Planet Weekly 480

>>> N E W S | T H E C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E

NEWS

REGIONAL AIR SHOW MARCH 28-29 Develop the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People By living the 7 Habits, you will become profoundly more effective in things that matter most to you in your work and in your personal life. This class, facilitated

by Dr. Terri Boman, will be held on Monday, Mar. 30, Apr. 6, 13 & 20 from 124p.m. (4 weeks) at the Chamber. Email Stacey Gann at stacey@tuscaloosachamber.com or call 205-391-0559 today to preregister for the 7 Habits 4.0 experience. Must register by Mar. 11. Tuition is $295/person for Chamber members.

Fee covers book, instruction and lunch at each session.

2015 Veterans Appreciation Event Planned Our 2015 Veterans Appreciation Event will be Tuesday, Apr. 7 from 5:30-8 p.m. in the Ferguson Center Main Ballroom. This will include complimentary food and beverages as well as room for over 100 company/ organization displays. Let's show our area veterans a great time and increase their exposure to a "veteran-friendly" Chamber

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membership. Thanks to our presenting sponsor, Warrior Ranch Training Center; gold sponsors, University of Alabama Continuing Studies, Alabama Central Credit Union, Realty Executives and Peco Foods; and silver sponsors Bill Poole, Jackson Security Services and Premier Service Company. For more info, contact Al Spencer at (205) 391-0329.

2015 Montgomery Drive-In Set for Apr. 14-15 Registration is open for the Chamber's 2015 Montgomery Drive-In presented by Shelton State Community College. We will travel to the state capitol on the morning of Apr. 14 and return on the afternoon of the 15. During our visit, we will meet with our elected officials, including lunch with Governor Bentley. We will have the opportunity to discuss issues facing West Alabama with our legislative delegation and network with fellow Chamber members and other community leaders. The registration fee is $225, which includes transportation, meals. Room cost is not included in the registration fee. For more info or a registration form (which includes

hotel info), contact Stacey Gann at 391-0559 or stacey@tuscaloosachamber.com no later than Mar. 11. The Montgomery DriveIn is sponsored in part by Alabama Power Company, The University of Alabama, TTL, Inc., D.T. & Freight Co., Inc., Merrill Lynch & Southland Benefit Solutions.

Warrior Ranch Training Center Opens

Warrior Ranch, LLC is an outdoor small arms training center located in Brookwood that specializes in beginner & intermediate student training. The address is 15540 Waldenpond Rd. We marked the opening with a ribbon cutting there on Feb. 27.

Learn more at www.warriorranchtrainingcenter.com.

Reminder: Join the Chamber for breakfast at the Embassy Suites, 7:30, on Tuesday, March 31. Guest speaker is Sen. Richard Shelby. Presented by Crimson Village.

Tuscaloosa Regional Air Show is March 28-29 Make plans to attend this awesome community event at the Tuscaloosa Regional Airport. Visit www.tuscaloosaregionalairshow.com for all the details.

Mayors Cup Adds Post K Party to Include Downtown Businesses Mayor Maddox wants to get downtown businesses involved in his Mayor's Cup 5K. This year, the city is promoting a Post K Party to keep the 1300+ race participants downtown all weekend! Race Day is Apr. 25. Please see this flyer. There is no cost for businesses to participate, all they have to do is come up with a promotion for the weekend or even for just for Saturday. Most businesses are requiring the participants to bring in a race bib to receive the offer. For more info, contact Audrey at 205-248-5033.

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inside

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>>> planetweeklyissue480

STORIES 4 BAAK GWAI INTERVIEW // WILLIAM BARSHOP

HIGH TIDE SPORTS 23 RECRUITING REPORT // GARY DAVIS

Jhon Snowden talks about 10 years of honest rock

6 JOHN

FOGERTY COMES TO T-TOWN // TREY BROOKS

Classic rock fans are psyched

PUBLISHER

L I N DA W. JOHN S ON

MANAGING EDITOR BE R T PAUL S EN

ASSOCIATE EDITOR W I L L I AM BA R S HOP

COVER DESIGN

L AU R A L I N E B E R R Y

EVENTS

WILLIAM BARSHOP

ROAD TRIP

T R E Y B R OOK S

RESTAURANT GUIDE DOC FRANKENSTEIN

PRODUCTION HERB NEU

IMAGES

Images: Creative Common License unless otherwise credited.

ADVERTISING

7 BLACK NOTES // WILLIAM BARSHOP

MA R T Y R OBERSO N 205.523.4 668 HE R B N E U 205.765.8 007

8 PW COVERS WIN TOP AWARD // BERT PAULSEN

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS REGGIE ALLEN WILLIAM BARSHOP K A I T LY N B LO U N T CARA BRAKE TREY BROOKS JORDAN CISSELL SHEENA GREGG GARY HARRIS KEVIN LEDGEWOOD MEGHAN TEAR PLUMMER JIM REED BRETT REID JON ROGERS VA N R O B E R T S RACHEL STEINER

Planet Weekly P. O . B o x 2 3 1 5 Tuscaloosa, AL 35403 Phone: 205.792.7239 |

205.765.8007

Email: publisher@theplanetweek ly.com Please direct correspondence to: publisher@theplanetweekly.com The Planet Weekly is a proud member of The West Alabama Chamber of Commerce. © 2015 All rights reserved. THE PLANET WEEKLY is a registered trademark.

Planet Weekly is published every other Thursday. No part of this publication including editorials may be reproduced, in whole or part, by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without the Publisher’s prior expressed written consent. One copy of each issue of THE PLANET WEEKLY is free to each of our readers. Any reader who takes more than four copies without expressed permission of the publisher shall be deemed to have committed theft. The views and opinions of the authors of articles appearing in this publication may not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Publisher.

A review of Mary Weems' recent performance

Laura Lineberry, Planet Weekly's cover designer, wins Golden Addy

12 A VEGAN FOODIE DREAM // SHEENA GREGG Interview with Catherine Winn

13 ESSENTIAL TO THE EQUATION // RACHEL STEINER The vital role of water for our bodies

14 "TERRAPLANE" ALBUM REVIEW // JORDAN CISSELL Steve Earle's fun tribute to Texas blues

FEATURE 22 "FROZEN" IN TIME // REGGIE ALLEN

ENTERTAINMENT 10-12

RESTAURANT GUIDE / WINE & BEER

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THE FLAT SCREEN

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MOVIE REVIEW

16-17

LOCAL EVENTS CALENDAR

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ROAD TRIP

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LOCAL MUSIC

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PUZZLEMANIA / EDITORIAL CARTOON

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HOROSCOPE

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MARCH 12 + MARCH 26

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>>> M U S I C | W I L L I A M B A R S H O P

BAAK GWAII // TEN YEARS OF HONEST ROCK WITH JHON SNOWDEN Tom Waits got his voice,” Snowden said.

“One of them was drinking a bottle of whiskey before every show or screaming into a pillow until he basically had trush. I didn’t try that hard but I just tried to manipulate my voice. Sometimes when I quit smoking for a while I can hit those high notes, but it’s definitely changed the octave that I sing in.”

He smokes L&M lights, and takes out a paper to roll a “butt-arette” from the ashes before I offer him one of mine. He shows me how to light a match one-handed, a trick he learned to impress girls at Egan’s Bar. In 2006, Baak Gwai made their selftitled album, loaded with memorable, tangled riffs like on “Toothbrush,” a long-time crowd favorite. Two years later they made “Find a Stranger in the Alps,” which Snowden called their “third second album” because of two failed attempts that occurred between the two successes. The follow-up featured more straightforward tunes like “Propeller” and “Potato.”

Snowden asks me to name Mike Russo, the producer of their last album as a “great f—in’ dude,” and recalls him playing a few seconds of 40 demo tracks saying “No. . . no. . . maybe. . . no.”

Their “second third album” was recorded in Tuscaloosa and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and is called “Floors”.

“It’s about going on tour and sleeping on floors,” Snowden said.

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“

his is an attempt at a mullet,” said Jhon Snowden, lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of Tuscaloosa band, Baak Gwai. “I think I’ll go for a Kentucky waterfall soon. They hate it, my band members. I guess I’m embracing all the things I f—hate about this place.”

Snowden has been playing with Adam Pate (bass) and Chris Zeiler (drums) for ten years now, always returning to Alabama. Wherever they roam, they celebrate indie rock with equal injections of punk, prog rock and emo.

I visit Snowden in his Tuscaloosa home on a day he spent spring-cleaning.

A “Dragon Ball Z” toy from Burger King hangs from a kettle over the stove, and a shelf in the living room displays a Transformers lunch box and matching TV tray.

He talks for a few minutes about the 1986 Transformers movie starring Leonard Nimoy as Galvatron, Orson Welles as Unicron and Judd Nelson as Hot Rod. He gets just as enthusiastic talking about his favorite bands. A chance encounter with Archers of Loaf’s lead Painting: Kathy Hiers singer and guitarist Eric Bachmann is

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still a story he tells like a true fan boy. He vividly remembers Bachmann coming out of his tour bus, and himself starstruck and stammering.

“Standing next to him I came up to his shoulder,” Snowden said. “I had a CD and a sticker and I was like ‘here, you can use this as a coaster, you can use this as a Frisbee. Please don’t use it as a Frisbee.

You got me through high school.’ He was like ‘Don’t say that.’”

Snowden has looked up to Eric Bachmann as a vocalist, but tried to imitate higher-pitched voices of Jeremy Enigk of Sunny Day Real Estate and Doug Marsh of Built to Spill. That explains the the Midwestern emo vibe that will throw off any listener who makes assumptions about Alabama bands.

“But then I fell in love with deep-voiced people like Tom Waits, Eric Bachmann,” Snowden said. “Elvis Costello was a happy medium.”

He puts a lot of thought into how his voice comes across on-stage, and has spent a decade tweaking his instrument.

“I heard all these myths about how

Planet Weekly: How did you decide on the name Baak Gwai?

Jhon Snowden: We kicked around names for a couple months while we practiced and no one liked anything else but that. ‘Baak gwai’ essentially is a derogatory term for a white person. When they heard that they were like “sold!”

PW: Did someone call you that?

JS: I used to work at this restaurant in Auburn, Ala. It actually wasn’t a restaurant, it was a place in the food court at the mall. There were only three people that worked there, Edwin and his parents.

People would come around with toothpick samples and this woman would say s— to them in a really mean demeanor. I was like ‘what did your mom just say to them?’ and he said ‘Go to hell, black trash.’ I was like ‘Damn, your mom is racist!’

She said the same s— to every nationality, so he taught me how to call every nationality trash. I’m not racist by any means, which is why I use it as a selfloathing term.

PW: Out of the 10 years you’ve been playing, is there a highlight that you always look back to as your peak?

JS: I don’t think we’ve ended peaking, but the first one was Fishbone [a ska-rock band that rose to fame in the 1980s and 90s].

The drummer came out and told us, ‘Hey y’all was the first band? Look man I like y’all’s music.’ Cause the second band,

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the one they carried with them for the tour, just sucked. He told us ‘you wanna quit. You don’t wanna live like this. Go get an education.’ They were driving around in this Winnebago and he pointed to it and said ‘You think I wanna live in that thing? Door falling off all the time? Wood cabinets?’

While he’s telling me this, there’s a line of women outside the door with a door guy letting them in one by one.

PW: How did you arrive at the sound you play now?

JS: What kind of sound do you think we have?

PW: I don’t know.

JS: Basically I didn’t want to stick with one style. I liked jazzy stuff that is acoustic and goes along with clarinet and saxophone. And I like Archers of Loaf which is my interpretation of real indie rock . . . Just DIY in a basement. Elvis Costello. Tom Waits.

But then I like metal. Rush, Dream Theater, Sepulchura, Mastodon, early Metallica. Shove all that in a pan and deep fry it.

PW: When you want to kill each other, what do you do?

JS: That does happen. We talk it out, man, because we all lived together at one point. We would go on tour, then we could come back home and not talk to each other for like a week and a half. Everybody would just stay in their rooms and we would see each other walking by to go the restroom. Once we get back in the van it’s just like [snaps fingers] clicking again.

You definitely need a break. When you’re cramped up in a van with somebody for like months at a time . . . you know their smell. You stink, and I’m sick of hearing you talk. . . I got my own problems. It’s a lot of b—ing and moaning sometimes, but it’s not always like that. Sometime it’s great attitudes, strive forward, everything is awesome.

PW: How can you tell you’re playing for a Tuscaloosa crowd?

JS: They know the words. That and that they get super f—ing into it.

Come see Baak Gwai play with Couches at Green Bar on St. Patrick’s Day.

>>> F U N | K A I T L Y N B L O U N T

SAINT PATRICK'S DAY // PLENTY OF PLACES TO CELEBRATE IN TUSCALOOSA / BIRMINGHAM

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e hope you’ve got something green to wear, because if not, then you should expect to get a few pinches on Tuesday, March 17. February has come to an end and Spring is right around the corner, which means that St. Patrick’s Day will soon be upon us. I know what you’re thinking, “What, already? I swear it was just January.” Don’t fret about the quickly passing time, because this means we will all get to shed our heavy winter coats soon and look forward to warmer weather.

Also, there is more to St. Patrick’s Day than getting pinched for failing to wear something green. St. Patrick’s Day is the time for everyone, Irish or not, to come together and celebrate.

If you plan on being in Tuscaloosa for St. Patrick’s Day and are looking for a way to get your Irish on, then you can head over to Innisfree Irish Pub on University Boulevard.

If you want to get your St. Patrick’s Day celebration started bright and early, then you’re in luck, because Innisfree will be opening at 7 a.m. that day and will also have a free breakfast buffet. Hopefully, Innisfree will be taking full advantage of the opportunity to have all green everything and will be serving green eggs and ham during the buffet. If not, well then the free breakfast will still be a great way to kick start your celebration.

If you’re interested in a more kid-friendly

St. Patrick’s Day celebration, then the Children’s Hands-On Museum will have everything you could want. The weekend before St. Patrick’s Day on Saturday, March 14, they will be hosting their St. Patrick’s Day Search for Shamrocks event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Shamrock coins will be hidden all throughout the museum, and they can be traded in for prizes at their Lucky Leprechaun Shoppe.

The Children’s Hands-On Museum will also host a St. Patrick’s Day Leprechaun Hunt on March 17 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Multiple activities will be held throughout the day, including rainbow-themed crafts, a leprechaun hunt, music, and Irish Lore with “Riverboat John”.

If you’re looking for more St. Patrick’s Day activities and are up for a little travel, you can visit Birmingham for a wide variety of options.

The Five Points South St. Patrick’s Day Celebration presented by REV Birmingham and Five Points South is a two day celebration.

The first day kicks off on Saturday, March 14 and will be featuring its 31st Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, led by the Ian Sturrock Memorial Pipe Band. The band, which has been leading the parade for many years, is named in honor of Ian Sturrock of Kilmarnock, Scotland, who was Birmingham's first bagpiper and also the founder of the city's first bagpipe band. The parade will run from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. This celebration is perfect for both kids and adults, featuring a little bit of something for everyone.

Irish food and drink specials will also be available at participating locations in Five Points South from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. You can get delicious food and beer at Cosmo’s Pizza, Black Market Bar & Grill, J Clyde, Mellow Mushroom, World of Beer, DAVE’S, The Red Zone, The Hotel

Highland Bar, and Fuego Cantina. Beverage sponsors Alabama Beverage, Good People Brewing Company, Avondale Brewing Company, Straight to Ale, and Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey will be participating in the drink specials, offering $4.00 pints throughout the celebration. Day two of the St. Patrick’s Day Celebration is on Tuesday, March 17 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and the same drink and food specials will be available.

Birmingham’s Cahaba Brewing Company will be hosting their first ever St. Patrick’s Day celebration this year on March 17. The ShamROCK event will start at 5:30, and will have all the music, food, and booze you could want. The Heavy Hearts and Jesse Payne will be performing, and dinner from Shindig’s food truck will be available. The brewery is offering drink specials on its American Blonde, and it will also release its new Iris Stout at the celebration. If all of this isn’t enough to draw you in, there will also be giveaways, and who doesn’t like free stuff?

Innisfree’s Birmingham location will also be having their own St. Patrick’s Day celebration, the 24 Hours of Madness St. Patrick’s Day Bash. If you’re looking for an all day way to ring in St. Patrick’s Day, then this is a good choice. The Irish Pub will

start off with free breakfast, or as they call it, Kegs and Eggs. Thee rest of the day will feature live music, bagpipe performances, giveaways, drink specials, and last but not least, green beer.

So, as March 17 approaches, make sure you’ve got something green to wear for one of the many celebrations in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, and hope that the luck of the Irish will bring us warm weather and blue skies so we can enjoy St. Patrick’s Day to the fullest.

>>> PLANETWEEKLY • TUSCALOOSA'S SOURCE FOR ENTERTAINMENT, MUSIC, SPORTS & THE ARTS

MARCH 12 + MARCH 26

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>>> RED CLAY DIARY | J I M R E E D

>>> M U S I C | T R E Y B R O O K S

THE SILENCE OF THE BOOKS // HAVE A MOON PIE ON ME

JOHN FOGERTY COMES TO TUSCALOOSA 5/10

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eft a good job in the city, working for the man every night and day. And I never lost one minute of sleeping worrying about the way things might have been.”

To many, those words begin the iconic recording of “Proud Mary” by rock n’ roll legend Tina Turner. But those words were written by a man whose career has been just as storied and accomplished as Turner’s. From fronting the incredibly influential Creedance Clearwater Revival to enjoying a successful solo career, John Fogerty has been a constant example of how excellent songwriting can endear to generations of music lovers. On May 10th, the people of Tuscaloosa can experience the songs of this singer/ songwriter when Fogerty performs at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater.

Fogerty started Creedance Clearwater Revival in 1967 with his brother Tom, bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug Clifford. Despite forming in California during the height of the counterculture movement, CCR’s music was based more in roots rock and Americana.

Along with The Band, CCR were influential in bringing back country and honky tonk elements to rock n’ roll. Their style helped set the scene for the rise of southern rock in the 1970’s. Songs like “Proud Mary”, “Fortunate Son”, “Born on the Bayou” and “Bad Moon”, among many others, are staples of classic rock radio to this day, and the album Green River continues to be recognized as a classic record.

However, relationships within the band deteriorated quickly after they rose to success. Essentially, Fogerty found himself at odds with the other four members of the band, and issues regarding credit for songwriting created tensions that couldn’t be resolved. The breakup of the band was so contentious that Fogerty never reconciled with his brother before Tom’s death in 1990. He even refused to play with Cook and Clif-

“

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he Center of the Universe is the only quiet haven, isolated sanctuary, peaceful zone I can find in a world fraught with fear and anger and confusion and chaos.

The Center of the Universe—that is, Reed Books and the Museum of Fond Memories and the Library of Thought—is where everybody gets along with each other, where every philosophy and dogma, every political stance and emotion-laden opinion, every immovable object and irresistible force, all co-exist side by side in friendship and disagreement.

Here at my shop, every extreme, moderate and goofy idea gets equal billing, and we all have a good heated argument and afterwards share tea and crumpets together in a spirit of goodwill and tolerance.

How can this happen, this meeting of the minds, anywhere else in the world?

Take a look around the shop.

Books featuring every viewpoint imaginable are happily shelved side by side, and nobody complains!

There’s Henny Youngman and Ernest Hemingway and Abraham Lincoln and Rick Bragg and Plutarch and Joseph Stalin and Thomas Jefferson and Ann Coulter and Hillary Clinton and Eldridge Cleaver and Nelson Mandela and Chris Rock and Kurt Vonnegut and Socrates and Jon Stewart and Mark Twain and Billy Graham and Michael Moore and Jen-

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Here at my shop...every philosophy and dogma, every political stance and emotionladen opinion, every immovable object and irresistible force, all co-exist side by side in friendship and disagreement. nifer Flowers and Mother Teresa and the Albert’s Schweitzer and Einstein.

How come they can all enjoy the peacefulness of a small bookstore at the Center of the Universe, but they can’t in any way agree to cooperate in the world outside these walls?

Why is it that within the shop these folks lie dangerously near each other in peace?

There’s Anais Nin and Nancy Drew and Harry Potter and Jesus Christ and the Great’s Catherine and Alexander and Hopalong Cassidy and Superman and Norman Bates and Hannibal Lector and the Judy’s Canova and Garland and the Lucy’s Van Pelt and Ball and the Marx’s Groucho and Karl and the Ferdinand’s King and Bull and the Bull’s Connor and Durham…

They’re all here, folks, and they are getting along just fine.

If you want a gentle break from the craziness of a world gone impolite, just wander into the bookstore at the Center of the Universe, have a MoonPie on me, gaze in awe at the only place where the War of the Worlds is not taking place.

Then, re-energized, re-awakened, venture forth onto the streets and take some of that peacefulness with you and spread it around.

Who knows what could come of that?

Just a thought © Jim Reed 2015

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ford when the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Cook and Clifford would later tour as Creedance Clearwater Revisited. The breakup would also put Fogerty at odds with Fantasy Records, who legally owned the band’s catalog.

Despite these issues, Fogerty pressed forth to become a very successful solo artist. He scored a hit in 1975 with “Rockin’ All Over the World”, but his subsequent efforts during the decade failed to match his previous output commercially and critically. However, in 1985 his career was reenergized with the release of the album Centerfield. The title track continues to be used at baseball events nationwide. However, the rest of the album contained many veiled insults to CCR’s former manager and record company. By the end of the decade, he was playing CCR material in his live set again. Since then, he has continued to record and tour on a regular basis. In 2005, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Fogerty also has the odd distinction of being accused in court of plagiarizing himself. As part of his fight with Fantasy Records, issues arose over the song “Old Man Down the Road”, which Fantasy Records claimed copied the chorus from CCR’s “Run Through the Jungle”, Friday He Febwon 27ththe case a song Fogerty wrote. when he proved Velcro in courtPygmies that the songs were both unique compositions.

Saturday Feb 28th Fogerty brings yet another major act Triotogether to the Amp, which isMojo putting quite an impressive lineup so far this Mar season. AlongWednesday with the likes of 4th Dave Karaoke Matthews Band, Boston, Needtobreathe w/DJ ProtoJ and Blackstreet, Fogerty brings another big name with tons of experience to the Thursday 5th venue. Fans will likely getMar a healthy Karaoke dose of both Creedance and Fogerty’s w/DJ solo material, as well asProtoJ some covers from artists that helped him find his voice. It will be something fans of classic rock sure won’t want to miss.

>>> CULTURE | W I L L I A M B A R S H O P

BLACK NOTES // MARY WEEMS CHANNELS VOLUMES OF HISTORY

M

ary Weems begins her journey through black history with a Negro spiritual, sung low and mournful as she appears before a crowd in Gorgas Library at the University of Alabama.

“Sometimes I feel like a motherless child,” she sang. Later in her monologue, she bursts into “Give Up the Funk” by George Clinton of Parliament, bringing out a more joyful, modern piece of AfricanAmerican culture.

Weems performed “Black Notes,” a one-woman performance piece from her new book Blackeyed: Monologues and Plays as part of her visit to UA on Feb. 12, confronting topics of race, gender, sexuality and domestic violence, channeling many personas and guiding the audience through a litany of hardships.

She brings baggage to the stage, literally. A suitcase marked with stickers from foreign lands holds artifacts that connect each chapter of the story – a rope, a shoe, a pair of men’s underwear.

“Dr. Weems’s work is raw, edgy, honest and beautifully articulated,” said Robin Boylorn, an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Studies at UA. “As a poet and playwright she has a way with words that makes them literally sing. You can’t help but be mesmerized and invested in what she says, how she says it, and the tones and rhythms in which the words come at you.”

When Boylorn heard that Weems would be touring to promote her new book, she thought it would be a great opportunity for UA students to experience performance art.

In “Black Notes,” Weems moves from the persona of a slave who jumps ship to a man stopped by a traffic cop. She becomes a lesbian who has lost her lover, and the prisoner of an alcoholic abuser, all revolving back to the subject of race.

When she concludes her performance, she asks for reactions.

Taireez Niswander, an accounting assistant at UA, is one audience member

who speaks up, marveling at how much She decided to use her talent to tackle her thoughts on race changed since she the pain she saw in her society. moved from Canada to Alabama.

“Sometimes if you try to tackle every“Coming to America, it’s like a slap in thing, it’s not just ineffective. It’s spiritthe face,” Niswander said. “I couldn’t bekilling,” Weems said. “Try to pick one thing lieve how differently people were treated.” and focus your energy on it. For me, it’s Niswander is white, but said the bold, being black.” emotional look at the black experience One of Weems’ most notable plays evoked a strong sense of duty. is “MEAT,” which deals with serial killer “This is supposed to be the land of the Anthony Sowell, who killed 11 women free and the home of the brave,” Niswanin the Cleveland neighborhood where der said. “So what happened to free?

Weems’ mother still resides. Weems said What happened to brave?” the police excused complaints of the smell In fact, most of the audience members around Sowell’s house by citing a nearby who spoke after Weems’ finished were black-owned sausage shop. white. Boylorn said those interactions can “If that was a white neighborhood,” be important in addition to the connecWeems said. “They wouldn’t have dared tions made with black audiences. say it was the smell of sausage. If you’ve “I believe that it is important to both ever smelled a dead body, you know it confront and educate white audiences and doesn’t smell like sausage.” to connect and share with black audiBoylorn said that art is not only an ences,” Boylorn said. “I don’t prioritize one important way of analyzing issues of over the other, but rather seek balance race and identity – it may be a necessary between the two. The goal, for me, is to method of exploration. create a space conducive to honesty, vul“… art (in its many iterations) can help nerability and open dialogue about topics make controversial and complicated that are oftentimes taboo.” aspects of our identities and lived experiAfter the event and some meet-andences accessible to a larger audience,” greets with the audience, Weems said she Boylorn said. “And then, when we lay it all was emotionally exhausted. bare, we can talk about what we see, feel, “Most people don’t realize that!” and think, and learn from it.”

Weems said. “It is exhausting, to go Weems’ book, Blackeyed: Monologues through all that in front of everyone. It’s and Plays is available now via Amazon, a lot.” and her previous books are available in Weems remembered the first poem limited supply through distributors like she ever wrote, after she saw a neighBarnes and Noble. bor get hit by a car crossing the street. She was the 13 years old at the time, and wrote from the perspective of death, trying to empathize with him to understand what she had seen.

For 20 years she kept every poem she wrote in a puzzle box with a picture of an Amazon queen, not showing one word to anyone but her family. When she finally showed her poetry to a teacher, the Artifacts that connect each chapter of the story – a teacher told her “You have talent.

What are you going to do with it?” rope, a shoe, a pair of men’s underwear.

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>>> AWA R D | B E R T P A U L S E N

LAURA LINEBERRY WINS TOP LOCAL AWARD FOR PLANET WEEKLY COVERS // THE REGIONALS ARE NEXT P

lanet Weekly’s noted cover designer, Laura Lineberry, has been awarded a Golden Addy by the Tuscaloosa Advertising Federation, which is part of the 210-member American Advertising Federation.

Planet Weekly publisher Linda Johnson said she was thrilled to hear the news. “We have always loved Laura’s cover designs. They’ve consistently made a statement about who we are and what our audience likes.”

Lineberry is an instructor at the University of Alabama in Graphic Design. She also teaches four digital media courses, including typography and layout. Laura is also an advisor to Mosaic Magazine, a student-run publication for the UA’s Honors College. Coincidentally, at the same time Laura was receiving her Gold Addy award, Mosaic won Best of Show in the Student ADDYS. Sponsored by the AAF, the American Advertising Awards (formerly the ADDYs) honor excellence in advertising and cultivate the highest creative standards

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in the industry at the national level. The competition begins at the local level with the 210 AAF member clubs nationwide from which local winners proceed to 14 regional competitions, and those winners proceed to the national finals. In addition, entries are solicited and accepted from entrants outside the U.S. whose awardwinning work joins the prestigious list of

Gold AAA winners.

The Tuscaloosa Advertising Federation is a professional organization comprised of individuals who are employed in various aspects of the advertising industry. The membership includes advertising agencies, marketing departments, broadcast and media, industry suppliers and other advertising-related professionals.

>>> PLANETWEEKLY • TUSCALOOSA'S SOURCE FOR ENTERTAINMENT, MUSIC, SPORTS & THE ARTS

>>> C U LT U R E | M E G H A N T E A R P L U M M E R

VISITING POET TO GIVE READING ON UA CAMPUS

T

he Coal Royalty Fund of the English Department at the University of Alabama presents Cathy Park Hong.

NEA Fellow and poet Cathy Park Hong will give a reading of her work on Thursday, March 26, at 7 p.m. in Room 205 of the University of Alabama’s Gorgas Library. Ms. Hong visits campus as the final Coal Royalty Chairholder of the academic year, following Verlyn Klinkenborg’s visit in October 2014. Ms. Hong’s work will be featured on handmade broadsides created and available for free, courtesy of UA’s Book Arts Program. Ms. Hong’s books, Engine Empire, Dance Dance Revolution, and Translating Mo’um, will be available for purchase.

Cathy Park Hong’s first book, Translating Mo’um, was published in 2002

by Hanging Loose Press. Her second

collection, Dance Dance Revolution, was chosen for the Barnard Women Poets Prize and was published in 2007 by W.W. Norton. Her third book of poems, Engine Empire, was published in Spring 2012

by W.W. Norton. Hong is also the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, and the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship. Her poems have been published in A Public Space, Poetry, Paris Review, Conjunctions, McSweeney’s, APR, Boston Review, and other journals. She is poetry editor for The New Republic and an Associate Professor at Sarah Lawrence College.

The Program in Creative Writing at the University of Alabama invites two visiting writers per year as Coal Royalty Chairholders, a position made possible by a generous endowment from the Coal Royalty Fund. Chairholders visit for one-week residencies that include craft lectures, conferences with MFA students, and a public reading of their work. Recent Chairholders include Rick Moody, Timothy Donnelly, Roxane Gay, Claudia Keelan, Cecil Giscombe, and many others.

Thursday, March 26, 2015, 7:00PM Room 205, Gorgas Library The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 Contact: Meghan Tear Plummer, (337) 499-7648, cwfifi@ua.edu

Thu / 12 – DAMS Fri / 13 – SXSW Preview show Sat / 14 – Against Grace Tue / 17 – Baak Gwai & Couches St Patrick's Day Show Thu / 19 – Mary Tylosaur with IMTP Fri / 20 – Thieves of Sunrise Sat / 21 – MoBro's Thu / 26 – Kristen Cothron & The Darkside Fri / 27 – Rapanui

ANNUAL BFA EXHIBIT AT THE CAC T he University of Alabama Department of Art and Art History is pleased announce its 2015 Annual BFA Juried Exhibition opening at The University of Alabama Gallery in the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center in Tuscaloosa, March 6, with a public reception in the gallery beginning at 5:30 p.m.

The exhibition, which runs from March 6 to April 3, features Bachelor of Fine Arts candidates whose work has been selected by faculty jurors. All UA undergraduate art majors who passed the review for the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree were eligible to enter the competition, juried by a committee comprised of UA studio faculty. Exhibitors in the juried show are Bachelor of Fine Arts majors Ausharea Adams, Jenna Cape, Meg Howton, Ali Hval, Ali Jackson, Tanika Powers, and Kelsey White.

Faculty coordinator and Assistant Professor Pete Schulte said, "The diverse body of work presented in the 2015 edition of the Annual BFA Juried Exhibition represents the most ambitious and informed work being created by undergraduates working toward to a professional arts degree in the studio program at UA."

The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree is the professional degree for the artist; it is also the foundation for the masters program in studio art at UA. The annual juried event seeks to give BFA students the chance to compete and exhibit their work while still in school, rather than at the end of their tenure, providing art students more opportunities to exhibit and participate in art events before graduation.

For more information about the BFA degree and our other degree programs in the Department of Art and Art History, go to http://art.ua.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/babfa-in-studio-art/ or contact the department at (205) 348-5967.

For further information, contact Rachel Dobson, communications specialist, 205/348-1893, rachel.dobson@ua.edu

>>> PLANETWEEKLY • TUSCALOOSA'S SOURCE FOR ENTERTAINMENT, MUSIC, SPORTS & THE ARTS

MARCH 12 + MARCH 26

9

>>> W I N E R E V I E W

| JON ROGERS

FRANK FAMILY CHARDONNAY // ELEGANT // BOGLE MERLOT // A CHUNKY SIPPER

F

rank Family Chardonnay comes from the Frank Family Vineyards in Calistoga, California, USA. For this review, I tasted the Frank Family Vineyards 2013 Carneros Chardonnay.

I received this wine as a sample for tasting purposes.

The Frank Family folks were kind enough to send along a letter with some great information about this wine.

In the letter they explained that the Carneros AVA is great for cooler climate varietals.

They also explained that this AVA produces very low grape yields, resulting in “grapes with strong character and balanced acidity.”

Additionally, Frank Family Chardonnay is fermented in about 1/3 new, 1/3 once and 1/3 twice-filled French oak barrels for nine months. I hadn’t seen that combination before.

In the glass, this wine is light straw in color with white gold reflections from the light.

When I uncorked this wine I immediately noticed the aroma. It seemed to burst from the bottle!

On the nose I noticed sweet lemon and a general citrus-like aroma. I also picked up a bit of pear in the second glass I poured.

Frank Family Chardonnay alcohol content 14.4% per the bottle. I did notice just a bit of the alcohol in the aroma, but it definitely wasn’t overwhelming.

Most notable in the taste were flavors of lemon zest. The flavor was tempered in the mid-palate by a sweeter taste. Frank Family Vineyards describes it as Meyer Lemon.

The wine’s finish was quite long and a little more bitter than I would have liked.

The finish is noticeable all over the palate.

Notes of crisp green apple were evident, as the tasting notes suggested.

Overall, I enjoyed Frank Family Chardonnay. I found it to be an elegant Chardonnay that stands on its own as a sipper.

My only concern was with the “competition” between the bitterness and the green apple of the finish. I liked the green apple but felt that the bitterness didn’t balance well with it. The level of the green apple in the finish was fine, but the bitterness was a bit too much for me.

On a positive note, I was really impressed by the complexities of the aroma and flavors.

Frank Family Chardonnay price $35.00 (suggested retail price, per the

10

MARCH 12 + MARCH 26

tasting notes).

If you’re a Chardonnay aficionado and looking for a smaller, family-produced wine with a lot of character, give this one a try.

B

ogle Merlot comes from Bogle Vineyards in Clarksburg, California. For this review, I tasted the 2012 vintage of the Bogle Merlot.

According to the winemaker’s notes, the 2012 Merlot had a great growing season in California. Most notable was a long and cool summer.

Fruit for the wine was sourced from the Lodi, Clarksburg and Monterey vineyards.

Aging occurred for twelve months in American oak barrels and the wine was released in February of 2014. For more info on this wine, including the technical notes, check out the Bogle Merlot page on the Bogle Vineyards website.

In the glass, Bogle Merlot is dark garnet in color. Some light does penetrate this wine and many red reflections shine through.

Legs formed immediately upon swirling. They were numerous, varying in size and fell slowly down the sides of the glass.

This is a very aromatic wine. The aroma is noticeable from far away and I picked up earth, tobacco and ripe black cherry. I also noticed the aroma never faded and there was little to no whiff of alcohol.

Bogle Merlot alcohol content 13.5%, per the bottle. The wine’s taste was very enjoyable. Noted were flavors of bold dark cherry and other rich dark fruits.

There was also a hint of vanilla toast. It’s a heavy Merlot, but not overly sweet. It’s also quite smooth drinking.

Tannins were very evident and nicely structured. They could be felt all over the palate.

The wine’s finish was quite long.

Although the tannins were very present, they did not overwhelm the long finish.

Overall, I really enjoyed Bogle Merlot. I found it to be a chunky Merlot. All elements of the wine balanced each other well and played nicely together.

I think this wine is a great sipper on its own. I also think the tannins in this wine would cut through a heavy sauce or juicy steak.

Bogle Merlot price $9.99. Recommend!

>>> RESTAURANTS |

W H E R E TO E AT I N T U S C A LO O SA

BREAKFAST / LUNCH Brown Bag

9425 Jones Road | Northport // 333.0970 Its speciality, fried green tomatoes, joins barbecue plates and fish filets on an extended list of meats and vegetables.

Tues 10:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Wed-Sat 10:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m.

City Cafe 408 Main Ave | Downtown Northport // 758.9171 Established in 1936. Big on food, low on price. Open for breakfast and lunch. Historic downtown Northport. Closed weekends.

CountryPride Restaurant 3501 Buttermilk Rd // 554.0215 www.ta.travelcenters.com Breakfast 24 hours. Lunch and Dinner buffet.

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store 4800 Doris Pate Dr | Exit 76 // 562.8282 www.crackerbarrel.com International House of Pancakes 724 Skyland Blvd // 366.1130 Jack's 1200 Hackberry Lane | Tuscaloosa // 345.1199 Maggie's Diner 1307 Ty Rogers Jr. Ave | Tuscaloosa // 366.0302 Mr. Bill's Family Restaurant 2715 McFarland Blvd | Tuscaloosa // 333.9312 Panera Bread 1800 McFarland Blvd *402 | Tuscaloosa // 366.8780 Quick Grill 1208 University Blvd | The Strip | Tuscaloosa // 342.0022 Rama Jama’s 1000 Bryant Dr // 750.0901 Closest restaurant to Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Sweet Home Food Bar 2218 University Blvd. | Tuscaloosa // 764-9346 Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m. – 4 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

The Waysider 1512 Greensboro Ave // 345.8239 Open for breakfast and lunch. Smoke free.

MEXICAN

Chipotle Mexican Grill 1800 McFarland Blvd E | Midtown Village // 391.0140 www.chipotle.com Don Rafa's 2313 4th Street | Temerson Square // 345.9191 El Mariachi 3520 McFarland Blvd E |Tuscaloosa // 409-8585 El Rincon (2 locations) 1225 University Blvd | Tuscaloosa // 366.0855 1726 McFarland Blvd | Northport // 330.1274 Fernando's Mexican Grill 824 McFarland Blvd E | Northport // 205.331.4587 Iguana Grill 1800 McFarland Blvd E | Midtown Village // 752.5895 Jalapeno’s Mexican Grill 2001 New Watermelon Rd | Northport // 342.3378 LaGran Fiesta 9770 Hwy 69 S // 345.8871 Los Calientes Mexican Grill 3429 McFarland Blvd E // 553.1558

Evangeline’s 1653 McFarland Blvd. North // 752.0830 Located in the Tuscaloosa Galleria. 2004 West Alabama Tourism Award Winning Restaurant. American Eclectic Cuisine. Lunch: Mon–Fri 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. | Dinner: Tues–Sat 5 p.m.

- until... Fall: Saturday Brunch.

FIVE Bar 2324 6th Street. // 205.345.6089 A restaurant/bar based on simplicity. We offer 5 entrees, 5 red wines, 5 white wines, 5 import beers, 5 domestic, and 5 signature cocktails, to go along with our full liquor bar.

Dinner: Sunday - Thursday 5-10; Friday and Saturday 5-12 Lunch: Friday and Saturday 11-3; Sunday Jazz Brunch: 10-3 five-bar.com; 205.345.6089 Kozy’s 3510 Loop Road E | near VA Medical Center // 556.4112 Great locally-sourced foods and live piono music on the weekends. |killionrestaurants.com/kozys/ Twin 3700 6th St, Tuscaloosa in Tuscaloosa Country Club | 758-7528 | http://twinpowersactivate.com Certified USDA Prime Steaks; specialty Sushi and cocktails. Hours: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.; 5 – 10 p.m.

JAPANESE

Benkei Japanese Steak House 1223 McFarland Blvd // 759-5300 Hours: Mon–Thurs 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. | Fri–Sat 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Bento Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar 1306 University Blvd // 758.7426 Hokkaido Japanese Restaurant 607 15th Street Open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Ichiban Japanese Grill & Sushi 502 15th Street // 752.8844 Tokyo Japanese Steak & Sushi Bar 6521 Hwy 69 S | Hillcrest Center // 366.1177 Offers steak, seafood, tempura, teriyaki and sushi. Including cooking at your table, if you choose. Sun–Thurs 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Fri & Sat 5 p.m. - 11 p.m.

Kobe Steak House 1800 McFarland Blvd E | Midtown Village // 759-1400 Lunch: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. | Dinner: 4:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Sat & Sun 11:30 a.m. - 11 p.m.

ITALIAN

Avenue Pub 405 23rd Avenue

Broadway Pizzeria 2880 Rice Mine Road Northeast Tuscaloosa, // 391.6969 DePalma’s Italian Cafe 2300 University Blvd, Downtown // 759.1879 Menu ranges from sanwiches to finer pasta dishes and pizza.

Varied beer and wine selection.

Hours: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. | Fri & Sat 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. www.depalmascafe.com Little Italy 1130 University Blvd. | Tuscaloosa // 205.345.4343

Los Tarascos (2 locations) 1759 Skyland Blvd // 553.8896 3380 McFarland Blvd | Northport // 330.0919

Mellow Mushroom 2230 University Blvd // 758.0112 Pizzas, calzones, hoagies and more. Open daily for lunch and dinner. www.mellowmushroom.com

Margarita's Grill 1241 McFarland Blvd E // 343.0300

Mr. G’s 908 McFarland Blvd N | Northport // 339-8505

Moe’s Southwest Grill (2 locations) 2330 McFarland Blvd E // 342.1487 1130 University Blvd // 752.0234 moes.com

Olive Garden 2100 McFarland Blvd E // 750-0321 Open daily from 11 a.m. www.olivegarden.com

Pepito’s (2 locations) 1203 University Blvd | The Strip // 391.9028 1301 McFarland Blvd NE // 391.4861 Taco Mama 2104 A University Blvd, Tuscaloosa 409.8173

FINE DINING

Chuck’s Fish 508 Greensboro Ave | Downtown Tuscaloosa // 248.9370 Monday - Thursday 5-10 p.m. and Friday - Saturday 5-11 p.m.

Steak, seafood, & sushi specialities. Daily specials: Monday - $20 Bottles of Wine; Tuesday - Ladies Night 1/2 off Domestic Beer and House Wine, Select $5 Martinis, $2 off Select Sushi Rolls for Everyone; Uptown Wednesday - $6 Uptown Shrimp; Featured Cocktails and $20 Bottles of Wine.

More wine reviews by Jon Rogers at www. honestwinereviews.com

Epiphany Cafe 19 Greensboro Ave | Downtown Tuscaloosa // 344.5583 “New American cuisine” with a strong emphasis on local produce, organic meats, and sustainable seafood. The menu is always changing and features include an extensive wine list, a large vibrant bar and martini lounge area, as well as patio seating. Reservations are available online at epiphanyfinedining.com or through open table. Hours: Mon–Sat 5 p.m. - until

Cypress Inn 501 Rice Mine Rd // 345.6963 Fax: 345.6997 | www.cypressinnrestaurant.com 2003 Restaurant of Distinction. Beautiful riverfront location.

Steaks, seafood and more with Southern flavor. Wine list, full bar. Specialities of the house include Shrimp Cypress Inn and Smoked Chicken with white barbecue sauce. Kid friendly.

Closed Saturday lunch. Mike Spiller is featured the first Thursday of every month. Happy Hour- Mon-Fri from 4:30 p.m. 6:30 p.m. featuring 1/2 price appetizers. $2 Domestic Draft Beers and $3 Well cocktails.

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CASUAL DINING

Avenue Pub 405 23rd Avenue // Tuscaloosa The pub offers a different menu for brunch, lunch, and dinner.

Feature foods include pineapple French toast, pork sliders, and a house burger which changes daily. The drink menu features specialty cocktails, local pints, bottled beer, and wine.

Monday through Friday 11 a.m. – 11 p.m., Saturday Noon – 11 p.m., Sunday Noon p.m. – 9 p.m.

Big Daddy’s Cafe 514 Greensboro Ave | Downtown Tuscaloosa // 759.9925 The Blue Plate Restaurant (Was Northport Diner) 450 McFarland Blvd, Northport // 462-3626 Brumfield's Restaurant 4851 Rice Mine Road | Tuesday - Thursday: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., Friday - Saturday: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., and Sunday: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Buddy’s Ribs & Steaks 2701 Bridge Ave | Northport // 339.4885 Buffalo Wild Wings 2710 McFarland Blvd // 523.0273 Mon–Wed 11 a.m. - midnight | Thurs–Sat 11 a.m. - 2 a.m.

Chicken Salad Chick The Shoppes at Midtown & Essex Square, Northport | Said to be the very best chicken salad that can be found anywhere. www.

>>> RESTAURANTS |

W H E R E T O E AT I N T U S C A L O O S A ( C O N T. )

chickensaladchick.com Chili’s 1030 Skyland Blvd | Near McFarland Mall // 750.8881 Fax: 758.7715 // www.chilis.com Dave’s Dogs 1701 McFarland Blvd E | University Mall // 722.2800 Five Guys Burgers & Fries 1800 McFarland Blvd E | Midtown Village // 391.0575 www.fiveguys.com Glory Bound Gyro Company 2325 University Blvd // 349-0505 Glory Bound Gyro Company is a unique restaurant that focuses on great food and service in a funky, fun-filled atmosphere.

Open Mon-Thu: 11am - 10pm | Fri - Sat: 11am-10pm | Sun: 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Heritage House 700 Towncenter | Northport // 758.0042 Open Mon-Fri 7 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Hooligan’s 1915 University Blvd // 759.2424 From hamburgers to hummus. Open daily 10 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Horny's 508 Red Drew Ave | Tuscaloosa // 345.6869 Mon 4 p.m. - 2 a.m. | Tues-Thurs 11 a.m. - 2 a.m.

Fri 11 a.m. - 3 a.m. | Sat 4 p.m. - 2 a.m.

New Orleans style atmosphere in the heart of Tuscaloosa on the strip. Horny's offerings include a full liquor bar, beer, and a variety of classic American food. Horny's Bar and Grill offers a limited late night menu from 1:30 a.m. - 2:30 a.m.

Logan's Roadhouse 1511 Skyland Blvd E // 349.3554 Madear’s 1735 Culver Road // 343.7773 Mon–Fri 6 a.m. - 5 p.m. | 2nd & 3rd Sunday 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Mugshots Grill & Bar 511 Greensboro Ave | Downtown Tuscaloosa // 391.0572 Great burgers & sandwiches. Unique setting, full service bar, veggie entrees, kid friendly, and open late www.mugshotsgrillandbar.com Newk’s Express Cafe 205 University Blvd. East // 758.2455 Fax: 758.2470 // www.newkscafe.com An express casual dining experience in a refreshing and stylish atmosphere. Serving fresh tossed salads, oven baked sandwiches, California style pizzas and homemade cakes from Newk’s open kitchen. Sun–Wed 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. | Thurs–Sat 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

O’Charley’s 3799 McFarland Blvd // 556.5143 Open daily for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch www.ocharleys.com Panera Bread 1800 McFarland Blvd E | Midtown Village // 366.8780 www.panerabread.com Piccadilly Cafeteria 1701 McFarland Blvd E | University Mall // 556.4960 www.piccadilly.com Quick Grill 1208 University Blvd | The Strip // 342.0022 www.bamaquickgrill.com Ruby Tuesday (2 locations) 6421 Interstate Drive | Cottondale // 633.3939 Just off I-20/59 at exit 77. Near Hampton Inn and Microtel Inn 311 Merchants Walk | Northport // 345.4540 www.rubytuesdays.com Ryan’s 4373 Courtney Dr // 366.1114 Near Marriott Courtyard and Fairfield Inn Sitar Indian Cuisine 500 15th St // 345-1419 Southland Restaurant 5388 Skyland Blvd E // 556.3070 Steaks, chops and home-cooked vegetables Mon–Fri 10:45 a.m. - 9 p.m.

T-Town Café 500 14th Street, Tuscaloosa | 759-5559 |www.ttowncafe.co Mon - Fri: 5 a.m. - 9 p.m., Sat: 5 a.m. - 3 p.m. Sun: 10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Tacogi 500 Greensboro Ave | Downtown Tuscaloosa // 342.3647 Tuscaloosa Burger & Seafood Company 1014 7th Ave. | Tuscaloosa // 764.1976 Over 160 craft beers.

Tue. - Thu 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fri - Sat 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sun 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Large selection of decadent desserts.

Zoe’s Kitchen 312 Merchants Walk // 344.4450 A wonderful selection of Greek foods

SPORTS GRILL

Baumhower's Wings of Tuscaloosa 500 Harper Lee Drive | catering-Pick-up Tuscaloosa // 556.5858 | Always fresh and always fun. Owned by former UA/ Miami Dolphins great Bob Baumhower. Kid Friendly Buffalo Phil’s 1149 University Blvd | The Strip // 758.3318 Sports grille with TVs galore. Diverse beer and wine selection, full bar Billy's Sports Grill Historic Downtown Northport / 879.2238 Good food, beverages and family friendly Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m.-10 p.m., and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. till 9 p.m. (Sunday Brunch 10:30am-3pm).

Buffalo Wild Wings 2710 McFarland Blvd. East | Tuscaloosa // 523.0273 Sports grille with TVs galore. Diverse beer and wine selection, full bar

Champs Sports Grille 320 Paul Bryant Drive | inside Four Points Sheraton Hotel // 752.3200 Breakfast and lunch buffets. Sunday brunch 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Hooter’s 5025 Oscar Baxter Dr | Next to Jameson Inn // 758.3035 Wings, clams, shrimp and of course the Hooters Girls www.hooters.com

>>> B E E R R E V I E W | B R E T T R E I D

JESTER KING // BEER NERDS WILL GET EXCITED

Innisfree Irish Pub 1925 University Blvd | Tuscaloosa // 345.1199 Moe's BBQ 101 15th Street | Downtown Tuscaloosa // 752.3616 Mon-Sat 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Bar open until 2 a.m., 3 a.m. on Fridays Mugshots Grill & Bar 511 Greensboro Ave // 391.0572 Great burgers. Full service bar. Open late. www.mugshotsgrillandbar.com Tuscaloosa Burger & Seafood Company 1014 7th Ave. | Tuscaloosa // 764.1976 Over 160 craft beers.

Tue. - Thu 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fri - Sat 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sun 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Large selection of decadent desserts Wilhagan’s 2209 4th St | Downtown Tuscaloosa // 366.0913 Wings U 1800 McFarland Blvd East Suite 218 | Pick-up Tuscaloosa // 561.3984 Features the first coal-fired pizza oven in Alabama.

Owned by former UA/Miami Dolphins great Bob Baumhower.

Completely open concept! www.wingsu.com WingZone 1241 McFarland Blvd E | Tuscaloosa // 342.2473

BARBEQUE

Archibald & Woodrow's BBQ 4215 Greensboro Ave | Tuscaloosa // 331.4858 Mon-Sat 10:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. | Sun lunch

Photo: Brett Reid

Bama BBQ & Grill 3380 McFarland Blvd | Northport // 333.9816 Dickey's BBQ (3 locations) 9770 Alabama 69; Midtown; and 13544 Hwy 43 North at Rose Blvd. in Northport. Texas Barbecue. | 344.6500 1800 McFarland Blvd, Midtown Village, Tuscaloosa. | 758-1133 13544 Hwy 43 North, Winn Dixie Shopping Center, Northport. | 330-1147 Dreamland (2 locations) 5535 15th Ave | Tuscaloosa // 758.8135 101 Bridge Ave | Northport // 343.6677 The legend. On game day, get there early if you want to make kickoff. Seating is limited. Hours: Mon–Sat 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. | Sun 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Hick’s BBQ 4400 Fayette Hwy // 339.3678 // Tues–Sat 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Moe's Original BBQ 2101 University Blvd.. // 752.3616 Serving up an award-winning, all things Southern BBQ and Live music experience. Come dine-in or sit on the patio and enjoy some great Que, beers, whiskey, and live music on Thursday-Saturday. Roll Tide!

Mon–Sat 11am - 10pm | Bar service Mon-Sat 2am and Fri -3am | Kitchen closes at 10pm Pottery Grill (2 locations) Highway 11 | Cottondale // 554.1815 3420 Alabama 69 | Northport // 333.5848 Menu: thepotterygrill.com Awesome barbecue. The Pottery Grill serves up everything from pork, chicken, ribs and sausage to burgers, hot dogs and salads.

Take-out and catering available.

Tee’s Ribs and Thangs 1702 10th Avenue // 366.9974 |11 a.m. - 10 p.m. daily

STEAKS

Logan’s Roadhouse 1511 Skyland Blvd | next to Sams // 349.3554 Steaks, ribs and spirits Longhorn Steakhouse 1800 McFarland Blvd E | Midtown Village // 345-8244 #412 New Orleans Steak and Seafood House 824 McFarland Boulevard |11:00 a.m. till 11:00 p.m. daily.

248-7666 Nick's In the Sticks 4018 Culver Rd | Tuscaloosa // 758.9316 A long-time Tuscaloosa tradition.

Good steaks at a reasonable price Try a Nicodemus if you have a designated driver.

Outback Steakhouse 5001 Oscar Baxter Dr // 759.9000 Twin Restaurant 3700 6th Street |Tuscaloosa | 758-7528 A full service restaurant specializing in Sushi, Prime Steaks, made fresh daily pasta, and whiskey oriented cocktails. 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. // Former Tuscaloosa Country Club

SEAFOOD

Chuck’s Fish 508 Greensboro Ave | Downtown Tuscaloosa // 248.9370 Monday - Thursday 5-10 p.m. and Friday - Saturday 5-11 p.m. Steak, seafood, & sushi specialities. Daily specials: Monday - $20 Bottles of Wine; Tuesday - Ladies Night 1/2 off Domestic Beer and House Wine, Select $5 Martinis, $2 off Select Sushi Rolls for Everyone; Uptown Wednesday - $6 Uptown Shrimp; Featured Cocktails and $20 Bottles of Wine.

W

hile I was recently in Austin, Texas, my wife and I did a brewery tour of sorts.

We took a day trip to Shiner, TX, where we saw the Spoetzl Brewery where Shiner is made, we visited Hops and Grain Brewery in Austin, Austin Beerkworks in Austin, and, most importantly, we visited one of the strangest and most beautiful breweries I have ever bore witness to. Situated on top of a mountain in the Texas hill country sits Jester King, a traditional farmhouse style brewery preserving the farmhouse style of brewing that has become somewhat of a lost art in this day an age. It’s not uncommon for the Jester King beer that you’re drinking to have been aging for nearly a year before it’s poured into your glass, but that’s far from the oddest thing that separates this place from all the other breweries in Austin. Jester King, as a whole, is like a mad scientist when it comes to beer, and with so much experimentation, they’re not afraid to tell you that a lot of the time, they don’t get it right. I appreciate a brewery that is upfront and honest about producing beer that may not be good or even palatable.

Although, on the flip side of that, some of their beers are amazing and also amazingly handcrafted to reflect the exact intention and vision that brewers had months ago when the beer was made. With all this being said, I recently found out that Jester King is distributed in Birmingham and, honestly, this is something that everyone needs to take advantage of. I found one of the beers that weren’t available at the taproom when I was there, the Wytchmaker Farmhouse Rye IPA, so I brought it home. I chilled it for the whole day and cracked it open; here are my thoughts: First of all, before we move any further, I mentioned that the brewery was beautiful, but that description really doesn’t do it justice. See for yourself: I took that photo with my phone.

The property was gorgeous and the sunset that was beginning as soon as we

got there was really the icing on the cake.

The employees were super friendly and the tour was really informative as well. One of the craziest things that Jester King does differently than a lot of places is their use of a Cool Ship on cool Texas nights. Basically what the Cool Ship does is it holds the beer in a shallow stainless steel vessel, about 2 feet deep and about 12 feet squared, over night. While the beer is in the Cool Ship, the brewers open up the barn doors of the brewery and create a wind tunnel-like draft so that while the beer is resting in the Cool Ship, wild yeasts and bacteria can fall into the beer and literally have the Texas Hill Country add its own flavors and aspects to each Jester King brew. This is the type of stuff that gets beer nerds like myself excited.

No one does this, and I mean no one, but anyways, back to the beer.

When I opened this beer, there wasn’t much of a noise, but as I continued to open the bottle, the beer started to foam over and exploded through the top. I wasted about a third of the bottle, but I’ve come to expect this, because the last bottle I drank did the exact same thing. The beer poured with about three finger widths of foam and a very hazy golden color. The smell is strong in the way of Brett yeast along with some citrus and grape, which probably comes from the fact that a lot of their beer is aged in old wine barrels. Another cool thing about Jester King is that they do not filter their beer so until you drink it, the beer is still fermenting with the yeast in the bottle.

I bring that up because the Wytchmaker I drank was bottled in July of 2013. Here’s a great way to think about their beer: if I were to take two bottles of the same beer, drink one tonight and save the other, the other bottle would taste completely different in two weeks. That’s mind-blowing to me, and I love every bit of it.

The first taste that I get was pretty funky.

Let’s be clear though, Farmhouse style

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CONTINUED ON PAGE 17 MARCH 12 + MARCH 26

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>>> F O O D R E V I E W | S H E E N A G R E G G

A VEGAN FOODIE DREAM // COOKING WINN I

n a perfect world, there would be a place that offered exclusively vegetarian and vegan fare, inspired by ethnic flavors and the palate cravings of the customers.

Even better, this place would use locally grown produce and deliver these meals right to your door.

This place is in Tuscaloosa, and the woman behind it is Catherine Winn. As a doctoral student in Renaissance literature, Winn started cooking at the encouragement of her friends and at the necessity of supporting her family.

“I had never thought of running a business or selling food, but my close friends planted the seed. I set up a booth at last year's Birth Fair, and people turned out to be both interested and incredibly supportive. Starting Cooking Winn was not part of my official plan…I study Renaissance Photo: Sheena literature!” says Winn. “However, Catherine Winn Gregg I have found the experience of cooking for the Tuscaloosa community tart. I was overwhelmed with the flavor deeply rewarding, and I'm thankful for the profile and textures of the enchiladas… opportunity to share my love of healthy, the kale providing a slight saltiness and responsibly-grown food with my neighcontrast with the texture of potato and bors.” made from scratch enchilada sauce. The As far as the things that inspire her decadent basil tomato tart had a richness widely global menu, Winn attributes much and savory flavor featuring fontina and of the menu ideas to the local produce of mascarpone cheese. Any doubts I had Tuscaloosa and dishes that her friends about a vegan entrée being satisfying wanted but couldn’t get locally. Fusionwent out the window with my first bites of inspired meals of the Asian, European, Cooking Winn’s food. Asking Ms. Winn and Southwestern variety are featured on again about a restaurant in her future, she Winn’s website, in addition to African flareplied,” I never imagined I'd have any vors such as an Ethiopian Medley of lentil sort of business at all, and here I am! Who wat, spiced vegetables, scrambled chickknows what the future holds? A vegan peas, and homemade injera. According cafe might do quite well next to the new to Winn, pumpkin ravioli, tomato tarts, Fresh Market…” vegetable korma, and potato kale enchiMore information on Cooking Winn, inladas top the list as customer favorites. cluding menus, catering information, and Cooking Winn’s loyal and enthusiastic fan- specials can be found at cookingwinn.com base recognizes her gastronomic talent or facebook.com/cookingwinn. and a solution to the culinary gaps of our Sheena Gregg, MS, RDN,LD is a area. “As a busy single person, I find it registered dietitian nutritionist and local difficult to find the time to cook, plus I hate “Filipino foodie.” Follow her on Twitter @ having too much leftover food. CathAFilipinoFoodie erine's dishes are great, both because of her variety and because the portions are just right. She has been a great addition to the Tuscaloosa food scene,” says Grace Lee, a frequent Cooking Winn customer.

Despite the popularity in this culinary project, Winn is doubtful about having her own restaurant in the future. “As much as I love cooking, I don't think owning a restaurant is in my future. I've spent seven years learning the academic ropes, and I ultimately still want to teach literature and composition,” states Winn. However, the Renaissance grad student is not opposed to creating menus for restaurants or teaching people how to cook more plantbased meals.

Recognizing that I had never tried an exclusively vegan entrée, Ms. Winn allowed me to try her now popular potato Photo: Catherine Winn kale enchiladas and vegetarian tomato

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>>> RESTAURANTS |

W H E R E TO E AT I N T U S C A LO O S A (CO N T.)

New Orleans Steak and Seafood House 824 McFarland Boulevard |11:00 a.m. till 11:00 p.m. daily.

248-7666 Red Lobster 2620 McFarland Blvd // 553.8810 McFarland Plaza Shopping Center Tin Top Restaurant & Oyster Bar 4851 Rice Mine Rd NE #460 // 462.3399 McFarland Plaza Shopping Center & Temerson Square Tuscaloosa Burger & Seafood Company 1014 7th Ave. | Tuscaloosa // 764.1976 Over 160 craft beers.

Tue. - Thu 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fri - Sat 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sun 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Large selection of decadent desserts.

Wintzell’s Oyster House 1 Bridge Ave | Northport // 247.7772 Casual riverfront dining Sun–Thurs 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. | Fri–Sat 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

CHINESE

Buffet City 1747 Skyland Blvd E // 553.3308 All you can eat buffet. Open 7 days a week.

Chang’s Chinese Restaurant 1825 McFarland Blvd N // 391.9131 China Fun 2600 University Blvd | Alberta City // 553.2435 Chongwah Express 1425 McFarland Boulevard, Northport. 333-1088 Hot Wok Express 6751 Alabama 69, Tuscaloosa // 758.0148 Lee Palace 6521 Highway 69 S // 391.9990 Open daily 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Mr. Chen's Authentic Chinese Cooking & Oriental Market 514 14th St. | In the Oz Music shopping center // 343.6889 // Open Sun - Thu 11am - 9pm, Fri & Sat 11am - 9:30pm Pearl Garden 2719 Lurleen Wallace Blvd | Northport // 339.0880 Peking Chinese Restaurant 1816 McFarland | Northport // 333.0361 Open 7 days a week. Super lunch and dinner buffet.

Hours: Sun–Thurs 11 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. | Fri & Sat 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Swen Chinese Restaurant 1130 University Blvd | The Strip // 391.9887

6521 Alabama 69 | 752.5444 Tut’s Place 1306 University Blvd | The Strip // 759.1004

DELICATESSEN

Honeybaked Ham Company 421 15th St. E // 345.5508 www.honeybaked.com

Jason’s Deli 2300 McFarland Blvd // 752.6192 Fax: 752.6193 // www.jasonsdeli.com Located in the Meadowbrook Shopping Center.

Jimmy John’s (3 locations) 1400 University Blvd | The Strip // 366.3699 1875 McFarland Blvd N | Northport // 752.7714 815 Lurleen B. Wallace S | Tuscaloosa // 722.2268 Delivery 7 days a week. www.jimmyjohns.com Manna Grocery & Deli 2300 McFarland Blvd E | Tuscaloosa // 752.9955 McAlister’s Deli (2 locations) 101 15th St | Tuscaloosa // 758.0039 3021 Tyler Dr | Northport // 330.7940 Sandwiches, salads and spuds www.mcalistersdeli.com Momma Goldberg’s Deli 409 23rd Ave // 345.5501 www.mommagoldbergs.com Newk's 205 University Blvd E | Tuscaloosa // 758.2455 Schlotsky’s Deli 405 15th St. E // 759.1975 schlotskys.com Which Wich University Blvd.// Downtown Tuscaloosa // Mon – Sat 10:30 – 9 // Sunday 11 – 7 // Fun atmosphere,fresh ingredients, great sandwiches. 764.1673

COFFEE SHOP

Barnes & Noble 1800 McFarland Blvd E | Tuscaloosa 349.6366

Chloe's Cup 2117 University Blvd.| Tuscaloosa // 764.0218 Crimson Cafe International Coffee House & Gourmet Deli 1301 University Blvd | The Strip // 750.0203 Mon–Fri 7 a.m. - 11 p.m. | Sat & Sun 8 a.m. - 11 p.m. thecrimsoncafe.com

Trey Yuen 4200 McFarland Blvd E // 752.0088

Five Java Coffee, fresh juices, smoothies and treats from Mary's Cakes.

Open Monday - Saturday at 7am; 9am on Sundays

ASIAN CUISINE Ruan Thai

Heritage House 700 Towncenter | Northport // 758.0042 Open Mon-Fri 7 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

1407 University Blvd // 391.9973 | ruanthaituscaloosa.com Exotic Thai cuisine. Offers vegetarian options, outdoor dining, and a full bar. Sushi on Thursdays. Lunch: Mon–Sat 11 a.m. -2 p.m. | Dinner: Mon–Thurs 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. Fri & Sat 5 p.m. -10pm | Sun 11 a.m. -3 p.m.

Surin of Thailand 1402 University Blvd // 752.7970 Authentic Thai restaurant and sushi bar. Open daily.

Lunch: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. | Dinner: 5 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. www.surinofthailand.com

PIZZA AND SUBS

A Taste Of Chicago 1700 Greensboro Avenue 205-342-DOGS Mon. - Thurs. 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Fri. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 10 p.m.

17th Street and Greensboro Avenue. Authentic Chicago style foods.

Italian Beef Sandwiches, Chicago Rib Tips, and Chicago Style Pizza.

California Underground 13552 Highway 43, Northport | 339.8660 Firehouse Subs 1130 University Blvd | Tuscaloosa // 248.0680 Hungry Howie’s (2 locations) 1105 Southview Ln | South Tuscaloosa // 345.6000 1844 McFarland Blvd | Northport // 333.2633 1211 University Blvd | Tuscaloosa | The Strip // 366.1500 4851 Rice Mine Rd | Northriver/Holt // 345.3737 Lenny’s Sub Shop 220 15th St // 752.7450 Fax: 752.7481 // www.lennys.com Little Caesars Pizza 1414 10th Ave // 366.2220 | 1www.littlecaesars.com Little Italy 1130 University Blvd. // 345.4354 Mellow Mushroom 2230 University Blvd | Downtown Tuscaloosa // 758.0112 Subs n' You 2427 University Blvd. | Tuscaloosa // 205.758.0088 Roly Poly Sandwiches 2300 4th Street | Tuscaloosa // 366.1222 The Pita Pit 1207 University Blvd | The Strip // 345.9606 Hours: Mon–Sat 10:30 a.m. - 3 a.m. | Sun 11:30 a.m. - midnight Pizza 120 50115th St. East | 561.6853 Pizza Palace Buffet

Krispy Kreme Doughnut 1400 McFarland Blvd // 758.6913 www.krispykreme.com Starbucks (2 locations) 1800 McFarland Blvd E | Midtown Village // 343.2468 1901 13th Ave East | inside Super Target // 462.1064 starbucks.com

DESSERTS

Celebrations Bakery, Inc. 1832 McFarland Blvd N | Northport // 339.3221 Fax: 349.1945 Cold Stone Creamery 1130 University Blvd. | Tuscaloosa //343.1670 Specializes in customized ice cream Hours: Mon–Thurs 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. | Fri & Sat 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Sun 12 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Dunkin' Donuts 2520 Stillman Blvd. |Tuscaloosa// 349.3400 McCorvey Dr. | Tuscaloosa // 348.4041 www.dunkindonuts.com Mary's Cakes & Pastries 412 22nd Avenue | behind Opus | Northport // 345.8610 www.maryscakesandpastries.com Mon–Fri 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. | Sat 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Smoothie King (2 locations) 415 15th Street | Tuscaloosa // 349.1721 Fax: 349.1945 1403 University Blvd | Tuscaloosa // 462.3664 Sweet CeCe's Frozen yogurt Treats 2217 University Blvd. | Downtown Tuscaloosa // 561.6458 A fun and friendly make your own creation, yogurt experience!

TCBY (3 Locations) 2304 Mcfarland Blbd | Meadowbrook Shopping Center // 349.4661 // 2 Mcfarland Blvd | Northport | Essex Shopping Center // 758.6855 // 1130 Univ. Blvd. | The Strip // 345.0804 Yogurt In Love Patriot Center 7402 Highway 69 South Phone Number: 764.9173 Fax Number: 764.9228 Monday-Thursday 11 a.m. - 9 p.m., Friday & Saturday 11 a.m.-10 pm.

Yogurt Lab 920 Paul W. Bryant Dr Ste 200 | Tuscaloosa // 347.9522

TO HAVE YOUR RESTAURANT LISTED HERE PLEASE EMAIL PLANETEDITOR@YAHOO.COM

>>> PLANETWEEKLY • TUSCALOOSA'S SOURCE FOR ENTERTAINMENT, MUSIC, SPORTS & THE ARTS

>>> H E A LT H | D R . R AC H E L S T E I N E R

ESSENTIAL TO THE EQUATION

S

ixty percent of our body is made up of water and just a drop in 2% of our water level can send us into dehydration. Our brain, blood, and lungs are made up of 95%, 82%, and 90% water respectively. From that alone, you can see the importance of why humans need water for survival. Did you know that when you're thirsty it is your body's signal telling you that you are already starting to become dehydrated? Signs of dehydration include fatigue, weakness, headaches, impaired memory, and trouble focusing on things like basic math and reading. Make sure you are getting the adequate amount of water daily by this easy equation. For the average person, dividing your body weight in half is how many ounces of water you should drink daily. For example, if you weigh 140 pounds, you should roughly drink 70 ounces of water per day. Of course this varies with your activity level, how much you sweat, and the climate in which you live and work. If you were drinking bottled water, the average bottle containing 16 ounces, you would need to drink 4.5 bottles a day to meet your daily requirement of water for a 140-pound person.

Water is essential to the human body just as gas is for your car. All cell and organ functions that make up our entire anatomy and physiology require water to function.

There are many benefits that you receive when you drink enough water: • Water removes toxins from our body. Water flushes toxins through the process of urination and sweating. If we are dehydrated, the body will pull fluid from our stool, which can result in constipation. When our gastrointestinal track is not removing waste regularly, this can result in excessive build up of harmful substances, which can be poisonous to our body. Drinking enough H2O is an easy way to insure waste is removed quickly and regularly. Our kidneys and liver play an important role of filtering our blood and bodily fluids and they perform more effectively and with much more ease when the body is properly hydrated.

• Water can help control caloric in-

phone app. There are phone apps available to track how much water you drink per day and remind you when you fall short of your daily requirement.

A great article that shows that water has a major effect on the body is a case written in the U.K. Google- “Drinking 10 liters of water a day took ten years off my face”—this person describes the positive changes that took place with her body and she has pictures included to

see the difference it made. Check it out!

The human body is very resilient and if we treat it well, our body has the ability to heal on its own in so many areas.

Remember, if you are thirsty, your body is already dehydrated. Cheers to drinking your way to health and achieving your goals.

Dr. Rachel Steiner is a Tuscaloosa area chiropractor.

take. Water doesn’t have any magical effect on weight loss, but it is a great substitution for higher calorie liquids. With sweet tea being a staple in our state, just think of the calories that can be spared if water replaced our tea intake.

A small glass (approximately 8 ounces) of sweet tea contains 150 calories and 36 grams of sugar (9 teaspoons). Lets do the math. Just drinking one glass of sweet tea with every meal racks up a total of 450 calories in just 3 glasses.

In a week, that is 3150 calories just in drinking sweet tea alone. 3,500 calories makes up one pound, so you can see in just a month of drinking 3 small glasses per day would add up to 4 pounds of potential weight gain. The good news is if you swap the sweet tea for water, you could lose 4 pounds per month. That is huge amount for such an easy step to take in your health!

Another way of reducing caloric intake is making it a conscious habit of drinking of glass of water before each meal. Water helps you feel full, not to the point of eating actual food, but will make you feel fuller faster which will result in you eating less.

• Water makes your skin look healthy.

Our skin is a protective barrier to prevent excessive fluid loss and is made up mostly of water. Water is essential to maintain the optimum skin moisture and aids in the delivery of nutrients to our skin cells. When we are dehydrated, our skin looks wrinkly and discolored but when we are properly hydrated, this helps reduce the visibility of wrinkles and fine lines.

Since water plays such a vital role to our bodies, it is important we are drinking clean, high quality water that is free of chemicals and other toxins. It would be a good idea to invest in a water filter that removes everyday chemicals such as chlorine and fluoride, that are found in our tap water. Brita and Pure water filters are inexpensive and can be kept in your refrigerator. Some helpful and easy ways to increase your intake of H2O include: have a glass before each meal or snack, anytime you leave the house be sure you have water with you, and consider downloading a free water

>>> PLANETWEEKLY • TUSCALOOSA'S SOURCE FOR ENTERTAINMENT, MUSIC, SPORTS & THE ARTS

BACKROAD ANTHEM MARCH 12 + MARCH 26

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>>> T H E F L A T S C R E E N | C A R A B R A K E

>>> A L B U M R E V I E W | J O R D A N C I S S E L L

TERRAPLANE // STEVE "DANCE MOMS" EARLE'S FUN TRIBUTE // LIVING ON THE TO TEXAS BLUES DANCE FLOOR

"Agent Carter"

R T

exas blues has always run a little contrary in tone to its counterparts in the Southeast. The line is by no means a hard and fast one, but generally speaking, the old Mississippi howlers have cultivated a reputation for conveying the anguish, disappointment and frustration of generations of impoverished Delta life, whereas proponents of the Texas sound have traditionally devoted their efforts towards the more upbeat expression of raw, electrified jump and swagger. Steve Earle displays an intuitive understanding of this historical discrepancy throughout his new album Terraplane, his ode to the blues of the Lone Star State.

The guitar on “The Usual Time” oozes with all kinds of Freddie King-esque muscle and strut.

“Baby Baby Baby” kicks off in a slurred flurry of blues harp until the guitar, bass, and drum kick in at the eight-second mark in raw, gut-punching unison. Earle peppers his leering growl with a few Buddy Holly octave hiccups, but it’s clear he’s going for efficient, rather than adroit, delivery. “Growl” appears in the preceding sentence quite literally; Earle ends several phrases with a snarl reminiscent of a lion waking from a nap.

Earle’s versatility of inflection is one of the album’s highlights. On each track, he warps and melds his delivery to match the character of the song’s narrator. He opines in a slurred drawl on “You’re the Best Lover That I Ever Had,” and he portrays the carefree bachelor in “Ain’t Nobody’s Daddy Now” with a nasally, twopacks-a-day whine.

His band, the Dukes, is in tight form, too.

The walking bass and boom-pop boom-pop drums of “You’re the Best Lover That I Ever Had” are in perfect lockstep, and the subtle, trebly guitar washes that permeate each verse shimmer like motor oil spilled across the asphalt of a Wal-Mart parking lot.

The soaring, echo-laced guitar solo on “Go Go Boots Are Back” beautifully

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belies the dense, churning riff from which it emerges, and “Ain’t Nobody’s Daddy Now” opens in molasses slide guitar that cedes purchase to bouncing, finger-picked acoustic guitar plucks and lively fiddle swoops.

“The Tennessee Kid,” a spoken-word take on the archetypal Devil-vs.-young’un instrumental showdown, buzzes with ambient guitar hum, and slippery fiddle and plunky banjo duel for supremacy on “Acquainted with the Wind.” The strutting stand-up bass and swinging vocal delivery from guest Eleanor Whitmore on “My Baby’s Just As Mean As Me” push the song to the border of lounge jazz territory.

This record jumps around amongst a whole bunch of sounds and narrative voices, but the aforementioned Texan dedication to facing down adverse conditions with a laissez-faire nod and a jumping blues beat serves as the songs’ shared thematic tether.

“A gambler ain’t got no friends when his luck is down / but when he’s riding high they all hang around,” Earle explains over gentle snare brushes on “Gamblin’ Blues.”

But his narrator never sounds resigned to his cyclical lot in a life lived by the cards and the dice. He’s just looking ahead to the next deal, and the slim – but everpresent – chance that it’ll bring a straight flush.

eality shows are rampant with drama, screaming, and more drama. Each show differs, but it seems like they all have the same amount of angst. What differs, though, is the plot.

Whether it is a bunch of women living in one house, or one man picking between twelve different girls, the plot is what keeps shows interesting.

In the case of Lifetime’s “Dance Moms”, is a show about dance competition team moms and their daughters, the dancers. The dance teacher and owner of the Abby Lee Dance Company, Abby Lee Miller, teaches the girls about professional dancing, with questionable teaching methods. Abby is tough, and is hard on her girls to make them champions. The biggest thing standing in her way is the girls’ mothers, who question Abby nonstop. The girls are national champions, but not without hard work.

“Dance Moms” started in 2011, and remains popular four seasons in. It is hard to pinpoint cast members, since the team rotates out every few seasons, but the few steady members are Madison, Mackenzie, and Kendall. Season one dancers start with the first three, adding Chloe, Brooke, and Paige. The

>>> VISIT US ON THE WEB @ THEPLANETWEEKLY.COM

girls go through the competition season, each show season being one competition year, and the cameras follow their rigorous training.

Ratings have skyrocketed for the show, with 1.1 to 1.4 million viewers since the premier. It has also racked up awards and nominations, including winning the BMI Cable Award, and was nominated for a Blimp award and three Teen Choice awards. Theatrical value isn’t everything, though. Abby Lee has been under fire for how she talks to the girls in her company, mostly by the parents, who are always concerned for their children's’ well being.

Accused of bullying and verbal abuse, Abby’s methods are questionable, but she comes home with award after award, and parents keep coming back.

The show is now on its fifth season, but with Abby under fire by one of the moms, the show may be on its last leg.

Only time will tell, and the show will continue in its fifth season. “Dance Moms” airs on Lifetime, Tuesdays at 9/8c. The current season, along with what has aired of season five, will also be available on mylifetime.com.

>>> M O V I E R E V I E W | V A N R O B E R T S

"THE DUFF" // CARVES OUT A NICHE FOR ITSELF ✭✭✭

OU T OF 4

T

he captivating “Pygmalion” comedy “The DUFF” revitalizes the standardissue, romantic, high school, makeover movie. No, I haven’t read Kentuckynative Kody Keplinger’s 2010 novel that she wrote while she attended high school. Nevertheless, freshman director Ari Sandel and “Bandslam” scenarist Josh A. Cagan appear to have infused their adaptation of Keplinger’s yarn with the wit, charm, and sophistication reminiscent of classics such as John Hughes’ “The Breakfast Club” (1985) and Amy Heckerling’s “Clueless” (1995).

Most makeover comedies are so lame they are mediocre. Prime examples include 1987’s “Can’t Buy Me Love” and 1999’s “She’s All That.” Moreover, the superlative makeover movie parody “Not Another Teen Movie” (2001) subjected the genre to devastating ridicule. Although “The DUFF” appropriates most of the usual conventions and clichés, the characters emerge as more interesting, the predicaments more stimulating, and the humor more imaginative. While our sympathetic but iconoclastic senior class heroine is negotiating the complex social order maze, “The DUFF” compounds her problems, pitting her against cyber-bullies who exploit the social media technology to insult, humiliate, and destroy her because she represents a threat.

No, this frivolous, PG-13 rated, frolic doesn’t plumb the appalling depths of “Disconnect” (2012) where callous cyber bullies drove a sensitive teen to commit suicide. Comparatively, our heroine packs considerably more pluck than the unfortunate “Disconnect” protagonist, and she survives everything with which her ruthless adversaries assault her.

Like most teen movies in a high school setting, this clever comedy categorizes its characters by archetypes.

“The DUFF” assembles the traditional gallery of crude egotistical jocks, bitchy babe princesses, and oblivious adults-whether they are administrators, instructors, or parents. Sandel and Cagan orchestrate the action around the most prominent high school happening: prom.

Of course, graduation constitutes the

other landmark event, but prom overshadows graduation. Primarily, prom generates far greater opportunities for dramatic conflict than congregations in caps and gowns. As in most high school sagas, teenagers are searching desperately for their place in the social pecking order. While their parents and peers are manipulating them like marionettes from behind the scenes, these struggling teens have to muster the nerve to assert themselves as individuals and break free of those fetters. All makeover movies, whether good or bad, are ranked by how challenging the obstacle course is, and if the teens can triumph. Naturally, our resourceful heroine achieves her goal, but she has to sidestep the slings and arrows of her treacherous enemies along the way.

The acronym DUFF that doubles as the title for Sandel's first film stands for ‘designated ugly fat friend.’ If for no other reason, “The DUFF” has carved a niche out for itself in teen makeover movie history because it originated this term. Bianca Piper (Mae Whitman of “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”) doesn’t live to loiter in the limelight. An honor roll scholar, she writes for the campus newspaper, dresses as if she were homeless, and watches cult horror chillers like Lucio Fulci’s “Zombie.”

Bianca’s two best friends are aspiring fashion designer Jess (Skyler Samuels of “Furry Vengeance”) and gorgeous but geeky Internet nerd Casey (Bianca A. Santos of “Ouija”), who can do anything with a computer. Not surprisingly, these two dolls are drop-dead gorgeous, while our ugly duckling heroine dresses beneath their status. Bianca’s life-long, next door neighbor is football team captain Wesley (Robbie Amell of TV’s “The Tomorrow People”) who dreams about dating Jess. He approaches Bianca one day to recruit her as his go-between.

At this point in her high school career, Bianca has never heard the term DUFF. Moreover, she cringes with surprise and horror at being pigeonholed into such an unflattering category. Wesley explains that DUFFs exist everywhere. At lunch,

he points out examples of both guys and girls at lunch taking refuge from the violence.

No sooner has Bianca learned about her deplorable status than she resolves not only to alter her lifestyle but also eliminate her friends. Actually, neither Jess nor Casey has ever taken advantage of Bianca as a DUFF. Nevertheless, our hot-headed heroine doesn’t see things objectively enough at the moment. Meantime, resident 'mean girl' drama queen Madison (Bella Thorne of “Blended”), who has had an on-again, off-again relationship with Wesley, has decided to renew their romance. Things come to a boil when Wesley’s poor chemistry grades jeopardize his status as captain of the high school football team. Simultaneously, Bianca marvels at the ease with which Wesley navigates the social order. Bianca cuts a deal with Wesley. She will tutor Wesley in chemistry, if he will show her how to attract the attention of her dream guy.

Naturally, green-eyed Madison has kept an eye on Wesley and Bianca from afar, and she plots Bianca’s demise if she doesn’t leave her Wesley alone. Madison’s best friend shoots a reality video journal of Madison’s life, and Madison assigns her to maintain stealth surveil-

lance on Wesley and Bianca. Ironically, Bianca wasn’t trying to seduce Wesley.

Instead, Bianca has had a crush on a laid-back, acoustical guitarist, Toby (Nick Eversman of “Wild”), but she cannot utter more than two words when they encounter each other on campus.

Indeed, “The DUFF” is predictable, particularly if you’ve seen as many teen makeover movies as I have, but topnotch casting, charismatic characters, and suspenseful situations elevate this comedy above the standard stuff. Mae Whitman reminded me of the ultimate 1990’s DUFF character: Janeane Garofalo, who co-starred with Uma Thurman in “The Truth About Cats and Dogs.”

Whitman’s cult film character is also reminiscent of Ellen Page from “Juno.”

Bianca provides a running, voice-over narration, enlivened with commentary similar to Emma Stone's comments in “Easy A.” Happily, Whitman and costar Robbie Amell generate showers of sparks, and they look like they enjoyed sharing their scenes as teacher and student. The funniest scene depicts Bianca trying on apparel and making out with a mannequin that resembles her dream date Toby. Altogether, “The DUFF qualifies as an easy-B.

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MARCH 12 + MARCH 26

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>>> EVENTS CALENDAR | T H E S O U T H E A S T ' S L A R G E S T NOTE: All events listed here have phone numbers in the 205 area code unless otherwise indicated.

FRIDAY, MARCH 13

INSTRUMENT PETTING ZOO WHEN: 7 p.m.

COST: Free WHERE: 810 2nd Ave PHONE: 348.6010 LINK: tsoonline.org DESCRIPTION: An annual favorite, the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra Guild brings its "Instrument Petting Zoo"--an opportunity for kids (and adults!) to touch, hear, and play a variety of instruments, many of which will be heard onstage at the 6:00 concert. Volunteers will be on hand to coach and ensure that everyone can try as many instruments as they wish!

POTS AND POTTERS AT MOUNDVILLE WHEN: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

COST: Free WHERE: Moundville Archaeological Park PHONE: 271.8732 LINK: moundville.ua.edu DESCRIPTION: Moundville Archaeological Park’s Spring Knap-in, March 13 and 14, is a great event for anyone interested in Native Americans, ancient technologies or outdoor sports such as hunting and fishing. Held at Moundville Archaeological Park, 13 miles south of Tuscaloosa, stone toolmakers, artists and ancient technology experts from around the country hammer out stone points, carve intricate pieces, throw spears and shoot bows. Kids can get their faces painted, grind corn or play Native American games

SATURDAY, MARCH 14

SHAMROCKS AT THE MUSEUM WHEN: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

COST: $6 – 9 WHERE: 2213 University Blvd PHONE: 349.4235 LINK: chomonline.org DESCRIPTION: Search for Shamrocks at the Children’s Hands-On Museum to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and take a chance to learn something, too. Search the museum for lucky shamrock coins all day! Trade coins for prizes at the Lucky Leprechaun Shoppe! All activities included in admission.

TUSCALOOSA RIVER MARKET WHEN: 7 a.m. – 12 p.m.

COST: Free WHERE: 1900 Jack Warner Pkwy PHONE: 248.5295 LINK: tuscaloosarivermarket.com DESCRIPTION: The Tuscaloosa River Market is now open every Saturday, year round! Come check out local farmers and artisans who have everything to offer from goat cheese to okra, from clay pottery to homemade candles. Discover baked goods, hand-stitched clothing, pickles, and organic tea all at one location along the Black Warrior River. Call to become a vendor and sell your own creations!

SUNDAY, MARCH 15

FROM THE ALABAMA OVAL WHEN: 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

COST: Free WHERE: 700 Capstone Dr PHONE: 562.3220 LINK: art.ua.edu

16

MARCH 12 + MARCH 26

DESCRIPTION: Richmond Burton transforms racecar driving into contemporary art with his exhibit at the Sarah Moody Gallery, from Feb 19 through March 27. Burton likens the oval in his visual language to the meticulous and repetitive practice that a racecar driver endures on the world’s largest oval track, the Talladega Speedway. Come see the work of this renowned contemporary artist while it is being shown on the University of Alabama campus.

MONDAY,MARCH 16

YOGA THERAPY WHEN: 4 – 4:45 p.m.

COST: $9 WHERE: 2200 Rock Quarry Dr PHONE: 758.5195 LINK: tcpara.org DESCRIPTION: This class at the Phelps Activity Center is for persons with MS, back conditions, arthritis, senior adults or beginners who would like to take an adapted (gentle) yoga class. You may use a chair during the yoga class. Registration for multiple sessions is available online.

TUESDAY, MARCH 17

HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY FROM PLANET WEEKLY

BREAKFAST AND BINGO WHEN: 8 – 10 a.m.

COST: $4 WHERE: 2200 Rock Quarry Dr PHONE: 758.5195 LINK: tcpara.org DESCRIPTION: Come and join us for fun and a delicious brunch for only $4. Afterwards, those purchasing the brunch can play bingo FREE. This event is designed especially for seniors and is a joint effort between PARA and North River Village Assisted & Independent Living.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18

BEGINNERS WATERCOLOR WHEN: 1 – 3 p.m.

COST: $80 WHERE: 2200 Rock Quarry Dr PHONE: 562.3230 LINK: tcpara.org DESCRIPTION: Have you ever wanted to learn to paint beautiful artworks with watercolors? An award-winning instructor uses a step-by-step method of teaching that has proven successful for many years. For students of all abilities, register online and attend classes at the Phelps Center, and try out the mini-sessions to see if the full course is right for you. Advanced classes are also available.

THURSDAY, MARCH 19

WELLNESS WALLS FOR ARTS WHEN: All day COST: Free WHERE: 850 5th Ave East PHONE: 310.5939 LINK: umc.ua.edu DESCRIPTION: The Wellness Walls for Art program at the University Medical Center is opening the 2015-year with an exhibit that features 17 artists and is entitled A Sense of Place. The show primarily represents works of the Tuscaloosa and

>>> PET PLANET | K E L S E Y C A M E R O N

OSCAR AND PANSY // TWO VERY SWEET FELINES // AND EZMI S

ay hello to this little cutie! Meet Oscar, a brown and gray tabby with a white chest.

He is about 5 months old. Oscar is very small for his age, but don’t let that fool you!

He has a lot of love in him to give you. Oscar was found with two other kittens abandoned in a carport. Poor thing! He is a sweet boy and very photogenic. He is such a joy to be around! Oscar can entertain himself, so don’t worry if he were to be the only cat, but he also plays well with the other kittens in the room. Oscar is negative for FIV and FeLK, current on his vaccinations and neutered.

Oscar deserves a loving home to grow up in. Will it be yours? If you are interested in giving Oscar the forever home he wants and deserves, visit the Humane Society of West Alabama at humanesocietyofwa.org or call us at 554-0011.

P

lease meet Pansy, a gorgeous young adult female Calico. Pansy is approximately 3 years, 8 months old. Pansy weighs just under 9 lbs, which makes her just a little more petite than a mediumsized adult cat. Pansy can be bashful when meeting new people, but she is a gentle, very sweet and affectionate girl.

She has the typical reserved, introverted Calico personality, with a strong will to bond to her close companions. Pansy's hobbies include climbing just to see how high she can go, as well as finding comfy places to hide in! So, naturally, Pansy is in love with cat trees, cat condos, scratching towers, etc! She's especially cute when she cuddles with other friendly cats - she uses them as pillows for nap time! Pansy is absolutely gorgeous and hopes to find a new home with a lot of love! If this beautiful girl sounds like the perfect addition to your family, please visit our adoption center during Saturday open hours or contact us to meet Pansy! She is negative for FIV/ FeLK, current on vaccinations and spayed. If you are interested in giving Pansy the forever home she wants and deserves, visit the Humane Society of West Alabama at humanesocietyofwa. org or call us at 554-0011.

T

his leggy young lady is Ezmi, a six-month-old female Terrier mix. We see a little Collie with her coloring, but we are just not sure what she is mixed with!

Ezmi has a reddish brown and white smooth coat and the cutest tipped ears! She weighs about 17 pounds but will get bigger, probably to around 40 pounds.

Ezmi was pulled from our local animal shelter, where she had been surrendered by her owner because they could not afford to keep her. She had been down there for over a month, so it was time to get her out and socialize her. Ezmi is a happy dog that loves to run and play and be with you! She is a puppy, so she will need training and structure to help her develop into a well-mannered adult dog. She is good with other dogs and should be fine with children 10 and older. Ezmi is still jumpy and a little mouthy so she may not be good to have around small children. Ezmi does have some energy, so she will require a fenced in yard if left outside unattended. We have started on her crate training. Ezmi is up to date on her vet care, spayed, heartworm negative and is microchipped. She is on heartworm and flea/tick prevention. How cute can you get!?!

Make room for Ezmi in your house - you know you want her! If you are interested in giving Ezmi the forever home she wants and deserves, visit the Humane Society of West Alabama at www.humanesocietyofwa.org or call us at 554-0011.

>>> PLANETWEEKLY • TUSCALOOSA'S SOURCE FOR ENTERTAINMENT, MUSIC, SPORTS & THE ARTS

>>> C O N T ' D F R O M P A G E 1 1 | B R E T T R E I D

JESTER KING // FUNKY FARMHOUSE STYLE BEER

beers are mostly sour beers, so when I saw that Jester King made a Farmhouse style IPA, I knew it would be something odd. At first taste, you pick up a lot of funky, spicy notes, but it’s not something that would turn most people away. There are some soft citrus notes along with some pine that you pick up on in the background. Midway through you start to get a lot of earthy notes, like grass and wheat, and in the end, you start to get some hints of citrus peel with some fruity bread notes as well. The overall flavor is pretty tart, much like white wine, but not as dry though. The citrus aspects give this one a nice mouthwatering quality that adds to the drinkability of the beer. As it warmed up, you could definitely pick up on some flavors of alcohol that made the back of my throat burn slightly. One thing I didn’t really get a lot of were the rye notes that I was expecting to shine through. Even as the beer warmed slightly, I still never got any of that classic rye flavor I was anticipating, but that’s okay because I don’t really like rye all that much.

Mouthfeel was superb on all levels.

Since the bottle foamed over immediately after I opened it, I was expecting the beer to be like champagne and extremely

carbonated, but I was wrong. It actually had a great, velvety mouthfeel that complimented the flavors nicely. Like I mentioned before, the citrus added a nice drinkability aspect to it and made it very enjoyable. Had that citrus not been there or replaced with the rye, I wouldn’t imagine being able to drink it as easily because of the tartness.

Overall, this beer was an oddball, yet a solid home run for me. Much like all Jester King beers, this is not something I would drink everyday. It’s something I’ll sip on when any other beer just seems like too much. The subtle citrus notes and the tart palate make this one an easily enjoyable beer that even people without any knowledge of sour beers can enjoy with the right amount of open mindedness. I’m so glad that I learned of Jester King’s distribution to Alabama. Hop City and some Piggly Wiggly stores usually have a few bottles and I suggest getting all of them. Prices range anywhere from $11.99 to $14.99 depending on the offering, but Wytchmaker was, I believe, $13.95 and worth every penny.

This is yet again another one knocked out of the park by a brewery reviving a lost art and bringing the ancient ways of beer back into present day.

>>> EVENTS CALENDAR | T H E S O U T H E A S T ' S L A R G E S T University Painters, many of which were executed in the plein air tradition, painting outside on location. Meridian, Miss., based artist Cooper French has been invited as a special guest artist.

FRIDAY, MARCH 20

FREE CHESS LESSONS WHEN: 5 – 7 p.m.

COST: Free WHERE: 12362 Ebenezer Church Rd, Northport PHONE: 330.5040 LINK: ebenezerchurchministries.com DESCRIPTION: In partnership with Freedom Chess Academy, Ebenezer Baptist Church is hosting free weekly chess lessons on Fridays in the church Family Life Center. The sessions are for students ages 6-18. Taught by Rose Marie Stutts and James Gunn, students will learn basic to advanced level chess knowledge and techniques.

BOOK, TRADITION, ALABAMA WHEN: All day COST: Free WHERE: 711 Capstone Dr PHONE: 348.6388 LINK: lib.ua.edu DESCRIPTION: A collection of works showcasing various book arts processes and completed works created by students in the MFA in the Book Arts Program, in the School of Library & Information Studies, at The University of Alabama. Check it out on the 5th floor of the Gorgas library, available through March 20.

SATURDAY, MARCH 21

TUSCALOOSA RIVER MARKET WHEN: 7 a.m. – 12 p.m.

COST: Free WHERE: 1900 Jack Warner Pkwy PHONE: 248.5295 LINK: tuscaloosarivermarket.com DESCRIPTION: The Tuscaloosa River Market is now open every Saturday, year round! Come check out local farmers and artisans who have everything to offer from goat cheese to okra, from clay pottery to homemade candles. Discover baked goods, hand-stitched clothing, pickles, and organic tea all at one location along the Black Warrior River. Call to become a vendor and sell your own creations!

BREAKFAST WITH THE EASTER BUNNY WHEN: 8:30 a.m.

COST: $4 – 6 WHERE: 350 Bobby Miller Pkwy PHONE: 758.0149 LINK: tcpara.org DESCRIPTION: Join us for a delicious breakfast, an egg hunt that will create lasting Easter memories, and priceless photos with the Easter bunny. Breakfast is open to the whole family. Sign up online to secure a limited spot!

POTS AND POTTERS AT MOUNDVILLE WHEN: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

COST: Free WHERE: Moundville Archaeological Park PHONE: 271.8732 LINK: moundville.ua.edu DESCRIPTION: Tamara Beane has

played a major part in revitalizing pottery making, both in traditional and contemporary formats, among the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. In addition to displaying her work at Moundville, Beane will perform an out-of-door pottery firing in a manner as ancient as some of the pottery she reproduces. Children can play with clay, trying out different tools that would have been used by prehistoric and historic Native Americans.

INDOOR COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE WHEN: All day COST: Free admission WHERE: 3101 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd PHONE: 562.3215 LINK: tcpara.org DESCRIPTION: Clean out your closets and take advantage of the convenience of our indoor gym at the Hughes Community Center to sell your unwanted stuff. Booths sell out, so please register early. Shoppers, come for great bargain hunting, rain or shine! It's like an indoor flea market, with free admission to shoppers.

SUNDAY, MARCH 22

ALABAMA SOFTBALL VS FLORIDA WHEN: 2 p.m.

COST: $7 WHERE: Rhoads Stadium, 321 5th Ave E PHONE: 348.2262 LINK: rolltide.com DESCRIPTION: Watch UA’s softball team face the University of Florida Gators in Rhoads Stadium. The three-day conference will be played Saturday through Monday, with all games starting at 2 p.m.

MONDAY, MARCH 23

TUSCALOOSA AND UNIVERSITY PAINTERS EXHIBIT: LATITUDES AND LONGITUDES WHEN: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

COST: Free WHERE: 620 Greensboro Ave PHONE: 752.8300 LINK: cac.tuscarts.org DESCRIPTION: This exhibit will consist of paintings in oil, acrylic and watercolor. Artists represented in the exhibit will be Chris Metzger, Karen Jacobs, Diana Francko, Emily Mitchell, Anne Stickney, Lorie Layden, Jack Kidd, Jane Evers, Sandra Ray, Pamela Copeland, Lisa Godwin, Sharon Long, Sydney Sparks, Jane Evers and Deborah Hughes. Visit the Dinah Washington Cultural Arts Center during the month of March to see the work of these talented artists.

THURSDAY, MARCH 26

NAT KING COLE TRIBUTE WITH SIM FLORA AND THE UA TROMBONE CHOIR WHEN: 7:30 – 9 p.m.

COST: $10, $3 Student, $5 Senior WHERE: 810 2nd Ave PHONE: 348.1672 LINK: music.ua.edu DESCRIPTION: If you are a lover of Nat King Cole’s famously soulful tunes, this show is a must-see. Enjoy the talents of Sim Flora along with the world-class trombone choir trained at the University of Alabama. Come see the show at the Moody Music Building on UA campus.

>>> PLANETWEEKLY • TUSCALOOSA'S SOURCE FOR ENTERTAINMENT, MUSIC, SPORTS & THE ARTS

MARCH 12 + MARCH 26

17

>>> ROAD TRIP | S O U T H E A S T E R N CO N C E R T S A N D E V E N T S

BUKU MUSIC FEST // NEW ORLEANS // MARCH 13

THE SINGOFF LIVE // HUNTSVILLE // MARCH 17

THURSDAY, MARCH 12

Center Pat Green, The Buckhead Theatre

NASHVILLE Fleetwood Mac, Bridgestone Arena

HUNTSVILLE Roxy Roca, Humphrey’s

NASHVILLE Hozier, Ryman Auditorium Catfish & the Bottlemen, High Watt Gang of Four, Mercy Lounge/Cannery Ballroom Wade Bowen, 3rd and Lindsley Bar and Grill

BIRMINGHAM Miranda Lambert, BJCC Die Antwoord, Iron City

BIRMINGHAM John Mellencamp, BJCC

ATLANTA

Andy Grammer, The Masquerade K Michelle, Fabulous Fox Theatre Kitten, The Masquerade

NEW ORLEANS Charlie Wilson, New Orleans Arena Rubblebucket, Gasa Gasa

NEW ORLEANS Elvis Costello, The Civic Theater Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me, Saenger Theatre

SUNDAY, MARCH 15

FRIDAY, MARCH 13

BIRMINGHAM Dumpstaphunk, Zydeco Hugh Brothers and Matt Marshall, WorkPlay Theatre HUNTSVILLE Kozmic Mama, Hopper’s Bar and Grill MONTGOMERY Primer 55, Head on the Door ATLANTA John Mellencamp, Fabulous Fox Theatre Hozier, Tabernacle

SATURDAY, MARCH 14

ATLANTA G. Love and Special Sauce, Variety Playhouse Del and Dawg, The Buckhead Theatre

NASHVILLE The Devil Wears Prada, Rocketown NEW ORLEANS The Districts, Gasa Gasa

NASHVILLE Meghan Trainor, Nashville War Memorial Auditorium The Steeldrivers w/ Taylor Brashears, 3rd and Lindsley Bar and Grill

MONDAY, MARCH 16

SATURDAY, MARCH 21

BIRMINGHAM He Is Legend, Zydeco Marc Harris & Mojo Rising, WorkPlay Theatre Bourbon Jams, Tin Roof HUNTSVILLE The Sing Off Live, Von Braun Concert Hall

NEW ORLEANS Once, Saenger Theatre

HUNTSVILLE Peter Moon Band, London’s Tony Perdue and the Devastators, Maggie Meyer’s

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18

MONTGOMERY Confederate Hipster, Mountain Creek Mud Bog ATLANTA Harlem Globetrotters, The Arena at Gwinnett

NASHVILLE Boyz II Men, Schermerhorn Symphony Center

ATLANTA Adnan Sami, Fabulous Fox Theatre Gang of Four, Variety Playhouse

NASHVILLE Lorrie Morgan and Vince Gill, Wildhorse Saloon

BIRMINGHAM Tyler Hammond, Zydeco

ATLANTA Bo Burnham, The Buckhead Theatre

BIRMINGHAM Suicide Silence, Zydeco

TUESDAY, MARCH 17

NEW ORLEANS Penn & Teller, Saenger Theatre Buku Music and Arts Festival, Mardi Gras World

THURSDAY, MARCH 19

BIRMINGHAM Santana, BJCC Joshua Radin, WorkPlay Theatre Harlem Globetrotters, Samford University

ATLANTA Joshua Radin, Center Stage

NASHVILLE Dry The River, 3rd and Lindsley Bar and Grill Murder By Death, Mercy Lounge/Cannery Ballroom Odesza, Marathon Music Works

BIRMINGHAM Circa Survive, Zydeco

FRIDAY, MARCH 20

ATLANTA Joel Osteen, Georgia Dome Radio Revival Tour, The Masquerade Pentatonix, Tabernacle NEW ORLEANS Sinbad, Harrah’s Paula Poundstone, The Civic Theater

SUNDAY, MARCH 22

BIRMINGHAM Lucinda Williams, Iron City

ATLANTA George Winston, Variety Playhouse NASHVILLE Nickelback, Bridgestone Arena

ATLANTA Young Thug and Travis Scott, Center Stage

Acoustic Café 2758 County Hwy 9 205.647.3237

Fox Theatre 660 Peachtree St NE 404.881.2100

Amphitheater at the Wharf 23101 Canal Rd 251.224.1020

The Hangout 251.948.3030 thehangout1.com

Bridgestone Arena 501 Broadway 615.770.2000

Marathon Music Works 1402 Clinton St 615.891.1781

Centennial Olympic Park 265 Park Ave W NW 404.223.4412

Minglewood Hall 1555 Madison Ave 901.312.6058

MARCH 12 + MARCH 26

TUESDAY, MARCH 24

ATLANTA Neil deGrasse Tyson, Fabulous Fox Theatre NASHVILLE Misterwives, High Watt

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25

NEW ORLEANS Railroad Earth, House of Blues

THURSDAY, MARCH 26

BIRMINGHAM Railroad Earth, Iron City Whitey Morgan and the 78’s, Zydeco

HUNTSVILLE Brandy Clark, Von Braun Concert Hall ATLANTA Father John Misty, Variety Playhouse Incognito, Cobb Energy Performance Arts Centre NASHVILLE Kenny Chesney, Bridgestone Arena Halsey, Mercy Lounge/Cannery Ballroom NEW ORLEANS Sylvan Esso, Tipitina’s

MONTGOMERY Mike Epps, Montgomery Performing Arts Center David Ball, The Hank Williams Museum

>>> R OA D T R I P D I R E C T O RY Travel the South's best venues. Visit their website for ticket info and more.

18

NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON // ATLANTA // MARCH 24

Montgomery Performing Arts Center 201 Tallapoosa St 334.481.5100 The Nick 2514 10th Ave S 205.252.3831 Sloss Furnaces 20 32nd St N 205.324.1911 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre 2200 Encore Pkwy

>>> VISIT US ON THE WEB @ THEPLANETWEEKLY.COM

404.733.5010 Von Braun Center 700 Monroe St SW 256.551.2345 WorkPlay 500 23rd St S 205.380.4082 Zydeco 2001 15th Ave S 205.933.1032

HAVE YOUR VENUE AND EVENTS LISTED HERE FREE. PLEASE EMAIL PLANETEDITOR@YAHOO.COM

>>> LOCAL MUSIC | WHO'S PL AYING AROUND TOWN

PLATO JONES //

THURSDAY, MARCH 12

CORNBREAD RED // CRIMSON BAR // MARCH 20-21

INNISFREE // MARCH 17

NIC SNOW // ROUNDERS // MARCH 26

Corn Bread Red, Crimson Bar MoBro's , Green Bar Casey Thrasher, Rhythm & Brews

DJSpinzz, Rounders MidLife Crisis, Rhythm & Brews DAMS, Green Bar

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25

FRIDAY, MARCH 13

Unplugged Acoustic Acts, Rhythm & Brews

THURSDAY, MARCH 26

Desperate Measures, Rhythm & Brews DJ Spinzzz, Rounders SXSW Preview show, Green Bar Glenn Templeton, Crimson Bar

Nic Snow, Rounders Kristen Cothron & The Darkside , Green Bar Burnham Road, Rhythm & Brews

SATURDAY, MARCH 14

Against Grace, Green Bar Mojo Trio, Rhythm & Brews Down South, Crimson Bar

TUESDAY, MARCH 17

Baak Gwai & Couches St. Patrick's Day show, Green Bar Plato Jones, Innisfree

WEDNESDAY MARCH 18

Unplugged Acoustic Acts, Rhythm & Brews

THURSDAY, MARCH 19

Snazz, Rhythm & Brews Mary Tylosaur with IMTP, Green Bar

FRIDAY, MARCH 20

Corn Bread Red, Crimson Bar Jason Miller Band, Rhythm & Brews Thieves of Sunrise, Green Bar

HAVE YOUR LOCAL MUSIC EVENT LISTED FREE IN PLANET WEEKLY. JUST EMAIL

SATURDAY, MARCH 21

PLANETEDITOR@YAHOO.COM

>>> L O C A L B A R S 4th & 23rd //

Capones // 248-0255

Gnemis Top Shelf Tavern // 343-0020

Mellow Mushroom // 758-0112

1831 // 331-4632

Carpe Vino // 366-8444

Gray Lady // 469-9521

Mugshots // 391-0572

Alcove // 469-9110

Catch 22 // 344-9347

Harry's Bar // 331-4151

Rhythm & Brews // 750-2992

Bear Trap // 345-2766

Copper Top // 343-6867

Houndstooth // 752-8444

Rounders // 345-4848

Big Al's // 759-9180

Crimson Bar // 764-0185

Innisfree // 345-1199

The Booth // 764-0557

Downtown Pub // 750-0008

Jackie's Lounge // 758-9179

Buffalo Wild Wings // 523-0273

Gallettes // 758-2010

The Legacy // 345-4848

>>> PLANETWEEKLY • TUSCALOOSA'S SOURCE FOR ENTERTAINMENT, MUSIC, SPORTS & THE ARTS

EFFECTIVE AFFORDABLE ADS 205.765.8007

MARCH 12 + MARCH 26

19

>>> PUZZLEMANIA | C R O S S W O R D P U Z Z L E

Across 1. "Long live..."

5. Lightly wets 10. Permission-seeking phrase 14. Had ____ (imbibed) 15. Domed home 16. Lupino and Wells 17. Used what was available 19. Adriatic resort 20. Healthful claim on labels 21. Madison Avenue worker 22. All told 26. Looking at 30. Dining gear 34. "C'est ___" 35. O.T. book 36. Rocky point 37. Run out 39. "Happy anniversary, ___!"

42. Bar supply 43. Himalayan priest 47. Like the walls of Harvard Yard 48. Desires 51. Mother-of-pearl 52. Pigeon 54. "Dancing With the Stars" airer 57. Common man 62. Big Apple neighborhood 63. Stony meteorite 66. Letter-shaped supporter 67. Park ranger's uniform color 68. CSA soldiers 69. Gus Van ____ of filmmaking 70. Poet W.H. ____ 71. Oxidize

6. Excite 7. U.S. Soccer org.

8. "The Tell-Tale Heart" author 9. Lay down lawn 10. Shower wall growth 11. Take ____ view of (be skeptical about) 12. In triplicate, a Seinfeld catchphrase 13. "The Heat ___" (Glenn Frey hit) 18. "Rock ___" (old hymn) 21. Sam Adams product 23. Whole ball of ____ 24. "Game of Thrones" airer 25. Golden tune 26. Poem of remembrance 27. Connecticut Ivy Leaguer 28. Former Mrs. Trump 29. Puppy bite 31. Cellar's opposite 32. Galley slave 33. Diminish gradually 38. New Haven Ivy Leaguers 40. Grunted, as a pig 41. Tanning parlor letters 44. Even a little 45. ___ Grand 46. In fun 49. Conversational comeback 50. Maritime abbr.

53. 1998 De Niro movie 54. Spanish liqueur 55. ___ Fett 56. "Shanghai Knights" star 58. Comment at International Falls, Minn.

59. In ___ of: instead 60. Gambling venues, briefly 61. "Wild, Wild ____" (Escape Club song) Down 63. Police-report inits 1. Aspen alternative 64. Energy Secretary Steven ___ 2. "You've Got a Friend ____" ("Toy Story" 65. Taken in ditty) 3. Limo riders, often SOLUTION FOR PUZZLEMANIA 4. Auto loan figs.

CROSSWORD ON PAGE 21 5. Famously temperamental singers

20

MARCH 12 + MARCH 26

>>> PUZZLEMANIA| S U D O K U

It's easy to play Sudoku! Simply fill every column, row and 3x3 box so they contain every number between 1 and 9. The game is easy to play but difficult to master! Solution Page 21

>>> PLANETWEEKLY • TUSCALOOSA'S SOURCE FOR ENTERTAINMENT, MUSIC, SPORTS & THE ARTS

>>> HOROSCOPES |

W E E K LY O V E R V I E W Feelings could be intense, yet you might keep them to yourself, which wouldn't be such a good idea. The pressure could be explosive, especially on Tuesday, causing a bout of anger and frustration. To avoid this, it would be best to tackle issues as they arise and discuss them with those who need to know. Not only will this help create a solution but can save you a lot of stress as well. With an active social life, your weekend looks fun and relaxing.

Your social life bubbles with excitement and opportunity. The more people you meet, the more your life opens up in interesting ways.

It would be best to avoid cantankerous folks or those looking for trouble on Tuesday. Keep a low profile. Mercury eases into Pisces and your career sector on Thursday, encouraging you to research your options, apply for jobs or interviews, and generally put out feelers.

Certain relationships may be up for review starting Saturday, as Saturn turns retrograde.

There's plenty of activity in your career, kick-starting a new phase.

If you're looking for work, the presence of Mars encourages a proactive approach to getting what you want. Use creative solutions and try to stand out from the crowd and showcase your skills. Avoid impulsive moves on Tuesday, particularly when dealing with those in authority. You might not come out the winner.

Mercury entering Pisces can be a chance to indulge your love of new ideas. Pace yourself to conserve your energy.

For Spring Break, Read a Great Book!

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The desire for adventure continues to show up this week, spurring you to take up new challenges. An unexpected romantic opportunity could appear, disrupting your best-laid plans. Think very carefully about getting too involved, as it might not be in your best interests and could even have negative consequences. Saturn turns retrograde in your romance and creativity sector on Saturday, so you'll likely be a lot more cautious when it comes to dating and making a commitment.

Go easy regarding finances this week, as it could be all too easy to make the wrong moves. Overspending or the unwise use of funds in general could leave you struggling at a later date. If you need to talk, discuss things with a professional adviser who can help set you on the right track. Tuesday is the day to watch out for splurging and melting your plastic. Don't give in to temptation. Try exercise as a way to channel restlessness energy.

Your relationships can be very direct and honest this week. An upbeat aspect on Monday could encourage you to melt the ice concerning someone you've admired for some time. You'll need to be careful and sensitive to other people's feelings on Tuesday. Even an innocent remark could cause a spat, leaving you hurt as a result. If you sense tension, stay clear. Saturn turns retrograde on Saturday, encouraging you to take a closer look at your limitations and how you might overcome them.

There's a pleasant focus on your romance sector, paving the way for some wonderful date nights. Use your leisure time to channel your creative skills, as doing so can be very therapeutic now. You can make great strides this week where your job and career are concerned if you focus on one goal and work to achieve it. Avoid impulsive moves on Tuesday, as they won't help your cause. Starting Saturday, handle resources carefully and try to be thrifty in your dealings.

The fun meter is set on high, with many opportunities for leisure and pleasure providing thrills and spills. Romance can also be a heady subject, bringing passion and intensity your way. There's little chance you'll want to make a commitment, however, which is just as well.

Avoid dangerous sports or activities on Tuesday, when it's best to keep things low-key. Saturn turns retrograde in your sign on Saturday, and you may start thinking about your mission and purpose in life.

It's "all systems go" at home, with a chance that the days ahead could be fun yet disruptive. Unexpected events will mean that your bestlaid plans may fall by the wayside. Avoid frustration if possible, as that will only make things worse. If you're feeling annoyed or edgy, channel your energy into exercise or a long walk. Doing so will be calming and therapeutic. Mercury gliding into Pisces means it's time to harness your imagination to manifest your dreams and desires.

Communication is fast paced this week. You may be busy closing deals, discussing ideas, and generally interacting with others. There's a lot to be gained from expanding your network and meeting new people, as the lucky breaks will come rolling in. It would be to your advantage to avoid arguments on Tuesday. One could spoil a friendship, business deal, or lucrative opportunity. Mercury's presence in Pisces starting Thursday can encourage you to get a handle on finances so you can stay in control.

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An upbeat aspect on Monday can be excellent for attending interviews and meetings with a view toward getting results. Your ability to project a confident demeanor can go a long way to helping you succeed. Avoid impulsive spending on Tuesday, as it will certainly do more harm than good. Channel your energy into exercise instead, which will leave you feeling calm and centered. Mercury hikes into your sign on Thursday, encouraging you to share ideas and actively expand your social circle.

This action-oriented week can bring promising results if you channel your energy into key goals and ambitions. The more willing you are to override your limitations, the more successful you can be. Tread with care on Tuesday, as a fiery combination could cause an argument or even a minor accident. This is one day when it pays to go slowly. Mercury glides into Pisces on Thursday, putting you in touch with your intuitive awareness and dreaming mind. Watch for messages and guidance.

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MARCH 12 + MARCH 26

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>>> SUCCESS | R E G G I E A L L E N

FROZEN IN TIME // DISNEY FILM INSPIRES OUR OWN LOCAL PRINCESS A

year ago, Shea Smitherman asked her employer, Twinkle Productions, a local entertainment agency specializing in Disney Princess appearances, if it heard of an upcoming Disney film that was scheduled for a pre-Thanksgiving release. At the time, her employers had said no.

The movie’s name?

“Frozen.” And the animated feature film would later turn out to be a hit. For the most part of two years, Smitherman has performed with the company as some of the more recognized Shea Smitherman princesses—Ariel, Cinderella, etc. But this past released in 2013, the concept of Frozen August, at the West Alabama State Fair, dates back to the days of Walt, himself. the University of Alabama student deThe idea-turned-film-icon has since buted a new addition to the Disney royal earned the company a lot of money and family: Queen Elsa of Arendelle. accolades.

When she makes her grand entrance Currently ranking as the highestat birthday parties, hair braided in a grossing animated film of all time,it ponytail and tucked to the side, her blue has earned 1.274 billion dollars. In the dress gliding across the floor, her clients awards category, “Frozen” has won two are struck silent in awe. Seeing iconic Disney characters in the flesh can do that Academy Awards; one for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song for “ Let to a four-year-old. As Smitherman puts It Go,” in addition to a Golden Globe, five it, "They are their heroes.” During her Annie Awards ,a Bafta Award for Best appearances, she engages children with Picture and two Critic’s Choice Awards activities based on the film, and ending and many more. with song. The kids and their parents The “Let It Go” single has now sold love it. over 3.5 million copies in the United “Frozen” was released Nov. 27, 2013.

Based off Hans Christian Anderson’s The States alone. In September, the two animated sisters made their live action Snow Queen, "Frozen" tells the story of debut on the hit ABC show “Once Upon two sisters; Elsa (voiced by Idina MenA Time” as part of a special “Frozen” zel), a soon-to-be Queen who struggles themed storyline. Their brief story arc to control her ice powers; and Anna lasted the first half of the show’s current (Kristen Bell), her Pollyanna-like sister. season.

When Elsa’s power runs rampant, Anna In an article in Forbes, ranking the along with the help of an animated snowtop Halloween costumes, Frozen-themed man named Olaf(Josh Gad), and ice cutcostumes were at the very top. With the ter Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) must venture film coming out post Halloween 2013, it is off to save her. celebrating its first actual on a high note.

After watching “Frozen,” Smitherman “It’s just a really great film. It’s visually longed to play the Disney character, but stunning, the plot is interesting, the songs her company did not have an Elsa role are catchy, and the characters are deat the time, nor did it want to expand lightful and complex,” Smitherman said. their roster of princesses. While doing As a father of two young children and an appearance as Ariel at birthday party, an expert in film, Dr. Matthew Payne, a Smitherman was approached by one of Telecommunications and Film instructor the mothers who asked if she did Elsa. at the University of Alabama, can think of Smitherman did want to decline, instead many reasons the film is so successful. directed her toward her employer, who “The engine, the thing that keeps it was nearby. The mother begged and going, is the kids,” Payne said. “At least even said she would purchase the cosfrom my own experiences as a parent of tume for the company. two young kids. Not just little girls, but “She and other desperate parents little boys are often times into it as well. must have worn them down, because a “So in a world where’d you’d expect couple of months later, they introduced for the boys to gravitate more clearly Elsa and then Anna,” Smitherman said. toward the Avengers or other sorts of “It was a huge success!” boyish comic book heroes, I’m kind of A success not only for Smitherman, surprised to see boys singing along with but for Disney as well. Though it was

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their sisters when ‘Let It Go’ comes on or ‘Do You Want To Build A Snowman’.”

In the late 1990s and early 2000’s Disney began experimenting with their films by offering more diversity in their characters with motions pictures like “Mulan,” “Pocahontas,” “Lilo and Stich” and the recent introduction of the first African American Princess Tiana in “The Princess and the Frog.”

Payne finds it remarkable that “Frozen” has performed better than any of the recent Disney releases. Films like 2012s “Wreck-It-Ralph,” which had nostalgia working for it, and “Tangled” that are more recognizable narratives are surpassed by a tale that not many people were familiar with.

“It’s multiple factors. It has the characters. It has the soundtrack,” Payne said.

Recently, Smitherman has donned Elsa’s blue dress almost exclusively.

After her Winter-in-Summer debut of the Ice Queen, the demand has become so high that she has only done appearances as the Disney character. She appreciates the success, but every now and she would like to return to her more classic Disney roots.

“I’d love to get back to doing some

more Ariel parties. Ariel can be a little more bubbly and outgoing than Elsa can, so sometimes that’s easier when playing with the kids.”

While a full-length sequel of the Disney film has not been announced, fans of Elsa and company can once again see them on the big screen March 13 when their animated short film “ Frozen Forever” plays before the live-action adaption of “Cinderella.”

Streaming Video Now Available From TPL Watch videos from the Tuscaloosa Public Library anytime, anywhere!

Streaming video is now available to enjoy from the library's website. This new service, powered by OverDrive, is free for users with a TPL library card. Visit digitallibrary.tuscaloosa-library.org to browse for eBooks and digital audiobooks in addition to streaming video.

The growing catalog of digital feature films, documentaries, educational, children's favorites and more can be viewed on most mobile and desktop devices.

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RECRUITMENT ROUNDUP // GOOD PROSPECTS

Photo: UA Athletic Photograpy JACK WEGHER The next Vinnie?

IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL is home to several of the nation's top prospects. But one IMG 2016 prospect flying somewhat under the radar is an all-purpose player named Jack Wegher.

The 5-11, 200-pound Wegher, a native of Dakota Dunes, South Dakota, is coached at IMG by former Alabama running back Roy Upchurch.

Upchurch raves about Wegher's athleticism and versatility: "He's a great athlete," Upchurch says.

"He can play just about any position — running back, slot receiver, punt returner, kick returner, safety. He reminds me a lot of Vinnie Sunseri. He can play both sides of the ball, but once the ball is in his hands, magic is going to happen. He's a playmaker.

"We have two other running backs here who are great players, and who will be highly recruited, but Jack is more athletic. He fits as a running back, but in

college he can be a slot receiver or maybe safety, even though he hasn't played much defense here.

"He's a baller. I love him."

A couple of weeks ago, Wegher spoke with Tide offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin about making an unofficial visit to Tuscaloosa in the near future.

"I've already had a good relationship with Coach Kiffin from his visits down here to our campus," Wegher says. "We just talk about what's going on. He wants me to go up there for a visit. I'm not sure when I'll go, but I plan on going up sometime to see it.

Coach Kiffin invited me to visit and he's a really nice guy. I like him a lot. So I'm looking forward to seeing Alabama."

"I'm not really sure what all I like about Alabama right now," Wegher says. "I just need to get up there and visit and see it.

The Alabama coaches are supposed to come back down here for spring practice, so I will be talking more with them."

Wegher has early offers Iowa State, Illinois and South Alabama.

TREVON DIGGS 2016 Maryland star digs Tuscaloosa One of the nation's top prospects made the trek down from Maryland for the Tide's Junior Day recently. Wide receiver/cornerback Trevon Diggs, a 6-1, 170-pound standout from Avalon HS in Gaithersburg, got his first up-close look at the Crimson Tide program and loved what he saw.

"Tre told me he had a great time.

He enjoyed Tuscaloosa," says Avalon head coach Tyree Spinner. "He enjoyed meeting Coach Saban. I mean, what high school athlete doesn't want to meet Coach Saban?

"He liked it a lot. He told me that they'd be in his top five. From him saying that alone, that means he enjoyed it and that he learned a lot and felt like he was in a place where he could succeed."

Diggs was impressed with the structured program. "Our program that we run is college oriented, meaning that I took it straight from the coaches that I learned from and tried to incorporate it into the kids now so that when they get to college, it's not a culture shock," Spinner says.

"So him seeing the success he's had in a structured program here and then seeing a program that's even more structured at Alabama, I think he really liked the thought of being in that type of program.

He realizes that type of program breeds success."

Diggs has offers from several of the nation's top programs, including Alabama, Clemson, Florida, FSU, Georgia, Nebraska, Penn State and Tennessee, among others.

Following the visit to Tuscaloosa, Diggs pegged Alabama as his early favorite.

"It doesn't surprise me, because I played college and pro football, and I know how recruiting trips go," Spinner says. "When you visit a place like a Tuscaloosa where football is top priority, you kind of fall in love instantly with a town that embraces the things that you have in common, which is football.

"Also, with that environment and knowing that this is the top echelon in college football, it will push him to not only be successful in football, but to be successful in the classroom as well."

Diggs had an outstanding junior season, catching 78 passes for 1,008 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also had big year at cornerback. He's a legitimate prospect on both sides of the ball.

"On the offensive side of the ball, he's the best high school player I've seen as a wide receiver," Spinner says. "He has an uncanny ability to play the ball in the air and catch the ball at the last second, which puts the defensive at a disadvantage. So it's definitely his playmaking ability on offense that makes him so good.

"Defensively, since he's played receiver most of his life, he knows the hints of when to break on the receiver. He can read the routes by how the receiver is running. On defense, he's a pretty stout

player. A lot of people don't know that."

Spinner says that Alabama is giving Diggs the option to play offense or defense.

TATE LEAVITT Nasty JUCO OT discusses dream offer Given that the Tide signed only one pure offensive tackle in the 2015 class, UA might opt for a junior college tackle in 2016. One emerging JUCO tackle is Tate Leavitt, a 6-7, 315-pound star at Hutchinson CC in Hutchinson, KS. Leavitt, a native of Thornville, OH, originally signed with Ohio University in the 2013 class but did not qualify. He sat out a year before enrolling at Hutchinson for the 2014 season.

A standout performance season last fall led to early offers from Arizona State, Illinois, Kansas State and Texas Tech, among others.

Last week, Leavitt landed a dream offer from Alabama OL coach Mario Cristobal.

"It's very exciting," Leavitt says of the Tide's offer. "It shows that dreams come true. A lot of people said that I couldn't do this. But it goes to show what can be done."

"When I got here at Hutchinson," Leavitt says, "I was going up against two All-American defensive ends every day in practice. I knew then that if I could block those guys, I could play on that (SEC) level."

Alabama began talking with Leavitt a few weeks ago. "A coach on our staff here actually has a connection with Coach Cristobal, who watched my film and really liked it," Leavitt says. "We talked last Thursday and had a really good conversation. That led to my offer."

"Coach Cristobal likes that I'm really nasty," Leavitt says. "I'm very intense. I play through the whistle. He likes the way I finish my blocks. He just said that he loved my film."

"It seemed like I kind of clicked with Coach Cristobal right away. His track record speaks for itself with how he develops players both personally and athletically. He has an impact off the field. He also develops guys for the NFL." Leavitt was credited with 91 pancake blocks last season from his left tackle spot.

"Coach Cristobal didn't really say which side they were recruiting me for," Leavitt says. "He just told my coach that they might need a junior college tackle. It wouldn't be an issue with me whether it was the right side or the left."

Leavitt says that he's open to all offers. "This is the second time I've been through the recruiting process," he says.

"It's important to me that I make the right decision. I want to find the best fit and be comfortable with my decision. I want to make sure that the school wants me.

I don't want to just fill out a roster spot. I want to go somewhere that wants me."

Leavitt plans to take several visits before making his decision.

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MARCH 12 + MARCH 26

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Michael Brannon, aka Michal B Reddy Meghan Steel

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