The Pulse 17.02 » January 9, 2020

VOLUME 17, ISSUE 2 | JANUARY 9, 2020

2 • THE PULSE • JANUARY 9, 2020 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

BREWER MEDIA GROUP Publisher James Brewer, Sr.

Contents

VOLUME 17, ISSUE 2 • JANUARY 9, 2020

General Manager Kira Headlee THE PULSE Managing Editor Gary Poole gary@chattanoogapulse.com

6

KINDNESS, LOVE AND INCLUSION HAVE A HOME Since introducing the idea of an initiative to combat hate crimes in the Scenic City in his April 2018 State of the City address, Mayor Andy Berke was presented a report sharpening the goals of his newly formed Council Against Hate last April.

Assistant Editor Jessie Gantt-Temple Music Editor Marc T. Michael Film Editor John DeVore Art Director Kelly Lockhart

10

Director Of Sales Mike Baskin mike@brewermediagroup.com Office 1305 Carter St. Chattanooga, TN 37402 Phone 423.265.9494 Email info@chattanoogapulse.com Website chattanoogapulse.com Facebook @chattanoogapulse Founded 2003

by Zachary Cooper & Michael Kull THE FINE PRINT: The Pulse is published weekly by Brewer Media and is distributed throughout the city of Chattanooga and surrounding communities. The Pulse covers a broad range of topics concentrating on music, the arts, entertainment, culture and local news. The Pulse is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. No person without written permission from the publisher may take more than one copy per weekly issue. The Pulse may be distributed only by authorized distributors.

Contents Copyright © 2020 by Brewer Media.

All rights reserved.

CALEB GARCIA PROVIDES IN BLACK AND WHITE At a coffee shop in Soddy Daisy (yes, there is a hip coffee shop in Soddy Daisy but we’ll get to that in another issue), I glanced over to find such intricate hand-drawn, detailed wall hangings that warmed my spirit as much as the cup of hot joe warmed my hands.

14

LOCAL QUINTET OWEDA RELEASE THEIR FIRST ALBUM Oweda, the five-piece outfit from Chattanooga, has been building a sterling reputation at all of the area’s favorite music haunts including Clyde’s, JJs, Tremont, WanderLinger, and Songbirds to name just a few. Finally, Oweda has now released their first EP, 3823.

4 CITY LIFE

12 ARTS CALENDAR

18 MUSIC REVIEWS

5 EDITOONS

13 THE LIST

19 HEALTH & WELLNESS

9 SHADES OF GREEN

16 MUSIC CALENDAR

20 FILM & TELEVISION

17 JONESIN' CROSSWORD

22 SUSHI & BISCUITS

11 FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 9, 2020 • THE PULSE • 3

CITY LIFE · FROM THE EDITOR

Ballet With A Spin

Cons ider This w ith Dr. Rick “Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.” — Morticia Addams With a new year comes a new opportunity to tune-up your life. Taking stock of your journey is an important bit of life maintenance that requires your regular attention. The start of a new year (and decade) is as good a time as any.

Consider this: look at the different parts of your life—friendships, job/career, physical and mental health, family, relationship, etc. How are you doing? What parts of your life need adjustments, nourishment, support, validation?

I’d remind you that there’s no such thing as normal, or perfect. There is only progress.

This is about you. Your life. Eckhart Tolle poses this question: “What difference does their approval or disapproval truly make to who you are?”

And from Wayne Dyer: “If you believe it will work out, you’ll see opportunities. If you believe it won’t, you will see obstacles.”

I wish you a new year filled with health, self-awareness and joy!

A collaboration invites chaos into order

A

COUPLE MONTHS AGO, SOMEONE SAID TO ME: “YOU NEED TO DEVELOP a critical aesthetic.” A set of values as a dance critic, essentially. But The Pulse doesn’t write reviews often; we prefer to look forward. So I’ll start with a memory but only as a springboard.

By Jenn Webster Pulse contributor

“

With the change in this year’s bootcamp, novice skaters can engage more with all aspects of the Chattanooga Rollergirls.”

— Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D.

4 • THE PULSE • JANUARY 9, 2020 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

December 28th. The last night of the ALTER-NUT. This “alternative Nutcracker,” a cooperative project between Ballet Esprit (the dance company of SPOT Venue) and CoMAP (an ongoing project of Southside Studio), might be an arrangement of Tchaikovsky for strings, might be a dance concert, or might be a fancy dress soiree. We’re not sure what to expect.

Two very self-possessed children greet us. Clara and her Nutcracker lead us around the wide storefront space that is SPOT Venue, telling us: here’s where you sit, here’s where you can get something to eat or drink, this is where you dance, but please take your shoes off before you step on the floor.

We sit down in the crowded room and take a look at the stage: long wide strips of marley laid on the diagonal, separated with a row of seating down the center so that

some of the audience members are smack in the middle of the action.

The dancers are already in position, snow sprites and angels and woodland creatures with antlers and white fur ears, and some audience members are wearing antlered headpieces, too, so it isn’t immediately obvious who’s in the show versus who’s watching.

The string ensemble—musicians led by Bryony Stroud-Watson, owner of the Southside Studio, performing a variation of “The Nutcracker Suite” arranged by David Dunn— strikes up. The dance is a very simple structured improvisation. First, each person is moving in his or her own space, using a vocabulary matched to her persona—fox (I mistake her for a rabbit), snow spirit, Snow Queen, enchanted child.

With the next movement, the dancers begin to move between spaces and interact with one another. By the

EDITOONS

third movement, they’re reaching out to the watchers, inviting us with eyes and gestures to join them.

The dance itself is a hodge-podge.

A couple of professionally trained adults. Other adults whose training might be in yoga or dance team or maybe in no art at all. The two children. All doing something quite difficult—improvising using classical ballet vocabulary while representing a character—and doing it simply and gravely, without either showiness or awkwardness.

The arrangement of the dancers on the floor doesn’t privilege adults or children, professionals or beginners.

Instead, each is immersed in his or her own world, which slowly becomes a shared experience.

And we believe it.

By the third movement, people are slipping off shoes, stepping out to improvise along, tentatively then more confidently. The groups get bigger.

People talk as they dance. Laughter ripples. Couples waltz or pantomime or hold hands and spin. A toddler with a tutu over her bouncing diaper scampers through the crowd.

Impromptu folk forms arise: a ring of people hold hands and grapevine around the stage, faster and faster.

There’s a march. We’re all dancing together in the snowy woods and everything is good and nothing hurts.

It’s magic—but magic borne out of dedicated adherence to a principle.

“CoMAP is a methodology,” Southside Studio’s owners wrote on their website. “The first premise is that we have what we need locally.” By engaging the audience as co-creators in a shared imaginary world, ALTER-NUT broke boundaries, and there’s more to come.

“More partnerships with CoMAP will come,” Lance Chappell tells me.

“We’ll all come together for open community collaborative performances.”

As well, Ballet Esprit is working with the new Joy Ensemble—a community dance and service group affiliated with St. Luke’s United Methodist.

They’re hosting “The Road” again this spring. Plus, they’re expanding into the former Hamilton Academy of Dance, where they plan to continue the tradition of working with the Great Russian Nutcracker that visits Chattanooga each year, Chappell says.

That’s a lot for one company. I’m especially curious to see how the demands of Vaganova-style instruction mesh with Ballet Esprit’s passion for imaginative play and undoing hierarchy.

“Our joint concert will be The Four Seasons this spring,” Chappell says.

“It’s all about change and transition.”

I can’t wait.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 9, 2020 • THE PULSE • 5

COVER STORY

Kindness, Love and Inclusion Have A Home In Chattanooga

The Council Against Hate moves forward to stop backward thinking

By Kevin Hale Pulse contributor

“

There’s no more important work than this.

It’s a sad state of affairs that we have to even have a council against hate now.”

S

INCE INTRODUCING THE IDEA OF AN INITIATIVE TO combat hate crimes in the Scenic City in his April 2018 State of the City address, Mayor Andy Berke was presented a report sharpening the goals of his newly formed Council Against Hate last April.

Now, the council is gaining traction in the new year and new decade with a variety of action team meetings and events aimed at all Chattanoogans to reverse what the Federal Bureau of Investigation describes as “an increase in hate crimes not seen in recent history.”

Unfortunately, the Volunteer State and Chattanooga itself lead the nation in reported hate crime incidents recorded for bias based on race, ethnicity or ancestry.

Chattanooga also ranked highest in the

6 • THE PULSE • JANUARY 9, 2020 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

state with six reported incidents based on religious bias as a motivator in 2015.

The council is led by co-chairs, former Chattanooga city attorney Wade Hinton, and civic leader, Alison Lebovitz.

“There’s no more important work than this,” says Lebovitz. “It’s a sad state of affairs that we have to even have a council against hate now.”

For Hinton, accepting the mayor’s invitation was a no brainer.

“The mission and vision resonated

with the things I’m passionate about,” he says. “It gives me the opportunity to work with community stakeholders about something that affects all of us.”

For Lebovitz, it took a little more convincing.

“I didn’t accept the mayor’s invitation immediately,” she says. “I wanted to make sure the council’s formation was contingent on an action plan.”

To kick the initiative into gear, Mayor Berke along with Lebovitz and Hinton, formed a steering committee comprised of a diverse group of community leaders. The report they drafted last April will serve as a roadmap to understand the factors leading to the spread of violent extremism and intolerance in Chattanooga.

The report will also advise the public and private sectors on policies and strategies that will create a more civil, safe and welcoming community for all people.

Last October, one of the first speakers the council invited was Deputy Director of the Anti-Defamation League, Shelley Rose. She gave a presentation focusing on anti-Semitism, extremist group activity and hate crimes.

According to the ADL, what’s critical to combating violent acts is what the group calls “The Pyramid of Hate.” Biased attitudes serve as the base of the pyramid. This includes stereotyping, insensitive remarks, fear of differences, non-inclusive language, microaggressions, justifying biases by seeking out like-minded people, and accepting negative misinformation or screening out positive information.

“You can see these acts as the seed or foundation for things that are not good,” says Hinton. “We all need to address these things as early as possible and bring different perspective to the table to drive change.”

“Empathy is the first step,” says Lebovitz. “You have to see someone else’s point of view; where they are coming from and a lot of times you end up not knowing they felt that way.”

Extremists groups have always been around and have always promoted hate but recently these groups have had their behaviors normalized and been emboldened to commit heinous crimes.

“It’s easy to hate a concept, idea or group,” says Lebovitz. “It’s harder to hate a person.”

Last November, the council welcomed speaker Christian Picciolini, a former white-supremacist and violent extrem-

ist. He attributes his radicalization to a lack of self-confidence and what he calls a “weird last name.”

“I was lonely,” says Picciolini. “I was the son of immigrants who were gone a lot working to keep their business going.”

As a result, he was vulnerable and searching for ICP—identity, community, and purpose. The whitesupremacist movement offered him that. He details his involvement in, and exit from, the early American whitesupremacist skinhead movement in his memoir “White American Youth”. It was music that ultimately led to him to change.

“My store, Chaos Records, was initially devoted to w h i t e power music but

to stay in business, I had to expand my inventory and I started carrying hiphop and other genres of music,” he says. “My clientele began to change and I was forced to interact with Jewish, LGBTQ and black customers.”

He found common ground with them as he talked with and got to know them.

“The people I thought I hated, showed me compassion even when I didn’t deserve it,” he says. “My worldview started to change. My demonization of them was replaced with humanization.”

This may all sound easy in the context of this article but as Picciolini puts it, this is a journey. “I wanted better for my kids

and myself, and in the intervention and disengagement work I’ve been doing for the last two decades, I’ve been able to help others leave hate behind as I did and show them that a better way is possible,” he says.

“It’s not impossible but it’s a challenge,” Lebovitz concurs. “It starts with relationships. You can’t tell people they are wrong. Hate comes from trauma.”

In a sense, you have to almost have to play therapist or psychologist when combating hate.

“A lot of times we are asking the wrong questions,” she says. “Instead of telling them they are wrong, we need to ask them how they got here.

What happened to you? You have to meet them where they are.”

She also realizes a long-term plan is not easy.

Lebovitz tells a story about how much opinions can differ about free speech in our so-called modern times.

“A friend of mine has an eight-year old and the soccer team won the state championship,” she recalls. “An old man is taunting my friend’s child.

The coach challenges the man thinking the opposing coach was going to back him up but was thrown for a loop when the other team’s coach supported the old man harassing an eight-year old.”

It goes to show not everyone is going to agree and you have to tolerate differences, she explains.

The council outlines in their report that hate and violent extremism have no single cause and will not be solved by a single approach, sector or individual.

Mayor Burke and the steering committee made the decision

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 9, 2020 • THE PULSE • 7

COVER STORY

that the council’s work would be rooted in education, empowerment and impact-focused approaches.

“We didn’t want to just sit around and talk,” says Lebovitz. “We wanted to make sure the plan was evolutionary and not just one-dimensional.”

The committee came up with five strategies to further the agenda of the Council Against Hate.

First is to create and strictly enforce laws to protect targeted groups from hate crimes. The committee recommends constant evaluation of current statutes and to use public input to improve these laws. Cultural competency training is included here.

“At the root of this initiative is the fact that we need to get out of our routine,” says Hinton. “When you do that you will find similarities and may be able to alleviate some bias. When you recognize more ideas from different perspectives, you can enhance our mission for change.”

Second is to understand and define hate in our community. The committee recommends a community-wide reporting system in the form of a web-

“

This panel is non-partisan. This is about civility, respect and humanity.

We don’t just want to be the Council Against Hate but the council for kindness, love and inclusion.” site and smartphone app that permits citizens to share anonymous, geo-specific data.

Third, and maybe the most important, is to engage young people in combating hate.

“I want to help create a future our kids want to grow up in,” says Hinton who has a three-year old daughter.

The committee recommends students sign a pledge to live a life free of hate to educate them about violent extremism and to speak out against it. It’s the council’s hope to shift biases in adults through this measure.

“There’s no dog too old to learn a new trick,” says Lebovitz. Adds Hinton, “I would say we need adults to be optimistic. Our future depends on it. Our children are unique and diverse and

8 • THE PULSE • JANUARY 9, 2020 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

they are the reason and we have to remember and remind ourselves why we do this work. It’s about our community.”

Fourth is to prepare educators to identify, respond to, and work against hate speech and extreme behavior.

“Bringing in experts to better educate the community on how radicalization occurs is an important step,” says Picciolini. “The more tools and resources stakeholders like parents, teachers, school counselors, coaches, and principals have to prevent and respond to intolerance and hatred, the better.”

Finally, the committee recommends engaging the private sector and business community.

Hinton has a leg up in this regard

since he accepted a role as the first Vice-President of Diversity and Inclusion at Unum in July 2018.

“I’m encouraged by the number of citizens who have turned out initially to let everyone know hate has no place in Chattanooga,” says Hinton.

“This panel is non-partisan,” says Lebovitz. “This is about civility, respect and humanity. We don’t just want to be the Council Against Hate but the council for kindness, love and inclusion.”

UPCOMING EVENTS The Council Against Hate welcomes former neo-Nazi TM Garret to Chattanooga on Thursday, January 9th at 5:30 p.m., courtesy of the Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga. He will speak about his experience leaving that movement. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church will host the event.

Council Against Hate 2020 Policy Forum featuring Becky Monroe, Director of the Stop Hate Project at The Ohio State University on Tuesday, January 21 at 5:30 p.m. in the UTC University Center Signal Mountain Room.

COLUMN · SHADES OF GREEN

It’s Time To Get Ready How businesses and consumers are going green in 2020

I Sandra Kurtz

Pulse columnist

“

Actions to date have not been enough.

Scientists give us eleven more years before deleterious climate change impacts cannot be reversed.”

Sandra Kurtz is an environmental community activist, chair of the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway Alliance, and is presently working through the Urban Century Institute. You can visit her website to learn more at enviroedu.net

T’S 2020! FROM AN ENVIRONMENtal perspective, 2019 was pretty lousy what with all the federal cutbacks in environmental regulations and backward steps regarding energy and climate change. Fortunately, many established businesses and industries have concluded they can stay in business by shaping products that suit transition to a greener economy.

Furthermore, entrepreneurs and innovators are coming up with products that suit a carbon-free future. Adapting to change is something humans have been good at, albeit very slowly.

Actions to date have not been enough.

Scientists give us eleven more years before deleterious climate change impacts cannot be reversed. Still, there’s no use commiserating over what we haven’t done. The beginning of a year is a good time to set some goals and/or make resolutions to do better in 2020. How do we get ready for needed change?

Making predictions for the future is a precarious occupation but we can note existing trends and draw conclusions to inform our personal, community, state, country and global level actions. That sustains Earth and all its interrelated inhabitants.

One overriding trend to note: More and more people recognize that climate change is really happening. In this election year, certain candidates mention it with concern. It’s especially important to the rights of young people who inherit what their elders leave them. Talking to legislators, joining organizations working on this issue, and participating in rallies such as Friday Fire Drills are all valuable actions to bring awareness. Chattanooga Climate Forum is on the case for action (Next meeting Sunday at 4 p.m. at Thankful Episcopal Church).

Nature herself can convince people to adapt to changing situations. Wildfires in California and Australia surely

will impact how and where people will live and what plants and animal species survive. Locally, we have seen the trend of storms and flooding is moving toward catastrophic levels. Someone once told me, “A groundhog doesn’t build his home in a wetland and neither should we.” We should not fill wetlands either as water from those trending prolific amounts of rain during a storm need more, not less, places to go to protect life and property. Get ready!

There are several trends in the energy sector. Fossil fuels for electricity generation and transportation contribute most to greenhouse gas emissions. The auto industry is already taking steps to move toward greener vehicles. Increasing demand for electric vehicles has resulted in automobile companies all designing such. Volkswagen will be producing their model in Chattanooga soon. Get ready!

TVA is slowly closing its coal-fired plants for making electricity. In place of coal, nuclear power, with its legacy of radioactive waste and high cost, plays a larger role along with natural gas. TVA is reluctantly being dragged into using solar and wind energy primarily due to price which has fallen 36 percent in five years. TVA mostly supports large scale solar contracts not residential. Demand has increased. Expect to see growth in battery storage business too.

The Solar Energy Industries Association says Tennessee is the seventh largest state for new solar generation in America for the third quarter of 2019.

Locally, Volkswagen and the Chattanooga airport have large solar arrays as do many smaller business installations. Every kilowatt produced without fossil fuel

or nuclear helps slow climate change.

Get ready!

Waste treatment shouldn’t be big business. If we can find use for everything we now throw away, there wouldn’t be waste. All the energy embedded in creating new products plus the packaging, transportation to your home, and then to the landfill contributes to climate change as does all your light, heat and sound unless it’s solar powered. Not all waste can be eliminated but creating more energy efficient buildings, buying locally made food and supplies, and separating needs from wants to reduce consumption can really help. Reduce, reuse, recycle are good words to live by. Get ready!

Perhaps the most egregious trend is that toward loss of and/or mistreatment of land. Massive loss of birds and insects sends signals that humans have poisoned the land and are out of sync with the way nature works. Discarded plastic is killing ocean species. Urban sprawl and monoculture farming continue to cover up land that should be growing native plants or forests, supporting biodiversity, cleaning air and water, and regenerating soil. Holding carbon in soil, oceans, rocks, and trees slows climate disruption.

Get ready.

It’s a new year. Given these trends, isn’t it time to incorporate likely climate change risks into our thinking? Ready!

Set! Go!

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 9, 2020 • THE PULSE • 9

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

He Can Pencil You In Caleb Garcia provides in black and white

By Jessie Gantt-Temple Pulse Assistant Editor

“

Each moment is an opportunity for freewill to execute an act of choice.

Every choice is important. I choose to make one dot. Then I choose to make another dot.”

A

T A COFFEE SHOP IN SODDY DAISY (YES, THERE IS A hip coffee shop in Soddy Daisy but we’ll get to that in another issue), I glanced over to find such intricate handdrawn, detailed wall hangings that warmed my spirit as much as the cup of hot joe warmed my hands.

Pointillism is a form of art using dots, usually of color, placed distinctly in a pattern to create a bigger image. Coined in the late 1880’s, it was made famous by Seurat and used by artists like Van Gogh.

With his main influences being Gustave Dore, M.C. Escher, and Wayne Barlowe, artist Caleb Garcia finds himself drawn to communicating a complex meaning with the single simple point.

“Each moment is an opportunity for freewill to execute an act of choice. Every choice is important. I choose to make one dot. Then I choose to make another dot. I choose to be precise in the placing of a dot,” Caleb said when asked why he chose the medium of pencil. “Sometimes I choose to hurry and am not precise with my placement of a dot. As a human, I am the direct cause of any flaw in the goodness of the picture. Every dot is important.”

Although his resume ranges from driv-

er to diver, his fulltime passion has always been to draw. Like most high school students, he did take art class but has not had much tutelage beyond that.

For his skill, he creditz his parents, who were very encouraging, as well as his uncle who gave him some good shading pointers early on. For 2020, he does hope to improve his abilities with color and get faster at producing small/medium sized originals using color.

A former marine, he moved around quite a bit between 2014 and now. In almost six years, he traveled six states from California to Colorado to Oregon to Washington to Louisiana and planted roots in Tennessee.

Originally, he moved here for work as a commercial diver with the Underwater Construction Corporation who works frequently with TVA. Although it is good work it didn’t seem like something Caleb wanted to do his whole life.

THU1.9

FRI1.10

SAT1.11

Blak Origin Moment: Healing

Rotpunkt Film Screening

Sandhill Crane Expedition

Community experience of healing and self care led with meditation by Anthony M. Wiley.

6 p.m.

The Hunter Museum of Art 10 Bluff View Ave. huntermuseum.org

Rotpunkt documents the advent, the agony and the art of the redpoint.

7 p.m.

High Point Climbing And Fitness Riverside 1007 Appling St. highpointclimbing.com

Annual outing to see the sandhill crane migration in partnership with TN Ornithological Society.

1 p.m.

Reflection Riding 400 Garden Rd. reflectionriding.org

10 • THE PULSE • JANUARY 9, 2020 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Let's get 2020 started with a proper send-off. According to my reading of the astrological omens, the coming months will bring you opportunities to achieve a host of liberations. Among the things from which you could be at least partially emancipated: stale old suffering; shrunken expectations; people who don't appreciate you for who you really are; and beliefs and theories that don't serve you any more. (There may be others!)

Here's an inspirational maxim, courtesy of poet Mary Oliver: "Said the river: imagine everything you can imagine, then keep on going."

“I wouldn’t want to always be out on the road especially if I am to have a family someday. So after saving up a bit, I decided to go back to school,” he said. Currently in his third semester at Chatt State, he plans to continue his art education with a possible intertwining of philosophy. “Maybe I’ll get a job at the philosophy factory someday,” he jokes. “But seriously I’d like to incorporate it into my art.”

One of his most amazing creations, in my opinion, is the “Ontological Locomotive” which is also known as “The Choo Choo and Things” which reminds me slightly of M.C. Escher with the gray wash as well as the abundance of hidden imagery.

“Ontology is that which deals with the nature of ‘being’. It is interchangeable with metaphysics. According to my philosophy professor, it’s mainly a good word to use at dinner parties to sound sophisticated and lose friends,” Caleb chuckled as he explained the piece. “Some ontological themes explored here are time, space, matter, information, life, death, causes, minds, beginning and end, and God. This was a commissioned artwork in which I was requested to draw a train yet was given permission to have

complete creative liberty. So, needless to say, I had a fun time with this one!”

Just finishing up his first artist popup in October, Caleb still has some fresh art coming to the table and now has prints available ranging from 9x12 to 18x24. Some of my favorites are “Norman” (the old school diver) and “Chimera”. With no shows planned for 2020, he is willing to accept any commissioned challenge.

He did mention that his favorite things to draw are dinosaurs, monsters, and sci-fi stuff. He would like to draw more philosophical and biblical images, but the sky’s the limit.

Besides Coffee Community Collective (affectionately referred to as C3) in Soddy Daisy, you can get a firsthand experience of his simplistic yet powerful point work at Rolling J’s Mobile Bistro & Sandwich Shop on Riverfront Parkway and the spot next door to Rolling J’s called SpaGo Hair Studios. His completed and works-inprogress are available to scope on Instagram @calebmarcelo.

If you’re interested in any of the prints or wish to commission your own permanent penciled artwork, contact him at caleb.marcelo.g@gmail.com or call/text (509) 724-1868.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In a poem titled "The Mess-iah," spiritual teacher Jeff Foster counsels us, "Fall in love with the mess of your life...the wild, uncontrollable, unplanned, unexpected moments of existence. Dignify the mess with your loving attention, your gratitude. Because if you love the mess enough, you will become a Messiah." I bring this to your attention, Aquarius, because I suspect you'll have a better chance to ascend to the role of Mess-iah in the coming weeks and months than you have had in many years.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Comedian John Cleese believes that "sometimes we hang onto people or relationships long after they've ceased to be of any use to either of you." That's why he has chosen to live in such a way that his web of alliances is constantly evolving. "I'm always meeting new people," he says, "and my list of friends seems to change quite a bit." According to my analysis of the astrological omens, Pisces, 2020 will be a propitious year for you to experiment with Cleese's approach. You'll have the chance to meet a greater number of interesting new people in the coming months than you have in a long time. (And don't be afraid to phase out connections that have become a drain.)

ARIES (March 21-April 19): When comedian John Cleese was 61, his mother died. She was 101. Cleese testifies, "Just towards the end, as she began to run out of energy, she did actually stop trying to tell me what to do most of the time."

I bet you'll experience a similar phenomenon in 2020—only bigger and better. Fewer people will try to tell you what to do than at any previous time of your life. As a result, you'll be freer to be yourself exactly as you want to be. You'll have unprecedented power to express your uniqueness.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Renowned Taurus philosopher Bertrand Russell was sent to jail in 1918 because of his pacifism and anti-war activism. He liked being there. "I found prison in many ways quite agreeable," he said. "I

had no engagements, no difficult decisions to make, no fear of callers, no interruptions to my work. I read enormously; I wrote a book."

The book he produced, Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy, is today regarded as a classic. In 2020, I would love to see you Tauruses cave out an equally luxurious sabbatical without having to go through the inconvenience of being incarcerated. I'm confident you can do this.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): It's common to feel attracted to people because of the way they look and dress and carry themselves. But here's the problem: If you pursue an actual connection with someone whose appearance you like, there's no guarantee it will turn out to be interesting and meaningful. That's because the most important factor in becoming close to someone is not their cute face or body or style, but rather their ability to converse with you in ways you find interesting. And that's a relatively rare phenomenon. As philosopher Mortimer Adler observed, "Love without conversation is impossible." I bring these thoughts to your attention, Gemini, because I believe that in 2020 you could have some of the best conversations you've ever had—and as a result experience the richest intimacy.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Mystic poet Rumi told us the kind of person he was attracted to. "I want a trouble-maker for a lover," he wrote. "Blood spiller, blood drinker, a heart of flame, who quarrels with the sky and fights with fate, who burns like fire on the rushing sea." In response to that testimony, I say, "Boo! Ugh! Yuck!" I say "To hell with being in an intimate relationship with a trouble-maker who fights with fate and quarrels with the sky." I can't imagine any bond that would be more unpleasant and serve me worse. What about you, Cancerian? Do you find Rumi's definition glamorous and romantic? I hope not. If you do, I advise you to consider changing your mind. 2020 will be an excellent time to be precise in articulating the kinds of alliances that are healthy for you. They shouldn't resemble Rumi's description. (Rumi translation by Zara Houshmand.)

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The 18thcentury comic novel Tristram Shandy is still being translated, adapted, and published today. Its popularity persists. Likewise, the 18th-century novel Moll Flanders, which features a rowdy, eccentric heroine who was unusual for her era, has had modern incarnations in TV, film, and radio. Then there's the 19th-century satirical novel Vanity Fair. It's considered a classic even now, and appears on lists of best-loved books. The authors of these three books had one thing in common: They had to pay to

have their books published. No authority in the book business had any faith in them. You may have similar challenges in 2020, Leo—and rise to the occasion with equally good results. Believe in yourself!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I'll present two possible scenarios that could unfold for you in 2020.

Which scenario actually occurs will depend on how willing you are to transform yourself. Scenario #1. Love is awake, and you're asleep. Love is ready for you but you're not ready for love. Love is hard to recognize because you think it still looks like it did in the past. Love changed its name, and you didn't notice. Scenario #2.

Love is awake and you're waking up. Love is ready for you and you're making yourself ready for love. Love is older and wiser now, and you recognize its new guise.

Love changed its name, and you found out. (Thanks to Sarah and Phil Kaye for the inspiration for this horoscope.)

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Renowned Greek sculptor Praxiteles created some famous and beloved statues in the fourth century B.C. One of his pieces, showing the gods Hermes and Dionysus, was displayed inside the Temple of Hera in Olympia. But a few centuries later an earthquake demolished the Temple and buried the statue. There it remained until 1877, when archaeologists dug it out of the rubble. I foresee a metaphorically equivalent recovery in your life, Libra—especially if you're willing to excavate an old mess or investigate a debris field or explore a faded ruin.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Over a period of 74 years, the Scorpio philosopher and author Voltaire (1694–1778) wrote so many letters to so many people that they were eventually published in a series of 98 books, plus nine additional volumes of appendixes and indexes. I would love to see you communicate that abundantly and meticulously in 2020, Scorpio.

The cosmic rhythms will tend to bring you good fortune if you do.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Picasso was one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century. He was also the richest.

At the end of his life, experts estimate his worth was as much as $250 million, equivalent to $1.3 billion today. But in his earlier adulthood, while Picasso was turning himself into a genius and creating his early masterpieces, he lived and worked in a small, seedy, unheated room with no running water and a toilet he shared with twenty people. If there will be ever in your life be a semblance of Picasso's financial transformation, Sagittarius, I'm guessing it would begin this year.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 9, 2020 • THE PULSE • 11

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR THURSDAY1.9 Wheel 1 with Victoria Kile 9 a.m.

301 E. 11th St. (423) 883-1758 sceniccityclayarts.org Miller Park Farmers Market 11 a.m.

Miller Park 910 Market St. millerparkmarket.com MAC Fursday Thursday Adoption Special 11 a.m.

McKamey Animal Center 4500 N. Access Rd. (423) 305-6500 mckameyanimalcenter.org Indirect Oil Painting with Susan Budash 1 p.m.

Reflections Gallery 1635 Rossville Ave. (423) 892-3072 reflectionsgallerytn.com River Runners 6 p.m.

Basecamp Bar and Restaurant 346 Frazier Ave. (423) 803-5251 basecampcha.com Life Drawing Open Studio 6 p.m.

Townsend Atelier 301 E. 11th St. (423) 266-2712 townsendatelier.com Open Bead Night 6 p.m.

Bead Therapy 1420 McCallie Ave. (423) 509-1907 bead-therapy.com Beginner Astrology 6 p.m.

The Chattery 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Blak Origin Moment: Healing 6 p.m.

The Hunter Museum of American Art 10 Bluff View Ave. (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org Memory Keeping for 2020 6 p.m.

The Chattery 1800 Rossville Ave.

12 • THE PULSE • JANUARY 9, 2020 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

(423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Open Mic Poetry & More 6:30 p.m.

Stone Cup Café 208 Frazier Ave. (423) 521-3977 stonecupcafe.com Reno Collier 7:30 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Alcoholics Not Anonymous Comedy Open Mic 8 p.m.

Barley Taproom 235 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 682-8200 chattanoogabarley.com

FRIDAY1.10 ModelCon 1 p.m.

Chattanooga Convention Center 1150 Carter St. (423) 756-0001 chattanoogascalemodelers.com Wild Heart Woman: Create Your Happy New Year!

6 p.m.

The Chattery 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Couple’s Massage 101 6:30 p.m.

The Chattery 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Rotpunkt Film Screening 7 p.m.

High Point Climbing And Fitness Riverside 1007 Appling St. (423) 475-6578 highpointclimbing.com Reno Collier 7:30, 9:45 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Ballroom Dance & Lesson 7:30 p.m.

Brainerd United Methodist Church

4315 Brainerd Rd. (423) 698-6951 brainerdumc.org Ruby Falls Lantern Tours 8:30 p.m.

Ruby Falls 1720 S. Scenic Hwy. (423) 821-2544 rubyfalls.com Willow Rae and Kristie Nix 11 p.m.

The Palace Theater 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 803-6578 chattpalace.com

SATURDAY1.11 Get Started with Yoga in 2020 9 a.m.

The Chattery 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Brainerd Farmers Market 10 a.m.

Grace Episcopal Church 20 Belvoir Ave. (423) 243-3250 saygrace.net ModelCon 10 a.m.

Chattanooga Convention Center 1150 Carter St. (423) 756-0001 chattanoogascalemodelers.com Home Organizing 101 10 a.m.

The Chattery 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Author Veronica Slack Meet & Greet 10 a.m.

McKay Books 7734 Lee Hwy. (423) 892-0067 mckaybooks.com Critique Workshop Noon AVA Gallery 30 Frazier Ave. (423) 265-4282 avarts.org Ready! Set! Goals! for Your 2020 Vision Noon The Chattery 1800 Rossville Ave.

(423) 521-2643 thechattery.org The Met: Live in HD presents Wozzeck 12:55 p.m.

AMC Chattanooga 18 5080 South Terrace (423) 855-9652 fathomevents.com Sandhill Crane Expedition 1 p.m.

Reflection Riding Nature Center 400 Garden Rd. (423) 821-1160 reflectionriding.org Introduction To Weaving 1 p.m.

The Chattery 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org The Oldest Student: Literacy in Chattanooga 2 p.m.

Star Line Books 1467 Market St. (423) 777-5629 starlinebooks.com Surrealism Meets Modernism Meets Impressionism Art Show 6 p.m.

WanderLinger Art Gallery 1208 King St. (423) 269-7979 wanderlinger.com Reno Collier 7:30, 9:45 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Chatt Talk Tonight: Success 9 p.m.

The Palace Theater 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 803-6578 chattpalace.com Poetry After DARK: Let The Ink Flow 11 p.m.

The Palace Theater 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 803-6578 chattpalace.com

SUNDAY1.12 Artful Yoga with Maggie White 1:30 p.m.

The List Random Facts About Winter The Met: Live in HD presents Wozzeck The Hunter Museum of American Art 10 Bluff View Ave. (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org Planning for Parenthood 2 p.m.

The Chattery 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Reno Collier 7:30 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com

MONDAY1.13 Intermediate & Advanced Watercolor 1 p.m.

Townsend Atelier 301 E. 11th St. (423) 266-2712 townsendatelier.com Tap Dance with Lindsay Fussell 5 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com Home Buyer Happy Hour 6 p.m.

The Chattery 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 521-2643

thechattery.org Winter Belly Dance Session 6 p.m.

Movement Arts Collective 3813 Dayton Blvd.

(423) 401-8115 movementartscollective.com Joggers & Lagers 6 p.m.

Chattanooga Brewing Co. 1804 Chestnut St. (423) 702-9958 chattabrew.com Unlock the Key to Yoga: Breathe Easy in 2020 6 p.m.

The Chattery 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org

TUESDAY1.14 Chattanooga Self Improvement Meetup 8 a.m.

The Edney Innovation Center 1100 Market St. (423) 643-6770 theedney.com Help! I’m a Creative Entrepreneur and I Don’t Like Bookkeeping!

9 a.m.

The Chattery 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Build Your Confidence In

Sales 2 p.m.

The Chattery 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Sew What 4 p.m.

Chattanooga Public Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattlibrary.org An Evening With Author Saxon Henry 6 p.m.

W Road Collection 748 Overbridge Ln. (423) 605-1959 wroadcollection.com Chattanooga Writers’ Guild Monthly Meeting 6 p.m.

Chattanooga Public Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattlibrary.org Relaxing 101: The Science of Relaxation 6 p.m.

The Chattery 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Paths to Pints 6:30 p.m.

The Tap House 3800 St. Elmo Ave. (423) 682-8234 taphousechatt.com

WEDNESDAY1.15 Main Street Farmers Market 4 p.m.

522 W. Main St. mainstfarmersmarket.com Moving to Musicals with Lindsay Fussell 5:30 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com Long-term Savings and Retirement 6 p.m.

The Chattery 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Weathering With You Fan Preview Screening 7 p.m.

AMC Chattanooga 18 5080 South Terrace (423) 855-9652 fathomevents.com Dusty Slay 7:30 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Map these locations on chattanoogapulse.com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com

The holidays are over, the days are shorter, the weather is colder. Yep, it’s winter time.

So while you’re bundling up and longing for the long gone days of summer, here are few winter facts to keep your friends and co-workers entertained.

• While it seems counterintuitive, Earth is actually closest to the sun in winter.

• Chionophobia is the persistent fear of snow, especially becoming trapped by snow.

• Every winter, at least one septillion (that’s 1 followed by 24 zeros) snow crystals fall from the sky.

• The average snowflake falls at about 3 mph.

• One inch of snow will produce just less than 1/10 of an inch of water when melted.

• A single snowstorm can drop 39 million tons of snow.

• All snowflakes have 6 sides.

• Most babies are conceived during winter.

So chug that coffee or sip that hot chocolate (your preference) and remember in only a few months we’ll be lamenting the hot weather once again.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 9, 2020 • THE PULSE • 13

THE MUSIC SCENE

3823 Make 5 Number 1 Local quintet Oweda release their first album

By Marc T. Michael

“

Pulse Music Editor

Five carefully chosen original songs showcase the band’s particular blend of gutsy rock, bluesy vocals, and an at times ‘retro’ feel.”

14 • THE PULSE • JANUARY 9, 2020 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

O

WEDA, THE FIVE-PIECE OUTFIT FROM CHATTANOOga, has been building a sterling reputation at all of the area’s favorite music haunts including Clyde’s, JJs, Tremont, WanderLinger, and Songbirds to name just a few.

The truth is, you don’t get to play those venues, certainly not more than once, unless you’re damn good and damn good they are.

Finally, Oweda has now released their first EP, and fans everywhere have the opportunity to bring the boys home with them. Dropping on December 8th, 3823 is exactly what you’d expect from the quintet.

Five carefully chosen original songs showcase the band’s particular blend of gutsy rock, bluesy vocals, and an at

times “retro” feel that is nothing less than satisfying.

“Slow Burn” is the opening track, a combination of good old nasty rock and roll tempered with a college rock/ alt compositional approach. Tyler Sorenson is one of the more impressive male vocalists in the area today, transitioning seamlessly from guttural soul to soaring falsetto and covering all the ground in between with confidence and power. Reminiscent of a young Rich Spencer (Black Crowes), Sorenson sings

with the passion of the blues and the drive of classic rock.

“Control” is the second track and occupies the generally undiscovered space between Tina Turner and Tom Jones.

The intense backing tracks of the band (including some very tasteful horns) are a perfect marriage of instruments and voice and there is the perfect takeaway of what the band is all about. It isn’t “a singer and his band”, it’s five individuals who collectively fashion gorgeous and intelligent tunes in which every man is the star of the show.

“Allison” is up next. A grooving, low-key, end-of-the-night tune with some beautiful, tasteful lead guitar lines. In fact, “tasteful” is a good way to describe the band’s approach overall.

One cannot help but conclude that the band is capable of “going to eleven” anytime they please but they choose those moments carefully, evincing a level of control and the light touch of seasoned professionals.

“Days Worth Living” turns up the funk in a middle-period “not about California” Chili

“

The EP is available now through all the regular streaming outlets and Oweda has an upcoming gig at HiFi Clyde’s with Atlanta based Hedonista on February 29th.”

Peppers sort of way. Clear, ringing vocals and atypical chord voicings with progressions make for a very smart piece of music that explores interesting territory without alienating.

“Sunday (Loving You)” rounds out the compilation and, true to the motif of the rest of the tunes, is borne along by an easy groove that insinuates itself into your brain so that you find you are swaying to the music without realizing, feeling cooler than you (I) have any right to.

If there are no surprises on 3823, it’s only because we’ve already come to expect great things from Oweda, and they have delivered in spades.

The proof, as they say, is in the pudding and the internet is rife with comments and testimonials from adoring fans and first-time listeners who are

every bit as impressed with the band as I am and that is worth more than all the critics and reviewers put together.

The EP is available now through all the regular streaming outlets and Oweda has an upcoming gig at HiFi Clyde’s with Atlanta based Hedonista on Saturday, February 29th.

I’d say, as I generally do about any terrific band, that you need to go see the show but given the popularity Oweda has already rightfully claimed, you probably were going to do that anyway.

I understand how much can be lost in translation from a live show to a studio recording, but if the EP is any indicator, Oweda’s live show must be phenomenal.

Check them out, throw them some bucks and take home as rock solid a debut recording as anyone has made.

Stomping At The Tremont Tavern The always “hot as a two dollar pistol” 9th Street Stompers are playing a free show this Friday at the Tremont Tavern. With their winning combination of vintage early ‘20s (1920s that is) and modern influences, the Stompers are a perennial favorite in Chattanooga.

For a while it seemed like their popularity meant that catching them locally was a challenge so it’s always a pleasure when they put on a show for their hometown crowd.

The only thing better than seeing a local favorite, free of charge, is doing it in an intimate setting like the Tremont Tavern.

Tremont famously sports a wide selection of your favorite brews and a menu that consistently ranks among Chattanooga’s favorite, and taking that with an up-close and personal view of the 9th Street Stompers, just go ahead and mark Friday night down as this is where you’ll want to be!

The show starts at 10 p.m. Be there. You won’t be disappointed. — Marc T. Michael

THU1.9

FRI1.10

SAT1.11

Songwriters Night

The Third Annual Claudi-Awards

A Tribute to Anita Baker

Featuring performances from Cosmic Shift, Juke Skywalker, and The River Funk.

9 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com

An evening with Karla Felecia Scaife and Frank Bumpass to celebrate the legendary soul singer.

7 p.m.

The Granfalloon 400 E. Main St. granfalloonchattanooga.com

It's a night of local music with host Jeff Hoffinger, Richard Daigle, Michael De Backer, and The Briars.

7 p.m.

Heritage House Arts & Civic Center 1428 Jenkins Rd. chattanooga.gov

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 9, 2020 • THE PULSE • 15

LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR THURSDAY1.9 Danimal & Friends 6 p.m.

WanderLinger Brewing Co. 1208 King St. wanderlinger.com New Grass Express 6 p.m.

Whole Foods Market 301 Manufacturers Rd. wholefoodsmarket.com Randy Steele 6:30 p.m.

The Woodshop 5500 St. Elmo Ave. (423) 991-8876 thewoodshop.space The Cleverlys 7 p.m.

Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Songwriters Night 7 p.m.

The Heritage House Arts Center 1428 Jenkins Rd. chattanooga.gov Toby Hewitt 7 p.m.

Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Preston Ruffing 7:30 p.m.

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Track 145 7:30 p.m.

The FEED Co. Table and Tavern 201 W. Main St. feedtableandtavern.com Webb Barringer 8 p.m.

The Social 1110 Market St. publichousechattanooga.com Open Mic Night with Jonathan Wimpee 9 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com

FRIDAY1.10 Naomi Ingram 6:30 p.m.

Westin Dorato Bar

16 • THE PULSE • JANUARY 9, 2020 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Zech Dallas 7 p.m.

Oddstory Brewing Company 336 E. MLK Blvd. oddstorybrewing.co River City Sessions 7:30 p.m.

Cadek Hall 725 Oak St. rivercitysessions.com Jesse Jungkurth 7:30 p.m.

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Ben Chapman 8 p.m.

Tonya’s Pub 5403 Wilbanks Dr. (423) 362-8881 Pamela K. Ward 8:30 p.m.

Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Casey Smith 9 p.m.

Big River Grille 222 Broad St. bigrivergrille.com Diamond Dogs: A David Bowie Tribute 9 p.m.

HiFi Clyde’s 122 W. Main St. hificlydeschattanooga.com Cosmic Shift, Juke Skywalker, The River Funk 9 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com David Ingle & Friends 9 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Charlie Starr with Benji Shanks 9 p.m.

Songbirds South 41 Station St. songbirds.rocks The 9th Street Stompers 10 p.m.

Tremont Tavern 1203 Hixson Pike tremonttavern.com Swayyvo, Marley Fox, Iman,

Lukangg, Watz, SPHNX 10 p.m.

Music Box @ Ziggy’s 607 Cherokee Blvd.

(423) 265-8711 Gino Fanelli 10 p.m.

The Social 1110 Market St. publichousechattanooga.com Rick Stone 10 p.m.

Bud’s Sports Bar 5751 Brainerd Rd. budssportsbar.com

SATURDAY1.11 Danimal 10:30 a.m.

Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com Bob’s Bootcamp: Beethoven – From 1 to 9 11 a.m.

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera 701 Broad St. (423) 267-8583 No Big Deal 6 p.m.

The Palms at Hamilton 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Maria Sable 6:30 p.m.

Westin Dorato Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com A Tribute to Anita Baker with Karla Felecia Scaife 7 p.m.

The Granfalloon 400 E. Main St. granfalloonchattanooga.com John Carrol 7:30 p.m.

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Luke Simmons & the Lovestruck 7:30 p.m.

Gate 11 Distillery 1400 Market St. gate11distillery.com Walk or Row 8 p.m.

WanderLinger Brewing Co. 1208 King St.

wanderlinger.com Margot & TTH, Meghan Kerr, Daniel Nelson, Jaron Utt 8 p.m.

Plus Coffee 3800 St. Elmo Ave. pluscoffee.co Paul Smith & Sky High Band 8 p.m.

Eagles Club 6128 Airways Blvd. foe.com Ben Chapman 8:30 p.m.

Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Wishing Well 8:30 p.m.

Fireside Grille 3018 Cummings Hwy. firesidechattanooga.com The Captain Midnight Band 9 p.m.

HiFi Clyde’s 122 W. Main St. hificlydeschattanooga.com Sound System Cultures, Nematodes, Spinchilla, Guestlist ​9 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Penny Press 9 p.m.

Big River Grille 222 Broad St. bigrivergrille.com Jonathan Wimpee 9 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Bebe le Strange: The Ultimate Tribute to Heart 9 p.m.

Songbirds South 41 Station St. songbirds.rocks Rick Stone 10 p.m.

Bud’s Sports Bar 5751 Brainerd Rd. budssportsbar.com

SUNDAY1.12 Carl Pemberton 11 a.m.

Westin Chattanooga

JONESIN' CROSSWORD

Charlie Starr with Benji Shanks 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com My Name Is Preston Noon Southside Social 1818 Chestnut St. thesouthsidesocial.com Mother Legacy 6 p.m.

Alimentari Cucina e Bar 801 Chestnut St. alimentarichattanooga.com

MONDAY1.13 Monday Nite Big Band 7 p.m.

The Coconut Room 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Blues Night Open Jam 7 p.m.

Songbirds South 41 Station St. songbirds.rocks

TUESDAY1.14 Tyler Martelli & Maria Jordania 5 p.m.

WanderLinger Brewing Co. 1208 King St. wanderlinger.com Danimal 7 p.m.

Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Tyler Martelli 7:30 p.m.

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Open Mic with Mike McDade 8 p.m.

Tremont Tavern

1203 Hixson Pike tremonttavern.com Ran Adams 8 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com

WEDNESDAY1.15 Jerry Fordham 6 p.m.

Stevarino’s Italian Chattanooga 325 Cherokee Blvd.

(423) 648-5420 Hayes Carll with Allison Moorer 7 p.m.

Songbirds North 35 Station St. songbirds.rocks Jesse James Jungkurth 7 p.m.

Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Dexter Bell & Friends 7 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Steve Busie 7:30 p.m.

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Jonny Lang 7:30 p.m.

Walker Theatre 399 McCallie Ave. tivolichattanooga.com Allen, Mack, Myers, Moore featuring Zach Myers of Shinedown 9 p.m.

Songbirds South 41 Station St. songbirds.rocks

“Free For the Decade”—ringing it in!

ACROSS 1 Spill it 5 Catchphrase from Barbara Walters heard a lot recently 15 Ceremonial observance 16 RZA’s group 17 During 18 Nearly done with the return trip 19 Uninterrupted sequences 21 Russian ruler of the 1800s 22 Messy Halloween prank 23 Former Rocket Ming 25 Paper promises 28 2014 drama with David Oyelowo and Common 29 Company whose founder recently left its board 30 “Watch somewhere else” letters 31 “I feel ___” 32 Like mortals?

33 Go fast

34 Protein for some sushi rolls 36 Communication where K and V differ only by a thumb 38 “Silent All These Years” singer Tori 42 Thomas who drew Santa Claus 44 Knock down ___ 48 Unvaried 49 Sucker 50 Kind of base or reserve 52 Ukraine capital, locally 53 He presided over the O.J. trial 54 At the location 55 “Open 24 hours” sign material 57 Turns used materials into something better 59 Missing comment?

62 Garment edges 63 Skincare company with a Hydro Boost line 64 Affirmative votes 65 First-person actionadventure game with a “Death of the

Outsider” sequel 66 He worked with Branford Marsalis DOWN 1 Prepares (for impact) 2 French city known for its porcelain 3 Feeling all excited 4 Occasion for storytelling 5 Nashville sound 6 “Pen15” streaming service 7 “Possibly” 8 ___ Tome and Principe (African island nation) 9 Available for purchase 10 Some P.D. officers 11 Rapper with the Grammy-nominated album “Based on a T.R.U. Story” 12 Medium-dry Spanish sherry 13 Bad hour for a car alarm to go off 14 “We Are Number ___” (song meme from “LazyTown”) 20 Far from meaningful

24 Use a SodaStream on, say 26 Area 51 sighting 27 Letters in some personal ads 29 Mark often used for metal?

35 Concluding with 37 2019 Max Porter novel about a whimsical boy 38 Part of AMA 39 Johnson’s predecessor 40 Menacing 41 Important interval in jazz music 43 Old Faithful, e.g.

45 Easter-related 46 Glare 47 Sentries at entries 51 Not as much 54 Pack of hot dog buns, often 56 Oaxacan “other” 58 Cone dropper 59 AFC South team, on scoreboards 60 Opus ___ (“The Da Vinci Code” group) 61 I, to Claudius

Copyright © 2020 Jonesin’ Crosswords. For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents perminute. Must be 18+ to call. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle No. 970 CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 9, 2020 • THE PULSE • 17

ERNIE PAIK’S RECORD REVIEWS

New Music From Wobbly, YATTA

Wobbly Monitress (Hausu Mountain)

YATTA Wahala (PTP)

T

Using a mixer, a source audio signal is sent to a phone, which detects which notes are being played and then plays those notes on the synth output.

Since the pitch-tracking app isn’t perfect, it can spit out the “wrong” notes—but that’s where the strange and wonderful magic happens.

Monitress sounds completely bonkers, like an unpredictable robot that has lost its marbles, but among the dense chaos, there’s a sense of play and mostly giddy joy, rather than oppressive obnoxiousness.

Starting with keyboard improvisations as source material, Wobbly (a.k.a. Jon Leidecker, a current member of Negativland) triggers his iPhone arsenal to act as bi-

he electronic methods used on Wobbly’s new album Monitress remind this critic of the “telephone” party game, where a person whispers a phrase to another person who repeats the phrase to another person until the last person says it aloud; usually by that time, the phrase has been mangled, often hilariously.

One can use Google Translate to do a variation of this; just now, this writer ran the sentence “Your mother knits socks in a well” through several languages, ending up with the phrase “I wore socks with my mom”.

Wobbly’s version of the telephone game uses multiple iPhones, each using a pitchtracking app and a synthesizer.

zarre harmonizers, and some tracks are tethered to beats.

Like “Respectables” where the rhythms act as a skeleton framework barely containing the musical goo that drips out, or “One Trillionth” with a strict march rhythm to accompany an actual synth vamp among the madness.

Among the album’s odd charms are “Medieval Refrigerator” sporting vague Renfair synth melodies that are cutely distorted and warped and “Information Free” which hovers in a kosmische haze with an uncertain holding pattern.

Like a string of smartphone auto-correct atrocities, Monitress is more like the sound of something delightfully ridiculous than something infuriatingly wrong.

“M

aya Angelou says to keep a room in your heart just for god. My room is full of rage, questions, confusion, and pain—I’m trying to get it clean and pristine, baby!”

So wrote the Sierra LeoneanAmerican, Brooklyn-based artist Yatta Zoker (simply known as YATTA) for their recordings,

in the context of their fascinatingly cluttered second album, Wahala.

In the Krio language, spoken in Sierra Leone, “wahala” means “trouble”, and on the album YATTA grapples with dozens of emotions and internal voices, often using vocal sample loops and sliced and diced snippets that can be stabbing or lulling and anything in-between.

For example, “Blues” sports exclamations, interjections and unclassifiable wordless vocals (“nyah nyah nyah”) while “Cowboys” offers alien pitch-shifted vocal harmonies among sound fragments and blasts.

On the opening track “A Lie”, YATTA discusses the concept of survival—for their parents, it was having food, but for them, “...it is having my feet on the ground and hoping that nobody notices when my brain flies away” as the hiss from the “s” in the word “parents” is sustained, adding a disquieting tension.

When singing, YATTA often uses a sort of jazz lounge or blues approach with a gentle vibrato, with that warmth sharply contrasting with the

artificial building blocks of her sonic room.

It’s an album packed with such disconnects, from the reverberating voices on “Shine” that are simultaneously eerie and comforting, to the ominous tones of the perhaps ironically titled “I Will Definitely Feel Good”.

However, alongside YATTA’s anxieties is a sense of humor which is a vital aspect of the album. On “Bliss” punctuated with majestic tones of a virtual procession, YATTA says, “Feels good when I drink coffee and run around in circles and feel like I have nothing left but to WIN!” Another facet of Wahala ponders the immense universe. “Galaxies beyond galaxies beyond galaxies” mentioned by collaborator Kaafoe Zoker on the track “Galaxies” and the concept of infinite, simultaneous realities, on the closing track “Underwater, Now”.

A cause of suffering, YATTA concludes, is that the human mind can’t handle multiple realities. It’s this perplexing conflict that YATTA adeptly represents on Wahala with a million inner voices shouting out.

Pulse on Facebook Follow The Pulse on FacebookFollow (we’reThe quite likeable) (we're really quite likeable)

Follow The Pulse on Facebook (we’re quite likeable)

www.facebook.com/chattanoogapulse

Follow The Pulse onwww.facebook.com/chattanoogapulse Facebook (we’re quite likeable) 18 • THE PULSE • JANUARY 9, 2020 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

www.facebook.com/chattanoogapulse

ADVERTISEMENT

CHATTANOOGA'S HEMP HOUSE Smashing the misconceptions about the wonders of CBD

CANNABIDIOL (CBD) IS A HOT

commodity right now with various stores and products “cropping up” at near lightning speed. CBD has been sweeping the marketplace with salves, tinctures, and oils for a wide range of ailments and conditions.

But there is one true Chattanooga CBD distributor that planted the seeds for all things CBD related: Hemp House Chattanooga. The first Hemp House on Tremont Street, right next to Aretha Frankensteins, opened its doors in 2017 and has been a community boon for not just Tennessee hemp growers but also residents from all over the area.

Folks have traveled far and wide (some over three hours) to this gem on the North Shore just to purchase the finest CBD products in Tennessee, a fact that inspired the owner/CEO Dwayne Madden to respond-in-kind by planting seed at two other locations.

But Hemp House isn’t just another fly-by-night crop cash in. No, Hemp House’s modus operandi is to smash the stigma and misconceptions surrounding the wonders of CBD for the public, and also to be a champion for locally sourced hemp products right from this beautiful state we reside in.

It’s a firsthand fact that you can walk into Hemp House knowing absolutely nothing about CBD and walk out a well-informed consumer; maybe even an amateur researcher. But that is only half of the exceptional service you’ll experience.

“With a selection from fifteen vendors there’s a bountiful cornucopia of CBD products that range from internal wellness to external beauty.”

As a man who hates taking aspirin for headaches or cold medicine for a cold, you can bet that I initially walked into Hemp House with some reservations. But when I stepped upon that porch at the Tremont location it brought me back to the days when good advice and home remedies were shared among the gentle sway of a wooden porch swing.

I almost expected my grandmother to step out of the door drying her

hands upon her apron. The atmosphere was like coming home or visiting an old friend after years of being away.

Various products were neatly arranged and displayed; educational pamphlets adorned every square inch of the store space. Yet the information about CBD products came from the helpful staff. I wasn’t being sold anything, I was being educated.

No hoodoo or fantastic flights of

fancy; the conversation was organic and to the point with back story on CBD research and consumer testimony. I was free to explore and at no time did I feel any pressure to buy anything off the shelves. The skeptical mind is more than welcome at the Hemp House. As a man leery of most medicines to the point of pretty much refusing aspirin for a headache you can bet your buds that I had questions.

Thankfully with guidance, I was able to take home some oil from Alleviate Pharms to help with some excruciating foot pain. The kind of pain that has you hobbling around the house first thing in the morning cursing the extended hikes you’ve endured for Uncle Sam. But a few drops under the tongue and the pain was a distant memory without wonky side effects or a trip to the doctor for pain meds.

Hemp House is all about the health without the high. With a selection from fifteen vendors there’s a bountiful cornucopia of CBD products that range from internal wellness to external beauty. Those eager for a new organic beard oil or lip balm will find Hemp House on point to deliver exceptional quality for the price.

But don’t take my word for it, let the Chattanooga’s homegrown CBD gurus school you on the applications and wonders found right in their store and check them out at hemphousechatt.com for products and information. And for you Hixson folks, be sure to swing by the newer location in the Food City Plaza, just off Exit 11.

— Brandon Watson

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 9, 2020 • THE PULSE • 19

FILM & TELEVISION

Does Netflix’s New Vampire Series Suck?

A remake of a classic that kind of bites

The Jewish Film Series Returns Four Jewish-themed, award-winning documentary films produced in the United States and Israel will be shown on five consecutive Wednesday evenings at 7:15 p.m. beginning next Wednesday at the Jewish Cultural Center on North Terrace.

These films have received international film awards, nominations, and recognition at film festivals throughout the United States, Europe, and Israel.

The series kicks off next Wednesday with Carvalho’s Journey, the story of photographer Solomon Nunes Carvalho’s 1853 journey to the West. A Sephardic Jew from Charleston, S.C. travels with John Fremont meeting mountain men and Native Americans.

Then on Wednesday, January 22, it’s Fiddler: Miracle of Miracles, the story of how the musical came to be, including interviews with the show’s creators and excerpts from various productions.

On Wednesday, January 29, the series continues with Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World of Ben Ferencz, the story of Ben Ferencz who was one of the chief prosecutors of the Nuremberg Trials after World War II and his career dedicated to the world of justice.

Then the series concludes on Wednesday, February 5 with Picture of His Life, the story of former Israeli Elite Commando turned wildlife photographer Amos Nachoum’s quest to record a swimming polar bear, with incredible images.

Individual tickets are $10 per person or $3 for students with ID. Admission includes complimentary popcorn and a soft drink. For more information, head over to jewishchattanooga.com — Michael Thomas

By John DeVore Pulse Film Editor

“

There are few novels in Western literature than have been so influential, particularly when it comes to film adaptations.”

20 • THE PULSE • JANUARY 9, 2020 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

T

HERE IS LIKELY NO BETTER HORROR WRITING THAN the first few chapters of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”. Jonathan Harker’s imprisonment within the Transylvanian castle is harrowing in a way that isn’t seen in most horror novels. Despite being released in 1897, the book remains extraordinary and accessible.

I’ve always wanted to teach the novel, to spend weeks dissecting each scene, examining the themes, and studying the history. Of course, vampire stories aren’t considered high quality literature by the people that drive curriculum and parents would likely see the sexual imagery within the novel and retreat to their fainting couches.

Still, there are few novels in Western literature than have been so influential, particularly when it comes to film

adaptations. From Nosferateu to Twilight to Blade, Dracula provided the world with its favorite monster, one that can continually be reinterpreted.

Does the world need another Dracula adaptation? I can’t see any reason why not.

Netflix has quietly released a new mini-series that tells the story in broad strokes, from the minds of Sherlock writers Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss.

The Dracula series starts off strong because it adapts the best material from

the novel, and then loses some of its appetite by the third episode, making strange choices which ultimately hurt the narrative. Still, it earns enough goodwill with the first two episodes to make it worth the watch.

Like most Dracula adaptations, the mini-series plays with the characters and the situations while maintaining the feel of the original. It starts, of course, with Jonathan Harker (Jonathan Heffernan). Harker is the outsider that ventures into the Carpathian Mountains to aid a mysterious nobleman that wishes to emigrate to England.

This is Count Dracula (Claes Bang), the aristocratic vampire who has plagued Bavaria for centuries. However, this story is framed by Harker’s recounting of events to a pair of interested nuns in a convent in Budapest.

He is questioned by skeptic Sister Agatha (Dolly Wells), who has knowledge of vampires but hopes to understand them from a scientific perspective.

There’s a lot of this type of inquiry within the series—an attempt to understand the undead in a clinical sense. Vampires in this series aren’t merely turned by other vampires. It seems that occasionally, the dead simply do not die.

“

The audience doesn’t need to see him as troubled, as sympathetic, or lonely. This vampire is evil.”

Instead, a person may become trapped in their coffins, fully conscious, but rotting and trapped.

Count Dracula was one of these but managed not to be feral and beastly, making him the successful, charming, and eternal creature we all know. For his part, Jonathan Harker does not escape the castle unscathed as in the books.

He is changed, very much for the worse.

The second and third episodes focus on other aspects of the story, Dracula’s travel to England on board the ship Demeter and his eventual arrival to his destination.

The Demeter was never fleshed out in the novel. It was described in a newspaper clipping as a plague ship that arrived in port accompanied by a horrible fog with the captain lashed to the wheel, not another soul in sight.

The absence of details in the novel allows Moffat and Gattis license to explore, creating their own story which plays as a detective story with characters disappearing one by one. The third episode is the greatest departure

from the series, where the series abandons much of what it created in the first two episodes in order to give it the characteristic Sherlockstyle twist. It doesn’t work, really.

But, as I mentioned, the series does well enough with the first two that it warrants watching. Performances are great across the board, the send ups of traditional vampire tropes are entertaining, and the series treats its monster as a genuine threat, a soulless killer without remorse or humanity.

It really is the characterization of Dracula that sells the series. The audience doesn’t need to see him as troubled, as sympathetic, or lonely. This vampire is evil. Every person who interacts with him is in mortal danger. He kills without hesitation and is constantly hungry. It’s refreshing.

Had the series maintained this throughout, it might have been one of the best Dracula adaptations around. Much like Dracula does with his victims, the series shows the audience what might have been, then drains the life out of the story.

✴ NEW IN THEATERS ✴

1917 Two young British soldiers during the First World War are given an impossible mission: deliver a message deep in enemy territory that will stop 1,600 men, and one of the soldiers' brothers, from walking straight into a deadly trap.

Director: Sam Mendes Stars: Dean-Charles Chapman, George MacKay, Daniel Mays, Colin Firth

Just Mercy World-renowned civil rights defense attorney Bryan Stevenson works to free a wrongly condemned death row prisoner.

Director: Destin Daniel Cretton Stars: Brie Larson, Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 9, 2020 • THE PULSE • 21

FOOD & DRINK · SUSHI & BISCUITS

Immersed In The Not-So-Latest Gadget The French surpass us in the kitchen once again

H Mike McJunkin Pulse columnist

“

Every year of the past decade had its own trendy kitchen gadget that promised to make cooking at home faster, easier, healthier and turn you into a regular Julia Splenderpoot.”

Mike McJunkin is a native Chattanoogan who has traveled abroad extensively, trained chefs, and owned and operated restaurants. Join him on Facebook at facebook.com/SushiAndBiscuits

OME COOKING HAS CHANGED a lot over the past decade. Men are cooking at home more, women are cooking at home less, and people who used to struggle with Hamburger Helper are now gramming photos of homemade lamb tail fritters with artisan fern water that they made using an Instapot, air fryer, and $200 worth of duck fat.

Every year of the past decade had its own trendy kitchen gadget that promised to make cooking at home faster, easier, healthier and turn you into a regular Julia Splenderpoot in the eyes of your loved ones—which is essentially the same pitch kitchen appliance manufacturers have been promising home cooks for 70 years.

But among the spiralizers, mecha blenders, psychic fryers, and magicpots, there is one device that I predict will stand the test of time and eventually become as commonplace in home kitchens as crockpots and cursing—the sous vide machine (technically known as an immersion circulator).

Sous vide is French for “under vacuum” which immediately conjures up images of white lab coats, bunsen burners and pocket protectors, but sous vide is actually a cooking method that is simply the evolution of a technique that’s been around for centuries; slowly cooking food that’s been wrapped in something such as leaves, intestines, clay, or even submerged in fat to make it more tender, easier to eat, and easier to digest.

Over time, chefs, physicists, and commercial food scientists figured out that you can do miraculous things by putting food in a vacuum sealed bag, submerging it in water and cooking it at a very carefully controlled temperature. But do not confuse sous vide with its Neanderthal cousin “boil-in-a-bag.”

With boil-in-a-bag you’re heating up bagged food in boiling water. Sous

22 • THE PULSE • JANUARY 9, 2020 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

vide, however, gently cooks food at well below boiling point.

The immersion circulator heats the water to a precise temperature that matches the food’s ideal internal temperature and maintains that precise temperature.

What this means, practically speaking, is that there’s no guess work. If you put a steak in at 140° (the temperature for perfect medium-rare), there’s no chance that steak will go past that temperature and the entire steak end to end will cook to a perfect medium-rare. When you’re ready, take it out of the bag, sear it in a screaming hot cast iron skillet for about a minute on each side and like magic, you’ve got the perfect browning and caramelization you want on the outside with a perfect medium-rare inside.

Steaks are a great place to start but there is so much more you can do with an immersion circulator. If you start to look at an immersion circulator as a way to provide continual, precisely controlled heat rather than just another cooking gadget, a world of possibilities opens up in your kitchen.

Use an immersion circulator to infuse alcohol in hours rather than days to create your own combinations like green tea gin, coco rye whiskey, or Thai chili Aperol. Pasteurize foods like eggs, nut butters, fish, or homemade mayo that can be kept in the fridge for up to seven days and frozen for six months or longer.

Sous vide cold brew coffee for less bitterness, create flavored oils, make silkysmooth custards and purées, even make your own yogurt—no Instapot or Greek grandmother required!

Ricotta cheese, condiments, sauces,

fruit coulis, compotes, stocks, pickled vegetables, and perfectly cooked eggs every time can all be done while you sit and enjoy your favorite relaxing beverage. And if you forgot to chill your favorite beverage, the immersion circulator’s got you. On most models you can turn the temperature down and use it to rapid chill beverages when you forget to put them in the fridge.

Even with all the possibilities immersion circulators have to offer, my goto everyday use for these versatile little devices is to cook vegetables. I seal up carrots, asparagus, beets, green beans, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, leeks or whatever vegetable I’m in the mood for into a bag with a little bit of seasoning and fat (butter, olive oil, etc.) and cook to stunning perfection.

The best part is that because it’s vacuum sealed, very little of the precious flavor can escape the vegetable and what does cook out, gets conveniently captured in the bag for you to make a delicious pan sauce at the end.

Was there a time when sous vide machines were expensive and pretentious?

Certainly. But those days have passed just like hipsters and avocado lattes. So grab a Franklin and get yourself an immersion circulator and make something delicious!

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 9, 2020 • THE PULSE • 23