Issue 23/Fall 2018

No. 23

Tiger Woods wins the 2018 TOUR Championship at Eastlake and narrowly misses snagging the coveted FedEx Cup. (Hakim Wright)

4 16 36 46 64

Arts & Culture Events Movies Music Sports

Learn more about Atlanta’s hottest fashion event, see exclusive art, and spend a night at the opera

A heavy dose of anime and video games

See what’s hot and what’s not at the movies

See what’s hot and what’s not at the movies

Atlanta debunks rumors about being a sports town

Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic The High Museum of Art was the premier U.S. venue for “Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic,” a playful exhibition celebrating the magical world of one of the most adored literary characters of all time.

Organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (V&A), and ran from June 3 through Sept. 2, 2018, the exhibition was the first of its kind in over 40 years to explore the origins, creation and enduring legacy of the classic stories by A.A. Milne (1882–1956) and illustrations by E.H. Shepard (1879–1976) that have captured the hearts of generations of readers.

“Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic” was the latest in a series of exhibitions presented by the High that celebrated the work of children’s book authors and

illustrators. Previously highlighted artists include Ashley Bryan, Eric Carle, Mo Willems and Jerry Pinkney.

Drawn from the rich archives of the V&A, The Walt Disney Company, Egmont Publishing, The Shepard Trust and The University of Surrey, the more than 200 works in the exhibition span 90 years of Pooh history, from 1920 to the present. The objects include original illustrations, manuscripts and proofs along with early editions, letters, photographs, cartoons, ceramics, and fashion—all featuring the much-loved character and his friends: Christopher Robin, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Owl, Piglet, Rabbit and Tigger.

-Jon J.

*Line block print, hand colored by E.H. Shepard, 1970 © Egmont UK Ltd, reproduced with permission from the Shepard Trust.

Line block print, hand colored by E.H. Shepard, 1970 Š Egmont UK Ltd, reproduced with permission from Shepard Trust

Line block print, hand colored by E.H. Shepard, 1970 Š Egmont UK Ltd, reproduced with permission from Shepard Trust

Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors The High Museum of Art welcomes “Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors,” the epic art exhibition that has been selling out at museums nationwide during its extremely popular tour. Organized by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the exhibition is the first survey to explore the evolution of celebrated Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s immersive Infinity Mirror Rooms, and it will make a final stop in Atlanta with a limited run at the High from Nov. 18, 2018, through Feb. 17, 2019.

This show will take visitors on an expansive journey across six decades of Kusama’s creative output and will explore the development of the artist’s Infinity Mirror Rooms, her iconic, kaleidoscopic

environments. The exhibition will present six of these rooms as well as sculptures, paintings, works on paper, film excerpts, archival ephemera, and additional largescale installations that span the early 1950s to the present day. Also on view will be numerous new works by the 89-yearold artist, who remains active in her Tokyo studio.

Advanced tickets are no longer available for purchase, but don’t fret! 100 tickets will be sold for the exhibit each day through Feb. 17. You can read here for more details about the exhibit including where and how to buy tickets, hours, and what to bring.

-Jon J.

Yayoi Kusama (Japanese, born 1929), All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins, 2016, at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, wood, mirrors, plastic, glass, and LEDs. Collection of the artist. Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo/Singapore and Victoria Miro, London. Š Yayoi Kusama. Photo by Cathy Carver

*Cover photo: Yayoi Kusama (Japanese, born 1929), Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity, 2009, wood, mirrors, plastic, acrylic, LEDs, glass, and aluminum. Collection of the artist. Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo/Singapore; Victoria Miro, London; David Zwirner, New York. Š Yayoi Kusama. Photo by Cathy Carver.

Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street The Atlanta Opera closed its season in fine fashion with a musical like Stephen Sondheim’s, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. I hate to see the season end but it couldn’t end with a better feature. Referred to commonly a s S w e e n e y To d d , p l a n o n b e i n g welcomed by a barrage of surly faces and countless victims to tell a tale of woe.

Based on the Victorian penny dreadful The String of Pearls, the story takes us to a dark place in London where a young Benjamin Barker (Michael Mayes) will have his life ruined. But this musical is not what you think. Many people put too much emphasis on the “Demon” in Demon Barber, but it’s more in alignment with his evil nature. Here’s another morsel you may not have known… He wasn’t always evil.

He used to be a young man with a pretty wife named Lucy (Leah Partridge) and a daughter named Johanna (Vanessa Becerra). Unfortunately, there was an evil judge named Turpin (Tom Fox) who coveted his wife Lucy so he banished Barker to Australia. After that, he invites Lucy to a masquerade party where he and

his Beadle Bamford (Timothy Culver) got her drunk and raped her there in the open (So when Barker returns he conceals his true identity and goes by Sweeney Todd).

Now that you know the backstory you can see why he’s hellbent on revenge.

Mayes’ portrayal of the demon barber seemed effortless. With a look somewhere between Edward Scissorhands and Beetle Juice, I had to remind myself at times that he was indeed human. There wasn’t a man alive that could compete with the skillful hand of Sweeney Todd. A traveling barber by the name of Adolfo Pirelli (Christopher Bozeka) once tried but he quickly learned that his usual bravado would be no match for the skill of Sweeney’s hands.

Todd gives his victims the closest shave they’ll ever have. With some help from meat pie shop owner Mrs. Lovett (Maria Zifchak), Todd is able to plot his revenge on Judge Turpin while making money in the meantime. An impressive feat for a shop with the worst meat pies in London.

I give Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street a 9 out of 10. A proper title for the production would be a musical thriller.

Musical because that’s definitely what it is (not a traditional opera) and thriller because of the dark story and what’s waiting for you when you see it. With a total run of 2 hours and 45 minutes (with a 25-minute intermission) you are definitely getting your money’s worth and should be proud to end the season with such a sendoff. While I didn’t see too many children, if your child can handle seeing sharp objects or blood then they should be fine. Even the evil deeds are tastefully done!

An innocent sailor named Anthony (Joseph Lattanzi) was too friendly for his own good.

Thinking he had made a friend of Todd, he consults with him on a myriad of personal matters until one day he speaks of his love for a young woman. That woman is somebody Todd remembers from long ago…

But you’ll have to see the performance to see the twists and turns that take place.

Outside of the performers, what stood out most to me was the set design. Designer Eugene Lee is the one behind the greatness that I saw in each scene. The residence of Judge Turpin would get wheeled away and in an instant, we’re back to Fleet Street and Mrs. Lovett’s shop. Even the scenes that were set “inside” the shop were done nicely.

While not actually inside, the stage layout matched the shape of the building and consisted of two chairs, a few pictures, and a logbook. But the best component of all is the one used by Lovett and Todd to dispose of the bodies. Something I’ve never seen before at the opera!

Review by Jon J.

Photo: Jeff Roffman

Disney’s “Aladdin” is absolute Magic Disney spares no expense when it comes to production. Costumes, set design, stage presence, and incredible music make Disney’s Aladdin the most magical musical in Disney’s repertoire.

Aladdin opened on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre to critical acclaim on March 20, 2014, and quickly established itself as one of the biggest new blockbusters in recent years, breaking 12 New Amsterdam Theatre house records and welcoming over seven million people worldwide. Its global footprint has expanded to include productions in Tokyo, Hamburg, London, and Brisbane, in addition to the two U.S. productions.

The newly adapted musical boasted new musical numbers outside of the usual “Friend like Me” and “A Whole New World.” Songs such as “Proud of Your Boy” and “Somebody’s Got Your Back” were received well by the Fox Theatre audience.

Aladdin, played by Clinton Greenspan, was excellent all-around. With all the running, climbing, jumping, and dancing he did, his singing was still on point. You could tell by Aladdin’s glistening man-chest that Greenspan put in a full workout and his effort did not go unnoticed (he received quite the ovation at the end). We got to know Aladdin’s band of merry mates, Babkak (Zach Bencal), Omar (Philippe

Arroyo), and Kassim (Jed Feder) which were new to the musical and found themselves in as many hijinx as our openvest wearing hero. Abu’s absence was noticed immediately but that was in no way a downer.

Because how could you feel down in the least bit when you have a genie. A fantastic genie. A genie, like the animated movie, that completely steals the show! Trevor Dion Nicholas deserves a thousand applauses for what I witnessed last night.

His booming voice and modern dance infusion were amazing. When we saw fireworks onstage, they were during his performance. When a canon shot streamers into the audience, again, that was during his performance. All the grandiose effects and performances all revolved around his genius. A genie that’s not only comical but can sing and dance after rattling off multiple lines like an auctioneer? I’ll take that along with his blinged-out garbs and dabbing exit.

I give Disney’s Aladdin a 9.5 out of 10. Unlike most productions that come through Atlanta, Aladdin will have a twoweek stay at The Fox Theatre. For those who remember the original animated adventure, the musical will make you feel like a kid again.

-Jon J.

What is Cinebash? Translated literally, Cinebash is a “film party.” This year’s Cinebash is themed around the work of graphic designer Saul Bass, best known for his motion picture title sequences, including Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo and Psycho, promotional movie posters for such films as Exodus, The Shining and West Side Story, as well as some of the world’s most recognizable logos.

Guests of the night enjoyed a collection of art installations that made dynamic use of light, color, and movement, conceived and produced under the creative direction of Danny Davis of Protect Awesome.

It was the perfect environment to mix and mingle. There were restaurants stationed all over Atlanta Contemporary, who played host to the event, and there were an equal amount of bars. The restaurants, presented

by Taste of Atlanta, provided samples for guests to go with their beverages of choice, making for an evening of savory food and fun. For us, we had never had Flip Burger before so we thoroughly enjoyed their samples!

Some parties have photo booths, but this party had a walking selfie experience! A photo ambassador walked around with a

Cinebash

huge circular mirror that was actually a camera. The ring around the lens acted as a makeup light and helped in making the perfect selfie to take home memories from the event. On top of all the photo-ops, there was a fun opportunity to take part in an art project. We were able to join a real animation studio and help them color cells for an animation project with Cinebash.

Saul Bass isn’t a well-recognized name but his work is just the opposite. Responsible for logos such as the ones for Kleenex, AT&T, and Girl Scouts, his legacy is undeniable. His work was also used in p r o m o t i o n m o v i e p o s t e r s a n d fi l m sequences. Bass has collaborated with the likes of Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, and Martin Scorsese.

For more on events like this keep an eye on the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival website.

Jeffrey Fashion Cares

Celine, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Calvin Klein, Dries Van Noten, Sacai, Saint Laurent Paris, Balenciaga, Christian Louboutin and Manolo Blahnik. Kalinsky is also set to open his first West Coast location in Palo Alto.

The 26th anniversary of Jeffrey Fashion Cares benefitted Susan G. Komen Greater Atlanta, the Atlanta AIDS Fund (AAF), and the Medical University of South Carolina.

Over the course of its history, Jeffrey Fashion Cares has raised more than 15 million dollars for its beneficiaries. For more information, visit their website.

A special thank you to the 2018 sponsors: Host of the Night – Phipps Plaza; Toast of the Night – Nordstrom; and Presenting – B l u e S k y A g e n c y, e v e n t o l o g i e , Jeffrey Atlanta | New York, MAGNUM Co., and The Tavern at Phipps.

Fashion Forward Jeffrey Kalinsky, the creator of two namesake boutiques in Atlanta and Manhattan, celebrated 26 years of Jeffrey Fashion Cares Atlanta on Monday, August 27, 2018. The annual fashion-forward, philanthropic event was once again hosted

by Event Chairs Lila Hertz, Jeffrey McQuithy and Louise Sams. A sold-out evening, Atlanta’s most notable gathered in Phipps Plaza in the heart of Buckhead to enjoy a high-energy cocktail reception and silent auction followed by a live auction and runway show featuring Kalinsky’s style selections from high-end designers like

-Jon J.

Photo: Hakim Wright

Take it from me, TBZ, I’m calling it now, Momocon 2018 will go down in the books. Momocon has video games, table games, panels, anime, comic books, and everything about c o s p l a y. T h i s y e a r ’s a n n u a l pilgrimage to the Georgia World Congress Center was filled with laughs, new friends, great interviews, and tons of great cosplayers.

A cosplayer is someone who d re s s e s u p a s t h e i r f a v o r i t e character from TV, anime, or even movies. I actually cosplayed two characters this weekend: Thelma (a gender bender) from Scooby-Doo and the one people know me for most, Perfect Cell from Dragon Ball Z. I like the fun that goes into cosplay. To me, it helped me find my peace and relax my brain. Let’s say you do a puzzle and it has over 100 pieces to it. Once you sit down after it’s finished, you look at it like it’s a masterpiece. That’s how I see building my cosplay. While sewing isn’t my thing, I’m more of an armor type of person. I like to take craft foam and EVA foam and work from there (there are endless possibilities). At Momocon,

there were tons of great cosplay. Kid Goku Black, Adult Goku Black, Bulma, Android 18, Trunks, Zero Suit Samus, Sailor Scouts, Pokémon, and even a Hugo x Poison couple (that was really cool). Most of those were Dragon Ball cosplays but another popular theme was My Hero Academia since it was the most popular anime at that time. Overwatch was extremely popular so there were a lot of those too.

Another great thing about the kickoff to con season is the diverse list of guests. With actors from Voltron to The Last of Us to Unchartered, there truly was no limit to the talent that Momocon has grown to attract. But naturally, as I totally embody Perfect Cell, when I heard the bulk of the Dragon Ball Z voice actors were coming I had to be a part of it. Kyle Hebert voices Teen Gohan in the series and Chris Sabat voices Vegeta, the Prince of all Saiyans. Watch the whole interview because he’s an awesome guy… Did he really think he could beat Perfect Cell (because I just have to know)?

Above: Super Girl cosplay with our TBZ cosplaying Perfect Cell

Top right: Eric Killmonger cosplay from Black Panther

The gaming was fun too. Me being Perfect Cell, I had to play Dragon Ball Fighter Z, that’s my favorite game. The con gave me more time to practice so I can enter a tournament eventually and enter the tournament… as myself. There’s another game I got to play called, “Ribbiting Saga.” I cannot wait until that comes to console! It’s like a Super Nintendo feel when playing that game. Like a “Link to the Past” or “Mario RPG” or “Chrono-Trigger” feel to it (cue all the nostalgia). Whichever console they release it on I’m going to get it and stream it (follow me on Twitch).

“Neon Ninja” was a great game I got to play. It was an indie game just like “Ribbiting Saga” and I made it pretty far.

The indie row was a great place to play new video games by up-and-coming

saw Momocon was at a hotel. Then as I started going more it started to be a paid con, but it’s definitely worth it. It doesn’t just kickoff con season, they’ve partnered with Dragon Con, our biggest convention

game developers. There were lots of fun puzzle games like SiNKR, a minimalist puzzle game that won the Indie Showcase Award and I even got to play my first VR game too!

here in Atlanta. Momo is one of those where you don’t have to come dressed up so it’s a good introductory con for the noobs.

Momocon is the start of con season, basically, Spring going into Summer.

Momocon started off as a free con at Georgia Tech. You’d just go in, play some video games, you could buy some stuff, and it was just a good, free time. Then all of a sudden, Momocon blew up, out of nowhere. I went downtown one day and

Momocon is definitely a favorite because of how easy it is to meet people. I always make new friends and catch up with old ones. On a scale of 1-10, I give Momocon a 15. Major props to the staff too because they’re not just helpful but lots of fun. Be sure to follow us on social media and also follow me on Twitch.

-TBZ

Photo: X

Twitch: @TitusBallZ Top: Game developers for SiNKR (left) and Siege Tower (right)

Atlanta Comic Con presented its first annual show at the Georgia World Congress Center July 13 to the 15.

Proving successful in other states, Imaginarium Agency was excited to bring the love of comic books down to Atlanta.

Atlanta Comic Con had a large exhibit hall featuring celebrity guests, legendary comic book creators, comic books, toys, artwork, apparel, arcade games, and extensive programming. Highlighted features for Atlanta Comic Con consisted of the Cosplay Contest and the Film Festival, where local talent have the opportunity to showcase their work.

Celebrity guests included Sean Astin, Nichelle Nichols, Matthew Lewis, Lea Thompson, Ty Templeton, and many more.

Atlanta is quickly becoming the Con Headquarters of the South. Momocon, Dragon Con, and Anime Weekend Atlanta (AWA) have long been staples in the city, bringing cosplay, panels, and special guests to the masses. Now we can officially welcome our fourth, Atlanta Comic Con.

Courtesy of DC Entertainment

Being the only one of the four Cons with a heavy focus on comic books, the best part of the convention was the massive amount of indie comic books available. Dealers and independent comic books stole the show and I was happy to be a part of it.

My favorite vendor was Alley Cat Comics from Chicago. Usually, it’s suspect when you hear about comic books for $1 because they’re never ones that you want; not with Alley Cat Comics. They had a mix of both classic comics and recent ones. I snagged a few back issues of Black Panther and one of Spawn.

There were so many independent comics in the house that I didn’t get a chance to speak with all the creators, but two series stood out to me: The Elements and Native Comics. It is very rare to see comic books geared toward black people and before my eyes, I had two. To learn more about The Elements and Native Comics check out our podcast.

Then, of course, you can’t talk about a Con and not talk about cosplay. There were so many great cosplays on display and m o s t o f t h e m w e re c o m i c themed. Pictured left, is totally #friendgoals as a group came as Young Justice.

On the next page you’ll see our Top 5 best cosplays of the inaugural Atlanta Comic Con.

5

Gamora

2

Spawn

4

King Jore

For its first year, I’d say it went pretty well. The panels were decent and I think for its first time out, a solid two days was an appropriate length of time. I was extremely impressed with the variety of vendors there. Between the comics, accessory shops, and the artists themselves, there was truly something for everyone.

1

3

Bishop

Jason & Pennywise

This was a good start for ACC and I hope they continue to grow and keep the love of comics alive! They promised a convention that was heavily focused on comic books and the industry and I can confidently say that they delivered!

-Jon J. and TBZ

Crime Con kicked off its second year at Nashville’s famous Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. The three-day true crime-themed convention featured interactive panels, live podcast recordings, exclusive screenings, and rare opportunities to hear from prestigious guest panelists, speakers, and experts. After the success of the inaugural Crime Con in Indianapolis, Indiana, the convention took Nashville, Tennessee, by storm.

Walking into the Opryland lobby, the first thing we saw were booths set up by different vendors handing out swag, a bookstore

selling books by all the authors speaking at the convention, and the extremely popular pop-up section donned Podcast Row. On Podcast Row, all the podcasts represented at the convention had interactive stations where you could meet your favorite podcasters, take photos in front of podcastthemed props, and collect stickers and podcastthemed merch. With the g ro w i n g p o p u l a r i t y o f podcasts over the past two years especially, this section was particularly busy during its open hours (our podcast is now available).

One of the biggest hits of the weekend was Nancy Grace’s session called “Lady Justice Is Calling!”

Our favorite television personality and former prosecutor led an impassioned presentation where she dove into her experiences growing up that led her to be passionate about victims’ rights and justice. We had the opportunity to speak to Grace about her new podcast, Crime Stories, and her experience at Crime Con. The full interview is available HERE as part of The Peach R e v i e w ® ’s “ P E O P L E ” series but enjoy a preview on the next page:

Lauren: What was your experience with the convention last year?

Nancy: I had the greatest time. The twins and I lived on Podcast Row. We had so much fun. They came home with these two big bags of stickers and pamphlets, magnets and all that. They’re here right now!

Lauren: So they love this stuff? I love that.

So you’ve got your podcast Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. How would you explain that to someone who has not heard it before?

Nancy: Well it’s very much like my previous show with HLN, where we take stories, cases, investigations, trials of the day and break it down and put it back together again with informed guests. For

instance, a forensic expert, a reporter in the area, a lawyer, a shrink, to dig down into it and figure out what’s really going on and why.

Lauren: So within your career as a prosecutor, what has been the case that has stuck with you the most?

Nancy: Oh my goodness! That’s like being asked to pick my favorite child, because with the cases I’ve prosecuted, and a lot of the cases that I would cover that I actually get to know the victim’s families, they stick with me for a long time. I mean, still to this day.

Outside of panels and speakers, Crime Con also provides the opportunity to stream new shows and documentaries. One of the screenings we had the opportunity to attend was for a show premiering on WGN in January 2019 called “Pure.” It’s a scripted drama based on real events, following a Mennonite pastor attempting to rid his community of drug traffickers. After the screening, we had the opportunity to speak with one of the lead actors, Alex Paxton-Beesley, about the show, what draws her into true crime, and what her experience at Crime Con 2018 was like. The full interview is available HERE as part of The Peach Review®’s “PEOPLE” series but enjoy a preview below:

Lauren: So you said this is your first convention.

What do you think about Crime Con so far?

Alex: It’s amazing. I was texting my best friend and I was like “maybe we exclusively have to come to crime conventions because everyone’s talking about murder” and I’m like really afraid but also really into it.

Lauren: Right. Like this is my personal aesthetic to just talk about crime all day.

Alex: I also just read Michelle McNamara’s book, thank god after they caught the Golden State Killer, otherwise I never would have slept again ever in my life.

Lauren: But can you imagine the thrilling excitement of reading that book and then finding out they got the guy right after you finished it? Insane. So you’ve done a couple of projects in the crime-centric world. Are you drawn to projects like that or do you just kind of follow roles that speak to you?

Alex: I tend to follow roles that speak to me. I mean, crime is endlessly fascinating, right? And there are so many stories within it. There’s so much

humanity within crime. So yeah, I do tend to follow the roles that interest me, but crime is fascinating.

The theme of this year’s convention was, “What is your motive?” In the lobby, a giant bulletin board spelling out the year’s theme invited guests to write their “motive” on a post-it note and share it on the board. By the end of the conference, the board was full of notes talking about what drove them to t h e conference.

N o t e s praising Nancy Grace and Payne L i n d s e y w e r e sprinkled around, notes about people whose loved ones were lost to senseless crimes, and people

demanding justice. It was clear that conference attendees all had their own unique takeaways from the weekend and it’s safe to say, everyone is looking forward to Crime Con 2019.

For fans of true crime, Crime Con is a can’t-miss event. Tickets for Crime Con 2019 in New Orleans are on sale now

at www.crimecon.com.

-Lauren Brumley

Photo: Kevin McCarthy

Dragon Con, Atlanta’s internationally known pop culture, fantasy, and sci-fi convention, attracted an e s t i m a t e d 8 0 , 0 0 0 people for the five-day celebration. Fans came from around the world and all 50 states, with this y e a r ’s c o n v e n t i o n attracting people from as far away as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and other Pacific Rim countries.

Some of this year’s top guests include Once Upon a T i m e ’ s J e n n i f e r Morrison, Ant-Man & The W a s p ’ s E v a n g e l i n e Lilly, Luke Cage’s Mike C o l t e r, a n d G a t e n Matarazzo and Caleb McLaughlin from Stranger Things.

The convention’s newest track, Diversity in Speculative Fiction, attracted standing room only crowds to many of its panel discussions.

Diversity is extremely important and absolutely necessary, as seen by the absolute epicness experienced in the Opening Night Wakanda Party.

Dragon Con this year was amazing… but the cosplay? The cosplay was on point! I saw a lot of amazing cosplay, from custom cosplay to Dragon Ball to My Hero Academia.

I had the opportunity to interview Dana Swanson (Aqua Teen Hunger Force, To o n a m i ) a n d J a m e s

Urbaniak (Venture Bros., OK K.O.!). They’re both hilarious and it was a blast speaking with them (and James actually looks like Dr. Venture).

The other fun fact about Dragon Con is when day turns to night! There’s a lot of partying and to my surprise, there were more parties at the other hotels than the main hotel the Marriott Marquis. So you party all night, take your power nap, then wake up and do it all over again.

Shout out to Walter Jones, (the original black Power Ranger) who I met at one of the parties!

By Monday, you have to deal with reality, and that reality is: Dragon Con came to an end. Then, you get Con depression.

It’s like, “Why does it have to end?” You experience a four day high of nonstop awesomeness in a judgment-free environment and then there’s just a mass exodus come Monday.

DRAGON AWARD WINNERS More than 11,000 fans cast ballots for Dragon Award winners among 94 properties in 15 categories covering the full range of fiction, comics, television, movies, video gaming, and tabletop gaming.

Winners were announced on Sept. 2 at the 32nd annual Dragon Con in downtown Atlanta.

All fans, not just Dragon Con members or attendees, are invited to select the Dragon Award winners by voting on the annual Dragon Awards ballot.

Best Science Fiction Novel Artemis by Andy Weir

Best Fantasy Novel (Including Paranormal)

Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson

Best Young Adult / Middle-Grade Novel Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Best Military Science Fiction or Fantasy Novel A Call to Vengeance by David Weber, Timothy Zahn, and Thomas Pope

Best Alternate History Novel Uncharted by Kevin J. Anderson and Sarah A. Hoyt

Best Media Tie-In Novel Leia: Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray

Best Horror Novel Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King and Owen King

Best Comic Book Mighty Thor by Jason Aaron and James Harren, Marvel Comics

Final voting was held via the dedicated Dragon Awards website, and the voting period ran from August 7 to August

31. The ballot was selected in an open nomination process in which fans nominated their favorite properties.

The nomination period ran from early April until July 31. The best and most popular of the nominated properties were elevated to the ballot.

Best Graphic Novel Brandon Sanderson’s White Sand Volume 1 by Brandon Sanderson, Rik Hoskin, and Julius M. Gopez, Dynamite Entertainment

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy TV Series Game of Thrones, HBO

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie Black Panther directed by Ryan Coogler

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy PC / Console Game

Middle-earth: Shadow of War by Monolith Productions

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Mobile Game Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery by Jam City

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Board Game

Red Dragon Inn 6: Villains by Slugfest Games

Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Miniatures / Collectible Card / RolePlaying Game Magic: The Gathering Unstable by Wizards of the Coast

-TBZ & Jon J.

Photo: Hakim Wright

EA SPORTS FIFA 19 Launch

Major League Soccer hosted an EA SPORTS FIFA 19 Launch Stream Wednesday in Atlanta to celebrate the sneak preview of FIFA 19 (which l a u n c h e s g l o b a l l y t o d a y, Friday, September 28) and the unveiling of MercedesBenz Stadium’s inclusion in t h e g a m e . We d n e s d a y ’s launch stream also served as a scouting tournament for Atlanta United’s future eMLS competitor as they become the newest MLS club to join eMLS ahead of the 2019 season.

Following the competitive portion of the stream, Atlanta United players Greg Garza and Mikey Ambrose along with stars Chad Johnson and Waka Flocka showcased the n e w F I FA 1 9 g a m e p l a y modes.

EA SPORTS™ FIFA 19 is available now across PlayStation®4, Xbox One, and PC. Fans can achieve glory with the UEFA Champions League across a variety of modes including the new Kick Off, which also features ‘House Rules’ and deeper stat tracking to heighten the competition among friends. In FIFA Ultimate Team™, brand new ICONS join the roster, and an all-new mode, Division Rivals, offers a new way to compete online. Additionally, t h e fi n a l c h a p t e r o f t h e critically acclaimed story mode, The Journey: Champions, culminates with three playable storylines, each with their own distinct journey through an interconnected football story.

In The Journey: Champions, Alex Hunter returns to pursue UEFA Champions League glory with Real Madrid FC on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. Players can choose between three distinct storylines from Alex Hunter, Danny Williams, and Kim Hunter. After signing with Real Madrid FC, Alex is thrust into the spotlight to come to terms with balancing stardom and family. Danny continues his career in the Premier League, challenged with taking on a new role for his club.

Meanwhile, Kim finishes her last year of high school and faces big decisions about her future and the pressure that comes with playing football at the highest level in the Women’s World Cup.

FIFA 19 also introduces new features on Nintendo Switch™, delivering a champion-caliber experience on and off the pitch. From live content updates in FIFA 19 Ultimate Team to an authentic Career Mode, and the allnew standalone UEFA Champions League Mode, players can enjoy a full FIFA experience wherever they play.

FIFA 19 on Nintendo Switch also brings distinctive team and player personalities, official broadcast presentations for some of the world’s biggest leagues and elevates players’ ability to finish with the all-new striking overhaul.

FIFA 19 is the biggest game to drop console-wide and lives up to all the hype. Get ready for the beautiful game up close and personal!

-Jon J.

Photo: Anna Lira

The Journey: Champions original soundtrack, featuring Oscar®-winning composer Hans Zimmer and composer Lorne Balfe, is also available now.

Listen to it HERE

Anime Weekend Atlanta

Anime Weekend Atlanta is a 4-day convention held annually at the Cobb Galleria and Renaissance Waverly Hotel. The event is a family-friendly celebration of Japanese anime (animation), manga (comics) and cosplay (costume-play) and takes place the last weekend of September.

AWA was first organized in 1994, with the first convention held in 1995. Since then, AWA has been recognized as one of the most popular Japanese Animation conventions in the United States, and one of the top ten attended anime conventions in North America.

Cosplay Events included the ever popular Cosplay Contest, a Fashion Show, and Cosplay Photoshoots. Cosplay Alley is a space where you could find inspiration for your cosplay or even receive cosplay repair. Here are a few of our favorites this year:

-Jon J. & TBZ

There were plenty of guests in attendance and I have the privilege to chat with a big one. Voice actor Ray Chase (Final Fantasy XV, My Hero Academia) gave me a few minutes of his time and went in-depth about how he got started and a few notable roles he’s played.

“[On being the voice of Noctis from Final Fantasy XV] Man… That was an opportunity I thought I’d never have in my lifetime! Being a Final Fantasy protagonist,” he said excitingly. “I was

super nervous on my call back, did the demo with a different voice, they went ‘let’s recast him’ and the director went to bat for me and said ‘let’s give him a second shot.’

That was a month-long process, finally got it again, and then got to work on the game for the next couple of years. It was a dream come true.”

We’ll post the full interview in our new series “PEOPLE” starting Dec. 7 (we’ll post the link here) on our podcast and YouTube.

One of the cool things about AWA is that it takes place at a hotel and an event space that are interconnected. So you might spend all day at panels in the Cobb Galleria but when you’ve reached your breaking point you can calmly and safely walk to the Renaissance and recharge for tomorrow.

Another cool thing about AWA is that there are a lot more photoshoots. There are scheduled shoots like other conventions but a lot of times, for example, a group of seven Dragon Ball cosplayers might see our reporter TBZ (who’s usually dressed as Perfect Cell) and say “Hey, let’s shoot in 20 minutes at (location)!” Then you’ll meet the group in 20 minutes and it’s ballooned to 40 people. That’s usually

how it starts (which is more fun in my opinion). Cons are a place for fun and friends and cosplaying is a great way to meet new people.

AWA 2018 has come and gone but what a great time. We now have a total of four major cons that come through Atlanta and this one closes out the season. It’s nestled in the suburbs so there’s no need to worry about traffic and there’s plenty of space for parking. If you’re new to these types of

conventions, AWA is the perfect starter convention for a few reasons: A) Minimal crowds B) Easy to navigate C) Notable guests without massive crowding D) Easy to access and E) Much easier to watch movies and play video games than most cons.

We hope to see you at AWA next year. Be sure to follow them as they have special events and announcements throughout the year AWA.

It only took 14 years but we finally have a sequel.

In Incredibles 2, Helen/ Elastigirl (voice of Holly Hunter) is called on to lead a campaign to bring Supers back, while Bob/ Mr. Incredible (voice of Craig T. Nelson) tries to manage life at home. Violet (voice of Sarah Vowell), Dash (voice of Huck Milner) and baby JackJack push their dad’s patience to the brink while trying to adjust to life at home without mom. All the w h i l e , J a c k - J a c k ’s behavior starts to change and Bob starts to suspect something is amiss.

The story picks up where we last saw our heroes fighting the Underminer in the city before the credits rolled in the first film.

Supers are still illegal so they had to fight in secret.

That’s kind of hard when you destroy half the city chasing the bad guy and end up losing him in the end. After the program suspends and Helen and Bob go back into hiding, a new investor appears who believes the world needs Supers. Winston Deavor (voice of Bob Odenkirk) recruits the husband and

wife along with Lucius/ Frozone (voice of Samuel L. Jackson). Being a telecommunications guru, Winston works together with his sister Evelyn Deavor (Catherine Keener) to determine that their best way to lead the Supers back to glory is to lead a campaign with Helen as the face of it. Everything from there gets funny.

In the second edition, the kids get to showcase their skills and come up big time when trouble arises.

The most exciting part of the film is finally finding out what Jack-Jack can do.

He’s the only one in the family with multiple powers and it’s up to them to figure out how to manage them.

The story is pretty good, my only knack was the dialogue from Bob was kind of weak. There were more than a few times he tried to be funny and it just didn’t work for me. That happened once or twice with Dash too. It’s not enough to ruin the movie but it did stand out.

I give Incredibles 2 an 8 out of 10. Hardcore Disney fans have been waiting far too long for a sequel. I spoke to a young lady who’s in her third year of college who saw the original when she was seven (just to show how long 14 years is). Before the film, you’ll get to see a Pixar short called Bao, about an aging Chinese woman who’s going through empty nest syndrome. It was unexpected but it turned out to be a nice story.

-Jon J.

Directed by Morgan Neville, Won’t You Be My Neighbor is the longawaited documentary on the life of Fred Rogers.

Known commonly by his s h o w c h a r a c t e r “ M r.

Rogers”, he played a vital part in the lives of children across the country. When TV first became ‘a thing’, Rogers found himself frustrated by the lack of quality entertainment (especially for kids).

Having a natural gift with c h i l d re n , w i t h o u t a n y experience or technical savvy he developed his o w n p ro g r a m m i n g o n public access television.

The rest is history.

Fred Rogers was an ordained minister from Pittsburgh. Along with his wife Joanne, he had two kids who took part in the documentary to give us an

intimate, behind-thescenes look into Rogers’ personal life.

Former co-workers and lifelong friends shared their personal stories and experiences with Rogers, including the famous cellist Yo - Yo M a . O n e v e r y powerful story came f r o m François Scarborough Clemmons who played ‘The Officer of Make Believe’ on the show “ M r.

Rogers Neighborhood.”

Here are some interesting facts that I learned:

• He got into TV his senior year of seminary school

• Some of the characters on the show were based on family members

• H e n e v e r i d e n t i fi e d himself as a minister

• Daniel the Cat was a reflection of him as a child

• He did a special episode when Bobby Kennedy was assassinated

• The numbers “143” mean “I love you” and he weighed 143 pounds

One thing that stood out to me was that all the guests in the documentary were congruent on the notion that he was the nicest guy you’d ever meet. All of his co-workers confirmed that what we see on TV is how he is in real life. (You can also listen to this review on our new podcast)

Fred Rogers died in 2003 but the life he lived was truly magical. His impact was incredible, especially with the children. He didn’t shy away from hard topics either, in fact, the harder the topic the more it encouraged him to make an episode about it.

Getting through to the children by any means was his focus and as a mentor, I respect that. A man who didn’t show strength or power through physicality, bravado, or title. He was a man who showed the world the power of kindness and just how far it can go.

I give Won’t You Be My Neighbor a 9.5 out of 10. The most impressive part of the entire project (to me) was what looked to be impossible. How in the world do you create drama

or find an antagonist in a story about the nicest man on television? On top of that, his kindness is backed by everyone you speak to? Well, he did and there’s a reason I didn’t touch on that because it would totally spoil the experience. I challenge anyone who is reading this review: If you can make it through the last 20 minutes without crying, the public needs to know your secret!

-Jon J.

Mystery? Music? Mayhem? If you enjoy any of the three, then this is the film for you. Directed by Drew Goddard, the film takes place in Lake Tahoe at the El Royale Hotel. Once a fixture in its heyday boasting pictures of Hollywood’s finest, it’s not a rundown motel that straddles the border separating California and Nevada.

Since the El Royale had peaked so long ago, it regularly goes unused. So it was a pretty big deal when four people arrived within minutes of each other. Father Daniel Flynn (Jeff Bridges) arrives on business, Darlene Sweet (Cynthia Erivo) is a traveling backup singer, and a friendly, southern Laramie Seymour Sullivan (Jon Hamm) is a vacuum salesman in town for a conference. As the three make small talk in the lobby, they’re eventually greeted by a belated bellhop named Miles (Lewis Pullman) who gives them a very shaky introduction to the hotel. Guests have the option of staying on the California side or Nevada side and must sign the ledger before getting their keys.

Just as the last person is about to leave, a woman with no name (Dakota Johnson) busts through the door, takes her key, and signs the ledger “F***you.”

So imagine, the film has a comedic presence already, the music is fun since its 1960’s America (reminded me of the Baby Driver soundtrack), and no character is quite like the other. The problems arrive when the film goes full-on Vantage Point (or The Affair for you Showtime fans) and gives a rundown of every storyline.

With the later additions of Chris Hemsworth and Cailee Spaeny that makes seven storylines to go through in two hours and 21 minutes. Had they made haste with the backstories and shortened

some of the slower scenes this would’ve been an amazing film.

Jeff Bridges trods along through the entire 141-minute affair with quips here and there but is just far too slow for me. The writing was great. I loved it. Because it was so great, the pitfalls in lengthy backstories and total runtime did it in for me. Without giving away any spoilers, just know that Chris Hemsworth and Jon Hamm straight up bring the comedy in the film. But if you truly want to know what happens when a salesman, a priest, a singer, two runaways, a bellhop, and a cult leader walk into a bar, you’ll have to see the film for yourself.

7 out of 10.

-Jon J.

‘Mid90s’ is a good start for Jonah Hill The 1990s was a magical time in music and culture. Mid90s is a film that celebrates that vibrant, Hesh culture by taking viewers on a wild adventure through the eyes of a young boy as he deals with issues at home and self-discovery.

In his directorial debut, Jonah Hill presents a film that feels not just authenticly 90s, but authenticly California as well. There are elements and scenes where you could feel that was a personal touch of Hill’s, but the rest was basically a modernized Kids (which debuted in 1995) with a dash of Dope.

The main character is a young boy named Stevie (Sunny Suljic) who eventually gets nicknamed “Sunburn.” Trying to simply

survive his unstable home life, he yearns for something ‘else.’ His mother has an unstable dating life and his brother is a part-time bully with an affinity for black culture sans the people. If that wasn’t enough, he deals with life’s problems by self-harm.

But everything about his life changes when he visits a local skate shop. The foulmouthed, weed-smoking band of misfits appeal to Stevie immediately, as it’s something brand-new to him. Everything about him from his music to his clothes changes immediately… But not all change is good. One can only imagine the type of adventures that take place when affiliating with older kids named F***S***

(Olan Prenatt) and Fourth Grade (Ryder McLaughlin).

I give Mid90s a 7 out of 10. The film was real, honest, comical, and had a nice soundtrack. I do think they went overboard with some of the lines (I can only take so much extraneous usage of the word “ni**a”), the film doesn’t have a real direction aside from the fact it’s through the eyes of Stevie, and I’d be remiss to mention the extremely awkward scene with a teenage girl. While I did enjoy the film, it fell short of all the hype that was built. A festival success that will no doubt have an underground following, trust me when I saw you can Redbox this.

-Jon J.

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is Animated Awesomeness S p i d e r- M a n : I n t o t h e Spider-Verse will go down as definitive proof of what can be achieved in a film when you listen to the fans. In the comics, this version of Spider-Man existed in an Afro-Hispanic family and true to form, we have an Afro-Hispanic Spider-Man who wears hoodies, rocks high-top Nikes, and listens to Vincent Staples.

As much fun as I guarantee you’ll have with the movie, I can assure you the soundtrack is even better. Spider-Man: Into t h e S p i d e r- Ve r s e i s animated awesomeness set to the sounds of Nicki Minaj, Post Malone, Ty Dolla $ign, Lil Wayne, Jaden Smith, and a

surprise insertion of XXXTentacion.

When I say this movie is fun, even the opening to the film was shifted into sensory overload just seconds after it began.

The only way to describe it is if you mix visual elements of Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Dick T r a c y , a n d V f o r Ve n d e t t a a n d i n f u s e d bright colors and technological glitches. I know it sounds crazy but it’s something that needs to be seen. But I digress…

The story takes place in Brooklyn where a young Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) is in his room sketching and listening to music. It’s a vibe. That vibe is destroyed when his parents inform him he’s running late to school.

Nothing like the P.S. (insert number) public schools we’re used to hearing.

Instead, the recently crowned lottery winner is transported to his new private school where his relevant swag and quickwitted humor go underappreciated. It takes about a full day before he realizes that things are

Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE. Photo by Sony Pictures Animation

Peni (Kimiko Glen), Spider-Gwen (Hailee Steinfeld), Spider-Ham (John Mulaney), Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), Peter Parker (Jake Johnson), Spider-Man Noir (Nicolas Cage) in Sony Pictures Animation’s SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE. Photo by Sony Pictures Animation

taking place in his life exactly how they happened to the real S p i d e r- M a n f r o m t h e comics.

Now for those of you that aren’t familiar with how the story goes, let’s get into some simple physics, shall we? There’s a theory about a “multiverse” that proposes that there are other dimensions in existence (lear n more Miles’ role in Ultimate Marvel) which would ultimately mean there are “others” like Spider-Man (web-slinging shawties to the rescue!). Too bad we soon realize this theory is actual fact once a certain villain ruptures the spacetime continuum. This means if you weren’t a fan of Spider-Gwen cosplay

before, you should, as it’s about to be the cosplay of 2019.

The good times roll as we’re introduced to six, yes six, spider people. The visual is something akin to if a United Nations of Spider-folks existed. We have Peter B. Parker (Jake Johnson) and our boy Miles Morales. Then we add a noir version (Nicolas Cage), a Looney-Tunesish Spider-Ham (John M u l a n e y ) , e v e r y o n e ’s favorite cosplay, Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfield), and Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn). If any of you are familiar with the Marvel vs.

Capcom series, imagine Tron Bonne with a helmet and that’s basically Peni Parker.

So if you take all the heroes from these different dimensions and add the villainy of Kingpin, Green Goblin, Scorpion and the like, you’ll understand why I couldn’t help but feel like I was drowning in the sweet taste of representation about halfway through the film.

Another layer of awesomeness was seeing a butt-kicking heroine ( G w e n ) a n d a f o re s t flattening villainess (DocOck). I would be remiss to mention my guy Mahershala Ali voicing Miles’ Uncle Aaron, and did I mention Zoë Kravitz is voicing Mary Jane?

We’re out here witnessing the term “colorful cast” getting hoisted to wondrous levels.

I give Spider-Man: Into the SpiderVerse a 9.5 out of 10. The film is awesome. I really think everyone who sees this will enjoy it. As it stands now it’s still at 99% on Rotten Tomatoes and I’m sure whoever brings it down any further will be trolled into the annals of history. It’s about two hours in runtime and as with all Marvel movies, stay for the credits!

-Jon J.

Sam Smith Live in Concert

Clear skies, perfect weather, and incredible music, last night was one for the books. London’s own soulful Sam Smith, graced us with his presence accompanied by the golden-haired, country, cutie, Cam. The audience was filled with so many different types of fans: young teen couples, friends, families, all waiting to hear these talented performers. Cam started off the night with strong vocals and lots of crowd participation. The arena lit up like twinkling stars with phones swaying to the rhythm of the chords of “Burning House.” Cam was a delightful performer with a sweet and smooth, yet powerful voice, that hit your ear like honey.

This is not the first time Cam has shared the stage with Sam. She joined him on all four of his sold-out shows at the O2 in London earlier this year, to perform “Palace,” the song they co-wrote together with Tyler Johnson on Smith’s latest album (The Thrill Of It All).

After Cam made her exit, Sam entered the stage, only to be enveloped in a

problems of their everyday life go, if only for the night.

wave of applause and screaming fans. This was my third time seeing Sam Smith personally, and he delivered an awe-inspiring performance as per usual.

From the lighting, the glowing and moving stage props, background singers, and musicians, it was an experience to be envied by fans, not in attendance.

Sam covered the classics from In the Lonely Hour, including: “Stay With Me,” “Money On My Mind,” “I’m Not The Only One,” “Like I Can,” and a slew of new songs from 2017’s The Thrill Of It All. The power, and soulfulness of Sam’s voice was able to elicit a range of emotions from his audience. At one point he even joked about how his music is a bit depressing, but encouraged the audience to stand up, dance, and let the

-E. Jones

This summer, Digable Planets returned to ‘The Masquerade’ in Atlanta.

Performing on ‘The Heaven’ stage, The DP’s wowed the crowd with all their favorites. But before The DP’s dawned the s t a g e t h e c ro w d w a s brought to their feet by both opening acts.

Yani Mo, the local homegirl from Lithonia, GA followed DRES’ high energy performance with a performance that was ‘Badu-esque’ in feel and sound.

She wowed the crowd with her smooth, sensual licks and it quickly became apparent why her star is on the rise.

Philadelphia’s own MC DRES along with New York deejay DJ Majestic primed the runway for The DP’s along with Atlanta’s own Yani Mo.

DRES and Majestic again took the stage and got the crowd amped before yielding to the headliners.

DRES’ performance was high energy and really kept the crowd pumped; he and Majestic really have a nice flow, and DRES has no problem with giving Majestic the limelight and letting his star shine. The synergy between these two guys was visible.

Ladybug, Doodlebug, and Ishmael Butler were in full effect. I’ve always enjoyed seeing artists perform live who sound like their recordings — enter Digable Planets.

Even though Ladybug Mecca was obviously not at 100% (she had on a ‘boot’ over one of her foot, ankle, and calves, and kept it elevated

as she sat in a recliner throughout the show), she gave it her all from a sitting position. The DP’s rocked the house as they performed all of their c ro w d f a v o r i t e s ; t h e y transformed the Heaven Stage into a gigantic singalong; whether it was ‘Cool Like Dat’, ‘Where I’m F r o m ’ , o r ‘ P a c i fi c s ’ , whenever The DP’s would call, the crowd was always on cue with their response.

As The DP’s continue their tour across the country, hip-hop fans would be remiss if they allowed this talented trifecta to come to their town without checking them out.

They’re cool like that.

-KJ

DIGABLE PLANETS

J. COLE K.O.D.

WORLD TOUR

On Sunday, August 12th, J. Cole’s K.O.D. World To u r t o o k o v e r A t l a n t a a t t h e I n fi n i t e E n e rg y Center. Opening acts that night included: EarthGang, Jaden, and Young Thug.

EarthGang performed Meditate while Jaden, as in Jaden Smith, performed “Ghost,” “Batman," “George Jeff,” “Watch Me” and “Icon.”

Young Thug entertained us with Riri, Wyclef Jean, With That, Best Friend, Family Don’t Matter, Digits, Relationship and Pick up the Phone. There were two special guest performances from Gunna and The ATL King himself T.I. that kept the crowd rocking.

The sold-out crowd experienced a plethora of thought-provoking messages from J.Cole via his lyrics, visuals, and his live band. Two main messages he repeated is that, “Nothing happens overnight” and “Pain is inevitable in everyone’s life.”

Given his career in the music industry since 2011 on his debut album Cole World: Sideline Story to 2013’s Born Sinner along with 4 Your Eyez Only in 2016; J Cole is now selling out Arena’s everywhere he goes but he knows that it did not happen overnight. The K.O.D. World Tour has three significant meanings as he explained, “Kod 3 meanings: 1) Kids on Drugs.. that the times we live in and I’m not talking just about rappers we all on something whether it pills, weed, sex, money, we all on something running from s***! 2) means King Overdose, that’s me personifying the times that I have and do go through the same f****g addictions. You I’m talking about. 3) Kill our Demons that’s what I pray we all f****g get to do one day, you know what I mean. We all running from some s***. I hope we can all look at our s*** straight in the face and get over that s***.”

“Two main messages he repeated is that, ‘Nothing happens overnight’ and ,Pain is inevitable in everyone’s life.”

Three very prolific meanings and for each person one of the three may be the state they’re living in. This tour gives him an opportunity to share his message, vision, insight, and pain. “What I’m talking about is pain, and our ability to deal with pain,” Cole explained to the jam-packed crowd. “I don’t give a f*** if you’re from white picket fences or you’re from the f****g projects. We’ve all been through some sort of pain. One man’s pain can’t be greater or less than the next man’s.

Everybody’s been through something.”

I spoke to a fan after the show who said, “I went to J Cole’s concert expecting a great show and to sing along with some of my favorite songs. I definitely received a fantastic show but what I did not expect was to be filled with so much inspiration and positive energy! He was very engaging as he interacted with the crowd and encouraged ‘nothing happens overnight’ and ‘hard works and persistence pays off!'”

– S. Troy – Chicago, IL

Cole makes the audience reflect on their lives and gives an amazing strategy to success that will definitely not happen overnight. His interaction with his audience from start to finish was brutally real, and very sincere while being humble.

-Desmond Mclennon

Photo: X

*J. Cole at Counterpoint Music Festival 2013 (X)

As a middle school student in 1998 during the release of the album, Dizzy Up The Girl, I never had the chance to see The Goo Goo Dolls perform live. Fast forward 20 years later, here I am re-living my childhood with an alcoholic beverage in my hand. This is my second time seeing them as an adult and I can honestly say I was just as excited to go. The Tabernacle is one of my favorite venues in Atlanta. There is something interesting about drinking and dancing to secular music in a once holy building.

Arriving at the venue, I had to head to Will Call to pick up my tickets. While walking there I noticed the loyal long line of fans waiting to get in and felt right at home. I have some very fond memories belting out “Iris”, “Slide” and “Name” in the car with my parents.

The band came on stage and dug right into the album with Dizzy and Slide. John Rzeznik welcomed the crowd and addressed the fact that we are all, in fact, feeling old at the moment. While the band may look and feel older, the sound and energy sound as delightful as I remembered. The fact that they committed to performing the album in its entirety for the 20th anniversary made me so happy. I mean back then whole albums were a thing. Now it’s about singles and streams.

In the 90’s, opening a tape and even a CD with the lyrics embedded inside was a music lovers dream. Looking around at the crowd I definitely saw a few people reliving their college days. The backdrop on the stage was the same art from the album and after reading up on reviews from the release date in 1998 it’s interesting to note that they fell on the negative side. I truly

believe this was mainly because they gained some popularity and broadened their fanbase to more mainstream rock.

While they were nominated for a Grammy and might not have won it looks like they can still fill a venue of people who know every word by heart.

The bass guitarist Robby Takac was entertaining in his own right. Kicking off his shoes at the beginning of the show and jamming barefoot mirrors true rock. His messy hair and overall energy kept the crowd engaged and excited. It’s what everyone who’s ever played an air guitar wants to imagine they look like on a stage p l a y i n g t o a c ro w d . O f t h e l e a s t mainstream popular songs, I think “January Friend” is my favorite. I might be partial to this song because my birthday is in January but I enjoy this one the most. It captures my favorite sound of that time in music.

The band has a great sense of humor and while playing a slow ballad on an acoustic I do remember Rzeznik saying it’s like “butterflies out of your butt”.

In case you didn’t know the band was originally named “Sex Maggots” but after a certain bar refused to add that name to their marquee line up they randomly chose a new name out of a magazine ad for a goo goo doll. I am assuming this was a baby doll that said, “Goo goo. Gaga.

Momma.”

Some of my all-time favorite lyrics are still,

“And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming

Or the moment of truth in your lies

When everything feels like the movies

Yeah you bleed just to know you're alive”

There is something about hearing a room full of people sing “Iris” together that really explains the human experience.

John did an interesting solo set that was not exactly a one-man show. A screen video of himself accompanied him on stage and after some fun banter John Rzeznik ft. John Rzeznik played a few acoustic hits and deep cuts.

We were also surprised with a few unreleased songs that never made it to any albums because the record company said it was not a hit. It’s always been very interesting to me that only a select few big wigs upstairs control what the masses listen to. I am honored they chose to share these songs now as they were beautifully written.

John, Robbie, Jim, and Brad did a great job and I can confidently say this as my guest who came with me had never heard of them before said he had a great time. I really could not let him live his whole life without becoming familiar with such a nostalgic and classic band. I’m not sure

what rock he was living in in the 90’s but at some point in the show he was humming words he didn’t know and swaying back and forth with the crowd. What an awesome show! That my friends is how you keep your music alive! (and continued to get paid)

-YoAngie!

Photo: Bob Mussel

DRAKE MIGOS ATL

Sunday, Nov. 18, Drake wrapped up his 55-show “Aubrey and The Three Amigos Live!” tour at the allnew State Farm Arena in Atlanta, GA. The sold-out crowd of over 17,000 people experienced a full barrage of everything Drake over the last 10 years.

The tour kicked off in August to promote Drake’s double album “Scorpion”. The concert began with 22year-old Canadian Roy Woods performing songs off his album, “Say Less”. Then to ignite the Atlanta crowd even more, ATL’s own trio Migos (Offset, Takeoff, and Quevo) from Lawrenceville took the stage and killed it with club banger’s such as, “Hannah Montana”, “Pipe

It Up” and “Rick Flair Drip” to name a few.

With energy and anticipation high, Drake enters with an Austrian curtain shielding the stage. This curtain displays video content of Drake’s silhouette as he gets the crowd going with his lyrics to “8 out of 10”. When the curtain is lifted it reveals Drake and his epic video stage.

This stage was a collaboration between Drake’s creative team

and Tait Towers. The audio and visual elements throughout the night were simply incredible!

Couple that with Drake splitting the Arena in half, pitting the right side against the left side was simply genius. His way to hype up the crowd and entertain night after night, show after show, exemplifies his passion for his craft and love for his fans.

Drake states, “I like this energy right here!

Boy, I am EXCITED!!! One more thing I wanna get out of the way… BABY LOOK I SAID THIS THE OTHER NIGHT… THE SHOW JUST STARTED, I’M NOT READY FOR THESE YET (38D BRA ON THE STAGE)… IMMA PUT THAT ONE IN MY DRESSING ROOM.”

The final show was about Drake, his career, his fans, and us all moving forward to fulfill our destiny.

The amount of surprise guests performances was just insane: Lil Baby, Trey Songz, 21 Savage, BlocBoy JB, Jeezy and Future.

Not to mention a video tribute at the end of the show congratulating Drake on his tour which featured LeBron James, Lil Wayne, and Drake’s team.

“Atlanta, I want to thank you will all my heart!” Drake states after performing, “God’s Plan.” “We sold out this building three nights in a row. Each and every fan in here, I want you to remember tonight, I want you to remember tonight, because I am not gonna get a chance to go on stage and speak a while… look around and look at the people next to you and realize we got 17,000 people from all races, places, religions, and we are having a good (EXPLETIVE) time tonight!. I am proud of you all!”

The show concluded with all the artists and crew pouring numerous bottles of champagne on Drake and him saying that “I promise you, it nights like this that make me love what I do… after this I promise you, I don’t know how long it’s gonna take me but I am gonna go work on the best album you ever heard.”

-Desmond Mclennon

Photo: X

*Shots from Drake’s NWTS Tour

JAY-Z BEYONCÉ ON THE RUN II

What happens when you get Beyonce, Jay-Z and Atlanta together at Mercedes Benz Stadium?

Love.

“Everything is LOVE” proclaims Jay Z to the sold out Atlanta audience. Let’s make it clear, it is no easy feat attending the concert when you have over 60,000 people, long pursecheck lines, screaming fans, lots of chaos, a little frustration, killer outfits, and fans that go “Apes s***!”

Despite all of that, the crowd got what they came for with opening acts from Chloe x Halle and We da Best’s very own Dj Khaled.

The husband/wife duo kicked off the show with Jay’s “Holy Grail” “Part II

(On the Run)” and “03 Bonnie and Clyde.” Even though their target audience differs, the two manage to engage everyone through their love and onstage chemistry.

The giant HD screens allowed the audience to see various videos (interludes) of the couples’ personal messages on love, relationships, and the feminist movement.

Throughout the evening, it was very clear that the couple was united and stronger than ever, leaving behind the past for only the gossip mongers to focus on. Beyoncé delivers some of her favorite hits along with her phenomenal dancers and all-female band. Jay-Z on the other hand, interacts with the audience and delivers

some his fan-favorite classics.

One amazing element that makes OTR II to an epic success is the stage which is comprised of two catwalks independent of each other.

By the end of the show, a giant bridge connected the two as they floated over the floor seated audience.

In addition to the stage, the backdrop featured two giant HD screens which, during certain times of the show, split to show a four story structure (used for dancers, musicians and silhouettes).

Just when you think Atlanta has got their full share of The Carters, they go back at it again tonight.

-Desmond Mclennon

Cover photo: ATLANTA - AUGUST 25: Beyonce and Jay-Z performs on the 'On The Run II' tour at Mercedes Benz Stadium on August 25, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Raven Varona/ Parkwood/PictureGroup) Photo: AUGUST 25: Beyonce and JayZ performs on the ‘On The Run II’ tour at Mercedes Benz Stadium on August 25, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Raven Varona/Parkwood/ PictureGroup)

IMAGINE MUSIC FESTIVAL

It’s hard to believe that just five years ago we attended t h e v e r y fi r s t Imagine Music Festival. Known to most as simply “Imagine,” this b e a u t i f u l , h o m e g ro w n festival is a celebrated event that quickly became a “must” soon after it’s first iteration in 2013.

No longer seen as something new, Imagine Music Festival has positioned itself as one of the nation’s most anticipated electronic dance music events, as well as one of the last remaining of the independent festivals.

There are so many great things about this festival from the presentation to the production and the diversity of artists. The three day music festival boasts five stages, an extensive lineup of artists, a platform for local talent, free water

all-festival long, g l a m p i n g , numerous events outside of music, and a venue that’s conducive to its growth, the Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The artists involved with this year’s edition were a m a z i n g .

H e a d l i n e r s included Armin Van Buuren; Alesso; Galantis; RL Grime; Zeds Dead; Bassnectar and Kaskade.

Special guests i n c l u d e d T h e G l i t c h Mob, Getter, and Adventure Club.

For us at The Peach Review®, it was an awesome opportunity to see so many artists we’ve heard and featured before, l i v e b e f o re o u r eyes. For those of you that follow our Music Monday playlists every week, names like Chocolate Puma, Cashmere Cat, Eddie Gold, Armin

Van Buuren, Bear Grillz, and GRiZ should be very f a m i l i a r. O t h e r favorites included an ATL favorite in Midnite Panda, big names like Oliver Heldens, Alesso, Leah Culver, and Bassnectar, and artists on the upswing like Black Carl, Johnny Goodtime, and Ekali, and even the O.G. Paul Oakenfold!

“If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” is how the saying goes down South and IMF has done just that.

While listening to fan feedback, they increased camping activities and services, increased entry and exit points, upgraded the VIP area, boosted stage designs and other additions for a s m o o t h e r fl o w, they did not change their aquatic theme (which is cherished by all). So you can enjoy being

surrounded by heavy bass and enjoy the Imagine Pool, aquatic creatures, cirque acts and art workshops.

With 3-day passes going for $219 the festival sold-out a l m o s t immediately. The 3-day pass with camping went for just $285 and the 3-day VIP access started at $360, which is $120/day when broken down. The best part? They offered payment plans starting as low as $66! So we still get to hold on to our l o c a l , independently owned and run festival while enjoying countless acts and copious entertainment for a more than reasonable price?

You gotta love it.

Like any good time to be had, you never want to see it come to an end.

Thankfully for Atlantans and EDM fans, it’ll be time to make that pilgrimage to the Speedway before you know it!

It’s local, the price is r e a s o n a b l e , a n d i t ’s guaranteed fun. We’ll see you next year for 2019 for its sixth year. They’ve come a long way from starting at Old Fourth Ward!

-Jon J.

Photo: Hakim Wright

Tennis fans from all around made the annual trek to Atlantic Station for the BB&T Atlanta Open. From the announcement that Atlanta local Donald Young won a wildcard spot into the tournament to the announcement that Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys would be featured, fans new that this year would be a tournament to remember.

Known simply as “The BB&T,” this men’s pro

tournament has been played in the Atlanta area since 2010, usually during July or August. The tournament is played on outdoor hard courts as part of the USTA's US Open Series, the sevenweek summer season lead-up to the U.S. Open.

Top seeded American and defending champion John Isner had every reason not to enter this year's

BBT Atlanta Open. Fresh off his first tennis masters 1000 win at the Miami Open in March and a s e m i - fi n a l s h o w i n g a t Wimbledon in July along with his wife and him expecting their first child in September; he still showed up and showed out.

Given all those circumstances, Isner did not want to disappoint the tournament and his loyal Georgia fans.

He came back in the finals to defeat fellow American Ryan Harrison in a 3 set thriller 5-7,6-3, 6-4

to reclaim the title and secure his chances of finishing the year ranked inside the top 10 for singles for the first time in his career on the ATP World Tour.

John Isner needed three sets this time to defeat

fellow American, Ryan Harrison in the finals of the BB&T Atlanta Open. Both players served well in the first set, making it nearly impossible for either one to break serve. Throughout the set, Harrison’s return of serve was strong, which helped him to break Isner at 5-5. This gave Harrison the lead of 6-5. Isner started showing signs of fatigue, which helped Harrison keep momentum to hold his service game quickly and claim the first set 7-5.

Isner managed to break in the first game the third set, getting the lead 1-0. From then on, both players served well under pressure and held but Isner, already being up a break, made it difficult for Harrison.

Isner quickly held serve at love, to close out the m a t c h , re m a i n i n g t h e BB&T Atlanta Open champion for the fifth time in nine appearances. Final score: Isner defeats Harrison 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.

“I do think I came into this tournament with maybe not as full of a tank as I have in the past because I haven’t done as well at Wimbledon, but I was able to last three matches where it was three sets but they weren’t your typical

three-set matches,” said Isner.

this week were long threesetters.

Following the singles final, the number one concern in Sunday night’s doubles final was obviously the stamina of Ryan Harrison.

While Nicholas Monroe, John-Patrick Smith, and his partner Rajeev Ram had played hard all week, no one had played as much tennis as the Louisiana Native. Not only had he made it to both the singles and doubles finals, all of his singles matches

So from local favorite John Isner winning his fifth title to Ryan Harrison playing in two-straight finals (singles and doubles), you never know what excitement will take place at the BB&T!

-Desmond Mclennon

*Photos courtesy of BB&T Atlanta Open

The Atlanta Dream had quite the season in 2018. They added a new head coach, set multiple records, achieved all types of honors and awards both individually and as a team, and made it all the way to the WNBA Eastern Conference Finals before losing a close battle with the Washington Mystics.

The Dream have built up a

formidable roster, with a great mix of veteran players and tough youngsters to round out the squad. They lost a few players due to trades but what the ladies were able to produce this year in their (23-11) season was simply phenomenal.

They were slow out the b l o c k s , q u i c k l y fi n d i n g themselves in fourth place in the East but the tide would quickly tur n once “the streak� began.

The date was July 25, 2018. The location was Los Angeles, CA. The Dream had a match against the LA Sparks that was listed as a regular season matchup but was seen and felt like a playoff match. The reason being the Dream went off on a tangent, blowing through teams with ease for seven straight games. If they beat LA, they would set a new franchise record with eight-straight victories.

A few games ago I spoke on how I’ve seen the Dream show their versatility by not having to heavily rely on Angel McCoughtry (like in the past). I’ve seen a great transition where every play doesn’t have to go through her but she’ll show up when it’s necessary. Well, last night there was a need, and she showed up for her team with a team-high 19 points. Her best was when she followed up Tiffany Hayes and hit a turnaround jumper to cap a 13-2 run.

Tuesday night was definitely a battle. You might see the 10 point victory as one of ease for the Dream but it definitely was not. The difference was made in the fourth quarter when they outscored the LA Sparks 21-11. That 10 point difference would decide the match.

Monique Billings and Brittney Sykes came up big time for Dream. Sykes had 13 points and four rebounds and was definitely a difference maker on the court.

Billings, like Sykes, came off the bench and contributed eight points and six rebounds. But her biggest contribution was her support role for Jessica Breland.

“She (Monique) brings energy and confidence and Jessica Breland was really sick, so I knew I had to limit her minutes”

Coach Nicki Collen said after the game.

“The one thing we know about Mo is that she’s going to bring a lot of energy. She’s going to rebound, run the floor, and I thought she did those things.”

The best post-game quote came from Sykes when she commented on setting the tone off the bench: “Every time we touch that floor, as a bench unit, we have like a little huddle before the games, and I talk to the bench, and I tell them ‘It’s the first ten minutes, and then it’s the first twenty minutes, and then it’s the next twenty.’ So, we just have to take care of those quarters whenever we get in. We kind of have a rotation going, so we know when it’s about that time when we’re about to go in. Assessing the situation on the floor, how’s the pace, how the team’s playing, is it slow, is it fast, all those things.

So, once we realize that, when we get in the game, now we turn it up, we get that energy, and we just take it to heart that we’re going to be the better second unit.

The other starters have to come out too, and when their second unit comes out, we have to dominate and give the starters a good cushion or give them a good place to go back in the game and keep it up. So, we’ve been doing that and it’s been helping a lot. Championship teams have a bench. We are trying to be that. We are trying to become that.”

To her point, Atlanta had 27 bench points on the night.

It was after this victory that I knew the Dream had the right attitude and the right players to make a statement in the postseason.

The Dream would make easy work of everyone in front of them before facing the Mystics. This series was one of the best series I’ve ever seen not just in the WNBA but in all of women’s sports.

have Natasha Cloud. We have Alex Bentley, they have Kristi Tolliver.

Our achilles heel was Elena Delle Donne.

She had the heart of a warrior and the mindset of an assassin. Even when she injured her knee and looked to be out for the series, she played the very next game and dropped 20-plus points. After the match she was asked if she was in pain.

She said simply, “That’s what the offseason’s for.” A straight up warrior.

Every game was tough. We had amazing talent like Jessica Breland, Elizabeth Williams, Tiffany Hayes, Angel McCoughtry, really the entire roster. But for every great player we have they had an equal. We have Renee Montgomery, they

It will be interesting to see if they can keep the gang together for next season. At the very least, the core of Elizabeth Williams, Tiffany Hayes, Jessica Breland, and Renee Montgomery. I think Sykes is a solid 6th woman coming off the bench and they need to keep Imani McGee-Stafford, who saw the court sparingly this season but is a true center at 6’7” (and put up huge numbers while playing in China this offseason).

The Dream will play their 2019 home matches at the allnew State Farm Arena (formerly P h i l i p s A re n a ) i n downtown Atlanta.

Run with the Dream in 2019!

-Jon J.

Photo: Hakim Wright

MEN’S

WOMEN’S

It was a beautiful Friday evening in New Jersey to witness the most successful footballing nation go up against a USA team with a mixture of youth and experience. Both teams are coming off a difficult summer which saw Brazil being eliminated in the quarterfinals of the World Cup and the U.S. failing to qualify.

Brazil started with a strong 11 led by recently appointed captain Neymar.

Brazil started out the with most of the possession in the opening five minutes while the USA sat back looking to break on the counter-attack. Douglas Costa was constantly a threat down on the right side cutting inside and out.

The deserved opener came in the 11′ minute when Costa again picked up the ball wide on the right side and pushed it past his marker. He then played a beautiful ball to Roberto Fermino who made no mistake from six yards out.

The Americans tried their best to possess the ball but it was slow and predictable. At times it looked like the red, white, and blue missed having an experienced player or two in the middle.

Brazil continued to possess the ball with little to show in terms of chances created. Neymar was effective at times but continued to slow the game down while Philippe Coutinho was overdoing the same things.

Brazil raised the level as the half went on and was awarded a soft penalty in the 44′ minute after a nice 1:2 between Costa and Fabinho which resulted in the Liverpool man going down very easily in the box. Neymar calmly walked up and sent the keeper the wrong way.

The second half was much better from both teams which saw Brazil continue to dominate and the USA trying to play instead of sitting back. Neymar got more involved, moving around the pitch and changing positions with Costa and Firmino.

Both teams looked to add some spark in the second half and made four substitutions each, giving some of the younger players such as Kellyn Acosta and Tim Weah a chance to show what they got. Weah was lively and sought to impress in his hometown.

The final 12 mins saw the USA create a few half chances while Brazil continued to possess the ball from left to right.

The USA is in rebuilding mode while Brazil is still trying to find the right mix moving into the Copa America where they will host.

-Mike Brown

Photo: Hakim Wright

The final test before the Women’s CONCACAF Championship ended in a 4-0 win for the U.S. with goals from Tobin Heath, Mallory Pugh, and two from Carli Lloyd (bringing her international goal tally to 102). If Jill Ellis’ group continue with performances like tonight they’re sure to breeze through qualifying next month and earn a spot in football Valhalla (the World Cup).

Chile has already qualified for next summer’s World Cup in France to make its debut in the tournament, earning a

second-place finish in the Copa America to secure a spot.

In the 34′, USA’s Mallory Pugh earned a cleanup goal after Alex Morgan’s penalty try was blocked by Chilean goalkeeper Christiane Endler. Four minutes later, Tobin Heath grabbed a goal after a sliding toepoke flew past the keeper.

In the second half, Carli Lloyd came in the match and made an immediate impact in the 47′. Tobin Heath launched a beautiful cross into the box from a set piece.

Lloyd, who was in the best position, made the dive of her life to get her head on the ball and got just enough on it to grab Team USA’s third goal. Her second goal in stoppage time was the icing on the cake.

American goalkeeper Ashlyn Harris had a quiet night. La Roja managed just four shots with one on target compared to 24 shots with 12 on target for the U.S. The Chilean defense relies heavily on their six-foot c a p t a i n Christiane Endler who enjoys her club football with w o m e n ’ s champion Paris Saint-Germain in France. Without her expertise, the U.S. could have very well scored seven goals.

After a year’s worth of quality play, coach Jill Ellis will have a tough time finalizing her r o s t e r f o r n e x t m o n t h ’s w o m e n ’s

championship. The U.S. Women’s National Team is very fortunate to have so much depth. With Megan Rapinoe out nursing a rib injury, the wings were secured by Tobin Heath and Mallory Pugh. If needed, Pugh could play striker and Christen Press could play on the wing (but even they could swap positions). It’s a gift and a curse to have so much depth.

The red, white, and blue kickoff their World Cup quest October 4 i n C a r y, N C .

They sit atop Group A with from Mexico, Tr i n i d a d & To b a g o , a n d P a n a m a rounding out the group.

-Jon J.

Photo: James Lyons

TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

Sunday’s historical final round of The Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club was high drama on so many levels but there was one headline that was felt worldwide: Tiger’s first win in 5-years (first major in 10). The perfect prelude to the much anticipated Ryder Cup. Justin Rose wins the Fedex Cup (along with the $10M that goes along with it).

But for me, the real story was one of redemption. Many experts, pundits, and weekend golfers had written Tiger off.

Many had reached the point of mentioning

Tiger in terms of what he ‘used to do’ on the golf course. His personal life was a wreck (think the notorious DUI mug shot).

His body was beginning to fail him (knee surgeries, back fusion surgeries, etc.). For many it was all over ‘but the shouting’. For many, what took place yesterday was a figment of many folks’ imagination. But as Tiger is proned to do — he beat the odds.

He kicked the odds butt. He took the odds, dipped them in oil, rolled them in cracker crumbs and… well, you get the point.

More important than the symbolic putter that was awarded to Woods for his win, and more important than the $1.6M check that he walked away with; Woods walked away with closure. He set a goal for himself, and despite the numerous hurdles that he faced along the way (and there were many), he made it to the mountaintop.

theatrical fist-pumps that were a sign that he had sealed the deal.

These kids however, had never actually seen this mythical character perform these herculean feats in the flesh.

On September 23, 2018 they got an opportunity to see the Tiger Woods who, prior to, they had only heard about. And oh what a sight he was.

To many of the children that were seen walking the course at East Lake, Woods was a legend via stories told to them by their parents; they heard the stories of miraculous comebacks, gargantuan drives off the tee, clutch putts made under the most high-pressure situations, and the

Sunday’s final round was absolutely incredible and if you attended, you knew you were going to be a part of something special. Let’s not forget, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy (who was paired with Tiger) were playing. As well as Billy Horschel, Dustin Johnson, and loads of

other well-known, top players. It’s just that Tiger absolutely stole the show, to the point where when he was round the 18th hole crowd chaos ensued.

“I was having a hard time not crying coming up the last hole. I was thinking I could still blade this thing out of bounds.

Just suck it up and hit some shots here.

Once I hit the ball on the green, then I gave Joey a high five. It was done, I could handle that from there.” -Tiger Woods

If you can tell by our cover photo, he had a crowd behind him that (in size) looked more like a mob. But it was a massive group of love. Hoards of adoring fans cheering and shouting his name. At a golf tournament. On the 18th hole. Not a Super Bowl victory or an NBA Final, just the greatest golfer the game has ever seen.

And one day… maybe one day, the PGA

will admit what the rest of us already know: golf needs him.

Thousands were hoping that Woods could do what looked like the impossible: win both the TOUR Championship and the FedEx Cup. But those dreams fell to pieces once Justin Rose birdied the 18. So Rose won the FedEx Cup and Tiger took the TOUR, his first major championship in nearly a decade.

Here are the final stats:

1 Tiger Woods -11

2 Billy Horschel -9

3 Dustin Johnson -7

T4 Justin Rose -6

• 54/58 Tiger Woods’ record

when holding at least a share of the 54-hole lead on the PGA TOUR, including a 43/45 record when holding the outright lead

• 20/32 54-hole leaders who

have gone on to win the TOUR Championship (most recently Tiger Woods/2018)

• 29/47 Third-round leaders/ co-leaders to win on PGA TOUR in 2017-18 (most recently Tiger Woods/TOUR Championship)

• Tiger Woods wins his third

TOUR Championship and 80th PGA TOUR title, second-most behind Sam Snead (82)

• Before Sunday’s victory, it

had been 1,876 days since Tiger Woods last won on the PGA TOUR

• Justin Rose becomes first Englishman and fourth international player to win the FedExCup

• Tiger Woods, No. 2 in the FedExCup, becomes the fourth winner of the TOUR Championship who did not claim the FedExCup

• Bryson DeChambeau, the FedExCup leader entering this week, falls to No. 3

• Billy Horschel moves from No. 9 to No. 5 in the FedExCup with runner-up finish at East Lake

• Hideki Matsuyama’s second-round 66 was the only bogey-free round of the tournament

-KJ and Jon J.

Photo: Hakim Wright

ATLANTA UNITED WIN THE LEAGUE AND THE CITY Atlanta United defeated the Portland Timbers 2-0 to lift the MLS Cup as well as the dreaded Atlanta sports curse. The win has officially cemented Atlanta as a soccer city and has changed the blueprint on how to construct an MLS club. The night’s attendance was a staggering 73,019, a new Atlanta United and MLS Cup record.

Atlanta United dominated possession to start the first half with fluid movement offensively and above average play on the wings.

Both teams were pretty aggressive coming out but it was clear in the beginning that referee Alan Kelly would “let the boys play.” Three hard fouls were committed between the two clubs with the guilty parties escaping unscathed. One of those fouls came in Portland’s penalty area when Josef Martinez was de-cleated and the referee waved play on.

The chances and creation were there for Atlanta but they either didn’t finish or there was a disconnect halfway through. Miguel

Photo: In just their second season Atlanta United win the MLS Cup (Hakim Wright)

Almirón received a nice backheel from Greg Garza but when he tried to return the favor the pass was misdirected.

In the 28′, Greg Garza sent a beautiful cross to Miguel Almirón. The Paraguayan international then connected with a bicycle kick that was mere inches away from goal but Portland keeper Jeff Attinella parried the ball out of bounds.

In the 38′ there was confusion on the Timbers backline and Martinez found his moment and took it. The Golden Boot winner calmly dribbled around the goalkeeper and scored the first goal of the match (pictured above).

In the 42′, the Timbers responded with an attack of their own. An errant cross came

Photo: Golden Boot winner Josef Martinez scores Atlanta’s first goal (X)

to Jeremy Ebobisse who headed the ball to the far post but was deflected away by the paw of Atlanta United goalkeeper Brad Guzan.

Portland came out strong in the second half but their attack was quelled in the 53′ of play. An absolutely beautiful ball was played from a spot kick by Almirón into the box. The ball was initially headed by Martinez to the back post and just when it looked like the ball would cross the touchline, Franco Escobar was there for the tap in.

Portland almost hit paydirt in the 62′ minute when Sebastian Blanco hit a linedrive to Brad Guzan and bobbled the ball.

Luckily Michael Parkhurst was there to clear the ball out of bounds.

Photo: Captain Michael Parkhurst and “Uncle” Arthur Blank share a hug as champions (X)

Portland would continue to get chance after chance but would never find the back of the net in the end.

Atlanta United dominated the match from start to finish, leaving Portland playing catch-up from the first whistle.

“It’s crazy to think this is real, its been a crazy year,” said an ecstatic George Bello.

“We deserve this, all of us, we deserve this. I’m lost for words right now.”

“This is unbelievable,” said Lagos Kunga.

“Thank you so much for supporting me and the team all season long. The love has been unreal.”

What a night. What a win. What a feeling it is to be a champion.

-Jon J.

Photo: Hakim Wright & X

Photo: Atlanta United has won the league championship and laid a new foundation on how to build an MLS club (X)

Photo: “Gracias Tata” (X)

No. 23 / THE PEACH REVIEW®

BY JON J. Founder and Editor-in-Chief

JON JONES Department Consultant

DESMOND MCLENNON Editor

KEITH JONES Art Director

BOB JEFFREYS Fashion Director

JOY LARKIN

Fashion Associate

KEISHA CAMPBELL

Music Director

ANGELA “YOANGIE!” CRUZ

Writers

LAUREN BRUMLEY, TITUS “TBZ” ROWELL, ESLI LARA, MIKE BROWN, TONY STANFORD JR., ELLYCE JONES, KHALEAH EVELYN, ERICA “EDB” BIZZELL, TORONDA LEWIS, DOUG BRYANT, BRITTNEY LEVEL, ALANA CLARKE Gaming and Conventions

TITUS “TBZ” ROWELL Photographers

HAKIM WRIGHT, MALCOLM “X” LEWIS, ANNA LIRA, JONATHAN DAVIS, KENT FOSTER, YOH PHILLIPS, JAMES LYONS, KEVIN MCCARTHY

Beauty Director

KEISHA CAMPBELL

Film Correspondent

WHITNEY VALCIN

Travel

JAMES WASHINGTON

ISSUE 23 Copyright 2018 No part of THE PEACH REVIEW® Magazine may be reproduced in any form without prior written consent from the publisher.

In the event of any errors we can be contacted for an online correction

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