Connect Savannah | May 18, 2022

CONNECT SAVANNAH

connectsavannah.com

MAY 18 - 24, 2022

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LET’S GET WET & WILD! TYBEE’S FAMOUS BEACH BUM PARADE IS BACK IT’S SMOL: TWO-TIDES FAM GIVES US TINY BAR CONCEPT, FOOD ON HORIZON

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2022 SCAD

FASHION

HITS THE RUNWAY

The Bank That That SERVICE Built® The Bank SERVICE Built® Member FDIC. © 2021 United Community Bank Community | ucbi.comBank | ucbi.com Member FDIC. © 2021 United

SAVANNAH SAVANNAH 27 Bull Street | 912-234-6565 27 Bull Street | 912-234-6565 8201 White Bluff RoadBluff | 912-232-5884 8201 White Road | 912-232-5884 2225 East 2225 Victory Drive | 912-303-9667 East Victory Drive | 912-303-9667

William O. Golding (American, 1874–1943); Tug William F. McAuley, Atlantic Towing Co., Sav, GA, 1934

Exhibition support is provided by Inge Brasseler and a special grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

SAVANNAH’S HISTORIC DISTRICT | VISIT TELFAIR.ORG

WHO WILL BE CROWNED? OUR FULL-COLOR, ALL-GLOSSY BEST OF SAVANNAH

ISSUE

RELEASED MAY 25 • A FULL LIST of all the BEST of 2022!

• Feature stories on some of your favorites!

iF YOU OR YOUR ORGANIZATION IS A WINNER OR FINALIST, A REPRESENTATIVE WILL REACH OUT TO YOU SOON! FOR QUESTIONS OR TO ADVERTISE IN OUR BIGGEST, GLOSSIEST ISSUE OF THE YEAR:

CALL: (912) 660-3403 EMAIL: sales@connectsavannah.com

THE

OUR HIGHLY ANTICIPATED BEST OF SAVANNAH

PARTY IS JUNE 2

• Event will be at Historic Kehoe Iron Works • Tickets are available

NOW!

JOIN US FOR THE BIGGEST AND BEST PARTY OF THE YEAR! THURS., JUNE 2 Kehoe Iron Works 660 E Broughton St TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW SCAN THE CODE!

SUMMER KICKOFF! THURSDAY, MAY 26 FROM 6-9 PM FEATURING :

Latin Chicks Food Truck MUSIC BY:

Little Gracie Donna Savage

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! 201 PORT STREET, SAVANNAH

For more info follow us @EasternWharfSavannah

MAY/

18-24

WEEK CONNECT SAVANNAH

AT A GLANCE

WEDNESDAY 5/18 THE PIANO MEN LIVE ON STAGE

Three world-class singers / piano players together with a live band pay tribute to Billy Joel, Elton John, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, Paul McCartney and many more. The audience will be singing along!

Wednesday, Friday & Tues at 8pmTHE SAVANNAH THEATRE at 222 Bull St., 912 233-7764 / savannahtheatre.com

TRIVIA NIGHT WITH JESS SHAW

Jess Shaw and Kevin Ryan will guide participants through an evening of trivia and self discovery at Service Brewing.

Test your trivia knowledge while also competing in interactive challenge rounds to gain extra points. The first place team receives a $100 cash prize. 6:30 p.m. Service Brewing Co., 574 Indian St.. servicebrewing.com

WHISKEY WEDNESDAYS

Discounted regional and international whiskey and bourbon selections every Wednesday at Oak 36 Bar + Kitchen. Come try something new on the rocks, as a smoked drink, or perhaps with natural shrubs and fresh pressed juices in one of their craft cocktails.

5500 Abercorn St. Suite #36

SAVANNAH LIVE! VARIETY SHOW

Two hours of high-energy fun for all ages with singers, dancers and rockin’ live band performing Pop to Broadway and Stomp to Rock and Roll!

The most fun you’ll have while in Savannah. Thurs & Sat at 8pm THE SAVANNAH THEATRE at 222 Bull St., Historic Downtown 912 233-7764 / savannahtheatre.com

To have your event considered for inclusion, please send an email to happenings@connectsavannah.com.

Include the event name, date, time, location with address, cost, website address for additional information, and a contact number. The submission deadline is 5PM each Friday before the following Wednesday’s edition.

BINGO! AT ELKS LODGE

Join Elks Lodge for Bingo on Thursdays from 7:30-9:30 p.m. and Sundays from 7-9 p.m.

Enjoy great family fun, good food at the snack bar and many chances to win cash. Elks Lodge, 183 Wilshire Blvd.

FREE YOGA ON THE BEACH AT THE THE DECK Enjoy free yoga on the Tybee sponsored by The Deck Beach Bar & Kitchen. Bring a large beach towel, your mat or a tapestry, a hat and sunglasses, water and a friend.

9-10 a.m. The Deck Beachbar and Kitchen, 404 Butler Ave.

FRIDAY 5/20

TYBEE BEACH BUM PARADE

This FREE event is a favorite with both locals and visitors to Tybee Island. The parade goes all the way down Butler Avenue and features an island-wide water fight! Kids love it and so do adults who have maintained their sense of humor. The parade officially begins at 6:30 but it gets a little wet even before then. YOU WILL GET WET! tybeebeachbumparade. com

BLUEGRASS BY THE PINT WITH SWAMPTOOTH Join Service Brewing for Bluegrass by the Pint every Friday featuring live bluegrass from local favorites, Swamptooth.6 p.m. Service Brewing Co., 574 Indian St. servicebrewing.com

SATURDAY 5/21 GHOST COAST TURNS FIVE!

Join Ghost Coast Distillery in celebrating FIVE years.

Savannah’s own Charlie Fog Band and Smashed Savannah food truck will be on-site. Drink

SAT/

21

GHOST COAST TURNS 5 @ GHOST COAST DISTILLERY | 4-8 PM

Charlie Fog Band, Smashed Savannah Food Truck, $1 from every drink benefits Emmaus House. Limited edition special release of “Bottled in Bond” 100-proof Ghost Coast Straight Bourbon Whiskey. ghostcoastdistillery.com

for a GREAT cause. Ghost Coast is giving back $1 from every drink sold to Emmaus House and their mission. They will also be releasing a limited edition Spirit for the BIG day! 4-8 p.m., Ghost Coast Distillery, 641 Indian St., Downtown, FREE! ghostcoastdistillery.com

tender tale of childhood grief, memory and connection.

72 minutes. In French with English subtitles. All shows start at 7 PM. Box office opens at 6. Tix are $10, cash preferred.

No advance tickets. Savannah Cultural Arts Center, 201 Montgomery Street

CINEMA SAVANNAH: PETITE MAMAN

FREE FAMILY WEEKENDS AT THE JEPSON CENTER & TELFAIR ACADEMY

(France, 2021) Following the death of her beloved grandmother, 8-year-old Nelly accompanies her parents to her mother’s childhood home to begin the difficult process of cleaning out its contents. As Nelly explores the house and nearby woods, she is immediately drawn to a neighbor her own age building a treehouse. What follows is a

Telfair Museums is excited to offer local residents free weekend admission to the Jepson Center and Telfair Academy starting April 2 – August 28! Residents are invited to explore the largest museum exhibition of work

by African American artist, William O. Golding, in The Art

of William O. Golding: Hard Knocks, Hardships, and Lots of Experience on view at the Jepson Center, along with other featured exhibitions free of charge. Free weekend admission includes residents of the following counties: -Chatham -Bryan -Effingham -Liberty (GA) -Beaufort (SC) -Jasper (SC) Jepson Center for the Arts, 207 West York St. Free 912.790.8800. telfair.org

FORSYTH FARMERS MARKET

Local and regional produce, honey, meat, dairy, pasta, baked goods, and other delights. Rain or shine.

9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Forsyth Park.

Drayton St. & East Park Ave.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

THURSDAY 5/19

HIGHLIGHTED PICKS FROM HOSTESS CITY HAPPENINGS THIS WEEK

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WEEK

AT A GLANCE

(CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE)

ISLANDS FARMERS MARKET ADMINISTRATIVE ERICA BASKIN PUBLISHER erica@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4378 WENDY WICKHAM BUSINESS MANAGER wendy@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4373

CONTENT CHRISTOPHER SWEAT CREATIVE | CONTENT DIRECTOR christopher @connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4358 ALEX ARANGO COMMUNITY JOURNALIST alex@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4379 CHANTEL BRITTON MULTIMEDIA CONTENT MANAGER chantel @connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4379 MCKENNAH DRURY GRAPHIC DESIGNER (912) 721-4354

OUR VALUES Connect Savannah is a weekly arts, entertainment and news magazine, focused on Savannah and the Coastal Empire life and experience.

We strive to feature stories that impact our community and the people who live here— to educate, entertain, inform and foster conversation.

We appreciate and encourage readers to share news and information with us, and to share any criticism and questions.

We want to be your comprehensive source for what happens in our community and beyond.

We are here to serve you.

Find us on the following social media platforms or reach out to us at news@connectsavannah.com or 912-721-4378.

/connectsav

@ConnectSavannah

/connectsavannah

PROUD SPONSOR OF

Catch those Sunday Vibes every week at Service Brewing with beats, brews and beermosas featuring sets from local DJs, delicious food trucks and 16 beers on tap. 12:30-5:30 p.m. Service Brewing Company, 574 Indian St. servicebrewing.com

MONDAY 5/23

MIDTOWN MONDAYS

INFORMATION: (912) 721-4378 sales@connectsavannah.com

Savannah’s largest industry night at Oak 36 Bar + Kitchen. Enjoy Pubstar Karaoke hosted by Shane along with DJ B-RAD playing today’s hits inbetween singers. Enjoy $4-$5 drink specials all night along with a late night menu and craft cocktail bar. The fun starts at 10pm every Monday! 5500 Abercorn St. Ste. 36

LOGAN HINTON DIGITAL SALES MANAGER logan@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4369 BUCKY BRYANT STRATEGIC MARKETING CONSULTANT bucky@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4381

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2:00 pm - 5:00 pm Alida Hotel, 412 Williamson St. Beat the heat and join the fun poolside at the Sunday Swim summer pool series at The Alida. Soak up the sun to the sounds of DJ Fancy Parker and friends, and enjoy inventive cocktails, slushies, and munchies from the Pool Bar. The spacious pool deck is open to all, or cabanas are available by reservation. Dip your toes or dive on in at Sunday Swim. thealidahotel.com

Wrap up the weekend with a Sunday Funday Sunset Party on the roof.

Local DJ Doc Ock on the 1s and 2s, an amazing view, Long Drink and Herradura specials, and $3 Rosé all day.

6 - 9 p.m. Top Deck, 125 W. River Street

ADVERTISING

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SUNDAY SWIM AT THE ALIDA

SUNSET PARTY SUNDAY

Jesse Blanco, Frank Ricci, Marley Gibson, Bunny Ware, Angie Miller, Travis Jaudon, Reneé Lasalle, Alan Sculley

JAMIE BURTON STRATEGIC MARKETING CONSULTANT jamie@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4380

SUNDAY 5/22

BEATS, BREWS + BEERMOSAS

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS

LAUREN WOLVERTON STRATEGIC MARKETING CONSULTANT lauren@connectsavannah.com (912) 721-4365

Weekly farmers market on Talahi Island highlighting local growers and makers, healthy foods and a positive environment. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Islands Farmers’ Market, 401 Quarterman Dr. facebook.com/islandsfarmersmarket

TYBEE ISLAND FARMERS MARKET

ON THE COVER Student design from SCAD. L-R: Designer: Beckham Lin (SCAD student, fashion), Model: Jayden Boyle (SCAD student, performing arts). Designer: Ja’Baris Baskerville (graduate student, fashion), Model: Ayden Behn (SCAD student, performing arts). Photo courtesy SCAD.

DISTRIBUTION

© 2022, Savannah Media, LLC.

WAYNE FRANKLIN DISTRIBUTION MANAGER (912) 721-4376

611 East Bay Street Savannah, Georgia 31401 Phone: (912) 231-0250 | Fax: (912) 238-2041

Weekly market featuring a variety of produce, baked goods, honey, eggs, BBQ, sauces and dressings, popsicles, dog treats and natural body products.

Artisans are also featured each week.

Located at 30 Meddin Dr., right behind the Historic Tybee Lighthouse. tybeeislandfarmersmarket.com

PILATES CLASS

Skidaway Island United Methodist Church (SIUMC) offers, to church and non-church members alike, basic Mat Pilates classes on Mondays and

Wednesdays from 9:15-10:15 a.m., for only $5.00-$6.25 per class. Classes focus on improving core strength, posture, flexibility and muscle tone. Visit siumc. org/nurture 54 Diamond Causeway

TUESDAY 5/24

PASTA WORKSHOP

Experience the incomparably delicious taste of freshly made pasta. At this workshop, which is designed to celebrate fresh pasta, guests will learn to create traditional noodles, filled pastas as well as several foundational sauces. Class menu items include Ravioli Quattro Formaggi, Tortellini, Potato Gnocchi with Sausage Ragu as well as Fettuccine with Basil Pesto served with salad and dessert. 6 - 9 p.m. 700 Kitchen Cooking School at The Mansion on Forsyth Park preregistration required; spaces limited. mansion.classesbykessler.com

BUSINESS ON THE MOVE AT MERCHANTS ON BEE

Networking event by Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce. Merchants on Bee is Savannah’s largest antique, vintage, and makers market, featuring over 100 indoor vendors! You’ll find remarkable furniture, decor, art, handmade items, and much more. The evening will include great networking, drinks, small bites, and the opportunity to shop this fascinating store! 4:30-6:30 PM. savannahchamber.com

TRIVIA TUESDAYS

Voted one of Savannah’s best places to enjoy trivia in 2021. Enjoy video trivia hosted by Hangover Entertainment at Oak 36 Bar + Kitchen. Free to play, and starts at 7pm with prizes for top 2 teams. Full menu and craft cocktail bar.

5500 Abercorn St. Suite #36

FIND OUT MORE HAPPENINGS THIS WEEK AT CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM NEXT WEEK’S ISSUE OF CONNECT SAVANNAH WILL BE OUR SPECIAL BEST OF SAVANNAH ISSUE. LOOK FOR IT ON NEWSSTANDS AND ONLINE.

INTRODUCTIONS:

MEET

WHITNEY GILLIARD

FOSTERING GOOD FAITH AND PHILANTHROPY IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND BEYOND get them acclimated with mentors. We get them connected with work. They go to school. Their job is to save. We pay for their livelihood and their living needs — their rent, their transportation, their groceries. Their job is just to save money. . . so by the time they graduate from this program, they’ll be able to live on their own and the lease will be transferred under their name.”

G&Co. goes beyond simply putting a roof over these young adults’ heads.

Through their Permanency Mentor Program, youth are paired with community figures for mentorship and bonds that last a lifetime.

“What we found is that simply having housing for them is not enough. They need permanent connections. So these mentors, they get connected with their young adults based on their framework of needs, and they stick with them.

We have young adults that have had help with putting a deposit down for apartments. [Mentors] have helped them get a car. They’ve helped [the young adults] work towards housing and employment and getting a raise.

They’ve also paid for rent. . . I love it,” she beamed.

Gilliard is motivated to serve the foster care community in large part due to her own experience growing up in foster care.

From age 14 to 21, Gilliard was placed in foster homes. Because of her lived experience, she says she has a keen understanding of what it is that these youth really need.

“The small acts of kindness that were given to me, I didn’t forget. But was it the band-aid services that helped me, or was it the ones that really came in and saw the unique needs that I’ve had, which nobody thinks about?” she said.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

May is National Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the diversity of the AAPI community and their myriad contributions in society.

In Savannah, the AAPI community has been growing over the years, and along with their rich cultures and traditions, many members of the AAPI community are bringing creative solutions to address challenging issues facing underserved populations in the area.

One such individual is Whitney Lam Gilliard.

Of Chinese background, Gilliard is a local figure who advocates for some of the most marginalized youth in the state of Georgia.

Through her nonprofit, G&Co, she provides vital services and resources to young people growing up in the foster care system.

“We provide housing for young adults aging out of the foster care system as well as support services for families that are at risk of losing their children to DFCS (Division of Family and Children Services).”

From their office in Pooler, G&Co. offers a variety of vital services to help foster care youth.

“We service all across the state of Georgia. When a young adult is identified to be aging out of the system, such as on their 18th birthday, a social worker refers them over to us,” she explained.

“We provide the vessel for our young adults to be able to be independent. We contract with an apartment complex here in Pooler. Even though our kids come from all across the state of Georgia, we just make Savannah and Pooler their home,” she said. “So, they come into our program, [and] we

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COMMUNITY HAPPY HOUR MONDAY-FRIDAY 2PM-6PM

HALF PRICED APPS, $3 WELLS, $4 GEORGIA & DOMESTIC DRAFTS, $5 JAMESON & FIREBALL

MONDAY POKER @7PM KARAOKE! @9PM

TUESDAY TRIVIA @7PM

@9PM OPEN JAM HOSTED BY

ERIC CULBERSON

WEDNESDAY

ERIC CULBERSON LIVE BLUES @9PM

KARAOKE THURSAY-MONDAY @9PM CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

KITCHEN

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OPEN LATE

WE OPEN EARLIEST: DAILY AT 10AM! 21 E MCDONOUGH ST, SAVANNAH, GA 31401 M–SAT 10AM TO 3AM | SUN 10AM TO 2AM

WWW.MCDONOUGHSLOUNGE.COM

WHITNEY GILLIARD (CONTINUED) “What these kids really need are identities of their own and a family of their own.”

For that reason, Gilliard said G&Co. takes a unique approach to the way they operate.

“Every touch of the organization derives from my lived experience. The quality of care that we provide derives from my lived experience,” she stated.

Those who work with her say Gilliard is a warm-hearted, passionate leader who is making a difference in the lives of so many young people and families in Savannah and beyond through her nonprofit.

But that’s not all that she does. She’s also the chairperson for the AAPI for Savannah taskforce, which seeks to ensure that Savannah is inclusive and engaging for members of the AAPI community.

Put together by Mayor Van Johnson, the taskforce came to be in part due to the rise in hate crimes against the Asian population in light of Covid.

“Our mayor really wanted to do something about it,” Gilliard began. “I think he wanted us to feel safe, and that’s why he created this taskforce underneath his leadership.”

“Our taskforce is a beautiful one. It is a place where there is representation. Our mission is to bring harmonious relationships across the community. So that means bridging the gap of any sector of cultures in Savannah, whether that’s through community service, awareness, sharing cultural celebrations and food. We’re going to do whatever it takes to represent that our community is one,” she explained.

Growing up in foster care, Gilliard recalls a fundamental lack of representation in the households and communities she was raised in.

“Most of the time, I was the only Asian girl there. . . And I lost all of my heritage. I grew up traditionally Chinese. I ate traditional Chinese food. And I spoke my language. [Then] I came into the system and nobody speaks my language.

Nobody looks like me,” she recalled.

She firmly believes that positive representation is essential to developing healthy self-esteem and flourishing in your community.

“I want to put a message out there that cultural significance, the roots of children, is very important. You’re going to have children all across the state, all across the nation that come from different backgrounds. It’s imperative to have representation,” she began. “You need that Hispanic attorney. You’re going to need that Black social worker. You’re going to need that Asian professional. You’re going to need professionals from all across the spectrum. I didn’t have that growing up,” she continued.

She said epresentation is also necessary to fight bigotry and bias.

“Somewhere down the line our country has gone horribly wrong in thinking that it’s okay to be blatantly disrespectful to people because of the way they look, the way that they smell, the way that they talk, eat, breathe and just live,” she lamented.

“Without representation, who are we? I guess that’s one question I want to leave everyone to think about. If you don’t have anyone who looks like you or talks like you, how do you know who you are?” she questioned.

In all, Gilliard said she hopes for brighter days, and is working to realize that dream. She credits her faith for bringing her through this far.

“I just want people—when they see my walk of life, I want them to know that God is real. . . How I’ve managed to be able to carry the weight that I carry, it’s all because God is real.”

To learn more about Gilliard and her nonprofit, visit gilliardandcompany.org - By Chantel Britton

LET’S GET WET & WILD

Tybee’s famous Beach Bum Parade is back!

Started in 1987, the Tybee Beach Bum Parade is an island tradition that engages parade participants and bystanders in what is called the South’s ultimate water fight.

After a two-year Covid hiatus, the island is gearing up for the parade’s return on May 20.

Organizers promise a great time filled with summer fun for the whole family. Jack Boylston, better known as “Tybee Jack,” has high expectations for this year’s event.

“This thing has grown and grown and grown. . . Things are really just coming together. I think we’re going to have the biggest participation we’ve ever had,” he beamed.

Now a major island-wide celebration, the Beach Bum Parade had a humble start. It all began 35 years ago, when a group of Tybee residents got together to start an amateur men’s softball team. They called themselves the DeSoto Beach Bums, hence the parade name. As Boylston recalls, they weren’t the greatest team. “Our aim was just to have fun and that’s what it was. So, all through the season we never even came close to winning a game,” he laughed.

Despite the team’s poor performance, the community really came together in support of the DeSoto Beach Bums. To celebrate their homecoming game, the islanders hosted a homecoming dance and someone had the brilliant idea to throw a parade. Boylston recalled the story: “Everybody started calling around, and we gathered out in . . . the Strand parking lot on a Friday afternoon. We had a bunch of people with their pots and pans, a kazoo band, a gentleman who . . . knew how to walk on stilts. He had an Uncle Sam outfit and he wore that. So it was just a big party.”

The water came into play at the parade the following year, when the Bums were making their way down Tybrisa St. “There were a bunch of guys standing in front of the novelty bar, and they had a big five gallon bucket, which we didn’t think anything about and all of a sudden, we went by, and they started throwing water balloons at us,” Boyston recalled. “We said we were going to retaliate next year, and that’s how the water got started,” he explained.

Three and a half decades later, the parade is an absolute hallmark of local island life. “Anytime you read anything about Tybee Island, they talk about this parade. It’s something we’re very proud of,” said Boylston.

If there’s anything to expect from the parade, it’s the fact that everyone gets soaked. The water balloons were banned years ago as they were deemed to be a safety hazard. But now, you’ll find people on and off floats blasting each other with streams from water guns of every variety. “[Everyone] can expect a lot of laughter and adults reliving their childhood days in a water gun fight.

Children enjoy getting wet and wetting other people. . .

It started out as a joke and look at what it’s done now, 35 years later,” he remarked.

The parade has become a symbol of welfare and unity for the island’s tight-knit community.

“The parade IS Tybee. It’s homegrown and it’ll stay homegrown. . . We’re a small band of folks who care about Tybee and this is a Tybee tradition,” said Boylston.

The parade route starts at North Beach, Fri. May 20 at 6:30 p.m. and goes down to Tybrisa St. To learn more about the parade, visit tybeebeachbumparade.com - By Chantel Britton

MAKING A SPLASH!

Tybee Island Beach Bums crown new royalty ahead of ’22 parade

ABOVE: The Tybee Beach Bum Parade. RIGHT: Parade Royalty Jay Altman, Grand Marshal; Amorette Zittrauer, BeachBum Queen; Rudy Rudon, Big Kahuna (BeachBum King)

with a tongue-in-cheek awards banquet and loosely staged parade down Butler Ave. The next season the team’s popularity (and antics) had grown.

When that second season wrapped and the team again made its celebratory trek down Butler, they were ambushed by another group of players armed with water balloons…

The Beach Bum Parade was born and has since grown exponentially, often attracting thousands of (mostly) willing participants and national media attention.

More than three decades later, most of that original softball team is no longer with us. In fact, Boylston says four members of the original Beach Bums crew have been lost since the most recent, pre-pandemic parade.

But he says, the Beach Bum Parade is the one day a year when everyone on Tybee Island is unofficially a “Tybeeian” and when for one brief moment (no matter how crowded) the island feels like it’s full of old friends.

“It’s Tybee,” says Boylston as he looks around the room. “It’s the only one in the world, water fight like this. It started out as a joke in ’87 and now it’s Tybee.”

Back at the front of the room Zittrauer has been joined by this year’s Big Kahuna (or Beach Bum Parade King) Rudy Rudon and Grand Marshall Jay Altman. Both are gregarious and fun and part of a younger generation on Tybee.

But remember, this is the Beach Bums crowd and that means everyone almost feels like family.

“We had a lot of fun,” says Amorette. “This is great and I’m so proud to represent all my friends.”

- By Reneé Lasalle

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

It’s about 7:30 Wednesday night at the American Legion on Tybee Island, and the place is packed.

Nearly a dozen ladies are wearing sashes bearing some variation of the “Tybee Island Beach Bum Parade Queen” title, and a new sister is joining to the ranks.

“It’s wonderful,” laughs Amorette Zittrauer.

“I always watched the parade, but in my car with the windows rolled up so I didn’t get wet.

This will be fun.”

Zittrauer is 90 years young, full of spunk with a nearly constant smile.

She is about to be crowned the 2022 Beach Bum Parade Queen, and while she’s never actually been in the parade, she was one of the first score keepers and managers for the former Beach Bums softball team.

“They didn’t have anyone who wanted to take over the men’s team, so I helped out for a while, helped keep order,” she says laughing. “(Once) I called timeout and I sent the third baseman out to right field ’cause he was worse for wear (because the team had been drinking all day) and the umpire wasn’t gonna let him play.”

This is the 35-year anniversary of that first Beach Bums softball season/parade, and the room is full of similar stories of frivolity and good times.

Former Beach Bums coach Jack Boylston and his buddies from the Ship Watch Lounge at the old DeSoto Hotel formed the team on a whim and never took their softball very seriously.

“We just wanted to have a good time,” he says. “We just wanted to play real bad… and we did. Our guys would be out in the outfield, fly balls would come and hit them in the head.

They’d be chasing (the balls) and fall down, running from one base to another and fall. It was just for fun.”

Fake fire drills and beer kegs were regular additions to Beach Bums’ games, with girlfriends and wives serving as cheerleaders and bartenders. By the end of that first season the other, more serious teams on the Tybee Island league had learned to relax when the Beach Bums were around.

The team celebrated the end of the season

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COMMUNITY

PARK PLACE OUTREACH:

SAVANNAH’S PREMIER DERBY PARTY

April Landrum, Kerry Junco, Mika Muhlenberg, Autumn Taylor

BUNNY IN THE CITY

By Bunny Ware

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

Sean Smith, Kayla Draughn

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Melissa Dye Tidwell, Mary Ann Troiano

If you know Craig Jeffress you know that he hates the spotlight.

The Olde Pink House General Manager makes sure I know that his leadership team, Park Place Outreach peeps and Kathleen Smith of BrownForman are all responsible for the third annual Savannah’s Premier Derby Party held at Reynolds Square on May 7.

It’s a perfect day for a Derby party with sunny skies and a slight breeze on deck for the viewing of the 148th Kentucky Derby. With setup going on, I know I have time to chat with Craig about today’s event.

“I grew up cooking with my mom and grandma. I cooked through school and college and learned that cooking made people happy. What we do in the hospitality industry is all about bringing joy to people and that’s why I do it, I love making people happy,” shares the Olde Pink House veteran of 12 years.

The Virginia native may be a quiet guy when talking about himself, but he is passionate about Park Place Outreach.

“To do business in any community, you need to serve that community.

The best way to serve that community is through our youth, you start with our children,” Craig adds before running over to meet the first of today’s supporters.

In a splendid display of hats and fascinators, I pose Pink House characters Sean Smith and Kayla Draughn, then move over to snap pics of Autumn Taylor and Mika Muhlenberg with Kerry Junco and April Landrum.

Ravishing in red, Karen does everything! From celebrity makeup artist and brand ambassador to bar instructor, this Tennessee native is amped up!

Following April, we walked over to request a pic with Savannah Police Department’s Sargeants Roger Mydell and Steven Kohles.

Loving the fact that I have watched these guys move through the ranks, I Taqwaa F. Saleem, Leslie Thomas, R. Renee Weaver, Ashle King

Des Crayton, Craig Jeffress

Autumn Taylor, Susan Mason

Brynn Howard, Neal Eike, Sarah Castleberry-Eike, Tom Taylor, Joy Taylor

Scott Taylor, Mark Allan Keenan, Marvin Eller, Austin Barrows

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

ask the sergeants which has worked with the department the longest.

Sgt.Kohles is at 22 years and Sgt. Mydell is the winner with 27 years working with SPD! While on the lookout for PPO Associate Director Adriana TatemHoward, I pose Judge Ben Karpf with PPO board chair Megan Manly then hug PPO board member and Hon. Judge LeRoy Burke, III. Dern! I missed Adriana by five minutes—flying to Phoenix to see her oldest daughter graduate with her master’s degree. I hate that I missed seeing one of my favorite females!

It’s not a real Savannah party unless The Fractions are playing!

Local musical geniuses Jerry Stenger, Dan Cooper, Miguel DeJesus, Skip Jennings and Dean Burnette know the posing drill, so I snap a pic of the cool cats before heading over to hug Pink House matriarch and catering queen Susan Mason. Covered in a white pearl mantle— yes, cloaked in a canopy of pearls—Susan Mason looks like true Savannah society royalty!

Cruising by me is the new executive director for Park Place Outreach, Des Crayton. Taking over for Julie Wade’s on January 3, Des tells me about his career working with high risk children and families.

“Having worked in the child welfare field since 1992, I have a goal of implementing more preventative services so children can stay with their families,” shares the New Orleans native.

New to Savannah, I ask what he thinks of our fair city.

“It’s a home away from home. Similar to New Orleans in Southern hospitality, this community embraces non-profits and it’s evident from the strong support we have for today’s Derby Party. The money raised today will help us serve more kids in our basic center program and transitional living program.”

Located at 514 East Henry St., the three-story safe haven houses up to 12 kids ranging in ages from 11 to 17 who may be homeless or in the child welfare or juvenile court system.

For the past 37 years, Park Place Outreach has opened its doors to offer a temporary home to those who need a place to stay.

Reluctant to leave this cool new addition to the Park Place Outreach team, I head over to meet the best dressed dudes in the square. Meet professor Scott Taylor, paralegal and birthday boy Mark Allen Keenan, attorney Marvin Eller and nurse practitioner Austin Barrows. Sipping on mint juleps, the guys reconfirm the fact that I meet my favorite people at the end of the night!

It’s Derby time! While gorgeous ladies and dapper dressed men watch the electrifying televised race under Reynold’s Square majestic oaks, I think about what Craig said earlier.

“I love seeing Savannah get dressed up. With beautiful weather, our supporters are dressed to the nines and knowing that the money raised today goes to helping Park Place Outreach - this is why I do what I do, “ shares the quiet guy with the big heart.

Ditto and Amen!

Sgt. Steven Kohles, Sgt. Roger Mydell

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PETS OF THE WEEK Each week, we will highlight pets available for adoption from local rescue organizations. In May, we are featuring Coastal Pet Rescue.

SUNDAE

AGE: 2 YEARS COLOR: BROWN WEIGHT: 10 - 25 LBS

OPEN DAILY 12-8 PM DINE IN OR CARRY OUT

NOW SHIPPING NATIONWIDE!

Sundae was initially rescued in 2020 and was adopted as a puppy. She found herself back at the rescue a couple years later. After spending some time with her foster family, she is ready to find her fur-ever friend for the second and LAST time. This beautiful girl can’t wait to truly be loved by YOU. Sundae can be timid and submissive when meeting new people and other animals for the first time, but can you blame her? She’s had a ruff couple of years. Sundae warms up to people quickly and loves nothing more than to snuggle up in your lap for cuddles and kisses.

Don’t let her photos fool you. In Sundae’s case, the camera really does add 30 pounds.

While this sweet girl looks big, she’s actually a small to medium dog. Sundae is house trained and crate trained. She finds comfort in her crate as her “safe place.” She loves to go for walks and is most excellent on the leash.

TEDDY BEAR AGE: 15 YEARS COLOR: BLACK WEIGHT: 10 - 25 LBS

Teddy Bear (or Theodore, as his foster mom calls him) is a distinguished gentleman of 15 years.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

A bit shy at first, Teddy warms up quickly! He wants to be with you wherever you are. He loves to talk and cuddle. A big fan of headbutts, he will purr loudly when you cuddle with him. He would love a home where he can sleep with you every night, because he doesn’t really like being alone! Another of Teddy’s favorite things is treats! He loves treat time and will go after his foster siblings’ treats if they’re not quick enough!

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BEST

SEAFOOD since 1998!

912 -786-9857 thecrabshack.com

40 Estill Hammock Rd • Tybee Island, GA

Overall, Teddy Bear doesn’t act like he’s 15 years old. He still has lots of love to give and is ready for a soft place to land and spend the rest of his golden years. Teddy would do best in a home without other animals, but could coexist with other polite critters with time and patience.

Coastal Pet Rescue is a 501(c)(3) non-profit animal rescue organization dedicated to saving the lives of homeless, abused and neglected dogs and cats in Savannah and surrounding areas. Founded in February 2003, Coastal Pet Rescue changes the lives of homeless pets in Chatham, Bryan and Effingham Counties through its foster home program and small capacity shelter, Camp Pawsawhile Retreat.

(912) 228-3538 coastalpetrescue.org

Compiled by Jamie Burton

THANK YOU FOR AWARDING HARKLEROAD DIAMONDS & FINE JEWELRY

BEST JEWELRY STORE AND

BEST LOCAL JEWELRY DESIGNER

7300 ABERCORN STREET 912.354.3671

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

HARKLEROADDIAMONDS.COM

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COMMUNITY

NONPROFIT ROUNDUP

LIONS CLUB OF SAVANNAH CELEBRATES 100 YEARS

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

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Bunny Ware

Established in 1922, The Lions Club of Savannah is celebrating a century of service, devoted to helping the sight-impaired and others in need. The Savannah branch is one of the oldest Lions Clubs in the country, and the members have sponsored 8 other clubs in Georgia, who then sponsored another 27 clubs, resulting in a total of 37 clubs throughout the state.

The Lions Club mission is to empower volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace, and promote international understanding.

“Lions Club International is the world’s largest service club organization with more than 1.4 million members in over 47,000 clubs. Since 1917, Lions clubs have aided the blind and visually impaired and made a strong commitment to community service. At the heart of every Lions club, there is one constant: service,” said Garlana Mathews, Lions Club of Savannah president.

On Wed. May 12, The Lions Club of Savannah hosted a special celebration at the Alee Temple to commemorate this milestone anniversary. They kicked off the event with a formal dinner from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Then, American beach music group The Swingin’ Medallions took the stage, delighting guests with their fun songs. The night concluded with a special resolution presentation from Georgia State Representative, Ron Stephens.

To learn more about the Lions Club and how they benefit the local community, visit lionsclubofsavannah.com.

- Chantel Britton

UNITED WAY MEETS AND EXCEEDS GOALS FOR 2021-2022 CAMPAIGN

TWO HUNDRED CLUB OF THE COASTAL EMPIRE HOLDING 2022 POOLER RUN FOR HEROES

The 2021-2022 United Way Annual Campaign, led by Campaign Chair and local business owner Cecilia Russo Turner, has come to a successful conclusion.

The grand total of funds in and through United Way of the Coastal Empire for the campaign year 2021-2022 is $13.1 million.

“I’m so proud of our volunteers, donors and everyone who helped make this amazing result happen,” Russo Turner said. “The resiliency of this community gave life to our theme of ‘No Grit, No Pearl,’ and the generosity of the community has been inspiring. I’m beyond grateful for the response. This has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my professional career.”

Russo Turner has been involved with United Way of the Coastal Empire for a number of years, both personally and through her company Cecilia Russo Marketing. The Savannah native was the Annual Campaign Vice-Chair in 2020 and used what she learned to set higher goals as Chair. Her strategy for the campaign had three main elements. First, to increase participation and create new ways for the community to support the mission. Second, to increase donations specifically to the Community Fund. These dollars go further as they allow United Way to support nonprofit programs, provide direct assistance to people where there are gaps through their 211 call center and county service centers, and connect volunteers to causes that strengthen the community. The third element was to ensure donors and volunteers who have worked with and supported the United Way over the years know how much their support matters.

The list of longtime donors includes more than 3,900 individuals who have given for ten years or more and 1,352 who have given for more than 35 years.

More than 800 employee workplace campaigns were conducted, with nearly 150 increasing participation and overall giving over last year. Russo Turner also led the effort that added more than 2,000 new donors and dozens of new businesses participating.

- Frank Ricci

This Memorial Day weekend the 200 Club of The Coastal Empire will host the 2022 Pooler Run for Heroes on Saturday, May 28 in Pooler. The run consists of multiple heats, and will begin at 8 a.m. on South Rogers Street.

The one-mile course will start at the Pooler Parks and Recreation Department, finishing at West Chatham Middle School. All participants are instructed to park at the finish, West Chatham Middle School.

Hosted by the 200 Club of The Coastal Empire, the one-mile run honors fallen first responders, their families and our military..

Mark Dana has served as the President and CEO of the 200 Club for the past 12 years. Dana served this role on a volunteer basis, before becoming the organization’s first full-time president earlier this year.

Dana said that he is looking forward to the annual event, which will be held in Pooler for the second year.

“I’m looking forward to family members of first responders that show up to participate in the memory walk, and the ability for the community to come together with our first responders,” said Dana. “First responders will also have their equipment and vehicles set up along the course, from helicopters to fire trucks.”

The multi-heat run will feature a memorial walk, where the family members of fallen first responders will walk the length of the course in remembrance of their loved ones.

All proceeds from the run will be used to fulfill the 200 Club mission to support the families who have died or suffered critical injuries while in the line of duty.

The club provides significant financial assistance, and fully paid college educations to the surviving spouses and children of first responders such as law enforcement and firefighters.

For more information, visit our200club.com - Alex Arango

FOOD & DRINK EAT IT & LIKE IT

PRESENTED WEEKLY BY SAVANNAH TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Quality Eats + Drinks

LUNCH DINNER FULL BAR

IT REALLY IS SMOL

MON-SAT 11AM-1AM SUN 11:30AM-5 PM

C lassic Sandwiches on Locally Baked Bread FRESH HOUSE MADE

soup

TWO-TIDES FAM GIVES US TINY BAR CONCEPT, FOOD ON HORIZON EAT IT AND LIKE IT

By Jesse Blanco eatitandlikeit.com It Really is SMOL

WHAT WAS THE IDEA BEHIND SMOL?

I’ve always loved dive bars.

When I’ve gone out drinking in the past, that’s always been my comfort zone and the style of places that I look for.

We’ve also taken several trips to Europe and have seen that kind of style of bar there.

Very small, hole in the wall. People spilling out into the street to have a good time.

Weekly Specials

WAS THIS SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO DO AND YOU JUST RAN WITH IT WHILE JAMES WAS RUNNING TWO TIDES?

Yes. We’ve slowly expanded into our entire building. From the very beginning, we’ve always done very big events on the street next to the building.

The original idea was to have a nicer looking, permanent home for our products when we have these events on the street. Something that was nicer than just inviting people into our production space with a jockey box.

The space where SMOL is was my office for a while. We started looking at ways to do food and other things.

That space has taken on so many different forms the last two years. Then I had the silly idea probably at midnight two years ago when I said “why don’t we turn it into a bar?”

SO WHAT DO YOU SERVE THERE?

Our specialty is seltzer-based cocktails.

About half the menu is Two Tides beers as well. The menus are different though. We may have one or two beers that are similar to the tap room, but the other stuff is maybe from our barrel-aged program.

Some of our beers are made with finer ingredients. Lots of bottled beer that we’ve been cellaring. It’s really kind of a showcase of things that we are most proud of.

The seltzer-based cocktails, that’s our

way of meeting the people that aren’t craft brew fans or maybe gluten free that are coming to the brewery.

In the State of Georgia, breweries aren’t allowed to sell anything that they don’t produce.

Our license doesn’t allow us to produce liquor, so I can’t serve liquor. So the high ABV seltzers aren’t as strong as a cocktail, but they certainly mimmick that when you mix them with our fresh juice and syrups that we make.

1215 barnard street savannah, ga 31401 w w w . b l a c kr a b b i t s a v. c om

SO WHAT’S THE LATEST ON YOUR SMASH BURGER CONCEPT, KRISPI?

It’s going to be a trailer that will park on the side of our building.

The name Krispi lends itself to be other food items.

I’ll never want the menu to be more than six items, but I definitely want things on there that everyone can enjoy.

The burgers have been in anticipation for so long that that is what we are going to hit the ground running with and expand from there.

Right now we are really thinking about three months maximum.

We’ve had to deal with everything.

There was a plumbing fiasco. COVID, you name it. Something always comes up that you weren’t expecting.

Our timeline has been incredibly skewed. I’m hoping for three months. I’m ready to eat burgers here too.

SMOL is located at 2421 DeSoto Ave. Find out more at twotidesbrewing.com/ smol

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

If you drink beer in Savannah, then you undoubtedly know all about the goings on at Starland’s Two Tides Brewing Company.

They celebrated a fourth Anniversary over the weekend with music, food and of course lots and lots of beer.

It was also a coming out party, if you will, for Two Tides newest (but certainly not last) side project.

It’s a tiny bar on DeSoto Avenue called SMOL. Why? Because it is. Maybe 10-12 seats, it’s a perfect little hideaway from the crowds at the other popular spots in the Starland District.

No crowds, mainly because they just wouldn’t fit. And that was the plan.

I spoke with Liz Massey who, along with her husband James, own Two Tides Brewing Company, a couple of weeks ago to get the skinny on SMOL and get a little more intel on their next plan, which is food: something you definitely want to know about.

pickles

dine in 912.200.4940 take out

I’VE BEEN IN THERE A COUPLE OF TIMES. I LOVE IT, BUT IT IS TINY. HOW BIG IS IT SQUARE FOOTAGE-WISE?

The entire space is about 300 square feet. So I would say the area where customers are is about 200 square feet.

sides

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COCKTAIL OF THE WEEK STATION OLD FASHIONED ENJOY AT: ARDSLEY STATION 102 E Victory Dr. MADE WITH: WOODFORD RESERVE BOURBON, CANE SUGAR, ORANGE & WHISKEY BARREL BITTERS A full-bodied cocktail with a subtle sweetness, the Station Old Fashioned highlights the star spirit of the South: bourbon.

Owner Tyler Kopkas dishes on the recipe: “The Station Old Fashioned is made with Woodford Reserve Bourbon. It’s got cane sugar in it. It’s got whiskey barrel aged bitters and orange bitters, and it’s served on a crystal clear two-inch by two-inch piece of ice that is made by a really cool local artisan ice maker . . . Off the Bar.” Kopkas recommends the cocktail, “because we’re in the South and Bourbon is King,” he laughed. “Ours is a little different because we use the whiskey barrel aged bitters, so it has a little zip of baking spices to it: cinnamon, clove. The orange kind of balances that out. . . People really love it.”

Enjoy an Old Fashioned at Ardsley Station during happy hour everyday between 3 to 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. to close to receive $3 off the list price.

FOOD TRUCK OF THE WEEK MAC ATTACK

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

Though relatively new, Mac Attack has made a name for itself in Savannah’s food truck scene. Serving ooey-gooey mac and cheese, Mac Attack has quickly become a fan favorite. The base macaroni just melts in your mouth, giving you that rich, decadent cheesy goodness you crave.

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It’s topped with a choice of premium ingredients, including Philly steak, pulled pork, grilled chicken, pork chop nuggets, wings, chicken fingers or bacon. And for even more flavor, add a finishing drizzle of ranch, buffalo sauce, A1, honey mustard, blue cheese, or BBQ sauce.

If you’re not crazy about mac and cheese, order crispy, well-seasoned fries as your base. And from there you can pile on the toppings as you wish. With such a wide variety of toppings and drizzles, you can customize your meal anyway you want, ensuring that each experience at the Mac Attack is exciting and new.

Follow Mac Attack on Facebook and Instagram @macattackfs to stay in the know about the truck’s whereabouts.

- Compiled by Chantel Britton

2022 EDITION INCLUDES FREE EVENTS FEATURING INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FASHION DESIGNERS, STUDENT DESIGNS The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) will present SCAD FASHION 2022 this weekend, including multiple events that are free and open to the public.

The weekend kicks off with the annual SCAD Jewelry Trunk Show on Thursday, May 19 and Friday, May 20 at Jen Library in Savannah. Guests can shop original designs by SCAD students, alumni, faculty and staff.

The trunk show is free and open to the public.

Also on Friday evening is Our Friend André: A SCAD Tribute to André Leon Talley, a ceremony honoring the beloved fashion mogul. The ceremony will include a conversation with famed fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, alongside fashion journalists Vannessa Friedman and Constance White.

During the ceremony, SCAD alumni and internationally known fashion designer Christopher John Rogers will receive the André Leon Talley Award for his rise to global success and incredible work.

Rogers has created garments for multiple celebrities for many historic events that the public would recognize. Vice President Kamala Harris’ bold, purple coat and dress she wore on Inauguration Day was Rogers’ work. He also designed Sarah Jessica Parker’s gown for the 2022 Met Gala, and Lizzo’s neon green dress for the 2019 MTV Movie and TV Awards.

The public can come witness Rogers receiving the André Leon Talley Award on Friday, May 20 at 5:30 p.m. at Trustees Theater.

Later Friday night, there will be a showcase of designs by SCAD School of Fashion senior and graduate students. The annual fashion show will be held on Friday, May 20 at 8:30 p.m. This event is by invitation only, but it will be livestreamed at scad.edu/fashion2022.

FASHION HITS THE RUNWAY

Finally, on Saturday, May 21, the public can also attend a conversation with Rogers and his fellow SCAD alumni Christina Ripley, David Rivera, and Alex Tyson. The group will be discussing their success, creativity and business. The conversation will be at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday at Ruskin Hall and is also free.

Keep an eye out for Connect Savannah’s exclusive interview with Christopher John Rogers next week. For more information on SCAD FASHION, visit scad.edu/fashion2022.

-Compiled by Lauren Wolverton

DESIGNER: HAILEY KAVANAGH. Kavanagh will graduate from SCAD Savannah on June 3, 2022 with a B.F.A. in fashion. MODEL: NIKITA M’BOUROUKOUNDA - graduated from SCAD in 2013 with a B.F.A. in accessory design. Photo courtesy SCAD.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

The show will open with the film Fashion Run, which features over 100 student-made garments. When the film ends, the show will begin and will feature 50 designs from students, sure to wow the audience.

2022 SCAD

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2022 SCAD FASHION

TYPE 1 OF A KIND:

By Marley Gibson

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

Features Writer

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If you didn’t know better, you would think the royal blue pantsuit worn by SCAD student, Naomi Kinnamon, came straight from the designer racks at Nieman Marcus. However, Kinnamon not only designed and created the outfit, but it’s meant to help her—and hopefully others like her—manage the disease she’s had since sixth grade.

A native of Pennington, NJ, Kinnamon shares something in common with nearly 1.9 million of her fellow Americans. she has Type 1 diabetes. Instead of letting it slow her down, she has turned her disability into an ability.

“This was my project for my entire senior year.

I started in September and the collection was just finished about a week ago. For my senior collection, I designed evening wear that accommodates other young women with Type 1 diabetes,” said Kinnamon, a SCAD Fashion senior. “All of my garments have a hidden pouch for an insulin pump.”

While the advent of the insulin pump—a computerized device that sends measured amounts of insulin through a catheter and needle—has freed many diabetics from the normal finger pricks and daily shots, it is a cumbersome item to wear on one’s body or clothing.

“I was diagnosed in middle school,” she said. “As you can imagine, that’s a terrible time to be someone different or to have something that makes you stand out. That’s why my clothes are for young women because I know this can be a real confidence issue/

NAOMI KINNAMON’S INCLUSIVE DESIGNS FOR THE NOW

problem.”

Kinnamon said her diagnosis made her quite selfconscious.

“My first year, I’m walking around with this big, bulky insulin pump and everyone is like… ‘What the heck is that?’ or ‘Is that a pager?’” She stopped to laugh heartily. “I mean, how did they even know what a pager was… it was way before our time.”

Her humor, confidence, and support from her family helped her through the transition.

“I’m way beyond that now,” she said. “I know I am amazing even though I have Type 1 diabetes and nothing holds me back anymore.”

Not from life or her fashion design and creation.

Naomi has been sewing since the second grade.

“It’s [a skill] passed down through the matriarchs in my family. I made my clothes as a child and I’ve always been creative, which has been encouraged in my family,” she shared.

She started her schooling at community college to figure out her life path.

“I realized I can pursue this passion in a creative field and make money and have a career, so I decided to go to school for fashion and applied to SCAD. I was so thrilled when I got in. It was nice to be down South for a little bit, get away from home, and experience somewhere else.”

With her senior project: “We had this opportunity to basically design anything we wanted and it was a great opportunity for me to take this idea and run with it.

I’ve always said I don’t have clothes that work for me or fit with me… well, why don’t I make my own?” she noted.

As someone who has dealt with the issues

surrounding diabetes, Kinnamon understood the challenges.

As someone who has experienced uncomfortable clothes most of her life, Kinnamon feels what she’s created is cute and stylish, but functional and inclusive.

The young designer has applied for a job in New York City to be working in the fashion industry next year, but she wants to start her own brand.

“This isn’t just a project for me,” she said. “I’ve done this with the consideration of making it a future brand because there are millions of people out there who have just not ever been considered in the design process.”

“I want to take Type 1 Of A Kind to the next level,” she said. “I see these garments as prototypes for the future. I know things will change and my designs will, as well, but I absolutely want to turn this into a brand to accommodate others. I am all about inclusivity and innovative designs that want to problem-solve people’s issues. I don’t want to be someone who is just making beautiful clothes for the sake of it, rather I want to be doing something with my technical skills where I can help people.”

Kinnamon has thought a lot about this, as any burgeoning entrepreneur does.

“I would love to partner with an organization like the Juvenile Diabetes Research Association or others so that a certain amount of the proceeds from my brand can do to a charity doing diabetes research.”

She smiled back at her collection.

“This is just the beginning. The possibilities are endless.”

Follow Kinnamon on instagram @naomik.designs

SCAD ANNOUNCES COLLABORATION WITH LUXURY JEWELRY BRAND

DAVID YURMAN

By Lauren Wolverton

lauren@connectsavannah.com

ABOVE: SCAD Savannah – Spring 2022 – Jewelry – Visiting Artist – David and Sybil Yurman – Fahm Hall. David and Sybil Yurman with Lauren Wolverton. Photography Courtesy of SCAD OPPOSITE PAGE: Naomi Kinnamon with her inclusive designs. Photography Courtesy of SCAD

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

Connect Savannah recently had the opportunity to speak with David and Sybil Yurman about the luxury jewelry brand’s success and advice for young artists.

The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) announced a collaboration with iconic, luxury jewelry brand David Yurman last week.

SCAD and David Yurman announced the David Yurman Endowed Scholarship for Jewelry Design.

The scholarship will be awarded to a “rising star” jewelry design student in the university’s School of Fashion.

The Yurmans also donated one million dollars worth of gemstones from the brand’s private collection to SCAD’s jewelry program.

David and Sybil visited Savannah last week and met with dozens of SCAD jewelry design students to give feedback on their work and offer advice to the next generation of designers.

The couple offered advice on entering the industry and staying relevant in a world of fast fashion.

“We try to be slow fashion,” David said. “Jewelry is an art form that’s ancient. You really can’t rush it.”

Sybil added, “It comes down to something that I would like to wear, or what someone in our family would like to wear. We stay relevant by knowing what’s going on in the world.”

Part of the success of David Yurman comes from the connection between David and Sybil.

Their love and respect for each other was radiating as they shared stories of milestones in their business, reflected on their past creations, and joked together.

“Jewelry has always been a celebration to us,” Sybil

said. “David was a sculptor and I asked him one day if I could wear one of his sculptures. How did we do that? He adapted one of his sculptures and made me some jewelry that I was able to wear. It was a gift to me—a love gift.”

David added, “I love making jewelry, and after 53 years, I still love her. She’s my partner, she’s my gal. A lot of our love for each other is in our work. We’ve worked together for over 50 years. She’s a brilliant artist, not good, brilliant.”

That connection, David said, goes beyond the Yurman love story.

He explained to students that putting love, emotion, and passion into their work will build connections with customers and other artists throughout their careers.

“The students here, how they’re being taught, is to dig inside and make what you’re going to make, something that touches you,” he said. “It has to be a feeling. And most of the feelings are pretty deep.”

He went on to say, “Their jewelry is an expression of that. If they put those feelings into it, it’s in the object.

It’s not metal. You think you’re buying gold and silver, or a diamond, but you’re getting the feeling of the gift.

Whether you gift yourself, or someone is gifting it to you. You’ve given yourself something that is lasting and beautiful. When it goes to the store, when the jewelry goes to the customer, they sense that.”

When asked if he feels inspired by students in Savannah, David replied, “Absolutely. The vibrancy of what’s going on at SCAD has blown me away.”

“It’s been thrilling being here,” Sybli added. “Seeing the budding careers of these young people meant a lot to us, and it also reminded us of where we came from.”

David Yurman will be recognized by SCAD with a Humane Doctorate of Letters at the 2022 SCAD Commencement ceremony on June 3.

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2022 SCAD FASHION

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SCAD President and Founde Paula Wallace with André Leon Talley. Photo courtesy of SCAD.

OUR FRIEND ANDRÉ: A SCAD TRIBUTE TO ANDRÉ LEON TALLEY FRIDAY: On the occasion of SCAD FASHION 2022, the university proudly presents this tender tribute to the inimitable ALT, who remains treasured in the hearts of the millions he reached.

Photo by Kendall Bessent

Join Talley’s confidants, colleagues, and admirers, including famed fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg and acclaimed fashion journalists Vanessa Friedman and Constance White, as we gather to commemorate his life and celebrate his bold spirit.

During the event, the university is thrilled to honor internationally heralded fashion designer and SCAD graduate Christopher John Rogers (B.F.A., fashion, 2016) with the André Leon Talley Award in recognition of his phenomenal rise to global acclaim.

- SCAD

SCAD FASHION 2022 CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

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THURSDAY, MAY 19 SCAD JEWELRY TRUNK SHOW 2022 Noon to 8 p.m.

Jen Library 201 E. Broughton St. Open to the public FRIDAY, MAY 20 SCAD JEWELRY TRUNK SHOW 2022 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Jen Library 201 E. Broughton St. Open to the public

‘OUR FRIEND ANDRÉ: A SCAD TRIBUTE TO ANDRÉ LEON TALLEY’ 5:30 p.m.

Trustees Theater 216 E. Broughton St. Free and open to the public SCAD FASHION 2022 LIVESTREAM 8:30 p.m. ET Watch it at scad.edu/fashion-show-2022 SATURDAY, MAY 21 IN CONVERSATION WITH CHRISTOPHER JOHN ROGERS AND HIS SCAD ALUMNI TEAM 11:30 a.m.

Ruskin Hall, Room 322 516 Drayton St. Free and open to the public

CONNECT SAVANNAH4-10

ART PATROL THE ART OF WILLIAM O. GOLDING: HARD KNOCKS, HARDSHIPS AND LOTS OF EXPERIENCE

Telfair Museums presents the first large museum survey of the work of William O. Golding (1874-1943), an African American seaman and artist who recorded a half-century of maritime experience in more than one hundred vibrant drawings. In the 1930s, Golding was a patient at the United States Marine Hospital in Savannah, where he represented his experiences in expressive pencil and crayon drawings which combine memory, imagination, and sailors’ lore. 72 works will be exhibited, including 23 drawings from Telfair Museums’ permanent collection, and others from the Morris Museum of Art, The Georgia Museum of Art, and private collections. 10 a.m.-5 p.m..

912-790-8800. info@telfair.org. telfair.org/ exhibitions/golding/. telfair.org/jepson/.

Jepson Center for the Arts, 207 West York St.

FILM: PETIT MAMAN

(France, 2021) May 21 (Sat.), 7 PM Savannah Cultural Arts Ctr, 201 Montgomery St. Céline Sciamma continues to prove herself as one of the most accomplished and unpredictable contemporary French filmmakers with her follow up to Portrait of Lady on Fire, the uniquely emotional, Petit Maman. Following the death of her beloved grandmother, 8-year-old Nelly accompanies her parents to her mother’s childhood home to begin the difficult process of cleaning out its contents. As Nelly explores the house and nearby woods, she is immediately drawn to a neighbor her own age building a treehouse. What follows is a tender tale of childhood grief, memory and connection.

72 minutes. In French with English subtitles. 7 PM. Box office opens at 6. Tix are $10, cash preferred. No advance tickets.

To submit an ART PATROL listing, please submit an event at connectsavannah.com

OUT OF NOTHING EXHIBIT

“Out of Nothing” is an online-only curated exhibition. A celebration of our God-given innate creativity. See 30 amazing artists’ works from around the world and vote for your favorite artist, the award will be announced on May 20. free May 20, 5-10 p.m.. exnihilogallery.org/oon-viewroom.

SEEDED STITCHES

Savannah College of Art and Design MFA-Fiber candidates will be hosting a reception on Sat., May 28 (5-8pm) for their group thesis exhibition. This collection of fiber artists has come together to share a body of work that is centered around nature, handcraft, and stitchery, showcasing skills such as embroidery, quilting and the sustainable use of materials. Shannah Imbruglia is a fiber artist and educator whose work explores the history of collecting nature and how our desire to collect has made an effect on people today. Julia Luff’s work examines historic mending practices and turns textile waste into fine art pieces. Throughout her work there are common threads of the value, care, labor, and knowledge we can place on textiles.

Kate Montgomery is a fibers artist and designer who creates three-dimensional textile pieces with secondhand textiles inspired by generational craft and quilting techniques. Ploy Rujirawanichtep creates needlework installations that tell the story of the in-between sensation of being an Asian in America, with interactive pieces that combine Thai and Western floral arrangements. On Display at Cedar House Gallery, 122 E 36th St. Reception, May 28.

“AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY” EXHIBIT BY TODD BERGERT

A self-taught artist, Bergert utilizes the Flemish Technique, a method of oil painting that begins with a detailed pencil drawing followed by the meticulous application of layers of thin coats of paint.

The exhibit is free and open to the public.

The gallery is open Tues.through Sun. from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Free and open to the public.

10 a.m.-7 p.m.. Plant Riverside Dist. Grand Bohemian Gallery, 400 W. River St.

ART START: STROLLER & TODDLER TOURS

Start your day with art with our new and combined programs! Once a month, our youngest patrons are invited to the Jepson Center for story time, a special tour, and an art activity. Strollers, crying babies, toddlers, and older siblings are all welcome here.View and be inspired by the work of local artists in our #art912 CONVERGENCE exhibition. Come play and learn. telfair.org

THIS WEEK:

BETH LOGAN’S RECOMMENDATIONS Support the upkeep and preservation of Savannah’s Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home with your purchase of a painting, photograph, sculpture, or mixed media piece! An on-line auction (with but-it-now options) is live NOW at locationgallery.net and ends in person at Location Gallery, 251 Bull Street from 6-8pm this Friday, May 20. Along with peacocks and Flannery visages, this year’s artwork will also have a twist on works and titles by O’ Connor. Participating artists include Stacie Jean Albano, Carmela Aliffi, Jamie Azevedo, Claire Barrett, Bob Christian, Julia Christian, Joy Dunigan, Tamara Garvey, Robin Johnson, Beth Logan, Leslie Lovell, Jennifer Nolan, Tiffany O’Brien, A.J. Perez, Peter E. Roberts, Matt Toole and more.

“When I was born, my great grandmother Ida crocheted a blanket for me. When she died, she was buried with a pillow I made for her…I pick up the stitch where my great grandmother left off.” Sulfur Studios’ dedicated P.R. Director, Samantha Mack, shows her MFA thesis exhibit, “Through A Kaleidoscope,” at Sulfur Studios, 2301 Bull Street, May 12-28. Catch her artist talk this Saturday, May 21 at 2 pm (in-person and simulcast via IG Live @ sulfurstudios). Mack holds a BFA in Art from Carnegie Mellon University and will earn her MFA in Painting from SCAD this month. Her work hybridizes the generational tradition of crochet with painting, light, and film to investigate such concepts as time, cycles, and memories.

Image: Tiffany O’Brien’s “A Good Man is Hard To Find”

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

CURTIS PATTERSON: A NOTABLE JOURNEY Laney Contemporary is pleased to present a solo exhibition by Atlanta-based artist Curtis Patterson. “A Notable Journey” highlights a selection of bronze and steel sculptures from the 1980’s to today. Patterson’s unique command of materials and his dynamic compositions point toward an illustrious, decades-long career as a sculptor of engaging and often large-scale public works. Free admission May 28, 11 a.m..

912.438.4442. laneycontemporary.com Laney Contemporary, 1810 Mills B. Lane Blvd.

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MAY/

21

CULTURE

RANDY AKERS:

CONVEYING THE UNDERBELLY

By Beth Logan

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

ART COLUMNIST

22

I meet Randy Akers in his recently renovated, spacious, and wellordered studio at his Skidaway Island Home. While he enjoyed a prestigious career directing and designing international television commercials, movie titles, music videos and print for Fortune 500 companies, he shares, “I always wanted to be a painter. Always.”

Akers took fine arts classes whilst earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts at Chouinard/Cal Arts, but ultimately majored in Film because, “it was costing a boatload of money and I was on full scholarship living on a shoestring, and I needed to earn a living.”

Following a three-decade film career, Akers came to SCAD in 1997 to teach in the Computer Arts department (later renamed Digital Media).

And this presented an opportunity to get back to his first love. The college required him to have a master’s degree; he chose painting, receiving his Master of Fine Arts in 2000.

But again, painting was relegated to the back burner as, “I’m not a dabbler. I needed to be immersed into it.”

Fortunately for the art world, Aker’s immersion came in 2004, by which time he’d earned a sabbatical, went on vacation to Mexico, and created a series of small paintings called “The Dogs of Todos Santos.”

They sold quickly with profits being donated to an animal rescue sanctuary in Mexico. The dog series earned him attention from art galleries, but two more years of teaching followed in upstate New York while his wife worked on her doctorate.

Returning to Savannah, Akers finally made the decision to commit to painting full-time.

He was happily creating, buying supplies, and entering competitions, when his supportive wife, a senior lecturer at Georgia Southern University, said, “You just dropped ten grand. It’s OK but it’s time to think about replenishing the coffers…As soon as she put that on my shoulders, I started running it like a business. Devoting a chunk of my week – anything from 12 to 20 hours – trying to source out new competitions, new galleries, new possibilities. Making it a job. I was used to hustling from the film industry. If you want to play, you have to hustle.”

The hustle has paid off. Akers has been accepted into Jane’s Art Center in New Smyrna Beach, FL; L/Ross Gallery in Memphis; J Costello Gallery on Hilton Head Island; and Reinike Gallery in Atlanta.

Additionally, he has enjoyed three prestigious residencies. The first was with the Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts in Wyoming in 2015, after which he was invited back two years later to serve as juror.

“That got me to Foundation OBRAS in Portugal. The beauty of a residency is to be able to spend three or four weeks with people from all over Europe and talk about all kinds of stuff with other artists, musicians, and writers. Our process of creating a body of work is the same.”

THIS PAGE: “42nd Street,” Savannah, and “Kerry,’” Ireland. OPPOSITE: Aker stands before ‘Bramble and Stone’ in his home studio, and “Peat Fields” – a full-scale painting Akers abstracted out of the more representational work “Kerry”

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

Then in 2019, he was accepted into a residency in a stone pre-famine house at the Cill Rialaig Arts Centre in Co. Kerry, Ireland.

The pandemic caused this last opportunity to be delayed.

Akers recalls, “The minute Ireland opened up, I had my flights booked! That night I couldn’t sleep so I get on the internet to research past residents. I discovered Kari Cahill in Sligo who makes natural pigments and saw she was giving a workshop right before my residency.”

He changed flights, enrolled, and rented a little cottage in Ballinskelligs which he used as a lab to make the pigments he learned about in Cahill’s workshop. “I don’t do it as much anymore. It works on paper, but not on canvas so well.” However, he shows me a canvas where the background color is derived from turmeric, and he’s used blueberries, oak charcoal, peat, and yellow oxide before adding acrylic.

In Ireland, as in other locations, Akers was drawn to the forgotten places, the lonely places, and the abandoned houses in disrepair.

We look at a painting of an Irish cottage, derived from a combination of four or five views. Almost scientific in his approach, Akers is constantly making little studies and sketches as the artwork starts to emerge. There may be multiple paintings below the finished work – each painting becoming increasingly less realistic.

“I don’t want them to be fussy.” He shows me two paintings pulled out of the original rendering of the cottage: Each iteration has become more abstract. Ultimately, he wants to be as loose as possible, not be representational.

“But more representational is what sells.”

There is a very textural quality to Akers’ work, surprising for an acrylic painter. He explains that he uses ceramic tile adhesive for his ground, bitumen - a water-based asphalt - and grout. Then he carves and gouges the surface with chisels and pneumatic sanders and grinders and draws lines with a Dremel.

Amazingly, he doesn’t start with a concept of what he’ll paint on top. He starts with compositional sketches, “which are the bible to me,” and then, “halfway through the painting, inevitably, there is a struggle. And, ideally, that’s when the paint takes over. And when the paint takes over, the work gets simplified and then it’s magic.”

For Akers, the houses are a metaphor for shelter, social conflict, economic oppression, or racism.

“It’s the narrative and the history that knocks me out. Savannah is FULL of that.

The best stuff that I’ve done has been buildings from Savannah. I did a three-week trip through the Mississippi Delta last year and took 1,500 photographs, but Savannah has more to offer. I love driving through Cuyler-Brownsville and seeing the houses on Anderson Street. The Historic Savannah Foundation may be saving houses because of their architectural integrity, but MY perfect house is like a monopoly house – the most basic simplistic elements.”

Akers tells me, “My family came from dirt-poor poverty in Illinois. Great grandfather’s farm was destroyed by the 1925 Tri-state tornado. My father left home at 13 and hopped trains.” His father, he goes on, “could do anything. He could build things. I’ve inherited that figuring-out ability, the ability to be scrappy and self-reliant. That is the quality I see in these hand-built houses that I’m so drawn to. It’s the story that gets me. Why is it abandoned? Why is it here? Who lived here? What is the history and the stories?”

As an example, he shows me a painting of a turpentine farm in Adabelle, about 20 miles north of Statesboro.

“That was grisly, nasty work. It was impossible to get labor after slavery ended, so in 1870 they got a tribe of Croatan Indians to migrate from their homes in Robeson County, NC. They lived in communal houses, and this is the only one left standing.”

For the galleries who represent Akers, the houses are what have taken off. “I think people see emotion and nostalgia. They don’t like to talk about the social aspect, which I’m all about.”

The words from his artist statement ring true: “I drive down the road and see a place or a name that triggers an immediate response. These locations are always in rough condition: messy, dirty, rusty and in disrepair. These sites have been either a source of conflict, social unrest, economic despair, or oppression…I always have to look at the underbelly of those places and convey it in my work.”

Up next for the ever-hustling Akers is a solo show at his gallery in Memphis, a long overdue vacation in Sicily with wife Tricia, and a multi-disciplinary residency for contemporary international artists and writers at JOYA in southern Spain.

And, of course, his next painting…He recently parked by the old Sherwin-William’s store on MLK and had a view of the Georgia Railroad Museum he’d never seen before. He gushes about the perfect view of the perfect fence, the perfect yellow stripe on the road and the perfect lines of the buildings with the giant phallic smokestack rising out of it.

Stay tuned.

Randy Akers (American, b.1946) is represented by Jane’s Art Center, New Smyrna Beach; L/ Ross Gallery, Memphis; J Costello Gallery, Hilton Head; and Reinike Gallery, Atlanta. See his work at randyakers.com and on Instagram @akerswork.

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CULTURE

THEATRE

LOCAL THEATRE

HISTORY THEATRE RETURNS WITH STORY OF SUSIE KING TAYLOR

By Kareem McMichael

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

Arts & Entertainment Writer

24

History Theatre returns to Savannah this year with a theatrical performance about Susie King Taylor.

Artistic Director Lorrie Rumpel and her husband Fritz, the organization’s executive director, founded the original History Theatre in 2007.

It is the mission of the History Theatre to engage and empower Savannah’s adults, teenagers and children in the production of historical dramas and musicals about Savannah for local and visitor audiences.

“We created and produced a play called ‘Let My People.’ Fritz is the researcher and we basically came up with about ten significant events that happened in Savannah and we told those stories. Stories that has been forgotten,” said Lorrie.

The play highlighted many stories, such as: the persecution of Reverend Andrew Bryan in 1786; “The Weeping Time,” the largest auction of enslaved people in American history, held in 1859; and the “Cornerstone of the Confederacy” speech delivered by Confederate Vice President Alexander H. Stephens in 1861.

In 2015 the Rumpel’s created and produced “Forty Acres and a Mule,” a docudrama that provides the complete account of the historic meeting in Savannah in 1865 that gave birth to the idea of how to achieve racial equity in America. The film screened in many cities and was presented in Savannah at public libraries to open discussion.

Now the History Theatre is setting out to tell the story of Taylor in their play Susie King Taylor: “What a Wonderful Revolution!”, a play with music based on this trailblazer’s acclaimed Civil War memoir, the only one written by a Black woman.

“I read her book which was not an easy read but I started trying to understand her voice, her character, what she wants, all those kinds of things. It became apparent to me that she was the person who really defined herself,” said Lorrie.

Susie King Taylor, teacher and nurse, achieved many firsts in a lifetime of overcoming adversity and helping elevate others out of slavery.

Born into slavery in Liberty County, and despite Georgia’s laws against the formal education of African Americans she attended

two secret schools taught by black women.

Her education was valuable to her and other African Americans she educated during the war.

She became free at the age of 14 when her uncle led her out to a federal gunboat plying the waters near Confederate-held Fort Pulaski.

In 1872, she moved to Boston and devoted much of the rest of her life to work with the Woman’s Relief Corps, a national organization for female Civil War veterans.

She died in 1912, ten years after publishing her memoir Reminiscences of My Life in Camp with the 33d United States Colored Troops, Late 1st S.C. Volunteers.

“She kind of got me through the pandemic because I want to feel sorry for myself sitting here in my house, and I’m like, wow, Susie King Taylor never complained, never whined, never a victim, never a slave,” said Lorrie.

“She was always a person who raised the standard, raised the flag and said, let’s all go forth together in strength.”

The scope of the show by the History Theatre will have four actors that will portray Taylor during different stages of her life, which is spread over 21 scenes in two acts with a large cast as well.

While this is a huge undertaking for the Rumpel’s, one of the other challenges was finding a venue in which to perform: something that is a challenge for many groups in Savannah.

“We originally wanted to use the Cultural Arts Center but the Savannah Theatre stepped forward and offered their space, so we got fortunate in that regard. The show is set to go up Memorial Day weekend,” said Fritz.

For African-American’s in Savannah there was once the Eastside Theater on East Broad St. The 1950s and ’60s found the Eastside Theater hosting the premier entertainment for black Savannahian’s, but over the next couple of the decades the theater closed and the property fell into decline.

Lorrie hopes that in years to come, with proper funding, that can change.

“It’s our mission at the History Theater to have a multicultural community theater telling our community stories. That’s the overarching mission. I hope that will be an outcome from doing this play,” said Lorrie.

The play will be May 28 at 3 p.m. and May 29 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Savannah Theatre at 222 Bull St. Tickets are available now at historytheatre.org

SUSIE KING TAYLOR

Deep Center’s Youth Community Organizing Committee (YCOC) members doing voters canvassing along Pennsylvania Avenue. -Story by Kareem McMichael

Deep Center explores ways to build community in The Village Project Deep Center presents “The Village Project: Developing and Discovering How to Build Community in the 21st Century.” The project will focus on creating and developing community specifically within BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) spaces in the Savannah area through conversation and action.

“This is a chance to create community and to change the community for the better. This event is centered around the experiences of BIPOC youth in Savannah, but we are encouraging members of our community to come out,” said Martina Yvette, Youth Community Organizer at the Deep Center.

The Village project will be presented every Thursday through June 2 (4-5 p.m.) The series will open up community driven conversations pointed at advocating, encouraging, and allowing youth and adults the opportunity to understand and affirm each other, as well as understand and advocate for issues impacting their day to day lives.

Read and see more about this project on connectsavannah.com

BOOKS

WHAT ARE WE READING? PRESENTED AND CURATED WEEKLY BY E. SHAVER, BOOKSELLER

Savannah’s Independent Bookstore since 1975 offering a selection of fiction, nonfiction, regional, and children’s books

A BETTER MAN:

A (MOSTLY SERIOUS) LETTER TO MY SON

BY MICHAEL IAN BLACK With hope and with humor, Michael Ian Black skillfully navigates the complex gender issues of our time and delivers a poignant answer to an urgent question: How can we be, and raise, better men?

Part memoir, part advice book, and written as a heartfelt letter to his college bound son, A Better Man offers up a way forward for boys, men, and anyone who loves them. Comedian, writer, and father Black examines his complicated relationship with his own father, explores the damage and rising violence caused by the expectations placed on boys to “man up,” and searches for the best way to help young men be part of the solution, not the problem. “If we cannot allow ourselves vulnerability,” he writes, “how are we supposed to experience wonder, fear, tenderness?”

LOVE

BY MAAYAN EITAN

Love is a fever dream of a novel about a young sex worker whose life blurs the boundaries between violence and intimacy, objectification and real love.

Startlingly vulnerable and lyrically deft, Maayan Eitan’s debut follows Libby as she goes about her work in a nameless Israeli city, riding in cars, seeing clients, meeting and befriending other sex workers and pimps. In prose as crystalline as it is unflinching, Eitan brings us into the mind of her fierce protagonist, as Libby spins a series of fictions to tell herself, and others, in order to negotiate her life under the gaze of men. After long nights of slipping in and out of the beds of strangers, in a shocking moment of violence, she seizes control of her narrative and then labors to construct a life that resembles normalcy. But as she pursues love, it continually eludes her. She discovers that her past nights in cheap hotel rooms eerily resemble the more conventional life she’s trying to forge.

PERSUASION

BY JANE AUSTEN

The story concerns Anne Elliot, a young Englishwoman of twenty-seven years, whose family moves to lower their expenses and reduce their debt by renting their home to an Admiral and his wife. The wife’s brother, Navy Captain Frederick Wentworth, was engaged to Anne in 1806, but the engagement was broken when Anne was “persuaded” by her friends and family to end their relationship. Anne and Captain Wentworth, both single and unattached, meet again after a seven-year separation, setting the scene for many humorous encounters as well as a second, well-considered chance at love and marriage for Anne in her second “bloom”.

326 Bull Street

Behind the Desoto Historic Downtown Savannah 912.234.7257

eshaverbooks.com

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

Persuasion is the last novel fully completed by Jane Austen. It was published at the end of 1817, six months after her death.

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CULTURE

BURLESQUE

The Hostess City Hoedown:

A CELEBRATION OF THE PERFORMING ARTS BY SAVANNAH SWEET TEASE BURLESQUE REVUE

By Kareem McMichael

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

Arts & Entertainment Writer

26

The Savannah Sweet Tease Burlesque Revue is celebrating the performing arts with the Hostess City Hoedown, a three-day festival May 19 and 20 at 8 p.m. and May 21 at 6:30 p.m. at Club One. The festival will highlight talent local to the Savannah area, while featuring guest performers from across the entertainment industry.

“This festival was created because we do have a lot of talent in Savannah. Also, as far as the kind of industry that I work in with the performing arts I found there to be a blind spot in our area for drag, burlesque and cabaret so that inspired me to create something to make people aware,” said Rita D’LaVane event producer and performer.

Known as the “Witchy Hoe of the Hostess City” and the “Creole Queen of the C-port”, D’LaVane has been preaching the importance of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) representation in burlesque since they first stepped out on stage.

Magnolia Minxx and Cassie Caddel are producing the show along with D’LaVane. They have over 15 years of combined expertise in production and event planning.

Their drive behind the Hoedown is to a create a diverse entertainment experience, with a focus on honoring our local arts community.

“People come from around the world to Savannah and it really is romanticized in the books and movies, but we have the opportunity with this festival to show and entertain audiences with our great local talent,” said D’LaVane. “The Hostess City Hoedown’s mission is to produce an event that brings diversity to the forefront in the performing arts community that is unique to Savannah. We have a unique kind of swagger here in Savannah.”

Performers from all over the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry will come together for this festival which will showcase burlesque, drag, cabaret, dance, spoken word and all other forms of the performing arts.

This three-day festival starts on Thursday with “Local Honey” a showcase highlighting performers local to the Southeast, with a few extra special guests.

This was important for D’LaVane being a Savannah native and making sure there was night celebrating local performers.

Friday night will continue with “The Southern Glamour Get Together” which will shine the spotlight on some of the best acts coming from near and far for this glittery gala.

The festival ends on Saturday with the Hoedown Throwdown Competition Night.

“At the throwdown, performers will go head-tohead to be crowned the ‘Supreme of Savannah.’

I kind of wanted to make it witch theme because that’s also part of my branding. The competition will be friendly, but there is still a crown to claim,” said D’LaVane.

The festival will take place at Club One. Club One is a pillar in the community and the home of the Club One Cabaret. The show bar in Club One was also the renowned home of the Lady Chablis, who became notable in the early 1990s when she was featured as one of Savannah’s intriguing characters in John Berendt’s book “Midnight in The Garden of Good and Evil” based on a true crime story.

Chablis would go on to portray herself in the hit film version of the book.

“I feel like one advantage is essentially working at Club One, especially because Club One is so rooted in the queer community, and the queer community is also so rooted in the performing arts itself,” said D’LaVane. “Working there has allowed me to network so many people, like Chi Chi Bonet Sherrington who is very rooted in the queer performing arts, especially drag related and also other portions of black queer drag culture that a lot of people don’t even know about.”

The festival has a roster of headliners.

National headlining acts include Dax ExclamationPoint from RuPaul’s Drag Race (DC), Konchinita from the House of Gunt (Savannah) Nox Falls of the Dark Diamonds (Seattle) cosplayer May Hemmer of the Haus of Mayhem (Greensboro), Tre Da Marc the Noire Pageant King (Minneapolis) an all BiPoC burlesque pageant hosted by burlesque legend Perle Noir, King Perka Sexxx (Charlotte) and Hank E Panky (Kansas City), 2017 King of the San Antonio Burlesque Festival and Mr. Leading Man 2017 of the Hollywood Burlesque Festival.

D’LaVane also hopes this festival is a chance for local artists to network with the national and international artists.

“A lot of the artists that are coming are from the Southeast region, but we also have people that are coming from all over as well, sort of as a way to show everyone these kinds of events can be great for networking among us,” said D’LaVane.

Some of the local artist performing includes Sallie Just Sallie, Pussy Galore, BA$Q!AUT, Amara Fiyera, Mighta Chondra, Ginger Von Bleu, Lavon Chi, DeCeption Theater, Corbin Monoxide and more.

There are even more performers coming from cities like Atlanta, Jacksonville, Augusta, and Greensboro.

For a full line-up and more about the performers visit hostesscityhoedown.com VIP tickets: single day $40 weekend pass $100 General Admission: single day $30 weekend pass $80. Tickets can be purchased by visiting, ClubOneonline.com.

MUSIC & CLUBS

CONCERTS

Q&A WITH KANE BROWN HIS FIRST ENMARKET ARENA SHOW IS MAY 27

What kind of show are you taking out for this tour?

What kind of visual production are you bringing out?

It’s the biggest show we’ve ever done visually and production wise What’s your set list going to be like for this tour?

We’re going to mix it up each night, but I’m excited to get out on the road and play some of the new songs and some of the songs from the last project that we haven’t gotten to play yet for the fans since we weren’t able to tour (in 2020) with everything going on. The reaction to some of the new stuff has been so great and it’s fun to hear fans reactions to the first time the song is played live in front of an audience

What was life like during the pandemic for you, your wife Katelyn and baby daughter Kingsley?

I think (that) year was hard for everyone, but there were things I was grateful for. We missed being out on the road, but with Kingsley being so young there were so many moments I got to see that I might have missed out on if we were out on tour.

Watching her grow and learn has been amazing.

You’re making music that appeals to more than a country audience. To what extent do you see growth in your career coming from formats outside of country, from crossing over to hip-hop, pop or even a genre like Latin?

I love being able to represent country music and am just motivated by whatever fuels you creatively as well. It’s always a new way to experiment that way any time you work with any artist from any genre. I loved collaborating with Chris Young for our single ‘Famous Friend’ and I loved getting to work with blackbear for my song ‘Memory.’

You’ve had an interesting range of guests on your songs? Many artists don’t want to step outside of whatever genre they’re in, but you’ve had John Legend, Khalid, Swae Lee, Nelly, Becky G. and now blackbear, among others. How do you go about choosing artists you want for features on your songs?

There isn’t one set way. With Marshmello, we connected after the American Music Awards, With John Legend we connected while on set on ‘The Voice’ when I was a mentor and musical guest and we decided to write together. I’ve always been a big fan of Camilla and Khalid and with Becky G, that was great to just add that whole other level creatively with our song.

You have written some songs that definitely don’t follow the lyrical playbook of country music, like “Learning,” “Worldwide Beautiful” and “American Bad Dream.” You write quite a bit from your own life, which isn’t the life country music likes to portray.

Do you see country opening up in any ways to lyrics that tackle sensitive subjects or show an upbringing or lifestyle that doesn’t fit the usual “grew up in a small town loving Jesus and riding around in pickup trucks?”

Country has always been about storytelling and the writing.

And those are just my stories. I think a lot of people identify with my story and are surprised by it, but also relate to portions of it.

Is a new album in the works? I know collaborating was harder to do because people couldn’t get together in person for a good while.

We’ve been working on new music and a new album, we released “Memory” with blackbear and will have some more for everyone soon.

What sort of ideas do you have for your next album?

Do you have any sense of what sort of songs or subjects you want to explore?

I think it’s evolved. When we were working on it before the pandemic it was sort of going in one direction, but now it has sort of evolved into something new. I don’t want to give too much away just yet since it’s still coming together, but I love previewing music for my fans - it’s just something I’ve always done - and I love hearing their feedback. And with the Blessed and Free tour I’m excited to play some of the new music live.

Do you have a different idea about the kinds of songs that are most authentically you now than you did when you started making albums? In other words, has your definition of what a Kane Brown song is evolved?

That’s a great question. I think I’ve grown up a lot. When I wrote my debut album I wasn’t married yet, I wasn’t a father yet, and there was also much I had to say that I hadn’t gotten to say yet to people, like with songs like ‘Learning.’ I’ve grown and learned since then but I still feel like deep down I am still the same person and want to connect people.

Kane Brown plays Enmarket Arena on Fri., May 27, with special guests Chase Rice and Raelynn. Tickets are available at ticketmaster.com

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

Kane Brown made an immediate impression on the country music scene in 2015 when his debut single “Used To Love You Sober,” went top 15 on the country singles chart.

It turned out to be only a teaser for what was to come, as his 2016 self-titled full-length album and 2019 follow-up full-length release, “Experiment,” each topped “Billboard” magazine’s Country Album chart and produced five singles that topped either “Billboard’s” Country Singles or Country Airport charts.

Even a pandemic hasn’t slowed Brown’s growth – both in popularity and as a songwriter and singer -- as he has continued to release a steady stream of singles (some of which are collected on his 2020 EP, “Mixtape Vol. 1”) that have seen him branch out musically collaborate with major artists within country and from other genres.

One such collaboration, with Chris Young, “Famous Friends” (the title track to Young’s current album), topped “Billboard” magazine’s 2021year-end Country Airplay Songs chart.

The freedom Brown is feeling as he advances in his career is personified in “Mixtape Vol. 1.”

“I think with ‘Mixtape,’ we just took the pressure totally off of ourselves and just let it be whatever creatively we felt it needed to be and really make it what we wanted to without having to worry about it fitting into anyone’s idea of what it needed to be,” Brown explained in a recent e-mail interview.

Only one of the seven songs on “Mixtape Vol. 1,” the frisky “BFE,” was a purely country tune. Otherwise, Brown mixed in elements of hip-hop, pop and soul on the easygoing “Be Like That,” which featured guest vocals from Swae Lee and Khalid. “Cool Again” was an easygoing mix of beachy pop and hip-hop. Brown co-wrote “Last Time I Say Sorry” with John Legend and duets with the talented singer on this soulful ballad. “Didn’t Know What Love” echoes Elton John’s “Benny and the Jets” before taking a soulful turn for the chorus.

Since releasing the “Mixtape” EP, Brown has notched another No. 1 single in “One Mississippi” and just released a new single, “Leave You Alone.”

In this e-mail interview, Brown discusses his music, his current live show and his in-progress next album.

You didn’t have a lot of shows under your belt when you started out with your 2015 EP “Closer” and the self-titled album. How have you developed as a performer over the past five years or so?

I think I’ve learned a lot and gotten to try more each time we go out on the road…I feel like you can always learn something from other artists and I’ve gotten to be on the road and perform with so many people I admire, it was great to see how they connect with fans and to also find your own lane with what you do in your show.

Matthew Berinato

By Alan Sculley

27

Music in the Soundgarden FRI AUG 6 SAT JULY 31

THE STAGE PAGE

By Frank Ricci

SAT MAY 21ST

THE HOSTESS CITY HOEDOWN @ CLUB ONE

HARVEST MOON A TRIBUTE TO THE MUSIC OF CSN&Y

FRI. MAY 27TH

Revel in the stunning hair and makeup tonnage at this weekend extravaganza featuring drag performers from all over the southeast. Host Melanie Goldey welcomes entertainers from Savannah, Atlanta, Charlotte, Augusta and Jacksonville. Three nights, so no excuses.

THU MAY 19 & FRI MAY 20 | 8 PM SAT MAY 21 | 6:30 PM

A TRIBUTE TO THE ROLLING STONES

UPCOMING SHOWS

THOMAS CLAXTON & THE MYTH

AUG. 7 Grand Paradise - A Tribute to STYX AUG 13 FA-Q SAT MAY 28TH JOSHUA STOKES SENSATION @ THE WORMHOLE AUG 14 Interstellar Echoes - ANEW Tribute to Pink Floyd THE TRIBUTE The Houston-based comedian AUG 20 The Bitteroots also hosts the Hard Fried History TO INXS podcast. His deadpan delivery AUG 27 The Petty Hearts - The National Tom Petty Tribute Show helps jokes about working in loss prevention and bad decorating The Stratton James Trio advice land. The story of how being SATAUG JUNE2811TH shot at made him want to learn SEPT 3 Tribute -A -Celebration of the Allman Bros. Band Excel is funny no matter how it’s U2.0 told. Kari Burt opens.

SEPT 4 SlipperyTO When SAT MAY 21 | 8 PM A TRIBUTE U2Wet - A Tribute to Bon Jovi SEPT 11 Jupiter Coyote HARVEST MOON – A TRIBUTE TO CSN&Y @ COACH’S CORNER

SAT JUNE 18TH

BREAKFAST IS BACK! COWBOY- THE ULTIMATE

Legendary Atlantic Records President Ahmet Ertegun again proved his genius when he suggested CSN hire Neil Young (to play keyboards!) for the folk supergroup’s first tour. Soon, Neil became a permanent member and the rest is rock history. Harvest Moon delivers the harmonies and the songs with aplomb.

SAT MAY 21 | 7 PM

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

KID ROCK EXPERIENCE 7-10:30 • TUESDAY - FRIDAY 8-11:30 • SATURDAY Tickets Available on Eventbrite!

28

PEEWEE LONGWAY @ ELAN SAVANNAH

3016 E. VICTORY DR. 912.352.2933 COACHS.NET

DOWNLOAD OUR APP!

The last rapper signed to Gucci Mane’s 1017 Records before the impresario went to prison, Peewee stands out in the vast sea of Atlanta trap rappers with a clear flow and lots of product.

The newer drops are strong and mixtapes MPA (Money, Pounds, Ammunition) and Blue M&M from 2013-14 still sound fresh.

SAT MAY 21 | 10 PM

MUSIC & CLUBS

LIVE MUSIC

The big bold sound of the Fabulous Equinox Orchestra

By Angie Miller

Music & Clubs Writer

savannah’s newest home for local & regional

Live Music

trevor clenin 5/18 7:00-10:00

even pete

5/19 7:30-10:30 themed night, a Georgia music themed night, and they’ve all been a lot of fun.

So, it’s really cool to be able to play at the venue where it all started for us here.”

The official title for their Monday Night Cabaret show - “The Rat Pack is back.”

“For this show, we’re kind of going back to the roots of the Fabulous Equinox Orchestra,” Johnson explained. “When we first started performing, we played the big, swinging, fun sounds of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. and Dean Martin. We love the classic, sophisticated sounds of the big band and it’s how we made our mark in the very beginning.”

“We have these great arrangers now that are on staff with us who can draft some really great, new arrangements of some classic songs to give them a new twist to make them sound new, fresh, and modern. It’s a beautiful, exciting thing!”

In addition to performing at the Westin, the Fabulous Equinox Orchestra is staying plenty busy and motoring around in their new tour bus.

“Last year during the pandemic we got our first official tour bus,” Johnson said. “Two days after Christmas, that bus caught on fire and burned completely to the ground. Nobody was on it, thank the lord, but the bus was totaled. The first part of this year, Jeremy and I went back to Nashville and did some bus shopping and we finally found the right bus and that’s what we’re on now. Our newest bus is fire engine red because its “phoenix rises from the ashes” kind of thing and having it just changes the entire experience and makes traveling around so much easier!”

The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra will

perform on Mon., May 23 at the Westin Resort at 7 p.m. For more information, to follow the band, or to purchase tickets visit equinoxorchestra.com “

the brown goose 5/20 7:30-10:30 the ball joints 5/21 3-6 whitley deputy band

5/21 7:30-10:30 jd music 5/22 8-11 the odd birds 5/23 7-10

vintage souls 5/24 7-10

open noon until late everyday of the week

127 w. congress st. eclipsesav.net

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

Those who frequent the local music scene or any of Connect Savannah’s events, more than likely have heard the big, bold sounds of the Fabulous Equinox Orchestra.

Led by Clay Johnson and Jeremy Davis, the band has been a musical staple for years, making their mark in the Hostess city with their Louisiana-rooted, Southern Big Band sound, and they certainly know how to bring the life—and the party to the stage.

According to Johnson, who is the lead singer and trombone player for the band, he and Davis met in seventh grade and have been lifelong friends since.

“Jeremy and I have been joined at the hip for way too long,” Johnson said chuckling. “We started playing music and forming bands together early on and in college we formed a band that played all the frat and sorority parties.”

Throughout their time in college, the duo also performed together in the Louisiana Tech University Jazz Ensemble, and eventually extended their musical repertoire, playing what Johnson considers “more sophisticated music.”

“When we were playing at the frat and sorority parties….it was a funky horn band that played a lot of Motown stuff and at the time, Top 40, 90s music. It wasn’t until a little later that we kinda matured and started playing more sophisticated music….big band, the crooners, and the Fabulous Equinox Orchestra was formed.”

A day after Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana, Johnson says Davis relocated his family to Savannah, and a few years later, he jumped on the bandwagon and relocated his family here as well.

“Savannah has been the most welcoming and hospitable city and our business has gone through the roof because of that and we are very thankful,” he said. “Ten years ago we would have said our sweet spot is the older ladies, but now our audience is steadily getting younger which I’m really happy about because it’s longevity for us. I think we can thank Savannah for that.”

On Mon., May 23, in partnership with the Westin Resort and Connect Savannah, the Fabulous Equinox Orchestra will perform a Rat-Pack themed show on the Westin Savannah Harbor ballroom stage.

“Several years ago, we started playing monthly themed shows at the Westin and we did so for quite a while,” Johnson said.

“Eventually, we started moving around locations and playing at different venues throughout the city. In the past we’ve done a Broadway themed night, a Beatles

29

MAY/

18-24

CONNECT SAVANNAH MUSIC

SOUNDBOARD WHO IS PLAYING WHERE THIS WEEK WEDNESDAY 5/18 LIVE MUSIC

Cohen’s Retreat Midtown Pickers, 6 p.m.

Driftaway Cafe Chuck Courtenay, 6 p.m.

McDonough’s Blues with Eric Culberson, 9 p.m.

Nickie’s 1971 Ray Tomasino, 7 p.m.

TRIVIA & GAMES

El-Rocko Lounge Trivia with Jules and Chris Grimmett, 9-11:30 p.m.

Moodright’s Duckpin Bowling League Night, 8 p.m.

Service Brewing Company Trivia Night with Jess Shaw, 6:30 p.m.

The Wormhole Bingo, 10 p.m.

KARAOKE

Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m.

Wet Willie’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

COMEDY

Totally Awesome Bar Savannah Comedy Underground, 9 p.m.

THURSDAY 5/19 LIVE MUSIC

Bach Ascending Jeanna Melilli, flute: A Bach Circle, 7:30 p.m.

Cohen’s Retreat Munchies & Music, 5-9 p.m.

Electric Moon Skytop Lounge and The Moon Deck, Plant Riverside District - Power Plant Building rooftop Moon Deck LIVE at Electric Moon featuring Mily and the Mini-Killers, 7-10 p.m.

Jazz’d Tapas Bar Whiskey & Wine

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

TRIVIA & GAMES

30

Bar Food Trivia Night, 8 p.m.

McDonough’s Family Feud, 7 p.m.

The Wormhole Trivia, 10 p.m.

Top Deck Sunset Deck Party, 6 p.m.

COMEDY

Totally Awesome Bar Open Mic Comedy, 8:30 p.m.

DJ

Club 51 Degrees DJ B-Rad, 9 p.m.

Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m.

McDonough’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

BAR & CLUB EVENTS

Service Brewing Company Service Brewing Run Club, 6:30 p.m.

FRIDAY 5/20

MONDAY 5/23

LIVE MUSIC

Coffee Bluff Marina LAX, 6 p.m.

District Live at Plant Riverside District Victor Wooten, Live in Concert, 8-10 p.m.

Jazz’d Tapas Bar Adam Nye Rancho Alegre Cuban Restaurant JodyJazz Trio, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Savannah Station Savannah Jazz’s Annual Circle of Friends’ Gig, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Service Brewing Company Bluegrass By The Pint with Swamptooth, 6 p.m.

Sting Ray’s Robert Willis, 6 p.m.

TRIVIA & GAMES

PS Tavern Beer Pong Tournament, 10 p.m.

KARAOKE

Bay Street Blues Karaoke Blueberry Hill Karaoke, 9 p.m.-3 a.m.

Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m.

McDonough’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Nickie’s 1971 Karaoke Night, 9 p.m.

The Hive Repertory Theatre LLC Adult Night Out - Karaoke!, 8 p.m.

Totally Awesome Bar Karaoke, 10 p.m.

COMEDY

Tybee Post Theater Tommy Ryman

DJ

Club 51 Degrees DJ Fer, DJ Emalo, DJ Lil G, DJ BRad, 9 p.m.

BAR & CLUB EVENTS

Club One Drag Show, 10:30 p.m. & 12:30 a.m.

Rock House Music & Dance, 10 p.m.

KARAOKE

Bay Street Blues Karaoke Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m.

McDonough’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

ENTER YOUR EVENT ONLINE AT CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

SATURDAY 5/21 LIVE MUSIC

Coffee Bluff Marina Gary Strickland, 6 p.m.

Jazz’d Tapas Bar Dylan Allen Rancho Alegre Cuban Restaurant JodyJazz Trio, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Sting Ray’s Robert Willis, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC

Nickie’s 1971 Ray Tomasino, 7 p.m.

The Wormhole Open Mic, 6 p.m.-2 a.m.

TRIVIA & GAMES

Club One Super Gay Bingo, 5:30 p.m.

Moodright’s BINGO, 8 p.m.

Starland Yard Music Bingo, 7-9 p.m.

KARAOKE

SUN/

22

A new and intimate twist. J.J. Collins singing “Songs of Home” in her wholehearted way, accompanied by the versatile Michael Braz on piano. Meanwhile, live and also onstage, local artist, PC Collins, paints her “Mama Ellie’s” home of the past and transforms it to the present.

The Music Alliance of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Savannah invites you to see and hear PC and J.J. Collins take us on a journey home with Michael Braz. Andrew Sovine joins with his guitar. Awine and cheese reception follows the concert and is included with your ticket.

TRIVIA & GAMES

Blueberry Hill Pool Tournament, 2 p.m.

KARAOKE

Bar Food Karaoke Night, 10 p.m.

Bay Street Blues Karaoke Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m.

McDonough’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Rock House Karaoke, 9 p.m.

Totally Awesome Bar Karaoke, 10 p.m.

COMEDY

Front Porch Improv Adult Drop-in IMPROV Class, 10 a.m.

BAR & CLUB EVENTS

Club One Drag Show, 10:30 p.m. & 12:30 a.m.

Over Yonder Honky Tonk Saturdays

SUNDAY 5/22 LIVE MUSIC

Collins Quarter at Forsyth Ember City, 2 p.m.

Congress Street Social Club Voodoo Soup, 10 p.m.

District Live at Plant Riverside District The Haunt, Live in Concert, 7 p.m.

Myrtle & Rose, Rooftop Garden Plant Riverside Live Jazz Sunday Brunch Featuring the Howard Paul Jazz Trio, 11 a.m.3 p.m.

Nickie’s 1971 Roy Swindell, 7 p.m.

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Savannah Baroque presents Into The Light, 3-4 p.m.

Sting Ray’s Robert Willis, 6 p.m.

The Collegiate Church of St. Paul the Apostle Savannah Baroque Presents Into The Light, 3-4 p.m.

Tubby’s Tank House (Thunderbolt) Bucky and Barry, 1 p.m.

Unitarian Universalist Church of Savannah Songs of Home, 3-4:15 p.m.

TRIVIA & GAMES

Moon River Brewing Co. Trivia, 6 p.m.

KARAOKE

Bay Street Blues Karaoke

Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m.

Wet Willie’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

BAR & CLUB EVENTS Fia Rua Irish Pub Family Movie Night, 8 p.m.

TUESDAY 5/24 LIVE MUSIC

McDonough’s Open Mic/Jam, 9 p.m.

Nickie’s 1971 Roy Swindell, 7 p.m.

Skidaway Island United Methodist Church I Cantori Ukraine Benefit Concert, 7:30-9 p.m.

TRIVIA & GAMES

Basil’s Pizza and Deli Trivia, 7 p.m.

Fia Rua Irish Pub Trivia, 7 p.m.

McDonough’s Trivia Tuesday, 7 p.m.

Oak 36 Bar + Kitchen Trivia Tuesday, 9 p.m.

Savannah Taphouse Trivia, 7 p.m.

Starland Yard Trivia with Chris Grimmett, 6:30 p.m.; Trivia Night With Chris Grimmett, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

KARAOKE

Blueberry Hill Karaoke, 9 p.m.-3 a.m.

Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m.

Wet Willie’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.

COMEDY

Stafford’s Public House Stafford’s Tuesday Comedy Open Mic, 8:30-11:45 p.m.

SOUNDBOARD IS A FREE SERVICE - TO BE INCLUDED, PLEASE ENTER YOUR LIVE MUSIC INFORMATION WEEKLY ON CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM AND CHOOSE “SOUNDBOARD.”.

DEADLINE IS NOON MONDAY, TO APPEAR IN WEDNESDAY’S EDITION. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO EDIT OR CUT LISTINGS DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS.

THE BAND PAGE

jskolnick.com

By Frank Ricci

ERIC CULBERSON BAND – TRIBUTE TO THE 3 KINGS @ VICTORY NORTH

Savannah’s top blues guitarist Eric Culberson put together an allstar band to pay tribute to Albert, B.B., and Freddie. He’s recruited B.B.’s drummer Tony Coleman, hometown bassmaster general Big E Moore on bass, Eric himself and architect-fisherman Kevin Rose on guitar, and much more talent for a steamy night of classic blues. FRI MAY 20 | 9 PM

Put your affairs in order and head over to LOS for the doom-noiseblack metal stylings of Denver’s Primitive Man, with support from Mortiferum (Olympia, WA, death metal), Jarhead Fertilizer (Ocean City, MD, powerviolence) and more. Area posers should expect no mercy.MON MAY 23 | 7 PM

The Charleston alt rock quartet hits the Hostess City one more time. Inspired by an eclectic list of influences like Foo Fighters, Incubus, and Carlos Santana, they have the chops, vocal talent, and songwriting ability to tie it all together and deliver. Three Easy Pieces and Abrevity open.

SAT MAY 21 | 9:30 PM

THE HAUNT @ DISTRICT LIVE

Led by the Haunt siblings, Grace and Maxamillion, the South Florida alternative rock band began as a kind of anti-bullying therapy for Grace when she was 12. The therapeutic expression grew to a full-on band that maintains its dedication to the shunned and the different.

SUN MAY 22 | 7 PM

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

GRAVEFACE FEST WITH PRIMITIVE MAN @ LODGE OF SORROWS

OBVIOUS LIARS @ THE WORMHOLE

31

JONESIN’ CROSSWORD “Skill Sets”--going a bit squabbly.

by Matt Jones

Savannah’s Oldest

URBAN FARM & PET

SUPPLY STORE

Specializing in ORGANICS

ALL TYPES OF FEED & SEED

Located downtown at

307 Carolan St Just west of Bay St. Viaduct

912.233.9862

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 18 - 24, 2022

FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED SINCE 1938

32

HAVING A SPECIAL EVENT? Reserve our Banquet Room!

Seats up to 80 people

Call for more information

912.354.8745

©2022 Matt Jones

HAY • FENCING • TRAPS • PEST CONTROL • POTTERY & STATUARY • PROPANE REFILL & EXCHANGE • LAWN & GARDEN • SEASONAL VEGETABLE PLANTS • PET & FARM SUPPLIES • MORE!

5320 Waters Ave.

barnesrestaurant.com ACROSS 1. “People Puzzler” airer 4. Adult Swim’s “Joe ___ Talks With You” 8. English university city 13. Tab, for example 14. “I’m rippin’ up ___ doll ...”

(Aerosmith lyric) 15. “Ad ___ per aspera” 16. ___ of the hat 17. Really close group of friends?

19. Equilateral unit of steam?

21. Palindromic dental deg.

22. How cuneiform characters were often preserved 23. Dollar bill depiction, familiarly 25. Yell after finishing a ride, maybe 26. Reddit Q&A forum 29. To be, to Nero 30. They’re on all four Monopoly board edges, for short 31. Territorial land grabber 35. Response to “Are my shoes really that waterlogged?”

39. Fashionable quality 40. NFL Pro Bowl safety Chancellor 42. Albanian’s neighbor 45. OutKast’s city, for short 46. “Fine, what’s the answer?”

48. “Be right there” 51. Snowball thrower

52. Bathrooms in Bath 53. Sound from an ocean predator imitating a mouse?

57. High-pitched cries of joy during summer?

59. London’s national art gallery 60. “Arrivederci” relative 61. They’re all mined 62. Actor Sitka (one of two actors who appeared with all six different Stooges on film) 63. ___ Haute, Indiana 64. Nair rival, once 65. Punk record label, or a retired ultra-fast aircraft DOWN 1. Showed one’s ire 2. Antique book protector 3. Seaport southeast of Roma 4. “Crazy” singer Cline 5. La Salle who returned to “Coming 2 America” 6. Jar sold near the farfalle 7. Ottoman Empire official 8. Uses high-tech beams 9. “Roman J. Israel, ___” (2017 movie) 10. Musical practice pieces 11. Stage offerings 12. Bike seat 13. Expensive eggs 18. ___TV (“Adam Ruins Everything” network) 20. Cattle farm 24. “The X-Files” program, for short

26. Former Bowl of Hawaii 27. Everest, for one 28. “Tokyo Vice” star Elgort 32. Sounds of dismay 33. Mensa still tests them 34. 1968 CCR hit preceded by the lyric “Baby I love you” 36. Alerts from HQ 37. Winter Olympics groups 38. Exchange blows 41. She was followed by Scholz 42. Carefree reply 43. Turn LEAD into GOLF, maybe?

44. Tend to your Crockpot stew a few hours later 47. Squat muscles 49. Suffix similar to -ish 50. “Crazy Rich Asians” director 51. “Hey! Over here!”

54. Many millennia 55. Like some collectibles 56. Cubism-influenced Swiss artist 58. To be, in Tijuana

CROSSWORD ANSWERS

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GET INSPIRED! 13 SPEAKERS PLUS LIVE COMEDY, POETRY & MORE

11th Anniversary

Savannah

Friday, June 24, 2022

Theme: Standard Deviation

YAMACRAW CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Esther F. Garrison School for the Arts 649 W. Jones Street

TICKETS ON SALE at TEDxSavannah.com

LIMITED AVAILABILITY

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