VOL. 16, ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 3, 2019
Sharpening Their Craft: Smiths in Chattanooga From everyday tools to fantasy weapons, locals are crafting items of use and beauty
CHATTANOOGA'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM
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FROM THE EDITOR VOLUME 16, ISSUE 1 • JANUARY 3, 2019
BREWER MEDIA GROUP Publisher James Brewer, Sr. FOUNDED 2003 BY ZACHARY COOPER & MICHAEL KULL
EDITORIAL Managing Editor Gary Poole gary@chattanoogapulse.com Contributing Editor Mike McJunkin City Editor Alex Curry Music Editor Marc T. Michael Film Editor John DeVore Contributors Rob Brezsny Matt Jones Ernie Paik Rick Pimental-Habib Michael Thomas Brandon Watson Cartoonists Jen Sorenson Tom Tomorrow
ADVERTISING Director of Sales Mike Baskin mike@brewermediagroup.com
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Account Executives Rick Leavell • Cindee McBride Libby Phillips • John Rodriguez Danielle Swindell
CONTACT Offices 1305 Carter St. Chattanooga, TN 37402 Phone 423.265.9494 Fax 423.266.2335 Email info@chattanoogapulse.com Website chattanoogapulse.com Facebook @chattanoogapulse THE FINE PRINT: The Pulse is published weekly by Brewer Media and is distributed throughout the city of Chattanooga and surrounding communities. The Pulse covers a broad range of topics concentrating on music, the arts, entertainment, culture and local news. The Pulse is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. No person without written permission from the publisher may take more than one copy per weekly issue. The Pulse may be distributed only by authorized distributors. Contents Copyright © 2019 by Brewer Media. All rights reserved.
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Sharpening Their Craft As a new year approaches, New Year’s Resolutions approach even faster. Drinking more water and reading more are repeat list makers, but one that always gets crossed off yet I keep putting back on is “Be More Of A Tourist”.
THE GIVING SEASON
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FLYING ON RAVEN’S WINGS
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The holiday season has officially come to an end. It’s a new year and Santa is long gone, on the beach in Barbados for a month before grinding out toys for next year.
Our Tom Morley is somewhat more contemporary, a classically trained music educator and master of all things violin and fiddle.
THE DANCE OF ISADORA
Stepping through the Hunter Museum of American Art, Adera Causey, curator of education, has a smile on her face, a smile that extends through her whole body.
VILLAIN OR PATRIOT?
It’s easy to think that the current White House administration is uniquely terrible in all things. The evidence is there: real time corruption, a who’s who of bad actors, lies, camps, tweets.
4 CONSIDER THIS
16 MUSIC CALENDAR
21 NEW IN THEATERS
6 SHRINK RAP
18 MUSIC REVIEWS
22 GAME ON!
19 FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
23 JONESIN' CROSSWORD
12 ARTS CALENDAR
CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 3, 2019 • THE PULSE • 3
BEGINNINGS · CITY LIFE
Cons ider This w ith Dr. Rick
The Giving Season Doesn't End With The Holidays The Forgotten Child Fund helps all year long
“Come on, sweetheart, let’s adore one another before there is no more of you and me.” —Rumi It may seem incongruent to think about endings at the start of a new year. Yet it is precisely the coming to terms with letting go which allows us to move forward with less baggage. I’d suggest to you that the start of a new year can be growth-filled, a time to take stock. The death of a loved one, pet or job, or loss due to illness...even something positive, such as moving to a new home includes a degree of loss as you say good-bye to the old one that holds memories. Consider this: Ritualize your good-byes by lighting a candle and taking the time to meditate on lessons learned from each loss. In this way you honor those who are no longer here, and honor your own growth as you wander through the memories with a few tears and a few laughs. — Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D.
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HE HOLIDAY SEASON HAS OFFICIALLY come to an end. It’s a new year and Santa is long gone, on the beach in Barbados for a month before grinding out toys for next year. Resolutions of fitness and balanced diets are already beginning to fade into forgotten fairy tales.
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The holidays can be a time of staggering consumerism and mass consumption, the intent of the season often lost in corporatism’s forced guilt trip of materialistic excess. It is increasingly important in our social climate to take opportunities to remind ourselves of our community as
THE COMIX
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It may seem a bit odd to talk about a holiday charity right after Christmas is over, but I believe that it’s just as important today as it is every other day of the year.” a greater whole, and our ability to strive for betterment. We take plenty of time to explore the greater sides of Chattanooga, a city that earns its wonderful reputation honestly and with stout integrity. However, not everything that happens here starts off as a happy story. More important than anything we receive during the year, we must remember that giving is the true gift and joy of life. Chattanooga tends to rise up and transform these less than pleasant stories and situations into hopeful examples of progress and change in our world. The Forgotten Child Fund is an organization made up of public servants from the Chattanooga Fire and Police Departments, Hamilton Country Sheriff’s, Hamilton Country Emergency Services, and civilian volunteers. They have the ambitious mission of ensuring that all children in our community are able to enjoy Christmas and have a memorable experience. It may seem a bit odd to talk about a holiday charity right after Christmas is over, but I believe that it’s just as important today as it is every other day of the year. The ideals of giving and charity in our hearts need not be based on an ancient calendar or a variable lunar event. Sharing is a foundational aspect of civilization and there is no better time to continue
opening our hearts than right now. “In 2018, we served over 11,500 children in the tri-state area, ensuring that these children were able to celebrate the Christmas holiday,” says Lieutenant Austin Garrett. “The Forgotten Child Fund strives to serve our community’s children during Christmas by providing gifts to needy families who otherwise would not experience the magic and excitement of waking up Christmas morning to a visit from Santa.” For more information, visit forgottenchildfund.org and make a donation today. If a financial donation isn’t in the books, donating your time can often be even more valuable. The organization is run entirely by volunteers and donations from the community. Groups such as Sunday school classes, scout troops, cheerleaders, and groups from corporations already volunteer their time, but there is plenty of room for more help. Together, we can start our support now and throughout the year so that every child in our community feels warmth and love and joy. The Season of Giving never needed to be a burden restricted to November and December. We can all come together and help whenever we can to transform the lives of those around us. — Alex Curry, City Editor CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 3, 2019 • THE PULSE • 5
COLUMN · SHRINK RAP
Finding, Honoring and Living Your Best Life The good doctor offers up positive advice for a brand new year
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Dr. Rick
Pulse columnist
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I am becoming my better self, someone who is more conscious of my health. I will explore my relationship to money and set my intention to enrich that relationship.”
Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist, author, minister, and educator in private practice in Chattanooga. Contact him at DrRPH.com, visit his wellness center at WellNestChattanooga.com
T THIS TIME OF YEAR, I OFten write about intentions and resolutions, and how they differ. For instance, a resolution is usually about doing or not doing something. I will lose weight. I will stop smoking. I will save money, etc. They don’t tend to last much past January, and then you’re stuck with that gym membership you may or may not use. Intentions, however, are more about being. I am becoming my better self, someone who is more conscious of my health. I will explore my relationship to money and set my intention to enrich that relationship. These shifts in how you view and inhabit your world are significant and lasting. The details—weight loss, spending habits—then take care of themselves. When you get “right” with your thoughts, you’ll find your behavior shifts in healthy ways. This year, however, I want to explore inspiration. What better time than the season of new beginnings? And as I’ve been pondering this idea of inspiration, my thoughts quickly turned to one of my greatest personal inspirers, Maya Angelou. Many of you probably recall her beautiful, insightful poem written for former president Bill Clinton’s inauguration in 1993, “On the Pulse of Morning.” Author Andrew Spacey describes it as “a poem that isn’t afraid to look back into darker times before pushing on forward into a future full of hope. [It] asserts that human beings can change for the better and that, working with Nature, learning from the past, and despite differences, great things can be accomplished together.” And Maya Angelou has said, “In my work, in everything I do, I mean to say that we human beings are more alike than we are unalike, and to use that
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statement to break down the walls we set between ourselves.” Now, on the threshold of a new year, I am particularly inspired by these words from her poem: “I, the Rock, I the River, I the Tree, I am yours—your Passages have been paid. Lift up your faces, you have a piercing need for this bright morning dawning for you.” I feel fortunate to have many “inspirers,” and in that lovely way the universe works—and our consciousness tunes in—I find as I ponder a specific topic an abundance of related ideas begin arriving from myriad directions—books, films, conversations, inspired thought, etc. For example, I recently came across this description of the lotus flower: It grows in muddy water, and it is this environment that gives forth the flower’s first and most literal meaning: rising and blooming above the murk to achieve enlightenment. Then, from Deepak Chopra: “You must find the place inside yourself where nothing is impossible.” (It was Deepak Chopra’s book, “Quantum Healing” that provided the inspiration for my own first book.) And the hits just keep coming. “I am open to the mystery and magic that this new beginning brings.” “I am not telling
you it is going to be easy. I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it.” (authors unknown) Here’s a timely New Year’s affirmation: “I release all things from the past year that has caused any negative attachment. I welcome new changes, new lessons and new adventures.” (from The Buddha Way) Several more came across my desk: “And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been.” (Rilke) “Afoot and lighthearted I take to the open road, healthy, free, the world before me. The long path leading wherever I choose.” (Walt Whitman) “Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” (Oprah Winfrey) Some questions I encourage you to ask yourself: What inspires me, and where do I find my inspiration? Am I open to receiving the gifts of insight… enlightenment…passion? Am I catching the messages which arrive all the time, raining down and surrounding me as I ponder my life? Am I open to living a life inspired by the wisdom of others, and by the wisdom within? As you embark on your own inspired, lighthearted journey, I wish you all you want for yourself in the New Year.
CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 3, 2019 • THE PULSE • 7
COVER STORY
Sharpening Their Craft From everyday tools to fantasy weapons, Chattanooga smiths are crafting items of use and beauty
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S A NEW YEAR APPROACHES, NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS approach even faster. Drinking more water and reading more are repeat list makers, but one that always gets crossed off yet I keep putting back on is “Be More Of A Tourist”. By Jenn Webster Pulse contributor
It’s a cold day in December when I visit bladesmith MeLinda Brown at the forge under her house. As I ease down the long, muddy driveway, my heart flutters a bit. Having seen Brown craft a flail and a Joan of Arc-themed sword on Master of Arms in November, I’m apprehensive. On my computer monitor, she looked fierce. “I don’t usually wait to have a space given to me,” she said, on the show, of women in smithcraft. “I prefer to take it.” But as soon as we start to talk, I realize I have nothing to fear. Brown describes her craft with loving precision. And her motivations are the noblest—creating beautiful objects and empowering women to use them. “I started messing around with knives when I was a little kid,” she tells me, explaining that she began with an inheritance from her uncles. Then she moved to making mini-knives (imagine a knife that would hang easily from a lanyard or, at the largest, fit comfortably in a woman’s palm). Each knife is different and all are beautiful. Brown’s painstaking craftsmanship brings out the natural color within the wooden handles, the silky grains of the wicked sharp blades, and the contrasting textures of the spine. Many have been crafted into shapes reminiscent of natural 8 • THE PULSE • JANUARY 3, 2019 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM
creatures, such as leaves and birds. Brown also has a social mission—she’s trying to make knife-carrying accessible and familiar for people, especially women, who aren’t always comfortable around blades. “I don’t see women carrying knives anymore,” she tells me. I’ve noticed it myself. It’s a change that’s pretty recent, I think. I certainly carried a pocketknife as a teenager, and so did many girls. But now, in the days of zero tolerance, it’s risky to hand out even pocketknives to kids who might accidentally drop them into a backpack. Or maybe there are other reasons. Brown makes women’s knives versatile, functional tools; good for cutting fruit and vegetables, breaking down boxes, peeling potatoes, cutting pasta, shaving, paring nails, cleaning fish, popping bubble wrap, cutting carpet, and yes, defending oneself. She lets me handle a knife that fits my skinny palm perfectly. With my first finger through a loop in the heel of the blade, it feels secure and almost alive. Though she emphasizes the practical use of her knives as tools and perhaps defensive equipment, Brown’s knives are also works of art. Each is different. The natural colors of the wooden handles and leather sheaths enhance the sheen of the blade. “When I’m creating, I make it so it’s functional,” she says. “But when I start hammering, it tends to change—like a
character in a story.” Under the house, Brown shows me her forge—a space half-open to the elements, containing a can of propane gas, an anvil, a quenching tank made from a length of pipe full of oil, and of course, the forge itself. Next door, an enclosed workroom houses her woodworking and leatherworking spaces. Even small fragments of wood and scrap leather are preserved. Brown grew up learning to economize and repurpose—skills that serve her well. A knife takes several days to make, Brown tells me. First, she has to knock a piece of steel down to size, “drawing out” the tang (the metal that extends through the handle) and shaping the blade. She might spend three to four hours on a blade, heat-treating it until it is particularly hard. “You normalize the steel by bringing it to a critical temperature,” she explains. At that temperature, the bonds between the atoms are broken. “You do this a few times, depending on the type of metal. At a certain temperature, the steel loses its magnetic properties. This restabilizes it.” Brown brings the blade to critical temperature one last time, then quenches or quickly cools it in the tank of oil. “At that point, if you drop it, it would shatter like glass,” she says. “Then you hold it at a steady, lower temperature for a few hours.” And by lower, she means around 400 degrees Fahrenheit. So “lower” is a relative term. “Now, it’s hard as it can be,” she says. “Then you can bevel it and work on the blade.” There’s still plenty of work to do— creating the handle, finishing the knife, and making a sheath. But once it’s done, you have a tool for a lifetime. Caring for the knife is fairly simple, Brown tells me. You strop it occasionally and maybe once a year sharpen it and treat the handle with oil.
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Although she’s a professional bladesmith rather than a hobbyist, Brown is still asserting her place in the wider world of smithcraft.” THE MAGIC FACTOR Despite Brown’s modesty, there’s no escaping the fact that what she does is difficult and yes, cool. Wayland Smith may be a small god and long-forgotten, but step close to his magic and you feel a tingle down your spine. Even as Brown starts to heat her forge, the steam escaping from the cold damp cinderblocks into the winter air hints at magic. As much as Brown eschews “cosplay” weapons and reenactment pieces, she made a fangirl of me when she appeared in a November segment of Discovery Channel’s Master of Arms. The contestants had short timeframes to make a reproduction mace—the first test—and then a Joan of Arc-style sword. “The experience was awesome,” Brown says. “I got a random email and thought it was spam. I thought, ‘This is really shitty for someone to mess with me emotionally.’” Both a “cool experience” and “one of the most stressful things ever,” the show exposed Brown to equipment she fell in love with, such as an AmeriBrade belt grinder. What she most enjoys, though, are the people who have reached out to her since then, including a father who contacted her from Europe. “He said he was watching the show with his daughters,” Brown says. “He wanted more images of strong women for them to see. I’ve gotten really, really positive responses to the show.” The responses make up for skepticism Brown has encountered, often running along gender and class lines.
A working-class woman, she’s found that blacksmithing, as an expensive hobby, most often taken up by uppermiddle class white men. Although she’s a professional bladesmith rather than a hobbyist, Brown is still asserting her place in the wider world of smithcraft. LEARNING THE TRADE “Do you have to be strong to be a bladesmith?” I ask Brown. “You get strong,” she tells me, assuring me any reasonably healthy adult can learn the craft. To find a group of like-minded smiths in Chattanooga, one need look no further than Choo Choo Forge, a teaching and learning collaborative. Michael Brown, in his second year as president of Choo Choo Forge, took up smithing about fifteen years ago and hasn’t looked back. “By trade I’m a diesel mechanic,” he says. “My hobby used to be old cars, but I’m a big history buff, too. I couldn’t afford to buy weapons for reenactments, so I have to reproduce them.” A reproduction eighteenth-century tomahawk might cost several thousand dollars, but the time and materials to make his own might cost him about $300. But Choo Choo Forge teaches smiths to make many more items than just reproductions. Their students and masters have areas of specialization ranging from tools such as hammers and tongs to knives and intricate ironwork furniture You can enter Choo Choo Forge, a member organization of the Appalachian Area Chapter of Blacksmiths, at
any time and with any kind—or lack of—smithing background. “We are a teaching organization,” Michael explains. “It’s our mission to continuously train new smiths and each other as we learn. If I learn a new skill, I go back to the group and teach it. Every other member does the same thing.” About 100 strong, Choo Choo Forge members are just a tithe of the Appalachian Area blacksmiths. Membership in the Forge involves annual dues plus a yearly fee to use the shop; the initial training program costs $100 and takes between two or six months to complete. It’s completely self-paced, with advanced smiths teaching novices the basics. Early lessons include making hooks, punching metal and welding. “You have to walk before you can run,” Michael says. “We teach you the basics, and after that you should have the skills to make anything. To be a good knife-maker, for example, you must be a good blacksmith first. You must know how the metal is going to act so that there are no surprises.” WHERE TO FIND THEM If you’re looking for a MeLinda Brown knife, check out melindabrownknives.com, where you’ll find the artist’s philosophy and a selection of her work. To learn more about Choo Choo Forge, visit facebook.com/choo.forge And don’t be afraid of the fire or the steel. The magic is waiting for you to create. Jenn Webster is a writer, dancer and choreographer who works in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She obtained her undergraduate degree at Millsaps College and her graduate degrees at UT Knoxville and Penn State University.
CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 3, 2019 • THE PULSE • 9
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The Dance Of Isadora The Hunter Museum celebrates a dance legend
A New Home For Improv Chattanooga Improv Chattanooga is moving, but only a few doors down. "Our current home, The First Draft Theater, has served us well,” says Improv Chattanooga Co-Founder and Producing Director, Steven Disbrow. “It's an amazing space, and we've made some wonderful memories there. But, when our landlord approached us about moving into a larger, more modern space, I knew we'd be crazy to turn it down. It doesn't hurt that it's in the same block as our current space!" The new space—located at 1800 Rossville Ave, Ste 118—is just four doors down from their current space, and features a larger lobby and performance area, a fullsize Green Room and state of the art sound and lighting. According to Disbrow, the new space will continue to be home to four unique Improv shows each weekend. This includes an improvised "Movie" every Friday night at 8 p.m., and the award-winning "Improv vs Standup" show that takes place the third Saturday of each month. Admission will remain just $10 for most shows, with Student tickets still costing only $5 for any show. For tickets to any show, visit tickets.improvchattanooga.com
Photo by John Clark
By Jenn Webster Pulse contributor
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Some of these works of art have become a storehouse… when I see them, I remember what happened in that space. Songs and movement add depth.”
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“M
USIC AND POETRY EXIST IN TIME; PAINTING and architecture in space. But the dance lives at once in time and space.” — Curt Sachs
Stepping through the Hunter Museum of American Art, Adera Causey, curator of education, has a smile on her face, a smile that extends through her whole body. She’s discussing the January 10th in-house performance “Dancing with Isadora,” a compilation of Isadora Duncan choreography organized by Meg Brooker, artistic director of Duncan Dance South and assistant professor of dance at Middle Tennessee State University. It’s one of myriad events at the Hunter that place visual arts in conversation with other art forms. “Dancers, musicians, actors see work in a new way—and the audience responds and sees it in a new
way,” Causey says. “Some of these works of art have become a storehouse…when I see them, I remember what happened in that space. Songs and movement add depth [to the statues and paintings].” Early-twentieth century choreographer Isadora Duncan could be credited with initiating the modern conversation between dance and the visual arts. A self-taught dancer, she looked to classical Greek art and nature to create her dances, stepping away from the formal rigidity of ballet and the come-hither appeal of vaudeville. “With Isadora, the dancer became the author—the dancing subject, rather than just an object,” Brooker says.
Duncan, whose admirers included both men and women, also shifted the dynamic of female, often lowerclass dancers and male viewers with money to spend, Brooker explains. “Modern dance became a space for more women in the audience—it made it okay for middle and upper class women to participate as audience,” she says. Certainly Duncan wanted to be seen and adored, but her work involves her gaze upon—her interpretation of—works of art. It’s dialectic in nature, just as Brooker’s performance and those of her fellow dancers will be. In fact, the event was shaped by drawings of Duncan by Abraham Walkowitz that were on display when Brooker visited the museum some time back. “I was coming down the elevator and through the modern gallery space,” Brooker says. “These pictures were on the wall in front of me. I’d been looking for a link and here were these beautiful watercolors. She’s actually here!” Though the fragile Walkowitz watercolors are not currently on display, the synchronicity—a dancer inspired by sculpture, painted in watercolor, inspiring a choreographer a century later to stage a performance—is delightfully eerie. “Dancing with Isadora” will follow
“
The event was shaped by drawings of Duncan by Abraham Walkowitz that were on display when Brooker visited the museum some time back.”
the format of a gallery tour. Performers will move in conversation with several works of art. They’ll also dance in front of the long gallery windows overlooking the Tennessee River, Duncan’s undulating movements echoing the rolling rhythm of hills and water. “Dancing with Isadora” is the inaugural event of Duncan Dance South, recently founded to “establish a regional presence for Isadora Duncan’s work,” Brooker says. Along with Brooker, dancers include Elizabeth Disharoon Wright, performing courtesy of Lori Belilove & Isadora Duncan Dance Company, and Valerie Durham, co-director of Duncan Dance Project, a collection of dancers from London, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Chattanooga. MTSU dancers Kadie Cooper, Sierra Smith, and Lauren Zachary will be featured, along with student and community dancers with Chattanooga High School Center for Creative Arts’ Project Motion, directed by Jessica Laliberte Bowman. And most intriguingly, guests will also be invited to join the dancers in some movements.
“’I have never once danced a solo,’” Brooker quotes Duncan as saying. “Her choreography has a very crafted spatial relationship inspired by the idea of a chorus, the idea or perspective of the masses, of a multitude—so I love to show other people in the work. I love to dance the work, but you see the work more fully when you see other people dancing.” Guests may take in some words of technical explanation over the course of the evening, but there’s no need to feel apprehensive—“Dancing with Isadora”, as Brooker describes it, is deeply grounded in simple, pure emotion. “In my experience of this work, the base note is joy,” Brooker says. “Even in dances representing tragedy, the movement comes back to this base note of joy. Part of my life’s work at this point is to figure out and articulate what makes this technique feel different than any other movement.” “Does [dancing these dances] cause you to feel that joy?” Causey asks. “It does!” Brooker says.
THU1.3
FRI1.4
SAT1.5
Ice on the Landing
The Floor Is Yours
The holidays may be over, but that doesn't mean winter fun is done, as Ice on the Landing keeps skating along. 6 p.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo 1400 Market St. iceonthelanding.com
Whether you’re a veteran to the stage or a first-time performer, there is room for you is this creative monthly gathering. 7:30 p.m. Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org
New Year, New You Wellness Event To help everyone get 2019 off to a healthy start, the Aquarium and Erlanger offer a fun wellness event 2 p.m. Tennessee Aquarium 1 Broad St. tnaqua.org
CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 3, 2019 • THE PULSE • 11
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR
Frozen
THURSDAY1.3 GOLD Comedy Camp 9 a.m. Chattanooga Public Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattlibrary.org Urban Farmers Market and Marketplace 3 p.m. Miller Park 910 Market St. millerparkmarket.com Naughty Knights Chess Meetup 5 p.m. Hutton & Smith Brewing Co. 431 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 760-3600 huttonandsmithbrewing.com Ice on the Landing 6 p.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo 1400 Market St. iceonthelanding.com Jeff “D” 7:30 p.m. The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Alcoholics Not Anonymous Comedy Open Mic 8 p.m. Barley Taproom 235 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 682-8200 chattanoogabarley.com Country Line Dancing Class 8 p.m.
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Westbound Bar 24 Station St. (423) 498-3069 westboundbar.com
FRIDAY1.4 GOLD Comedy Camp 9 a.m. Chattanooga Public Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattlibrary.org Out On 8th 5 p.m. West Village 802 Pine St. (423) 424-1831 westvillagechattanooga.com Ice on the Landing 6 p.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo 1400 Market St. iceonthelanding.com The Floor Is Yours 7:30 p.m. Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347 barkinglegs.org Jeff “D” 7:30, 9:45 p.m. The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Improv “Movie” Night: Time Travel Adventure 8 p.m. Improv Chattanooga 1800 Rossville Ave.
(423) 843-1775 improvchattanooga.com Ruby Falls Lantern Tours 8:30 p.m. Ruby Falls 1720 S. Scenic Hwy. (423) 821-2544 rubyfalls.com Good, Old-Fashioned Improv Show 10 p.m. Improv Chattanooga 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 843-1775 improvchattanooga.com
SATURDAY1.5 GOLD Comedy Camp 9 a.m. Chattanooga Public Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattlibrary.org Your 2019 Vision: The Art of Attraction & Letting Go Noon Chattanooga Workspace 302 W. 6th St. (423) 822-5750 chattanoogaworkspace.com Artful Yoga 1:30 p.m. Southern Soul Yoga 313 Manufacturers Rd. (423) 643-9642 southernsoulyoga.com New Year, New You Wellness Event 2 p.m. Tennessee Aquarium
1 Broad St. (423) 265-0695 tnaqua.org Bobby Stone Film Series: E.T. The Extraterrestrial 3 p.m. Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. (423) 757-5580 tivolichattanooga.com Frozen 4 p.m. West Village 802 Pine St. (423) 424-1831 westvillagechattanooga.com Ice on the Landing 6 p.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo 1400 Market St. iceonthelanding.com Winter in West Village 6 p.m. West Village 802 Pine St. westvillagechattanooga.com Jeff “D” 7:30, 9:45 p.m. The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Chattanooga Pipe Club Meeting 7:30 p.m. Burns Cigars 723 Cherry St. (423) 531-1130 Year in Review: 2018 8 p.m. Improv Chattanooga 1800 Rossville Ave.
E.T. The Extraterrestrial (423) 843-1775 improvchattanooga.com Whose Line Chattanooga 10 p.m. Improv Chattanooga 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 843-1775 improvchattanooga.com
SUNDAY1.6 GOLD Comedy Camp 9 a.m. Chattanooga Public Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattlibrary.org Candlelight Journey Dance 2 p.m. Center for Mindful Living 400 E Main St. (423) 486-1279 centermindfulliving.org Free Fiddle School 2 p.m. Fiddlers Anonymous 2248 Dayton Blvd. (423) 994-7497 Bobby Stone Film Series: Bohemian Rhapsody 2, 5 p.m. Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. (423) 757-5580 tivolichattanooga.com Ice on the Landing 6 p.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo 1400 Market St. iceonthelanding.com Jeff “D”
Bohemian Rhapsody 7:30 p.m. The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com
MONDAY1.7 Winter Belly Dance Session 5:45 p.m. Movement Arts Collective 3813 Dayton Blvd. (423) 401-8115 movementartscollective.com Ice on the Landing 6 p.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo 1400 Market St. iceonthelanding.com Joggers & Lagers 6 p.m. Chattanooga Brewing Co. 1804 Chestnut St.
chattabrew.com The Perfect 2019 Planner 6 p.m. Chattanooga Workspace 302 W. 6th St. (423) 822-5750 chattanoogaworkspace.com First Monday Improv Comedy 7:30 p.m. Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347 barkinglegs.org
TUESDAY1.8 Wake Up & Run 6 a.m. Fleet Feet Sports 307 Manufacturers Rd. (423) 771-7996 fleetfeetchattanooga.com Chess K-night
ENTERTAINMENT SPOTLIGHT Jeff "D" has brought houses down all over the country with his unique Southern-style humor, riotous stories, hilarious characters, and satiric point of view. Jeff "D" The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. thecomedycatch.com
5 p.m. Mad Priest Coffee Roasters 1900 Broad St. (423) 393-3834 madpriestcoffee.com Tuesday Night Chess Club 6 p.m. Downtown Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattilibrary.com Ice on the Landing 6 p.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo 1400 Market St. iceonthelanding.com Paths to Pints along the Riverwalk 6:30 p.m. The Tap House 3800 St. Elmo Ave. taphousechatt.com No Pressure: Instant Pot 101 6 p.m. Chattanooga Workspace 302 W. 6th St. (423) 822-5750 chattanoogaworkspace.com First Game Night 7 p.m. The Bitter Alibi 825 Houston St. (423) 362-5070 thebitteralibi.com
WEDNESDAY1.9 Middle Eastern Dance 10:30 a.m. Jewish Cultural Center 5461 North Terrace
(423) 493-0270 jewishchattanooga.com Main Street Market 4 p.m. 522 W. Main St. mainstfarmersmarket.com Ice on the Landing 6 p.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo 1400 Market St. iceonthelanding.com Learning in a Winter Welding Class 6 p.m. rt 120 100 Cherokee Blvd. (423) 708-2120 art120.org Beginner Handlettering 6 p.m. Chattanooga Workspace 302 W. 6th St. (423) 822-5750 chattanoogaworkspace.com Shaun Jones 7:30 p.m. The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Naughty Knights Chess Meetup 7:30 p.m. The Bitter Alibi 825 Houston St. (423) 362-5070 thebitteralibi.com Map these locations on chattanoogapulse.com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com
CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 3, 2019 • THE PULSE • 13
THE MUSIC SCENE
Tom Morley Is Flying On Raven’s Wings Presenting a curious collection of fiddle tunes Stoned Cold Fox
Plenty To See And Hear Daily Here in the pages of The Pulse, we write a lot of about music, especially the local music scene. The bands, the performances, the new albums, and so forth. Each week, we learn together about how vibrant the local scene is, and trust me when I tell you it's a very exciting and eclectic scene. That said, we often overlook the "regulars"—the local acts and solo performers who take the local stages around town on a regular basis. Which is never to say they aren't worthy of notice. Far from it; we have some amazingly talented performers taking the various club and restaurant stages around town every day. People and bands like Matt Downer & Hara Paper, who will be performing at WanderLinger Brewing Company this Thursday, rock band Stoned Cold Fox, which headlines Songbirds South on Friday, party rockers VooDoo Slim, who take the stage Friday at Saturday nights at Bud's Sports Bar, jazz master Gino Fanelli, who entertains Saturday night at Puckett's Restaurant, and the soulful sounds of Nancy Westmoreland, who makes brunch of the Flying Squirrel some enjoyable on Sunday. And that's just the tip of the iceberg this week. In fact, the only way to keep up with everything is to keep a copy of The Pulsemusic calendar handy, or visit us online at chattanoogapulse.com — Michael Thomas
By Marc T. Michael Pulse Music Editor
“
There isn’t a style Tom hasn’t made his own, but it is perhaps his Irish traditional work that is his greatest claim to fame.”
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“T
HE ‘HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY’ IS an indispensable companion to all those who are keen to make sense of life in an infinitely complex and confusing Universe, though it cannot hope to be useful or informative on all matters, it does at least make the reassuring claim that where it is inaccurate, it is at least definitively inaccurate. In cases of major discrepancy, it’s always reality that’s got it wrong.”
Alas, there is, as of yet, no real “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, but there is Wikipedia, our current version of that famed reference, and it shares some crucial similarities. Namely, it is expansive, cheap, and frequently wrong. Wikipedia describes Thomas Morley as 16th century English composer, theorist and organist of the Renaissance. That is not
the Tom Morley we will be discussing today. Our Tom Morley is somewhat more contemporary, a classically trained music educator and master of all things violin and fiddle. Tom has sat in, recorded, and toured with no small number of famous acts, earning himself a gold record in the process. There isn’t a style Tom hasn’t made his own, but it is perhaps his Irish
“
Tom demonstrates the canny ability to say more with mere notes than many a singer/ songwriter can with a sheaf of lyrics, a thesaurus, and a rhyming dictionary.” traditional work that is his greatest claim to fame, or at least his greatest passion. Tom and his wife Fran (a highly skilled musician in her own right) currently provide instruction at Chattanooga’s hidden gem, Fiddler’s Anonymous, tucked away on Dayton Blvd. in Redbank. Tom and Fran, along with Bryant Haynes, make up the band Stringer’s Ridge, specializing in Celtic, Folk and String Band Music. A welcome addition to the growing community of traditional roots music in the Scenic City, Stringers Ridge has already earned the respect and admiration of the local music community and will soon be releasing their debut album, a full review of which will be found in these pages in the upcoming months. In the meantime, however, I’d like to tell you about Tom’s solo album, The Ra-
ven’s Wing (a curious collection of fiddle tunes). Comprising twelve tracks of fiddle pieces ranging from traditional to contemporary and exemplifying Mr. Morley’s impressive ability at a range of styles, the album is a must-have for fans of traditional music. From his delightful interpretation of “Crossing the Cumberlands” to the haunting and stirring title track, “Raven’s Wing,” Tom demonstrates the canny ability to say more with mere notes than many a singer/ songwriter can with a sheaf of lyrics, a thesaurus, and a rhyming dictionary. It’s no secret, in fact, that I personally am very much a “words” guy; I love a wellturned phrase, but Tom proves once again a point first made to me by a dear Russian friend and musician whose English was far bet-
ter than my Russian: Music is the universal language. Tom’s ability to engage the listener emotionally is a thing of beauty and I cannot recommend Raven’s Wing (available now on CDBaby) enough. As if that weren’t enough, I can tell you from the short amount of time I’ve had the pleasure of spending with Tom and his wife, they are just absolutely fine and wonderful people. Look for a review of Stringer’s Ridge further up the road, but in the meantime, soothe your soul with Raven’s Wing, catch a live performance of Stringer’s Ridge locally, or best of all, stop by Fiddler’s Anonymous and take a few moments to get to know the Morleys whose presence in the Chattanooga music scene is yet another “get” for fans and musicians alike.
THU1.3 Rehab The rap/rockers are back rogether again, and hitting the road with plenty of new material as well as their old favorites. 8 p.m. The Signal 1810 Chestnut St. thesignaltn.com
FRI1.4 Jake “The Snake” Roberts The pro wrestling legend takes the stage for a mix of wild stories, comedy, and more. 8:15 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com
SAT1.5 Diamond Dogs: A Tribute To David Bowie Come relive the magic of David Bowie with this high-energy tribute show. 9 p.m. HiFi Clyde’s 122 W. Main St. hificlydeschattanooga.com
CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 3, 2019 • THE PULSE • 15
LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR
Britt Dignan
THURSDAY1.3 Cat Man Smothers 2 p.m. Virgola Wine Bar 608 Georgia Ave. chattanoogawinebar.com James Crumble Trio 6 p.m. St. John’s Meeting Place 1278 Market St. stjohnsrestaurant.com Locals Only Night 6 p.m. Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant 2 Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Matt Downer & Hara Paper 6:30 p.m. WanderLinger Brewing Company 1208 King St. wanderlinger.com Toby Hewitt 7 p.m. Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Open Mic Night 7 p.m. Moccasin Bend Brewing Co. 3210 Broad St. bendbrewingbeer.com Landon Fitzpatrick 7:30 p.m. The Feed Co. Table & Tavern 201 W. Main St. feedtableandtavern.com Jesse James & Tim Neal 7:30 p.m.
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Mexi-Wing VII 5773 Brainerd Rd. (423) 296-1073 Rehab 8 p.m. The Signal 1810 Chestnut St. thesignaltn.com Keepin’ It Local 8 p.m. The Social 1110 Market St. publichousechattanooga.com Open Mic Night with Jonathan Wimpee 9 p.m. The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com
FRIDAY1.4 Tim Lewis 7 p.m. El Meson 248 Northgate Park elmesonchattanooga.com Britt Dignan 7 p.m. Oddstory Brewing Company 336 E. MLK Blvd. oddstorybrewing.co Jake “The Snake” Roberts Dirty Details Tour 8:15 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Hannah Aldridge
8:30 p.m. Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Jordan Hallquist 9 p.m. The Feed Co. Table & Tavern 201 W. Main St. feedtableandtavern.com Milele Roots 9 p.m. HiFi Clyde’s 122 W. Main St. hificlydeschattanooga.com ET 9 p.m. Tremont Tavern 1203 Hixson Pike tremonttavern.com Stoned Cold Fox, SevenStones 9 p.m. Songbirds South 41 Station St. songbirdsguitars.com VooDoo Slim 10 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar 5751 Brainerd Rd. budssportsbar.com
SATURDAY1.5 Bluegrass Brunch Noon The Honest Pint 35 Patten Pkwy. thehonestpint.com The Bird And The Bear 7 p.m.
Charles & Myrtle’s Coffeehouse 105 McBrien Rd. christunity.org Forever Bluegrass 7 p.m. Westbound Bar 24 Station St. westboundbar.com Tim Lewis 7 p.m. El Meson 248 Northgate Park elmesonchattanooga.com Eric Nelson 8 p.m. Barley Tap Room 235 E. MLK Blvd. chattanoogabarley.com Ayla Silver 7 p.m. WanderLinger Brewing Company 1208 King St. wanderlinger.com Heavy Blues and Rockabilly Extravaganza 7 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Gino Fanelli 8:30 p.m. Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Diamond Dogs: A Tribute To David Bowie 9 p.m. HiFi Clyde’s 122 W. Main St. hificlydeschattanooga.com
The Bird And The Bear Rubiks Groove 9 p.m. Songbirds South 41 Station St. songbirdsguitars.com VooDoo Slim 10 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar 5751 Brainerd Rd. budssportsbar.com
SUNDAY1.6 The Bird And The Bear 11 a.m. Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com Carl Pemberton 11 a.m. Westin Chattanooga 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Nancy Westmoreland 1:30 p.m. Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com The Other Brothers 2 p.m. WanderLinger Brewing Company 1208 King St. wanderlinger.com Bluegrass Jam 4 p.m. Fiddlers Anonymous 2248 Dayton Blvd. (423) 994-7497 Open Mic with Jeff Daniels
Riley Green 6 p.m. Long Haul Saloon 2536 Cummings Hwy. (423) 822-9775 Mathis & Martin 7 p.m. Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Tyrant, At Odds With The Knight, The Levitical Task 7 p.m. Music Box @ Ziggy’s 607 Cherokee Blvd. ziggysbarandgrill.net
MONDAY1.7 Open Air with Jessica Nunn
6 p.m. The Granfalloon 400 E. Main St. granfalloonchattanooga.com Willie Nelson and Family 7 p.m. Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. tivolichattanooga.com Monday Nite Big Band 7 p.m. The Coconut Room 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Very Open Mic with Shawnessey Cargile 8 p.m. The Well 1800 Rossville Blvd. #8 wellonthesouthside.com
LIVE MUSIC SPOTLIGHT What more could anyone write about Willie Nelson? He's a legend beyond legendary. If you can get a ticket, go. Seriously. You owe it to yourself to see one of the bests of all time. Willie Nelson and Family Monday, 7 p.m. Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. tivolichattanooga.com
TUESDAY1.8 Danimal 6 p.m. Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Bill McCallie and In Cahoots 6:30 p.m. Southern Belle 201 Riverfront Pkwy. chattanoogariverboat.com Sage Against The Machine 7 p.m. WanderLinger Brewing Company 1208 King St. wanderlinger.com Space Jam with Xll Olympians 7 p.m. Barley Taproom 235 E. MLK Blvd. chattanoogabarley.com Open Mic Jam Session 7 p.m. Crust Pizza 3211 Broad St. crustpizza.com Live Jam Session with Freddy Mc & Friends 8 p.m. Granfalloon 400 E. Main St. granfalloonchattanooga.com Open Mic with Mike McDade 8 p.m. Tremont Tavern 1203 Hixson Pike tremonttavern.com
WEDNESDAY1.9 No Big Deal 6 p.m. SpringHill Suites 495 Riverfront Pkwy. springhillsuites.com Jesse James Jungkurth 7 p.m. Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Randall Adams 8 p.m. The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Priscilla & Little Rickee 8 p.m. Las Margaritas 1101 Hixson Pike (423) 756-3332 Riley Green: Concert For A Cause 9 p.m. Walker Theatre 399 McCallie Ave. tivolichattanooga.com Prime Cut Trio 9 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com
Map these locations on chattanoogapulse.com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com
CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 3, 2019 • THE PULSE • 17
ERNIE PAIK'S RECORD REVIEWS
Greyes Space Eater (greyes.bandcamp.com)
T
he new album Space Eater from the Chattanooga project Greyes is the result of a love of sounds and sound-creation; the album’s instrumentation exclusively uses analog synthesizers, and for the most part, the tracks were recorded in real-time, direct to a 4-track cassette recorder in a home studio. The musician behind Greyes, Gabe Barrett, is best known as the guitarist of the intricate, driving rock band Monomath, and the wandering, calming pieces on Space Eater may be a surprise to those familiar with Monomath’s tight, interlacing melodies and rhythms. Rather than starting with song structures, Greyes seems to use a method similar to N. Senada’s “Theory of Phonetic Organization,” popularized by The Residents, where a musician begins with the sounds themselves to build up a song. The gentle, gradually shifting 9-minute track “1B” uses warm, beacon tones and looped melodies that occasionally change speed but eventually settle in with synchronized tempos.
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Davis, Mitchell, Ortiz, Shipp New American Songbooks, Volume 2 (Sound American)
It’s followed by “3A,” which overlays sustained tones atop pulsing notes that lock into formation— the attitude is generally hopeful yet with a slight air of uncertainty, and a few moments are reminiscent of synth pioneer Raymond Scott’s 1964 three-volume set Soothing Sounds for Baby, with placid and comforting repetition. With a veil of mystery, “2B” could serve as the soundtrack for a ‘70s television show about paranormal investigations, with eerie, floating tones that hover over pacing bass notes. Perhaps moving chronologically forward, the tracks “6A” and “4B” use a sinister atmosphere that brings to mind John Carpenter’s synth soundtracks from his ‘80s films, with the latter providing some of the most dramatic moments on Space Eater. The enigmatic “7A (Out of Practice)” distinguishes itself by featuring echoing vocal samples that are electronically manipulated, and the album concludes with the ambient, kosmische “4A,” with sonic contrasts
between lurking, thick tones and clear, ringing bell-like notes. Although the album notes state, “Hopefully it will put you [to] sleep,” Space Eater goes beyond being an aural sedative, as not every element here is placid and light—it’s a warm blanket accompanied by a vague note that keeps you up at night, wondering.
P
roduced by Nate Wooley, New American Songbooks, Volume 2 brings together solo piano tracks from four distinguished modern jazz players, guided by a challenge to use selections that expand the idea of the “American Songbook” canon beyond familiar jazz-standard territory. The album—available on vinyl and as a digital download—begins with Matthew Shipp’s take on two hymns, “Let Us Break Bread Together” and “I Need Thee Every Hour,” which are stirring renditions delivered with conviction. Shipp interrupts the “correct” chords of the familiar melody of the former track with bold, non-obvious and sometimes discordant chords, powerfully played with confidence, with commanding left-hand notes that reverberate with an imposing presence. On the latter track, Shipp plows forth with a locomotive momentum, sometimes reducing the rhythm to a continuous stream of eighth notes. Shipp is not an artist you want to follow, and Matt Mitchell’s two contributions sound abruptly convention-
al in comparison; his first is a take on Ryan Power’s “Identity Picks,” originally a keyboard/vocal smooth jazz track, and his second is a cover of Christopher Weisman’s “You Made a Drawing.” While transmuting the lyrical to the instrumental, Mitchell’s strength is in his flow, at times creating tender, touching moments; however, in the company of more daring players here, his tracks seem a bit overshadowed. Kris Davis tackles “Sing Me Softly of the Blues” from Carla Bley’s Dinner Music, using a John Cage-style prepared piano for a novel and interesting take on a jaunty, big-band number; facsimiles of gong and bell sounds provide a vague East Asian flavor, while Davis’ left-hand notes sometimes sound like plucked contrabass strings but with an unusual timbre. Closing the album is Aruán Ortiz’s rendition of the piece “Sketches Set Seven” by the overlooked composer Ed Bland; while the prevailing recording is Althea Waites’ scampering, breathtakingly nimble version, Ortiz’s interpretation—while not as physically demanding—seems to savor the notes more and brings another dimension to the piece, making it a worthy companion. The predominant feeling of this album is that one should challenge and question everything—not only what should be considered part of the “American Songbook,” but also the manner in which one is expected to play it.
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY I invite you to select a proper creature to be your symbolic ally in 2019. Since you will be building a new system and establishing a fresh power base, you shouldn’t pick a critter that’s merely glamorous. Choose one that excites your ambition and animates your willpower.
ROB BREZSNY CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): What themes and instruments do people least want to hear in a piece of music? Composer Dave Solder determined that the worst song ever made would contain bagpipes, cowboy music, tubas, advertising jingles, operatic rapping, and children crooning about holidays. Then he collaborated with other musicians to record such a song. I suspect that as you head into 2019, it’ll be helpful to imagine a metaphorically comparable monstrosity: a fantastic mess that sums up all the influences you’d like to avoid. With that as a vivid symbol, you’ll hopefully be inspired to avoid allowing any of it to sneak into your life in the coming months. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In Canada, it’s illegal to pretend to practice witchcraft. It’s fine to actually do witchcraft, however. With that as our inspiration, I advise you to be rigorous about embodying your authentic self in 2019. Make sure you never lapse into merely imitating who you are or who you used to be. Don’t fall into the trap of caring more about your image than about your actual output. Focus on standing up for what you really mean rather than what you imagine people expect from you. The coming months will be a time when you can summon pure and authoritative expressions of your kaleidoscopic soul. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In the eighteenth century, Benjamin Franklin was a Founding Father who played a key role in getting the United States up and running. He wasn’t happy that the fledgling nation chose the bald eagle as its animal symbol. The supposedly majestic raptor is lazy, he wrote. It doesn’t hunt for its own food, but steals grub obtained by smaller birds of prey. Furthermore, bald eagles are cowardly, Franklin believed. Even sparrows may intimidate them. With that as our theme, Pisces,
ARIES (March 21-April 19): No one has resisted the force of gravity with more focus than businessman Roger Babson (1875–1967). He wrote an essay entitled “Gravity - Our Enemy Number One,” and sought to develop anti-gravity technology. His Gravity Research Foundation gave awards to authentic scientists who advanced the understanding of gravity. If that organization still existed and offered prizes, I’m sure that researchers of the Aries persuasion would win them all in 2019. For your tribe, the coming months should feature lots of escapes from heaviness, including soaring flights and playful levity and lofty epiphanies. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The night parrots of Australia are so elusive that there was a nearly six-decade stretch when no human saw a single member of the species. But in 2013, after searching for 15 years, photographer John Young spotted one and recorded a 17-second video. Since then, more sightings have occurred. According to my astrological vision, your life in 2019 will feature experiences akin to the story of the night parrot’s reappearance. A major riddle will be at least partially solved. Hidden beauty will materialize. Longsecret phenomena will no longer be secret. A missing link will re-emerge. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Millions of years ago, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, Antarctica, and North and South America were smooshed together. Earth had a single land mass, the supercontinent Pangea. Stretching across its breadth was a colossal feature, the Central Pangean Mountains. Eventually, though, Europe and America split apart, making room for the Atlantic Ocean and dividing the Central Pangean range. Today the Scottish Highlands and the Appalachian Mountains are thousands of miles apart, but once upon a time they were joined. In 2019, Gemini, I propose that you look for metaphorical equivalents in your own life. What disparate parts of your world had the same origin? What elements that are now divided used to be together? Reestablish their connection. Get them back in touch with each other. Be a
Homework: I’d love to see your top New Year’s resolutions. Share by going to RealAstrology.com and clicking on “Email Rob.” specialist in cultivating unity. CANCER (June 21-July 22): 2019 will be an excellent time to swim in unpolluted rivers, utter sacred oaths near beautiful fountains, and enjoy leisurely saunas that help purify your mind and body. You are also likely to attract cosmic favor if you cry more than usual, seek experiences that enhance your emotional intelligence, and ensure that your head respectfully consults with your heart before making decisions. Here’s another way to get on life’s good side: cultivate duties that consistently encourage you to act out of love and joy rather than out of guilt and obligation. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Here are four key questions I hope you’ll meditate on throughout 2019: 1. What is love? 2. What kind of love do you want to receive? 3. What kind of love do you want to give? 4. How could you transform yourself in order to give and receive more of the love you value most? To spur your efforts, I offer you these thoughts from teacher David R. Hawkins: “Love is misunderstood to be an emotion; actually, it is a state of awareness, a way of being in the world, a way of seeing oneself and others.” VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “Most living things begin in the absence of light,” writes Virgo author Nancy Holder. “The vine is rooted in the earth; the fawn takes form in the womb of the doe.” I’ll remind you that your original gestation also took place in the dark. And I foresee a metaphorically comparable process unfolding for you in 2019. You’ll undergo an incubation period that may feel cloaked and mysterious. That’s just as it should be: the best possible circumstances for the vital new part of your life that will be growing. So be patient. You’ll see the tangible results in 2020. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Many plants that modern Americans regard as weeds were regarded as tasty food by Native Americans. A prime example is the cattail, which grows wild in wetlands. Indigenous people ate the
rootstock, stem, leaves, and flower spike. I propose that we use this scenario to serve as a metaphor for some of your potential opportunities in 2019. Things you’ve regarded as useless or irrelevant or inconvenient could be revealed as assets. Be alert for the possibility of such shifts. Here’s advice from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.” SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The slow, gradual, incremental approach will be your magic strategy in 2019. Being persistent and thorough as you take one step at a time will provide you with the power to accomplish wonders. Now and then, you may be tempted to seek dramatic breakthroughs or flashy leaps of faith; and there may indeed be one or two such events mixed in with your steady rhythms. But for the most part, your glory will come through tenacity. Now study this advice from mystic Meister Eckhart: “Wisdom consists in doing the next thing you have to do, doing it with your whole heart, and finding delight in doing it.” SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian polymath Piet Hein wrote a poem in which he named the central riddle of his existence. “A bit beyond perception’s reach, / I sometimes believe I see / That life is two locked boxes / Each containing the other’s key.” I propose that we adopt this scenario to symbolize one of the central riddles of your existence. I’ll go further and speculate that in 2019 one of those boxes will open as if through a magical fluke, without a need for the key. This mysterious blessing won’t really be a magical fluke, but rather a stroke of well-deserved and hard-earned luck that is the result of the work you’ve been doing to transform and improve yourself. Rob Brezsny is an aspiring master of curiosity, perpetrator of sacred uproar, and founder of the Beauty and Truth Lab. He brings a literate, myth-savvy perspective to his work. It’s all in the stars.
The List
New Year's Resolutions By The Numbers It's that time of year again when people make all sorts of resolutions in an effort to make the new year better than the last. The top three resolutions are to lose weight, to get more organized, and the spend less while saving more money. But how good at we are making (and keeping) our resolutions? • Percent of Americans who usually make New Year's Resolutions: 45% • Percent of Americans who infrequently make New Year's Resolutions: 17% • Percent of Americans who absolutely never make New Year's Resolutions: 38% • Percent of people who are successful in achieving their resolution: 8% • Percent who have infrequent success: 49% • Percent who never succeed and fail on their resolution each year: 24% But whether or not you make (or keep) your resolutions, we wish you a safe and happy new year
CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 3, 2019 • THE PULSE • 19
FILM & TELEVISION
Villain Or Patriot? Vice looks at a polarizing political icon
A Mob Of One It's a classic theme in cinema: A psychic middle school boy tries to live a normal life and keep his growing powers under control, even though he constantly gets into trouble. Okay, so maybe it's not such a classic theme, but for millions of fans in Japan and around the world, it's the very familiar theme of Mob Psycho 100. Kageyama Shigeo (a.k.a. “Mob”) is an 8th grader with psychic abilities. He could bend spoon and lift each objects with his mind from young age, but he slowly begins to withhold from using his ability on public due to the negative attention he keeps receiving. Now, the only thing he wants is to become a friend with a girl in his class, Tsubomi. With his psychic “mentor” (who has no psychic power), he continues his daily life, attempting to realize his purpose on life. The first season of the animated series quickly became a worldwide sensation. So, we have read your minds and we know you want more Mob Psycho 100. To get you prepared for Season 2, Crunchyroll Movie Night will have an exclusive first look at Episode 1 from Season 2 before it premieres in Japan this Saturday at 12:55 at Hamilton Place 8 theaters. If you have not had a chance to get caught up on Mob’s story as a powerful esper, they will also show the OVA which recaps the first season from Reigen’s perspective. This premiere event will also feature an exclusive welcome from Setsuo Ito, voice of Mob. — Michael Thomas
By John DeVore Pulse Film Editor
“
In spite of setbacks of a personal and professional nature, one person changed the course of history and placed power, not progress, as the central Republican goal.”
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I
T’S EASY TO THINK THAT THE CURRENT WHITE HOUSE administration is uniquely terrible in all things. The evidence is there: real time corruption, a who’s who of bad actors, lies, camps, tweets. Every single day is a new low, a weakened institution, a bad faith explanation, and a complete and utter disregard for normalcy and competency. Arguing that the Trump Presidency is the worst presidency in history isn’t hard. Still, he didn’t arrive out of nowhere. For a more accurate assessment of our current predicament, it’s helpful to look backwards. Past the scandal free Presidency of Barack Obama, all the way back to another president accused of obstruction of justice. If you look hard at the way Washington has been shaped, the power structures that have been put in place, the murkiness of the swamp, so to speak, you should look no further than the players surrounding Richard Nixon. Current Republican thought was borne out of the Nixon presidency
and many of the players still pull strings on the national level. There was one man, though. One that saw opportunity in the corruption and saw how and when to seize on it. In spite of setbacks of a personal and professional nature, one person changed the course of history and placed power, not progress, as the central Republican goal. That man was none other than Dick Cheney. At least, this is the argument made in Adam McKay’s new biopic Vice. Dick Cheney (an utterly transformed Christian Bale) is often seen as an utterly inscrutable character in the world of American politics.
He is notoriously secretive. He kept government emails on a private server and deleted them at the first whiff of an investigation before it was cool. In his career, he served as the Chief of Staff under Gerald Ford, a representative for the State of Wyoming, Secretary of Defense under George H.W. Bush, and finally as the most powerful Vice President of the United States in history under George W. Bush. And yet, most people couldn’t tell you what his views are, where he came from, or how he affected the country. Vice tries, in as cutthroat a way as possible, to change that. Obviously, the film is partisan. Director Adam McKay sees Cheney as a great villain. in his portrayal, however, McKay shows the man some sympathy. Cheney is shown as having great love for his family, being fiercely protective, treating his daughters with kindness and warmth, and having extreme devotion to his wife. In fact, it seems this instinct for protection extends to the country he calls home and, at times, the film tries to explain some of his actions as a father reacting to an attack on his family. More often, however, the film focuses on the pursuit and love of power, as both
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Arguing that the Trump Presidency is the worst presidency in history isn’t hard. Still, he didn’t arrive out of nowhere.” a goal and a means to an end. During Nixon’s resignation, Lynne Cheney tells her daughters that Nixon didn’t do anything wrong—it’s just that when “you have power, people will always try to take it away from you.” It’s a prescient notion—that a president cannot commit crimes because he is the president. This is a central belief found in the unitary executive theory, which is something the Cheneys pursued relentlessly. In fact, it might be the central theme of the film and of Dick Cheney’s personal belief system, if only because Cheney believed that the position of Vice President exists within both the legislative and executive branches of government. It’s an idea that Cheney used to his advantage to do all sorts of dubious things while in office. Beyond its slanted perspective, though, Vice offers incredible, transformative performances. Christian Bale as Cheney is truly something to behold. Bale is
Cheney in every sense of the word. Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney is just as good. The direction, though, is where the film truly shines. McKay is better known as a comedy director, which comes through in some of the stranger choices he makes as the film unfolds. Vice is bitterly funny—moreso for those that lived through and remember the Bush years. McKay also gives Cheney a Shakespearian quality, characterizing him as a man akin to Richard III or Macbeth. In fact, during a scene where Lynne and Dick discuss Bush’s offer to share the ticket, they speak to each other in verse, an impressive feat for a modern movie. The film will change no one’s mind, of course. In fact, like most movies of this nature, it won’t be seen by those that need to see it, and even if it was, those that need to see it won’t believe it because it doesn’t fit their personal narratives. Vice will preach to the choir and the choir will listen and sing its praises.
✴ NEW IN THEATERS ✴
Escape Room Six strangers find themselves in circumstances beyond their control, and must use their wits to survive. Director: Adam Robitel Stars: Deborah Ann Woll, Taylor Russell, Tyler Labine, Logan Miller
Great Great Great A young couple's decision to get engaged threatens to break them apart. Director: Adam Garnet Jones Stars: Sarah Kolasky, Dan Beirne, Richard Clarkin, Meredith Cheesbrough
CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 3, 2019 • THE PULSE • 21
COLUMN · GAME ON!
The Edge Of Gaming Greatness Just when you thought it was safe to swear off gaming for 2019
I Brandon Watson Pulse columnist
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All hype and big-box marketing aside, this brave new year in gaming is looking pretty epic, so if your resolution was to play fewer videogames, you may be disappointed.”
When not vaporizing zombies or leading space marines as a mousepad Mattis, Brandon Watson is making gourmet pancakes and promoting local artists.
HAD A GREAT PHILOSOPHICAL discussion about gaming with my cousin over the holidays. Back in our sprout years among the mesquite patches of Texas we would prophecy about games and dream up future games in our heads that would be fun to play. I’m still waiting for Chuck Norris to be featured in the next Mortal Kombat installment. Jason Vorhees managed to make it and I believe Walker Texas Ranger should be a great addition to the pantheon of fighting game psychopaths. Ante up with a secret Van Damme character and MK could be the game of the year! Anyway, our discussion hit on key concepts that have been bothering me as a gamer for years and in a way has me waxing prophetic for the gaming landscape of 2019. All hype and big-box marketing aside, this brave new year in gaming is looking pretty epic, so if your resolution was to play fewer videogames, you may be disappointed. My hopeful list is pretty extensive, but for the sake of your sanity and mine I’ve condensed it to some highlight titles you should keep on your radar. Metro Exodus is the continuation of the survival-horror shooter based on the post-apocalyptic book series from Dmitry Glukhovsky. After Russia is devastated by nuclear war, her people are forced to go underground to survive among the rats and neo fascists within the subway tunnels beneath Moscow and beyond. Bullets serve as currency and mutated horrors lurk within the dark tunnels that all have sharp teeth and a thirst for human blood. Metro is a pulse-pounding shooter that sucks you in as you scrounge for parts and food while things stalk you in irradiated ruins. Exodus continues the series by emerging from the tunnels to face a harsh nuclear winter and voracious monstrosities. I can’t wait to see Artyom through this universe again and discover what new
22 • THE PULSE • JANUARY 3, 2019 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM
monster will jump out to tear us to shreds. Expect a release in time for Valentine’s Day and a life forever alone. Rage 2 from Bethesda. Okay so Fallout 76 may have gone up in a flash of atoms and Twitter hatred, but from what I’ve seen, Rage 2 may just redeem the big B. The frantic shooting elements appear to ape some of the best mechanics of the Doom series. With a strange landscape of a meteor devastated world for Mad Max style vehicular combat and bug-nut crazy bad guys to blast, this maybe the shooter to love for 2019. I like the new bright color aesthetic of Rage’s art style, giving it a neo ‘80s appeal that sings to my inner child. Rage 2 should be released in May, which is perfect because it can give you a reason to stay inside to prepare for what life will inevitably be like after global climate change turns us all into gun-toting desert raiders. Anthem from Bioware. This may come as a shocker because of all my published disdain from anything Electronic Arts touches, but just hear me out. I’m hopeful for Anthem. I really am. It has all the trappings of an epic science fantasy game. Exploring an alien world in exosuits,
blasting strange creatures, experiencing new lore and online co-op may make it the total package. I hope Bioware pulls this off where so many others have failed. Anthem already appears to be something like Mass Effect blended with Destiny. It’s not good or bad, but I’m hopeful that it stands alone to set a new trend in co-op games and brings Bioware back from the edge after the lackluster Mass Effect: Andromeda. Cyberpunk 2077. Oh baby! Mark your calendars for June as CD Projekt Red dives into the shooter RPG world. Cyberpunk 2077 will be a dystopian adventure with a customizable mercenary who will be able to cybernetically enhance body parts, modify weapons and skills to take down bad guys with maximum hate and discontent. The Polish have proven to be gaming powerhouses in the industry and from Red’s already amazing track record, CP 2077 is the top of my most anticipated titles. It’s my hope that this game brings a better appreciation for the cyberpunk genre in ways in which Deus Ex started but left unraveled years ago. This will be the latest and greatest science fiction world to explore and should it not make the big sales it will no doubt be an instant success.
JONESIN' CROSSWORD
“Not The Best Of 2018”—we’ve saved the very worst for last. ACROSS 1 Santa-tracking defense gp. 6 Not yet decided, briefly 9 Club counterpart 14 NBA venue 15 Regret 16 “Citizen Kane” director Welles 17 Extremely annoying kids’ song (“doo doo doo doo doo doo”) 19 Greek goddess trio, with “the” 20 Action sequel called the worst movie of 2018 by multiple critics 22 They use toner 25 Abbr. for some lowincome shoppers 26 Goes outside of coverage 27 Grass or weed 29 Network bringing back “Temptation Island” in January 2019 32 One of 30 on a dodecahedron 33 Words in an infomercial disclaimer 35 Collectible disk for ‘90s kids
36 Stout relative 37 College football team ranked 121st out of 129 by CBS Sports 38 AAA map abbr. 39 To be, in Toledo 40 Receipt figure 41 “The Shape of Water” director Guillermo del ___ 42 Curve in a figure eight 43 Chicken, pejoratively 44 Moving day rental 45 Corney key 46 Paid no heed to 48 Entertainer criticized for a racially insensitive tweet in October— not a good look for the Divine Miss M 52 Chip in a Mexican dish named for its inventor 53 Canceled Fox sitcom with a first episode aptly titled “Pilot” 57 Western film, slangily 58 “Let’s call ___ day” 59 You are here 60 Great honor 61 Laze, with “out”
62 Nine, in some “Sesame Street” episodes DOWN 1 Apprehend 2 “Been Lying” singer Rita 3 Civil War soldier, for short 4 Day or night 5 Some Morse code symbols 6 Links hazards 7 “Perry Mason” star Raymond 8 Apollo astronaut Slayton 9 Convertible furniture for sleeping 10 Chris of “The Lego Movie 2” 11 On the subject of 12 Active type 13 Funny duo? 18 “On ___ Majesty’s Secret Service” 21 Leave the airport 22 Origami step 23 A bunch 24 Cellphone forerunners 27 Excavate
28 Greg who missed the entire 2007-08 season after his #1 NBA draft pick 29 Commotion 30 “I totally agree” 31 Dating from time immemorial 33 Pedicurist’s stone 34 Cartoon crimefighter ___ Ant 37 Progressive online news site since 2004 41 “Walden” author 44 Lopsided 45 Early anesthetic 46 Item on a dog collar 47 Day-___ (fluorescent) 48 Deity worshiped by Canaanites 49 ___ Cooler (“Ghostbusters”themed Hi-C flavor) 50 1054, in Roman numerals 51 “Must’ve been something ___” 52 December drink 54 Ph.D. hopeful’s exam 55 Off-road ride, briefly 56 “___-Ra and the Princesses of Power”
Copyright © 2019 Jonesin’ Crosswords. For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents perminute. Must be 18+ to call. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle No. 917 CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 3, 2019 • THE PULSE • 23