Metro Pulse/Music/Eye on the Scene

Sober and Fun

Musician Pappa Clay Worthley is trying to start a monthly alcohol-free dance night for adults at Cedar Bluff Budget Inn.

"Right now there's nothing for sober adults to do, unless they want to go bowling or something," Worthley says. "I'm in a program of recovery, and if it wasn't for fun things to do, I don't know if I'd be able to remain in recovery."

The first night will be held March 20 from 8 to midnight at the Budget Inn. Crossfire will play oldies, country rock, Southern rock, and country—all of it danceable, Worthley says. Cover is $7.

Once the event gets up and running, Worthley hopes to get several other bands to play.

"The first one or two I'll probably be doing my band. The first one I might not get enough people to pay for the dance hall," he says. "I don't want to do it every weekend or it'll burn everybody out. This way it'll leave them wanting something more and give them something to look forward to."

Humans Need Not Apply

Recently we've been lobbied heavily to give press to a reality TV casting call. Here's the press release sent from casting director Randy Bernstein describing the show's concept and its potential participants:

"An original and fun unscripted show for TBS is looking to cast a real life Sex and the City type show.

Woman: You MUST BE beautiful and sexy!!! (We're talking about super model quality looks here. An eleven on the scale of one through ten.) Other qualities we're looking for: spunky, adventurous and SINGLE! Age range is between 21 and 30.

So if you are ready to experience romance in a whole new way, pack your passports, evening gowns and hiking boots, and get ready for an 'adventure of a lifetime.'

There will be lots of press, promotions, amazing prizes, and an all expense paid trip overseas.*If you are chosen the show you must be at least 21 years of age, single, have a valid passport and be willing to travel overseas for 3-4 weeks from March 29- April 23 (these dates are subject to change).

Compensation: $1,000 per week and up."

Did they put quotes around 'adventure of a lifetime' to be ironic? Unintentionally, perhaps. They don't say whether these beautiful and sexy women (don't the rest of us need sex too?) will have to screw anyone for that $1,000 a week, but I assume they're looking for chicks who put out.

It's easy to be smug and scoff at the philistine nature of these reality shows, but the truth is they're popular. People enjoy watching others debase themselves in front of millions of viewers. So if you're a beautiful woman who gets off on being debased, well, show up at Michaels on Feb. 19, and maybe you'll get lucky. It's also the night of the Hawaiian Tropic Finals and Best Dressed contest. Michael's manager Jeff Abbott believes this pack-'em-in approach might turn up some quality contestants, thereby putting Knoxville "on the map" for reality TV casting.

Who knows, maybe you'll end up rich and famous and you can kiss your old pathetic life goodbye. Somehow I doubt it.

Grammy Repeat

Knoxville-born record producer Nick Raskulinecz won a second music industry Grammy award in as many years for his production of the Foo Fighters' One By One, which was chosen as 2003's Best Rock Album on Feb. 8. The title song, which was pre-released at the tail end of 2002, had also been recognized as Best Rock Performance last year.

A Bearden high school graduate and former bass player for the Knoxville band Hypertribe, Raskulinecz moved to Los Angeles in the mid-90s and has since made his mark as a major record producer and engineer. As noted here last week, Raskulinecz was recently tapped as the touring bassist for Probot, the heavy metal side project of head Foo Fighter Dave Grohl.

Go.

Thursday: Slick at Barley's.

Friday: Reverend Glasseye at the Pilot Light.

Saturday: Love without hope, as when the young bird-catcher/ Swept off his tall hat to the Squire's own daughter,/ So let the imprisoned larks escape and fly/ Singing about her hear, as she rode by.

Sunday: Head to the Tomato Head for a late brunch. Then check out the chamber music recital at the Alumni Memorial Building. UT faculty will perform Debussy, Ravel and Brahms.

Monday: Pretend you're in recovery. Stay home, make tea, read, and contemplate a life without booze.

Tuesday: Sexual objectification is the primary process of the subjection of women. It unites act with word, construction with expression, perception with enforcement, myth with reality. Man screws woman; subject verb object.

Wednesday: Old Crow Medicine Show at Blue Cats.

—Joe Tarr, Mike Gibson