INsite Atlanta January 2013 Issue

JANUARY 2013

www. insiteatlanta .com

VOL. 21, NO.6 FREE

Marlon Wayans Blue Man Group Stars of Portlandia Eva Longoria

WGuide inter

Plus Our Look Back at the Best in Movies, Albums, Sports and Travel from 2012

YOUR FAVORITE BEER FESTIVAL RETURNS

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PG 2 • January 2013 • insiteatlanta.com

CONTENTS • JANUARY 2013 • VOLUME 21, NO.6 Atlanta’s

Entertainment Monthly

INTERVIEWS 06 10 11 21 22 23 24 26 27 27 29

Stars of 1600 Penn Stars of Portlandia Marlon Wayans Blue Man Group Sutton Foster Toks Olagundoye Jean Michel Cousteau Erin Brockovich Fiction Reform Indian School Eva Longoria

21

FEATURES 08 12 15 16 25 30

Education Guide Winter Guide Year in Film Year in Music Top Travel Destinations Year in Sports

COLUMNS 04 05 05 07 13 18 19 19 20 28 30

11

Around Town On Tap On A Dime Events Under The Lights Movie Reviews Concert Calendar Road Warriors We Got Next Album Reviews Vidiots Fanatic

23

29

www.insiteatlanta.com STAFF LISTING Publisher Stephen Miller steve@insiteatlanta.com Managing Editor Bret Love bret@insiteatlanta.com Art Director / Web Design Nick Tipton graphics@insiteatlanta.com Sports Editor DeMarco Williams demarco@insiteatlanta.com Local Events Editor Marci Miller marci@insiteatlanta.com Music Editor John Moore john@insiteatlanta.com

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Contributing Writers / Interns: Jon Latham, Ryan Loftis, Rodney Hill, Alex S. Morrison, Steve Warren, Dave Cohen, Jennifer Williams, Matt Connor, Ed Morales, Sacha Dzuba, David Weinthal, Benjamin Carr, Kalena Smith, Justin Patterson, Lee Valentine Smith, Amanda Miles, Patrick Flanary, Ian Coverdale CONTACT US 130 West Wieuca Road, Ste. 111 Atlanta, GA 30342 phone (404) 256-4328 • website insiteatlanta.com ADVERTISING INFORMATION (404) 256-4328 • advertising@insiteatlanta.com Editorial content of INsite is the opinion of each writer and is not necessarily the opinion of INsite, its staff, or its advertisers. INsite does not knowingly accept false or misleading advertising or editorial content, nor do the publisher or editors of INsite assume responsibility should such advertising or editorial appear. No content, i.e., articles, graphics, designs and information (any and all) in this publication may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from publisher.

© Copyright 2013, Be Bop Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Check out our Winter Guide on page 12! insiteatlanta.com • January 2013 • PG 3

Around Town

Are You Blue? Do you have low energy, problems sleeping, concentrating or feelings of guilt? The Emory Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences is conducting a research study on talk therapy and FDA approved medication for Depression.

Treatment is provided at no cost which includes: Physical exam, Laboratory tests, Psychiatric evaluation, Talk Therapy or FDA approved medication. Call 404-778-6663 (Mood). Or visit www.emoryclinicaltrials.com.

ALL JAN

ALL JAN

Theatre/Film/Performance

up to $8000 as no matching is needed, and free annual exams up to age 30. All donations are completely anonymous and comply with FDA guidelines. Donations are planned around your busy schedule. For more information about the Egg Donation Program, call 404-843-0579 or visit our website at www.rba-online.com. Address: 1100 Johnson Ferry Rd, Suite 200, Atlanta, GA 30342.

The Fernbank Museum of Natural History will screen “Flight of the Butterflies” this month. Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of monarch butterflies with a story about their annual migration. Purchase tickets at fernbankmuseum.org or by calling 404-9296400.

ALL JAN

The Center for Puppetry Arts will present “Brother Coyote and Sister Fox” by Thistle Theatre this month from Jan. 8-27. Tricksters will delight in this bilingual adaptation of a traditional Mexican folktale. The Center is proud to present Thistle Theatre of Seattle in their first appearance at the Center. For more information about Thistle Theatre, visit www.thistletheatre.org. For more information, call 404-873-3391 or visit puppet. org.

JAN 08

Are you an attractive female looking for a job with amazing tips, a fun work environment, flexible school scheduling and a chance to appear in a calendar? Twin Peaks at 3365 Piedmont Road is looking for new serving girls for its new Buckhead restaurant. Enjoy the eats, drinks and scenic views anytime. Visit twinpeaksrestaurant. com for more details or call 404-961-8946.

Reproductive Biology Egg Bank is seeking women of all ethnicities between the ages of 21 and 30 who would like to donate their eggs to infertile couples who otherwise could not conceive. RBA offers quick compensation of

ALL JAN

The High Museum of Art will hold its Second Sunday Funday on Jan. 13.

Every second Sunday of the month from 1-4pm families can enjoy artist demonstrations, art-making workshops and live performances. No registration required. Free with museum admission. Free for members. Go to high.org for more details.

JAN 13

Music/Comedy/Sports

Comedy master Bobcat Goldthwait visits the Laughing Skull Lounge Jan. 10-13. Goldthwait was in some of the best ‘80s comedies and continues to make his mark as a director of such films as “World’s Greatest Dad” and “God Bless America.”

Go to laughingskulllounge.com for tickets and showtimes.

JAN 10

Zoo Atlanta offers “Keeper for a Day – Australia and Carnivores” on Jan. 19. Spend the day helping zookeepers with their daily routines of food preparation, cleaning, and animal care.

Meet some exciting animals along the way, and learn what it takes to be a zookeeper. Participants must be 14 or older. Book a program today on zooatlanta.org.

JAN 19

The Atlanta Hawks welcome the Boston Celtics on Jan. 25 in what is traditionally one of the team’s best matchups in the Eastern Conference.

Tip is set for 7:30pm. Tickets can be found online atlantahawks.com.

JAN 25

JAN 26

Other Stuff

Quartet. The collaboration between two of jazz music’s longest-standing pioneers has flourished for decades, producing three Grammy-winning albums since their landmark Crystal Silence in 1972. Tickets and information at www. ferstcenter.org and 404-894-9600.

Dollywood Entertainment is looking for singers for the 2013 season with country, musical theatre and pop focus. Also casting for the 2013 Christmas season. Auditionees should prepare three songs in the style(s) you do best.

Include ballads and up-tempo songs. Bring sheet music in your key or CD accompaniment. An accompanist and CD player will be provided.

Must be at least 17 years old. Try-outs will be held on Saturday, Jan. 26. Registration begins at 10am at the Woodruff Arts Center – Alliance Theatre. Auditions are 11am-2pm. Visit www. dollywoodauditions.com.

JAN 26

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra welcomes violinist Vilde Frang who makes her debut on Jan. 31 at 8pm with a follow-up show on Feb. 2. Tickets are $24-$75 and available online at atlantasymphony.org, or by calling 404.733.5000.

JAN 31

The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center will host comedian Ron “Tater Salad” White on Feb. 1, best known as the cigar smoking, scotch drinking funnyman from “Blue Collar Comedy.”

Tickets are $47.75 and $57.75, and available at Cobb Energy Centre Box Office, online at www. ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets and by phone at 800-745-3000.

FEB 01

The Ferst Center presents Chick Corea and Gary Burton with Harlem String Quartet on Saturday, Jan. 26. The NEA Jazz Master and 16time Grammy winner, Corea (piano) and Burton (vibraphone) perform standards from their new album Hot House featuring the Harlem String

Women helping women

CardiovasCular disease researCh Emory University, Department of Psychiatry is currently conducting a research study on Cardiovascular Disease and Depression. Dr. J. Douglas Bremner, Psychiatrist, is investigating the brain mechanisms through which depression increases the risk of death in patients with cardiovascular disease.

If you would to participate in this study, you must have a current diagnosis of cardiovascular disease either with or without depression. If you think you may have signs of depression, but have never been assessed, we can provide an assessment for you.

Museums/Exhibits/Arts

EGG DONORS NEEDED

Make up to $8,000 Plus Free Annual Exams Reproductive Biology Egg Bank is seeking women between the ages of 21 and 30 who would like to donate their eggs to infertile couples who otherwise could not conceive.

The advantages of donating to the RBA egg bank include: • • • • • • • •

Quick compensation of $6000-$8000 as no recipient matching is required Free annual exams up to age 30 Completely anonymous process Free Medical Screening in accordance to FDA guidelines Donation planned around your busy schedule Increased compensation with additional donation FREE Apple® iPad or $500 Referral Reward* Giving someone the gift of life!

For more information about our EGG DONATION PROGRAM call 404-8430579 or visit our website at www.rba-online.com.

To learn more about this study, call Emory’s Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit at 404-712-2059 or kelly.tracey@emory.edu.

Procedures involve health and mental health assessments, MRI, PET and SPECT scans conducted at Emory University. Volunteers will receive compensation for their time.

PG 4 • January 2013 • insiteatlanta.com

New hope. New life.

1100 Johnson Ferry Rd., Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30342 404.257.1900 / 888.722.4483 www.rba-online.com *Donor must complete the entire cycle

LOCAL

LOCAL EVENTS

On Tap this Month EMAIL EVENTS TO ONTAP@INSITEATLANTA.COM

Jan. 10-13: Georgia World Congress Center

ATLANTA BOAT SHOW

Whether new to boating or an avid water enthusiast, the 2013 Progressive Insurance Atlanta Boat Show provides visitors an all-access pass to learn about and discover the fun of the boating lifestyle, in addition to shopping post-holiday deals on hundreds of new boats and marine accessories. From Jan. 10-13, the Georgia World Congress Center, showcasing everything from luxury motor yachts and bass boats to family cruisers, pontoons and ski boats.

For more information, visit AtlantaBoatShow.com.

Jan. 17-30: Morehouse College

DR. KING CELEBRATIONS

Join Morehouse College for a celebration of the life and achievement of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. this month.

The events kickoff Jan. 17 with a MLK Jr. Crown Forum along with The Dream at 50, where a celebrity panel will present Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech along with a discussion. Monday, Jan. 21 will offer participants a day of service with “Diversity with Sustainability.” The events close with a King Lecture and Conversation Series on Jan. 30. For more info, go to morehouse.edu.

Jan. 19: Philips Arena

HAWKS HOST SAN ANTONIO

Atlanta has been one of the surprise teams during the early stages of the 2012-13 season. The Hawks have looked like one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference despite trading away one of their best players in the offseason. Will the success continue? Stay tuned. Visiting San Antonio will be a good test. Tim Duncan and Company remain, despite the team’s age, one of the league’s best teams, and Tony Parker is still among the NBA’s best. Don’t miss this matchup. Go to atlantahawks.com for tickets.

Jan. 19: Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

RUSSELL PETERS

Watch comedy rockstar Russell Peters up-close and personal on Jan. 19 at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre with his new act and his trademark lightning fast improv with all new material. Peters has spent the last three years setting attendance records around the globe. In March of this year, Peters became the fastest selling show in Dubai history. His two shows in Dubai sold-out in eight minutes.

Show is set for 8pm. Visit www.cobbenergycentre.com for more info.

Jan. 23: Philips Arena

JUSTIN BIEBER

Prepare the teenage girls. Biebs is back in town. Teensensation Justin Bieber returns to Philips Arena for a full concert after visiting Atlanta in December for a Christmasmashup event with other artists. This concert will be fullBiebs, so prepare your kids for the Believe Tour and hits like “Boyfriend.” (If you just want to drop off the kids, there are bars nearby.) The Canadian popstar will kickoff his show at 7pm. Tickets start at $39.50. Go online to philipsarena. com for more show details and ticket information.

Jan. 26: Masquerade

ATLANTA WINTER BEER FEST

The Atlanta Winter Beer Fest returns to Masquerade Jan. 26 from 2-7pm. This will be an inside and outdoor event (with tents, heated if necessary), and will feature 100-plus beers, ciders, and a small selection of wines. There will be live music on all three stages, plus two other areas, and some additional fun and games. There will not be any football that weekend for the first time since August, so come taste some great beers and enjoy the festival. Tickets start at $35. Go to atlantawinterbeerfest.com.

EVENTS HAPPENING FOR SMALL CHANGE IN ATLANTA

Know of a low cost event of happening? Event@AtlantaOnADime.com

By Marci Miller SIPS IN THE CITY NIGHTS AT THE HIGH 2011 SOUTHEASTERN CALLAWAY GARDENS PHOENIX FLIES HUNGER WALK/RUN 5KFLOWER SHOW HALF-PRICED THURSDAY THE GREAT AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE SHOW August, Check Website for Deals Through Feb. 28, FREE Feb. 25 27, Adults $18 ($15 in advance) March 13, Noon-4pm, $25 runners 8th ANNUAL GERMAN BIERFEST Thursdays, – 8:00pm 25 – 27, Friday 3pm –for 8pm, Saturday 9am – “CITYWIDE4:00pm CELEBRATION OF LIVING LANDMARKS” January Various Downtown Callaway Gardens High of Art Restaurants MarchMuseum 5-20, Free www.atlantadowntown.com 17800 US Hwy 27 1280 Peachtree Street N.E., Atlanta Various Landmarks Around the City Pine Mountain, Georgia www.high.org phoenixflies.org This summer promotion encourages callawaygardens.com

The offers Aextended hoursofAtlanta atLiving half patrons to experience Downtown The Museum Phoenix Flies: Celebration

price Thursday from 4 p.m. to Atlanta 8 p.m. on ice!every Throughout the heated months of Admission tocreated Callaway Gardens is Landmarks was in 2003 by The This is a great waythrough to see therestaurants museum’s special July and August, featured in the complimentary the end of this Preservationand Center as a waycollection to celebratewhile the exhibitions Downtown Dining District willrescue be offering month (Price ispermanent normally $15 for adults, 25th anniversary of the dramatic of the avoiding thesignature weekend crowds.

Aguests guided tour refreshing cocktails, hipAtlanta’s happy $6.50 per child) providing with FoxPermanent Theatre, an event that changed of Collection highlights is offered at hours and deals that you won’t want tothe miss. the opportunity to forever. enjoy time with their preservation outlook This year, list 6:30 p.m.

Participating restaurants Atlanta family reconnecting in Theatre, nature. includesand freefriends guided tours of include The Fox Grill, Azio Downtown, BLT Steak, Max Free admission includes the Virginia PiedmontON Park,ATLANTA Historic Oakland HANDS MARTIN Cemetery, LUTHER Lager’s, No Mas! Cantina and The Sundial Hand Callaway Discovery Center, Day Civil War Atlanta Walking Tour, KING JR. DAY OF SERVICE 2013Tullie Smith Restaurant.

Visit the website for a complete Butterfly Center, Sibley Horticultural Farm House, House, the Monday, JanuaryMargaret 21 (checkMitchell website for complete list deals.

Center, Mr.Park Cason’s Vegetable event schedule), 9:00am 1:00pm, FREE Garden, newofBeltline and –much more.

Callaway Brothers Azalea Bowl, Overlook Various venues throughout the city Garden, Discovery Bicycle Trail, Pioneer www.handsonatlanta.org AMERICAN CRAFT COUNCIL SHOW IN ATLANTA Log Cabin, Ida Cason Callaway Memorial March 10-13, Regular admission: $13 With the nature power oftrails Hands Ondaily Atlanta’s network Chapel, and programs.

Children under 12: free of community partners and volunteers, Hands CobbAtlanta Galleria Center On will mobilize THE UNIVERSOUL CIRCUSmore than 3,000 Two Galleria Parkway, Atlanta volunteers in service to from local $15 communities, Feb. 10 - 27, Tickets range - $35 craftcouncil.org/Atlanta schools and nonprofits at the Martin Luther Turner Field Green Lot King, Jr. Day of Service.

Organized in 521 Avenue, Atlanta ThisCapitol 3-day event the largest Luther juried fine craft partnership with isthe Martin King, Jr. universoulcircus.com Show inof the southeast.

TheChange, show has Center Nonviolent Social Inc.,been and in the 50th anniversary the thecelebration premiere of marketplace for regionalof fine The UniverSoul Civil Rights and Movement, Hands On Circus Atlanta craft lovers collectors, and offers guests continues itsworksurge will provide to access toand service opportunities for the chance meet purchase from YELLOW JACKET to the top live thousands of conscientious citizens inthe a variety esteemed artists from around theofcountry.

To entertainment of support areas.collectors FAN DAY reach first-time and establishedranks craft with interactive funky Saturday, 6, 3pm –its6pm, Free collectorsAugust alike, the newest show category for ATLANTA HISTORY CENTER rendition of a traditional Bobby Dodd Stadium Grant Field Under FREE participating artists isatHandmade $100.

ADMISSION ON MLKfor DAYunder UniverSoul has www.ramblinwreck.com Artists who sell workcircus. $100 will have Monday, January 21, 10:00am to 5:30pm,audiences Free captivated their booths specially marked for patrons Atlanta History Center around the world Festivities begin at from 3ap.m. on Callaway Plaza interested in starting collection. www.atlantahistorycenter.com with its unique brand with music, prizes, inflatables and games for that blends circus arts, the kids.

From 4-6 p.m. the gates will open ATLANTA SPEEDWAY OPEN History HOUSE Enjoy freeMOTOR admission to theFREE Atlanta theater and meet music. and enter stadium the Center in can honor of the Martin Lutherto King Day, Marchfans 12, 11am-3pm, Free Founded in award-winning Atlantawill over 2011 Yellow Jackets.

Football players be featuring all-inclusive access to Atlanta Motor Speedway 17 position years ago, the at audience seated with their groups various exhibitions in the Atlanta History Museum; 1500 Tara Place, Hampton will infield. amazement as 1860 stilt points thewatch playing Head Paul tours ofon the 1928 Swan House andcoach the atlantamotorspeedway.com walkers make their way across a tight Johnson will sign from 4-5 p.m.

Smith Family Farm;autographs the Centennial Olympic rope, horse riders perform death-defying and will be available for photographs from Games Museum; and 22 acres of gardens and Visit the track’s Open House for free.

Activities stunts, and contortionists bend into trails.

5-6 p.m.

Please limit autographs to ONE include championship legends racing on the incredible and beautiful shapes.will be the item per player or coach. quarter-mile “Thunder Ring.This ”, free drawings first getown thecar 2011 football for bigopportunity prizes, drivetoyour on the track poster as well as schedule cards, ticket CHEERSPORT 2011 NATIONAL with the purchase of Labor Day NASCAR information andselect other items throughout the CHEERLEADING & DANCE tickets, fans can their seats for the Labor afternoon.

Most campus parking lots will THE GREAT AMERICAN Day Race Weekend, tour the Speedway’s race CHAMPIONSHIP be available.

MOTORCYCLE control tower and suites, SHOW take photos with Feb. 18 – 20 the Atlanta $30 for 2-dayMotor pass Speedway pace car and a SIMON GAMEPLAY NASCAR Sprint Series winner’s trophy, $20 for 1-day passCup TOUR Saturday, August 20gift @ shop 10am,and Free discounts much more.

Kids Under at5 AMS are Free Discover Mills Mall, Lawrenceville Georgia World Congress Center www.simon.com 285 Andrew Young International Blvd., Atlanta cheersport.net

The Simon GamePlay tour will connect fans of all ages to the hottest video cheerleading games before Bring it on…this electrifying they are launched and available in stores. and dance competition features teams The recently launched Nintendo 3DS competing from across America. This gaming system will take center stage with year, it expects to grow larger than ever a “Nintendo Lounge, ” with couches, with over 9003DS teams participating, from snacks and games.

Nintendo also offer ages three through college. will Cheersport “Street Pass,”bytournament-style play loved using was founded all-star coaches who Nintendo 3DS devices.

GamePlay will competitive cheerleading and dance. feature 10 gaming pods, including 2 mature Check the website for the full competition zones, with products from instrusty leaders schedule. like SEGA, Capcom, 2K and Atari.

Youth/Student $7,27, Free for walkers Saturday, August 2 under – 7pm5 are Free 8pm, Sunday 10am –Kids 5pm Cobb Galleria Centre Parking is free $12 adults, $7 kids, kids under $30 Online, $35 At the Door 5 free, Free Parking Two Galleria Parkway, North Atlanta Trade Center Turner Field Green LotAtlanta Woodruff Park, Downtown Atlanta 1700 Jeurgens Court, Norcross sehort.org 755 Hank Aaron Drive, Atlanta www.germanbierfest.com www.northatlantatradecenter.com hungerwalkrun.org Presented by celebrates the Southeastern This summer event the greatness Since 1992, this show has been the place to buy Horticultural Society, this annual premier Join thousands of runners and walkers at of German beer in a family-friendly agardening new motorcycle and the accessories riders event promotes preservation this annual event that benefits the Atlanta environment. Complete with authentic need and is full of of 2010flowers motorcycles brought and awareness plants Community Food Bank and fiveand other local German food, activities for the kids, music by Georgia’s leading dealers.

See foreign and through education andBierfest artistic expression. nonprofits.

Participants can register as a team and fun, the German is not only domestic motorcycles, one of a kind custom Show activities include speakers, or individually online register the juried dayand of the only authentic German Bierfest in bikes, cruisers, sport or bikes, choppers, competition, kids’ activities, Landscape & the event.

There will be activities for all ages Atlanta, but the only family-friendly beer touring bikes. Get great deals on motorcycles, Discovery Gardens and more. includingas games, livethe entertainment more. festival well.

For price of admittance, trailers, leathers, ATVs, scooters, LED& lights,

Gates open at noon, theall5K & walk begin attendees can drink therunbeer they can detail products, patches and sewers.

Riding at 2 p.m. safely consume.

Designated drivers are 10th CRAWL glasses,ANNUAL helmets, OAKHURST resorts, seatWINE cushions, and encouraged and can attend for free.

No one other accessories will get bikers on the open Saturday, Feb. 26, 4 pm-7 pm road style. under the 21 will be permitted to $25 ininadvance for of Tasting Glass A-TOWN DAYage consume alcohol.

A designated driver $30 day26,ofNoon-8pm, event March $5 HONDA BATTLE OF THE BANDS service will also be on site for those who Oakhurst LakewoodBusiness District INVITATIONAL SHOWCASE find themselves in an unsafe condition to oakhurstga.org 2002 Lakewood Ave SE, Atlanta Saturday, January 26, 3pm, $10 & $12 tickets drive home. atownday.com Georgia Dome in this year’s event will get Participants One Georgia Dome Drive, Atlanta to sample wines from around theconcert, world A-TOWN DAY is a health festival, PIGS & PEACHES BBQcare FESTIVAL www.hondabattleofthebands.com while exploring all the businesses in the and a 26 major of 5pm Awareness August & 27,day Friday - 11pm celebrating Oakhurst neighborhood.

There will be 20 all things Atlanta.

A-TOWN DAY Battle benefits Saturday 10am 10pm, Free During the fall– season, the Honda of participating establishments and the event the Diabetes Association of Atlanta and The Ben Robertson Community tour Center, Kennesaw the Bands Celebration spotlights the expects out quickly.

The Bus B-Aware to Foundation.

This Black event willFur feature www.facebook.com/PigsAndPeaches excellence ofsell 45 Historically College and will be on hand to transport participants live music, Marching poetry, carBands. show and of family University Thelotsexcitement from bar toatbar. be purchased culminates theTickets Dome acan in non-sanctioned January for the friendly events.

The event features from Steinbeck’s Ale House, Invitational Showcase, when 65,000 fansUjoint, will be Backyard BBQ, Anything Butt and Peach on their feet, dancing in the aisles and cheering and Karvana Coffee Shop, all located in Dessert PARK Contest, as well as a WEEK Kansas City INMAN RESTAURANT for the28-April top HBCU Bands.

Participating schools Oakhurst village.

Barbeque Society sanctioned Professional March 3, $15 include Albany State, Bethune-Cookman, Contest, is recognized $25 & $35which for three-course meal as a Georgia Jackson State, North Carolina Tennessee State NATIONAL Championship Barbeque Cookoff.

IHOP PANCAKE DAYA&T, CELEBRATION inmanparkrestaurantweek.com State, Winston-Salem State and Edward Waters Over $14,000 cash and prizes will be Tuesday, March 1,in7 am-10 pm, Free Pancakes College. awarded to House contest winners. food International of Pancakes Savor historic Inman Park withBesides three-course for sale, from and free music from a number of Locations throughout Metro Atlanta dinners 11 restaurants.

Proceeds GROUNDHOG DAYlocal JUGGLERS FESTIVAL local and national acts, festival goers will IHOPPancakeday.com will benefit Project Open Hand, which helps February 1–3, Friday: 5 - 10 PM, Saturday: 10 AM be treated to 11a large Kid (withchronic many people prevent or - 5better manage 10 PM, Sunday: AM PM Zone attractions FREE to families), unique On this day, customers will receive one $20 for festival participants, FREE for generalvendor public, disease through comprehensive nutrition care. booths and sponsor exhibits.

Silver free short stack ofand IHOP’s Late Night Cabaret $5(three) $1 raffle tickets will be sold willThe gofamous towards Wings paratrooper aerial exhibition buttermilk pancakes.

All they askwill is team that Yaarab Shrine Center the charity.

The winner of the raffle win returns thed’ouerves, event,making andbeer willaand jump intoparty the www.atlantajugglers.org patrons donation to a hostedtoconsider hor wine festival Saturday, August 27. through Crowds support local children’s hospitals at Park’s on Edge Restaurant for thirty of their You’ll jugglers, yoyo pros,local live will befindEach treated to unicyclists, aPark wonderful display of Children’s Miracle Network or other friends.

Inman restaurant will bring music and family fun for all ages at the annual aerobatics performances in charities.

Since beginning tastes from and their patriotic restaurants foritstheNational winner.

Groundhog Day Jugglers TheIHOP main the There will also beFestival. ainhuge, fireworks Pancake Day 2006, The sky. winner willcelebration be announced at the end of juggling competition happens Saturday at 2 PM. grand finale.more has raised than $5.35 millionfor toa the restaurant week.

Check the website Rules for charities the jugglingincompetition are simple, support the communities in complete list of participating restaurants. each competitor has 4 minutes, anything goes. which it operates.

FESTIVAL PEACHTREE LATINO The Seed and Feed Marching Abominable band Sunday,theAugust 28, 11am – 7:30pm, opens competition which is a freeFree show and Piedmont Park lasts about an hour or so. The judges confer www.festivalpeachtreelatino.com after all the competitors finish and trophies will then be awarded. The festival also includes free juggling lessons, unicycle Festival Peachtree Latino polo, has Late beenNight the Cabaret, Light Extravaganza and much largest family & multicultural eventmore! in the southeast since 2000. They have featured hundreds of exhibitions, family activities, sporting events, parades, arts & crafts, ethnic foods and outdoor musical performances featuring renowned international musicians on two stages. The best part about it is that the event is absolutely FREE!! This year, Festival Peachtree Latino has more to offer, with new attractions and a larger schedule of musical performances.

UPDATED EVENTSWEEKLY. WEEKLY. SIGN UP BY RECEIVERECEIVE UPDATED EVENTS SIGN UPEMAILING

BY E-MAILING SUBSCRIPTIONS@ATLANTAONADIME.COM SUBSCRIPTIONS@ATLANTAONADIME.COM

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FILM

THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS

1600 Penn Stars Pullman, Elfman and Gad on the Politics of Comedy

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

F

AMILY SITUATION COMEDIES are nothing new, but a sitcom about a dysfunctional domestic unit who just happen to live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is a bit unique. NBC’s new comedy “1600 Penn” starring Bill Pullman (Independence Day), Jenna Elfman (Dharma And Greg) and Josh Gad (The Book Of Moron) debuted last month. It airs weekly beginning January 10th at 9:30. Recently, the cast discussed the show during a lunch break on the set.

Bill and Jenna, obviously the show was in production during the presidential election, so was it ever a major consideration that you two have a definite resemblance to the Romneys?

Jenna Elfman: When we made the pilot we weren’t in that territory. We were cast back in April of this year so we were in the middle of filming our season when that kind of happened to really come to the forefront.

Josh Gad: Technically, Romney was copying Bill.

Bill Pullman: True. I noticed that in his suits. Plus we’re around a lot of comedians here, so they were saying, ’Has anybody told you how much you look like Obama?’

Did you all model anything on any previous presidential families or did you meet with any former residents of 1600 Penn?

Elfman: Well, thank God I have so many first ladies on my speed dial! So I closed my eyes and I scrolled and just picked, you know, anywhere my finger landed. I wish. Unfortunately, I couldn’t ring up any current or former first ladies, so I used the old-fashioned way of a bookstore and books about first ladies. I really just tried to get a sense of what their reality is landing into such a heightened existence from their life prior to that, what obstacles they faced and what goals they had as first ladies, just to get myself oriented.

Pullman: It was a surreal time to be making this because of the campaign going on. So every time I read in the newspaper any account of either candidate going through something, I could really kind of zero in empathetically. About what it must be like to be in private moments with the family, about different issues and then ways in which that could be kind of tweaked in a comic way. So every day that we were shooting it was in the news.

Jenna, your experience in sitcoms has traditionally been with three-camera set-ups or four-camera set-ups. What has it been like for you doing single camera comedy? Has that changed your performance?

Elfmann: Thanks for asking that. That’s a great question. I love it. And one of the

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reasons I love it is the cast. Everywhere I turn in any scene, at any given time, there’s totally strong cast members right there.

And that’s so important in comedy. One of my hesitations for a few years - I wanted to do single-camera but I had felt so hesitant because so many of the single cameras that I saw on TV, I hated the way they looked.

They just all looked the same. They looked bright and they had music running through every single moment of every scene. I just didn’t want to fall into some generic trap of, you know, bad single-camera comedy.

We have the most amazing director of photography, and he makes this singlecamera show look so beautiful and like a movie.

Bill, you are accustomed to the film process, so what was it like for you to transition from movies to the weekly schedule of a television series? How are you adjusting to it?

Pullman: Well I think it proceeds at a pace but it’s still a lot like an independent film in that you’ve got to get your day’s work done. But I think also in this multicamera / single-camera thing, it’s been great to be able to do a story that involves heartfelt things. It’s nice not to have that live audience going ‘Aww’ every time. So you can have many more colors. I just find that in that multi-camera thing, when that audience gets to a sensitive moment, they all throw it into one place, so it’s just dangerous for the life of a fully nuanced show. Then also, for cutting purposes you can get the farce better, I think, because you can cut and jump and make things happen -- and also make small things happen. You can throw away a line a lot easier. So I’m liking all of this. And it feels familiar to me.

It’s a lot more like film.

How important do you feel it is for Americans to be able to identify with the first family, to have that ‘aww‘ moment based on empathy? How easy or difficult it

is to identify with the first family in a show like this?

Elfman: What I love - what I get to play with my character specifically -- is just that she does have these moments where she’s a fully capable lawyer and political consultant and she does have a sharp wit.

But when it comes to the family, as the stepmother, that’s her Achilles heel. And that’s where she falls off balance and is grasping for straws and gets a little bit nutty. Then when the two worlds collide - when her necessity to please or win as a stepmother collides in the political realm, it gets a little crazy for her. I’m having fun having those moments where I get to play like I know how this is supposed to go, but not when there’s a family involved. And that’s when there’s an inner conflict within my character and I get to fall off balance and find the comedy.

Is there a certain tone you’re trying to capture about the city and DC itself -- or is the show just really about the family dynamics or a combination of the two?

Gad: You know, I think that it’s absolutely not a political show. And I can’t emphasize that enough because we never set out to make a political show. There are so many great political shows out there. There really are, from “West Wing” to “Veep,” these are wonderful political shows. We wanted to make a show about a family that happens to live in a world where they are surrounded by politics. And while we do engage in those story lines, it’s not really a commentary.

Elfman: There’ll be, like, a drop of a political thing, which is only there to then spark the family story.

Bill Pullman: Our intention is to do a story about a dysfunctional family that just happens to be in the most famous address in the United States of America.

Beginning January 10, “1600 Penn” airs Thursdays at 9:30 pm, on NBC.

Under The Lights THE WAFFLE PALACE

THE PRODUCERS

Box Office (404) 584.7450 horizontheatre.com

Tickets (855) ATL-TIXX foxatltix.com

Opens Jan 11 Horizon Theatre

Jan 25 - 31 The Fox Theatre

After a sold-out world premiere production last summer, Larry Larson and Eddie Levi Lee’s The Waffle Palace: Smothered, Covered and Scattered 24/7/365 returns to Horizon Theatre this month. Inspired by real life news stories about Waffle House restaurants, the play follows a Midtown diner owner, his staff and a hilarious cast of customers as they battle to keep The Waffle Palace open against encroaching real estate developers. The whole Waffle Palace crew (with one exception) is back for the 2013 production. Playwright Larry Larson returns as Waffle Palace owner John with Horizon regular Marguerite Hannah as his right-hand waitress Connie.

BLUE MAN GROUP

BIKE AMERICA

Jan 15 - 20 The Fox Theatre

February 1 - 24 Alliance Theatre

Tickets (855) ATL-TIXX foxatltix.com

Box Office (404) 733.5000 alliancetheatre.org/bike

Following a 2011 smash hit opening engagement in Atlanta, Blue Man Group returns to the Fox Theatre January 15 -20.

Although Blue Man Group has toured previously with its Megastar arena rock show, this marks the first theatrical production to tour North America. The theatrical tour features classic Blue Man moments as well as brand new content. Blue Man is best known for multi-media performances that feature three bald and blue characters who take the audience on a journey that is funny, intelligent and visually stunning. A live band, whose haunting tribal rhythms help drive the show to its climax, accompanies the Blue Men. The sound, set, and video design for this tour centers around a proscenium-sized LED curtain and highresolution screen create an entirely new, high-impact visual experience.

Women’s · Men’s · Accessories

The Producers, the winningest musical in Broadway history, returns to Atlanta after an 8 year absence. The Producers won a record 12 Tony Awards and sets the standard for modern, outrageous, in-your-face humor. The play features a down-on-hisluck Broadway producer and his mildmannered accountant as they come up with a scheme to produce the most notorious flop in history thereby bilking their backers out of millions. Only one thing goes awry: the show is a smash hit. At the core of the hilarious adventure is an emotional journey of two very different men who become friends. Written by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan (ANNIE) with music and lyrics by Mr. Brooks.

Bike America will premiere on the Hertz Stage February 1 – 24. Bike America tells the story of Penny, a damaged student who sets out on a cross-country bike trip to find her place in the world. Along the way Penny meets a colorful crew of bikers from the lesbian couple who’ve decided to get a marriage license in every state they visit to the mysterious Man with the Van who transports their stuff. As the bikers travel through iconic towns across the country from the deep North down to the deep South (and the highways between them), they discover things about each other and the communities around them. The play captures the national temperature and the restlessness of a millennial generation that will go to any length to find a place that always seems just out of reach.

LIVE ON STAGE ONE GIRL. ONE DREAM. ONE CHANCE.

FEB 5-10•THE FOX THEATRE FoxAtlTix.com/Flashdance • 855-ATL-TIXX

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JAN. 25-31 • At the FOX THEATRE Groups Call (404) 881-2000

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insiteatlanta.com • January 2013 • PG 7

CONTINUING EDUCATION Advance your Career and Enhance Your Life!

Oglethorpe University 4484 Peachtree Rd NE (404) 364-8314 oglethorpe.edu/testdrive

Savannah College of Art and Design Atlanta Campus 1600 Peachtree Street NW (404) 253-6814 scad.edu/ce

The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution conferring bachelor’s and master’s degrees at distinctive locations and online to prepare talented students for professional careers. SCAD offers degrees in more than 40 majors, as well as minors in over 60 disciplines, in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia; in Hong Kong; in Lacoste, France; and online through SCAD eLearning.

The diverse student body, consisting of more than 11,000 students, comes from 49 states in the U.S. and more than 100 countries worldwide. Each student is nurtured and motivated by a faculty of more than 650 professors with extraordinary academic credentials and valuable professional experience. These professors emphasize learning through individual attention in an inspiring university environment. SCAD’s innovative curriculum is enhanced by advanced, professional-level technology, equipment and learning resources and has garnered acclaim from respected organizations and publications, including 3D World, American Institute of Architects, BusinessWeek, DesignIntelligence, U.S. News & World Report and the Los Angeles Times. SCAD has more than 20,000 alumni and offers an exceptional education and unparalleled career preparation. Annually, more than 500 national and international companies and organizations recruit SCAD students and alumni.

The university offers exclusive resources such as the newly renovated SCAD Museum of Art, university libraries and the SCAD Collaborative Learning Center, among others.

Annual signature events are designed to showcase student work and bring students together with creative professionals at every SCAD location. Celebrated guests visit the university often, offering master classes and working one-on-one with students.

Oglethorpe University, one of the nation’s leading small universities, is now offering an unprecedented opportunity for adults to return to campus and complete their undergraduate degrees. Oglethorpe’s “Test Drive” program offers a 50% savings on tuition, for up to two classes. The credits will be applied toward your degree of choice. And, the nocommitment application is simple and free, with admission decisions within 24 hours from start to finish.

Best of all, you can choose from hundreds of courses among 35 programs, offered during the day, in the evening and even on Saturdays. Then, complete your degree at your own pace. Classes are held year round and you can choose the number of classes that makes sense for your life. The Test Drive is ideal for those who are working full or part time, looking to re-enter the workforce, and those who just want to strengthen their skills and competencies.

In the end, adult students earn the same full-fledged Oglethorpe degree that younger counterparts receive at the university. Adult students also enjoy the full college experience, with full access to Oglethorpe’s campus, activities and benefits.

“Oglethorpe has a century-long commitment to offering education to adults beyond the traditional four college years,” said Dr. Denise von Herrmann, Oglethorpe’s Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. “We understand that many adults are uncertain about going back to school. We created the ‘Test Drive’ to give them the opportunity at a tremendous cost savings.”

Kennesaw State University College of Continuing and Professional Education 1000 Chastain Rd. (770) 423-6765 ksuculinary.com

SCAD offers year-round workshops and classes in a variety of art disciplines for SCAD students and the general public.

For questions regarding the Atlanta program, email atlantace@scad.edu or call 404.253.6814.

For questions regarding the Savannah and eLearning programs, email savannahce@scad.edu or call 912.525.5968.

Visit scad.edu/ce to learn more.

Continuing Education PG 8 • January 2013 • insiteatlanta.com

Learn from Atlanta’s top chefs through Culinary Apprenticeship program.

Become a professional chef with Kennesaw State University’s Culinary Apprenticeship Certificate at the College of Continuing and Professional Education.

This unique program utilizes the European method of placing you with an experienced chef to provide you with direct training to hone your culinary skills and inspire creativity.

You will complete the program in nine months receiving instruction weekly at KSU Center from Instructor Chef Frazer Breckenridge and in the kitchens of Atlanta’s top restaurants through apprenticeships.

Inside the KSU Center kitchen, Chef Breckenridge will not only teach you the basics, but will also challenge you with reality TV-style challenges such as Mystery Basket Night and other fun activities all designed to make your learning experience unforgettable.

Students who graduate through the program are equipped to work in a variety of settings from the high-end restaurant to the private caterer for a celebrity client living in Atlanta. If you ever have dreamed of being a culinary professional, today is the day to take the first step. To register, call 770-423-6765 or visit ksuexpo.com. For information about the Culinary Apprenticeship Certificate Program visit ksuculinary.com.

John Marshall Law Study Law in Atlanta 1422 W. Peachtree St. NW (404) 872-3593 johnmarshall.edu

In the heart of Midtown, Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School (AJMLS) is at the epicenter of Atlanta life. On both a professional and personal level, opportunities abound.

Professionally, you’re near hundreds of law firms, government offices, state and federal courts, and legal non-profit organizations —ideally situated in the city’s thriving legal community. Personally, there is something for everyone — arts, theater, music, sports and recreation. Just two blocks away, you’ll find the Woodruff Arts Center,

housing the High Museum of Art, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Alliance Theatre, and the 14th Street Playhouse. A short walk from campus is Piedmont Park— the venue for festivals, concerts, fun and relaxation. Atlanta is also home to three major professional league sports teams. We could go on, but suffice it to say, Atlanta and AJMLS have it all.

For more information, visit the school on the internet at www.johnmarshall.edu.

Showcase The School of Photography 1135 Sheridan Road (404) 965-2205 theshowcaseschool.com

Welcome to The Showcase School – Atlanta’s choice for amateur, adult-education photography classes. Whether you are new to the world of photography or if you’ve been shooting for years, The Showcase School has what you are looking for. Since 1996, we have taught thousands of amateur photographers how to use their cameras and develop their passion for photography.

Learn basic controls of your digital SLR camera, lenses, tripods and accessories in Digital 101 and Digital 102 classes. With these new tools, move on to the art of taking great photographs in classes such as: People Photography, Composition, Nature, Studio, Flash, Night & Low Light, Photographing Children and more.

All new hands-on weekend workshops on numerous topics are featured each session.

Learn to organize in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and edit in the most current Adobe Photoshop Elements and CS programs. Cutting edge software classes at your fingertips! No matter what level of education you need, The Showcase School has a class for you. All classes taught by working professionals who are patient and eager to share their knowledge with you.

Photography is an exciting and rapidly-changing field and we want you to be a part of it.

BINDERS

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3330 Piedmont Road, Suite 18 Atlanta, GA 30305

404•237•6331 MON-FRI 9-8 • SAT 10-7 • SUN 11-6

www.bindersart.com on back to school supplies

Paints • Pencils • Brushes • Markers Canvas • Paper • Pastels • Studio Stuff • And More!

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Creativity. Community. Connected.

Sale Ends January 31, 2013 insiteatlanta.com • January 2013 • PG 9

FILM

RETURN TO PORTLANDIA

Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein are Back in Style

good comedic TV? Armisen: Well, I think there probably ORTLANDIA, THE POPULAR, is some really complicated formula that Peabody Award-winning television no one really knows how to find, exactly. series, returns this month for a third For as long as comedy on TV has existed, season on the Independent Film Channel. there’s been so many successes and failures The good-natured sketch-comedy debuted that it probably just changes from minute two years ago and is co-written by and to minute. stars actor-musicians Fred Armisen, bestWe make little changes just so we’re not known for his stint on Saturday Night repeating ourselves and that’s kind of hard.

Live, and Carrie Brownstein, of the bands If we just sit back and go like, ‘This worked Sleater-Kinney and Wild Flag. The genial before, let’s just do this again,’ performers recently spoke it wouldn’t be as good. But we I THINK ONE THING THAT with the press about their just kind of make these little KEEPS THIS SHOW FROM gently quirky show, their walls, you know, like ‘Okay, BEING CYNICAL AND writing style and how they let’s try to jump over this one can good-naturedly laugh at MEAN-SPIRITED IS THAT and see what happens.’

WE’RE INSIDE THESE the indie music scenes that birthed their careers.

WORLDS. WE’RE NOT ON As far as style, what is broad THE OUTSIDE LOOKING satire and what draws the line How are the characters IN AND TARGETING away from being, say, too-cute “Fred” and “Carrie” PEOPLE. IT’S A WORLD “indy” so enough people will different from the real-life WE LOVE, BUT ALSO really get it?

Fred and Carrie?

ONE THAT THAT WE Brownstein: You know, I Carrie Brownstein: KNOW THE PARTS OF think that we actually try to They’re definitely more have space in the audience in THAT CAN SEEM KIND gullible, I hope, than me or that the more specific we get, OF RIDICULOUS OR Fred. Sometimes naiveté is the more nuanced we get. I PRECIOUS. okay as an attractive trait find it adds to the richness of –CARRIE BROWNSTEIN in a character, because if the the show, so that you have some characters are too smart, it’s people that are getting every just like that kind of wide-eyed openness reference and maybe some people that are and wonder. I think our characters not getting all of them -- and that’s okay. conduct that a little bit more than me and Because some sort of question whether the Fred, so it allows the audience to explore audience is going to get it and then write a situation along with us. Certainly there from that perspective, can be undermining are a lot of similarities, but I feel that way to the process. It kind of makes things too about a lot of characters. So interestingly broad. So we do try to get a little esoteric enough, I wouldn’t say that the character without being alienating and it seems like of Carrie is any more like me than some of it’s working. In terms of the specificity is the other characters. actually what’s kind of drawing people to the show and making it, it seems, making it What is the biggest challenge believable, because we can just really dive about portraying any of your into those roles. recurring characters?

Fred Armisen: Trying to do more things Do you think any topic can ever that are a little bit beyond the surface of be considered “too local” for the what we’ve been doing already. Not just international audience? repeating ourselves, but finding a new Brownstein: I think local is an angle, trying to make it seen fresh and new interesting concept because people are to ourselves. I would say that’s probably certainly interested and invested in the the biggest challenge with it. concept of local, but in practicality, we live in such a global economy and what is You both have a great sense of comedic local to Portland also, there’s a version of timing. Is there any certain formula for that in Brooklyn and a version of that in

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

P

PG 10 • January 2013 • insiteatlanta.com

Austin and a version of that in Amsterdam.

So when something is too local, that just means that somebody in another city that’s also kind of invested in that world is going to relate to it. So probably not, at this point. Although, I think if something is more specific to Portland, that gives the audience something to discover and something to check out or research.

How do you plan the story arcs for all of your characters?

Armisen: It’s kind of a very traditional thing. We have a writers’ room and a bulletin board and we have the big cards.

We really do sit there all day and just keep proposing things: ‘What if this happened, what if Nina wanted a wedding?’ ‘Okay, no, let’s change it to a birthday party.’

Then, we look at the whole board of the season and we’re like, ‘Okay, well, how can we have the characters of Fred and Carrie expand a little bit?’ ‘What can we do with the mayor?’ That is the part that is most work heavy, where we really do have to try to come up with a storyline that is interesting to other people -- and us. That’s the part where we just sit there all day saying, ‘You know, that’s not a bad idea’ or ‘That’s great.’ That’s how we do it.

What has changed from the first season to now - in terms of creating sketches and your overall work flow?

Brownstein: We definitely spend a lot more time writing, for sure. We spend a lot of more time being deliberate about endings and really making sure that there is a story. What we’ve learned from season to season is that the characters have to have a relationship within the setting.

We can’t just be a situation or a concept.

There has to be stakes. There has to be something that brings tension to the scene.

Those are all the basic tenets of good story or good writing, but I think sometimes when you’re doing a sketch and you can kind of forget that fully exists, so we really have worked on having arcs in place and endings in place and really building this infrastructure in which we can improvise, because the dialog is mostly

improvised. We’ve really worked on that scaffolding within the scenes and within the story, so that we know where to go as we improvise.

I think that that helps make the show richer and it’s becoming less and less like a sketch to me.

You both come from very distinct indie music communities and some of the situations involving underground music —or the hipster community in general— are always so on-point and very specific.

Brownstein: I think one thing that keeps this show from being cynical and mean-spirited is that we’re inside these worlds. We’re not on the outside looking in and targeting people. It’s a world we love, but also one that that we know the parts of that can seem kind of ridiculous or precious. But it’s only because we’re part of it. So yes, we know the ways those worlds can seem overly precious or obnoxious, but also we’re very fond of them.

How often are your characters based on one real person? In the new season, for example, the recording studio guy seems so familiar.

Armisen: I spent some time in Chicago and Chicago still has a lot of recording studios. Even though I don’t have a studio, I engage in conversations. And it’s always conversations about microphones. It’s like it always comes up; it’s some German microphone and how expensive it was and having to have it shipped. I remember one guy talking about how he had to dismantle one at customs at the airport. I think it’s a little bit like the equivalent of guys who are really into the cars maybe, in the ‘70s, something like muscle cars.

It’s like a version of that, the guys who talk about recording studios. I like those conversations, but I think for people who aren’t into studios, it must be the most inane conversation ever.

Season three of “Portlandia” premieres Friday, January 4th at 10 p.m. on the IFC network.

FILM

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WHERE THERE’S A WILL THERE’S A WAYANS

Marlon Wayans steps From His Brother’s Shadows for the Horror Spoof A Haunted House

BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

M

ARLON WAYANS IS STRETCHED out on the hotel room floor. He’s not hurting. He’s not trying to score cheap laughs by falling out. The dude is just tired as hell. Even the tongue on his combat boots looks exhausted. Non-stop interviews and TV appearances to promote his new horror movie parody A Haunted House can do that to you.

But hey, this is what the 40-year-old Marlon, the youngest of 10 in the famed Wayans clan, signed up for some 20 years back when he made his first In Living Color appearance. We’ll let him get back to his nap on the floor in a second, but Marlon’s got to answer a few questions about his career hits, misses and a rumored Richard Pryor role first.

How does it feel to have another project getting ready to share with the world?

It’s exciting. Every day I work hard to try and create stuff and you want it to be seen by the masses. It’s just a blessing to be able to do this every day and it’s always exciting.

I’m excited about this one. It is not as exciting if I thought it was trash. Then I’d be like, “Umm, you know, it’s cool.”

You know, I do really feel like this is one I want to share. I feel like I want people to go to the movie because I know they’re going to laugh, and then I want to see how they feel when they bring their friend to the movie and watch their friend, knowing that they are going to laugh, and knowing that they were somewhat responsible for that laugh.

Of course, we hope this movie does well. When projects don’t do as well as you’d like, what keeps you going? A lot of folks would be like, “To hell with this…”

What keeps a baseball player going when you strike out? The next at-bat. Every time you’re up to play, you just make sure you take in every pitch, and you assess, and you take your time with your swing. I speak about sports a lot because sports is an analogy that we can all use for life in general. But I’m not afraid to go back up to the plate just because you struck out or you got hit by a pitch. That happens. It’s the game. So, how do I make better decisions? In that little moment from the time the pitcher pitches the ball to the time it hits the plate, that little synapse, that little gap [you think] how do I make better decisions? We are constantly and consistently challenged with that, on an everyday basis. In this situation, how do I make the best decision? And that’s how you wind up doing better math and eventually you don’t make the same mistakes. You just get better.

You’ve made some good decisions.

Well, I’ve made some bad ones.

What would you say is your proudest accomplishment so far?

There’ve been so many, man. Being 19 and creating The Wayans Brothers was an accomplishment. I was 19-20 years old. Don’t Be a Menace… was an accomplishment. A huge

one. I was 22, writing, producing and staring in a movie. Scary Movie, the first one, all the success it had. Scary Movie 2, with the time crunch that we had, to be able to put together a movie that people still find fucking funny [was an accomplishment]. White Chicks was an accomplishment because we slept three hours for 60-something days and it was a lot of work, but we had fun and it was a success. Little Man, which was an impossible feat that we did. I was proud of that. There’s always something to be proud of. And this one, I’d probably say I’m most proud of myself because I did it and I did it by myself. I took everything that I learned and I applied it. I came in on budget. I had fun when I did it. I got to work with a great cast. We improvised. I put together the team, along with my producing partner Rick Alvarez and Mike Tiddes and Lisa Blum, who manages me. We’re all growing up. And I think with this one being my first one that I wrote, starred, and produced without one of my brothers, I think is a big step for baby boy, so I’m proud of me for that.

I’m proud to see my little logo, Baby Way Productions, before the movie. Little things like that. Who knows what it does in the box office? It’s either going to be like Janet Jackson’s Control album, or it’s going to be Dream Street. I hope it’s not Dream Street.

Me too. Now, you mentioned doing this one without your brothers. When it’s all said and done, what do you want the Wayans Brothers name to most represent?

Gut-wrenching, fearless, funny. Hopefully, we got people to laugh in a way—in a consistent way—that not any other brand was able to do.

I think that it’s fearless and it’s edgy, that’s with kid’s gloves, but at the same time, man, we hit that nerve. We hit that nerve in laughter that you go, “I haven’t laughed like this in a long time.” It makes me feel good when people talk about what my brothers accomplished with In Living Color and, how 25 years later, people still go, “That’s my favorite show.” The fact that people still come up to me 20 years later and go, “Don’t Be a Menace was a classic [feels good].” I want [fans] to one day put on our movies in a new age, somebody pulls out an old VCR and go, “Come here, let me show you something, boy. Look at this here. This is the Wayans Brothers. They did In Living Color. They did Scary Movie and A Haunted House. That’s comedy. They don’t do it like that no more.” That’s what I want.

I know you’ve been preparing for your chance to portray Richard Pryor. Is it ever going to happen?

I hope it happens. Hopefully this will do well and I can raise some money for it and make it happen. But it’s something I want to do and, if God allows it and everybody’s willing, it will happen. I started doing stand-up two and a half years ago. I am preparing for my moment. I’m not going to wait until I’m on set. No, I’m preparing.

I’ve read seven books on the man. I am preparing for my moment. Because when it is time, I’m going to lay the shit out.

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Winter Guide EVENTS

A King Celebration Concert

Atlanta Symphony Performance MLK Chapel Morehouse College Thursday, January 17 8:00pm atlantasymphony.org

Following this year’s 20th-anniversary A King Celebration at Atlanta Symphony Hall, Robert Spano and the Orchestra return to the MLK Chapel on the campus of Morehouse College, Thursday, January 17, at 8 pm. Guests to be announced.

Atlanta Jewish Film Festival

Hava Nagila (The Movie) Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

Opening Night: Wednesday Jan 30 7:30pm Festival: January 30 - February 20 ajff.org

HAVA NAGILA (THE MOVIE) will be featured as the Opening Night event on Wednesday, January 30, at The Cobb

Energy Performing Arts Centre. A preshow reception for sponsors and Red Carpet VIP ticket buyers will feature food tastings from celebrity chefs, as well as a silent auction of exclusive entertainment packages. The rest of the films will screen at theatres across the city.

Winter Beer Carnival Atlantic Station

Prophets and Royal Tailor. The Youth PreJam Party will include performances from Jason Castro, OBB and Capital Kings.

Ringling Bros. Circus

Philips Arena Feb. 13 - 18 Gwinnett Arena Feb 21 - Mar 3 ringling.com

winterbeercarnival.com Saturday, February 9

The fourth annual Winter Beer Carnival will transform Atlantic Station into a carnival themed celebration.

Sample more than 100 types of beers including traditional favorites, premium craft beers and an assortment of the best winter brews.

Winter Jam Philips Arena Sunday, February 10 philipsarena.com

The Winter Jam 2013 is headlined by multi-platinum recording artist Toby Mac. The 44-city tour will also feature RED, Matthew West, Jamie Grace, Sidewalk

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents Dragons that honors The Year of the Dragon. Circus performers will showcase their astounding acts of bravery and astonishing athleticism. The new show brings together mystic dragon lore with authentic circus feats. Dragons is a neverbefore-seen blend of renowned spiritual and real life legends.

Monster Jam Georgia Dome

Saturday, February 16 7:00PM monsterjamonline.com

Advance Auto Parts Monster Jam will bring the biggest line-up of monster trucks ever seen at the Georgia Dome. The twelve-feet-tall, ten-thousand-pound machines will bring fans to their feet, racing and ripping up a custom-designed track full of obstacles to soar over or smash through! This event has been rescheduled from its original date on January 12 to February 16 due to the Atlanta Falcons clinching home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Monster Energy Supercross brings their high-flying stunts to the Georgia Dome February 23, featuring the very best in motorcross entertainment and racing.

Atlanta Film Festival Several Atlanta Theatres March 15 - 24 atlantafilmfestival.com

The Atlanta Film Festival is a 10-day long event that celebrates the best in independent filmmaking. It is an Academy Award qualifying and international film festival that shows a diverse range of independent films, including genre films in horror and sci-fi. It runs at several locations around Atlanta including the Landmark Midtown Arts Cinema, the festival’s main site.

Publix Georgia Marathon

Centennial Olympic Park Sunday, March 17 georgiamarathon.com

The 2013 Publix Georgia Marathon & Half Marathon will host more than 16,000 runners and head through some of the most noteworthy and historic areas in greater Atlanta, including Piedmont Park, and the start and finish area in Centennial Olympic Park!

ATTRACTIONS

Snow Mountain

Stone Mountain Park Runs Thru February 18 stonemountainpark.com

High College Night

The High Museum of Art Saturday, February 23, 7:00PM high.org

Explore the paintings, passion, and politics of the art world’s most fiery duo, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera! Take a tour of this once-in-a-lifetime exhibition, then, like Frida, turn part of your body into a work of art with a body-paint artist. Work with artists from the Indie Craft Experience then watch choreographer Helen Hale interpret their iconic works through dance with help from Emory University dance students. Afterward, practice your moves during salsa and tango lessons or just groove to the sounds of DJs Santiago Paramo and Ree de la Vega.

MonsterEnergySupercross Georgia Dome Saturday, February 23 7:00PM supercrossonline.com

PG 12 • January 2013 • insiteatlanta.com

Atlanta's official winter wonderland is just minutes from downtown. Here you'll find a snow-packed mountainside and actionpacked excitement. Have a ball on five football fields of frosty joy, including 20 lanes of tubing. Zoom down the 400-foot hill all together in our family-sized tubes, or go it alone as a single rider. From snowman building to snowball shooting, tubing to togetherness, it’s a wintery joy.

Titanic: The Exhibition Atlantic Station titanicatlanta.com Ongoing

The Jewels of Titanic will bring together fifteen of the most prestigious artifacts recovered from the wreck site of Titanic in one of the most dazzling collections ever assembled. As part of a threecity tour, Jewels of Titanic, features diamonds, sapphires, pearls and gold jewelry that once belonged to some of Titanic’s wealthiest passengers.

FILM FILM

TRUMP Movie Reviews CARD AMOUR (PG-13) 

THE GUILT TRIP (PG-13) 

Amour is a horror movie— a grotesque tale Barbra Streisand completes the transition about the end of an elderly couple’s love from Yentl to yenta, playing the story. It’s gut-wrenching, sad, and drags on ultimate Jewish mother to Seth Rogen. longer than these two lives should have. It’s The sporadically amusing comedy is definitely a powerful tale about the realities strategically designed for trigenerational of being really old, but it’s difficult to leave appeal to viewers of Rogen’s age (30), your seat saying you “enjoyed it.” I’m already Streisand’s age (70) and Joyce Brewster’s age hearing the Oscar buzz for writer/director (50). Who? Joyce is the character Streisand Michael Haneke, and would be disappointed plays. With the help of Botox or whatever, with a win. But the bold candor that this she can pass for 50 visually, as long as you flick brings to the idea of what real love is forget that she’s been entertaining us as an (and what it’s probably going to become through adult forreading that long. no so reason aboutThere’s them for manyother By B.time) Loveis worthy of a nod of some sort. than vanity over for the script to be so years, but a lot of times somebody thatspecific you s one of AmericA’s –Jennifer most Smith Williams don’t aboutthink her of age.

She and Rogen, so highly turns out towho be a plays star. successful and high profile business- her underachieving son Andrew, work well You just don’t know what will happen with Donald trump was AWAY well known CIRQUEmen, DU SOLEIL: WORLDS (PG) pressure together.and They in each other’s lives, the meddle heat of battle. long before survivor producer mark Burnett  she moment-to-moment and he on a grand tapped him to star in the Apprentice. But scale. does When he learnshave she’s a celebrity to still do topining reallyfor For those who have seenshow Cirque du What there’s no denying that never the reality thethemselves great loveapart of herand life,show he that tries they’re to hook set Soleil’strump shows, Worlds Away iscuriosity a sampler them up by bringing her along on a crossturned from a cartoonish in it to win it? designed whet your appetite.

Likesignamost country road trip. Most of it follows such into a bonato fide phenomenon, with his can tell you from seasons 1 and 2 and Cirque productions, there’s a slender thread a ifamiliar ture catchphrase– “You’re fired!”– inextricaroute Apprentice, that a sweetpeople surprise near from the regular really of entering a plot about being drawn into the end bly the an popinnocent culture lexicon. stands outonce all the want to win. every in more, a whilemaking you’ll the aAlthough Cirque environment to be, like the viewer, whole trip seem worthwhile for incurable the Apprentice initially flouna quitter, but it doesn’t happen often. entertained andratings, amazed.

Visiting an old have dered a bit in the Burnett and trump like me.they do it is the level of iromantics think the reason school circus, young woman Linz) stumbled upon aawinning formula(Erica by recruit–Steve Warren intensity they feel for their charity.

Unlike is attracted to third-tier The Aerialist (Igor Zaripov) the regular Apprentice, where somebody ing second- and actors, athletes, models and musicians for a celebrity and follows him down a sort ofedition rabbit works A HAUNTED HOUSE for me for a pretty good salary for a ofhole. the show. now in its Searching forthird him incarnation, she goes from year,  with this one the money goes to charthe Apprentice tosses disparate onecelebrity Cirque show to another– seven in all– ity. Last year we raised millions of dollars. stars such asa rocker michaels, wrestler When it comes to the Wayans we’re watching little ofBret each and occasionally everybody has a charity that theyfamily, love; some Goldberg, baseball Darryl strawberry, torn.

For every piece of crap they’ve been interacting with legend performers.

The movie are foundations they’ve set up themselves former governor ron Blagojevich and it’s sharon responsible for (White Chicks, Little Man), may sell some Cirque tickets, but light years in advance of the show. so i think they osbourne for a variety teamthey’ve else it’sbrilliantly on the together entertainment and of amazement really fightdone more something intense because a charbuilding to (Inthey’re Livingfighting Color,for.

Scary Movie). Marlon factors.exercises Far too and darkchallenges (possiblydesigned partly due ity test their business mettle. to faulty projection), it’s more likely to cure Wayans’ first project without his brothers’ “the Donald, ” as the3Dcrazy-coiffed help leans more to the former. to The fratinsomnia.

While helps some,real cutting What are your favorite challenges watch estate magnate if often boycelebrities humor– tackle? fart spells and on-camera and close-ups make known, for a recently different,held less the court with reporters to discuss the show’s ghosts, oh rewarding experience than seeing the shows defecation Well, we do and have asex-crazed lot of different challengcurrent season. why?!– is we unacceptable.

Essence live. (I’ve seen four of those featured here.) es, whether go back to theCostars selling of the Atkins, Cedric Entertainer and basic Nick Without context, the acrobatic dancing, lemonade or doingthe something else very Can youoftell little the just selec-gets Swardson provide a few chuckles, but it’s much it us in athe air bit or about in water, without having to deal with Proctor & Gamtion process? all orshort-lived.

Marlon’s I’m-getting-themonotonous. ble Kodak, etc. sometimes [sponsor-based it’s very interesting, because so –Steve many Warren f*ck-outta-here mentality is refreshing, but challenges] are sort of interesting, but they’re celebrities want to be on the show after the there’s nowhere a small-budget expensive for us totodo.go. theIt’sratings suggest success of the previous two seasons. We DJANGO UNCHAINED (R) flickthe with a limited stuck.byAnd that fans’ favorite script. part of He’s the show wanted some athletes, some actors, some  theisscariest part is that too. far the boardroom, andyou the are, boardroom models and some wrestlers, so i would say has gotten longer over the years because of –DeMarco Williams probably or seven people QuentinsixTarantino’s fans per likespot meweknow that. the challenges still have plenty of time were down.and thecan’t hardest is thatby whatturning to expect be thing offended and we’re focused on both aspects, but we HITCHCOCK (PG-13) we really have some good people want it’s anything he throws their way, that whether have been trying to lengthen the boardroom  tomore go onuses very of badly. i guessthan maybe the But N-word in we’ll a box because of strong viewer requests. save for therap nextorshow, because itviolent looks As a lifelong fan of Alfred Hitchcock I have set them of gangsta outrageously like that’s goingHis to happen. the same withattorney Sacha inGervasi’s bloodbaths. latest film provides both You’re like aproblem prosecuting the (Anvil: The Do Story Anvil) about the in a spaghetti western view of mid-19th- boardroom. you of meter yourfilm approach to How is thisAmerican season going to be Bounty differenthunter than making of Psycho that I had with HBO’s century history. different personalities? past seasons? about the with making of The Birds: (“Like slavery, it’s a flesh-for-cash business”) The Yes,Girl, i think you deal different people Well,King whenSchultz you have a success like we’vefrees I want to see how the movies were made, Dr. (Christoph Waltz) differently. i deal with Goldberg differently had, like to do too manyinchanges. not TMZ gossipGovernor about Hitch’s private the you slavedon’t Django (Jamie Foxx) return for than i deal with Blagojevich. i life.

What we doWhen have isDjango a different tone.adept the cast We all know he was obsessed with rivers blondes, his help. proves with dealt with Dennis rodman and Joan has been very interesting: beenon very but a miscast looks/acts firearms he could neverthey’ve have been the differently thanScarlett some ofJohansson the other contestough nasty, but alsopartners, a lot of more You like have Marilyn Monroe than Janet Leigh. right and endvery of before, theythere’s become tants. to have that ability. fun humor goal with respect to what butand Django’s has always beenhappens, to free A prosthetic-laden Anthony Hopkins is which i don’t think we had in the last enslaved one. quitedogood, looking between his wife (Kerry Washington). She’s How you feel goingabout back halfway in the boardWith Joan [rivers] and with Piers [morgan], Hitchcock himself. on Leonardo DiCaprio’s plantation, where room after aand little hiatus?The best casting is it was really nasty people really hating each just getD’Arcy a greataskick out of Perkins, it. i reallybut like Anthony the Samuel L. Jackson keeps the household ofi James other. these people hate each other, but it’s a lot. want renew ittofora another of they Psycho is to relegated handful of help in line. Once they reach the plantation itstar also funny. i think that might be the biggest or three seasons, and we’re thinking The scenes in this look behind the curtains. the overlong movie slows down – some two differentiation in terms of the three casts. that. i in like having a little recognition bit of a breakto film scores giving overdue would say bogs down – apparently to pad about between shows,Alma whereReville it goes(Helen on onceMirren), a year.

Hitch’s wife, DiCaprio’s part,tell until alloff hell loose Can you usually right thebreaks bat who is as the power behind his throne.

But it’s in the climax.

Tarantino still manages to going to do well and who isn’t?

Do you interested ever feel badinabout firing someone, more her private life– a surprise, and we can’t be shocked by his selfthat’s always the most interesting quesor is it just part of the job? indulgence at thisi’d point. ownofcameo tion to me because like toHis think myself is platonic friendship with writer Whitfield i always feel bad… no, not always. someworst performance theoften movie, asthe being okay with people.inBut i’ll but say,he Cook that makes Hitch suspicious/jealous, times ithough don’t likeAlma people. the hard are even tolerates hisones “fantasy self-deprecatingly stages his own demise to “this one is going to be a star,” and then he when you really like and respect somebody romances with (his) leading ladies.” The bringout cheers audience. turns to befrom a dud.theYou never really know. make killer a mistake. stufftheyabout Ed Like, Gein,as an onex-whom –Steve Warren and You feel like you’ve known these celebrities

The Donald Waxes Rhapsodic On The Celebrity Apprentice, “You’re Fired!” & Fixing NBC

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DJANGO UNCHAINED “Tarantino still manages to surprise, and we can’t be shocked by his self-indulgence at this point. His own cameo is the worst performance in the movie, but he self-deprecatingly stages his own demise to bring cheers from the audience.”

Our review:  Norman Bates was based, is mostly silly, Franklin Delano Roosevelt seem even but Danny Elfman has composed a terrific more modest and trivial. It’s told from Herrmann-pastiche score. Like The Girl, the standpoint of Daisy (Laura Linney), a Hitchcock is half a good movie, half a distant cousin who becomes one of FDR’s turned out to Be a good phrase, But It wasshe’sa not mistresses and is shocked to learn wastedItopportunity.

FLuke. durIng the very FIrst show I was a LIttLe –Steve Warren the only one. At least she gives us a frontrow contestants seat for the visit to FDR’s York exasperated wIth one oF the and New I used THE the HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED estate of England’s KingMark George VI LIne, “you’re FIred!”country when [producer] JOURNEY (PG-13) and Queen Elizabeth (Olivia Burnett and I agreed to do(Samuel the West) show we dIdn’t have  Coleman) for unofficial negotiations to that. we thought we’d secure say, “get the heLL America’s support in out the coming I’ve read dozens of reviewsoF slamming Peteror war. here” soMethIng. This is the secondary storyline, but a Jackson’s return to Middle Earth as “a long far more interesting one. I kept wondering slog,” “repetitive” and from “pointless. ” But my who’s fact that you raised self-sufficient ample, scott Hamilton, the last season. looking after such Daisy’s infirm aunt, is let that, if the beenfanreleased children? iguess had to scott go.film i’mhad a great of scott:in for whom she’s been a full-time caregiver, proper (i.e.gold BEFORE the once Well, getting a lot of around credit onthe thePrez’ chilHe won order olympic medalsThe andLord he’s aofgreat shei’mstarts hanging Rings trilogy), it understood would instead dren. everybody’s been asking about ivanka champion.

But he that be he viewed made pad, with a status somewhere between and the answer is yes, she’ll back onseems the aasmistake on the showbeginning and i reallyofhad the imaginative annoepic servant and family.

Bill be Murray show. But they’re very good kids. they went choice. felt very badly about that, because journeyi into an otherworldly realm unlike about 75% committed to his portrayal of to very good schools, and they were great ianything considered himseen to beon a great but i ever film.person, Yes, Jackson FDR, but the twinkle in his eye is more Bill have what’s right.expanded it’s never fun, but it’s students. i couldn’t wait to get them on the and to hisdoco-writers on author than Franklin. It’s a stretch for the Golden show. i had no idea the show would be into easier i don’tintroductory like somebody or when J.R.R. when Tolkien’s tome about Globes to consider this a comedy to give they’re really bad.Baggins (a perfectly itsninth and tenth season, which is pretty how thereally, hobbit Bilbo him a nomination, but he can’t compete in amazing in the world of television. cast Martin Freeman) embarked upon an the big leagues.

That line, “You’re fired,”and became extraordinary venture founda pop the culOne –Steve Warren ture Ring phenomenon. to rule themCan all. you But,talk as aabout fan ofthethe There’s been lots of news surrounding NBC origin it? read them at least a dozen lately, and your show does well for them. novels ofwho’s (PG-13) WhatIMPOSSIBLE you think NBC needs to do to get back it turned out toit be a good phrase, but itthis THE times, I found refreshing to inhabit  in the ratings game? was a fluke. the very first show i was world at a During more leisurely pace, building Well, i knowisJeff Gaspinword (chairman of nBc adynamic little exasperated withthe onecourse of theofcona fancy for handjob. tension over the film Manipulation Universal television entertainment) and, as testants and i used the line, “You’re fired!” to a dynamic climax that perfectly sets up When it’s done well, you appreciate the you know, he’s new to the role. i think he’s When [producer] mark Burnett and i agreed the sequel. I chose not to see the film in release it gives. When it’s done badly, it just going you to dofeeling a spectacular job Based at nBc. to thetoshow we didn’t haveEarth that. has We never leaves depressed. onthey a true 3D,dobut my eyes Middle need more shows like the Apprentice. not thought “Get thethe hell“riddles” out of here” or story, The Impossible begins on Christmas seemed we’d moresay, real, and scene necessarily from a reality standpoint, but something.

And all of a sudden America went between Bilbo and Gollum (Andy Serkis, Day 2004 with the Bennetts– Maria (Naomi they need shows(Ewan that capture the imaginacrazy over the show.extraordinary it happens to be a great Henry McGregor) and their providing another turn) was Watts), tion. catchphrase. tV Guide or one of the major one of the best scenes from any movie this three sons– snorkeling on vacation in frankly, certain shows that are on should entertainment magazines did a poll and, after Suddenly we hear ominous music year. Consider me eagerly awaiting the next Thailand. be changed because, while they get some “Here’s Johnny!” and one other great, it was suggesting an impending shark attack, but chapter! pretty good reviews, they don’t get people #3 on the top 100 phrases in television his–Bret Love nothing happens. This cheesy false alarm tory! so that was a pretty big honor. it’s been watching. it’s nice to get both. We’ve had me less receptive to everything that an amazing thing and an amazing phrase that made emmy nominations and a lot of good acHYDE PARK ON HUDSON (R) follows.

The next day and a tsunami strikes, just seems to work. it really caught on, and colades passed our way, that’s always  killing thousands, turning thousands more it’s been an amazing thing to watch. nice. But ultimately you have to have people into refugees and splitting the Bennetts watch. nBc is going to really do well. i know Coming out in the same season as Lincoln into groups.and Maria soon reunites with What you think is your footnote biggest accomtheirtwo leadership i think they’re winners, makesdo this historical about their oldest son, Lucas (an impressive Tom plishment, your business success or the so i think they’ll turn it around. insiteatlanta.com • January 2013 • PG 13

Holland), while Henry and the younger boys manage to stay together. Amid the chaos, Maria winds up in a hospital and Henry searches frantically for her. It’s hard to over-dramatize a situation like this, but they manage. Except for some spectacular visual effects, The Impossible would look right at home on Turner Classic Movies, amid the tearjerkers of Joan Crawford and her ilk.

–Steve Warren

JACK REACHER (PG-13) 

Tom Cruise is a confident lil’ fella. Not many established actors would’ve taken on the title role. In the trailers, Reacher is painted as this shadowy vigilante who snatches baddies in their sleep. After watching Jack in action, he’s more good than bad. But there’s only one bad guy (Joseph Sikora) he’s ever been after, because of a tragic run-in they had in their military days. After a Pittsburgh shooting leaves five innocent people dead, all evidence points to the former sniper. When an attorney (Rosamund Pike) calls on Reacher to help look into the guy’s psyche, things don’t add up. Smoking rifles appear near politicians (Richard Jenkins), cops (David Oyelowo) and underworld bosses (Werner Herzog).

So, the movie you thought would be like Bourne Identity proves to be an oddly paced whodunit you don’t really care to solve. But Cruise remains charismatic as hell. They say that and a lil’ confidence will get you places in Hollywood. In this case, it’s merely the “Average Action Movie” queue on Netflix.

–DeMarco Williams

LES MISERABLES (PG-13) 

During the French Revolution, Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) spent 29 years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread. Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe) is his nemesis, driven by conviction that the law is just. He pursues Valjean over the years as the parolee takes in the daughter of Fantine (Anne Hathaway), attempting to raise the girl (Amanda Seyfried) in a life that doesn’t resemble his own. When rebellion breaks out, Valjean must give up the one he loves so that she might have a future while he faces the consequences of his past. In the hands of director Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech), the long-running Broadway musical translates well onto the big screen, but the pacing is much slower than your typical blockbuster and the dialogue is almost entirely sung. It’s well cast overall, but Russell Crowe falls short, unable to provide the gravitas to which we’re accustomed while singing. Hathaway, on the other hand, is incredible as the single mother forced to turn to prostitution in order to support her daughter. Unfortunately, the songs were not set in the actors’ vocal ranges, so we have Jackman and Crowe desperately trying to reach notes that they should not. But it’s beautiful to look at, the emotion is palpable and the storytelling is almost excellent. Not a film for the average moviegoer, but fans of the musical will find enough here to appreciate it.

–Justin Patterson

ON THE ROAD (R) 

In a road movie, it’s not the destination that matters but the journey. Not much of interest happens in On the Road, Brazilian director Walter Salles’ (The Motorcycle Diaries) film of Jack Kerouac’s classic novel.

Oh, there’s plenty of sex, drugs and jazz (rock ‘n’ roll hadn’t been invented yet), but the best part of the movie is the road itself.

The location scout deserves an award for PG 14 • January 2013 • insiteatlanta.com

finding places in three states and three other countries that hadn’t changed in 60 years.

Sam Riley plays the Kerouac character, Sal Paradise, a naïve wannabe writer in New York. He meets Dean Moriarty (Garrett Hedlund), who’s based on Neal Cassady, and they travel around the country and down to Mexico, both separately and together. Dean has two wives, Marylou (Kristen Stewart) and Camille (Kirsten Dunst); technically one at a time, but he’ll sleep with whoever’s closer. They all drift aimlessly, smoking weed and sometimes shooting heroin.

These prototypical Easy Riders aren’t trying to change society, just live the way they want on the fringes of it. As odd as they seemed back then, they blend right in today.

–Steve Warren

PARENTAL GUIDANCE (PG) 

Diane Decker is described as “a tornado with lipstick,” but as played by Bette Midler she could hardly blow out the candles on a birthday cake. The one-time Belle of the Bawd has been Disneyfied almost beyond recognition for a family comedy that never heard a pee, poop or fart joke it didn’t like.

Diane gets a call from her daughter (Marisa Tomei), asking if she and Granddad (Billy Crystal) can watch the kids while she goes out of town with her husband (Tom Everett Scott). It means flying from Fresno to Atlanta, but it’s a chance to get to know their grandkids, so what the heck? The kids– 5, 8 and 12– all have problems, from being obsessed with an imaginary kangaroo friend to being bullied for a speech impediment to being forced to practice the violin; and the grandparents make them all worse before they make them all better. Parental Guidance contrasts old parenting styles with new ones, finding fault with both; but there’s no consistency. The boys play noncompetitive baseball where everyone’s a winner, but the girl is forced to compete to get into a performing arts school. Both are seen as wrong. If you’re into body-function humor you may enjoy this one, but I didn’t think it was even fair-to-Midler. ** –Steve Warren

PROMISED LAND (R) 

Do yourself a favor and watch the excellent documentary GasLand before seeing this film (written by John Krasinski and Matt Damon) about two natural gas company salespeople (Damon and Frances McDormand) who descend on a rural town, seeking to exploit its natural resources. Hit hard by the recession, the locals seem likely to cash in, until a teacher with a science background (Hal Holbrook) explains the extraction process known as hydraulic fracturing, which poisons the ground water with chemicals in an effort to reach the gas.

It doesn’t help matters when an outspoken environmentalist (Krasinski) shows up with an emotional story about how his family’s farm was devastated by fracking. Gus VanSant, who took over directorial duties after Damon had a scheduling conflict, does a good job of showing both sides of the often intensely emotional debate. But the script seems unwilling to take a solid stance on who’s right and who’s wrong; to show the terrible effects fracking has on the land, and the people and animals who live off of it; or to define Damon’s Steve Butler as anything more than a good guy trying to do his job the best he can. The result is a film, and a lead character, without a strong sense of purpose. Which is a shame, because Promised Land should’ve been this generation’s Erin Brockovich.

–Bret Love

THE HOBBIT “To my eyes Middle Earth has never seemed more real, and the ‘riddles’ scene between Bilbo and Gollum (Andy Serkis, providing another extraordinary turn) was one of the best scenes from any movie this year. Consider me eagerly awaiting the next chapter!”

Our review: 

QUARTET (PG-13) 

No one understands better than an aging performer that the need to perform never dies. So Dustin Hoffman, at 75, makes his directing debut guiding a group of his contemporaries in a comedy about the residents of Beecham House, a home for retired musicians in England. There’s music in the air almost all the time, much of it from classic recordings, but some from people obviously past their prime. The residents are preparing for their annual gala under the direction of martinet Michael Gambon when a new arrival rocks the house: Maggie Smith, a down-at-heels diva who was once the greatest soprano of them all. The story is of her difficult settling-in while being wooed to perform the Quartet from Rigoletto at the gala with her old singing partners: ditzy Pauline Collins, flirtatious Billy Connolly and her ex-husband, Tom Courtenay, who has never forgiven her infidelity. There are serious moments, but overall it’s surprisingly light. Because the stars are actors, not singers, they’re spared the humiliation of lip-syncing and the grand finale is performed off-screen by a superstar quartet. The closing credits reveal that some of the people you’ve been watching have had distinguished careers in music or theatre. Though perfectly entertaining, Quartet would be more impressive if it weren’t following on the heels of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

–Steve Warren

RUST & BONE (R) 

This story follows a young whale trainer forced into early retirement when one of her orcas chomps off her legs. Simultaneously, a single father who’s looking to start over can’t quite seem to get his life together.

Together the two find solace, friendship and a taste of a different kind of happiness that

they hadn’t thought possible before. The film is pretty good for the most part: The characters are pretty flat, but show potential for inspiration at certain points. There’s nothing too powerful on an emotional until the very end, which of course I won’t spoil.

Marion Cotillard has done much better, but the film is worth seeing for a new storyline.

Still, it’s not one of those change-your-life flicks… it’s hard to earn that reputation when the climax’s soundtrack is a Katy Perry song.

–Jennifer Smith Williams

THIS IS 40 (R) 

Judd Apatow has had such an impact on Hollywood comedy as a producer in the last few years it’s hard to believe This Is 40 is only the fourth feature he’s directed, and besides those he’s only written or cowritten four others. This time it’s personal, and partly autobiographical, with his wife Leslie Mann and their daughters, Maude and Iris, playing the wife and daughters of Pete (Paul Rudd, parts of whose own life are also woven into the script). It’s one of those movies that belong in a time capsule, to show future generations what it was like to turn 40 in 2012. The family problems, the economic difficulties, the looming midlife crises – all position the picture somewhere between relatable and “Is this a documentary?” Whatever. It’s certainly the funniest movie of the season, with plenty of that raunchy Apatow humor. Debbie (Mann, whose performance is excellent) was Katherine Heigl’s sister in Knocked Up, which is why this is advertised as a “sortof sequel.” The girls were in that too, and several other members of Apatow’s virtual repertory company (and some who should be) pop up here in supporting roles, as does Megan Fox because… well, who needs an excuse?

–Steve Warren

FILM

THE BEST MOVIES OF 2012

BY BRET LOVE

T

HIS WAS A GREAT YEAR FOR filmmakers but, as usual, the studios trotted out all of their best movies at the same time, virtually guaranteeing that no normal film lover would have a chance to see them all. As such, we weren’t able to screen some of the year’s most eagerly anticipated films (including Zero Dark Thirty, Django Unchained and Amour) before our press deadline.

Personally, I wasn’t as enthralled by Lincoln as many of my peers were, despite stellar turns from Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones. Spielberg’s direction– usually razor-sharp and free of fat– seemed particularly ponderous. But then again, I loved both The Hobbit and The Sessions, so don’t be surprised if my critic’s cred card is revoked in 2013. Regardless, here are my Top 10 Films of the year…

LIFE OF PI

I’m not sure director Ang Lee’s adaptation of Yann Martel’s supposedly unfilmable novel will make you believe in God, as the ads suggest. But the thought-provoking twist ending will definitely leave you analyzing and debating it for hours. Innovative, emotional and at times otherworldy, it earns my vote for the year’s best film.

ARGO

Ben Affleck’s career turnaround is complete with this nail-biter of a political thriller, which tells the true story of a covert CIA op to rescue 6 Americans who managed to escape the U.S. embassy in Iran during the hostage crisis of 1979. Expect it to be a major contender come Oscar time.

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

A revelatory performance from Bradley Cooper as a former teacher struggling with bipolar disorder anchors this incredibly moving film from director David O. Russell. But Robert de Niro (as his obsessive-compulsive dad) and Jennifer Lawrence (as a widow dealing with her own emotional issues) merit Oscar consideration as well.

BULLY

You don’t see a lot of films that earn the title “important,” but Lee Hirsch’s documentary tracking a range of bullied kids seems absolutely crucial in post-Colombine America. If parents, teachers, principals and law enforcement agencies won’t take action when more and more tweens and teens are killing themselves because they can’t take it anymore, then we as a society MUST.

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY

Despite what some critics have said, the biggest crime Peter Jackson’s latest film commits is not being filmed in proper order before the LOTR trilogy. The cinematography is stunning, his storytelling skills remain superb, and the action set pieces are as sharp

as a tack. Tolkien’s Middle Earth has never looked or felt more real.

THE SESSIONS

Writer/director Ben Lewin handles a touchy topic– sex with the disabled– in a way that shines a light on the awkwardness of human sexuality in general. The film deftly balances comedy and drama, sex and friendship, love and tragedy, with awardworthy performances from John Hawkes, Helen Hunt and William H Macy.

MOONRISE KINGDOM

Wes Anderson’s followup to The Fabulous Mr. Fox was equally inventive, telling the adorably quirky story of two 12-year-olds who fall in love and run away during summer camp on an island off the coast of New England in 1965. Great performances

by Bill Murray, Edward Norton and Bruce Willis are overshadowed by young newcomers Jared Gilman and Kara Howard as the leads.

THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES

I’m not sure many Hollywood screenwriters could’ve crafted more compelling characters than Jackie and David Siegel, the Westgate Resorts owners at the center of Lauren Greenfield’s documentary. Their fall (and folly) is a great cautionary tale about excessive consumption and the fleeting nature of wealth amidst the endless economic recession.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

There was no way the finale of Christopher Nolan’s trilogy could top The Dark Knight, or that Tom Hardy’s Bane could top Heath Ledger’s Joker. But this was an exceptionally well-crafted film, easily among the best superhero movies ever made, with a grimly gothic intensity and a killer climax that sets that stage for the next generation of Batman movies.

END OF WATCH- By

putting cameras in the hands of South Central police officers (Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña) and the gang members who want them dead, writer/director David Ayer lends his gritty crime thriller an air of realism that makes all of the characters seem more relatable. It’s arguably the best cop drama I’ve seen since Training Day (which Ayer also wrote).

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Beasts of the Southern Wild, Marley, Skyfall, The Master, Ai Wei Wei: Never Sorry, Les Misérables, Jiro Dreams of Sushi

THE BEST MOVIES OF 2012: A Second Opinion

BY STEVE WARREN

As a fan of The Hurt Locker I feel strange closing out my list for the year without having seen Zero Dark Thirty, a top contender which would likely have ranked high in my Top Ten. However I’m also a Spielberg fan and I hated Lincoln, except for Best Actor Daniel DayLewis, the year’s surest Oscar bet. I also disliked The Master, except for Joaquin Phoenix, the year’s second-best actor; so I’m not exactly in lockstep with a lot of my colleagues.

Here’s what I liked of what I saw:

LIFE OF PI

Ang Lee is one of the most versatile directors working today, and he excels in almost every genre he attempts. This visually superb adventure of an Indian youth shipwrecked with a (mostly CG) tiger combines visceral excitement with spiritual nourishment. I was enchanted from the get go.

THE HUNGER GAMES

Director Gary Ross also exceeded expectations while starting a new franchise based on Suzanne Collins’ teen novels.

Jennifer Lawrence (this year’s Best Actress for Silver Linings Playbook) is a perfect Katniss Everdeen, defending herself and her district in gladiatorial combat. She makes the bow and arrow sexy while providing a firm emotional base so you don’t realize you’re not seeing much of the violence the story’s about.

THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

Secondary education gets a first class treatment unequalled since John Hughes’ heyday as Stephen Chbosky brings his novel to the screen, with new kid Logan Lerman joining siblings Emma Watson and Ezra Miller’s merry band of outcasts.

LOOPER

Rian Johnson’s loopy sci-fi thriller develops its absurd (in a good way) time travel plot with enough intelligence that its pleasures are hardly guilty ones. The makeup that transforms Joseph Gordon-Levitt into a 30-years-younger version of the Bruce Willis he travels to the future to kill is extraordinary.

HEADHUNTERS

While I have eclectic tastes (in case you can’t tell from this list), I’m a sucker for a good film noir, and this Danish entry is one of the best in years. It’s about an art thief who steals from his wife’s lover, then can’t tell why the man is trying to kill him.

A SEPARATION

Iran should give up on nukes and stick to making movies. They do it so well.

This drama, about a couple divorcing because the wife wants to move abroad and the husband won’t leave his old father, already won the Foreign-Language Oscar, but didn’t open in U.S. theaters until this year.

ARGO

Another two-fer: one of the year’s most suspenseful films and one of the best Hollywood satires in years, the latter thanks to Best Supporting Actor Alan Arkin and his trusty sidekick, John Goodman. Ben Affleck becomes an A-list director while also starring in the “truthy” story as the leader of a CIA attempt to rescue American hostages from Iran while disguised as a Canadian film crew.

THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL

The AARP movie of the year is fun for all ages, as a passel of England’s (and thus the world’s) best actors retire to India for various reasons and stay in Dev Patel’s overhyped accommodations while sorting out their lives.

You can’t go wrong with Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton et al; but who thought they would go so right!

TED

I enjoy a good dirty joke as much as any middleschooler, and Seth McFarlane’s comedy is one good one after another. Despite the similarity of the concept to the Wilfred TV series (another personal favorite), this story of Mark Wahlberg and his best friend, a teddy bear that came to life and interferes with his relationships, is fresh, funny and filthy.

SKYFALL

Best. Bond. Ever? Quite possibly. The world has changed too much in 50 years to make a direct comparison with the early efforts, but Skyfall is even better than Casino Royale, Daniel Craig’s debut as 007. Judi Dench’s M and Javier Bardem’s villainous Silva are meaty supporting roles. Hiring Sam Mendes to direct seemed like overkill but turns out to be just enough kill.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Beasts of the Southern Wild, Bernie, Declaration of War, Friends with Kids, Hope Springs, Les Misérables, Premium Rush, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Silver Linings Playbook and 21 Jump Street. insiteatlanta.com • January 2013 • PG 15

2012:

MUSIC

Music Year In Review

BRET LOVE’S TOP 10 ALBUMS

BY GEORGIA ARTISTS BARONESS Yellow and Green (Relapse)

Calling Baroness a metal band doesn’t do their richly textured sound justice. Like Mastodon, the quartet blends hard rock riffage, prog-like experimentation, atmospheric instrumental passages and jackhammer-to-the-skull drumming to create a sound all their own. This album– 18 tracks full of sprawling ambition– is their best work to date, cementing Baroness as one of the world’s most intriguing rock bands.

KILLER MIKE R.A.P. Music

(Williams Street)

Killer Mike’s surprising collaboration with Definitive Jux honcho El-P comes off like a 2012 version of Chuck D and the Bomb Squad, bring sociopolitical rap back with one helluva bang. Slamming cuts like “JoJo’s Chillin” and “Anywhere But Here” establish Mike as a modern-day hood griot, but the incisive history lesson of “Reagan” seals R.A.P. Music’s fate as one of the top albums of the year of ANY genre.

KAKI KING Glow

(Velour Recordings)

The Georgia-born guitar goddess best known for her award-winning work on the soundtrack to Into The Wild suffered an “existential crisis” after Junior, and came away with a newfound respect for the importance of following your muse wherever it leads. Nixing vocals in favor of the compelling instrumentals with which she made her name, she delivered a stunning return to form.

PONDEROSA Pool Party

(New West)

Ponderosa’s second LP is a wellspring of sonic experimentation, and every one of its 10 songs offers a slightly different vibe. From the otherworldly opening of “Here I Am Born” and the fists-in-the-air sing-along chorus of “Navajo” to the darkly intimate closer, “Cold Hearted Man,” it was arguably among the year’s trippiest albums, portending even more epic works to come.

GRIPP Head In The Clouds

(glassEyeballs)

Marshall “Gripp” Gillson produces, engineers and releases all his own material, and his fourth solo LP offers up an accessible nerdcore sound that should appeal to any fan of conscious hip-hop. Too many backpacker MCs craft incredible rhymes over crap production, and the hip-hop mainstream is glutted with killer hooks and meaningless lyrics. Gripp is the rare artist who can handle both with equal aplomb.

ROYAL THUNDER CVI

(Relapse)

Royal Thunder’s Miny Parsonz is an incredible discovery: She’s like Robert Plant and Janis Joplin had a daughter who PG 16 • January 2013 • insiteatlanta.com

grew up listening to Black Sabbath and The Plasmatics. The band’s full-length debut is blues-inflected Southern swamp metal with a decidedly pointed edge, featuring Parsonz’s banshee-like screams and wails over sludgy guitar riffs. Parsonz is the star, not to mention a melodic force of nature.

GENTLEMAN JESSE Leaving Atlanta (Douchemaster)

Let’s hope the title’s not foreshadowing things to come, as Smith remains one of the local rock scene’s finest tunesmiths.

Leaving Atlanta feels sharper and smarter than its predecessor, deeply rooted in the sounds of Smith’s American idols (including Bobby Fuller, Credence Clearwater Revival and Bruce Springsteen). In the right producer’s hands, Smith could be a star far beyond the Peach State’s borders.

THE KENNEY-BLACKMON STRING BAND The Singing Tree (Cowboy Angel Music)

Straddling the musical line somewhere between Bill Monroe and Fairport Convention, these Athensbased upstarts traffic in an intriguing blend of bluegrass music and British folk with surface similarities to the music Mumford & Sons made mainstream, but better. Playing this stuff with genuine authenticity takes a lot of talent, but the band’s debut seems like a harbinger of great things to come.

AMY RAY Lung of Love

(Daemon)

While the edge of this Indigo Girl’s songwriting may not be quite as jagged and piercing at the age of 48 as it was at 23, maturity has brought with it a more expansive artistic palette, and a deeper shade of soul.

Check out the bluegrass-influenced gospel of “The Rock Is My Foundation”: Touching on familiar topics– sin, salvation, religion, etc.– it’s my favorite thing Ray’s written in years.

THE WHIGS Enjoy the Company (New West)

Working with a new label and a new producer (John Agnello of Drive-By Truckers/ The Hold Steady fame), these Athens boys cranked out their best album to date. A raw and raucous tribute to classic rock ‘n’ roll, the record has the audacity to draw a line in the sand with an epic 8-minute opener, “Staying Alive.” As organic as it is dynamic, the rest

Our Critics Rank the Best Albums

of the album will make you glad The Whigs keep on trucking.

DEMARCO WILLIAMS’ TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2012 NAS Life Is Good (Def Jam)

Any time you pair Salaam Remi and No I.D.’s production with Nas’ insatiable pen the chances for greatness are high. Thankfully, the rap icon’s 10th album easily rises to expectations. In fact, when you consider soaring moments like “The Don,” “Daughters” and “Cherry Wine,” Life Is Good has an outside shot at becoming the Queens King’s career milestone.

KENDRICK LAMAR Good Kid, m.A.A.d city (Aftermath)

While it’s still too early to put this freshman effort on the same shelf as timeless rap debuts like Biggie’s Ready To Die or 50’s Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, the Cali rapper could get there one day because tracks off the seamless, cinematic effort like “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe” and “The Recipe” are going to blast for the next 10 years.

KILLER MIKE R.A.P. Music (Williams Street)

Mike’s roaring commentary (“Reagan” is a stunning exposé on our 40th prez’s questionable ways) would have come off preachy had it not been packaged with Brooklyn beatsmith El-P’s old-school percussions (“Ghetto Gospel”) and synths (“Willie Burke Sherwood”).

AB-SOUL Control System

(TopDawg Entertainment)

Though his Black Hippy comrade Kendrick Lamar got all the headlines this year, this Carson, CA, native quietly dropped a gem full of intelligent prose (“Track Two”), smart snares (“Terrorist Threat”) and a sharp collab with Mr. Lamar himself (“Illuminate”).

THE GAME California Republic/Jesus Piece (DGC/Interscope)

This might be cheating a bit, but this placement is more a salute to Game’s full body of work in ’12. Had the Compton MC added more of Republic’s spunk (“Greystone”) to the official release’s spark (“Ali Bomaye”), he would have found his name even higher.

LIANNE LA HAVAS Is Your Love Big Enough (Nonesuch)

Lianne’s marketing team needs to get its act together. Beautiful to the eye and the ear —think Joss Stone meets Jill Scott— this London lass’ pitch-perfect debut should be getting all the camera time that Adele isn’t.

But she isn’t. Shame too.

ROC MARCIANO Reloaded (RCA)

A polarizing hip-hop figure to say the least, Roc’s style of seemingly hitting the studio and rhyming any imaginable words together (on “We Ill,” he boasts, “high fashion/ climaxin’ on satin/the outside of the tilapia was blackened”) over laid-back ‘70s riffs obviously ain’t for everybody. But for others, it’s the best thing since Raekwon circa 1995.

FRANK OCEAN

Channel Orange (Def Jam)

One of the year’s most celebrated projects, the diary-opening Orange is just as good as you’ve heard. We just wish there were a few more standout singles (“Pyramids” notwithstanding) to give the heartfelt project some legs for the long haul.

APOLLO BROWN & O.C. Trophies (Mello Music Group)

Most rap vets who attempt to reclaim their 90s thunder sound like out-of-touch fogies in the booth. But when Brooklyn’s O.C. teamed with soul-stirring Detroit producer Apollo Brown, the results were vintage NYC heat that felt just right for the times.

T.I. Trouble Man: Heavy Is The Head (Atlantic)

With jail stints and just-okay albums over the past five years, T.I.P. needed a record that would jar folks’ memory about his old, street poet ways. Lines about Lambos aside, he somehow manages to do that consistently with this polished effort.

JOHN MOORE’S TOP 10 ALBUMS FUN. Some Nights (Fueled By Ramen)

Yes, you trendy, self-righteous ass, I do really like the new fun. record. These are great pop songs that admittedly got more than a bit overplayed on radio and TV, but aew still a fantastic reminder that ELO and Queen records managed to get passed down to yet another generation. Studio tricks aside, these songs are probably still best classified as indie-pop, with frontman Nate Reuss coming off as a modern day Harry Nillson, revealing surprisingly personal experiences in his lyrics over phenomenally catchy music.

TODD SNIDER Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables (Aimless)

The cash grab on Wall Street that ravaged the economy and led to the Occupy Movement provided irresistible fodder for Todd Snider’s latest. Not every song is as blatantly inspired by the crash as “New York Banker” or “In Between Jobs,” but the whatthe-fuck-is-happening-to-the-world? vibe is threaded throughout the record. That’s not to say the album is a bummer, not at all. As with just about every release Snider blows a pot-smoked kiss to before sending it out into the world, he mixes plenty of wry humor with his commentary.

LUCERO Women & Work (ATO)

Like pairing some old worn-in cowboy boots with a faded Clash t-shirt, the country punk sound of Lucero’s eighth album just comes across as naturally comfortable.

Women & Work finds the Memphis band at complete ease with their mix of 70’s Outlaw country and plenty of punk rock attitude and swagger, making it easily the most consistently solid release in their already enviable cannon of music.

JOE STRUMMER & THE MESCALEROS The Hellcat Years (Hellcat)

The good-hearted punks at Hellcat celebrated what would’ve been Strummer’s 60th birthday by breaking open the vault and liberating a whopping 57 tracks from Strummer and his post-Clash band. Along with his three full length albums, this collection includes a slew of B-Sides and live tracks. The Holy Grail is three live songs – that sound impeccable – recorded from the November 2002 reunion of Strummer and Clash band mate Mick Jones at a London benefit concert. The pair does justice to “Bank Robber,” “London Calling” and “White Riot”.

WILLIE NELSON Heroes (Legacy)

It’s been a while since Willie’s put out an album free of themes. His last few– partnerships with Asleep At the Wheel and Wynton Marsalis–seemed to be more about changing things up after 60 or so studio albums than continuing his legacy as one of this country’s greatest musical treasures.

Heroes is Willie writing about what he knows best: heartache, having a good time, Texas and weed. Like just about every album he’s put out since the 70’s, he’s not shy about bringing his friends and family into the studio to help him out. The results are simply sublime.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN Wrecking Ball (Columbia)

Me not saving room on this list for a Springsteen release is like the Pope choosing someone other than Jesus when asked to name his favorite son of God. The fact that Wrecking Ball is simply Bruce’s best album in more than two decades made the selection that much easier. Deeply political, turning to Wall Street’s greed for inspiration, Wrecking Ball is emotional, stirring at times, occasionally dark but always with Springsteen’s trademark slivers of hope.

DAVID MEAD Dudes (101 Distribution)

Yes, this one technically came out at the tail end of 2011, but I didn’t receive it until January, so we’ll pretend it’s eligible. Financed through Kickstarter, David Mead’s seventh, and easily best, full length Dudes showcases a dozen tracks all written from

the perspective of, well, dudes (naturally).

From the Paul Simon-esque “Bocce Ball” to the quirky sweet “King of the Crosswords,” there is not a single weak track on this pop record.

HOSTAGE CALM Please Remain Calm (Run for Cover)

Managing to borrow some of the better elements of The Smiths and The Replacements, Connecticut’s Hostage Calm delivered a rousing argument that pop-punk is alive and well. All 10 songs are impressive, with “May Love Prevail,” “Closing Remarks” and “On Both Eyes” fighting it out as fan favorites. Though there’s still a foot firmly planted in the pop-punk world, the band successfully broadens its influences on “The ‘M’ Word” (which sounds like something Jonathan Richman might have written) and “Patriot,” (which sounds like a song Ben Folds should’ve put on his last album).

ARCHIE POWELL & THE EXPORTS Great Ideas in Action (Good Land)

If Cheap Trick ever calls it a day, these guys are perfectly suited to take their place on the power pop throne. On the group’s third record and best release, they have perfected the three-minute pop song, with sardonic wit and hooks sharp enough to snag anyone. Along with Cheap Trick, Archie & Co. draw inspiration from Elvis Costello (“Crazy Pills”), Material Issue, The Replacements and cheap beer. But they’re much more a glorified cover band, carving out their own deep, niche in the genre thanks to thoughtfully funny lyrics.

DR. DOG Be the Void (Anti-)

Six records into it, these psychedelic Philly rockers have found their groove. Be the Void opens with the lazy syncopated rhythm of “Lonesome” that camps into your head for days, and continues to churn out one solid track after another of back porch strum-along, sing-along rock ditties like a cross between The Black Crowes and The Band. There’s not an obvious departure from their last few releases, but there doesn’t need to be as the band has settled comfortably into their sound.

LEE VALENTINE SMITH’S TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2012 SUSANNA HOFFS Someday (Baroque Folk)

Baroque Folk is not only the name of singer-songwriter-guitarist Hoffs’ new record label, it’s also the style of music that comprises her third solo album. Her first release under her own name since ‘96, her love of melodic pop and all things ‘60s blooms with the collaboration of former Nashville-based musician Andrew Brassell. As always, her familiar voice and Rickenbacker jangle anchor the collection, but here she presents a mature, Van Dyke Parks-esque take on the paisley pop she’s produced for three decades with her fellow Bangles. This is the best ‘60s record since, well, the ‘60s.

MICKEY DOLENZ Remember (Waterfront)

The Monkees’ singer calls his new album “an audio scrapbook of my life.” In fact, the enjoyable album is much like the affable icon’s solo shows; a delightful trip down memory lane with a nod to all the great songwriters he’s covered over the years. Some of the songs are original and some are directly connected to the “pre-fab four.”

His own “Randy Scouse Git,” a centerpiece of the Monkees’ third album, is presented here along with Neil Diamond’s “I’m a Believer” and the enchanting “Sometime in the Morning,” originate on the band’s More Of The Monkees collection.

TONY BENNETT Viva Duets (Columbia)

When you’ve recorded as many albums as Bennett, you can afford to experiment.

For this, his third duet collaboration, the 86-year-old institution has corralled 12 Latin music stars to join in on the fun, singing their side in Spanish to counter Bennett’s English delivery. The bilingual celebration rewords a number of Bennett’s standards, often switching languages in the middle of verses. Highlights include appearances by Thalia, Franco De Vita, Vicentico, Ricardo Arjona and Bennett’s MTV hit, “Steppin’ Out With My Baby,” with Christina Aguilera.

AMANDA PALMER Theater Is Evil (8 Ft. Records)

A circus of erotic chaos from the former Dresden Dolls singer-songwriter-artistactivist-fundraiser. This Theatre vents free-flowing anarchy and warmly weird vaudeville into a rock opus that somehow manages to best her usual over-the-top sensibilities. A sexy, modern Lotte Lenya, Palmer mixes rock with leering, pulsing show tunes. The result is a brilliant voyage into a dark and dangerous nightclub of ultimately irresistible sensuality.

BOB DYLAN Tempest (Columbia)

Bob’s 35th studio album features an enigmatic bag of tunes by the influential songwriter. The somber, fourteen-minute glacier of a title track weighs the collection with a brooding tint. “Duquesne Whistle,” the co-write with frequent Grateful Dead collaborator Robert Hunter, doesn’t best their previous high-watermark “Silvio,” but it’s a cog in the usual compelling puzzle of Dylan’s rambling, shambling but always right, narratives.

TIPSY IN CHELSEA Self-Titled (Pointed Village)

When I first heard the debut single from Atlanta and New Haven-based duo TiC, I suggested their sound was reminiscent of watching a plane take off at sunset. It’s a bittersweet feeling wrapped in a loving homage to the late ’60s/early ‘70s chamber

pop of real singers like Dionne Warwick and Dusty Springfield. The emotive vocals of Georgia-based Trish Thompson beautifully compliment the musical concepts of Connecticut’s Dean Falcone, and the result is an album full of unforgettable melodies and emotionally sincere performances.

BEACH BOYS That’s Why God Made The Radio (EMI)

This is a charming return from a band that has nothing to prove– only history to amend and recreate.

Reunited with Brian Wilson, the surviving members (with a little help from a few unnecessary outside sources, including producer Joe Thomas and Jon Bon Jovi) have assembled a wonderful album of mature surf anthems and poignant ruminations on nature and relationships.

By name-checking “radio” in the title, it harkens back to when that now-nearly-obsolete medium actually mattered. The result is an analog dialogue on the state of classic pop music, circa 2012.

ELIZABETH GOLDEN Self-Titled (24k)

In this time of phony Taylor Swift-type “country,” it’s nice to hear a refreshingly real voice on the scene. Elizabeth Golden has plenty of pure-country pedigree; her dad is Americana singer-songwriter Chris Golden and her grandfather is William Lee Golden of the Oak Ridge Boys. But family ties can’t create genuine talent. Luckily, the teenager has the pure voice and instinctive musical talent to seal the deal. Her delightfully plaintive delivery and impressive fiddle skills add up to what is the definitive country music debut of the year. Her solid presence, never forced, just laid back and unaffected, carries this half hour of music to absolute star level. Definitely worth checking out and deserving of repeated listens… for all ages.

DONALD FAGEN Sunken Condos (Warner Brothers)

Fagen, along with Steely Dan cohort Walter Becker, released some of the most funky, slick and witty albums of the ’70s.

As a solo artist, backed by an evolving but always tight combo, Fagen’s first three solo albums spanned trends and generations of a quarter century. Six years later, his newest arrives as his first post-”Nightfly Trilogy” release. Not surprisingly, the sound and presentation is similar to the others (as well as the best of his work with Steely Dan), with lush arrangements framed by Fagen’s nasal, sarcastic vocal narratives. The jazztinged originals are aided by a lone, lean cover– an ironic take on Isaac Hayes’ “Out Of The Ghetto.”

SHOVELS & ROPE O’ Be Joyful (Dualtone)

Duos are all the rage these days with the impressive rise of The Civil Wars and the lingering influence of the minimal but sonic power of Jack White’s production style. But the hot new two-some called Shovels and Rope aren’t the Black Keys or some Taylor (Swift)-made plastic doll set. They’re a raw and energetic act that often takes the Steve Earl route out to the country with stops at the liquor store and the church on the way to their own rocky copperhead road. The Columbia, South Carolina band employs old guitars, harmonicas and a worn-out drum set to write and perform their frayed fables in the tradition of House Of Freaks or Boo Hewerdine and Darden Smith. insiteatlanta.com • January 2013 • PG 17

CONCERT CALENDAR FRIDAY JANUARY 4 529 I Want Whiskey BLIND WILLIE’S Houserocker Johnson EDDIE’S ATTIC Mike Kinnebrew FAT MATT’S John Sosebee FIVE SPOT The John Party MASQUERADE Moose Harris NORTHSIDE TAVERN Swami Gone Bananas PEACHTREE TAVERN Doug Funny SMITH’S Copious Jones STAR BAR Glenn Iris VARIETY Todd Snider WILD BILL’S In the Crown Jammin’ Down SATURDAY JANUARY 5 529 Bluntfang BLIND WILLIE’S Sandra Hall EDDIE’S ATTIC Callaghan’s Birthday Show FAT MATT’S Sly Dog FIVE SPOT Davina & The Harlots MASQUERADE Ethereal NORTHSIDE TAVERN Lola & Friends PEACHTREE TAVERN All The Locals SMITH’S Angela Reign STAR BAR James Hall & The Futura Bold VINYL Bair WILD BILL’S Rich Kidz Live in the Crown SUNDAY JANUARY 6 EARL Bonaventure Quartet EDDIE’S ATTIC Molly Hunt FAT MATT’S Fat Back Deluxe MONDAY JANUARY 7 529 Concord America BLIND WILLIE’S Midnight Revival EDDIE’S ATTIC Open Mic FAT MATT’S Pead Boy & The Pork Bellys FIVE SPOT A Case of the Mondays TUESDAY JANUARY 8 529 Order of the Owl BLIND WILLIE’S Blues Station EDDIE’S ATTIC Adron FAT MATT’S J.T. Speed FIVE SPOT Cheap Shots Comedy SMITH’S Kevin Scott’s Musicians Jam WEDNESDAY JANUARY 9 529 Iron Jayne BLIND WILLIE’S Atlanta Boogie EARL Alchemy EDDIE’S ATTIC Thomas Wynn FAT MATT’S The Hollidays FIVE SPOT Mixtape Atlas MASQUERADE Emmure PEACHTREE TAVERN Plato Jones THURSDAY JANUARY 10 529 Razormaze BLIND WILLIE’S Paul Geremia EARL Vincas EDDIE’S ATTIC Ryan Montbleau Band FAT MATT’S Chickenshack SMITH’S The Honeycutters STAR BAR Till Someone Loses An Eye VARIETY Guster FRIDAY JANUARY 11 529 Cloudeater BLIND WILLIE’S Francine Reed EARL Gringo Star EDDIE’S ATTIC Kristy Lee FAT MATT’S Little Joey’s Big Band FIVE SPOT Rashine Lo Key MASQUERADE The Almost NORTHSIDE TAVERN Beverly Watkins PEACHTREE TAVERN The Breakfast Club SMITH’S Rebirth Brass Band VARIETY Guster VINYL Parker Smith & The Bandwith SATURDAY JANUARY 12 529 Ohmpark Fest BLIND WILLIE’S Big Bill Morganfield EARL Ohmpark Fest EDDIE’S ATTIC The Freddy Jones Band FAT MATT’S The Jumpin’ Jukes FIVE SPOT Rod Hamdallah MASQUERADE Burns Like Fire PG 18 • January 2013 • insiteatlanta.com

NORTHSIDE TAVERN Ike Stubblefield SMITH’S Rebirth Brass Band STAR BAR The Blacktop Rockets VARIETY Emeli Sande SUNDAY JANUARY 13 EDDIE’S ATTIC Pete Lim FAT MATT’S Fat Back Deluxe FIVE SPOT Akris & the Rat Babies SMITH’S Brian Cole Benefit VARIETY The Machine MONDAY JANUARY 14 529 Dasher BLIND WILLIE’S Little G Weevil EDDIE’S ATTIC Open Mic FAT MATT’S Pead Boy & The Pork Bellys FIVE SPOT A Case of the Mondays TUESDAY JANUARY 15 529 The Soft Moon BLIND WILLIE’S Boo Hoo Ramblers EDDIE’S ATTIC Ed Roland FAT MATT’S J.T. Speed FIVE SPOT Cheap Shots Comedy LOFT Action Item SMITH’S Kevin Scott’s Musicians Jam VINYL Jessta James WEDNESDAY JANUARY 16 529 Turf War BLIND WILLIE’S Electromatics EDDIE’S ATTIC Ernie Halter & Sam Grow FAT MATT’S The Hollidays FIVE SPOT AFROBEAT NIGHT MASQUERADE Black Veil Brides PEACHTREE TAVERN Ocean Street SMITH’S FKi & Friends TABERNACLE Bloc Party VARIETY Robert EARL Keen VINYL Royal Southern Brotherhood THURSDAY JANUARY 17 529 Carnivores BLIND WILLIE’S Heather Luttrell EARL Adron EDDIE’S ATTIC David Berkeley FAT MATT’S Chickenshack FIVE SPOT Larry Mitchell Trio PEACHTREE TAVERN Lefty Hathaway SMITH’S Greensky Bluegrass STAR BAR Thursday Deluxe VARIETY Purity Ring FRIDAY JANUARY 18 529 The Growlers BLIND WILLIE’S Houserocker Johnson EARL Jan Spencer Blues Explosion EDDIE’S ATTIC Fred Eglesmith FAT MATT’S 38th Parallel FIVE SPOT Eaglerock Funky house Jam MASQUERADE Stages and Stereos NORTHSIDE TAVERN Stoney Brooks SMITH’S Heavy Mojo STAR BAR Primate TABERNACLE Ellie Goulding VINYL Rug WILD BILL’S David Gardner SATURDAY JANUARY 19 529 Diarrhea Planet BLIND WILLIE’S Delta Moon EARL Rain Parade EDDIE’S ATTIC Jesse Tyler FAT MATT’S The Stooge Brothers FIVE SPOT Arpetrio LOFT Emilie Autumn MASQUERADE Dawn Is Broken NORTHSIDE TAVERN Albert White PEACHTREE TAVERN Stroke 9 SMITH’S Comrade Blue STAR BAR Wolves & Jackals TABERNACLE Lisa Lampanelli VARIETY The Yacht Rock Revue SUNDAY JANUARY 20 EDDIE’S ATTIC Kris Allen FAT MATT’S Fat Back Deluxe SMITH’S Scotty TABERNACLE Willie Nelson

TABERNACLE presents Willie Nelson (Jan. 20)

MONDAY JANUARY 21 529 Wet Rainbow BLIND WILLIE’S Bill Sheffield EARL Big Freedia EDDIE’S ATTIC Open Mic FAT MATT’S Pead Boy & The Pork Bellys FIVE SPOT A Case of the Mondays TABERNACLE Ed Sheeran TUESDAY JANUARY 22 529 Deep Funk BLIND WILLIE’S The Hollidays EDDIE’S ATTIC Ed Roland FAT MATT’S J.T. Speed FIVE SPOT Cheap Shots Comedy PEACHTREE TAVERN Whiskey Myers SMITH’S Kevin Scott’s Musicans Jam VINYL Jessta James WEDNESDAY JANUARY 23 529 Wake, The Contraverse BLIND WILLIE’S The Cazanovas EARL Sex BBQ EDDIE’S ATTIC Red June & The Honey Dewdrops FAT MATT’S The Hollidays FIVE SPOT Chris McFarland MASQUERADE This Is Hell PEACHTREE TAVERN Longreef PHILIPS Justin Bieber THURSDAY JANUARY 24 529 The Constellations BLIND WILLIE’S Tommy Brown EARL Faun & a Pan Flute EDDIE’S ATTIC Zach Deputy FAT MATT’S Chickenshack FIVE SPOT Antique Firearms MASQUERADE Underoath PEACHTREE TAVERN Marshall Crenshaw SMITH’S Yarn TABERNACLE Keane VARIETY Gino Vannelli VINYL Augustana FRIDAY JANUARY 25 529 MoodRings deadCat BLIND WILLIE’S Sandra Hal EDDIE’S ATTIC David Wilcox FAT MATT’S Johnny Scales FIVE SPOT The Good Foot Anniversary Party MASQUERADE Taddy Porter NORTHSIDE TAVERN Mudcat SMITH’S Blue Dogs STAR BAR SMKA VARIETY G. Love & Special Sauce VINYL ARC & Stones

SATURDAY JANUARY 26 529 The Left Field Experiment BLIND WILLIE’S Francine Reed EARL Camper Van Beethoven EDDIE’S ATTIC Richard Bicknell FAT MATT’S The Tone Prophets MASQUERADE Atlanta Winter Beer Fest NORTHSIDE TAVERN Mudcat PEACHTREE TAVERN Bubba Sparxxx Music SMITH’S Moontower TABERNACLE Yonder Mountain String Band VARIETY ZOSO VINYL Connor Christian & Southern Gothic SUNDAY JANUARY 27 EARL Tag Team EDDIE’S ATTIC Seth Glier & Peter Mulvey FAT MATT’S Fat Back Deluxe MASQUERADE Of Mice & Men MONDAY JANUARY 28 BLIND WILLIE’S Gina Sicilia EDDIE’S ATTIC Open Mic FAT MATT’S Pead Boy & The Pork Bellys FIVE SPOT A Case of the Mondays TUESDAY JANUARY 29 529 Onuinu EDDIE’S ATTIC Ed Roland FAT MATT’S J.T. Speed SMITH’S Kevin Scotts Musicians Jam VARIETY Zappa Plays Zappa VINYL Jessta James WEDNESDAY JANUARY 30 529 Night Sun BLIND WILLIE’S Scott Glazer’s Mojo Dojo EARL Chelsea Wolfe EDDIE’S ATTIC Great Exhalations FAT MATT’S The Hollidays MASQUERADE Civilized Tears PEACHTREE TAVERN Generation NOW! VARIETY Gaelic Storm VINYL A Silent Film THURSDAY JANUARY 31 529 Animal City BLIND WILLIE’S Sweet Betty EARL Eerie Von EDDIE’S ATTIC Lloyd Cole FAT MATT’S Chickenshack FIVE SPOT Waking the Bates MASQUERADE Graveyard VARIETY Punch Brothers VINYL Marshall Seese & The Abandoned

Road Warriors

This Month’s Hottest Shows

BY SACHA DZUBA

1/12 – THE DARKNESS

The Masquerade I think the world is ready for a little good-time rock ‘n’ roll. Only problem, The Darkness fell out and broke up back in 2006, didn’t they? The Spinal Tap-esque aspects of their demise and rebirth notwithstanding; The Darkness are back and touring again! Their latest album, Hot Cakes sees them hearkening back to their debut in their cheeky writing style with hints of musical maturity sprinkled throughout. This is rock and roll with a swagger, eschewing skinny jeans for the unitard, soaring vocals, and catchy choruses. Grab your bandana, and head out to see The Darkness with your tongue placed firmly in your cheek and your metal horns held high.

1/15 - 1/20 – THE BLUE MAN GROUP

The Fox Theatre The Blue Man Group, three “anonymous” mute performers, blue-headed and handed, wearing nondescript black jumpsuits…yet you know who they are. They’ve pervaded popular media in everything from Arrested Development, to commercials, to the Disney channel.

The humor-laden yet intelligent, visually stunning, and rhythmic live show is a fantastical theatrical production. Expect the same music, comedy, slapstick and multimedia elements

that they’re known for, with three large interactive “GiPad” display tablets. An incredible genius mix of art, music, percussive skill, crackerjack timing, vast and brilliant lights, and messy insanity. Check out their latest cd, Shake Your Euphemism, and join the Blue Men at the Fox. This is an intimate and theatrical way to see and hear their fascinating percussive instrument creations and laugh at their crazy and outrageous antics. A massive blend of music and visually-comedic entertainment.

1/19 – EMILIE AUTUMN

The Loft Emilie Autumn isn’t crazy, she’s just vastly misunderstood. Coining the term “Victoriandustrial”, Miss Autumn blends her love of classical music and the violin with metal, industrial, and gothic music; with dark, sardonic lyrics. A singer-songwriter, poet, musical prodigy, and violinist, her musical tastes are wide and varied. To show just how polarized her music is, double album Laced/Unlaced consists of classical performances as well as heavier original music from Emilie herself. She has performed with Courtney Love and recorded with Dethklok and Otep. All of this is incorporated into lavish stage performances, featuring Gothic/ Victorian overtones, glam burlesque, and Vaudevillian flair. Check out her latest album “Fight like a Girl”. If you like your Dresden Dolls burlesque with a side of metal and Bach, step into Emilie Autumn’s parlor for some tea and bloody crumpets.

1/20 – BRYAN ADAMS: BARE BONES TOUR

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre The Canadian born Bryan Adams reached

the heights of fame in the 80’s and 90’s with incredible songwriting that touched the hearts of millions. He’s won countless awards for his music, was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and is an accomplished professional photographer. His current tour sees him armed with only a small array of acoustic guitars. This solo-acoustic tour present audiences with a rare opportunity to hear Adams’ music in raw and intimate arrangements. Many modern songs would fall apart if they were simply broken down to the minimum of chords and melody, but Bryan Adams’ classic songs “Cuts Like A Knife”, “Summer of ‘69”, and “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” sparkle, shine, and foster the kind of touching emotion that brings a tear to the eye. Heartfelt, honest, stripped back and laid bare; Bryan Adams will remind you that these songs never left your mind and he’ll have you singing along by the end of the night. This performance is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to experience finely crafted music by one of the greatest songwriters of all time.

1/23 – JUSTIN BIEBER

Philips Arena Canadian pop/r&b singer, Justin Bieber, initially gained attention through his own postings and performances on YouTube. After a meeting with Usher (here in Atlanta no less), Bieber was signed. Now, you probably can’t turn in any direction without being blinded by an explosion of his hair and smiles. Following on from the platinum sucesses “My World” and “My World 2.0”, comes his latest album, “Believe”. Incorporating a more mature sound with elements of club, dance-pop, and R&B, his album features a number of guest contributors including Nicki Minaj, Ludacris, and Big Sean.

Clever marketing through use of viral videos helped Beiber reach massive appeal and success, even before he was signed. His Twitter followers are legion and he boasts the second most popular celebrity account. Perhaps keen to have people recognize him as an adult, this album is certainly a movement toward a more

WE GOT NEXT MURDER

BY DEATH

1/30 – GAELIC STORM

Variety Playhouse Gaelic Storm were brought to the attentions of the public eye, appearing as the irish band from the below-decks steerage party scene in the film Titanic. They bring all the rowdy fun of traditional Celtic jigs, Irish drinking songs and the beauty of Gaelic ballads to the intimate setting of the Variety Playhouse. While their film cameo may be what first captured people’s attention, Gaelic Storm has maintained that interest and their fan bas has steadily grown throughout the world. They tour heavily, performing over 125 shows a year. Their latest album “Chicken Boxer” debuted at #1 on the Billboard World Music Chart. Make sure to grab a beer and pump your fists in time to the music. It’s the perfect way to celebrate the beginning of 2013.

The Variety Playhouse bar serves Guiness Stout, right?

1/31 – MORRISSEY

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Before his solo career even began, Morrissey rose to fame and attention in the 80’s with the band The Smiths. Described by music magazine NME as “one of the most influential artists ever” Morrissey is regarded as an important innovator in indie music. His lyrics have been described as “dramatic, bleak, funny vignettes about doomed relationships, lonely nightclubs, the burden of the past and the prison of the home.” Jangly shoe-gazing guitars, catchy choruses, and melancholy emotive crooning is what Morrissey’s music is all about. He’s about to release his own autobiography, and 2013 sees him embarking on what may be one of his last ever tours. Announcing that he’s retiring at 55, this may be one of the last chances to see this legendary performer live. Don’t miss it!

Artists on the verge of making it big

Latest Project: Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon (Bloodshot Records) For Fans of: Firewater, Nick Cave and The Decembrists Why You Should Care: Because this amazing Indiana-based indie rock band funded their latest album thanks to the third highest-grossing Kickstarter music campaign ever.

BY JOHN B. MOORE

L

mature sound. Sweeping back his previously suffocating coif, it’s time to take him seriously.

Beiber is a R&B pop-star to be reckoned with.

DD INDIANA’S MURDER BY Death to the growing list of great indie and punk bands that are turning to their fans to help fund their music via sites like Kickstarter.

Though it ended up being one of the most successful music projects on Kickstarter (bringing in $187,048, nearly doubling their $100K goal), the process wasn’t exactly sweat free. “I worked 12-16 hours a day for three months on this, and it wrecked me,” said Adam Turla, frontman for the band. The result is the dark, though beautiful Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon, which combines all the best elements from the band’s earlier works.

Currently finishing up a tour with Say Anything, Turla spoke about the new record,

the Kickstarter campaign and finding a new home at Bloodshot Records.

Can you talk a little bit about Bitter Drink, Bitter Moon?

It’s a dark album that covers a lot of bases.

I feel like it represents a lot of what Murder

By Death has done in the past and also where we have been going musically. We make nods to older albums while also trying new things.

It has a bit of a Twin Peaks vibe where there are a few songs about small towns with a seedy underbelly.

Were you apprehensive about funding this one on your own through Kickstarter?

Yes, partially because with the transparency of Kickstarter, you open up yourself to

ignorant comments. We were lucky: we only got three shit-talkers reach out to us, and they had just glanced at the number we were making, not realizing how much work and money all the deliveries would cost us.

Two of the three actually wrote back and apologized.

Were you surprised by the amount you were able to raise?

Yes and no. Thrilled, certainly, but we knew we were offering really good prices for some fun stuff and our fans have supported us a lot in the past when we decide to do alternative ideas. Many of the ideas came from years of fans saying “you should do this...” etc. We just made it all happen. The main thing that was so cool about it was all the goodwill that people wished us through the process; So much support and so many compliments and words of encouragement. It really allowed us to interact with our fans in a way that we had never been able to before, and we are a very open band.

Would you go that route again?

It depends on where the music industry goes. We have had so many emails from fans saying “please do another Kickstarter for your next album! It was so fun!”, but my original thought was that you only get one.

It is strange that money from album sales just dried up, but interesting that people are willing to fund an album with creative items/trips/ideas. I should also mention that I personally did all the work for the Kickstarter, barring some help packaging from friends. I worked 12-16 hours a day for three months on this, and it wrecked me.

Still, I would do it again if it felt right.

This is your first record with Bloodshot Records. How did you connect with them?

It’s a great label and seems like a natural fit given your sound.

Been talking with them for years and thought it would be a cool combination. I feel like it’s a good match and they are good people!

How does the addition of Scott change the band’s dynamic?

We can do so much more lush arrangements and sound combinations. It’s very exciting, plus he is a great dude and fun to write with and tour with.

What’s next for the band after the October tour?

Gonna do a big winter tour for the album, hopefully head overseas to Europe, and maybe finally make it to Australia. insiteatlanta.com • January 2013 • PG 19

MUSIC

MUSIC

Album Reviews Reviews by B. Love, John B. Moore, & Lee Valentine Smith

The Dean’s List RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE– XX [20th Anniversary Edition Deluxe Box Set] (Legacy) “Fight the Power” rap-rockers’ debut turns 20!

JM: I’ve always been a little troubled that little was made of the fact that Rage Against the Machine– a rock band known for scathingly anticorporate lyrics (even heading down to Wall Street for their antiWall Street “Bulls on Parade” video)– chose not to sign with an established independent record label to release their music, or even take the Ani Di Franco/Fugazi route and start their own label.

Instead, they jumped into bed with Epic Records, one of the largest publicly traded labels in the world. That’s not a slam against Epic, which built a reputation of discovering stellar bands over the years. But you can’t help wondering what percentage of Rage’s lyrics are deeply steeped in core beliefs when they were willing take the biggest recording contract put in front of them.

That personal quibble aside, it’s hard to argue against the fact that the California band’s 20-year old, self-titled debut was an extremely influential, explosively powerful collection of alt-metal bombast. From the cover photo of the Vietnamese monk burning himself to death in protest, to the in-your-face lyrics about oppression and rebellion, to the punch in the face blast of guitars and drums, the record is truly remarkable in all that it was able to accomplish over the course of just 10 songs.

Though much has been made of this being one of the first commercially successful blends of rap and hard rock, the band generally kept a stronger dose of metal in the mixture and shouldn’t be blamed for the slew of watered-down imitators that followed in their wake (from Limp Bizkit to Disturbed) any more than Nirvana and Pearl Jam were responsible for Candlebox and Seven Mary Three.

With the band’s blessing, the Legacy imprint has re-released the complete album with a trio of live songs, a second disc featuring the band’s demo, and two separate DVDs of live performances and videos. From the lyrically biting “Killing in the Name” right through to the album closer, “Freedom,” the band delivered a nearly flawless debut that deserves the royal rerelease treatment. Keep fighting the power! Even if The Man has made you a millionaire…

MIKE COOLEY- The Fool On Every Corner (Cooley Records) Longtime DBT stalwart steps out solo

LVS: The debut album from the Drive-By Truckers’ Mike Cooley finds the Alabama guitarist-songwriter-vocalist alone on a bare stage with just an arsenal of acoustic instruments and a very appreciative audience. Free from Patterson Hood’s raucous Southern charisma and the sonic attack of the band, Cooley’s crafty charm takes the spotlight.

Fans know his songs and his all-too-few leads from the albums and shows, but here, his wry observations come alive with broad strokes and quiet passages. For his first album, Cooley has chosen to go for a live recording from his solo PG 20 • January 2013 • insiteatlanta.com

tour, with a set of songs culled mostly from a show at Athens’ great listening room The Melting Point.

Crowd-pleasers like “Loaded Gun in the Closet” and “Cottonseed” show the humanity of his gothic characters with just a gentle touch than the heavy-handed slap of the originals. The down and dirty acceleration of “Three Dimes Down” comes alive in this settling with alternative lyrics and a fiercely determined delivery. His new take on “Shut Your Mouth and Get Your Ass on the Plane” could be the cornerstone of yet another Truckers concept album, ripe with his stark allusions to wanderlust.

Like the rest of the album, it’s fueled by the good ol’ Southern determination and grit that has made his band one of the best, and most believable, in the business.

HOSTAGE CALM – Please Remain Calm (Run for Cover) Connecticut rockers turn in a stellar second album

JM: Managing to borrow some of the better elements of The Smiths and The Replacements , C o n n e c t i c u t ’s Hostage Calm have just delivered a rousing argument that pop-punk is alive and well. On Please Remain Calm, their third and best effort to date, the band has managed to tighten their already cohesive sound and step up their game lyrically as well.

There is hardly a weak track on the 10song effort, with “May Love Prevail,” “Closing Remarks”and the album opener “On Both Eyes” all likely to become fan favorites. Though there is still a foot firmly planted in the pop-punk world, the band successfully broadens its influences here. “The ‘M’ Word” sounds like something Jonathan Richman would’ve proudly tacked his name to, and “Patriot” sounds like a song Ben Folds should have put on his last album.

It’s about time the record buying public discovered the charms of Hostage Calm, and this is the perfect album to serve as an introduction.

occasionally messy hodgepodge of influences is beginning to coalesce into something wholly unique and wonderful.

After relocating to Louisiana, you can hear the duo’s prominent New Orleans jazz influences coloring the swinging a capella opener, “Mississippi Song,” which highlights the band’s greatest strength: Intricately arranged vocal harmonies. Their voices similarly drive the title track, weaving seamlessly amongst Abram Racin’s walking double bassline and Maurice Turner’s terrifically tasteful trumpet accents, crafting a song that wouldn’t sound out of place on the Jungle Book soundtrack.

Not every one of these 15 tracks works so well: The 5-minute bluegrass/world music instrumental “Remember What You Told Me” shows that the band lacks the prodigious finger-picking talent needed to make it sound like anything more than mere jam band self-indulgence. And the acoustic nu-soul vibe of “Closer To The Edge,” which puts too much focus on Afro-Caribbean percussion and not enough on melody, just seems out of place next to excellent covers of traditional tunes such as “Pretty Lil’ Foot,” “I’ll Fly Away” and “Cumberland Gap.” But those rare missteps shouldn’t take away from what is otherwise an incredibly unique stylistic fusion unlike any other artist I can think of. It’s easy to imagine what these guys would sound like with the production values of, say, Norah Jones or Gillian Welch behind them. With original tunes like “The Long Haul” that would fit perfectly on the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack, Rising Appalachia finally seems ready for bigger and better things. GRADE: B+

KING’S BULLET – Self-Title (Digital Sound) Dazzling debut from a dynamic duo

LVS: Another duo? Well, it’s all the rage right now.

This impressive debut EP from the new Nashville t w o s o m e collectively known as King’s Bullet combines the considerable talents of guitarist-songwriterproducer Trey Bruce with fellow songwritervocalist Loni Rose. The result is an enjoyable Americana-pop outing that blends Rose’s unique delivery with Bruce’s wise and leisurely drawl.

The eight songs veer from the strong resolve of the best cut, “I Won’t Be Your Second Choice” to the languid rock of “Watermelon Sun.” Throughout, their harmonies create a delicate net of delightful musical tension, with Rose’s voice cutting through the acousticstrum gauze with a wonderfully hopeful style that recalls the innocence of Melanie, the edge of Dolly Parton. and the L.A. country heartache of Sheryl Crow.

RISING APPALACHIA- Filthy Dirty South All in all, this is a fantastic debut from a duo (Self-Released) that has earned their place at the center of the Finding their voice stage by working on the sidelines with a who’s who of talent, from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Chris BL: I’ve been following this formerly Atlanta- LeDoux. GRADE: B+ based band, led by sisters Leah Song and Chloe Smith, with interest for several years now. Their MADNESS – Oui Oui Si Si Ja Ja Da Da sound is a colorful blend of practically every (eOne) genre of music the American South has ever ‘80s ska greats prove that they’re still relevant produced, from blues and gospel to Appalachian folk and country to jazz and soul. And on their JM: Though the UK ska band Madness may fourth independently released record, that always be trapped in 1982 for many of their

Rest of the Class

U.S. fans thanks to the wildly popular “Our House,” the two-tone group has continued to build up their resume since reuniting in the early ‘90s. The band’s success has mainly been limited to Europe (they were tapped to play the closing ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympics, along with a number of festivals), but their latest album is reason enough for stateside fans to start paying attention again.

The dreadfully titled Oui Oui Si Si Ja Ja Da Da, the band’s 10th studio album, includes some impressively addictive tracks. Check out the album opener, “My Girl 2,” a timelessly solid track that could have come out of a time machine from the early 80’s; the surprisingly sentimental “How Can I tell You”; or “Misery,” which is impossible to listen to without bobbing your head along in rhythmic time.

The album’s biggest weakness may be that it’s overly ambitious, with 14 tracks. The band dilutes the overall impact with a couple of mediocre songs, like the maudlin “Never Knew Your Name” and the hokey “La Luna.” But, taken as a whole, the record averages out to a pretty impressive comeback for a band that had apparently been here all along. GRADE: B

MICHELLE MALONE – Day 2 (SBS Records) Finding a high point in middle age

BL: Though she traffics in a similar mixture of folksy Americana, rock and blues, Michelle Malone has never enjoyed the charttopping success of peers like Melissa Etheridge and Indigo Girls. But, with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon name-checking her as an influence, it seems like Malone’s powerful voice and rootsy songwriting is due to have its day in the sun.

Coincidentally, the Shawn Mullin-produced Day 2 is arguably her most accessible album to date, exploring a variety of moving musical moods with maturity and grace. The opening track is a stomping-and-clapping barn-burner that proudly boasts, “I’m not like the other girls.” The sociopolitical “Immigration Game” pokes fun at the racism of the anti-immigrant movement atop a thumping gospel-blues backdrop. “The Auditor” slams the IRS, banking industry and a government run by and for the rich.

Elsewhere, Malone offers up her most potent, personal lyrics to date, revealing an emotional side that, in the past, has tended to fall in the shadow of her rocker persona. The death of her father is clearly the impetus behind this vulnerability: On the lonesome ballad “Marlboro Man” she recalls him being cool and quiet like Clink Eastwood, and wondering “was it him, or was it me?” On the mournful “Saint Peter,” she remembers his death, and her family’s prayers to make his passing painless. With “100 Paths,” she refers to reaching a crossroads in her life, craving freedom and simplicity, and trying to live for today.

It’s not difficult to read between the lines and see a middle-aged woman for whom death served as a poignant reminder to embrace life.

And– with help from a crackerjack backing band that includes Chuck Leavell, Randall Bramblett and Mullins– that’s precisely what Day 2 does, tackling the challenges of being an adult with all of the complexities that involves. Honestly, she’s never sounded better. GRADE: A+

THEATER

EXPERIENCE THE BLUE MAN GROUP!

Photo Credit: Paul Kolnik

BY MARCI MILLER

T

HE BLUE MAN GROUP WILL thrill Atlanta with its high-octane theatrical experience when it returns to the Fox Theatre Tuesday, January 15 – Sunday, January 20. This show is always highly anticipated and we recently had the chance to speak with “blue man” Russell Rinker. Russell first joined The Blue Man Group as part of their Las Vegas show and has now returned with the tour that is making its way across the U.S. We were able to get some insight into the show or the “experience” which is the term preferred by this veteran performer.

How did you get involved in Blue Man Group?

I was a musician, singer and actor for most of my life, I started around the age of 4. I was always performing and went to school for theatre and got a degree from the College of William and Mary in Virginia.

So I was doing lots of regional theatre, Shakespeare, classical theatre, and opera and just auditioned for Blue Man and got in. They sent me to Las Vegas and I was in that show for five years and then moved to Los Angeles to pursue Russell Rinker some other things. I worked as a sub for Blue Man part time, which is one of the cool things, performers can come in and out. And so I took the tour and this is my first full time gig back with them and I am really excited about it.

Were you a fan of The Blue Man Group before you auditioned?

Yes, I saw it once before and thought it was really different. I didn’t know what to expect (and I hear that a lot about the show), but that’s exactly how I felt. It was really interesting. It was deeper. There was a lot going on. And I was really fascinated by that.

And I thought “Wow, this is something I could see myself doing.” And then I did.

For people who’ve never seen The Blue Man Group perform, can you tell us what they can expect from the show?

We think of it more as an “experience” not just a show, The Blue Man characters are arriving to address certain needs that exist in culture. It’s kind of a science experiment where the audience is watching the Blue Men learn about human culture and you’re witnessing it from their perspective which is obviously very different. We take common objects and make music out of them, Captain

Crunch, PVC pipes and things. We do things with them other than their intended use.

So there is comedy, there is a lot of comedy.

People are surprised that the show is so funny.

And it’s universal. We don’t speak so it’s all about human nature. There is lots of flashy technology, social commentary. The tour talks a lot about modern society and how dependent we are on technology and texting, computers and social media. That’s a lot of new material for anyone who has seen the show before.

Is it a show the whole family can enjoy?

The Blue Man Group is trying to get people to drop these social masks that say we have to be a certain way. Kids love the show because it’s fun and funny and there is a lot of flashy stuff and music and everything. But, our target audience is really adults because for the most part, adults forget how to be kids and we’re trying to instill a sense of wonder and play and creativity and imagination. Kids see that and that’s their world and that makes sense to them. But it’s the adults that get caught up in the stresses of everyday life; they kind of forget what its like to have that experience. So, we’re targeting the kid in everyone. The characters of the Blue Men have a very childlike wonder.

Tell us about your make up. How long does it take to get ready for the show?

It takes about an hour. It just a latex bald cap that is glued down over the head and covers my hair and the ears. The make up is a blue grease paint that goes over the bald cap. We have special costumes, multiple layers, all kinds of gadgets and harnesses for the show, but we have a great team and wardrobe staff that helps. Getting it off takes about half that long.

What parts of the show do you enjoy most?

I just think the writing of it is so good.

There are classic Blue Man bits that have been around for awhile that just kill every night.

Audiences just love it because it’s so pure and addresses human nature. That’s one thing I’ve always loved about performing, making people laugh. I also like surprising people.

There are lots of things in the show that you don’t expect so I love the look of surprise on people’s faces. At the end of the show, the Blue Men come to the lobby to do a meet and greet and we take pictures with people and that’s one of my favorite parts because you get to interact with the audience and see them up close.

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TV

BUNHEADS IN THE OVEN

Georgia’s own Sutton Foster is Dancing Her Way

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

O

N TV‘S BUNHEADS, GEORGIAborn Sutton Foster plays a former Vegas showgirl who becomes a teacher at her mother-in-law’s ballet school.

In real life, the talented singer-danceractress balances roles on Broadway, live performance tours and a busy schedule of mentoring -- in addition to her role on the popular ABC Family show. Bunheads, co-created by Amy Sherman-Palladino (Gilmore Girls) premiered last summer and returns this month for the second half of its first full season. And what is a “bunhead,” anyway? It’s a term for ballet dancers who often put their hair up into a bun. The vivacious Foster took a few minutes from her busy schedule to speak with Insite about her Georgia roots and her show.

You live in New York, work in California but you were born in Statesboro, Georgia, correct?

Yes! I lived in Georgia until I was about 13. You know, I don’t remember much about Statesboro, but the town I remember the most about was Augusta. My dad worked for General Motors and we moved from Statesboro to Athens to Augusta and Augusta. I remember the azaleas and the dogwood trees and honeysuckle in my backyard and pine cones and pine needles

everywhere! We definitely don’t have those out here in L.A, or New York, either. And those hot, hot, hot summers. I loved living in Georgia; I miss it.

Then it was on to Detroit. Was that move a culture shock, coming from the deep south?

That’s where I went to high school and it was massive culture shock. Everyone thought I was from a foreign country because I was a little Southern girl. I had such a strong Southern accent, they didn’t know where the hell I was from!

But then it wasn’t long until you moved on to New York.

Yes, I was cast in “The Will Rogers Follies” when I was 17 and I traveled around the country with that show.

That must have been a very different sort of culture shock.

I was such a green kid. So coming from a small town—and both of my parents are from small towns in North Carolina—and then the next thing you know, I’m like, a show girl. Traveling around the country, from city to city as part of a line of, like, sixteen women, where I was the youngest by far. I grew up very, very fast.

Did your parents encourage your theatrical

1745 PEACHTREE ST. NE everything creative.

aspirations? Were they ok with you out on the road as a Ziegfield Girl?

They could have easily gone, ‘No, you’re too young,’ but they were ok with it. So I just did it. They saw that I had a natural affinity for it and how much I loved singing and dancing. I was so lucky.

What a year 2012 was for you, you even received a doctorate from Ball State.

Should I call you “Dr. Foster” now?

Yes, I only respond to ‘Dr. Foster’ now. (laughs) How has it changed your life, or was it more of any honorary title?

It was an honor. A true honor. Growing up, I always wanted to be a teacher. First, I wanted to be a bank teller, and then an astronaut and then a teacher. I used to play teacher and I loved the idea of having students. When I was in high school, I liked the idea of being my high school drama teacher and working with students.

So now you do, on television and in real life.

Yes! I became involved with Ball State with their theater and dance departments and I’ve traveled to their campus and I work with the students in New York at NYU and mentoring young artists. I can say, ‘Hey look, I came from nowhere and I just kind of flailed and figured it out as I went along.’

I wish I’d had a mentor, so it’s good. They gave me the honorary degree, but the honor is mine.

And it works perfectly with your mentor position on the show.

Its really cool. That’s one of the reasons I was drawn to the script, because it spoke to me, obviously.

Did Amy approach you initially?

Yes. She’d seen me in “Anything Goes” on Broadway and we had a meeting. I had no idea she was thinking of me for the pilot of Bunheads. Two weeks later, she asked me to read, then they offered me the role and I was freaked out! It’s awesome. It’s a dream job and I’m having the time of my life.

You’ve been in a number of popular revival productions in addition to “Anything Goes.” How do you approach a familiar character?

It’s intimidating. When I decided to take on Reno Sweeney, my character in ‘Anything Goes,’ I was terrified and paralyzed by it. I was following the footsteps of Ethel Merman and Patti Lupone and all these greats. You know it’s, ‘I can’t do this, I can’t do this. How do I do this?’ Well, you can go one of two ways, you can watch everything you can, listen to every recording and everything that’s been done before. Or you can not and just treat it as it’s never been done before.

I treated it as a musical that had just been written and it was a character that I had to figure out, from my point of view, inside out. That’s how I did it, but it took me a long time to figure her out.

You went straight from the run of “Anything Goes“ to Bunheads. Did [co-star] Joel Grey say ‘No, don’t go, don‘t leave us”?

He did! Joel and I became really close

PG 22 • January 2013 • insiteatlanta.com

IT’S AWESOME. IT’S A DREAM JOB AND I’M HAVING THE TIME OF MY LIFE.

and it was really hard to leave. But I also knew it was the right thing to move on. It was hard to leave that family there.

But the Bunheads cast is your family, too, right? What episode are you working on now?

We’re on episode 15 now, so yeah when you spend 10-15 hours a day together, it is a family. It’s an incredible crew and we all get along really well. I couldn’t have asked for a better first experience in the world of television.

What is it like working with Amy? It’s really fun to be around her. She’s smart and I consider her to be a friend. She really believes in the characters and the material is awesome. You always hope to have good material to work with and this is great!

And somehow you make time to do live concerts as well. Have the audiences changed since you’ve been on television since last June?

It’s interesting, because I realize that more people have seen me on Bunheads than have ever seen me on stage and it’s crazy. The exposure have been great. And it’s good that I’m on a show where I get to sing and dance.

The audiences have changed a little bit but I’m proud that the bulk of my career has been as a stage performer. It’s what I set out to do. I wanted to be known as a Broadway performer. It’s my true passion and what I really feel like I was born to do.

Bunheads airs weekly on ABC Family.

TV

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR

A down-to-Earth chat with Toks Olagundoye, the magnetic star of ABC’s out-of-this-world alien comedy The Neighbors

BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

B

understand that without the lows you can’t have the highs.

EYOND THE BEAUTIFULLY COMPLICATED When The Neighbors script was initially presented to full name (Olatokunbo Susan Olasobunmi Abeke you, was it an easy sell? C’mon, an alien named Jackie Olagundoye) and interesting lineage (Toks, as she’s Joyner Kersey?! commonly referred, is half Norwegian and half Nigerian), If I’m being completely honest, at the point that I was Toks’ thespian journey is much like everyone at when I got the script, it’s not like I was else’s: she studied fine arts at Massachusetts’ SO, I HAVE A VERY about to pick and choose. I just wanted Smith College, relocated to New York for a job. And it was odd. I love sci-fi. I am a SARCASTIC DARK some off Broadway and Law & Order guest complete sci-fi geek and I love comedy. In SENSE OF HUMOR. my opinion, there have not been a lot of spots before ending up in Hollywood. There was an episode of CSI: New York here and a great comedies on television recently. I read BUT IT’S FUNNY. failed pilot there. And then came the script the breakdown and I thought, “Okay, well, JUST A LITTLE for The Neighbors, a peculiar ABC sitcom that’s odd. All right, well, I’ll see what I can OFFENSIVE. WE about a group of extraterrestrials trying do with it.” And I read it and I thought, “Oh to live normal human lives in a gated New OFFEND EVERYONE, God, this is funny!” I do like odd things Jersey community. The 37-year-old Toks anyway, but I was like, “Well this is actually SO IT’S OKAY. (rhymes with “jokes”) plays an alien named really well written, and it’s funny and it’s Jackie Joyner-Kersey, the prim matriarch fast paced and it’s very clever.” But I thought with the polished sense of humor. But if you think all that maybe I was misreading it, so I worked with a coach and sounds odd, just wait ‘til you hear about her love of going I took it to him and he was like, “Oh, no. This is actually to archery ranges in high heels. a really funny premise. One of the funniest that I’ve read in awhile.”

Your journey to budding stardom had its rough patches.

What kept you on that road to acting and not giving up?

I hear you’re a big a fan of archery and going to the gun I was put on this planet to act. I come from a family range. What is that all about? of… you know, I’m half Nigeria and half Norwegian.

Yes! Several years ago, a friend of mine took us all to an Very practical people. My dad went to Harvard, Yale, archery range for her birthday. That’s what she wanted and MIT and has a degree in engineering and a degree in to do. She had always wanted to try it. We went to an business. He’s been a banker his whole life. My mum is archery range in Queens, New York, and I was just really a fashion designer, so that is art. But she owns her own good at it immediately. And I really like it because my clothing store. My parents are both very business minded. brain is always racing and it’s always going and, with Everyone in my family is very business minded and they archery, you have to kind of silence everything and focus are able to help me in the business world, or [whatever and I really like the experience of that. So, I started to other] path I wanted to take. So, even though the path has do it more regularly and I am fairly good at it. [Editor’s been really difficult, it was not like I would be struggling.

Note: This interview was conducted before the Newton, I’m not going to die on the street. I have family who could CT, tragedy occurred.] And then, I had always been very help me out. And they offered to, but it was just that I scared of guns, growing up in a military government in a did not want to work behind a desk and I did not want to third-world country, I’ve had a few too many interactions work in an office. It is just not for me. I’ve tried it. I am with guns that were not fun, not pleasant. So, I’ve been just not happy and I am very aware that I have one go at very, very scared of guns. My last encounter with being this life, and I really believe that… whether it’s God or the around guns in an unfavorable situation was probably six universe or whatever you like to call it, there is something years ago, and I promised myself that I would learn how bigger than all of us and there is a plan and there is a road, to use a gun. If I were ever in a situation like that again, I and I believe that if you can just really feel where you are needed to know how to use one. So, when I found out that supposed to be, and believe it, but most importantly work this show had gotten picked up initially, I treated myself as hard as you can towards it, it will come. And not to by going to a class, because I wasn’t about to go to a gun say that things haven’t been difficult for me. I’ve had jobs range and pick up a gun and shoot one. They have actual that I have not wanted to have. No one wants to work in safety classes you can take where you learn about the guns a restaurant unless they want to own one. You know what and you learn how to use one and what could happen and I mean? When I moved to L.A., I slept on a mattress for [you learn about] the laws, gun laws, in California and over a year and a half. I had no furniture for a really long stuff like that. So, I went and learned and all that stuff, time. I just had a mattress and a television. And you know, and I’m not going to lie, about half way through the class there have been some real low lows. But I was raised to I was like, “I don’t want to do this anymore. You’re scaring

me.” But I went wearing high heels —I do everything in heels except, on the show, they won’t let me where heels because I’m a giant— but the instructor was like, “You can’t shoot in heels. It’s going to throw you off.” And I was like, “I shoot archery in heels. Just let me.” He let me because I didn’t have any other shoes. And as it turns out, I’m a natural.

Tell me a little about your production company, Unlimited Ceiling.

Yeah, it’s something I’m very excited about. Unlimited Ceiling is a production company that I started earlier [in 2012]. I also have a theater company in New York, which is a nonprofit theater company. Unfortunately, since I have been here, it hasn’t been doing anything. It’s kind of been an umbrella company for other nonprofit theaters. I have been writing for a really long time. I was seven with my little poem I wrote in Nigeria. I have always liked writing.

When I was at the university, my writing professors encouraged me to change my focus from acting to writing, but an actor is what I am. But I’ve always written and I would never show my stuff to anybody. Then, I sort of was put in a situation where some people wanted to write something and no one else would write it and I was like, “I’ll try my hand at it” and I did. Everyone was very excited about it. It ended up getting kind of shopped around to four production companies and someone picked it up and we started to film it. It’s a web series [on YouTube].

The series that is out now is called “The Alpha Series.”

It is essentially a short for every letter of the alphabet, and so far we have A, B and C out. And D is actually being released the beginning of next week. So, yeah, we are going to go all the way through to Z. And, I mean, my writing, well, I am half Norwegian and half Nigerian, which means that I am half completely silly and half very dark.

Which side is which?

The humorous side is the Nigerian side. Very jovial people. Then the dark side is the Norwegian side. Also very nice people. They have a very dark sense of humor.

Very peaceful society. I’m just putting it out there. But, yeah, I mean we’re odd people, so I definitely get my odd side from there. So, I have a very sarcastic dark sense of humor. But it’s funny. Just a little offensive. We offend everyone, so it’s okay. insiteatlanta.com • January 2013 • PG 23

OUTDOOR

JEAN-MICHEL COUSTEAU

On His Father’s Legacy & The Future of Marine Conservation

BY BRET LOVE

O

NE OF MY EARLIEST influences in the field of nature/ wildlife conservation was Jacques Cousteau. In films and TV shows such as The Underwater Odyssey of Commander Cousteau, the legendary explorer-turnedconservationist inspired a generation with his passion for marine life and the preservation of their habitat.

Jacques and his eldest son had a notoriously difficult relationship, but Jean-Michel Cousteau ran the Cousteau Society for the Protection of Ocean Life for 14 years before starting his own non-profit organization, Ocean Futures Society. Now, through OFS and books and films such as My Father, The Captain, Jean-Michel continues to spread his father’s message on the importance of marine conservation.

I was honored to get a chance to talk to the 74-year-old adventurer/educator about the legacy of Jacques Cousteau, the evolution of the conservation movement, and what each of us can do to help protect our planet’s precious oceans. so I wrote the book to share the truth.

Talk to me a little bit about your Was it difficult to revisit your somewhat father’s influence on you as a marine turbulent history with your dad? conservationist.

Yes, the book was very tough for me Conservation, biodiversity… those words because you have to tell the reality. The did not exist when I was a child. My father fact is that Jacque Cousteau was not was a gentleman whose curiosity led him necessarily an easy gentleman to live to do amazing things, but at the time with, but he was fascinating. I don’t regret he was unknown. We lived in the south one second, except that I wish he’d lived of France because he was in the Navy, another 10 years. The book led me to stationed in Touloin. We grew up along focus on making a 1-hour special about the coast, and I was in the water pretty the impact my father has had on today’s much every day. At the age of seven, he put decision-makers. I did 47 interviews a tank on my back and on the back of my highlighting some of the people who have 4-year-old brother, and we became instant made a difference in our world. I spoke to scuba divers. There was no certification David Wolper, the producer in those days: It was who put Jacques Cousteau the very beginning of WE CAN ALL DO A on television worldwide, Scuba. When I was 18, and Dr. Phil Nuytten, who is BETTER JOB. WE when he wanted me to opening the door to the next WANT TO STOP wear a tuxedo for the wave of ocean exploration opening of The Silent USING THE OCEAN with the Exosuit. You’ll be World in 1956, I realized able to go down to 1000 feet AS A GARBAGE my father must be a in 5 minutes. You can swim, big shot.

CAN, BECAUSE IT be propelled, and walk on the ocean floor for 10 hours KILLS THAT FOOD When did you or more. This is so exciting! begin taking a more WHICH WE DEPEND To me, he is the next Jacques personal interest in Cousteau in terms of UPON AND PUTS conservation? exploring the ocean.

FISHERMAN OUT It registered with me back then that there OF BUSINESS. How would you say thoughts were less and less fish, on marine conservation and more and more have evolved since your garbage, where I was going in the water. father passed away?

That was the foundation of everything It’s evolved in the fact that you’re calling I’ve done since then. My father’s sense of me, and there are more people who care. curiosity was not only imprinted upon me, Those words– marine conservation– are but the entire team, including my mother. now part of the vocabulary people use She played a critical role during the decades every day. We are all connected thanks to of my father’s exploration. She wanted to the Communication Revolution, with 7 be a naval officer, but in those days women billion people around the world who can were not allowed. The best she could do was now talk to each other. There are no more to find [a naval officer] and marry him. He borders. I think we need to understand quit the Navy and bought his own boat, and that there is only one ocean– one water she spent more time on the Calypso than my system– and, if you ski or drink a glass father, myself and my brother put together. of water, you are skiing on the ocean or That’s why I wrote the book, My Father, The drinking the ocean. We all depend on the Captain, which was published by National quality of that water for the quality of our Geographic: I read unauthorized biographies lives. The fact that there are 4000-5000 and realized that many mistakes were made,

PG 24 • January 2013 • insiteatlanta.com

kids dying every day because of polluted water has to change. The young people today, who understand the importance of the management of our environment, will be the good decision makers of tomorrow.

They’ll take care of those 4000-5000 kids.

I believe that will change due to education and communication. Every human being has a heart, and we need to reach their hearts in order to make a difference.

Can you talk about how that relates to the Ocean Futures Society’s mission?

Our educational program, Ambassador of the Environment, is expanding in different parts of the world. We’ll open 2 in the next six months– one in St. Thomas, the other in Puerto Rico. We have one on a cruise ship, one on Catalina Island, one in Hawaii and so on. That educational material is available to teachers and to all of the kids who come into the program. Our second educational program is called Sustainable Reef, and it’s sponsored by people who want to adopt a region such as French Polynesia, British Virgin Islands, or American Samoa.

We’re going to be doing the same thing in the State of Amazonas with a new program called Sustainable Rainforest: The Amazon is the biggest rainforest in the world, and contains up to 20% of the fresh water on the planet. That’s a very exciting project for which we need funds, and we’re working with people who will help us.

One of my favorite quotes from you is “Protect the ocean and you protect yourself ”. Can you explain why protecting the ocean is so important?

That’s our short mission at Ocean Futures Society, which I created to honor my father’s philosophy after he passed away.

The idea is very simple: We all depend on the quality of the ocean’s water. The ocean evaporates and creates clouds, clouds create snow and rain, which makes the rivers and streams. We drink it, we bathe in it– we use it all the time. If you have no water, you have no life. If you have bad water, you have bad life. We’re all connected to that water

system: Not just humans, but plants and animals, too. So we need to manage it like we manage a business. If you live off the interest produced by the capital, you can go on forever. We’re adding another 100 million people to the planet every year, so we need to become better managers. And there are ways to solve the problems we are facing today.

People can sometimes become disheartened with all of the bad environmental news. What steps should people take to get involved with improving the state of the marine life?

The public should stop being blinded by the media. The media can sell bad news, but they have a hard time selling good news. And there is a lot of good news, thanks to science, researchers and communicators. It starts at home, with every one of us. All the time I ask, “What else can I do?” I’ve changed my car, and I save $600 a year because of my small hybrid. I turn off all the lights, and that’s money at the end of the month. I’m not using any plastic bags, because I have my own bags. Every one of us has the opportunity to save money and help the environment. The same thing goes for industry, towns, villages and cities. We can all do a better job. We want to stop using the ocean as a garbage can, because it kills that food which we depend upon and puts fisherman out of business. We need to stop allowing chemicals and heavy metals to go into the ocean. There are new technologies, new treatment methods, which means new jobs.

What keeps you going now, when you’re in your mid-70s?

I could retire, but I’m not that selfish.

When I get a little depressed because of the bad news, I look into the eyes of a 7 year old and I ask, “Am I going to let you down?” No, never! I recharge my batteries that way, and go back to doing the best we can. People can help us, help other organizations, and help themselves.

TRAVEL

TOP 10 DREAM TRIPS FOR 2013

BY BRET LOVE

W

E DON’T BELIEVE IN MAKING New Year’s resolutions, but we do believe in writing down your hopes, dreams and goals for the coming year in order to give yourself a well-defined sense of direction. It’s unlikely that we’ll take quite as many trips as we did last year, because we have some big projects (writing a book, launching bespoke editing and social media consulting services, etc.) we want to tackle. So we’ve chosen our Top 10 Dream Trips for 2013 very carefully in hopes that we’ll have a chance at making many of them become reality this year.

KENYA/TANZANIA

Our #1 Dream Trip from last year holds the top spot, and likely won’t relinquish it until my 12-year dream safari finally becomes reality. These two East African countries are a Mecca for wildlife lovers thanks to incredible attractions such as the Masai Mara Reserve, Amboseli National Park, Ngorogoro Crater and Serengeti National Park. But there’s also the rich culture of the Maasai people, the impressive landscapes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and the archaeological import of Olduvai Gorge (where the Leakey family found humanity’s ancient ancestors).

THAILAND

We’d never given Thailand much thought until our friend Diana got a job at Elephant Nature Park and educated us on the work being done there to rehabilitate elephants injured after being used in the tourist trade. We’d also love to visit the nation’s northern mountains (home to numerous wildlife species and hill tribes), the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ban Chiang, the ancient city of Ayutthaya, the island of Koh Muk (including the Emerald Cave), and some of their many natural and historical parks. This would also be a landmark trip for us because it would be our first trip to Asia proper.

INDIA

Indian culture has held a deep fascination for me ever since I was a child, reading Rudyard Kipling books. As I grew older, everything about the subcontinent seemed magical, from the music and mythology to the art and cuisine. We’d love to explore as much of India as possible, rafting in the foothills of the Himalayas, witnessing sunrise at the Taj Mahal, looking for tigers in Rathnambore National Park, taking a boat into the Kerala backwater, experiencing the spirituality of Varanasi and soaking up the kaleidoscopic colors of Rajasthan.

BRITISH COLUMBIA’S GREAT BEAR RAINFOREST

After we learned about this ecotourism haven from a naturalist guide during our recent trip to see polar bears in Churchill, British Columbia’s Great Bear Rainforest immediately shot up high on our list. A chance at seeing the extremely rare Spirit Bears is obviously a huge draw, but so is the opportunity to learn about the preservation efforts of the local First Nations people, go whale watching, and explore an ancient 2 million hectare forest packed with grizzlies, wolves, salmon and more.

BELIZE

Another holdover from last year, Belize is one of the few remaining Latin American countries (along with Bolivia) we long to visit. I’ve been dreaming about it ever since my first trip to Costa Rica back in 1998– exploring the Mayan

ruins, visiting the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary & Jaguar Preserve, and spending some time in Hopkins Village (the only continuous Garifuna settlement in Central America). And now that Mary and I are Scuba certified, we could take full advantage of the world-renowned diving off the nation’s coast.

THAILAND

NORWAY

Will Norway will be GGT’s first European press trip? After the great stories shared by our former intern Holly Young (who has family there), we’re dying to explore the gorgeous waters of Hardangerfjord, hike in the Jotunheimen Mountains, and meet the indigenous Sámi people. We’d also love to explore the Arctic wonderland of Svalbard, which has 23 nature reserves and 7 national parks filled with diverse wildlife, is 60% covered by glaciers, and is reportedly an amazing place to witness the Northern Lights.

TAHITI

TAHITI

We’ve already gotten an official invite from a VERY posh resort here, so we’re hoping to make Tahiti our first big press trip of 2013.

Ideally we’ll spend a few days of romantic R&R in Bora Bora, which will be a refreshing change of pace after our recent focus on colder destinations. Then we’ll hopefully head to the tropical paradise of Moorea (which is known for its majestic mountains and waterfalls) and/ or the endless lagoons of Rangoria, the second largest atoll in the world (and a haven for Scuba divers).

AUSTRALIA

We didn’t include the Land Down Under on this list last year for two simple reasons: 1) Getting there seemed so far outside the realm of possibility that to even dream about it seemed ludicrous, and 2) We weren’t certified to dive the Great Barrier Reef. Now, 12 months later, our traffic has increased by 500% and we’ve got brand spankin’ new SSI Scuba cards. In addition to exploring the world’s largest marine sanctuary, we’d also love to see the ancient aboriginal artwork at Kakadu National Park, see the myriad ecosystems of Fraser Island, witness the sun setting on Uluru (a.k.a. Ayers Rock), visit Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo (now run by wife Terri), and hug a cuddly koala.

AUSTRALIA

MOROCCO

This North African country is another destination that’s been on my list of dream trips for well over a decade now, ever since I fell in love with the country’s culture via the writings of Paul Bowles and the music of Bachir Attar and the Master Musicians of Jajouka. We’d love to experience the rites of Pan in the Atlas Mountains, attend Essaouira’s annual Gnaoua World Music Festival, and explore the markets of Fes El Bali (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).

SCOTLAND

SCOTLAND

This one would arguably be the most personal dream trip of all. Back before my beloved grandfather died, I interviewed him about our family’s history, which was when I learned that our lineage could be traced back to the Scottish King Kenneth MacAlpin. Apparently one of his ancestors, a young man named Ian, came over to America sometime in the late 1700s or early 1800s and changed his name to Love when he got to Ellis Island. I’d love to learn more about my family’s lineage, and then visit the towns in rural Scotland from which my ancestors originated. Given my love for my late granddad, it’s sure to be a deeply emotional journey.

insiteatlanta.com • January 2013 • PG 25

LOCAL

FIGHT THE POWER

The REAL Erin Brockovich Comes to Atlanta

BY BRET LOVE

L

ONG BEFORE JULIA ROBERTS earned an Academy Award for portraying her on the big screen, the real Erin Brockovich was grabbing headlines as an outspoken environmental activist with the cojones to take on huge corporations such as Pacific Gas & Electric.

Starting in 1993, without any formal legal education, Brockovich was instrumental in building a class action lawsuit against PG&E, alleging contamination of drinking water in Hinkley, California with a chemical known as chromium VI. Fighting on behalf of Hinkley’s residents, Brockovich’s firm settled in 1996 for $333 million, which was the largest settlement ever paid in a direct action lawsuit.

In the years since, Brockovich has continued to serve as an anti-pollution advocate around the country, battling the Whitman Corporation over chromium contamination in California, filing a lawsuit against Prime Tanning Corp. over chromium-related brain tumors in Missouri, and investigating abnormally high levels of chromium in the water of Midland, Texas.

In November she came to Atlanta to speak on behalf of Ogeechee Riverkeeper and environmental law firm GreenLaw, who are currently embroiled in litigation over King American Finishing‘s continued dumping of formaldehyde and ammonia into Savannah’s

Ogeechee River. We were honored to get a few minutes of 1-on-1 time with this icon of the grassroots environmental movement.

What originally made you take an interest in environmental causes?

I’m from the Midwest, and always played in the woods and creeks growing up. My father, an engineer, taught me the value of water, so I’ve always seen it as precious. But it wasn’t until I got involved in the Hinkley groundwater contamination case that I understood how precious it was. Water– the most necessary element to sustain life– was killing everything.

I had a visceral response. I realized that we ARE the environment, and without the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we produce, we’re done as a society. We can’t just keep taking and not giving back. We are putting Mother Nature in a precarious position, and we need to rethink how we’re going to treat that environment, because we’re one in the same.

What would you say are your biggest concerns about the environmental situation in America today?

The EPA is over-burdened, understaffed and under-funded. They have 30,000 superfund sites that they’ve yet to clean up. We’re involved in some cases that took them 30 years to respond to and, in the meantime, people are in peril.

Plus, it’s not the EPA’s job to come back and

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check on the health and welfare of communities.

All of these problems started happening in the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s, but we’re really just starting to see the impact today.

What do you see as signs of positive progress within the eco movement?

What makes me hopeful is seeing the opening up of social media, with grass roots organizations and non-profit law firms coming in to help. We’re beginning to collect a lot of data, and seeing a much larger picture. We can’t just sit back and think that the EPA is going to save us, because they’re not. We need to do that ourselves. There are 30 million people in the United States, with a lot in Georgia, on well water. That system is completely off the grid, so it’s not regulated and no one is monitoring it.

Nearly every groundwater contamination case we have comes from a community off the grid that suddenly reports, “I have 17 children on my block alone with Leukemia.” Sure enough, they’re close to a facility that’s been releasing containments for who knows how long.

So that’s what brought you here to Georgia?

Yes. This is exactly what’s happening down in Savannah, with King American Finishing dumping all of their formaldehyde and ammonia into the Ogeechee River. All the people with homes along that riverbank that are on well water are now sucking up formaldehyde and other containments in their drinking water.

You don’t have to be a scientist or a doctor to hear the cries of a community– who have a lot better things to do with their time than tell lies about children with cancer– and understand that something is very wrong. Between Green Law and Stack & Associates, a firm associated with us, we have two actions pending– a permit challenge and a clean water act challenge. Every penny raised at the fundraiser tonight goes towards funding that litigation.

What’s your take on the government’s tepid response the King America Finishing case?

They’ve gone through the system and proven malfeasance there. The government could’ve fined them a huge sum of money, but instead gave them a slap on the wrist. I’m very concerned about that. The EPA is supposed to be releasing info on Chromium 6 in drinking water. But it’s being delayed by a scientist who we already caught red-handed in hijacking a Chromium 6 study, trying to prove that it didn’t cause cancer when studies showed that it did.

Yet the EPA is relying on that scientist! I’ve never wanted to think that industry and government are one in the same, but it’s starting to look that way. It’s happening on a federal, state and local level. The Center for Integrity out of DC is finally starting to get involved, because this is an integrity issue. Like the corporate world, the political world has become all about fear or greed.

How will your People’s Reporting Registry project help in cases like this?

For the past two years, I’ve been creating a map noting where people who are on well water report pollution-related concerns. Those concerns now cover half of America! So we started the People´s Reporting Registry, and now Google wants to work with us on this.

You’re going to Savannah tomorrow to meet the people affected by the KAF case. What is

PG 26 • January 2013 • insiteatlanta.com

the emotional impact for you of visiting these communities being decimated by pollution?

We’re destroying living elements. Plants, water, nature and life are disappearing, and that makes me sad. So it’s deep sorrow. The hope is that the affected communities will see it and come together, like they are in Savannah. It’s beautiful! Let’s rise up against industry and get these communities cleaned up! Let´s save this ecosystem! It doesn’t have to be this way. It just makes me want to fight harder.

In your speech tonight you mentioned fracking, which has been propped up by Big Energy as a better alternative than drilling for oil. But it seems as if it has equal, if not more, dangers involved. Can you talk about what you’ve discovered about fracking?

The process of [hydraulic fracturing] is violent.

People are reporting that their wells are running dry, the earth shakes with stress fractures, and it causes damage to the home. You can see what’s happening in Josh Fox’s film, GasLand, and yet we’re still not doing anything about it.

Everybody wants energy, but we need to look at how we’re extracting it and the price we’re paying on the process. Are we cleaning these fracturing chemicals back up? How much water are we taking? We’re getting so greedy and careless that we’re not observing what’s happening to the environment around us. Right now, fracking seems to be a bigger problem in a shorter amount of time, with many more people reporting problems than we ever had with oil drilling.

What message would you like to convey to readers who might be dealing with ground water pollution in their own community?

I can’t be everywhere at once, but each person in each neighborhood can be an Erin Brockovich. They can be the lawyer mind, the scientist mind, the human mind, as well as the pissed-off mother saying, “I’m going to protect my baby bears!” Believe in yourself. Let´s get to know our neighbors again. Let´s begin to observe our environment again. If trees aren’t growing, wildlife is dying and water is running green, it isn’t normal. Fish kills aren’t normal.

We need to question that, and to take action!

MUSIC

YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH Fiction Reform Continues to Spread The Gospel of SoCal Punk

BY JOHN B. MOORE

O

RANGE COUNTY’S FICTION Reform put out an amazing debut last year, but it turns out they were simply warming up. The just-released follow up, Take Your Truth, takes a bigger booted step forward with a more cohesive sound, stronger guitars and lyrics that punch hard. The band has spent the better part of the year sleeping on floors across the country, playing clubs (sometimes getting stiffed for their efforts) and promoting the gospel of SoCal punk rock. And it shows, with a more confident, comfortable sound.

Brenna Red spoke recently about how this record came together, lessons learned from a year on the road and what’s next for the group.

Let’s start out by talking about Take Your Truth. What can you tell me about the record?

For local DIY bands, for punk music, for ourselves we wanted to raise the bar. Unlike our last album which was written without any singer involved in the process, we massaged these songs over and over by the four of us for the last year. It’s got more of our personalities in it. “Jimmy” and “(Don’t) Keep At Your Distance” is the catchy up-tempo style I

associate myself with while “Shellac & Vinyl” is more of a hardcore progression which Danny (Baeza) relates more to. One of Danielle (Lehman’s) favorite songs is “Who’s To Blame” which makes sense seeing as one of her favorite bands are Bad Religion and The Descendants.

And Aaron had a huge effect of making the songs differ from one to the next by layering each with melodic guitar riffs over some aggressive chords.

How did working on this one compare to the first?

Danny and Aaron (Chabak) wrote Revelation entirely of chords and beats, no melodies or words. They had no clue what was in store for them when I came in to put a bow on the album and lay down the lyrics. I finished all 10 songs without them knowing what to expect.

While it was a great record and it came out well received it was awkward, a bit contrived.

This band thinks alike, meshes so well, and is a solid team. We love writing music together now because we’re more intuitive with the other person. This new album is a great representation of that bond.

So it’s fair to say you changed the way you went about writing the songs for this one?

We completely changed it up. We had the time and energy to evolve into a music making machine. Well oiled and functioning at a productive pace. We understand how each member becomes inspired and how each becomes frustrated. I like figuring out a song’s main personality before we hammer out the structure while Aaron likes to do the exact opposite. True that can lead to some friction, but we get a great result.

Any lineup changes since Revelation?

We added Danielle at the beginning of Take Your Truth’s inception. I personally say, this is the greatest thing that has happened to us.

As far as the relationship between us, I have so much fun with her on stage. She’s as silly as I am with her sweet Beavis and Butthead dance moves. When you see us on stage, you’ll often see us cracking up from just being dumb.

We’ve gained so much support from new fans just from her alone. She believes in this band as much as we do. She takes the same pride as the original two, Danny and Aaron. We’re all so lucky to have her.

You guys toured a lot around the last record.

Any lessons you learned on the road?

Don’t lay on the floor if you’re in Fresno.

Always wear non slick shoes on stage. Not all beer is created equal. If someone offer’s you 10 shots, just say no. Fabreez is a van’s best friend. Have a good playlist and not just seven scratched CD’s. Pack lots of socks and underpants. Baby wipes are not a substitute for a shower. Tequila is a dangerous companion.

Sleeping is for babies and old people. Always

BACK TO SCHOOL

Former Audio Karate Bandmates Reunite As Indian School

BY JOHN B. MOORE

I

T TAKES A LOT TO WALK AWAY FROM A BAND whose reputation and fanbase are on the rise. But that’s just what Arturo Barrios and his bandmates from Audio Karate did in 2004. Years on the road, playing with bands like The Vandals and Say Anything, had taken their toll and the joy was clearly gone.

Years back at home and back-to-back car accidents, however, convinced Barrios that he might still have something to offer the music world, so he rang up several of his ex-bandmates (Anthony Leach, Justo Gonzalez and Gabriel Camacho), added Eric Wood on piano and christened the group Indian School. The group has just put out the wildly addictive EP The Cruelest Kind on Animal Style Records, and may even get back on the road again.

Barrios spoke with us recently about those fortuitous car wrecks, the healing powers of My Morning Jacket and the meaning of their name.

I guess the first obvious question is why you didn’t just keep the name Audio Karate?

Well, there are a few reasons, but ultimately it came down to feeling it was the right thing to move on from that part of our lives. In retrospect, Audio Karate was over the moment we were on tour in San Antonio and we all realized it wasn’t fun anymore.

We wanted this band to be a new start, and most importantly we wanted it to be fun again.

So what happened with Audio Karate? Did you guys just burn out from touring?

have a backup plan. And get your guarantee before you play!

Have you started to set up tour plans around this one yet?

We have plans to do what I call the “L” shaped tour. Up and down the west coast and out to New Mexico and back. We are also aiming to hit Texas. We’ve got Arizona booked for January. The Bay area in March. And we’re going back and forth with people in Europe.

Nothing close to official, just seeing what’s possible. We get a lot of fans asking us to hit up New York, France, Ohio, Canada, the UK, etc.... but we’ve got to focus on the west coast while we’re doing the DIY route. Let’s make enough of a buzz here so that we do land a national tour. That’s our goal.

Those are all the questions I have. Anything else you want to cover?

We want to thank all of our friends/family/ fans that support us every day. It means the most to us. Without it, we’d just be another band. We’ve got a special surprise in store for the future. We’ve saved a of couple songs that we’ll be releasing on a 7 inch. I’m in the process of getting the details for leasing it out thru a local label. Once we have more solid details, we’ll let you know thru our websites. Check our www.fictionreform.com for all news updates. And www.facebook. com/fictionreform for our ramblings and nonsensical jokes. See ya round!

The short answer is yes, we burned out. I don’t think we knew what was in store for us. In 2004, after our second record, I think we were home like 35 days of the 365 days in the year. It’s easy to see now that we should have paced ourselves. A tough road life combined with missing our girlfriends, families and homecooked Mexican food, it just became too heavy of a hand to carry.

Ironically, now older, wiser and knowing what to prepare for, I would be willing and ready to tour like crazy. Jason (Camacho), our old Audio Karate guitarist, has actually been really supportive of the new band.

Can you elaborate a bit about the accidents and how they ultimately led to starting this band?

So I had pretty much walked away from music. I hadn’t written a song in maybe two or three years. I had a career, house, a shitty girlfriend... you know, everything a guy could ask for. Then I get rear ended by this huge truck on a freeway and looking back it kinda woke me up. I almost got fired because I couldn’t work, and two weeks later me and my then girlfriend were done. Almost losing everything, I knew something was missing and I knew what it was but making music again just didn’t seem plausible yet. So I sucked it up and went back to work and nine months later, boom, another car accident! Luckily it wasn’t as bad as the first collision but because I had permanent injuries from the first wreck, it exasperated those injuries. At that point I said screw work they can fire my ass, and a few weeks later restless and limited to walking just inside my house I decided to pick up the guitar.

The addition of Eric on piano is brilliant. Did you think twice about adding in a piano player? It’s a little different from some of your earlier stuff.

No, I knew with this band we needed a multi-instrumentalist type; someone to force us to think out of the box in terms of what could be achieved musically. While I was in bed after the accident I watched My Morning Jacket’s live DVD Okonokos over and over.

They implement their piano player so well I knew that’s what I wanted to do.

In writing/recording this record, did you give a thought to whether or not it would appeal to fans of your previous band?

To be honest my thinking when I first started writing was not to

have a band at all, it was to record songs and license them. After some thought I realized doing the band thing would be more fun.

So, no I didn’t give any thought to what Audio Karate fans would think because I didn’t think they’d hear it or for that matter, know who was behind the songs if they had.

How did you connect with Matt at Animal Style?

Matt actually came to see us play in Hollywood and he knew about Audio Karate and he’s clearly doing what he does for the right reasons.

So do you want to talk about the band’s name? I’m dying to know what it’s a reference to.

(Laughs) I’m sworn to secrecy... for now.

Have you started thinking about a full-length album yet?

We’ve thought about it, but we’re not sure yet. I mean, making an album used to mean a lot more years ago. Now it seems like you can get just as much out of an EP as a full-length. We’re gonna write some more songs and we’ll see where we are then. If the collection of songs we have feels like an LP, then so it shall be.

What’s next for the band?

Touring seems to be the logical step, and we’re looking to head out by the end of the year. We’ll probably start demoing or even recording by that time, too. insiteatlanta.com • January 2013 • PG 27

COLUMN

GUNS, MONSTERS, AND HOPE A

BY IAN COVELL

LL IN ALL THERE WERE 16 MASS shootings that caused 151 deaths in 2012. While the debate seems to have quieted, this is merely the calm before the storm. New gun control measures are being proposed so the debate will be sure to flare up again. This is an extremely complex issue so, for the sake of simplicity, this article will attempt to narrow the sides of the gun control debate down to Left, Right, and “Somewhere in the Middle”. Before we begin, here are the most recent facts from a 2009 CDC report on gun violence in the United States.

Suicide: 18,735 deaths Homicide: 11,493 deaths Unintentional: 554 deaths Legal interventions: 333 deaths Undetermined: 232 deaths Total: 31,347 deaths

The Right says we need more “good guys” with guns to fight the “bad guys” with guns. Their theory is that the best defense is a strong offense. Not bad in football, but does anyone remember the shootout in New York earlier this year where cops shot 9 innocent bystanders in an attempt to subdue a gunman? The qualified armed security personnel that the NRA’s LaPierre is proposing could potentially do even more harm. Cowboys are better left in films. To be fair, however, this “good guys” with guns policy is precisely what the United States government projects when we see images of the Secret Service and our military in action. On some level, everyone agrees with this notion.

The unfounded claims are flying around as well. Some feel that “removing God” from schools has caused an uptick in violence. This is in complete and utter contradiction with the belief also held by this group that nothing can oppose God’s will. Well, nothing except for school boards apparently.

VIDIOTS

Supporters of the NRA, and non-supporters alike, also share suspicions that a culture of fantasy violence has contributed to the murders. They believe that a stronger rating system and regulations of the entertainment industry will help bring calm. Tipper Gore tried this in the 90’s with the PMRC and all it resulted in was an increase of album sales that were slapped with “explicit lyrics” labels. Fantasy is not reality and there has never been one shred of proof that violence in entertainment has a substantial link to violence in the real world. This one needs to be put to bed for good. Our culture of violence is influenced more by the 24 hour news cycle and our own government’s foreign policies than by Quentin Tarantino films or video games like Call of Duty.

The Left says that the government needs to clamp down on guns. They are in favor of making citizens register their firearms, of placing bans on assault rifles, and the number of rounds that ammunition magazines are capable of holding. This doesn’t sound bad, in fact, it’s quite a reasonable approach, however it neglects one thing. What would have happened if Adam Lanza had walked into Shady Hook wearing a concealed, homemade bomb? It wouldn’t matter how many” good guys” with guns were on duty in that case. The big picture is clearly not in focus.

Somewhere in the middle of this debate is the truth.

We need to hack away at the lies and fear-mongering, ask uncomfortable questions, listen to uncomfortable answers, and search for the truth with a vigilante and rational intellect. No idea should be scoffed at or dismissed out of hand. Instead we should be asking ourselves, “Why did this happen?” Gun violence, any violence for that matter, is a symptom of a societal disease. Regulating guns without being precisely as attentive to reforming mental health care attitudes and availability of treatments is an enormous mistake. Supporters of health care reform have the opportunity to deliver a powerful one-two punch and they are not seizing it.

CIRCLE JERKS: MY CAREER AS A JERK As one of the most influential hardcore bands of the ‘80s, it’s great to see the Circle Jerks finally get their own doc. David Markey (1991: the Year Punk Broke) manages to synthesize the Jerks’ story rather succinctly in just over an hour with interviews with frontman Keith Morris (currently in OFF!), guitarist Greg Hetson, drummers Lucky Lehrer and Earl Liberty, and bassist Zander Schloss. The doc also includes plenty of early live performances and insights from punk legends such as Henry Rollins and J Mascis.

FRANK CAPRA: THE EARLY COLLECTION Chances are pretty good that you watched Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life at least once over the course of the holiday season. But chances are equally good that you haven’t seen any of the classic Capra films contained on this excellent TCM boxed set. Capra, a Sicilian immigrant who moved to the US at age 6, went from rags to riches, becoming the first irector ever to have his name above the title after a series of hits made during the Great Depression.

The five films contained here– Ladies of Leisure, Rain Or Shine, The Miracle Woman, Forbidden and The Bitter Tea of General Yen– were all made between 1930 and 1933, and all but one feature Barbara Stanwyck as the female lead. These rare pre-Code films are an absolute mustsee for fans of filmmaking history.

DUCK DYNASTY: SEASON 1 At this point, “rednecks with money” should officially be recognized as a reality show subgenre. The latest and most entertaining entry so far is A&E’s Duck Dynasty, which follows the (likely staged) antics of the Robertsons, a Louisiana family who founded and run the successful hunting supply company, Duck Commander.

The obvious standouts when it comes to entertainment are brothers Willie (the CEO) and Jase (clearly NOT the CEO) and their crazy Vietnam vet uncle Si. This show could be a complete fake, but it’s still funny as hell and more satisfying than most realty shows on TV right now.

GIRLS: THE COMPLETE SERIES As a 39-year-old father of two living in the suburbs, I’m not exactly the target audience for Lena Dunham’s much buzzed-about HBO series, Girls. But damn, I was sold after just three episodes.

The snarky, somewhat dark comedy is so raw and uninhibited that you can’t help but get behind Dunham’s world of Millennials with low self-esteem, floating through New York with barely any ambition and more than a little help from mom and dad. Unflinchingly honest, Girls is one of those rare, strikingly original shows that actually manages to live up to all of the hype.

UPCOMING DVD RELEASESAND REVIEWS

BY B. LOVE & JOHN B. MOORE

PG 28 • January 2013 • insiteatlanta.com

The reasons that motivated Lanza are unknown and frankly, we are afraid to look. Why would someone kill innocent kids? How do we identify those among us that are capable of such crimes? Then after we identify them how do we intervene and either fix their mind or separate them from society and place them in a humane and compassionate environment. He obviously lashed out for attention in a sick, disgusting, and inexcusable way. He was a person. He was not a monster, but his actions were monstrous. To call Lanza monster is to relieve ourselves of the guilt that we are all a little to blame. That is the scary truth of it.

More gun control laws won’t help crazy people stop being crazy, or remove crazy people from society. That cannot be the only course, or the primary course, of action. There is already a law that says an individual cannot shoot up a room full of kids. Something deeper is going on and we need to get to the root.

How do we fight evil and monsters? Do we use guns or love? A simple act of kindness, performed by an ordinary person, multiplied over and over on a daily basis is the best weapon against great evil. By embracing this idea, I think then we can cure the disease instead of merely treat the symptoms.

Find out what’s really important in life. Stop worrying about the value of your 401K and worry about the value of unconditional love and understanding. Spend more time with your family and friends. Make connections, real connections with the people in your everyday world. Do you even know the name of the kid who serves you coffee every morning? If you do, that’s a start. We are all connected and we are all beautiful.

HUNG: THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON HBO’s favorite man-whore is back for a final season. Ray Drecker (Thomas Jane) is a former high school jock now coaching and paying the bills as a male prostitute.

Though the show never became a huge hit, there were still plenty of fans who tuned in each week. The cast is rounded out by Anne Heche as his whiney ex-wife and the brilliant Jane Adams as his pimp, Tanya, a feminist hippie in way over her head. In the final season, Drecker gets in trouble with the cops (thanks to spurning one of them when she got a little rough on their dates), has his nest egg stolen and somehow still manages to end up on top (pun intended).

MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000: XXV There are times (whenever I stumble onto Tosh 2.0) when I miss the early days of Comedy Central, back when Whose Line Is It Anyway? (the original British version) introduced America to improv and MST3K made late-night TV fun by making fun of really bad movies. There was an anything-goes spirit about the Satellite of Love crew, who made puppets out of gumball machines and delivered seemingly off-thecuff lines that would leave you gasping for air. This 4-DVD set compiles four previously unreleased episodes spanning the series’ run, from their first season on cable (Robot Holocaust) and Mike Nelson’s first season (Kitten With A Whip) to the end of its 11-year run (Revenge

of the Creature). Nearly 14 years after it ended, MST3K remains one of the most entertaining cult comedies in TV history.

STORAGE WARS TEXAS: SEASON 1 Storage Wars was a massive hit, so a spinoff was a given. This show takes the same theme of wacky entrepreneurs bidding on abandoned storage units, adding a Lone Star twist by setting it in Dallas and packing in colorful characters such as chunky cowboys Ricky and Bubba Smith, slick displaced New Yorker Vick, goofy podiatrist Moe (who can’t be for real), and thrift store owner Lisa, who is obviously every casting director’s dream Texan caricature. Like a car wreck (a highly addictive car wreck that shows up at the same time each week), you can’t help but watch every minute of it.

WHY STOP NOW This is one of those little seen indie films that certainly deserved a bigger audience. Jesse Eisenberg plays Eli, a piano prodigy who juggles taking care of his younger sister and drug-addicted mom (played flawlessly by Melissa Leo) and running the household, with little time left for himself. The movie takes place over the course of one day wherein he tries to get his mom into rehab, pay back a debt to her drug dealer (played with surprising renstraint

by Tracy Morgan), and squeeze in an audition for a piano scholarship. With different actors this could’ve all gone horribly wrong, but Eisenberg and Leo make this a fantastic, goofy comedy just begging for a bigger audience.

TV

DESPERATE NO MORE

With Her Hit TV Show Behind Her, Eva Longoria Remains Busier Than Ever

BY BRET LOVE

L

How did you get into the business?

It just sort of happened, but not until after college. I didn’t come here until I was 23, and even then I was like, “I think I’m going to try the acting thing.” It wasn’t a childhood dream. We didn’t grow up with movies, because we couldn’t really afford it. We grew up with network TV, watching Three’s Company and The Jeffersons. I didn’t grow up looking at movie stars and going, “I want to be that!” The role models in my life were my mom, my aunts, my sisters... the actual people in my life.

IKE MANY CAREER professionals, most celebrities yearn to be taken seriously, and want to believe that their remarkable fame and fortune is the result of hard work, dedication and determination rather than perfect cheekbones and serendipitous twists of fate.

Not Eva Longoria, the luscious and lovely Latina best known for her eight seasons on the hit serial dramedy, Desperate Housewives. “I don’t take anything seriously,” she admits with a smile so bright it could light small You’ve hosted the ALMA developing nations. numerous times I THINK I JUST LOVE Awards “Critics, reviews, now. Are your Latin paparazzi, the public... roots important to you?

PRETENDING TO BE We’re not curing cancer Absolutely. It defines SOMETHING ELSE. IT’S what here. We’re acting!

I do, how I do it, It’s a simple process, how I present myself and FUN TO PUT YOURSELF so I always think that I am. All my charity what we do is silly.

IN SOMEONE ELSE’S who work is Latin-oriented We’re playing makeSHOES AND MAKE UP because I didn’t have a believe every day and Latin role model growing getting paid.”

ALL THE CHOICES THAT up, so I want to expose Sitting in a posh Los to those children YOU THINK THIS PERSON myself Angeles hotel room, who can see themselves draped in a blanket while WOULD MAKE IN THESE in me and aspire to be sipping a vanilla latte, like me. I think CIRCUMSTANCES. IT’S A successful the charming Longoria the media portrayal of seems almost the exact GAME, SO I LOVE THE Latinos in television is opposite of her TV negative, but [the FACT THAT I PLAY. often character, the conniving ALMAs] recognizes the gold-digger Gabrielle positive images of Latinos Solis. Petite, quiet and intelligent, with a dry in entertainment. That’s why I wanted to sense of humor and a warm laugh, Longoria’s be a part of it.” refreshing lack of pretense seems rooted in her humble childhood, growing up the What was the initial attraction for you to youngest of four sisters on a ranch in Corpus take the role on Desperate Housewives?

Christi, Texas.

Well, here’s a show with four female leads By the age of 23 she’d earned her Bachelor when, as a woman, you’re always playing of Science in Kinesiology (the study of body the girlfriend or wife or partner of the movement) from Texas A&M-Kingsville and guy that’s the lead. Desperate Housewives won the title of Miss Corpus Christi USA, proved that women could carry a show, and which led to her discovery by a theatrical it also raised the expiration date to show agent and eventual move to Los Angeles to that women over 40 can still be fun and pursue an acting career. sexy and entertaining.

Now, with both Desperate Housewives and her failed marriage to the San Were you surprised when the show Antonio Spurs’ Tony Parker behind her, became such a huge hit? the 37-year-old actress is entering the Yeah, absolutely! I was probably the second act of her career. In addition to her most surprised, because I was just copious charity work, Longoria recently really naive. Teri Hatcher, Nicolette hosted the ALMA (American Latino Sheridan, Felicity Huffman and Marcia Media Arts) Awards and spoke in support Cross had all experienced hit shows of President Barack Obama’s re-election before. Marcia kept telling me, “Get at the Democratic National Convention in ready, it’s going to be big!” And I’m Charlotte. She also has three feature films like, “Ready for what? What are you currently in post-production, including talking about?!” Then it hit, and I’m Long Time Gone (opposite Virginia like, “Oh my God, THIS is what you’re Madsen), The Truth (opposite Forest talking about!” It was great, though.

Whitaker) and The Baytown Outlaws Our first year, and even our second (opposite Billy Bob Thornton). year, I couldn’t keep up with all the Here, we speak to Longoria on topics good news. ranging from her pride in her Latin roots to what it’s like to be in the eye of the tabloid What about all the media spotlight. craziness that sudden stardom brings to your What originally inspired you to become life? How did you cope an actress? with that?

I think I just love pretending to be I considered myself something else. It’s fun to put yourself in really blessed to someone else’s shoes and make up all the have the show, choices that you think this person would but I’m also lucky make in these circumstances. It’s a game, so to have a great I love the fact that I play.

family and great friends around me who are very grounding. So for me, I think the craziness comes when you start to believe your own hype and get caught up in all of the superficiality of our business. Felicity gave me the best advice: “It’s all about the work. Just always make it about the work and good things will come.” That’s what I’ve been doing ever since.

What do you think it was about the show that made it such a popular sensation?

It was the first show that actually exercised the voice of the modern woman.

It’s not Leave it to Beaver, it’s not The Brady Bunch, and it’s not The Cosby Show.

It really reflected the status of women in today’s society. You can be married, be divorced, have children, not have children, go to work, stay home... You have so many choices and, because of that, I think women identified with one or all of the four women. I think it was universally successful because every country deals with those issues.

Now that the show is over, how are you picking scripts?

I would love to do a romantic comedy, just because that’s the kind of movie I love. But probably 80% of the scripts I get are dramatic.

Is it difficult to deal with all the interest in your private life?

It’s hard to protect yourself from the media because, if you don’t give them what they want, they’re still going to make it up anyway. You cannot win.

What’s the weirdest rumor you read?

There was one time a magazine wrote that Eva Longoria was seen fleeing Frederick’s of Hollywood in purple panties and bra. She yelled at the valet to pull her silver BMW around-- I don’t drive a silver BMW-- because her golden retriever, Razzles-- I don’t have a golden retriever-was going into emergency surgery. And she ran out as the people chased her, got in the car, threw money in the street and peeled out. First of all, Frederick’s doesn’t have a valet, nor have I ever been to Frederick’s of Hollywood.

Why do you think people are so fascinated with tabloid news?

I think it’s the bounty that’s put upon us for pictures and gossip because of the demand with all the new magazines. I don’t understand how they stay afloat, but then I’ll see somebody reading it and think, “Well, there’s the demand.” The Internet is insane.

If it’s printed on one site, it must be factual.

Unfortunately, it’s only getting worse…

insiteatlanta.com • January 2013 • PG 29

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SPORTS

PG 30 • January 2013 • insiteatlanta.com

LEBRON JAMES

Hoops fans remember it like it was yesterday.

No, we’re not talking about the runaway MVP voting. We’re not even thinking about the virtuoso performance during the Summer Olympics. The moment b-ball followers won’t forget is that first courtside interview after LeBron’s Miami Heat won the NBA title and he said, “About damn time!” Three words to forever silence the haters.

2. USAIN BOLT

Michael Jordan was the most dominant athlete of our lifetime. We have to emphasize “was” because that distinction now belongs to “Lightning Bolt,” a superhuman who laughed his way to 100m, 200m and 4x100m gold medals.

There were times in London where he literally looked disinterested on the track—and that was often in the middle of a race.

USAIN BOLT

3. MICHAEL PHELPS

Teammate Ryan Lochte tried to steal some of Phelps’ shine in London, but there isn’t much a man can do to stop 18 precious gold medals from glistening. The unfathomable number of golds puts Michael at the top of the Olympic leaderboard. The grit he showed in the water this past summer made him a legend.

No one would’ve batted an eye had the entire women’s gold medal-winning gymnastics team been in this slot, but there was just something special about Gabby, the little giant with the big smile and the big-time performance in the individual all-around competition.

The Argentine great’s 91 goals in the calendar year broke Gerd Mueller’s 40-year-old mark of 85. How big of a deal is that? Put it this way: If soccer were more popular in the States, Messi, 25, would be bigger than ‘Bron, Bieber and Brad Pitt combined.

6. MIGUEL CABRERA Ray Lewis

Regardless of how the NOTRE DAMEALABAMA heavyweight bout turned out, Fanatic is already looking ahead to next year. Here is INsite’s very, very early Top 5 for 2013: 5) Stanford; 4) Georgia; 3) LSU; 2) Alabama; 1) Ohio State.

NBA ALL-STAR GAME voting ends on January 14. If you needed some help filling out your ballot, we’re letting you cheat off our sheet just this once. Some guys who’ve had brilliant first halves (James Harden, Tyson Chandler, Zach Randolph) aren’t listed. There just wasn’t any room for them.

Here’s how the Eastern starters should look: Rajon Rondo, Boston; Dwyane Wade, Miami; LeBron James, Miami; Carmelo

BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS 1. LEBRON JAMES

5. LIONEL MESSI

FANATIC A Monthly Sports Wrap-up “Almost two years ago, [Baltimore] Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis sat down with a fellow Baltimorean to try to reach him.

The guy was struggling. He had once been a legend in his field, yet his motivation had waned. The results were not there, and he was trying to figure out if he wanted to keep going or quit… The guy was Michael Phelps, and what Lewis told him at least partially propelled him to London and an Olympic record for more gold medals than anybody else and certified G.O.A.T. status.”

–FOX SPORTS’ JEN FLOYD ENGEL ON LEWIS’ NEVER-QUIT MENTALITY

TOP 10 ATHLETES OF 2012

4. GABBY DOUGLAS

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BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

SPORTS

Anthony, New York; Anderson Varejao.

As for the West: Chris Paul, LA Clippers; Kobe Bryant, LA Lakers; Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City; David Lee, Golden State; Tim Duncan, San Antonio.

And finally…

With his sixth NFL Offensive Player of the Month honor in December, Peyton Manning tied Kurt Warner for the most ever… The winner-take-all NFC East battle between Washington and Dallas on Dec. 30 was the most-watched “Sunday Night Football” game since ’06… Though it’s still relatively early in the college basketball season, we’ll start to get a feel for the three undefeated teams (sorry, Wyoming, we’re not counting you) in big games this month when Duke plays NC State (Jan. 12), Michigan takes on Ohio State (Jan.13) and Arizona battles a resurgent UCLA (Jan. 24)… Don’t be surprised if the New York Jets trade Mark Sanchez in an attempt to grab Michael Vick.

8. SERENA WILLIAMS

When they said she was finished, all she did was win her fifth Wimbledon title. When they called her washed up, she won Olympic gold. After they called all that a fluke, She took another U.S. Open.

Oh, and on top of all that, she and her big sis, Venus, snatched doubles crowns at Wimbledon and the London Games, too.

I don’t think you understand how difficult it is to get baseball’s triple crown. Carl Yastrzemski was the last guy to lead the league in HRs, RBI and batting average back in ’67. If every team in that span only had 16 position players, over 21,000 guys would have had a chance to repeat the feat.

Only a handful even came really close.

9. ANDY MURRAY

7. JOHNNY MANZIEL

10. ANDREW LUCK

Honestly, just for the poise “Johnny Football” demonstrated in fierce SEC match-ups against the likes of Mississippi St. and Alabama, he’d deserve an honorable mention. But for the multi-talented Texas A&M QB to account for 4,600 total yards and become the first freshman ever to win the Heisman Trophy is the stuff of urban folklore.

If Serena was the dominant force on the ladies’ side of the net, the UK star was the immovable object in the gents’ court, taking the U.S. Open in dramatic fashion, and the year’s other biggies, Wimbledon and the Summer Games, in his own backyard.

Back on January 2, 2012, Stanford’s Luck threw for 347 yards in a tough Fiesta Bowl loss. He’s done little wrong since, becoming the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft to the Indianapolis Colts; setting an NFL rookie record with 4,374 passing yards; and leading Indy to a playoff spot after a two-win season just one year earlier.

GABBY DOUGLAS

Novak Djokovic

SPORTS

FANATIC A Monthly Sports Wrap-up SOUTHERN NIGHTS!

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BY DEMARCO WILLIAMS

Now that SUPER BOWL XLV is over, football fans can get to the real issue: Will there be a 2011 season? If you let NFL commissioner Roger Goodell tell it, a new collective bargaining agreement is imminent. But listen to others close to the situation and they’ll say it’s not such a sure thing. While officials work out the numbers, Fanatic knows three things that’ll happen, lockout or no lockout: 1) An SEC defender (Auburn’s Nick Fairley or LSU’s Patrick Peterson) will be the No. 1 pick in the Draft; 2) An 18-game season will be approved; 3) Super Bowl XLVI will kick-off as planned on Feb. 5, 2012 in Indianapolis.

(Blake Griffin, L.A. Clippers); Coach of the Year (Gregg Popovich, San Antonio); Most Improved Player (Kevin Love, Minnesota); Sixth Man of the Year (Jamal Crawford, Atlanta); Most Surprising Team (New Orleans Hornets); Biggest Disappointment (Phoenix Suns).

For the adult in all of us.

“He’s a beast. What can you say? Some of the shots he made, I was like, ‘Wow. Did he just make that in my face?’

A player like that, you have to live and die defending him one on one. If he makes big shots, you have to go to the other end and stay poised.” –New Mexico guard Dairese Gary, on JIMMER FREDETTE, BYU star and college’s leading scorer

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“I feel like a better player now than I was three years ago, because I think that physically I’m stronger, faster, mentally I’m more motivated on the court. I know how to react in certain moments, and I know how to play on a big stage.

I have been more focused and dedicated to the sport than ck Up I have ever been before.e ” -2011 AUSTRALIAN s of MEN’SPi d a h S 0 5 OPEN WINNER NOVAK DJOKOVIC Today! !

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“When I signed my contract, my main goal was to earn it. Once I started to realize I wasn’t earning my money, I felt bad. I was making a crazy amount of money for not even pitching. Honestly, I didn’t feel like I deserved it. I didn’t want to have those feelings again.” –GIL MECHE, 32, who retired instead of taking a guaranteed $12 million to pitch for Kansas City this season

“St. Louis was fourth in baseball last year in attendance, but only 13th in payroll. In other words the Cardinals have money to burn, and it’s time to light the match. So here’s what you do if you’re St. Louis: Whatever [Albert] Pujols reason, you give it to him. What’s XZewants, n 12within 00idea. TheFclosest within reason?

No leshbaseball lighthas had to a Her eN free agent likeow this!wasN Alex Rodriguez in 2001, when he ow inThat Sto k! million received $252 million for 10 years. wasc$25.2 annually, and that was a decade ago. And Pujols is better.”

–CBS SPORTS’ GREGG DOYEL

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1. NBA All-Star Game (Feb. 20, 8PM, TNT) We don’t know if there will be more celebrities on the hardwood playing or celebrating

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courtside at L.A.’s Staples Center.

2. AsMiami at Boston (Feb. 13, 1PM, ABC) much as Chicago and Orlando fans hate acknowledging the fact, this is probably your Eastern Conference Finals preview.

3. Ohio State at Wisconsin, Pittsburgh at Villanova (Feb. 12, 2PM, 9PM, ESPN) The top two teams in the nation go on the road to very, very hostile environments.

4. Daytona 500 (Feb. 20, 12PM, Fox) Gentlemen, start your quest to stop Jimmie Johnson from winning an unprecedented sixth straight Sprint Cup championship.

5. This UNC at Duke (Feb. 9, 9PM, ESPN) big meeting (and another on March 5) goes a long way in deciding North Carolina bragging rights and the ACC crown.

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And finally…

Hawaii pays $4 million to host the NFL’s annual Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium… If early estimates are accurate, Super Bowl XLV should be Stub Hub’s top-selling event ever… At press time, the Cleveland Cavs were in the midst of a 1-29 February, of course, marks the NBA’S halfway point. stretch, the NBA’s worst since 1996… If there’s an NFL work With that landmark also comes Fanatic’s midseason stoppage next season, it’s reported that Las Vegas casinos awards: MVP (Derrick Rose, Chicago); Defensive Player would take an $850 million hit on unplaced betting… A of the Year (Dwight Howard, Orlando); Rookie ofSOUTHERN the Year record 56 underclassmen declared for the NFL Draft.

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