Joe Sullivan has doubts about the worthiness of trying to develop a new brand for UT in Insights, Jack Neely catches up on odds and ends in Secret History, and Stephanie Piper can't make sense of the senselessness of war in Midpoint.
Citybeat
Barry Henderson recaps the struggle to get a low-cost airline into the Knoxville market, and Joe Sullivan reports that downtown parking problems are reaching critical mass.
Cover REJUVENATING THE TENNESSEE THEATRE
Once Knoxville's premier movie theater, now home to the Knoxville Opera Company and a venue for a variety of shows and events, the Tennessee Theatre has been a mainstay in our entertainment scene for the last 75 years. In June, it will close down for a year-and-a-half for major renovations and restorations. Jack Neely gets inside the venerable place to learn from the experts—specialists in architecture, paint restoration, and acoustics—exactly what's going to be done. No Neely piece would be complete without some history, so there's plenty of background on the theater, too.
Gamut WARRIORS—UP CLOSE
For three tense weeks last month, Jag Star toured the Middle East countries of Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Qatar, and Bahrain, playing concerts for the military personnel stationed there. They returned home with new fans, new friends, and new-found respect for the men and women in our armed forces. Joe Tarr gets the straight dope from Sarah Lewis and the boys.
Music
Seattle drone-rock instrumental band and Sub Pop recording artist Kinski brings deliberate waves of heavy noise to Pilot Light, and Matthew Everett surfs over for a preview. Eye on the Scene hears the influences on the latest Rockwells CD, catches a birthday bash in the Old City, and lists some celebrity bartenders coming your way at a Market Square location.
Artbeat
Paige M. Travis finds that, in theater, there's nothing new to say about love, but La Ronde speaks volumes anyway.
Pulp
When sci-fi and comedic genius, madman, and author Douglas Adams died in 2001, he left a half-finished novel and lots of tantalizing tidbits of writing, which have all been gathered up in The Salmon of Doubt: Hitchhiking the Galaxy One Last Time. Paul Lewis gives it a thumbs up and adds that American novelist Christopher Moore is doing his best to follow in Adams' footsteps.
Restaurant Rover
The French-inspired Little Star is a shining addition to the Knoxville eatery firmament, reports Connie Seuer.
Movie Guru
Ever have one of those days when nothing goes right? Well, filmmaker Terry Gilliam had one of those weeks, and it cost him millions of dollars and the loss of his movie, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. Adrienne Martini says it's great entertainment to watch every agonizing detail of Gilliam's movie gone wrong in the documentary, Lost in La Mancha. Movie Blurbs, p. 24: The Metro Pulse Movie Blurbs: "You know, you could support local institution Valleyfest with your hard-earned shekels this weekend."ª
Spotlights
The Rossini Festival downtown will have you dancing in the streets, the Drive-by Truckers'll keep ya on yore feets, the Foothills Craft Guild Spring Show will yield handcrafted treats, and Valleyfest's many movies will glue you to your seats.
News of the Weird by Chuck Shepherd
Crossword by Montford Manassas
Loco Parentis by Katie Allison Granju. Learning to fly solo again.
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