downtown augusta
Play Through Downtown first friday expands for april
Met on The Front Porch quietly making a difference downtown
The Slusky Building downtown’s testament of faith
april 2008
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contents 15
Play Through Downtown
17
Gregory Glover gives Augusta a First Take
20
Something to Look Forward To
First Friday plays through the week with added festivities and golf-themed games
new independent film festival comes to the Imperial Theatre
an intimate exhibit of abstract art by Americans of African descent at the Morris Museum of Art
29
gallery: Kent Ambler’s Life in Relief soundcheck: Christabel and the Jons onstage: Southern Fried Chicks Comedy Tour offstage: Tour de Georgia
33
past times: The Slusky Building The Slusky Building stands as a testament to the faith of generations of Augusta businessmen
experience more 5 7 9 9 11 13 19 23 24 25 30 31 34 35 36
volume one issue two
smatterings quick clips discover downtown downtown news he saw / she saw front porch artscene & movies at main good chow in the music pipeline: get plugged in to call from tree to tree printed matter marketing for the people more to see & do augusta music 101
on the cover: downtown as i see it .02 ‘round midnight at the clock original art by Margaret Ann Smith
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smatterings / notes from the publisher Thank you Augusta! publisher Matt Plocha editor Lara Plocha pipeline editors Claire Riche & Jason Barron web guy Andy Donnan ad graphics guy John Cannon Editorial content of verge is the opinion of each contributing writer and is not necessarily the opinion of verge, its staff or its advertisers. Reproduction in whole or in part without written persmission is prohibited.
copyright 2008, verge all rights reserved verge is a free monthly publication
verge is printed on 50% recycled stock. It may be recycled further, please do your part.
The immediate positive response to our first issue of verge amazed me. We are grateful for the many people who have expressed their enthusiasm for verge and its mission. As we move forward into April, Augusta has definitely stepped up to the call – re-building our great downtown community street by street, business by business and event by event. As you read on, we want you to see that downtown Augusta is a bustling epicenter of excitement every month. Choices abound: clubs to check out, live performances to experience, volunteer opportunities to get involved with, restaurants to enjoy, retail stores to shop at and people to meet. There are CD release parties, acoustic sets to hear, throw back dance parties to attend, new recipes to try out and a plethora of events to attend this month (check out pipeline).
Downtown is a desirable place to live, work and play. We’re also providing you the opportunities to come, see and do as well. CADI teams are busy cleaning the streets, Saturday Market kicks off mid-April, new real estate projects are breaking ground as existing projects continue to move forward. This is an exciting time to be involved with downtown, reach out into your community and look for these opportunities. You will be amazed. In this month’s verge, you will begin to meet the people behind the scenes. These are our heroes, quietly working hard to make downtown a better place for us and our families. Whether they assist people in finding events or places, help in cleaning up the clutter, provide us with volunteer opportunities or fulfill a dream of being an independent business owner, they are some of the most dynamic people you can want to
meet. We are introducing you to just a few of them this month and will continue to do so in coming months. If you see them at an event downtown, eating at a restaurant or at your church, go up and greet them and you will see first hand the dynamic makeup of this community. We all have a challenge ahead of us and that challenge is to become more involved, whether that’s trying to “go greener” or start a business or simply support the local economy, the challenge can be met and overcome by involvement. As you begin to meet these folks see how you can get involved and help out. The benefits are far greater than the costs. We’ll see you downtown!
free stuff / sample downtown register to win free cool stuff from downtown merchants ❏ enter to win a haba bag of toys
contact us 706.951.0579 publisher@vergelive.com
babyblue of blue magnolia specializes in inventive playthings for imaginative kids. This tote full of German-made Haba toys is designed to stimulate your baby’s development.. (value: $125)
advertising publisher@vergelive.com
Vintage 965 offers your choice of color in their most popular handbag – the vegan leather Bethany drawstring handbag can be scrunched or left undone for two different looks. (value: $40)
got a story tip? editor@vergelive.com free event listings pipeline@vergelive.com letters to the editor editor@vergelive.com mail 1124 Broad Street Augusta GA 30901 submit your ideas editor@vergelive.com www.vergelive.com
Matt
❏ win a vintage 965 vegan handbag
❏ enter to win coffee and biscotti for two
Sweet Lou’s brings you a sweet date for two: two Jamaican Blue Mountain coffees and biscotti in an atmosphere designed to bring you a smile. (value: $12.50)
❏ caberet du redneck tickets for two
enter to win two tickets to the opening night of Sordid Lives at Le Chat Noir (April 11). Includes the opening night Caberet Du Redneck: an intimate setting for two including white trash vittles, bucket of beer or bottle of wine, and caberet style seating. (value: $75)
name: address:
email: phone: enter to win – three ways – registration ends march 21, 2008 via email: editor@vergelive.com • via mail or in person: 1124 broad street 30901
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quick clips more than just baseball If you missed the press conference a few weeks ago, see the Downtown Baseball Exploratory Committee’s feasibility study at www.bringbaseballdowntown.com. The proposed facility is purposefully designed for more than simply baseball: it could serve as a multi-use entertainment venue for outdoor concerts, food festivals, job fairs, weddings, Border Bash, garden shows and much more.
anniversaries abound Congratulations to Cloud Nine Natural (1036 Broad), celebrating its 6th anniversary in downtown! Elduets Treasures of the World reaches the two year mark on April 1, at their Broad Street location (1127).
le chat noir adds opening night cabaret Due to the overwhelming response to Le Chat Noir’s Cupid’s Cabaret on the Valentine’s Day performance of The Goat, they will be adding a cabaret style event to each opening night. April brings Cabaret Du Redneck on the opening night of Sordid Lives (April 11). This evening of side splitting white trash humor, “hors-dovers,” wine or beer buckets can be yours for just $75 per couple. Bar is open at 7 pm, vittles at 7:30 pm, and show at 8 pm.
we all scream for ice cream Be on the lookout later this month for ice cream downtown. Our street sources say that a traveling ice cream cart will soon be parked daily by the Clock in the 900 block of broad. Just in time for summer with ice cream, ice pops & frozen dog treats!
two broads on broad bring an element of fun & intrigue Two new neighboring shops are currently under renovations as the self-proclaimed “Two Broads on Broad” get ready to open their doors. Michele Hattman (formerly of FatMan’s) will open a costume rental store named Costumes by Michele (1125 Broad). Caren Dorn Bricker will be next door, opening a vintage clothing store – Vintage Ooollee (1121 Broad). These two wonderfully creative “broads” are a welcome addition to the fabric of Broad Street. Be prepared for the 1100 block to start stepping out in style. [grand opening details coming soon]
Reynolds). All vehicles on 7th Street and 5th Street between Broad and Reynolds must also be removed by 1:00 pm. The race caravan is expected in downtown Augusta between 2:50 pm and 3:30 pm. Once the caravan enters town, only race traffic will be allowed on the circuit until the finish of the stage. Cross street traffic will be controlled by local law enforcement. The race is estimated to finish around 4 PM.
be part of Augusta’s comprehensive plan The City is updating its comprehensive plan over the next several months. Georgia requires the city government to actively pursue community input and involvement. Here’s your opportunity to be part of positive change for downtown and all of Augusta. Engage and participate in the community forums and feedback opportunities. For more information, visit: www.augustaga.gov/departments/planning_zoning
bike race closes north Broad Street on April 22 On April 22 Augusta will host a stage-finish for the Tour de Georgia. In order to provide a safe venue for the world-class bicycle race, some roads in downtown Augusta will need to be cleared of all parked cars and moving traffic. For the safety of the race caravan, there will be no parking, and all vehicles must be moved from the north side of Broad Street from 13th Street to 7th Street by 1:00 pm (that’s the side closest to
book tavern celebrates 40 years of the booker prize The Booker Prize is awarded for the best novel written in English by a citizen of the United Kingdom (their version of the Pulitzer). 2008 marks forty years of the Booker Prize and the Book Tavern celebrates throughout the month with a special offer designed to expand your horizons: order any Booker Prize winner and receive half off any used book of equal or lesser value. For a complete list of Booker Prize winners, visit www.themanbookerprize.com.
your ring tone can make a difference If you’re standing by me when my cell phone rings, you’ll probably hear the rumble-growl of the American alligator or the haunting music of the humpback whale. I discovered www. rareearthtones.org, where you can download over seventy endangered species ringtones for free. Offered by
the Center for Biological Diversity, these ringtones provide a great starting point for talking about the plight of threatened species worldwide.
strap on the dancing shoes and lend a helping hand Broad Street’s newest upscale private event facility, The City Club (724 Broad), is hosting monthly dance parties to coincide with downtown First Friday festivities. First Friday Dances for Charity features the dynamic rhythm and blues of Perfect Picture from 7 to 11 pm, and benefits a different local charity each month by providing a forum to raise awareness about their mission. The $5 door fee is fully donated back to the non-profit each month. The April 4 Dance will benefit the Rape Crisis Center, and will be the kickoff event for April’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The Rape Crisis Center provides support and information to victims of rape and child sexual abuse and their families, and provides community education and sexual assault prevention programs for all ages.
bags that give back blue magnolia begins a new women’s charity initiative: Bags That Give Back. The first event on Thursday, April 24, benefits the American Cancer Society. April features a girls night out complete with a Baggallini trunk show, new jewelry designs by Emma Margaret, treats from Casa Blanca, drawings for free stuff and more [7 pm to 9 pm]. Five dollars of every bag sold or ordered will be “given back” to the ACS. (1124 Broad) got news? editor@vergelive.com
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1293 1/2 broad street 706.922.1699 design by: ready!® ryandavisdesigns@gmail.com /// http://www.myspace.com/readyr
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discover downtown shop
dine
play
live
Konscious
Silla Café
Pyramid Music & Video
evoke
859 ½ Broad Street
855 Broad Street
822 Broad Street
206 Eighth Street
Konscious provides alternative answers to life’s daily needs. The store’s products focus on the natural equivalent to many highly industrialized products. The shop’s owner, Mecca Smith, will greet you with a warm smile while you browse her unique and large collection of purses, t-shirts, fragrances, soaps, necklaces, statues, paintings, and other fine gifts (many of which were made by Mecca herself). If you are looking for casual, unusual, or home-made high-quality gifts, Konscious at 859 ½ Broad Street will most likely have it. Hours: 10 am7 pm Monday to Friday; 11 am to 3 pm Saturday and Sunday.
If you are having a hard time deciding where to eat for lunch during the day, there is a tasty teriyaki restaurant at 855 Broad Street. Silla Café has been open since 1994 and is known for their chicken teriyaki meal, although they also serve beef and pork. In addition, they have a light salad bar and side dishes ranging from fried rice to spring rolls. Blending Southern and Japanese cuisine, Silla has a reputation for great food at even better prices. Grab a plate and enjoy at one of their outdoor dining tables. Owner Tae Mitcher wants you to come and eat anytime Monday through Friday between 8 am to 4:30 pm.
Conveniently located at 822 Broad Street, Pyramid Music & Video has been satisfying downtown Augusta’s entertainment needs for over thirty years. Pyramid is stocked with a wide array of CDs, DVDs, and records that caters to almost any genre of music you could desire. Floor length shelves and racks, painted in lively colours, are filled with hundreds of the newest and most popular albums, giving an agreeable contrast to the countless photographs of singers and famous musicians that line every inch of wall space. The proprietress, Noura Gordon, keeps it open: Monday through Saturday from 11 am to 6 pm.
Lydia Guisto, owner of evoke, specializes in structural integration and massage therapy. Her workspace, at 206 Eighth Street, is clean and orderly in a fashion that is perfect for relaxing and clearing the mind. Structural integration involves “changing the way your body relates towards gravity,” as Lydia puts it. It’s all about adjusting the most highly stressed parts of your body in massage sessions and teaching exercises to apply in daily life which can eliminate pain, increase blood flow, and ease labored breathing. Sessions are by appointment only, and Lydia can be reached at 706-627-7979.
photography and stories by Andrew Mullis
new downtown gateway signs coming in april Soon you will know you have arrived in Downtown Augusta and the City of Augusta with welcome signs and beautified corridors. The Augusta Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB) has been working on Wayfinding Plan for Augusta for almost two years. Wayfinding is a comprehensive signage program for the entire City of Augusta. Wayfinding plan elements include replacing various existing vehicular signage located around town, adding signs for public parking, pedestrian directional signage, information kiosks and establish city entrance gateways. This new sign system will improve navigation for visitors and residents and will aesthetically improve the look of downtown. In April, 44 signs will be installed marking the City of Augusta gateways and Downtown Augusta gateways. Banners will go up on bridges at 13th Street, and Walton Way marking the arrival into Downtown, and on Gordon Highway and 5th Street marking the arrival into the heart of Augusta.
Additionally, the ACVB is placing two examples of pedestrian signage in the Downtown Development Authority’s (DDA) planned streetscaping demonstration block at 10th and Broad Streets. The example of a pedestrian information kiosk will be one of several strategically placed downtown to provide directions, and information about area attractions, parking and points of interest. Funding for the Downtown Gateways and Vehicular Directional signs leading to Downtown were funded by the DDA. Funding for the City of Augusta Gateways and corridors are being funded by the City of Augusta. This is the first phase of implementation with a total of three phases needed to complete the plan. This highly visible project will give all visitors a sense of arrival, a sense of place and foster community pride. by Jennifer Bowen, ACVB
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he saw / she saw emily and joe: looking at downtown through different lenses she saw: I have lived in a loft in Downtown Augusta for the past two and a half years. I love it here and fortunately for me, my fiancé does too! Since we like the area so much, it makes sense that when we decided to open an office for our music management and event promotion company, Gluestick, we would do so in Downtown Augusta. Since we have a home and an office within walking distance of one another, Joe and I spend some serious time around Broad Street. We may not see it exactly the same, but we’re here – a lot! Just the other day we were walking our dogs past Vintage 965 where I about walked into the window checking out the adorable, pale green summer dress with the cutest brown and green polka dot luggage. What a perfect outfit to wear onto a plane for your honeymoon after a summer wedding! he saw: I did notice that there were clothes in the window, but what caught my eye was the actual building. It is a classic Downtown Augusta three story building that has a balcony on the second floor and a great retail space downstairs that is operated by the owners Ben and Claire Riche. The two upper floors are a great living space. I’m always glad to see buildings that were vacant for so long become a vibrant part of downtown. she saw: As the dogs pull and tug on their leashes, crossing paths so we have to do a little untangling dance, I glance across the street to Nacho Mamas and promptly announce that’s where we should eat lunch. Of course, I’ll get the same simple nachos with chicken (salsa on the side) that I always get. Other than the yummy eats, the best thing about Nachos is the table in the window where we can watch everyone else on the streets. he saw: I always order the same thing as well – but I get the Copan. I usually end up finishing Emily’s since there’s more than one person can typically eat on a plate. I also enjoy the window seat, but Nacho Mama’s décor is made up of classic Beatle and R.E.M. posters. If you are into local music, one of Augusta’s most talented singers, Shaun Piazza, moonlights there as a manager. she saw: We make our way back down to our block were we see Joe’s Underground (I’ve recently learned they don’t actually serve burgers but they do have sandwiches & hot dogs!) Joe plays here about twice a month and I love watching the people in the crowd enjoying him on stage almost as much as I love looking at him up there myself. he saw: It sounds crazy, but I’ve been playing at
about the couple: Joe Stevenson & Emily Carder are co-owners of Gluestick and live downtown. When they aren’t managing bands and promoting events, they’re planning their summer wedding.
Joe’s Underground (corner of 8th and Broad St.) for about 18 years! That makes me sound old I know, I’m only 35. This might be the oldest bar in Downtown Augusta. It’s a very cool place with great owners and staff. If there was ever a neighborhood, Cheer’s type bar, this is it. It’s dark, smoky and literally underground and has been by far my favorite place to play in Augusta because regardless of the size of the crowd, people there just seem happy to hear some music. she saw: We then drop the dogs off at the apartment where they rush out onto the balcony and whine at us as we head down to the office to drop our things off before popping into Rock Bottom Music. Joe’s oldest son, Louis, is saving up for a Les Paul guitar that he wants to show me. We go in, I see guitars – lots of them. And as much as I love music, I have to admit that the only difference I can really see is that some are acoustic, some are electric and some are bass guitars. We hang out at Rock Bottom for a bit as Joe talks to me about some of the guitars but mostly, I’m just wondering if Vintage 965 has that dress in my size. he saw: It’s great that the owner of Rock Bottom Music, Jonathan Karow has brought a music store back to downtown. Back in the day when Jonathan and I were both starting out in bands, the only two music stores in Augusta were downtown. With the growing music scene and the best live music venues located within a few blocks, it was a smart move to locate on the corner of 8th and Broad St. There’s a great selection of guitars that my son Louis has been drooling over for the past few months. He’s working hard to save money and buy his first dream guitar. Hopefully he’ll have it by the fall.
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front porch / rick wiggins CADI manager gets to know downtown block by block
Downtown Augusta’s newest neighbor carries a broom and rides a segway. Rick Wiggins is the program manager for the Clean Augusta Downtown Initiative (CADI). While a member of the community since 1999, he is relatively unknown to downtown, inspiring us to make an introduction. Mr. Wiggins undertakes the task of cleaning up downtown in hopes of drawing in new business while making the streets safer and cleaner for consumers to traverse. With twenty years experience as an Army drill instructor, Mr. Wiggins brings a strong sense of organization and dedication to this post. A family man who describes himself simply as a husband, father, and grandfather, Mr. Wiggins shows true excitement about the cleanup project and its potential impact on downtown. During CADI’s inaugural phase, Mr. Wiggins says a cleaner and safer downtown district is his ultimate objective. Downtown Augusta can look forward to regular pressure washing of the sidewalks and crews of pan and broom walkers cleaning up the streets. He believes deterrence will be the result of the example and hard work of his clean and safe ambassadors. Mr. Wiggins visibly warms to discussing his crew members. The Cleaning Ambassadors will run the equipment beautifying the area. These same crews are the pan and broom handlers working to revitalize the walking paths. The Safety Ambassadors can already be seen riding through downtown on segways offering directions, assistance, and protection to the citizens of the community and those who come downtown to shop and relax. CADI plans to add bike patrols canvassing the streets and providing doorto-car safe conduct for business owners opening or closing shops. Though CADI is still a relatively fresh initiative, Mr. Wiggins is already tracking the work undertaken thus far with statistical data and diagrams. CADI covers the district from Sixth to Thirteenth Street; from Greene Street to the Riverwalk. In the first week, CADI has already completed an initial clean sweep of about half the area, and Mr. Wiggins expects the rest to be finished over the next few weeks. The initial block by block concentration will pave the way for easier maintenance in coming months. Turning our conversation to the future, Mr. Wiggins explains his long-term goal is to see the program expand. While the initial area is large, it is only a portion of downtown. He foresees a day when all of downtown can be beautified and safe for commerce and residence. He also plans to extend the hours of coverage by his crew and hopes to have them on duty throughout the day and evening for the protection and care of the people downtown. Furthermore, he states that making the city more attractive to merchants and consumers is a powerful inspiration for economic development, and hopes to add Augusta to the list of the most clean and welcoming cities in the state. By applying his organizational and discipline training to CADI, Mr. Wiggins seeks a smooth running environment for business and recreation downtown. He notes that the overall goal of CADI is to please his clientele, the merchants and consumers of downtown Augusta. The initiative is off to a fast start and Mr. Wiggins seems genuinely enthusiastic about the possibilities CADI holds for downtown. by J. Edward Sumerau photo by Brooke Southerland
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play through downtown friday to friday April’s First Friday Expands to a Weeklong Celebration Front Nine: April 4 • Back Nine: April 11 April’s First Friday swings into play with a weeklong celebration of downtown Augusta’s arts and culture. Beginning on April 4th with the Front Nine First Friday, the festivities continue through the following Back Nine Friday, April 11th, with golf-themed downtown events. In a collaboration with Downtown Augusta Alliance (DA²), the Greater Augusta Arts Council expanded April’s First Friday celebration to dispel the concept that Augusta closes down during Masters week. The goal is to entice Masters visitors and encourage residents to experience downtown Augusta. Come Play Through Downtown as both Fridays feature sidewalk entertainment, live performances and feature the galleries, shops and restaurants in the downtown district. Mark Ross of Putt Putt Fun Center will be providing a free mini putt-putt course for the kids. Club Car will also display a variety of golf cars down Broad Street. The Play Through Downtown Game David Hutchison of Book Tavern and Claire Riche of Vintage 965 devised and designed the Play Through Downtown game! A combination of a golf game and scavenger hunt, Play Through Downtown consists of going to eighteen “holes” or locations throughout the downtown district. Contestants will get their scorecard “punched” upon completion of each hole’s task (see complete scorecard below). Scorecards will be available for pickup at all participating downtown businesses or the First Friday HQ Tent at the corner of 10th And Broad Streets. The game runs through the following Friday, April 11. Completed scorecards can be returned to any of the participating businesses. Winners will be announced at 2:00 pm at the Play Through Downtown Jacketing, Sunday, April 13th at New Moon Café. Come in for brunch, stay to watch the golf tournament on the “Big Screen” and don’t miss your chance to win one of the four large gift baskets full of prizes from the participating businesses. Contestants must be present to win! For more details call 706.826.4702 or visit www.augustaarts.com.
a quick glance at first friday Play Through Downtown Game Pick up your scorecard at any participating hole or the First Friday HQ tent on 10th & Broad! FIRST FRIDAY: THE FRONT NINE APRIL 4 • 5 PM TO 10 PM live stage on tenth & broad 6:00 pm Livingroom Legends 7:30 pm The Vellotones 9:00 pm The Dew Hickies artistic perceptions • 551 broad Benefit art show & sale for the Southeastern Firefighters’ Burn Foundation. the well • 716 broad Experience The Way of the Cross, a community art walk celebrating the Passion of Christ on temporary exhibit. From 6 to 8:30 pm vintage 965 • 965 broad Celebrate Masters Week with Tee Time: all of our Tea Forte is 10% off. Vote for your favorite bag and enter to win it! book tavern • 1026 broad Buy any golf-related book and receive 50% off a book of equal or lesser value. blue magnolia • 1124 broad Family fun abounds with bubbles & sidewalk chalk on the street, yummy treats & chocolate! Specials on kids toys & drawings. FIRST FRIDAY: THE FRONT NINE APRIL 11 • 5 PM TO 10 PM live stage on tenth & broad 6:00 pm Jubba 7:30 pm Delta Nine 9:00 pm Electric Voodoo Blues vintage 965 • 965 broad Celebrate Masters Week with Tee Time: all of our Tea Forte is 10% off. Vote for your favorite bag and enter to win it! book tavern • 1026 broad Buy any golf-related book and receive 50% off a book of equal or lesser value. blue magnolia • 1124 broad Play par for the course (golf trivia) and win. It’s the back nine holes with nine prizes! Italian chocolate martinis and Vosges haut-chocolat samplings.
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first take film festival April 8 to 12 • Imperial Theatre tickets: $5 per day Jennifer Weiksner’s eyes shine as she describes the events that brought the First Take Film Festival to her doorstep at the Alison Group. A vision of Hepzibah native Gregory Glover, the festival brings independent film back to the heart of downtown Augusta. “Mr. Glover spent twelve years between New York and California working in the film industry and grew more and more frustrated with mainstream Hollywood,” Jennifer explains. “He came up with First Take to give non-traditional filmmakers a venue. He chose Augusta because he has a passion for Augusta.” Using his contacts on the East and West coast, Mr. Glover envisions giving cutting edge independent filmmakers a voice in an area that has limited exposure to such film. He specifically chose the first full week of April so the festival would coincide with The Masters Golf Tournament and its influx of notable visitors. The festival’s screening schedule is designed to accommodate tournament attendees, with the desire to entice them downtown. This year’s inaugural festival had about ninety submissions and judging will occur during the festival screenings. The schedule is in a bit of flux as films and events continue to be added. Plans are to screen around forty films, from shorts to full feature length. Jennifer sees this year as a test run, setting the stage for future growth. Mr. Glover envisions the festival taking flight, expanding into multiple venues, garnering industry attention and attracting more visitors to the Augusta area. For now, let’s enjoy the mere pleasure of independent film returning to downtown Augusta.
films we plan to check out split: a divided america wednesday april 9 • 8:30 pm Tucker Carlson crosses the country in this narrative documentary exploring the reasons – sane or otherwise – why the red/blue political divide in America persists today. Part road flick, part political investigation, Split is designed to shock and startle, while slipping in laughs along the way.
voor een paar knikkers meer thursday april 10 • 6 pm A beautiful portrayal of vengeance from a child’s perspective, knikkers Netherlands director Jelmar Hufen captures the innocence of childhood in an unlikely construct. Four ten-year-olds are kicked out of their favorite playground by two aggressive drunkards. When they realize their parents are not going to help them, there’s only one solution: find a way to get the toughest boy in the neighborhood to help them. A mere eleven minutes too short, this may be the only film suitable for the whole family.
camille friday april 11 • 8:30 pm Director Gregory Mackenzie’s first feature length film stars Sienna Miller (Factory Girl), James Franco (Spiderman) and David Carradine (Kill Bill). Camille tells the twisted and oft bizarre story of a young couple on their way to Niagara Falls, ostensibly to honeymoon. Silas Parker (Franco) is a moody petty-thief. He marries his parole officer’s niece, believing that he can use the romantic honeymoon to escape to Canada. Camille (Miller) is the sweetest girl you can ever hope to meet. She truly believes that Niagara Falls will change Silas for the better and won’t let anything stop the honeymoon, not even her death.
tuesday 4.08
wednesday 4.09
thursday 4.10
friday 4.11
saturday 4.12
KeAnthony: A Hustlaz Story 25m, USA
Half A Bee 60m, USA
King in Chicago 77m, USA
Hope 45m, USA Flowers of Rwanda 24m, SPA
Jacosta 53m, USA
I Love You Mommy 4 m USA Manhattan Crack’r 107m USA
Vaccine Nation 140m, USA
Surviving 15m, USA Trip 54m, USA The Monongah Heroine, 25m USA
WhiteMale, BlackMale 9m, USA Tribute This! 91m, UK
Road to Victory 100m USA/CAN I Heard the Mermaids Singing 25m, USA
2:00 pm
Moving Mountains 45m USA, UK One Last Dream of America USA
The Miracle 29m, USA A Rendevous 10m, USA
Slaying Goliath 75m, USA
4:00 pm
Chapter 1, 13m USA Why Am I Alone? 56m, USA
Air 100 m, USA Reticence 14m, USA
6:00 pm
Surviving 15m, USA Grilling Bobby Hicks 98m, USA
8:30 pm
Lost Along the Way, 100m, USA
9:30 am 11:00 am
10:30 pm
Surviving 15m, USA KeAnthony: A Hustlaz Story 25m, USA
Contaminated Forever 105m, USA
D.O.P.E 60m, USA Twilight of Youth 28m, USA
Home Education 45m, USA
Park 50m, UK
edump 21m, USA The Offering, 10m CAN Last Flight Home 67m, USA
knikkers, 11m Neth. The Life Penalty 74m, USA
Road to Victory 100m USA/CAN
split: a divided America, 78m, USA
Popo 10m, NETH split: a divided America, 78m, USA
The Fall ’01 45m, USA Running with The Boys 24m, AUS
Camille USA
Q&A with Tomas Fernandez-Calvo Surviving 15m, USA
Live Concert: Happy Bones
Live Concert: Bayou Bleu
sunday 4.13 Roses of April 300m, USA
Awards/Closing Party
Live Concert: Electric Voodoo Blues Review
Schedule, run times and showings are subject to change. Please check www.firsttakefilmfestival.com daily for an up to date schedule of events.
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movies at main: april Augusta Headquarters Library • 902 Greene Street 6:30 pm • mondays • free 7 April: No Country For Old Men 2007 • rated R • 122 minutes Best Picture of 2008
21 April: Sweeney Todd 2007 • R • 117 minutes Best Art Direction of 2008
directed by Joel and Ethan Coen starring Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem & Josh Brolin based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy
directed by Tim Burton starring Johnny Depp & Helena Bonham Carter based on the musical by Stephen Sondheim
A book leaps from print into life in No Country For Old Men. Lifting text and narrative directly from the novel, the Coen brothers create a work true to the story yet uniquely their own. They delved into the macabre with the black comedy Fargo. They mastered period and drama in Miller’s Crossing. No Country is their masterpiece. Visually compelling and meticulously paced, the story draws you through the blackest postmodern heart. Framed by a sheriff whose spiritual depth brings brokenness to darkened hearts, this movie receives my highest commendation. [David Hutchison] 14 April: Atonement 2007 • R • 123 minutes Best Original Score of 2008 directed by Joe Wright starring Keira Knightley & James McAvoy based on the novel by Ian McEwan Fledgling writer Briony Tallis, as a 13-year-old, irrevocably changes the course of several lives when she accuses her older sister’s lover of a crime he did not commit.
Stephen Sondheim’s award-winning thriller comes to life on the big screen under the skilled direction of Tim Burton. The infamous story of Benjamin Barker (aka Sweeny Todd) who seeks vengeance and joins forces with his amorous accomplice Mrs. Lovett in this delightfully macabre musical. Shave and a meat pie, anyone? [Jason Sumerau] 28 April: Juno 2007 • PG13 • 92 minutes Best Original Screenplay of 2008 directed by Jason Reitman starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner & Jason Bateman original screenplay by Diablo Cody “It all started with a chair.” From the get-go, Jason Reitman’s offbeat comedy pulls you into the quirky, bittersweet and raw story of Juno MacGuff. Upon becoming pregnant by her close friend, Paulie Bleeker, Juno searches for the perfect home for her unborn and ultimate happiness. Complete with a gamete of vibrant characters, a subtly charming soundtrack and witty dialogue, Juno is sure to send its viewers on a wonderful emotional rollercoaster. [Ashley Plocha]
artscene / gabi hutchison Collage techniques first appeared in China around 200 BCE. 1500 years later, medieval Europeans developed it into a formal art. Today, collage connotes craft and scrap-booking to the general public, but this untitled piece sets visceral reactions aside. Beyond the evocative image of a young girl praying as a plane crashes, the composition draws the viewer inward. The earth-tone palette soothes the eye and allows one to contemplate the piece’s uncomplicated elegance. Experience more of the artist’s work at The Book Tavern through April.
Untitled, Gabi Hutchison, 2007, Collage/Mixed Media
20 / april / verge
gallery
soundcheck
Life in Relief: Woodcut Prints by Kent Ambler Gertrude Institute of Art • April 18 to May 23 Of all the galleries, coffee shops, bars, or alleyways that have showcased great art in Augusta, one gallery remains a staple in every art lover’s mind: The Gertrude Institute of Art on Telfair Street. The Gertrude is Augusta’s only independent non-profit visual art school and gallery that has offered a variety of art classes, legendary juried shows and successful fundraising events for the past 70 years. It’s basically the best place to see local and regional artists in the CSRA. The gallery is currently preparing for their upcoming annual juried show titled, A Sense of Place, which brought in over 1200 submissions last year. Just getting in the show is a huge accomplishment, since only 50-70 artworks are chosen. It’s natural for this juried show to be the most talked about event at the Gertrude, but also important to emphasize the outstanding art the institute exhibits year-round. In mid April, Kent Ambler, from Seneca, South Carolina, will be showing a series of woodcut prints at the Gertrude. Though time hasn’t afforded me the pleasure to see them up close, I have browsed through a collection of images of what to expect. And I have to admit, even the digitally rendered replications of Ambler’s pieces have me immediately drawn to his work. His subject matter is a simple depiction of his surroundings, usually scenes of birds, animals, people or vacant streetscapes. But his execution of a traditional technique of woodblock relief painting results in a subtle ambience of mood. His birds are whimsical, his portraits are strong, and his empty towns evoke melancholy. The strong contrast of black ink with the precise layering of other colors is not only aesthetically pleasing but creates a strong composition. Anyone familiar with the peaceful onset of spring in the south should easily be absorbed into Ambler’s representation of natural scenes. The exhibit’s opening reception and gallery talk is Friday, April 18 from 6 to 8 pm. The Gertrude Institute of Art: 506 Telfair Street | ghia.org. by Katie McGuire
Christabel and the Jons Stillwater Taproom • April 11 Straight from the hills of Appalachia comes the sultry swing of Christabel and the Jons that blends familiar standards with modern vintage-sounding originals. Their distinctive sound combines southern blues, swing, old jazz and gypsy folk, delivered with an expressive singer-songwriter’s soul. Lead singer Christa DeCicco’s laid back, sultry stage voice entrances audiences wherever they go. Vintage costumes and soft lighting gives the performance a torch singer, speakeasy feel. They can often be found in thrift stores as they travel from town to town, hunting for clip-on ties and 1950s party dresses. Christa DeCicco first began writing songs and performing at the wee age of five. In the spring of 2005, she joined with drummer Jon Whitlock and formed Christabel and the Jons. After playing short periods with three different bass players, all named Jon, the duo settle on upright bass player Seth (Jon) Hopper and multi-instrumentalist Seth (Jon) Hopper. In 2006, Christabel and the Jons released their first and only album, Love and Circumstances, to critical acclaim. This spring brings a rather hectic touring schedule with twenty two shows spanning seven states in two months. verge writer, Ashley Plocha, caught up with Christa before a recent concert in North Carolina. Christa described the band as “a really fun, goofy silly foursome traveling around in a crappy van, stopping in tons of thrift stores.” She adds, “Today we’ve been in three, I think, and spent all the money we made last night.” (read the rest of the interview on page 24) See Christabel and the Jons live at Stillwater Taproom (974 Broad Street) on Friday, April 11th at 10 pm. For more band info, check out their myspace at www.myspace.com/christabelmusic. - staff compilation
verge / april / 21
onstage
offstage
The Southern Fried Chicks Comedy Tour Imperial Theatre • April 18 Southern Fried Chicks, the top-grossing female comedy tour on the road today, is laughing its way to Augusta. The original “desperate housewives,” these four women offer their take on the pursuit of happiness with a night of clever storytelling fit for any age group, and in so doing, promote a hilarious view of life in these United States. Etta May, self-described as Minnie Pearl with a migraine, will have your sides splitting with her sassy overtures, and she won’t shy away from the important issues like “you realize you’re getting fat when you sit in the bathtub and the water in the toilet RISES!” The human sacrifice for nine older brothers, Etta may grew up tough in Arkansas until she met an aspiring truck driver by the name of Delbert. A few kids later she found her inspiration just waiting “for my kids to do something stupid” she could write down. Combined with Sonya White, who spent time on Last Comic Standing 4, and Trish Suhr, who left the family funeral business for a life of laughs, Etta May delivers a roaring showcase of southern wit and humor. Throw in Beth Donahue, a self-reported “recovering EVERYTHING,” and you’re in for one night of fun. From guest starring on the Bob and Tom radio show to headlining on the CMT Comedy stage, the girls are getting around while starring in a sixty minute television special on CMT, but for one night only you can see them live and laugh away your sanity in Augusta, Georgia. The Southern Fried Chicks Comedy Tour will play at the Imperial Theatre in beautiful downtown Augusta on Friday, April 18. This unforgettable evening begins at 7:30 pm and tickets are on sale now at the Imperial Theatre Box Office, by phone at 706.722.8341 or online at www.imperialtheatre.com. Come on down for a show sure to split your sides! by J. Edward Sumerau
The Tour de Georgia Race & Celebration Augusta Common • April 22 For the fourth year running, bicyclists from around the globe will cycle through downtown Augusta during the Tour de Georgia. Presented by AT&T, this annual race makes its way to Augusta on Tuesday, April 22, with a celebratory atmosphere taking over the Common downtown. This year, Augusta hosts the finish to stage two of the race. Beginning on Tybee Island, Monday, April 21, the race winds its way to Atlanta by the 27th of April. The 600 mile event hosts an international field of 120 racers representing five Pro Tour or Elite Teams, a number of Continental Pro teams, and a Chinabased professional team (their first entrance into the field of competition). Beginning in Statesboro around 11 am, the second phase of the race is expected to close in Augusta around 3:30 in the afternoon. Before reaching this mark, the race will enter South Carolina via downtown North Augusta and canvas downtown Augusta in the process. After serving admirably as a stage start the first year of the event and being an overall starting point on two other occasions, Augusta will now have its chance to host a finish line. To celebrate, Augusta citizens will gather at the Common at 9 am for a five-mile family fun bicycle ride and a 35-mile group ride for experienced cyclists. The race day fun kicks into high gear at noon, as the Common becomes the center of celebration with live race coverage on a Jumbotron at 2 pm. The city will celebrate in other ways including drawings for kids’ bikes provided by Andy Jordan’s Bicycle Warehouse, Chain Reaction, and Outspokin’. There will also be a drawing held for a limited edition Tour de Georgia Litespeed bicycle, and the event will feature a health and lifestyle expo chock full of interactive exhibits and games. For more information, visit www.tourdegeorgia.com. To volunteer call 706.8326 and join the excitement of world-class racing. by J. Edward Sumerau
22 / april / verge
verge / april / 23
good chow
just skip dinner and head straight for dessert boll weevil perfect chocolate cake A religious experience for chocoholics throughout Downtown Augusta who crawl the streets looking for a fix. Boll Weevil’s Perfect Chocolate Cake is consummated with hot fudge and various decadently delightful chocolates. This 7 inch ilk of indulgence, literally draped in milk chocolate and dangling off your plate, falls from grace with its abundance of sweets. Find redemption in white tufts of vanilla ice-cream and excellent customer service. Too much for three people to eat. Sublime enough to keep eating! Ask Abbey to cut it for you.
tap tap cream caramel Oh, custard! I would take Tap Tap’s Cream Caramel dessert home to meet my mother. Adorned in nothing but caramel, this sexy sop of custard rivals the creme bruleé with its feminine softness and generous sauce. Charm her with a glass of blush or even a full-bodied Cabernet. Again, liberal with the caramel. ALWAYS a good thing. We love it for that reason. And because my girlfriend and her friends swear by it.
1102 cafe fudge and ice cream Warm chocolate fudge with two scoops of rich vanilla icecream typically finished with a single cherry on top — except at 1102. Theirs boasts three cherries, thick rose-red syrup and mousse, decorated in their signature tic tac toe design, hugging a lazy lump of fudge covered in [you guessed it!] more chocolate. surgeon journalists’ warning: Consult your physician before taking 1102’s Fudge and Ice-Cream dessert. Side effects are not limited to but may include buzzing, excessive happiness, laughing, confidence and a morbid increase in physical attractiveness.
nacho mama’s peanut butter pie Wonderful and exceptionally well-portioned, the Peanut Butter Pie at Nacho Mama’s is not yo mama’s pie in the window. This creamy and curiously sweet dessert has a crunchy crust stippled with real peanut and chocolate sauces, whipped cream, and spiraling wonders of peanut butter syrup. Original for a city where everyone can make peanut butter pie — and absolutely exquisite! Wash it down with a cold glass of sweet tea and look out, arm chair!
broad street market 1282 broad street 706.922.5970
Fused foods are a fast-growing trend popping up in restaurants throughout the country. Downtown Augusta gets trendy this month with the launch of a modernized and fully revamped Broad Street Market. Entwining Asian, French, and Southern influences, two doctors are creating a fresh, contemporary dining experience at 1282 Broad Street. Their vision becomes reality on April 6th, as the restaurant opens it’s doors.
Menus at fusion restaurants are typically the most artistic and creative concoctions of all local cuisines. Broad Street Market is blessed with some fantastic chefs (hailing from Atlanta’s renowned Bacchanalia, Robert de Niro’s Tribeca Grill and Augusta’s Bambu), ready to give patrons a taste of their personalized vision of culinary delight. The chefs espouse the ideology of fresh food, unique blends and on-site creations. I’ve volunteered to be an official taste-tester as they concoct and fine-tune the menu. Owners Shrinath Parimi and Hetal Thakore share a friendship, profession and, now, a restaurant. Both primary care physicians, they have a passion for fine scotch, delicious food, and the downtown atmosphere. The duo chose downtown “ because downtown hasn’t experienced this type of dining yet. Plus, downtown is changing; there’s a growing influx of going out to eat, things to do at night – it’s simply a perfect place to put a fine dining place and there is a need for it.” Parimi adds, “plus we wanted to add to the revitalization of downtown Augusta.” Parimi chuckles, “It seems like if you own your own business, you might as well enjoy a good meal while you’re at it.” The average dinner plate will run between $20 to $30. Broad Street Market will boast a full bar, specializing in scotch. In a few months, a dedicated pastry chef will join the staff. The Market also has two specially designed separate dining rooms for private parties and events. Reserve your seats online at www.broadstreet-market.com. They’re open Tuesday to Thursday from 5 pm to 10 pm and Friday to Saturday from 5 pm to 11 pm. by Lara E. Plocha
by Jack Casey • photos by Katie McGuire
24 / april / verge
welcome to sky city: downtown’s newest live music venue The sky is the limit for one local business family. Coco Rubio, owner of downtown Augusta staple, Soul Bar, and his brother Jayson are strapping in and blasting skyward towards their next endeavor, Sky City. Coco and co-owner Jayson will be converting the recently defunct bar, The Mission, into an upscale music venue with the potential to garner the attention of local, regional, and national acts. With the Soul Bar steadily gaining momentum, Rubio admits he has “had to turn away bands from playing the Soul Bar, because it’s just too small.” Thanks to the larger stage, improved sound system, and capacity to legally hold twice as many people as Soul Bar, Coco says, with Sky City he “won’t have to do that anymore.” This larger space could mean patrons will find shorter lines to get drinks and go to the bathroom. “Sky City is perfect to accommodate large crowds,” Coco says, “which is why I am excited about the possibilities.” The Rubio boys plan to have Sky City host bands like The Drive By Truckers, Jason Isbell & 4oo Unit, G-Love and Special Sauce, Band Of Horses, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Dinosaur Jr., and “just about any band that would play venues like the 40 Watt Club, Georgia Theatre in Athens or the Music Farm in Charleston.” With a lighting and sound system that will be comparable to these clubs, Coco and Jayson will undoubtedly render Sky City one of the best venues in the region. With a nice bar up front and a nice bar in the back, Coco plans to keep the two areas separate but equal. “I’d like to keep the front of Sky City strictly bar and pool tables and some video games with some booths along the wall,” Coco says. “The back will be strictly for the music; no live music in the front room.”
This binary bar will more effectively meet the needs of those who want to rock out while simultaneously satisfying those who simply want to get blacked out. In addition to bands, Coco and Jayson have many other treats lined up to keep their customers satisfied. “A good happy hour is a must,” Coco says. He also plans to move many of his infamous Friday night events, (including the always-crowded ‘80s nights) to Sky City. “I think we’ll have some ‘80s nights still at the Soul Bar, but I’m interested to see how it might work in a bigger venue like Sky City; give the people a little more room to dance around.” When Sky City opens in early to mid May, Coco insists that, “a good opening party will also be a must with some live music, and also some good dj’s in the mix.” He plans on hiring a few new faces as well as rotating many of the same bartenders from Soul Bar. Speaking of the Soul Bar, it is far from finished. Coco is not worried about his eldest child in the Sky City’s namesake least. It is just time to teach his new one how to walk. “I think the Soul Bar will be fine. It is what it is, and we’ll continue to do things there, no doubt; but I just like the option of choosing which venue, Sky City or Soul Bar, will work depending on the bands we book.” A tip of the hat to an old friend, Sky City draws its name from an old department store that used to be downtown. “I really missed seeing the words ‘Sky City.’ It’s such a piece of downtown history. I thought it would be a good name to keep alive,” Coco says. The new Sky City will be located at 1157 Broad Street and will be yet another voice encouraging downtown Augusta to, “Say it loud! I’m back and I’m proud!” by Jamie McGaw • photo by John Mulhouse
catching up with christa decicco of cristabel and the jons verge: how did it all begin for you?
verge: name some biggest influences:
CD: I’ve been playing the piano since about seven, sang in my church and school choirs. Around fourteen, I taught myself guitar using a Beatles songbook. It wasn’t until I was sixteen or so that I began playing open mics. Then I stopped; basically I became a hermit. I wrote songs and just played them in my living room. About three years ago, I decided it was time to start playing out, to share my music with people.
CD: That’s kind of tough. It’s a mix of different genres. Definitely the great female jazz singers. But I also listen to Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, that kind of thing. Really, it’s the songwriting that is almost more important than the voice. You can have kind of a rough sound, but if the lyrics get to you the right way? That makes up for it.
verge: and then the Jons came in… CD: Jon Whitlock, the original Jon, was my first drummer and changed my writing style and musical direction. I was just performing solo, girl-withguitar folk songs. He swayed me to write more jazzy pieces. We added an upright bass, and decided we needed a fourth member. We found this guy who played violin and trumpet. We were like, “It’s folky and jazzy, it’s perfect.” We started playing around our hometown, Knoxville, working up a strong following, and then started branching out. We tend to tour all the states bordering Tennessee, though there is an occasional wild hare. verge: what process do you go through when writing your songs? CD: It usually starts with a line of poetry I get in my head. A lot of the times, I’ll be listening to the radio while driving home, which reminds me of something. Then in my head will be a line of poetry to a melody, and I’ll write it on the back of a stray receipt, go home, pick up my guitar and figure out the chords. The rest of it falls into place. verge: so would you consider yourself a poet? CD: I guess so. I rarely publish my poetry, but I definitely write it and keep a blog on myspace. I write haikus and little poems when I’m traveling around or chilling at home. I’m more of a songwriter; most of my poems turn into songs.
verge: what are your most memorable experiences, performance-wise? CD: Bonnaroo 2007 was great. We got to go for free, were treated like real artists, camped out with famous people. It was amazing. Then there was the time we opened for the Brazilian Girls in Knoxville. That was in front of thousands of people, it was scary and weird but our first huge show. verge: do you prefer the more intimate settings? CD: Definitely. It’s easier to connect with the audience and gauge their response. verge: what do you see yourself doing in the next year? CD: We’ve got a slew of new songs. It was a rollercoaster of a winter, which is good for writing. Dramatic things make for good songs. Hopefully we’ll get into the studio this spring, have a new album out in early summer of ‘08. Play festivals, build audiences. I’d love to have a base strong enough to expand and play New York and Boston. verge: last comments? CD: We’re just a really fun, goofy foursome traveling around in a crappy van stopping in tons of thrift stores. We’re always looking for good breakfast restaurant recommendations. Wherever we can get the best eggs and bacon the morning after the show. Christabel and the Jons, a well-stirred blend of southern blues, swing, and folk, play Stillwater Taproom, April 11th at 10pm.
by Ashley Plocha
verge / april / 25 friday april 4 outdoor events First Friday: The Front Nine Broad St • 5 to 10 pm • free Downtown comes to life as galleries, studios and shops stay open late and the street is filled with vendors and live entertainment. Stretching from 5th to 12th St., this family friendly event boasts over 22 live music venues, complemented by numerous locally owned restaurants. Pick up a “Play Through Downtown” game card at one of the 18 participating locations & play for a chance to win downtown prizes. Free putt putt at 10th St. & car show at the Common.
munity. All active duty military and their families admitted free. Details: 706.731.0054
live music Stick To Your Guns • Winds of Plague • Impending Doom • Veil of the Maya • By The Sins • Fell Angels Club Hollywood • 5 pm • $12 to $14 • metal Mellow D 209 Music Lounge • 9 pm • $8 • soul/r&b Terry and Jordan Cotton Patch • 9 pm • $5 • acoustic
pipeline / 4.4 - 4.12 Main Library on Greene St • 6:30 pm • free
live music X Life Ruinerx • A Well Thought Out Tragedy • Words In Red • Deaths Comin’ Sector 7G • 7 pm • $7 to $10 • metal John Kolbeck Joes Underground • 10 pm • $3 • acoustic
The Cubists Soul Bar • 10 pm • $3
The Shaun Piazza Band Soul Bar • 10 pm • $3
thursday april 10 live music Bayou Bleu Soul Bar • 10 pm • $3 Karaoke 209 Music Lounge • 9 pm • free
tuesday april 8
John Kolbeck Cotton Patch • 8 pm • $5
special events
Paul Arrowood Joes Underground • 10 pm • $3 • rock
Way of The Cross 716 Broad St • 6 to 8:30 pm • free
Shameless Dave and the Miracle Whips The City Club • 8 pm
Experience the Passion of Christ through the eyes of local artists on display at The Well.
friday april 11
Dance for Charity 724 Broad St • 7 to 11 pm • $5
outdoor events
City Club hosts this monthly dance party. April features the dynamic rhythm and blues of Perfect Picture and benefits the Rape Crisis Center. Dance the night away while supporting a worthy cause.
First Friday: The Back Nine Broad St • 5 to 10 pm • free Downtown comes to life as galleries, studios and shops stay open late and the street is filled with vendors and live entertainment. Pick up a “Play Through Downtown” game card at one of the 18 participating locations & play for a chance to win one of four downtown gift baskets.
Ron White Bell Auditorium • 7:30 pm • $39.75
art events Art at Lunch Morris Museum • noon • $10 to $13
Princess & The Pea • April 5
Mixed-media artist Yvonne Pickering Carter talks about her career and her artwork. Catering by New Moon Café. RSVP by April 2: 706.724.7501 Art Show & Benefit 551 Broad St • 5 to 10 pm • free Artistic Perceptions presents an art show to benefit the Southeastern Firefighters’ Burn Foundation. Over 100 pieces of artwork will be on display through April 26th. Artists will be on hand to talk about their work. 20% of artwork sales will be donated to the Foundation. Details: 706.724.8739
for kids
Bring the entire family to Storyland Theater’s lively original version of the classic fairytale, Princess and the Pea. See Austin Rhodes as King Handsome along with Margaret Meyers as Queen Bossy. Brandon Brune co-stars as Prince Handsome II with the lovely Nichole Kuehl as Princess Nutmeg. Jester Tiffany McCauley Bridges adds fun and liveliness. The audience is invited to meet the cast after the show. $5 per person, at the historic Imperial Theatre. Active duty military families receive free admission. Jeff Liberty Band Joes Underground • 10 pm • $4 • rock/blues Singer/Songwriters In The Round 1102 • 10 pm • $5
Playful Patterns Morris Museum • 10 & 11:15 am • $4
Charles August, John Kolbeck and Carey Murdock
It’s Toddler Time at the Morris: learn about patterns, and create your own dot painting. Register: 706.828.3867
The Skuds & The Decrepits The Firehouse Bar • 11 pm • $3 • punk
live music New Art & Late Night DJ Soul Bar • 5 pm to 3 am • ladies free Hello Lefty • The Cubists • Against the Grain • The Never Sector 7G • 7 pm • $7 • indie/rock
sports events Augusta Lynx Ice Hockey James Brown Arena • 7 pm • $10 to $19 Lynx vs. South Carolina Stingrays
sunday april 6
WhoseHouse Joes Underground • 10 pm • $4 Hot Lava Monster 1102 • 10 pm • $5 • rock
Jim Perkins Augustinos • 8 to 11 pm • free
Shotgun Opera The Playground • 10 pm • $3 • metal
Keith Gregory & John Kolbeck Cotton Patch • 10 pm • $2 • acoustic
Augusta Colts Arena Football James Brown Arena • 7:30 pm • $8 to $30
theatre The Princess & The Pea Imperial Theatre • 3 pm • $5 Storyland Theatre brings children’s fairy tales to life. The Saturday Family Matinee is open to the com-
James Heath Joes Underground • 10 pm • $3 • acoustic
ESPN Wednesday Night Fight Bell Auditorium • 8 pm • $16 to $41
monday april 7 outdoor events
saturday april 5
Dr. John Fischer The Fox’s Lair • 9 pm • free • acoustic
special events
John Krueger 1102 • 10 pm • $5 • acoustic
Augusta Colts vs. Baltimore Mariners
Worth Repeating Auction House puts on their biggest, most extensive golf auction to date. One of a kind treasures. Details: 706.722.2000
wednesday april 9
Woody Wood &
Six exciting bouts of boxing as ESPN brings their Wednesday Night Fights to Augusta. Cheer on Augusta’s own undefeated boxing superstar Ray Whitfield as he defends his flyweight title.
Mayors Masters Reception Augusta Botanical Gardens • 5 pm • free
Trivia & Tunes with Cliff Bennet Cotton Patch • 7 to 11 pm • $2
Join Mayor Deke Copenhaver as he welcomes golf lovers from all over the state. The public is welcome. Details:706.821.1754
Trivia Night Joes Underground • 10 pm • free
film No Country for Old Men
Featuring movies the entire family can enjoy. Details: 706.821.1754
special events Golf Memorabilia Auction Lofty Ideas • 8:30 pm • free Worth Repeating Auction House puts on their biggest, most extensive golf auction to date. One of a kind treasures. Details: 706.722.2000
theatre Cabaret Du Redneck Le Chat Noir • 7 pm • $75 per couple A cabaret style event for the opening night of Sordid Lives. Price includes 2 tickets to the show, white trash hors-dovers, and choice of wine (bottled, not boxed) or beer buckets. Bar opens at 7 pm, vittles at 7:30 pm, and show starts at 8pm.
live music The Stain Remains Necessary Evil • As Dust Settles Sector 7G • 8 pm • $7 • metal
live music
live music
sports events
The Science of Golf Fort Discovery • 10 am to 5 pm • $6 to $8
Golf Memorabilia Auction Lofty Ideas • 8:30 pm • free
Tour the exhibition Something to Look Forward To with art instructor Nancy Bookhart Wellington and create your own collage painting.
Zach Deputy Stillwater Tap Room • 10 pm • $4
Celebrating the true independent spirit of filmmaking and the next generation’s great filmmakers. Screenings daily through April 13th.
Come celebrate Masters Week at Fort Discovery. Golf-related science demonstrations and movies throughout the week. Includes admission.
Artrageous! Sunday: Abstract Collage Morris Museum • 2 to 4 pm • free
R2D1 The Fox’s Lair • 9 pm • free
First Take Film Festival Imperial Theatre • all day • $5 per day
special events
art events
Old School Dance 209 Music Lounge • 9 pm • free
film
Movies in the Common Augusta Common • 9 pm • $2
live music Shameless Dave and the Miracle Whips The City Club • 8 pm
Shameless Dave and the Miracle Whips The City Club • 8 pm 80’s Night Soul Bar • 9 pm • ladies free Old School Dance 209 Music Lounge • 9 pm • free Blue Cotton Cotton Patch • 9 pm • $5 Christabel & The Jons Stillwater Tap Room • 10 pm • $4 The Mason Jars with Hannah Miller 1102 • 10 pm • $5 • acoustic Suns Collide The Playground • 10 pm • metal
saturday april 12 theatre Sordid Lives by Del Shores Le Chat Noir • 8 pm • $20 Looking for a little something from the lunatic fringe? The tragic tale of loss, love and white trash etiquette. A laugh a minute farce of twisted lives, death, tears, infidelity, nymphomania and other comic events. There’s gossiping, pill-popping, eating, talk of honky-tonkying, gun handling, and motorcycle riding.
26 / april / verge
pipeline / 4.13 - 4.24 live music
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy: Pops at The Bell Bell Auditorium • 7:30 pm • $20 to $45
A Night with Trent Monk Vintage 965 • 7 pm • free An up close & personal acoustic living room concert with Trent Monk. Monk and Neagle were previously on tour with Shane & Shane. Limited seating available: must arrive by 7 pm to enter. Mayday Parade • My American Heart • The Graduate • We Shot the Moon Club Hollywood • 5 pm • $12 to $14 • indie Jeff Liberty The Fox’s Lair • 7 pm • free • acoustic Sounds Unlimited & Lynwood Holmes 209 Music Lounge • 9 pm • $8 • soul/r&b El Dorado Deluxe Cotton Patch • 9 pm • $5
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy are coming to Augusta to blow the top off Pops. To hear some of their tunes, visit www.bbvd.com. Tickets: www. augustaciviccenter.com
art events Nene Humphrey: Lecture Morris Museum • 6 to 8 pm • $3 to $5 Terra Cognita Contemporary Artists Lecture Series presents sculptor Nene Humphrey as she discusses her cloth creations.
live music
The Soulphonics Soul Bar • 10 pm • $5
live music Hit The Switch • Hour of the Wolf • Smart Bomb Sector 7G • 8 pm • $7 • hardcore/punk
Playback with Tutu Devine 209 Music Lounge • 9 pm • $8 • soul/r&b Brandon Reeves Cotton Patch • 9 pm • $5
Lokal Loudness
Karaoke with Mario The Fox’s Lair • 9 pm • free
Music Showcase The Playground • 9 pm • $5
Hello Lefty 1102 • 10 pm • $5
(r)EVOLUTION Soul Bar • 9 pm • ladies free & guys $5
Impulse Ride Joes Underground • 10 pm • $3 • rock
Old School Dance 209 Music Lounge • 9 pm • free
sunday april 20
Packway Handle Stillwater Tap Room • 10 pm • $4
live music
Sabo and the Scorchers 1102 • 10 pm • $5 • rock covers
Jim Perkins Augustinos • 8 to 11 pm • free
Blue Funk & Electric Voodoo Blues Revue Joes Underground • 10 pm • $4 •blues
Keith Gregory Cotton Patch • 8 pm • free
sports events Augusta Colts Arena Football James Brown Arena • 7:30 pm • $8 to $30 Augusta Colts vs. Florida Stingrays
John Kolbeck Cotton Patch • 10 pm • $2 The Brilliant Inventions 1102 • 10 pm • $5 • acoustic
monday april 21 film
Blue Flashing Light 1102 • 10 pm • $5 • indie/rock
Sweeney Todd Main Library on Greene St • 6:30 pm • free
Black Sheep Joes Underground • 10 pm • $4 • rock
live music
Joe Graves and the Dirty Left Hand The Firehouse Bar • 11 pm • $3 • CD Release
Open Mic Night with Paul Arrowood Joes Underground • 10 pm • $3
sunday april 13
tuesday april 22
special events
outdoor events
Play Through Downtown Jacketing Ceremony New Moon Café • 2 pm • free
2008 Tour de Georgia Stage 2 Finish Downtown Augusta & the Common • noon to 4:30 pm • free
Come to New Moon Café for brunch and watch the Masters on the big screen. “Play through Downtown” winners will be announced. – must be present to win.
The Tour de Georgia is North America’s premier, professional cycling event and rolling festival of community activities. Watch the race, see the finish, play at the Common. Details: 706.722.TEAM
live music Jim Perkins Augustinos • 8 to 11 pm • free
live music
Trent Monk Livingroom Concert • April 12
Deveran Roof Jazz Cotton Patch • 8 pm • $2 John Kolbeck Cotton Patch • 10 pm • $2 Singer/Songwriters In the Round 1102 • 10 pm • $5
monday april 14 film Atonement Main Library on Greene St • 6:30 pm • free
live music Brandon Reeves Joes Underground • 10 pm • $3 • acoustic
tuesday april 15 live music Dr. John Fischer The Fox’s Lair • 9 pm • free • acoustic Joe Stevenson Joes Underground • 10 pm • $3 • acoustic rock
wednesday april 16 special events Trivia & Tunes with Cliff Bennet Cotton Patch • 7 to 11 pm • $2 Trivia Joes Underground • 10 pm • free
thursday april 17 outdoor events Lunch in the Park Augusta Common • noon to 1:30pm • free Come to the Common for a midday lunch break every other Thursday. Enjoy a variety of live music performed by your favorite local artists.
special events
Get up close and personal with Trent Monk from Monk & Neagle. The duo has received rave reviews from Christian radio, as they form an energetic, exciting, and unique feeling, with a mixture of pop, rock, jazz, funk, and a touch of folk. In Vintage 965’s upstairs livingroom, the concert is free but get there by 7:00 pm as seating is limited.
Karaoke 209 Music Lounge • 9 pm • free
saturday april 19
The Mason Jars Joes Underground • 10 pm • $3 • acoustic
Vegan Cupcakes, Grandma’s Sweet Tea and Art will be for sale. The profit from the food and 20% of the days sales will go to the Golden Harvest Food Bank.
art events
friday april 18 theatre Southern Fried Chicks Imperial Theatre • 7:30 pm • $30 As seen on CMT, the Southern Fried Chicks are the female version of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, only with bigger attitude and better hair! Tickets: 706.722.8341 Sordid Lives by Del Shores Le Chat Noir • 8 pm • $20
Tickets: www.augustaciviccenter.com
art events Kent Ambler Opening Reception Gertrude Herbert • 6 to 8 pm • free Woodcut prints by South Carolina artist Kent Ambler are inspired by his life and surroundings. Exhibit will be displayed through May 23rd.
film Genre & Myth: Jezebel Morris Museum • 11 am • $3 to $5
special events Shakespeare’s Birthday Book Tavern • 10 am to 6 pm Celebrate William Shakespeare’s birthday: recite a Shakespearean quote and receive a free book in proportion to the merit of the performance! Trivia and Tunes with
Building a Strong Art Portfolio Morris Museum • 2 pm • $3 to $5
Cliff Bennet Cotton Patch • 7 to 11 pm • $2
Erin Banks, director of scholarship and recruitment at the Savannah College of Art and Design, discusses how students and artists can create powerful portfolios suitable for college or professional applications.
Trivia Joes Underground • 10 pm • free
theatre
thursday april 24 special events Bags That Give Back blue magnolia • 7 to 9 pm • free
Sordid Lives by Del Shores Le Chat Noir • 8 pm • $20
Chicago: Broadway in Augusta Bell Auditorium • 8 pm • $39 to $55
wednesday april 23
special events Baked Art Sale The Book Tavern • 10 am • free
The Voodoo Organist Soul Bar • 10 pm • $3
John Kolbeck Joes Underground • 10 pm • $3 • acoustic
After viewing the film Jezebel, museum director Kevin Grogan leads a discussion on Understanding the South in Film. Bring your own lunch.
We The Kinds • Valencia The Cab • Charlotte Sometimes Sector 7G • 7pm • $10 to $12 • pop/punk
Dr. John Fischer The Fox’s Lair • 9 pm • free • acoustic
live music Hollowmass • By the Sins Fell Angels • Diavlo • A Vision Grotesque • A Road Eternal • Merzh • Deaths Comin’ Sector 7G • 5 pm • $7 • metal
Grab your girl friends and come out for a night of fun, food and charity. Enjoy our first Baggallini Trunk Show, sample treats from the new Casa Blanca and win free prizes throughout the night. $5 of every bag purchased goes to the ACS Breast Cancer Awareness fund. Details: 706.828.6550.
Lokal Loudness Music Showcase The Playground • 9 pm • $5 Sound Equation, Radar Cinema, Against The Grain, Suns Collide
dance April’s Bagatelles Imperial Theatre • 7 pm • $15 to $20 Dance Augusta presents this annual spring dance showcase. Tickets: 706.722.8341
verge / april / 27 theatre Sordid Lives by Del Shores Le Chat Noir • 8 pm • $20
live music
L.I.E. The Playground • 10 pm • rock Joe Stevenson Joes Underground • 10 pm • $4 • acoustic
pipeline / 4.25 - 5.2 live music
Karaoke 209 Music Lounge • 9 pm • free
Keith Gregory
Twin Tigers Soul Bar • 10 pm • $3
The Wizard of Oz Imperial Theatre • 8 pm • $12 to $38
Joes Underground • 10 pm • $3
Ruskin Yeargain Joes Underground • 10 pm • $3 • acoustic
tuesday april 29 special events
friday april 25 special events Sacred Heart Garden Festival Sacred Heart Cultural Center • 10 am to 5 pm
Featuring display gardens by area professional land-
Sordid Lives by Del Shores Le Chat Noir • 8 pm • $20
live music The Fence Sitters Rave Night Sector 7G • 7 pm • $5 • techno/house Blood, Sweat and Tears Bell Auditorium • 8 pm • $40 to $45 Disco Hell Soul Bar • 9 pm • ladies free Old School Dance 209 Music Lounge • 9 pm • free Keith Gregory Cotton Patch • 9 pm to 1 am • $5 Kort McCumber Stillwater Tap Room • 10 pm • $4 Smoke Damaged 1102 • 10 pm • $5 • acoustic Mojo The Playground • 10 pm • rock Box or Moonlight Joes Underground • 10 pm • $4 • rock/top 40
saturday april 26
WRDW Time to Care Family Fair Augusta Common • noon to 4 pm • free Over 40 displays and activities from area non-profit organizations – learn how you can lend a helping hand throughout Augusta. Live entertainment includes dance, martial arts exhibitions and music. Mascots from the Augusta Lynx and Augusta Colts will be on hand to entertain. Details: 803.278.1212 ROCKIN’ 4 THE RIVER The Riverwalk Marina • 7:30 pm • free Soul Bar presents an evening of great music outdoors with The Crosstie Walkers, The Codetalkers, Shaun Piazza Band, The Cubists, Tara Scheyer, Brandon Bowers & Space Hammer
theatre Sordid Lives by Del Shores Le Chat Noir • 8 pm • $20
live music Karaoke with Beth The Fox’s Lair • 7 pm • free Preston and Weston 209 Music Lounge • 9 pm • $8 • soul/r&b John Kolbeck Cotton Patch • 9 pm • $5 Sound Equation & The Burgundy Curtain 1102 • 10 pm • $5 • indie
Life in Relief: Woodcut Prints by Kent Ambler Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art April 18 thru May 23 • free • 506 Telfair St Tue – Fri from 10 am to 5 pm
Huge Show: Nick’s 21st Birthday Club Hollywood • 6 pm • $12 to $14
Soulphonics at Soul Bar April 12 Called “A Brand New Batch of Soul, Funk & Boogaloo,” the Soulphonics have hit the funk and soul scene with an irresistible vibe and passion for keeping the genre alive. The band debuted live in 2006 and since have been emerging as the worthy group compared to James Brown, Etta James, Aretha Franklin and The Isley Brothers. Catch this irresistible sound as Ruby Velle and The Soulphonics take the Soul Bar Stage on Saturday, April 12 at 10 pm.
Christian metal/hardcore bands take the stage: The Devil Wears Prada, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, White Chapel and Gwen Stacy. Dr. John Fischer The Fox’s Lair • 9 pm • free • acoustic Jeff Liberty Joes Underground • 10 pm • $3 • acoustic
wednesday april 30 special events Space Week Event Fort Discovery • 10 am to 5 pm • $6 to $8 NASA Aerospace Education Specialist Jim Gerard presents: NASA 50 Years of Exploration. Trivia & Tunes with Cliff Bennet Cotton Patch • 7 to 11 pm • free Trivia Joes Underground • 10 pm • free
thursday may 1 outdoor events Lunch in the Park Augusta Common • noon to 1:30pm • free
sunday april 27
Strap on your walking shoes and join the cause to cure diabetes with this 1.3 mile scenic walk. Sponsored by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Registration at 9 am and the walk at 10 am.
NASA Aerospace Education Specialist Jim Gerard presents: NASA 50 Years of Exploration.
live music
outdoor events Augusta Walks to Cure Diabetes Fort Discovery • 9 am • free
ongoing exhibitions
The winners of the Second Annual Young Adult Poetry Contest will be announced. All ages are welcome to hear the winners read their poems. Others may share their poems too.
theatre
live music Music at the Morris: Andrew Zohn Morris Museum • 2 pm • free
Come to the Common for a midday lunch break every other Thursday. Enjoy a variety of live music performed by your favorite local artists.
special events
Performer, instructor, and composer Andrew Zohn presents a selection of guitar pieces.
Space Week Event Fort Discovery • 10 am to 5 pm • $6 to $8 NASA Speakers Bureau from Cape Kennedy, Florida, presents exciting topics and interactive presentations throughout the day.
Jim Perkins Augustinos • 8 to 11 pm • free Keith Gregory Cotton Patch • 8 pm • $2
friday may 2
John Kolbeck Cotton Patch • 10 pm • $2
outdoor events
Singer/Songwriters in the Round 1102 • 10 pm • $5
The Augusta Players’ production of Wizard of Oz brings to life the movie version of Frank Baum’s story, which has captivated the young and the young at heart for over 60 years.
Space Week Event Fort Discovery • 10 am to 5 pm • $6 to $8
Open Mic Night Main Library on Greene St • 7 to 8 pm • free
scapers; floral presentations by local florists; exhibits by garden clubs; a vendor market place; tours of private gardens in the historic area of Augusta; expert advice from outstanding garden speakers: the Garden Council Spring Standard Flower Show. Runs through April 27th. Tickets: www.sacredheartgardenfestival. com or 706.826.4700.
theatre
Seneca, SC artist Kent Ambler brings an exceptional collection of recent woodcuts to the Institute’s Main Gallery this spring. Expressionistic in style and often deeply personal in its inspiration and subject matter, Ambler’s work reaches beyond the surface of representation and explores his deeper concerns for nature. Davidson Fine Arts Senior Exit Exhibition Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art April 17 thru May 2 • free• 506 Telfair St Tue – Fri from 10 am to 5 pm The Ware’s Folly student galleries welcome graduating seniors from Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School back this spring for an exhibition showcasing some of their finest work. William Anderson: Lest We Forget Lucy Craft Laney Museum April 6 thru June 30 • $2 to $5 1116 Phillips St • Tue – Fri: 9 am to 5 pm; Sat: 10 am to 4 pm William Anderson compiles a retrospective of black and white photographs from a period covering 1958 through 2008. Something to Look Forward to Abstract Art by 22 Distinguished Americans of African Descent Morris Museum of Art now thru May 25 • $3 to $5 • free on Sundays 1 Tenth St • Tue – Sat: 10 am to 5 pm & Sun: noon to 5 pm Something to Look Forward To: Abstract Art by 22 Distinguished Americans of African Descent, which presents abstraction by African American artists inspired by the tradition of abstract expressionism. This important movement penetrated the American art scene by the 1950s with its combination of abstraction—the art did not depict objects in the physical world—and expressionism—it used the raw materials of color and form to record the feelings and passions of the artist. Wilson 150: the Exhibition Historic Augusta Now Thru May 23 • $3 to $5 415 Seventh St Tue – Sat: 10 am to 5 pm A traveling exhibition of Woodrow Wilson artifacts and documents on view at the Joseph R. Lamar Boyhood Home. Details: 706.724.0436
First Friday: James Brown Birthday Bash Broad St • 5 to 10 pm • free
Charles August, Josh Cobia, and Caleb Grimes
monday april 28 special events Space Week Event Fort Discovery • 10 am to 5 pm • $6 to $8 Astronomer John Hodge presents Robots from Earth Invade the Solar System: An Overview of Planetary Exploration throughout the day.
film Juno Main Library on Greene St • 6:30 pm • free
Downtown comes to life as galleries, studios and shops stay open late and the street is filled with vendors and live entertainment. Stretching from 5th to 12th St., this family friendly event boasts over 22 live music venues, complemented by numerous locally owned restaurants.
special events The Eff! Bombs Freestyle Competition & Slam The Book Tavern • 6 to 10 pm • free Entry forms available April 11th – for more info stop by the Book Tavern. Space Week Event Fort Discovery • 10 am to 5 pm • $6 to $8 NASA Speakers Bureau from Cape Kennedy, Florida, presents exciting topics and interactive presentations..
publicize your event Have a great event coming to downtown? Pipeline calendar is a free way to promote what you’ve got going on! Simply send us the who, what, where, when and tix info plus a brief description by the 22nd of each month to pipeline@vergelive. com. (the more you send, the more we put in!) Hi-resolution photos and graphics are encouraged.
28 / april / verge
verge / april / 29
jessica fuselier: a breath of fresh air for saturday market Springtime arrives, the weekend abounds with sunshine and warmth, and the family is looking for a way to spend the day. Downtown Augusta’s Saturday Market is the perfect setting for an outdoor family excursion. The Saturday Market on Broad kicks off again on April 19, moving to a new location and under the direction of a new coordinator. As the market expands, so must the space and vision. Jessica Fuselier is just the woman to get the job done. An enthusiastic woman when discussing the market, Jessica is Augusta born and bred. She spends her life meeting new people while finding time to care for her two children and her husband. A busy woman with a passion for the market, Jessica adores the concept of outdoor gatherings. She fondly recalls attending outdoor markets when her husband was stationed in Hawaii, and speaks of the Saturday Market with an eye on its potential growth. Her first initiative as coordinator began with moving the market’s home to the Eighth Street Bulkhead (at the corner of Reynolds and Eighth). She smiles while discussing the change in the market’s structure, which “will open up space for more activities and vendors.” The move evolved out of the need for more parking and a more convenient working relationship with Health Central, which has served as a staunch supporter of the market. She also notes the enhanced safety found in an area with less car traffic and more space for parking and vendors. Jessica’s face lights up when she begins to talk about the changes to this year’s market. She’s engaged in discussions with seafood and meat vendors, and the addition of Indian food from Bombay Central into the market setting. The market expects to incorporate organic education into its setting as well as promoting healthy habits for kids. She shines as she discusses setting up activities for children to learn about produce and healthy living habits at the market. Thanks to fantastic support from Flowers Express, the market can undertake the task of beautification by installing flowers and fountains to create a welcoming entrance to the market. When describing her vision for Saturday Market’s future, she cites examples of Charleston and Savannah. She laments that magazines seem to mention Augusta only in context of the Master’s Tournament, and would like to add the outdoor market to the tourist equation. The sky opens up with an array of possibilities as Jessica discusses the path to her vision for the market. She speaks of a desire to incorporate organic techniques as much as possible. She sees the market’s potential as a major tourist attraction, an opportunity to educate citizens about healthy lifestyles, and a promotional tool for other businesses downtown. Other plans of improvement, growth, and expansion rest on her belief that the market can become a staple of Augusta life. She speaks about inviting the participation of people across the river by seeking vendors of crafts and farming goods from Aiken County. The incorporation of different tastes and goods provides an experience wrapped in pleasant variety for patrons. The Saturday Market is a solid success story. Beginning as a city-funded program, it is now fully self-sustaining. In this regard, Jessica says the success is due to the relentless support offered by the merchants of local businesses. Her voice rises as she expresses her gratitude for their efforts promoting the market to customers, joining the Friends of the Market program, and participating in coupon book drives. Jessica speaks of one day filling the Augusta Commons due to the growth of the market and, summing up her thoughts on her position, she exhales saying “I love this market!” Through her eyes and in her voice, one will find a market of endless possibility. by J. Edward Sumerau • photo by Brooke Southerland
30 / april / verge
to call from tree to tree A Request of Conversation the hobo who wears socks on his hands and shouts bible verses on Sundays he he could tell me he loves me the angry little balding man who cleans my laundry with a sadistic smile he he could tell me he loves me the red headed child who steals people’s parking tickets she she could tell me she loves me the group of Chinese tourists who drive by every other month on mopeds they they could tell me they love me the old man who lives a floor above me and beats his dog with a cane he he could tell me he loves me but Chuck can’t tell me why I never finish a crossword puzzle Mr. Goldman can’t tell me what constellation my freckles make Carol Anne can’t tell me why I wear a certain perfume Chan and Lee can’t tell me how I choose between a bath or shower and Ol’ Saw can’t tell me the difference between my laughs just just tell me I’m a bad speller tell me that I have Ursa Major on my arm tell me that I only own two; one to feel pretty, the other beautiful tell me I bathe when I’m lazy and shower to wake up I just need you to tell me snort, cover nose and mouth, silent , and a giggle tell me that just tell me that
Marian May Kaufman is a senior at Davidson Fine Arts. Her passion for living emanates from her smile, her writing and her stage acting. Wrapping her talents and dreams into one, she plans to pursue writing as a career. original art by Ashley Plocha
verge / april / 31
printed matter / c.s. lewis “It’s very strange that our fathers should first think it worth telling us that rain falls out of the sky, and then, for fear such a notable secret should get out, wrap it up in a filthy tale so that no one could understand the telling.” C.S. Lewis wrote a great many filthy tales committing truth to his readers through talking lions, pencil pushing demons and reluctant space travelers. Many readers have journeyed through Narnia and enjoyed The Screwtape Letters. Fewer have stood at the center of an epic battle between good and evil with Elwin Ransom (a character modeled after Tolkien) in The Space Trilogy. Even less have ridden a bus to the outskirts of Heaven and spoken with the Solid Ones in The Great Divorce. And for a great time, nearly none had heard of Glome and the beautiful Princess Istra and her equally ugly sister Orual. Today we journey to Glome.
“ The gods never send us this invitation to delight so readily or so strongly as when they are preparing some new agony.” She finds no bones, only an empty chain. Soon she finds Istra herself, unharmed, happy and claiming to live in the house of a god, the very god appointed to consume her. Instead a consummation has occurred and Istra is wedded to the god. Orual is devastated. Her beautiful Psyche taken from her, she cannot reclaim her and the loss is seconded. Worse, the house of the god cannot be seen by any but Istra. Is she mad? Or can mortal eyes not perceive eternal houses? Orual is challenged by belief. “Was I believing in her invisible palace? … Up in the Mountain … anything was possible. No door could be kept shut. Yes, that was it; not plain belief, but infinite misgiving – the whole world (Psyche with it) slipping out of my hands.” Our illusion of control stripped away by a power outage or a market collapse or a terrorist - the whole world slipping out of our hands.
Till We Have Faces presents a reconstruction of the myth of Psyche and Cupid. Told through the eyes of Psyche’s sister Maia, the book is her complaint against the gods. Lewis removes the story from Greece and places it in the barbarian northern lands of Glome. Psyche and Maia become Istra and Orual. Aphrodite is transformed into Ungit, a brutish and ugly goddess who demands sacrifice. Those familiar with Apuleius’ version of the legend will find little amiss, merely the story as it should be. Christian mythology and allegory saturate Lewis’ writings (Aslan, the Great and Terrible Lion of Narnia is an obvious Christ figure), yet Faces contains no direct allusion to Christianity. Perhaps because so few understood the telling, it was ill received upon publication. The controversy soon quieted and the book fell into obscurity. I first noticed its revival about 15 years ago and found it one of the best novels of the 20th century. Freed from the constraints of man’s predisposition to Christianity, Lewis explores man’s chief struggle with the gods.
We answer with her voice: “That’s why I say no difference whether you’re fair or foul. That there should be gods at all, there’s our misery and bitter wrong. There’s no room for you and us in the same world. You’re a tree in whose shadow we can’t thrive. We want to be our own.” Our accusation becomes our answer. Self-centeredness is exposed in the complaint, “It is not just.” Orual and her sisters are educated by a Greek slave, the Fox. After delivering her complaint, she meets with him in the Shadowlands and asks “Are not the gods just?” to which he replies, “Oh no, child. What would become of us if they were?” photo by Katie McGuire
Each reading of the book is equally powerful for me. I find no end to the completeness which Lewis crafts each of his writings, but especially here, where it seems each paragraph contains a penetrating idea. Despite its depth, like all his books, it is intimately accessible. It is possible to simply read the story, but impossible to escape the very real questions Orual asks. Are the gods just? Are they fair? (Be forewarned that there are spoilers ahead…) The tale very nearly begins with the birth of Istra, and rushes head long to her being sacrificed to Ungit, or rather, Ungit’s son, the Shadowbrute. Orual, practically Istra’s mother, though forbidden to attend the sacrifice, secretes off to collect her bones for a proper burial. As a bereaved “mother,” she begins her complaint with what the gods take from us. As she nears the Mountain where the sacrifice occurred, she is overcome with a strange gladness. “Why should your heart not dance?” the countryside cries out to her. She reminds the reader,
I beg the gods spare me justice for this review; if I have failed to entice you, to lure you into an affair with this novel, show me mercy.
Next month: From the fetid floral language of Faulkner to the brevity and wit of O’Connor, this native of the north and current resident of the southwest is truly a southern writer. While his work may be familiar to many today thanks to a celebrity endorsement, many would only know the least of his novels thanks to a film. David Hutchison is the proprietor of the Book Tavern, located at 1026 Broad Street. David is best known for his unique ability to match the perfect book to a customer’s personality and being a veritable walking encyclopedia of literary works.
32 / april / verge
verge / april / 33
past times / the slusky building The Slusky Building located at 1015 Broad Street stands as a testament to the faith that generations of Augusta business people have had in our downtown. Each owner has been applauded for their investment in this site which in turn has benefited our community. A June 15, 1932, article in the Augusta Chronicle noted: “Instead of timidity in a time like this Mr. Slusky has shown his characteristic faith, vision and enterprise and he believes that there is a golden future ahead of Augusta.” Indeed, the golden future of downtown Augusta is upon us.
1886 David Slusky, a Russian immigrant and sheet metal worker by trade, established a business selling stoves, furnaces, tin roofing, galvanized iron, hard wood mantels and cornices.
1891 The Slusky business prospered allowing the proprietor to build a three- story building at 1015 Broad Street. Around 1905 David Slusky also built a fine Beaux-Arts style home located at 2605 Walton Way.
1919 Moses Slusky, son of David Slusky, joined the business. Later in life Moses Slusky also became a director in the Georgia Railroad Bank and Trust Co.
1931 Culpepper Brothers Furniture Company’s five-story building at 1021 Broad Street burned to the
Augusta: A Postcard History by Joseph M. Lee, III, courtesy of Historic Augusta [showing the 1891 Slusky Building that was damaged when the Culpeper Furniture Store Building collapsed in 1931]
ground on Sunday, October 24, 1931. Later that week on October 31, the burned out shell collapsed, causing enormous damage to the adjoining buildings, including the Slusky building, killing one woman in the ReelSimkins Seed Company building at 1027 Broad Street and injuring thirteen others. David Slusky and Son moved their business temporarily to 1033 Broad Street by November 6, 1931 and immediately made plans to construct a new building to replace their damaged one.
1932 The new Slusky building at 1015 Broad Street opened the week of June 14, 1932. The architect of the building was Willis Irvin and the general contractor was Hanford Anderson, Jr. It is an interesting coincidence to note that the foreman was John Daly, the son of T.J. Daly who was the foreman for the original Slusky building constructed in 1891. The façade of the two-story Art Deco style building was made of white glazed terra cotta and Vermont marble accented by satin bronze metal. Three stores were located on the first floor with apartments on the second. A warehouse at the rear of the new building housed the David Slusky and Son firm.
1946 The business changed its name to Slusky Builders’ Supplies Inc. after the death of David Slusky. At the time of his death, David Slusky was also the vice president of the National Exchange Bank.
1970s After the death of Moses Slusky in 1969, Slusky Builders’ Supplies Inc. merged with Maner Builders Supply Co. and the Slusky Building became the showroom of Augusta Gallery Office Furniture
1995 The owner of Augusta Gallery Office Furniture, Gail Williams,
rehabilitated
the Slusky Building on the interior and exterior, using the city’s façade rehabilitation program for the exterior work. A Preservation Award was presented to the owner by Historic Augusta, Inc. the following year.
Today
R.W. Allen and Associates purchased the building in 2007 and are currently renovating it to become their corporate headquarters.
by Julia Jackson / Historic Augusta • original rendering by Leigh Margaret Pearson
34 / april / verge
marketing for the people acquiring and maintaining targeted customers As Texas radio personality and politician Pappy O’Daniel once said “We ain’t one-at-a-timin’ here. We’re MASS communicating!” But is mass communication right for everyone? Have you taken a percentage of your company’s profits and set them aside for the purpose of advertising? If so, were you envisioning a huge colorful billboard, a TV commercial or a flashy website? Though it’s quite exhilarating to see your name in lights, diving in without research could shatter your budget and leave you with little return on your investment. Your product or service may have specific clientele and it may be wiser to cater your marketing to that crowd. Here are a few tips on acquiring and maintaining a targeted customer, and possibly doing it for a good price.
“it’s quite exhilarating to see your name in lights”
Finding this targeted clientele isn’t always the easy part. Your customers may be found through a number of methods including word of mouth, networking with complementary businesses that cater to the same clientele, using demographic mailing lists or asking around and finding out what your customers listen to, where they go, what they watch or even read. Once you discover these avenues, it should be a goal to get involved with them. Whether you spend time contributing to an online forum that deals with your product or investing in a single billboard that your targeted neighborhood must pass by daily, you should make the first move. Making this move requires quite a bit of brainstorming, and it’s more effective if you do it with a group of friends that will be honest and help tie your feet to the ground. If there is no current local interest or clientele avenue, then create one. Send invitations to some friends and ask them to bring more friends for an afterhours party with free drinks and refreshments. Be creative and think of some incentive to get people in the door. It’s cheaper to give away product you buy (or make) at a discount rather than paying cash for an non-targeted advertising spot with a risky return. If you have a service-based business, find a location and have an afternoon workshop. I’d love to learn a couple of electrical tips; how to properly fix a piece of pipe or even what to do in the state of an emergency. Some of you may say, why would I ever share anything from my trade; if I teach them to do this, why would they need me? The answer is this: you don’t have to share super in-depth information, it’s simply an opportunity to demonstrate that you know what you are doing, you’re trustworthy, you do it right and you actually care. You will be the first person I call when I need that service. Maintaining this clientele should been seen as creating relationships and these relationships often continue even if you switch industries. Investing in clients costs time and effort, but it doesn’t always have to come from your checkbook. For example, making the small effort to remember a customer’s name holds great value. Again, these are just a few tips on a targeted customer, and at later date, we’ll get more specific on the roles of larger and smaller marketing vehicles. Shane Thompson is the founder of Westobou, a local marketing and design firm. He’s from Augusta, and enjoys chatting about financially efficient and effective ways to market a small business.
verge / april / 35
river boat tours begin in april on the savannah river
The Patriot, an 85 passenger river boat, made its first launch into the Savannah River on March 25, 2008. Captain Jim Bradshaw will operate daily river boat tours beginning April 4, 2008. Tours will depart from the 10th Street dock at Hero’s Overlook on Riverwalk, behind the Marriott Hotel and Suites. Tours will be offered daily at 10:30am and 1:30pm. Two to three hour cruises will be offered on Friday and Saturday night and may include music and food. Reservations required. Daily one hour tours are $12 and the two hour tour is $20 per person. The boat is available for charter and begins at $355 for the first two hours and $100 an hour for every hour after. Captain Bradshaw and his wife Cindy purchased The Patriot, in Boston, Massachusetts. They drydocked the boat in Augusta and have spent the last 18 months working on its complete restoration. The boat is 16 feet wide and 51 feet in length. Captain Bradshaw graduated from Cape Fear Maritime College in Wilmington, NC in 1970 and has been operating passenger boats in Augusta for the last four years. Captain Jim Bradshaw at 803-7309739 for reservations and more information.
17th Annual Garden Festival April 25 to 27 Historic Sacred Heart Cultural Center in downtown Augusta, Georgia, will be the focus for classic southern gardening during its 17th Annual Garden Festival. Celebrate the advent of spring and support the magnificent Sacred Heart Cultural Center. See the finest examples of garden and floral displays created by the best designers in the area. Buy unique plants, shop at the marketplace, learn from well-known garden experts and authors and tour extraordinary private gardens. Entertainment, food and children’s nature crafts create a fun-filled three days for the garden enthusiasts and friends.
even more to see and do PAYBACK (Celebrate James Brown) an annual celebration of the Godfather of Soul Created by the Augusta Museum of History and hosted by the Soul Generals, PAYBACK (celebrate James Brown) pays tribute to the life and career of James Brown. On May 3rd, six bands will converge on downtown Augusta in a historic event featuring musicians who were greatly influenced by the Godfather of Soul. PAYBACK features The Doobie Brothers, Branford Marsalis, The Modern Skirts, Greg Hester & Friends, Swanee Quintet and James Brown’s band the Soul Generals. Each concert ticket also includes admission to the exhibit, The Godfather of Soul: Mr. James Brown, at the Augusta Museum of History, With hits including country tinged Black Water, the gospel rooted Taking It To the Streets, the bluesy Long Train Running, and the classic rock song, Jesus is Just Alright, The Doobie Brothers are recognized for incorporating various styles of music into their compositions, creating songs that truly define classification. World-renowned saxophonist, Branford Marsalis brings his innovative spirit and incomparable jazz. James Brown’s own band, The Soul Generals, will perform and host the festivities. Athens sends The Modern Skirts with their clever, catchy power pop and soaring harmonies. Augusta’s own Greg Hester (southern soul) and the Swanee Quintet (gospel) complete the line-up in this day-long event. Nancy Glaser, executive director of the Augusta Museum of History said, “Both Mr. Brown and The Doobie Brothers truly defied traditional popular music by crossing many different genres. We have worked hard to create a line-up for PAYBACK (celebrate James Brown) that stretches across the many musical genres which Mr. Brown influenced while keeping the ticket price affordable.” The Museum opens the first major exhibition dedicated to James Brown on the same day. The Godfather of Soul: Mr. James Brown follows Mr. Brown’s humble beginnings in Augusta, through his extensive musical career and ends with his incredible musical legacy and influence. The Augusta Museum of History’s James Brown committee chair, Roger Smith explains, “We have been planning the launch of an exhibition, The Godfather of Soul: Mr. James Brown, as a way to repay James Brown for all he gave to music and PAYBACK
(celebrate James Brown) is the perfect event to kick off that exhibition. All proceeds from the event will go right back into the museum so that we can continually grow this exhibit in James Brown’s honor.” Tickets to the event are on sale now at the Augusta Museum of History, all CSRA Wife Saver restaurants and online at www.TicketAlternative.com. Advance tickets to the event are just $35 and if tickets remain the day of the show, they will be $45. All children 5 and under will be admitted to PAYBACK (celebrate James Brown) free of charge. Each concert ticket also includes admission to the exhibit at the Augusta Museum of History, located at 560 Reynolds Street in Downtown Augusta. www. augustamuseum.org or 706.722.8454 For more information on PAYBACK (celebrate James Brown) visit www.PaybackJamesBrown.com and learn more about the event, the artists and Mr. James Brown!
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augusta music history 101 April Showers Bring Star Power As the Garden City excitedly prepares for golf ’s premiere annual event and the melee of musical festivities surrounding this year’s Spring Break celebration, we look back at our rich musical history that dates back years before that first tee-off in 1934. In fact, Augusta’s musical history can be traced back to well before the turn of the twentieth century, but most of the “star power” relating to artists with area connections turns up in the first half decade of the modern rock & roll era.
April 11, 1956 Having just been released in March Please Please Please, the debut single by James Brown and the Fabulous Flames quickly breaks into the R&B Top 10 peaking at #6 on April 11, 1956. The song, inspired by the Oriole’s song Baby, Please Don’t Go, was in Brown’s repertoire for nearly two years before manager Clint Brantley prompted the band to record the song. Originally released on the Federal label, Please Please Please was reissued by King Records in 1964 with overdubbed audience noise to give it the sound of a live recording in an attempt to capitalize on the success of the legendary Brown release Live at the Apollo.
April 3, 1961 to April 4, 1991 While Brenda Lee’s residency in Augusta cannot compare in length to that of the Godfather of Soul, major moments in the country legend’s early career can be attributed to Augusta. Having moved to Augusta in 1955, Lee appeared on WJAT-TV’s Peach Blossom Special and sang on a weekly radio show on WRDW from a record store in Augusta called “The Brenda Lee Record Shop.” Over the years, April would be filled with many of Lee’s accomplishments including her first appearance on British television on the teen show Oh Boy! on April 4, 1959. Lee’s chart-topping success would peak in the next four years as You Can Depend On Me hit #6 on the pop charts on April 3, 1961 and Losin’ You, Lee’s twelfth and final top ten pop hit, entered the charts two years later on April 6, 1963. Lee would go on to have continued success on the Country Music charts and on April 4, 1991 she released her last single You Better Do Better from the album “Brenda Lee.” Both album and single were the first of Lee’s not to be released on vinyl.
April 25, 1981 On April 25, 1981, Somebody’s Knockin’ by Terri Gibbs peaks at #9 on the Billboard pop charts. Gibbs, raised in Grovetown, learned to play the piano at three years of age despite being blind from birth. Somebody’s Knockin’, also a top ten hit on the country charts, was considered controversial at the time due to parts of the songs lyrics comparing a woman’s lover metaphorically to the Devil.
John “Stoney” Cannon is the creator of Augusta music resource Lokal Loudness and has been covering area music since 1992. Make it LOKAL...Keep it LOUD. For more information visit www.lokalloudness.com.
Classic Etta Jones Album Makes 2008 Grammy Hall of Fame The 1960 album, Don’t Go to Strangers, by Aiken, SC native Etta Jones was one of 70 recordings added to this year’s Grammy Hall of Fame. The album was Jones’ first release for indie jazz label Prestige and was recorded in a single session on June 21st of the same year of its release. Jones, who was raised in Harlem, GA, had already recorded several singles for RCA in 1947 and an album for KING Records in 1957. The title track broke the top 40 on the pop charts and reached number five on the R&B charts. Don’t Go to Strangers is a remastered RVG Edition, released on CD in 2006 by Prestige.
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MASTERS WEEK
GOLF MAGAZINE’S FAVORITE FOR GREAT FOOD AND LIVE ENTERTAINMENT
AUGUSTA’S FAVORITE FOR UPSCALE EVENTS
STEAKS CHOPS BURGERS SALADS
WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY
Happy Hour Daily
4-8pm
Live Entertainment. Party Under The Stars.
www.EatDrinkBeHappy.com 816 Cotton Lane @ Riverwalk
706-724-4511
8pm-until
Bluesy Rock ‘N Roll classics with Shameless Dave & the Miracle Whips Wednesday, Thursday & Friday, and Power Pop Rock with Infectious Hooks and Harmonies of The Edison Project on Saturday
724 Broad Street 706-722-2555
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march snapshot a quick look at march for your fridge First Friday: The Front Nine Zach Deputy at Stillwater
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The Princess & The Pea Augusta Lynx v SC Stingrays
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Artrageous Sunday at the Morris Abstract Collage – free
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Mayors Masters Reception No Country For Old Men
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ESPN Fight Night at the Bell First Take Film Festival
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Bayou Bleu at Soul Bar Shameless Dave at City Club
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First Friday: The Back Nine Christabel & The Jons
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Soulphonics at Soul Bar Sordid Lives at Le Chat
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Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Terra Cognita at the Morris
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Southern Fried Chicks Kent Ambler: Life in Relief
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Baked Art: Book Tavern Playback & Tutu Devine @ 209
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Tour de Georgia Stage 2 Race Expo in the Common
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April’s Bagatelles Bags That Give Back
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Sacred Heart Garden Show The Fence Sitters Rave
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Walk for Diabetes Rockin’ 4 The River
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Space Week: Fort Discovery Open Mic Night: Library
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