Cover Story
Tapped out
“WE’RE GOING TO PULL all the small bones in your hand together and make them work as one,” says ISKA mixed martial arts (MMA) lightweight amateur champion Stephen Bass as he wraps my hands in preparation for our workout. “We use a very, very small glove. They’re used not to protect the face of the…
‘There are some rules, but there are also infinite options’
A FEW MONTHS BACK, when the Coastal Jazz Association announced the lineup for the 25th Annual Savannah Jazz Festival, one of the most noteworthy elements of that press conference was the CJA’s confirmation that at long last, this beloved free event would be broadening its scope a bit. Specifically, after years of acting as though…
‘It’s enough of a rush to keep you going’
DESPITE WHAT SAD-SACK NAYSAYERS might have you believe over the past decade and a half, a handful of Savannah-based original rock groups have gone on to some degree of national or international fame. Freak-rockers GAM toured the East Coast several times, attracting the attention of major record execs and producers, and even had one of…
Exhibits and openings
Bryan Stovall — Nature photography benefits Ossabaw Island Foundation, Sept. 22-Oct. 6 at Iocovozzi Fine Art, 1 W. Jones St. ‘I Like Your Art. You Like Mine. Wanna Trade?’ — On Fri., Sept. 28, at 6 p.m., Desot-O-Row Gallery will host an event in which artists can display their work to trade with others for…
Boogie knights
TREBUCHET, ANYONE? Not, it’s not a fancy French dish or a complicated role-playing game. A trebuchet is a wooden monster designed to either smash through walls or hurl projectiles over them — a medieval weapon of mass destruction, if you will. If you want to see one in action, head out to the Medieval Festival,…
This land is your land
SET IN THE MIDST of Savannah’s urban hustle and bustle is a dense wilderness. The Bacon Park Forest is home to marbled salamanders, yellow-rumped warblers and the devil’s walkingstick. Huge trees spread their limbs far overhead. “Once you go in there a ways, you don’t hear anything,” says Adrienn Mendonca, communications director for the Savannah…
No history left behind
LOCAL SOCIAL STUDIES teachers are welcoming a new grant provided to a partnership between the Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools and the Georgia Historic Society. The $1 million Teaching American History grant from the U.S. Department of Education covers a period of three years, beginning Oct. 1 and is designed to help social studies teachers in…
Robin’s world
Famous writers in print and still alive Among the books on my kitchen table is How to Become a Famous Writer Before You’re Dead, by Ariel Gore, which is full of great writing and promotional ideas, despite being written by someone I’d never heard of before thumbing through her book. I’ll keep reading because I…
Of arts & artists
I WANTED to open with the observation that if you missed The Wailin’ Jennies Saturday night at the Lucas, you missed a real treat. The Prairie Home Companion veterans — Ruth Moody, Nicky Mehta and Heather Masse, not an actual Jenny among them — gave a warm, soulful performance that was as compelling for its…
New releases
Good Luck Chuck * Upchuck would have been a more accurate title for this abysmal effort — not only does its mere existence instantly elevate the already high standing of such accomplished “raunchy comedies” as The 40-Year-Old Virgin and There’s Something About Mary, it also makes them seem as refined as an Ernst Lubitsch farce…
Screenshots
Shoot ‘Em Up ** A confirmation has proven difficult to nail down, but it’s long been rumored that Clive Owen, who was seriously considered for the role of James Bond, turned it down early in the series revamping process, presumably because the Oscar-nominated Closer actor wanted the freedom to explore more serious fare. But if…
They’re Very Close”
“They’re Very Close”–can you tell which is which? by Matt Jones You need Java enabled to view the crossword applet. If you do not have Java installed you can obtain it from java.com. If do have Java you may need to check your security settings to make sure that applets are enabled, especially if you…
Diary of the planet
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Robin’s world
A little R&R The tsunami of momentum surrounding curbside recycling in Savannah offers an opportunity to mention the other two environmental “R’s” that are often overlooked except around Earth Day. Reduce and Re-Use are the red-headed step-children of consumer environmentalism, yet they can be as easy, or easier, to implement than their more famous sibling,…
2 Fast, 2 Drunk
OFFICERS IN AN unmarked vehicle observed a car that drove past them at a very high rate of speed at East 36th and Drayton streets. The car was weaving in and out of traffic. The officers followed the vehicle until it came to an abrupt halt at a red light, traveling at 60 miles per…
Can’t make this stuff up
Can’t Possibly Be True (1) In July, the Houston School District, citing student privacy laws, declined to release last season’s Bellaire High School baseball statistics (such as batting averages), even though requested by a player’s parent. (2) The Perth, Australia, construction materials company GMA Garnet recently closed a deal to sell sand to Saudi Arabia,…
Controversial memories
Growing up is hard for everybody. But in an all-too-common story, adolescence becomes treacherous when a family member resorts to molestation. Playwright Paula Vogel was awarded not only a Pulitzer Prize for her play How I Learned to Drive, but also the Obie, the Drama Desk Award, the New York Drama Critics’ Award and the…
Going all the way
You’ve already made the switch to a vegetarian diet, but now you’re thinking about saying goodbye to dairy products too. If you’re worried about taking the first step, there are some easy ways to make the transition a smooth and permanent one. One Step at a Time The good news is you’re already a pro…
‘Take the Burden’
In the first three of seven large oil paintings, three characters, two men and a woman in dressy casual garb, are engaged in trading places as the burden the others must carry. In the first, “Exit Strategy, No. 1”, the two men are carrying the woman; in the second, “Once Removed”, one man and the…
Exhibits and openings
SCAD Gallery Hop — Friday, Sept. 21, 5-7 p.m. Free and open to the public. Shuttles run between galleries, and refreshments will be served. Participants may join the gallery hop at any of the stops. Features: Pinnacle Gallery, 320 E. Liberty St.; Pei Ling Chan Gallery, 324 MLK Jr. Blvd.; Red Gallery, 201 E. Broughton…
Noteworthy Shows
Baroness With international notoriety on the rise and an amazing new CD of sprawling, anthemic prog-metal on Relapse, these hometown heroes are poised for even more massive success than they have already found in the international underground. This is the kickoff show of an almost month-long East Coast tour that should help to propel them…
A taste of this week’s live gigs
Adrianne Berklee grad singer/guitarist who won the ‘99 USA Songwriting Contest. Fri., 8 pm, The Sentient Bean – ALL-AGES. The Jeff Beasley Band Electric blues, early rock & roll and R & B originals. Wed., 7 pm (solo) Jazz’d Tapas Bar + Thurs., 8 pm (solo), The Warehouse + Sat., 9 pm, Mansion on Forsyth…
Jazz Fest time again
This year’s 26th Annual installment of our city’s beloved free music festival (sponsored in large part by the City of Savannah’s Department of Cultural Affairs) starts out with a bang, featuring three nights of concerts by regional artists. These intimate club shows take place at Kokopelli’s (107 W. Broughton St.), the area’s newest venue to…
‘We’ve never identified ourselves as strictly ska’
The last time Washington, D.C.’s Pietasters played The Jinx was a couple of St. Patrick’s days ago. That’s a gig they won’t likely forget, as their bassist, Jorge Pezzimenti wound up being nabbed by Savannah’s finest for getting “back to nature” in the alley behind the Congress Street nightclub thirty seconds before the ska-soul act’s…
