May 2012 Murfreesboro Pulse

MURFREESBORO

Middle Tennessee’s Source for Art, Entertainment and Culture News

Vol. 7, Issue 5 May 2012

FREE Take One!

OUT & ABOUT

Free falling with Adventure Skydiving Tennessee.

pg. 14

SAUL ZONANA Musician’s incredible touring and recording journey leads him to Murfreesboro and his tenth studio album.

pg. 22

ALBUM REVIEWS: RYAN COLEMAN, THE WHISKEY WEATHER, THE BUZZ! BAND, HONEY LOCUST pg. 24

JAZZFEST

Annual event features Rahsaan Barber, lots of local student musicians.

pg. 23

ONLINE AT: BOROPULSE.COM

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CONTENTS

MAIL

OPINIONS

Murfreesboro 8Judy Entrepreneurs Association Goldie, owner of Trendy Pieces/

Bella’s Boutique.

Fires Affect Two Communities Flames on Hippie Hill and in an East Nashville residence shake up lives.

Apple Talk The first Mac virus is here.

Connor Moss Profile of an underdog still in the race.

Community Pulse Great Tennessee Air Show, Grace Fest, Greenway Cleanup, Flags of Rememberance Read to Succeed Book Review Dreams of Joy by Lisa See Living Green Compost your waste into rich soil.

Gardening Mulch your new plants with straw.

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11 12 13

OUT & ABOUT

Falling 14Free Skydiving adventure just a short drive.

USA 15Go Lots of outdoor activities at fun park. on Short Mountain 16Moonshine They're making it legal in Cannon Co.

ART

Taste of Art 17 Murfreesboro Art League stages May 12 visual art and food event.

FOOD

Native Thai 18 Thai Pattaya serves a huge variety of hot or mild dishes, expertly prepared and seasoned.

Brews News "Can" you dig it?

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SOUNDS

Zonana's Musical Journey 22 Veteran touring musician, now a 'Boro resident, releases tenth album.

23JazzFest Annual outdoor event set for May 4-5.

Album Reviews 24 Ryan Coleman, The Whiskey Weather, Honey Locust, The Buzz! Band Who’s Ready for Bonnaroo?

26 A look at what to expect at Middle Tennessee’s premier music festival.

27CONCERT LISTINGS

MOVIES /THEATER

Reviews 28 Cabin in the Woods, Pirates!: Band of Misfits Mother 29'Night Production deals with suicide threat.

SPORTS

Z-Train 30 Preds can fight back from 0-2 hole in second round, Z-Train's look at Titans' draft class; upcoming running events.

Get Fit Challenge Ed Friz loses nearly 60 pounds in local weight loss competition.

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ne of the biggest myths in the United States’ culture is that its citizens have the right to bear arms.

Some fiercely and emphatically say this right must be protected, but the right is long gone, if it ever existed at all. Gun rights advocates laud freedom, say the individual has the right to protect himself, that if guns are outlawed, then the only ones who have guns will be the outlaws.

Yet where is this right?

One doesn’t even have the right to purchase a gun without the appropriate background check and paper trail. Once you obtain the piece, you can’t carry it anywhere without a “permit.” You can’t possess a weapon in a park, can’t possess it if you have a felony in your past, you can’t bring it in a airport, in a federal building, in a school, some cities ban them altogether, permit or not . . . but I thought we have the right to bear arms?

What’s the point of talking about the right to bear arms if you can’t even leave your own property with said arm?

Now, this is not yet taking a position on whether or not this should or shouldn’t be

allowed. I’m just pointing out that many laws seem to infringe upon Americans’ supposed right to bear arms.

There probably should be a line somewhere between allowing the people to carry a handgun for self defense and not stopping, regulating or tracking any unstable backwoods nut to have dozens of automatic weapons, enriched uranium, surface-to-air missiles, anthrax or whatever. But where is that line drawn and who draws it?

Our local Mosque is still in the news; lots of passionate views out there.

What probably irks me more than anything in the debate is when people cover up their views with some technicality in order to argue to their desired end. If you have something against them building the center, come on out and say it. If you have a real objection, be steadfast and proud of your conviction. Don’t hide behind a bunch of talk about how the property isn’t zoned correctly, the infrastructure isn’t adequate, the roads aren’t wide enough, the right “t” wasn’t crossed on a certain piece of paperwork, etc.

Many who are trying to get the government

to trip up the local Islamic Center on technicalities are the same ones who champion limited government, and liberty, as long as it is slightly tilted in favor of their own worldview.

I thought we didn’t want a small body such as a planning commission telling people what they can and can’t do with their property?

Jr. enjoyed the Easter holiday and its treats in the grass, though he made his Mommy pick up the candy for him as he ate it.

As usual, there’s plenty going on in Murfreesboro, if you know where to look (look in the Pulse!) Hear some jazz at JazzFest (page 23), support local zombie-loving filmmakers at Culture Cringe’s premeire event (page 10), taste some wine at the first ever BoroVino (17), see a ballet at MTSU (29), take in an air stunt show (10), try some Thai food (18), play a round of mini golf (15). So get out there; meet your neighbors, make a friend, bring your roommate, bring your kid.

Peace, Bracken Mayo Editor in Chief

Enter to Win!

Get your gardens growing,

Murfreesboro. And remember the impact on the local economy that keeping your dollars in the area, with local businesses, has.

We want to know where you get your food and other household items. Give us your input at boropulse. com/eatlocal or scan here.

Some survey particpants will be selected to receive free grocery items from Sunshine Nutrition Center (on Church St., where you can get local honey, veggies and lots of other natural items) and other Murfreesboro vendors.

CREW

NEWS & NOTES

DEAR READERS:

PULSE

4 6 7

Gagflex Evolution is a fact.

Phil Valentine Increased supply will lower the price of oil.

La Palabra Murfreesboro’s Haunted Hospital

Publisher/Editor in Chief: Bracken Mayo Art Director: Sarah L. Mayo Advertising Reps: Don Clark, Ryan Noreikas Copy Editor: Cindy Phiffer

Music Editor: Jessica Pace Contributing Writers: Spencer Blake, Andie Boyd, Patrick Clark, Terri DeLong, Ryan Egly, Ed Friz, Bryce Harmon, Jason Johnson, Jessica Kelsner, Tony Lehew, Zach Maxfield, Ryan Noreikas, Michelle Palmer, Cameron Parrish, Jay Spight, Andrea Stockard, Norbert Thiemann, Phil Valentine, David H. Wright

To carry The Pulse at your business, or submit letters, stories and photography: bracken@boropulse.com 116-E North Walnut St., Murfreesboro, TN 37130 (615) 796-6248

Copyright © 2012, The Murfreesboro Pulse, 116-E N. Walnut St., Murfreesboro, TN 37130. Proudly owned, operated and published the first Thursday of each month by the Mayo family; printed by Franklin Web Printing Co. The Murfreesboro Pulse is a free publication funded by our advertisers. Views expressed in The Pulse do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. ISSN: 1940-378X

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OPINIONS Evolution is a Fact

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here are plenty of misconceptions about what evolution is and isn’t, but there isn’t any real debate as to whether evolution is a fact.

There are plenty of people who would prefer to think of evolution as just some theory along with many other competing theories, but this just isn’t case. The only argument against evolution comes from people who are using their personal superstitions as gauge for reality. It’s the argument of creationism over evolution and the debate ended in the scientific community a long time ago. Our great state of Tennessee seems to have trouble coming to terms with this conclusion.

Putting that in perspective makes the bill that passed last month even more frustrating and ridiculous. The bill, which received bipartisan support, is designed to encour-

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point of study. It’s even more age students to question accepted scientific absurd to imagine that a teachtheories and protects teachers who teach er would objectively look at creationism. Harold Morrison, an Overton all the scientific evidence that High chemistry teacher, testified if favor supports evolution, discard it of the law last year and was quoted in The and teach a personal belief that Tennessean as saying that “if the founding all living creatures came about fathers acknowledge a creator, then who am through supernatural circumstances. Would I to question that wisdom?” If you are saying things like that, then you probably aren’t parents in Tennessee be okay with a teacher teaching a pagan creation myth in biology? in a position to question anyone’s wisdom.

Or would they be okay with teaching the First of all, On the Origin of the SpeHopi creation myth, or cies wasn’t published till the Inuit or Mayan cre1859, when all the foundation myths? ing fathers were long Those might be examdead. Secondly, I am sure column by JASON JOHNSON ples of a few antiquated not all founding fathers tuckwopat@yahoo.com creation beliefs, but why believed the Adam/Eve/ is the Christian creation snake in a tree story. And myth any more legitimate to teach in public even if they did, the world of science has schools? None explain the differences and progressed well beyond anything they could similarities between the modern crocodile have envisioned. To be blunt, the founding and the prehistoric crocodile. None explain fathers beliefs regarding creation are comhow a saltwater fish can, over time, develop pletely irrelevant. We should know better. features that allow it to thrive in freshwater.

Evolution is a massive part of many sciIt’s perplexing how a teacher would actually ences. It explains the development of life insert their own beliefs alongside legitimate on earth. It’s beyond absurd that a school science teaching for an entire semester. A curriculum would leave out such a massive

GAGFLEX

student could learn everything there is to know about the Christian creation story in about an hour unless you’re delving further into the philosophical meaning of life. It’s hard to believe that parents actually want teachers to espouse their own religious ideas considering how personal most Tennesseans take their religion. It’s hard to believe that both Democrats and Republicans supported such and idiotic bill. And it’s hard to believe that we’re still debating evolution versus supernatural creation in 2012.

C’mon Tennessee, where’s your head?

Would parents in “Tennessee be okay

with a teacher teaching a pagan creation myth in biology? Or . . . the Hopi creation myth, or the Inuit?

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OPINIONS

Increased Supply Will Lower Price of Oil

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That’s where assessing blame eith Olbermann  added fuel to the conspiracy fire recomes in. Certainly the Middle East unrest has had much to cently with comments on do with the so-called Arab ABC’s This Week program.

Spring. And certainly the Obama The freshly-fired Current administration has been at the TV anchor suggested speculators were driving up oil prices just to forefront of giving moral support to that movement. We’re now beharm President Obama. Is this all ginning to see exactly what many of part of that famous “vast right-wing us warned about when this all started. What conspiracy” Hillary Clinton was telling us we’re getting is worse than what we had. about so long ago?

The Muslim Brotherhood and some of In order to analyze the gas price issue one its even more radical kinfolk are dividing has to put everything into perspective. It’s up the power in the newly aligned Middle true that the average gas price on Obama’s East. That has a lot of people in the oil Inauguration Day was $1.80 a gallon. It’s business concerned. Ironically, the only also true that it’s double that right now. place in the Middle East that truly needed a What’s not true is that it’s all Obama’s fault. regime change, Iran, was left alone. When And what’s equally untrue is that it’s none of the uprisings in Egypt and Libya began the Obama’s fault.

Obama administration called for leadership When Barack Obama took the oath of ofchange in those countries. fice the economy was in a When the same uprisfree fall. Gas prices, which VIEWS OF A ings began in Iran and had been above $4-perwere violently put down gallon, were bottoming Obama said nothing. Now out. A lot of this had to do column by with the fact that speculaPHIL VALENTINE Iran threatens to destaphilvalentine.com bilize the entire region. tors, who had speculated His response to the whole prices artificially high, had mess could not have been worse. speculated prices artificially low.

On the domestic front, the deciding facThe price of oil is basically determined by tor when it comes to speculators is supply. supply and demand and speculation. Some Obama brags that he’s opened up a record would argue that the value of the dollar is number of oil leases during his term. Much the third determinant but there is argument of that increase is because he closed so many over whether the dollar’s value affects the leases after the Gulf oil spill. But leases are price of oil or the other way around. no good without permits to drill on those Currently supply and demand, at least in leased areas. Under Clinton permits rose the United States, is pretty stable. What’s 58 percent. Under George W permits rose driving oil prices up is speculation. Now, you 116 percent. Under Obama oil permits have may argue that it’s the unrest in the Middle dropped 36 percent.

East. That’s true but it’s not the unrest itself Olbermann and others can point to a that affects oil prices. It’s how speculators speculators’ conspiracy if they like, but the react to the unrest that determines whether simple fact is Obama has contributed greatly prices go up or down. to the problem. The question is will this So we can argue all day whether or not problem derail his presidency? speculation should be allowed. The fact is that’s how the system works right now and we must work within its parameters. The answer Phil Valentine is an author and nationally to the question of what to do about the high syndicated radio talk show host with Westprice of gas is pretty simple. Give the speculawood One. For more of his commentary and tors a reason to speculate down rather than up. articles, visit philvalentine.com.

CONSERVATIVE

“It’s true that the average gas price on Obama’s Inauguration Day was $1.80 a gallon. It’s also true that it’s double that right now. What’s not true is that it’s all Obama’s fault.

And what’s equally untrue is that it’s none of Obama’s fault” 6 * MAY 2012 * BOROPULSE.COM

The Haunted Hospital in Murfreesboro El Hospital Embrujado de Murfreesboro IN ENGLISH:

pression. I briefly split from the group with these thoughts in my head and rounded the ith the old Middle Tennessee Medical corner of a wide hallway when suddenly Center now completely in ruins, it’s a the image of a horribly deformed baby good time to share about my investigation of crawling toward me in the dark entered a place that I consider one of Murfreesboro’s my mind so vividly that I almost question most haunted. Originally built in the 1920’s, whether or not I imagined it at all. It’s my it saw its share of patients innermost fear. I’ll fight come and go. However, wild animals, bigfoot or some of these patients, it angry voodoo zombies seems, have never actually but deformed children Una columna del idioma español por CAMERON PARRISH left. Several medical profesare where I draw the sionals who worked at the line. Finally, I was able hospital have witnessed things that can only to clear my mind and rejoin the others be described as paranormal. They will share as if nothing had happened. No baby. No accounts of everything from objects floating problems. So we finished looking around, across the hallways to ghosts that come to and we left as quietly as we came. visit dying patients in the cancer ward.

Unfortunately, our investigation My own experiences with the hospital are yielded no verifiable evidence of also quite eerie. In fact, while in college I paranormal activity. used to deliver medicine to the hospital every It will be interesting to watch night around 3 a.m. One night I delivered the what happens in the future when wrong diagnostic medicine to a lab on the the site is reopened, hopefully, as a first floor. When I discovered my mistake, I park or green space. Will the spirits went back to the lab and found the case concontinue to roam the place where the taining the medicine had been opened, and hospital once stood? We will see. the dose was lying on the floor. Nobody was

EN ESPANOL: ever working in that lab at 3 in the morning, and I had not even been out of the room for 5 minutes before returning. on el viejo Middle Tennessee During the early phases of demolition, I Medical Center ahora completamente began to hear rumors that paranormal activen ruinas es un buen momento para comity in the facility had increased dramatically. partir sobre mi investigación de un lugar que In an off-the-record conversation with a hosconsidero uno de Murfreesboro más embrupital official, I was even told that more than jado. Originalmente construido en la década one security firm had been frightened away de 1920 vio su cuota de pacientes fluctuar by all the ghostly events. Did the hospital’s Sin embargo, parece que algunos de estos demise aggravate the spirits that remained in pacientes realmente nunca han marchado. the old building?

Varios profesionales médicos que trabajaron en Recognizing that I had only a short time el hospital han sido testigos de cosas que sólo to investigate before the entire building pueden describirse como paranormales. Tienen would be gone forever, I began planning a en común haber visto de todo, desde objetos self-guided tour. After all, two of my daughflotantes a través de los pasillos a fantasmas ters were born there, and it wouldn’t be the que vienen a visitar a pacientes moribundos en first time I’ve had to sneak into the hospital. el pabellón de cáncer.

I had also done so the night my wife was in Mis propias experiencias con el hospital labor. The entire hospital was put on locktambién son bastante inquietantes. De hecho, down because a man had just shot himself in mientras en el la Universidad yo trabajaba enthe head outside the emergency room. One tregando medicamentos al hospital cada noche more troubled spirit joined the club of restalrededor de las 3 a.m. Una noche entregó el less souls that evening. medicamento equivocado de diagnóstico a un The night we chose to explore the old laboratorio en el primer piso.Cuando descubrí building, it was cool but dry and perfect mi error volví al laboratorio y encontré que for a creepy foray into the unknown. We el caso que contiene la medicina había sido entered the hospital through an open abierto y la dosis estaba en el suelo. Nadie ground-floor entrance. The three of us, with trabajaba alguna vez en aquel laboratorio a las our cameras and flashlights, moved about 3 de la mañana y yo ni había estado fuera de la carefully as we walked and listened. Very habitación 5 minutos antes de regresar. few places are more scary than an abanDurante las primeras fases de demolición doned hospital. Imagine floor after floor of empecé a oír los rumores de que actividad rooms that served as host to the neverendparanormal en el establecimiento había ing symphony of human experience and aumentado de manera espectacular. En emotion ranging from childbirth and joy to una conversación privada que tuve con un lives ending in the throes of agony and defuncionario del hospital el funcionario indicó

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Several medical professionals who worked at the hospital . . . share accounts of everything from objects floating across the hallways to ghosts that come to visit dying patients in the cancer ward. que dos empresas de seguridad había sido amedrentados por todos los acontecimientos fantasmales.Es posible que la demolición del hospital se agravaba los espíritus que siguieron en el viejo edificio?

Reconociendo que yo sólo tenía un poco de tiempo para investigar antes de que todo el edificio se ha ido para siempre, me empezó a planificar un recorrido autoguiado. Después de todo, dos de mis hijas nacieron allí y no sería la primera vez que tuve que de entrar a escondidas en el hospital. También lo había hecho la noche en que mi esposa estaba de parto. Todo el hospital fue cerrado con llave porque un hombre disparó un tiro en su cabeza fuera de la sala de emergencias. Uno espíritu turbado más se unió al club de almas inquietas esa noche.

La noche que decidimos explorar el viejo edificio hacia frío pero era seco y perfecto para una incursión en lo desconocido. Entramos en el hospital a través de una entrada de planta que estaba abierta. Los tres, con nuestras cámaras y linternas se trasladaron cuidadosamente caminado y escuchado. Muy pocos lugares son más terrorificos que un hospital abandonado.

Imagínese piso tras piso de habitaciones que servían como anfitrión de la interminable

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sinfonía de la experiencia humana y todas las emociones que van desde el parto y la alegría hasta la agonía de algunos que terminan su vida, la cantidad de angustia y de muerte.

Brevemente me separó del grupo con estos pensamientos en mi cabeza y redondear la esquina de un ancho pasillo cuando de repente la imagen de un bebé horriblemente deformado arrastrándose hacia mí en la oscuridad entra en mi mente tan vívidamente que casi pregunto si era mi imaginación o era cierto. Es mi temor más íntimo.

Lucharé con animales salvajes, bigfoot o zombies de vudú pero niños deformes son donde se encuentra mi límite. Finalmente borre la imagen de mi mente y volvi a los otros como si nada hubiera pasado. No bebé.

No hay problemas. Así que terminamos mirando alrededor y dejamos como tranquilamente como llegamos. Lamentablemente, nuestra investigación había arrojado ninguna evidencia verificable de actividad paranormal.

Será interesante ver lo que pasa en el futuro cuando el sitio es reabierto ojalá como un parque o espacio verde. ¿Seguirán los espíritus a ocupar el lugar donde alguna vez estuvo el hospital? Vamos a ver.

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staff has worked with us from 5–15 years. urfreesboro businesswomen I love going to market, selecting awesome Judy Goldie has a passion for trendy clothes and accessories for our customfashion, so much so that one ers to choose from. It is so much fun helping hip little clothing shop on the each person find the perfect fit of jean or the Murfreesboro Public Square just most beautiful dress for them to wear to an isn’t enough. She has two, Trendy event. We have special people that come in Pieces and Bella’s Boutique. every week. Our customers Located in a 200-year-old become dear friends. restored building, Trendy Another favorite part of Pieces offers great deals on Murfreesboro Entrepreneurs Association my job is our location! The men’s and women’s clothing buildings where Trendy and accessories, while Bella’s Pieces and Bella’s Boutique focuses strictly on business operate were built in 1810! and casual apparel for the ON BUSINESS The atmosphere in our woncontemporary women. Shopstory and photos by derful historic downtown pers can also find candles, BRACKEN MAYO is a feeling that you cannot jewelry, art and even some get anywhere else. We have furniture pieces. renovated three buildings on Goldie’s career in the local the Square and love the feel of our space. clothing retail industry began in the late ’80s We love to give people the boutique experience when she opened Phase II, a consignment without the boutique price. Having a great store, on Broad Street. That store has since price point for men and women to enjoy is closed its doors, but some of the employees something we love and we are proud of. still work for Goldie on the Square (both of the MP: What is your least favorite part? stores there sell new items only, by the way), JG: I love virtually everything about my job! and many Murfreesboro residents (including I think the one thing we continue to try to this writer) made a little spending money sellimprove on is balance! Keeping the balance ing unwanted and ill-fitting items at Phase II. between work, relationships and “me time” is Goldie stresses the importance of balanca daily effort. ing a business’s goals, plans and vision with MP: Who are your customers? an open mind that is flexible when opportuJG: We have very diverse customers, and nity knocks. we love that! Having two boutiques side by MURFREESBORO PULSE: How did you side gives us an opportunity to buy a better get into the retail clothing business? selection to accommodate nearly everyone that JUDY GOLDIE: I have been a small busicomes our way. We also enjoy having a good ness owner in Rutherford County for 24 years. selection for men at Trendy Pieces. People I loved Phase II for 22 years. I have now shopping with us are looking for more personowned and operated Trendy Pieces and Bella’s alized service and unique items.

MP: What is your advice to someone Boutique on the Square for almost four years. starting a business?

Fashion has always been a passion!

MP: What challenges have you overcome JG: No. 1 is choose something you love. If you in starting and growing your business? do this, your work never feels like work! Two JG: In the past 24 years, we have seen Muris, if opening a retail type business, choose a freesboro grow leaps and bounds. People have great location.

MP: How do you get the word out a lot of choices when shopping here in town. about your stores and attract new We encourage people to support your small, customers? independently owned businesses.

MP: What businesses and people were JG: We use a lot of social media such an inspiration to you? as Facebook. We send out e-mail blasts JG: There are so many people and businesses periodically to offer our existing customers inin Murfreesboro that inspire me. I feel those formation on new arrivals, coupons or specials. that offer incredible customer service inspire We also have been participating in several me the most. The best examples have been fashion shows to benefit great causes such people that keep a positive attitude in all that as The Beasley Foundation and United Way. they do. I also feel so many people take time to Small businesses give more to the community give back to the community, and this means so on a weekly basis then anyone may realize. much too.

We get called on for a lot of donations, give MP: What’s your favorite part of running bags for silent auctions, events, ads for school your business? events and more. We also advertise in several JG: I love the people I work with. All of our local publications.

SPOTLIGHT

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A Passion for Fashion

Murfreesboro businesswomen Judy Goldie says she loves operating her downtown boutiques.

MP: Is there anything else Murfreesboro should know about Trendy Pieces and Bella’s Boutique?

JG: We love our stores on the Square.

We have an awesome selection of clothing items. For women we have great denim lines (we hear we have the best prices in town too!). We have fun tops, jackets, dresses.

We have locally made jewelry, great purses and the most comfortable amazing shoes and sandals in town. We have cool sunglasses, floppy hats and a huge selection of jewelry.

For the guys, we have suits for $99 and they are amazing! We have some of the most beautiful ties you will ever see. We only order two of each print so everyone in town will not have

the same tie. Our prices on ties are $15.99 or two for $25. We carry a large selection of men’s hats at Trendy Pieces!

We have great card lines, candles, homemade natural soaps and our stores are full of amazing gift items. We sell art too. We are more than just clothing stores.

We also love to get the word out about all of the wonderful shops and restaurants in our amazing historic downtown. We feel downtown is the heartbeat of Murfreesboro, and we encourage everyone to support it!

For more information, drop in the stores, located at 109 and 111 S. Church St., visit bellasboutiqueonthesquare.com and trendypieces.net or search for either store on Facebook.

Fire Damages Hippie Hill

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he omnivorous diet of two separate fires have left pain and triumph in the lives of two thriving music and arts communities over the past month. In order to recover, the communities themselves have become stronger than ever with the help of friends and family to rebuild.

When the home of MTSU alumni and Tour de Fun creator Tyler Walker experienced fire damage in the early morning hours of March 6, the music and small business community united to give back. Donations have come in over PayPal and at local venues to support the victims, one of which is still recovering.

The other community, a campground/commune known as Hippie Hill located in Christiana, experienced fire damages just weeks after the fire in East Nashville. The cooking facilities and shower system were destroyed by a fire that has left a community that relies on these utilities to provide nourishment to those who need it in a conundrum.

But the show must go on.

What started as a single benefit show for the East Nashville fire expanded into a two-day mini-festival at 3 Brother’s Deli & Brewhouse and a third night following at a residential house near the MTSU campus.

Social networks have become a key into gaining momentum to support those affected.

“We confirmed three bands before we made the Facebook event page public, and once that happened, the response was unbelievable,” said Carter Hays, who operates VCR, a local booking agency. “We had so

many bands contact us wanting to support, that we decided to add a second night, which 3 Brothers conveniently had available.”

Only two years ago, 3 Brothers Deli received fire damage itself when the medical supply store next door caught fire, destroying much of the then 3-month-old restaurant’s kitchen. In the wake of the fire, businesses around the Murfreesboro square opened their doors to support the reconstruction process.

“After closing our doors for seven months, the community has really shown their support since we have re-opened,” said 3 Brother’s owner Eric Fortney.

Travelers, wanderers, seekers of spiritual salvation and the bored have passed over Hippie Hill, greeted with food, wisdom and a clean place to stay. The rebuilding will be arduous, and with support flowing in over social networks to lend hands, good spirits and craftsmanship, the road to full recovery will be one of cooperation and an opportunity for rethinking past designs, material needs and utilization to build a new kitchen.

Fire creates as much as it destroys.

Replenishes what it subtracts. Nurtures what it consumes. During this past month, the fires that ignited loss and pain reminded residents that without friends and family after tragedy, life is a matter of wading through the ashes.

Both of these communities rely on their members and supporters. To belong is to give back, and both Hippie Hill and those affected by the East Nashville fire have discovered strength and wisdom in the values of cooperation and equality for all. Sustainable in desire for inclusion and to inspire, there is no amount of destruction that will take an ideal down without increasing this resolve.

— DAVID H. WRIGHT

Profile of an Underdog Still in the Race

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onnor Moss had big plans for Rutherford County. After he won a seat on the Rutherford City Council, he was going to contribute a fresh insight into proposed infrastructure projects for the next four years. His 6 percent of the votes from the election in 2010— his first run for a seat on the council—was just the beginning. As the new city council member, he could make a salary while continuing to work at Oakland’s Historic Museum, help uplift the county and tend to his garden at the corner of Highland and Lytle Street.

“I’ll be able to give more people a voice,” said Connor. “I’ll finally be able to make it so good for new residents and people that have been here all their lives.”

Connor is very much in love with the city of Murfreesboro, so when the second-time council candidate put his name in the running and saluted the 400 voters that had checked his name in the previous election, Alexander Ford, the campaign manager representing an

The First Mac Virus is Here

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changed it and re-released it) so it’s now here are an increasing number possible to become infected with it without of Trojan horses online, and that actively installing anything. means it’s time for Mac users to In other words, it’s now a virus, the first saddle up (I couldn’t resist) and Mac OS X virus. So the honeymoon is over start becoming as vigilant as our Windows and we Mac users need to start getting seribrethren when it comes to malware. And to ous about security. be honest, it probably doesn’t matter whether The sky is not falling, what’s out there is a Trojan, a though, so come down virus or a worm, if software off that ledge, okay? And is getting into your Mac and I don’t think it’s time for you didn’t want it there, us all to rush out and buy then it’s a problem. antivirus software yet.

Flashback is the latMACINTOSH Mostly because av software est and most widespread AND iPHONE iPHONE scans for known malware, outbreak to affect the Mac ANSWERS AND TIPS of which there is now three, community. It’s been esticolumn by maybe four. So you’d basimated that 600,000 Macs PATRICK CLARK patrick@boromac.com cally be paying good money have been infected to date. for av software to do almost While that’s a relatively small number, if your Mac is one of those then nothing. That said, if you really would sleep better knowing you have antivirus software it’s a big deal. on your Mac, I recommend ClamXav, a FREE As with all other Trojans, Flashback at piece of antivirus software that I know, trust first required that you actively download and and like. Download it at clamxav.com. install it. But now it’s morphed (people have

APPLE

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To see if you have the Flashback software installed and to remove it: 1 Download FlashbackRemoval.zip to

the Mac you want to scan.

2 Double-click the zip package to unzip it in the current folder.

3 Double-click the FlashBack Removal app to run the tool.

4 Follow the instructions to check your system and clean any infections.

And to avoid it and other gremlins out there, just be vigilant. Don’t install anything that you’re not certain of its legitimacy, and

since 2004. He looked at home at the side of Moss but slightly uneasy with how he saw the election forming. This would be a non-partisan race yet Ford knew voters were eager to underdog candidate, was giddy place bets and choose sides. Ford with excitement and pride. He was on the front line of making was nervous. And he was not friends and offending no one. Ford afraid. He met Connor two years will remember the campaign as the  Though Connor ago when he was attending a toughest challenge in his life. As he Moss placed last in government class at Middle Tenhad suspected, the incumbents used 2012, his political nessee State University. Connor campaign funds to buy billboards and career is young. announced he was going to run ad space the young campaign could for election to the class. After offering his supnot afford. Incumbent Toby Gilley’s silent face port but receiving little feedback, Ford moved on could be seen on billboards across the city while to support other candidates in the election. Since he made remarks of Moss’s past. their initial meeting, Ford never once believed “Gilley called me a socialist in the paper for Connor would give up. Many on the Square taking part in a protest against banks being thought highly of the candidate, and finding bailed out. If he is supporting the bailout, he someone who did not recognize the six foot red needs to look in the mirror when using such head’s frame and long stride was a challenge. remarks,” Moss responded.

Ford stood by Connor’s side this election, The incumbents used their political reach after and before debates, giving him advice and well. Members of the new Small Business Alliencouragement. A boyish, pragmatic man with ance of Rutherford County had formed an allishort blonde hair, 20-year-old Ford clutched ance between three candidates, and voters chose his notes with confidence in a folder that had one, Eddie Smotherman, as a new member on belonged to him while working on campaigns the council.

stay away from any website that wants you to download something to check if you’re infected, unless you know and trust the website or the person who sent you there.

Patrick Clark, owner of The Boro Mac Shop here in Murfreesboro, has repaired Macintosh computers and Apple devices since 1996, and Boro Mac Shop is Murfreesboro’s best Macintosh and iPhone repair shop. Contact him at (615) 796-6154 or boromac.com.

Knowing in 2010 the election included the mayoral ballot, voter turn out in 2012 was expected to be roughly 4,000, down from 6,000 two years earlier. This year, of the registered voters in Rutherford County, under seven percent placed a vote. Perhaps Ford knew somewhere in the middle that the race was not theirs to win.

Overcoming issues with age and time spent in Rutherford County was a factor voters who had not met the candidate raised on a constant basis.

“It is as if residents are giving up on their town,” says one young voter who came to cast a ballot for Moss.

Moss places a relieved smile on his face when asked about his political future. “I’d like to run again,” Moss says as he begins to get ready for his shift at Maple Street Grill on the Square. For now the chair on the council will wait for him and Moss will continue to be seen in conversation on his porch, in the garden, at two jobs and around town. For Ford, he is gearing up for August and November elections and preparing to get married, planning ways to flip seats in Rutherford County and maintaining a positive outlook on his future political and marital tug-o'-war.

— DAVID H. WRIGHT BOROPULSE.COM

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MAY 2012

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COMMUNITY

EVENTS A Stone’s Throw Away Volunteers are needed to help clean up the Greenway Sat5 urday, May 5, from 9 a.m.–12 p.m. All are welcome to join and help pick up trash beside the trail on the the banks of the Stones River and Lytle Creek or in the water. Trash bags, gloves, water and snacks will be provided. Meet at Old Fort Park, Pavilion Three. For more information, call (615) 893-2141.

MAY

United We Style The 2012 Tangerine Salon and Spa Fashion Show benefiting 5 the United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties springs into action May 5 at The Gateway Village starting with VIP Cocktail Hour from 5:30–6:30 p.m., general admission at 6:30 p.m. and the fashion show beginning at 7 p.m. Clothing and accessories from Bella’s Boutique, e.

Allen, Bell Jewelers, Fleet Feet, Cassie Hutchins, Trendy Pieces, Penny’s Closet, Goody’s and Swain & Co. and fashions designed by MTSU textile students will be featured. Contact Kristen Hampton at kristen.hampton@uwrutherford.org or (615) 893-7303.

MAY

Milla’s Leukemia Bash MAY Milla’s Leukemia Bash 5–6 is a silent auction, yard sale, bake sale, and raffle all combined to benefit 16-year-old Milla, a victim of Leukemia. The event auctions off Saturday, May 5, from 7 a.m.–5 p.m. and Sunday, May 6, from 11 a.m.–3 p.m. at 809 Park Ave. in Murfreesboro. Those wishing to donate or volunteer at the event, contact Andrea Steenbergen at (931) 797-8638 or (931) 698-0797 or andreapetree@yahoo.com. To read more about Milla’s story visit formilla.org.

Great Tennessee Airshow The Great Tennessee Airshow is back! Featuring the world famous U.S. 5–6 Navy Blue Angels, Dan Buchanan, Matt Chapman, Rob Holland and Corkey Fornof, with more acts to be announced! Buy your tickets today for a great family outing May 12 and 13 at the Smyrna Airport in Smyrna, Tennessee! Guests are invited to bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on. For tickets or more information, visit greattennesseeairshow.com.

MAY

GraceFest 2012 GraceFest comes to life at the Murphy Center (MTSU) May 8 8, at 7 p.m. featuring Sidewalk Prophets, Ashmont Hill and Byron Cage.

This event is more than just a concert featuring three of the hottest groups in Christian music today; it is the launch of a movement, bringing together the Christian world in ways not seen in centuries with the help of Greenhouse Ministries. Contact Christ Joiner at info@gracefesttn.com.

MAY

Special Kids Golf Scramble 10 Special Kids Expands its 13th Annual Golf Classic with two tournaments on Thursday, May 10, at the Indian Hills Golf Course. The morning tournament will begin with registration and breakfast provided by Stones River Grill at 7 a.m. followed by a shot-gun start at 8 a.m.

The afternoon tournament will kick off with registration and lunch provided by Slick Pig BBQ at 11:30 a.m. followed by a shot-gun start at noon. A team of four can play in either the morning or afternoon session to for only $125 per person or $500 per team.

MAY

MAY

11

Culture Cringe Debuts First Film

Culture Cringe Media is the coolest of the cool, starting with a love for VHS tapes and devotion to all things artistic in Murfreesboro. May 11 at 3 Brothers, they’ve got a surprise lineup to set the soundscape for this VHS release of “Girls Night Out,” a horror film co-directed by Culture Cringe’s Chris Davis. These guys have a penchant for working in a way to include prizes and giveaways, too; read more about Culture Cringe at boropulse.com.

10 * MAY 2012 * BOROPULSE.COM

Teams who choose to play in both sessions will receive a $25 per person discount off the afternoon tournament. Not only will players win prizes, but a hole-in-one prize of $10,000 cash will be provided by Doron Claiborne of Farmer Brothers Insurance.

For $125, organizations can receive their company name listed on a tee sign at one of the 18 holes. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities or to register a team, visit specialkidstn.com/golf-classic or call (615) 893-4892; contact Ginger Warf at gwarf@ specialkidstn.com or (615) 962-4485.

Springfest 2012 Silent Auction 12 The Elders First Annual Adult Day Service’s SpringFest 2012 will have a silent auction Saturday, May 12, from 7–10 p.m. at the home of Kent and Lynell Syler (2922 Longford Drive). Enjoy refreshments and musical entertainment while bidding in the silent auction. Elders First provides a five-day-per-week adult day-care program that offers stimulating mental activities, music, physical exercise and social activities for persons age 55 and up who require supervision due to memory loss. Silent-auction items are still needed, including art, crafts, jewelry, memorabilia, gift certificates, event tickets and other items of value. Donors may contact O’Brien ateldersfirst@dtccom.net or (615) 4185587. The organization also welcomes sponsorships, which start at $250. Contact eldersfirst-ads.org or (615) 653-6209.

games, inflatables and cook-off challenges with cash and prizes! Parking and admission to the event is free as well as free BBQ and carnival concessions. Mayfest helps support the local food collection ministry, FUEL, whom collects food for school children who would otherwise go hungry. All attendants are encouraged to bring lunch bag items.

Craft vendor slots start at $30 each and the barbeque cook-off entry fee is $75 per cook-off team. To download registration forms or for more information about our event or the FUEL program, visit Fellowship Church’s website at tnfellowship.com or MayFest’s Facebook page at facebook.com/ mayfestatfellowship. Contact Michele Bufford at michelebufford@yahoo.com or Chris Rhodes at chrisrhodes@tnfellowship.com or (615) 893-4659.

Flags of Remembrance Volunteers are invited to gather 25–28 and post United States flags for Murfreesburo’s 4th Annual Field of Honor display hosted by the Murfreesboro Noon Exchange Club. This annual Memorial Day weekend tribute is dedicated to our veterans, military and personal heroes.

This display will be located at Medical Center Parkway and Maple Grove Drive. For more information, contact Rebecca Talley at rebecca.talley@midsouthbank.com.

MAY

MAY

MayFest at Fellowship Fuels Forward 19 The annual MayFest at Fellowship fuels forward at Fellowship Church (2511 Highway 99, Murfreesboro, TN) May 19, from noon to 5 p.m. There will be arts and crafts booths, live music and activities for kids and teens including carnival

MAY

A Silver Celebration Shoots Off This year’s Secret Garden Party 1 A Silver Celebration elegantly shoots off June 1 at 7 p.m. at the lovely bed and breakfast home (the Manor at Twin Oaks, 663 Coleman Road) of two of the founders, Cindy and Doyle Boyd. This glamorous celebration marks the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Discovery Center, featuring a night in the country filled with fireworks, food and fun. You are invited to enjoy these activities by becoming a sponsor of the Secret Garden Party. The Secret Garden Tour is Saturday, June 2, from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. featuring gardens in Riverbend and Northwoods neighborhoods. For more information, visitdiscoverycenteronline.org/ secretgardenparty.html or call Jennifer Neal at (615) 890-2300.

JUNE

Dreams of Joy

by Lisa See It’s every parent’s worst nightmare: you wake up, and your child is gone. In Lisa See’s newest novel, that nightmare becomes a reality when Pearl realizes her beloved daughter, Joy, has disappeared, leaving a note saying she has moved to China to start a new life.

Set in 1957, Dreams of Joy is the follow-up novel to See’s earlier book, Shanghai Girls. We rejoin sisters Pearl and May, who came to the United States 20 years earlier after fleeing war-torn China.

Pearl’s 19-year-old daughter Joy’s life has been turned upside-down.

The only father she’s ever known has committed suicide, and she has learned several dark family secrets. In one blow, Joy realizes her entire upbringing has been based on a lie and that her biological father is alive and working as an artist in China.

Blind with grief, headstrong Joy takes all the money Pearl has saved for college and leaves for China to meet her father Z.G. Li and discover her heritage. She is ill-prepared for what she finds when she reaches her new homeland: rampant poverty, few jobs and a Communist regime that watches her every step. Back in California, Pearl knows exactly what obstacles Joy is facing and follows her daughter to China to bring her home.

The novel alternates between Pearl’s viewpoint and Joy’s, as both make their way through China during a time in Chairman Mao Zedong’s rule known as the Great Leap Forward. Pearl’s trip is fraught with bad memories and a growing fear that her daughter is in trouble. China is on the brink of a national disaster when Joy arrives, and as weeks turn to months, Joy takes up residence in the Green Mountain Commune, learns to farm and starts a family. As the Communist government’s rules become more stringent and living conditions become unbearable, Joy’s dreams of a future in China are dashed. Suddenly, Joy wants nothing more than to take her baby and go home.

Although Dreams of Joy is fiction, it is based in Chinese

by MICHELLE PALMER history. Lisa See meticulously researched this novel, traveling michellepalmersbooks .blogspot.com with fellow author Amy Tan through Shanghai and southern China so that she could learn first-hand about the Great Leap Forward. During the period from 1958–62, Chairman Mao decreed that all Chinese farmers work together in communes, and in his ignorance, he required procedures that would devastate crops.

The resulting famine lasted for years, with a death toll reaching upwards of 45 million people.

See’s depictions of a country on the brink of starvation are heartbreaking; the images in this book will stay with you long after you read the last line.

See’s writing is at once both lovely and heartbreaking, making this one of her best novels to date.

Ultimately, Dreams of Joy is a kind of love story, a story of the unbreakable bond between mother and daughter. It’s a story of families lost, broken, found and healed, and a novel not to be missed.

READ TO SUCCEED

BOOK REVIEW

Michelle Palmer is a RTS One Book Committee member and author of the book blog, Turn of the Page at michellepalmersbooks.blogspot.com. Read To Succeed is the community collaborative created to promote literacy in Rutherford County. The objective of this partnership between schools, area agencies and businesses is to support local programming and raise awareness about the importance of literacy.

For more information and to find out how you can make a difference in Rutherford County’s literacy rates, visit readtosucceed.org. The opinions expressed in this book review are not necessarily representative of Read To Succeed, but simply intended to promote the joy of reading.

BOROPULSE.COM

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MAY 2012

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EASILY ELIMINATE FOOD SCRAPS

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n the 2010 book Amerias easily use a pile. Turning can Wasteland it was the pile helps ensure that reported that Americans moisture and oxygen are waste between a quarter evenly distributed, which is and a half of the 590 billion import for the microorgancolumn by RYAN EGLY pounds of food that we proisms. One way to gauge the egly@boropulse.com duce each year, and generate moisture content is to pack a enough food waste every clump from the pile in your day to fill a 90,000 seat stadium. That is the hands. If it falls apart, it is too dry. If liquid conservative estimate. At the other extreme runs out, it is too wet. we could fill the same stadium twice each day. According to the EPA, 2.8 percent of DRUM COMPOSTING food waste was composted in 2010. This Waste is placed in a drum walled with means that between 143 and 287 billion chicken wire that is supported on both pounds of food waste ends up in landfills ends. Regular rotation of the drum speeds every year. While the front end of this apup the process. I took this picture during palling situation presents us with its own a short stint at Hidden Springs Farm, just set of moral and environmental concerns north of Cookeville. An easier way is to use (future article?), the focus of this article is what to do with the waste we do have.

Even the thriftiest cook would have a hard time making use of apple cores and carrot tops. The solution: composting.

In the Green Living article [“The Second Can” Feb. 2012] we looked at composting as a critical part of reducing our overall garbage footprint. Composting is perhaps one of the lowest hanging fruits out there in the realm of sustainability. Even recycling has its dark side, with the vast array of chemicals and energy inputs necessary to recover the sought after materials. But not a 55 gallon drum. Food grade drums are composting. The work is done by microoravailable locally from Davey Milby, (615) ganisms that feed mostly on carbon and ni663-0280, for $15; that’s the best deal trogen present in the waste. Although these you’re gonna find! They also make great organisms are pursuing their own metabolic rain barrels. ends, the final product for us is beautiful and rich organic material that is like nectar WORM COMPOSTING for tomato plants.

The ultimate space saver. Worms make quick work of organic material, and COMMON COMPOSTING are especially fond of coffee grounds and METHODS THAT YOU CAN corrugated cardboard (they either like the EASILY BUILD AT HOME: cornstarch binders or the ability of corrugated cardboard to absorb compost liquids, PILE COMPOSTING allowing for a rich microbial environment – This is perhaps the easiest method. I the debate rages). Murfreesboro native Auuse a three compartment enclosure to brey Scott recently made a worm composter keep things neat, although you could just for his apartment is Davis, Calif. In a phone

LIVING GREEN

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ORGANIC GARDENING 101

Rather than synthetic poisons, try using straw to control weeds in your garden. by TERRI DELONG

Y interview on the topic he commented, “It is amazing how little ends up in the trash once you compost” and “there is really no smell”. The design is simple and compact: two plastic tubs, one with holes drilled in the bottom. The unit could easily fit under a sink. According to Scott, the key is not to feed the worms too much too quickly. He estimates that his initial $15 worm purchase at the garden center (you can likely get them for less at a bait shop) weighed one pound, including the dirt. Worms eat about half of their body weight per day, and he aims for a quadrupling of the initial worm count. The point of feeding slowly is to allow the worm population time to multiply and become established. Another tip is to bury the scraps to deter flies.

If you really want to optimize your compost pile, and who wouldn’t, you can aim for a carbon/nitrogen ratio of 30:1, according to the department of chemistry at Cornell (ok, I’ll admit, I have actually never done this. I usually just throw everything in, and alternate with layers of dead leaves. I think I’ll give it a shot though after doing research for this article). Below is a table from the Cornell website of some commonly composted items, as well as their C/N ratios.

MATERIALS HIGH IN CARBON C:N

autumn leaves 30-80:1 straw 40-100:1 wood chips or sawdust 100-500:1 bark 100-130:1 mixed paper 150-200:1 newspaper or corrugated cardboard 560:1 MATERIALS HIGH IN NITROGEN C:N

vegetable scraps 15-20:1

coffee grounds 20:1 grass clippings 15-25:1 manure 5-25:1 [Source: Dickson, N., T. Richard, and R. Kozlowski. 1991. Composting to Reduce the Waste Stream: A Guide to Small Scale Food and Yard Waste Composting].

You can also monitor the internal temperature of your compost. 110–150 degrees F is considered optimal, and direct sunlight helps. The temperature is a good indicator of other process parameters that are more difficult to measure such as the pH, oxygen level, moisture content, particle size, and the already mentioned C:N ratio. You can still create good compost outside of the optimal ranges, but it will take longer [Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 107: 387-397, 1994].

Amending a soil with compost is particularly useful in Tennessee clay, as it improves drainage and increases soil aeration. One word of caution though: mixing a compost into the soil before it is ready can actually harm your garden due to toxic substances that are not present in a mature compost.

One way to test a batch is to grow a quickly maturing crop such as icicle radish in the mix. If the plants develop yellow leaves, the mix is likely not ready.

And last, but certainly not least, what goes into a compost pile? Above is a table from the University of Wisconsin (a more complete list can be found at the source blog).

[Source: blogs.uww.edu/compost] When composting is combined with the three R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), there isn’t much left in the weekly pickup. Considering that this is how food scraps have been dealt with for most of human history, it is actually a bit crazy that the technique even requires advocating. It’s a great solution to our food scrap dilemma, after we produce fewer scraps of course, and it provides wonderful soil. And above all, it just plain feels good. What are you waiting for?!

Get started, tell your friends, and bring a bucket for scraps to the next church picnic or dinner party.

ou did it! You planted your garden and now it’s starting to grow! But don’t sit back and relax just yet. Now you’ll need to take care of your new garden so it will continue to grow healthy and strong. The main things you’ll need to do for your garden this month are watering it thoroughly and consistently, fertilizing it occasionally, keeping the weeds away and controlling the pests. All of these things can be done easily in a safe, organic way. Why use harmful chemicals if you don’t need to?

Hopefully, you mulched your garden but if you haven’t already, it isn’t too late.

I am a devout believer in heavy mulching. I mulch my entire garden with a 4–6 inch layer of wheat straw in May and then again in July. Mulching this heavily virtually eliminates the need to weed your garden.

I find that laying down a bunch of straw is easier (and much more pleasurable) than hoeing the weeds away. The straw you put on your garden will decay and add valuable organic matter to your soil, greatly improving the structure and fertility of your soil. Another awesome benefit of mulch is its water retention abilities. The need to water your garden will be dramatically reduced because the mulch protects the soil from drying out so quickly. This will save you a fair amount of time and money. You will only need to water your garden once or twice a week if you mulch it thickly.

When you do this, make sure you water thoroughly so that it gets down to the root system of your plants.

Fertilizing your garden plants is necessary for optimal growth and yields. I only use organic fertilizers because they are better for the earth. Synthetic fertilizers are made from petrochemicals and they are harmful to the beneficial organisms in the soil. They also contaminate our water supply and leach heavy metals in the soil.

Organic fertilizers are made from animal and vegetable matter, substances that are good for the soil. They are also slower acting so you are less likely to “burn” your plants. There are many great organic fertilizers to use during the growing season. I use liquid seaweed, kelp and fish emulsion diluted with water every two weeks during the summer and my plants flourish from it.

It is also beneficial to spray the foliage of your plants with this solution. Just make sure you do this on an overcast day or right before the sun goes down.

Dealing with some pests is a natural

part of gardening. However, I’ve found that if your soil and plants are healthy, then pests are not a big deal. I have never had an outbreak of pests where I felt that I needed to use a chemical insecticide. I rarely even resort to using an organic insecticide for that matter. Most pesky critters, such as aphids, can be easily sprayed off with a garden hose. Bigger critters, like tomato hornworms and cabbage loopers can be picked off by hand. Slimy slugs can be trapped in saucers of beer. You can even make very effective sprays in your own kitchen using trusted ingredients such as soap, garlic and cayenne pepper.

There are recipes all over the internet. Try some of them before you resort to harsher things! You can also buy organic pesticides, like Bt and diatomaceous earth, which are less harmful than synthetic pesticides. I have heard good things about neem oil. I would still only use these products as a last resort, though, because they’ll kill some of the good bugs as well as the bad ones.

Gardening organically can be a little bit more work but it is definitely worth it. You will prevent the poisoning of groundwater and soil. You will be living in harmony with nature. And you will have peace of mind knowing that you are feeding your family fruits and vegetables that haven’t been sprayed with toxic chemicals.

Join me back here next month and I’ll talk about harvesting and succession planting to get even more veggies from your garden this year! Until then, happy gardening!

BOROPULSE.COM

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MAY 2012

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OUT & ABOUT

Gonna free fall out into nothing . . .

Gonna leave this world for awhile . . .

Now we’re free . . .

get a quick jump in. After her ever-fading thumbs up towards the plane, “clear!” was echoed to the pilot from her coworkers (three of which were harnessed to first-time jumpers this flight), okayphotos by story by ing the door to close and assume the somewhat NICK RAINES BRYCE HARMON bumpy circular climb that provided a pit-of-thestomach rush on the way up. Kind of like when you drive over a steep hill really fast.

When 14,000 feet is reached, there’s nothing really noticeable up there besides the tops of sporadic little cumuli and a hazy green/brown layer beneath, stretching for a 20-mile view of more blue than anything else until fading into a slightly sloping horizon. Then that door opens again, blowing in a cold rush of wind and with it one of the greatest adrenaline rushes known to man.

There is nothing between the passengers and the big blue sky anymore at this point. And it’s too late to turn back.

The instructions are pretty simple, though: put customers, all looked upwards only for a second, your toes outside of the plane on the threshold’s one asking calmly, “Hey, is that Dan?” until nonledge, place your head on the right shoulder of chalantly turning around to greet a friend poking your tandem instructor, rock back and forth a few his head in the door just to say hi. times until the wind pulls you out into a barrel“He cutaway,” one employee barely said, turning free-fall taking yourself away from the plane ing around to welcome the surprise visitor with towards a quickly detailing earth for a good 60 a “Hey, Josh!” as Richardson fell past the tree seconds until slamming situated into the harness line out of sight behind them. First-time jumpers as the parachute suddenly catches you. Unconglared at one another in their seats frightfully trollably screaming ecstatic obscenities into the confused why this wasn’t a bigger deal and more air, once gliding, was noted as a common reaction than likely second-guessing the whole experience by tandem instructor Robbie Owens, who also all while the Caravan passenger bus landed to provided information on the planes and history refuel and reload for the next round. of AST while floating around up there, as well as No one said anything else about it. what the workers do when it’s just them jumping Moments later, Richardson trotted out of the for fun without any customers: formation diving, woods smiling in his bright red jumpsuit just in mid-fall acrobatics, and his personal favorite, time to catch the refueled flight for another jump. whirling himself into a spin once Inside that red and white the parachute is open where Cessna Caravan are two two-foot he’s able land sliding baseball tall black benches stretching WHERE: style across the grass next to the the length of the fuselage for Adventure Skydiving, runway for a pretty good ways. up to 10 passengers to sit with Airport Road, Waverly, That’s just for him, though. a little extra floor space beside TN 37185 Landing in a tandem scenario the roll-top-style door for any HOURS: is delicate and well-instructed a solo-stragglers wanting to get Available every day few times beforehand to make out of everyone’s way real quick.

(Call for appointment, (888) 357-9800) sure the process has sank in so Chelsea, an AST instructor and first time jumpers don’t.

COST: packer, was the only one on Current special: $169 Then it’s over. Just like that the floor that trip up and was Tandem Skydives the Everyone is safely back to earth, referred to as a “hop and pop,” fourth weekend of sharing giant grins and approvmeaning she hops in for the ride every month ing glances, looking at their until 7,000 feet or so, rolling the ONLINE: watches and wondering where door open and quickly popping astskydiving.com all the time went as the sun sets. out of the plane back-first just to

FREE FALLING Waverly’s Adventure Skydiving Tennessee offers extreme freefall experience.

A

n entire sunny afternoon turns into just split seconds for the brave (or highly nervous) at heart when consisting of a 2-hour drive west of Murfreesboro to a hilltop paved with 4,000 feet of runway, a comfortable wait in the sun for a turn on a flight lifting 14,000 feet in the air, an inevitable loss of cabin pressure, and finally, a 120-mile-an-hour free-fall back to earth until footing the ground again either relieved or screaming for more.

Those six or seven hours feel like seconds in hindsight after experiencing what Adventure Skydiving Tennessee (AST) in Waverly has to offer as it just began its sixth season in-state this spring, ferrying people through the well-instructed process of skydiving to the adrenalized awe and glow it creates in a person so long as the skies are clear.

Brooklyn Benjamin, owner and operator of the AST hanger on her own corner of the Humphreys County Airport, runs a tight business shadowed by the tall orange and white painted light-tower beside the airport entrance gate. A small office greets everyone walking along the tarmac inside to, first, fill out the appropriate paperwork explaining in detail the risks of jumping out of a plane at high speeds, ensuring AST customers are participating of sound mind and waiving responsibility from the facility seeing they are meeting their full obligation and intentions to keep everyone safe as well as repeat customers.

An invite into the almost acre’s worth of hanger follows, revealing itself half full of a couple of private planes, one, a $2 million jet-engine Citation and the other, “The Lake,” with its only propel-

14 * MAY 2012 * BOROPULSE.COM

ler sitting above the fuselage and appropriately named (It lands on water). The other half of the hanger is filled with an extremely laid back but busy beehive of employees folding stretched-out parachutes into their packs and preparing harnesses with great care over the course of their sun up to sun down work day. A videographer’s booth is tucked away on a far wall preparing returning jumpers footage of themselves looking flappy while free falling at terminal velocity. Sodas or water are right beside it to relieve dry mouth for those who decided to scream on the way down.

The general mood in that hanger is noteworthy and soothingly calm despite the highly important and delicate work taking place. By the end of the day anyone can tell the men and women making Adventure Skydiving Tennessee function smoothly have developed great friendships from sharing the lives lived together over these summers, and fortunately, it’s contagious to any nervous wreck around them.

That contagion was evident during the third or fourth flight up when solo jumpers do their thing for a few flights before getting to tandems later.

Instructor Dan Richardson took one of his solo dives from 10,000 feet where he is too small to be noticed, but seemed to be getting bigger and bigger faster than the everyone else coming down, or faster than any whose parachutes pulled properly.

Richardson reached an altitude where he was fully visible from the ground, chute flapping dead behind him, hurtling towards the airfield past the others then safely wafting down. Coworkers on ground, sitting beside the hanger door with the

IF YOU GO:

GO GET YOUR FUN ON AT GO USA

Park offers mini golf, batting cages, gokarts, driving ranges. story by RYAN NOREIKAS

R

ecently, the Murfreesboro Pulse crew enjoyed an evening out at Go USA Fun Park (2270 Armory Dr.). It’s not often enough we get out and socialize as a group, so the consensus was that we should document it, hence the spread you see before your eyes.

The fun began with two rounds of Mini Golf. It had been a while since most of us had last played, but the rust flaked off and we were sinking holes-in-one and birdies in no time.

The need for speed kicked in after our time on the links, and we made our way over to the Go Karts. We did our best to follow the rules and not bump into each other, though sometimes competitive nature gets the best of a person. I saw this as the highlight of the evening.

Batting cages were the next activity. A couple of us tried the 60 miles-per-hour pitching speed, and after connecting with an average of 20 percent of the balls, opted for the 40-mph with greater success. You should’ve seen us; we were awesome!

We decided to skip the driving range, though it seemed to be popular among other patrons, and head into the Video/Redemption Game Arcade. I pumped about $10 in tokens into shoot-em-up and racing games.

Most of us hadn’t had a time like this in a good while. It’s a nice option for fun, and you don’t have to be of a certain age range to enjoy it; I’m still smiling from those Go Karts.

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OUT & ABOUT

The cows immediately gather around moonshiner Ronald Lawson as he brings mash to feed them.

MOONSHINE:

THE NEXT GENERATION Cannon County’s Short Mountian Distillery creating legal beverage. story by TONY LEHEW

photos by BRACKEN MAYO

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ell, dear Pulse readers, I got some big news for ya! They-a selling moonshine on Short Mountain! Now for those of you who have lived in Middle Tennessee for more than 20 minutes, your response to that information might be, “Well, duh, they’ve been doing that since the Indians taught ’em how to make corn.” And you’d be right, but now there is a slight difference. They’re doing it legally.

Short Mountain Distillery is the first legal distillery in Cannon County since prohibition.

That is no small feat considering that Cannon County is a “dry” county and a card-carrying member on the Southern end of the Bible Belt. Nevertheless, brothers Billy, David and Ben Kaufman along with the political and legal expertise of Christian Grantham, sought to change the law and the minds of the good people of Cannon County. After garnering enough support for their cause, it was brought to a referendum, voted on and now they legally make moonshine. As it turns out, the citizens of Cannon County did support their efforts; one can only guess at the reasons for their support.

“Most people here either know or have moonshiners in their linage and most we met were in favor of the idea,” Billy said.

“Christian has a good knowledge of the law and how to work to change it. So, we sat in front of the courthouse with our petition, the people signed it, and then they voted for it.”

So now, Short Mountain Distillery is Tennessee’s sixth distillery and it makes a 105-proof moonshine.

The corn liquor it produces is not just any moonshine, but the moonshine your grandparents may have drunk. This is because Short Mountain employs three of the best moonshiners this area has to offer: Ricky Estes, Jimmy Simpson and Ronald Lawson.

The three of them have given up their days of illegal wildcatting. Judging by the smile on Lawson’s face (who was on the property the day of our visit), it seems to be working 16 * MAY 2012 * BOROPULSE.COM

(Right, from left) Brothers and distillers Ben and Billy Kaufman.

(Above) Billy discusses getting the business off the ground and shows off Short Mountain Shine’s packaging.

out well for them. Along with head distiller Josh Smotherman, they make a quality product that meets all legal requirements. Now that’s a brand new angle; the revenuers like the moonshiners.

Short Mountain Distillery is located on a 300-acre working organic farm. The corn is raised and milled on the farm, the water comes from natural springs located on the farm, and after the alcohol is distilled out of the mash, it is fed to an eager group of cows, goats, sheep and chickens.

“Mash stripped of alcohol is full of protein, vitamins and fiber. All the livestock here are happy and waiting on feeding time,” Billy said.

Ben added, “Well-fed livestock creates fertilizer for the farm, and if we didn’t feed the mash to the livestock, we would have to find a way to get rid of it.”

It’s easy to see that the brothers are proud of their efforts to be organic.

“Organic farming is the pinnacle of the agricultural framework. Corn and fruit can’t be saved all year; you have to feed it to an animal or sell it before it goes bad. But if you make alcohol out of it, you can send it all the way to China. You can store it as long as you want or ship it as far as you want. It makes

Billy shows some visitors the natural spring on the distillery property, the source of a key ingredient in its product. (Above) The company car.

such a value out of it that it makes farming make sense again,” Billy said.

The Kaufman brothers came here from California and have been farming in Cannon County for about 10 years. But the legacy of the family goes back much further than that.

Their great-grandfather, Jesse Shwayder, founded The Samsonite Company in 1910.

A Samsonite factory in Rutherford County employed many of the people and parents of the people that voted in favor of their distillery. The Kaufmans pay homage to their great-grandfather by carrying on his ethic in business: The Golden Rule, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It was with this motto the Jesse Shwayder ran Samsonite and the way the Kaufmans run their distillery. So much so, that they embed a coin with that saying on every bottle. That also makes each bottle a collector’s item.

Distillery and farm tours are offered Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

Short Mountain Distillery offers a firsthand look at handcrafted processes handed down for generations on Short Mountain. The tour explains the step-by-step process of making moonshine and includes a visit to the spring where they get their water. You

can purchase a bottle of their product at the distillery, but be warned, each batch usually sells out quickly.

Short Mountain Distillery is also a place for the whole family.

“We have only been open a short time, and already people come out here and spend the day. They come out here to picnic. Some bring musical instruments. We provide them with water and soft drinks. We have a BBQ vender that comes out, and we have merchandise for sale,” Billy said.

Short Mountain Distillery hosts the Middle Tennessee Mule Skinners. The owners deal with local business as much as possible. They are Cannon County’s first organic farm, and they provide several jobs and a learning environment for interns. They pay taxes, bring tourism to area and the Cannon County Playhouse uses their moonshine to make cookies.

That makes Short Mountain Distillery a real asset to the community, and who knew you could make cookies with moonshine?

Short Mountain Distillery is located at 119 Mountain Spirits Lane, Woodbury, Tenn. For more information, call (615) 216-0830 or visit shortmountaindistillery.com.

ART A Taste of Art T

he Murfreesboro Art League will host “A Taste of Art” from 7–9 p.m. Friday, May 11.

The evening will include a silent auction and smooth jazz sounds from the Rev. Ernest Newsom.

Over 100 pieces of original art in various mediums will be on display, and attendees can enjoy punch or tea and munchies provided by caterer Katie Plummer. The event will be at the Cannonsburgh Historic Village (312 Front St.) in MAL’s Art Gallery located near the back of the village.

“We have scheduled this in conjunction with Murfreesboro’s Bicentennial Art Month,” stated Debbie Haggard, league vice president. The group needs the community to be involved in these efforts for continued growth and success, she said.

A $10 donation at the gallery door covers the cost of the event with all proceeds going to produce local art programs for children. The art programs will be offered at the MAL gallery in addition to projects coordinated with area schools to further promote art appreciation in Rutherford County. A children’s art camp is scheduled for July 16–20 at Cannonsburgh for

 The Murfreesboro Art League's Taste of Art event includes visual works of various media by Carol Berning (top right), Claire Smith (lower right) and Jenny Jacobs, among many others.

students entering fourth-ninth grades. An additional camp will be at the Sam Davis Home in Smyrna, with tentative dates of July 9–13. Subjects taught will be perspective, composition, color theory and abstracts through the use of sketching, watercolor and acrylics.

Founded by a local group of artists and chartered in 1966, the Murfreesboro Art League is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to develop and maintain a vibrant artistic environment in the Rutherford/Murfreesboro community. The first three Monday nights of each month the group leads adult art classes in many disciplines for artists of all levels from 7–9 p.m. at the Cannonsburgh gallery. Courses vary from the usual oil, acrylic and watercolor to fun, “different” types of classes like scratchboard, encaustics and batik.

The gallery is open from from 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Saturdays and 1–4 p.m. Sundays spring through fall.

These regular viewing days are free and open to the public.

For more information, visit murfreesboroartleague. blogspot.com or e-mail suzanne.lebeau@att.net.

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FOOD TURN UP THE OR KEEP THAI HEAT IT MILD (

)

Thai Pattaya serves up quality, freshness, flavor and friendliness.

coli and fresh basil. Curries and all entrees are served with a small mound of sticky and chewy steamed jasmine rice.

The most popular Thai dish, Pad Thai, is stir-fried thin noodles in brown sweet and story by photos by sour sauce with egg, bean sprouts, crushed RYAN NOREAKIS BRACKEN MAYO peanuts and green onion. It’s accompanied or me, it doesn’t get much beton the menu by a list of other noodle and ter than Thai food, fresh meats, fried rice dishes (same prices as the enseafood and vegetables with the trées), including the also popular Drunken perfect blend of savory, sweet and Noodles, wide rice noodles stir-fried with a spicy kick. Owner and Executive Chef Syd- egg, bamboo shoot, mushroom, bell pepper, ney Bounsavath has her balance seemingly crushed garlic, tomato, chili paste and fresh perfected at Thai Pattaya Restaurant. basil with a house basil sauce. Bounsavath Located at 833 Memorial Blvd. within a has mixed a little Vietnamese cuisine in her small strip mall near the corner of Medical menu with Pho, a large-portioned, highly Center Parkway, the cozy restaurant serves flavorful soup of rice noodles, up a variety of appetizers, soups, curries, green onion, cilantro, basil stir fries, rice and noodles. The menu deand bean sprouts (chicken scriptions are in English and Bounsavath is $7.95, beef $8.95, meat and happy to tailor to your taste buds. seafood combo $9.95).

“Whatever the customer wants, I like to While you’re listening to customize the food to how they like it,” she the sounds of your food being said. “Maybe that’s something that sepacooked in the kitchen, mainly rates my restaurant from others.” steel spatulas hitting against If you’ve never experienced Thai food, it searing hot gas-flamed woks, may seem intimidating when figuring out enjoy one of the many soups, what to order, but it’s really not so confussalads and appetizers availing. Thai Pattaya’s menu is set up where able. Maybe the exotic person you pick your entrée from the descriptions in you aims to try the squid listed, such as Pad Kra Prao (stir fried fresh salad, fresh tender squid Thai basil, onion, carrot, mushroom, green tossed with chili paste, red bell pepper and bamboo shoot), then your onions and lime juice, served protein; vegetable or tofu ($7.95), chicken on a bed of lettuce ($7.95). or pork ($8.95), beef or shrimp ($9.95), Other salads without squid are scallop or squid ($10.95) or seafood combiavailable too. On a rainy day, I nations ($12.95). Lastly, you pick the heat find great comfort in a cup of level you think you can handle, whether Tom Kha soup with chicken, mild, medium, hot, very hot or native Thai. a sweet and savory coconut After several experimentations, I’ve recently milk broth with lime juice, found myself comfortable kaffir leaves, with the hot level. lemongrass and mushCurries are another tasty room ($2.95). Appetizers option, which is your choice include, among others, NAME: Thai Pattaya of protein simmered in a egg rolls ($1.99), spring LOCATION: 833 Memorial coconut milk-enhanced rolls ($3.95), steamed Blvd., Ste. B broth with assorted vegdumplings ($3.95), fried PHONE: (615) 893-8029 etables (same respective eggplant ($3.95), satay HOURS: Sun.–Thurs. prices as the entrees). I’m chicken ($5.50) and crab 10:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; partial to the popular Green Rangoon ($5.95).

Fri.–Sat. 10:30 a.m.–10 p.m.

Curry, a slightly sweet and For the high rollPRICES: Chicken or pork spicy yellow-green creation ers, the restaurant has pad kra Prao: $8.95; consisting of bell pepper, a list of specialty menu Pho beef: $8.95; Tamarind duck: $15.95 zucchini, green beans, brocitems including Lemon-

F

THE DISH

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Thai Pattaya serves a great variety of beautiful, healthy and hot (if requested) dishes, including pad khing (ginger stir fry, pictured here), squid salad (below left) and pad kra prao (basil stir fry, below).

grass Chicken ($12.95), Asparagus Shrimp ($12.95), Tamarind Duck ($15.95) and Panang Salmon ($14.95). For people like me, Thai Pattaya runs a regular daily lunch special from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. at $6.95–7.95, which includes an entrée, house soup and an egg roll. Bounsavath also features changing daily and weekly specials, written on a dry erase board near the kitchen, and MTSU students always receive 10 percent off with a student ID. Affordability included, Bounsavath’s intention is to really impress the customer with the overall experience.

“Quality, image, taste, smell and friendliness of the service are the five things we focus on most,” she said. “I want that ‘wow’ from the customer.”

With her creativity, passion for fresh, flavorful food and attention to detail in presentation, Bounsavath truly has a great thing going here. The atmosphere is casual and the service staff is indeed friendly. This restaurant has won my heart and has become a regular go-to for delicious and affordable food. It is with sincerity, I encourage you to try Thai Pattaya this week.

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‘Can’ You Dig It?

and over the top of the can. I never picked up an aluminum flavor in any of the beers.

Harpoon’s UFO White is a light and ast month, Lipman & R.S. Lipman crisp wheat beer brewed with orange peel.

Brothers Companies presented the Genesee Cream Ale claims to have the flavor “Evolution of the Can” beer tasting at of an ale with the smoothness of a lager. It reFive Senses. Around 30 or so of us guests minds me of Pabst Blue Ribbon without such relaxed in the private dining area of the a skunky aftertaste. Oskar Blues Old Chub restaurant and sampled a few beers from Scotch Ale (8 percent alcohol by volume) breweries Harpoon, Genesee, Oskar Blues has a rich and malty flavor with a smoky taste and Sierra Nevada, each experimenting with that’s not overbearing. Sierra Nevada Torpedo aluminum can packaging.

Extra IPA is a hoppy treat, if you don’t mind “The aluminum can chills faster and stays that slightly bitter flavor on the back end. colder longer,” said Lipman Prior to the canned beer representative Eric Bates. “Abtasting, Bates presented Ozzy solutely no sunlight penetrates Nelson of Murfreesboro local the can, making for a longer Mayday Brewery. Nelson is aimshelf-life.” ing to launch his line of beers to

by RYAN NOREIKAS The aluminum can is the only market sometime in August. We packaging solution that is 100 tried his Angry Redhead red ale, percent recyclable and has the highest recyVelvet Hustle pale ale, UPA (un-pale ale) and cling rate for any beverage container at 52 an IPA that Mayday has been contracted to percent, according to the statistics provided brew for Nashville local Jubilee Beer. Personby Lipman. For the brewing companies, it’s ally, I found all Mayday beers to be smooth cheaper to ship aluminum cans than glass and well balanced. I have high hopes for its bottles and they’re pumping up the fact that success upon launching. Keep on the lookout cans are often allowed in for more Mayday Brewery more places than bottles. news in the near future.

Also to note, a protective For more information on layer is applied to the inside Five Senses, visit of the aluminum sheet that fivesensesdining.com. makes up the can, so the Mayday Brewery’s ofbeer is never touching aluficial website is minum until it’s poured out maydaybrewery.com.

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BREWS

NEWS

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story by JESSICA KELSNER

THE ROCK DOESN’T STOP

Murfreesboro musician extraordinaire Saul Zonana is still making music after all these years.

I

f you don’t already know who Saul Zonana is, you should. He’s a veteran progressive pop artist, songwriter, guitarist, bassist, and producer extraordinaire, whose music has been on the radio, whose songs have been featured in dozens of popular TV shows and films, who’s traveled the world over for two decades performing, and who’s released nine of his own CDs and is about to release his tenth entitled Fix The Broken.

I first heard Saul’s name in 2003 when his CD Waves was released and his song “Holiday” was in heavy rotation. I bought the CD and was immediately a fan. So naturally, when I was recently asked to cover Saul and his tenth solo release and tour, I was very excited. I found that not only has he put out great music ever since, but I also came to realize that he has quite a history in the music business.

Saul was born in 1967 in Queens, NY. He released his first album when he was 13 years old.

He started to gig professionally before he was legally allowed to enter the clubs that he played.

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“We used to paint a mustache on my face so the club owners would think I was older and wouldn’t be scared to let me play when I was 15 years old,” he recalls. By the time Saul was around 20 years old, he was touring Europe with bands such as Deep Purple and The Animals. In 1993 with his band, No Heroes, Saul became the first American singer to ever enter Red Square in Moscow, Russia, and put on a concert in front of 70,000 screaming fans as a part of the Chernobyl Festival. After signing their first record deal in 1996, Saul’s band Luv Junkies was the most played band on college radio, and the record climbed to No. 4 on the Billboard Heat Seekers chart that year.

Right around that time, Saul became a member of legendary Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley’s band. He toured the USA many times over with Ace Frehley before he left the band to continue making his own music. Shortly after that, Saul signed his first major record deal as a solo artist and released his debut album on TVT Records alongside bands like Nine Inch Nails and XTC. Soon he would

also sign his first major publishing deal with Universal. As if that wasn’t enough, Saul paused to become a member of one of my all time favorite bands, Crash Test Dummies, where again, Saul worked his way around the country performing with them.

In 2005, Saul joined forces with guitar icon, Adrian Belew. Saul released his album 42 Days, which was produced by Adrian, and then once again, hit the road with the Adrian Belew Power Trio for another two years as his opening act.

“Touring with Adrian allowed me to reach a whole new audience that seemed to really get what I was doing,” Saul explains. “It helped tremendously. However, in the middle of all that touring, my son was born, and that changed everything.”

Saul continued to tour and reach people with his music, but would soon slow down.

“My son was missing me terribly. He was kissing pictures of me, calling out for Daddy.

I knew it was time to be home for a while.”

Did that stop Saul from making music?

Not at all. From his home studio, he would release yet another collection of great songs entitled Love Over Money. Around that same time, Saul was featured in a critically acclaimed documentary about the music industry entitled Chasin’ It, which aired on the Lifetime Network and PBS. Being a family man never seemed to slow Saul down when it came to being a prolific artist. His next release, Blue Monkey, was easily his most critically acclaimed CD to date, and is still a fan favorite.

There’s a song on this CD entitled “What I’m Looking For,” which is one of my all time favorite songs, period.

“The Blue Monkey album is very special.

It was recorded with great friends, including Aaron Comess from the Spin Doctors, and something just clicked in the making of that album,” Saul said. “People seem to love it. To this day, my live show includes several songs from that album.”

After spending most of his life in New York, Saul now lives in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

“I always do my best to support the local scene here in Murfreesboro. For my newest project, I worked with MTSU students as well as taking the photos with Shacklett’s Photography on the Square. I also play Mario Guitars which are made right here in Murfreesboro by Mario Martin.”

Saul invited me to his beautiful home in the ‘Boro, where we had a chance to sit down and talk. We sat in a room where I counted about 40 guitars.

My goodness! My first impression was that he is extremely funny. I spent most of my time laughing at his silly disposition. When I asked him what ultimately brought him to Murfreesboro, he replied, “I think it was an airplane.” I also asked him how does one person write so many good songs? His response was, “Mainly with a pencil, so I can erase the bad stuff.”

It became very interesting to me to realize that this guy who’s accomplished so much really doesn’t take himself that seriously. It was refreshing. We talked about his 2010 CD entitled Phatso, which was collaboration with Grammy-winning songwriter and producer Gordon Kennedy. We also talked about his brand new live album entitled It’s Alive, which was recorded in New York only a few months ago and is also growing more and more popular among Saul Zonana’s loyal fans. But it was when we started to discuss his newest music for his upcoming release entitled Fix The Broken that I noticed Saul perked up and became more serious.

“I view this next album as one of the most important things I’ve ever done. There’s never been more opportunity surrounding an upcoming release than there is for this one. As an artist, every time I’ve ever produced a new album, I’ve always believed that it was better than the last one. However, it’s the fans that will let you know how true that is. Personally, for me, these new songs are a culmination of all the skills I’ve developed after all these years as a songwriter, as a guitar player, as a producer and as a singer. I can only hope that people will agree. What I do know is that I’m going to do all I can to try to go beyond my existing fan base and gain some new friends and fans with this album. It’s my tenth solo album. With it, I’ll have over 100 songs on iTunes, and though I’m proud of that body of work, to me it feels like I’m just starting.”

It’s great to know that Saul Zonana isn’t stopping any time soon. He’s definitely still rocking after all these years. If you don’t know who Saul Zonana is, you should.

For more information, visit saulzonana.com.

PHOTO COURTESY SAUL ZONANA

SOUNDS

SPRING MEANS JAZZ ON THE SQUARE Annual Main St. JazzFest underway May 4 & 5.

I

t’s that time of year again, when Murfreesboro’s jazz comes out to fest on the downtown Square in celebration of the genre and its great pioneers.

With two stages set up on either side of the courthouse, attendees can enjoy twice the jazz on May 4 and May 5 from both local student musicians and professional players.

The earlier slots on Friday and Saturday will go to area high school and middle school jazz bands. They’ll get to show their jazz chops that weekend alongside some incredible local jazz professionals including 1940s big band Music City Swing, the only of its kind in Nashville, which has been around for nearly a decade The stunningly smooth vocals of Jazz Discovery’s 2000 Vocalist of the Year Connye Florance The mad jazz guitar skills of Denny Jiosa, who’s earned notoriety both through his session work and own contemporary jazz releases.

John Coltraneinspired Nashville quintet Everyday Connye Florance Magic, who broke out with a performance at the Frist Center.

The Kelli Cox Collaborative, an eclectic assembly of jazz musicians who’ve played originals and covers together since 2008 Jamey Simmons, who has participated in JazzFest since 2002, will be directing MTSU’s Jazz Ensemble I in this year’s festival. While Simmons has seen an abundance of nationally and internationally touring talent partake in JazzFest, namely the Phil Woods Quintet and the Cannonball Adderley tribute group, he has a soft spot for the high school bands. In fact, Blackman High School Jazz Band will be performing one of Simmons’ original compositions during its Friday 9:40 p.m. slot.

Extra activities including games, art projects (like creating instruments out of recycled instruments) and a climbing wall will be available for the younger JazzFest attendees. But as Simmons put it in the simplest terms, the greatest aspect of JazzFest will be and has always been “the music.”

For more information on Jazz Fest , visit jazzfest mainstreet.com. — JESSICA PACE

JAZZFEST 2012 SCHEDULE FRIDAY, MAY 4

6 p.m. – Eagleville High School Jazz Band 6:30 p.m. – MTCS Jazz Band 7 p.m. – Central Magnet School Jazz Band 7:40 p.m. – Siegel High School Jazz band 8:20 p.m. – Riverdale High School Jazz band 9 p.m. – Oakland High School Jazz Band 9:40 p.m. – Blackman High School Jazz band 10:20 p.m. – Smyrna High School Jazz Band 11 p.m. – LaVergne High School Jazz Band

SATURDAY, MAY 5 2012 Kroger (West) Stage 11 a.m. – Siegel Middle School 11:30 a.m. – Smyrna Middle School 12 p.m. – Stewart’s Creek Middle School 12:30 p.m. – Rockvale Middle School 1 p.m. – Seymour High School (Knoxville) 1:40 p.m. – St Rose Middle School 2:10 p.m. – Oakland Middle School 2:40 p.m. – TN School For the Blind 3:50 p.m. – All Rutherford Co Jazz Band 4:30 p.m. – First Fruit Jazz Project 5:15 p.m. – Music City Swing

MAIN (EAST) STAGE SCHEDULE 12 p.m. – MTSU Jazz Ensemble 1 p.m. – The Kelli Cox Collaborative 2 p.m. – MYJO 3 p.m. – Everyday Magic 4 p.m. – Connye Florance 5:30 p.m. – Denny Jiosa 7 p.m. – 129th US Army Jazz Band Ensemble

Rahsaan Barber of Everyday Magic

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ALBUM REVIEWS

Honey Locust

Ryan Coleman

Out of context, this can sound mean, but Murfreesboro has needed such a new-textured arrangement of instrumental versatility in the same small package outside the standard electric-based bands inhabiting the music scene for the past few years. In the context of listening to the nine-month-old Nashville band, Honey Locust’s, debut EP, Fear is a Feeling, the opinion can be understood that one or two of our recent groups have come close to or matched the now nationally popular and sought after sound Honey Locust is offering. As the quintet holds high a plethora of acoustic stringed and keyed instruments destined for virtuosity and already achieving a full and grown sound by mixing a young Steph Merritt-esque vocalist with what can be compared to the Decemberists sitting in on the Goat Rodeo Sessions for an afternoon, several will be pleased with this EP, released out of Comfortable Constable Publishing.

It’s just a little five-track sampler of showing what Honey Locust is capable of, but the melodious chamber sound is more than satisfactory through to the final song with the members changing instruments every track to accomplish a different aspect of poppy New York hip-folk.

Beginning with a mandolin strum driving the first and title track, followed by the organ, bass drum, and violin filling, vocalists Jake Davis and Lizzie Connor harmonize Honey Locust’s exclamation of genuine ingenuity in a three and a half minute song. Following “Fear is a Feeling,” the guys lay it on accordion-thick for a waltz of a song calling in The Decemberist’s sound. A cello shares hints of Bach’s “Cello Suite No. 1 Prelude” in “Walkin’ Shoes” just as the remaining members of Honey Locust come in plucking away viola, ukulele, banjo and a snowy drum beat in ¾ time. Track 4, “Softer Someday,” can be considered the dramatic one of the bunch, with harmonies from Davis as Strummer, this time, and Connor as Neko Case as they watch someone sleep. Each track gives a chance for individual members to take the spotlight but it’s prettily unnoticeable because of the seamlessness of the full sound.

Honey Locust will stage a release show May 11 at the High Watt in Nashville and follow that with a Grimey’s performance on May 18. Fear is a Feeling will be available at those shows. Their touring schedule can be found at honeylocustmusic.com. — BRYCE HARMON

If there’s ever proof that hard work and networking, at whatever pace, is the key to achieving one’s goals, Alabama-born turned Murfreesboro’s up and coming Southern Americana rocker Ryan Coleman shows it in his debut release, From Missoula to Marseille, independently released March 1 this year. It took the past 10 years to pull everything together for this young man’s album, but worth it in order to produce something comparable to guitar styles and accessible lyrics of Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and a little bit of Blue Oyster Cult with a production value, raspy voice and backing band of the likes too.

The album’s title spawned from Coleman’s travels at an early age, being the son of a military man, as well as noticeably putting in time circuiting many a hazy Southern bar stage.

Right off the bat, “Can You Feel It?” gives the Springsteen impression within the first couple of strums of Coleman’s guitar, Robert Crawford’s snare’s beat, and then the post-production choral clapping coming in to solidify.

Lyrically, the title of the track is self-explanatory in light of the scenario in which it’s compared. Most of the songs strum along to the same criteria throughout From Missoula to Marsielle. The third track “Gypsy Wind” even has Phil Kenzie blowing out an homage to late saxophonist Clarence Clemons until the next song, “Mr. Song,” switches it up just for a second to a strictly Southern, easy locomotive country song adding an accompanying harmonica hummed by Coleman the whole song (not just for filler). “Mr. Song,” along with a latter track, “Deep Royal Blue,” play as slow as Coleman can throughout the record. Everything else is straight Springsteen, Petty and B.O.C. gigging in a Southern bar room for a nice summer evening.

Coleman usually stays around Murfreesboro to host “Writers Night” at 3 Brothers off the Square every Wednesday night at 8 p.m. for other up and coming Murfreesboro musicians wanting to put themselves in front of a good-sized crowd. For other shows and news, visit Coleman’s Facebook page. From Missoula to Marseille can be found streaming on pandora.com or bought at Amazon, iTunes and CDbaby.

Fear is Feeling

24 * MAY 2012 * BOROPULSE.COM

Read more album reviews at

From Missoula to Marseille

— BRYCE HARMON

RATINGS: AVERAGE

A CLASSIC BELOW AVERAGE

The Buzz Band!

OUTSTANDING AVOID AT ALL COSTS

DEAD

The Whiskey Weather

The Man in the Moon

The Whiskey Weather

Lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Gary What’s instantly notable about The Whiskey WeathRenales, lead guitarist Bryant Meltzer and bass er’s eponymous debut are the collection of musicians player Bruce Fagan met and formed The Buzz! of local fame backing up songwriter and vocalist Greg Band under sad circumstances. After the death Owens. Tony Hartman (Tony Hartman Quintet, The of a mutual friend called Buzz in 2010, the three Great Barrier Reefs) provides percussion, Skylar Gregg discovered a musical common ground among (Rhythm Kitchen), Nick Carver (Nick Carver Band) them and, in tribute, created this fine 12-track lend backing vocals and naturally, Taylor Lonardo, who demo, titled The Man in the Moon. After playing it plays bass for everyone in town including your mom, through three times and picking up on a fantastic gives the five-track EP its deep rhythmic pulse. ’70s family folk band vibe that has a lot to do with The Whiskey Weather is as diverse as North and a mellow, loose country rock influence and backup South in terms of genre, partially due to the styles and vocals, I wonder what the record would sound like tastes of its eclectic group of artists—Tony Hartman’s once polished up in a studio, and if the bells and jazz and salsa leanings creep through, particularly on whistles could really do anything for it.

“I’ll Be Lovin’ You Always.” But another part of the The Buzz! Band has got an extensive list of record’s variety can be attributed to the upbringing achievements and appearances from radio play in of front man Owens, who also plays all guitar, banjo, Nashville to writing and performharmonica and mandolin parts. ing a television show’s theme song.

Born in rural West Tennessee, Owens We’re working That’s likely because, though Nashtook trips to Memphis and Gatlinburg hard to promote ville is overflowing with genuine as a child, which led to the incorpogood music in ration of blues, jazz and roots in his and successful Americana bands, Middle Tennessee. music. Those childhood trips account many of whom are very young, The Buzz! Band have age and a for his musical style, while his lyrics are Bands: send your albums firmer grasp of yesteryear’s folk inspired by teen years filled with the and promotional materials to rock on their side. Sounding like a typical rebellion, wrong girls and drinkThe Murfreesboro Pulse, 116-E North Walnut St., combination of Crosby, Stills, Nash ing too much (which is where the name Murfreesboro, TN 37130. & Young, America and The Band, “Whiskey Weather” originated). they have a loose, good-time style Opener “I’d Have Made You that’s accessible and not hard to figure out.

Breakfast” is a country roots lament cut through with The Man in the Moon has hooks: opener “She Suzanne Rohrer’s fiddle (which is sought after by Never Made Me Cry” contains a riff that makes it country artists like Vince Gill and Rebecca Lynn Howseem like a country version of the B-52s’ “Planet ard), while “Leaves On the Breeze” is a quiet, acoustic Claire.” It has stories: “Put Him in the Boat” and number on which Owens’ soft, tired vocals sound like “Run Little Red,” a foreboding Riding Hood tale coffee gone cold. haunted by backup vocals (the video was featured All in all, Owens’ downhearted tales tie together on the Nashville Indie Rock Video Show). And it the efforts of great local musicians who just do their has romance: the play-on-words of “The Man in own thing regardless of genre. the Moon.”

The 5-song EP is available on CD Baby for $5 for The title track is currently available on CD Baby either a physical CD or an mp3 download. as an mp3 download for just 99 cents, but stay The Whiskey Weather’s official album release will tuned for the full release. To listen to a few of The begin at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 2, at the National UnderBuzz! Band's songs loaded with easygoing harmoground on Broadway in Nashville. For more, visit thenies and Southern twang, visit reverbnation.com/ sixtyone.com/thewhiskeyweather or search “Greg Owens thebuzzband. — JESSICA PACE Music” on Facebook. — JESSICA PACE

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BOROPULSE.COM

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MAY 2012

* 25

SOUNDS READY, SET, ROO!

BY JESSICA PACE

J

une time means Bonnaroo time, which means you’ve only got a month left to get ready if you’re considering ’Rooing it this year. The Beach Boys, Radiohead and Phish are just a few of the big ones this year, though the Pulse’s fancy is just as tickled by the little guys on the bill (hello, Kurt Vile, White Denim and Punch Brothers). You can find the full lineup lineup.bonnaroo. com here, which is still growing, and below you’ll find just a few suggestions for enjoying Bonnaroo 2012 to the fullest.

KNOW THE RIGHT EXIT

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First things first. Last year, there were a few issues finding the entrance for RV-less, fancy badgeless, plain old regular-ass folks. If you’re coming via I-24, there are multiple options, but I’d take 111 or 112.

BRING WATER: Lots of it. And then bring even more, because you or a friend will need it. Getting drunk at a music festival is funny. Getting dehydrated is not, and no one else wants to deal with that either. In the least serious of cases, there is puking and discomfort involved, so fill the cooler and avoid the water fountains.

VOLUNTEER: Donating a few hours of your time can score you a free pass; enough said.

There are volunteer shifts for before, during and after the festival, and you can even request to work with any friends who are also trying to earn their ’Roo tickets.

There are two divisions of volunteer opportunities; General volunteers may be assigned to work toll booths or pods (festival community centers), while Clean Vibes volunteers will be involved in the waste/recycling program. Get the details on volunteering bonnaroo.com/ get-involved/volunteers here.

BE GREEN: A dollar from your ticket this year goes toward reducing the Farm’s carbon footprint, but you have the option of donating more. There are lots of other ways to green it up at Bonnaroo, or just do some good. This year, Sustain U, a company that only produces clothing that uses 100 percent recycled materials, will be holding a clothing drive at the festival’s Clean Vibes trading post. You can donate clothing here and be eligible for prizes. Same goes if you carpool with three or more.

GROUP CAMP: There are all kinds of upgrades you can purchase with your ticket for RVs, food, etc. For the first time this year, you can reserve an area for you and your friends to camp. It’s guaranteed no matter what time you arrive, but the spots are limited, and in fact, already sold out. If you missed out this year, it will likely be an option to consider for 2013.

SEE THE OLDIES: The truth is, a lot of the, ahem, younger (in terms of age) bands will come

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26 * MAY 2012 * BOROPULSE.COM

around again and probably a lot more frequently. You’ll have another opportunity to see them, and in the case of the smaller acts, you can see them another time for less cash. While you may be a bit sorry you missed Arcade Fire, you won’t regret seeing Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (for example). Plus, who knows how much longer those old dudes will be around?

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BUT SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL NEWBIES:

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BRING A CHARGER OR BATTERIES FOR YOUR CAMERA:

It’s incredible to see a band who you’ve supported since their dirty basement show days score a set at Bonnaroo. You may have already seen the band play back at home a million times, but they’ll be giving their first ’Roo show their all. JEFF the Brotherhood, for one, blew the roof off last June, and so did their fans (they kind of bent the little railing between them and the stage). It was a happy time for us all.

You’re so close to the stage, you can almost touch Jim James’ furry boots. You raise your camera to get a shot, and it dies. Don’t let it happen.

SWING BY SONIC STAGE: Sonic Village’s Sonic Stage is where Bonnaroo artists are going to be doing intimate acoustic performances and interviews. Hang out there, and you may get a chance to meet some of your favorites.

SEE OTHER THINGS: Of course you go to Bonnaroo for the music. But there’s other attractions like the Comedy Theatre, which gets better each year. This time around, you can catch “Flight of the Conchords’” Rhys Darby and “30 Rock’s” Judah Friedlander in there.

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CHECK OUT THE POSTERS:

The American Poster Institute collaborated with Bonnaroo to create the Bonnaroo Poster Art Exhibit, which will feature limited edition handscreened posters by countless talented designers and illustrators. Many posters feature Bonnaroo artists.

PEE IN THE GRASS: Even the cleanest of port-a-potties are horrifying for the claustrophobic. It’s just a cramped, dark telephone booth with poop in it instead of a phone. So go find your car and pee next to it in the grass (ladies, I’m talking to you). If anyone sees you, it’s fine–that’s definitely not the weirdest thing happening at Bonnaroo.

WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES: A lot of people do flip-flops or just bare feet, but I wouldn’t. Depending on how far away you’ve parked, how many shows you’re planning on cramming into each day and factoring in the general sludge that collects after a day or so in certain parts of the field, you may want to stick with old sneakers.

WEAR DEODORANT: It’s the simplest way to respect your neighbor.

BE NICE AND TALK TO PEOPLE: There are 80,000 other people at Bonnaroo with you. Be friendly and talk to some of them–it’s the spirit of the festival, and furthermore, a lot of those people are in the music industry. If that’s your bag and you’re really lucky, you could end up talking to one of them and finding an “in” if you’re looking for one. It happens all the time. You never know who you’re going to meet.

w e r t

CONCERT LISTINGS

MOTHER’S DAY MASSACRE

Send your show listings to listings@boropulse.com

THURS, 5/3

FRI, 5/11

3 BROTHERS Neo Tundra Cowboy BLUE Jazz Brunch with Avent Lane & Larry Pinkerton WILLIE’S WET SPOT Shane & the Moneymakers

3 BROTHERS Culture Cringe GNO Video Release Party BUNGANUT PIG Karl & the Undertones FANATICS Greez Monkeez JUST LOVE COFFEE Chip Greene NOBODY’S Zone Status THE BORO West of Providence WILLIES WET SPOT Freedom Hill

FRI, 5/4 3 BROTHERS Blue Transit Authority BUNGANUT PIG Groove Addiction FANATICS The Smoking Guns JOZOARA Ronnie Lowe NOBODY’S Marshall Creek THE BORO Dot Commies WILLIE’S WET SPOT Citizen Rejects

SAT, 5/5 3 BROTHERS Matt Woods & Friends BUNGANUT PIG Junk Box FANATICS Pimpalicious JOZOARA Open Mic Night NOBODY’S JT & the Funky Bunch THE BORO Skeetzo N’ Krysis WILLIE’S WET SPOT Evil Twin

SUN, 5/6 3 BROTHERS Johnny’s Kids BLUE Jazz Brunch with Avent Lane & Larry Pinkerton BUNGANUT PIG Gary Pailer

TUES, 5/8 LIQUID SMOKE Bellweather THE BORO The Hangdog Hearts WILLIE’S WET SPOT Freedom Hill

WED, 5/9 3 BROTHERS Ryan Coleman’s Writers Night WILLIE’S WET SPOT Shane & Lenny, Freedom Hill

THURS, 5/10 THE BORO Dave & Kristen WILLIE’S WET SPOT Shane & the Moneymakers

View Concert Listings Online:

SAT, 5/12 3 BROTHERS Anthony Adams BUNGANUT PIG Dirty Cherry THE BORO Flea Market Hustlers WILLIE’S WET SPOT Greez Monkeez

SUN, 5/13 3 BROTHERS Local Film Fundraiser: Dark Sister, Tennessee Scum, Tron Ate My Baby BUNGANUT PIG Martin Rodriguez BLUE Jazz Brunch with Avent Lane & Larry Pinkerton THE BORO Mother’s Day Massacre feat. The Convalescence, Tides of War, Mercia, IllicitTies, Rising From Ruin, Doom Factor

TUES, 5/15 LIQUID SMOKE Bellweather WILLIE’S WET SPOT Freedom Hill

WED, 5/16 3 BROTHERS Ryan Coleman’s Writers Night BUNGANUT PIG Tristen Smith & Moonlight Mission WILLIE’S WET SPOT Shane & Lenny

SAT, 5/13 @ THE BORO Moms and metal go together like peanut butter and hot dogs; not really, but kind of definitely.

Leave it to The Boro to put together the Mother’s Day Massacre, featuring The Convalescence, Tides of War, Mercia, Illicit Ties, Rising from Ruin and Doom Factor. Mamas are welcome. Buy her a nice drink, offer her the cleanest barstool and commence the massacre.

SE PUILCK P

Tuscarora WILLIE’S WET SPOT Rebel Rulez

SAT, 5/19 3 BROTHERS Nashvegas Bluegrass BUNGANUT PIG Brass Monkey JOZOARA Open Mic Night THE BORO Adam Dalton & The B-Sides WILLIE’S WET SPOT Shane & the Moneymakers

SUN, 5/20 BLUE Jazz Brunch with Avent Lane & Larry Pinkerton BUNGANUT PIG Uncle Don Clark THE BORO Tuatha Dea

FRI, 5/25 3 BROTHERS The Hardin Draw BUNGANUT PIG 10th Floor FANATICS Zone Status NOBODY’S Nite Traxx THE BORO Memorial Day Metal Fest feat. Death Before Dying, Martyr To The Plague, Blood Culprit, Defying Tyrants WALL STREET Deep Machine WILLIE’S WET SPOT Phoenix Rising

SAT, 5/26

3 BROTHERS Ryan Coleman’s Writers Night WILLIE’S WET SPOT Shane & Lenny

3 BROTHERS The Radio Symphonic BUNGANUT PIG Firehouse FANATICS Freedom Hill JOZOARA 3 Simple Rules THE BORO Memorial Day Metal Fest feat. Now The Never, Dixie VooDoo Revival, DeadChain, Saint Jexebel, Scent of Remains, Bury Me Memories Memories WILLIE’S WET SPOT Stoopid Cool

THURS, 5/24

SUN, 5/27

TUES, 5/22 LIQUID SMOKE Bellweather WILLIE’S WET SPOT Freedom Hill

WED, 5/23

THE BORO Awake At Last, Stigma Strain WILLIE’S WET SPOT Shane & the Moneymakers

THURS, 5/17

BLUE Jazz Brunch with Avent Lane & Larry Pinkerton BUNGANUT PIG Ryan Coleman

JAZZ BRUNCH

WILLIE’S WET SPOT Shane & the Moneymakers

SUN, 5/6 @ BLUE BAR

FRI, 5/18 3 BROTHERS The Imaginary Friends BUNGANUT PIG Backlit FANATICS 61 Seconds NOBODY’S Hambone THE BORO

SE PULCK PI

This month in the Boro is infested with jazz, what with the upcoming JazzFest in addition to the jazz jams that occur frequently all over the city. For example, the Jazz Brunch with Avent Lane and Larry Pinkerton.

For the past few months, it’s been every Sunday at Blue Bar, which sounds like just the sort of place for two guys to unleash some mid-morning jazziness to start the week.

JOZOARA Battle and Rest THE BORO Jason & the Punknecks

TUES, 5/29 LIQUID SMOKE Bellweather WILLIE’S WET SPOT Freedom Hill

WED, 5/30 3 BROTHERS Ryan Coleman’s Writers Night WILLIE’S WET SPOT Shane & Lenny WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Tennessee Guitar Festival and Competition

THURS, 5/31 WILLIE’S WET SPOT Shane & the Moneymakers WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Tennessee Guitar Festival and Competition

FRI, 6/1 3 BROTHERS Stephen Simmons THE BORO Mize & the Drive WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Tennessee Guitar Festival and Competition

SAT, 6/2

IF YOU GO: 3 Brothers 223 W. Main St. 410-3096 Aura Lounge 114 S. Maple St. 396-8328 Blue 810 NW Broad St. 410-3383 Bonhoeffer’s 610 Dill Lane 202-3517 Bunganut Pig 1602 W. Northfield Blvd.

893-7860 Coach’s Grill 127 SE Broad St. 962-7853 Coconut Bay Cafe 210 Stones River Mall Blvd.

494-0504 Dugger’s Food & Fun 1738 W. Northfield Blvd.

809-2605 Fanatic’s 1850 Old Fort Pkwy.

494-3995 Gilligan’s 527 W. Main St. 439-6090 JoZoara 536 N. Thompson Ln. 962-7175 Lanes, Trains and Automobiles 450 Butler Drive 890-3999 Liquid Smoke #2 Public Square 217-7822 MT Bottle 3940 Shelbyville Hwy. 962-9872 Murfreesboro/ Center for the Arts 110 W. College St. 904-ARTS Nobody’s Grill & BBQ 116 John R. Rice Blvd.

962-8019

THE BORO The GoldRoom WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Tennessee Guitar Festival and Competition

Social 114 N. Church St. 904-7236

SUN, 6/3

The Boro Bar & Grill 1211 Greenland Dr. 895-4800

BLUE Jazz Brunch with Avent Lane & Larry Pinkerton THE BORO 27th Anniversary Party hosted by Levi Massie

TUES, 6/5 LIQUID SMOKE Bellweather

Temptation Club 2404 Halls Hill Pike 217-0944

Wall Street 121 N. Maple St. 867-9090 Walking Horse Hotel 101 Spring St., Wartrace (931) 389-7050

WED, 6/6

Willie’s Wet Spot 1208 S. Lowry St., Smyrna 355-0010

3 BROTHERS Ryan Coleman’s Writers Night

Wright Music Bldg.

1439 Faulkinberry Dr. 898-2493 BOROPULSE.COM

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MAY 2012

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LIVING ROOM CINEMA

MOVIES REVIEWS

column by NORBERT THIEMANN

cinespire@gmail.com

Beware Taunting Nature

THE CABIN IN THE WOODS Starring: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Richard Jenkins Directed by Drew Goddard

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Rated R

Superficially, The Cabin in the Woods appears to be one of the many off-season horror films that pop up throughout the year, destined for obscurity in the bargain section of some big box store. Delve a little deeper, however, and this unassuming little film proves almost custom made for cult status, albeit in the bargain section of said big box store.

The first indication that this simplistically titled flick might be something more comes during the opening scene. The classic curmudgeon character actors Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford casually converse over monitors and surveillance equipment in a sterile office about some vague event involving five unsuspecting college kids taking a trip to a, well, you get the picture. The five fun-seekers (including Thor’s Chris Hemsworth and Dollhouse alum Fran Kranz) purposely fit the formula of Jock, Slut, Nerd, Stoner and Final Girl (Virgin). On their way to the, let’s say, cottage in the forest, they encounter equally contrived cliches such as

hether it be the heart of a man, or the nature of a wild beast, be advised not to tread too far.

Though one being from a documentary and the other from a work of fiction, both characters live surprisingly eventful lives brought on by their circumstances.

the crazy backwoods gas station attendant and the ominous tunnel which provides the only entrance or exit from their destination. What keeps these seemingly boilerplate situations and cliched, though witty and intelligent, characters from feeling stale, however, is the question behind who is pulling the strings and why.

Writers Joss Whedon (a cult hero in his own right) and first-time director Drew Goddard (a former TV writer for Lost and Buffy) balance the Truman Show style plot-within-a-plot of the kids at the creepy cabin and their puppet masters with deft hands. Like Scream, the characters are funny, likable and self-aware, but unlike Scream (and its increasingly formulaic

sequels) The Cabin In The Woods has an actual explanation for the inevitable fatal lapses in judgment, rather than seemingly smart characters inexplicably reverting to formulaic stupidity just to keep the plot rolling.

Whedon and Goddard keep this high-concept meta-horror surprisingly down to earth, and more importantly, they keep it fun. The Cabin in the Woods is a horror movie for anyone who has ever been annoyed by the predictable trappings of the genre, and for those who love them. But by the end, after all hell breaks loose, The Cabin in the Woods proves anything but formulaic.

— JAY SPIGHT

PIRATES! BAND OF MISFITS Starring: Hugh Grant, Salma Hayek and Jeremy Piven Directed by Peter Lord, Jeff Newitt

The Last Circus (2010) is directed by Álex de la Iglesia and stars Carlos Areces. With a political backdrop, The Last Circus begins in the time of the Spanish Civil War from the late 1930s.

The clown of focus is later succeeded by his son, Javier, who then begins his punctuated adulthood life. The film is an ultra dark and adventurous comedy that prevails with many entertaining moments of grotesque horror and uneasy laughter.

It is packed with bravado and heightened drama, the bold essence of Spain.

Rated PG

Please do not be fooled. This is not a film by Nick Park, the genius animator and claymation specialist responsible for Wallace and Gromit. No, this quaint little movie about pirates was drawn from the first installment of Gideon Defoe’s series, The Pirates! in an adventure with Scientists and directed by Peter Lord (Park’s partner for Chicken Run).

The facial expressions, gags and sentiment you’ll find very similar to Park’s work, though the whole thing falls a bit flat without Park’s visual creativity.

No discussion of moving clay in film is complete, however, without Ray Harryhausen, who pioneered stop-motion clay in the ’50s and ’60s with Clash of the Titans and Jason and the Argonauts. His incredible monsters inspired a whole generation of film directors and art departments to fear no spectacle on film.

In this new Pirates! film, Hugh Grant plays the Pirate Captain, a failure of a plunderer RATINGS: 28 * MAY 2012 * BOROPULSE.COM

A CLASSIC

who is mocked and jeered at for thinking he could possibly enter the Pirate of the Year contest. He leaves dejected, but determined to launch a rampage on the high seas worthy of the title. In his fruitless endeavors to commandeer gold, he happens upon a young, beardless Charles Darwin, played by the 9th Doctor, timelord David Tennent. When Darwin viddies the Pirate Captain’s fat “parrot” Polly, he is astonished. “That’s no parrot,” he says. “It’s the last living Dodo!”

The rest of the film is spent trying to win OUTSTANDING

the the Royal Society’s annual contest for Best Scientific Discovery. The captain and Charles win, but Queen Victoria wants the Dodo for her petting zoo (a secret society of aristocrats who feast on endangered animals).

A decent animated film. Bring your British-American dictionaries for some of the dialogue, and of course, as with any Aardman Animations production, watch closely the edges of the screen. That’s where most of the jokes take place.

— SPENCER BLAKE

AVERAGE

BELOW AVERAGE

Project Nim (2011) is directed by James Marsh and documents an ape’s journey from his birth in the 1970s. A chimpanzee named Nim was selected to be reared in the manner of a human child as prescribed by Herbert S. Terrace for linguistic research through Columbia University. The documentary does well to illustrate Nim’s life with archived material and interviews from many of the people who were close to him. Later admissions and summations are somewhat surprising by the key players toward the undomesticated beast.

You can also find Living Room Cinema on Facebook and Tumblr.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS

DEAD

MTSU Hosts Coppelia Ballet

THEATER Lora Phillips Hortert and Meigie Mabry play in Out Front on Main’s production of ’Night Mother.

* MAY PERFORMANCES TAMING OF THE SHREW

@ Murfreesboro Little Theatre 7 p.m. May 11–13, 18–20, 25–27 mltarts.com

PHOTO BY MAY FLOWER PHOTOGRAPHY

THE COLOR PURPLE

Play Explores Suicide Threat Last month’s “’Night, Mother” defines very mission of Out Front.

O

ut Front on Main, Inc. presented Marsha Norman’s Pulitzer Prizewinning drama, ’Night, Mother in April. The play opens with two women, mother and daughter, engaged in the ordinary actions of their ordinary lives.

Things move along with a sameness born of decades of repetition until Jessie, the daughter, says, “I’m going to kill myself, Momma.”

At that point, the play takes on the majestic tone of a Greek tragedy relentlessly building to its inescapable climax.

Jessie and her mother, Thelma, spend the next 90 minutes of their lives in mortal combat. Not a blow is struck, but the battle is clearly a deadly one, and tension mounts as to whether Jessie will, in fact, kill herself, or whether Thelma will blast a road through Jessie’s rock-solid determination.

Lora Phillips Hortert, who plays Jessie, gives a stunning performance as the young

woman so wounded by life that she can no longer feel the hurt. Hortert gives a textured, multi-layered performance. When her Jessie is tidying up the house, she creates the haunting impression of a shell of a woman dusting off and cleaning out the corners of her dreary, empty life. It is a memorable sight.

Jessie singlemindedly sets about cleaning up the ragged edges of her life, seeking and finding answers. As Jessie’s time unfolds, the shock comes from how very simple her life is, how unexceptional. Hortert is so appealing, even heroic, as Jessie that she totally controls the stage.

Actually, the main character of ’Night, Mother is Thelma, who is wrenched out of the placidity of her life by her daughter’s scheme and who must fight with everything she can think of to save her child. It is the mother who must change if her life is to continue.

She alternately wheedles, cajoles, yells, threatens, begs and comforts. “I was here with you all the time, how could I know you were so alone?” she says, weeping.

The role of Thelma is an unusually demanding one, but Meigie Mabry is able to meet the challenge. Her command of the stage pushes the dramatic elements along

Be whisked away to a toymaker’s workshop as Dance The5–6 atre of Tennessee presents the comedic storybook ballet Coppelia, The Girl with the Enamel Eyes May 5 and 6 at MTSU’s Tucker Theatre.

Performances are set for 7 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. A special performance for schools also is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday, May 4.

For additional enjoyment, children are encouraged to bring their favorite dolls to the Sunday matinee for a 1:30 p.m. doll parade. Ticketholders for both the Saturday and Sunday performances can register to win an American Girl doll, complete with ballerina attire.

“Coppelia offers an absolute delight to ballet newcomers and families as well as Dance Theatre of Tennessee’s most seasoned patrons,” says Christopher Mohnani, artistic director of Dance Theatre of Tennessee. “The dancing is of course lovely, while the characterization and comic timing of this classic will keep audiences enchanted the entire time.”

Presented in three acts, Coppelia is a comedic ballet based on Der Sandmann, a book by E.T.A. Hoffman, the author of The Nutcracker. The story involves a mysterious toy-maker, Dr. Coppelius, who shares his house with the beautiful life-size doll, Coppelia, he created to keep himself company in his workshop.

Coppelia is seated every day on the front balcony of the workshop with a book, and the toymaker’s neighbor, Swanhilda, and her fiance Franz believe the doll is real.

Franz falls in love with Coppelia, and the comedy of errors begins as the pair sneak into the workshop, separately, to meet her.

Dance Theatre of Tennessee regularly presents classical ballets that might be unfamiliar to the community, like Coppelia, to “encourage appreciation of the art form and hopefully develop a wider and more appreciative audience for dance and ballet in general,” Mohnani says.

The performance also will honor the late Robert Flavel “Lee” Green, a longtime ballet supporter and a driving force in Nashville and Middle Tennessee theater. Coppelia was one of his favorite ballets, and Dance Theatre of Tennessee will be accepting memorial contributions with a notation made for the “Lee Green Tribute.”

Advance and online tickets for Coppelia are $20 for adults and $15 for children and are available at mtsu.edu/tuckertheatre or by calling (615) 391-5500. Tickets also will be available at the door before each performance and will cost $25 for adults and $20 for children.

For more information about the Dance Theatre of Tennessee performance, please call (615) 391-5500.

MAY

@ Murfreesboro/Rutherford County Center for the Arts 7 p.m. May 11–12, 17–19, 24–26 2 p.m. May 13, 20 & 27 boroarts.org TALES OF A FOURTH GRADE NOTHING

@ Arts Center of Cannon County 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 11 2 p.m. Saturday, May 12 artscenterofcc.com SISTER MARY IGNATIUS EXPLAINS IT ALL FOR YOU

@ Out Front on Main 7:30 p.m. May 10–13, 17–20 outfrontonmain.com

providing a dim light in the darkness Jesse has created. She never falters or gives in to the ultimate inevitable conclusion. With a simple look, Mabry can bring the audience to tears and does so often in this production.

The passionate director, Ryan T. Daniel, exhibits a clear understanding of the material, as well as a strong sense of stage composition and excellent paced moments that require a lingering look.

The set designer, Ryan Vogel, has done a remarkable job, providing a chintz and plastic living room-kitchen combination. Carefully placed are the obligatory laundry basket, the couch covers, the entire elements of the kitchen, all making their statement to the play’s sensibility.

This ’Night, Mother was worth the trip to Out Front on Main and remains one of the most moving and thought-provoking plays and productions in recent theatrical history.

— column by ANDIE BOYD

BOROPULSE.COM

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MAY 2012

* 29

Run Strong

SPORTS

BY BRACKEN MAYO

PREDS STILL ALIVE IN PLAYOFFS; TITANS DRAFT

T

he Train Daddy is back and it’s that time of Jackson and Wes Welker. There is also one guy year where I show the world my fingering named Derrick Mason, and if you bleed Code abilities, FaaaaaNG Fingers! It’s an excitBlue like I do, Wright and Mason look identical ing time in the world of sports, the NFL size-wise, both quick and great route runners. draft, the race to the Stanley Cup and the NBA The Titans second round pick was also a battles it out for its championship. shock for me; they did take a linebacker, just The Tennessee Titans were busy in the war not the one I thought—Zach Brown, the fastest room deciding what pieces linebacker in the draft out of would fit. I was a skeptic and UNC. He is almost identical SPORTS excited all at the same time to Will Witherspoon, just TALK with the Titans first-round column by Z-TRAIN faster. The kid has track-star titanman1984@ pick, Kendall Wright, a 5' 10" speed, but many say he lacks yahoo.com receiver out of Baylor. Two strength and power when it receivers were taken prior to comes to tackling.

Wright at the 5 and 13 spot. Many experts and With their third pick, the Titans took DT myself agree that Wright is as talented as both, Mike Martin, a bowling ball to block, and with and faster. Wright is a reliable route runner Karl Klug already on the squad, this was a great and return threat, he is explosive and can be third-round pick. The Titans will get great push groomed to become part of the dual threat at up the middle with these two. receiver opposite Kenny Britt. If anyone argues The fifth-round pick, Taylor Thompson out of that the kid will be a bust because of his size, SMU, was the weirdest pick for me; it’s a gamremind them of these elite receivers, all Wright’s ble that could pay off. Thompson was a DE in exact size: Steve Smith, Greg Jennings, DeSean college and was drafted as a tight end. He never

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caught a pass in his college career. He decided to change positions prior to the draft and has been working on catching balls. He had seven teams interested in drafting him and converting him into a tight end. At 6' 6" and 259 pounds, he is athletic and fast enough to be special.

As of press time, the Nashville Predators were down 0-2 in their second-round matchup with the Phoenix Coyotes. All I know is, down 0-2, I still feel great about the chances. I am looking to the future, but I know the Predators will take care of business at home.

It was a pleasure watching the Predators destroy the rival Red Wings in the first round courtesy of Pekke Rinne. The Phoenix vs. Predators matchup looks to be a seven-game series, and I am excited.

The Preds have been growing over the past few years and have reached a level of play good enough to compete for the Stanley Cup with players like Rinne (an elite goalie), Shea Webber, Ryan Sutter, Martin Erat, David Legwand, Kevin Klein, Patrick Hornqvist and the Tootoo.

Where is the Tootoo? Jordin had one of the best regular seasons of his career and has recently been scratched from games while healthy. He has been very vocal about his anger towards not playing. In his last 15 games, his production has been way down with one assist and a -7 rating; the coach has been rolling with the hot players.

I hope to hear the whistles blowing before the playoffs wrap up; I love the toot of the whistle.

A player will never get out of a slump unless he gets playing time. I know the Predators have what it takes, and I will ride with that long-fanged cat-looking beast all the way to the Stanley Cup. The excitement would be second to none in Nashville. Thanks to fans like Cell Block 303 and the Corn Bread Killas, fans like you create a franchise. No bandwagon fans here baby!

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n the first ever Run, Cougar, Run 5K, held Saturday, April 14, at Middle Tennessee Christian School, Matt Miffleton led the field posting a 18:16 time. Taylor Vroman came in fourth overall and led the ladies at 19:51.

For runners needing a little extra motivation, a training group meets at Sports*Com at 6:15 a.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday to train for 5K races. The series is free, and the group will participate in one 5k event each month. To register or for more information, contact Jennifer Joines at 895-5040 or jjoines@murfreesborotn.gov. Sports*Com is located at 2310 Memorial Blvd.

For those ready for a little Cinco de Mayo running fun, a 5K starts and finishes at Nashville’s Tin Roof at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 5. The course travels Music Row & Demonbreun St. Prizes are awarded for best costume in addition to top times. A Cinco de Mayo party follows the race. For more information, visit irunfortheparty.com.

For the distance runners, the 34th annual Strolling Jim 40 Mile Run will begin at 7 a.m. Saturday, May 5, in the town square of Wartrace. This endurance events travels the Tennessee roads between Wartrace, Normandy Lake and Tullahoma. For more information, visit sj40mile.com or e-mail Mike Melton at mike@mcmelton.com.

For the kids, the Try Boro 2.5K/5K Run will be held the evening of Friday, May 11, at Gateway Island in Murfreesboro. The run is open to runners ages 5–14. The first race begins at 6:30 p.m. This event will be the first milestone for the Try Boro 100% Challenge.

For more information, visit tryborokidstri.org.

For the dog lovers, the See Spot Run 5k supporting Rutherford County Habitat for Humanity will be Saturday, May 12. The race begins at 8 a.m. at MTSU's Peck Hall. Participants are welcome to run with their dogs. For more information, visit mtsu.edu/leadandserve.

Finally, MTSU Campus Life will host a 5k on Saturday, May 26, starting at 8 a.m. at Central Magnet School, 701 E. Main St. For more information, visit mtcampuslife.com.

Murfreesboro’s Biggest Loser

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ner party and got tired of re-buttoning his is not one of those “If I can column by ED FRIZ it every few minutes as the buttons were do it, you can do it” stories. I giving to the pressure of my stomach; I eventulost 59 1/2 pounds in 12 weeks. I’ve ally had to take it off. I felt horrible, embarrassed, always said, “I can lose weight any time I depressed. How could I let myself go so far? want”. See, I was a collegiate wrestler many With my wife’s encouragement, we signed years ago, and if I could do it then, I could do up for the Get Fit Murfreesboro contest and it whenever I wanted . . . piece of cake. All I took the initial weigh-in. I was, at this time, needed was the right motivation. the largest I have ever been. At 5’10”, I was 275 My wife came to me in December, as I was pounds. My wife and I were already members pushing maximum holiday density, about the at the Murfreesboro Athletic Club and have Get Fit Murfreesboro challenge. She exbeen for years. For me it was a small price to plained that it was a 12-week weight loss conpay so I could say, “I worked out.” I was reunittest in which the winner would get a cruise ed with Barry Campbell, a trainer and owner of package. She was tired of hearing me groan Tri-Fit Athletics with co-owner Adam Valentine. We came up with a two-pronged attack.

First, a lifestyle change to eating better, and second, more rigorous workouts more often.

With the advice of my trainers, I started eating Paleo, or eating like a cave man; as they would say, “if you can hunt or gather it, eat it . . . if not, don’t.” I cut out all grains and white carbs, sugars and starches. I would only eat lean meats, fruits, vegetables, seafood and some nuts. You might be thinking how horrible this would be, but it really wasn’t that difficult. I cut out as much processed food as I could, I would eat at least 6-7 times a day, or roughly every 2 hours, and except for the first week or so it was fairly easy. Preparation was key and having a plan every day kept me from being in bad situations. I was tempted by sweets, junk food and alcohol, but had a strong support team.

At the halfway point of the contest, I was down 29 pounds and in the top 10. This gave me even more motivation. I worked out whenever I could and didn’t feel “right” if I missed a day. I had tough days, but a dark Hershey’s kiss about my weight and being tired all the time, helped when the urge got too rough, and a glass and she really wanted to go on a cruise. of red wine once a week helped me through.

Let me back up. I am 43 and lost my job of By the end of the 12 weeks, I was feeleight years as an instructor at MTSU back in ing great, looking good and was healthier all July. I thought finding a job would have been around—and I won the contest! easy. It was not. I handled my inability to find meaningful work by eating. From August to December, I gained roughly 25 pounds and was Ed Friz plans to enjoy his Caribbean cruise in not really happy about it. The bottom hit as I November and also won a Brooks running gear was in Chicago at my family Christmas, had just package and a $200 Visa card for placing first bought a brand new 2X shirt to wear to the dinout of over 150 participants in the challenge.

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