the sunsphere is NOT a wigshop

Tonight at the Pilot Light

2012-01-31T14:14:00.003-05:00

FUTURE ISLANDS

It is going to be great. $8 show at "10" (The pilot light has its own time zone. Kind of like Mountain time.) \\\\//// With Marina Orchestra and Ed Schrader's Music Beat.

Tomorrow Night

2012-01-26T18:25:00.001-05:00

Friday night Painted Desert and Natalie Prass at Relix. 8 p.m. $5

Painted Desert

Natalie Prass w/Brent Thompson.

A Memorial

2012-01-24T07:37:00.003-05:00

It's been one year since the first of two workers were killed on the Henley St. bridge project and tonight there will be a memorial for those people.

Typically, I might not feel the need to post about this, but the project is literally out my back door. I see these men working everyday and so feel a bit of a connection.

You may recall I wrote a handful of rather damning posts about the company that is running the project, and while there have been lots of improvements, I still feel they should have lost the contract.

Local workers unions, churches, and various interested groups will be meeting at 5PM tonight for a memorial walk from the corner of Henley and Hill Ave. the candlelight vigil will follow on Volunteer Landing at 6PM.

I'm glad this event is happening in order to make sure that Britton Bridge Co. remembers that they put 2 men senselessly in harms way and they died because of it. Hopefully there will be no future need for more vigils like this one.

some great shows

2012-01-17T15:36:00.006-05:00

Ok, there are three shows coming up that I am really excited about.

Next week: Friday January the 27th at Relix (on central across from Time Warp Tearoom, in happy holler)

Painted Desert

and

Natalie Prass

Painted Desert is made of two really great songwriters (Austin Manuel and Heidi Feek) who have come together to write really fantastic songs. The Nashville duo's music conveys feelings of longing and love so well. The beautiful melodies will be stuck in your head for day, and that is not a bad thing. Here is a video of them performing at music city roots with Joey + Rory:

or my personal favorite "Take Me Home" (it reminds me of Townes Van Zandt or Guy Clark)

Natalie is another fantastic songwriter who really cares about her songs. She crafts beautiful and delicate pop songs that accentuate her ethereal voice. This is a video of her playing in Knoxville last year:

Tuesday January 31st at the Pilot Light

Future Islands

Future Islands are a great band from Baltimore. I have seen them 3 times and every single time was fantastic. The lead singer, Samuel Herring provides an emotional intensity that is hard to beat. He is a crooner who will destroy an audience.

w/Ed Schrader's Music Beat 10 p.m. $8

Monday February 13th at the Pilot Light

Zola Jesus

Zola Jesus is an electro-goth/pop singer with a killer voice. It is going to be awesome.

that voice. w/Talk Normal 10 p.m. $12

Go right to the source and ask...

2012-01-12T19:18:00.006-05:00

With my bride, my 16 day old, and the dog in tow today we set off on a bit of an excursion to practice our parenting on the road.

Our journey took us Asheville Hwy (hwy 70) all the way through Newport, Dandridge, Hot Springs and finally to Asheville. If you've never taken that road it's worth it to see once, a beautiful though at times sobering drive.

But that is not the most important part.

Many of you probably saw the news yesterday about Tupelo Honey looking to come to Knoxville. See story here and the follow up here, thank you Josh Flory.

So in Asheville Mrs., baby, and I ate at, where else, Tupelo Honey.

First, I grilled the waitress. I refused to eat my biscuit until she told me everything she knew. Apparently the company is looking at 4 locations, Knoxville being one that is quite likely.

Not being one to take things at first blush I nosed around until I found a manager and I demanded some straight answers. Actually I just round about-ly inquired as to whether anything more had been decided.

Though of course officially unofficial and non-binding and still up in the air and caviated and subject to being changed of course, but he did give me a wink wink that Knoxville is the favored choice. Honestly I got the impression we are the favored choice. I'm just hopeful that the city can work with both the owners of Tupelo Honey and 1 Market Square to make this happen. This would be a great get and would be a delicious addition to the biscuit festival.

Enjoy the pic, we definitely enjoyed the meal.

Come on Knoxville, be classy please.

2011-12-13T07:43:00.005-05:00

Prepare for a brief rant.

What the H is wrong with people? My wife and I went to a concert last night at the Bijou theater and I have something so say in response.

Keep Your Butt In Your Seat!

Perhaps this an effect of the fact that the theater is a rare event these days and perhaps people just don't know how to behave. I don't want to spend my whole evening watching you or your friends getting up to get a drink, go to the bathroom, or answer a call. It is incredibly rude and distracting.

I was sandwiched in between two pregnant women, one, Mrs. The Pol, is 38 weeks pregnant and made it through the ENTIRE CONCERT without getting up. If your bladder is so small that it can't hold the PBR tall boy that you bought before the show don't buy it. Try to show some respect for your fellow concert goers and for the artists. I really hope that the Civil Wars couldn't see all the movement because it was constant and showed a huge lack of interest in their performance which was incredible.

One more thing, put your effing phone away. I saw 20 LCD screens either filming or checking twitter. Again, not ok. That is really distracting to those behind you. Stop being an inconsiderate jerk and just spend 1 hour of you life enjoying being witness to art and not fiddling with some gadget you have.

Knoxville, please try to step up your game on the spectator side, perhaps you're accustomed to the Ice Bears and Lady Vols, but not all entertainment is created equally. We're better than this and if we want world class shows we need to be a world class audience.

That is all.

Open Studio Night in Fort Sanders

2011-11-29T17:47:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow evening, you are invited to 17th Street Studios' Open Studio Night. Come and see the spaces where local artists (designers, movie producers, sculptors, painters, ceramicists) work.

There will be food and drinks to enjoy, whether you quietly peruse artwork or intensely interrogate each artist. Some work will also be for sale.

This is a great opportunity to support the work of 13 Knoxville artists. We'd love for you to stop by.

17th Street Studios OPEN STUDIO NIGHT
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
7-9pm
1642 Highland Avenue in Fort Sanders
on the corner of 17th and Highland in Redeemer Church

Bazan tonight

2011-11-21T16:59:00.003-05:00

David Bazan (formerly of Pedro the Lion, Headphones) is playing the pilot light tonight. Here is what I said after I saw him last summer. And here is to hoping he covers more Vic Chesnutt.

Pilot Light, 9 p.m., $10

A. A. Bondy Tonight at the Pilot Light!

2011-11-17T11:24:00.002-05:00

Ok, so in 2007 I came to college and one of my friends showed me A.A. Bondy's first album American Hearts. It blew me away and was will forever remind me of my first year in Knoxville. He plays minimalist folk/country and is a fantastic songwriter. Tonight he is going to crush the pilot light. Seriously, this (unlike most of the shows I post about) will not be that rowdy, which means if you feel that you are getting "old" and can't hang with "those damn kids" then you need to come out tonight. It is going to be awesome. Here is the regular interweb link, but if you have Spotify (you should because it is the best music player out there) look him up.

Tonight, 10 p.m., 18+, $10 (worth every penny)

w/Gold Leaves

Time to take a stand

2011-11-15T10:19:00.002-05:00

Ok so I will expand upon this note tonight but want everybody to pencil in the design review board meeting tomorrow at 4 pm. I will be there and so will ck, right ck? We need to let the board know that demolition of structures for a parking lot in downtown is not acceptable.

Once again tomorrow 4 o'clock at the small assembly room in the city county building we fight to save our urban spaces.

Time to pull the lever... again

2011-11-08T07:21:00.003-05:00

It's the second Tuesday in November, ELECTION DAY!!!!

Typical details, go here http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giffohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifr voting locations and info.

Go here for a sample ballot.

Now for what you have all been waiting for with baited breath.

The Pol's Endorsements:

Council Seats

A - John Stancil

B - Marshall Stair

C- No endorsement (don't have a dog in the hunt)

Mayor

Ok I've had a change of heart. I met Rogero a few weeks ago at an event with Lo at the cornelia house and she impressed me. A guy I was with told her he met her one night when she was doing karaoke... at Maries Olde Towne Tavern. She has also done karaoke at Toots.

That, and the negative campaign Padgett is running, was enough to convince me that Rogero best reflects the Knoxville that I love.

So go, vote early, vote often and when in doubt Write in Spellings!!!

Tour de Plants

2011-11-07T18:44:00.002-05:00

I had an art opening Saturday evening at the Birdhouse. On Sunday, while cleaning up over there, I ran into Katie Ries, founder of the Urban Land Scouts.

She was there for Tour de Plants, a guided jaunt through the Fourth and Gill neighborhood. I typically become rather hermitish after art openings but decided a calm walk on such a beautiful day with mostly strangers would be better than lazing away on my couch eating leftover cupcakes all day. I was right.

You know those real life moments that are so perfect, it makes you say something dumb like, "This is just like the movies." Well, walking around with the Urban Land Scouts felt like that, only it was more like being on a PBS special. (I mean that as a compliment, so you know.)

I don't know a lot about plants, and as I sit here looking at the photos I took, I all ready realize I've forgotten most of the names I heard yesterday, but I appreciate the knowledge that was being passed around yesterday afternoon between the ten or so people that showed up.

Young, not as young, and canine walked the urban landscape to talk about foliage. We touched, we smelled, we tasted. Someone even kept throwing around Latin names in the most unpretentious way. Information, experience, and questions were being passed around, and there was not a smart phone in sight.

I can't say that I am much closer to being an expert on the subject of edible plants in Knoxville, but I showed up, I observed, I said the pledge, and now- I'm an Urban Land Scout!

You can be one, too.

Downtown Vision: Padgett

2011-11-05T09:55:00.005-04:00

In our continuing pursuit of the best mayor for downtown we have a little video for you on Mark Padgett's take on our burgeoning urban center.

Election Day is Tuesday!! Get excited for the Wigshops endorsements. Also, I want to say thank you to both candidates for taking the time to lay out their ideas about downtown to those of us who love it and want to see it thrive.

Madeline Rogero's Downtown Platform

2011-11-02T06:00:00.000-04:00

Here at the Wigshop we occasionally do some real legwork when it comes to our fair city. In the spirit of finding out as much as possible about the candidates for mayor and their opinions on the future of downtown we reached out and offered some space to air their thoughts. First up is Madeline Rogero, the following are her words, unedited and scruffy-city real.

Downtown Knoxville is the economic and cultural center of our city. It has also become “everyone’s neighborhood” and a great place to live, work, play, and visit. I live just over the river in South Knoxville. Downtown is where we go for music, movies, restaurants, shopping, to visit with friends, and to just hang out.

I will continue to ensure that downtown works for its residents, those who go to work there every day, and those who visit. In order to continue the development of difficult properties in the core of Downtown as well as the Old City I will continue the incentive programs such as Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT). These programs have worked so well in large part because they have been administered in such a way as to earn public trust. That will not change. They have helped us maintain our wonderful stock of historic buildings.

I will continue to work with CBID to recruit retail and will make the recruitment of businesses to downtown a priority. The TVA East Tower is an excellent site for a major employer and I will work closely with the Chamber to attract a headquarters company for that space.

My vision of downtown includes the Old City, which is undergoing somewhat of a renaissance. The present administration has made this a priority and I will continue that approach. My administration will continue to stress expanding downtown through connectivity in all directions. I was proud to have played a part in the creation of the Downtown North Redevelopment Area. I will continue that approach toward Cumberland to the West, Magnolia corridor to the east, and to the South Waterfront.

Events are a very important element of downtown, and my administration will work to find the optimal mix of large and small events and to find the best place to hold events. The recent success of the HoLa festival on Depot near the Old City demonstrates the value of working with Old City merchants and extending the vitality of Market Square to the east and north. The extension of Christmas in the City decorations and the parade into the Old City has helped bring more people to the great new businesses on Central and Jackson.

Downtown is the heart of our city. It cannot be viewed in a vacuum. The arteries extending to the core neighborhoods that surround downtown are critical both to the neighborhoods and for Downtown. I will continue working to have the arteries pedestrian and bicycle friendly. The Cumberland project and the Magnolia corridor redevelopment area both will benefit from this vision.

Best wishes,

Madeline

Another Knoxville Halloween down

2011-11-01T08:00:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone had a Happy Halloween yesterday and this past weekend. I love how when the holiday falls near the weekend, Knoxville spends night upon night in festive attire. This city has taught me a lot about Halloween, and I know if I ever move from here, it will most likely be on Halloween that I'll miss it most. Many thanks to all those who dressed up and made it a good one this year.

I noticed a strong Dia de Los Muertos presence this year. Also, lots of nerds and bloody people, even bloody nerds. I like, too, how lots of people wore normal stylish attire but had dark makeup around their eyes- Halloween's fashion models.

Here are some photos taken before the TVB Halloween Alley Cat Race last night. These crazy people rode about eight miles around town in their costumes. Pretty awesome.

All I have to say is: girl on right with unibrow.

I assume the guy on the left is dead somewhere in a ditch. How he rode on a bike in that thing, I don't know.

Can you guess what Wild Bill and I are? Btw, I think he just wanted an excuse to bare his chest.

In other news, they started decorating for Christmas today in Krutch Park

Not One More Torn Down

2011-10-19T18:05:00.004-04:00

Dear St. Johns Episcopal,

Perhaps you didn't know this but downtown Knoxville, where you have been for oh 100+ years, has a glut of surface parking and a lack of good building stock to work with.

Your current plan to demolish 2 perfectly functional buildings in favor of a small parking lot screams of both an ignorance of those who you live around and a complete tone deafness to the current situation in downtown Knoxville.

You inhabit one of the finest examples of architecture in this town and yet seem to have no sense of place. Please explain to the local community why there is such a desperate need to destroy thousands of feet of habitable space in favor of asphalt. I cannot tell you how incredibly angry I am at the prospect of this move and will be speaking out against what you are proposing.

I am a supporter of property rights, but please be aware of your responsibility to the community. Destroying high density buildings in favor of surface parking is a continued symptom of the short sighted approach to needs that has run rampant in this town for years.

Sincerely,

The Wigshop

PS- I have loved the taller building and walk by it almost daily. St. Johns if you want to sell it please let me know as I need a larger place to live with my burgeoning family. I'll even let you park behind there for free.

details:
http://archive.knoxmpc.org/zoning/downtown/agendas/oct2011/agenda.pdf

story to read, thanks Mr. Neely

Let the Design Review Board hear from you. (updated link thanks to alert reader)

Let St. Johns Episcopal hear from you.

Daniel Pujol Tonight

2011-10-17T09:07:00.005-04:00

Tonight at the Pilot Light. Come see Daniel Pujol who recently signed to Saddle Creek and is the greatest. The show is with Squid Supply and is $5. 10p.m.

More info on Pujol here

Friday Nights

2011-10-13T14:53:00.003-04:00

Two big things are happening tomorrow night, and they can (and will by myself and a few others) be combined! Tomorrow night is the Knoxville Bicycle Collective's Tour De Knox. The ride starts at the fire station in the fort (by Highland and 17th across from Redeemer Church) at 6.30. It will be a giant group of bikers going to seven different locations, hanging out, and drinking some libations. At each location different bands will be playing. It will end outside of the fireproof gallery later that night.

One departure that I am going to be making is to see local artist Seth Collins' opening at 1010 (100 block Gay St.) He is a fantastic video and graphic artist. He describes the project as, "A video installation combining projected image with suspended vellum to create a visual environment."

Sounds great to me.

The opening at 1010 will be from 6-9p.m.

Even if cycling is not for you, go to 1010. But if you like art, music, riding, and fun then tomorrow night is going to be the best.

Salvage Sale

2011-10-12T19:42:00.001-04:00

If you are in the market for old building materials for renovation or creative projects, you NEED to come by Knox Heritage tomorrow, Thursday, October 13, between 1pm and 6:30 pm. We are having a sale on doors, windows, and more.

Basically, the tiny room where we store materials is bursting at the seams, and we need to clear out space for incoming donations.

See more of the inventory here, and please tell your friends.

Knox Heritage Salvage
in the Carriage House next to WATE-Channel 6
1300 North Broadway
Park behind the building, the entrance is in the back
865-523-8008

the "new" quarry

2011-10-11T06:00:00.000-04:00

Our friends over at Marble City Brewery have recently hit a few milestones. Their libations are being more and more widely distributed, they are rolling out new beers and generally making great inroads into becoming a great Knoxville brewery.

An important part of the brewery tradition is the tasting room. All great local breweries are not only a product and a brand, but they are also a place. The manufacturing process in itself is a draw. People want to visit a brewery, see the people who make the beer, see the process, and drink the fresh fruits of that sweet labor.

Marble City has recently, just last week, opened The Quarry. This is the name of their tasting room, which serves, of course, the local fare and some munchies. If you saw the old New Knox tasting room it was in shambles and so what the MC crew did with it is quite impressive.

It's a great place over in the warehouse district,you should definitely swing by and see it. I've been to quite a few brew houses and their accompanying bars and this one is very welcoming. I especially like the reproduction of the old central avenue store front that also served as the inspiration for the name.

If you haven't been here it is

View Larger Map

the social history of an urban node

2011-09-30T10:49:00.004-04:00

In urban design parlance, a "node" is a concentration of activity in a city, usually dining, shops, and higher density residential. Most development doesn't spread out evenly- entrepreneurs tend to bunch together and create a critical mass to attract customers. It must be something in our psychology from living in cities for thousands of years. Even in decentralized suburbia we made artificial nodes called, you know, "malls."

What is our best known node? Market Square. Imagine if we took all the restaurants on the Square and spread them out through the city. Would they do nearly as well? Urban nodes tend to form organically, usually with a pioneer (e.g. Tomato Head) forming the nucleus and gradually spreading out with a mix of successes and failures. Often they form hermit crab-like in historic nodes of yesteryear (Old City, Happy Holler).

More exciting to me, new nodes are forming elsewhere in the city. But always, ALWAYS, people say "That will never work." They're the same people that say "There's too many homeless around there for a restaurant." They forget that fifteen years ago Market Square had bums sleeping on all the benches. Did we "clean up the rifraff" and THEN the restaurants and shops moved in? Emphatically, NO. Brave souls came downtown and put a lot of there own money on the line to open up shop. Only after it was moderately successful did the police get tough on aggressive panhandling and vagrancy. The point is, people went and supported those businesses before it was "safe."

So I'm skeptical when I hear the same criticisms of new nodes. We see the pioneers, predict failure, and ensure their failure by returning to our familiar places. Not all new things will be good. Some nodes will fail. But I feel it's our civic duty to make ourselves aware of what's going on and go out there and try it out. Supporting the pioneers of today means we're helping build the urban nodes of tomorrow.

View Nodes in a larger map

September Bike In Movie at TVB

2011-09-28T16:58:00.004-04:00

Out back of TVB at dusk tonight will be Hud, starring Paul Newman. If you have never seen it, it is totally worth going.
As before the movies start at dusk, the sunset is supposed to be at 7:24 tonight. Seven would probably be a nice time to order a drink at Public House before it starts.

Gettin' Jig & Reel-y Wit It

2011-09-27T11:56:00.004-04:00

The other night a few of your fearless bloggers tackled the newest themed venue in the old city Jig & Reel. All said not a bad experience. Here, in brief, are a few thoughts from those who ventured deep in to the Gaelic heart of the Bowery.

[the Pol]

A cozy feel, though the fake fireplace is a bit kitsch even for that place. Nice server, even if she did talk me into purchasing a "boo-yay" bourbon. (10 points to the person who figures out what she meant) Yes my mistake, it is a scotch bar predominately. Anyhow, I'd go back especially during the winter. A nice place to hole up and forget for a while.

[Wild Bill]

The idea is a bit cliche, but it works. Everyone who is employed wears a kilt, they don't serve any whiskey (so I was told, only Scotch or Bourbon) and the menu is expansive. If you look at the bottom of the attached picture you can get 2 oz. of Scotch for only $130! I, admittedly, know nothing about Scotch, but that seems a bit steep. If anyone from the Jig and Reel reads this post a menu that explains the differences would be nice. The front room is cozy. The middle room reserved for "jam sessions" is a bit awkward. The back room just feels empty. They have two felt dart boards but would really benefit from having a whole room so that Knoxville could have a real darts bar.

Overall I would give it a B-, with editing (particularly the darts because I love darts) they could move up to a B+.

[B]

To be honest, I wasn't so sure about the place considering the name, the logo, and the fact that they painted the whole building red, but after our visit, my cynicism has subsided.

I entered the bar that Saturday night after Doc checked my ID (very glad he's still kickin' it down there), and took a seat in the first booth with The Pol, Mrs. The Pol, and Wild Bill. The doors were open as it was a lovely evening. There was good music coming from the second room (I forget who played). The cover was $10 to sit and see the band in the second room, but we opted to just hear it for free.

Our server was very attentive throughout the evening, asking us several times if we needed anything. Maybe we didn't look drunk enough for her (I blame Mrs. The Pol for that.)

All of the servers wore "kilts," though I would just call what the females wore teeny plaid skirts. Being a woman myself, I appreciated the tameness of their attire, as it would be easy to slut that uniform up in order to compete with the other fine establishments in the vicinity.

There was lots of Scottish paraphernalia scattered across the wall, but the icing on the cake was a Braveheart poster in the women's restroom.

I figure I'll definitely go back, but only if there is vacancy in the first room, as the second and third rooms lack ambiance. I look forward to sitting in the wingback chairs in front of the faux fireplace with a loved one some cold winter evening in the future. I also am very tempted to try their menu soon. Yummers.

Boyd's Jig & Reel
101 S. Central St
Knoxville, TN 37902

Election Day

2011-09-26T21:33:00.002-04:00

Please reference any of my past posts for reason why to vote,but here is the big one.

I heard on George Korda on Sunday that the projected turn out for this election is something like 16,000. You will never have a better chance for your vote to count more. Seriously downtown-ophiles. Lets get out and make something happen.

See voting precincts.

Vote Early, Vote Often, and When in doubt Write In Spellings

See you at the polls!

The one's we've been waiting for...

2011-09-20T07:19:00.004-04:00

OK everybody, we are fast approaching the end of early voting (Sept. 22) and election day on Sept. 27th. And I know that many of you have been waiting to make your decision about who to vote for, I apologize for the delay.

This is likely the most important of the elections Knoxville will have in the next few years as we are voting for new city councilmen and a new mayor. I encourage everybody to vote and hopefully this guide will be of assistance.

Here is a copy of the ballot and that is how I will lay out my recommendations.

First, the Tennessee Senate 6th District

This is a republican/ democrat primary, I don't have a pick, the only democrat running is Gloria Johnson.

Second, the biggie, Mayor of Knoxville.

Here is my view of this race. We need options and we deserve a properly vetted and tested mayor for this next stage of Knoxvilles development. That being said, I am for anybody who cannot, at this point get 51% of the vote.

Madeline Rogero is the front runner. She ran against Haslam in 04? and has since spent time in government apparently doing good work. She is a competent bureaucrat and knows how the system works, though to be honest, lacks that flair that comes as a matter of nature to most politicians. That may be a good thing depending on your point of view.

Mark Padgett is my current favorite. A young man who is making a name for himself, yes his last name helps, and has put up a much stronger campaign than most expected. I met him early in his campaign and think he really has a heart for the town and has an easy confidence about him. I'd like to see him and Rogero in a heads up contest in November.

The field is rounded out by Joe Hultquist, Ivan Harmon, and Bo Bennett.
Hultquist and Harmon bring past government experience with them but don't seem to be gaining a lot of traction. Bennett is an also ran.

All that to say, lets keep all of them below that 51% threshold to force a run off and have a chance to really get to know these candidates.

The third race on the list actually is rather interesting. City council at Large Seat A is probably the most hotly contested of the City council races. I like Paul Berney (though he did rudely try to block my car in one evening (he later apologized). He is a true citizen activist taking his chance to make a change in city government. Michael McBath, he ran for county mayor remember, is also running. I like seeing his name on ballots it's kind of fun. John Stancil of city people fame would likely do a fine job and would represent a solid downtown focused councilman. I don't know anything about George Wallace except his unfortunate name recognition.

City council Seat B, I'll keep this brief, I like Marshall Stair.

City Council Seat C, same as above, I like Finbarr Saunders.

No other races are contested so I would say either vote for the person on the ballot or write me in, I'll always take your votes!

Get out there and vote early or due your duty on the 27th, but make sure and vote. Your vote never counts more than an off year election with a truly local focus. See you out there!