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JACKSONVILLE<br />
fall (visual)<br />
art pre<strong>view</strong><br />
moon river pizza | tnt dance troupe at cafe eleven | keep a breast | steel magnolias at alhambra<br />
free weekly guide to enterta<strong>in</strong>ment and more | september 13-19, 2007 | www.eujacksonville.<strong>com</strong>
2 september 13-19, 2007 | enterta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g u newspaper
table of contents<br />
feature<br />
Fall Visual Arts Pre<strong>view</strong> ......................................................................................... PAGES 16-21<br />
Artist Inter<strong>view</strong>s ............................................................................................ PAGES 16-20<br />
Cummer Open<strong>in</strong>gs ................................................................................................PAGE 18<br />
MOCA Open<strong>in</strong>gs ...................................................................................................PAGE 19<br />
Other Art Open<strong>in</strong>gs ....................................................................................... PAGES 18-20<br />
Gallery List<strong>in</strong>gs .....................................................................................................PAGE 21<br />
movies<br />
Movies <strong>in</strong> Theaters <strong>this</strong> Week .................................................................................. PAGES 6-10<br />
The Brave One (movie re<strong>view</strong>) .........................................................................................PAGE 6<br />
Mr. Woodcock (movie re<strong>view</strong>) .........................................................................................PAGE 7<br />
Brothers Solomon (movie re<strong>view</strong>) ....................................................................................PAGE 8<br />
3:10 to Yuma (movie re<strong>view</strong>) ...........................................................................................PAGE 9<br />
K<strong>in</strong>g of Kong (movie re<strong>view</strong>) ...........................................................................................PAGE 9<br />
Boss of It All (movie re<strong>view</strong>) ..........................................................................................PAGE 10<br />
at home<br />
Burn Notice (TV re<strong>view</strong>) ................................................................................................PAGE 12<br />
Video Games ................................................................................................................PAGE 13<br />
dish<br />
Moon River Pizza (restaurant re<strong>view</strong>) ..................................................................... PAGES 14-15<br />
Car<strong>in</strong>g Chefs Profi le (Roys) ...........................................................................................PAGE 15<br />
music<br />
Music Calendar ..................................................................................................... PAGES 22-26<br />
Cliff Worrell & the Restless K<strong>in</strong>d (River City Brew<strong>in</strong>g) .....................................................PAGE 22<br />
Lennon (Freebird Live) ..................................................................................................PAGE 23<br />
New Life Coffeehouse ...................................................................................................PAGE 24<br />
Dance Off at Cafe Eleven ..............................................................................................PAGE 25<br />
arts / theatre / on stage<br />
Breast Defense (St. August<strong>in</strong>e art show) .......................................................................PAGE 26<br />
Steel Magnolias (Alhambra D<strong>in</strong>ner Theatre) ...................................................................PAGE 27<br />
Crim<strong>in</strong>al Hearts (Limelight Theatre) ...............................................................................PAGE 28<br />
C<strong>in</strong>derella (Orange Park Community Theatre) .................................................................PAGE 28<br />
Typewriter (JU Theatre) .................................................................................................PAGE 29<br />
columns and stuff<br />
Native Foreigner ...........................................................................................................PAGE 30<br />
The Jock .......................................................................................................................PAGE 30<br />
NASCAR News & Notes ................................................................................................PAGE 31<br />
cover art by mark george<br />
eujacksonville.<strong>com</strong> | september 13-19, 2007 3
<strong>this</strong>week<br />
thursday SEPTEMBER 13<br />
Rob<strong>in</strong>Ella<br />
Rob<strong>in</strong>Ella was born and lives <strong>in</strong> the foothills of the Great Smoky<br />
Mounta<strong>in</strong>s. She founded ‘Rob<strong>in</strong>Ella and the CC Str<strong>in</strong>g Band’ <strong>in</strong><br />
1999 with husband and musician Cruz Contreras. Together they<br />
fused their broad tastes <strong>in</strong> music to create a sound that was, and<br />
still is, offi cially <strong>in</strong>defi nable. Rob<strong>in</strong>Ella will br<strong>in</strong>g her unique blend<br />
of bluegrass, pop, jazz and blues to the European Street Listen<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Room <strong>this</strong> Thursday. Tell your friends. European Street Café<br />
Listen<strong>in</strong>g Room- 8:30 pm Info: (904) 399-1740<br />
MOCA Jacksonville Members’ Exhibition Pre<strong>view</strong><br />
and Reception<br />
Jacksonville’s Museum of Contemporary Art will be pre<strong>view</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
fi ve new exhibitions <strong>in</strong> a variety of mediums. As our resident art<br />
expert, Donald Dus<strong>in</strong>berre, says <strong>in</strong> his story on page 18, it is not a<br />
good idea to try to see all of these different types of art at one time.<br />
However, you should still <strong>com</strong>e to the party to take a peek, and<br />
then <strong>com</strong>e back at another time for a more <strong>in</strong>-depth study of these<br />
artists’ work. Admission: Free/members, $30/non-members (may<br />
be applied toward membership) MOCA Jacksonville- 6-10 pm<br />
Info: (904) 366-6911<br />
SEPTEMBER 13 - 15<br />
Trunk Show with Third and Wall Art Group<br />
Fogle F<strong>in</strong>e Art & Accessories will present a trunk show September<br />
13-15 featur<strong>in</strong>g the art of Third and Wall Art Group of Seattle,<br />
Wash<strong>in</strong>gton. Come out to <strong>view</strong> contemporary canvas orig<strong>in</strong>al pieces<br />
by artists Liz Jard<strong>in</strong>e, Sara Stockstill, Simon Addyman, William<br />
Kuttner and others. Fogle F<strong>in</strong>e Art & Accessories, 3312 Beach<br />
Blvd, Jacksonville<br />
SEPTEMBER 13 - 16<br />
Shout! The Mod Musical<br />
Shout! The Mod Musical fl ips through the years like a musical<br />
magaz<strong>in</strong>e and takes you back to the music, the fashion and the<br />
freedom of the 60s! This smash<strong>in</strong>g revue tracks fi ve groovy gals as<br />
they <strong>com</strong>e of age dur<strong>in</strong>g those liberat<strong>in</strong>g days that made England<br />
sw<strong>in</strong>g! Jo<strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong> non-stop journey with terrifi c new arrangements<br />
of such chart-topp<strong>in</strong>g hits as ‘To Sir with Love,’ ‘Downtown,’ ‘You<br />
Don’t Have to Say You Love Me,’ ‘Son of a Preacher Man,’ and<br />
‘Goldfi nger.’ Be sure to check out <strong>this</strong> unique musical experience<br />
runn<strong>in</strong>g through Sunday! Tickets: $35-$40 Wilson Center for the<br />
Arts, FCCJ South Info: (904) 632-3373 or artistseries.fccj.org<br />
friday SEPTEMBER 14<br />
Brew at the Zoo<br />
Jo<strong>in</strong> the Zoo’s Wild Th<strong>in</strong>gs young professionals <strong>com</strong>mittee for an<br />
even<strong>in</strong>g of enterta<strong>in</strong>ment, South American food, beers and w<strong>in</strong>es<br />
from around the world, animal encounters, beh<strong>in</strong>d-the-scene tours<br />
and more. Attendees will be <strong>in</strong>vited to jo<strong>in</strong> the <strong>com</strong>mittee to provide<br />
fundrais<strong>in</strong>g, advocacy and volunteer support for the Zoo. Tickets:<br />
$25/advance, $30/day of event Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens- 6<br />
pm to 10 pm Info: (904) 757-4463<br />
4 september 13-19, 2007 | enterta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g u newspaper<br />
Celebrity Chef Series<br />
Mory Thomas has been a recipe<br />
developer for Martha Stewart<br />
Liv<strong>in</strong>g, Food & W<strong>in</strong>e and most<br />
recently the Food Network. He<br />
br<strong>in</strong>gs his philosophy that food<br />
is one of life’s most reward<strong>in</strong>g<br />
and <strong>com</strong>munal experiences to<br />
Publix Apron’s Cook<strong>in</strong>g School<br />
<strong>this</strong> Friday. Tickets: $50 Publix,<br />
10500 San Jose Blvd- 6:30 pm<br />
Info: (904) 262-4187<br />
X Benefi t<br />
The X Benefi t will feature an<br />
eXcit<strong>in</strong>g even<strong>in</strong>g at MOSH’s<br />
Prehistoric Cas<strong>in</strong>o! What is a<br />
Prehistoric Cas<strong>in</strong>o, you ask? It’s<br />
a gam<strong>in</strong>g area with<strong>in</strong> MOSH’s<br />
blockbuster eXhibition, D<strong>in</strong>osaurs<br />
& Ice Age Mammals, of course!<br />
Guests will travel back <strong>in</strong> time to “Viva MOSH Vegas” to try<br />
their luck at the Sabertooth Slots, Jurassic Blackjack, and T.<br />
Rex Texas Hold ‘Em. Relic (turtle) Races and a Spear Toss<br />
contest will also be part of <strong>this</strong> gam<strong>in</strong>g gala! Tickets: $70 to<br />
$250 Museum of Science and History- 7 pm Info: (904)<br />
396-7062, ext 223 or themosh.org<br />
David Lee Murphy<br />
99.9 Gator Country FREE Fall Concert Series at the Jacksonville<br />
Land<strong>in</strong>g features David Lee Murphy and Whiskey Falls <strong>this</strong><br />
Friday. S<strong>in</strong>ger/Songwriter, David Lee Murphy will be br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
fi ddle and mandol<strong>in</strong> player from his regular band for a jamm<strong>in</strong>’<br />
good time. Show starts at 8 pm. Arrive early for the best <strong>view</strong><br />
of the show. Listen to 99.9 FM Gator Country for your chance<br />
to w<strong>in</strong> VIP passes.<br />
Subhumans UK<br />
John Vanderslice<br />
Subhumans UK<br />
Subhumans were one of the most prolifi c and orig<strong>in</strong>al bands<br />
of the evolv<strong>in</strong>g UK punk scene. After seven years of chang<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the face of punk rock, Subhumans split up <strong>in</strong> 1987 to form<br />
other bands. The godfathers of anachro-punk reformed almost<br />
a decade ago and are still go<strong>in</strong>g strong, record<strong>in</strong>g and tour<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the US and the UK. They’re back on our side of the pond <strong>this</strong><br />
month and will make a stop at Fuel to rem<strong>in</strong>d kids that punk is<br />
not dead. Tickets: $12 Fuel Coffeehouse- 7 pm<br />
Info: (904) 425-FUEL<br />
SEPTEMBER 14 - 16<br />
3rd Annual Southern Monster Truck Showdown<br />
There’s noth<strong>in</strong>g like a good old fashioned Monster Truck<br />
Showdown! Head to the Clay County Fairgrounds <strong>this</strong> weekend<br />
to see 8 professional TV monster trucks, plus local-entry mud<br />
bogg<strong>in</strong>g, the return of the Rac<strong>in</strong>g Lawnmowers, Monster Truck<br />
Rides, huge Truck Show ‘n Sh<strong>in</strong>e contest and much more!!<br />
Tickets: $10/advance, $12/at the gate, Free/3 and under<br />
Clay County Fairgrounds, Green Cove Spr<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
Info: (352) 484-3413 or southernmonstertruckshowdown.<strong>com</strong><br />
saturday SEPTEMBER 15<br />
2007 Heart Walk<br />
More than 8,000 First Coast residents will take giant steps for<br />
their heart health <strong>this</strong> Saturday at Met Park <strong>in</strong> the American Heart<br />
Association’s annual Start! Heart Walk. The non-<strong>com</strong>petitive, threemile<br />
walk raises funds to support heart disease and stroke research<br />
and educational programs <strong>in</strong> the First Coast <strong>com</strong>munity. Teams are<br />
made up of employees from local <strong>com</strong>panies, along with friends<br />
and family members of all ages. Metropolitan Park - 8 am<br />
Info: (904) 739-0197<br />
Typewriter, Altered Dance & Music<br />
Jacksonville University is proud to present Typewriter, an even<strong>in</strong>g<br />
of orig<strong>in</strong>al dance and music by Altered Dance and Music. The<br />
concert will use the development of the typewriter <strong>in</strong> the 20th<br />
century to explore the psychology of a woman’s place <strong>in</strong> home<br />
and society. The orig<strong>in</strong>al work <strong>in</strong>cludes choreography by Cari<br />
Coble, professor of dance, and music by Tony Steve, assistant<br />
professor of contemporary/world music and percussion, along<br />
with videography by Jacksonville artist and pr<strong>in</strong>tmak<strong>in</strong>g teacher at<br />
DASOTA, Barry Wilson. Read the story on page 29. Tickets: $10/<br />
adults, $7/seniors, $5/students and military, Free/JU students with<br />
ID Jacksonville University, Swisher Theatre- 7:30 pm Info: (904)<br />
256-7345
The Bridges<br />
The Bridges were born July, 2002 with a disposition to blend lyric and harmony with haunt<strong>in</strong>g melodies<br />
and the poetry of reality. With an acoustic style rem<strong>in</strong>iscent of the sixties and seventies, the band<br />
perfectly mixes pop, folk and <strong>in</strong>die rock to carry the listener through a wonderful range of sound and<br />
emotion. The Bridges will perform with Among Your Brothers, Spoken Groove and A Slight Breeze.<br />
Tickets: $8 Murray Hill Theatre- 8 pm Info: (904)<br />
388-7807<br />
Dropsonic<br />
Valencia<br />
The Alternative Pop-Punk band from<br />
Philadelphia got their name from<br />
Valencia, Spa<strong>in</strong> because it is known for<br />
its progress and evolution. Valencia felt<br />
the same way about their music. From<br />
look<strong>in</strong>g at their MySpace it appears<br />
they are very popular with the middle<br />
school set – hope they don’t take the<br />
name of the current tour too seriously:<br />
“School’s for Fools” Tour, which will be<br />
at Fuel Coffeehouse w/ Just Surrender,<br />
We the K<strong>in</strong>gs, and Metro Station.<br />
Valencia<br />
sunday SEPTEMBER 16<br />
tuesday SEPTEMBER 18<br />
wednesday SEPTEMBER 19<br />
Dropsonic<br />
Our own Christ<strong>in</strong>a Wagner says: “It’s hard to<br />
imag<strong>in</strong>e such a full sound protrud<strong>in</strong>g from only three<br />
members, but <strong>this</strong> rock outfi t hail<strong>in</strong>g from Atlanta<br />
pulls it off nicely. Prepare to have your face melted<br />
off with their unique blend of traditional and <strong>in</strong>die rock<br />
paired with some impressive lyricism and enchant<strong>in</strong>g<br />
vocals.” Read the <strong>in</strong>ter<strong>view</strong> at eujacksonville.<br />
<strong>com</strong>. Check them out <strong>this</strong> weekend with Lackawanna<br />
Carriage Works. Tickets: $6 Jack Rabbits- 8 pm<br />
Info: (904) 398-7496<br />
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Atlanta Falcons<br />
Last weekend’s narrow defeat won’t keep us down! Our Jacksonville Jaguars will take on the Atlanta<br />
Falcons <strong>this</strong> Sunday <strong>in</strong> the second home game of the season. Tickets: $42-$95/s<strong>in</strong>gle game, $360-<br />
$930/season passes (<strong>in</strong>cludes 10 games) Jacksonville Municipal Stadium- 1 pm<br />
Info: (904) 633-2000 or jaguars.<strong>com</strong><br />
Uncle John’s Band<br />
This group of talented musicians who love to play the music of the Grateful Dead formed <strong>in</strong> 1990 <strong>in</strong><br />
Clearwater, Florida with the purpose of recreat<strong>in</strong>g the atmosphere and musical adventure of a live Dead<br />
show. Truck on down to Freebird Live and jo<strong>in</strong> the adventure. Info: 246-2473<br />
John Vanderslice and the Café Eleven 5 th Anniversary Dance Party<br />
It’s a concert, it’s a dance off, it’s an anniversary celebration and it’s quite possibly the most fun you will<br />
ever have on a Tuesday night. Celebrate Café Eleven’s 5 th birthday with what is sure to be a heck of a<br />
party! S<strong>in</strong>ger/songwriter John Vanderslice will judge <strong>this</strong> unique dance party where TNT Dance will face<br />
off aga<strong>in</strong>st other dance troupes to fi nd out whose the best <strong>in</strong> the world… or at least <strong>in</strong> the North Florida<br />
area. Read the story on page 25. Tickets: $10 Café Eleven, St. August<strong>in</strong>e Beach<br />
8:30 pm Info: (904) 469-9311<br />
Helios Eye Birthday Party Show<br />
A glorious <strong>com</strong>b<strong>in</strong>ation of acoustic guitars, stripped-down vocals and thought-provok<strong>in</strong>g lyrics, Helios<br />
Eye <strong>in</strong> one of Jacksonville’s most promis<strong>in</strong>g and unique local bands. Check ‘em out live next Wednesday<br />
with Grabbag and be sure to wish Kev<strong>in</strong>, the Eye’s frontman, a very happy birthday. Stick around after<br />
the show for a screen<strong>in</strong>g of Stop Mak<strong>in</strong>g Sense, the critically acclaimed fi lm by Jonathan Demme and<br />
Talk<strong>in</strong>g Heads. Yesterdays Social Club- 8 pm Info: (904) 387-0502<br />
eujacksonville.<strong>com</strong> | september 13-19, 2007 5
MOVIES OPENING<br />
11TH HOUR The documentary fi lm explores<br />
how we’ve arrived at <strong>this</strong> moment- how we<br />
live, impact the earth’s ecosystems, and what<br />
we can do to change. Featur<strong>in</strong>g dialogues of<br />
experts. Starr<strong>in</strong>g Leonardo DiCaprio.<br />
DRAGON WARS A beautiful young woman possesses<br />
the power to transform a legendary giant<br />
serpent <strong>in</strong>to an almighty dragon who can only<br />
ascend <strong>in</strong>to heaven with the woman’s ultimate<br />
sacrifi ce. Rated PG-13<br />
GOYA’S GHOSTS A sweep<strong>in</strong>g historical epic<br />
told through the eyes of celebrated Spanish<br />
pa<strong>in</strong>ter Francisco Goya (Stellan Skarsgard). Set<br />
aga<strong>in</strong>st the backdrop of political turmoil at the<br />
end of the Spanish Inquisition and the start of<br />
the <strong>in</strong>vasion of Spa<strong>in</strong> by Napoleon’s army, the<br />
fi lm captures the essence and beauty of Goya’s<br />
work. Javier Bardem is Brother Lorenzo, an<br />
enigmatic, cunn<strong>in</strong>g member of the Inquisition’s<br />
<strong>in</strong>ner circle who be<strong>com</strong>es <strong>in</strong>fatuated with<br />
Goya’s teenage muse, Ines (Natalie Portman),<br />
when she is falsely accused of heresy and sent<br />
to prison. Rated R<br />
KING OF KONG: FISTFUL OF QUARTERS A<br />
middle-school science teacher and a hot sauce<br />
mogul vie for the Gu<strong>in</strong>ness World Record on the<br />
arcade classic, Donkey Kong. Rated PG-13<br />
THE BRAVE ONE Jodie Foster stars as a happy<br />
woman whose life changes irrevocably after<br />
a brutal assault leaves her partner (Naveen<br />
Andrews) dead. Feel<strong>in</strong>g that the police <strong>in</strong>vestigation<br />
will be unable to catch the perpetrators,<br />
she beg<strong>in</strong>s to live <strong>in</strong> constant fear. This outlook<br />
results <strong>in</strong> her eventually dispatch<strong>in</strong>g vigilante<br />
justice. Terrence Howard co-stars as the offi cer<br />
<strong>in</strong> charge of the <strong>in</strong>vestigation. Rated R<br />
MR. WOODCOCK John Farley, author of a bestsell<strong>in</strong>g<br />
self-help book, returns to his hometown<br />
to receive the <strong>com</strong>munity’s highest honor. While<br />
there, John learns that his widowed mother,<br />
Beverly, is engaged to Mr. Woodcock, the gym<br />
teacher whose sadistic exploits were the bane<br />
of John’s youth. Starr<strong>in</strong>g: Billy Bob Thornton,<br />
Seann William Scott, Susan Sarandon, Kurt<br />
Fuller, and Amy Poehler. Rated PG-13<br />
NO END IN SIGHT The fi rst fi lm of its k<strong>in</strong>d to<br />
chronicle the reasons beh<strong>in</strong>d Iraq’s descent<br />
<strong>in</strong>to guerilla war, warlord rule, crim<strong>in</strong>ality and<br />
anarchy, ‘No End <strong>in</strong> Sight’ is a jaw-dropp<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
<strong>in</strong>sider’s tale of wholesale <strong>in</strong><strong>com</strong>petence, recklessness<br />
and venality.<br />
NOW SHOWING<br />
3:10 TO YUMA A rancher struggles to support<br />
his ranch and family dur<strong>in</strong>g a long drought. He<br />
takes an assignment to transport a notorious<br />
felon <strong>in</strong> the hands of authorities to Yuma for imprisonment.<br />
But, once the two meet, the crim<strong>in</strong>al<br />
tries to tempt him with cash <strong>in</strong> exchange for<br />
6 september 13-19, 2007 | enterta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g u newspaper<br />
<br />
the accused meets death wish<br />
The Brave One<br />
BY RICK GRANT rickgrant01@<strong>com</strong>cast.net<br />
A- Rated R 122 m<strong>in</strong><br />
In the spirit of vigilante justice, as portrayed<br />
by Charles Bronson <strong>in</strong> the 1974 fi lm Death Wish,<br />
fi lmmaker Neil Jordan went beyond an eye-for-aneye<br />
sensibility, <strong>in</strong>to the dark, paranoid, post-9/11<br />
consciousness. He framed his mosaic <strong>in</strong> dark tones<br />
as his protagonist was forever changed by senseless<br />
violence.<br />
In Death Wish, Bronson played architect Paul<br />
Kersey, who lost his wife when thugs murdered her.<br />
In The Brave One, Jodie Foster plays Erica, a talk<br />
show host who is similarly traumatized when she<br />
and her fi ancé David (Naveen Andrews) are attacked<br />
<strong>in</strong> Central Park by a trio of punks. They are viciously<br />
beaten and terrorized, leav<strong>in</strong>g David dead and Erica<br />
seriously <strong>in</strong>jured, physically and mentally.<br />
Jodie Foster characterizes Erica with a <strong>com</strong>b<strong>in</strong>ation<br />
of her trademark post-traumatic stress rigidity,<br />
similar to the rape victim she portrayed <strong>in</strong> The<br />
Accused, and a vigilante justice-turned-to-bloodlust<br />
that is unique to Erica. Once she kills, she can never<br />
go back to the person she was before the <strong>in</strong>cident.<br />
Someth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>side her snapped and now she is a<br />
dangerous loose cannon.<br />
Erica cont<strong>in</strong>ues her talk show, keep<strong>in</strong>g her<br />
vigilante acts secret, and callers pose the question:<br />
Is the killer a vigilante, a hero, or a villa<strong>in</strong>? Is it<br />
justice or revenge? She forms a shaky relationship<br />
with the cynical detective, Sean Mercer (Terrence<br />
Howard), over David’s murder. Mercer also happens<br />
to be <strong>in</strong>vestigat<strong>in</strong>g Erica’s vigilante episode. This odd<br />
relationship is brilliantly acted by Foster and Howard.<br />
On one hand, they’re k<strong>in</strong>dred spirits, but <strong>in</strong> the harsh<br />
reality of Mercer’s world, they are on opposite sides<br />
of the law. Ultimately, Mercer must make a fateful<br />
decision.<br />
Like Bronson’s Paul Kersey, Erica goes look<strong>in</strong>g<br />
for trouble. Foster portrays Erica’s bloodlust like<br />
a twisted sexual libido. Her low raspy on-air voice<br />
sends shivers down <strong>view</strong>ers’ sp<strong>in</strong>es as she revels <strong>in</strong><br />
her new power. She would never aga<strong>in</strong> be a victim.<br />
She would go on a preemptive strike aga<strong>in</strong>st the<br />
punks with black hearts. But where would it end?<br />
She couldn’t possibly kill all the lowlifes who needed<br />
kill<strong>in</strong>g. She was on a one-way mission to hell’s<br />
battlefi eld.<br />
Despite Erica’s trip <strong>in</strong>to <strong>in</strong>sanity, Foster’s subtle<br />
act<strong>in</strong>g doesn’t alienate the <strong>view</strong>ers who still identify<br />
with her rage and need for vigilante justice. As the<br />
subway vigilante Bernard Getz found out, there is<br />
a price to pay for plac<strong>in</strong>g yourself <strong>in</strong> a vulnerable<br />
position and lur<strong>in</strong>g the bad guys to your violent form<br />
of justice. Once the vigilante starts shoot<strong>in</strong>g, bullets<br />
fi nd the <strong>in</strong>nocent as well as the guilty. In <strong>this</strong> <strong>in</strong>stant,<br />
mistakes are made and the vigilante is no different<br />
than any other murderer.<br />
Neil Jordan’s direction and Roderick Taylor’s<br />
script ask what you would do? Is vigilante justice<br />
ever justifi ed? Foster never loses the <strong>view</strong>er’s vicarious<br />
identifi cation. You will sympathize with her<br />
throughout the movie and feel her new power. Foster<br />
shows us how extreme trauma can cause a person<br />
to take the law <strong>in</strong>to their own hands, but she also<br />
shows us the cost to her mental well-be<strong>in</strong>g. There is<br />
a fi ne l<strong>in</strong>e between justice and revenge, and <strong>this</strong> fi lm<br />
leaves Erica’s judgment to you.<br />
Although <strong>this</strong> vigilante genre has all but exhausted<br />
its ability to surprise us, it’s still a potent<br />
dramatic platform to display a range of human emotions.<br />
The horror of what Erica went through could<br />
never be erased by her vigilante campaign. In fact,<br />
she was be<strong>com</strong><strong>in</strong>g more like the thugs who beat<br />
her. Her rage was tun<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to evil. Yet, Foster made<br />
Erica a hero to the frustrated victims of crime who<br />
couldn’t strike back. It’s better to let Jodie Foster<br />
take us on that vengeful trip than to attempt it <strong>in</strong> the<br />
real world.
crotch shot<br />
Mr. Woodcock<br />
BY ERIN THURSBY scopes1925@msn.<strong>com</strong><br />
C+ 87 m<strong>in</strong> PG-13<br />
The name of the movie is Mr. Woodcock and<br />
the poster depicts a gym coach hold<strong>in</strong>g a pair of<br />
basketballs <strong>in</strong> front of his crotch. Would it be a surprise<br />
if I said that the movie was rife with ball and<br />
stick jokes? And, of course, what <strong>com</strong>edy would<br />
be <strong>com</strong>plete without the requisite whack to the cojones?<br />
Not <strong>this</strong> one certa<strong>in</strong>ly.<br />
I’ll say one th<strong>in</strong>g about the movie (ok, two<br />
th<strong>in</strong>gs), it is precisely what it’s advertised to be,<br />
and not all of the funny parts were mercilessly laid<br />
bare <strong>in</strong> the pre<strong>view</strong>s. The plot is so predictable that<br />
I could have spent the entire movie play<strong>in</strong>g Tetris<br />
on my cell phone, and I still would have been able<br />
to cobble together a re<strong>view</strong>. (A little etiquette tip- always<br />
turn the volume off when play<strong>in</strong>g Tetris dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
a movie). But, as with many <strong>com</strong>edies, it’s not the<br />
plot po<strong>in</strong>ts that make it great, but the one-l<strong>in</strong>ers and<br />
the physical <strong>com</strong>edy. People won’t be talk<strong>in</strong>g about<br />
the plot; they’ll be talk<strong>in</strong>g about what’s funny.<br />
But heck, if you’re read<strong>in</strong>g <strong>this</strong> re<strong>view</strong> you’re<br />
probably <strong>in</strong> it for the plot synopsis right? Ok. Chubby<br />
kid John Farley gets tormented by his mean, mean<br />
gym teacher Mr. Woodcock, lead<strong>in</strong>g him to lose<br />
weight as an adult and write a runaway bestsell<strong>in</strong>g<br />
self-help book. He <strong>com</strong>es back to his small town<br />
to receive a remarkably phallic key to the city, only<br />
to discover that his mom, Beverly Farley, played by<br />
the ever-hot Susan Sarandon, is now bo<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g, er,<br />
dat<strong>in</strong>g the cruel Mr. Woodcock (Billy Bob Thornton).<br />
If you’ve been follow<strong>in</strong>g Thornton’s career, it won’t<br />
<strong>com</strong>e as a surprise that he’s revisit<strong>in</strong>g the role of a<br />
stoically sadistic dick, hence the name Mr. Woodcock.<br />
Speak<strong>in</strong>g of dicks, the movie seems to be one<br />
giant phallic symbol. Just count<strong>in</strong>g the penis references<br />
will leave you dizzy, if you, like me, have a<br />
suffi ciently dirty m<strong>in</strong>d to catch them.<br />
John Farley (Seann William Scott) even has an<br />
almost Freudian attachment to his mother. He and<br />
Mr. Woodcock get <strong>in</strong>to what is essentially a giant<br />
piss<strong>in</strong>g contest, end<strong>in</strong>g with John Farley do<strong>in</strong>g a k<strong>in</strong>d<br />
of baboon victory dance. The humor does work,<br />
mostly, but there are scenes that are excruciat<strong>in</strong>gly<br />
pa<strong>in</strong>ful to watch.<br />
Farley’s agent, Maggie (Amy Poehler), was<br />
perhaps my favorite part of the movie. Unfortunately,<br />
I’ve heard most of her best l<strong>in</strong>es <strong>in</strong> the pre<strong>view</strong> trailers,<br />
which ran for an <strong>in</strong>sane amount of time because<br />
the release date got pushed back. Her l<strong>in</strong>es have<br />
great pizzazz <strong>in</strong> delivery, but, like most chew<strong>in</strong>g<br />
gums, they tend to lose their fl avor when overchewed.<br />
At one po<strong>in</strong>t <strong>in</strong> the movie, Farley accidentally<br />
gets a small portion of his head shaved, so he’s got<br />
a bald patch <strong>in</strong> the back. He looks perfectly normal<br />
from the side, front and most angles. Just when<br />
you’ve forgotten about it—BAM—they show a shot<br />
of him from beh<strong>in</strong>d. They milk the joke until the cow<br />
runs dry, and it’s timed perfectly so the joke never<br />
quite wears out (though I’m sure that cow was <strong>in</strong><br />
pa<strong>in</strong> towards the end) and it’s freshly funny.<br />
There’s a well timed bit of dialogue <strong>in</strong> the fl ick<br />
that should be called “50 ways to screw your mother,”<br />
<strong>in</strong> which Farley’s friends at the pizza parlor fi nd<br />
new and excit<strong>in</strong>g ways to say “Dude! Woodcock’s<br />
do<strong>in</strong>g your mother!”<br />
Have I mentioned that <strong>this</strong> isn’t a family fi lm? It<br />
somehow received a PG-13 rat<strong>in</strong>g, because no one<br />
actually says the dreaded F-Word and Susan Sarandon<br />
never fl ashes her tits.<br />
Did I say tits? Boobies, I meant. This movie<br />
was a bad <strong>in</strong>fl uence on me.<br />
allow<strong>in</strong>g him to escape- an offer of much more<br />
money than the rancher ever expected. Starr<strong>in</strong>g:<br />
Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Alan Tudyk, Peter<br />
Fonda, Gretchen Mol. Rat<strong>in</strong>g: R<br />
BALLS OF FURY In the unsanctioned, underground,<br />
and unh<strong>in</strong>ged world of extreme P<strong>in</strong>g-<br />
Pong, the <strong>com</strong>petition is brutal and the stakes are<br />
deadly. Starr<strong>in</strong>g: Dan Fogler, Christopher Walken,<br />
George Lopez, Maggie Q, Thomas Lennon. Rat<strong>in</strong>g:<br />
PG-13<br />
BECOMING JANE It’s 1795 and young Jane Austen<br />
is a feisty 20-year old emerg<strong>in</strong>g writer who<br />
already sees a world beyond pride and prejudice.<br />
Sparks soon fl y when Jane meets the roguish and<br />
decidedly non-aristocratic Tom Lefroy. Starr<strong>in</strong>g:<br />
Anne Hathaway, Julie Walters, James McAvoy,<br />
Maggie Smith, Jessica Ashworth. Rat<strong>in</strong>g: PG<br />
DEATH AT A FUNERAL ‘Death at a Funeral’ follows<br />
the <strong>com</strong>ic twists and turns of a dysfunctional<br />
British family as they gather to mourn the pass<strong>in</strong>g<br />
of their patriarch. Rated R<br />
DADDY DAY CAMP Dads Charlie H<strong>in</strong>ton and Phil<br />
Ryerson take over runn<strong>in</strong>g a summer day camp.<br />
Armed with no knowledge of the great outdoors,<br />
a dilapidated facility and a motley group of campers,<br />
it doesn’t take long before th<strong>in</strong>gs get out<br />
of control. Starr<strong>in</strong>g: Cuba Good<strong>in</strong>g Jr., Lochlyn<br />
Munro, Paul Rae, Richard Gant, Spencir Bridges.<br />
Rat<strong>in</strong>g: PG<br />
DEATH SENTENCE Nick Hume is a mild-mannered<br />
executive with a perfect life, until one night<br />
he witnesses someth<strong>in</strong>g that changes him forever.<br />
Transformed by grief, Hume eventually <strong>com</strong>es<br />
to the disturb<strong>in</strong>g conclusion that no length is too<br />
great when protect<strong>in</strong>g his family. Starr<strong>in</strong>g: Kev<strong>in</strong><br />
Bacon, Aisha Tyler, Kelly Preston, Stuart Lafferty<br />
and John Goodman. Rated R<br />
HALLOWEEN Under the direction of Rob Zombie,<br />
there is a new take on the legend and a new<br />
chapter <strong>in</strong> the Michael Myers “Halloween” saga.<br />
Starr<strong>in</strong>g: Daeg Faerch, Danielle Harris, Malcolm<br />
McDowell, Danny Trejo, and Sheri Moon. Rated R<br />
HAIRSPRAY A plump but vivacious teenager<br />
jo<strong>in</strong>s a popular teen-scene TV show <strong>in</strong> the early<br />
60s and teaches the show about <strong>in</strong>tegration by<br />
br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g back “negro day.” He-Mom, Edna (John<br />
Travolta), who takes <strong>in</strong> laundry to supplement her<br />
husband’s meager <strong>in</strong><strong>com</strong>e from a joke store, jo<strong>in</strong>s<br />
<strong>in</strong> the movement to restore “negro day.” Rated PG<br />
HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOE-<br />
NIX Rumors of Lord Voldmort’s return have been<br />
dismissed. Harry and Dumbledore are targeted by<br />
the Wizard Authorities. And, an authoritarian bureaucrat<br />
gradually seizes power at Hogwarts. It’s<br />
a jungle of wizards out there with special effects<br />
galore. Rated PG-13<br />
I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY<br />
Two s<strong>in</strong>gle Brooklyn fi refi ghters, Chuck (Adam<br />
Sandler) and Larry (Kev<strong>in</strong> James) are best friends.<br />
Larry saves Chuck’s life and he is will<strong>in</strong>g to do<br />
anyth<strong>in</strong>g to even the score, even masquerad<strong>in</strong>g as<br />
a gay couple to receive benefi ts for Larry’s kids.<br />
Rated PG-13<br />
MR. BEAN’S HOLIDAY In his latest misadventure,<br />
Mr. Bean- the nearly wordless misfi t who<br />
seems to be followed by a trail of pratfalls and<br />
hij<strong>in</strong>ks- goes on holiday to the French Riviera and<br />
<br />
eujacksonville.<strong>com</strong> | september 13-19, 2007 7
e<strong>com</strong>es ensnared <strong>in</strong> a European adventure of<br />
c<strong>in</strong>ematic proportions. Starr<strong>in</strong>g: Rowan Atk<strong>in</strong>son,<br />
Willem Dafoe, Emma De Caunes, Jean Rochefort,<br />
Karel Roden. Rat<strong>in</strong>g: G<br />
ONCE ‘Once’ is just a simple love story about a<br />
Guy with a guitar, a Girl with a borrowed piano,<br />
and the music they make together...and it’s one of<br />
the most heartbreak<strong>in</strong>gly perfect fi lms you’ll see<br />
<strong>this</strong> year. Starr<strong>in</strong>g: Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová,<br />
Bill Hodnett, Danuse Ktrestova. Rat<strong>in</strong>g: R<br />
RUSH HOUR 3 The unlikely duo is headed to the<br />
City of Lights to stop a global crim<strong>in</strong>al conspiracy<br />
and save the life of an old friend, Ambassador<br />
Han’s now-grown daughter, Soo Yung. Starr<strong>in</strong>g:<br />
Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Max von Sydow, Noemie<br />
Lenoir, Hiroyuki Sanada. Rat<strong>in</strong>g: PG-13<br />
SHOOT ‘EM UP Clive Owen stars as Mr. Smith,<br />
a gun-tot<strong>in</strong>g badass with a hair trigger and an<br />
unknown past. He discovers a woman deliver<strong>in</strong>g<br />
a baby right <strong>in</strong> the middle of a gunfi ght and enters<br />
the fray to save her. The woman expires and he is<br />
the one left <strong>in</strong> care of the orphaned child. Smith<br />
takes the child to a sultry prostitute known as<br />
Dairy Queen, played by Monica Bellucci. Rated R<br />
STARDUST A young man named Tristan (Charlie<br />
Cox) tries to w<strong>in</strong> the heart of Victoria (Sienna<br />
Miller), the beautiful but cold object of his desire,<br />
by go<strong>in</strong>g on a quest to retrieve a fallen star. His<br />
journey takes him to a mysterious and forbidden<br />
land beyond the walls of his village. On his odyssey,<br />
Tristan fi nds the star, which has transformed<br />
<strong>in</strong>to a strik<strong>in</strong>g girl named Yva<strong>in</strong>e (Claire Danes).<br />
Also starr<strong>in</strong>g Peter O’Toole, Michelle Pfeiffer, Robert<br />
De Niro and Ricky Gervais. Rat<strong>in</strong>g: PG-13<br />
SUPERBAD Two co-dependent high school guys<br />
want to hook up with girls before they graduate<br />
and go off to different colleges. Starr<strong>in</strong>g: Seth<br />
Rogen, Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher<br />
M<strong>in</strong>tz-Plasse, and Bill Hader. Rated R<br />
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM Jason Bourne is<br />
hunted by the people who made him what he is-a<br />
legendary assass<strong>in</strong>. Hav<strong>in</strong>g lost his memory and<br />
the one person he loved, he is undeterred by the<br />
barrage of bullets and a new generation of highlytra<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
killers. Starr<strong>in</strong>g: Matt Damon, Joan Allen,<br />
Julia Stiles, David Strathairn, Paddy Consid<strong>in</strong>e.<br />
Rated PG-13<br />
THE BROTHERS SOLOMON Good-hearted and<br />
well-mean<strong>in</strong>g but socially <strong>in</strong>ept and clueless about<br />
the ways of women, the brothers Solomon would<br />
like to grant their dad his dy<strong>in</strong>g wish and provide<br />
him with a grandchild. Starr<strong>in</strong>g Saturday Night<br />
Live actors Will Forte and Will Arnett. Rat<strong>in</strong>g: R<br />
THE LAST LEGION As the Roman empire<br />
crumbles, a young emperor embarks on a perilous<br />
voyage to track down the one legion still loyal<br />
to Rome and the orig<strong>in</strong>s of the famed Excalibur<br />
unfold. Starr<strong>in</strong>g: Col<strong>in</strong> Firth, Ben K<strong>in</strong>gsley, Aishwarya<br />
Rai, Thomas Sangster, Peter Mullan. Rated<br />
PG-13<br />
THE INVASION The mysterious crash of the<br />
space shuttle leads to the terrify<strong>in</strong>g discovery<br />
that there is someth<strong>in</strong>g alien with<strong>in</strong> the wreckage.<br />
Those who <strong>com</strong>e <strong>in</strong> contact with it are chang<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong> om<strong>in</strong>ous and <strong>in</strong>explicable ways. Starr<strong>in</strong>g: Nicole<br />
Kidman, Daniel Craig, Jeremy Northam, Jeffrey<br />
Wright, and Jackson Bond. Rated PG-13<br />
<br />
B+ 91 m<strong>in</strong>. R<br />
8 september 13-19, 2007 | enterta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g u newspaper<br />
an unexpected hit<br />
Brothers Solomon<br />
BY HILARY JOHNSON hilary_a_johnson@yahoo.<strong>com</strong><br />
It’s not often, when go<strong>in</strong>g to the movies, that<br />
I f<strong>in</strong>d myself sitt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the best seat <strong>in</strong> the house.<br />
You know, that one seat <strong>in</strong> the very dead center of<br />
the theatre, with no one block<strong>in</strong>g my <strong>view</strong> and no<br />
close elbows to fight with for the arm rest. I could<br />
have even laid down had I wanted to. I could also<br />
take calls, didn’t even need to turn off my r<strong>in</strong>gtone,<br />
and I could talk as loud as I wanted to. But why,<br />
you might ask? Well, it was a Monday mat<strong>in</strong>ee<br />
<strong>view</strong><strong>in</strong>g of the new movie The Brothers Solomon.<br />
Not that I expected many people to show up, but I<br />
at least expected a few.<br />
I was already a little wary <strong>com</strong><strong>in</strong>g to<br />
<strong>this</strong> movie. A movie about two socially and<br />
romantically deluded brothers (Will Arnett and Will<br />
Forte) who wanted to have a baby to save their<br />
<strong>com</strong>atose father (Lee Majors)? K<strong>in</strong>d of a stretch<br />
<strong>in</strong>to the world of weird, but I was up for it. The<br />
empty theater started to raise some questions<br />
though. Was there a reason for the lackluster<br />
crowd?<br />
Turns out, there really could be no good<br />
reason for someone to miss <strong>this</strong> movie. That<br />
is, unless you’re under the age of seventeen or<br />
don’t have a stomach for graphic sexual humor.<br />
This movie had me laugh<strong>in</strong>g so loud, all by my<br />
lonesome, that I was the one distract<strong>in</strong>g myself.<br />
“Was that really that funny?” I would th<strong>in</strong>k after<br />
a bout of giggles brought on by the clever humor<br />
that always bordered on awkward or <strong>in</strong>appropriate.<br />
Yep, it really was that funny.<br />
There was never a dull moment. Stemm<strong>in</strong>g<br />
from the same l<strong>in</strong>e of humor as The Forty Year<br />
Old Virg<strong>in</strong>, sexuality, or the lack thereof, was at<br />
the core of <strong>this</strong> film, which was directed by Mr.<br />
Show’s Bob Odenkirk and written by SNL’s Will<br />
Forte. However, it pushed past the coarse humor<br />
of Virg<strong>in</strong> and <strong>in</strong>to someth<strong>in</strong>g even more potentially<br />
depraved. Two adult brothers liv<strong>in</strong>g alone with their<br />
<strong>com</strong>atose father, openly discuss<strong>in</strong>g their sex life on<br />
a regular basis? A naked shower scene that ends<br />
<strong>in</strong> a hug exemplifies the <strong>in</strong>appropriate ambiguity of<br />
the brother’s close relationship. They sleep next to<br />
one another <strong>in</strong> sleep<strong>in</strong>g bags, and even discuss the<br />
content of their dreams…moist as they may be.<br />
The theme song of the movie is John Parr’s<br />
‘St. Elmo’s Fire.’ Throughout the film, the song<br />
is rendered to fit the mood of the scene, be it the<br />
enthusiastic orig<strong>in</strong>al to match the cheesy gr<strong>in</strong>s<br />
and goofy dances of the optimistic brothers, or a<br />
downtrodden <strong>in</strong>strumental to enhance their trials<br />
and tribulations. The pop-tastic song is the perfect<br />
<strong>com</strong>pliment to the tone of the movie, which is<br />
light, airy and ridiculous, but oh-so-endear<strong>in</strong>g. The<br />
k<strong>in</strong>d of th<strong>in</strong>g you just can’t get out of your head.<br />
An unexpected hit.<br />
From the baby-proof<strong>in</strong>g of the house (th<strong>in</strong>k<br />
blow up bounce mach<strong>in</strong>e as the liv<strong>in</strong>g room floor)<br />
to the endless chase for any girl’s attention (and<br />
the sly advances that make any girl cr<strong>in</strong>ge), <strong>this</strong><br />
movie has enough juice to keep you crack<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
whole time. It never takes it all the way to weird,<br />
but it stays right on the edge throughout the film. It<br />
leaves you laugh<strong>in</strong>g and allows you to really troop<br />
beh<strong>in</strong>d the characters. Instead of be<strong>in</strong>g freaked<br />
out, you f<strong>in</strong>d them affable and root for them the<br />
entire way.<br />
The tongue-<strong>in</strong>-cheek gr<strong>in</strong>s that epitomized<br />
the naivety of the two ma<strong>in</strong> characters, John and<br />
Dean Solomon, allowed the movie to border on<br />
the absurd, almost the un<strong>com</strong>fortable, but never<br />
crossed that l<strong>in</strong>e. Just when you thought their<br />
awkward humor had gone too far, suddenly they<br />
would throw out some normal dialogue, sett<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the movie back on track. There are moments of<br />
surreal <strong>in</strong>telligence that seem impossible <strong>com</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
from these bumbl<strong>in</strong>g brothers, but they’re real.<br />
Although not for the fa<strong>in</strong>t, <strong>this</strong> movie is rounded<br />
out, impossibly funny, and easy to get beh<strong>in</strong>d,<br />
figuratively speak<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Next time around, I am positive the theater<br />
will be packed with eager <strong>view</strong>ers. The laughter<br />
will fill the theatre <strong>in</strong>stead of echo<strong>in</strong>g off the walls<br />
the way m<strong>in</strong>e had. If <strong>this</strong> is your th<strong>in</strong>g, go <strong>in</strong> with<br />
good expectations. You will not be disappo<strong>in</strong>ted.
the wild west rides aga<strong>in</strong><br />
3:10 to Yuma<br />
BY RICK GRANT rickgrant01@<strong>com</strong>cast.net<br />
A Rated R 117 m<strong>in</strong><br />
This is filmmaker James Mangold’s excit<strong>in</strong>g<br />
remake of a 1957 film based on an Elmore Leonard<br />
short story. The orig<strong>in</strong>al starred Glenn Ford as Ben<br />
Wade and Van Hefl<strong>in</strong> as Dan Evans. The <strong>com</strong>plex<br />
paradigm shifts <strong>in</strong> morality between the outlaw<br />
Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) and Rancher Dan Evans<br />
(Christian Bale) is what makes <strong>this</strong> western really<br />
special.<br />
An underly<strong>in</strong>g subplot <strong>in</strong>volves the advanc<strong>in</strong>g<br />
railroad across rancher Dan Evans’ land. Heavily<br />
<strong>in</strong> debt, Evans is <strong>in</strong> danger of los<strong>in</strong>g his ranch to<br />
a ruthless land speculator who lent Evans money.<br />
Motivated by a large payday, Evans agrees to<br />
help guard Wade on a trip to catch a prison tra<strong>in</strong><br />
to Yuma. The th<strong>in</strong>g is–Wade’s gang of killers is<br />
shadow<strong>in</strong>g the group and plans to attack them to<br />
free their boss. Wade has <strong>com</strong>mitted numerous<br />
stagecoach heists, murders and bank robberies, so<br />
he has a date with the hangman <strong>in</strong> Yuma.<br />
At first meet<strong>in</strong>g, Wade takes a lik<strong>in</strong>g to Evans<br />
because he sees part of himself <strong>in</strong> Evans’ morality.<br />
But Wade has long ago strayed from conventional<br />
morality by his murderous deeds and crim<strong>in</strong>al<br />
ways. Similarly, Evans sees the good <strong>in</strong> Wade but<br />
needs the money for help<strong>in</strong>g to br<strong>in</strong>g Wade to justice.<br />
The two have a grudg<strong>in</strong>g mutual respect for<br />
one another, blurr<strong>in</strong>g the l<strong>in</strong>es between good and<br />
evil. In other words, Wade is not all bad, Evans is<br />
not all good and both men are smart and cunn<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
so they meet each other on a <strong>com</strong>mon ground between<br />
good and evil.<br />
Wisely, Mangold did not tamper with the<br />
well-written script, but updated the special effects,<br />
stunts, and gun gags to be much more realistic.<br />
Mangold’s western mosaic is properly gritty and<br />
dusty, as grungy, gun-tot<strong>in</strong>g men live by the frontier<br />
justice of the Colt six-shooter and shotgun. Logan<br />
Lerman portrays Evan’s fourteen year-old son with<br />
scene-steal<strong>in</strong>g verve. The boy has had to grow up<br />
fast, and aga<strong>in</strong>st his father’s wishes, he shadows<br />
the group as it moves closer to trouble.<br />
Although Wade is the prisoner wear<strong>in</strong>g<br />
handcuffs, he wields the power over the men. The<br />
P<strong>in</strong>kerton guards give him space and his above-average<br />
<strong>in</strong>telligence and leadership ability rules their<br />
wills. In <strong>this</strong> ad hoc platoon, Evans is second <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>com</strong>mand. Thus, the trip to the tra<strong>in</strong> station to put<br />
Wade on the 3:10 to Yuma is a clash of wills, with<br />
Wade w<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g out. When they are attacked by Indians,<br />
Wade takes <strong>com</strong>mand and helps them defend<br />
the group with a gun. Of course, <strong>this</strong> exemplifies<br />
the old adage that “the enemy of my enemy is my<br />
friend.”<br />
The prisoner cont<strong>in</strong>gent pull off a successful<br />
ruse by send<strong>in</strong>g a fake Wade off <strong>in</strong> a stage coach,<br />
know<strong>in</strong>g Wade’s gang would attack it, thus buy<strong>in</strong>g<br />
them time <strong>in</strong> the process. But, when the gang<br />
realized they’ve been had, they quickly regroup and<br />
head back to the tra<strong>in</strong> station, which is the scene of<br />
the <strong>in</strong>evitable showdown.<br />
There are many times dur<strong>in</strong>g the fateful trip to<br />
the tra<strong>in</strong> station when Wade and Evans jo<strong>in</strong> forces.<br />
By now, they could be allies, but Evans’ strong<br />
sense of morality is his anchor. His <strong>in</strong>tegrity and<br />
moral <strong>com</strong>pass guide him <strong>in</strong> his decisions. When<br />
Wade offers him a thousand dollars (like a hundred<br />
grand <strong>in</strong> today’s world) to let him go, Evans knows<br />
that he could not expla<strong>in</strong> the w<strong>in</strong>dfall and people<br />
would know he betrayed the rule of law.<br />
The truth is, Evans only took <strong>this</strong> job to help<br />
pull himself out of debt. He has a pretty wife and<br />
younger boy at home. Evans is satisfied with mak<strong>in</strong>g<br />
an honest liv<strong>in</strong>g and provid<strong>in</strong>g for his family.<br />
On the other hand, Wade is ruled by greed and<br />
murders people who get <strong>in</strong> his way. Yet, the story<br />
suggests that Wade still has a spark of morality <strong>in</strong><br />
his soul that allows him to admire Evans.<br />
When the dust clears, the two men are still<br />
on opposite sides of the law, but they are will<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to live and let live without kill<strong>in</strong>g each other. But<br />
circumstances change when the gang arrives at the<br />
tra<strong>in</strong> station. All hell breaks loose, and all the men’s<br />
loyalties to job, God, and family are severely tested.<br />
gamers get screen<br />
K<strong>in</strong>g of Kong - A Fistful of Quarters movie re<strong>view</strong><br />
BY NORM STOVALL normstovall@gmail.<strong>com</strong><br />
As a fan of modern-day <strong>com</strong>petitive video<br />
gam<strong>in</strong>g, I was pretty anxious to see <strong>this</strong> movie.<br />
With its limited show<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> cities around the<br />
country, I had feared that I would either have to<br />
wait for it to <strong>com</strong>e to DVD or just read about it<br />
and miss out on it altogether. On many gam<strong>in</strong>g<br />
websites there has already been lots of hype and<br />
hoopla over the fi lm, rang<strong>in</strong>g from wild and exaggerated<br />
praises to irate gam<strong>in</strong>g fans who feel that<br />
the fi lm’s antagonist was portrayed <strong>in</strong> an unfair<br />
way. Well, whatever. I had to see it for myself to<br />
form an op<strong>in</strong>ion, and lucky for<br />
Jacksonville, we can now see<br />
K<strong>in</strong>g of Kong <strong>in</strong> theatres start<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>this</strong> Friday.<br />
K<strong>in</strong>g of Kong is a documentary<br />
fi lm that follows the<br />
casual but dedicated gamer<br />
Steve Wiebe (pronounced<br />
“Wee-Bee”) on his mission to<br />
get the top score <strong>in</strong> the age-old<br />
classic game known as Donkey<br />
Kong. Steve, who judg<strong>in</strong>g by<br />
the movie, seems to be a pretty<br />
regular guy aside from the fact<br />
that he plays so much Donkey<br />
Kong, really goes the distance<br />
to show his worth. As the fi lm<br />
starts, you fi nd that Wiebe had<br />
recently achieved the ac<strong>com</strong>plishment<br />
of gett<strong>in</strong>g the world<br />
record high score <strong>in</strong> not only Donkey Kong, but<br />
also the sequel to the game, Donkey Kong Jr. In<br />
do<strong>in</strong>g so, he knocked out video game legend and<br />
hot sauce mogul Billy Mitchell, who eventually<br />
be<strong>com</strong>es the antagonist of the fi lm.<br />
Billy Mitchell plays a good bad guy <strong>in</strong> the<br />
fi lm, and he is probably the most quotable guy <strong>in</strong><br />
the history of all champions, with the exception of<br />
Muhammad Ali. Take <strong>this</strong> little gem, for example:<br />
“No matter what I say, it draws controversy. It’s<br />
sort of like the abortion <strong>issue</strong>. If you’re for it,<br />
you’re a son of a gun. If you’re aga<strong>in</strong>st it, you’re a<br />
son of a gun.” (Note: Mitchell never ever curses)<br />
Wiebe, on the other hand, seems to be the<br />
polar opposite. Calm and friendly, all he wants to<br />
do is play some Donkey Kong <strong>in</strong> head-to-head<br />
fashion with Billy Mitchell <strong>in</strong> a friendly match. He<br />
<strong>com</strong>es across as the nicest guy ever and doesn’t<br />
seem boastful or rude to anyone <strong>in</strong> any way, and<br />
though he strives for the high score, his family<br />
seems to keep him grounded. When discuss<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the Gu<strong>in</strong>ness Book of World Records and the<br />
importance of gam<strong>in</strong>g scores, a little girl, who I’m<br />
sure was Wiebe’s daughter, made a good po<strong>in</strong>t.<br />
While Wiebe noted that some people take them<br />
very seriously, she responded back: “Yeah, but<br />
some people ru<strong>in</strong> their lives with that stuff.”<br />
The ups and downs of Steve Wiebe’s adventures<br />
are well documented and edited <strong>in</strong> a<br />
dramatic way that stays <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g throughout<br />
the movie. Along the way<br />
you meet plenty of colorful,<br />
real-life people who really<br />
show some personality, such<br />
as the Tw<strong>in</strong> Galaxies arcade<br />
referee who also happens to<br />
be a musician and someth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
of a hippie, if you go by his<br />
appearance <strong>in</strong> the fi lm. And<br />
I can’t leave out a mention<br />
of mustachioed men who<br />
wear specialty gam<strong>in</strong>g gloves<br />
molded from weightlift<strong>in</strong>g<br />
gear, or the greasy hair and<br />
awkward cloth<strong>in</strong>g that seems<br />
to have <strong>com</strong>e from an 80s<br />
movie. Yes, there are nerds<br />
aplenty, but not only are they<br />
real and authentic, they also<br />
wear the cloth<strong>in</strong>g that nerds<br />
from the era of their favorite game would have<br />
worn. I’m talk<strong>in</strong>g golden Phil Donahue eyeglasses,<br />
greasy hair and fanny packs, a look only upgraded<br />
with cell phone holsters on the hip. Terrifi c!<br />
Overall, I feel that the movie <strong>in</strong> itself is worth<br />
the ticket price, if not more. Like most documentaries,<br />
much of the subject matter has been<br />
edited for dramatic effect and certa<strong>in</strong> nuances<br />
are left out that may give some <strong>in</strong>sight <strong>in</strong>to the<br />
relationship between Steve Wiebe and his rival<br />
Billy Mitchell, but as it is, it’s a great watch. If<br />
you want to read up on the current high scores<br />
and see op<strong>in</strong>ions from fans of the players and<br />
from some top players themselves, you can read<br />
all about that and more at billyvssteve.<strong>com</strong>. But<br />
even if you aren’t THAT <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> the subject<br />
matter of <strong>this</strong> fi lm, it’s a great watch nonetheless,<br />
because it’s not just geared toward video heads<br />
from the 80s.<br />
eujacksonville.<strong>com</strong> | september 13-19, 2007 9
THE NANNY DIARIES A 21-year old New York<br />
University student be<strong>com</strong>es a nanny to a family on<br />
the Upper East Side who turns out to be the family<br />
from hell. Starr<strong>in</strong>g: Scarlett Johansson, Laura<br />
L<strong>in</strong>ney, Paul Giamatti, Chris Evans, Donna Murphy.<br />
Rat<strong>in</strong>g: PG-13<br />
THE SIMPSONS MOVIE The Simpsons fi nally<br />
make it to the big screen. In <strong>this</strong> adventure, Homer<br />
mistakenly pollutes Lake Spr<strong>in</strong>gfi eld and sets <strong>in</strong>to<br />
motion a government plot to destroy their city.<br />
D’oh! He must somehow manage to save Spr<strong>in</strong>gfi<br />
eld and restore his family’s faith <strong>in</strong> him. Rated<br />
PG-13<br />
TRANSFORMERS The earth is caught <strong>in</strong> the<br />
middle of an <strong>in</strong>tergalactic war between two races<br />
of robots– the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons.<br />
Both are able to change <strong>in</strong>to a variety of<br />
objects, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g cars, trucks, planes, and other<br />
mach<strong>in</strong>es. Rated PG-13<br />
UNDERDOG A bumbl<strong>in</strong>g watchdog gets exposed<br />
to a substance that gives him the powers of a<br />
superhero. Starr<strong>in</strong>g: Alex Neuberger, Jason Lee,<br />
Diz White (II), Peter D<strong>in</strong>klage, James Belushi.<br />
Rated PG<br />
WAR An <strong>in</strong>famous assass<strong>in</strong> named Rogue sets<br />
off a crime war between rival Asian mobs. An FBI<br />
agent is determ<strong>in</strong>ed to br<strong>in</strong>g down the killer after<br />
his partner is murdered. Starr<strong>in</strong>g: Jet Li, Jason<br />
Statham, Devon Aoki, Nicholas Elia, Luis Guzman.<br />
Rat<strong>in</strong>g: R<br />
SPECIAL SHOWINGS<br />
Night Owl C<strong>in</strong>ema Series<br />
The St. August<strong>in</strong>e Amphitheatre will be host<strong>in</strong>g a<br />
Night Owl C<strong>in</strong>ema Series Friday, Sept. 14th. See<br />
E.T. THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL, Rated PG. Food<br />
will be provided by various local restaurants, so<br />
<strong>com</strong>e early and hungry. Doors open at 6:30 pm<br />
and the movie starts 8 pm. The Amphitheatre is<br />
located 1340 A1A South <strong>in</strong> St. August<strong>in</strong>e. Info:<br />
904-471-1965 or staugamphitheatre.<strong>com</strong>.<br />
Midnight Movie<br />
The San Marco Theatre will be screen<strong>in</strong>g THIS IS<br />
SPINAL TAP on Sept. 14th and 15th. Before the<br />
feature, San Marco Theatre will host their fi rst<br />
Guitar Hero 2 Competition. Info: 396-4845 or sanmarcotheatre.<strong>com</strong>.<br />
On Sept. 28th and 29th BUFFY<br />
THE VAMPIRE SLAYER S<strong>in</strong>g-a-Long!<br />
Friends of the Fest (Formerly Reel People)<br />
Jacksonville Film Events’ new year-round series<br />
“Friends of the Fest” presents THE BOSS OF<br />
IT ALL on Sept. 16th at 1 pm at the San Marco<br />
Theatre. Info: 396-4845 jacksonvillefi lmevents.<br />
<strong>com</strong>/events_reel.htm.<br />
NEW ON DVD<br />
BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE<br />
AWAY FROM HER<br />
BLUE SMOKE<br />
CAROLINA MOON<br />
SNOW CAKE<br />
GRIFFIN & PHEONIX<br />
A 99 m<strong>in</strong>.<br />
10 september 13-19, 2007 | enterta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g u newspaper<br />
slay<strong>in</strong>g faceless corporate w<strong>in</strong>dmills<br />
The Boss of It All<br />
BY JON BOSWORTH jaxvilla<strong>in</strong>@yahoo.<strong>com</strong><br />
In a world of giant, board-directed corporations,<br />
it is all too often that you never know the person you<br />
are work<strong>in</strong>g for, and it is even more frequent that the<br />
offi ce has an overrid<strong>in</strong>g policy of passive aggressivism<br />
(which I th<strong>in</strong>k they also call “professionalism”). In<br />
fact it is exactly these attributes of the modern workplace<br />
that has lead to the success of satires such as<br />
The Offi ce, fi rst on BBC and now on American television.<br />
If you dig the awkward <strong>com</strong>edy of The Offi ce,<br />
The Boss of It All is a fi lm that is right up your cubicle.<br />
This Danish fi lm was brought to <strong>in</strong>ternational<br />
theatres by Lars von Trier, the same writer/director<br />
that made the heart-wrench<strong>in</strong>g musical Dancer <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Dark, starr<strong>in</strong>g Icelandic s<strong>in</strong>ger/songwriter Bjork. The<br />
Boss of It All is Trier’s foray <strong>in</strong>to <strong>com</strong>edy, and <strong>this</strong> fi lm<br />
nails the laughs.<br />
Ravn (Peter Gantzler) runs a moderately successful<br />
IT <strong>com</strong>pany, but his employees don’t know it.<br />
Ravn’s eccentrically passive/aggressive nature leads<br />
him to tell his employees that he is, <strong>in</strong> fact, an associate<br />
or partner and that there is a “boss of it all” who<br />
currently lives <strong>in</strong> America. But now that he wants to<br />
sell the <strong>com</strong>pany, he must produce <strong>this</strong> mythological<br />
boss <strong>in</strong> order to negotiate the deal with some eccentric<br />
Icelandic bus<strong>in</strong>essman who refuses to deal with<br />
the cowardly Danish Ravn.<br />
So Ravn hires an actor (Jens Alb<strong>in</strong>us) to play the<br />
mysterious “boss of it all,” Svend, at the table dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the sale of the <strong>com</strong>pany. The actor is not able to<br />
adequately portray a know<strong>in</strong>g bus<strong>in</strong>essman, so Ravn<br />
br<strong>in</strong>gs him to the offi ce to spend a week gett<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to<br />
character. Of course, none of the employees know<br />
that he is a fake and many have been eagerly wait<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to meet him for years. This is because Ravn has<br />
been send<strong>in</strong>g all of the primary people <strong>in</strong> the <strong>com</strong>pany<br />
emails as Svend. The actor only learns of these emails<br />
as he encounters the employees affected by them.<br />
From strange sexual advances that Svend apparently<br />
solicited from several of the employees to<br />
marriage proposals to bizarre <strong>in</strong>sults, he is walk<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong>to a hostile environment. In fact, dur<strong>in</strong>g his fi rst staff<br />
meet<strong>in</strong>g he is punched <strong>in</strong> the mouth. What follows is a<br />
<strong>com</strong>edy of errors as the actor tries to perfect his craft<br />
through improvisation. He is an idiot and he knows<br />
it, so he expla<strong>in</strong>s the scenario to his ex-wife, the only<br />
person he can be honest with, other than Ravn who<br />
is enjoy<strong>in</strong>g his reprieve from be<strong>in</strong>g the secret boss<br />
while wait<strong>in</strong>g to sell the <strong>com</strong>pany. As it turns out, the<br />
actor’s ex-wife is also the Icelandic buyer’s attorney<br />
and she is a master of draw<strong>in</strong>g up contracts.<br />
In the course of play<strong>in</strong>g the boss of it all, the<br />
actor <strong>com</strong>es to like many of the people around the<br />
offi ce. So when Svend learns that Ravn is go<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
sell the <strong>com</strong>pany and all of those employees will be<br />
fi red, he takes it upon himself to act as though he<br />
really were the boss of it all and <strong>this</strong> hilarious premise<br />
unfolds <strong>in</strong>to a series of hysterical out<strong>com</strong>es.<br />
The humor of <strong>this</strong> fi lm is dry and un<strong>com</strong>fortable,<br />
but wrought with smart wit and clever subplots that<br />
lead to hearty laughs and scenarios that are just too<br />
true <strong>in</strong> any culture.<br />
This fi lm is be<strong>in</strong>g brought to the San Marco<br />
Theatre by the Friends of the Fest, a year-round extension<br />
of the Jacksonville Film Festival that used to be<br />
known as Reel People. A foreign fi lm of <strong>this</strong> caliber<br />
would likely never <strong>com</strong>e to Jacksonville if it were not<br />
for the good people who program our fi lm festival and<br />
the connections that they foster the rest of the year.<br />
So if you spend the Film Festival off-season wish<strong>in</strong>g<br />
movies like that came through on a regular basis, <strong>this</strong><br />
is your chance. See <strong>this</strong> fi lm on September 16th at<br />
1pm <strong>in</strong> the historic San Marco Theatre.
eujacksonville.<strong>com</strong> | september 13-19, 2007 11
12 september 13-19, 2007 | enterta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g u newspaper<br />
burn notice<br />
USA’s clever spy dramedy<br />
BY RICK GRANT rickgrant01@<strong>com</strong>cast.net<br />
Reviv<strong>in</strong>g the witty repartee between male and<br />
female leads ala the old Moonlight<strong>in</strong>g series was<br />
Matt Nix’s concept when he pitched Burn Notice to<br />
the USA decision makers. But his protagonist was<br />
an ex-CIA agent, Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan)<br />
who was “burned,” which <strong>in</strong> spy jargon means fi red.<br />
He was stripped of his security clearance, his bank<br />
account was frozen, and he was stranded <strong>in</strong> Miami<br />
with no fi nancial resources.<br />
As Michael struggles to scrape-up private<br />
<strong>in</strong>vestigative work, his ex-girlfriend Fiona (Gabrille<br />
Anwar) surfaces. She was an ex-IRA operative who<br />
helped Michael <strong>in</strong> his fi eld work. Feisty Fiona has<br />
special spy skills but is a pa<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> Michael’s neck.<br />
Together, they have a shaky personal relationship<br />
but work well together professionally. Michael’s only<br />
friend is Sam, a washed-up military <strong>in</strong>telligence contact<br />
who is <strong>in</strong>form<strong>in</strong>g on Michael to the FBI.<br />
Aga<strong>in</strong>st the backdrop of bik<strong>in</strong>i-clad babes and<br />
colorful art-deco South Beach locations, Michael<br />
takes PI jobs under the police’s radar to make ends<br />
meet. Michael’s brash, cha<strong>in</strong>-smok<strong>in</strong>g mother, Madel<strong>in</strong>e<br />
(Sharon Gless), lives <strong>in</strong> Miami. She cont<strong>in</strong>ually<br />
pisses-off Michael with her raunchy social life and<br />
her <strong>in</strong>cessant criticism of Michael’s free-wheel<strong>in</strong>g<br />
lifestyle.<br />
Meanwhile, Michael is look<strong>in</strong>g for the CIA suit<br />
that burned him and had him blacklisted, limit<strong>in</strong>g his<br />
options. The hook of the premise is Michael’s use of<br />
his spy craft to deal with some dangerous bad guys<br />
and rely<strong>in</strong>g on Fiona and Sam to help him pull off his<br />
cons and st<strong>in</strong>gs. He has even made deals with the<br />
Armenian Mafi a to help him <strong>com</strong>plete his missions.<br />
Amid the foot chases and gun gags, Michael<br />
and Fiona bicker and utter witty barbs at one another.<br />
This sexual tension culm<strong>in</strong>ates <strong>in</strong> Michael and Fiona<br />
resum<strong>in</strong>g their sex life. Michael th<strong>in</strong>ks it’s a mistake,<br />
yet, he needs Fiona. She can go places that he can’t<br />
and use her femme fatale charms to ga<strong>in</strong> access to<br />
high security sites. Although Sam is <strong>in</strong>form<strong>in</strong>g on<br />
Michael, he also helps him on certa<strong>in</strong> operations.<br />
In <strong>this</strong> shadowy world of ex-secret agents, trust no<br />
one.<br />
When Michael was work<strong>in</strong>g for the CIA, his<br />
career took him to Eastern Europe and the OPEC<br />
countries as a covert operative. Now, he faces a<br />
new reality <strong>in</strong> Miami. On the positive side, Miami is<br />
seeth<strong>in</strong>g with shady characters who need his services<br />
for cash money up front. Avoid<strong>in</strong>g the FBI is<br />
easy, it’s the Armenian mob that is a problem. These<br />
gangsters make Mafi a goons look like boy scouts.<br />
Fiona is stunn<strong>in</strong>gly beautiful but deadly. She is trigger<br />
happy and a problem for Michael. But her fi ery<br />
personality <strong>com</strong>plements Michael’s need for a cont<strong>in</strong>uous<br />
adrenal<strong>in</strong>e high. They make a volatile team,<br />
but get the job done.<br />
A former Navy Seal and military <strong>in</strong>telligence<br />
offi cer, Sam looks good <strong>in</strong> either a suit or <strong>in</strong> Bermuda<br />
shorts with a Hawaiian shirt hold<strong>in</strong>g a dr<strong>in</strong>k <strong>in</strong> his<br />
hand. He plays various roles for Michael’s <strong>com</strong>plex<br />
st<strong>in</strong>gs. Michael can always fi nd Sam at his favorite<br />
hotel bar next to the swimm<strong>in</strong>g pool sipp<strong>in</strong>g cocktails<br />
while try<strong>in</strong>g to pick up chicks.<br />
Michael’s cantankerous mom is widowed and<br />
look<strong>in</strong>g for a new man. Michael would rather she<br />
move to a foreign country, but s<strong>in</strong>ce she’s liv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
the same city, he humors her. She’s good for a place<br />
to stay and a small loan when th<strong>in</strong>gs get tough.<br />
Jeffrey Donovan, who is a familiar face from<br />
<strong>in</strong>numerable television shows and movies, has created<br />
a likeable character that looks sharp <strong>in</strong> a light<br />
blazer while he kicks butt. His suave witty persona<br />
endears him to TV <strong>view</strong>ers like James Garner did <strong>in</strong><br />
The Rockford Files. His advanced spy craft <strong>com</strong>es<br />
<strong>in</strong> handy when deal<strong>in</strong>g with a legion of bad guys and<br />
giv<strong>in</strong>g the FBI the slip.<br />
The show is a certifi ed hit and has already<br />
been renewed for next season. It runs on Thursdays<br />
on USA at 10 pm ET
video games<br />
BY NORM STOVALL normstovall@gmail.<strong>com</strong><br />
The month of September is well underway, which means video game release season is upon us. There<br />
are a number of high-profi le games to be released <strong>this</strong> month, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Sony’s often ill-re<strong>view</strong>ed Lair,<br />
N<strong>in</strong>tendo’s Metroid Prime 3, Sony’s Warhawk and Bungie’s highly anticipated Halo 3. To most people<br />
familiar with gam<strong>in</strong>g, these titles are well known, so I won’t spend too much time with you tell<strong>in</strong>g you<br />
how Lair is impossible to play and frustrat<strong>in</strong>g, that Metroid Prime 3 is surpris<strong>in</strong>gly great, or that you<br />
are probably go<strong>in</strong>g to have to buy Halo 3, no matter what. Instead, I’d rather talk about the great games<br />
that you would probably enjoy, but may have overlooked.<br />
Skate<br />
For PS3 and Xbox 360<br />
I’ll have a full-sized re<strong>view</strong> of <strong>this</strong> next week, as it got delayed till Friday (The PS3 <strong>version</strong> <strong>com</strong>es later<br />
<strong>this</strong> month or possibly early next month). The demo, however, is currently available on Xbox live. It<br />
is wildly addictive and has garnered noth<strong>in</strong>g but respect from skateboard enthusiasts. If you can,<br />
download the demo on Xbox Live to see for yourself. If you love skateboard<strong>in</strong>g, I’d say head down to<br />
the game shop and buy it right away.<br />
Dynasty Wars Gundam<br />
PS3, Xbox 360<br />
If you are not familiar with the Dynasty Warriors series, basically the games center around former<br />
military leaders from Ch<strong>in</strong>a and Japan, who will hack and slash their way through armies of millions<br />
of soldiers on their way to greatness. Basically, play<strong>in</strong>g a Dynasty Warriors game is like watch<strong>in</strong>g one<br />
of those Greek/Roman war movies where you have a few guys go<strong>in</strong>g aga<strong>in</strong>st an army of thousands.<br />
So what is new with <strong>this</strong> Gundam <strong>version</strong> of Dynasty Warriors? Well, take out the Asian military guys,<br />
and replace them with Giant Robots of Japanese orig<strong>in</strong>. Replace the bad guy armies with Gundam<br />
bad guys, and there you have it. Dynasty Warriors Gundam is a great way to kill time, and though the<br />
action can be repetitive, the game does wonders for reliev<strong>in</strong>g stress. And fi ght<strong>in</strong>g robots are always<br />
awesome. Fans of the Gundam series will be impressed, especially after play<strong>in</strong>g the last Next Gen<br />
Gundam game.<br />
John Woo’s Stranglehold<br />
For PS3, Xbox 360<br />
Well, maybe you do already know about <strong>this</strong> game. It isn’t exactly underground, but I th<strong>in</strong>k it is a fun<br />
game nonetheless. If you are familiar with the movie Hard Boiled, you should recognize the characters<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong> story, which functions as a sequel to that movie. Us<strong>in</strong>g gameplay mechanics much like those<br />
found <strong>in</strong> games like Max Payne, you will duck, shoot, slide across tables and dive through the air<br />
<strong>in</strong> slow motion while shoot<strong>in</strong>g bad guys. With fully destructible environments and a high dosage of<br />
action, Stranglehold is a great example of Hong Kong action translated <strong>in</strong>to video game form. As far as<br />
movie games are concerned, <strong>this</strong> one is one of the best, up there with Chronicles of Riddick. (Although<br />
I thought the movie that was based on it was k<strong>in</strong>da whatever.)<br />
eujacksonville.<strong>com</strong> | september 13-19, 2007 13
14<br />
dish.<br />
where to eat, dr<strong>in</strong>k and be merry.<br />
Tomato goat cheese and pesto<br />
Napoleon served with organic olive<br />
oil and balsamic from The Row.<br />
page 14 - 15 moon river pizza restautrant re<strong>view</strong><br />
page 15 car<strong>in</strong>g chef profi le: chris faurie<br />
september 13-19, 2007 | enterta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g u newspaper<br />
punks, pizza and art<br />
Moon River Pizza<br />
BY ERIN THURSBY scopes1925@msn.<strong>com</strong><br />
For gourmet, punk-art pizza, take a trip to Moon River Pizza. If you’re lucky enough to live near the Murray<br />
Hill locale, it’s likely you know <strong>this</strong> pizza jo<strong>in</strong>t well. If not, you’re miss<strong>in</strong>g out on some of the best slices <strong>in</strong><br />
town.<br />
Around d<strong>in</strong>ner on any given even<strong>in</strong>g, the place is generally slammed with customers, and for good reason.<br />
Plenty of folks get take-out, but eat<strong>in</strong>g-<strong>in</strong> is an enjoyable experience as well.<br />
Start by wait<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> l<strong>in</strong>e to order your pizza. If you’re there with friends, get them to stake out a table<br />
while you order. Once you place your order, you’ll get a plastic display picture. This tells the servers where<br />
the specifi c orders will go and is a much more fun way than the traditional number system. Customers look<br />
forward to gett<strong>in</strong>g the Beatles, Elvis or other pop-art icons as their table markers. I know I do. Last time I<br />
went, I got a Cheech & Chong postcard-size movie poster. You can also get an old black and white picture of<br />
Godzilla (or T-Rex), an old picture of a p<strong>in</strong>-up girl or a postcard of a classic movie poster.<br />
Hung on the walls at Moon River is a rotat<strong>in</strong>g gallery of artists. The works can range from funky pop art<br />
and abstracts to more traditional oils. Most of the art, though, leans towards the funky. Grant Thornton has<br />
a few pieces of colorful art, like a strange bumble bee piece and one of multiple hot-air balloons with a brick<br />
background. Other artists up on the walls <strong>in</strong>clude Eric Gillyard and Ryan Jon Adams. Often the art on these<br />
walls <strong>in</strong>cludes some of the best <strong>in</strong> the area that rarely shows anywhere else <strong>in</strong> town. Eric Gillyard’s work is<br />
a perfect example. This Douglas Anderson graduate recently returned to Jacksonville from Atlanta, so Moon<br />
Grant Thornton
River is the fi rst place his art has been <strong>view</strong>able <strong>in</strong> town s<strong>in</strong>ce his return.<br />
If you want someth<strong>in</strong>g to nibble on while wait<strong>in</strong>g for your pizza, a salad is the way to go. They <strong>com</strong>e<br />
out fairly quickly. There are just three salad selections at Moon River: the house, Greek and gorgonzola salad.<br />
Many great pizza jo<strong>in</strong>ts will skimp on their salads, offer<strong>in</strong>g a sub-standard iceberg lettuce salad with sad<br />
tomatoes and a solitary olive. Not so at Moon River. Each salad is made from Roma<strong>in</strong>e lettuce and features<br />
fresh <strong>in</strong>gredients. My favorite happens to be the gorgonzola.<br />
The busy workers beh<strong>in</strong>d the counter can be seen bustl<strong>in</strong>g about, prepar<strong>in</strong>g food, toss<strong>in</strong>g dough and<br />
gett<strong>in</strong>g pizzas out of the oven. The crust is a delicious hand-tossed, freshly mixed bread that cooks up soft<br />
and perfectly <strong>com</strong>pliments everyth<strong>in</strong>g they put on top. These slices <strong>com</strong>e out foldable and scrumptious.<br />
Besides a lovely crust and stellar pizza sauces, Moon River gives their customers a myriad of options<br />
when it <strong>com</strong>es to build<strong>in</strong>g their pie. The same is true of their calzones, which can be stuffed with any of<br />
the topp<strong>in</strong>g items available for their pizza. Look<strong>in</strong>g at the topp<strong>in</strong>g options, you can, as they say “enjoy the<br />
exquisite misery of choice.” Besides the usual topp<strong>in</strong>gs (pepperoni, mushrooms, ham, olives, etc.) you’ll<br />
also fi nd options of breaded eggplant, broccoli, various cheeses (such as feta, gorgonzola, mozzarella, and<br />
cheddar), sp<strong>in</strong>ach and artichokes, as well as many other th<strong>in</strong>gs. If you like pizza but you can’t handle tomato<br />
sauce, you can always go with their pesto sauce or their white pizza, which uses an olive oil and garlic sauce<br />
<strong>in</strong>stead.<br />
While build<strong>in</strong>g your own weird pie can<br />
be a fun adventure, there are about six pizza<br />
specials with pre-selected topp<strong>in</strong>gs that you<br />
can order. Each has their own avid fans, and<br />
for good reason. There’s “The Special,” a<br />
classic everyth<strong>in</strong>g pie, which conta<strong>in</strong>s all the<br />
classic topp<strong>in</strong>gs: pepperoni, Italian sausage,<br />
sliced meatballs, fresh mushrooms. onions,<br />
green peppers, black olives and extra cheese.<br />
They’ve also got a vegetarian pie, which,<br />
among other th<strong>in</strong>gs, is loaded with fresh,<br />
Roma tomatoes.<br />
Their white pie, a favorite of m<strong>in</strong>e,<br />
<strong>com</strong>es with three different cheeses (mozzarella,<br />
feta and parmesan), extra virg<strong>in</strong> olive oil,<br />
oregano, black pepper and fresh garlic. Meat<br />
lovers will want to s<strong>in</strong>k those can<strong>in</strong>es <strong>in</strong>to a<br />
slice of their T-Rex, which is topped with all<br />
the meats and an extra help<strong>in</strong>g of cheese.<br />
I’m partial to their “The Pizza” topped with<br />
sp<strong>in</strong>ach, delectable fresh mushrooms, white<br />
cheddar and fresh garlic. I’m also <strong>in</strong> love with<br />
their Maui Wowee pie with ham, p<strong>in</strong>eapple<br />
(well-dra<strong>in</strong>ed and fi rm, not soggy) and cheddar<br />
cheese. You also get your choice of sliced<br />
jalapeño peppers or banana peppers.<br />
As you can probably tell, it’s diffi cult for<br />
me to decide on which pie I’m go<strong>in</strong>g to get,<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ce several of their specialty pies are special<br />
to me. I’ve noticed that the more you try at<br />
Moon River, the harder it gets to decide what<br />
to order.<br />
Moon River Pizza locales: 925 S 14th St Fernand<strong>in</strong>a Beach, FL (904) 321-3400 & 1176 Edgewood Ave<br />
S, Murray Hill Area (904) 389-4442<br />
car<strong>in</strong>g chefs profi le<br />
Chris Faurie from Roy’s by er<strong>in</strong> thursby<br />
WHAT: Car<strong>in</strong>g Chefs<br />
WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 21 st @ 7-9:30 pm<br />
WHERE: The Avenues Mall<br />
Car<strong>in</strong>g Chefs is certa<strong>in</strong>ly the premier food event<br />
of the year here <strong>in</strong> Jacksonville. All proceeds go to<br />
the Children’s Home Society, so ticket holders can<br />
have both the satisfaction of help<strong>in</strong>g those less fortunate<br />
and of be<strong>in</strong>g able to sample food from some of<br />
the First Coast’s fi nest restaurants. For the next few<br />
weeks we’ll be profi l<strong>in</strong>g some of the chefs <strong>in</strong>volved.<br />
This week, we’re profi l<strong>in</strong>g Chris Faurie of Roy’s at<br />
Jacksonville Beach.<br />
Why do you participate <strong>in</strong> Car<strong>in</strong>g Chefs? How many years have you done the event?<br />
Car<strong>in</strong>g Chefs is for a great cause. It is by far one of our biggest charity events of the year that gets<br />
Roy’s a ton of coverage with the amount of people that attend <strong>this</strong> event. Plus, it is one of the most<br />
fun events to participate <strong>in</strong>.<br />
What are the three <strong>in</strong>gredients you can’t live without?<br />
Andouille Sausage, Crystal Hot Sauce and Hawaiian Ahi Tuna<br />
Appetizer, entree or dessert? Why?<br />
Appetizer—Roy’s blackened Ahi dish is one that is craved by many people worldwide<br />
What’s the strangest dish you’ve ever prepared?<br />
Saimen Noodle dish with fi sh cake and salted duck egg.<br />
What’s your favorite dish to eat? Prepare?<br />
Andouille Crusted Red Snapper served with Crystal Hot Sauce Beurre Blanc.<br />
Can you let us <strong>in</strong> on what you’ll be serv<strong>in</strong>g at the event?<br />
Roy’s Blackened Ahi—It speaks for itself. Every year we do <strong>this</strong> dish and every year we br<strong>in</strong>g<br />
more and seem to run out quicker and quicker.<br />
Tickets for the event are $60, but it’s best to buy them <strong>in</strong> advance, s<strong>in</strong>ce they are generally<br />
sold out by the night of the event. Go to chsfl .org/buckner to register for tickets or call (904)<br />
493-7739 for more <strong>in</strong>fo.<br />
eujacksonville.<strong>com</strong> | september 13-19, 2007 15
fall (visual)<br />
art pre<strong>view</strong><br />
<strong>com</strong>par<strong>in</strong>g the words<br />
of the artists<br />
who’s on their high horse and who’s<br />
beh<strong>in</strong>d one? by donald dus<strong>in</strong>berre<br />
Initially, I had a hard time conv<strong>in</strong>c<strong>in</strong>g myself that our average reader might be <strong>in</strong>terested<br />
<strong>in</strong> so much art-related content. Be<strong>in</strong>g an artist and work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the art world, I automatically<br />
assume that people aren’t that <strong>in</strong>terested. But, after I thought about it, I decided that the best<br />
approach to <strong>this</strong> week’s <strong>issue</strong> would be to assume that some EU readers aren’t experts but<br />
want to know more about art and the artists who proliferate it. Even if you’re not someone<br />
16<br />
september 13-19, 2007 | enterta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g u newspaper<br />
like that, you may still appreciate <strong>this</strong> feature as a social experiment. You can <strong>com</strong>pare and<br />
contrast the responses to learn who seems genu<strong>in</strong>e and who shovels the manure.<br />
I sent an email to eleven artists <strong>in</strong> the Jacksonville area who together might represent<br />
an approximate cross-section of our local art scene. Many of them are pa<strong>in</strong>ters, some<br />
photographers. Many of them abstract their work signifi cantly, but some don’t. You get the<br />
idea.<br />
I gave no <strong>in</strong>dication as to who the other participants might be. I simply stated that I had<br />
chosen a few artists to be a part of <strong>this</strong> feature and they were <strong>in</strong>cluded. Attached to each<br />
email was a questionnaire consist<strong>in</strong>g of fi ve questions, along with a request for images<br />
of their work to be pr<strong>in</strong>ted alongside their responses. Each artist was asked the same fi ve<br />
questions, and I asked those questions <strong>in</strong> the voice of an aspir<strong>in</strong>g art appreciator.<br />
Five of the eleven artists responded, which speaks volumes all by itself. Compare the<br />
responses yourself and feel free to let me know what you th<strong>in</strong>k.<br />
brittni wood<br />
Brittni Wood is an emerg<strong>in</strong>g contemporary artist<br />
who is very <strong>in</strong>volved with the young Jacksonville<br />
art scene. You can catch Brittni Wood’s work<br />
at her solo show at the Jane Gray Gallery. The<br />
open<strong>in</strong>g reception will be on Friday, November<br />
2 nd . Learn more at janegraygallery.<strong>com</strong>. She is<br />
also currently show<strong>in</strong>g her work <strong>in</strong> a group show<br />
at Pedestrian Projects <strong>in</strong> San Marco.<br />
EU: Why do you make art? In other words, what<br />
is your <strong>in</strong>spiration or most prom<strong>in</strong>ent subject?<br />
Wood: I imag<strong>in</strong>e <strong>this</strong> answer would be the same<br />
for most any artist. I create because it is where<br />
my <strong>in</strong>terest lies; because there is noth<strong>in</strong>g else<br />
I would rather do. Inspired by artists from the<br />
past and present, such as Eva Hesse and Ellen<br />
Gallagher, my work is heavily <strong>in</strong>fl uenced by social<br />
<strong>issue</strong>s of today, with an emphasis on ideas of<br />
fame, fortune, religion, sexuality, and gender<br />
roles.<br />
EU: What is it about your chosen mode of artistic expression that conveys your ideas better than, say,<br />
writ<strong>in</strong>g or music?<br />
Wood: I suppose I am able to convey ideas visually better than I would be able to through music or writ<strong>in</strong>g<br />
simply because I am not a writer, nor a musician. I am a visual th<strong>in</strong>ker. That’s what makes sense to me.<br />
EU: Do you have a specifi c audience <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d when you create?<br />
Wood: I wouldn’t say that I necessarily have a specifi c audience <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d when I am pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g. I’d like to th<strong>in</strong>k<br />
that my work has no boundaries of that sort. However, I suppose if I had to choose, I would say my work is<br />
most relatable to a younger generation of twenty and thirty-someth<strong>in</strong>gs.<br />
EU: What do you hope <strong>view</strong>ers will see when look<strong>in</strong>g at your work?<br />
Wood: I use a lot of symbols. My hope is that anyone <strong>view</strong><strong>in</strong>g my work would be able to pick up on that, and<br />
relate it to his/ her own life, good or bad.<br />
EU: What do you th<strong>in</strong>k would further improve the art scene <strong>in</strong> Jacksonville?<br />
Wood: I have spoken <strong>in</strong> depth with several artists <strong>in</strong> the <strong>com</strong>munity about the arts and its role <strong>in</strong> Jacksonville,<br />
and they are all on the same page <strong>in</strong> regards to <strong>this</strong>. This k<strong>in</strong>d of th<strong>in</strong>g has happened <strong>in</strong> Jacksonville before.<br />
A buzz starts because a couple of galleries open up and th<strong>in</strong>gs seem like they are start<strong>in</strong>g to happen.<br />
Eventually, it fades away, and Jacksonville looses the momentum that started build<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
In know<strong>in</strong>g <strong>this</strong>, my suggestion would be to just keep go<strong>in</strong>g– push<strong>in</strong>g forward until we all get what we
want. Big steps are be<strong>in</strong>g made, with more to <strong>com</strong>e; and I hope that Jacksonville doesn’t lose steam on <strong>this</strong><br />
aga<strong>in</strong>.<br />
Galleries seem to be popp<strong>in</strong>g up more frequently over <strong>this</strong> last year (Opaq, Bogda, and Pedestrian<br />
Projects to name a few), all with visions of support<strong>in</strong>g young artists <strong>in</strong> hopes of better<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>com</strong>munity.<br />
Magaz<strong>in</strong>es and blogs promot<strong>in</strong>g arts <strong>in</strong> Jacksonville are plentiful now, with new ones enter<strong>in</strong>g the picture<br />
each week. More choices mean more opportunities for artists <strong>in</strong> Jacksonville.<br />
The next step is work<strong>in</strong>g towards build<strong>in</strong>g a stronger sense of <strong>com</strong>munity with<strong>in</strong> the arts, not just for<br />
artists, but for everyone. Artists need to engage the general population through <strong>com</strong>munity-build<strong>in</strong>g events,<br />
such as outreach programs, free workshops, artist and curator lectures, etc. Now is the time.<br />
ian chase<br />
One of the more <strong>in</strong>novative visual artists <strong>in</strong> the Jacksonville art scene, Ian Chase has achieved critical<br />
success where most artists only achieve simple mention. His work has been shown all over, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the Jane Gray Gallery and MOCA Jacksonville. He is capable of produc<strong>in</strong>g a wide array of artwork, such<br />
as pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs and assemblages. Before his foray <strong>in</strong>to visual art, Ian was known for be<strong>in</strong>g an ac<strong>com</strong>plished<br />
musician and later a successful entrepreneur, so when he took the art scene by storm it was a surprise, but<br />
his work has clearly proven that he is equally as talented at <strong>this</strong> endeavor. Look for Chase’s work to be on<br />
display <strong>in</strong> December at the Opaq Gallery at TSI with Eric Gillyard.<br />
EU: Why do you make art? In other words, what is your <strong>in</strong>spiration or most prom<strong>in</strong>ent subject?<br />
Chase: One of the reasons that keeps me produc<strong>in</strong>g art is a desire to understand myself and, <strong>in</strong> the process,<br />
it helps to keep my m<strong>in</strong>d clear and mov<strong>in</strong>g. It makes me happy when someone enjoys the work, but is not the<br />
reason I created the piece.<br />
EU: What is it about your chosen mode of artistic expression that conveys your ideas better than, say,<br />
writ<strong>in</strong>g or music?<br />
Chase: I’m not necessarily try<strong>in</strong>g to convey my ideas, but rather to understand myself and develop new<br />
techniques for future work.<br />
EU: Do you have a specifi c audience <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d when you create?<br />
Chase: I don’t have a specifi c audience, but I realize that the “art world” itself is a specifi c audience.<br />
EU: What do you hope <strong>view</strong>ers will see when look<strong>in</strong>g at your work?<br />
Chase: Hopefully the <strong>view</strong>er can fi nd someth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the work that they can relate to.<br />
EU: What do you th<strong>in</strong>k would further improve the art scene <strong>in</strong> Jacksonville?<br />
Chase: The art scene <strong>in</strong> Jax seems to be cont<strong>in</strong>ually evolv<strong>in</strong>g and tak<strong>in</strong>g shape with more artists, galleries,<br />
art walks, education programs and press coverage.<br />
Jacksonville is a great place to produce work, it’s affordable and medium-paced. Everyone has, or<br />
should have, a different set of values and expectations <strong>in</strong> regards to their work. It is important to have<br />
<strong>in</strong>dependent thoughts and ideas from which to draw, these th<strong>in</strong>gs are solemn and personal.<br />
Show<strong>in</strong>g work at a gallery or museum <strong>in</strong>volves many people, so understand<strong>in</strong>g on both sides is needed.<br />
Some galleries give you their space and say, “go nuts,” while others have a specifi c vision for their gallery.<br />
Sometimes the “go nuts” artists are frustrated by the “specifi c vision” curator; sometimes the other way<br />
around. So I th<strong>in</strong>k understand<strong>in</strong>g is needed.<br />
I was blown away earlier <strong>this</strong> year when George K<strong>in</strong>ghorn, the curator at MOCA, took such a beat<strong>in</strong>g on<br />
several blog sites over his/the museum’s lack of <strong>in</strong>volvement/<strong>in</strong>terest <strong>in</strong> the “local art scene,” when George<br />
has worked hard to support “local artists.”<br />
Creat<strong>in</strong>g the work is personal and <strong>in</strong>dependent, show<strong>in</strong>g and sell<strong>in</strong>g art is bus<strong>in</strong>ess, not evil, greedy and<br />
corrupt, but just pla<strong>in</strong> ol’ “let’s <strong>com</strong>municate and have a shared vision” k<strong>in</strong>d of bus<strong>in</strong>ess, and that is hard<br />
to do. Perhaps <strong>this</strong> is where art education has fallen short. Instead of teach<strong>in</strong>g how to draw a circle or an<br />
<br />
eujacksonville.<strong>com</strong> | september 13-19, 2007 17
art exhibits<br />
cummer<br />
Art Beyond Sight (October 1 through November 25,<br />
2007) At the Art Connections Gallery. Art Beyond Sight<br />
allows the bl<strong>in</strong>d to don th<strong>in</strong> gloves and feel their way<br />
around 3-D art and sculpture. It allows them to experience<br />
rare artwork <strong>in</strong> a way that’s accessible. For more <strong>in</strong>formation,<br />
call (904) 355-0630<br />
Joseph Jeffers Dodge: A Passion for Art (October 9,<br />
2007 to February 2008) Joseph Jeffers (“Jerry”) Dodge<br />
(1917-1997) was an important fi gure <strong>in</strong> the history of art<br />
and culture <strong>in</strong> Jacksonville. His legacies with<strong>in</strong> and outside<br />
the <strong>com</strong>munity are multi-faceted. As Director of The Cummer<br />
from 1962 to 1972, he made signifi cant acquisitions<br />
for the museum’s collection, <strong>in</strong>stituted a vibrant exhibition<br />
program and established the <strong>in</strong>stitution as an educational<br />
resource. This special exhibition drawn from the<br />
museum’s collection focuses upon his achievement as a<br />
pa<strong>in</strong>ter. This exhibition will provide <strong>in</strong>sights about Dodge’s<br />
development as a pa<strong>in</strong>ter and the passion that <strong>in</strong>spired<br />
him – jazz (particularly the music of Duke Ell<strong>in</strong>gton and his<br />
orchestra), the female fi gure, still life, landscape and travel.<br />
In Stabiano: Explor<strong>in</strong>g the Ancient Seaside Villas of the<br />
Roman Elite (November 7, 2007 through February 3,<br />
2008) On a bluff overlook<strong>in</strong>g the Bay of Naples and the<br />
modern city of Castellamare di Stabia, approximately 3<br />
miles southeast of Pompeii, are the rema<strong>in</strong>s of the ancient<br />
site of Stabia. For the fi rst time <strong>in</strong> the United States, <strong>this</strong><br />
exhibition br<strong>in</strong>gs to light art objects and archaeological<br />
artifacts found <strong>in</strong> four ancient Roman villas built on that<br />
bluff. Wealthy Romans built luxury summer resort villas<br />
here. For a short time, these villas of extraord<strong>in</strong>ary proportions,<br />
<strong>in</strong>novative design and luxurious decoration were<br />
a center of political power, wealth, culture and <strong>in</strong>trigue<br />
dur<strong>in</strong>g the hot summer months. This thriv<strong>in</strong>g microcosm<br />
of privilege suffered destruction on August 24, 79 A.D.,<br />
buried <strong>in</strong> ash by the same eruption that destroyed Pompeii.<br />
This stunn<strong>in</strong>g exhibition <strong>in</strong> the Raymond K. and M<strong>in</strong>erva<br />
Mason Gallery will be the last stop on an exclusive tour of<br />
six American museums<br />
A Kiowa’s Odyssey: A Sketchbook from Ft. Marion<br />
(January 19, 2008 through March 9, 2008) This sketchbook<br />
from the 1870s, chronicles the journey of a Kiowa<br />
prisoner, a Native American named Etahdleuh, who was<br />
removed to Fort Marion <strong>in</strong> St.August<strong>in</strong>e. He attended the<br />
Carlisle Indian School and kept <strong>this</strong> sketch book, now<br />
valued ofr its historical signifi gance. For more <strong>in</strong>fo, call<br />
(904) 356-6857.<br />
Ernest Hem<strong>in</strong>gway and Walker Evans: Three Weeks<br />
<strong>in</strong> Cuba, 1933 (March 8, 2008 through June 1, 2008)<br />
Ga<strong>in</strong> new <strong>in</strong>sight <strong>in</strong>to Hemm<strong>in</strong>gway, though newly recovered<br />
photos and letters, particularly perta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g to the<br />
friendship he formed <strong>in</strong> with Walker Evans, an American<br />
photographer that Hem<strong>in</strong>gway spent 3 weeks with <strong>in</strong><br />
Cuba. Letters and photos belong<strong>in</strong>g to Evans po<strong>in</strong>ts to the<br />
profound impact both men had on each other’s lives. For<br />
more <strong>in</strong>fo, call (904) 356-6857.<br />
pedestrian projects<br />
From the press release for their Portent, I Said Portent!<br />
exhibition: “Pedestrian Projects was formed by a group of<br />
artists with a <strong>com</strong>mon belief that the act of produc<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
exhibit<strong>in</strong>g contemporary art is vital to the <strong>in</strong>tellectual and<br />
creative nourishment of a sophisticated citizenry. It is <strong>this</strong><br />
group’s <strong>in</strong>terest to foster the development of talented artists<br />
18<br />
<strong>com</strong>piled by donald dus<strong>in</strong>berre and er<strong>in</strong> thursby<br />
september 13-19, 2007 | enterta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g u newspaper<br />
from multiple discipl<strong>in</strong>es, through exhibition, education and<br />
provid<strong>in</strong>g venue.”<br />
Currently on display is Portent, I Said Portent! “The<br />
title of the exhibit suggests a positive sign of th<strong>in</strong>gs to<br />
<strong>com</strong>e for the visual arts <strong>in</strong> Jacksonville. The unique work<br />
on display foreshadows a new, contemporary direction for<br />
the local cultural scene, <strong>in</strong>dicat<strong>in</strong>g we are on the cusp of<br />
someth<strong>in</strong>g excit<strong>in</strong>g and progressive.” The show <strong>in</strong>cludes<br />
the art of Byron K<strong>in</strong>g, James Greene, Brittni Wood, Mark<br />
Creegan, and Kurt Polkey.<br />
Located at 1535 San Marco Boulevard <strong>in</strong> Jacksonville,<br />
Pedestrian Projects Gallery is a newly reopened gallery. For<br />
more <strong>in</strong>formation, call (904) 859-8281.<br />
cultural center at ponte<br />
vedra beach<br />
Hidden <strong>in</strong> southern Ponte Vedra lies the Cultural<br />
Center at Ponte Vedra Beach. An excellent resource for art<br />
and art education, they offer classes and events as well as<br />
display the work of many quality artists <strong>in</strong> their gallery.<br />
Currently on display are the Sculptures of David<br />
Ponsler: Bronze, Steel, Copper and Iron. His magnifi cent<br />
work will be on display through October 14 th . Com<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
October is Citi Smith Barney & Citi present Arts Alive 2007.<br />
That event will take place on Saturday, October 6 at 7 pm.<br />
The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach is located<br />
at 50 Executive Way <strong>in</strong> Ponte Vedra Beach. Contact them<br />
at (904) 280-0614, or check their website at ccpvb.org for<br />
more <strong>in</strong>formation on up<strong>com</strong><strong>in</strong>g events and exhibitions.<br />
university gallery at unf<br />
Although park<strong>in</strong>g will always present a challenge at<br />
UNF, it’s still worth the trouble to visit the University Gallery<br />
at UNF. They often showcase the work of professors,<br />
<strong>in</strong>structors and students. Currently on display is the work of<br />
one of their (and my former) professors, Louise Freshman<br />
Brown. Her work will be on display until October 5 th .<br />
The University of North Florida is located at 1 UNF<br />
Drive, off St. Johns Bluff Road <strong>in</strong> Jacksonville. Call (904)<br />
620-2534 for more <strong>in</strong>formation or visit the UNF website at<br />
unf.edu.<br />
thrasher-horne center for<br />
the arts<br />
Accord<strong>in</strong>g to their website, thcenter.org, “The<br />
Thrasher-Horne Center for the Arts is dedicated to<br />
develop<strong>in</strong>g and nurtur<strong>in</strong>g the artistic potential and growth<br />
of the students, residents and visitors of the <strong>com</strong>munity by<br />
offer<strong>in</strong>g the very best of professional theater, dance, and<br />
music performances and visual art exhibits.”<br />
Located at 283 College Drive <strong>in</strong> Orange Park, the THC<br />
will be host<strong>in</strong>g two new exhibitions, open<strong>in</strong>g on September<br />
17 th . The fi rst is called My Florida: John Wilton Exhibit. “Dr.<br />
John Wilton is an educator and artist who has taught visual<br />
art at Daytona Beach Community College for over 20 years,<br />
along with st<strong>in</strong>ts at Stetson University and Embry-Riddle<br />
Aeronautical University. His own artwork draws heavily from<br />
Pop Art roots.”<br />
The second exhibition is Our World: Photographs by<br />
John Reed, on display until September 30 th . “In <strong>this</strong> unique<br />
exhibit, photographer John Reed exam<strong>in</strong>es the beauty<br />
and wonder that surrounds us each and every day <strong>in</strong> all<br />
subjects, from the most ord<strong>in</strong>ary to most <strong>in</strong>tricate or fl eet<strong>in</strong>g<br />
moments.”<br />
(cont<strong>in</strong>ued on page 20)<br />
<br />
<br />
eyeball, maybe teach a little market<strong>in</strong>g and bus<strong>in</strong>ess, both will serve the artist no matter what the <strong>in</strong>dividual<br />
expectations are. There are no magic bullets <strong>in</strong> the art world. Art school, mov<strong>in</strong>g out of town or spend<strong>in</strong>g a lot<br />
of time check<strong>in</strong>g the barometer of the art scene can be counter-productive, I th<strong>in</strong>k time can be better spent <strong>in</strong><br />
the studio mak<strong>in</strong>g art.<br />
mark george<br />
Unless you’ve been liv<strong>in</strong>g under a rock, you’ve no doubt seen the work of Mark George somewhere. His<br />
work is a premier example of Pop Art – a colorful and simple display. His work has been exhibited at<br />
countless galleries and is always hang<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the popular Avondale Breakfast jo<strong>in</strong>t, the Fox Restaurant. It can<br />
be easily dist<strong>in</strong>guished by its middle-century, Kand<strong>in</strong>sky-esque, cartoon-like characters. Unlike Kand<strong>in</strong>sky,<br />
his pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs appear strokeless, as though they were pr<strong>in</strong>ted onto the corrugated poly-v<strong>in</strong>yl. <strong>in</strong> a strokeless<br />
fashion that looks more like pr<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g onto a corrugated plastic roofi ng material. When you see a Mark George,<br />
you know it. No one else has work quite like his.<br />
EU: Why do you make art? In other words, what is your <strong>in</strong>spiration or most prom<strong>in</strong>ent subject?<br />
George: Art is a great form of release. It’s also my contribution to society, a responsibility of sorts. In the pop<br />
genre I work with, it’s a refl ection of a very temporary society based around shallow <strong>issue</strong>s like vanity and<br />
greed, while at the same time address<strong>in</strong>g more primal urges like love, anguish and pa<strong>in</strong>.<br />
EU: What is it about your chosen mode of artistic expression that conveys your ideas better than, say,<br />
writ<strong>in</strong>g or music?<br />
George: There is no hidden mean<strong>in</strong>g beh<strong>in</strong>d my work, it’s presented at face value and is all fairly specifi c<br />
about their topics, usually centered around human emotions. The <strong>view</strong>er will always have their own take on<br />
what the pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g means to them, however, the work should be pleasantly easy to grasp.<br />
EU: Do you have a specifi c audience <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d when you create?<br />
George: At <strong>this</strong> po<strong>in</strong>t, I would love to be <strong>view</strong>ed by all audiences, publicly. I love the idea of present<strong>in</strong>g an<br />
unconventional format to people who are not even familiar with art or have no appreciation for it at all. That<br />
way, you really tap <strong>in</strong>to the human psyche with work that focuses on factors of everyday life, by people who<br />
are not jaded to an acceptance of what art is supposed to be or look like.<br />
EU: What do you hope <strong>view</strong>ers will see when look<strong>in</strong>g at your work?<br />
George: Themselves. It’s the beautiful simple th<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> life we all take for granted and often forget all about<br />
<strong>in</strong> hot pursuit of <strong>in</strong>stant gratifi cation– fast food, disposable razors, temporary jobs, apartments for rent and<br />
one-night stands. Human emotion will be the last th<strong>in</strong>g we will always have. After all is said and done and the<br />
earth takes back what is rightfully hers, we will once aga<strong>in</strong> be faced with the fact that love and <strong>com</strong>passion<br />
really is the most important part of our existence.<br />
EU: What do you th<strong>in</strong>k would further improve the art scene <strong>in</strong> Jacksonville?<br />
George: Break<strong>in</strong>g down walls that hold stifl ed ideas of what a preconceived notion of art is supposed to<br />
be. Why do we cont<strong>in</strong>ue to want the same th<strong>in</strong>g over and over aga<strong>in</strong>? Artists who appeal to the masses<br />
regurgitate congested bor<strong>in</strong>gness for shallow people who are trapped <strong>in</strong> their own confl ictions of keep<strong>in</strong>g<br />
up with the Joneses. Mail-order catalogs that are considered to be art periodicals refl ect <strong>this</strong> dull nature that<br />
hangs over Jacksonville like a dark cloud and keeps the beautifully refresh<strong>in</strong>g light of newness out.
joanelle mulra<strong>in</strong><br />
EU: Why do you make art? In other words, what is your <strong>in</strong>spiration<br />
or most prom<strong>in</strong>ent subject?<br />
Mulra<strong>in</strong>: I enjoy express<strong>in</strong>g myself as an artist and author. I have<br />
been blessed to be able to take a brush once aga<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> hand and<br />
put onto canvas some of the beautiful natural beauty of Northeast<br />
Florida and, on watercolor paper, some of my photographs, which<br />
<strong>in</strong>spire my pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs. I choose cattails for a number of reasons. One,<br />
it could be<strong>com</strong>e somewhat of a signature for me, an iconographic<br />
image. Two, cattails are beautiful, willowy, wispy, and <strong>in</strong> many<br />
places throughout the world. They are used for many th<strong>in</strong>gs,<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g food and weav<strong>in</strong>g material for baskets. Third, nature is<br />
the ultimate <strong>in</strong>spiration for us all- its symmetry, colors, and smells<br />
are a connection to the earth and sky above us. It is someth<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
celebrate, preserve and protect. Light, air and water are the primary<br />
elements, and we must be more responsible for ourselves and<br />
our environment. It is an ultimate expression of my concern of what we are do<strong>in</strong>g to our land, our water and our<br />
air- we must <strong>com</strong>e together so we can give our children part of what we have enjoyed dur<strong>in</strong>g our lifetime.<br />
EU: What is it about your chosen mode of artistic expression that conveys your ideas better than, say,<br />
writ<strong>in</strong>g or music?<br />
Mulra<strong>in</strong>: I write. I can read music, play the piano and guitar. I do not write music, but perhaps one day I will. I<br />
have chosen acrylic to pa<strong>in</strong>t my canvases. I often use large canvases, 3’x6’ or larger. I guess I see the world<br />
with a large perspective. It gives me a larger voice, perhaps. I want my work to “stop” people and make them<br />
th<strong>in</strong>k about the images they see. I want them to respond to the vibrancy of the colors I choose and the scenes I<br />
pa<strong>in</strong>t. I like to use large brushes and large brushstrokes to show mean<strong>in</strong>g and give clarity to my subjects. I hope<br />
to please the eye and open eyes wide to my world. I want to engage the <strong>view</strong>er and start a conversation. I want<br />
to receive a smile from the <strong>view</strong>er and smile back, know<strong>in</strong>g they “get” what I’m try<strong>in</strong>g to say. I speak on multiple<br />
levels- color and space- with hidden mean<strong>in</strong>gs through images only I know are with<strong>in</strong> the l<strong>in</strong>es, and vibrancy to<br />
open eyes wide.<br />
EU: Do you have a specifi c audience <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d when you create?<br />
Mulra<strong>in</strong>: I have the family <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d. The <strong>in</strong>dividual. The corporation. The neighbor. I create for those who<br />
would like to <strong>com</strong>e along with me on <strong>this</strong> particular journey <strong>in</strong> my life. I pa<strong>in</strong>ted decades ago, and I have just<br />
reconnected with what I loved to do before I took the corporate tra<strong>in</strong> and worked hard to make it possible for me<br />
to have <strong>this</strong> time to do my creative work. It takes me to many places. When I pa<strong>in</strong>t, I have no m<strong>in</strong>utes or time,<br />
no night or day. Sometimes I pa<strong>in</strong>t for a dozen hours or so, or even through the night. I go with the pa<strong>in</strong>t and <strong>in</strong>to<br />
the levels of the work. It has been a great healer and a place I can share with others. If I have a specifi c audience<br />
<strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d, it is a <strong>com</strong>mission that is specifi c to a subject matter. People buy my work because they connect<br />
directly with the image and/or with me on the level I br<strong>in</strong>g them to visually.<br />
EU: What do you hope <strong>view</strong>ers will see when look<strong>in</strong>g at your work?<br />
Mulra<strong>in</strong>: I hope they will see me as I am today, not as I was <strong>in</strong> the past, but as an artist. I am work<strong>in</strong>g hard and<br />
sett<strong>in</strong>g new goals. I have enjoyed reconnect<strong>in</strong>g with old friends and meet<strong>in</strong>g new ones who enjoy my work. First,<br />
I pa<strong>in</strong>t for me. Then I pa<strong>in</strong>t for those who fi nd my work <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g and hope they fi nd a connection to it, so that<br />
they want to own a piece and be a patron. I balance my home fi rst, then my consult<strong>in</strong>g work, then my art. It’s<br />
a balance; all of life is a balance. If someone enjoys and sees what I see <strong>in</strong> my photography or pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs, then<br />
great. It’s all about the experience of art.<br />
EU: What do you th<strong>in</strong>k would further improve the art scene <strong>in</strong> Jacksonville?<br />
Mulra<strong>in</strong>: Conversation. It’s all about network<strong>in</strong>g and connect<strong>in</strong>g the different parts of the <strong>com</strong>munity-<br />
museums, sponsors (banks, etc.), corporations, non-profi ts, galleries, Downtown Vision, Jax Beach Art Walk,<br />
cultural councils and cultural centers- with the artists. It’s about mak<strong>in</strong>g sure that when someone asks for<br />
an artist to “donate” a work, they understand that we cannot take off the retail price of the pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g on our IRS<br />
statements- we can only take off the canvas, the brush, and the pa<strong>in</strong>t - not our time or the retail value thereof!<br />
There needs to be more understand<strong>in</strong>g regard<strong>in</strong>g the role of the artist <strong>in</strong> a vital <strong>com</strong>munity. When a signifi cant<br />
piece is given for a cause, the artist should be thanked and made part of the event, not just given a letter <strong>in</strong><br />
the mail thank<strong>in</strong>g him or her for a major piece. Sometimes the value of the piece of art is higher than the cost<br />
of a VIP ticket, or even more than what most donors even give to the organization <strong>in</strong> a year. The artist IS a<br />
donor. Non-profi ts should understand that we are asked dozens and dozens of times to “give” and many of us<br />
do give, and give, and give thousands of dollars every year. We must work together, not separately, <strong>in</strong> order<br />
for us to reach a threshold <strong>in</strong> the <strong>com</strong>munity where artists are respected for their work and dedication to their<br />
craft. We depend on our patrons, and our patrons depend on us. It’s symbiotic, and it takes balance and mutual<br />
understand<strong>in</strong>g. You have to work hard to make <strong>this</strong> relationship work <strong>in</strong> a <strong>com</strong>munity. Museums should have a<br />
special “artist” level of membership- just show your bus<strong>in</strong>ess license, and be<strong>com</strong>e part of the artists support<strong>in</strong>g<br />
our museums. If a museum is an art museum, then talk to, have a conversation with, plan with, and be sure to<br />
<br />
moca jacksonville by donald dus<strong>in</strong>berre<br />
Every few months, MOCA unleashes a barrage of new exhibitions and if you’re reckless about see<strong>in</strong>g<br />
them, you can check them all out <strong>in</strong> one visit. Although it’s tempt<strong>in</strong>g, try to restra<strong>in</strong> yourself from do<strong>in</strong>g<br />
that. Your eyes will get overloaded but your bra<strong>in</strong> will starve.<br />
Th<strong>in</strong>k of it as a buffet. You can see everyth<strong>in</strong>g right <strong>in</strong> front of you, but you can only fi t so much onto<br />
your plate. If you try to put some of everyth<strong>in</strong>g onto that t<strong>in</strong>y plate, you won’t really enjoy anyth<strong>in</strong>g. In fact,<br />
you’ll only <strong>com</strong>e to realize that cantaloupe and Salisbury steak don’t mix too well <strong>in</strong> the stomach.<br />
At MOCA, You have to make a choice to see one or two exhibits and save the rest for later. Trust me,<br />
it’s the best way. Installation art and photography don’t mix well <strong>in</strong> the bra<strong>in</strong>.<br />
There are fi ve new exhibitions open<strong>in</strong>g on September 14 th and runn<strong>in</strong>g through January 6, 2008. To help<br />
you decide which exhibitions you’ll want to see fi rst, I’ve raided artists’ websites and MOCA’s press<br />
releases to give you a straight-up idea of what you may encounter.<br />
coherent structures: recent silverpo<strong>in</strong>t pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs by carol<br />
prusa<br />
(From MOCA Jacksonville’s press release) Carol Prusa’s pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs are <strong>in</strong>spired by her ongo<strong>in</strong>g<br />
fasc<strong>in</strong>ation with science, alchemy, organizational systems, and botany. Highly fi nished elliptical and<br />
round wooded panels serve as supports for an ethereal arena where Prusa’s depictions of ambiguous<br />
microscopic cellular structures, fl ora and cosmological symbols take on monumental presence. The works<br />
are meditative <strong>in</strong> the repetitive and meticulously drawn organic forms that hover weightless amidst the<br />
fl uidity of the artist’s layered washes of suspended pigment. Prusa’s obsessively rendered draw<strong>in</strong>gs are<br />
created <strong>in</strong> silverpo<strong>in</strong>t, a medium that was utilized by Renaissance masters Leonardo da V<strong>in</strong>ci, Botticelli,<br />
and Albrecht Durer. The artist’s skillful blend<strong>in</strong>g of materials rang<strong>in</strong>g from powdered sulfur, titanium<br />
white, graphite and acrylic media, produce works that are subtle and <strong>com</strong>plex <strong>in</strong> the same <strong>in</strong>stance. The<br />
silverpo<strong>in</strong>t draw<strong>in</strong>g that is later heightened with titanium is somewhat fa<strong>in</strong>t and partially obscured by the<br />
transparent graphite veils. This exhibition features more than twenty works <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g a new <strong>in</strong>stallation<br />
that consists of more than a dozen various sized circular disks that are arranged on the gallery walls <strong>in</strong> a<br />
constellation-like confi guration.<br />
essence and materials: sculptures by m<strong>in</strong>oru ohira<br />
(From MOCA Jacksonville’s press release) M<strong>in</strong>oru Ohira’s simplistic and elegant sculptures are<br />
<strong>in</strong>spired by forms observed <strong>in</strong> nature. The artist transforms raw materials, primarily wood salvaged from<br />
construction sites and roadside discards, <strong>in</strong>to a dynamic assortment of meticulously crafted seductive<br />
forms. The rounded and curvil<strong>in</strong>ear sculptural forms, some over eight feet <strong>in</strong> length, exhibit a range of<br />
highly polished to jagged, scale-like textured surfaces. Central to the understand<strong>in</strong>g of these works is the<br />
artist’s steadfast <strong>com</strong>mitment to traditional woodwork<strong>in</strong>g techniques and a deep respect for the <strong>in</strong>herent<br />
nature of materials. Many of M<strong>in</strong>oru’s sculptures are created not by the use of power tools, but by his<br />
pa<strong>in</strong>stak<strong>in</strong>g use of handsaws and hatchets. This exhibition features over a dozen large-scale sculptures that<br />
survey the varied artistic approaches of <strong>this</strong> important Japanese born sculptor.<br />
sculptures by duncan johnson<br />
(From marciawoodgallery.<strong>com</strong>) Jerry Cullum states <strong>in</strong> the Atlanta Journal Constitution, March<br />
2001, “The uneven, stairstep effect of many of the pieces is a little rem<strong>in</strong>iscent of parallel contour l<strong>in</strong>es on<br />
topographical maps, but even that is a mislead<strong>in</strong>g <strong>com</strong>parison. These are, quite simply, abstract forms with<br />
their own <strong>in</strong>ternal logic, and they give pleasure for that very reason.”<br />
Cather<strong>in</strong>e Fox writes <strong>in</strong> the Atlanta Journal Constitution, 1997, “This ambiguity of scale <strong>in</strong>fuses the<br />
work with a cosmic quality. It’s hard to decide which to admire fi rst - that almost spiritual aura or the<br />
physical beauty of the surface patterns created by these little wood pieces and their tree r<strong>in</strong>gs and gra<strong>in</strong>s.”<br />
raddle cross & dows<strong>in</strong>g: <strong>in</strong>stallations by martha whitt<strong>in</strong>gton<br />
(From creativeloafi ng.<strong>com</strong>) Martha Whitt<strong>in</strong>gton’s “Raddle Cross” is like a persistent toddler lugg<strong>in</strong>g<br />
on your shirtsleeves to get your attention. The piece puts out a sound like p<strong>in</strong>g-pong paddles send<strong>in</strong>g a ball<br />
across a table that resonates through the gallery space. Wooden circles of vary<strong>in</strong>g sizes are suspended<br />
from the gallery ceil<strong>in</strong>g on long strands of yarn and hooked to metal gears that send the discs p<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g off<br />
the concrete fl oors at metronomic <strong>in</strong>tervals. This quirky piece, both addled and sooth<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>com</strong>ments on<br />
the repetitive labors of weav<strong>in</strong>g, though here the gestures are the opposite of productive, the necessary<br />
<strong>in</strong>tersections between the threads never occurr<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
valuistics: the mak<strong>in</strong>g of an <strong>in</strong>stallation by james greene<br />
(From ew<strong>in</strong>g-gallery.org) This pr<strong>in</strong>ted <strong>in</strong>stallation is both a display of James Greene’s valuistics as well<br />
as a pr<strong>in</strong>ted history of the word itself. With “The Mak<strong>in</strong>g Of,” Greene - a former grocery store clerk and<br />
retail employee - reveals his own consumer politics (contradictions and all) by symboliz<strong>in</strong>g and account<strong>in</strong>g<br />
for each of his consumer decisions. The <strong>in</strong>stallation is a scale re-creation of Greene’s home, family, and<br />
friends pr<strong>in</strong>ted on p<strong>in</strong>k <strong>in</strong>sulation board.<br />
eujacksonville.<strong>com</strong> | september 13-19, 2007 19
To learn more about The Thrasher-Horne Center for<br />
the Arts, visit their website at thcenter.org or call (904) 276-<br />
6815.<br />
alexander brest museum<br />
Although I have not yet been, the Brest Gallery at JU<br />
works <strong>in</strong> a similar capacity to the University Gallery at UNF.<br />
Currently on display are two related exhibitions revolv<strong>in</strong>g<br />
around the work of Brad Silverste<strong>in</strong>. Both exhibitions will<br />
be conclud<strong>in</strong>g on September 26 th . One show is the work of<br />
Allison Steadman & Brad Silverste<strong>in</strong>, while the other show is<br />
a tribute to the art of Silverste<strong>in</strong>.<br />
The Alexander Brest Museum and Gallery is located<br />
at 2800 University Boulevard North, <strong>in</strong> Jacksonville. Gallery<br />
hours are Monday – Friday, 9 am – 4 pm. Contact them at<br />
(904) 256-7374.<br />
open gallery<br />
The October 3 rd ArtWalk will feature Shea Slemmer and<br />
Anna Mambr<strong>in</strong>o. Jacksonville artist Shea A. Slemmer<br />
pa<strong>in</strong>ts contemporary works <strong>in</strong> oils on large canvases. She<br />
highlights the similarities between various shapes and<br />
structures. The portraits that develop attempt to <strong>com</strong>b<strong>in</strong>e<br />
the fl ow<strong>in</strong>g curves and poetic form we have <strong>com</strong>e to know<br />
as the female form with the symmetry found <strong>in</strong> nature:<br />
a teeter<strong>in</strong>g balance of responsibility and yearn<strong>in</strong>g. Anna<br />
Membr<strong>in</strong>o is an art student at the University of North Florida.<br />
Anna works from old black and white photographs to create<br />
large scale, colorful acrylic pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs. She is <strong>in</strong>trigued by the<br />
styles and motifs of mid century and looks to explore these<br />
times through portraiture of relatives who experienced them.<br />
The artwork will be ac<strong>com</strong>panied by a musical performance<br />
by the Badlands Trio. The Haydon Burns Build<strong>in</strong>g is located<br />
at 122 N Ocean Street.<br />
other open<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
Trunk Show with Third and Wall Art Group (September<br />
13 – September 15) Orig<strong>in</strong>al works by Liz Jard<strong>in</strong>e, Sara<br />
Stockstill, Simon Addyman, William Kuttner and others<br />
Fogle F<strong>in</strong>e Art & Accessories, 3312 Beach Boulevard, St.<br />
Nicholas (904) 296-1310 or foglefi neart.<strong>com</strong><br />
An Exploration of the Nature of Place by Sarah Crooks<br />
Flaire (September 13 – October 6) Open<strong>in</strong>g Reception<br />
Thursday, September 13th, 6 pm- 8 pm Douglas Anderson<br />
School of the Arts, 2445 San Diego Road, Jacksonville<br />
904-346-5620<br />
Kathy Stark (September 13) Regions Bank, 4297<br />
Roosevelt Boulevard, Jacksonville (904) 281-2660<br />
Our World: Photographs by John Reed (September 17<br />
- 30) Thrasher-Horne Center, 283 College Drive, Orange<br />
Park (904) 276-6815<br />
Allison Steadman & Brad Silverste<strong>in</strong> (September 14 – 26<br />
Open<strong>in</strong>g Reception: September 14, 5 – 7 pm) JU Brest<br />
Gallery (904) 256-7371<br />
Ron Burns: The Road to Recovery Benefi t<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
Jacksonville Humane Society and their rebuild<strong>in</strong>g efforts<br />
(September 14 – 30 Meet the artist at the reception,<br />
September 14, 6 – 9 pm. Attend a book sign<strong>in</strong>g by the<br />
artist on Saturday, September 15, 1 – 4 pm) R. Roberts<br />
Gallery, 3606 St. Johns Avenue, Avondale (904) 388-1188<br />
M<strong>in</strong>oru Ohira Sculpture Exhibit (September 14 – January<br />
6) MOCA Jacksonville, 333 North Laura Street, Downtown<br />
(904) 366-6911 x210 or mocajacksonville.org<br />
20<br />
september 13-19, 2007 | enterta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g u newspaper<br />
Mikhail Baryshnikov Exhibit (September 15 – November<br />
2) J. Johnson Gallery, 177 4 th Avenue North, Jacksonville<br />
Beach<br />
current and ongo<strong>in</strong>g shows<br />
For the Glory of Hymn (Mixed media on Display through<br />
September 16) Bethel Gallery, Ponte Vedra Presbyterian<br />
Church<br />
(904) 285-8225<br />
Lost & Found (Through September 17) Women’s Center<br />
of Jacksonville, 5644 Colcord Avenue, Arl<strong>in</strong>gton 11 am - 3<br />
pm, Monday - Friday<br />
Art at the Airport: Beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>gs: Work by David and Kay<br />
Olson<br />
(Through September 28) Haskell Gallery at Jacksonville<br />
International Airport, 2400 Yankee Clipper Drive (904)<br />
741-3546 jiaarts.org<br />
Southern Sunday Arts Revival Featur<strong>in</strong>g Atlanta artists<br />
George Long, Jesse Cregar, Mario Schambon, Scott Pethia<br />
and T<strong>in</strong>del-Michi (Through September 30) The Gallery At<br />
Screen Arts, 228 W. K<strong>in</strong>g Street, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (904) 829-<br />
2838 or (800) 826-4649 or screenartsfl orida.<strong>com</strong><br />
Elemental Atmospheres: Pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs by Pr<strong>in</strong>cess Simpson<br />
Rashid (Through September 30) The Museum of Science<br />
& History (904) 396-7062<br />
Bogda September Show (Through September 30)<br />
Bogda, 1253 McDuff Avenue South, Riverside (904) 387-<br />
0852<br />
David Ponsler Sculpture: Bronze, Steel, Copper and Iron<br />
(Runs through October 14) Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra<br />
Beach, 50 Executive Way, Ponte Vedra Beach (904) 280-<br />
0614<br />
Fabulous Fiber (September 4 – October 14) Barbara<br />
Wroten, Pat Livesay, Cheryl Wencel, Nancy Devereux, Leni<br />
Mittelacher, Betty Francis, Sara Barnhill, Diane Hamburg,<br />
Mel<strong>in</strong>da Bradshaw, Margot Miller , Katie Schwartz, Lynette<br />
Holmes and Carol<strong>in</strong>e Daley - First Street Gallery, 216 First<br />
Street, Neptune Beach 904-241-6928<br />
The Works of Mary St. Germa<strong>in</strong> & Joyce Gabiou<br />
(Through October 31) Reddi Arts Gallery, 1037 Hendricks<br />
Avenue, San Marco (904) 398-3161<br />
Fogle F<strong>in</strong>e Art Gallery Presents: Regions Bank Artist<br />
Celebration of Jeanne Pelligreno (Through November<br />
2007)<br />
Regions Bank, 1461 K<strong>in</strong>gsley Avenue, Orange Park<br />
Jim Draper: Produce Stellers Gallery Annex, 200 1 st Street,<br />
Neptune Beach (904) 247-7200<br />
Horizons (On display <strong>in</strong>defi nitely) Jewish Community<br />
Alliance and Vandroff Gallery, 8505 San Jose Boulevard,<br />
Mandar<strong>in</strong><br />
Audrey M. Stultz: I’m Alive Energy Lab Art Gallery, 137<br />
K<strong>in</strong>g Street, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (904) 808-8455<br />
Michael Baum: Olive Forever Ocean 60 Restaurant &<br />
Mart<strong>in</strong>i Room, 60 Ocean Boulevard, Atlantic Beach (904)<br />
247-0060<br />
Kyle Cannon Where Ya Bean Coffee Shop, 235 8th Avenue<br />
South, Beaches<br />
look for our fall perform<strong>in</strong>g arts pre<strong>view</strong> on<br />
september 27th.<br />
<br />
<br />
connect with regional artists for a variety of purposes, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g education. An art museum can only benefi t from<br />
a direct connection with the artists <strong>in</strong> its region. It’s all <strong>in</strong>terconnected. How art is positioned <strong>in</strong> a <strong>com</strong>munity<br />
is a barometer for values and quality of life. It’s hard to fi nd a s<strong>in</strong>gle seed of list<strong>in</strong>g for art happen<strong>in</strong>gs- they are<br />
explod<strong>in</strong>g, like <strong>in</strong> the 70s. We have so many outlets, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g YouTube.<strong>com</strong>, for gett<strong>in</strong>g our work “out there,”<br />
and artists have made a valuable impact downtown by build<strong>in</strong>g up Art Walk to where it is today. They should be<br />
thanked for creat<strong>in</strong>g synergy <strong>in</strong> build<strong>in</strong>gs for lease, because otherwise, noth<strong>in</strong>g would be there. Now, nearly 4k<br />
people are expected for September Art Walk. Artists are part of the fabric of a city, part of its voice, and that’s<br />
why it’s important to connect with the art <strong>com</strong>munity and listen to their needs and work together, all add<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
our quality of life.<br />
At the end of the day, it’s about tell<strong>in</strong>g the truth. Tell<strong>in</strong>g the truth about what our city and our people want<br />
from artists, and what the artists want and expect from our city and its people with regard to support and<br />
patronage. We should celebrate those who have worked so hard for so many years, from teachers <strong>in</strong> all areas<br />
of education to professional artists who depend on patrons to make a liv<strong>in</strong>g. Artists are CEOs of their own<br />
bus<strong>in</strong>ess, and they should duly be given the respect owed of such a position. There’s not a new build<strong>in</strong>g go<strong>in</strong>g<br />
up that does not call an artist directly or work through one of Jacksonville’s many fi ne galleries to fi ll a wall. Our<br />
work is a <strong>com</strong>pany’s or <strong>in</strong>dividual’s visual signature.<br />
People can learn more about the basics of art by be<strong>com</strong><strong>in</strong>g a member of our cultural <strong>in</strong>stitutions. Artists<br />
who want a voice should be<strong>com</strong>e members of our cultural <strong>in</strong>stitutions. It’s all about conversation- learn<strong>in</strong>g from<br />
one another and build<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>terpersonal relationships.<br />
stephanie shieldhouse<br />
Stephanie Shieldhouse is a local artist and part-time draw<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>structor at the University of North Florida. Her<br />
work is cont<strong>in</strong>uously on display at the Butterfi eld Garage Gallery <strong>in</strong> St. August<strong>in</strong>e.<br />
EU: Why do you make art? In other words, what is your <strong>in</strong>spiration or most prom<strong>in</strong>ent subject?<br />
Shieldhouse: I have an idea that can only take shape on canvas. The idea rises to the surface, grows and<br />
changes as the pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g develops. It be<strong>com</strong>es a conversation, back and forth, between me and the canvas<br />
and the demands and rejections of my <strong>in</strong>ner critic.<br />
EU: What is it about your chosen mode of artistic expression that conveys your ideas better than, say,<br />
writ<strong>in</strong>g or music?<br />
Shieldhouse: I’m unable to express my ideas <strong>in</strong> music or writ<strong>in</strong>g. I’m most <strong>com</strong>fortable with visual language.<br />
EU: Do you have a specifi c audience <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d when you create?<br />
Shieldhouse: I struggle – like most artists - between creat<strong>in</strong>g art as a personal exploration and creat<strong>in</strong>g art<br />
that will match somebody’s Rooms to Go sofa. Right now, I’m follow<strong>in</strong>g my own siren call.<br />
EU: What do you hope <strong>view</strong>ers will see when look<strong>in</strong>g at your work?<br />
Shieldhouse: I suppose I really have no expectations– and that may be a defense mechanism. But when I sell<br />
a canvas, I’m surprised and gratifi ed that someone responds to my vision– because often their <strong>in</strong>terpretation<br />
of my work is unexpected.<br />
EU: What do you th<strong>in</strong>k would further improve the art scene <strong>in</strong> Jacksonville?<br />
Shieldhouse: Well…I have a <strong>com</strong>pla<strong>in</strong>t about the Art Walk. It has be<strong>com</strong>e a venue for radio stations, real<br />
estate agents, sandwich shops, etc. to peddle their wares. The art is there only <strong>in</strong> the service of these other<br />
enterprises. The Art Walk should be dedicated the art and artists <strong>in</strong> our city.
galleries<br />
130 K<strong>in</strong>g Street F<strong>in</strong>e Art & World Treasures 130 K<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Street, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (904) 829-8280 Orig<strong>in</strong>al art from<br />
locals and different types of glass and woodwork from<br />
all over the world can be found at <strong>this</strong> gallery. They also<br />
carry architectural sta<strong>in</strong>ed glass from local and not-solocal<br />
artists.<br />
Art Center Gallery 31 West Adams Street (904) 614-<br />
5986 The Art Center is one of the newer focal po<strong>in</strong>ts of<br />
the Jacksonville ArtWalk. Those artists who belong to<br />
the co-op can display their work <strong>in</strong> the spacious gallery.<br />
There’s also art upstairs, so make sure you ask to see<br />
the upstairs studio. Art work on the walls varies widely <strong>in</strong><br />
style and medium. Most of the art work there is 2-D, but<br />
the occasional sculpture fi nds its way <strong>in</strong>to the gallery.<br />
Aviles Street Gallery 11 C Aviles Street, St. August<strong>in</strong>e<br />
(904) 823-8608 Featur<strong>in</strong>g local artists, they only hang<br />
orig<strong>in</strong>als. Mediums <strong>in</strong>clude pottery, photography, colored<br />
pencil, acrylic, oils and water colors. Make sure you<br />
check out the African masks made from silver. There’s<br />
also a limited art supply for artists look<strong>in</strong>g to stock up.<br />
Avondale Gallery 3545 St. Johns Avenue (904) 389-<br />
6712 F<strong>in</strong>e art and custom frames can be found at his<br />
gallery. All the work is orig<strong>in</strong>al, done <strong>in</strong> impressionist<br />
and modern styles of art. It’s a mix of local and national<br />
artists. You’ll fi nd landscapes, still life and abstract. They<br />
also specialize <strong>in</strong> portraiture, represent<strong>in</strong>g three regional<br />
portrait artists.<br />
Beaches Art & Frame Gallerie 1834 Third Street<br />
South, Jacksonville Beach (904) 247-0596 They might<br />
specialize <strong>in</strong> conservation fram<strong>in</strong>g, but they often show<br />
work from local artists, especially of vivacious, local<br />
nature scenes.<br />
Bungalow Artworks 2782 Park Street (904) 981-9493<br />
This Riverside gallery features an eclectic collection of<br />
fi ne art and fi ne crafts from local and regional artists.<br />
Jewelry, sculpture, oil pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs and <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g crafts can<br />
all be found at <strong>this</strong> gallery. Make sure you visit the large<br />
courtyard <strong>in</strong> the back, which is fi lled with garden statuary<br />
and outdoor sculpture.<br />
Bogda 1253 McDuff Avenue South (904) 387-0852<br />
Jacksonville art with a punk edge is the ma<strong>in</strong> <strong>com</strong>ponent<br />
of the Bogda and they sell some really fantastic pieces<br />
at a reasonable rate. If you’re look<strong>in</strong>g for art and you<br />
haven’t got a m<strong>in</strong>t to spend, <strong>this</strong> gallery is the place to<br />
go. Exhibits change every month and they often feature<br />
up-and-<strong>com</strong><strong>in</strong>g artists that you won’t fi nd anywhere else.<br />
Butterfi eld Garage Art Gallery 137 K<strong>in</strong>g Street, St.<br />
August<strong>in</strong>e (904) 825-4577 It’s a contemporary art coop.<br />
They mostly feature landscapes with plenty of local<br />
fl avor and sunsets. Those starved for the Big Apple can<br />
also stock up on New York City scenes. All twelve of the<br />
artists featured are locals.<br />
Chao Fram<strong>in</strong>g 1514 Third Street North, Jacksonville<br />
Beach (904) 249-4053 Custom fram<strong>in</strong>g and fi ne art<br />
often go hand <strong>in</strong> hand, as <strong>in</strong> the case of Chao Fram<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
This gallery and fram<strong>in</strong>g studio is featured as part of the<br />
Beaches Gallery Tour.<br />
Classic Blends 201 West K<strong>in</strong>g Street, St. August<strong>in</strong>e<br />
<strong>com</strong>piled by er<strong>in</strong> thursby<br />
(904) 377-3198 They mostly feature art by the young<br />
and hip, pull<strong>in</strong>g a lot of artists from the of pool of Flagler<br />
students. The collection can only be described as<br />
esoteric. They’ve done shows on graphic art, graffi ti art,<br />
screen art, <strong>com</strong>ic style as well as realism and traditional<br />
landscapes.<br />
Crooked Palm Gallery 75 K<strong>in</strong>g Street, St. August<strong>in</strong>e<br />
(904) 825-0010 This collection of <strong>in</strong>ternational art<br />
features Koi fi sh, tropical seascapes, and women <strong>in</strong><br />
sensual poses as well as 3-D art, such as their bronzes<br />
and glass from Italy.<br />
Eclectic Galleries 2405 Third Street South, Jacksonville<br />
Beach (904) 247-3750 This gallery is one of the area’s<br />
best sources for 3-D art, be it ceramic, metal, glass or<br />
wood. They’ve also got some <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g textile art. Work<br />
from more than 180 different artist is available, so there’s<br />
a style for everybody.<br />
The Energy Lab 137 K<strong>in</strong>g Street, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (904)<br />
808-8455 This artist’s co-op gives the <strong>view</strong>er a little<br />
bit of everyth<strong>in</strong>g: mixed media, watercolor, acrylic, oil,<br />
abstracts and everyth<strong>in</strong>g from landscapes pop art, fi ne<br />
art to traditional art. They also stock jewelry.<br />
First Street Gallery 216-B First Street, Neptune Beach<br />
(904) 241-6928 Although you’ll fi nd tons of beach, sea<br />
turtle and fi sh themed art <strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong> gallery, you’ll fi nd even<br />
more if you look, from clay art and metal sculpture to<br />
fi ber and mixed media art. It’s also a terrifi c place to pick<br />
up jewelry art for the woman who has everyth<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Fogle F<strong>in</strong>e Art & Accessories 3312 Beach Boulevard,<br />
Jacksonville (904) 296-1414 Look<strong>in</strong>g for a special piece<br />
to really make your décor pop? Fogle is the place to<br />
go for art work that can serve as a focal po<strong>in</strong>t for your<br />
design. Abstracts, landscapes, fl oral art and dramatic<br />
photography are just part of <strong>this</strong> gallery. You can also fi nd<br />
the perfect frame, or a pottery piece.<br />
Gallery 1037 at Reddi Arts 1037 Hendricks Avenue<br />
(904) 398-3161 While the Reddi Arts gallery is a small<br />
one; it’s notable because nearly every artist, at one po<strong>in</strong>t<br />
or another, will go there for art supplies they can’t get<br />
anywhere else. They change the art regularly and you<br />
never know what style or medium you’re go<strong>in</strong>g to see.<br />
Hampton Gallery 2411 Third Street South, Jacksonville<br />
Beach (904) 247-1050 Shows rotate monthly and<br />
they sell art rang<strong>in</strong>g from orig<strong>in</strong>al oils to open edition<br />
decorative pr<strong>in</strong>ts. They also provide a full service custom<br />
fram<strong>in</strong>g department to ensure that your valuable art is<br />
well cared for by professionals.<br />
James Coleman Gallery 65 K<strong>in</strong>g Street, St. August<strong>in</strong>e.<br />
(904) 829-1925 Sea scenes, woodlands, the tropics<br />
and lush gardens all make their way to canvas at <strong>this</strong><br />
landscape oriented gallery. You’ll also fi nd glass, bronze<br />
and other sculpture work. Located <strong>in</strong>side the Casa<br />
Monica Hotel.<br />
Jane Gray Gallery at Daryl Bunn Studios 643 Edison<br />
Avenue (904) 338-5790 The pr<strong>in</strong>cipals of the gallery are<br />
Missy and Thomas Hager, both of which have a stolid<br />
pedigree <strong>in</strong> the art world. Missy is known on a local<br />
level as the director of the House Gallery, and Thomas<br />
is known for his photographic works on an <strong>in</strong>ternational<br />
level. The duo has partnered <strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong> venture with Daryl<br />
Bunn, who has helped to build support for the artistic<br />
<strong>com</strong>munity <strong>in</strong> Jacksonville. Their ma<strong>in</strong> focus is to br<strong>in</strong>g<br />
fi ne, sophisticated art to Jacksonville—and so they have.<br />
Much of their art features locals, but they also br<strong>in</strong>g<br />
National and International artists to the gallery.<br />
J. Johnson Gallery 117 Fourth Avenue North,<br />
Jacksonville Beach (904) 435-3200 Show<strong>in</strong>g work by<br />
renowned masters of sculpture, oils, pr<strong>in</strong>tmak<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
photography, <strong>this</strong> gallery often changes their exhibitions.<br />
To support the connoisseurship of new young talent, the<br />
Gallery also hosts experimental works and project pieces<br />
by artists <strong>in</strong> vary<strong>in</strong>g mediums, <strong>in</strong> addition to its quarterly<br />
exhibits. The renowned sculptor Javier Mar<strong>in</strong> is just one<br />
of the artists they’ve featured.<br />
Opaq Gallery 333 East Bay Street, Downtown (904)<br />
305-1525 This t<strong>in</strong>y gallery is located <strong>in</strong> Downtown<br />
Jacksonville, upstairs from the club TSI. They revel <strong>in</strong><br />
do<strong>in</strong>g contemporary, <strong>in</strong>novative shows, sometimes us<strong>in</strong>g<br />
multimedia. They’re one of the latest galleries to spice up<br />
the scene here <strong>in</strong> J-ville.<br />
P.A.St.A. F<strong>in</strong>e Arts Gallery 214 Charlotte Street, St.<br />
August<strong>in</strong>e (904) 824-0251<br />
Those who run across <strong>this</strong> gallery don’t soon forget its<br />
quirky name, which stands for Professional Artists of St.<br />
August<strong>in</strong>e. The gallery displays works from more than a<br />
dozen St. August<strong>in</strong>e artists. Even though they are local,<br />
many of artists are nationally and <strong>in</strong>ternationally known.<br />
They specialize <strong>in</strong> pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs and pottery. All artwork<br />
hang<strong>in</strong>g on the walls are orig<strong>in</strong>als, though pr<strong>in</strong>ts are<br />
available on request.<br />
R. Roberts Gallery 3606 St. Johns Avenue, Avondale<br />
(904) 388-1188 Located <strong>in</strong> the historic shops of<br />
Avondale, <strong>this</strong> gallery is known for their free <strong>in</strong>-home<br />
and offi ce art consultation. They represent artists from<br />
all walks of life, from <strong>in</strong>ternationally known artists to<br />
important emerg<strong>in</strong>g local artists and everyth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
between. Bronzes, oils, acrylic, mixed media and limited<br />
edition pr<strong>in</strong>ts are just some of the th<strong>in</strong>gs you’ll fi nd there.<br />
San Marco Gallery 78B San Marco Avenue, St.<br />
August<strong>in</strong>e (904) 826-4434 Shell art, homemade soaps,<br />
lotions, handmade jewelry, oils and acrylics by local<br />
artists are all part of <strong>this</strong> gallery with a craft sp<strong>in</strong>. Ocean<br />
birds, the occasional abstract, historical build<strong>in</strong>gs,<br />
landscapes and pet portraits are all part of the art mix.<br />
San Sebastian River Artists Studio & Holborn Gallery<br />
134 Riberia Street suites 4&5, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (904) 827-<br />
9355 There’s a pr<strong>in</strong>t mak<strong>in</strong>g studio at the Holborn, so<br />
artists can <strong>com</strong>e <strong>in</strong> and get giclées of their work done.<br />
Fourteen area artists are featured <strong>in</strong> the San Sebastian<br />
next door, specializ<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> local scenes and color. They<br />
also feature a number of nationally known artists.<br />
Simple Gestures 4 White Street, East St. August<strong>in</strong>e<br />
(904) 827-9997 It’s a gift shop and art gallery <strong>in</strong> one,<br />
with the work of 40 local and <strong>in</strong>ternational artists on<br />
display. Besides lots of jewelry, art lamps and books,<br />
you’ll be able to buy some funky, colorful art for your<br />
walls and metal/wood found object sculptures for your<br />
shelves.<br />
Stellers Gallery 115 Bartram Oaks Walk, Suite 101<br />
Jul<strong>in</strong>gton Creek (904) 230-4700, 1409 Atlantic<br />
Boulevard, San Marco (904) 396-9492, 200 1st<br />
Street, Neptune Beach (904) 247-7200, 240 A1A<br />
North Ponte Vedra (904) 273-6065 You’ll fi nd a Stellers<br />
scattered across the area. The galleries house a variety<br />
of styles rang<strong>in</strong>g from conservative and traditional, to<br />
expressionist, abstract and whimsical. If you belong to<br />
private club, it’s very likely that the art on the walls came<br />
from a Stellers. The galleries have certa<strong>in</strong>ly left their<br />
stamp on plenty of local places, both public and private.<br />
eujacksonville.<strong>com</strong> | september 13-19, 2007 21
live music<br />
shows calendar<br />
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13<br />
Pianist Tim Nold Seawalk Hotel, Jax Beach (249-9981)<br />
Open Mic w/Colleen Murphy Trade W<strong>in</strong>ds Lounge,<br />
St. August<strong>in</strong>e (829-8646)<br />
Gutterboy Roadhouse, Orange Park (264-0611)<br />
Chuck Nash My Place, Jax (737-5299)<br />
Big Eng<strong>in</strong>e Box Seats, Jax (908-7328)<br />
Open Mic w/Krank Shaft Overtime Sports Bar, Jax (786-5466)<br />
Mike Sweet & Friends K<strong>in</strong>gshead Pub, St. August<strong>in</strong>e<br />
Lift Mercury Moon, Orange Park (215-8999)<br />
Park Street Band Ragusa, Jax (443-7888)<br />
Sweet Little Ditty Spare Time, Jax Beach (246-8099)<br />
Mariachi Guadalajara Jimadores, Jax (739-5828)<br />
Boogie Freaks Square One, Jax (306-9004)<br />
David Milam Shannon’s Irish Pub, Green Cove<br />
Spr<strong>in</strong>gs (230-9670)<br />
Cloud 9 Twisted Mart<strong>in</strong>i, Ponte Vedra<br />
Wes Cobb Fly’s Tie Irish Pub, Atlantic Beach (246-4293)<br />
Rookie of the Year Jack Rabbits, Jax (398-7496)<br />
L.E.G.A.C.Y TSI, Jax (635-3024)<br />
Cornerstone The Mill Top, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (829-2329)<br />
Ron Rodriguez Mellow Mushroom, Jax (997-1955)<br />
3 Eddie Bahamas, Jax Beach (241-3138)<br />
Little Green Men West Inn Cant<strong>in</strong>a, Jax (389-1131)<br />
Freeze Frame Fionn Maccool’s, Jax Beach (242-9499)<br />
Mr. Natural Whitey’s Fish Camp, Orange Park (269-4198)<br />
Flashback Creekside D<strong>in</strong>ery, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (829-6113)<br />
Crematorium Thee Imperial, Jax (475-0488)<br />
Those Guys The Oasis, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (471-3424)<br />
Von Barlow’s Jazz Journey Spr<strong>in</strong>gfi eld Station, Jax<br />
Jimmy Parrish & Ocean Waves Ragtime Tavern,<br />
Neptune Beach (241-7877)<br />
Stu Weaver Coffee Roasters, Jax<br />
Matt Still Urban Flats, Ponte Vedra Beach (280-5515)<br />
De Lions of Jah Twisted Sisters, Jax Beach (241-6453)<br />
Deron Baker Trio K<strong>in</strong>gfi sh Grill, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (824-2111)<br />
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14<br />
Nate Holley Mellow Mushroom, Jax (997-1955)<br />
Gator Country Concert-David Lee Murphy The<br />
Land<strong>in</strong>g, Jax<br />
Anybody’s Fault Freebird Live, Jax Beach (246-2473)<br />
Rodageezer Creekside D<strong>in</strong>ery, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (829-6113)<br />
Oscar Barnett Urban Flats, Ponte Vedra Beach (280-5515)<br />
Mike Gottuso Seven Bridges, Jax (997-1999)<br />
Fidelity Crisis Jack Rabbits, Jax (398-7496)<br />
Southern Lights Thee Imperial, Jax (475-0488)<br />
Freeze Frame Aroma’s, Ponte Vedra (280-2525)<br />
Handgun Honeybun Country Club Lounge, Macclenny<br />
McKenna Michelle’s, Jax (353-0002)<br />
Wes Cobb Band Twisted Sisters, Jax Beach (241-6453)<br />
Subhumans UK Fuel, Jax (425-3835)<br />
Dial 9 Fionn Maccool’s, Jax Beach (242-9499)<br />
22<br />
september 13-19, 2007 | enterta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g u newspaper<br />
fi ddl<strong>in</strong>’ around<br />
Restless K<strong>in</strong>d w<strong>in</strong>s Gator Country’s Battle of the Bands<br />
BY RICK GRANT rickgrant01@<strong>com</strong>cast.net<br />
The River City Brew<strong>in</strong>g Company’s covered outdoor<br />
deck was the scene of 99.9 FM Gator Country’s<br />
Battle of the Bands semifi nals last Saturday night. On<br />
stage was the St. August<strong>in</strong>e band Cliff Worrell and the<br />
Restless K<strong>in</strong>d. This group is an assemblage of seven<br />
veteran professional musicians who got together<br />
because they all love country music and enjoy the<br />
<strong>com</strong>patible chemistry <strong>in</strong> the group.<br />
The seven piece group presents a big bold<br />
sound with fi ddle, guitar, pedal steel, keyboards,<br />
bass, drums and Cliff Worrell s<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g lead vocals.<br />
The group came together from various popular<br />
bands, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Southbound, Matanzas, Divorce<br />
This, Fully Loaded, Lisa Lisa & the Toy Boys, and<br />
even the Southeast Georgia Symphony Orchestra.<br />
Individually, Restless K<strong>in</strong>d is <strong>com</strong>prised of well<br />
known regional musicians <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Doug Dennis<br />
on guitar and vocals, Lisa Mack on keyboards and<br />
vocals, the legendary Phil Jones on pedal steel and<br />
guitar, Doug Kohl on bass, Robert Ziel<strong>in</strong>ski on fi ddle<br />
and mandol<strong>in</strong>e, Kim Ziel<strong>in</strong>ski on fi ddle and vocals and<br />
Lisa Locke on drums. Together, <strong>this</strong> band kicks butt<br />
with a tight country groove. Hav<strong>in</strong>g two fi ddles and<br />
pedal steel gives the group top-tier credentials as a<br />
country band. However, the group can rock out if the<br />
situation presents itself.<br />
The packed deck of enthusiastic fans were<br />
danc<strong>in</strong>g and shout<strong>in</strong>g their approval as Restless K<strong>in</strong>d<br />
plowed through a repertoire of mostly crowd-pleas<strong>in</strong>g<br />
songs and a few orig<strong>in</strong>als. The band is slowly <strong>in</strong>tegrat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
its well-written orig<strong>in</strong>als <strong>in</strong>to the cover mix as<br />
it gets more exposure <strong>in</strong> the country venues around<br />
the Southeast. Frankly, it’s fun to hear the good old<br />
country songs like Before He Cheats, Boot Scoot<strong>in</strong>’<br />
Boogie, Brick House, Brokenheartsville, Foggy Mounta<strong>in</strong><br />
Breakdown, Folsom Prison Blues, Good Hearted<br />
Woman, et al. And yes, Restless K<strong>in</strong>d throws <strong>in</strong> some<br />
Skynyrd tunes for good measure and to appease to<br />
locals, which illustrates the deep Skynyrd roots that<br />
bred the countrifi ed southern rock sound.<br />
I especially enjoyed Restless K<strong>in</strong>d’s Johnny<br />
Cash tribute and the two fi ddle players–those wild<br />
and crazy Ziel<strong>in</strong>skis. And yes, I love the pedal steel<br />
too because it cuts through the mix with penetrat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
authority. Phil Jones is a legend on the <strong>in</strong>strument<br />
and he also plays a mean lead guitar. Clearly, the<br />
members of Restless K<strong>in</strong>d love <strong>in</strong>teract<strong>in</strong>g with their<br />
audience. Cliff hops off the stage and wanders <strong>in</strong>to<br />
the crowd to s<strong>in</strong>g to each person present.<br />
Undeniably, Restless K<strong>in</strong>d is a show band of<br />
high-rank<strong>in</strong>g, fl awless, un<strong>com</strong>promis<strong>in</strong>g musicianship.<br />
S<strong>in</strong>ce four of the band members are related, and<br />
it produces such a taut sound, <strong>this</strong> could verify the<br />
genetic <strong>in</strong>heritance theory of musical excellence.<br />
In today’s economic crunch, stag<strong>in</strong>g a sevenpiece<br />
band is a challenge, but the group stays busy<br />
play<strong>in</strong>g festivals, fairs and places like the Jax Land<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
They even bite the fi nancial bullet and play some<br />
smaller clubs for exposure.<br />
Restless K<strong>in</strong>d has much to offer <strong>in</strong> terms of its<br />
“bold as love” sound that draws the audience <strong>in</strong>to<br />
their groove and <strong>in</strong>spires people to dance and have<br />
fun. The secret is–s<strong>in</strong>ce the band is hav<strong>in</strong>g fun, they<br />
pass that on to the audience through osmosis. And,<br />
everyone goes home happy. Crank it up!<br />
You can see Cliff Worrell & The Restless K<strong>in</strong>d<br />
on September 21 at the Jacksonville Land<strong>in</strong>g open<strong>in</strong>g<br />
for Cross<strong>in</strong> Dixon and Chris Cagle as part of the Gator<br />
Country Concert Series.
a nu-metal<br />
goddess<br />
Lennon concert re<strong>view</strong><br />
BY KELLIE ABRAHAMSON KAbrahamson1@aol.<strong>com</strong><br />
At 9:15 last Friday night I was speed<strong>in</strong>g down<br />
JTB try<strong>in</strong>g to make it to the Freebird and pray<strong>in</strong>g that<br />
none of Jacksonville’s F<strong>in</strong>est were sneakily hid<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong> the bushes ready to <strong>issue</strong> me ticketus maximus.<br />
After an already ridiculously long, terrible day, I had<br />
ushered my two kids out the door an hour later than<br />
I’d planned (mostly due to two miss<strong>in</strong>g shoes, a<br />
“she hit me!!!” and a potty emergency that ended<br />
<strong>in</strong> disaster) and it was one of those days where<br />
all I really wanted to do was crawl <strong>in</strong>to bed and<br />
sleep until Sunday. Instead, I had to cover nu-metal<br />
songstress Lennon’s concert; hence my mad dash<br />
down JTB.<br />
I hate be<strong>in</strong>g late to anyth<strong>in</strong>g, but given the day<br />
I’d had, I was almost relieved. My assignment was<br />
to cover Lennon’s performance, not the open<strong>in</strong>g<br />
acts, so I thought my tard<strong>in</strong>ess would spare me one<br />
or two bands and then I would be that much closer<br />
to Lennon and subsequently my bed. Once I fi nally<br />
arrived at Freebird Live, my hopes for a relatively<br />
early night were dashed- the fi rst band was just<br />
about to beg<strong>in</strong> their set. At the time, I kicked myself<br />
for be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> such a rush, but it actually ended up<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g a good th<strong>in</strong>g because these open<strong>in</strong>g acts<br />
expla<strong>in</strong>ed a lot about the audience and what was to<br />
<strong>com</strong>e.<br />
You see, Lennon is Lennon Murphy, a s<strong>in</strong>ger/<br />
songwriter from Tennessee who is also an alt p<strong>in</strong>up<br />
model on SuicideGirls.<strong>com</strong>. At 19, she released her<br />
fi rst album, 5:30 Saturday Morn<strong>in</strong>g, and has s<strong>in</strong>ce<br />
<strong>com</strong>e out with four more records and two DVDs,<br />
all on John Galt Enterta<strong>in</strong>ment, the label she cofounded.<br />
She’s headed back to the studio <strong>in</strong> a couple<br />
of weeks to make yet another record, promis<strong>in</strong>g <strong>this</strong><br />
one will be her heaviest yet.<br />
After tour<strong>in</strong>g with the Warped Tour and<br />
open<strong>in</strong>g for Aerosmith and Mötley Crüe, Lennon has<br />
developed a sizable follow<strong>in</strong>g. Apparently no one has<br />
sent Jacksonville that memo. Most of the people that<br />
were at the show on Friday were there for Manna<br />
Zen, AWOL or M<strong>in</strong>dslip, the local bands open<strong>in</strong>g for<br />
the nu-metal goddess. If you’re familiar with these<br />
bands, you know that they’re, generally speak<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
melodic hard rock which would,<br />
under normal circumstances, be<br />
a perfect match for Lennon.<br />
This particular even<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
though, she was without her<br />
band, so audience members,<br />
many of whom had no idea<br />
who Lennon even was, were<br />
surprised to see a pretty 20someth<strong>in</strong>g<br />
get on stage and<br />
s<strong>in</strong>g ac<strong>com</strong>panied only by her<br />
keyboard a la Tori Amos after all<br />
the metal acts. Lennon <strong>in</strong>formed<br />
the audience that she writes all<br />
of her songs on piano fi rst and<br />
then gets together with the band<br />
to transform the tunes <strong>in</strong>to the<br />
heavier stuff you hear on her records. Those familiar<br />
with her work (all 6 <strong>in</strong> attendance) got to hear her<br />
songs <strong>in</strong> a whole new way, while those who were<br />
not had to just trust that the soulful piano ballads<br />
sound <strong>com</strong>pletely different on her CDs and when the<br />
band’s around.<br />
With only about 50 people <strong>in</strong> the club dur<strong>in</strong>g<br />
her set, Lennon seemed to just have fun with her<br />
time on stage. She spoke with her fans and manager<br />
freely between songs, tak<strong>in</strong>g requests and jok<strong>in</strong>g<br />
about her anonymity <strong>in</strong> the River City. Lennon also<br />
told stories about the tunes she played, expla<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
the orig<strong>in</strong>s of certa<strong>in</strong> songs and why they’re<br />
important to her life and career. At one po<strong>in</strong>t she<br />
nervously performed a song she had written the<br />
words to earlier that day, hav<strong>in</strong>g a public moment of<br />
<strong>in</strong>security before div<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to a beautiful song with a<br />
<strong>com</strong>plex piano arrangement.<br />
Given her SuicideGirls fame, I expected pervy<br />
guys and catcalls, and there were a few. In fact, the<br />
fi rst reaction to Lennon’s presence on stage was<br />
“You’re hot!” yelled by a drunken frat boy. Members<br />
of the male persuasion spent the fi rst half of the<br />
show on the second fl oor of the build<strong>in</strong>g, presumably<br />
so they could get a clear <strong>view</strong> of Lennon’s cleavage.<br />
Still, the veteran s<strong>in</strong>ger/songwriter held her own<br />
aga<strong>in</strong>st the heckl<strong>in</strong>g oglers, throw<strong>in</strong>g out <strong>com</strong>ical<br />
retorts, call<strong>in</strong>g them out on their immaturity and even<br />
demand<strong>in</strong>g that they buy her dr<strong>in</strong>ks. By the end of<br />
her set she had 18 bottled waters and 5 six packs of<br />
Newcastle on stage wait<strong>in</strong>g for her.<br />
Even though most of the audience were<br />
there to see someone else and ended up hear<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Lennon’s songs at their most basic level, by the<br />
end of her hour-long set the songstress had won<br />
over the crowd and many new fans l<strong>in</strong>ed up with<br />
exist<strong>in</strong>g fans at the merch table to snag a CD and an<br />
autograph, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the rude drunken frat boy. As<br />
for me, I fi nally hit my pillow at 2:30 <strong>in</strong> the morn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
but I didn’t really m<strong>in</strong>d. At some po<strong>in</strong>t dur<strong>in</strong>g one of<br />
Lennon’s spellb<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>g songs, my ridiculously long,<br />
terrible day turned <strong>in</strong>to a ridiculously long, alright<br />
night. What a difference a good show makes!<br />
Charlie Hall Murray Hill Theatre, Jax (388-7807)<br />
Silver Lake Drive K<strong>in</strong>gfi sh Grill, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (824-2111)<br />
LeMonde Ocean 60, Jax Beach (247-0060)<br />
Jenna Metro Backstreets, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (827-0990)<br />
Kenhe The Homestead, Jax Beach<br />
Little Green Men Brewsters Pub, Jax (223-9850)<br />
Mike Sweet & Friends Mi Casa Café, St. August<strong>in</strong>e<br />
(824-9317)<br />
Jager Dave On the Rocks, Jax (685-5268)<br />
Retro Kats Culhane’s Irish Pub, Atlantic Beach<br />
(249-9595)<br />
Blue Collar Addict Brewsters Pit, Jax (223-9850)<br />
Crystal Bessels Kickback’s, Jax (388-9551)<br />
Matt Coll<strong>in</strong>s Pauly’s Pizza, Jax (727-9101)<br />
Will Pearsall A1A Aleworks, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (829-2977)<br />
Yancy Clegg Sneakers, Jax<br />
Phathom, Ampleforth Yesterdays, Jax (387-0502)<br />
Brian Turner & Rip Tide Cliff’s, Atlantic Beach (249-2777)<br />
Sidewalk 65 Tom & Betty’s, Jax (387-3311)<br />
FRIDAY-SATURDAY, SEPT. 14-15<br />
Cheshire Cats Trade W<strong>in</strong>ds Lounge, St. August<strong>in</strong>e<br />
(829-9336)<br />
A1A The Roadhouse, Orange Park (264-0611)<br />
Pili Pili Caribbee Key, Neptune Beach (270-8940)<br />
Someth<strong>in</strong>g Distant Scarlett’s, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (824-6535)<br />
Duel<strong>in</strong>g Pianos Dick’s W<strong>in</strong>gs/T<strong>in</strong>seltown, Jax<br />
The Outcasts The Oasis, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (471-3424)<br />
Blistur Mercury Moon, Orange Park (215-8999)<br />
Mr. Natural Tailgaters, Green Cove Spr<strong>in</strong>gs (529-1976)<br />
Boxrockers Lynch’s, Jax Beach (249-5181)<br />
Out of Hand Palace Saloon, Fernand<strong>in</strong>a<br />
Livid Overtime Bar, Jax<br />
Lisa & the Madhatters Cheers, Mandar<strong>in</strong> (262-4337)<br />
Dot Wilder Jazz Casablanca Inn, St. August<strong>in</strong>e<br />
John Michael Rose Wicked Davey’s, Fernand<strong>in</strong>a<br />
Ron Perry Ragtime Tavern, Neptune Beach (241-7877)<br />
Big Al & the Kaholics Monkey’s Uncle, Mandar<strong>in</strong><br />
(260-1349)<br />
Those Guys A1A Aleworks, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (829-2977)<br />
Yankee Slickers Whitey’s Fish Camp, Orange Park<br />
(269-4198)<br />
Boogie Freaks Square One, Jax (306-9004)<br />
Ryan Hamner The Grape, Jax (642-7111)<br />
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15<br />
Robby Schenck Kickback’s, Jax (388-9551)<br />
Magnolia Possums Creekside D<strong>in</strong>ery, St. August<strong>in</strong>e<br />
(829-6113)<br />
Lauren F<strong>in</strong>cham Frisky Mermaid, Fernand<strong>in</strong>a (261-3300)<br />
Chelsea Saddler European Street/Beach, Jax (725-3929)<br />
JW Gilmore Blues Pizza Garden, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (471-9455)<br />
7 Tides of Royal Blood Thee Imperial, Jax (475-0488)<br />
Don’t Tell Anne Fionn Maccool’s, Jax Beach (242-9499)<br />
The Bridges, Spoken Groove Murray Hill Theatre,<br />
Jax (388-7807)<br />
Bush Doctors K<strong>in</strong>gfi sh Grill, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (824-2111)<br />
Brian Turner w/Rip Tide Conch House, St. August<strong>in</strong>e<br />
(829-8646)<br />
eujacksonville.<strong>com</strong> | september 13-19, 2007 23
Grabbag, Poncho Villa Doozer’s Pub, Jax<br />
Fall<strong>in</strong>g At Will Brewsters Pit, Jax (223-9850)<br />
Spacebar Jack Rabbits, Jax (398-7496)<br />
Str<strong>in</strong>gs of Fire Jimadores, Jax (739-5828)<br />
Louder Than Eleven Brewsters, Jax (223-9850)<br />
Mike Sweet & Friends Mi Casa Café, St. August<strong>in</strong>e<br />
(824-9317)<br />
Payton Page Mellow Mushroom, Jax (997-1955)<br />
Nightfi re Freebird Live, Jax Beach (246-2473)<br />
Sonoma Fuel, Jax (425-3835)<br />
Tony Steve JU Swisher Theatre, Jax<br />
NH3 Band GQ’s, Jax<br />
Battle of the Bands River City Brew<strong>in</strong>g Company,<br />
Jax (398-2299)<br />
Jackal & Hyde Endo Exo, Jax (396-7733)<br />
E Down Club 2000, Jax<br />
Madison Fadeout Ocean Club, Jax Beach (242-8884)<br />
Stu Weaver Harry’s, Jax Beach (247-8855)<br />
Derick House of Jam, Mandar<strong>in</strong> (262-3377)<br />
Open Mic w/Larry Broussard St. Johns Pizza Grill,<br />
Jax (287-9900)<br />
Nimencia Yesterday’s, Jax (387-0502)<br />
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16<br />
Those Guys Sunset Grill, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (471-5555)<br />
Dan Shepherd Harpoon Louie’s, Jax (389-5631)<br />
Normal Town Ragtime Tavern, Atlantic Beach<br />
Isaac Byrd Jr. De Real T<strong>in</strong>g Café, Jax<br />
Michael Funge Culhane’s Irish Pub, Atlantic Beach<br />
(249-9595)<br />
JW Gilmore Blues Gypsy Cab Company, St. August<strong>in</strong>e<br />
Tarik Hassan Sahara Café, Jax<br />
David Milam Mellow Mushroom, Jax (997-1955)<br />
Pili Pili Ocean Club, Jax Beach (242-8884)<br />
Jimmy Parrish Carib Key, Jax Beach (270-8940)<br />
Eyes Set To Kill Thee Imperial, Jax (475-0488)<br />
Double Down Band Michelle’s, Jax (353-0002)<br />
Nervous Breakdown Brewsters Pit, Jax (223-9850)<br />
Matanzas Trade W<strong>in</strong>ds Lounge, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (829-8646)<br />
Battle for Planetfest Jack Rabbits, Jax (398-7496)<br />
Don David Trio Creekside D<strong>in</strong>ery, St. August<strong>in</strong>e<br />
(829-6113)<br />
Soulo K<strong>in</strong>gfi sh Grill, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (824-2111)<br />
Spade McQuade Fionn Maccool’s, Jax Beach (242-9499)<br />
Big Eng<strong>in</strong>e Whitey’s Fish Camp, Orange Park (269-4198)<br />
3rd Bass The Casbah, Jax (981-9966)<br />
El Toro Loco Square One, Jax (306-9004)<br />
Jan Crawford & Friends Cortesses, St. August<strong>in</strong>e<br />
(825-6775)<br />
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17<br />
Joey Cortesses, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (825-6775)<br />
Charlie Walker Mellow Mushroom, Jax (997-1955)<br />
Sam Pacetti The Mill Top, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (829-2329)<br />
Lary Smith Harmonious Monks, Jax (886-3040)<br />
Steve Wheeler Band Tast<strong>in</strong>gs, Jax<br />
Band of Dest<strong>in</strong>y Square One, Jax (306-9004)<br />
Nolan Neal Fly’s Tie Irish Pub, Atlantic Beach (246-4293)<br />
Chris C-4 Mann The Oasis, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (471-3424)<br />
24<br />
september 13-19, 2007 | enterta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g u newspaper<br />
a christian music<br />
gather<strong>in</strong>g<br />
New Life Coffeehouse<br />
BY BRENTON CROZIER<br />
WHAT: New Life Coffeehouse<br />
WHERE: Park Street Church (West Side)<br />
WHEN: Every Saturday at 6:30 p.m.<br />
EXPLANATION: Coffeehouse with Contemporary<br />
Christian Performers Represent<strong>in</strong>g All Genres and<br />
Free Coffee and Snacks<br />
The New Life Coffeehouse takes place every<br />
Saturday night at 6:30 <strong>in</strong> the recreation hall of the<br />
Park Street Church. George Arv<strong>in</strong>, a musician <strong>in</strong> the<br />
praise band at the church, started the coffeehouse <strong>in</strong><br />
June to give other Christian artists a venue to perform.<br />
The concept of the coffeehouse was spurred<br />
from George’s childhood experience of be<strong>in</strong>g thrown<br />
out of church for play<strong>in</strong>g rock-n-roll. He expla<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
to me that th<strong>in</strong>gs have really <strong>com</strong>e a long way s<strong>in</strong>ce<br />
then and that Christians should be a powerful arm of<br />
the popular culture.<br />
“Christian music is cont<strong>in</strong>ually grow<strong>in</strong>g and<br />
adopt<strong>in</strong>g all genres of popular music, it is a great<br />
medium to spread to word of God,” George said.<br />
Crowd and performer turnout has been unpredictable<br />
<strong>in</strong> both numbers and styles. The assortment<br />
of artists is part of the event’s charm. Despite a lack<br />
of cont<strong>in</strong>uity <strong>in</strong> atmosphere, artists, and even audience<br />
members, the coffeehouse works. I attended<br />
<strong>this</strong> past Saturday and quickly realized that it wasn’t<br />
about creat<strong>in</strong>g a scene, but <strong>in</strong>stead provid<strong>in</strong>g a wel<strong>com</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
spot for artists of all stripes to perform and<br />
enjoy fellowship.<br />
“It’s open to everyone, but I’m ma<strong>in</strong>ly target<strong>in</strong>g<br />
an age group of 18 and older with contemporary<br />
Christian music that touches all genres,” George<br />
told me. He is not try<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>com</strong>pete with Murray Hill<br />
Theater, although he is hop<strong>in</strong>g for some of the acts<br />
that regularly appear<br />
there to play at the New<br />
Life Coffeehouse. There<br />
is even a hope that<br />
Christian <strong>com</strong>edy and<br />
more hip-hop acts will<br />
be part of the mix.<br />
The coffeehouse<br />
takes place <strong>in</strong>side of<br />
Park Street Church to limit the amount of overhead.<br />
You won’t fi nd any dilapidated sofas, weather-worn<br />
books, b<strong>in</strong>s of sweet-smell<strong>in</strong>g coffee beans, or<br />
even an espresso mach<strong>in</strong>e surrounded with clouds<br />
of steam, but rather a corner of your grandparent’s<br />
liv<strong>in</strong>g room, large white tables with slightly un<strong>com</strong>fortable<br />
chairs, and a s<strong>in</strong>gle coffee maker. Despite<br />
the unconventional touches that makes it scream<br />
“church,” the atmosphere is relaxed and laid back.<br />
There is low light<strong>in</strong>g, a decent sound system, and<br />
plenty of room for musicians to perform.<br />
I wouldn’t say that the ambiance is what it<br />
should be, but it is another part of the progression<br />
that New Life is hop<strong>in</strong>g for. Like many other aspects<br />
of the coffeehouse, it will be formed by the people<br />
who participate <strong>in</strong> it. There is noth<strong>in</strong>g particularly<br />
hip about the coffeehouse’s presentation or overall<br />
aim, but upon talk<strong>in</strong>g to those who participated and<br />
simply were spectators, it makes you k<strong>in</strong>d of glad<br />
that they don’t care. The crowd embraced all of the<br />
performers, but they especially enjoyed TB1 (theblessed1.<strong>com</strong>),<br />
The Blessed 1. In so many words,<br />
it was a rather white bread audience, but they got<br />
down from the start and waved their hands <strong>in</strong> the air,<br />
waved them like they just didn’t care.<br />
TB1 and his hype man Steve read about New<br />
Life Coffeehouse onl<strong>in</strong>e. They performed with prerecorded<br />
tracks, and were able to <strong>in</strong>volve the audience<br />
and make it work. I wouldn’t say the crowd participated<br />
charismatically, but there were a number of<br />
positive verbal responses to TB1’s songs. TB1 (Stephen)<br />
has been at the Christian rap game for more<br />
than 7 years. He has spent 4 years on Jacksonville-based<br />
Christian label No Compromise records<br />
(no<strong>com</strong>promiserecords.<strong>com</strong>). Although only play<strong>in</strong>g<br />
for 12 of us tonight, TB1 has had the opportunity to<br />
perform at the TD Jakes MegaFest, open for Vickie<br />
W<strong>in</strong>ans, perform at the Convoy of Hope dur<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
Super Bowl, and open for Bow Wow. His new album<br />
was released <strong>in</strong> August and he is perform<strong>in</strong>g as<br />
much as he can to promote it. George told me that<br />
TB1 is exactly the type of act he has been hop<strong>in</strong>g to<br />
br<strong>in</strong>g to the New Life Coffeehouse.<br />
George takes video of all the performers that<br />
have played at the coffeehouse and posts it on the<br />
coffeehouse’s MySpace account at myspace.<strong>com</strong>/<br />
newlifecoffeehouse. His long term vision for the coffeehouse<br />
is to provide all of Jacksonville’s rich pool<br />
of diverse Christian musicians a place to play. Additionally,<br />
he would like to be able to build a pool of<br />
talent to be able to send artists as guest musicians<br />
to area churches on a donation basis. He expla<strong>in</strong>ed<br />
that a lot of churches don’t have the funds to br<strong>in</strong>g<br />
musicians <strong>in</strong>, and he wants to be able to provide<br />
the service while fulfi ll<strong>in</strong>g performer’s wishes for a<br />
venue to get their <strong>in</strong>spired music out.<br />
Next Saturday (September 15 th ), Brian Jones<br />
from Tampa, who has opened for Sonic Flood, will<br />
be perform<strong>in</strong>g and the follow<strong>in</strong>g Saturday (September<br />
22 nd ) local band Terrill and Company will be<br />
kick<strong>in</strong>g off their nationwide tour at New Life. Stop<br />
by for these great acts and to enjoy free coffee, tea,<br />
lemonade, cookies and muffi ns. There are no cover<br />
charges and all food is free, but donations are never<br />
turned down.<br />
There is no trap, you won’t leave with tacky<br />
tracts, and it is not a ploy for money for the church.<br />
If you’re <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> contemporary Christian music<br />
and culture, you can be a part of cultivat<strong>in</strong>g it <strong>in</strong><br />
Jacksonville by participat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> New Life Coffeehouse.
you can dance if you<br />
want to<br />
Café Eleven’s Anniversary Dance Off<br />
BY HILARY JOHNSON hilary_a_johnson@yahoo.<strong>com</strong><br />
WHAT: Café Eleven’s Anniversary Dance Off<br />
WHERE: Café Eleven, St. August<strong>in</strong>e Beach<br />
WHEN: Tuesday, September 18, 8:30 pm<br />
There is a tangible tang of excitement <strong>in</strong> the<br />
air at Café Eleven, St. August<strong>in</strong>e’s premier concert<br />
venue for <strong>in</strong>dependent artists. John Vanderslice and<br />
Bishop Allen, two great musical treats, are <strong>com</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
to Florida’s historic town. But, as if their musical<br />
airwaves weren’t enough to stir some vibrations<br />
amongst St. August<strong>in</strong>e’s residents, Café Eleven is<br />
pull<strong>in</strong>g out all the stops on their 5 th Anniversary celebration<br />
with a full fl edged, no holds barred, <strong>com</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
right at you with balloons, champagne and celebrity<br />
judges Dance Off.<br />
The only th<strong>in</strong>g you really need to know is that<br />
<strong>this</strong> Dance Off is go<strong>in</strong>g to be amaz<strong>in</strong>g. It features<br />
three dance troupes, the TNT Dance Team of eleven,<br />
Fire Hazard with their four guys and four girls, and<br />
Sasparilla Sanchez br<strong>in</strong>g<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the rear with three, the<br />
m<strong>in</strong>imum number of team members allowed. Each<br />
troupe is set to “br<strong>in</strong>g it” to the <strong>com</strong>petition through<br />
orig<strong>in</strong>al choreography, fl amboyant costume and musical<br />
selection.<br />
“Last year TNT Dance performed at Marathon<br />
Dance on Halloween. I was blown away!” says Dettra,<br />
owner of Café Eleven and masterm<strong>in</strong>d beh<strong>in</strong>d<br />
the <strong>com</strong>petition. “I thought, where did these people<br />
TNT Dance Team Willie Heath Neal Jack Rabbits, Jax (398-7496)<br />
Stu Weaver Harry’s, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (824-7765)<br />
<strong>com</strong>e from? And are there other troupes like <strong>this</strong>?”<br />
It seems there are, and that people are will<strong>in</strong>g to pull<br />
together the ranks at the opportunity to show some<br />
personal creativity and have a ton of fun.<br />
TNT Dance Team, a troupe that formed over a<br />
bottle of tequila and made their debut on Halloween<br />
a year ago, were the fi rst team to sign on. Orig<strong>in</strong>ally<br />
thought to be a simple <strong>in</strong>vitation to dance at the Anniversary<br />
party, Dettra soon posted an open cast<strong>in</strong>g<br />
call to any and all who wanted to take on TNT Dance<br />
<strong>in</strong> an all out Dance Off. Suddenly, what would have<br />
been just another fun night for the troupe to show<br />
their skills became a bid to <strong>com</strong>bat.<br />
“We had to amp up the practice shed, nail the<br />
song, and get a costume designer that goes beyond<br />
the sequ<strong>in</strong>ed headband and wristbands,” says Jenai<br />
Master, TNT’s troupe leader. “It’s gett<strong>in</strong>g really serious<br />
lately. People are gett<strong>in</strong>g nervous.” Master said<br />
the song selection became their secret weapon <strong>this</strong><br />
year, a tough decision that had to pull <strong>in</strong> the crowd<br />
one hundred percent, as well as bridge the age gap<br />
between the various judges. The judges range from<br />
Ed George, the mayor of St. August<strong>in</strong>e Beach, to<br />
Vanderslice himself.<br />
Secrecy has run rampant amongst the <strong>com</strong>pet<strong>in</strong>g<br />
teams. Fire Hazard’s troupe leader, Just<strong>in</strong> Krol,<br />
didn’t even want the other troupes to know about his<br />
extensive, world-renowned background <strong>in</strong> professional<br />
danc<strong>in</strong>g, not want<strong>in</strong>g to add any more fuel to<br />
the fi re. And when asked how Fire Hazard planned to<br />
br<strong>in</strong>g it to the <strong>com</strong>petition he responded by say<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
“I’m not at liberty to reveal too much <strong>in</strong>formation...”<br />
What we can expect is an orig<strong>in</strong>al and obscure song<br />
selection with attitude and costumes as fi ery as their<br />
team name.<br />
Anyone was allowed to enter the <strong>com</strong>petition<br />
and rumor has it that there might be a special solo<br />
ribbon dance that <strong>in</strong>cludes a black spandex costume.<br />
At the end, the w<strong>in</strong>ner of the <strong>com</strong>petition will receive<br />
a special trophy. Although <strong>this</strong> year’s event is the<br />
fi rst of its k<strong>in</strong>d, Café Eleven plans on mak<strong>in</strong>g it a<br />
tradition, rotat<strong>in</strong>g the judges year to year.<br />
“I’ve been dream<strong>in</strong>g about <strong>this</strong> event for a long<br />
time,” says Ryan Dettra. “Danc<strong>in</strong>g is an art form. I<br />
love to see <strong>this</strong> k<strong>in</strong>d of creativity.”<br />
Despite the heavy <strong>com</strong>petitive nature of <strong>this</strong><br />
dance off, all teams are agreed on one th<strong>in</strong>g. The<br />
<strong>com</strong>petition is strong, it’s bound to be a great showdown<br />
and everyone is <strong>in</strong> it to have a good time. This<br />
will be no ord<strong>in</strong>ary, run-of-the-mill Dance Off. This<br />
one is go<strong>in</strong>g to be fi erce.<br />
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18<br />
Billy & V<strong>in</strong>nie Sun Dog Steak & Seafood, Neptune<br />
Beach (241-8221)<br />
Matanzas Trade W<strong>in</strong>ds Lounge, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (829-8646)<br />
Christ<strong>in</strong>a Wagner & Friends Mark’s Downtown, Jax<br />
(355-5099)<br />
Will Pearsall The Mill Top, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (829-2329)<br />
Dave Massey Kickback’s, Jax (388-9551)<br />
Those Guys Hurricane Patty’s, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (827-1822)<br />
Shawn Lightfoot London Bridge, Jax (359-0001)<br />
Scenic Void Cortesses, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (825-6775)<br />
Ron Perry Fionn MacCool’s, Jax Beach (242-9499)<br />
Matt Still Caribbee Key, Neptune Beach (270-8940)<br />
John Waters The Oasis, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (471-3424)<br />
Out of Hand Palace Saloon, Fernand<strong>in</strong>a Beach<br />
Café 11 Anniversary-John Vanderslice Café Eleven,<br />
St. August<strong>in</strong>e (460-9311)<br />
Bill Rice Mellow Mushroom, Jax (997-1955)<br />
Mystic D<strong>in</strong>o Lynch’s, Jax Beach (249-5181)<br />
Mike Miller Band St. Nick’s Lounge, Jax<br />
Blues w/Jim Brady Creekside D<strong>in</strong>ery, St. August<strong>in</strong>e<br />
(829-6113)<br />
Jimmy Solari My Place, Jax (737-5299)<br />
Seth Ramsdill Fly’s Tie Irish Pub, Atlantic Beach<br />
(246-4293)<br />
Ron Perry Harry’s, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (824-7765)<br />
El Toro Loco Square One, Jax (306-9004)<br />
TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY,<br />
SEPTEMBER 18-19<br />
Gene Nordan Mackenzie’s, Ponte Vedra (543-9143)<br />
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19<br />
Mr. Beam Casa Mar<strong>in</strong>a, Jax Beach (270-0025)<br />
Dave Massey My Place, Jax (737-5299)<br />
Rip Tide w/Brian Turner Eddie Bahamas, Jax Beach<br />
(241-3138)<br />
FunKtion Brix, Jax Beach<br />
Wes Cobb Band Square One, Jax (306-9004)<br />
Bob & Jol<strong>in</strong>e Creekside D<strong>in</strong>ery, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (829-6113)<br />
Those Guys The Pier, St. August<strong>in</strong>e<br />
Billy Bowers The Oasis, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (471-3424)<br />
Eric Dawk<strong>in</strong>s Mellow Mushroom, Jax (997-1955)<br />
War of Ages Thee Imperial, Jax (475-0488)<br />
Jesse & Leaa Cortesses, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (825-6775)<br />
Jodies Fiasco Castillo de Mexico, Jax<br />
Billy Bowers The Oasis, St. August<strong>in</strong>e (471-3424)<br />
Soulo Urban Flats, Ponte Vedra Beach (280-5515)<br />
The Mike Miller Band St. Nick’s Lounge, Jax (396-3396)<br />
El Toro Loco Aromas, Ponte Vedra (280-2525)<br />
Chuck Nash Sun Dog Steak & Seafood, Neptune<br />
Beach (241-8221)<br />
Sidewalk 65 Latitudes, Jax Beach (247-6606)<br />
Pili Pili Fly’s Tie Irish Pub, Atlantic Beach (246-4293)<br />
Dave Massey My Place Bar & Grill, Jax (737-5299)<br />
eujacksonville.<strong>com</strong> | september 13-19, 2007 25
up<strong>com</strong><strong>in</strong>g shows<br />
Chris Cagle Sept. 21, Jacksonville Land<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Bruce Bruce Sept. 21, Florida Theatre, 355-2787<br />
Queens of the Stone Age Sept. 21, Plush, 743-1845<br />
Culture Sept. 21, Freebird Live, 246-2473<br />
The Courtneys Sept. 21, Club TSI<br />
Burn<strong>in</strong>g Brides Sept. 22, Jack Rabbits, 398-7496<br />
Do Make Say Th<strong>in</strong>k Sept. 23, Jack Rabbits, 398-7496<br />
Atreyu Sept. 28, Plush, 743-1845<br />
Strung Out Sept. 29, Freebird Live, 246-2473<br />
Ken Andrews And Charlotte Mart<strong>in</strong> Sept. 29, Jack Rabbits, 398-7496<br />
Unearth, Darkest Hour, August Burns Red Sept. 30, Freebird Live,<br />
246-2473<br />
Fusebox Funk Oct. 5, Freebird Live, 246-2473<br />
Angie Stone Oct. 6, Florida Theatre, 355-2787<br />
Boys Like Girls Oct. 6, Freebird Live, 246-2473<br />
David Dondero Oct.7, Cafe Eleven, 469-9311<br />
Bonde Do Role Oct. 10, TSI, 424-3531<br />
S<strong>in</strong>bad October 12, Florida Theatre, 355-2787<br />
Thee Crucials Oct. 12, Club TSI, 424-3531<br />
Cl<strong>in</strong>t Black October 13, Florida Theatre, 355-2787<br />
Michael Franti & Spearhead Oct. 13, Freebird Live, 246-2473<br />
John Gorka October 13, Cafe Eleven, 469-9311<br />
Gregg Allman Oct. 14, Florida Theatre, 355-2787<br />
Dennis DeYoung Oct. 19, Florida Theatre, 355-2787<br />
Medeski Mart<strong>in</strong> & Wood Oct. 19, Freebird Live, 246-2473<br />
The Hives Oct. 19, Jack Rabbits, 398-7496<br />
Acoustic Alchemy Oct. 23, Florida Theatre, 355-2787<br />
The Samples Oct. 23, Freebird Live, 246-2473<br />
MagnoliaFest with Toots & The Maytals, Donna the Buffalo, Railroad<br />
Earth, The Duhks, Bobby Lee Rodgers Band and more October 25–28,<br />
Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, Live Oak, Florida, www.magmusic.<br />
<strong>com</strong><br />
Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas and Edgar Meyer Oct. 25, Florida Theatre,<br />
355-2787<br />
Corey Smith Oct. 26, Florida Theatre, 355-2787<br />
Nada Surf, Sea Wolf October 27, Cafe Eleven, 469-9311<br />
Monotonix Oct. 28, Club TSI, 424-3531<br />
K<strong>in</strong>gs of Leon Oct. 30, Florida Theatre, 355-2787<br />
Fall Out Boy, Gym Class Heroes, Pla<strong>in</strong> White T’s, Cute Is What We Aim<br />
For Oct. 30, Jacksonville Arena, 353-3309<br />
Dr. Dog, Delta Spirit, Emily Lacy October 30, Cafe Eleven, 469-9311<br />
Ben Harper Nov. 1, Florida Theatre, 355-2787<br />
Reverend Horton Heat/Hank Williams III Nov. 1, Freebird Live, 246-2473<br />
D.L. Hughley Nov. 2, Florida Theatre, 355-2787<br />
David Bazan Nov. 6, Cafe Eleven, 469-9311<br />
Badfi sh Nov. 6, Freebird Live, 246-2473<br />
Classic Albums Live - P<strong>in</strong>k Floyd’s The Wall Nov. 7, Florida Theatre,<br />
355-2787<br />
Tallyrand Music Festival W/Spoon, Keller Williams, The Bravery,<br />
Pepper, Aga<strong>in</strong>st Me!, The Polyphonic Spress, Rooney and more Nov.<br />
10, Metro Park<br />
Dan Zanes Nov. 10, Florida Theatre, 355-2787<br />
Nickel Creek Nov. 12, Florida Theatre, 355-2787<br />
Bob Weir and Ratdog Nov. 14, Florida Theatre, 355-2787<br />
Slightly Stoopid Nov. 15, Freebird Live, 246-2473<br />
Spill Canvas Nov. 17, Jack Rabbits, 398-7496<br />
Jucifer Nov. 23, Jack Rabbits, 398-7496<br />
Zoso Nov. 24, Freebird Live, 246-2473<br />
Lalah Hathaway Nov. 24, Florida Theatre, 355-2787<br />
The Electric Six Nov. 24, Jack Rabbits, 398-7496<br />
Wynonna Nov. 30, Florida Theatre, 355-2787<br />
David Wilcox Dec. 8, Cafe Eleven, 469-9311<br />
Rev. Billy Wirtz Dec. 9, Cafe Eleven, 469-9311<br />
Jethro Tull Dec.11, Florida Theatre, 355-2787<br />
Johnny W<strong>in</strong>ter Dec. 14, Freebird Live, 246-2473<br />
Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi Dec. 27, Florida Theatre, 355-2787<br />
Kathy Griffi n Jan. 17, Florida Theatre, 355-2787<br />
JUST ANNOUNCED<br />
Evanescence Oct. 25, Jacksonville Arena, Tickets on Sale Fri.9/14,<br />
353-3303<br />
Widespread Panic November 4, Times Union Center, Tickets On Sale<br />
Fri.9/14, $38, 353-3309<br />
Keith Urban December 7, Jacksonville Arena, Tickets On Sale Sat.9/15,<br />
$38.50-$58.50, 353-3309<br />
26<br />
september 13-19, 2007 | enterta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g u newspaper<br />
breast defense at screen arts<br />
<strong>in</strong>ter<strong>view</strong> with Rob DePiazza by donald dus<strong>in</strong>berre<br />
WHAT: Keep a Breast Art Show<br />
WHERE: Gallery at Screen Arts<br />
WHEN: October 5th<br />
In case you haven’t heard, there’s a big<br />
buzz about busts <strong>in</strong> St. August<strong>in</strong>e, so EU decided<br />
to talk with Rob DePiazza, the guy <strong>in</strong> charge<br />
of the Gallery at Screen Arts, my favorite gallery<br />
<strong>in</strong> St. August<strong>in</strong>e. He gave me the scoop on<br />
Breast Defense, a project developed to enhance<br />
breast cancer awareness.<br />
In addition to a number of local artists<br />
who will be participat<strong>in</strong>g, there are rumors of<br />
many celebrity participants as well, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Kim Gordon (Sonic Youth), Derek Hess (album<br />
cover artist for R.L. Burnside and hundreds of<br />
rock bands), and Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo,<br />
Rugrats). Moreover, I’ve gotten confi rmation that<br />
two of the Burlesque dancers <strong>in</strong>volved are plann<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to attend the open<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Let’s all do our part for our favorite parts<br />
and head on down to St. August<strong>in</strong>e on October 5 th .<br />
EU: Who orig<strong>in</strong>ally came up with the titillat<strong>in</strong>g idea<br />
for a Breast Defense exhibition? How did the Gallery<br />
at Screen Arts be<strong>com</strong>e <strong>in</strong>volved?<br />
DePiazza: I was approached by the Art Walk for<br />
Breast Cancer people here <strong>in</strong> St. August<strong>in</strong>e to produce<br />
the ma<strong>in</strong> event. Hav<strong>in</strong>g been aware for a number<br />
of years of the Keep a Breast Foundation (KAB)<br />
and their <strong>in</strong>volvement <strong>in</strong> the arts, I immediately<br />
thought a KAB exhibition would be an ideal cornerstone<br />
for the Art Walk tak<strong>in</strong>g place <strong>in</strong> October.<br />
EU: There will be many notable artists decorat<strong>in</strong>g<br />
the beautiful burlesque busts. Which artists will be<br />
attend<strong>in</strong>g the open<strong>in</strong>g at Screen Arts?<br />
DePiazza: We have not received confi rmation from<br />
all of the artists at <strong>this</strong> time, however, I do know that<br />
local artists Mark George, David Cutter, Ian Chase,<br />
Tonya Lee and Tony Rodrigues will be <strong>in</strong> attendance.<br />
EU: Were the burlesque dancers eager to participate<br />
<strong>in</strong> the project? Will any of them be present at<br />
the exhibition’s open<strong>in</strong>g?<br />
DePiazza: The Burlesque Hall of Fame was very<br />
eager to co-sponsor <strong>this</strong> event. As you know,<br />
breasts are a big part of Burlesque, and ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
their health is paramount to their profession.<br />
Unfortunately, I cannot confi rm if any of the dancers<br />
will be at the open<strong>in</strong>g s<strong>in</strong>ce many of them have other<br />
professions and live all across the country.<br />
EU: Will the exhibition be a family event?<br />
DePiazza: Certa<strong>in</strong>ly. This is by no means an R-rated<br />
event. Although the casts are made from real live<br />
women they are not ‘detailed’ <strong>in</strong> any way. Besides,<br />
we were all nursed by our mothers and most likely<br />
have fond memories of their mammaries.<br />
EU: Where and when will the busts be auctioned<br />
off? Can anyone attempt to purchase one? I bet<br />
they’d make great wedd<strong>in</strong>g gifts or stock<strong>in</strong>g<br />
stuffers.<br />
DePiazza: The casts will be auctioned <strong>in</strong> June 2008.<br />
The auction will be conducted onl<strong>in</strong>e and is open to<br />
the public. Visit KAB’s website for details: keep-abreast.org/home.htm
t<strong>issue</strong> worthy<br />
Steel Magnolias theatre re<strong>view</strong><br />
BY ERIN THURSBY scopes1925@msn.<strong>com</strong><br />
WHAT: Steel Magnolias<br />
WHEN: September 5 th - October 7 th<br />
WHERE: Alhambra D<strong>in</strong>ner Theatre<br />
If a movie or stage production is the slightest<br />
bit sad, I’m bound to cry big fat tears. I’ve seen Steel<br />
Magnolias a number of different times, staged by different<br />
theatres, so I really should’ve brought a supply<br />
of t<strong>issue</strong>s. There’s no shame <strong>in</strong> sobb<strong>in</strong>g at the heartwrench<strong>in</strong>g<br />
parts, as long as you’re quiet about it. It<br />
wasn’t just me. At the next table, tears fl owed freely,<br />
and, when I managed to wipe away my tears so I<br />
could see, most of the audience was <strong>in</strong> much the<br />
same state.<br />
When I’ve gone to see <strong>this</strong> show on other stag-<br />
es, I generally have a favorite out of the six women<br />
on the stage. This time, I couldn’t pick a favorite.<br />
These ladies worked as a true ensemble. I thought<br />
they could have worked the humor aspect a little<br />
more than they did, but I th<strong>in</strong>k they were still feel<strong>in</strong>g<br />
out how the <strong>com</strong>edy would play to an audience, and<br />
it will be tighter by their second night. It’s a diffi cult<br />
l<strong>in</strong>e to tread, <strong>this</strong> “laughter through tears.”<br />
Steel Magnolias was written by Robert Harl<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
who based it on his own life, and his sister’s death.<br />
He later adapted the play <strong>in</strong>to the 1989 movie, starr<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Sally Fields and Julia Roberts.<br />
The plot, for the unfamiliar, centers around<br />
M’lynn and her grown daughter Shelby. The action<br />
opens at Truvy Jones’ home beauty salon, where<br />
Shelby is gett<strong>in</strong>g her hair done for her wedd<strong>in</strong>g. We<br />
follow the lives of all the women over about two<br />
years, us<strong>in</strong>g the cathartic sett<strong>in</strong>g of the beauty salon<br />
to magnify the women’s relationships and lives. Despite<br />
medical problems relat<strong>in</strong>g to diabetes, Shelby<br />
ultimately decides to have a child, even though it<br />
puts her own life <strong>in</strong> danger. Truvy, the hairdresser,<br />
takes <strong>in</strong> Annelle as a junior hairdresser, just when<br />
Annelle’s life is on the rocks. Clairee is deal<strong>in</strong>g with<br />
her husband’s death and what to do afterwards.<br />
Emily Tello plays the spunky and cheerful Shelby<br />
with verve and believability. Tello fi lls the role with<br />
a bighearted Southern sass<strong>in</strong>ess. Those who are a<br />
fan of Emily’s, or those who frequent the Alhambra,<br />
will recognize her from her last major role as Sandy<br />
<strong>in</strong> Grease!<br />
With an every-mom sensibility, Lisa Vald<strong>in</strong>i<br />
takes on the role of M’lynn. M’lynn has trouble accept<strong>in</strong>g<br />
her daughter’s decision to have a child. The<br />
relationship between M’lynn and Shelby is one that<br />
most women can relate to.<br />
The play opens with Truvy Jones, played by<br />
Patti Eyler, a local favorite on stage. Truvy is audition<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Annelle (Evelyn Gaynor) played with a brilliant<br />
nerdy idiocy <strong>in</strong> the fi rst few scenes. Annelle is a favorite<br />
character of m<strong>in</strong>e to watch when the dialogue<br />
is focus<strong>in</strong>g on other characters, and Gaynor made it<br />
worth my while.<br />
Lisa Clarson plays Ousier with a cantankerous<br />
warmth, as befi ts the part. Mostly, Ousier <strong>com</strong>pla<strong>in</strong>s<br />
about her neighbors, tourists and whatever else she<br />
can fi nd, but she’s a solid part of the group, fi rmly<br />
friends with all the other women.<br />
Candace Cooke takes on the role of Clairee, the<br />
widow of the mayor. She tosses off her best l<strong>in</strong>es<br />
with relish, and appears to enjoy her own life as well,<br />
even as she faces the reality of grow<strong>in</strong>g old without<br />
her husband by her side.<br />
Steel Magnolias will be runn<strong>in</strong>g from September<br />
5 th - October 7 th at the Alhambra. If you haven’t<br />
been before, know that you should <strong>com</strong>e hungry, as<br />
it’s an Equity Actor’s d<strong>in</strong>ner theatre. Call 641-1212<br />
or 1-800-688-7469 for tickets.<br />
My advice to the ladies: don’t wear mascara<br />
and br<strong>in</strong>g t<strong>issue</strong>s.<br />
eujacksonville.<strong>com</strong> | september 13-19, 2007 27
crim<strong>in</strong>al hearts<br />
Limelight Theatre re<strong>view</strong><br />
BY DICK KEREKES dickkerekes@yahoo.<strong>com</strong><br />
St. August<strong>in</strong>e’s Limelight Theatre’s<br />
motto for the 2007-2008 should be:<br />
Double your pleasure, double your fun, we<br />
now have two theaters <strong>in</strong>stead of just one.<br />
Last weekend Limelight Theatre<br />
opened its Black Box Theatre, located <strong>in</strong> an<br />
addition <strong>in</strong> the rear of their orig<strong>in</strong>al build<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
This new space will allow Artistic Director<br />
Beth Lambert and General Manager Emma<br />
Lee Carpenter to offer a 2 nd stage with<br />
cutt<strong>in</strong>g edge plays and other shows that<br />
might not be fi t for the ma<strong>in</strong> stage.<br />
The choice of Crim<strong>in</strong>al Hearts from<br />
the pen of the anonymous playwright Jane<br />
Mart<strong>in</strong>, who debuted all her scripts at the<br />
Humana Festival at the Actors Theatre of<br />
Louisville, is excellent. Mart<strong>in</strong> is known to North Florida audiences from her plays Keely and Du, Vital<br />
Signs and Talk<strong>in</strong>g With. The play debuted <strong>in</strong> l992, so are you wonder<strong>in</strong>g why it has not been done <strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong><br />
area? This little gem is a <strong>com</strong>edy/drama, with very earthy language and subject matter. The three black<br />
box theaters we now have <strong>in</strong> North Florida (Players, Limelight and FCCJ), allow groups to choose plays<br />
that might not appeal to their ma<strong>in</strong> audience. In the past <strong>this</strong> was not the case.<br />
Limelight’s choice of Neptune Beach resident Barbara Evans as Director could not have been any<br />
better. Give Ms. Evans some good actors and a challeng<strong>in</strong>g script, and she will create award-w<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g<br />
theatre magic every time. If you saw her Coyote on a Fence, Last Tra<strong>in</strong> to Nibroc or Six Dance Lessons<br />
<strong>in</strong> Six Weeks, just to name three, you know what I mean.<br />
This is the story of crim<strong>in</strong>al m<strong>in</strong>ds with crim<strong>in</strong>al hearts, so there is a lot of larceny go<strong>in</strong>g on. Set <strong>in</strong><br />
Chicago, the play opens with female burglar, Bo, break<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to a darkened apartment to steal anyth<strong>in</strong>g of<br />
value, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g furniture and appliances. Unfortunately for her, Ata’s estranged husband, who lives here,<br />
has stolen everyth<strong>in</strong>g. All that is left is a mattress, empty Dr. Pepper cans, empty pizza boxes and a very<br />
unhappy wife.<br />
Krist<strong>in</strong> Pidcock is absolutely marvelous as Ata, a true neurotic who refuses to leave the apartment<br />
due to a fear of practically everyth<strong>in</strong>g and everybody. Ms. Pidcock adds <strong>this</strong> performance to her<br />
impressive Limelight resume, which <strong>in</strong>cludes Claire <strong>in</strong> Proof, Effy <strong>in</strong> Spitfi re Grill and Mae <strong>in</strong> Cat on a<br />
Hot T<strong>in</strong> Roof.<br />
Amy Royster is Bo, an attractive professional liar. As the play develops, the chemistry between Bo<br />
and Ata rem<strong>in</strong>ded me of the movie Thelma and Louise. Ms. Royster is a recent theatre major graduate<br />
from Jacksonville University and I saw her <strong>in</strong> many memorable performances <strong>in</strong> dramatic and musical<br />
theatre.<br />
Bo’s sidekick and ac<strong>com</strong>plice, Robbie, enters <strong>in</strong> the middle of act one, wonder<strong>in</strong>g what has<br />
happened to his crim<strong>in</strong>al partner. If you’ve ever seen George Carl<strong>in</strong>’s bit on the Hippy Dippy Weather<br />
man, than you will recognize Ashley Carter as what I call<strong>in</strong>g the Hippy Dippy Burglar. Robbie is a<br />
devoted Cubs fan and listens to the games on headphones as he steals. As played by Mr. Carter, Robbie<br />
bounced and bopped around like he had a colony of ants <strong>in</strong> his underwear. This guy is a very funny<br />
dude.<br />
As the play developed, Bo, Robbie and Ata fi gured out a way to go to her husband’s residence and<br />
steal back what he had stolen.<br />
Enter the very angry, silver-tongued, estranged husband Wib. He is a lawyer with little regard for<br />
his wife, who discovered he was carry<strong>in</strong>g on six affairs at the same time (three of them each lunch hour;<br />
now that is what I call a power lunch). Award-w<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g actor Mark Lambert is excellent as Wib, who, <strong>in</strong><br />
true lawyer fashion, absolves himself of all responsibility or blame. I overheard one of the women <strong>in</strong> the<br />
audience describe Mark as Robert Redford-handsome. I would go along with that assessment.<br />
I will not reveal the unique end<strong>in</strong>g, but if good act<strong>in</strong>g turns you on, you can’t do better than<br />
Crim<strong>in</strong>al Hearts.<br />
Set Designer/Technical Director Scott Ashley has created the w<strong>in</strong>dows and doors necessary to<br />
make <strong>this</strong> play work <strong>in</strong> a simple but effective sett<strong>in</strong>g. I can’t wait to see what masterpiece he will <strong>com</strong>e<br />
up with for Frankenste<strong>in</strong> on the ma<strong>in</strong> stage, which opens on October 5 th .<br />
Limelight is conduct<strong>in</strong>g a nam<strong>in</strong>g campaign as part of a fundraiser, and almost every area of the<br />
theatre is for sale. I found a small broom closet that might fi t my bidd<strong>in</strong>g pocket book and, if I w<strong>in</strong>, I will<br />
call it Dick’s Dungeon.<br />
Limelight Theatre has be<strong>com</strong>e a true success story <strong>in</strong> the world of local theatre. There are many<br />
reasons, but among them are hav<strong>in</strong>g a great staff and an active President and Board of Directors.<br />
Limelight would also not be where it is today were it not for The Limelight Guild, which is 150 members<br />
who donate many volunteer hours throughout the year.<br />
Don’t miss Crim<strong>in</strong>al Hearts. The theatre only seats 60, so reserve early. Performances<br />
are Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 pm, with mat<strong>in</strong>ees on Saturday and Sunday at 2 pm. All<br />
performances are at the Joukowsky Family Center for the Perform<strong>in</strong>g Arts, 11 Old Mission Avenue, St.<br />
August<strong>in</strong>e. Call 825-1164 for reservations.<br />
28 september 13-19, 2007 | enterta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g u newspaper<br />
c<strong>in</strong>derella<br />
Orange Park Community Theatre re<strong>view</strong><br />
BY DICK KEREKES dickkerekes@yahoo.<strong>com</strong><br />
Orange Park Community Theatre opened<br />
its 37 th season last week with the Rodgers and<br />
Hammerste<strong>in</strong> musical C<strong>in</strong>derella. This bright, family<br />
enterta<strong>in</strong>ment will run through September 29 th and is<br />
one you don’t want to miss.<br />
C<strong>in</strong>derella is an unusual musical for several<br />
reasons. It is the only musical that Rodgers and<br />
Hammerste<strong>in</strong> wrote for television. It aired <strong>in</strong> 1957<br />
and starred Julie Andrews. It is a musical that has<br />
been very successful and popular but has never<br />
played on Broadway.<br />
The story is universally known, but here is<br />
a short recap to refresh your memory. It is the<br />
fairytale of a slighted beauty who outsh<strong>in</strong>es her evil<br />
stepsisters at a royal ball, and then returns to her<br />
grim existence before the handsome pr<strong>in</strong>ce fi nds her<br />
aga<strong>in</strong>.<br />
Under the guidance of Director Robert M.<br />
Wilson and Musical Director Michelle Nugent<br />
Munley, OPTC has topped itself once aga<strong>in</strong>. In June<br />
<strong>this</strong> theater did the musical State Fair that had a cast<br />
of 34. C<strong>in</strong>derella has 39 cast members and is even<br />
more elaborate than the very excellently produced<br />
State Fair.<br />
The costumes are gorgeous, plentiful and as<br />
attractive and well selected as any I have seen <strong>in</strong><br />
professional productions of <strong>this</strong> show. I especially<br />
liked C<strong>in</strong>derella’s wedd<strong>in</strong>g gown (Thanks for the<br />
loan, Alhambra D<strong>in</strong>ner Theatre) and I loved the<br />
color co-ord<strong>in</strong>ated attire worn by the K<strong>in</strong>g (Scott<br />
Broughton) and Queen (Er<strong>in</strong> Barnes) at the Royal<br />
Ball. These lovely creations would not have<br />
been possible without the funds provided by The<br />
Community Foundation Inc and The Tom Nehl Fund.<br />
Director Wilson also designed the set and with<br />
a large staff of volunteers to build it and very capable<br />
stage crew to move it around, it was truly amaz<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Revolv<strong>in</strong>g fl ats were used so that the front and back<br />
could be used for different locations. There were<br />
many scene changes and, at one po<strong>in</strong>t, C<strong>in</strong>derella’s<br />
house reappears for only two m<strong>in</strong>utes of l<strong>in</strong>es. I was<br />
very impressed by the palace ballroom which was<br />
gorgeous.<br />
The four piece orchestra under Ms. Munley’s<br />
direction was located <strong>in</strong> the auditorium, tak<strong>in</strong>g up<br />
most of the right corner. They handled the entire<br />
musical very professionally and right on cue.<br />
In every production I have seen of <strong>this</strong><br />
show, C<strong>in</strong>derella’s Stepmother and her stepsisters<br />
provide many <strong>com</strong>ic moments. Kirst<strong>in</strong> M. Jewell<br />
plays the stepmother and Er<strong>in</strong> Gawera and Yolanda<br />
Olmstead are the stepsisters. They all gave campy<br />
performances and were crowd favorites.<br />
It was good to see Trish Sta<strong>in</strong> back on stage.<br />
She makes the Fairy Godmother a very funny and<br />
memorable character. She has been an outstand<strong>in</strong>g<br />
performer <strong>in</strong> more than 50 musicals <strong>in</strong> the North<br />
Florida area.<br />
Joseph Walz is picture-perfect as the Pr<strong>in</strong>ce.<br />
Walz, who just fi nished law school at Florida, has<br />
been a solid musical theatre performer for the past<br />
ten years. He has the ability to establish rapport with<br />
audiences, and you can feel that mutual warmth<br />
mov<strong>in</strong>g across the footlights. Joe is hop<strong>in</strong>g for a<br />
career <strong>in</strong> theatre and is head<strong>in</strong>g to California after he<br />
passes the bar exam. (Just s<strong>in</strong>g your way through it<br />
Joe).<br />
Er<strong>in</strong> Nicole Long is a Douglas Anderson School<br />
of the Arts graduate, and currently a student at<br />
the University of Florida. She drove to and from<br />
Ga<strong>in</strong>esville daily to do <strong>this</strong> role and I am glad she<br />
did. Ms. Long certa<strong>in</strong>ly was the vocal equal to Julie<br />
Andrews, and with her good looks and charm, she<br />
is just the most delightful C<strong>in</strong>derella you have ever<br />
seen anywhere.<br />
Did I mention there are some wonderful songs<br />
<strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong> show? ‘In My Own Corner,’ ‘l0 M<strong>in</strong>utes Ago’<br />
and ‘Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful?’ have<br />
be<strong>com</strong>e classics and you will leave the theatre<br />
humm<strong>in</strong>g them.<br />
Choreographer Meme Broadfoot’s dance<br />
creations made the stage seem much larger than<br />
it was. I especially liked the antics of the various<br />
rodents who later became horses for the coach.<br />
(Yes, <strong>this</strong> play has it all.)<br />
Special kudos to Stage Managers Pat Gorman<br />
and Cecilia Emmert. Without your efforts <strong>in</strong><br />
coord<strong>in</strong>at<strong>in</strong>g everyth<strong>in</strong>g, the show would not have<br />
been such a success and so smoothly run. Thanks<br />
as well to Barbara Well, Production Manager, who<br />
also created the program <strong>in</strong>sert that <strong>in</strong>cludes a<br />
biography on every member of the cast.<br />
I urge you not to miss <strong>this</strong> show. OPTC has<br />
assembled an outstand<strong>in</strong>g cast, with many fi ne<br />
voices to <strong>this</strong> superbly produced production. It is a<br />
fast paced show with lots of fun for young and old.<br />
There is a song <strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong> musical entitled ‘Impossible.’<br />
Orange Park does not know the mean<strong>in</strong>g of the word.<br />
Call 276-2599 for reservations or visit their website<br />
at opct.org.
women and the mach<strong>in</strong>e<br />
Typewriter by Altered Dance and Music<br />
BY ERIN THURSBY scopes1925@msn.<strong>com</strong><br />
What: Typewriter<br />
When: September 15 th @ 7:30 pm<br />
Where: Jacksonville University’s Swisher Theatre<br />
For an even<strong>in</strong>g of orig<strong>in</strong>al dance, music and<br />
art by Altered Dance and Music, <strong>com</strong>e out to see<br />
Typewriter, held at Jacksonville University’s Swisher<br />
Theatre.<br />
The typewriter is much more than a d<strong>in</strong>osaur<br />
of the pr<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g era. It is a mach<strong>in</strong>e that had its place<br />
<strong>in</strong> history, play<strong>in</strong>g it admirably. For women of the<br />
late19th century through the 1970s, the typewriter<br />
was one of the few means of <strong>in</strong>dependence. Three<br />
professors at Jacksonville University—Barry Wilson,<br />
Cari Coble and Tony Steve, began discuss<strong>in</strong>g the role<br />
of women from the 1950s to today. After read<strong>in</strong>g an<br />
article on the typewriter as a means of economic<br />
freedom <strong>in</strong> the early 20 th century, they decided that<br />
both the typewriter and women needed to be represented<br />
on stage.<br />
The title of the piece has a double mean<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Typewriter can mean the actual mach<strong>in</strong>e, but <strong>in</strong> the<br />
earlier part of the 20 th century, it was used to refer to<br />
the typists themselves, the type writers.<br />
So the woman is, <strong>in</strong> effect, the typewriter and<br />
so is the mach<strong>in</strong>e. At some po<strong>in</strong>t, women stopped<br />
tak<strong>in</strong>g dictation, writ<strong>in</strong>g what they were told to write,<br />
and they began us<strong>in</strong>g the power of words on their<br />
own. With the death of the manual typewriter and the<br />
advent of the Internet, words have be<strong>com</strong>e freer and<br />
the power of the pr<strong>in</strong>ted word now belongs to everybody.<br />
As society changed, a woman’s accepted<br />
role changed. As technology changed, so too did<br />
the typewriter. You might argue that it disappeared,<br />
but as I write <strong>this</strong> on a QWERTY keyboard, I can only<br />
th<strong>in</strong>k that it hasn’t died, it’s just evolved to survive.<br />
Barry Wilson, a Jacksonville artist who teaches<br />
pr<strong>in</strong>tmak<strong>in</strong>g at the school, had his own private collection<br />
of antique typewriters. He provides the videography<br />
that plays beh<strong>in</strong>d the dancers.<br />
Tony Steve, assistant professor of contemporary/world<br />
music, wrote the score for the piece, putt<strong>in</strong>g<br />
together live music that he says is “sometimes a<br />
little sarcastic.”<br />
Cari Coble, the last of the trio, choreographed<br />
the dance, <strong>in</strong>terpret<strong>in</strong>g their vision through movement.<br />
The jump<strong>in</strong>g off po<strong>in</strong>t for their vision was<br />
two-fold: an article on the role and ext<strong>in</strong>ction of the<br />
type writer and a list called “The Good Wife’s Guide”<br />
which has widely circulated the Internet. It’s purported<br />
to <strong>com</strong>e from a Ladies Home Journal article<br />
or a home economics textbook from the 1950s,<br />
but Snopes.<strong>com</strong> debunks it as a fraud. Even if the<br />
exact text never existed, the attitudes and sentiments<br />
with<strong>in</strong> are certa<strong>in</strong>ly believable as part of 1950s<br />
wifely ideals, if only because the ideas are found<br />
throughout pr<strong>in</strong>ted materials of that time.<br />
Pieces of the text from <strong>this</strong> list are projected<br />
as part of the videography, as the dancers act out<br />
parts of the text. At one po<strong>in</strong>t, when the projected<br />
text says: “M<strong>in</strong>imize all noise. At the time of his [the<br />
husband’s] arrival, elim<strong>in</strong>ate all noise of the washer,<br />
dryer, or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to<br />
be quiet.” In response, <strong>com</strong>poser Tony Steve wrote a<br />
cacophony of sound, <strong>in</strong>stead of a sooth<strong>in</strong>g piece.<br />
Typewriter is a multi-faceted production, designed<br />
to do many th<strong>in</strong>gs at once. It tells us where<br />
we’ve been and how we’ve changed, how the idea<br />
of what a wife should be has changed and how all<br />
of that is tied to the history of a mach<strong>in</strong>e, <strong>in</strong>exorably<br />
l<strong>in</strong>ked to the women that once used it as a ticket to<br />
<strong>in</strong>dependence.<br />
You can see Typewriter at Jacksonville<br />
University’s Swisher Theatre on Saturday, September<br />
15 th at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $10 for adults, $7<br />
for seniors, $5 for general students and free to JU<br />
students with the proper ID. For more <strong>in</strong>fo call (904)<br />
256-7374 or visit arts.ju.edu.<br />
art events<br />
SEPTEMBER<br />
13 Auditions: Amateur Night 5-6:15 Ritz Theatre, Jax<br />
13 Governor’s Luncheon To Benefi t United Negro College<br />
Fund Omni Hotel, Jax<br />
13-15 Exhibit: Jim Draper – “Produce” Stellers Gallery,<br />
Neptune Beach<br />
13-16 “Shout! The Mod Musical” FCCJ Wilson Center, Jax<br />
13-17 “Lost & Found” Exhibit Women’s Center of Jacksonville, Jax<br />
13-21 Exhibit: “Made of Steel” Metalworker Photo Studies<br />
FCCJ S. Campus, Jax<br />
13-21 Exhibit-14 Artists-Pr<strong>in</strong>tmak<strong>in</strong>g, Tile, Photography The<br />
Art Advocate, St. August<strong>in</strong>e<br />
13-23 “Crim<strong>in</strong>al Hearts” Limelight Theatre, St. Augusitne<br />
13-25 Exhibit George Phillips Pitlak FCCJ Kent Campus, Jax<br />
13-26 Brad Silverste<strong>in</strong> Art Exhibition JU Alexander Brest Library, Jax<br />
13-29 “C<strong>in</strong>derella” Orange Park Community Theatre,<br />
Orange Park<br />
13-30 Elemental Atmospheres Pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>gs By Pr<strong>in</strong>cess Simpson<br />
Rashid MOSH, Jax<br />
13-30 Exhibit: William Newby New Works <strong>in</strong> Oil Energy Lab<br />
Art Gallery, St. August<strong>in</strong>e<br />
13-OCT. 7 Steel Magnolia’s Alhambra D<strong>in</strong>ner Theatre, Jax<br />
13-OCT. 14 381 Days: The Montgomery Bus Boycott Story<br />
Ritz Theatre, Jax<br />
13-OCT. 14 D<strong>in</strong>osaurs & Ice Age Mammals MOSH, Jax<br />
13-OCT. 27 Mystery D<strong>in</strong>ner Theatre Dave & Buster’s, Jax<br />
13-NOV. 4 The Cummer Is…Photographs By Ingrid Damiani<br />
Cummer Museum, Jax<br />
13-FEB. 28 Oh Say Can You See: American Art Cummer Museum, Jax<br />
14 Open<strong>in</strong>g Reception: Coherent Structures by Carol Prusa MOCA, Jax<br />
14 Dark of the Moon Tour St. August<strong>in</strong>e Lighthouse, St. August<strong>in</strong>e<br />
14 Nightowl C<strong>in</strong>ema-E.T. The Amphitheatre, St. August<strong>in</strong>e<br />
14 X Benefi t MOSH, Jax<br />
14 Brew at the Zoo-enterta<strong>in</strong>ment, Food, Beer Zoo, Jax<br />
14-16 Southern Monster Truck Showdown Clay County<br />
Fairgrounds, Green Cove Spr<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
14-29 “Cabaret” Players by the Sea, Jax Beach<br />
14-30 Exhibit-Artist Ron Burns To Benefi t Humane Society R.<br />
Roberts Gallery, Jax<br />
14-OCT. 6 “A Midnsummer Night’s Dream” Theatre Jax, Jax<br />
15 Experimental Pa<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g with Instructor Kim Barry MOCA, Jax<br />
15 American Heart Association Heart Walk Metro Park, Jax<br />
15 Typewriter – Altered Dance & Music JU, Jax<br />
15 Barbie’s The Island Pr<strong>in</strong>cess DVD Event The Zoo, Jax<br />
15 Film Series “Boycott” Ritz Theatre, Jax<br />
14-OCT. 6 A Midsummer Nights Dream Theatre Jax, Jax<br />
14-JAN. 6 Sculptor: M<strong>in</strong>oru Ohira Exhibit MOCA, Jax<br />
16 Craig Hall – Brahms Church of the Good Shepherd, Jax<br />
16 Intermezzo Concerts Ma<strong>in</strong> Library, Jax<br />
16 Auditions: Moon Over the Brewery Theatre Jax, Jacksonville<br />
16 Concert Series-Robert Breault, Tenor Cummer Museum, Jax<br />
16 Music From the Movement/Charles Cobb Lecture Ritz Theatre, Jax<br />
18 Tale Tellers Theatre of the M<strong>in</strong>d Limelight Theatre, St. August<strong>in</strong>e<br />
19 Go Figure: Draw<strong>in</strong>g Live Models With Jonathan Lux MOCA, Jax<br />
20 Taste of the NFL Touchdown Club, Jax<br />
21 Comedian Ron White Stephen C. O’Connell Center, Ga<strong>in</strong>esville<br />
22 Miracles <strong>in</strong> the Moonlight Gala Benefi t Hyatt Regency, Jax<br />
22 Open Cast<strong>in</strong>g Call-HBO’s “Recount” 8am-6pm Ed Ball Build<strong>in</strong>g, Jax<br />
22 Dance Alive National Ballet “Cleopatra” Philips Center, Ga<strong>in</strong>esville<br />
22 Race Revolution: Jax Dur<strong>in</strong>g the Civil Rights Era Ritz Theatre, Jax<br />
22 21 st Annual Roll<strong>in</strong> on the River Car Show The Land<strong>in</strong>g, Jax<br />
24 Betty Griffi n House Annual Luncheon & Fashion Show<br />
Marriott Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra<br />
eujacksonville.<strong>com</strong> | september 13-19, 2007 29
This past weekend, I was <strong>in</strong> Tallahassee with my family celebrat<strong>in</strong>g the <strong>in</strong>duction of my uncle,<br />
Gary Pajcic, <strong>in</strong>to the Florida State University Athletics Hall of Fame. Almost everyone from my<br />
mom’s side of the family came together, from near or nearer or even far, to celebrate. We bought<br />
new dresses for the banquet. My mom, my sister and I all wore outfi ts of black and tan animal pr<strong>in</strong>t<br />
<strong>in</strong> an accidental stand of unity. Uncles and aunts <strong>in</strong> their seventies came, as well as little toddlers<br />
and even one baby still <strong>in</strong> the belly. We reserved clusters of hotel rooms and tickets to the game and<br />
got my huge family of a thousand and one together <strong>in</strong> one place.<br />
Everyone of importance, besides my grandma who is too old to travel now, came out for the<br />
event. Everyone, that is, but my uncle. Last year, <strong>in</strong> a tragic moment that changed the rest of our<br />
lives forever, my uncle was diagnosed with encephalitis and died with<strong>in</strong> four days. A fi gurehead of<br />
my family, of Jacksonville, and of the state of Florida, his death reached so many that it left everyone<br />
who knew him with a hole <strong>in</strong>side of them that can never be fi lled.<br />
It was a little over a year ago that my whole family was last gathered, to attend his funeral.<br />
Newspapers all over the state remarked upon his death, all the news channels covered it for the<br />
week surround<strong>in</strong>g his pass<strong>in</strong>g, and over a thousand people attended the funeral. But, despite know<strong>in</strong>g<br />
his great contributions to his <strong>com</strong>munity, I will always remember him as the man who called<br />
himself my “second daddy,” who always had a bag of change saved up for my little sister every<br />
time we saw him, who gave more hugs than anyone else I know, who cherished family and made<br />
certa<strong>in</strong> everyone else <strong>in</strong> our expand<strong>in</strong>g family did as well. He held us together.<br />
I was excited for <strong>this</strong> weekend. I was excited to be able to celebrate his life with the people who<br />
knew him best, to cherish what he was as a man, and to do it <strong>in</strong> his favorite k<strong>in</strong>d of way, with his<br />
family, his good friends, football and some good food.<br />
The weekend started with the <strong>in</strong>duction banquet. My aunt, my late uncle’s wife who has been<br />
given the enormous task of carry<strong>in</strong>g on his name and his convictions, gracefully <strong>in</strong>troduced him to<br />
the room and remembered him for all the amaz<strong>in</strong>g th<strong>in</strong>gs he was. She even told one of his favorite<br />
stories, because tell<strong>in</strong>g stories was one of the th<strong>in</strong>gs my uncle did best. I cried, as did many others,<br />
watch<strong>in</strong>g her stand before us, so strong and still so full of his presence. Sometimes it feels as if he<br />
hasn’t really left us, and I hope that’s because we are able to keep him alive <strong>in</strong> our hearts.<br />
The next day was the game. This was the part he really would have enjoyed. We all walked<br />
from the hotel to the stadium and started the celebration <strong>in</strong> his special park<strong>in</strong>g space, the same one<br />
we tailgated <strong>in</strong> all through my college years, and my sisters before me, as long as I can remember.<br />
Everyone was there, just as it had been <strong>in</strong> years past. I kept expect<strong>in</strong>g to turn my head and see him<br />
stand<strong>in</strong>g with his best friend, Ron Sellers, or chow<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to some of his famous homemade boiled<br />
peanuts. Florida State won the game, the family was together, and it was a beautiful warm summer<br />
night. If he could have seen us, he would have been so proud.<br />
I moved away to California two weeks after my uncle passed. It was the hardest th<strong>in</strong>g I have<br />
ever had to do. My family is my foundation, and that is someth<strong>in</strong>g that I cherish and respect about<br />
myself. It felt like a black cloud hung over all of our heads <strong>this</strong> past year as we tried to fi nd our way<br />
through. I know I am back where I belong. If there is one th<strong>in</strong>g I learned from him, it’s to be proud<br />
of who you are and where you’re from. Hold up your <strong>com</strong>munity and your <strong>com</strong>munity will hold you.<br />
My uncle knew that, and used the word “<strong>com</strong>munity” loosely to defi ne anyth<strong>in</strong>g and everyth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
his life that meant someth<strong>in</strong>g to him.<br />
This weekend, my pride <strong>in</strong> my family, <strong>in</strong> my team (go Noles!), and <strong>in</strong> my home could not have<br />
been stronger. I spent fi ve years try<strong>in</strong>g to fi nd the place that could fi ll my heart, not know<strong>in</strong>g that<br />
it was right where I had left it. It had been here wait<strong>in</strong>g for me all along. And although I regret not<br />
hav<strong>in</strong>g spent more time with him <strong>in</strong> his fi nal days, I can still feel him with us. He has taught me so<br />
much, and the lessons keep on <strong>com</strong><strong>in</strong>g. I miss his hugs, I miss his stories, I miss the man, but his<br />
spirit is still here. It’s <strong>in</strong>side us all.<br />
30 september 13-19, 2007 | enterta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g u newspaper<br />
JAGUARS<br />
After gett<strong>in</strong>g run over, around, and through by<br />
the Titans last week, the Jaguars now try to gather<br />
their collective ego and get ready to host the Atlanta<br />
Falcons, a team that lost <strong>in</strong> M<strong>in</strong>nesota last weekend.<br />
Without question, the Jags’ defense was not happy<br />
about the way they were manhandled by the Titans<br />
offense. Com<strong>in</strong>g off last season, the Jaguars had<br />
established a tough reputation for shutt<strong>in</strong>g down their<br />
opponents. Then Tennessee came <strong>in</strong> and made some<br />
nice plays, with RBs Chris Brown and LedDale White<br />
and QB V<strong>in</strong>ce Young ga<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g large chunks of real estate.<br />
I’m sure Jack Del Rio was not happy with the<br />
way he and his boys were treated. I’m sure he’ll do<br />
a few th<strong>in</strong>gs THIS week to get the team back <strong>in</strong> l<strong>in</strong>e<br />
and ready to play a little better <strong>this</strong> weekend aga<strong>in</strong>st<br />
a Falcons team that is certa<strong>in</strong>ly not <strong>in</strong> the greatest<br />
condition. Most perceive Atlanta as a squad that is not<br />
very good without Michael Vick.<br />
While the Jaguars defense got beat up last<br />
week, the offense also wasn’t very effective, and it<br />
had noth<strong>in</strong>g to do with David Garrard. The runn<strong>in</strong>g<br />
game was essentially non-existent, with Fred Taylor<br />
only ga<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g 16 yards on six carries. And a lot of people<br />
didn’t know until after the fact that K Josh Scobee<br />
had banged himself up dur<strong>in</strong>g pre-game warm-ups<br />
last week. We shall see if he is close to be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> form<br />
<strong>this</strong> Sunday.<br />
There are a lot of tickets available for <strong>this</strong> game,<br />
s<strong>in</strong>ce Atlanta is not the sexiest draw <strong>in</strong> the NFL. This<br />
game will most likely be blacked out, so if you want<br />
to check it out, go downtown on Sunday, as seats are<br />
available!<br />
THE OTHER THIRTY-ONE<br />
It seems the Patriots are loaded AGAIN <strong>this</strong><br />
season! Tom Brady and Randy Moss are go<strong>in</strong>g to be<br />
<strong>in</strong> heaven, as long as they both stay healthy. We’ll<br />
see what k<strong>in</strong>d of test they get when San Diego travels<br />
to New England Sunday night. Meanwhile, the Colts<br />
have had plenty of time to relax and prepare to take<br />
on the Titans <strong>in</strong> Nashville. That could get <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
After light<strong>in</strong>g up the scoreboard for 45 po<strong>in</strong>ts aga<strong>in</strong>st<br />
the Giants, the Dallas Cowboys now head to Miami to<br />
face a roughed-up Dolph<strong>in</strong>s squad.<br />
We will know more about who is good <strong>in</strong> the<br />
NFL after three or four weeks. Until then, these games<br />
are a chance for everyone to sort themselves out, so<br />
to speak.<br />
COLLEGE FOOTBALL<br />
After two solid weeks of games, we are see<strong>in</strong>g<br />
that there is perhaps a bit of disparity <strong>in</strong> college<br />
football. Th<strong>in</strong>gs are atrocious <strong>in</strong> Michigan, where the<br />
Wolver<strong>in</strong>es are 0-2. They will now take on the 0-2<br />
Notre Dame squad, and <strong>this</strong> should be an unbelievable<br />
contest! Whoever ends up 0-3 might have their coach<br />
THE<br />
JOCK<br />
by tom weppel<br />
fi red! Michigan will play without their QB Chad Henne,<br />
while the Irish will have Freshman Jimmy Clausen <strong>in</strong><br />
the driver’s seat.<br />
I don’t th<strong>in</strong>k the Auburn Tigers had any <strong>in</strong>kl<strong>in</strong>g<br />
whatsoever that South Florida would <strong>com</strong>e <strong>in</strong> and beat<br />
them. Tiger fans are aghast <strong>this</strong> week! I’m sure that<br />
Georgia Bulldog fans are not happy, either, as Steve<br />
Spurrier came <strong>in</strong>to Athens and let his Gamecocks beat<br />
the ‘Dogs.<br />
Then we have the Sem<strong>in</strong>oles, who are look<strong>in</strong>g<br />
very pedestrian after their w<strong>in</strong> aga<strong>in</strong>st UAB last week.<br />
It seems Florida State is not a very good team, and<br />
we’ll know a little more on Saturday as they travel out<br />
West to take on Colorado.<br />
The marquee match <strong>in</strong> <strong>this</strong> area, though, will be<br />
<strong>in</strong> Ga<strong>in</strong>esville, as the Gators get their fi rst stern test<br />
when they host the Tennessee Volunteers. Florida is<br />
a tad <strong>in</strong>jured <strong>in</strong> some key areas and we’ll see if they<br />
have those players available. Obviously, the key will<br />
be the play of QB Tim Tebow, who has shown some<br />
strong play <strong>in</strong> his fi rst two starts. It should defi nitely<br />
be an enterta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g contest!<br />
NASCAR<br />
And so the Chase is now on! It’s down to these<br />
few drivers to race on for the Championship, led by<br />
Jimmie Johnson, who is on a nice roll after w<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g<br />
his second straight race last weekend <strong>in</strong> Richmond.<br />
Meanwhile, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is out of the<br />
Chase and should maybe just pack his bags and<br />
move on, s<strong>in</strong>ce he will be chang<strong>in</strong>g his status next<br />
year anyway. If I were him, I’d start hav<strong>in</strong>g some fun<br />
and tailgate on the track, slow others down, or pull all<br />
sorts of antics, just to piss off Teresa Earnhardt, his<br />
stepmother.<br />
Anyway, I believe the Chase will <strong>com</strong>e down to<br />
Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, and Tony Stewart, with<br />
Kev<strong>in</strong> Harvick and a few others gett<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to the race. It<br />
starts <strong>this</strong> weekend <strong>in</strong> New Hampshire.<br />
LAST WORD<br />
Folks, we are witness<strong>in</strong>g two <strong>in</strong>dividual dynasties<br />
<strong>in</strong> sports <strong>in</strong> these times! Tiger Woods and Roger<br />
Federer are unbelievable <strong>in</strong> their play at the present<br />
time. Federer won his third Major <strong>this</strong> year last<br />
weekend, tak<strong>in</strong>g the U.S. Open Championship. It was<br />
his twelfth Major title, and he has many more years<br />
ahead of him. Then, Tiger will, for all <strong>in</strong>tents, pick up<br />
the FedEx playoff Championship <strong>in</strong> Atlanta on the PGA<br />
Tour <strong>this</strong> weekend. He will then add the $10 million<br />
top prize to the roughly $75 million he has already<br />
won <strong>in</strong> his career, at the age of 31. Without question,<br />
both of these gentlemen are mak<strong>in</strong>g history before our<br />
very eyes.<br />
Tom Weppel talks trash with Greg Larson, Lonnie<br />
Marts, Eugene Chung, Artis Gilmore, and Ron Duguay<br />
on SportsAvengers.<strong>com</strong> 24/7.
nascar news & notes<br />
BY RICHARD TEAGUE t<strong>in</strong>ynascars@yahoo.<strong>com</strong><br />
It’s that time aga<strong>in</strong> and, like I’ve done for the<br />
past few years, I’ll speak out about how I do not<br />
like the Chase format <strong>in</strong> NASCAR. I know there a<strong>in</strong>’t<br />
noth<strong>in</strong>g me or you can do about it, and honestly<br />
we’ll just have to live with it, but gee whiz, I hate<br />
it! Brian France likens it to the major sports such<br />
as MLB and the NFL, but how <strong>in</strong> the world can he<br />
do that? The other sports play a FULL season and<br />
then <strong>com</strong>e the playoffs and a championship series.<br />
Where is the relationship? This year NASCAR raised<br />
the number of chasers to twelve, only because certa<strong>in</strong><br />
drivers who are popular didn’t make it <strong>in</strong> 2006,<br />
so whatcha go<strong>in</strong>’ to do next year Brian? I know,<br />
make it 15 spots <strong>in</strong> 2008, but I don’t th<strong>in</strong>k that<br />
would help at all for you-know-who.<br />
Now, I sat there Saturday night to watch<br />
the Rock n Roll at Richmond, not because Junior<br />
was try<strong>in</strong>g to make the Chase but because I love<br />
Richmond at night with all the sh<strong>in</strong>y racecars. It is<br />
even better than Bristol. So what if it was the last<br />
shot that some guys had to make the playoff, it’s<br />
just a great race track with tons of NASCAR history.<br />
Y’all probably know by now that I put tracks<br />
<strong>in</strong>to three groups, but Richmond is the odd man out<br />
when it <strong>com</strong>es to <strong>this</strong> group<strong>in</strong>g. Just to refresh your<br />
memory, there are the big tracks that are 2 or more<br />
miles (and not all are super speedways either, I save<br />
that elite classifi cation for only high bankers). In the<br />
second class are the milers, which are what I call<br />
“bathtub tracks,” an obvious nam<strong>in</strong>g. Then, <strong>in</strong> the<br />
third class of tracks are the toilet bowl tracks (another<br />
easily recognizable name), which are the two<br />
smallest.<br />
Richmond falls <strong>in</strong>to a group by itself because<br />
of its three-quarter mile length, which can give fans<br />
some of the best rac<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> NASCAR. Drivers get that<br />
little bit of extra front and back stretch so the pedal<br />
goes to the metal, even if only for a short time, to allow<br />
those guys to make moves on other drivers that<br />
you don’t get to see anywhere else. Not often does a<br />
driver who started way back <strong>in</strong> the fi eld move up to<br />
the top ten to fi nish, unless he’s a big-time guy. On<br />
Saturday, not one, but two non-<strong>com</strong>s managed to do<br />
it: Johnny Sauter and J.J. Yeley.<br />
Sauter went from a 35 th place start to a FIFTH<br />
place fi nish, while Yeley started one back further at<br />
36 th and fi nished 10 th . These two guys also did it <strong>in</strong><br />
the Car of Tomorrow, which, by the way, I am beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g<br />
to warm up to s<strong>in</strong>ce I a<strong>in</strong>’t got no choice <strong>in</strong> the<br />
matter. Anyway, only at RIR will there be rac<strong>in</strong>g like<br />
we were treated to Saturday, and s<strong>in</strong>ce ISC owns<br />
the track, I bet it’s race dates will never be moved<br />
or traded, just like Bristol’s won’t. When France can<br />
put a hundred and twelve thousand fans <strong>in</strong> one place<br />
sell<strong>in</strong>g out for so many races, it a<strong>in</strong>’t never cutt<strong>in</strong>g<br />
back. He is probably th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g how he can add another<br />
100,000 seats so the ISC coffers can get bigger.<br />
Last week, I said that Dale Earnhardt Jr.<br />
wouldn’t make the Chase, but that was pretty much<br />
already known by all. It was just a hope and a prayer<br />
for some fans, and I really th<strong>in</strong>k that Junior knew<br />
it, too. It seems that fans are talk<strong>in</strong>g about how DEI<br />
has given the #8 car noth<strong>in</strong>g but second rate stuff<br />
so that Junior would look bad, but I can’t see it that<br />
way, and really, can anyone truly believe that? Hey<br />
people, s**t happens and motors blow, as you can<br />
see from Roush Rac<strong>in</strong>g some time back. Say<strong>in</strong>g that<br />
DEI is the bad guy here is like say<strong>in</strong>g Junior isn’t<br />
driv<strong>in</strong>g up to his ability, and that would be another<br />
falsehood. Yes, the #8 team might be the black<br />
sheep (or short timers, as a better term), but the<br />
look<strong>in</strong>g glass those people are under now would<br />
keep them from treat<strong>in</strong>g each other <strong>in</strong> a negative<br />
way.<br />
Dale just had a weird season, and as I said,<br />
he has done a great job with all the th<strong>in</strong>gs pill<strong>in</strong>g on<br />
him. I saw <strong>in</strong> his <strong>in</strong>ter<strong>view</strong> after his motor blowed<br />
(I know blew or blown would be a better word, but<br />
I like to write so that my friends can understand,<br />
ya’ know?). Now he can do like Tony did last year<br />
and w<strong>in</strong> some races, s<strong>in</strong>ce the pressure is off. I will<br />
make a prediction that Junior will w<strong>in</strong> two out of the<br />
next ten, just out of spite, and of course a couple of<br />
bucks. I did wonder what Kev<strong>in</strong> Harvick was th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g<br />
when he saw Earnhardt runn<strong>in</strong>g way up front.<br />
He’s sitt<strong>in</strong>g there watch<strong>in</strong>g that stream of steam<br />
shoot out from under the hood of #29. Also, when<br />
Kurt Busch got damaged, was he th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g about his<br />
spot slipp<strong>in</strong>g away? There’s that dang word aga<strong>in</strong>,<br />
and s<strong>in</strong>ce it has to be used <strong>in</strong> every s<strong>in</strong>gle bloom<strong>in</strong>g<br />
article these days, I’ll say it once: drama.<br />
Well it looks like Richard Childress’ “can’t we<br />
just get along” rout<strong>in</strong>e came up good for him and<br />
AT&T with the logo back on the #31 car. Man, I was<br />
excited to see that for Jeff Burton, Childress and<br />
RCR, but it cost them all. The big world is back on<br />
the hood for the next ten races, but for every good<br />
th<strong>in</strong>g there seems to be a bad th<strong>in</strong>g that <strong>com</strong>es<br />
along with it. NASCAR isn’t any exception. The way I<br />
understand it is that NASCAR and Spr<strong>in</strong>t (s<strong>in</strong>ce there<br />
a<strong>in</strong>’t no Nextel anymore) let the logo back with a<br />
condition that AT&T has to leave the Cup after 2008.<br />
So Richard has got a reprieve and can fi nd a new<br />
sponsor for Jeff, which is SO LAME of Spr<strong>in</strong>t and<br />
Brian France, but count your bless<strong>in</strong>gs RCR, it could<br />
have been much worse. The real losers on <strong>this</strong> deal<br />
are the lawyers that didn’t get the big bucks to go to<br />
court!<br />
So General Motors wants to get Tony Stewart<br />
back <strong>in</strong> a Chevy just as soon as his contract is up<br />
with Joe Gibbs Rac<strong>in</strong>g. Just how do they <strong>in</strong>tend<br />
to do that? You thought <strong>this</strong> th<strong>in</strong>g with Junior was<br />
someth<strong>in</strong>g, you just wait until a manufacturer tries<br />
to get a driver away from a team owner and signed<br />
to different team. Has GM absolutely lost their<br />
marbles on <strong>this</strong> one, or are we see<strong>in</strong>g the future with<br />
contracts between drivers, owners and car makers?<br />
How about the France family hav<strong>in</strong>g race teams on<br />
the track? Now, just where <strong>this</strong> will go is a tough<br />
question that I don’t have an answer for...YET. I’m<br />
still sick that Gibbs is go<strong>in</strong>g over, but I do hope they<br />
will be happy and perform well enough so Toyota<br />
will bump the ante to get other teams to do the<br />
same.<br />
What will be the acronym if Gillett Evernham<br />
Motorsports and Petty Enterprises merge with the<br />
#43 and #45 cars next year, or even <strong>this</strong> year?<br />
How about a couple of suggestions? Don’t be<br />
scared, email me a few y’all <strong>com</strong>e up with. You need<br />
to keep <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d that the G has to be fi rst s<strong>in</strong>ce he is<br />
the one with the money. GEEP, GPEEM, or perhaps<br />
GEME but I th<strong>in</strong>k <strong>this</strong> would be more apropos:<br />
GGSTTOREMARPEBHGTBB. Let me break that down<br />
for y’all. George Gillett Subsidiz<strong>in</strong>g The Teams Of<br />
Ray Evernham Motorsports And Richard Petty Enterprises<br />
Because He’s Got The Big Bucks. Rolls right<br />
off your tongue, don’t it? You talk about the end of<br />
an era? Well Bubbas and Bubba-ettes, you are look<strong>in</strong>g<br />
right at it.<br />
That’s enough from me <strong>this</strong> week, so let me<br />
hear from y’all at t<strong>in</strong>ynascars@yahoo.<strong>com</strong>, and you<br />
really should know, If it a<strong>in</strong>’t NSACAR, It a<strong>in</strong>’t s**t!!<br />
eujacksonville.<strong>com</strong> | september 13-19, 2007 31