Page 2, The Loafer • March 25, 2018
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March 25, 2018 • The Loafer, Page 3
Volume 28 Issue #16
Publisher - Bill Williams • Editor/Graphic Arts Director - Don Sprinkle • Office Manager - Luci Tate Cover Design - Bill May • Photography - Mark Marquette Advertising - Dave Carter, Akey Kincaid, Lisa Lyons, Terry Patterson, Pam Johnson-Bowling Contributing Staff - Jim Kelly, Andy Ross, Ken Silvers, Mark Marquette, Pat Bussard Published by Tree Street Media, LLC., P.O. Box 3238, Johnson City, TN 37602 Phone: 423/283-4324 FAX - 423/283-4369 www.theloaferonline.com • info@theloaferonline.com e-mail: editorial@theloaferonline.com (editorial) adcopy@theloaferonline.com (advertising All advertisements are accepted and published by the publisher upon the representation that the agency and/or advertiser is authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof.The agency and/or advertiser will indemnify and save the publisher harmless from any loss of expense resulting from claims or suits based upon contents of any advertisement,including claims or suits for defamation,libel,right of privacy,plagiarism,and copyright infringement.
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Street-Legal Rides set to test THUNDER VALLEY in
2014 ROADRUNNER MARKETS STREET FIGHTS New partnership offers excitement, deals to fans on and off the track! Filling the Thunder Valley lanes with the fastest rides in the region, next week Roadrunner Markets Street Fights flips the ignition and fires up for the 2014 season. Offering owners of any streetlegal ride the chance to test its mettle on the legendary drag strip, this year’s schedule consists of 17 events and features a variety of ways for racers and spectators alike to win. Starting with the Saturday, March 29 kick-off event, racerfavorites such as Perfect Light Night and the MPH Club return to the track. Testing driver reaction time, Perfect Light Night rewards any racer who clocks a .000 off the stripe and new for 2014, the Roadrunner Reaction Time contest gives the best reaction time each night with a $25 gift card good for gas and merchandise at any Road-
runner Markets Shell location. For those preferring the thrill of pure speed over the finesse of fast reflexes, the MPH Club and Power Hour return to recognize Street Fight’s quickest rides. To earn a coveted MPH Club decal, racers must post a run at, or quicker than, the night’s MPH requirement which ranges from 100 MPH – 150 MPH. Taking the competition one step further, Power Hours pits the event’s eight quickest rides in besttwo-out-of-three grudge matches and rewards the winner with a trophy declaring their dominance in Thunder Valley. Racers participating in Power Hour also have the opportunity to compete in the year-long competition with the season’s fastest machine earning a championship jacket and trophy.
Racers are not the only ones winning at Roadrunner Markets Street Fights this season as Bristol Dragway officials have planned exciting promotions for spectators as well. To kick-off the season, drivers can race for free on Saturday, March 29 with a receipt proving purchase of any Pepsi and FritoLay product from a Roadrunner Markets store. Additionally, promotions on select nights offer $5 off any ticket to those subscribed to the Roadrunner Markets text club or to those proving purchase of a Pepsi and Frito-Lay product from any Road-
runner Markets store, spectators are also eligible to win a $25 gift card good for gas and merchandise at any Roadrunner Markets Shell location through participation in event games. To sign up for the Roadrunner Markets text club and receive information on great weekly deals as well as discounts at the Dragway, text the word Roadrunner to 67664. For a complete list of Street Fights nightly promotions, visit www.bristoldragway.com/ get_tickets/street_fights. Along with the nightly promotions, spectators and racers can also receive a free limited-edition
Street Fights t-shirt by completing a short survey while at the track or can fill out an online form for the chance win a t-shirt and season ticket to Street Fights. Spectator admission is $5, $10 for racers and $15 for trailered cars. Gates open at noon for the March 29 season opener with racing set to begin at 1 p.m. For a complete season schedule or to find more information on racer and spectator promotions, visit www.bristoldragway.com. For more information on Roadrunner Markets and their text club, visit www.roadrunnermarkets.com.
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YUM-YUM, The Power of the Bite featuring International Tapas
YUM-YUM, The Power of the Bite featuring International Tapas is scheduled for Thursday, March 27 from 6-8 pm at Nelson’s Fine Art Center, 324 Main Street, in downtown Johnson City, TN. This event supports local restaurants that offer good food while embracing another type of art form - public art. The proceeds for this event will go towards a bicycle-inspired public art project designated for South Side Neighborhood (a.k.a. The Tree Streets). YUM-YUM will feature several local restaurants providing Internationally-inspired tapas “a bite” or small plate of food including two glasses of wine. One Stop Wines is providing a door prize of wines that can be paired with that evening’s tapas choices. Some examples of tapas are Italian-inspired like Belini Bruschetta with prosciutto and arugula and sliced baguette toasted in garlic olive oil, topped with peach-prosecco jam, sliced prosciutto and fresh arugula and honey roasted figs with fresh ricotta and hazelnut to warm Greekinspired Orzo Salad with Mediterranean vegetables and feta - cucumber, tomato, red onion, black olive, roasted red pepper,
fresh parsley tossed in dijon dill vinaigrette. The goal of “this tapas” experience is to have a range of unique internationally-inspired food that goes beyond a specific country,” said Virginia Buda, Arts Organizer and Founder of Artlandia. The word tapas, ac- cording to Wikipedia.com, originated in Spain. Tapas refers to a wide variety of Spanish appetizers that when combined could make a meal. Tapas is also a popular term used more broadly to refer to any similar format dining where small plates or “bites” of food are offered which is why YUMYUM embraces this particular definition of the word. In some countries it is customary for diners to stand and move about while eating, which is the experience you will have on Thursday, March 27th. “One clear sign that cities are progressing is when we find culinary haunts, in their many designed shapes and forms, preparing interesting food,” said Buda. “Those restaurants are here and elsewhere in the region. And, we need to encourage these and other independentthinking entrepreneurs to develop and grow because they are a sincere reflection of a progressive city...a city whose landscape is changing from the typical to the incredibly interesting,” said Buda. Those that have lived in Johnson City for years can say that this pro- gression did not occur overnight. There are many, including those in the food arts industry, that have played a significant role in changing the landscape of our city. I’m thankful, grateful and inspired by their entrepreneurial fearlessness. Without them, we loose a cultural layer that is necessary for positive growth. Ultimately, this YUM-YUM event showcases our local restaurants and their internationally-inspired food while raising money for public art,” Buda concluded. There are 200 tickets, including one “golden” ticket - a door prize - for purchase. Tickets are $25 or $15 per person. You can purchase tickets at eventbrite. com, at Nelson’s Fine Art Center or contact Virginia Buda at 423-833-8474 (call/ text) or email vbudadesigns@gmail.com. For event updates and other art happenings, please go to facebook: artlandiajc.
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Savvy, smarts & sassy
‘Revolutionary chamber ensemble’ to energize ETSU venue Five youthful musicians roam the stage unfettered by music stands or chairs, bobbing and swaying to the music they are so effortlessly performing. It might be a Billy Joel or Broadway tune, Bernstein’s Candide or a Maslanka quintet. They might be garbed in costumes, furry ears, jeans or colorful, more formal attire, depending on the mood and audience. Sometimes their movement is choreographed. Others times, it is spontaneous and free. This “upstart wind quintet,” this “rebel chamber ensemble” – as media have called the Houstonbased WindSync – is dedicated to its mission to “enrich the lives of children, families and community members through innovative, interactive chamber music,” quintet founder and bassoonist Tracy Jacobson told Arts + Culture Texas. “We’ve carved a niche for ourselves as specialists in interactive concerts, that is to say, we incorporate bits of choreography, poetry, theater and singing into our performances, as well as audience participation,” says Jacobson, who started the ensemble in 2009 with musicians, like herself, from Rice University’s Shepherd School of
Music. “We pretty much operate under the principle of playing only music we absolutely love and never program music just for the sake of it being standard or traditional. We also like performing in smaller, intimate and unconventional performance spaces. It lets our concerts take on a really casual and fun vibe.” While not as unconventional as a horse park, café or farmers market, ETSU’s Martha Street Culp Auditorium stage will be WindSync’s venue Tuesday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m. and Mathes Hall 107 for a master class the following day at 12:35 p.m. Both events are sponsored by Mary B. Martin School of the Arts. “This relatively young group is getting a lot of attention these days because of the high quality of their performances and unique style,” says Anita DeAngelis, director of Mary B. Martin School of the Arts. “We and our audience seem to connect well with chamber music ensembles, and WindSync brings chamber music with a twist, a little different repertoire, not straightforward classical music, rather an exciting fusion of styles.” The group’s program at ETSU will include WindSync’s own arrangements of a Mozart fantasia, Ravel, Bernstein and Piazzolla, as well as works by Respighi and Taffanel.
www.theloaferonline.com Hailed by the Houston Chronicle as “revolutionary chamber musicians,” WindSync has been recognized for its adventurous programming by Concert Artists Guild, winning the 2012 Sylvia Ann Hewlett Adventurous Artist Prize and its 2012 Victor Elmaleh Competition. In addition to a transcontinental tour, the ensemble made its New York debut at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in November 2013. “WindSync is a creative process,” Jacobson says. “We love to explore new repertoire, theatricality and even costuming, pushing the boundaries of wind quintet playing.” Misha Penton of Arts + Culture called the ensemble’s repertoire “a gold-mine … seemingly boundless,” as unrestrained as their activity, on stage and in their whirlwind scheduling. WindSync combines its active/ interactive approach to reaching all people with classical music with a commitment to education and arts engagement. The group has represented Young Audiences of Houston, an arts program that applauded WindSync for its “extraordinary ability to connect students, educators, administrators and parents in a powerful and meaningful way,” and was a Music for Autism 2012 Spotlight Artist, performing in five U.S.
March 25, 2018 • The Loafer, Page 7 cities for audiences with special needs. Their latest initiative is The Play Different Project, a campaign against bullying, launched in spring 2013. The quintet’s musicians themselves are all under 30. Their energy is natural and infectious. “Many people come up to us and quote our mission back to us. ‘Wow, you’re bring a fresh energy to classical music,’ ” horn player Anni Hochhalter told Fox 26 news in Houston. The 5-year-old group has big plans for the coming years, says flutist Garrett Hudson. “We dream big,” he says, “and we are hoping that we will holding a Grammy one day or touring the world.” In addition to Jacobson, Hochhalter and Hudson, Erin Tsai plays oboe for WindSync, and Jack Marquardt is the clarinetist. For more on WindSync visit its website, www.windsync.org. Tickets for the Tuesday evening concert are $15 general admission, $10 senior 60+ and $5 for students of all ages. The master class Wednesday is free and open to auditors. For information about the ETSU Mary B. Martin School of the Arts or the WindSync events, call 423439-TKTS (8587) or visit www. etsu.edu/martin. “Like” ETSU Mary B. Martin
Kokumanga 2014 We are ready with two days of non-stop fun for manga, comics and Sci-Fi fans! If you enjoy Homestuck, Cosplay (Costume contest), video games or Card tournaments Kokumanga 2014 welcomes you with more cosplay, more panels, more entertainment and hundreds of dollars in prizes! and the bets of it, you get to hang out with your fellow manga maniacs, anime enthusiasts, and comics fans! And If you enjoy comics from DC or Marvel, movies and series like Star Wars, Star Trek, The Walking Dead, our dealers got you covered in our large dealer’s room from Collectibles, Comics, toys, t-shirts, to books and DVD’s and everything in between vintage or new!
Come and enjoy our bigger and Better Cosplay Contest! Now with $400 dollars to the first prize, $200 for the second price and $100 for the third prize! Our improved Magic The Gathering tournaments now offers $100 for the first prize and $50 for the second prize. Don’t forget spaces are limited so register early! Check our Facebook page for more information and updates! March 29th-30th 2014 Sat, 29th: 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM Sunday 30th: 12:00 to 5:00 PM *Saturday Cosplay Dance 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM Holiday Inn Convention Center 101 W Springbrook Dr, Johnson City, TN 37604
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Spend an evening with
The Steel Wheels on March 30, 2014 at the Renaissance Arts Center Theatre
The City of Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts in partnership with Skyflight Productions presents an evening with The Steel Wheels at 7 pm on Sunday March 30, 2014 at The Renaissance Theater in Kingsport, TN. The Steel Wheels have captured audiences across the country with their heady brew of original soulful mountain music and their deep commitment to roots and community. Based in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, this dynamic four-piece string band marries old-time musical traditions with their own innovative sound and lifestyle, generating a truly magnetic revival. The Steel Wheels is an amalgamation of hard work and easy rapport. The band is renowned for their raw energy and chemistry on stage, where they often cluster tightly around a single microphone to adorn Trent Wagler’s unmistakable tenor with bellclear four-part harmonies inspired by their shared Mennonite heritage. Add to this Eric Brubaker’s lively and evocative fiddle, Brian Dickel’s grounded yet buoyant upright bass, and Jay Lapp’s signature mandolin style, and it’s no surprise that The Steel Wheels have enthralled the contemporary Americana scene.
Their breakout album, Red Wing, garnered critical praise and enjoyed tremendous success on the radio. It spent 13 weeks on the Americana Music Association’s Top 40 Chart, where it reached the number 15 slot, and cracked the Euro Americana Chart top 10. Red Wing ranked 70th out of the top 100 Americana albums of 2010 and second out of all independent releases (Americana Music Association). The Steel Wheels were nominated for five Independent Music Awards in 2010, with “Nothing You Can’t Lose” taking top honors as Best Country Song. The Steel Wheels continue to take the Americana scene by storm with their latest album, Lay Down, Lay Low, which lingered for 10 weeks on the AMA’s Top 40 Chart. NPR named “Rain in the Valley” their Song of the Day, marveling that the “heavy hymn […] is sparse and dense all at once.” Already celebrated as the darlings of Merlefest 2012, the band looks forward to further accolades during a phenomenal festival line-up. As the band thrives, so do their partnerships with local businesses, artisans, and charitable organizations. The values portrayed in their music—devotion to roots, community, and family—are a way of life
www.theloaferonline.com for The Steel Wheels, and this is reflected in everything from production process and booking agency to merchandise and touring. For the past three years, they have performed an annual SpokeSongs bicycle music tour, during which band members tow their instruments, equipment, and merchandise from one gig to another via bicycle and blog about their adventures. Last year’s tour spanned 11 days, 550 miles, and 10 shows. This year’s tour included multiple charity rides, such as Lose The Training Wheels, Charity Ride for Kids, and Wheels Up for Cory. The band’s merchandise represents a host of grassroots connections to people and businesses. Lucas Roasting Company, located just outside of Harrisonburg, created “Halfway to Heaven” dark
March 25, 2018 • The Loafer, Page 9 roast coffee in honor of their friends The Steel Wheels. Blue Mountain Brewery, located on Afton Mountain in Virginia, hosted the band when they were just getting started and now sells a “Steel Wheels ESB.” The Livery’s master brewer rode with the band on their second bike tour and, soon after, created their “Steel Wheels Stout.” The band’s T-shirts are made in downtown Harrisonburg, and a potter who is a childhood friend of Jay’s makes their mugs. Each business is local for the band, and each product is intimately woven into their narrative. The Steel Wheels are proof that music remains a viable and sustaining force for connection in our world. Show starts at 7 pm. Tickets: $15 Reserved Seats Book Now: www. EngageKingsport.com
Be an Everyday Hero by Giving Blood During Red Cross Month Blood donors are Everyday Heroes who help save lives. During Red Cross Month, the American Red Cross recognizes these lifesavers, thanks them for their generosity and encourages others to join their ranks. “Red Cross Month is an ideal time for people to show support for our mission,” said Gwen Hunter, Donor Recruitment Representative in East Tennessee. “Anyone can become an Everyday Hero by giving blood, becoming a volunteer, making a financial donation or taking a class. Students at Ashley Academy have created artwork in celebration of Red Cross Month which is on display at the American Red Cross 818 Sunset Dr. They are heroes too.” The need for blood is constant. From cancer patients and accident victims to premature babies and those with blood disorders, someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds. Upcoming donation locations and times:
Tuesday, March 25 American Red Cross, 818 Sunset Drive, Johnson City, 2:30 pm to 7:00 pm Wednesday, March 26 American Red Cross, 818 Sunset Drive, Johnson City, 8:00 am to 1:00 pm In addition to collecting and distributing about 40 percent of the nation’s blood supply, the Red Cross responds to nearly 70,000 disasters a year in the U.S., providing shelter, food, emotional support and other necessities to those affected. The organization also offers 24-hour support to members of the military, veterans and their families – in war zones, military hospitals and on military installations around the world and trains more than seven million people in first aid, water safety and other lifesaving skills every year. For blood donation opportunities near you, please visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Blood can be donated every 56 days.
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Men invited to ‘Walk a Mile in Her Shoes’ at ETSU Registration is under way for “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes,” a special “race” designed to promote prevention of sexual violence, which will be held at East Tennessee State University on Thursday, April 3, from 6-8 p.m. “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” is an International Men’s March to Stop Rape, Sexual Assault and Gender Violence. Participating men will don high heels for this one-mile march through the ETSU campus, which will begin at the D.P. Culp University Center’s Cave patio. Ladies may participate, too,
but will be allowed to wear their sneakers! This event is sponsored by OASIS (Outreach and Advocacy Sexuality Information for Students) and other campus and community organizations. There is no registration fee for this year’s march – ETSU’s first, following successful marches in Chattanooga, Memphis and Asheville, N.C. – but in the future, the sponsors plan to expand the event and raise funds to help local organizations that support and assist victims of sexual and relationship
violence. There is a rental fee of $7 for shoes ($10 on race day; a limited number are still available), or participants may purchase their own high-heeled shoes. Any donations received will benefit the Sexual Assault Center of East Tennessee. For registration or more information, contact Kate Emmerich of the ETSU Counseling Center at (423) 439-4841 or oasis@etsu.edu. For disability accommodations, call the ETSU Office of Disability Services at (423) 439-8346.
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Milligan stage set for
‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ The Milligan College theater department will present William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” from March 27 to 30 in Milligan’s McGlothlinStreet Theatre of the Gregory Center for the Liberal Arts. The March 27-29 performances begin at 7:30 p.m.; the March 30 matinee begins at 2:30 p.m. All tickets are $5 and are on sale in the Milligan Bookstore. “‘Midsummer’ is by far one of the most popular of Shakespeare’s comedies, and Milligan’s staged version lives up to the hilarity one expects of this play,” said Richard Major, director and professor of theatre at Milligan.
“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” takes audiences on magical romp through a fairyinfested forest, complete with star-crossed young people in love, a motley crew of rustic actors and a grumpy curmudgeon who tries to put a damper on the marital merriment. “I have tried my very best to make this production accessible to all ages, which is in sharp contrast to what many people envision when they hear that a theater group is doing a Shakespearian production,” Major said. “Many people wonder how a play written half a millennium ago can have anything relevant to say to a person living
in the 21st century. Well, Shakespeare wrote for the masses, and the themes in his comedies are ageless as he wrote about love, sacrifice, whimsical encounters and playful moments between human beings.” Advance tickets are on sale in the Milligan Bookstore, open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or by calling 423.461.8733. A limited number of tickets will be on sale (until sold out) at the box office 30 minutes prior to each performance. To learn more about arts events at Milligan, visit www. milligan.edu/arts.
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Tuesday Night @ the Movies Jonesborough Library Tuesday, April 1, 2014 5:30 p.m.
Celebrate spring at the Jonesborough Library on Tuesday, April 1 at 5:30 p.m., when you join us for our monthly Tuesday Night @ the Movies. Our movie is a 1948 American musical film starring Judy Garland and Fred Astaire, featuring music by Irving Berlin, including some of Astaire and Garland’s best-known songs, such as “Steppin’ Out With My Baby” and “We’re a Couple of Swells.” Join us for a walk up Fifth Ave. as you hear Fred sing “In your Easter Bonnet….” Our show time features free popcorn and drinks. Tuesday Night @ the Movies is a free event sponsored by the Friends of the Washington County Library. For more information, please call the Jonesborough Library at 753-1800.
Start Smart Golf begins April 8 at MPCC Memorial Park Community Center, 510 Bert St., will offer Start Smart Golf, a National Alliance for Youth Sports program, from 6-7 p.m. on Tuesdays beginning April 8. The six-week program, instructed by Parks and Recreation staff, will teach children ages 5-7 the basic motor skills necessary to play traditional golf. Parents and guardians are required to be involved one-on-one with their child during the instruction. Registration is available online at www.johnsoncitytn.org/ parksrec. Program fee is $25 for City residents and $30 for nonCity residents. A $20 late fee will be assessed for registrations after March 31. Each child will receive a Start Smart T-shirt. Participants should wear appropriate athletic clothing, tennis shoes, and bring a water bottle. Please call 434-5749 for more information.
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“Storytellers of the Silver Screen”
Features Authors Adriana Trigiani and David Baldacci The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park is offering an opportunity to dine with New York Times bestselling authors Adriana Trigiani and David Baldacci in a special fundraiser event for the Friends of the Southwest Virginia Museum. Tickets are now available for “Storytellers of the Silver Screen,” a one-of-a-kind lunch experience where the authors will highlight recent projects to turn their novels set in Virginia into full-length feature films. The authors will discuss the film adaptation of Trigiani’s Big Stone Gap, which is currently in production, and Baldacci’s Wish You Well, which celebrated its film release in October of 2013. The speaking event will not include a book signing. Participants will be treated to a prepared lunch with the authors on the beautiful grounds of the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park.
“Storytellers of the Silver Screen” will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8th, and tickets are $50.00 each. Only 50 tickets are available, so purchase tickets early by calling (276) 5231322. The reservation and payment deadline is April 1st by 4:00 p.m. All proceeds benefit the Friends of the Southwest Virginia Museum, a 501(c)3 Citizens Support Organization for the Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park. The award-winning Virginia State Parks are managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. For more information about Virginia State Parks’ activities and amenities or to make reservations in one of the more than 1,800 campsites or 300 climatecontrolled cabins, call the Virginia State Parks Reservation Center at 800-933-PARK or visit www.virginiastateparks.gov.
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Jars of Clay
Performing at NPAC on Saturday, March 29th Jars of Clay were the breakout band of the so-called alternative Contemporary Christian music (CCM) movement of the ‘90s, scoring an enormous mainstream hit with their debut single “Flood” which enjoyed platinum sales. The group’s lyrics may have been exclusively Christian, but their acousticoriented music fit perfectly into the folky jangle pop wing of alternative rock radio, at the time a rarity on the contemporary Christian music scene. Such success set the stage for breakthroughs by Christian bands like dc Talk and Sixpence None the Richer, and it’s difficult to imagine the later popularity of heavier, Christian-themed hard rockers like Creed and P.O.D. without Jars of Clay’s fusion of spiritual themes and mainstream alternative rock sounds. As popular tastes shifted, Jars of Clay found it increasingly difficult to maintain a secular audience, but still commanded a sizable Christian following while remaining one of the highest-profile groups in any gospel-music subgenre. Jars of Clay were formed at Illinois’ Greenville College in 1993 by singer/songwriter Dan Haseltine and keyboardist Charlie Lowell. They soon added guitarist Stephen Mason, who shared Haseltine’s fondness for Toad the Wet Sprocket (a good secular reference point for the typical Jars of Clay sound). All three were music majors in the college’s new CCM department, and they initially banded together to write a song for a class recording project. Eventually, they chose a name for the band from a verse in the second book of Corinthians, which emphasized the frailty of the physical vessels in which God had placed the human spirit. Second guitarist Matt Bronleewe joined up later, and drummer Scott Savage became part of the band’s live lineup, though they continued to use electronic drum loops on some of their recordings. Encouraged by the response to their small repertoire of originals, the band entered a talent competition run by the Gospel Music Asso-
www.theloaferonline.com ciation in 1994. After being chosen as finalists on the strength of their demo tape, Jars of Clay traveled to Nashville to perform for industry executives and wound up winning the contest. They returned to Greenville and began selling a selfreleased demo CD called “Frail”, leading to interest from record labels (several of whom began calling the musicians’ dorm in the hopes of signing them). With such intense interest, the band decided to leave school and relocate to Nashville permanently. At this point, Bronleewe departed the lineup, wanting to finish school and settle down with his fiancée, and was replaced by Lowell’s childhood friend Matt Odmark. After considering several offers, Jars of Clay signed with the smaller Essential label, which nonetheless had ample distribution power through its parent company, Brentwood, as well as its arrangement with the secular label Silvertone. As the group was recording its selftitled debut album, Frail caught the ear of progressive rock guitarist (and recent Christian convert) Adrian Belew, who offered to produce a couple of tracks for the record. One of those songs was “Flood,” which became a runaway hit on Christian radio upon the album’s release in the spring of 1995. When “Flood” began to catch on with secular stations as well (particularly in the Northwest), Silvertone threw its full promotional muscle behind the album, and by early 1996, the song was a major crossover hit on mainstream rock radio, modern rock radio, and the pop charts. “Flood” helped push sales of Jars of Clay past the double-platinum mark, a stunning showing for a Christian group. After enlisting the help of British producer Steve Lipson, Jars of Clay released the sophomore effort “Much Afraid” in 1997. The record debuted in the Top Ten on the pop charts and not only went platinum, but won a Grammy Award for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album. Despite some success with the singles “Five Candles” and “Crazy Times,” however, “Much Afraid” didn’t gain the same level of mainstream exposure as its predecessor. Nonetheless, the band’s Christian audience remained loyal, sending the 1999 effort “If I Left the
March 25, 2018 • The Loafer, Page 15 Zoo” (produced by Dennis Herring, who’d also worked with Counting Crows) to gold status. Jars of Clay self-produced their fourth studio album, “The Eleventh Hour”, which was released in early 2002 and followed by a live DVD. The next year, the band issued the impressive double-disc set “Furthermore: From the Studio/From the Stage”, which highlighted fresh acoustic-driven classics as well as cuts from some of Jars of Clay’s live shows. In November 2003, the group released its fifth album proper, “Who We Are Instead”. “Redemption Songs” followed in early 2005, comprised of the band’s take on significant church hymns and popular spirituals, and Jars of Clay returned in fall 2006 with “Good Monsters”. Three albums arrived the following year - the compilation “Essential Jars of Clay”, “Live Monsters”, and the holiday- themed “Christmas Songs” - while 2009 saw the band release another studio album, “Long Fall Back to Earth”, whose sound paid homage to such ‘80s icons as Tears for Fears and the Cure. The band continued that trend, follow-
ing up with “The Shelter” in 2010, which they promoted by touring the US in 2011 as part of the massive Rock And Worship Roadshow. After some downtime, they hit the studio again in 2012, travelling to Portland, OR to work with Tucker Martine. The renowned producer brought a slightly grungier, bass-heavy sound to their next album, “Inland”, which was released in 2013. Jars of Clay will perform at Niswonger Performing Arts Center (NPAC) in historic downtown Greeneville, TN on Saturday, March 29th at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $30 for orchestra and mezzanine level seating and $20 for balcony seats. Tickets may be purchased online at www.npacgreeneville.com, in person at the NPAC box office, or by calling 423-638-1679. NPAC offers online seat selection and no-fee ticketing. The box office hours are Monday through Friday, 10 am until 5 pm. The 1130 seat performing arts center is located adjacent to the campus of Greeneville High School in Greeneville, TN. For venue information, and to purchase tickets, please visit www. npacgreeneville.com.
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True Pioneer Robot Headin’ to Taurus A calling card from Earth is silently heading to the bright, red star in our winter night sky, a true pioneer of mankind’s first steps into interplanetary exploration. Pioneer 10 was the first manmade object to pass through the asteroid belt, visit Jupiter and eventually leave the Solar System. Launched on March 3, 1972, the TRW-built spacecraft had its switch flipped off on March 31, 1997 when it was about 6 billion miles from Earth. A few telemetry downloads were squeezed out of Pioneer 10 in 2002 when it was 7.5 billion miles from our Sun, simply a very bright star from that distance. Forty-three years after it was sent to the stars, Pioneer 10 is silent as it travels at 27,000 miles per hour in interstellar space. It is
headed toward Aldebaran in Taurus the Bull, the “V-shaped” constellation with the red star that is easy to see in our autumn to early spring night skies. Today, Pioneer 10 is more than 10 billion miles from the Sun, whose light takes more than 15 hours to reach the spacecraft. Pioneer 10 will take 2 million years to reach Aldebaran, a bloated, red giant of a star, 68 Light Years away. But if along the way to Aldebaran aliens snag this strange contraption with the nine foot communications disk, they’ll learn a lot about earthlings. Welded to the satellite frame is a special plaque that was a bit controversial in the early 1970s for graphically portraying a naked man and woman. The brainchild of astronomer Carl Sagan, this 6x9 inch gold-
ionized aluminum plaque was engraved with scientific notation and the image of a man, woman and the Pioneer 10 spacecraft behind them for scale. The outrage of the line drawing showing the man’s penis and woman’s breasts overshadowed the real reason—so aliens know what we look like, where we came from and what our world is made of. The data was ingeniously etched with simple notation in scientific language. There is a chart of our Solar System and Pioneer 10’s left turn at Jupiter and out to interstellar space. The plaque uses binary code of 0s and 1s for language, the universal hydrogen atom as a yardstick, and the position of 14 “pulsars” in the sky as a bulls-eye to our Sun. The pulsars are the radial lines with
www.theloaferonline.com their coordinates in binary, the logic being any advanced aliens would know these sites of mega energy output. Pulsars are small neutron stars that emit high energy waves in beams, like a cosmic lighthouse. But it was the blatant display of human sex organs that got the ire of some public moral advocates. Letters to the editors of newspapers who published the Pioneer plaque called it pornographic and obscene. There was criticism by some religious groups for the lack of a reference to “God” among the clever scientific notation. Pioneer was a series of NASA satellites that explored the Moon and Venus in the 1960s, each mission a new test for equipment and experiments. When it was realized that the outer planets would be lined up for a “Grand Tour” by spacecraft in the 1970s, Pioneer 10 to Jupiter and Pioneer 11 to Jupiter and Saturn became the first to push the envelope. Eventually, Voyager 1 would go to Jupiter and Saturn, and Voyager 2 would complete the “Grand Tour” to Uranus and Neptune in the 1980s.
March 25, 2018 • The Loafer, Page 17 The Pioneer 10 was a true pioneer in many ways, including its design. Because solar panels were no good so far away from the Sun, interplanetary spacecraft need a nuclear source of fuel. And because of radiation effecting scientific instruments, these “RTG” power sources are placed on long booms, away from the main core “bus” of a satellite. When launched by an Atlas-Centaur rocket, Pioneer 10 reached a then-high 31,000 mph. The gravity of Jupiter and its moons changed the velocity of the spacecraft, but nothing in the void of space allows a resistance to the current speed of 26,000 mph. That’s 230 million miles a year. Pioneer 10’s sister craft, Pioneer 11, also has an identical etched plaque. And on the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecrafts of the 1980s, an actual gold record, complete with a needle, were place aboard with images, music and important written words included to explain Earth, humans and our Solar System. Voyager 1 actually eclipsed the distance of Pioneer 10, though
launched 5 years later in 1977. Voyager 1is traveling at 10,000 mph faster and has hit 12 billion miles from the Sun—in the minus -200 F. degree void of interstellar space. These four stellar voyagers have all left the Solar System and are traveling to the stars. They will soon be joined by NASA’s New Horizon, headed to Pluto in July 2015, then beyond to other “dwarf planets” in the unexplored Kuiper Belt of small bodies circling the Solar System. Aboard New Horizon are a few messages from its builders, as well as some ashes of 1930 Pluto discoverer Clyde Tombaugh. These five American spacecraft are headed to the stars, their design alone a testament to the intelligent creatures that sent them. The message in a bottle that the famous Pioneer and Voyager contain may outlive the Earth itself. Image a civilization actually finding Pioneer 10 and realizing they are the ones who are not alone!
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Skies This Week Celestial events in the skies for the week of Mar. 25th - Mar. 31st, 2014, as compiled for The Loafer by Mark D. Marquette.
The last week of March is the first full week of Spring. The Moon has slipped into the deep of the night, greeting those leaving the night clubs late or getting up early for work. Both the evening skies, with the dazzling and familiar constellations, and the morning skies, with the now visible string of planets, Venus, Saturn and Mars, are enticing us to just look up a few minutes. Take the time to sit down, look up and loose oneself in the contemplation of the stars…it’ll be time well spent. Tues. March 25 On this astronomy date in 1996, naked eye Comet Hyakutake was closest to Earth, heading back out in the Netherlands of the Solar System after whipping around the Sun. Wed. March 26 Darkness brings a stunning scene in the south skies, a half dozen bright stars and Jupiter in the classic constellations of folklore—Orion, the Big and Little Dog, the brothers Gemini and the Bull, Taurus. In the east, Mars is rising in Virgo at 9 pm,, and by midnight the bright, white star Spica is below the Red Planet. Thurs. March 27 To the North is the Big Dipper standing on its end, and in the east, the Leo the Lion is high and proud. When looking in this direction we are looking away from our Milky Way Galaxy and into the depth of the Universe. That’s why amateur astronomers enjoy finding the several dozen easy galaxies to find among the thousands of galaxies seen by professional observatories and telescope photography.
Fri. March 28 The sky is changing rapidly, and this is one of the last moonless weeks to see Jupiter in the middle of eight 1st magnitude stars before they set in the west. Castor and Pollux join Jupiter in Gemini; below is Procyon in the Little Dog and the brightest star in the sky, Sirius in Canis Major; Rigel and Betelgeuse in Orion; Aldebaran in Taurus; and high above, Capella in Auriga the Charioteer. Sat. March 29 On this 1974 date in space history, NASA’s Mariner 10 made the first close flyby of inner planet Mercury. Revealed was one of the most heavily cratered surfaces in the Solar System, the small, 1,365 mile diameter planet looking much like our 1,250 mile wide Moon. Today, NASA’s Messenger is in its third year orbiting the iron heavy first planet, revealing water ice at the poles and an 800 degree hot, sulfur laden surface. Sun. March 30 You’ll really feel Daylight Saving Time this evening when it takes from 8 pm sunset to almost 8:30 pm for the stars to come out. After your day of maybe church, recreation and friends, recharge your mind under the canopy of Spring stars that are astounding to gaze upon. Mon. March 31 On this date in space history, the mission of interplanetary spacecraft Pioneer 10 was officially ended by NASA. The first unmanned robot to visit Jupiter, it is the “grandfather” of today’s high-tech spacecraft New Horizons, heading to a flyby of Pluto in July 2015.
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Theatre Bristol presents
“Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs” Theatre Bristol announces its first show of 2014, raising the curtain on its 49th season, with the fairy tale “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Performances of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” will open Friday, March 28 at the ARTspace Theatre at 506 State Street, Bristol, and run Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through Sunday, April 13th. The Friday and Saturday performances will be at 7:30 pm. Sunday matinees will be at 2:30 pm. Adult tickets are $12.00. Senior (60+), student and children’s tickets are $10.00. Reserve your tickets in advance by calling 423383-5979. Based on the familiar tale by the Brothers Grimm, the play tells how Snow White, supposedly
disposed of by the wicked queen, finds her way to a happy glen and the home of seven friendly dwarfs. A deadly apple, wielded by the queen, casts her into a deep sleep. She is revived just in time, and, with her prince, lives… Well, come see for yourself. Directing the cast is highly respected and talented actor/director, Chris McVey, a Theatre Bristol veteran. He is supported by crew Sarah McCall, T.J. Voorhees, Lindsay Marshall, Camille Gray, Natasha Trombly, Sharon Flake, and Nicholas Thompson. Grace Glover stars as the beautiful Snow White, the Evil Queen Brangomar is played by Hannah Crawford, Witch Hex, Brangomar’s accomplice, is played by Lee Anne Hitch, and the Mirror is
voiced by long-time Theatre Bristol veteran Michael Locke. The Huntsman is played by Jacob Alvis, returning to the Theatre Bristol stage after performances in Anne of Green Gables and Miracle on 34th Street. The charming Prince Florimond is played by Mason Johnson, and James Altman makes his debut on the Theatre Bristol stage as Sir Dandiprat, the meticulous chamberlain. Snow White’s eight Maids of Honor are played by Sara Harless, Gabrielle Harmon, Jaymee Woodmore, Destiny Keene, Samantha Mays, Ava White, Emmerson Hardy, and Emma Hatcher. The Seven Dwarfs are brought to life by John Mullins, Rori Simmons, Emma Kennedy, Ethan Riffey, Luke Childress, Caleb Hale, and
Aaron Blankenship. The cast is rounded out by the Witch’s adorable cats, played by Mary Hitch, Carolyn Hitch, Zaiah Gray, and Ethan Baker. For more information, visit www.theatrebristol.org or visit the Theatre Bristol facebook page.
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“Mr. Peabody & Sherman”
As a child I remember watching “The Bullwinkle Show” and loving the segment called “Peabody’s Improbable History”. The segment featured Peabody, a talking beagle who is the smartest being in existence. During his life, Peabody has accomplished many things, including winning two Olympic medals, and graduating from Harvard. Perhaps his greatest accomplishment was adopting the glasses-wearing boy Sherman, who he found abandoned in an alley. The orange-haired boy and Peabody embarked on adventures via the WABAC, a time machine invented by Mr. Peabody. Their adventures placed them in contact with famous people from the past, and the interactions were priceless. So I was very excited to see the animated duo updated and hitting the big screen in “Mr. Peabody & Sherman”. The film begins by revealing how Peabody and Sherman came together. After we see the wonderful penthouse the two live in, Sherman is soon facing his first day of school. Not long into his first day, Sherman is bullied by fellow classmate Penny Peterson, who promptly calls him a dog. After he “bites” Penny, Sherman gets into trouble, and Peabody devises
a plan to keep Sherman from being take away by Children’s Services. While Peabody’s plan progresses, Sherman and Penny use the WABAC without permission, and chaos ensues. The WABAC sends the duo to Ancient Egypt, where Penny is chosen as the bride for King Tut. Sherman travels back to the present day in order to retrieve Mr. Peabody to help rescue Penny. After the duo rescue Penny they make stops in Renaissance Italy and ancient Troy during the Trojan War. The duo run across other famous people in history, and due to a rip in the space-time continuum, many of the famous folk from the past end up in the present day, until Sherman saves the day. The film features many talented voices, including Ty Burrell (“Modern Family”) as Peabody, and Max Charles (“The Neighbors”) as Sherman. The film features the clever dialogue fans know from the television show, and various supporting characters, including the villainous Mrs. Grunion (Allison Janney) add much to the proceedings. “Mr. Peabody & Sherman” is a computer-animated film both kids and adults will appreciate and enjoy. (Rated PG) A-
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The Shadow There was a time, not so long ago, when superhero movies were not the bread and butter of the Box Office. All that change in 1989, when Tim Burton’s Batman opened up and blew the roof off. I was a kid who was obsessed with Batman. I had Batman shoes, Batman socks, Batman pajamas, Batman bed sheets, Batman shirts, even a custom made Batman chair. With the chance for a new line of monster money makers, Hollywood started to look at what could be, essentially, be the next Batman. Disney tried their hand at it with 1990’s Dick Tracy, and 1991’s The Rocketeer. The former was a box office smash, and the latter wasn’t. But an issue with the rights to the Dick Tracy character prevented a film franchise from going forward. Both though, were films I very much loved growing up. With the second Batman film, 1992’s Batman Returns opening to big returns, it was still unclear what, if at all, would be the next hero to take the box office throne. During all of this, Universal had been working on their attempt to grab control of the Superhero throne. However, Universal did something a little different than everyone else. Instead of looking to the comic book world for their hero, they looked towards what could be argued as the superhero prototype. A 60 year old character with its origins in pulp novels and radio. Universal was going to make a movie based on The Shadow. The Shadow as a character has a rather interesting origin story, the character was initially created just to be a mysterious narrator of the radio program Detective Story Hour, a show ran by Street and Smith Publications, an imprint which specialized in pump and dime novels. But something strange happened when the mysterious, and slightly sinister Shadow began to narrate the detective tales. The audiences were more intrigued by him, than they were the stories on the
show.
Street and Smith were flooded with requests from newsdealers wanting to stock “The Shadow Detective Magazine.” However, the magazine didn’t exist. Not wanting to miss out on the chance to make a buck, Street and Smith hurried to get the first issue of “The Shadow Magazine” ready, commissioning Walter B. Gibson, under the pen name of Maxwell Grant, to write and create the world of The Shadow. The magazine hit the stands in 1931, and ran till 1949. But the most famous characteristics of The Shadow weren’t born in the pulp publications that featured him. The came from the development of “The Shadow” radio program, that premiered in 1937—with a 22 year old Orson Wells at the helm as The Shadow and Lamont Cranston, The Shadow’s alter ego, described as a “wealthy young man about town.” If anyone knows anything, even if they don’t realize it, about The Shadow, it’s the elements that came out of that radio program. The radio program responsible for The Shadow’s catch phrase, “Who know’s what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow
knows!” followed by a sinister, maniacal laugh. Radio being radio, and not a visual medium, a great conceit was created for the program. The Shadow has telepathic powers learned in the orient that allows him to “cloud men’s minds, so they can not see him.” In the pulp stories, The Shadow doesn’t have that ability. Instead, he is a smart, cunning, almost genius level intellect with master detective skills. He has a network of agents, all identified by a ring that can be used to “summon” one another. His image being of a flowing black cape over a double breasted black trench coat, topped with a wide brimmed black hat, and a crimson red scarf covering the mouth. At his side, two nickel plated .45 guns at the ready. Another conceit the radio show introduced, was that The Shadow WAS Lamont Cranston, in the pulp stories, Cranston is one of many aliases. The radio program also introduced a confidant, Margo Lane, the only character who knows who The Shadow really is. The show was a massive hit, running till 1954. In the middle of the time from conception to end there were attempts at the big screen: three movies, a 1940 movie serial, and two tries to bring the character to television. Even after the radio program and magazine ended, the character would return from time to time in comic book form. Even making an appearance with Batman, who the character had an influence on. So, naturally, me being a Batman loving kid of the 90s, the news of The Shadow coming to my local theater was exciting. For, you see, I had an awareness of the character. My family and I would always go to Myrtle Beach each year for vacation, and the trips were always made in our trusty Starcraft tan colored van. Being of
the age of 8, a road trip to the beach seemed like an eternity, and I was always trying to find a way to pass the time with my trusty Walkman at my side. Road Trips always meant that we’d be stopping to eat at Cracker Barrel. One thing you always used to see at Cracker Barrel were tapes of vintage radio programs. Someone, and to be honest I don’t remember who, but someone bought me a tape of two episodes of “The Shadow” to keep me
company. As we departed the restaurant and got back into the van, I put the tape into my Walkman. I was mesmerized by the sounds that floated around. I laid back on the couch in the back of the van, stared up at the sky, and let my mind go to work. For a kid with a pretty active imagination, it was wonderful. So as the hype began on TV for the movie, the more excited I became, and the next thing was to beg for the action Continued on page 25
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Appearing this week at
Acoustic Coffeehouse • Alan Reid A vital member of celebrated Scottish folk group Battlefield Band from 1969 until 2010 Alan helped cement the band’s international status with his story-style songwriting and sensitive renditions of traditional song. He was nominated in the 2009 Scots Tradition Awards in the ‘Composer of the Year’ category. His writing also features in the current National Theatre of Scotland’s production of the musical ‘The Glasgow Girls’. • Rob van Sante, born in Holland, lives in the north of England and is well respected in the U.K. folk scene. Noted for subtle guitar accompaniments and fine harmony singing Rob also produces and engineers national and international acts at his recording
Alan Reid & Rob van Sante Tuesday, March 25 studio, his most recent production being the latest CD of John Conolly, writer of folk standard ‘Fiddlers’ Green.’
• The duo has three critically acclaimed albums under its belt and has toured North America, Europe, New Zealand and Australia.
Chris Carpenter
Cullen Wade
Thursday, March 27
Sunday, March 30th
Nashville based singer/songwriter Chris Carpenter brings his brand of suburban pop to The Acoustic Coffeehouse in Johnson City on Thursday, March 27th at 8pm. Carpenter is currently performing in support of his latest project “Every Daydream”. Folks at The Acoustic Coffeehouse can expect to hear highlights from Carpenter’s original material as well as some classic tunes from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and more. Carpenter is originally from Winchester, KY where he grew up in a musical family. He began writing songs in college and since 2007 has released four albums of original material. After moving to Nashville in 2009 his songs have been featured on television shows such as The Young and Restless, Men of a Certain Age, Hollywood Heights, and his music videos
are currently featured on the websites of VH1, CMT, and MTV. Since 2011 Carpenter’s tours have taken him everywhere around the southeast region to New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and last fall he went international playing his first shows in Toronto, Ontario. For more info, tour dates, and to hear Carpenter’s music visit www. chriscarpentermusic.com.
Louisiana native and Nashville transplant Cullen Wade has spent the last four years refining his skills across the south east. Entertaining crowds with his soulful charm under the name of his folk rock project Nickels & Dimes. Now stepping out on his own for the first time as Cullen Wade, he’s not holding back and bringing pure honest music to the masses. On March 30th he will be rolling into town for an 8pm performance at Acoustic Coffee house in Johnson City, TN and is looking forward to seeing you there! www. CullenWade.com
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figures that had come out before the film opened. But then, something odd happened that Summer. I didn’t see the movie. In fact, I don’t think it played in my hometown. I didn’t see the movie till that Fall, when it came out on VHS. And I really liked it, thought it was great! I waited for the next one, but the next one never came to be. More Batman movies came, and I saw all of those dutifully. But The Shadow kinda drifted to the wayside. Why? Well, let’s use this as a convenient transition into talking about the film (Marvel at writing in action, folks!). As a movie, the 1994 film The Shadow has a had a reputation for years of being a bad movie, a misfire. But is it? The film has always been in print, on VHS, then DVD, and even a Universal issue catalog title Blu-Ray release. Then, as 2013 was coming to a close and all the home video labels were announcing their early 2014 release slates, Shout Factory, that label devoted to all things cool, cult, and pop cultural made an announcement that took many by surprise. They were going to be releasing a Collector’s Edition of The Shadow on blu-ray in February 2014. I was one of many who was, somewhat delightfully, surprised by the announcement. “Really? The Shadow. From Shout Factory? Huh, that’s a surprise, I didn’t know that film had that much of a following.” Most of what Shout Factory releases on Blu-Ray are cult movies, classic underground hits with a rabid following. But time does strange things to movies, and things that were total flops when they first came out (1985’s Clue comes to mind), can develop into a rabidly loyal fan base by word of mouth. So the question must be poised, with a respected label like
Shout issuing the film, is it time for The Shadow to come out of the shadows? (You can groan at that one, but like you wouldn’t have passed up that line either!) Last night, I watched Shout Factory’s new blu-ray of The Shadow, and outside of the disc being of the typical top notch Shout Factory standard, it was the first time I had seen the film in well over a decade. To be frank, I think The Shadow is ripe for rediscovery. I wouldn’t call the movie perfect, but is it as bad as they say? Not at all, and it all comes in how you approach the film. If the culture of comic-con and the internet had existed in 1994, the cast of The Shadow would have caused a minor meltdown. Alec Baldwin at the height of his box office appeal cast as Lamont Cranston/The Shadow, and Penelope Ann Miller as Margo Lane. But that’s not what’s most remarkable about the cast, it’s the supporting players. Ian McKellen, Tim Curry, Peter Boyle, and Jonathan Winters. I mean, as far as casts go, that’s pretty damn good. In tone, The Shadow got it right. David Keopp’s script combined elements from the both the pulp and radio version of the character. In the film, there’s a network of agents, and only Cranston as the Alter Ego. The Shadow can both “Cloud men’s minds” and appear in costume in the look of the pulp character. So faithful to the original material is the film, that a make up piece is applied to Baldwin to give him the look of the pulp and comic’s Shadow—which was always drawn with a notably long nose peaking out from the crimson red scarf. The film uses this as a great device, to imply that Cranston can—telepathically-alter his face slightly to help disguise himself even more. It’s also a very beautiful film to look at, set in the 1930s, with a film
March 25, 2018 • The Loafer, Page 25 at the Box Office, but what is it that happened that caused the film to just fizzle without momentum? Timing. The Shadow opened two weeks after The Lion King and a week before Forrest Gump, then later in the month of it opened, The Mask hit theaters. Every kid in America saw both The Mask and The Lion King. So here we are, 20 years after the film opened, and it appears that The Shadow has developed something of a cult following. Most likely made up of people like me, those imaginative kids who saw the film when it first came out, and never understood why more people didn’t pick up on it. You may not like the movie as much as I do, and that’s fine. But looking at the film with adult eyes, nostalgia aside, I feel the film doesn’t deserve to have it’s reputation as a “Hollywood misfire.” The film is worth a look, and if the cult for The Shadow continues to grow, perhaps Hollywood will wanna take another stab at it. Recently, Sam Raimi wanted to make a new film, but couldn’t find the right script. I hope it happens, as a character The Shadow is a good one worth bringing back to modern audiences. The 1994 film is a good place to start, and one I hope you’ll add to your warm weather viewing. See you next week.
noir vibe and a stylized “Hollywood look.” The film tries to look and feel like it’s a 30s film, but still remains modern thanks to a smart and witty script. That desire to the stay true to the pulp roots of The Shadow is what might have hurt it at the box office. The film doesn’t expect to be taken super seriously, it’s expected to be a fun, escapist romp. Made right on the cusp of the CGI revolution, which the
film has a little of in it, it still has a soundstage took, backdrops and models. But, and here’s the biggie on it for me, it was intended to have that look. This is a superhero movie that, hold on to your hat, was supposed to look like a movie. Critics at the time mostly dismissed the film, with the only notable positive review coming from Roger Ebert. It opened strongly at #2
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Although one of my favorite jazz tunes is Horace Silver and The Jazz Messenger’s 1955 recording of “Doodlin’,” this column isn’t about jazz, but another art form called doodling. I’m sure if you’re reading this you are probably an accomplished doodler, especially if you’ve attended a meeting or two. If you thought those creative doodles and scribbles that have helped you get through many meetings were mindless time fillers, think again. According to some new research, doodles just might be your new pathway to success. Doodling, as it turns out, is increasingly being encouraged as a way of keeping employees and students more engaged. Writing in last week’s Entrepreneur magazine online, Lisa Evans sings the praises of Sunni Brown, author of The Doodle Revolution, a must-read book that explains the new science of doodling and why this not-so-mindless activity should be encouraged by employers. According to Brown, “some of history’s greatest thinkers—from Steve Jobs to John F. Kennedy and Henry Ford—have engaged in doodling as a pathway for unlocking creativity, enhancing recall and lighting up neural networks that allow for cognitive breakthroughs.” I’m waiting for my cognitive breakthrough right now, and hope you are too. There are three reasons why employers should encourage doodling by their employees. First, “doodling isn’t mindless.” On the contrary, if you doodle you can process information more readily, as well as focus better on the information you’re receiving or the task at hand. Second, when you doodle you are in fact assuming the role of a problem
DOODLIN’
solver. Using the late Steve Jobs as an example, Brown tells us that by “making these spontaneous sketches, you can give yourself a greater capacity to find a solution to a problem.” She theorizes that one of the keys to understanding Jobs’ success is knowing that he was an avid doodler. And, third, doodling “helps you focus.” The common perception that doodling is a sign of a listener losing focus is not true, because doodling can “serve as an anchoring task, helping us stay present during a meeting, a conference call or a solo brainstorming session.” Brown calls upon companies and organizations to “promote a whiteboard culture” that can unleash the latent creativity of employees. “My hope,” says Brown, “is that [doodling] becomes a competency and a literacy that becomes universal. Just as you
learn to read and write, you will also learn to sketch and doodle. To me, they’re synonymous with a capacity to think.” As I became more familiar with this new reimagining of the role doodling can play in our lives, I went to Brown’s website to learn more. There I found a guide to her new book The Doodle Revolution, which is accompanied by an intriguing “Video Manifesto” featuring Brown delivering the inevitable TED talk focusing on the many benefits that accrue from being an avid doodler. In her talk she offers a new definition: “Doodling is making spontaneous marks to help yourself think.” Along with her doodle revolution book, Brown has also co-authored Gamestorming, a book chock full of activities designed to free the inner doodler in all of us, and she offers a 3-hour online course
called “Visual Note-Taking 101: Personal Infodoodling” (tuition: a mere $121.00). Now, when I engage in my random sketching and other markings, I can tell everyone I’m busy with my “infodoodling.” Sounds pretty impressive, doesn’t it? I’ve never been a megadoodler, but I do occasionally like to draw stuff while attending meetings and other events. After learning about Sunni Brown and her passion for doodling, I now feel empowered to draw while listening and engaging in other activities. And I hope this will help me find new and creative ways to use one of my favorite apps— Paper by 53, a really neat writing and drawing tool. I even treated myself to their new stylus, a very comfortable wooden tool called, appropriately enough, Pencil. When used with Paper, my Pencil
becomes a pretty fascinating writing and drawing tool. I now see it as a doodler encourager, and I plan on using it extensively in the days ahead. I am in fact using it while writing this and trying to be a true infodoodler. I’m already feeling more creative and perhaps a little silly (in a good way, of course). If I get really proficient at my doodling, perhaps I can become a Performance Infodoodler. And what is that, you ask? Well, it is a person (or persons) who create an infodoodle as a record of a meeting or event. These infodoodles then become a very visual and creative way of summarizing what just took place, as well as providing a more striking memento of the event than the usual page of written notes. A thought that just occurred is how refreshingly zany meeting minutes would look in infodoodle form. At least more people might read them in that form. Maybe I could present an upcoming column in the form of an infodoodle. I will need to polish my doodling skills before attempting to do that, however, so don’t hold your breath. Interestingly enough, I just missed National Doodle Day, which took place on March 7. I had no idea this special day existed until I chose this week’s topic. I learned that the special day was dreamed up in 2004 by an English group called Epilepsy Action. This group raises money that assists people with epilepsy and neurofibromatosis. So, you can become a doodler and support a good cause at the same time. As I prepare to practice my doodling, I will bid you a fond farewell until next week. In the meantime, create a few attentiongetting infodoodles.
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