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Boys & Girls Club Making a Difference in Central Georgia
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MACON’S “KING OF COCAINE”
GRANTED CLEMENCY THIS IS THE STORY OF JERRY ANDERSON FEBRUARY 16 AT THE CITY AUDITORIUM
THE INTERVIEW
MACON NATIVE - CONDUCTOR - MUSICAL POWERHOUSE
NATIVE
VINCE RODERICK
GILL COX
ENJOY RESPONSIBLY © 2016 Anheuser-Busch, Bud Light® Beer, St. Louis, MO CBL
Go See Do
H A P P E N I N G S, LO C A L S & R E G I O N A L I N S I G H T S The NY Times raves Let It Be is “By far the best Beatles tribute show yet!” Direct from Liverpool, get your Beatles on Wed., Feb. 15 at The Grand.
Friday, Feb 3 BENEFIT CONCERT Macon Civic Club Musical Revue
CONTACT US
This year, the Macon Civic Club invites you to ‘forget all your troubles, forget all your cares’ and come to their annual musical revue “Downtown!” Macon boasts a vital downtown. This year’s show will be filled with singing, dancing, and laughter that echoes the energy of downtown Macon. The show will entertain you with a little country, a little rock ‘n’ roll, some Broadway, some pop, and of course some good ole southern rock….all performed by very brave local professionals who put it all out on the stage for you! This is all to benefit local charities right here in central Georgia! You won’t want to miss “Downtown” playing February 1-4 at the Grand Opera House! Reserve your seats at the Grand Box Office or visit Macon Civic Club.com
MUSIC Mercer Wind Ensemble
The second edition of “Mad About Chamber Music”. The performance begins at 7:30 pm in Neva Langley Fickling Hall at the McCorkle Music Building on Mercer’s Campus and admission is free.
BENEFIT ReNew & Brew presented by Goodwill Industries
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7-11 p.m. Join us for the Fourth Annual Goodwill reNew & Brew! A new Augusta-area favorite, this event features craft beer samplings from some of the Southeast’s best breweries, heavy hors d’oeuvres prepared by Helms College students and faculty chefs, live music, and a silent auction of Goodwill Retail Store items transformed into one-of-a-kind pieces by local artists, decorators and designers! Tickets and sponsorships are available, by calling 706-650-5760, at or online at www.goodwillworks.org/ renewandbrew. 5171 Eisenhower
THEATRE Macon Little Theatre presents “A Higher Place in Heaven” Feb 3-12
Pamela Parker’s play Second Samuel 04 FEB. 3-17, 2017
was a popular hit last season with MLT audiences. The themes of love and acceptance continue in its prequel, A Higher Place in Heaven. Comedy/drama. All shows start at 8:00 PM except Sunday Matinees which start at 2:30 PM. Call the box office 478-471-PLAY to reserve your seat. Adults: $20, Seniors (60+):$15, Students (up to 23) $10
Saturday, Feb 4 SPORTS Mercer Men’s Basketball
4:30 p.m. vs. Wofford. Hawkins Arena. $8 general admission. Tickets. mercer.edu
Sunday, Feb 5 SPORTS The Big Game! Super Bowl on the big screen at Cox Capitol Theatre
Rise up Falcons! Kick-off 6:30 p.m. on the 30’ screen. A limited menu from El Camino, drink specials, and a raffle with some sweet prizes! 382 Second Street
Monday, Feb 6 MUSIC Mercer’s Fabian Concert Series Presents Ehnes Quartet
Featuring James Ehnes, violin; Amy Schwartz Moretti, violin; Richard O’Neill, viola; Edward Arron, cello. World class musicians in Macon, GA! Hailed as ‘an important new force in the chamber music arena’ with a ‘dream-team line-up’ (Strings magazine), and fresh off a triumphant tour of South Korea, the Ehnes Quartet brings its power, poise and passion to Fickling in a return engagement. 7:30 p.m. Neva Langley Fickling Hall in the McCorkle Music Building. Tickets are $15 per person. Pay at the door, or to reserve seats by phone, call (478) 301-5470.
Tuesday, Feb 7
THEATRE The Grand’s Broadway Series Presents “42nd Street”
Feb. 7-8 at 7:30 p.m. The nationally-touring backstage musical comedy classic, 42nd Street is the song and dance fable of Broadway with an American Dream story and includes some of the greatest 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.” Tickets $62 and up. TheGrandMacon.com
Thursday, Feb 9 BENEFIT The Boys and Girls Club of Central Georgia Youth of the Year Celebration and Dinner
6:30pm, at the Anderson Conference Center. Maconites Bobby Pope and Zelma Redding will be inducted into The Boys and Girls Clubs Hall of Fame. Ms. Redding and Mr. Pope will be recognized for their contribution to the Boys & Girls Clubs, and commitment to the youth of Central Georgia. In addition, we will celebrate three high school students who have blossomed under the Boys & Girls Clubs’ direction. Our 2017 Youth of the Year winner announced at the event will receive a scholarship and will go on to compete in the state-wide. Coach Bill Curry will deliver the keynote address and actor Gregory Alan Williams host the event. The $50 ticket includes dinner, drinks and wonderful guest speakers for a very worthy cause. To register, visit www.bgccg.org.
Saturday, Feb 11 FOOD/DRINK Macon Beer Company Tour & Tasting The Macon Beer Company will have their Second Saturday Brewery Tour and Tasting event from 1-6. Tickets are $12 and will include a tour, 6 tasting tickets, and a souvenir pint glass that lets you taste your way through the brewery and savor some of the most popular selections. Tickets can be purchased at www.maconbeercompany.com
Thursday, Feb 16 THEATRE Mercer Theatre Presents “11x10!” An
FAMILY FUN Discover the Dinosaurs at Georgia National Fairgrounds
Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Venture back to a time when the dinosaurs roamed the earth at the ALL NEW Discover the Dinosaurs UNLEASHED! Experience up-close encounters with a lifelike Stegosaurus, Velociraptor and the king T-Rex in this thrilling walkthrough exhibit. Kids can also meet a baby Apatosaurus, take an exciting spin in the Jurassic Jeeps at the Dino Raceway and visit the Kids Adventure Zone filled with themed bouncy houses, crafts, face painting and more. Parents and kids can test their skills playing an all-new mini golf course, become junior paleontologists while completing the scavenger hunt as they explore the exhibit and dig for fossils in the Valley of the Bones. It’s family fun of prehistoric proportions! Admission $15.
Sunday, Feb 12 MOVIE SCREENING Roman Holiday at The Grand Opera House
2:30 p.m. matinee; 7:30 p.m. Watch this 1953 classic on the big screen at Macon’s historic Grand Opera House. A bored and sheltered princess escapes her guardians and falls in love with an American newsman in Rome. Stars: Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn. General admission to the film is $5. Full bar and light concession available.
CONCERT R. Kelly at the Macon Coliseum
Three-time Grammy winner R. Kelly will be performing at the Macon Coliseum on Sunday, February 12. R. Kelly makes music of epic proportions. After 18 years of stardom, the multi-instrumentalist, producer and vocalist continues to forge an artistic path that caters to fantasy and captures the hearts of adoring fans, which is in essence, how an artist sells over 50 million records worldwide, and wears the crown of a king. Tickets start at $38. www. ticketmaster.com
Wed, Feb 15 CONCERT Let It Be: A Celebration of the Music of The Beatles The New York Times raves Let It Be
is “By far the best Beatles Tribute show yet!” Direct from London’s West End and Broadway, the international hit show “Let It Be” has been seen by over 2 million people worldwide and is introducing a brand new show for the 2017 touring season! The end of The Beatles era was never thought to be in sight when The Beatles played their last show on the roof of Apple Offices in 1969. Imagine what would have been if The Beatles continued their journey. Enter a times capsule and turn back in time to what would have been John Lennon’s 40th Birthday - October 9, 1980. For one night, the fab four come together again on stage after a decade apart performing other hits like Back in the USSR, Live and Let Die, Got to Get you into My Life, My Sweet Lord, Hey Jude, & many more hits you never got to see performed live, on top of many other classics! — Imagine a night that never happened, but which feels so surreal! For more information, visit TheGrandMacon.com. Tickets start at $47.50.
exciting evening of selected ten minute works from the Actor’s Theatre of Louisville’s famous enough Ten Minute Play Festival. Produced and presented by the Mercer Players, there’s laughs, tears, smiles...a little of everything in this fast-paced, exciting evening of theatre! February 16, 17, 18 at 7:30 pm, February 19 at 2:30 pm Advance ticket purchase is recommended, but tickets will also be available at the door. Tattnall Square Center for the Arts, 1096 College St. $15 general admission, $10 with Mercer I.D. tickets.mercer.edu.
Friday, Feb 17 THEATRE Theatre Macon presents “The Constant Wife” Feb. 17-26 Maugham’s popular comedy of
modern manners espouses that so long as a wife is supported by her husband she must remain faithful, but when the tables are turned freedom becomes the currency with which both must pay. (478) 746-9485
Sunday, Feb 19 CONCERT Justin Hayward, voice of The Moody Blues
Legendary singer-songwriter Justin Hayward is on tour in support of his latest album release All The Way. Justin will be performing new songs from the album as well as Moody Blues favorites when the tour makes a stop at The Grand Opera House, 7:30 p.m. As the driving force behind The Moody Blues, Justin penned classics like Nights in White Satin, New Horizons and Your Wildest Dreams, which peaked at number nine on the charts, combining progressive-rock power with symphonic romanticism. Reserved tickets priced at $58.50, $48.50 and $46 will be available at the Grand Opera House Box Office located at 651 Mulberry Street in downtown Macon or by calling 478.301.5470.
Ongoing FOR THE KIDS Crayons and Cookies
4-5 p.m. After school program for kids up to age 12, featuring artist created coloring pages by Heidi Clinite and cookies. All materials provided. $10 per session. $7 for additional siblings. The Ampersand Guild.
Storytime at Washingtom Memorial Library
Toddler time Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. All ages Thursdays and Saturdays at 10:30 a.m.
Adult and kids art classes
Kids pottery and after-school art classes; adult portfolio, sequential art and more. The Creative Alternative, 262 Riley Ave. 474-8457
TOURS Rock Candy Tours
Rock Candy Tours offers Macon music history walking tours every Friday and Saturday plus a variety of private tour opportunities. The Free Birds & Night Owls tour begins at The Rookery at 543 Cherry St. and ends at Grant’s Lounge at 576 Poplar St. where guests of the tour are allowed free entrance to the club to enjoy a drink, see Grant’s Lounge’s renowned Wall of Fame, and potentially great live music. The cost of this tour is $10.00 per person and guests are allowed to carry open containers in approved cups purchased from one of downtown Macon’s many restaurants or clubs. For reservations call 478.955.5997.
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Random Notes
THE LIST
T H I S & T H AT C O M P I L E D BY H A N N A H J E T T M O O R E
HARP & BOWL NOW OPEN ON FIRST FRIDAYS WITH HEALTHY HANGOVER SOLUTION
If you have yet to hear The Creek 100.9 rave about this little healthy, culinary bistro, or have yet to check this place out for yourself, wait no longer. Harp and Bowl will now be open for First Fridays starting Feb. 3 from 5pm - 9pm. There will be a free shot of coconut kefir with any purchase! Young coconut kefir is a fermented drink made from water inside the young green coconut. Full of healthy microflora. Have a shot of kefir before you party. It counter acts the negative effects of alcohol, brain fog, head ache and dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and has a toning affect on the abdomen. Loaded with minerals and oxygen. Get your shot! (1st friday) FREE!
BRIDGING THE TRAIL
Thank you Leadership Macon class of 2016! Their class project, installing a bridge to finally connect the Ocmulgee Riverwalk between Amerson River Park and historic Riverside Cemetery was installed on Thursday. People will be able to walk, bike and tour the trails from Amerson all they way downtown, promoting connectivity, outdoor education and community health. This extension will complete roughly 13 miles of trails for both Maconites and tourists to enjoy with multiple access points. Leadership Macon 2016 volunteers are dedicating many hours of manpower to help clear the path through the currently wooded area between Amerson and Riverside Cemetery, making the trail pedestrian friendly, and are working to raise a substantial amount of funding to build and install a bridge, completing the trail. Over 100,000 people a year utilize the existing Ocmulgee Heritage Trail, and an estimated additional 100,000 people will use Amerson River Park after the completion of all projects.
WANT TO START A NEW BUSINESS? Mercer Innovation Center (MIC) and SparkMacon are partnering to offer Start-Up Land, a business development program that is free and open to the public, designed for aspiring entrepreneurs who find themselves in the space between an initial idea and an actual business. Registration is required and is available now at startuplandmacon. eventbrite.com. The program’s inaugural cohort will be limited to 20 participants. The Start-Up Land program, composed of a series of workshops based on the Start-Up Land print piece produced by the College Hill Alliance, begins Jan. 31. The Alliance sunset in 2015 after generating more than $200 million in investment in the College Hill Corridor, a 2-square-mile area between
ANDY CARTER
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Member of The Average Squad, Co-host of Autoholics Anonymous on The Creek 100.9
Top “average” car picks for 2017?
The Magnolia Soapbox Derby, in partnership with SparkMacon, and through the generosity of the Knight Foundation is proud to announce the first internal grant program for new and past derby participants. To apply for a 2017 grant, participants must be a new or returning team, and must commit to racing in the 2017 Magnolia Soap Box Derby April 8, 2017. All grant applications must be submitted online at www.magnoliaderby.com no later than Friday, February 10. The Magnolia Soap Box Derby Board will announce awards on February 14, with grant funds allocated as follows: NEW TEAM Build Grants: * Two (2) $400.00 winners to be used for 2017 Derby Car * Three (3) $300.00 winners to be used for 2017 Derby Car * Two (2) $150.00 winners to be used for 2017 Derby Car RETURNING TEAM Upgrade Grants: * Five (5) $100.00 winners to be used for 2017 Derby Car (Any returning team can apply and use the money for an upgrade to their car or an upgrade to their team’s morale.) “Capitalizing on the momentum of the national “makers-movement” and building on the legacy of the Magnolia Soapbox Derby, we are proud to be in a position to support innovation and engagement on a small scale,” said Chris Tsavatewa MSBD Race Chair “all while enabling people to contribute to – and take an active part in – the life of their community.” All submissions will be reviewed by a non-partisan committee, and Magnolia Soap Box Derby Board members are not eligible to apply for nor receive this grant. To Apply: Visit www.magnoliaderby. com, go to the Apply for an Awesome Grant!
Mercer University and Macon’s downtown business district. Participants in the program will meet twice a month through April as they are led through a hands-on business development experience. Workshops are scheduled for Feb. 7, Feb. 28, March 14, March 28, April 11 and April 25, each taking place from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Mercer Innovation Center. “We are very excited to launch this new program through the Mercer Innovation Center and look forward to motivating new entrepreneurs,” said Stephanie Howard, deputy director of the MIC. “By partnering with SparkMacon we are able to support a variety or makers and innovators, and support the entrepreneurial efforts of
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Macon-Bibb.” “This partnership will help bridge the gap between start-up entrepreneurs and local business resources, to help transform their business ideas into reality,” said Nadia Osman, director of SparkMacon. “The series will also reinforce our entrepreneurial ecosystem and add to our holistic approach to entrepreneurship, which begins with the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, a program that we partner with the MIC on already.” The series will culminate with a business showcase in May, where participants will pitch and/or present their new businesses.
1. Honda Civic Type R After twenty years of waiting since the Civic Type R was released in Japan, Honda fans are finally getting a chance to experience the magic in America. 2. Acura NSX The O.G. of reliable supercars is back and bringing a twin-turbo hybrid powerplant along for the ride.
3. Toyota CH-R With the recent death of the Scion brand, this funky futuristic hatchback/crossover will be Toyota’s entry into the highly competitive small crossover segment. 4. Toyota 86 The former Scion FR-S is reborn this year as the Toyota 86 with a restyling and slight power bump. It continues to be one of the only affordable traditional sports cars on the market. 5. Ford Mustang GT500 Not to be outdone in the ever-ridiculous domestic horsepower wars, Ford will continue to build on its incredible GT350 to create what will likely be one of the most rowdy muscle cars of our generation.
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STOREFRONT The Scene
OP-ED
What The Boys & Girls Club of Central Georgia Why Macon’s most complete youth development program
Boys & Girls Club of Central GA Youth Finalists
“Kids are by far stronger than adults,” says Kristine Steinmann, Vice President of Operations and Program Services at the Boys & Girls Club of Central Georgia. “Adults will give up on something in a heartbeat. If you give a kid a task, and you give them the right kind of encouragement, they won’t give up. They’ll keep going until they meet that goal.” Steinmann has been with the Boys & Girls Club for over 11 years now, and she’s seen a lot of evidence to support her statement. The organization has been active in central Georgia for over 80 years, going through a series of name and location changes and other shifts; this past year over 1400 local children were involved in the club’s six locations (five in Macon, one in Warner Robins). The Boys & Girls Club is “one of the most complete youth development programs,” says Steinmann – their mission is to enable young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens, and they reach those goals in a multifaceted way. Clubs are open each day after school from 3-7 pm – known as the most vulnerable hours for juvenile crime to occur because of the potential lack of parental supervision. (During the summer, clubs are open daily from 7:30 am – 6 pm.) At the club, there are snacks and food available so nobody goes hungry, there’s accountability in the form of staff members who take the time to know and interact positively with each kid, and there are a variety of programs designed to help with development and education in remarkably well-rounded ways. Academic help and tutoring is available, and there are courses designed to educate students in financial literacy, healthy lifestyle choices, leadership and community service, and so much more. Volunteers are on hand many days, teaching sessions on cool things like Lyricism 101 or coding. “A majority of these kids are from low income areas,” says Steinmann, “and we’re trying to give them access to info they might not otherwise get.” Rebecca Richard, who has recently been named BGC’s Vice President of Development and Marketing, is new to the Boys & Girls Club – prior to accepting this position,
she worked in Atlanta managing a nonprofit that helped Bobby Pope and Ms. Zelma Redding. Mr. Pope, former families in need with rent, utilities, food, transportation, athletic director at Mercer University, has for years hosted and shelter. “At that job, I learned that kids can’t do their a golf tournament fundraiser that benefits the BGC, and homework if the lights aren’t on at home,” Richard says. Ms. Redding, along with the Otis Redding Foundation, of“Wraparound services are so important, and I’m happy fers financial contributions to the BGC and partners with and excited to see the other side of this social service that them to sponsor children to attend the Otis Music Camp we can provide.” each summer. The Celebration will also The positive impact that these profeature special celebrity guests Coach Help support the Boys & Girls grams have on students’ lives is undeBill Curry and actor Gregory Allen WilClub by purchasing a ticket niable. According to a recent program liams. Tickets are $50 per person and into the first annual Youth of evaluation, 94% of Boys & Girls Club clude dinner; all proceeds go to the Boys after school program members moved & Girls Club. To purchase tickets, visit the Year Celebration and Hall ahead to their next grade level, and 95% www.bgccg.org. of Fame Induction on Feb. 9. completed all their daily homework asBGC is always looking for volunteers Tickets are $50 per person signments. Each year, the Boys & Girls to teach their talent or special interest and includes dinner, with all Club of Central Georgia selects several to kids in the after school programs; proceeds going to The Club. nominees for Youth of the Year – someof particular interest at the moment is one who has shown outstanding characsomeone with a background in photography to teach photography/photo ter, and who has dedicated themselves editing, and they’re also looking for adto academic and leadership success and ditional teachers for their Lyricism 101 overcome challenges at home and in the community – to receive a $1000 college scholarship and course. If you’re someone with experience rapping or domove on to compete in state, regional, and national Boys ing spoken word poetry, or someone who’s good behind & Girls Club Youth of the Year competitions for additional a camera, and you’d like to make a positive impact on the lives of kids in our community, get in touch with the Boys scholarship funds. This year, the Youth of the Year award winner will be & Girls Club of Central Georgia via their website or Faceannounced at the Youth of the Year Celebration and Hall book page. “Kids still feel like they can make a difference, of Fame Induction, held on Thursday, February 9 at 6:30 like they can own the world,” says Steinmann. “Helping pm at the Anderson Conference Center in Macon. This is them cultivate that passion and seeing them realize what the first year the Boys & Girls Club has had a Hall of Fame, a difference they actually CAN make, and what a big deal and its initial inductees are two Maconites who have con- that is – that’s just amazing, there’s nothing else like it.” tributed greatly to the youth of central Georgia – Mr. - Traci Burns 11thHourOnline.com 11
12 FEB. 3-17, 2017
NATIVE/NEW HAPPENINGS, LOCALS & REGIONAL INSIGHTS
Meet Roderick Cox Native Macon, GA Occupation Associate Conductor, Minnesota Orchestra
What do you think makes an excellent conductor? Well, I think no matter how much you study or read, you have to have an imagination for the music, and a wonderful sound concept. That gives you a vision of what you want the music to be. A great conductor has to be compassionate, work hard, and be good with people. You’re not making sound yourself, but I feel like you’re creating the atmosphere for the sound to flourish.
Roderick Cox is a stunningly accomplished,
laser-focused musical powerhouse; at age 29, after spending a year as assistant conductor for the Minnesota Orchestra, he was named their associate conductor. (Video footage of his energetic debut – which has been viewed over two and a half million times - can be found on the Minnesota Orchestra’s Facebook page.) This is only the latest achievement in a long list of accolades for the young conductor, who grew up here in Macon and had his innate musical talents nurtured by many in our community, foremost among them Zelma Redding and the Otis Redding Foundation. I recently had the chance to speak with Cox – he’s a thoughtful, thorough conversationalist, and he’s intensely committed to his art form and to working hard to be the best he can be at all times. It’ll be exciting to follow his career. Tell me about your background growing up in Macon. What inspired your passion for music? How’d you get where you are today? I’ve always said I feel like music just evolved throughout my life – I’ve always been a part of it. I was in band in elementary school and continued on through middle and high school. I wasn’t thinking much about a career in conducting, I just know I enjoyed making music with people and having a bunch of friends come together for one common goal – to produce great music and put on great performances. That’s my musical background in a nutshell. I want to be as good as I can at anything I pursue, so I practiced hard using the resources I had at the time. I started to think I wanted to go to college to pursue music further, to be a band director. In college you have to have your own instrument vs. using a school instrument, and I didn’t have the funds to buy a French horn, which can cost multiple thousands of dollars. I was a member of the Boys & Girls Club and was competing in their Youth of the Year competition, which taught me a lot about myself, and helped me with public speaking and engaging with others, and they were the ones who connected me with Zelma Redding as a person who would be interested in helping me further my musical endeavors. Zelma agreed to purchase a French horn for me under the stipulation that I sent my college transcripts to her every semester, so before the Otis Redding Foundation was even really established, I was the first person that they started to invest their time in. I was very excited, and now that I had my own professional model horn, there was no excuse for mediocrity. I could practice as much as I could and push myself because I had the equipment that would allow me to achieve my goals. At that point I went to Valdosta State University to pursue a degree in Music Education. My world continued to expand a bit more, and I discovered I needed to be somewhere else, so I transferred to Columbus State University’s Schwob School of Music when I was a junior. That was a higher level music school that helped me expand and evolve even more. I was taking some conducting courses there and doing independent studies in conducting, and I wanted to see the world a bit more, so that’s when the Otis Redding Foundation sponsored me to go study abroad in Oxford, England. I spent a summer honing my skills, writing, and learning lots of the music of Great Britain while also studying and playing the French horn. I pursued a degree in conducting at Northwestern University – at the time I thought I wanted to be a college professor. It was later in my first year that I decided I wanted to be an orchestral conductor, which was uncharted territory for me. One of my teachers, Victor Yampolsky, pushed me to pursue this. I knew I needed a bit more training from specialized teachers for this new corner I was turning, so I looked to the Otis Redding Foundation for some assistance that allowed me to go study at the International Conducting Workshop
in the Czech Republic with Larry Rachleff who teaches at Rice and Don Schleicher who teaches at the University of Illinois. This was fantastic – I got more exposure, and got to conduct my first orchestra, which was very beneficial. Once I graduated from Northwestern, the Otis Redding Foundation allowed me to conduct a free performance at their Evening of Respect, which was quite special because it was my first guest conducting opportunity outside of college. I then went on to win my audition and become Assistant Conductor at the Alabama Symphony, and I wanted to expand myself a little more and get a little more international exposure, so I was honored to be accepted to and compete in the Cadaques conducting competition in Spain. I needed help for that as well, and the Otis Redding Foundation was there for me. Their belief in me, that sort of exposure, that financial and emotional support really pushed me on my path and provided me with the resources I needed to excel and achieve. They set me on the way, and I’ve been able to do most of the rest on my own, but I always feel that they’re in my corner cheering me on, and I’m always appreciative when I can come back and let them know that. What a great relationship to have! Haven’t you been back to teach at the summer camp they have? How was that? It’s something to do in the summer, which is great, and it’s also great to figure out how to use my classical training to help young people who are aspiring to be musicians in a different part of the industry. I also enjoy making connections with staff members who come from other artistic backgrounds, whether they’re rap artists, or more drawn to country or operatic singing. If you’re a student going to this camp, you can figure out what your interests are and tap into a number of staff members who are on board to help you with almost any artistic form you want or need. Besides the French horn, what other instruments do you play? For me, I had to learn almost every instrument to do a good job. Mainly I did a number of studies in percussion and clarinet, but I did all my method courses and independent study in string instruments. I felt like that gave me a better understanding of all the people I’m working with in an orchestra.
The recent video clip of you from your opening night at the Minnesota Orchestra was lovely to watch – it’s fun to watch you onstage, and I’m not the only one who thinks so, based on the tons of comments I saw on the link. How is it for you to watch recordings of yourself after the fact? I’m very appreciative of the reactions I’ve gotten from that video – it surprised me, because when I first saw it I was just like, “This is what I do.” For me, when I look at it, I’m trying to figure out if I did everything correctly, what I could do better – as you continue to grow and get better, it becomes a bit more noisy. It’s very different from when you’re in college and you can focus on your music or your practicing and no one knows who you are yet. As you continue to grow – right now I’m sitting in a hotel in Miami looking out on the water, with a score on the bed, and I’m doing an interview. There are lots of things that can pull me in different directions, but I know I have work to do, I’m in Miami as a working trip and I must stay focused on being the artist that is expected of me. You have to cancel out a lot of the noise that’s out there. I check in every now and then to see comments, and I respond here and there, but for the most part I stay focused on the task at hand, remain humble, and continue to push myself. This is a very elusive profession, and it can be taken away at a moment’s notice, so you have to continue to invest in your art and make sure you’re continually growing as an artist. What would a layperson like myself be surprised to know about being a conductor? People may be surprised to know that it’s a very specialized field of work that requires an insane amount of hours. What you see on stage – that’s only ten percent of it. Ninety percent is the work that’s happened offstage, in a room by yourself working and practicing, or in a rehearsal with the orchestra, or reading and analyzing. Reading through some comments, people will say things like “maybe he’s just waving his arms!” [laughs] and that’s ok, that shows at least some curiosity about what exactly I do. For music to be made at such a high level, maybe it’s good that people don’t notice all the work that goes into it, so it doesn’t distract from the music, which is bigger than any one person. How do you like living in Minnesota? Minnesota is great. It has all four seasons, which can be wonderful. We have a beautiful summer, wonderful fall, crisp cold winter. The snow is beautiful when it’s fresh. There’s a vibrant arts community and very warm people – it’s a good place. People should come visit! So what do you see for yourself in the next five years? This profession changes like the wind, you can’t know where you’ll be in the next five months much less five years. Just two weeks ago I was preparing for my subscription concert with the Minnesota Orchestra, and today I’m trying to balance the media attention I’m getting – it really does change with the current. For me, I want to see myself continually getting better. I want to be happy with the work I’m putting out, and I want to continue to work with better orchestras and expand myself. I want to travel more, expand my brand and hopefully bring classical music to reach more and more people. 11thHourOnline.com 13
14 FEB. 3-17, 2017
F E AT U R E b y S TA C E Y N O RW O O D
Convicted Cocaine Kingpin Gets a Second Chance Fifty-nine year old Jerry Anderson is the convicted “King of Cocaine” who was recently granted clemency by President Barack Obama. In 1991 in Bibb County, he was sentenced to life with no opportunity for parole - the second most severe sentence in our nation - for nonviolent drug distribution. Under his ‘91 sentence, he would leave prison only upon his death, but if he were sentenced today under current law, he would be free today. Now, Anderson will have the chance to walk out of prison in 2020, if not sooner. This is his story. Heavy, they say, is the head that wears the crown. For Jerry Jerome Anderson, dubbed the “King of Cocaine” by Federal prosecutors 28 years ago in a Macon courtroom, Shakespeare’s famous words proved prophetic. In 1989, after a prolonged (and some say infuriatingly cat-and-mouse) game of gotcha between Anderson and local authorities, the suspected 32-year-old drug dealer became an accused drug kingpin. Just days after Christmas and prior to the start of a new year, the jig was finally up for the former star athlete of Central High School turned streetwise sovereign. That year, during a traffic stop, local lawmen discovered a significant cache of cocaine in the car Anderson was riding in as a passenger, and he and the driver were hauled unceremoniously away to jail. And there he has remained, in one cell or another, ever since. Anderson was quickly charged and after a 9-count indictment was entered in 1990, the father and husband was tried in Federal court on charges of cocaine and crack-cocaine trafficking, money laundering, and operating a “continuing criminal enterprise.” By 1991, Anderson had traded in the notoriety he had gained among fans and friends in high school on the football field as fleet-of-foot #33 for a new kind of number. With the pound of the gavel and thudding clink of prison bars no doubt still ringing in his ears, Jerry Anderson of Macon, Georgia became Federal inmate #82944-020. “The king of cocaine has been dethroned,” Federal prosecutor Miriam Duke was widely quoted as saying at the time. A sentence of life without the possibility of parole was imposed on Jerry Anderson, and so began his long days and nights of life behind bars. A Legal Quagmire So what has since become a snakingly long legal morass of motions, appeals, pleas and arguments – almost all of which Anderson has lost. Even though Federal sentencing guidelines relaxed over the course of time, the court itself didn’t soften with regard to Anderson’s case. On July 18, 2006, in response to Anderson’s 1999 appeal for a reduced sentence, a court ruling acknowledged the guidelines change and recalculated Anderson’s sentence to include a range of 360 months to life imprisonment. Nevertheless, the bench upheld the life sentence motion as “appropriate,” specifically taking note of the amount of drugs involved (an estimated 208 kilos of cocaine sold by Anderson’s
A recent family photo taken of Jerry Anderson during visitation in prison.
crew from 1986 to 1989). When the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the ruling, it was a devastating legal blow for Anderson. But like they also say, if the conditions are just right, it only takes one spark to ignite a blaze. For Federal Inmate #82944020, that single spark came in the form of mercy from one man, a gentleman he’d never had the occasion to meet, but who would come to know the most intimate details of his life, all spelled out in legal document known at the highest levels of government as a Clemency Petition. In
consultation with the offices of the Pardon Attorney, and the Attorney General of the United States, the President of the United States may exercise his powers of executive clemency at will, choosing to either commute a criminal sentence or grant a full pardon. This unique Presidential power is a kind of judicial Mercy Seat, which is, if you know your Old Testament, the covering of the Ark of the Covenant. According to the scripture, each year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest was directed to enter the Holy of Holies and
sprinkle blood from sacrificial animals on the Mercy Seat as atonement for the sins of the people. The key spiritual takeaway was that only the blood of sacrifice offered in God’s presence could remove the condemning stain of sin and mitigate violations of the sacred laws. Once the price of blood has been paid, however, the proverbial slate is wiped clean. By any standard and regardless of religious preference, this deeply held concept forms the very marrow of the American judicial system – that justice is a kind of fine balance between law and mercy. The power of clemency in the hands of one person is no small thing, and the process for an inmate’s paperwork to even make it the President’s desk is rigorous at best. Just days before leaving office, Barack Obama left a unique legal legacy, granting more clemency requests than any other President in history. Among them was Jerry Anderson’s petition for a reduced sentence. The overwhelming majority of the 1,715 inmates whose sentences the Harvard Law School graduate and Constitutional legal scholar commuted were convicted offenders serving lengthy stretches relating to the production and distribution of drugs. Like Anderson, the Middle District of Georgia’s crown “King of Cocaine,” 568 of those inmates had received life sentences for their crimes. Learning he had been granted, at a minimum, a firm release date, was the break Anderson and his family have prayed and pleaded for in letters they wrote for his Clemency Petition. “He was joyful, thanking God that he could see light at the end of the tunnel after so many years,” said Margaret Love, who delivered the news. The Washington D.C. attorney specializes in executive clemency and restoration of rights, sentencing and corrections policy, and legal and government ethics had spent more than two years working on the Clemency Petition. Love, who served as the U.S. Pardon Attorney from 1990 to 1997, prepared Anderson’s Clemency Petition, having learned of his case through another Federal inmate who had previously served time with him. The President’s decision was not, however, the outcome the U.S. District Attorney’s office had hoped for, or the one prosecutors argued for 27 years ago. “Our office opposed the application for commutation but we accept the President’s decision.” said G. F. “Pete” Peterman, III, the Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of 11thHourOnline.com 15
Georgia. Though he didn’t work on the case at the time, Peterman joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 1990, just as Anderson was headed for trial. Though he didn’t work on the case himself at the time, Peterman remembers it well, he said. Living in the Shadows A WGXA news clip dated December 29, 1989 shows a young and physically imposing but composed and calm-faced Jerry Anderson in handcuffs, as a newscaster’s voice-over reports his arrest has “put a major dent in local drug operations.” In the clip, then Police Chief Jim Brooks calls Anderson “the head of one of the biggest if not the biggest drug operations here in Macon,” adding the takedown was long in coming, at least from the lawman’s point of view. “I think it’s going to do a substantial amount to see Mr. Anderson walking around handcuffed. I think his presence is felt continually throughout all areas of our city and county.” Felt perhaps, but not necessarily seen. Jerry Anderson may have appeared bigger than life on camera, but in real life, he was the man behind the curtain. By its very nature, a criminal drug enterprise operates in the shadows of society – with exchanges between buyer and seller occurring in secret and subsequent profits cycling through legitimate businesses of one type or another to wash away the residue of “ill-gotten” from the gains received. On paper and in court filings, Anderson’s “continuing drug enterprise” had all the hallmarks of such a criminal network, but fascinatingly enough, also of successful business practices. Court documents bear testimony of dealers who worked for Anderson offering “buy-one-get-one-free” crack and cocaine sells during the holidays – a ploy that was unquestionably illegal and possibly abhorrent by civilized standards. But from a purely marketing standpoint, it was undeniably clever and out-of-the-box thinking. Anderson – who went to prison for life with only 3 prior misdemeanor convictions under his belt – is also reputed to have taken care of his employees with bonuses and additional incentives to keep the profits rolling in. At the time of his trial, it was reported that cocaine sales in excess of $85K a night were not unheard of in “Jerry Anderson’s Crew” – and that was in the mid to late-80s. And though he was hailed on the streets as a hero by many, beloved for his affable nature and reputed generosity, it was not a success Anderson could ever publicly claim. There were no invitations to join the Civitan Club, no awards offered for civil service, no moving his wife and family into affluent neighborhoods or social circles. Always, Anderson operated out of the shadows. But then again, that grey area was, in myriad ways, nothing new to him. Driving through Jerry Anderson’s old stomping grounds in and around Central High School, there is very little mercy, or even kindness to be seen. Sitting in the shadows of Mercer University, just 6 or 8 blocks away depending on your route, porches sag under the weight of time; hastily nailed boards cover the windows 16 FEB. 3-17, 2017
Full report and pardon online! 11thHourOnlnline.com
At the time of Andersons trial it was reported that cocaine sales in excess of $85K a night were not unheard of in “Jerry Anderson’s Crew”. and doors of empty homes left to fall into shambles; large, dagger-shaped shards of glass hang menacingly in the frames of broken windows. Most of the businesses have long since shut down too. Even a boarded-up convenience store with a sign out front that reads “For the Community!” has been hatefully spray-painted with graffiti. Everywhere you look, rust and weeds and rot seem to be in a race with each other to see which one can swallow the place whole the fastest. It’s not so much the persistent decay of time, the poison of poverty or the tatters of a clearly failing-to-thrive community that suck the very air out of the atmosphere here, either. It’s the absolute hopelessness that seems to have set in like a thoughtless visitor, and long overstayed its welcome. It takes a long moment for that to sink in while driving past torn basketball nets and skittish pets cared for by no one - overgrown yards and buckling sidewalks and people sitting on porches or steps staring either suspiciously at a car they don’t recognize, or glassily at nothing at all. There are no white faces here either – at least none within view. Immediately, you can’t help but wonder, did this place help shape Jerry Jerome Anderson? Or did the so-called “King of Cocaine” shape it? Mercy or Justice? In his request for clemency, Anderson’s legal team notes he has no history of violence, and a nearly spotless record in prison as an inmate. His friend and former football teammate Roger Jackson says his childhood friend never even used profanity in his presence. Jackson describes Anderson as soft-spoken but driven and kind but cool-headed. “You couldn’t rattle him.” A year or two younger than his neighborhood cohort and classmate, Jackson went on to play professional football in the NFL, where he enjoyed a successful career before coming back to Macon to work with at-risk youth here. The former Denver Bronco says his friend, however, ran in a different direction, struggling to find his way.
“What was disadvantaged? That was the norm then,” Jackson said. Echoing a letter Anderson himself wrote last July for his Clemency Petition, Jackson says Anderson attended Knoxville University for a year following high school, but failed to find a footing and was unable to find work here in Macon when he returned home. In the meantime, Anderson was attempting to support three children, though their mother had married another man. After a girlfriend introduced Anderson to selling a drug she called “the rich man’s high,” it didn’t take long for Anderson to weigh the odds and make his choice. “All I could think was how much money I could make and how I could help my mother and take care of my kids,” he writes in his Clemency Petition letter. It also didn’t take long for cocaine to sweep through the streets of Macon. “Anderson directed a large-scale drug organization beginning in 1986 and continuing through 1989,” Federal prosecutors contend in court documents. “At one time Anderson employed 25-30 people, each of whom was assigned a particular task that furthered the day-to-day operations of the organization, including a bookkeeper and an “enforcer.” Anderson dealt in both powder and crack cocaine, and moved drugs between Atlanta and Florida.” And while it may have been the “rich man’s high,” Anderson’s illegal wares were moved through the poorest parts of the city, prosecutors maintain. “Anderson’s operation was responsible for bringing substantial quantities of crack and powder cocaine into areas of Macon containing government housing.” While that is a truth that even Anderson acknowledges in legal filings, it is also interesting to note that 1989 seemed to be a bumper crop year for cocaine trafficking in Macon. In April of that year, three men from Panama were snagged in a locally led undercover operation and charged with conspiracy to import 1,320 pounds of coke to Macon and launder the profits through dummy corporations they planned to set up. The amount of cocaine would have been almost three times the
amount that garnered Anderson a life sentence following his arrest 6 months later. The three men arrested and charged were renowned industrialist and former Presidential Panamanian candidate Carlos Eleta Almaran; former ambassador to Belize, Manuel Castillo-Bourcy; and Juan Karamanites, then 35. Following the arrests, it came to light in 1990 news reports that Almaran, a political foe of Manuel Noriega, had conspired with the CIA to help topple the military dictator. The operation (and millions in Congressional funding for it) ended when Alamaran was arrested on drug charges that Federal prosecutors here later dropped after the other two defendants submitted sworn statements that he was innocent of the charges and had no knowledge of the proposed drug deal to bring more than half a metric ton of cocaine to Macon, Georgia. Castillo-Bourcy and Karamanites served time in U.S. Federal prison until 1992. And though he has spent more than two decades in and out of French and U.S. prisons stemming from his own drug-related charges, just this week Manuel Noriega has been allowed to return home to Panama, albeit under house arrest, to undergo brain surgery. Meanwhile, Jerry Jerome Anderson remains in a Federal prison cell in Atlanta, waiting to see how his appeal to be released prior to Jan. 17, 2020 will play out. His contention is that with the application of so-called “good time” earned in nearly 30 years as a model prisoner plus time served in jail prior to his conviction apply to his commuted sentence, and make him eligible to come home sooner than 2020. “Right now we are waiting for the government to file a response to our sentence reduction motion,” says local counsel, Ashley Deadwyler-Heuman. “Once we see that response we will be reiterating our request for a hearing on the motion. If we prevail on our motion, Jerry could be released with time served. That’s our goal.” Federal prosecutors, who opposed the clemency, filed a motion on Jan. 27 fighting Anderson’s release prior to Jan. 17, 2020. In the motion, the U.S. District Attorney’s office says Anderson was the principle of a profitable drug operation that “preyed on the citizens of low income government housing. Anderson was responsible for the distribution of what is considered in Macon, Georgia, to be an enormous amount of crack cocaine, well above the amount that satisfies the highest offense level under the drug guidelines.” The motion further states “that all of the positive things that Anderson might have done while in prison cannot undo all of the damage that he definitely did to the Macon community, and there is no reasonable basis for changing the sentence imposed by the President.” Margaret Love, who remains part of Anderson’s defense team and who also headed up the Justice Department’s pardon program under President Bill Clinton, maintains Anderson’s debt to society has been paid. “The 2020 date set is literally the only one among the more than 1700 commutations issued by President Obama that sets a specific date so far out. We are still trying to understand it.”
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Op-Ed
Dear President Trump,
Please allow me to introduce myself. I am one of those “nasty women” who participated in the Women’s March on Washington the day after your inauguration. I’d like to explain why I felt the need to protest as there seems to be some confusion around my reasoning. I’m going to admit something that I am ashamed of. I was afraid. I feared what I had seen happening in America over the course of the last 15 years. After 9/11, I knew that our country would never be the same. In the immediate days after the attack, there was a sense of unity among Americans. We had a common purpose to unite in support of those who had been devastated. The very best of America was on display – selfless acts of heroism, generosity, kindness, and love. Unfortunately, that unity has all but disappeared. We are a deeply divided nation. You capitalized on that division by feeding the darker side of our human nature. Racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, misogyny – more simply stated, fear of the “other.” You openly displayed all of these and more through your words, mockery, tweets, and actions during the presidential campaign. From your opening statements as a candidate right up until the election, you never let us forget who, and what, you really are. As a lifelong student of current events, both in our world, but, especially, of American politics, there have been election nights when I have been disappointed that the candidate I voted for did not win. However, I have never felt despair because I realized that our country would still go on as it has for the past 240 years. Sometimes “your” side wins and sometimes they lose. That’s life. After realizing that you would, indeed, become our 45th president, I had a visceral, sickening reaction. I thought of all of the people in this country you had threatened during the campaign, who now have very uncertain futures -the 11 million undocumented immigrants, Latinos, Muslims, African Americans, refugees, the LGBT community, and, yes, women. As an American-born female, I realize how incredibly lucky I am. I have rights, opportunities, and protections that the vast majority of women in our world do not enjoy. I also realize that these rights are fragile. To me, the phrases “Make America Great Again” and “America First” do not inspire hope and patriotism among all Americans. For those who have had to, and are continuing to fight for civil rights, these phrases stir feelings of confusion and fear. They hear a leader who seems more intent upon
Get ready Mr. President, Congress, and all elected officials. We have been reminded that you work for us, and we are going to hold you accountable. Fear and worry are useless emotions whose remedies are connection and action.
using a bully pulpit to erode protections to our Constitution through the use of outright lies, manipulation and name-calling than uniting us through an inspired vision, with uplifting ideas and messages. You seem to aspire to awaken the worst impulses of, rather than the better angels of our nature. You have praised the actions of brutally oppressive authoritarian leaders such as Kim Jong Un and Bassar al-Assad. Most troubling is your affection for Russian President Vladimir Putin. He seems to be playing you like a fiddle. Either that, or he has compromising information about you – perhaps personal, or business, or maybe both – that have you defending him and the actions of Russian hackers meddling in our presidential election process, while simultaneously questioning the motives of US intelligence officials. Make no mistake, Putin’s aim is to expand the Russian empire, and he is counting on your help, Mr. President. We have no idea what your foreign business entanglements are because you refuse to release your tax returns. You proclaim that you have removed yourself from all of your business interests, but have shown no proof that you have actually done so. With your sons still running The Trump Organization, do you actually expect us to believe that you are not aware of deals that are being made (to now curry favor with the leader of the free world) that you could potentially make billions of dollars from? Are we supposed to think that you are being selfless by refusing the $400K salary you would earn as President in exchange for all of this? You are now arguably the most powerful man on earth. The power of influence by virtue of the office you hold is enormous, to say the least. Give me a break. You have shown by the manner in which you conduct business that you have little regard for the average worker. It is standard practice for you to deny payment to sub-contractors, many of whom have gone bankrupt as a result, just because you can. You have made “pie in the sky” promises to Americans who are desperate for a way to improve their lives. Trump University is a lesson to those who believe in your promises to bring wealth and jobs in exchange for their trust in you. Your own sales executives for Trump U. admitted under oath that it was a “total scheme,” “a facade,” and a “lie.” The problem with lying and giving false hope to Americans seeking better lives, though, is that it will take a lot more than a $25 million settlement to make it up to them when they realize you never had any intention of helping them.
The job of US President is arguably the most challenging one in the world and requires a sense of steadiness and wisdom. Since taking office, it seems that you cannot let go of the fact that you could have possibly lost the popular vote by almost 3 million votes, or that the size of the crowd at your inauguration was not as big as other ceremonies, and certainly nowhere nearly as large as the crowd at the march. You continue to spout “alternative facts” about massive voter fraud and are becoming an embarrassment. It is time to move on. There is a great deal for you to learn about global dynamics. You are the President, for God’s sake. Turn off the television. This is no reality show. What is going to happen when the leader of a foreign country with nuclear weapons insults the size of your hands? So, saying all of that (and there’s a lot more I left out), I marched because, as a United States citizen, I know the power of showing up. Because I could be there, I had to be. I realize that, for those who have truly been disenfranchised throughout American history, it might seem that I am attempting to claim that my opposition is akin to theirs. I realize it is not. There are many others -especially those whose skin color is not the same as mine – for whom the experience of true oppression and inequality has been, and is, a struggle even to this day. I wasn’t in Washington to whine or pout. I was there to fight fear. The people that I encountered during the march were respectful, polite, kind, and unafraid. I witnessed nothing but respect and praise for law enforcement who were there to keep order. The fact that, in a crowd of over a half-million people, there was not one arrest, speaks volumes. I do believe that, unwittingly, you have unleashed a powerful force in this country. You are only beginning to see, not merely millions of fierce and determined women, but also a renewed understanding of the power of the citizen in the United States. We are awake, and we must continue to show up. Get ready Mr. President, Congress, and all elected officials. We have been reminded that you work for us, and we are going to hold you accountable. Fear and worry are useless emotions whose remedies are connection and action. Sincerely, Katie H. Powers Readers: If you are interested in learning more about practical ways to influence lawmakers and public policy to resist the Trump agenda, visit: www.indivisibleguide.com
11thHourOnline.com 21
“The last time I was in Macon, maybe one of the greatest experiences of my life, I was given an amazing opportunity to play one of Duane Allman’s guitars. It’s one that he played on the first two Brothers records ... a 1957 Gibson Goldtop Les Paul. I got to tell you it was the most spiritual music experience I might have ever had holding that guitar in my hands...”
Q&A WITH
VINCE GILL
You’re about to head out on tour, what do you do to prepare yourself before a couple months out on the road? Nothing [laughing]. Nothing, I know those songs backwards and forwards and I’ve been singing them for a long, long time. All I need to know is what time the bus is leaving. You’re doing a couple shows in Georgia in February but you’re going out on tour with Lyle Lovett in March. Yeah, we’ve had a lot of fun. We’ve been friends for over thirty years, and last year and the year before we did a few dates and had a lot of fun so we’re doing nine shows out west and looking forward to that. It’s pretty easy to sit on stools, tell stories and play guitar. It’s pretty fly by the seat of our pants but it’s fun. Ten years ago this year you were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, what was that experience like for you? That was pretty surreal. Especially as a young man, I was 49 years old, maybe 50 when that happened. The reason that happened so young for me was they added a category of eligibility to the Country Music Hall of Fame about two years prior to that and they realized there were artists that had had Hall of Fame type careers and had started their careers after the eligibility period, where you had to be prior to 1975 to be eligible for the Hall of Fame. That stipulation was so old that they said this is pretty antiquated so we need to modernize it a little bit, some of the rules and whatnot. So they added an extra category and I was fortunate that that got to happen for me. Tell me a bit about the time you spent with Pure Prairie League. That was so many years ago. It was a great experience, getting to be apart of a well known country rock band. We were seen similarly to Charlie Daniels, Marshall Tucker Band, and even The Allman Brothers and folks like that, a little more southern rock. It taught me a lot about the music business, it taught me a lot about how this stuff worked, how touring and the stage and the buses, just how the real music business worked. It was pretty invaluable for what I learned. I always knew I wanted to be in the world of country music so I knew my time with them would be pretty limited and it was, I think three and a half years and three albums. Once again, a great experience but not how I wanted to spend my career. I always wanted to write some songs and be more of a country artist. 22 FEB. 3-17, 2017
You went on to play with the Cherry Bombs and worked with Emory Gordy Jr, who we just had in the studio a couple months ago. He’s produced a few of your albums, what’s it like to work closely with him? He produced my first two records. We played together with Rodney [Crowell] and Rosanne [Cash], we used to play with Emmylou [Harris]. He’s had a great career and one of the great musicians of our time. He’s a Georgia boy, great guy. Those were fun days, too, getting to play with Rodney and Rosanne and that band they had put together, arguably some of the best musicians I’ve ever played with and once again, a great learning experience. A lot of people might see that move from being a front-man of a fairly well known country rock band to being a side man in a songwriter’s band as a step backwards but it was actually, musically, quite a step up. The caliber of musicianship that I was surrounded by was pretty important in furthering me in getting better, so a great experience once again. You’ve worked with a ton of artists over the years from different generations of music. What’s a project or relationship you’ve formed over that time that really sticks out in your mind as being one of the most special? Oh gosh, you know, just doing things with people most people wouldn’t normally expect me to do things with. People like Barbara Streisand, folks like that outside of my comfort zone, so to speak [laughing]. At the end of the day, it’s all music, you know? We’re pretty bad in our country about branding things and identifying things, to me, music just is what it is. It’s a pretty joyful noise, I just like all of it and I’m not going to segregate myself to only one thing when it comes to music. I like it all. I was just listening to your rendition of Guy Clark’s “Randall Knife” on the Guy Clark Tribute Album, This One’s For Him. Tell me about your relationship with Guy? And with that song in particular? I knew Guy. When I first moved to Los Angeles as a 19 year old kid, the first place I played was at the world famous Troubadour Club in LA and we opened for Guy Clark that night. I’d already known his songs and done several of his songs in the bands I was in in high school and was a great fan of him. I remember, we opened for him that night and meeting him and meeting Rodney and all those guys was a game changer for me. The original version of “Randall Knife” that Guy recorded I played
guitar on, and as he was singing that song, it just destroyed me. It reminded me so much of my relationship with my father and so many similarities and all these years later, Guy sings in the song “My father died when I was 40,” so did mine. After my father died I wrote this song called “Key To Life” and it makes reference to “Randall Knife” in that song as a tribute to Guy. Guy sang that song at my father’s memorial. We were just unbelievable friends. And when they asked me, they said “there’s only one song you can do in this tribute and its ‘Randall Knife.’” [laughing] I said, “Man, I’ve never done a resuscitation in my life, I think it would sound so silly,” but I mustered up all the courage I could and tried to do it as early in the morning so my voice would be low enough to actually sound interesting. I think it almost became an impersonation of my father’s voice reciting that song. It was interesting, that was a song that banded me and Guy together as friends, very important. Last year was just the toughest year ever losing Guy and a lot of other greats, great friends and great mentors. It was a really hard year, last year. They’ve got a new book about Guy, an autobiography of sorts, and it’s a great read if you get a chance. It puts all the pieces of his puzzle together. I know you’re a big golf fanatic, how often do you get out on the course with your rigorous tour schedule? Back in the day, years ago, I was out playing golf everyday. When I was touring, it was a great excuse to find something to do with my time when I was traveling. It’s a little hard to find the energy to play golf for four or five hours and then do a three hour show after that, you know, I’ll be 60 coming up here in a couple months so I don’t play as much on the road as I used to but I still play quite a bit. I’m crazy about the game. You’re going to be performing in Macon on February 16. Have you spent time in Macon before? Yeah, absolutely. The last time I was there, maybe one of the greatest experiences of my life, I was given an amazing opportunity to play one of Duane Allman’s guitars. It’s one that he played on the first two Brothers records and “Layla” if I’m not mistaken. It’s a 1957 Gibson Goldtop Les Paul and I got to tell you it was the most spiritual music experience I might have ever had holding that guitar in my hands and actually hearing the sound of that instrument in the air while I was standing right there because I knew the sound of that guitar from those records. I used to try and play those songs as a kid in my room and it was so neat to be in the air, holding that guitar and playing it. I think it was my favorite experience playing an electric guitar.
DON’T MISS VINCE GILL IN CONCERT THURSDAY, FEB. 16 AT THE MACON CITY AUDITORIUM - Interview by Jamie Saunders
IT’S TIME MACON
BEST OF
2017
THE COMMUNITY Best Annual Event Bragg Jam Ocmulgee Indian Celebration Cherry Blossom Festival Magnolia Soapbox Derby Best Tourist Attraction Ocmulgee National Monument The Hay House The Tubman Museum The Big House Rock Candy Tours Rose Hill Cemetery Best New Business of 2016 Ocmulgee Brew Pub ReBoot RetroCade & Bar El Camino Pin Strikes Best Local Farm Comfort Farms Dirt Farmers Rocking Chair Ranch Sass And Frass Babe & Sage Local Photographer Maryann Bates Matthew Odom Asha Smith Doug Nurnberger Luke Usry Scott Jackson Best Local Artist Heidi Cliente Jason Frost AnT Sculpture Joy Stanley Eric Odell Craig Hamilton Best Facade Upgrade Gotwall’s Books/Riverside
We know you have opinions. Why not use them to celebrate all the things you love? Below you'll find the 2017 Best of Macon Readers' Choice Poll. Choose your favorites from the nominees in each category before the poll closes on March 20. Then you can find out which of your favorites won the 2017 Best of Macon Readers' Choice Awards in our annual Best of Macon issue, available online and in print March 31! The 11th Hour ‘Best of Macon’ Awards show and red carpet Thursday, March 30, Cox Capitol Theatre
DEADLINE MARCH 20
NewTown Offices/Johnson Lofts on Poplar Street Ocmulgee Brewpub Bearfoot Tavern Best Storefront Travis Jean Village Marketplace Wear Agora Fresh Produce Records William’s Toys Best Local Boutique Ginger Michelle Rumors Head Over Heels Karats & Keepsakes Agora Jack & Darcy Best Hair Salon Signature Salon Amanda Jane Utopia Indigo The Gentry Favorite Local Citizen Scott Mitchell June O’Neal Jim Crisp Karla Redding-Andrews Frank Austin DINING OUT Best Fine Dining Dovetail Natalia’s Back Burner Downtown Grill The Tic Toc Room Marco’s Circa Best New Restaurant Ocmulgee Brew Pub El Camino Pietro’s
Just Tap’d (food option) Best Mexican El Camino El Sombrero Margarita’s Polly’s El Carnival 3 Countries Dos Amigos Best Under The Radar Restaurant Three Countries Biscuits, Burgers & More Pho Saigon El Carnival Best Lunch Spot The Rookery Ocmulgee Brew Pub Ingleside Village Pizza H&H Joe D’s Nu-Way Roasted Cafe Fountain of Juice Red Rooster Best Healthy Choice Harp & Bowl Grow Fountain of Juice Yvonne’s Hottest Waitstaff Wild Wing Cafe Natalia’s Bearfoot Tavern Downtown Grill Circa Best Waitstaff The Rookery Downtown Grill Natalia’s The Tic Toc Room Bearfoot Tavern Dovetail Circa
TO VOTE! Best Burger The Rookery Ocmulgee Brew Pub Player’s Club Loco’s Bearfoot Tavern Biscuits, Burgers & More Best BBQ Fincher’s Joe D’s Fresh Air Barbeque Georgia Bob’s Tucker’s Old Clinton Barbeque Best Wings Francars The Brick Loco’s Cheers Wild Wing Cafe Hooter’s Buffalo Wild Wing Best Pizza Macon Pizza Company Johnny’s Pizzeria Ingleside Village Pizza Fatty’s Pizza Doughboy’s Sauced The Brick Mellow Mushroom Stoner’s Marco’s Best Soul Food Bear’s Den Dawson’s H&H Jeneane’s Cox Cafe St. Cotton’s NIGHTLIFE Best College Bar Bearfoot Tavern The Hummingbird Stage
The Crazy Bull ReBoot Just Tap’d
Fresh Produce Wild Wing Cafe AP’s
Best Dance Club The Mill The Crazy Bull Envy Chasen’s
Best Local Bartender Emily Dodds - The Hummingbird Chelsea Hughes - Dovetail Mike Brunner - The Hummingbird Wendell Vinson - Wild Wing Jeff Payne - Back Porch Eric Kling - The Brick Ashley Roland - The Brick Matt Hickman - The Rookery Peggy Moss - Crazy Bull Leilani Rodriguez - The Rookery Adam Mitchell - Bourbon Bar Leah Huellemeier Bearfoot Tavern Spencer Choice - Bearfoot Tavern
Best Overall Bar Just Tap’d The Crazy Bull The Hummingbird Stage The Bourbon Bar AP’s Hidden Hideaway Best Restaurant with a Bar Scene Bearfoot Tavern The Rookery Just Tap’d Loco’s Wild Wing Cafe Downtown Grill Dovetail The Tic Toc Room Jim Shaw’s Best Happy Hour 20’s Pub The Hummingbird Stage Loco’s Billy’s Clubhouse Just Tap’d Cheers Wild Wing Cafe Best Dive Bar Grant’s Lounge Billy’s Clubhouse 20’s Pub Wagers AP’s Back Porch Lounge Best Local Music Venue The Hummingbird Stage Back Porch Lounge Bearfoot Tavern
THE MUSIC SCENE Best Local Cover Band Milk Money Echo Speed 8 Second Ride Two Finger Jester Great White Lion Snake Best New Band Hindsight Failing Acts of Society Taped Fist Choir of Babble The Hollow Bearcats American Blvd Best Hip Hop Artist B3 Midas Wright Fresh Valley Kings
Best Local Band American Blvd Matt Brantley Band Widow Pills Elroy Love Hindsight Madre Padre Swain & The Highway Souls Travis Denning Band Best Local Album Josh Graff Madre Padre Paul Hornsby Good Night Alive Best DJ Bruce Wonder B3 Shawty Slim AJ The DJ Kevin Nichols Best Singer/Songwriter Matt Brantley Denny Henson Justin Cutway Chad Evans Maggie Renfroe Lauren Tuttle Travis Denning Best Experimental African Americana Bootz and Katz Some Kids One Horse Parade Best Place for Live Music The Hummingbird Stage The Crazy Bull Grant’s Lounge Fresh Produce The Cox Capitol Theatre
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the creek spin report 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
by Jamie Saunders
Fantastic Negrito - Scary Woman Luther Dickinson - Moonshine Jamestown Revival - Love Is a Burden The Devil Makes Three -I Am the Man Thomas Aaron Lee Tasjan - Memphis Rain Mandolin Orange - Wildfire Paul Thorn - Rose City Amanda Shires - The Way It Dimmed
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
The Avett Brothers - Satan Pulls the Strings Gillian Welch - Dry Town (Demo) The Band Of Heathens - Last Minute Man Jim Lauderdale - This Changes Everything St. Paul & The Broken Bones - All I Ever Wonder Mavis Staples - High Note The Black Lillies - Hard to Please Cris Jacobs - Jack the Whistle and the Hammer Old 97's - Good with God (feat. Brandi Carlile)
Artist Spotlight On The Creek CRIS JACOBS
“Call me The Devil or Jesse James,” erupts Cris Jacobs on the opening track of his October, 2016 album Dust to Gold. This record is Jacobs’ first release since 2012’s Songs for Cats and Dogs which was his first solo release. After fronting for the Baltimore jam band The Bridge for over ten years, Jacobs is out on his own with his own brand of rock and blues that will have listeners nodding their heads with enthusiasm. Dust to Gold is a pure Americana record through and through, with funky melodies like “Kind Woman” and “Delivery Man” mixing in seamlessly with rock ballads like “Jack the Whistle and the Hammer” and “Bone Digger” while mixing in some rhythm and blues with “Turn Into Gold” and “Break Your Fall.” Jacobs has proven himself to be the master of music evolution, combining styles and genres while still staying within his realm. “I’ve made sure that throughout my work, I’ve always been honest. That’s the end goal, writing music that is meaningful to me.” After averaging more than 200 shows a year for ten years with The Bridge, Jacobs retreated to the studio with his new backing band and came out with the critically acclaimed Songs for Cats and Dogs which earned Jacobs television and radio appearances, as well as touring gigs with Steve Winwood and Sturgill Simpson. Jacobs has kept his presence on the road since, playing all types of venues night in and night out while mixing his sets with intimate solo performances and neck-breaking band numbers. Lyrically, Jacobs is packing in the soul on his latest release, with tracks like “Cold Carolina” and “Shine Your Weary Light” featuring smooth verses that melt like Hershey’s in the Macon Summer sun. Accompanying Jacobs on the album are Todd Herrington on bass, Dusty Ray Simmons on drums and the master showman and veteran John Ginty on keyboards Today, Jacobs still attacks the road with a vengeance. He starts his next tour in February in Virginia before taking off for the upper Midwest states, the Rockies and eventually the Pacific Northwest before wrapping up back in Virginia. Jacobs is a road warrior, so you can be assured that more road dates will be announced in the future, with hopefully some shows coming to the Southeast.
EXCLUSIVE SHOWS ONLY HEARD ON THE CREEK
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LOVE CHILD
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JESSICA WALDEN Honky Tonk Hell, TUESDAYS AT 7PM Honky Tonk Hell is home to the pioneers and architects of Americana. Here, you’ll find atomic hillbillies, buckets of blues, and the restless rebels of early rock n’ roll. Hop the mystery train as it rolls out of the Golden Age of old time radio. Host Aaron Irons is a Virginia native; but now calls Macon, Georgia home.
HEATHER EVANS NADIA OSMAN
LIVEATLOFTS.COM
THECREEKFM.COM
Love Child of Rock, THURSDAYS AT 7PM You can’t pick your parents, but you can select your soundtrack. Host Jessica Walden is the co-owner of Rock Candy Tours, a Macon music history tour company that formed from her own family tales and celebrated southern music heritage. Find out just how far the apple can fall when music shakes up the family tree.
Into The Mystic, WEDNESDAYS AT 7PM Former Allman Brothers Band “Tour Mystic” and world renowned photographer Kirk West sits down to talk about some of his favorite music. We might here all blues, we might hear all country, we might hear obscure jazz. The common thread will be phenomenol stories from the life of one of our favorite photographers.
STREAM ONLINE anytime at TheCreekFM.com 24 FEB. 3-17, 2017
THECREEKFM.COM
Creative Catalyst, SATURDAYS AT 9AM Hosts Heather Evans and Nadia Osman interview courageous entrepreneurs and business owners in our community. During each episode, Heather and Nadia go behind the scenes to celebrate local start-up stories, spark community growth and empower people to make a living doing what they love in Central Georgia!
11thHourOnline.com 25
It seems many musicians today are becoming adept at many parts of the music industry. The same is true for hip hop musician Sabir Muhammad who also has taken his mass media degree from Valdosta State University and used it to benefit his endeavors in video and music production. Muhammad has been relatively quiet since his 2013 album, Make My Dream, but 2017 holds new aspirations for this always optimistic artist. I talked with Muhammad about dipping his toes in production and writing, his motivation, and a new video for 2017 that gives a whole new meaning to lifeguarding.
L I V E & L O C A L by A N D R E A M A R LOW E
Tell me about working on your own videos. I started getting into video production because of the mass media program. Then I got into it on my own as well. In Valdosta, I would shoot videos for other artists and I got a lot of practice in with shooting music videos for other people. I started doing my own music videos. My favorite music video that I produced, directed, and edited for myself was shot in Chicago at the end 2014. Me and, I call him my brother, Allah’s Apprentice is his artist name, we put out a song called “Wonderful Life.” We went to Chicago to shoot it. It was just magical from start to finish.
How did you get into music? Growing up I was never that heavily into music. I never had favorite artists or anything like that and I never really was into hip hop in particular. Everything changed when I heard Kanye West’s album College Dropout. I was really intrigued with the sound. . .I was just blown away. Were you always a writer? I think so. But it wasn’t something that I always embraced. When I was really young I attempted to write my own book series. My memory is kind of blurry but it had to do with this lady named Ms. Dime. I don’t know if she was a teacher or what, but maybe it had a “Magic School Bus” influence. That just goes to show I always really enjoyed writing . . . So writing has always been a strong point for me. It’s just now I embrace it. Do you normally collaborate with other artists and musicians? One thing I want to do more going forward is collaborate. I’m not one to force collaborations. But you kind of know who you’re going to work well with and that’s who it comes naturally with. That’s been definitely one of my goals in 2017. What do you think is the most eye opening difference between creating music and the production process? Both have their perks, but for me I lean more toward the producing side. I think that if I didn’t know how to produce I wouldn’t want to be an artist. I’m at the stage where I don’t have to produce my stuff. Going back to collaboration, I need to work with
26 FEB. 3-17, 2017
other producers more. It brings out more creative sides of me as an artist when I work with other people’s music. But at the same time I don’t feel like I would be an artist if I didn’t know how to make my own production. It just fuels me as an artist. I get really creative when I get involved in the entire song making process.
LISTEN UP TO
SABIR MUHAMMAD
What are you working on now? I’ve been making a lot of music that I enjoy. It’s nothing that is completely put into a project at this time. I’m working on putting out a music video. It’s one of my most favorite works to date. It should be available sometime in the GRANT’S beginning of February. That is going to be my welcome back to the scene. The song is called “Save a Life.” I was a lifeguard in Macon in the summers in different urban communities. But these urban areas where the youth are at risk is where I spent a lot of time as a lifeguard. I was able to see how much talent are in these communities but there are so many distractions and things working against them. I wanted to be a good example to them. I wanted to show them that they don’t have to be stuck in this environment. I grew up in the Bellevue, kind of Unionville area. I was never involved in the types of things that they were involved in. But I grew up in that area and I don’t feel like I have to be stuck in that life or that situation. I want them to know that as well. The song is based loosely around my experience lifeguarding and what I saw while I was there.
GEORGIA CRAFT BEER TAKEOVER WEEKEND JAN. 19-22 BREWERY GIVEAWAYS AND SPECIALS!!!
Omaha Brewing Company- Thursday Reformation Brewery- Friday Monday Night Brewing- Saturday Red Brick Brewing Company- Sunday
BRUNCH
Saturday & Sunday 11-3 Housemade Specialties, Full Bar Open 7 days a week at 11am
(478) 305-7703 468 Second Street
11thHourOnline.com 27
LIVEATLOFTS.COM | 478.471.9612 Modern loft living in downtown Macon! We are a community within a community, offering unique amenities, attentive, local staff and walkable access to our rockin’ city life.
#LOVEMYLOFT BASS | 401 CHERRY | CAPRICORN | COLLEGE HILL | NAVICENT 28 FEB. 3-17, 2017
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Back Porch Lounge
2400 Riverside Dr • 745-8801 21+ Located Inside the Best Western
HAPPY
HOUR MON
$2 PBRs
THRU
All day, Everyday!
THUR-FRI-SUN
Karaoke
NEVER A COVER!
FRI
EVERY
SATURDAY
TIL
Live Music
7PM
Happy Hour
PUB 3076 Riverside Dr. Suite 1200 Macon. • Tel 475-5860
daily til 7pm!
Sports Bar & Fine Foods
3076 RIVERSIDE DR. SUITE 1200, MACON • 478/475-5860 New lunch specials Monday - Friday!
mondays
Trivia 7-9
50¢ Jumbo Wings 7-10pm In-House!
karaoke
Dart Tourney 4pm with $11 beer buckets
fridays
30 FEB. 3-17, 2017
2-4-1 Drinks 9-12
Ladies Poker! Ladies Texas Hold ‘Em Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Thursdays! Wings & Beer!
6:00-9:30 p.m. - Large Pitcher & 12 Jumbo Wings $14.50 - Small Pitcher & 12 Jumbo Wings $12.50 - 16oz. Draft, 8 Jumbo Wings & Fries $8.50
live music 2/3: Uncle Earl 2/10: Midlife Chrysler 2/17: B. Keith Williams
Ladies Night!
Tuesdays!
Tues/Wed Thurs/Sat 8pm
saturdays
wednesdays
tuesdays
poker
Thurs 7pm Sun 5pm
CHRIS HICKS & FRIENDS! SUNDAYS!
PBR
All day Everyda
Middle GA’s favorite place f Karaoke with Man in the Bo
8 Second Ride takes the Crazy Bull stage on Satuday, Feb. 11
Happy Hour Daily 2-8 2-4-1 drinks - $2 Domesticss $4 Pizzas all day Sunday!
Monday $1 Wells
GO HEAR LIVE MUSIC Friday 2/3 Uncle Earl & Friends 20’S PUB Hugh, Chris and Louis from Broadcast 90 BILLY’S CLUBHOUSE Reckless Soul Band CHASEN’S LOUNGE Hard southern rocking Reckless Soul will be bringing its no holds barred show to Chasen’s for a night of great music. Outshyne THE CRAZY BULL Bonnie Blue THE HUMMINGBIRD Bonnie Blue proudly hails from the state of Florida, and continues to bring their formula of old-fashioned rock, country, soul, and blues to a steady growing fan base in the southeast. Loose Skrews WILD WING CAFE
Saturday 2/4 Yesterdaze Rock AP’S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY Southbound Mojo BILLY’S CLUBHOUSE Midlife Chryslers CHASEN’S LOUNGE Chuck Courtenay THE CRAZY BULL
Cory Smith COX CAPITOL THEATRE Nationally Touring singer/songwriter Corey Smith will be playing his hits this Saturday at the Cox Capitol Theatre for what may be the can’t miss event of the weekend, other than the Super Bowl of course. A UGA grad with a large fan-base, Smith only gets to Macon about once a year, you don’t want to miss this show.
Classic Rock Jam Session w/Johnny Hollingshed and Dawn Davis. 9pm-1:30am GRANT’S LOUNGE
Sumilan THE HUMMINGBIRD
B. Keith Williams CHASEN’S LOUNGE
8 Second Ride WILD WING CAFE
JB Crockett THE CRAZY BULL
The Blackfoot Gypsies Magnolia Music and Medicine Show Infusing the honest roots of blues and the deep secrets of real country music, The Blackfoot Gypsies create a rock ‘n’ roll pace and angst that keep your heart alive, all while pounding to a true Nashville beat. The swirling vortex of their records and live show welcome you into a world where linking arms with friends and strangers keeps your head far above the clouds.
The Mammoths w/People Exist THE HUMMINGBIRD Hailing from Austin, this psychedelic blues rock band will be sure to get you grooving next Friday to get your weekend started.
Sunday 2/5
Big Daddy & Co. BILLY’S CLUBHOUSE
Big Mike 2-6 p.m. AP’S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY Local blues star Big Mike will be strumming on Sunday afternoon before the big game at Macon’s best kept secret, AP’s Hidden Hideaway.
8 Second Ride THE CRAZY BULL This local country band has had some recent radio success on SiriusXM and will be bringing their talents to the Crazy Bull next Saturday.
Friday 2/10
Wednesday Trivia 7:30!
Tues/Sun
Karaoke 9pm
Live Music 2/3: Broadcast 90 2/4: Southbound Mojo 2/10: Trey Teem Trio 2/11: Big Daddy & Co 2/17: 2 Finger Jester 2/18: Southern Outlaws
Midlife Chrysler 20’S PUB Trey Teem Trio BILLY’S CLUBHOUSE
Loose Skrews WILD WING CAFE
WEDNESDAYS & SUNDAYS 9PM - 1:30AM
Saturday 2/11 Valentine’s Party AP’S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY
Hosted by
Johnny Hollingshed & Dawn Davis
$5 ADMISSION INCLUDES ONE FREE DRINK!
WHERE MUSICIANS COME TO PLAY!
ho m e of T HE or ig in al CK RO So ut he rn
GRANT’S LOUNGE 576 Poplar Street Downtown Macon
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Catch the space-rock of Papadasio at The Cox on Thursday, the 16th.
430 Cherry Street | macon 741-9130 | OPEN DAILY 4PM
our H y p Hap
2-4-1 wells 4-8PM
league MON dart $1 Wells all Day! TUES $2 Domestics/wells Team Trivia 7-9pm WED 2-4-1 Drinks / Karoake THUR $5 well liquor pitchers SUN Sunday Funday!
FRI. FEB 3
Bonnie Blue SAT. FEB 4
sumilan FRI. FEB 10
the mammoths
Abbey Road Live! COX CAPITOL THEATRE Initially a tribute to the monumental “Abbey Road” album, the band has expanded its scope to include more than 100 Beatles tunes, from all eras of the Fab Four’s career. The band specializes in complete, start-tofinish album performances of masterpieces such as “Abbey Road”, “Magical Mystery Tour”, and “Sgt. Pepper”. Abbey Road LIVE! is not your typical Beatle look-alike tribute act; don’t expect mop-top haircuts and vintage Rickenbacker guitars. Rather, this show is about bringing to life some of the more mature and complex Beatles material in a raw & spirited fashion, while remaining true to the original recordings. The band always delights its audiences with its diverse repertoire! of hits and more obscure favorites. Soulosophy CHASEN’S LOUNGE
SAT. FEB 11
Gimme Hendrix DENNY HANSON FRI. FEB 17
Matt Brantley Band w/Cranford Hollow FOR A COMPLETE SCHEDULE VISIT HUMMINGBIRDMACON.COM 32 FEB. 3-17, 2017
Big Mike 2-6 p.m. AP’S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY Classic Rock Jam Session w/Johnny Hollingshed and Dawn Davis. 9pm-1:30am GRANT’S LOUNGE
Tuesday 2/15 Marc Broussard COX CAPITOL THEATRE A special Valentine’s acoustic show, music starts at 8pm! His style is best described as “Bayou Soul,” a mix of funk, blues, R&B, rock, and pop, matched with distinct Southern roots. In his career, he has released eight studio albums, one live album, three EPs, and has charted twice on Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks.Two singles “Where You Are” (which garnered some considerable airplay on VH1) and “Home” (his biggest hit to date).
a must see! You won’t be sitting down at this show. Jacob Powell THE CRAZY BULL Reckless Soul Band CHASEN’S LOUNGE Matt Brantley Band w/Cranford Hollow THE HUMMINGBIRD Local talent playing a little country/southern rock and originals. Nominated for Macon’s Best Band of 2017! Loose Skrews WILD WING CAFE
Sunday 2/19
Thursday 2/16
THUR. FEB 16
Local Showcase Featuring
Sunday 2/12
TUES. OCT 18
Gimme Hendrix w/Soul Mechanic THE HUMMINGBIRD Gimme Hendrix is an Athens, GA based tribute band to the greatest group of all time, the Jimi Hendrix Experience. The Jimi Hendrix Experience is the best band to come out of the psychedelic 60’s, whose movement not only changed the decade, but redefined the way music would be played forever. The sound was an amazing blend of blues, soul, r&b, jazz, rock and many other genres of music. No one had heard anything like it before Jimi Hendrix’s priceless contribution. Gimme Hendrix aspires to recreate the Jimi Hendrix Experience. We strive to look and dress the part, and to capture the vibe and mannerisms, but the most important goal is to relive the sound.
Papadasio COX CAPITOL THEATRE Falling somewhere between rock, jazz and electronic mayhem we find space rock. This is a genre that is not readily defined, and is a state of mind as much as it could be considered a genre. This range of frequencies is where Papadosio tends to spend their time, sometimes dining in deep space, and other times snacking right on your front porch. Join Papadosio in an effort to create, augment, and rejoice in the universal language of music.
Friday 2/17 B. Keith Williams 20’S PUB 2 Finger Jester BILLY’S CLUBHOUSE Winners of the 11th Hour readers choice awards 3 years in a row for “Best Local Cover Band,” these guys know how to rock, dress the part and play hair metal favorites with precision and flair. One of our favorites, and
Justin Hayward; Voice of the Moody Blues at THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE A special acoustic performance with the voice and songwriter behind some of The Moody’s best work... Classics like “Nights in White Satin”, “Your Wildest Dreams” and “Forever Autumn”. Hayward is on tour in support of his latest album release All The Way. Justin will be performing new songs from the album as well as Moody Blues favorites. Reserved tickets priced at $58.50, $48.50 and $46 will be available at the Grand Opera House Box Office located at 651 Mulberry Street in downtown Macon or by calling 478.301.5470.
MACON. WHERE THE SOUTH ROCKS. SAT FEB 4 $25 / SHOW 8P
COREY SMITH
The way Corey Smith sees it, he owes a debt to his fans. And it's one he is determined to repay with his 10th album, While the Gettin' Is Good. The project, released on Sugar Hill Records, marks the first time that the singer-‐songwriter, a wildly popular touring artist who has produced all of his past efforts, has turned over the reins to a bona fide country music producer in Keith Stegall. The result is Smith's most ambitious record yet, as well as a return on the investment made by the fans who have supported him since his first album in 2003.
TUES MARC & TED FEB 15 $15 / SHOW 8P
BROUSSARD
A special Valentine’s acoustic show, music starts at 8pm! His style is best described as "Bayou Soul," a mix of funk, blues, R&B, rock, and pop, matched with distinct Southern roots. In his career, he has released eight studio albums, one live album, three EPs, and has charted twice on Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks.Two singles "Where You Are" (which garnered some considerable airplay on VH1) and "Home" (his biggest hit to date).
SAT FEB 11 $12 / SHOW 8P
THURS FEB 16 $20 / SHOW 8P
ABBEY ROAD LIVE!
PREMIER BEATLES COVER BAND Abbey Road LIVE! is not your typical Beatle look-alike tribute act; don't expect mop-top haircuts and vintage Rickenbacker guitars. Rather, this show is about bringing to life some of the more mature and complex Beatles material in a raw & spirited fashion, while remaining true to the original recordings. Combining attention to detail with a creative exuberance, the band always delights its audiences with its diverse repertoire of hits and more obscure favorites.
PAPADOSIO
Falling somewhere between rock, jazz and electronic mayhem we find space rock. This is a genre that is not readily defined, and is a state of mind as much as it could be considered a genre. This range of frequencies is where Papadosio tends to spend their time, sometimes dining in deep space, and other times snacking right on your front porch. Join Papadosio in an effort to create, augment, and rejoice in the universal language of music.
2 NIGHTS! FEB 17-18
JAMEY JOHNSON
! T U O SOLD $40
SAT TINSLEY FEB 25 $15 / SHOW 8P
ELLIS
Southern blues-rocker TINSLEY ELLIS may speak no evil, but he sings and plays with the conviction of, as Billboard wrote, “...a man possessed.” Over the course of 11 albums and literally thousands of live performances, Ellis easily ranks as one of today’s most electrifying blues-rock guitarists and vocalists.
COMING UP...
THURS MAR 2 $10 / SHOW 8P
FUTUREBIRDS
With T. Hardy Morris! Covered in kudzu and swathed in a blanket of humidity, spanish moss, feedback and reverb exists Futurebirds; six Georgia natives who currently call Athens "home." In 2009, these folks self-produced and released the six song Futurebirds EP"one of undeniable character. Less than a year later, there was a full-length in the can. That album, Hampton's Lullaby, garnered praise for its Appalachian harmonies and ethereal melodies.
2/24: Macon Pops Presents
3/4: Elizabeth Cook
3/11: Hindsight
Music of Ray Charles
3/9: Luke Combs
3/19: Conor Oberst
3/3: Marcus King Band
3/10: City and Colour
4/23: Southern Culture on the Skids
382 Second Street | 478-257-6391
COXCAPITOLTHEATRE.COM Let Moonhanger Catering make your next event unforgettable. Contact Katelin Yates at 718-1444 or at katelin@moonhangergroup.com 11thHourOnline.com 33
MACONCLASSIFIEDS EVERY OTHER TUESDAY TEL 478.508.7096 EMAIL MEG@11THHOURONLINE.COM
SERVICEDIRECTORY
FACIALS - WAXING
Beesa Skincare Studio
starting at $50 a month
• Facials • Microdermabrasion • Chemical Peels • Full Body Waxing
(bikini, brazilian, underarm)
VETERINARY SERVICES
25% OFF your first visit when you mention this ad.
• Manscaping
10 Minutes from Macon!
Gadd’s
Animal Doctors of Gray Small, Large & Exotic Animal Veterinarians - P.C.
Compassionate and Caring Veterinary Services & Boarding
BROOKE KINROSS By appointment only
478.733.7853 BeesaSkincare.com
THE OFFICES AT INGLESIDE 2484 Ingleside Avenue
Update your
Look!
• Bring their bed • Bring their toys • Even their own food • General check-ups, baths, grooming, dental while they’re here
Nightlife KARAOKE Tuesdays at 9pm. Wed/Thursday 8pm Saturdays 8pm 20’s pub
CUT & COLOR EXPERT
We make your pet feel right at home!
478.986.3784 300 Bill Conn Pkwy., Gray
For weekly specials
• Brow & Lash Tinting
MIKI FARMER
Fridays KARAOKE with Chris Allen 7pm until midnight at AP’s - 241 Drinks! Tuesdays at CHASEN’S LOUNGE with Chris Thursdays - Fridays - Sundays at 8pm Backporch Lounge
cut & color expert
AMANDA JANE ON FORSYTH Call for an appointment
478.342.2436
TRIVIA Trivia every Thursday at Just Tap’d, 8-9pm by BrainBlast Trivia Every Tuesday @ Backporch Lounge
METAL ROOFING
Every Tuesday @ Bearfoot Tavern
40 YEAR WARRANTY
All Star Team Trivia Every Monday 7-9 20’s pub
18 DIFFERENT COLORS LOWER YOUR ENERGY BILL
Wednesdays @ Roasted Questionnairey Trivia from 7-8 pm @ Wild Wing by BrainBlast Trivia
Call Ryan for your
FREE ESTIMATE!
Trivia with Devin @ Locos Every Wednesday Night at 8 pm.
478-390-7155
POWELL
Every Wednesday @ The Bird 7pm
METAL ROOFING locally owned & operated Our superior installation system gives you more value for your money!
LANDSCAPE SUPPLY
Need a newer vehicle? 2010-2016 Year Models Available Today!
WE LOAD AND
Priced Well Below Retail Values
DELIVER 1/2 the price of bagged material! COMPOST HAPPENS AT...
478-994-3000
6109 US HWY 41, MACON 34 FEB. 3-17, 2017
Call Kevin Sap
30 Plus Years Experience
478-318-6984
11thHourOnline.com 35
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