Vol. 1 No. 20 by Waco Weekly

03.26.14 - VOL. 1, NO. 20 - WACOWEEKLY.COM

FREE PUBLICATION

contents

03.27-04.02 meet the team PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF Chris Shepperd EXECUTIVE EDITOR Matt Shepperd EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Sara Gilmore BUSINESS MANAGER Leisha Shepperd MANAGING EDITOR Chris Zebo CREATIVE DIRECTOR Bekah Skinner ASST. CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kaitlin Vickers WRITERS

Essentials: Listen Discover Taste Play Look

3 8 10 11 14

Randle Browning Sara Gilmore Cheyenne Mueller Luke Murray

Cover Story:

After making it to the top six in NBC’s The Voice last year, local country music celebrity Holly Tucker came home to Waco.

INTERNS Haley Clark Katy DeLuna April Elkins Alex Gieger Brittany Holm Avery Moore Kelly Porter Heydy Sanches Kyla Spaugh Camille Youngblood

Waco Weekly is an independent, publication and is not affiliated with the city of Waco.

Road Trip 12 - We’re taking you to

a town...with another Dr. Pepper museum? That’s right. The town was even once called Dr. Pepper, Texas.

Listen 4 - Foster the People is

Look 15 - Cheyenne gives

back with a new release- a rundown of this week’s top 20 box -and they’re breaking new ground and pushing office films. their own envelope.

Opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the editor, publisher or the newspaper staff. Waco Weekly is not liable for omissions, misprints or typographical errors. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express consent of the publisher. © Copyright 2014 Campus Press LP

LISTEN

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Cody Johnson Drew Holcomb at Common Grounds By Haley Clark

Americana rock group Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors have a lot to add to their long list of accomplishments, like opening for famous acts such as The Avett Brothers, Robert Earl Keen, Dave Barnes, and Ryan Adams. The group has had songs featured on primetime television shows such as Parenthood, Justified, House, and Nashville. The band consists of lead singer Drew Holcomb and his wife, Ellie, along with Nathan Dugger and Rich Brinsfield. Since the release of their first album, Washed in Blue, in 2005, Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors have been touring the nation and in the UK and they’ve released six albums. Their most recent album, Good Light, was released in February of this year and it’s their most successful to date and, as a result of their loyal fans, has led to their most successful headlining tour, as well. They are currently on their Nothing But Trouble, Nothing But Time tour and making their way to Texas. Another group with their roots firmly planted in the Tennessee ground, Judah & the Lion, joins Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors on the road for this tour. The Americana-folk trio consists of lead singer Judah Akers, Nate Zeurcher on banjo, and Brian Macdonald on mandolin. Their EP, Sweet Tennessee, climbed the Billboard charts, coming in at No. 2 on the Bluegrass Albums and No. 15 on the Folk Albums. Drew Holcomb and Judah & The Lion are bringing their Tennessee flavor to Common Grounds on Friday, March 28. The doors open at 7 and the show will kick off at 8.

the scoop WHAT: DREW HOLCOMB AND THE NEIGHBORS + JUDAH & THE LION WHERE: COMMON GROUNDS WHEN: MARCH 28

at Wild West Waco

By Kelly Porter Riding on the release of his latest album, Cowboy Like Me, award-winning country artist Cody Johnson is coming to Wild West Waco. Johnson has released a total of 3 albums over the years, but says that Cowboy Like Me is different than his previous releases. “My first album was something that I recorded in one week, the entire thing,” Johnson told us. “I put the cart before the horse because I said, ‘Okay, now this is when we’re going to release the CD, now let’s go create it.’ You can’t do that, because you wind up jumping over yourself trying to get it done by that date. This album was, ‘Let’s write–let’s just write and try to figure out the best songs that we can, talk about the album, discuss it.’” Johnson left his day job to pursue his music career, and the new album relates some of his personal story. His favorite song to record on the new album was the title track, “Cowboy Like Me.” Johnson says of the song, “It was too personal not to be. It was probably the most personal song on the album. It’s pretty self explanatory about me, talking about me leaving my full-time job and going to work.” You can see Johnson at WWW on Friday, March 28th. Tickets are $10 in advance (“plus applicable fees”) and $12 (for 21+) or $16 (for 18-20) on the day of the show and can be purchased online at wildwestwaco.com. Doors open at 8pm.

wacoweekly.com • March 26, 2014 • WACO WEEKLY • p 3

FOSTER THE PEOPLE Album: Supermodel

Release Date: March 14, 2014

Rating: Sounds Like: Of Monsters and Men Two Door Cinema Club Passion Pit

Reviewed by Katy De Luna

Recommended Tracks:

Tracklist:

Are You What You Want To Be Ask Yourself Tracks like “Fire Escape” and “The Truth” occasionally Coming of Age display clear signs of musical genius and even cognitive Nevermind brilliance on the writing end. Pseudologia Fantastica The Angelic Welcome of Mr. Jones Consequently, Foster the People’s parting from their first Best Friend album’s signature sound is the best decision they could made moving forward. A Beginner’s Guide Goats in Trees Despite the rising electronic biosphere that is swallowing up indie pop/rock, the band still manages The Truth to dabble in synths with eclectic instrumental arrangements in tow. Fire Escape Tabloid Super Junky In due time, Mark Foster’s creative image will become clear as his work matures. Consider this a transition album, and you’ll be more than satisfied.

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LISTEN

With their second studio album Supermodel, Foster the People makes incredible effort strides on the experimental side, showing a group that’s willing to evolve and explore new frontiers. Supermodel is completely different from their first album, Torches, but this album is still a nearperfect indie-pop experience.

••••••

Ask Yourself Best Friend Fire Escape

Skillrex

“RECESS”

Release Date: Mar. 18, 2014 Reviewed by Heydy Sanches Love him or hate him, Skrillex deserves credit. At 29 years old, he is one of the biggest names in music. As a Grammy nominated artist who’s sold millions of records, played in front of millions of people, and headlined huge music festivals, Skrillex is dubstep’s biggest star. He recently released a full-length studio album, RECESS, as a solo artist, and it’s obvious from one listen that the star producer pushed the boundaries of a genre he helped define. In RECESS, Skrillex shows off a softer more minimalist style than the edgier, bass-heavy sound he’s known for. For some listeners turned off by his catalog to date, this release might be welcoming. For those who swear by him, his patented Transformers-fighting-over-bass-drops sound makes a few welcome appearances. On RECESS, Skrillex might be drawing up the blueprints for a new wave of EDM. Either that or he’s just showing all the cards in his own deck.

George Michael

“Symphonica”

Release Date: Mar. 18, 2014 Reviewed by Katy De Luna Last December, George Michael’s website had been replaced with closed curtains, leaving some to think his career was over. His life has been a crazy one: from the rise to fame with Wham and his solo career, to smoking 25 joints a day and having health issues. Michael is now clean and in much better health, but he hasn’t made new music in years. After ten years of not hearing anything new from him, he’s released Symphonica. Rather than the pop music we are used to hearing from him, Symphonica is recorded with a full orchestra and features songs from his 2010-2011 European tour. Most of the tracks are covers of everything from Roberta Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” to Nina Simone’s “My Baby Just Cares for Me.” After all these years, Michael’s voice sounds as good as ever. Symphonica has already topped the iTunes chart and Amazon’s charts in over ten countries.

Design | Branding | Web wacoweekly.com • March 26, 2014 • WACO WEEKLY • p 5

Hometown Hero: A Conversation with Holly Tucker By Sara Gilmore After making it to the top six in NBC’s The Voice last year, local country music celebrity Holly Tucker came home to Waco and continued life as normal. She attends class every day at Baylor and does all the same things most college students do. Except she also goes to Nashville once a month to write and record with some of the industry’s best, and she is in the process of trying to land a record deal with a label. When she isn’t writing or playing music, she’s working on her degree in speech communications, hanging out at Cameron Park, or getting froyo at U-Swirl with her friends. Tucker has 30-40 shows booked through the summer, and one of them is tonight at Muddle. We got to sit down with the charming, down-to-earth superstar in the making last week and hear about her experience on The Voice, how she juggles her music career and her college classes, and the exciting things she has coming up this spring and summer. WW: How do you do what you did in your life last year with The Voice and then just come back to college? What’s that been like? HT: Well, I mean, I never quit. I kept going while I was on the show. Education is important to me, and I didn’t want to give it up. I want that Baylor degree in my hands, so I just did what it took to keep going and talked to my professors and told them how long I’d be gone. And then, when I came

back, same thing—I didn’t want to quit music but I want my degree, so I’m gonna just do what it takes to get there. WW: How do you feel like your experience on The Voice defined you as an artist? HT: Before The Voice, I’d done this since I was 12. So I guess that was like seven or eight years. I tried to get a bunch of experience growing up, so I did a lot of churches, I did some country shows here and there, anywhere I could sing with the exception of a bar. Then going on the show, it was a whole new world. If I could sum it up in two words, it would be superstar bootcamp. They taught us how to interview, they had us on camera, they had us doing choreography, band rehearsals, vocal lessons, media interviews — all the stuff that the big stars do. We just kinda lived it for three months, and we got to sing in front of millions of people every week, so it was on a much bigger scale than I’m used to performing, and I got to learn from those who do it for a living. I’ve really used that to help form me into what I am now. I used to be really nervous speaking in interviews; but after the show, I’ve just gotten really comfortable with it. WW: I can imagine that an experience like that builds a lot of confidence in you. HT: Yeah, for sure. And making it in that environment—

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like for me, all four coaches turned [in The Voice’s blind audition]. They all saw something in me that they wanted to work with, and that was very validating. WW: What does it feel like when you’re on that stage in your blind audition and while you’re singing you watch all four judges turn around one by one? HT: It’s unbelievable. It’s very surreal. I didn’t actually believe it was happening. And I really didn’t think it would happen that fast. I was hoping for four chairs, but they always tell you going into it that all you need is one, so just pray for that one. Adam turned around first like within three seconds of me singing, and I was like, “Whoa! I didn’t even get anything out!” So it made me freak out a little inside, like, “Wow, this is really happening.” WW: I watched your blind audition again today. You finished the song with great composure. HT: (laughs) I tried! It was just really unbelievable. I wanted Blake (Shelton) to turn, and other than that I wasn’t gonna get my hopes up. And he was the last one to turn. WW: What was working with Blake Shelton like? Is he as much of a clown as he looks like on the show? HT: Oh yeah. He’s a goofball. And that was the thing: going into it I was very star struck. I tried not to, but you know,

it was Blake Shelton standing there in front of me, and he’s my coach! So I would get a little bit nervous every time, because I’m a perfectionist and I don’t like to mess up in front of people. So I go into things very prepared. But I also go into things kind of stiff, because I’m so nervous. So he would always make me laugh and loosen up a little bit before practice or before I went on camera. So, he’s exactly who you see on TV. WW: What does music look like for you in this season while you’re still in school? HT: I’ve got a lot of really exciting things going on right now. On my schedule, I’ve got 30-40 dates booked up through

WW: What do you feel like you’re learning the most as a new songwriter? HT: The hardest part for me — because it’s not hard for me to get my feelings out, I can get a point across — what’s hard for me is formulating that into a sensible song. Just the structure of it; I’m learning more about the technical stuff than I am the feelings. That part I have. Passion has never been a problem. WW: Speaking of passion, what are you writing about lately? What kinds of things in your life are inspiring song writing? HT: The experiences that I’m going through. When I go to

“It’s not hard for me to get my feelings out, I can get a point across — what’s hard for me is formulating that into a sensible song.” - HOLLY TUCKER summer. So I’m really looking forward to that; doing some touring. It’s mostly Texas, but I have some out of state dates too, so that’s cool. I think one of the things we’re really looking forward to is, back in October, I got to go to Nashville and record four brand new songs. So I think we’re releasing one of those as a single in the late spring or early summer, and we’re thinking about releasing a music video with it. So that’s something we’re really looking forward to. And, really, it’s just singing anywhere I can, getting all the opportunities I can, and writing is a big part of the process too. WW: What does writing look like for you? HT: I go to Nashville about once a month to do some co-writing and recording in the studio and meeting with labels and stuff like that. It’s just a big process, a little bit of everything. WW: Being a student, living your life, being 21, and also trying to write great songs and build your career — how does all that work together? HT: Well, when I’m in Nashville, it’s really just who you know. It’s about making relationships, and once people know and like you, they’re willing to work with you. I’m fairly new to songwriting, so I’m still learning, and I’m just very humbled by the experience of getting to go in and work with these great writers that have written songs that I’ve been listening to since I was a little girl, and I’m in the room there now. And then when I come back, in Texas I work on it by myself, and I also have a few songwriter friends here in the area. So it’s just continual practice.

Nashville, it’s a lot of fun, it’s a lot of new experiences, and stuff like that, but it’s also a lot of being told no. It’s a lot of, “You need to do this first before we think about signing you. You’re not ready yet.” And it gets discouraging. So that’s some fuel for my songwriting. And I’ve got a lot of really great things going on here at Baylor. I’ve got a lot of great close friends around me — and I don’t want to go too much into it, but I’ve gone through a bad breakup lately, and so that’s also what’s fueling my songwriting. I’m processing my emotions, but I’m a very positive person and I want to send a positive message, so if I stay down too long I’ll start to bring others down with me. And I don’t want to do that.

HT: As far as female singers, I like Martina McBride and Carrie Underwood the best, because they’ve got that power and soul. And then I like Rascall Flatts a lot, because they’ve got that soul element in their country music, with all the runs and stuff, and I love how they can do that with their voices. WW: I could tell that you were a Carrie Underwood fan when I saw your ‘How Great Thou Art’ performance, because she used to do that one at the Grand Ole Opry. How do you so boldly let your faith be a part of what you do as an artist? HT: That’s another thing that’s just kind of been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My family always went to church, my dad was always the music minister somewhere. So we would have to be a part of that church, and especially a part of the music. So music and faith have always been intertwined for me. It’s really not something I’ve ever thought about separating. I mean, I want to do country, for sure. I don’t want to lose my values. But I don’t always have to sing about Christian things to be a good influence. So that’s kind of what I want to do; be a light in the secular world. I never want to give that part of myself up. WW: When you play at Muddle, you’ll obviously do a lot of covers in a three hour set, but you’ll do some originals, too. Do you have a favorite one of your original songs you’re performing lately? HT: I do. And actually, I don’t think it’ll be the first single we release. I’m a ballad singer. I love slow songs and I love being able to bring out that passion within a slow song. But obviously that won’t be great for a first single. It is my favorite on the record, though. It’s called “’Til Then.” I will be performing that at Muddle. The first single we’re releasing we will also do at Muddle, and it’s called “More Than Just a Word.” It’s kind of a country play on Nat King Cole’s “Love.” It has a Taylor Swift kind of feel to it; it’s very young country.

WW: What about watching your parents play music together growing up made you want to do what you do today? HT: They traveled and played professionally for like six years with a Christian band. When that ended up not working out, they continued singing as a duo, and they had me and my brothers, and they would sing at weddings and small events and churches all as I was growing up. I remember watching them on stage, and seeing how much they loved it, and knowing I enjoyed singing, too. So, I guess just watching them—especially at weddings. There’s just something about weddings, and I would watch them sing together and it was just so beautiful. So then I started singing in churches, and they brought me up on music; so it’s always been a part of my life. I don’t remember a day when there wasn’t music in our house. WW: Who are some of your music heroes?

wacoweekly.com • March 26, 2014 • WACO WEEKLY • p 7

Open Windows and Privacy: The Many Faces of Elijah Wood By Chris Zebo The name Frodo immediately conjures up another name: Elijah Wood. Elijah knows this, but it doesn't concern him. Not in the least. Unlike other actors who've become typecast by the roles they've played over the years (William Shatner, Samuel L. Jackson, Morgan Freeman), Elijah's range of characters extends far beyond The Lord of the Rings franchise. From Radio Flyer to The Ice Storm, voice acting in the animated film 9 to playing Ryan in FX's television comedy Wilfred, Wood is the lord of range. In recent years, he's played a number of darker characters in thrillers and horrors—genres he loves. He plays a blood-lusting, psychopathic killer on a rampage in Maniac, a concert pianist in Grand Piano who's threatened with a bullet by a sinister murderer if he plays the wrong note, and recently he plays a fan who wins a failed date with an actress in Open Windows, a nail-biting thriller by Spanish director Nacho Vigalondo. Looking at his roster the past few years, Wood could easily be typecast in darker hues than his Lord of the Rings run.

typecast by her hundreds of adult films. However, Grey has made appearances in a couple of mainstream flicks and television shows the past few years, including HBO's Entourage and Steven Soderbergh's indie film The Girlfriend Experience. In Open Windows, she plays Jill, a popular actress who participates in an Internet contest where one lucky fan can win a date with her. Nick, played by Wood, is that lucky fan. Unfortunately for Nick, Jill cancels the date. Jilted and despondent, he's contacted by a man named Chord, who poses as Jill's manager. He sends Nick a secret web link and tells him to drag it onto an “open window” in his computer browser. When the link is activated, Nick is able to follow Jill's every move on his computer screen—unbeknownst to her—via her web cam, cell phone, security cameras, and even satellite imaging. However, Chord has sinister, ulterior motives and ruins Nick's unbridled voyeurism. He forces him to watch helplessly as his favorite actress is abused and abducted. Nick is determined to save her.

“It's definitely not something I'm seeking out,” Wood tells us during a recent interview at SXSW. “Although I think as an actor, I'm always looking for different and new experiences.”

If the premise seems a little far-fetched, it is. However, Vigalondo wasn't as concerned with suspending disbelief as he was with broaching particular paranoias of the digital age.

Open Windows stars Wood alongside former adult film actress, Sasha Grey, who's unquestionably been

“When you choose to make a movie that happens in front of a computer screen,” Vigalondo tells us, “you are

pg 8 • WACO WEEKLY • March 26, 2014 • wacoweekly.com

almost condemned to talk about privacy, about all these things.” Although privacy is the underlying motif of the film, it's not his focus. In fact, he's not so sure our paranoia about digital privacy is even a realistic fear. “I have this feeling that recently we don't care that much about privacy,” he says. “We are terrified; and yet at the same time when we go onto the Internet, we know that we are exposing ourselves. Every time we give our information to a search program, you are talking about yourself. And people don't seem to care that much about it. So I am worried about privacy, but I don't think the movie is based on that fear. It's using that fear as a way to talk about something else, which is protection. About the fact that as consumers on the Internet we don't consider ourselves as people who exploit other people. But the Internet is playing tricks with our morals all the time, and sometimes we become exploiters.” Wood agrees. In his personal experience using Facebook and managing his Twitter account, he's encountered his own share of paranoia and trepidation. “I think privacy is an abstraction,” Wood says. “When we sign up for something on Facebook, and we know—and it even warns us—that if we sign on using Facebook that they're going to have access to our photos and all these things—it's still abstract. It doesn't feel real; so people don't think anything of it.”

At the core of that abstraction—of doing what we want on the web with less scruples and yet still demanding others play by the rules—is his character's dilemma in the film. “What my character does at the beginning of the film— because of that sort of distance, a click—it doesn't feel like a physical act, it doesn't feel like anything wrong. But of course it is wrong. I think we all kind of experience that to a certain degree.” In a virtual world, where our actions seem to cohere to a different set of malleable rules, morality and ethics become click-by-click judgments. Add to that the speed of each transaction we make, the multiple pages we view, the media we download, the comments we make—and every action has

It's Grey's life off the screen that facilitated the real motif of the film, according to Vigalondo. The film's tension isn't so much derived from our fears of having our lives intruded as it is in us being intruders ourselves. “Her presence allows me to talk about the kind of consumers these movies have,” Vigalondo says, “the kind of people on the Internet. And since I was making the movie with her, I had this dream of an anger that so many people show on the Internet towards a girl that was a star but now she's doing something different. They are so angry at her. And I feel that's disturbing, and I saw that kind of psychology on the Internet that I wanted to put inside this villain. He's a person that's really cruel, who is really horrible. But at the same time, he has this sense of justice, of what is right and

“As consumers on the Internet, we don’t consider ourselves as people who exploit other people. But the Internet is playing tricks with our morals all the time, and sometimes we become exploiters. - ELIJAH WOOD, ACTOR its own consequences, yet without the reflection we'd give to events occurring in real life, beyond the screen.

what is wrong. I find that all the time on the Internet, and I'm horrified by that.”

“One of the things I find fascinating about the movie,” says Wood, “is something we can all relate to: that moral ambiguity about the choices we make. The things we say, or the thing we choose to download—we have a relative distance from it. We behave on the Internet in some ways where we wouldn't behave if we were faced with an individual.”

Casting Wood was a different story than casting Grey. Her status beyond screen elevated the layers in which the film operates conceptually, while it was Wood's versatility as an actor that most appealed to Vigalondo.

For example, Vigalando muses, “Say they've stolen these photos from this actress. She's naked, and that's a crime. We don't support that kind of crime because we don't want anybody to steal our photographs.” “But we will look at the photographs,” Wood says, “But we go to see them as fast as possible,” Vigalondo says, laughing. Grey's performance as a character who wishes to remain private, contrary to what we know about her real life as a porn star, elevates the concept film's concept to a whole other level. “The fact that she is an ex-adult film star gives another layer of irony,” says Vigalondo, “another layer of significance. She has said that this is not an adult movie, but it's aware of her past. The movie is not exploiting that part of herself, but it's aware of that. Which I think is really interesting.”

“I thought about him all the time I was writing the role,” Vigalondo says. “I love the fact that Elijah is agile. The character evolves, starts here and ends up there. He makes it believable. It doesn't feel forced. That, for me, is one of the treasures of the movie.” Wood first met Vigalondo at Fantastic Fest in Austin a few years ago. The two were immediately drawn to each other. Elijah was a fan of the director's work, especially Timecrimes. Although he has always been a fan of fantasy, horror, and thrillers, Wood says the characters he's been playing lately are completely fortuitous. When asked if he has been searching our darker roles, he says, “In some ways, it's more organic than that.” “This particular film and Grand Piano are examples of completely organic scenarios, where I met Eugenio [director of Grand Piano] and Nacho at Fantastic Fest in Austin,” Wood says. “I certainly love genre films; I'm drawn to them as a fan of cinema, and it's cinema I like. But I don't know that I'm necessarily looking just for those kinds of films now. I think it is also circumstantial. Those happen to be the films that I've come across that are interesting and unique.”

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Dorie isn’t the greatest cook. She’s the reason my bespectacled, second-grader self believes that scrambled eggs are WAY too salty and all Belgian waffles hold their shape when you hold them between two fingers. Baking, though, that’s different. Perhaps she’s just good at following the recipes she reads off of her small, oil-blotted notecards. Or maybe her hands, so awkward with the skillet, become the hands of Bernini as soon as sugar is involved. What’s she doing now? My brother has slid under the kitchen table to play with the cogs that extend its leaves when guests are around. We’ve eaten Dorie’s Velveeta shells, and we haven’t done anything horrible. If she doesn’t notice my brother under the table, she just might offer us ice cream. But wait: she’s huddling over something. Yes, she’s taken a sea green tupperware dish from the refrigerator, she’s dipping a spoon into the corner of...could it be? Oh my, indeed: she’s scooping out the last bit of chocolate pudding parfait. I’ll pause for a moment. Dorie’s chocolate pudding parfait was probably one of those passed down recipes, like her Ranger bars, her “everything” cookies, or her Italian wedding crescents. But that didn’t stop it from being nothing short of euphoric. She had a name for it: ”five-layer something.” A crushed pecan crust, then a malty chocolate pudding, and then, she told me, the secret: a millimeter-thin layer of cream cheese—all beneath a whipped cream topping and a feather dusting of chocolate shavings. I didn’t have time to think about its subtleties, though. I don’t know what Dorie expected us to do when she put the pudding parfait on one plate with two forks. Share? Because my brother and I both knew what had to happen. I had the advantage. I lunged out of the kitchen chair, skidding as the cushion slipped to the side. I dove for the plate, my brother sliding out from under the table behind me. I sprinted for the back door, the paper plate teetering on my upturned palm. Yes, that’s how much I needed the pudding. I was prepared to run away. But I never got there. My brother yanked the back of my shirt, and as I careened around the corner into the coatroom, the pudding shot right off the plate and landed with a splat on the linoleum. I think you know what we did next. It’s true. We both jumped to the ground with forks and tried to eat it as quickly as possible. Off the floor. Not my shining moment. You can avoid fiascos like this one by giving everyone an individual pudding parfait. I haven’t recovered Dorie’s recipe yet. I’ll probably find it on a pudding box somewhere. But these malty parfaits do the trick. The salty crunch of the pretzels combined with the diner-inspired malted pudding will make you wish you never wasted all those years on the little packaged pudding cups.

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TASTE

•••••• It’s 1996. Dorie is in the kitchen. My bare feet are cool on the slick stone floor of my grandpa’s house. Dorie was my grandpa’s housekeeper after my grandmother died, but she has become his caretaker, his sometime cook, a family confidante...and our babysitter.

Malted Chocolate Pudding Parfaits with Pretzel Crunch

Malted Chocolate Pudding: 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder 3 Tablespoons cornstarch 2 Tablespoons malt powder ¼ teaspoon table salt 1 cup heavy cream 3 large egg yolks 2 ½ cups 2% milk 1 cup sugar 1. Chop the 4 oz. of chocolate and set aside. In a large, heatproof bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, cornstarch, malt powder, and table salt. Slowly whisk in the cream, followed by the egg yolks. 2. In a medium pot, combine the 2 ½ cups milk and 1 cup sugar. Bring milk and sugar mixture to a low simmer. Watch for foamy bubbles to form. Do not let the milk come to a full boil, and stir frequently to prevent scorching on the bottom.

and whip to aerate. Pretzel Crunch: 2 cups thin pretzel sticks ¼ cup brown sugar 3 Tablespoons milk powder 1 Tablespoon malt powder 7 Tablespoons melted salted butter 1. Preheat oven to 275 F. Crunch pretzel sticks into ¼- to ½-inch pieces. 2. In medium bowl, combine crushed pretzels, brown sugar, milk powder, and malt powder. Stir gently. Add melted butter, stirring to combine. You’ll have a gloppy mixture that clings to the pretzels. Pour onto a parchment-lined sheetpan and spread into a thin layer. 3. Bake 20 minutes until the pretzels are deep brown and fragrant. Let cool completely, then break up and set aside.

3. Temper the eggs by pouring some of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking rapidly to prevent curdling. Then transfer all of the egg mixture back to the pot. On medium-high heat, warm the pudding mixture, whisking constantly. Bring to a full boil and continue whisking for 2 minutes as the pudding thickens. Remove pudding from heat and add flaked chocolate. Let sit for 1-2 minutes, then thoroughly incorporate chocolate.

Malted Whipped Cream: 1 cup cream 1 Tablespoon malt powder 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

4. Transfer to a shallow heatproof dish and cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cool, at least 1 hour. Optional: When ready to serve, transfer pudding to a bowl

Assemble the parfaits: In glasses or bowls, alternate layers of chocolate pudding, crunchies, and whipped cream. Top with a puff of cocoa powder. Makes about 8 parfaits.

In a chilled metal bowl, whip cream on high until thickened, 3-5 minutes. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract and whip until soft peaks form. Add malt powder and whip until stiff peaks form.

Spring Fling Special Needs Dance

By Katy De Luna

This Saturday Baylor Urban Missions teams up with the Special Olympics to sponsor a fundraiser at the 7th Annual Spring Fling Special Needs Dance. Baylor Urban Missions is a Spiritual Life group who strives to apply their educations at Baylor and use them to help people around the world and in their community. Around Waco, Urban Missions teams up with local organizations and churches to build relationships and provide services. In Waco, they offer tutoring for children, an after school program for elementary students, and they tutor women working towards their GEDs. At Providence Hospital, Urban Missions brings peace to patients and their families by talking to them and praying with them. The Special Olympics Texas branch works within the community, as well. The Special Olympics is an organization that operates all year and holds over 300 competitions annually. Children as young as six can start training, and at eight years old they can start competing. The Special Olympics gives people with disabilities opportunities to develop physical fitness, compete in games, and to gain courage and friendships. The competitions themselves are divided based on age, gender, and ability level so that the athletes have an equal chance of winning. Special Olympics Inc. holds World Games every two years and USA National Games every four years. This leads us to the 7th Annual Spring Fling Special Needs Dance and why it raises funds for the Special Olympics. It’s a great way to help an organization that cares for the well-being of their athletes. All members of the special needs community and their families are welcome. The evening will be filled with dancing, fun activities, and games for everyone to enjoy. The fun will be from 6–8 pm on March 29 in Russell Gym on Baylor’s campus located on Speight Avenue. To RSVP, or for more information, email specialneeds@baylor.edu.

wacoweekly.com • March 26, 2014 • WACO WEEKLY • pg 11

TEXAS BACK ROADS facebook.com/TexasBackRoads

What’s Bubblin’ in Dublin You may or may not have heard, but the sweet nectar most folks call Dr Pepper is no longer produced in the small town of Dublin, TX. Following the decision of the lawsuit brought by Dr Pepper corporate, the Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling Company separated from Dr Pepper corporate and the soda invented in Waco in 1885.

The legend of Dublin Dr Pepper started in the 1970s when most soda manufacturers were switching to high-fructose corn syrup as a cheaper alternative to the rising price of sugar. Deciding to remain true to the original product, Dublin stuck with the original Dr Pepper formula it had been bottling since 1891. A cult following developed and over the years true Dr Pepper fans flocked to the small town in Erath County to buy “original” Dr Pepper by the case. The capstone event being the annual Birthday Celebration of the plant in which the town of Dublin was renamed Dr Pepper, TX for a week. These days, the only tie the bottler has to Dr Pepper is its museum – yes, there’s a separate museum for Dr Pepper in Dublin – showcasing the large collection of Dr Pepper memorabilia that the plant owners collected throughout the years. The biggest misconceptions most folks have about the small town bottler is that Dr Pepper owns the bottler or that Dr Pepper forced them to close. While technically speaking the Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling Co. no longer exists, it’s only because the company changed its name to Dublin Bottling Works, but it is still a family-owned business as it has always been. And while severing a relationship of that magnitude could prove catastrophic for most small businesses, Dublin Bottling Works has emerged from the ashes a phoenix and a rock star in its own right. The day after the Dublin Dr Pepper Bottling Co. closed its doors for the last time, owner Jeff

pg 12 • WACO WEEKLY • March 26, 2014 • wacoweekly.com

Kloster did the same thing he did every day, sell soda, this time peddling soda independence. You could say they took lemons and made lemonade, or Tart-n-Sweet Lemonade to be exact. Now with 10 of its own flavors, the bottler has let go of even more of the larger brands it was known for including Big Red, Nu Grape and Triple XXX Root Beer, focusing instead on its own flavors. So what if you’ve probably never heard of these new sodas, that’s kind of the point. Each one of these sodas is a crafted product by true soda artisans with more than a century of experience in the properties and processes involved in making some truly tasty treats. And staying true to their pedigree, each soda is made with pure cane sugar.

At Old Doc’s Soda Shop, the on location retail side for the general public, you can buy any one of these sodas by the bottle, make your own six pack or even buy a case of your favorite. As a bonus, they even have a select number of other independent sodas from around the country. And let’s face it, on a hot Texas afternoon, what could be better than popping the top off an ice cold piece of Texas heritage. Insider Tip: On June 7 Dublin Bottling Works will hold their 123rd Birthday Celebration, an event filled with arts and crafts vendors, food, sand castle art, free tours and more. After this year, they will hold their Birthday Celebration every fifth year in an effort to further focus on developing their soda brands. Dublin Bottling Works is located just one block from Highway 6 in Dublin, Texas. The soda shop is open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 1pm-5pm. Tours begin at 10:15am and run every 45 minutes. If you have any questions, you can call 888.398.1024. For additional information, check out www.dublinbottlingworks.com

By Jeremy Rinard of txbkrds.com

“something themes wrong”

restaurants I won’t be visiting Across 1 Item with a pole position? 5 Suffix meaning “followers of” 9 Like cartoonists’ hands 13 Candy rack cylinder 14 Big picture? 16 Questionnaire box 17 NYSE newsmakers 18 Nimble 19 Lemon candy 20 Unappealing theme restaurant based on a hit CGI movie? 23 Ancient Mexican pyramid builder 24 Try with the shirt again 25 Hot pants wearer, so to speak? 27 Looking over 30 Total 33 Org. with many conferences 35 “___ Flux” 37 Unappealing theme restaurant devoted to Hans Christian Andersen? 42 Circumstance’s partner 43 Opposed to 44 Role for Keanu 45 Chinese cuisine style 49 “Hair” producer Joseph ___ 51 “Mercy me!” 53 Like the wars between Carthage and Rome 57 Unappealing theme restaurant devoted to Irving Berlin? 60 Kudrow who’s among “Friends” 61 Barbershop offering 62 “Casablanca” character 63 Rapper/actor who turned 56 in February 64 One-on-one student 65 Insulting remark 66 Have the moxie 67 Keep goal in hockey 68 “Lights out” music

Down 1 Painter Kahlo 2 Urban partner on TV? 3 “It’s ___ cause” 4 Mahalia Jackson’s genre 5 Apple product 6 Leonard or Robinson 7 Erie or Huron 8 ___ Mae (college money provider) 9 Unwilling to face reality 10 Screenwriter Ephron 11 Stomach tightness 12 “Got that right” 15 A little suspicious 21 Bake sale topping 22 Barney’s bartender 26 Oft-injured knee part, briefly 28 Kurt denial? 29 Outta here 30 “The Racer’s Edge” sloganeer 31 “Whoops!” 32 Inbox item 34 Nabokov novel 36 Doctors Without Borders, e.g. 38 Current 39 Yet to be confirmed 40 Kingston Trio hit 41 Kate Middleton’s sister 46 Some degree of success? 47 Praiseful poet 48 Drill sergeant’s command 50 Not one to try new ideas 52 Marble type 54 ___ Wafers 55 “___ to you!” 56 Former rulers 57 Typography unit 58 Wi-fi seeker 59 Have to have 60 Box top

Answers

2014 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com)

wacoweekly.com • March 26, 2014 • WACO WEEKLY • pg 13

By Cheyenne Mueller

Divergent

Action (PG-13)

Daily Food and Drink Specials Summit Entertainment favors best-selling young adult novels and turning them into films. Divergent is the production company’s third series, Twilight and The Hunger Games being its predecessors. While the film has been proactive with their publicizing, the film hasn’t garnered as much press as The Hunger Games. The two series are almost identical: set in a futuristic, dystopian society, separated by fences from an unknown predator. Both also focus on an age of “coming into adulthood.” Originally, the casting of Shailene Woodley as the film’s protagonist, Tris, made me nervous. All that I had seen of Woodley was from the TV series, Secret Life of the American Teenager, and her character was so whiny I couldn’t finish the series. My uncertainty didn’t fester for too long, because when Hunger Games came around, I was pissed about Jennifer Lawrence being cast as Katniss. But once I saw the movie, I was hooked. I held onto hope that Woodley would surprise me.

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And she did. Woodley was able to bring pathos to a character that didn’t have much as it was scripted. In these heroinedriven books, the female leads are strong characters with a grand total of three emotions: fear, adrenaline, and love for their family/cute boy. Shailene was able to evoke a range of emotions that felt genuine and weren’t overdone, and her acting skills were able to compensate for her slender figure; even though she didn’t look tough, she could act tough. When Theo James (Underworld: Awakening) came onto screen, there was an audible reaction from the females in the audience. Boys, hide your girlfriend, hide your wife, ‘cause Theo James is stealing all the ladies’ hearts (mine included – don’t tell my boyfriend I said that). The British actor speaks with a convincing American accent, and his Dave Franco-worthy eyebrows give him an air of authority and mystery. With any book-to-film remake, there’s going to be some changes in the script. It used to really bother me: “Why can’t they just stick to the book?” While changes can be annoying, the alterations made in this film actually made it better. Don’t worry, I’m not going to spoil anything for you. But if you haven’t read the book and think the movie looks interesting, you won’t be confused. The book itself, while not about a competition between teenagers murdering each other, still has quite a bit of darkness to it. Even though Divergent hasn’t been as successful as The Hunger Games, director Neil Burger (Limitless) did a great job trimming the fat from the novel and producing an entertaining and exciting movie. The movie is rated PG-13 for intense violence and action, thematic elements and some sensuality.

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1. Divergent

In a world divided by factions based on virtues, Tris learns she’s Divergent and won’t fit in. When she discovers a plot to destroy Divergents, Tris and the mysterious Four must find out what makes Divergents dangerous before it’s too late. PG-13 (139 min)

7. The Grand Budapest Hotel

14. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

Wes Anderson chronicles the adventures of Gustave H, a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the world wars, and Zero Moustafa, a lobby boy who becomes his most trusted friend. R (100 min)

Jack Ryan, as a young covert CIA analyst, uncovers a Russian plot to crash the U.S. economy with a terrorist attack. PG-13 (105 min)

2. Muppets Most Wanted

8. Non-Stop

While on a grand world tour, The Muppets find themselves wrapped into a European jewel-heist caper headed by a Kermit the Frog look-alike and his dastardly sidekick. PG (107 min)

3. Mr. Peabody & Sherman The time-travelling adventures of an advanced canine and his adopted son, as they endeavor to fix a time rift they created. PG (92 min)

4. 300: Rise of an Empire Greek general Themistokles leads the charge against invading Persian forces led by mortal-turned-god Xerxes and Artemisia, vengeful commander of the Persian navy. R (102 min)

5. God’s Not Dead

College student Josh Wheaton’s faith is challenged by his philosophy professor, who believes God does not exist. PG (113 min)

6. Need for Speed

Fresh from prison, a street racer who was framed by a wealthy business associate joins a cross-country race with revenge on his mind. His expartner, learning of the plan, places a massive bounty on his head as the race begins. PG-13 (132 min)

After receiving a series of text messages demanding a transfer of $150 million into an offshore account, an air marshal must prevent a terrorist attack and clear his name. PG-13 (106 min)

9. The Lego Movie

An ordinary LEGO, mistakenly thought to be the extraordinary MasterBuilder, is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil tyrant from gluing the universe together. PG (100 min)

10. The Single Mom’s Club The life story of Jesus is told from his humble birth through his teachings, crucifixion, and ultimate resurrection. PG-13 (138 min)

11. Son of God

The life story of Jesus is told from his humble birth through his teachings, crucifixion, and ultimate resurrection. PG-13 (138 min)

12. The Monuments Men

15. That Awkward Moment Three male best friends find themselves at that confusing moment in every dating relationship when they have to decide “So... where is this going?” R (94 min)

16. Ride Along

Fast-talking security guard Ben joins his cop brother-in-law James on a 24-hour patrol of Atlanta in order to prove himself worthy of marrying Angela, James’ sister. PG-13 (100 min)

17. 3 Days to Kill

A dying Secret Service agent trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter is offered an experimental drug that could save his life in exchange for one last assignment. PG-13 (113 min)

18. Bad Words

A spelling bee loser sets out to exact revenge by finding a loophole and attempting to win as an adult. R (89 min)

19. Veronica Mars

An unlikely World War II platoon are tasked to rescue art masterpieces from Nazi thieves and return them to their owners. PG-13 (118 min)

Years after walking away from her past as a teenage private eye, Veronica Mars gets pulled back to her hometown (just in time for her high school reunion) to help her old flame, Logan Echolls, who’s embroiled in a murder mystery. PG-13 (107 min)

13. Frozen

20. 12 Years a Slave

In a kingdom cursed to endure permanent winter, a young girl voiced by Kristen Bell teams up with a mountain man to rescue her sister and stop the curse in the latest Disney animated adventure. PG (102 min)

In the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. R (134 min)

wacoweekly.com • March 26, 2014 • WACO WEEKLY • pg 15