weekender
POWELL/NORWOOD Shopper news • DECEMBER 30, 2015 • A-11
More banjo! By Carol Shane There’s no way of knowing how many different resolutions are being made for the year 2016, but if one of yours is “hear more banjos,” boy are you in luck. Next week Knoxville’s popular Old City destination Boyd’s Jig and Reel will come alive with the sound of the twangy, soulful fivestring instrument – in bulk – when the Knoxville Banjo Orchestra Flash Mob invades “Tennessee Shines,” sponsored by WDVX. Kyle Campbell, the banjo player who heads up the whole thing, recalls the KBO’s beginnings. “Matt Morelock called all the banjo players he knew for the Meadowlark Festival back in the spring,” he says. “I started calling everyone I knew. It was about 20 banjos.” Campbell and part of his crew are fresh off the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra’s Clayton Christmas Concerts, where their banjo quartet made a real splash. “We were going to have the whole banjo orchestra playing in the lobby, but they thought we should be part of the show.” There wasn’t room for the whole gang, so Campbell and Jessica Watson, Tim Wor-
man and Don Phillips made a fine foursome. Phillips, by the way, plays a bass banjo that he made himself. A bass drum forms the body, part of a thick wooden pallet serves as a sturdy neck, and heavyduty fishing line provides resonant strings. It’s played in the upright position. The headliners for the evening are The Bearded, originally a trio of Campbell, Greg Horne and Chris Zuhr. They describe their sound as “oldtime mountain blues.” Campbell says the name came about because “we all had beards – at least when we started.” He’s excited to welcome three other players into the lineup. “There’ll be six in all,” he says. “We’ll have some new songs, some new sounds.” Also featured will be former Knoxvillian Mark Lamb, co-founder of Circle Modern Dance in Knoxville and Mark Lamb Dance in New York City. He’ll perform his spoken-word piece “Into the Fire” about the importance of cast iron skillets. It’s a preview of his show, “A Boy and His Dolly,” which will be part of the birthday tribute to Dolly Parton coming up at the Bijou Theatre (more info com-
Players from the Knoxville Banjo Orchestra made a big hit at the recent Clayton Holiday Concerts. They’ll be included in the lineup when WDVX presents “Tennessee Shines” at the Jig & Reel next Wednesday. Shown are Kyle Campbell, Don Phillips, Jessica Watson and Tim Worman. Photo by Eileen Weber
ing in a future column.) WDVX’s “Tennessee Shines” is a live weekly program, continuing throughout the year. Each event features a lively musical lineup, and it’s a great place
to go for conviviality, food and drink. Why not get out for the first one of 2016? “You don’t get to see a bunch of banjos all in one place,” says Campbell, “so it’ll be special.”
The Bearded plus the Knoxville Banjo Orchestra Flash Mob and Mark Lamb will perform at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 6, at Boyd’s Jig and Reel, the non-smoking musical pub
located at 101 S. Central Street in Knoxville. Tickets: $10; doors open at 6 p.m. Info/tickets: 247-7066 or jigandreel.ticketleap.com Send story suggestions to news@ shoppernewsnow.com.
Pickle Top 10: indies and space epics By Betsy Pickle Ranking a year’s movies has turned into a national obsession, but it’s so much fun and such a healthy addiction that you don’t have to worry about seeking professional help – unless you’re literally relying on a professional critic for guidance. It’s only opinion, after all, so there’s no right or wrong. People have different tastes and are drawn to different genres. And since the end of the year is always a good time to reflect, it makes sense to play the game. 2015 was a satisfying movie year because there were great blockbusters and amazing indies. It was a good mix. And while that makes the apples-and-oranges quality of Top 10 lists dizzying, it’s also the perfect entry point for debate. So let’s begin: 1. “Room” – This fall’s indie sensation is a powerful example of what film can do. Based on a novel by Emma Donoghue, who adapted the screenplay, “Room” shows the resilience of the human spirit with its story of a young woman and her little boy, held captive in a tiny space but using their imaginations to learn, grow and survive. The clash of fantasy and reality is brutally inevitable, but even when it arrives, “Room” finds avenues
Ma (Brie Larson) broadens the horizons of a confined world for Jack (Jacob Tremblay) in “Room.” to challenge and uplift. 2. “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” – The long-anticipated epic delivers new hope for the beloved franchise. After the dark years of the prequel trilogy, “The Force Awakens” builds on the familiar but re-engineers the space saga so that there’s a more complex palate of emotions and a more diverse array of characters. The emotional wallop of seeing old favorites back in action is a quantity that cannot be dismissed, but the new young stars – Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac
and Adam Driver – bring nuances that should carry the series into the future. 3. “Brooklyn” – A “small” film in the tradition of old Hollywood romances finds a way to tap into more intimacy than many of its venerable predecessors. A young Irishwoman comes to the United States to find opportunity, but cutting ties with the old country proves harder than she expected. Watch out: Saoirse Ronan may turn out to be the Meryl Streep of her generation. 4. “Amy” – Documentaries can hold their own
or even surpass narrative films in terms of powerful storytelling and cultural insight. “Amy” is a great film, no matter how it’s classified. It respectfully dissects the short and tragic life of singer Amy Winehouse and makes it clear why the world should regret her passing. 5. “The Martian” – Even before “The Force Awakens” arrived, space was a popular frontier in 2015 thanks to the collaboration of Matt Damon and director Ridley Scott (who has an affinity for the milieu). Adapted from a book by Andy Weir, “The Martian” is a roller coaster of an epic and a grabber of a lone-survivor story, with an outstanding performance by Damon. 6. “Trumbo” – Bryan Cranston’s measured portrayal of blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo serves a passionate plea for tolerance while depicting one of the nation’s darkest eras. 7. “The End of the Tour” – Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segel do a graceful dance of the conflicts between art and commerce in this slice-of-life bio inspired by doomed novelist David Foster Wallace. 8. “The Danish Girl” – Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne triumphs again in a
period piece inspired by the life of a transgender pioneer, who first became noted as artist Einar Wegener. Redmayne is equally matched by the brilliant Alicia Vikander, as Einar’s artist wife. 9. “Ex Machina” – Speaking of Vikander, 2015 was her year, and “Ex Machina” is one of the reasons why. As an android exploring her human side, she befuddles both creator Oscar Isaac and tech geek
Domhnall Gleeson in this smart sci-fi drama directed by Alex Garland. 10. “Love & Mercy” – Whether you’re a Beach Boys fan or not, this film about the struggles of musician Brian Wilson will draw you in and break your heart. The debate continues over whether John Cusack or Paul Dano is the star (my vote’s for Dano), but both, along with Elizabeth Banks and Paul Giamatti, make this biopic riveting.
‘The Hateful Eight’ Samuel L. Jackson plays bounty hunter Major Marquis Warren in “The Hateful Eight,” now playing in the “roadshow” version in 70mm at Pinnacle 18 and expanding to regular screens on Friday. Writer-director Quentin Tarantino rounds up an octet of scumbags and strands them together in post-Civil War Wyoming during a blizzard. Mayhem ensues. The film also stars Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tim Roth, Channing Tatum, Walton Goggins, Bruce Dern and Michael Madsen. It’s rated R for strong bloody violence, a scene of violent sexual content, language and some graphic nudity.
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