Page 2, The Loafer • December 16, 2014
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December 16, 2014 • The Loafer, Page 3
Volume 29 Issue #2
in this issue .... 4 7 8 9 11 22
Christmas Show at Carter Family Fold Kingsport Ballet’s Nutcracker The Civic Choral “Under Winter Stars” WK Museum seeks artwork “Dixie Rail Extravaganza” Robert Earl Keen joins MerleFest 2015
music & fun 14 24
Spotlight Crossword & Sudoku
columns & reviews
Have a safe and Very Merry Christmas!
16 17 21 25 26
Stargazer Skies This Week Screen Scenes Batteries Not Included Kelly’s Place
Publisher - Bill Williams • Editor/Graphic Arts Director - Don Sprinkle • Office Manager - Luci Tate Cover Design - Bill May Advertising - Dave Carter, Terry Patterson Contributing Staff - Jim Kelly, Andy Ross, Ken Silvers, Mark Marquette, Jessica Gilliam 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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at Carter Family Fold Saturday, December 20st, 2014, at 7:30 p.m. the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, Virginia, will present a special Christmas program. In lieu of admission, please bring a donation of canned goods for the local food bank (suggested amount $10 per person). Those not bringing a canned goods donation are asked to make a donation of $10 for adults with all proceeds going to the Food Bank. Anyone under 12 will be admitted free of charge. Those attending are asked to bring finger foods, two-liter drinks, and cups, plates, or napkins. Christ-
mas music will be performed as refreshments are served. Afterwards, we’ll have music by the Duty Free Bluegrass Band. Musicians donate their time for this special Christmas show. Duty Free is a bluegrass band based in Bristol, Tennessee. Members of the band are Bobby Love, Charlie Powers, Rick Powers, Hal Boyd, and Tim Laughlin. Bobby plays mandiolin and demonstrates his versatility as a musician by singing both lead and harmony. He’s a songwriter as well who has written several tunes performed by the group. Charlie plays both lead and rhythm guitar and sings lead and harmony. Rick plays banjo in the traditional Scruggs style and also lends his vocal talent to the band. Hal Boyd anchors the group’s rhythm with his double bass playing and provides the baritone harmony - as well as lead and bass vocals - on many of Duty Free’s tunes. Tim Laughlin, long noted in bluegrass circles for his musical talent, plays fiddle for the band. Duty Free was formed a few years ago to provide music for a local restaurant. From that humble beginning, friendships and a bluegrass band resulted. Duty Free has opened for Seldom Scene, Barry Scott and Second Wind, the Warrior River Boys, and the John Cowan Band. They have performed at worship services throughout the Tri-Cities area, local festivals, Rhythm and Roots, and the Barter Theatre. Known for their traditional bluegrass style, they always include bluegrass gospel in their shows. They have also come to be known for their tight harmony and versatile style. For more information, check out the Duty Free Band on the internet.
Come out and join us at the Carter Family Fold for a special Appalachian Mountain Christmas celebration. It’s a great opportunity to hear some of the best music our region has to offer and to support a good cause at the same time. This year, more people than ever need assistance from our nation’s food banks. Many of them simply don’t have enough resources to help everyone in need. Help us make this a record year for the amount of canned goods donated. The A.P. Carter birthplace cabin will be specially decorated in the mountain Christmas tradition – including hand-strung popcorn garland. Spending time with us during our Christmas celebration will take you back to a time when the true meaning of the season wasn’t lost in the commercial frenzy of modern-day Christmas. Carter Family Memorial Music Center, Incorporated, is a nonprofit, rural arts organization established to preserve traditional, acoustic, mountain music. For further information on the center, go to http://www.carterfamilyfold. org. Shows from the Carter Family Fold can be accessed on the internet at http://www.carterfoldshow.com. Carter Music Center is part of the Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail. You can visit the Crooked Road Music Trail site at http://thecrookedroad.org. Partial funding for programs at the center is provided by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. For recorded information on shows coming up at the Fold, call 276-386-6054. The Fold is on Facebook – page Carter Fold – and Twitter – Twitter @carterfoldinfo. To speak to a Fold staff member, call 276-594-0676.
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December events at Heartwood Heartwood is your perfect holiday destination with a full complement of events to fill your December calendar. Sat. Dec. 20 - Book Signing by Frank Kilgore, featuring his popular work in a new larger format- Far Southwest Virginia: A Postcard and Photographic Journey. This new book of old stuff is a fascinating visual collection of coal camps, lumber camps, small towns, farming communities, railroad trains and more. Event from 11am-3pm. Sat. Dec. 20 - Breakfast with Santa featuring a menu of Hoecakes and Sausage for $5++ per person. 9am-11am. (Santa will be present but a photographer will not be provided) ROUND THE MOUNTAIN Artist Demonstrations - Meet the artists and watch them work 10am-4pm 12/20 Kathleen Hill, Fiber 12/20 Linda Brown, Jewelry 12/20 Linda Hoagland, Fiber THE CROOKED ROAD: Live Music & BBQ Every Thursday | 6:30pm LIVE MUSIC, SOUTHERN BBQ, Local Beer and Wine Experience the BEST of Southwest Virginia every Thursday night at Heartwood. Dinner is served from 5-9pm, and music is presented by The Crooked Road December 18—Open Jam Session, 6:30pm-9pm December 25 – Merry Christmas – Heartwood CLOSED Heartwood is your gateway to the rich culture of Southwest Virginia – with juried crafts, heritage music and local food and wine. Be inspired by the handmade treasures found throughout Heartwood’s galleries juried by ‘Round the Mountain and take the opportunity to buy that perfect gift. Kick up your feet to the soulful music from The Crooked Road. If that wasn’t enough, enjoy an innovative meal from Food and Beverage General Manager Jassen Campbell while basking in the spectacular views from the Heartwood Restaurant. The restaurant features regional ingredients, local wineries and breweries. The Coffee and Wine Bar at Heartwood offers fresh pastries and breakfast treats daily beginning at 9 a.m. (10a.m. on Sunday). Lunch with daily specials will be served Monday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m in the Heartwood Restaurant. A southern BBQ is offered Thursday evenings, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and the Sunday Brunch will be available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Sunday. For more information: visit https://www.heartwoodvirginia.org or call Heartwood at 276-492-2400.
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Emmanuel Episcopal Church 33rd Annual Christmas Dinner
Emmanuel Episcopal Church will once again open its doors to the community for the 33rd Annual Christmas Dinner. This year the Christmas celebration will be Thursday, December 25 from 4:007:00 pm, 700 Cumberland Street, Bristol, Virginia, and will include all the traditional holiday dinner trimmings. Reservations are not necessary and there is no fee for the dinner. Just bring your family and friends and some holiday spirit to share. We welcome everyone to partake in the joy of Christmas as we share a wonderful meal and a fun-filled evening of fellowship, entertainment, and caroling. Late parishioner and Bristol
businessman, Jack Trayer, began the Christmas Dinner at Emmanuel in 1981. In the wake of the recession that year and with unemployment and inflation soaring, Trayer recognized the need to offer assistance to the families in our area. With the cooperation of then rector, George Bunn, Jack Trayer funded the first dinner in December of 1981 and remained an active benefactor and participant in the event until his death in 2006. Jack’s wife, Loretta, and many church volunteers carry on this annual tradition. For additional information please contact Emmanuel Episcopal Church at 276-669-9488 or emmanuelbristol@gmail.com.
Have an event coming up? Email a press release and photos to:
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15th ANNUAL JOURNEY’S END On Tuesday, December 16th at 6:00 PM, Journey’s End will again take place in Historic Downtown Bristol! Journey’s End is Bristol’s local interpretation of the Latino tradition of Las Posadas (The Inns). Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem is recreated as they go from inn to inn seeking lodging and the final inn welcomes them in and celebrates their arrival.
How does Bristol Celebrate Journey’s End?
Our inns are several downtown businesses and our innkeepers are various choirs and choral groups from the Bristol area. We will be-
gin at the Downtown Center then process by candlelight with Mary and Joseph singing the traditional songs and various carols accompanied by instrumentalists. This year Mary will be played by Claire Morison and Joseph will be Adam Gambrell. Along the way choirs from Redeemer Lutheran Church will be at Shanghai; Emmanuel Episcopal Church at Stateline Bar & Grille; First Presbyterian Church at 620 State Street Restaurant; State Street United Methodist Church at Wells Fargo, Theater Bristol at the Paramount Center, and Central Presbyterian Church at Cumberland Square Park. Afterwards a small reception will be held at The Birthplace of Country Music Museum with refreshments. A special thank you to the Cities of Bristol, Crystal Key, Bob Greene, Robert Campbelle, Robert Hollo, Pete Buhls, Sam Cox, Marcia Cooper, Stephanie Yoder, Steve & Vicki Fey, Adam Gambrell, Claire Morison, and primary event sponsor for the evening is Burke, Powers
& Harty for providing the star ornaments, luminaries and helping hands. Journey’s End lasts a little more than an hour. Restaurants will be taking dinner reservations and several of the downtown shops will be open. Come and celebrate Christmas in the heart of our community! Please visit believeinbristol.org or call 276-644-9700 for more information.
International Storytelling Center Presents
“A Christmas Carol”
Beloved storyteller, Tim Lowry, will offer a performance of his one-man show Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (featured this past October at the 42nd annual National Storytelling Festival) on December 20, 2014 at 2:00 pm in the Mary B. Martin Theater at the International Storytelling Center in Jonesborough, TN. Dressed in Victorian costume, Lowry invokes the spirit of Mr. Dickens with his quick wit, rapid fire delivery, and flair for the dramatic. The Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Future along with Ebenezer Scrooge and Tiny Tim will return to the stage for one performance only. Tickets are $ 20, including refreshments afterwards, and can be purchased by calling 423-9131276. Reservations strongly recommended.
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Kingsport Ballet Welcomes International Artists for the Nutcracker at Northeast State
Kingsport Ballet’s staging of The Nutcracker, will be changing its traditional dates this year to December 19-21, 2014 at Northeast State’s Wellmont Performing Arts Center. The Company has staged the holiday classic during the first weekend in December for over a decade. Executive Director, Bertina Dew, is encouraged by this change.“We believe that the closer-to-Christmas dates will be a very favorable change, as families will have a chance to enjoy a pause in their busy holiday schedules to go to the ballet together,” she said. “Those are the wonderful traditions we remember when we get older.” “We usually have several guest artists in our productions, but this year is special. We will be bringing back Rostislav Dzabraev to perform the principal role of the Nutcracker prince – We brought Ross here from Russia in 2007. He worked with us for several years as artist in residence. Since then he has been honing his skills teaching and performing in Florida, Brazil, and now as a principal dancer with Alabama Ballet,” explains artistic director, Valeria Sinyavskaya. The role of Princess Clara will be danced by Andrea Maciel de Faria. In the United States, she has performed with Columbia Classical Ballet and Orlando Ballet, among others. Ms Maciel de Faria trained under notable teachers in Brazil and Germany, and has been recipient of numerous dance awards in Brazil, Argentina, France and the U.S. Ms. Maciel de Faria will replace Mariana Zschoerper, with the Boston Conservatory, who was previously slated to dance the role of Princess Clara and disappointingly severed contract at the last moment. Misha Ronikov is a long time performer and master teacher with Kingsport Ballet and is a freelance performer in the United States and Russia. This year he
will dance the role of snow king, partnering Kingsport Ballet advanced dancers. Last but certainly not least, Vadim Burciu, who has been a frequent guest from Charlottesville Ballet and previously Manassas Ballet Theater, has helped prepare Kingsport Ballet advanced students for this production and will be performing the role of Herr Drosselmeyer. His interpretation of this character role is both charming and mysterious. Tickets are on sale through www. kingsportballet.org or through the Kingsport Ballet facebook page. Purchasers may print their tickets at home, or pick them up at ‘will call’ the night of the performance. Children ages 4-11 will enjoy the traditional Clara’s Tea and Chocolate, which takes place just prior to Saturday evening’s performance on December 20th. The tea party is at 5pm and tickets are sold separately ($10) through the Kingsport Ballet box office: 423-378-3967.
Public performances will be held Friday and Saturday, December 19th and 20thth at 7pm with an additional matinee performance on Sunday, December 21st at 2:30pm. Tickets range from $10 to $20. College students may attend the production for just $10 with a school I.D. For more information visit: www.kingsportballet.org or call 423-378-3967.
The company offers a ballet boutique featuring unique gifts not found anywhere else in the region – original, hand-crafted stained glass Nutcracker ornaments.” The ornaments are created by Elizabeth Mueller Reid, a graduate of Kingsport Ballet, who styles the ornaments after the Company’s beloved characters. Each one is a unique work of art. Kingsport Ballet is funded in part by general operating support from the Tennessee Arts Commission, under an agreement with the National Endowment for the Arts and the General Assembly. Outreach programs are funded partly by the City of Kingsport, Tennessee Arts Commission’s Funds for At Risk Youth, among others.
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Civic Chorale presents Under Winter Stars At 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 20 in First Presbyterian Church in Johnson City The Civic Chorale will present Under Winter Stars, a concert of seasonal compositions and old and new carols. The church is located at 105 South Boone Street. While there is no admission charge for the concert; donations are gratefully accepted at the door, with a $10 suggested donation. The program features several of the popular Alfred Burt carols, and seasonal works by wellknown composers Felix Mendelssohn, Gustav Holst, the late John Tavener, and Healey Willan. On the lighter side, the well-loved “Christmas Song” by Mel Tormé is included. And, as the Chorale does each year, a mixture of familiar and less familiar carols will also be sung, by arrangers such as Alice Parker, Norman Luboff, Stephen Paulus, Dale Warland, and our region’s own Beth McCoy, from Abingdon. The Civic Chorale was founded in 1973 by Robert LaPella with a small group of invited singers and
Jane LaPella as the gifted accompanist. Over the years, the group has grown to become the region’s premiere auditioned volunteer chorus. In addition to singing the standard choral repertoire from Gregorian chant to modern compositions, the Chorale has presented numerous world and regional premieres and frequently collaborated with other music organizations in the region, including the Symphony of the Mountains, the
ETSU to offer
Renaissance Child Winter Enrichment Workshop
East Tennessee State Univer- bring a bag lunch and wear “messsity’s Office of Professional Devel- friendly” clothing. Space is limited opment will offer a Renaissance and offered on a first-come, firstChild Winter Enrichment Work- served basis. shop on Dec. 22 and 23 and Jan. 2 To register, call Professional Deand 5. The workshop meets 8 a.m. velopment at 423-439-8084 or until 5 p.m. on the ETSU campus. online at www.etsu.edu/renaisThis creative experience pro- sancechild. For more information, contact vides new activities each year for children ages 6 to 12. The schedule Betsy Cunningham, the program includes holiday arts and crafts, a coordinator, at the same phone visiting storyteller, an ice skating number or cunninghamb@etsu. adventure at Johnson Controls Ice edu. For disability accommodaJohnson City Symphony Orches- Rink and a trip to Bay’s Mountain. tions, call the ETSU Office of DisThe cost is $45 per day or $160 abilities Services at 423-439-8346. tra, and the East Tennessee Chilfor all four days. Each child should dren’s Choir. Since 1998, the Chorale has been led by conductor David Hendricksen. Accompanists are Lisa Runner, piano, and David Runner, organ. For additional information, Senior Services at Memorial Park Community Center, 510 Bert St., visit the Chorale web site at www. will host a Christmas dance on Friday, Dec. 19 from 7-10 p.m. The forthecivicchorale.org or contact the mal/semi-formal affair will feature music by Kids Our Age. conductor by phone at 423-638Tickets are on sale through Wednesday, Dec. 17, and are $7 in ad0409 or by email at conductordavance; $10 at the door. For more information, please call (423)434-6237. vid@embarqmail.com
Senior Services Christmas Dance
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William King Museum of Arts is seeking Artwork by Smyth County Artist Lucy Herndon Crockett William King Museum of Art is asking the public to help it locate the artwork, writings and possessions of the late Smyth County artist Lucy Herndon Crockett for a 2015 exhibit. Crockett was a successful, eccentric artist with Hollywood connections who lived off and on in Seven Mile Ford for much of her life. Upon her death in 2002, much of her work was sold at auction, ending up in private collections. Lucy Herndon Crockett was a successful illustrator and author, who is perhaps best known for her novel “The Magnificent Bastards” (1954). The novel was adapted in to the Oscar-nominated film “The Proud and the Profane,” starring Deborah Kerr and William Holden. After an interesting life, including a stint in the Pacific with the Red Cross during World War II, Crockett settled in Smyth County. According her profile in the
seminal “Backcountry Makers,” by Betsy K. White, Crockett led a colorful life as a children’s book author, illustrator, best-selling novelist, and finally, as a local eccentric in Smyth County. Crockett was born in 1914 and spent her childhood traveling the world as her military father was posted to army bases in Venezuela, the Philippines, Switzerland, England and others. Her time in the Red Cross during World War II inspired the novel The Magnificent Bastards, about a widowed nurse and the army colonel who pursues her. The Museum’s Curator of Exhibitions Leila Cartier has been researching Crockett’s life and work for several months. Although she has many pieces on loan for the 2015 exhibit, many more paintings, drawings, hooked rugs, china designs and writings are likely in private collections in the region. “We know there are a lot of interesting pieces still out there,” according to
Cartier. “This is the first exhibit of her work since her death, and we are looking for every piece of art and ephemera we can find, to tell her interesting story and honor her as an artist.” The 2015 exhibit “The Proud and the Profane: The Life, Literature, and Illustrations of Lucy Herndon Crockett” is part of the Museum’s Cultural Heritage Project. Part of William King Museum of Art’s mission is to preserve the unique cultural heritage of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee. Since 1994 the Museum has presented 29 original exhibits through the Cultural Heritage Project, ranging from furniture making to pottery to quilting. Anyone who owns a piece of Lucy Herndon Crockett’s work and would like to participate in this exhibition is encouraged to contact Leila Cartier as soon as possible. The exhibit is scheduled to open early next year and run
through July. Contact Leila Cartier, Curator of Exhibitions, at (276) 628-5005 x. 112 or lcartier@wkmuseum.org William King Museum of Art is located at 415 Academy Drive, off West Main Street or Russell Road, in Abingdon. The Museum features five exhibition galleries, artist studios and outdoor sculpture garden. The Museum is open 7 days a week, and admission is free. Educational programs
in the visual arts are offered yearround for both children and adults, and school audiences are served by in-house and outreach programs. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the William King Museum is a partner of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, a member of the Virginia Association of Museums and is funded in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
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Vocal Powerhouse hits The Acoustic Coffeehouse
Canyon is known by those that have seen her perform to be a captivating singer/songwriter with haunting and heart-wrenchingly honest songs. Performing with just an acoustic guitar, her catchy vocal melodies will immediately grab your attention while the intimate lyrics and stories she tells will keep your ears guessing. Known for performing with an intensely raw passion and conviction, her sound will cut you deep and hit a nerve. Raised by a single mother in Northern California, Canyon.’s earliest musical influences can be traced back to the cassettes her mother would play on repeat during long road trips. “I get my independent and adventurous spirit from my mom. Whenever we would hit the road together she used to make a bed for me in the back of the car. I remember just laying for hours watching the sky change out the back window day-
dreaming to Cat Stevens and Tracy Chapman the most... but there was Neil Young, Sarah McLaughlin and the Indigo Girls as well...” Canyon.’s emergence onto the music scene began with The Break Contest 2010 when she, along with friend and former partner Andrew Maturana, were the only acoustic act to be selected to perform at The Bamboozle Festival 2010, which boasted an estimated attendance of 20,000. Since January 2011, Canyon. has been performing in festivals and venues throughout the Northeast living by her model, “I will play anywhere and everywhere that will let me...” With her folk roots as undeniable and organic as her namesake which comes from lyrics in the song “Thrasher” by Neil Young. Canyon. is poised to make her mark on the Folk genre by re-defining what modern Folk means and finally letting her voice be heard.
Wednesday, Dec. 17th at 8:00pm at The Acoustic Coffeehouse, 415 W Walnut St, Johnson City.
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Carter Railroad Museum’s December Heritage Day a
‘Dixie Extravaganza’
East Tennessee State University’s George L. Carter Railroad Museum will hold its December Heritage Day on Saturday, Dec. 20, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The “Dixie Rail Extravaganza” will showcase equipment spanning several eras and an exhibit showing some of the differences between the “haves” and “have nots” in corporate southern railroading. Geoff Stunkard, the museum’s Heritage Day coordinator, says, “Railroading in the southeast was unique to the region. You had sprawling systems and tiny enterprises, the latest equipment and worn-out rust buckets, so it is hard to define, except to call it ‘our own.’ “We will feature railroads that helped settle, civilize and accelerate both business and pleasure below the Mason-Dixon Line. ‘Dixieland’ was a place where railroading offered great careers, and men with initiative sometimes fixed things with nothing but baling wire, cannibalized parts and a few choice expletives that shouldn’t be repeated in ‘pleasant company.’” Members of the Mountain Empire Model Railroaders (MEMRR) club and the George L. Carter
Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society are coordinating the program. Visit www.memrr. org to learn more about MEMRR, which helps demonstrate and maintain the model layouts, museum exhibits and other projects. The Carter Railroad Museum is open every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are welcomed. The museum can be identified by a flashing railroad crossing signal at the back entrance to the Campus Center Building. Visitors should enter ETSU’s campus from State of Franklin Road onto Jack Vest Drive and continue east to 176 Ross Drive, adjacent to the flashing RR crossing sign. The museum is in the process of creating a scale replica of the Tweetsie line in a 1,300-squarefoot display hall. Visitors may view this work-in-progress exhibit. To learn more about the museum, visit http://johnsonsdepot. com/glcarter/cartermuseum. For more information about Heritage Day, contact Dr. Fred Alsop, museum director, at 423-4396838 or alsopf@etsu.edu. For disability accommodations, call the ETSU Office of Disability Services at 423-439-8346.
MPCC offering youth camps over holiday break
Memorial Park Community Center, 510 Bert St., will host several camps next month for kids ages 6-12. Krazy Kamp Dayz: Dec. 22-23, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Cost is $20 per child. Early drop-off (7:30 a.m.) and late pickup (5:15 p.m.) available for an extra $10 per child. Participants will provide their own lunch and snacks. Half Day Sports Camp: Dec. 24, 9 a.m.-noon. Cost is $10 per child. No early drop-off or late pick-up available for this camp. Winter Break Camp: Dec. 29-Jan. 2, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Cost is $30 per child. No camp on Jan. 1. Early drop-off (7:30 a.m.) and late pick-up (5:15 p.m.) available for an extra $10 per child. Participants will provide their own lunch and snacks. Register online at myjcparks.org or in person at MPCC. For more information, call (423)434-5749
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Ma & Pa’s Restaurant to Become an Affiliated Venue of The Crooked Road Ma & Pa’s Restaurant in Castlewood, Virginia will be presented with a banner acknowledging their recent inclusion as a Crooked Road Affiliated Venue. Affiliated Venues represent the best in traditional music gatherings that the region has to offer. As an Affiliated Venue, Ma & Pa’s Restaurant’s Monday Night Bluegrass Jam will be represented in Crooked Road publicity and promotional materials and recognized as a regional destination to Trail followers. The Crooked Road will present the banner to the representatives at Ma & Pa’s Restaurant on Monday, December 22nd, at 7:00 p.m. Ma & Pa’s Restaurant is located at 18928 Highway 58 in Castlewood. Having been in business for 49 years, family owned Ma & Pa’s Restaurant is an iconic landmark in Castlewood. This is a place where generations of families have grown up and made memories, and a place that is always on the
list of things to do when visitors come to town. “ Ma & Pa’s will always be a place where friends and families can come to visit to hear great music, enjoy a superman ice cream or to reminisce at pictures hanging on the walls” said owner John Huff. “Often some married couples even come back by for a visit to enjoy the first place they met years ago.” Their Monday night Bluegrass Jam began in 2012 and has been steadily growing in attendance since. The jams have helped the community by providing a place where locals can gather and enjoy music while meeting neighbors from surrounding counties. John Huff is committed to making music at Ma & Pa’s a lasting tradition for all generations. “ Since the day we started this jam session, we’ve had a lot of excitement and it’s still growing. We are very blessed to have so much talent in the local areas surrounding Ma & Pa’s.
Everyone has contributed to making our Bluegrass Jam a huge success”. Recently, Ma & Pa’s added an outside stage so the music events can be held year round. They also host Gospel Jams each Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Bluegrass Jams are on Monday night from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. . “One of the attributes we look for in our affiliates is that they have a positive impact on their community,” said Jack Hinshelwood, Crooked Road executive director. “Ma and Pa’s Restaurant has certainly done that. I look forward to many years of great music to listen to while I enjoy a classic Ma & Pa’s burger.” The Crooked Road’s mission is to support tourism and economic development in Southwest Virginia by celebrating and preserving this Appalachian region’s unique musical and cultural heritage. A complete listing of the Affiliated
Venues and Festivals and the Major Venues of The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail can be found at www.thecrookedroad. org. For additional information
about The Crooked Road, call 276492-2409 or send an email to info@ thecrookedroad.org. For more information about Ma & Pa’s Restaurant, call 276-762-7533.
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Asheville’s BRUSHFIRE STANKGRASS Brings MICROCLIMATES Tour To Bristol Brushfire Stankgrass brings their signature “Stankgrass”sound to Bristol for a performance at Holston River Brewing on Saturday December 20. The quartet is currently touring in support of their sophomore release, Microclimates, and the Bristol show is the last show scheduled for the year. The band currently carries the #1 ranking for bluegrass bands on reverbnation.com. Invention and improvisation is at the heart of the music Brushfire Stankgrass creates in their original songwriting. The band is often likened to acts like John Hartford or Newgrass Revival for their boundary-bending fusion of bluegrass with other influences. Refusing to be defined or confined by traditional bluegrass instrumentation, the Saylors and band mates Micah Thomas on drums and Daniel Iannucci on bass, delve
into jazz, reggae, funk - with nods to classic rock, hip-hop, and electronic music. And then there’s the North Carolina mountain connection to Moog Music. “We’re from Asheville,” says Ben. “We use electronic processors for banjo and guitar. Will plays a rare custom Moog guitar with unique features like infinite sustain.” Microclimates spent six months on the Relix Jambands.com charts, debuting at #2 and charting from November 2013 to May 2014. “The bluegrass/jam scene is alive and kicking, and bands like us are still breaking new ground in fusing traditional music with modern influences.” notes Ben. “The bluegrass-jam thing has been happening since the early 70’s, and we still dig back into those influences of jam-grass and choose some of the classics and reinvent it for audiences.”
Stankgrass is currently recording their third record and is touring over one hundred dates per year. “We’re learning the meaning of building from the ground up.” says Ben. “We’ve got the best line up we could hope for and all of us are on the same page personally and musically.” Brushfire Stankgrass invites you to smell their sounds. Brushfire Stankgrass melds bluegrass traditions with analog electronics and a playful funk spirit for a decidedly modern take on mountain music. -The Mountain Xpress Brushfire Stankgrass is capable of that rare magic. - Homegrown Music Network Besides possessing one of the coolest band names to come down the pike in quite some time, Brushfire Stankgrass is about as evolutionary as you can get... - FAME
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Page 16, The Loafer • December 16, 2014
Editor Note: The mind of ancient peoples during the time before Jesus is explored during this series of three articles that gives one explanation for the Star of Bethlehem. The time is 6,000 years ago and the place is a fertile paradise between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. Villages of primitive peoples began harnessing fire, clothing themselves in pelts and developing a crude language. And they began keeping track of time by the worshipping the movements of the Sun and Moon. This is the forgotten land called Shinar, the “Cradle of Civilization” and the birthplace of astronomy. The peoples of antiquity who have populated this land have been called Sumerians, Babylonians, Akkadians, Chaldeans and Persians. In the 21st Century, the peoples populating ancient Shinar are called Iranian or Iraqi. The land now occupied by people at war is where mankind first brought the stars down to Earth and planted the seeds for the mystery surrounding the Star of Bethlehem. For it is in the land surrounding today’s Baghdad where ancient minds spawned the concept of time as they carefully recorded rhythm of the Sun, Moon and stars. Ancient stargazers convinced the common people of antiquity that gods ruled the Sun, Moon and planets as they wandered against a set background of star patterns named for extraordinary animals of the times—both real and imaginary. These early stargazers made the naïve connection of sky phenomenon to the destiny of humans, giving birth to astrology. For thousands of years, Bible scholars and stargazers have wondered what was physically in the sky that provoked the writer of the Gospel Matthew to record the short story about Magi traveling from afar, following “star” and
The Christmas Star
Astronomy’s Birthplace: Iraq (Part 1 of 3)
paying homage to an infant Jesus in Bethlehem of today’s nation of Israel. Understanding the concepts of the heavens developed from the land of Shinar is an important mindset to the unraveling of the mystery surrounding the Star of
these soothsayers of the stars, mixing religion and astronomy. Centuries later we learn of Zoroastrian Priests of Persia, a thousand years before Jesus’ time. These special skywatchers were always looking for signs of the future while recording the exact positions of the
determined by certain appearances of the Sun and Moon in the sky. Crops were planted and harvested by the appearance of certain stars on the eastern horizon. As details of the sky’s movements were observed day after day, familiar patterns emerged
Bethlehem. Born along side of astronomy was its illegitimate sibling of astrology. The first serious sky watchers became valuable to the royalty of the civilized peoples of ancient Shinar. Soon Kings and Queens hired
celestial lights. The astronomers in those priest/ astrologers made their first discovery in keeping accurate time, an important duty for the dawn of civilized cities. The important religious feasts and sacrifices were
and mankind became familiar with the exact length of the day, the year and the seasonal cycles the Earth went through. In an attempt to explain their world in the context of their intellect, the ancient stargazers came
up with many concepts that involved supernatural Gods performing the tasks that modern physics explains. The unlocking of the secrets of celestial motion in the sky and the true nature of the Sun, Moon, planets and stars is a relatively new concept born by the great astronomer scientist Galileo just 400 years ago. The previous five or six thousand years have had a human mindset of the Earth, not the Sun, being the center of not just the Solar System, but also the entire Universe. And the influence of the points of light in the sky on the human race led to the concoction of many Gods to explain the eclipses of the Sun and Moon, the close gatherings of the bright planets, and the location of the Moon against the same background of stars. Centuries of stargazing is placed against a background of Kings, Queens and dynasties, the legends and destiny of these world leaders enhanced by the purported omens in the sky. And over 2,000 years ago, something in the sky lead a group of “Wise Men” to visit a babe in a manger who filled an ancient prophecy of a Messiah for the Hebrews. What was it? Today, the 21st century war zone of Iran and Iraq is the ancient Shinar Plains, talked about in the Old Testament Bible, and where peoples of antiquity gave birth to their ideas about the Sun, Moon and stars. Now considered the cradle of all civilized man, around 4,000 BC this region of the world east of Europe was a lush paradise and inhabited by an intelligent breed of human, the Sumerians. Where they came from, how they got to Shinar, and where they learned their skilled ways is a
Stargazer .... Continued on page 18
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December 16, 2014 • The Loafer, Page 17
Celestial events in the skies for the week of Dec. 16 - Dec. 22, 2014, as compiled for The Loafer by Mark D. Marquette. the Milky Way is visible standing straight up in the west between Vega, in Lyra the Harp, and Altair, in Aquila the Eagle. It an interesting part of the sky as seen through any binoculars.
Sat. Dec. 20
On this 1978 date in space history, the Soviet Union’s Venera 12 spacecraft landed on Venus. The lens caps on both cameras failed to come off, a design flaw, so there were no photos. But other data on the atmosphere, soil composition and electrical energy were successfully transmitted for almost two hours before the vehicle failed under the crushing atmosphere and 900 F. degree surface temperature. The next two weeks of Christmas activities will have an interesting alignment of three stars and one planet strung like ornaments between the branches of the celestial tree. Look at the south and west horizons from the beginning of twilight at 6 pm and see which star pops out first. From left to right these beautiful points of light are Fomalhaut, the planet Mars, Altair and Vega. But look quick because the string of starry lights set by 8 pm!
ing in July (20), 1969, but who can correctly guess the first powered flight through the air? On this 1903 date in history on a beach at Kitty Hawk, NC, Orville Wright flew the airplane he and his brother Wilbur built in Dayton, Ohio.
Thurs. Dec. 18
Back to the beautiful string of starry lights in the south and west, each separated by more than the width of your hand at arm’s length…Fomalhaut to the left is 25 Light Years away, next is Mars 220 million miles away, then Altair is Tues. Dec. 16 The first stars of the special 16 Light Years away and Vega is string of celestial lights in the 25 Light Years away. Fomalhaut southwest will probably be zero and Vega might be from the same magnitude Vega, the brightest star cluster zooming through our and to the far right. Next to poke Milky Way. through the violets of twilight will Fri. Dec. 19 For that two brief hours of be first magnitude Altair, to Vega’s left. Both stars are very white, deep twilight and early evening, their light violently twinkling in the refraction of our atmosphere. First magnitude Fomalhaut to the far left is going to be visible before Mars because it is farthest from the sunlight of twilight. Accentuated by the unmistakable reddish glow of first magnitude Mars, this string of lights is a good gift for our curious minds.
Wed. Dec. 17
Most “baby-boomers” would come close to guessing the date of the historic Apollo 11 moon land-
Sun. Dec. 21
Winter Solstice at 6:03 pm when the Sun stands over the Tropic of Capricorn. On this 1968 date in space history, the world was excited as the world’s most powerful rocket, Saturn V, blasted off Cape Kennedy, Florida with Apollo 8 atop and three astronauts bound for an orbital mission to the Moon, 240,000 miles away.
Mon. Dec. 22
While this is the first full day of Winter, don’t forget our friends “down under” in Australia, Africa and South America are enjoying their first day of Summer. The difference is Earth’s Southern Hemisphere is tilted 24.5 degrees toward the Sun making the solar rays more direct and hotter. Our northern half is tilted away and the sunlight is slanted more and not as warm.
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Stargazer .... Continued from page 16
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mystery. But the Sumerians pioneered irrigation, and turned the land between the two mighty rivers into rich farmland that would be known throughout history as the “Fertile Crescent.” Then, they rebuilt the villages into towns, and created pottery, artwork and music. It was the ancient Sumerians who developed a numbering system based on 60 units—still used today in the minutes of an hour and degrees in a circle. So long ago were these intelligent inhabitants of the Shinar Plains, no names existing of their scholars or leaders. The Sumerian people lived in the lands around today’s Baghdad, and they built temples to the Gods. And their Gods were the revered deities who controlled the skies above with impact on humans below, which was interpreted by the moving Sun, Moon and stars. The Sumerians made stargazing the religious duties of special priests, and the science of astronomy was born. The stargazer priest was soon revered throughout ancient history as a sort of psychic. And the maligned, false science of astrology was born. To many civilizations before and after the Sumerians, the movement of the Sun and Moon were the whim of God. The Earth was the center of the entire visible universe—a concept not debunked until the 17th Century. Carefully plotted were the fixed star patterns that were imaginatively clumped together to form renderings of heroes, animals and everyday objects in the night sky. Many of today’s modern day constellations have had the same
boundaries and names for thousands of years. Then, there were the five stars that moved around the fixed patterns, today’s naked eye planets. Mysterious meteors streaked briefly across the sky, and occasionally a comet would slowly move through the heavens. Sometimes the full Moon would turn red or disappear. And once in a while the Sun would turn black in the daytime. For thousands of years, civilizations worldwide believed everything in the sky was controlled by a God and had meaning for humans. Carefully watched were the five wandering stars as they moved around the sky. Today we know them as Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, named after Roman gods. They were given different names by many civilizations, but their prophesized impact humanity was a universal belief. When one or more of these wandering stars brightened and were near each other, the stargazing priests interpreted the “conjunction” as a celestial message from the Gods. The fate of kings and empires could be at stake. The general population of ancient peoples knew the sky well— the star patterns being the foundation of mythogical stories told from generation to generation. But it was up to the special stargazing priests to interpret the astrological horoscope of the heavens. Their powerful position helped shape the conquests and failures of history’s ancient kings and empires. NEXT WEEK: part 2 of 3 looks at the ancient concepts of the night sky.
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December 16, 2014 • The Loafer, Page 19
Dance Extravaganza at Jonesborough Visitors Center The Historic Jonesborough Dance Society and the Jolly Ole Elf will hold a dance extravaganza on Saturday December 20, 2014 at the Jonesborough Visitors Center, 117 Boone Street at 7:00pm featuring the Asheville band “Eric The Cat” with Warren Doyle calling the dance. Admission is $7, $5 for HJDS members and $5 for full time students. A class for newcomer contra dances will run from 7:007:30pm. The dance will go from 7:30-10:30pm. Dancers are invited to bring their favorite holiday desserts for the 9:00pm intermission. Dancers are invited to waltz from 6:00-7:00pm to recorded tunes. “We do country dance waltz compared to ballroom style waltz” offers David Wiley, event organizer. The folk waltz is quite different; it’s sometimes described as a “one-step waltz”. You still do three steps: right, left, right — but the second and third are pretty much on the spot; the first step is where you do most of the travelling. It really isn’t forwardside-together; it’s step-two-three, step-two-three. If you concentrate on the first step and let the other
two just happen, you’ll find the whole thing much easier. Turn your shoulders and your feet will follow — it sounds silly, but it’s absolutely true. HJDS is planning a series of waltz workshops in the new year to teach country waltz. Eric The Cat specializes in contra dance music. The four cats include Alan Dillman, fiddle; Wes Maluk, mandolin, tenor banjo, guitar and whistle; Terry Maluk, hand and foot percussion, banjo uke; Karen Gaughan, keyboard. All four Cats have been playing dance music for over 25 years in other bands such as Merriweather, Skeeziks, Hot Sonata, Good & Plenty. Wes and Terry Maluk also have a long history of providing sound engineering for dances, dance festivals, and dance weekends locally and around the county. Eric The Cats music includes a variety of styles ranging from Celtic to French Canadian, to New England to Old-Time and various other influences from evolving traditions. To discover more information about the band, visit their website for current schedule and contact info: http://westerry.com/eric.
Warren Doyle is the co-founder of the Appalachian Folk School located near Mountain City, TN. For many years, Doyle was an educator for area colleges, hiked the Appalachian Trail, danced and called dances all over the country. His folk school houses the Appalachian Trail Institute where prospective trail hikers come for extensive training and orientation before their journey begins. Now retired, Doyle travels far and wide to continue his journey as caller, dancer and hiker. He served on the HJDS board for several years helping to building the dance tradition here and produces a very popular dance weekend in Morgantown, WV called Contradancers Delight Holiday the last week of each year. For more information on Saturday’s dance or any upcoming events, please call David Wiley at 423-534-8879 or visit www.historicjonesboroughdancesociety. org. Or the Historic Jonesborough Dance Society on FACEBOOK.
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City Youth Ballet presents
“The Nutcracker” December 19-21 at Gregory Center, Milligan College
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“The Nutcracker” comes to stage December 19-21 as the City Youth Ballet of Johnson City brings to the Gregory Center at Milligan College this endearing story of a young girl’s Christmas journey. The full-length ballet features a blizzard of snowflake ballerinas plus magical mice battling toy soldiers. Exquisite costumes and sets and the glorious music of Peter Tchaikovsky highlight the four shows. More than 30 dancers, all locally trained by the City Youth Ballet, are cast in the production. Diamond LaGrave, a professional dancer from Tallahassee, Florida, dances as the Cavalier. The lead roles are held by Chloe Garbe of Elizabethton and Hannah Thigpen of Johnson City, who share the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Delaney Gondo, also of Johnson City, returns as Clara. “What we have is a ballet in which the leads are held by dancers we have trained for years,” said Susan Pace-White, CYB’s
artistic director. “We equip them to take these leading roles rather than hiring out professionals because we believe in the strength and demands of our training. This is an excellent show that supports not only our training but also our expertise in putting on a widely acclaimed cultural event.” This year’s production also features Clara’s Tea set for Saturday, Dec. 20 at 1 p.m., a time that children can meet the cast, share refreshments, and enjoy entertainment prior to the matinee. Tickets are available at Bear ‘n Friends at the Peerless Centre on North Roan Street and Party Central, also on North Roan Street, (for cash or checks) or at the door (with cash, checks, or credit cards accepted). Shows set for Dec. 19 and 20 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 20 and 21 at 2:30 p.m. For more information: www.cityyouthballet.org; (423) 434-2195; email: cyballet@aol.com; or Facebook.
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“Horrible Bosses 2” I never expected to see a sequel to the 2011 film “Horrible Bosses”, but I shouldn’t be surprised a follow up has hit theaters as the original film grossed nearly $210 million at the box office. While I was not overly impressed with the original, the chemistry of the three lead actors (a sort of modern day Three Stooges) carries the films from insipid to mildly humorous. The actors in question are Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis, with each one returning to the roles of Nick (Bateman), Dale (Day) and Kurt (Sudeikis) with ease in “Horrible Bosses 2.” The plot of the film has Nick, Dale and Kurt deciding to start their own business after they tired of working for their horrible bosses. The guys have invented a device called a “Shower Buddy”, which is basically a shower head that does most of your shower duties for you. After appearing on a morning show touting their product, the three are approached by business magnet Burt Hanson (Christoph Waltz) and his son Rex
(Chris Pine), who have expressed interest in the unique product. Eventually all parties enter into a deal for the distribution of product, but after our guys are double crossed, all bets are off. The actions of Hanson lead Nick and company to devise a plan to kidnap Rex and hold him for ransom. After the three guys have Rex, even that plan goes wrong for the bumbling trio. During all the chaos with Rex and his dad, the guys are also dealing with Dr. Julia Harris (Jennifer Aniston), the former boss of Dale, who still has her own agenda for her former employee. Oh, and the guys also find themselves in trouble with the police after being accused of murder. For a movie that features betrayal, kidnapping, murder, car chases, and shocking dialogue, the script still manages to provide a few laughs. So many of today’s comedies want to provide so many “shocking” moments and dialogue, they come off as working too hard to garner laughs. As I mentioned earlier, the trio of lead
actors save the film, and they even overshadow a low-key appearance by the returning Jamie Foxx. Newcomer to the series, Pine (Captain Kirk!), does a great job in the role of a spoiled rich brat. Overall, “Horrible Bosses 2” was clearly made to reunite Bateman, Day and Sudeikis, but they deserve better material. Oh, and don’t leave the theater too quickly as the film has several outtakes that run during the beginning of the closing credits, which are often better than the film. (Rated R) B-
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Robert Earl Keen
Added to MerleFest 2015 Lineup
MerleFest, slated for April 23-26, 2015, has added Robert Earl Keen to the music festival’s lineup. The four-day event, an annual homecoming of musicians and music fans, will once again take place on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Now three-decades since the release of his debut album, with well over a dozen other records to his name and thousands of shows under his belt, Robert Earl Keen has blazed a peer, critic and fan-lauded trail that’s earned him pioneer – and living legend – status in the Americana music world. Inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012, Keen has built a reputation as one of the nation’s finest musical storytellers. His signature hits include “Merry Christmas from the Family,” “Whenever Kindness Fails” and the iconic “The Road Goes On Forever.” Keen’s next project, “Happy Prisoner: The Bluegrass Sessions,” is scheduled for release in early 2015. Keen’s addition to the lineup underscores the diversity and quality of performers who are the hallmark of the festival. MerleFest is known for its unique mix of traditional, roots-oriented music from the Appalachian region, including bluegrass and old-time music, Americana, blues, country, Celtic, Cajun, cowboy, zydeco, rock and many other styles that the late Doc Watson referred to as “traditional plus.” “Robert Earl Keen is one of those ‘genre bending’ artists that fits well with the music of MerleFest. He has played the festival in the past and with his new album release it made sense to bring him back for 2015,” said Steve Johnson, artist relations manager for MerleFest. “Folks can
expect to hear a mix of his hits and songs from his new bluegrass-influenced album. We are excited to have him return to Wilkesboro and to the Watson Stage at MerleFest on Sunday afternoon next year!” Additional performers for MerleFest 2015 will be announced in the coming months. The lineup is viewable at www.MerleFest.org/lineup. Tickets for MerleFest 2015 are now on sale and may be purchased at www.MerleFest.org or by calling 1-800-343-7857. A three-tiered pricing structure is offered for MerleFest 2015: an Early Bird Tier 1 ticket discount is available through February 15, 2015, an Early Bird Tier 2 ticket discount will run from February 16, 2015, through April 22, 2015, and the third price tier will be gate pricing. Fans are encouraged to take advantage of the extended early bird discount. MerleFest, considered one of the premier music festivals in the country, is an annual homecoming of musicians and music fans held on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of the son of the late American music legend Doc Watson, renowned guitarist Eddy Merle Watson. MerleFest is a celebration of “traditional plus” music, a unique mix of music based on the traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including bluegrass and old-time music, and expanded to include Americana, country, blues, rock and many other styles. The festival hosts a diverse mix of artists on its 13 stages during the course of the four-day event. The annual event has become the primary fundraiser for the WCC Endowment Corporation, funding scholarships, capital projects and other educational needs.
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The Bank of Marion
Helps Light Up The Lincoln
The Lincoln Theatre’s newly repaired marquee recognizes The Bank of Marion for their contribution to the Light Up The Lincoln project. Representatives from the bank accepted a certificate of appreciation from The Lincoln. The twinkle of Christmas lights in storefront windows make Marion’s Main Street shine in celebration of the season, but this Christmas shoppers will notice something different in the downtown historic district. For the first time in nearly three years, The Lincoln Theatre marquee is fully lit with bright colors that beckon audiences through the Theatre’s doors. “When I came on board at The Lincoln in 2013, repairing the lights on the marquee was one of the projects that I thought needed to be a priority,” said Executive Director Kristin Untiedt-Barnett. “Because The Lincoln is a non-profit organization, our budget is always tight, so we knew we would have to do some special fundraising to make it happen.” The theatre staff named the project “Light Up The Lincoln” and began brainstorming ideas to raise funds for repairs. During a presentation to the Marion Morning Rotary Club, Untiedt-Barnett spoke about the project and stumbled on a great opportunity. Ed Stringer, President of The Bank of Marion was in the audience and made an offer of sponsorship to ensure the project’s success. “The Bank of Marion has been a strong partner with The Lincoln from the very beginning and we were pleased to once again have their support for a special project,” noted Untiedt-Barnett. The Bank is a regular sponsor for the theatre and an underwriter for The Lincoln’s signature concert and television series, Song of
the Mountains. Representatives from The Lincoln and The Bank of Marion worked together to see the Light Up The Lincoln project through. The repairs to the marquee included many tasks that took several weeks to complete. Initial assessment of the needs indicated that cleaning the inside and outside of the structure would be required, including the removal of bees. The roof of the marquee had a blocked drain and a broken seal, causing water leakage and damage. A single piece of broken neon had prevented all of the front marquee lights from working. Now that the neon has been repaired, the entire marquee is functional and the new red paint reflects the brilliant light. The repairs to The Lincoln’s marquee are giving a special glow to Main Street this holiday season. Patrons and store owners are taking notice and the theatre staff has already received many compliments on the repairs. “Completing the Light Up The Lincoln project by the holidays would not have been possible without the support of our partners at The Bank of Marion,” stated Untiedt-Barnett. “They have given us a great gift this Christmas!” The Lincoln Theatre is a non-profit arts organization and receives programming support from Virginia Commission for the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts, the Town of Marion, the Williams-Berry Charitable Foundation, and members of our community.
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A Christmas Newsletter: 2014
Dear loved ones, It’s that magical time of the year again, that time when we all come together to embrace our fellow humans in a warm embrace that only slightly reeks of scotch. I’m sitting in our den by the tree, typing this out on my tablet. The four year old is playing underneath the tree, and so far hasn’t managed to open up any of the gifts that are already under the tree. This year I was very proactive in keeping spying hands from opening up anything. I covered everything in a thin layer of concrete. The sounds of Christmas morning will now include hammers and chisels. I drove a float in the parade again this year, it was for Uncle Bob’s Tofu Hut and we tossed out free samples of their mint flavored tofu to the crowd. I think it confused people, everyone seemed to think it was some type of congealed snow material. The parade was quite good this year, my driving was again excellent! I’m glad it wasn’t another repeat of the “Pizza Hut Crash” of 2007, I’m still
dealing with the legal fees from that one. Back home on the farm, it had managed to snow suddenly and the kids wanted to build a snowman. They’ve seen “Frozen” so many times that’s all they think about. Incidentally, I’ve seen “Frozen” so many times that at breakfast at McDonald’s the other day, I started to get dark thoughts while looking at the plastic knife that came with my hotcakes. My team and I finished filming last night on a Christmas special that will air next year, “Andy’s Country Christmas Celebration,” and it will be spectacular. During the part where we recreated “The Nutcracker” with celery and carrots, I began to have one of my spectacular freak outs. I began to fire people left and right, and was only subdued when my assistant stepped in began forcing a tank full of laughing gas on me. I recanted all the firings and gave everyone a bonus. It’s such a blessing to know that those who work for you both love and fear you equally. This year we’re not spending
Christmas on the farm, we’re going upstate to another farm. The kids are not too happy about it, but the farm is on a vineyard and that makes the wife very happy. We’ve both had such a great year with my careers, we can’t simply say enough about it. My books all sold well over tens of copies, and her career in managing frozen food deliveries for post modern families in a neo modern setting has been going decent. The kids schoolings are going well too. Little Percefeney has become a wiz in her Little Miss Ballet class. Percefeney’s teacher is quite progressive too, I never thought I’d see a group of six year old Ballet to “When Doves Cry.” Time to wrap it dear loved ones, I hope you have a lovely Christmas season with you and your family. Enclosed you’ll find a picture of us all at the beach. Hope you enjoy it. Merry Merry, Andrew Loyd Evenly Williamson Junior Johnson Ross
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Last-Minute Stocking Stuffers: The Year’s Best DVD/Blu-Ray Releases Get ‘em while they last. If the latest predictions are true, we might not be able to stuff stockings with video disks very much longer, so savor the experience this year while you can. Consider this a companion piece to last week’s shopping list filled with some of this year’s best books—those printed things that might also be on the endangered list (although my list was applicable to e-versions as well). The following list does not include just-out-of-theatre releases, with one exception, but focuses on older films that have received a much-needed restoration and inclusion of extras during 2014. Hope you will find the perfect gift somewhere among this collection. First up are two fiftieth anniversary Blu-Ray editions of THE NUTTY PROFESSOR, the classic 1963 American comedy starring Jerry Lewis. You have your choice of a deluxe $40.00 4-disc box set (including Lewis’ film “The Office Boy”) or the budget under-$10.00 version that includes most of the same extras as the deluxe version, minus the bonus Lewis movie. French movie critics have long said that Lewis is the greatest American comedic actor and this movie goes a long way toward proving that assertion. Although most viewers are no doubt more familiar with the Eddie Murphy remakes, you owe it to yourself to see the original, especially in this newly restored HD version. A treat indeed, especially if you only know Lewis through his infamous telethon hosting stunts. The Criterion Collection is widely known as the go-to source for excellent packaging and presentation of classic and more recent movies, and the company has outdone itself with its Blu-Ray remastering of the long-overlooked horror movie THE INNOCENTS, released in 1961 and directed by Jack Clayton. Based on Henry James’ famous 1899 ghost
story, “The Turn Of The Screw,” this film is perhaps the best haunted house movie ever made (runner-up “The Haunting,” directed by Robert Wise in 1963, which begs for the Criterion treatment), and the Criterion treatment makes it more scary than ever. Included are a very informative commentary, interviews, and a booklet analyzing the film. One of my most cherished possessions. Anyone who expresses even a casual interest in film history should watch THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI, the influential 1920 thriller directed by Robert Wiene. Available for many years in substandard video versions (including the entire film on YouTube), Kino Classics has at long last released a stunning Blu-Ray version, which includes a fascinating hour-long documentary. I suggest you watch this as a double-feature with Martin Scorsese’s “Shutter Island,” based on the Dennis Lehane novel and taking its inspiration from Wiene’s quintessential film. Just in time for the fiftieth anniversary of The Beatles’ invasion of the North American continent is another superb Criterion production— this time, a Blu-Ray version of the Beatles’ first film, A HARD DAY’S NIGHT (reviewed earlier this year in this column). After all these years, this film still looks and feels like a breath of fresh air—with more than a little touch of anarchy. You might want to watch this with the recent Blu-Ray release of The Beatle’s “Magical Mystery Tour,” which, for all its bizarre entertainment qualities, can’t hold a candle to the Fab Four’s first foray as movie stars (although MMT might give you more clues about the strange death of Paul McCartney!).
Steven Johnson has long been one of my favorite authors, and his new book “How We Got To Now” is now accompanied by a fascinating DVD from PBS—HOW WE GOT TO NOW: THE HISTORY AND POWER OF GREAT IDEAS. Focusing on the history of innovation, Johnson, who hosts and narrates the video, offers us riveting and
often humorous stories behind the inventions that created the modern world—inventions that redefined Clean, Time, Glass, Light, Cold, and Sound. If you feel like a co-worker at the Dunder-Mifflin Paper Company, you will ask Santa to bring you THE OFFICE: THE COMPLETE SERIES. Here are all nine seasons of this award-winning TV comedy, which have been available for some time individually, but now offered at a budget price (under $100.00) in a big box; and the good news is that each season is individually pack-
aged so you don’t have to hassle with one of those shoddy spindles that are found in the middle of fartoo-many box sets. I would be remiss if I didn’t include UNIVERSAL CLASSIC MONSTERS: 30 FILM SET on this list. Although most of these movies from the 1930s and 1940s have previously been available as the Legacy collection (sold individually), here is the total collection boxed together for the first time. Including hours and hours of extras, this definitive collection features Frankenstein’s monster, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, Wolfman, Dracula, and The Creature From The Black Lagoon and each and every sequel. I am patiently awaiting the Blu-Ray version of this set—and because I already own a preliminary Blu-Ray collection of five films from this larger series I know what’s in store. One of the more bizarre yet enlightening and highly entertaining documentaries I’ve watched this year is A BRONY TALE, starring voice-over actor and musician Ashley Ball in a tribute to the many adult (and mostly male) fans who are obsessed with the characters from “My Little Pony” (if you are fan, you know the horsey characters’ names, don’t you?). Watch this if you dare, and be careful whose stocking you stuff with it. Andy Ross treated you to a review of this next item a few weeks ago, and I just couldn’t resist adding it here. What we’re talking about is BATMAN: THE COMPLETE TELEVISION SERIES, available for the first time in Blu-Ray. This is Sixties’ television at its finest and most definitely at its strangest (unless you include Mutual Of Omaha’s
Wild Kingdom or The Lawrence Welk Show). I am waiting for the inevitable price drop—right now it is priced at @$175.00 (admittedly not bad for 120 episodes), but I will reach for my wallet when it gets to the at or below $100.00 mark. Fans of America’s most important contribution to film history— film noir—will gratefully appreciate the appearance in Blu-Ray of two classics in the genre, one appearing at the beginning of the first noir cycle and the other appearing at its end (before things began being referred to as neo-noir). Go out and grab copies of DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944) and TOUCH OF EVIL (1958) right now. SPOILER ALERT: If you don’t have a rather jaded sense of humor and can’t bring yourself to see Santa as a really creepy home invader, stop reading now. We are about to enter into some rather strange territory—namely, the place inhabited by killer Santa Clauses. Inaugurating a rather extensive series of movies about maniacal Santa Clauses is Lewis Jackson’s 1980 foray into the very strange—CHRISTMAS EVIL (aka YOU BETTER WATCH OUT). Before the new Blu-Ray treatment by Vinegar Syndrome (which features a very entertaining commentary by John Waters and Jackson), this movie was hardly available except on bootleg VHS tapes. Now you can enjoy it in all of its dubious glory. One thing is for certain: you won’t forget the experience, no matter how hard you try. This new release neatly coincides with another pioneering effort in the SantaIs-Scary genre, David Hess’ “To All A Goodnight,” a 1980 fright flick newly remastered in Blu-Ray and featuring interviews with surviving cast members. Just be sure you aren’t on any lists made by these wicked Santas. See you next week with my annual Christmas week column.
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