The 11th Hour: Aug. 11 - 25, 2016 by 11th Hour Macon

11thHou

August 11 - 25, 2016 • Vol. 15, Issue #342

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FOOTBALL SEASON OPENER

SEPT

7:00 PM

THE INTERVIEW

Tony Joe White

THE

PLUG UGLIES

WRECKING CREW Patron Saints of Macon’s Music Underground

LIF

E AND TIME S

TEDDY BEAR

HAPPENINGS, LOCALS & REGIONAL INSIGHTS

Go. See. Do.

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Gather the family for the 3rd annual Ocmulgee Butterfly Bio Blitz, Saturday, Aug. 20.

$7.99

VIP Membership

The story is just getting started.

A year-long series with a new chapter every issue. Catch up today! Thousands of people have read the first ten chapters of a year long series we are doing on the life of Ed Flowers, also known as Teddy Bear. Ed grew up in Macon, took part in his first bank robbery when he was fourteen years old, a crime for which he never went to jail for. He went on to play baseball at Dudley Hughes High, under coach Goot Stiener where his team won a State Championship in 1964. He practiced with Pete Rose. But Teddy couldn’t stay out of trouble, and ended up in Reidsville Prison right after he graduated, as fucked up as a research monkey, on morphine. Over the next 10 years, his crimes would land him in prison, to which he escaped five times, be put on America’s Most Wanted list, and is believed by some to have robbed over 60 banks. If this is true, that’s more than Jesse James and John Dillinger combined. We are asking that you buy a VIP Membership to 11thHouronline.com to read the rest of Teddy’s story. It’s less than the price of a digital book. $7.99. For that, you’ll get to read the rest of the story, as well as hear audio interviews with Teddy himself, with online digital video coming this fall. The money will help The 11th Hour continue to offer great content, and calendars and reviews to our readers for years to come. So purchase your membership today and continue to read Teddy Bear. Believe us, the story is JUST GETTING STARTED. VISIT 11thHourOnline.com.

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MAILING: PO BOX 14251, Macon, GA 31203 TELEPHONE: (478) 508-7096 ADVERTISING: meg@11thhouronline.com EDITORIAL: bradevans11@gmail.com 04 AUGUST 10 - 24, 2016

Saturday, Aug 13 Fitness Funday at Tattnall Square Park - Everyone is invited to come out to Attack the Fat’s Fitness Funday. 9 AM - 12 PM Games, Zumba, Meet and Greet. (Light refreshments will be served.) This Free event is to support *Joshua’s Wish. Please bring juice boxes for us to donate, to the kids, for after they receive their cancer treatments. Vendors, Sponsors, Donations--- Please contact Deo Oliver @ 478-978-5000 The Hummingbird Beer Olympics! With 6 beer drinking events, how could this not be fun! So gather up your friends, as we still need some teams of 4-6 people to participate! Interested? (you should be) message Brandon@TheBirdStage.com to sign up or if you have any questions. 5-10 p.m. $10 registration per Olympian. Boat & Beer Float presented by Macon Beer Company Start your Saturday by paddling down a lovely stretch of the river in either a canoe or kayak, followed by a brown bag lunch, brewery tour, and, of course, beer tasting. Take home a complementary souvenir pint glass, too! Ages 21 & up. You may choose a kayak or a canoe. Kayaks only hold one person, and the cost is $65 per kayak for everything listed above (kayak rental, shuttle service, tour, lunch, beer tasting & souvenir pint glass). Canoes hold two people and are $130 per canoe, which includes everything mentioned above for two people. Space is limited! Reserve your boat by visiting the FB group page. Wesleyan Market - 9am-1pm There is something for everyone- jewelry, handmade woodworking items, produce, food, boiled peanuts, plants, honey, soaps/natural bath products, and information from local non-profits! #shoplocal Mini Monets Presented by The 567 Center for Renewal- In Mini Monets, children age 2-5 can create a fun art project with the help of their parent, grandparent, or other adult. The

workshop starts at 10:30 am and lasts an hour. $20 includes all materials for 1 child and 1 adult to create a piece of art together. On August 13, Casie Trace will teach a colorful 8” x 10” monogram painting on canvas. Children and adults will use masking tape to block off their letter, then cover the canvas in a playful abstract painting. You can register online at http://the567.org/ art-classes or by calling (478) 2386051. 456 1st Street Elvis Tribute by Jason Sikes at Douglass Theatre - 7 p.m. $20 admission. 478-742-2000

Sunday, Aug 14 Second Sunday Presented by Bragg Jam at Coleman Hill - Featuring Robert Lee Coleman! Every second Sunday of the month, from April through October, expect one of the best community picnics in Macon featuring live music. The concerts are free to attend and local restaurant The Brick will be in attendance selling food and beverage.. Picnics, lawn chairs and pets are welcome. Please refrain from bringing tents and grills though. The show starts at 6 p.m., but organizers recommend that folks get there early to secure a good picnic spot. “A Bigger Splash” Screening Presented by Macon Film Guild at Douglass Theatre - “The cinema of seduction doesn’t get much more overheated than ‘A Bigger Splash,’ an Italian come-on that doesn’t just want to amuse you, but also to pour you a Negroni before taking you for a midnight spin with the top down.” - New York Times. $5 general admission. Shows at 2PM, 4:30PM, & 7:30PM. Discussion after the 4:30 screening.

Tuesday, Aug 16 Drag Queen Bingo at The Bird- One of our favorite events is back with Macon’s own dancing queen, Miss Deonna Sage. Free cover, just come join the fun. Starts at 7 p.m.

Saturday, Aug 20

Macon Beer Fest- The 6th annual Macon Beer Fest is scheduled to take place on Saturday, August 20th, in Historic Downtown Macon, from 3-7pm. The Macon Beer Festival is a Pints for Prostate event. Its goal is to promote awareness and education of prostate cancer to the community through the universal language of beer. This fun beer festival showcases downtown Macon, while promoting a good cause. The festival is a partnership between the Downtown Macon Rotary and Main Street Macon. Admission $35 in advance, $40 day of. Ocmulgee Butterfly Bio Blitz Presented by Ocmulgee National Monument - from 9:00 am – 3:00pm participants will conduct a day of field observations counting butterflies along the trails with Ocmulgee National Monument. Participant will be given a free butterfly bio blitz t-shirt, water bottle, and much more. The park will provide cameras, binoculars, and field guides while supplies last. Participants are encouraged to bring their own cameras, binoculars, and field guides if possible as well as appropriate clothing is required of all participants, including long pants and closed-toed shoes, sun protection, bug spray, water, and snacks. Children’s education and craft programs available that include: painting a butterfly house and sun catcher wind chime to take home as a souvenir of the event. There will be a toddler’s story time at 11:00 am.

Thursday, Aug 25 Celebrating 100 years of the National Park Service through photography Presented by Ocmulgee National Monument - Join us on August 25th from 5pm to 7pm to celebrate the 100th Birthday of the National Park Service with an exhibit of photography of the National Parks featuring photography of Ocmulgee National Monument. This exhibit will highlight the importance that photography had in the development of the National Park Service and in shaping our perception and understanding of the landscapes across America. Free event!

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HAPPENINGS, LOCALS & REGIONAL INSIGHTS

Taste of the Arts Aug. 13 Historic Terminal Station

Put on your dancing shoes! It’s time for Taste of the Arts: Soul Train, Macon’s premiere, themed gala fundraiser benefitting the programs of Macon Arts Alliance! Taste of the Arts will be held Saturday, August 13 at 7 p.m. in the historic Terminal Station. Attendees are encouraged to don their super bad 70s attire and groove to the beat all night long! This year’s theme, Soul Train, is a nod to an era of peace, love, and funk, but also celebrates the 100th anniversary of the downtown’s crown jewel, the historic Terminal Station. This year, in addition to super bad 70s attire and dancing to the funk of the 70s, a live and silent auction will keep the boogie fever at an all-time high. The live auction will include a painting by Steve Penley, dinner for twenty at Dovetail, Grand Marshal title and personal float at the Main Street

Macon Christmas parade, vacation home in Fripp Island, South Carolina, and an exclusive dinner party downtown. The silent auction ranges from fine art, to Disney Park Passes, to the Macon Pops, and a variety of tickets to arts and culture events. Taste of the Arts: Soul Train promises to be the funkiest dance party of the summer! The funds generated by this event go directly to support the programs and mission of Macon Arts Alliance. Programs of Macon Arts Alliance include Arts Roundtable, Ovations365 Arts and Culture Community Calendar, Mill Hill East Macon Arts Village, Amplify Creative Entrepreneur Program, and the Macon Arts Gallery. Don’t miss your chance to dance the night away for a great cause! Get your tickets now: $40 advance, $50 at the door. Purchase online at maconartsalliance.org.

Open-Air Market Aug. 27 Artisans, Farmers, Eats & More

Nestled in the heart of Downtown Macon, the Urban Air Market is a quarterly, open-air, craft and artisan market that focuses solely on promoting and selling local grown goods, hand-crafted items and vintage products. The market will also feature live music, craft beer, and local food vendors from within downtown Macon. The Urban Air Market was built by Macon for Macon. Folks like: Hotplates Group, Macon Management, 100.9 The

Creek, The 11th Hour, thedirtfarmers. com, & Macon Magazine all support the market & we hope yall will join us! Make sure to stop by to find that one-of-a-kind gift at the Downtown Urban Air Market. The open-air market concept with feature makers, artisans, farmers and more from 9 am to 3 pm! The open-air market will be set up along 3rd and Plum Streets in downtown Macon. There is still room for vendors; if interested visit their Facebook page.

11thHourOnline.com 05

Macon Beer Festival Aug. 20 Craft Beer Samplings from 3-7pm at Third & Poplar

It’s hard to imagine many things in life that couldn’t be improved by the presence of good beer. Family dinners become more tolerable; holiday gatherings are immediately more exciting; even health fairs can turn into festivals with enough delicious craft beer added to the mix. Wait a minute. Health fairs? Yeah, you read that right, and downtown’s widely beloved Macon Beer Festival is heading into its sixth successful year as proof. “Georgia is the top fourth state in terms of the number of [prostate cancer] cases diagnosed, and those numbers are surpassing breast cancer,” says Steve Bell, who founded Macon Beer Festival after his own experience with prostate cancer. Bell was diagnosed at the age of 42; the PSA (Prostate-specific Antigen) test done as part of his routine bloodwork alerted his doctor that he might be at risk, and the diagnosis was confirmed during a follow-up visit with a specialist. Thanks to early detection and successful robotic surgery, Bell is healthy now. Soon Bell learned about the organization Pints for Prostates, founded by beer writer Rick Lyke after his own experience with prostate cancer (one which was very similar to Bell’s) – as a response to his experience, Lyke set up this grassroots campaign, which uses the universal language of beer to reach men with its message about the importance of prostate cancer screening and early detection. Inspired by the innovative way Lyke had found to get his message across, Bell approached the Downtown Rotary Club about doing a Pints for Prostates-affiliated beer event that would also be educational and offer free PSA screenings. They held the event in the Armory Ballroom that year; the following year they partnered with Main Street Macon and the festival has grown steadily ever since – going from 200 attendees the first year to around 3,000 expected this year. Over 100 volunteers will be on hand during this year’s event to help out, show support, and pour beer, many of them representing other

nonprofits in the area. This year’s festival will take place on August 20 from 3-7 pm at the intersection of Third Street and Poplar Street downtown. Tents will be set up and a wide variety of breweries will be there to showcase their wares and serve delicious craft beers until they run out. General admission tickets are $35, but for $75 you can purchase a VIP ticket which gets you access to all the general admission festivities plus entry an hour early at 2 pm, private restrooms, and a VIP tent with snacks and some special VIP-only brews from Max Lagers, Second Self, and Omaha Brewery, just to name a few. “Our festival really helps kick off craft beer season, and it’s surprising to see how excited people are to come to our festival and just how far they come. We’re rather unique. People enjoy exploring our downtown, and we give the restaurants an added bump that day as well,” says Bell. Event sponsors include Ingleside Village Pizza, Central Georgia Radiation Oncology, Navicent Health, Ackerman Wrecking, Macon Occupational Medicine, Riverside Ford, Uber, Piedmont Brewery and Kitchen, Macon Magazine, and many more. Some sponsors, such as IVP, have been with the event since the very beginning. Tina Dickson, IVP’s owner, says “This festival has really grown since the beginnings. Not all that walking bar to bar in the hot anymore. Another fun day in Macon!” The health fair aspect of the festival comes in with the available free PSA blood testing on site. Luckily, beer consumption doesn’t affect PSA levels, and worries and inhibitions about having such a test done might be slightly lowered after a few brew samples. Often wives or girlfriends will encourage their fellas to take the test, or friends will go have it done together. “The greatest thing is someone coming up to give us a hug for doing the event,” says Bell. “Either their loved one got tested there, or they had someone in their family that had prostate

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cancer so the cause means something to them.” On the day of the event, PSA screenings are free to everyone, not just event ticketholders. “Two years ago, we had a gentleman who hadn’t visited a doctor in 26 years,” Bell says. “We were his first medical test of any kind since then. We want guys to get a baseline on their PSA, and I’m proud when we can affect a guy’s life in terms of looking after himself.” For more information and to purchase tickets, check out Macon Beer Festival’s website at www.themaconbeerfest.org. - BY TRACI BURNS

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HAPPENINGS, LOCALS & REGIONAL INSIGHTS

NATIVE/NEW

Meet SaVana Cameron Native Dublin, GA Occupation Children’s Choir Director, Northside Presbyterian, Student; Wesleyan

ana: aV S t u o ab s ct Fa m o d an R 1 1 1. I have two sweetheart dogs, a black sheep cat, two parakeets and an asshole boyfriend. :)

2. I have a collection of things I rarely use but like to think

I will - including a vintage bowling bag, a picnic basket

filled with handkerchiefs, a broken tea set and a Bob Ross instructional DVD.

3. I have a bug out bag complete with a plan for the apocalypse.

4. I have a box full of old romance novels from my Grandmother. I’ve never read one, but I save them because she gave them to me.

5. I’ve tried pretty much every self help method there

is - The Secret, the Alexander Technique and The Four Agreements... and I still need help.

6. I rarely drink these days but the last time I did I ended up wandering around with a group of kids playing

Pokemon Go. I haven’t played it since but I must say it was a fine time.

7. I am a Middle-Earth enthusiast.

8. I very much enjoy musical theatre.

9. I got an award for coolest aunt on the planet from my niece, Veda.

Meet SaVana

“I was raised on a dirt road out in the middle of nowhere,” says SaVana Cameron, speaking of her childhood in Dublin, Georgia. As most Southerners know, those dirt roads and wide open spaces tend to inspire and nurture some truly creative and beautiful minds, and SaVana is living proof of that. After graduating high school in Perry and doing a little youthful hopping around from Colorado to Atlanta, SaVana returned to middle Georgia and has called Macon home since 2006. Music – guitar in particular - has always been an important part of her life, but two years ago she decided to get studious about it and enrolled in Wesleyan as a Music major and Education minor. “Wesleyan has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” she says. “I love my sisters. There are so many serious, smart, and talented women there. Some of us sing in three to four choirs at a time, not to mention studio lessons, recitals, masterclasses, and our normal class load.” Rather than crumbling under this pressure, SaVana seems to bloom – in addition to her studies, she’s also recently landed an ideal job for her, as choir director for the Children’s Music Program at Northminster Presbyterian Church. Over the summer she also worked at the Wesleyan Kids College and as a coach at the Otis Redding

Music Camp – “Watching kids light up over music is the best,” she says. Being surrounded by music in so many academic and educational ways made SaVana miss performing her own material in public – but instead of just getting wistful, she decided to take action and do something about it, thus the Women with Purpose Showcase was born. “The idea for the showcase came to light when I was getting a hair cut from the lovely Jenny Lawson,” SaVana says. “We were reminiscing over shows we used to play at The Golden Bough bookstore. I played my first show in Macon there, and I remember going there to watch female talent like Heather Kemp, Amy Godwin, Under the Gazebo, and Moontrash. We both really missed seeing the girls. It is so important that women lift each other up and not discourage one another. There are a lot of strong, hardworking female musicians in Macon, but a few of them, including myself, have taken a backseat in the music scene. We’ve all taken different paths, be it relocating, motherhood, or going back to school. This movement was to provide a space for women to come together and share their gift and a mic to share their stories.” After reaching out to various local venues, colleges, and musicians, the showcase really began to take shape

10. I made it to yellow belt in Tae Kwon Do but then could no longer afford lessons.

11. The first covers I fully learned on guitar were “Classical Gas” by Mason Williams and then “Axiom” by the Contortionist.

– so far the event, which happens Friday, September 2 at 6 pm at Fresh Produce, has eight musicians performing, three artists showing their work, and a guest speech by Middle Georgia State University’s Dr. Sheree Keith. “It really goes to show what can happen when the women of this community bring their minds, talents, and hearts together on a project,” said SaVana. Cover charge for the event is $5 (there’s also a needs list posted on the event’s Facebook page of items that can be donated in lieu of a cover), and all proceeds go to the Safe House of Macon, a local organization providing shelter and resources for victims of domestic violence. “The beautiful thing about what I do is that I will for the rest of my life be growing as a musician,” says SaVana. “There will never be a point for me when I say, ‘I’ve made it’ because there is always more to learn, and I aim for excellence.” With her lovely combination of tenacity, heart, creativity, and enthusiasm, you can be sure that excellence will find her wherever she goes.

Look for the event Women with Purpose: a Homegrown Showcase of Female Talent on Facebook. 11thHourOnline.com 11

words & photos

LUKE USRY

ONE SCENE, ONE GOAL THE PLUG UGLIES WRECKING CREW:

Patron Saints of Macon’s Music Underground It’s Saturday night in Downtown Macon and, upstairs at the historic Grant’s Lounge, the Plug Uglies Wrecking crew is out in full force. From my position at the edge of the stage where I’m snapping photos while propped against a snarling, thumping beast of a floor speaker, it’s clear they have me surrounded. Staring through the 35mm window as I pan the room, I spot the familiar faces of members both in the audience and on stage, frame after frame capturing their expressions of rapturous joy bathed in the haze of smoke machine fog, cigarette smoke, and twirling stage lights that composes the atmosphere within this narrow, rectangular chamber. Considering I am standing in the true natural habitat of all Plug Uglies, I am not surprised by their generous turnout. It is here in spaces like this, awash in the flood of musical mayhem, time racing by in frantic kick-drum meter, that they gather for their own kind of communion. Men and women of manifold ages and backgrounds all bound by devotion to the scene and the art created within it, the Plugs have become a supportive presence paramount to the success of alternative live music in areas spanning the nation. Here in Macon, the local chapter is no exception. Although founded just over a year ago, Macon’s Plugs have quickly established themselves as the lifeblood of the city’s underground music scene. If these kinds of shows are your cup of tea, there’s a good chance you’ve crossed paths with a Plug Uglies member but if you have you would probably remember 12 AUGUST 10 - 24, 2016

it. They are quite difficult to miss. Although their appearances are far from uniform, no PUWC member is fully dressed for a show without donning the Crew’s signature denim or leather motorcycle-style vest. The front adorned with buttons, metal studs, and patches bearing esoteric phrases like “PSYCHO 78,” the back of every Plug’s vest is reserved for its largest and most unmistakably prominent patch…a distorted, slime-green skull centered against a pair of open, crossed switchblade knives. Although the PUWC logo sometimes causes concerns or misinterpretations from the uninitiated, the deceivingly grotesque image has become a beacon to all who like their music loud, fast, and, unflinchingly honest. Founded officially in Columbus, Georgia in October 2011, the flagship PUWC chapter was the brainchild of founders Allen “Nasty” Dillard and current national president Chad Sheppard. Best friends who were both already iconic performers in the Southern hardcore scene, the two became fed up with the predatory business practices employed by many members of the music industry, namely bar and venue owners. Most underground bands are, almost by definition, not signed to a record label and often lack resources to hire professional managers or agents, leaving them in a vulnerable position when it comes time for money to change hands. Far too common were stories of bands were being paid considerably less than promised and sometimes being stiffed outright.

Individually, there was little recourse the already marginalized musicians could pursue but Dillard and Sheppard realized if they worked together as an artistic community they could become powerful advocates for the scene. “We wanted to give the power back to the musicians and just all around support our local scene,” Sheppard explained when asked about PUWC’s genesis. Keeping with the fledgling organization’s mission to challenge the establishments they saw as harmful to their scene, the co-founders chose to name the group in honor of the Plug Uglies, a nineteenth century Baltimore street gang famous for its political activism and opposition to corrupt city officials. To Allen and Chad, the connection between their two organizations was clear. “It was an uprising of the people against the local corrupted government. We were ready to take back our scene and turn the tables.” And, as for the second half of the groups four-word moniker? “The Wrecking Crew means a few things to me. The obvious is wrecking in the pit, but also means to come in and tear down the old ways of doing things and to work hard with others to collectively build a better scene.” Composed of musicians, skaters, tattoo artists, and devoted music enthusiasts from all walks of life, the newly formed Plug Uglies Wrecking Crew grew quickly both in terms of membership and influence. Soon they were not only attending local shows but booking them, placing themselves in the best position possible to ensure that the bands were treated fairly. Many services that members

HAPPENINGS, LOCALS & REGIONAL INSIGHTS began performing on behalf of the Club, like preparing meals or securing lodging for touring musicians, had already been in practice for years among members of the local scene. Now they had a name by which to call their kindness. Within a year, new chapters began popping up throughout the Southeast, creating a thriving network of support that would, by 2016, stretch across the nation. Although Sheppard declined to disclose any exact membership numbers or chapter locations, he noted that “we are located all over the United States currently and have international interest.” Tragically, Allen Nasty did not live long enough to see much of what his beloved Wrecking Crew would accomplish. News of his passing in 2012 at the age of twenty four reached every member of the PUWC family like a letter bomb. “Everywhere Allen went he made lifelong friends,” Chad said of the man he still calls his brother. “He was the kind of guy everyone wanted to be around and also was the kind of guy you would want to have your back.” By all accounts of those who knew and loved him, Allen truly was one of a kind, his silver-tongued charisma often serving as accomplice to his innate love of mischief and adventure. The playful mayhem and gleeful debauchery that often resulted seemed to be the very definition of “stranger than fiction,” his unapologetic, fearless, no-holes-bared approach to life both on and off stage inevitably suggesting comparisons to legendary wild men like GG Allin, Hunter S Thompson, and Neal Cassady. Tales of the Allen Nasty’s antics have come to constitute a kind of oral history within the Plug Uglies, recounted gleefully again and again by those who witnessed these feats of talent and absurdity, each telling adding another log to the fire of his memory. Although Chad is obviously proud of the ground PUWC has covered over the last five years, it’s clear that he speaks for all of his brothers

and sisters in lamenting Allen’s absence. “Allen’s passing had a huge impact on me and the club. I think it brought a lot of us closer together, but there is no doubt in my mind if Allen was still here the club would be twice as big with twice the accomplishments. He was a hard working dude and always put his friends first. He will never be replaced and will always be missed.” Back at Grant’s, it’s nearing one in the morning and the headlining band has just wrapped up. The audience begins to disperse, heading down the stairs and out into the world filled with the kind of sublime satisfaction that comes only from seeing a band loud enough to leave your ears ringing for days. But, as far as the Plugs are concerned, the night holds much to be done. They’ll be around long after I and everybody else have left, packing up gear, loading vans, making sure the bands from out of town have somewhere to stay…whatever is necessary to keep alive this vibrant dream they all profess not only with their words but their actions. It’s the kind of dogged devotion and unbridled work ethic that taken the Macon chapter and the organization as a whole such a long way in such a short time. If getting to know the members of Macon’s PUWC chapter has taught me anything about this driven, talented, charming group of heavy metal misfits that I feel I can responsibly extrapolate onto the rest of their brethren nationwide, it’s this: Although PUWC members are most readily identified by their signature attire, a Plug’s true defining quality is one that cannot be sewn onto a vest or printed on a t-shirt. It’s something that cannot be photographed, despite my enthusiastic attempts. It’s the part of them that, at end of the night, when the howling guitars and pounding drums have long faded into silence, carries on the one rhythm that unfailingly persists…the beating of a true servant’s heart.

11thHourOnline.com 13

STOREFRONT The Scene

OP-ED

What Hop, Skip and a Jump Children’s Shoe Boutique Where 4524 Forsyth Road Hours M-F 10-5, Sat 10-4

Shop Local: Macon’s Only Children’s Shoe Boutique Shopping with small children is one of those activities that can often make parents feel like they’re competing in some kind of grueling challenge – all those bright lights, stuff everywhere, overstimulation, so many opportunities for chaos. When you’re shopping with a small child and that child is autistic, like my daughter Ramona is, all those challenges are amplified to a sometimes excruciating degree, and it can feel easier to just stay home and order online rather than attempt to face the sometimes less-than-understanding public eye with your wild kid. Shoes, though, are one product I’ve always preferred to shop for in an actual store, which is what led me to bring Ramona in to Hop, Skip, and a Jump Children’s Shoe Boutique on a friend’s recommendation a few years ago when she’d outgrown all her footwear. The store is warmly, charmingly decorated, with toys to keep kids occupied up front, and a lovely selection of cool, unique footwear and boutique clothing lining the walls. Ramona, excited by the vibrant colors and the various climbable objects inside the store, turned into a mini Tasmanian Devil, jumping and giggling and knocking puzzles off the toy table. Immediately I began to regret my bravery at tackling a public shopping outing with my wild girl, but then the store owner, Lisa Newby Barfield, finished with her previous customer and came over to greet us. She was immediately understanding and gracious about Ramona’s behavior – it means a lot when people who work around children in any capacity are knowledgeable about autism without a parent having to always do the work of filling them in, and Lisa absolutely

GOT IT and knew exactly how to get Ramona’s attention. She was able to talk to me to deduce Ramona’s shoe needs (something easy to put on and take off, since she prefers to be barefoot) and recommend a brand and style of shoe – Tsukihoshi sneakers, still our favorites - that were absolutely perfect and comfortable for my extremely sensory-sensitive little girl. She got Ramona to be still for long enough to try on several sizes to find the right one, and she was completely nonplussed when Ramona jumped down in her new shoes and ran right back into the stockroom, where she began to do laps around the shelves filled with shoeboxes while cracking up laughing. Any parent – and especially any autism parent – knows that that kind of scenario is a make-or-break one. Irritation or confusion by a store owner or employee or even another customer is sometimes all it takes to ruin an entire shopping trip. But Lisa just laughed along with Ramona, and encouraged me to go back with her in the stockroom and hang out for a few minutes until she’d

gotten her fill of the backstage shoe experience. That moment right there made me a customer of Hop, Skip, and a Jump for LIFE. Showing not just tolerance but understanding, acceptance, and even delight in my daughter’s sometimes difficult and unusual behavior is the kind of deeply positive feeling I long to get from so many public interactions, and I’m forever grateful to Lisa for being the person she is and doing the job she does so kindly and graciously. Lisa has owned Hop, Skip, and a Jump for the past six and a half years – she was an employee of the store under previous ownership, and was thrilled at the opportunity to purchase it after three years. She’s always loved working with children, and says “I love helping my little customers and their moms! I feel that I am given a gift every time someone shares their precious little ones with me. It’s an honor to see them grow from beginning walkers to confident runners.” She loves the familiarity that comes with being a small business owner in Macon, and appreciates being able to create relationships with her customers and their families. Though online shopping is temptingly easy, Lisa’s impeccable customer service skills and perfectly unique selection of products (among them shoes by Livie and Luca, Footnotes, Mini Melissa, Freshly Picked, Native, and our beloved Tsukihoshi sneakers) should keep customers returning – and recommending the shop to their friends and families, which I absolutely do whenever possible. Back to school is just around the corner; do yourself and your community a favor by keeping a caring, committed business owner busy, and shop local for your kids’ new school footwear. BY TRACI BURNS

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14 AUGUST 10 - 24, 2016

Op-Ed

Presidential Election Hijinks 2016 Style By Bill Knowles

The conventions are over and we have our nominees on both sides of the fence as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, literally by hook and by crook with evidence brought to us by Wikileaks, secured the Democrat nomination and Donald Trump secured the Republican nomination, though there was last minute challenges to him prior to the GOP convention in the Rules Committee. Arguably, America has chosen two of the least trusted candidates that have run against each other in our history. Where do we go from here? There is a very strong possibility based on the polls that we may have another very close election, possibly even closer than the 2000 election that had George W. Bush narrowly edging out Al Gore in electoral votes, although Gore beat Bush in the popular vote total. Hold on America…the next few months are going to be a bumpy ride. There are obviously many scenarios in this crazy electoral cycle, but let’s look at one very strong possibility and that is where neither Clinton nor Trump can secure enough delegates to win the Presidency outright. Now this takes some imagination, but who would have ever thought a year ago that Senator Bernie Sanders would have been such a threat to Clinton? For the same token, who in their right mind would have thought that Donald Trump would have been the last person standing in a crowded GOP field that had such popular candidates as Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz along with Governors Jeb Bush and Chris Christie? The impossible has happened so far in this race so even though imagination is helpful nothing is impossible at this point. Right now, Trump is still leading or is close in most all of the states that Mitt Romney won in 2012. So let’s take for granted that Trump will carry all of those. Romney ended up with 206 electoral votes of the 270 needed. Trump is remaining close in a couple of states that Romney didn’t win and could beat Clinton in Ohio, Iowa, Nevada and Florida which will add 59 more electoral votes for Trump for a total of 265. This would still give Clinton the presidency by 3 electoral votes as her total would be 273. Here comes the part where you need some imagination: New Hampshire has been a bit of a wild card even though recent polls are showing Clinton ahead by as much as 15 percent. If Trump invests a lot of money and time there and can turn it, the election would get thrown into the House of Representatives as both Clinton and Trump would end up at 269 electoral votes, or one shy of the magic number of 270. Is it an outside

Hillary Clinton/Donald Trump/Gary Johnson shot? Absolutely….but very possible. Here’s another scenario that is much less likely but still very possible. Let’s say Trump can’t win in Nevada, Iowa and New Hampshire and Clinton adds those to her totals but he rebounds in Pennsylvania and wins. This would put Trump over by 3 electoral votes, but one state that Romney won heavily that Trump can’t count on 1000% is the great state of Utah. If you recall, Trump finished a distant third in Utah during the primaries as Ted Cruz steamrolled him there largely because of Trump’s character issues. Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, the Libertarian Presidential candidate, is polling at almost 20% in the Beehive state today with no visibility and no advertising. To participate in the Presidential debates, Johnson has to be polling nationally at 15%. He is currently polling somewhere around 9-10% and has been more and more visible. If Johnson can get into those debates, there is a good possibility we could see his poll numbers rise nationwide and very possibly in Utah. If he can pull off a miracle in Utah and become the first 3rd Party candidate to win a state since Governor George Wallace in 1968, this would put both Trump and Clinton under the 270 needed and put the race into the hands of the House of Representatives. In the first scenario, we looked at basically a Trump-Clinton race. If we throw Johnson into the mix who knows what can happen in the House? Farfetched? Yes. Possible? Not likely. Fun to think about and ponder? Absolutely. What will most likely happen is a clear winner will be elected on November 8 unless we have some hanging chads someplace that need to be recounted, but please do keep in mind that we thought that in 2000 before the original hanging chad controversy in Florida. The presidency itself has only been elected on in the House of Representatives one time and that was way back in 1824 which ultimately elected John Quincy Adams over Andrew Jackson, even though Jackson had won the popular vote and had more electoral votes. Democracy survived in both cases and I’m sure it will again no matter the circumstances and results of the election. The jury is still out if we can survive whoever wins it.

Bill Knowles is a Macon native and member of the Republican Party. More of his thoughts on local and national news can be read on his blog at WeArePolitics.com

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STOREFRONT The Scene

OP-ED

What Hop, Skip and a Jump Children’s Shoe Boutique Where 4524 Forsyth Road Hours M-F 10-5, Sat 10-4

New Downtown Restaraunt Honors Legendary Macon Resident Sidney Lanier with Inspired Menu & Decor Anybody who grew up in middle Georgia is familiar with the name Sidney Lanier – he’s one of our literary claims to fame, a nineteenth-century poet and scholar considered to be on par with Whitman and Dickinson as far as influential writers of his era go. With all the musical talent coming from our area, we tend to put old Sidney and his contributions on the back burner, but a new downtown restaurant is working to change all that – and satisfy some appetites in the process. Lanier’s, located on 2nd Street, is the brainchild of Dawn Davis, former owner of The Hangar on Houston Road, a bar and grill that was much beloved by its patrons. “We’d wanted to move downtown for awhile because our old location wasn’t ideal to get a lot of people in the door, and also I wanted to do more of a real restaurant-restaurant and not just a bar and grill,” Davis says. “We found this great building downtown and it took us a while to get it all ready. We had to yank up the carpet and glue to reveal these beautiful Terrazzo floors, and the tin ceiling was still intact, and the whole vibe of the place was just great and historic and unusual.” The building and its historic roots led to the restaurant’s theme – as you can find out from a plaque right outside its front door, Sidney Lanier used to practice law in that very building in the 1860s. A Lanier-inspired restaurant theme made perfect sense. “Macon’s musical heritage is well-represented already around town,” Davis said. “This is one aspect of our history that hasn’t had as much attention paid to it, and I like being able to do that.” Davis did her research and created a menu full of allusions to Sidney Lanier and his life and work – among them The Harlequin of Dreams Ribeye and the Mary Day Pasta. “We trained the staff and gave them all a little history lesson, so if anybody asks what anything on the menu means, we’re ready,” said Davis. Lanier’s menu also includes a pleasant variety of salads, burgers, and sandwiches which makes it a perfect lunch spot. The options for side dishes branch out beyond the usual offerings – you can get fried okra, grilled potatoes, macaroni casserole, and even fried green tomatoes to go along with your main dish. On a recent visit I enjoyed a perfect club sandwich with three fresh, crisp fried green tomatoes on the side; after trying bites of my lunch companions’ meals, I can say that the pasta salad was fresh and tasty (and made with little green peas, which I love), and the fried cheese curds appetizer (a favorite from the menu so far, according to Davis) disappeared as soon as they were cool enough to eat quickly. As of right now, the restaurant is open starting at 11 am Tuesday through Sunday, with hours that extend to 4 am on Friday and Saturday for the late night downtown crowd. Plans to open for breakfast are in the works, though – Davis says the restaurant will offer coffee and lattes, a variety of in-house baked goods like beignets, cinnamon rolls, and “sticky biscuits” topped with fruit and nuts, and even a grilled ribeye biscuit for those seeking a savory start to the day. Davis has been more than happy with her reception as a new business downtown. “Everybody has been so nice, it’s like becoming part of a new family,” she said. “People have come by and told us if we need anything, if we run out of anything, just come ask and they’ll be happy to help. That feels really good – we appreciate it so much, and we hope to be able to return the favor someday. We really feel blessed.” BY TRACI BURNS 16 AUGUST 10 - 24, 2016

Laniers is open until 4am on Fridays and Saturdays! Sunday: 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. Monday: Closed Tuesday: 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m Wednesday: 11:00 a.m.-10:0) Thursday: 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. Friday: 11:00 a.m.- 4:00 a.m. Saturday: 11:00 a.m.- 4:00 a.m.

11thHourOnline.com 17

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18 AUGUST 10 - 24, 2016

THE BEER GARDEN MUSIC AT 8PM Friday, Aug 12: Ben Olson Trio Saturday, Aug 13: Swain & the Highway Souls Saturday, Aug 20: Brian Clarke

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AUG. 19!

Live Music and Stand Up Comedy With Bo Walker and Daniel Gravy! Drinks Specials and great Food!! 8pm

20 AUGUST 10 - 24, 2016

the

Dish

American / Bar Food

20’s Pub Boasting freshly prepared sandwiches, salads and dinner specials in a well-lit tavern-like setting. LD • BAR • $ 3076 Riverside Dr. AP’s Hidden Hideaway Making homecooked meals like your mamma used tomake.Menu also features burgers, sandwiches, wings and more. LD • BAR $ 4274 Broadway. Open Tues-Fri 3pm - 2am. Sat and Sunday at noon. Waiter service and outdoor seating available. (478) 781-5656 Bearfoot Tavern The new Bearfoot Tavern is a gastropub featuring an English pub-style atmosphere, 50 beers on tap and bar food at its finest with all soups and breads made in-house. Large beer garden with outdoor stage! LD • BAR • $ 468 Second Street. Open 7 days a week at 11 a.m. Special brunch menu Saturday & Sunday. 478-305-7703 The Brick’s Made from-scratch pizzas, calzones, and stuffed sticks; unique pastas; fresh salads; and wings tossed in one of a dozen house-made sauces next to a full-service bar and a wide variety of draft and bottled beers. A community gathering place featuring outdoor seating and live music with built-in sound and light systems. 1305 Hardeman Ave. at the Lofts at College Hill. Kitchen 11-10 Monday-Saturday, 12-9 Sundays. Full bar open until midnight. For a full menu visit thebrick93.com.

BBQ Fincher’s - You haven’t had delicious southern barbecue until you’ve had us. For over 75 years, we’ve been teasing taste buds with our pit-cooked pork, sandwiches, and more. Voted “Best BBQ” by readers of the 11th Hour for six years in a row, their BBQ even made a trip to the moon on the 1969 space mission. Four locations in Macon and Warner Robins. Family owned and operated!

Pizza / Italian Ingleside Village Pizza IVP is probably the one place in Macon you HAVE to go if you are new here. According to the readers of the 11th Hour, and the Macon Telegraph, it’s the best Pizza in Macon. Homemade dough, loaded with toppings, it just doesn’t get any better. And the atmosphere is as cool as they come. Friendly, and lively, and filled with all kinds of great people, IVP is a one of a kind Macon experience. They also have one of the most extensive beer lists in Macon. LD • BAR $ 2396 Ingleside. Sauced at Mercer Village Serving pizza, calzones, sammies and fresh salads, Sauced makes all their dough, specialty sauce and breads in-house. Delivery available within the College Hill Corridor. (478) 743-4113. Just Tap’d - Yes, they specialize in over 75 craft beers on tap, but the downtown venue has also added some tasty artisan, pub-style food. Featuring Neapolitan pizza, authentic bavarian brats, fresh made pretzels and more! Indoor and outddoor seating. 488 First Street. Mon-Thur 2-10, Friday & Sat 12-11:30, and Sunday 1-8. Main Street Pizza - Much more than a pizza place; the downtown restaurant also offers an outdoor patio with live music that has made Main Street a popular place to mingle. Serving pizzas, wings, calzones and salads. Open for lunch and dinner. 344 Second Street, 744-9880.

Lunch Spots Harpin’s A mid-town lunch favorite, serving chicken salad, pimento cheese, deli sandwiches and fresh salads and daily soup specials. Call ahead for take-out or try their new Take ‘n Go cooler. 3378 Brookdale Ave. (478) 742-5252 Grow is Macon’s only farm to table lunch restaurant, specializing in local meats and produce. Healthy food with Southern flair. Open Mon-Sat 11-3pm. Check out the facebook page for this week’s menu. Reservations accepted. 743-4663 Locos Grill & Pub Casual, kid-friendly, family dining. We’re talking great food, sports on the big screens and a full bar. Fantastic weekly specials and live music on the weekends. Delivery and catering also available. LD BAR • $ 2440 Riverside Drive. The Rookery There isn’t a place downtown that has been serving us longer. Two time winner of Best Burger in Macon in the Readers Choice Awards. Sandwiches, fresh salads and house specialties. LD BAR $-$$ 543 Cherry Street, 746-8658 Wild Wing Cafe Newly opened franchise at the Shoppes at River Crossing, fantastic wings in over 30 flavors, over 20 brews on tap, great salads and one of the few dining options in North Macon that offers live music on the weekends. LD • BAR $-$$, 477.WILD

Kudzu Seafood Co. Newly opened on Third Street by veteran caterer Lee Clack, Kudzu features seafood and breads flown in direct from the Big Easy. With New Orleans flair, their menu features po’boys, jambalaya, cajun fish tacos, fresh salads and their own blue cheese slaw. LD Monday - Saturday 11am - 3 pm, Dinner Friday & Saturday • $ • 470 Third Street.

Specialty The Backburner Under new ownership with a new chef, this longtime Macon favorite has a refreshed menu featuring gourmet entrees including duck, sea bass, New York strip, lamb, oysters and more. Elegant dining experience on Ingeside. LD • $$-$$$ (478) 746-3336

The Downtown Grill Slightly upscale dining serving specialties like Andouille- crusted rainbow trout, cranberry and goat cheese stuffed filets and desserts to die for. Also features an extensive wine list and it’s own humidor. Free valet parking. D • BAR • $$-$$$ 562 Mulberry Street, 742.5999 Dovetail Featuring farm to table cuisine and a fully stocked bar of premier bourbons measured by “the finger.” Southern crafted small plates and inspired entrees in a cozy, lodge-like atmosphere. Located above the Rookery, they do accept reservations. LD • BAR • $$-$$$ 543 Cherry Street, 238.4693. Hours: Serving lunch Tues-Sat 11am-2pm. Dinner Tuesdays-Thursdays; 5:3011 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays Edgar’s Bistro City-chic and a foodie’s dream! Edgar’s Bistro presents a dining experience that nourishes the body and soul. Open for lunch Monday thru Friday, Edgar’s serves as a handson training facility for the culinary students at Helms College’s Polly Long Denton School of Hospitality. Come dine with them on an array of New American selections of soups, garden-fresh salads, sandwiches and entrees. To view the quarterly menu visit Edgarshospitality.com/menu. Roasted Cafe & Lounge Serving delicious specialty deli-style sandwiches like the Cali Club, The Greek Heat and Roasted Chicken. Also, delicious salads and grown-up PB&Js. Try their famous Date Shake or specialty coffees. Open at 6 a.m. Monday - Friday and 11am on Sat. Now serving dinner Wed-Sat! 442 Second Street, downtown. The Tic Toc Room Contemporary setting with a sophisticated menu, great wine selection. D • BAR • $$-$$$ 408 MLK JR BLVD, 743.4645 Texas Cattle Company Macon’s original premier steak house and banquet facility. Featuring hand-cut, choice-grain, aged beef, fresh seafood, in-house ground steak burgers and banquet accamadations for groups of 5-50. Open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. Prices from $5.99 - $24.99. LD • BAR • $-$$. 5797 Houston Road.

Ethnic Cuisine Ghengis Grill A new build-your-own stir-fry restaurant just off Bass Road. There’s only one person in charge at Genghis Grill: You. Seize control and build your own bowl from over 80 delicious, fresh ingredients, then sit back and watch as our Grill Masters cook up your creation in a blaze of perfection. Also featuring a full bar with signature cocktails. LD • BAR • Open 11am - 10 p.m. Monday thru Sunday.

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11thHourOnline.com 21

22 AUGUST 10 - 24, 2016

The Scene I N T E RV I E W b y B R A D E VA N S

Tony Joe White

The Swamp Fox talks about other worlds, roasting squirrels, and recording with Elvis Presley Tony Joe White reigns supreme as one of the true masters of get-down funky bluesy swamp rock music. The singer/songwriter/guitarist was born on July 23, 1943. He was the youngest of seven children who grew up on a cotton farm near Oak Grove, Louisiana. White first began performing music at school dances. Following graduation from high school Tony Joe went on to perform in night clubs in Texas and Louisiana. White went to Nashville in 1968. He had a big hit with his classic hard-stomping song “Polk Salad Annie.” Tony Joe had modest country hits with “The Lady in My Life” and “We Belong Together.” Among the artists who have recorded Tony Joe’s songs are Dusty Springfield, Ray Charles, Wilson Pickett, George Jones, Hank Williams, Jr., Waylon Jennings, Jerry Reed, Jessi Colter, and Elvis Presley (the King of Rock’n’Roll sings “Polk Salad Annie” in the rock concert documentaries “Elvis on Tour” and “Elvis: That’s the Way It Is”). In 1989 White wrote four songs for and played both guitar and harmonica on Tina Turner’s “Foreign Affair” album. Tony Joe has toured with such groups as Steppenwolf, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Sly and the Family Stone. A huge cult favorite in Europe, Tony Joe White continues to record albums on his own Swamp Records label and performs in concerts all over the world. Publisher Brad Evans caught up with Tony Joe on the road ahead of his August 28 concert at the Cox Capitol Theatre. Mr. White, I got to tell you, I’m a huge huge fan. I don’t think there is a single artist out there who’s voice invokes a more spiritual feeling in me than yours. Not only your lyrics but just your sound... the sound of your actual voice, it sounds like something not from this world. You are one of my all time favorites, it’s an honor to talk to you. So how are you? I’m doing real good. And thank you for that bud. Your voice, though, I really don’t know why I didn’t expect it to be like this when I talked to you. But I feel weird just hearing it on the phone. It’s so haunting. (laughs) Ah, man someone said in an interview in Europe one time that he thought that I operated between two worlds. One was that old way-back swamp world, and the other was in the now. I believe that. That I operate in another world sometimes. Do you have siblings? Do they sound like you? I do, and no they don’t. Well you got a gift, sir. Yeah, I think my voice was down there, in my early teens, 13-14 years old, my sisters, and brothers, some of them even accused me of being spooky. The thing about it is that most people say that I sing like a talk. I like that. I don’t have to try to sound this way, I just do. Well, we started a radio station here in Macon about a month ago, and we play a lot of Tony Joe White, I mean a lot. It was funny the other day, a lady from a church was in here singing, and the song I had to introduce after she stopped singing was “Old Man Willis,” by you, which I noted was about a man chasing around his family with a Bowie Knife. Not sure they knew how to take that. (Laughs) That’s funny. Yeah that old man was getting after them, wasn’t he? Can you tell me about the first time you wrote a song? I started playing guitar when I Was 15 years old. My Brother brought an album home by lightning Hopkins. The old blues singer. I started sneaking my daddy’s guitar up to my room at night and learning blues licks. But I never did think about writing any. I was doing a lot of shows through Louisiana and Texas. I was doing a lot of Elvis songs, John Lee Hooker. I heard “Ode to Billy Joe” by Bobby Gentry on the radio and

it changed me. I thought to myself, man that’s real, and right then and there I decided when I wrote, I was going to write something that I knew about. Wasn’t two or three weeks later, I tried to write a song. My first two attempts, were “Polk Salad Annie,” and “Rainy Night In Georgia.” Are you serious? I am. Those were the first two songs I ever wrote. I used to drive a dump truck for the highway in Marietta, and whenI sat down to write I thought about what I had. Well I think that’s why those songs resonate. Because you can tell it’s an experience that is honest, something you really had inside you. It’s why they are still so important today. Tell me how Elvis came to record “Polk Salad Annie.” Well, I put it on in ‘69 and it got up to number #2. Elvis came out with it in ‘73. It was one of those amazing things that happened to me. When I first started I was singing his songs, and there he was signigng mine. He flew me and my wife in his Jet out to Vegas, we watched him record it. All week long we hung out with him. Later on he did a couple more of my songs in Memphis and I got to hang with him at Stax. You were in Macon with Phil Walden for a minute right? Yeah, I don’t have really any stories about Macon. We were usually just there for press stuff. Pictures, or interviews. But I do remember Phil Walden came to Corpus Christi to a club and hunted me down to sign me, and I signed with him. Tell me what a normal day is like for you. The way I have it pictured in my mind, you come out of some trailer in the swamp, wrestle an alligator, kill a squirrel, roast the squirrell over an open flame, and then eat it. Does that happen every day for you? Well not every day. But when the weather is right I always have a fire. Especially when I’m trying to write a song, I always go to the River down behind my house, and build a fire, get me a six pack of beer,and I don’t push it, I just sort of wait for a song to drift in on the wind. Wow. I don’t know how this talk can get any cooler Mr. White. Such an honor to talk to you and I’m so looking forward to your show. I’m looking forward to it too Brad. I’ll see you down in Macon now. Yes Sir! 11thHourOnline.com 23

The Scene

AROUND TOWN

Photos LUKE USRY

BRAGG JAM 2016

JUST TAPD

24 AUGUST 10 - 24, 2016

The Scene LIVE LOCAL by ANDREA MARLOWE

How does BCW represent the Southern music of Georgia? We like Allman Brothers and Jimmy Hall and music you think about when you think of Georgia artists. You can hear that come through in our music. I grew up around bluegrass music and we incorporate banjo into our songs and a lot of harmonies. The main part is the soul. I’d rather make songs that make you feel something than necessarily make me think about a lot of things. I want the music to move people emotionally.

Catch Back City Woods with Alex Guthrie Friday Aug.12th at The Hummingbird Stage & Taproom @ 10pm Back City Woods is no newcomer to Macon’s music landscape. The high energy Southern bluegrass rock band released their first full length album, The Light. The Dark. The Dusk., this year and have been named Atlanta Braves Band of the Year 2013. I spoke with lead singer, Daniel NeSmith, about Southern soul, their band, and how Macon’s music scene is making the right moves.

What can we expect from BCW Friday and how do you keep your high energy on stage? When we get on stage and start playing it’s not an act. It’s just how we feel playing. Friday we’re going to do something a little different. We’re gonna keep that same energy with a more stripped down set. I wanna make it more of an acoustic [set]. I think the reason we let go on stage is because we’re dealing with a crazy world. It’s one place where you can completely let go. Do you collaborate when writing songs? Everyone brings to the table collectively. . . I come up with the basic ideas and then there’s a lot of give and take for all the details. I don’t think we ever play the same song twice the same way. I like the structure to be loose

enough so we can stretch parts out. We have key points where we know we’re going to change to a new section but we like to have enough flexibility to have the vibe to be in the moment with the music. Why do you like playing Macon? How can Macon can improve its music scene? [Macon] feels like home. I like the diversity of our fan base. We get a diverse crowd [in Macon] instead of just one age group, one type of person, it’s a lot of different types of people. Macon is making the right steps to improve the music scene. The radio station, The Creek, (and I can’t tell you how excited I am about that because for the first time in my life I can honestly say I like listening to the radio) having that platform for local artists . . . that’s a really big deal. That tied in with the Cox [Capitol Theatre] bringing in more top tier artists. Those are the steps in the right direction. This will be my third year doing the Best of Georgia Roots Music Showcase [in November] at The Hummingbird . . . I’m trying to get people to realize that we have so much soul and such a diverse type of music sound across the state of Georgia. It still ties back to that soulfulness that you think of when you think of Southern music.

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HAPPENINGS, LOCALS & REGIONAL INSIGHTS

RAISING THE BAR Featuring

Fine wine, craft beer, locally-sourced cocktails, live music, great food, creative people and much more

Local Tastemaker

DANIEL MONTOUTE

GRANT’S

Creator, Dark Eden

1. Must Eat J&F Caribbean Restaurant on Mercer University is my absolute favorite. I love the ox tail and rice. So tender and full of flavor. 2. Must Do Must go down to Ampersand Guild and have a Thai Chai and watch the artists work. 3. Must Go Simply must go to a Dark Eden Event. Our the next show is on October 28th. Its the only body painting show in Macon. You get to come in and watch the artists paint the models and turn them into living art. There is art on display and unique live performances scattered throughout the show. 4. What do you love about your job... My job is to unite the best artists, models, and creatives in the state and city. To guide them in creating magical moments today that will wow your minds for years to come.

Meet your Bartender HALEY BOZEMAN

Dovetail

What is your favorite cocktail to make?

Oaxaca old fashioned. It’s a tequila twist on the classic whiskey old fashioned that features not only Reposado tequila, but also a smoky Mezcal. It’s delicious and the flamed orange at the end is always fun.

Do’s & Don’ts at The Bar?

Be patient if I’m incredibly busy, and if I’m not, be ready for me to attempt to persuade you in to trying something you’ve never had before. Definitely do not snap your fingers. That is my biggest pet peeve.

Favorite meal in Macon?

Maybe I’m biased after previously working here, but the Corn and Boudin hash from Dovetail’s brunch is amazing. I’ll eat anything with a poached egg on top.

What do you do in your free time?

I like to spend incredibly too much money on sporadic trips to the bookstore, host miniature feasts at my house with groups of friends, and wade around in the Ocmulgee when the weather is nice.

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28 AUGUST 10 - 24, 2016

2381 Ingleside Avenue • (478) 254-8722 Mon-Fri 10-6 and Sat 10-4

Eggplan rs s & Peppe e o t a m o T kra Lettuce, O lettuce Romaine s, Kale Jalapeño ! uch More M o s d n A

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 rockinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; city life.

#LOVEMYLOFT BASS | 401 CHERRY | CAPRICORN | COLLEGE HILL | NAVICENT

ts T ickeL E

A ON sS M t 27 - 9A

Augu t Only Interne

OCT 8

OCT 15 GeorgiaNationalFair.com 11thHourOnline.com 29

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

TIL

7PM

PUB 3076 Riverside Dr. Suite 1200 Macon. • Tel 475-5860

Sports Bar & Fine Foods

SATURDAY

Live Music

Happy Hour daily til 7pm!

3076 RIVERSIDE DR. SUITE 1200, MACON • 478/475-5860 New lunch specials Monday - Friday!

mondays

tuesdays

Trivia 7-9

karaoke

Tues/Wed Thurs/Sat 8pm

saturdays

Dart Tourney 4pm with $11 beer buckets

fridays

50¢ Jumbo Wings 7-10pm In-House!

Thursday Night

Wings & Beer Special! 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 8/12: B. Keith Williams 8/19: Big Daddy & Co 8/26: Reckless Soul

30 AUGUST 10 - 24, 2016

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

GO HEAR - LIVE MUSIC Field Note Stenographers Presents the Living Room Concert Series at the Cox Capitol Theatre Thanks to generous support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Field Note Stenographers will partner with the Cox Capitol Theatre to present four concerts in August through November of 2016. The concerts, dubbed the Living Room Concert Series, will focus on the listening experience, putting the artist first and foremost in an intimate setting. Rather than separate the artist from the audience, the Living Room Concert Series will promote a communal atmosphere that encourages connections with a of variety musical styles, from hip hop to psych-tinged country-rock. The bills range from locals to nationally-recognized acts. The experience will take on the look and feel of a house concert but take advantage of the venue space at the Cox Capitol Theatre, a beautifully restored historic facility in downtown Macon. However, rather than use the traditional stage setup, the concerts will take place in the areas normally reserved for standing-room guests, and the bottom half of the theater will closed off. As such, tickets to the events will be limited. “We’re excited to experiment with using the theater in this way,” says Jared Wright of Field Note Stenographers. “It’s a great way to put people up

Thursday 8/11 Scott Little WILD WING CAFE

Friday 8/12 B. Keith Williams 20’S PUB Ben Olson Trio BEARFOOT TAVERN Marty Manous Band BILLY’S CLUBHOUSE Natalie Brady THE CRAZY BULL Born and raised a red dirt Oklahoma girl, Natalie has grown from the starry-eyed little girl with a musical father into one of the most noted female vocalists today. Referred to by many of her followers as the “best female vocalist on the Gulf Coast”, Natalie’s powerful voice and extreme versatility is a force with which to be reckoned. Never forgetting where she comes from and who’s inspired her the most, Natalie stays true to her roots of Country music. From Patsy Cline to modern

Happy Hour Daily 2-8 2-4-1 drinks - $2 Domestics $4 Pizzas all day Sunday!

Thursday

Ladies Night! close and personal to the type of artists that really deserve an attentive listen. We’ve all been frustrated by concert experiences where the artist seems to become background noise to conversation. We want to help change that with the Living Room Concert Series.” For each show, doors will open at 7:00 p.m., and music will begin at 8:00 p.m. Tickets range from $5-$15. Living Room Series Schedule: 8/24: Justin Cutway & Aaron Irons 9/29: Caleb Caudle with Justin Osborne (SUSTO) 10/16: Floco Torres & Famey 11/10: Promised Land Sound with Jake Xerxes Fussell

Tues/Sun

Karaoke 9pm

Live Music

8/13: Big Hairy Monster 8/19: Moncrief & Friends 8/20: Southbound Mojo 8/26: Session Road

1580 FOREST HILL ROAD

day Miranda Lambert, Gretchen Wilson, Trisha Yearwood and Faith Hill, Natalie has been compared to the vocal abilities and presence of them all. Alex Guthrie w/ Back City Woods THE HUMMINGBIRD Imagine for a moment the lovechild of Marvin Gaye, Ray LaMontagne, The Allman Brothers, and John Mayer; you now know Alex Guthrie and his band. Blending soulful vocals, story-rich lyrics, and the organic synergy of the 70’s southern blues bands, The Alex Guthrie Band gives you some of the most real music of our time. See our interview with local favorites Back City Woods on page 25. Dos Blues Guys WILD WING CAFE

Saturday 8/13 The Skeeterz AP’S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY Swain & the Highway Souls BEARFOOT TAVERN Nestled between the hills that brought you the Allman Brothers,

Otis Redding, and Little Richard (among others), Swain and the Highway Souls (SATHS) is bringing a fresh sound to middle Georgia that is steeped in the area’s musical traditions. A unique blend of blues, rock, soul, funk, and R&B, each SATHS show will provide a mixture of your favorite cover tunes along with songs you never knew you liked so much. In addition, the band is continually writing original material that is quickly gaining popularity among followers. Visit their website to tak a listen. SwainAndTheHighwaySouls.com Bonnie Blue & Bucket Shot Revival BILLY’S CLUBHOUSE 11thHourOnline.com 31

GO HEAR - LIVE MUSIC The band OTEP, led by singer, poet, illustrator, author and activist Otep Shamaya, will take over the Capitol stage on Aug. 17. Get an idea of what your in for by watchcing their new music video/art directed by Paul R. Brown, who has previously worked with MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, THREE DAYS GRACE, AUDIOSLAVE, SLIPKNOT, SEVENDUST, among other. View at 11thHourOnline.com

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 THUR $5 well liquor pitchers SUN Sunday Funday!

Chuck Courtenay THE CRAZY BULL

FRI. AUG 12

back city woods

being a voice for the voiceless and fighting injustice. Originally discovered by Jack and Sharon Featuring: Matt Brantley Band, Osbourne in Los Angeles, Otep was offered Analog Existence, toMopeland play Ozzfest as an unsigned artist and was the first female fronted band to play and Driven Towards Chaos. the touring festival.

Thursday 8/18 Matt Moncrief WILD WING CAFE

SAT. AUG 13

Bonnie Blue w/ Bucket Shot Revival FRI. AUG 19

FUNK YOU

SAT. AUG 20

BLOODKIN FRI. AUG 26

LEGENDARY SHACK SHAKERS FOR A COMPLETE SCHEDULE VISIT HUMMINGBIRDMACON.COM 32 AUGUST 10 - 24, 2016

The group’s high-energy setlist straddles the line between classic country and twangy, roadhouse rock and roll — an intentional blend that’s a source of great pride for Chuck himself, who’s no fan of the bland, overproduced pop which is far too often marketed as “country music” these days. “I try and stay away from trendy, lightweight songs I think are gonna be here for a short time,” he says candidly. However, holding fast to such stylistic boundaries can be a difficult task when playing for large crowds accustomed to hearing bar bands offer their own renditions of tunes from the top of that week’s charts – as Chuck himself is quick to acknowledge.

Friday 8/19 Big Daddy & Co. 20’S PUB Moncrief & Friends BILLY’S CLUBHOUSE

come back alice

8 Second Ride WILD WING CAFE

Daniel Lee THE CRAZY BULL

Funk You THE HUMMINGBIRD Bass, Keys, Vox.. these Augusta boys are adequately named, they bring the funk. From Within WILD WING CAFE

Saturday 8/20

Sunday 8/21 Big Mike & the Booty Papas AP’S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY 3-6PM ON THE DECK!

Wednesday 8/24 Justin Cutway & Aaron Irons COX CAPITOL THEATRE Field Note Stenographers Presents The Living Room Concert Series: Admission just $5! Cutway’s been voted Macon’s favorite Singer/Songwriter several years running by readers of The 11th Hour; The music Cutway adds to these lyrics can range from a few notes gently plucked on nylon strings with sparse arrangements of found sounds to folky acoustic strums to full on guitar rock explosions . And Irons’ a founding member of the influential rock n’ roll band, The Liabilities. He is also the host of Honky Tonk Hell on WNEX The Creek FM, a show that explores lost highways and hops the mystery train as it rolls out of the Golden Age of old time radio and into a revival for the Modern Era.

Friday 8/26 Reckless Soul 20’S PUB Grafton Tanner BEARFOOT TAVERN

Sunday 8/14

Yesterdaze Rock AP’S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY

Tres Hombres AP’S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY

Southbound Mojo BILLY’S CLUBHOUSE

Wednesday 8/17

Brian Clark BEARFOOT BEER GARDEN

Glen Templeton w/ Dam Fi No Band THE CRAZY BULL

Bloodkin BILLY’S CLUBHOUSE

Legendary Shack Shakers THE HUMMINGBIRD

Bobby Compton THE CRAZY BULL

Big Daddy & Co WILD WING CAFE

Bloodkin THE HUMMINGBIRD

Brent Cobb Mt. deSales Zuver Amphitheatre

Otep COX CAPITOL THEATRE Rising from the labyrinth of Los Angeles, California. Formed from the poetic marrow of creative intercourse, OTEP is an Art Project/Band/Movement/Revolution; Breaking ground. Breaking rules. Breaking barriers. Articulate. Aggressive. Pure Adrenaline. ARTCore of Heavy Mental Rock.” OTEP is an explosion of inspiration and motivation, empowered by their dedication to the arts,

A2Z Band WILD WING CAFE

Session Road BILLY’S CLUBHOUSE

11thHourOnline.com 33

34 AUGUST 10 - 24, 2016

11thHourOnline.com 35

5171 Eisenhower Parkway | Macon, GA

New Summer Menu Beginning July 18th Carryout Available | 478-471-4250 Lunch Mon-Fri 11-2 | Dinner Tues-Fri 6-9 helms.edu | edgarshospitality.com | Operated by:

Polly Long Denton School of Hospitality

THE HAT Become a leader in culinary arts Not every career path requires four or more years of higher education. The Culinary Arts program at Helms College provides professional training for a career as a sous chef, executive chef, or restaurant manager.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is ability that countsâ&#x20AC;? - Dr. Edgar J. Helms

Helms.edu 478.471.4262 844.GO.HELMS 5171 Eisenhower Parkway Macon, GA