Metro Spirit 09.29.2011 by Metro Spirit

TABLE of CONTENTS

Beautiful Skin Begins Here! whine line - TOM TOMORROW - INSIDER metro - AUGUSTA TEK are you not entertained - CALENDAR on stage guide the8 - SIGHTINGS slab - EDGE OF ADVENTURE - NY TIMES CROSSWORD - CUISINE SCENE - EARDRUM - JENNY IS WRIGHT - FREE WILL ASTROLOGY - IN MUSIC - THE DOWNLOAD - BALL - ADVICE GODDESS - AUSTIN RHODES

04 04 06 08 12 13 14 21 29 32 33 37 38 39 40 42 44 46 47 48 49 50

Complimentary Complexion Analysis

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Want to advertise in the Metro Spirit? 706.496.2535 or 706.373.3636 AmyChristian|production director amy@themetrospirit.com

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LigéHaab|account executive lige@themetrospirit.com MichaelJohnson|sightings

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Metro Spirit is a free newspaper published weekly on Thursday, 52 weeks a year. Editorial coverage includes local issues and news, arts, entertainment, people, places and events. In our paper appear views from across the political and social spectrum. The views do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. Visit us at metrospirit.com.© 15 House, LLC. Owner/Publisher: Joe White. Legal: Phillip Scott Hibbard. Reproduction or use without permission is prohibited. One copy per person, please.

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902 Ponder Place Court | Evans | 706.922.3376 Dr. Florentino is a Board-Certified Dermatologist from Detroit, Michigan. She is fluent in Spanish, has four children and one Labrador Retriever named Leo. METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11

WHINELINE Josh and Shane--do you have any advice regarding hiking trails near the Iran border? the end is nigh said the spider to the fly I thought the goal of most businesses was to make money. Apparently a local electronics store decided they’ll just stay in the business of being a display room, no purchase necessary. While in the store, a request was made asking the employee, quite possibly the store owner, if he could turn on one of the systems. The associate replied, “You want me to turn on this system this late in the afternoon? I’m not doing that.” The store closes at 6:00pm, the request was made at 4:30. so roundtree was humbled? humbled so much he is saying he will run for sheriff? When the high heeled attend the symphony in the newly renovated Miller, where will they park? Maybe the Section 8ers at the other end of the block can watch their cars for them. the alternative universe that is facebook. look around at what it has done to the adults you know. now imagine a child growing up knowing nothing else but forming relationships via fb. scary. Regarding Mr. Austin Rhodes’ column on Troy Davis, I do wonder if he has realized yet that one of the main points of Jesus’ crucifixion is how terrible the death penalty is. Terrible in that it consumes both the guilty AND the innocent. Has always consumed them. And so as long as it does execute the innocent, even if “only from time to time”: we shouldn’t have a death penalty.

METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11

Looks like someone has a bone to pick with Springlakes. Maybe someone on the county payroll got dumped when they were itty bitty by a girl who lived there? There’s something going on besides public works there. That is pure destruction. I laugh every time someone speaks about Mexicans with a bitter, “They should go back where they came from!” Read a history book. That’s exactly what they are doing. So the state paints yellow stripes and the county immediately removes them? What is the cost of removing miles of yellow lines in a twisting, turning neighborhood? Nice job digging that mess up. Actually, my milkshake DOES bring all the boys to the yard. Arts on the Heart of downtown on Broad Street was a winner but it was so well attended because some surprise autumn weather came our way out of the blue this year and so it wasn’t a hundred freekin’ degrees bright like it is on most September weekends. How much nicer it would be to behold your wonderful street festival in October, Brenda. It’s just better when you don’t hafta squint and sweat, ya know ?

Rhodes. Everybody knows when he refers to Troy Davis as an “animal” that it’s a euphemism for a not nice version of the word Negro. He’s afraid to use that word on his show because he was suspended for it once. If, as he wrote, Troy Davis deserved the death penalty for hanging out with the wrong crowd, than half of the population of Georgia would be subject to the death penalty. it’s 8:30 thursday night. update your pitiful site for gods sake. Reading devout christian, Christ follower/lover Austin Rhodes’ thoughts on Troy Davis, made me feel as though the literal hand of Jesus our Lord and Savior himself were guiding Mr. Rhodes’ quill as he lovingly re-convicted Mr. Davis for the hangman’s needle. I have attended Arts in the Heart for too many years to recount. Nor do I want to recount all those years! This year’s layout made the event brand new for me. The canopy of trees on Broad Street! They were made for a festival! I always hear right wingers talking about how cool it is in prison. They

seem to eat well, get plenty of exercise and basically chuckle at the dumbass taxpayer who is allowing them to live so well. Please tell me where this prison is. I want to go there. I thought they were soul sucking pits of hell where horrible things happen daily. But I guess I’m wrong. if a real estate agent didnt have a face, could they still sell real estate? I realize Troy Davis was a gang-banger at one time, and did a lot of bad stuff. I also understand the primal urge to execute someone for murder. However, Austin Rhodes has no business applying his cushy middle-class, excellent National Hills upbringing morals to people who grew up in extreme poverty. Bring your kids up in a ghetto, Mr. Rhodes, see how law-abiding they turn out, sir. Until then, you have no business convicting people, what’s more so harshly, whose lives your life has had less than zero in common. When it comes to taking a 5 percent increase in taxes (as Obama has proposed), who is better prepared to take it? Those making over $250,000

re:”Texas State Prisons End Special Last Meal Requests for Prisoners Facing Execution” NO! That’s Just Wrong! Let those Condemned Prisoners Request ANY Meal they desire! Their Dinner Tray will simply contain a Cup of Water & a Slice of Bread! Oh Yeah! Put Them in Pink Woman’s Panties Too! I Mean! Why Soil a Perfectly Good Set of Prison Garments?! The Metro Spirit should be ashamed for carrying racist essays from Austin

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WHINELINE@THEMETROSPIRIT.COM

a year, who would garner a $12,500 increase, or those making $50,000, who would garner a $2,500 increase? Bottom line is: If you’re making $250,000 a year, no matter if you’re liberal or conservative, your children will suffer less from these tax increases than the children of the rapidly shrinking middle class. You’re on the wrong side of history, Tea Party. If the USA were left to the devices of the Ayn Rand groupy libertarians, old people would just be allowed to starve and die off. There would be no laws to safeguard our food, air and water. There would be no labor laws: Say welcome back to child sweatshops. The military would be eviscerated and corporations would be allowed to cheat and scam at will. If you want to understand true Libertarianism don’t read Atlas Shrugged or any of Ayn Rand’s pulp fiction, just read Oliver Twist. So we have made in Augusta gators? Maybe we can generate more jobs if we could have a manufacturer who processes and makes gator goods. Gator bites? Gator shoes? Gator purses?

Let’s vote these lying Red GOP guys out! Since the Jail Report prints out information on all arrests, can’t they print back information on the ones that were proven innocent? That’s only fair. As to the person who complained that a drunk driving conviction caused his father to lose his job: That’s rightfully up to the employer. That was a serious matter though I hope your father will continue on the straight path and never lose control behind the wheels again. Westabou, here I come! Mr. Cannon’s trying to push for an annual James Brown Festival but we see from the past, you need not only honest promoters but the monies for backing to make it work. In the meantime, let’s promote what we do have for Mr. Brown, shall we? How about the exhibits at Laney Museum and Augusta Museum of History? His statue at the James Brown Plaza across from the Common? And is that camera still working to take pictures? Bring on a cool wave! Enough already

T ON ITE T H U R SD A Y , S E P T E M B E R 2 9 T H

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PRESENTS

RICH REDMOND Drummer for Jason Aldean Award winning & platinum selling drummer, publishing author TV appearances on the Today Show, The Tonight Show, The ACM’s and every award show in between...

Rich Redmond is the recording/live drummer for Multi-Platinum Country Recording Artist Jason Aldean and many others. The artists with whom he has performed and recorded reads like a who’s who of the music industry! The CRASH concept is what Rich has used to get himself to where he is today. This is an even that offers real, practical information on how to make a living as a musician. Rich will show you how to adopt the mental, music and business skills necessary for success in the music business and in life! Be prepared for a high energy, educational and motivational event presented in an entertaining style. Rich’s captivating stories will lay the groundwork to cement each concept into your life!

commitment • relationships • attitude • skill • hunger

C.R.A.S.H.

... success in the music business and life

RICHREDMOND.COM

LEARN FROM SOMEONE WHO HAS SPENT YEARS PERFORMING WITH THESE ARTISTS Jason Aldean • Kelly Clarkson • Miranda Lambert • Bryan Adams • Joe Perry • Keith Urban • Lit Doc Walker • Rushlow • The Pointer Sisters • Steel Magnolia • Jewel • Trace Adkins • Marty Stuart • Pam Tillis • Jim Brickman • Stan Lynch • Randy Owens • Susan Ashton • Deana Carter and many more!

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METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11

INSIDER

Insider is an anonymous, opinion-based examination of the hidden details of Augusta politics and personalities.

“GratefulMother” to Run for Sheriff? Shut yo’ mouth!

Last week, Richard Roundtree filed a letter of intent to run for sheriff of Richmond County in 2012. You might recall a bit of a controversy surrounding Roundtree in the fall of 2008, when that other locally printed newspaper outed him for posting comments to online articles under the guise of a mother whose son had been murdered (“GratefulMother” was the chosen pen name). That controversy, pathetic and embarrassing as it was for Roundtree, should be the least of the public’s concerns. In July of 2008, Richard Roundtree was an investigator sergeant assigned to the sheriff’s Violent Crimes Division. This same year, a call came in to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office to report that property belonging to the agency had been found in an abandoned apartment on Telfair Street. When administrators arrived, they

discovered case files and original evidence from solved and unsolved homicide cases, along with SWAT munitions. The abandoned apartment belonged to none other than Roundtree, who had, incidentally, skipped out of paying the rent several months prior. This discovery prompted a closer inspection of Roundtree’s office, where administrators found missing files and evidence that he had left hidden in his desk. So, what was the big deal about these files? Well, many of them were to unsolved murders, copies of which did not exist. Because of this, investigators were unable to adequately follow up on tips in the cases because they had no way to familiarize themselves with the facts. Rather than terminate him, Sheriff Ronnie Strength, in a show of mercy, chose to demote, suspend and transfer

Roundtree to another division. To show his thanks, Roundtree responded by blasting the sheriff under an assumed name, “GratefulMother,” on the daily’s website. “GratefulMother” accused the sheriff of everything from racism to cronyism, while stating that former investigator Roundtree was the only one who worked tirelessly to solve her son’s murder. After more than 20 posts by “GratefulMother,” the newspaper revealed that GratefulMother’s account was opened under Roundtree’s work email address and listed his date of birth and the address of the sheriff’s office. Roundtree further alienated himself from his colleagues when he participated in an interview with Renita Crawford from News Channel 6, in which he took credit for many of the successes of his colleagues in solving area homicides, and stated that the files were removed

from the office because he was working day and night trying to solve them. In reality, investigators were working hard to salvage cases that were repeatedly jeopardized by Roundtree’s mishandling of evidence and repeated refusal to properly document his involvement in cases. For instance, in January of 2006, Judge Neal Dickert issued a court order demanding that the sheriff’s office dedicate two employees to spend a total of eight hours each searching for an original taped statement in the case of Albert Roberson, a tape which Roundtree had failed to properly turn in. The tape was never found. While Roundtree claimed that the missing files found in his office were due to his having worked non-stop at attempting to solve the unsolved cases, in actuality, many of the files and evidence belonged to cases that had long since been solved. Investigators had searched high and low for the files in an effort to assist in their prosecution of the cases, to no avail. When Roundtree was asked where the files were, he claimed he never had them, so investigators were forced to piecemeal files together from copies so they would have something to go by as they testified at the trials. Roundtree’s cavalier attitude regarding his failure to properly document cases was something investigators and prosecutors regularly complained about, as it caused anxiety as cases readied for trial. Richard Roundtree has a reputation of a dishonest man who can’t be trusted. He proved it to Sheriff Ronnie Strength and to victims he was supposed to be serving. Was he proving it to local citizens when he reportedly misrepresented himself as the mother of a murdered son?

A Crack in the Sidewalk Old name, new headache

A proposed sidewalk along Oakley Pirkle Road in Columbia County seems to be reigniting some old animosities. On face value, the $300,000 sidewalk, which would connect two existing sidewalks, seems to have everything going for it a sidewalk could possibly need. Charles Allen has already given $100,000 of his discretionary money to the project. A majority of affected people

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have signed up in support of it — almost 80 percent immediately after the county started circulating its intent. The school along the way is guaranteed to remain in place for at least the next 10 years. The problem? A few don’t want the sidewalk. Not only that, they won’t even communicate with the county about it. Those, you can always condemn. It’s the one who will communicate, however,

that’s causing the problem. Former Columbia County Republican Chairman Lee Muns maintains that the sidewalk cuts so deeply into his property that it will impact the resale value of his home. That, or he’s finally got the chance to stick it to Ron Cross and the currently elected Republican establishment, with whom he’s had a checkered history.

Apparently Muns has suggested a $25,000 price tag for letting the county get its way (and pedestrians the chance to walk safely around his house). The solution that seemed to be generating the most support among the folks running things along Ronald Reagan Drive? Skipping that section of sidewalk altogether. Who says time heals all wounds? V. 22 | NO. 58

INSIDER@THEMETROSPIRIT.COM

Really? Really?

So the SOA finally pulled the trigger and decided to renovate the Miller Theater. Good for them. The enormous hall has been empty for about 30 years, and if it weren’t for the generosity of Peter Knox, we’d all be counting trips to the landfill instead of the millions it will take to turn the

hulking old theater into the performing arts venue most of us are looking forward to seeing it become. If you’ve never been inside… well, it’s tough to describe its threadbare majesty and easy to understand the attachment people have for the place. What’s not so easy to understand is the attitude the Miller’s more vocal friends

have against the SOA’s plan. Someone other than Peter Knox is finally willing to ante up, and all you hear is disappointment about how removing some seats and extending the stage will alter the hall’s character. In case you haven’t looked in awhile, the place has about as much character as an inner city bus station.

Now, finally, you’ve got someone willing to use a little of the public’s money and a whole lot of their own to breathe life into your old friend, and you’re worried about a couple hundred seats? Really?

Call the Ball

What? Max’s picture would be cooler? Prepare to see some movement in the race for the District 12 seat. Insiders say R.W. Allen is assembling his team and will announce his candidacy before the end of the week, while Ben Harbin, once considered a strong possibility to throw his hat into the ring, seems to be losing momentum. Harbin isn’t making the calls a candidate should be making if he’s looking to enter the race, and those close to him say he hasn’t displayed the kind of fire in the belly someone needs in order to jump on up to Washington. Allen, on the other hand, appears to be collecting establishment staffers in an attempt to reinforce his establishment connections, which seems like an odd

choice, considering just how popular establishment folk are these days. Max Burns, once thought to be the “duh” candidate in the field, seems to have refocused his campaign toward the Board of Regents rather than the District 12 electorate. Fewer people to win over and a pretty sweet deal if you win. Being president beats being a congressman any day of the week. The emerging dark horse? Attorney Wright McLeod, a 48-year-old combat vet of the first Iraq War who flew backseat in an F-14 (think Goose). He’s relatively young, can think on his feet and is about as far from the establishment as a guy can get. Keep him in your sights.

Practice Run

The new Ampty Amp gets a dry run Ron Cross has a problem with one of the acts coming to play the grand opening preview concert at the Lady Antebellum Amphitheater — their rider indicates that they’ll be needing a carton of cigarettes and the Lady A Amphitheater is a nonsmoking facility. In the grand scheme of things (and in the bizarre history of entertainment riders) a carton of cigarettes is hardly a deal breaker, but it does underscore the very real fact that the county is wading very deep into unfamiliar waters. Stuff like riders and green rooms just aren’t part of governmental vocabulary, and when they are… well, we all remember the headlines that used to come out of the Coliseum Authority, don’t we? By all accounts, Cross has made the Evans Town Center Park — particularly the 6,000-7,000-seat amphitheater named

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in honor of Lady Antebellum, Columbia County’s James Brown — his personal project, and the two have a lot riding on the last couple weeks in October. The Oct. 22 Grand Opening concert, a shakedown cruise in preparation for the Lady A concert on Oct. 28, will have the usual photo ops and ribbon cutting and self-congratulatory back slapping before the bands actually take the stage, but flying behind the scenes will be a thousand nervous butterflies, because as cool as a free, family-friendly concert might be, Rick Monroe, Swampdawamp, Gary Ray and Kara Clark — the Jagermeister tour acts Cross picked out — are not Lady Antebellum. And even though it’s trial run, this is Columbia County we’re talking about, and anything short of flawless will have the naysayers and fiscal conservatives ready to storm those really nice fences, fingers pointing

and calculators in hand. Cross has made no secret of the fact that he sees the park as being a Chastainlike venue that could bring in a steady stream of acts, audience members and tax

dollars. Lets hope for our sake the other members of the ruling class of Columbia County learns to loosen up a little.

I live a busy lifestyle. I frequent a number of food drive thru’s and am growing tired of the lack of service given. Today I drove up to a drive through speeaker and was greeted with “order when your ready.” “Where am I?”, I asked. She told me what business I was at and didnt offer an apology for not welcoming me. I stated “I didnt know where I was based on the greeting I received.” Then I simply drove away without giving them my business. Just a hint to business owners who want to have and keep customers, train and monitor your employees on the proper greeting to customers. I will no longer tolerate less than stellar service. I will take my money elsewhere. — Disgusted Diner Note from the Editor: Thank you, Disgusted Diner, for highlighting exactly why so many people hating working in the food service industry.

WHINEWTH?

METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11

METRONEWS

“It’s Time” for the Last Time SOA board says yes to the Miller

Symphony Orchestra Augusta moved one step closer to having a brick and mortar home last week when its 40-member board voted unanimously to accept Peter Knox’s gift of Broad Street’s historic Miller Theater. The vote marked the end of nearly three years of deliberate study by the symphony and resolved nagging questions regarding the 57-year-old organization’s commitment to the theater. Critics, including an impatient Peter Knox, have publically chided the symphony for its slow progress, but board President Joe Huff said the slow pace was the result of conducting the necessary studies in phases rather than all at once. “It’s taken awhile to work through that, but as we’ve done it, we’ve gotten great confidence in the project and we think it certainly can be done,” Huff said. “While there are risks, they’re manageable, and the upside of the project for Augusta and the symphony certainly justifies the risks.” The roll call vote occurred in a special called meeting of the SOA board and followed a series of informational meetings explaining the findings of the separate studies. According to Executive Director Sandra Self, the process was fairly involved, starting with the acoustic consultants and followed by design consultants who looked at different ways the building could achieve SOA’s goals. A separate group assessed business operations and yet another consultant looked at fundraising. While SOA is announcing few specifics and no timetable, Self said the 1,600-seat theater will lose approximately 300 seats by removing

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the front part of the balcony, moving the stage out and replacing the existing seating with contemporary-sized seats. “They were made for small bodies and now we have big bodies,” she said. The changes to the hall itself were necessitated by the limitations of the theater’s footprint and the inability to expand, she said. Self acknowledged criticism, particularly from some members of the Friends of the Miller group, that the changes will alter the hall’s character, but she said it was unlikely the theater, built in 1940 as a live performance/ movie venue, could continue the way it ended its life. “It was closed in 1980,” she said. “It obviously didn’t work, and if it didn’t work then, why would it work now?” Huff is optimistic that even the doubters will eventually soften to the project once the details are released. “It is my sincere hope that the more people learn about the project we’ve envisioned, the more people will embrace it,” he said. “Clearly, we

envision a renovation that requires extending the stage and some other things that come along with that, but I do think you’re going to still see a Miller Theater that’s going to remind you of what it used to be, and it’s going to be spectacular.” While they’re not commenting on the cost, both Huff and Self admitted the $20 million figure being tossed about is fairly accurate, though Huff pointed out that $3 million of that money will go toward an endowment and $5.2 million comes from SPLOST funds that will be released once the group raises the 25 percent trigger amount. Raising money in the wake of the Kroc Center could prove to be a challenge, Huff admitted, but he remained confident that the information the fundraising consultant provided was accurate and the community will step up and support a home for SOA. Regardless, Huff said, the management review made it clear that the status quo was no longer working. “Symphonies across the county right

now that are just going with the old model and are going to have seven or eight concerts in a year — they’re not doing well,” he said. “That’s part of what we saw with our management consultant. Whether it’s through the Miller and this vision that we transform ourselves or another one, we needed to be looking to expand what we do. The Miller, however, gives us a leg up and an exciting way to do it.” Having a home will allow SOA to bringing its educational programming to them and it will also allow it to bring in outside entertainment to perform at the venue. It will also give the orchestra a sense of experience it has lacked for so long. “People want to sit in comfortable chairs,” Self said. “They want to have a glass of wine. They want to be able to talk about it either before or after. The whole experience is what’s so important, and if we can’t do that as a city, I think we’re in trouble.”

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ERICJOHNSON

Eggstra Zippy

Louisville business constructs a monster zipline Corn mazes are becoming an increasingly common way for people to enjoy the autumn weather, but as fun as it might be to stroll through the corn, some people would rather fly over the maze than walk through it. Blame it on all the superhero movies, but people have developed a real fascination for flying through the air, and Mitch and Lisa Vaughn are looking to capitalize on this desire by opening the area’s largest zipline. “This year we’ve installed a ZIPStream zipline tour,” says Mitch Vaughn, who owns Kackleberry Farm in Louisville. “It’s actually five ziplines. The first one is 290 feet and the last one is 700 feet.” Combine those distances with towers that are anywhere from 30 to 60 feet above the ground and you’re putting yourself as close as you can get to superhero territory without wearing spandex or having an alter ego. Vaughn says the five different ziplines are linked by adventure elements like a swinging bridge and rope ladders.

The entire zipline challenge takes about an hour and a half to compete, he says, and is perfect for teambuilding exercises and corporate excursions, which is why it makes the perfect thing to link together Kackleberry Farms’ seasonal activities. Just as fall yields to winter and winter yields to spring, Vaughn’s corn maze yields to Christmas in the

· PIG

Country which yields to the Easter Eggstravaganza. In its fifth year of operation, Vaughn and his wife, who are both educators, created the agri-entertainment venue in large part because of the amount of time and attention they saw children giving to video games. “What game they played last night and how late they stayed up — that’s

a large part of their conversation,” Vaughn says. So the idea was to construct a bunch of old-fashioned outdoor events like hay rides and pony rides and gem mining and let the kids experience what life was like “back when.” Of course, ziplines weren’t really around “back then,” but dreaming about flying through the trees certainly was, and what better way to do it than by wearing a harness while being watched by specially trained experts? Vaughn says ziplines can cost as little as $50,000 and as much as $250,000. Adventure Guild, a Chattanooga company that constructed and operates the zipline at Ruby Falls, has been working on the Vaughn’s farm since July. The zipline opens this weekend at a cost of $34.95, a little more if you want to spend time in the park and figure out what a kackleberry really is. One look at the chicken theme should give it away. If it doesn’t, you’ll have egg on your face.

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M METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11

The Downbeat of Success Seminars help show musicians and fighters the ropes

Rich Redmond Rich Redmond, Jason Aldean’s drummer for the last 12 years, has never missed a meal since deciding to become a professional musician, and he wants to help other musicians be similarly well fed. “Most musicians are horrible businesspeople,” he says. “It’s hard, because you’re trying to combine left brain and right brain activities together, and some people are just so creative that they can’t handle treating their art as a business. But if you want the masses to hear it and see what you do, you have to think like a businessman.” To light the way, Redmond has created system he calls C.R.A.S.H., which he’ll be bringing to Portman’s Music on Washington Road at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 29. C.R.A.S.H stands for commitment, relationships, attitude, skill and hunger. “These are what I think are five global tenets that I’ve been able to use to attract success in my life and navigate this crazy thing called the music business,” he says. “I kind of deconstruct the concepts of what it is to be a working musician.” Along with the motivational information, Redmond will play a drum solo and play the songs people know from the radio. “In 90 minutes, I try to cut myself open and give away all the secrets of the things that you need to have in your

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bag of tricks, either musically, personally or professionally to get from Point A to Point B in this business,” he says. His desire to give back this way is rooted in his educational background (he has a masters in education) and his disappointment with drum clinics he’s attended in the past, which he characterizes as 90 minutes of some guy playing a mind-blowing drum solo at warp speed and then leaving out the back door. “I told myself if I ever got into this, I would like to provide an entertaining event that some can be educated with and leave inspired and motivated by.” Redmond has played the drums since 1977 and has been in Nashville since flying himself into town for a few auditions. Even though none of the auditions landed him a job, he decided to make the move to Nashville anyway, immediately crashing parties and making opportunities for himself. Since then, he’s played with the likes of Keith Urban, the Pointer Sisters, Deana Carter and Jewel. Self-promotion is essential to keep playing as much as he does, though many aspiring musicians find it difficult to do, which is why he stresses it so much in his clinic. “I’ve only gotten one job my entire career from an audition,” he says. “Every other job — tour, recording session,

whatever — has come from word of mouth or from someone’s championing.” Living in today’s world makes the initial level of self-promotion easy via Facebook, websites and Twitter, but you can’t rely on just that, he says. To really be effective, you’ve got to get out and meet people. “Let’s face it, nobody’s going to hire you to play in your basement,” he says. “The world is run by people, so until you go out and create relationships with people and find a network of people that champion what you do, you’re never going to go anywhere.” That network of people doesn’t just get you jobs, it helps you continue to get jobs, he says, and keeping the hunger alive makes sure you’re always giving your utmost. During his touring with Aldean, he’s the member of the band charged with keeping that hunger alive by coming up with a pre-concert toast before each show. “We do a little shot of Crown or something to take the edge off and give us that garage rock attitude,” he says. “Usually, the toast is something derivative of ‘Hey — 10 years ago we played for 29 people at the Exit Inn in Nashville and just the other day we played for 29,000 people in Chicago. Don’t take that for granted and don’t mail it in.’”

While a little shot of Crown can do wonders for taking the edge off before a concert, fight instructor Eric Parker treats the counterproductive elements of stress a little more fundamentally, and though he primarily gives seminars for competitive MMA fighters, he says the techniques work for people in any stressful environment. “Successful management of fear, stress, pain and anxiety will enhance anyone’s quality of life,” he says. “Most people suffer from those four things because they don’t have the experience or education to recognize how to put them in their proper place and how to manage them in their lives when they occur.” Parker’s six-hour Wintensity seminar will be at the Ramada Inn Hotel and Convention Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1. Sponsored by Greubel’s MMA, the $197 course examines the psychological aspects of effective mental preparation. The course was developed in part from the seminars Parker used to give to his fellow law enforcement officers and later tailored to the different military communities to help them work through the levels of stress that go hand in hand with a deadly force encounter. He left law enforcement, started fighting competitively at 36, and when somebody mentioned that the information he used to teach applied to V. 22 | NO. 58

his new environment, the light bulb went off over his head. “It’s for anyone that has to perform at peak levels of physical performance under pressure, where they need finite motor skills under extraordinary amounts of pressure,” he says. Mark Greubel, a competitive fighter and coach, insists that his students take the course. “I’ve used his techniques not just to make my fighters better, but to recognize when other fighters are not performing at their peak,” he says. “It gives us a huge advantage because we can tell when guys are no longer thinking rationally anymore.” A drummer himself, Greubel says the information is also helpful to musicians and anyone who needs to rely on fine motor control. “I wish I would have known about it before I started playing drums,” he says. “I could have saved myself a little bit of embarrassment and stress by being able to keep it cool and together under pressure.” Parker spends a good portion of the beginning of his seminar discussing the physiology of the brain, particularly the difference between the higher functioning cortex and the base limbic system. “When your brain stops functioning in

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Eric Parker the cortex, it transforms and transitions operational authority to the part of the brain called the limbic system,” he says. “Then you lose your ability to think, to

reason, to exercise logic, to implement plans and to draw upon lessons learned.” Though it might sound complicated, it’s part of the basic hardwiring that kept

early man alive. It’s the limbic system most competitors access during a fight scenario, but it’s also what keeps them from hearing coaching input from the corner or between rounds. “A fighter will look at the coach and receive the instructions, but it doesn’t sink into the part of the brain necessary to use that information because of the level of stress associated with the event,” he says. It’s why, for example, you’ll see a fighter continue throwing punches after the bell. It’s not that he’s trying to work in a sucker punch — he simply doesn’t hear it because he’s too busy following the aggressive limbic system. After teaching the way the brain works, Parker teaches some mental and psychological methods coaches can throw at a fighter during a fight or during training to teach them to maintain greater function in the cortex under higher levels of stress than they’re accustomed to. Compare a seasoned soldier with a new soldier fresh out of training, he says. “You’re going to get two totally different types of personalities when the pressure is on,” he says. “With the experienced soldier, you’ll get a guy who’s more relaxed, who functions better and is more accurate and more efficient.”

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Commission considers a pair of park additions

Given the uproar, infighting and overall ugliness that occurred when Augusta Prep decided it wanted to install lights for its football stadium, an act that residents in neighboring Springlakes fought through multiple county meetings, it’s understandable if the idea of bringing a BMX track to the new park the county is building within the Lakeside neighborhood caused some commissioners to step cautiously. At the Public Works Services committee meeting, Construction and Maintenance Director Matt Schlachter came before the committee looking for some direction about a request he’d received about placing a BMX track somewhere in the county. Between staff and the consultants working the project, they felt the Lakeside location represented the best fit, especially because the parking lot and restrooms were already part of the park plan. “We looked at what we had and what we needed and we felt Lakeside was the best location for it,” Schlachter said. The total cost for a BMX track came in at around $300,000 — $275,000 for the construction and roughly $14,000 for the design work. Even if the commissioners weren’t jittery about the neighborliness of installing a BMX track, the actual construction wouldn’t occur until the county was ready to begin phase two of the park. The county shares the park with Columbia County Schools. Phase one costs were split between the two entities 55/45 and would basically level out the area, leaving a graded spot for soccer fields, parking and a road. After the initial phase, the county and the schools will move forward on their

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individual projects independently. Commissioner Charles Allen voiced his unease about the potential track’s location and the elimination of the buffer, which could become a potential issue in an area already dealing with the congestion of high school sporting events. In addition, he seemed unwilling to start something new when so much remained unfinished. “We’ve got a lot of projects within the recreation area that I’d like to see completed before we move into new territory,” Allen said. Commissioner Bill Morris also seemed reluctant to spend so much money for what he called a “limited, specialty use.” The committee referred the issue to the full board, where the discussion is likely to continue. With far less caution, the committee considered the idea of a special needs playground to be located near the parking lot behind the Columbia County Library. The park would have particular amenities that allow children with special needs to be able to participate in outdoor activities. Schlachter, who estimated the project would cost around $40,000, recommended keeping it a county project, using county employees to put in the sidewalks and remove whatever trees might be needed. The area designated is currently wooded, which was one of the requirements. This type of playground would need to be located in a shaded area. Cross volunteered some of his remaining discretionary funds if the current funding source proved insufficient.

AUGUSTATEK

Ride and Park

Bye-bye Netflix, Hello Quikster I love my Netflix. My wife and I have always enjoyed seeing movies together. Netflix provides that perfect experience for us since we’ve transitioned our date night from dinner and a movie at Augusta Exchange to Little Caesars and Fat Tire at Chez Baker. It’s true that many of the big-name movies aren’t available for streaming and I understand you can get DVDs cheaper through other sources. However, Netflix always seemed to have something that we both could agree upon and enjoy. (No small feat.) Streaming is always the easiest, whether on the flat screen in the living room stretched out on the couch or on the iPad curled up in the bed. An occasional DVD to hit the blockbusters, and we are set. Honestly, I didn’t even mind the price increase a few months ago when they split the streaming and DVDs. Compared to the $50-plus we spend taking our family out to a movie, an extra $8 a month? Not a problem. Now there is this Qwikster thing that totally separates the Netflix queues. Do I need to sign up for both? How am I going to keep track of my selections? Oh, Netflix, you had such a good thing going. Why in the world would do you want to mess it up? The reality is that video content producers are finally making the shift to the internet. High bandwidth services such as Comcast Xfinity and Knology Edge services enable on-demand streaming as a practical distribution choice. On-demand service providers are heavily marketing content producers. Comcast’s purchase of NBC Universal and Netflix’s recent deal with Dreamworks are examples of the positioning that is occurring in the streaming market. Content producers are choosing different streaming providers to distribute their products and providing serious competition to Netflix. Hulu, and Hulu Plus, is probably the best place to find just-ran television shows from Fox, NBC, ABC, Comedy Central, MTV and other cable outlets. Hulu Plus is the paid service which allows mobile access and expanded listings. The movie selection on Hulu is weak, but improving. You Tube Movies facilitates movie rental over the internet and is now available through the Android Market. It’s a user-friendly service, but it’s still working on its library. Apple TV (iTunes) may be a good choice if you’ve bought into Apple’s ecosystem. Good selections and you can purchase titles versus renting. The direction of Apple TV is somewhat in flux, but we should know very shortly which way Apple will go. Amazon Instant Video has very quickly become a player in the streaming space. Free streaming is available to all Amazon Prime members ($79 a year) in addition to the free two-day shipping on Amazon purchases. Amazon has been aggressive in acquiring content and is expected to be one of Netflix’s strongest challengers. Blockbuster was recently purchased by Disk Networks and is expected to unveil a streaming service later this year. While the streaming market is growing, in an interesting twist, Blockbuster will have one of the few DVDby-mail services to compete with Qwikster. And don’t forget CinemaNow, Vudu, Redbox, Xbox360, PlayStation Network, etc. I still love my Netflix. I wish it wouldn’t change. But alas, like big band jazz, 8-track tapes and Hannah Montana, all good things must come to an end. Until next time, I’ll see you on the internet. Tweet me @ gregory_a_baker. L8R. Gregory A. Baker, Ph.D., is vice president and chief rocket scientist for CMA, which provides information technology services to CSRA businesses and nonprofits.

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R.U.N.E ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED

HARPERLEE It’s a Sin to Kill a Mockingbird One of the coolest events of this year’s Westobou

Festival has managed to fly under the radar. But if you loved Harper Lee’s 1960, Pulitzer Prize-winning book “To Kill a Mockingbird,” or the 1962 Academy Award-winning movie it became, you’d be stark raving mad to skip two events happening at the Headquarters Branch Library on Tuesday, October 4. At 11 a.m., the library will screen “Hey Boo: Harper Lee and ‘To Kill A Mockingbird,’” a documentary in which filmmakers talk to the authors friends and family and includes famous fans reading parts of the novel. Then at 8 p.m. the library will show the film itself. Don’t miss either of them. “Hey Boo: Harper Lee and ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’” Headquarters Branch Library | Tuesday, October 4 11 a.m. | “To Kill a Mockingbird | 8 p.m. 706-821-2600

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ENTERTAINMENT Arts will open the You and Your Dog Art Exhibit on Wednesday, October 5. The exhibit will be followed by a reception on Thursday, October 6, from 6-8 p.m. The exhibit will remain open until Friday, November 11. Email acaexecdir@bellsouth.net. Sara Hobbs’ Flight in Place Exhibit will stay open every day through October 8 at the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art. Call 706-7225495 or visit ghia.org. The Ebony Legacy Exhibition will remain open until October 31 at the Lucy C. Laney Museum of Black History. $2-$5. Call 706-651-8712 or visit lucycraftlaneymuseum.com. Down South: Paintings by Art Rosenbaum, Photographs by Margo Newmark Rosenbaum shows at the Morris Museum of Art. Call 706-7247501 or visit themorris.org.

Momix: Botanica will be presented on Thursday, October 6, and Friday, October 7, at 7 p.m. at the Imperial Theatre. MOMIX is a company of dancerillusionists under the direction of Moses Pendleton. $10-$75. Call 706-722-8341 or visit westoboufestival.com.

Arts

Artists Row Community Sculpture will be held on Thursday, September 29, through Wednesday, October 5, at the Old Richmond Academy. This event will feature the construction of ARTie by the creator Sara Mays, artists and other community members. Call 706-826-8991 or visit artistsrowaugusta.com. A Sara Hobbs’ Westobou Exhibit Lecture will be on Thursday, September 29, at 3:30 p.m. in Room 170 at ASU University Hall. At 5 p.m., the opening reception for the exhibit will be held in the ASU Mary S. Byrd Gallery of Art. Free. Visit westoboufestival.com. Art at Lunch Presents Down South on Friday, September 30, at noon at the Morris Museum of Art. Artists talk about their works included in this collection. Lunch provided by Fat Man’s Café. $10-$14. Preregistration required. Call 706-7247612 or visit themorris.org. The Whiskey Painters of America’s Annual Exhibit Opening will be on Friday, September 30, at 5 p.m. at the Zimmerman Gallery. Free. Call 706-774-1006 or visit zimmermangalleryaugusta.com.

14 METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11

An Afternoon with the Arts will be held on Sunday, October 2, from 2-5 p.m. at the Arts and Heritage Center of North Augusta. Local bluegrass band Doug and the Henrys will perform. $4-$7. Call 803-441-4380 or visit artsandheritagecenter.com. Social Canvas with Art Bar will be held on Tuesday, October 4, and Wednesday, October 5, from 6-10 p.m. at the Old Richmond Academy and includes local visual artists creating work to a soundtrack of live bands. Free. Visit westoboufestival. com. Ancora Imparo: ASU Faculty Art Show Opening Reception will be held on Tuesday, October 4, at 6 p.m. at the parade grounds of the Old Richmond Academy. Free. Visit westoboufestival.com. Hums & Oms: Performing Sculpture will be presented on Wednesday, October 5, at 8 p.m. in the Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre. A collaboration between artist Priscilla Hollingsworth and musician/ composer Carl Purdy, Hums features original music composed not only for traditional instrumentation, but also carefully constructed sculptures built

with making music in mind. $10. Call 706-667-4100 or visit westoboufestival. com. Art Bar featuring Artist’s Row Sculpture Viewing and Auction will be held on Thursday, October 6, at 5 p.m. at the Old Richmond Academy. A work inspired by ARTie-The Garden City’s Green Dragon is being auctioned off with all proceeds going to Artist’s Row Student Scholarship and Community Outreach Fund. Free. Visit westoboufestival.com. Day of Art, hosted by the North Augusta Artists Guild, is each Tuesday from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Arts and Heritage Center and includes a group of artists painting in the center who will answer questions or allow visitors to join in. Call 803-441-4380 or visit artsandheritagecenter.com.

Exhibitions

Ancora Imparo Exhibit will open Thursday, September 29, at 6 p.m. at the Parade Grounds of Old Richmond Academy. The exhibit will stay open through October 8. Free. Visit westoboufestival.com. The Aiken Center for the

Barbara Yon Art Exhibit will stay open everyday through the end of the month at the Hitchcock Heath Center in Aiken. Call 803-648-8344 or visit hitchcockhealthcare.org. Judy Gillespie and Ginny Griffin Art Exhibition shows at Sacred Heart Cultural Center through October 28. Call 706-826-4700 or visit sacredheartaugusta.org. Expect the Unexpected, an exhibit of ceramic art by members of the Clay Artists of the Southeast (CASE), including Pricilla Hollingsworth and Ann Baker, shows through October 29 at the Arts and Heritage Center in North Augusta. Call 803-441-4380 or visit artsandheritagecenter.com. The Art of Millinery will be showcased through the month of October at the Center for Arts and Heritage in North Augusta. Millinery is the art of making hats and fascinators, and this exhibit showcases the works of local milliner Elizabeth Tudor. Call 803-4414380 or visit artsandheritagecenter.com. Aiken Artist Guild Gallery Series: Leslie Hutto. Throughout the month of September, Leslie Hutto’s work will be displayed on the first floor of the center. Call 803-641-9094 or visit aikencenterforthearts.org.

Music

Transfigured Time: Music for the Films of Maya Deren will be on Thursday, September 29, at 6 V. 22 | NO. 58

p.m. at Sacred Heart Cultural Center. Music composed and performed by Mac McCaughan. $20-$25. Visit westoboufestival.com.

October 2, at 7 p.m. at the Jessye Norman Amphitheatre. Call 706-8259124 or email augustagaconcertband@ gmail.com.

Augusta Amusements Presents An Evening with Livingston Taylor on Thursday, September 29, at the JSH Performing Arts Center. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; show starts at 7:30 p.m. Guests are encouraged to wear a bow tie in honor of the performer. $32.50$37.50. Visit augustaamusements.com.

The New England Spiritual Ensemble will perform on Sunday, October 2, at 7 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church. $25. Call 706-722-3463 or visit westoboufestival.com.

Jason Aldean: My Kinda Party Tour 2011 will stop at James Brown Arena on Thursday, September 29. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; Concert starts at 7:30 p.m. Visit augustaentertainmentcomplex.com. Incarnatio Mysteria will be performed on Friday, September 30, at 3:45 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. at the Beverly J. Barnhart Theatre on the Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School campus. The production will be performed by the combined chorus of Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School, the Columbia County Choral Society, the Augusta State University Choir, USC-Aiken Masterworks Chorale, and the Davidson Chamber Orchestra. $6-$12. Visit westoboufestival.com. An Evening with Rosanne Cash with special guests Blue Rodeo will perform Friday, September 30, at 7 p.m. at the parade grounds of the Old Richmond Academy. $30 advance, $40 day of show. Special VIP tables for eight available for $500, which include tickets and a picnic basket of food and wine for eight. Visit westoboufestival. com. Aiken Symphony Guild and SOA Classic Concert Series present Innocence Cherished on Friday, September 30, at 8 p.m. at the Etherredge Center at USC-Aiken. Call 803-641-3305 or visit augustasymphony.org. Harry Jacobs Chamber Music Series: Quarteto Vivace Brasil will be held on Sunday, October 2, at 3 p.m. at the Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre. $7-$25. Those younger than 6 years old are not allowed. Call 706-667-4100 or visit hjcms.org. Swanee Quintet’s 72nd Anniversary Concert is Sunday, October 2, at 4:30 p.m. at the Bell Auditorium. $28-$33. Call 706-724-2400 or visit augustaentertainmentcomplex.com. Pops at the River, featuring the Augusta Concert Band performing music from the movies, is Sunday, V. 22 | NO. 58

Augusta Amusements presents Leon Redbone on Sunday, October 2, at 7:30 p.m. at the Jabez Sanford Hardin Performing Arts Center. A limited number of reserved seats are available at $32.50 and $27.50 online at augustaamusements.com. A Prism Concert Featuring Savannah River Winds will be held on Monday, October 3, at 7:30 p.m. at the First Baptist of North Augusta Worship Center. Free. Visit savannahriverwinds.com. Jessye Norman School of the Arts presents Branford Marsalis and Joey Calderazzo, with special guest Jessye Norman, on Monday, October 3, at 8 p.m. at the Imperial Theatre. $15$40. Visit imperialtheatre.com. ASU Student Recital Showcase will be held on Wednesday, October 5, at 1 p.m. at the Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre. Featuring the talented students of the Augusta State University music programs. Free. Call 706-667-4100 or visit aug.edu. Westobou presents a Chamber and Organ Series throughout the week in various locations with different performers. This year’s organ and chamber series offers a variety of small ensembles and solo artists. Free. For dates, locations and times, visit westoboufestival.com. Augusta Market’s Diggin’ the River Concert Series will run every Saturday until October 29 at the 8th Street River Stage from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Series will feature local talent and upcoming artists. Free. Visit theaugustamarket.com.

Literary

Stephen G. Hoffius and Susan Millar Williams, co-authors of the recently published “Upheaval in Charleston: Earthquake and Murder on the Eve of Jim Crow,” will speak at the awards ceremony for the 2011 Porter Fleming Literary Competition at 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 1, in the auditorium of the Morris Museum of Art. A reception and book signing follow the ceremony. Call 706-724-7501 or visit themorris.org.

Hey Boo: Fifty Years of To Kill A Mockingbird and Harper Lee by Mary McDonough Murphy will be presented on Tuesday, October 4, at 11 a.m. at the Headquarters Library. Free. Space is limited. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org. Random Acts of Reading Film Screening and To Kill a Mockingbird Film Screening will be presented on Tuesday, October 4, at 8 p.m. at the Headquarters Branch Library. Free. Space is limited. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org. The Life and Works of Words of Horton Foote will be presented on Wednesday, October 5, at 2 p.m. at the Headquarters Branch Library. Free. Space is limited. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org. Poetry Reading from the CSRA Poetry Society will be held on Wednesday, October 5, at 6 p.m. at the Headquarters Library. Free. Space is limited. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org.

from 7-11 p.m. $8-$10. Call 706-8548888 or visit thebdc.us.

Special Events

Westobou VIP Kick-off Party and Reception will be held on Thursday, September 29, at 5 p.m. at the Morris Museum of Art. Visit themorris.org. PHC Weight Loss & Wellness Centers 30th Anniversary is a two-day event on Friday, September 30, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., and Saturday, October 1, from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Augusta locations on Bobby Jones Expressway in Martinez, Peach Orchard Road and 1510 Whiskey Road in Aiken. The event includes free classes, healthy refreshments, gift bags door prizes, two for one programs and more. Call 706-868-5332 (Martinez), 706-796-6267 (Augusta) or 803-649-3428 (Aiken), or visit phcweightloss.com. Oktoberfest at the American Legion Post 63 will be on Friday, September 30, at 6 p.m. $20 per person includes dinner. Call 706-863-2383.

NOOK Tutorials at Barnes and Noble in the Augusta Mall are each Saturday beginning at noon, followed by a NOOKcolor tutorial at 12:30 p.m. Free. Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.

Fifth Friday in the Alley will be held on Friday, September 30, from 6-10 p.m. in the Alley in Aiken. Live music by Palmetto Groove. Free. Visit downtownaiken.com.

Theater

Black Box Coffee House will be held on Friday, September 30, at 7 p.m. at the Aiken Community Playhouse. Event will feature short plays, musical entertainment, special guests and refreshments. Call 803-648-1438 or visit acp1011.com.

Auditions for “Christmas Belles,” a Fort Gordon Dinner Theatre production that shows in November and December, are September 26-27 at 7:30 p.m. at Building 32100, 3rd Avenue, Fort Gordon. Parts for seven women and four men are available. Call 706-793-8552 or email steven.walpert@us.army.mil.

Dance

Welcome Practicalonga will be held on Thursday, September 29, at 6:30 p.m. at Casa Blanca Café. This event is a celebration of the art of tango dancing. Free. Visit westoboufestival. com. Third Annual Belly Dance Gala will be held on Saturday, October 1, at 6:30 p.m. at the Jabez Theater inside the Columbia County Library. This event will benefit MCG Children’s Hospital. Call 706-364-0011 or visit mcghealth.org. Friday Dance is every Friday night from 8:30-11 p.m. at The Ballroom Dance Center in Evans. $10. Call 706854-8888 or visit thebdc.us. Christian Singles Dance, for ages 18 and over, is every Saturday night at The Ballroom Dance Center in Evans

Who’s Coming to Dinner, the Aiken Technical College Foundation’s Fifth Annual Gala, will be held on Friday, September 30, at 7 p.m. at the USC-A Convocation Center. Black-tie optional. $75. Call 803-593-9954, ext. 1332, or visit atc.edu. Waltzed with God the Morning of Genesis will be performed on Friday, September 30, at 7 p.m. at Paine College. Featuring aspects of music, dance, spoken word, visual art and fashion. $7-$10. Call 706-821-8200 or visit paine.edu. Wines of South America Seminar Tasting with Marie Ballard will be held on Friday, September 30, at 7 p.m. at Wine World. $15 in advance; $20 at door, if space available. Call 803279-9522 or visit wineworldsc.com. The Scream Tour will stop on Friday, September 30, at 7 p.m. at the Bell Auditorium. Featuring Mindless Behavior, Diggy, The New Boyz, Jacob METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11 15

Latimore, Hamilton Park and the OMG Girlz. $39.50. Visit georgialinatix.com. Apple Fest will be held on Saturday, October 1, at the Aiken County Farmer’s Market. Call 803-642-7761. St. Mary’s Chocolate Fest will be held on Saturday, October 1, at St. Mary’s School in Aiken. Chocolate desserts will be available for purchase. Call 803-649-2071 or visit stmaryschoolaiken.com. Augusta Rose Society’s 76th Rose Show will be held Saturday, October 1, and Sunday, October 2, at the Augusta Mall. Visit theaugustarosesociety.org. Old Storm Branch Baptist Church will host a Women’s Health Expo on Saturday, October 1, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Free Zumba class, free lunch, free chair massages and more. Call 706-829-3370 or email malissa. collins@gmail.com. Third Annual Pagan Pride Day Celebration is Saturday, October 1, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at Pendleton King Park. The event features Spiral Rhythm and attendees should bring a non-perishable food item for the group’s food drive. Email augustapaganpride@ gmail.com. The Blessing of the Animals will be held on Sunday, October 2, at 4 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church. Open to the public. All animals must be on leash or in carrier. Visit saintpauls.org. The Art of Film Editing: An Evening with Katie McQuerrey will be presented on Monday, October 3, at 7 p.m. at the ASU Student Activities Center Ballroom. McQuerrey will offer her unique insight on the art of editing and will share her work with the audience. $5-$10. Call 706-737-1405 or visit westoboufestival.com. MCG President’s First State of the Enterprise Address will be on Tuesday, October 4, at noon in the Lee Auditorium. Refreshments will be available following address. Visit mcghealth.org. Disney Live! Presents Three Classic Fairytales on Thursday, October 6, at 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the Bell Auditorium. $16-$41. Visit augustaentertainmentcomplex.com. Breast Cancer Survivor Dinner will be held on Thursday, October 6, at 6 p.m. at Savannah Rapids Pavilion. This event will feature dinner, a fashion show

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and the annual Portraits of Life. Free. Open to breast cancer survivors only. Pre-registration required. Call 706-7744141 or visit universityhealth.org. Momix: Botanica will be presented on Thursday, October 6, and Friday, October 7, at 7 p.m. at the Imperial Theatre. MOMIX is a company of dancer-illusionists under the direction of Moses Pendleton. $10-$75. Call 706722-8341 or visit westoboufestival.com. Michael Londra’s Celtic Fire will be held on Thursday, October 6, at 8 p.m. at the Aiken URS Center for the Performing Arts. This will be highenergy performance anchored in the traditional customs and ancient musical history of Ireland. Call 803-648-1438 or visit aikenperformingartsgroup.org. Weekly Wine Tastings at Vineyard Wine Market in Evans are each Friday from 4:30-6:30 p.m. and each Saturday from 1-6 p.m. Call 706-922-9463 or visit vine11.com. Saturday Market at the River, located at 8th Street Plaza, downtown Augusta, is each Saturday through October 29, from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Visit theaugustamarket.com.

Health

Saturday Express Lamaze Childbirth Preparation will be held Saturday, October 1, from 8:30 a.m.3:30 p.m. at Trinity Hospital of Augusta. This one-day class will help with the understanding of the final stages of pregnancy as well as labor and the birth of baby. Childbirth Unit Tour is also included. Pre-registration required. Call 706-481-7727 or visit trinityofaugusta.com. Short and Sweet is a childbirth class that will be held in two sessions on Saturday, October 1, from 9 a.m.4:30 p.m. and Sunday, October 2, from 1-5 p.m. in Ste. 310 of Medical Office Building One on the Doctor’s Hospital campus. Pre-registration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net. Family-Centered Childbirth Tours will be held on Monday, October 3, at 2 p.m. at Trinity Hospital. Preregistration required. Free. Call 706-4817727 or visit trinityofaugusta.com. Breast Self-Exam Class will be held on Monday, October 3, at 5 p.m. at the Breast Health Center at University Hospital. Free. Pre-registration required. Call 706-774-4141 or visit universityhealth.org. Infant CPR will be held on Monday, October 3, at 7 p.m. at Trinity

Hospital of Augusta. Designed to help in an emergency situation but does not provide certification. Pre-registration required. Call 706-481-7727 or visit trinityofaugusta.com. Total Joint Replacement Class will be held on Tuesday, October 4, at 1 p.m. Levi Hill III Auditorium at University Hospital. Free. Call 706-7742760 or visit universityhealth.org. Weight Loss Surgery and You will be held on Tuesday, October 4, at 6 p.m. in Classroom 2 of the Heart and Vascular Institute of University Hospital. Free. Light snacks provided. Preregistration required. Call 706-774-8931 or visit universityhealth.org. Breast Cancer: What You Need to Know will be presented on Tuesday, October 4, at 6 p.m. at the North Augusta Municipal Building. Dinner will be provided. Free. Pre-registration required. Visit universityhealth.org. The Daddy Class will be held on Tuesday, October 4, at 7 p.m. in Ste. 310 of Medical Office Building One on the Doctor’s Hospital campus. A dads-only class taught by an experienced dad, this class talks about the joys and challenges of fatherhood, and ways to support mom. Pre-registration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctorshospital.net. Childbirth Preparation will begin on Tuesday, October 4, at 7 p.m. in the Women’s Center Third Floor Classroom of University Hospital. This four-week series of childbirth preparation classes is designed to inform and prepare all expectant parents regardless of birth plans. It will meet every Tuesday through October 25. Pre-registration required. Call 706-774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org. The Heart-to-Heart Series presents Dr. Jan Mitchell DDS on Thursday, October 6, at 5 p.m. in the Georgia Health Sciences Cardiovascular Center. The lecture will be on dental disease and cardiac risk. Refreshments and door prizes provided. Preregistration required. Call 706-721-9055 or visit georgiahealth.edu. Cribs for Kids will be held on Thursday, October 6, at 5:45 p.m. in the MCGHealth Building. This safesleep educational class will teach how to provide a safe sleep environment for infants. For attendees showing financial need, a portable crib, fitted sheet, sleep sac and pacifier will be provided for a $10 fee. Free for educational purposes. Pre-registration required. Call 706-721-

7606 or visit mcghealth.org. Childbirth 101 will be held on Thursday, October 6 at 6 p.m. at Trinity Hospital of Augusta. This class will provide a basic overview of the signs and symptoms of labor as well as the stages of labor and delivery. Childbirth Unit Tour included. Pre-registration required. Call 706-481-7727 or visit trinityofaugusta.com. Center for Women Tour will be held on Thursday, October 6, at 7 p.m. at Doctor’s Hospital. Pre-registration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net. Women’s Center Tour will be held on Thursday, October 6, at 7 p.m. at University Hospital. Pre-registration required. Call 706-774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org. Thyroid Disease: From the Routine to the Cutting Edge will be presented on Thursday, October 6, at 7 p.m. at the Augusta Marriott downtown. Refreshments will be provided. Free. Call 706-721-6100. Free HIV/AIDS Testing will be given all month long in various locations in the CSRA. Contact 706-7214463 or visit csrasafetynet.org for a list of locations and dates. Infant CPR Anytime Learning Program will be held Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. at the first floor information desk (west entrance) of MCGHealth. Visit georgiahealth.edu. Fresh Start Smoking Cessation Class will be held every Thursday in September at 6 p.m. in the University Hospital Cafeteria. Sponsored by the American Cancer Society, University Hospital instructors will help participants give up all forms of tobacco. Open to the public. Preregistration required. Call 706-774-8900 or visit universityhealth.org. Joint Efforts, an informational class about knee and hip pain causes and treatments sponsored by Trinity Hospital of Augusta, meets every Thursday at 11 a.m. at Augusta Orthopaedic Clinic. Call 706-481-7604 or visit trinityofaugusta.com.

Support

The Pink Ribbonettes will meet on Saturday, October 1, at 10:30 a.m. at Millbrook Baptist Church. This meeting will be the Pink Tea for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Preregistration required. Call 803-648-1911 or visit aikenregional.com. V. 22 | NO. 58

Parents Healing Together will meet Monday, October 3, at 7 p.m. in University Hospital’s Dining Room 2. For parents, families and friends who have lost infants through miscarriage, death, ectopic pregnancy or stillbirth. Free. Call 706-774-2751 or universityhealth.org. Burn Support Group will meet on Tuesday, October 4, at 10:30 a.m. in the Lori Rogers Nursing Library on the second floor of the JMS Building of Doctor’s Hospital. Call 706-651-6660 or visit doctors-hospital.net. A-Team Autism Spectrum Disorder Support and Resource Group will meet on Tuesday, October 4, at 6 p.m. in the Family Resource Library of the MCGHealth Children’s Medical Center. Call 706-721-5160 or visit mcghealth.org. CSRA’s Huntington’s Disease Support Group will meet on Tuesday, October 4, at 6:30 p.m. at MCG Movement Disorders Clinic Conference Room. Free. Call 706-721-2798 or visit mcghealth.org. Spine Education and Support Group will meet on Wednesday, October 5, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. in the Levi Hill III Auditorium of University Hospital. Open to patients preparing to have spine surgery. Free. Call 706-7742760 or visit universityhealth.org. The Lunch Bunch will meet on Wednesday, October 5, at noon at Aiken Regional Dining Room A. The Lunch Bunch is a group that meets in a supportive atmosphere with others who have experienced the loss of a loved one. Lunch available for purchase. Preregistration required. Call 803-641-5389 or visit aikenregional.com. NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Augusta will hold an informational meeting on Thursday, October 6, at 7 p.m. at Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church. Free. Open to the public. Call namiaugusta@gmail.com. Weight Loss Support Group will meet on Thursday, October 6, at 7 p.m. in the Sister Mary Louise Conference Room of Trinity Hospital. Visit trinitybariatrics.com. Burn Support Group meets every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. in the Lori Rogers Nursing Library, on the second floor of the JMS Building on the Doctors Hospital campus. All burn survivors and their families and friends are invited to attend. Call Tom Dorn at 706-651-6660 or visit doctors-hospital.net. V. 22 | NO. 58

METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11 17

Families Who Have Lost a Baby During Pregnancy, Childbirth or Early Infancy Support Group is ongoing. For information and support following a pregnancy loss, call Sue Ellen Abney at 706-721-8299 or visit mcghealth.org. Moms Connection meets every Tuesday from 1-2 p.m. at 1225 Walton Way (the old Fairway Ford dealership), room 1010C. Preregistration required. Call 706-7219351 or visit mcghealth.org. Weight Loss Surgery Support Group meets each Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in Suite 110 of Medical Office Building 2, 3624 J. Dewey Gray Circle, on the Doctors Hospital campus. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net.

Education

U.S. Counterinsurgency Efforts in Afghanistan, a presentation by Dr. Scott Catino, is Thursday, September 29, from 3:30-5 p.m. at USC-Aiken’s Penland Building, room 106. Call 803641-3671 or email Dr. Maria Anastasiou at mariaa@usca.edu. Civil War 150th Anniversary Petersburg Boat Tour will be held on Saturday, October 1, at 10 a.m. and Sunday, October 2, at 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the Augusta Canal Interpretive Center at Enterprise Mill. The onehour tour explores the behind-the-lines role the canal played and highlights Augusta’s role as a Confederate city. $12.50. Call 706-823-0440 or visit augustacanal.com. Brown Bag History Talk presents A Place in Time: Augusta Past, Present, and Future on Wednesday, October 5, at 12:30 p.m. in the Augusta Museum of History’s theater. Call 706722-8454 or visit augustamuseum.org. Work Networking Group meets each Monday morning from 8:30-10 a.m. at Grace United Methodist Church in North Augusta. Facilitated by career and business professionals, those interested in attended need not make advanced reservations. Call Beverly at 803-279-7525 or email one of the facilitators: doctor@pritchardgroup.com (Dr. Constance Pritchard) or maxcom01@ comcast.net (Andy Maxwell). Preserving History: Behind the Scenes at the Augusta Museum of History, a tour of the collection preparation area and the processing laboratory with Registrar Amanda Klaus, is each Saturday in September at either 1 or 2 p.m. at the Augusta Museum of History. The one-hour tour is limited

18 METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11

to 15 people on a first-come firstserved basis and is free with museum admission. Call 706-722-8454 or visit augustamuseum.org. GED Classes are held every Monday and Tuesday night at 6 p.m. at the Headquarters Branch Library. No preregistration is required, but participants must have a valid PINES library card. Call 706-821-2600 or visit ecgrl.org. ESL Classes are held every Wednesday night at 6 p.m. at the Headquarters Branch Library. Preregistration required. Call 803-279-3363 or visit ecgrl.org. Saturday Historic Trolley Tour, every Saturday, begins at the Museum of History and tours historic downtown Augusta from 1-3:15 p.m. Reservations required. All seats are $12. 706-724-4067.

Benefits

Salvation Army Auto Auction begins with a preview and registration period from September 28-30 from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. at 1384 Greene Street. The auction will be held Saturday, October 1, at 10 a.m. and items to be auctioned include cars, trucks, campers, boats and scooters. Registration is $5. A portion of the proceeds goes to the organization’s substance abuse rehabilitation program. Call 706-8267933 or visit salvationarmyaugusta.org. Walk From Obesity will be held on Saturday, October 1, from 8 a.m.-noon at Savannah Rapids Pavilion. This event is a nationwide fundraising event designed to bring together all who are affected by obesity to draw national attention to the need for awareness, treatment and advocacy initiatives. $25, preregistration; $35, day of walk. Call 706-832-3460. A Line Dance Workshop to benefit the Lydia Project and Choroideremia Research Foundation will be held on Saturday, October 1, from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the Kroc Center. Box lunch will be provided. $25. Call 706-631-4333 or email lchs1949@comcast.net. Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Light The Night Walk will be on Saturday, October 1, at the Augusta Commons. Festivities begin at 5 p.m. Walk begins at 7 p.m. Visit lightthenight.org/ga. Aiken Horsepower will hold a monthly cruise-in on the

Imagine working as an intern on the 1996 Steve Buscemi film “Tree’s Lounge.” You’d probably think it couldn’t get much better than that. I did get better — a lot better — for Katie McQuerrey. Since that time, she’s worked as an editor for Joel and Ethan Coen on some of their finest films, including Academy Award-winning “No Country for Old Men” and the nominated “True Grit.” McQuerrey comes to ASU as part of the Westobou Festival for The Art of Film Editing: An Evening with Katie McQuerrey in the ASU Student Activities Center Ballroom on Monday, October 3, at 7 p.m. She’ll show her work, talk about what it takes to be a film editor and, hopefully, share how odd the Coen brothers actually are. Maybe she even met The Dude. Someone needs to ask her about that. Tickets are $5-$10. Call 706-737-1405 or visit westoboufestival.com. first Saturday of every month at the Home Depot in Aiken from 5-7 p.m. Open to all makes and models. Free admission but donations are encouraged. Sponsor of the Cumbee Center to Assist Abused Persons. Call 803-270-3305 or visit aikenhorsepower. com. Karma Yoga is offered at Just Breathe Studio, downtown Aiken, each Friday at 10 a.m. and is free if participants bring a donation of a personal item which will be given to the Cumbee Center to Assist Abused Persons. Call 803-648-8048 or visit justbreathestudio.com.

Sports-Outdoors

Junior League of Augusta will host a golf tournament on Friday, September 30, at Jones Creek Golf Club. Pre-registration begins at 11:30 a.m. and a shotgun start at 1 p.m. Lunch provided by Checkers. The 19th Hole Party with conclude the event from 7-9 p.m. and will feature musical entertainment, dinner provided by Fatz Cafe and a silent auction. Registration is $500 for teams of four. Call 706-736-0033 or visit jlaugusta.org. Walk a Hound! Lose a Pound! kicks off on Friday, September 30, at 6 p.m. at the Aiken Pet Fitness and Rehabilitation Center. This 10week program is for dog walking for health and fitness. Call 803-226-0012.

The Family Y will host Women’s Adventure and Wellness Weekend Friday, September 30, through Sunday, October 2, at Camp Lakeside on Lake Thurmond. Women can plan together or take this as a chance to meet new friends. Cabins sleep eight and meals will be provided. Visit thefamilyy.org. ASU’s Jaguar Jaunt, a 5K run/walk, is Saturday, October 1, at the Maxwell Alumni House on McDowell Street. Registration is from 6:45-7:45 a.m., with the race starting at 8 a.m. $10 ASU student pre-registration; $15, regular preregistration; $10, race only (no T-shirt). Visit aug.edu/alumni/ jaguarjaunt/info.html. The Augusta Diving Club is currently training any high school students who want to dive for their high school’s swimming and diving team. No experience is necessary. The season starts in mid-October and runs through mid-February for those qualifying for State. All practices are at the Augusta Aquatics Center. Call Coach Jim Tingen 706-726-6805 or email jtingen@knology.net. Fight for Freedom Boot Camp is going on September 3-October 1 at Greubel’s MMA. Sponsored by FAST (Freedom Fighting Athletes Against Slave Trafficking), this program includes kickboxing, jiu jitsu, circuit training, yoga and weekend boot camp V. 22 | NO. 58

classes for participants who will pay $150, 100 percent of the proceeds of which will go to a charity to help combat Southeast Asia’s sex trafficking industry. Call Leesa Gray at 706-2844831, email indigohands@gmail.com or visit greubelsmma.com. Lakeside Rideouts at Hilltop Riding Stables at Fort Gordon are each Sunday beginning at 1:30 p.m. on a first-come first-served basis. The ride, which begins at two, is a twohour guided ride to Wilkerson Lake. $45-$50. Call 706-791-4864 or visit fortgordon.com. Guided Trail Rides at Hilltop Riding Stables at Fort Gordon are available Saturdays at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., noon, 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.; Sundays at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and noon; and Wednesday-Friday at 11 a.m. with reservations 24 hours in advance. All trail rides are on a first come, first served basis, and participants should arrive 30 minutes prior to the trail ride starting for sign in procedures. $23-$30. Call 706-7914864 or visit fortgordon.com. Augusta Rugby Football Club meets every Wednesday from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Larry Bray Memorial Pitch, 100 Wood Street. New players are welcome. Email arj6402@yahoo.com. Group Run begins each Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Nacho Mama’s. Three- and four-mile routes are available for all ages and abilities of runners. Call 706-414-4059 or email jim@ enduranceconcepts.com. Hockey Skills & Drills is every Thursday from 6-8 p.m. at Augusta Ice Sports Center. $10-$15. Call 706-863-0061 or visit augustaicesports.com. Thursday Night Chain Reaction Ride begins at 6 p.m. each Thursday at Patriots Park in Grovetown. For intermediate to fast-paced cyclists, who average 25-32 miles. Participants should bring their own water and helmet. Call 706-855-2024 or visit chainreactionbicycles.net. Riverview Disc Golf League meets each Thursday at 6 p.m. at Riverview Park in North Augusta. $5 entry fee and $1 ace pool. Call 803-2158181 or visit augustadiscgolf.com. Road Bike Ride meets each Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Andy Jordan’s Bicycle Warehouse downtown for an approximately 25-mile ride at a moderate to fast pace. Front and rear lights, as well as a helmet, are required. Call 706-724V. 22 | NO. 58

6777 or visit andyjordans.com. Wheelchair Tennis Clinic, presented by the Walton Foundation for Independence, meets each Monday at 6 p.m. (weather permitting) at The Club at Rae’s Creek. Free and open to the public. Call 706-826-5809 or email alsalley@wrh.org. Registration for Couch to 5K continues throughout the month of September at the Wilson Family Y. This program is designed for beginner and intermediate runners and walkers to prepare for the Y’s Gasping Gobbler 5K on November 19. A six-week session is offered October 11-November 17 at 10 a.m. or 7 p.m. Participants will be guided through a workout twice a week and one on their own. Cost is $15 per session for Family Y members and $25 per session for non-members. Register at any Family Y location or online at thefamilyy.org.

Augusta Canal Boat Tours lasting one hour are offered daily at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday Sunset Cruises, lasting three hours, are at 5 p.m. All tours include admission to the Augusta Canal Interpretive Center. Call 706-823-0440 or visit augustacanal.com.

Kids

Children’s Week Kickoff presented by the Augusta Partnership for Children will be held on Friday, September 30, at 10 a.m. at the Jessye Norman Amphitheater. Open to the public. Free. Call 706-721-1869. Growing Boys will be held on Saturday, October 1, from 9:30 a.m.noon at Trinity Hospital of Augusta. Boy’s ages 9 to 12, accompanied by their father, male relative or friend, will find helpful information on what to expect in the pre-adolescent years. $10. Call 706-481-7604 or visit trinityofaugusta.com. Wild Read Kick-Off will be held on Saturday, October 1, at 10 a.m. at the North Augusta Library. Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org. Tara Scheyer and the Mud Puppy Band will perform on Saturday, October 1, at 1 p.m. at the parade grounds of the Old Richmond Academy. Free. Visit westoboufestival.com. Pawsitively About Dogs Festival and Aiken’s Wild Read Kick-Off will Saturday, October 1, at 1 p.m. at the Aiken Library. Call 803642-2020 or visit abbe-lib.org.

DOES THIS DESCRIBE YOU?

Consider the following criteria for possible participation in a local clinical research study:

Men 50 years of age or older Women 55 years of age or older Diagnosed with gout History of major cardiovascular disease (includes stroke, blocked arteries, diabetes) Qualified participants will receive study medication and study-related medical care at no cost. Compensation for time and travel may also be available for those who qualify. Learn more by calling the study center in your area.

706.210.8890 GoutAndHeartStudy.com

Masters of Clinical Research 1113 Garredd Blvd. Ste A. Augusta, GA 30909

METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11 19

and at 11:15 a.m. at the North Augusta Library. Toddler story time is for children under 3. Pre-school story time for children 3 to 6 years old. Free. Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org. Story Time in Hopelands will take place every Tuesday through the end of October at 4 p.m. at Hopelands Gardens in Aiken. Call 803-642-7631 or visit cityofaikensc.gov.

Third Annual Pagan Pride Day Celebration is Saturday, October 1, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at Pendleton King Park. The event features Spiral Rhythm and attendees should bring a nonperishable food item for the group’s food drive. Email augustapaganpride@gmail.com. Artrageous! Family Sunday presents Symphony Petting Zoo on Sunday, October 2, from 1-4 p.m. at the Morris Museum of Art. Learn all about the instruments with hand-on demonstrations. Free. Call 706-7247501 or visit themorris.org. Toddler Time: Building Buildings will be held on Thursday, October 6, at 10 a.m. and at 11:15 a.m. at the Morris Museum of Art. Learn about different paintings and the stories they tell and make a painting using different textures. $4, nonmembers; Free for members. Pre-registration required. Call 706-7247501 or visit themorris.org. Fall Craft Fun Workshop will be held on Thursday, September 29, at 11 a.m. at Appleby Branch Library. For ages 3-5. Pre-registration required. Call 706-736-6244 or visit ecgrl.org.

DECLASSIFIED

Steed’s Dairy in Grovetown, a working dairy farm that includes a corn

maze, petting zoo, jumping pillow, tube slide, rubber duckie races, preschool pay area, hayrides, a pumpkin patch and more, is open through November 13. Hours are Friday, 5-10 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sundays, 1-6 p.m. Admission is $12 for those three and older, free for children 2 and under, and $9 for seniors and military, law enforcement, firefighters and EMTs. Call 706-855-2948 or visit steedsdairy.com. Kackleberry Farms is open Saturdays 10 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sundays 1-5 p.m. Visit kackleberryfarm.com. Blown Away: The Wild World of Weather will be presented Saturdays in October at 7 and 8 p.m. at the DuPont Planetarium. $1-$4.50. Reservations recommended. Call 803-641-3654 or visit rpsec.usca.edu/ planetarium. Toddler Story Time and Preschool Story Time take place every Thursday in September at 10:30 a.m.

20 METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11

The Augusta Arsenal Soccer Club Junior Academy, for boys and girls ages 5-8, meets each Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at the Augusta Soccer Park. Call 706-854-0149 or visit augustasoccer.com. Toddler Time, free play for children ages 5 and under, is each Monday and Wednesday from 9:3011:30 a.m. at the H.O. Weeks Center in Aiken. Call 803-642-7631 or visit cityofaikensc.gov. Ceramics Class, for ages 14 and up, meets Mondays at 9 a.m. or 6 p.m., Tuesdays at 6 p.m. and Wednesdays at 9 a.m. in the Weeks Ceramics Center. Call 803-642-7631 or visit cityofaikensc.gov. Wacky Wednesday Story Time is each Wednesday at 10 a.m. in the children’s department of Barnes and Noble in the Augusta Mall. Call 706-7370012 or visit bn.com.

The Garden City Chorus, the area’s leading men’s singing group and a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society, is seeking new members. Those interested are welcome to attend Tuesday night rehearsals, held at 7 p.m. at North Augusta Church of Christ on W. Martintown Road. Visit gardencitychorus.org. Augusta Genealogical Society meets every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 9 a.m. and Sundays from 2-5 p.m. at the society’s Adamson Library, 1109 Broad St. Free. Call 706-722-4073. Georgia-Carolina Toastmasters Meeting, for those who want to brush up on their public speaking skills, is every Wednesday at noon at the Cotton Patch downtown. Free. Call 803-593-6605.

Volunteer

Afterschool Mentors and Tutors are needed Mondays-Fridays from 4-6 p.m. at MACH Academy, where they will provide help to students both one-on-one and in small group settings. Call 706-796-5046 or visit machacademy.com. Volunteers needed at Georgia Health Sciences University and Health System in both the adult program, open to those 18 and older, and the afterschool program, open to high school juniors and seniors at least 17 years of age. To request a volunteer application, call 706-721-3596 or visit georgiahealth.org/volunteer. If you would like to see your organization’s events listed in our calendar, please email Amy Christian at amy@themetrospirit.com. The deadline for each Thursday’s issue is the previous Friday at noon.

Homeschool Playgroup meets each Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at Creighton Park in North Augusta. Call 803-613-0484.

Stand Up Paddleboard Excursions

Host a Bridal Shower Wine Party! For the bride who doesn't need a toaster.

Call for details:706.829.7505 AUGUSTAWINETASTINGS.COM

(actual size) 1.5” x 1.9” Tall $40 per week

Adapted Wii Special Populations, throughout the month of September, is at the Wilson Family Y. Individual ½-hour classes (oneto-one ratio) for all physically and developmentally challenged individuals of all ages. $10 for members; $20 for non-members. Financial assistance is available for all Family Y programs. By appointment only. Call Claudia Collins at 706-922-9662 or visit thefamilyy.org.

Hobbies

Canal |River | Lake 706.833.9463 Weekday evenings are SUPer cool! Whitecap SUP

All declassified ads are Cash in Advance (credit card payment required) and are $40 per week. Visit metrospirit.com to place your ad in minutes. V. 22 | NO. 58

28 Days ONE NIGHT

706.724.4511 Late Night 9-11 pm ($1.50 wells, $1.50 drafts-any flavor) Happy Hour daily 4-7 pm ($2 wells, $5 wings)

Monday - Friday Miss D's Country Lunch Specials $6.99 Wednesday Cliff Bennett packs the patio for trivia 7-9 pm Thursday Alaskan Snow Crab Legs $8 per pound served with homemade succotash and garden salad 6 pm till we run out!

A FIRST CLASS STEAKHOUSE WITH 152 ROOMS. We age our own steaks for 28 days, grow our own herbs and make our own sauces. Experience our table side salads Washington Road at I-20 | 1069 Stevens Creek Road | Augusta

Eat, Drink, Be Happy!

E A T D R I N K B E H A P P Y. C O M

Friday Bo Handy's Prime Rib, hand rubbed, slow roasted, cut to order w/ au jus, steamed veggies, and garden salad 10oz cut - $15.95 Saturday Tenderloin Time! 6oz filet with 1/2 dozen flash fried shrimp, choice of side, garden salad $16.95

Columbia County Choral Society Aiken Community Playhouse URS Performing Arts Center 803-648-1438 acp1011.com

“Great American Trailer Park Musical” July 13, 14, 20, 21: 8 p.m. July 15: 3 p.m.

“Children of a Lesser God” October 28-29: 8 p.m. November 4, 5, 11, 12: 8 p.m. November 6: 3 p.m.

“Uncle Fang-En-Stein’s Last Show” August 17, 18, 24, 25: 8 p.m. August 19: 3 p.m.

“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” December 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17: 8 p.m. December 11: 3 p.m.

Aiken Performing Arts Group 803-648-1438 aikenperformingartsgroup.org

“Wrong Window” January 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28: 8 p.m. January 22: 3 p.m. “You Can’t Take It With You” February 24-25: 8 p.m. February 26: 3 p.m. March 2-3: 8 p.m. “Twelfth Night (Or What You Will)” April 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21: 8 p.m. April 15: 3 p.m. “Man of La Mancha” May 18, 19, 25, 26: 8 p.m. May 27: 3 p.m. June 1-2: 8 p.m. Tickets for non-musicals are $17 for adults, $15 for seniors, $12 for students and $6 for children under 12. For musicals, tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors, $15 for students, and $9 for children under 12. Aiken Community Playhouse Black Box Theatre URS Performing Arts Center 803-648-1438 acp1011.com “The Crucible” October 14, 15, 21, 22: 8 p.m. October 16: 3 p.m. “Proof” June 15, 16, 22, 23: 8 p.m. June 17: 3 p.m. V. 22 | NO. 58

Michael Londra’s Celtic Fire URS Performing Arts Center October 6-7: 8 p.m. $40 USC Symphony Orchestra First Baptist Church of Aiken October 25: 7:30 p.m. $20 John Brown Jazz Orchestra URS Performing Arts Center November 17-18: 8 p.m. $40 Stig Rossen: Lovers & Heroes of Broadway & Beyond URS Performing Arts Center February 9-10: 8 p.m. $40 Il Voce URS Performing Arts Center March 22-23: 8 p.m. $40 The Grascals Go Mayberry URS Performing Arts Center April 26-27: 8 p.m. Augusta Ballet 706-261-0555 augustaballet.org Botanica by MOMIX Imperial Theatre October 6-7: 7 p.m. Ballet Hispanico Imperial Theatre March 16: 8 p.m.

Augusta Children’s Chorale 706-826-4718 augustachildrenschorale.org

Spring Concert Paine College May 6: 4 p.m.

Augusta Mini Theatre 706 722-3968 augustaminitheatre.com

Just Desserts Concert Sacred Heart Cultural Center November 10: 7 p.m.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for students.

“Pickin’” (an original play saluting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.) January 12, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21: 8 p.m. January 14, 15, 16, 21, 22: 3 p.m. Adults, $12; children-students, $16

Holiday Concert with Lyra Vivace Church of the Most Holy Trinity December 4: 4 p.m. Pops! At the Bell with the Augusta Symphony December 9: 8 p.m. Pops! At the Etherredge Center, Aiken December 10: 8 p.m. 20th Anniversary Celebration Kroc Center May 11-12 Augusta Choral Society 706-826-4713 augustachoralsociety.org Brass and Flash Sacred Heart Cultural Center November 5: 7:30 p.m. A Baroque Christmas Saint Paul’s Church December 17: 7:30 p.m. It’s All About Love Sacred Heart Cultural Center February 10: 7:30 p.m. Memorial: Remember the Fallen Sacred Heart Cultural Center May 26: 7:30 p.m. Tickets to all concerts are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $10 for students. Augusta Chorale 706-830-0991 706-836-9426 augustachorale.org Christmas Concert Paine College December 11: 4 p.m.

Augusta Christian Schools 706-863-2905 augustachristian.org Fall Band Concert October 3: 7 p.m. Veteran’s Day Concert November 11: 11 a.m. Christmas Band Concert November 29: 7 p.m. Christmas Choral Concert December 5: 7 p.m. Elementary Christmas Musical December 13: 9 a.m. Winter Band Concert February 28: 7 p.m. Spring Band Concert April 17: 7 p.m. “Beauty and the Beast” April 26-28 Spring Choral Concert May 7: 7 p.m. Elementary Spring Musical May 9: 9 a.m. Augusta Collegium Musicum augustacollegium.org A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols Sacred Heart Cultural Center December 6: 7:30 p.m. Reservations required Holiday Concert Augusta Museum of History December 12: 7:30 p.m. $10, members; $15, nonmembers

“The Me I Like” May 18-20: 8 p.m. May 19-20: 3 p.m. $10 Augusta Players 707-826-4707 augustaplayers.org “A Christmas Carol: Imperial Theatre December 10: 8 p.m. December 11: 3 p.m. “Chicago” Imperial Theatre February 24-25: 8 p.m. February 26: 3 p.m. “The Sound of Music” May 4-5: 8 p.m. May 6: 3 p.m. Tickets for each show are between $15-$39. Augusta Players Youth Wing 707-826-4707 augustaplayers.org “Disney’s The Aristocats” Our Redeemer Lutheran Church November 4-5: 7:30 p.m. $12 Augusta State University Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre 706-667-4100 aug.edu/pat Student Recital Showcase METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11

October 5: 1 p.m. Free

faculty and staff are admitted free

Hums & Oms: Performing Sculpture October 5: 8 p.m. $10, general admission; free, ASU students, faculty and staff

Jazz Ensemble February 14: 7:30 p.m. $5, general admission; free, ASU students, faculty and staff

Oktoberfest: The ASU Opera Ensemble October 20: 7:30 p.m. $5, general admission; free, ASU students, faculty and staff “The Women of Troy” November 3-6: 7:30 p.m. $10, general public; $7, seniors; $5, children and students; free, ASU faculty, staff and students ASU Jazz Ensemble November 10: 7:30 p.m. $5, general admission; free, ASU students, faculty and staff Liszt: ASU Piano Class Recital November 14: 7:30 p.m. Free ASU Choirs Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church November 15: 7:30 p.m. Free ASU Orchestra November 17: 7:30 p.m. $5, general admission; free, ASU students, faculty and staff Forbidden Broadway: 30th Anniversary Tour ASU Lyceum Series November 18: 7 p.m. $15, general admission; $5, children 17 and under; free, ASU students, faculty and staff Conservatory Jazz Band November 19: 7:30 p.m. Free Sand Hills String Band November 20: 7 p.m. Free Greater Augusta Youth Orchestra November 21: 7 p.m. Free ASU Wind Ensemble November 22: 7:30 p.m. $5, general admission; free, ASU students, faculty and staff ASU Opera Ensemble in Rodgers & Hammerstine’s Cinderella February 10-11: 7:30 p.m. February 12: 3 p.m. General public, $15; ASU Alumni Association members, $8; seniors, $8; children and students, $5; ASU students,

METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11

ASU Choirs February 16: 7:30 p.m. $5, general admission; free, ASU students, faculty and staff Imago Theatre in ZooZoo ASU Lyceum Series February 18: 7 p.m. $20, general admission; $10, children 17 and under; free, ASU students, faculty and staff Orchestra and Wind Ensemble February 23: 7:30 p.m. $5, general admission; free, ASU students, faculty and staff Ballet Folklorico de Antioquia, Colombia ASU Lyceum Series March 10: 7 p.m. $20, general admission; $10, children 17 and under; free, ASU students, faculty and staff “Julius Caesar” March 22-24: 7:30 p.m. March 25: 3 p.m. $10, general public; $7, seniors; $5, children and students; free, ASU faculty, staff and students Conservatory Wind Symphony March 26: 7 p.m. Free Conservatory Jazz Band April 14: 7:30 p.m. Free Greater Augusta Youth Orchestra April 16: 7 p.m. Free Jazz Ensemble April 17: 7:30 p.m. $5, general admission; free, ASU students, faculty and staff Wind Ensemble April 19: 7:30 p.m. $5, general admission; free, ASU students, faculty and staff ASU Choirs April 24: 7:30 p.m. $5, general admission; free, ASU students, faculty and staff ASU Orchestra Concerto Competition Winners’ Concert April 26: 7:30 p.m. $5, general admission; free, ASU students, faculty and staff Students Caught in the Act April 28-29: 7:30 p.m.

April 29: 3 p.m. $5, general admission; free, ASU students, faculty and staff Sand Hills String Band May 6: 7 p.m. Free Columbia County Ballet 706-860-1852 columbiacountyballet.com “The Nutcracker” Imperial Theatre December 2: 7 p.m. “The Roar of Love” Bell Auditorium March 24: 1 and 5 p.m. Mayfest Columbia County Amphitheatre May 5: 10 a.m. Columbia County Choral Society 706-233-7793 ccchoralsociety.org A Service of Lessons and Carols First Baptist Church, Evans December 9: 7:30 p.m. Requiem by John Rutter Woodlawn United Methodist Church March 30: 7:30 p.m. A Celebration of American Music First Baptist Church, Evans June 15: 7:30 p.m. Tickets for all events are $15 for adults, and $10 for seniors, students, active-duty military and groups. Columbia County Orchestra Association columbiacco.org Fall Concert 470 Fury’s Ferry Road October 4: 7 p.m. Trio Intermezzo, Recital Series Suite 2E, 465 North Belair Road University Healthcare Bulding Three October 22: 6 p.m. Fourth Annual Handel’s Messiah Sing-In West Acres Baptist Church November 27: 6 p.m. Fall Concert 470 Fury’s Ferry Road November 29: 7 p.m.

Suite 2E, Evans January 28: 6 p.m. Pops Concert East Georgia College February 16: 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Winter Concert 470 Fury’s Ferry Road February 28: 7 p.m. Recital Series Columbia Winds/Alan Drake, director Suite 2E, Evans March (TBD): 6 p.m. Baroque Chamber Music Location TBD April 14 Spring Concert 470 Fury’s Ferry Road April 17: 7 p.m. Collaborative Concert with Men’s Chorus West Acres Baptist Church April 21: 3 p.m. Collaborative Concert with Men’s Chorus First Baptist Church, Aiken April 22: 3 p.m. Art in the Park Columbia County Library Amphitheatre May 5: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Dance Augusta 706-722-8341 danceaugusta.org “The Nutcracker” Imperial Theatre November 26: 7 p.m. November 27-28: 1 and 5 p.m. $17-$40 Davidson Fine Arts School Beverly Barnhart Theatre 706-823-6924 davidson.rcboe.org Incarnatio Mysteria 3:45 and 7 p.m. $8, adults; $6, seniors, military, students; $4, DFA students High School Drama One Act Play and Music Theatre October 13-14: 7 p.m. Adults, $7; seniors, children and students, $6, DFA students $5 Band Fall Concert October 27: 7 p.m.

Featured Piano Soloist Lili Bodanova 470 Fury’s Ferry Road January 7: 7 p.m.

Drama 3 Play and An Evening of Dance & Jazz November 17-18: 7 p.m. $8, adults; $7, seniors, children and students; $6, DFA students

Recital Series

Holiday Concert

December 2: 7 p.m. Annual Black History Month Celebration Performance February 2-3: 7 p.m. $8, adults; $7, seniors, children and students; $6, DFA students “Beauty and the Beast March 8-10: 7 p.m. March 10: 3 p.m. $15, adults; $12, seniors, students and children; $10, DFA students Senior Showcase May 12: 6 p.m. $7, adults; $6, seniors, students and children; $5, DFA students Enopion Theatre Group 706-771-7777 enopion.com “Eli’s Bethlehem Inn,” a musical theater production Kroc Center’s Performing Arts Center November 18, 22, 29, December 1-2: 7 p.m. November 19, 26: 5 p.m. $15 Fort Gordon Dinner Theatre 706-793-8552 fortgordon.com/theatre “Christmas Belles” November 11, 12, 18, 19, December 2, 3: 7:30 p.m. “Children Of Eden” February 24, 25, March 2, 3, 8, 9, 10: 7 p.m. “Game Show” May 11, 12, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26: 7:30 p.m. “Almost Maine” July 13, 14, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28: 7:30 p.m. “Witness for the Prosecution” September 14, 15, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29: 7:30 p.m. Harry Jacobs Chamber Music Society ASU’s Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre 706-790-9274 hjcms.org Robert Plano November 13: 3 p.m. Poulenc Trio January 20: 7:30 p.m. Fine Arts Quartet February 24: 7:30 p.m. Arabesque Winds April 20: 7:30 p.m.

V. 22 | NO. 58

Tickets for each performances are $25 for adults and $7 for school-age children.

March 2012 More information TBA

are $5 per person and the box office opens at 2:15 p.m.

Jessye Norman School of the Arts 706-877-0411 jessyenormalschool.org

Patchwork Players ASU’s Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre 706-737-1625 aug.edu

Southern Soul & Song Imperial Theatre 706-724-7501 southernsoulandsong.org

“The Magic Red Shoes” October 12: 9:30 and 10:30 a.m.

Pam Tillis October 14: 7:30 p.m.

“The Frog Prince at Christmas” December 7: 9:30 and 10:30 a.m.

Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out with special guest Nu–Blu November 18: 7:30 p.m.

JNSA Spring Showcase Jessye Norman School of the Arts May 3: 5 and 6:30 p.m. Free, but pre-registration required Le Chat Noir 706-722-3322 lcnaugusta com “Zombie Apocalypse Survival Camp” Le Chat Noir October 13-15, 18-22, 25-29: 8 p.m. Walk up- $13, Pre-registration $15 “The Merriment of Minstrel Krampus” Le Chat Noir December 9, 10, 15, 16, 17: 8 p.m. “Becky Shaw” Le Chat Noir February 10, 11, 14, 16, 17, 18: 8 p.m. Quickies: One-Act Play Festival Le Chat Noir April 20, 21, 26, 27, 28: 8 p.m. “Avenue Q: Le Chat Noir May 11, 12, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26: 8 p.m. Musical Theatre Workshops 706-231-1759 onwiththeshow.biz “Mulan Jr.” Greenbrier High School December 3: 2 and 7 p.m. $10; $5 for students Paine College 706-396-8109 paine.edu Black Nativity Remix Paine College November 10-11: 7:30 p.m General admission, $5; Paine students, $2with I.D. By Reason of Insanity Paine College

“The Princess and the Pea” January 18: 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. “Tales of Peter Rabbit” March 28: 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. “Golden Goose April 18: 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. “Velveteen Rabbit” May 2: 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. “Aesop’s Fables” June 13: 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. Reservations required for all shows. Schrodinger’s Cat Improv Troupe 706-722-3322 schrodingerscataug.com Extreme Theater Games Le Chat Noir Most First Fridays: 8 p.m. $8, in advance; $10, at the door Storyland Theatre Imperial Theatre 706-736-3455 or 706-731-0054 storylandtheatre.org

Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper with special guest Dale Ann Bradley December 16: 7:30 p.m. Mountain Heart with Tony Rice January 20: 7:30 p.m. Rhonda Vincent and the Rage February 10: 7:30 p.m. Tickets for each show are $37 for Golden Horseshoe, $24 for orchestra and mezzanine, $19 for first balcony and $13 for second balcony. Symphony Orchestra Augusta 706-826-4705 soaugusta.org Georgia Health Sciences Symphony Series All shows at First Baptist Church of Augusta. Innocence Cherished October 1: 7:30 p.m. West Side Stories November 12: 7:30 p.m.

“Cinderella: A Musical” October 29: 3 p.m.

Harmony and Invention January 12: 7:30 p.m.

“The Princess and the Pea: A Musical” January 28: 3 p.m.

The Great February 18: 7:30 p.m.

“Jack and the Beanstalk: A Musical” March 31, 3 p.m.

Deceptive Reality March 17: 7:30 p.m.

Shows for school and other groups available during the day the week before the Saturday matinee. Tickets for the Saturday matinees

Dramatic Voices April 28: 7:30 p.m.

THE DAWGS

University Health Care System Pops! At the Bell All shows at the Bell Auditorium. Neil Sedaka October 27: 7:30 p.m. Festival of Song & Celebration December 9: 7:30 p.m. The Temptations February 9: 7:30 p.m. The Music of Michael Jackson March 8: 7:30 p.m. Discovery Concert The Composer is Dead ASU’s Maxwell Performing Arts Theatre October 4: 10:30 a.m. Free Bank of America Columbia County Music Series All shows at the Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Theater in the Columbia County Library. Doric String Quartet January 14: 7:30 p.m. Wendy Cohen & Vonda Darr February 4: 7:30 p.m. Georgia Guitar Quartet March 3: 7:30 p.m. Young Artists Repertory Theatre 706-829-1325 yart.org “The Children’s Hour” ASU’s Performing Arts Theatre November 11-12 7:30 p.m. Free “Annie” Summer 2012 production More details TBD

Evenings October 9th Thru October 13th LIVE ENTERTAINMENT SPECIAL FEST MENU CHICKEN DANCE SHOTS OF SCHNAPPS BOOTS OF BEER DANCING IN THE AISLES JAEGERETTES

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V. 22 | NO. 58

METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11

SO WHAT ABOUT THOSE UNIFORMS?

Those who have seen the Augusta Children’s Chorale in action can’t help but notice what the children wear, most famously the girls’ white shirts with Peter Pan collars under plain green dresses. “Horrible!” said Kate Sanders, a member of the inaugural ACC 20 years ago. “And I think they’re basically exactly the same now as they were then. What can you say: classic and timeless.” Musical Director and Conductor Linda Bradberry, who developed the look and also requires minimal makeup, hair adornments, and fingernail polish, shrugs off the complaints. “Everybody complains, but when we come on stage they look fabulous,” she said. “They’re neat, they’re well-groomed and that uniform just adds to it.” Besides, she explained, the uniforms serve an important purpose. “The uniforms are to take away from the audience looking at an individual,” she said. “We want our audience looking at and listening to a group and, psychologically, that’s easier for the audience when the children are wearing uniforms.” Business Manager Gayle Crawford said it another way. “If they’re looking at you and looking at what you’re wearing, they’re not hearing you.”

METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11

More Than Music

AMYCHRISTIAN

The Augusta Children’s Chorale prepares to celebrate its 20th anniversary When Kate Sanders recently played a game of Two Truths and a Lie with co-workers, one of the three statements she made about herself was that she had performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City. “Everybody thought that was my lie,” she laughed. “It’s one of my greatest accomplishments and it happened when I was in the sixth grade.” Sanders, then Kate Dunaway, made it to that mecca of performing arts at such a young age not because she was a child prodigy (although she is trained in both music and dance), but because she was a member of the Augusta Children’s Chorale (ACC). She was, as a matter of fact, a member of the inaugural group formed 20 years ago. Sanders said she and a few of the other inaugural members, one of whom is now on the ACC’s board of directors, will help the group celebrate its 20th anniversary at a two-day event at the Kroc Center next spring. Not only that, the ACC experience was such a formative part of her upbringing that she asked them to sing at her wedding a little more than a year ago. “Really, ironically, before I even got engaged I knew I wanted to have the children’s chorale at my wedding,” she said. “And I’d never seen it done before. It was something different.” So what about the Augusta Children’s Chorale made it so important to Sanders? Well, it’s not a what at all, but a who: Linda Bradberry, the woman who created the Augusta Children’s Chorale and has been its musical director and conductor ever since. “She’s strict and very goal-oriented and focused, but in a way that works really well with that age group,” Sanders, who describes Bradberry as “regal,” explained. “I don’t ever remember it being a chore to go to practice.” The Augusta Children’s Chorale began in 1991, shortly after Bradberry had been asked to gather a chorus that would perform in a production of “The King and I.” “It was just by happenstance, I guess,” she admitted recently, explaining that after “The King and I” she was asked to create a full-time children’s chorale. “At that time, and at all times, I’m one

of the busiest people in town and I thought, why are they calling me? So I said I would do it if I could audition. I wanted children who wanted to be there, not children whose parents were making them go. And from the get go we were to be a performing chorus.” A willingness to not only sing, but also perform were not Bradberry’s only requirements. “I’m looking for potential,” she said of the way she chooses from those who audition. “I’m not looking for a star

performer, for a soloist. I’m also looking for attitude and interest. I’m not looking for a big-time performer. They will have the opportunities to sing solos, and have special parts in programs, but that’s not what I’m looking for. I think I want each one to feel as important as the others.” Rehearsal attendance is important to Bradberry, as are manners. “Along with the fun of singing and the enjoyment of performing, I want them to be nice people,” she explained. “Nobody says you have to have good manners, but we just do things that way. It’s that quality of life we’re looking for, that cut above.” Bradberry said she never dreamed that a small choir with 20 children would have a 20-year life span, but the ACC found success almost from the beginning. “The very first season we were already

performing with the symphony,” she said. “We were already doing big things and we were just 20 little children. And then it began to grow. Here we are about to enjoy and celebrate our 20th season and there are still people who don’t know we’re here.” What started off as a small choir of 20 has blossomed into two choirs; ACC proper has 48 members, while De Capo, the training choir, has 20. The groups perform locally, hold an annual Just Desserts concert in the fall and go on a choir tour each summer. In 2012, ACC will be headed to Barcelona and Madrid. Both practice each Tuesday afternoon at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, where Bradberry is director of music ministries, and she’s hired Lori Ascani Van Lenten, also a director of music ministries at Wesley United Methodist Church in Columbia County. Van Lenten directs De Capo, which accepts children who are at least in third grade. De Capo performs locally but does not travel and they’re taught the basics until Bradberry decides they’re ready to move up. “I will make recommendations, but who she moves up is who she wants to move up,” Van Lenten explained. “There will be some years when it will be a little more rigorous. What we want to make sure is that every child is comfortable and confident. If you move them too soon, it could be bad for them.” And neither Van Lenten nor Bradberry want ACC members to be scared or nervous. The preparations they receive in De Capo — everything from holding sheet music and theory to sight reading and hearing — prepare them for the move. “We learn how to use our voices and learn to listen,” Van Lenten said. “There are very few people in this world who are tone deaf. It’s that they’ve never been taught to hear. And I want them to know what it feels like to sing, as well as what it sounds like to sing.” Rounding out the ACC staff are Sandra Prichard and Phillip Streetman, accompanists, and Gayle Crawford, the ACC’s business manager whose daughter, now 27, sang with ACC. Crawford said she may keep the office running and make travel arrangements, V. 22 | NO. 58

on, making the ACC experience much more than music. “This has such a strong foundation of benefiting children, of teaching children more than just notes on a page,” she said. “Our goal is to make you a wellrounded child, a well-rounded young musician who knows themselves, meets challenges and can work in this type of group setting.” As the ACC prepares for their 20th anniversary season, capping off with the two-day celebration in May that will attract the likes of Bradberry’s mentor, Henry Leck of the Indianapolis Children’s Choir, Crawford and Van

Lenten echo Bradberry’s amazement about being such a well-kept secret. “It’s so funny: Linda and I went to a national convention of choral directors in New York City and we could not walk three steps without someone stopping her to talk,” Van Lenten remembered. “What baffles me is, in a community this size, how many people don’t know that the ACC even exists: this gem of a program which costs next to nothing. It baffles me that she is so extraordinarily well-known in the U.S., and even internationally, but here there are people who have no idea.” The ones who matter most, however,

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but it’s anything but work. “This is more than a job to me, this is a passion,” said Crawford, who sings in Van Lenten’s adult choir at Wesley. “They handle the artistic side of it, and I try to make it easy for them by handling the other side of it. And I’ve witnessed firsthand what it did what it did for my child. She’s always been a very confident person, but this is something I think she’s carried with her through her high school and college career. I watched her as a fourth grader stand front and center on a stage at Carnegie Hall.” And that, Van Lenten explained, is something that she and Bradberry focus

are well aware of Bradberry’s impact, even if they may not realize it until later on. “I don’t know if it’s something she even realizes,” Kate Sanders, one of Bradberry’s original chorale members, said, “but when I think back on adults who influenced me when I was a child, Linda’s at the top of the list.” And while the chorale definitely has a lasting impact, Bradberry said it’s not all hard work. “It’s just as much fun for me as for the kids,” she said. “I’d rather rehearse with them than almost anything else.”

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MOVIEREVIEW

“Moneyball”

Sam Eifling This likely best picture nominee may be about baseball, but it’s not really a baseball movie “Moneyball” feels unlike any of the genres that could claim it. A baseball film foremost, it doesn’t look or sound or unfold like a typical baseball film, perhaps because it is, more substantially, a business film. Based on the Michael Lewis 2003 nonfiction bestseller subtitled “The Art of Winning an Unfair Game,” the zeitgeist of the film is perfect for recession-era 2011. At its heart is the question of how an organization with scarce resources — a team that cannot afford to retain its own best players on the open market — compete by outwitting its rivals? The answer of “Moneyball” is that winning requires an overhaul in imagination, and the courage to assign worth to players who are seen as unworthy by traditional thinking. In that, “Moneyball” is really about values, and how values are overturned, so it is, at bottom, a film about apostasy. Baseball is the religion, winning is the path to salvation and the general manager in charge of these ragtag Oakland A’s, Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), is in constant danger of being burned at the stake.

Beane and the A’s really did apply the principles he dubbed “moneyball” across a number of years, to stock and re-stock rosters in small-market Oakland. Director Bennett Miller (“Capote”) elects to compress this revolution into the gap between two of Oakland’s improbable runs: the 2001 season that ended with a close playoff loss to the New York Yankees (payroll: triple Oakland’s) and the 2002 season, in which the A’s had to replace star sluggers Jason Giambi (off to New York) and Johnny Damon (poached by Boston), and pitcher Jason Isringhausen (hello, Cardinals) with players earning far less. Responsible for this overhaul are the A’s scouts, pictured here as the crustiest of low priesthoods, a roundtable of dinosaurs whose analysis of players’ abilities is so airy that after reciting rote box-score stats they invariably describe how good-looking their favorite prospects are. It’s in these sessions that screenwriters Aaron Sorkin (“The Social Network,” “A Few Good Men”) and Steven Zaillan (“Gangs of New York,” “Schindler’s List”) earn their keep, skirting the line nicely between a script that could have skewed too inside-baseball.

As it stands, “Moneyball” is accessible throughout, and quite funny. Pitt and Jonah Hill, who plays a young baseballminded economist named Peter Brand hired to crunch numbers, are dedicated to the art of deadpanning in a joke-free script. Philip Seymour Hoffman as the curmudgeonly manager Art Howe, who balks at actually fielding the castoff players Beane and Brand hand him, is another gem in the cast. Now, the events in “Moneyball” did happen, mostly, even if some of them are overdramatized. (Adding to the verisimilitude are real sportscasts and radio clips, integrated brilliantly into the narrative.) The A’s did start the 2002 season in a funk and come back to … well, if you have even a vague awareness

of baseball, you’ll recall that the A’s haven’t won a World Series lately (as in, during the past 20 years), so you’ll have to accept that the last game they play, they lose. And if you look at what winning teams (e.g., the Red Sox) have done since ’02, you’ll notice a distinct affinity for Beane’s smallbudget tactics backed up by payrolls that dwarf his. That’s baseball; that’s business. Even when the little guy wins, the natural order of things reasserts itself. It’s rare that a sports movie acknowledges this fact with any seriousness, but then, it’s rare that a sports movie is this fine. Pencil “Moneyball” in as a Best Picture nominee. It may not win, but it’ll be a great story anyhow.

TRAFFIC

JAM

CHAD BENNETT

TRAFFIC V. 22 | NO. 58

METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11 29

“50/50,” rated R, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick. If anyone could make cancer funny, it would be Seth Rogan who, like the real life situation this movie was based on, plays the best friend of a guy who finds out he has the Big C.

HORROR

“Dream House,” rated PG-13, starring Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, Naomi Watts. This movie will probably be best known as the set in which 007 met his future wife, Rachel Weisz. Based on its MPAA rating, it probably won’t be known for its scares. Seriously; how can you make a scary movie out of a house where a mass murder took place without an R rating? “What’s Your Number?,” rated R, starring Anna Faris, Chris Evans, Joel McHale, Chris Pratt. A woman retraces her romantic steps to see if any of the guys she previously dated should be given a second chance. And who wouldn’t want to give one of those three a second chance?

“The Tillman Story” When Pat Tillman was killed in Afghanistan in 2004, it sure smelled a little too fishy as the heroic story came out. Jessica Lynch, anyone? Well, we found out a few years ago how deceitful the U.S. government was in the whole affair. What’s interesting about this documentary is Tillman’s family. Truth to power? Forget about it. Please rent this film. Not for the sad story of Pat’s accidental death. For the story of a family that simply does not give a sh** what you think. — MS

30 METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11

WERECOMMEND

OPENING FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30

DRAMEDY

V. 22 | NO. 58

THE8ERS The Big Mo

Main Field: Dolphin Tale (PG) and The Smurfs (PG) Screen 2: Abduction (PG-13) and Warrior (PG-13) Screen 3: The Help (PG-13) and Contagion (PG-13) Gates open at 7 p.m.; Movies start at 8:15 p.m. (approximately)

Masters 7 Cinemas

September 30 Conan the Barbarian (R) 4:30, 7:15, 10; Final Destination 5 (R) 5:30, 10:10; Cowboys & Aliens (PG-13) 4, 6:45, 9:30; Captain America: The First Avenger (PG-13) 4:15, 6:45, 9:45; Horrible Bosses (R) 7:45; Zookeeper (PG) 5:15; Transformers: Dark of the Moon (PG-13) 5, 8:30; Bad Teacher (R) 7:30, 10:10; Cars 2 (G) 4, 7, 9:45 October 1 Conan the Barbarian (R) 1:30, 4:30, 7:15, 10; Final Destination 5 (R) 12:45, 5:30, 10:10; Cowboys & Aliens (PG-13) 12:45, 4, 6:45, 9:30; Captain America: The First Avenger (PG-13) 1:15, 4:15, 6:45, 9:45; Horrible Bosses (R) 3:10, 7:45; Zookeeper (PG) 12:30, 2:50, 5:15; Transformers: Dark of the Moon (PG-13) 1:30, 5, 8:30; Bad Teacher (R) 7:30, 10:10; Cars 2 (G) 1, 4, 7, 9:45

Evans Cinemas

September 30 50/50 (R) 2:50, 5:10, 7:30, 10; Courageous (PG-13) 4, 7, 9:55; Dream House (PG-13) 3, 5:20, 7:40, 10; What’s Your Number? (R) 4:10, 7:25, 10:05; Abduction (PG-13) 3:45, 6:45, 9:25; Dolphin Tale (PG) 4:20, 7:15, 9:55; Killer Elite (R) 3:50, 6:50, 9:35; Moneyball (PG-13) 3:40, 6:40, 9:40; Drive (R) 5, 9:50; The Lion King (G) 2:30, 3:15, 4:55, 5:30, 7:10, 9:30; Straw Dogs (R) 7:45, 10:05; Contagion (PG-13) 2:45, 5:10, 7:35, 10:05; Seven Days in Utopia (G) 2:40, 7:20; Spy Kids: All the

Time in the World (PG) 2:45, 4:55; The Help (PG-13) 4:30, 8; Crazy, Stupid, Love (PG-13) 7:05, 9:45 October 1 50/50 (R) 12:30, 2:50, 5:10, 7:30, 10; Courageous (PG-13) 1, 4, 7, 9:55; Dream House (PG-13) 12:45, 3, 5:20, 7:40, 10; What’s Your Number? (R) 1:40, 4:10, 7:25, 10:05; Abduction (PG13) 12:50, 3:45, 6:45, 9:25; Dolphin Tale (PG) 1:30, 4:20, 7:15, 9:55; Killer Elite (R) 1:10, 3:50, 6:50, 9:35; Moneyball (PG-13) 12:40, 3:40, 6:40, 9:40; Drive (R) 12:20, 5, 9:50; The Lion King (G) 12:15, 1, 2:30, 3:15, 4:55, 5:30, 7:10, 9:30; Straw Dogs (R) 7:45, 10:05; Contagion (PG13) 12;20, 2:45, 5:10, 7:35, 10:05; Seven Days in Utopia (G) 2:40, 7:20; Spy Kids: All the Time in the World (PG) 12:35, 2:45, 4:55; The Help (PG-13) 1:15, 4:30, 8; Crazy, Stupid, Love (PG-13) 7:05, 9:45

Regal Exchange 20

September 30-October 1 50/50 (R) 12:10, 4:10, 7:10, 9:35, 12; Courageous (PG-13) 12, 12:30, 1:30, 4, 4:30, 7, 7:30, 8:15, 9:55, 10:25; Dream House (PG-13) 12:40, 4:45, 7:35, 10:10, 12:30; What’s Your Number (R) 12:20, 4:20, 7:20, 10:05; Abduction (PG-13) 12:05, 1, 2:40, 3:55, 5:10, 7:40, 8:05, 10:15, 10:35; Dolphin Tale (PG) 12:15, 12:45, 2:55, 4:25, 7:15, 7:45, 9:55, 10:25; Killer Elite (R) 1:10, 3:50, 4:45, 7:20, 10, 11:15; Moneyball (PG-13) 12:25 (CC), 1:05, 4, 5:05, 7:05, 8:10, 10:10; Drive (R) 1:10, 7:15, 12:15; The Lion King (G) 12, 2:15, 4:30, 7:10, 9:25, 11:40; Straw Dogs (R) 4:50, 7:40, 10:20; Contagion (PG-13) 12:35, 4:35, 7:25, 10; Kevin Hart: Laugh at My Pain (R) 12:55, 4:20, 7:25, 9:40, 12:05; Colombiana (PG-13) 3:45, 9:45; Spy Kids: All the Time in the World (PG) 12:20, 2:35; The Help (PG-13) 12:15, 3:50, 7:05, 10:20; Bad Teacher (R) 12:20 a.m.; Star Trek: IMAX (PG-13) 1:15, 4:05, 7

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METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11 31

SIGHTINGS

Michael Johnson

mejphoto.photoreflect.com

Brandon and Tracy Frye with Justin Kight and Cole Cook at The Country Club.

Marlow Craig, Lauren Flanagan and Natasha Akhavan at the Bar on Broad.

Randy and Jennifer Storey with Nikki Mason and Brandon Cross at Coyoteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.

SIGHTINGS

Gigi Garcia, Angela Taylor and Lauren Jacobs at the Loft.

Teresa Brown, Teresa Ellis and Ashley Terwilliger at the Bar on Broad.

Kirsten Wildermuth, Amanda Perkins and Amy Jones at Soy Noodle House.

SIGHTINGS

(L-R) Sandy Bowles, Kelley Norris, Courtney Wier, Kelly Lowery and Matthew Norris at ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta.

Jason Craig, Alex Wier and Richmond County Commissioner Joe Bowles at ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta.

Michael Johnson

mejphoto.photoreflect.com

Juliana Hudson and Bailey Arnett at ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta.

$9.99 one pound of Happy Hour MON-FRI peel and eat shrimp 4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Monday Crab Legs $9.99 per lb

Drink Specials

SURRY CENTER ON HIGHLAND AVE. - THE FRENCHMARKETGRILLE.COM - 707.737.4865 32 METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11

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Thursday, September 29 Live Music

French Market Grille West Doc Easton James Brown Arena Jason Aldean Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center Livingston Taylor Joe’s Underground Ruskin Mellow Mushroom Bryan Robinson One Hundred Laurens Kenny George Rose Hill Stables Preston & Weston Sacred Heart Transfigured Time: Music For The Films of Maya Deren Sky City The Radar Cinema w/ Space Ghost, Mazes & Monsters. Artemia Surrey Tavern Sibling String Wild Wing The Design The Willcox Four Cats in the Doghouse

What’s Tonight?

Cadillac’s Karaoke

Somewhere in Augusta Karaoke Soul Bar Disco Hell Villa Europa Karaoke with Just Ben Wooden Barrel ‘80s Night Karaoke

Friday, September 30 Live Music

Augusta Canal Moonlight Music Cruise The Wynns Bell Auditorium Scream Tour w/ Diggy Simmons, Mindless Behavior, OMG Girlz Country Club Chris Lane Band Coyote’s Blackberry Smoke, Derrick Dove Doubletree Hotel 3 Sides of Jazz French Market Grille West Doc Easton Joe’s Underground Mason Jars Old Academy of Richmond County Roseanne Cash, Blue Rodeo One Hundred Laurens John Kolbeck

Fishbowl Lounge Karaoke Iron Horse Bar & Grill Karaoke Islands Bar & Lounge DJ Spud Mi Rancho (Downtown) Karaoke with Ryan Moseley Mi Rancho (Washington Road) Karaoke with Jeff Barnes Mi Rancho (Clearwater) Three J’s Karaoke Ms. Carolyn’s Karaoke Palmetto Tavern DJ Tim Rebeck’s Hideaway Open Mic Roadrunner Cafe Karaoke with Steve Chappel Somewhere in Augusta Footloose Dance Party Soul Bar ’90s Night Tropicabana Latin Friday Wheels Live DJ Wooden Barrel Karaoke Contest

Saturday , October 1 Live Music

The Acoustic Coffeehouse Open Acoustic Jam Session with Eryn Eubanks and the Family Fold Country Club Anthony Orio & The Goodfellers Coyote’s Derrick Dove Joe’s Underground Pretty Petty P.I. Bar and Grill Not Gaddy Polo Tavern Shameless Dave Shannon’s Perfect Picture Sky City Langhorne Slim, The Law Surrey Tavern Gimme Hindrex Wild Wing Sun Dried Vibes

What’s Tonight?

Casa Blanca Thursday Tango Club Argos Karaoke Cocktails Lounge Karaoke Coyote’s Karaoke Fishbowl Lounge Karaoke Fox’s Lair Soup, Suds & Conversations Helga’s Pub & Grille Trivia The Highlander Butt Naked Trivia Islands Bar & Lounge DJ Fred Nice The Loft Karaoke Mi Rancho (Downtown) Karaoke Mi Rancho (Evans) Karaoke Pizza Joint, Evans DJ Kris Fisher The Playground Open Mic with Brandy Polo Tavern DJ Nirvana Shannon’s Karaoke V. 22 | NO. 58

Polo Tavern Robbie Ducey Band Somewhere In Augusta Sibling String Stillwater Tap Room Blair Crimmons and The Hookers Surrey Tavern Perfect Picture Wild Wing Roshambeaux The Willcox Kenny George

What’s Tonight?

Cadillac’s DJ Tim Club Argos Variety Show Club Rehab DJ C4 Cocktails Lounge Grown-Up Fridays Cork and Bull Pub Karaoke

Cadillac’s DJ Rana Club Argos Variety Show Club Rehab DJ C4 Cocktails Lounge Latin Night Fishbowl Lounge Karaoke Fox’s Lair Karaoke Helga’s Pub & Grille Trivia Islands Bar & Lounge Reggae Night with Island Vybez The Loft Karaoke Mi Rancho (Downtown) Karaoke with Rockin Rob Mi Rancho (Clearwater) Karaoke with Danny Haywood Mi Rancho (Washington Road) Karaoke Ms. Carolyn’s Karaoke One Hundred Laurens DJ Kenny Ray Tropicabana Salsa Saturday Wheels Live DJ Wooden Barrel Kamikaze Karaoke

Sunday, October 2 Live Music

5 O’Clock Bistro Buzz and Candice Bell Auditorium Swanee Quintet Iron Horse Outside Concert Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center Leon Redbone P.I. Bar and Grill Live Music Wild Wing Sabo & Mike

What’s Tonight?

Caribbean Soul Love Jones Sundays Malibu Jack’s Karaoke with Denny Mi Rancho (Downtown) Karaoke Mi Rancho (Washington Road) Karaoke, Salsa Dancing Polo Tavern DJ Nirvana

Monday, October 3 What’s Tonight?

Applebee’s (Evans) Trivia Club Argos Karaoke Club Rehab Jenn’s Crazy Karaoke Imperial Theatre Branford Marsalis, Joey Calderazzo Duo, Jessye Norman Mi Rancho (Downtown) Karaoke with Danny Haywood Somewhere In Augusta Poker Tourney Wild Wing Trivia and Karaoke

Tuesday, October 4 Live Music

Cocktails Lounge Live Music The Highlander Open Mic Night Joe’s Underground Cocoa Dylan Sky City Van Hunt Wild Wing Erik Smallwood The Willcox Hal Shreck

What’s Tonight?

Club Argos Karaoke Club Rehab Jenn’s Crazy Karaoke Fishbowl Lounge Dart League The Highlander Open Mic Night Iron Horse Chippendale’s Islands Bar & Lounge DJ Fred Nice Somewhere in Augusta Trivia

Wednesday, October 5 Live Music

209 on the River Smooth Grooves Joe’s Underground Sibling String Wild Wing Acosta & The Special Guests The Willcox Hal Shreck

What’s Tonight?

Club Argos Santoni’s Satin Dolls Club Rehab Jenn’s Crazy Karaoke Cocktails Lounge Augusta’s Got Talent The Cotton Patch Trivia and Tunes with Cliff Bennett Laura’s Backyard Tavern Karaoke The Loft Karaoke Mi Rancho (Downtown) Karaoke Mi Rancho (Washington Road) Karaoke with Rockin’ Rob The Place on Broad Jazz DJ The Playground Krazy Karaoke with Big Troy Polo Tavern Karaoke with Tom Mitchell Somewhere In Augusta Hypnotist: Guzzi

METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11 37

DON’T!

By Josh Knapp / Edited by Will Shortz

38 METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11

DOWN 1 Trade’s partner 2 ___-American 3 One may be seen on a 28-Across’s nose 4 Indo-European 5 Stats on weather reports 6 Sunbathing sites 7 Can’t stand 8 “Automatic for the People” group 9 iPod type 10 Liquid, say 11 “Matilda” author 12 “___ had it!” 13 Poor character analysis? 14 Building material for Solomon’s Temple 15 Shade of green 16 Don’t …! 17 UV index monitor, for short 18 Total hottie 24 Shipwreck spot, maybe 25 Ones with crowns 30 End of a series: Abbr. 31 Biblical twin 32 Basic skateboarding trick 34 “If only!” 35 It has a crystal inside 36 Brand for people with milk sugar intolerance 38 Got started 39 Figure of speech 41 Not the ritziest area of town 43 Small dam 46 “Ditto” 48 France’s equivalent to an Oscar 49 Two who smooch, say 50 Mawkish 51 Gilbert Stuart works 53 Hacking tool 54 Spanish newspaper whose name means “The Country” 55 Bring up 56 Done in 59 Packer of old 60 He was named viceroy of Portuguese India in 1524 61 “Heavens!” 62 Don’t …! 65 Look down 68 A big flap may be made about this 69 Possible change in Russia 71 Banks on a runway 73 Briton’s rejoinder 74 Long-armed simian, for short 75 Element in a guessing contest 76 Chilling, say 77 Concern when coming up, with “the” 79 Archetypal abandonment site 83 Corporate type 84 Inexperienced with 85 Witticisms 86 Aníbal Cavaco ___, Portuguese president beginning in 2006 88 Kind of keyboard 89 Model used for study or testing 90 Without flaw 91 Large ___ Collider (CERN particle accelerator) 94 Bramble feature 96 Lock horns (with) 98 Dis 100 Some linemen 101 Definitely not a hottie 102 Reuters alternative 104 “Just ___ suspected!”

105 “What ___ said” 106 Uracil’s place 1

107 Volleyball action

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ACROSS 1 Group working on a plot 6 Seurat painted in one 10 “Look what ___!” 14 One of Santa’s team 19 Old Olds 20 Biblical shepherd 21 Alma mater of football great Roger Staubach 22 Opt for the window instead of the aisle? 23 Don’t …! 26 Ottoman relative 27 Lover of Bianca in “Othello” 28 See 3-Down 29 Plea to the unwelcome 31 Loo 33 Bug-eyed primates 35 “Dream on” 37 Priestly robe 38 Don’t …! 40 Us, e.g. 42 Attack like a bear 44 First person in Germany? 45 Stir up 46 “___ is life …” 47 Like some wrestlers’ bodies 48 “___ for Cookie” (“Sesame Street” song) 50 It’s not good when it’s flat 51 Word processing command 52 Don’t …! 56 Skirt chaser 57 Good news for a worker 58 It’s passed down through the ages 59 Like some old-fashioned studies 60 Homeric cry? 63 Apothecary weight 64 More, in scores 65 Bass in a barbershop quartet, e.g. 66 Old Tokyo 67 Do-it-yourselfer 69 Filing aid 70 Open 72 Established facts 73 Don’t …! 78 Person with a code name, maybe 79 Puts words in the mouth of? 80 A trucker may have one: Abbr. 81 Hurricane of 2011 82 Advanced sandcastle feature 83 Target of some pH tests 84 Org. for some guards 86 Famous Georgian born in 1879 87 Camera operator’s org. 88 Don’t …! 92 30, for 1/5 and 1/6, e.g.: Abbr. 93 Start without permission? 95 Possible result of a defensive error in soccer 96 Rogers on a ship 97 Sharpens 98 E-mail from a Nigerian prince, usually 99 Now or never 101 Indulge 103 Don’t …! 108 Distanced 109 Biblical twin 110 Filmmaker van Gogh 111 One of the Allman Brothers 112 Harry Potter’s girlfriend 113 Trick out, as a car 114 In view 115 Palais du Luxembourg body

A W T H E A G T H D I I C N E R A T E H U N S I S N T S A T E L E P E A S M O S M O P L A D S A S W

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G R A S T O V A O T E R C R A M A L E G E R S E E L L O A R E T W I N S P E S P R R I E V A D D A S I T C T E I A R D R O C A I R U P P E S T E N

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CUISCENEINE Local Flavor

Locally owned franchise TGI Friday’s offers a family atmosphere and homemade dishes It’s 8 a.m. at TGI Friday’s, and General Manager Tanya Casey has already been at work for nearly two hours, putting ribs in the oven and preparing the ingredients for returning fall menu item Apple Crumble before the kitchen staff arrives. “We make everything in house,” she assures those who might think that Friday’s is one of those chains in which everything is frozen and popped in the microwave after it’s ordered. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. The ribs, for example, are slow cooked for three hours, then grilled once a customer orders them. And Fridays isn’t a chain; rather, it’s a franchise. “We’re locally owned,” Casey explains. “We have several investors and they’re all located here in Augusta. And we’re the only one in our franchise. Our owners only own this store.” The owners opened TGI Friday’s nearly 20 years ago, and the restaurant is still in its original location on Washington Road. Since that time, they’ve cultivated a loyal staff, many of whom have been with the company for several years. Casey, for instance, has worked at the restaurant for 13 years, and has been the general manager for the last four. Marlo Kitchens, the front of the house manager, started out a server six years ago and Perry Steele, the kitchen manager, has worked for the Augusta location for seven years, where he started as a line cook. Then there’s Jaimee Matherne, a

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bartender at Friday’s for 14 years. “She knows everybody, and everybody loves Jaimee at the bar,” Casey says. “But there are other employees who’ve been here for a long time, too. We have one guy who’s been here in the kitchen since we opened in 1992, and many who’ve been here more than 10 years.” That continuity in employees, rare in the food service industry, contributes to the family atmosphere at Friday’s. It’s something customers definitely notice and appreciate. “Our servers, most of them have been here a while and it makes it a fun atmosphere,” Casey says. “And we have a very loyal following of our guests. At lunchtime, and at the bar, we have people who’ve been coming here for years.” Familiar faces may contribute to customer loyalty, but the specials that Friday’s serves up don’t hurt either. Monday through Saturday, Happy Hour is from 4-7 p.m. and then from 9 p.m.-close in the bar. On Sunday, it’s all day long during football season, for which the restaurant provides NFL Sunday Ticket games. Happy Hour specials include $5 domestic pitchers, $2 domestic pints, $3 Absolut drinks and $5 for selected appetizers. Also popular are Military Appreciation Saturdays, during which those with an active ID receive 25 percent off their bills; the Give Me More Stripes sign-up program (givememorestripes.com), in which customers earn points for every dollar they spend at the restaurant

and also receive email coupons; and the Endless Lunch for $6.99, which includes soup, salad, breadsticks and drinks. A friendly staff and great specials go a long way with customers, but, for a restaurant, those don’t mean anything unless you have the food to back it up. And that’s where Casey says Friday’s shines. “I think it’s just our menu,” she says about the restaurant’s continued popularity. “We change our menu about every three months and we always have unique dishes like our fried green beans. We’re innovative. And seriously, our Jack Daniels sauce… people love it.” Friday’s has six signature items on the Jack Daniel’s Grill menu, from ribs and steaks to chicken and shrimp, as well as combinations. In addition, many of the other menu items are topped with the sauce. “Our most popular items seem to be our Jack Daniel’s items,” Casey says. “It’s our signature sauce and you can only get it at TGI Friday’s. It’s kind of a sweet, smoky glaze. Our ribs and our pulled pork sandwich [both topped with the Jack Daniel’s sauce] are probably two of our most popular items.” Also well-liked are the Apple Crumble, as well as two other returning favorites — the Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie and the Parmesan-Crusted Chicken. “We took it off the menu and we had

so many complaints,” Casey says about the chicken. Just because customers can splurge at Friday’s, however, doesn’t mean they have to. Casey points out that the restaurant has 10 entrées that have less that 750 calories, as well as three drinks under 150 calories. “We have a Skinny Margarita and a Skinny Long Island Iced Tea,” she says. “Those seem to be popular with the ladies.” The combination of menu items ensures that everyone will be happy when the come to Friday’s. “Anybody can come here, whether you want to splurge or eat light,” Casey says. “I think anybody can come here with a group of people and find something they want to eat and drink.” TGI Friday’s 2800 Washington Road, Augusta Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-midnight; Sunday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. 706-736-8888 tgifridaysaugusta.com

METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11 39

EARDRUM

Chuck and his wife run Downstairs Live, a private concert series streamed live from their home. He also dabbles in photography and videography. For more info, go to crwconcepts.com or downstairslive.com.

The Best Music You’ve Never Heard: Ryan Star Chuck Williams

The date was February 3, 2010, and I was running my full court press to get Serena Ryder back on our stage. Her 2009 show left us all breathless and we were jonesing for another intimate performance. Calls were made, emails were sent and eventually a date was nailed down. Canadian pop star Serena Ryder was heading back to Downstairs Live. This was epic! I sent the show announcement to our email list and it sold out in minutes. A few days later I got an email from her agent informing me that Ryan Star had been added to the lineup to open the show. Are you kidding me? If you don’t know the name, Ryan was on the CBS reality show “Rock Star: Supernova” back in 2006. His performances on that show and his current live concerts are as powerful as they come. Why he isn’t a household name is beyond me. I tried to book Ryan six months earlier, and the asking price was way out of our price range. Now he was being added to our show… as the opening act! I was in shock. How did we get so lucky to have two dynamic performers on our stage in one night? Maybe I was just living right… I did open the door for that older lady the week before. As time for the April 29 concert drew near, I became more and more excited. I kept picturing Ryan on our stage with his incredible energy, then having Serena follow with her passionate set. It was going to such an amazing night of live music. Then came that fateful email a week before the show. Serena had some medical issues come up that couldn’t be avoided and she had to cancel her entire U.S. headlining tour. Talk about being deflated… the life was totally sucked out of me. It took a few

Ryan Star hours, but I adjusted my perspective, regrouped and finally moved on. Emails were sent, calls were made and the show was officially cancelled. F#*@#! The next day I got an email from Ryan’s agent saying he wanted to salvage some of the dates even though Serena had bailed. He asked if we would be interested in continuing the show with Ryan as the headliner. I said yes. So more emails were then sent, more calls were then made and the show was now the Ryan Star show. Many of the guests hoping to see Serena were a little disappointed and quickly cancelled their seat reservations. Little did they know it would be a huge mistake. When the night finally arrived, Ryan took the stage and put on our most powerful concert to date. His passion

was awe-inspiring and the show’s vibe pushed him into a performing zone he very seldom reaches. In attendance that night were a few diehard Ryan Star fans who traveled a few hours to be at the show. They had been to many of his concerts and claimed they had never seen him so happy and “into a show.” His energy was off the charts as he embraced the Downstairs Live crowd. We missed not having Serena on our stage, but Ryan’s 90-minute performance will be talked about for decades. Not only did our 85 guests enjoy the memory, but we also had over 800 viewers from across the world watching the live stream. The bar was now set, and I look forward to the day when it is reached. If you are ever able to see him live, be

NFL TICKET ALL DAY HAPPY HOUR ON SUNDAY

40 METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11

BAR ONLY | EVERYDAY 4-7 | 9- CLOSE

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warned… he’s addictive. You will look in the mirror weeks after and realize “you got it bad.” Before you know it, you’ll be scouring the Internet for anything and everything Ryan Star… and driving eight hours to see his show. Ryan’s music is all around us. His song “Brand New Day” is the theme song for the show “Lie to Me.” “Breathe” was in VH1’s Top 20 Video Countdown in 2010 and was used by “American Idol” in one of their promotional commercials. And his song “Last Train Home” was on the “P.S. I Love You” soundtrack. His newest CD is titled “11:59.” Check it out. To see portions of his 2010 show, go to downstairslive.com, click the videos tab, then watch the “memories from our first year” video.

SELECT APPETIZERS AT THE BAR 2800 WASHINGTON ROAD

$2 Bottles of Bud and Bud Light $3 Long Island Iced Tea, House Margaritas, & Absolut $4 Glasses of Wine $5 Pitchers of Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, & Yuengling V. 22 | NO. 58

Brian Allen is a local music fan whose weekly podcast, confederationofloudness.com, has over 10,000 subscribers and about that many folks streaming it each week.

Is Everything That’s Old New Again? Nah. Stak

The record industry. It is a dinosaur struggling with but one ham bone of a foot left not mired in the tar pit. With increasing frequency, discerning listeners have their intelligence insulted by this ridiculous bobbing and weaving of a fighter on the ropes. Make no mistake, dear reader, major label record companies are not Ali in a rope-a-dope against Foreman in Zaire. The major labels are more like Oscar De La Hoya against Manny Pacquiao in 2008. Their opponent faster, skilled and every bit as quality a fighter. The advent of the internet file-sharing, incredibly agile home recording, social networks with a one-hour revolving news cycle (by the time it hits your Rolling Stone in the mailbox, you already heard about it on Yahoo News) and inexpensive reproduction tools available to anyone who wants to put out a tangible musical product on any scale have left the behemoth on bended knee in the corner, struggling for breath. Savvy artists with pull have already seen the light. Radiohead pulled the trigger in 2007 and allowed fans to name their price with a fully digital download of “In Rainbows.” Wilco’s upcoming release will be on their own terms and label. (They already screwed the major labels once in the past 10 years. Check the documentary “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart” for confirmation). Arcade Fire won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2011 without the support of a major label (they released that one on Merge records out of North Cackalacky, thank you very much... an indie). The major label response of late? Recycling, re-issues, remasters, anniversary editions… and collaborations by tired artists. Now I know what I’m about to say will piss some of you all the way off. Good. If that is your response, at least I’ve got your attention and you’re not bored by this column. Here goes. On one of the upcoming albums of the fall of this year, Metallica and Lou Reed had a baby. In the interest of full disclosure, I was in love with The Velvet Underground and, to a lesser degree, Lou Reed as a solo artist since pussy was a kitten. I rank “White Light/White Heat” among my top 20 albums of all time. Also, I acknowledge that Metallica is perhaps the most important metal band of all time (although I bet you could pick a pretty good fight with Lemmy on that account). But about this upcoming collaboration? Seriously, how could that project not get the green light. But why? It’s to make a sure-fire buck off of nostalgic nimrods, that’s why. Metallica met Lou Reed at the 25th anniversary of the V. 22 | NO. 58

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band backed Reed on “Sweet Jane” and “White Light/White Heat.” Fine and good. Lou looked like he was reading the lyrics off a teleprompter the whole time while sing-speaking while Lars Ulrich simply struggled with Moe Tucker’s original beats (indie rock simplicity is lost on the Danish apparently). Let’s face it, “Sweet Jane” is “Wild Thing” with better lyrics ultimately. But that felt gooooood oh so good to Metallica. And I’m sure the thought process went something like this. James Hetfield’s thought bubble: Ooooahhh we should do some smoking music with Lou Reedyah! His indie cred-ah might make this dead ass band breathe-AH! oooooyeahah! snap into a bar chordah! Play a clumsy bass drum pattern Laaaarsah! Your snare drum sounding like a garbage can lid is soooooahhhh METALAHHH! The result is the album in question is “Lulu.” I’ve heard enough of the record through various ways and means to say with some confidence that it will most likely be a disappointment fans of both Metallica and Lou Reed.

Local New Releases Coming Fast

I talked last week about the excellent CD just complete by The Radar Cinema and their CD release party Friday, September 30, at Sky City. Fresh on the heels of that document is another fine record and CD release party by the heavily punk-informed False Flag. And yet again Morgan Parham was tapped to get the music in the can. He seems to be very intuitive when it comes to knowing which approach would serve the music best. Where some of the tracks on The Radar Cinema’s “Bird Meets Worm” have a gazillion guitar tracks and there are gadgets and gizmo sounds all over the thing, False Flag’s sound is better served by the straightforward and understated route taken by Parham on this outing. The music is fun and upbeat and has those punk rock sing along sorts of choruses that usually translate to a great audience interaction when played live. The name of is cheekily called “One Size Fits Most.” You can preview a sample of the record at falseflag.bandcamp.com. The CD release party will take place Friday, October 7, at The Playground with high-energy Washington, D.C., band Superbob. Over 4,000 people have been invited on Facebook. I don’t think The Playground can hold 400, but I do figure that there will be about as many in attendance as the law will allow. I’d like to wish both False Flag and The Radar Cinema the best of luck with their respective release parties. What a fun time to be an Augusta music fan! METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11 41

JENNYISWRIGHT

Jenny Wright lives in Summerville with her husband, who she calls The Man, and two kids, who she affectionately calls The Boy and The Girl. She enjoys taking photos, cooking and playing tennis.

Nothing to do here except eat, drink, run, swim, bike… Restaurants were busy, parking spaces were full and the positive energy was palpable. On Sunday, we packed up good friends, tents, barbecue, chairs, coolers of beer and cowbells and headed to Broad Street. The kids made posters, the adults drank beer and everyone cheered as the runners passed. I could comment on the people watching, but truly, we were absolutely inspired by everyone participating. Not to mention the fact that there’s no way in hell I could even think about finishing such a thing. Did you know that the average athlete spends 15 hours per week training? Like many, I don’t run unless something really scary is approaching quickly from behind. Even then, I might just try to outsmart them.

Could you exercise for six hours straight? I couldn’t. With the obvious exception of breathing, there isn’t anything that I’d like to do for that long besides sleep. Last weekend in Augusta, more than 3,000 athletes proved that it’s doable. They completed a 70.3 mile race consisting of a 1.2-mile swim down the Savannah River and a 56-mile bike ride

42 METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11

into South Carolina and back, finishing with a 13.1-mile, two-lap run throughout downtown Augusta. Last year, The Man trained for the race and finished it, coming in just under the time goal he’d set. I brought The Kids down to watch, and we zigzagged between Greene and Broad streets, giving us ample opportunity to cheer him

on throughout his run. We were so proud. He decided to take a year off, but that didn’t mean we were out of it entirely. Saturday, we went downtown to have lunch, checking out the start and finish lines. I can’t tell you how nice it was to see so many happy people walking around, excited to be in Augusta. And there wasn’t a golf tournament going on.

The race was exciting, and The Man won’t be sitting out another year. Augusta has the contract through 2014 and he plans to compete each year. Would you believe me if I told you that we have the biggest Ironman in the world? Yes, by we I mean Augusta. After The Masters, it’s the second biggest revenue pull for the Garden City. It’s free to watch. Oh, you don’t like sports? Quit complaining. Just two weekends ago, Arts in the Heart of Augusta had its first year on Broad Street. In my humble opinion, it was the best set up out of the V. 22 | NO. 58

10 years I’ve attended. What, you don’t like art either? Do you like good food? People watching? Being outside? For $5, you can do those things and more. And support your city. Thousands of other people did. Starting on September 29, the Fourth Annual Westobou Festival spends 10 days (mostly) downtown with around 50 different events. Where? Downtown Augusta. Trust me, I get it. I moved here from Atlanta, via Athens. I’m used to having many choices for entertainment. At first glance, Augusta may appear to be sort of limited in its opportunities. Fortunately for you, I’ve given you three examples,

– c a r e e r

taking place over four weeks. You may have missed the two that have passed, but there are exciting things to do in your city. They don’t cost an arm and a leg. Check your local events calendars (see page 14!). I’m not asking that much. I’m merely asking you to be a spectator. You may have to pack a cooler or pay a few dollars, but it’s otherwise effortless, and (gasp!) fun. Downtown Augusta is proving to be a great place for events, drawing thousands of people from all over the world. Kudos to all of the volunteers who make it, well, easy for the whiners. Job well done! Many complain, but even more are impressed.

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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) “When I was born,” said comedian Gracie Allen, “I was so surprised I didn’t talk for a year and a half.” You will soon experience a rebirth that has some of that power and may find it challenging to formulate an articulate response in the short term.

“without presupposing, classifying, improving, controverting, evaluating, approving or disapproving, without dueling what is being said, without rehearsing the rebuttal in advance, without free-associating to portions of what is being said so that succeeding portions are not heard at all.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

“During a game of Apocalypse against the Witchhunters,” reports Andrew_88, “I authorized my Chaos Lord to throw his vortex grenade at the oncoming Cannoness and her bodyguard. Safe to say he fluffed it and the vortex grenade scattered back on top of him. Then he proceeded to take out my allies before disappearing, having done no damage to my opponent.” Do not let your Chaos Lord throw his vortex grenade. He could damage your own interests.

SAGITTARIUS(Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Please don’t let your chronic struggles or your cynical views of the state of the world blind you to the sudden, massive influx of luck. Open your tough heart and skeptical mind to the bounty that the universe is aching to send your way.

CAPRICORN(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Astrologer Hunter Reynolds says that if Capricorns “can manage your ego’s erratic moods and uneven motivations well enough to offer a service with consistent quality, the world confers social recognition and its accompanying material advantages on you.” It’s not easy to meet such high standards, but you now have an opportunity to function at your very best.

AQUARIUS(Jan. 20-Feb. 18) “Not being omniscient is a really big drag for me,” says poet Charles Harper Webb. You may not be authoritative about every subject, but you will have access to far more intuitive wisdom than usual, and you’ll be making good use of the analytical understandings you have.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) John Tyler, President of the United States from 1841 to 1845, has two grandsons who are still alive today: Lyon Gardiner Tyler and Harrison Ruffin Tyler. Find some equally amazing connection you have to the past. You might find that history will be more vital and important than usual.

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

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Study Abraham Maslow’s definition of real listening: to listen

Government officials in Southern Sudan say that the regional capital of Juba would be recreated to resemble a rhinoceros, as seen from the air. Since most of the people in South Sudan live on less than a dollar a day, is that really how they want their country’s wealth spent? There are some misplaced priorities in your own sphere right now. Allocate your resources with high discernment.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Fall deeply, madly and frequently in love. The only stipulation is that you do not make any rash decisions or huge life changes while in the throes of this stupendous vortex. Simply enjoy being enthralled by the lush sexy glory of the liquid blue fire.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Among the surprises spilled by WikiLeaks some months back was the revelation that U.S. diplomats think Canadians feel “condemned to always play ‘Robin’ to the U.S. ‘Batman.’” While Canada may not rival the warmongering, environment-despoiling talents of America, it is a more reliable source of reason, compassion and civility. Do you imagine yourself “Robin” in relationship to some overweening “Batman”? This would be an excellent time to free yourself of that dynamic.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) “Enigmatology” is a word that means the study of puzzles and how to solve them. Intensify your efforts to solve the puzzles that are spread out before you. The help you’ve called on in the past just won’t be enough for this new round of gamesmanship.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) This would not be a good time for you to read the book called “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Enhancing Self-Esteem.” In fact, it will never be the right time to read it. If there was a book called “The Impish Guide to Accessing and Expressing Your Idiosyncratic Genius,” I’d definitely recommend it. Rob Brezsny

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Kickstarter Helps McCranie’s WM3 Produce New Album

These days, musicians have a number of ways of recording and putting out an album. Augusta’s own Will McCranie has taken his New York City based trio, WM3, to a website called Kickstarter to release the band’s debut album (currently untitled, but I vote for “Matt Stone is a Rockstar”… just my opinion). Kickstarter allows you to set up a campaign and accept pledges from friends, family and anyone who wants to help out artists. For each pledge, McCranie promises a number of things, from being thanked in the liner notes of the album to private guitar lessons. Sorry, no dates, ladies. Will’s married. I talked with Willie Mac about what he thought about the response and if he actually thought it would work. “No I didn’t think it would work. It was a big gamble,” he said. “But we wanted to do something different, kind of making our own label. I’m more overwhelmed by the support. It’s not the money; it’s knowing that people want us to make this. With Kickstarter, people get ownership of the album and hopefully it makes them want to share it because they are a part of it; team effort.” Lucky for us, McCranie has passed his goal of $2,000, and we’ll be getting the album by Thanksgiving. The perfect stocking stuffer. The big news of this past week was the announcement that R.E.M. would call it quits after more than 30 years. Is this even worth announcing? No one thought they were still a band anyway, so what’s the big deal? Wait a second! Maybe a record executive told the band that they should break up, get some press going and then announce a huge reunion world tour! Or maybe not. Maybe Michael Stipe wanted to pursue his true passion, MMA fighting. I’m not sure. Cue the music: “Everybody hurts… sometimes.” Nominations for this year’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame are in. Leading the way are Guns N’ Roses, the Cure, Heart, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and some other people I’ve never heard of, while previous nominees Beastie Boys and Red Hot Chili Peppers also made the cut. The top vote getters are set to be inducted on April 14, 2012. I vote for Chili Peppers and GNR, of course with the clause that, if they are inducted, all members of GNR have to stop acting like children and get on stage and play together. Axl also will have to drop a few pounds. If you missed it, “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” celebrated the music of Pink Floyd this week with performances of their songs by the Shins, Foo Fighters and Pearl Jam. Check out Fallon’s website for the videos. New albums in stores this week: Blink 182’s “Neighborhoods,” Wilco’s “The Whole Love,” Mastodon’s “The Hunter,” and the one we have all been waiting for: The return of The Bangles! Yes! Thirty years ago the band formed and was fronted by the delightful Susanna Hoffs. Tommy likey. Some cool shows coming locally and a big one at Surrey Tavern. Tim Reynolds and TR3, Thursday, October 6. Reynolds is best known for his album with Dave Matthews and is known in the music world as one of the best. Doors open at 8, show starts at 10. What shows/music/venues am I missing? Let me know. Email matt@themetrospirit.com.

Matt Stone — can be heard weekdays from 2-6 p.m. on 95 Rock. V. 22 | NO. 58

THEDOWNLOAD

Beer Geek Nation: Episode 243, “Three Floyds Zombie Dust” I know, I know, I already covered a beer podcast in one of my very first columns. But, since iTunes tells me that we’re in the middle of Oktoberfest — which I can never keep track of, since more and more breweries are releasing their “autumn” beers in the middle of July — I figure it’s appropriate. Beer Geek Nation host Chris Steltz is something of a cross between Patton Oswalt and Guy Fieri: A squat Hobbit of a man driven by a single, all-consuming passion (for Oswalt, it’s comedy; for Fieri, douchey sunglasses). On exile from Middle Earth, Steltz has plenty of time to devote to this relatively bare-bones podcast. It’s pretty much the polar opposite of something like New Brew Thursday, an admittedly well-produced show that can sometimes overstay its welcome by about 15 minutes (the average show is 17 minutes); each episode finds Steltz sitting by himself, usually at his kitchen table, surrounded by maddeningly rare bottles. The show lasts about five minutes, and gives you the rundown on appearance, aroma, taste and final verdict. Though almost comically enthusiastic at times, Steltz knows his stuff, and isn’t afraid to heap praise or loathing upon a certain beer — check out his skewering of New Belgium’s Lips of Faith Grand Cru. Ouch. On tap this week is Zombie Dust, a new pale ale from Indiana’s Three Floyds, who crank out unbelievable beers like the rest of us scratch our butts. Steltz is a 3F fanboy, so he pretty much has a hopgasm over this one. By the way, Hopgasm is the name of my new band. We never play, ever.

EXTREME

Sixx Sense with Nikki Sixx: “Schweddy Balls”

Nikki Sixx Schweddy Balls is the greatest “Saturday Night Live” sketch of all time. It is the biological father of the “Jack Sparrow” video, the Gears of War series, and UFC middleweight champion/Jedi cyborg ninja Anderson Silva. If we mere mortals could harness the comedic power of Schweddy Balls, there would be no war, only laughter and orgasms. And if anyone besides Ben & Jerry’s had decided to capitalize on it, I’d be pissed. Since they had the stones to keep and display the moniker fully intact, the company has — of course — drawn the ire of the same decency-obsessed citizens that booed an active-duty gay American soldier on national television. In terms of prioritizing, this is like a cat swiping at a butterfly while it gives the thumbs-up to the hawk carrying away its owner. Meanwhile, someone gave a radio show to the cybernetic organism Nikki Sixx transplanted his consciousness into after he overdosed on a mixture of heroin and holy-sh**a-lot-more heroin. And what does the bass player for the most notoriously debauched band since the Marquis de Sade’s Dixieland Buttplugs resort to when talking about Schweddy Balls? Gay jokes. Nice one, Nikki. Did you beat your sense of humor out of a fourth-grader from 1992? Nikki, you were created when lightning struck Corky from “Life Goes On” and took away his powers. Your hair looks like a rape kit guest starring on Are You Afraid of the Dark? and if your wit was any slower, you would be all of Mick Mars’ vertebrae. Every time you take a piss, Kat Von D’s hepatitis giggles.

Josh Ruffin is a published journalist and poet, who just received his MFA from Georgia College & State University. He was once the most unintimidating bouncer at Soul Bar.

V. 22 | NO. 58

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Matt Lane is host of The Weekend Rundown which airs from 10 a.m.-noon Saturdays on News-Talk-Sports 1630 AM. He can be reached at mattlane28@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at Mattlane_wrdw.

Bulldogs Travel Cross Town for a Win

The Butler-Grovetown game proved to be a contest against two great teams... and coaches Somebody had to pull out of the parking lot Games to watch

of Grovetown High School with a loss, and to give you a hint, it sure wasn’t that raucous bus full of Bulldogs heading back across town. Butler took their talents on the road in a great contest not only between two good teams, but a couple of the area’s more outstanding coaches as well. In setting the table for the game, both teams knew they each wanted to run the ball effectively, manage the clock and leave it up to their unyielding defenses to slam the door shut and leave with a W. As both teams did an impressive job in executing their defensive game plans, quality runs came about as often as they do in a fiberless diet. Painfully not often enough. But after Grovetown took a 7-6 lead into halftime, Butler made the appropriate adjustments and took to the air to get their yards and open up running lanes for their running backs. In the second half, the Bulldogs found an extra defensive gear and held the Warriors to an astounding 11 yards of total offense and only one first down in the 20-7 victory. Lincoln County (LC) knew they were in for a handful when South Carolina’s reigning Class A State Champion, Abbeville, hosted the Red Devils in a rivalry game on Aug. 26. The battle ended with LC prevailing 24-13. Abbeville had blemished LC’s record the previous three years. The date had been circled; enough was enough. It was thought, upon first glance at the schedule, the next opponent to have a puncher’s chance against the Red Devils would be Aquinas on Oct. 21. Insert an undefeated Warren County bunch led by fiery first-year head coach David Daniel. Daniel took over the program just days before the Screaming Devils’ first game against Glascock County, a game they won 51-7. How tall an order is it for Warren County to get a win against LC? The current Screaming Devils players could have lived two lifetimes until that point and still not have a memory of a victory against a Larry Campbell-coached team. It took a defensive stand from LC on the final possession to make it 37 in a row for Coach Campbell. The gritty 10-7 victory was obviously highlighted by solid defensive play, but none more so than LC’s containment of Warren County’s stud running back Jabari Wilson, who was held to 63 rushing yards total. Silver lining? Lincoln County gets a midseason wake up call, and Warren County continues their inspired, confidence-building play into the second half of the season. Give Statesboro respect; they always seem to find a way. We’ve sent two local teams (Washington County and Lakeside) against the Blue Devils put them on the ropes, and watched them dance out of two defeats and win by an average of six points. For Lakeside, it was another game they were in, and just like that, they let it get away from them. It also marked their fourth loss in a row — albeit in a death row slate of games already chronicled many times over in this space — and a sluggish lead-in to region play. The question facing Lakeside is can they finish a game? Can they find a way?

48 METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11

ARC @ Thomson: Thursday, September 29, 7:05 p.m. TV: Comcast 380, Atlantic Broadband/Knology 246 The area’s best gameday experience just got better as the Bulldog community honors the late Luther Welsh with a heartfelt ceremony. Lakeside @ Greenbrier:Friday, September 30, 7:30 p.m. The Panthers desperately need a win to restore the confidence they brought with them into the season. Josey @ Westside: Friday, September 30, 7:30 p.m. Can the Eagles make it two in a row?!?!

College-NFL Games to Watch

No.13 Clemson @ No.11 Virginia Tech: Saturday, October 1, 6 p.m. ESPN2 Last test in the Schedule of Champions that Dabo keeps yapping about. No.3 Alabama @ No.12 Florida: Saturday, October 1, 8 p.m. CBS Sorry, no “Rules of Engagement” reruns tonight. Instead, you get the pleasure of watching 71-year-old CBS play-by-play announcer, Verne Lundquist stay up way past his bedtime! Detroit Lions @ Dallas Cowboys: Sunday, October 2, 1 p.m. FOX Let’s see if former Georgia Bulldog QB Matthew Stafford (pictured below) can keep the unbeaten streak alive for the Lions against DeMarcus Ware and the Cowboys.

V. 22 | NO. 58

ADVICEGODDESS

Girl With a Wait Problem

I met a really great girl before deploying to Iraq. We’ve gotten as close as two people can while physically separate, but she is sexually frustrated to the max and wants to have an unemotional hookup. She suggests we each have a “last fling” before we start our relationship (when my deployment ends in 60 days). Well, I’m in an all-male unit, and, when I’m home, I want to be with her. She’s attending a wedding this weekend. She says not to worry, but I know how much she wants this. I just fear that any hookup she had might stick in my mind and keep me from giving her my very best. How can I encourage her to hang on a little longer? Barring that, how do I get okay with this? — Fraught Oh, yay. You, too, are allowed a last fling. And lucky you, you’ve got your pick of a bunch of big, dusty, sweaty men in camouflage pants. There’s no open bar, but there is an open desert, stocked with a variety of IEDs. Probably many readers’ first thought is, “Jeez, the guy’s off in a war zone. Can’t Miss Ants in Her Panties keep her legs crossed for another 60 days?” The truth is, maybe not, no matter what you say. The question is, can you deal? It may help to understand why you feel so threatened. Your feelings go way back, and I mean way. Like 1.8 million years, to genetic adaptations that helped our male forebears guard against paternity uncertainty. Today, figuring out who a kid’s daddy is just takes a DNA test, and birth control can eliminate the question entirely. These vintage genes of ours are the problem. We’re wandering around the latter part of 2011 biologically and psychologically calibrated for life in the Stone Age, and complex cognitive adaptations like “Yo, DNA! In 1951, Carl Djerassi invented The Pill!” take hundreds or thousands of generations to get wired in. It might help to recognize that sex isn’t special — or isn’t necessarily special. Insects have sex, and not because one particular bug means more to them than any other, but because the urge to get it on is just one of many physical urges of living critters, like the urge to eat lunch. Yeah, okay, on a realistic note, you’d probably feel a lot less hurt and threatened if she were talking about some guy at the wedding slipping her a roast beef sandwich. Still, assuming there’s no pregnancy, disease or continued attachment, yesterday’s sex act is no more relevant than yesterday’s lunch. What gives it relevance is the importance you decide to place on it. Can you see this hookup as something she just needs to check off her single-girl bucket list? Or, will you preserve whatever happens like a fossil in amber, poisoning your potential future together with a never-ending symposium on a tiny bit of her past? To start fresh together, it’s probably wise to have a “what happens at the wedding stays at the wedding” policy. This way, you’ll lack the details (if any) to make a dirty little movie you can run on a loop in your head — which may keep you from making the mistake so many jealous men do: turning their woman’s forgettable drunken hookup before they were even a couple into the most unforgettable sex she’s ever had.

Meet Joe BlackBerry

This girl I’ve been dating for a couple months really likes me, but I’m not feeling it. Because we’ve done a lot of texting, I’m thinking of breaking up with her by text. It would be a lot less uncomfortable. — Departing Getting dumped is bad enough; it’s worse when your soon-to-be-ex not only won’t spare you face-time to do it but stiffs you on vowels. (If your girlfriend doesn’t have unlimited text messaging, it could even cost her 20 cents to find out “its ovr.”) Smartphones make life easier, but not everything in life should be. Once you’ve spent more than a few naked hours with somebody, you can text them to tell them you’re late, but not that you’re never coming back. As for this girl, even though you’re “not feeling it,” breaking up in person will be hard for you, and she’ll see that, making the experience less dignity-eating than if you used your phone as a buffer. In other words, compassion, not cellphone technology, should be driving your breakup behavior. But if compassion’s not really your thing, at least consider your text messaging limits, and maybe keep your phone in your pocket and program your Roomba to go tell her it’s over. ©2011, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or email adviceamy@aol.com. Also visit advicegoddess.com and read Amy Alkon’s book: “I See Rude People: One Woman’s Battle to Beat Some Manners Into Impolite Society” (McGraw-Hill, $16.95).

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METRO SPIRIT 9.29.11 49

AUSTINRHODES

The views expressed are the opinions of Austin Rhodes and do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher.

Georgia GOP to Give Death Penalty a Better Chance

I wrote this column in 2005. Sadly, it can run almost in tact today. What started last year with moves to equalize jury strikes in criminal cases (defense attorneys previously had a 2-1 advantage) and allow prosecutors to have the last word with jurors during closing arguments is turning into a wave of change for the way the state legal system works. For years Georgia was known as one of the best “defendant’s rights” states in the country. That is largely due to the fact that long-time House Speaker (and well-known criminal defense attorney) Tom Murphy ruled his Democratcontrolled chamber with an iron fist that would have made Mao Tse Tung blush. With Murphy’s ouster a few years back and the eventual take over of the House by the GOP, changes for Georgia’s prosecutors was priority one. To prove how archaic and “out of grace” the old system was, the reform movement pushed by conservatives won with super majorities in both legislative chambers. With Democrats and Republicans alike, the new rules proved to be slam-dunks.

Republican State Representative Barry Fleming of Columbia County says Georgia’s days as a criminal defense attorney’s nirvana are over. “It had to change,” he says, “Tom Murphy refused to allow the will of the people to be heard, and we are giving the system back to the people. The overwhelming bipartisan support in the legislature for our reforms has shown how unpopular the old system happened to be. Murphy kept it in place artificially.” The chief apologists for the old system, for the most part, have been run out of office, and the few that are left are out of the inner circle of power. At this moment the GOP is putting together draft legislation that would make Georgia the fourth state in the nation to allow a death sentence with less than a unanimous verdict. The proposed changes would see the death penalty imposed with perhaps a 9-3 jury majority (10-2 being a more realistic target, Fleming says) instead of the current 12-0 requirement. Veteran criminal defense attorney

Peter Johnson laments the proposed change, joking, “I hope I have tried my last death penalty case here…” There is quite a list of Augusta cases where one or two jurors spared an obviously guilty killer from ultimate justice. Marcus Williams is one. His 1990 murder of Faye Burd was one of the easiest cases local lawmen ever got to present. The parolee, out of jail one week, was found hiding in the home of his victim with her blood smeared on his clothes. Her body was still warm. Burd’s daughter had heard her mother’s last struggle while holding on the phone in San Antonio and called police to the scene. Open and shut. The case ended in the jury room, with one juror holding out. Other members of the panel claimed the hold out had expressed a racial agenda when defending her dissent. The case disgusted then District Attorney Mike Eubanks so badly that he cursed the system and the juror in question. Loudly. Johnson, who recently represented local serial killer and rapist Renaldo

Rivera, laments the proposed reform would cripple his ability to save a client from execution, “…right now all you need is one guy to hold out… giving two or three back would just about finish it.” Johnson does admit that concern over the facts in a case seldom inspires a juror to hold out. “Very rarely is someone troubled by evidence in these cases, it is usually sentimentality or emotionalism that causes it,” he said. The GOP hopes to mitigate the sentimentality and return common sense and justice to the system. They believe the people of Georgia will agree. Fleming was twice successful in getting death penalty reform bills passed in the House, and even though the measures were supported by Governor Sonny Perdue, they both died in the Senate Judicial Committee, at the personal direction of then-chairman, GOP Senator Preston Smith. Smith ran for state Attorney General in 2010, and was soundly defeated in the Republican primary by Sam Olens, the eventual general election winner. Reportedly, there are no further roadblocks in the state Senate at this time.

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