Issue 14

No. 14

The Peach Review速 Arts & Culture

Beauty

11

3 Events

Music

Movies

23

17

28

Sports

44 *cover photo by Hakim Wright

Travel

53

Arts & Culture

Illustration © 2004 by Mo Willems. Reproduced with permission of Hyperion Books for Children

The High Museum Presents Illustrations

By Children’s Artist Mo Willems The High Museum of Art presents “Seriously Silly!

The art & whimsy of Mo Willems,” a retrospective of illustrations by the best-selling children’s book artist and author, on view through Jan. 10, 2016.

Willems has created more than 40 books for children and won numerous literary awards, including three Caldecott Honors. “Seriously Silly!” features more

than 100 works by the artist—from preliminary drawings to completed illustrations—that chronicle the past 12 years of Willems’ whimsical world, populated by his beloved characters Knuffle Bunny, Elephant and Piggie, The Pigeon, and many more.

Organized by The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art (Amherst, Mass.), the exhibition gives viewers a

glimpse of Willems’ creative process and reveals the comedic genius of his books, which culminate in crescendos of emotion highlighted by large and often jagged type and expressive lines.

The exhibition is accompanied by a 40-page, fullcolor catalogue featuring Willems’ illustrations. A selection of Willems’ books and merchandise are also available for purchase at the High Museum of Art Shop.

Photo by Marty Umans

The New York Times best-selling author and illustrator began his career as a writer and animator for PBS’s “Sesame Street,” where he garnered six Emmy Awards for his writing. During his nine seasons at “Sesame Street,” Willems also served as a weekly commentator for BBC Radio and created two animated series, Nickelodeon’s “The Off-Beats” and Cartoon Network’s “Sheep in the Big City.” While serving as head writer for Cartoon Network’s number one-rated show, “Codename: Kids Next Door,” Willems began writing and drawing books for children. His debut effort, “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!,” became a New York Times best-seller and was awarded a Caldecott Honor in 2004. The following year “Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale” was awarded a Caldecott Honor. The sequel, “Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity” earned Willems his third Caldecott Honor in 2008. llustration © 2003 by Mo Willems. Reproduced with permission of Hyperion Books for Children

In addition to picture books, Willems created the “Elephant and Piggie” books, a series of beginning readers, which were awarded the Theodor Seuss Geisel Medal in 2008 and 2009 and Geisel Honors in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Willems’ drawings and sculptures have been exhibited in numerous galleries and museums across the nation, and his graphic story about his family experiences during 9-11

for DC Comics resides in the Library of Congress’s permanent collection. Willems wrote the script and lyrics for “Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical,” commissioned by the Kennedy Center for its 2010 season. His monumental sculpture, “The Red Elephant,” can be viewed in the courtyard of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. Willems lives in Massachusetts with his family.

Iris Van Herpen Designs On Tour This fall, the High Museum of Art will become the first U.S. museum to present a major exhibition of work by visionary Dutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen, a cutting-edge artist inspired by diverse influences in the arts, sciences, music and philosophy.

Marking the High’s first presentation of fashion design, “Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion” features one-of-a-kind Haute Couture— acclaimed for its combination of traditional craftsmanship and futuristic, innovative techniques—and includes some of the world’s first examples of 3D-printed fashion. The exhibition is co-organized with the Groninger

Iris van Herpen (Dutch, born 1984), Refinery Smoke, Dress, July 2008. Untreated woven metal gauze, cow leather, cotton. Groninger Museum, 2012.0196. Photo by Bart Oomes, No 6 Studios. © Iris van Herpen

Museum (the Netherlands) and will debut at the High, where it will be on view from Nov. 7 2015, through May 15, 2016, before continuing on a North American tour.

Iris van Herpen has garnered international acclaim for her couture designs, which interweave traditional handwork with

groundbreaking 3D-printing technology, computer modeling and engraving constructed in collaboration with architects, engineers and digital design specialists. Her visually impressive, sculptural designs—often featuring unusual materials such as magnets, umbrella ribs and synthetic boat rigging—create silhouettes that appear both organic and futuristic. Her work has been worn by style icons such as Lady Gaga, Beyoncé and Bjork and has graced the runways of Amsterdam, London and Paris.

“Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion” will feature 45 outfits carefully selected from 15 of van Herpen’s collections designed from 2008 through 2015, offering a comprehensive visual survey of her design career to date. Included are 18 pieces from the designer’s six most recent lines and a selection of her shoe designs, as well as 27 pieces from the Groninger Museum’s 2012 large- scale solo exhibition of van Herpen’s work—all displayed on custom mannequins and accompanied by music and videos from her multimedia runway shows.

Through van Herpen’s own words in accompanying wall texts, the exhibition will showcase the underlying concepts for each piece and examine how intuition and imagination are central to the designer’s process.

The exhibition is co-curated by Schleuning, Mark Wilson, chief curator for the Groninger Museum, and Sue-an van der Zijpp, curator of contemporary art for the Groninger. Following its presentation at the High, the exhibition will travel to multiple venues throughout North America, including the Dallas Museum of Art (Spring 2017).

On a not so typical evening in Atlanta with the hustle and bustle of daily life accompanied by stormy weather, a ray of sunshine, so to speak is about to commence in the heart of the city at the landmark fabulous Fox Theater. As far as I could see I observed a diverse sea of people filling the lobby, congregating outside the locked doors. Their faces filled with excitement and anticipation of what awaited them inside. I was overwhelmed with amazement at the sight of it all.

As the doors opened to a sold out show, we embarked on a journey to travel back in time all while being serenaded by the incomparable sound of none other than Motown. Yes indeed, Hitsville U.S.A. I was not prepared for the soul stirring musical that begged one to ask themselves, “Where was I in that moment in time?” and “Where was I when this song was playing on the radio?”

Nostalgia sums up tonight, as the talented cast brings the audience to their feet to applaud their visually stunning performances of song and dance. However, the success of the musical is not solely weighed upon reliving the highly publicized past of the world renowned record label, but also attributed to the brutally honest narrative that filled in the smallest details regarding back stories many may not have known.

As Berry Gordy, Josh Tower ignited the stage with his fiery presence. He allowed us to reimagine Gordy’s dreams of grandeur as well as make us privy to his vulnerabilities. Actress Allison Semmes’ turn as the Diana Ross was not only spectacular but comical. One moment of the night Diana Ross was providing what appeared to be her first solo performance in a Las Vegas casino when she cascaded down the stage into the audience to engage the crowd and even selected two very lucky audience members to sing along with her as she thanked them for traveling all the way to Vegas to see her. Another standout performance is credited to actor Jesse Nager portraying the legendary Smokey Robinson, as the musical explores his ascension into greatness through his songs, writings, and unbreakable bond with Gordy as best friends.

So many musical talents, so many story lines, intertwined to be told. I was astounded at the roster of stars that graced the stage as the audience cheered with glee for Mary Wells, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye,The Jackson 5, The Four Tops, The Temptations, The Marvelettes, Rick James, Tina Marie and Glady’s Knight and the Pips to name a few who appeared within the two hour production.

Motown The Musical is a captivating show worthy of an encore that will maintain its

current course to be a fan favorite. Truly, an astonishing musical gem for all ages that reminds us all that the production is not merely about hit records, but above all, about the genius of founder Berry Gordy. Motown is know for its legion of talented artists whom through challenges and triumphs not only made history, but also shaped American culture.

-Joy Larkins

Julius Thomas III as Berry Gordy (center right) & Cast MOTOWN THE MUSICAL First National Tour (C) Joan Marcus, 201

More than 58,000 theatergoers cheered when JERSEY BOYS made its return to the Fox Theatre stage in 2011. Worldwide, more than 22 million people have seen JERSEY BOYS. And now, the show that made critics and audiences cheer two times will return to Atlanta for a third engagement. JERSEY BOYS is the Tony®, Grammy® and Olivier Award-winning Best Musical about Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi. This is the true story of how four bluecollar kids became one of the greatest successes in pop music history. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide. JERSEY BOYS features hit songs “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Rag Doll,” “Oh What a Night” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.” It was the type of production where you could kick back, relax, and enjoy yourself. The cast was very entertaining and the singing was great. It was very clear that the majority of the audience grew up on the group as you could hear masses of people singing or clapping along to most of the songs. But again, it was the type of atmosphere where singing along and clapping on-beat wasn’t frowned upon. It was a truly relaxed and enjoyable experience.

The roles were played as follows:

Frankie Valli – Aaron De Jesus

Bob Gaudio – Drew Seeley

Tommy DeVito – Matthew Dailey Nick Massi – Keith Hines

Drew Seeley, Aaron De Jesus, Matthew Dailey, Keith Hines and the Company of JERSEY BOYS Photo: Jeremy Daniel

The production itself was well put together. It’s unfortunate that the Fox was on such a good run of form with their sound but floundered once again. During a good portion of ACT I their was noticeable interference which caused temporary discomfort while narration was taking place. They eventually got it together but it’s unfortunate when a production comes that’s won so much acclaim and fanfare has to experience such a setback (even though it was temporary).

Gangster Silhouette. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

The only knock I’d say that was pretty noticeable was the vulgar language. I remember when the first “F bomb” was dropped you could hear a gasp from the entire crowd. Nobody was ready. Now I’ve seen the movie and the movie, although filled with vulgarity and Jersey slang, was great (but also rated R). This focused more on the music which made it even more enjoyable. All the vulgar language kind of took away from that and seemed unnecessary for the production.

important they were for not only that time period, but for music as a whole.

Aside from that, get ready for great tunes and an even better time. Based off of their life experiences, you get to see the formation of the group, the highs, the lows, and how loyalty was taken to another level with Franki’s dedication and character.

It was great to see so much talent coming together and amassing so much acclaim before the age of 30. Whenever you hear of a feelgood story you always hope the good times won’t come to an end. In this rare occasion, the bumps came and they came with a vengeance.

But luckily, with good leadership, Franki & Co. were able to bounce back and enjoy more time on the road and conjure a strategy for success that was incomparable. The simple fact there’s a musical platform to tell the story of their success, tells an even bigger story of how

JERSEY BOYS gets a good 8.5 out of 10.

You’ll enjoy the music and the set was very impressive so I must give a nod to Scenic Designer Klara Zieglerova. From when the boys were on the street, to the car dealership, and jumping from club to club, it was wonderful to see the creativity in each scene.

-Jon J.

Transitioning To Fall Skin Care

By Keisha Campbell It’s getting close to the time of year where we are pretty much over the rays of the sun and ready for the cool breezes that fall brings. We change our clothes, our hair, and even our eating habits. But what about our skin care? Many people stick with the same skin care routine year-round but, as the weather changes so does your skin. With these changes happening around you, your products should change as well. Our skin tends to be drier in the fall/winter months depending on where you live. Transitioning your skin to be fall ready isn’t hard to do at all. Three simple steps will have you wondering why you weren’t doing it all along.

Beauty

I tend to focus on having a serum, night cream, and mask in my routine for the cooler months. In a previous article I spoke about the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair. This serum works for me anytime of the year and that’s why I love it. Even with my oily skin I still get dry as it gets cold. This keeps my skin hydrated and keeps me looking youthful even on the harshest winter days. I also use it in the morning so I have extra protection for my skin during the day.

The best thing about this is the fact that it repairs your skin and you can actually see the difference. (Top Left)

As far as a night cream, Estée Lauder does it for me in that category as well. Their Revitalizing Supreme moisturizer is by far one of my favorites so far. The thick, creamy texture of this product is great for skin at night. My skin automatically feels smooth and hydrated when I put it on. This multiaction cream addresses multiple signs of aging such as lines, wrinkles, dullness, loss of firmness and dehydrated skin. So not only are you getting the moisture your skin needs during the winter but you’re tackling all the top aging concerns with one cream.

Since the Advanced Night Repair neutralizes the same concerns, these two products work amazingly well together. (Bottom Left)

If you didn’t notice, these products are mostly products you would use at night. I always promote nightly skin care and will be doing a follow-up discussing the importance of having one. As far as getting ready for the colder season, you are the determining factor of when to begin your transition. Being that I live in the South, it doesn’t get cool until around late September/October. If you live in a region that has short summers and long winters, try transitioning as soon as it starts cooling down. Love your skin and it will love you back!

Sources: www.esteelauder.com;www.sephora.com; http://www.onceuponabeautyblogger.wordpress.com

Nightly Skin Care

By Keisha Campbell

We take so much care in prepping our skin in the morning but what about at night? After a long day your skin has been through a lot and needs extra attention at night. I always encourage a nightly routine for your skin because there are so many benefits and you can get the most out of your skincare products. Taking the extra steps at night will allow you less work in the morning.

Our skin has a natural repair process. This process peaks at night while we are sleeping. Have you ever woken up with a pimple in the morning that you had no sign of during the day? While you were sleeping your skin was busy pushing out those toxins and left you a little friend in return.

Knowing that your skin is doing so much while you sleep why not give it a boost? Giving your skin something to work with while you’re sleeping will leave you reaping the benefits in the morning.

After cleansing my skin I follow through with a serum. I’ve featured this serum in many of my articles and it still remains a favorite of mine. Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair assists my skins natural repair process. It helps prevent many signs of aging such as: fine lines, wrinkles, dullness, dehydrated skin, and loss of firmness. This product is perfect for the working individual who can’t get that eight hours of sleep every night. When you lack sufficient sleep it shows on your skin. This product allows you to still have that fresh look when you wake up even though you may have only gotten a few hours of sleep.

I follow up with a night cream that I’ve been using for a while. Another Estée Lauder product, the Revitalizing Supreme works great alongside the Advanced Night Repair. They both target the same issues which gives me extra protection while I’m sleeping. The texture of this cream leaves my skin feeling moisturized without the greasy feeling. It is equipped with Intuigen® technology.

This claims to adapt to what your skin needs the most while still providing assistance in all areas.

My final and favorite step is an eye cream. The La Mer Eye Concentrate is the perfect eye cream for my routine. A little goes a long way and the texture isn’t too heavy for the sensitive eye area. It helps with dark circles and discoloration. It also works to decrease the appearance of lines and wrinkles. Many people skip over this step but its key to keeping the eye area youthful. Dry skin equals wrinkles. Being that the skin around the eye is so thin it needs moisture to prevent those lines from appearing.

There are many products to help you get started in creating a routine that works best for you.

Find products that work best with your skin type and the concerns you have. I try to lean towards products that have multiple benefits, that way I’m not using five different products when I could easily find one that covers all of my bases. Taking the extra time to love your skin before bed will reap great benefits and you can see the difference when you wake up. Skin care takes time so why not start at night?

Sources: www.esteelauder.com ; www.cremedelamer.com

Liquid Lipsticks: Are They Worth The Time And Money?

By Keisha Campbell

Since the beginning of the year we have been seeing a surge of liquid lipsticks flooding our beauty timelines. Although they seem to be the newest craze some people just don’t know how to use them. If you are new to makeup they can be a bit intimidating at first. These particular lipsticks are known for their matte finish and longevity. Being so, lip care is important when wearing these on a regular basis. There are also different textures of liquid lipsticks that provide a subtle versatility when finding which one works best for you.

First let’s discuss lip care. Liquid lipsticks can be extremely drying on the lips due to their extended wear. I tend to prep my lips at night for the next day. Bite Beauty Agave Mask is a thicker consistency which keeps my lips moisturized while I sleep. This is an important step to me because it helps to lift any dead skin off of my lips and I am able to wipe it away with a hot towel in the morning. This creates a smooth base for any lipstick I want to place on top. I always recommend a lip balm with a thicker consistency because it will hold onto the lips longer. When I use something thin it’s gone by the time I wake up and my lips aren’t as soft as I would like them to be.

One brand of liquid lipstick that is great for someone with drier lips is Anastasia Beverly Hills.

Liquid lipsticks tend to have a very thin feel to them, almost like water on the lips. Anastasia’s formula feels fluffy once applied to the lips, this is why this brand tends to not dry them out as much. The texture is very soft and great for drier lips. Although the line is fairly new, the color range is decent and is continuing to grow. These retail for $20 which is on the higher end as far as pricing is concerned. Compared to other brands, this brand did come off while eating and drinking. After about 4-5 hours I did have to retouch and for the price I shouldn’t have to do that.

The next brand that I tried was the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick. These can be found at your local Sephora and retail for $20 as well but is well worth it. With the recently released new shades, the color range is improving. The reason I prefer this brand is due to the longevity. This has a thin water like texture and dries quickly on the lips. I’m able to eat and drink and this does not transfer at all. I’ve been out with this product on for about 8 hours and I never had to retouch. These tend to sell out fast when in stock so it took a while for me to get the colors I wanted. That was the only negative about this product. When it sells out it seems to take quite some time for it to return to the shelves.

A cheaper alternative for those of you who don’t want to spend a lot on a first-time purchase is ColourPop Ultra Matte Lip. The color range is amazing and the best thing is the price. They retail for only $6!! These are slightly over drying to me but that was something I could deal with. I love the fact that they created colors for everyone. You will definitely find a color that you feel great about with this line and they also show swatches of their products on multiple skin tones so you can get a better feel of what will work for you.

These are just a few starter brands that will help you find what’s right for you. With the growing popularity I’m sure more brands will start to have their own version of liquid lipsticks which will provide even more variety. I love a matte lip so these are by far my favorite formula of lipstick. Once you learn which formula works for you these will become a staple in your makeup kit. As I always say, have fun.

References: www.sephora.com; www.anastasiabeverlyhills.com; www.colourpop.com; www.hellomissniki.com; www.juliasallure.wordpress.com; www.allurabeauty.com

Is Your Makeup Fading Too Quickly?

By Keisha Campbell

Ever wonder why you apply your makeup at nine in the morning and by lunch time it already looks like you’ve had a 12 hour day? The truth is no makeup is going to withstand a 24-hour day no matter how tempting the product claims can be. There are however, several ways to make your foundation last longer. Having oily skin can cause your makeup to fade even faster and most women with oily skin have this problem. Priming the skin, setting with powder and spray are just a few tricks to help get the most out of your makeup.

Primers have been up for much discussion over the years. Some believe they aren’t needed but it truly depends on how well your skin holds products.

Some people can put on a great moisturizer and go right into their foundation.

Having oily skin however limits this ease-in process. Most foundations have a primer built into their formula. Especially those claiming to last 24 hours or more. There is also nothing wrong with wanting to get more longevity out of your foundation. If you just want a light primer that is quick and easy I recommend the Urban Decay B6 Vitamin-Infused Complexion Prep Spray.

This vegan prep spray can be worn alone or under your foundation. It is infused with Vitamin B6 and vitamin E. The product claims to control oil, minimize pores and redness.

From personal experience with this product it aided in controlling my oily skin and using it on my “no makeup” days allowed my skin to breath while still looking fresh. For those of us with oilier skin I recommend the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer. This primer seems like it won’t do much with its thin consistency but it has been one of the best primers I’ve tried for my oily skin. I do have to touch up my nose after about five hours which is better than most products I’ve tried.

One of my go-to secrets with this primer is to set it with a setting spray before applying your foundation. I use the Urban Decay Deslick and the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Sprays. They both are amazing so I just reach for which ever is closest. By setting my primer, I’m adding an extra layer of protection to my skin for longevity. Another secret of mine is mixing the Mineral Veil with the Becca EverMatte Poreless Priming Perfector. This primer is very thick, sometimes too thick for my liking. By mixing this with the thin mineral veil it gives me the perfect consistency and I can go about 6-8 hours with no touching up. The extra step of mixing primers may be too much for some but it actually works on days I need my makeup to last.

(Photos on next page)

One of the last steps I take in ensuring my makeup stays put, is to set it with a powder. There is no perfect powder to set your foundation, so just using what you have will suffice. It’s all about your application. Buffing a light layer of powder into your skin atop your foundation will not only give you an airbrushed look but it will ensure your foundation/concealer stays in place. The final step in this process is setting spray as I mentioned above. Using the same spray I set my primer with, I set my makeup. This acts as a seal or extra barrier from any oil that may slip thru and cause your makeup to fade. We all know oil and makeup don’t mix!

These are just a few products that can help in getting you through the day. It will take some time in finding the right combination of products to get your perfect recipe. As I always say, “Makeup is trial and error.” Trying at least one of these products will show a difference in your daily routine. Experiment and enjoy!

-Keisha Campbell

Sources: www.sephora.com ; www.urbandecay.com ; www.hourglasscosmetics.com ; www.beccacosmetics.com; www.tiahnwrite.com

S T EN

V E

JEFFREY FASHION CARES

Atlanta’s Most Celebrated Fashion Event Moves to Phipps Plaza

Over the past 22 years, Jeffrey Fashion Cares has grown into one of the largest combined AIDS and breast cancer benefits in the country. Featuring a pre-show cocktail reception, silent and live auction, and runway show, this year saw Atlanta’s most fashionable affair move to the recently renovated Phipps Plaza on Monday, August 31, 2015. Always aiming to impress, guests will slip into a completely transformed and private environment in the Monarch Court as Jeffrey Fashion Cares once again embarks on its mission to raise as much awareness and funds as possible for its beneficiaries, Susan G. Komen Greater Atlanta and the Atlanta AIDS Fund (AAF).

The official kick-off to the fall social season, Jeffrey Fashion Cares was founded by Jeffrey Kalinsky, arbiter of style and creator of two namesake boutiques in Atlanta and Manhattan.

This year, Kalinsky joined Event Chairs Lila Hertz, Jeffrey McQuithy and Louise Sams in producing what was promised to be one of the most exciting events to date.

Guests enjoyed a pre-show cocktail reception and silent auction followed by a live auction and runway show featuring Kalinsky’s style selections from high-end designers such as Lanvin, Celine, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Valentino, Dries van Noten, Saint Laurent Paris, Balenciaga, Christian Louboutin and Manolo Blahnik. Special guests of the evening included the man himself Jeffrey Kalinksy, Phaedra Parks, Keisha KnightPullium, Keri Hilson and more.

We have all of the pictures from the red carpet and the fashion show on our Facebook Page.

-Jon J. Photo: Hakim Wright

Anime Weekend Atlanta

Anime Weekend Atlanta (AWA) is one of the biggest anime cons (conventions) in Atlanta. As a veteran it’s cool, but for The Peach Review® and our first time covering it? It was super awesome.

You get to see a lot of cosplays from all genres and all ages. You get to view all kinds of anime, some old, and a sneak peak of new. You can take a step into the dealers room to see amazing artists who do really cool fan art, or you can buy awesome items from other various dealers. A few examples are fan made weapons from your favorite anime or a Dragon Ball Z plush doll.

While at AWA you have a chance to meet your favorite voice actor from your favorite anime, take pictures with them and also get their autograph.

They also have a game room, where you can play console games, play in different tournaments, and more. Something new that I noticed, was that they had an arcade room, which looked really awesome.

Check out this awesome AWA music video from our friends at Phoenix Studios

Later on at night during the con, they have a party that’s pretty fun. They have a Dj that will mix techno with any type of anime or video game theme music and all types of dancers are there. Either they are break dancing, rave dancing, or simply moving to the beat, they’re just having fun.

On Sunday, the closing day of AWA, the orchestra came out and played Legend of Zelda music (and that was really nice). I really enjoyed myself at the con. I would say it’s something fun to go to every year.

This year’s edition took place September 24 - 27. Tickets are on-sale now for the 2016 edition taking place September 29 October 2, 2016.

Story & Photos: TBZ

Movies

Straight Outta Compton has been one of the most highly anticipated films of the summer. The biopic directed by F. Gary Gray, tells the story behind one of the most notorious rap groups in music history N.W.A. The group consists of Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, MC Ren, and DJ Yella.

What made them stand out from that status quo of the time was their hard beats thanks to Dr. Dre, strong writing from Ice Cube, and very distinct delivery from Eazy-E. They can be credited as the first to put raw reality in their lyrics, including drug busts, gun violence, and constant abuse from the police.

Another reason why this movie resonates with so many is because the problems they wrote about in the 1980s are taking place today.

If you’re doing a biopic on one of the most infamous rap groups of all time, then you can be pretty sure the soundtrack is going to be amazing. You’ll hear classics all throughout the movie such as “Straight Outta Compton,” “F*** the Police,” “Aint Nothin But a G thang,” and other West Coast classics.

Personally, I’ve always known about the group and their music but wasn’t familiar with their story. The film does an excellent job of giving moviegoers a behind-the-scenes look at how the group was formed, what broke them up, and many other mini-stories (because there’s 5 of them). It’s a film worth watching not just because of the names involved, but there’s an excellent story to be heard in this film.

There are bits of humor throughout the movie which was refreshing, but with anything involving rap, you’ll have to get past the vulgarity. If you’re not one for overexposure to cussing then you definitely will not like this film.

If you can get past the cursing and the overuse of the “N-word” there’s an awe-inspiring experience waiting for you. Unlike the disaster of the Fantastic Four last week (which received a 9 out of 100 online), this won’t leave you disappointed. Because of that, I can confidently give it a 9 out of 10. A group of young men who changed the landscape of music; you’ll meet them, they’re N.W.A.

In 1970s South Boston, FBI Agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) persuades Irish mobster James “Whitey” Bulger (Johnny Depp) to collaborate with the FBI and eliminate a common enemy: the Italian mob. The drama tells the story of this unholy alliance, which spiraled out of control, allowing Whitey to evade law enforcement, consolidate power, and become one of the most ruthless and powerful gangsters in Boston history.

Under the direction of Scott Cooper, Black Mass delivers a true story about Whitey Bulger that featured as many great moments as it did blunders.

There were various name-brand actors from Kevin Bacon and Benedict Cumberbatch to Johnny Depp and Peter Sarsgaard but big names won’t automatically guarantee a great film. Depp was excellent as Bulger and I’ll give extra kudos to Joel Edgerton on his role as John Connolly. Because trust me, after I witnessed Edgerton pull off the worst Pharaoh in the history of Exodus adaptations, I was 2 steps from writing him off forever.

So the acting from Joel and Johnny were great… But it stops there. The accents were… to be frank, awful. There are viral videos online right now featuring real-life and current Bostonians and this bunch sounds nothing like them.

The costumes were pretty unimpressive as well, specifically those awful mustaches on Kevin Bacon and Adam Scott.

The film does a great job of keeping your attention and wanting to learn more, even up to the end of the film. The story itself is quite interesting. For those who aren’t familiar with Whitey Bulger I won’t ruin the ending with spoilers but I will say, though this took place in the late 70s, early 80s, the real life story just recently concluded.

Black Mass gets a 7.5 out of 10. It’s R-rated for good reason so I wouldn’t bring any children to this. Runtime is 122 mins. so a late showing shouldn’t be too difficult to survive.

-Jon J.

During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney survives and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Millions of miles away, NASA and a team of international scientists work tirelessly to bring “The Martian” home, while his crew-mates concurrently plot a daring, if not impossible, rescue mission.

The film is based on a best-selling novel, and directed by the one and only Ridley Scott, The Martian features a star studded cast that includes Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Kate Mara, Michael Pena, Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Donald Glover.

Long ago when I saw the trailer, I saw Matt Damon and Chiwetel Ejiofor, and I was immediately interested. To add to that, I saw the direction was coming from Ridley Scott, who as some of you know, has owned multiple pages on our site in the “film review” category. For a film with a storyline that rings of interest, I found very few dry moments where you could think, “This is boring.” Not so much that it slowed down to a halt, but just not as interesting as the film as a whole. One thing I thought was great, was the accuracy of the science. Behind the execution of the multiple experiments that took place was a chemistry lesson at almost every turn. All too often when Hollywood mixes with science, we’re overrun with Hollywood (think San Andreas). But when Neil deGrasse Tyson compliments you on your science, you know you did an excellent job.

Mark Watney is a one-stop shop of an astronaut. A man who cannot only navigate space, but has a steady hand in engineering, extremely resourceful, knowledgeable in the laws of physics, a mathematician, and most importantly, a botanist. In one scene (the most notable from the trailer) he’s faced with the task of growing food, on Mars, in his spaceship. My memories of organic/inorganic chemistry were in full swing as I watched his attempts at making water out of hydrogen, a small flame, tubes, and other materials needed to divert certain chemicals and salvage others. It was really interesting to see.

Teddy Sanders (Jeff Daniels) plays the hardline director of NASA and can be seen as the antagonist in the group as his aggressive and “by the book” views are frowned upon by most. More often than not, the group weren’t congruent on big decisions but he gave the final say on everything.

Because Watney was so far, everything had to be done quickly and corners had to be cut to assure a reasonable timeline to get supplies to Watney and bring him home. At one point Teddy even questioned if bringing him back was a good idea (and after they discovered his survival, waited months to alert the crew that left him behind).

I give The Martian an 8.5 out of 10. The barrage of brand-name actors was unnecessary but taken seriously enough that you wouldn’t consider the film a spoof. The science was captivating and accurate, and Matt Damon conducting V-log entries on his GoPro are pretty entertaining. I wasn’t impressed with the ending (it seemed rushed) but it’s not enough to totally affect your mood.

-Jon J.

An idealistic FBI agent (Emily Blunt) is enlisted by an elected government task force to aid in the escalating war against drugs at the border area between the U.S. and Mexico.

Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) from the start, seemed like she was in way over her head in her role on the force. More tactical than physical, Macer leads her team on a raid to open up the film.

The only person she really relies on is that of her partner Reggie Wayne (Daniel Kaluuya). But once her leadership and tact catches the eye of her boss Dave Jennings (Victor Garber) she's selected to "voluntarily" join a government task force to take down drug cartels.

Sicario is a strategic-action film from director Denis Villeneuve, with writing by Taylor Sheridan. They do a great job of building suspense before every mission. The music accompanying these scenes is amazing and you definitely need to hear it The Beast

With these new missions Kate is playing a lesser role. Add the fact that she has a jerk for a boss named Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) and this "promotion" starts to look more like a punishment. Everyone is so secretive around her that she doubts everything around her. Things get even weirder when she meets Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro) who she later discovers is a cut throat hitman.Â

What I enjoyed most about this film was the fact that it wasn't your typical action movie. White heroine, "The black guy" dies first, (throw in added stereotypes or cliches), etc. Ol' idealistic Kate is not only weak but extremely naive from start to finish. The protagonist ends up being someone you wouldn't expect and the movie ever so slightly shifts focus on another character during a transition. I love the fact it was unpredictable.

Sicario gets an 8.5 out of 10. It's good, not too many slow parts, and the suspense build up is spot-on. If you didn't see it last weekend, this needs to be on your priority list this weekend.

-Jon J.

Music

Abel Testafye, better known as The Weeknd has finally found a spot in the pop world of music.

The Weeknd has been part of an underground cult following since 2011 with three mixtapes called The House of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes of Silence. Those three mixtapes plus three bonus tracks formed the Trilogy, a collection of dark and heavy songs covered in sex, drugs and broken hearts or lack there of. Later, in 2013 he released Kiss Land, which was an attempt to find a new sound leaving his hardcore base fans a little disappointed. His dark, depressing sound has been celebrated by a certain group of people who enjoyed keeping him to themselves. Abel himself even wrote an apology letter to his fans saying that he could feel he was entering a new world of recognition and that he knew he would lose some fans that were there from the beginning. In 2014, he began his cross over into the pop world with a fiery duet with Nickelodeon star Arianna Grande.

Their song, “Love Me Harder” charted at number 7 on Billboard’s top 100. The song’s success gained the attention of the music directors of Fifty Shades of Grey. What a perfect match! “Earned It” was a backdrop to the movie and opened him up to a whole new crowd of suburban housewives.

Beauty Behind the Madness is a perfect balance for his old and new fans. Many have been interested to know what sound would be produced after teaming back up with original producer Illangelo from his first mixtapes and adding Kanye West to the mix. He opens up the album with “Real Life” and the warnings of his mother about his choice of lifestyle. This sounds much like an ode to ‘Billie Jean’ which would make sense since he is a well known Michael Jackson fan.

The Weeknd is apologizing to his mother for his drug induced nights and heartless ways but he feels this is just how he is and its too late to change now. In a sense, his sinful lyrics have been the reason for his success in the music industry thus far. The Weeknd was a homeless high school drop out wandering the streets of Toronto at the start of his career. “Losers” is kind of a slap in the face to everyone who didn’t believe in him. Abel and Labrinth together are too cool for school and challenge the idea of both love and the thought that school is a vital part of life. He feels he has taught himself the ropes in life and doesn’t regret the route he took.

“Tell Your Friends” is the voice of this album. For his original fans incase you thought he might be getting too soft, this is a reminder that he is still the same pill popping, sex fiend with the wild hair that you first fell in love with. He knows they love his lifestyle and want to be a part of it so this song is for the ones who were there from the start. The Weeknd has always been known to shy away from interviews and the spotlight. But now he is enjoying the attention and is ready to meet the world. He has choices now and is ready to leave the underground so please…go tell your friends about it.

Sabahattin Ali was a poet who’s words are used in the opening of “Often” which translates to “My each and every day takes years. I’m tired of being alone.” He is tired of his lonely life and needs some temporary company to heal the pain for now. On this track he explains that he’s used to getting women to do what they’ve never done before and keeps cocaine in his pocket to heighten the experience.

“The Hills” is the classic sound from Abel singing about late night booty-calls in the hills of Hollywood. The late filmmaker, Wes Craven, tweeted that he was inspired by this track.

“Acquainted” is The Weeknd’s version of a love song to a woman. While he still will never admit to being in love, this song tells that someone is holding his attention longer than he expected. He is putting in time for this woman and his friends think he’s lost it. Instead of saying he’s so glad this woman is a part of his life, he is still trying to get used to the idea of love and is pleased to make her acquaintance. “Cant Feel My Face” has a secret layer of The Weeknd’s love for drugs on a Michael Jackson inspired track that climbed its way up the pop chart because at first listen it doesn’t sound like its about cocaine. A first time listener of The Weeknd’s music would think he is singing about a woman who makes him lose feeling and he loves it. But real fans know that this song is clearly about his long time relationship with drugs.

“Shameless” almost makes you feel like Abel really does have a heart underneath all the weed smoke pouring from his lungs. He seems to understand the woman who uses sex to fix her problems. He can relate and wants her to know he will always be there to help her get through it.

He probably sees himself in this woman and in his own way shows some compassion to the lost souls of the world. NY Times did an interview stating that, “In The Night” was about a girl’s childhood sexual abuse. She uses the stripper pole at night to escape from her past. Just like in “Shameless” I think The Weeknd has a soft heart for the abused, depressed, and lonely women of the world. This is another Michael Jackson inspired sound that will most likely appeal only to those who can relate personally to the story.

“As You Are” is about a relationship destined to break both parties’ hearts. Abel knows this but still wants to go forward because its better than feeling nothing even for a moment. He sees the potential in the most broken, scarred women. He seems to find peace and purpose digging through someone else’s baggage. Maybe it makes him feel normal? If you think adding Ed Sheeran to a Weeknd album is random, it is. The two met at an award show, partied all night and wrote a song the next day. “Dark Times” is a warning label for women that they are not the best choice for partners. Not sure if Ed was inspired by The Weeknd’s party favors and antics or if he’s always been this way and felt comfortable letting it out with someone like him. Either way, the song will be interesting to see performed live.

“Prisoner” was produced by The Weeknd himself and he invited the lovely Lana Del Rey to help him explain falling in love for the first time. He says love will always be a lesson and he wants to get out of it’s way. He feels prisoner to his addictive cold life but now this feeling of love is throwing his senses off. He knows emptiness so well that the thought of someone fulfilling him is terrifying.

“Angel” is the last song on this album and maybe for good reason. Throughout this album he is battling falling in love and the feelings of uncertainty that come with relationships. He has found a real life earth angel and he thinks he will only ruin her. She brings light in his dark world but he still can’t seem to let go of his desensitized emotions. He wants her to find somebody better to love.

Maty Noyes, who pops up in this song as the “angel” may have found her start to her singing career thanks to The Weeknd.

BBTM is a great rendition of an artist who is coming out from the shadows and entering a different type of fame. Not many musicians can find a balance between the core sounds of their roots and the desire to be accepted by the entire music industry as a whole. Many times artists just seem to change their sound and look overnight. The Weeknd has snuck into the realm of pop culture leaving a trail of coke and spilled drinks on the way.

-Yo Angie!

Jon Foreman Back in 1996, he (Jon Foreman) started his music career heading an unassuming San Diego-based band, now known all over the world as the multi-platinum Grammy-winning alt-rock group Switchfoot. Echoing an early oughts American existential crisis of faith, his spiritually-oriented rock band tapped into the cultural zeitgeist, and endured as defining sound-makers for a generation filled with unanswerable questions of their own. He later went on to form a long-term collaboration with Sean Watkins, releasing their first homebrewed collection of love ballads in 2009 under the name Fiction Family.

On Sunlight, Jon surrenders to the wipe-outs of an unpredictable world, articulating in the dappled harmony of his vocals and acoustic guitar, the feeling of regaining bearings under saltwater, and floating back up towards the sun.

“In songs you can have all these metaphors to hide behind, but there’s a strength in honesty that can’t be found in cynicism or detaching from an emotional element.”

Born from solitary introspection, then opened to the world, Sunlight’s 24 tracks blossom with the diverse yet cohesive contributions of 24 different producers, each interpreting the meaning of Jon’s vocals through their own instrumental vision.

We were fortunate enough to hear Foreman live at The Loft in Midtown on October 2. We were pleasantly surprised to hear that his live performance was commensurate with his Sunlight album.

He is very interactive at his live shows. He not only accepted requests but strongly suggested them. After every song he urged the audience to submit requests anyway they knew how.

Whether by yelling, throwing balls of paper with requests written inside, sending requests as paper airplanes, passing up napkins to the stage, literally by any means possible. Even though he played a solid 90 minutes, with the amount of requests he received he could’ve played past midnight.

He played songs such “Your Love is Strong” “Coffin” and “Caroline.” Personally, I was waiting for him to play “All of God’s Children” and to my surprise, that was the tracked he closed out with.

His Sunlight EP is an epic exploration of real, raw emotion with a message subtly delivered behind solid acoustics and an amazing voice. Out of the 6 tracks my favorite is All of God’s Children (and sounded even better live) but every song has powerful lyrics.

While Jon’s smooth sound can invoke emotions and feelings, the message that comes along with it can feel like a massage to the soul or a punch to the gut. Take for example his track Terminal:

Some folks die in offices

One day at a time

They could live a hundred years

But their souls already died

Don’t let your spirit die before your body does We're terminal

The Mountain:

maybe faith is found inside a seed maybe faith is found inside of me mostly I feel like I'm lost at sea

I believe, lord help my unbelief

I believe you could move this mountain of mine

So after you take a few jabs to the gut and rethink your life (or gain motivation), you get to relax a bit as your soul gets the love it deserves from “You Don’t Know How Beautiful You Are”:

come surrender

your hidden scars

leave your weapons

where they are

you've been hiding

but I know your wounded heart

you don't know how beautiful you are

Another audience favorite from the concert and the album is Caroline. The song tells about a young girl named Caroline who was lovable but aggressive in nature. This can be felt as she was described as the “middle finger queen.” But she goes on to be famous after her rough beginnings with mother dying and her dad not being able to cope on his own. She gets famous and in the chorus Foreman repeats “And I wonder aloud, Where your heart is now?” You can hear Caroline HERE

To add to the good news of this amazing album, in concert Foreman alluded to a new album coming out with the group Switchfoot. The announcement was warmly received and was also made to dispel any rumors people may have heard about a break up.

Sunlight, Shadows, and Darkness are out now while Dawn will debut October 23, 2015. You can order/pre-order any of albums and check out his tour schedule HERE

-Jon J.

X

Ed Sheeran X Tour Saturday, September 12 brought not only an awesome win for Georgia Tech (65-10 against Tulane) but it also marked the arrival of the long awaited Ed Sheeran’s “X” Tour.

Sheeran’s summer tour is already proving to be a phenomenal success with most dates selling out in a matter of minutes, including Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, Newark’s Prudential Center, and back-to-back nights at the iconic Hollywood Bowl.

The North American dates – which also include top billing at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis, Rock in Rio USA in Las Vegas, and Summerfest in Milwaukee – are part of his worldwide tour which culminates with three sold out nights at London’s Wembley Stadium.

The festivities began with 2 openers: Jamie Lawson and Christina Perri. Lawson won over the massive crowd (who started filing in at an early 7:30pm) with his smooth sound and amazing talent on acoustic guitar. If you look him up you may not find an overwhelming amount of information on him but his music and presence were solid.

Lawson had the audience eating out of his hand and singing along to his music.

His most notable track was “I Wasn’t Expecting That” which people would recognize from Disney’s “Up.” Another popular track he performed was “Ahead of Myself” which turned out great, as he had the crowd add an ad-lib at every break in the chorus.

The next act was Christina Perri, a young and quirky act with the look of Nicole Scherzinger and the voice of a high school freshman. Perri is a singersongwriter from Pennsylvania who’s first claim-to-fame was “Jar of Hearts” which was heard on So You Think You Can Dance in 2010. When she came out on stage it was clear she was more of a familiar name to the raucous crowd of young people. That’s probably because of her highly popular track “A Thousand Years” which was featured in the blockbuster Twilight series, Twilight: Breaking Dawn. She arrived on stage with the support of her band and kicked-off her set with “Distance.” She then performed tracks “Burning Gold” “Jar of Hearts” “A Thousand Years” and ended her set with “Human.”

When she sang “A Thousand Years” the arena exploded with cheers and just as quick, fell silent so they could sing along. The lights dropped and everyone was waving their phones with their flash on.

With the crowd now fully amped thanks to the youthful exuberance of Christina Perri, it was time for headliner Ed Sheeran to make his appearance. About 30 minutes after Perri left, Ed Sheeran comes on-stage to an explosion of screams, laughter, and tears of joy. The scraggly-faced ginger appeared by himself with just an acoustic guitar and a grey Atlanta Hawks t-shirt. With gigantic viewing screens to his sides, he was shown in various filters and lights and even had emoticons flash on screen and some were in the form of LEGOS.

(Peep the sell-out crowd)

He kicked-off things with his widely popular “Lego House.” His love of LEGOS is serious. I recently reviewed a film titled “A LEGO Brickumentary” and he was featured in the documentary as an avid LEGO lover. The crowd sang along to just about everything he performed, he could do no wrong. He also noted that he’d be alone on stage due to complaints at a previous performance. People said they couldn’t see him, so he was on-stage, alone, with a guitar and a loop machine at his feet. So he controlled literally every aspect of his performance on his own. Another popular track was “Take It Back” which he rapped for 5 solid minutes and the crowd went bananas. Oh and then Usher made an appearance, I guess we should note that too (cue sarcasm).

Unfortunately, if you missed it, you missed an incredible show. It’s rare you can say an entire show was pleasing to an audience, but all 3 acts were truly enjoyable. Sheeran definitely picked the right openers to accompany him on tour. Not only 2 artists that he’s collaborated with but artists who fit his mold of strong, acoustic, melodious tunes. The crowd was pleased, I was pleased, and I’m catering to the majority here, the ladies were pleased.

-Jon J.

Photo: X

Luke Bryan

Kick the Dust Up

Country fans unite in Atlanta as the “Kick the Dust Up” Tour landed at Philips Arena for not 1 but 2 nights (August 21 & 22). The tour, headlined by Luke Bryan, also featured openers Dustin Lynch and Randy Houser.

We attended Friday night’s show and it was spectacular. Dustin Lynch came out first, followed by Randy Houser. The stage was set with gigantic screens in the background and speakers lined in the front and the sides. There was a narrow walkway which extended probably 20 ft from the stage that lead to a huge circular stage where the acts could literally stand in the crowd.

While Houser and Lynch pleased the crowd, the masses were there for the native Georgian Luke Bryan.

When he came out the crowd roared and immediately jumped to their feet. He came up through the stage (located in the crowd) and immediately sang “kick the dust up.”

He sang a few of his more popular songs and then called the openers back to the stage. Luke Bryan showed off his skills on a beatbox while Houser and Lynch played guitar. He played tracks by Sir Mixa-lot and Lil Jon and even the theme song to Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. But the most exciting and upbeat moment was when the trio performed Maroon 5’s “Sugar”.

Bryan soon returned to entertain the crowd on his own but before he did, he toasted to the South:

“I’m a Georgia boy, this here’s a Tennessee boy and we have Mississippi here on the same stage.

Cheers! (and proceeded to take shots).”

He performed tracks such as All My Friends Say, Do I, Play it Again, Roller Coaster, Drunk On You, Crash My Party, and Hunting, Fishing, & Loving Everyday. For the aforementioned track he came through the stage on a wooden pier to with mist to simulate sitting on a dock in a swamp. But the move that won the entire arena over was performing We Rode in Trucks while coming through the stage on top of a pick-up surrounded by fire.

Click HERE to see video clip

So in a word, the concert was “epic.” It was a great time with a great crowd and lots of great songs to sing along to. Whether you know his music or not, it’s still a great opportunity to party and hear some great music. But be forewarned, he channels his inner Elvis with hip gyrations and thrusting that would make any husband/boyfriend shed multiple “side-eyes” but it’s bearable.

Luke Bryan provides a great excuse for the non-country fan to give the genre a chance. You won’t be disappointed.

-Jon J.

Imagine Music Festival

As I walked through the festival grounds, my eyes absorbing the scenery like it would vanish at any moment, the kind of scenery that makes you question reality. Walking through the doors at the Masquerade was like walking through the closet door to Narnia, Imagine Festival was two days in a world of fantasy. Imagine is the keyword, imagination was apparent based on the massive amount of people walking, running, and dancing across the spacious park that hosted the festivities. There was head-turning graphic shirts, signs all around, face paint, costumes, I saw a couple dressed as Ash and Misty, a group that came as Where’s Waldo, even a Darth Vader walked through the hot sun preaching about the force. Along with mermaids and mermen, there were moments I wasn’t sure if I was at a music festival or an anime convention. Even most of the stages have gorgeous girls dressed up as characters that could’ve easily existed in the Narnia universe. I Also ran into an impressive magician, he didn’t pull any rabbits from his hat or saw a hot assistant in half but he did pull a pigeon from an empty bag and he set fire to a wallet full of money (but the dollars didn’t burn to a crisp). He left only cards and our jaws on the ground disappearing forever like a magician should. It was a magical two days.

A music festival is nothing without good music, and the lineup they curated promised nothing but the best of tunes. The three stages were separated across the park grounds but the walk to each wasn’t far enough to be deemed exhausting. The moment you crossed from one to the next, a blast of music would hug your ears like earmuffs in the coldest winter. You never knew what to expect, a remix of your favorite song, an Atlanta classic, maybe a pulsing beat full of explosive sounds that caused your foot to tap and your arms to sway. People were dancing with a fever that hasn’t been seen since Elvis. Imagine a horde of bodies fist pumping, hula hooping, gyrating, almost any action that involves motion was being done. If the people weren’t dancing they were in long lines for the food truck, in longer lines for the port-a-potties, shopping in the many venues, or riding the mechanical shark. Yes, they had a mechanical shark that shook and spun like the wildest horse. Believe me, you were bound to see something you couldn’t believe.

One thing I didn’t believe I would ever witness is the Ying Yang Twins performing at an EDM festival in 2015. It’s been years since their distant but noteworthy radio run that had the entire city of Atlanta snapping, shaking, and whispering naughty innuendos. Most of the stages were only graced by DJ’s, the only performers I saw actually perform was Ying Yang. The group Pyramid Scheme allowed them to run a few songs during their set. They came out swinging with classics (I felt like I was transported back to 2005) and the only thing missing was Apple Bottom jeans and super long white tees.

There wasn’t a single back that wasn’t arched when “Salt Shaker”, “Whistle While You Twerk” and “Say I Yi Yi” were played and of course every guy rapped “Wait” with chest out and confidence in their voice. The duo even premiered a new song, “Thundercat,” a trap collaboration they recorded with Pyramid Scheme.

Yes, the Ying Yang Twins have crossed over into the trap music realm. The crowd responded with warmth and “Thundercat” might be the single that will spark their grand resurgence. (See our IMF video HERE)

Speaking of resurgence, I was extremely excited to see Lil Jon. He’s another artist that is well beyond his golden age but has also been able to squeeze into the EDM/Trap scene and find success. Most of the DJ’s had incredible sets, some even included instruments that gave their music even more life. Despite this, you knew that a majority was looking forward to seeing Lil Jon in all his crunk glory. As the second day became the second night, everyone piled in front of the stage waiting and waiting.

Unfortunately, Lil Jon cancelled and the spectators were all unaware. Chromeo would come out in his place, bringing the funk and good vibes, and once he started Jon drifted further and further from our minds.

It’s hard to stay disappointed when you are dancing under the moonlight. It was more about what was played than who was playing it. That’s what great about music festivals, it’s all about the music. Imagine just happens to be a place where the music collided with magic; it was a short but grand escape from reality.

Story & Photos: Yoh Phillips

On the weekend of September 26th and 27th, over 20,000 people drove, walked and even kayaked to The Park at Harlindale's Farm in Franklin, Tennessee, for the brand new Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival.

Though the skies were gloomy and rain was impending, that didn't stop fans from "making the pilgrimage" to see legendary performances.

A couple of our favorite highlights came to us from Sunday's lineup. Country singer/songwriter Chris Stapleton (below) kicked o an afternoon set at the Fender Premium Audio Gold Record Road Stage (say that three times fast) to a full and rowdy crowd. The crowd raised their drinks and went wild as soon as Chris played the first note of his hit cover of an appropriately titled George Jones song, "Tennessee Whiskey.�

In true festival fashion, two great artists had overlapping sets, which required a quick sprint across the farm in the middle of Stapleton's set to catch the last half hour of The Lone Bellow (pictured on pg. 43). While the folk-trio began to sing "Marietta" from their latest album, Then Came The Morning, the crowd was captivated. As they sang, "I let you in again, and patiently wait for your storm," the sky started to drop out at the Midnight Sun stage and it began to rain as though frontman Zach Williams had orchestrated the weather himself.

The band went on to play some of their more upbeat songs such as, "Green Eyes and a Heart of Gold" and "Cold As It Is" while the sun came back out.

Williams commanded the audience with the grace and confidence of someone who has been performing for 50 years.

Over the course of two days, the four Pilgrimage stages held over 40 incredible artists, including headlining sets by Sheryl Crow, Wilco and the epic Willie Nelson. Kevin GriďŹƒn, frontman of band Better Than Ezra and one of the creators of the festival, aimed to create a diverse lineup with artists known for putting on killer live shows and to build a festival that was still family friendly.

Children under 10 were admitted for free as long as they were with an adult attending the festival. The Hohner's Little Pilgrims Stage featured kid-friendly acts like the local 10-year-old prodigy Emi Sunshine in a fenced in patch of farmland full of sparkly streamers and hammock chairs hanging from trees. It was a magical space appealing to both children and their parents.

Overall, it's safe to say the festival was a success. Though the weather held the festival back from its desired goal attendance, there is great hope for next year and years to come.

-Lauren Brumley

SPORTS

Rickie Fowler eyes the green

2015 TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola (The 4th of 4 events in the FedExCup Playoffs) Atlanta, GA September 24-27, 2015 FedExCup Points: 2,000 Purse: $8,250,000 East Lake Golf Club Par/Yards: 35-35—70/7,307

Final Leaderboard

Jordan Spieth 68-66-68-69—271 (-9)

Henrik Stenson 63-68-72-72—275 (-5)

Danny Lee 69-72-69-65—275 (-5)

Justin Rose 70-68-71-66—275 (-5)

The TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola is the culmination of the 2014-15 PGA TOUR Season and the final event of the FedExCup Playoffs. The road to the TOUR Championship began with the top 125 players qualifying for The Barclays (won by Jason Day), followed by the top 100 players at the Deutsche Bank Championship (won by Rickie Fowler) and the top 70 players at the BMW Championship (won by Jason Day).

The top 5 on the FedExCup points list entering the week could have won the FedExCup with a win this week. Here’s a look at how they finished this week and their final FedExCup ranking: Jason Day (T10/3rd), Jordan Spieth (Won/1st), Rickie Fowler (T12/4th), Henrik Stenson (T2/2nd), Bubba Watson (T5/5th).

Jason Day hits his approach shot down the fairway

The 2015 TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola had a fantastic turnout and attendants had the time of their lives. Seeing the players in high spirits and children rushing to get autographs is the type of positive imagery that will keep the sport in high demand. Not even the gray weather and extensive rain could keep spirits down at East Lake. In my opinion, there’s no other sporting body that takes care of children the way the PGA does. From supporting the First Tee Foundation to teaming up with Southern Company and allowing free entry (up to 2 kids) per ticketed adult into the tournament. From the selfie mirror along the cart path and the performances from Yacht Rock Revue, the TOUR is truly an experience to be had.

With this recent victory, Jordan Spieth not only won the TOUR Championship but also the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Spieth entered the week No. 2 in the FedExCup standings and walked away with a four shot win in the TOUR. Spieth becomes the youngest winner of the FedExCup and of the TOUR Championship at the age of 22 years, 2 months. He’s also placed himself in the company of some pretty prestigious figures:

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Spieth notches his fifth victory of the season becoming the sixth player since 1980 to win five or more times in a season since 1980: Tom Watson (1980), Nick Price (1994), Vijay Singh (2004), Tiger Woods (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2013) and Jason Day (2014-15).

Spieth becomes the youngest player since Horton Smith (turned 21 in the middle of the season) in 1929 to win five times in a season.

Spieth claims his sixth PGA TOUR win in his 83rd PGA TOUR start at the age of 22 years, 2 months.

Spieth breaks the PGA TOUR record for most money won in a season with $12,030,465.

Vijay Singh (2004) held the previous record with $10,905,166. The difference is $1,125,299.

(To be fair, Singh achieved such a feat without the help of an $8M tournament i.e. TOUR/ FedEx Cup Playoffs)

Spieth is the first player to win the Masters and TOUR Championship in the same season.

The young Texas native had a record breaking year as noted above. With performances like this, I’m sure the golf world is excited about the next generation in the PGA. With players like Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, and Daniel Berger, the future is looking very bright (all players listed are between 22 and 27 years of age).

Henrik Stenson congratulating Jordan Spieth on his victory

Jordan Spieth with his TOUR and FedEx Cup trophies

Henrik Stenson was close to winning his 2nd TOUR Championship in 3 years and actually led the first 2 rounds. By the time the weekend came his lead was relinquished not by bad play, but by the pure offensive ferocity of Jordan Spieth.

Jason Day was an early favorite and was also in the mix until his notable triple-bogey ended his chances early on. A player you should keep an eye on, Danny Lee, ended up in a 3-way tie for 2nd place with Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose.

Here was a humble Jordan Spieth on his victory:

“This is incredible. This is an event where we approach it like a major championship because we know this is possible at the end of it. We didn’t have a great playoffs but we put a lot of hard work into this week. I was out here early Monday morning. We approached it as if it was a major, and mentally we stayed in it even when I didn’t have my best ball striking. Boy that putter sure paid off.”

Although the 2015 edition of The TOUR has come and gone, you can still live through the incredible imagery from the tournament on our FACEBOOK PAGE.

-Jon J

Photo: Hakim Wright

Georgia Tech Football It was the day Tech fans had waited 200+ days for: The start of the college football season. After ending last season with a statement win in the Orange Bowl against Mississippi State, the Yellow Jackets were looking to start the 2015 season the same way.

It was an absolutely gorgeous night at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

There was a full-house to see the Yellow Jackets take on the Braves of Alcorn State. Even with the Braves and Falcons both having games tonight, the Tech faithful filled Bobby Dodd Stadium to the brim.

In the 1st Half the Yellow Jackets totaled 77-yds passing and 294-yds rushing. They were 2-for-2 in 3rd-Down Conversions and 5-of-5 in Red-Zone Chances.

Everyone knew this was a warmup game for Georgia Tech and it definitely played out that way. To put it mildly, the Buzz had 439-yds rushing with 1:02 left in the 3rd Quarter. Their offense was running so smoothly that subs started coming in after the 1st Quarter.

The only recognizable mistake that was made by Tech came when Justin Thomas scrambled to get away from a defender and was sacked for a loss of 18-yds.

Marcus Marshall had more yards rushing (184) than the entire Alcorn St. offense (138). Georgia Tech had over 500-yds of total offense. Patrick Skov (72) and Broderick Snoddy (51) were efficient with their carries as well.

Georgia Tech finished the night with a convincing 69-6 victory over the visiting Alcorn State Braves.

Their next game is next Saturday against Tulane at 3:30pm.

-Jon J.

Photo: Hakim Wright

Georgia Tech came into the game confident after their high-scoring antics against Alcorn St. last week. A bit of a chill was in the air as the Yellow Jackets hosted Tulane, but by game time the clouds had subsided and the presence of the sun turned it into the perfect afternoon for football.

Tech’s confidence carried over from last week as they scored on their first drive and did so in 6 plays. Qua Searcy had a 13-yd rushing touchdown.

Georgia Tech’s spread option has proven difficult to defend in the past and with their weapons this year they were able to frustrate Tulane with their fluidity and quickness. Patrick Skov, Justin Thomas, and Qua Searcy all had rushing touchdowns in the 1st Half. Tulane was able to penetrate once when QB Tanner Lee found Devon Breaux for a 44-yd touchdown to make the game 28-7 by halftime.

The 3rd Quarter saw a monster rushing touchdown run by Clinton Lynch and a defensive touchdown when they forced a Safety out of Tulane to make the score 37-7.

Micheal Summers nabbed a 30-yd reception for a touchdown late in the 3rd Quarter. That pass was the last hurrah for QB Justin Thomas and Coach Johnson pulled him for the game (most likely avoid injury). Backup redshirt Freshman Matthew Jordan commanded the offense from there and didn’t miss a beat from Thomas’ proficiency at the helm.

On his second offensive drive ,Jordan found WR TaQuon Marshall in the end-zone for a 35-yd touchdown. All the 2nd stringers were getting time today as the score was a brutal 51-7 at the beginning of the 4th Quarter.

The highlight of the 4th Quarter was a 65-yd rushing touchdown by Matthew Jordan that put the game heavily out of reach, 65-10.

To sum up Georgia Tech so far this season: Speed, Option, 19 TD’s, and 134 points. Did I mention those stats account for the first 2 games played? The real test will come next week as the Yellow Jackets, understandably overflowing with confidence, will travel to South Bend with their Spread Option to try and upset Notre Dame.

-Jon J.

Photo: X

Georgia Football Like Georgia Tech, the University of Georgia had a warm-up game of their own against an HBCU (Historically Black College or University). Their opponent would be the Jaguars of Southern University. In games such as these, it's really just a good excuse for the fans to come out and congregate whilst supporting the home team (since a win is inevitable).

Georgia’s Nick Chubb ran for 131-yds and 2 TD’s to help his Heisman run this season. He was an early favorite on the Heisman watch list and a later TD on a reception just added to his favor.

Georgia Quarterback Greyson Lambert had an efficient game completing 9 for 10 passes for 146yds and 2 TD’s. Brice Ramsey racked up similar numbers going 11 of 14 for 125-yds.

As a whole, Georgia rushed for 261-yds and 4 TD’s.

Chubb had 2 and Sony Michel accounted for the latter. Other Running Backs including Brendan Douglas and Keith Marshall got in on the action totaling 66-yds between the two of them. The dogs’ offense was flowing so smoothly that 11 different players registered receptions.

The bulk of this offensive onslaught came in the 1st and 3rd Quarters, Neither team scored in the 4th.

Justice came for Southern in the 2nd Quarter when Southern’s Lenard Tillery was able to hush Sanford Stadium for the moment with a rushing TD that would account for the Jaguar’s only points. Tillery totaled 75-yds on the ground on 19 attempts. Willie Quinn was a force on Kick Returns racking up 82yds on 4 Returns, but that’s where it ended for the Jaguars.

The Chubb-led Bulldogs overcame the Souther Jaguars 48-6 on a rainy, dreary day in Athens.

Games like this will be remembered by the Southern players as their first (and for most players their only) taste of Division I glory. The only consolation for Southern? They without a doubt, won the halftime show.

-Jon J.

Photo: X

l e v a r T I recently attended the first annual Beauty Blogger Awards in London, England.

The event was in conjunction with Olympia Beauty which is a beauty exhibit similar to IMATS and The Makeup Show. An awards ceremony was held on the first day of this two day event celebrating upcoming beauty bloggers. Hosted by UK’s rising star, Laura Jackson, the awards greeted you with a gift bag full of small samples.

NYX, being one of the key sponsors, included a powder black liner and jumbo eye pencil as part of their gifts. I also received a purifying clay masque and triple microdermabrasion face polish from Exuviance.

This brand was new to me and after using my samples I fell in love with the way my skin felt. Exuviance is an exfoliating line that also treats the skin. The microdermabrasion polish was my favorite of the two. It wasn't harsh on my skin and didn't leave my skin feeling dry after I used it. Other than the great gift bags we received upon our arrival, the best part of the Beauty Blogger Awards were the workshops. Several industry leading professionals spoke on their experiences in the beauty blogging world. They covered all aspects of beauty including speakers touching on skincare, nails, and even styling tips.

My favorite segment was the “How to find your niche in blogging” led by Julie Cardozo Marsh. This was so appropriate for many of us who are trying to find out where we “fit in” surrounded by so many other beauty bloggers.

She explained that you needed to be organized and commit to the direction you want your career to go.

Jumping around will confuse your readers and you risk not having committed readers. Find what you're best at and perfect it.

All of the speakers were amazing and next year I plan to attend Olympia Beauty to pick up some new products.

For anyone interested in perfecting their craft and learning new tips, this is a wonderful event to attend. The best thing is the tickets are absolutely free! The more popular this gets I'm sure that will change so please check this out as soon as possible. Lots of great information at no cost is something you can't pass up. To keep up with upcoming events follow their Instagram page @bbloggerawards.

-Keisha Campbell

Sources: www.neostrata.cim ; www.churchgate.bigapp.com ; www.scratchmagazine.co.uk ; www.beautybloggerawards.com

Editor-in-Chief Jon Jones

Editor KJ

Beauty Contributor Keisha Campbell

Videography Malcolm “X” Lewis

Music Contributions Lauren Brumley YoAngie! Caquias KJ

Art/Graphics Bob Jeffreys

Sports Esli Lara Mike Brown Jon Jones

Fashion Team Joy Larkins Keisha Campbell

We hope you enjoyed our Summer 2015 Issue, No. 14 of The Peach Review®. If you’d like to see more content (pictures/videos) or keep up-to-date on events around ATL you can:

Photography Hakim Wright Malcolm “X” Lewis Yoh Phillips Anna Lira Jonathan Davis Kent Foster Event Contributions Khaleah Evelyn Andrea Abril Erica “EDB” Bizzell Consultant Desmond McLennon Video Games Titus “TBZ” Rowell Alana Clarke

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