxville Mercury, 706 Walnut Ave., numb on d depen g winnin of Odds
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KNOXVILLE MERCURY January 26, 2017
CALENDAR Group (Thursday), and Reflections book study (Saturdays). Visit farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@ Farragutalanon.org. • FREE ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS/DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES • The Birdhouse • 6PM • Contact Laura at 706-621-2238 or lamohendricksll@gmail.com for more information or visit the international ACA website at adultchildren.org. • FREE 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 Friday, Jan. 27 UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE SCIENCE FORUM • Thompson-Boling Arena • 12PM • Visit scienceforum.utk.edu. • FREE Saturday, Dec. 28 AL-ANON • Faith Lutheran Church • 11AM • Visit farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@Farragutalanon. org. • FREE Sunday, Dec. 29 AL-ANON • Faith Lutheran Church • 5PM • Visit farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@Farragutalanon. org. • FREE Monday, Jan. 30 COMMUNITY DEFENSE WEEKLY MEETING • Tabernacle Baptist Church • 6PM • Are you facing criminal charges? Do you know someone who could use support with a criminal case? Community Defense of East Tennessee is a grassroots organization of community members who provide support for families and individuals facing charges in the criminal justice system. Contact us at communitydefenseET@gmail.com (865) 214-6546. • FREE KNOXVILLE MUSIC SCENE SOCIAL • Modern Studio • 6PM • Calling all Knoxville music makers. We want to gather all those involved in our city’s music scene for one afternoon of organizing, socializing and brainstorming on how we can improve our already awesome music community. Visit Facebook for more info. • FREE 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. Tuesday, Jan. 31 ATHEISTS SOCIETY OF KNOXVILLE • Don Gallo • 5:30PM • Visit meetup.com/KnoxvilleAtheists. • FREE AL-ANON • Faith Lutheran Church • 7PM • Visit farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@Farragutalanon. org. • FREE THREE RIVERS! EARTH FIRST! • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 8PM • Call (865) 257-4029 for more information. • FREE Wednesday, Feb. 1 AL-ANON • Faith Lutheran Church • 11AM • Visit farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@Farragutalanon. org. • FREE Thursday, Feb. 2 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. Call 865-546-4661 for more info. All
JAN
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ARD ENTS BO
US EV
CAMP
Cancer Support Community programs are offered at no cost to individuals affected by cancer. 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. AL-ANON • Faith Lutheran Church • 6PM • Visit farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@Farragutalanon. org. • FREE ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS/DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES • The Birdhouse • 6PM • FREE KNOXVILLE WRITERS’ GUILD • Central United Methodist Church • 7PM • Additional information about KWG can be found at KnoxvilleWritersGuild.org. KNOXDEVS QUARTERLY MEETUP • Knoxville Museum of Art • 7PM • This is a technology-neutral meeting intended to bring together Knoxville area software developers of all skill levels under one roof to network and learn. Whether you’re a student or a senior specialist, come get inspired, build some new relationships, and help make an impact in the local software development community. • FREE
7:30
PM
DOORS OPEN AT 7PM
COX AUDITORIUM ALUMNI MEMORIAL BUILDING
Friday, Feb. 3 UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE SCIENCE FORUM • Thompson-Boling Arena • 12PM • Visit scienceforum.utk.edu.; • FREE Saturday, Feb. 4 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. Members of several denominations as well as followers of other faiths come from all over East Tennessee to attend. Visit sosknoxville.org. • FREE AL-ANON • Faith Lutheran Church • 11AM • Visit farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@Farragutalanon. org. • FREE Sunday, Feb. 5 AL-ANON • Faith Lutheran Church • 5PM • Visit farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@Farragutalanon. org. • FREE Monday, Feb. 6 COMMUNITY DEFENSE WEEKLY MEETING • Tabernacle Baptist Church • 6PM • Contact us at communitydefenseET@gmail.com (865) 214-6546. • FREE GAY MEN’S DISCUSSION GROUP • Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church • 7:30PM • Visit gaygroupknoxville.org.
A DANCE + FILM+ LIVE PRODUCTION COMPANY
Seen on Season 8 of
HAMMERSTEP THE NEXT STEP IN DANCE
Tuesday, Feb. 7 ATHEISTS SOCIETY OF KNOXVILLE • Don Gallo • 5:30PM • Visit meetup.com/KnoxvilleAtheists. • FREE AL-ANON • Faith Lutheran Church • 7PM • Visit farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@Farragutalanon. org. • FREE THREE RIVERS! EARTH FIRST! • Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria • 8PM • Call (865) 257-4029 for more information. • FREE Wednesday, Feb. 8 AL-ANON • Faith Lutheran Church • 11AM • Visit farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@Farragutalanon. org. • FREE Thursday, Feb. 9 AL-ANON • Faith Lutheran Church • 6PM • Visit farragutalanon.org or email FindHope@Farragutalanon.
HAMMERSTEP IS CHALLENGING THE WAY DANCE AND MOVEMENT ARE PRESENTED. COMBINING HIP HOP, IRISH, AFRICAN STEPPING, AND MARTIAL ARTS, THEIR PERFORMANCE FLOWS THROUGH A RANGE OF MEDIUMS.
TICKETS FREE (OPTED-IN UTK STUDENTS) $5 (GENERAL ADMISSION)
GO.UTK.EDU OR (865) 974-5455 FOR MORE INFORMATION January 26, 2017
KNOXVILLE MERCURY 45
CALENDAR org. • FREE ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS/DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES • The Birdhouse • 6PM • FREE 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
ETC.
Thursday, Jan. 26 PINTS FOR A PURPOSE • Little River Trading Co. (Maryville) • 5PM • Pints for a Purpose will be held every fourth Thursday of the month. It’s a win-win event—good company, a chance to win awesome prizes, and of course enjoyment of delicious New Belgium Brewing beer all in efforts to help out a wonderful community organization. • FREE THE GREEN TIE EVENT • The Square Room • 6PM • SEEED presents the Green Tie Event, a graduation celebration for the students of our Career Readiness Program! Not only will food and entertainment be provided, but also your very own Green Tie. That’s right, come tie-less because we are providing green ties for the men and flowers for the ladies. • $30 Friday, Jan. 27 ECHO HILL DINNER AND CONCERT • Erin Presbyterian Church • 6PM • The locally based literary arts journal Foundling House brings you a night of good food, great
Thursday, Jan. 25 - Sunday, Feb. 12
music, and splendid words, featuring artists Eric Peters, Ben Bannister, Bill Wolf, Janna Barber, and Adam Whipple, plus a surprise guest or two. Exquisite dinner by Sullivan’s of Knoxville. • $28 Saturday, Jan. 28 A NIGHT IN KNOX VEGAS • Knox Heritage • 6PM • See if Lady Luck is on your side as you test your skills at poker, roulette, and blackjack. The money is fake but the prizes are real. Quench your thirst with martinis, beer, wine, or other refreshing beverages. Delicous buffet dinner provided by Holly Hambright and Holly’s Gourmets Market. A whiskey tasting and Park City Cigar bar will add an extra touch of class to the evening. Proceeds benefit Positively Living and Project ACT. • $125 NOURISH KNOXVILLE WINTER FARMERS’ MARKET • Central United Methodist Church • 8AM • The Winter Farmers’ Market, held in the Historic 4th and Gill neighborhood, will host farm & food vendors selling pasture-raised meats, eggs, winter produce, honey, baked goods, artisan foods, and more. Outside, food trucks will be serving up lunch from locally sourced ingredients. Visit nourishknoxville.org. • FREE HENNA AND CHAI NIGHT • Central Collective • 3PM • Enjoy an afternoon with Indian delights. Enjoy a cup of authentic handmade chai. Then select one of our featured designs for a henna tattoo done in the traditional style on your hand. We will have a Bollywood feature playing as we enjoy the rich culture of India. Bring your friends and relish this out of country experience. • $25 Sunday, Jan. 29
DOGGIE SPEED DATING: MEET YOUR SOUL MUTT • Crafty Bastard Brewery • 2PM • Love is in the air and Valentine’s Day is upon us. Small Breed Rescue of East Tennessee has many eligible bachelors and bachelorettes who are single and ready to mingle. For every pint sold on that day, a dollar goes toward Small Breed Rescue of East TN, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to finding forever homes for displaced or abandoned small breed dogs. We are also dedicated to educating the public about pet overpopulation, the benefits of spaying/ neutering, and the horrors of puppymills. • FREE Tuesday, Jan. 31 KNOXWORX COMMUNITY JOB FAIR • Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church • 8AM • Knoxville Leadership Foundation’s KnoxWorx program will host a free community job fair. This year, KnoxWorx will be offering free curbside consulting sessions with industry experts. These sessions will allow job seekers to ask questions and seek advice from local HR experts to help them in their career search. Local employers and HR representatives will be on hand to accept resumes and answer questions.The 2016 KnoxWorx Fair had nearly seventy exhibitors and nearly 400 community members attended and 65% of employers reported scheduling second interviews with potential candidates. • FREE Friday, Feb. 3 DOGWOOD ARTS HOUSE AND GARDEN SHOW • Knoxville Convention Center • 10AM • The 2017 Dogwood Arts House and Garden Show provides visitors the chance to shop hundreds of retailers and manufacturers exhibiting
products, offering services and advice on interior design, home improvement, gardening, and more. • $10-$15 Saturday, Feb. 4 DOGWOOD ARTS HOUSE AND GARDEN SHOW • Knoxville Convention Center • 10AM • The 2017 Dogwood Arts House and Garden Show provides visitors the chance to shop hundreds of retailers and manufacturers exhibiting products, offering services and advice on interior design, home improvement, gardening, and more. • $10-$15 SCOTTISH COUNTRY DANCE • Boyd’s Jig and Reel • 4PM • Visit jigandreel.com. • FREE Sunday, Feb. 5 DOGWOOD ARTS HOUSE AND GARDEN SHOW • Knoxville Convention Center • 11AM • The 2017 Dogwood Arts House and Garden Show provides visitors the chance to shop hundreds of retailers and manufacturers exhibiting products, offering services and advice on interior design, home improvement, gardening, and more. • $10-$15 Thursday, Feb. 9 KNOXVILLE SQUARE DANCE • Laurel Theater • 8PM • Visit jubileearts.org. • $7 Saturday, Feb. 11 NOURISH KNOXVILLE WINTER FARMERS’ MARKET • Central United Methodist Church • 10AM • Visit nourishknoxville. org. • FREE
Send your events to calendar@knoxmercury.com
9th Annual Tune Junkie Weekend Fri. Feb. 3rd- Sun. Feb. 5th
A weekend of Irish music and fun featuring sessions, workshops & a concert!
GROVE THEATER - OAK RIDGE Friday: 6:30pm - Open House, Potluck & Session Saturday: 12-1:45pm - Workshops in Fiddle, Guitar, Song, Dance & More 2-4pm - Slow Session / Song Session 7-9:30pm - Celtic Music Concert 9:30pm - Session
BOYD’S JIG & REEL - KNOXVILLE Sunday: 1-4pm - Afternoon Session
Workshops $30 / Concert $15 / Both $40 Info / Register online at: www.tunejunkie.org tradknox@gmail.com
Sponsored by Traditional Irish Arts of Knoxville 46
KNOXVILLE MERCURY January 26, 2017
SOLUTION TO CRYPTOQUOTE
It astonishes us more each time we visit a non-english speaking nation to see how much they know of our country music and its stars. I do not believe language is a barrier where country music is concerned. — Roy Acuff
Source: Elizabeth Schlappi, Roy Acuff, the Smoky Mountain Boy (Gretna, LA. Pelican Publishing Co., Inc. 1978)
advertorial
A forum for local marketing pros to share their ideas.
Signals vs. Noise Reaching for mindshare in a busy world
I
f you are anything like me you suffer from media, content and decision fatigue. I’ve heard the average adult makes approximately 35,000 decisions a day. Think with me just about that various content mediums that we have today; multiple social media platforms, hundreds of TV channels, YouTube, Netflix, 24-hour news, AppleTV, audio books, satellite radio, internet radio, billboards, the web, music on hold, curated clothes shipped to us, Amazon Echos, smart everything’s for home, restaurants and retail concepts popping up everywhere, and the list goes on. Everywhere we turn we are face to face with some brand, product, service, content, thing or entertainment medium vying for our attention and dollars. As consumers, we are super saturated and this supersaturation has created a glut of “noise”, lots of things that are unimportant or uninteresting. The noise moves us to tune out and we stop paying attention. We are literally tired from all the inputs, stimulations and decisions we make daily. It’s no wonder that a Google search on retreat centers produces 8.3M results, while searching Amazon Books for “mindfulness” produces over 21,000 results and the word “unplug” produces 352 results. For business owners, executives, sales teams, and marketers cutting through the noise and becoming a “signal,” those very important or interesting things, is the greatest challenge we face. How do we capture mindshare in a world where it is becoming noisier and noisier
by the second? Here are some thoughts from what we’ve learned on developing signals that will drown out noise: Be Real: we don’t know who we can trust any more so the companies, brands, and people who are real are the ones we are going to trust. Tell stories, let people in, own up to your mistakes, be accountable to what matters to not only your customer, but to your employees and the issues we face in the world today. Companies, brands and people who are real will be a signal. Be Trustworthy: literally be worthy of being trusted. The best definition I’ve heard for this was, “Do what you say you are going to do, but you can’t then be the one to say it.” Companies, brands, and people who are worthy of trust will be a signal. Hyper Focus: at Hard Knox it’s about Pizza, if we can’t be great at pizza nothing else matters and all of our efforts, including marketing are about that. At The IT Company it’s about Customer Happiness, and all of our
efforts, including marketing are about that. Too many brands are trying to do too many things, when you focus on one thing you can be the best at that. Companies, brands and people who focus will be a signal. There are a few other items I could add to this list, but these three have been vital to us. Some noise will get attention, but not like a signal. I bet you are as tired of the noise as I am. As you turn through the Mercury pick out the signals you see. PAUL SPONCIA has been an entrepreneur in Knoxville for 20 years. He, along with his wife, have launched, acquired, sold and operated multiple business interests in town. Currently they are involved in Hard Knox Pizza, The IT Company and M6 Strength and Conditioning, as well as co-founding a local nonprofit Live.Love.Hope.
These columns do not represent the opinions of the Knoxville Mercury. January 26, 2017
KNOXVILLE MERCURY 47
Upcoming Events! Friday, Feb. 10, 6 p.m. Booksigning with Lydia Peelle who will read from her new novel, The Midnight Cool. Ketch Secor of The Old Crow Medicine Show will provide musical accompaniment. a loc ally-o wn ed, i nd epe nden tlyo per ated p har macy & so da foun tai n in the hear t of d ow nto w n.
Dine. Shop. Play.
Downtown & Market Square
Wednesday, Feb. 15, 6 p.m. The Southern Writers Reading Group will discuss Strange as This Weather Has Been by Ann Pancake. which tells the story of a coal mining family living through the latest mining boom and dealing with the mountaintop removal and strip mining that is ruining what is left of their mountain life.
Friday, February 17, 6 p.m. Booksigning with Tracee de Hahn who will read from her debut mystery, Swiss Vendetta. Swiss Vendetta is an emotionally complex, brilliantly plotted mystery set against the beautiful but harsh backdrop of a Swiss winter.
Union Ave Books 517 Union Ave Knoxville, TN 37902 865.951.2180 www.unionavebooks.com
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KNOXVILLE MERCURY January 26, 2017
41 8 South Gay Street Knoxville, TN 37902 9 02
No. 865.692.1603
THIS SPACE BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
JOIN US IN SUPPORTING THE KNOXVILLE MERCURY! 12 MARKET SQUARE 7240 KINGSTON PIKE #172 KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE 37902 KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE 37919 865-637-4067 865-584-1075 theTomatoHead.com
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COME IN & ENJOY OUR REMODELED DINING AREA LUNCH & DINNER Mon-Sat 11am-9pm CATERING AVAILABLE
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yassin’s falafel house January 26, 2017
KNOXVILLE MERCURY 49
OUTDOORS
Voice in the Wilder ness
Photos by Kim Trevathan
Frozen at Frozen Head A study in camping contrasts BY KIM TREVATHAN
O
ne of my students boiled down the definition of “wilderness” to this: a place outdoors that makes you feel free. Camping in the wilderness, particularly in winter, is about as free as you can get. And driving past a prison lined with razor wire (Morgan County Correctional Complex) on the way to your campsite at Frozen Head State Park will make you feel even freer. Preparing for a camping trip, on the other hand, brings out my neuroses. The day before, I loaded my car with every camping implement I own, and two of some things. Accompanying me was novelist Charles Dodd White, whose idea it was to try out Frozen Head. I was eager to impress him with all of my gear, so the hatchback was so full I could barely see out the back. I hoped that Charles’ gear would fit; if not, I’d tie it on top. He came out of his house with a backpack. Nothing else. And he had
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KNOXVILLE MERCURY January 26, 2017
volunteered to cook dinner. I did not ask what was for dinner, fearing the answer. When you’ve camped with someone for a while, you sort of know who is going to bring what and who is cooking, starting the fire, driving and so on. Charles and I had never been camping together. We got to the visitor center around 2 p.m., paid our camping fee ($23), bought a map and a couple of bundles of wood because it is forbidden to bring your own wood to the state park from outside of Morgan County. The campground proper was closed for the winter, but there were primitive sites (fire ring and picnic table) along Flat Fork Creek, and since it was late December, only two other campsites were occupied, each one a hundred yards away from us. Charles produced a huge tent from his backpack and popped it up while I was struggling with a ground tarp and my smaller tent and rain fly.
Rain was coming later, but now the sun was shining and quite a few people were hiking up and down the steep terrain of Frozen Head on one of the 18 trails. I joked that I only had three of the 10 steel pegs my tent came with, and what did it matter anyway, pegging down the rain flap to fastidiously separate it from the tent. Freedom
was not about fastidiousness. We were skeptical about the forecasts of thunderstorms anyway. We embarked upon a short hike up to DuPont Falls via Panther Branch Trail. I loaded up my backpack with camera, water, snack, voice recorder, bear spray, extra socks and A Golden Guide to Trees, and Charles went on ahead completely unencumbered. Empty handed. It gets dark early at Frozen Head, with the campground in a narrow valley between steep ridges, so as soon as we got back, we set about starting the fire with the wood bundles and the fallen wood that lay about. Starting and maintaining a fire is a team project, pretty much the entire point of camping for me. A little later, I would wonder aloud what person had invented campfires, and Charles
He came out of his house with a backpack. Nothing else. And he had volunteered to cook dinner. I did not ask what was for dinner, fearing the answer.
OUTDOORS town to trail
BUY ONE GET ONE FREE ON WINTER APPAREL *SOME IN-STORE RESTRICTIONS
UNCLE LEM’S MOUNTAIN OUTFITTERS would declare that they had always existed, that humans had always stared into fires. As the night wore on, our wood bundles dwindled and we gathered sticks and boughs in a broader and broader radius. The air got frostier and a little breezy. At some point, dinner was served. Charles had earlier skinned the bark off a stick and did not put it into the fire. Now, he unwrapped a package of two ribeyes, folded one, and stabbed it with the stick. “How do you like yours done?” He tossed a round loaf of peasant bread at me and told me to tear off the bread part of my steak sandwich. I found a baggie of salt in my duffle of cooking supplies and we were set. I would say if this dinner was below standards, and I have had some good campsite dinners, prepared a few times by people who were getting paid to do such things. This steak with salt nested within grocery store bakery bread was among the best meals I’ve ever had in camp, and certainly the best meal I’ve ever had that was cooked upon a stick that a fiction writer found on the ground. Around 10, it began to rain and we retired to our tents to let the fire sizzle out. I had brought a couple of books, so I turned on my headlamp and read, cozy in my sleeping bag as the rain went tap-tapping. Best
American Short Stories put me to sleep around midnight. Around 3:30 a.m. I woke up with a bad feeling. The rain had stopped, but my bad feeling came from the chill I was receiving from a wet sleeping pad and a wet parka I was using as my pillow. There were small puddles around the perimeter of my tent floor. I got a towel from the car and swabbed as best I could, but by 6:30 a.m., after the wind came up, I gave up on getting warm and got into the car and turned on the heater. I woke up Charles, who was probably afraid I was about to leave, and he joined me in the car to wait for daylight so we could break camp in a civilized fashion. Frozen Head recommendations: 1. Go into the visitor center to see the rattlesnake and the albino squirrel on display. 2. Take the interpretive loop off Old Mac Trail and look for a friendly barred owl across Judge Branch. 3. Buy three bundles of firewood 4. Peg your rain flap fastidiously so that it sheds water away from the tent proper and doesn’t seep inside and ruin your book. There are 10 backcountry sites that are free but require reservations. Overall, Frozen Head is a great place to winter camp, in the narrow valley somewhat protected from the weather. This time, with my faulty tent raising, I was glad to be car camping. ◆
9715 Kingston Pike Knoxville, TN 37922 865-357-8566 - unclelems.com Coming soon to Sevier Ave. in South Knoxville
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January 26, 2017
KNOXVILLE MERCURY 51
DRINK
Sips & Shot s
Still Waiting Stanton Webster’s second shot at a Knoxville distillery: Post Modern Spirits BY ROSE KENNEDY
“G
some sales and the co-operations manager honors along with Eric McNew. Webster’s the kind of guy who can say “we took a lot of time really honing the business plan to make sure we can get started legitimately and functionally” in one breath, and marvel at mezcal with the next. “I’m really into anything with mezcal now,” he says. “I love that kind of smoky, spicy take on tequila. Use it in place of tequila or whiskey in cocktails and it would be really, really tasty.” He’s so pumped about all things Knoxville distillery, he’s willing to make the radical claim that Knoxville
Still. “Let’s start making spirits!” is not something you do on a whim in East Tennessee. The process that the partners hope results in 4,000 square feet of bottle sales, tastings, and tours absolutely must begin with federal-level approvals that will conclude on a “who knows?” timeline. “That’s the catch-22 of starting a distillery,” Webster says. “There’s no legal amount you can home distill. Unlike beer or wine, you can’t make a small batch at home legally to practice.” But running the maze a second time doesn’t seem to worry the irrepressible Webster, who will do
Photos by Tricia Bateman
ood at waiting” should be at the top of Stanton Webster’s resume. After about 16 months as operations manager for Knoxville’s first distillery, Knox Whiskey Works, he’s sold his share and moved on to help four other co-owners start Knoxville’s second distillery. This one is called Post Modern Spirits and is an Old City stone’s throw from KWW at 205 West Jackson Avenue in the historic Jackson Terminal. It won’t be as closely tied to whiskey as KWW, so there won’t be the requisite two years aging for whiskey releases.
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KNOXVILLE MERCURY January 26, 2017
now has an established cocktail culture: a knowledgeable fan base. “Definitely,” he says. “You look around and there are places doing great, great cocktails. They’re even starting to incorporate them into regional chain restaurants. They’re squeezing fresh juices, featuring smaller batch brands and different spirits—dedicating some space on the menu for cocktails.” The public is driving the trend. “Both bartenders and cocktail drinkers in this area have gotten collectively smarter about the spirits and the options,” he says. “The base knowledge about ingredients and brands and cocktails that people are walking around with is much broader than it was five or 10 years ago. Bartenders are getting requests for things like Boulevardier and Negronis and for drinks with previously mysterious ingredients. These days people come into the bar already knowing about these things.” The time is right for this distillery, says Webster, even if it doesn’t launch until we’ve seen more of what a Trump presidency will do to the local, regional, and national economy. Solace or celebration, a distillery From left, Eric McNew and Stanton Webster have begun the lengthy process of starting up a new distillery: Post Modern Spirits in the Old City’s historic Jackson Terminal.
Sips & Shot s
DRINK
“If you’re not willing to do the hard work, distilling is not for you. It starts out just like any other small business, and you’ve got to be willing to jump in and do as much as you can.” —STANTON WEBSTER
is a great business in turbulent political times. “Isn’t that what they say?” Stanton Webster asks—confident, but not gloating. “That the liquor industry is recession proof? We get them on either side of the issue, celebrating or unhappy.” Webster’s a farm boy. That affects his entire outlook on making spirits, looking back and moving forward, but not in the Footloose fashion. “My interest in spirits ties back into a rural upbringing,” he says. “During Prohibition you had distilleries on almost every farm; spirits were looked on as a value-added product.” He studied agriculture at the University of Tennessee beginning in 1994 and still would like to link the distilling business to include regional family farms. Oh, not to the point of re-establishing the still behind the barn, but more as growers for key ingredients. “Wouldn’t it be nice if we could get that back? There is so much agricultural land ripe for growing corn and grains that could work really well for Tennessee distilleries. And the orchards. Their produce could be a really interesting avenue for brewers, wineries, and cideries and really help our sustainability.” Mostly, though, the impact of growing up on a beef cattle and tobacco farm in Chestnut Mound, Tenn. prepared Webster for the hard work that goes with a distillery. “If you’re not willing to do the hard work, distilling is not for you,” he
says. “It starts out just like any other small business, and you’ve got to be willing to jump in and do as much as you can.” And you have to know how to wait. ◆
“ It’s fun to get together and have something to
eat at least once a day. That’s what human life is all about- enjoying things. ” – julia child
Concoctions STANTON WEBSTER’S TROUBLE OVER ME Webster is a genial and enthusiastic mixologist, most recently for the tasting room at Knox Whiskey Works and in featured posts on the Bar Notes blog, where his handle is Suttree Sam. Currently he says he’s been enjoying anything that uses good, bitter flavors, like this Trouble Over Me he says he created in a brooding moment. In the recipe he notes: “I was rather surprised by Los Nahuales Mezcal Reposado. The mesquite smokiness is full and rich, the light touch of oak helps tame the beast. I was vaguely reminded of peaty Scotch, and then this Rusty Nail variation happened.”
BUY LOCAL or
BYE, LOCAL Support the local economy by spending your dollars with Knoxville businesses.
2 oz Los Nahuales Mezcal Reposado 1/2 oz Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey 2 dashes orange bitters 1 sugar cube Orange twist Chill cup. Melt sugar cube with bitters. Add Mezcal, Tennessee Honey, and ice. Stir. Strain into chilled cup.
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January 26, 2017
KNOXVILLE MERCURY 53
’BYE
Sacred & P rofane
Angelic Ministries An unexpected visit on a not so merry holiday BY DONNA JOHNSON
O
utside my window, the rain seems to be hurled by the fists of angry gods rather than falling from the heavens. My dog, Mallory, opens one eye from where she is curled up on the couch, as if to say, “When is it ever going to end?” In the apartment above me, people are waking, showering, feeding themselves and each other. Their 3-year-old child, Anastasia, wakes up and begins her relentless running up and down. When this family moved in above me from the rescue mission and I heard a child running and screeching in glee at being in a new home, I thought to myself: Oh, my God, this is beyond my endurance. I will have to move! But now that I have become acquainted with this curly-headed bundle of joy, the patter of her tiny feet inspire hope when there seems to be none otherwise. With my ex-husband in jail because of a series of mishaps caused primarily by alcohol, it is not a good season for either of us, and I sit listening to the rain, wondering how a love so tender and divine could have become such a battlefield. With our fists raised and our faces gnarled in
distress and rage, I recognized neither of us when we fought. Can my beloved hear the rain in his jail cell? Does he even have a window to peer out of at the gray sky? If the season is not happy, joyous, and free for me, I cannot begin to imagine what it is like for him inside a barren cell. In the midst of gloom, there comes an energetic knocking at my door, which gives Mallory hope of a more interesting day; she begins circling the room and barking in anticipation of a rescue from my boring self. Me too. At the door stand two dark gypsies, for all the world like twins, eyes shining. “Merry Christmas!” they cry. And I reply, “What’s merry about it?” Pandora is wearing a swirling skirt with bright birds on it and a crocheted shawl. Anthony sports a black tuxedo jacket, black trousers with gray stripes, and black patent-leather shoes. They are carrying a dish with a silver top, which Pandora opens with a flourish. “Voila!” she says, and there on an elegant dish are eggs Benedict, thin slices of prosciutto, and pieces of
BY MATTHEW FOLTZ-GRAY
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KNOXVILLE MERCURY January 26, 2017
pineapple, alongside of which are yellow and purple pansies. They push me gently onto the couch and begin to serve me. Anthony pops open a bottle of champagne and pours it into crystal glasses. “A toast to…” He pauses, and Pandora giggles. “The everlasting exuberance of life,” I shout, beginning to feel the joy they have brought me despite myself. We clink glasses and drink, and the rain begins to stop, leaving only a drip, drip against the window pane. I think of all the mean things I said to my husband that caused him to turn on me, that in turn caused a scuffle that resulted in him being in jail. I wonder if he will ever speak to me again, or I to him. I remember the things I have learned in my spiritual group, A Course in Miracles, which is all about forgiveness and love and experiencing the shifts in consciousness that allows one to do that. I cannot say what my husband will do, but I forgive
him on the spot. My gypsy friends are smiling at me and I wonder if they might have cast a beneficent spell over me that allows me to do what I could not do on my own. Pandora points out the window at the wall of the house across the alleyway. “What?” Anthony and I ask in unison. There on the wall, reflected from one of my Christmas decorations, is a perfect star created by light. Pure light. Which is the essence of everything that is good on the planet. I bow my head in gratitude for such a sign of pure love. Without speaking, Pandora and Anthony and I say a silent prayer and a request for my husband’s release— as the star across the way begins to dance. ◆ Donna Johnson describes herself as a person who thrives on breaking the rules other people have made while also creating rules for herself that do make sense.
In the midst of gloom, there comes an energetic knocking at my door, which gives Mallory hope of a more interesting day.
’BYE BY IAN BLACKBURN AND JACK NEELY
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January 26, 2017
KNOXVILLE MERCURY 55
A champion never rests on his laurels.
Expanded Seating . Table Service 14 Craft Beers On Tap . Same Award Winning Food Come See The New & Improved Hard Knox Pizzeria Reopening January 28th