Archive for the ‘Entertainment’ Category
Clayton Center for the Arts tickets go on sale Friday
Friday is the big day — tickets go on sale for upcoming events at the almost-completed Clayton Center for the Arts, construction of which is wrapping up on the Maryville College campus.
Earlier this week, readers of The Daily Times got a glimpse of the new Steinway pianos in the recital hall; starting Friday, they can begin planning their social calendars around several of the events taking place at the center in the coming months. Those events include:
- Maryville High School Orchestra Valentine’s Day concert with special guest Mark Wagner: 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14. Tickets are $11 adults in advance/$14 at the door and $6 students.
- Jo Dee Messina: 8 p.m. Friday, March 26. Tickets are $36, $46 and $56.
- Grand opening gala: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 27. Tickets are $20.
- Contigula Brothers recital (benefit for the Adams Foundation, in the center’s Recital Hall): 2 p.m. Sunday, March 28. Tickets are $26 adults/$11 students.
- BANFF Film Festival: 2 p.m. Monday, March 29. Tickets are $10 advance/$12 day of screening.
- Delores Ziegler/John Wesley Wright vocal recital (in the Recital Hall): 8 p.m. Monday, March 29. Tickets are $15.
- Dr. Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys with Cherryholmes: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 29. Tickets are $24.50, $29.50 and $36.
- Ball in the House (five-man R&B vocal group): 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 30. Tickets are $20/$16 students/$11 Maryville College students
- “Our Town,” a production of the Maryville College Department of Theatre (in the center’s FLEX Theatre): Thursday, April 29 thru Sunday, May 2. $7/$5 Maryville College students
- Wood and Strings Puppet Theatre (in the FLEX Theatre): 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 14. $12 adults/$5 MC students
In addition, the Clayton Center for the Arts will serve as a local Tickets Unlimited outlet, allowing visitors to the box office to purchase tickets for most Tickets Unlimited events in the East Tennessee area. For more information, visit the center’s website, call the box office at 981-8590 or visit in person at 502 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway in Maryville. The box office opens for business at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 5.
Blount woman gets her shot on CMT’s ‘The Singing Bee’
Blount County resident Ashley King Marsh wasn’t too keen on trying out for CMT’s game show “The Singing Bee,” but her mama made her do it.
Sure, it seemed like a good idea at first, she told The Daily Times — after all, she’d been a fan of the show in its previous incarnation on NBC and its new life on the Country Music Television network.
“It’s 60 percent country and 40 percent rock or pop now, so it’s mainly geared for the country listener,” said Marsh, who — as a fill-in deejay for WIVK-FM, 107.7, had more than a passing knowledge of country music.
“I’m a big fan of the show and was following CMT on Twitter when they announced they were going to hold auditions in Nashville last November,” she added. “I started gathering friends and family to all go up and try out, but when the time got closer, they started slowly backing out on me. Well, my mom and I were going to be in Nashville that weekend anyway, and at first I didn’t want to do it.
“I told her, ‘I’m not going because nobody else wanted to do it,’ and she said, ‘Yes you are!’ It was like I was 12 years old again.”
Hesitant at first, the casting director for CMT encouraged her to sign up and give it a try. She did, she had fun and two days later, she got the call. The network flew her to Los Angeles, where “The Singing Bee” is taped; she recorded her segment the next day and flew out the day after that.
“It was really a surprise, because I didn’t think I would be picked,” said Marsh, who’s prohibited from revealing how far she made it or whether she won the $10,000 prize.
Back home, in addition to her radio duties, she’s the owner/director of Ashley’s Dance Academy in Seymour. She and her husband, Micah (who coaches basketball at Alcoa High School), have three daughters.
Marsh’s “Singing Bee” segment airs at 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 12.
Ashley King Marsh
A LOOK AHEAD: “The Shed,” the Foothills Fall Festival and GSMHC in 2010
In case you missed it, we’re breaking down the conversations we had in last Friday’s edition of Weekend with various movers and shakers in the local entertainment scene to give you an idea of how entertainment in 2010 is shaping up. Today: The Foothills Fall Festival, held every October in downtown Maryville; “The Shed” at Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson in Maryville; and the Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in Townsend.
FOOTHILLS FALL FESTIVAL, downtown Maryville
After a 10-year celebration that included record turnout and a performance by one of the biggest names in country music, how do you top it?
Why, prepare for the next decade, of course.
“We want to continue our tradition of a great weekend — great arts and crafts, great family fun and of course great concerts,” said Jane Groff, events coordinator for the City of Maryville and organizer of the town’s annual Foothills Fall Festival.
The good news is that the 11th year of the annual three-day combination of children’s activities, arts and crafts and live music has already been greenlit. The bad news is that the date has already been changed from the initially scheduled weekend.
“We originally scheduled it for the third weekend of the month without realizing that the early voting process needed to happen during those times, which would have required the Blount County Courthouse to be open,” Groff said. “With the festival being held right next door along the Greenbelt, that would have been difficult to manage.”
As it stands, this year’s Foothills Fall Festival will take place Oct. 8-10, although none of the performers have been announced. That won’t take place until late spring/early summer, but festival officials are already hard at work making the arrangements.
“There are some exciting opportunities on the horizon,” she said. “We’re waiting on tours to be scheduled to see who’s available in our area at the time, and we are interested in getting feedback from people about who they would be excited to see. If they match up, we’ll seriously take a look at that.”
Although fan input — either through the festival website at www.foothillsfallfestival.com or by a message on the festival hotline (273-3445) — will be accepted any time, the sooner fans let their wishes be known, the more weight those suggestions will carry. In making them, fans should keep in mind that while the lineup has been known to change over the years, the arrangement of classic rock on Friday nights and country on Saturday and Sunday has meant a sell-out for the past three years.
“There are still quite a few big (classic rock) bands out there touring, and they seem to be meeting a need at the festival,” Groff said. “We’ll continue to look in that direction because we have a few options. It depends on who they are and how they fit our budget.”
Festival organizers are also enthusiastic to showcase additional local talent, Groff said. The deadline for local performers to submit a press kit to the festival’s Local Entertainment Committee, she added, is April 1.
“THE SHED” AT SMOKY MOUNTAIN HARLEY-DAVIDSON, 1820 W. Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville
After gearing down for 2009 (at least in terms of the previous year), Aaron Snukals — marketing and special events manager for Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson in Maryville — has found firm footing as a new year dawns.
As a result, he and his co-workers are revving the throttle and planning for an action-packed 2010.
Already, they’ve announced a series of winter concerts called “The Shed Unplugged,” the first time SMH-D has offered live music during the colder months of the year. On the website, April 3 is listed as the target date for the beginning of “The Shed” concert series, and right now, planning for it is under way big-time, Snukals told us earlier this week.
“We’re working on two festival weekends — Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends — that will be three days of fun, music and motorcycles,” he wrote to us in an e-mail. “We’re working on more video monitors for the front of hoouse, as well as the side, so you can see what’s going on stage while you eat. (We’re also installing) permanent sides on ‘The Shed’ that can be rolled down in bad weather.
Artist we hope to have here in 2010: Todd Snider, Goose Creek Symphony, Unknown Hinson, Cross Canadian Ragweed, The Hackensaw Boys, Billy Joe Shaver, Vodoo lounge, Devon Allman, Leon Russell, The Boxmasters, Marshall Tucker Band, The D.B. Bryant Band, Fred Eaglesmith and The Kentucky Headhunters.”
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS HERITAGE CENTER, 123 Cromwell Drive, Townsend
The Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in Townsend experienced a great deal of success in 2009 — which makes center officials even more enthusiastic about the possibilities of 2010, Marketing Director Nancy Williams told The Daily Times this week.
“The music series have been very popular,” Williams said. “In 2009, the crowds were larger than ever, and it was a mix of different kinds of music — it doesn’t seem to matter. The turnouts have been excellent, and on Friday nights, this seems to be the place to be. We’ll definitely continue that on Friday nights with our Sunset Music Series this summer and the fall concert series.”
New for 2010 — an April 30 concert by the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, the first time the full organization has performed at the center. In addition, a woodcarving festival will be held in September, but perhaps more importantly for familiar visitors is the continuation of old favorites, Williams said — the fifth annual Appalachian Celebration in July, held in conjunction with the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont; the annual Memorial Day concert; and the Blue Ribbon Country Fair, slated for Sept. 25.
“Last year, we had 800 people here for the fair in the pouring rain,” Williams said. “It remains our most popular festival. And we have other things in the works, but we’re not far enough along to announce them just yet.”
A LOOK AHEAD: The Clayton Center for the Arts in 2010
In case you missed it, we’re breaking down the conversations we had in last Friday’s edition of Weekend with various movers and shakers in the local entertainment scene to give you an idea of how entertainment in 2010 is shaping up. Today: The Clayton Center for the Arts, the brand new building on the Maryville College campus, and an interview with Marketing Director John Cherry.
Perhaps no other venue, organization or entertainment possibility holds more promise for Blount County in the new year than the Clayton Center for the Arts, set to open its doors this month after a long period of construction.
According to Marketing Director John Cherry, organizers and Maryville College officials plan to use the first few months of 2010 to showcase the facility’s grandeur, elegance and possibilities.
“I think in our first three or four months, the people of East Tennessee will see a very good sample of what they can expect in a full year season,” Cherry said. “We knew early on that the Clayton Center would not be able to be the single venue for a specific art form. There’s the Ryman (Auditorium, in Nashville) for country music and obviously famous museums for art. What we were looking to be was a place where no matter what your favorite art genre is, you can find a sample of it over the course of a season at the Arts Center.
“That’s why we have a children’s production and a high school orchestra production scheduled for February, and for our grand opening a choir performance, a big name in country music and the big gala with dance, music and theater. That’s why we have a piano concert scheduled for a Sunday and a film festival on a Monday. When you add all three art galleries that will have works on display when they open in late February or March, we hope to be a little bit to everyone, no matter what your favorite art form is.”
In planning one of the venue’s first public debuts, Cherry said, planners sought to book a name would resonate with local residents — and pay tribute to the region’s Appalachian legacy. Securing bluegrass legend Dr. Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys for an April perfformance is a point of pride, he added.
“One of the first things we knew we had to get in the first couple of months was a bluegrass show,” Cherry said. “Appalachian music is unique to our area, and we have a tremendous number of bluegrass performers in Blount County and Tennessee. To get a good bluegrass show in the early months was one of our priorities.
“We also want to scratch the itch of all the art forms that we possibly can. That’s why we’re bringing in a puppet theater in May, an a cappella pop group after Ralph Stanley and a big name like (country star) Jo Dee Messina (performing March 26). But when I came on board in October, our executive director (Robert Hutchens) told us that we had to get something bluegrass.”
The $47.3 million fine arts complex consits of two separate buildings connected by an outdoor plaza. The main facility boasts a grand foyer with 40-foot ceilings, the 1,200-seat performance hall, a smaller theater for in-the-round shows and rehearsal and practice rooms. The secondary building holds community and student art galleries, classrooms and administrative offices. It will, Cherry said, be the centerpiece of the campus.
“We’re hoping, obviously, that the opening of this center will help Maryville College,” he said. “The Fine Arts Department — this is their home. They lost two buildings when construction began, the Fine Arts Building and Wilson Chapel, and now that they’re moving in, they all will be represented in this building on a daily basis. For perspective students to have these performance spaces belong to their curriculum is just phenomenal.
“There are very few colleges the size of Maryville College with 1,100 students that have this kind of facility for their arts departments. Sharing it with Jo Dee Messina, (vocal-pop group) Ball in the House and (the children’s musical) ‘Chasing George Washington’ is going to be a great opportunity for Maryville College arts students.”
Ticket prices for the new facility’s upcoming concerts have not been set, but organizers hope to keep many of them — especially for the Ralph Stanley performance — affordable to families on a modest budget. The center’s new website will go online Jan. 15, Cherry said, and individual ticket prices will be announced then.
“For concerts like Dr. Stanley and Jo Dee Messina, we’ll typically have three prices — seating in the orchestra pit, which can be raised, will be one price; the main part of the house will be another price; and then the corners of the house will be a third price,” Cherry said. “Much of it will depend on what it takes to bring the show to the stage, and of course the desires of the artists that some tickets be priced at a certain level. But we want people to see these performances without breaking their budgets.”
As for the rest of 2010, Cherry added, center organizers await plans for the 2010-11 academic year, which runs from September to May, before finalizing additional performance dates.
“The college organizations and departments will establish their performance dates during the month of January, so on Feb. 1, we’ll start to work in earnest on filling the rest of the performance calendar,” he said. “We have several genres we want to get in there, and we’ve identified a short list of what we’d like to go after — things like another bluegrass show or a Broadway style of performance. We’re hoping to announce the major elements of the 2010-11 season during the grand opening weekend.”
2009: The Year in Interviews!
LOCAL
Southbound (cover story)
The Drunk Uncles: (cover story)
Jonathan Sexton and The Big Love Choir (cover story)
Whitechapel (front page story)
Dirty Guv’nahs 1 (cover story)
Royal Bangs (cover story)
R.B. Morris (cover story)
Maryville Metal Fest (cover story)
Brandy Robinson (cover story)
Scott Miller (cover story)
The Black Lillies (cover story)
Teenage Love13 (cover story)
Jill Andrews
Drunk Uncles 1
Whitechapel
The Dirty Guv’nahs
Skyfall
Mic Harrison and The High Score
Homer Hart
“Sneaky” Pete Rizzo
Color of Fate
Bellfield
Senryu
Ian Thomas
Soundtrack Black
Robinella: Final Barley’s gig
Mountain Folk Reunion
Cain and Annabelle
Diacon-Panthers
The Dirty Works
Seeing Skies
Kings County Gumbo
John Myers
The Dirty Gunnz
Christopher Scum
Bright Shining Lie
J.C. and The Dirty Smokers
Sisters of the Silver Sage
Kevin Abernathy Band
Scott McMahan
Facelock
Awake the Suffering
Madeline Ava
The Retroholics
The LoneTones
1220
Dishwater Blonde
The American Plague
Mr. Kobayashi
Roscoe Morgan
Johnson Swingtet
Cutthroat Shamrock
Van Eaton
Steve Kaufman
Taylor Brown
Mumbillies
Panorama
Allen Swank
Flashback
Angel Zuniga Martinez
The Akashic Mysteries
Jamie Cook
Dig 6 Down
Avenue C Band
Brad Walker Orchestra
COUNTRY
Mark Stuart and the Bastard Sons
Darius Rucker
Eric Church
Jamey Johnson
Chris Knight
Mindy Smith
Patty Loveless
Chris Young
Sawyer Brown
Rodney Atkins
Justin Moore
Trailer Choir
April Taylor
Little Big Town
Mickey Raphael (Willie Nelson’s harmonica player)
COMEDY
Bill Cosby
Margaret Cho
Bean and Bailey
Ralphie May
Lewis Black
BLUES/BLUES-ROCK
John D’Amato
Webb Wilder: January feature
Webb Wilder
Bill Sheffield
Deb Callahan
Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials
Devon Allman’s Honeytribe
Steepwater Band
J.J. Grey and Mofro
Charlie Morris Band
Wreckless Eric and Amy Rigby
T-Model Ford
Geoff Achison
Scissormen
Zac Harmon
Shawn Kellerman
Bex Marshall
Damon Fowler
Harmonica Red
The Breeze Kings
Biscuit Miller and the Mix
Willie “Big Eyes” Smith
SINGER-SONGWRITER
Toby Lightman
Louise Mosrie
Hamell on Trial
Brett Dennen
A.A. Bondy: “Those American Hearts”
A.A. Bondy
Ari Hest
George McConnell
William Fitzsimmons
Vienna Teng
Paul Thorn
Denitia Odigie
Leon Redbone
Matt Urmy
Joan Baez
Dar Williams
Chris Trapper
James McMurtry
Colin Hay
Mark Wagner
Andrew Bird
Richard Lloyd
Eugene Chadbourne
Malcolm Holcombe
Jennie DeVoe
Matt Butcher
Eleni Mandell
Matthew Perryman Jones
ELECTRONIC
Imogen Heap
Ana Sia
Health
Dan Deacon
Peaches
Gil Mantera’s Party Dream
CHRISTIAN
MercyMe
Disciple
NewSong
Chris Tomlin
NeedToBreathe
Third Day
Stryper
Fireflight
Skillet
FINE ARTS, CULTURE, EVENTS, VENUES
Hard Knox Roller Girls
Broadway at the Tennessee: “Hairspray”
Broadway at the Tennessee: “Sweeney Todd”
Broadway at the Tennessee: “Stomp”
Broadway at the Tennessee: “The Wizard of Oz”
Appalachian Ballet Company: “Nutcracker”
Appalachian Ballet Company: spring production
Appalachian Ballet Company: “Blue Jeans and Ballet”
The Rockettes
Vice City
Maryville College: Fine Arts Showcase
Maryville College: Fine Arts preview
Activism on the Maryville College campus
Maryville College Theatre Department: “The Things They Carried”
Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Concert Series
Stonewall Gardens
Boomsday
Knoxville Symphony Orchestra: season preview
Maryville High School Drama: “Wizard of Oz”
Spring and summer festival season
Knoxville Opera: “Rigoletto”
Big Ears Festival
Kodo
BLUEGRASS/AMERICANA
North Mississippi Allstars
Indigo Girls
Hill Country Revue: Cody Dickinison reflects on his father’s death
Stacie Collins
Donna Hughes
Slobberbone
Kindling Stone
Dave Rawlings Machine
Joe Buck Yourself
Just Us Bluegrass Band
Two Man Gentlemen Band
Tennessee Hollow
Alejandro Escovedo
Bloodkin
Drive-By Truckers
Lambchop
Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time
The Corduroy Road
Andy Friedman and the Other Failures
Reckless Kelly
Lucero: February cover story
Lucero
Carrie Rodriguez
Wayne “The Train” Hancock
Justin Townes Earle
Kathleen Edwards
Steve Smith
Jason Isbell
BeauSoleil
Felice Brothers
The Baker Family
Blue Mother Tupelo
Todd Snider
Those Darlins
Hokum’s Heroes
The Duhks
Caddle
Deadstring Brothers
The Defibulators
Ray Wylie Hubbard
Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers
Rose’s Pawn Shop
Alecia Nugent
The Moaners
John Cowan
The New Familiars
Larry Keel
Blair Crimmins and The Hookers
Old Crow Medicine Show
Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson
Connor Christian and Southern Gothic
Star and Micey
Brand New Strings
Carbon Leaf
John Reischman and The Jaybirds
The Gourds
King Wilkie
Band of Heathens
Hank III
Chris Berardo and The Desberardos
Dave Alvin
Michael Ford Jr. and The Apache Relay
METAL
Mudvayne
LA Guns
Drowning Pool
Hatebreed
Pelican
Lacuna Coil
Lamb of God
Chimaira
Gojira
Mobile Deathcamp
Megadeth
ROCK/POP/PUNK
Tommy Tutone
Bad Boy Troy
Meat Puppets
Rusted Root
Terry Young: “A Tribute to Elvis”
Tesla
Superdrag
Steven Adler
Bret Michaels
The Academy Is …
311
Hoobastank
Gym Class Heroes
Peter Cetera
X
Fiction Family
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Red Collar
The Last Straw
Blackberry Smoke
Bueller
Agent Orange
David Cook
Psychostick
Collective Soul
Cracker
Adrian Belew Power Trio
Chevelle
The Machine: A Tribute to Pink Floyd
Molly Hatchet
Melvins
Little River Band
Kansas
The Black Crowes
Sonic Youth
Les Claypool
INDIE
Amanda Palmer
Lights
The Fall of Troy
Port O’Brien
The Boxer Rebellion
Great Lake Swimmers
Silversun Pickups
Yo La Tengo
Fruit Bats
DD/MM/YYYY
Matt and Kim
Frances
Vetiver
The Rosebuds
Darsombra
Peelander-Z
Against Me!
John Paul Keith and the 145s
A Hawk and a Hacksaw
Elvis Perkins in Dearland
Black Moth Super Rainbow
Barcelona
Wand
Jay Reatard
R&B/SOUL/HIP-HOP/REGGAE/DANCE
The Dynamites feat. Charles Walker
Gorilla Zoe
De La Soul
The Afromotive
Future
The Wailers
Space Capone
New Edition
Arrested Development
Disco Biscuits
Lotus
JAZZ/WORLD MUSIC/AVANT GARDE
Don Byron
Jon Hassell
Wendy Sutter
Grupo Fantasma
Celtic Woman
James Blackshaw
Pink Martini
A LOOK AHEAD: Big Ears Festival 2010
In case you missed it, we’re breaking down the conversations we had in last Friday’s edition of Weekend with various movers and shakers in the local entertainment scene to give you an idea of how entertainment in 2010 is shaping up. Today: Big Ears Festival 2010, a conversation with AC Entertainment founder/CEO Ashley Capps.
Despite his profile as one of the brainchilds behind Bonnaroo and the guy who gave his initials to East Tennessee entertainment corporation AC Entertainment, it’s doubtful even Ashley Capps could have convinced music writers at publications like The New York Times or Pitchfork that an avant garde music festival held in his hometown would be a massive success.
So he didn’t set out to do so. He just planned his first Big Ears Festival, held last February, and let fate take care of the rest.
As it turns out, the event was more successful than even Capps could have hoped — and if you look at his track record, the guy has an uncanny knack for calling these things. Simply pulling it off was a coup; having it so well-received by fans, artists and the media has made anticipation and buzz for Big Ears 2010 even bigger.
“The first Big Ears was really an idea I had been thinking about and contemplating for several years,” Capps told The Daily Times during a recent interview. “The big excitement was finally launching it in the first place after having thought about it and talked about it for such a long time. And from the artists and the audiences that attend, it was very affirming and gave us a lot of fuel for continuing to develop the concept and bring it up to another level for 2010.”
Already, the initial lineup has been announced — legendary Minimalist composer Terry Riley was introduced as the artist-in-residence for this years festival (scheduled for March 26-28 at various venues in downtown Knoxville), and earlier this month, the big names were rolled out: Vampire Weekend, Joanna Newsom, St. Vincent, Andrew W.K., The Ex, Gang Gang Dance, Clogs, 802 Tour (Nico Muhly/Doveman/Sam Amidon with Nadia Sirota), The xx, Javelin, DJ/Rupture (solo), DJ/Rupture and Andy Moor, My Brightest Diamond, the Calder Quartet, Gyan Riley and jj.
For some, it was a surprise; last year’s focus on avant garde music was groundbreaking, but this year’s talent seems to have more of a pop element. Given that it’s likely Big Ears will be a part of the East Tennessee entertainment scene for years to come, get used to such changes, Capps said.
“It was never the intention of Big Ears to create a strictly avant garde music festival,” he said. “That doesn’t interest me that much. I love avant garde music, but the principle was to bring that world together with other musical worlds. From the beginning, the limitless ideas has been a beautifl thing to me, and I think that’s been part of the success. Who knows? It may not always be an annual event; I can imagine it happening several weekends a year, each having a different character and focus to it.
“(In 2009), we had too many options. We had a wealth of possibilities, and ultimately you have to make decisions about what you feel works and what you feel might work better … in a slightly different context, and so forth and so on. I like improvisation, but you always start with a basic theme. This year, we have two — Terry Riley, and the secondary theme is taking some of that influence he’s had in the world of pop music and exploring some of those connections, many of which may not be obvious to anyone except me.”
Making those sorts of connections — whether they’re music or business-related — has made Capps the success that he is. Not only does his company book and manage both The Tennessee Theatre and The Bijou Theatre in downtown Knoxville, it contributes booking to other venues (such as The Valarium), organizes such events as Bonnaroo and Sundown in the City and has now moved into the realm of artist management, taking on two particularly talented clients — ukulele phenom Julia Nunes, and banjo goddess Abigail Washburn.
His radar for both the not-so-obvious is what makes Big Ears 2010 so appealing — wondering how it will work within the confines of the Big Ears concept is intriguing. Add to that the addition of a musician like Andrew W.K. — known by casual fans for such hits as “Party Hard” — and it gets even more interesting. Capps, however, sees it as a gleeful sort of opportunity to throw the Big Ears hipsters who fawned over a group like Antony and the Johnsons at last year’s festival a curveball … to in fact force them outside of their comfort zone, should they choose to participate again this year.
“To what extent I was aware of him, I put him in the box of being a guy who does party music,” Capps said. “But when I started talking to a string quartet about coming to perform Terry Riley’s music, which they’ve been doing for years, they started talking about all of these projects they were doing, and one was with Andrew W.K. I had heard about the tour they did together, and I started checking out the YouTube video and talking to Andrew’s manager, and I myself became aware that this is an amazing artist who’s pushing himself on a number of different fronts.
“To me, it’s completely consistent in keeping with what the Big Ears vision is. The last thing in the world I want is for Big Ears to become a predictable thing. It’s extremely important for me that it’s full of surprises.”
And if it gives Knoxville a little share of the limelight, showcasing East Tennessee as a place where the unusual and the magical can happen alongside the traditional, then all the better. Obviously, Capps and his crew don’t have to put on Big Ears in East Tennessee — if they can take several hundred acres of Middle Tennessee farmland and turn it into Bonnaroo, they could probably put on Big Ears in just about any city. But it works, and Capps is glad of that.
“There’s a certain assumption by some people that it’s our homebase and where we are, and there might be a little bit of truth to that, but I really believe that Knoxville is a fabulous place to do it,” he said. “Part of that has to do with the way Knoxville’s downtown has rebounded and become an exciting place to be. There’s a tremendous amount of character to it — so many historic buildings and downtown businesses that are unique, and if you add that to the fact that we have these fantastic venues all within walking distance of one another, it’s really easy to figure out. We chose Knoxville because of that infrastructure.
“I was pleasantly surprised by how much the press and so many of the artists and fans have embraced Knoxville. One of the artists from last year’s festival is planning to move here because he really enjoyed the experience so much.”
New comedy show coming to the Old City
Patrick Sullivan’s Saloon, 100 N. Central St. in Knoxville’s Old City, is already home to the incredibly gifted improv comedy group Einstein Simplified, which performs there every Tuesday evening. Now, it seems, the venue will hold another night of comedy, this time on Thursdays.
Starting Feb. 4, “Old City Comedy” will take place upstairs at Patrick Sullivan’s at 9 p.m. According to the info on Brown Paper Tickets:
This is the first Old City Comedy event at Patrick Sullivan’s! Please join Old City Comedy in welcoming comedian Mello Mike! Mello Mike has been a finalist in comedy contests all over the Southeastern United States. He has performed across the country and will be headlining the comedy cancer benefit Laughing for Life two nights later in Wilmington, North Carolina. Don’t miss your chance to see Mello live for the first time in Knoxville!
Featuring for the evening will be comedian Nick Shaheen. Nick has performed all over the region and has his own comedy night in Greenville, South Carolina at The Gathering Spot every tuesday night. He has been seen at The Laughing Skull in Atlanta and as a headlining comic for The Crackers of Comedy Tour. Nick is not afraid to say anything!
Opening the show will be Knoxville comedian Nick Edgman. Nick performs regularly at Sidesplitters in Knoxville and also can be seen at Winotheater and has performed at The Comedy Zone!
Hosting the show will be comedian/mc “Super Cat” Matt Ward. Matt has been appearing in front of crowds since 2001 performing comedy for crowds as large as 7,000 at the Community Festival in Columbus, Ohio and nearly 5,000 at Xfest in Kinston, North Carolina (performing between Flyleaf and Chevelle). More recently he is featuring at Laughing for Life II, a charity comedy show in Wilmington, North Carolina and is the founder of Old City Comedy!
Don’t miss this great first show at Patrick Sullivan’s!”
Admission is $7. Click on the above link to order your tickets online, or call Patrick Sullivan’s at 637-4255. You can also check out the venue online.
New Year’s Eve 2009: A comprehensive roundup of East Tennessee events and activities!
Trying to figure out what to do on Thursday for New Year’s Eve? Here are some possibilities:
- 4620 REINVENTED, 4620-A Kingston Pike, Knoxville: Rock in 2010 with the Blue Heaven Swing Band White Lightnin’ Burlesque; doors open at 7 p.m. and the show begins at 10 p.m. Admission is $10 and includes a complimentary champagne toast at midnight; cab rides will be provided to and from 4620 all evening. “Dress to impress,” the flyer says. Call 558-0183 for more information.
- “ALIVE AFTER FIVE” at the Knoxville Museum of Art, 1050 World’s Fair Park Drive downtown Knoxville: “Alive into 2010!” will feature live music by Teeny Tucker and Slow Blind Hill starting at 8:30 p.m., an all-night buffet from F.A.T.S. BBQ (transforming into a breakfast/brunch buffet before midnight), party favors, a midnight champagne toast and a view of the downtown fireworks. Admission is $50 and $60 for reserved seats/$40 general admission; call 525-6101 for more information.
- BAKER-PETERS JAZZ CLUB, 9000 Kingston Pike, Knoxville: Tracy Ozier performs at 9 p.m., and a special dinner package — featuring gourmet food by executive chef Ali Ayesh — starts at $55 per person/$99 per couple; it includes the meal, the entertainment and a champagne toast at midnight. For the show only, it’s $10. For the menu, visit the restaurant online at www.bakerpeters.com or call 690-8110.
- BARLEY’S TAPROOM, 200 E. Jackson Ave., Knoxville’s Old City: It’s a night of funk-soul goodness from Nashville R&B future-brother Space Capone with local band The Big Deuce starting at 9 p.m.; the cover is $7. Call 521-0092 for more information.
- BIG DADDY’S, 2641 Highway 411 S., Maryville: Confederate Groove will provide the live music, and the cover charge includes a dinner buffet, party favors and a champagne toast at midnight. Things get started at 9 p.m., and admission is $25 person/$40 couple. Call 977-5057 for more info.
- THE BIJOU THEATRE, 803 S. Gay St., downtown Knoxville: Scott Miller and The Commonwealth and Mic Harrison and The High Score are the musical guests of the evening, with the concert starting at 9 p.m.; however, doors open at 7:30 p.m., and the University of Tennessee/Virginia Tech bowl game will be shown in the upstairs gallery. Tickets are $30, but special hotel room packages at the nearby Hilton are available; call 522-0832 for more information.
- BRACKINS BLUES BAR, 112 E. Broadway Ave., downtown Maryville: Big Mike Griffin will provide the live music starting at 9 p.m., and the $10 cover charge includes a chance to win door prizes, party favors, food and more. Call 983-9800 for more information.
- THE CROWN AND GOOSE, 123 S. Central St., Knoxville’s Old City: Three seatings — at 5 ($55), 7 ($65) and 9 p.m. ($65) — will feature a seven-course meal, a complimentary champagne toast at midnight and R&B/soul music by Soulfinger at 9 p.m. Call 524-2100 for more information.
- DOWNTOWN GRILL AND BREWERY, 424 S. Gay St., downtown Knoxville: Chattanooga funk-soul outfit Dr. Vibe will rock the house at 11 p.m.; tickets are $11 in advance at the brewery or $13 the day of and include a champagne toast and a midnight breakfast buffet. For more information, call 633-8111.
- FIRST NIGHT KNOXVILLE: It’s “First Night,” a family-friendly, alcohol-free New Year’s Eve community celebration of the arts that encompasses venues and artists throughout the downtown area. First Night buttons are required for admission to indoor venues and are $10 in advance/$15 the day of and are available at all regional Pilot locations (and other select merchants), as well as online at www.firstnightknoxville.com. The venues/performers include: on the Market Square Stage, Aftah Party at 9 p.m. and Phil Pollard and His Band of Humans at 10:45 p.m.; at The Square Room, 4 Market Square, Sara Schwabe and Her Yankee Jass Band at 7 p.m. and Blair Crimmins and The Hookers at 8:15 p.m.; at the East Tennessee History Center, 600 Market Street, the Old City Buskers at 8 p.m.; at The Tennessee Theatre, 604 S. Gay St., children’s events begin at 3 p.m. and include performances by the Bonilla Family Puppets at 4:15 p.m., Dr. Bill Snyder on the Mighty Wurlitzer at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m., Sean and Phil (”Sing and Bang Along!”) at 6 p.m. and Farmer Jason at 8 p.m.; followed by an adult-oriented musical performance by Holy Ghost Tent Revival at 10 p.m.; at the Knoxville Visitor’s Center, 301 S. Gay St., Julie Lee at 7:15 p.m., The LoneTones at 8:45 p.m. and Jason Ringenberg at 10:15 p.m.; at the YWCA Gym, 420 W. Clinch Ave., it’s a night of dance with SalsaKnox at 7 p.m., steel drumming by Quincy Yeates at 8 p.m., Lucia’s Arte Y Pasiõn Flamenca at 9 p.m., Capoeira Fundo da Mata at 9:45 p.m. and Cuban/African dance music by Matias-Rocha y Nueva Trova at 10:30 p.m.; in the YWCA lounge, The Naughty Knots at 7:15 and 8:15 p.m., Rachel Pearl at 9:15 p.m. and Sara Schwabe at 10:15 p.m.; in the atrium of the Miller’s building, 445 S. Gay St., the First Presbyterian Handbell Choir at 7:15 p.m., Kathleen Bowman at 8:15 p.m., The Akashic Mysteries at 9:15 p.m. and Knoxville Opera Studio Artists at 10:30 p.m.; in the TVA West Tower auditorium, 400 W. Summit Hill Drive, ventriloquist Gene Cordova at 7 and 8 p.m. and improv troupe Einstein Simplified at 9 and 10:15 p.m.; at TVA Room 2, 400 W. Summit Hill Drive, Children’s Theatre of Knoxville at 7:30 p.m., acting troupe The Water Series at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. and Carpetbag Theatre at 9:30 p.m.; at the Farragut Building, 900 S. Gay St., it’s a night of visual art and ambient music starting at 7 p.m.; and at the Arnstein building, 505 Market St., it’s Shadhavar Belly Dance at 7:15 and 10:30 p.m., One World Circus at 7:45 p.m., Aerial Arts at 8:15 and 10 p.m. and Runaway Circus at 8:45 and 11 p.m. The night caps with a countdown, ball drop and fireworks display over Market Square at midnight. For more information, visit www.firstnightknoxville.com.
- IRISH TIMES PUB, 11348 Parkside Drive, West Knoxville: For $35 (cash only, purchased at the pub), you can take part in Irish Times third annual “New Year’s Eve Formal” featuring a 1960s theme, a champagne toast at midnight, a balloon drop, hors d’oveures and live music by British Invasion cover band The Invaders. Formal dress is strictly enforced — suits are OK, but a tuxedo is preferred. For more information, call 675-8800.
- LEVEL 10, 4525 Kingston Pike, Knoxville: “New Year’s Revolution 2010″ will feature live performances by hip-hop/electro-beats artists DJ Chris Glass, DJ Truly Grimy, DJ Wigs and DJ J-Mo, as well as 1980s synth-pop band from Atlanta Fishhawk. For more information, call 212-9728.
- MIDTOWN MUSIC VENUE, 513 Cooper St., Knoxville: Old City club The Pilot Light is throwing its NYE shindig at Midtown to accommodate the larger crowds that will undoubtedly turn out to hear Knoxville faves the Royal Bangs, performing with Warband with Three Man Band. DJ Megalon Esquire will spin between sets and afterward; it starts at 10 p.m. and admission is $10.
- MULLIGAN’S, 8923 Linksvue Drive, West Knoxville: Kimber Cleveland with Jimmy Ray and Leisa at 7 p.m.; free
- NATER’Z SPORTS GRILL, 510 N. Foothills Plaza Drive, Maryville: The R&B/Motown party band Smooth Groove will handle the evening’s entertainment, and admission ($20 per person/$30 per couple) gets you complimentary appetizers and a midnight champagne toast. For more information, call 980-0505.
- PAR-T-PUB, 608 Ellis Ave., Maryville: It’s free to get in; entertainment will be provided by Hot Rocket DJ; drink specials, giveaways and champagne at midnight are part of the fun. It begins at 8 p.m.; call 984-4251 for more information.
- PATRICK SULLIVAN’S SALOON, 100 N. Central St., Knoxville’s Old City: For $8, you get a champagne toast at midnight and music by three bands — the Tim Lee 3, the Kevin Abernathy Band and the new outfit led by Jake Winstrom, formerly of Knoxville indie-pop sensations Tenderhooks. It starts at 9 p.m., and admission is $8. Call 637-4255 for more information.
- PRESERVATION PUB, 28 Market Square, downtown Knoxville: The $10 cover charge gets you into the “Caribbean Holiday”-themed event, featuring steel drum band Ramajay Intercoastal at 10 p.m. and a “champagne” toast of beer at midnight. Call 524-2224 for more information.
- THE PRINCE SPORTS BAR AND MUSIC HALL, 509 Lovell Road, West Knoxville: The Maryville/Knoxville party/cover band Big Trouble rocks the house at 9 p.m.; admission is $5. Call 777-4770 for more information.
- ROOKIE’S, 134 N. Peters Road, West Knoxville: Cover/party band The Retroholics will ring in the New Year t 10 p.m.; admission is $5. Call 691-0219 for more information.
- SAPPHIRE, 428 S. Gay St., downtown Knoxville: It’s the fifth Annual New Year’s Eve “A Black and White Affair Prix Fixe Dinner” with two seatings — from 5-7 p.m. and from 7:30-10:30 p.m.. Cost is $69 per person with optional five-course wine pairing for $29 extra. For more information, call 637-8181.
- SASSY ANN’S HOUSE OF BLUES, 820 Fourth Ave. N., Knoxville: Doors open at 9 p.m. for a New Year’s Eve party featuring a request-taking deejay, dancing, party favors and a midnight champagne toast for $6. Call 525-5839 for information.
- “THE SHED” at Smoky Mountain Harley-Davidson, 1820 W. Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville: It’s a night of Southern rock featuring Blackberry Smoke with Stacie Collins at 8 p.m., and there are three options to attend — purchasing an individual ticket for $25; a “Dragon Package” ticket, which includes two show tickets, two T-shirts, two tokens to the barbecue buffet, party favors and a champagne toast at midnight, for $99; and a number of VIP packages, which include all of the above plus shuttle service to a nearby hotel for $159-$229. To purchase tickets or for additional information, go online to www.smh-d.com or call 977-1669.
- SIDE SPLITTERS COMEDY CLUB, 9746 Park West Blvd., West Knoxville: There are two shows planned for New Year’s Eve, both featuring comedians Frankie Paul and Karen Fitzgerald. The first, at 7:30 p.m.; features a complimentary champagne toast and costs $13 in advance/$15 the day of; the secon, at 10 p.m., costs $55 in advance/$60 the day of and includes an open bar from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., champagne during the midnight countdown, party favors, dancing afterward and a complimentary breakfast. Call 934-5233 for more information.
- SIX POCKETS SPORTS GRILL, 7204 Asheville Highway, Knoxville: Southern rockers Nuthin’ Fancy will ring in the New Year at 9 p.m.; admission is $5. Call 524-9303 for more information.
- SMOKY MOUNTAIN BREWERY, 11308 Parkside Drive, West Knoxville: Feeling like some football action? The brewery will screen the Chik-Fil-A Bowl on the 140-inch HD screen at 7 p.m., and local cover band the RMS Band will ring in 2010. And admission is free. Call 288-5500 for more information.
- SOBU LOUNGE, 6213 Kingston Pike SW, Knoxville: The Old City’s 90 Proof Nightclub moves its NYE shindig to a bigger venue and will host deejays BootySweat, Selektro, Spooky Jones, TX 300 and Gregory Alan starting at 10 p.m. Admission is $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Call 474-1038 for more information.
- THE SQUARE ROOM, 4 Market Square, downtown Knoxville: R&B funk/soul band Dishwater Blonde will ring in 2010 starting at 10 p.m.; admission is $15, and proceeds benefit the Knox Area Rescue Ministries. Amenities include a champagne toast at midnight and a breakfast buffet at 1 a.m. The Hampton Inn in downtown Knoxville is offering hotel packages for those who want to stay downtown. Call 544-4199 for more information.
- THUNDERWORLD USA, 1559 W. Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville: It’s a New Year’s Eve dance party from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., featuring a balloon drop and a champagne toast at midnight, prize giveaways, drink specials and more. It’s free to attend, but bowling and games are pay-to-play. For more information, call 981-3399.
- TWO DOORS DOWN, 118 E. Broadway Ave., downtown Maryville: It’s a night of revelry featuring live music from the Dixie Highway Band and The Dirty Dougs starting at 9 p.m.; party favors; champagne at midnight; and an Italian buffet. Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 on the day of the shindig. Call 980-7771 for more information.
- THE VALARIUM, 940 Blackstock Drive, Knoxville’s Warehouse District: The weekly dance party known at “Voodoo” takes over the complex on New Year’s Eve, and there’s a heck of a deal — a room for two, transportation between the venue and the downtown Hilton and two tickets to the party, all for $99. That price is reserved for the first 75 packages, however; after that, the price jumps to $119 plus tax. Call 522-2820 for more information.
- WATERFRONT BAR AND GRILL, 404 Greenbelt Drive, Maryville: It’s free to get in the door, but space is limited, so it’s first-come, first-serve. Get there early. The cover greats Smoke ‘n’ Mirrors will rock the house starting at 9 p.m. Call 681-1212 for more information.
- WILD WING CAFE, 11335 Campbell Lakes Drive, West Knoxville: Want music? Super Dave 5 and DJ Stan have you covered. There’s also a champagne fountain with a complimentary glass of bubbly at midnight (when the venue will do a balloon drop as well), free party favors, drink specials and more. It kicks off at 9 p.m., and tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door or $75 for a hotel package at the nearby Baymont Inn. Call 777-9464 for more information.
2009 in words: Weekend interviews — comedy, country, electronic, singer-songwriter, blues/blues-rock, Christian and fine arts/culture!
Continuing our look back at the interviews of 2009 … here are links to those we did with a number of regional and national artists!
COUNTRY
Mark Stuart and the Bastard Sons
Mickey Raphael (Willie Nelson’s harmonica player)
COMEDY
BLUES/BLUES-ROCK
Webb Wilder: January feature
Lil’ Ed and the Blues Imperials
SINGER-SONGWRITER
A.A. Bondy: “Those American Hearts”
ELECTRONIC
CHRISTIAN
FINE ARTS, CULTURE, EVENTS, VENUES
Broadway at the Tennessee: “Hairspray”
Broadway at the Tennessee: “Sweeney Todd”
Broadway at the Tennessee: “Stomp”
Broadway at the Tennessee: “The Wizard of Oz”
Appalachian Ballet Company: “Nutcracker”
Appalachian Ballet Company: spring production
Appalachian Ballet Company: “Blue Jeans and Ballet”
Maryville College: Fine Arts Showcase
Maryville College: Fine Arts preview
Activism on the Maryville College campus
Maryville College Theatre Department: “The Things They Carried”
Steve Kaufman’s Acoustic Concert Series
Knoxville Symphony Orchestra: season preview
Maryville High School Drama: “Wizard of Oz”
Spring and summer festival season
Knoxville Opera: “Rigoletto”
From Jesco White’s beer caddy to One Eighty Magazine: Catching up with Storm Taylor
It sounds like the set-up for a righteous punchline — a comedian, a dancing hillbilly from West Virginia and a jack-of-all-trades from Blount County walk down the red carpet at a Los Angeles film premiere …
The thing is, it’s part of Robb “Storm” Taylor’s life — and now the Blount County native is taking his Hollywood connections and brushes with fame and turning it into a new publication that debuted last week under the title of One Eighty Magazine. It’s a free, monthly newspaper-style magazine that addresses various facets of popular culture that Taylor finds intriguing — and it’s all done out of his home on Sevierville Road.
“If something like Metro Pulse or The Daily Times are legitimate news sources — current, updated with what’s going on and what’s timely — I want to be the illegitimate news source,” Taylor told me this week. “I want it to be a true culture magazine — I don’t want to involve politics or religion, because then you’re going to segregate part of your audience and get slammed. I didn’t go to school for journalism, so I’m going to write about whatever’s cool — choppers or skateboarding or golf or tattooing or whatever.
“These are all things that people have an interest in. It was an idea that I tossed around for a month and put together in a month — so basically, it was a two-month process, just me and a designer. And for the first issue, I’m pretty happy with it. I’m thinking about making the next one lemon-scented so it’s better for lining kitty boxes around town.”
Irreverent, good-natured, funny — these are all traits that have made Taylor a local celebrity. Graduating from Heritage High School in 1985 and attending the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, his first enterprise was as part-owner of The Underground, a dance club where he served as deejay. During that time, he befriended P.J. Clapp, a South-Doyle high graduate who would go on to stardom as Johnny Knoxville.
From there, he did some traveling with and production work for the MTV show that Knoxville made famous — “Jackass.” He had an idea for his own program, and after returning to Maryville to work in real estate and development, his idea was turned into a program on the Turner South network. “Yokel” ran for a season before Fox acquired Turner South and slowly killed the network.
From there, Taylor hit up his old pal Knoxville to assist in making a documentary on Jesco White, the famous “dancing outlaw” of West Virginia. First featured in a PBS documentary in 1991, White grew to — and into — something of a rural legend: a hard-living, hard-drinking backwoods hillbilly who carries on the tradition of mountain dancing, a mix of clog and tap that’s native to Appalachia. Taylor’s documentary — “The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia” — raised White’s profile even more, and led to the aforementioned red carpet incident.
“That was insane,” said Taylor, who’s working on a distribution deal to take the documentary to home video, in addition with negotiating with Viacom — MTV’s parent company — for a network airing. He also continues to shop it around at film festivals around the country.
“At the LA Film Festival, Mike Judge (creator of “Beavis and Butt-head” and “King of the Hill”) came over to the hotel, and we were hanging out with Johnny Knoxville,” Taylor said. “We had some beers, but when we realized we were late for the red carpet (premiere), we were all freaking out. Jesco didn’t want to waste a 12-pack, so he asked me to carry his beer down the red carpet. I didn’t realize he put an open container of Miller Lite in there, so here I am walking down the red carpet, dripping beer.”
Not everyone, however, felt that the documentary is an accomplishment — at a question-and-answer session at an independent film festival in Memphis, one audience member expressed shock and dismay at certain scenes in the documentary and asked why the audience members seemed to find it funny.
“The reality is that some things are so harsh and absurd that you have to laugh at it,” Taylor said. “We didn’t set out to throw our opinions out there or judge these people; it’s a documentary, so we show them for who they are. People either get it or don’t; there’s no real broad in-between. I happen to get it and like it.
“When you do mess with culture, you’ve got to go in with your guard up, because you’re going to be hit. This guy kept going on and on, but after a while, the audience was defending us — turning around and yelling at this guy, and because of the hype, they gave us another screening at that festival.”
White, he added, makes for a much more fascinating celebrity than the folks with whom he’s rubbed shoulders in Hollywood. That’s one reason he’s pitching a Jesco White reality/variety show — a “weird, anything-goes, low-budget kind of thing,” he said. It’s also one of the reasons he’s content to remain right here in Blount County, away from the trappings of Hollywood and the faux sincerity that rings hollow.
But he doesn’t mind making a phone call once in a while, calling in a few favors for the sake of whatever project upon which he happens to be working. Right now, it’s One Eighty Magazine — and while he only has a single issue under his belt, he’s already planning for what the next several will contain.
“The celebrity lifestyle is cool, but it’s not for me,” he said. “I’ve had the good fortune of meeting some celebrities in the past few years, but they’re not paying my light bill, so they were never really on the top of my priority list. But with this, maybe I can get them to help me do something.
“We’ve got some pretty good interviews coming up (including one with John Basedow, the square-jawed purveyor of the “Fitness Made Simple” video series). We’re breaking it down into three categories — Celebrity, Under-the-Radar and ‘Shaking the Common Hand.’ This past issue was a little too male-heavy, but we hope to change that, too — our food critic is female, and we’re going to do a perfume test for an upcoming issue.”
Check out Storm’s shout-out on the “Jackass World” website, as well as the Facebook page for One Eighty Magazine.