Metro Pulse/Music/Eye on the Scene

Sundown, You'd Better Take Care

Sundown in the City, the Market Square concert series that has helped revitalize downtown, will start in the World's Fair Park this year, because of construction in the square. The Thursday-evening weekly series is slated to start the first of June, although no bands have been booked.

When Market Square construction is complete, the city-sponsored series will move back there, says Ted Heinig of AC Entertainment, which promotes the event.

Although it's important to have the series in Market Square, Heinig says AC Entertainment didn't want to wait too long for the series to begin. "We don't want to lose the momentum that Sundown has built up," Heinig says.

The World's Fair Park—also under construction—is expected to be completed by May 1. But, AC Entertainment wanted to wait a month before putting crowds on the grass there, Heinig says.

The Market Square renovations should allow AC Entertainment to make the series bigger, Heinig says. It will almost double the old configuration's capacity of about 3,500 people, he says. That should mean bigger crowds and more popular acts, he says.

"We really think Sundown in the City is one of the energizing events that is sparking the revitalization of downtown," he says.

In the past two years, the city budgeted $100,000 for the series, with other money coming from private sponsors. Craig Griffith, deputy to the mayor, says AC Entertainment has asked the city for $100,000 again this year, but no decisions have been made.

"Nothing is certain in the uncertain budget times that we're in right now," Griffith says. A decision should be made in the next couple of weeks.

Black Warbucks

When Ms. Poptart first moved to East Tennessee, everyone told her how friendly folks were here. And it has been true, more or less.

Still, her Yankee sensibilities are continually shocked at how some of these warm East Tennesseeans continue to be downright hateful to folks of another race. To wit—

The Bijou Theatre, which is performing the Broadway classic Annie for the next few weeks, received a letter from a ticket buyer, whose name has been withheld to protect the terminally white.

"On March 18, I innocently purchased two tickets for the evening performance on April 5," the letter reads. "The next day I received a pictorial advertisement of the 'Annie' play. To my surprise, Daddy Warbucks, who adopts Annie, is a man of another race, which is NOT the way the play was originally written.

"We have attended plays cast with people of other races. However, in this case, you have rewritten another play. We are familiar with the history and concerns of the original author of Annie."

There is not, of course, any explanation of the "history and concerns" of the Annie author. (For the record, Martin Charnin, Thomas Meehan and Charles Strouse wrote the 1977 musical adaptation of the original Depression-era cartoon.) The writer goes on: "Consequently, we are losing $48, as we will not be attending the night of April 5."

Yup, the people of East Tennessee sure are right friendly. And I'm sure a few of them would be more than happy to chip in their own hard-earned dollars to refund the ticket purchase of a disgruntled patron, if he/she is willing to come forward. I'll chip in $5.

Go.

Thursday: Go see Lucero at Blue Cats and make sure you get there in time for the great opening act, the Westside Daredevils.

Friday: Go see what Jason Loewenstein sounds like without Lou Barlow at the Pilot Light.

Saturday: It's off to the Pilot Light again, this time to hear Discharge Information Society, a drum and cello outfit, and the Cuts.

Sunday: Take a hike up Rabbit Creek trail in the Smokies and take the first chilly skinny dip of the year. (Skip the Pigeon Forge trip!) Then head to the Preservation Pub to warm up with Tennessee whiskey.

Monday: Get up early and eat breakfast at Rankin Restaurant. Then call in sick at work and take a stroll along the river.

Tuesday: If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being, and who is willing to destroy his own heart?

Wednesday: Go see what Texas does to people—check out the Gourds at Blue Cats.

—Madame "I see a darkness" Georgie with Joe Tarr and Emma Poptart