Master of Science in Management Evening classes on our Warner Robins Campus mga.edu/management
11thHou
MACON’S GUIDE TO
35TH ANNUAL CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL
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CHERRY BLOSSOM STREET PARTY
GETS FUNKY
A FASCINATING INTERVIEW WITH HEADLINER
GEORGE CLINTON NEW KIDS COLORING PAGE
AND GUIDE FOR CENTRAL GA FAMILIES MEET BECCA BALMES
Creator of the artist space and cafe The Ampersand Guild [&]
GRAND OPENING MARCH 27
PIEDMONT BREWERY & KITCHEN OPENS ON THIRD STREET
CELEBRATE MACON MARCH 30
LIVE MUSIC IN MACON
11TH HOUR READERS’ CHOICEE AWARDS SHOW
CONOR OBERST DEMUN JONES KANE BROWN AND SO MANY MORE
3:POINT AT T E R
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In Case You Missed It
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
POPLAR STREET REVITALIZATION TO BEGIN THIS SUMMER
A new downtown development along Poplar Street will support a new hotel, loft living, retail space and two new, much-needed parking decks. The project is a public-private partnership which will provide significant parking to the Macon City Auditorium and provide a major
economic infusion and boost to the downtown core. Central City Commons, as it will be called, will be built in four project phases. Financing is anticipated in the Summer of 2017, and construction would be complete by Fall of 2018. The major project groups are: Parking Decks Project Group: This project will involve the construction of two parking decks. Parking Deck 1 will have 455 spaces and Parking Deck 2 will have 335 spaces and provide parking for the hotels, the City Auditorium and the public. Major Hotel Project: Central City Commons will include a 120-room hotel with a major national flag, and it will be operated by an experienced hotel management company. A boutique hotel is also included in the plans to be located in the Newman Building, on the corner of Poplar and First Streets. Mixed Use Project: This project is for 87 multi-family units and 21,000 square feet of retail space. The retail units will be leased to individuals, and the retail space will be sold to a development company specializing in retail.
FORMAT CHANGE FOR MERCER’S ANNUAL BEARSTOCK
Mercer’s annual Bearstock will have a different format in its 10th year, as the University’s student programming board, QuadWorks, recently announced that the event will take place in two parts. The traditional outdoor music festival, which is free and open to the public, will take place April 8 from 1-6 p.m. in Tattnall Square Park, followed by a ticketed concert for Mercer students and their guests from 8-11 p.m. in Hawkins Arena. “Bearstock: After Dark,” as the concert is being billed, will be headlined by rapper Waka Flocka Flame, DJ and producer DJ Mustard and electronic dance music (EDM) artist Gazzo. The concert is open to Mercer students, who are each allowed to bring up to two guests. Students get in free with their Mercer ID, and guests must purchase tickets for $5 each at the door. Doors open at 7 p.m. The family-friendly, free outdoor music festival in Tattnall Square Park will feature five local and regional artists – Savannah Alday, Hindsight, Night Owl, Some Kids and Abby Henry – as well as food and merchandise vendors. “I’m excited that we’re able to provide a diverse group of artists this year. This is going to be a Bearstock to remember,” said Nate Flowers, president of QuadWorks.
04 MARCH 17 - 31, 2017
CHANDLER PRICE
Web Media Manager Macon-Bibb Convention & Visitors Bureau
Top 5 Tourist Must-Do’s 1.) The Allman Brothers Band Museum at the Big House Home to members of The Allman Brothers Band (ABB) from 1970 - 1973, explore the world’s largest collection of ABB memorabilia in the world. Walk in the rooms where famous ABB songs Blue Sky, Please Call Home, and Ramblin’ Man were written, see Duane Allman’s 1957 Gibson Les Paul Goldtop, gaze at a multitude of ABB’s gold records, and so much more. 2.) Ocmulgee National Monument Step back in time and visit this prehistoric Native American site. Ocmulgee has had 17,000 years of continuous human habitation and artifacts from the past are still present today. Explore the museum, venture outdoors to see the Earth Lodge with its original floor that dates back to 1015, and enjoy the nearly 700 acres of fields, forests, and wetlands. 3.) Tubman Museum This 49,000 square-foot museum is filled with unique art and history exhibits that celebrate the abundant history of African Americans. Pieces in the permanent collection include a mural that travels through time exploring the accomplishments of African Americans titled, “From Africa to America”. 4.) Hay House Lovingly dubbed “The Palace of the South,” the Hay House is an 18,000-squarefoot Italian Renaissance Revival mansion known for its style, craftsmanship, and technological innovations. The magnificent seven-story mansion includes Italian Carrara Marble fireplaces, central heating, and a speaker-tube system. 5.) The Rookery The Rookery has been making mouth-watering burgers and delicious milkshakes since 1976. This Macon staple provides a laid back and friendly atmosphere for locals and visitors alike.
City Picks Saturday 25
Mar 25 - April 2
Sunday, 2
April 1-2
FESTIVAL Cotton Avenue Revival Festival
COMMUNITY / OUTDOORS Ocmulgee Lantern Light Tour
COMMUNITY Cherry Blossom Festival Finale
COMMUNITY/OUTDOORS Mulberry Street Arts & Crafts Festival and Food Truck Frenzy
(Cotton Avenue, downtown) March 25-26. Join us for two days celebrating the lively and historic Cotton Avenue District. The Cotton Avenue Revival Festival will kick off with a brunch at the Ruth Hartley Mosely Women’s Center and then roll into outdoor music performances. Historic and music tours are offered on Saturday showcasing the rich and diverse legacy of the people and businesses that built the neighborhood. Restaurants will feature “Festival Specials” for attendees. Iconic churches of the Cotton Avenue neighborhood will be open for tours and music. For more information call 478-742-5084 or visit historicmacon.org.
Grab a lantern and stroll along the luminary lined path from the Visitor Center to the Great Temple Mound. Join interpretive talks at the bridge, Earth Lodge, Trading Post, and Great Temple Mound sites. Step back in time to meet costumed characters with ties to Ocmulgee. Learn about the 17,000 year history of Ocmulgee and the people who lived here. Tour the Museum exhibits and 2,000+ artifacts. Tours takes place Fridays-Sundays during the festival. Tours begin every 10 minutes starting at 7:30 PM. Admission is $5/person and free for those 12 & under. $5 per person, kids 12 & under are free. No reservations required, but tickets are available in advance. 1207 Emery Highway, Macon
(Wesleyan College Lawn) 4 p.m. Grab a lawn chair and come celebrate the final day of our 35th annual Cherry Blossom Festival! Join us for an afternoon of family fun with live music featuring Mother’s Finest and Vintage Vixens as well as tethered hot air balloon rides ($10 per person -Age and weight restrictions set by each pilot) . There will be vending on site or you can bring a cooler for snacks and soft drinks. Mother’s Finest tours the world full time, their live performance is an energetic event with an incredible sound track, not to be missed. Let’s end this year’s Festival with a bang. FREE! 4760 Forsyth Road
10 a.m. - 6p.m. Free event. When the cherry blossom trees are blooming and Downtown Macon comes alive – the Middle Georgia Art Association presents the oldest arts & crafts festival in Middle Georgia. Thousands of visitors and hundreds of vendors from across the country congregate on Mulberry Street to celebrate this exciting festival! Gourmet food trucks from around the South featuring the latest trends in culinary culture gather on the last weekend of the 35th Cherry Blossom Festival to provide Macon with a taste of the food truck mania sweeping the country. Purchase delicious food while enjoying music and onsite beer sales!
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Friday 24
THE NEXT TWO WEEKS
WELLNESS: 2017 Raw Food and Yoga Retreat (Indian Springs State Park) In Partnership with Hometown/Homegrown Yoga, Slackline Yoga and Rhythm and Jazz Foundation March 24 – 26, Friday, Saturday and Sunday (Spring into Wellness). (478) 747-7920. The weekend retreat is $199.00 includes food, yoga instructions, lodging and a t-shirt.
Friday 17 MUSIC: The Macon Pops Presents “Hit Songs From TV and Movies” (Mercer’s Hawkins Arena) 7:30 p.m. Featuring Gloria Reuben and Erich Bergen presenting some of the most iconic songs from hit movies and television shows. Mercer University, Hawkins Arena University Center, maconpops.com.
CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL: Midway Rides and Food Vendors (Central City Park) Thru April 2. Your whole family will enjoy the fun fair atmosphere with Drew Exposition Amusement Rides! The rides are available at Central City Park all 10 days during park hours. Purchase ride tickets on site. Sundays, free rides noon-1pm!
SPORTS: Macon Mayhem vs. Columbus Cottonmouths Puck drops at 7:30 PM. Tickets $13 and up. Ticketmaster.com ART CLASS: Corks & Canvas (567 Center for Renewal) 7 p.m. Bring a bottle of your favorite wine or other beverage to sip on, bring a friend, and learn to create an 11 x 14 painting. No painting experience required. An artist will guide you through the steps. $28 includes all materials for the class (except the wine), and the class lasts 2 and 1/2 hours. Space is limited. To register, call (478) 238-6051. 456 1st Street
COMMUNITY: Sky Over Macon
(Museum of Arts & Sciences) 5-10 p.m. Explore space, the constellations and planets visible from Central Georgia. $5-$10. 4182 Forsyth Road
Saturday 18 DANCE: Rock the Ballet presented by Middle GA Youth Ballet (The Douglass Theatre) MGYB dancers, who represent studios from all over middle Georgia, will perform in dances ranging from “Waltz of the Hours” to Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Professional dancers Oivia Boyd and B.J. Hilburn will also perform. This show spotlights talented dancers who range in age from 12 to 18 years old across our community. MGYB is celebrating its 20th season this year! Reserved seating is available if you purchase tickets in advance by calling the Douglass Theatre. $15 adults/ $12 students. 742-2000 TOUR: Rock Candy Tours: Rock ‘n Roll Stroll Beginning at H&H Soul Food. 10am, $15. RockCandyTours.com
Sunday 19 COMMUNITY: Beer & Hymns (The Bearfoot Tavern) 6 p.m. Free communty event sponsored by Highland
Hills Baptist Church. Hymns and popular tunes. Events are casual and filled with good food and delicious beverages. Come sing along. COOKING Farmhouse Sunday Supper (Travis Jean) 5:30 p.m. with Chef Kevin McCauley. Fried chicken, mixed bean salad, Fancy slaw, Seasonal cobbler. BYOB. $48 per person. TravisJean.com
Tuesday 22 KAROAKE: AP’s Hidden Hideaway with Chris Allen. 7 p.m. Backporch Lounge 8 p.m.
TRIVIA: Bearfoot Tavern 7 p.m.
Wednesday 22 SPORTS Mercer Men’s Basketball 7 p.m. vs. UNCG. Hawkins Arena. $8 general admission. Tickets.mercer.edu KAROAKE: 20’s Pub 8 p.m. - midnight The Hummingbird 8 p.m. - midnight TRIVIA: Wild Wing Cafe Questionary 7 p.m. Locos: Trivia with Devin 8 p.m. The Hummingbird 7 p.m.
Automobile Accidents - Defective Products - Insurance Disputes Environmental Contamination - Brain Injuries - Medical Malpractice - Motorcycle Accidents - Property Owners’ Liability - Wrongful Death BRIAN P. ADAMS, Attorney at Law
Local (478) 238-0231 Email brian@brianadamslaw.com 598 Dt Walton Sr Way, Macon, Georgia, 31201
06 MARCH 17 - 31, 2017
Tuesday 21 MUSIC: Fabian Concert Series presents “Brahms Clarinet Quartet (Fickling Hall on Mercer’s campus) 7:30 p.m. In an eclectic evening featuring composers old and new, Minnesota Orchestra conductor Osmo Vanska, concertmaster Erin Keefe, and assistant principal violist Becca Albers join Amy Schwartz Moretti and sophomore cellist Atticus Mellor-Goldman to perform Brahms’ great clarinet quintet. 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.
Thursday 23 ART CLASS: Watercolor and Wine (567 Center for Renewal) 7 p.m. Bring a bottle of your favorite wine or other beverage to sip on, bring a friend, and learn to create an 9 x 12 painting. No painting experience required. An artist will guide you through the steps. $25 includes all materials for the class (except the wine), and the class lasts 2 and 1/2 hours. Space is limited. To register, call (478) 238-6051. 456 1st Street MUSIC: Mercer University Orchestra (Fickling Hall on Mercer’s campus) 7:30 p.m. admission is free but a ticket is required. Call the GOH Box Office to reserve (478) 301-5470. Part of NPR’s Performance Today residency and will be recorded for possible later broadcast. KAROAKE: 20’s Pub 8 p.m. - midnight
CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL: Tunes ‘N Brews Bike Bash 6-8 p.m. A family-friendly, festive evening of bike riding, live music, burgers, and beer! This ride features an easy pace 4 mile ride departing from the Tubman Museum and travels through beautiful Historic Downtown Macon. This FREE event is intended for riders of all ages and abilities. Lights and helmets are required.
Saturday 25 CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL: Pink Pancake Breakfast (Central City Park) 7am-10:30. Adults: $5 / 5 and under: $2 per person. Come enjoy delicious pink pancakes served up by the Macon-Bibb County Fire Department! Benefits the American Cancer Society. CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL: Open Air Market (Third and Plum Streets) 9am-4pm. Vendors sell handmade or homegrown goods from Middle Georgia. Featuring food trucks, live music and a petting zoo. FREE! CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL: Ocmulgee Duck Dash (Amerson Waterworks Park) 10:30-noon. Purchase ducks from Big Brothers Big Sisters, Crisis Line & Safe House, and the event website. All of the ducks will be placed in the Ocmulgee River at the same time. The person who purchased the winning duck will take home $1,000! 2nd and 3rd place ducks will also win prizes. Ducks are $5 each. CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL: Annual Bed Race and Firefighter competition (Third Street Park) 1-3 p.m. Chuckle if you will, but these speed machines are serious! The Bed Race is open to anyone who wants to get in on the fun and excitement of old fashioned bed racing.
OcMulgee NatiONal MONuMeNt March 24th, 25, & 26th & March 31st, April 1st & 2nd 2017 7:30-9:00pm ~ Tours every 10 minutes
Grab a lantern, walk the grounds and enjoy interpretative talks at the Earth Lodge, Trading Post and Great Temple Mound. One mile round trip walk.
$5.00 for 13 & up; 12 & under FREE
ocmulgeemounds.org • 478-752-8257 1207 Emery Hwy • Macon, GA
Hephzibah Children’s Home |6601 Zebulon Road | Macon, GA 31220
Saturday th April 8
Feats of speed, science, creativity and community
2017 Macon, Georgia
Magnolia Street/ Washington Park
10a - 4p
soap box racing, music, food trucks, big wheel racing magnoliaderby.com 11thHourOnline.com 07
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08 MARCH 17 - 31, 2017
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THURSDAY, MARCH 30
$ $ BEST MACON 2017 11TH HOUR READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS of
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CELEBRATE MACON WITH US!
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Remodels - Decks - Drywall - Doors - Flooring - Leaks - Plumbing - Roofing Residential and Commercial WE GET MACON MAINTENANCE SOLUTIONS THE JOB DONE RIGHT. 478.501.2701
Saturday 25
Monday 27
Friday 31
THEATRE: Met Opera Live “Idomeneo” (The Douglass Theatre) 12:55 p.m. 355 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., $24 adults, $20 seniors and students. metopera.org/hdlive. 478-742-2000.
CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL: Third Street Park Festivities 11:30-1:30 p.m. all week long. Come enjoy free Coca- Cola and Krispy Kreme refreshments from Cherry Blossom Festival sponsors while supplies last. Multiple entertainers and a special theme each day set the mood for light-hearted fun, while horse-drawn carriage rides (Presented by SCANA Energy) take you back in time for an adventure-filled afternoon.
SPORTS: Macon Mayhem vs. Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs Puck drops at 7:30 PM. Tickets $13 and up. Ticketmaster.com
FESTIVAL: Cotton Avenue Revival Festival A celebration of the historic Cotton Avenue district in Macon’s historic downtown. The Festival will include a full line-up of performances by talented musicians and dancers, historic walking tours, tours of Cotton Avenue’s beautiful churches and more! The Festival is free and open to the public. COMMUNITY: Paws in the Park Dog Show (Sandy Beach Park at Lake Tobosofkee) noon - 4 p.m. dogs strut their stuff on our runway from a fun dog show. We are also partnering with Macon-Bibb Animal Welfare and local rescue groups in Middle Georgia for an adoption drive. Lots of loving adoptable dogs will be on site ready for a new home.Join us after the show for a group dog swim!
Sunday 26 CULTURAL EVENT: The Legendary Shaoin Warriors (The Grand Opera House) 6 p.m. Representing over a thousand years of Chinese martial arts culture, legendary Shaolin Warriors is a wildly popular theatrical experience performed by masters of Kung Fu. This is a treat for the entire family and sanctioned Cherry Blossom event! Tickets $39.50 and up. TheGrandMacon.com CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL: 35th Annual Parade 4-5:30 p.m. The Cherry Blossom Festival Parade is one of the Festival’s premier events. Fantastic floats, marching bands, military units, costumed performers, international dignitaries, and more combine to transform an already beautiful historic downtown into a dazzling showpiece. Performers and entertainers dazzle audiences of all ages, so bring your family and experience the magnificent Cherry Blossom Festival Parade. MUSIC: Svyati Duo (Vineville United Methodist Church) 4 p.m. Free concert Presented by Music and the Arts at Vineville. 2045 Vineville Ave.
Tuesday 28 CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL: Downton Abbey Tea (Federated Garden Club / Neel Reid House) A Downton Abbey merchandise store will be open and vintage era clothing will be on display. Hats, gloves and attire from the era is optional but highly encouraged!Call 478-742-0921 for reservations. $12 per adult. CONCERT: United States Air Force Concert Band (The Grand Opera House) 7-9 p.m. The United States Air Force Band is the premier musical organization of the Air Force. The excellence demonstrated by the Band’s Airmen musicians is a reflection of the excellence carried out 24 hours a day by Airmen stationed around the globe. To reserve your seat call 478-3015470. FREE CONCERT!
Thursday 30 CONCERT: Sunset Jazz (Coleman Hill) 6-8 p.m. Come enjoy live Jazz music provided by the Jazz Association of Macon. Picnics and lawn chairs are welcome. Free event. CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL: Annual Fashion Show and Luncheon (Anderson Conference Center) 11 a.m. Don’t miss this posh annual favorite of the Cherry Blossom Festival. The fashion show features the emerging trends of spring. Enjoy lunch served by Edgar’s while we rock the runway with celebrity guest models, local Macon fashionistas, Cherry Blossom royalty, and many more surprises coordinated by Mark Ballard. $40/person. Reservations required, (478) 301-5470.
Saturday 1 FESTIVAL: Cherry Blossom Street Party Featuring George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, Mavis Staples, Chuck Leavell and the Randall Bramblett Band, JD McPhereson and Molly & Me. Gates open: 3:00 pm. $20 advanced $25 day of event. Purchase tickets online or day of at gates. Rain or shine event. Folding/Camping chairs are permitted. George Clinton revolutionized R&B during the ’70s, twisting soul music into funk by adding influences from several late-’60s acid heroes. Mavis Staples is an alchemist of American music, having continuously crossed genre. Weaving herself into the very fabric of gospel, soul, folk, pop, R&B, blues, rock, and hip hop over the last 60 years. CherryBlossom.com CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL: Pink Pancake Breakfast (Central City Park) 7am-10:30. Adults: $5 / 5 and under: $2 per person. Come enjoy delicious pink pancakes served up by the Macon-Bibb County Fire Department! All proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society. CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL: Mulberry Street Art Festival and Food Truck Frenzy Free 10-6 p.m. the Middle Georgia Art Association presents the oldest arts & crafts festival in Middle Georgia. Thousands of visitors and hundreds of vendors from across the country congregate on Mulberry Street to celebrate this exciting festival! Also Sunday, April 2.
Thursday 6 COMMUNITY: Yappy Hour (Macon Dog Park) 6 p.m. Every first Thursday of the month. Bring your pups for a great time at the Dog Park....Music, Giveaways and More!
Friday 7 MOVIES: Screening of John Waynes “Stagecoach” (Grand Opera House) 7:30 p.m. 1939 A group of
people traveling on a stagecoach find their journey complicated by the threat of Geronimo and learn something about each other in the process. $5 general admission. Full bar and light concession available. COMMUNITY: First Friday Open Make Night (Spark Macon) Free 6-9 p.m. Ever wondered what SparkMacon is all about or wanted to make something new by collaborating with the community or using state-ofthe-art tools and equipment? Join us for our version of an open house, complete with free food and drinks. The space will be filled with members showing off all the amenities of SparkMacon and providing a place for you to create.
Saturday 8 COMMUNITY: Magnolia Soap Box Derby 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. A continuation of Macon’s longstanding tradition of Soap Box Racing, which goes all the way back to the 1930s! three types of races: Professional (the super-fast ones), Shadetree (communally built cars, not necessarily speed-focused), and as of 2015, the Gravity Racing Challenge (for High School Students). So come on down and cheer on your friends, enjoy some food and music, and watch some soap box cars go really, really fast. For more information contact magnoliaderby.com.
Ongoing 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. Ocmulgee Lantern Light Tour March 24-April 2. Held yearly during Macon’s Cherry Blossom Festival, Ocmulgee National Monument hosts the Lantern Light Tours. Tour the Museum
11thHourOnline.com 11
KICK-OFF TO CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL MARCH 24-APRIL 2 Macon’s own International Cherry Blossom Festival
will kick off Friday, March 24 in what is sure to be one of the more exciting events this town has yet to see. This year’s event expects to be packed like never before, with all sorts of new attractions for everyone in the family to enjoy. “Expect change,” Collin Holder, this year’s Director of Events and Marketing explains to me, with a wry smile. “We’re working in collaboration with ‘Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful’ which is an affiliate of ‘Keep America Beautiful.’ The biggest thing we brought in this year is the Street Party, which will take place on Saturday, April 1 across the street from City Hall, and standing area will stretch all the way down to Second Street.” The Cherry Blossom Street Party takes place at 3 PM that Saturday, and will be headlined by George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, Mavis Staples, Chuck Leavell with The Randall Bramblett Band, JD McPherson and Me & Molly. Tickets for the Street Party are available in person at The Rookery and El Camino or online at www.cherryblossom. com for $20 in advance or $25 the day of the event. One thing Holder wants to stress about the event is the limited amount of parking that will be available downtown. “We really stress that people carpool or Uber to these events. Parking will be very limited and we have listings on the website of where people can find shuttles to ride. We just find that this is an easier way for everyone to enjoy themselves.” This year’s Cherry Blossom Gala will take place Saturday, March 25 at Middle Georgia State University at 7 PM and will feature a night of dining and dancing with tables of eight going for $500 by contacting Mercer Ticket sales at 478-301-5470. The 35th Annual Cherry Blossom Parade will take place on Cherry Street on Sunday, March 26 at 4 PM. Another event that will be featured this year will be the Cherry Blossom Fashion Show By Mark Ballard on Thursday March 30 at 11 AM at the Anderson Conference Center located at 5171 Eisenhower Parkway. Ballard was also the designer of this year’s Cherry Blossom pin, which is available for $5 at The Cherry Blossom Gift Shop located at 530 Cherry Street. The cost of admission to the Fashion Show is $40 and can be purchased through Mercer Ticket sales. Ballard promises surprises of celebrity guest models, local Macon fashionistas and Cherry Blossom Royalty of years passed. Later that night, The 11th Hour Readers’ Choice Awards will take place at the Cox Capitol Theatre. Tables of six for this event are $150 and are available by contacting Brad Evans of 100.9 The Creek at 478-508-7096. One great free event that will take place on Saturday, April 1 from 10 AM to 7 PM and Sunday, April 2 from 10 AM to 5 PM will be The Food Truck Frenzy on Third Street, featuring food trucks from all around the south. This event will be a great chance for people to try all sorts of cuisines not usually available in Macon. For more information on the 2017 International Cherry Blossom Festival, be sure to check out their website at www.cherryblossom.com for a full list and schedule of the events that will be offered. Holder has assured us that, “You’re not going to want to miss this year’s event, because it’s going to be beyond special.”
12 MARCH 17 - 31, 2017
NIGHTLY CONCERTS AT CENTRAL CITY PARK MARCH 24
Echospeed 6-8 p.m. When you need your ’80s fix and only the best will do, Echospeed is the band you need! Playing the hits of the ’80s since 1992. The Godfather of ’80s cover bands. Simple enough. The Velcro Pygmies 8-10:00 pm – Master of Ceremonies front-man Cameron leads the crowd on a roller coaster trip through the 80s, with occasional detours into country and R&B while Chris Eddins amazes you with his antics on drums. Bassist Jacob Sanders lays down the thunder while guitar god Chase West wails on his Les Paul.
MARCH 25
Kaleigh Courson 6-7:30 pm: is a Country Music singer-songwriter from Macon, GA who has a deep passion for writing and performing. Her ability to blend Southern Rock into her Country sound reminds you of what real country music is all about. Jordan Rager 8-10:00 pm: gained popularity by singing cover versions of popular country music songs, amassing more than 3.7 million viewers on YouTube as a result. One of the artists who discovered his videos was Justin Moore, who chose him to perform on the “Off the Beaten Path” tour. Rager was signed to Broken Bow Records in 2014. He released his debut single, “Southern Boy”, via Broken Bow in February 2016, which features Aldean on duet vocals. Jordan Rager’s Second Single, “Now That I Know Your Name” released to country radio on September 19, 2016.
MARCH 26
A2Z Band 7 -9:00 pm: is a group of well experienced local musicians with a large library of dance songs.
MARCH 27
Southern Outlaws Band 7-9:00 pm: is a six piece country and southern rock band based out of Central Georgia. Their roots stem from rock to outlaw country, to form a very unique sound and stage presence.
MARCH 28
After Hours After 6 7-9:00 pm: are seasoned musicians
who have a genuine passion for live performances. From Top 40 to Beach and back around to the Oldies but Goldies, After Hours After 6 Band can give you the performance of a lifetime!
MARCH 29
Just Friends and AJ the DJ 6-9:00 pm: will come together to bring you a night of soul music that will have you dancing the night away.
MARCH 30
The Charlie Fog Band 7– 10:00 pm: Performing the music of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia. Of course as a result, territories of country (Cash, Haggard) and blues (Howlin Wolf), and folk (Dylan, Dobson, Phillips) are all explored.
MARCH 31
Latino Night 7-10 p.m.: Soneando and El Kartel will help you dance the night away on Latino Night!
APRIL 1
Harold E. Thomas & Danger Zone 6-7:30 pm: is a musical group possessing a unique style tailored by Harold E. Thomas and mastered by each musician and vocalist. Their style covers every genre from Jazz,Top-40, Beach, R&B, Reggae, Rap, Oldies and even Country. The group is based in Macon, Ga., but travels the world. R&B Night 8-9:00 pm: Tyrus Turner is a Pop/R&b Artist that has opened for Kici&Jojo, Ginuwine, Dru Hill, Silk, and Tony Toni Tone. He was BET Apollo Live season 1 and 2 runner up. Joey Beanz Little 9-10:00pm: An American singer-songwriter, record producer, actor, fashion designer and American entrepreneur most known as lead singer of the internationally known group The Rude Boys most known for 1991 Billboard R&B Song of the year “Written All Over Your Face.”
APRIL 2
Oldies Finale 7-9:00 pm: The Fabulous Boomers Band play music that takes you back in time to your special place. 50’s and 60’s classics all the way to today’s hits.
Coloring Page
CENTRAL GEORGIA FAMILIES
KIDS ACTIVITIES THIS WEEK Saturday 25
Sunday 26
Cherry Blossom
Ocmulgee Duck Dash 10:30-Noon (Amerson River Park) Purchase ducks on the event website or at the event. All of the ducks will be placed in the Ocmulgee River at the same time. The person who purchased the winning duck will take home $1,000! 2nd and 3rd place ducks will also win prizes.
Fam-tastic Scavenger Hunt
Atlanta Puppet Show Daily: 1:30, 2:30, 3:30, 5:30, 6:30 & 7:30 pm. (Central City Park) Each show lasts approximately 20-25 minutes.
Paws in the Park Dog Show 12-4, Lake Tobosofkee Sandy Beach $3 per person. Prizes awarded for Best Looking, Best Dressed, Owner/Dog Lookalike, Best Singer and many more! All leashed dogs are welcome.
2-4 p.m. (778 Mulberry St.) A scavenger hunt for families and groups that will benefit Family Advancement Ministries. Event will take 2-3 hours. $20 per group. The Legendary Shaolin Warriors 6 p.m. (The Grand Opera House) A treat for the entire family! Remarkable Skill, Stunning Artistry, and Death Defying Martial-Arts. Get tickets at TheGrandMacon.com
The Butterfly Encounter Daily: 1:00, 4:00, & 6:00 pm (Central City Park) Experience this interactive, walk-through exhibit and see over 200 butterflies! Central City Park Ways to save: Monday 3/27-Thursday 3/30: Unlimited rides $20 per person. Sundays: FREE! rides from Noon – 1:00 pm. Monday 3/27: Military day- $10 rides and free admission with ID
Fridge-worthy art illustrated by Craig Hamilton
Kids eat free, or nearly free MONDAYS
Barberitos- Kids eat free after 3pm with the purchase of an adult entrée. Dine in only -Twelve and Under. Lil’ Barbs menu just for kids includes burritos, tacos and quesadillas. All items include a cookie and a Lil’ Barb’s drink! Two locations in Macon. Mellow Mushroom – one free kid’s pizza with adult entree Buffalo’s Southwest Cafe – one free kid’s meal per adult (12 and under)
TUESDAYS
Moe’s - One Kid 12 and Under eats free with the purchase of
any adult meal. Locos Grill- One free kid’s meal per adult. 12 and under
THURSDAYS
Barberitos- Kids eat free after 3pm with the purchase of an adult entrée. Dine in only -Twelve and Under.
DAILY
IHop Diner- Free kids meal with purchase of an adult meal 4–10pm every day. 12 and younger. S&S Cafeteria - Up to two kids meals are only 99 cents each with each adult meal purchase! Dine-in only.
11thHourOnline.com 13
NATIVE/NEW HAPPENINGS, LOCALS & REGIONAL INSIGHTS
Meet Becca Balmes Native Milledgeville Occupation Owner and resident artist, Ampersand Arts; Operator, [&] Guild Hall
byTraci Burns photoLisa Crosby
“Gabriel, my husband, is a writer,” says Becca Balmes, the 33 year old self-taught visual artist and owner/operator of [&] Guild, Macon’s only public artist-run space. “He can go to coffeeshops and write. He can sit there all day if he wants to – he has writer friends who do just that. But I can’t go to a coffeeshop and paint.” She laughs, “Even if I could get all my stuff in there, they’d hate me! ‘You’re making a mess!’ ‘That stuff stinks!’ It just wouldn’t work. When we were figuring all this out, that was kinda what was on my mind – I wanted to make a coffee shop where I could do my work.” Becca and Gabriel met in Milledgeville, where they both attended GCSU; Becca is, refreshingly, one of the only people I’ve ever heard say that she wished she’d studied something less sensible in college: “I was silly and practical and got a Poly Sci degree,” she says. “I should’ve been doing all art all the time, but I didn’t.” After college, they got married, moved to Washington, DC, had kids (the couple has four children, ranging in age from 6 to 11), and spent the better part of a decade there before feeling the pull to return to middle Georgia. Becca, who had been working as a legal assistant for the National Geographic Society in DC, realized that she wanted to be a full-time artist; attempting to balance full-time work with motherhood wasn’t leaving much time for that. Downtown Macon had been transformed in the years since Becca and Gabriel had last been to Georgia – “We loved what the city had become,” Becca says. “We had no idea; it was like coming home to a whole new place.” Trying to connect with other artists in meaningful ways proved as difficult as ever, though – first of all, where were they? Where did they do their work, and why didn’t they ever come out to art shows? Guided by one of her favorite, most influential art spaces, Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Virginia, which actually was housed in 14 MARCH 17 - 31, 2017
an old torpedo factory, and which is subdivided into individual studio spaces with some common areas and workshop space, Becca gravitated more and more towards the seeming inevitability of opening her own public artist-run space in Macon. “Macon’s artists and creatives are really spread out in terms of what kinds of mediums we’re working in, how we work, and how we find work,” Becca says. She devoured and scrutinized the middle Georgia arts climate tirelessly for months on end in order to get an accurate portrayal of what local artists need most – what she found out was that, more than anything else, “local artists really, really, really need each other.” Support and reassurance, constructive criticism and alternative arts education, a way to feel less alone – all this and more can organically happen when artists have a reliable place that is theirs. [&] Guild offers memberships beginning at $12 a month; these come with access to studio space, materials, technology, space for gallery shows or performances, and more - “crazy access,” as Becca puts it. The guild also offers unparalleled inspiration and visual thrills in its ambience; there’s no shortage of fascinating art of all varieties to check out, and there’s also a charming café where you can get the best cup of tea around.
In one year’s time in their home on 5th Street at the edge of downtown Macon, [&] has amassed over 200 members – “When we first started, our goal was to have 30 the first year,” laughs Becca. That number is fantastic for obvious reasons, but also, it means they’ve nearly outgrown their space; soon it’ll be time to consider the best next move, if there will even be one. [&] Guild was never intended to be a long-lasting moneymaking venture for Becca and Gabriel; instead, they saw it as more of an art project – “What can we do with the resources we have? How far can we go?” Becca says. “We’re gonna build this really, really cool thing, and if it lasts, great! If it doesn’t, it was still worth it.” Worth it indeed, especially because Becca’s managed to do the thing she wanted most to do when she returned to Georgia – work as a full-time artist. Art is her life – both creating a space where others’ art is nurtured and encouraged without boundaries, and creating work of her own. She has the confident, focused, appealing demeanor of a fulfilled artist. It can be incredibly difficult, especially as a parent, to make time to pursue your dreams; if your dreams involve making art or writing or any other solitary creative pursuit, the tendency is to deprive yourself of doing that work. It’s easy to feel selfish for taking time for art, especially in a society that can consider creative work less integral and more frivolous, but it’s such necessary self-care. “I still feel guilty going off by myself all the time, but we talk about it with the kids and they’re very excited about the work that I do,” says Becca. “I involve them at every chance I can, just as my mom did for me with her work. I think it’s very important, no matter what parents do for a living, that they let their kids into that world with them to see who their parents are when they’re most alive - that’s usually not while doing laundry or helping with homework.” One of the more satisfying creative endeavors Becca’s undertaken this year is painting one of the pianos that Friends of Macon Music is placing downtown as part of its Painted Pianos community-building endeavor; her piano features bright, captivating portraits on all sides. She used several local photographers’ shots of downtown citizens as reference (except on one side, where she painted her two daughters). “When I’m out downtown, and I see people hanging around the pianos, it’s not about music in a commercial sense, it’s about music in a community sense,” Becca says. “Ever since the piano was invented, people have been standing around it – it’s democratic – so I wanted my painted piano to be about the people that are present here in Macon. That’s what Macon’s all about – the revival, especially downtown, is about choosing to be active and present here in this city.”
[&] Guild 503 5th St., Ste. 200 Macon (478) 621-7758 or visit Ampersandguild.com Coming up at [&] Guild: Becca’s teaching a series of experimental drawing workshops in April, and on April 2, “A View from the Woodpile,” a group show curated by Charvis Harrell about how stereotypes harm young minds, will open. For First Friday in April. Atlanta filmmaker Nik Nerburn will show a sneak peek of his documentary on East Macon, among other things.
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Happy Hour Everyday 4-7pm $1.75 Beers & $6 Domestic Pitchers
Tuesdays
Kids eat free with adult meal purchase!
Wednesdays Trivia at 8pm
Drink specials & prizes
Thursdays Live Music
Saturdays College Night
Show your student ID and receive 15% off your check
Sundays
Bloody Mary Bar
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SUN-THUR: 10a - 11p FRI & SAT: 10a - 1a 11thHourOnline.com 17
STOREFRONT The Scene
OP-ED
What Piedmont Brewery & Kitchen Grand Opening March 27 Where 450 Third Street
Cheers to the owners of Piedmont Brewery & Kitchen; Brian & Trish Whitley and Richie Jones
It all started a few years back at the Macon Beer Fest. Brian Whitley, a homebrewing aficionado who’d quickly turned pro after several of his recipes had gone on to win awards at various beer festivals, was judging a homebrew competition along with Richie Jones, restaurant industry veteran and owner of the acclaimed Downtown Grill. Brian jokingly mentioned to Richie that the two of them should open up a brewpub, but Richie, who’d been wanting to diversify his restaurant ownership for awhile, liked what he heard; one thing led to another, and the two started making plans for Piedmont Brewery & Kitchen to become a reality. Unfortunately, the first retail space they’d chosen fell through, and plans were shelved until further notice. Brian got so dejected about this that he even stopped brewing beer at home for awhile – “Pouring everything you have into something that just disappears is pretty devastating,” he says – but in January of 2016, Brian’s wife Trish, director of development for Historic Macon, passed along the message that some downtown developers were putting lofts in on 3rd street and were looking for a unique business to go on the ground floor. Getting their hopes up once again felt a little risky, but the second time around, everything gained momentum and fell into place as it should; just a week ago, after successfully procuring their local and state brewing licenses, Bryan excitedly brewed his first five batches (that’s 775 gallons!) of beer in the new place. Piedmont Brewery & Kitchen is now slated for its grand opening on Monday, March 27, and its owners couldn’t be happier. “I truly haven’t enjoyed getting up and going to work in a long, long time,” says Brian, “and I’m loving this – I was at a beer festival in Tampa this past weekend, and I looked over at my buddy and said ‘Man, I can’t wait til our next brew day, I can’t wait to get down there again.’” By ‘down there’ he means the restaurant’s basement, where the brewing magic happens – it features an open view of the shiny, beautiful brewing equipment, including the five fermenters named after famous women in music: Althea, Greta, Ophelia, Jessica, and Jolene. (The beer names are nods to great music as well – there’s a blonde called Heart of Gold, and the porter is Midnight Rider.) The basement 18 MARCH 17 - 31, 2017
is also home to a family-friendly urban arcade stocked with skee-ball, classic arcade games, and other goodies; there’s a lounge area and separate bar, and the entire area will be available for event rental. The food at Piedmont promises to be amazing; Katie Collinsworth Wurstner, former executive chef of Fork & Key, is at the helm, and she’s keeping the menu small and unique, with room for new specials to be rolled out each day. “I get tired of eating the same stuff every single day” says Richie Jones, “so that’s our logic here – we want to bring something new and unique.” Smoked meats will figure prominently on the menu. There are already plans to offer a brisket banh mi sandwich, and Katie’s Girl Scout Cookie-inspired dessert pretzel, covered with IPA caramel, chocolate sauce, toasted coconut, a pinch of smoked salt, and vanilla ice cream, can bring tears to your eyes just reading about it. Eventually, Katie hopes to do a Ramen Night – something Macon hasn’t experienced yet. “Piedmont already feels like a family to me,” she says. “All through the menu creating and testing, everyone’s really working to make it the best it can be.” The beer offerings will consist of a small standard menu that’s always available, with additional room for special brews, experiments, and surprises. There will be 7 on draft at any given time, 4 of which will be regulars (a blonde, an IPA, a Belgian wit, and a pale ale, most likely), which gives Brian the other 3 to play around with. He’s thinking of doing a saison with fresh honeysuckle from a Cordele friend’s apiary, which’ll be a perfect way to usher in spring.
That’s the cool thing about having so much talent, experience, and creativity under one roof – they allow themselves room to riff and concoct seasonal, inspired dishes and brews, so as a customer you can trust that you’re going to be getting the best of what’s around. And if you’re interested in being a part of the best of what’s around, Piedmont Brewery & Kitchen is now hiring hosts/hostesses, servers, bartenders, and kitchen staff – passionate knowledge of craft beer is preferred. For more information, or to download the application, check the “Jobs” tab on Piedmont Brewery & Kitchen’s Facebook page. And be sure to set aside some time in your calendar the week of March 27 to check out this innovative new brewpub; I have a feeling that, before long, it’ll be a downtown favorite.
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22 MARCH 17 - 31, 2017
FROM THE ARCHIVES 15th ANNIVERSARY
Hawkinsville native, Jeezy, released a video earlier this week for his recent single, “Where I’m From” about his second home, Macon. In VICE’s “Noisey” era of parachute journalism, southern trap music is just one genre to get the Brooklyn golden touch, widening interest in it. As such, it’s brought a dichotomy of young white folks into the fold of those interested in trap watching. Some use it to fuel their own caricatures of southern black life, while others want to explore the one place to which their privilege does not give them access. But, the large majority of both sides are not interested in what Money’s looks like when the cameras from Brooklyn leave the gravel lot. Still, they’re watching, listening, and if you open Pitchfork on any given day, they’re probably talking at great length about it. “Where I’m From”, using Rolling Stone as its vehicle, is the latest video to give those lucky enough to be born into a neighborhood without blight, crime, and drugs a look into a world they fear, pity, and pretend to understand: the trap. It opens with a scathing state of affairs for the forgotten quarters of Georgia’s Central City scrolling across images of buildings and houses most in Macon have driven by, a malnourished dog most have seen, and a group of young black men standing around a white Camaro that some have sped up to get away from. The scroll reads, “Ranked as one of the most dangerous cities in the state of Georgia… A city full of gangs, guns and drugs… Macon is known for being heavily populated with Crips.” Before the token high hat begins, a man standing in front of a corner store steps forward and in an unmistakably middle Georgia drawl says, “Er’day. Seven days a week. Bibb County. Bitch, I been bangin’.” As soon as the Duncan Street and Napier Avenue road signs flash up on the screen, the high hats ting, and Jeezy’s voice tells us it’s time for a refresher about where he’s from. And just like his Thug Motivation days, the song begins with a slight crescendo, and then doesn’t slow until the end. “Where I’m From” is a shoutout ballad. It’s Jeezy telling the stories, one by one, of the hardest and smartest characters he knew coming up in middle Georgia. He spits one liners about who they are while lamenting that the only options they had and those like them today have is to learn to either “shoot a basketball or a gun”. Notably absent, are the staples of modern rap videos: the girls, the money, the cars, and well, the rapper himself. “Where I’m From” goes out of it’s way to be raw, unbrushed, and authentically Southern. But, even more to the point -- authentically Macon.
Where I’m From:
Jeezy’s Macon Is Complicated Hawkinsville native, Jeezy, released a video earlier this week for his recent single, “Where I’m From” about his second home, Macon. In VICE’s “Noisey” era of parachute journalism, southern trap music is just one genre to get the Brooklyn golden touch, widening interest in it. As such, it’s brought a dichotomy of young white folks into the fold of those interested in trap watching. Some use it to fuel their own caricatures of southern black life, while others want to explore the one place to which their privilege does not give them access. But, the large majority of both sides are not interested in what Money’s looks like when the cameras from Brooklyn leave the gravel lot. Still, they’re watching, listening, and if you open Pitchfork on any given day, they’re probably talking at great length about it. “Where I’m From”, using Rolling Stone as its vehicle, is the latest video to give those lucky enough to be born into a neighborhood without blight, crime, and drugs a look into a world they fear, pity, and pretend to understand: the trap.
By Seth Clark
29 - JUNE 12, 2015
It’s authenticity though, begs its own questions, ones far harder to address than the arguments that rap glorifies violence or that Macon has a gang problem—which no one is denying, by the way. The first must be done in an analogy. I am admittedly culturally unfamiliar with a voice of southern black identity. I’m a white guy from Monroe County. But being that, I am familiar with one who contends to be a voice of southern white identity. In the early days, Jeff Foxworthy was just pointing out the funny quirks of his family. And after doing so for a couple of years, he became very rich. One has to wonder if his jokes turn from being funny because say, it’s his
11thHourOnline.com 11
Originally published Nov. 20, 2015 Written by Seth Clark
brother, to offensive because he is now just a wealthy man mocking a caricature of fantasized monolithic poor white people. What does this sort of caricaturing of poor people do to help them? What does it do to help break down mythical monoliths of people based on those caricatures? And lastly, is there a degree at which you’re actually putting the butt of the caricature in harms way by filming a quirk that happens to be illegal? The second question is bigger than Jeezy himself. We’ve seen coverage of “Where I’m From” over the past week that compares it to Jason Aldean’s music video for “Gonna Know We Were Here” and ponders the existence “Two Macons”. While Jason Aldean’s video depicts a very different set of people—mostly white students from a private high school jamming to Abercrombie clad Aldean on Cotton Avenue—it is not a different world. In fact, it’s two sides of the same coin that necessitate each other. The drastic disparities between the economic success of North Macon and economic failure of well, East, West and South Macon is a story in a middle Georgia vacuum, but is unique in many ways to Southern cities. It’s the story of one city in a constant struggle with itself. Almost 40% of the people living in the census tract containing the corner of Napier and Duncan – the corner featured in the opening of Jeezy’s video—live at or below the poverty level. In stark contrast, the percentage of people that live at or below the poverty level in the census tract surrounding Windsor Academy, whose halls were featured in the opening of Jason Aldean’s video, is only 0.8%. Both contain roughly the same amount of households and people yet yield two wildly different economic stories, but they’re not “two Macons.” They are still one Macon. The former’s distress is dependent on the latter’s success and visa versa. And has been for quite some time. They are intrinsically connected.
Macon has never had the thriving black middle class that Atlanta had. The black middle class in Atlanta tempered race relations and demanded a more fair distribution of resources during the Jim Crow and succeeding eras. It, in many ways can be attributed as an incubator for the founding of the Civil Rights Movement and Atlanta’s succeeding era of economic prosperity. Macon’s recent past, while parallel to Atlanta’s in many ways, diverges drastically in this area. Without the City Too Busy To Hate’s middle class, the move to private schools and the flight to North Macon in the ‘50s to avoid integration ripped precious resources away from school systems, and thus, economic viability of entire regions. While not a part of their identity today, Southern schools like Windsor were created in part, to ensure that kids never had to go to schools like Northeast or Southwest. The same of course happened in Atlanta, but the middle class was able to fight for and keep resources that would have otherwise been denied. And so, Macon’s recent history is marred, not by two Macons with differing narratives, but by one Macon battling for precious resources, and one side of town clearly winning. Jeezy’s “Where I’m From” is uncomfortable, but that’s the damn point. It’s what’s left after decades of losing resources, support, and economic and educational advancement. When almost half of your neighbors are dirt poor, and your high schools struggle to graduate roughly half of their students, sometimes life gets uncomfortable. The problem for Jeezy is that as a member of the moneyed hip-hop elite, he may have crossed that Foxworthy line and dabbled a bit into voyeuristic trap watching and caricaturing a group of people who are far from monolithic and whose needs are much deeper than gang affiliation or drug use. After the high hats fade out and the song ends, a man looks right in the camera, with his boys behind him, and says “…Shout out to Young, for goddamn giving us the opportunity, to let the whole world watch.” He exudes pride. The lives of those in and affected by the Macon trap are not monolithic. They are filled with violence and religion, pride and shame, and just like the lives of those in the Aldean video, only happen once. But Aldean’s side of Macon is seen on billboards and in music videos. The other side is not, but it should be. It’s what gave us artists from Jeezy to Little Richard and Otis Redding. That’s what makes “Where I’m From” refreshing despite the complicated questions it provokes. If just a few people can get past the initial and arguably intended fear factor of “Where I’m From” and think about the economic connection of Aldean’s side of Macon and Jeezy’s side of Macon, and the still ongoing one-sided struggle for resources and economic development, then Jeezy did some killer work – because the next logical step is to ask “why”. If they don’t, then sure, Two Macons will dominate the narrative and the one-sided struggle that hinders the growth and rehabilitation of Macon proper will continue while one side keeps on trap watching and the other side keeps trapping. Read from the Archives at 11thHourOnline.com 11thHourOnline.com 23
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Aww, man, the first time I took acid.... That would have been in Boston with some of the college kids up there at Harvard. We stopped playing the Sugar Shack up there, around 1967 or so. We were doing Motown music. We changed there. We took the acid, and the clothes and everything we wore became psychedelic in real life. Even when we weren’t trippin’, we were trippin’.”
Altough Clinton has been sober (or acid-free) for several years now, he doesn’t mind reminiscing about the beginnings of Funkadelic.
Q&A WITH
GEORGE CLINTON
George Clinton revolutionized R&B Music. He twisted soul music into funk and mixed in some psychedelia that would basically define a new genre. Simply put, there is Parliament Funkadelic, and then there is everyone else. Possibly from another Planet, a theory even he himself believes, Clinton and his star children funk too new heights. It’s safe to say that some of the greatest hip hop albums of all time wouldn’t have been born were it not for Parliament Funkadelic. He’s without question one of the most sampled artists of all time. But after a lifetime of living along the outer reaches of reality, along with a good long run at addiction, this is a Fact Clinton can’t cash in on. Most of his publishing rights were signed away a long time ago. But that doesn’t stop Dr. Funkenstien Playing the music he created. And he’s bringing the Mothership to Macon Georgia on April 1 as part of the street party for a show you aren’t going to want to miss. Brad Evans Caught up with George at his home in Florida last week to talk about his long career making the funk. Of all the nicknames you’ve been given, what’s your favorite? Ha. The Maggot Overlord sounds good to me. I was just listening to Maggot Brain this weekend. Such a great album. Well, thank you a bunch man. What was the first music you ever remember hearing? (Sings) Don’t let the sun shine in your eyes, don’t let the music break your heart. We grew up on country music where I came from in Virginia. All we got was country on the radio, that’s the very first music I can remember. Up until 10 years old I was in Virginia, then New Jersey. That’s where I started getting into Louis Jordan, right on through the Doo-Wop days. What were your folks like? Well, my father was in the Korean War. I didn’t see him regularly
until I was 10 years old. I would see him off and on, but it wasn’t until then that I saw him on a regular basis. But we were country folks. I do remember him coming home on leave. Then he, of course, came back and moved us to Jersey.
When did you first take LSD? Who were you with? Tell me about that. Aww, man. That would have been in Boston with some of the college kids up there at Harvard. We stopped playing the Sugar Shack up there, around 1967 or so. We were doing Motown music. We changed there. We took the acid, and the clothes and everything we wore became psychedelic in real life. Even when we weren’t trippin’, we were trippin’.
You sang doo-wop and wrote songs for Motown, how did that begin? Remember your first gig? “Bootsy was already into that psychedelic Oh, my cousin that I grew up with in thing before he got to us - maybe not as Virginia, she lived where the Shiremuch as us... Then he called Fred and lles used to live. I used to watch Tell me about when Bootsy and them rehearse. That was the beginFred and Maceo came over to your Maceo Parker over. Now they were a little ning of me liking music. I used to band. All of them had come over out of sorts...” dream about going to the Apollo from James Brown’s band, and Above, Clinton with Bootsy Collins Theatre. Then Frankie Lymon came he was known for being quite the out with “Why do Fools Fall in Love” and it was all over after taskmaster. Was it a shock to them? that, that gave me the bug. Then came Elvis. I started skipping Well, Bootsy came first, and he was already into the psychedelic school to go see bands at the Apollo. Smokey and the Miracles thing before he came to us - maybe not as much as us, but when came through. I was hit, man. Blown away. Then the Beatles. he got there, we realized he needed to be his own band. The RubJimi Hendrix. Come on, man. Motown was it until the Beatles ber Band. Then he called Fred and Maceo over. Now they were came along. surprised when they got with us. They were a little out of sorts. But they fit in good. Yeah, you talk in your autobiography about seeing Jimi Hendrix and some of those groups for the first time, and I got the opportunity to interview Bootsy a few years back how it changed you. You had a group called Parliament at and he talked very fondly about his time spent with you. the time, though they were a Motown type band. But to- One thing he told me was that the first time he met you, wards the end of the run there, you can hear it become, you were wearing a chicken suit. Does that sound like someshould I say –weirder? thing you’d do? (Laughs) Yeah, it got a little weird at the end. We got so weird we Ha! What do you think? Of course it sounds like something I’d actually made the Temptations weird. That’s what got them into do! I used to wear these chicken feet shoes back then all the Cloud Nine. They were hanging around us too much. time. That sounds about right. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE 11thHourOnline.com 27
478-257-6391 | 382 Second Street
COXCAPITOLTHEATRE.COM
GEORGE CLINTON Interview continued from page 27
ID required. All ages shows unless otherwise stated.
FRIDAY, MARCH 17
JGBCB
JERRY GARCIA BAND COVER BAND Doors 7 / Show 8
SUNDAY, MARCH 19
CONOR OBERST WITH SPECIAL GUEST THE FELICE BROTHERS Doors 7 / Show 8
SATURDAY, MARCH 25
SATURDAY, MARCH 18
KANE BROWN Doors 7 / Show 8
FRIDAY, MARCH 24
ANDY HULL OF MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA
DUSTIN KENSRUE SINGER/SONGWRITER FOR THRICE 18+ / Doors 7 / Show 8
THURSDAY, MARCH 30
ANDY BRUH & ROBBIE DUDE DUB, GLITCH-HOP AND HIP-HOP 18+ / Doors 8 / Show 9
11TH HOUR BEST OF MACON READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS SHOW
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5
TAB BENOIT Doors 7 / Show 8
18+ / Red Carpet 6 / Show 7
THURSDAY, APRIL 6
BOBBY RUSH 2017 GRAMMY WINNER 18+ / Doors 7 / Show 8
4/01 CHERRY BLOSSOM STREET PARTY 4/07 HOWIE DAY 4/8: COLBY DEE & MAGGIE RENFROE 4/13: CODY JINKS 4/15: JIMMY HALL BIRTHDAY BASH
Let Moonhanger Catering make your next event unforgettable. Contact Katelin at 718-1444 or at katelin@moonhangergroup.com 28 MARCH 17 - 31, 2017
Well, he spoke very fondly of you and said that you changed his life forever. I try to be there for people. Even the new folks coming along, if they reach out to me, I always answer. The Childish Gambinos, the Kendrick Lamars. I enjoy being there and working with the young guys coming up today. I enjoy what they’re doing. You got nominated with Kendrick Lamar last year, right? Yes I did. That was pretty cool. Tell me about the first time you met Sly Stone. We had the same manager for a quick second. We signed to the same label. I remember seeing him in New York City at the East Village at the Electric Circus. I was like GodDAMN! It was an R&B band with Marshall Amps. A straight R&B club band, but with Marshall Amps. When they did “Higher and Higher” at Woodstock, that was like the end of the world. And seeing that at a little club, it’s hard to imagine. But we became close and we remain close. When was the last time you saw him? Three weeks ago? He was homeless for a while, right? He still has to live on the edge, because they won’t give him his money. The creator of that music, out here hurting. You are the most sampled artist of all time. How does that feel? It makes me proud. It definitely feels good. It gives me a chance to reinvent myself. I like to recapture some of the old stuff. I feel good that I stuck in there, and hung in there. I’m doing a documentary on that whole story, about how a lot of that publishing got taken from me. We call “One Nation Under a Groove” the Holy Grail. That’s the story people got to try to imagine. What do you think is the strangest thing you have ever been a part of? Craziest night of them all? Man, you killin’ me. Tripping was it back in the day. I remember being on the roof of one of the buildings at Harvard. I was up there with a bunch of kids and I was so out here, I can’t remember actually getting up there. But man, my
CHERRY BLOSSOM STREET PARTY SATURDAY, APRIL 1 Gates open at 3 p.m. Music starts at 4 p.m. $20 advance / $25 day of. CherryBlossom.com ~ FEATURING ~ 4:00 MOLLY & ME 4:35 J.D. MCPHERSON 5:50 CHUCK LEAVELL & RANDALL BRAMBLETT 7:30 MAVIS STAPLES 9:15 GEORGE CLINTON & PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC
life is full of crazy experiences like that. I was part of a whole bunch of stuff. What’s a normal day like for you these days? I know you’ve been sober for quite some time now. I get up and smoke a couple of joints, and I look out the window at squirrels eating food. I like to fish. I caught a bunch of big reds yesterday. But I’m getting ready to head to the studio now. I’m working on a new Parliament album called Medicaid Fraud Dog: One Nation Under Sedation. Ever been to Macon? What do you know about Macon? Oh yeah. We brought the Mothership there. I remember Macon. I’m a huge fan of Otis, and I know James lived there for a while. Believe me, I know Macon. I read somewhere today that you and Bootsy went on a hunting trip together. Oh man. That ended my hunting career. We had about $10,000 to spend, we got these guides in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and we killed 32 animals. We have this picture of me and Bootsy and all these animals strung up behind us - I guess once you get bloodthirsty, you can’t stop. That trip gave me a Bambi complex. I can’t kill anything anymore. That was it for me. We gave the meat to a school and a hospital. We should have taken the fur - think of all the jackets I could have made!
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L I V E & L O C A L by A N D R E A M A R LOW E Daniel “Gravey” Graves may be most familiar as the bassist for former Macon hip hop artist Floco Torres. But Graves is one of those musicians always searching for new musical endeavors to tackle and musical styles to embrace. Aside from his solo work, he is currently bassist for the grunge-esque garage rock denizens, Maryex. Graves will be performing some of his solo works this Friday at Loco’s for St. Patrick’s Day. He will also be playing alongside some great Macon musical talents and other musical legends for a special performance at The 11th Hour Readers’ Choice Awards. I spoke with Graves about his musical ventures, jazz, and even got a bit of a scoop on who we can expect to see perform at the Readers’ Choice Awards.
and Leroy Wilson who has played drums for The Marshall Tucker Band. Also, a good friend of mine and someone I’ve made some music with and played music with before, Denny Hanson. Some people that I know, but I’ve never made music with, Rob Evans and Phil Palma. The horn section I’m not really familiar with, but they are super talented. Apparently, I don’t know if all them, but I know at least one, has played with Outkast, which is pretty impressive. We’re going to be covering an Otis Redding song, of course, with him being a great Macon music legend. We’ll be doing one of his great songs that everybody will be able to sing along with.
How did you get in the songwriting? Just playing around really. Other than friends showing me stuff here and there I was pretty much self-taught. I appreciate songwriting more than I do technical ability for sure, because it’s a much more difficult task to write a great song.
What are you working on right now? [Maryex] has been working on [an EP] for a couple of years now off and on. We have finished all the tracking so we should get the CD mastered hopefully some time in the spring and have a release show for it. I’m really excited about getting back on stage with those guys. Whenever you can get in there, start playing and writing lyrics and melodies and everything, it’s a really special thing to me. GRANT’S I’ve been working on some other stuff with a couple other musicians. I’m not sure if I should be talking about that yet or not. Of course, I’ve been writing stuff myself. I’m always talking about starting new projects and everything. Time is always a big factor and finding the right people whose schedules line up. Anybody who’s played music knows what a test that can be. I’m really excited for the Maryex CD to finally be released. 2017 it’s going to happen. .
Was music a heavy influence in your life as a child? Definitely more so once I got a little bit older, but my childhood for sure. My mom plays music. I would run around the house while she was playing piano. I took piano lessons from my aunt when I was five for a year, but didn’t do much with it as far as playing music. At 13 I got back into playing music again. That’s when I got my first guitar. Tell me what you’re performing for St. Patrick’s Day. More of the same and maybe a little bit of new stuff. It’s going to be covers and originals. . . I’ll be doing some live looping, which is always a fun time. Tell me about the performance for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Charles Davis approached me and said we’re putting together a band for The 11th Hour Readers’ Choice Awards. It’s a big honor to be asked to play an event like that. Charles is one of those people that not only is super talented, but he’s very personable and he’s going to surround himself with amazing people. I got the email with the final roster for the band and I was like, wow, this is amazing. The rhythm section is me on bass
30 MARCH 17 - 31, 2017
LISTEN UP TO
GRAVEY Daniel “Gravey” Graves, a versatile musician exploring garage rock to jazz and everything in between.
Is there a genre you haven’t tackled that you’d like to? Jazz for sure. It’s crazy to me how jazz musicians don’t get lost. Seeing somebody play jazz piano or even bass, it’s like it doesn’t stop moving. In my brain it doesn’t make sense, but it sounds phenomenal. Catch Gravey March 17, Loco’s Grill & Pub at 8pm and The 11th Hour Readers’ Choice Awards March 30 at 8pm.
11thHourOnline.com 31
BEST TATTOO STUDIO IN MACON 2016
32 MARCH 17 - 31, 2017
CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR RISK FOR HIV? RESEARCH STUDY FOR MEN WHO HAVE SEX WITH MEN
CONSIDER PrEP
We are conducting a research study for men who have sex with men and transgender women who have sex with men. This study is to evaluate if a once-daily investigational medicine can help reduce the risk of getting HIV infection from sex (“PrEP”, or Pre-exposure Prophylaxis).
TO BE ELIGIBLE:
• You must be at least 18 years of age • You must be HIV negative If you are accepted into the DISCOVER Study, you will receive study-related exams, lab tests, and study medicine at no cost.
For more Information, please contact: Mercer University, Clinical Research Elisha Funk, RN 478-301-5855 Cheryl Nylund, RN 478-301-5852 Or go to www.clinicaltrials.gov and search NCT number 02842086
11thHourOnline.com 33
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 TIL
7PM
PUB 3076 Riverside Dr. Suite 1200 Macon. • Tel 475-5860
EVERY
SATURDAY
Live Music
Happy Hour 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
karaoke
Tues/Wed Thurs/Sat 8pm
saturdays
tuesdays
50¢ Jumbo Wings 7-10pm In-House!
wednesdays Ladies Night!
2-4-1 Drinks 9-12
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
Dart Tourney 4pm with $11 beer buckets
fridays
live music 3/17: Big Daddy & Co. 3/24: Reckless Soul 3/31: Uncle Earl
34 MARCH 17 - 31, 2017
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
You can stream the Bright Eyes’ front mans forthcoming album in its entirety via NPR’s “First Listen.” Conor Oberst’s new album, Salutations, comes out March 17 and he’ll be at the Cox Capitol Theatre on Sunday, March 19!
Happy Hour Daily 2-8 2-4-1 drinks - $2 Domesticss $4 Pizzas all day Sunday!
Monday $1 Wells
GO HEAR LIVE MUSIC FRIDAY 17
SATURDAY 18
20’s Pub
AP’S HIDEAWAY
8 p.m. Never a cover
BIG DADDY & CO.
Billy’s Clubhouse 10 p.m. $5 cover
ST. PATRICK’S DAY WITH OPPOSITE BOX
Opposite Box is a genre-bending experimental rock band from Chattanooga, TN known for high energy live shows and a seamless blend of psychedelic jazz, progressive rock and dirty funk – dubbed “Belligerent Jungle Funk” – that is often compared to acts like Frank Zappa, Mr. Bungle and Parliament Funkadelic.
COX CAPITOL THEATRE 8 p.m. $8 adv
JERRY GARCIA BAND COVER BAND
JGBCB has been filling a hole in the Grateful Dead scene by offering up spirited covers of classic songs pulled exclusively from the repertoire of the Jerry Garcia Band, Garcia’s long-running side-project.
THE CRAZY BULL
8 p.m. $5 at the door DANIEL LEE BAND Music born of the south and the everyday life, that motto is not hype, it’s how the DLB lives and inspires the music they create.
THE HUMMINGBIRD 10 p.m. $5
ST. PATRICK’S DAY WITH BROADCAST 90 Known for their ability to sound exactly like your favorite 90’s rock radio hits Broadcast 90 specializes in replicating the studio recordings of the 90’s rock genre - bringing them to life on stage in an authentic concert experience.
WILD WING CAFE 8 p.m. Never a cover STEVE AND DAVE Local duo playing sing along favorites.
8 p.m. Never a cover THE SKEETERZ Local favorite comprised of Macon music veterans playing Classic and Southern Rock. Join us for the Abate Chili Cook-Off from 12-4! Big Mike will be playing on the patio. (rain date March 25)
Billy’s Clubhouse 10 p.m. $5 cover
It was destined to be for this north central Florida boy with fond memories of sleeping back stage in his dad’s guitar case. Coming from a large network of musicians, surrounded by music from both sides of his mom & dad’s family, Jamie came to learn at an early age that he too was blessed with the gift of music.
COX CAPITOL THEATRE
THE HUMMINGBIRD
KANE BROWN Twenty-two year old Ft. Oglethorpe, Ga. native, Kane Brown shot to the top of the charts after independently releasing his viral sensation “Used To Love You Sober” to digital retailers. Named an “Artist To Watch” by Billboard, HITS and Huffington Post, Brown developed an underground swell of rabid fans by posting original and cover songs to his personal social media channels. After joining forces with RCA Nashville in January 2016, Brown answered fans demands and released “Used To Love You Sober” to country radio as his debut single. Brown is currently out on his first headlining tour with 35+ sold out shows and joins Florida Georgia Line on tour this summer. His EP, Chapter 1, releases on March 18.
THE CRAZY BULL
8 p.m. $5 at the door JAMIE DAVIS From literally sleeping in a guitar case back stage to headlining shows, Jamie Davis, singer, song writer and guitar player grew up with music.
Karaoke 9pm
Live Music 3/17: St. Patty’s Day with Opposite Box 3/18: Southbound Mojo 3/24: Matt Brantley Band 3/25: Broadcast 90 3/31: Matt Pippin Duo 4/1: Matt Moncrief & Friends
BASSORAMA
with a rock edge. You can hear great tunes from top country artist to the bad ass rock songs you love.
8 p.m. $20 adv / $25 at the door
Trivia 7:30!
Tues/Sun
FRESH PRODUCE MUSIC HALL 9 p.m. $5 We have a Fire Line up of Bass Legends, bringing the Big tunes to vibrate your chest cavity! We will have a special Sound and Light set up for this event! 8+ Subwoofers! Be ready!
SOUTHBOUND MOJO Playing all the hits
Wednesday
10 p.m. $5 at the door OPPOSITE BOX Opposite Box is a genre-bending experimental rock band from Chattanooga, TN known for high energy live shows and a seamless blend of psychedelic jazz, progressive rock and dirty funk – dubbed “Belligerent Jungle Funk”
WILD WING CAFE 9:30 p.m. Never a cover THROTTLE 21 Live music
SUNDAY 19 CAPITOL THEATRE 8 p.m. $5 adv / $7 at the door
CONOR OBERST Writing and recording music since 1993, he has recorded and performed in many bands and musical collaborations most notably Bright Eyes, his main musical vehicle for the past decade. Oberst is back creating, with his new album Salutations out March 17 and Macon is lucky to have this talent. Get your tickets in advance, this show will sell out.
WEDNESDAYS & SUNDAYS 9PM - 1:30AM
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
11thHourOnline.com 35
Demun Jones Hometown Throwdown Saturday, March 25 at The Crazy Bull. No doubt this show will sell out, better get those tix while you can!
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. MARCH 17 ST. PATRICK’S DAY W/
BROADCAST 90 SAT. MARCH 18
OPPOSITE BOX FRI. MARCH 24
BACKUP PLANET SAT. MARCH 25
radio birds FRI. MARCH 31
UNIVERSAL SIGH w/I.R.E.
SAT. APRIL 1
jacks river band FOR A COMPLETE SCHEDULE VISIT HUMMINGBIRDMACON.COM 36 MARCH 17 - 31, 2017
AP’S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY 2-6 p.m. Never a cover BIG MIKE Local blues legend Big Mike will be strumming every Sunday afternoon at Macon’s best kept secret, Aps.
GRANT’S LOUNGE
funk-rock band based out of Nashville, Tennessee. Elements of jazz, funk, roots, blues, electronic, and progressive rock all emerge during the course of their shows.
WILD WING CAFE
CLASSIC ROCK JAM SESSION
8 p.m. Never a cover STEVE AND DAVE Local duo playing sing along favorites.
FRIDAY 24
SATURDAY 25
20’s Pub
AP’S HIDEAWAY
9 p.m. $5 cover includes one free drink
8 p.m. Never a cover
RECKLESS SOUL
Billy’s Clubhouse 10 p.m. $5 cover
MATT BRANTLEY BAND Matt was the 2nd runner up in the 2012 Milledgeville Idol from that experience he hoped to start a band and share his love for music. The Matt Brantley Band is a little Country and whole lotta Southern Rock and Roll!!
8 p.m. Never a cover
BIG MIKE & THE BOOTY PAPAS Toga party! Come
dressed in your best toga outfit- best dressed contest w/prizes. Dance the night away with Macon’s most talented musicians, our friends Big Mike!
Billy’s Clubhouse 10 p.m. $5 cover SESSION ROAD Session Road are a five member band playing mostly country music.
COX CAPITOL THEATRE
COX CAPITOL THEATRE
DUSTIN KENSRUE & ANDY HULL
8 p.m. $8 adv / $10 at the door
8 p.m. $18 adv
Andy Hull, is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter for the indie rock band Manchester Orchestra. He also has a side project Right Away, Great Captain!, as well as co-founder of a side project with friend and folk musician Kevin Devine by the name of Bad Books.
ANDY BRUH AND ROBBIE DUDE Bass without boundaries. Dub, glitch-hop, DnB, and hip-hop breaks are just a few of the sounds you’ll hear in an Andy Bruh set. If it beats, it plays. The Atlanta born producer and DJ captures the soul of his city while pushing into unknown sonic territory. Steeped in the history of Southern hip-hop, Andy Bruh builds on it’s melodic backbone and brings the full force of the electronic bass wave to create an energy unrivaled by many in the scene.
Alanna Royale
THE CRAZY BULL
8 p.m. $5 at the door THOMAS TILLMAN This Georgia born singer-songwriter resides in Nashville where he has a publishing deal, songwriting and recording with some of the best professionals in the industry. Among his professional accomplishments, his recent song, “Woman’s Touch” can be heard on Casey James’ (SONY recording artist) new CD. Other songs of his have been cut by many country artists, as well as his songs being featured on national television shows.
TUES. OCT 18
FRESH PRODUCE MUSIC HALL 9 p.m. $5 cover
CALVIN JOHNSON & PRINCE GABBY
This Party Is Just Getting Started is an exercise in ecstatic genre-smashing, was made in collaboration with producer Smoke M2D6 at Dub Narcotic Studios in Olympia, WA and Smoke’s studio, The Bass Mint. Its 14 tracks pull listeners through hypnotic dance beats, wild, unravelling linear imaginings of pop melodies, and Johnson’s perennial deadpan croon.
THE HUMMINGBIRD 10 p.m. $5
BACKUP PLANET Backup Planet is a progressive
THE CRAZY BULL 8 p.m. $10 at the door
DEMUN JONES HOMETOWN THROWDOWN
Demun has been playing music for a long time – including a 10-year stint as a member of Rehab – and it’s taken all that time for him to get to a point where he can write songs that represent his life as it is today. He extensively toured with Rehab band mate Danny Boone and co-wrote a lot of the Rehab material, including the critically acclaimed songs for Welcome Home. He also co-wrote Welcome 2 Jawga with the Jawga Boyz, who made an appearance on Jones County as do Charlie Farley, Bubba Sparxx and Locash Cowboys. Demun’s first mainstream credit as a songwriter came on title track of Colt Ford’s popular Ride Through the Country, which also featured John Michael Montgomery. “It gave me some hope that I could make my own music,” said Demun, who wrote his first song when he was 15. “It took a long time for me to realize I could make country music without singing the whole time and still be for the country person.”
THE HUMMINGBIRD 10 p.m. $5 at the door RADIO BIRDS Plain-Old Rock and Roll Music with a distinctly hairy touch. Meaning, it is not clean, it is not easy, (or too difficult), and it is not The Next Logical Revival of a Previously Popular Genre From the Seventies. It is what you get when four guys all write music with the basic beliefs that it must be played live, and it must be played everywhere.
SUNDAY 26 AP’S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY 2-6 p.m. Never a cover, on the patio BIG MIKE Local blues legend Big Mike will be strumming every Sunday afternoon at Macon’s best kept secret, Aps.
FRESH PRODUCE MUSIC HALL 9 p.m. $5 GILDED MILK, POTIONS, MINERALS
Gilded Milk play delicately wrought, trance-inducing film score style music that is at times beautiful and menacing. The project consists of Jasper Lee whose work as a film composer has included the cult horror film “You’re Next”, and Chance Bridges, known for his work as Balcony View. Fans of Popol Vuh, Stereolab, and Earth will enjoy.
GRANT’S LOUNGE 9 p.m. $5 cover included one free drink
CLASSIC ROCK JAM SESSION
MONDAY 27 BACKPORCH LOUNGE 8 p.m. Never a cover
ROBERT LEE COLEMAN Macon blues legend heard prominently on James Brown recordings.
THURSDAY 30 COX CAPITOL THEATRE 6 p.m. Red Carpet / 7 show / $5
THE 11TH HOUR “BEST OF MACON’ READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS SHOW The 11th annual Readers’ Choice Awards is a celebration of the Macon community! Get your picture taken on the red carpet, and enjoy the show honoring the people and businesses you voted the best of Macon, with live music by Charles Davis and friends (always a few special guest surprises!) General admission $5, reserved tables for 6 are available by emailing Brad Evans at bradevans11@gmail. com
the creek spin report 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Eric Lindell - The Good Times Mavis Staples - High Note Lee Fields & the Expressions - Never Be Another You Bobby Rush - Snake in the Grass Gillian Welch - Dry Town The Rolling Stones - Hate to See You Go Nikki Lane - Highway Queen Smooth Hound Smith - Sweet Tennessee Honey
Los Lobos - Made to Break Your Heart Son Volt - Back Against the Wall Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings - I’m Still Here JD McPherson - Head Over Heels Blackie & the Rodeo Kings - Land of the Living Jim Lauderdale - This Changes Everything Conor Oberst - A Little Uncanny Cody Jinks - I’m Not the Devil Otis Gibbs - Sputnik Monroe
Artist Spotlight On The Creek by Jamie Saunders
SAMANTHA FISH
CD/DVD from Knuckleheads Saloon with the proceeds benefitting The Blue Star Connection. In 2015, Fish released Wild Heart, a more Roots Rock album compared to her usual Blues sound, that still landed #1 on Billboard’s Blues chart. The album was produced by Luther Dickinson, formerly of Gutbucket, The Black Crows and North Mississippi Allstars. With the release of Wild Heart, Blues Blast magazine said Fish is “rapidly maturing into a blues superstar” while noting, “she mixes in a strong dose of Hill Country blues on this go-round, and the end product is head-and-shoulders her best.” Fish’s fourth solo album Chills & Fever is scheduled to be released on March 17, 2017. Produced by Bobby Harlow, Fish is joined on the album by The Detroit Cobras. The first track released is “Crow Jane,” a cover of the Skip James classic blues tune. Fish says of the tune, “It’s such an old song, and I felt like it could be a really killer, ballsy song. I played the cigar box guitar on it.” When describing this new album, Fish adds, “I listened to a lot of soul music, and I dug deep into people like Otis Redding and Ray Charles. I was also influenced by people like North Mississippi's R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough. It’s a less restrained style of music than the sound people might be used to hearing from me, it’s definitely a different facet of my personality.” Fish is currently on tour to promote the album, and will be at the Sweetwater 420 Fest in Atlanta on Friday, April 21.
Samantha Fish’s bluesy guitar playing goes down smoother than a shot of Kentucky bourbon. Simultaneously, her voice and rhythms can wake your soul like only a strong cup of coffee on a Monday morning could. None of this should come as a surprise seeing as her earliest influences include Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban and the incomparable Stevie Ray Vaughn. Fish’s first gigs came playing at Knuckleheads Saloon, the popular Kansas City Blues venue that was constructed in 1887 that has hosted the likes of Edgar and Johnny Winter, Leon Russell, Keb’ Mo’, Ray Price and Billy Joe Shaver. Live Bait, the first and only album released by the Samantha Fish Blues Band, was released in 2009 and caught the attention of Ruf Records, who eventually signed Fish and brought her together with Blues artists Cassie Taylor and Dani Wilde. The three women went on to record the album Girls with Guitars in 2011. Fish also released her first solo album that year, Runaway, with producer Mike Zito for Ruf Records. The trio of Blues artists released a live album the following year, Girls with Guitars Live and Fish followed that up with another solo album in 2013 with Black Wind Howlin’. Fish is nothing short of a workhorse, joining up that same year with the super group of Jimmy Hall, Kate Moss, Reese Wynans, as well as Danielle and Kris Schnebelen as The Healers. The Healers released a live
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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.
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.
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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.
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