Connect Savannah May 27, 2020 by Connect Savannah

MAY 27-JUN 2, 2020 NEWS, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM

EMBER CITY

SET FOR QUARANTINE CONCERT Local band returns to the stage for livestream show

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Big Engine - Local band plays Coach’s Corner courtyard. Sat, May 30, 7 p.m. facebook.com/coachscorner

Damon and the Shitkickers Live — Band plays socially distanced live show in Coach’s Corner courtyard. Fri. May 29, 7 p.m. facebook.com/coachscorner DRAUCKER Live — Band plays socially distanced live show in Coach’s Corner courtyard. Sat. May 23, 7 p.m. facebook.com/coachscorner

the Tybee Post Theatre. Fri. May 29, 8:30 p.m. quarantineconcerts.org Quarantine Concert: Thomas Oliver — Local artist streams a live set from the Tybee Post Theatre. Sun. May 31, 3 p.m. quarantineconcerts.org

Bluegrass by the Pint from Service Brewing — Join Service Brewing for live streaming Bluegrass from one of our favorite local bands, City Hotel! Fridays, 6 p.m. facebook.com/servicebrewing/ Cooking Between the Lines — Hands-on livestreamed cooking lessons from Chef Darin Sehnert. Mondays, 6 p.m., Wednesdays, 6 p.m. and Fridays, 6 p.m. facebook.com/chefdarinskitchentable/

Sarah Poole — Local musician Sarah Poole performs. Tuesdays, 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays, 6:30 p.m. facebook.com/sarah.poole.505 Jason Bible PHOTO BY GEOFF L JOHNSON

state of the city. Fridays, 8 p.m. facebook.com/MayorJohnsonSAV/

2PM to discuss the latest in comics, updates from staff and customers and general goofiness. facebook.com/nbrhdcomics

Front Porch Improv: Classics — Enjoy archives of past Front Porch Improv performances. Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m. facebook.com/frontporchimprov/

NSFW DJ Collective — Livestreams from you favorite NSFW DJs plus special guest mixes. 5 p.m.-midnight. Fridays-Sundays. facebook.com/NSFWDJ/

Islands Farmers Market — Enhanced social distancing between Eric Britt — Local singer/songwriter vendors. Saturdays 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. , 401 QuarterEric Britt plays solo sets, alternating with releases from his new album ‘Full man Dr. facebook.com/islandsfarmersmarket/ Circle.’ Wed., 6 p.m. Jason Bible — Jason Bible of local facebook.com/eric.britt1 favorites The Train Wrecks performs Flashback: A Rock ‘n’ Roll Bar with solo sets. Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays, 8 p.m. a Sports Attitude — Livestreams facebook.com/thetrainwrecksband/ with area artists each Friday and Saturday night at 8 p.m. Fridays, Keystone Postcard - “Neighborhood Saturdays, 8 p.m. Concerts from our Driveway” every Wednesdays 4-6pm and Sundays Forsyth Farmers Market 1-3pm Enhanced social distancing between facebook.com/KeystonePostcard/ vendors. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday facebook.com/forsythfarmersmarket Laney Contemporary — Join Laney Contemporary Art Gallery on Instagram Live each day for a PRESENT Front Porch Improv: Storytime — TENSE #ArtBreak 5 p.m. What’s the story, morning glory? You have to check in to find out! Lyn Avenue - “Six String Sippin” Mondays-Fridays, 1 p.m. every Friday at 8pm facebook.com/frontporchimprov/ facebook.com/LynAvenue Friday Night Live with Mayor Van Neighborhood Comics Facebook Johnson — Savannah Mayor Van Live Check-In - Every Wednesday at Johnson’s “fireside chat” about the

Psychotronic Film Society Viewing Parties — PFS streams unusual feature-length movies with live introductions. After the films viewers can discuss the films in Real-Time via the comments section. To receive the secret link to these hidden streaming playlists, people MUST join the PFS of SAV’s Private Facebook Group, at the link below. Each week, anyone who chooses to donate at least $5 via PayPal or Venmo receives a free high quality digital download of a movie from the archive, and is entered into a drawing to win a limited edition T-shirt. Wednesdays, Sundays, 8 p.m. facebook.com/ groups/2519522234807695/ Otium Savannah yoga studio and wellness space — 20 minute guided meditation overlooking the city from Perry Lane Hotel rooftop. 9am on Thursdays. @otiumsavannah and @ThePerryLaneHotel Instagram channels Quarantine Concert: Ember City — Local ensemble streams a live set from

Sean Moloney — Local musician performs. Daily 5 p.m. facebook.com/sean.moloney.5 Irish Music with Seldom Sober — Savannah’s only Irish music ensemble, Seldom Sober (Michael Corbett and Colleen Settle) perform a set spanning Trad Irish to American folk. Tuesdays, 8 p.m. facebook.com/seldomsober/ Savannah Performance Project - Chris Bass’ daily live stream show airs at 1:15 p.m. at Facebook.com/SPPAdmin Shed Show Live - Local musician Matt Eckstine presents a weekly livestream from his cozy shed. Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. facebook.com/matteckstinemusic Streaming Odd! — Odd Lot Improv is streaming some favorite games live! Fridays, 7:30 p.m. facebook.com/OddLot/ Sunday Service with Epiphany — A “different kind of church,” Epiphany livestreams their Sunday morning service. Sundays, 11 a.m. facebook.com/EpiphanySavannah/ Virtual Group Bike Ride — Every Friday, Bike Walk Savannah will be releasing a new virtual bike ride route for you to check out, ranging from 3-20 miles. Fridays, 10 a.m. facebook.com/bikewalksavannah/

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 27 - JUNE 2, 2020

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NEWS & OPINION EDITOR’S NOTE

Taking the masks off

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I would really love to see in North Dakota that we could just skip this thing that other parts of the nation are going through, where they are creating a divide, either ideological or political or something, around mask versus no mask. This is a senseless dividing line, and I would ask people to try to dial up your empathy and your understanding. If someone is wearing a mask, they’re not doing it to represent what political party they’re in or what candidates they support. They might be doing it because they have a 5-year-old child who has been going through cancer treatments. — Republican Gov. Doug Burgum, North Dakota I MUST SAY, I didn’t anticipate that the major sociopolitical touchstone issue of 2020 would be whether or not to occasionally wear a mask during a global pandemic, in order to protect other people.

The most obvious analogy to the mask debate is public smoking bans. The reason smoking is banned in most public places is not because cigarettes cause cancer to smokers, but because they cause cancer in other people via second-hand smoke. Not to oversimplify, but if you compare cigarette smoke to the invisible coronavirus you’ll immediately see the common sense behind mask-wearing. It’s not a theoretical issue. It hits close to home, as Brighter Day Natural Foods Market discovered when a Facebook post about their mask policy for customers became the target of hyperaggressive antimask trolls from around the country. I seriously doubt the Karens who invaded the Brighter Day page do the same to restaurants and bars and retail shops which forbid smoking — which is to say pretty much all of them. While it is unprecedented in our lifetimes for businesses to routinely ask customers to wear masks, requests of a similar nature are actually quite common. So what’s really different this time? People are angry this time. They are confused and upset, and for good reason.

If like me you take our rights as Americans seriously, you might want to focus on the many, many other clear and present areas where our rights are most certainly in peril. Being asked to wear a mask while buying toilet paper or kitty litter, for a couple of months out of your life, just isn’t one of them. I am fascinated by how unwilling people are to direct the proper amount of righteous anger toward the place and people that richly deserve it: Your government. Most other countries long ago figured out that the way to weather COVID-19 was to A) shut everything down immediately with no extended debate, and B) – this is the key part – provide adequate and timely financial relief to businesses and individuals at least through the course of the lockdown, if not longer. It’s not rocket science, but America failed at both. A country so eager to congratulate itself on its “exceptionalism” was exceptionally bad at handling it. From the federal level (the failure of PPP and the laughable $1200 one-time checks) to the state level (grandstanding

When people accuse those who wear masks of ‘living in fear,’ this could be a form of projection – it’s really they who are frightened. I assure you, when I pop a mask on to go grocery shopping for 20 minutes, I don’t feel scared in the least. The speed and alacrity with which the dividing lines were drawn and the culture war ensued has been as dizzying to watch as it has been disturbing. The masks are off, all right — but not always in the way that some would prefer. There are already all kinds of social and legal requirements that we cover parts of our bodies in the course of our workaday lives, chiefly to address the concerns of other people. For example, if I were to saunter into the Connect office without any clothes on from the waist down, I would rightfully be known as the former editor in about five seconds, and — after I get out of jail — rightfully wouldn’t be allowed back in the building for any reason. If I come into work without a shirt, it’s possible I might keep my job, but quite impossible that I would be allowed to stay in the office and work like that. Any number of businesses display the sign “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service,” and not only do most people not bat an eye at that, they welcome it.

So the less thoughtful or less empathetic among us will respond as they often do, by projecting their anger onto easy targets. The mask becomes deeply symbolic – an almost primal symbol of uncertainty, of loss of individuality, of the loss of the free life that we led before the pandemic. When people accuse those who wear masks of “living in fear,” I think this could be a form of projection – it’s really they who are frightened. I assure you, when I pop a mask onto my face to go grocery shopping for 20 minutes, I don’t feel scared in the least. It gives me a measure of comfort, then I take it off as soon as I can and go on with my life. I take Constitutional rights very, very seriously indeed – and am often dragged by detractors on the right and on the left because of that. But comparing a request to wear a mask for a few minutes while in a shop to a true civil rights violation is frankly an insult to the people who risked their lives for American independence, and to eventually author the Bill of Rights itself.

governors, red state or blue state, whose reopening plans revolve more around politics than best practices), the American response has largely been a colossal failure. I’ve heard people say that our poor response is an inherent critique of capitalism. There is definitely some truth to that. But many capitalist countries, such as South Korea, Canada, New Zealand, Germany, etc. all coped with COVID-19 much more responsibly, without the extensive, paralyzing political rancor we see here. It seems that the countries, such as the United States and Brazil, where the top leaders have taken an openly skeptical attitude toward COVID-19, are the ones that handled it the worst. Whether the Great Mask War is completely arbitrary or deeply symbolic – or perhaps both – is a question of perspective. Unfortunately, true perspective is hard to come by in the middle of world crisis. CS

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Across my social media network and in casual conversations with friends and family, one of the most important Reflections on values things people turned to for some semblance of balance — is nature. during a pandemic people across the world demanding access and consumption of the most exotic of species. This is a human condition and it’s one that we can change. Our other cursor for self-destruction is our exploitation of oceans and land. This behavior of exploiting and extracting limits us to less and less access—to the very places and natural settings we are all trying to get back to when commanded to Shelter in Place. What will be left of these places that soothe our hearts and minds in the toughest of times if we continue down this same path? Where will we head during the next pandemic? After this public health crisis is behind us, we will need healthy oceans and nature and should do our part to protect it for all. CS

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Living in Coastal Georgia during COVID-19 has solidified, to me, how BY MAYA important the ocean, marshes, and coastal nature is to our well-being, our spirit, and to our happiness. I HOPE this piece reaches my neighbors, Having worked in environmental friends and family, in solidarity during a research and advocacy, I am familiar with rather scary and uncertain time. I know the economic and ecological value of a my own world has been shaken, transhealthy coast and chain of barrier islands. formed for now and for the foreseeable But other connections to wellbeing and future. quality of life remain harder to quantify. So many stories streaming past my eyes. This begs the question, what is the value Some are facts, some sensationalism, some in happiness and natural spaces. Further conspiracies, extremism, and more. what is ‘value’ to us? So many of these stories focused on Over the last weeks, as we settled into politicizing a pandemic and pitting us Shelter in Place, I started to notice someagainst each other based on abstract thing incredible. Across my social media notions of the “economy.” network and in casual conversations with The fallout I’ve experienced includes friends and family, one of the most imporlosing friends to philosophical fights, havtant things people turned to for some seming friends who have fallen drastically sick blance of balance—in nature. to COVID-19, and having friends and colPeople longing to get to the ocean, leagues who have lost family to this virus. beaches, rivers, for fishing and paddling And we know little about what is yet to and more. The partisan economy rhetoric come. that monopolizes media and pits fights I’ve had a lot of time to reflect, and one against strangers on social media seems to thing that keeps grabbing my attention is fade into the background. the absence of people talking about how we When given the chance a lot of people will reconsider our relationships to nature want to get back to nature. It’s been and wildlife in a post-pandemic world. astounding to me. We haven’t discussed much about our This observation has offered me a sense exploitation of nature and wildlife or how of hope that more people will begin to proit got us to this point. tect our natural world since they get so Traditional epidemiological studies much benefit from it. trace the origin of COVID-19 to markets These are the values that matter to me that sell exotic wildlife for market. This and are often left out of our politically divitheory has been disputed, so some of the sive narrative of “what’s best for America.” details are still out to jury. Of course, it’s important to still However, most leading public health acknowledge jobs and business are equally institutions agree this new strand spread important to any other issue we are facing. from non-human animals to humans. This I too face financial vulnerability because is what’s called a zoonotic disease, and it is of this global pandemic. But life and living an entire area of public health concern. seems to be the most ethical priority. In fact, the CDC has long held a transdisThe nature and biodiversity that we ciplinary approach to public health which coexist with offers us stability for our recognizes the interconnections between health as a species, as well as an escape people, animals, plants, and our shared from the pressures of the world. We are environments. This is called “One Health.” seeing this boldly in a time of great loss and Since we’ve been forced to slow down, uncertainty. have you considered your own relationship That’s why we need to talk more about with the nature and wildlife we explore? our connection to nature and wildlife and Your version of connecting with nature consider our coexistence within these may be as simple as sitting on the beach or realms. Based on science, we know the growing a garden. current pandemic is linked to human For others it might be paddling, surfing, exploitation of wildlife. hiking, fishing, meditation and ceremony, We need to acknowledge that this or a multitude of other ways to explore and exploitation of wildlife is not linked to a specific nation; it is driven by a network of commune with nature.

NEWS & OPINION POLITICS School Board, District 2 Dionne Hoskins (I) School Board, District 3 Connie Hall (I) School Board, District 7 Michael Johnson (I) Leonard McCoy State Senate, District 1 Ben Watson, Republican Kerri McGinty, Democrat State Senate, District 2 Lester Jackson, Democrat (I) State House District 161 Bill Hitchens, Republican (I) State House District 162 Carl Gillard, Democrat (I) State House District 163 Derek Mallow, Democrat Mac Sims, Democrat Marc Smith, Democrat Matthew Swanson, Democrat Anne Allen Westbrook, Democrat

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 27 - JUNE 2, 2020

State House District 164 Ron Stephens, Republican (I) Jeffrey Rayno, Democrat Marcus Thompson, Democrat

The Candidates: A long list vies in active election season County Commission Chairman Jason Buelterman, Republican Billy Hair, Republican Chester Ellis, Democrat Jay Jones, Democrat County Commission, District 1 Kevin Heyman, Democrat

Helen Stone, Republican (I) Benjamin Wanager, Democrat County Commission, District 2 Gator Rivers, Republican Clinton Edminster, Democrat Michael Hamilton Sr., Democrat Tony Riley, Democrat County Commission, District 3 Bobby Lockett, Democrat (I) Brian Reese, Democrat County Commission, District 4 Pat Farrell, Republican (I) County Commission, District 5 Florence Glover, Democrat Tanya Milton, Democrat Tabitha Odell, Democrat (I) Yusuf Shabazz, Democrat Angela Washington, Democrat County Commission, District 6 William Dyal, Republican Leonard Massey, Republican Aaron Whitely, Democrat County Commission, District 7 Dean Kicklighter, Republican (I) Orlando Scott, Democrat

Alizina Wallace-McCoy, Democrat County Commission, District 8 Kenneth Adams, Democrat Gary Monroe, Democrat Clerk of Superior Court Tammie Mosley, Democrat (I) Coroner Charles Pugh, Republican David Campbell, Democrat J. Vernard Flowers, Democrat Amethyst Shortz Okwu, Democrat Lillian Williams, Democrat Probate Court Judge Tom Bordeaux (I) Sheriff John T. Wilcher, Republican (I) Tax Commissioner Sonya Jackson, Democrat Henry Lee Perry, Democrat Al Scott, Democrat School Board, District 1 Denise Grabowski Jonathan Jones

State House District 165 Mickey Stephens, Democrat (I) Clinton Young, Democrat State House District 166 Jesse Petrea, Republican (I) Michael Mack, Democrat District Attorney, Eastern Meg Daly Heap, Republican (I) Shalena Cook Jones, Democrat Zena McClain, Democrat US Senate David Perdue, Republican (I) Sarah Riggs Amico, Democrat Marckeith DeJesus, Democrat James Knox, Democrat Tricia Carpenter McCracken, Democrat Jon Ossoff, Democrat Maya Dillard Smith, Democrat Teresa Pike Tomlinson, Demorat US House District 1 Buddy Carter, Republican (I) Danny Merritt, Republican Ken Yasger, Republican Joyce Marie Griggs, Democrat Lisa Ring, Democrat Barbara Seidman, Democrat

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

EARLY VOTING INFORMATION When is the election?

Due to COVID-19 concerns, the Secretary of State has moved the General Primary and Non-Partisan General Election to June 9. Early voting began May 18 and continues through June 5.

What’s on the ballot?

This election is the General Primary and Non-Partisan General Election. If you did not cast a ballot in the Presidential Primary, it may be included on your June 9 ballot. You will have three choices: a non-partisan only ballot, which will not include partisan races like the Presidential race; a Republican ballot; or a Democratic ballot.

But what will be on my ballot?

Due to the Primary and Non-Partisan General Elections being combined, there are 551 different ballot styles. Use My Voter Page (mvp.sos.ga.gov) to look up your district and to find the exact candidates you’ll see.

Can I still vote at the polls if I have an absentee ballot?

Yes, you can! If you have your absentee ballot, you can still vote in person. When you arrive to the poll, turn in your blank absentee ballot to the manager and you will be able to vote by machine. If you haven’t received the absentee ballot you requested, you can still vote in person. When you get to the poll, request that the poll manager cancel your absentee ballot, and you’ll be able to vote by machine.

Where is my absentee ballot?

Visit mvp.sos.ga.gov to find out the status of your absentee ballot. You can also find out where to vote, who is on the ballot, who your elected officials are, and to which address they mailed your absentee ballot.

With COVID-19, will in-person voting be safe?

The State will be providing some sanitation solutions to help combat COVID-19 and the county will be supplementing that. You can help by voting absentee (no reason required) instead, or social distancing and wearing a mask to your poll.

Where do you vote early?

Early in-person voting begins May 18 and ends June 5. You do not need a reason to vote early. Main office, 1117 Eisenhower Drive, Suite E, Savannah, Ga. May 18-29 Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sat., May 20 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 1-5 Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pooler office, 100 SW US Hwy 80 Monday-Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit mvp.sos.ga.gov or call the Voter Registration Office at 912-790-1520.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 27 - JUNE 2, 2020

POLITICS

NEWS & OPINION COMMUNITY Third suspect arrested in Arbery murder

A third man has been arrested by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in the death of Ahmaud Arbery. “On May 21, 2020, the GBI arrested William “Roddie” Bryan Jr., age 50, on charges of Felony Murder & Criminal Attempt to Commit False Imprisonment. These charges stem from the February 23, 2020 incident that resulted in the death of Ahmaud Arbery. He will be booked into the Glynn County Jail,” the GBI reports. Bryan was allegedly the man filming the shooting, in which Gregory and Travis McMichael chased Arbery, who was on foot, in a pickup truck. The McMichael’s brandished guns at Arbery, and when Arbery attempted to defend himself, he was shot at least three times with the shotgun. Two days before, GBI agents executed a search warrant at the home of Gregory & Travis McMichael. “ No further details are being released at this time due to the active and ongoing case,” the GBI says. This case is being investigated in partnership with District Attorney Joyette Holmes of the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office. All judges in the Brunswick Judicial Circuit have recused themselves, mostly based on Gregory McMichael’s long tenure as a Glynn County investigator and police officer. Chatham County Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley will oversee the case instead.

‘Art in Ardsley’ social distance talent show awards given

Ella Rodgers, a rising eighth grade student who is homeschooled, won first prize in the Art in Ardsley “social-distance art and talent show,” held throughout the neighborhood on Friday, May 15. Rodgers played her own compositions on piano and was judged first by two of the three-judge panel. The exhibition was organized by the Ardsley Park – Chatham Crescent Neighborhood Association (APCCNA) “at a suggestion of, and with help from, neighborhood resident Mia Merlin. Four musical acts and six artists participated, with performances and art displayed on front lawns throughout the neighborhood,” a spokesperson says. The judges awarded second place to Finley Ylisto, a third grade student at Charles Ellis who was creating paintings in the front yard live during the event, and third place to AJ Hetzel, an artist and entrepreneur who has lived in the neighborhood since 1993. The art and performances were first judged by neighbors who viewed the entries and posted likes and comments on social media.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 27 - JUNE 2, 2020

Telfair Museums announce Robert ‘Bob’ Faircloth as new Acting Director

The Telfair Museums’ Board of Trustees announced today the appointment of Robert “Bob” Faircloth as its new Acting Director. “Faircloth, a well-respected area philanthropist, has been involved as a volunteer and a board member with Telfair for more than two decades, since 1997. Currently, Faircloth serves on the organization’s Executive Committee,” a Telfair spokesperson says. In a move that came as a surprise to some observers, on May 13, Robin Nicholson resigned from his position as Telfair’s Executive Director/CEO. Telfair’s Board of Trustees is forming a search committee to appoint the museum’s next Executive Director/CEO. “Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Telfair closed its three sites in mid March to ensure the safety of visitors and staff, but the museum has remained connected to the community with the launch of Telfair Today, an online hub featuring virtual exhibition tours, art and outreach activities, news stories, artist interviews, and more,” the Museums say.

Top: Pat Mooney entertaining from his front porch. Left: Ella Rodgers won the competition.

They were finally judged by Alderman Nick Palumbo, long time Arts Academy music teacher Carl Polk, and Jon Witzky, a painter who teaches at Georgia Southern. Prizes were provided by APCCNA and the Savannah Bananas, and a trophy was donated by Starlandia Art Supply. – John Bennett

Union Mission receives donation from Gulfstream

Union Mission received a $7,500 donation from Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation due to COVID-19. This donation will help fund the Emergency Services Programs that support 20 homeless women and children who reside at Magdalene Project and 70 men at Grace House. “These programs focus on providing basic human needs including shelter, food, clothing, and transportation. In addition, this funding supports access to mental

health counseling (to the underinsured and uninsured) not only to Union Mission clients but also to the community at large,” a spokesperson says. “Unfortunately during this unprecedented time, Union Mission had to postpone and possibly cancel its major fundraiser, a major source of funding that supports these programs on a day to day basis,” said Mark Bennett, Union Mission Board member and Public Affairs & Community Investment Manager at Gulfstream. “In addition, there has never been a greater need for mental health counseling in our community.” CS

NEWS & OPINION BLOTTER 2020 Sav/Chatham County Crime Stats through Friday May 22

HOMICIDES

of Manning, S.C., sustained minor injuries and were treated and released. Southbound lanes of Interstate 95 were closed until around 9:30 a.m. while crews investigated and cleared the crash scene.

Arrest made in Jan. 2 homicide

Fatal Shooting on Largo Drive

SPD Violent Crimes detectives are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred on Largo Drive May 19. “Officers responded to the 11400 block of Largo Drive around 11:15 a.m. and discovered Bilal Pinkston, 18, suffering from gunshot wounds. He was transported to Memorial Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries later that evening,” police report. “The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation. At this time, detectives do not believe this is a random incident. They continue to actively follow up on leads.” Anyone with information is asked to contact the SPD Crime Tip Line at (912) 525-3124 or Crimestoppers at (912) 234-2020.

Two-vehicle crash on I- 95

Savannah Police’s Traffic Investigation Unit is investigating a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 95 that resulted in the closure of

The wreck on I-95

the southbound lanes for several hours the morning of May 19. “Around 4:20 a.m. a GMC Arcadia was traveling south near Jimmy DeLoach Parkway when it struck a Nissan Altima that was stopped horizontally across the lanes and did not have its lights on. It is unknown at this time why the vehicle was

in this position. The crash resulted in both vehicles spinning in the roadway,” police report. Jaquarius Scott, 26, of Hinesville, who was driving the Altima, was transported to Memorial Medical Center in serious condition. The Arcadia’s driver, John Wynkoop, 78, and passenger Nilda Wynkoop, 70, both

During the course of the investigation into the January 2 homicide of Tyrese Carter, 17, Dorian Rashad Heyward, 19, was identified as the suspect. On May 15, Heyward was served his warrant for murder while being held in the Chatham County Detention Center for unrelated charges. The shooting Jan. 2 happened around 12:30 a.m. “Officers responded to the 2500 block of Bull Street in reference to a shooting. Upon arrival, officers located shooting victim, Tyrese Carter, 17, suffering from lifethreatening injuries. He was transported to the hospital where he succumbed to those injuries,” police reported at the time. ALL CASES FROM RECENT LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT INCIDENT REPORTS. GIVE ANONYMOUS CRIME TIPS TO CRIMESTOPPERS AT 912/234-2020 OR TEXT CRIMES (274637) USING KEYWORD CSTOP2020.

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• Some sports teams eager to return to the field have taken to placing cardboard figures of fans in stadium seats to enhance the experience for viewers, but the FC Seoul soccer club in South Korea was forced to apologize May 18 after propping up sex dolls in the seats for its match against Gwangju FC, The New York Times reported. “We had tried to add some fun in the no-spectator match,” the club explained. “But we have not checked all the details, and that is clearly our fault.” “Details” included the buxom physiques and obvious logos of sex toy marketers on the dolls’ clothing that fans watching quickly noticed. “We had confirmed that although the mannequins were made to look just like real people, they had nothing to do with adult products,” the statement said, but the club admitted it had neglected to do a background check of the supplier, which makes sex dolls. • Dinner at the renowned Inn at Little Washington in Virginia can set diners back a pretty penny -- unless they’re not eating. When the Inn opens May 29, some patrons will be mannequins, reported the AP, attired in fancy 1940s clothing and placed at tables to help with social distancing. “We’re all craving to gather and see other people right now,” said Patrick O’Connell, the Inn’s proprietor and chef. “They don’t all necessarily need to be real people.”

from the wily coyote.

The Passing Parade

Police responding to a reported shooting in Poughkeepsie, New York, early on May 17, arrived to find a very drunk 35-yearold man from the Bronx who claimed he’d been shot in the buttocks, which caused him to fall and hit his head. The Hudson Valley Post reported the unnamed victim was taken to a hospital, where he was treated for his head injury, but doctors could find no evidence he’d been shot. There was no bullet hole in his buttocks, X-rays showed no bullet lodged inside his buttocks, and his pants had no holes in them, police said. Witnesses nearby were also intoxicated and unable to provide any clarification. When officers pressed the victim about his story, he became uncooperative and said, “I didn’t pull a gun.”

Homeschooling Gone Wild

Parents have lodged complaints with the Archbishop Sentamu Academy in Hull, England, after discovering their seventh-, eighth- and ninth-graders were sent an exercise asking them to define pornography, soft pornography, hardcore pornography and other sensitive subjects, such as human trafficking and female genital mutilation. The assignments were made as part of the school’s sex education course, but one parent, identified as Mrs. Taylor, said if her daughter had searched these Rebellion Served Cold terms on the internet, the results would An unnamed ice cream shop in Hong have “destroyed her mind” and “scarred Kong is offering tear gas-flavored ice cream her for life.” The school responded saying, in support of the region’s pro-democracy “Students were not directed to research movement, reports the AP. The shop’s these topics themselves on the internet owner explained he wanted “to make a fla- because all the answers ... were contained vor that reminds people that they still have in the teacher-produced materials we to persist in the protest movement and shared.” Principal Chay Bell apologized. don’t lose their passion.” “It tastes like tear Why Not? gas,” said customer Anita Wong. “It feels In Japan, people are enlisting the help difficult to breathe at first, and it’s really of a mythical creature believed to ward pungent and irritating. It makes me want off plagues. Amabie, a mermaidlike being, to drink a lot of water immediately.” The owner tried several different combinations first appeared in Japanese folklore in 1846, when she was reported to have appeared to achieve the flavor and found that black to a government official and predicted a pepper came the closest. Before coronavirich harvest and a pandemic. She told the rus restrictions, he said the store was sellman the pandemic could be thwarted by ing 20 to 30 scoops per day. drawing her likeness and sharing it with Just Funny as many people as possible, BBC reported University of Arizona wildlife biology on April 23. Now, images of the spirit professor Michael Bogan caught Saturday are appearing over five continents, and morning cartoons as they came to life in in Japan, face masks and hand sanitizer a video he recorded of a coyote chasing a with her image are popular. One long-haul roadrunner May 9 in downtown Tucson. driver painted her on the side of his truck, Bogan could be heard on his recording saying, “I travel all over the country with saying, “There is literally a coyote chasing my (goods) and Amabie to pray for the a roadrunner. I can’t believe it. That is a disease to go away.” Even the country’s straight-up cartoon.” The reenactment of Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has the classic setup between Wile E. Coyote joined in, tweeting an image of Amabie and and the Roadrunner caught Bogan’s atten- encouraging people to “prevent the spread of the virus.” tion near the Santa Cruz River, Fox News reported. And, as life often imitates art, ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION the real roadrunner escaped unharmed

MUSIC QUARANTINE CONCERT

PHOTO BY VALENTIN SIVYAKOV

EMBER CITY SET FOR QUARANTINE CONCERT BY SEAN KELLY

sean@connectsavannah.com

LOCAL ROCKERS Ember City have been doing live stream shows on a regular basis for quite some time now, since their gigs were cancelled in March as things shut down due to COVID-19. Those shows, which have been acoustic performances by bandleader/bassist Sarah Poole and her husband, guitarist Ryan Taito, are markedly different from the three-piece rock configuration that they’re used to. “For me, the live streams were kind of a method of maintaining sanity,” Poole tells Connect. “It gave me something to look forward to, so I wasn’t sitting in my pajamas

for a week straight. I really appreciate that I did that, because I’m not as rusty as I would have been had I not played for two months.” The band’s upcoming Quarantine Concert, which takes place on Fri., May 29 at 8:30 p.m. will finally give the band a chance to return to form and play a fullband rock show. “It’s going to be all of our originals that we have out in the world right now, plus a couple of covers,” Poole says of the show. “We’re really excited to do a full band thing. Everything shut down right before St. Patrick’s Day and that was a lot of big shows for us. We haven’t done any full band stuff since early March, so we’re very excited to get out there and be loud.”

Naturally, Poole and Taito have been using this time of isolation to write new music. It’s a new direction for the band, Poole says. “The last project was themed off of anxiety, so the whole album was conceptualized. But going into this, we’re focusing more on the feeling of the song than the lyrics. I feel like the lyrics are secondary, which is weird because I’ve never done it like that,” Poole says. “I’m writing lyrics and thinking, ‘Well, this line doesn’t really contribute to the line before it. But it paints the overall picture.’ So I’m going outside of my comfort zone with this next set of songs.” Poole says the goal of the new music is to approach things from a standpoint of

production and dynamics, and to loosen the reins when it comes to the lyrical focus. The goal is ultimately to view the process through a different lens. “I’ve kind of put myself in a box over the last year in terms of saying, ‘I need to write this type of song, it needs to sound like this,’” she says. “But I guess during quarantine I’ve been saying, ‘You know what? Whatever.’ I’m just going to write, and if we like it we like it. And if we don’t, we’ll scrap it. That’s where we are right now.” CS

EMBER CITY QUARANTINE CONCERT

Fri., May 29, 8:30 P.M. Visit quarantineconcerts.org for more info and to purchase tickets

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 27 - JUNE 2, 2020

Rock band returns to the stage for livestream show

MUSIC REVIEWS

Album Reviews

It’s a rock and metalLIVE MUSIC themed pair of IN THE reviews! SOUNDGARDEN WED, MAY 27 7:30PM

BY SEAN KELLY

sean@connectsavannah.com

Knightsquatch - First Contact

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Knightsquatch’s excellent 2019 EP First Contact is a mere three songs long, which is frustrating because I really wanted to hear more after listening. That’s not a particularly bold statement to make about an album you like, but it carries a lot more weight when you consider that this EP clocks in at around 40 minutes. Yes, you read that right—40 minutes. For those that aren’t typically into long, expansive songs, I’m here to tell you that you should be giving this EP a chance. “Misanthropocene Sword,” the final song in the set, is 21 minutes long but it accomplishes the very rare feat of not feeling like that at all. Knightsquatch is incredibly good at keeping an arrangement interesting enough to capture a listener’s attention and not let go of it, even as dynamics flow and things twist and turn. “The Tower” is my favorite song on First Contact, because it best encompasses all that this band is trying to do, in my view. It’s a crazy combination of prog, metal, screamo, scifi, and even jazz. There’s so much packed in here, but the key to doing that right is for the composition to have context and be performed in such a way that it feels cohesive and tasteful. The band does this amazingly on all three songs, and proves in the process that they’re a band to watch. Knightsquatch signals on First Contact that they’re skillful musicians and composers with the creative drive enough to keep pumping out captivating recordings. For more on Knightsquatch, visit knightsquatch.bandcamp.com

Depressor - Callous

Why Depressor hasn’t garnered more national recognition than they have is beyond me. It’s quite rare to find a band that has a genuine passion for giving a nod to the metal scene that Savannah has become known for, but they do just that—while also putting their own stamp on the scene and revitalizing that very

same scene in the process. On Callous, the band’s first release from 2018, they make this statement right away and never back down from it. The incredible thing about this band, and this record, is that they don’t adhere to one particular facet of extreme music or one subgenre of metal. There are bits and pieces of lots of different things in what they do, whether it’s hardcore, thrash, or even speed metal and sludge. “Visual Distort” is a great example of why Depressor is a different kind of metal band, and why what they do is so unique. “Wickedness Has No Taste” is brutal from the get go, with a guitar sound that will make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. This might be my personal favorite on the album, for lots of reasons. The biggest thing that makes this a standout, aside from the inventive guitar sound, is the imaginative structure and shifts in time signatures. It’s one of the things that makes this band so impressive, and signals that they’re doing some significant and singular things within their musical world. Depressor is a band to keep tabs on, if you’re a fan of rock and metal. It’s rare to find a band these days under the umbrella of extreme music that sounds truly unique, but Depressor accomplishes this wonderfully. For more on Depressor, visit depressorga.bandcamp.com

We may be keeping our distance, but we are in this together.

Stay Calm. Stay Connected.

Go to AloneTogether.com for ways to take care of yourself and others.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 27 - JUNE 2, 2020

Stay Active.

CULTURE THEATRE

Savannah Performance Project: keeping the arts community connected

Chris Bass talks about his live streams, the future of arts and theater BY SEAN KELLY

sean@connectsavannah.com

LOCAL ACTOR, theater veteran, performer and arts enthusiast Chris Bass launched Savannah Performance Project before the pandemic. But it was after everything shut down that things started taking off with the Facebook page. The quick rise in popularity with live streaming prompted him to use the page as a platform to speak to members of the theater, improv, music, and general performance communities—local and beyond— and build something that has become truly entertaining and informative. “In March, we had planned to have a community meeting with all of the performance organizations at Front Porch Improv’s new venue. And when we realized we couldn’t do that, it basically just put

a halt to everything,” Bass tells Connect. “Everything seemed so dark at that time, and I was looking for something to reach out to the community with.” Bass cites Seth Rudetsky’s Sirius XM show, on which he talks to Broadway veterans and others in the music and acting worlds, as an influence for his live stream show. The show, which airs at 1:15 PM daily on the SPP Facebook page, finds Bass interviewing a range of people including Front Porch Improv’s Chris Soucy and Tony Award nominee Jen Colella. The show has even been guest hosted by Chris’ daughter Molly, who has performed with Savannah Children’s Theater and seems to follow in her dad’s footsteps. The big goal of the show is to inspire the community, which Bass has undoubtedly done so far.

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CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 27 - JUNE 2, 2020

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“I thought, ‘What if we were able to have that touchpoint once a day at least?’ So people know we’re still trying to keep the light on, and at least inspire ourselves and be a performance community even though we can perform,” he says. SPP also satisfies a longtime dream of Bass’, which began in high school when he’d watch David Letterman on TV. “I tried to do a talk show based on Letterman, who was one of my heroes. I hadn’t done anything since then of that nature, but always in the back of my head I was like, ‘Could I do that?’” he says. “As I’ve been doing this, I’ve realized that I could keep doing this for a while and maybe build a career out of it. But at the same time, I don’t want to take away from the fact that it’s so important right now that people are able to talk.

SPP is giving people a chance to stay connected to their passion, and to interface with others who share the love of performance. “The art of conversation has not been lost because we cannot see each other. It’s actually grown quite a bit,” he says. “We’re actually having these conversations daily with people we haven’t talked to in years.” As for the future of performance in Savannah, there’s much up in the air. But Bass is hopeful things will normalize and audiences can enjoy art up close and personal. For now, technology has allowed for artistic connection to remain intact in a different way. “It’s almost impossible to survive this if we don’t collaborate in some way,” he says. “There are so many voices that we have locally. It has to be a community effort.” CS Chris Bass’ daily live stream show airs at 1:15 p.m. at Facebook.com/SPPAdmin

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CULTURE VISUAL ARTS

QUESTIONS

WITH

Radheya Visperas BY RACHAEL FLORA

rachael@connectsavannah.com

HAVING spent half her life in her native Philippines and half in Qatar, fibers artist Radheya Visperas came to Savannah for a change of pace and scenery. Two years in, she’s finding her niche and is set to graduate from SCAD in the fall. Visperas got her start in fashion design, and her fibers work is an extension of that practice. She views the work she does as painting with fabric. A true creative at heart, Visperas is always creating and uses a variety of media to get her ideas across. We caught up with Visperas last week.

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 27 - JUNE 2, 2020

1.: How did you end up in Savannah?

I moved here two years ago. I graduated with my bachelors in fashion in 2017 from Virginia Commonwealth University in Doha, Qatar. I was working until 2018, and I decided I wanted a change of scenery. I was in this moment where I felt like I needed to do something kind of drastic. I felt really lost at that moment, and I was thinking about fashion design and how I can be a better designer. So it made sense to do my masters in textiles. I moved here because of SCAD, but I had no idea what SCAD was. I was looking for schools in the US and literally Googled “best art schools in the US.” The first one was obviously Parsons; it was my first choice. Then I saw SCAD and thought, that’s a really interesting school, and it’s Savannah in the South, where I have no idea what it’s like to live in the South. This is a good sort of challenge. It was a huge change for me. First of all, there’s so much greenery—in Qatar, it was literally just sand and palm trees. And I didn’t know anybody. I had no friends, no family, nobody. It was like, “Oh my God, Rad, what have you done?” I remember when I got here, my dad flew here with me and when he left, I remember sitting on one of the benches on Liberty Street like, “Oh my God, I’m alone.” But it felt really good. It’s like me starting off with a clean slate. I can explore and be more in touch with myself.

2. What was your transition from fashion design to fiber work like? The first job I had in Qatar was a

start-up company, and it was only four people, all women. That was a great experience. It was so entrepreneurial. We were learning as we were going. We were also doing some workshops to teach people how to do pattern making or how to sew. That aspect of the craft is part of the brand’s manifesto: it’s not a massproduced company. When you make something, you should have intentions, and not for exploitation. I learned so much. When I moved here, I had no idea. I had no plan of, “Okay, now I’m in the fibers program, let’s see where this is going to take me.” I was learning how to do some weaving, some print and pattern, and I was working with secondhand clothing and draping them and finding new silhouettes for fashion. But I felt like it wasn’t giving me what I wanted. I had a lot of those secondhand clothing donations from different people. Eventually I was making fiber artwork, but I don’t think about them in the sense of just fiber art. I feel like it’s more than that. I’ve been painting from a young age. When I think about the artworks I’m making now, it’s like painting with fabric. This series I’m making is borne out of frustration and like I need to make something that is me. Not something where I’m trying to please somebody, not something just because I want to get a job after school. One day I put all those fabrics in, layered them and stitched them and I was like, “What am I going to do with this?” It was a spontaneous thing that evolved on its own.

3. What’s your creative process like? Honestly, I’m a crazy maker artist person—I like to do a lot of different things, so this is one part of what I do. I do a lot of weaving, sometimes painting. When I’m bored, I can just do something else. For my work, I have these two main concepts that drive my work. The first is approaching my practice with this idea of mindful inquiry. Being mindful asks

Visperas’ work focuses on mindfulness and curiosity. PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ARTIST.

you to slow down, to observe, to be in the moment. I really like that. Being a versatile artist, I’m always curious, always questioning things, always reading. Those two things are pushing me to explore something bigger than myself. The second part is looking at evocative objects. The fabrics I use come from people that I’ve met. Yesterday, somebody donated some fabrics to me and I asked her to share a story about the fabrics. She was like, “Well, I got these from Hong Kong when I was there for study abroad.” It was so awesome because I’ve never been to Hong Kong, but she gave me this fabric from there that has so much memory and meaning. I really like that aspect in the work. I also think about the tools we use for our making. I feel like they tell us so much about the intentions we set for the work.

4. What’s your physical process like?

The sewing machine is the major part. I do so much sewing, even though you can’t really see it at first. I use a lot of tools to cut and repair it; there are a lot of dual characteristics. I usually work on the floor. My apartment is always kind of cluttered—I keep some parts clean and some parts messy, because that’s just how my brain works. It’s like painting with fabrics: I cut them and layer them, baste them and sew them.

The washing process is important in the work. It’s that moment where you’re cleaning it but also changing the material to become different. Then I put it in the dryer, and it’s a surprise of, “Oh my God, this happened?” I want to keep making these and always be surprised.

5. What are you doing next?

Right now, the work I’ve done isn’t as large-scale as I would hope for. I have a piece that’s 120 inches long, so I’m moving on to larger work. I’m being bold with what I’m trying to say. In the upcoming weeks, I’ll be working on some videos of the process to show what actually goes on in the work, because I think that’s a really important part: to show the audience this is what I do, but this is also where I get a lot of the meaning of the work. I really want to focus on my practice. Right now, I’m renting an apartment, but hopefully I can find a house where I can have a home studio. I’m interested in starting an artist collective space where artists can come have their studios and do more collaborative projects with each other, like an incubation place. I want people to go to a space and just do what they love to do. CS Follow her on Instagram at @radheyavisperas.

CULTURE THE ART•BEAT OF SAVANNAH

Still from Length of a Day by Leia Genis.

Abrir Galería opens its virtual doors, blazes new ground

AS WE’VE SEEN for many weeks now, art exhibitions are moving online as the pandemic forces us to distance ourselves from each other. Gone—for now—are the days of crowding into a white-wall gallery to see an artist’s latest body of work while mingling with other art lovers. Now, artists rely on online engagement to drive sales and show off their work. Instagram Lives have replaced the opening reception and gallery talk; web pages have replaced an exhibition space. Is this the way forward? Gonzalo Hernandez votes yes. “My generation is really computerbased, so I feel like they’re more attracted to an online platform than maybe a space,” he says. “I feel like that’s the future.” Hernandez is forging the future with Abrir Galería, an entirely online platform with a focus on contemporary art from all parts of the world. Abrir translates to open” in Spanish, a concept that Peru native Hernandez is particularly interested in. “We selected ‘Abrir’ as a name because it’s to open doors to these new artists and to open visibility in general,” he explains. Hernandez has had dreams of opening an online gallery for years now. Before coming to Savannah to attend SCAD, he interned at Bridget Donahue in New

Exercise to climb a tree III by Ingrid Pumayalla.

artists that I follow. They’re making work that I really like.” Each artist explores the idea of time and space in their own world through the body of work they’re exhibiting. Genis’ project, “Length of a day,” explores space and time through body and action in a video performance that shows the artist walking back and forth. Tariq’s series, “Freedom and Privilege,” asks questions about where the true wealth of humanity is. Ramirez’s photo series, “Before it Disappears,” attempts to generate a dialogue between the materiality in the consumption of photos and their digitization. Pumayalla’s “Nuna” is a self-portrait that features a background conversation

with her grandfather. Miglio’s “Contemporary Art Ideas?” allows him to explore his own field and what being an artist is like. Abrir Galería opens with “Today” on May 25 at 11 a.m. EST, when the website goes live. With a typical, in-person exhibition, the success of the showing is determined that night, dependent on whether the gallery fills up or not. It’s a little different for online exhibitions, of course. Hernandez has analytics on the website to see the traffic, but like most people in his generation, he has a different metric to measure success. “We’ve been on Instagram for two days and I think we have 100 something

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 27 - JUNE 2, 2020

BY RACHAEL FLORA

rachael@connectsavannah.com

York City, and he continued that experience here by working with Susan Laney at Laney Contemporary. “I’ve always wanted to have a gallery, so why not do it now?” he asks. Having recently moved from Savannah to Kansas City with his wife, Hernandez felt the importance of a gallery that was able to reach people from all over. That need was exacerbated by the pandemic. “Everything is virtual and online,” he says. “Especially now that we can’t go to any galleries or museums, I feel like it makes total sense to create these online platforms.” Hernandez is open to hosting pop-up locations of Abrir Galería in the future, but that’s solidly in the future. For now, Abrir will be online, beginning with its first exhibition, “Today.” “It’s basically my own view of what contemporary art is doing and what artists are really interesting for me right now,” says Hernandez of the exhibition. “I have the whole programming for the year already with different curators and other artists just to keep looking. There are so many artists that I like, and they need visibility.” “Today” features five artists that Hernandez has, in a sense, picked up in the places he’s lived previously: Leia Genis from Savannah, Ga.; Abi Tariq from Paris, France; and César Augusto Ramirez, Ingrid Pumayalla, and Martín Rodriguez Míglio, each from Peru. “I know all the artists, but they don’t know each other,” says Hernandez. “I wanted to feature people from different parts of the world and have this group of

CONTINUES ON P. 18 17

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Panoramic by Cesar Augusto Ramirez.

To be a fit for the Multimedia Sales Representative role in our group, you will have:

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 27 - JUNE 2, 2020

• Two or more years in consultative, solutions-oriented sales, with a track record of success, and a demonstrated understanding of needs-based selling • A Bachelor’s Degree • Proficiency in MS Office Suite including Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Outlook • Excellent communication, interpersonal, organizational and time-management skills • A valid driver’s license • Residency in the greater Savannah, GA area

While this is a multimedia sales role where digital media sales experience is strongly preferred, it’s not required. At a minimum, however, you should have some knowledge of print advertising and the growing digital media marketing landscape. Whatever your level of experience -- an active social media presence, experience creating websites, in-depth study of related topics and/or an understanding of terms/concepts like SEO/SEM, content marketing, programmatic advertising, audience targeting, retargeting, Google AdWords, CPM, CPC, etc. -- if you have the sales skills, motivation and passion to learn, we’ll provide the training and tools you need to succeed. Connect Savannah is a Morris Multimedia company. Take the first step. Send your resume and a cover letter to sales@connectsavannah.com

gravité by Abi Tariq.

followers,” says Hernandez. (As of press time, @abrirgaleria had 148 followers in five days.) Is this really the new way? Does social media interaction determine a successful body of work? In a lot of ways, it already does. There’s no question that artists and gallerists who are on top of promoting themselves online get more attention. That’s not a new thing by any means: artists who get the word out about themselves are the ones who get written about, whether that’s via flyer or press release. The carryover to social media is clear. For my own part, I learn about many artists via Instagram, and I’ve had more than one artist slide in my DMs to promote a new show, a new piece of work, or just themselves. That’s not to say that social media prowess equals talent. There are plenty of talented artists who aren’t Insta-famous— and getting to that point takes a lot of time

and effort, which can take away from the actual point of making art. But as time goes on, and as the generations who have never been without a cell phone start to be the ones in charge of things, this is increasingly the way it will go. The pandemic simply showed us that it was possible. Older, more traditional folks may balk at this turning of the tides. Renowned art critic Jerry Saltz has bemoaned the idea of “online viewing rooms” on Instagram, and I’m sure he’s not the only one. To be clear, physical art galleries will never go away forever. Some art just must be experienced in person, and art openings are such an integral part of being in the art scene. (If nobody sees you at the reception, were you really ever there?) But as we move forward into postCOVID territory, I think it’s more important than ever to be open to new ideas. And that, mis amigos, is where Abrir Galería comes in. CS

FILM LOCAL CINEMA Scenes the 1987 film, The Gate

Isolation Binge: Graveface Records’ Ryan Graveface BY SEAN KELLY

sean@connectsavannah.com

WELCOME TO Isolation Binge. People are undoubtedly leaning on movies, TV, and music right now in these dark, uncertain times. It might actually be the apex of binge-watching, considering that most everyone is staying indoors right now. We decided to sit down with some of the most passionate film fans and connoisseurs that Savannah has to offer, to find out what they’re watching right now and why

movies mean so much to them. Today we’re talking with Ryan Graveface, owner of Graveface Records and the Graveface Museum, among other ventures. He’s a pillar in the local arts community, and is an absolute connoisseur of music, films, and more. There’s an ongoing GoFundMe campaign that is raising money to help keep the record store afloat during the pandemic, which you can contribute to at gofundme.com/f/ help-graveface. For now, let’s dive in with Ryan Graveface.

Tell me about a movie or show you’ve watched/have been watching during isolation. I’ve been working on securing some pretty big (to me) licenses for my label Terror Vision. One of which is The Gate from ‘87 (fingers crossed it happens). The Gate is a quintessential goofy but rad demon monster flick from the 80s. It’s yet another “buddy” movie where the friends accidentally unleash a bunch of demons in their backyard. It’s fucking perfect and the soundtrack

literally couldn’t be better. There’s also a vinyl record element to it and nods to some killer metal bands. I won’t spoil it. Go watch it. Why do you think you’re resonating with something like this right now? Well, the way I make a living is by releasing records. So I have Graveface (label) and Terror Vision to do that. Graveface (the shop) makes almost no profit because there’s virtually no markup, especially on

CONNECT SAVANNAH | MAY 27 - JUNE 2, 2020

The man, the myth, the legend shares what he’s watching during quarantine

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I hate being talked down to and feel that the majority of films that are released these days do just that. So horror is king. And mind you, 85% of it is absolute crap. But I’d rather watch their crap over anything else!

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sealed stuff. So the majority of my Terror Vision life is spent researching copyrights and fighting with people and trying to find the original tapes etc. I’m basically an archivist as most of the stuff I preserve wouldn’t be preserved otherwise. For the most part, the other labels out there doing similar things to me just focus on obvious titles that have already had releases in the past. So they’re what I call reissue labels. Terror Vision is unique in that I only put out stuff that’s never had a release before. So this is resonating with me now because everyone is sitting at home, including copyright holders, and I figured I would try to get some bigger titles during this.

I’ve never binge-watched everything and never will. I think it’s an awful way to digest media. And the thought of giving Amazon or Netflix or Hulu EVEN MORE MONEY makes me ill. I think people need to spend more time creating and less time consuming media. There’s a lot of anxiety in the world right now, and I think we’re seeing a shift in the way that people view creatives from a perspective of value and professional importance because of the fact that people are using art (music, TV, etc) to help them stay sane. What do you hope is the takeaway from all of this, when it comes to the attitude the average person has towards someone who creates art that they may have previously taken for granted?

Give me a breakdown of your favorite scene/moment? Oh man, that’s a loaded question with The Gate. The moment with the heavy metal album was pretty inspiring from a nerdy label guy angle as are the forced perspective demons. The dude in the wall I’ll never forget from my childhood. Why is horror so important to you, and such a fixture in everything you do? Horror is the only thing I’ve ever cared about. I liked documentaries when I was a kid but they feel like propaganda now to me (even looking back). Comedies are not for me as I don’t find people to be even remotely funny. Action is a massive yawn (dudes running around with guns? Gimme a break). Romance is a joke. Hollywood is bullshit. There’s no happy endings in life

Ryan Graveface outside his shop right before the shutdown.

and I can’t stand films that pretend that’s how life is. I hate being talked down to and feel that the majority of films that are released these days do just that. So horror is king. And mind you, 85% of it is absolute crap. But I’d rather watch their crap over anything else! This might be the peak of binge-watching culture. Why, from your perspective, do you think people are grasping so tightly onto film and TV right now? I am not the right guy for this question.

I think it’s temporary, I’m afraid. You are right, it’s currently different but it’ll go back to being absolute shit. As soon as people can get wasted with their friends and not have to be so aware it’ll be gone. I’ve never sold so many records (talking about my labels, not my store) in my entire life and it’s 100% because people are mostly sitting at home with extra money in their account and they now want to and have the ability to support the people they like and respect. This will go away. On the plus side, I’ve made some amazing connections during this pandemic that are for life so that’s a pro. CS For more on Graveface Records, visit facebook. com/mcpsociety

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CHATHAM COUNTY COMMISSION MEETINGS — The Board of Commissioners usually meets twice a month (except for January) on Fridays at 9:30 a.m.The meetings are held in the Commission Chambers of the Old Courthouse, 124 Bull Street, Second Floor, and are open to the public. All Chatham County Commission Meeting Agendas, Minutes and Videos have moved to a new system that provides live streaming of video of the current meeting. chathamcountyga.iqm2. com/Citizens/Default.aspx. Green Room, Old County Courthouse, 124 Bull Street. CHATHAM COUNTY DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE — The purpose of the Chatham County Democratic Committee (CCDC) is to foster local Democratic activities and affiliated organizations; seek out and assist democratic candidates for public office; provide voter education; and work with democratic officials at all levels while ensuring they stay true to our guiding principles. 912-4018913. ccdcgeorgia.com. EARLY VOTING — Early voting for Georgia’s 2020 primary election begins May 18 and runs through June 5. Mondays-Fridays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. sos.ga.gov. Chatham County Voter Registration Office, 1117 Eisenhower Dr., Suite E. POOLER CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS — Pooler City Council meets the first and third Monday of each month at 6 p.m. at Pooler City Hall, 100 SW US HW 80. Variances, Conditional Uses, Zoning Map Amendments and Text Amendments need to be submitted to the Zoning Administrator at least 30 days prior to the scheduled Planning and Zoning Meeting. For more information, visit poolerga.gov. RICHMOND HILL CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS — Richmond Hill holds its city council meetings on the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at 40 Richard Davis Drive. The public is always welcome at these meetings. You may register to speak at the end of a council meeting when you sign in at the meeting or you may contact Dawnne Greene, City Clerk, at (912) 756-2749 or dgreene@ richmondhill-ga.gov in advance to be placed on the council agenda. For more, visit richmondhill-ga.gov.

SAVANNAH AREA YOUNG REPUBLICANS — Get involved. Meetings are the last Tuesday of every month (except for December) at 7:00pm. Contact number: (912) 657-9623 chairman@sayr.org. sayr.org. SAVANNAH CITIZENS CLIMATE LOBBY REGULAR MEETING — Join a nonpartisan group that has genuine concern about how climate change is affecting Savannah (and the world) and is researching how the people of Savannah can help mitigate or even reverse some of the worst consequences of climate change. fourth Monday of every month, 7-8 p.m. facebook.com/ events/174811263853917/. Two Tides Brewing Company, 12 West 41st St. SAVANNAH CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS — All regularly scheduled meetings are held every other Thursday. The first meeting of the month is at 2 p.m., and the second meeting of the month is at 6:30 p.m. Savannah Government Television (Channel 8) broadcasts Council Meetings live at 2 p.m. on the day of the meeting. You can view a livestream of the meetings at www.savannahga.gov/ livestream. savannahga.gov/458/CouncilMeeting-Schedule. Savannah City Hall, 2 East Bay Street. THOMAS SQUARE/METROPOLITAN HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION — The Thomas Square Neighborhood Association meets monthly via Zoom. Visit thomassquare.org for more information. ongoing. TYBEE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS — Mayor and Council will hold City Council Meetings the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m.at the Burke Day Public Safety Building, 78 Van Horn. For more information on the Tybee City Council, visit cityoftybee.org. UNMERGE MY UNIVERSITY — FREE: UNMERGE MY UNIVERSITY vehicle stickers. Greater Savannah and Statesboro areas. Visit www.unmergemyuniversity.com for details.

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1 Raised-eyebrow remarks 4 From Bangkok 8 Loud two-year-old, maybe 14 Kabuki relative 15 Fair share, between two 16 Baltimore player 17 Start of a best-selling 2003 Mark Haddon title 20 Remote button 21 Meas. for really fast rotations 22 Band supposedly doing their final concert in 2021 23 Pellets found in some old pocket puzzles 24 Catches 26 100 centesimi, once 29 Sargasso, for one 30 Scandinavian native properly called Sámi 33 Start of a time-traveling Mark Twain title 38 Like the Beatles 39 Some time ___ 40 Colin, to Tom Hanks 41 Wildebeest 42 Start of a Fannie Flagg title (the movie title being shorter than the book) 46 New Age vocalist from County Donegal 47 Chicago trains 48 Closed facilities (work out at home!) 49 Run off to get married (wait, how would that work these days?) 51 “On the Road” narrator

Paradise 53 See 12-Down 56 Aries symbol 57 December garnish 61 Start of a classic 1972 Judith Viorst kids’ book title 64 1998 Olympics city in Japan 65 Japanese seaweed 66 Metal container? 67 Wallace’s canine sidekick 68 Big thick book 69 It gets caked on

DOWN

1 Where “I’m not a doctor” spokespeople usually “play one” 2 Hostess snack cake 3 “Falling Up” poet Silverstein 4 Part of a “hang loose” sign 5 Long-eared hoppers 6 Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Century (1999) 7 Befuddled comment 8 ___ nova 9 “Entourage” agent Gold 10 Shares a secret with, maybe 11 Focal points 12 53-Across students 13 Tasting party options 18 Like the mojito’s origin 19 Lifts

25 Actress Emily 26 “___-A-Lympics” (1970s Hanna-Barbera cartoon) 27 Words of support 28 One of the Bee Gees 29 Paper packaged with a board game, perhaps 31 Variety of owl, hippo, or seahorse 32 Airline that went bankrupt in 1991 34 Winner of the most French Open singles titles 35 Pad see ew ingredient 36 Opposing argument 37 “May contain ___” 43 Procedure where you may be asked to select numbers 44 Terbium or erbium, e.g. 45 Looked the wrong way? 50 “Ready ___ ...” 51 Band of murder hornets, e.g. 52 The Governator, familiarly 53 Candidate who dropped out in February 2020 54 Fruit spray banned by the EPA 55 Blocks that inspired an animated Batman movie 58 Chemistry 101 model 59 Drive-___ window 60 Pay attention to 62 “Fuel” singer DiFranco 63 Kanga’s kid

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LGBTQ

SUNDAY SERVICE WITH EPIPHANY — Epiphany is a church without walls because we know that love knows no barriers. As we pray, worship and proclaim the Good News together, we also seek out co-conspirators with whom we may promote justice, peace and love. A “different kind of church,” Epihpany livestreams their Sunday morning service. Sundays, 11 a.m. facebook.com/ EpiphanySavannah. FIRST CITY NETWORK — Georgia’s oldest LGBT organization (founded in 1985) is a

local non-profit community service organization whose mission is to share resources of health care, counseling, education, advocacy and mutual support in the Coastal Empire. Members and guests enjoy many special events throughout the year, including First Saturday Socials held the first Saturday of each month at 7pm. Mondays. 912-236CITY. firstcitynetwork.org. SAVANNAH PRIDE, INC. — Organizes the annual Savannah Pride Festival and helps promote the well-being of the LGBTQI com-

munity in the South. Mission: unity through diversity and social awareness. Second Tuesday/month. PO Box 6044, Savannah, GA 31414. 501c non-profit. ongoing. info@ savannahpride.com. savannahpride.com. T2Q — T2Q seeks to help Trans people become comfortable in their true identities, as well as assist them in getting used to being out among society. Meetings are the first and third Tuesdays of each month at 7 p.m. T2Q’s official mission statement: To defend human and civil rights secured by law. Lessening neighborhood tensions views on

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19)

“The best of my nature reveals itself in play, and play is sacred,” wrote the feisty Aries author Karen Blixen, who sometimes used the pen name Isak Dinesen. The attitude described in that statement helps illuminate the meaning of another one of her famous quotations: “I do not think that I could ever really love a woman who had not, at one time or another, been up on a broomstick.” In my interpretation of this humorous remark, Blixen referred to the fact that she had a strong preference for witchy women with rascally magical ways. I bring this to your attention, Aries, because I’m inviting you to cultivate a Blixen-like streak of sacred play and sly magic in the coming days.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

Taurus music legend Willie Nelson has played the same guitar since 1969. He calls it “my horse,” and named it after Trigger, a famous horse in Hollywood films. Although Nelson still loves the tones that come from his instrument, it’s neither sleek nor elegant. It’s bruised with multiple stains and has a jagged gash near its sound hole. Some Tauruses want their useful things to be fine and beautiful, but not Willie. Having said that, I wonder if maybe he will finally change guitars sometime soon. For you Bulls, the coming months will be time to consider trading in an old horse for a new one.

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GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

I’ve got a message for you, courtesy of poet Lisel Mueller. I think her wisdom can help you thrive in the coming weeks. She writes, “The past pushed away, the future left unimagined, for the sake of the glorious, difficult, passionate present.” Of course, it’s always helpful for us to liberate ourselves from the oppressive thoughts of what once was in the past and what might be in the future. But it’ll be especially valuable for you to claim that superpower in the coming weeks. To the degree that you do, the present will be more glorious and passionate and not so difficult.

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

When Lewis Carroll’s fictional heroine Alice visits the exotic underground realm known as Wonderland, she encounters two odd men named Tweedledee and Tweedledum. The latter tells her, “You know very well you’re not real.” He’s implying that Alice is merely a character in the dream of a man who’s sleeping nearby. This upsets her. “I am real!” she protests, and breaks into tears. Tweedledum presses on, insisting she’s just a phantom. Alice summons her courageous wisdom and thinks to herself, “I know they’re talking nonsense, and it’s foolish to cry about it.” I suspect you Cancerians may have to deal with people and influences that give you messages akin to those of Tweedledum. If that happens, be like Alice.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

“The less you fear, the more power you will have,” says the rapper known as 50 Cent. I agree with him. If you can dissolve even, say, 25 percent of your fear, your ability to do what you want will rise significantly, as will your influence and clout. But here’s the major riddle: How exactly can you dissolve your fear? My answers to that question would require far more room than I have in this horoscope. But here’s the really good news, Leo: In the coming weeks, you will naturally have an abundance of good insights about to dissolve your own fear. Trust what your intuition tells you. And be receptive to clues that serendipity brings you.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

For his film *Parasite*, Virgo filmmaker Bong Joon-ho received Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. In his natal horoscope, Joon-ho has Pluto conjunct his sun in Virgo, and during the time *Parasite* began to score major success, Saturn and Pluto were making a favorable transit to that powerful point in his chart. I’m expecting the next six months to be a time when you can make significant progress toward your own version of a Joon-ho style achievement. In what part of your life is that most likely to happen? Focus on

the LGBTQ+ Community with emphasis on Trans and non-binary individuals. Conduct public discussion groups, forums, panels, lectures or similar programs. To promote the quantum effect on one’s identity and diversity in all mankind. To give hope to those who feel lost. To lift up our fellow Trans and Non-binary individuals. All because we care. ongoing. T2QTrans@gmail.com. Savannah LGBT Center, 1515 Bull St.

BY ROB BREZSNY

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it. Feed it. Love it.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

According to my analysis of the astrological omens, the coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to seek out, seduce, and attract luck. To inspire you in this holy task, I’ll provide a prayer written by Hoodoo conjurer Stephanie Rose Bird: “O sweet luck, I call your name. Luck with force and power to make change, walk with me and talk through me. With your help, all that can and should be will be!” If there are further invocations you’d like to add to hers, Libra, please do. The best way to ensure that good fortune will stream into your life is to have fun as you draw it to you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Scorpio comedian John Cleese does solo work, but many of his successful films, albums, stage shows, and TV programs have arisen from joining forces with other comedians. “When you collaborate with someone else on something creative,” he testifies, “you get to places that you would never get to on your own.” I propose you make this your temporary motto, Scorpio. Whatever line of work or play you’re in, the coming weeks will offer opportunities to start getting involved in sterling synergies and symbioses. To overcome the potential limitations of social distancing, make creative use of Zoom and other online video conferencing.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

“Wherever I am, let me never forget to distinguish want from need,” vows author Barbara Kingsolver. “Let me be a good animal,” she adds. That would be a stirring prayer to keep simmering at the forefront of your awareness in the next six weeks. According to my understanding of the astrological omens, you’ll be getting clear signals about the differences between your wants and needs. You will also discover effective strategies about how to satisfy them both in the post-pandemic world, and fine intuitions about which one to prioritize at any particular time.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Writing some Chinese characters can be quite demanding. To make “biáng,” for example, which is used in the name for a certain kind of noodle, you must draw 58 separate strokes. This is a good metaphor for exactly what you should avoid in the coming weeks: spending too much time and devoting too much thought and getting wrapped up in too much complexity about trivial matters. Your focus should instead be on simple, bold approaches that encourage you to be crisp and decisive.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Singer-songwriter Jill Scott is strongly committed to her creative process. She tells us, “I was once making a burger for myself at my boyfriend’s house and a lyric started pouring out and I had to catch it, so I ran to another room to write it down, but then the kitchen caught fire. His cabinets were charred, and he was furious. But it was worth it for a song.” My perspective: Scott’s level of devotion to the muse is too intense for my tastes. Personally, I would have taken the burger off the stove before fleeing the scene to record my good idea. What about you, Aquarius? According to my analysis, you’re in a phase when creative ideas should flow even better than usual. Pay close attention. Be prepared to capture as much of that potentially lifealtering stuff as possible.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

To protect ourselves and others from the pandemic, most of us have been spending more time than usual at home—often engaged in what amounts to enforced relaxation. For some of us, that has been a problem. But I’m going to propose that it will be the opposite of a problem for you in the next three weeks. In my astrological opinion, your words to live by will be this counsel from author and philosopher Mike Dooley: “What if it was your downtime, your lounging-in-bed-too-long time, that made possible your greatest achievements? Would they still make you feel guilty? Or would you allow yourself to enjoy them?”

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