February 2012 Issue A

THE ART OF STACI SWIDER | PAGE 17

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FREE | FEBRUARY 1 2012 | VOL 4 ISSUE 23 | YOUR SOURCE FOR COMMUNIT Y DRIVEN NEWS

COMMUNITY THE FACES OF JAZZ IN AUGUSTA

ART STACI SWIDER + FOOD PICKLE’S CAFE AND GRILL + MUSIC THE BIG BAND SOUND VIEW THE STATE OF THE CITY + HERO A SOLDIER’S HOMECOMING + BEST LOKAL AWARDS

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GENERAL POLICIES: Contents

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FROM THE MAYOR: THE STATE OF THE CITY

When the president makes a speech, he does so with a teleprompter. When Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver makes a speech, he does it from the heart.

“Even though I’ve given my State of the City address three times already, I haven’t written any of it down,” Copenhaver said. “I like my speeches to be extemporaneous. I don’t use notes or a teleprompter, that way people feel like I’m speaking directly to them and they know it’s from the heart.”

The version of Copenhaver’s State of the City Address that goes up on augustaga.gov will most likely be the one videotaped at the meeting of the Martinez-Evans Rotary Club on Jan. 20. He also delivered the speech to the Augusta Exchange Club on Jan. 19 and to the Augusta Rotary Club on Jan. 23, each time without notes.

The State of the City address summarized much of what Copenhaver believes Augusta has accomplished over the past year and explains the direction in which he would like to take Augusta in 2012. Copenhaver has not given a State of the City speech in several years partly because of the weekly updates he writes and sends out by email, which anyone can receive by emailing Karyn Nixon, the mayor’s assistant, at knixon@augustaga.gov.

“It’s something that I haven’t done in a couple of years, because with the difficult economic times that we’re in right now I feel like I should be out working that much harder,” said Copenhaver, “The weekly updates that I write are almost enough information for anybody to be able to know what’s going on in this city, but this year I wanted to do what I could to put my message out there for everybody to hear.”

That message includes many signs of Augusta’s growth despite economic concerns, including the $60 million new judicial center built on Walton Way in the spring, the $90 million Kroc Center completed in Harrisburg in the fall and the recently completed $112 million dental school at Georgia Health Sciences University. Copenhaver also touts the arrival of COSTCO late last year, which created more than 200 new jobs right before the holidays.

“During a year that may have been overly divisive politically, I’m still very proud of the accomplishments Augusta has been able to make,” he said. “Growing up, I never thought I would be mayor of Augusta, much less the mayor during the worst recession of my lifetime, but the fact that Augusta has been able to make so much progress during a politically rough period says a lot about the spirit of the people who live here.”

twice a month and available free of charge at locations throughout the CSRA, including Publix, Kroger, Bi-Lo and Earth Fare.

Copenhaver is also proud of the restoration going on in all of Augusta’s historic neighborhoods, particularly in Laney-Walker and Bethlehem where eight houses have already been sold, adding $3.3 million to Augusta’s tax base.

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Copenhavers said that Augusta continues to thrive because the citizens of Augusta are good representatives of their city.

50 percent recycled stock.

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1102 Bar and Grill AB Beverage Augusta State University Bar on Broad Big Mamas Flowers Express Blue Sky Kitchen Book Tavern Casa Blanca Casella Eye Center DJ and Company Salon Empty Bowl Family Y Halo Salon Hammonds Ferry 5K International Uniform Just Essentials Kruhu Le Chat Lexi’s Legacy Manuel’s Bread Café Mercy Ministries Moon Beans/New Moon Nacho Mamas Ringling Brothers Rock Bottom Music Safe Homes Sanford Bruker Banks Sky City Soy Noodle House The Learning Center The Loft Tipsey McStumbles Wild Wing Café Windsor Fine Jewelers Zimmerman Gallery

WHAT’S INSIDE

SMATTERINGS

“Everyone who lives in Augusta eats in our restaurants, shops in our stores and makes an impact because of the way they receive guests,” he said. “It’s a testament to the city of Augusta that it’s not just the professionals who have a part to play in our future growth, but every citizen.”

“Even events like the ESi Half-Ironman, which had a $4 million economic impact, are important to our city,” he continued. “The athletes love it when our citizens come out to cheer them on, so every person who comes out to see the event is taking a part in economic growth.”

This year Copenhaver hopes to continue the progress made in 2012, which will include enhancing the educational district because “the cities that do the best in the future will be those that can attract and foster the brightest young minds.”

He also has plans that include linking Augusta with other nearby cities to create a better CSRA. “Going forward I want to heighten the focus on regionalism and cooperation with the surrounding cities like North Augusta and Aiken, because there really is no ‘us’ and ‘them’, it’s really all about ‘we’,” he said. “I’m working on an economic initiative with the leadership of GHSU and the Savannah River Site which will foster an ecosystem that attracts businesses to this area and makes it a more profitable area for people to want to work in.”

To attain this level of success, Copenhaver believes all Augustans need to be involved. If he could, he would like to give his State of the City address on every doorstep, but barring that he hopes to see thousands of people view the speech online or subscribe to his weekly updates.

“Sometimes it seems like we are fighting a constant battle against misinformation and I’d like to be able to put as much information out there as possible,” he said.

“I don’t speak in sound bites; I take as much time as possible to speak about complex issues in long form.”

by CHRISTOPHER SELMEK

4 February 1, 2012 | community driven news | vergelive.com

you won’t want to miss a page

the main feature

11 Welcoming a Soldier Home 13 Rob Nordan’s Big Band Sound 15 It’s a Family Reunion

Surprise concert captures footage for Black Stone Cherry video

Augusta Amusements creates ensemble for February concert

Family Jewels reunites for Lokal Loudness 20th anniversary

17 The Artistic Vision of Staci Swider 18 The Faces of Jazz in the CSRA Fingerpainting takes on new meaning and form

Community knows no boundaries, color or status

19 Saying Goodbye to Doc Bradley A local legend, both as musician and educator

heard around town 5 5 5 7

I run Augusta 5K Approaches Progress in Laney-Walker and Bethlehem New Business: The Gallery The V.A.’s Rock Climbing Wall

music | theatre | art | film 5 14 23 23 25 27 27 29 30 31 31

Music: The Temptations Music: Lokal Loudness Choice Awards Music: The Magellan Quartet Good Cause: Mardi Gras at Saint Paul’s Theatre: Becky Shaw Music: Revien Theatre: The Amazing Kreskin Film: The Film Reel Music: Sound Bites Music: Cameras Guns and Radios Music: The Fencesitters TFS Rave

regular stuff 05 09 21 21 23 31 33 33

Heard Around Town Buzz on Biz Augusta Eats Beers Locals Like The Daily Planner Nightlife The New York Times Crossword Life Face First

vergequotes

here’s what inspires us

“It’s only with the heart one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

— FROM Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince

ON THE COVER THE FACES OF JAZZ by LEAH DESLANDES Read more about the CSRA jazz scene on page 18.

Clockwise: Fred Williams, Joel Cruz, Bill Karp, Dr. Rob Foster, Jimmy “Doc” Easton and Karen Gordon.

heard [ i run augusta 5K and barbecue ]

around town

what’s happening in augusta and aiken

Wine and Swine, on Feb. 11 at Lake Olmstead Stadium, is a creative combination of a wine tasting, barbeque cook-off and the I Run Augusta 5K race to benefit The First Tee of Augusta.

Ten professional and 10 amateur cooks will gather to provide samples of their best barbeque and be judged in accordance with the standards of the Southern Barbeque Network. A wide selection of wines will be available for sampling, but it is the running portion that is inspiring a city-wide campaign for healthy living.

Several officials from Augusta’s Convention and Visitors Bureau, Sports Council and mayor’s office, a high school cross country team and various volunteers gathered at Lake Olmstead on Jan. 20, for the “I run Augusta” commercial shoot. Participants only needed to be filmed running and say “I run Augusta” into the camera.

Mayor Deke Copenhaver, who participated in both last year’s half Iron-man and half-marathon, was the featured spot in the commercial, but cameos were given to anyone who stopped by.

“What the mayor is trying to do is to help promote a healthy lifestyle, as well as to bring attention to the Wine and Swine Event and to the Augusta Half Marathon, Feb. 26,” said Brinsley Thigpen, the Sports Council CEO. “It’s his way of letting people know they should get out and be active in their community.”

mayor deke copenhaver runs for augusta

Wine and Swine begins at noon and costs $20. Race registration is an additional $10, and the race begins at 3 p.m. All proceeds go toward The First Tee, a nonprofit golf and life-skills program for young people.

“It’s going to be a great day of food and fun for a great cause,” said First Tee Executive Director Jill Brown. “Our mission is to make better people through the game of golf, and the money raised from this event will help us to touch more young people in this way.”

Interested racers can sign up at thefirsttee.org or at active.com.

On Feb. 9 Symphony Orchestra Augusta presents The Temptations as part of its Pops! at the Bell series and invites members of the audience to bring food donations to the concert that the Golden Harvest Food Bank will distribute to those in need as part of Orchestras Feeding America.

For more information about Symphony Orchestra Augusta or Orchestras Feeding America, please email amy@soaugusta. org or call 706.826.4706. For tickets to the Feb. 9 concert, visit soaugusta.org.

[ the gallery opens in summerville ]

The Gallery, an eclectic refinished furniture store at 2118 Central Ave., opened Dec. 1 and has been drawing customers at a rate better than owner Billy Harrison expected.

“This is my first business of this type with my own location,” he said. “It’s a fresh new face on modern styles and new trends in furniture. I’m more like a furniture artist than anything, because I do some things that you will not find at any other store.”

Although he described most of his furniture as loft-style, he is confident that vintage is popular among people decorating their apartments, and he offers his assistance as an interior decorated to anyone who asks for it.

“I have small pieces and big pieces, and I’d like to think I have something to fit any budget from $40 to $600,” he said. “None of my stuff is new that looks old, it’s all vintage or antique that I hand pick myself, and I buy new pieces literally every day.”

One pleasant surprise is that, still in its first month, The Gallery has generated repeat customers because of the constantly shifting inventory. Every week offers something new, and Harrison soon hopes to expand his operation to include a coffee shop.

Dr. Beverly Guy-Sheftall, the president of the National Women’s Studies Association, is the keynote speaker and will examine the critical roles played by Africana women and how these roles have shaped and continue to shape the characteristic spirit of American culture.

“There’s a board hanging up at the back of the shop with a menu from when the previous owners did sell coffee here, and I’m always sorry to have to tell them we don’t do that anymore,” he said. “The building is already zoned for food service, so I think it would be nice to give folks a little extra inventive to come in and look around.”

The first Conference on the Black Experience was held in 1981, designed to examine the historic and cultural experiences of Black people throughout the Diaspora and the resultant actions and reactions.

For information, call 706.821.8326 or visit PAINE.EDU/COBE.

Chester Wheeler, the Augusta Housing and Community Development director, unveiled a documentary about the neighborhood developments which have been attracting attention from across the United States as a model for how to conduct neighborhood improvement.

“This is an opportunity … no, it is a calling, no, it is a responsibility, our responsibility, to make this happen and to create a community that knows no bounds.”

[ the black experience conference ]

The 2012 Conference on the Black Experience will be held Feb. 6 to 9 at Paine College to celebrate contributions to the history in the Americas made by women of African ancestry.

Officials and residents of the Laney-Walker and Bethlehem neighborhoods came together at Tabernacle Baptist Church on Jan. 18 to celebrate the strides their neighborhood has made toward redevelopment over the past year.

The community meeting was held one year to the day that Wheeler met with all the developers. Wheeler quoted Fred Russell, the city administer, who said at the time:

Collection bins will be located throughout the Bell Auditorium and in the Symphony Office on the second floor of the Sacred Heart Cultural Center. Most needed items include dry soup, rice, powdered or canned milk, macaroni and cheese, cereal, peanut butter, beans, canned fruit and vegetables, tuna, canned meats, soup, pasta and fruit juice.

The nationwide project is inspired by the true story of Nathaniel Ayers, a gifted Juilliard-trained string player who was living on the streets of Los Angeles as a result of his mental illness. Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez noticed Nathaniel, and was drawn to his talent, intelligence and passion for Beethoven. The Soloist, a film about Ayers, came to theaters in 2009.

[ a year of redevelopment ]

“This has been a major undertaking and we’re so proud to have come so far in so short a time,” Wheeler said. “It’s hard to turn back 40 years of neglect and 40 years of maybe not doing all we should have to enrich the community. Some say it is complex, and it takes a community who is willing to come together to implement the plans that they have decided on.”

[ symphony concert feeds hungry ]

Last year, Orchestras Feeding America contributed 300,000 pounds of food to this project, making it the single largest orchestra project serving communities nationwide. When the program began in 2008, 49.1 million Americans lived in food insecure households. By partnering with the Feeding America National Food Bank Network, orchestras can provide emergency food assistance to approximately 4.5 million people in any given week.

chester wheeler reviews laney walker growth

The Gallery is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 706.231.4693.

Wheeler announced that, as of Jan. 17, the Augusta Commission has unanimously approved the district’s overlay zoning to place protections on the types of structures that can be built in the neighborhood.

Jesse Wiles, the president of Asset Property Disposition Inc., gave a short presentation on the neighborhood’s ongoing key projects, including Heritage Pines, Twiggs Circle, East Mill Village and Foundry Place. Wiles said the neighborhood hopes to attract 15,000 new residents over the next 25 years, which will completely change the entire urban core of the city of Augusta.

“I believe in a holistic approach to community building, that every part of our city needs to be healthy in order for the whole organism to thrive,” said Mayor Deke Copenhaver.

“I think this is the most important job the city has ever undertaken, to revitalize the heart of Augusta, Ga.”

[ scholarships available ]

The Fort Gordon Spouses and Civilian Club provides funds, services and supplies to deserving organizations or individuals as part of its grants and services program. Previous recipients have included local high school JROTC programs, the Fisher House, Fort Gordon Christmas House, the local Veteran’s Administration and other organizations that foster self-growth and development or support the military community.

The club also awards merit scholarships for graduating seniors to assist them in their first year of education at an accredited university, college or vocational/technical school. Scholarships are also awarded to adults continuing their education.

Scholarships are open to dependents of all military members and dependents of the civilian club members.

March 1 is the application for both awards. More information and applications can be found online at FGSCC.COM. Around Town is written by CHRISTOPHER SELMEK

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heard

around town

what’s happening in augusta and aiken

[ white’s building condos go on sale in april ]

Condominiums at The J.B. Whites Building will go on sale in April, following a three-month delay to finish constructing the parking lot across Ellis Street.

Fifty-two studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom condos were originally scheduled to go on the market in January, but the managing agency determined that it was important for each unit to have deeded parking close to the building, according to Adelle Dennis, a residential sales specialist with Rex Properties.

The parking deck will be accessible by the bridge on the third and fourth floors of The Whites Building. Guests seeking entrance to the condos can either be buzzed in via cell phone or given an access key. Residents will scan their fingerprints.

Each unit is energy efficient, with modern appliances and granite countertops. They also contain original, refinished wooden floors and high ceilings that speak to the historical authenticity of the building. Rex Properties is also in negotiations with several businesses interested in renting commercial space on the ground floor of the building which would become amenities for the whole community.

“The greatest thing the building has to offer is its central location in the downtown community,” said Dennis. “Augusta has so many amenities to offer that aren’t connected to the building and we really expect that when people start moving in it will be a good thing for all of downtown.”

The condos range in price from $120,000 to $280,000. For more information, contact Dennis at 706.722.4962.

eric gray stands in front of the va’s rock climbing wall

[ rehabilation might mean climbing one wall at a time ]

A recently installed rock climbing wall inside one of the courtyards at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center provides a fun challenge for any staff member or veteran who wants one, but also has many therapeutic benefits for soldiers overcoming the difficulties of their injuries.

Eric Gray, a recreational therapist with the active duty rehab unit at Charlie Norwood, originally suggested the addition of a rock climbing wall because he used to live in Utah and had some experience helping physically disabled patients with rock climbing. The 50-foot wall sees use almost every day, according to Gray, and a system of pulleys allows even wheelchair bound patients to participate in the experience.

“Every patient is different, so the type of care they get really depends on the patients,” said Gray. “If they have a leg injury, they may want to lift weights to build their upper body strength, or they can use the rock climbing wall and we can make therapy a little more fun. That way they’re still getting therapy, but they feel like they get to have a little more fun with it.”

Gray has other ways of making therapy fun, including a cycling and kayaking program, but the new rock climbing wall has been gaining a lot of attention. The wall is open to any staff member or veteran who wants to try it, even if they aren’t currently undergoing therapy, though there are times of the week when certain groups use the wall to work on particular issues.

“For physical therapy it works on arm strength, leg strength and core strength,” he said. “For occupational therapy it works with sequencing and problem solving skills, because if you have to follow a particular path up you need to figure out how to move your hands and balance yourself to reach the next handhold. For vision therapists it works on ocular scanning, and all of this happens in a fun atmosphere that also helps to boost their morale.”

Gray describes the wall as ground-breaking, because it is the first to be built in a VA facility, but also says it can be intimidating because it is so tall. However, success doesn’t depend on getting to the top and, to Gray, anyone who gets off the ground is a winner as long as they tried their best.

“A lot of people don’t know about it yet, but at the grand opening six months ago we gave everyone in the hospital a chance to try the wall, and they all seemed to have a great time,” he said. “We’d love to have it used all the time, so I encourage everyone I see to come out and climb.”

Anyone interested in trying the rock climbing wall can call Gray at 706.733.0188, ext. 6146.

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the buzz on

biz

what’s moving and shaking in local business

PAPA N SONS UP FOR SALE In its 13th year, Dino Dakuras is putting his “Bite of Chicago” restaurant up for sale. He and his father renamed the restaurant “Papa N Sons” after a franchisee bought into the concept on Furys Ferry Road in Martinez. The name “Dino’s” was trademarked by another restauranteur in the Midwest.

Dakuras says several factors contributed to his decision to sell the business and take a position with a food service distribution company.

The franchisee closed the Furys Ferry location leaving Dakuras and a manager to run the Evans store and economic conditions make it impractical to have two managers.

Family reasons are also part of the factor, as he has two small children and a member of his extended family has been battling an illness.

He says he’ll remain open and be in and out of the restaurant until a new owner is found or for up to a year. Purchase options include the business, the business and restaurant equipment\furniture, and the rights to the brand name and franchising rights.

For more information, visit www.papansons.com or call Dino at 706.533.2060.

NEW FITNESS CENTER TO OPEN IN EVANS Owners of the soon to be built Evans Fitness Club broke ground on the 53,000-square-foot facility. It’s in the new Marshall Square at the intersection of Evans Town Center Boulevard and North Belair Road, flanking Chili’s Restaurant and the soon to be built Taxslayer and First Command Financial.

“We want to bring big-city health and fitness to your backyard.” says General Manager and Operating Partner Mike Montarbo.

The two-story complex will include a rock climbing wall, racquetball courts, an indoor walking track (and sprint track with field turf), and the area’s only two-story spin room. The building will also house a new Smoothie King location and Evans Medical Weight Loss Center, which will offer a physician guided weight loss program.

Other features include sports-specific training and cross-fit training, cardio cinema room, yoga and pilates, Group X – unique classes not offered anywhere else in the CSRA, MMA Elite Classes, boot camps and TRX, cardio equipment, handicap accessible cardio machines, a 17,000-squarefoot free weight area, steam rooms and saunas, a full-service day care and a golf simulator.

20 YEAR BUSINESS MOVES TO COLUMBIA COUNTY The buzz is America’s

Home Place is not renewing its lease in the Washington Road Plaza it shares with Bonefish Grill and Outback Steak House. The homebuilder had been in the same space for 20 years this March and is ready to sign a new deal to expand onto the Bobby Jones Expressway. The $55- a-square-foot builder gives several floor plan options to home owners once they purchase their land.

NEW AIKEN COUNTY TRUCK STOP Land is being cleared on the South Carolina side of the river. The Wilco truck stop is coming to exit 11 on I-20 in Graniteville. There are not many truck stops from Augusta to Columbia, and Wilco will partner with Hess to fill the void. This will be one of 360 truck stops and travel centers in South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee and Virginia. Other locations have partnered with Arby’s, Dairy Queen, and Wendy’s to enhance the experience.

Neil Gordon owns Buzz on Biz LLC, a company dedicated to highlighting business growth through newspaper, television, radio, and Web content.

Story idea? Email neil.gordon@buzzon.biz

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a suprise rock ‘n’ roll

soldier’s homecoming BLACK STONE CHERRY PERFORMS ACOUSTIC SET FOR LOCAL PFC. RANDY Herneisen AND FAMILY

When 20-year-old Pfc. Randy Herneisen returned from a tour in Afghanistan with the U.S. Army’s 170th Infantry, he was in for a lot of firsts and surprises.

Herneisen, who grew up in Florida, arrived in Grovetown for the first time on January 15. His family had relocated there at the end of 2011. Waiting to greet him were his wife, whom he married through proxy while deployed, and their 3-month-old son, Randy Jr., whom he’d only seen via photographs and Skype conversations. But that wasn’t all that awaited him. On January 16, the Herneisen family went out for a “dinner date,” or so he thought. Instead, he found himself at a homecoming party at Le Chat Noir, where Black Stone Cherry performed an acoustic set in his honor as part of a video for its latest single, “In My Blood.”

Black Stone Cherry’s song was originally written about life on the road and the toll that separation takes on musicians and their families. As supporters of the military, the band wanted to create a video that would honor the men and women who make the ultimate sacrifice — one that requires being far away from loved ones for months or years at a time. Their label, Roadrunner Records, and management, In De Goot, contacted Dwayne Ulloa, the president of ALA Productions, a company that coordinates entertainment for the military and had worked with In De Goot in the past.

“They sent me the lyrics and the song and I fell in love with it,” says Ulloa. “I went to my contacts in Germany, and they gave me parameters of a homecoming. We thought Randy was perfect: He’s young, had been in Afghanistan and was going to see his baby for the first time. He was also a fan of the band.”

A four-person crew from ALA went to the Army Garrison in Baumholder, Germany, where troops were stationed on their way back to the U.S., to gather footage of Herneisen. They also came to Augusta to film his homecoming and the surprise concert. In Germany, they coordinated with the Army to begin the filming process.

“We were so excited to have the opportunity to showcase one of our amazing United States Army

THE BLACK STONE CHERRY SONG Chris Robertson, vocalist/guitarist for Black Stone Cherry, talks about “In My Blood” and performing for PFC Herneisen.

Verge: “In My Blood” was written about being on the road. How did it become a tribute to the military?

Robertson: We wanted military footage in the video, maybe something like the TV show Coming Home, where people come home and surprise their families. From what I understand, the label had been reaching out to the military. It so happened that Randy was a fan of the band to begin with, so to be able to have a soldier in the video, and to show our respect and our love for our country and our troops, and to have someone who is a fan of what we do — it was a double whammy for us. We were just overwhelmed that he was a fan, and that’s why we came down and did the surprise acoustic show for him. More than anything, we wanted the video to be about Randy and what he does rather than about what we do.

Europe soliders, so we did all we could to find exactly the one that the production company was looking for,” says Lynn Davis, a spokeswoman for U.S. Army Europe. “We have 42,000 soldiers in Europe and it was a challenge finding somebody that fit, but we found Randy and he volunteered to participate in the project, which was fantastic.”

Herneisen is from a military family. Both of his older brothers are currently deployed in Kuwait. He enlisted in 2010 and deployed for the first time in February 2011 and will soon return to Germany with his family for another year-and-a-half of service. While in Afghanistan, he received two Army Commendation Medals: one for “service in the field,” honoring the many responsibilities he took on above and beyond, and the other for the tour of duty itself.

“We drove by and I saw my family, and I thought they were meeting us there to eat,” Herneisen says of the surprise concert. “We walked in, I heard music playing, but I still didn’t know what was going on. Then I saw the band playing acoustic for us. This whole thing was really awesome. It was so nice of these guys to come and do this for me.” article and interview by ALISON RICHTER photos by LEAH DESLANDES

Verge: This must have been an emotional moment for the band.

Robertson: Oh, it was. I really had to hold it back. We got there the night before

and set everything up so that whenever Randy came in, they would talk for a minute and then I started playing the guitar part to “In My Blood.” I looped it over and over, and when Randy came in, we saw him smile from ear to ear that the band had come down to do something for him. He was holding his son, and it was hard; we all had to hold it back. You’re looking at a guy who hasn’t even gotten to hold his son until the day before, and he’s got to leave again, so it’s pretty emotional just to think about it.

Verge: He’s only 20 years old. At his age, you were trying to get a band off the

ground. Does it put things in perspective?

Robertson: Oh yeah, you said it. When I was 20 years old, I was getting in a van and traveling around the country and I thought some of those times were miserable.

After talking to Randy and finding everything out about him, you find out that what you were doing was not really that bad. You’re in the same country, you can get home within a few hours from anywhere in America, you can get on a plane. It puts it all in perspective. We gave Randy our information so he could keep in touch with us, we gave him some stuff and we gave him and his wife free passes to any show we ever do, because we want to do anything and everything we can for him. From the bottom of our hearts, we wish the best and greatest future for him and his family.

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music that crosses generations

the fun of big band The augusta amusements big band performs first concert on feb. 11

Augusta Amusements continues its 2012 season with an inaugural performance by the Augusta Amusements Big Band on Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Jabez Sanford Hardin Performing Arts Center in Evans. Columbia County Orchestra Music Executive Director Rob Nordan assembled the musicians and will lead the band.

Rob Nordan grew up in the Washington, D.C., area.

His first trumpet teacher was his father, Clarence Nordan, who currently resides in Evans. Rob Nordan became involved in his high school jazz ensemble in the 1970s, holds a masters degree in music and has conducted instrumental groups since 1974. He has been active in vocational church music and music education for more than 35 years.

Nordan and his wife, Elizabeth, a pianist, moved their family to Augusta in 1996. He is currently the Director of Bands at Augusta Christian Schools and the Associate Minister of Music at West Acres Baptist Church. In 2008, he founded and developed the Columbia County Orchestra Association in Evans. The CCOA now includes the Columbia County Civic Orchestra, Columbia County Youth Orchestra, an annual CCOA Recital Series featuring area professional chamber instrumental groups, and a professional chamber orchestra. The CCOA is leading an initiative to establish the Arts and Resource Center of Columbia County. The ARC is slated to include a theater, art and music studio space, a gallery area, a commons for large events, and a home for several Columbia County arts groups.

“Musically connecting the past with the present is a wonderful way to share big band music with several generations.”

— ROB NORDAN

Verge: What do you think keeps big band music alive and

thriving?

Nordan: Big band “swing” music has such a cross-generational

appeal. With the rise of “social” and ballroom dancing, teenage young people of today are learning of these wonderful music classics. And, of course, young adults, median adults and seniors have enjoyed it for years. Musically connecting the past with the present is a wonderful way to share big band music with several generations.

Rob Nordan spoke to verge about the upcoming Augusta Amusements Big Band concert.

Verge: How has the audience changed or grown throughout the years?

Verge: Your interest and involvement with big band music

dates back to your childhood. What is it about the music that appealed to you then and now?

Nordan: In the very early days, teenagers and young adults

were the main audience. But as the initial audience of teens in the 1930s and 1940s are now the seniors of today, more and more generations have been touched by this wonderful and fun music.

Nordan: At first, it was something that my dad and I could do

together in listening to recordings of jazz music, but also going as a family to live jazz concerts. As I grew up and developed further as a player, I began playing in small jazz groups and in rock bands that played the music of groups like Chicago.

Verge: This is billed as an inaugural performance for the Augusta Amusements Big Band. What can Augustans look forward to from this orchestra?

Verge: Your background is in jazz, beginning in your high school ensemble. How are jazz and big band similar, and was the transition between the genres natural for you?

Nordan: I am sure that there will be some additional Augusta

Amusements events that we will play for. We look forward to that. We hope to have people hear us at the Feb.11 event that would like to employ us for other ventures in the future.

Nordan: Jazz is a larger genre of music that includes blues,

swing, bop, be-bop, jazz-rock fusion, etc. Big band, in its earliest years, was dance music for hotels, parties and events. Eventually, big band music developed more into listening music, as the musical complexities developed further. I have had the opportunity to play many types of music and I enjoy them all.

Verge: What brought you to Augusta in 1996 and were you immediately active in the music community?

Nordan: I came originally to Augusta as a full-time

professional church musician. I did not become active in the CSRA with music other than church music until around 2001.

Verge: How has that community changed over the course of 16 years?

Nordan: Since 1996, I have witnessed more and more musical

groups developing, producing several types of musical groups. I am very happy to see more local music groups grow and develop.

Verge: Four years ago, you founded the Columbia County Orchestra Association. What is the association’s mission statement and what are some of the projects that it has brought to the area?

Nordan: The purpose of the CCOA is to promote the musical

arts and foster music appreciation, while also providing an outlet for musicians to express their musical talents in and around the CSRA. Projects that the CCOA has brought to the area, other than our big band group, include Columbia County Civic Orchestra, Columbia County Youth Orchestra, Columbia County Recital Series (featuring local professional musicians), Columbia County Chamber Orchestra, Third Horn (brass quintet), Columbia Winds (woodwind quintet) and Da Capo Players (string ensemble). We have also partnered with “In Praise of Music” for other local musical program offerings.

A limited number of reserved seat tickets for $20 and $25 for the Augusta Amusements Big Band concert are available online at www.augustaamusements.com or by calling 706-726-0366.

The doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the concert begins at 7:30 p.m.

Guests are encouraged to wear 1930s and 1940s attire in tribute to Augusta Amusements original founders, and walk the red carpet to the entrance of the Jabez Sanford Hardin Performing Arts Center, which is located at 7022 Evans Towne Center Blvd. in Evans.

For more information about the CCOA and upcoming events, visit columbiacco.org.

by ALISON RICHTER photos LEAH DESLANDES

Verge: Is the Augusta Amusements Big Band concert affiliated with the CCOA? Nordan: The Augusta Amusements Big Band is a joint venture

between Augusta Amusements and the CCOA. Of the 17 members of the Big Band, eight play in various CCOA groups.

vergelive.com | community driven news | February 1, 2012 13

legacy or

last hurrah looking back at the Lokal Loudness Favorite Band Choice Award

Since 1995, I have had the pleasure of watching the people of Augusta recognize the top bands and musicians in the CSRA via the Lokal Loudness Choice Awards.

For most people the Choice Awards only goes back to 2002 when, at the 10th anniversary of Lokal Loudness, we introduced the Plexiglas awards now known as the “Lexie Plexi.” Since then, the simple, engraved, clear award has become the symbol for the latest and greatest in Augusta music. Of the awards voted on every year, perhaps the most heralded one is the favorite band award. On Feb. 10 at Sky City, Augusta music fans will turn out to see which of this year’s nominees – False Flag, L.i.E., LaRoxes, Sibling String and The Radar Cinema – will take home the Plexi for Augusta’s favorite band. But, if history tells us anything, winning the favorite band award is not always a great thing.

Just about every annual winner has quickly vanished into what Brian “Stak” Allen calls “The Ghosts of Augusta’s Past.” Only The Edison Project and L.i.E. have stuck around or remained at the top of the heap long enough to repeat as favorite band winner. Rather than take my word for it, let the evidence do the talking: In 2002, 420 Outback was at the top of its game, packing venues across the CSRA and laying claim as the hottest band in the area. The band had spent the previous few years building up a steady following, culminating with an incredible showing at the 2002 Choice Awards and walking away with Plexis in several categories. The band had already announced that a followup to their popular debut CD was on the way and it looked as though nothing could get in its way of reaching the next level of success. By spring, instead of releasing their eagerly awaited CD, 420 Outback quietly broke up.

Hot off the heels of 420 Outback came that year’s winner for favorite new band, Jemani. A year later, Jemani tore through the awards, walking away with its own stack of Plexis. Yet, while the band stuck around for several more years and create some killer highlights here and there, it never carried the weight it had in 2003 when fans and press were predicting regional, and possibly national, success for Jemani.

Other bands that found their shelf-life shortened after winning favorite band include Knowface (2005 winners featuring former 420 Outback vocalist Gabe Miller) and The Kilpatrick Project, who won the award in 2006, then announced from the stage of the awards that they were breaking up. Fate or planning ahead?

In 2007, The Edison Project had a banner year leading up to the band taking home awards in 2008 for favorite band and favorite CD. The band barely managed to hang around long enough to repeat the success in 2009, at that point the writing was already on the wall and, once again, a band labeled “the next big thing” soon fell apart.

That brings us to this year’s awards where L.i.E., winner of the favorite band award in 2010 and 2011, look to possibly become the first band to three-peat despite having played its “farewell” show a few months ago. While it can be said that L.i.E. jumped out at the top of their game, it COULD be said that the band’s inability to recover following bassist Jo Bone leaving the band could be attributed to the “fave band award curse.”

So, as False Flag, L.i.E., LaRoxes, Sibling String and The Radar Cinema await the results to be announced, I leave it up to you: Favorite Lokal Band Award – legacy or last hurrah?

by JOHN “STONEY” CANNON

14 February 1, 2012 | community driven news | vergelive.com

twenty years later, it’s a jewel of a

family reunion Family Jewels

Reunite to Help Celebrate 20 Years of Lokal Loudness

The paper is now old and slightly discolored. Ten years ago, it was encased in a frame to help preserve its black and white Xeroxed simplicity. For a while, it was displayed on the wall of a tiny downtown record store that shared its name. Since 2009, it has hung on a rec room wall next to other framed artifacts from the past 20 years, its copy machine look and one typographic mistake marking a time well before spell check design desktop publishing became possible for nearly every home in America.

These days just about anyone can put out a professional looking fanzine. But in February 1992, when the first print issue of Lokal Loudness was put out, such endeavors had to be done by hand using a method then known as “pasteup.” By today’s standards it was crude, and in some ways very much punk rock, but in 1992 it was simply a means to an end – a way to show love for the Augusta music scene.

That worn out relic of love, the first issue of Lokal Loudness, was released Feb. 10, 1992, and featured Augusta rock ‘n’ roll band Family Jewels on the cover. On Feb. 10, Family Jewels will reunite as Lokal Loudness celebrates the 20th birthday of that first issue and present the winners of the annual Choice Awards at Sky City.

“I can’t believe it’s been 20 years,” said Family Jewels guitarist/vocalist Fred McNeal. “I guess it’s actually been 18 years since the four of us played on a stage together. We’ve gotten together several times during the years to play a birthday party but we haven’t actually played in public in like 18 years.”

While McNeal, drummer Pat Turner and bassist Brian Stachura tried their hand at resurrecting Family Jewels in the late ‘90s, the Sky City show will be the first time in almost two decades that Family Jewels will perform an actual set on a venue stage with the 1992 lineup that also included rhythm guitarist/vocalist Paul Sieg. While McNeal says the guys are all excited about the show, he keeps coolheaded about the upcoming reunion gig.

“I like the bar, I’ve played there before,” said McNeal. “Hopefully we’ll see some people we haven’t seen in a long time. But, yeah, we haven’t even gotten together and rehearsed yet. We’re still arguing about what songs to do.”

McNeal is quick to note that an Augusta Family Jewels show in 2012 is a huge difference from the band’s Augusta shows in the early ‘90s, many of which were shut down or shortened by police.

“Colossal difference from 1992,” said McNeal. “Now there are more venues to play and downtown has been cleaned up. Back then, to play original music we had to throw our own shows, rent a place, and get PA, building a stage out of milk crates and lumber. Now there’s a lot more opportunities and a lot more venues.”

By the time the first issue of Lokal Loudness came out, Family Jewels had already begun playing in Atlanta. But while the band had their sights set on stretching out to a bigger market, the four members did not foresee the separate migration to Atlanta that would eventually take place.

“We never really felt that there were better bands in Atlanta,” said McNeal. “We just figured that being a bigger city that there would be more bands to pair up with. We learned a lot playing up here (Atlanta) about things we were clueless about. Back then, it was book the gig, play the gig, kinda live for that night. There was no long term goal about it.”

While the allure of making a name for themselves in a big city with a strong musical history might have been an attractive notion – partially backed by the obvious thought that the bigger and brighter the city, the bigger and brighter the bands – McNeal says that idea could not have been further from the truth.

“Augusta was great in that era of having a lot of odd original bands,” said McNeal. “I guess you can call it alternative or something but they all had a very unique thing about them. Where in Atlanta, I don’t want to call it cookie cutter, but you had like 10 bands trying to sound like Ministry, 10 bands trying to sound like the Black Crowes. You didn’t have a lot out of those one-off unique Hundred Year Sun or Smile kinds of bands.”

Like most bands, Family Jewels eventually broke up, the members choosing to find their own musical paths. Ironically, those individual paths took all four Family Jewels guys to the same place – Atlanta.

“Brian and I moved up here (Atlanta) at the same time,” said McNeal. “Pat had already been up here a year playing with Salvation. Brian and I moved to either join a band as a package deal or put a band together. After playing with a few people, we found a couple guys and put together a band and pretty much just called it Family Jewels, for lack of a better name.”

While this was going on, Sieg also found himself in Atlanta working on an entertainment law degree and, while Turner eventually ended up in the Atlanta version of Family Jewels with McNeal and Stachura, Sieg never again become an official member of the band. In the past decade, Stachura hung up his bass to concentrate on running his own construction company while Turner took a break from the drums before jumping back into the Atlanta live music scene a few years ago and eventually reunited with McNeal in recording/touring band the Hot Rods. Since relocating to Atlanta, McNeal has been the only member of Family Jewels to have never taken a break from music playing. He has performed with members of several notable Atlanta bands along the way including Rick Richards of the Georgia Satellites and original Black Crowes bassist Johnny Colt.

But while he is certain that the Family Jewels reunion show will more than likely be a “one and done” deal, McNeal has strong feelings about getting the chance to close things off where it all started – in Augusta.

“I’m kinda excited,” said McNeal. “It’s something we actually talked about two years ago and it just never happened. We talked about it but we never booked anything. This is sort of perfect timing and a good reason to get back together. Better than us just booking a show ourselves and playing in a bar somewhere instead of getting to play for friends and family.”

And what does McNeal have to say when contemplating the possibility of having to return for a possible 40-year anniversary of that now old and slightly discolored first Lokal Loudness?

“We’ll have to hope for wheelchairs and a handicap accessible venue.”

by JOHN “STONEY” CANNON

see the show WHAT Family Jewels at the 2012 Lokal Loudness Lokal Choice Awards WHERE Sky City | 1157 Broad St. WHEN Friday, Feb. 10 | 8 p.m.

TICKETS $5 MORE | lokalloudness.com

vergelive.com | community driven news | February 1, 2012 15

16 February 1, 2012 | community driven news | vergelive.com

the artistic vision of

staci swider

EXHIBIT AT GERTRUDE HERBERT melds TRADITION and THE PERSONAL TOUCH

Most artists reach for a brush as they begin to create. Local artist Staci Swider only needs to open a tube of paint to put her visions on canvas.

Swider is known for her use of finger painting and vivid colors.

She grew up in Allentown, Penn., and was always busy creating and making something out of scraps around the house.

“I remember designing clothing and furniture for my dollhouse and using recycled materials,” she says. “In high school, I spent all of my study halls working on projects in the art room.”

After high school, Swider attended college in Philadelphia and graduated with a degree in textile design. She worked as a designer in home furnishings for a major manufacturing company. Her years in the textile industry gave her the opportunity to work with many different fabrics and textures she incorporates in her work as an artist today.

About 15 years ago, a friend suggested she attend a watercolor class. At the time, Swider was a stay-at-home mom and thought the class might be interesting.

“It was like a light bulb went on,” she smiles. “I forgot how much fun it was to create.”

She has been painting ever since.

“... each individual artwork is only a brief moment that has a before, during and after.”

— STACI SWIDER

Though Swider used watercolor and acrylics for a while, she has started to experiment with other media and styles.

“My work is constantly evolving,” she says. “It is like a collage in my head and I am constantly trying to figure out how to get that on a surface. I like that each individual artwork is only a brief moment that has a before, during and after.”

Several years ago, Swider began to research visual imagery.

She was inspired by award-winning artist Jesse Reno, a mixed media painter known for his prolific outsider art. According to Raw Vision magazine, outsider art is “the development of the awareness of forms of creative expression that exist outside accepted cultural norms, or the realm of ‘fine art.’”

Swider eventually put down her paintbrush and began to use her hands.

“When you paint with your fingers, the paint goes on differently and you have to work it in,” she explains. “It doesn’t spread as far and I like the contrast it creates. It creates different edges and I can’t get that from a paintbrush.”

Swider created her first work using her hands in 2010 for Metro Spirit’s Art45 – an annual live art event.

“The first year I did Art45 I had just started this new layering technique,” she explains. “I ended up not using my hands so much that year. In the following spring, I painted at Social Canvas in front of the Morris and that was the first time I used my fingers and hands in public. People seemed to be intrigued and commented on watching my process.”

Swider has developed her own artistic process. She works with fabric, paint and mixed media. The colors seem to melt together while splashes of cobalt or orange dance across the canvas. She also uses the technique of scumbling, a method used to soften colors by covering the piece with a film of opaque or semi opaque color.

“I like to paint in layers, building up a base of colors, pattern and textures,” she explains. “Then I start to pull out images by simplifying, refining, responding freely and in the moment, rather than beginning with a prescribed outcome.”

Swider also uses copper in most of her artwork, edging some of her pieces are edged in the metal, which she says is symbolic and conveys love and passion. Her passion for personal meaning in her art is obvious in all of her paintings: She uses ancient imagery from Slavic symbolism and textiles that comes from childhood memories.

paintings come with a story. Each piece encourages insight to give the viewer an opportunity to experience the unexpected.

The public can see her art during the Acworth Arts Festival on April 14 and 15. Visit her website at staciswider.com or email her at staci.swider@gmail.com. article and photos by KAREN E. FARLEY

“My family is Ukrainian, and at Easter time we would write on eggs with wax, dye them, and repeat the process. Then, after the wax is melted off beautiful colors and patterns emerge,” Swider explains. “I use the imagery from those eggs in all of my paintings. When my mom sees my paintings, she recognizes it immediately.”

Swider isn’t the only one in her family with artistic vision. Her son Declan Konesky is also an artist.

“We critique each other’s work all the time,” she laughs. “It’s nice to have a professional relationship with him. And he sells more paintings than I do.”

Her other son is in agriculture and recently returned from the Philippines, where he completed an internship program in selfsustainable farming.

Her current exhibition, Dancing Along the Red Road, runs through Feb. 17 at the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art, 506 Telfair St. It is a collection of nine new works, many of which depict red line-drawings between layers of paint, passionate copper accents and embroidery patterns that stem from the strong spiritual undercurrents that drive her imagery, textiles and sculpture.

“On the second layer, I usually use red – it is symbolic of life,” she says. “I start out looking for eyes. It’s like the spirit of the painting coming out.”

When she isn’t painting, Swider teaches at regional and national art conferences. She also teaches at the Gertrude and offers private lessons in her studio. Her mixed media painting workshop focuses on techniques and ideas for creating and developing each individual’s artistic process. The class includes a lecture, along with hands-on fun using brushes and fingers. She offers both one- and two-day workshops.

Swider relates to the world with visual metaphors. All of her

go to the exhibit

WHAT Dancing Along the Red Road WHERE Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art 506 Telfair St. WHEN Through Feb. 17 TICKETS Free MORE |706.722.5495 or GHIA.ORG

vergelive.com | community driven news | February 1, 2012 17

a reflection of community

the faces of jazz in augusta

Smooth, though sometimes rough. Varied, whirling and stewing with wild, motley diversity. Unpredictable, but not without its many precise, even staunchly logical, patterns. Playful and complex. For artists and workmen, masters and amateurs alike, these are all jazz. Do these words describe Augusta, too? Dr. Rob Foster, a music professor at Augusta State University, believes they do.

“A jazz scene of a particular city reflects the culture of that city,” Foster said.

Jazz certainly has its place in Augusta, and throughout the CSRA. “I think we have a wide variety of influences,” said Foster, “a lot of interests and ways of playing jazz, performing jazz, presenting jazz.”

The Augusta jazz scene bustles, and not quietly, nor always hidden, though it helps to know where to follow the sound in order to tap one’s foot -- or dance, or smile, or shake one’s head, or contemplate, or meditate or any number of things jazz might inspire one to do. Music and Arts are no strangers to the Garden City, whether playing them, partaking of them, or learning about them – all of which nourish the community. So, even as jazz flourishes, as its musicians are all too apt to demonstrate, are most Augustans hep (sic) to it?

the original Jazz Collective and in duet with his colleague Travis Shaw. Cruz has also taught music for at least that long at Augusta State and through his student group, the Young Lions.

“I try to encourage musicians to hang out with each other,” said Cruz, citing the popularity with audiences at jam sessions. “Anywhere there’s a spontaneous jam session, people can’t deny how cool it is. It really helps when there are scheduled jam sessions. Musicians hanging out with each other has got to happen.”

Gordon’s formal training in public relations serves her by way of serving the jazz community and Augusta. The key word here is “community,” which is ultimately Gordon’s specialty.

“My formal education and training is in Public Relations, so, in a nutshell, I see my place as that of a relationship builder,” she said.

Garden City Jazz’s mission is “to connect, promote, and develop.” There is the summer Candlelight Jazz Concert series at the Riverwalk, which starts in May, where Augusta’s top jazz acts are showcased every Sunday evening to celebrate different styles – from bebop to free jazz to swing – right beneath the stars. Last year, Garden City Jazz brought Lizz Wright to the Westobou Festival, and The Uncommon Jazz Festival livens up the Augusta Common on Labor Day Weekend, offering stylings from smooth to fusion to funk.

“To me, one of the most important aspects of Augusta jazz is that it is a positive and unifying force in Augusta.”

“I mix regular jazz with a little smooth jazz, and the people really love it,” said Jimmy “Doc” Easton, a local performer and saxophone instructor at Portman’s Music. “Augusta is very lucky to have as much live music as it does. There are some cities that just don’t have the type of music that we have, and we’re lucky to have as many jazz musicians as we do.”

“I’m a musician who loves jazz,” said Gordon. “I don’t play a lot of it though – I work around town, here and there. I enjoy playing music, yet I get as much of a thrill from placing musicians in front of new audiences and providing new and different musical experiences.

“When asked what I do, more often than not my response is about meeting great musicians and sharing their music with new audiences. I’ve had some great opportunities to make really meaningful connections that way.”

Indeed, practical wisdom suggests that a successful scene consists of connected scenesters. Joel Cruz agrees. He is a saxophonist who has been playing in Augusta’s jazz circuit for nine years with

bill karp (bill karp jazz), karen gordon Back row (left to right): jimmy easton (doc easton (jazz unlimited), dr. rob foster (augusta

I usually do not see, to such an extent, in other Augusta venues,” said Karp. “So, to me, one of the most important aspects of Augusta jazz is that it is a positive and unifying force in Augusta.”

Gordon’s brainchild continues to burgeon its way into a place at the front of Augustans’ minds when they’re looking for a place to go out.

“I’d like to see more people step beyond their comfort zone and try different things,” Gordon said. “This could be as simple as a group of ladies deciding to do the Arts Council’s Pub Crawl next month or getting together for the Symphony’s free outdoor concert in Evans.”

Integral to nurturing a thriving jazz scene is a focus on music education, another place where Augusta’s not lacking. Garden City Jazz offers Jazz-4-Kids and after-school programs to educate children in jazz. Gordon has recently collaborated with the Richmond County Board of Education to develop a multimedia, interactive history curriculum Taking Notes: Jazz and American History, which uses video, a live jazz band, still images, a DJ and a live question-and-answer session to educate children about the history of the genre.

— bill karp

The scene is present, in no small part, because of the efforts of Karen Gordon, who founded Garden City Jazz in 2003 and directs the Jazz-4-Kids music education program.

THE FACES OF JAZZ FRONt row (left to right): leonard maxey (asu

“Anywhere there’s a spontaneous jam session, people can’t deny how cool it is.”

— joel cruz

“The next time you are at jazz performance in Augusta,” said classic American jazz vocalist Bill Karp, “what will strike you the most is the diversity of the audience. It is so obvious to me, as a performer on the stage. When I look out into a jazz audience, I see young people, old people, middle-aged people, people of all races, colors and creeds in Augusta, having a common musical experience. How great is that!”

Karp’s observation dovetails with Gordon’s and Cruz’s implicit aim for relationships.

“I see heterogeneous audiences at jazz concerts in Augusta that

18 February 1, 2012 | community driven news | vergelive.com

“I’ve been exposed to great music since childhood. So, now that I’m the mother of a toddler again, I’m very interested in continuing to share great music with young people,” Gordon said.

The importance of music and music education on the rest of the community is not lost on local musicians and aficionados.

“What I notice is that people want music all the time,” said Cruz, speaking about the important dynamic between teaching musical skill and the nature of music itself: “it’s not always for a party or for entertainment. I’ve played many funerals. I’ve watched the music make people cry, I’ve watched the music allow people to be affected people emotionally, and a lot of these people are hardly affected by anything; when the music is good it will help people cut through those barriers. A funeral is a great example of that; at funerals, people don’t really know what they want, but the music cuts through all of that, and it touches them. And that lets you know why it’s important to coach people to be good at it.”

a local jazz legend Doc Bradley There are few who need to be reminded that Dr. John Dorise “Doc” Bradley, who died early last month, left behind a legacy as profound and inspiring as the memories of those who knew him. That he ought to, will be and is remembered is obvious.

asu conservatory jazz band), joel cruz (The music of joel cruz), gordon (Garden city jazz) and fred williams (fred williams music). easton smooth jazz), rick hawkins (3 sides of jazz), joe mccormick augusta state university, pulsar) and michael peele (a step up).

“A jazz scene of a particular city reflects the culture of that city.”

— DR. ROB FOSTER

“I think [music] is one of the ways that humanity expresses itself,” said Foster, “and it’s kind of a link, a bond among all people, all civilizations and to be educated in those fields kind of gives you more ways to communicate and to appreciate other cultures; it’s just a powerful way of communicating and expressing all those sorts of ideas. In educating non-musicians, I think one way is to help them develop their listening skills so that they can hear more of what’s happening in the music; something like jazz is a little bit more complex, so it takes a little more practice and development to really appreciate everything that’s happening, you know like a lot of things like appreciating fine food or fine wine, the more you expose yourself to everything that goes into it, the more you can appreciate it.”

There sound is out there and so are the connections. Those with ears to hear are encouraged to follow the sound until musiclovers throughout the CSRA are jamming in their hearts to the same smooth sound. articles by SKYLER ANDREWS photos by LEAH DESLANDES

However, per his impressively storied history and powerful impact, which indicate a more than solid and exceptional character – exactly how he will be remembered eludes stark articulation, but there are more than enough hints that can be gleaned from a place where his impact was felt in waves: the CSRA jazz community.

“I think one’s legacy is defined in a simple word: influence,” said Augusta saxophonist Fred Williams. “For our accomplishments we are given trophies and plaques. We put them on a shelf or hang them on a wall and just maybe someone passes by and happens to read them. Influence, however, lingers on in the lives we touch.

Our actions and reactions, words, deeds, these are the things about us that others take with them, and then share in some fashion with others after we are long gone.”

Indeed, Bradley, who was born April 18, 1936 in Beaumont, Texas, has no short list of accomplishments. He was the first AfricanAmerican at what is now Georgia Southern University; the first African-American to become a member of the State’s Chapter of the American School Band Directors Association and the first African-American National Student Membership Chairman of the National Association of Jazz Educators. He was conductor of the Morris Brown Jazz Band, a performer in his own group, John Bradley and His Swinging Soul Seekers, and the director of high school and college bands throughout the area, including Paine College and Westside High School. This was before the role for which he is best known in the CSRA – conductor of the Augusta State University Conservatory Jazz Band.

“I first heard of Doc when I was in high school band – at Butler back in the late ‘80s,” recalls Karen Gordon, the founder of Garden City Jazz. “He was the band director at Lincoln County High School then. I recently reconnected about six to seven years ago.

I’d decided to expand the scope of the Candlelight Jazz Concert Series to include student bands, and he was director of ASU’s Conservatory Jazz Band.”

Gordon remembers Bradley’s passion for jazz music and culture and the way his students embraced, and in remembering posits a simple observation as shrewd about Bradley’s impact as about Bradley himself, “He chose to spend his retirement from teaching music doing what he loved – teaching music.”

If there is any relatively universal understanding of Bradley’s accomplishments and significance in the CSRA, it is his impact as an educator.

“There were so many who went through his band,” said Dr. Rob Foster, a professor of music at ASU, “not only when he was teaching the conservatory band, but prior to retiring from the

public school system. If you look down the list at some of the various high school and middle schools in the area, you’d see so many of them had at some point or another been under the tutelage of Dr. John Bradley.”

His direct influence as a teacher can actually be quantified, as many of Bradley’s students went on to become band directors. For local jazz musician Joel Cruz, Bradley’s influence can be qualified in the virtues he embodied and imparted.

“He knew everything about me, my whole high school experience as a musician, every competition,” remembers Cruz about when he studied under Bradley; “and I realized at rehearsals he knew just as much about everyone student in that class.”

Bradley’s actions expressed a care for the music and his students’ lives, who and how they were, their very characters. Cruz expresses this when he emphasizes Bradley’s commitment through his spirit of discipline and sheer workmanship.

“People are going to say that he was a great educator of music, and that he produced these awesome ensembles,” said Cruz. “It’s all about work for me, and the rest is a product of all that work, the commitment and discipline and all these principles, and he’s an example of one of the people who stuck to those principles.

What many people will remember about him is how impressive the product was. What I’ll remember is how the product was a product of the discipline and the commitment.

“This community is actually fortunate enough to have someone to follow that commitment until his last day. I told my students, ‘You’re not going to see this story very often in your life.’ In fact, I told them that was his last lesson he taught us: You guys are learning so much more than just music, but about spirit and commitment.”

An accomplished musician and a great educator are two simple and accurate depictions of Bradley’s impact. As with any influential and beloved figure, however, they hardly do him justice. Bradley’s legacy is a kind of spirit that pulses as deeply and smoothly as the jazz he spent his life playing.

“Doc Bradley left his mark on the hearts of his peers and his protégés and it’s through others that his legacy will live,” said Williams.

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20 February 1, 2012 | community driven news | vergelive.com

beers locals like toast the season with a specialty holiday brew

It’s cold outside, but nothing can keep you from the warm glow of that ardent, passionate, even haunting aura that surrounds the one you love – that’s right, it’s time to celebrate the single most bastardized of all the Western holidays: (The Feast of Saint) Valentine’s Day.

from the fork of

augusta eats a genuine foodie takes on augusta’s fare one bite at a time

Cupid’s arrow has been replaced with everything from diamonds to cubic zirconium, from Godiva to Whitman’s, from chocolate-covered strawberries to Craisins, from – well, you get the point. Humbug, indeed! So, if you want to cozy up next to yours with a really tasty toddy, try one of the dark and classically romantic brews described below (gift wrap not included).

UNIBROUE LA TERRIBLE | It doesn’t sound very Canadian, but La Terrible beats the heck out of Labatt Blue! A deep brown pour with a mild caramel head conveys a roasted grain head. The first sip, however, brings a fruity berry tinge to the tongue that does not leave easily. There is an alcohol and malty tone that comes in late, but the berries refuse to lose out, which is actually welcome as they keep the alcohol from drying or sweetening the tongue too much. Overall, La Terrible is a solid beer that I would try again, especially if it was accompanied by Belgian chocolate – trust me.

SAMUEL SMITH’S ORGANIC RASPBERRY FRUIT BEER

I had this one in a pint glass. It pours a dark rosy color with a rich cotton candy head. The raspberries definitely dominate the nose, with very little maltiness coming in a distant second place. There is nothing really esoteric in the taste – just raspberries, raspberries, raspberries. I dare say if you like raspberries, as I do, you will be fine. Serve this libation as cold as you would a Lambic – as cold as possible.

However, this brew has a place in the colder months, especially down South, where a mild afternoon can do well to break up the humid cold that soaks right through your down feather vest that you are so happy to need five weeks out of the year.

NORTH COAST GRAND CRU | This

was my favorite one of the three I reviewed this past month – just don’t tell the other two. It pours like the third or fourth pour of a bottle of brut, but with a moderate decay that translates into a mild, but lasting head. The nose is subtle and a bit sweet, which prepares tongue for a tart and sour apply taste. There is nothing lingering about the taste, or the nose for that matter. There is, however, a refreshing overtone that leaves the palate wanting one more sip – until it’s gone, Valentine’s Day is over and you are back to Miller Lite until Saint Patrick’s Day (when the Miller Lite will be green).

These and more can be found at Aficionados on Eighth Street.

by BEN CASELLA Ben Casella celebrates Valentine’s Day and so should you. In fact, he officially recommends L’Amour at Cafe Lamar as a perfect (and cost-efficient) way to ring in the holiday – check out historicaugusta.org or find him downtown to find out more details.

PICKLES Café and Grill

Are you frequenting the same restaurants over and over? Does the thought of spending your hard earned money at a local eating establishment send you back to the same casual dining buffet, time and time again? Then, my friend, you are in a restaurant rut! It is time to venture beyond your usual and try all that the CSRA has to offer in dining out. I do this every chance I get: Life is too short not to be adventurous. At the top of my “to do” list is to enjoy everything food in the CSRA. I want to be able to say while riding down our local streets: “I ate there – and there.”

It is my food quest; expand your dining horizons and join in the fun. Try a new restaurant once a month or maybe order a new dish at the restaurant you frequent. Shake it up and live a little. Move beyond the commercial buffet and experience your community and great food on a whole new level.

My newest “eat” is Pickles Café and Grill in Martinez. Upon entering the restaurant, my guest and I were promptly greeted and seated. I was not quite sure what to order, so I asked the waitress to ask the cook to prepare me the house favorite. I recommend trying this if you are gastronomically adventurous – it is a lot of fun not knowing what you are going to get. After receiving our drink orders, our meal was at the table in less than 15 minutes.

The house favorite is apparently the Hot Chicken Texas, a fried chicken sandwich dipped in hot sauce, which just happens to also be one of my favorites. The spicy chicken sandwich was topped with melted provolone cheese and bacon. Now, we all know if you put hot sauce and bacon on anything, you have a sultry dish, and this sandwich sure was. The juicy fillet was sandwiched between two thick, buttered and grilled Texas toast slices, cut in half and served with a pickle (of course).

I could taste why this was the house favorite, because it had just become mine. My sandwich was accompanied by smashed potatoes: diced potatoes of the red variety, slightly mashed leaving the potato almost intact but mixed just enough to blend with the other creamy ingredients. They were cooked perfectly and tasted great.

My guest tried the Vegetarian Pasta Primavera. When the pasta arrived at the table on a huge plate steaming hot, I thought “Wow, that’s a lot of pasta.”

The pasta primavera was so clean, slightly sweet and tangy to taste, I could tell this sauce was prepared in the kitchen from scratch. The vegetables were cooked perfectly – tender but still slightly crisp – and they were so big and the colors so bright that the vegetables stole the show in plating. There is no way anyone would miss meat while eating this dish – beautiful and savory. Our meal was also served with dark wheat bread and butter. The warm dark bread was baked perfectly and porous enough to accept the butter that was spread on top.

So I have added Pickles to my list of “I ate there’s” and to my list

of restaurants that I highly recommend to friends. Life is too short not to trust your cook’s recommendation, try new food adventures and really too short not to have tried a fried chicken sandwich dipped in hot sauce then blanketed in provolone cheese and bacon then served on grilled thick buttered toast.

“Pickles – that’s taking your fried chicken to a whole new level.”

I should know – because I ate there!

Pickles Café and Grill, 407 Fury’s Ferry Road, Martinez, is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, call 706.288.1200 or visit PICKLESCAFEANDGRILL.COM.

by AUGUSTA EATS Augusta Eats is literally eating Augusta, from restaurant to roadside gourmet. Considered by some to be the original Augusta foodie, Augusta Eats has more than 25 culinary years under his (or her?) apron strings and has a deep-seeded love for all things tasty. Follow Augusta Eats on Facebook or visit AUGUSTAEATS.NET

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the

daily planner

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?

FEB. 1 to feb. 17

[ EXPLORING THE CLASSICAL MUSIC ] The Magellan String Quartet travels through the lineage of classical music, exploring the flavor of composers and recreating their works for audiences in fresh and invigorating ways. On Feb. 4, the group will perform works from Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Debussy, Ravel and Bartok in From Yesterday to Y2K and Beyond: The Evolution of the String Quartet.

The four musicians – Carl Purdy on viola, Jason Economides on violin, Ruth Berry on cello and Jonathan Aceto on violin (pictured at right, left to right) – delve into the intricacies of the string quartet and prove that the genre is just as vital and current today as it was in the 1700s. Their mission is summed in the group’s name, chosen for Ferdinand Magellan, the Portuguese explorer who led the first circumnavigation of the globe in Spain’s quest to find a new and faster sea route to the Spice Islands in the East.

The program is part of Covenant Concert Series.

WHAT The Magellan String Quartet: From Yesterday to Y2K and Beyond WHERE Covenant Presbyterian Church | 3131 Walton Way WHEN Friday, Feb. 3 | 7:30 p.m.

TICKETS Free, donations accepted MORE 706.733.0513 | COVENANTAUGUSTA.ORG The Daily Planner is our selective guide to what is going on in the city during the next two weeks. IF YOU WANT TO BE LISTED: Submit information by email (events@vergelive.com) or by mail (verge, P.O. Box 38, Augusta, GA 30903). Details of the event - date, time, venue address, telephone number and admission price - should be included. Listings included are accurate at press time, check with specific venues for further details.

ONGOING

DAILY

HOLIDAY BARBERSHOP CHORUS ANNUAL SINGING VALENTINES PROGRAM Have The Garden City Chorus deliver a personal valentine to your sweetheart. Deliveries will be scheduled for Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14 only. $50 before Feb. 9, $65 after; 803.279.4198 GARDENCITYCHORUS.ORG

FOR KIDS DRAGON SCALES MONTH Take the

library reading challenge: For every book that you read, write its name on a scale and help make the dragon stretch around the children’s department.

Headquarters Library; Feb. 1 to March 1; free; 823 Telfair St.; 706.821.2600

FOR KIDS WESTMINSTER HONORS SCHOLARSHIP

Westminster Schools of Augusta is accepting nominations for the Westminster Honors Scholarship until Feb. 17. This opportunity is open to rising ninth grade students, ranges from half to full tuition and is renewable each year. For more information, email admissions@ wsa.net. Westminster Schools of Augusta; 3067 Wheeler Road; 706.731.5260 WSA.NET

Museum of Art; 6 p.m.; free for museum members and invited guests; 1 10th St.; 706.724.7501 THEMORRIS.ORG

WEDNESDAY

2.1

SPORTS ALL-AREA FOOTBALL BANQUET FOR KIDS ELEPHANT BRUNCH AT THE CIRCUS

ART ARTIST TALK: RESONANT FREQUENCIES, AN EXHIBITION Discuss the exhibition with select artists from the exhibit and the show’s curator, Marc Mitchell. An artist reception will follow. Read more about this exhibit, see the listing in the Ongoing Art section. Contemporary Gallery at the Center for Art & Theatre at Georgia Southern University; 5 p.m.; free; 233 Pittman Dr., Statesboro; 912.GSU.ARTS

FOR KIDS NURTURING NATURE WALKS Through

the use of songs, movement, and using the senses on an outdoor walk, young children’s curiosity of the natural world is nutured in this family program.

For children ages 3 to 5. Reed Creek Nature Park & Interpretive Center; 10 a.m.; $2; 3820 Park Lane, Martinez; 706.210.4027 REEDCREEKPARK.COM

THURSDAY

2.2

GOOD CAUSE LECTURE

BY JOE LAMP’L Known for

his book, The Green Gardener’s Guide, and TV shows Fresh from the Garden and Growing a Greener WorldÆ, Lamp’l will speak as part of the Nola Falcone Speaker Series and the Sacred Heart Garden Festival.

Proceeds benefit Sacred Heart Cultural Center. Reservations are required. Augusta Country Club; 10 a.m.; $35; 655 Milledge Road; 706.826.4700 SACREDHEARTAUGUSTA.ORG

The elephants from Ringling Bros. will be munching on healthy snacks on the James Brown Arena plaza by the Champion’s Box Office. James Brown Arena Plaza; 10:30 a.m.; free; 601 Seventh St.; 706.722.3521

HISTORY BLACK HISTORY MONTH MOVIE SERIES

Marian Anderson: A Portrait in Music (48 minutes).

Headquarters Library; noon; free; 823 Telfair St.; 706.821.2600

FESTIVAL FIRST THURSDAY ON KINGS WAY Enjoy an evening out

in Summerville as stores stay open, refreshments are served and friendships are made. Kings Way in Summerville; 5 p.m.; free; Kings Way and Central Avenue; 706.755.2665

ART ARTIST LECTURE & RECEPTION Ted Saupe:

Drawing on the Past. Lecture, in University Hall, room 170, will be followed by a reception at 6:30 p.m. in the gallery. Mary S. Byrd Gallery of Art, Augusta State University; 3:30 p.m.; free; 2500 Walton Way AUG.EDU

ART ART AS A WINDOW TO THE MIND The Music and

Mystique of Johnny Mercer.

Dr. Stewart Shevitz, a professor of psychiatry and the interim chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at Georgia Health Sciences University, and Lynda Shevitz, the retired director of music at the Episcopal Church of Our Savior, perform classics from the songbook of Johnny Mercer, one of the most successful lyricists of the 20th Century, and discuss the psychological factors driving the musician’s genius and behavior.

Reception follows. Morris

The Augusta Chronicle and Augusta Sports Council honor the best of the best in high school, college and professional football. The Georgia, South Carolina and Independent School All-Area Teams will be honored during the banquet, along with the 2011 Ray Guy Award winner Ryan Allen and the 2012 class of American Football Kicking Hall of Fame inductees. The Deon Grant Award will also be awarded to the overall high school player of the year. Augusta Riverfront Marriott; 6 p.m.; $30; 2 10th St.; 706.722.8326

FESTIVAL ANTIQUES IN THE HEART OF AIKEN PREVIEW PARTY An Uptown

Down South celebration of the antique festival’s 13th show and sale. Preview and purchase fine antiques with cocktails, heavy

hors d’oeuvres and desserts.

Music by soprano Alexis Aime’.

Aiken Center for the Arts; 7 p.m.; $70; 122 Laurens St. SW, Aiken; 803.641.9094

FOR KIDS BARNUM BASH

Ringling Brothers has assembled the most amazing acts, including Dmitri the Strong Man, Epic Asian Elephants and Wheel of Steel, ready to perform wild feats of wonders and strength. James Brown Arena; 7 p.m.; $21 to $37; 601 Seventh St.; 706.722.3521 GEORGIALINATIX.COM

FRIDAY

2.3

ART MODERNISM AS A REFLECTION OF TRADITION Join David L’eglise

on a historic visual survey of modern furniture design as seen through the prism of chair design. Modernism, as it relates to furniture design, is a period that has its origins in the early 20th Century and continues

into the 1970s. Ticket includes Antiques in the Heart of Aiken show ticket and morning refreshments. Aiken Center for the Arts; 9 a.m.; $20; 122 Laurens St. SW, Aiken; 803.641.9094

FESTIVAL ANTIQUES IN THE HEART OF AIKEN View and purchase fine antiques.

Aiken Center for the Arts; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; $8 for all three days; 122 Laurens St. SW, Aiken; 803.641.9094

FOR KIDS BARNUM BASH See listing on Feb. 2. James Brown Arena; 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m.

FILM FILMS ON FRIDAY

Hail the Conquering Hero (1944). Considered by critics to be Preston Sturgesís best film, this satirical comedy/drama was nominated for a 1944 Academy Award for best original screenplay. After viewing the film, Museum Director Kevin Grogan leads a discussion.

Participants are invited to bring a lunch. Morris Museum of Art; noon; free; 1 10th St.; 706.724.7501 THEMORRIS.ORG

[ IT’S MARDI GRAS ] Enjoy the flavor of a New Orleans Mardi Gras at Saint Paul’s River Room. The church’s annual Mardi Gras party will feature Paul Roberts All Star Band, festive decorations and traditional New Orleans cuisine. Costumes are encouraged, but optional. All proceeds go toward St. Paul’s food ministry to provide food security for those in the community who are unable to provide for themselves or their families.

Following last year’s event, the St. Paul’s Church was able to write a $10,000 check to Downtown Cooperative Church Ministries, an interdenominational organization made up of 14 downtown churches which distributes food to the needy every weekday. DCCM serves more than 9,000 families, providing them a bag of groceries every other week..

WHAT Mardi Gras Dinner and Dance WHERE Covenant Presbyterian Church | 3131 Walton Way WHEN Friday, Feb. 17 | 7 p.m. TICKETS $40 MORE 706.724.2485 | SAINTPAULS.ORG

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FRIDAY

2.3

FESTIVAL FIRST FRIDAY

Downtown Augusta celebrates the first Friday of each month as art galleries display new works and vendors sell their handmade goods along Broad Street.

Family friendly. Downtown Augusta; 5 p.m.; free; Broad Street; 706.826.4702 AUGUSTAARTS.COM

GOOD CAUSE BLACK & RED SOIREE A benefit for

Michelle’s Kids, a charity for children and their families infected or affected by HIV/ AIDS. A dinner, DJ and silent auction honoring Black HIV/ AIDS Awareness Day. Dress code is formal attire in red, black or both. Doubletree Hotel; 6 p.m.; $35; 2651 Perimeter Pkwy.; 706.855.8100

GOOD CAUSE ROOTS & WINGS AUCTION Bid on

exciting items and trips to Alaska, Hawaii and North Carolina at this silent and live auction event. Enjoy dinner by Very Vera and help Westminster celebrate its 40th anniversary.

Proceeds benefit Westminster Schools of Augusta. Sacred Heart Cultural Center; 6:30 p.m.; $50; 1301 Greene St.; 706.731.5260 WSA.NET

CONCERT COVENANT CONCERT SERIES Read the

article on page 23. Covenant Presbyterian Church; 6:30 p.m.; free, offering taken; 3131 Walton Way; 706.733.0513 COVENANTAUGUSTA.ORG

COMMUNITY RED & WHITE BALL Red and White Ball held

by Mt. Zion AME Zion Church with music by Fusion. The Boathouse; 7 p.m.; $50 couples, $30 singles; 101 Riverfront Dr.; 803.925.2908

THEATRE AUDITIONS FOR THE SOUND OF MUSIC Visit the website for

audition requirements. The Augusta Players; 7:30 p.m.; open to the public; 706.826.4707 AUGUSTAPLAYERS.ORG

SATURDAY

2.4

ART THE RICH TRADITION OF EDGEFIELD POTTERY

Steve Ferrell, master potter, researcher and historian, “turns his wheel” on a discussion of Edgefield pottery’s characteristics and rich history. Aiken Center for the Arts; 9 a.m.; $20 includes the cost of admission to the Antique Show; 122 Laurens St. SW, Aiken; 803.641.9094

OUTDOORS SWAMP SATURDAY The Academy’s

trained volunteers lead free, 2.5-mile, 1.5-hour hikes through wetlands, over picturesque trails and scenic outlooks. Phinizy Swamp; 9:30 a.m.; free; 1858 Lock & Dam Road; 706.828.2109

FESTIVAL ANTIQUES IN THE HEART OF AIKEN See

listing on Feb. 3. Aiken Center for the Arts; 10 a.m.

FOR KIDS THE PROTECTED ANIMALS OF GEORGIA Look at some of the 117 different species of animals protected in Georgia and how to get involved with the preservation of wildlife in Georgia. For ages 5 and up. Preregistration required. Reed Creek Nature Park; 10 a.m.; $2; 3820 Park Lane, Martinez; 706.210.4027 REEDCREEKPARK.COM

CONCERT COVENANT CONCERT SERIES The

Magellan String Quartet presents a master class. Covenant Presbyterian Church; 10:30 a.m.; free; 3131 Walton Way; 706.733.0513

SPORTS ASU BASKETBALL VS. FLAGLER Women play at 1:30 p.m. & men at 3:30 p.m.

Christenberry Field House; 1:30 p.m.; $7; 3109 Wrightsboro Road; 706.737.1626

COMEDY SCHRODINGER’S CAT PLAYS EXTREME THEATRE GAMES These

extreme theater games are sure to delight any mature audience member. Le Chat Noir; 8 p.m.; $8 advance, $10 door; 304 Eighth St.; 706.722.3322 SCHRODINGERSCATAUG.COM

discover more to do, weekly events, classes and more

@ vergelive.com

FESTIVAL ANTIQUES IN THE HEART OF AIKEN SHOW & SALE See listing on

Feb. 2. Aiken Center for the Arts

FESTIVAL GEORGIA BRIDAL SHOW Bell

Auditorium; 12:30 p.m.; $10 cash only, kids 5-and-under are free; 712 Telfair St.; 800.532.8917 ELITEEVENTS.COM

FOR KIDS ARTRAGEOUS! FAMILY SUNDAY Feel

the Rhythm, Live the Story.

Atlanta-based storyteller Chetter Galloway presents an inspiring look at African American heritage and history. Afterward, create a cutout painting of a jug inspired by Edgefield pottery.

Morris Museum of Art; 2 p.m.; free; 1 10th St.; 706.724.7501 THEMORRIS.ORG

FOR KIDS BARNUM BASH See listing on Feb. 2. James Brown Arena; 2 and 7 p.m.

MONDAY

FESTIVAL HERITAGE GALA Sixth annual event

Bowman, a cardiologist with the University Hospital Health System, will be discussing heart health. Please RSVP by Feb. 1. Lucy Craft Laney Museum; 11:30 a.m.; $10; 1116 Phillips St.; 706.724.3576

FOR TEENS YA VALENTINE CRAFT Learn to make

Valentine’s Day gifts to send out to your friends, instead of a traditional store-bought valentine. Registration required.

Columbia County Library; 1 p.m.; free; 7022 Evans Town Center; 706.863.1946 ECGRL.ORG

TUESDAY

2.7

FOR KIDS ANANSI STORIES & CRAFTS

CONCERT WENDY COHEN & VONDA DARR – HARP AND FLUTE Two of SOA’s

Read more on page 27. Lunch provided after concert with advance reservations. Saint Paul’s Church; noon; free, $10 for lunch; 605 Reynolds St.; 706.722.3463 TUESDAYSMUSICLIVE.COM

Celebrate Black History Month story time. Headquarters Library; 10 a.m.; free; 823 Telfair St.; 706.821.2600 ECGRL.ORG

CONCERT TUESDAY MUSIC LIVE Featuring Revien.

COMMUNITY YPA MONTHLY MEETING Join the Young Professionals of Augusta with Downtown Development Authority Executive Director Margaret Woodard. Enterprise Mill; 5:30 p.m.; free; 1450 Greene St. YPAUGUSTA.COM

FILM THE WEDDING DATE

[ BECKY SHAW AT LE CHAT ] Le Chat Noir presents Becky Shaw, a play by Gina Gionfriddo about relationships, the flawed human beings who inhabit them and trying to become a better person.

Dana Cheshire plays the title character, with Courtney Prouty as Suzanna Slater, Jonathan Cook as Andrew Porter and Tom Colechin as Max Garrett.

THEATRE THE ENCHANTED ISLAND Encore opera shows streamed live from the Met. Regal Augusta Exchange Stadium 20 & IMAX; 6:30 p.m.; $18 to $24; 1144 Agerton Lane; 706.667.9713 FANDANGO.COM

2.9

Ralph Ellison: The Self Taught Writer (62 minutes).

Headquarters Library; noon; free; 823 Telfair St.; 706.821.2600 ECGRL.ORG

FOR KIDS A CHARLIE BROWN VALENTINE STORYTIME Valentine’s Day

features keynote speaker John W. Franklin, the director of partnerships and international programs at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History; 7 p.m.; $75; 1116 Phillips St.; 706.724.3576

principal musicians partner creating a dynamic and beautiful performance featuring an array of works by Ibert, Schubert, Mozart, Neilson and more.

Part of the Bank of America Columbia County Series for Symphony Orchestra Augusta.

Jabez Sanford Hardin Performing Arts Center; 7:30 p.m.; $15; 7022 Evans Town Center Blvd., Evans; 706.826.4705 SOAUGUSTA.ORG

COMMUNITY SENIOR LUNCHEON Dr. Mac A.

HISTORY BLACK HISTORY MONTH MOVIE SERIES

Spring Film Series. Augusta State University; 7 p.m.; $2; 2500 Walton Way AUG.EDU

daily planner

2.8

with keynote speaker Dr. Beverly Guy-Sheftall. Read the article on page 5. Paine College, Candler Memorial Library; $25 to $100; 1235 15th St.; 706.821.8329 PAINE.EDU

FILM EL BULLI: COOKING IN PROGRESS Part of ASU’s

the

WEDNESDAY

2.6

HISTORY CONFERENCE ON THE BLACK EXPERIENCE

CONCERT ANNUAL WILLIFORD FAMILY SING

Kendall Heights Baptist Church; 6 p.m.; free; 829 Jordan Mill Rd., Sandersville; 478.552.8572

Wallace Branch Library; 5:30 p.m.; free; 1237 Laney-Walker Blvd.; 706.722.6275 ECGRL.ORG

THURSDAY

See listing on Feb. 2. James Brown Arena; 3:30 and 7 p.m.

Gospel Singing Center; 7 p.m.; free; 705 Martin Smith Road, Gilbert; 803.657.5373

Center; 8 p.m.; $40 adults, $20 students; 471 University Parkway, Aiken; 803.641.3305 USCA.EDU

2.5

FOR KIDS BARNUM BASH

CONCERT THE STANDRIDGE FAMILY & GABRIEL’S CALL Midland

CONCERT IGUDESMAN & JOO USC Aiken Etherredge

SUNDAY

special story time and craft.

Harlem Branch Library; 5 p.m.; free; 375 N. Louisville St.; 706.556.9795 ECGRL.ORG

FILM Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist Wallace

Branch Library; 5:30 p.m.; free; 1237 Laney-Walker Blvd.; 706.722.6275 ECGRL.ORG

ART ART NOW!: MARCUS KENNEY A new program

features conversations with cutting-edge contemporary artists. Kenney discusses his radical collages and assemblages.

Morris Museum of Art; 6 p.m.; free; 1 10th St.; 706.724.7501 THEMORRIS.ORG

CONCERT WINTER JAM TOUR 2012 Headlined by

Grammy-nominated alternative rockers Skillet, the 47-city tour also features Sanctus Real, Peter Furler, Kari Jobe, Building 429, Group 1 Crew, illusionist Brock Gill and national speaker Nick Hall. James Brown Arena; 7 p.m.; $10; 601 Seventh St.; 706.722.3521 GEORGIALINATIX.COM

“The play starts when Andrew and Suzanna set up Becky and Max on a blind date, and everything goes to hell after that,” said Prouty. “Max has a very abrasive attitude and Becky is described as delicate, except I don’t think the really is delicate, but her presence shifts the dynamics of everyone’s relationship.

It’s almost certain to make anyone watching stop and reconsider their own relationship, and maybe see themselves in a different light.”

“It makes you look at your relationships with people around you, but it also has an element of looking at yourself,” said Cheshire. “The characters are a little dramatic, because it is a stage play, but they’re also very human, and I like the fact that they are so human.”

The play is directed by Doug Joiner, a part-owner of Le Chat Noir, who hopes to present the audience with characters they can identify with.

“The various locations and the specifics of the scenes aren’t so important, because this could be Any-town, U.S.A.,” he said.

“These kinds of interactions happen in any living room across America, because the family portrait doesn’t always show what’s behind it, and it’s good to get a taste of what that is.”

“I hope the audience doesn’t assign blame to any of the characters who are in this, because in the end Becky Shaw is very flawed, but she’s no more flawed than a lot of other people, and she’s still trying to find out who she is,” said Cheshire. “The play is about people trying to become better than they are, and I think everyone can relate to that.” | by CHRISTOPHER SELMEK

WHAT Becky Shaw WHERE Le Chat Noir | 304 Eighth St. WHEN Feb. 10, 11, 14, 16 17 and 18 | 8 p.m.

TICKETS $25 MORE 706.722.3322 | LCNAUGUSTA.COM CONCERT FACULTY ARTISTS RECITAL Featuring Isaac Holmes, baritone. USC Aiken Etherredge Center; 7:30 p.m.; free; 471 University Parkway, Aiken; 803.641.3305 USCA.EDU CONCERT POPS! AT THE BELL: THE TEMPTATIONS

Read the article on page 5. Bell Auditorium; 7:30 p.m.; $13 to $37; 712 Telfair St.; 706.724.2400

CONCERT STIG ROSSEN: LOVERS + HEROES OF BROADWAY + BEYOND Broadway tenor performs powerhouse renditions of romantic pop classics. URS Center for Performing Arts; 8 p.m.; 126 Newberry St. SW, Aiken; 803.643.4774

FRIDAY

2.10

SPORTS HOMECOMING: ASU BASKETBALL VS. FRANCIS MARION

Christenberry Field House; 1:30 p.m.; $7; 3109 Wrightsboro Road; 706.737.1610 JAGUARSROAR.COM

SPORTS NORTH AUGUSTA SPORTS HALL OF FAME Inductee exhibit reception.

Arts and Heritage Center of North Augusta; 6 p.m.; free; 100 Georgia Ave., North Augusta; 803.441.4380

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FRIDAY

decorate Valentine’s Day cookies.

Registration required. Grades K to 3. Headquarters Library; 2:30 p.m.; free; 823 Telfair St.; 706.821.2600 ECGRL.ORG

2.10

FESTIVAL ALL-AGES SKATE & SHOW Artemia, Ganja, East

From West, Not All There, Of Gods and Man, Cities Lie Waste and Old Sun. HIC Warehouse; 6 p.m.; $4; 1120 Edgefield Hightway, Aiken; 803.507.1291 ARTEMIAMUSIC.COM

CONCERT A NIGHT WITH THE ISAACS + Rhett Canipe.

New Beginning Ministries; 7 p.m.; $15 to $25; 1601 Williston Road, Beech Island; 803.827.9172

CONCERT ASU OPERA ENSEMBLE Rodgers and

Hammerstein’s Cinderella.

Maxwell Theatre; 7 p.m.; call for info; 2500 Walton Way; 706.667.4100 AUG.EDU

GOOD CAUSE 12TH ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP MASKED BALL Featuring

music by Sugarfoot’s Ohio Players as part of Paine College’s homecoming festivities. Augusta Marriott Hotel & Suites; 7 p.m.; $100; 2 10th St.; 706.821.8233 PAINE.EDU

CONCERT IT’S ALL ABOUT LOVE The Augusta Choral

Society celebrates the season of love with a cabaret-style concert. Add an extra $5 to the regular ticket price for table seating and refreshments.

Sacred Heart Cultural Center; 7:30 p.m.; $10 to $25; 1301 Greene St.; 706.826.4701 SACREDHEARTAUGUSTA.ORG

THEATRE BECKY SHAW

Gina Gionfriddo’s comedy of bad manners tells a tangled tale of love, sex and ethics among a quartet of men and women in their 30s. Read the article on page 25. Le Chat Noir; 8 p.m.; $25; 304 Eighth St.; 706.722.3322 LCNAUGUSTA.COM

2.11

FESTIVAL HOMECOMING PARADE Parade route begins

THEATRE GOTTERDAMMERUNG

part of the Budweiser True Music Southern Soul and Song series. Imperial Theatre; 7:30 p.m.; $13 to $37; 745 Broad St.; 706.722.8341 IMPERIALTHEATRE.COM

SPORTS AUGUSTA RIVERHAWKS vs. Fayetteville FireAntz. James Brown Arena; 7:35 p.m.; $7 to $18; 712 Telfair St.; 706.993.2645 AUGUSTARIVERHAWKS.COM

Opera shows streamed live from the Met. Regal Augusta Exchange Stadium 20; noon; $18 to $24; 1144 Agerton Lane; 706.667.9713 FANDANGO.COM

SPORTS HOMECOMING: PAINE BASKETBALL VS. TUSKEGEE Women’s game

is at 2 p.m. and men’s game is at 4 p.m. Richmond Academy Gym; 2 p.m.; 910 Russell St.; 706.821.8233 PAINE.EDU

FOR KIDS VALENTINE FOLKTALES Hear tales of

love from around the world and

selection of romantic tunes by classical pianist Tim Owings.

Morris Museum of Art; 2 p.m.; free; 1 10th St.; 706.724.7501 THEMORRIS.ORG

CONCERT AUGUSTA AMUSEMENTS BIG BAND

Read the article on page 13. Jabez Sanford Hardin Performing Arts Center; 6:30 p.m.; $20 to $25; 7022 Evans Town Center Blvd.; 706.726.0366 AUGUSTAAMUSEMENTS.COM

CONCERT ASU OPERA ENSEMBLE See listing on

Feb. 11. Maxwell Theatre; 7 p.m.

life of a wealthy family who has everything they need and most of what they want. When forced to get involved with their housemaid, the family gets a chance to see how the other ‘half ’ lives. Starring Palmer Williams Jr. and a supporting cast of powerhouse singers and comedians. Bell Auditorium; 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; $39.50; 712 Telfair St.; 706.722.3521 GEORGIALINATIX.COM

MONDAY GOOD CAUSE L’AMOUR AT CAFÉ LAMAR Celebrate

love with Historic Augusta at an evening of heavy hors d’oeuvres, an open bar featuring beer, wine and signature Cupid’s Revenge cocktails and acoustic music performed by Ben Casella and George Dale. A special tour of the Boyhood Home of President Woodrow Wilson will be offered and all attendees will have a chance to win prizes. Proceeds benefit children’s programming at the Wilson House. Boyhood Home of President Woodrow Wilson; 7 p.m.; $45, or $30 for ages 30 and under; 415 Seventh St.; 706.724.0436 WILSONBOYHOODHOME.ORG

COMEDY LEWIS BLACK’S IN GOD WE RUST TOUR

Prolific funny man, actor, author and stand-up comedian/ranter Lewis Black will be live onstage.

Bell Auditorium; 8 p.m.; $30 to $50 with a $5 increase on all price levels the day of the show; 712 Telfair St.; 877.4AUGTIX GEORGIALINATIX.COM

Serenade. Aiken Center for the Performing Arts; 8 p.m.; 471 University Parkway, Aiken; 803.641.3305 USCA.EDU

THEATRE BECKY SHAW See

Revien – a new ensemble with Kyle Dawkins and Brian Smith on guitars and electronics and Phil Snyder on cello – join Tuesday’s Music Live on Feb. 7. The group’s repertoire expands beyond the traditional chamber music experience, moving from Bach sonatas to Radiohead, Duke Ellington to Debussy, Spanish-flavored guitar and cello music to bluegrass-inspired Led Zeppelin romps.

The group evolved out of the Athens-based Georgia Guitar Quartet, which established itself as an innovative approach to classical guitar – mixing the classical masters with contemporary rock icons.

WHAT Revien WHERE Saint Paul’s Church | 605 Reynolds St. WHEN Tuesday, Feb. 7 | noon TICKETS Free; lunch following the performance is $10 with advance reservations MORE | 706.722.3463 or TUESDAYSMUSICLIVE.COM

daily planner

THEATRE TYLER PERRY’S THE HAVES AND THE HAVE NOTS This play follows the

2.13

FILM MR. POPPER’S PENGUINS For teens, grades

6 to 12. Appleby Branch Library; 5:30 p.m.; free; 2260 Walton Way; 706.736.6244 ECGRL.ORG

FILM VEER Part of the ASU

Spring Film Series. Augusta State University; 7 p.m.; $2; 2500 Walton Way AUG.EDU

TUESDAY

2.14

FOR TEENS YOUNG ADULT ANTI-VALENTINES DAY PARTY featuring the movie

Little Shop of Horrors. Harlem Branch Library; 5 p.m.; free; 375 N. Louisville St., Harlem; 706.556.9795 ECGRL.ORG

CONCERT MASTERWORKS CHORALE Valentine’s

[ FROM CLASSICAL TO ROCK ]

the

play a “name the famous couple” game and guess titles of the greatest love stories. Also, sample delicious chocolates.

Headquarters Library; 2:30 p.m.; free; 823 Telfair St.; 706.821.2600

SATURDAY

at Dyess Park and ends at Paine College. Paine College; 10 a.m.; free; 902 Ninth St.; 706.821.2877 PAINE.EDU

CONCERT RHONDA VINCENT AND THE RAGE

FOR TEENS YA: A LOVE IT OR HATE IT! VALENTINE’S PARTY Make edible jewelry,

CONCERT MUSIC AT THE MORRIS Listen to a

listing on Feb. 10. Le Chat Noir; 8 p.m.; 304 Eighth St.

THEATRE THE AMAZING KRESKIN, FAMOUS MENTALIST Read the

article at right. Imperial Theatre; 8 p.m.; $12 to $24; 745 Broad St.; 706.722.8341 IMPERIALTHEATRE.ORG

SUNDAY

2.12

HOLIDAY SECOND SUNDAY VALENTINE BRUNCH Joel

Cruz will perform jazz during this all-you-can-eat buffet. All guests receive complimentary truffles. Casa Blanca Café; 11:30 a.m.; $12.95 per person; 936 Broad St.; 706.504.3431 CASABLANCATIME.COM

FILM RANCHO DELUXE

Rated R. Headquarters Library; 6:30 p.m.; free; 823 Telfair St.; 706.821.2600 ECGRL.ORG

CONCERT CONCERTS WITH A CAUSE Friends in

Song: Music of the Heart will be performed by Tony Currier, soprano; Diane Haslam, mezzo soprano; Larry Millen, piano; Christine Crookall, cello and Ryan Kho, violin, to benefit the CSRA Humane Society. St. John United Methodist Church; 7 p.m.; free, donations encouraged; 736 Greene St. STJOHNAUGUSTA.ORG

CONCERT ASU JAZZ ENSEMBLE A Black History

Month event. Maxwell Theatre; 8 p.m.; call for info; 2500 Walton Way; 706.667.4100 AUG.EDU

THEATRE BECKY SHAW See listing on Feb. 10. Le Chat Noir; 8 p.m.

discover more to do

[ kreskin knows it all ] For six decades, the Amazing Kreskin has fascinated and mesmerized audiences with his combination of showmanship, comedy and unique talent for – literally – reading people’s minds.

From television to nightclubs to talk shows, the Amazing Kreskin is a legend. He was the inspiration behind Johnny Carson’s Great Karnak character and has been a regular guest of Howard Stern, David Letterman, Regis Philbin and, most recently, Mike Huckabee and Jimmy Fallon. His signature piece: requesting that his check be hidden somewhere within the venue where he is appearing. Should he fail to find it, he forfeits his fee. To this day, he still offers $50,000 to anyone who can prove that he employs paid secret assistants or confederates in any part of his program.

Born George Joseph Kresge in Montclair, N.J., the young man who would become the Amazing Kreskin – naming himself based on comic-strip crime fighter Madrake the Magician – discovered his ability to find hidden objects during the childhood game “hot and cold” when he was 9 years old. In his teens he became nationally recognized as The World’s Youngest Hypnotist and began collaborating in psychological clinical studies extending into the realm of parapsychology and the power of suggestion. By his late teens, he had developed a mental test that became the highlight of his performances: the search for the hidden check.

Audiences of all ages remain drawn to this remarkable mentalist, television celebrity and author. He has made hundreds of appearances on almost every talk and variety show and has logged in millions of miles for performances around the world. He has become a training consultant to law enforcement and security personnel throughout the western world in the development in their own powers of observation and intuitive skills and has received international recognition for his predictions often dealing with world affairs. His political predictions have been featured annually on CNN. In 2008, on FOX Business News, he predicted the results of the Super Bowl three days before the game. In 2009, he was the inspiration for The Great Buck Howard, produced by Tom Hanks and starring John Malkovich, who plays the central character.

The Amazing Kreskin brings his talents – and his $50,000 challenge – to Augusta on February 11. Ticket information is posted below. If you plan to buy one, chances are that he already knows about it. | by ALISON RICHTER

WHAT The Amazing Kreskin WHERE The Imperial Theatre | 745 Broad St. WHEN Saturday, Feb. 11| 8 p.m.

Tickets $12 to $30 MORE | 706.722.8341 or IMPERIALTHEATRE.COM

@ vergelive.com vergelive.com | community driven news | February 1, 2012 27

28 February 1, 2012 | community driven news | vergelive.com

WEDNESDAY

2.15

SPORTS ASU BASKETBALL VS. USC AIKEN Christenberry

Field House; 5:30 p.m.; $7; 3109 Wrightsboro Road; 706.737.1610 JAGUARSROAR.COM

the

daily planner

THEATRE EXPERIMENTAL RELIEF Presented by the University Theatre Players.

USC Aiken Etherredge Center; 7:30 p.m.; donations accepted; 471 University Parkway, Aiken; 803.641.3305 USCA.EDU

THEATRE BECKY SHAW See listing on Feb. 10. Le Chat Noir; 8 p.m.

THEATRE BECKY SHAW See listing on Feb. 10. Le Chat Noir; 8 p.m.

FRIDAY FILM THE TOE TACTIC Mona Peek is jarred by delayed grief for her dead father when she finds out her childhood home has been sold. Her emotional plight is the subject of an esoteric card game played by four animated dogs. Writer, director and animator Emily Hubley uses live action and animation to explore the connection between the real and the ethereal. After viewing the film, Hubley will conduct a question-and-answer session.

Morris Museum of Art; 6 p.m.; $3; 1 10th St.; 706.724.7501 THEMORRIS.ORG LITERARY PHILOSOPHY CLUB Kroc Center; 7 p.m.; free; 1833 Broad St.; 706.364.5762

THURSDAY

2.16

CONCERT FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH, SONGS AND DANCES FROM AROUND OUR WORLD The Trio Intermezzo

of Ruth Berry, cello; Kelly Odell, oboe; and Kevin Polluck, piano. Selections include music of Bartok, Bazelaire, Still and Rachmaninoff. First Presbyterian Church of Aiken; noon; free, $9 for lunch; 224 Barnwell Ave., Aiken; 803.648.2662 AIKENPRESBYTERIAN.ORG

2.17

ONGOING

ART ART AT LUNCH: FRAMING MARY WHYTE

Smith Coleman, owner of Coleman Fine Art, discusses the art of frame building, restoration, and gilding, focusing on the handcrafted frames he created exclusively for his wife’s watercolor paintings featured in the exhibition Working South.

Lunch by Roux’s Catering.

Morris Museum of Art; noon; $14; 1 10th St.; 706.724.7501

FOR TEENS LIBRARY AFTER HOURS: A NIGHT OF IMPROV! Be at the second floor

YA Room before closing time.

Ages 12 to 18. Headquarters Library; 5:30 p.m.; free; 823 Telfair St.; 706.821.2600

FESTIVAL 2012 BEAUTIFUL LIFE CONFERENCE: RUNNING FREE Conference is designed

to help young women walk in a strong understanding of their value as daughters who are loved without measure by an awesome and holy God. New Hope Worship Center; 7 p.m.; $18 or $15/person for groups of 10 or more; 715 S. Old Belair Road, Grovetown; 706.868.6410

GOOD CAUSE 2012 MARDI GRAS DINNER & DANCE FOR KIDS NURTURING NATURE WALKS Through

the use of songs, movement, and using the senses on an outdoor walk, young children’s curiosity of the natural world is nutured in this family program.

For children ages 3 to 5. Reed Creek Nature Park & Interpretive Center; 10 a.m.; $2; 3820 Park Lane, Martinez; 706.210.4027 REEDCREEKPARK.COM

LITERARY BROWN BAG BOOK CLUB Picking Cotton by

Jennifer Thompson. Columbia County Library; 11 a.m.; free; 7022 Evans Town Center Blvd.; 706.863.1946 ECGRL.ORG

SPORTS BOOK DISCUSSION Lamb in His

Bosom, a modern Southern classic by Caroline Miller, the first Georgia author to receive a Pulitzer Prize for literature.

Harlem Branch Library; 4 p.m.; free; 375 N. Louisville St., Harlem; 706.556.9795 ECGRL.ORG

THEATRE RIVERDANCE The last tour of the internationally acclaimed worldwide phenomenon. The Bell Auditorium; 8 p.m.; $50 to $60; 712 Telfair St.; 877.4AUGTIX GEORGIALINATIX.COM

Read the article on page 23.

River Room at St. Paul’s Church; 7 p.m.; $40; 605 Reynolds St.; 706.724.2485 SAINTPAULS.ORG

SPORTS AUGUSTA RIVERHAWKS vs. Columbus Cottonmouths. James Brown Arena; 7:35 p.m.; $7 to $18; 712 Telfair St.; 706.993.2645

THEATRE THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES Go to the

1958 Springfield High School prom and meet four girls with hopes and dreams as big as their crinoline skirts. Be treated to the girls performing classic ‘50s and ‘60s songs such as “Lollipop,” “Dream Lover,” “Lipstick On Your Collar” and “It’s My Party.”

An Aiken Community Playhouse fundraising event with dessert buffet and cash bar. Aiken Municipal Building Conference Center; 7 p.m.; $35; 215 The Alley, Aiken; 803.648.1438

THEATRE EXPERIMENTAL RELIEF See listing on Feb. 16.

USC Aiken Etherredge Center; 7:30 p.m.

ART

STACI SWIDER: DANCING ALONG THE RED ROAD

Swider is best known for her mixed media paintings, which often come with a story, literal and interpreted. Ends Feb. 17.

Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art; free; 506 Telfair St.; 706.722.5495

the

film reel NOW PLAYING ON THE BIG SCREEN

Daniel Radcliffe is barely old enough to vote at age 22, but the actor has racked up an impressive resume as Harry Potter in the blockbuster adaptations of J.K. Rowling’s bestselling series and in newsworthy stints on stage in Equus and How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying. For his next trick, Radcliffe will attempt to give struggling distributor CBS Films (Beastly, The Backup Plan) its first financial and critical success story with a Feb. 3 horror opener.

THE WOMAN IN BLACK is a British ghost story adapted from the 1983 novel of the same name

by Susan Hill. Radcliffe plays Arthur Kipps, a widowed young father who works as a lawyer.

When he is sent to a house in a remote village to settle the estate of a client who passed away, Arthur is met by particularly unwelcoming townsfolk and a shadowy, vengeful female presence haunting the house.

Horror enthusiast James Watkins THE WOMAN IN BLACK makes this his second feature as director. Hammer Films, a production house famous for creating Gothic horror tales since the 1930s, is also behind this ominous thriller. An interesting side note is that Radcliffe’s real life godson plays his son in the film.

JEROME MEADOWS: WORLD VIEW Savannah artist

Meadows combines a variety of found, fabricated, and nontraditional objects to engage the viewer through the interplay of provocative and sometimes disparate elements. Ends Feb. 17.

Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art; free; 506 Telfair St.; 706.722.5495

AND SHE LIVED BY SOUTHERN OBSERVATORY A look at how work responds to life and how social thought and experimentation are influenced by one’s surroundings. Ends Feb. 25. Arts & Heritage Center of North Augusta; $3 to $5; 100 Georgia Ave., North Augusta; 803.441.4380

WALTER CUMMING: A TALE OF TWO AUTUMNS

Read the article on page 27. The Firehouse Gallery; Ends Feb. 26; 605 Mulberry St., Louisville

RESONANT FREQUENCIES, AN EXHIBITION Ends Feb.

26. Contemporary Gallery at the Center for Art & Theatre at Georgia Southern University; free; 233 Pittman Dr., Statesboro; 912.GSU.ARTS

LENN HOPKINS EXHIBITION Lenn Hopkins’

current body of work is inspired by images and lifestyles of the rural South. From farmland to seashore, she captures the personality and emotion of both man and nature, continuing her use of loose, colorful stroke work. Ends Feb. 29. Sacred Heart Cultural Center; free; 1301 Green St.; 706.826.4700

DANE DEHAAN IN CHRONICLE

Another dark film looks to compete with Radcliffe’s thriller. The emerging found footage or pointof-view genre gets a mercifully less nauseating spin as a teen with a professional-grade video camera records pranks with his two friends in CHRONICLE. The social media-fueled obsession to share video of even life’s simplest moments causes the guys to record their epic goofing-off sessions; but it is their freak telekinetic powers and superhuman abilities to move objects after making an odd discovery in the woods that makes the video interesting. Instead of using their powers for good, the three teens move parked cars and lift girls’ skirts to amuse themselves until one of them develops a dangerous God complex and explores his darker side. The cast includes up-and-comers Dane DeHaan (HBO’s In Treatment) and Michael B. Jordan (TV’s Friday Night Lights, Parenthood). Director Josh Trank makes his feature directorial debut with this film.

If you would prefer to get close to your Valentine via warm and fuzzy hand-holding moments rather than relying on the aid of horror film scare tactics, BIG MIRACLE might be more your speed. This cinematic take on a 1988 bit of national news stars The Office’s John Krasinski. He plays a journalist stuck in small market hell in Alaska until news breaks in his backyard when a family of whales becomes trapped in the rapidly thickening Arctic ice. Drew Barrymore plays his ex-girlfriend, an animal-loving volunteer who is the whales’ greatest advocate. This true story brought oil companies, Russians and Americans together for a momentary thaw in the Cold War as unlikely allies rallied together to rescue the three stranded whales in what became known as Operation Breakthrough. This account of the story is based on Thomas Rose’s book Freeing the Whales: How the Media Created the World’s Greatest Non-Event. The impressive supporting cast includes Ted Danson, Kristen Bell, Dermot Mulroney, Vinessa Shaw and Tim Blake Nelson. Ken Kwapis (He’s Just Not That Into You) directs.

While Disney has enjoyed overwhelming success with 3D re-releases of The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, a Feb. 10 re-release of George Lucas’s STAR WARS: EPISODE 1 – THE PHANTOM MENACE (1999) is generating mixed reactions from franchise fans. Not so into Jar Jar Binks? Other Feb. 10 options include the Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson fronted JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND plus THE VOW, an amnesia-fueled romance starring Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams, and Denzel Washington returns to a tough guy role alongside Ryan Reynolds in SAFE HOUSE.

WORKING SOUTH: PAINTINGS & SKETCHES

BY MARY WHYTE Renowned

watercolorist Mary Whyte captures in exquisite detail the essence of vanishing blue-collar professions from across 10 states in the American South. Ends Mar. 11. Morris Museum of Art; $3 to $5; 1 10th St.; 706.724.7501

discover more to do, more to experience @ vergelive.com

AN EPIC FIGHT IN 3D

by MARIAH GARDNER, MOVIE GURU

vergelive.com | community driven news | February 1, 2012 29

stoney’s

sound bites

the guy who put the “k” In lokal gets vocal about augusta’s music scene

After nearly a week in California checking out the latest in music gear, meeting cool world-class musicians, running into friends from Augusta who oddly enough were all named Keith (Axelson and Ford), and having a hilarious time with my bandmates and coworkers, it was good to get back home. While it is true that I will never see that much music equipment in the CSRA, or a Jack in the Box on almost every corner, I am glad to give it all up for friends and coffee at Metro Pub & Coffeehouse. And, despite being clear across the country, we came across traces of the Peach State every day whether on the radio, at the NAMM Show or during the many activities we attended. Georgia’s always in our hearts when we’re away, but it’s her music that is always alive in our souls.

The first trace of home came at the Dean Guitars NAMM Jam concert featuring guitarist Vinnie Moore, Static X front man Wayne Static, metal legends Testament and Georgia rockers Jackyl.

The whole red-blooded, redneck country boy shtick might seem a bit cheesy in California but Jesse James Dupree and the boys in Jackyl dropped the Southern sleaze charm, hitting the crowd over and over again like a drunken deer huntin’ trip on a NASCAR track. Just good, fun, downhome rock ‘n’ roll. But, as fun as Jackyl was in concert and at the convention, it was someone with a bit more Augusta history that made for my biggest trip highlight.

Ever since my old high school bud Keith Gehle (now a renowned classical guitarist) introduced me to STEVE MORSE, the incredible six-string force behind the Dixie Dregs/the Dregs, I have been a fan. Over the years, whether with the Steve Morse Band, Morse Code, Kansas or as Deep Purple’s guitarist for 15 years now, Morse has consistently remained one of my favorite guitarists.

stoney with steve morse (right) at NAMM

On the final day of the convention, we were wandering around, chilling after a mad few days of walking and standing in line. As we passed the Ernie Ball booth for what seemed like the 100th time, we noticed that Steve Morse would be making an appearance at 1 p.m. – a great chance to meet a great musician who is also only one of two people to be added to the “Gallery of Greats” after winning the “Best Overall Guitarist” award in Guitar Player for five consecutive years. To say I was stoked is an understatement. Morse was hyped to see some Augusta peeps and excited about his new project, new band FLYING COLORS, with long-time friend and Dregs bassist Dave Larue, former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, Spock’s Beard keyboardist Neal Morse (no relation), and singer-songwriter Casey McPherson. Seeing Morse again was a cool way to wind up a cool week of music fun!

On our final morning in California, as we packed and got ready to head to the airport, we enjoyed a final piece of home by tuning into 95Rock online and catching the big concert announcement of GODSMACK, STAIND and HALESTORM, who will all be appearing at the James Brown Arena on April 13 for the official Mass Chaos Tour kick-off. It’s also a great way to kick off 95ROCK’s return to the airwaves with a stronger signal at 95.5 FM. Once again, I want to say how wonderful it is to be home. California was great but, in the words of Dorothy, “there’s no place like home,” and surely there’s no place like Augusta. Remember to check out the Daily Planner in print and online at VERGELIVE.COM for great live shows. To get an earful of what is happening in Augusta music, stop by and listen to me rant with my good buddy Brian “Stak” Allen on CONfederation of Loudness, which can be found ironically enough at CONFEDERATIONOFLOUDNESS.COM and, of course, as always … Make it LOKAL, Keep it Loud.

John “Stoney” Cannon is considered the guru of “lokal” music.

Check out his long-running Augusta music website: lokalloudness.com.

Send any music news to lokalloudness@yahoo.com.

30 February 1, 2012 | community driven news | vergelive.com

night

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 1

FRIDAY, FEB. 10

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15

THOSE DARLINS @ Sky City 10 p.m.; $8

THE AUGUSTA COMEDY HOUR @ Blue Bistro Theatre | 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.; $12

CRYSTAL GUZMAN @ Manuel’s Bread Café | 5:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, FEB. 2

JEROD GAY @ Joe’s Underground Cafe | 9 p.m.

FRIDAY, FEB. 3

80S NIGHT @ Sky City | 8 p.m. $5

PROFILER: CAMERAS, GUNS AND RADIOS Members Bruce Skinner – vocals and guitar, Mike Ryan –

bass, Mark Janousek – drums

GENRE Roots rock mixed with punk and funk. Think Foo Fighters.

Music Check out “Waiting,” “Jump In,” and “Feel the Rise” on

ReverbNation.com.

HISTORY It all began one evening when Skinner played at

the Playground’s Open Mic Night. He says he was beat out by “some girls who were playing toys on stage” and went home with the intention of forming a real band. Skinner already knew Janousek and met Ryan through a website. The three-piece of Cameras, Guns and Radios was born.

Skinner, with a ton of ideas and lyrics practically waiting for a band to come along and flesh them out, took on vocals and guitar, Ryan took on bass, and Janousek, already a drummer, filled in the vital third part of the group. With a couple of songs “in the incubator and waiting to evolve,” their different styles came together, Janousek said.

The band’s sound grew very “organic and fast,” as Janousek puts it. Perhaps the connection has to do with the band members having been through the “ball bashing systems,” as Skinner said, of past bands.

With that behind them, Cameras, Guns and Radios are moving forward as a coherent, tight unit.

DO YOU LYRIC LOUNGE Open mic variety show @ Club Private I | 8 p.m.; $7 IRISH PUB NIGHT WITH GAVIN WINSHIP @ The Stables Restaurant | 8 p.m.

THE HOLLERERS @ Joe’s Underground Cafe | 9 p.m.

BOBBY COMPTON @ Coyote’s $5 after 9 p.m.

FALSE FLAG @ The Playground Bar | 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, FEB. 4

BOBBY COMPTON @ Coyote’s $5 after 9 p.m.

SWINGIN’ MEDALLIONS SWINGIN’ MEDALLIONS @ Coyote’s | 9:30 p.m.; $7 to $10 LOKAL LOUDNESS 2012 CHOICE AWARDS 20th Anniversary Celebration with Family Jewels, She N She, Sibling String, The Radar Cinema, Stillview and the G-City Rockers.

Read the article on page 14. @ Sky City | 8 p.m.

JESUP DOLLY @ The Playground Bar | 8 p.m.

BACHELOR/BACHELORETTE AUCTION A Pride 2012 Fundraiser @ Club Argos | 9 p.m.

TOMMY OD & THE SURVIVORS @ Joe’s Underground Cafe 9 p.m.

THE WELFARE LINERS @ Stillwater Taproom | 10 p.m.; $5

LERA LYNN

LERA LYNN + SHAUN PIAZZA BAND @ Sky City | 10:30 p.m.; $5

MONDAY, FEB. 6 HAPPY BONES @ Joe’s Underground Cafe | 9 p.m.

TUESDAY, FEB . 7

JAMIE JONES @ Joe’s Underground Cafe | 9 p.m.

SATURDAY, FEB. 11

THE AUGUSTA COMEDY HOUR @ Blue Bistro Theatre | 6:30 p.m. & 8:30 p.m.; $12 FEBRUARY BIRTHDAY BASH IN PINK AND WHITE @ Club Argos | 8 p.m.

JEFF JOHNSTON @ Joe’s Underground Cafe | 9 p.m.

FUNK YOU + SUMILAN + BETSY KINGSTON & THE CROWNS @ Sky City | 9 p.m.; $5

WEDNESDAY, FEB . 8

Quirks The name of the band comes from the sign above the

Soul Bar.

UPCOMING SHOWS February 17 @ First Round D.I.Y. REVERBNATION.COM/CAMERASGUNSANDRADIOS

SIBLING STRING

SIBLING STRING @ Joe’s Underground Cafe | 9 p.m.

THURSDAY, FEB . 9

JOHN KOLBECK @ Joe’s Underground Cafe | 9 p.m. the profiler is DINO LULL

SIBLING STRING @ Joe’s Underground Cafe | 9 p.m.

THURSDAY, FEB. 16

JEFF JOHNSTON @ Joe’s Underground Cafe | 9 p.m.

FUNK YOU @ Wild Wing Cafe 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, FEB. 17

KARAOKE AND GAMES

TUESDAYS Trivia with Charles @ Somewhere in Augusta | 8 p.m.

Twisted Trivia @ The Playground Bar | 8 p.m.

WEDNESDAYS TRIVIA NIGHT @ Surrey Tavern 8 p.m.

Krazy Karaoke @ The Playground Bar | 8 p.m.

THURSDAYS TANGO NIGHT @ Casa Blanca Café | 6 p.m.

SOUP, SUDS & CONVERSATIONS @ The Fox’s Lair | 6 p.m.

ROLLER DERBY

AUGUSTA ROLLER DERBY PARTY @ Sky City | 9 p.m., $5 FUNK YOU @ Surrey Tavern 9 p.m., $5 RUSKIN YEARGAIN @ Joe’s Underground Cafe | 9 p.m.

CAMERAS, GUNS & RADIOS @ First Round | 9 p.m.

DALLAS MARTIN BAND @ Coyote’s | 9:30 p.m., $5 BIG DADDY LOVE @ Stillwater Taproom | 10 p.m., $5

SATURDAY, FEB. 18

FAT SATURDAY PUB CRAWL @ various venues on Broad Street Registration begins at 4 p.m. on 10th Street, crawl at 8 p.m.

CHILI COOK-OFF & FUNDRAISER for J.D. Paugh and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Department @ Coyote’s | 8 p.m.

TURF WAR TURF WAR + BOOM BANG @ Soul Bar | 10 p.m.; $5

KARAOKE @ Coyote’s | 8 p.m. $5 after 9 p.m.

FRIDAYS LIVE JAZZ FRIDAY @ The Partridge Inn | 10 p.m.

FIND THE VENUE

Coyote’s @ 2512 Peach Orchard Road; 706.560.9245 the fox’s lair @ 349 Telfair St.; 706.828.5600 manuels bread cafe @ 505 Railroad Ave., North Augusta; 803.380.1323 THE PLAYGROUND BAR @ 978 Broad St.; 706.724.2232 SECTOR 7G @ 631 Ellis St.; 706.496.5900 SKY CITY @ 1157 Broad St.; 706.945.1270 SOUL BAR @ 984 Broad St.; 706.724.8880 Somewhere in augusta @ 2820 Washington Road; 706.739.0002 STILLWATER TAP ROOM @ 974 Broad St.; 706.826.9857 SURREY TAVERN @ 471 Highland Ave.; 706.736.1221 WILD WING CAFE @ 3035 Washington Road.; 706.364.9453

MONDAY, FEB. 13

FISHBONE + THE SUPERVILLAINS and a screening Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone @ Sky City | 9 p.m.; $5

PLAYBACK THE BAND @ Wild Wing Café | 10:30 p.m.

Boom Box @ Soul Bar | 8 p.m.

SHOVELS & ROPE + PACIFIC UV @ Sky City | 8 p.m., $5

FUTURE Working in Parham Studios with Morgan Parham,

Cameras, Guns and Radios plan to release a full-length album by early 2012.

FORTY WINTERS + A Fight For Life + In Reference to A Sinking Ship + Convexis @ Sector 7G | 6 p.m.; all ages

life

THRU feb. 18

A SELECTIVE GUIDE TO NIGHTLIFE IN THE CSRA

BLAIR CRIMMONS

BLAIR CRIMMONS & THE HOOKERS @ Stillwater Taproom 10 p.m., $5

for more info and events,

visit vergelive.com

the fence sitters: all ages raves at sector 7g The Fence Sitters are a unique group of people who have been presenting monthly rave parties for all ages at Sector 7G since 2007. The rave on Feb. 10, “Struck by the Love Bug”, will be their 60th and celebrates five years of promoting a judgment-free, underground rave culture among the young people of Augusta.

“We try to create a different world inside of there with lights and lasers, and the DJs spin energetic music that makes everyone feel like dancing,” said founder Mack “Linear North” Huff. “For us it’s all about creating an escape for the night where anybody can come in wearing whatever they like and socialize with everyone else there.”

Sector 7G is an all-ages venue, so Huff has seen guests as young as 12, but says that he has seen parents show up with their kids and rave with them for the whole night. The Fence Sitters do little advertising and work hard to keep it a safe, low-key event.

“We try to get to know everyone to make it an even safer place to hang out,” said Huff. “None of the parents have any problem with dropping their kids off here, and we have a really good relationship with Sector 7G and usually nobody causes problems.”

The styles of music include U.K. hardcore, drum and bass, hard style and electrohouse, spun by several regular DJs including “Linear North”, Matt “Polyphase” Ferguson and Mikil “Number5” Sontiago. Sara “Stargazer” Ebert and Summer “3W0K” McGowan also take turns at the vending booth selling glow-sticks and light-up jewelry so each can have her time on the dance floor.

“The atmosphere is so inviting, there’s a lot of different groups but they all socialize together and nobody seems hostile,” said Ebert. “I’ve been going for about a year and I love it so much that I don’t think I could ever stop loving it.”

Each event also has a theme, and the past year has seen several costume mandatory parties to keep the environment fun and inviting.

Parties are held once a month and information about the next party is available on The Fence Sitters’ Facebook page or at THEFENCESITTERS.COM. Admission is $5 and all parties start at 8 p.m. and end promptly at midnight.

by CHRISTOPHER SELMEK

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32 February 1, 2012 | community driven news | vergelive.com

puzzle 1

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Sartre play the groundwork for?

52 Inventory 53 End of the brainteaser 57 Harem rooms 58 Nifty 59 Trifled (with) 60 Spanish muralist 61 Russia/Ukraine’s Sea of ___ 62 They can be batted and rolled 63 ’60s radical grp.

25 One

Down 1 Communist Friedrich 2 Rudy with a megaphone 3 “The End of Eternity” author 4 Zoological wings 5 Certain cat 6 Start of many a bumper sticker 7 Peppermint ___ 8 At the home of 9 Old bus maker 10 Suffix with Euclid 11 W.W. II gen.

13 Greater than 14 10,000, for 4, in base 10, e.g.

18 Person who’s groundbreaking?

20 Curtain fabric 23 Online merchant 24 When tripled, a 1970 war movie

38 Subj.

51 Lays

who may say “I say” a lot

26 Woodworker’s 28 Blowup: 29 Cry

tool

Abbr.

from a crib

32 Popular 33 Zola

tablet

best seller

34 Coastal 35 Half

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a house that’s of interest to ghost hunters

37 See

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of three of the six Nobel Prizes

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52 Composition

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54 Part

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56 “g2g”

follower

Find the solution to this puzzle at VERGELIVE.BLOGSPOT.COM

Annual subscriptions are available for the best of Sunday crosswords from the last 50 years: 1-888-7-ACROSS. Share tips: nytimes.com/wordplay.

The next issue of VERGE hits the newsstands on

FEB. 15

Look for our outdoor boxes or find your copy at Publix | EarthFare Kroger | Bi-Lo and more than 150 locations in the CSRA

face first Negotiating one calamity at a time

The modern driver has many distractions when behind the wheel of a car: cell phones, screaming babies, 98-year-old Uncle Roger telling you how to drive “the right way.” Driving safely is more than waiting until a red light to read your text messages. With more drivers on the road than ever, it’s important to use defensive driving techniques to keep you and your passengers safe. The most effective means of defensive driving is to know your fellow driver, their habits, and how to easily spot them in traffic.

57

Edited by Will Shortz | by David Steinberge | No. 1229 Across 1 Wagner heroine 4 Eagerly expectant 8 Street ___ 12 Opportunity maker?

14 Hello and farewell 15 With 37-Down, complete 16 Facile 17 Start of a brainteaser whose answer appears in order, from top to bottom, in this puzzle’s circled squares 19 City in the San Gabriel Valley 21 Complete 22 John XI’s successor 23 War of 1812 battle site 24 Schedule abbr.

27 Part two of the brainteaser 30 One of the Chaplins 31 Home state of the 1964 and 2008 Rep. presidential candidates 32 Part three of the brainteaser 38 Debate (with) 39 10th- to 12thcentury Chinese dynasty 40 Part four of the brainteaser 48 Muckraker Tarbell 49 Harsh

life

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Defensive Driving How to maybe, probably not die while driving

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The first of our fellow drivers is the Mommy Driver. She can easily be detected by the yellow “Baby on Board” sign in her minivan’s window and the harried look about her eyes. Mommy Drivers are sometimes said to have a “frazzled” appearance, note her wild hair and the yellowred Spaghetti-O’s stain on her t-shirt. This poor creature spends her days chasing toddlers and picking Cheerios out of her sofa. She might look exhausted but watch out! With the speed of a bobby pin wielding 3-year-old headed for an electrical outlet, she’ll be in your lane. Because she often forgets where she’s going until her turn is upon her, it’s best to give the Mommy Driver a wide berth.

Our next driver is the Really Important Business Guy. He can be detected by his high-end sedan: It’s expensive enough to assure his fellow driver that he’s really important but sedate enough to put off any suggestion of a mid-life crisis. The Really Important Business Guy is critical to the global economy, so it is imperative that he remain on his Blackberry at all times. The Really Important Business Guy doesn’t want to cut you off in traffic. He has to cut you off in traffic. He has somewhere really important to be.

The Incredibly Ancient Couple are a traffic nightmare. They zip along at the mind boggling speed of 12 miles per hour.

They can bring major arteries of traffic to a near standstill by drifting placidly down the center of a two-lane highway.

Spot the Incredibly Ancient Couple by the mile long line

of cars following them, by their continual use of their turn signal, by the shiny new land yacht they are driving or by the straw hat in the back window.

Juvenile Drivers are dangerous creatures best avoided whenever possible. They’ve little skill but believe they could instruct Mario Andretti in the finer points of driving. Speed limits, numbers larger than Juvenile Drivers’ age, don’t apply to them and they know it. Snatching the car in and out of traffic, around stopped school buses and through red lights, Juvenile Drivers often are the cause of traffic pile ups.

Thankfully, like poisonous snakes, these drivers are easy to spot with their bright window paintings proclaiming, “I is a senior!” and “Happy Birfday!”

Other drivers to avoid are: Cool Guy, he has nowhere to be and all day to get there; Ditzy Chick, the conversation she’s having on her iPhone is more important than your life; and The Music Buff, he loves his music so much he thinks you will, too.

In this modern driving world, we have to do all we can to be prepared and equipped for the challenges of our commute. Avoiding these drivers won’t necessarily give you a safe and enjoyable driving experience but it will increase the likelihood that you’ll live long enough to reach your destination.

Nora Blithe is the author of Door In Face, a humor blog about all things that lay you flat. Read more at doorinface.com.

a parting shot

Martin Luther King celebration salutes the youth of Augusta

Twenty-one youth organizations were honored for their contribution to the future of the CSRA at the Salute to the Youth of Augusta recognition program on Jan. 16, including the Augusta Mini-Theatre, C.H. Terrell Academy, The Art Factory and the Youth Challenge Academy.

“My focus and passion is youth, so it made sense to recognize some of these organizations working on the ground that have the heart to work directly with young people,” said event organizer Helen Blocker-Adams.

The event was held on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which inspired many within the audience to share their thoughts about the famous civil rights leader, but no one’s comments generated more applause than Charlson Price, a sixth grade student at Heritage Academy.

“I look in the mirror at myself, a bi-racial child, and realize that without Dr. King I wouldn’t even exist,” he said. “Not just my skin color, but my education, my friends and my family. Because of Dr. King, I am able to attend a private integrated school and receive an amazing education. Because of Dr. King, my favorite teacher, Mr. Bussey, is able to teach me using the same education he received going to college with many others of different ethnic backgrounds.

Because of Dr. King, I am able to ride my bike with all of my friends of different backgrounds. My friends and I laugh together, we get hurt together, and we get in trouble together, but the key word is ‘together.’ So what does Dr. King mean to me? Everything, and I can’t thank him enough.” | by CHRISTOPHER SELMEK

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34 February 1, 2012 | community driven news | vergelive.com

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