The Pulse 17.07 » February 13, 2020

VOLUME 17, ISSUE 7 | FEBRUARY 13, 2020

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BREWER MEDIA GROUP President & Publisher James Brewer, Sr. THE PULSE Managing Editor Gary Poole gary@chattanoogapulse.com Assistant Editor Jessie Gantt-Temple

Contents

VOLUME 17, ISSUE 7 • FEBRUARY 13, 2020

6

Music Editor Marc T. Michael Film Editor John DeVore Art Director Kelly Lockhart Editorial Interns Halley Andrews Lindsey Clute

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.

I love watching her sleep, listening to her deep breaths like the purr of a cat. I love the moment when she wakes, slips closer to my chest. I’ve never fit with anyone the way I fit with her. Clicking together like snaps on a western shirt. We hold onto each other through the night.

10

BARING ALL FOR THE ARTS

14

LOVIN’ EVERY LITTLE TING

Senior VP of Sales Lisa Yockey-Rice lisay@brewermediagroup.com Office 1305 Carter St. Chattanooga, TN 37402 Phone 423.265.9494 Email info@chattanoogapulse.com Website chattanoogapulse.com Facebook @chattanoogapulse

A STAR-CROSSED LOVE LETTER

Without accepting commissions and no upcoming shows, artist Laura Henley is hard to pin down but her work is worth the search. As she is a proud luddite, yet understanding some social media is needed, her work can only be seen on her Instagram @LLHenley.

In honor of the birthday of Bob Marley, The Pulse sent Music Editor Marc Michael to Jamaica to report on the observation of what is virtually a national holiday.

Having to miss all the rain and snow this past week is just one of the many burdens a music writer has to bear for his chosen profession.

4 CONSIDER THIS

12 ARTS CALENDAR

19 JONESIN' CROSSWORD

4 CITY LIFE

16 MUSIC CALENDAR

20 FILM & TELEVISION

5 EDITOONS

18 MUSIC REVIEWS

21 NEW IN THEATERS

9 SHADES OF GREEN

19 FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

22 GAME ON!

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CITY LIFE · BETWEEN THE BRIDGES

Cons ider This w ith Dr. Rick

“The beginning of love is to let those we love be perfectly themselves, and not to twist them to fit our own image. Otherwise we love only the reflection of ourselves we find in them.” — Thomas Merton We humans love for lots of reasons, and in lots of ways. We throw the word “love” around pretty casually. I love dogs. I love pizza.

At its deepest, though, love between humans embraces all of who we are—mind, body and spirit. It can be confusing, joyous, exciting. All at the same time. It can put our internal universe on exhibit.

When we love another, we find ourselves reflected in that other person. We identify with them. That’s the easy part. Consider this: Can you encourage your loved one to be exactly who they are as they grow and change?

Can you support them when they are your mirror, and when they’re not?

Roller Derby Rebrands For 2020 Season

T

It’s the fastest action on eight wheels

HE IMAGERY OF A BANKED TRACK WITH FISHNET CLAD FEMALE WARRIORS on eight wheels is as outdated as the term ‘girl’ when referring to a young woman. Over the past decade, the sport of roller derby has evolved and worked diligently to be taken more seriously.

By Michael Thomas & Jessie Gantt-Temple

“

Pulse contributors

This rebranding effort has been in the works for the past year and we couldn’t be more excited.”

— Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D.

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Successfully having bouts aired on sport channels like ESPN and with Erin Jackson branching out from skating with the New Jax City Rollers in Jacksonville, Florida to making the US Winter Olympics in 2018, derby is right on track.

The Chattanooga Roller Girls are thinking big picture as well and, after more than a decade creating excitement and raising money for local charities, are rebranding and changing their name to Chattanooga Roller Derby (CRD). This change is for the league to better reflect its inclusive core values to affirm and respect the diversity of its membership.

“This rebranding effort has been in the works for the past year and we couldn’t be more excited,” ex-

plains Macy Licht, media coordinator for the league.

“We wanted the name of our organization to be reflective of our affirming beliefs of gender diversity and felt that ‘Chattanooga Roller Girls’ was limited in that capacity.

‘Chattanooga Roller Derby’ better respects and appreciates our diverse membership, and signals to our community that we welcome all who identify with our values, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, body size, religion, or disability status.”

As a non-profit, the mission of Chattanooga’s only roller derby league, is to play roller derby and give back to the community.

Through team practices, commu-

EDITOONS

nity service and other team related activities, they hope to create personal growth and community development. As each home bout benefits a local charity, CRD has helped Orange Grove, National Park Partners, and Siskin Children’s Institute just to name a few.

Along with the name change is a new team logo, designed by board member and veteran skater, Jenny Cate. “I wanted a design that was athletic but alternative. It’s a play on skull and crossbones, and the railroad spikes are an homage to the old logo and in keeping with the theme of that part of Chattanooga,” says Cate.

Chattanooga Roller Derby is celebrating the rebranding with a launch party on Saturday March 14th at the Gate 11 Distillery in the Chattanooga Choo Choo, starting at 5 p.m. New and vintage merchandise will be for sale along with tickets to the season opener.

Equally excited for all that is to come in 2020, CRD will be joined by Moonlight Roller Lounge, the Southeast’s first 18+ roller skating rink and lounge, who is the official sponsor of CRD’s first bout.

The party is open to the public (mark your calendars now) and will feature Moonlight’s “Moon Beams,”

a quartet of skating dancers, and the Red Rogues, an acoustic/electric band performing an eclectic mix of rock, blues, and original Americana music.

Founded in 2008, Chattanooga Roller Derby is Chattanooga’s only adult flat track roller derby team and includes the Ruby Regulators, Chattanooga’s only junior roller derby team, and the Tennessee Valley Authority, a premiere group of dedicated referees and non-skating officials.

If you want a more skates-on approach, there is an upcoming skating event on Sunday, Feb. 16th at Hamilton Skate Place. As rental skates will be available, this fun and informative night is for anyone interested in becoming apart of the league either as a player, skating official, non-skating official or volunteer. If you can’t make it then, there is also a month-long bootcamp scheduled to kick off on February 25.

Chattanooga Roller Derby’s 12th season will officially begin with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 4th at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Get all the details, including this season’s home and away schedule, by visiting chattanoogarollerderby. com, Chattanooga Roller Derby’s Facebook, or contact them at join@ chattanoogarollerderby.com.

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COVER STORY

A Star-Crossed Love Letter Traveling a path paved with romance and realness

By Jason Tinney Pulse contributor

“

We are both writers and performers.

In spite of the inherent moodiness of artists, being artists together is a romance in itself.”

I

LOVE WATCHING HER SLEEP, LISTENING TO HER DEEP breaths like the purr of a cat. I love the moment when she wakes, slips closer to my chest. I’ve never fit with anyone the way I fit with her. Clicking together like snaps on a western shirt.

We hold onto each other through the night. Desperate not to let go or lose sight of one another—even in our dreams.

The light is just rising as I thumb through the Moleskine pages of notebooks in the Faulkner Room, our William Faulkner-inspired office packed with books, desks, and four typewriters.

The pages fall gently with the last soft flakes of snow blanketing Chattanooga sidewalks. It’s a week before Valentine’s Day and my partner, the love of my life, is asleep in the bedroom.

I have a ritual of waking her up by whispering birdsong in her ears: Sweet

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Virginia, Sweet Virginia I call in one.

Pretty Bird, Pretty Bird I sing in the other.

I’ve given her nicknames to match each layer to her quirky personality. Buttons, Roller Coaster, Hot Rod. But Sweet Virginia is my favorite for this delicately fierce little bird. She calls me Jackson, sometimes Charlie. I never understood where Charlie came from—it’s not a family name and there is no funny anecdote on how it came to be.

“Sometimes you get this sweet, youth-

ful look. A Charlie look,” she tells me.

For the last week, I’ve come into the Faulkner room around 3 a.m. to try to get some sleep. Our tortoiseshell cat, Percy, has decided this is the time she must be fed and I am the one that must do it.

She’ll hop into bed and sit an inch from my face, and stare. It’s a bit terrifying, especially when she hovers over my ear, breathing. From time to time she snorts, shaking drops of drool on my ear and cheek. While I love the cat, her affection can drive me out of bed.

My mind is made up that Percy and Sweet Virginia watch too many Lifetime movies and the cat has concocted some divide and conquer scheme. As soon as I go into the next room, the cat contents herself upon my pillow and falls asleep next to my wife. So I’ve been spending a lot of time surrounded by typewriters and old notebooks scribbled full of memories.

Star-crossed love letters, really.

We are both writers and performers. In spite of the inherent moodiness of artists, being artists together is a romance in itself. That passion brought us together five years ago. She’d seen me play harmonica once at a literary festival in Baltimore.

A mutual friend told her I was an author and had a book coming out. She wanted to interview me for a literary journal she edited and asked to meet for coffee. I’d never met her, but she won me over in her email: “I am from Kentucky, love bourbon, horses, and I am part Cherokee.”

I shared this introduction with a bandmate and she said, “Uh-oh.”

I remember the first time I saw Sweet Virginia. Of course, I could barely make eye contact with her over that cup of coffee. Her natural beauty intimidated me into a loss for words. But it was more than her appearance. Before we even shook

hands I felt like I’d known this person my entire life. What was supposed to be a 45-minute conversation turned into three hours. I’m not sure we moved to get a refill on our coffee. And I’m not sure that we really talked about the book.

What proceeded was a flurry of writing songs, stories, and plays together. Falling in love together.

Being in a position where we maybe shouldn’t have fallen in love.

But we allowed, indulged in even, some kindred romance of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. Sam Shepard and Patti Smith. Or was she my Jessica Lange? We drew all comparisons and all seemed to fit, like us.

But it’s not enough to fall in love— or for that matter BE in love—we have to be loving. We found ourselves in a wild world much like Romeo and Juliet. Some friends and some family did not back our whirlwind of emotions.

We were cast out in the middle of America where the sky is so low it can almost reach down to touch the corn tassels. So we found logical jobs for unemployed writers: selling cookware at county fairs across the Midwest and South.

Banging pots and pans for audiences at live cooking demonstrations brought us to Chattanooga by roundabout way of Baltimore and Natchez, Mississippi.

As it turns out, selling designer skillets next to hog-calling competitions is not lucrative. Times were hard, as they say.

We’d argue on the road to the next Howard Johnson, but we both wanted the same thing—to be home in Chattanooga where the company, and fate, had originally placed us.

“Let’s turn this around” became our mantra to soften tempers. I remember the last road trip with a cargo of cookware when she beamed a smile wide enough to fill the Mid-Western landscape racing with the sun rising over the Mississippi River. We would take yet

“

Traveling through these love letters this is what I’ve discovered. The more you forget about yourself the more your partner will remember you.”

another leap of faith, quit our jobs, and try again. This time, rooted once and for all in Chattanooga. With a cat who isn’t going anywhere either.

We’re all looking for some secret to what keeps us in love, loving, once we’ve found it. I write to try to find answers for myself, but that too is a process. And maybe relationships are part process and part emotion.

She casts her spell. Reels me in.

Comforts all these outlaw emotions pulsing through thin skin. This is what she fell for. She focuses the canvas of my breath. Shows me how to breathe through bluesy eyes that match hers.

It’s clear, the story twisting in the burnt fleck resting inside her azure iris, the ever-curving movement of her powerful runner’s legs, longer than they are given credit for—a narration of unlicensed calculation of every inch of beauty and insecurity.

A light trot step, boot heel clap, click

of sleek neck, tilt of a straw-thatched cowboy hat, peach braid above the brim for flare. Muscle memory. Everything learned from buried losses and reaped from what has grown.

She knows that all of her innocence is delicately suspended by air and could crash to the earth at any moment. She owns every inch of her complicated skin. Let’s turn this around. Code for: This is our story. Others be damned.

Cherokee and Irish blood mixing and boiling. Scarred animals prone to bitter defenses, prowling and growling, probing to see which one might snap first and spit and run under the weight. In our own way. No, let’s turn this around.

We fell in love head first with our heels kicking and laughing. That is what we fight for. Yes, let’s turn this around. This recognition hangs like a sweet C note your ears want to hold onto forever.

I wonder what would have happened if Romeo and Juliet had lived.

They were married. Their parents weren’t fond of each other. Most likely, they would have been outcasts, scorned by friends. They’d have no financial resources. They may have been like us, banished from the fair city of Verona and selling pots and pans in Mantua.

Traveling through these love letters this is what I’ve discovered.

The more you forget about yourself the more your partner will remember you. Often, arguments are two people saying the same thing and resolution is found in the respect of where the other person is standing.

There are always going to be bad days. William Faulkner said, “You don’t love because: you love despite; not for the virtues, but despite the faults.”

Know your motives and what your goals are. “The self drives motives, the partnership drives goals,” Sweet Virginia has told me. And be humble.

Admitting you are wrong is great but conceding that you may be wrong even if you know you are right—you can turn everything around.

I’ll be blowing harmonica on Valentine’s Day this year. I play my heart out for this woman every day. Occasionally, I’ve been known to miss a beat.

Sometimes I’ve hit the wrong note. Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, tomorrow is another day to try to get it right.

These are some words I wrote down in my journal just before the new year.

And I hope I got them right: Tip toes are thunder Laughter is lightning In our collision of constellations Stars are bathed in the whisper of snow that blankets the path to be discovered.

— Love Charlie.

Every once and awhile Sweet Virginia says, “You talk too much.” Sometimes when you don’t have the words, I love you might be enough.

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COLUMN · SHADES OF GREEN

Driving Economic Change For Earth How companies are putting the green back in the greenbacks

W Sandra Kurtz

Pulse columnist

“

Behind every economic crisis is a crisis in thinking. The transition has begun. Many voices are calling for new thinking about how our economy works.”

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

ELL, IT’S FINALLY BEGINNING! BlackRock, a firm with about $6.9 trillion in assets, now asserts that sustainability will be a key factor in their future investment strategies.

The CEO announced the company will prioritize the climate crisis for their investment decisions moving forward.

BlackRock is shifting capital out of fossil fuels financing and beginning divestment from coal in its actively managed funds. Financial institutions are at last recognizing the risks associated with climate change.

Larry Fink, BlackRock’s money management CEO stated, “The firm would also introduce new funds that shun fossil fuel-oriented stocks, move more aggressively to vote against management teams that are not making progress on sustainability, and press companies to disclose plans for operating under a scenario where the Paris Climate Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to less than two degrees is fully realized.”

This is BIG! Environmentalists, religious organizations and investors have sought divestment from fossil fuels. It looks like the dam now has a significant crack in it. When BlackRock, the largest financial institution in the world makes this decision, momentum toward sustainability is gaining speed. Now what about other large financial institutions like Vanguard and State Street Global Advisors?

Economist Mariana Mazzucato argues behind the climate crisis, behind every economic crisis is a crisis in thinking. The transition has begun. Many voices are calling for new thinking about how our economy works.

Demond Drummer, founder of New Consensus says, “We want to transition from an extractive, destructive, exploit-

ative economy to one that affirms life, to an economy that is regenerative, to an economy that honors Mother Earth, honors the sacred—build a living economy, one that affirms life.”

He adds, “A new economic consensus says we will no longer be duped by the mythic invisible hand of the market–a consensus that recognizes that the public sector has a fundamental role to play in shaping markets—energy markets, financial markets, labor markets – to serve the interests of society.”

Not ‘invisible hand’ controlling our economy, but hands of investors over time will drive future financing away from today’s capitalism toward a new ‘moral capitalism’ as Merrill Lynch terms it.

Shareholders want to support their communities, address climate change and environment and be more inclusive, not just make profits.

Ceres, a nonprofit organization, has built a business case for sustainability for thirty years. They work to move investors, companies, policymakers and other capital market influencers to take action on four global sustainability challenges: climate change, water scarcity and pollution, inequitable workplaces and outdated capital market systems.

According to their website, they work with over 170 institutional investors to pass historic shareholder resolutions on climate risk at oil and gas companies like Exxon Mobil and Shell and got Apple, Bank of America, and Nike to make 100 percent clean energy commitments. They helped launched the ‘We Are Still In’ coalition of over 3500 investors, mayors, companies, governors, and other leaders after President Trump withdrew from the Paris Climate Agreement.

Their BICEP network (Business for Inno-

vative Climate & Energy Policy) supports increased adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency; increased investment in a clean energy economy; and increased support for climate change resilience. Perseverance is paying off.

For investment management folks, it’s really about risk. Which companies are establishing policies to take climate risk into account with your investments?

Suggested potential winners for industry investments include clean energy, ecommerce, healthcare technology and local manufacturers. Other sectors may struggle like fossil fuels, bonds, and brick and mortar retailers.

Where and with whom should you invest? Who has environmentally focused portfolios? Which companies are the socially conscious companies? Which ones including large banks consider climate risk in their investment policy?

Our largest banks based in Tennessee are First Horizon National Corporation (Memphis) and Pinnacle Financial Partners (Nashville). A web search did not reveal any company policy statements regarding investment decisions that included climate or sustainability risk. Admittedly they’ll tell you personal profits might be lessened if choosing a socially responsible portfolio, but these same companies also always say past performance does not guarantee future outcomes.

Investors should ask to place your investments where climate risk is part of the money management policy. Individual investor demands will move transition more quickly. We need that because waters are rising here, and researchers recorded the temperature last Friday in Antarctica at 65 degrees Fahrenheit—the highest ever since recordings began in 1961.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Baring All For The Arts A luddite’s soft approach to creativity

A Funny Tragedy This Valentine’s Day weekend, The Ringgold Playhouse will bring John Cariani’s “Love/Sick” to life in five performances that outline a brilliant account of the relatable highs, lows, and every feeling in-between that comes with being in love.

Opening this Thursday, “Love/Sick” brings a unique storytelling structure to the stage.

Told through a series of nine short plays strung together into one act, this 85-minute performance set in an alternate suburban reality highlights the parts of a relationship that are rough around the edges intertwined with comedy.

Cariani connects the tragic qualities in his play with a fitting quote from Fitzgerald, “The sentimental person thinks things will last—the romantic person has a desperate confidence that they won’t.”

Although each play has its own plot, they all come together to capture a larger picture that forms a satisfying whole. With names such as “Obsessive Impulsive” and “The Singing Telegram”, each section is sure to introduce identifiable scenarios and laughable settings.

You’ll find yourself slipping into the characters’ shoes as you experience the all too familiar feelings of love and heartbreak in this wholesome community theatre experience.

Performances will take place Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at Ringgold City Hall (in advance or at the door) or online at eventbrite.com., and are $10 for general admission and $8 for seniors and students.

— Lindsey Clute

By Jessie Gantt-Temple Pulse contributor

“

I feel like I’m still in the middle of some crucial development that is tenuous and on-going.”

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W

ITHOUT ACCEPTING COMMISSIONS AND NO upcoming shows, artist Laura Henley is hard to pin down but her work is worth the search. As she is a proud luddite, yet understanding some social media is needed, her work can only be seen on her Instagram @LLHenley.

“There’s a certain pace of work that I strive for—that would be a massively slow pace—that is really at odds with the speed of my iPhone and of people’s expectations for representational art. Or any art,” she says. “I feel like I’m still in the middle of some crucial development that is tenuous and on-going. I’m like jello that’s partially set—I need to stay in the fridge and be left alone.”

Remembering a desire to draw

since the age of three, she proclaims she is not self-taught and has received guidance from a ton of developed artists over the years. Mary Carrithers, Danny Filipino, and Shelly Winters were integral parts of her early development then when she was older, she took workshops with folks like Mia Bergeron, Hollis Dunlap, Angela Cunningham and Seth Haverkamp.

As many artists like to have goals of more shows or to learn a new tech-

nique, Laura is refreshing in her approach to 2020 with a heavier focus on personal goals that will inevitably assist with her personal goals. “I hope to feel a sense of naturalness and calm while painting. I’d like for painting to feel like washing the dishes.

Casual yet necessary for a functioning household.”

From Chattanooga, Laura is rooted in North Chattanooga now after being transitional for almost a decade.

She resides in the same neighborhood she grew up in, just walking distance from her grandparent’s house and every house she lived in during her childhood.

“I love the old houses and scrubby backyards. I love that my dad shopped at Agnew Hardware on Frazier Ave. I love that Tremont Tavern was an antique store when I was little and that Daily Ration was the Exxon. The magic is here,” she smiles. “There is a house on Tremont Street in complete disrepair that my grandmother grew up thinking was the absolute most beautiful house she had ever seen. As long as it’s up, my E’ma and I still enjoy its beauty and possibility.”

From seascapes to her mom’s backyard to fruit to the human form, her works consistently portray a soft stratum of colorful brushstrokes that invoke a sense of solitude and respite to me. A single flower uncluttered in

“

From seascapes to her mom’s backyard to fruit to the human form, her works consistently portray a soft stratum of colorful brushstrokes that invoke a sense of solitude and respite to me. ” all its sometimes-short lived glory. A nude female curvaceous in simplicity and solemnity. Laura’s favorite subject is the human body yet not all her models are nude.

“Nothing is as real or thrilling as painting the figure from life. Nothing feels as precious,” she says while she points out a pencil drawing of her sister Katie. “I love drawing or painting her. She’s like me but different which is endlessly fascinating.” Having drawn and painted off and on for years at Townsend Atelier, she finds her reoccurring models more interesting and promising than models who are entirely new to her.

When asked about which of her completed creations were her favorite, she responded she didn’t have any. “I love Diarmuid Kelley who was asked in an interview why he does not ‘finish’ his paintings and he said something like ‘I am fine to stop painting when I stop being interested and whether or not I paint this way, I understand

there being no reason to paint when something does not need to be discovered.’”

Of her own work, her most beloved pieces are the ones hanging up in her studio that have been incomplete drawings for over a year as she loves that they still contain so many possibilities. “They aren’t closed. I like looking at them and feeling like I still have so much runway with them. They can keep becoming in a way which my finished work can’t.”

Laura has no desire to constantly post her work on social media as she is reveling in her creative space with more internal privacy. “It’s a great thing for imagination; the ability to hear oneself think.” However, her intermittent Instagram posts do allow a glimpse into her works which may be up for purchase. Living in a very visual society that is stimulated by so much, it is a joy to consciously pause and be patient for someone’s creativity to present itself.

THU2.13

FRI2.14

SAT2.15

Hart Gallery Whiskey Supper

Harvey

Footloose the Musical

The tale of easy-going Elwood O. Dowd and his invisible six-foot-tall rabbit friend Harvey.

8 p.m.

Mountain Arts Community Center 809 Kentucky Ave. signalmacc.org

What do you do when the town leaders ban dancing? Why, you keep on dancing, of course.

And singing, too.

7 p.m.

Center for Creative Arts 1301 Dallas Rd. centerforcreativearts.net

Culinary creations from award winning Food Network star, Chef Charles Loomiss.

7 p.m.

Feed Co. Table & Tavern 201 W. Main St. feedtableandtavern.com

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • FEBRUARY 13. 2020 • THE PULSE • 11

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR THURSDAY2.13 Miller Park Farmers Market 11 a.m.

Miller Park 910 Market St. millerparkmarket.com Lupi’s National Park Lovefest 11 a.m.

Lupi’s Pizza 406 Broad St. (423) 266-5874 lupi.com Indirect Oil Painting with Susan Budash 1 p.m.

Reflections Gallery 1635 Rossville Ave. (423) 892-3072 reflectionsgallerytn.com Chautauqua Lecture Series 2 p.m.

Chattanooga State Humanities Theatre 4501 Amnicola Hwy. chattanoogastate.edu Intro to Pen Turning 5 p.m.

Woodcraft 5824 Brainerd Rd. (423) 710-8001 woodcraft.com Bottling & Kegging Workshop 5:30 p.m.

Brew Market & Beer Garden 1510 Riverside Dr. (423) 648-2739 brewmarketchatt.com Sound and Vision: Rowing in Eden: Three Dickinson Songs 5:45 The Hunter Museum of American Art 10 Bluff View Ave. (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org BlackGirlChatt Galentine’s Card Making Social 6 p.m.

The Chattery 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Get Off My Stoop 6 p.m.

The Edney Innovation Center 1100 Market St. (423) 643-6770 theedney.com River Runners 6 p.m.

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ENTERTAINMENT SPOTLIGHT Dale’s machine gun style delivery and animated facials combined with quick improvisations and non-stop physical comedy has led to TV appearances on Fox and in the movie Out of Time with Denzel Washington.

Dale Jones The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. thecomedycatch.com Basecamp Bar and Restaurant 346 Frazier Ave. (423) 803-5251 basecampcha.com Open Bead Night 6 p.m.

Bead-Therapy 1420 McCallie Ave. (423) 509-1907 bead-therapy.com Life Drawing Open Studio 6 p.m.

Townsend Atelier 301 E. 11th St. (423) 266-2712 townsendatelier.com Open Mic Poetry & More 6:30 p.m.

Stone Cup Café 208 Frazier Ave. (423) 521-3977 stonecupcafe.com Hart Gallery Whiskey Supper 7 p.m.

The Feed Co. Table & Tavern 201 W. Main St. feedtableandtavern.com Dale Jones 7:30 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Love/Sick 7:30 p.m.

The Ringgold Playhouse 155 Depot St. (706) 935-3061 cityofringgoldga.gov Alcoholics Not Anonymous Comedy Open Mic

8 p.m.

Barley Taproom 235 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 682-8200 chattanoogabarley.com

FRIDAY2.14 Self-Love Letters 3 p.m.

Chattanooga Public Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattlibrary.org Cooking on 2: Valentine’s Day Pancakes 4:30 p.m.

Chattanooga Public Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattlibrary.org Get Your Hands Dirty: Valentine’s Day 6 p.m.

Scenic City Clay Arts 301 E. 11th St. (423) 883-1758 sceniccityclayarts.org Couples Valentines Art Class 6 p.m.

WanderLinger Brewing Co. 1208 King St. wanderlinger.com Footloose the Musical 7 p.m.

Center for Creative Arts 1301 Dallas Rd. (423) 209-5929 centerforcreativearts.net Love Potion No. 9: Valentine’s Day Cocktails

7:30 p.m.

The Chattery 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Ballroom Dance and Waltz 7:30 p.m.

Brainerd United Methodist Church 4315 Brainerd Rd. (706) 483-6166 chattanoogausadance.com Love/Sick 7:30 p.m.

The Ringgold Playhouse 155 Depot St. (706) 935-3061 cityofringgoldga.gov Dale Jones 7:30, 9:45 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Harvey 8 p.m.

Mountain Arts Community Center 809 Kentucky Ave. (423) 886-1959 signalmacc.org Ruby Falls Lantern Tours 8:30 p.m.

Ruby Falls 1720 S. Scenic Hwy. (423) 821-2544 rubyfalls.com

SATURDAY2.15 Brainerd Farmers Market 10 a.m.

Grace Episcopal Church 20 Belvoir Ave. (423) 243-3250 saygrace.net Peyote with a Twist with Aryd’ell 10 a.m.

Bead-Therapy 1420 McCallie Ave. (423) 509-1907 bead-therapy.com Artist in Residence: Elena Burykina 10 a.m.

The Edwin Hotel 102 Walnut St. (423) 713-5900 theedwinhotel.com Artist Demo: Painting with

Erin Gafill 1 p.m.

River Gallery 400 E. 2nd St (423) 265-5033 river-gallery.com Intermediate Fluid Art 1:30 p.m.

The Chattery 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Love/Sick 2, 7:30 p.m.

The Ringgold Playhouse 155 Depot St. (706) 935-3061 cityofringgoldga.gov Footloose the Musical 7 p.m.

Center for Creative Arts 1301 Dallas Rd. (423) 209-5929 centerforcreativearts.net Carson Whittaker Art Party 7 p.m.

Barley Chattanooga 235 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 682-8200 chattanoogabarley.com Dale Jones 7:30, 9:45 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Harvey 8 p.m.

Mountain Arts Community Center 809 Kentucky Ave. (423) 886-1959 signalmacc.org

SUNDAY2.16 Love/Sick 2 p.m.

The Ringgold Playhouse 155 Depot St. (706) 935-3061 cityofringgoldga.gov BHM 2020: To China with Love 4 p.m.

RISE Chattanooga 401 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 402-0452 jazzanooga.org Confession: Comedy Open Mic with Briana Adams 5 p.m.

Palace Theater 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 803-6578 chattpalace.com Lyrics & Libations with Big Fitz the Poet and DJ Bob 5 p.m.

Chattanooga Cigar Club 1518 Market St. (423) 498-3910 chattanoogacigarclub.com Sound Meditation & Conscious Listening: A Gong Experience 6 p.m.

The Retreat at the Wellness Corner 6237 Vance Rd. (423) 720-1174 wellnesscornerchattanooga.com Penny Serenade 7 p.m.

Heritage House Arts & Civic Center 1428 Jenkins Rd. (423) 855-9474 chattanooga.gov Dale Jones 7:30 p.m.

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

MONDAY2.17 Connecting with Your Creativity through Writing 5:30 p.m.

The Chattery 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Beginner Macrame: Plant Hanger 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 Blue Man Group: Speechless 7:30 p.m.

Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. (423) 757-5580 tivolichattanooga.com

TUESDAY2.18 Chattanooga Self Improvement Meetup 8 a.m.

The Edney Innovation Center 1100 Market St. (423) 643-6770 theedney.com Sew What 4 p.m.

Chattanooga Public Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattlibrary.org Wheel 1 with Lolly Durant 6 p.m.

Scenic City Clay Arts 301 E. 11th St. (423) 883-1758 sceniccityclayarts.org Silverpoint Drawing 6 p.m.

Townsend Atelier 301 E. 11th St. (423) 266-2712 townsendatelier.com Paths to Pints 6:30 p.m.

The Tap House 3800 St. Elmo Ave. taphousechatt.com Chess K-night 7 p.m.

Mad Priest Coffee Roasters 1900 Broad St. (423) 393-3834 madpriestcoffee.com Blue Man Group: Speechless 7:30 p.m.

Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. (423) 757-5580 tivolichattanooga.com

WEDNESDAY2.19 Black History Month: Paint Party 11 a.m.

The Bethlehem Center 200 W. 38th St. (423) 266-1384

thebeth.org Free Indoor Archery Session 3:30 p.m.

Outdoor Chattanooga 200 River St. (423) 643-6888 outdoorchattanooga.com Main Street Farmers Market 4 p.m.

Finley Stadium Parking Lot 522 W. Main St. mainstfarmersmarket.com Beginner’s Stained Glass with Summer Harrison 5:30 p.m.

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

Townsend Atelier 301 E. 11th St. (423) 266-2712 townsendatelier.com No Pressure: Instant Pot 101 6 p.m.

The Chattery 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Winter Workshop: Camp Cooking 101 6:30 p.m.

Outdoor Chattanooga 200 River St. (423) 643-6888 outdoorchattanooga.com Michael Palascak 7 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Chattanooga State Comedy Improv 7:30 p.m.

Chattanooga State Humanities Theatre 4501 Amnicola Hwy. chattanoogastate.edu Open Mic Comedy 8 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Map these locations on chattanoogapulse.com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • FEBRUARY 13. 2020 • THE PULSE • 13

THE MUSIC SCENE

Lovin’ Every Little Ting One love, one heart, one man

Texas Talent With A Pint Hoping for something a little more unique than dinner and a movie this Valentine’s Day? Or maybe looking for a fun way to celebrate Singles Awareness Day with your friends? For a truly stellar performance this Friday, go see Amber Carrington at Chattanooga’s own OddStory Brewing Co. at 7 p.m.

You may have seen the Texas native as a semi-finalist on the award-winning competition show The Voice in 2013 where she stunned judges and audiences with her powerhouse vocals.

Since then, she has shared the stage with the likes of David Foster and Vince Gill as she continues to hone her skills as a vocalist and a performer.

Carrington’s musical influences include Dolly Parton, Beyoncé, and Adele—a surprisingly diverse mix of vocal and music styles but with a voice as versatile as hers, why choose just one genre?

Although her roots are in country music, Carrington has performed everything from country ballads to punk rock jams, and she nails it every time.

While you listen, grab some of OddStory’s limited edition Coffee and Donuts Pastry stout. Made with a blend of Julie Darling’s donuts and Mean Mug cold brew, it’s like drinking a pint of home. — Halley Andrews

I

N HONOR OF THE BIRTHDAY OF BOB MARLEY, The Pulse sent Music Editor Marc Michael to Jamaica to report on the observation of what is virtually a national holiday. Having to miss all the rain and snow this past week is just one of the many burdens a music writer has to bear for his chosen profession.

By Marc T. Michael Pulse Music Editor

DAY ONE, FEB.4TH We land in Montego Bay Airport minutes ahead of a storm that spends the next 12 hours waffling between gentle summer rain and “Hurricane Lite.” It is an unusual occurrence for this time of year when the rain generally appears daily from 3:00 to 3:15 p.m. with Swiss accuracy.

In the community of West Negril where the world’s greatest jerk chicken can be found nightly in makeshift roadside stands, it makes

14 • THE PULSE • FEBRUARY 13, 2020 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

for a soggy supper. Rum helps.

DAY TWO, FEB. 5TH The rain has ended, and we are blessed with the finest picturepostcard tropical weather this side of a Corona commercial.

Our driver for the week, a wizened local with a penchant for random maniacal laughter known only as “Mister Taylor”, takes us deep in to the heart of the West End where tourists generally fear to tread (for no good reason at all) in search of information about the upcoming celebrations.

Bob Marley is something of a local hero, a favorite son of Negril,

it being one of the 42 places in Jamaica he was born (in addition to Nine Mile, where he was actually born.)

Mr. Taylor suggests we stop for tea, a holdover (I assume) from the British Colonial days. When in Rome. The tea has a peculiar musty flavor, as though it has been stored in a damp basement for too long.

Later that afternoon…“I had one grunch, but the eggplant over there.” I cannot remember where I first heard this phrase, but I do know that for the last hour I’ve been hearing it in my head, over and over and over.

It feels deeply profound for reasons I cannot reasonably explain.

Does it relate somehow to my assignment? Marley. Bob Marley.

Bob Marley and Me. Wasn’t that a movie? It seems familiar and yet, I had one grunch, but the eggplant over there.

Later still…the TV only seems to

display one program about a tubby, middle-aged man with a melty face.

Clearly, this is some high-brow artsy fartsy nonsense, shifting between Dadaism and Surrealism without effort.

Probably the Simpsons did it.

DAY THREE, FEB. 6TH (BOB MARLEY’S BIRTHDAY) The sun rose this morning with a magnificent “florp.” May have spent too much time in the tropical heat yesterday, feeling…well, not *bad* but perhaps a bit disconnected.

The excitement today is palpable.

Street vendors are displaying ten thousand images of Tuff Gong creatively plastered to a wide array of products.

There is nearly as wide a variety of bongs, pipes, chillums, clips, papers, bats, vaporizers, oil rigs, and whisker biscuits as can be found on a typical two block stretch of Pigeon Forge.

Cannabis, for personal use, is legal now, and people aren’t shy about celebrating that fact. I am offered a handful of gummi bears. Safe, harmless, familiar gummi bears, a childhood favorite.

Later that afternoon…tongue fuzzy.

Fuzzy tongue. Fuzzy fuzzy fuzzy tongue.

Shave tongue? No, shave tongue bad.

A friendly stranger, apparently a shaman of some sort, offers me a refreshing beverage. “Overproof,” he calls it.

Feeling a little cottony in the mouthal region, I throw it back. There is some-

thing familiar about it. I remember siphoning gas from mom’s car as a young man and accidentally swallowing half a mouth full. This is a lot like that, albeit not quite as mellow.

There is a TV behind the bar showing a cricket match. Five minutes pass as the Overproof and my stomach come to an accord that will hopefully pave the way to a full-blown peace treaty down the road. Time will tell, time which seems to be passing much more slowly when measured by the tense action of a cricket match.

I am starting to think I prefer the show I was watching back in the room. Heading back, I am mildly surprised to discover that our room has no TV. It does have a large mirror where I think a TV should be. Curiouser and curiouser.

It seems as if every musician on the island is playing tonight. There are stages all up and down the beach and in the few places where they aren’t, makeshift ones are being rapidly assembled. Soon I realize that the music is mainly for after dark, but today is

“

the day for the Great Negril Donkey race. They may not be the majestic thoroughbreds of my home state, but they are stout little fellows with plenty of heart, maybe not so much brains.

There is much excitement over today’s race, the “slowest fifteen minutes” in the sporting world is somehow stretched out into an eight-hour event.

Thousands of people are flooding the area but food and drink will be no issue as the current ratio of people to roadside chicken barrels seems to be about six to one.

Red Stripe is the drink of the day, ice-cold and refreshing. I wonder if perhaps it is brewed differently here as it seems to contain virtually no alcohol at all. It couldn’t, or else the case of it I’ve had in the last two hours would be having a far more profound effect. All is well, however.

The sun shines brightly, three little birds are singing sweetly, and a gentle breeze blows in from the placid sea in which the entire island of Jamaica seems to be gently bobbing and drift-

Away from the gaudy trinkets, cheap tourist crap, and the stereotypes perpetuated back home by bro-culture, there is love at the heart of the island and its music.”

ing along.

Night falls and a hundred bass guitars rattle the soul with a throbbing downbeat. Fires are lit, people dance and sing and move as one amorphous sea of humanity. Locals and tourists mingle freely, no one is having a bad time, and the familiar strains of Bob Marley’s tunes fill the air along with more contemporary island music and, surprisingly, a fair number of American pop tunes performed in Reggae style.

There comes a moment under the full moon, on the snowy beaches of the West End, when a few thousand people are simultaneously chanting “One love, one heart, let’s get together and feel all right,” and it feels as though, just for tonight, there is one love, and one heart.

Far from the 24-hour news cycles and vicious politricks back home, in this tiny oasis in the Caribbean, it feels like every little ting gonna be all right.

Away from the gaudy trinkets, cheap tourist crap, and the stereotypes perpetuated back home by bro-culture, there is love at the heart of the island and its music. A genuine love and appreciation for love and living that transcends all boundaries, real or imagined.

I hope that feeling is still there when the sun comes up. I hope I can bring some of it home with me, because lord knows it’s something we could all use right about now.

THU2.13

FRI2.14

SAT2.15

Space Jesus

Luke Simmons & The Lovestruck

Monomath, Trembles, & The Pearloids

Luke desires nothing more than to spread an uplifting message through his words and music.

9 p.m.

HiFi Clyde’s 122 W. Main St. hificlydeschattanooga.com

Rock out the day after Valentine's with a trio of bands guaranteed to get you moving.

9 p.m.

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

Exploring the electronic auditory universe in search of lower frequencies, future feels, and fire beats.

8 p.m.

The Signal 1810 Chestnut St. thesignaltn.com

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • FEBRUARY 13. 2020 • THE PULSE • 15

LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR THURSDAY2.13 Rowing In Eden: Three Dickinson Songs 5:45 p.m.

The Hunter Museum of Art 10 Bluff View Ave. huntermuseum.org Danimal & Friends 6 p.m.

WanderLinger Brewing Co. 1208 King St. wanderlinger.com David Anthony & Paul Stone 6 p.m.

The Palms at Hamilton 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Toby Hewitt 7 p.m.

Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Anthony Quails and Mike Crowder 7 p.m.

Pax Breu Ruim 516 E. Main St. (423) 648-4677 Jesse Dayton Duo 7 p.m.

Songbirds North 35 Station St. songbirds.rocks Gino Fanelli 7:30 p.m.

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Owen & Em 7:30 p.m.

The FEED Co. Table and Tavern 201 W. Main St. feedtableandtavern.com The Wood Brothers with Kat Wright 8 p.m.

Walker Theater 399 McCallie Ave. tivolichattanooga.com Space Jesus 8 p.m.

The Signal 1810 Chestnut St. thesignaltn.com Ariel 8 p.m.

The Social 1110 Market St. publichousechattanooga.com Open Mic Night with

16 • THE PULSE • FEBRUARY 13, 2020 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

Jonathan Wimpee 9 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com AfterParty with Sound System Cultures 9 p.m.

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

FRIDAY2.14 The Beaters 7 p.m.

Songbirds North 35 Station St. songbirds.rocks Amber Carrington 7 p.m.

OddStory Brewing Co. 336 E. MLK Blvd. oddstorybrewing.co Heather Holt 7 p.m.

Chattanooga Brewing Company 1804 Chestnut St. chattabrew.com Ryan Oyer 7:30 p.m.

Gate 11 Distillery 1400 Market St. gate11distillery.com Nick Williams 7:30 p.m.

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Jason Lee Wilson & James County 8 p.m.

Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Raul Enrique 8 p.m.

Las Morelianas 5622 Hwy 153 (423) 877-7115 “Ladies You’re Welcome” Album Release Party 9:30 p.m.

The OM Room 3230 Brainerd Rd. (423) 622-0822 Six Shooter 9:30 p.m.

Charlie’s Restaurant & Lounge 8504 Dayton Pk. charliessoddydaisy.com

Marty Manus 9 p.m.

Big River Grille 222 Broad St. bigrivergrille.com Jordan Hallquist 9 p.m.

The Feed Co. Table & Tavern 201 W. Main St. feedtableandtavern.com Good Noise: Celebration of Life 9 p.m.

Stone Cup Café 208 Frazier Ave. stonecupcafe.com Luke Simmons & The Lovestruck 9 p.m.

HiFi Clyde’s 122 W. Main St. hificlydeschattanooga.com Bay Faction, Superbody, & Kindora 9 p.m.

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

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Dance Party with Mystery Box & DJ Kyng 9 p.m.

WanderLinger Brewing Co. 1208 King St. wanderlinger.com The Kentucky Headhunters w/ The Georgia Thunderbolts 9 p.m.

Songbirds South 41 Station St. songbirds.rocks Darren Johnson 10 p.m.

Tremont Tavern 1203 Hixson Pike tremonttavern.com Double Night Rock Out 10 p.m.

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

SATURDAY2.15 Danimal 10:30 a.m.

Flying Squirrel Bar

55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com Priscilla & Little RicKee 2 p.m.

Scottie’s on the River 491 Riverfront Pkwy. scottiesontheriver.net Chattanooga Girls Choir: Hearts on Fire 6:30 p.m.

Northside Presbyterian Church 923 Mississippi Ave. northsidepresbyterian.org Mike Farris 7 p.m.

Songbirds North 35 Station St. songbirds.rocks Brantley Gilbert 7 p.m.

UTC McKenzie Arena 720 E. 4th St. utc.edu/mckenzie-arena School of Music Pops Concert 7:30 p.m.

Ackerman Auditorium 4881 Taylor Cir. southern.edu Amber Fults 7:30 p.m.

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Tyson Leamon 8 p.m.

Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant 2 Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Paul Smith & Sky High Band 8 p.m.

Eagles Club 6128 Airways Blvd. foe.com The Black Feathers 8 p.m.

Charles & Myrtle’s Coffeehouse 105 McBrien Rd. christunity.org 9th Street Stompers 8 p.m.

Bode 730 Chestnut St. bode.co Tyson Leamon 8 p.m.

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

Fireside Grille

3018 Cummings Hwy. firesidechattanooga.com Casey Smith 9 p.m.

Big River Grille 222 Broad St. bigrivergrille.com Sexy Beast 9 p.m.

HiFi Clyde’s 122 W. Main St. hificlydeschattanooga.com Monomath, Trembles, & The Pearloids 9 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Jonathan Wimpee 9 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Sleazy Sleazy & Holly Street Band 9 p.m.

WanderLinger Brewing Co. 1208 King St. wanderlinger.com Dookie: A Tribute to Green Day 9 p.m.

Songbirds South 41 Station St. songbirds.rocks Six Shooter 9:30 Charlie’s Restaurant & Lounge 8504 Dayton Pk. charliessoddydaisy.com Double Night Rock Outs 10 p.m.

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

SUNDAY2.16 Nalani & Josh 11 a.m.

Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com Carl Pemberton 11 a.m.

Westin Chattanooga 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com 9th Street Stompers 11 a.m.

STIR

1444 Market St. stirchattanooga.com My Name Is Preston Noon Southside Social 1818 Chestnut St. thesouthsidesocial.com Grace & Billy 1:30 p.m.

Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com E.T. 3 p.m.

Wanderlinger Brewing Co. 1208 King St. wanderlinger.com With Malice Toward None: A Musical Tribute to Abraham Lincoln 4 p.m.

First Cumberland Presbyterian Church 1505 N. Moore Rd. firstcumberland.com BHM 2020: To China With Love 4 p.m.

RISE Chattanooga 401 E. MLK Blvd. jazzanooga.org Bea Troxel + Betsy Phillips 6 p.m.

The Woodshop 5500 St. Elmo Ave. thewoodshop.space The Hullenders 6 p.m.

New Haven Baptist Church 1058 Graysville Rd. (423) 855-4910 Open Mic with Robin Baker 6:30 p.m.

River Drifters 1925 Suck Creek Rd. riverdrifterschatt.com Mother Legacy 8 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com The Shivas, Glass Caps, & Psychic Dungeon 9 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Six Shooter 9:30 p.m.

Charlie’s Restaurant & Lounge 8504 Dayton Pk. charliessoddydaisy.com

MONDAY2.17 Open Air with Jessica Nunn 6 p.m.

Granfalloon 400 E. Main St. granfalloonchattanooga.com Below The Salt 7 p.m.

Ugly Tree Cafe 3950 Brainerd Rd. uglytree.cafe 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 Blue Man Group: Speechless 7:30 p.m.

Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. tivolichattanooga.com The Kernal w/ Rye Baby & Alex Volz 9 p.m.

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

TUESDAY2.18 Tyler Martelli & Maria Jordania 5 p.m.

WanderLinger Brewing Co. 1208 King St. wanderlinger.com Acoustic Bohemian Night 6:30 p.m.

Mexi-Wing IX 6925 Shallowford Rd. mexiwingix.business.site A Special Evening with George Meyer and Edgar Meyer 6:30 p.m.

The Hunter Museum of American Art 10 Bluff View Ave. huntermuseum.org Danimal 7 p.m.

Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com

An Evening Of Chamber Music 7:30 p.m.

Chattanooga State Humanities Theatre 4501 Amnicola Hwy. chattanoogastate.edu Preston Ruffing 7:30 p.m.

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Blue Man Group: Speechless 7:30 p.m.

Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. tivolichattanooga.com Live Jam Session with Freddy Mc & Friends 8 p.m.

Granfalloon 400 E. Main St. granfalloonchattanooga.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

WEDNESDAY2.19 Jesse James Jungkurth 7 p.m.

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

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Megan Howard 7:30 p.m.

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Zech & David 9 p.m.

The Palms at Hamilton 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Map these locations on chattanoogapulse.com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • FEBRUARY 13. 2020 • THE PULSE • 17

CHAD RADFORD'S RECORD REVIEWS

Arbor Labor Union, Michael Potter

Arbor Labor Union New Petal Instants (Arrowhawk Records)

Michael Potter Winter Music (michaelpotter.bandcamp.com)

A

ting and the insight gained along the way. Orr’s neighborly voice matches the raga-like guitar melodies of “Under The Tree” while speaking-singing lyrics such as, “Listen to the between of things to hear the all,” putting into words the transcendental subtlety the group brings into focus here.

It is in the spaces between where everything from the sounds of unidentified wildlife in the woods to occasional banjo flourishes add depth. These elements, though, can be easily overlooked as the group thrashes, churns, and grows increasingly comfortable fleshing out a more unified sound around the barreling rhythms in “Give Us The Light” and “Pipers Play’d”.

As such, New Petal Instants is most effectively taken in as a colorful whole experience that’s as pleasurable—and profound—as a mid-summer trek into the woods.

rbor Labor Union last checked in circa 2016. The Atlanta-based indie rock foursome had just released its Sub Pop Records debut, I Hear You, an album that reconciled a love of bashing away at hippie-ish Americana imagery, albeit abstract, steeped in postgrunge tempos.

Since then, singer and guitarist Bo Orr, guitar player Brian Adams, bass player Ryan Evers, and drummer Bryan Scherer have communed with a more celebratory muse. With the arrival of New Petal Instants, the group parts ways with Sub Pop and settles in with Athens, GA’s burgeoning indie label Arrowhawk Records.

With the change in scenery comes a newly-found comfort in allowing the music to follow its own freewheeling drift—to a degree. Songs like “Flowerhead”, “Big Face In the Sky”, and “Crushed By Fear Destroyer” take a cue from the Minutemen or the Meat Puppets’ affinities for a psychedelic twang sprouting up in the shadow of hardcore’s penchant for getting straight to the point.

Each song revolves around themes of going walkabout in an urban set18 • THE PULSE • FEBRUARY 13, 2020 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

W

inter Music is one of the more overtly experimental albums in Michael Potter’s body of solo guitar work. It’s also one of the most fascinatingly beautiful releases to bear his name yet. What is essentially a com-

pilation of improvised recordings from split cassettes with other artists comes together as a conceptually snow-covered inward journey.

Three songs hang in a long, sustained round of heavy reverb, steel strings, a floor tom, and keys, giving rise to both traditional picking and massive swells of dreamlike drone music.

“Winter Jam” first appeared on the Living Room Visions Winter 2014 compilation (Sunup). A slow kerrang reveals a desolate folk-blues dirge of minimalism pushed to the max, sinking into a groove with each rhythmic pass.

“Winter Clouds” is a previously unreleased number from 2008, offering a snapshot of a time when Potter was learning to record using a computer.

It’s also the first time he felt comfortable using his own voice. Here, all of the ghostly sung-spoken parts and the chorus of ‘ooohhs’ and ‘aaaahhhs’ add layers of texture to the song. Since then, Potter has grown increasingly confident using vocals on his own and under the Electric Nature moniker.

Here, the process reveals as much depth and character in his voice as his later, more realized offerings. “Ode To CM” comes from a 2017 split tape with cosmic-nomadic troubadour Frank Hurricane. A wintery wash of drones sets a tone of Zenlike bliss before Potter reaches an ecstatic state with a minimal psych rock jam and blistering noise that morphs into a fully formed song—kind of.

Although Winter Music is a series of unrelated one-offs, there are enough intriguing and stylistic moments that tie each one together as a compelling point of entry into Potter’s ever-growing and ever-elusive catalog of tapes, ever-growing collection of Bandcamp files, and in-the-moment meditations on the elements.

JONESIN' CROSSWORD

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquarian author Derek Walcott had a perspective on love that I suspect might come in handy for you during this Valentine season. “Break a vase,” he wrote, “and the love that reassembles the fragments is stronger than that love which took its symmetry for granted when it was whole.” I urge you to meditate on how you could apply his counsel to your own love story, Aquarius. How might you remake your closest alliances into even better and brighter versions of themselves?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Piscean poet Saul Williams wrote a meditation I hope you’ll consider experimenting with this Valentine season. It involves transforming mere kisses into SUBLIME KISSES. If you choose to be inspired by his thoughts, you’ll explore new sensations and meanings available through the act of joining your mouth to another’s. Ready? Here’s Saul: “Have you ever lost yourself in a kiss? I mean pure psychedelic inebriation. Not just lustful petting but transcendental metamorphosis, when you became aware that the greatness of this other being is breathing into you. Licking your mouth, like sealing a thousand fleshy envelopes filled with the essence of your passionate being, and then opened by the same mouth and delivered back to you, over and over again—the first kiss of the rest of your life.”

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Now that she’s in her late forties, Aries comedian and actress Tig Notaro is wiser about love. Her increased capacity for romantic happiness has developed in part because she’s been willing to change her attitudes. She says, “Instead of being someone who expects people to have all the strengths I think I need them to have, I resolved to try to become someone who focuses on the strengths they do have.” In accordance with this Valentine’s season’s astrological omens, Aries, I invite you to meditate on how you might cultivate more of that aptitude yourself.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus artist Joan Miró loved to daub colored paint on canvases. He said he approached his work in the same way he made love: “a total embrace, without caution, prudence thrown to the winds, nothing held back.” In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to invoke a similar attitude with all the important things you do in the coming weeks. Summon the ardor and artistry of a creative lover for all-purpose use. Happy Valentine Daze, Taurus!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In 1910, Gemini businessman Irving Seery was 20 years old. One evening he traveled to the Metropolitan Opera in New York City to see an opera

starring the gorgeous and electrifying soprano singer Maria Jeritza.

He fell in love instantly. For the next thirty-eight years he remained a bachelor as he nursed his desire to marry her. His devotion finally paid off. Jeritza married Seery in 1948.

Dear Gemini, in 2020, I think you will be capable of a heroic feat of love that resembles Seery’s. Which of your yearnings might evoke such intensely passionate dedication? Happy Valentine Daze!

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I’ve been married twice, both times to the same woman. Our first time around, we were less than perfectly wise in the arts of relationship. After our divorce and during the few years we weren’t together, we each ripened into more graceful versions of ourselves; we developed greater intimacy skills.

Our second marriage has been far more successful. Is there a comparable possibility in your life, Cancerian? A chance to enhance your ability to build satisfying togetherness? An opening to learn practical lessons from past romantic mistakes? Now is a favorable time to capitalize. Happy Valentine Daze!

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In 1911, the famous Russian poet Anna Akhmatova and the famous Italian painter Amedeo Modigliani were in love with each other. Both were quite poor, though. They didn’t have much to spend on luxuries. In her memoir, Akhmatova recalled the time they went on a date in the rain at the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris. Barely protected under a rickety umbrella, they amused each other by reciting the verse of Paul Verlaine, a poet they both loved. Isn’t that romantic? In the coming weeks, I recommend you experiment with comparable approaches to cultivating love. Get back to raw basics. Happy Valentine Daze!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): [Warning: Poetry alert! If you prefer your horoscopes to be exclusively composed of practical, hyper-rational advice, stop reading now!]

Happy Valentine Daze, Virgo! I hope there’s someone in your life to whom you can give a note like the one I’ll offer at the end of this oracle. If there’s not, I trust you will locate that person in the next six months. Feel free to alter the note as you see fit. Here it is. “When you and I are together, it’s as if we have been reborn into luckier lives; as if we can breathe deeper breaths that fill our bodies with richer sunlight; as if we see all of the world’s beauty that alone we were blind to; as if the secrets of our souls’ codes are no longer secret.”

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the course of your life, how many people and animals have truly loved you? Three? Seven? More? I invite you to try this Valentine experiment: Write down their names on

a piece of paper. Spend a few minutes visualizing the specific qualities in you that they cherished, and how they expressed their love, and how you felt as you received their caring attention. Then send out a beam of gratitude to each of them. Honor them with sublime appreciation for having treasured your unique beauty. Amazingly enough, Libra, doing this exercise will magnetize you to further outpourings of love in the coming weeks.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): [Warning: Poetry alert! If you prefer your horoscopes to be exclusively composed of practical, hyper-rational advice, stop reading now!] Happy Valentine Daze, Scorpio! I invite you to copy the following passage and offer it to a person who is receptive to deepening their connection with you. “Your healing eyes bless the winter jasmine flowers that the breeze blew into the misty creek. Your welcoming prayers celebrate the rhythmic light of the mud-loving cypress trees. Your fresh dreams replenish the eternal salt that nourishes our beloved song of songs. With your melodic breath, you pour all these not-yet-remembered joys into my body.” (This lyrical message is a blend of my words with those of Scorpio poet Odysseus Elytis.)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The poet Virgil, a renowned author in ancient Rome, wrote three epic poems that are still in print today.

His second was a masterpiece called the Georgics. It took him seven years to write, even though it was only 2,740 lines long. So on average he wrote a little over one line per day. I hope you’ll use him as inspiration as you toil over your own labors of love in the coming weeks and months. There’ll be no need to rush. In fact, the final outcomes will be better if you do them slowly. Be especially diligent and deliberate in all matters involving intimacy and collaboration and togetherness.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): [Warning: Poetry alert! If you prefer your horoscopes to be exclusively composed of practical, hyper-rational advice, stop reading now!]

Happy Valentine Daze, Capricorn!

I invite you to copy the following passage and offer it to a person who is ready to explore a more deeply lyrical connection with you.

“I yearn to earn the right to your whispered laugh, your confident caress, your inscrutable dance.

Amused and curious, I wander where moon meets dawn, inhaling the sweet mist in quest of your questions. I study the joy that my imagination of you has awakened.

All the maps are useless, and I like them that way. I’m guided by my nervous excitement to know you deeper. Onward toward the ever-fresh truth of your mysterious rhythms!”

“Decade in Review, Part 5”—fun stuff from 2018 & 2019.

ACROSS 1 Lip enhancer 6 Go through flour 10 Pale 13 Blue ___ (butterfly species) 15 ___ Shamrock McFlurry (McDonald’s debut of 2020) 16 Ingested 17 Company that launched Falcon Heavy in 2018 18 Game that generated more digital revenue in 2018 than any game in history, per the Hollywood Reporter 20 “Nashville” director Robert 22 Word before eye or twin 23 “The ___ Squad” 26 Air traffic org.

27 Like some soft coats 29 Blue, in Barcelona 31 “So the theory goes ...”

34 Host who retired from “Inside the Actors Studio” in 2018 36 On the nose 39 What goes around?

40 “That’s mildly funny,” online

41 Aquiline bird 43 “King Kong” and “Citizen Kane” studio 44 Song that topped the Billboard Hot 100 for a record 19 weeks in 2019 47 Detroit-born fashion designer 48 Crossword puzzle, without the clues 49 Part of some pirate costumes 52 Fighting a bug, perhaps 54 Indefinite quantity 55 “___ y Ahora” (Univision newsmagazine) 56 Amy’s “Parks and Recreation” role 59 It held up a banana in Maurizio Cattelan’s 2019 artwork “Comedian” 62 ESPN personality who retired in 2019 after being with the network since its inception in 1979 66 Little ___ (protagonist of Punch-Out!!)

67 Omen 68 Make angry 69 2001 Will Smith role (or a princely 2019 role opposite Will Smith) 70 Oil of ___

71 “Well, you’re not looking ___ yourself ...”

DOWN 1 Sports execs, for short 2 Cut off, as branches 3 Pop singer and “The Masked Singer” (U.K.) panelist Rita 4 Animal advocacy org.

5 Knickknack perch 6 Den furniture 7 Monopoly token replaced by a cat in 2013 8 Two-___ (buy one, get one deal) 9 “Paw Patrol” watcher 10 Forfeit voluntarily 11 Lofty storage area 12 Hockey Hall of Famer Cam 14 Jamaican stew ingredient 19 It may be pressing 21 Broadway hit based on a Roald Dahl book 23 Senior’s focus 24 Jason Bateman Netflix drama 25 Flying Disney character 27 ___ Schwarz (toy store that reopened in 2018) 28 Bedding purchase 30 Luau wear

32 Parking units 33 Gateway Arch site 35 Thing in a ring 36 Ancient Greek market 37 Type of M&Ms renamed “Milk Chocolate” 38 Partner of Abe, Thomas, and George 42 Buenos Aires loc.

45 Highly volatile fuel, for short 46 Words repeated after “Whatever” in a Doris Day song 47 Landed 49 “Top Chef” host Lakshmi 50 = 51 Big name in bags 53 Pride participants?

56 Org. for Madelene Sagström and Park Hee-Young 57 “___, meeny, miney, mo” 58 Spain’s longest river 60 Chinese menu name 61 Be off 63 ___-di-dah 64 Anton ___ (“Ratatouille” restaurant critic) 65 Nevertheless

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. 975 CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • FEBRUARY 13. 2020 • THE PULSE • 19

FILM & TELEVISION

Let Your Eyes Chew On This Not So Fairy Tale Imagining a reawakening of the hunger of evil

Serenading For A Penny The Backlot Film Series at The Heritage House continues their classic film series with a rare dramatic film from Cary Grant and Irene Dunne. 1941's classic Penny Serenade depicts the struggles of a loving couple who must overcome numerous obstacles to keep their marriage together and raise a child in the process.

As Julie (Dunne) prepares to leave her husband Roger (Grant), she begins to play through a stack of recordings, each of which reminds her of events in their lives together.

One of them is the song that was playing when she and Roger first met in a music store.

Other songs remind her of their courtship, their marriage, their desire for a child, and the joys and sorrows that they have shared.

A flood of memories comes back to her as she ponders their present problems and how they arose.

Dunne often said that this was her favorite film because it reminded her of her own adopted daughter.

Grant, one of the cinema's greatest comedic actors, was only ever nominated twice for an Academy Award for Best Actor, in both instances for lesser-known dramatic roles. This was one of them.

The film screens on Monday at 7 p.m. at the Heritage House Arts & Civic Center on Jenkins Road. — Michael Thomas

By John DeVore

“

Pulse Film Editor

When it comes to films based on folklore, audiences are often looking for a reimagining of their childhood.”

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F

OLK TALES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN POPULAR FODDER for movie making. It’s the familiarity. We know the stories, we know the characters, we know the themes. Audiences love stories they recognize—it’s why sequels and franchise are so popular.

When it comes to films based on folklore, audiences are often looking for a reimagining of their childhood.

They don’t necessarily want the same story, told with fidelity from Grimm’s fairy tales. Instead, they want something familiar, but different enough to justify spending their time watching it.

“Hansel and Gretel” has over a dozen different film adaptations over the years, from musical operas to action comedy, each one with

their own spin on the classic tale.

For a story by the Brothers Grimm, it’s relatively tame. Two abandoned children find a house made of candy, are trapped by a witch, fattened up to be eaten, until they escape by pushing the witch into an oven. No one dies, saving the evil witch, and everyone lives happily ever after.

This isn’t to say there aren’t dark elements—children left alone in the wilderness to starve, child-eating witches, death by burning are all

ripe topics for a horror film. Perhaps the story was too sanitized

by Bugs Bunny.

Gretel and Hansel is a slow burning, atmospheric horror film directed by Oz Perkins that will not be everyone’s cup of tea.

The film does not stray far from the path of the original story. It changes the ages of the children, making Gretel older and Hansel younger, but there is the same blight as the folk tale with the same sense of dread and hunger.

Gone is the father of the original. The children now live with their mother, who is living at the edge of her sanity. There is no food. There is no money. She cannot keep the children alive any longer. They are forced to leave their home and seek their fortunes alone.

After a frightening experience their first night, the pair encounter a friendly huntsman, who directs them through the woods to a logging camp two days away.

But the pair is starving and ultimately gets lost along the way.

As in the original tale, they find a house that is overflowing with food.

The house isn’t made of food but the inhabitant appears friendly enough. Each day, the table is laden with fresh foods

“

This is not today’s horror with its jump scares, loud noises and gore. Gretel and Hansel is far more interested in unsettling visuals.” of every kind. Each night, Gretel has terrible nightmares. It seems their host is grooming Gretel for something but Hansel is being prepared as well.

It’s not the story that makes Gretel and Hansel worth seeing. The writing is simplistic at best. But the film is a visual feast.

The art direction, set design, the entire look of the film is beautiful and stark and tragic. This is not today’s horror with its jump scares, loud noises and gore.

Gretel and Hansel is far more interested in unsettling visuals.

Most modern horror is the equivalent of a roller coaster featuring a short build up followed by heart pounding twists and turns. Gretel and Hansel is the feeling of standing on the edge of a cliff alone, hearing that small but insistent voice in your mind that’s urging a final step toward infinity. For those that prefer the safety of the former, Gretel and Hansel will seem trite and boring.

For those that understand the call

of the latter, the creeping dread is all they need.

The cast of the film is small and dedicated, but it’s the performance of Alice Krige as the witch that really drives the film home.

Krige plays the witch as wise, long lived and generous, within reason. She doesn’t hate but doesn’t pity either. She’s terrifying in her matter-of-fact attitude.

Villains in film are so often overdone. They scream and shout and bully the audience into fear.

Gretel and Hansel has a villain that simply exists within a world created by themselves. The witch chose her fate, chose the consequences, and has no remorse for them. She sees Gretel as someone to pass on her wisdom.

That’s where the real fear comes from. It’s the person who cannot see their evil. It’s the person who wants to spread their evil as seeds of good for the world.

It’s the kind of evil we see every day. Gretel and Hansel shows it to us in all its stark bitterness.

✴ NEW IN THEATERS ✴

Sonic the Hedgehog After discovering a small, blue, fast hedgehog, a small-town police officer must help it defeat an evil genius who wants to do experiments on it.

Director: Jeff Fowler Stars: Jim Carrey, Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, Adam Pally

Fantasy Island A horror adaptation of the popular '70s TV show about a magical island resort. Yes, this is what we get in the theaters in February these days. How exciting.

Director: Jeff Wadlow Stars: Lucy Hale, Maggie Q, Portia Doubleday, Charlotte McKinney

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • FEBRUARY 13. 2020 • THE PULSE • 21

COLUMN · GAME ON!

Brutality, Beauty...And Blood Blasphemous brings a unique atmosphere and creative spirit

C Brandon Watson Pulse columnist

“

There’s a haunting beauty to the religious imagery that will arrest the senses and inspire the brain to delve further into the unique universe of Cvstodia.”

When not vaporizing zombies or leading space marines as a mousepad Mattis, Brandon Watson is making gourmet pancakes and promoting local artists.

REEPY MAZES, MACABRE IMagery, arresting artwork, and rich poetic narratives driven by a classic Metroidvania combat mechanic.

Blasphemous, from Spanish indie developer The Game Kitchen, goes outside of the box to deliver a rich and cerebral adventure through what I can roughly describe as Dante’s “Inferno” read aloud by drunk and sadistic cherubs.

Awaking atop a heap of bodies, The Penitent One (the player) removes a dark and thorn twisted blade named The Mea Culpa from a statue frozen in torment. This silent hero with a goofy hat is on a journey to rid the land of Cvstodia from a curse called The Miracle.

An omnipotent entity that manifests both torment and grace at its own mysterious whims.

For what and for why is revealed bit by bit (if you survive) through strange cutscenes and fantastic narratives. For a side-scroller Blasphemous has a lot of depth and overwhelming combat that almost serves as self-flagellation in pixelated form.

Blasphemous delivers a grueling and unforgiving slog through some of the most intriguing set pieces I’ve ever seen in the genre. Each room becomes a puzzle of quick reflexes with perfectly timed moves just to get to the other side.

There are secret areas reminiscent of the Castlevania; sadly, there’s no hidden wall turkeys.

The Mea Culpa also has upgrades collected through careful exploration and steady kill grinding for Tears of Atonement; currency earned by slaying monsters. These upgrades are skill unlocks that become more necessary the further you explore Cvstodia. There are Rosary Beads that imbue The Penitent One with abilities that come with buffs and trade-offs that may help in some areas but hinder you in others. Unlocking and combining the entire Rosary is

22 • THE PULSE • FEBRUARY 13, 2020 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

almost essential to surviving some of the most grotesque monsters ever found in a pixelated action game.

The enemies from the lesser hack fodder to the hulking abominations are all things ripped straight out of the nightmares of the Spanish Inquisition (that no one expected). A giant blind baby with thorns on its head that will tear you to pieces, decaying altar boys who beat you to death with candelabras, and a bell ringing hobo that explodes in your face are just a few things you’ll encounter. For a game that spews the concepts of salvation and mercy it has very little of either, but this is what adds to Blasphemous’ charm. It has that classic throwback appeal to a time when games were challenging as hell but fun at the same time.

The Game Kitchen is a new kid in the indie developer arena with just one other game on the books: The Last Door, an episodic point-and-click horror adventure. It’s clear with both The Last Door and Blasphemous that the Spanish developer has a knack for delivering unsettling content with an old school approach to videogames.

The clean pixel art throughout the game brings this dark age Catholic fever dream to life. There’s a haunting beauty to the religious imagery that will arrest the senses and inspire the brain to delve further into the unique universe of Cvstodia. For a 2D sides roller, there’s a lot to look at in the foreground and even the background with a few “oohs” and “ahhs” and more often than not a few “WTFs!”.

The art style is so good that The Game Kitchen will be releasing a game art book featuring fantasy artist Nekro.

If you’re a fan of macabre and gothic art then this book will be essential to the collection whether or not you even play the game.

Complementing the visuals is a fantastic original soundtrack that blends dark metal, swelling violins, and Flamenco guitar. Indie composer Carlos Viola has created a soundscape that breathes soul into Blasphemous. There’s heavy influence of Ennio Morricone that brings a Hollywood feel to the setting throughout the game. Crypts have a celestial dark tone with a sweet somber melody and the dusty villages roll with a blood pumping Spanish guitar reminiscent of a Spaghetti Western. The OST could stand alone as a masterpiece in videogame music composition.

Blasphemous may not be a cup of Sangria for everyone but, for a Kickstarter funded game, the developer really put time and love into the final product.

This game really nails down the brutally grim atmosphere with combination of music and art style. It may stand alone as a cult sleeper hit with a surreal approach to the genre but I hope and pray that we’ve only seen the beginning of this slick gorefest.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • FEBRUARY 13. 2020 • THE PULSE • 23