BOWL
THE
ASSET MANAGEMENT
Future of auditorium hot topic at gathering The Pulse certainly enjoys good theatre and is a strong advocate for the progression of arts and culture in Chattanooga—unless theaters (note the difference) become political and antiquated buildings sit unused most of the year. Carlos C. Smith, chairman of the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Auditorium Advisory Board of Directors, said recently the facility was busiest in May with high school graduations, being booked twice a day sometimes. But can commencement ceremonies and a few monthly programs justify keeping the auditorium, or even the Tivoli Theatre, in the dark (and operating in the red), yet public domain? At a public forum on Tuesday addressing
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the future of both venues, Missy Crutchfield, administrator of the city’s Education, Arts & Culture Department, made impassioned statements about their cultural and historical value, recent financial success and long-awaited renovations to the Community Theater. Naturally, she argued for the continuation of the separation between the EAC and the Parks & Recreation Department, on grounds of unequal funding in favor of recreation centers over civic centers. The “veteran card” was played multiple times in statements from Crutchfield, Smith and members of the Auditorium & Tivoli Steering Committee. The general sentiment was that our freedom came at a cost and we have the responsibility to honor our veterans (a sentiment we do not question and one that goes without saying). But to state that Chattanooga would become a “laughing stock,” to quote retired Admiral Vance Fry, if we tried to sell or lease the auditorium is a bit of hyperbole, to say the least. Fry
used the (odd) analogy that Washington, D.C., would be ridiculed if it were to sell the Vietnam War Memorial, saying that selling or leasing the Memorial Auditorium would elicit the same response. There is a vast difference, however, between a commemorative wall and a building whose name honors veterans. The latter requires money to justify salaries, upkeep and maintenance, while the former is an essentially low-maintenance slab of marble and a true, symbolic national monument. Despite the restoration of a world-famous organ, the use of state-of-the-art technology and renovations, problems persist— not the least of which are the annual losses both venues incur. Other issues, such as cash-only bars (that restrict alcohol within the venues), non-working ATM machines, poor parking and general lack of use—to say nothing of the lackluster booking of the auditorium in particular—were not mentioned in any depth at the forum. District 4 City Councilman Jack Benson said the future of both venues was also a “political issue, because some candidates [for city council] want abolish the EAC and rejoin it with Parks & Rec.” He related the importance of art in a city to that in a home, saying, “you don’t want your house cluttered with art, but you need a few for aesthetic appeal.” But art can’t be merely pretty for the sake of making something else pretty. If there isn’t a larger purpose and sustainable foundation for these artful buildings, who will pay for them? Taxpayers. Selling the auditorium outright might be blasphemous to aging veterans, but leasing the venues to professional management agencies is the only reasonable way to keep them economically stable while maintaining their integrity as arts venues and concert halls. —Julia Sharp
MOUNTAIN MUSIC
Festival a Bonnaroo of Appalachian music BonNanooga? Not exactly, but The Friends of the Cumberland Trail are presenting an Appalachian-themed music festival at the Tivoli Theatre on Friday, March 22, that could also be known as the Bonnaroo of Mountain Music.
4 • The Pulse • february 28-march 6, 2013 • chattanoogapulse.com
The Cumberland Trail Suite Appalachian Music Festival will entertain the valley with some big names, including host Grammy Award-winners Tim O’Brien and Rhiannon Gibbons of the Carolina Chocolate Drops. A high time for mountain folk and lovers of indigenous music, the special benefit concert features a long list of performers including Ed Brown, Clyde Davenport, Downers and Williams the Old Time Travelers, Fletcher Bright and the Dismembered Tennesseans, Meredith Goins, The Chattanooga Choral Society for the Preservation of African American Song, Tom and Charlie McCarroll with Tammi McCarroll-Burroughs, Chris Ryan, Nancy Foreman Westmoreland and the Booker T. Scruggs Ensemble. The Friends of Cumberland Trail is a nonprofit organization that supports (you’ll never guess) the Cumberland Trail State Scenic Trail and it’s development as well as surrounding parklands and natural areas. Tickets are $20 plus convenience fees, with a limited number of VIP seats available for $100, which includes prime seating and a gala reception. Tickets are available now at the Memorial Auditorium box office, online at chattanoogaonstage.com or by phone at (423) 642-8497. —Esan Swan
PLAYING OUR SONGS
Tennessee to star in OA’s music issue Tennessee’s rich musical heritage, with its indelible contribution to the world stage, will be the focus of the 2013 edition of the Oxford American magazine’s awardwinning and critically acclaimed annual Southern music issue. The issue will be published in December and available on newsstands nationwide. It will be packaged with a compilation CD dedicated to Tennessee music, including the music of Memphis, “Home of the Blues” and “Birthplace of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” “Music City” Nashville, Bristol, the “Birthplace of Country Music,” and all points in-between. The print issue will include a special editorial section comprised of articles about the artists and songs featured on the Tennessee CD. “In addition to delving into the state’s many noteworthy historic recordings and figures, we will also put emphasis on Tennessee’s current vibrant creative artistic culture,” said Rick Clark, the magazine’s music editor. The issue and compilation CD is being produced in partnership with the Ten-