The Pulse - Vol. 6, Issue 30

News, Views, Arts & Entertainment • July 23 - 29, 2009 • Volume 6, Issue 30 • www.chattanoogapulse.com • pulse news 95.3 WPLZ

By Janis HasheBy Janis Hashe

Inside The Inside The Mind of Mind of Wayne Wayne

WhiteWhitePenguin Penguin

population population explosionexplosion

Chattanooga Chattanooga crime series crime series

Winding and Winding and Binding Binding

CONTENTST H E P U L S E • C H AT TA N O O G A , T E N N E S S E E • J U LY 2 3 , 2 0 0 9 • V O L U M E 6 , I S S U E 3 0

COVER STORY page 11

Cover artwork, "Bobby" by Wayne White

ARTS & FEATURES

NEWS & VIEWS6 BEYOND THE HEADLINESA penguin population explosion.

9 SHRINK RAPFour steps to making it manageable.

14 LIFE IN THE NOOGThe ballad of Chuck Jennings.

20 ON THE BEAT God's busy work.

22 SHADES OF GREENBatteries included.

27 ASK A MEXICANWho's got the cojones?

The entire contents of this publication are copyrighted and property of Brewer Media Group. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publishers. The Pulse utilizes freelance writers and the views expressed within this publication are not necessarily the views of the publishers or editors. The Pulse takes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, artwork or other materials.

SENSITIVE FAMOUS: INSIDE THE MIND OF WAYNE WHITEBy Janis HasheFrom the beginning, Wayne White wanted to draw. Between games with his Little League “Dixie Youth” team, he drew. On drawing pads, on paper bags, on pieces of wood, on rocks. And now, more than 40 years later, he still does.

4 EDITOON 4 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 5 PULSE BEATS5 CITY COUNCILSCOPE6 THE LIST7 POLICE BLOTTER

17 A&E CALENDAR18 NEW IN THEATERS25 MUSIC CALENDAR 26 NEW MUSIC REVIEWS28 FREE WILL ASTROLOGY 29 JONESIN’ CROSSWORD

16 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT By Michael CrumbDavid Smotherman has seen his small book/art store blossom into one of the largest spaces on Frazier Avenue, and WinderBinder has become an important regional folk art gallery.

19 FILM FEATURE By Phillip JohnstonImagine how diffi cult it would be to turn an almost universally loved novel, clocking in at 652 pages, into a single feature fi lm. It’s a package deal—fans will see an elaborate fi lm adaption if it is made.

21 DRIVING DIVERSIONS By Damien PowerThere is the Knoxville there is, and the Knoxville there once was. Like Chattanooga, our orange-and-white neighbor to the north has been undergoing a steady and growing revitalization effort that gives visitors a reason to visit.

24 MUSIC FEATURE By HellcatIf you have been doing this as long as I have, sometimes you just feel like getting crazy and throwing all the bands you want to hear together, regardless of their genre.

The Pulse 7.23.09 www.chattanoogapulse.com 95.3 Pulse News4

Letters to the Editor

by Rick BaldwinEditoon

PublisherZachary Cooper

[email protected]

Contributing EditorJanis Hashe

[email protected]

News Editor/Art DirectorGary Poole

[email protected]

Advertising SalesRick Leavell

[email protected] Sawyer

[email protected]

Contributing WritersGustavo Arellano

Thom BensonRob Brezsny

Elizabeth CrenshawChuck CrowderMichael Crumb

HellcatPhillip Johnston

Matt JonesKeith Landecker

Louis LeeKelly Lockhart

Ernie PaikRick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D.

Stephanie SmithAlex Teach

Editorial InternMolly Iles

Editorial CartoonistRick Baldwin

Art DepartmentSharon Chambers

Kathryn DunnKelly Lockhart Damien Power

Art InternMegan Humble

Staff PhotographerDamien Power

Contact Info:Phone

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Fantastic ArticleI just wanted to write in and say

that the gangs article was great [“Saving Our Kids From Gang Violence”]. Thank you for publishing this story.Polly CurtisChattanooga

We Need A Fornication TaxIf 90% of at-risk kids have single

mothers, one way to dent the gang problem would be to put a tax on fornication, on sex outside holy marriage. (Call it a “sin tax.”) Sex

that makes babies without having set up a husband-and-wife structure to rear children costs us money: police, education, health, etc. Send the offi cial message that fornication does cost, and try (not too hard) to collect some of the cost. This won’t stop the problem(s), but it might improve some of the statistics.Andrew LohrChattanooga

County Residents Against Annexation Hamilton County residents are

banding together in opposition to Chattanooga’s proposed annexation, and we have started a movement against this act. www.hcraa.org (Hamilton County Residents Against Annexation) is up and running and response has been amazing. This effort started as a door-to-door petition in Hurricane Creek Estates, but we have expanded our scope to involve all residents of the county who are facing annexation. As county residents, we have no offi cial voice as far as the city council is concerned as we are not (yet) residents. If we are annexed, we do not have a right to a jury trial as is guaranteed by the Tennessee state constitution (article I, section 6). Current TN code annexation

laws are in stark contrast to the state constitution by allowing only a hearing by a chancellor in a case that would affect thousands of county residents in what is nothing more than a blatant cash grab by the city.Kyle HoldenHurricane Creek

Unhappy With Club ReviewsUmm, this is not the Chattanooga I

live in [“The Good, The Bad and The Sound”, 7/9]. This is sad and one-sided. All the non-yuppie venues on this list are either inaccurate or just reduced to a few carefree sentences.Chris MorseChattanooga

Guns In Parks RidiculousnessI would be willing to bet that if any

of the nine council members were to get robbed at gunpoint in one of these precious so called “safe” parks, they would have a different view [“City Council Bans Guns In Parks”]. These places are far from safe, but it usually takes someone being faced with a life-or-death situation before they take the steps to ensure they will never be a victim again.Rob TellChattanooga

95.3 Pulse News www.chattanoogapulse.com 7.23.09 The Pulse 5

Crime Series: Where’s Our PAL?

Signal Mountain Space House Looking For Zoning Change

By Keith [email protected]

PulseBeats

Quote Of The Week:

“In 35 years in the park business, I have never seen a situation where a citizen with a gun could have handled a situation.”

— Chattanooga Parks Director Larry Zehnder, speaking in favor of a resolution banning all weapons in city parks.

A rundown of the newsy, the notable, and the notorious...

Here is one of the more interesting agenda items set to be discussed

at the June 28 meeting of the Chattanooga City Council.

The Chattanooga City Council meets each Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the City Council Building at 1000 Lindsay St. For more information on the agendas, visit www.Chattanooga.gov/City_Council/110_Agenda.asp

7. Resolutions:

a) A resolution autho-rizing the Mayor to ex-ecute an agreement with Hamilton County for the Hamilton County courts community service pro-gram to pick up litter along city right-of-way using fi rst-time, non-vi-olent offenders.

It is very common for fi rst-time, non-violent offenders to be sen-tenced to community service. For many people, it means spending a weekend morning wearing a bright-orange safety vest and picking up trash and litter alongside the roads.

Which serves a dual purpose: It not only helps to keep our city road-ways clean (since it’s nearly impos-sible to convince all drivers not to litter), but it also works as a great deterrent by making the punishment publically embarrassing.

The resolution in question is merely one of those governmental formalities, which makes it legal for the county courts to sentence those fi rst-time, non-violent scoffl aws to pick up litter inside the city limits. Otherwise, we’d have a strange situation of very clean roads in the unincorporated areas of the county but not inside the city limits.

Of course, the best solution of all would be if no one littered in the fi rst place. Especially you smokers. There’s a reason why cars still come equipped with ashtrays (or at least have them available as an option)—so you can put out your butt inside your car instead of tossing a burn-ing stick out the car window.

The Pulse has teamed up with 95.3 Pulse News, Power 94 and the new lcoal web site ChattanoogaCrime.com to present a two week series of stories about crime and crime prevention in the Chattanooga region.

Gangs, drugs, and violence are prevalent in America; however, in-volvement in these things does not have to be a rite of passage for our children. Participation in Police Athletic Leagues (PAL) can help de-ter youth, suburban and inner-city alike, from spending their idle time in destructive ways, while increasing positive connections within the com-munity.

Studies show that participation in gangs, violence and drugs can start as early as middle school and often involves children that do not par-ticipate in extracurricular activities and spend a lot of time unsupervised. This lack of supervision is due in part to both parents being in the work force, single-parent homes, and the unavailability of structured programs for tweens and teenagers.

PAL is a youth crime prevention program that utilizes educational, athletic and recreational activities to create trust and understanding be-tween police offi cers and youth. PAL provides an opportunity to get kids off the street and bring youth under the supervision and positive infl u-ence of a law enforcement agency. It is based on the conviction that young people, if they are reached early enough, can develop strong posi-tive attitudes towards police offi cers in their journey toward the goals of maturity and good citizenship. Stud-ies have shown that if a young per-son respects a police offi cer on the ball fi eld, gym or classroom, he will likely come to respect the laws that police offi cers enforce. Such respect is benefi cial to the young person, the police offi cer, the neighborhood, and the business community.

PAL offers free year-round and sea-sonal educational, athletic and cul-tural programs for any child between the ages of 4 and 17. As a nonprofi t youth-serving organization, PAL em-

ploys offi cers and a volunteer staff to oversee these programs to ensure safety, competency and order. Staff and volunteers are committed to as-sisting children with fi nding guid-ance, setting goals, and enjoying new life opportunities.

PAL programs and facilities are available to all youth, regardless of race, religion or fi nancial situation. (www.co.benton.ar.us/SheriffsOffi ce/PAL). Unfortunately, the PAL pro-gram, supported by Hamilton Coun-ty and held in East Lake, was termi-nated. Offi cer Wayne Jefferson, who was the director of the local PAL at the Chattanooga Police Department, told us that PAL was used by most of the children who couldn’t afford organized sports leagues. Although PAL was not known to many, those who were familiar with it, enjoyed the program while it lasted.

“We had all kinds of sports,” says Jefferson. “It was a good, free pro-gram that had a lot of parental sup-

port, and also helped a lot of kids. Since it switched over to Parks and Rec, we now participate with the Ex-plorer Program, where we mentor kids.”

For more information about PAL, visit www.nationalpal.org

The new owners of the nationally fa-mous Signal Mountain “Space House” are run-ning into local opposi-tion over their plans to convert the house into a vacation rental. James Farris of Quest Holdings LLC, the company that bought the house last year, has asked that the property be rezoned from single-family residential to multi-family residential.

Farris has made extensive renovations to the house, and in his zoning request told the Regional Planning Agency that his plan was to rent out the house for short-term vacations. Currently, the house can only be rented out for a minimum of a month, at the advertised rate of $2,100 per month.

However, not everyone is in favor of the re-zoning. Area residents have contacted the Regional Planning Agency and expressed concerns about in-creased traffi c and parking, plus what is known as “spot zoning”. The matter will be addressed publically at August 10 meeting of RPA, and if approved there, will be presented to the Hamilton County Commission later in the month.


The Tennessee Aquarium’s penguin exhibit is quickly becoming a nursery, as another newborn penguin was welcomed into the world last week—with more potentially on the way. “[Last Wednesday morning] we noticed a small dime- or nickel-sized hole in the egg, but there wasn’t much progress throughout the day,” says senior aviculturist Amy Graves. “But when I came in [Thursday morning], the fl uffy little chick was out.”

Since spotting the newborn early that morning, Graves has been able to see the whole chick several times. The Aquarium’s fi rst baby gentoo penguin already resembles its parents “Bug” and “Big T” and looks different than the macaroni chick born nearly four weeks ago. “This gentoo chick is lighter in color on the back and has a darker head than the macaroni baby,” Graves says. “It already has that orange gentoo beak with a few darker markings.”

Big T fed the tiny bird right off the bat, which is considered a bit early for a newborn penguin. While Aquarium staff members were encouraged by this sign, they also point out that the fi rst few days of a baby animal’s life are some of the most crucial for survival.

There’s no way to know right now whether the chick is 100 percent healthy. In addition, Bug and Big T are fi rst-time parents and they haven’t exactly been gentle with their eggs. “They were a little rough while turning their eggs and tending them,” Graves says. “They broke one in the nest and chipped their remaining egg. Hopefully they are gentler with the baby, because one

misstep by the parents could injure the chick in the nest.”

Macaroni parents Paulie and Chaos are model parents according to Graves. “They have been

great about protecting their chick, feeding it, keeping it warm and taking turns,” she says. “Ideally that’s what will happen with Bug and Big T. Then as we saw with the macaroni chick, if things go well, baby penguins grow fast. So if you really want to see a baby penguin,

you need to visit soon.” In fact, at last week’s weigh-in, the four-week-old macaroni baby tipped the scales at slightly more than four pounds.

While many Aquarium visitors are amazed at how fast the macaroni baby has grown, they are also fascinated and excited to see the new gentoo baby. “Bug and Big T’s nest is in the center of the exhibit in an elevated position,” says Graves. “We’ve already had several groups that were thrilled to see this new baby. It is so tiny and cute.”

The nest is also in a perfect spot for the Aquarium’s live webcam. While it’s tough to see the small chick online, you can see the parents as well as curious neighbors stopping by to see the new addition.

There are two other gentoo pairs with eggs. If Poncho and Peep’s two eggs are viable, they could hatch later this month, according to Aquarium offi cials. The pair of eggs that Zeus and Pebbles are incubating could hatch around the fi rst week of August. And penguin keepers are still observing the late nesting activities of Nipper and Flower.

Beyond The HeadlinesPenguin Population Explosion at the Tennessee Aquarium

By Thom Benson

“They were a little rough while turning their eggs and tending them,” Graves says. “They broke one in the nest and chipped their remaining egg.”

The newborn gentoo penguin chick is examined by an Aquarium staffer.

The Ten Most Common Last Names In America

1. Smith

2. Johnson

3. Williams

4. Jones

5. Brown

6. Davis

7. Miller

8. Wilson

9. Moore

10. Taylor

Chances are, you know or work with someone with one of the above last names. In fact, there’s a good chance you know several people with these names. Take a quick look around and see how many of the above names you can fi nd.

Here at Brewer Media, we have a Matt Jones (our crossword designer), a Stephanie Smith (arts and music writer), a Chris Taylor (traffi c reporter) and Randy Smith (ESPN radio afternoon host).

Our fi lm reviewer, Phillip Johnston, just misses the cut due to having an extra “t” in his surname, most likely due to a remote ancestor wanting to separate himself a bit from all the other Johnsons around.

Soure: 1990 U.S. Census


• What was supposed to be a sim-ple burglary call turned into a much bigger bust for Bradley County depu-ties. A report of a burglary in process at a house on Benton Pike last week turned out not to be just a burglary, but a working meth lab. Deputies who responded to the call noticed a strong chemical odor coming from the house, one that police offi cers have become all too familiar with. The four unlicensed chemists inside the house were arrested on charges of manufacturing methamphetamine, felony possession of drug parapher-nalia and aggravated burglary. The reason they choose that particular house: It belonged to the mother of one of the meth chefs, who knew she would be out of town on vacation.

• Each year, the average number of hours Americans spend in front of their television sets increases. However, at least one Dalton crimi-nal has taken their liking for televi-sion to another level, as homeowners in the areas of Tyler Street, Bound-ary Street, and Chattanooga Avenue have learned to their dismay. Dal-

ton Police have noticed over the past month a number of daytime break-ins in which a burglar (or several) has targeted television sets and jewelry. They are asking residents in the area to be more aware and to take steps to keep their houses safe when they leave for work. And maybe chaining down their TVs, as is common in mo-tels, might not be a bad idea either.

• One of Chattanooga’s claims to fame is that it’s the birthplace of the towing industry. Yet apparently someone in town has taken a strong dislike to towing vehicles, as work-ers in town to do a job for a wire-less company discovered to their dis-may. They had parked their towing vehicle in the parking lot of a Lee Highway motel overnight, and when they awoke in the morning found that someone had placed two plastic drink bottles fi lled with gasoline un-der the vehicle. Luckily, the bottles had not been ignited, and the city bomb squad was able to remove them without incident. The owner of the company said he knew of no confl icts the company or the drivers had with

anyone, or why anyone would want to try and blow up his vehicle.

• Chattanooga loves visitors. We enjoy tourists and a good part of our local economy is based on attracting visitors to visit our attractions. How-ever, there are still those out there who see tourists as easy targets, es-pecially their vehicles. And to make matters worse, there are many tour-ists who leave expensive valuables in their vehicles. A man who was vis-iting one of our local attractions re-turned to the parking lot to discover his SUV had been broken into, and a large amount of expensive items had been stolen, among them a laptop computer, a Nintendo games system, $455 in games, two DVD players and $1,200 in DVDs. As any parent knows, keeping kids entertained on long trips is easier with movies and games, but in the long run it might be a lot cheaper to stick with “auto bingo”.

A weekly roundup of the newsworthy, notable and often head-scratching stories gleaned

from police reports from the Chattanooga Police Department, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s

Offi ce, the Bradley County Sheriff’s Department and the Dalton Police Department.

Photography by Kelly Lockhart

Pedal powered art near the Hunter Musuem.Chattanooga Street Scenes


Ever get that overwhelmed sensation where it all feels like too much? Maybe you can’t see how you’re going to get everything done in time. Or perhaps there’s simply too much to do, and it’s somewhat paralyzing to even think about it.

Pretty much everyone feels like this from time to time, so it’s likely you’re familiar with that heart-racing, shallow-breathing anxiety that accompanies a full plate of obligations, duties, tasks. It doesn’t feel good. Maybe these stressed-out moments lead you to gaze out the window, wishing you could just take off for a while…go on a really long drive, or cash in the kids’ college fund for a few weeks of white, sandy beaches and Mai Tais.

These days, especially with the economy the way it is, it can be all too common to feel stressed about things that normally wouldn’t bother you, or wouldn’t bother you to such a degree. Many folks fi nd themselves working harder for less income. Many are worried about keeping their jobs.

Even if the economy isn’t a source of distress for you, perhaps you have a long-term familiarity with feeling anxious and overwhelmed. Maybe you go along just fi ne with the day-to-day stuff, but if something unexpected gets thrown into the picture, it’s enough to tip the anxiety scales sending you into that out-of-control spiral.

In fact, one of the characteristics of feeling overwhelmed is this exact tendency for it to spiral out of control. Your “to-do” list may start out feeling

a bit burdensome, but then you start to think of how you won’t have time to accomplish what you need to do, and you start to think about the other things you’ve been meaning to get to that aren’t even on the list, and then you think of more things, and expectations, and the lack of hours in a day, and then panic sets in, and then—whew! It’s anxiety-provoking just writing this.

That “spiraling out of control” feeling, that mountain growing out of a molehill, we therapists often refer to as “generalizing.” Basically, generalizing means that a thought starts out small, but expands beyond the original issue, fueled by anxiety, until the problem no longer feels manageable, but instead feels overwhelming.

Sometimes this anxiety is best helped with medication. Your therapist or physician can help you decide that. But meds aside, let’s look at ways to rein it in, and you can add these to your Big Bag O’ Coping Tools. Because with or without medication, it’s very empowering to feel that you have the tools you need to regain some control.

First, breathe. At the fi rst 1. signs of anxiety taking hold, your breathing will tend to be shallow, but it’s important to take fi ve to 10 slow, deep breaths. This helps keep not only your mind from racing, but also helps the systems in your body to stay calm and function normally. What you don’t need right now is more adrenalin. You need to slow down, and return to center.

Second, realize that what’s 2. happening is all about perspective. You’re seeing the issue all at once, it’s too big, and so of course it’s going to seem unmanageable. Perhaps this is about work, or home, or school, or relationships. Whatever it is, let this feeling be your red fl ag that cues you to start looking at it differently.

And here’s how to do that: 3. Take the big picture and break it down into small, bite-size pieces. Allow yourself to think in terms of “one step at a time.” Right now, all I have to do is make this phone call. Then, done with that—now all I have to do is gather my things and walk to my car. Now—all I have to do is start the car, breathe, and drive to the meeting. You get the idea. Make the pieces as small as you need to, even if it feels silly at fi rst, and focus only on one piece at a time. You can’t eat a whole plateful of food at once; you take it a bite at a time. This is the same way to keep your anxiety from spiraling.

Create for yourself a mantra, 4. such as: Stay present. Just focus. One step at a time. Keep it simple. Breathe. Whatever catch phrase helps you stay with yourself, and not abandon yourself, will serve to bring you back to the present moment, and away from the impulse to rush forward. Remember, anxiety tends to be future-based, fi lled with worries about what’s to come.

A few other practical tips that could help: Make a list and divide it up over several days, instead of trying to do it all today. Solicit the help of a friend or friends to help with some of the tasks, making it more fun and take less time. If applicable, learn to delegate and share the wealth…er…burden. And lastly, quit trying to be perfect. (Read the July 9 Shrink Rap for more about this.)

Until next time: “You owe it to everyone (including yourself) to fi nd pockets of tranquility in your busy world.” — Georges Bernanos

Shrink RapFour Steps To Making It Manageable

“‘Generalizing’ means that a

thought starts out small, but

expands beyond the original

issue, fueled by anxiety, until the problem

no longer feels manageable, but

instead feels overwhelming.”

By Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.Dwww.DrRPH.com

Dr. Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist, minister, and educator, in private practice in Chattanooga, and is the author of “Empowering the Tribe” and “The Power of a Partner.” Visit his web site at www.DrRPH.com where you can email your questions and comments.


Cover Story

SensitiveFamous“If it really strikes a chord with me, so that I mutter it, if

it sticks in my head, then it has some depth. They’re like the world’s shortest short stories.”

WayneWhite


Growing up on Atlanta Drive in Hixson in the ’60s, Wayne White tried hard to be a jock. His dad loved sports, and as he tells Todd Oldham in the newly

released Wayne White: Maybe Now I’ll Get The Respect I So Richly Deserve, “There was always a football or baseball game going on, and my father bowled all the time. I grew up in a bowling alley…”

But from the beginning, Wayne wanted to draw. Between games with his Little League “Dixie Youth” team (“We had the Confederate battle fl ag on the patch on our shoulders”), he drew. On drawing pads, on paper bags, on pieces of wood, on rocks. And now, more than 40 years later, he still does.

His journey, though, has taken him from Hixson to Murfreesboro to Lake Placid to Nashville to the East Village in New York to Hollywood. He’s been a short-order cook at IHOP, cartoonist, puppet-maker and puppeteer, printmaker, painter and sculptor. He worked with legendary comics artist and graphic novelist Art Spiegelman, designed all the puppets (“except for Chairy”) on Pee-wee’s Playhouse, did the groundbreaking “Big Time” Peter Gabriel video, and built an entirely new career taking thrift-store art reproductions and painting phrases such as, “But it is/And I am/So they won’t” on top of them.

In the book’s preface, Oldham describes his work, “as if one is viewing an old master from another galaxy.”

At heart, however, Wayne remains a Southern kid from Hixson, TN, where his parents still live. He spent some time talking with The Pulse about his art and the release of the comprehensive retrospective on his career.

Cover Story

Inside The Mind Of Wayne White

“The phrases on my paintings are voices of characters that I imagine. Some are me, some are other people, my parents…and a lot of the roadside imagery, like the ‘See Rock City’ signs, is still there.”

By Janis [email protected]


The Pulse: How long has it been since you were in Chattanooga?

Wayne White: I left Chattanooga in 1979, but I go back a lot to visit my parents.

TP: Now that you’ve lived so long away from the South, has the Southern imagery in your work become more iconic, as opposed to being based on real memories?

WW: I still see myself as a Southerner, I still use Southern phrases. The phrases on my paintings are voices of characters that I imagine. Some are me, some are other people, my parents…and a lot of the roadside imagery, like the “See Rock City” signs, is still there.

TP: Your painting “You Didn’t Know What You Were Doing But You Did It And Now Here You Are” [in which a thrift-store still life is layered with Dali-esque drooping letters forming the phrase] seems like a self-referential one?

WW: (laughing) Yes, that’s me talking to myself. I like things you say to yourself. Many of them are universal; they could apply to everyone. If it really strikes a chord with me, so that I mutter it, if it sticks in my head, then it has some depth. They’re like the world’s shortest short stories.

TP: Chattanooga has so many layers of history; it’s almost as though you can feel the

ghosts around you.WW: Yes, it’s like the present is layered on the

past. The Cherokee, the Civil War, the TVA…when I was a kid, we’d go to junk stores, antique stores. I was kind of lost in a reverie about the past. Now I recycle old paintings.

TP: I notice that quite a few of the paintings reproduced in the book use seascapes. Is there a signifi cance in that?

WW: No, not really, because I think of the reproductions that I use as an empty stage. I only paint on reproductions. Real paintings have too much human smell, and it would be a “comment” on that artist…in a way, I’m collaborating with the artist who painted the original of the reproduction.

TP: You’ve worked in so many forms and mediums in your life. When you get an idea, does it immediately present itself as one form or another? Or do you have to think that out?

WW: I don’t jump back and forth. I often get into a genre of making paintings, or sculpture for three or four months and make a series of them. I’ve been doing paintings, but I’m working on a big sculpture right now, it’s a giant puppet head of George Jones for a gallery in Houston. I want to keep alive the genres I’ve worked in.

TP: You mention at the end of the Todd

Oldham interview that you’d like to do puppet shows again. Were you talking about live or on TV?

WW: Live. I’d like to do them in a gallery or in the back yard…for the George Jones piece, you can peep into his brain and there’s a performance going on in there. I like to have an audience…puppets that begin as sculpture and then it starts to move.

TP: Would you like to see a show of your work here, in your hometown?

WW: Yes! I’d love to have a show at the Hunter. Call them for me, would you?

Cover Story

“I like things you say to yourself. Many of them are universal; they could apply to everyone.”

Wayne White: Maybe Now I’ll Get The Respect I So Richly DeserveArt by Wayne White; interviewed by Todd Oldham$65Ammo Books, 2009


Downtown just ain’t what it used to be. They say when Giuliani was mayor of New York, he turned Times Square from the Thunderdome into Disneyland. And pretty much the same thing happened here when the Tennessee Aquarium opened in 1992. But before that, you could shoot a gun down Market Street and not hit a soul, which made downtown Chattanooga the perfect playground for us kids.

There were tons of cheap apartments. And if you didn’t feel like paying rent, there were plenty of places to squat as well. There were scores of dive bars and restaurants. And there were tons of places to see good live music. The infamous institution known as “The Nucleus” (where The Mix was located at 4th and Market) for example, hosted Black Flag and Red Hot Chili Peppers among other top-shelf alternative bands of the time before they were superstars.

Chattanooga had its fair share of great local punk bands too. Loud, fast, dirty, fi lthy, gnarly, distorted garage rockers who could count on one hand their infl uences (which almost always included The Stooges, Dolls, Pistols, Replacements and Ramones). And if, of all of those bands you had to name the one that truly stood at the center of Chattanooga’s plethora of young, talented qualifi ers, it would likely be an outfi t simply known as Hank.

Named for the activity that generally ensues when looking at a racy magazine during some

alone time, Hank was made up of bass, drums, a female guitarist and an illustrious lead singer: Chuck Jennings.

Chuck was quite a character, very mysterious. Mainly that’s because only a few people knew his true story. Most knew the legendary story. And here’s how it went.

Apparently Chuck hailed from somewhere in California. Laguna Beach, I believe. He had just been released from either reform school or prison when he arrived in Chattanooga back in the mid-’80s.

Now, just because Chuck spent some time “gettin’ his mind right” didn’t mean he was bitter, dumb or spiteful. In fact, he was quite the opposite. Chuck had an intense lust for life that not too many of us could muster up unless he was around. One friend put it best when he pointed out Chuck was the type of guy who could send you a letter from prison that would make you feel like you were missing something by not being there. And, he was a pretty smart guy when it came to fi guring out real quick how one can get by on their wits, charm and good looks.

First step: Start a band. And what a band he started. Hank was a very, very talented outfi t. In addition to

their exceptional musicianship, they had Chuck. And Chuck was the closest incarnation of Iggy, Mick and Bowie rolled up into one this town has ever seen.

My favorite of Chuck’s personality traits was that he didn’t give a shit. At all. He would do anything, anytime, to or

for anybody if it meant 1) kicks, 2) mayhem or 3) adding to his growing mystique. But when it came to fronting a fi ne rock band, he was fl at-out the consummate showman. That’s where he truly shined.

In fact, even to this day, THE fi nest display of local talent I have ever

witnessed was Hank’s infamous show at a now-defunct bar called the Go-Go Club back in the summer of 1986.

During a rockin’ cover of AC/DC’s “Whole Lotta Rosie,” Chuck swung from the light rigs and then jumped off the stage, ran over to the bar, jumped across it and started grabbing bottles and pouring liquor down his throat. As the bartender started to chase him away, he jumped back on stage just in time to fi nish the song and, true to form, bolted before the cops showed up. Brilliant.

As with anyone who’s bigger than the town they’re in, Chuck decided to move to LA right about the time people started wondering why he was living here in the fi rst place. But wherever he ended up over the years, he would occasionally send us a card or letter with a cryptic tale that was surely written with the same kind of smile with which it was received. Unfortunately though, his demons, habits and survival tactics eventually got the best of him. Sadly, Chuck overdosed about ten years ago. But as far as the mark he left on the pre-aquarium Noog, he lives on.

“K-Mart Town!”

Life In The Noog

“Chuck was the type of guy who

could send you a letter from prison that would make you feel like you

were missing something by not

being there.”

The Ballad of Chuck Jennings

By Chuck Crowderwww.thenoog.com

Chuck Crowder is a local writer and general man about town. His opinions are just that. Everything expressed is loosely based on fact, and crap he hears people talking about. Take what you just read with a grain of salt, but pepper it in your thoughts. And be sure to check out his wildly popular website www.thenoog.com


local news and viewswww.chattanoogapulse.com


David Smotherman has seen his small book/art store blossom into one of the largest spaces on Frazier Avenue, and WinderBinder has become an important regional folk art gallery. Dave now presents 75 artists, about one third of them local.

All this has resulted from WinderBinder’s expansion into the former A Novel Idea bookstore, and it includes the acquisition of the bookstore’s inventory, now combined with Dave’s own inventory. Consequently, thousands of books will now be available to the reading public at the new WinderBinder.

Having written a previous article on the qualities of the folk art offerings at WinderBinder, I’m glad that this gallery’s expansion will support more artists, and allow them a more prominent showcase. Patrons entering the space will still be greeted by Charlie Henson’s whimsical found-art sculptures. This Atlanta-based artist also creates lamps made from old appliances, such as a “vacuum lamp,” an elegant combination of recycling and functional decoration.

Newly prominent are the book presentations. Dave explains that he had worked as a book dealer, and opened WinderBinder as a book/art store, but the folk art gallery developed so much that it tended to dwarf the books offered. Now,

there’s more balance, with shelves retained from A Novel Idea. Also, former ANI owner Karen Poole’s Book Club continues to meet in the space. Dave will take in books for trade credit, and will also offer some book repair.

When I fi rst moved to Chattanooga a few years back, I was impressed by people’s interest in books and reading. As a long-time

bibliophile, I was glad to fi nd a couple of fi ne books at A Novel Idea. Now that the two book inventories have merged, people can expect more interesting fi nds. I noticed some intriguing art books and some equally intriguing old editions. Dave notes that he was ordering a fi rst edition of Ken Kesey’s One Flew

Over the Cuckoo’s Nest as well as a signed presentation copy of The Spirit of St. Louis by Charles Lindbergh, rare by defi nition.

Although Dave’s personal literary interests focus on nonfi ction and history, he wants to develop his

collection of art books on Southern art, more companionable to his gallery offerings. Folks can also fi nd books on Tennessee history, including Chattanooga.

Dave is particularly excited about the tenfold increase in square footage being much more amenable to the music events that he hosts at WinderBinder. The upcoming What Cheer? Brigade, a 19-member band, will march across the pedestrian bridge to do a concert in Dave’s parking lot on Friday, July 31. Still, Dave regularly programs music events indoors at WinderBinder, eclectic shows that will now be a little more accessible for musicians and patrons alike.

Find some time for a WinderBinder expedition, and see what prizes will reward you there.

“Although Dave’s personal literary interests focus on nonfi ction and history, he wants to develop his collection of art books on Southern art.”

Arts & EntertainmentBooking More Art

By Michael Crumb

What Cheer? Brigade7-9 p.m.Friday, July 31March over Walnut Street Bridge, then performance in parking lotWinderBinder Gallery40 Frazier Avenue(423) 413-8999. www.winderbinder.wordpress.com


Chattanooga Freethought Association’s Coffee Social10:30 a.m. Panera Bread, 1810 Gunbarrel Rd.

Mosaic Market11 a.m. 412 Market St. (corner of 4th/Market) (423) 624-3915.

Kindred Spirits Book Club2 p.m. Downtown Public Library, 1001 Broad St. (423) 757-1310. www.lib.chattanooga.gov

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe3 p.m. Ripple Theater, 3264 Brainerd Road, (423) 475-5006. www.rippletheater.com

Back Row Film Series: Kenosha Kid: Steamboat Bill, Jr.7 p.m. Barking Legs Theatre,

1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347. www.barkinglegs.org

A Midsummer’s Night Dream7:30 p.m. Chattanooga State Humanities Auditorium, 4501 Amnicola Hwy. (423) 697-4404.

Kristen Key7:30 p.m. & 10 p.m. The Comedy Catch & Giggles Grille, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com

“Delta Queen: A Musical Journey”8 p.m. Delta Queen, Coolidge Park. (423) 468-4500. www.deltaqueenhotel.com

Guys and Dolls8 p.m. Signal Mountain Playhouse, 3500 Taft Hwy. (423) 886-5243.

“Tying the Knot: Jewish Wedding Traditions” Reception2 p.m. Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 North Terrace. (423) 493-0270.

Kristen Key8 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233.

Works by Stephen Scott YoungShuptrine Fine Art and Framing, 2646 Broad St. (423) 266-4453.

“A Barage of Butterfl ies”Houston Museum of Art, 201 High St. (423) 267-7176.

“Coal Miners Health in Appalachia” Photo ExhibitDowntown Public Library, 1001 Broad St. (423) 757-1310.www.lib.chattanooga.gov

Back Row Film Series: Kenosha Kid and Steamboat Bill, Jr. The classic Buster Keaton silent fi lm gets a live jazz

soundtrack courtesy of the group Kenosha Kid. Also on the bill is a short fi lm by the Shaking Ray Levi Society. Part of the AEC Back Row Film Series.Saturday, July 25, $10, 7 p.m.Barking Legs Theater, 1307 Dodds Avenue.(423) 624-5347. www.backrowfi lms.com

“The Language of Landscape”5:30 p.m. Bill Shores Gallery, 301 Manufacturers Rd. Ste. 107. (423) 756-6746

Treasure Hunt6 p.m. Delta Queen, Coolidge Park. (423) 468-4500. www.deltaqueenhotel.com

Foods of the Wild West6 p.m. Hunter Museum of Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944.www.huntermuseum.org


Kristen Key8 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com

“Dance Alive”6 p.m. Roland Hayes Concert Hall, Vine & Palmetto Streets. (423) 821-2055.

“Oh, Lady, Be Good: A Tribute to the Great Ladies of Song” Cabaret Show6:30 p.m. & 8 p.m. Delta Queen, Coolidge Park. (423) 468-4500. www.deltaqueenhotel.com

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe7:30 p.m. Ripple Theater, 3264 Brainerd Road, (423) 475-5006. www.rippletheater.com

Kristen Key7:30 p.m. & 10 p.m. The Comedy Catch & Giggles Grille, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com


“Cultural Fragments”Lookout Mountain Gallery, 3535 Broad St. Ste A. (423) 508-8117.

“Jellies: Living Art”Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944.

“Human Nature”River Gallery, 400 E. Second St. (423) 265-5033. www.river-gallery.com

Fine Handmade Jewelry by Mary Helen RobertIn-Town Gallery, 26A Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9214.

Thursday Friday

Saturday Sunday

Ballet Tennessee “Dance Alive”

Young dancers perform with guest artists.Free.6 p.m. Roland Hayes Concert Hall, UTC. Corner of Vine & Palmetto Streets. (423) 643-6052. www.ballettennessee.org

Caravan GefenIsraeli songs and dances

plus a community dinner.$10 adults, $5 kids (reservations required) 6 p.m.Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 North Terrace Road.(423) 493-0270, ext. 13. www.jcfgc.com

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Last chance for Amazons, fairies, lovers under a spell and an ass’s head. Need we say more?$102:30 p.m. Chattanooga State Humanities Auditorium, 4501 Amnicola Hwy. (423) 697-4404.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Editor’s Pick: Featured Event Of The Week

A&E Calendar Send your calendar events to us at [email protected]

Southern Literary Book Club6 p.m Rock Point Books, 401 Broad St. (423) 756-2855.

“Speak Easy” spoken word and poetry night8 p.m. Mudpie Restaurant, 12 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9040.

“Windows on the West: Views From the American Frontier”Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944.

“Accessing the Artist’s Brain: Drawing as Metaphor”Association for Visual Arts, 30 Frazier Ave. (423) 265-4282.


“Jellies: Living Art”Hunter Museum of Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944.

“Human Nature”River Gallery, 400 E. Second St. (423) 265-5033. www.river-gallery.com


Works by Stephen Scott YoungShuptrine Fine Art and Framing, 2646 Broad St. (423) 266-4453.

“Tying the Knot: Jewish Wedding Traditions”Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 North Terrace. (423) 493-0270.

Book Signing with Mark Fitten7 p.m. Rock Point Books, 401 Broad St. (423) 756-2855. www.rockpointbooks.com

“A Barage of Butterfl ies”Houston Museum of Arts, 201 High St. (423) 267-7176.

“Coal Miners Health in Appalachia” Photo ExhibitDowntown Public Library, 1001 Broad St. (423) 757-1310.

“Windows on the West: Views From the American Frontier”Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944.

“Accessing the Artist’s Brain: Drawing as Metaphor”Association for Visual Arts, 30 Frazier Ave. (423) 265-4282.

Shakespeare Chattanooga reads

The TempestYour chance to hear the full text of the play many consider the Bard’s swan songFree.2:30 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Circle Stage, 400 River Street.(423) 622-2862. shakespearechattanooga.com


G-ForceProducer Jerry Bruckheimer brings his fi rst 3-D fi lm to the big screen with G-Force, a comedy adventure about the latest evolution of a covert government program to train animals to work in espionage. Armed with the latest high-tech spy equipment, these highly trained guinea pigs discover that the fate of the world is in their paws. Tapped for the G-Force are guinea pigs Darwin (voice of Sam Rockwell), the squad leader determined to succeed at all costs; Blaster (voice of Tracy Morgan), an outrageous weapons expert with tons of attitude and a love for all things extreme; and Juarez (voice of Penelope Cruz), a sexy martial arts pro; plus the literal fl y-on-the-wall reconnaissance expert, Mooch, and a star-nosed mole, Speckles (voice of Nicolas Cage), the computer and information specialist.

Starring: Bill Nighy, Tracy Morgan, Penelope Cruz, Nicolas CageDirector: Hoyt YeatmanRating: PG

New in Theaters

Also in TheatersOrphan(New) A mourning couple decides to adopt a child, only to discover that the seemingly sweet angelic little girl is not what she appears to be. The Ugly Truth(New) Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler team up as TV morning show producers searching for the ugly truth on what makes men and women tick.Harry Potter and the Half-Blood PrinceDaniel Radcliffe returns as the teen wizard, back at Hogwarts and facing his darkest threat yet.(500) Days of SummerJoseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel star in the boy-meets-girl story of an unpredictable no-holds-barred love affair. BrunoSacha Baron Cohen is a fl amboyant Austrian fashionista who takes his show to the U.S., wreaking havoc on unsuspecting Americans. I Love You, Beth CooperA geeky high school valedictorian uses his graduation speech to declare his love for Hayden Panettiere, setting

a off a night he’ll never forget. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Megan Fox and Shia LaBeouf return to join with the Autobots’ battle against the evil Decepticons. Public Enemies Johnny Depp stars as notorious Depression-era gangster John Dillinger, whose charismatic crime spree made him a folk hero to the masses. The Proposal Sandra Bullock is a high-powered exec who fakes an engagement with her assistant to avoid deportation to her native Canada. Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs Manny, Sid, Diego and the rest of the computer- animated critter crew are back for their third prehistoric adventure—this time in 3D! The Hangover Four friends go to Vegas for a blowout bachelor party, only to wake up the next morning with a baby, a tiger, no groom, and no clue. UpIn Pixar’s latest, a twist

of fate—and a persistent Junior Wilderness Explorer—send a 78-year-old man on an adventure beyond his wildest dreams. My Sister’s KeeperA young girl, conceived to provide a donor match for her leukemia-stricken older sister, seeks to earn medical emancipation from her parents.The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 Denzel Washington is a civil servant who must outwit John Travolta, a criminal mastermind who hijacks a subway train. Year OneJack Black and Michael Cera are a pair of village idiots on the fi rst road trip ever, wandering through early civilization in biblical times.Night at the Museum: Battle of the SmithsonianBen Stiller returns as the bewildered night watchman who witnesses exhibits coming alive. Star TrekKirk, Spock, Bones and the rest of the Enterprise crew boldly go where no one has gone before in J.J. Abrams re-imagining of the fi nal frontier.


Imagine how diffi cult it would be to turn an almost universally loved novel, clocking in at 652 pages, into a single feature fi lm. It’s a package deal—fans will see an elaborate fi lm adaption if it is made. There are two options for the fi lmmaker: Churn out a mediocre fi lm and reap the monetary benefi ts or make a quality fi lm and, of course, still reap those guaranteed monetary benefi ts.

I honestly believe that the creative team behind each fi lm adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels has chosen option two. Only the best British character actors sign on for adult roles, and there are never any shortcuts taken in making Harry Potter’s world eye-poppingly real. There have been some notable directors in the mix, too, Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men, HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban) being the best among them.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the story of Harry’s sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the year begins with a stern warning from headmaster Dumbledore: Hogwarts isn’t the safe place it once was and any student could easily be taken in by the Dark Lord, Voldemort (a terrifying Ralph Fiennes, sadly not seen in this installment).

Forces of evil have been emboldened by Voldemort’s return and Harry Potter, rumored to be “The Chosen One” to destroy the dark wizard, must prepare himself and learn as much as possible about Voldemort’s past.

David Yates directs. He’s been doing serialized television for the BBC for 20 years and has proved very good at it, making me wonder if it has ever crossed his mind how Harry Potter might look if the novels were adapted serially instead of in one fell cinematic swoop.

“Wait,” you may say, “that would take forever.” Well—yes. But if it were to happen, adolescent

love among the young magicians would make lot more sense, characters wouldn’t lose all sense of motivation, and story-shattering events wouldn’t be zapped of their emotional import as if by a spell from a magic wand.

On the upside, a scene where Harry and Dumbledore travel to a dark cave to retrieve a piece of Voldemort’s soul shocks with one of the best jump scares in recent movies and ends with a breathtaking fi re sequence brilliant to behold. The fi lm is beautiful to look at—the cinematography an inspired amalgamation of the real and the computer-generated. Veteran British actors Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, and David Thewlis steal all their scenes and the addition of Jim Broadbent as Professor Horace Slughorn is most welcome.

Still, the “Potter” fi lm saga will have to calculate some inspired moves in order to do justice to Rowling’s thrilling conclusion in which…well…you can go read it yourself. It’s recently out in paperback.

The Brothers Bloom is the sophomore feature by its director, Rian Johnson, who had massive critical success with his debut fi lm Brick, a masterpiece that has gained a cult following. Whereas Brick surpassed everyone’s expectations in transferring the world of fi lm noir fl awlessly into the American high school, The Brothers Bloom follows two brothers, con men since childhood and, in broad strokes of fancy and color, shows us their biggest and best con.

Stephen and Bloom specialize in high-profi le con jobs, but they are far from equals. Stephen (Mark Ruffalo) is the mastermind, designing his elaborate cons bit by bit, plotting them like a literary master, and getting out of them exactly the money he wants. Bloom (Adrien Brody) reaps 50 percent of the monetary benefi ts, but usually ends up geting the short end of the stick in other ways.

If Stephen is the brilliant writer of these masterful cons, Bloom is the main character, riding the thematic arcs, often emerging as the lovable anti-hero. During the con, he might benefi t from moments of fame and the company of women, but he’s left in a depressive rut by the end. After losing his identity countless times to his brother’s massive schemes, Bloom is tired and wants out.

But Stephen has one more con up his sleeve and he can’t pull it off without his brother. The con involves the money and talent of beautiful and lonely New Jersey heiress Penelope Stamp (Rachel Weisz). Enlisting her proves easy, but her instability is awfully unpredictable. What is predictable (at least from Bloom’s perspective) is that he is yet again falling for the woman he’s conning.

Lurking in the subtext of Stephen’s con is the brothers’ archenemy: a one-eyed old swindler and former mentor named Diamond Dog who eagerly lies in wait to exact his revenge on The Brothers Bloom.

Johnson’s fi lm is exceedingly well scripted (by himself) and his direction is reminiscent of Wes Anderson, though not nearly as self-important. The fi rst seven minutes follow the brothers’ childhood exploits. Their adventures have an energetic innocence that never becomes cartoonish. These are inspired moments.

There’s madcap, surreal hilarity to follow—a drunk camel, a Japanese girl named Bang Bang who specializes in explosives, a insanely rich heiress from New Jersey—but somehow (and I don’t claim to know how), these unexpected little details never undermine the richness of Johnson’s characterizations, especially when it comes to the two brothers. The Brothers Bloom is a comic con-men fantasy and that in itself is something rather new and exciting. I’d happily sit through it many more times.

Film FeatureWizardry and a Couple of Brothers Bloom

By Phillip Johnston

“There’s madcap, surreal hilarity to follow—a drunk camel, a Japanese girl named Bang Bang who specializes in explosives, a insanely rich heiress from New Jersey.”

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood PrinceDirected by David YatesStarring Daniel Radcliffe, Elizabeth, Rupert GrintRated PGRunning time: 2 hours, 33 minutes

The Brothers BloomDirected by Rian JohnsonStarring Mark Ruffalo, Adrien Brody, Rachel WeiszRated PG-13Running time: 113 minutes


I was sitting in the fi lthy booth of Chinese restaurant on East 23rd Street, resting my chin on the palm of my hand, staring listlessly out of a grimy window overlooking a barren parking lot when I again came to the conclusion that all indications suggested the greater East Lake Area was still an uninhabitable wasteland, abandoned by law enforcement and unwatched by God Himself. It was not the fi rst time I’d realized this, but the answer provided comfort to me, particularly in light of my apparent inability to do anything about it.

Make no mistake; I’d done my part over and over, but I could still see no tangible effect despite my best efforts. Was this my life? Was it to be spent putting Band-Aids over the festering arms and legs of this horrible graveyard of a community, doing no more than God’s “busy work,” as its indigenous people went about their days and nights seemingly only able to demonstrate how to stand in direct opposition to everything that makes America great? I wasn’t there at the beginning, but I am still relatively hopeful that this country wasn’t founded on fornicating, drug use, and theft. Or was it? Out of psychological desperation, I once even tried to be reasonable and considered how two out of the three could work statistically, but even then I thought that was stretching it a bit.

I wasn’t just being a crybaby or anything, mind you. I’m not talking about the usual craven and gutless acts of pig-men who commit rapes and home invasions—no. While awful, those were legal and societal anomalies and I dealt with them quite well. They were what I was “supposed to deal with,” and they fi t into the scheme of things. It was the little things that were eating away at me, I supposed…the busy work that individually shouldn’t bother me, but after months (and years) worked into the small drips that can eventually bore into stone.

I had just left a home in the 100 block of Morningside Drive, a revitalized neighborhood that held the pimps and thieves at bay by sheer will and steady use of the department’s non-emergency line. It was a rental house occupied by a handful of twenty-something hippie wannabes, the smell of patchouli and bong water just taking hold in the mismatched furniture and piles of clothing that was their little piece of Nirvana, right down to a caged pet marmot. They called because someone had stolen their water hose and a bicycle left in the yard by the sidewalk, and they just couldn’t understand a society that would do such a thing. I took their information and gave them vague but reassuring answers on how I would deal with this situation before departing to complete the report.

Twenty minutes later, my employment-challenged customers called back for my return. They were beside themselves and wanted to again impress upon me the fact that they had saved for that bicycle, and it meant a great deal to them. I gritted my teeth but attempted to placate them with the love of my own childhood bicycle, backed with suggestions of canvassing the neighborhood. Door-to-door interviews, perhaps post pictures of said bike on street poles and solicit information for a reward? They grew annoyed, so I suggested a fi eld trip, a little jaunt just one block east to the 1700 block of South Hawthorne Street, the neighborhood they had moved next to. The kind of neighborhood that gave slumlords a good name, and intravenous drug addicts a vacation spot. The kind of place that did not play host to a group of young men who thought a sitting around getting high and watching Star Trek: The Next Generation marathons was preferable to stabbing someone over smudged shoes, and that in accordance with such they should consider not leaving their shit in the yard and creating an opportunity for any asshole walking by to consider taking it for themselves. I assured them that I would, however, keep an eye out for their “hose”. (They might not have been satisfi ed with this, but they were quiet. Realizing I’d snapped somewhere along the way, I decided to leave.)

Back at the restaurant, I continued to peer out of the partially tinted glass. By “partially” I mean the tint had been peeled off half the window, leaving a cloudy residue that fairly well matched the ambience of the establishment, but I had never complained. The proprietors were kind and grateful, and the food was good. OK, the food was free. Movement across the parking lot caught my attention, and I saw a medium-sized dog squatting there in the middle of the lot, legs bowed and shivering madly in the throes of taking a very painful and apparently very unsuccessful shit despite the activity around him, and fi ve minutes passed before I even realized I was still watching. I grew disgusted with myself and my station all over again.

“Abandoned by law enforcement and unwatched by God Himself,” I thought. “Yup.”

On The Beat

“I wasn’t there at the

beginning, but I am still

relatively hopeful that this country

wasn’t founded on fornicating, drug use, and

theft.”

When offi cer Alexander D. Teach is not patrolling our fair city hot on the heels of the criminal element, he is an occasional student of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and in his spare time enjoys carpentry, auto mechanic work, boating, and working for the Boehm Birth Defects Center.

God’s Busy WorkBy Alex Teach


There is the Knoxville there is, and the Knoxville there once was. Like Chattanooga, our orange-and-white neighbor to the north has been undergoing a steady and growing revitalization effort that gives visitors a reason to visit outside of Neyland Stadium.

Let’s get some due diligence out of the way. I was a resident of Knoxville and a student of the University of Tennessee. While residing there, I hated the place. It was paved, it was dingy, and it was sad. Everything was under construction, all the time. The live music was its only redeeming quality, and even that seemed to wane towards the end.

Of course, the moment I graduated and moved back to the Scenic City, the dominoes of revitalization fell into place. Right in the heart of downtown, Market Square channels the energy of this new Knoxville into a concentrated area resembling the best aspects of Chattanooga’s Miller Plaza, Coolidge Park and the First Tennessee Pavilion. Seasonal performances sporadically appear (much like Chattanooga Market). For example: Shakespeare on the Square’s performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Hamlet every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday for free until August 16, or ice skating during the winter.

Of course the centerpiece of Market Square is Sundown in the City, their version of Nightfall, which I actually enjoy more thanks to the Square’s inherent crowd-control fl ow. You’ll see some popular local bands make an appearance, and every so often you’ll get a bigger name taking the stage. I’ll never forget the time I saw Southern Culture on the Skids, because the crowds are so energetic.

Furthermore, great efforts have been made to bring excellent performances to two Knoxville landmarks, the Bijou Theater and the Tennessee Theater. Both rival our Tivoli and Memorial for beautifully intricate interiors, and their symphony and opera rival ours as well. (The other thing that the Tennessee Theater has going for it is that you can enjoy a tasty alcoholic beverage with your show.) I’m happy to report that I saw “Weird Al”

Yankovic at the Tennessee last year, and enjoyed his performance there much more than I would have at the Memorial. There’s just something in the atmosphere that brings a smile to your face.

Of course, the World’s Fair Park, Amphitheater and Sun Sphere are the most identifi able Knoxville landmarks. It’s interesting that Knoxville decided they also needed a kitschy tourist trap to compete with our Rock City and Ruby Falls. Instead, they’ve built a fantastic green space complete with peaceful water features and magnifi cent art installations.

Now that we’ve got the obvious stuff out of the way, let’s talk about the hidden gems.

Since Knoxville is usually stereotyped as a sports town, let’s talk about the greatest sport ever played: hockey. You heard me right! The Knoxville Ice Bears play at the Knoxville Civic Auditorium & Coliseum, which resembles a really big high school gym. The good news: cheap tickets and excellent seats no matter where you are. The bad news: hockey season starts in October, so mark your calendar now.

The other dark little secret about Knoxville is that it isn’t really a city so much as a collection of suburbs (sound familiar, Chattanooga?) As such, you might have to do some driving to get to some of the better dining establishments. For example, the best hamburger you’ll ever eat will be at Litton’s Market, Restaurant & Bakery. All you have to do from downtown is

hop on Broadway and keep heading north. Once there, you’ll see a sign proclaiming their quality since 1946—and they are completely right. The Market in Litton’s Market is the meat market, meaning the hamburger you’re about to eat wasn’t even ground beef until you ordered it. Litton’s Bakery puts the City Café to shame.

If you’re just in the mood to hoof it,

because you found the awesome free-on-the-weekends parking garage (ARE YOU LISTENING, CHATTANOOGA?) near Market Square, then you’ve got some great options there as well. On Gay Street, you’ve got the Downtown Grill & Brewery, where a starter of soft pretzels will blow your mind. Or Shono in City (no “the”, so don’t put it in the Garmin), a delicious little Japanese place right on the square that just can’t be beat.

Since you’re already there, you should defi nitely stop by Mast General Store. In addition to being an awesome frontier-style general store, it is also home to the most delicious beverage ever devised by man: Cheerwine. Not to be confused with Cherry Coke or Cherry Pepsi, Cheerwine from Mast General comes chilled in a glass bottle and is made with sugar, not corn syrup. This perfect combination of sugar, cherry and caffeine is surprisingly enough bottled right there in Knoxville, despite being a North Carolina-based company. Mast General also carries an assortment of “art”, trendy clothes, and barrel upon barrel of candy by the pound.

But wait, there’s more! Yee-Haw Industries specializes in what they call “original art-like products.” Their real claim to fame is their printshop, cranking out amazing posters for bands such as Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams and Southern Culture on the Skids. If you like print art, check out Yee-Haw’s storefront on Gay Street, period.

However, if a driving beat and the dance fl oor are more your fl avor, you’ve got to go to the World Grotto. It’s dark, it’s literally underground, and it’s a real dance club with no pretensions. Hippies, punks, Goths, preps, everyone’s welcome as long as they’re dancing. They’ve got a bar upstairs if your feet start to hurt (or you want to actually hear what that cute girl with the lip ring was saying).

I didn’t like the Knoxville that once was, but I miss the Knoxville that it has become. It’s two short hours away, and there’s so much more than football going on. For more information, visit www.knoxville.org

Driving DiversionsRoad Trippin' To The New Knoxville

By Damien Power

“Right in the heart of downtown, Market Square channels the energy of this new Knoxville into a concentrated area resembling the best aspects of Chattanooga’s Miller Plaza, Coolidge Park and the First Tennessee Pavilion.”


By the early 1990s, Chattanooga was distancing itself from its former life as the most polluted city in the nation to a progressive, green municipal model. 1992 was a defi ning year for Chattanooga. In that year, Chattanooga launched four initiatives that cemented the city’s new reputation. Most Chattanoogans know two of the projects: the Tennessee Aquarium and the CARTA’s downtown electric shuttle bus system.

The Aquarium is one of the most recognized landmarks in the city, helping to attract more than 1 million visitors. The CARTA electric shuttle was the solution city leaders proposed to avoid creating additional parking lots in the downtown core. Then-Mayor Gene Roberts asked a group to research other cities’ transportation models. Tram and trolley systems were considered, but city leaders were most interested in battery-powered vehicles. They found an ideal model in Santa Barbara, Calif. Although CARTA had to buy the fi rst buses from outside the state, it soon became apparent that city leaders were onto something big. A strategic vision began to materialize: Chattanooga could become global leader in electric-drive transit technology. It was a niche that few other cities had chosen to consider or adopt in such a purposeful way.

In the years following, Chattanooga has been known for moving masses of people around its downtown—tailpipe emission free. CARTA managers kept meticulous records, providing the public-transit sector with real-world data proving the performance o this resourceful technology.

But this distinction would not have been possible without the two other entities launched in 1992: Advanced Vehicle Systems (AVS) and the Advanced Transit Technology Institute (ATTI).

AVS was established to design and manufacture the buses in Chattanooga, meeting the city’s orders with local job creation. The

production company served to spur local economic development, as well as to anchor all things electric drive transit-related here in Chattanooga.

ATTI was founded as nonprofi t organization to accommodate requests coming into the city regarding battery technology. An entity was needed to provide briefi ngs, presentations and tours to diverse groups of people. Everyone from city managers to foreign dignitaries wanted to learn more about CARTA’s innovation and investigate to see if a similar system could be adopted in other places. Since then, ATTI has evolved, as have the popularity and viability of the electric-drive technologies it promotes. Today, there is a spectrum of vehicle types that fall under the electric umbrella:

Pure electric-drive vehicles propelled solely by batteries that plug into the grid for recharging. The technology has advanced to the point that a single charge is enough to power a vehicle through its typical daily duty cycle. Most passenger vehicles can simply be plugged into a standard three-prong outlet.

Hybrids. Electric motor and internal combustion engine working in combination, delivering more effi cient power with ultra-low emissions. Hybrids do not need a connection to the electric grid for recharging.

Plug-in hybrids. At least three commercial models will be introduced in 2010. The battery alone will supply all the power needed.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell. While not predicted to be on the market for about a decade, these vehicles are being tested. They are super effi cient and ultra clean. Drivers will have up to 250 miles of propulsion before requiring a new supply of hydrogen.

Today, the Advanced Vehicle Test Facility at Chickamauga Dam is the site for a range of research and development projects exploring wireless inductive charging of transit buses, enhanced information displays for battery-operated vehicles, and hydrogen as a fuel source. In 2006, TVA turned the one-mile test track and research building over to ATTI and UTC, returning this unique local asset to its original purpose.

ATTI’s executive director Jim Frierson believes Chattanooga and the Tennessee Technology Corridor

are reaping the benefi ts of being on the leading edge: “ We’ve come a long way. Private venture capital and government research support are attracted to electric-drive transportation because it offers the greatest potential for technology advancement. This is truly the space race of our era.”

Nissan, for one, appears to agree. After visiting Chattanooga and the test track, a top Nissan offi cial has committed to including Chattanooga in the 2010 deployment of its all-electric fl eet vehicles. This joint venture with TVA and the state of Tennessee will demonstrate that electricity is a mobile source of power, displacing established fuels such as gasoline and diesel, and competing effectively with biodiesel, ethanol and natural gas.

But it’s not just about tangible benefi ts. Frierson sees other benefi ts the CARTA fl eet gives the city. “Riding the downtown shuttle fare-free just astounds most visitors,” he says. “Perimeter seating inside the 23-passenger shuttle bus was no accident of design. Planners thought this arrangement would subtly encourage conversation among local residents and visitors—furthering Chattanooga’s reputation as a people-friendly place and helping to reinforce the success of tourism.

“It’s serendipitous that through the advantages of clean, quiet transportation and thoughtful social interaction, we are harnessing such a positive force in the city,” says Frierson.

The obvious environmental benefi ts to the city are zero tailpipe emissions and energy effi ciency. With renewable energy gaining support, electric-drive vehicles might soon come full circle. Yet the social benefi ts are enduring. The buses give riders a sense of community. When people begin talking, new ideas are created that can become solutions to city problems. Such a shared sense of place invests people in their community—another value at the very heart of sustainability.

Shades Of Green

“Private venture capital

and government research

support are attracted to

electric-drive transportation

because it offers the greatest

potential for technology

advancement. This is truly the

space race of our era.”

Elizabeth Crenshaw is LEED accredited and works for EPB in Strategic Planning, but her views are her own. Originally from South Carolina, Elizabeth moved to Chattanooga after graduating from Warren Wilson College in 2007.

Batteries IncludedBy Elizabeth Crenshaw


After four or fi ve years of promoting and booking, particularly in Chattanooga, and 10 years, in one music scene or another, one grows tired of what we call “pairing”. Basically, this means you spend a great deal of your time making sure that one band meshes with another or complements their sound.

This generally makes for a great show. However, if you have been doing this as long as I have, sometimes you just feel like getting crazy and throwing all the bands you want to hear together, regardless of their genre. Maybe you are one of those really wacky folks that likes to live life dangerously and puts the MP3 player on shuffl e, where you may be given Lady Gaga followed by Modest Mouse and Neko Case. Nobody knows, so you can get away with it.

Well, it’s about to be my birthday, and the majority of my booking duties have to do with “pairing”. The majority of John of JJ’s Bohemia’s duties in regard to booking have to do with pairing and matching up bands to create a smooth fl owing line up that will go on without any awkward transition. I get it. It’s the way it should be done. It’s the “pro” way to do things. Although, when it becomes part of your job, sometimes it loses

its luster. It’s a drag when you have a great indie-rock line-up and then an awesome punk band comes through town and needs a show…you have to decline, because the “pairing” just isn’t right.

Taking all of the aforementioned information in, I would like you to realize just how awesome it is to be given a birthday show to do with what you will. It’s the greatest freedom a booking agent can have. Thank you, JJ’s. I have two birthday bashes coming up, and if you don’t like me, feel free to come and see the awesome bands and then bash me as you see fi t. I will be there.

For the fi rst show, on Saturday, July 25, we did traditional pairing, with Heypenny, Coral Castles, The Saps, and the Icons. AWESOME! Heypenny better wear some birthday hats! We all know and love Coral Castles, so that is an amazing present that doesn’t even require a ribbon. But for me, that evening, is going to be the greatest gift I could ever ask for, as The Icons are going to rise out of past awesome and become the much improved present excellence that I always wanted them to be! Stay tuned for more information on them!

Then, on my actual birthday, the 28th, we threw pairing to the wind. I get to hear who I want to hear, regardless of genre! You guys need to get in on this. I picked The Tammys, who are ridiculously talented, as well as The Bohannons, who are a band that if you don’t know by now, you should just move. Shameful!

To top the night off, (as I am the type to put my iPod on shuffl e), will be Eris. Eris has never played JJ’s Bohemia, and I would like to invite all of my bearded hipster brethren to bring your friends and come along! I know, you are all probably, like, “WTF, Hellcat!?! Those bands don’t go together…!” But you see, my dear music lovers, that is the whole point. It’s my party and I’ll pair how I want to!

To clarify: While both nights celebrate my birthday, there is no invitation required. I gain no profi t from the function, other than getting to host some really amazing bands. If you would like to donate money for the center for battered women, there

will be an opportunity to do so, and it would be much appreciated. If you hate charities and don’t have any sympathy for battered women, then I suppose you could bring me some bourbon (Maker’s Mark).

Let me recap, within three days, there will be seven amazing bands, and two opportunities for you, my readers, to come down and rock out…or attempt to pour a beer on me. Either way, as long as the money goes to the bands, I don’t really care. Bring it. Come celebrate awesome music, and come celebrate my voodoo birthday as I turn 28 on July 28. If anyone else is born on July 28, come down and do a few shots with me, as I have always wanted to meet someone with my exact birthday. Thanks for a great few years, The Pulse, and our readers. I hope to see you out, at least one of the two nights!

Music Feature

Heypenny, Coral Castles, The Saps, The Icons$79 p.m.Saturday, July 25JJ’s Bohemia231 E. MLK Blvd, (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia

The Tammys, the Bohannons, Eris$79 p.m.Tuesday, July 28JJ’s Bohemia231 E. MLK Blvd, (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia

The Birthday CatBy Hellcat

“I know, you are all probably, like, ‘WTF, Hellcat!?! Those bands don’t go together…!’ But you see, my dear music lovers, that is the whole point. It’s my party and I’ll pair how I want to!”


Tom Kimmel8 p.m. Charles & Myrtle’s, 105 McBrien Road. (423) 892-4960.

Show The Fight, Fallacy, Axiom, The Seas Afl ame7 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd., East Ridge.

The Get Sexy, The Drownout, Reverie7 p.m. Club Fathom, 412 Market St. (423) 757-0019.

Stoneline, Waste and Regret, Of Legend, Toxic Fuzz, Faded8 p.m. Ziggy’s Hideaway, 607 Cherokee Blvd. (423) 634-1074.

The Micks8 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd #202. (423) 499-5055.

Jazzchronic9 p.m. The Low Down, 306 Cherokee Blvd. (423) 468-3593.myspace.com/thelowdownchatt

Too Far Gone South9 p.m. The Tin Can, 618 Georgia Ave. (423) 648-4360. www.thetincanchattanooga.com

Open Mic Challenge9 p.m. Mudpie Restaurant, 12 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9040.www.mudpierestaurant.com

Baadd Mojo9:30 p.m. The Riverhouse, 224 Frazier St. (423) 756-0066.

Butch Ross CD Release Party10 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. myspace.com/marketstreettavern

Open Mic w/Jeff Daniels 4 p.m. Ms. Debbie’s Nightlife Lounge 4762 Highway 58,(423) 485-0966.www.myspace.com/debbieslounge

Farethewell, We Are Only Fiction, The Hearts Story, Tyler Malshenko7 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd., East Ridge.www.myspace.com/warehousetn

Open MicGene’s Bar & Grill, 724 Ashland Terrace, (423) 870-0880.myspace.com/genem14

Computer and Friends (dance party)10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia

Thursday FridayThey Came Running, Divide The Sea, Second Thief7 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd., East Ridge.

Arlo Gilliam - CD release party with Robert Lee8 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644.

Karaoke Night with Steve and Judy8 p.m. The Tin Can, 618 Georgia Ave. (423) 648-4360.

Open Mic Night9 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260.

The Micks9 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd #202. (423) 499-5055.

Noah CollinsNoon. Miller Plaza, 850 Market St. (423) 265-0771.

April Cover, Colour Academy, Windsor Drive, The Hearts Story7 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd. East Ridge.

KayFabe, Autumn to Arms, Surreal, Tommorrow’s End7 p.m. Club Fathom, 412 Market St. (423) 757-0019.

Ocams Razor, Thyne, Electric Garden8 p.m. Ziggy’s Hideaway, 607 Cherokee Blvd. (423) 634-1074.

The Owls9 p.m. The Low Down, 306 Cherokee Blvd. (423) 468-3593.

The Bowsters, The Middlemen, Prettyboy Thornsen10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400.

Bud Lightening, Nathan Farrow10 p.m. Midtown Music Hall, 820 Georgia Ave. (423) 752-1977.

The Fuze10 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878.

Eddie Gwaltney10 p.m. Pickle Barrel, 1012 Market St. (423) 266-5699.

Iron Mike and the Delta Rockers10 p.m. T-Bones, 1419 Chestnut St. (423) 266-4240. www.tboneschattanooga.com

Saturday Sunday

Eleni Mandell with Taxicab Racers

Nightfall continues its summer march with the diverse and breathy vocal styles of Eleni Mandell. Free7 p.m.Nightfall, 850 Market Street.(423) 265-0771. www.downtownchattanooga.org

Irish Music It doesn't matter if you're not Irish by blood as long as you're Irish by heart. Come celebrate the music of the Emerald Isle.6:30 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996.www.tremonttavern.com

MondayOld Tyme Players6 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260.

Cracker9 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644.www.rhythm-brews.com

Brian Hensley, Eric Nelson, Last of the Blue Eyed Devils, New Binkley Brothers10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400.

Karaoke9:30 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878.

The Palms at Hamilton 6925 Shallowford Road,Suite #202, (423) 499-5055.www.thepalmsathamilton.com

Ben Friberg Trio7 p.m. Table 2, 232 E. 11th St. (423) 756-8253.www.table2restaurant.com

Billy Hopkins8 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260.

Open Mic Night9 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1230 Hixson Pike, (423) 266-1966.

Hellcat's Birthday Bash with Eris, The Tammys, and The Bohannons10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia

Spoken Word/Poetry NightThe Riverhouse, 224 Frazier Avenue, (423) 752-0066.

Ben Friberg Trio6:30 p.m. Market Street Tavern,850 Market Street, (423) 634-0260.

Johnston Brown8 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd #202. (423) 499-5055.

Roger Allan Wade9 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com

Hidden Spots, Landlord Witches10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia

DJ GOPThe Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd #202.

Tuesday Wednesday Editor’s Pick: Featured Event Of The Week

Mobile Deathcamp, SSCS, Hoth

You'll have plenty of time over the weekend to let your ears get back to normal. Toledo's own metal monsters bring the Mobile Deathcamp to town.10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia

Music Calendar Send your calendar events to us at [email protected]

Butch Ross CD Release ShowButch’s prodigious mountain dulcimer skills have been attracting attention for years. His latest album, A Long

Way from Shady Grove, was recorded here in Chattanooga and mixed by Dan Landrum at the Maple Ridge Studios. Hear this latest release, live, and take in one of Chattanooga’s celebrated local musicians.Saturday, July 25, $10 (copy of CD included)9 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market Street(423) 634-0260. www.myspace.com/marketstreettavern

Coral Castles, Heypenny, The Saps,

The IconsIf you can’t fi nd the reason to jump up and down, shake your hips, pucker your lips, scream out loud and stomp real proud...that’s your problem. $7.10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd.(423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia


Listeners who are familiar with the Fiery Furnaces, the group centered on the brother/sister core

of Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger, will immediately notice two things largely missing on the new album, I’m Going Away; the trademark, herky-jerky intra-song changes have been diminished, and the distinctive, crazy keyboard sounds are gone. It’s as if the band is making a statement about its identity and trying to defy expectations, or even attempting to limit itself as a challenge; the instrumentation used is a rock combo setup with Matthew playing electric

guitar and piano, Jason Loewenstein (of Sebadoh) on bass, Robert D’Amico on drums, and Eleanor, as always, singing lead vocals.

Upon fi rst listen, I missed those nonstop, quirky, abrupt transitions and unabashedly artifi cial keyboards, but on each subsequent listen, I enjoyed it after focusing on key elements of the album. By conventional standards, I’m Going Away is still a weird album, but when considering the Fiery Furnaces scale, it’s not as much; there are, however, concentrated, gloriously out-there, attention-grabbing outbursts scattered throughout the album in the form of some memorable and distinguished solos. “Charmaine Champagne” has a mind-bending one that consists solely of four ascending notes, each processed with an extreme tremolo effect, and the cool-down fake-out track “Drive to Dallas” uses manic guitar lines to emphasize its rapid tempo changes, which would be

compulsory on almost any other Fiery Furnaces album.

The group has always had a somewhat vague, deconstructed blues-rock style, and superfi cially, one might say that I’m Going Away is most similar to the outfi t’s 2003 debut album, Gallowsbird’s Bark. Lyrically, the album is perhaps a little less impenetrable than other efforts, like the wonderfully cryptic Widow City, but it is still unclear what is exactly going on. There’s a defi nite road-trip theme, with locations like Boston, Lake Geneva, and Manchester sprinkled throughout, and occasional references to a wedding, bullets and knives, and a fatality. Ironically, the band actually seems to be making their identity more complex by dialing down the capriciousness, and while the sturdy and consistently good I’m Going Away is possibly the group’s most accessible album, that’s not a bad thing.

— Ernie Paik

New Music Reviews

The Fiery FurnacesI’m Going Away(Thrill Jockey)

The Phenomenal Handclap BandThe Phenomenal Handclap Band(Friendly Fire)

“Not surprisingly, the most effective songs are the ones with strong melodic and vocal hooks”

No single album can adequately summarize ’60s popular music, but if I had to pick one, it would be the compilation released by the Dukes of Stratosphear—and it wasn’t even made in that decade; those brilliant, completely spot-on, ersatz ’60s pop recordings were created by the group XTC in disguise in the ’80s.

If you’re looking for an equivalent that best covers the ’70s, we have a contender: the new, debut album from the Phenomenal Handclap Band. This Brooklyn collective, formed by producers and keyboardists Daniel Collás and Sean Marquand, captures more than a handful of styles for the decade spanning the aftermath of Woodstock in 1969 through disco’s rise and fall and ending with “Rapper’s Delight” in 1979. The group’s name—surely a tribute to the funky, oft-sampled Incredible Bongo Band—is a tip-off that we’re dealing with insiders who know their stuff.

The opening track, “The Journey to Serra Da Estrela,” saunters into psychedelic territory, like Pink Floyd’s more spacious moments,

before shifting into a higher gear and then into full-on disco mode; the keyboard sounds, like nearly all of the keyboard sounds on the album, are endearingly dated. This isn’t a modern update on old styles—the group is trying to make a classic sound as convincingly authentic as possible. Giorgio Moroder, Wings, and a slew of soul-funk bands come to mind when listening to the album, and individual tracks—like Santana’s “Evil Ways” and Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love”—are hinted at, while not exactly aped.

Nearly every track features a different lead singer, like Carol C with a breezy delivery on “You’ll Disappear” or the Lady Tigra rapping on one of the album’s best and funkiest tracks, “15 to 20.” Not surprisingly, the most effective songs are the ones with strong melodic and vocal hooks, including the soul number “Baby,” meticulously constructed with brass fl ourishes and a perfect fl ute/glockenspiel pairing. All the hooks don’t dig in upon fi rst listen, but the album grows on you; one could over-analyze the album and its intention and methods, but it carries a spirit and a groove that’s gratifying enough to dispel the notion of it being a pointless nostalgic exercise.

— Ernie Paik


Dear Mexican, The mainstream media is making

big noise of Sonia Sotomayor likely being the fi rst Latina Supreme Court justice, and that all Latinos should be proud. But Puerto Rican ain’t Mexican! The Supreme Court won’t have a shade of brown until a Mexican is among Roberts and Scalia. What does the Mexican think of Sotomayor’s nomination and likely appointment?— Legalingo

Dear Pendeja, Sotomayor not brown? Yeah, and

George Lopez is as güero as Conan O’Brien. The Mexican beams with pride at the thought of Sotomayor on the Supreme Court, not just because she’ll be the fi rst Latina/o to sit on the nation’s highest judicial branch (don’t believe the hype about Benjamin Cardozo being el primero; he never identifi ed as Latino or even Hispanic, and I doubt Hizzoner’s Sephardic ancestors would’ve liked Cardozo grouped with the people that best carried out the Inquisition), but because she forces gabachos to remember the nation’s other problem brownies: Puerto Ricans, who weren’t good enough for independence like the Philippines or statehood like the Mexis of the southwest United States but have instead lived for over a century as vassals in their own homeland. Gracias a Diós that I’ve heard only a few instances of Chicano chauvinism like your case, Legalingo, and you few need to crack open a Coors with Know Nothings and talk shop. Sure, it would’ve been chido if

a Mexican replaced David Souter, but boricuas and other Latinos deserve a spot in the Reconquista, too, and President Barack Obama rightly, sadly, fi gured a moderate Puerto Rican are easier to stomach for gabachos at this point in the American experience than a moderate Mexican. Besides, it’s about time Puerto Rico gave this country something more signifi cant than Ricky Martin, reggaetón, and bananas.

Dear Mexican,Having lived in San Antonio for

a number of decades, I’ve learned a smattering of street Spanish. That experience has caused me to cringe when I hear the word cojones used in American movies or television as a referent to testicles when the writer is trying to have the character talk dirty. In San Antonio, a person would use huevos in that context. Which is the correct Spanglish, or is a matter of cojones being used in California and huevos being used in Texas?— Big-Balled

Dear Gabacho, I’ve only heard gabachos use

cojones, while Mexicans use huevos (other Latinos, of course, have their own terms for the male fun sack, but we’ll leave the discussion for Maledicta). Both words are linguistically correct, politically incorrect and both derive from Latin (cojones comes from the singular cojón, testicle, from the Latin coleo—sack—while huevo actually means egg and derives from ovum). So, the real question in your inquiry how gabachos came to use cojones more commonly instead of huevos as slang for balls. The answer is Ernest

Hemingway, a man who introduced more misinterpreted-as-Mexican overused Spanish terms (mano a mano, macho and maricón, to name the most notorious examples) than any other writer after me. His otherwise-masterful Death in the Afternoon, an account of bullfi ghting and its practitioners, included a glossary defi ning cojones and remarked, “A valorous bullfi ghter is said to be plentifully equipped with these.” Gabacho writers began introducing cojones into their works to emulate the faux-authenticity of Papa, and their audiences made the word a part of American Spanish, just like gringo and Drinko por Cinco. Mexicans, meanwhile, try to teach gabachos about huevos but remain puzzled why gabachos consistently prefer fey Castilian over our crude idioms. Eh, what’s a wab to do except steal back more of Aztlán?

¡ASK A MEXICAN GRATIS BOOK CONTEST! Sí, gentle readers: It’s that time of the año again where I give away an autographed copy of my book to one lucky reader from each paper that carries my columna, and cinco readers from everywhere else. The challenge: in 25 words or less, tell me your favorite local Mexican restaurant and what makes it so bueno. I’ll be traveling ’round los Estados Unidos in my trusty burro soon to research my coming book on the history of Mexican food in the United States, and need places to haunt and cactuses to sleep under. One entry per person, one winner per paper, and contest ends when I say so!

Ask A Mexican

“Ernest Hemingway, a man who introduced

more misinterpreted-

as-Mexican overused

Spanish terms (mano a mano,

macho and maricón, to

name the most notorious examples) than any other writer

after me.”

Who’s Got The Cojones?By Gusatvo Arellano

[email protected]


CANCER (June 21-July 22): The coming week may be one big Ethical Test for you. Maybe today the cashier at the cafe will accidentally give you $10 too much in change. Tomorrow you could be baited with a chance to gain personal advantage by betraying a friend. The next day you may have to decide between doing the right thing and doing the kind thing. It has been a long time since your integrity has been pushed and probed and pricked like this. As you wend your way through the gray areas, Cancerian, remember that sometimes being moral is not about saying no, but saying yes. In fact, one of the most high-minded acts you could make is to open your heart to a righteous temptation.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Did life feel meaningless last week? Was your destiny a random sequence of events shepherding you to a series of different nowheres? Even worse, were you convinced that human beings are toxic scum? If so, Leo, get ready for your mood to shift drastically. The whims of fate are mutating. Soon, a source of curses may be a fount of blessings. Enticing leads will rise up out of the midst of boredom. Human beings will fascinate and teach you, and every day will bring new signs to draw you deeper into delicious mysteries.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You’re hereby relieved of your responsibility to keep everyone’s illusions afl oat. (You might want to sink your own illusions, as well.) Consider yourself armed with Ernest Hemingway’s “built-in, shock-resistant bullshit detector.” Beginning immediately, be an elegant but in-your-face Reality Check. Don’t just tell the truth. Tell the lush, pulsating, up-to-the-minute truth. And be aware that even the dry facts may be evolving pretty fast. What seems like incontrovertible evidence today may be puny propaganda tomorrow.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I usually applaud your inclination to remain above the fray and churn out astute observations. I normally honor your instinct to distance yourself from petty partisan squabbles. But this week’s different. For the foreseeable future, I’d like it very much if you dive into the pit with the other diehards and fi ght with hardnosed audacity for what you believe is the beautiful truth. At least temporarily, Libra, forget about your graceful talent for tactful compromise. I think it’s time for you to be a warrior who’s ferociously devoted to a just cause.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In behalf of all the other signs, I’d like to express our gratitude for the jumpstarts you Scorpios give us. The jolts aren’t always bliss-inducing, true, but in retrospect we often say, “Thanks, I really needed that.” We also appreciate the debates you embroil us in. They force us to take stands on issues we’ve been wishy-washy about. Our gratitude also goes out to you for those times you help us lose our excessive self-importance. It’s hard to cling to our pretensions with you around, and it’s easier to get to the root of the truth. Keep up the good work. Continue to be your warm prickly self even in the face of protests from faint hearts. Know that at least some of your fans out here respect the way you push us and trick us and inspire us to go places we don’t even realize we’ll benefi t from going.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): During his time in hiding, the Biblical prophet Elijah was kept alive by ravens who brought him food. John the Baptist survived on nothing but honey and locusts when he was roaming the wilderness. And I’m sure that some unexpected source of comfort and sustenance will likewise turn up during your wanderings, Sagittarius. It may not be what you’re used to. You might even have to cultivate a taste for nourishment that seems foreign. But stick with it. You could learn to love it, and in the process become less dependent on stuff you thought you couldn’t do without.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Burn the Book of Love you’ve been using these past few years, Capricorn, even if you just do it metaphorically.

Don’t think of the incineration as censorship. Think of it as liberating yourself from the tyranny of fables that have programmed you to accept less love than you deserve and give less love than you have to give. Imagine that you’re ready for a riper approach to the knotty riddles of the heart. And when you’re done with the burning, go in search of a brand new Book of Love. Better yet, write that holy text yourself. A good title might be “Love Doesn’t Conquer All, But Sixty Percent Isn’t Bad.” A bad title would be “Love Doesn’t Suck.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You should closely monitor your environment for beguiling appearances of the number seven. I have reason to believe that seven may be involved in your current inconveniences and dilemmas. I theorize that seven has been trying to call attention to itself in an odd or irritating manner so as to get you to tune in to certain benefi ts that could be associated with the number seven—benefi ts you’ve been overlooking. I would even go so far as to speculate that seven might be both the cause of and the cure for your itch. Be especially alert for sevens that are in the vicinity of the color green or the letter “G.” Perk up your intuition anytime seven appears in advertisements, boxes of food, tattoos, or T-shirts.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t concern yourself with praying to the gods of luck and chance. I’ll take care of that for you. Your job is to solicit the favor of the gods of diligence and discipline. Why? Because I think you’ve got a lot of good work ahead of you -- work that will take ingenious attention to detail -- and you’re going to need the extra boost those gods can provide. Of course, their help won’t be enough. You will also have to draw on extra reserves of your willpower in order to express new heights of determination and persistence. Together, you and those no-nonsense deities will be an unbeatable team. The better you organize yourself, the more they will help you get organized. The stronger you push to make your efforts crisp and effi cient, the easier they’ll make it for you to do just that.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Storm chasers are people who love traveling around the continent in pursuit of wild weather. Nothing feeds their lust for life more than getting up close and personal with a tornado or supercell thunderstorm. Many of them are meteorologists who are curious about the way storms work; they’re not motivated solely by bravado. I mention this because, according to my astrological analysis, the coming weeks will be prime time for Aries storm chasers to load up on thrills. The immediate future should also bring excellent opportunities for other Rams who are yearning for breezy adventures that will captivate their imaginations and slake their sense of wonder.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Let’s say that you lost a treasured object a while back. What do you think the odds are that you’ll fi nd it this week? Or let’s say that a bewildering companion walked out of your life many moons ago. How much do you want to bet that your paths will cross again soon? According to my reading of the omens, events like these could be common between now and August 15. That’s because the past is cycling back to you for another look. Revival and resurrection are in the air. What has been old may become new again. Are you ready to experience something resembling time travel?

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The seductive torments of insatiable desires are leaving you in peace, at least for now. That means you’re free to concentrate on the easier gratifi cation of more satiable desires. I hope you’re open to that, Gemini; I hope you haven’t fallen for the illusion that hard-to-get pleasures are deeper and fi ner. Please believe me when I tell you that you’re ready to exult and bask in the simple joys.

Homework: In what part of your life are you doing less than your best? Why? FreeWillAstrology.com.

Free Will Astrology By Rob Brezsny


JONESIN’ “A Buncha”

–words, that is.

By Matt Jones

©2009 Jonesin’ Crosswords ([email protected]) For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle #0424.

Solution To Last Week’s Puzzle

Never Worry About Losing A Copy Of The PulseKeep Up Online at www.chattanoogapulse.com

Across 1 Fine10 Outlines15 Dan the Automator’s instrument16 Anticipate17 Takes part in18 Harvey Wallbanger ingredient19 Like some car air fresheners20 Does some clerical work22 Actress Shaye of “There’s Something About Mary”23 Leaning typeface: abbr.24 Airline in “Catch Me If You Can”25 Cracker brand named after a hotel26 Noise27 Herbert of the “Pink Panther” series28 “Old MacDonald” noise30 Effect on the community34 It was big news in 199937 Toy that originally used a 100-watt light bulb39 Game within walls42 It’s like fi nishing H.S.43 Baby ___ (girl involved in the fi rst

heart transplant from a baboon)44 “That feels good,” to a tabby45 Online birthday greeting48 Parks it49 Dorm leaders, for short50 First place mentioned in the Beach Boys’ “Kokomo”51 “That’s ___ Took” (Gram Parsons song)52 “Only Time ___” (Loretta Lynn song)54 Japanese place for couples56 Available for rent57 Way, way too big for one’s britches58 “My stars!”59 Beams upDown 1 Aptly titled 1996 Tom Arnold dud, with “The”2 Military stockpile3 Military stockpile4 Get ready to be knighted5 Macy Gray’s fi rst hit6 Bitch and moan7 Cable network unlikely to air repeats of “The Sopranos”8 Liquid portion of fat9 “Signs” band10 Restrooms, in Britain

11 “Sands of ___ Jima” (John Wayne movie)12 Part of a fi ll-in-the-blanks game13 Mister Khrushchev14 Sestina section21 Raised to hold back water24 Buffi ng tool25 Pi, e.g.27 Actor Lorenzo29 Covered with spots31 “Chances are, ‘cause ___ a silly grin...”32 Orioles’ org.33 Small rocks in a walkway35 Lens accessory for photographers36 Most muscly38 Gets cozy39 Drink for which “lymon” was coined40 Cleveland’s home41 Octopus in a Disney fi lm46 Lamp base, in French (from the French for “ass”)47 Overhead48 “Hobo Humpin’ ___ Babe” (‘90s hit for Whale)50 Court fi gs.51 “Just ___, skip...”53 Roulette bet55 Before, in poetry

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The Pulse - Vol. 6, Issue 30

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