Thank You!
THANKS FOR VOTING SOUTHEASTERN ARMORY “BEST PLACE TO BUY A GUN” IN AUGUSTA. We have thousands of firearms in stock and on display. We offer an incredible selection of factory and after-market accessories to enhance any outfit. We look forward to assisting you in expanding your pre-existing firearms inventory or starting you off with your very first firearm purchase. We try our absolute best to provide a level of customer service unlike any other. We look forward to seeing each and everyone of you at our store! THANK YOU AGAIN, AUGUSTA!
Located Inside Friedman’s Jewelers 2745 Washington Rd | Augusta, GA 30909 Mon - Sat: 9:30am – 7:00pm | 706.733.4090 www.southeasternarmory.com
Table of Contents October 5, 2017
Insider Jenny is Wright Whine Line Arenas in Suburbia Food Stuff Greek Festival Metro Week What’s Up Calendar Nightlife The Eight Sightings Austin Rhodes
6 10 12 14 20 28 30 31 32 42 44 45 47
Page 14 EDIT
CREATIVE
Amanda Main
Joshua Bailey
Joe White
amanda@themetrospirit.com
joshua@themetrospirit.com
joe@themetrospirit.com 706-373-3636
Arts Editor/Production Director
Lead Designer
Stacey Eidson
Publisher
Johnny Beckworth
Staff Writer
stacey@themetrospirit.com
BUSINESS
SALES
circulation manager
jdbeckworth@gmail.com
Joe White Publisher
joe@themetrospirit.com 706-373-3636
Contributors Jenny Wright, Austin Rhodes, Kris Fisher, Michael Johnson
COVER DESIGN: KRUHU
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.Š 15 House, LLC. Owner/Publisher: Joe White. Legal: Phillip Scott Hibbard. Reproduction or use without permission is prohibited. One copy per person, please.
Want to advertise in the Metro Spirit? Call or email Joe at 706.373.3636 joe@themetrospirit.com
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metrospirit.com
Metro’s Best Restaurant (overall) Metro’s Best Date Night Destination Metro’s Best Steak Frog Hollow Tavern Metro’s Best Outdoor Dining Metro’s Best Trivia Night Pizza Joint
Metro’s Best Hibachi Grill Miyabi
Metro’s Best Pre-owned Car Dealership Milton Ruben Superstore
Metro’s Best Auto Repair Shop C&C Automotive
Metro’s Best Full-Service Caterer Fat Man’s Mill Cafe and Events
Metro’s Best Wine Shop The Vineyard Wine Market
Metro’s Best Carpet Cleaning Stanley Steemer
Metro’s Best Butcher Lanier’s Fresh Meat Market
Metro’s Best Vape Shop Victorious Vapors
Metro’s Best Law Firm The Hawk Firm
Metro’s Best Grocery Store Kroger
Metro’s Best Cigar Shop Top Shelf Cigar & Tobacco Shoppe
Metro’s Best Senior Living Center Brandon Wilde
Metro’s Best Bar (overall) The Indian Queen
Metro’s Best Golf Cart Dealership Club Car
Metro’s Best Tattoo Studio Allegiance Ink
Metro’s Best Bartender Megan at Farmhaus
Metro’s Best Fitness Center The Family Y
Metro’s Best Wedding Reception Venue The Barn at Sanderlin Horse Farm
Metro’s Best Best Place to Dance Dance Party Party The Country Club
Metro’s Best Yoga Studio Oxygen Fitness Studio
Metro’s Best Hotel Partridge Inn
Metro’s Best Public Golf Course Jones Creek Golf Club
Metro’s Best Local Band Ed Turner & Number 9
Metro’s Best Martial Arts School Greubel’s Mixed Martial Arts
Metro’s Best Local Solo Artist Ray Fulcher
Metro’s Best Gymnastics Center Gymnastics Gold
Metro’s Best Nightly Live Music Sky City
Metro’s Best Hair Salon Studio 285
Metro’s Best Event Venue Lady Antebellum Amphitheater
Metro’s Best Jewelry Store Windsor Fine Jewelers
Metro’s Best Place to Get a Massage Metro’s Best Salon and Spa Tuscany
Metro’s Best Arts Organization Greater Augusta Arts Council
Metro’s Best Thrift Store Goodwill
Metro’s Best Barber Old Tyme Tattoo and Barber
Metro’s Best Music Equipment/ Instrument Store Portman’s Music Superstore
Metro’s Best Dental Practice Dr. Rebecca Hobbs
Metro’s Best Southern Food Metro’s Best Casual Caterer WifeSaver
Metro’s Best Karaoke Mi Rancho
Metro’s Best Breakfast Sunrise Grill
Metro’s Best Happy Hour Prices Sonic Drive-In
Metro’s Best Brunch Metro’s Best Vegetarian The Bee’s Knees
Metro’s Best Local Brewery Savannah River Brewing Company
Metro’s Best Hamburger Metro’s Best Lunch Farmhaus Burger Metro’s Best Dessert The Boll Weevil Cafe Metro’s Best Wine List Metro’s Best Place for Craft Cocktails Craft & Vine Metro’s Best Beer Selection World of Beer Metro’s Best Coffee shop New Moon Cafe Metro’s Best Oysters Abel Brown Metro’s Best Gyro Laziza Mediterranean Grill Metro’s Best BBQ Southbound Smokehouse Metro’s Best Burrito Nacho Mama’s Metro’s Best Pizza Metro’s Best Best Restaurant to Chill on Sunday Night Mellow Mushroom
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Metro’s Best Bathroom At home
Metro’s Best Bicycle Shop Andy Jordan’s Bicycle Warehouse Metro’s Best Hunting Supplies Store Cabela’s Metro’s Best Outdoor Recreation Supplies Store Academy Sports + Outdoors Metro’s Best Kayak Sales Escape Outdoors Metro’s Best Gun Store Southeastern Armory Metro’s Best Outdoor Kitchen Sales and Installation Fireside Outdoor Kitchens & Grills Metro’s Best New Car Dealership Gerald Jones Auto Group
Metro’s Best Dermatology Practice Evans Dermatology Metro’s Best Plastic Surgery Center Augusta Plastic Surgery Metro’s Best Hospital Metro’s Best Prompt Care University Hospital Metro’s Best Closing Attorney David Huguenin Metro’s Best IT Company Computer One Metro’s Best Credit Union SRP FCU Metro’s Best Tree Service Big Dog Stump and Tree Metro’s Best Lawn Care Service Turf Pride
Metro’s Best Local Visual Artist Leonard “Porkchop” Zimmerman Metro’s Best Dance Studio Augusta West Dance Studio Metro’s Best Annual Festival Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival Metro’s Best Radio Station Kicks99 Metro’s Best Morning Radio Show The Kidd Kraddick Morning Show Metro’s Best On Air Radio Personality Austin Rhodes Metro’s Best TV News Personality Barclay Bishop Metro’s Best Local News Station WJBF Metro’s Best Local Politician Deke Copenhaver Metro’s Best Favorite Community Advocate Pam Tucker 5OCTOBER2017
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Congratulations to Metro’s best 2017 Winners It has been 10 years since the readers of the Metro Spirit first began voting for Metro’s Best, and the competition always proves to be even more exciting than the previous year. This year, our readers let all of Augusta know that they have very good taste. Whether it was the selection of Frog Hollow Tavern as Metro’s Best Restaurant Overall or the choice of Andy Jordan’s Bicycle Warehouse as Metro’s Best Bicycle Shop for its 10th year in a row or the announcement of first-time winner Savannah River Brewing Company as Metro’s Best Local Brewery, it is always a blast to celebrate the winners. And one local business that needs no introduction is the Metro’s Best sponsor and longtime winner of Metro’s Best Jewelry Store, Windsor Fine Jewelers. Windsor has been a Metro’s Best winner for the past 10 years and always celebrates with a landslide victory. Serving its customers since 1975, Windsor owner Donnie Thompson has spent more than 40 years establishing an outstanding reputation as one of the best in the business. 5OCTOBER2017
These days, Windsor Jewelers’ little green box has come to represent some of the finest jewelry offered across this country. The Metro Spirit wants to deeply thank Mr. Thompson and his staff at Windsor Fine Jewelers for their support and incredible service to this community. Congratulations to all of the Metro’s Best winners!
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Georgians Going Gaga over Gosling It’s no secret that Georgia is quickly becoming the destination for filmmakers and their movie stars, considering the Peach State was recently named the No. 1 filming location worldwide. More top 100 feature films released at the domestic box office in 2016 were made in Georgia than any other place, according to a new industry study by a Los Angeles film office called FilmL.A. Georgia actually outranked popular states such as California, New York, North Carolina and Louisiana. “The rapid growth of the film and television industry in Georgia and the state’s steadfast commitment to its support is remarkable,” FilmL.A. stated in its 2017 report. “With 17 projects in 2016, the first-ranked Peach State hosted nearly three times as many feature films as fifth-place New York and Louisiana.” Due to Georgia’s generous use of tax credits, which are worth hundreds of millions of dollars, the state has managed to lure both movie and TV productions here. The mega movie stars who are now headed to Georgia are making some residents swoon. Many Augustans are hoping some of these blockbuster films will soon make their way to the Garden City. Just last month, “First Man,” a biopic about astronaut Neil Armstrong starring the extremely sexy Ryan Gosling in the lead role announced auditions for extras in Atlanta. The movie — which is based on the book “First Man: A Life of Neil A. Armstrong” by James Hansen — is being directed by Oscar winner Damien Chazelle, who also directed Gosling in “La La Land.” Filming in Atlanta is expected to begin later this month and continue through January. While fans of Gosling submitted their info to the casting calls for extras hoping to simply be in the same room as the Hollywood hunk, many Georgians were surprised about how specific the producers were for each audition. Producers were seeking actors to play astronauts, nurses, doctors, reporters, secretaries, couples, construction workers, engineers, pilots and kids. Because the film is a period piece, the casting directors wanted to specifically see each actors’ hairstyle, and women auditioning were not allowed to have 6 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
highlights, fake nails or visible tattoos. Men had to be willing to cut their hair short and be clean shaven. None of that sounded too difficult, but some of the roles needed genuine experience. For example, the movie needed actual flight controllers, engineers, pilots, astronomers, airplane mechanics, physicists and those with prior military experience. Specifically, the director did not want actors with experience playing military personnel, but people who actually spent time in the service. However, some of the required experience wasn’t so demanding. For instance, the movie was looking for actors who were current or past smokers. The film was also looking for “funloving hippies” from the 1960s and NASA lovers and historians. “Please give us as much detail in your email to explain your love/history with the skies above,” the casting call requested. The movie also needed classic cars that were 1966 and older for filming from October through January. But one of the more humorous requests was for an actual priest. “Seeking a REAL Priest — Former or Active,” the casting call stated. But Atlanta isn’t the only city looking for movie extras. Savannah announced this week that they are looking for extras to play roles in the movie “The Front Runner,” starring Hugh Jackman, and the film “Killerman,” starring Liam Hemsworth.
“The Front Runner,” which will begin filming in Savannah in November, is a movie about the 1988 failed election run by Democratic presidential candidate Gary Hart. Since this also is a period piece, extras are required to possibly change their hairstyle and facial hair. The film will also need “lots of Italian, Hispanic, Indian, AfricanAmerican” extras. Georgians are definitely getting a taste of what’s required for filming. In the beginning of November, “The Front Runner” will be shooting a pier scene where the actors will need to play “Miami” locals and “Miami tourists” as well as “Bimini” and “Bahama locals.” “Need all ethnicities, but especially black and Hispanic for this day,” the casting call stated. There also will be a yacht scene where the movie will need guests who are “very upscale men and women, all ethnicities” between the ages of 20 through 60. Even though the movie “Killerman” is set in New York City, Savannah is being used for hospital and club scenes. Therefore, the movie is seeking EMTs, nurses, and “attractive model types as well as punk types with tattoos and piercings — the look and feel of this club is anything goes.” Sounds like a pretty fun way to make a few extra bucks and possibly meet some sexy Hollywood stars in the process. Not a bad gig. 5OCTOBER2017
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15 in 5 Jenny is Wright Because I love a lIst. especIally a random lIst. 1. Did you know you can get groceries delivered to your house? I’ve known of such a thing and envied it when my big city friends talked about it. We have Instacart now. Just this week, Jayson and Tina brought my groceries to my door. I used to love grocery shopping. This is a game changer. 2. You can get things delivered from Publix, PetSmart, and Costco. They do not deliver wine. Yet. 3. More than 80,000 people braved the heat for the 2017 Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival. Were you there? I saw a lot of you! I’ve gone every year since I moved here. Each year brings improvements. This year, I most appreciated the $1 Koozies designed to fit a beer cup.
10. Bravo to The Augusta Players for a show well done! “Oliver!” had almost 30 kids on stage at one time. If you’ve ever herded cats before, you know how the director felt. 11. Westobou is in full swing this weekend. Get out and enjoy the fall-ish weather. The festival has something for almost everyone. If you aren’t sure there’s something for you, why not try something new? You might be surprised. 12. It’s like we tell our kids when asking them to try to foods: One bite to be polite, because the next time you might like it. Just try. 13. Did you know that the City of Augusta gives $72,000 to disburse to local arts organizations? Seventeen organizations benefited this year receiving checks from Mayor Davis and the Arts Council Board President, Mary Jones, at this week’s commission meeting. Pretty cool stuff.
4. To my new friend Susan in Waynesboro: I’ll try to make it for lunch soon. 5. A year ago, I was caring for my mom most days. This year is a stark contrast. 6. The next time I do one of these lists, I will have 100,000 unread emails in my inbox. I can’t wait to see how many people get mad. 7. I have two house plants that have been alive for a week now. I haven’t watered them yet, and I’m not sure when I should. The last plant I had lasted about five years, and I think I watered it about once a year. 8. I’m glad I’m better at caring for my children. 9. Did you know that pre-teen girls are very sensitive? They cry easily.
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14. Did you know that I haven’t even mentioned everything going on in Augusta these days? Pay attention y’all. Good things are happening. This is the time of year when I’m entertained by the people who say there’s “nothing to do” in the CSRA. It’s funny. 15. Prayers to those affected by the shootings in Las Vegas. It’s time to make something happen, y’all. Too many innocent lives lost in these senseless tragedies. Let’s get it done. JENNY WRIGHT’S humorous observations on marriage, motherhood and living in Augusta have earned her a devoted following, both in print and on Facebook. When she’s not spying on other parents in the carpool line at school, you’ll probably find her with either a camera, tennis racquet or wine glass in her hand.
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Everyone, do NOT watch the NFL games, you can read the results in the paper, the next day! TV coverage will go down, commercials will go down, and by the way, burn all of your NFL shirt’s, like the lady (who had the guts to do this) from Pittsburgh posted on You Tube. Commercial’s will go down, and the CEO’s who pay BIG BUCKS to have these commercial’s will lose money! Now to the NCAA Basketball, about time they caught these Coaches and everyone else. They are (Jerry McGuire), show me the money! Obama pushed a racist agenda? This mental health epidemic is worse than I thought. This is horrile. We need Obamacare. The racist sexist society is on both sides. With the recent blubbering by Michele Obama stating that WHINELINE@THEMETROSPIRIT.COM any women who voted against Hillary Clinton voted Have something you want to get off your chest? against there own voice she is promoting the same Send your whines to whineline@themetrospirit.com. The Metro level of sexism as Trump. The Obamas divided the Spirit reserves the right to edit submitted whines for content, but we will otherwise print them pretty much exactly as you type them… country racially, disrepected the flag and now she spelling errors and all. attempts to divide sexually. Any vote for or against any person based on sex is sexism! Any vote for or Like a bartender can legally be held liable if he/she against based on race is racsim! serves liquor to a drunk person then the drunk hurts or kills an innocent person while driving drunk, I feel Who are the geniuses behind the NO HELMET the LAWYERS who keep putting the drunk drivers REQUIRED law in South Carolina? (see another fatality back on the road when they KNOW the high majority in Aiken Co. last week) Do they not realize the impact of their clients are drunks who WILL repeat the act on the families of the dead or injured, tax payers who of driving while drunk should be LEGALLY BE HELD pick up the bill for the EMTs, ERs, coroners, disability LIABLE if their client that they defended hurts or kills checks, etc. If you are dumb enough to ride without an innocent person while once again driving drunk. a helmet, you probably don’t think having health I know what I am saying because I had a drunk for a insurance is important too now do you? Taxpayers father. stuck with more unnecessary bills. Columbia County needs to built a large civic center Everyone has an opinion on people kneeling during — sports arena we can use without having to fight the the national anthem. Where are all of your opinions on crime in downtown Augusta. the nuclear war the president is trying to start? Get your priorities straight. How you gonna have strong feelings, and dont know all the words to the anthem? Respect the flag, while I am a veteran. I come from a family of teachers, having it as underwear, socks, and naked daughters street pharmacist, gang bangers, chefs, coaches, and posing with the flag. You are only fooling yourself. beggers. I do not feel disrespected by those who are The strong feelings are simply, your hatred for Black protesting. You know what I do feel is disrespectful? people is disguised by love for your flag. I feel disrespected when I think about the risks I and my fellow comrades “military” took on our lives for a I would have no problem paying $12 to enter Arts in country that doesnt care to get past our colour and The Heart if it was to pay the entertainers. However, isnt willing to fight for us the same way we fought that is not the case. They do not get compensated for it. The flag has nothing to do with the protest for their time and talents. So just what is the purpose period. The initial protest was about police brutality of the entry fee? The fees the vendors pay and a and injustices against people of color. Racist WHITE surcharge on all food and arts & craft sales should PEOPLE brought the flag into this. The national more than cover the cost of hosting the festival. Arts anthem in itself is really a slap in the face. They taught in The Heart was hosted successfully for more than a us to sing the land of the free when the content of the decade without charging an entry fee. It wasn’t until song had nothing to do with people of color. some individuals at the Arts Council got greedy that they started charging the entry fee. That $12 you take The white victimhood crowd and the religious nuts out of the pockets of the people entering the gate who posted on the whine line last week have 1 thing in is $12 not spent at food and arts vendors. Just think common. They all must be so dumb they could never about that. pass an English grammar class.
Black millionaires who play a game for work have a problem with the country that allowed them to make millions playing a game. Read that three times, think about it and then post the first thing that comes to your mind. Donnie trump appears to be unwilling to help the American citizens in Puerto Rico repair their infrastructure after the most recent hurricane, yet the Puerto Rican American citizens are just as willing to shed their blood defending the American flag in war as any citizen from a Texas oil town. So Austin Rhodes, defender of trump, do we have different classes of people willing to die for the flag? Are there some that are less worthy, we should spend less money in helping them with their plight? To the whiner who said, “Thanks, Obama, for helping push the racist agenda”. If anyone is pushing a racist agenda, it’s Trump. I do agree with you on one thing, though, with Trump in the White House, other countries are looking at us and saying, “That place is jacked up”, only I think they replace jacked with the “F”word! don trump is crazy. Seriously, this guy is a mental case and needs to not be in the office he is in. You are mad that Christians voted for Trump. Nothing new for Christians. Its was Christians who yelled free Barrabas, cruicify Jesus. Hey all you firearmphiles, including the NRA and all right wing hacks inhabiting the airwaves, as well as print and digital media, where was the good guy with the gun who was going to stop the bad guy with TEN automatic weapons and apparently thousands of rounds in Mandalay Bay? Way beyond time to restrict, at the very least, automatic weapons and seemingly unlimited capacity magazines. The foundation of the nation’s downfall is racism. When the report spoke of a gunman, assailant, perpetrator, I knew it wasnt a black man, or the report would start with, A Black man opens fire on white crowd. When the Twitter king did not fire of with hate tweets, I also knew, it wasnt a muslim, and it wasnt a rapist drug dealer either. I knew immediatly it was one of those “good decent people.” But this is what you get when you vote for the candidate who spuws the most hate. It’s utter nonsense and inhumanity for Trump to talk about help for Puerto Rico and then mentioning their debt! In times of disaster, you can’t put a price tag on basic food, water and fuel after all the damages and losses. If Jesus was black, he’s got a lot of explaining to do!
Donald Trump thinks firing people will “Make America Great Again.” I think hiring people will “Make America Great Again.” I guess we agree to disagree. 12 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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Arenas in suburbia
With only 2 percent of arenas being built in suburban areas across the country over the past 15 years, should Augusta take a chance on the Regency mall site? When someone menTIons the city of Fargo, North Dakota, most people can’t help but picture mounds of snow, a desperate car salesman named Jerry Lundegaard, the Blue Ox Motel and a gruesome scene involving a wood chipper thanks to the 1996 film, “Fargo” by directors Joel and Ethan Coen. But Augusta soon might have a lot more in common with Fargo than one might suspect. Last week, Denver-based consultants Sink Combs Dethlefs presented members of the AugustaRichmond County Coliseum Authority with some eye-opening data regarding the construction of new arenas over the past 15 years. Only 2 percent of the arenas built across the country since 2001 have been constructed in suburban areas like what is currently being suggested by the coliseum authority at the former Regency Mall site, according to the consultants’ findings. Ernest Joyner, a principal with Sink Combs Dethlefs, told the coliseum authority on Sept. 26 that it was quite a shock when its members recently voted 4-2 in support of Regency Mall as the preferred site for the city’s new $120 million arena. “It was a surprise to us,” Joyner acknowledged. “So, we started to look for other communities that had done similar things.” The consultants were able to find one such city: Fargo, North Dakota. “We went back and looked at the last 60 arenas that
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were built in the United States in the past 15 years and tried to understand where they were built and who they were built for,” said Michael Harvey, another principal with Sink Combs Dethlefs. “Of the first 30 arenas that we looked at, there is one in Fargo, North Dakota. It’s the Scheels Arena.” Built in 2008, the Scheels Arena is a 5,000-seat hockey arena located in southwest Fargo and is home to United States Hockey League team the Fargo Force. Formerly known as The Urban Plains Center, it was renamed the Scheels Arena in 2010 after Scheels All Sports purchased the naming rights. The arena can seat up to 6,000 people for concerts, more than 5,000 for ice hockey games and offers 40 suites and 300 club seats. However, Fargo actually has two city-run event centers and one privately-owned facility, according to The Bismark Tribune. A 115,000-square-foot indoor athletic stadium called the Fargodome was built back in 1992, and it can seat about 18,700 people for football games and more than 25,000 people for concerts. The city also has the Fargo Civic Center with 15,000 square feet of convention space, as well as the privately-financed 4,600-square-foot Scheels Arena, according to the Bismark newspaper. But, according to Sink Combs Dethlefs, the Scheels Arena in Fargo was the closest example it could find
By Stacey Eidson
to a mid-size city that built an arena in the suburbs. Fargo has a population of approximately 120,700 people, compared to Augusta’s population of about 197,180 people. Over the past 15 years, Harvey pointed out there have been a handful of arenas built in the suburbs of major metropolitan areas such as Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver, Atlanta and Dallas. “Those arenas are what we call secondary market arenas,” Harvey said. “So they have a main arena downtown and they are building a second, third or fourth arena that’s a complementary arena.” Authority member Darren Smith, who supports the Regency Mall site for the new James Brown Arena, questioned whether Sink Combs Dethlefs had looked at some of the nearby arenas in neighboring states that have been built in suburban areas. “Are you familiar with the Gwinnett Arena?” Smith asked. “The North Charleston Arena?” Harvey said Sink Combs Dethlefs had looked at the Gwinnett Arena, which is now called the Infinite Energy Arena near Duluth, Ga. The Infinite Energy Arena is an indoor arena that seats 13,000 people in the Atlanta metropolitan area. “That is roughly about the size we are talking about (for the James Brown Arena) with 13,000 seats,” Smith pointed out.
Only 2 percent of the arenas built across the country since 2001 have been constructed in suburban areas like what is currently being suggested by the coliseum authority at the former Regency Mall site, according to the consultants’ findings. AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
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Sink Combs Dethlefs supported the existing arena location because of all the assets available in the downtown area including the close proximity of the convention center, the numerous hotels and restaurants, the expanding theater district and the fact that the coliseum authority already owns the property on Eighth Street.
While the size of the proposed arena in Augusta is similar to the Infinite Energy Arena, Harvey explained the arena in Gwinnett is different because it’s not the only arena in the Atlanta area. “Gwinnett is classified as outside of Atlanta,” Harvey said, adding that metropolitan Atlanta has several existing arenas. “But if you build the James Brown Arena over there (at Regency Mall), you wouldn’t have an arena downtown. So we are thinking that is a different category. The Gwinnett Arena is a secondary market arena.” Other arenas that Sink Combs Dethlefs reviewed that were built in the suburbs, but were constructed in cities around major metropolitan areas included the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, Texas, outside of Austin; the Allen Event Center outside of Dallas; the Silverstein Eye Centers Arena in Independence, Mo., a suburb of Kansas City; the Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif., outside of Los Angeles; the Hartman Arena in Park City, Kansas, outside of Wichita; the Sears 16 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
Centre in Hoffman Estates outside of Chicago; the 1st Bank Center in Broomfield, Colo., outside of Denver: the Leonard E. Merrill Center in Katy, Texas, outside of Houston; the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz., outside of Phoenix; and the Xfinity Arena in Everett, Wa., outside of Seattle. David Stone, president of the Stone Consulting Group of California, has worked in the planning, site selection and funding of dozens of arenas nationwide over the past 25 years. In May 2015, Stone completed the new arena feasibility and economic impact study for the coliseum authority, and he agrees with Sink Combs Dethlefs that the trend in arena construction over the past decade has been to build in downtown areas. “Over the last 10, 15 to 20 years, what we have seen nationally is that these facilities are very consistently built in the downtown area,” Stone said. “They are being built downtown to take advantage of existing assets in the downtown and to help further revitalize the downtown area.” In fact, an overwhelming majority of new arenas, approximately 63 percent, are being constructed in downtown areas, Stone said. That’s why Sink Combs Dethlefs recommended that the city build the new arena at the existing James Brown Arena site in downtown Augusta, Harvey said. Initially, Sink Combs Dethlefs preferred a site on upper Broad Street next to the King Mill, but after speaking to the Augusta Canal Authority, Harvey explained the site didn’t seem to be a viable option. First, the Augusta Canal Authority didn’t appear overly excited about the proposal of a new arena in that location and, second, the possibility of the arena using hydro power wasn’t going to be an option, Harvey said. “Without hydro power, its attractiveness wasn’t quite as strong,” Harvey said about the upper Broad Street location. “But after meeting with the canal authority, I drove back to the arena, down Eighth Street and saw its connection to downtown. It made me rethink the idea of staying here.” Earlier in the discussions about a new arena, Chris Bird, the general manager of the Augusta Entertainment Complex, told Sink Combs Dethlefs that it wouldn’t be feasible to build on the existing location of the James Brown Arena. “Early on, Chris said it was a no-go to destroy the James Brown Arena and build right where we are right now. So we didn’t pursue it very hard,” Harvey explained. “So, during that same visit, I talked to Chris about the idea of just staying here at the existing location. It’s a good site.” As Bird began considering all of the options, he realized that building on the existing James Brown Arena site could work. 5OCTOBER2017
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“I think everybody as a board knows how I’m a programing guy. I want to put shows in the building, and the thought of taking a building off-line for a couple of years was a no-go for me from the beginning,” Bird said. But, when it became clear that the authority was facing a number of obstacles with the other locations, Bird said he gave the proposal of staying at the existing site a second look. “The idea was, look at the budgets, take off the expenses, take off the revenues, and what obstacles do you face if the building is not there?” Bird said. “Obviously, there are community partner events, there are graduations, there are things that we need to address, but the idea that this is the next 50 years versus two years, I can’t just sit here and stomp my feet that this is what I want to happen.” Bird said he needed to consider what was best for the Augusta community in the long run. “So, yes, look at it,” Bird said of the existing James Brown Arena location. Cedric Johnson, chairman of the coliseum authority, said he also had doubts about the existing James Brown Arena being closed during construction. 18 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
“It was a concern for me,” Johnson told the Metro Spirit. “Until I talked to Chris, it took me a while to wrap my head around being closed for two years. I just didn’t think we could do it. But we would still operate the Bell Auditorium during the construction time, and Chris felt very comfortable that all the acts would be glad to come back once the new arena was completed.” Johnson said he believes it is a tough decision, but a necessary sacrifice in order to get a better site for the arena. “The fact is, sometimes you have to make some sacrifices to get a wonderful facility. And that’s what we need to do,” Johnson said. “And when people start seeing things go up, they will start getting excited about the new arena and the events it will bring. It will be a whole lot better in the long run.” Therefore, Sink Combs Dethlefs supported the existing arena location because of all the assets available in the downtown area including the close proximity of the convention center, the numerous hotels and restaurants, the expanding theater district and the fact that the coliseum authority already owns the property on Eighth Street.
It should be noted that Sink Combs Dethlefs has more experience with helping to construct mid-size arenas than any other architecture firm in the nation, but the authority ultimately disagreed with the consultants. 5OCTOBER2017
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“I don’t have a problem with the Regency Mall site,” said Augusta Commissioner Bill Fennoy, whose district includes the downtown area. “I think Regency Mall would be an ideal location because of the easy access and it would probably spur economic development in south Augusta.” “So, we came back to the existing site, here on Eighth Street, with all of the great assets of downtown,” Harvey said. It should be noted that Sink Combs Dethlefs has more experience with helping to construct mid-size arenas than any other architecture firm in the nation, but the authority ultimately disagreed with the consultants. The majority of the coliseum authority members voted on Aug. 22 that the former Regency Mall location in south Augusta was the preferred site for the new $120 million arena. Since that time, the consultants at Sink Combs Dethlefs took “a breather” and put together a detailed presentation to thoroughly explain why they still recommend the downtown location. “In the end, we just wanted to present what the current trends have been over the past 15 years of where people are building and investing their money,” Harvey said, adding that the information was not opinion based. “It is purely data.” But several of the coliseum authority members and Augusta commissioners still did not seem convinced. “I don’t have a problem with the Regency Mall site,” said Augusta Commissioner Bill Fennoy, whose district includes the downtown area. “I think Regency Mall would be an ideal location because of the easy access, and it would probably spur economic development in south Augusta.” Fennoy’s only concern is the possibility of the city building a new $120 million arena on the Regency Mall property that is privately owned by the Mattituck, N.Y.based company, Cardinal Management, LLC. “I don’t like that part of the arrangement,” Fennoy said, adding that the offer of a 35-year lease from Cardinal Management isn’t sufficient. “I don’t like us signing a deal that 35 years from now, somebody takes the control of the arena out of our hands because they own the property it was built on. That’s the problem I have.” Even though Sink Combs Dethlefs outlined the fact that only 2 percent of new arenas are currently being built in suburban areas, Fennoy still supported the Regency Mall location over his own downtown district. “I’m not worried about downtown. Downtown Augusta is on the move,” Fennoy said, pointing to the development of the Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center on Reynolds Street, the addition of new hotels, the creation of the Augusta Innovation Zone and the establishment of the theater district. “You’ve got so much going on in downtown Augusta, it’s unbelievable. Downtown is going to be OK, but I think we need to share the wealth.” South Augusta needs more attention, Fennoy said. “I lived in south Augusta for almost 30 years,” Fennoy said. “I’ve been downtown for about 15 years. I represent downtown. It is a part of my district. I want to see downtown grow and prosper, but I also want to see Augusta as a whole grow and prosper. That’s why I support the Regency Mall location if we can get a fair deal.” Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis, who did not attend the presentation given by Sink 5OCTOBER2017
Combs Dethlefs, told the Metro Spirit that the Regency Mall site should be the preferred location because it would not impact the existing events at the James Brown Arena such as Augusta Futurity, the Kicks 99 Guitar Pull and the local high school graduations. “These are all things that people expect to see happen that can’t if you tear the arena down,” Davis said. “If you tear it down and you have nothing for three years, all of that goes away. And then we are going to hope, wish and pray that we are going to bring all of those events back. I don’t think that is wise.” Davis said it is time for Augusta to think outside of the box and not stick with the downtown location just because it is recommended by the consultants. “I don’t think that is prudent for a city that is growing at the pace that we are growing right now, that has the opportunities available to it,” Davis said, adding that he fully supported the Regency Mall location. “This gives us the greatest opportunity to succeed as a city and to equally develop our city as opposed to just focusing on a single area. As mayor, you have got to have vision for the whole city, and that’s what this is about.” But not all of the authority members believe that building the James Brown Arena in a suburban area is a wise move. “If we build it at Regency Mall, we would really be bucking a trend and taking a gamble, especially on somebody else’s land,” said Brad Usry, vice chairman of the coliseum authority. “It is really rolling the dice to me.” When it comes to more than $120 million in taxpayer dollars, Usry said he is not willing to take that gamble. “Like I said before, I am going to fight it to the end,” he said. “Whether it is until another vote is taken by the coliseum authority and Regency Mall moves forward, I am going to go to the Augusta Commission and ask them not to vote for it. If it passes on the commission, I’m going to lead the charge to have a no vote on the general obligation bonds that go before the public. I’m going to tell everybody, I just don’t think it is the right place for the new arena.”
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Make friday night special with Andrew’s seafood buffet A plAce for A cozy dAte night or a birthday dinner can be found Friday nights tucked a little ways off Wheeler Road, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Augusta on Perimeter Parkway. People in Augusta looking for a special dining experience should check out Andrew’s Restaurant, which is at the hotel. A great night of the week to go there is on Friday nights from 5 to 10 p.m., when they have a bountiful seafood and prime rib buffet. The first thing that strikes a first-time diner is the different levels of dining space in the restaurant, making for quite a view from the top level, all the way down to the stage where a live band — The BTUs, and Michael Peele — performs popular tunes that span the decades. When there’s a birthday in the house, they’ll make it a special one by singing a birthday tune to whoever is turning a year older. Throughout the dining area is a soft, romantic lighting, which you can’t help but start to relax under and forget the stresses of the week. Also displayed around the dining area are pretty pottery pieces, many of them in serene blues and greens. When you’re first seated at Andrew’s on a Friday night, an attentive server will come to your table and get your drink order, and then you’re free to load up your plates at the buffet. If iced tea is your kind of drink — sweet or unsweet — Andrew’s Restaurant’s tea goes down so smooth. The unsweet tea is crisp and refreshing, and the sweet tea is perfectly sweet for anyone who loves a true, Southern sweet tea. Of course, Andrew’s offers a variety of other drinks, as well, including alcohol. If you’re into cocktails, their margaritas are worth sipping. The buffet sections are spread out so that there won’t be a traffic jam between people trying to get to
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the food, but they’re not too far apart. If you’re not sure where something is, the attentive staff will help you find it. The all-you-can-eat buffet’s seafood options are plentiful, from snow crab legs, to savory low country boil, to shrimp and oysters on the half shell. The crab legs are large and juicy; the low country boil includes crab legs, red potatoes, slices of corn on the cob, shrimp, sausage, and it’s seasoned tastefully. But if you’re thinking all that Andrew’s has on Fridays is seafood, that definitely isn’t the case. Start off at the
By Amanda Main
salad bar, where they have plenty of choices such as traditional iceberg salad mix (some of the toppings include shredded bacon, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries and raisins). Next to the lettuce mix is a seafood salad, which has a surprisingly delicious bit of a kick to it. Topping the lettuce mix with the seafood salad — which has generous portions of crab meat — is a perfect start to digging into the buffet. Of course, there are several types of salad dressing to choose from to top your lettuce, as well. The salad bar also has choices such as pasta salad, tuna salad and a cucumber-tomato salad, in which the cucumbers and tomatoes are cut into the satisfyingly sized pieces. One of the most prized parts of the buffet that isn’t seafood is their prime rib, which has someone standing by to slice it for you fresh whenever you want it. Their prime rib is juicy and tender, so even if you’re there mainly for the seafood, you’ll also want to get a cut of this. Next to the prime rib are other hot offerings like fried and baked fish (on a recent Friday night, it was fried catfish and baked flounder), a tasty honeypecan chicken, mixed steamed vegetables including cauliflower, carrots and zucchini, rice, cheesy grits, red potatoes and fried green tomatoes. Across the way from there, to help diners balance out their meals, is a counter filled with fresh fruits like whole strawberries, diced cantaloupe and honeydew melon, grapes and diced pineapple. An array of cheeses and crackers sit next to the fruit. Also, make sure when you’re there on Friday nights to check out the pasta station, which Food and Beverage Manager Lando Marzolf said is nicknamed “Willie’s Pasta Station,” after one of their employees who’s been there about 15 years and usually is working the pasta 5OCTOBER2017
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station. There, you can create your own pasta dish and have it cooked up fresh. Start with a pasta base — either penne or linguine — and then choose your meat. Meat choices include chicken, scallops, shrimp and Andouille sausage. The sauces at the pasta station are scampi, alfredo or marinara. Finally, you can choose your veggies, which include bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, broccoli, squash, zucchini and mushrooms. Your selection then gets heated up in a skillet, which takes only a few minutes. And don’t end your night without trying at least one of their desserts, even if you’re so full you have to share it. There were at least 14 dessert choices on a recent Friday night, one of the best of which being their salted caramel cheesecake. It’s not your typical plain cheesecake with some caramel drizzled on top — the cream cheese in this cheesecake has the salted caramel all mixed in, so what you get is a swirled confection with the taste of salted caramel infused in every bite. Other options in the dessert area included pecan pie (each slice was topped with whipped cream and a cherry); several types of cakes including chocolate; mini cheesecakes and more. If you can’t make it out on a Friday night (which, hopefully you can), the restaurant is open in the mornings for a breakfast buffet, at lunchtime for a Southern-style buffet, and for dinnertime. The breakfast buffet has a little bit of everything, with foods including scrambled eggs, as well as any eggs made to order including omelets. It also has bacon, sausage, hash browns, pancakes, French toast, yogurt parfaits, cold and hot cereals oatmeal, sliced fruits, whole fruits, croissants, muffins, Danish pastries and more. And along with the buffets, Andrew’s Restaurant also has a full menu. Andrew’s Restaurant’s breakfast buffet is available seven days a week, from 6-10 a.m. The Southern-style lunch buffet is served from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Mondays-Fridays and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sundays. Dinner is served seven nights a week from 5-10 p.m. Dress for the restaurant is casual, and diners are welcome to walk right in or to make reservations, especially for parties of six or more. The seafood buffet on Friday nights costs $33.95 a person. The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Augusta is at 2651 Perimeter Parkway; call 706855-8100. 5OCTOBER2017
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17
w e s t
TUE 10/3
LATE!N AN!EVE ROBINS 9P // SKY
WE 10/4
TRACIN WORKS BUTRUS 10A-7P W
ENIGMA GAME!1 GALLERY /
w e s t o b o u . o r g
TRACIN ARTIST 12:30P W
THEATRE!AUG PERFORMANCE!WORKS 5:30P WESTOBOU GALLERY // FREE
STARLIGHT!CINEMA"! BEETLEJUICE 7P AUGUSTA COMMON // FREE
LATE!NIGHT!SERIES" CORY!BRANAN 9P // METRO COFFEE HOUSE // FREE
LATE!NIGHT!SERIES"!FRESH! IS!THE!WORD! 9P SKY CITY // FREE
THURSDAY 10/5
2017 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
CHAMBER!MUSIC!SERIES"! BALKAN!QUARTET 1P CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD // FREE WESTOBOU!CENTRAL 5P-10P AUGUSTA COMMON // FREE FUNK YOU, BETHANY & THE SOUTHSIDE BOYS AND THE MASON JARS 5P-10P AUGUSTA COMMON // FREE
SATURDAY 10/7
CHAMBER!MUSIC!SERIES"! JAZZ!Á!LA!FRANÇAISE!12P CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD // FREE WESTOBOU!CENTRAL 5P-10P AUGUSTA COMMON // FREE STARLIGHT!CINEMA" CORALINE 7P AUGUSTA COMMON // FREE
WEDNESDAY 10/11
HILLARY-MARIE’S!SOLE!MUSIC! COLLECTIVE!W/!SPECIAL! GUEST!WYCLIFFE!GORDON 8P MAXWELL THEATRE // $25-30
THURSDAY 10/12
CHAMBER!MUSIC!SERIES"! THREE!SOPRANOS!SING! VOCAL!DELIGHTS 12P ST. JOHN UNITED METHODIST CHURCH // FREE
FRIDAY 10/13
t obou FOR!EVENT!TICKETS!&! PRICING"!PLEASE!VISIT WWW#WESTOBOU#ORG
TUESDAY 10/3
LATE!NIGHT!SERIES"! AN!EVENING!W/!CHRIS! ROBINSON!BROTHERHOOD 9P // SKY CITY // $25
WEDNESDAY 10/4
TRACING!SHADOWS" WORKS!BY!ANNIE!KAMMERER! BUTRUS!AND!YUKEN!TERUYA 10A-7P WESTOBOU GALLERY // FREE ENIGMA"!THE!TELEPHONE! GAME!10A-7P WESTOBOU POP-UP GALLERY // FREE TRACING!SHADOWS" ARTISTS!TALK 12:30P WESTOBOU GALLERY // FREE
LATE!NIGHT!SERIES"!EL! CAMINO!BOYZ 9P SOUL BAR // $5
FRIDAY 10/6
CHAMBER!MUSIC!SERIES"! STUDENT!SHOWCASE!1P MAXWELL THEATRE // FREE WESTOBOU!CENTRAL 5P-10P AUGUSTA COMMON // FREE GALLERY!HOP!5P-8P AREA GALLERIES // FREE "#TH!ANN$!SCREENING!OF! ATHENS%!GA$!-!INSIDE/OUT! 6:30P PYLON!REENACTMENT!SOCIETY 9 : 00P MAXWELL THEATRE // $10-20
KEVIN!HART! 7P BELL AUDITORIUM // $45-75
SOUTHERN!SOUL!AND!SONG" THE BECKY BULLER BAND 7:30P IMPERIAL THEATRE // $15-40
SUNDAY 10/8
SATURDAY 10/14
KEVIN!HART!7P BELL AUDITORIUM // $45-75
ONGOING 10/4-10/14
CHAMBER!MUSIC! SERIES"!RUSSIAN!STRING! ORCHESTRA!PRESENTED!BY! HARRY!JACOBS!CHAMBER! MUSIC!SOCIETY 3P MAXWELL THEATRE // $40 FREE FOR STUDENTS WITH AU ID
YOGA!IN!THE!GALLERY 5P WESTOBOU GALLERY // FREE
TUESDAY 10/10
LATE!NIGHT!SERIES"!SOUL! NIGHT!9P SOUL BAR // FREE
ALLEN!STONE 8P IMPERIAL THEATRE // $20-25
TRACING!SHADOWS"!WORKS! BY!ANNIE!KAMMERER! BUTRUS!AND!YUKEN!TERUYA M-F 10A-7P SAT-SUN 12P-7P WESTOBOU GALLERY ENIGMA"!THE!TELEPHONE! GAME!PROJECT M-F 10A-7P SAT-SUN 12P-7P WESTOBOU POP-UP GALLERY
THANK!YOU!FOR!EVERYTHING"!TROY# WE!WILL!MISS!YOU#
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A Greek village in downtown Augusta Festival brings food, fun, entertainment in 28th year PeoPle who’ve never been to Greece but who might be curious what the culture is like should check out the 28th annual Greek Festival, hosted in downtown Augusta by the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. In recent years, radio talk show host Austin Rhodes has called it one of Augusta’s best festivals, second only to the Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festival. The Greek Festival’s chairwoman, Penelope Ballas-Stewart, said it probably is the closest someone can get to experiencing Greek life without actually flying to Greece. Ballas-Stewart has 100 percent Greek heritage; she’s been to the country twice, and she hopes to go for a third time soon. “We try to present every aspect of the culture,” Ballas-Stewart said. “We have the food, the dancing, the music — we even have Greek vendors, who have items that they get directly from Greece. So we try to create that feel that you’re maybe in the Greek islands somewhere.” Ballas-Stewart contrasted Greek culture with American culture, saying that European life is much more laid-back and focused on friendships, eating and drinking, whereas in the United States, the culture is more about finances and business. The festival is a longtime family affair for Ballas-Stewart, as her mother was the chairwoman of the festival from its inception and was in that position for 25 years before Ballas-Stewart filled in and took over a few years ago. Ballas-Stewart also is the parish council president, and she works closely with the priest, the Rev. Vasile Bitere, throughout the year. This year, the fall festival starts Thursday, Oct. 12, and runs through Sunday, Oct. 15. The church also puts on a Greek Festival in the spring, but Ballas-Stewart said it’s a smaller event. For example, in the fall, the church has indoor and outdoor dining, but in the spring, it’s only outdoor dining. “So the plated dinners, we don’t have in the spring,” she said. “It’s more sandwiches; we have a few a la carte items in the spring. That’s more of like an outdoor-type street festival. Whereas, the fall Greek Festival is everything that we have to offer. It’s a full entertainment schedule, indoor dining in the Hellenic Center. And we have more vendors typically in the fall than in the spring.” Hundreds of volunteers put in many hours every year, transforming the church property into what seems like a small Greek village during the fall. All kinds of Greek foods fill the bellies of people attending. At the festival’s 28 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
By Amanda Main
outdoor dining, the church offers gyros, chicken or pork souvlaki, lamb sandwiches, feta fries, calamari, Greek chicken wings and Greek pastries. Inside the Hellenic Center will be items such as Greek baked chicken, lamb dinner, pastitsio (a baked macaroni casserole, and one of the crowd favorites), stuffed grape leaves, spanakopita and tyropita (spinach and cheese puff pastries), and more. Starting up a few years ago was a loukoumades eating competition that takes place throughout the weekend, where some volunteers from the audience compete to see who can eat the most loukoumades and win a prize. “Loukoumades are like little Greek doughnuts, but they’re very light,” Ballas-Stewart said. “They’re not really as heavy as doughnuts; it’s dough that’s fried into small little round balls, and they’re dipped in honey with nuts.” The festival also will have a bar that offers Greek wines and beers, as well as American wines and beers. The “party tent” of the festival, she said, is the Taverna. “The Taverna is where we have our bar outside, and we have flatscreen televisions. There are some appetizers you can only get there,” Ballas-Stewart said. “And we air the football games all weekend long; it’s a great place to come and watch sports and then also enjoy the Greek festival at the same time. It winds up being a party tent at the festival, for sure.” The indoor areas at the festival, Ballas-Stewart said, are more lowkey and quiet. “Outside is where we have the bands,” she said. “We do have music playing inside, but it’s not as loud. So for people that want to escape the noise of outside and escape the heat — hopefully it will be mild, but if not — it’s air-conditioned inside.” 5OCTOBER2017
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Also inside are tours of the church’s sanctuary, which she said generally take place on the hour throughout the weekend. She said attendees are invited to the Sunday services during the festival to learn about the Orthodox church, and the public is always invited to attend services there. Entertainment is provided at the Greek Festival by the band A Night in Athens, a trio featuring Nick Trivelas, George Antonopoulos and Joanna Kartsonis. The band performs at festivals and Greek nights all over the Southeast. “They come every year, and they are phenomenal,” BallasStewart said. “Nick Trivelas was actually a parishioner in Augusta for many, many years, and he played at my wedding. But he and Joanna Kartsonis and the lead bouzouki player George Antonopoulos — he will stand up on the tabletops and play bouzouki, which is a traditional Greek instrument that’s shaped sort of a like a banjo and has maybe a similar sound to it. He can really play. They’re always very entertaining, and we’re lucky that we have them at both our spring and fall festival every year.” Other live entertainment includes live Greek dancing — one of the dancers is Ballas-Stewart’s own 16-year-old daughter. “I always love watching our dancers,” Ballas-Stewart said. “We have our own dance troupe that dances, and my daughter is one of them. To see my daughter take part in her pride and her Greek ethnicity and learning the traditional dances and performing, it makes all the hard work worth it to me.” Also at the festival is the Greek Market, in which vendors offer clothing, silver and gold jewelry, Greek worry beads, olive oil, baked goods, T-shirts, scarves and more. BallasStewart jokingly compared worry beads to being somewhat like a “Greek fidget spinner.” She said they look like prayer beads. 5OCTOBER2017
Admission to the festival is free, but proceeds from money spent inside the festival will benefit the ministries of the church, both locally and nationally. Holy Trinity and other volunteers coordinate with the IOCC (International Orthodox Christian Charities) to help families whose homes were damaged by natural disasters. The Rev. Bitere recently went down to Florida to help out by delivering commodities and compassion after Hurricane Irma hit (he originally was being sent to Texas to help out after Hurricane Harvey). The church also has supported the Ronald McDonald House, Salvation Army, Golden Harvest Food Bank, Empty Stocking Fund, Toys for Tots, and other charities. “The food vendors are where we do make money off of the festival, through the sale of our dinners, sandwiches and food. But honestly, really, considering what you pay to go through a drive-thru anymore, it’s very reasonable. And you get great portions,” Ballas-Stewart said. “The quality of our food has always been top-notch. We have brought in entertainment in the past like Greek dance troupes that have traveled to other Greek festivals all around the country, and they always rave about the quality of our food. So we take a lot of pride.” Ballas-Stewart encourages the whole community to go to the festival. “It’s become a tradition for so many people who come back every year, and I always love hearing people who’ve never been before come and experience and give us their feedback,” she said. “It’s definitely a party throughout the weekend. We’re very proud of all of the hard work that goes into it, and we do it strictly to help share the culture and to give back to the community because we do feel very blessed that we’ve had such successful festivals in the past. We’re proud of our heritage, so we love being able to share that with the city of Augusta.”
This year’s fall Greek Festival runs from 4-9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12; from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13, and Saturday, Oct. 14; and from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15. The festival is downtown at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, at the corner of 10th and Greene streets. For information, visit holytrinityaugusta.org, call 706-724-1087 or email augustaholytrinity@gmail.com.
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METRO WEEK
Fall is finally underway, and with the cooling weather comes all sorts of opportunities to go outside. This Saturday, Oct. 7, will bring multiple walks and runs to the CSRA. Get some exercise, while helping out the community! As of press time, the forecast for Saturday was a partly cloudy day with a high of 89. That isn’t quite the fall weather we’ve been hoping for, but hey — at least no heavy rain is in the forecast to ruin the chance to raise money for some great causes. Some charitable runs and walks in the area that day are:
Trot to Clot 5K
Greeneway Trail, North Augusta 8 a.m. Oct. 7 Family-friendly event raises money to fund Camp Wannaklot, the only camp in Georgia where children who have hemophilia or other inherited bleeding disorders can stay for a week. $10-$20. Visit hog.org/trot-augusta.
FireK FiveK
Lady Antebellum Pavilion 8 a.m. Oct. 7 Nonprofit charity raises funds for local firefighters and their immediate family members who are battling cancer. Kids Fun Run at 8 a.m.; 5K at 8:45. $30, individuals; $105; team of four. Discounts for firefighters and first responders. Visit firekfivek.com.
Project Lifting Spirits 5K/10K
Savannah Rapids Park 8 a.m. Oct. 7 Project Lifting Spirits Inc. provides morale-boosting events and items to local wounded troops and goodie boxes to deployed wounded troops. $20-$30. Visit projectliftingspirits.com/GArace2017.
POP (People of Parkinson’s) Walk
First Baptist Church of Augusta 9am - noon Oct. 7 Fundraiser for the CSRA Parkinson Support Group will begin with registration at 9 a.m., and the walk at 10 a.m. Free, but donations accepted. Proceeds will fund new and ongoing research grants and more. Visit POPWalk.org, email info@parkinsoncsra.org, or call 706-364-1662.
GET OUT!
Now that the weather has broken, we are showcasing items of what to pick up before you head out! The BRIPE Coffee Brew Pipe allows you to make a shot of coffee almost anywhere. Caffeine heads will want to take it on their next hiking or camping trip. Half Moon Outfitters 2907 Washington Road, Building 100, Suite 110 706-738-1778
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WHAT’S UP
Calendar: 32 | Music Listings: 42 If you have any questions, or would like to submit an event to our calendar, please email Amanda Main at amanda@themetrospirit.com.
THE FESTIVAL celebrating Harlem, Ga., native Oliver Hardy is back again Saturday, Oct. 7, for its 29th year. The comic actor was born with the name Norvell Hardy on Jan. 18, 1892, and he died Aug. 7, 1957. Hardy adopted the name “Oliver” as tribute to his father; his claim to fame is being one half of the comedic duo Laurel and Hardy, with his partner Stan Laurel. The two got their start in the silent films era, with a career together that spanned 25 years. The Oliver Hardy Festival that takes place every year in downtown Harlem features food and craft vendors, inflatables, live entertainment, and Laurel and Hardy impersonators. The day spans from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a parade beginning at 10 a.m. OLIVER HARDY FESTIVAL Downtown Harlem 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7 706-556-0043 harlemga.org
FRIDAY, OCT. 6
SATURDAY, OCT. 7
SUNDAY, OCT. 8
THURSDAY, OCT. 12
Friday is opening night for the Fort Gordon Dinner Theatre’s “I’ll Be Back Before Midnight,” a thriller that tells the tale of a wife and husband staying in a remote cabin. The wife is recovering from a nervous disorder, and the arrival of her strange sister-in-law brings all sorts of frights — as well as lots of laughs. Tickets are $53 with dinner for civilians, and $28 for the show only. No kids 12 or younger allowed. Call 706-793-8552 or visit fortgordon.com.
The Salvation Army has all sorts of cars up for auction Saturday, with the chance to preview the cars from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5, and Friday, Oct. 6. Registration to participate in the auction is $5, and the auction will take place starting at 10 a.m. Saturday at 1384 Greene Street. Visit SalvationArmyCars. com or call 706-434-3178.
Get the scary season started with the Mask-Off on the Dance Floor, a Teens in Action with Goals event that will showcase talented teams dancing to popular spooky music. The fun starts at 2 p.m. Sunday at the HH Brigham Community Center Gymnasium. Admission is $10. Other fun includes door prizes and a youth dance contest. Call 706284-8252.
If you already know some sign language and want to further your knowledge, University Hospital (voted Metro’s Best Hospital) is hosting an Intermediate Sign Language class that will run eight weeks on Thursdays starting at 7 p.m. Oct. 12. Preregistration is required, with $50 tuition and $45 for the text. There will be no class on Nov. 23, because of Thanksgiving. Call 706-7382095 or visit universityhealth.org.
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For more information on these events, see our calendar of events on page 32.
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“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” Columbia County Amphitheater 7:15 p.m. Fri Oct 6; $1 per person; free, children 3 and younger Part of the Screen on the Green series. Visit facebook.com/ColumbiaCountyEvents or call 706-868-3484.
ARTS
EDUCATION
Thu Oct 5
Thu Oct 5
Harlem Arts Council Pottery with Angelika Bondar. Continues Thursdays through Oct. 26. $80 for all four classes. Includes material fee. Make reservations at least 24 hours in advance. Call 706-394-4682.
Diamond Lakes Branch Library Participants can complete job applications, resumes or conduct job searches with staff available for one-on-one help if needed. Call 706-772-2432 or visit arcpls.org.
10:30am - 12:30pm Pottery Class
Mon Oct 9
10am - noon Oil Painting Class
11:30am - 1:30pm Open Job Lab
Mon Oct 9
5:30pm Beginner Spanish Class
Harlem Arts Council Oil painting with Minette Hatcher. $20 per class. Make reservations at least 24 hours in advance. Call 706-556-6656.
Friedman Branch Library An adult class led by Edwin Perez of the Asociacion Cultural Hispanoamericana. Preregistration required. Call 706-736-6758 or visit arcpls.org.
Tue Oct 10
Tue Oct 10
Aiken Public Library A class that meets Tuesdays through Nov. 28. Pre-registration required. Call 803-6422020, ext. 1131, or visit abbe-lib.org.
Aiken Public Library Homeschool kids of all ages can read any fiction or nonfiction book about sports and then share it with the group. Bring a lunch. Call 803-642-2020, ext. 1141, or visit abbelib.org.
2pm - 5pm Acrylic Painting for Beginners
DANCE Sun Oct 8
2pm TAG Mask-Off on the Dance Floor HH Brigham Community Center Gymnasium Dance teams dance to popular spooky music, and there will be door prizes and a youth dance contest. $10. Call 706-2848252. 32 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
11am - 1pm Homeschool Hub
Wed Oct 11
11:30am - 1:30pm Brown Bag History Series Lecture Augusta Museum of History Featuring Thomson, led by McDuffie County Convention and Visitors Bureau Director Elizabeth Vance. Participants should bring their own lunch, and the museum will
provide beverages. A Q&A session follows the lecture at 12:30 p.m. Free, members; $3, nonmembers. Call 706-722-8454 or visit augustamuseum.org.
6pm Tertulia: Spanish Conversation Group Headquarters Branch Library A group for beginner to intermediate Spanish speakers. Call 317-695-4748.
Thu Oct 12
7pm - 8:30pm Intermediate Sign Language University Hospital An eight-week class that meets Thursdays through Dec. 7. No class Nov. 23 (Thanksgiving). $50, tuition; $45, text. Preregistration required. Call 706-738-2095 or visit universityhealth.org.
Ongoing
James Brown Family Historical Tour Augusta Museum of History Available each Saturday at 11 a.m. and lasting approximately two hours, this bus tour includes Brown’s elementary school, his childhood home, his statue and more. $15 fee, includes admission to the museum, which houses the largest collection of James Brown memorabilia. Reservations 24 hours in advance required. Call 803-6402090 or visit jamesbrownfamilyfdn.org.
Guided Tours
1797 Ezekiel Harris House Offered by appointment only MondayFriday and Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Last tours of the day begin at 4 p.m. Adults, $2; children, $1. Call 706-722-8454 or visit augustamuseum.org.
North Augusta Driving Tour Arts and Heritage Center of North Augusta Offered by appointment and includes a 30-45-minute guided tour and admission to the center. Self-guided tours are also available through an iPhone downloadable audio tour or a Google Maps-based tour. Guided tours: $5, adults; $3, students K-12. Call 803-441-4380 or visit artsandheritagecenter.com.
Tours Boyhood Home of President Woodrow Wilson Guided tours, approximately 45 minutes long, are offered Thursday-Saturday on the hour from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Group tours are available by advanced reservation. Adults, $5; seniors, $4; kids K-12, $3; under 5 years, free. Call 706-724-0436 or visit wilsonboyhoodhome.org.
Historic Trolley Tours of Augusta Augusta Visitors Center Tours aboard the Lady Libby available at the Augusta Visitors Center with 24-hour advanced reservations. Tickets include admission to the Augusta Museum of History. Call 706-724-4067 or visit 5OCTOBER2017
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Tue Oct 10
1pm “Columbus” (2017) AU’s Maxwell Theatre Free screening as part of the Cinema Series at Augusta University. Also screening at 7 p.m. Oct. 10. Free. Call 706-667-4100 or visit augusta.edu/maxwelltheatre/schedule.
5:30pm Tuesday Night Movie Series Headquarters Branch Library Eclectic variety of films. Visit arcpls.org or call 706-821-2600.
Thu Oct 12
6:30pm “The Promise” Aiken Public Library Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org. 7pm “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir” North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org.
HEALTH Thu Oct 5
7pm Center for Women Tour Doctors Hospital Pre-registration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net.
Ladies Night Out — Bunco Night Legends Club 6-9 p.m. Thu Oct 12; $20 Doctors Hospital event invites women to roll the dice, learn about health and support a great cause. Raffles, hors d’oeuvres and drinks. Pre-registration required. Visit doctors-hospital.net or call 706-651-3232. visitaugusta.org.
EXHIBITIONS Thu Oct 5
5pm - 7pm Art Reception Mary S. Byrd Gallery of Art Reception for Philip Morsberger: An Augusta Treasure. Email shamorris@ augusta.edu or call 706-729-2427.
Fri Oct 6
5pm - 9pm Art Reception Wolf and Finch Opening reception for Blue Hair, a solo exhibition by Anna Patrick. Visit wolfandfinch.com or call 706-250-0301.
5pm - 8pm Drawing and Its Peripheries reception Jessye Norman School of the Arts Drawing and Its Peripheries is a traveling exhibit of contemporary drawings selected from student artwork from the School of Visual Art at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va., and the Department of Art & Design at Augusta University. The show is on display through Oct. 20 before it goes to Virginia Tech in November. Call 706-828-7768 or visit jessyenormanschool.org. 34 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
Sun Oct 8
3pm - 5pm Annual Quilt Exhibition Opening Reception Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History Featuring work from members of the Brown Sugar Stickers Quilting Guild in Atlanta. The exhibition will remain on display until Dec. 31. Call 706-724-3576 or visit lucycraftlaneymuseum.com.
Ongoing
Augusta Museum of History Includes the following: “The Godfather of Soul, Mr. James Brown; “Celebrating a Grand Tradition, the Sport of Golf”; “Augusta’s Story”; “A Community That Heals”; “Into the Interior: A History of the Georgia Railroad and Banking Company”; “Local Legends”; “One Man, Two Ships: Lessons in History and Courage”; “A Quilt Journey”; and “Canteens to Combat Boots”. Call 706-7228454 or visit augustamuseum.org.
Exhibit of Robert Amato and Tire City Potters The Arts and Heritage Center of North Augusta will feature the work of Robert Amato and Tire City Potters (Main
Sat Oct 7
9am - 4:30pm Short and Sweet Doctors Hospital A weekend childbirth education class that continues Sunday, Oct. 8, from 1-5 p.m. Preregistration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net. Gallery) with Shirley Olson (Balcony Gallery) on display from Oct. 5-Nov. 3. Reception is from 5-7 p.m. Oct. 5. Free. Visit artsandheritagecenter.com or call 803-4414380.
FLIX Thu Oct 5
7pm “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein”
Mon Oct 9
4pm Breast Self-Exam Class University Hospital’s Breast Health Center Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706774-4141 or visit universityhealth.org.
Tue Oct 10
7:30pm Childbirth Tour AU Health Call 706-721-2273 or visit augusta.edu.
North Augusta’s Nancy Carson Library Call 803-279-5767 or visit abbe-lib.org.
Wed Oct 11
Fri Oct 6
University Hospital Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.
Noon “The Heart is a Lonely Hunter” Morris Museum of Art Part of the Films on Friday series that includes a discussion afterwards. Participants are invited to bring lunch. Free. Call 706-724-7501 or visit themorris.org.
7:15pm “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” Columbia County Amphitheater Part of the Screen on the Green series. $1 per person; free, children 3 and younger. Visit facebook.com/ColumbiaCountyEvents or call 706-868-3484.
5pm Breastfeeding Class
Thu Oct 12
7pm Women’s Center Tour University Hospital Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706774-2825 or visit universityhealth.org.
Ongoing
Meditation Sessions The Yoga Center, North Augusta Led by members of the Southeastern Buddhist Community the first and second Wednesday of each month. Sessions 5OCTOBER2017
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are free and open to the public. Visit sebuddhist.org.
HOBBIES Thu Oct 5
1pm - 3pm Coloring for Grownups Aiken Public Library Pre-registration required. Call 803-6422020, ext. 1131, or visit abbe-lib.org.
5:30pm Fiber Arts Craft and Chat Columbia County Library Open to those of all abilities who crochet, knit, loom and cross stitch. Call 706-8631946 or visit gchrl.org.
6:30pm - 8:30pm PWN AUG Chess Club Meeting The Book Tavern A club open to all ages and skill levels that meets the first and third Thursdays of each month. Participants are encouraged to bring their own chess sets. Call 706-826-1940 or visit booktavern.com.
Sat Oct 7
8am - noon Knitting/Crochet Class 211 N. Louisville Street, Harlem Drop by for “Stitch and Sip” with Sharon Bell at the Harlem Java House. Free. Call ahead to let her know you’re coming at 301-6599509.
Mon Oct 9
3pm Genealogy Club Columbia County Library A group for those of all abilities. Call 706863-1946 or visit gchrl.org.
KIDS-TEENS Thu Oct 5
10:30am Create with Me: Off to the
5OCTOBER2017
Races! Morris Museum of Art Participants will view the exhibition “Candidates for the Horse Show” and construct a horse puppet. Free, members and parents; $4 per participant, nonmembers. Pre-registration required. Call 706-828-3867 or visit themorris.org.
1pm - 3pm Homeschool Adventure: What Animals and Plants Need to Survive Mistletoe State Park For homeschool students ages 5 and up. $5 per child, plus $5 parking. Pre-registration required. Call 706-541-0321 or visit gastateparks.org/mistletoe.
Fri Oct 6
10am - 12:30pm Story Time Fridays Aiken Public Library Stories, songs and interactive activities. Story time for babies (0-23 months) begins at 10:15 a.m., toddlers (2-3 years) at 11 a.m. and preschoolers (4-5 years) at 11:45 a.m. Participants and caregivers are encouraged to participate. Call 803-642-2023 or visit abbe-lib. org.
10:30am - noon Super Awesome Story Time The Book Tavern Juice and cookies provided by New Moon Cafe. Call 706-826-1940 or email superawesomestorytime@booktavern.com.
11am Sensory Class Columbia County Library A class for those ages 3 and older designed to help strengthen motor, social and cognitive skills. Pre-registration required. Call 706-863-1946 or visit gchrl.org.
12:30pm - 2pm Mr. Kenny’s Wondrous Stories, Songs and Play Jessye Norman School of the Arts Participants will read, sing, play musical instruments and explore movement designed to help them develop both literary and cognitive skills. Parents or caregivers participate in the class through age 3. Preschool and kindergarten children may attend with, or without, a parent or caregiver. $10; pre-registration required. Call 706-828-7768 or visit jessyenormanschool. org.
6pm - 10pm Kids Night Out Kroc Center A drop-off program for kids ages 2-12 that may include swimming, gym play and inflatables. Swimsuit and towel required. Children 4 and younger will not swim. $15, members; $20, non-members. Dinner is included. Register at the welcome desk or visit krocsales.sauss.net.
Sat Oct 7
9:30am - noon Acting Skills (Session 1) St. John United Methodist Church, Augusta Augusta Jr. Players master class for ages 6-9. Taught by Kim Bowers-Rheay. $20. Call 706-826-4707.
11am - noon “The Poky Little Puppy” Story Time
columbiacountyga.gov.
1pm - 3:30pm Acting Skills (Session 2) St. John United Methodist Church, Augusta Augusta Jr. Players master class for ages 10-12. Taught by Kim Bowers-Rheay. $20. Call 706-826-4707.
1pm - 4pm Make-up for the Actor St. John United Methodist Church, Augusta Augusta Jr. Players master class for ages 13-18. Taught by Brian Jordan. Attendees may bring their own make-up. $20. Call 706826-4707.
4pm Pond Exploration Reed Creek Park Kids ages 5 and up will get wet and muddy while exploring the pond. Free, members; $2 per child, nonmembers. Pre-registration required. Call 706-210-4027 or email reedcreekpark@columbiacountyga.gov.
Mon Oct 9
10am Monday at the Museum: Haunted Pillar Augusta Museum of History This program for children ages 2-6 will include the creation of a tornado in a bottle. $2, members; $4, nonmembers. Preregistration required. Call 706-722-8454, email aschaffman@augustamuseum.org, or visit augustamuseum.org.
Barnes & Noble Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.
Tue Oct 10
11am Really Cool Reptiles
Phinizy Swamp Nature Park Stories and hands-on fun. Free, members; $5, nonmembers. Call 706-396-1424 or email info@phinizycenter.org.
Reed Creek Park Kids ages 5 and up will be introduced to reptiles. Free, members; $2 per child, nonmembers. Pre-registration required. Call 706-210-4027 or email reedcreekpark@
10am - 11:30am Puddle Ducks: Kids & Caregivers Club
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Chocolate Festival St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church, Aiken 10am - 3pm Sat Oct 7 Rides, games, vendors, a pie-eating contest, used book sale, silent auction, international foods and more. Call 803-649-2071 or visit stmarys-aiken.org. 4pm Beginner Guitar Class Columbia County Library A class for those ages 11-18 in which space is limited to eight students. Pre-registration required. Call 706-863-1946, ext. 4, or visit gchrl.org.
4pm Eric Carle Book Party Columbia County Library Stories, crafts, games, food and more. All ages; no registration required. Visit gchrl.org or call 706-863-1946.
4pm Storytime in the Gardens
Hopelands Gardens For families with children ages 8 and younger. Blankets, chairs, drinks and snacks are welcome. Call 803-642-7631 or visit cityofaikensc.gov.
5pm - 7pm Girls Who Code Open House Headquarters Branch Library Open house for group for girls in grades 6-12 to explore coding in a fun and friendly way. Call 706-394-2187 or visit girlswhocode.com/clubs or arcpls.org.
Wed Oct 11
10am Wacky Wednesday Story Time Barnes & Noble Call 706-737-0012 or visit bn.com.
10:30am Preschool Story Time Appleby Branch Library Songs, finger plays and stories for those ages 18 months to 3 years. Pre-registration required for groups of six or more. Call 706736-6244 or visit arcpls.org.
Thu Oct 12
4pm Lego Club Aiken Public Library For kids ages 5-11. Legos provided. Call 803642-2023 or visit abbe-lib.org.
6pm - 7:30pm Big Brother/Big Sister Doctors Hospital An educational and interactive class for children ages 3-8 who will soon be welcoming a new baby into the home. Preregistration required. Call 706-651-2229 or visit doctors-hospital.net.
Ongoing
Fabulous Friday Homeschool Jessye Norman School of the Arts Two eight-week sessions are available for homeschool children ages 6 through teens. 36 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
Each Friday begins with fitness at 10:30 a.m., followed by lunch and then art classes from noon-2 p.m. Participants are organized into two groups according to age. The second session is Oct. 13-Dec. 8. $100; preregistration required. Call 706-828-7768 or visit jessyenormanschool.org.
The Shepard Project Metropolitan Community Church of Our Redeemer A teen hangout and safe space for LGBTQ+ teens, ages 14-17, and allies that meets the first and third Tuesday of each month from 5-8 p.m. The group is also looking for chaperones ages 25 and older and youth mentors 18-24 years old, who must pass a background check. Call 803-617-8352 or email shepardprojectaugusta@gmail.com.
After-School Program Smith-Hazel Recreation Center, Aiken A program for those ages 5-13 that includes homework help, games, snacks and more. It meets Monday-Friday from 2:30-5 p.m. and follows the Aiken County Public School calendar. $20 first child, then a $5 sibling discount. Call 803-642-7634.
LITERARY Thu Oct 5
5pm - 8pm Book Signing 5OCTOBER2017
Volume 9, No. 39 ©SS 2017
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2017
PROVING ITS WORTH
US military using Warthogs to drop bunker busters on ISIS targets
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Midtown Market Jim Minick signs “Fire is Your Water.” Call 706-733-1788 or visit facebook.com/ midtownmarketaugusta/.
MUSIC Thu Oct 5
7:30pm A Tribute to the King Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center Featuring Travis Ledoyt as Elvis. $36. Visit AugustaAmusements.com or call 706-7260366.
7:30pm Augusta University Gala Concert AU’s Maxwell Theatre Fundraiser for scholarships features students in the Augusta University Orchestra, Choral Ensembles, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble and Opera Ensemble. $15, public, faculty and staff; $5, children and students; free, AU and EGSC students. Visit augusta.edu/maxwelltheatre or call 706-667-4100.
ext. 4, or visit augustacanal.com.
7:30pm Don Juan First Baptist of Augusta Symphony Orchestra Augusta presents Don Juan. $11-$52. Visit soaugusta.org or call 706-826-4705.
Sat Oct 7
8am - 2pm Saturday Morning Swing Eighth Street Plaza Live music from local jazz artists and performing arts groups during the Augusta Market. Call 706-627-0128 or visit theaugustamarket.com.
7pm - 9:30pm Swing & Sway Phinizy Swamp Nature Park Evening celebration full of live music, food vendors and dancing. Picnic blankets, lawn chairs, beverages and bug spray welcome. $10; advance; $15; day of show. Preregistration required. Email Gina.Lusignan@ phinzycenter.org or call 706-396-1416.
Fri Oct 6
Sun Oct 8
Augusta Canal National Heritage Area Featuring Gaffney Jarrell and songs from classic female vocalists. Participants are invited to bring snacks and beverages. $25; $23, seniors, military and students. Preregistration required. Call 706-823-0440,
AU’s Maxwell Theatre The Russian String Orchestra is composed of some of Russia’s finest young string players. $40, general; $5, students. Children must be 6 years or older. Visit augusta.edu/ maxwelltheatre or call 706-667-4100.
6:30pm - 8pm Music Cruise
3pm Russian String Orchestra
6pm - 8pm The Lady & The Gents Augusta Common Part of the Fall Concert Series hosted by Augusta Recreation and Parks, this event has gates opening at 5 p.m. and will have food and beverage vendors on site. $8. Visit facebook.com/AugustaRecreationAndParks or call 706-796-5025.
Tue Oct 10
Noon Tuesday’s Music Live Saint Paul’s Church Featuring a free concert by pianist Mark Valenti. Lunch afterwards is $12 a person and requires reservation. Call 706-722-3463 or visit tuesdaysmusiclive.com.
Thu Oct 12
6pm - 7:30pm Adult Guitar Club Columbia County Library A club for experienced guitar players. Call 706-863-1946 or visit gchrl.org.
Ongoing
Kicks 99 Guitar Pull James Brown Arena 19th annual Kicks 99 Guitar Pull is coming Nov. 14, featuring Darius Rucker, Jake Owen, Randy Houser, Lee Brice, Brett Young, and Big & Rich. Tickets on sale at SRP Box Office at James Brown Arena (no online ticket sales). $35; four-ticket purchase limit. Call 706-722-3521, 706-396-7000 or visit kicks99.com.
Veterans Day Tribute Concert Evans Towne Center Park Inaugural tribute concert at 2 p.m. Nov. 11 featuring Shooter Jennings, Beth Spangler, Johnny Rodriguez, Rachel Lynn and Jordan Brower. $27-$40; free, kids 12 and under. Visit freshtix.com or buy tickets at any Security Federal Bank. Visit evanstownecenterpark.com or call 706-6505005.
SPECIAL EVENTS Thu Oct 5
6pm - 8pm Silent Auction & Dinner Advent Lutheran Church Proceeds benefit When Help Can’t Wait’s mission to help needy seniors in area nursing homes. Catered dinner and entertainment. $15 per person or $25 per couple. Pre-registration required. Call 706650-9467 or email whenhelpcantwait@ comcast.net.
Fri Oct 6
5pm - 9pm First Friday Downtown Augusta A family-friendly arts event that includes musicians, dancers, artists and other vendors. First Friday Fire, presented by Arcane Arts, will be at the corner of 11th and Broad at 8 p.m. and will feature feats of fire, spinning poi, staff, hoop, fan and 38 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
more in a family-friendly show to the music of DJ Codec. Visit facebook.com/ artistsrowaugusta.
Sat Oct 7
8am - 2pm Augusta Market at the River 8th Street Plaza, Reynolds Street The event features vendors of all kinds, activities, live entertainment and more. Visit theaugustamarket.com.
9am - 5pm Oliver Hardy Festival Downtown Harlem The 29th annual event will feature food and craft vendors, inflatables, live entertainment and Laurel and Hardy impersonators. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. Visit harlemga. org or call 706-556-0043.
10am - 2:30pm “Science Education Enrichment Day” Shows Dupont Planetarium, Aiken View the upgraded planetarium system with special introductory showings every half hour. $2-$3. Call 803-641-3654 or visit rpsec.usca.edu.
10am - 3pm Chocolate Festival St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church, Aiken This event features rides, games, vendors, a pie-eating contest, used book sale, silent auction, international foods and more. Call 803-649-2071 or visit stmarys-aiken.org.
10am Salvation Army Auto Auction 1384 Greene Street Registration starts at 8 a.m. for a $5 fee. Auto preview days to be held 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5; and Friday, Oct. 6, at 1384 Greene Street. Visit SalvationArmyCars.com or call 706-434-3178.
4pm - 9pm Fall Festival Elijah Clark State Park, Lincolnton Hay rides, pumpkin patch, miniature golf and more. $5 per person. Visit gastateparks. org/ElijahClark or call 706-359-3458.
Tue Oct 10
9:30am - noon Aiken Newcomers’ Club Luncheon Newberry Hall, Aiken Doors open at 9:30 a.m., with a business meeting at 10:15 a.m. and then lunch at 11:30 a.m. $15; pre-registration required by Oct. 5. Call 803-226-9320 or 803-644-4147, email newcomers29803@gmail.com or visit aikennewcomers.com.
4:30pm - 7pm Veggie Park Farmers Market Mill Village Trailhead, 109 Eve Street This weekly event in the park behind the Kroc Center features all local farmers and doubles EBT/SNAP benefits. Visit augustalocallygrown.org/veggie-parkfarmers-market. 5OCTOBER2017
5pm - 6:30pm Eat for a Cause The Bee’s Knees and The Hive 10% of all food sales from 5 p.m. to close will go to SafeHomes of Augusta. Email ajfoley@ augusta.edu or call 706-737-1735.
Thu Oct 12
4pm - 9pm Greek Festival Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church A four-day celebration that includes traditional foods, drinks and entertainment, as well as shopping in the marketplace and church tours. Visit holytrinityaugusta.org.
6pm - 9pm Ladies Night Out — Bunco Night Legends Club Doctors Hospital event invites women to roll the dice, learn about health and support a great cause. Raffles, hors d’oeuvres and drinks. $20. Pre-registration required. Visit doctors-hospital.net or call 706-651-3232.
Ongoing
Marvin Corner Pumpkin Patch Marvin United Methodist Church Pumpkins, gourds, mums and bales of straw for sale to support missions and community outreach. Runs Oct. 7-Oct. 31. Visit marvinchurch.com or call 605-863-0510.
Casino Night 118 York St., Aiken Proceeds from 7 p.m. Oct. 13 event benefit the Cumbee Center to Assist Abused Persons. $50 ticket includes $10,000 play money, one drink ticket and hors d’oeuvres. Tickets must be purchased in advance at Aiken Board of Realtors Office, or call 803648-1891.
Aiken Newcomers’ Club Luncheon Newberry Hall, Aiken Doors open at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 10, with a business meeting at 10:15 a.m. and then lunch at 11:30 a.m. $15; pre-registration required by Oct. 5. Call 803-226-9320 or 803-644-4147, email newcomers29803@ gmail.com or visit aikennewcomers.com.
Choc-Tail: A Night of Chocolate Indulgence The Snelling Center Annual party from 6-9 p.m. Oct. 13 benefits the Family Counseling Center of the CSRA. Come for chocolate-crafted cocktails, raffle ticket, live entertainment by Not Even Brothers Band, silent auction and catered food. Wear cocktail attire. $40, advance; $45, at door; $35, military. Buy tickets at Martina’s Flowers and Gifts or Midtown Market, or online at eventbrite.com.
Women in Business Signature Event Augusta Marriott at the Convention Center Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce presents bestselling author Becky Blalock as the keynote speaker 5OCTOBER2017
at Women in Business event at 6 p.m. Oct. 19. $55, members; $65, nonmembers. Pre-registration required at AugustaMetroChamber.com. Email Sabrina. Balthrop@augustametrochamber.com or call 706-821-1300.
TEDx in Augusta TEDx pre-sale tickets are now available for 10 a.m. Feb. 3 event at the Miller Theater. TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. Tickets are $50 and include lunch, refreshments and a T-shirt. Visit tedxaugusta.com. TEDx also is seeking applications for speakers, with the call for speakers closing Oct. 11. The online application is at tedxaugusta.com/speakers.
Wine is from grapes. Grapes are plants. Therefore,
WINE IS SALAD.
SPIRITUAL Thu Oct 5
7pm - 9pm Lifting the Veil on Islam Islamic Society of Augusta Part of a monthly program to enlighten newcomers about Islam, this one called The Ideal Islamic Character with speaker Dr. Mohammed Elsalanty. Free, with refreshments. Visit isaugusta.com/?p=2150 or email outreach@isaugusta.com.
SPORTS-OUTDOORS Sat Oct 7
8am FireK FiveK Lady Antebellum Pavilion Nonprofit charity raises funds for local firefighters and their immediate family members who are battling cancer. Kids Fun Run at 8 a.m.; 5K at 8:45. $30, individuals; $105; team of four. Discounts for firefighters and first responders. Visit firekfivek.com.
8am Project Lifting Spirits 5K/10K Savannah Rapids Park Project Lifting Spirits Inc. provides morale-boosting events and items to local wounded troops and goodie boxes to deployed wounded troops. $20-$30. Visit projectliftingspirits.com/GArace2017.
Join us for Happy Hour 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM AND 10:00 PM to CLOSE
8am Trot to Clot 5K Greeneway Trail, North Augusta Family-friendly event raises money to fund Camp Wannaklot, the only camp in Georgia where children who have hemophilia or other inherited bleeding disorders can stay for a week. $10-$20. Visit hog.org/trotaugusta.
9am - 11am Andy Jordan’s Women’s Ride Day Andy Jordan’s Bicycle Warehouse Women are invited to ride together on local roads or local mountain bike trails, for all biking abilities (the road ride will be 22 miles, and the mountain bike ride will be 14 miles). Both rides will leave the store at 9 a.m. Visit andyjordans.com or call 706-7242453 to reserve a spot.
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9am - 10am Hike
Augusta Sports Leagues
Bartram Trail A Sierra Club-sponsored 9.4-mile moderate hike (no beginners). Meet at parking area across from Keg Creek Drive on Highway 104 (Washington Road). Pre-registration required. Must wear orange shirt or vest. Email sonnyandcathyblack@gmail.com.
This organization offers adult sports leagues and social events, including kickball, soccer, flag football, softball, basketball, indoor and sand volleyball, cornhole, dodgeball and more for coed and men’s leagues. For more information, visit augustasportsleagues.com or call 706-3090280.
9am - noon POP (People of Parkinson’s) Walk
Hardy 100K
First Baptist Church of Augusta Fundraiser for the CSRA Parkinson Support Group will begin with registration at 9 a.m., and the walk at 10 a.m. Free, but donations accepted. Proceeds will fund new and ongoing research grants and more. Visit POPWalk.org, email info@parkinsoncsra.org, or call 706-364-1662.
Harlem High School The oldest bike ride in Columbia County will be on Oct. 15, presented by the Rotary Club of Columbia County West. $35, adults; $10, children 10 and younger. $5 late fee after Oct. 9. Call 706-833-8291 or 706-8302654, or visit active.com to register. Visit rotaryccw.org for more information.
9:30am - 11:30am Swamp Saturday Hike
Willard Prior Memorial Golf Tournament
Phinizy Swamp Nature Park A guided, 2.5-mile hike. $2; free for members. Pre-registration required. Call 706-396-1426 or visit phinizycenter.org. Mistletoe State Park A naturalist-led hike of about one hour, followed by a craft time. $2, craft; $5, parking. Call 706-541-0321 or visit gastateparks.org/mistletoe.
Forest Hills Golf Course Tournament on Oct. 17 benefits Leader Dogs for the Blind, Augusta Lions Club, Georgia Lines Camp for the Blind and Georgia Lions Lighthouse Foundation. Registration is from 10-noon; lunch at 11:15 and shotgun start at 12:30 p.m. $500 for team of four; $125 for single players. Deadline to sign up is Oct. 15. Email sthurmond@duplicatingsystems.com or call 706-737-6482.
3pm - 9pm Family Fall Festival
SUPPORT
10am - noon Hike and Craft
Mistletoe State Park Hayrides, crafts, hikes, games, storytelling and more. $10 per vehicle. Call 706-541-0321 or visit gastateparks.org/mistletoe.
Mon Oct 9
10am - 3pm Jr. Rangers: Explorers Mistletoe State Park Junior Rangers will learn trip planning, map reading and compass skills to navigate routes around the park, then will practice archery and prep a lunch. $25; $5, parking. Call 706-541-0321 or visit gastateparks.org/ mistletoe.
Tue Oct 10
8:30 am Water Quality Project Savannah Riverkeeper A Sierra Club community project for water quality in which participants will make leaf packs and learn how tree leaves and aquatic insects help determine the health of our streams. Email frankcarl@knology.net.
Ongoing
Golf FORE a Smile Gordon Lakes Golf Club Charity tournament at 11 a.m. Oct. 20 benefits Alliance for Smiles. $100 per golfer or $325 per team of four. Lunch and low country boil dinner provided. Call Phil Powell at 706-394-6332 to register. 40 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
Thu Oct 5
7am - 7pm National Depression Screening Day Family Y, 3570 Wheeler Road Free, anonymous mental health assessment for all ages. Sponsored by Mental Health America Augusta Chapter. Visit mhaaugusta.org.
10am - 11:30am Alzheimer’s Association Support Group Kroc Center For those dealing with Alzheimer’s and/or caregivers. Pre-registration required. Call 706-860-5233.
Mon Oct 9
6pm Pink Magnolias Breast Cancer Support Group University Hospital’s Breast Health Center Call 706-774-4141 or visit universityhealth. org.
Tue Oct 10
10am - 11:30am Moms Connection Augusta University Medical Center This free weekly support group for new mothers meets in the Terrace Dining Dogwood Room on the second floor beginning at 10:20 a.m. All new moms and their babies are welcome, and an international board certified lactation
consultant/educator/perinatal nurse will answer questions and offer resources. Call 706-721-8283 or visit augustahealth.org.
Ongoing
Recovery International Mental Health Support Group Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta A weekly group that meets Wednesday from 6:30-8 p.m. Based on the work of Abraham Low, MD, RI offers its members a low cost method to regain and maintain their mental health by using mental health through will training. People who stick with the RI Method are able to live healthy, productive lives with lower levels of tension, anger, fear, anxiety, stress, compulsions, and other symptoms. Email marykahb@yahoo.com.
Georgia Carolina Toastmasters Group empowers people to become more effective communicators and leaders. Meets weekly from noon-1 p.m. Wednesdays at Fat Man’s Cafe. Email jmcneill22@att.net.
TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) GA, 110 Augusta St. Alban’s Episcopal Church fellowship hall The group meets Mondays, with weighin beginning at 5:15 p.m. and the meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m. Call 706-790-0391 or visit tops.org.
TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) Pine View Baptist Church The group meets Tuesdays, with weigh-in beginning at 4:45 p.m. and the meeting beginning at 5:15 p.m. Call 706-481-0529 or visit tops.org.
La Leche League A breastfeeding support group. For more information on meeting dates, times and locations, visit them on Facebook under La Leche League of Augusta or at lllaugusta. wordpress.com.
Celebrate Recovery Journey Community Church This Christ-centered recovery program meets every Monday night at 7 p.m. The meetings last two hours and childcare is provided. Pre-registration suggested. Visit cr@journeycommunity.net.
Write to Heal Creative Writing Program Children’s Hospital of Georgia family resource library For patients, family members and caregivers, this program meets the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. Preregistration required. Call 706-721-5160 or email nawilliams@gru.edu.
Overeaters Anonymous Meets at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, at 7 p.m. Thursdays at Unity Church, and at Covenant Presbyterian Church at 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Call 706-863-9534 or email oa.augusta.recovery@gmail.com.
Adult Sexual Assault and Rape Support Group Provides group counseling at University Hospital for those who have experienced sexual assault, incest, rape or childhood sexual abuse. Call 706-724-5200 or visit universityhealth.org.
Alcoholics Anonymous Holds several meetings locally. For a current schedule, visit augustaaa.org/documents/ Meetings/meetings.pdf.
Narcotics Anonymous Trinity Hospital of Augusta Meets Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. Visit na.org.
Beyond the Bars A support group for those with incarcerated loved ones. Call 706-855-8636.
THEATER Sat Oct 7
11am - 1pm Reader’s Theater for Adults Aiken Public Library No props, costumes or memorization needed. Call 803-642-2020, ext. 1111, or visit abbe-lib.org.
Wed Oct 11
10am Children’s Play: Ham Radio AU’s Maxwell Theatre Tales come to life on the set of an oldfashioned radio drama that incorporates science, technology, engineering, arts and math. Free, but pre-registration required. Call 706-737-1625 or email literacycenter1401@gmail.com, or visit calendar.augusta.edu.
Ongoing
“I’ll Be Back Before Midnight” The Fort Gordon Dinner Theatre Showing Oct. 6, 7, 13, 14, 19, 20 and 21. $53, civilians; discounts for seniors, military retirees and others. No kids 12 and under. Call 706-793-8552 or visit fortgordon.com.
Diabetes Youth Support Group Meets quarterly. Call for more information. Call 706-868-3241. 5OCTOBER2017
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Augusta Market on the River The Backyard Tavern - Patterson & Nale Bell Auditorium - Kevin Hart Country Club - Holman Autry Band Fox’s Lair - Kim and Allen Shannon’s - Perfect Picture Soul Bar - El Camino Boyz Stillwater Taproom - Billy S Surrey Tavern - The Barons Wild Wing - Big Scene Duo The Willcox (Aiken) - John Vaughn World of Beer - Time Pirates
Upcoming The Get Right Band
- Sky City October 12 Sabo and Dave
- Wild Wing October 12 Flat Out Strangers
- Stillwater Taproom October 13 Becky Buller Band, Kenny and Amanda Smith
- Imperial Theatre October 13 Broadcast 90
- Wild Wing October 13
What’s Tonight?
Helga’s Pub & Grille - Trivia The Highlander - Karaoke Sally’s - Cher Show Down w/ Steven Andrade Sky City - Scavenger Fest
Funk You (pictured), Bethany and the Southside Boys, The Mason Jars Westobou Central (Augusta Common) 5-10 p.m. Thu Sep 5; free westoboufestival.com or 706-755-2878
Sunday, October 8 Live Music
Augusta Common - Fall Concert Series Bell Auditorium - Kevin Hart Capri Lounge - Vivian Valium & the Lounge Lizard Divas Southbound Smokehouse - Phillip Lee Wild Wing - AcostA The Willcox (Aiken) - John Vaughn
What’s Tonight?
Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ Mike Johnson
8 Second Ride
- Country Club October 13 Allen Stone
- Imperial Theatre October 14 Keith Gregory
- The Backyard Tavern October 14 Hispanic Festival After Party
- Sky City October 14 Adam Harris Thompson
- Stillwater Taproom October 14 Moby Dick Acoustic
- Wild Wing October 14 Folk You
- Southbound Smokehouse October 19 Bethany and the Southside Boys
- The Highlander October 20 Drivin’ N Cryin’
- Country Club October 20 Chris Janson
Monday, October 9 Live Music
The Highlander - Acoustic Mondays Metro Coffeehouse & Pub - Blues Monday w/ Famous Last Words
- Bell Auditorium October 21 Shinebox
- Shannon’s October 21 Russell Joel Brown, Damien Sneed (a tribute to Jessye Norman)
- Imperial Theatre October 22
What’s Tonight?
Pylon Reenactment Society AU’s Maxwell Theatre 9 p.m. Fri Sep 6; $15, advance; $20, day of show Film screening of “Athens, Ga. - Inside/ Out” at 7:30 p.m. westoboufestival.com or 706-755-2878 Thursday, October 5 Live Music
Live Music
Augusta Common - Funk You, Bethany and the Southside Boys, The Mason Jars Bell Auditorium - Old Dominion, Brandon Lay Fox’s Lair - Open Mic Jam w/ Thomas Langley Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center - “A Tribute to the King” Soul Bar - Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires, Mother the Car, Hunger Anthem Wild Wing - Left Lucero Duo The Willcox (Aiken) - Thursday Night Jazz w/ 4 Cats in the Dog House
AU’s Maxwell Theatre - Pylon Reenactment Society Country Club - Jacob Pawell Coyotes - Shinebox Fox’s Lair - Ruskin and Cam The Highlander - Peace of Mind (P.O.M.), Pyrophoria Metro Coffeehouse & Pub - No Sir Shannon’s - Third Time Charmers Southbound Smokehouse - The Mammoths Stillwater Taproom - Michael Baideme and Matt Acosta Wild Wing - Interstate Exiles The Willcox (Aiken) - John Vaughn
What’s Tonight?
What’s Tonight?
Helga’s Pub & Grille - Trivia The Highlander - Butt Naked Trivia Pizza Joint (Downtown) - Trivia w/ Mike Sleeper Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane That Place Coffee - Open Mic w/ J. Martin-Moses
Friday, October 6 42 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
The Backyard Tavern - Karaoke Joe’s Underground - Forth and Ten Live (comedy) Sky City - Bones Spooktacular Art Show + various DJs
Saturday, October 7 Live Music
8th Street Plaza - Saturday Morning Swing at the
The Backyard Tavern - Karaoke Shannon’s - Karaoke w/ David Doane Wild Wing - Trivia World of Beer - Open Mic Night
Tuesday, October 10 Live Music
Fox’s Lair - Irish Music w/ Dr. John Fisher and the Undefeated Army Joe’s Underground - Open Mic The Willcox (Aiken) - Hal Shreck
What’s Tonight?
The Highlander - Game Night World of Beer - Karaoke Soul Bar - Soul Night
Wednesday, October 11 Live Music
Kansas
- Bell Auditorium October 25 The Lucky Bastards
- The Highlander October 27 Unmentionables “Halloween Party”
- Shannon’s October 28 Rocky Horror Picture Show
- Sky City October 28 Funk You
- Sky City October 31 Chicago
- Bell Auditorium November 1 Kenny George Band
- Stillwater Taproom November 3 Symphony Orchestra Augusta
- Bell Auditorium November 9 Chris Tomlin
- James Brown Arena November 10 Rick Springfield, Richard Marx
- Bell Auditorium December 6
Wild Wing - Jukebox Robocop
An Evening with Molly Ringwald
What’s Tonight?
- Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center January 13
AU’s Maxwell Theatre - Hillary-Marie’s Sole Music Collective & Wycliffe Gordon The Backyard Tavern - Karaoke Bar West - Karaoke Capri Lounge - Game Night Chevy’s - DJ Richie Rich Pizza Joint (Evans) - Trivia w/ Mike Sleeper Polo Tavern (Aiken) - Karaoke w/ Tom Mitchell Sky City - Hip-Hop Night Southbound Smokehouse - Trivia Stillwater Taproom - Pub Quiz World of Beer - Trivia
Elsewhere Kevin Smith
- Center Stage Theater, Atlanta October 6 Manchester Orchestra, All Get Out, Tigers Jaw, Foxing
- The Tabernacle, Atlanta October 7 A3C Independent Hip-Hop Fest w/ Saba, Nas, Ghostface Killah, Just Blaze, Joyner Lucas, Kirk Knight, Jay Idk
- Georgia Railroad Freight Depot, Atlanta 5OCTOBER2017
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October 8 Wilco, Margaret Glaspy
- Fox Theatre, Atlanta October 8 Gorillaz
- Infinite Energy Center, Atlanta October 11 Kid Cudi
- The Roxy Theatre, Atlanta October 12 Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta October 12 Chris Isaak
- Woodruff Arts Center, Atlanta October 13 Azealia Banks
- Heaven at The Masquerade, Atlanta October 14 Willie Nelson
- Chastain Park Amphitheatre, Atlanta October 14 Trevor Noah
REAL PEOPLE REAL DESIRE REAL FUN.
- Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Atlanta October 14 Conor Oberst, The Felice Brothers
- 40 Watt Club, Athens October 14 10,000 Maniacs
- City Winery Atlanta, Atlanta October 15 Pete Yorn
- Vinyl, Atlanta October 15
Try FREE: 706-434-0108 More Local Numbers: 1-800-926-6000 Ahora español Livelinks.com 18+
Foo Fighters, The Struts
- Colonial Life Arena, Columbia October 17 Nick Offerman
- Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Atlanta October 19 Spoon, Mondo Cozmo
- Music Farm Columbia, Columbia October 20 Lil Yachty
- Fox Theatre, Atlanta October 20
Meet sexy new friends
FREE TRIAL
706-434-0112
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THE EIGHT
BOX TOPS RANK TITLES
WEEKEND GROSS TOTAL GROSS WEEK # LAST WEEK
1
KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE $16,935,565
$66,637,153
2
1
2
IT
$16,902,442
$290,775,232
4
2
3
AMERICAN MADE
$16,776,390
$16,776,390
1
-
4
THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE
$11,644,237
$35,200,302
2
3
5
FLATLINERS (2017)
$6,574,326
$6,574,326
1
-
In Theaters October 6
SCI-FI “Blade Runner 2049,” rated R, starring Ryan
ANIMATED DRAMA “My Little Pony: The Movie,” rated PG, starring “The Mountain Between Us,” rated PG-13,
Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, Mackenzie Davis, Dave Bautista and Jared Leto. A blade runner known as Officer K searches for Rick Deckard, a former blade runner who’s been missing for the past 30 years. Well, the long-awaited sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1982 sci-fi classic is finally here. Will it live up to the hype? Or will it be forgotten, like tears in rain?
Tara Strong, Ashleigh Ball, Andrea Libman, Tabitha St. German and Emily Blunt. In the Kingdom of Equestria, Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rarity journey to battle an evil threat and save the town of Ponyville. Does any of that make sense to you? If so, then this movie is probably tailor-made for you (or your little ones).
44 METROSPIRIT AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
starring Idris Elba, Kate Winslet, Dermot Mulroney and Beau Bridges. Based on the novel by Charles Martin, Dr. Ben Bass and journalist Alex Martin are two strangers who survive a plane crash in the wintry wilderness. Faced with injuries and limited supplies, the determined pair grows closer as they fight for survival. Leonardo DiCaprio already gave us a gripping wilderness survival film with 2015’s “The Revenant.” Now, it’s Kate Winslet’s turn. 5OCTOBER2017
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SIGHTINGS
Michael Johnson | mejphoto.photoreflect.com
Molly Lee, Isabella Tondi and Rebecca DeCarlo at Pizza Joint Downtown
Leah Haney, Lauren French and Emma Back at Farmhaus
Alison Graziano, Katherine Quinn and Jana Gay at the Whiskey Bar (Kitchen)
Ryan Tschida with Kelsey and Prue Escalante at the Loft
Thomas Reid, Bethany Davis, Deveran Roof and Keith Petersen at the Metro Coffeehouse
JP Jones, Sarah Turnage and Meg Adams at the Stillwater Taproom
Cam Rowland, Leesa Gray and Kyle Perry at the Metro Coffeehouse
Whitney Richards, Jackson Sims and Jennifer Goldman at The Bee’s Knees
Nick Corbin, John Smilak and Robert Gunier at the Hive
5OCTOBER2017
AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
METROSPIRIT 45
the dream that never fades austin rhodes Evil has nEvEr bEEn dEfEatEd by limiting the freedoms of the innocent, yet evil is often defeated by education, determination, and sunlight.
But every now and then, when evil aggressively attacks, the required final solutions can be difficult and unpleasant.
Soldiers don’t carry lollipops in their holsters, and the Enola Gay didn’t drop posies.
Liberation for us, and our posterity, has come through the blood of patriots spilled on ancient battlefields, and the sacrificed lives of police officers continuing the fight against criminal predators to this very day.
Our conscience commands us to stand with our countrymen, our salvation depends on our willingness to remain diligent in the never-ending battle of good versus evil. Our political and social differences matter not in this struggle to survive, and in the end, here’s to hoping our united efforts kick the Hell out of the bastards who wish to end the American dream.
The dream wasn’t assassinated in Dallas...it wasn’t blown up on September 11th...and it wasn’t shot in Las Vegas.
America, and all of her hopes and dreams, lives on through the daily stewardship of her people.
Undeterred. Unfettered. Undefeated. AUSTIN RHODES A long-time radio talk show host who can be heard weekdays on WGAC from 3-6 p.m. The views expressed are the opinions of Austin Rhodes and do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. 5OCTOBER2017
AUGUSTA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1989
METROSPIRIT 47