VOLUME 04 ISSUE 08 SEPT 16
GO GREEN OR GO HOME
THE UPSIDE OF THE UPSIDE DOWN
BRASS MONKEY THAT FUNKY MONKEY
2 TABLE OF CONTENTS
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 3
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FLORENCE AND THE SHOALS ARE ALWAYS CHANGING, LIKE THE CURRENTS OF THE TENNESSEE RIVER... NEW IN THE SHOALS, P15
LETTER
CONTRIBUTORS
FROM THE EDITOR
LET’S HEAR IT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
CARPE DIME! SEIZE THE TEN CENT PIECE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
A HELPING HAND
LOOKING FOR NEW Happy September SET readers! I hope this month finds you well. September was a month of motivation for me when I was in college, and after the rush of August, September was a time to recuperate and set out for the semester. I used to see September as a month of reinvention, a time to create something new. Thankfully, I no longer have to join my friends in classrooms, and September is becoming a month of adventure. To find something new and explore. In a way, the Shoals is constantly recreating itself. The creatives in the area are finding new ways of expression, new businesses are finding homes here, and new people are moving their lives to the Shoals. This creates a connected circle of development and creation. SET contributor Spencer Brooks and myself take a look into four new businesses in the Shoals, which makes the feature of this month’s issue. Now, September is a hot, muggy month that precepts those fall days of leisure and football games. Teams across the country are preparing for their seasons, and frat boys everywhere are giddy with excitement over tailgating and Saturdays down South. SET Contributor James Dubuisson writes about some new games to liven up your tailgate days, while Rebekah Milwee writes on new green initiatives in the Shoals and sits down with a new music group. Newcomer Derrick Flynn writes on the summer Netflix hit “Stranger Things.” Allie Sockwell and Lexi Peck partnered together to bring some new and interesting fair foods to
COMMUNITY MEMBERS RAISE SUPPLIES FOR LOCAL STUDENTS. . 6
GOING GREEN IN THE SHOALS LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS HELP REVOLUTIONIZE SHOALS GREEN INITIATIVES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9
NEW IN THE SHOALS A LOOK INTO FOUR NEW BUSINESS VENTURES. . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-15
FAIR FOODS AT HOME RECIPES FOR FAIR FAVORITE TREATS TO MAKE IN YOUR OWN KITCHEN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC LOCAL MUSICIANS FORM UNIQUE QUARTET. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
CALENDAR WHAT’S GOING ON HERE? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-21
UPSIDE DOWN your table, while Courtney Tulley went boating with some river people. Yeah. River people! SET is also looking for new and interesting voices to contribute! If you’re interested in contributing, don’t hesitate to email me at editor@ getsetmag.com. You don’t have to be a writer, just bring your ideas and and local know-how. I look forward to hearing from you!
NETFLIX’S SUMMER HIT REVIVES THE EIGHTIES . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
SPOTLIGHT SET READERS IN ACTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-27
BRUH, AMP UP YOUR TAILGATE GAME NEW YARD GAMES TO CHANGE UP YOUR TAILGATE PARTY . . . . . 29
HAVE BOAT, WILL TRAVEL CALIFORNIA BASED ARTIST SETS OUT ON RIVER ADVENTURE. . . . 30
FREESTYLE BY ISAAC RAY NORRIS, EDITOR
SET is a publication by and for local young people dedicated to lifestyle, finance, technology and community. It is published by Listerhill Credit Union as
part of its ongoing mission to promote the credit union philosophy of cooperation and financial literacy. It is a platform for 15-20 somethings in the community and it is free.
ONE FINAL THOUGHT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
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4 CONTRIBUTORS
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SET CONTRIBUTORS ASHLEY REMKUS Cherokee, AL
LEXI PECK
Columbia, TN
JASMINE FLEMING Sulligent, AL
DERRICK FLYNN Madison, AL
REBEKAH MILWEE Gilroy, CA
DUSTIN COAN
Ford City, AL
SPENCER BROOKS Athens, AL
CASEY LOWRY Florence, AL
ALLIE SOCKWELL
Lawrenceburg, TN
JAMES DUBUISSON City, ST
COURTNEY TULLY Rogersville, AL
MONEY 5
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The average student spends $1,168 per year on textbooks.
College students spend more than $102/month on coffee.
CARPE DIME!
IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT.
SEIZE THE TEN CENT PIECE As if figuring out what you want to do with the rest of your life isn’t enough pressure, college students also have to embrace budgeting their own money. And, if you’re a freshman who’s not really sure how to survive college without breaking your bank or draining your wallet, you aren’t alone. A study featured in TIME magazine’s money section found 20 percent of college aged adults have bought things they can’t afford, while about a quarter of students say others probably would be horrified by their spending habits. “Life is way more expensive than you think it’s going to be,” said Anna Beahm, a senior at the University of North Alabama. “Unexpected financial needs arise. You think you’re not going to need extra money to buy a tire or pay a bill and then when it happens, you’re kind of freaking out.” To avoid racking up credit card debt or having your finances drained when
those unexpected expenses happen, it’s important to create a budget now that includes a rainy-day fund. “Even if you can only put back $20 a month, start saving now,” said Beahm, 21. “You’ve just got to be disciplined.” Whether you’re a visual planner, a numbers and spreadsheets guru, or an I’ve-never-planned-a-thing-in-my-life millennial, there’s a budgeting style out there for you. “I’m a big budgeter, so I do spreadsheets,” said UNA senior Sarah Green. “When I was a freshman, I figured out how much money I knew I was going to have and what I knew I needed to pay. Then I could see what I had left to spend.” Beahm takes a more visual approach to budgeting. “I did stuff like figuring out how long I could drive on a tank of gas with my normal routine and how many times I would need to buy gas in a month,” she
said. “Every time I got a paycheck, I used envelopes to divide it between my different expenses.” And while budgeting isn’t something you’ll master overnight, it’s a valuable lifelong learning experience. Green said the greatest benefit of her budgeting technique — building a spreadsheet — was the ability to track where her money was going and make a plan for saving in the future. While the cost of tuition, room and board, and textbooks may come immediately to mind when you think about college and money, the day-to-day expense of living can really put a strain on your finances. “What I found when I was a freshman was all of my money was going to food,” Green said. “I think that’s something a lot of college students find themselves spending a lot of money on.” In “Beyond Tuition: Other things your freshman needs to budget for,” Forbes contributor Robert Farrington names transportation, personal care items and other basic living expenses. Beahm suggests buying food at the grocery store so you can take lunch from home, or brewing your own coffee instead of buying it on the go. “I can buy a pound of coffee for like $6 at Wal-Mart and make like 30 cups, or I can buy three cups for that much at a restaurant,” she said. “The same goes for buying a loaf of bread and some sandwich meat.” Farrington writes that while tuition may be the No. 1 expense freshmen consider in planning, it only accounts for as little as half of where their money goes. To save money on school supplies and textbooks, Beahm says freshman should remember to search for their books online. “You don’t have to use the bookstore, and you shouldn’t so you can save money,” she said. Books cost the average student as much as $1,168 per year, Farrington mentioned in the article. “When it comes to supplies, I’ve found buying binders, loose-leaf paper and tab dividers are much cheaper than notebooks,” Beahm said. Those supplies, she said, can be reused from one semester to the next. “When you’re trying to budget, you might have to skip going out on a Friday
night or not stop for takeout on your way home, but it’s worth it,” Beahm said. That doesn’t mean, however, you shouldn’t enjoy yourself and hang out with your friends. Beahm said hosting a gathering for friends and asking each attendee to pitch in makes for an enjoyable night and saves everyone some cash. “Ask everybody to come over and each bring one six pack and one dish or snack,” she said. “You can relax and still have fun, but a fraction of the cost it would be to go out or to the bar.” Green said getting cash from an ATM instead of swiping a debit card. “When you see what you’re spending, you don’t want to give up your cash,” she said. “It also lets you know what you have.” But, Green said, if you are going to use a card, downloading your bank or credit union’s app to track expenditures and balances also helps. “I even get texts sent to my phone if I spend more than $100 on something or if my balance falls below a certain amount,” she said. “Also, always remember to ask when you buy something if your student ID will get you a discount. There are a lot of specific places that do, but you should ask everywhere.” Beahm, who’s gone from a freshman living with her parents to a full-time student who moved out, got married and works 35 hours per week, said budgeting is all about self-discipline. Farrington suggests students obtain internships or other employment during the summer to avoid becoming overwhelmed when classes are in session. “You also have to learn your limit, though when it comes to how much you can handle,” Beahm said. “You just have to remember and accept you can’t change where you are with you money now and work toward better situation. Being anxious and stuff is just going to make it harder. Financial problems are going to be a thing throughout life. Think positive and figure out what you have and what you can do with it.”
STORY BY ASHLEY REMKUS
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1 in 5 school age children live in poverty in the U.S.
In 2016, high school parents will spend $1,498 on supplies.
A HELPING HAND COMMUNITY MEMBERS RAISE SUPPLIES FOR LOCAL STUDENTS As the start of a new school year inches closer, some students and their parents head to the local stores to buy everything from new backpacks and pencils, to the latest fashions. But not all families can afford to do so. Before local schools opened this year, Shoals Native Lee Murkey said he worried about the students who wouldn’t have the necessary supplies for their classes. “I started school many-a-year without anything, so I said, ‘How can we get as many school supplies to in need children as possible?’” he said. Murkey met with others in the community, and what resulted was a partnership with local volunteers and locations to raise school supplies for students who couldn’t afford them. Cypress Moon Studios Intern Kayla Sneed, who attended the initial meeting, said she immediately wanted to get involved. “What had me the most excited was just giving back to the people because I’ve had to be in school without things I’ve needed before, and it’s felt awkward,” she said. “I really just wanted to get involved.” “When students don’t have what they need for classes, it lowers their ability to be successful,” Murkey said. “School supplies are a huge part of feeling up to the challenge,” he said. “Most of it is already these abstract concepts just thrown at you. Like, when you’re learning mathematics, you’re not learning how to apply it to real life. So you think, ‘This isn’t important anyway.’ “So if you factor in the fact that you don’t have the calculator or notebook that you need, it makes the class 10 times harder. And you’re in there to fail.” Murkey said his grades weren’t as
CYPRESS MOON HOPES TO HELP THOSE IN NEED. high as they could have been, and he could have been more successful with the right tools. When he attended Florence High School, he said he noticed many students in similar situations. “One of the best basketball players I’ve ever laid eyes on was never prepared for school,” he said. “He was incredible. But he could never make the team because of his grades.” Murkey, Sneed, employees from Cypress Moon Studios and others at the initial meeting worked to gather supplies. On July 24, Murkey said he posted to Facebook asking if anyone needed extra supplies. He said he received immediate messages. The group has donated to 12 families so far, he said. “The biggest donations were a full fourth grade supply list and a full seventh grade supply list doubled,” he said. “Everything else has been small and incremental like a calculator here or a pack of pencils there.” Although distributing supplies has been successful, it is only the beginning of a larger project, Murkey said.
“We want to meet the schools, see where the in need children are, get some leaders in the school, like athletes and people who perform well academically and pair those children together and encourage dialogue, especially within community barriers,” he said. Murkey said he wants to encourage communication between students from different backgrounds. “People who come from where I come from don’t usually hang out with people from Turtle Point Village (in Killen),” he said. “That’s because no communication is encouraged between the two.” Sneed said they also want to grow a mentorship program at Cypress Moon Studios that features fun and informative workshops for local students. “The idea that we came up with for the workshops was to get volunteers,” she said. “We want to introduce things like music, art, journalism, creative writing. So, anyone who wants to volunteer, who has knowledge about those types of things, is welcome to come down and basically be a motivational speaker.”
The idea is to encourage students who attend to begin helping one another, she said. “We want to make giving back to other students cool again, and that’s why starting with the high school students is so important,” she said. “They have social media and that confidence to be seen doing something good. That’s one thing that we plan to utilize to give them incentive to go to the middle schools and do the same thing.” University of North Alabama Senior Chandon Hines, who graduated from Wilson High School in Florence, said she knew other students growing up who struggled with having the necessary supplies and appreciates efforts like these to help them. “There are plenty of needs right here in our own community that we tend to lose sight of in our mission to save the world, so it is necessary to me that we raise awareness in the Shoals,” she said. High school is hard enough with social pressure and mood swings, but to go without the supplies one needs to succeed there academically is something that many cannot image, simply because they haven’t had to. For anyone who wants to donate school supplies or funds for local students, drop off locations are at Cypress Moon Studios, Handy Homes with LaTonya Woods and the Underwood Petersville Community Center. For more information on the workshops with Cypress Moon Studios, follow their Facebook page.
STORY BY JASMINE FLEMING
HERO 7
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Nick Walton
Miracle Osborne
Member since 2015
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Visit Our Stop by The Hill
to relax, recharge, or (of course) take care of your financial
needs. The Hill is a full service, student-run Listerhill Credit Union location in The Commons at UNA dedicated to helping students reach their full financial potential.
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Glass costs more to recycle than to produce.
GOING GREEN IN THE SHOALS
SEE YA IN TWO MONTHS, BOYS!
LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS HELP REVOLUTIONIZE SHOALS GREEN INITIATIVES
From hiking TVA trails, to cruising the Natchez Trace’s scenic roadways, to relaxing along Joe Wheeler’s banks, the Shoals is an area rich in natural wildlife just waiting to be explored. With the recent influx in population, preservation of our local resources is more relevant than ever. Ensuring that opportunities to “go green” are as convenient as possible helps to give residents an incentive to recycle. Likewise, education on the absolute necessity of recycling helps motivate citizens to open their minds to changing old and harmful habits. Taking collective action to reduce waste, reuse what is able, and recycle what is not, is undoubtedly a
community effort that is much larger than any individual. Organizations such as Keep the Shoals Beautiful, the University of North Alabama’s Project Earth, and Green Valley Recycle are just a handful of the many up and coming local organizations working to help broaden public awareness about the responsibility each of us have to reduce our carbon footprint. Green Valley Recycle is a startup company locally owned and operated by UNA foreign exchange alumni, Agnes Williams. After relocating to Florence, Williams graduated with a double major in political science and history and began a successful career as a mortgage loan after attending
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Americans use 2,500,000 plastic bottles every hour. graduate school. However, thanks to her Hungarian roots that had educated her on recycling from a young age, Agnes had a passion for conservation, and recognized the need for recycling pickup outside Florence city limits. It was then that Williams decided to provide it herself. For a minimal monthly charge, locals in Killen, Muscle Shoals, Waterloo, St. Florian, Tuscumbia and Sheffield can have access to bimonthly curbside pickup rather than having to haul bulky and inconvenient loads of loose recyclable items to the few and far between community bins. Providing rural areas with quality recycling programs is actually a worldwide conservation issue that is commonly overlooked. Most modern cities are more willing to fund recycling programs than the rural areas surrounding them. Whether this is due to lack of public funding or low overall participation is uncertain. It is difficult to motivate members of rural areas to begin implementing recycling into their lives if they have never had to, or if they have never been educated on the impact it can have on their environment. It seems this is a “chicken or the egg” type paradoxical situation, because when recycling is offered and convenient, most people will take the small extra step to separate plastics, cardboard and aluminum in a separate disposal container. However, when they are expected to haul it themselves, the amount recycled material drastically decreases. For those who come from larger areas that have recycling programs already implemented, recycling pickup feels more like a commodity. After all, no one asks you to haul your trash to the landfill yourself, and this waste is virtually worthless. To avoid letting recyclable items of actually tangibility end up in a landfill, it is simplest for communities to provide
pickup. Outside of Florence city limits, in the surrounding counties, there is a limited number of places for collectors to dispose of recyclable items. These communities desperately need leaders who are experienced in conservation efforts to step forward and take charge on educating these smaller towns about the financial and environmental benefits of recycling and implementing changes in their waste programs. Our local university, UNA, is taking a giant step toward “green credibility” this fall. After several years of
proposals, board meetings and faculty insistence, UNA is set to begin offering “sustainability” as a major in the fall of 2016. Sustainability majors will have a course load consisting of environmental sciences as well as courses covering conservation methods, which are still in the final stages of research. Sustainability has become an increasingly popular major worldwide with the renewed global
A quart of motor oil can pollute 2 million gallons of fresh water. interest in environmental issues. There is a current resurgence of interest in the subject and new information is being collected daily about harmful chemical production, disposal, and toxic waste as research expands and draws new conclusions. Physics and Earth Science Department head, Brenda Webb is one of UNA’s most beloved science professors and a longtime ally of TVA. Webb is passionate about opening the minds of her students to environmental issues and is
eager to leave a lasting impact that will go beyond the class of 2020s sustainability students. UNA’s Project Earth is a student organization led by UNA Biology major Rachel Milwee and graduate student Jacob Dawson. The group is sponsored by Dr. Brenda Webb and Dr. Melissa Driskell. The organization is completely revamping their program this fall by
focusing largely on providing recycling for student social events, where it may not otherwise be offered. Project Earth leaders plan to provide recycle pickup at a wide array of student events, from football games to sorority and fraternity parties. Leaders anticipate a high volume of cans, bottles, plastic and cardboard to be generated at these functions. According to Milwee and Dawson, this will increase awareness of recycling and fill a need that isn’t currently being adequately met for student events off campus. The work being done by UNA and Green Valley Recycle are only a small glimpse into the environmentally conscious organizations currently having a moment in the Shoals. Keep the Shoals Beautiful hosts regular events supporting conservation efforts, and has an upcoming Litter Tournament on Tennessee River Sept. 24 in McFarland Park. The Florence location of Target and Shoals Solid Waste Authority in Muscle Shoals are currently green hotspots, being the only two locations in our area that accept glass. “It may seem easy to discredit recycling for such a small area, but in the end, its the small things that matter. Taking these first steps can lead to larger changes in our community, changes that are worth the work.” In a few years, once UNA starts generating these sustainability graduates, who knows what changes could come to our area? Perhaps composting natural resources from local farms, recycling pickup for cities and counties alike, or even a few solar panels on some of the new construction projects in our area? Come what may, we just hope it’s green.
STORY BY REBEKAH MILWEE
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nto i k o o L A w Four Ne es r u t n e V Business
STORY BY ISAAC RAY NORRIS AND SPENCER BROOKS
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George Nissen built the first trampoline in 1936.
Trampoline jumping is 68% more effective than jogging. Last month, I wrote about the notion of “newness” in my opening letter. Now that it’s September, the idea of newness is running rampant, and it’s not a bad thing. Fall is sometimes seen as the beginning of a new year because it’s when students go back to school. But for us here in the South, fall will not happen for another month or two (or sadly, most likely, three). For a while now, the idea of newness has been stuck in my head. It might have something to do with graduating college, landing a job, or because everywhere you look, the
Shoals is changing - and changing fast. In this September issue of SET, there is a focus on new business in the Shoals, specifically on Sky Zone Florence, Paradox Florence, the expansion of Turbo Coffee on Tennessee Street, and the inaugural Alabama Craft Beer Festival and State Championship. There’s a little something for everyone: from new twists on fitness, weekend adventures in town, new eateries to try, and even a new citywide festival.
Sky Zone Florence
Over the last few months, we've seen the construction of Sky Zone Florence. From nothing, to the skeleton of the building, and to the building itself, the construction process has been slow to watch, but now, Sky Zone is here. Sky Zone hosted their grand opening celebration Aug. 20. Sky Zone Florence has received a very warm welcome, according to Adam McCollum, sales manager of the business. "In just two weeks we've already become the place people want to come visit, get their cardio workout in at, and now people are even breaking down the doors trying to work here! It's a great environment!" "Sky Zone is dedicated to bringing awesome and healthy fun to the Shoals! We want to encourage healthy lifestyles while at the same time allowing people to enjoy some freedom through jumping!" McCollum said. "At the end of the day, it's just fun!" According to its website, Sky Zone is the world’s "first indoor trampoline park. We’re the inventors of 'fun fitness' and the makers of trampolines as far as the eye can see." There’s also a mention of falling into 10,000 foam cubes, which is something that I wouldn’t be opposed to, if I’m being honest. Sky Zone hopes to bring a fun and exciting spin on fitness to the Shoals. In the Sky Zone Healthy program, visitors are involved in trampoline and jumping based workouts that distract them from ever noticing that they are actually working out. Sky Zone claims that a jumper can burn up to 1,000 calories in just one of their workouts. So, how does this work exactly? Sky Zone uses specific research from NASA and several other fitness oriented organizations to back up their claims of how jumping can affect your health. Sky Zone Florence's website claims that "jumping against gravity strengthens all of your body’s systems, and is considered one of the most beneficial aerobic exercises. As you come down on the trampoline, you put a greater gravitational pull on your muscles. Your heart’s muscle fibers get stronger as a result. That means all of your muscles and muscle layers will grow stronger, too. With each bounce, 60 trillion cells in your body are continuously being strengthened." Jumping on a trampoline can also increase your bone density. According to research by NASA, bouncing can help reduce the risk of bone conditions such as fractures and osteoporosis. The light impact when landing on the trampoline helps strengthen bones and
SHOALS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEMBERS WITH SKY ZONE EMPLOYEES. improves bone density. NASA found that bouncing was able to help rebuild astronauts' bone mass after returning from space, where they lose almost 15 percent muscle and bone mass. Jumping can also positively affect those with autism. According to Autism Speaks, an autism advocacy organization, trampolines may help children with proprioceptive input, which means that the body’s ligaments, muscles, joints, or tendons have trouble communicating with the brain. The up and down movement of jumping may help with the body’s ability to recognize movement, as well as calming them. Another struggle for an individual with autism may be with vestibular input. This means they are over or under sensitive to balance and movement sensations. Whether they are thrill seekers and have trouble staying in their seats, or need work controlling their ability to maintain their balance, a trampoline is one way to give them the activity they need to work on this sensory development. It allows for big movement, development of muscles in the legs and core, and a fun way to take a break from less active tasks.
That being said, Sky Zone Florence will incorporate a special "sensory friendly jump" period that will be tailored to those on the autism spectrum. "We have partnered with the Shoals Special Needs Hub to organize and promote monthly 'Sensory Friendly Jumps.' For many children with special needs, bright lights, loud noises, and other distractions normally found at entertainment centers make it nearly impossible for them to enjoy normal activities," he said. "So, on the first Tuesday of every month, we're offering a special time where we turn off the music, dim the lights, and eliminate every distraction possible for them. We've also had our employees go through a training on working with special needs children." Sky Zone Florence is also teaming up with several organizations in the Shoals, one of them being The Healing Place. Every second Tuesday of each month, a portion of the proceeds of Sky Zone Florence will go to The Healing Place, which offers grief support for children and their families. Sky Zone Florence is open weekdays at 3 p.m.
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These companies have a sister business in Tupelo, MS.
The Science Channel Race To Escape is based on this idea.
Paradox Games & Escape Room
LOCKED IN THE PAST: A RETRO THEMED ESCAPE ROOM. Along with Sky Zone Florence and the much anticipated Escape Room Florence, another business is coming to the Shoals: Paradox Games and Escape Room. Paradox Games and Escape Room is an "escape the room" style puzzle/mystery game that challenges groups and their dynamics. According to the company's website, players will "step into an immersive environment with all the sights and sounds of a different reality, using their wits to solve puzzles and riddles in order to catch a spy, rescue a friend, or escape with their own lives!" Players, in groups of six to eight, will have 60 minutes to solve the mystery surrounding an escape room-style puzzle that has been set up for them.
The games come in a variety of types, from puzzles, to math equations, to riddles, to hidden objects, to tasks and other kinds of challenges. Players will need to hunt for clues that could be literally everywhere and anywhere within the space, to hunt for a key that will allow them to leave the room. All before the time limit runs out! Within recent months, this style of social group game has gained popularity. That popularity hasn't gone unnoticed within Florence.
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‘Turbo Coffee’ is in reference to riding fast on their bikes.
Average New Yorkers drink 3.4 cups of coffee a day.
REESE AND SARAH SHIREY
THAT AESTHETIC THOUGH.
Turbo Coffee Speaking of popularity, let’s change gears and talk about some coffee. Coffee is near and dear to our hearts, and with the help of Greasy Hands Barbershop, Turbo Coffee has put the Shoals on the map since its inception. It has brought the Shoals the novelty of enjoying a hot, fresh cup of coffee while getting a clean, stylish haircut or shave. The unusual pairing not only received notice and business, but has led to the opening of the Brooklyn-inspired coffee shop Turbo Coffee, located right next door on Tennessee Street in downtown Florence. Muscle Shoals native Reese Shirey, brother of Greasy Hands owner Austin Shirey, opened Turbo Coffee Aug. 5 alongside his wife, Sarah. The two run and manage the sister business; tending to customers, preparing beverages and keeping the store fresh and approachable. “The past weeks have been phenomenal,” Reese said. “We’ve gotten a lot of new people, whether it be people who just want coffee, people nervous about going to a barber shop and people just being curious.” Starting as an espresso bar in the back of his brother’s barbershop, Reese would brew coffee for the business's clientele - serving Greasy Hands’ signature free cup of coffee with every haircut. “I do coffee because I like it, not because I’m trying to be the best,” Reese said. “I focus very intently on our coffee because I want to serve something people like.”
Austin and Reese were inspired by the business model of a popular barbershop in Brooklyn known as Parlor Coffee, which also started as an espresso bar and expanded to its own brand. It was at Parlor Coffee that the brothers worked and trained, learning about the business and the product. “A barbershop has clients that come in all day long,” Reese said. “You have a built in clientele with the barbershop to sell coffee.” The Shirey brothers pursued additional training in Atlanta with Counter Culture Coffee, a coffee roasting company with 10 training centers around the country teaching sustainability and the coffee brewing process. They brought their experiences and aspirations back to their hometown, knowing the Shoals was where they wanted to run their business. “It was an idea we thought about overtime and something my brother and I wanted to do for a while,” Reese said. “No one in the South has done this.” Not only replicating the business model, the brothers also serve the Parlor brand coffee. “Parlor is my personal favorite coffee,” Reese said. “They’re very focused about getting the best in the world. They source the coffee themselves, going to places like Guatemala and Kenya and bringing it back here.” Within a year of opening the espresso bar, Reese saw a need for expansion in order to serve his growing
clientele, following in his inspirations footsteps. “It was great for a while, but the bar quickly outgrew just being able to sit in a barbershop,” he said. While still providing his brother’s clients with a free cup of coffee, Turbo Coffee is able to cater to its own specific customers next door. The compact, Brooklynesque shop offers seating inside and outside with plans of opening a garage next door for space in the fall. “I want to offer something people like and a place for people to hangout and chill,” Reese said. Turbo Coffee offers the usual coffee shop favorites, such as espressos, macchiatos, green tea and hot chocolate. Along with its array of caffeinated beverages, Turbo Coffee also serves light, healthy food choices, including handmade pop tarts, muffins, smoothies, protein smoothies and acai bowls. “Most of our food is made with really healthy ingredients,” Reese said. ‘That’s how my wife and I eat, so that’s what we serve.” Aside from pastries and beverages, Turbo Coffee also sells merchandise including shirts, rags, bags and more. “It’s something I love,” Reese said. “In entrepreneurship you either find something you love and do it or find whole in the market and fill it. Mine happened to be both.” Turbo Coffee will be hosting Greasy Hands’ twoyear anniversary celebration and co-hosting Rally in the Alley, a festivity with live music and motorcycles attempting to mimic the Brooklyn party scene for one night. Turbo Coffee hopes to have more events such as live shows after the opening of the garage and the landscape and street renovations are complete, Reese said. Reese says he’s looking forward to new and returning students of the University of North Alabama visiting his shop and future downtown events, such as First Fridays. Although Reese plans to stay open later during downtown events, Turbo Coffee is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.
FEATURE 15
SEPTEMBER 2016 WWW.GETSETMAG.COM
Beer dates back to the early Neolithic period or 9500 BC.
Beer is the 3rd-most popular drink (after water & tea).
Alabama Craft Beer Festival & State Championship
BUNS, HUN.
BOMB BRATS.
FESTIVAL GOERS ENJOYING THE BEER BALL AT THE MARRIOTT SHOALS HOTEL. Another beverage that is helping promote the Shoals is beer, surprisingly. In August, Florence became home to the inaugural Alabama Craft Beer Festival and the Alabama Craft Beer State Championship. This is a new and unique experience for the Shoals, as the city of Florence was chosen as host for the first state recognized craft beer festival. Legislation for this event was passed May 11, 2016, thanks to Jackie Hendrix, owner of Party Pros USA in Florence. The Alabama Craft Beer Festival and State Championship was brought into fruition by Hendrix, who, three years ago, began lobbying and preparing legislation to go the state capital that would grant the Shoals Chamber of Commerce the right to host an official state championship for craft beer. With help from many others, Hugo Dante, Shoals Chamber of Commerce intern, and Jackie Hendrix were able to bring the festival to the Shoals. Though they faced such obstacles as who would hold the liquor license, the team quickly solved the issues and began to prepare for the upcoming festival. “We hoped it would bring a greater sense of
appreciation for the fast growing business sector that is the craft beer industry of the Shoals,” Dante said. “We also hoped it would bring marketing opportunities for the breweries involved." The event also served to demonstrate Florence's maturity and ability to handle a beer festival downtown. The event went smoothly with no issues at all. This festival is different from others in that it was a celebration of the only state recognized commercial competition for craft beer. The festival was exclusive to Alabama beer, with 17 breweries being represented at the festival. Some of the breweries that weren't at the festival were the ones in the southern and fringe parts of the state. The festival was a two-day event, beginning with a "beer ball," that featured the breweries present, as well as a meal that was paired with the beverages that were offered. The next day, festival goers were treated to a tented Mobile Street in downtown Florence that featured a "penny beer garden," and promotion for the many restaurants downtown. Following dinner there was an after-party, hosted at Singin' River Brewery of Florence.
Bob Baker, bartender at Druid City Brewers in Tuscaloosa, named the beer voted best in show. "Our brewery, Druid City Brewing Company, won the award for Best Overall Beer for our Downtown North Porter at the Alabama Craft Beer State Championships. Recognition from a panel of world class beer judges that acknowledges that we have a competitive style of the Imperial Porter in a sea of bitter IPA's across the state makes me very proud," he said. "I also named the beer! Northport is a neighboring city to Tuscaloosa that shares some of its history as well, so we wanted to represent that with this beer. I started working behind the bar when they first opened the doors to the taproom, and am fortunate to work in a place that values family, friends, hard work, and great craftsmanship." 2016 award winners include Druid City Brewers and Black Warrior Brewing Company of Tuscaloosa, Yellowhammer Brewing and Salty Nut Brewing Company of Huntsville, and Rocket Republic Brewing Company of Madison. With all that the Shoals has to offer, these four new business ventures will only bring more publicity to our great city. Florence and the Shoals are always changing, like the currents of the Tennessee River, and these four different businesses will gallantly bring new perspectives and people to our city.
16 FOOD
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FOOD 17
SEPTEMBER 2016 WWW.GETSETMAG.COM
The California State Fair will offer python kebabs.
The Midway is the main path that fairgoers walk along.
FAIR FOODS AT HOME! FAIR FAVORITE TREATS TO MAKE IN YOUR OWN KITCHEN When the slightly cooler weather begins moving in and the reintroduction of pumpkin-flavored everything starts, you know that fair time is soon to follow. The Middle Tennessee District Fair, held annually in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, is just a short drive from Columbia and Florence, and will begin on September 26. If you can’t make it out to the festivities, we’ve included a list of some of our favorite crowd pleasers for you to make and enjoy in your own kitchen!
CHOCOLATE-COVERED BANANAS
Ingredients: 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped 6 popsicle sticks or wooden skewers 2 bananas, peeled and cut into thirds 1/3 cup coarsely chopped salted peanuts Directions: 1. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of boiling water. Stir until just melted. 2. After lining a baking sheet with waxed paper, insert a Popsicle stick in one end of each banana. Dip banana in chocolate. 3. Sprinkle each banana with peanuts, and set on prepared baking sheet. Put in fridge until chocolate is firm (at least six hours).
HAND-DIPPED CORN DOGS
Ingredients: 1 cup corn meal 1 cup four 2 Tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 egg 1 cup buttermilk 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil 8 beef hot dogs 8 Popsicle sticks Vegetable oil to fry Directions: 1. Heat vegetable oil in a large pot to 350 degrees F. 2. In a large mixing bowl, combine corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. 3. Whisk in egg, milk and vegetable oil. 4. Insert a stick into each hot dog. 5. Dip each hot dog into the batter, spreading a thick coat of batter on the entire hot dog. 6. Immediately put battered hot dog into hot oil and fry for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown. 7. Drain on paper towels. 8. Serve with mustard, ketchup, or other condiments of your choice!
DEEP FRIED WITH PURE LOVIN’.
CANDIED APPLES/CARAMEL COVERED APPLES
Select a type of apple for the taste you want. To go with the sweet candy, some of the best suggestions include Fuji (firm and sweet), Granny Smith (tart), Golden Delicious (firm and sweet), McIntosh (firm, sweetly tart). I would stay away from the mushier options like Red Delicious or baking apples like Romes. Ingredients: ½ cup light corn syrup 2 cup sugar (your choice of brown or white) ¾ cup water Food coloring (optional—makes the traditional red look) Toppings, including but not limited to: red hots, gummy bears, sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, toffee pieces, etc. Directions: 1. Wash apples. If you buy apples at the store, remove the exterior wax coating by dipping the apples in a bath of boiling water and rubbing the wax off. 2. Add in skewers to the apples for holding. 3. Candify: mix in above ingredients and cook over medium-high heat. Stir to dissolve sugar.
RUBY RED DELICIOUSNESS. 4. Bring mixture to a boil. If using brown sugar, reduce heat to medium-low to prevent burning. 5. Once mixture boils, don’t stir anymore. You can brush the pot’s side with a pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. 6. Simmer the candy mixture until it reaches 290 degrees for a soft slightly gooey shell. 7. Dippin’ time: dip your apples, holding the wooden stick, and submerge completely in the candy. 8. Tilt the pot and swirl apple for full coating. 9. Right after covering in candy, dip apple in your choice of sweets for toppings. 10. Place finished apples on a prepared baking sheet. 11. Move tray to fridge to allow apples to cool. 12. After several minutes, take out of fridge and enjoy! So if you aren’t able to attend the fair this year, but would still like a delicious nostalgic treat, we hope you give one of these recipes a try!
STORY BY ALLIE SOCKWELL AND LEXI PECK
18 MUSIC
WWW.GETSETMAG.COM SEPTEMBER 2016
The tuba was invented on September 12, 1835.
Tubas replaced ophicleides (bugles) in the orchestra.
PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC! LOCAL MUSICIANS FORM UNIQUE QUARTET Being the childhood home of the legendary W.C. Handy himself, jazz music is no stranger to the Shoals. However, what is art if not continuous reinvention? “Departure,” the first album from Florence’s own The Principal Brass Tuba Quartet (TPBTQ) aims to do just that. Nick Murphy, one of the founding members of the group, said the album’s name signifies the group’s shared vision to, “play usual music in an unusual way.” Since the formation of the group three years ago, the Principal Brass Tuba Quartet has already generated an overwhelming amount of positive reception from locals at live shows, as well as fans from across the United States. They are in demand to play local gigs, all while balancing their respective undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of North Alabama. The group has an original and versatile sound that is seldom rivaled, and lasts as a beautifully rare memory for those lucky enough to hear their music. After being introduced at UNA, the four members of the group, Nick Murphy, Daniel Ritch, Alex Hamrick, and Ben Thompson became well acquainted, bonding over their love for music. They soon decided to start writing and arranging their own music together outside of their membership with the Pride of Dixie Marching Band. Murphy was persuaded to put down his instrument of expertise, the trombone, and learn euphonium - a higher pitched version of the tuba. The Principal Brass Quartet was born. Fellow Pride of Dixie Marching Band member, Janae Kirkmon, was selected to manage the group, and began to
RITCH, THOMPSON, HAMRICK, AND MURPHY book local gigs and publicize the group online. According to Murphy, the group was originally envisioned as a trio, with Murphy playing traditional bass lines while the other three members would play melodies on tubas and euphoniums. Because of the unique nature of the group dynamic, the members are faced with the task of composing individual arrangements for the familiar pieces they decide (or are hired) to play. Fortunately, composition is not an issue: all four members of TPBTQ were involved in the music departments at their respective universities. Murphy, Thompson, and Hamrick played together in the University of North Alabama Pride of Dixie Marching Band, while Daniel Ritch attended the University of Alabama and was a member of the Million Dollar Band before graduating with his bachelor’s degree and coming to UNA to pursue his graduate degree. Each member hails their own personal style while sharing the singular artistic vision of creating a fresh and creative sound. The Principal Brass Tuba Quartet
began playing local gigs and gained momentum quickly among area organizations and jazz enthusiasts. Thanks to the help of Kirkmon, the group’s manager, the group has been so in demand lately that they can hardly keep up with bookings. The summer of 2016 was their busiest yet, from performing at several weddings and funerals to three extremely well received performances during W.C. Handy Music Festival in July. TPBTQ has been invited to perform for the Walk with Me Foundation, a local nonprofit organization benefiting music education for underprivileged children, as well as for the Florence Music Study Club. “Departure,” recorded at the recently revitalized Cypress Moon Studios in Sheffield, is the group’s most ambitious collaborative effort yet. A live album recorded digitally, which took between 8 to 10 hours to record, the album was professionally mixed by sound engineer Michael Ivey at Cypress Moon Studios. “Departure” contains pieces that each member of the group contributed to in the writing and editing process. Incorporating
a wide array of elements, from Hamrick’s signature improvisational style to street percussion, the group was able to learn about the recording process and witness it firsthand during their time at Cypress Moon Studios. During the school year, the group stays on track by making a concentrated effort to consistently rehearse twice a week. This keeps the group tight knit, well connected, and ready for any occasion they may be hired to play for, or any creative whim that comes their way. In the future, TPBTQ hopes to possibly record another album and continue to keep a solidly booked schedule. They have been invited to play for several groups in the Boston area, and anticipate another highly busy holiday season. If you are interested in watching videos, purchasing “Departure,” or booking a performance you can head on over to pbtquartet.com, or check them out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
STORY BY REBEKAH MILWEE
SEPTEMBER 2016 WWW.GETSETMAG.COM
MUSIC 19
20 CALENDAR
WWW.GETSETMAG.COM SEPTEMBER 2016
EVENTS
SEPTEMBER 1 - SEPTEMBER 30 CALENDAR OF EVENTS SEPTEMBER 10
BACON CRAWL 2016 @ Florence Main Street, Florence, AL, 10am MULETOWN LIVE @ 107E 6th Street, Florence, AL, 7pm
SEPTEMBER 12
KANYE WEST @ Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA, 8pm BILLIARDS @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm TRIVIA NIGHT @ Odette, Florence, AL, 8pm
SEPTEMBER 13
UNA VOLLEYBALL VS. WEST ALABAMA @ Flowers Hall, Florence, AL, 6pm LOS LONELY BOYS @ Franklin Theatre, Franklin, TN, 8pm DINOSAUR JR. @ Saturn, Birmingham, AL, 8pm TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm
SEPTEMBER 14 DEMI LOVATO & NICK JONAS @ BRIDGESTONE ARENA, NASHVILLE, TN, 7PM
SEPTEMBER 1
VIBES @ 116 E. Mobile, Florence, AL, 7pm YING YANG TWINS @ Zydeco, Birmingham, AL, 10pm AC/DC: ROCK OR BUST WORLD TOUR @ Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA, 8pm TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm KARAOKE @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 8pm
SEPTEMBER 2
FIRST FRIDAYS @ Downtown Florence, AL, 5pm UNA VOLLEYBALL CLASSIC: UNA VS. MARTIN METHODIST @ Flowers Hall, Florence, AL, 3:30pm SOUND CIRCUS W/ ROBERT DELONG, SICK PUPPIES, STARBENDERS, GTA, & PARTY FAVOR @ Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA, 6:30pm
POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm UNA VOLLEYBALL CLASSIC: UNA VS. NORTHWOOD @ Flowers Hall, Florence, AL, 7:30pm MORGAN @ Your local theater THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS @ Your local theater LIVE MUSIC @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 9:30pm
SEPTEMBER 3
UNA VOLLEYBALL CLASSIC: UNA VS. TIFFIN @ Flowers Hall, Florence, AL, 1:30pm UNA VOLLEYBALL CLASSIC: UNA VS. TREVECCA NAZARENE @ Flowers Hall, Florence, AL, 7:30pm METAL NIGHT @ Warehouse 414, Sheffield, AL, 7pm LIL BOOSIE @ Von Braun Center, Huntsville, AL, 7pm
SEPTEMBER 5
BILLIARDS @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm TRIVIA NIGHT @ Odette, Florence, AL, 8pm
SEPTEMBER 6
TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm
SEPTEMBER 7
DEMI LOVATO & NICK JONAS @ Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN, 7pm POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm WAFFLE HOUSE WEDNESDAY @ 1104 Nashville Hwy, Columbia, TN, 10pm
SEPTEMBER 8
MCKENZIE LOCKHART WITH JORDY SEARCY & LEE TAYLOR @ 116 E. Mobile, Florence, AL, 7:30pm
BAD BOY FAMILY REUNION TOUR @ Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA, 7pm TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm KARAOKE @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 8pm
SEPTEMBER 9
HIPPIE SABOTAGE @ Cannery Ballroom, Nashville, TN, 8pm WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS @ Your local theater BEFORE I WAKE @ Your local theater THE WILD LIFE @ Your local theater SULLY @ Your local theater THE DISAPPOINTMENTS ROOM @ Your local theater POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm LIVE MUSIC @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 9:30pm
IF YOU HAVE ANY EVENTS YOU WOULD LIKE LISTED, EMAIL CALENDAR@GETSETMAG.COM
YELAWOLF @ Iron City, Birmingham, AL, 8pm POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm WAFFLE HOUSE WEDNESDAY @ 1104 Nashville Hwy, Columbia, TN, 10pm
SEPTEMBER 15
TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm KARAOKE @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 8pm
SEPTEMBER 16
R. KELLY @ Legacy Arena at the BJCC, Birmingham, AL, 7pm BLAIR WITCH @ Your local theater SNOWDEN @ Your local theater BRIDGET JONES’S BABY @ Your local theater POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm LIVE MUSIC @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 9:30pm
CALENDAR 21
SEPTEMBER 2016 WWW.GETSETMAG.COM
SEPTEMBER 17
UNA FOOTBALL VS. VALDOSTA STATE @ Braly Stadium, Florence, AL, 6pm
SEPTEMBER 18
BAD BOY FAMILY REUNION TOUR @ Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN, 8pm
AVENGED SEVENFOLD @ Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN, 7pm POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm WAFFLE HOUSE WEDNESDAY @ 1104 Nashville Hwy, Columbia, TN, 10pm
SEPTEMBER 22
HEART WITH JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS AND CHEAP TRICK @ Ascend Amphitheater, Nashville, TN, 7pm BILLIARDS @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm TRIVIA NIGHT @ Odette, Florence, AL, 8pm
CARRIE UNDERWOOD @ Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN, 7pm CHEVELLE @ War Memorial Auditorium, Nashville, TN, 8pm TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm KARAOKE @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 8pm
SEPTEMBER 20
SEPTEMBER 23
SEPTEMBER 19
TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm
SEPTEMBER 21
UNA WOMEN’S SOCCER VS. UAH @ Bill Jones Athletic Complex, Florence, AL, 7pm
UNA VOLLEYBALL VS. UNION @ Flowers Hall, Florence, AL, 7pm SCHOOLBOY Q @ Marathon Music Works, Nashville, TN, 7:30pm THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN @ Your local theater STORKS @ Your local theater
QUEEN OF KATWE @ Your local theater POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm LIVE MUSIC @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 9:30pm
SEPTEMBER 24
UNA VOLLEYBALL VS. CHRISTIAN BROTHERS @ Flowers Hall, Florence, AL, 1pm TORY LANEZ @ Zydeco, Birmingham, AL, 9pm KANYE WEST @ Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN, 8pm 3 DOORS DOWN @ Legacy Arena at the BJCC, Birmingham, AL, 8pm
SEPTEMBER 25
UNA WOMEN’S SOCCER VS. WEST ALABAMA @ Bill Jones Athletic Complex, Florence, AL, 1pm
SEPTEMBER 26
3 DOORS DOWN @ Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN, 7:30pm BILLIARDS @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm TRIVIA NIGHT @ Odette, Florence, AL, 8pm
SEPTEMBER 27
BAND OF HORSES @ The Alabama Theatre, Birmingham, AL, 8pm TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm
SEPTEMBER 28
CORRINE BAILEY RAE @ WorkPlay Theatre, Birmingham, AL, 8pm TORY LANEZ @ Cannery Ballroom, Nashville, TN, 9pm POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm WAFFLE HOUSE WEDNESDAY @ 1104 Nashville Hwy, Columbia, TN, 10pm
IF YOU HAVE ANY EVENTS YOU WOULD LIKE LISTED, EMAIL CALENDAR@GETSETMAG.COM
SEPTEMBER 29
UNA VOLLEYBALL VS. UAH @ Flowers Hall, Florence, AL, 7pm TRIVIA NIGHT @ La Fuente, Columbia, TN, 7pm KARAOKE @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 8pm
SEPTEMBER 30
FOR TODAY @ Zydeco, Birmingham, AL, 7:30pm MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN @ Your local theater DEEP WATER HORIZON @ Your local theater MASTERMINDS @ Your local theater POKER NIGHT @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 7pm LIVE MUSIC @ Dolan’s Deli and Bar, Spring Hill, TN, 9:30pm
22 ENTERTAINMENT
SET isn’t just a magazine looking for people to share their 2 cents. It is entirely comprised of content provided by the 15 - 29 year olds of our community. No one else writes the articles, no one else takes the pictures and no one else decides what runs. That’s why we need you. Attend our next editorial meeting, drop us a line or send us an idea for your story. We want your photography, art and music. Get on SET’s team.
getsetmag.com/contribute
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ENTERTAINMENT 23
SEPTEMBER 2016 WWW.GETSETMAG.COM
The alternate dimension is made from fog and ash.
Budget caused the set to move from Montauk, NY to Hawkins, IN.
UPSIDE DOWN NETFLIX’S SUMMER HIT REVIVES THE EIGHTIES
YOUR FACE AFTER WATCHING THE FIRST EPISODE. The era that made America a sole world superpower is gone. That allure of rebirth-infused tension viewed behind the cracks of a rumpled wall drives apart to form a forest of cherry blossoms that open in tune to the 80s. Netflix’s eight-part original series “Stranger Things” tends to mimic just that of a cherry blossom. A symbol of both renewal and hope, a broker of synesthesia where sound and vision are one, difficult to predict the actual moment of flourish left behind in a deceptively short amount of time. “Stranger Things” is a show I can proudly say, will at least entice you to put your phone down. A brief flicker of a moment for you to tune out your digital life is all that’s needed for the show to latch on and drag you in. That moment becomes harder not to pull away from the screen, with storytelling
that’s able to push the mental stability of the show’s characters to their zenith. I could tell you to stop reading this and go hit that add to list button on Netflix. Instead, I find it better to bring actual moments of the show right where your eyes are already focused without going into too much detail. November 6, 1983. Hawkins, Indiana. Stars fill in the night sky as the camera tilts downward before setting onto the view of an odd laboratory outlined by a wide area of brush woodland. Faded echoes of nightlife cool the air before the loud humming of fluorescent lamps overlaid under the rapid, unsteady flow of light emitting from them. A lone steel door below the lights rushes open, accompanied by a man, who sprints out from it. Confusion becomes louder than the blaring alarms that draw out every leap he walks down a
clean reverberated hallway. The man manages to make it to the end of the hallway with an elevator waiting for clarity. The man enters the elevator while it slowly starts to close as the camera zooms in on the last frame we’ll ever see of him before hearing a low creaking sound that hovers over the top of the elevator. A scream pierces the background so loud it synchronizes with the gears working to close the elevator as the man is pulled up head-first by an unknown force. The screen cuts to the sight of a sprinkler system that tweets water on the lawn of an ordinary Indiana home. “Something is coming. Something hungry for blood.” Viewers can effortlessly put together the tone of the show from the few first words of dialogue in the pilot episode. What they don’t know is that it also states a red herring for companies like
Hulu and Amazon Video. Netflix’s tried and tested formula for becoming front men on the lines of entertainment is not only competitive - it’s also lethal. The strangest thing about the Duffer brother’s work isn’t the reality of the situations presented in it, but the reality of how unlikely it was for this show to even air at all. Netflix picked up the Duffer brother’s 20-page script after more than 15 rejections from other companies. They immediately understood the intent of the directors, and were even willing to work with them amid major budget constraints. Simple yet complex seems to be the atmosphere displayed from the end result. These episodes have created a cult sensation. A rebirth of novel science fiction, mulled horror, and an abrasive sense of adventure. Spiritual elements are taken from solidified pieces of 80s cinema mirroring the cold, bustled Oregon train tracks of “Stand By Me,” and the euphoric yet careful sense of friendship from “E.T. the Extraterrestrial.” Still frames entail places in time that were once on the edge of a stagnant race with digital and technological advancement. Distant conversations from the past entwine with the present to paint a vivid caricature of the unknown. The factor of not knowing how the story will unfold while watching is this show’s best-kept secret and would be a pivotal point for Netflix to continue to uphold in the confirmed next season. Calling this eight episodic series that has become its own world literally overnight “well-written” or a “hit” is not only lazy but an insult to the Duffer brother’s raw talent and skill for sculpting and smoothing out the finer points of such a vibrant point in time. “Stranger Things” takes those departed bricks of history and molds them into a short golden statue cementing itself into American film; prized like that brief period of college life that shapes the ego of one’s self for years to come.
STORY BY DERRICK FLYNN
24 SPOTLIGHT
SAY CHEESE!
WWW.GETSETMAG.COM SEPTEMBER 2016
SET READERS IN ACTION
PHOTOS BY DUSTIN COAN AND CASEY LOWRY
SINGING RIVER STREET PARTY/VOICE OF THE SHOALS COMPETITION SINGIN’ RIVER BREWERY, JULY 29-30, PHOTOS BY DUSTIN COAN
ANDY ENGLISH
CHEYENNE GOSS
JUSTIN BARNETT
JOE’S PIZZERIA
JUSTIN HOLDER
SPOTLIGHT 25
SEPTEMBER 2016 WWW.GETSETMAG.COM
AN ABSTRACT THEORY UNDERGROUND ART & SOUND, JULY 30, PHOTOS BY DUSTIN COAN
SCOTT MCKINNEY
DOWNTOWN CROWD
DAVID BOWIE TATTOO ON KIRK
KIRK RUSSELL
KEVIN REED
26 SPOTLIGHT
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FIRST FRIDAY DOWTOWN FLORENCE, AUGUST 5 PHOTOS BY DUSTIN COAN
THE VALLEY ROOTS
ABDULLA AOJMI
KELVIN HOLLEY
CHRISTIAN WHITE
ISAAC CRUMPTON
CHLOE GRISSHAM
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PENNY BEER GARDEN 2016 DOWTOWN FLORENCE, AUGUST 13, PHOTOS BY CASEY LOWRY
SPOTLIGHT 27
28 SPORTS
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Kahri Member Since 2013 Abby Member Since 2013
Drew Member Since 2013
Rebecca Member Since 2013
SPORTS 29
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People have been playing croquet since the 1300s.
Americans spend $40 billion on lawn care.
BRUH, AMP UP YOUR TAILGATE GAME 1. ROUNDNET
A SATURDAY CLASSIC.
NEW YARD GAMES TO CHANGE UP YOUR TAILGATE PARTY The dog days of August are ending which means one thing: football season is about to start! The University of North Alabama Lions are trying to bring their fourth Gulf South Conference title to the Shoals area, while the University of Alabama and Auburn University prepare for another year in the SEC and the national spotlight. Oh, and Mark Richt is going to lead the Hurricanes back into the national conversation.
As the coaches and players set up game plans, it is time for fans to set up pregame plans. It is important to have a TV with cable so they can watch their rivals. You should make sure the grill is ready with hamburgers and hot dogs. Pregame games are just as important as the food you cook. Of course, there’s the standards: trivia, corn hole, and throwing a football around, but there are several options to take your pregame festivities to the next round.
This game is more commonly known by “Spikeball,” which is the most popular brand that makes Roundnet equipment. Rules: A circular net and rubber ball are used in a sport that is growing among college aged people. There are large tournaments across the country, but your tailgating area may be the perfect place for this game. Its rules are similar to volleyball: four players are required to play this competitive game. The players split into two teams with each team starting across from a member of the opposing team. One team serves the ball by batting it with their hand into the net. The opposing team then has three hits to “spike” the ball back into the net and the same player cannot hit the ball twice in a row. A point is scored when: a) the serving team hits the rail of the net or misses the net, b) a team is unable to return the ball, c) a team hits the ball more than three times or the same player hits it twice-in-a-row, and d) the ball hits the ground. The fun part of the game is that there are no out of bounds so the ball can be in play a fair distance from the net. Purchasing Options: An official “Spikeball” set retails at $53.00, but a secondhand or off-brand set can be found cheaper. It stores in a convenient bag that takes up less space than your chair bags.
2. LADDER TOSS
This game involves two wide ladders with three rungs each and two balls attached together by a rope. Rules: Each player (or team) takes turn tossing three ropes and attempting to wrap them around a rung on the ladder. The game is played in three rounds where each player takes turn tossing the three ropes. The first team to 21 wins. The score must be 21 exactly so if a team scores more than 21, they will have to return to the score they held before the round. Each wrapped rope is worth a point. Purchasing Options: The official tournament “Ladder Golf” set is priced at $129.95. A few pieces of PVC pipe, rope, and a ball can be used to create your own ladder toss game.
3. ROLLORS
Horseshoes without the chance of getting hit by a stray piece of gaming equipment. A wooden rolling disk and post are required to play. Numbers are written on both sides of the disk for scoring purposes. Rules: The teams take turns rolling the disks. They are rolled like a bowling ball and the disks are not allowed to be thrown. Only one team scores in each round. The team that has the closest disk scores all of their disks. The team scores the number of points that are indicated on the disk. If the disk is standing, the team scores the points that are on both sides of the disk and if the team lands on the goal, they score double the points. Purchasing Options: You can make the game with blocks of wood or buy the game for $49.95.
4. KAN-JAM
It’s the name and a brand of a flying disc game that involves a trash can and, obviously, a flying disc. There is a hole cut in the can with an open top. Rules: The two cans are set 50 feet apart. (OK, so this rule should probably be broken as you really do not want to be that person that takes up half the tailgating area) The teams of two take turn trying to throw the disc into the can. The two players on a team stand behind each can. Points are scored by: a) hitting the can on the throw, b) a team member deflects the disc into the can, and c) the disc lands through the top of the can. A team scores one point if the disc is redirected and hits the can, two points if the disc hits the can without having to be redirected, three points if the disc is deflected into the can, and a team automatically wins if the thrower makes the disc land inside the can either through the hole into the side of the can or through the top. Purchasing Options: The full game costs $39.95. A simple trash can with a hole in it along with a generic flying disc probably can do the trick.
STORY BY JAMES DUBUISSON
30 ART
WWW.GETSETMAG.COM SEPTEMBER 2016
The trip will cost about $15,000, including the boat.
Follow expeditions here: peoplesriverhistory.us
HAVE BOAT, WILL TRAVEL CALIFORNIA BASED ARTIST SETS OUT ON RIVER ADVENTURE When Wes Modes, an art professor and museum curator from Santa Cruz, California., was in fifth grade, his librarian handed him copies of two novels: Mark Twain’s Adventure’s of Huckleberry Finn and Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon-Tiki, a story recounting the author’s journey across the Pacific Ocean on a raft built from balsa trees. After reading these, Wes was intrigued, and knew that someday he would take on building a buoyant home and have an incredible expedition of his own. Ten years ago, Wes and a few of his friends crafted their first raft out of trash and other salvaged materials - he was hooked. Five years later, he built the shanty boat he’s exploring the rivers of America. As fulfilling as this was for his personal dreams, he felt that he needed to give something back—for this to all have a greater purpose. He was fascinated by the people that populate small towns along America’s rivers and decided to embark on a journey to collect and tell their stories. For the past three years, Wes, his faithful canine companion Hazel, and various shipmates have traveled through the South all along the Mississippi River for months at a time, collecting personal histories for a project titled “A Secret History of American River People.” Two months ago, he began his trip down the Tennessee River, starting in Knoxville, Tennessee. and eventually ending in
NANKIVELL AND MODES, JUST BELOW THEOLD RAILROAD BRIDGE IN FLORENCE. Paducah, Kentucky. Along the way, they stop in small towns, interviewing locals who live and work on and around the river. As stated on his blog, “particular attention is given to the invisible stories of women, native people, working people and people of color, to create a multiperspective and multipath take on historical narrative.” As well as collecting these stories, they also host art exhibitions displaying the work of local folk artists and slides from his recent travels. All of this will eventually be used to make documentaries, a series of books, and a research archive. I met up with Wes and his current first mate, Adrian Nankivell who works for an outdoor adventure travel company in New Zealand, on a serene Sunday evening at McFarland Park, where they had the shanty boat docked for an open house. After about 30 minutes of answering the curious locals’ questions, they asked if I’d join them for a ride out on the river. I quickly obliged. As we floated out past the park there were many bystanders hoping to catch a glimpse of the boat and a photo for their friends (or playing Pokémon Go, hard to be sure). Wes, the fearless captain, navigated us
beyond the Old Railroad Bridge and instructed Adrian (or Age as he’s more commonly known) to toss the anchor; we’d found the perfect spot. As we sat on the front porch, gazing out at the open water, barefoot and snacking on fresh grapefruit, I couldn’t help but feel I’d been transported to another time and place. After chatting for a short time, I realized just how important Wes’ project is to understanding the lesserdocumented histories of small towns like Florence that thrive along the country’s rivers. It’s a different kind of history than we’re used to. Why only take into account the stories read in history books when you can experience them firsthand from the people who actually lived them? “We talk to people whose lives personify the area,” Mr. Modes said, “the project is less about history and more about how history has personally affected people and their area.” I had never heard of a shanty boat, and upon doing research, learned that it is a bit difficult to define. A shanty boat is essentially a house-boat, but must be handmade (most commonly from an assortment of salvaged parts). A “shanty” is defined as: a small,
ORGANIZED CHAOS. crudely built shack. Put that on something that floats and you have yourself a shanty boat! In the 1850s, shanty boats were a common fixture in our area. Typically, they were inhabited by slaves, people with little money, and even bootleggers trying to avoid being caught by the law. Most of these disappeared when TVA was established and built the dams we all know so well. Besides collecting and curating an unusual and previously unknown local history, Wes said what really inspires him is that he’s able to “see a side of America that most tourists don’t get the chance to see.” Keep that in mind the next time you travel to an unfamiliar place. You can learn more about the history of a location from talking to the people who have lived it. “History can be told as a collage of people’s stories.” said Wes, “You’re the world renowned expert in your life. No one knows it better than you.”
STORY BY COURTNEY TULLY
FREESTYLE 31
SEPTEMBER 2016 WWW.GETSETMAG.COM
FREESTYLE
ONE FINAL THOUGHT
DOG DAYS ARE OVER, OUR FAITHFUL FRIEND.
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