v8n41 - JFP Music Issue: Jackson's Hot for Musicians, DJs

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Vol. 8 | No. 41 // June 24 - 30, 2010

DAILYBREAKINGNEWS

@JFPDAILY.COM

Jackson’s Hot for

Musicians, DJs & More, pp 14-28

City Gambling on Refinance?

Lynch, p 6

Leave the ‘W’ Alone

Dickerson, p 13

Comic Geek Chic(ks)

Hearn, p 33

MISSISSIPPI’S SOUTHERN FRIED

COMIC CON

The Third Annual

MultiMedia Family Friendly Event!! JUNE 26TH & 27TH Cabot Lodge Millsaps 2375 North State Street

Special Guest: Larry Kenny, Lion-O from Thundercats & narrator of VH1’s “Best Week Ever”

• Artists • Workshops • Costume Contests • Vendors Adults - $15 for 2 day pass or $10 single day. Children - $10 for 2 day pass or $7.50 single day.

June 24 - 30, 2010

Advance tickets available at Heroes and Dreams 601-922-3100 or info@heroesanddreams.com

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June 24 - 3 0 , 2 0 1 0

jacksonian

VOL.

8 NO. 41

contents

PSC v. Sierra Club Mississippi Power’s Kemper County coal plant continues to ruffle feathers.

Cover photograph featuring DJ Scrap Dirty by Jaro Vacek

FILE PHOTO; JERT-RUTHA CRAWFORD; COURTESY BRENT HEARN AND BRET KENYON, JESSE YANCY

WRIJOYA ROY

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THIS ISSUE: Turntable Love

4...................... Slow Poke 6.................................Talk 12......................... Editorial 12...........................Stiggers 12............................... Zuga 14............................. Music 31...................................Fly 32............................ 8 Days 33................................. Arts 34............................. Books 35..................... JFP Events 38 ............ Music Listings 40 ........................... Food 44 ......................... Sports 44 ............................Slate 45 ...........................Astro

Y

melvin priester jr.

ou might see Melvin Priester Jr. around Jackson in his family’s law office or working on his father’s campaign to become a Hinds County Court judge for Sub-District 1. You also might see him riding his bike (his only mode of transportation), working the door for a local concert, deejaying a party or promoting Cross-Pollinate, a local lecture series he formed to bring artists from various parts of the country to Jackson. Priester, 31, effectively shirks any stereotypes about being a lawyer. A 1997 graduate of Murrah High School, Priester attended Harvard University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in social studies before enrolling in law school at Stanford University. While in school, Priester said he would usually work four or five jobs at the same time. After receiving his law degree in 2004, he signed on with international law firm Morrison Foerster and practiced financial-services litigation in its San Francisco office. “Geography matters,” Priester says. “That’s why it’s great to travel. Every place is different, and there are new experiences everywhere.” Priester returned to Jackson earlier this year to work on his father’s campaign and to help care for his 101-year-old grandmother, Bernice Stimley. Since coming back, he has jumped headfirst into the local art and music scene. “People in Jackson are doing some world-class things that they can really be

proud of,” he says. “A lot of people outside of the South are impressed with some of the stuff that comes from down here. It’s been a joy to work in the community.” Priester is actively engaged in the local art and music scene, helping create and promote various projects including “Might Could Right Quick,” a unique compilation CD of local Jackson artists. He is also working to take a group of Jacksonians to Burning Man in August, an art festival in Nevada. Priester explains that one of his favorite things about being in Jackson is finding ways to develop connections between Jackson and the rest of the world through art. “I used to think that while in Jackson, I had to make a choice between family and art,” he says. “I don’t feel that way anymore. There’s been a real blossoming in Jackson, and there is a real sense of community. It’s like everything is ‘we.’ There’s so much wide-open space and talent in the area. I love it. People are so willing to share.” As for the future, Priester does not see much change in his routine. “I’ll probably keep doing what I’m doing,” he says. “I’ll keep being a recruiter for Jackson to the world.” On June 25, journalist, scholar and DJ Larisa Mann will discuss copyright law and creativity at the Jackson Community Design Center during Cross-Pollinate Vol. 2: Lecture Series at 5:30 p.m. and will deejay June 26 at 10 p.m. at the North Midtown Arts Center. —Will Caves

DJ Scrap Dirty talks about spinning and managing music in Jackson.

31 Barstool Brothers The bros pontificate on all things masculine. Does it cause pain? Manly.

40 Take the Cake What culinary masterpiece is delicious and retro chic? Red velvet cake, of course.

jacksonfreepress.com

4.................Editor’s Note

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editor’snote

Natalie A. Collier JFP and BOOM associate editor Natalie A. Collier is originally from Starkville, but has lived here ever since she graduated from Millsaps College. She’s not easy to impress. Try. She wrote the cover story.

Jaro Vacek Jaro Vacek is a Jackson State student who is originally from the Czech Republic. He has shot photos for the JFP since the first issue. He photographed DJ Scrap Dirty for the cover story.

Will Caves Former editorial intern Will Caves is a self-proclaimed nerd. A senior at Mississippi College, this Jones County native loves reading and playing video games and is an avid fan of European soccer. He wrote the Jacksonian.

Lacey McLaughlin News editor Lacey McLaughlin is a Florida native who enjoys riding her bike around Jackson. She is always on the hunt for news tips. E-mail Lacey@jacksonfreepress. com or call 601.362.6121 x. 22. She wrote for the music issue.

Dave Dennis Native Jacksonian David Dennis Jr. is a freelance writer for the hip-hop site “The Smoking Section” (smokingsection.uproxx. com). He currently lives in New Orleans. He wrote a music piece.

Brent Hearn Brent Hearn is a freelance writer, actor and production assistant. He shares a house in Fondren with two super-cool chicas. If you enjoy his writing, he politely suggests sending chocolate in lieu of compliments. He wrote a music piece.

Jesse Yancy Jesse Yancy, a long-time editor and award-winning writer in the Jackson area, is a former chef and caterer who lives in Belhaven. He wrote a food piece.

June 24 - 30, 2010

Tom Allin

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Editorial intern Tom Allin is a native Jacksonian with a Tar Heel streak in him. He teaches in Clarksdale during the year and loves being back in Mississippi. He wrote music pieces.

by Donna Ladd, Editor-in-Chief

… To Make a Thing Go Right

I

often give talks about journalism and my crazy journey that began when I left the state the day after graduating from Mississippi State, and vowing never, ever to return. I was headed off to go to law school in Washington, D.C., to learn how to change the world. Or stay out all night. Or something. And in just about every one of those talks—whether to Ole Miss or Jackson State students or a dental society recently at Nick’s in Fondren—I include a standard line: “I dropped out of law school and did the only logical thing: I became a club deejay.” Folks, especially the high-school and college students, look like I just poured a bucket of ice water on their heads. The guys usually lean back with scrunched eyebrows, like they’re trying to find the deejay up in that crazy woman. The girls often look like someone just flashed diamonds in front of their noses. She did that? Chicks can be deejays? I tell the story with a motive. I recount the part where I’ve recently run screaming from Mississippi because I thought it was the most backward, racist place ever (I mean, there was some evidence of such), and I’m suddenly working as a club deejay in the über-diverse Washington, D.C., and I learn that my state doesn’t have the patent on bigotry.* I quickly add how (white) club owners in all five non-southern states (plus the District of Columbia) where I ended up spinning records over 10 years would come up to me and say, “Stop playing so much of that n***er music.” The first few times, I looked at them as if they had slapped me silly. “WTF? This is a dance club, you fool!” was my first thought. My second was how I could move on to another club so I didn’t have to work for such retrobates. But, somehow, I’d run into them throughout my deejay tenure (and would learn to drive them mad by sampling Rob Base in all kinds of songs so they could fear what was coming. Call it guerilla warfare.) It was the 1980s, and it wasn’t like I was I was a deep house specialist or learned my craft on the streets of the Bronx, break-dancing in my spare time. I just liked to mix it up; good dance music is good dance music. At the time, though, hip-hop and rap weren’t universally “mainstream” as now, and I quickly learned that the code phrase for non-black music was: “Could you play some rock ‘n’ roll?” I learned to ask what specifically “rock” meant to the requester; some would say Bruce Springsteen, others Motley Crüe (argh), and others would just cut to the chase: “You know. Something white.” I wouldn’t take anything for those times, though. I learned so much more than I would years later getting a fancy master’s degree at an Ivy League school. This was real. Those days came crashing back on me earlier this month when Todd and I were on our 13-day road trip through the Northeast. We first stopped in D.C. for his cousin’s wedding, and I was the navigator through the streets that were my first real connection to a

world beyond Mississippi’s borders. The past sparkled before me. I remembered accidentally learning to deejay at a bar that used to be at 19th and M Street, in the heart of what is probably still called the “pubic triangle” because it was such a pick-up zone on the weekends. I didn’t set out to spin records; I just happened to be working as a waitress, and the seven-night-a-week deejay needed a break now and then. So he taught me to start and stop records—simple segues. The place was usually empty, so no one gave a damn. But I was a natural at choosing music and using it to build energy. Who knew? Truth was, I had a limited musical childhood and college years. Growing up in Neshoba County, I heard mostly country (I still love George Jones, Lynn Anderson and both Hanks) and what we now call classic rock (which I’ve always thought of as pot music due to the dudes I remember playing Kansas and Styx over and over again). The only “black” music I’d hear was on “Soul Train” (a much superior show to “American Bandstand”) and when I’d visit Jackson and hear “black stations.” I grew up in the 1960s and 1970s and missed Motown, for God’s sake, although I knew every word to Eagles and Alice Cooper songs. I was musically naïve. It was an insidious kind of segregation. Like sports, music can crumble racial barriers. The old Citizens Council coots, in fact, warned against allowing black and white kids to dance together because that would surely lead to race-mixing. (And that is why my Neshoba Central High School stopped having proms and starting having banquets. Afterward, the white folks would go to the stuffy country club; black kids would take their party to parts unknown to us.) But when the music gods suddenly chose

me to fill in for that cute little gay deejay in D.C., the skies opened up. It was the “Big Chill” era—meaning that the hip retro music was old Motown just as ’80s music has been ironic and cool recently (including songs I’d really rather never hear again, thank you). I was blessed that the restaurant had a huge collection of vinyl dance music that covered decades; I not only “met” Smokey Robinson and Al Green and girl groups, but I grew to love old Glenn Miller tunes and standards (who knew I’d settle into life someday with a man who could make my toes curl just singing about any standard ever written?). My lust for music new and old was awakened. I also loved to entertain people, to make them dance until they nearly dropped. It wasn’t until after a man who owned a deejay company happened through and heard me playing a crazy mix of music one night with the tiny dance floor (er, corner) packed with perspiring dancers that I really became a deejay. In his employ, I learned the skills of the trade such as actually “mixing” music; it took a couple of years before I was comfortable on a microphone, and I credit my ability to give speeches to meeting that guy deejay. This wasn’t a life career for me, of course, and today I would have to use reading glasses to read the record labels, and hearing the beats would be tougher (thanks, ironically, to pumping loud music into my headphones for a decade). But doing a job that most people didn’t expect “girls” to do helped me find my voice. It also taught me to be suspicious of people who only want to hear only one kind of music. No matter where they live. * My punchline to my racism-is-everywhere point in speeches is always, “But that doesn’t excuse it anywhere.” Pass it on.

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jacksonfreepress.com

news, culture & irreverence

Thursday, June 17 Rep. Joe L. Barton, R-Texas, retracts his apology to BP for what he called a $20 billion “shakedown” by President Barack Obama for losses due to the Gulf oil spill. … Toyota announces it will restart development of its plant in Blue Springs, Miss., and plans to begin production of Corollas in the fall of 2011. Friday, June 18 Death row inmate Ronnie Lee Gardner is executed by firing squad in Utah, the first execution by firing squad in 14 years. … Hinds County Circuit Judge Tomie Green denies Karen Irby’s request to throw out her guilty plea for two counts of culpable negligence manslaughter in the 2009 crash that killed two doctors. Saturday, June 19 Residents are infuriated along the Gulf Coast when BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward takes the day off to watch his yacht race in England. Sunday, June 20 The Obama administration reaffirms that it will begin pulling U.S. troops out of Afghanistan in July 2011. … Dozens die; hundreds are missing in Brazil floods.

June 24 - 30, 2010

Monday, June 21 Joran Van der Sloot, a suspect in the disappearance of Clinton, Miss. native Natalee Holloway, retracts his confession to the recent murder of Stephany Flores in Lima, Peru. … BP’s Gulf oil disaster costs hit $2 billion.

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Tuesday, June 22 Gen. Stanley McChrystal apologizes for contemptuous remarks made about senior members of the Obama administration published in this week’s “Rolling Stone” magazine. … Voters in Mississippi’s second congressional district go to the polls to choose a Republican nominee to run against Democratic incumbent Rep. Bennie Thompson in November.

City Saving Now; Owing Later

T

he city managed to save about $2 million in the second quarter of this fiscal year by leaving vacated city positions unfilled, but the announcement offered little optimism in a budget facing even more cuts. The administration is preparing for a skeletal budget year, due to a reduction in homestead reimbursements from the state, a drop in money the city earns from utility companies through franchise fees and decreased permit fees. The city plans to use the savings from each department as a blueprint for budget reductions in the next quarter. To meet an impending $1,790,549 budget shortfall, the administration intends to cut departments by $840,549, but also proposes to tap the city’s fund balance reserves by $600,000, and lower the Parks and Recreation Department appropriation, which is separate from the department budget, appropriations by $350,000. The Police Department will suffer some of the steepest cuts, with a $303,898 reduction. Assistant Police Chief Lee Vance said the department was putting together a proposal to handle the cost reduction, but could not speak on the proposal before the administration properly vetted it. City spokesman Chris Mims told the Jackson Free Press Monday that the savings have helped the city avoid lay-offs in city staff, and said that answering machines are not filling critical positions, yet.

FILE PHOTO

Wednesday, June 16 The United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda submits a formal request for release of an American lawyer who represented genocide defendants, arguing he has diplomatic immunity. … Hundreds of people arrive at an ATI Staffing job fair at the WIN job center in Gulfport to apply for oil response jobs only to be turned away by police because too many people showed up.

Mississippi, Illinois and Portland, Maine, all have a special holiday to honor Itta Bena, Miss., native and musical icon B.B. King. Mississippi’s B.B. King Day is Feb. 15, Illinois’ is Aug. 19, and Portland’s is May 18.

“Our department directors have done a yeoman’s job of saving money, which helps to keep the budget in line,” Mims said. The savings mirror $2.3 million the city managed to save in the first quarter of fiscal year 2010, which began Oct. 1, 2009. In April, the Jackson City Council authorized Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. to transfer that $2.3 million from city departments to make up for an estimated $2.3 million in lost sales-tax revenue for the same quarter. Mims was unwilling to say whether the city could manage to save any more money

BUTT

capricious “The actions of the majority are arbitrary, capricious, beyond legal authority and unsupported by substantial evidence.” From Sierra Club v Mississippi Public Service Commission, filed by Mississippi Sierra Club Director Louie Miller. TTUB

idiot “Louie Miller is an idiot.” Public Service Commissioner Leonard Bentz regarding the Mississippi Sierra Club lawsuit challenging the PSC for raising the cap on the proposed Mississippi Power coal plant in Kemper County by $480 million.

Gov. Haley Barbour flip-flops on cash from BP. p. 10

by Adam Lynch in the following quarters through similar tactics. Johnson had told the council in March that expensive summer programs, such as student work programs and city pool operations, were likely to eat away any savings in follow-up quarters—so the savings arrived as something of a surprise this week. The critical drop in tax revenue is pushing the council to consider a proposal by the administration to issue general obligation refunding/restructuring bonds to generate $18.7 million in short-term savings. Refinancing the city’s debt will save the city $465,000 this year, an average of $5.4 million in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and an extra $1.9 million in 2014. But starting in 2015, the refinancing will begin costing the city $957,675 in annual payments for debt service in the years 2015 through 2018, and $1.7 million in 2019. The years 2020 through 2023 will see an average of $4.5 million in extra annual debt costs, while the year 2024 will cost the city an extra $6 million. On balance, the city stands to spend nearly $11 million over the long-term life of the debt refinancing, even after accounting for savings garnered during the first five years. But Jackson Deputy Director of Administration Rick Hill says there appears to be no other way to comfortably make ends meet today. “If we don’t do this then we’ve got to DEBT, see page 7

Alt.Beach VACATIONS

G

oing to a Gulf Coast beach for a long weekend or your vacation may become, well, problematic in the near future. Here are a few alternate entertainment ideas, courtesy of the JFP staff: Go spelunking in the King Edward basement. Have a stay-cation. Go sport-fishing in the tub. Visit the Josephine Baker Museum in France. Play in a McDonald’s Playland after having numerous energy drinks. Sweat at the Neshoba County Fair. Watch stickball at the Choctaw Indian Fair. Have an insane office party while the boss is out (bring goats). Grow your own sea monkeys. Scale the Winterville Mound. Go skinny-dipping in Lake Hico. Protest The Clarion-Ledger with Kenny. Have a final shrimp boil, RIP. Sleep head-to-foot in your bed. Do drunk face painting at Ole Tavern on George Street.

talk

news, culture & irreverence

DEBT from page 6

TRAN),” Weill said. “We pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for golf courses and tennis courts. I think we have more than 60 tennis courts and swimming pools to keep the kids entertained. Are they truly a function of government in these tough times?” Weill, who is vice-chairman of the Council Budget Committee, admitted that even cuts to recreation and bus service would not likely cover the budget holes, but said council members were willing to work with the administration in trying to figure out a way to cut city government to fit its budget. Last week council members also called into question the stiff fees the city must pay to bond attorneys and contracted accountants to orchestrate the debt-refinancing endeavor. The city plans to pay bond-counsel Baker, Donelson and Anthony Simon $150,000 plus expenses for their work, and plans to pay Atlanta-based Malachi Financial Products Inc. $80,000 plus expenses for financial counseling. The city also intends to pay Jackson attorneys Tony Gaylor and Betty Mallett—wife of former Ward 2 Councilman Leslie Burl McLemore—$95,000 plus expenses for underwriting the bond. Council members complained last week that the 30 minutes originally slated to discuss the matter prior to last week’s Tuesday night council meeting was not enough time to peruse that amount of detail. The council has scheduled a Budget Committee meeting June 28 at 2 p.m. to discuss the proposed revision of the city budget.

Input Sought For ‘Cola Plant’ Redesign

by Tom Allin

C

Courtesy Jackson Community Design Center

ommunity members will gath- some early design concepts. er Wednesday night to discuss While most of the specific uses of the whether the old Coca-Cola plant, building are still undetermined, developers which shut its hope to build energy doors in 2007, could around the project by be a sign of hope for opening the building Highway 80. to artists this summer While redevelopas a space for collabment of the abandoned orative arts events. factory and warehouse “[T]he JCDC space is still in the planis interested in this is ning stages, the Jackson because redevelopCommunity Design The old Coca-Cola plant on ment and reinvesting Center sees the space it Highway 80 could be an important and reusing buildings now calls the old Cola development for Jackson. in the urban core that plant as an important (have) kind of been igdevelopment. nored and abandoned “The Coca Cola Bottling Company is is a step toward a more sustainable growth a potential anchor and a prime candidate pattern in cities in general,” said Whitney to begin an effort of renewal and revital- Grant, co-director of the JCDC, adding ization on the Highway 80 corridor,” the that reusing buildings helps save natural JCDC, an urban research laboratory at the and economic resources. Mississippi State School of Architecture’s The building’s out-of-state owners were fifth-year Jackson Center, explained in a not immediately available for comment. June 2010 post on its website. The JCDC is hosting a community in With 143,000 square feet of space, the put meeting for the project at Lumpkin’s BBQ building offers a number of potential uses, (182 Raymond Road) on Wednesday, June and the JCDC, while not the architects of 23, at 6:30 p.m. A $5 buffet will be availrecord, is currently helping in developing able for the first 50 participants.

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jacksonfreepress.com

find another way to find $5 million in cuts for these first few years,” Hill said. “Can you imagine that out of this lean budget? Cutting this money and keeping the level of services we have? I have no clue where we would find $5.5 million to cut out of these budgets.” Hill said he would not normally resort to this tactic, considering the costs: “Under normal conditions—not in this situation where we have declining sales tax—to be honest with you, we probably wouldn’t do this transaction, but we’re facing significant budget cuts, service-connected cuts.” The deputy director added that the $11 million loss calculated in the transaction does not take into account the potential revenue new businesses could generate after opening in the Jackson area, revitalizing Farish Street and the planned construction of a new convention center hotel complex. Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Weill said he does not like the way the numbers add up and proposes to cut services until the city can reliably exist within its limited revenue. “Instead of asking the question, ‘Can we eat out every night?’ they’re asking the question, ‘Where are we going to find more money to continue to finance our spending?’ My sense is that we don’t have the tax base, we don’t have the business that can continue to generate the large sums necessary to keep city government in operation,” Weill said. He has proposed dispensing with the city’s JATRAN buses, among other proposals to cut costs. “You’d have to go further than (JA-

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energytalk

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by Adam Lynch

File Photo

Commissioners Deny Barbour’s Influence

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June 24 - 30, 2010

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ississippi Sierra Club Director Louie Miller says that a letter from Gov. Haley Barbour to the Public Service Commission asking it to approve an experimental coal plant in Kemper County may have had an unseemly impact on Public Service Commissioners Leonard Bentz’ and Lynn Posey’s decision to increase the plant’s construction-cost cap by $480 million at the request of Mississippi Power Company. “It’s not coincidental that the ‘flip flop’ occurred less than 72 hours after Governor Haley Barbour sent a strongly worded letter to the Commissioners insisting the plant get built,” Miller wrote in a statement. “It is also not lost on us that Barbour’s Washington lobby firm, Barbour, Griffith and Rogers, represents Southern Company, the parent company of Mississippi Power, who touted on their website they were responsible for lobbying the (U.S.) Department of Energy to land federal money for Kemper.” Barbour stated in his May 24 letter that a PSC decision making the construction of the plant impossible would be “an awful, outrageous outcome.” The Mississippi Sierra Club filed a June 17 lawsuit in Harrison County Chancery Court calling the PSC’s decision to raise the construction-cost cap of the plant by 20 percent “arbitrary and capricious.” The suit challenges the decision by Bentz and Posey to revise the original April 29 PSC decision capping construction expenses of the proposed coal-burning power plant at $2.4 billion.

Under the original decision, the stockholders of Mississippi Power, the company seeking to construct the plant, would have carried any costs above $2.4 billion. MPC complained, however, that they should be able to pass additional costs above $2.4 billion down to their ratepayers, and warned that they could not afford to build the plant if they were not allowed to do so. When Bentz and Posey revised their decision May 26, they allowed the company to charge ratepayers an additional $480 million, or up to $2.88 billion for the plant—even though MPC did not release to the public the amount of the rate increases customers would shoulder or provide any documentation supporting the rate increase. Under comparable circumstances, Entergy Mississippi customer rates increased about 40 percent after construction of the similarly priced Grand Gulf nuclear reactor in the 1980s. “The actions of the majority are arbitrary, capricious, beyond legal authority and unsupported by substantial evidence. These actions are contrary to governing statutes. The Commission’s decision granting the certificate and the May 26, 2010, order must be vacated,” the Sierra Club states in its motion. The organization also demands that the court order the commission to act on an earlier motion that the Sierra Club filed with the PSC to make public how the plant affects rates, and to temporarily suspend the PSC decision allowing construction of the Kemper project pending a decision by the court.

Commissioner Bentz disputed Miller’s argument that Barbour held any power over his personal decision to upgrade the April 29 decision. “When did the Sierra Club ever support anything that is progressive?” Bentz asked. “They have opposed this plant from the beginning. They talk about us flip-flopping and changing our minds, but that’s incorrect. We never denied the power company the right to build the plant, not in the first order and not in the second order.” Commissioner Brandon Presley, who voted against both PSC decisions to allow the construction of the plant, said at a June press luncheon and in his May 26 dissent that the PSC had received no new information warranting the increase in the construction cap. “It seems the only reason the majority changed its mind in this case is because Mississippi Power Company insisted,” Presley wrote in his May 26 dissent. Bentz argued that MPC still must approach the PSC for approval before charging ratepayers anything more than the original $2.4 billion. “Louie Miller is an idiot,” Bentz said. “Our decision does not automatically grant MPC a dime more than their original $2.4 billion price. They still have to come back to us if the cost goes beyond that and ask permission for that increase.” But Presley says, however, that the PSC will undoubtedly approve the additional costs. “The project costs more than (MPC’s) net worth. As soon as the cost goes north of $2.4 billion and you don’t approve the cost increase, we’ll bankrupt the company,” he said. Bentz added that he was unaware of any influence from a letter by the governor, and said he was unfamiliar with the letter to which Miller referred. Presley, who said he submitted the letter into public record after receiving the document, said he had been unimpressed with the message. “My position is that if the administration in Washington and the state feels so confident about this plant let them come in and pay for it,” Presley said.

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VOTED BEST HAIR STYLIST

oiltalk

BEST OF JACKSON 2009 & 2010

by Adam Lynch

Jerrick Smith

Gusher Week 9: Barbour Flips on $20 Billion

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•3.1 mile run and walk begins at 7:30 a.m. •One Mile Fun/Wellness Run, all ages immediately following the 5K. •Tot Trot ages 3 & under - free •Over 166 awards will be awarded

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*Plenty of watermelon and beverages for participants. *Three water stations will be provided to keep everyone hydrated !

;Rd Watermelon Eating contest Space Jump Face painting Snow Cones for the kids Smoothies for the adults

Pre-registration until Thursday, July 1. No registrations are taken on July 2. Race Day registration begins at 6:00 a.m. For information, call 601-982-8264. Sponsored by Baptist Health Systems, Donate Life Mississippi and Pinelake Baptist Church, benefitting the MS Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.

dramatic reaction than that of U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, who apologized profusely to BP Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward during a congressional hearing last week and called the $20 billion escrow account orchestrated by the White House “a shakedown.” The Texas Republican retracted his comment hours after a meeting with House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, R-Va. Boehner, Cantor and U.S. Rep. Mike Pence, Gov. Haley Barbour did an about-face on the $20 billion escrow R-Ind., issued a June 17 account arranged by BP and the White House last week. statement calling the oil spill in the Gulf “this ississippi Gov. Haley Barbour shift- nation’s largest natural disaster” (despite the ed his support for a $20 billion es- fact that the disaster is entirely man-made) crow fund that BP agreed to set up and that stopping the leak and cleaning up to compensate Gulf State victims the region is a “top priority.” They also called filing claims for losses due to the massive oil Barton’s statements “wrong.” spill in the Gulf of Mexico. “BP itself has acknowledged that re The Associated Press reported June sponsibility for the economic damages lies 16 that Barbour had doubts about whether with them and has offered an initial pledge the federal government should have pushed of $20 billion dollars for that purpose,” the oil company BP into creating a $20 billion congressmen said in a statement. escrow account to provide compensatory Barbour, by Friday, was ready to accept damage to Gulf state residents. He also told the deal with the same open arms of LouisiFOX News in an interview that same day ana Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal. that creating the account would make it less “The law is that BP is the responsible likely for BP to be able to pay the claims. party in any damage done to someone be “I do worry that this idea of making cause of the oil spill. Whether it’s loss to them make a huge escrow fund is going to income as an employee or as a business or make it less likely that they’ll pay for every- because of injury, BP is suppose to pay it,” thing,” Barbour told FOX News. “They Barbour told reporters. “We expect them need their capital to drill wells. They need to pay it and we’ll demand them to pay it, their capital to produce income so that they and BP said they intend to pay all legitican pay that income to our citizens in Ala- mate claims.” bama, Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana and to Barbour also dismissed his earlier fears pay for all the damages done.” of the $20 billion escrow account hurting Barbour’s concerns represented a less BP, saying that the company is responsible

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June 24 - 30, 2010

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for more than $20 billion if damages surpass that figure. Barbour said the mechanics behind the $20 billion escrow account allows the oil company to spread the payment over the course of years so that the company could handle the expenses and still meet its own costs. “We don’t take that $20 billion out at once,” Barbour said. “It’s paid in increments, otherwise they could never pay our claims.” Barbour praised compensatory czar Kenneth Feinberg, who the White House and BP agreed would manage the $20 billion escrow pay-outs in Mississippi. Feinberg, 2004 National Law Journal “Lawyer of the Year,” was in charge of the federal September 11th Victim Compensation Fund following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and maintained a similar fund in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. Feinberg said he would oversee “an independent claims facility” designed to improve upon the claims process BP has instituted since the April destruction culminating in a continuing geyser of oil beneath the Gulf of Mexico. The governor said BP is also responsible for lost state and local tax revenue as a result of the faltering tourism and fishing industry. Connie Rockco, president of the Harrison County Board of Supervisors, told the Jackson Free Press that her district has opened multiple bond issues to fund development in Harrison County, and will suffer if taxes generated from hotel fees decrease in the wake of the spill. Rockco, however, said that local governments should also have ready access to BP money to attempt their own oil-prevention methods and protect their shores. “This is like Katrina in slow motion,” Rockco said. “Local government should have access to money so we can try ideas to keep the oil out of our water. There are oil-collecting mesh and materials that can separate the oil from the water, but paying for these experimental gadgets costs money—and we’re not getting any BP funds to try anything. Meanwhile, the oil is slowly rolling in.”

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State Schools Makeover tion process, which would reconfigure the way students proceed from high school to college. Under the new exam system, highschool students would take an exit exam no later than their sophomore year that, if they pass, would allow them to move on to a community college for the next academic year. Students who fail would re-take the exam each year after that. Passing students could also remain in high school to take a more demanding program that prepared them for admission to selective four-year colleges. Proponents of board exams argue that they allow students to move on when they are academically ready, as opposed to requiring arbitrary and uniform amounts of time spent in each grade. While unusual for the U.S., the board exam system has plenty of precedent in Europe and elsewhere; similar systems exist in France, England, Germany and Australia, among other countries. Eight other U.S. states have also pledged their support for the state board examination process. MDE estimates that instituting such a process would cost $5.45 million over four years. The department has also signaled its support for Common Core Standards, an initiative to standardize academic requirements across all states, to better reflect the demands of the modern workforce. Missis-

sippi’s proposal asks for $410,000 to establish the common standards in its schools. Perhaps the most potentially inflammatory proposal in the state’s application is its reform of the state’s process for evaluating and promoting teachers. The application points out that the state’s current system for evaluating teachers is weak and perfunctory, noting: “(Mississippi) acknowledges this area as one where significant progress will need to be made in a short amount of time. Currently, school districts are required to conduct an annual teacher and principal evaluation with little consistency throughout the state.� MDE’s proposal introduces a new measure of teachers’ performance, based on how much students’ test scores improve in their classrooms. The new, “value-added� data would account for more than half of a teacher’s annual evaluation, which figures into school districts’ hiring and firing decisions.

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“With the current renewable contract process not functioning properly due to lack of a state definition of effective teaching and leading, it is extremely challenging for (school districts) to dismiss teachers and leaders in the state,� the application says. Federal guidelines for Race to the Top ask states to highlight their attempts to improve science and math education because of its special importance to scientific innovation and national security. The MDE proposal calls for creating 24 new selective science, math or technology-focused academies within existing middle schools and high schools. To fund these efforts, the application asks for $8.64 million, which MDE would divy up into $20,000 planning grants and $100,000 three-year grants for the 24 schools. The state’s application also proposes a similar system for establishing pre-kindergarten pilot programs, with a total price tag of $15.84 million.

pa i d a dv e rt i s e m e n t

ired Espresso CafĂŠ at 115 N. State Street is more than your everyday coffee cafĂŠ. They are tuned into the community and culture of Jackson, especially the downtown area. Espresso drinks are their specialty, but a lunch menu offers customers the choice of panini, wraps and salads. In fact, for lunch you can order ½ sandwich, side and drink for $5. Sides include baked potato salad, tropical fruit cup or chips. Panini and wraps range in flavor from chicken pesto, roast beef chipotle, turkey provolone and cold Gary Davis sandwiches include pimento cheese and chicken salad. When the summer months heat up, frappes and smoothies not only hit the spot, but offer cooler drink options. Step into Wired Espresso CafĂŠ, on North State Street across from the Old Capitol Museum: you will find a casual, big-city-styled urban coffee cafĂŠ, mirrored after coffee cafes in New York City or Chicago, with the hospitality of a Southern city. The bare brick walls and unmatched furniture are styled that way on purpose, according to owner Gary Davis. “Customers who are trapped in sterile offices find a break here at Wired Espresso CafĂŠ,â€? says Davis. “We are dedicated to downtown Jackson and try to offer a bright spot to our customers.â€? In fact, Davis is a self-professed coffee junkie and in his past professional life would de-stress and seek solace at coffee shops. So, that pretty much led him to his current business venture as owner of his very own coffee shop. “At Wired Espresso Cafe, we strive to bring you our best from fresh roast coffee to great Maelee Bakery pastries to healthy smoothies,â€? says Davis. “But it doesn’t stop there. We are purposely located in downtown Jackson. We think that our responsibility goes beyond being a great coffee shop. We are here to promote community and culture in the downtown area.â€? “We also strive to be responsible globally,â€? says Davis. “Our beans come from Mississippi Coffee Company, where they import their beans direct from non-profits in the country of origin. This ensures that the majority of the profits benefits the grower and his community.â€? Davis says they have specialty drinks that will please any novice or coffee connoisseur, even “crazy caffeine people,â€? as Davis refers to those who are wholeheartedly dedicated to staying wired through coffee consumption. For those, there’s the Tyler Tornado, mocha with double espresso (twice the normal espresso shots). But they can make anything, any specialty drink, based on the customer’s coffee description. Give them a try – stop by Monday through Friday during their store hours of 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. or check their menu out online at www.wiredespresso.com. Find them on Facebook under “Friends of Wired Espresso CafĂŠâ€? or call 601-500-7800.

jacksonfreepress.com

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n June 1, the Mississippi Department of Education sent a 500-page Race To The Top proposal to radically transform the state’s educational system to Washington, D.C. Mississippi’s entry in the federal grant program proposes performance pay for teachers, a state board exam system and new specialized academies, but the ambitious plan depends on getting nearly $175 million from the federal government. Mississippi’s application touts several recent reforms, especially the Children First Act of 2009, which allows the state to take over low-performing school districts, and introduces a new statewide grading system for schools and districts that expects schools to continually improve their performance on standardized tests. The state can also boast a new charter school law, passed this year, that provides for the creation of “conversion� charter schools, with independence from standard school district regulations. In May, the state received a $7.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to establish a statewide system to track students’ academic data, from pre-school through their entry into the workforce. One of the application’s most significant proposed changes is a state board examina-

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jfp op/ed

opining, grousing & pontificating

EDITORIAL

Secret Now, Pay Later?

F

aced with the prospect of deep, unpopular cuts in public services, it’s no wonder the Jackson City Council is mulling a plan to free up cash in the near term. The city says its proposed debt refinancing would save the city $18.3 million in debt service over the next five years but add $10.8 million to its long-term debt. Jefferson County, Ala., should serve as a cautionary tale for Jackson’s leaders. That county nearly went bankrupt in 2008, after rising fees from interest-rate swaps—complex derivative deals meant to reduce the county’s debt service from water and sewer bonds—ballooned during the credit crisis. In response, Alabama Gov. Bob Riley signed a law this April requiring Jefferson County to open any interest-rate swap deals to competitive bids, hold public hearings before engaging in swaps or issuing substantial debt and disclose all payments from the deals. Alabama learned the importance of financial transparency the hard way, and Jackson should learn from its mistakes. Hinds County offers an example even closer to home. The county Board of Supervisors entered its own interest-rate swap in 2006, and the firm that helped orchestrate the deal says it has brought the county $4.5 million over four years. County officials are hard-pressed to explain how they spent the money, though, and independent audits warn that the county could be liable for $11.77 million if it ends the swap early. The specifics of municipal finance are hairy, heady stuff, and city leaders must be wary of deals that can leave Jackson debt-ridden for decades. And citizens must stay on top of these deals and demand complete transparency at every step; a lack of attention on our part opens the door to huge taxpayer debt in the future, whether based on unscrupulous deals or simply because the people making the deals didn’t fully understand what they were agreeing to. For weeks, the Jackson Free Press has asked the city to fully disclose specific details of its negotiations with potential convention center hotel developers. Our fear is that the council will be asked to vote on a proposal before the public has a chance to fully vet the specifics. This must not happen. It is simply unacceptable to have anything less than full transparency, especially in touchy economic times. The public must help decide whether delayed risk is worth it. Don’t shut us out.

KEN STIGGERS

As the Oil Flows

June 24 - 30, 2010

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oneqweesha Jones: “It’s the ‘Qweesha Live 2010 Weekly World Report.’ It looks like this summer is putting the heat on world and corporate leaders. Case in point is the president. It seems like the nation, media and Congress are sweating him about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Did you see the U.S. Congress sweat the CEO of the oil company responsible for the oil spill? And how about that congressman defending and apologizing to the oil company, accusing the government of committing a shakedown and retracting his statements after his constituents put the heat on him? “Heat makes folk do unusual things. A good soap-opera title for this hot summer of 2010 would be ‘As the Oil Flows: 60,000 Barrels and Counting.’ “Meanwhile, as the world turns around Big Roscoe of Clubb Chicken Wing will provide the Ghetto Science Community with some good summer entertainment. Briefly, tell the people what they need to know, Big Roscoe.” Big Roscoe: “I’m kicking off the summer with the Clubb Chicken Wing’s Hot Wing Happy Hour Series. I’m inviting The Ghetto Science Community to come and eat, drink and watch World Cup soccer at Clubb Chicken Wing. The Ghetto Science H.V.A.C. team fixed the central air-conditioning unit. Momma Roscoe and I have plenty of food and refreshments at reasonable prices. And Aunt Tee Tee’s electronic entertainment squad just mounted and set up three wide-screen televisions with legal cable service.” Boneqweesha Jones: “Thanks, Big Roscoe. Stay cool!”

Kamikaze

The New Mississippi Musicians

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often brag to out-of-state friends and colleagues that all the genres of music were either birthed or perfected on Mississippi soil. From Jimmie Rodgers to Faith Hill, B.B. King to Grady Champion, and from Leontyne Price to Brandy, it’s safe to say that our musical roots run deep. As we prepare for the grand opening of the Farish Street Entertainment District, you can look for us to embrace our musical history and proudly put it on display for the rest of the world to see. Even within the two blocks of the entertainment district, you can feel the spirits of the performers who once graced those venues. Anyone who was anybody in the ’20s, ’30s, ’40s and even the ’50s showed up at the Crystal Palace or the Alamo to throngs of eager Jacksonians. In those times, music was a refuge from the harsh realities of the depression, of war, of Jim Crow. You could always look to Mississippi to give you original music by original artists who worked hard to perfect their craft. It is doubly important that we recognize those musicians who came after the pioneers—those who bridged the gap between “those” times and “these” times—the folks who carried on the rich tradition of Mississippi Music. Look up the Wyndchimes, the Composers or Mississippi’s first two rap groups, The Ice Cold Rappers and M-Town Posse, and you’ll see that our state never stopped its musical innovation. Do your homework, and you’ll see that the most sampled song in hip-hop history was “Get up and Dance” by Freedom. KRS-One used it; Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five used it. Where was Freedom from? Jackson, Miss. A few of its members still reside in Jackson and are still involved in music. Today, we still carrying a musical torch at home

and on foreign soils, whether it’s me traveling to the Czech Republic or Ghana, Bobby Rush going to China or David Banner going to Australia. While the names Crooked Lettaz, 3 Doors Down, or LeAnn Rimes may scream out “Mississippi” to you, there are still others like Snoop Dogg and Rick Ross, Saving Abel and Platinum rapper Soulja Boy who you may not know are also Mississippi natives. And a new crop of artists is springing up all over the state. Mississippi can celebrate Big K.R.I.T, a Meridian hip-hop artist who just inked a major deal with Def Jam, the most prominent label on the planet. Check him out on YouTube. He promises to make us proud. We can also congratulate M.L., a Jackson-born and bred R&B singer/producer who recently won a national contest sponsored by R&B songstress Monica. Other states have nothing on us. Be proud. And be supportive. These artists can’t flourish without your cheers, your screams and your dollars buying their product. We need you showing up to the shows and letting these club owners and promoters know that you support local music; that you support original music; that you show the respect to these artists that they deserve for the hard work they put in. They deserve to be compensated for their craft and not given pennies for their art while out-of-town bands or cover bands rake in big-dollar gigs. If the Mississippi music tradition is to continue, let this be the day to drop the gauntlet and unleash a new generation of musicians on the world: the Storage 24s, the Creep Lefts, The Jason Turner Bands, the Skipp Coons, the Pyinfamouses, the Compositionz, etc. Despite what the naysayers think, Mississippi has something to say. And that’s the truth ... sho-nuff.

E-mail letters to letters@jacksonfreepress.com, fax to 601-510-9019 or mail to P.O. Box 5067, Jackson, Miss., 39296. Include daytime phone number. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

James L. Dickerson

Long Live the ‘W’

EDITORIAL Managing Editor Ronni Mott News Editor Lacey McLaughlin Features Editor Natalie A. Collier Senior Reporter Adam Lynch Reporter Ward Schaefer Events Editor Latasha Willis Music Listings Editor Herman Snell Assistant to the Editor ShaWanda Jacome Writers Lisa Fontaine Bynum, Rob Hamilton, Carl Gibson, Jackie Warren Tatum Anita Modak-Truran,Will Morgan, Larry Morrisey, Andy Muchin, Chris Nolen,Tom Ramsey, Doctor S, Ken Stiggers,Valerie Wells, Byron Wilkes, John Yargo Editorial Interns Tom Allin, Katie Bonds, Hanna Bowie, Jasmine Bowie, Kate Brantley, Sarah Bush, Alexandra Dildy, Deanna Graves, Angelyn Irvin, Brooke Kelly, Holly Perkins, Brianna Robinson, Ryan Rudd, Jehrod Williams Consulting Editor JoAnne Prichard Morris

ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY Editorial Designer Kristin Brenemen Advertising Designer Lydia Chadwick Production Designer Christi Vivar Editorial Cartoonist Chris Zuga Photographers Tom Beck, Pat Butler, Kip Caven, Josh Hailey, Kenya Hudson, Kate Medley, Meredith Norwood, Jaro Vacek Design Intern Jessica Millis Photo Interns Jert-Rutha Crawford, Jerrick Smith Founding Art Director Jimmy Mumford

SALES AND OPERATIONS Sales Director Kimberly Griffin Account Executive Randi Ashley Jackson Account Executive and Distribution Manager Adam Perry Accounting Montroe Headd Distribution Clint Dear, Nicole Finch, Aimee Lovell, Michael Jacome, Brooke Jones, Steve Pate Founding Ad Director Stephen Barnette Marketing Intern Christina Hammond

ONLINE Web Producer Korey Harrion

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Jackson Free Press P.O. Box 5067, Jackson, Miss., 39296 Editorial (601) 362-6121 Sales (601) 362-6121 Fax (601) 510-9019 Daily updates at jacksonfreepress.com The Jackson Free Press is the city’s award-winning, locally owned newsweekly, with 17,000 copies distributed in and around the Jackson metropolitan area every Thursday. The Jackson Free Press is free for pick-up by readers; one copy per person, please. First-class subscriptions are available for $100 per year for postage and handling. The Jackson Free Press welcomes thoughtful opinions. The views expressed in this newspaper are not necessarily those of the publisher or management of Jackson Free Press Inc. © Copyright 2010 Jackson Free Press Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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hen Gov. Haley Barbour came out in favor of merging Mississippi University for Women with Mississippi State University, I was ecstatic. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, I wrote editorials for the Jackson Daily News, Sunday Clarion-Ledger and The Commercial Appeal calling for such a merger. It created quite a stir at the time, for it put the major newspapers of the region on record calling for the dismantling of the “W.” At the time, I thought MUW was an anachronism. I considered it an embarrassment that Mississippi would support a university for Steel Magnolias. I wondered why it had taken the governor 30 years to reach such a sensible conclusion. At Ole Miss, where my band played for frat parties at the SAE house as the future governor danced (sort of) the night away, I don’t recall him ever taking a long time to reach a decision. The music began. Feet danced. Hands sliced through the air, gamely chasing after the Twist, the Swim and the Funky Chicken. Earlier this week, I did something no self-respecting editorial writer should ever do: I gave MUW a second thought. Now I think I was wrong to ever take such a position. Accordingly, exercising the omnipotent powers possessed by all editorial writers, I hereby rescind the merger/closure positions taken by all three newspapers. That decision is final, not subject to appeal. Why did I change my mind? The United States has more than five dozen colleges and universities devoted to providing women a quality education. Bryn Mawr College comes to mind, along with Smith College, Texas Women’s University, and Barnard College. Then there are all the universities that have women’s colleges within the larger framework of their coed institutions— Yeshiva University, the University of Denver, University of Richmond and, closer to home, Tulane University. MUW should be a source of pride, not derision. This business about changing the university’s name to Reneau University is a joke. MUW does not need a name change. It needs a mission change. Instead of trying to attract more male students, it should restructure its academic mission and provide an even stronger educational program for women. Build it, and they will come. Mississippi has a history of shortchanging women. We did not ratify the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote, until 1984, more than 60 years after it was ratified by the rest of the country. We’ve never had a female governor or U.S. Senator or attorney general, but we have produced—thanks to MUW—generations of strong women who have quietly assumed roles of leadership in the

state. This is no time to turn off the faucet. Mississippi needs more female leaders, not more women bearing wishy-washy diplomas from a university that no one has ever heard of. All of this hit home for me recently when I read that Allegra Brigham was named interim president of Mississippi University for Women. I went to high school with Brigham, and I know her to be a brilliant, extremely effective communicator. One unusually hot summer in the 1960s, when we were both teenagers, I accompanied Brigham and her family to their house at Lake Washington. Soon after arriving, Brigham and I were sent on a mission into nearby Glen Allen to purchase a gallon of Neapolitan ice cream for her father. We sauntered into a tiny grocery/service station and learned that they did not stock Neapolitan ice cream. Afraid to return with nothing to show for our efforts, I bought a gallon of chocolate, a gallon of vanilla and a gallon of strawberry, figuring that daddy could simply make his own Neapolitan dessert. He took one look at the stack of containers piled on the kitchen table and groaned. “I said Neapolitan,” he said. “Sir,” I said, “they didn’t have it, so I got this.” He shook his head, not buying my explanation. Clearly, that ice cream was going to sit on the table until hell froze over. Sensing the seriousness of the situation, Brigham stepped forward. “You know,” she began, choosing her words carefully. “The whole is equal to the sum of its parts. I think we can put our heads together and build a great Neapolitan.” Daddy grinned, understanding full well that he had been beaten by superior logic. I have a hunch that Brigham can do for MUW what she did for daddy: Build an academic Neapolitan. But forget the name change. Put together a task force to come up with ideas on how to change MUW’s mission so that it will become an even stronger institution capable of attracting women from all over the country, not an unwanted stepchild of Mississippi State. Offer a strong master’s degree in public administration. Move the entire social work program from Ole Miss to MUW. Offer an MBA tailored toward leadership roles for women. Merge MUW if the economic situation demands it, as the governor has suggested, but don’t strip it of its name or its unique identity. In case you haven’t heard, women are a Big Deal in the 21st century. Make MUW a showplace for training CEOs, future U.S. senators and Supreme Court justices, and you will see the campus parking lots filled with car tags from all over the country.

CORRECTIONS • In “City Approves Financial Contract, Drug House Demolitions,” in the June 16 issue, reporter Adam Lynch incorrectly reported that Malachi Financial Products is receiving a $300,000 fee for orchestrating the city’s re-financing of its general fund debt. The $300,000 fee is comprised of four different contractors’ fees acting as bond counsel, financial advisers and underwriting counsel, which includes Malachi’s $80,000 fee, plus expenses. • In last week’s issue, we inadvertently misspelled Northside Sun Publisher Wyatt Emmerich’s name. The Jackson Free Press apologizes for the errors.

Blue Monday Jessie “Guitar” Smith no cover 5pm-9pm Tuesday Acoustic Open Mic night with Kenny Davis and Brandon Latham Happy Hour Everyday 4-7 Daily Lunch Specials - $9 LIVE MUSIC Happy Hour Everyday Every Tues. thru Sat.4-7 LIVE MUSIC Wed. thru Sat. LATE NIGHT HAPPY HOUR Sun. thru Thurs. 10pm - 12am Two-for-One, YOU CALL IT!

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Editor in Chief Donna Ladd Publisher Todd Stauffer

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June 24 - 30, 2010

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e walks around, shaking hands and hugging people like the most charismatic politician. Slightly baggy jeans, simple loafer-like shoes and a mint green short-sleeved shirt are not the typical attire of someone running for office, but a suit and tie in this environment would stand out like a bonafide Jezebel at a summer tent revival. Keri Nash, the host of “Spoken Word in the City” at The Roberts Walthall Clarion Hotel downtown, points in the event coordinator’s direction. “Give it up for my man, Scrap Dirty. That’s my dude over there, y’all. He helps make all this sh*t happen right here.” Thirty-eight-year-old Scrap lifts his tattoo-emblazoned right arm to the crowd, smiles, then nods as someone walks up to him to ask a question. The two rush off. There is, undoubtedly another mini crisis happening that Scrap must handle.

Putting Things Together But Mississippi wasn’t completely foreign to the northern boy. He was born in a small community outside Starkville called Crawford, but his parents moved to Chicago not long after he was born. Nichols spent time in the summers with his grandmother, back home in Mississippi. When he arrived at Jackson State, he had no academic direction or ideas.

“I switched my major so many times. I did mass comm for a while because I was running with Brad (Franklin, aka Kamikaze), and that’s what he was doing. So I wanted to do that,” Scrap says. “But then I took a marketing class and found that’s where my heart was. I could put things together that others didn’t see.” He had, in fact, been doing marketing since his first deejaying gig when he was a mere 11 years old at the West side of Chicago’s K-Town, a teen club; he wouldn’t have been able to get in any other way. “I was supposed to be home by 7 (p.m.), but I got home at 1 (a.m.) When I got there, my daddy was standing at the door. He was pissed,” Scrap says. “I tried to make it better by showing him the money I’d made—I’d made $100. He said, ‘I don’t care what you made!’ (and) whooped my ass, then he gave me my money back in $10 increments, when he felt like it.” Even then, the pre-teen was spinning music that was uncommon for a youngster to familiar with. “I played a lot of techno from Detroit, but I didn’t know it. And a lot of house music,” he says. House music originated in Chicago, although there’s an ongoing argument about its real roots. Househeads, as they’re called, agree about a few things, however: Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy, both popular Windy City deejays (who deejayed at The Warehouse and Music Box, respectively) appealed to blacks and Latinos, those who lived in the city’s projects, and heterosexuals and homosexuals alike. “People didn’t really party together back then, yet. Frankie Knuckles came from New York when he was 16, and he was used to that. So when people heard what he was doing (musically), it appealed to all kinds of people. He played to a mixed crowed. Gay and straight people partying together? That was something back then,” Scrap explains. The two deejays would blend together things you’d never expect to hear black deejays play—punk rock, Sting, The Police—with the “black music” of the day: Prince and Grandmaster Flash, for example. They’d both throw marathon parties, from 8 p.m. until 8 a.m. the next morning. Scrap was too young to go to their parties at the time, but their thumbprints on his artistry are undeniable. Scrap quickly became known for reading a crowd well. Terry Hunter, the now internationally recognized deejay and Scrap’s long-time colleague and friend, says Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy were known for making people break down crying on a club’s dance floor. Scrap, he says, is no different. “He can make a crowd move,” he says. Hunter says he met Scrap when he approached him one night at a party he was deejaying. “I had done a party on the West Side at a cub called Resurrection. The people from the South Side didn’t really go over to the West Side back then. But Scrap was just following the music. It’s always been about the music for him,” Hunter says. ‘I Am a Little Arrogant’ As Scrap gained professional experience while at Jackson State, he decided it was time to hone his business acumen. “At 11, 16, I just wanted to get out and do things. When I got to college, it was more about getting some money. I loved what I did, but I needed money!” Scrap says. Those who’d been upholding the house-music banner

in Jackson at house parties—Sleepy and Howie from Detroit, Low Down Len from Chicago, Mark Full of Flavor—were leaving. He left for a while, too. But Scrap says he knew there could be a place for him still in Jackson, if he created one. He started throwing self-promoted parties at the now-defunct club Metro 2001 and deejaying at WJMI for a while. But after the station let him go, he started managing an artist, and immediately, Chris Lighty, owner of Violator Management Brand Asset Group, took notice of Scrap’s style and passion. “Chris was a millionaire by the time he was 18 (from working in the music industry), so for him to notice me was big. And we both knew that deejays need more exposure than working at radio stations,” Scrap says. Around the same time Scrap was building a relationship with Lighty, he also began to forge a relationship with Barak Records founder and CEO RJ Rice Sr. “I was producing Kurupt, and he was managing him,” Rice says of Scrap. “I liked what he was doing, and I like his patience. He’s closer to me than some members of my actual family because of his loyalty. Greater patience, in fact, is one thing Rice says he’s learned from his relationship with Scrap. “I’m from a different generation. This generation—the musicians—they’re not so patient with their music. They throw it together quickly,” Rice says. “In my opinion … it’s more about the money for them than the craft. ... And I think Scrap has more tolerance, and he’s patient working with people like that, and it’s rubbed off on me.” Barack Records is known for their Slum Village trio— rappers T3, Baatin and rapper/producer J. Dilla (the latter two have passed away)—and its cult following among

jacksonfreepress.com

‘A Little Jekyll and Hyde’ In 2000, Rob Nichols—who got his pseudonym Scrap Dirty because he was “scrappy, like the dog, in the street a lot and had a quick temper” and “dirty for Dirty South”—was the host of “Saturday Night Party Mix” at WJMI, where he’d worked for four years. He walked in one day and was told he was being let go. “I don’t even remember what I did, honestly. Like I don’t even think I asked at the time. I was just like, ‘OK, I’m fired; what’s next?’” Scrap says. The answer changed the deejay’s career path. “I knew I wanted to create something for deejays who’d been let go like I had,” he says, so he started managing, working with Atlanta-based Kurupt of the Tha Dogg Pound, in 2000. The deejay, who’d grown up spinning house music on Chicago’s south side, was broadening his horizons. “To be a manager, at your best, you have to have patience and be a little Jekyll and Hyde. There has to be that compassionate part and that part that don’t take no mess,” Scrap says. Though he’d never managed anything besides his own career before, the deejay had experience—at least academically. Scrap graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marketing in 1997 from Jackson State University. Between graduating from Walter Lutheran High School in Chicago, and moving to Jackson to attend JSU in 1993, the deejay spent his time trying to figure out what he wanted to. “All I knew for sure, at first, was that I was tired of going to Lutheran schools, and I wanted to get away. I went to Lutheran schools from first grade all the way through high school. It was either Concordia College or Jackson State, where my dad went,” he says. To escape his strict school regiment, the adolescent started breakdancing. “I was alright at it, but there was a guy who lived across the street—Alphonso Morris—and I’d always hear this music playing from the front room of their house,” Scrap recalls. “I just went over there one day to see what was going on over there. There’d always be people at his house and stuff. “In the house, he had everything: deejay equipment, an 808, a beat machine, everything. And it was all organized. He asked if I knew how to deejay, and I told him I did. I didn’t know what I was doing at all.” Scrap’s neighbor knew that the then-10-year-old wasn’t telling the truth, so he decided to mentor him. “We sat on his bed, and he had me to pick out what records he would play, and I’d watch how he’d move the pitch control and all the other stuff,” he says. Most of the music the experienced deejay and his protégé were spinning was disco. This, little did the deejaying novice know, was the most challenging music to learn to spin. “If you were a disco deejay, you could do anything. It’s the hardest thing to spin,” he says.

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other artists like Young RJ and their Grammy-nominated act, Dwele. Currently, the label is set to release an album, “Village Manifesto,” July 27. Scrap spent seven months between Jackson and Detroit as the label worked to produce the album that’s destined to become an instant classic for followers of Barak-produced music. “We’ve got Pops from De La Soul, Fife from A Tribe Called Quest, Baatin before he died. I used to watch these guys when I was coming up,” Scrap says. And as Scrap Dirty works on this album, he works to stretch his experience further beyond only deejaying. “It’s important to wear multiple hats … to not work for anyone else. I think using ball as an analogy is the best way to explain it. Most players are going to flip teams, but the owner is still the same,” Rice explains. “Magic retired; Kareem Abdul Jabar retired; and yes, they did make a lot of money. But they didn’t make as much as the owner did. ... I think Rob is learning it’s more important to be an owner, behind the scenes than only out in front because the career is longer that way.” Scrap still manages people, too. In fact, he founded and manages the 50-some All-Star Violator DJs. No easy task. “Deejays like to be babysat. They’re divas. ... That’s just how we are. We get in clubs free, drink for free, and people notice us and treat us like superstars. You can get caught up in that, and it will hurt you,” he says. “I never got caught up in the superstar stuff, but I am a little arrogant. I’ll admit that,” Scrap concludes, smiling sheepishly. Add to that the three conference calls he has every Monday, Wednesday and Friday; the artists who frequently call to see what new music and beats he can send them; the record label executives who call looking to have their records broken onair by specific deejays; daytrading Barak assets; deejaying gigs across the nation; local events like the well-attended, monthly “Spoken Word in the City”; the show he co-hosts, “True Soul Café,” every Sunday from noon-3 p.m. on WRBJ 97.7; a 5year-old daughter, Amber, who demands her father’s attention; subtract an assistant, and you have Scrap: a busy, busy man. “The music business stays slow,” he explains. “You have to do a little bit of everything. You might get one big check from ASCAP or somewhere else, and you might not see another check for three to four months. Then one month, you may get seven checks.” While the money may be temperamental, Scrap’s commitment to help others “come up” is predictable. Kwasi Kwa, the current program director at WRBJ 97.7 in Jackson, grew up in the same neighborhood Scrap did in Chicago, was familiar with the deejay’s sound and followed in his footsteps by enrolling at Jackson State University. While he was in school, he began interning at 97.7. “It was like a reunion. … He showed me the ropes. I was on the street team when he was doing parties at Metro 2000 on Saturday nights,” Kwa, says. “You hired him to be a deejay, and he was going to be the deejay and the promoter. He’s put a lot of people on. … He sets you up to do what you have to do, but you have to be prepared for it.” As for his colleague’s deejaying skills, Kwa says it’s an experience unto itself watching Scrap deejay: “Have you seen him deejay? It’s in his veins. It’s almost like he gets an orgasm from playing the music. That’s his high.” RJ Rice echoes that sentiment. “Most deejays are creative, but they’re not visually creative. With other deejays, it’s audible, and it’s supposed to be. But you don’t see anything. Scrap—you’re going to want to look at him.” June 24 - 30, 2010

‘A Spiritual Thing’ Like most things, deejaying isn’t as simple as it looks. But if you’re watching a master, he or she makes it look like something anybody could pull off. “It’s a spiritual thing,” Scrap says. His friend Hunter says: “Anybody that can pick up a computer thinks they can deejay. They can’t. You have to know 16 how to blend the records. You have to read the crowd. It’s not

just about putting two records together. You (could) just use an iPod nowadays, if that’s all it took.” “I have so much going on, and sometimes I get away from deejaying for a minute. When I do, I kind of get off balance, lose my center. I can’t think straight. I need to get to a turntable and spin some records,” he says.

Hey, Mr. DJ DJ Name: DJ Cadillac Government Name: Bo Trebotich Age: 28 Music: Hip-Hop and Rock Spinning for: Five years In Heavy Rotation: Uhhhh ... From: Jackson Where he Spins: Electric Cowboy (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday) DJ Name: Ron Ron Government Name: Ronnie Steverson Age: 53 Music: Country, Boogie Music, R&B, Rap Music, Blues, Country and whatever anybody wants to hear. Spinning for: Better than 20 years now In Heavy Rotation: Most requested is “The Cupid Shuffle” From: Jackson Where he spins: Pop’s Saloon (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) DJ Name: DJ George Chuck Government Name: George Patterson Age: 28 Music: Old-school R&B and Hip-Hop Spinning for: 11 Years From: Mobile, Ala. In Heavy Rotation: “Excellent Taste” by Tricky featuring Cassius Where he Spins: Last Call (Mondays from 6-10 p.m.)

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alking to George Patterson and Bo Trebotich, one can’t help but wonder if becoming a deejay only happens serendipitously. “I was a part of this little group in high school, and one night, we had an event, and the deejay didn’t show up,” Patterson recalls. For anyone else, this could have meant the end of a party, but Patterson saw an opportunity. “I went to the house and told my parents I was just coming into the house to grab some stuff, so I grabbed the home entertainment system and made two CD players from a front loading deck … and the CD Walkman,” Patterson says. A few songs and spliced wires later, Patterson had transformed himself into DJ George Chuck. Bo Trebotich’s path is eerily similar. What started as a job working for a friend who owned a club turned into something much bigger. “I was helping him out doing security and bartending, and his deejay got sick, and he ends up calling me up and saying, ‘Hey, look, I need you to fill in,’” Trebotich explains. From there, he got a break to play Cadillac Don’s bachelor party and a week later, he was signed to Yea Yea Man Records. Trebotich, or DJ Cadillac as the Electric Cowboy folks know him, has gone on from there to garner the JFP’s

And as for the lessons he’s learned along his journey, Scrap says: “I’ve learned to listen. You can think you know everything, but there’s always somebody else who knows more than you. “I’m probably going to disagree with you right off, because I’m bullheaded,” he admits. “But you’ve gotta listen. It’s the only way you’ll get anywhere.”

by Tom Allin DJ Name: DJ Hova Real Name: Java Chapman Age: 26 Music: Everything, but specifically a lot of Hip-Hop, R&B and House Spinning for: Eight years From: Jackson In Heavy Rotation: “OMG” by Usher Where he Spins: Dreamz Jxn (Fridays from 9 p.m.2 a.m.) DJ Name: Mr. Nick Government Name: Nicholas Mejia Age: 26 Music: Soul and Hip-Hop Spinning for: Professionally for five; … eight or nine, if you count sitting at home From: Miami, Fla. In Heavy Rotation: “Exhibit C” by Jay Electronica Where he Spins: Ole Tavern on George Street (Thursdays) DJ Name: DJ Young Venom Government Name: Phillip Rollins Age: 25 Music: Soul, Hip-Hop, House and a little Electronica Spinning for: Six years From: Ridgeland In Heavy Rotation: “For Your Smile” by TiRon Where he Spins: 97.7 WRBJ Sundays, noon-3 p.m., “The True Soul Café” “Best Club DJ” award for the past three years. Phillip Rollins, DJ Young Venom, explains: “Anybody can be a deejay, but not everybody can be a great deejay.” And, in Jackson, being great presents a complicated challenge. Nicholas Mejia explains that Jackson is difficult because being a club deejay who introduces new music is not always a good thing. “I would play brand new music from a genre and an artist that people would normally like, but because the song wasn’t in heavy rotation on the radio, people would clear the room the second a new song came on,” he says. “Three months later, people are asking you for the same song because it’s now on the radio. So Jackson—hate to say it—but Jackson has a bit of a follower mentality.” Patterson echoes his sentiments: “I wish that I could have a crowd that just has an ear for music no matter what the music is; they would let themselves be moved by the music and not just sit around waiting for ‘Single Ladies’ to come on or the next Rihanna song to come on.” But in the end, all agree they’re here to entertain. “… [I]f you’re a deejay for the people, you’ve got to play what the patrons want to hear,” Patterson says. “Because otherwise, you’re fired, and you don’t have any gigs and nobody is booking you.”

The Gants

Big Bill Broonzy—This mysterious but talented artist touched the souls of many blues fans from the 1930s through the 1950s. Often regarded as the best-selling blues artist on Vocalion’s Race Records, his birthplace and birthdate are unknown, and he never could keep track of his places of residence throughout his life. One of Broonzy’s suspected birthplaces is Scott, Miss., but researchers know for certain he spent time in Pine Bluff, Ark., and headed for Chicago when he left there. He served in the U.S. Army for one year (1918-1919), and his 1924 appearance as a fiddle player with Papa Charlie Jackson introduced him to the showmanship of the blues. In December 1938, “Big Bill” played “From Spirituals to Swing” live at Carnegie Hall in New York City. The elusive bluesman died Aug. 15, 1958.

Sam Chatmon—This multi-talented musician, skilled with banjo, bass guitar, mandolin and harmonica, spent the majority of his 96-year life dedicated to his music. Born Jan. 10, 1899 in Bolton, the ninth of his father’s 11 musically oriented children, Chatmon began playing the guitar when he was just 6. While he got his start as a member of one of his relative’s string bands, Chatmon advanced his career by playing with his older brother Lonnie. After a couple of his brother’s bandmates died, the brothers and Walter Vinson formed The Mississippi Sheiks. Throughout the latter part of Chatmon’s life, he toured. One of his final performances was at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 1976. Rumor has it (actually Wikipedia) Chatmon and Charlie Patton were half-brothers. Muddy Waters—Born McKinley Morganfield in Rolling Fork, Miss. (or Issaquena County depending on who you ask), Muddy Waters, as the singer/songwriter/guitarist was later called, they say, a slick-talking fellow. He first learned to play the guitar when he was 17, and he eventually moved to Chicago with the hopes of starting a music career. Because of his quick learning and musicianship, by mid-career he was known as the “The Father of Chicago Blues,” a moniker many people rec-

ognize today. Through singles like his 1948 hits “I Can’t Be Satisfied” and “I Feel Like Going Home,” Muddy Waters made new innovations in modern blues music through the use of his downto-earth lyrics. While some people are familiar with these accomplishments, they’re often unaware that Muddy inspired the likes of The Rolling Stones and the British blues movement of the 1960s. In fact, the artist’s achievements were so significant, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him No. 17 on its “Billboard’s 100 Greatest Artists” list. The Gants—This popular 1960s garage-rock band, originally comprised of Sid Herring, Johnny Freeman (who was later replaced by Johnny Saunders), Vince Montgomery and Don Woods, were popular for their Beatles-esque style. All natives of Greenwood, Miss., the band got an early start performing as the opening act for The Animals but saw their success delayed because of their age, many assume. The group eventually released its first single, “My Baby Don’t Care,” in 1965, on the Statute recording label. The group’s first album, “Roadrunner,” reached No. 46 on the U.S. pop-singles chart. As of 2005, The Gants had picked up their instruments again with Charles Hall replacing the late Vince Montgomery.

Artists to Watch: Liver Mousse Miscues, Mistakes and Meat Paste

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by Lacey McLaughlin

Cody Cox

hen Cody Cox and his girlfriend, first CD released this spring, “Sans Pants,” Caitlin McNally come home was purposely recorded to sound raw, from a long day at work, the last complete with mistakes and spontaneous thing they want to do is be serimoments to sound “honest.” ous. Instead, they piece together the absurd The song, “Nachos are Forever,” juxmoments of their day, grab instruments, taposes two unrelated themes: nachos and and sing about things like donkeys, nachos sex. Cox opens the song with his rough, and making love. weathered voice and breaks with his har Last summer, Cox and McNally monica while McNally plays the tambouformed Liver Mousse. McNally says she was rine. She joins in the chorus, interrupting watching the Bravo TV show “Top Chef” with a few short giggles. when two contestants began making liver “It’s all pretty silly and kitschy,” Mcmousse for desert. The name stuck. Nally says. “It’s just about having fun. And “I was just fascinated,” McNally says. the songs are really lighthearted. … If there “I liked that there could be such a thing. … is any theme to our music, it’s that the only It’s the idea of something that ought to be thing to be serious about is being silly.” light and fluffy, but it’s a meat paste. It was Cody Cox and his girlfriend, Cox says Liver Mousse is an escape Caitlin McNally, sing fun, simple kind of disturbing.” from the confinements of achieving musi McNally swears she is not a musician, songs with a raw sound. cal perfection, which Furrows attempts to but she started singing and playing the tamobtain in their recordings. bourine and writing lyrics with Cox, who is the lead singer “Music can be just enjoyed; it doesn’t have to be precise and guitarist for the band Furrows. McNally even picked up all the time,” Cox says. “There can be some miscues and some the drums, despite having no prior experience. mistakes. This is a way to celebrate that. It doesn’t have be “I have two drums that I beat the hell out of,” she says. spot on every note. It gives us a certain kind of freedom.” “It makes me happier to play them than how it sounds.” Liver Mousse performs July 2 at Ole Tavern at 10 p.m. Cox is careful to call the duo’s music lo-fi but says their “Sans Pants” is currently available at Sneaky Beans.

Sounds Like … by Ward Schaefer

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o one likes talking to a music snob. Statements like “This isn’t psych-pop, it’s proto-shoegaze with a proggy, math-rock attitude” don’t lend themselves to conversation. As a recovering snob, I can assure you there’s nothing to fear in all those fancy words. Sometimes they even contain a little wisdom. Musical jargon can be a kind of shorthand genealogy, hinting at a genre’s roots. For example, 2-step—a British dance-music style popular in the late ‘90s and early aughts—begat “dubstep” (the same, with the clipped vocal samples and murky production of Jamaican dub reggae), which in turn begat “dubblestep,” a recent variant with double-time drum beats and throbbing, off-kilter bass lines. Genre terms may start off meaning something and gradually lose their shape as they’re applied to more and more acts, losing their form like that T-shirt you tried to wear as pants. The “post” prefix carries weight when you’re talking about “post-punk”—the jittery, nervous style that broke apart the forms of ’70s and ’80s punk rock while keeping its energy. But “post-rock,” while often referring to classically inspired compositions performed with guitars, is a joke of a name. What comes after rock? Or take the deeply loaded term “indie.” Indie rock originally referred to small, “independent” record labels and a certain non-mainstream sound. But now we have indie pop, indie hip-hop, indie folk. The word has been so distorted by use that calling a musician “indie” says more about his or her class or the cut of their pants (or that of their audience) than it does about the sound. My favorite musical neologism, DORF is an acronym for “Dead, Old, Retro or Foreign.” Slate music critic Jody Rosen coined the term to describe National Public Radio’s coverage of black musicians. To wit: Malian duo Amadou & Mariam (Foreign, Old) get plenty NPR love, as do R&B singer Raphael Saadiq (Retro) and bluesman Howlin’ Wolf (Dead, Old). Rapper-ofthe-moment Drake could show up on All Things Considered (Canadian = Foreign), but singer Ciara (Young, American, Contemporary) never will, or at least not until she’s 50.

Here are a few more music terms you might hear: • chillwave— synthesizer-heavy dance music with catchy, often dreamy melodies • grime— a British rap style as indebted to dancehall and 2-step as it is to American hip-hop • poptimist— a music critic (or fan) who believes mainstream pop music is as worthy of appreciation as more challenging art • prog/progressive— usually indicates technically-impressive musicianship or compositions • rockist— a critic/fan who argues for the superiority or authenticity of some genres over others • twee— childlike, often involving a glockenspiel

jacksonfreepress.com

courtesy the gants

Ever Heard of … ?

by Ryan Rudd

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June 24 - 30, 2010

Creating a Space here. I think that’s a damn shame. … Just because you’re a white person doesn’t mean you always go to Hal & Mal’s and see a bluegrass and or a rock ‘n’ roll band play. And just because you’re black doesn’t mean you always have to go to Freelons to see an R&B or hiphop act. … Music is a universal language, and it can create diversity in a town. I think it’s slowly starting to happen.” Weems, Hildebrand’s partner in music, says: “When you think of great music cities, there are venues that are made to be

music venues. ... Most importantly, there are people who know about sound and care about running good quality sound systems. I feel like in Jackson, to an extent, music is an afterthought. I think that’s why doit-yourself venues and house shows have been successful.” To read more from Taylor Hildebrand and Jamie Weems, see “Band of Brothers” in the Summer 2010 issue of BOOM Jackson. And to learn how to create your own music venue, keep reading below.

Burnin’ Down the House: DIY Concerts William Patrick Butler Photography

Money Talks Be upfront about how (or if) you’ll pay the perform-

by Ward Schaefer

Making Space When considering locations for your house concert, be reasonable. Don’t make a four-piece band play in your bathtub. Pick a room with plenty of space and clear out unnecessary clutter. But the cozy feel of a house is part of the show’s appeal, so don’t worry if some folks have to stand in a doorway.

ers, and make sure you mention any charge or suggested donation when you publicize the show. For shows at her house, Wright usually tells bands that she will pass a hat for and sometimes offers a suggestion for a small donation. “As far as I can tell, people are making more money playing at my house than they make at bars. People in this town, in particular, are extremely generous,” Wright says. “In such an intimate setting, they feel almost like they’ve been given a gift, and they want to give back.” Sounds and Power For bands that use amplifiers, it helps if you have a P.A. or can borrow one. It also helps to have spare ex-

Being Neighborly Noise is a concern best addressed beforehand. Schedule your show for a time when it’s less likely to offend your neighbors and warn them in advance. Keep in mind that your performers won’t need to turn their amplifiers to 11 like they might in a noisy bar. When the New Orleans indie-pop band Glasgow played on Wright’s front lawn, they barely needed microphones, but their low-volume set was one of the most intense I’d seen in months. Odds & Ends Wright says she’s learned to leave a cup for cigarette butts on her front steps to spare her potted plants. She also party-proofs her house, securing off-limits kitchen cupboards with rubber bands and putting out visible recycling containers. If you’re a musician looking to play a house show on tour, Wright recommends checking out dodiy.org, which lists DIY venues in various cities. She also encourages people interested in hosting or playing in Jackson to contact her at dizziestar@gmail.com.

jacksonfreepress.com

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Local musicians Jamie Weems and Taylor Hilderbrand of the band Horse Trailer.

tension cords or power strips. Know where to find your electrical outlets.

House concerts offer a more intimate experience for musicians and listeners alike.

t’s not just for sweaty, basement punks anymore. Do-ityourself house concerts are cropping up all over Jackson, the perfect expression of the city’s collaborative, welcoming music scene. I asked my good friend Lizzie Wright, who has hosted several shows featuring local and out-oftown bands, for some tips on throwing a house concert. Wright is a musician herself, performing as Lizzie Wright Super Spaceship. House shows are some of her favorite and most energetic performing experiences, she says, because the (small) crowds are so receptive and engaged.

Jaro Vacek

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ackson musicians Taylor Hildebrand and Jamie Weems have big plans and ideas for Jackson’s music scene. They want a bolder and vibrant place for musicians and fans. “Growing up in Jackson,” Hildebrand says, “I was heavily exposed to hip-hop. … It was a big influence. (Passenger Jones) always tried to get hip-hop guys to open for us and vice versa. We did that three or four times, and it was badass. We had a half-white, half-black crowd, and you don’t always see that around

by Lacey McLaughlin

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Quita Bridges

Artist to Watch: Noo Noo

Doing it All

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Alysyia Terry, aka Noo Noo, is a 10-year old rapper who values education and her role model status.

hen talking about the big names in rap today, you’ll hear names like Jay-Z, T.I. or Lil’ Wayne. Rap is a male-dominated genre, and it isn’t often that ladies get credit for their lyrical ability and rap skills. When they do, they create a big buzz. And the few buzz-worthy female artists with large fan bases often call themselves the best. But neither Trina nor Nicki Minaj has yet to meet Jackson rapper Noo Noo. Alysyia Terry—Noo Noo is her stage name—is a triple threat who raps, acts and dances. And at only 10 years old, she has lots

by Angelyn Irvin of time to grow. She is a full-time student and part-time rapper, and is as talented as emcees twice her age. She sets a good example for her peers, too. Noo Noo began rapping when she was 7, sending out raps for invitations to her birthday party instead of traditional invites. She’s been making music ever since. The emcee’s song “Do Da Noo Noo” has gotten lots of airplay on the radio, and the video has thousands of views on YouTube. The video, which was shot at Gary Road Intermediate School in Byram, features the fash-

VISIT

www.southernbeverage.com

June 24 - 30, 2010

TO SEE WHERE TO REGISTER LOCALLY

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ionable pre-teen, who also goes by “Lil’ Rich Girl,” pulling up and exiting a shiny white Mercedes. She then proceeds to demonstrate the song’s eponymous dance, Da Noo Noo, in her school’s hallways. Noo Noo’s music is easy to dance to and fun to listen to; she describes it as “catchy and exciting.” Her fans are small but large in number. At her 10th birthday bash May 29, hundreds of excited children packed into Jackson’s Club Mardi Gras to celebrate and party with her. Featuring performances by Ray Nitti and Tha Joker, it seemed more like an episode of MTV’s “Super Sweet 16” than the typical party for someone who has only lived for one decade. Then again, Noo Noo is not a typical 10-year-old. The young girl considers herself a role model and values a good education. Her song “You Gotta Believe” speaks to those values. “If you don’t stay in school you can’t get a good job/You need to stay in school so you can go many big places and just follow your dreams,” she raps. Even though she enjoys rapping, Noo Noo, whose favorite subject is math, puts her homework before her hobbies, chief among them, playing soccer. “It’s not really hard because I still make time to study. I am still a straight-A student,” she says of the balancing act she performs, juggling school, her hobbies and rapping career.

ALBUM RELEASES: Tuesday, June 22 All-Star Weekend “Suddenly,” Automatic Loveletter “Truth Or Dare,” Sebastian Blanck “Alibi Coast,” The Chemical Brothers “Further,” Closed Heart Surgery “The Blue Girl Diaries,” The Constellations “Southern Gothic,” Miley Cyrus “Can’t Be Tamed,” Eminem “Recovery,” Derek Trucks Band “Roadsongs,” Front Line Assembly “Improvised. Electronic. Device,” Macy Gray “The Sellout,” Herbie Hancock “The Imagine Project,” Sarah Harmer “Oh Little Fire,” Cyndi Lauper “Memphis Blues,” Ozzy Osbourne “Scream,” Pierce The Veil “Selfish Machines,” Robert Randolph and the Family Band “We Walk This Road,” The Roots “How I Got Over,” Sabbath Assembly “Restored To One,” Sebastian Blanck “Alibi Coast,” Nora Jane Struthers “Nora Jane Struthers,” Paul Thorn “Pimps and Preachers,” Uncle Kracker “Happy Hour: The South River Sessions” Uffie “Sex Dreams & Denim Jeans,” Laurie Anderson “Homeland,” Authority Zero “Stories of Survival,” Bertell “Goin’ Hard,” VersaEmerge “Fixed at Zero,” Washington Square Park “Washington Square Park”

by Lacey McLaughlin

Monica cutler

Where are They Now?

DONATE NOW! To Build a Legal Fund for Abused Families Items Needed: Original Art • Gift Certificates • Corporate Items Gifts, Big & Small • Monetary Donations

Saturday, July 24

Hal & Mal’s Red Room Chris Wheeler (pictured, left) left Jackson to pursue music full time with his band,The Gills, in Nashville. Other band members are Jesse Wheeler, Andy Prince and Matt Prince.

Tyler Tadlock Jackson native Tyler Tadlock moved to Portland, Ore., in 2008 to cure his wanderlust. On June 22, he released “Spirituals,” an electronic-based project that combines jazz compositions and electronic music creating intense rhythms and beats. Local musician Johnny Bertram collaborated with Tadlock on the album. Tadlock is also a graphic artist and designed the cover art for his CD. “There are a lot of similarities between Jackson and Portland,” Tadlock says. “In Portland, there is a lot more going on and a lot more venues, but I felt like anytime something goes on in Jackson there is always a huge interest. It’s a real tight-knit community.” Tadlock says he doesn’t have any set dates to perform in Jackson but will play again the next time he is in town visiting family. “Spirituals” is available on iTunes. For more information visit tylertadlock.com Chris Wheeler Chris Wheeler, a Pensacola, Fla., native, moved to Jackson in 2005. As a guitarist, he played with several musicians, but he’s better known for playing with AJC & The Envelope Pushers. Six months ago, he moved to Nashville, Tenn., and is now pursuing music fulltime with the indie-pop band, The Gills. Wheeler’s younger brother Jesse is the band’s lead singer. “Nashville has a very healthy indie rock scene,” Wheeler says. “Its just now getting bigger and better. The Jackson music scene is comparable—Nashville is just a bigger city.” For more information, visit www.myspace. com/somebodygillme. eZra Brown Saxophonist eZra Brown is never far from his instrument. A Native of South Carolina, the musician has played for more than 15 years. Not one to be boxed in, he’s performed with gospel, jazz, hip-hop and rock artists professionally. Two years ago, he relocated from Jackson to New York City to further pursue

his career. Since his move, he has toured internationally and recorded videos for MTV. He is currently booking a European tour, where he will play with former Fugees member John Forte. Brown is also featured on the song “Breathe,” which he recorded with Blitz the Ambassador, on the World Cup soundtrack. “My plan was to spread my art so people can hear Mississippi soul worldwide,” he says. For more information, visit ezrabrown. magntize.com 7even:Thirty Jackson native and hip-hop artist 7even: Thirty moved to Dallas in March and is currently recording a new EP, “Rhyme Travelin,” with hip-hop artist Erik L. He is simultaneously working on another EP with friend and Jackson hip-hop artist 5-D. The musician says he moved to Dallas to open a new chapter in his life. “It’s a larger scale, but it’s just a change in an environment,” he says. “Wherever I go, I want people to know where I’m from,” 7even: Thirty says. He plans to schedule performances in Jackson soon. For more information, visit www. myspace.com/7eventhirtysounds. Jakob and Joshua Clarke Jackson brothers Jakob and Joshua Clark were both long-time members of the Jacksonbased, glam-rock band, Living Better Electrically, until they packed up and headed to Austin, Texas, in 2007. After playing in Living Better Electrically for seven years, Jakob (a former JFP designer) says he was feeling musically burned out and needed to recharge, which spurred his move to Austin. Last year, Jakob and Joshua both became fathers and temporarily put their music careers on hold. Now the brothers have a new band, Model Plains. In July, Model Plains will begin recording with Jackson musicians Len Clark and Misha Hercules. Jakob says they will start booking shows when the band is finished recording. “People tend to come out and see music a lot more (in Austin),” he says. “There is a bigger audience and people are generally more excited to hear bands than to drink beer.”

Call 601.362.6121, ext. 16 or e-mail chickball@jacksonfreepress.com. Make checks payable to Center for Violence Prevention or use your credit card at http://www.mscvp.org.

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hen musicians leave Jackson to follow their path to new opportunities and sucess, they leave behind a local fan base. Want to know what they’re up to now? Here’s what.

21

‘Only Believe’

S

THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 9-1

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haron, Miss., native Cynthia Allen released her first independent record April 17. Personal difficulties she’d faced in recent years inspired the album, “Only Believe,” she says. Allen, along with her partner, Steven Harper of His Way Productions, wrote and produced the ninetrack album. “Only Believe” begins on an upbeat note. On the first song, “Worship Him,” Allen encourages listeners to rejoice and give God praise. As the album continues, it takes a more traditional approach, but it’s never

by Ryan Rudd boring. Allen’s style sticks to the mellow and sometimes churchy sounds of time-honored gospel, straying from a contemporary gospel sound, with its synthesized vocals and hardhitting bass lines. The title track, “Only Believe,” “Amazing” and “What Does God See” are all examples of her traditional sound. Allen’s favorite song on her album, though, is “What I Know.” It is, she says, a condensed version of everything she was going through while making the album. “I want (listeners) to understand that if your situation is like mine, this is how I got through it. I think we all experience similar situations, and if my way worked for me, then I think it should work for whoever is listening as well,” Allen says, describing the connection she hopes to form with her audience. The singer considers herself a writer first. And, she says, it’s her favorite aspect of music making. Recently, Allen has worked with gospel artists Lamar and Laquisha Campbell, has shared the stage with gospel legend Shirley Caesar and has traveled abroad. “Only Believe” is available at Bebop Record Shops in Jackson.

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Tiger Eyes

by Jehrod Williams

E

very Thursday and Friday at The Auditorium in Fondren, Thomas “Tiger” Rogers connects with the lunch crowd through his saxophone. When people enter the restaurant, he says he automatically knows what to play to make them feel good. “If a soldier comes in, I make a mental note to be sure to play something patriotic for him, and I will salute him from the stage,” Rogers says. Rogers, 28, a Jackson native and graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, says his love for the saxophone began when he was young and saw Robert Townsend performing live on television. Not long afterward, Rogers began playing for his church, Faith Community Fellowship Church, and joined the band at Whitten Middle School. Those experiences fostered Rogers’ natural talent that has since grown into a recording career. He produced his yet-to-be-released debut album, “A Long Way From Home,” with Indigo Sound Records while in San Jose, Calif., this year during a two-year stint there. Rogers says the experience took him on a musical journey, influenced by the different sounds and cultures he expe-

Courtesy Thomas Rogers

THE JUVENATORS

Artist to Watch: Thomas ‘Tiger’ Rogers

Saxophonist Thomas “Tiger” Rogers’ debut CD is titled “A Long Way from Home.”

rienced while in San Jose. He describes the album as a textural experience that takes the listener from an easy-listening starting point into a voyage of different musical sounds. Back home in Jackson, many of his fans’ curiosity is piqued because the musician never speaks directly to the audience. “My instrument speaks for me,” he says. Hear Thomas “Tiger” Rogers at The Auditorium, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays.

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23

A Pleasant Catastrophe Jert-_utha Crawford

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DIVORCE

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Our Sunday Best

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n the spirit of making a joyful noise unto the Lord, Mississippi natives Brittney Dear, 22, and Dathan Thigpen, 30, took the stage by storm this season on BET’s “Sunday Best.� Both singers grew up singing gospel music and proudly come from strong musical roots. That prepared them for the opportunity to be on the hit gospel talent show, hosted by Kirk Franklin and judged by gospel music artists Donnie McClurkin, Yolanda Adams and Tina Campbell (of Mary Mary fame). Dear’s her father, local musician Billy Dear, was her musical inspiration. “He always encouraged me to sing, (and) if I wasn’t beside him on a piano stool, I was with him at an audition,� she said in a recent Jackson Free Press interview. Dear grew up in Brandon where she could be found Sunday mornings singing in her church choir. “I’ve always been passionate about music, and I’m passionate about lifting people up with my music,� Dear says. Thigpen credits his father, Pastor Don Thigpen, for recognizing his abilities and appointing him as the worship leader at their church. Thigpen’s musical roots began with the Mississippi Mass Choir, which his uncle, David Curry Jr., co-founded in 1988. Thigpen’s mother, Dorcus, was the choir’s lead directress. At 9 years old, Thigpen led a

by Jehrod Alain Courtesy Dathan Thigpen

call the counselors who care. •

mother’s struggle with lung cancer. Bourne attributes the musical growth and change between “Shantihâ€? and “The Ultraviolet Catastropheâ€? to an experience that he had at the Lollapalooza music festival in 2008. “There were hundreds of people dancing, and it was really cool to see all of those people responding to music all together like that, so I decided I wanted to go home and start writing a dance CD ‌ but with classical instruments.â€? Once Bourne began experimenting, combining classical sounds with dance beats, “The Ultraviolet Catastropheâ€? was born. Each track is created electronically using a keyboard, and a single track may take Bourne anywhere from a few hours to several months to create. The most interesting track on the album is “The Entanglement.â€? This is where Bourne’s vision creates a most harmoniously infectious, layered sound you can’t help but move to. Huunter has performed once at Sneaky Beans, and he hopes to play a few more shows in Jackson before moving to New York City in August to pursue his music career full time. To listen to or purchase “The Ultraviolet Catastrophe,â€? visit Huunter’s website, www. huunter.com.

Artists to Watch: Dathan Thigpen, Brittney Dear

When your world is at stake‌

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uunter’s newest album, “The Ultraviolet Catastrophe,� is many things, but “easy to categorize� is not one of them. The music is modern classical meets electronic dance. It’s complex and intriguing, yet easy to dance to. It’s something you have to experience to understand. The sole member of Huunter is Lloyd Bourne, 22, a Jackson native and recent graduate of Millsaps College. “The Ultraviolet Catastrophe� is Bourne’s second album to release under the pseudonym Huunter. The first, “Shantih,� is a minimalist classical album Bourne wrote during his grand-

by Sarah Bush

Locals Dathan Thigpen (pictured) and Brittney Dear competed on an “American Idol�-inspired competition, “Sunday Best.�

wildly popular song, “Yes, There is Hope,� with the Mississippi Children’s choir. Both Dear and Thigpen carried their rich musical heritages when they auditioned this past March for the third season of “Sunday Best� in New Orleans; both made it on the show. “This was the first time that I performed on such a platform,� Dear says. This experience provided national exposure for both artists, although neither won the competition. “Even yesterday, I was thanking God for the amazing opportunity,� Thigpen says about his “Sunday Best� experience.

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ALBUM RELEASES: Tuesday, June 29

26

3OH!3 “Streets Of Gold,â€? A.R.E. Weapons “Darker Blue,â€? Alex Band “We’ve All Been There,â€? Cindy Bullens “Howling Trains & Barking Dogs,â€? Peter Case “Wig,â€? Judy Collins “Paradise,â€? Delphic “Acolyte,â€? Dirty Money “Last Train To Paris,â€? Alejandro Escovedo “Street Songs Of Love,â€? Adam Franklin & Bolts of Melody “I Could Sleep For a Thousand Years,â€? Jackie Greene “Till the Light Comes,â€? Ernie Halter “Franlin & Vermont,â€? Haste the Day “Attack of the Wolf King,â€? Katzenjammer “Le Pop,â€? Kenny G “Heart and Soul,â€? Robby Krieger “Singularity,â€? Nikki and Rich “Everything,â€? Andre Rieu & His Johann Strauss Orchestra “Forever Vienna,â€? Lee Ritenour “6 String Theory,â€? Parkway Drive “Deep Blue,â€? The Pinker Tones “Modular,â€? Scissor Sisters “Night Work,â€? STS9 “Axe The Cables,â€? Steel Train “Steel Train,â€? Taddy Porter “Taddy Porter,â€? The Dream “Love King,â€? Three 6 MaďŹ a “Laws Of Power,â€? Tribal Machine “The Orwellian Night,â€? Paul Wall “Heart of a Champion,â€? Jimmy Webb “Just Across the River,â€? Wolf Parade “Expo 86,â€? Jackie Greene “Till the Light Comesâ€?

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27

Join us. For our city. For our children. For our future.

‘Sophomore Slump: Independents Day’

by David Dennis Jr.

courtesy nick mejia

Public schools do more than educate children. They measure a city’s pride. They reflect community. They predict the social and economic well-being of a city’s future. For 20 years, Parents for Public Schools of Jackson has worked to keep our public schools strong, to empower parents as leaders for positive change, and to engage community support of our public schools.

A

lot has changed since Skipp Coon and Mr. Nick released their debut opus, “Women Revolution Tennis Shoes,” in 2008. We now live in a post-racial society with a black president, a totally just government and international conflicts that get worked out during “Kumbaya” drum circles. So naturally, Skipp is going to dedicate his new album to rapping about jovial frivolity over jumpy, synthed-out pop beats courtesy of Mr. Nick, right? Maybe not. From its opening line, “Sophomore

Slump: Independents Day” wastes no time letting its listeners know that though there’s a black president, there’s still a long way to go. The EP contains five songs of Mr. Nick’s signature brooding piano notes, soulful samples and ominous bass lines lending themselves to Skipp’s aggressive delivery and hard-hitting subject matter. The standout song is “4/28/1967,” an homage to the day heavy-weight champ Muhammad Ali refused military service as a conscientious objector, featuring stellar verses from Skipp, PyInfamous, Melaphyre and Mississippi mega-star David Banner. Banner’s appearance is quite the coup for the up-and-coming rapper, but Skipp still shines, sounding right at home next to the legendary rapper/producer. “Sophomore Slump” isn’t your summertime dance EP, like Toni Morrison isn’t a nice beachside read. But it’s worth a concentrated listen. The EP is as hard to swallow as Mississippi’s past but as hopeful as its future. It drops July 5.

Artists to Watch: Wild Emotions Founding Chapter, Parents for Public Schools, 1989 200 N. Congress, Suite 500, Jackson, MS 39201

Like Musical Rain daphne nabors

www.ppsjackson.org

The all-girl band Wild Emotions boasts music veterans and band novices.

June 24 - 30, 2010

D

28

uring a typical night’s summer rehearsal for the Wild Emotions, their practice space—Daphne Nabors’ house—is filled with heat, humidity and plenty of energy. “It’s about to get a lot hotter in here,” says Nabors one night before practice begins. She takes an amp and sets up numerous box fans to keep the air circulating. Drummer Mary Elizabeth Cochran is practicing drum with riffs, with her iPod earbuds blocking outside noise. Nabors, a well-respected musician and bassist for longtime punk band the Overnight Lows and various other groups, wanted to give lead guitar a try. Together with Cochran, bassist Carol Rogers (who is also a member of the new Jack White creation, Nashville’s Black Belles), keyboardist Chrissy Valentine, and vocalist Ashley McKay, they created the Wild Emotions with its rare mixture of new and veteran musicians. “I always wanted to be in a band with Ashley. She’s good at writing lyrics. At first her voice reminded me of Nico Case from

the Velvet Underground. It’s soulful and deep,” Nabors says. After a few practices, local musicians heard buzz about the ladies’ musical ventures. So then came Cochran, with her enviable drum skills and McKay with her almost sinful vocals, and the band, as they are today, was ready to play. This band has many different voices, as if they re-invent themselves with each song. Their self-titled song, “Wild Emotions,” has a punk-rock sound more typical of Nabors previous bands, except the keyboard stands out over the drums initially and then blends into the powerful guitar and bass riff that Nabors and Rogers produce. The song slows down to almost a tribute to metal legends before, like being in the eye of a storm, until it explodes into a thick burst of music rain onto the earth. The Wild Emotions bring amazing songs to the Jackson music scene, a truly unique sound and lots and lots of talent . The Wild Emotions will play with the Hot Pieces at Hal and Mal’s Red Room June 25 at 9 p.m.

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June 24 - 30, 2010

Looking for band mates? Wanting to sell your gear? Advertise here for free! Visit JFP Classifieds.com. If you are interested in sponsoring the Musicians Exchange call JFP Sales at 601-362-6121 ext. 11. 30

FRANK SERIO

Bands Wanted

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The Mosier Brothers Band will perform their “cosmic jamgrass roots rockers� style Friday, July 2, at Hal & Mal’s.

F

ans of jam bands will want to support the return of Colonel Bruce Hampton & the Quark Alliance to Martin’s Friday night. The Colonel has been laying down an eclectic fusion of bluegrass, latin-jazz jam rock since 1963. You can test drive the band’s tunes at colbruce.com. If you dig the North Mississippi Hill-Country Southern Roots rock-and-blues scene, be sure to check out the 5th Annual North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic this weekend at Potts Camp, 40 minutes north of Oxford off Highway 349. Camping is encouraged, so you can attend all the shows and music workshops Friday and Saturday, noon to 1 a.m. This year’s line-up includes Jimbo Mathus, Burnside Exploration, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Blue Mountain, TModel Ford, Kenny Brown and many others. The full weekend pass with camping and cooler fee is $65; $25 for just music each day. Go to nmshillcountrypicnic. com for more info. It’s too bad you won’t be able to catch all the great options for Saturday night. But if you can do the cover charges, it’s a good night to bop around downtown. Hal & Mal’s is moving onto the street with altcountry favorites Drive By Truckers. Easy Company and Horse Trailer will kick things off at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at the door or at Be-Bop for those 18 and older. Across the street at Martin’s is the jazz punk of The Dead Kenny G’s and a block south is the Paul Thorn Band with Hank Overkill at Fire. Classic-rock Philadelphia favorites Marah return to Ole Tavern Saturday night. There will also be an all-ages show at the North Midtown Arts Center on Millsaps Avenue Saturday night with deejays DJ Ripley, Hot & Lonely, DJ Scrap Dirty and Mr. Nick, 8 p.m. $5. Hal & Mal’s brings another big show to town next Friday, July 2, with cosmic

jamgrass, roots rockers The Mosier Brothers Band, 10 p.m. $10 at the door. Jeff and Johnny Mosier are founding members of Blueground Undergrass and are tight on the jam-band scene with Widespread and Phish and their genre-defying blend of variables combining psychedelic bluegrass, alt-country and Americana roots-rock jams. Speaking of jam bands, tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster for Blues Traveler at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Friday, Nov. 12. If you want to go, don’t wait to buy tickets. Also worthy of putting on your calendar is Solar Porch at Martin’s next Friday, July 2, 10 p.m. Solar Porch is lead by Marlo Dorrough, son of Duff Dorrough and southern-rock favorites Electric Mudd’s new front man David Burchfield. If you miss this one, Electric Mudd will be back at Martin’s July 16. Support the annual Zoo Blues at the Jackson Zoo next Saturday, July 3, 3-8 p.m. $35. Performers include Grady Champion, Mel Waiters, Kenny Wayne, Reggie P, Andre Lee, Dexter Allen and Noo Noo. Go to jacksonzoo.org/events. html for details. And cheers to three-day weekends to enjoy the 4th of July. Itching for a road trip? At press time, $77 tickets are still available for Sting with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra this Saturday at the UNO Lakefront Arena in New Orleans. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros are at Minglewood Hall in Memphis, Thursday, July 8. Mates of State and She & Him are in Birmingham, Saturday, July 10. Robert Plant is at the Orpheum in Memphis, Tuesday, July 13. The Offspring with 311 will be at Mud Island in Memphis, Sunday, July 18. Deer Tick and Dead Confederate will be at Proud Larry’s in Oxford, Tuesday, Aug. 3. —Herman Snell

A Man’s Summer

in the City

Spring Inventory: MIS TEE V-OUS, Rosalina, Snips n’ Snails, Double Daisies, Itzy Bitzy, Vistra’s, The Everyday Baby and more...

Brent: And if you like your fighting a bit

more, um, theatrical, School of Hard Knocks holds events the first and third Saturdays of each month. We’re talking good-ole-fashioned rasslin’, baby! Eight bucks to get in. The next event is in Pucket, and the first bell rings at 8 p.m., with more details on Facebook. Bret: Good call! I also hear roller derby is back in action this summer. Do you even call those “gamesâ€?? Maybe it’s a bout. Brent: How about a dip in the Rez? Bret: And wind up on the business end of a gator’s death roll? Pass. Brent: Oh, come on—nobody ever gets attacked. Bret: Hey, I’m from Pennsylvania. I only have to hear that there might be a gator somewhere in Mississippi, and I swear off all non-chlorinated water sources. Brent: Wuss. Bret: Girlie drinker. Brent: Yankee. Bret: Redneck. Brent: Let’s settle this in the ring ‌ Bret: Yeah! Brent: With a chess board! Bret: Deal! Wait ... What? Brent: Chess boxing, man! Don’t you keep up with your Dutch hybrid sports? Competitors alternate between rounds of boxing and chess, three minutes each, and win by either a K.O. or a checkmate. Bret: Is that even played in Jackson? Brent: Not yet, but it could be! In fact, if we can get 1,000 people to like the idea on our Facebook chess boxing page, you and I will fight the inaugural match. Bret: You mean the Facebook page you can find by doing a search for “White Rooks and Right Hooksâ€?? Brent: Excellently placed plug, sir. Bret: And if we get less than 1,000? Brent: Then it’ll be totally dependent on our health insurance premiums and/or BMIs. Bret: BMIs, eh? Guess we better start getting in shape if we’re gonna do this thing. Brent: Right. Bret: Bartender, a tall glass of your most caloric beer, please, and a wedding-cake martini for my masculine friend here. Brent: And pass the chips.

The Barstool Brothers

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#LINTON "LVD #LINTON -3 „

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(601)944-0415

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featuring fashion, furnishings and fabulous fun! On Faceook @ Repeat Street Metro Jackson

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H

aving spent my day on Interstate 220 in a black car with no air-conditioning, I was having trouble finding anything to appreciate about summers in Jackson. But I knew a silver lining had to be out there, so I gave my pal Brent a call to hear his thoughts on the subject. Our evening began at Wendy’s, but after we caught ourselves singing along softly to Owl City’s “Fireflies,â€? we quickly decided to head to a pub for some liquid testosterone. The bartender made us finish our Frosties outside, but once we got in and the drinks started flowing, I presented my question: Bret: So besides lying listlessly under a ceiling fan, what’s a guy to do in Jackson during the summer? Brent: Well, I know what I don’t want to do—be emasculated by the media. Bret: Come again? Brent: If I have to hear one more radio spot talking about “getting your bikini line ready for summerâ€? or read one more article about fruity men drinking fruity drinks ‌ Bret: Didn’t you write most of those articles? Brent: Shut up. Your wife makes you iron for her. Brent: Sorry. What were we talking about? Bret: Your impending emasculation. Brent: Oh, right. I’m sick to death of having frou frou girlie stuff shoved down my throat. That’s why I’m officially declaring this summer the “Summer of the Man.â€? I’m going to promote, attend and wax poetic on all things manly. Bret: And what qualifies as “manlyâ€?? Brent: Bret, there’s a very simple litmus test for manly activities. All you have to do is ask yourself one question: “Does this cause pain?â€? If your answer is “yes,â€? then it’s manly. If your answer is “no,â€? then it’s probably best to get somebody to change your pants and tuck you in. Bret: I, for one, am partial to the pain of a distended belly, which I plan to experience at the Top of the Hops Beer Festival July 31. Over 150 beers, a souvenir tasting glass and unlimited samples, all for the price of admission. I bought three tickets! Brent: Wow, how can you afford it? Bret: Eh, I’m borrowing off the equity that’s building on my student loan. Brent: You can do that? Bret: Apparently. Brent: That sounds delightfully irresponsible, but I’m thinking in more traditional terms. You know, blood, carnage and the like. I’m talking about fights, baby! Bret: I didn’t think Jackson did fights— legitimately, anyway. Brent: Sure we do. Psychout Promotions is holding MMA events at the Mississippi Coliseum downtown Aug. 28, and the Wahabi Shrine Temple in Byram Sept. 11. Bret: Sweet!

by Bret Kenyon and Brent Hearn

31

BEST BETS June 24 - July 1 by Latasha Willis events@jacksonfreepress.com Fax: 601-510-9019 Daily updates at jfpevents.com

Thursday 6/24

kenya hudson

The Mustard Seed exhibit at the Mississippi Arts Commission (Woolfolk Building, 501 N. West St., Suite 1101A) closes today. Hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. Free; call 601-359-6030. … The Mississippi Main Street Awards Luncheon at the King Edward Hotel (235 W. Capitol St.) starts at 10:30 a.m. $40; call 601-944-0113. … The Hometown Heroes and SUMITT Awards program and reception at the Jackson Convention Complex (105 E. Pascagoula St.) is at 4 p.m. Free; send an RSVP to lfisher@visitjackson.com… Burgers & Blues has music by Jason Turner at 5:30 p.m. Free. … … The Alabama Dance Theater with Beth Neilsen performs “Dances of Faith” during round III of the International Ballet Competition at Thalia Mara Hall at 7:30 p.m. $7-$70; call 601-979-9249.

Blackwolf plays at Fenian’s from 9 p.m.-midnight. Free. … Col. Bruce Hampton & the Quark Alliance perform at Martin’s at 10 p.m. Call 601-354-9712.

Saturday 6/26

The Southern Fried Comic-Con at Cabot Lodge Millsaps (2375 N. State St.) is from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. June 26 and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. June 27. $12, $15 weekend pass; $9, $10 daily pass; $6-$10 children ages 5-12; visit southernfriedcomiccon.com. … The closing party at The Ink Spot Gallery (300 W. South St.) at 2 p.m. includes music by Schroeder, Jake La Boyz and Coffins. Call 601-352-4700. … Snazz plays at the crawfish boil at the Regency Hotel at 5 p.m. $7 admission, $10 plate. … The Magnolia Roller Vixens take on the Red Stick Roller Derby in the Tiki Takedown at the Jackson Convention Complex (105 E. Pascagoula St.) at 7 p.m. $12 in advance, $15 at the door, $5 children 12 and under; call 601519-0479. … Drive By Truckers, Easy Co. and Horse Trailer play outside of Hal & Mal’s at 7 p.m. For ages 18 and up. Call 601-948-0888. … The Cross-Pollinate Vol. 2 Party at North Midtown Arts Center (121 Millsaps Ave.) at 9 p.m. includes music by DJ Ripley (Larisa Mann), Hot & Lonely, Mr. Nick and DJ Scrap Dirty. $5; call 415-425-9291.

Sunday 6/27

The “Celestial Bodies/Infernal Souls” exhibit at the Arts Center of Mississippi (201 E. Pascagoula St.) closes today. Hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. Free; call 601-960-1557. … Andy Hardwick performs during brunch at Fitzgerald’s from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Call 601-957-2800. … Ice Cream Sunday at Koinonia Coffee House is from 2-5 p.m. Free; call 601-940-7059.

Monday 6/28

The Charlie Anderson Youth Sports Festival at Newell Field (Riverside Drive) includes a Students & Pros Amazing Race Kickoff Party from 6-8 p.m. June 28 and a varsity skills Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. is the guest speaker at the Robinson-Watson Book Company Honors Banquet June 24 at 7 p.m. at the Mississippi e-Center.

June 24 - 30., 2010

Sherman Lee Dillon’s Mississippi Sound performs at F. Jones Corner from 11:30 p.m.-4 a.m. $10. … Deejay, journalist and scholar Larisa Mann speaks at Cross-Pollinate Vol. 2 at the Jackson Community Design Center (509 E. Capitol St.) at 5:30 p.m. Free; call 415-425-9291. … The Mississippi Association of Coaches Hall of Fame Banquet at the Hilton Jackson (1001 E. County Line Road) begins at 7 p.m. $30; call 601-924-3020. … Red Hill City plays at Sneaky Beans from 7-11 p.m. $5. … The VWE Allstars with Dennis Fountain perform at Zydeco (6340 Ridgewood Court) at 8 p.m. $5. … Underground 119 has music by Papa Grows Funk from 9 p.m.-1 a.m. $10. … Ulogy and 2X-treme perform at 4ever Friday at Cultural Expressions (147 Millsaps 32 Ave.) at 9 p.m. $10 before 11 p.m.; call 601-454-8313. …

Tuesday 6/29

Open-mic poetry at Welty Commons (719 N. Congress St.) is at 6:30 p.m. Call 601-352-3399. … The Independence Day Celebration at Mississippi State Hospital (3550 Highway 468 West, Whitfield) starts at 7 p.m. Free; call 601-351-8018. … The Xtremes perform at Shucker’s from 7-11 p.m. Free.

Wednesday 6/30

The “Portrait of Jackson Women” at the Arts Center of Mississippi (201 E. Pascagoula St.) closes today. Hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. Free; call 601-960-1557. … It’s also your last opportunity to see the Mound Bayou exhibit at Smith Robertson Museum (528 Bloom St.). Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday. $4.50 adults, $3 seniors, $1.50 children under 18; call 601-960-1457. … The Trailer Park Playboys take on No Lesser Beauty at Electric Cowboy’s Battle of the Bands at 8 p.m. Call 601-899-5333.

Thursday 7/1

Red, White and Jackson at the Old Capitol Museum (100 S. State St.) is from noon-8 p.m. Free admission; call 601-948-7575. … Fondren After 5 from 5-8 p.m. includes an old-fashioned 4th of July celebration at the corner of Duling Ave. and Old Canton Road. Free; call 601-981-9606. … The Songwriters Showcase at Union Street Books (107 N. Union St., Canton) is from 7-9 p.m. Free; call 601-859-8596.

More events and details at jfpevents.com.

DJ Ripley (Larisa Mann) will be spinning hits at the Cross-Pollinate party June 26 at 9 p.m. at North Midtown Arts Center. Courtesy Melvin Priester

Friday 6/25

camp from 9 a.m.-noon June 29. Free; visit charlieandersonzone.com. … The Atlanta Brewing Company Beer Dinner at Sal & Mookie’s is at 6 p.m. $55; call 601-368-1919 to make a reservation. … Karaoke at Dreamz Jxn (5:30 p.m.) and Fenian’s (8 p.m.-1 a.m.). Free.

arts

by Brent Hearn

Comic Geek Chic(ks) Jerrick Smith

O

ne look at Cami Roebuck’s purple hair, inspired by the character HitGirl from the comic book and film “Kick-Ass,” and it’s clear that bucking trends is nothing new for the Brandon-based clan. Her look is more devotion than rebellion, as Cami possesses a polite self-assurance—a rare combination of traits for a 13-year-old. Tiny, Cami’s mother, homeschools her daughter with the help of her husband and mother-in-law. When she’s not helping run Bear Creek Storage, which she co-owns with family members in Canton, Tiny, 45, supplements her income by using her Belhaven University art degree to sell sketch cards at comic-book conventions, or as they’re more commonly known in the comics subculture “comic cons,” or simply “cons.” Rounding out the family dynamic is Jeff, Tiny’s husband and Cami’s father, who is better known around the metro by his day-job alter-ego, Inky the Clown. So how did Tiny and Cami find themselves in a world that’s stereotypically the domain of pimply-faced teenage boys with subpar social skills? For Tiny, comic books were a fascination that grabbed hold and just wouldn’t let go. Her first exposure to comic books came from borrowing from her brother’s collection while in elementary school. Several years ago, a family ice-skating outing went bust when the rink had no skates available in Cami’s size. With an afternoon to fill, Tiny decided it was time to introduce the then-8-year-old Cami to a hobby that had brought the elder Roebuck so much joy over the years. One trip to the comic-book store, and Cami didn’t stand a chance. The good art and good writing wrapped in shiny packages of superheroes and villains that had so enthralled her mother had sunk its (dare I say “adamantium”?) claws into young Cami. “She’s been an X-Men fan ever since,” Tiny says of her daughter. That fateful visit to the comic book store sparked Cami’s passion for all things comics-related. It was a short leap from read-

ing and collecting comics to actually becoming one.“That led to going to comic cons and costumes, which was new for me,” Tiny says. “My mother would have said not ‘No,’ but ‘Hell, no.’” Cami has now been decked out as Rogue and Surge (both of X-Men ), Sally Jupiter (“The Watchmen”), Dr. Horrible (Joss Whedon’s, “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog”), and the aforementioned Hit-Girl. With the exception of Hit-Girl, Tiny has made all of Cami’s costumes. “(Some) people are very serious about their costumes,” Tiny says Comic books have been criticized for being overly violent and misogynistic. Tiny is quick to downplay the misogyny angle. “As far as the way (the women are) objectified visually, I don’t have a problem with it, personally. I think they’re more in control through script,” Tiny says. “I think in the last few years, the female characters have really come into their own.” Both cite the fantastical nature of the medium when defending the female character’s appearance and appeal. “They’re not supposed to look (real),” Cami says. Tiny puts it more bluntly: “Hell, yeah, I’m hot, but I’ll kick your ass, too.” Tiny has moved from making costumes for Cami to wear to cons to being in charge of a con herself. She serves as the co-chair of the third annual Mississippi’s Southern-Fried Comic-Con, which is also a benefit for Wilson Research Foundation. The foundation funds rehabilitation research at Methodist Rehabilitation Center. How does the man of the house feel about his wife and daughter being key figures in the Mississippi comic book community? “He’s fine with it,” says Cami. “He makes all my weapons.” Mississippi’s Southern-Fried Comic-Con is June 26 and 27 at the Cabot Lodge Millsaps (2375 North State St.) with a special appearance by Larry Kenney, the voice of Lion-O in the ’80s cartoon “Thundercats.” Admission is $2. For more information, check out www.facebook. com/southernfriedcomiccon.

jacksonfreepress.com

Cami Roebuck (right) and her mother,Tiny (left), have a passion for comics, and are planning the Mississippi’s Southern-Fried Comic-Con June 26 and 27.

33

books

by Tom Allin

Marriage, Murder and Peanuts

June 24 - 30, 2010

34

Courtesy Knopf

V

iewing an M.C. Escher painting inspires fascination and frustration. My feelings waver between total awe that he is able to fit all these figures into one uninterrupted whole and the feeling that—as remarkable as the picture may be—it’s just too perfect, too forced, to work. Reading “Mr. Peanut” by Adam Ross (Knopf, 2010, $25.95), I had the same kinds of feelings. After all, not only is there an Escher painting on the title page of the book, but the protagonist, David Pepin, is designing, of all things, a video game entitled “Escher X,” in which players must navigate through Escher’s paintings. If, at this point in the review, you’re already confused, it’s OK. I would be, too, because I’ve realized over the past few days that trying to describe “Mr. Peanut”—like trying to describe an M.C. Escher painting—is nearly impossible, for better or worse. The book tells the story of three men stuck in failing marriages. Two of them are detectives, Ward Hastroll and Sam Sheppard, investigating the murder of Alice Pepin, the tragically obese wife of David, to whom we are introduced at the beginning of the novel with the following lines: “When David Pepin first dreamed of killing his wife, he didn’t kill her himself. He dreamed convenient acts of God.” In the case of Alice, however, we learn that what actually kills her is not a “convenient act of God” but a peanut allergy. Alice dies in her apartment after eating (or perhaps being forced to eat by her killer) a handful of peanuts to which she has a fatal allergy. Allegedly, David witnesses Alice downing the peanuts, and he is a prime suspect for her murder. The story is compounded when we learn that Hastroll’s wife has been inexplicably (and voluntarily) bed-ridden for over five months, while Sheppard was initially convicted of his wife’s murder, and spent a number of years in prison before being exonerated. And so what starts as a story about one man’s marital problems becomes a linear spectrum of dysfunctional marriages in three stages: frustration, murder and recovery. “Either way, like the Escher drawings that inspire the video games David designs for a living, (the marriages are) supposed to interlock to form another pattern, to be dynamic in their interaction. As the novel progresses, the reader should feel a more intense oscillation between the parts and the whole,” the author explained in a publicist’s interview. Herein lies both my attraction and aversion to the story. While, like any Escher, it is remarkably intricate and planned-out, the story suffers from too many patterns, coincidences and similarities. Things seem to fit too well, and while it may be what the author wants, the lack of focus on one particu-

lar marriage can be discouraging to a reader deciding whether or not to finish the book. Still, I recommend “Mr. Peanut” because of Adam Ross’ ability to capture the intricateness of marriage and love. In a scene in which David and Alice are swimming in dangerously rough seas off a beach in Hawaii, Ross writes: “Terrible things happened when minor calculations like that were made. … Somehow he needed to make things up to her. To show her that for as long as they’d been together, for better or worse, she’d always been foremost in his thoughts. Why did he require her absence to realize this?” It is just days after Alice’s first miscarriage, and the tension within the relationship, like that of the ocean’s current, is captivating. “Just as Escher’s etchings contain forms interlocked with others, so too is every marriage’s success interlocked with its potential destruction. Time and circumstance and every other unforeseeable thing can send the happiest couples spiraling into misery and, especially in the novel, potential violence,” Ross explained in the interview. “All three marriages in this novel suffer from the instantaneous loss of perspective you can experience by staring at an Escher drawing: they flip from moments of bliss and vital intimacy to conflict and betrayal.” The trick with “Mr. Peanut” is not to get caught in the heady details, but to let the stories of people struggling to figure out how to love one another take hold of you. Ross creates a fragile picture of marriage encased in a bizarre, unstable tale of murder, video games, history, and of course, peanuts. “Mr. Peanut” will disorient and frustrate you, but, like any Escher painting, you’ll find it hard to look away. Adam Ross will sign and read excerpts from “Mr. Peanut” at Lemuria Books (4465 Interstate 55 N.), June 30 at 5 p.m. Call 601-3667619 for more information.

jfpevents Radio JFP on WLEZ ongoing, at WLEZ 100.1 FM and wlezfm.com. Join Donna Ladd and Todd Stauffer every Thursday from noon-1 p.m., where they discuss vital issues and play local music. This week’s guest is Jay Long of Heroes and Dreams, who will discuss the Southern Fried Comic-Con. Listen to podcasts of all shows at jfpradio.com. Free; call 601-362-6121, ext. 17. Cross-Pollinate Vol. 2 June 25, 5:30 p.m., at Jackson Community Design Center (509 E. Capitol St.). DJ, journalist and scholar Larisa Mann will discuss her research on the interplay between copyright law and creativity in a lecture featuring multimedia and drawing on her fieldwork in Jamaica. Free; call 415-425-9291. Southern Fried Comic-Con June 26-27, at Cabot Lodge Millsaps (2375 N. State St.). The pop-culture event includes comic, toy, art and collectibles vendors. Walk through Artist Alley and see works by local and regional artists. Larry Kenney, the voice of Lion-O from “Thunder Cats” and other voice actors will be there. Advance tickets at Heroes and Dreams in Flowood and 3 Alarm Comics in Biloxi, or buy at the door. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. June 26 and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. June 27. Kids under 5 get in free with an adult ticket purchase. $12, $15 weekend pass; $9, $10 daily pass; $6-$10 kids ages 5-12; visit southernfriedcomiccon.com. Tiki Takedown June 26, 7 p.m., at Jackson Convention Complex (105 E. Pascagoula St.). The Magnolia Roller Vixens go head to head against Red Stick Roller Derby in their second game of the season. $12 in advance, $15 at the door, $5 children 12 and under; call 601-519-0479. Cross-Pollinate Vol. 2 Party June 26, 9 p.m., at North Midtown Arts Center (121 Millsaps Ave.). Enjoy music from San Francisco’s DJ Ripley (Larisa Mann), Hot & Lonely, Mr. Nick and DJ Scrap Dirty. $5; call 415-425-9291. “The Market in Fondren” Flea, Craft and Garden Market July 17, 8 a.m., on N. State St. in the parking lot across from Mimi’s. Local artists and food producers will be selling their goods. Entertainment provided. Call 520-205-0288. Sixth Annual Chick Ball July 24, 6 p.m., at Hal & Mal’s (200 Commerce St.). This fundraising event benefits the Center for Violence Prevention. Seeking sponsors, auction donations and volunteers now. Get involved, volunteer, donate art/money/gifts at chickball@jacksonfreepress.com. Be a sponsor for as low as $50. $5 cover; call 601-362-6121, ext. 16; visit jfpchickball.com and follow us on Twitter @ jfpchickball.

Community “Shaping Public Policy Toward Green and Trees” Seminar June 23-24, at Mississippi Museum of Natural Science (2148 Riverside Drive). Topics include tree ordinances, landscape codes and tree inventories. Buck Abbey and Steve Shultz are the presenters. $45, free for elected officials and city/ county employees; call 601-672-0755. Prayer Breakfast June 24, 7 a.m., at Jackson Medical Mall (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.), in the Community Meeting Room. The event is sponsored by the Jackson Medical Mall Foundation and Mission Mississippi. Call 601-982-8467. Adult HeartSaver CPR Class June 24, 9 a.m., at St. Dominic Hospital (969 Lakeland Drive), at The Club at St. Dominic’s. Learn basic CPR techniques. $40; call 601-200-4925. Mississippi Main Street Association Awards Luncheon June 24, 10:30 a.m., at King Edward Hotel (235 W. Capitol St.). MMSA members will receive awards in several categories. The blues reception by Jesse Robinson starts at 10:30 a.m., and the luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m. A raffle drawing for a guitar will also take place. $40; call 601-944-0113.

A M A LC O T H E AT R E

Hometown Hero and SUMITT Awards Program and Reception June 24, 4 p.m., at Jackson Convention Complex (105 E. Pascagoula St.). The event is presented by the Jackson Convention and Visitors Bureau. Come dressed in business attire. Free; please RSVP to lfisher@visitjackson.com.

South of Walmart in Madison

ALL STADIUM SEATING Movie listings for Friday, June 25th thru Thursday, July 1st

Mississippi Outdoor Club General Meeting June 24, 6 p.m., at Aladdin (730 Lakeland Drive). Dinner is at 6 p.m., and the program is at 6:45 p.m. Larry and Rhea Estes of Clinton will show photos and talk about their camping and backpacking trip across New Zealand from October 2009 to January 2010. Visit msoutdoorclub.org. Precinct 4 COPS Meeting June 24, 6 p.m., at Redeemer Church (640 E. Northside Drive). These monthly meetings are forums designed to help resolve community issues or problems, from crime to potholes. Call 601-960-0004.

4ever Friday June 25, 9 p.m., at Cultural Expressions (147 Millsaps Ave.). View artwork, listen to poetry and enjoy performances by Ulogy, James Crow, Zee-Dub, 2X-treme and Tiff & Radical 3000. Purchase a beverage or bring your own. $10 before 11 p.m.; call 601-454-8313. Olde Towne Market June 26, 9 a.m., in downtown Clinton. Vendors will sell everything from fresh produce to unique handmade crafts on the brick streets of Olde Towne Clinton. David Hawkins and Southern Celt will perform live. Free admission; e-mail mainstreetclinton@clintonms.org. English II Exam Writing Workshop June 26, 10 a.m.-noon, at Richard Wright Library (515 W. McDowell Road). Students in grades 10-12 will develop skills they need to successfully pass the English II State Test Writing Exam. Students will receive instruction from teachers and tutors in areas such as outlines, sentence structure, paragraph development, punctuation, grammar and vocabulary. Free; call 601-965-1353. “Buy the Book” Book Sale June 26, 10 a.m., at Eudora Welty Library (300 N. State St.). The event is sponsored by Jackson Friends of the Library. Call 601-968-5811. Asthma Screenings June 26, 10 a.m., at Walmart, Flowood (5341 Highway 25, Flowood). University Physicians, a part of University of Mississippi Health Care, will provide free asthma screenings for adults and children until 4 p.m. No appointments necessary. Free; call 601-984-1100. “America Speaks: Our Budget, Our Economy” June 26, 10:30 a.m., at Roberts Walthall Hotel (225 E. Capitol St.). The nonpartisan town hall meeting about the national debt will be simulcast nationwide with 19 other cities in a teleconference format. Residents ages 17 and older may participate. Seating is limited, and registration is required. Free; visit usabudgetdiscussion.org. Ink Spot Closing Party June 26, 2 p.m., at Ink Spot Gallery (300 W. South St.). The event includes refreshments and music by bands such as Jake La Boyz, Schroeder and Coffins. Call 601-352-4700. America Reads-Mississippi Member Recruitment, June 28, 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., at Jackson State University (1400 John R. Lynch St.), at Sally M. Barksdale Educational Resource Center. ARM members tutor

More EVENTS, see page 36

Robin Hood PG13

Toy Story 3 3-D G

PG

Toy Story 3

G

Jonah Hex

PG13

Karate Kid

PG

The A-Team PG13

21st Annual Robinson-Watson Book Company Honors Banquet June 24, 7 p.m., at Mississippi e-Center (1230 Raymond Road). The banquet is an opportunity to network with and honor area businesses and individuals. Jackson mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. is the guest speaker. $30 individuals, $240 reserved table of eight; call 601-982-9524 or 601-622-3728. i-Tree Inventory Field Training June 25, 9 a.m., at Freedom Ridge Park (304 Highway 51). i-Tree is a free program designed to assist communities in managing and establishing real values on community trees. Free; call 601-672-0755.

Knight and Day PG13

Killers

PG13

Get Him to the Greek

R

Prince of Persia PG13 Sex and the City 2 R To suggest features, e-mail: ronni@jacksonfreepress.com + To advertise, e-mail: kimberly@jacksonfreepress.com

Shrek Forever After 3-D PG

Letters to Juliet

OPENING WED., JUNE 30 Twilight Saga: Eclipse PG13 OPENING THURS., JULY 1 The Last Airbender (non 3-D) PG The Last Airbender 3-D PG Earn points towards FREE concessions and movie tickets! Join the SILVER SCREEN REWARDS

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Movieline: 355-9311

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ENTERTAINMENT 5PM-8PM

Snazz 8pm-1am

General Admission - $7, Admission + crawfish, Potatoes & Corn - $10, $2 Draft Drink Specials All Night Long! Wednesday, June 23rd thursday, june 24th

Wednesday, june 30th

jacksonfreepress.com

JFP Sponsored Events

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35

jfpevents

at the

Mississippi Center

www.mscvp.org

benefiting the MSCVP

+ FREE TRAINING SESSIONS! No experience necessary.

The Club at St. Dominic’s July 11,25 2:30 - 4 p.m. 970 Lakeland Dr. 601-200-4925

July 10, 17, 24, 31 Class @ Noon 3025 N State St. 601-594-2313

full-time during the school day, before and after school, over breaks and in the summer. Members who successfully complete 1,700 hours in one year will receive the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award worth $5,350, which can be used to attend college and/or pay off current qualified student loans. Call 601-979-1474. Charlie Anderson Youth Sports Festival June 28-29, at Newell Field (Riverside Dr.). June 28, the Students & Pros Amazing Race Kickoff Party is from 6-8 p.m. June 29, the varsity skills camp is from 9 a.m.-noon. Free camp enrollments are limited and on a first-come basis. Participants will have opportunities to get autographs and take pictures with NFL celebrities. Charlie Anderson of the Miami Dolphins is the host. Free; visit charlieandersonzone.com.

Sun Salutations

July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 5:45 p.m. 7048 Old Canton Rd. 601-613-4317

from page 35

July 8, 15, 22, 29 7:30 - 8:45 p.m. 710 Poplar Blvd. 601-353-0025

Yoga for Non-Violence | mscvp.org

Independence Day Celebration June 29, 7 p.m., at Mississippi State Hospital (3550 Highway 468 West, Whitfield). The public is welcome to come as the hospital celebrates the national holiday with musical entertainment, games and children’s activities. Refreshments will be for sale, and the fireworks show begins at 9 p.m. No pets or personal cameras are allowed. Free; call 601-351-8018. Governor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts Call for Nominations through June 25, at Mississippi Arts Commission (Woolfolk Building, 501 N. West St., Suite 1101A). The awards, presented annually by the Arts Commission and the governor’s office, recognize organizations and individuals whose work on behalf of the arts has significantly contributed to the growth and development of the cultural life of Mississippi. The nomination form and supplementary materials must be postmarked or hand-delivered by 5 p.m. June 25. Free; call 601-359-6031. FORMCities Call for Design Proposals through Aug. 15, at Jackson Community Design Center (509 E. Capitol St.). FORMCities calls for design proposals to address the negative impacts of urban forms and transportation thoroughfares that have created visual, physical, and psychological barriers along the lines of race, income and class. Student and professional teams may enter, and the deadline is Aug. 15. Prizes will be rewarded in November. $60 professional teams, $35 student teams; e-mail formcities_competition@gmail.com. Center for Cultural Interchange Call for Hosting Families through Aug. 31. CCI needs to place 1,000 foreign exchange students from more than 40 countries around the world for the 2010-2011 school year. All of the students to be placed are 15-18 years old and are proficient in English. The application deadline is Aug. 31. Call 800-634-4771. Greater Belhaven Market through Dec. 18, 8 a.m.2 p.m., at Mississippi Farmers Market (929 High St.). Buy some fresh produce or other food or gift items. The market is open every Saturday. Free admission; call 601-506-2848 or 601-354-6573. Farmers Market ongoing, at Jackson Roadmap to Health Equity Project’s Farmers Market (2548 Livingston Road). Buy from a wide selection of fresh produce provided by participating local farmers. Market hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Tuesday and Fridays, and 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Free admission; call 601-951-9273.

June 24 - 30, 2010

Stage and Screen

36

USA International Ballet Competition through June 27, at Thalia Mara Hall (255 E. Pascagoula St.). See an exhibition of the world’s best dancers performing for scholarships, cash and company contracts. Round III ends June 24. The awards gala will be on June 26 at 7 p.m., and the encore gala will be on June 27 at 7:30 p.m. Start times vary for each competition session. $231-$366 package, $7-$70 individual performances; call 601-979-9249. “The End of All Mysteries” Dinner Theatre June 24, 6 p.m., at The Auditorium Restaurant (622 Duling Ave.). Seating begins at 6 p.m., and

the performance by The Detectives Mystery Theatre begins at 7 p.m. A reservation is recommended. $45; call 601-291-7444. Mr. and Miss International Pageant June 25-27, at Alamo Theatre (333 N. Farish St.). The multi-racial LGBT pageant includes contestants from 25 states and six countries who will compete for the titles of Mr., Miss, Miss Plus, Miss Newcomer and Mister M.I. International, Inc. 2010. Show times are 7:30 p.m. June 25-26 and 7 p.m. June 27. $20 per night, $50 weekend pass; call 757-575-5327. Fashion and Talent Show June 26, 3 p.m., at Jackson Medical Mall (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.). The event hosted by the Utica Alumni Association will take place at center stage. Call 601-927-1300. 63rd National Appaloosa Horse Show through July 3, at Kirk Fordice Equine Center (Mississippi Fairgrounds, 1207 Mississippi St.). The Appaloosa Horse Club invites you to come see for yourself why the Appaloosa is a top-10 favorite American horse breed­—whose popularity is spreading around the world— at the nation’s oldest single-breed horse show. Free; call 208-882-5578 or 208-882-8150. Events at Black Rose Community Theatre (103 Black St., Brandon). Call 601-825-1293. • “Plaza Suite” through June 27. The Neil Simon play about three scenarios at a lavish Manhattan hotel is directed by Tommy Hoffman. Show dates are June 25- 26 at 7:30 p.m. and June 27 at 2 p.m. Seating is limited, and a reservation is recommended. $12, $10 students/seniors; $10, $8 students/seniors, $5 children 12 and under on Sundays. Call 601-825-1293. • “A Night of One Acts” Auditions June 29-30. Auditions will begin at 6:30 p.m. both nights. The production will be from July 29-Aug. 1. Fairy Tale Theatre Jun 24-27, at Vicksburg Theatre Guild (101 Iowa Blvd., Vicksburg). Children ages 7-18 will perform. Show times are 10 a.m. June 2425, 7 p.m. June 24-26 and 2 p.m. June 27. $8, $5 children; call 601-636-0471.

Music North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic June 2526, at Kenny Brown’s Farm (Highway 349, Potts Camp). The festival is a celebration of Hill Country blues with an all-star lineup of performers including Kenny Brown, Duwayne Burnside, The North Mississippi All-Stars, Jimbo Mathus, and Rising Star Fife and Drum Band. Hours are 3 p.m.-midnight June 25 and 10:30 a.m.-midnight June 26. No glass containers are allowed. Food and ice vendors will be on site. $25 one day, $65 weekend pass, $10 cooler fee; visit nmshillcountrypicnic.com.

Literary and Signings Applause! June 24, noon, at Eudora Welty Library (300 N. State St.). Author and WLBT chief meteorologist Barbie Bassett discusses her book, “Forecasts and Faith: Five Keys to Weathering the Storms of Life.” Light refreshments will be served, and guests may bring a sack lunch. The event is sponsored by Jackson Friends of the Library. Free; e-mail emclean@jhlibrary.com. “The Queen’s Daughter” June 29, 5 p.m., at Lemuria Books (202 Banner Hall, 4465 Interstate 55 N.). Susan Coventry signs copies of her book; reading of the book at 5:30 p.m. $16.99 book; call 601-366-7619.

Creative Classes “The Art of Modeling & Etiquette” Summer Camp June 21-25, at Old Jim Walter Homes Building (4576 Highway 80 West). Young aspiring models ages 8-22 will learn basic modeling principles, action poses, runway and showcase modeling, critical thinking, how to dress for success and portfolio building. Selected participants will be

Belhaven University Summer Theatre Academy Camp, Ages 10-18 June 28-July 23, at Belhaven University (1500 Peachtree St.). Classes include acting, improvisation, dance, stage combat, vocal technique, costume design, musical theater and a final show. Bring a lunch or pay $5 for lunch. $400; call 601-974-6478. Events at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School (370 Old Agency Road, Ridgeland), in the Upper Classroom. • Video Game Creator Camp June 28-July 2. Students in fifth through 10th grades will learn to design and program their own video games. The camp will provide computer use, a software license, a T-shirt and a daily snack. $305 half day, $455 full day; call 888-652-4377. • Chess Camp June 28-July 2. Beginner to advanced players in first through 10th grade are welcome to work with professionals from USA Chess, the largest camp organizer in North America. In this fun-filled environment, students will play at all levels to improve their skills, whether they are interested in competitive or casual play. Tuition includes chess set, trophy and much more. Morning and afternoon sessions are available. $275 half day, $425 full day; visit chesscamp.com. Black Rose Theatre Summer Camp 2010 June 28-July 2, at Black Rose Community Theatre (103 Black St., Brandon). Attendees will learn stage presence, ensemble acting, audition techniques, theater games, acting, singing and movement. Sessions are from 9-11:30 a.m. for grades 2-6 and 1:304 p.m. for grades 7-12. Registration is required. $80; e-mail blackrosetheatrecompany@yahoo.com. Jewelry Making Class ongoing, at Dream Beads (605 Duling Ave.). This class is offered every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. Free; call 601-664-0411. Belly Dance Class ongoing, at Lumpkin’s Restaurant (182 Raymond Road). The class is held every Saturday at 9:30 a.m. Monique Davis is the instructor. $5; call 601-373-7707. Art Therapy For Cancer Patients ongoing, at Baptist Medical Center (1225 N. State St.), in the Activities Room of the Hederman Cancer Center on Wednesdays. The classes are designed to help cancer patients and provide an outlet to express feelings, reduce stress, assist in pain management, help build positive coping skills and increase self-discovery and self-awareness. Art supplies are included. Registration is required. Free; call 601-948-6262 or 800-948-6262.

GALLERIES Mississippi Watercolor Society Exhibit through June 30, at The Cedars Historic Home (4145 Old Canton Road). Artwork by society members will be on display in The Cedars Gallery until June 30. Hours are Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m.4 p.m. The show is part of The Four Seasons of the Cedars performing and visual arts series. Free admission; call 601-981-9606. Events at Mississippi Craft Center (950 Rice Road, Ridgeland), in the gallery. Free; call 601-856-7546. • “Whimsical Womenâ€? through June 30. See an exhibition of sculpture by Susan Clark of Louisville, creator of “Feat of Clay.â€? • “The Art of Dance in Craftâ€? through June 30. See works by Lee Washington, Gwen Magee and Harry Day. Mississippi Artists’ Guild Exhibition through Aug. 31, at Municipal Art Gallery (839 North State St). The art exhibit will highlight 50 to 100 artistic selections from members including winners of the juried exhibition. Exhibit hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Free; call 601-960-1582.

EXHIBITS AND OPENINGS Mustard Seed Exhibit through June 24, at Mississippi Arts Commission (Woolfolk Building, 501 N. West St., Suite 1101A). Artwork by Mustard Seed residents will be on display. An invitation-only closing reception will be held on June 24 from 2-4 p.m. Gallery hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Free; call 601-359-6030. “Mound Bayou: The Promise Land, 1887-2010â€? through June 30, at Smith Robertson Museum (528 Bloom St.). See photographs related to the founding of the city. Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. $4.50 adults, $3.00 seniors, $1.50 children under 18; call 601-960-1457. Artist and Three-Dimensional Artisans Exhibit through June 30, at Mississippi Library Commission (3881 Eastwood Drive). See works by artist Becky Barnett Chamblee and Craftsmen’s Guild artisans Anne Campbell, Carmen Castilla and Rhonda Blasingame. Exhibit hours are 8 a.m.5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Free; call 601-432-4056. Events at Arts Center of Mississippi (201 E. Pascagoula St.). Hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. MondayFriday. Call 601-960-1557. • “Celestial Bodies/Infernal Souls – Photography by Lois Greenfieldâ€? through June 27. See Greenfield’s newest collection of 54 dance-themed photographs. Free. • “A Portrait of Jackson Women – Photography by Karla Pound & Leah Overstreetâ€? through June 30. The documentary project includes audio interviews and environmental portraits of 20 Jackson women including the late Mildred Wolfe, Ellen Douglas, Dr. Helen Barns, Patti Carr Black and Dorothy Moore. Free. • “Just Danceâ€? Juried Invitational through July 5. This juried exhibition, with the theme of dance, runs concurrently with Mississippi’s 2010 International Ballet Competition. Free. • Storytellers Ball Juried Exhibition Call for Entries through July 10. The exhibition theme is “Broadway Magic.â€? Artwork related to musicals, chorus lines and Broadway plays are acceptable. Artists of all ages may submit up to three entries in any media, which will be displayed from August 5-22. The best in show will receive $1000 and a 2011 solo exhibit. $25. Events at Mississippi Museum of Natural Science (2148 Riverside Drive). $3-$5, free for members and children under 3; call 601-354-7303. • Fun Fridays through July 30. Every Friday in June and July from 10 a.m.-noon, children will participate in interactive, hands-on activities that coincide with the “Megalodon: Largest Shark that Ever Livedâ€? exhibit. Parents must accompany their children. • “Megalodon: Largest Shark that Ever Livedâ€? through Jan. 9. The 60-foot, 2-million-yearold Megalodon looms life-size in this megaexhibit of modern and fossil sharks. Hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Check jfpevents.com for updates and more listings. To add an event, e-mail all details (phone number, start/ end date and time, street address, cost, URL, etc.) to events@jacksonfreepress.com or fax to 601-510-9019. The deadline is noon the Thursday prior to the week of publication. Or, add the event online yourself; check out jfpevents.com for instructions.

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Send resume and caffeine requirements to todd@jacksonfreepress.com

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BE THE CHANGE UMC Blood Drive June 25, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., at Jackson Medical Mall (350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave.). Donate blood and save a life. Mississippi Blood Services will be taking donations in the Community Meeting Room. Please bring ID. Free; call 601-984-2884.

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chosen to model in the JODI Productions Fashion Show on June 27. $50; call 601-941-3925 or 601941-3926.

37

livemusic June 24, Thursday

LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR aLL sHows 10pm unLess noted WEDNESDAY

6/23

Ladies night ladies drink all you can 8pm-12am for $5 - no cover THURSDAY

Introducing Mi Salsa Dance Company’s

6/24

- Last Saturday of Every Month -

SATURDAY, JUNE 26 DJ TWILIGHT Spinning, Salsa, Merengue and Banchata!

80’s night

Free Salsa Lesson

FRIDAY

Class Starts @ 8:30pm Live Entertainment Every Month

Different theme each week 6/25

COL. BRUCE HAMPTON

& The Quark alliance SATURDAY

6/26

the DeaD Kenny g’s

by Andrew Arana with Mi Salsa Dance Company

$5 Cover All Night, Ages 21+ Free Spanish Tapas & Sangria 1428 Old Square Road in Jackson 601.713.2700 lastcallsportsgrill.com

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6/29

MATT’S LATE NIGHT KARAOKE

$2 MARGARITAS $1 HIGHLIFE & PBR WEDNESDAY

6/30

June 24 - 30, 2010

Ladies night 38

ladies drink all you can 8pm-12am for $5 - no cover 214 S. State St. • 601.354.9712 downtown jackson www.martinSlounge.net

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Lumpkin’s BBQ - Jesse Robinson (blues lunch) 11:30-1:30 p.m. Thalia Mara Hall - IBC Round 3: ADT Dances of Faith w/Beth Neilsen 7:30 p.m. Hal & Mal’s - The Fearless Four 9 p.m. Burgers & Blues - Jason Turner 5:30-9:30 p.m. free F. Jones Corner - Sherman Lee Dillon (blues lunch) free; Blues at Sunset Challenge Band 8-12 a.m. free Underground 119 - Swing de Paris (gypsy jazz) 8-11 p.m. free Miss. Museum of Art - Scott Albert Johnson (blues/juke) 5:30 p.m. Congress St. Grill - Seth Libbey 6:30-8:30 p.m. Kathryn’s - Larry Brewer (classic rock) 6:30-9:30 p.m. 930 Blues Cafe - Jackie Bell, Norman Clark & Smoke Stack Lightning 8 p.m. $5 Footloose - Karaoke 8-12 a.m. Soulshine, Township - Fingers Taylor & friends 7-9:30 p.m. free Cherokee Inn - D’lo Trio (Americana) 6:30-10 p.m. free Regency Hotel - Karaoke 7 p.m. free Shucker’s - Gravity 7:30-11:30 p.m. free Philip’s, Rez - Bubba & His Guitar free Kristo’s, Madison - Ralph Miller Electric Cowboy - DJ Cadillac 9 p.m. Time Out - Shaun Patterson 9-12 a.m. free McB’s - Karaoke 7 p.m. free Hot Shots, Byram - Karaoke 8 p.m. free Eli’s Treehouse, V’burg - Karaoke 8 p.m. Biscuit Co. - Doug Frank’s Surreal Life (southern rock/blues) 7-11 p.m.

June 25, Friday F. Jones Corner - Sherman Lee Dillon (blues lunch) free; Sherman’s Lee’s Miss. Sound+ 11:30-4 a.m. $10 Lumpkin’s BBQ - Virgil Brawley (blues lunch) 11:30-1:30 p.m. Hal & Mal’s Red Room - The Hot Pieces, The Wild Emotions 9 p.m. Hal & Mal’s Restaurant - Bill & Temperance (bluegrass) 8 p.m. Martin’s - Col. Bruce Hampton & The Quark Alliance (jam) 10 p.m. colbruce.com Fenian’s - Blackwolf (rock) 9-12 a.m. Sneaky Beans - Red Hill City (alt rock) 7-11 p.m. $5 The Auditorium - Larry Brewer (classic rock) 7:30-9 p.m. Shucker’s - Yankee Station 8-1 a.m. $5 Underground 119 - Papa Grows Funk (funk) 9-1 a.m. $10 Burgers & Blues - Delta Mountain Boys 7-11 p.m. Congress St. Grill - Emma Wynters 6:30-8:30 p.m. Zydeco - VWE Allstars w/Dennis Fountain 8 p.m. $5 Little Willie’s BBQ, Old Fannin - Fingers Taylor & Mark Whittington 6-10 p.m. 930 Blues Cafe - Blues/Jazz 5:30-8 p.m.; Jackie Bell, 9 p.m. $10

Dreamz Jxn - DJ Reign & DJ Hova 9 p.m. Electric Cowboy - MissUsed 9 p.m. Regency - Larry Underwood & Hound Dog Lucy $3 Footloose - Karaoke 9-1 a.m. free Dick & Jane’s - Show Night/DJ Allen 9 p.m. $6; 18+ $10 McB’s - Phearless Feaux Two Rivers, Canton - Shane & Frazier 9-12 a.m. free Hot Shots, Byram - Karaoke 8 p.m. free Reed Pierce’s - Snazz 9 p.m. free Ameristar, V’burg - Ugli Stick, Atomika Potts Camp, Hwy 349 - 5th Annual N. Miss. Hill Country Picnic (roots music/workshop) 12 p.m.-1 a.m. nmshillcountrypicnic.com

June 26, Saturday Hal & Mal’s (on street) - Drive By Truckers (alt. country), Easy Co., Horse Trailer 18+ 7 p.m. drivebytruckers.com Fire - Paul Thorn Band, Hank Overkill (roots) 9 p.m. $15+ paulthorn.com Ole Tavern - Marah (rock) 10 p.m. marah-usa.com Underground 119 - Scott Albert Johnson (roots/blues) 9-1 a.m. $10 Martin’s - The Dead Kenny G’s (jazz punk) 10 p.m. myspace. com/thedeadkennygs F. Jones Corner - Stevie J & the Blues Eruption 11:30-4 a.m. $5 Shucker’s - Fearless Four 3-7 p.m. free; Yankee Station 8-1 a.m. $5 Fenian’s - Bailey Bros. 9-12 a.m. Burgers & Blues - Fingers Taylor & Mark Whittington 7-11 p.m. N. Midtown Arts Center, Millsaps Ave - DJ Ripley, Hot & Lonely, DJ Scrap Dirty, Mr. Nick 8 p.m. $5 (all ages) 930 Blues Cafe - Blues/Jazz 5:30-8 p.m.; Jackie Bell, 9 p.m. $10 Electric Cowboy - MissUsed 9 p.m. Fitzgerald’s - Chris Gill 8-12 a.m. Huntington’s - Ralph Miller 6-9 p.m. Poet’s II - Juvenators 9-1 a.m. McB’s - Sofa Kings 8-11:30 p.m. free InkSpot - Jake La Botz, Schroeder, Up My As*, Coffins, Black P*ssy (food+) 2 p.m. until Pelican Cove - The Jenkins 2-5 p.m.; Larry Brewer 6-10 p.m. Canton United Methodist Church - Gospel Fest: Vernon Bros, Hal & Connie, D’lo Trio 6 p.m. free Dick & Jane’s - House Party/DJ Allen 9 p.m. $6; 18+ $10 Jefferson St., Clinton - Olde Towne Market: David Hawkins, Southern Celt (arts, crafts, music) 9-1 p.m. Pearl City Park - Pearl Day: Shadz of Grey+ 5-7 p.m. free Hot Shots, Byram - Karaoke 8 p.m. free Reed Pierce’s - The Colonels 9 p.m. free Ameristar, V’burg - Ugli Stick, Atomika Potts Camp, Hwy 349 - 5th Annual N. Miss. Hill Country Picnic (roots music/workshop) 12 p.m.-1 a.m. nmshillcountrypicnic.com

6/23 Matt Pond PA - Bottletree, Birmingham 6/26 Sting - Lakefront Arena, New Orleans 7/2-4 Essence Music Fest - New Orleans Superdome 7/08 Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros - Minglewood Hall, Memphis 7/10 Mates of State - WorkPlay, Birmingham

Regency Hotel - Crawfish Boil: Snazz 8-1 a.m. $7 myspace.com/ snazzband2

June 27, Sunday King Edward Hotel - Howard Jones Trio (jazz brunch) 11-2 p.m. Warehouse - Mike & Marty Open Jam Session 6-10 p.m. free Fitzgerald’s - Andy Hardwick (brunch) 11-2 p.m. Sophia’s, Fairview Inn - Knight Bruce 11 a.m. (brunch) Shucker’s - Jon & Amanda 3-7 p.m. free Pelican Cove - Will & Linda 3 p.m. Burgers & Blues - Emma Wynters 5-9 p.m. Afrika Book Cafe - Open Mic Poetry The Hill - Open Blues Jam 6-11 p.m. Footloose - Karaoke 7-11 p.m. free Hot Shots, Byram - Karaoke 6-10 p.m. free Ameristar, V’burg - Atomika

June 28, Monday Hal & Mal’s Restaurant - Central Miss. Blues Society Jam 8-11 p.m. $5 F. Jones Corner - Stevie J (blues lunch) free Fitzgerald’s - Hunter Gibson & Rick Moreira 8-12 a.m. free Congress St. Coffee - Open Mic Poetry 6:30 p.m. Martin’s - Open Mic Free Jam 10 p.m. free Fenian’s - Karaoke 8-1 a.m. Dreamz - Karaoke/DJ 5:30 p.m. Irish Frog, Clinton - Open Mic 6:30-10 p.m. Philip’s, Rez - Open Blues Jam free

June 29, Tuesday Hal & Mal’s Restaurant - Pub Quiz 8 p.m. Fenian’s - Open Mic 9 p.m. Martin’s - Karaoke 10 p.m. Shucker’s - The Xtremes 7-11 p.m. free Time Out - Open Mic 8 p.m. McB’s - Karaoke 7 p.m. free Fitzgerald’s - Hunter Gibson & Rick Moreira 8-12 a.m. free

June 30, Wednesday F. Jones Corner - Sherman Lee Dillon (blues lunch) free Fenian’s - Amazing Lazy Boi & Joe Carroll (blues rock) 9-12 a.m. Kathryn’s - Scott Albert Johnson (blues/juke) 6:30 p.m. Regency Hotel - Snazz 8:30 p.m. myspace.com/snazzband2 Footloose - Karaoke 8-12 a.m. free Parker House - Virgil Brawley & Steve Chester 6:30-9:30 p.m. Electric Cowboy - Battle of the Bands: Trailor Park Playboys vs. No Lesser Beauty (rock) 8 p.m. Bonny Blair’s Irish Pub - Shaun Patterson 7-10 p.m. Shucker’s - Ronnie & Cathy 7:30-11:30 p.m. free Philip’s, Rez - Kokomo Joe DJ/ Karaoke free Pelican Cove - Brian of Full Moon Circus 7 p.m.

venuelist

NASHVILLE RECORDING ARTIST

Freelon’s Bar And Groove 440 N. Mill St., Jackson, 601-353-5357 (hip-hop) Fusion Coffeehouse Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland, 601-856-6001 Gold Strike Casino 1010 Casino Center Drive, Robinsonville, 888-245-7529 Grand Casino Biloxi 280 Beach Boulevard, Biloxi, 228-436-2946 Grand Casino Tunica 13615 Old Highway 61 North, Robinsonville, 800-39-GRAND The Green Room 444 Bounds St., Jackson, 601-713-3444 Ground Zero Blues Club 0 Blues Alley, Clarksdale, 662-621-9009 Grownfolks’s Lounge 4030 Medgar Evers Blvd, Jackson, 601-362-6008 Hal & Mal’s 200 S. Commerce St., Jackson, 601-948-0888 (pop/rock/blues) Hamp’s Place 3028 W. Northside Dr., Jackson, 601-981-4110 (dance/dj) Hard Rock Biloxi 777 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, 228-374-ROCK Hat & Cane 1115 E. McDowell Rd., Jackson, 601-352-0411 Hauté Pig 1856 Main St., Madison, 601853-8538 Here We Go Again 3002 Terry Road, Jackson, 601-373-1520 The Hill Restaurant 2555 Valley St., Jackson, 601-373-7768 Horizon Casino Mulberry Lounge 1310 Mulberry St., Vicksburg, 800-843-2343 Horseshoe Bar 5049 Hwy 80 West, Jackson, 601-922-6191 Horseshoe Casino Tunica, 800-303-7463 The Hunt Club 1525 Ellis Ave., Jackson, 601-944-1150 Huntington Grille 1001 E. County Line Rd., Jackson, 601-957-1515 The Ice House 515 S. Railroad Blvd., McComb, 601-684-0285 (pop/rock) JC’s 425 North Mart Plaza, Jackson, 601-362-3108 James Meredith Lounge 217 Griffith St. 601-969-3222 Julep Restaurant and Bar 105 Highland Village, Jackson, 601-362-1411 Kathryn’s Steaks and Seafood 6800 Old Canton Road, Ridgeland. 601-956-2803 Koinonia Coffee House 136 S. Adam St., Suite C, Jackson, 601-960-3008 Kristos 971 Madison Ave., Madison, 601-605-2266 LaRae’s 210 Parcel Dr., Jackson, 601-944-0660 Last Call Sports Grill 1428 Old Square Road, Jackson, 601-713-2700 The Library Bar & Grill 120 S. 11th St., Oxford, 662-234-1411 The Loft 1306 A. Washington St., Vicksburg, 601-629-6188 The Lyric Oxford 1006 Van Buren Ave., Oxford. 662-234-5333 Main Event Sports Bar & Grill 4659 Hwy 80 West, Jackson, 601-922-9987 Manda’s Pub 614 Clay Street, Vicksburg, 601-638-6607 Martin’s Lounge 214 S. State St., Jackson, 601-354-9712 (rock/jam/blues) McB’s Restaurant 815 Lake Harbor Dr., Ridgeland, 601-956-8362 (pop/rock) Mellow Mushroom 275 Dogwood Blvd., Flowood, 601-992-7499 Mississippi Academy of Ancient Music 103 Magnolia, Edwards, 601-977-7736 Mississippi Coliseum 1207 Mississippi St., Jackson, 601-353-0603 Mississippi Opera P.O. Box 1551, Jackson, 877-MSOPERA, 601-960-2300 Mississippi Opry 2420 Old Brandon Rd., Brandon, 601-331-6672 Mississippi Symphony Orchestra 201 East Pascagoula St., Jackson, 800-898-5050 Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium 2531 N. State St., Jackson, 601-354-6021 Monte’s Steak and Seafood 1855 Lakeland Dr., Jackson, 601-362-8182 Mugshots 1855 Lakeland Dr., Jackson, 601-713-0383 North Midtown Arts Center 121 Millsaps Ave., Jackson, 601-497-7454 Okasions 1766 Ellis Avenue, Jackson, 601-373-4037 Old Venice Pizza Co. 1428 Old Square Rd., Jackson, 601-366-6872 Ole Tavern on George Street 416 George St., Jackson, 601-960-2700

Olga’s 4760 I-55 North, Jackson, 601-366-1366 (piano) One to One Studio 121 Millsaps Ave., in the Millsaps Arts District, Jackson One Blue Wall 2906 N State St., Jackson, 601-713-1224 Peaches Restaurant 327 N. Farish St., Jackson, 601-354-9267 Pelican Cove 3999A Harborwalk Dr., Ridgeland, 601-605-1865 Pig Ear Saloon 160 Weisenberger Rd., Gluckstadt, 601-898-8090 Pig Willies 1416 Washington St., Vicksburg, 601-634-6872 Poet’s II 1855 Lakeland Dr., 601- 364-9411 Pool Hall 3716 I-55 North Frontage Rd., Jackson, 601-713-2708 Pop’s Saloon 2636 Gallatin St., Jackson, 601-961-4747 (country) Proud Larry’s 211 S. Lamar Blvd., Oxford, 662-236-0050 The Pub Hwy. 51, Ridgeland, 601-898-2225 The Quarter Bistro & Piano Bar 1855 Lakeland Dr., Jackson, 601-362-4900 Que Sera Sera 2801 N. State St., Jackson, 601-981-2520 Red Room 200 S. Commerce St., Jackson (Hal & Mal’s), 601-948-0888 (rock/alt.) Reed Pierce’s 6791 Siwell Rd., Byram, 601-376-0777, 601-376-4677 Regency Hotel Restaurant & Bar 420 Greymont Ave., Jackson, 601-969-2141 Rick’s Cafe 318 Hwy 82 East, #B, Starkville, 662-324-7425 RJ Barrel 111 N. Union 601-667-3518 Sal and Mookie’s 565 Taylor St. 601368-1919 Sam’s Lounge 5035 I-55 N. Frontage Rd., Jackson, 601-983-2526 Sam’s Town Casino 1477 Casino Strip Blvd., Robinsonville, 800-456-0711 Schimmel’s Fine Dining 2615 N. State St., Jackson, 601-981-7077 Scrooge’s 5829 Ridgewood Rd., Jackson, 601-206-1211 Shuckers on the Reservoir 116 Conestoga Rd., Ridgeland, 601-853-0105 Silver Star Casino Hwy. 16 West, Choctaw, 800-557-0711 Soop’s The Ultimate 1205 Country Club Dr., Jackson, 601-922-1402 (blues) Soulshine Pizza 1139 Old Fannin Rd., Brandon, 601-919-2000 Soulshine Pizza 1111 Highland Colony Parkway, Ridgeland, 601-856-8646 Sportsman’s Lodge 1220 E. Northside Dr. at I-55, Jackson, 601-366-5441 Stone Pony Oyster Bar 116 Commercial Parkway, Canton, 601-859-0801 Super Chikan’s Place 235 Yazoo Ave., Clarksdale, 662-627-7008 Thalia Mara Hall 255 E. Pascagoula St., Jackson, 601-960-1535 Thirsty Hippo 211 Main St., Hattiesburg, 601-583-9188 Time Out Sports Bar 6270 Old Canton Rd., 601-978-1839 Top Notch Sports Bar 109 Culley Dr., Jackson, 601- 362-0706 Touch Night Club 105 E. Capitol St., Jackson, 601-969-1110 Two Rivers Restaurant 1537 W. Peace St., Canton, 601-859-9979 (blues) Two Sisters Kitchen 707 N. Congress St. 601-353-1180 Two Stick 1107 Jackson Ave., Oxford, 662-236-6639 Under the Boardwalk 2560 Terry Rd., Jackson, 601-371-7332 Underground 119 119 S. President St. 601352-2322 VB’s Premier Sports Bar 1060 County Line Rd., Ridgland, 601-572-3989 VFW Post 9832 4610 Sunray Drive, Jackson, 601-982-9925 Vicksburg Convention Center 1600 Mulberry Street, Vicksburg, 866-822-6338 Walker’s Drive-In 3016 N. State St., Jackson, 601-982-2633 (jazz/pop/folk) The Warehouse 9347 Hwy 18 West, Jackson, 601-502-8580 (pop/rock) Wired Expresso Cafe 115 N. State St. 601-500-7800

JULY 9 TH & 10 TH

Weekly Lunch Specials WEDNESDAY - JUNE 23 KARAOKE W/ MIKE MOTT THURSDAY - JUNE 24 OPEN MIC & FREE LINE DANCE LESSONS FRIDAY - JUNE 25

GHOST TOWN

Open for dinner Sat. 4-10pm thursday

JUNE 24

LADIES NIGHT with MR. NICK! LADIES DRINK FREE

WELLS & PONIES 9PM-2AM

friday

SATURDAY - JUNE 26

FAZE 4

WOLVES, WHERE?

SUNDAY - JUNE 27 8 BALL TOURNAMENT TUESDAY - JUNE 29 POOL LEAGUE NIGHT

w/ GLASGLOW

2636 S. Gallatin Jackson, MS 39204

601-961-4747

www.myspace.com/popsaroundthecorner

MLB ON 20 FLATSCREEN TVS

WATCH YOUR TEAM @ THE LODGE

lunch specials $7.95 includes tea & dessert Smoke-free lunch weekdays 11am-3pm

WED. LADIES NIGHT & KARAOKE

THURS.

JUNE 25

JUNE 25

th

John Wayne Cain

BUDWEISER GAMES NIGHT PRIZES & FREE SCHWAG

FRI. JOHN WAYNE CAIN

9:30PM - 1:30AM NO COVER CHARGE

COLLEGE NIGHT BRING STUDENT ID

SAT.

MAJOR LEAGUE

BASEBALL MON.

S.I.N. NIGHT TUES.

JACKPOT TRIVIA $2 DOMESTICS

ON SUNDAY, BLOODY MARYS $4 & MIMOSAS $3 THURSDAY ON S PINT $1.50 , DAYS MON R-1 2-FO

saturday

JUNE 26

MARAH w/ guest

GOODMAN COUNTY monday

JUNE 28

2 for 1 Drafts tuesday

JUNE 29

OPEN MIC with Cody Cox *DOLLAR BEER* wednesday

JUNE 30

KARAOKE w/ CASEY AND NICK FREE WiFi Open Mon-Sat, Kitchen open Mon-Fri 11 am-10 pm & Sat 4-10 pm

jacksonfreepress.com

88 Keys 3645 Hwy. 80 W in Metrocenter, Jackson, 601-352-7342 930 Blues Cafe 930 N. Congress St., Jackson, 601-948-3344 Alamo Theatre 333 N. Farish St, Jackson, 601-352-3365 Alley Cats 165 W. Peace St., Canton, 601-855-2225 Alumni House Sports Grill 574 Hwy. 50, Ridgeland, 601-855-2225 America Legion Post 1 3900 W. Northside Dr., Jackson, 601-605-9903 Ameristar Casino, Bottleneck Blues Bar 4146 Washington St., Vicksburg, 800-700-7770 Beau Rivage Casino 875 Beach Blvd., Biloxi, 800-566-7469 Belhaven College Center for the Arts 835 Riverside Dr, Jackson, 601-968-5930 Bennie’s Boom Boom Room 142 Front St., Hattiesburg, 601-408-6040 Borrello’s 1306 Washington St., Vicksburg, 601-638-0169 Buffalo Wild Wings 808 Lake Harbour Dr., Ridgeland, 601-856-0789 Burgers and Blues 1060 E. County Line Rd., Ridgeland, 601-899-0038 Capri-Pix Theatre 3021 N. State St., Jackson, 601-981-9606 Central City Complex 609 Woodrow Wilson Dr., Jackson, 601-352-9075 Cerami’s 5417 Highway 25, Flowood, 601-919-2829 Char Restaurant 4500 I-55, Highland Village, Jackson, 601-956-9562 Cherokee Inn 1410 Old Square Rd., Jackson, 601-362-6388 Club 43 Hwy 43, Canton, 601-654-3419, 601-859-0512 Club City Lights 200 N. Mill St., Jackson, 601-353-0059 Club O’Hara 364 Monticello St., Hazlehurst, 601-894-5674 Club Total 342 N. Gallatin St., Jackson, 601-714-5992 Congress Street Bar & Grill 120 N. Congress St., Jackson, 601-968-0857 The Commons Gallery 719 N. Congress St., 601-352-3399 Couples Entertainment Center 4511 Byrd Drive, Jackson, 601-923-9977 Crawdad Hole 1150 Lakeland Dr., Jackson, 601-982-9299 Crickett’s Lounge 4370 Hwy 80 West, Jackson, 601-922-0500 Crossroads Bar & Lounge 3040 Livingston Rd., Jackson, 601-984-3755 (blues) Cultural Expressions 147 Millsaps Ave., Jackson, 601-665-0815 (neosoul/hip-hop) Cups in Fondren 2757 Old Canton Road, Jackson, 601-362-7422 (acoustic/pop) Cups in the Quarter 1855 Lakeland Dr., Jackson, 601-981-9088 Davidson’s Corner Market 108 W. Center St., Canton, 601-855-2268 (pop/rock) Debo’s 180 Raymond Road, Jackson, 601-346-8283 Diamond Jack’s Casino 3990 Washington Street, Vicksburg, 1-877-711-0677 Dick & Jane’s 206 Capitol St., Jackson, 601-944-0123 (dance/alternative) Dixie Diamond 1306 Washington Street, Vicksburg, 601-638-6297 Dollar Bills Dance Saloon 103 A Street, Meridian, 601-693-5300 Edison Walthall Hotel 225 E. Capitol St., Jackson, 601-948-6161 Electric Cowboy 6107 Ridgewood Rd., Jackson, 601-899-5333 (country/ rock/dance) Executive Place 2440 Bailey Ave., Jackson, 601-987-4014 F. Jones Corner 303 N. Farish St. 601983-1148 Fenian’s 901 E. Fortification Street, Jackson, 601-948-0055 (rock/Irish/folk) Fire 209 Commerce St., Jackson, 601592-1000 (rock/dance/dj) Final Destination 5428 Robinson Rd. Ext., Jackson, (pop/rock/blues) Fitzgerald’s Martini Bar 1001 E. County Line Road, Jackson, 601-957-2800 Flood’s Bar and Grill 2460 Bailey Ave., Jackson, 601-713-4094 Footloose Bar and Grill 4661 Hwy 80 West, Jackson, 601-922-9944

JUSTINE BLAZER

39

dining

by Jesse Yancy

Batter

Retro Red Velvet

A

My Shrimp

Love Affair

June 24 - 30, 2010

A

40

shrimp boat sprawls its arms out near the Beau Rivage. The usually brown water of the Mississippi Sound looks blue on the first Saturday of shrimp season. Life goes on in Biloxi, but a sense of dread rides the breeze. I’m dealing with profound sadness, the kind you feel when an acquaintance dies. It must be a joke, all this oil gushing in my Gulf of Mexico. When I get like this, shrimp makes me feel better. It instantly balances me. The blood in my upper cheeks lifts me up. My pH is perfect, my mood is good, and I get spiritual. I’m on a last-minute pilgrimage. At the Ole Biloxi Schooner, I eat half a shrimp po boy. The cornmeal-coated shrimp are so hot, I put my sandwich down and sip diet Barq’s root beer. When I bite into my po’ boy again, a shrimp the size of my index finger slips into the crook of my smile. A little girl in a yellow sundress sees this and smiles back. It is the best shrimp po’ boy of my life. Chilled tomatoes and lettuce, slightly fried shrimp and crunchy French bread commingle. The Ole Biloxi Schooner flattens po’ boys old school. No puffy business here. Before leaving Biloxi, I buy boiled shrimp for dinner. Later, I slowly peel each plump, pink-shelled shrimp. The sweet firmness reminds me with every deliberate bite that this could be a last supper. —Valerie Wells

employs a “boiled icing,” meaning it is produced pretty much as you would make a sauce or a gravy, by heating starch in a liquid. In some cookbooks, this is referred to as a “roux icing,” but it’s a very raw roux, indeed. The advantage is that you don’t have to heat it again to ice your cake, and it tastes much better than that lard and confectioner’s sugar stuff you get at the supermarket. Second is the leavening, which involves that chemistry-set action of putting baking soda in a bit of vinegar and watching it foam. The acidic buttermilk in the batter provides additional frothing, but the end result is, well, velvety. Many of you will probably take issue with the amount of food coloring involved. After all, you could probably dye a bushel of pears pink with the same amount, but try to relax. It’s safe, and one of the best parts of making this cake is dribbling that red, red food coloring into your batter and swirling it in. The absolute best part, of course, is eating it. JESSE YANCY

really good cake should be a crown jewel in your culinary repertoire. The ruby in my kitchen is a hand-medown red velvet cake. Great cakes don’t come out of a box. No, they come from handwork, sacks and shells, from old tried-and-true recipes and those who have made them. Most of the best cakes involve complicated procedures that aren’t time-consuming if you’re a dedicated home cook in the first place—it’s good practice, and you get to use kitchenware and ingredients that otherwise just take up space. Not only that, but pulling a perfectly cooked cake out of the oven is an unmatchable experience. After beaming at your creation for a few minutes, you get to decorate. The cake is your canvas, and you are the artist who produced this most temporary of masterpieces. Legend has it that the original recipe for red velvet cake is from the kitchens of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. The cake became popular here sometime after World War II, when the South began to become much more a part of the nation as a whole. Me, I think that the red velvet cake is a variation of the old devil’s food cake, and that the name changed because many good religious women were just not going to bring Satan’s bounty to their tables. It has the same texture for one thing, and while no cocoa is used in the icing, the cake’s primary flavoring is chocolate. This is an old family recipe, one of the dozen or so I still have from my mother’s hand. I’m almost sure she got it from her grandmother Eula, who came from a family of exceptional cooks. Eula’s sister, my Aunt Leila, is legendary in certain circles for her cakes, pickles and preserves. They were also all strict Baptists, and I suspect they were among those who would simply not feed their folks devil’s food. Given their descendants, they probably had enough devilment in the first place. Two elements of the recipe give evidence of its age. First, it

RED VELVET CAKE

1 cup vegetable shortening 1-1/4 cups sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring 2-1/4 cups plain flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon cocoa 1 cup buttermilk 2 ounces red food coloring 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon vinegar

Cream shortening and sugar, and add well-beaten eggs and vanilla. Sift flour, salt and cocoa three times. Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk. Blend in food coloring. Dissolve soda in vinegar, and fold into batter. Bake in three layers at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Icing

1-1/2 cups milk 4-1/2 tablespoons flour 1-1/2 cups butter (3 sticks) 1-1/2 cups sugar 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla flavoring

Gradually add milk to flour in double boiler, stirring constantly until it is thicker than pudding. Remove from heat and stir until cooled. Cream butter and sugar for at least ten minutes, then add vanilla and continue creaming until fluffy. Add flour and milk mixture to creamed butter and sugar, and beat at least ten minutes until no grains of sugar can be detected. Frost cake and sprinkle with crushed walnuts or pecans.

Mimi’s Kitchen Garden

O

by Jo Barksdale

ptimal health requires more than just nutritious food restaurants in the world. for the body. It also requires food for the soul. Art— Like Chez Penisse, the Burwells have a reputation for uswhether music, painting or studying nature—is soul ing fresh, locally grown produce. Until their kitchen garden food, and so is enjoying friends and family. becomes a reality, however, they use herbs and vegetables from Owned by Jim and Linda Burwell, Mimi’s Family & their home garden and from other local growers, like the High Friends—Food, Fun and Funky Art, located in Jackson’s Heeled Hippie (Payton Collins). She brings treats such as a vaFondren area, is a great place to hang out, eat and listen to the riety of fresh squash to the Burwell’s door. Burwell’s talk about food, funky art and old Jackson. While Stuffed Squash makes a beautiful presentation with Mimi’s you are eating, an artist whose work is on display may drop in herbed chicken breast. Jim Burwell brought out a small round and discuss their latest creations. white squash with scalloped edges. As he carefully scooped out Teresa Haygood McIntosh creates whimsical mosaic wall the squash with a spoon, he gave me the recipe. hangings and designs mosaics on bricks for the garden. Some of which have the herb names THE BURWELLS’STUFFED PATTY PAN SQUASH written in mosaic tiles. At the moment Mimi’s 6 small patty pan squash window ledges display the bricks, but they will squash, and place the shell in boil2 small or 1 large zucchini squash, soon be gracing the Burwell’s kitchen garden. ing salted water to cover. Boil for large dice Jim Burwell wrote an excited message on five minutes. Remove and drain on 2 small or 1 large yellow squash, large dice Facebook June 8: “The ‘Garden Mama’ just paper towels. 1/4 to 1/3 cup red onion, large dice left. She, Mimi (aka Linda) and I are planning Carmelize the onion in a little 2 to 3 cloves garlic, roasted a unique garden on the South Green Space of butter and add the roasted gar1/8 teaspoon thyme, more to taste Mimi’s. More details to follow soon.” lic. Add the zucchini and yellow Salt and pepper to taste “Garden Mama” says it will be as exciting squash; sauté until just tender. Add 1 egg, slightly beaten as it sounds. “Most of the well-known restauthyme, salt and pepper. 3 saltine crackers, crushed rants I have visited all have kitchen gardens,” When the mixture is cool, add 1 teaspoon butter she says. a beaten egg until well mixed. Stuff Nellie Neil, also known as “Garden Preheat oven to 350 degrees. the patty pan shell with the mixMama” to her fans is a local master gardener Scoop out the patty pan squash ture, sprinkle the cracker crumbs with a radio show on SuperTalk Mississippi. from the top, being careful not on top and dot with butter. Place She named one of the oldest and most impresto disturb the scallops, sides, and in the oven for a few minutes or sive restaurants with a kitchen garden: Chez bottom. Discard the scooped-out until brown on top. Serves six. Penisse in Berkeley, Calif., one of the 50 best

Lumpkins BBQ

BAKERY Broad Street Bakery (4465 Interstate 55 N. 601-362-2900) NEW MENU! Hot breakfast,coffee espresso drinks, fresh breads and pastries, gourmet deli sandwiches, quiches, soups, pizzas, pastas and dessert. A “see and be seenâ€? Jackson institution! CampbellĘźs Bakery (3013 N State Street 601-362-4628) Now serving lunch! Cookies, cakes and cupcakes are accompanied by good coffee and a fullcooked Southern breakfast on weekdays in this charming bakery in Fondren. For HeavenĘźs Cakes (4950 Old Canton Road 601-991-2253) Cakes and cupcakes for all occasions including weddings, parties, catered events. Owner Dani Mitchell Turk was features on the Food Network’s ultimate recipe showdown. Crazy Cat Bakers (Highland Village Suite #173 601-362-7448) Amazing sandwiches: Meatloaf Panini, Mediterranean Vegetarian, Rotisserie Chicken to gourmet pimento cheese. Outlandish desserts. Now open for dinner Wednesday through Friday.

ITALIAN BasilĘźs Belhaven (904 E. FortiďŹ cation, Jackson, 601-352-2002) The signature Paninis are complimented by great Italian offerings such as spaghetti and meatball, tomato basil soup, cookies and cupcakes. Dinner menu includes fresh tilapia, shrimp and risotto, seafood pasta, generous salads—and don’t forget the crab cakes. Party menu includes a “panini pie.â€? BYOB. BRAVO! (4500 Interstate 55 N., Jackson, 601-982-8111) Wood-fired pizzas, vegetarian fare, plus creative pastas, beef, and seafood specials. Wonderful atmosphere and service. Bravo! walks away with tons of Best of Jackson awards every year. CeramiĘźs (5417 Lakeland Drive, Flowood, 601-919-28298) Southern-style Italian cuisine features their signature Shrimp Cerami (white wine sauce, capers artichokes) along with veal, tilapia, crawfish, chicken and pasta dishes. Now with liquor license! FratesiĘźs (910 Lake Harbour, Ridgeland, 601-956-2929) “Authentic, homey, unpretentiousâ€? that’s how the regulars describe Fratesi’s, a staple in Jackson for years, offering great Italian favorites with loving care. The tiramisu is a must-have!

BARBEQUE Hickory Pit Barbeque (1491 Canton Mart Rd. 601-956-7079) The “Best Butts in Town� features BBQ chicken, beef and pork sandwiches along with burgers and po’boys. Wet or dry pork ribs, chopped pork or beef, and all the sides. Lumpkins BBQ (182 Raymond Rd. Jackson 866-906-0942) Specializing in smoked barbeque, Lumpkin’s offers all your favorites for on-site family dining or for catered events, including reunions, office events, annivesaries, weddings and more. Rib Shack B.B.Q. & Seafood (932 J.R. Lynch Street, Jackson, 601-665-4952) Hickory-smoked BBQ beef or pork ribs, BBQ chicken, giant chopped BBQ beef or pork sandwiches. Fried catfish, pan trout, fried shrimp, po boys. Tuesday-Thursday (11am-8pm) Fri-Sat (11am-10pm).

BARS, PUBS & BURGERS Alumni House (574 Hwy 51 Ridgeland 601-605-9903, 110 Bass Pro, Pearl, 601-896-0253) Good bar food, big portions and burgers (with “blackened� as an unforgetable option) known for their sweet buns. Televisions throughout, even small tubes at your table. Po-boys, quesadillas; good stuff! DINE JACKSON, see pg. 42

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• Full-Service Catering • Private Rooms Available • Reservations Suggested 107 Depot Drive, Madison | 601.856.3822 www.strawberrycafemadison.com Mon.-Thurs. 11am-9pm and Fri. & Sat. 11am-10pm

Telephone:

601-665-4952

For the sizzling taste of real hickory smoke barbeque -

THIS IS THE PLACE!

B.B.Q., Blues, Beer Beef and Pork Ribs

“Now Dats Italian�

Lunch & Dinner:

A metro-area tradition since 1977 Lunch: Tues. - Fri. & Sun. | 11am-2pm Dinner: Tues. -Thurs. & Sun. | 5pm-9pm Fri. & Sat. | 5pm-10pm

Tuesday - Thursday 11am - 8pm Friday & Saturday 11am - 10pm

601-919-2829

932 Lynch Street | Jackson (Across from the JSU Baseball Field)

5417 Lakeland Drive ~ Flowood, MS 39232

PO-POLK’S BURGERS•WINGS•CATFISH•PULLED PORK

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Monday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

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Jackson

Byram

4865 N State Street | 601.366.2160 Mon.- Sat. 10:30am-3pm, 5pm-9pm

1801 Dalton Street (601) 352-4555 Fax: (601) 352-4510

5752 Terry Road (601) 373-7299 Fax: (601) 373-7349

(Special includes Entree + Two Sides)

Come see Why We Were Voted One Of Jackson’s Best Mediterranean Restaurants

Mediterranean & Lebanese Cuisine

jacksonfreepress.com

Cups Espresso CafÊ (Multiple Locations, www.cupsespressocafe.com) Jackson’s local group of coffeehouses offer high-end Arabica beans, a wide variety of espresso drinks, fresh brewed coffee and a selection of pastries and baked goods. Free wi-fi! Wired Espresso CafÊ (115 N State St 601-500-7800) This downtown coffeehouse across from the Old Capitol focuses on being a true gathering place, featuring great coffee and a selection of breakfast, lunch and pastry items. Free wi-fi.

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182 Raymond Rd. Jackson 866-906-0942 Specializing in smoked barbeque, Lumpkin’s offers all your favorites for on-site family dining or for catered events, including reunions, office events, annivesaries, weddings and more.

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Fenian’s Pub (901 E. Fortification St. 601-948-0055) Classic Irish pub featuring a menu of traditional food, pub sandwiches and beers including Guinness and Harp on tap. Free live music most nights; Irish/Celtic bands on Thursdays. Cool Al’s (4654 McWillie, 601-713-3020) A standard in Best of Jackson, Al’s stacked, messy, decadent, creative burgers defy adjectives. Or try pineapple chicken, smoked sausage...or the nationally recognized veggie burger. Fitzgeralds at the Hilton (1001 East County Line Road, 601-957-2800) Top-shelf bar food with a Gulf Coast twist like Gumbo Ya Ya, Pelahatchie artisan sausage and cheese antipasto. Grilled oysters; fried stuff—oysters, catfish, shrimp, seafood or chicken! Hal and Mal’s (200 S. Commerce St. 601-948-0888) Pub favorites meet Gulf Coast and Cajun specialties like red beans and rice, the Oyster Platter or each day’s blackboard special. Repeat winner of Best of Jackson’s “Best Place for Live Music.â€? Last Call (3716 I-55 N. Frontage Road 601-713-2700) Burgers, sandwiches and po-boys, plus sports-bar appetizers and specialities. Try chili cheese fries, chicken nachos or the shrimp & pork eggrolls. Pay-per-view sporting events, live bands. Martin’s Restaurant and Lounge (214 South State Street 601-354-9712) Lunch specials, pub appetizers (jalapeno poppers, cheezsticks, fried pickles) or order from the full menu of po-boys and entrees. Full bar, massive beer selection and live music most nights. Shucker’s Oyster Bar (116 Conestoga Road, Ridgeland 601-853-0105) Serious about oysters? Try ‘em on the half shell, deep-fried, charred from the oven or baked in champagne. Plus po-boys, pub favorites, burgers, mufalettas, pizza, seafood and steaks! The Regency (400 Greymont Ave. 601-969-2141) Reasonably priced buffet Monday through Friday featuring all your favorites. Daily happy hour, live bands and regular specials. Time Out Sports CafĂŠ (6720 Old Canton Road 601-978-1839) 14 TVs, 1 projector and two big-screens. Daily $9 lunch specials, pub-style appetizers, burgers, seafood and catfish po-boys, salads, and hot entrees including fish, steak and pasta. Ole Tavern on George Street (416 George St. 601-960-2700) Pub food with a southern flair: beer-battered onion rings, chicken & sausage gumbo, salads, sandwiches and weekly lunch specials. Plus, happy hour 4-7pm Monday through Friday. Pelican Cove Grill (3999A Harbor Walk Drive 601-605-1865) Great rez view! Shrimp and seafood appetizers, soups, salads, burgers and sandwiches, plus po-boys, catfish baskets, and dinners from the grill including mahi-mahi and reggae ribs. Poets Two(1855 Lakeland Drive, Suite H-10, 601-364-9411) Pub fare at its finest. Crabcake minis, fried dills, wings, poppers, ultimate fries, sandwiches, po-boys, pasta entrees and steak. The signature burgers come in bison, kobe, beef or turkey! Happy hour everyday til 7 p.m. Sportsman’s Lodge (1120 E Northside Dr. in Maywood Mart) 601-366-5441 Voted Best Sports Bar in 2010, Sportman’s doesn’t disappoint with plenty of gut-pleasing sandwiches, and fried seafood baskets. Try the award-winning wings in Buffalo, Thai or Jerk sauces! Underground 119 (119 South President St. 601-352-2322) Jumbo lump crabcakes, crab quesadillas, beef tenderloin parfaits, orange-garlic shrimp, even “lollipopâ€? lamb chops. Add a full bar and mix in great music. Opens 4 p.m.-until, Wed-Sat.

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PO BOYS • RED BEANS & RICE PASTA • BURGERS Thursday, June 24 Seth Libbey Live 6:30pm - 8:30pm 120 N Congress St. in Jackson (601) 968-0857

2003-2010, Best of Jackson

707 N. Congress Street Downtown Jackson • (601) 353-1180 Open 11am-2pm, Sunday thru Friday

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STIX (109 Marketplace Lane off Lakeland Dr Flowood 601-420-4058) Enjoy the quick-handed, knife-wielding chefs at the flaming teppanyaki grill; artful presentations of sushi; the pungent seasonings and spicy flavors of regional Chinese cuisines. Nagoya (6351 I-55 North #131 @ Target Shopping Ctr. 601-977-8881) Nagoya gets high marks for its delicious-and-affordable sushi offerings, tasty lunch specials and high-flying hibachi room with satisfying flavors for the whole family. Ichiban (153 Ridge Drive, Ste 105F 601-919-0097 & 359 Ridgeway 601-919-8879) Voted “Best Chinese� in 2010, cuisine styles at Ichiban actually range from Chinese to Japanese, including hibachi, sushi made fresh with seafood, and a crowd-pleasing buffet.

June 24 - 30, 2010

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601-956-7079

1491 Canton Mart Rd. • Jackson

Mimi’s Family and Friends (3139 North State Street, Fondren) 601-366-6111 Funky local art decorates this new offering in Fondren, where the cheese grits, red beans & rice, pork tacos and pimento cheese are signature offerings. Breakfast and lunch, Mon-Sat. Julep (1305 East Northside Drive, Highland Village, 601-362-1411) Tons of Best of Jackson awards, delicious Southern fusion dishes like award-winning fried chicken, shrimp and grits, blackened tuna and butter bean hummus. Brunch, lunch, dinner and late night. Primos Cafe (515 Lake Harbour 601-898-3400 and 2323 Lakeland 601-936-3398) A Jackson institution featuring a full breakfast (with grits and biscuits), blue plate specials, catfish, burgers, prime rib, oysters, po-boys and wraps. Save room for something from the bakery.

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Po’ Polks (4865 N. State Street 601-366-2160) Great home-style cookin’ open Mon-Sat for a $4.95 lunch. Chopped steak and gravy, Fried chicken, smothered pork chops, catfish, pan trout, BBQ rib tips, plus sides galore! Sugar’s Place (168 W Griffith St 601-352-2364) Hot breakfast and weekday lunch: catfish, pantrout, fried chicken wings, blue plates, red beans & rice, pork chops, chicken & dumplings, burgers, po-boys...does your grandma cook like this? The Strawberry Café (107 Depot Drive, Madison, 601-856-3822) Full table service, lunch and dinner. Crab and crawfish appetizers, salads, fresh seafood, pastas, “surf and turf” and more. Veggie options. Desserts: cheesecake, Madison Mud and strawberry shortcake. Two Sisters Kitchen (707 N. Congress St. 601-353-1180) 2010 Best of Jackson winner for fried chicken offers a sumptious buffet of your choice of veggies, a salad bar, iced tea & one of three homemade desserts. Lunch only. M-F 11-2, Sun. 10:30-2.

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Open Mon-Fri 11am-3pm, Closed on Sat. 182 Raymond Rd. in Jackson, MS Telephone: 601-373-7707 E-mail: lumpkinsbbq@comcast.net

910 Lake Harbour Dr. Ridgeland | 601-956-2929 Monday - Saturday | 5 - until

steak, seafood & fINe dINING Huntington Grille at the Hilton (1001 East County Line Road 601--957-1515) Chef Luis Bruno offers fresh Gulf seafood, unique game dishes and succulent steaks alongside an expansive wine selection; multiple honors from Best of Jackson, Wine Specator and others. Rocky’s (1046 Warrington Road, Vicksburg 601-634-0100) Enjoy choice steaks, fresh seafood, great salads, hearty sandwiches and much more in the “polished casual” dining room. Open 24/7 in the Riverwalk Casino.

medIterraNeaN/mIddLe easterN Aladdin Mediterranean Grill (730 Lakeland Drive 601-366-6033) Delicious authentic dishes including lamb dishes, hummus, falafel, kababs, shwarma and much more. Consistent award winner, great for takeout or for long evenings with friends. Jerusalem Café (2741 Old Canton Road 601-321-8797) Yes, it’s a hookah bar in Jackson, which also happens to have a great Meditterean menu, including falafel, lamb shank, feta salad, kabob, spinach pie, grape leaves and baba ghanouj. Kristos (971 Madison Ave @ Hwy 51, Madison, 601-605-2266) Home of the famous Greek meatball! Hummus, falafel, dolmas, pita sandwiches, salads, plus seasoned curly fries (or sweet potato fries) and amazing desserts.

BAKERS LUNCH: MON.-FRI., 10AM-2PM See Us Come kfast! a For Bre

7AM -10AM

168 W. Griffith St. • Sterling Towers Across from MC School of Law

601-352-2364 • Fax: 601-352-2365 Hours: Monday - Friday 7am - 4pm

Now Open for Dinner Wed. - Fri. 5PM - 8PM HIGHLAND VILLAGE | 10AM - 6PM 601.362.7448 • CRAZYCATBAKERS.COM

PIzza Mellow Mushroom (275 Dogwood Blvd, Flowood, 601-992-7499) Pizzas of all kinds, munchies, calzones, grilled hoagies, salads and more make up the extensive and “eclectic” menu at Mellow Mushroom. Award-winning beer selection. Dine in or carry out. The Pizza Shack (1220 N State St. 601-352-2001) 2009 and 2010’s winner of Best Pizza offers the perfect pizza-and-a-beer joint. Creative pizza options abound (“Cajun Joe, anyone?”), along with sandwiches, wings, salads and even BBQ. Sal & Mookie’s (565 Taylor St. 601-368-1919) Pizzas of all kinds plus pasta, eggplant parmesan and the local favorite: fried ravioli. Voted Best Chef, Best Dessert, Best Kid’s Menu and Best Ice Cream in the 2010 Best of Jackson reader poll.

CarrIBBeaN Taste of the Island (436 E. Capitol, Downtown, 601-360-5900) Jerk chicken or ribs, curry chicken or shrimp, oxtails, snapper or goat, plus bok choy, steamed cabbage and Jamaican Greens, Carry out, counter seating or delivery available. 11a-7p, Monday-Friday.

Serving:

H OT P ASTA D ISHES G RILLED F ISH P ANINI S ANDWICHES Enjoy from the Belhaven bakery

Mon. - Thurs., 11am - 8:30pm | Fri. & Sat. 11am - 9pm 904B E. Fortification St. - English Village

Call Us: 601-352-2002

mexICaN El Portrillo (210 Dogwood Blvd, Flowood, 601-992-9260) Mexican food with an attitude, complete with great atmosphere, luxurious patio, plenty of food and drink specials and, of course, a fabulous margarita! One of Jackson’s most extensive Mexican menus including items like bacon-wrapped shrimp and the shrimp nachos.

VeGetarIaN High Noon Café (2807 Old Canton Road in Rainbow Plaza 601-366-1513) Fresh, gourmet, tasty and healthy defines the lunch options at Jackson’s own strict vegetarian (and very-vegan-friendly) restaurant. Daily lunch specials -- like Mexican day and the seaside cakes on Fridays -- push the envelope on creative and healthy; wonderful desserts!

Friday and Saturday Night Music

jacksonfreepress.com

section.

43

sports

by John Yargo

Two Prodigies at a Crossroads

FOR OUR LOCAL POLICE, FIREFIGHTERS, MILITARY & EMERGENCY PERSONNEL

$2 DOMESTIC BOTTLES $2 WELL DRINKS $7 MILLER PITCHERS

June 24 - 30, 2010

25% OFF APPETIZERS AND ENTREES

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COURTESY WASHINGTON NATIONALS

I

n the dog days of summer, two prodigies have arrived at a decisive moment in their careers. Stephen Strasburg debuted for the Washington Nationals, and LeBron James entered NBA free agency. Both have had an unusual role on their teams as highly regarded first-round picks. And now, they might be the most important players in their respective sports in the second decade of the 21st century. The Cleveland Cavaliers have hitched the franchise’s hopes to James, and the Washington Nationals will depend on Strasburg to overcome the youth and lack of talent around him. Each franchise has weak leadership. If James leaves Cleveland or Strasburg is a bust, either team could leave their respective cities in the next half-decade. ESPN has made each athlete, the 22year-old Strasburg and the 25-year-old James, a news category. Watch the ticker at the bottom of the monolithic network’s broadcast to get the latest in tea leaves, innuendos and rumors on either athlete. In fact, the 24-hour sports channel has made a cottage industry of hyping these prospects. The Hall of Fame chatter, led by ESPN talking heads, has already started for each of them. Despite the talk, neither Strasburg nor James is the most talented prospects at their respective stages of development. They’re just the most talented in an era of media saturation and hype-as-product sensationalism. The appeal of both athletes stems from their status as brilliant prodigies. Oddly enough, Strasburg’s debut against the lastplace Pirates drew viewer interest on the same night of game three of the NBA Finals, which boasted as many as six Hall of Famers. Even better than acknowledging when a player achieves something special is acknowledging that he could do something special five or 10 years from now. I’ve decided to reserve my astonishment for the day when commentators predict Hall-of-Fame greatness from sonograms or forecast future drafts based on Little League highlights. Unfortunately, the hype seems to have been mostly destructive for James. Almost everyone agrees that he has refused to be coached by the Cavaliers staff, and the franchise’s ownership has mostly allowed James and his entourage to have their run of the facilities. Though a force of nature sprinting toward the basket, he’s content to become an average jump shooter. James is a highlight-reel talent and rises to almost every challenge. He’s already one of the five best players in the league and an annual MVP finalist. But even his greatest admirers have to wonder if he’ll ever be historically great, in the rarefied category of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson or Bill Russell. Nevertheless, I suspect his flight in free agency probably won’t bring a title to whoever wins the sweepstakes. James’s real long-term legacy might be in marketing, where his charisma is on full

The reputation of Washington Nationals’ Steven Strasburg is more a product of media hype than reality.

display. The basketball wunderkind took the Michael Jordan book on corporate sponsorship and added a few chapters. Jordan was basically a well-paid employee of Nike and Hanes. Unlike Jordan, James is basically an investor in the brands he endorses. And he embodies 21st century “cool” in a way that Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard or Kobe Bryant will never be able to. Strasburg, on the other hand, is an unusual phenomenon in that the marketing potential is not really there. Strasburg will get the endorsements if he performs well, but I doubt he will ever become the face of an advertising campaign or his sport. In his first start on June 8, Strasburg pitched seven innings and struck out 14. It’s already one of the finest outings in the Nationals brief history. The demure Californian displayed a fastball upwards of 100 mph, with great placement. He attracts attention from baseball fans and outsiders. Even if you’re not interested, you’re likely to be bombarded with his stats until you are. But Strasburg’s arrival alone brings very little other than hope to the Nationals. More than 83 years ago, Washington’s greatest baseball player ever retired. Walter Johnson was a reserved, lanky and blue-eyed right-hander, just like Strasburg, who suffered years of losing on the Nationals (in their first iteration), before winning a World Series in his 17th season. In very different eras, both Johnson and Strasburg have inspired curiosity and fear from colleagues and viewers from day one. Will it take that many years for the contemporary phenom’s Nationals to be within reach of a championship? Will James seriously compete for an NBA championship in Cleveland, Chicago or Los Angeles? Most importantly, will either of them come close to fulfilling the hype that Strasburg’s debut and James’s flirtation with free agency inspired? Taking into consideration the historic trends and my instincts, my answers would be probably, maybe and no. But perhaps not in that order.

Doctor S sez: No matter how deep we get into the dog days, you still can’t make the Doctor watch a WNBA game. THURSDAY, JUNE 24 Southern League baseball, Mobile at Mississippi (7:05 p.m., Pearl, 103.9 FM): Get your drink on at the T-P on Thirsty Thursday. Between sips, you can watch the M-Braves play the BayBears. FRIDAY, JUNE 25 Major League baseball, Detroit at Atlanta (6:30 p.m., CSS, 620 AM): The Braves and Tigers open an interleague series. Have these two ever played before? SATURDAY, JUNE 26 World Cup soccer, Round of 16 (teams TBD, 1 p.m., Ch. 16): Will the U.S. team still be around when the games that really count begin? … PDL soccer, Nashville at Mississippi (7 p.m., Millsaps, Jackson): The Brilla faces the Metros at Harper Davis Field. SUNDAY, JUNE 27 Southern League baseball, Mobile at Mississippi (5:05 p.m., Pearl, 103.9 FM): The M-Braves conclude their homestand against the BayBears. Can you drink in Pearl on Sunday, yet? … Major League baseball, New York Yankees at Los Angeles Dodgers (7 p.m., ESPN): Here’s a real old-school interleague series matching the Bronx’s favorite team against Brooklyn’s former favorite team. MONDAY, JUNE 28 College baseball, College World Series, finals, Game 1 (teams TBD, 7 p.m., ESPN): The bracket winners open a bestof-three series for the Division I title. … Movie, “The Great Race” (7 p.m., TCM): Reporter Natalie Wood gets between rivals Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon during an early 20th century auto race from New York to Paris. TUESDAY, JUNE 29 Major League baseball, Washington at Atlanta (6 p.m., CSS, 620 AM): The Braves play host to the National, who are occasionally compelling these days, mostly when Stephen Strasburg pitches. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30 Major League baseball, Washington at Atlanta (6 p.m., SportSouth, 620 AM): Like I said before, here’s hoping Strasburg pitches. The Slate is compiled by Doctor S, who urges you to stay cool and check out JFP Sports at www.jacksonfreepress.com.

BY MATT JONES

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

Here are the low-paying jobs I’ve done that I wasn’t very good at: tapping sap from maple trees in Vermont; driving a taxi in North Carolina; toiling as an amusement park ride operator in New Jersey; being a guinea pig for medical experiments in California; digging ditches in South Carolina; and picking olives from trees in the south of France. Do I feel like a failure for being such a mediocre worker and making so little money? No, because although it took me a while, I finally found jobs I was good at and have been thriving ever since. Why would I judge myself harshly for having trouble doing things that weren’t in sync with my soul’s code? Please apply this line of thinking to yourself.

Each year, Playboy magazine publishes a list of the best colleges to go to if you prefer partying to studying. In its recent rankings, a top spot went to the University of Wisconsin, which was dubbed “the best beer-drinking school in the country.” As a counterpoint to this helpful information, HuffingtonPost.com offered a compendium of the best anti-party schools. Brigham Young got favorable mention since it has a policy forbidding students from drinking, smoking and having sex. The University of Chicago was also highly regarded, being “the place where fun goes to die.” For the next three weeks, Leo, I recommend that you opt for environments that resemble the latter more than the former. It’s time for you to get way down to business, cull the activities that distract you from your main purpose and cultivate a hell of a lot of gravitas.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

You’re entering a phase of your long-term cycle when cultivating abundance is an especially smart thing to do. To take maximum advantage, I suggest that you be both extra generous and extra receptive to generosity. Bestow more blessings than usual and put yourself in prime positions to gather in more blessings than usual. I realize that the second half of this assignment might be a challenge. You Virgos often feel more comfortable giving than receiving. But in this case, I must insist that you attend to both equally. The giving part won’t work quite right unless the receiving part is in full bloom.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

What have you lost in recent months, Libra? This week begins a phase when you will have the potential to not exactly recover it, but rather to re-create it on a higher level. Maybe a dream that seemed to unravel was simply undergoing a reconfiguration, and now you’re primed to give it a new and better form of expression. Maybe a relationship that went astray was merely dying so it could get resurrected, with more honesty and flexibility this time around.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

I’m guessing that you’ve been ushered into a frontier that affords you no recognizable power spot. It probably feels uncomfortable, like you’ve lost the inside track. And now along comes some wise guy—me—who advises you in his little horoscope column that you are exactly where you need to be. He says that this wandering outside the magic circle is pregnant with possibilities that could help you make better use of the magic circle when you get back inside at a later date. I hope you will heed this wise guy and, at least for the moment, resist the temptation to force yourself back into the heart of the action.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

There used to be a tradition in Sweden that young women could dream of the person they would ultimately wed if they put seven kinds of flowers beneath their pillows on Midsummer’s Eve. That’s crazy nonsense, of course. Right? Probably. Although I must note that two nights ago I placed a gladiolus, hydrangea, lilac, orchid, snapdragon, tulip and rose under my pillow and subsequently dreamed of being visited by the lily-crowned Goddess of Intimacy, who asked me to convey a message to you Sagittarians. She said that if you even just imagine slipping seven flowers under your pillow, you will have a dream about what you should do to help your love life evolve to the next stage of its highest potential.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Have you ripened into such a knowledgeable, sophisticated person that you’re hard to surprise? Do you draw conclusions about each new experience by comparing

it to what has happened to you in the past? I hope not. I hope you’re ready to be a wide-eyed, open-armed, wild-hearted explorer. I hope you will invite life to blow your mind. In the days to come, your strongest stance will be that of an innocent virgin who anticipates an interesting future. Blessings you can’t imagine will visit you if you’ll excuse yourself from outdated expectations and irrelevant complications.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

The notorious “Wicked Bible” was published in 1631. That wasn’t its original name. It was supposed to be as holy as every Bible. But it contained an error that slipped by the proofreaders’ notice: In the book of Exodus, where the Ten Commandments were listed, the word “not” was excluded from one commandment. What remained, an insult to pious eyes, was “Thou shall commit adultery.” Most of these books were later burned and the publisher was punished. Be on the lookout for a comparable flap, Aquarius: a small omission that could change the meaning of everything. Ideally, you’ll spot the error and fix it before it spawns a brouhaha.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

The plant known as the squirting cucumber has an unusual talent: When the fruit is ripe, it opens up and spits out a rapid-fire stream of seeds that travels a great distance. In the coming weeks, Pisces, you’ll have resemblances to this aggressive fructifier. It’ll be prime time to be proactive about spreading your influence and offering your special gifts. The world is begging you to share your creative spirit, preferably with rapid-fire spurts that travel a great distance.

ARIES (March 21-April 19)

A few years ago, a group of artists built a giant bunny out of pink wool on an Italian mountainside. The 200foot-long effigy will remain there until 2025. There’s a disturbing aspect to this seemingly goofy artifact, however: It has a wound in its side where its guts are spilling out. That’s why I don’t recommend that you travel there and commune with it. According to my reading of the astrological omens, you would definitely benefit from crawling into a fetal position and sucking your thumb while lying in the comfy embrace of a humongous mommy substitute. But you shouldn’t tolerate any tricks or jokes that might limit your ability to sink into total peace and relaxation.

“Schoolyard Pranks: Platinum Edition”—only

for the classiest children.

Across

1 Rubbish 4 Rockin’ out 10 Plant with fronds 14 “All Things Considered” reporter Shapiro 15 European rocket series 16 One of the deadly sins 17 More formal version of an earrelated prank? 19 All tied up 20 City in Spain’s Basque Country 21 Chuck who told viewers he’d “be back in two and two” 23 “Let’s Make ___” 24 It may start to show 26 Leather punching tool 27 Like, totally awesome 28 Small farm size 30 Obvious winner 33 Chest-related prank with a more posh color option? 35 Painter Chagall 38 “___ hesitates is lost” 39 Actress Ward 40 Dignified version of a punch-tothe-leg prank? 43 Head female 44 Fortune teller’s opener

45 Way to look at things, for short 48 Playboy boss 49 Ending for general or marginal 50 Dog the Bounty Hunter’s real first name 52 Early ___ (technology fan, often) 55 Day for egg rolls 56 Hit by The Kinks 57 Version of a punching prank for a more refined palate? 60 “The ___ Love” (R.E.M. song) 61 “A life,” to Lemaitre 62 Be delinquent 63 Georgia used to be part of it 64 One of Mars’ moons 65 Horror legend Chaney

Down

1 Restaurant with shellfish 2 Food company named for two states 3 Called 4 Fast-moving ball game 5 “Alice’s Restaurant” singer Guthrie 6 Dot follower, in some e-mail addresses 7 ___ tai 8 Wonderstruck 9 Fish in a Pixar pic

Last Week’s Answers

BY MATT JONES

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

In 1998, I spent three weeks reading “The Psychoanalysis of Fire” and “The Poetics of Reverie,” two books by French philosopher Gaston Bachelard. His teachings were so evocative that I filled up two 120-page journals with my notes. To this day, I still refer to them, continuing to draw fresh inspiration from ideas I wasn’t ripe enough to fully understand when I first encountered them. You’re entering a phase of your astrological cycle when a similar event could happen for you, Taurus: a supercharged educational opportunity that will fuel you for a long time.

Last Week’s Answers

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

Congrats, Gemini! You have not only weathered your recent phase of relentless novelty; you’ve thrived on the adjustments it demanded of you. I am hereby awarding you with the rare and prestigious title of Change Lover, which I only bestow upon one of the signs of the zodiac every four years or so. So what’s next on the schedule? The shock of the new will soon subside, giving you a chance to more fully integrate the fresh approaches you’ve been adopting. I suggest you relax your hyper-vigilance and slip into a slower, smoother, more reflective groove.

This week is my birthday. The best gift you could give me is to treat yourself to an experience you think I’d like. Tell me about it at Truthrooster@gmail.com.

“Kaidoku”

Each of the 26 letters of the alphabet is represented in this grid by a number between 1 and 26. Using letter frequency, word-pattern recognition, and the numbers as your guides, fill in the grid with well-known English words. Only lowercase, unhyphenated words are allowed in kaidoku, so you won’t see anything like STOCKHOLM or LONG-LOST in here (but you might see AFGHAN, since it has an uncapitalized meaning, too). Now stop wasting my precious time and SOLVE!!

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LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

10 Fail to get any better 11 It gets opened before some speeches 12 Winnebago occupant 13 City far from L.A., CA 18 Ringside org. 22 Pearl City’s island 24 Where Van Gogh painted 25 “Shucks” 29 “I’m Your Man” subject Leonard 30 Make some noise in bed 31 Out of commission 32 Federal performance funder, for short 33 Correspondence course for fix-it types, once 34 Items pointed to from afar 35 1900, way before 1900? 36 “Now I get it!” 37 Where rodents enter walls 41 Room at the top? 42 Puts under 45 Walk a beat 46 Combo punch 47 Actor/dancer/singer Ben 49 Title role for Renee Zellweger 51 Org. that puts on shows for the military 52 Multigenerational baseball surname 53 Oxford heads 54 Former Israeli prime minister Olmert 55 Italian basso Pinza 58 Camping gear co. 59 “I really appreciate that,” while texting ©2010 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@ jonesincrosswords.com) For answers to this puzzle, call: 1900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-6556548. Reference puzzle #0466.

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