The Pulse 14.9 » March 2, 2017

MARCH 2, 2017

CHATTANOOGA'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE

COVER STORY

the living art of minimalism

by Robyn Wolfe Fogle

MUSIC

wesley chitwood ARTS matthew dutton

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VOLUME 14, ISSUE 9 MARCH 2, 2017

CONTENTS 4

WINNING THE ADDICTION BATTLE

For Russell “Rusty” Lanier, reliving the pain of his addiction in the process of writing his autobiography would be worth it if he could help others struggling with the disease.

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GOING INSIDE THE SURREAL MIND OF MATT DUTTON

If art were a research science like physics, local surrealist sculptor Matthew Dutton could be considered to be like Einstein or Heisenberg.

His darkly whimsical pieces immediately lodge themselves in the memories of their observers.

14

FINDING HORROR IN A DARK HISTORY

One of the central images in Ava DuVernay’s 13th comes from the seminal 1915 Civil War film The Birth of a Nation by D.W. Griffith.

16

WESLEY CHITWOOD LOOKS INTO THE MIRROR

Level-headed, goal-oriented musicians. They may not be rare, but they certainly aren’t common. Many are lost through the process of attrition; others power through.

ALSO INSIDE

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The Living Art of Minimalism More Americans than ever are living paycheck to paycheck, slaves to mortgages, auto loans, student loans, and credit card debt. Rather than bringing happiness, our over-consumption is creating lives filled with stress, worry, guilt, depression and discontent.

FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS

5

CONSIDER THIS

20

RECORD REVIEWS

7

SHRINK RAP

21

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

12

ARTS CALENDAR

21

JONESIN' CROSSWORD

15

NEW IN THEATERS

22

SUSHI & BISCUITS

18

MUSIC CALENDAR

After bidding farewell to the structure of the corporate world over a year ago, Robyn Wolfe Fogle now spends her days pursuing the things she loves. Among her passions are freelance writing, rock climbing and running.

“Free Will Astrology” writer Rob Brezsny is an aspiring master of curiosity, perpetrator of sacred uproar, and founder of the Beauty and Truth Lab. He brings a literate, myth-savvy perspective to his work. It’s all in the stars.

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BEGINNINGS ∙ CITY LIFE

Winning The Addiction Battle Rusty Lanier brings his experience to life in heartfelt book

By Addie Whitlow Pulse contributor

F BREWER MEDIA GROUP Publisher & President Jim Brewer II FOUNDED 2003 BY ZACHARY COOPER & MICHAEL KULL

EDITORIAL

Managing Editor Gary Poole gary@chattanoogapulse.com Assistant Editor Brooke Brown Music Editor Marc T. Michael Film Editor John DeVore Contributors Rob Brezsny • Robyn Wolfe Fogle Matt Jones • Mike McJunkin Tony Mraz • Ernie Paik Rick Pimental-Habib Editorial Interns Addie Whitlow • Alex Plaumann Cartoonists Max Cannon • Rob Rogers Jen Sorenson • Tom Tomorrow

ADVERTISING

Director of Sales Mike Baskin mikebaskin@brewermediagroup.com Account Executives Chee Chee Brown • Brittany Dreon Rick Leavell • Cindee McBride Libby Phillips • John Rodriguez Logan Vandergriff

CONTACT

Offices 1305 Carter St. Chattanooga, TN 37402 Phone 423.265.9494 Website chattanoogapulse.com Email info@chattanoogapulse.com 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 © 2017 by Brewer Media. All rights reserved.

OR RUSSELL “RUSTY” LANIER, reliving the pain of his addiction in the process of writing his autobiography would be worth it if he could help others struggling with the disease.

Waiting to Die, Longing to Love, which was published in 2015, tells the story of Lanier’s 13-year battle with a crack cocaine and alcohol addiction; more importantly, his book tells the story of how he struggled—and later succeeded—to overcome his addiction.

“I knew that even though I was going through this painful process and living my addiction again, I knew that this pain would be worth it because it would touch the reader,” explained Lanier. “All the tears that flowed onto my keyboard, it would be worth it to help someone else.”

Lanier’s story began when he was a Chattanooga news editor, where his passion for investigative journalism motivated him to cover an unapproved story on the city’s drug epidemic. However, it led him to delve into the world of crack cocaine, which sent him on a downward spiral for over a decade until the night in 2009 he almost decided to end his life. Instead, he made a promise with God; if God saved him, he would write a book about how he was able to finally embrace the sobriety he so longed to have.

“This was a life-changing experience for me, writing this book. This is probably the biggest key for me in not relapsing,” Lanier said. “I purged my soul in this book of all of the pain. I made peace with my past in this. I made peace with myself and God in this book.”

After participating in his final extensive rehabilitation program, Lanier has been clean for eight years. Since then, he has developed a passion for helping others who are struggling with the same disease.

Lanier said he’s spoken at prisons and

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“There are a lot of [young] people playing around with drugs and alcohol, and they don’t understand the consequences, which are the words that are in this book.”

Narcotics Anonymous meetings, among other places, to tell his story and advocate against drug and alcohol use.

More recently, Lanier said that he’s started speaking to young people about drugs and alcohol.

“There are a lot of [young] people playing around with drugs and alcohol, and they don’t understand the consequences, which are the words that are in this book,” explained Lanier. “Maybe it will stop them from getting all the way into the addiction. Once you get into addiction, you can’t stop it.”

Lanier said he has begun working with a local news station to try to get into Hamilton County schools

to tell his story and help teenagers who may be faced with the choice of whether or not to try drugs or alcohol. Lanier said he wants them to hear from someone who’s been there.

“I’m trying to get into schools to tell my story because I realize that a preacher or teacher may not have all of the information they need, and considering the experience I’ve had, I figured it would be helpful to pull teens back from the cliff,” Lanier said.

Lanier’s book is only available through his website, so if you’d like to read more about his battle and eventual triumph with addiction, visit waitingtodiebook.com.

Consider This with Dr. Rick

EdiToon

by Rob Rogers

“The sign of a beautiful person is that they always see beauty in others.”

Leapin’ For Lemurs At The Tennessee Aquarium When you walk into the top floor of the Ocean Journey building in the Tennessee Aquarium, you’ll be transported into the rainforests of Madagascar, where you’ll be able to view the most endangered mammals on the planet: Lemurs.

After a four-month renovation process, the Tropical Cove exhibit is now home to seven endangered Ringtailed Lemurs and two critically endangered Red-Ruffed Lemurs. During the research process, which took over three years, the Aquarium made it their mission to provide the lemurs with the most invigorating environment possible, which

is why the exhibit features luscious trees, huge rocks, flowing streams and other aspects of lemurs’ natural habitats.

The addition of lemurs to Tropical Cove will also help tell the important story of conserving the lemur population.

“My hope with this exhibit is that it’s

going to bring awareness to people; that our programs are going to focus on their conservation and tell people what we’re doing at the Aquarium for lemur conservation and also what they can do,” explained Chelsea Feast, the Aquarium’s lead animal care specialist.

On Friday, there will be an opportunity for members to view the lemurs for free on Leapin’ Lemurs Member Night. The Aquarium will also be providing daily programming with lemur experts, so be sure to check out the Aquarium’s newest furry edition this month.

— Addie Whitlow

What was the last mean, petty, unkind thought or word you had for someone else? Something she was wearing? Did he voice a counter political opinion? Does your kid have a racially different friend? A same-sex boy/ girlfriend?

You know, it takes absolutely no talent to be mean. It’s not art. However, being mean has great power to habitually transform your outlook on life, create a lack of trust in your relationships, and etch permanent scowl lines on your face, and on your soul. I can’t imagine this would be consistent with your spiritual studies.

Consider this your challenge: For one entire week, I want you to think a kind, respectful, or loving thought about every single person you see, meet and talk with. Every one. Even better, say it out loud. Be generous with compliments. Be a good listener.

Be gracious. Let’s see what happens after a week.

— Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D.

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COLUMN ∙ SHRINK RAP

Living The Healthy Single Life Being alone is not the end of the world. In fact, it can be invigorating.

Dr. Rick

Pulse columnist

S

O HERE WE ARE, JUST A FEW weeks past Valentine’s Day. Spring is knocking on the door, and if you’re feeling anything like the community of scampering squirrels in my woods, then you can probably relate to winter’s “cabin fever” becoming spring’s call to frolic.

Along with these rambunctious squirrels, this is the season where we, too, come out of hibernation and start wagging our tails—so to speak—with desires as old as mankind.

Well...that may be true for some, but not all. There are folks who make it through the Hallmark season and the winter blues just fine, and are on their own, with no pressing desire to couple up. Why? Some people are happier when in relationships, some when single.

The important part (as regular Shrink Rappers know) is to honor whatever your needs may be. Not fall victim to peer pressure or what others expect of you, believe you “should” be doing. But instead, to know thyself, and realize that wherever you are on the relationship continuum is just fine, and, apparently, exactly where you need to be.

From a psychological perspective, there is great value to being in a relationship.

Along with the numerous studies that tell us we’ll live longer with a healthy, loving partner in our lives, there are myriad personal growth areas that can only receive our full

focus when in a relationship.

Issues such as giving and receiving love, improving communication, being honest and vulnerable with another person, learning how to set healthy boundaries, and honoring your needs as well as your partner’s needs, are examples of areas that do well within the context of a relationship, should you decide to give them your attention. It’s not that one isn’t able to work on these areas while single; it’s that a relationship provides the on-going “laboratory” and opportunity for regular practice.

That said, there is also tremendous value to flying solo. When we’re single, we can get to know, without the distraction of a sig other, where our inspirations lie. What our individual dreams and goals are and where we want to take them. We are free to make decisions for ourselves alone, without interference or consideration of the other person’s journey. It provides the opportunity for time well spent on getting to know ourselves more fully, so that when and if we become ready for an involvement with a wonderful mate, we have that much more self-awareness and strength of identity to offer.

I want to share with you a lovely meditation I came across recently that poetically describes just such benefits. It’s titled, Be Alone, by Bianca Sparacino: “Eat alone, take yourself on dates, sleep alone. In the midst of this you will learn about yourself.

Photo: Katerina Brabcová

You will grow, you will figure out what inspires you, you will curate your own dreams, your own beliefs, your own stunning clarity, and when you do meet the person who makes your cells dance, you will be sure of it, because you are sure of yourself.”

When I first moved to this area almost a decade ago, I would go on what I called, “dates with the city.” You could find me on the pedestrian bridge at sunset, excitedly watching the city lights throw a romantic twinkle over the river and hills. I explored restaurants, pubs and hole-in-the-wall haunts.

I walked and walked—the Aquarium, the shops, the museums. I talked with locals everywhere I went. It was a way to feel grounded and connected with this Scenic Mistress who has a lot to offer. And it made

all the difference in my decision to live here.

And remember this: You can experience enlightening “dates” of your own, even when you are in a relationship. It’s important to take time, take a breath, take stock, and discover, continually, who you are and what you want, providing you with that much more freshness and authenticity to offer your relationship.

Until next time: “If you cannot find a good companion to walk with, walk alone, like an elephant roaming the jungle. It is better to be alone than to be with those who will hinder your progress.” — Buddha Dr. Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist, author, minister, and educator in private practice in Chattanooga.

Contact him at DrRPH.com, visit his wellness center at WellNestChattanooga.com

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COVER STORY

The Living Art of Minimalism How to find freedom with less...and be happier with less

By Robyn Wolfe Fogle Pulse contributor

M

ORE AMERICANS THAN EVER are living paycheck to paycheck, slaves to mortgages, auto loans, student loans, and credit card debt. Rather than bringing happiness, our over-consumption is creating lives filled with stress, worry, guilt, depression and discontent. And that’s not all. Our consumerist culture is impacting our planet in damaging ways as well. With each passing year, Earth Overshoot Day (the day each year in which the demand for natural resources exceeds the earth’s ability to produce them) creeps up earlier and earlier.

We’re living above our means, using more resources than can be produced and it’s simply not sustainable.

As one writer put it, the “American Dream” is an expensive one. And when did this buy more, bigger is better mentality become the American dream?

Prior to World War II, non-essential items were not even being manufactured. Socks were darned, old bedsheets turned into rags, and even grease was saved in a can under the sink! In the past 50 years, the average American home has tripled in size and holds an average of over 300,000 items!

And even our homes aren’t big enough for all of our stuff. The fastest growing segment of the commercial real estate industry is storage facilities—with over 50,000 of them in the United States—and the home organization industry is growing more rapidly than ever as we search for creative ways to cram our stuff into the space we have rather than eliminate any of it.

Tyler Durden’s sage reflection from the 1999 film Fight Club seems more pertinent than ever: “The things you own end up

Clea Klagstad and Daniel Cartwright admire the closet that used to be overflowing and now easily fits all of her clothes, shoes, towels, blankets, and camping gear.

owning you”.

But there is hope. People are beginning to see the problem and there is a mindset that is gaining momentum and countering the trend of our consumerist American culture. It’s called minimalism. The idea is simple, ridding ourselves of life’s excess in order to focus on the things that are important to us. Some may cringe at the term, thinking adherents must live in a tiny house, own only essential items, five shirts, and giving up everything they love.

And while some extremists may go this route, many are discovering that even small changes to-

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wards minimalism can make a huge impact.

While the term, and the idea behind it, may seem new to some, minimalism has been around for years. But thanks in part to the popularity of a recent documentary, the idea is really starting to take root across the county and right here in Chattanooga. Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things which was released last year and made it to Netflix in December, was produced by the duo Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, known as “The Minimalist”, who now tour the country discussing the idea and bringing

awareness to the minimalist lifestyle.

While it may not be mainstream yet, many Chattanoogans are discovering this documentary, hearing the term for the first time, and embracing some changes that bring greater happiness, fulfillment and freedom.

For some, like local Clea Klagstad who owns a business in environmental consulting, the film opened her eyes to the fact that minimalism wasn’t just something for “those” people—the tiny house dwellers who already had very little. She was inspired to take her own step towards minimalism in the form of examining her possessions.

Going through her clothing, she and boyfriend Daniel Cartwright eliminated over half of what they had. “We now have room for what we actually use and it is much easier to find,” she says. But beyond creating more closet space, the minimalism concept that most hit home with them was the message to “Love people. Use things. The opposite never works”.

This seems to be the message that is resonating with many. Local nurse practitioner Emily Prater, mother of a threeyear-old with a second baby on the way, said she grew up in a household that wasn’t overly minimalist but talked often about how “things” are unimportant. “It is people and relationships that matter; things are replaceable and we can’t take them with us,” she explains.

She strives to implement the “less is more” lifestyle in her own family now.

“We, as humans, get bored with excess and find ourselves wanting more instead of evaluating need.”

Making conscious, deliberate and intentional purchases is another form of minimalist living that many are choosing to embrace. Is this item something I need?

COVER STORY

Jeremy Weaver in front of the 276 square foot tiny house he and his family share

Will it add value or joy to my life or will it end up owning me? Evaluating needs and thinking twice before buying something is an integral part of minimalist living. While there is nothing wrong with owning material possessions, the problem arises when we buy more than we need or can use, and give too much meaning to our possessions at the cost of our health, relationships, passions and personal growth.

“We, as a family, choose to live with less, enjoy the blessings God has given us, and not buy into what society tells us is important,” says Prater.

Beyond unnecessary accumulation or excessive consumption, others see the environmental benefits that minimalist living can offer. Local Chattanooga company green|spaces recently showed the documentary in partnership with Local Juice.

“I saw the documentary and thought there were many points that were relevant to the work of green|spaces,” says Director of Development Dawn Hjelseth. “Our definition of sustainability is to use a resource but not to use up a resource,” she said, adding that the film “did a great job in talking about how over-production and consumption, specifically in clothing, uses large amounts of oil and other natural re-

Beyond creating more closet space, the minimalism concept that most hit home with them was the message to “Love people. Use things. The opposite never works”. sources only to end up in a landfill.”

Not to mention the fact that our oversized American homes create the need to buy more furniture, decorations, and “stuff” to fill up the space.

Rather than owning homes, our homes are beginning to own us. The Federal Reserve debt figures as of Q3 2016 show the average mortgage debt stands at $172,806, by far the highest category of debt. But some minimalists are starting to see tiny homes, or micro-apartments, as a great way to avoid excessive debt and accumulation.

Jeremy Weaver, Executive Director and builder for Wind River Tiny Homes (our own local Chat-

tanooga tiny home builders) is one. While he says he would not consider himself a minimalist, he and wife Lindsay, along with their less than one-year-old baby, live in a 276 square foot tiny home that cost only $86,000 to build (less than half of the average mortgage debt that cripples so many).

“The tiny house is an external force that forces me to not be a hoarder,” he joked, saying that at his core he considers himself a hoarder who uses tiny house living as a crutch to not accumulate.

“Excess is a sickness of the developed world” he explained, while also admitting that “some people pair their lives down so far that it becomes inconvenient.”

Finding that right balance is the

key to happiness as a minimalist. Rightsized living is what he promotes and he believes this is a fluent concept that changes depending on the phase of life you are in. “For us, it’s not about live tiny for your whole life, it’s about being responsible, your house being a size that’s additive to your life rather than being detractive,” Weaver says.

So how much space do we need? It will be different for everyone, but Weaver believes there is a happiness benchmark of optimal living space similar to the happiness tipping point of income levels, where owning a bigger house may actually begin to detract from our happiness and wellbeing.

“My working theory is 150-300 square feet per person for optimal happiness,” he said. And though there is not much research on the subject yet, as the micro-housing movement catches on, expect to see a lot more attention paid to the “optimal happiness index”.

So where do we begin our own minimalist journey? Perhaps the key is to start small.

Maybe we go through our closets or homes and eliminate items we’ve accumulated but no longer use or need. Ask yourself if it serves a purpose or brings you joy. If the answer is no, perhaps it’s time to throw it out. Maybe we simply become more aware and intentional when it comes to new purchases. Perhaps we start by cutting our living space in half.

Most importantly, I think it’s time to open our eyes and realize that the best things in life aren’t things—they are relationships with family and friends, our health, our passions, freedom from debt and so much more. Think of how our world and our relationship would change if we paired our lives down to what was important, made conscious, deliberate and intentional buying decisions and rid ourselves of the excess that only overwhelms us and sinks us further in debt.

What would happen if we learned to focus instead on using things and loving people? Maybe it’s time to live simply so we can simply live.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Going Inside The Surreal Mind Of Matt Dutton Moving beyond “simple sculpture” into wild flights of fancy and imagination

“For Your Eyes Only” Debuts At AVA Artists will be putting their emotions and intimate stories on display during the opening reception of “For Your Eyes Only.” This Friday, starting at 5:30 p.m., the Association for Visual Arts will be kicking off the start of its nearly twomonth exhibit.

“For Your Eyes Only,” is an art exhibit inspired by American hip-hop artist J. Cole’s recent album, 4 Your Eyez Only. This unique exhibit will feature work from both regional, and local artists who will display art that would usually be kept in their personal collections.

These original and powerful pieces of art will hopefully be therapeutic for the viewers. As they get the opportunity to peer into the feelings and emotions of the artists' work on display. Viewers will get to visually see the raw emotions of the artists that they can both learn from, and relate to.

This event will allow the viewers to see into the soul of the artists, but with the inspiration from J. Cole’s album, the viewers will have a more defined context surrounding each piece of art. If you are intrigued by artistic representations of intense feelings, and diving deep into the emotion of an artist, then this is an event that you will not likely forget.

AVA will have this exhibit on display through April 28th.

— Alex Plaumann "For Your Eyes Only" March 3rd through April 28th Association for Visual Arts 30 Frazier Avenue (423) 265-4282 www.avarts.org 10 • THE PULSE • MARCH 2, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

By Tony Mraz

Pulse contributor

I

F ART WERE A RESEARCH SCIENCE LIKE physics, local surrealist sculptor Matthew Dutton could be considered to be like Einstein or Heisenberg.

His darkly whimsical pieces immediately lodge themselves in the memories of their observers, evidence of a lifetime of experimentation and analysis.

The majority of his personal work ranges from slightly creepy to horrifying, nightmarish, and outright demonic—but you would never know it from the art he makes at his job as the display coordinator at Warehouse Row’s Anthropologie store.

Matt can make anything one can imagine, and quite a few things that one might never dream of. He uses all of his skill sets in any way he can to feed his family, taking a variety of commissions from local businesses, and sending his personal work to galleries abroad (the galleries here are a bit too conservative to exhibit his sculpture).

He recently sent a 12” tall piece inspired by the Fukushima radiation disaster entitled “Daiichi Dream” to the Ghost Gallery in Washington, and finished up a bunch of dead bodies for Escape Chattanooga.

“These bodies are realistic, and made from the inside out; they have skeletons inside, with pink guts.” Dutton says. “They get better and better as they deteriorate from use—you can rip the flesh off, and they just look gnarly.”

Escape Chattanooga calls Matt for all of their prop needs, and he is designing new

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

“I like to figure out how to do things for myself—I don’t really read how to do things; I just jump into them. This might waste some time, but learning on my own makes things stick in my mind.” rooms for them this year. He still does contract work for Rock City, where he worked before Anthropologie, and he sometimes volunteers at Wayne-O-Rama.

He is passionate about his art, saying “I really love materials, and I love techniques, and I always love experimenting with new things. Sometimes I learn a new technique at work, and I will try to incorporate that into a new piece at home.”

Though the physical composition of his work changes constantly, there is a material thread throughout it. As he increases his material vocabulary, incorporating new substances and techniques into the work, he inspires himself to create the unexpected.

“I don’t really try to keep myself to one look, though I have done that in the past, creating a series of similar pieces,” Dutton says. “A lot of the time, I will have a rough idea of how I want to start some-

thing, but the end result is never in mind.”

Matt balances the work he does at his job by staying up late in his studio.

“I work on my own art at night, and I don’t sleep very much,” he explains.

“When I’m working in my shop, I get this second wind, and it’s almost working in a hypnagogia, a dreamlike state—I’m doing these productive creative things when I should be asleep.

“When I’m working at my job throughout the day, I’m thinking about what I’m going to do whenever I get to that piece, so by the time I actually get there, I just go into motion and know exactly what to do.”

He is an expert at taking a material and pushing it to do something it’s not designed to do. By treating the material in a way that is unorthodox, he can make something unrecognizable that nobody can replicate.

“I try not to let what other people think about my work dictate what it is going to be,” he says. “I used to struggle with it; if I made work just to sell, it took a lot of the passion out of it. Having the job doing something creative all day takes away that

pressure of having to make something successful. I’m allowed to make something horrible, without worrying about selling it.”

This free approach to sculpture leads him to discovery. In addition to being aesthetically effective, his sculptures represent the documentation of his scientific method.

“I’ve been experimenting with borax crystals, growing the crystals onto the sculpture, so that they become part of the sculpture,” Dutton notes.

“I like to figure out how to do things for myself—I don’t really read how to do things; I just jump into them. This might waste some time, but learning on my own makes things stick in my mind. My most recent works have been taking little bits of each technique to create an object with a history.”

This year, Chattanooga will see Matt making history with one of his largest projects to date. It will be big, it will be downtown, but the organizers of the project want to keep it a secret for now. “I’m not at liberty to talk about it yet.”

See more of Matt’s work at www. mduttonart.wix.com/matthewdutton •••• (opposite page) “Daiichi Dream”, made with urethane resin, silicone, paint, found objects, fabric, epoxy resin, crushed velvet, butterfly wings, and hair. Created for the Fukushima exhibit at the Ghost Gallery in Washington.

THU3.2

FRI3.3

SAT3.4

Lora Miller and Julie Moya

Emerging Artist Showcase

World Wildlife Weekend

It's an opening reception for a new exhibit by local artists Lora Miller and Julie Moya.

5 p.m.

Reflections Gallery 6922 Lee Hwy. (423) 892-3072 reflectionsgallerytn.com

The First Friday Open Studio Nights showcases a group of very talented new artists.

5:30 p.m.

Chattanooga Workspace 302 W. 6th St. (423) 822-5750 chattanoogaworkspace.com

Come support conservation efforts at the Chattanooga Zoo and around the world.

10 a.m.

Chattanooga Zoo 301 N. Holtzclaw Ave. (423) 697- 1319 chattzoo.org

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

Southern Fried Funeral

THURSDAY3.2 Meet the Composer Lunch: James Stephenson Noon 212 Market Restaurant 212 Market St. (423) 267-8583 chattanoogasymphony.org Ooltewah Farmers Market 3 p.m.

Ooltewah Nursery 5829 Main St. (423) 238-9775 ooltewahnursery.com Signal Mountain Farmers Market 4 p.m.

Pruett’s Market 1210 Taft Hwy. (423) 902-8023 signalmountainfarmersmarket.com Throwback Thursday and The Latino Presence in American History and Literature 4 p.m.

The Hunter Museum of Art 10 Bluff View Ave. (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org Lora Miller and Julie Moya 5 p.m.

Reflections Gallery 6922 Lee Hwy. (423) 892-3072 reflectionsgallerytn.com “Get Sauced! Béchamel, Bolognese & Marinara ” 6 p.m.

Dish T’Pass Cooking School 302 W. 6th St. (423) 413-8978 thechattery.org

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Sérgio Poroger Book Signing 6 p.m.

Chattanooga Choo Choo 1400 Market St. (423) 266-5000 choochoo.com Southern Friend Funeral 7:30 p.m.

Ringgold Depot 155 Depot St. (706) 935-3061 cityofringgold.com John Wesley Austin 7:30 p.m.

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

FRIDAY3.3 Chattanooga Market at Erlanger

10:30 a.m.

Erlanger Hospital Medical Mall 975 E. 3rd St. chattanoogamarket.com Old, New, Borrowed, Blue 5 p.m.

In-Town Gallery 26 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9214 intowngallery.com Open Studio Nights: Emerging Artist Showcase 5:30 p.m.

Chattanooga Workspace 302 W. 6th St. (423) 822-5750 chattanoogaworkspace.com “For Your Eyes Only” 5:30 p.m.

Association of Visual Arts 30 Frazier Ave. (423) 265-4282 averts.org Trivia Night & Silent Auction

ENTERTAINMENT SPOTLIGHT John Wesley Austin has been working the comedy club circuit for over 20 years, and it shows in his side splitting and sometimes outrageous stand up comedy.

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

6 p.m.

Chattanooga Public LibraryDowntown Branch 1001 Broad St. (423) 664-0903 Margaret Dyer & Jan Kransberger Reception 6:30 p.m.

River Gallery 400 E. 2nd St. (423) 265-5033 river-gallery.com Million Dollar Quartet 7:30 p.m.

Ensemble Theatre 5600 Brainerd Rd. (423) 987-5141 Southern Friend Funeral 7:30 p.m.

Ringgold Depot 155 Depot St. (706) 935-3061 cityofringgold.com John Wesley Austin 7:30, 9:45 p.m.

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

SATURDAY3.4 St. Alban’s Hixson Market 9:30 a.m.

St. Alban’s Episcopal Church 7514 Hixson Pike (423) 842-6303 World Wildlife Weekend 10 a.m.

Chattanooga Zoo 301 N. Holtzclaw Ave. (423) 697- 1319 chattzoo.org

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

Rent 20th Anniversary Tour Northside Farmers Market 10 a.m.

Northside Presbyterian Church 923 Mississippi Ave. (423) 266-7497 Read Across Chattanooga 10 a.m.

Hamilton Place Mall 2100 Hamilton Place Blvd.

(423) 894-7177 hamiltonplace.com Brainerd Farmers Market 11 a.m.

Grace Episcopal Church 20 Belvoir Ave. (404) 245-3682 saygrace.net Artful Yoga: Marching Into A New Month 1:30 p.m.

The Hunter Museum of Art 10 Bluff View Ave. (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org Southern Friend Funeral 2, 7:30 p.m.

Ringgold Depot 155 Depot St. (706) 935-3061 cityofringgold.com Million Dollar Quartet 2:30, 7:30 p.m.

Ensemble Theatre 5600 Brainerd Rd. (423) 987-5141 Denim & Diamonds: TV Land 7 p.m.

Chattanooga Convention Center 1 Carter Plz. (423) 622-2872 chattmedsoc.org John Wesley Austin 7:30, 9:45 p.m.

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

The Hunter Museum of Art 10 Bluff View Ave. (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org

SUNDAY3.5 Erlanger Chattanooga Marathon 6 a.m.

First Tennessee Pavilion 1826 Reggie White Blvd.

(423) 424-4485 chattanoogamarathon.com East Tennessee Music Collectors Show 10 a.m.

East Ridge Community Center 1517 Tombras Ave. #2 (704) 996-9945 World Wildlife Weekend 10 a.m.

Chattanooga Zoo 301 N. Holtzclaw Ave. (423) 697- 1319 chattzoo.org Million Dollar Quartet 2:30 p.m.

Ensemble Theatre 5600 Brainerd Rd. (423) 987-5141 John Wesley Austin 7:30 p.m.

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

MONDAY3.6 Red Bank Farmers Market 3 p.m.

Red Bank United Methodist 3800 Dayton Blvd.

(423) 838-9804 Garden Brothers Circus 4:30 p.m.

UTC McKenzie Arena 720 E. 4th St. (941) 343-2378 gardenbroscircus.com CSOYO Symphony & Philharmonic Winter Concert 7:30 p.m.

Brainerd Baptist Church 300 Brookfield Ave. (423) 267-8583 chattanoogasymphony.org

TUESDAY3.7 East Brainerd Farmers Market 4 p.m.

Audubon Acres 900 N. Sanctuary Rd. (423) 838-9804 lookoutfarmersmarket.com Detroit Ballroom Dance Class 6 p.m.

Bessie Smith Cultural Center 200 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 266-8658 bessiesmithcc.org Tuesday Night Chess Club 6 p.m.

Downtown Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattilibrary.com Epilepsy On The Mountain

6:30 p.m.

Signal Mountain Arts Community Center 809 Kentucky Ave. (423) 634-1771 epilepsy-setn.org Chatt About Science 7 p.m.

Stone Cup Café 208 Frazier Ave. (423) 521-3977 stonecupcafe.com

WEDNESDAY3.8 Chattanooga Market at Erlanger East 10:30 a.m.

Erlanger East Hospital 1751 Gunbarrel Rd. (423) 648-2496 chattanoogamarket.com Main Street Market 4 p.m.

325 E. Main St. mainstfarmersmarket.com Pauley Shore 7:30 p.m.

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

Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. (423) 757-5580 tivolichattanooga.com Map these locations on chattanoogapulse.com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MARCH 2, 2017 • THE PULSE • 13

FILM & TELEVISION

Finding Horror In A Dark History Get Out looks behind the fears of racism

By John DeVore Pulse Film Editor

One of the central images in Ava DuVernay’s 13th comes from the seminal 1915 Civil War film The Birth of a Nation by D.W. Griffith. An overwhelmingly racist production that casts the Ku Klux Klan as heroes, The Birth of a Nation is also responsible for one of the great cultural myths of our times.

13th returns again and again to the image of the black man as the rapist, the criminal, the danger in the night that comes for young and innocent white women to take them from their homes and end their lives.

So powerful was this image, 13th claims, that it encouraged undue attention from law enforcement and led 14 • THE PULSE • MARCH 2, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

to the routine lynching throughout entire generations in the Jim Crow South.

This racial fear hasn’t faded—ask anyone who has ever crossed the street to avoid passing a black man on their side or locked their car doors while driving down Martin Luther King Blvd.

But every action has an equal, opposite reaction, and while white people reacted to these alternative facts about black men, they created a different, more real fear in the black community—the fear of white people in large groups.

Truth be told, one white person during the Jim Crow era could inflict their own tyranny on any black person they came across, but together, they could kill almost indiscriminately. These fears weren’t unfounded rumors—an-

FILM & TELEVISION

“Get Out, a horror film by Jordan Peele, does what all horror films do. It takes a deep seated fear and creates a narrative around it.” other powerful part of 13th is its use of period photographs and film footage that proves that it happened, and often.

Get Out, a horror film by Jordan Peele, does what all horror films do. It takes a deep seated fear and creates a narrative around it. What makes it unique, however, is how it gives a voice to a fear that most people have never considered.

Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) is a photographer in New York City with a new girlfriend named Rose (Alison Williams). We meet him as he is packing for a weekend at her parent’s home.

We learn that Rose hasn’t mentioned to her family that her new boyfriend is black, a first for her. Rose assures Chris that it doesn’t matter because her parents aren’t racist—her father even voted for Obama twice and would vote for him a third time.

Chris, who has encountered

these defenses his entire life, internally rolls his eyes and the two are off, far into the wilderness where her parents live in absolute privacy. Her father, it seems, is a neurosurgeon and her mother is a psychiatrist. She has a brother in school, studying to be a surgeon like his father.

The first thing Chris notices when they arrive is that Rose’s parents employ a groundskeeper and maid, both black. Her father explains that he initially hired them to care for his aging parents, and when they passed, he couldn’t bear to let them go. They had become family, he insists.

It’s not really their presence that is unnerving, though. It’s their behavior, their mannerisms, their speech— the things that make them who they are. For lack of a better description, they seem, well, white. As the weekend goes on, the situation becomes stranger and stranger.

While Get Out is certainly racially themed, it’s accessible for a wide audience due to playing on yet another deep seated fear—isolation among strangers. For the socially awkward,

spending an entire weekend with another person’s family is terrifying in and of itself.

Everything is different, every interaction seems forced, and everyone is on guard.

There are themes of class present as well—Rose’s parents are obviously wealthy, which is its own form of isolation when considering the character of Chris, a young man who lost his mother and guardian at the age of eleven.

The rich are as different from the poor as white is from black. Adding the racial themes to the mix only serves to heighten the anxiety and create the atmosphere of danger.

Get Out does not rely on the jump scares or gore that so often plagues the horror genre. Instead, like most smart films in the genre, it relies on the atmosphere, and provides it in spades.

The world of the white man is clean, bright, and manicured. It isn’t what lurks in the dark corners of an old house that’s frightening. It’s what lurks in the dark mind of the man smiling in your face.

✴ ✴ NEW IN THEATERS ✴ ✴

Logan In the near future, a weary Logan cares for an ailing Professor X in a hide out on the Mexican border. But Logan's attempts to hide from the world and his legacy are up-ended when a young mutant arrives, being pursued by dark forces.

Director: James Mangold Stars: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen

The Shack A grieving man receives a mysterious, personal invitation to meet with God at a place called "The Shack."

Director: Stuart Hazeldine Stars: Sam Worthington, Octavia Spencer, Tim McGraw, Radha Mitchell

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MARCH 2, 2017 • THE PULSE • 15

MUSIC

Wesley Chitwood Looks Into The Mirror Young talent puts the “phenom” into “phenomenal”

Grooving at Clyde’s With Permagroove If you’re looking for an opportunity to get your groove on this weekend, then look no further than Clyde’s on Main. Permagroove, a rocking band hailing from Fort Payne, is going to be stopping by on Friday at 10 p.m. in support of their regional tour. They’ll be performing songs from their latest album, Perfectly Broken Machine.

Permagroove’s musical style simply can’t be described with one specific word or phrase; they’re a group that likes to blend genres together to create a truly unique sound. Some of the group’s biggest influences include The Allman Brothers Band, Phish, The Grateful Dead, Gov’t Mule and The Band, among many others.

Permagroove has a ton of energy, and they’re known to put on a killer show by playing tunes reminiscent of Southern rock with a modern, bluesy twist. Permagroove is a rising artist in the rock and roll scene, and they have a fan base that is building by the show.

If you missed Permagroove’s sold-out show at the Revelry Room last fall, or if you’re just looking to have a good time and listen to some talented musicians, then you definitely don’t want to miss an opportunity to jam to Permagroove this Friday. — Addie Whitlow Permagroove Friday, 10 p.m.

Clyde’s On Main 122 W. Main Street (423) 362-8335 clydesonmain.com 16 • THE PULSE • MARCH 2, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

By Marc T. Michael Pulse Music Editor

L

EVEL-HEADED, GOAL-ORIENTED MUSIcians. They may not be rare, but they certainly aren’t common. Put another way, for every musician you meet who has conquered or avoided the pitfalls of ego, excess, or just not being very good, there are a hundred more wrestling with some combination of all three.

Many are lost through the process of attrition; others power through and eventually emerge on the other side of it all with their act together. That process can take years.

Every so often though you run in to that truly rare beast, a young level-headed, goal oriented

musician whose maturity (musically and professionally) gives them such a jump-start on the process that their success is inevitable. Wesley Chitwood is such a person, and it is my pleasure to review the first single from his upcoming album this week.

Country music is the forte of this singer/songwriter from Chattanooga and he exhibits a real talent for it. His lyrics are mature, his arrangements are classic country and his deep baritone singing is made for Nashville. He’s also nineteen.

I doubt that sentence has the impact I mean for it to convey because you likely haven’t heard his music yet, but here’s the thing; hearing the music and knowing nothing at all about the man making it, it’d be hard to draw any other conclusion

MUSIC

Out And About For St. Patrick’s Day

“Chitwood is the sort of phenom that makes a grumpy, middle-aged musician like myself smile in admiration while muttering under my breath about how much I could sell my guitar for. ” besides, “He’s genuinely talented.”

You might suspect (and be forgiven for it) that he must be in his forties and has spent the last twenty years making mistakes and perfecting his craft.

Now factor in the detail that he isn’t even old enough to legally drink in the places where his music will be adored and you go from, “He’s genuinely talented,” to “Good lord, this kid is a prodigy and bound for stardom.”

Chitwood is the sort of phenom that makes a grumpy, middle-aged musician like myself smile in admiration while muttering under my breath about how much I could sell my guitar for.

He is preternaturally good and while I don’t want to belabor the point, I must make it perfectly clear that he writes and sings like a man more than twice his age with all the wisdom, maturity and craftsmanship that come with half a lifetime of experience.

The single, “Mirror,” is the first from his new album and was released just a few weeks ago. The song is a down-

tempo, introspective piece about a man who’s lost his confidence and is wracked with self-doubt. Curiously, and to the songwriter’s credit, the song never delves in to why, which gives it a sort of fill-in-the-blank quality, allowing for a much broader and more universal appeal. There’s some genius there.

Audiences love songs that are relatable and insecurity is a relatable concept, but by refraining from specifics, Chitwood allows the listener to apply their own experience to the tune. That’s very clever writing and genuinely not what you see from younger artists (who tend to be heavy-handed with detail.)

Instrumentally the song is solidly produced, a credit to Brent Crowe at BackBeat Sound Design. The combination of instrumentation with well-written lyrics and Chitwood’s amazing voice make for one of the finest country songs I’ve heard in a long time and if it’s any indication of what’s to come, the debut album will be phenomenal.

For now you can sample “Mirror” by Wesley Chitwood on iTunes. Remember the name, you’ll be hearing a lot more about this talented young fellow in the future.

Paddy’s Day is right around the corner and once again there’s more good stuff going on than you can shake a stick at.

Rock City’s ninth annual “Shamrock City” event takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 11th, 12th, 18th and 19th and features a host of your favorite local artists and performers along with a variety of events and attractions including Irish dance lessons and traditional food.

Paddy’s Day Proper is Friday March 17th at the Honest Pint and features the music of The Secret Commonwealth, The Wolfhounds, The Molly Maguires and The Red Rogues. Saturday the 19th is the Pint’s fourth annual “Part on the Parkway” from 2 p.m. to midnight immediately following the St. Chatty’s Day Parade.

The all ages street party features a large kid’s zone with interactive games and crafts, Kid’s

The Molly Maguires

Dance Party, the Chattanooga Zoo’s mobile petting zoo and the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile.

Live music includes: Rock Skool, Slim Pickins Trio, Caney Creek, Ashley and the X's, The Molly Maguires, Elk Milk, Kindora, Hank & Cupcakes, Side Affect, Superbody, Tryezz and Nick Lutsko's Symphonic Sideshow.

The pub shuttle will safely transports guests to and from the event from several other locations on the Southside, North Shore and downtown ensuring a safe Paddy’s celebration for everyone. Tickets are on sale now at parkwayparty.com — Marc T. Michael

THU3.2

FRI3.3

SAT3.4

Open Mic Night with Megan Saunders

It Is Written

Songwriters in the Round

Grab your guitar or just bring your voice to one of the most fun open mic nights in the city.

6 p.m.

Whole Foods Market 301 Manufacturers Rd. wholefoodsmarket.com

This three-piece hardcore/ metal band hails from State College, Pennsylvania and brings their powerful sound down South to Ziggy's.

9 p.m.

Ziggy’s Bar and Grill 607 Cherokee Blvd. ziggysbarandgrill.net

Scenic City Showcase presents their quarterly series featuring some of Chattanooga's finest talent.

8 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MARCH 2, 2017 • THE PULSE • 17

LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR

Toby Mac

THURSDAY3.2 James Crumble Trio 6 p.m.

St. John’s Meeting Place 1278 Market St. stjohnsrestaurant.com Rick Rushing Blues Jazz N’ Friends 6 p.m.

Bluewater Grille 224 Broad St. bluewaterchattanooga.com Open Mic Night with Megan Saunders 6 p.m.

Whole Foods Market 301 Manufacturers Rd. wholefoodsmarket.com Prime Country Band 6:30 p.m.

Motley’s 320 Emberson Dr. Ringgold, GA (706) 260-8404 Toby Mac, Matt Maher, Mandisa, Mac Powell, Captain Kings, Ryan Stevenson, Hollyn 6:30 p.m.

McKenzie Arena 720 E. 4th St. utc.edu/mckenzie-arena Bluegrass Thursdays 7:30 p.m.

Feed Co. Table & Tavern 201 W. Main St. feedtableandtavern.com Jesse James & Tim Neal 7:30 p.m.

Mexi-Wing VII 5773 Brainerd Rd. mexi-wingchattanooga.com

18 • THE PULSE • MARCH 2, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

Keepin’ It Local 8 p.m.

The Social 1110 Market St. publichousechattanooga.com Open Mic with Hap Henninger 9 p.m.

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

FRIDAY3.3 Erlanger Chattanooga Marathon Kick Off Party Feat. Strung Like a Horse 4 p.m.

First Tennessee Pavilion 1829 Carter St. chattanoogamarathon.com Binji Varsossa 6 p.m.

Cancun Mexican Restaurant

1809 Broad St. (423) 266-1461 Attila, New Years Day, Bad Omens, Cane Hill 7 p.m.

Revelry Room 41 Station St. revelryroom.co Dark and Luminous Nights of the Soul 7:30 p.m.

Second Presbyterian Church 700 Pine St. secondpreschattanooga.org Vienna Piano Trio 7:30 p.m.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 305 W. 7th St. stpaulschatt.org John Lathim 8 p.m.

Charles & Myrtle’s Coffeehouse 105 McBrien Rd. christunity.org

LIVE MUSIC SPOTLIGHT A stylistically unique Americana band, American Watermelon has been been singing, performing, and playing as if they’d been together their entire musical careers.

American Watermelon Saturday, 10 p.m.

Clyde’s On Main 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.com

The Hopeful Country Band 8:30 p.m.

Motley’s 320 Emberson Dr. Ringgold, GA (706) 260-8404 Roughwork 8:30 p.m.

The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com It Is Written 9 p.m.

Ziggy’s Bar and Grill 607 Cherokee Blvd. ziggysbarandgrill.net Hap Henninger 9 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com The Ham Family 9 p.m.

Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com/chattanooga Permagroove 10 p.m.

Clyde’s On Main 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.com Bad Tattoo Band 10 p.m.

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

SATURDAY3.4 Binji Varsossa 6 p.m.

Cancun Mexican Restaurant 1809 Broad St.

LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR

Attila (423) 266-1461 Tim Lewis 7 p.m.

El Meson 248 Northgate Park elmesonchattanooga.com Joseph Akins 8 p.m.

Charles & Myrtle’s Coffeehouse 105 McBrien Rd. christunity.org Songwriters in the Round 8 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Calvin Goes Bobby 8 p.m.

Bessie Smith Cultural Center 200 E. MLK Blvd. bessiesmithcc.org Roughwork 8:30 p.m.

The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com J Edwards and Crickett 9 p.m.

Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com/chattanooga Margo Price, Jonny Fritz 9 p.m.

Revelry Room 41 Station St. revelryroom.co American Watermelon 10 p.m.

Clyde’s On Main 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.com Kara-Ory-Oke! 10 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe

901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Bad Tattoo 10 p.m.

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

SUNDAY3.5 Erlanger Chattanooga Marathon Feat. The Knob Creek Girls, Rick Rushing & the Blues Strangers, Kofi Mawuko and the Ogya World Music Band 9 a.m.

First Tennessee Pavilion 1829 Carter St. chattanoogamarathon.com Ryan Oyer 11 a.m.

Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com Coco O’Connor 1 p.m.

Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com Open Mic with Jeff Daniels 6 p.m.

Long Haul Saloon 2536 Cummings Hwy. (423) 822-9775

MONDAY3.6 Monday Nite Big Band 7 p.m.

The Coconut Room 6925 Shallowford Rd.

thepalmsathamilton.com Open Air with Jessica Nunn 7:30 p.m.

The Granfalloon 400 E. Main St. granfalloonchattanooga.com Very Open Mic with Shawnessey Cargile 8 p.m.

The Well 1800 Rossville Blvd. #8 wellonthesouthside.com That 1 Guy 8 p.m.

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

TUESDAY3.7 Bill McCallie and In Cahoots 6:30 p.m.

Southern Belle 201 Riverfront Pkwy. chattanoogariverboat.com Heart Strings for Hope 7 p.m.

Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. tivolichattanooga.com Jimmy Eat World 8 p.m.

Track 29 1400 Market St. track29.co Open Mic with Mike McDade 8 p.m.

Tremont Tavern 1203 Hixson Pike tremonttavern.com Wohlglemut, Prayer Circle, Praymantha, Taboo, Emilie Robinso

8 p.m.

Ziggy’s Bar and Grill 607 Cherokee Blvd. ziggysbarandgrill.net

WEDNESDAY3.8 No Big Deal 6 p.m.

SpringHill Suites 495 Riverfront Pkwy. springhillsuites.com Joel Clyde 8 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Priscilla & Little Rickee 8 p.m.

Las Margaritas 1101 Hixson Pike (423) 756-3332 Ben Friberg Trio 8 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Eric & Eric 8 p.m.

Bud’s Sports Bar 5751 Brainerd Rd. budssportsbar.com Prime Cut Trio 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 • MARCH 2, 2017 • THE PULSE • 19

RECORD REVIEWS ∙ ERNIE PAIK

Collision Stories, Fire-Toolz

Collision Stories Those Missing Will Complete Us (Public Eyesore)

S

pace vampires. Those are the two words that immediately come to mind for this reviewer when listening to the instrumental album Those Missing Will Complete Us by the improvisational San Francisco quartet Collision Stories, but don’t let that impression hinder anyone’s imagination, which has ample opportunities to be provoked by this fascinating release.

The “vampire” impression comes from the subtly sinister and mostly ominous vibes emanating from the album, and its careful building of suspense makes it perhaps appropriate for a horror soundtrack; just a handful of certain tiny synth slivers bring fleeting hints of John Carpenter scores, and a momentary use of music box sounds injects uneasy and unexpected innocence into the enigmatic proceedings.

Throughout the album, electronic notes and noises, some of which sound like they were created from tinkering on open control panels for emergency repairs, provide the sci-fi aspect, with synthetic squeaks and a disquieting ambiance providing an inorganic detachment.

Also, the use of space is key on Those Missing Will Complete Us, with the performers often showing restraint to build up each clearly audible layer—it’s complicated without sounding recklessly

20 • THE PULSE • MARCH 2, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

Fire-Toolz Drip Mental (Hausu Mountain)

messy; with an abundance of space, there’s a deep loneliness evoked, as a trapped space traveler peers at the void of outer space both longingly and fearfully.

Those Missing Will Complete Us was edited together using both live and studio recordings made in the spring of 2016, and its four members—Jorge Bachmann, Bryan Day, Michael Gendreau and Mason Jones—are seasoned non-traditional aural creators. They each have huge bags of tricks drawing from their varied backgrounds in composition, instrument invention, acoustics, psych-noise and other fields.

It’s paradoxically a little startling when, at times, actual guitar notes can be heard, amid the hard-to-place synthetics that dominate the album. It’s a spooky album that never lets the listener get too comfortable to allow the sound slip away into the background of consciousness.

F

ire-Toolz’s Drip Mental has to be one of the most perplexingly messed-up albums this writer has encountered recently, sounding like the result of smashing up VHS tapes of ‘80s music videos, eating the bits and then projectile vomiting them while screeching. It’s anarchic in its whimsy, playing hot potato with a truckload of potatoes that come in the form of tur-

bulent sampling and ‘80s aesthetics appropriation with a more renegade attitude than that which is typically heard.

Angel Marcloid, the Plunderphonic sorceress behind Fire-Toolz, guarantees that nothing is left unmolested, from the synth-pop glitter to the pulsing dance-beat insanity to the purloined and warped hip-hop fragments.

There’s a weird dichotomy at play here, with comforting elements mostly in the form of a bizarre extension of vaporwave (‘80s retro elevator music) being hurled about with a violent editing style; on top of that, you have perhaps the most incongruous disconnect of them all: screaming black-metal vocals.

All of this put together has a humorous effect that inspires disbelief and the question, “What the hell am I listening to?” It’s self-consciously crazy with a breathtaking abandon; by the time the listener has processed one bizarre moment, it’s already moved on with two others.

The track “To See My Hatred Clearly [CODENAME_TOUCH ACCOMODATIONS]” has the spirit of a synthesized video game soundtrack but with an overclocked drum machine; within its madness is a spirit that seemingly tries to motivate the listener to not give up on the mission at hand, which perhaps is making it through the album.

Strangely, the final selection, “? [CODENAME_AUTO-BRIGHTNESS],” could serve as the coda for some heartwarming ‘80s comedy, sporting an inspirational tone through its thick layers of irony, with the obligatory dated Yamaha DX7 synth sounds, concluding a headacheinducing yet oddly charming album that must be heard to be believed.

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY ∙ ROB BREZSNY PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Your immediate future is too good to be true. Or at least that’s what you, with your famous self-doubt, might be inclined to believe if I told you the truth about the favorable developments that are in the works.

Therefore, I have come up with some fake anxieties to keep your worry reflex engaged so it won’t sabotage the real goodies. Beware of dirty limericks and invisible ladders and upside-down rainbows and psychic bunny rabbits. Be on guard against accountants wearing boxing gloves and clowns singing Broadway show tunes in runaway shopping carts and celebrities telling you classified secrets in your dreams.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): I predict that you will have earned the title of Master Composter no later than March 26. Not necessarily because you will have packed your food scraps, wilted flowers, coffee grounds, and shredded newspapers in, say, a deluxe dual-chamber tumbling compost bin. But rather because you will have dealt efficiently with the rotting emotions, tattered habits, decrepit melodramas, and trivial nonsense that has accumulated; you will have worked hard to transform all that crap into metaphorical fertilizer for your future growth. Time to get started!

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): It’s a good time for you to wield your emotional intelligence with leadership and flair. The people you care about need more of your sensitive influence. Any posse or tribe you are part of will benefit from your thoughtful intervention. So get out there and build up the group morale, Taurus. Assert your healing ideals with panache. Tamp down the insidious power of peer pressure and fashionable nonsense.

You have a mandate to wake up sleepy allies and activate the dormant potential of collective efforts.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): If you were ever in your life going to be awarded an honorary PhD from a top university, it would happen in the next few weeks. If there were even a remote possibility that you would someday be given one of those MacArthur Fellowship “genius” grants, now would be the time. Likewise, if you had any hopes of being selected as one of “The World’s Sexiest Chameleons” or “The Fastest, Sweetest Talkers on Earth” or “The Planet’s Most Virtuoso Vacillators,” the moment has arrived. And even if none of those things happen, I’m still pretty sure that your reputation and status will be on the rise.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You’re wandering into places you’ve always thought you should be wary of or skeptical about. Good for you!

As long as you protect your innocence, I encourage you to keep

exploring. To my delight, you have also been fantasizing about accomplishments that used to be offlimits. Again, I say: Good for you!

As long as you don’t overreach, I invite you to dream boldly, even brazenly. And since you seem to be in the mood for big thinking, here are other revolutionary activities to consider: dissolving nonessential wishes; transcending shrunken expectations; escaping the boring past; busting irrelevant taboos.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I did a good job of raising my daughter. She turned out to be a thoughtful, intelligent adult with high integrity and interesting skills. But I’m not sure my parenting would have been as effective if I’d had more kids. I discussed this issue with Nathan, a guy I know. His six offspring are all grown up, too. “How did you do it?” I asked him. “Having just one child was a challenging job for me.”

“I’ll tell you my secret,” Nathan told me. “I’m a bad father. I didn’t work very hard on raising my kids. And now they never let me forget it.”

In the coming weeks and months, Leo, I recommend that you pursue my approach in your chosen field, not Nathan’s. Aim for high-quality intensity rather than scattershot quantity.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In her poem “Not Anyone Who Says,” Virgo writer Mary Oliver looks down on people who declare, “I’m going to be careful and smart in matters of love.” She disparages the passion of anyone who asserts, “I’m going to choose slowly.” Instead she champions those who are “chosen by something invisible and powerful and uncontrollable and beautiful and possibly even unsuitable.”

Here’s my response: Her preferred formula sounds glamorous and dramatic and romantic—especially the powerful and beautiful part.

But in practice it rarely works out well—maybe just ten percent of the time—mostly because of the uncontrollable and unsuitable part.

And now is not one of those times for you, Virgo. Be careful and smart in matters of love, and choose slowly.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The poet Rainer Maria Rilke bemoaned the fact that so many of us “squander our sorrows.” Out of self-pity or lazy self-indulgence, we wallow in memories of experiences that didn’t turn out the way we wished they would have. We paralyze ourselves with repetitions of depleting thoughts. Here’s an alternative to that approach: We could use our sadness and frustrations to transform ourselves. We could treat them as fuel to motivate our escape from what doesn’t work, to inspire our determination to rise above what demoralizes and demeans us. I mention this, Libra, because now is an excellent time to do exactly that.

JONESIN' CROSSWORD ∙ MATT JONES

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): It’s time for the Bliss Blitz—a new holiday just for you Scorpios. To celebrate it properly, get as buoyant as you dare; be greedy for euphoria; launch a sacred quest for pleasure.

Ah, but here’s the big question: Can you handle this much relief and release? Are you strong enough to open yourself to massive outbreaks of educational delight and natural highs? Some of you may not be prepared. You may prefer to remain ensconced in your protective sheath of cool cynicism. But if you think you can bear the shock of unprecedented exaltation and jubilation, then go ahead and risk it. Experiment with the unruly happiness of the Bliss Blitz.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In his book The Horologicon, Mark Forsyth gathered “obscure but necessary” words that he dug out of old dictionaries. One of his discoveries is a perfect fit for you right now. It’s “snudge”, a verb that means to walk around with a pensive look on your face, appearing to be busy or in the midst of productive activity, when in fact you’re just goofing off. I recommend it for two reasons: 1. It’s important for your mental and physical health that you do a lot of nothing; that you bless yourself with a healing supply of refreshing emptiness. 2. It’s important for your mental and physical health that you do this on the sly as much as possible; that you avoid being judged or criticized for it by others.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I wish your breakfast cereal came in boxes decorated with Matisse and Picasso paintings. I wish songbirds would greet you each morning with sweet tunes. I wish you’d see that you have more power than you realize. I wish you knew how uniquely beautiful you are. I wish you’d get intoxicated with the small miracles that are happening all around you. I wish that when you made a bold move to improve your life, everyone greeted it with curiosity and excitement. And I wish you would let your imagination go half-wild with fascinating fantasies during this, the Capricorn wishing season.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “You’re a different human being to everybody you meet,” says novelist Chuck Palahniuk. Now is an excellent time to contemplate the intricacies and implications of that amazing truth—and start taking better advantage of how much freedom it gives you. Say the following statements out loud and see how they feel: 1. “My identity isn’t as narrowly circumscribed as I think it is.” 2. “I know at least 200 people, so there must be at least 200 facets to my character.” 3. “I am too complicated to be completely comprehended by any one person.”

4. “Consistency is overrated.”

“Just Average”—if two don’t fit...

ACROSS 1 Lend a hand 5 “I got it!” reactions 9 “... like ___ out of hell” 13 “___ F” (hit instrumental of 1985) 14 Like the sound of French vowels 16 Attack with the tongue 17 Picture that absolutely has to be seen?

19 See 41-Down 20 Make amends (for) 21 12 of 12, briefly 22 Spicy coffee shop order 23 Denims kept clean during auction time?

27 Be in another form?

30 Dave Grohl band ___ Fighters 31 Concert purchase 32 “The Addams Family” cousin 33 Actor Diggs 35 Firm ending?

37 Actor James Van ___ Beek 39 What part of each theme answer has to do to fit

45 Six-pack unit 46 Glass on NPR 47 Schooner steerer 48 “Do you even lift, ___?”

50 Cobra ___ (“The Karate Kid” dojo) 53 Bother 55 “Sure thing” 56 Author of “A Series of Unfortunate Kravitzes”?

60 “The Thin Man” canine 61 English actor McKellen 62 Engine buildup 66 Reminder of an old wound 67 Long stories about hosting audio-visual dance parties?

70 Plastic surgery procedure 71 Itching to get started 72 Casino freebie 73 Theater backdrops 74 “Hello ___” (cellphone ad catchphrase) 75 Land bordering the Persian Gulf DOWN

1 “___ Nagila” 2 Cinema sign 3 “Dallas Buyers Club” Oscar winner Jared 4 Backup operation 5 “Fuel” performer DiFranco 6 Cuban sandwich ingredient 7 Carne ___ (burrito filler) 8 Most wise 9 Ralph’s wife on “The Honeymooners” 10 Reason to wear a hat, maybe 11 Tilted 12 Believer in a deity 15 Dulce de ___ 18 1970s heartthrob Garrett 24 “___ Time” (Sublime song) 25 Refuses to 26 “Star Wars: The Last ___” 27 Cash cache, for short 28 Singer Corinne Bailey ___ 29 It’s good to keep during an interview 34 Vowel for Plato 36 It’s represented

by X 38 Mag. employees 40 Blue Pac-Man ghost 41 With 19-Across, “Spamalot” creator 42 “Superstore” actor McKinney 43 It’s not a freaking “alternative fact” 44 Ernie of the PGA Tour 48 Criticizes loudly 49 Save from disaster 51 “___ said many times ...”

52 Surrounded by standstill traffic 54 Beer barrels 57 Stoolies, in Sussex 58 Montoya who sought the sixfingered man 59 Bingham of “Baywatch” 63 “Frankenstein” helper 64 Bear whose porridge was too cold 65 “30 for 30” cable channel 68 Tightrope walker’s protection 69 Miracle-___ (garden brand)

Copyright © 2017 Jonesin’ Crosswords. For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per3minute. Must be 18+ to call. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle No. 8211 CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MARCH 2, 2017 • THE PULSE • 21

FOOD & DINING ∙ SUSHI & BISCUITS

You Thought You Knew Pork?

Our ex-pat chef discovers yet another way to consume our favorite food

Mike McJunkin Pulse columnist

F

OR MUCH OF MY ADULT LIFE, I was convinced that Southerners had exhausted every possible option when it came to eating pork. When a Southerner looks at an anatomical diagram of a pig, they see a roadside smokehouse menu chocked full of porky delights. Show us a pig leg and we see greens, beans and barbeque sandwiches. Show us Charlotte’s Web and the country ham hanging on the back porch becomes “Wilbur”.

Southerners have figured out how to fry pork skin into a snack and turn pig’s feet, ears and tails into something that’s not only edible, but enjoyable. We mix pig brains with eggs for breakfast, have sliced souse meat sandwiches for lunch, and eat small intestines for dinner—not because we have to, but because we want to.

Our love affair with pork runs so much deeper than hickory-smoked spareribs and pulled pork sandwiches. In fact, we’ve been eating “nose-to-tail” since Chris C. brought a baker’s dozen of these split toed ungulates to Florida in the mid-1500s.

Considering the South’s deep devotion to sus domesticus, how is it that a centuries old way of preparing pork has eluded us?

How is it that a pork product capable of being used as an ingredient, as a standalone snack, and even in desserts is not in our Southern pork database?

I would like to begin filling this unnecessary gap in Southern pork prowess by

bringing pork floss into the warm comforting light of the Southern sun. (Feel free to go back and reread that if you need to, I did indeed just say “pork floss”) Pork floss is beef jerky’s flamboyant Asian cousin. It looks like some Oompa Loompa’s threw a pig into Willy Wonka’s cotton candy machine, but it tastes like sweet, porky heaven. Both jerky and pork floss are slightly sweetened dried meats, but where jerky is firm and chewy, pork floss has a light, fluffy texture.

Where jerky is almost exclusively eaten as a snack, pork floss is used in a variety of ways—none of which include dental hygiene, despite the off-putting English translation of its original Chinese name: ròusõng.

Ròusõng (pork floss) is an unsurprisingly popular food in China and Southeast Asia because of its versatility and balance of sweet, salty and porky. It’s called chà bông in Vietnam, mahu in the Philippines, mu yong in Thailand, and meat wool or pork floss in English. In Chattanooga, Asian markets such as Asian Food and Gifts or Sokdee Asian Market carry ròusõng under the names pork sung or pork fu— the latter has a bit more “chew” to it and is a bit less flavorful.

The process of making ròusõng is best described as a Kafkaesque metamorphosis, wherein cheap cuts of pork are transformed into something that makes us question the way we think about meat and how we consume it. Lean cuts of lean pork are stewed in sweetened

22 • THE PULSE • MARCH 2, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

soy sauce until the individual muscle fibers can be easily pulled apart with a fork. Once pulled apart, the meat is then strained and briefly dried before being mashed as it cooks in a large, dry wok to remove most of the moisture.

Other flavorings like garlic, onion and oyster sauce are sometimes added while the mixture is being dry fried, but I believe it easily stands on its own flavor merits. It takes about five pounds of lean pork to produce one pound of ròusõng, so this is one instance where store bought is far more practical and less expensive than making it yourself.

In the kitchen, ròusõng is like pork flavored fairy dust. A few pinches of pork floss tossed on top of plain ol’ fried rice makes it into something revolutionary. Add some pork floss in the final moments of cooking a simple stir-fried noodle dish and you’ll feel like a

culinary wizard. Burritos, omelets, pasta, rice, hot dogs, congee, and hamburgers can all benefit from a few tufts of fluffy pork floss.

My personal favorite use for pork floss is a fried egg and ròusõng grilled cheese sandwich. Spread a thin layer of mayo on both slices of bread, add a fried egg, a healthy layer of ròusõng, some good ol’ ‘Murican cheese, and pan-fry both sides in butter just like a typical grilled cheese.

To serve, sit quietly and savor how the sweet, thin gossamer strands of pork dissolve into the melted cheese and rich egg.

Take satisfaction in knowing you are doing your part to maintain the South’s leadership in pork awareness. Spread the word.

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

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MARCH 2, 2017 • THE PULSE • 23