The Music Issue tank & the bangas The head and the heart shaggy sour Paws For A Cause Market Turns 10 Art of the Ollie
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Downtown Crowd | May 2017 11
Editor’s Letter 5
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contents 5 Art of the Ollie
7 Palafox Market Turns 10 10 The Music Feature 11 Tank and the Bangas 12 Shaggy 13 The Head and the Heart 14 Sour 16 Paws on Palafox 18 Music and Film Review 20 Downtown Calendar 2 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM
Hana Frenette editor
T
his month, when the editorial team sat down to decide on a topic worthy of the cover for this month’s issue, we noticed a ton of amazing shows rolling through, or very near, our downtown. There were dozens of artists we were dying to have a phone call with, and amazingly enough, we managed to snag four of them. Our music cover story on pages 10-14 features interviews with recent NPR Tiny Desk Winners, Tank and the Bangas, who I can’t wait to see at Live Bait in Orange Beach, Ala. later this month. Tanner Yea talked with 90s reggae rap legend Shaggy, and learned about the singer’s past in Queens and his rise to fame in high school. We also talked with folk rock band, The Head and the Heart, prior to their performance at Hangout Fest this year, and the local fem-punk group Sour, who are inspiring and empowering young men and women in our community by speaking their minds loudly and unapologetically. We also included a roundup of shows you won’t want to miss throughout the entirety of the month, including the legendary punk band X, Postmodern Juke Box, Yacht Rock from the White Tie Ensemble, and a list of our favorite acts set to play Hangout weekend. We also took a look at some great community-focused events
happening in the next few weeks. The Palafox Market will celebrate its 10 year anniversary of providing local produce and handmade, artisan goods, and will kick off the celebration with a big party. Flip to page 7 for all the information you need to help ring in the anniversary with your fellow Pensacolians. If you’re feeling charitable this month, or if you just want to gaze upon dozens of decorated, adorned and painted skateboard decks, head over to the annual Waterboyz art show. All the proceeds benefit underprivileged kids in the area—get the details on page 5. Last but not least, the Paws on Palafox 3K for dogs and their owners is set for May 6. The proceeds from the walk go directly to the Humane Society. Last year the walk raised $14,000 and this year they hope to double it. Proudly strut down Palafox Street with your pet, knowing you’re making a difference in the lives of other dogs and cats who desperately need food and shelter. Learn how to participate on page 16. It’s going to be a busy, music-filled month, and I can’t wait. Cheers to you and all the things you do this month before the summer humidity descends upon us and we’re forced to hide in the A/C!
Publisher Malcolm Ballinger Owners Malcolm & Glenys Ballinger Executive Editor Kelly Oden Editor Hana Frenette Art Director Guy Stevens Graphic Design and Ad Coordination Anna Hitchcock Editorial Assistant Tanner Yea Editorial Intern Haley Weaver Advertising Account Executives Paula Rode paula@ballingerpublishing.com Geneva Strange geneva@ballingerpublishing.com Deadline for space and information is the 15th of the month prior to publication. For advertising rates or news tips contact Phone: 433-1166 · Fax: 435-9174 DOWNTOWN CROWD is published by Ballinger Publishing. Offices located at 314 N Spring St., Ste. A, Pensacola Florida 32501 Published by Ballinger Publishing
Downtown Crowd is locally owned and operated. It is published monthly for distribution in Pensacola, Florida. All Right Reserved. Reproduction or use of the contents herein is prohibited without written permission from the publisher. Comments and opinions expressed in this magazine represent the personal views of the individuals to whom they are attributed and/ or the person identified as the author of the article, and they are not necessarily those of the publisher. This magazine accepts no responsibility for these opinions. The publisher reserves the right to edit all manuscripts. All advertising information is the responsibility of the individual advertiser. Appearance in this magazine does not necessarily reflect endorsement of any products or services by Ballinger Publishing.
Cover design by Anna Hitchcock
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A word from Curt Morse, Executive Director of the Downtown Improvement Board We have a lot of new construction happening downtown right now and the topic de jour on Palafox Street is parking. Modern parking management is a science — it requires a lot of attention to detail and an understanding of everything from current construction projects, market demands, consumer needs and behavior changes. If you haven’t noticed, downtown is becoming more of a residential neighborhood every year. We’re expecting 400 new residents living downtown by the end of this year and based on new projects planned for the area, the potential for another 200-300 residents by the end of next year. In general, we live in a carcentric society when it comes to transportation, and that same dependence on a car for transportation results in an increased demand for adequate parking. We are in the process of searching for a traffic planning strategist that can look at current parking conditions while also projecting the needs of our area over the next five years. We are taking into consideration the increased use of ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft, and at the same time factoring in the impact that future programs like bike-sharing and a downtown trolley might have on the need for new parking spaces. We’re digging deep to determine just what the future of parking looks like downtown. A temporary lack of parking is a symptom of a growing downtown, 4 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM
and all issues related to parking will be resolved. As a community, we need to grunt through this and come up with a plan for our growth—and we will. I believe if we produce a place we want to live, other people will want to be a part of it, too, and that only makes our community better. Aside from parking, we have a lot of other wonderful things happening around town this month. The Palafox Market celebrates its 10-year anniversary with a big party on May 6th that includes bands, children’s activities, additional vendors, face painting, and dozens of specials throughout the wonderful market space. Our family has always been big music fans. We try to get out to see as much of it as we can around town at festivals, Vinyl, and of course the Saenger Theatre. I’m very excited about this year’s Hangout Fest in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Every year we go over to spend the entire weekend getting an ear full of some really great music. While I can’t tell Major Lazer from Charli XCX, I know a good time when I see it and this is it! We’re also working on an exciting addition to downtown – the Downtown Ambassador Program. Plans are moving along nicely and I’m looking forward to having some special news to announce next month. Stay tuned for all the details on the new program, and enjoy the beautiful May weather while you’re out and about downtown this month!
Art of the ollie By Tanner Yea
Lupe Fiasco once said in the song Kick, Push, that when it’s just a kid and their skateboard, ‘the freedom was better than breathing.’ That is the same feeling that Waterboyz hopes to instill in potential skaters with their upcoming Waterboyz Art Show on May 27. The art show, which has been running for six years, is a benefit to support the First Ride organization. Started by Waterboyz owner Sean Fell, First Ride provides resources for surfing, skating and skimboarding to underprivileged kids. “Skating is a sport you can do by yourself, and the kids here have a good environment to support that,” said Sean Mullins, the manager of Waterboyz. “This event also helps raise awareness about skateboarding and what it can do for the
Last year, the Waterboyz art show featured 60 individual artists from around the region. This year they are expecting just as many, if not more. All the proceeds from each deck sale go to benefit underprivileged youth in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties.
kids.The art show is a silent auction with a unique twist – all the art is done on blank skateboard decks. “The decks are defective – some you can’t even put trucks on. Most people just hang these ones up,” said Mullins. The only restriction to the art is that it has to be done on the board. While most people paint one side, some paint multiple sides or stretch an image across multiple decks. “Some people even cut up the board – they can do anything with it,” he said.
The Hula Moon shop is currently full of blank decks, waiting for them to be painted by the various tattoo artists to be submitted to the show. During the auction, every deck will have a starting bid of $40 and can increase throughout the night. When the auction is finished, half of the proceeds go to the artist while the other half go to First Ride. Some choose to donate all their earnings to First Ride, like Smith had done in past years.
The event is open to all skill levels, but notable local artists such as Ashton Howard and Evan Levin will also participate. Hula Moon Tattoo owner Gabe Smith will not only be submitting a deck to the show, but will be doing a live painting throughout the event.
“Skateboarding is good for individual thinking. Whatever you do, you do it all for yourselves – you don’t have to be on a team or anything,” said Smith, who once skated regularly and was a sponsored BMX stunt rider. “It makes it easy for these kids to get into, not like football or whatever.”
“Walter Anderson – who is a great artist – said that the artist needs the community, but they have to give back,” said Smith.
In addition to the deck art, the show will also have a small showing of other local art, as well as music, food, drinks and
other entertainment throughout the night. Mullins said this year they are trying to focus on First Ride above everything else. “We already sold out of our first blank decks the week we announced it – about 30 of them,” said Mullins. Last year’s showing had roughly 60 decks displayed, ranging all in different styles and shapes. “We eventually ran out of room to hang those on the wall,” he noted. There is still time to participate if you want to try your hand at painting a deck for charity. The entry fee is $20 for Waterboyz to provide you a deck to paint on, but if you have your own blank it only costs $15. The Waterboyz Art Show starts at 6 pm on Saturday, May 27 at 380 N 9th Ave. For more information, visit waterboyz. com/waterboyz-art-show or facebook. com/waterboyzsurfandskate.
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Celebrates 10 Years
ost Saturday mornings, you’ll find a bustle down Palafox street downtown: vendors setting up their booths in the shade of the trees down the median, cars rolling past, dog walkers strolling down either side of the street. It’s May—the time of the year where a slight breeze may rustle the branches overhead, lifting the tablecloths THAT cover the booths. A busker is singing, and there’s a distinct smell of baked goods wafting through the air. This is the Palafox Market.
Palafox Market was started as a joint venture by the Downtown Improvement Board and the Community Redevelopment Agency in order to increase foot traffic and economic growth down one of Pensacola’s most famous streets. May 6 will be Palafox Market’s tenth anniversary.The event itself will feature more than just the market: there will be entertainment from the band The 3 Bean Soup, a chef cook-off, a beer garden, a kids zone, balloons, caricature drawing and face painting, and a live statue. Market Manager Teresa Duffy expects the event to be a success. Palafox Market features an array of vendors and products for sale. Patrons can purchase fresh produce and herbs, jewelry, paintings, baked goods, live plants, antiques, and much more. According to Duffy, there’s an even spread of requests for every type of homemade products, and every vendor can
find success and sales. Farmer’s markets have been on the rise in recent years, as consumers have grown increasingly interested in where their goods come from, specifically fresh produce. With every vendor being local, it’s possible for patrons to have a relationship with their produce providers, as well as confidence in the quality of the products they’re buying. When asked about a crowd favorite, Duffy said it was too close to pick a standout. “Everybody does well, everybody has repeat customers – we just have great vendors all around.” Every Saturday, Palafox Market plays host to approximately 7,000 patrons. Currently, there are approximately 180 vendors who rotate out every week, in order to offer patrons an array of goods to purchase any given week, and since Duffy’s time as market manager, she’s witnessed significant growth. When Duffy first started managing the market, there were around 75 vendors featured each weekend, but now there’s 110, she said; there will be up to 120 vendors for the anniversary weekend.
you’re looking for, be sure to arrive early; products such as fresh produce tend to sell out quickly. To become a vendor, there are slim but firm requirements: your products must be handmade, homemade, or homegrown, and you must live within 100 miles of Pensacola. The best part for Duffy? “Everything,” she enthused. “Meeting all the different vendors, and seeing their talents and the different livelihoods they pursue – we’re really like one big happy family.” To learn more about becoming a vendor or see a list of the vendors offered at Palafox Market, please visit palafoxmarket.com.
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The Music Feature
The month of May is Packed with amazing shows and performances to see—the gigantic and star-studded, three-day Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, Ala.; the wide array of national touring bands coming through Vinyl including legendary punk rockers, X; and the smaller, intimate local shows at Chizuko and the Handlebar, highlighting the talented artists living in our own community. For our summer music issue, we interviewed four acts coming to our area—NPR Tiny Desk winners, Tank and the Bangas, 90s reggae rap sensation, Shaggy, indie folk troop, The Head and the Heart, and local fem-punk group, Sour. Whether you’re into the dive bar scene or prefer grooving to your favorite band alongside thousands of tank top clad strangers, we’ve got you covered on where to go and who to see.
By Hana Frenette
New Orleans joy rap
Tank and the bangas
For the last six years, Tank and the Bangas have played all over their hometown of New Orleans and across the rest of the country—participating in festivals,
closing down dive bars and winning over the hearts and minds of the cities they traveled through. Then, in December of 2016, a little organization called NPR (National Public Radio) announced Tank and the Bangas as the winners of their Tiny Desk Concert series—a highly coveted title that almost always launches the winner into worldwide fame. Suddenly, a video clip of Tank and the Bangas performing “Quick,” their Tiny Desk entry song, began circulating at warp speed across Facebook and Instagram. Fans couldn’t get enough of their energetic, playful and richly layered fusion of gospel, hip-hop, soul and pop. When asked how the band works each part together for a cohesive and unique sound, Tarriona Ball, lead vocalist, said it starts with a simple melody. “Basically I’ll just be humming the melody to myself and then send it to the rest of the members, and then they’ll work with it and each add
in something,” Ball said. “We have Joshua who’s the musical director and he’ll work some things out and then send it back to us again.” Ball adds in her slam poetryinspired lyrics atop the piano, soulful bass, drums, keys and occasional saxophone.
poems by heart,” Ball laughed. Her sisters always sang and had beautiful voices, but Ball chose to stick to spoken word mostly, she said. She joined a Slam Team in New Orleans and competed with them regularly for years. Once Ball met her fellow band
by Erykah Badu, Justin Timberlake, Jill Scott and Imagine Dragons. “Music is definitely my number one— it needs and requires the most of our time and creativity,” Ball said. “This is a crazy time for us right now, with more and more interviews, more shows, more of a demand on our time, and so many amazing
“You have to have
purpose—life can’t be fulfilled without purpose”
Ball grew up with three sisters and was exposed to poetry and singing early on within her family. “One of my sisters always wrote poetry in her notebook and I would get in there and memorize all of her
members at a little shotgun-style place in New Orleans called the Liberation Lounge, music quickly became her number one priority as the group began playing open mics and shows together, covering songs
opportunities. I knew this was going to be an amazing year.” Ball added that poetry will always be a part her life too, and mentioned that she just finished guest speaking at a poetry class at a nearby college. “It’s just as important to write poetry and be with those students, as is it to be with these guys making music,” she said. “You have to have purpose—life can’t be fulfilled without purpose and you have to live that out as much as you can, or you’ll be very unhappy with yourself if you don’t—so just do it.” Catch Tank and the Bangas on their US tour at Live Bait in Orange Beach, Ala. on May 12.
Post Modern Juke Box Play it Again, Sam By Hana Frenette
Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Juke Box takes audiences on a musical trip down memory lane. The lyrics are
familiar enough—a Miley Cyrus banger, or a Sam Smith ballad— but the music accompanying them is unexpected and reminiscent of a time when speakeasies were the only place to grab a drink. Jazz piano, doo-wop vocals, and a ragtimerendition of just about every Top 40 song in the last 20 years is fair game when Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox takes the stage. The group reconstructs pop songs in a 1920s musical style, proving
that a song can be catchy in any decade if all the proper elements are there. Pianist and composer Bradlee founded the rotating group of musicians in 2011. The group has played hundreds of shows and amassed a YouTube following of more than 2 million subscribers. They’ve covered major acts from Lady Gaga to The White Stripes to Michael Jackson. Check out the group’s performance at Vinyl Music Hall on May 10 and sing along to a new version of your favorite song.
DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 11
By Tanner Yea
Mr. Boombastic
Shaggy
Not much encapsulates the mood of Hangout Fest better than tropical dancehall music, a party atmosphere, and the distinct call-andresponse singing of reggae fusion artist Shaggy.
“I was in the Marines, and you had to run in cadence,” said Shaggy, whose real name is Orville Burrell. “You don’t think you are, but you get a strong vocal training from that.” Born in Kingston, Jamaica, he moved to Flatbush, Brooklyn—a popular center in New York for people from the West Indies—with his mother at the age of 18. He said that he used to practice singing and performing during lunch at school, and was quickly noticed for his talent. “I’d like to say I had some deep purpose to it, but there wasn’t really. I just knew that when I spit rhymes, I got chicks. Or when I’d go to the club, I’d spit rhymes and get drinks,” he said. Shaggy’s first hit was Oh Carolina in 1993, which was a dancehall ‘remake’ of the ska song by the Folkes Brothers. His career only got bigger from there, winning Best Reggae Album in 1996 for the album Boombastic, and going six-times
platinum on his 2000 album Hot Shot —which featured the chart-topping hits Angel, It Wasn’t Me and Luv Me, Luv Me. “Reggae has always been there. Everyone always went down to Jamaica to make records,” he said, talking about how reggae and dancehall grew in popularity in the late 90s. “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun was recorded there, not a lot of people know that. The Rolling Stones spent a lot of time with Peter Tosh, too.” Shaggy said that he is glad that dancehall is reemerging in popular music with artists like Drake, Rihanna and Sampha, but noted it was a much bigger struggle to release music from the genre when he first started making records. He attributes his longevity to his ability to always change up his sound and trying to stay ahead of the curve stylistically. “It’s just about doing it and seeing how it goes.” Shaggy also takes time out to give back to his community. He formed The Shaggy Make a Difference Foundation in 2009 in order to help raise funds for Bustamante Hospital for Children—the only full-service children’s hospital in the Caribbean. “I’m not some philanthropist, I’m just some dude who went to visit a friend’s daughter in the hospital and
saw a problem I could help fix,” he said. Despite that, the benefit concerts he has put on have raised over $1.6 million over the past eight years. Shaggy said that his main mission with his music is to simply make people feel good. “My records should be entertaining —I’m not the type of guy to get into deep stuff, enough people do that.” He said he likes to walk around festivals in order to see the culture of each one, and he is excited to see what Hangout Fest will offer, as it’s his first time performing there. “As long as I can rock the mic, it’s all good, man,” he said. Shaggy will be performing at Hangout Fest on Sunday, May 21. For more information on Shaggy and his music, visit shaggyonline.com.
“As long as
I can rock the mic, it’s all good, man. “
Hangout Roundup: From Hip Hop to indie rock By Tanner Yea
Hangout Fest always features great talent, and this year features one of the most starstudded line-ups of the festival’s history. Head
on down to beautiful Orange Beach for a weekend of surf, sun and sonic waves for one of the biggest music festivals on the Gulf Coast. Threetime Grammy Award winner Chance The Rapper, will be performing on Sunday, riding Mac Demarco poses with a Volvo 12 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM
off the success of Coloring Book. See Mac Demarco on Friday – notorious slackerrocker who will be releasing his new album, This Old Dog, a few weeks beforehand. Electro alt-pop darlings Twenty One Pilots are hitting the stage Saturday, with hits like Heathens and Car Radio sure to make the crowds sway. Catch Local Natives the same day, playing songs from their 2016 release Sunlit Youth. And don’t miss the Thursday Kickoff party, featuring both
Migos– touring for their album Culture – and the legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff spinning the ones-and-twos. The festival runs from May 19-21, with the grounds opening at 11 am and closing at 11 pm. The Thursday Kickoff party requires a separate ticket. Tickets are still available for purchase at hangoutmusicfest. com. Remember to have fun and enjoy the fest responsibly!
By Hana Frenette
Folk Rock darlings
The head & the heart
On the cover of their latest album, Signs of Light, indie folk-rockers The Head and the Heart lounge leisurely by a gorgeous blue California pool. The album cover gives a heavy nod to the sunny days of 70s rock and pop bands like Fleetwood Mac and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Drummer Tyler Williams said that was exactly the vibe they were going for.
Brothers label, and their first time working with producer Jay Joyce—a change they welcomed. “We kind of made this decision to go with Warner Brothers in late 2014. We’d talked to so many other labels and we thought they were the perfect fit,” Williams said. “They have all these artists like Fleetwood Mac, Built to Spill, Flaming Lips—all these bands that musicians want to be in. “ Williams said the group took some time for a song writing session in 2015 and didn’t feel pressure from the label to immediately release a new album, which was great for them since they were dealing with the replacement After touring non-stop for of their front man, Josiah. four years and experiencing the “We worked with Jay temporary hiatus of their lead Joyce, and he’s produced singer, Josiah Johnson, due to records for everyone from a drug recovery program, the Cage the Elephant to Emmy band decided to take it easy—and Lou Harris, and that was kind what better place for that than of what we were looking for, California. country leaning with pop rock “We rented a house in Topanga influences—we think this new Canyon, and the place was an record captures exactly what iconic spot in the 70s. It’s we were looking for.” “We wanted to let out what really pretty and set back in said the band the woods,” Williams said. we felt in our heart, and hasWilliams always had many “We spent another two weeks show those influences, big different influences and in Stinson Beach, California, they pull from in which were vital to the making and small.” things their everyday life, and with of our last record. We would this record they had the just all be playing in the living room and looking out on the beach and the mountains—it was an incredible time.” Signs of Light marks the first release for the band on the Warner
opportunity to let those influences out. “We were able work with someone who read our vision and was able to put it on to records,” Williams said. “When you’re just a band of musicians who’ve never produced records, you’re stitching together elements to create sounds; but when you don’t know the exact way to do that, its not going to happen just right.” Williams cited Fleetwood Mac, Taylor Swift, Kayne West, and Kendrick Lamar as influences on the new album. “We’d have Kendrick dance parties on the bus after shows—that influences you whether you’d like to think that or not,” he said. “We wanted to let out what we felt in our heart, and show those influences, big and small.” Since the record’s release last fall, the band has toured in support of the album, and will embark on a several month long U.S. and European Tour, making a stop at the nearby beach weekend party, Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, Ala. Check them out on Saturday, May 20.
Yacht Rock: SMOOTH AS A SUNSET By Tanner Yea Imagine the scene: it’s 1979, the height of summer. You’re on a schooner, sipping champagne and admiring your sunkissed partner as the sun sets, all while the dulcet tones of Michael McDonald ooze out of your portable radio. This is what the White Tie Rock Ensemble and the Tied Up Quartet want you to experience at their Yacht Rock event on May 13 at the REX Theater. ‘Yacht rock’ is a term used to describe the style of smooth jazz and soft rock that
dominated the airwaves during the late 70s and early 80s—with bands like Steely Dan, Hall & Oates, Christopher Cross, Kenny Loggins and Toto. Go for a wave of nostalgia, or discover your love for the seas! Yacht Rock is only one of the shows that the White Tie Rock Ensemble and the Tied Up Quartet perform throughout the year. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit whitetierockensemble.com.
DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 13
By Tanner Yea
Sour
Local punk pioneers
Some say the punk aesthetic died in the 80s, citing the movement got too big and too bourgeois for its own good. Aleyah Riggs, Cintia Nelson and Sophia LaBelle-Plott say otherwise, as their band Sour goes back to the roots of what made punk such a harsh and vibrant sound.
Bassist and vocalist Riggs, 18, vocalist and guitarist LaBelle-Plot, 18, and drummer Nelson, 17, aren’t even out of high school yet, but can be seen at shows all across the city. “Sophia and I were friends in 8th grade,” said Riggs. “And then I met Cintia in biology class, and we started playing together.” All three were either self taught or had only a few lessons, and aside from jamming together, Sour is their first major band project. Their original name was intended to be The Dead Beats—based on a B-52s song—but the group found that the name was used way too often with other bands or bars. “We really just had a list of random words, but we had always been fans of Hole,” said La-Belle-
Sour put out their first album, Death on Jefferson St. They plan within the year to once again enter the studio under the Roosterball label to record a longer, full-length LP. The new album is set to have both re-recordings of old material as well as new material, totaling over 10 tracks. In the mean time, the band plans to finish up their senior year of high school and hopefully tour while on their summer breaks. Sour will be performing For punk at Chizuko on May 6, music, there along with Roswell, Cookies and Cake and might be a Dark Star Coven in order golden age to benefit the city’s again. Or may- homeless. Admission is a $5 donation and a be at least a non-perishable food item. For more information pyrite age— on Sour, visit facebook. fool’s gold. com/sourofficialband, or to listen to Death on Jefferson St. for free, visit sourofficial.bandcamp.com/ album/death-on-jefferson-st. by playing feminist benefit shows like the Nasty Women Exhibition, protesting the city’s proposed busking ordinance by playing in the streets, and now performing a homeless benefit concert in May. At the tail end of the last year, unapologetic sound. Though the group said that sometimes they are not taken seriously for being a ‘fem-punk’ band, their talent and energy usually sways naysayers. “For punk music, there might be a golden age again,” said Riggs. “Or maybe at least a pyrite age—fool’s gold.” The group said that part of being a punk is giving back to the community, and Sour has done so
Plott. “In her lyrics, Courtney Love always used the word ‘sour’ so we said ‘How about Sour?’ and it kind of stuck.” In addition to Hole, the band sites influences including The Pretty Reckless, The Runaways, The Dead Kennedys, SleaterKinney, NOFX and a whole slew of other punk bands. Their subject matter is simple at its core–the
“
”
group says they are just trying to speak their minds. “Sometimes you’re mad at the government, sometimes you’re mad at yourself,” said Nelson. Their topics range from family to school to sexism and beyond, all with an
X: Iconic punk rockers return
By Hana Frenette
The iconic American punk rock band X formed in Los Angeles in the late 70s and inspired countless punk and folk punk bands over the course of their 40-year career. Four decades later, the
group is still breaking ground with their inspiring, opinionated music and their high-energy performances. In 2003, X’s first two studio albums, Los Angeles and Wild Gift, were ranked by Rolling Stone magazine as being among the 500 greatest albums of all time. 14 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM
Los Angeles was ranked 91st on Pitchfork’s Top 100 Albums of the 1980s. The group continues to produce relevant and inventive music, pleasing original fans and new ones alike. Check out these punks at Vinyl Music Hall on May 17 and prepare to relive the good ol’ days of short and fast songs, crowd surfing, and moshing with your friends in a rowdy circle of sweaty strangers.
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Paws on Palafox Returns and they’re already more than halfway there. This year’s sponsors include PenAir Federal Credit Union, who will be providing a pet selfie station; Bob Tyler Toyota, who will provide the LEAD car at the head of the walk; American Legion Post 240, who
The Shelter is also coming off a successful year, with 1,052 adoptions taking place in 2016. Paws on Palafox is a great opportunity for dog owners and lovers to come together with their pets and enjoy Pensacola’s beautiful historic and business
“We love that people can enjoy our wonderful downtown environment with their pets, and we love that this is a really enriching and social event for pets,”
I
By Haley weaver
t’s hard to imagine anything cuter than a bunch of dogs with their owners, dallying down Palafox on a breezy May day—Taking pictures in a photobooth, donning costumes, tongues flapping as they prance down the street – it sounds almost irresistible. The third annual Paws on Palafox 3K dog walk will be held May 6, and it’ll contain all the aforementioned cuteness. Walkers and their dogs will follow the parade route, starting in Plaza de Luna Park near the south end of Palafox. The walk will kick-off at 9 am. In prior years, the average turnout has been around 550 walkers and 600 dogs, but this year organizers expect 750 walkers. Registration for adults is $25 and includes a t-shirt and a bandana, and the first 200 walkers will be given a free pair of sunglasses courtesy of Pure Pilates. Registration is only $10
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for ages 6 through 12, and free for ages 5 and under. If you worry about your dog overheating on the walk, there’s a fix; every three blocks along the route there are cool-down pools for the dogs (and, of course, water for their walkers) to keep them hydrated and cool. Walkers are asked to keep their dogs on leashes, but the walk still provides an outlet for the dogs to get out their energy. Paws on Palafox boasts itself as the area’s most dog-friendly event. Paws on Palafox helps to raise money for the Pensacola Humane Society (PHS), specifically their low-cost Spay & Neuter Clinic. Spaying and neutering your pets contributes to reducing the overpopulation of pets in the area, according to event spokesman Jeff Keener. Last year the event raised approximately $14,000 which was allocated to the Low Cost Spay & Neuter Clinic and the shelter. This year, their goal is to raise $30,000
will be underwriting the event; and Mainstay Financial Group, who has generously funded Paws on Palafox since its initial event in 2015. Entertainment will be provided by the John Hart Band courtesy of A Door Properties, and Krispy Kreme will provide donuts and coffee prior to the event’s starting time. PHS’s goal is to establish Pensacola as a No Kill Community, as currently approximately 9,000 pets are euthanized per year through the Escambia and Santa Rosa Animal Shelters. “We also help pets remain in their current home by passing out over eight tons of dog and cat food to those in financial crisis,” said Keener. “We proudly serve as the leading advocate for dogs and cats that lack the ability to speak for themselves.” The Low Cost Spay & Neuter Clinic has performed more than 10,000 surgeries in the year and a half since its opening, and finished 2016 with over 6,000 surgeries. Keener estimates this has “prevented over 8,000 unwanted animals from accidental litters.”
districts, according to Keener. “We love that people can enjoy our wonderful downtown environment with their pets, and we love that this is a really enriching and social event for pets,” he said. Walkers looking to participate in the event can attend one of two packet pick-ups on Tuesday, May 2 and Thursday, May 4 at Old Hickory Whiskey Bar, located on Palafox Street. Old Hickory is also a proud sponsor of Paws on Palafox. Dogs are encouraged to attend this pre-event! To find out more information about Paws on Palafox or to donate to the cause, or to learn more about the Pensacola Humane Society and local animal shelters, visit pensacolahumane.org.
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Albums: What we’re listening to this month MOUNT EERIE A CROW LOOKED AT ME
Kendrick Lamar Damn. TDE Records
by tanner yea – K-Dot, Conrow Kenny, Kung Fu Kenny, Duckworth; whatever name Kendrick Lamar chooses to go by, he is still changing the rap game with every new album. This is no different with his release of DAMN., which was announced in late March and released only a few weeks later. DAMN. is another concept album, this one focusing more on Kendrick reflecting on life and the different themes throughout it: lust, love, god, and loyalty. This album is solid from front to back, though there are some tracks like PRIDE. that kind of drag out too long. The album is also a return to OG Kendrick of West Coast beats with a hard look at his own life, while To Pimp A Butterfly was more jazz influenced and took a look outward. There are some honest bangers on here—the hard and bile-filled bars of DNA., the sure-to-be club staple LOYALTY. with a great feature by Rihanna, and of course HUMBLE. and its catchy hook. It helps that the music videos don’t disappoint either. Though the album is great, one of the more interesting parts about it was the online hype: the memes about the album art-
P. W. Elverum & Sun
work, the speculation of his preview track The Heart Pt. 4, and the conspiracy that a double album entitled NATION. (or maybe GOD.) would drop on Easter (spoilers, it didn’t.) Though I think DAMN. doesn’t surpass the near-perfect good kid, m.A.A.d city, it is easily my second favorite Kendrick record.
STANDOUT TRACKS:
Dna. Loyalty. feat. Rihanna Love. feat. Zicari Yah.
by Hana Frenette – Phil Elverum has a kind and knowing voice. He often sings about nature, or philosophical musings while a faint fire crackling or a river trickling past is heard in the background of the track. On Mount Eerie’s newest release, he tackles one of the biggest, most discussed, feared, and difficult topics of all—death. The death we hear about on A Crow Looked at Me isn’t some abstract musing or an existential jaunt toward the macabre, but the very delicate and heartbreaking death of Elverum’s wife after a long battle with cancer. His lyrics are stark and stripped of flowery verbiage, leaving just the necessary words to tell an unembellished and painfully real story of love, emptiness, and the tenderness and gratitude felt in life’s greatest moments, no matter how mundane. While death is certainly present throughout this album, so is life. Animals, nature, his daughter, and the realness of everyday conversations are scattered across each song. And while the record is one of the most heartbreaking collec-
tions of songs I’ve listened to in awhile, the feeling at the albums completion is one of hopefulness and gratitude. I felt excited to spend time with the ones I love and relish in the beauty of the small moments like sitting on the couch after dinner, carving a pumpkin, or walking to dog in the morning sun.
STANDOUT TRACKS:
Real Death Ravens Swims
Movie reviews (based solely on the trailer) By Haley Weaver
EVERYTHING EVERYTHING May 19
As someone who read and loved the book by Niccola Yoon, I’m both excited and apprehensive about this film. The author was not involved in the adaptation of the script, but the trailer points to an almost seamless transcribing of the novel’s sentiments. A young girl has never left her house due to an immune deficiency which makes her essentially allergic to everything. When a boy moves in next door and insists on getting to know her, she finds the courage to discover herself and the world outside her window. Very YA subject matter, and reminiscent of Bubble Boy, but the book was pure poetry. Hopefully they will do this sweet story justice. 18 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM
SNATCHED
May 12
I’m probably one of the last people to recommend Amy Schumer to anybody, because I don’t find the weightrelated, overly sexual shtick to be all that funny. Amy’s character is broken up with by a guy who wants to sleep with other people (which is, like, her patented storyline?) before their South American vacation, so she takes her mother instead. They get kidnapped (by a hot guy or something) and have to escape from some sort of prison. Goldie Hawn plays her overbearing, stick-in-themud mother, and Wanda Sykes stars in the only role she’s ever played: herself. With those two, and occasionally Schumer, this film will probably have a few laughs but will overall be uncomfortable to sit through, because Schumer has that effect on everything she touches.
Mastodon Emperor of sand
BANKS GODDESS
by guy stevens – The ATL prog-metal quartet return with their seventh studio album, Emperor of Sand. The boys deliver an intense, musically dynamic and melodic outing that reins in the technical chops of past releases and further refines their sound. Producer Brendan O’Brien—famous for 90s albums by Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots—has smoothed out the band’s edges on this album. The three lead vocalists—guitarist Brent Hinds, bassist Troy Sanders, and drummer Brann Dailor—have pretty much traded in death metal howls for good and adopted a more melodic style. The tracks are concise and cohesive but still incorporate plenty of the zig-zagging riffs and insane drumming of previous releases that I’ve always enjoyed. The prog-rock influences are stronger than ever and this album feels like metal’s answer to Rush’s Moving Pictures. So, I think the album’s concept goes something like this: A sultan sentences this dude to death and casts him out into the Arabian desert. The sun is draining dude’s energy, so he attempts to create
by HALEY WEAVER – This isn’t a new album. I wore it out in the first months of my freshman year of college, then forgot about it. I’m graduating now, so maybe that’s what’s brought me back; or maybe, I’m just bitter about a boy now and Banks an excellent refuge and justifier of those feelings. Either way, Banks’ 2014 debut Goddess is a welcome presence. The album as a whole sets a tone for the listener: there’s a lot of vulnerability there, heartbreak and anger and lust, but it’s the listener’s vulnerability more than hers. Her voice has a similar quality to Nelly Furtado’s, but grittier, and her mix of seductive R&B and catchy synth put a moody spin on a few back-of-the-crate hip hop beats. A weird combination, I know, but it works. While tracks Drowning and Stick” employ said mixture excellently, the standout ballads Under the Table and Someone New showcase the raw quality of not only her vocals but her song writing, as well. The title track sums up the album perfectly, a clapback at a man who didn’t realize the worth of his woman before it was too late.
reprise records
HARVEST records
a telepathic link with some African and Native American tribes to get rain to pour down and kill it (what?). But after Crack the Skye’s concept of Stephen Hawking inhabiting Rasputin’s body through astral traveling, this theme seems pretty tame in comparison. Emperor of Sand showcases a Mastodon that is refining their sound and talents while still maintaining what has made them one of the best contemporary metal acts in the world.
STANDOUT TRACKS:
Show Yourself Clandestiny Jaguar God
My personal favorites are Change, a drag of an abusive ex-lover, and Warm Water, which has the ability to, in a way I can’t describe, take the listener’s breath away. Really, there isn’t a throwaway on the album. Banks has a brand of talent that I haven’t seen elsewhere.
STANDOUT TRACKS:
Change Warm Water Under the Table
By Tanner Yea
BAYWATCH
Alien: Covenant
Oh boy, another raunchy action movie based on a TV franchise from the 80s. I will admit the cast is starstudded with Pamela Anderson, Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron, but I feel these excessive semi-humorous action movies should have stayed in the 2000s where they belonged. I never watched Baywatch when I was younger, but I knew its reputation as a ‘show of discovery’ for prepubescent teens. It seems like nothing I couldn’t see from some random action movie on Netflix or a DVD bargain bin—aside from the cast. I hope I’m proved wrong and it is nothing worse than a popcorn movie for the summer, but I got a feeling in my gut it’ll go the way of ChiPs.
Ridley Scott returns for yet another Alien movie, this time as a sequel to 2012’s Prometheus. I love the original Alien and Aliens—both are great sci-fi movies that take horror in different directions. I am worried, however, as the trailer basically looks like a remake of Alien. The only difference instead of a mining outpost—the titular starship Covenant is a colony ship full of couples. Ugh, hopefully this doesn’t mean forced romantic subplots. Danny McBride is also a main character in this movie, and I couldn’t look at him in this trailer and not think of him as anything but Kenny Powers from Eastbound & Down. I really hope this movie is good, but my hopes aren’t extremely high.
May 25
May 19
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Date l i n e D o w n t o w n Vinyl Music Hall
Vinyl Music Hall hosts a variety of events, and May features original artists, events and once-in-a-lifetime entertainment. For more information and to purchase tickets for any of these events, visit vinylmusichall.com. May 1: Amon Amarth May 2: Tech N9ne Strictly Strange Tour May 5: Cedric Burnside May 6: Wookie Nights – A Star Wars Celebration May 7: The Infamous Stringduster May 8: Citizen Cope May 10: Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox May 11: Obituary May 12: The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience May 17: X – 40th Anniversary Tour May 21: Cracker May 22: In Flame May 24: Miss May I May 25: Jelly Roll May 27: BustOut Burlesque’s: Bad Girls of Burlesque
Saenger Theatre
The Saenger Theatre is ready to present some great nights of music this May, both modern and retro. For more information and to purchase tickets for any of these events, visit pensacolasaenger.com May 5–7: Pensacola Children’s Chorus Presents: “Showtime” May 9: Escambia High School Presents: All Things Escambia May 11: Celtic Woman Presents: “Voices of Angels” Tour May 12: Decades Rewind May 13: Black Jacket Symphony Presents: “Led Zeppelin’s IV” May 20: Pensacola Symphony Orchestra Presents: Music for Families
Blue Wahoos
Pensacola’s own Blue Wahoos continue their 2017 season 20 | DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM
with a month full of exciting games in the Southern League. All the games listed are home games at Blue Wahoo Stadium. May 1: vs. Biloxi Shuckers May 9–12: vs. Birmingham Barons May 18–22: vs. Mobile BayBears May 30-31: vs. Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
Seville Quarter
One of Pensacola’s hottest nightspots, Seville Quarter has events and happenings every day of the week, not just for weekend warriors. For more information about any of these events, visit sevillequarter. com. Mondays Apple Annie’s 8pm Bar Bingo Hosted by Michael Perkinson Lili Marlene’s — 7pm Blue’s Society of Northwest Florida’s Monday Night Blues Featuring: Cat Daddy Blues Band End O’ the Alley Courtyard – 9pm Scoot & Jeremy (Duo) Tuesdays Lili Marlene’s – Gino Rosaria Quartette - An Evening of Jazz Featuring: Gino Rosaria Wednesdays End O’the Alley–8pm DJ the Shadow (Retro DJ/VJ Show) Rosie O’ Grady’s – 8pm Rosie O’Grady’s Duelling Piano Show Lili Marlene’s – 8pm VJ Karaoke Nick Wing Thursdays Phineas Phogg’s — 10pm Pensacola’s #1 DJ Mr Lao Apple Annie’s - 8pm Beer Pong Tournament Rosie O’ Grady’s – 8pm Rosie O’Grady’s Duelling Piano Show Lili Marlene- 8pm Karaoke with Host Jim Bob Fridays Gift Shoppe- 5 pm wine tasting End O’ The Alley Courtyard –5 pm happy hour cookout Saturdays Phineas Phogg’s – DJ MR. Lao in the House
Catch Cendric Burnside at Vinyl Music Hall on May 5. Photo by Ronengoldman.com Sundays End O’ The Alley Courtyard and Fast Eddies - 8 pm B.A.R.E night
Cinco De Mayo Dinner
May 4 Jackson’s Steakhouse is proud to present their third annual Cinco de Mayo dinner; a handcrafted tequila and food event on May 4 at 5:30 pm. The dinner will highlight four different tequilas with Beverage Manager Josh Goldman in attendance to shed more light on the craft of distilling tequila. Chef Irv Miller has created a delicious menu that underlines the flavors from the tequilas. The event is $75, and reservations must be made at 850469-9898.
Pen-Sational Show at the Wright Place
May 9 - 11 Pen Women of Pensacola, an organization for creative women, will present Pen-Sational: Our Pen Women Legacy Continues at the Wright Place May 9-June 11. Celebrating its 75th birthday, the show will feature
art and poetry with a focus on its founding women, including Occie Clubbs, Florence Thiot Milner, and Lola Lee Daniell Bruington, three of Pensacola’s early- to mid-20th century educators, historians, and poets, members of the generation that began the movement towards greater roles for women in American society. The reception will be 9-11 a.m. on Mothers’ Day, May 14, with guitarist and singer Xaris Waltman performing. For more information, visit facebook.com/ PenWomenPensacola.
Wonder of the World at Pensacola Little Theatre
May 12-14, 18-20 Directed by Barbara Jacobs, Wonder of the World is a comedy romp set in the honeymoon capital of the world – Niagara Falls. Join Cass as she flees her marriage to rediscover the life she thought she missed out on. Laughs and heart are to be found as Cass tries to complete her journey of selfdiscovery. Tickets range from $10 to $17, and showtime is at 7:30 pm. For more information
and to purchase tickets, visit pensacolalittletheatre.com
Blues on the Bay
May 14 The waterfront Community Maritime Park Hunter Amphitheater at Pensacola’s Community Maritime Park is home to Blues on the Bay throughout the summer. This month, come see Still Standing: A Tribute to Elton John! Concerts are family-friendly and concessions are available. Bring coolers, blankets and lawn chairs but leave glass containers and pets at home. Concerts begin at 6 pm and are free and open to the public. For more information, call 850-436-5670
Mother’s Day Brunch
May 14 Come celebrate the mom in your life at the Fish House with their delicious Mother’s Day Brunch. Located at 600 S Barrack St and serving brunch from 11 am to 3 pm, enjoy mimosas, chicken and waffles, and a special Salmon Wellington dish that will be sure to please. For more information or to make reservations, call
Dateline Downtown 850-470-0003 or visit greatsouthernrestuarants.com
Mickey Newbury Gathering
May 18 - 21 The New Malibu Lounge in Warrington and the FloraBama Lounge on Perdido Key, in conjunction with the Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival will be hosting the Mickey Newbury Gathering from Thursday, May 18 through Sunday, May 21, 2017.
After Mickey’s passing in 2002, a number of fans decided to have an annual “gathering” to honor Mickey and his music. Performances will take place at the New Malibu Lounge (1000 Gulf Beach Hwy) on Thursday, May 18 and Friday, May 19 beginning at 6 pm, as well as on Saturday, May 20 at 7 pm and Sunday, May 21 at 1 pm. For more information, visit fbisf. com
Piece by Piece: LEGO Sculptures by Sean Kenney at Pensacola Museum of Art
May 12 – September 3; May 18 ; Opening Reception This visual treat from Sean Kenney, the world-renown artist whose award-winning, record-breaking, internationally acclaimed exhibits have
wowed the world over, invites a mix of Sean’s unique design, style and the iconic texture and form of sculptures built with LEGO bricks. The Pensacola Museum of Art visitors will immerse themselves in a world of sculptures built entirely with LEGO bricks, including largerthan-life classic children’s toys, abstract geometrics, functional pieces, transportation themes, sustainability, children’s books, and more. Piece by Piece also includes 30,000 loose bricks for community involvement in this exhibition! The opening reception is on May 18, from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. For more information, visit pensacolamuseum. org.
Hangout Fest
May 19-21 One of the biggest musical festivals on the Gulf Coast, Hangout Fest is back and better than
ever. Located in beautiful Gulf Shores, Ala, the festival is three days long and features superstars such as Chance the Rapper, Twenty-One Pilots, Frank Ocean, MGMT, DJ Snake, Band of Horses and more. General admission for all three days is $309, though VIP packages are also available. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit hangoutmusicfest.com.
3rd Annual Lionfish Removal & Awareness Day
May 20-21 Held at Plaza De Luna at 10 am, this event is meant to raise awareness on the dangers that lionfish place on our local ecosystem. A combination of a festival and tournament, there are activities for divers, land lovers, and the whole family.Divers removed 8,089 lionfish from Flor-
ida waters during the two-day tournament last year. Let’s see how many more lionfish we can remove across the state in one weekend. For more information, visit reefrangers.com.
Memorial Day Ceremony
May 28 Come and honor our veterans this Veterans’ Day at the Veterans Memorial Park and Wall South at E Romana St. and Bayfront Parkway. Whether you’re in the service, have family serving, or know someone who has served, come and honor those who risked their lives for our country. The ceremony will begin at 11 am. For more information, visit veteransmemorialparkpensacola.com
DOWNTOWNCROWD.COM | 21
EMERALD COAST REVIEW IS NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, photography, graphic design and art for its 14th issue, “Life in Our Time.” Complete submission guidelines are available online at www.wflf.org. Reading and submission fee $10 for four poems, up to six photos or illustrations or up to 3000 words fiction. Student entry fee $5.
Deadline June 1st. For more information email the editor at emeraldcoastreview@gmail.com.
Learn To Sail With Confidence And Have Fun Doing It!
All Summer sessions offer Beginner to Advanced-Ages 6-17 Children learn basic knots, boat handling, sailing fundamentals, and how to be a Pirate! They will experience sailing windsurfers, catamarans, Flying Scot, 420, Laser, and prams. Register on-line at:
Sessions are weekly from June 5- August 11th.
pensacolayachtclub.org A.A. Cunningham Road paving notice ... Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast (NavFac SE) has awarded a contract to mill and overlay A.A. Cunningham Road on NAS Pensacola. The work is scheduled to begin the week of Sept. 12 and expected to take four weeks to complete. Watch for “Road Closed” and “Detour” signs. Detour routes to facilities in the area will be Page Road to Warehouse Road and Farrar Road to Pat Bellinger Road. Drivers should observe the warning signs and proceed with caution around the work zones. The work schedule is weather dependent. For questions or more information, contact the PWD Construction Manager Bryan Moeller at 452-3131, ext. 3077.
Vol. 80, No. 35
VISIT GOSPORT ONLINE: www.gosportpensacola.com
September 2, 2016
Fallen Special Tactics Airman honored at NASP By Capt. Katrina Cheesman Sibley’s unit. “This dedication 24th Special Operations Wing and memorial ruck is an important step for us as a brotherhood Air Force Special Tactics Air- to honor Forrest’s legacy of men dedicated a military freefall valor, and get a small bit of clotraining exercise into Pensacola sure.” Bay Aug. 26 to His teammates Staff Sgt. Forrest escorted the famSibley, a combat ily to Sibley’s controller from burial site, wearPensacola killed ing combat ruck in action Aug. 26, sacks weighing 2015, in Helmand more than 50 Pr o v i n c e , pounds to repreAfghanistan. It sent the deployed. was the first anOnce at the niversary of Sibcemetery, they ley’s death. completed a After free round of memoStaff Sgt. falling into the rial push-ups to Forrest Sibley waters of Sibley’s honor their fallen hometown, his teammates teammate. joined family members and Sibley, 31, had served in the friends to complete a memorial Air Force as a combat controller ruck march to his final resting since 2008. In his seven years of place at Barrancas National service, he received four Bronze Cemetery (BNC). Star Medals, once with valor for “When we lost Forrest, most heroism in combat, as well as a of his teammates were still de- Purple Heart for injuries susployed for another five months, tained in combat. and couldn’t attend any funeral “Forrest was one of our best or memorial event,” said Lt. Col. combat controllers, but he was Stewart Parker, commander of 21st Special Tactics Squadron, See Sibley on page 2
After parachuting into Pensacola Bay, members of the Air Force’s 21st Special Tactics Squadron make a memorial “ruck march,” a hike with full packs, from NAS Pensacola’s Bayou Grande Marina to Barrancas National Cemetery and the grave of teammate Staff Sgt. Forrest Sibley. Sibley was killed in action Aug. 26, 2015. He had served in the Air Force as a combat controller since 2008. Photo by Mike O’Connor For more photos, see page A4
CNATT: Make Labor Day weekend safety a priority day designed to honor the achievements of American workers, includes an extended weekend, with service memThe Center for Naval Aviation Tech- bers and their families often nical Training (CNATT) safety manager electing to travel to see family and is reminding service members, civilian friends. employees and their families to maintain “Whether taking a long safety awareness as they prepare for what road trip or simply jumping is generally viewed as the end of sum- in the car to run a quick ermer. rand, driving is inherently CNATTSafety Manager Krystal Han- risky, and traffic cock said that Labor Day, a federal holi- mishaps continue to Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Public Affairs
be a leading reason for lost time, days, and lives across our force,” she said. Hancock said the National Safety Council (NSC) predicts this could be the deadliest Labor Day weekend for drivers in eight years, estimating that more than 430 people could be killed in traffic accidents throughout the Labor Day weekend. She added that service members, often sepa-
rated from their families and travelling significant distances to visit during the long weekend, should take some simple precautions before and during their trips. “Get enough rest before heading outsleepy driving is as dangerous as impaired driving,” she said. “Alternate drivers or take frequent breaks to ensure that whoever is behind the wheel stays alert.” See Labor Day on page 2
‘Be There’ for your shipmates during Suicide Prevention Month 2016 By James Rosenfelder U.S. Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery public affairs
NAS Pensacola to host 9/11 commemoration ceremony ... In commemoration of the events of Sept. 11, 2001, Naval Air Station Pensacola will present a ceremony at the National Naval Aviation Museum aboard the base at 10 a.m. Sept. 9. The event will include a guest speaker and a musical rendition from the NATTC Choir, a traditional “two-bell” ceremony, honors performed by the NASP Honor Guard and a 21-gun volley. The public is invited to attend.
Navy Medicine recognizes September as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, which began Sept. 1. The theme for Suicide Prevention Month 2016 is “Be There.” Throughout the month, Navy Medicine will highlight the power of peer support and personal wellness, encouraging Sailors and Marines to be there for their shipmates. “Action starts with prevention,” said Vice Adm. Forrest Faison, Navy surgeon general and chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BuMed). “When a Sailor needs assistance, easy access to support resources and mental health treatment is essential, as is validation of help-seeking behaviors.” Suicide prevention is a yearlong effort. Suicide Prevention Month serves as a reminder that building resilience and preventing suicide requires all
members of the Navy and Marine out of the ordinary for a shipmate; Corps community to work together. reach out to them,” Faison said. “If you Every life lost to suicide is one too are having difficulties, seek help if many. “Take action if you notice anything See Prevention on page 2
FatAlbertis getting a facelift...Fat Albert, the Blue Angels’ C-130 cargo plane used for transporting crew and equipment to air shows around the country, is currently undergoing a chemical de-paint process at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma after corrosion was found. Once the de-paint process and sheetmetal checks for any other corrosion are complete, Fat Albert will fly to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, for full programmed depot maintenance and paint. Photo by Kelly White
Published by BallingerPublishing, a private firm in no way connected with the Department of the Navy. Opinions contained herein are not official expressions of the Department of the Navy nor do the advertisements constitute Department of the Navy, NAS Pensacola or Ballinger Publishing’s endorsement of products or services advertised.
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