Joe Sullivan sums up some of the biggest problems Governor-elect Phil Bredesen will have to deal with in Insights. Plus, Jack Neely takes that last ride with Hank Williams one more time in Secret History, and Bill Carey wonders what happened to good 'ole American liberty in Editor's Corner.
Citybeat
Bill Carey gets the story behind Emery 5 & 10's surprisingly burgeoning business, and Joe Sullivan reports on the growing availability of, and rosy prospects for, high-definition television (HDTV) in Knoxville.
Cover * TEAR IT DOWN!
It might appear that we at Metro Pulse—most especially that Jack Neely character—are knee-jerk preservationists, chaining ourselves to every crummy ol' dilapidated tenement about to be demolished for a parking lot that we see. Well, that's just wrong, and Jack proves it right here, right now. Review his list of the Top Ten structures in Knoxville that should be torn down. See if you don't agree. (And if you have other candidates for demolition, just let Jack know. He'll take care of it.)
Gamut * LABORER'S BLUES
You may own a pair, you may not. And even if you do, you probably haven't given them a lot of thought. But they are more than just clothes. Sometimes a symbol of the working man, other times a signifier of country music, maybe now the official costume of Hip Hop stars, they've been around a long time and served many functions. Jay Hardwig pays homage to the humble overalls.
Music
North Carolina's Piedmont Charisma say they aren't retro, they aren't indie, and they aren't garage. Whatever they are, John Sewell thinks they're good. Some Knoxville bands ain't so bad either, according to the reviews of CDs by Tim Lee and The God Star Social in Eye on the Scene.
Artbeat
The African art in the McClung Museum's show "The World Moves, We Follow" presents a complexity, diversity, and spirituality so potent, it can't be contained in one column. Part one of two, by Heather Joyner.
Pulp
Knoxville's long been a literary town. Adding to that tradition are David Brill's Desire and Ice, an absorbing account of his ascent up Denali (perhaps more familiar as Mt. McKinley), and Jack Mauro's Enola's Wedding, an exquisite tale of a fictional Knoxville romance.
Movies
Three, yes, three movie reviews for the price of one! Patient filmophile Jesse Fox Mayshark sits through About Schmidt, The Two Towers, and Gangs of New York, just to give you the data you need to decide which one to see yourself. Movie Blurbs, pg. 26: The Metro Pulse movie blurbs: "We firmly resolve to blurb more efficiently in 2003."ª
Spotlights
Kick off the Palace Theater's "Blues on Broadway" series with Big Bill Morganfield, take the kids to Huck Finn's Story at the Black Box Theatre, then get gussied up for a WUOT benefit brunch at the University Club, hosted by Ellen Kushner of Public Radio's Sound and Spirit show, and featuring the likes of R.B. Morris and Nancy Brennan Strange. Wowzer, what a weekend!
News of the Weird by Chuck Shepherd
Crossword by Montford Manassas
Rationally Speaking by Massimo Pigliucci. What does
"rational" mean, anyway?
Classifieds