The 11th Hour: May 24-June 6, 2019

Page 1

12 #4 E

SU

IS MA

Y 2 4-

JUNE 6, 2019

• V

OL

18

,

BACK IN THE SKILLET: THE MACON BACON RETURN! Pg 24

Disreputable Few’s Paul ILL Talks ABB, Uncle Duane’s Band, and Surrendering to The Muse! Pg 16 Southern Momma Darren Knight, The Interview Pg 36 Layout & Design by M&R Marketing

11thHourOnline.com 1


INDOOR BUGS!

OUTDOOR PESTS!

Do you have a story to tell? Warmer weather brings out those mosquitoes and ticks! TAKE BACK YOUR YARD WITH...

BACKYARD PEST CONTROL CALL 478-787-8000 MOSQUITOESGONE.COM

2 MAY 24-JUNE 6, 2019

The 11th Hour wants to hear it!

We are currently accepting submissions from community based writers looking to share their stories with the rest of Central Georgia. You could be featured in The 11th Hour! Email your ideas and contact information to Aaron@thecreekfm.com


Contemporary Musicianship, B.A. PREPARING PRACTICING MUSICIANS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY CULTURAL ECONOMY From creation and performance to production and management, our new bachelor of arts degree includes courses in entrepreneurship, management, music technology, studio production, song writing, scoring & arranging.

mga.edu/music

11thHourOnline.com 3


4 MAY 24-JUNE 6, 2019


11thHourOnline.com 5


RUNNING COMMENTARY

WHAT'S INSIDE May 10-May 23, 2019 // Volume 18, Issue #411

I almost didn’t go, but I made it to the Capitol to see Chris Knight-- and three things struck me. The first was that me and my friend Andrew, with our cowboy hats and contrasting heights, might’ve resembled Big and Little Enos Burdette. In fact, I nearly shouted at Hubble Beasley, “Bandit, me and my son are here!” But the second thing I saw upon entering the old theatre was a group of kids off to the side holding show posters. I say “kids” because they clearly weren’t old enough to drink, but I didn’t see any managing adult, so my old bartender brain clocked ‘em just in case. I needn’t have bothered. As soon as show opener Kevin Abernathy-- an excellent performer by the way-- left the stage, that group of boys and girls sprang to the front. And they stayed there for the rest of the night. As Chris Knight stepped out and begin to play, those kids knew every word to every song-- possibly even better than me. I’m not positive, but I’ll wager it was the first time they’d been to a Chris Knight show. Those kids danced and sang, never once stepped in any body's way-- and watching them experience those songs live, likely for the first time, was as enjoyable as any other part of that evening. Maybe even more so. Which brings me to the third... I never saw those kids pull out a phone and start recording. To the contrary, they were in the moment, seemingly unaware of any world before or lurking after the music. I know that feeling from the stage and from the floor, and it’s better than any bottle I’ve ever tipped or substance I’ve had cause to abuse. And when you’re surrounded by other people who feel the same? Man, it’s like the first bite of birthday cake and a fondest wish come true. I’m thrilled to see a new generation diggin’ the artists that I’ve been listening to my whole life-- and at a point where they can still see these performers live. But the other night at the Capitol, I saw teenagers showing a songwriter respect and love while I saw older people, people who should’ve known better (and claim to be fans of the artist they paid to see) on their phones filming, texting, talking… AND IN FRONT OF THE STAGE! I don’t know why some of you think this behavior is okay-- it’s not. I’m not always the paragon of concert going virtue-- I get drunk and sing too loud and sometimes you can hear me hollerin’ from the back of the bar. The aforementioned Mr. Beasley has had to ask me to keep it down a time or two-- but by God, I never pulled out my phone and started shootin’ a crappy video. I’ve got that much class at least. -AI aaron@thecreekfm.com

OUR TEAM Aaron Irons Managing Editor

Ashley Doolin Contributor

Chelsea Madden Contributor

Madelyn Rueter Contributor

Scott Mitchell Contributor

Anthony Ennis Photographer

Bo Walker Contributor

Kirk West Contributor

Ned Dominick Contributor

M&R Marketing Layout & Design

CONTACT US

MAILING 543 Cherry Street, Macon 31201 ADVERTISING tony@thecreekfm.com EDITORIAL aaron@thecreekfm.com Published by Creek Media LLC

6 MAY 24-JUNE 6, 2019

09 11 Events 15 Kirk West's 50,000 Shades of Gray 16 Surrender To The Muse:

Paul ILL of Disreputable Few

21 House Talk 23 Feels Like Local 24 Back In The Skillet:

The Macon Bacon Return to Luther Williams Field

33 The Dish 35 Bo Talks

31

The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon


36 Darren Knight, The Interview 39 Do This 40 The Creek’s Show Review & Americana Singles Chart 43 Live & Local: Calendar 44 Open Jams & Karaoke

16 SURRENDER TO THE MUSE: PAUL ILL OF DISREPUTABLE FEW

Flip thru the entire issue online 11thHourOnline.com

24 BACK IN THE SKILLET: THE MACON BACON RETURN TO LUTHER WILLIAMS FIELD

36 DARREN KNIGHT, THE INTERVIEW 11thHourOnline.com 7


8 MAY 24-JUNE 6, 2019


AT H W

W E

A R E

I N G O D

CHOIR OF BABBLE LIVE! 10pm Friday, May 24 Roco’s Bar- 715B Hwy 96, Bonaire

SKY OVER MACON 7:30pm Friday, May 24 Museum of Arts & Sciences 4182 Forsyth Rd, Macon

Get the weekend started with Choir of Babble’s aggressive and eerie-- yet moody and melodic-- rock n’ roll!

Explore space, the constellations, and planets visible from Central Georgia! The show starts with a general tour of the celestial sights visible each season then a live presentation updates the current position of the planets and unusual events in the sky. This program provides the latest information about current and upcoming celestial events for those who want to learn how to find constellations or planets in the sky or how to increase their knowledge of astronomy. For more information visit masmacon.org. MOVIE IN THE PARK: BUMBLEBEE 8pm Friday, May 24 Tattnall Square Park 1155 College St, Macon Join the Macon-Bibb Recreation Department for our FREE Movie in the Park Series. This month we are showing Bumblebee! As always, there will be popcorn and drinks while supplies last and plenty of family fun! Feel free to bring your own snacks, lawn chairs, and blankets.

ARCHAEOLOGY RANGER PROGRAM 2pm Saturday, May 25 Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park 1207 Emery Hwy, Macon Take advantage of Historic Preservation month with a trip to the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historic Park! This Ranger Program begins in the Visitor Center with a short presentation that includes footage from the original park orientation film in the 1930s! Tour the Earth Lodge, the Cornfield Mound, the Paleoindian site, the railroad bridge, and the British Trading Post site while discussing the largest archaeological dig in United States history. continued on page 10

11thHourOnline.com 9


NEW IN CENTRAL GEORGIA

Antojitos Michoacanos LARGE

CELEBRATING

HOMEMADE DOUGH, Authentic Mexican Restaurant CRAFT BEER SELECTION! FRESH TOPPINGS! 3975 Arkwright Rd Suite 5, Macon

25YEARS!

TUES-SAT R LUNCH & DINNER SUN DINNER

Dine In or Call Ahead for Carry-Out

750-8488 - 2395 Ingleside Ave BREAKFAST Acai Bowls, Bagels & More! LUNCH Reuben, Roast Beef, Pimento Cheese

ATRIA EP RELEASE SHOW 7pm Saturday, May 25 McEachern Art Center 332 2nd Street, Macon

Falafel, Mango Chutney Chicken Quinoa Bowl, Vegetagle Strudel Assorated Fresh Salads

JUICES & SMOOTHIES Ginger Wheat Grass, Coconut Kefir Winter Tonic, Fog Cutter, Salad in a Glass, Detox Special and more

TRY THE WORLD’S

BEST HEALTHY eek...

New this w

ROM FRESHFFARMS! CAEP,L Familiars,hesat the Celebrate the release of Atria's LOnew Radis

new McEachern Art Center! TheGFamiliars reens, dollhouse will persCraig be on display as an installation piece combined with cans, Pep Peand Coleman's brilliant light projections special guests ApplesMani ia g r o e G will open the show. Admission is $5. This is an all ages show!

2381 Ingleside Avenue • (478) 254-8722 Mon-Fri 10-6 and Sat 10-4

atoes Sweet Pot ! uch More And so M

THE BIG HOUSE PRESENTS: JAIMOE & FRIENDS 2pm Sunday, May 26 The Big House Museum The Original Acai Bowl 2321 Vineville Ave, Macon Come spend your Memorial Day Weekend at The Allman Brothers Band Museum at The Big House with Jaimoe and Friends! Admission includes a BBQ plate, a beverage, and a limited edition poster! The Meet & Eat will start at 3pm and run until 6pm. Music kicks off at 5pm with Gabriel Kelley, followed by Jaimoe and Friends. Tickets are LIMITED, so be sure and get yours today @ freshtix.com!

MEAL!

OPEN MONDAY - FRIDAY 7 A.M. - 2:30 P.M. & FIRST FRIDAY’S FROM 5-9 P.M.

520 MULBERRY STREET

Call in and pick up - Catering Available - Body Ecology Vitamins & Nutrients Available

VOTED THE BEST

2010 – 2018

10 MAY 24-JUNE 6, 2019

11thHourOnline.com 21


MATT COSTA LIVE! 7:30pm Wednesday, June 5 The Creek Stage @ The Rookery 543 Cherry Street, Macon

LIVE MUSIC THURSDAY @ EDGAR’S BISTRO 5pm-8pm Thursday, May 30 5171 Eisenhower Pkwy, Macon Relax with a cocktail or enjoy dinner with live entertainment in an intimate setting! Edgar’s Live Music Thursday is the perfect way to end your weekday-- or begin your weeknight!

MACON BACON OPENING NIGHT 7pm Friday, May 31 Luther Williams Field 225 Willie Smokie Glover Dr, Macon The Greatest Show in Central Georgia is back! The Macon Bacon return with the ‘19 season opener against the Florence Red Wolves-- and there are only a few tickets left! Stick around after the game for a special Fireworks display! For tickets and info visit maconbaconbaseball. com.. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the box office or douglasstheatre.org.

The Sirius XM Coffeehouse Tour comes to the Hargray Capitol Theatre with West Coast singer-songwriter Matt Costa! Also featuring the New York-based JD & The Straight Shot. Tickets are $15-$17 and can be purchased at hargraycapitoltheatre.com.

CALEB CAUDLE LIVE 7:30pm Wednesday, June 5 The Creek Stage @ The Rookery 543 Cherry Street, Macon

Winston-Salem singer-songwriter Caleb Caudle was raised on rock n’ roll and Southern hospitality. Influenced by bands like The Clash and Velvet Underground, Caudle was playing North Carolina’s punk rock circuit by the age of 15. As his music has matured with his age, Caudle has been dubbed “the musical equivalent of high-proof bourbon– rich in flavor, with a subtle, satisfying bite,” by Rolling Stone. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at hargraycapitoltheatre.com. continued on page 13

11thHourOnline.com 11


Memorial Day BBQ Pop Up at Dovetail MEMORIAL DAY SPECIAL MENU FEATURING PULLED PORK, LAMB RIBS, BRISKET, SOULFUL SIDES, SCRUMPTIOUS SAUCES, AND TASTY DESSERTS RESERVATIONS: DOVETAILMACON.COM

12 MAY 24-JUNE 6, 2019


CENTRAL GEORGIA FARMERS MARKETS THE SEVEN SONS TOUR FEATURING UNCLE DUANE’S BAND & TYLER BOONE BAND 7:30pm Thursday, June 6 The Creek Stage @ The Rookery 543 Cherry Street, Macon The Disreputable Few are a group of world-class musicians who’ve collectively and individually played in the studio and on the stage with the biggest names in music-- from any genre. It just so happens that they’re also huge fans of the Allman Brothers Band! Morphing into the ABB-lovin’, Grateful Dead Jammin’, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac’n mob of Uncle Duane’s Band, the Disreputable Few will be joined by the Tyler Boone Band for a show presented by the almighty Big House Museum and propelled by Boone’s Bourbon! Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at hargraycapitoltheatre.com.

THE MULBERRY MARKET AT TATTNALL SQUARE PARK

Wednesdays year round 3:30–6pm 1155 College Street Macon, GA

FIRST SATURDAY VILLAGE MARKET IN MERCER VILLAGE

1st Saturdays of the month 9am–3pm 1624 Coleman Ave Macon, GA CENTERVILLE FARMERS MARKET AT CENTER PARK

1st & 3rd Saturdays of the month 8am–12pm 103 E Church Street Centerville, GA WESLEYAN MARKET

2nd Saturday of the month 9am–1pm 4760 Forsyth Rd Macon, GA

MACON BACON AT THE LUTHER WILLIAMS FIELD OPENING NIGHT FIREWORKS 7:00pm Friday, May 31 Macon Bacon vs Florence Red Wolves

BATTLE FOR THE GOLDEN SPORK 7:00pm Saturday, June 1 Macon Bacon vs Savannah Bananas

DOUBLEHEADER 6:00pm Wednesday, June 5 Macon Bacon vs Savannah Bananas

MACON STATE FARMERS MARKET

Monday–Sunday 6am–10pm 2055 Eisenhower Pkwy Macon, GA PERRY FARMERS MARKET

Saturdays year round 9am–1pm 901 Carroll Street Perry, GA INTERNATIONAL CITY FARMERS MARKET

Thursdays year round 1–6pm Corner of Maple St & Watson Blvd Warner Robins, GA

11thHourOnline.com 13


NEW Georgetown GT5 31R5 gas class A motorhome MSRP $148,081 SALE $98,967 Payments as low as $646/mo. (stock 13575 - 240 mos. at 6.49% APR)

GEORGIA’S LARGEST RV DEALER WITH OVER 350 RVs IN STOCK! The camping experts, since 1989.

NEW Forest River Surveyor 192T hybrid trailer MSRP $25,385 SALE $17,986 Payments as low as $194/month (stock 13501 - 144 mos. at 7.99% APR)

NEW Coachmen Sportscoach RD 404RB diesel MSRP $ 304,351 SALE $204,351 Payments as low as $1,329/month (stock 13803- 240 mos. at 6.49% APR)

NEW Coachmen Orion 20CB gas motorhome MSRP $85,372 SALE $59,967 Payments as low as $389/month (stock 14019 - 240 mos. at 6.99% APR)

NEW Freedom Express 275BHS travel trailer MSRP $35,354 SALE $23,570 Payments as low as $219/month (stock 13601 - 144 mos. at 7.5% APR)

NEW Coachmen Crossfit 22 motorhome MSRP $115,536 SALE $89,566 Payments as low as $599/month (stock 13637 - 240 mos. at 6.99% APR)

NEW Forest RIver Cardinal 3456RLX fifth wheel MSRP $102,792 SALE $68,967 Payments as low as $468/month (stock 13744 - 240 mos. at 6.99% APR)

NEW Coachmen Prism 2150 diesel motorhome MSRP $128,436 SALE $85,967 Payments as low as $549/month (stock 13270 - 240 mos. at 6.49% APR)

NEW Coachmen Clipper 17CFQ travel trailer MSRP $13,562 SALE $12,621 Payments as low as $138/month (stock 13730 - 120 mos. at 7.99% APR)

NEW Forest River Legacy 38C diesel pusher MSRP $257,608 SALE $189,900 Payments as low as $1,285/month (stock 13761 - 240 mos. at 6.99% APR)

All prices exclude tax, tag/title, and documentation fees. Financing examples assume 20% down, with qualifying credit.

1 - 7 5 E X I T 1 4 9 | 1 3 1 P E AC H T R E E P K W Y | B Y R O N , G A | ( 4 7 8 ) 9 7 4 - 1 0 4 4 | M I D S TAT E R V. C O M

14 MAY 10-MAY 23, 2019


50,000 SHADES OF GRAY ALBERT KING Chicago Blues Belmont Ave, Chicago 1983

Albert was one of my top three bluesmen ever. He was stone cold stern on stage. All business. He said more with the notes he didn’t play than most guitarists said with the hundreds they did play! He’d smoke his pipe throughout the show-- just being as chill as you want. He was a cranky old bastard though… Held his band members to high standards and would fine them for not keepin’ up. I actually saw him fire a bass player right on stage one night at Chicago Blues. He had been ridin’ this bass player all set long when in walked a bass player Albert knew-- he called him up to the stage and fired the original guy right there! AND made him let the new guy play his bass & rig till the end of the gig!! What a hoot!!! One of the joys and honors of my life was Albert always remembered my name-- even in a crowd at blues fests, I’d hear him holler out my name! I figured these old boys would just write me off as some little white boy with a camera in his face… I loved ol’ Albert King.

Kirk West is a photographer, archivist, and the host of Into The Mystic Wednesday nights at 7pm on 100.9 The Creek. He’s published two books of his work, Les Brers- Kirk West’s Photographic Journey with The Brothers, and The Blues in Black and White— a collection documenting his time on the Chicago Blues scene in the 1970s and 1980s. Kirk and his wife, Kirsten, own and operate Gallery West at 447 Third Street in Macon. Visit kirkwestphotography.com and Gallery West to view and purchase prints and canvases of the greatest artists in blues, country, rock n’ roll, and soul. 11thHourOnline.com 15


SURRENDER

TO THE

MUSE PAUL ILL OF DISREPUTABLE FEW BY AARON IRONS

Disreputable Few, Uncle Duane’s Band… Call ‘em what you want, but this outfit comprised of four severely accomplished session and touring musicians share a common enthusiasm for the music of the Allman Brothers and the Grateful Dead. For bassist Paul ILL, it’s certainly the music of the cosmos and heavens. A go-to, got-to-have player on the West Coast, Paul grew up in the U.S. military bases in Europe during the 1960s and early ‘70s. It was the Beatles that lit the fire in Paul and the servicemen overseas who taught him how to play and mesh within the base garage bands and Sunday morning gospel services. His older sister helped foster in him a healthy curiosity for how music was made, and before he knew it, Paul was following in the footsteps of his heroes, the Allman Brothers. Over the years, Paul ILL has recorded and performed with Butch Trucks, Tina Turner, Mick Taylor, Courtney Love, Linda Perry, Pink, Alicia Keys, Bob Weir, Celine Dion-- I have to stop listing because his resume really is ridiculously and wonderfully diverse. I called Paul out in L.A. to talk about Disreputable Few’s upcoming show, June 6th on the Creek Stage, and we spoke for the better part of an hour about the Brothers, some of the folks he’s worked with, and what it takes to be a successful session bass player. His love is genuine, his emotions unencumbered, and his memory encyclopedic. It was a pleasure. I want to talk about the Disreputable Few. You guys are all card-carrying members of the Allman Brothers Band Fan Club. What you've got coming here to Macon, you're calling it Uncle Duane's Band... But is it, in fact, The Disreputable Few? That's correct. It may seem confusing at first. What happened for us was, like we played with Butch [Trucks], we had the opportunity as an ensemble to back Bob Weir two and a half years ago. Out of the blue, right? That came to us through Matt Sorum and a producer friend of Matt's named Chad Schlosser. That gig went really well. In the aftermath of that, Bob asked me to continue to play bass with him, 'cause I play upright bass too. So I did some more gigs with 16 MAY 24-JUNE 6, 2019

Bob in the aftermath of that prior to him starting Wolf Brothers with Don Was. He started a band called the Bob Weir Small Band with me and Wally Ingram, a trio like Wolf Brothers. And what happened was, in our jams, Disreputable Few started morphing Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers songs together, mashing them up like a DJ would. We started seeing the similarities in the music and we started thinking about that really famous Fillmore West gig-- I think it was in '71-- where it's the Allman Brothers, the Grateful Dead, and Fleetwood Mac with Peter Green. We started thinkin', "Hey, maybe we're onto something here!" And as soon as we started playing a combination of Allman Brothers and Grateful Dead music, we found our audience out here in Southern California. So we're reinventing ourselves and renaming ourselves.

And then, and I guess in the common vernacular of 2019, we're rebranding ourselves. We're becoming Uncle Duane's Band on this tour and if Disreputable Few still exists, we have that body of original music, and we still play that music... But I have a feeling we'll come out of this run through the Southeast... We feel like we're coming home. We've got nine shows in nine days and the peak of the tour, the high point of the tour is Macon. For us, to be honored, to be involved with the Big House and a gig during the 50th Anniversary year of the Allman Brothers is, for all of us, a lifelong fulfillment. One of the reasons, Randy Ray Mitchell, our brilliant producer and one of our guitar players, one of the reasons he and I work together, is the first time I


ever walked into his recording studio, he had the gatefold picture from "Live at the Fillmore"-- the album cover picture? He had the poster up on his wall mounted on poster board from when he was a kid. I go, "Oh, God, I'm home!" Mark Tremalgia, our other guitar player, grew up in Connecticut. His first guitar teacher was Duane Allman's guitar teacher. The guy that Duane studied with in Daytona Beach moved to Connecticut to this little small town where Mark grew up. Dan Potruch, our drummer, was always enamored with the fact that the Allman Brothers swung like they swung. He loved Butch and Jaimoe's drumming and the fact that two drummers could play together. So we all converged to do benefits for Matt Sorum's charity as Disreputable Few. We named the band Disreputable Few because of "disreputable persons" seen in the company of the Allman Brothers from the "Live at the Fillmore" liner notes, right? And then what happened is over time, we said let's play some gigs as Uncle Duane's Band and do mash-ups of Allman Brothers and Grateful Dead songs and see what happens. The Allman Brothers fans love it. And the Grateful Dead fans love it, and it's expanded our audience! One of the guys that I work with really wanted to do this interview and he happens to be a huge Black Sabbath fan. So I promised him that I would ask how you got involved working with Bill Ward.

Well, flashback to the Munich pop festival in June of 1970 when me and my good buddy, we went out to see all these bands and we witnessed Black Sabbath live. And we go, "What is this? This kind of sounds like Cream. These guys can kinda swing!" Early Black Sabbath was a jam band. They were jam, right? They were trying to copy Cream. So what happened was, in the early nineties, I started making a name for myself as a studio bass player in Los Angeles. Mutual friends of mine were working with Bill Ward, and I was surprised as one of them was a drummer named Ronnie Ciago, who I had gone to Berkeley College of Music with and played in bands in Boston with. Ronnie reached out to me and he said, "Hey, Bill Ward needs a bass player for a cover of "The Wizard" for a tribute record that they're making to Black Sabbath [Nativity in Black]." They're gonna play on their own record, right? They're going to do one song and [Rob] Halford's gonna sing it. So we put together a band around Bill that was me, a guitar player by the name of Pete Comita-- who had been the bass player in Cheap Trick for a minute-and on vocals, I got the brilliant Jimmie Wood, who has the band Jimmie Wood and the Immortals. He's a songwriter and a blues harp player. He is the front man and has been in long time association with the post-Belushi, post-Dan Aykroyd versions of the Blues Brothers. And he's a very busy studio musician out here-- and songwriter. So the three of us did a

version of "The Wizard" with Bill for this record as the [Bullring] Brummies, they called it. And then they sent the tapes to England and Tony [Iommi] and Geezer [Butler] overdubbed on us. But they kept some of my bass! They blended my bass in some parts of the song-- not the jam that they cut over Bill's jamming. Because I used a Neutron? I used an envelope follower that would "Waaammmp" on the sound of it when we tracked it. I have a gut feeling they left my track on the record because they also credited me. So that's how I met Bill. Then I ended up playing in Bill's solo band for three records, and we have a life long friendship as the result of it because Bill is such a supremely premium talented songwriter and singer. He's had a couple of vocal cameos on Black Sabbath's records, and he’s by far one of the most misunderstood musicians by the public that I've ever met. He's so much more than a musician. He's a brilliant songwriter, a brilliant conceptualist. The first record I did for him, Aaron, he had every bass part in his head. I sat with him in a room in his home down in Seal beach with a couple of basses and a couple of chairs... And sitting across from me, he had a Casio keyboard and he'd say, "Okay, this is the first song," and he'd play the notes on this Casio, and he would sing me the bass lines that he wanted me to play, and would I transcribe them. He had every note to the record in his head... For every instrument. I'd never seen anything like it before in my life.

continued on page 19 11thHourOnline.com 17


18 MAY 24-JUNE 6, 2019


From left to right: Mark Tremalgia, Paul ILL, Dan Potruch, Randy Ray Mitchell

That ability for you to be able to sit down with somebody and then to be able to transition from style to style... How do you adapt from working with somebody like Bill Ward or Wayne Kramer or Matt Sorum who you mentioned earlier. And then you go to work with someone like Celine Dion or Christina Aguilera? Or is there a difference for you at all to do that? Yes, there are differences. Absolutely. Because the feeling in the room that you create with someone is the context of what you're doing. Like for example, working with Celine Dion or Christina Aguilera, those gigs came to me through my association with Linda Perry...

maybe to Nick Venet-- the guy that produced the early Beach Boys stuff-asking who are these people and what's what and how did they get these jobs? She was interested, right? So what happened was, the New York person wrote her back-- boy, I wish I had these records-- and explained what the musician's union was, explained what a session was (laughs)! It was a wonderful letter that this guy wrote back. Whoever it was, the A & R person at the label or Columbia or whoever it was. She and I became really obsessed with the idea that, yeah, it would be really cool to be a Beatle or be in the Rolling Stones or [to be] Bob Dylan... But it would also be really cool to be a studio musician too! If you could do both? If you're a studio musician, that's not a bad deal either because you get to play with so many different people, you know?

Who I'm a big fan of by the way. Yes, sure! She's amazing! Unbelievable! She's a force of nature, right? Supremely talented and a wonderful person. Linda would say to me occasionally, "Hey Paul, don't be 'Charming Paul' today, be 'Wallflower Paul'. I just need you to sit in a corner and play bass. Okay? Put a lid on it. I know you've got a lot of ideas, and you can play anything, and you've got more than one way to do these things. But just sit there and be quiet." But other times she would encourage me like with Alicia Keys, she'd say, "I have a feeling you and Alicia are gonna get on like wildfire 'cause you've played a lot of funk in your life. Let's see what happens!" I ended up being more verbal and more involved. Me and my sister, when we were kids, I came home one day and she had made two piles of records. Right? I wrote The Studio Musicians Handbook for Hal Leonard Music Publishing, right? It's a college textbook basically. And one of the things that my sister did when I was a kid... I remember I was in sixth grade going into seventh grade, she made two piles of records down in the basement by our stereo. And I said, "What's going on here?" And she said, "Well, these records are made by the people that are on the cover. These other records are made by other people. And I go, "Who are these other people?" And she goes, "Well, look!" And she started showing me-- there were some studio musician credits back then, right? And she had kind of figured out what a studio musician was because she was going to the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore at the time as an undergrad-- you know, as a high school kid, right? She was on her way to becoming a potentially brilliant performing pianist. I said, "Wow, really?" And she said, "Yeah, look at this... These same people played with Sonny & Cher, but then they played with The Beach Boys. But now look at this…”

She and I became really obsessed with the idea that, yeah, it would be really cool to be a Beatle or be in the Rolling Stones or [to be] Bob Dylan... But it would also be really cool to be a studio musician too! If you could do both? If you're a studio musician, that's not a bad deal either because you get to play with so many different people, you know?

The Wrecking Crew! Yeah, yeah, exactly! And she figured out what a studio musician was while she was in 11th or 12th grade. She wrote a letter to Columbia Records. Maybe to Phil Ramone at A&R Studios? And she wrote a letter to Capitol Records,

So then when I moved to Florida in 11th grade, the guys that I had fallen in with, especially these two twins, Tim and Terry, who had really, really idolized Duane [Allman] at a young age, they knew that he had gone to Muscle Shoals. 'Cause they knew, they told me that, "Oh yeah, he went and he played on records by Aretha!" And I went, "Oh s--t, I didn't know that!" I had heard those records, you know, on the radio. You heard ‘em on the army base, on the jukebox, but I didn't know! I went, "Holy smoke! He's a session musician too! Oh Wow!" And then once Derek and the Dominoes drops and Push, Push by Herbie Mann... To start thinking, "Oh, there's a way to have a really broad musical language, but be true to yourself."

What is it that I try to bring to Wayne Kramer that I also try to bring Celine Dion? The first thing is what I call the surrender of authority, right? I have to surrender my ego and my ideas about music and these people to the muse, whatever that is. And whoever is usually writin' the check or the birth parent of the music is my conduit to the muse, right? I have to, as a studio musician, bring something to that, that serves their vision for what the end result's going to be. But I also have to be able to catalyze it, right? And bring things to it that may lead to co-authoring songs with them. You know, I've written songs with Christina Aguilera, Pink, Courtney Love, Juliette Lewis... And so a lot of the artists I've played with, I've often found myself in the very fortunate position of being a coauthor of a song with them that's ended up on the record. Not all the people but some of them, you know? Enough to really give me a strong sense of what it is to be a real collaborator. So as a bass player, you gotta drive the bus, right? But you gotta remember who owns the bus. You gotta serve the drummer too. You've got to make sure that the drummer is really happy with the way you play. And I learned that from the guys that I played with on the army base as a kid and at that gospel service we played, we had a drummer in there. And I also learned that from an interview with John Paul Jones, that was in Guitar Player magazine in the '70s before they published Bass Player magazine. I think there was a sidebar where John Paul Jones said, you know, the first thing he realized playing with

continued on page 20 11thHourOnline.com 19


John Bonham was that the band was going to be huge and one of the reasons it was going to be huge is because he was going to subjugate his will as a bass player to Bonham's responses to the tunes. Because at the end of the day, if it's a song, Aaron, people are listening to the singer and their body is feeling the drummer.

keyboards and a singer by the name of Halina [Janusz] from Jerry's Middle Finger. We had a great time and it worked out! It's on YouTube... The peak of the set was a mash-up, but I don't want to tell people what the mash-ups are because I don't want to spoil the fun!

So if the singer's happy with you and the drummer's happy with you, you're doing a good job as a studio musician bass player. You got to bring to each set of circumstances a certain level of willingness, willingness to do what's right for the song regardless of what you think, and you've got to really enjoy that process.

That would it indeed! Because you got to catch ‘em off guard just a little bit in order to get that little extra effort. You gotta surprise 'em! We gotta keep it surprising-- but it worked out fine! In this situation, because it's Macon, we know that these people are as into this music as we are! What we would like to say is, "What songs do you want to do?” That we know, right? And are you going to sing it or are you just gonna play? Ideally, vocalists are welcome, guitar players are welcome, bass players are welcome, drummers are welcome. Keyboard players are welcome-- we'll have to finagle a keyboard rig because we don't have a keyboard player on the road with us this tour. Neither does Tyler Boone, but we'll figure it out. And then it's just like the way the Mule does it-- you kind of wing it that night. "Hey, who's here? Who wants to play? Okay, what songs are we going to play with them?" And then at sound check, if we go through the song, we do. If we don't, we don't. We'll be fine.

Richard [Brent] was telling me that you want to invite some local players to come jam with you guys when you come to town. Yes, yes, yes. 100% yes. Is this something that you guys do often? All the time. How's it usually work out? It's great! The last gig we did, a couple of months ago... We play all the time, but the last officially announced live show we did was at the Topanga Community Center with a band called Jerry's Middle Finger that does Jerry Garcia Band stuff. At the end of our set, we had eleven musicians on stage. We had two drummers, John Molo, two percussionists. We added John Molo, we added Matt Abts and Wally Ingram on hand drums. We had Katie Skene, who's a brilliant guitar player/singer and Andrea Whitt who plays viola and pedal steel-- who has a duo are going to be the backstage music for the Dead and Company tour this year in the VIP room. We added Matt Butler on

You read it here, kids! Thursday, June 6th, join Uncle Duane’s Band and the Tyler Boone Band on the Creek Stage @ The Rookery for the Seven Sons Tour presented by The Big House Museum… And come prepared to jam! Read the full interview at 11thhouronline.com

Experience Family Fun and the Beauty of the Ocmulgee River with OOE!

Canoes, kayaks and inner peace. 1-3 hour quick floats • half-day tours • full moon trips canoe and kayak rentals, and boat shuttling available

(478) 733-3386 OcmulgeeOutdoorExpeditions.com 20 MAY 24-JUNE 6, 2019


House Talk

The Endless Shower!

My beloved loves a good shower, but Ned loves a hot bath beyond reason. The hotter and longer the better! But when the hot water runs out, the joy evaporates! I finally got a snoot full of lukewarm bathtubs and installed a tankless water heater, an on-demand water heater. My gas bill went down since I don’t have to keep a tank hot all day-- even when I am not using it-- but mainly, I can have the endless tub or the Marvelous Meggy gets the shower of her dreams! In fact, as long as I have water, gas, and electricity then I can take a continuous bath for days, months, or even years until I shrivel up and slide quietly down the drain… Oh! Joy!

Here’s the deal, a regular water heater holds about 40-50 gallons of water, either gas or electric burners heat the water up and a thermostat tells the burner when to come back on to hold the temperature at that level. If you go out of town for the weekend that burner will keep coming on and off or if you are at work, the burner will come on to maintain that heat a couple of times during the day as the tank of water cools off.

Ned Dominick has been inspecting homes in Macon, Warner Robins, and all of Central Georgia since 1978. He and his qualified inspectors have examined over 28,000 local homes. For more, go to www.housetalk.net or call at 478-738-0893.

Tankless water heaters work differently. They do not store water in a tank but when you turn on the hot faucet, the water heater has a sensor that will tell the burner that water is flowing and to turn on a large gas burner. The flames will heat up the stainless steel pipes in which the cold water is flowing and by the time it gets to the end of the pipe, it will be hot. VOILA! Between the time you turn on your hot water faucet and the time that it actually is flowing hot will take about 45 seconds-- assuming that your bathroom or kitchen is close to the water heater. If it is on the other side of the house then it can take much longer. My house is pretty wide and the tankless heater is located at the right side. I get hot water to my master bathroom pretty quickly-- less than a minute-- but in the kitchen, which is on the

far side of the house, it’s much longer. In our case, the hot water pipe has to go up the wall, through the attic, down the wall, and then arrive at the kitchen-- about 130 feet of pipe. So if I want to wash my hands, I might have to wait over three minutes to get hot water! What a drag. Therefore, I wash my hands in cold water or in my master bathroom. Now to be fair, we used to have our old conventional water heater nearby the bathroom and it also took about the same time minus the 45 seconds for the system to heat up. So! How to solve this dilemma? I could install another tankless water heater on the other side of the house, by the kitchen which would be pretty expensive to have two units, or I could locate the water heater in the center of the house so that it is pretty close to all the bathrooms which would involve a lot of new pipes, or you can do what we did. We knew that the kitchen sink and dishwasher only use a small amount of water-- less than a half gallon to wash hands, a couple of gallons to hand wash dishes, or a maximum of six gallons for an entire dishwasher cycle. So we installed one of those tiny six-gallon electric water heaters that you find in offices right below the kitchen sink. Now, we get virtually instant hot water since it only needs to travel three feet to the faucet. By the way, we do not have the kitchen water heater attached to the main hot water line so it does not trigger the big water heater. It is awesome. The best of both worlds! Here is one kicker: tankless water heaters are great with natural gas or propane, but I do not recommend electric. They require a large electric source and in my experience, they conk out more than the gas ones- so I would stick to gas. Get a propane tank if you don’t have natural gas, that’s what we do. In the meantime, settle into your tub or shower for the next three or four months until you are adequately tenderized.

11thHourOnline.com 21


NOW HIRING.

Creek Media LLC is currently accepting resumes for sales positions. Individuals should be self motivated,goal oriented, with the ability to work together as a team. Main job responsibilities will be developing marketing strategies, promotions, events, creating new sales leads and cultivating long term relationships with business partners. Radio and print advertising sales experience is welcomed but not required. Females and minorities are encouraged to apply.

To submit your resume, email ashley@thecreekfm.com Creek Media LLC is an equal opportunity employer.

22 MAY 24-JUNE 6, 2019


“There may have been a time when preservation was about saving an old building here or there, but those days are gone. Preservation is in the business of saving communities and the values they embody.” —RICHARD MOE, NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION

FEELS LIKE LOCAL

PLEASANT HILL REBIRTH Passionate is the word that comes to mind when I think of Charise Stephens. This is evident when one looks at her commitment to the revitalization of the Pleasant Hill neighborhood. Just a short walk from Downtown Macon, Pleasant Hill is a historic African American neighborhood where many black professionals began building their lives in the late 1870s. According to the Pleasant Hill Neighborhood Plan, “Pleasant Hill is arguably Macon's most historic black community and one of Georgia’s most historic. Organized in 1872, Pleasant Hill was one of Macon’s first black neighborhoods. The neighborhood was built by blacks for blacks. The neighborhood is a showcase of the determination and ingenuity of Black Americans in the late 1800s.” Many of Macon’s most well-known sons were products of Pleasant Hill including Little Richard, Charles Douglass, and Albert B. Fitzpatrick. Charise explains, “Pleasant Hill is a historic neighborhood that has continued to thrive despite all of the odds against it. It has produced some of the most talented people in our community for generations. After the construction of Interstate 75 divided the community, people moved out and it changed the landscape. But the power of Pleasant Hill is its people, and they, on a grass root basis, are bringing life back to the community.” Charise was raised in Pleasant Hill on Neal Avenue and personally learned so much that shaped her into the person she is today. She became a fighter, an innovator, and a servant leader. Pleasant Hill made her. Currently, Charise has a maker space in the community with a master plan for an Agrihood with Mount Homes and smaller program throughout the community in concert with U Create Macon. U Create Macon is the brainchild of Charise Stephens and Bob Fickling-- a creative space where people can learn, explore, and share. It is the first familyfriendly maker space in the neighborhood. There will be a Day of Action on June 29th, and they are looking for volunteers to blanket the community. Go to Volunteer United on the United Way of Central Georgia website to look for opportunities.

Pictured left to right: Phillip Bryan, Boys & Girls Club, Charise Stephens and Bob Fickling, U Create Macon

11thHourOnline.com 23


24 MAY 24-JUNE 6, 2019


Back In The Skillet The Macon Bacon Return to Luther Williams Field By Madelyn Rueter

A couple of years ago in the summer of 2017, the people of Macon were given the chance to vote on a name for a new baseball team. We had no idea whether or not this would go anywhere. True, we had a field and a strong history of baseball in Macon, but the stadium was decades old and needed a lot of work. Suspending any worries or doubt, Macon decided to play along and at least come up with a name. The final options were the Macon Bacon, Hits, Heat, Soul or Noise, and of course, the catchy rhyme and love of bacon won out. continued on page 27

11thHourOnline.com 25


ter s, s y O , r oupe s, Jam Pups, r G , p hrim Claw Fr e s h S t B l u e C r a b r a f t B e e r s ! C as Gulf Co 30 Southern .. er to. a n d O v g yo u n e e d hin E ve r y t

L A T S A O C Y A ST S D N E I R MY F

KUDZU SEAFOOD COMPANY

470 THIRD STREET, MACON• (478)292-2085

Open Monday & Tuesday 11am til 3pm Wednesday–Saturday 11am til 9pm

26 MAY 24-JUNE 6, 2019


Around the same time, renovation began on the stadium-quickly, to finish in time for the season to begin six months later. In a whirlwind of construction and training, the Macon Bacon were ready in time to take on the Coastal Plain League for a surprising and inspiring summer. With a lot of dedication, our team made it through the first hard year of challenges and built a respectable reputation on the field. I sat down with Sarah Leo, Director of Partnership Activation, and Tyler Vertin, Director of Marketing, to talk a little bit about how last season went and what fans can look forward to this year. As the second oldest minor league stadium in the U.S., the renovation of Luther Williams Field was more than welcome. Fans of baseball in Central Georgia flocked to the stadium to see what the new Macon Bacon facility and team were all about. Almost half of all home games sold out last year, and tickets are already selling fast for this summer. Not only did the Bacon win their first game of the season, they also went all the way to the final championship and made a name for our city in the Coastal Plain League. Right away in 2018, the Macon Bacon began earning awards for their hard work such as NewTown Macon Award for Growing Jobs, Coastal Plain League Organization of the Year, and the Sammy Award for Best Marketing Pitch. This year is the 90th anniversary of the Luther Williams Field. Although the renovation brought new attention to the area, there’s a lot of history behind the stadium. An array of teams have played here over the years such as the Macon Highlanders in 1904 all the way to the Macon Music in 2007, but the Macon Peaches were the predominant face of the field for 50 years. As

a testament to the Peaches, Macon Bacon will have a “Macon Peaches” night on June 13th with exclusive “Peaches” jerseys and happy hour specials. Later, on July 20th, is an Allman Brothers tribute night featuring a concert and tie-dye jerseys. Check out the schedule on the team’s site-- maconbaconbaseball.com-- to see what will be going on at each of the home games. While the community is needed to support the Macon Bacon, the team does a great job uplifting Central Georgia as well. Last year and continuing into this year, “Tools for Teachers” is the Macon Bacon’s largest initiative within the community. Partnering with Macon-Bibb County Schools, five 5th grade students from each classroom in the county are nominated as “MVBs” (Most Valuable Bacon) to attend a game and parade with their parents. The following night’s game is dedicated to the teachers, principals, and their families. Group nights are an important part of the Macon Bacon’s involvement in the community-- any group (15 or more) with a love of baseball and fellowship can receive a special discount on tickets and food, and non-profit organizations, such as schools or churches, can fundraise at the game by receiving $5 back per ticket. This is a great opportunity to raise money for your organization and support the team. Compared to last year’s inaugural season, everything about the Macon Bacon is bigger and better. People may have been unsure about the reemergence and revitalization of baseball in Macon, but last year proved that we are happy to see it back! When you come to a Macon Bacon game, it is best to get there about an continued on page 29 11thHourOnline.com 27


SUMMER SEMESTER SESSION 2 BEGINS MAY 31!

OFFERING OVER 200 PROGRAMS IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS OF STUDY: • Aerospace, Trade & Industry • Business & Computer Technologies • Health Sciences • Public Safety & Professional Services • General Studies 200+ PROGRAMS OF STUDY

BUSINESS & INDUSTRY TRAINING

GED®& ADULT EDUCATION

FLEXIBLE COURSE OFFERINGS

DUAL ENROLLMENT

FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE

www.centralgatech.edu • (478) 988-6800 A Unit of the Technical College System of Georgia 28 MAY 24-JUNE 6, 2019

Equal Opportunity Institution


People may have been unsure about the reemergence & revitalization of baseball in Macon, but last year proved that we are happy to see it back!

hour early. First pitch is usually at 7, but you don’t want to miss out on the brightest new amenity at Luther Williams field: the Game On Training Kids Zone. During the games this summer, kids can play their own Macon Bacon game with wiffle balls on a playground, practice in the batting cage, and speed pitch.

because of their outstanding year so far). Minor league baseball is a crucial stepping stone in an athlete’s career: if a minor league team contributes exceptional coaching and support to an athlete’s success, then that team is doing its job. The Macon Bacon team is made up almost entirely of Georgia athletes moving from high school ball fields to the city plate. While playing in the major The ballpark is also introducing a Plantation Rum Tiki Bar near leagues is an athlete’s end goal, it’s awesome to see the players the entrance in addition to restocking the beer garden from last move up from their hometown. year. If you haven’t tried it yet, the Macon Bacon team has its own beer by the Macon Beer Company called “Macon Plays”, For 90 years, baseball has been part of Macon, and I would a nice and simple cream ale brewed with fresh dark & robust imagine that we will still be playing on the same field 90 years maple syrup.” But if you’re not into beer, you can now grab a from now. With support from a community who loves to come rum slushy or fruity drink at the Tiki Bar, perfect for the crazy together and enjoy a traditional American sport, the Luther summer heat that’s about to come our way. Last year, Macon Williams Field will stand as a testimony to where Macon once experienced record high temperatures that hadn’t been recorded was and where we are going. 300 years ago, Macon was a trade since 1925-- back when Luther Williams was the mayor! route stop between the coast and inland. 200 years ago, Macon was born and envisioned as “a city within a park.” Now, we are This season, the Bacon are excited to welcome back eight players the Heart of Georgia, a place of rest along the river for those total from last year. Summer ball offers many options for players, going through our state and for those who plan to stay. A baseball but to see 20% of the roster coming back shows how good of a game is three hours long, a season is a few months—but within team our city offers. Last year, we were excited to see Riley King the span of a year, baseball season is the time for us to come and James Williams from UGA, and both of these all-star players together and pursue Luther Williams’ dream of “wholesome are coming back for another season (unless otherwise drafted entertainment” on the baseball field. 11thHourOnline.com 29


First Sunday Brunch June 2, 2019 • 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Omelet Station

WE DON’T JUDGE! WE’RE HAPPY TO SERVICE ALL BRANDS AND TYPES OF BIKES (AND STROLLERS TOO). SPANDEX OR LYCRA NOT REQUIRED! BIKE TECH IS LOCATED AT 3003 VINEVILLE AVENUE IN MACON. COME SEE THE NEW DOWNTOWN BIKE VENDING MACHINE AT 338 POPLAR STREET. WWW.BIKETECHMACON.COM

30 MAY 24-JUNE 6, 2019

Yogurt Parfait Bar Iron Skillet Station Salad Bar

$18 Adults $9 Children 5-12 Free under 5

Assorted Breakfast Breads Hot and Cold Beverages

Reservations Encouraged

Bottomless Mimosas or Bloody Marys for Only $10!

5171 Eisenhower Pkwy Macon, GA

478.471.4250

BRING IN YOUR CHURCH BULLETIN for our First Sunday Brunch on June 2, for a friendly competition between local congregations. The church that turns in the most bulletins will receive 10% of proceeds from brunch that day. Reservations are strongly encouraged.


THE SIX DEGREES OF KEVIN BACON LUTHER WILLIAMS FIELD 225 WILLIE SMOKIE GLOVER DR, MACON

All’s quiet betwixt the bricks of Luther Williams Field, but the roar of the crowd will return with the Macon Bacon home opener on Friday, May 31st! This year, baseball in Central Georgia will be bigger, better, and more delicious with an all-new Bacon Loaded special menu. And the crown jewel in this crispy crown is the sensational Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon-- a humble burger covered in pulled pork, macaroni & cheese, bbq sauce… AND BACON! “We can do it,” says an excited Nick Green, Director of Food & Beverage, “Why wouldn’t we do it?” The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon, like the excitement that surrounds every Macon Bacon game, promises to be a one-of-a-kind experience! Visit maconbaconbaseball.com and make plans to get to The Skillet!

11thHourOnline.com 31


THE Z BEANS STORY BY SHANE BUERSTER

TWO WRONGS THAT MADE A RITE It was day 16 of a 21-day trip, and we needed 4,000 pounds of coffee. We had 300. I'd been telling Arturo for the past week to make sure Joan Cueva actually brought the 1500 pounds of coffee today. When we went to Cueva's plantation almost a month prior, none of the coffee was dry. The extremely wet rainy season set back the normal harvest date, so we couldn't purchase any coffee at that time. But three weeks later, Cueva's crop was ready. He called Arturo and told him that he would deliver 1500 pounds in a week and a half. I was ecstatic. Everyone was going to love it!

We opened the bags and I saw why. It was a completely different type of coffee. It was natural coffee-- coffee that had been dried out in the cherry, thus the sack was abnormally large-- but each one only contained about 20 pounds of actual coffee. I was humbled. While I'd read all about natural coffee, I had yet to see it. Mr. Fabricio cranked up the peeler apparatus and the natural coffee quickly ran through it. The coffee cherries and parchment were ripped apart, leaving only the bean. I was captivated by the glowing aroma-- the natural coffee smells much different than the washed I'm accustomed to. It smells like honey, hard-work, and hope. It smells like home.

The day arrived and Arturo followed his normal routine-- but something wasn't right. I asked him what was the matter. He said he was worried. He told me that Joan had called late last night and said he didn't think he could bring the coffee because the patrol officers wouldn’t allow him to cross over counties without a permit. Interrupting, I asked, "Why doesn't he get the permit?" Arturo paused. He looked up at me and said, "It will take 3 weeks."

At 12:30, we all decide to go to lunch. On the way, Arturo called Joan Cueva-- he was close. Only two and a half hours out...

We sat in silence while negativity pervaded my train of thought. I'm never going to get this coffee that I need. There's no wonder why there isn't any coffee from this region in the U.S. The bureaucracy is absurd.

The phone rang once and then dropped the signal. Arturo said that this is a good thing-- there was a dead spot fifteen minutes outside of Portovelo, a city 20 miles from Pinas. Like always, I trusted Arturo's judgment.

Suddenly, Arturo cracked a smile. He grabbed his phone and called Joan Cueva. Arturo told him to take a specific back road that would allow him to avoid the patrol officers. Cueva thought for a minute and questioned Arturo's route. Arturo explained it in greater detail, and Cueva hesitantly agreed to try. Arturo, like he always does, assured him that nothing would go wrong. Cueva agreed to be at the peeler at 3:30. When we arrived at the peeler, I gave Mrs. Marie her kiss on the cheek and Mr. Fabricio a stern handshake. They told us that a few farmers had called and were bringing in their natural coffee to be processed. I absolutely loved when farmers came to the processing facility. I got to meet and chat with them, and we all got to talk about their coffee. When I heard the first truck pull up, I sprinted up the stairs and opened the double doors. The farmer looked back and realized a white man was staring at him. He glanced at me then immediately looked back. I smiled as I realized that I've once again forgotten I look different. He had eight huge sacks, so I ran to grab the cart. He chuckled and told me they weren’t heavy. I walked over and easily picked up a large sack. Why in the world was it so lightweight? 32 MAY 24-JUNE 6, 2019

After a half chicken, a serving of plantains, and a hearty serving of rice & beans, we settled up with the waiter and began the half-mile trek back up the hill. Ten steps in, I couldn’t help but wonder about Joan Cueva. I asked Arturo to give him a call.

We got back to the processing facility and a farmer was there waiting on us. It's wasn’t Joan Cueva. I introduced myself, and we dumped his natural coffee into the first machine. Afterward, we walked down the old wooden steps and down to the peeler. Mr. Fabricio fired it up and the coffee began pouring out. Like the first natural coffee experience, an aroma of honey filled the room. While there appeared to be a few more defects, the aroma was even stronger. Again, Arturo called Joan. He was 10 minutes out. We walked towards the corner that had the useful Western Union-- and Arturo's favorite place, the convenience store. Whenever Arturo gets stressed, he can't help but purchase 3 cigarettes-- but I was a kid in a candy store. I couldn’t wait to receive the gourmet coffee! The ten-minute mark hit. No sign of Joan. Arturo called. Joan was in a red truck and a minute out. I saw a red truck, but I quickly looked past it. There weren’t any coffee sacks in the back of the truck. A few minutes later, a man tapped Arturo on the shoulder. It was Joan! Arturo asked, "Where did you park?" He points to the red truck. All I could do was stare while Arturo asked, "Where is the coffee?"

"Well, I was county line..."

nervous

about

crossing

the

Without saying a word, I headed straight for the processing facility to think. Five minutes later, Cueva and Arturo pulled up to the facility. Knowing that I'm beyond frustrated, Arturo didn't say a word-- nor did Joan. The longer I sat, the deeper in thought I became. And a rush of positivity permeated my thoughts. I'd always found a way to get the job done. Something told me to approach Joan. I asked him to step outside. "Joan, there is a right and a wrong way to do business. While I'm only a 21-year-old man, I know that this isn't the right way. Your word has to be gold. If you tell me that you're going to do something, I expect you to follow through." He said, "I agree. If you never want to purchase my coffee again, I understand. I'm sorry for doing this to you." As I stood there, face to face, man to man, I realized that obstacle's purpose. It was my rite of passage, my initiation into the world of international business ventures. It was to test my will. I had to overcome in order to prove that I could do anything I set my mind to. I said to Joan, "I forgive you. We will work together in the future. I assure you. But you must promise me that I can trust your word." He said, "I promise." But the more I thought about it, I realized that Cueva wasn't the only person at fault in this situation. Arturo and I should have never put him in the difficult position he was in with transporting coffee across county lines without a permit. As I told Joan, there is a right and wrong way to do business, and I must practice what I preach. For the first time in my life, two wrongs made a rite.

For more Z Beans stories you can find us here: ZBeansCoffee.com Facebook: @ZBeansCoffee Instagram: @ZBeansCoffee Storefront: 1635 Montpelier Avenue Macon, GA 31201

BE SURE TO VISIT OUR NEW LOCATION AT 311 COTTON AVE, DOWNTOWN MACON!


DINING-OUT IN CENTRAL GEORGIA A.P.’S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY 4274 Broadway Macon | 478-781-5656 Classic rock n’ roll bar with burgers, salads, sandwiches, wings and more! Homestyle Southern Cookin’ Sundays! Outdoor seating available. L/D/Bar $ BARBERITOS 4123 Forsyth Rd Suite G Macon | 478-621-4883 4921 Riverside Dr Macon | 478-254-5802 3123 Watson Blvd Suite 100 Warner Robins | 478-971-1138 barberitos.com Burritos, tacos, salads, quesadillas, nachos, and more using locally sourced, farm-fresh ingredients. L/D$–$$ BEARFOOT TAVERN 468 2nd St, Macon | 478-305-7703 bearfoottavernmacon.com Contemporary gastropub featuring a menu of New American fare & a beer garden with live music. L/D/Bar $–$$ DOVETAIL 543 Cherry St Macon (above the Rookery) | 478-238-4693 dovetailmacon.com Farm-to-table casual fine dining. Southern crafted small plates and a cultivated bourbon selection. Reservations encouraged. Complimentary valet located on Mulberry St Lane for dinner only. Saturday & Sunday Brunch. D/Bar $$–$$$ DOWNTOWN GRILL 562 Mulberry St. Lane Macon | 478-742-5999 macondowntowngrill.com English-style steak and chop house with nightly features, extensive wine list, and amazing bourbon and whiskey selection. Cigar bar and private humidor. Complimentary Valet. Reservations encouraged. D/Bar $$–$$$ EDGAR’S BISTRO 5171 Eisenhower Pkwy Macon | 478-471-4250 edgarshospitality.com City Chic and a foodie’s dream! Edgar’s Bistro presents a dining experience that nourishes the body and soul. Open for lunch & dinner Monday-Friday, Edgar’s serves as a hands-on training facility for the Culinary students at Helms College’s Polly Long Denton School of Hospitality. Reservations encouraged. L/D $$–$$$ FATTY’S PIZZA 344 2nd St Macon | 478-744-9880 fattyspizzamacon.com Pizza, calzone, wings, & salads. Gluten Free options and delivery to Downtown Macon. L/D $ FINCHER’S BAR-B-Q 3947 Houston Ave Macon | 478-787-4648 5627 Houston Rd Macon | 478-7876947

891 Gray Hwy East Macon | 478-787-4649 519 N. Davis Dr Warner Robins | 478-787-4651 finchersbbqga.net So fine, it went to the moon in ‘69! Delicious Southern barbecue at four locations in Macon and Warner Robins featuring pulled pork, chicken, ribs, burgers, and more. Family owned & operated since 1935! L/D $ H&H 807 Forsyth St Macon | 478-621-7044 handhsoulfood.com “The H” is an institution woven into the fabric of Macon’s history. Since 1959, H&H has kept Macon’s most diverse clientele well-fed with delicious, stick-to-ya-ribs soul food—and is most famous for the unique friendship between founder Mama Louise Hudson and the Allman Brothers Band. B/L $ INGLESIDE VILLAGE PIZZA 2396 Ingleside Ave Macon | 478-750-8488 inglesidevillagepizza.com It doesn’t get any better than IVP! Hand-tossed, homemade dough and fresh toppings, salads, sandwiches, and the sloppiest breadsticks! Voted the best pizza in Central Georgia by readers of the 11th Hour and the Macon Telegraph! 80+ cold, craft beers! L/D/Bar $

Mallis, Nu-Way is one of the oldest hot dog restaurants in the United States. The New York Times declared Nu-Way the “king of the slaw dog “hill”. B/L/D $ OCMULGEE BREWPUB 484 2nd St Macon | 478-254-2848 ocmulgeebrewpub.com Ocmulgee Brewpub offers the best curated brews using the finest grains, hops, and yeast. Delicious gourmet burgers, super food salads, and hand-cut fries. L/D/Bar $ PAPOULI’S MEDITERRANEAN CAFE & MARKET 121 Tom Hill Sr Blvd, Macon | 478-474-0204 papouliscafe.com Mediterranean restaurant with a casual atmosphere. Gyros, Pita Wraps, Greek Plates & More! Papouli’s Mediterranean Cafe & Market also offers a large selection of imported grocery & deli items. L/D $–$$ PARISH ON CHERRY 580 Cherry St Macon | 478-257-7255 parishoncherry.com Cozy Cajun eatery in a rustic-chic setting dishing up classic Creole fare, such as ‘po boys & gumbo. Outdoor seating available. L/D/Bar $–$$

JUST TAP’D 488 1st St Macon | 478-599-9951 3123 Watson Blvd | 478-599-9950 justtapd.com Gastropub serving tap brews over the counter & bottles from the shelves, plus hearty bar grub. L/D/Bar $

PIEDMONT BREWERY & KITCHEN 450 3rd St Macon | 478-254-2337 piedmontbrewery.com Eclectic atmosphere with a menu featuring handcrafted beer and honest food. Family-friendly arcade and outdoor seating available. L/D $–$$

KUDZU SEAFOOD CO. 470 3rd St Macon | 478-292-2085 kudzuseafood.com From the Panhandle of Florida to the coast of Louisiana, the cuisine of the Gulf Coast is simple and unique. Kudzu Seafood Company brings the best of Southern coastal seafood to Downtown Macon! Offering a menu of fried and grilled seafood along with non seafood items prepared fresh to order in an open kitchen. Welcome to the Coast of Middle Georgia! L/D/Bar $

THE ROOKERY 543 Cherry St Macon | 478-746-8658 rookerymacon.com Legendary downtown eatery offering Southern rock & soul inspired burgers, sandwiches, fresh salads, shakes, daily features, and so much more! Soul Jazz Brunch on Saturdays! Outdoor seating available. L/D $–$$

NU-WAY WEINERS 5572 Bloomfield Rd Macon | 478-781-1305 1602 Montpelier Ave Suite 105 Macon | 478-812-8200 921 Hillcrest Blvd Macon | 478-743-1047 148 Emery Highway Macon | 478-743-7976 3990 Northside Dr Macon | 478-477-0533 6016 Zebulon Rd Macon | 478-474-5933 1762 Watson Blvd Warner Robins | 478-929-4941 215 Russell Parkway Warner Robins | 478-923-5335 nu-wayweiners.com An iconic Macon Restaurant featuring the famous red hotdog! Established in 1916 by Greek American James

SHANE’S 1592 Forest Hill Road Macon | 478-474-6481 Breakfast served daily, delicious pulled pork bbq and wings smoked on premises, fried chicken, sandwiches, salads, pizza, and more! All served to go. B/L/D $ Z BEANS 1635 Montpelier Avenue, Macon | 478-200-6136 311 Cotton Ave, Macon | 478-259-4348 zbeanscoffee.com Sandwiches, pastries, smoothies, teas, and freshly roasted coffee. Catering available. B/L $

Your Favorite Classics and a host of new hits

807 Forsy th St. Macon, GA 31201 478-621-7044 • HandHSoulFood.com 11thHourOnline.com 33


34 MAY 24-JUNE 6, 2019


For those readers who may have missed Part One, allow me to catch you up... My wife and I went to Atlanta for a concert. From the ride up to the homeless man who scared the hell out of us outside the venue, it was an ordeal. But at this point in the story, we have finally arrived at the Masquerade in Underground Atlanta…

BO TALKS DATE NIGHT:

Episode Deux

We entered the “Heaven” stage, but it felt like a location from the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. Not the sewer, but rather the warehouse where the Foot Clan prepared their nefarious machinations. While searching for the bathroom, I expected to turn a corner and find a group of runaway kids being taught lazy karate and how to pickpocket. In retrospect, that would have been pretty cool. But there was no Foot Clan, only millennial hipsters who seemed far too eager to roll their eyes at us. I felt old. The band was SALES, and they have been one of my favorite bands since discovering them on the Vine app-- back when that was still a thing. I had no idea their fanbase was so much younger than me, but what should I care? I can feel out of place for a couple of

hours if it means enjoying some of my favorite songs! Well, we bought the tickets before any opening acts were announced and discovered there were two of them. Even late to the show, we were still around two hours from seeing SALES. Now, I’d nearly kicked the habit of smoking, but the longer we waited (and the more I drank) the more my desire for a cigarette grew. Apparently, trying to bum a cigarette at a concert in Atlanta is not a good look. As I walked away from the third person to turn me down I loudly exclaimed, “Say what you will about Macon, but if you asked for a smoke outside the Capitol Theatre, you’d probably end up making new friends!” My wife shot an elbow into my ribs. By then, SALES had finally taken the stage. My smoke quest should’ve ended there, however, addiction sucks. I asked a bartender if anywhere nearby sold them. She said no, but the woman bartending in the Star Wars shirt would probably give me one of her’s in exchange for a fat tip. Feeling depraved, I passed-- but eventually, I found her and made my sales pitch. She interrupted me to explain

that she didn’t smoke as her mother had died of lung cancer. It totally felt like a set-up, and I felt like an ass. The music was fantastic, but we had to drive back to Macon at the crack of dawn-- and it was well past our bedtime. After only a handful of songs, we summoned an Uber and returned to our hotel… 30 minutes away. It was a pleasant ride, and the story might as well end here. We ended up meeting some guy at the hotel who claimed he toured with John Mayer, but I really don’t feel like giving that loudmouth anymore of my precious word count. We made it home on time, and normalcy was restored to our lives, and it will probably be another 10 years before we try to do a concert in Atlanta. I’m definitely done smoking cigarettes.

Bo Walker is a local writer who encourages you to enjoy the concerts right here in town, as there is no shortage of local talent and Atlanta kind of sucks.

11thHourOnline.com 35


BY ASHLEY DOOLIN

THE INTERVIEW I was in a car four years ago with my momma and oldest daughter the first time I heard Darren Knight as “Darlene”, AKA The Southern Momma. Three generations of females, all in one vehicle, arguing over the selection of music, what to have for lunch, and how long it would be before we arrived at our destination. My daughter, Hannah, told me I sounded like The Southern Momma. I had no clue as to what she was talking about-- but I fell down the rabbit hole of Darren Knight’s “Southern Momma” YouTube videos. I immediately related. If I hadn’t uttered the same words, then my own mother had, or I’d heard something similar from one of my five kids. From saying, “Cut them eyes at me one more time,” (which I truly believe every mother has uttered) to his hilarious video parodies, the Alabama native turned YouTube comedy sensation has brought so many people from all walks of life together with his character, “Darlene”. I had the amazing privilege of getting to speak to Darren in an interview prior to his upcoming shows on June 7th and 8th at the Hargray Capitol Theatre. From the start of our conversation, I quickly understood that even with his success, Darren was still a regular person. I actually caught him mid order in the drive-thru at McDonald’s-he made time to speak with me after ordering his fish sandwich. He was quick to tell me that they had him when it came to a fish fillet.

36 MAY 24-JUNE 6, 2019


AD- Darren, tell me how your Southern Momma character, "Darlene", came about-how was she born? DK- Well, I mean, I guess I was kinda like everyone else. I had been on Facebook scrolling through videos, and I saw so many people stepping outside of their element, and I thought to myself, “Man I have got material for DAYS!” I’ve always been a cut-up, and so I was just goofing off and did it-- and posted it. I got a good response, so I did another one and it just really snowballed from there. My momma was like, “You need to take those down,” because you know, we live in a small town, and people were gonna think we were crazy. It sky-rocketed rather quickly-- and after that, she changed her tone. She was like. “ You gotta make more of those!” (Laughs) I was going to ask what your mom thinks of your videos now? Oh, she loves it! She gets a real kick out of them and was happy to know that others could relate to some of our upbringing. She’s a big fan of them now and loves the recognition. Everywhere she goes she says, “ My son is so-and-so!” (laughing). Yeah, she name-drops. I would too! And she’s right. I think almost everyone can relate to that character-- and if they don’t then they know someone who does. So what challenges, if any, did you experience in the process of taking your character from video to live stage show? It was different… I had never done anything like it. I had probably tried stand-up comedy about eight months before. You know, God has a plan for everybody, and it was just so wild how this all started because the videos and the whole stand up thing really started simultaneously. It started off as goofing off on video and not thinking nothing of ‘em. We went kayaking one day-- I LOVE to kayak-- we got off the water and we were starving to death, and the first place we went to was closed because they were hosting a wedding. So we went to another place called the Peerless Saloon, it’s the oldest brothel in the state of Alabama… We grabbed us a sandwich and the place was packed, so I asked what was going on in there and they said it was Peerless Poetry After Dark. What that is, is every second Sunday this bar turns into an open mic night for poets, songwriters, and even comedians. It’s really cool. I had been talking to the bartender and he said he would give me a five-minute spot if I thought I could do it. So I did it. I got up and told a story about my grandmother giving us all a whoopin’ one time and it just went over. It was great. Five minutes turned into ten minutes and ten turned into fifteen... I actually went 15 minutes for my first ever set. Once that happened, I met new comedians and I teamed up with them in Birmingham and did a show once a month for six months at a club called the Smoking Moose-- it’s a big club here in Anniston [AL]-- and that was it! That was all the experience I had. I probably had eight or nine shows under my belt before I ever hit the road. This was a really good question, no one has ever asked me this in all of the radio interviews and tv and magazine interviews I have done! No one

has asked me how many challenges I faced-- and it was challenging. It was scary. I asked my producer if I got up and froze-- because, you know, I didn’t really know how this worked-- but if I freeze, can we give these people their money back? I was so scared. The first show I ever did was in Summerville, GA, and it was a sold-out crowd at a fire capacity of 250. And I will tell you this, I don’t want to get anyone in trouble, but I’m pretty sure we went over fire code (laughing)! But that’s ok because I understand that the Chief of the Fire Department was in there too! Do you consider your Southern Momma Character to be an alter ego rather than a comedic bit? And do you ever find yourself lapsing into “Darlene” without meaning to or thinking about it? Yeah, that’s a good question... I think both…. You know, I don’t do Southern Momma on stage-- and I think a lot of people, they are taken aback by that and a little surprised. But like I tell the audience before I get started, “Listen, guys, I am SO grateful that you watch my videos, but if I yelled at a bunch of imaginary invisible kids for 45-50 minutes, it’d get a little redundant!” I touch on things we can all relate to, so the transition from the videos to the on-stage presence is... Well, you know, I don’t really know how to answer that one…. I am just lucky, but I guess it’s more of a blessing. I’m gonna tell you that the first time I ever went out on the road, I had to come up with a set. I had to make it. I came up with it in five minutes, and I ran that set for the first eight months of our touring, and that made us successful. Fine tuning that set was really fun and wild since I had only been doing videos. So “Darlene” is a character, but she is more of someone that raised me, in all senses of the word. I relate to her-- and I AM her sometimes! I mean, I’m single, I don’t have any children... I would love to have children someday. I’m 33 and have time, so when I’m not working my nephews will come over-- I say they’re boys but the youngest is 18. I’ve been with them and had them all through their teenage years, and I’m cool Mr. Uncle or whatever. They come over-- and they’re all taller than me-- but I have to snatch them up by their collars and get on to ‘em, so I have had to say a lot of things that make “Darlene” come out!” Is Patsy, your video BFF, a real person? Every mom, EVERY southern woman has a best friend-- that’s Patsy. They might be a little bit wilder than they are, so Patsy is the one that usually gets Momma in trouble. But everyone has that Patsy that they confide in, that person they can go to. I mean my momma had three or four “Patsys” while I was growing up and still does. She is a fictional character, but she is definitely based off of multiple entities and people. It takes friends and family. Where do you think you would be today if Southern Momma or if social media didn’t exist? Well, I don’t know. I’m a people person. I’m 33-yearsold, but I have been working since I was 12, and I have done just about every job that there is out there. I’ve worked, I have farmed, I have moved furniture,

I have sold cars, bartended, I have served, I have shoveled horse sh*t for 2 years... I mean, I have done it all. I mean, I think I would be doing something for 3 or 4 years and then finding something else to do. What I am doing now is something that I would like to be doing as long as the Lord lets me, but I’m gonna tell you something, I’m down for whatever… Sh*t, girl, I’d probably still be chasing shoplifters! There’s no telling… Do you ever feel as if you’re looked at or treated differently from other comedians because you’re a Southern Male portraying a woman? Yes. YES, 100%. In different ways, you know, mainstream Hollywood comedians don’t like us. At all. We’re selling out these shows, and I say “we” because there are several other people out there that have gotten famous from social media. The difference in doing something like that on social media and then getting on stage is huge! Not everyone can do that transition. Some can and the ones that can, I know that they can relate to what I am about to say, Hollywood don’t like us. I’ve had interviews with Hollywood, and I’ll tell you something-- you will be the first interview to hear this, we’ve had interviews with MAJOR companies and partners in Hollywood, California, and Nashville, and even Atlanta... The first words out of their mouth is “Well, is he a MAGA.” I didn’t even know what that was. The first words they ask are “Is he a Trump supporter?” Now, I ask you what-in-the-hell that has to do with the interview from a comedian? I can tell

continued on page 38 11thHourOnline.com 37


you one thing, we have a crooked-ass world, and we are treated differently. I go unidentified. I don’t care if your Democrat, Republican... I am an American with values. I believe Americans should be whatever they want to be. If you work hard, you should be able to benefit from that. Politically? What does that have to do with MY job?? I don’t bring that up in my show. I salute our troops but try and stay as unbiased as I can. It was even a bit of a transition. The response from the locals here has been outstanding. They look up to me, and I carry heavy weight now in my family-- and I don’t ever want to embarrass them, our town, our state. So we have a lot of weight on our shoulders. With that comes jealousy, unfortunately. Some people have given me the stank-eye when I’m in the Wal-Mart buying milk because they see this single guy with long hair acting like a woman on Facebook, and he’s making more money than most people in our humbled financial state will ever make-- and in a relatively short amount of time. I don’t want people to think that came easy, because I had to work hard. Outside of that, the response has been outstanding. It has been a blessing. If I died tomorrow, I wouldn’t take a minute of it back. That’s so good to hear! I do want to say that I am so sorry that there are people like that out there that are full of negativity and hate. That’s ok, Ashley. It’s like any job out there. You’re gonna have a-holes anywhere you go. You know damn well you’ve got an a--hole you work with! Now, you may not wanna say their name, but you know there’s some b--ch in an office that’s judging you. Everyone’s got an a-hole to deal with. And a--holes keep the world running too-- they keep judges and police working! It takes us all, baby! Like that saying, “Family and friends are like fudge, mostly sweet with a few nuts.” Darren, what do you do when you finally get home and get to relax after touring? I’m not a party animal, but I love having get-togethers! I have big get-togethers three or four times a year, and I just love doing that. I bought this big home and like I said earlier, I am single, I don’t have any kids... I felt like the purchase of this house should be to someone that had a big family, so when I am home, I entertain a lot. I host weddings, I have friends over, we have Sunday dinners every Sunday when I’m home. I come from a BIG family, and since I don’t have a family of my own, I didn’t let that stop me from bringing everybody together. A few years ago, I was very sick and almost died-- and I’m not trying to be dramatic, but it woke me up. We all have times in our lives where we need a wake-up call, and I really got one, buddy. Since then, I just like to get everyone together and entertain. I like to kayak a lot. Cheaha Creek runs through my property, so I decided to start a kayaking business this year. We will have people over to put in [their kayaks] at the house. I don’t spend a moment alone. I mean, if I am ever home alone, I pick up the phone and call someone I haven’t talked to in a while and get them to come over! I like to fish and hunt, but I LOVE to entertain! I think if I died and went to hell, it would be something like a dark room all by myself, hun. What can your fans look forward to in the future? I’m working on new material. We are going forward with a fall tour, booking dates for it. We just added on Cledus T. Judd, so me and him will be collaborating on some music pretty soon (laughter)! CMT has picked that up, so we are excited about it. Also, there’s some pretty big talk right now about lining up an animation series pretty soon. I am super excited about that and working with the writers. Outside of comedy, I am opening up Sunnyside Day-cation-- that’s the name of my home. It will be opening up in May. I’ll have kayak rentals, and I will be putting in a petting zoo at the farm and other activities so it will be a real day-cation! Momma (Darlene) herself will be floatin’ with groups of ten or more that want to sign up for that, and we will have lunch and all kinds of stuff! It’s gonna be a lot of fun! I’m also gonna try to build a studio here, so I have all kinds of exciting things coming up! Don’t miss Darren Knight & Cledus T. Judd at the Hargray Capitol Theatre, Friday 6/7 & Saturday 6/8! Two shows give you two chances to laugh! Purchase tickets at hargraycapitoltheatre.com! 38 MAY 24-JUNE 6, 2019

The first words they ask are “Is he a Trump supporter?” Now, I ask you what-in-the-hell that has to do with the interview from a comedian? I can tell you one thing, we have a crookedass world, and we are treated differently. I go unidentified. I don’t care if your Democrat, Republican... I am an American with values. I believe Americans should be whatever they want to be. If you work hard, you should be able to benefit from that.


DO THIS 1. WATCH THIS

HANNA HANNA If you’re looking for something to watch during the six out of seven days that Game of Thrones isn’t on (or once it’s finished forever), HANNA has eight episodes out and waiting on Amazon Prime. HANNA is, in short, about Hanna, a young, Romanian girl raised in a forest and taught how to survive. So while we are missing the snowy land of Winterfell and Arya (the most bad-ass character of the series), HANNA could be imagined as a spinoff of Arya’s story. While Arya had many tutors throughout her life such as Syrio, the Hound, and the Faceless Man, Hanna was taught everything she knows by her paranoid, protective father. Both characters have to learn how to fight against a world that will always have the upper hand. The plot and setting remind me of The Grey from 2011 with Liam Neeson, and the grungy, somber tone and coming-of-age anxiety is comparable to Black Swan. Episode one is a little slow, but the expansion of the plot and world in episode two make the show worth the watch. Madelyn Rueter

2. REQUIRED LISTENING

END TIME, FREAKWATER I could talk for days about the band Freakwater-why they’re the best band you aren’t listening to, how their Carter Family-esque harmonies and arrangements were at once ahead of and behind the curve, how they’ve managed to float just below the radar while their “No Depression” era alt-country contemporaries earned legend status-- but instead, I’ll just tell you to go online and find one of their albums right now. Any will do. If you choose to start with 1999’s End Time, then congrats. It was the band’s first album built solely on original material (though Freakwater’s previous interpretations are excellent) and showcased the abilities of both Catherine Irwin and Janet Bean-- the vocal & writing duo that converge and diverge in the greatest of salted caramel harmonies. Stylistically, Irwin and Bean are often compared to Sara and Maybelle Carter, and it’s true that their music was heavily influenced by the Carter Family as well as Jimmie Rodgers and Woody Guthrie. But like their brethren Uncle Tupelo, Freakwater played with a hillbilly aesthetic while brandishing a punk upper lip. End Time found the backbeat of the band, so long driven exclusively by bassist David Gay, occasionally augmented with a drum kit while other tracks were granted a voluptuous arrangement of strings before devolving into sultry performances of simply dobro and vocal. Freakwater is at their best as an austere 3-piece, but a bit o’ steel, strings, and snare are hardly unwelcome. They’re still around, by the way-though it gets longer and longer between albums and tours. I’ve seen them twice (but it felt like the third time) in ten years, and I swear to make it three (will that feel like the fourth time?) should they ever ride again.

3. DRINK THIS

FLOR DE CANA RUM My brother, brother-in-law, and I decided to have a rum tasting day a few months back while we smoked some chicken on the grill and listened to Brent Cobb. We hit a couple of different liquor stores for a few different “aged” varieties from different countries, but the standout by far was the Flor De Cana 18-year. In 1875, Alfredo Francisco Pellas Canessa left Genoa, Italy to settle at the base of a volcano in Nicaragua. He set up his distillery and the family’s been making rum there ever since. In the Georgia sunlight, the Flor de Cana rum looks like liquid bronze. I’ve tried the 12-year, and I might like it a bit better than the 18-- just a bit more angst. Both are caramel smooth, slightly nutty & earthy, and remind me of crumbly homemade pralines. Sweet, yes, but not cloyingly so. The 7-year Flor de Cana shares those qualities-- maybe to a lesser degree, but I can sip it nearly as easy as its older siblings. And I wouldn’t turn down a glass of the 4 or 5-year either-especially mixed with a real sugar Mexican Coke or Sprite. Definitely introduce yourself to the 7-year for starters. If you’ve got a few bucks to throw around, pick up the 12-year to enjoy on a gorgeous day with folks you love.

1 2

3

Aaron Irons

4. READ THIS

THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW I’m an avid reader and I enjoy an array of books in all different genres. But my go-to? Thrillers. Thrillers have that escape-from-reality feeling I love. If I’m picking up a book, I want it to be as crazy as possible and take me out of my comfort zone-- and of course, I want it to be full of nonstop action and page-turning twists. Well, that’s exactly what I got with AJ Finn’s The Woman in the Window. This eerie novel follows the everyday life of Anna, an agoraphobic shut-in, who enjoys wine-drinking and casually spying on her neighbors. Seems normal, right? Wrong. After one night of heavy drinking, Anna thinks she sees something she shouldn’t have in the window of her neighbor’s home, and this sends her into an all-out spiral. A.J. Finn supplies all the tantalizing drama you’ll need in this psychological thriller-- including a seemingly unreliable narrator. Should we trust her? Or do we have to cautiously read between the lines? Grab The Woman in the Window today and find out for yourself ! And do it before the movie starring Amy Adams hits theaters in October!

4

Chelsea Madden

11thHourOnline.com 39


AMERICANA NEWS, NOTIONS, AND NONSENSE

Rhode Island native and Nashville educated Charlie Marie has a new self-titled EP that’s worth your time-lots o’ drawl and clean, classic country tone without irony…

Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets are following

last years’ excellent EP with four new tracks that pick up where Tokyo Bay/Crying Inside left off-- listen for “Love Starvation” when it rolls around on 100.9 The Creek…

Atmospheric singer-songwriter Matthew Ryan has a new song out-- “On Our Death Day” is featured as the a-side on a 7-inch vinyl single backed by a new recording of 2012’s “And It’s Such A Drag”. Buy the digital maxi-single and get a third, bonus recording of Ryan performing Leonard Cohen’s “Steer Your Way”...

Southern Avenue has a new album

to thrill ya’--Keep On was recorded at Sam Phillips Recording in Memphis and features a guest appearance from Stax legend William Bell...

And if you need a decent dose of punky alt-country twang (and who doesn’t, amiright?) try on Bambi Lee Savage’s new album, Berlin-Nashville Express... 40 MAY 24-JUNE 6, 2019

Again, take my money-- in October, look for two books that promise to be compelling as well as harrowing-- Liz Phair’s Horror Stories and Blood: A Memoir from Allison Moorer are probably worth the pre-order… and place in cart… and pay now...


Been diggin’ Ian Noe’s “Irene (Ravin’ Bomb)” on The Creek? The rest of Between The Country is just as good and will be available on 5/31…

The Best Band On The Planet, The Bottle Rockets will be at Eddie’s Attic in Decatur on 7/25… Gretchen Peters will be at the Red Clay Music

Foundry in Duluth, GA on 6/19…

Coming in September, And On Guitar… is the autobiography of producer, songwriter, and especially guitarist, Jim Cregan. The book will cover Cregan’s amazing career alongside the likes of Willie Nelson, Elton John, Cat Stevens, Joe Cocker, and long-time collaborator Rod Stewart...

SHOW REVIEW

GRITS AIN’T GROCERIES 5/24/19

A-Z, Georgia’s got it all: Allman Brothers Band, B-52s, Casting Crowns, Deerhunter, Elf Power, Future, Gram Parsons, Hampton Grease Band, Indigo Girls, James Brown, Kylesa, Little Richard, Mastodon, Neutral Milk Hotel, Otis Redding, Pylon, Qurious, R.E.M., Sharon Jones, Third Day, Usher, Vigilantes of Love, Widespread Panic, Xscape, Lil Yachty, Zac Brown Band. Lisa Love digs into the vaults for the best in vintage, checks the charts, combs the clubs and uncovers the hidden gems that make the search worthwhile. If there’s not a little something for everyone one in Georgia music , then grits ain’t groceries, eggs ain’t poultry and Mona Lisa was a man! Join Lisa every Sunday at 2 p.m. as she gives a little love to Georgia’s legends, landmarks, and unsung heroes.

Just take my money now, please! Being 9 months pregnant (but will probably have given birth to her daughter by the time this goes to print-- so congrats!) hasn’t stopped Margo Price from producing a new album of original songs by Jessi Colter. There’s no release date as of this writing, but can you think of a better Christmas present? And we suspect baby girl will have a bit of destiny about her… Playlist For The Week Of May 14, 2019

L W

T W

Singles Chart Powered By CDX TRACTION

1

1

THE LUMINEERS / Gloria / Dualtone Records

2

2

JOSH RITTER / Old Black Magic / Pytheas Records/Thirty Tigers

3

3

MAVIS STAPLES / Change / Anti-

4

4

JADE BIRD / I Get No Joy / Glassnote Records

6

5

CALEXICO AND IRON & WINE / Father Mountain / Sub Pop Records

DEBUT

6

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN / Hello Sunshine / Columbia Records

40

7

LUKAS NELSON & PROMISE OF THE REAL / Bad Case / Fantasy Records/Concord

7

8

RYAN BINGHAM / Jingle And Go / Axster Bingham/Thirty Tigers

9

9

THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS / Rise Sun / Tape Time Records

14

10

YOLA / Love All Night (Work All Day) / Easy Eye Sound/Nonesuch

10

11

TODD SNIDER / Like A Force Of Nature / Aimless / Thirty Tigers

8

12

TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND / Hard Case / Fantasy Records/Concord

12

13

DYLAN LEBLANC / Renegade / ATO Records

5

14

SON VOLT / Devil May Care / Transmit Sound Records / Thirty Tigers

16

15

BAILEN / I Was Wrong / Fantasy Records/Concord

11

16

HAYES CARLL / Times Like These / Dualtone Records

15

17

JAMESTOWN REVIVAL / This Too Shall Pass / Jamestown Revival Recordings/ Thirty Tigers

13

18

41 ANDREW BIRD / Sisyphus / Loma Vista Recordings/Concord 11thHourOnline.com 41

Artist / Song Title / Label


42 MAY 24-JUNE 6, 2019


THURSDAY 5/23 JUST TAP'D Brain Blast Trivia 8pm ROCO’S BAR (BONAIRE) Live Music Happy Hour w/ The Captain 6pm

FRIENDS ON THE HILL (WARNER ROBINS) Dart Tournament 4pm REBOOT RETROCADE & BAR Big Kids Brunch 1pm ROCO’S BAR (BONAIRE) Karaoke w/ The Captain 9pm

FRIDAY 5/24 A.P.'S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY Karaoke w/ Jesse Jane 8pm-midnight FRIENDS ON THE HILL (WARNER ROBINS) Beer Pong Tournament 10:30pm ROCO’S BAR (BONAIRE) Choir of Babble 10pm

WEDNESDAY 5/29 FRIENDS ON THE HILL (WARNER ROBINS) Dart League 7pm REBOOT RETROCADE & BAR Trivia 8pm ROCO’S BAR (BONAIRE) Jim Jam Karaoke & Dance Party

SUNDAY 5/26 A.P.'S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY Big Mike (Blues) 3pm Karaoke 7:30pm

THURSDAY 5/30

REBOOT RETROCADE & BAR Sunday Fun Day 1pm

ROCO’S BAR (BONAIRE) Live Music Happy Hour w/ The Captain 6pm

JUST TAP'D Brain Blast Trivia 8pm

TRAVIS JEAN EMPORIUM Live Music 12:30pm

FRIDAY 5/31 MONDAY 5/27

SATURDAY 5/25 A.P.'S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY Skeeterz 8pm Never A Cover

A.P.'S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY Karaoke with Jessie Jane-midnight 8pm

FRIENDS ON THE HILL (WARNER ROBINS) Dart Tournament 9pm Double Down Service Industry Night

FRIENDS ON THE HILL (WARNER ROBINS) Beer Pong Tournament 10:30pm

REBOOT RETROCADE & BAR Karaoke w/ DJ B3 7pm

SATURDAY 6/1 A.P.'S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY Kool Change 8pm Never A Cover

TUESDAY 5/28 FRIENDS ON THE HILL (WARNER ROBINS) Trivia 8:30pm Karaoke w/ DJ B3 10pm JUST TAP'D MACON Brain Blast Trivia 8pm ROCO’S BAR (BONAIRE) Service Industry Night

FRIENDS ON THE HILL (WARNER ROBINS Dart Tournament 4pm continued on page 44

11thHourOnline.com 43


HARGRAY CAPITOL THEATRE Matt Costa 8pm $15-$17 w/ JD & The Straight Shot

WEDNESDAY 6/5 THE CREEK STAGE @ THE ROOKERY Caleb Caudle 7:30pm $10

Feed Your Inner Rock Star

OPEN JAMS & KARAOKE MONDAY

REBOOT RETROCADE & BAR Big Kids Brunch 1pm ROCO’S BAR (BONAIRE) Karaoke w/ The Captain 9pm

SUNDAY 6/2 A.P.'S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY Big Mike 3pm Karaoke 7:30pm REBOOT RETROCADE & BAR Sunday Funday 1pm TRAVIS JEAN EMPORIUM Live Music 12:30pm

FRIENDS ON THE HILL (WARNER ROBINS) Dart League 7pm REBOOT RETROCADE & BAR Trivia 8pm ROCO’S BAR (BONAIRE) Jim Jam Karaoke & Dance Party

THURSDAY 6/6 THE CREEK STAGE @ THE ROOKERY Uncle Duane’s Band 7:30pm $10 w/ Tyler Boone Band

MONDAY 6/3

JUST TAP'D Brain Blast Trivia 8pm

FRIENDS ON THE HILL (WARNER ROBINS) Karaoke w/ DJ B3 10pm

WEDNESDAY

ROCO’S BAR (BONAIRE) Jim Jam Karaoke & Dance Party 9pm

FRIDAY

A.P.'S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY Karaoke w/ Jessie Jane 8pm

AMPERSAND GUILD OPEN MIC NIGHT Every 3rd Friday 7pm $5 (Free for performers)

REBOOT RETROCADE & BAR Karaoke w/ DJ B3 7pm

FRIENDS ON THE HILL (WARNER ROBINS) Trivia 8:30pm Karaoke w/ DJ B3 10pm

TUESDAY

AMPERSAND GUILD POETRY & SPOKEN WORD Every 2nd Friday 7pm $5 (Free for performers)

FRIENDS ON THE HILL (WARNER ROBINS) Dart Tournament 9pm Double Down Service Industry Night

TUESDAY 6/4

REBOOT RETROCADE & BAR Karaoke w/ DJ B3 7pm

JUST TAP'D Brain Blast Trivia 8pm ROCO’S BAR (BONAIRE) Live Music Happy Hour w/ The Captain 6pm

SATURDAY

A.P.’S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY Karaoke 7:30pm ROCO’S BAR (BONAIRE) Karaoke w/ The Captain 9pm

SUNDAY

A.P.’S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY Karaoke 7:30pm

44 MAY 24-JUNE 6, 2019


NEW ISSUE ON STANDS FRIDAY, JUNE 7TH!

MACON COLISEUM

MACON CITY AUDITORIUM

JUNE 7 ALABAMA | 50TH ANNIVERSARY

JUNE 16 THE MIGHTY O’JAYS

JULY 18 - 21 BIG APPLE CIRCUS AUGUST 10 & 11 PAW PATROL LIVE!| RACE TO THE RESCUE

JUNE 22 BRIT FLOYD | 40 YEARS OF THE WALL JULY 25 KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND

FOR A FULL LISTING OF UPCOMING EVENTS, VISIT WWW.MACONCENTREPLEX.ORG 11thHourOnline.com 45


10% OFF SERVICE AGREEMENTS When you mention this ad.

COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL, HEATING, PLUMBING, & AIR CONDITIONING

SERVICE AGREEMENT FEATURES: •SUMMER AND FALL INSPECTIONS •YEARLY SYSTEM CLEANING •PRIORITY SCHEDULING

24/7/365 EMERGENCY

•DISCOUNTED PARTS

SERVICE

•SPECIAL LABOR RATE

TELEPHONE: 478.741.6655 PROUDLY SERVING MACON IN OUR 29TH YEAR!

46 MAY 24-JUNE 6, 2019


UPCOMING SHOWS BUY YOUR TICKETS AT HARGRAYCAPITOLTHEATRE.COM

SATURDAY 6/01

WEDNESDAY 6/05

THURSDAY 6/06

The Creek Stage @ The Rookery

The Creek Stage @ The Rookery

THE BIG HOUSE MUSEUM PRESENTS

MATT COSTA

CALEB CAUDLE

THE SEVEN SON'S TOUR WITH UNCLE DUANE'S BAND & TYLER BOONE BAND

Doors: 7:00 pm / Show: 8:00 pm

Doors: 6:00 pm / Show: 7:30 pm

Doors: 6:00 pm / Show: 7:30 pm

FRIDAY 6/07

SATURDAY 6/08

THURSDAY 06/13

JD & THE STRAIGHT SHOT

The Creek Stage @ The Rookery

THE SOUTHERN MOMMA CLEDUS T JUDD COMEDY EXPERIENCE

THE SOUTHERN MOMMA CLEDUS T JUDD COMEDY EXPERIENCE

EG KIGHT

Doors: 6:30 pm / Show: 7:30 pm

Doors: 6:30 pm / Show: 7:30 pm

Doors: 6:00 pm / Show: 7:30 pm

FRIDAY 6/28

FRIDAY 7/19

SATURDAY 10/05

JIMMY HALL'S SUMMER SIZZLE

CHAD PRATHER

BRENT COBB AND THEM

Doors: 7:00 pm / Show: 8:00 pm

Doors: 7:00 pm / Show: 8:00 pm

Doors: 7:00 pm / Show: 8:00 pm

BARRY WALDREP

THE NATIONAL RESERVE

Let Moonhanger Catering make your next event unforgettable. Contact Katelin at (478) 718-1444 or email katelin@moonhangergroup.com

HARGRAY CAPITOL THEATRE 382 Second Street • 478-257-6391 All ages shows unless otherwise stated.

THE

STAGE

THE CREEK STAGE AT THE ROOKERY { SPONSORED BY PRETOIRA FIELDS } 543 Cherry Street • 478-257-6391

AT THE ROOKERY

11thHourOnline.com 47



Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.