what do you know about KNOXVILLE?

[/raining on parades]

Pah. I'm glad we don't have to have that argument again for 995 years.

I don't have the new Dixie Dirt, but I'm fixin' to burn a copy from a friend when I'm down there in May. The first one was great, I wore it out.

You can check the PL website for shows. Click "calendar" (OBV) http://www.thepilotlight.com. Shipping News is playing soon, I will go to that. Nicka! I didn't know you had been to the Pilot Light!

Java is a great thing, but they mostly have shows that appeal to the young punkins of modern hardcore.

Another Search: Harold's Deli on Gay St. A good place to read the newspaper, not a good place to read a book (the waiters and cooks want to talk to you, which is a good, not annoying, thing -- they are funny and kind.) Excellent kosher food (esp. the bacon -- made of pastrami), best eggs in Knoxville, "world famous Burned Baloney Breakfast", Schlitz proudly on tap for years. Just a great, cozy, one-of-a-kind place. The kind of place where everybody knows your name, and they're always unsurprised you came.

Caitlin, I'd be happy to show you around or take you to a show or dinner or something.

I think my biggest burning question is - will you have a car?

All the recommendations here are, as far as I can tell, right on.. especially Stefano's pizza, which has always reigned, in my mind at least, as the tastiest and best pizza in town, and it was the first pizza I'd ever had with a whole-wheat crust.

Most of my recommendations involve night-time and girls and railroad trestles. There's a pretty choice trestle off Neyland Drive if I recall correctly.

I was only in Knoxville for one day so I have no other useful comments to make. What I remember most clearly was that A) the day spent in Knoxville was easily the best day of my entire vacation that week so it cannot be bad B) the people sat next to us at the table in the restaurant we all went to were dressed in a strange fashion (though I forget why it was strange--only that we remarked it was odd) and every last one of them ended up spilling their drink on the floor, one of them did it twice. It made me wonder if perhaps we, too, should throw our drinks on the floor, if it was a Knoxville thing. I decided against it but next time I'm there, I'm throwing a drink on the floor and you should do so as well.

Regarding the forementioned Sundown in the City concert series, the scheduled lineup is here: http://www.sundowninthecity.com/

SLEATER-KINNEY?! Holy crap! (in other words: hooray!) I'll be there!!

THE NEVILLE BROTHERS!!!

And seriously, Sequoyah Hills park on a sunny summer afternoon or morning: it doesn't really get better than that. Blossoms, green grass, lake, every breed of dog happily running around, nice-looking people everywhere. Fantastic for book reading, trip planning, sunbathing, and general wandering, and fucking perfect for exercising class jealousy. I've done all these and more there.

You'll also be a hop skip and jump from my other (totally subjective) favorite American park: Springbrook, which is Alcoa. Really good for walking and/or jogging, running, etc. Not as pretty as it used to be. :(

Oh! And there's a 24 HOUR PANCAKE PLACE THAT DELIVERS on Cumberland now! That will be close to you, Caitlin.

Also good: Tomo on Kingston Pike. Go to Disc Exchange SOUTH (Chapman Highway -- I think someone already mentioned this, actually) for records. Go to McKay's books on Kingston Pike (I never realized I liked so much on Kingston Pike) for used cds, el cheapo books and nice staff (including my sister!).

What kind of music do you like? I will recommend bands for you to see.

There is a great place called Gypsy Hands in the Fourth and Gill area (just north of Downtown) that does belly dancing classes and yoga classes and Reiki massage. My friend named Sara Grisc0m will give you the massage of your life for like 30-40 dollars (but she will work with you on the price if you are broke, or trade you for pottery [or...math lessons?] or something!). She is a supreme treat. The place itself is this homey, bohemian, lavendar-smelling loft-type studio and all the girls sit around drinking wine and exuding non-creepy positivity.

that one though, has benefits because that track contains a HIDDEN TRACK that'd also be played.

One of the best heavy players in Knoxville hangs out frequently at the West Town Mall. That guy sometimes knocks himself over the machine and turns it off.

There's another, less heavy guy, there too who actually is good. But the day I was there I witnessed the tragedy of his girlfriend leaving him whilst he's playing! to go with this guy who does CAMP DANCING on the DDR machine.

The new Waterfront is an excellent place to get drunk with a sweetheart at night. Daytime? So-so.

Spencer as I recall the China pavilion was the one you had to stand in line for like three hours. All the other ones were like "please visit us." So we did it, stood in line that is, I mean it must have been good right, and made it there, and it was a bunch of guys who would engrave your name in soapstone for like $10 and my parents are like "no we've already paid enough just to have lunch today."

The riverboat is great, too! You can have a nice dinner on there.

hey, that's great news re. knoxville mercury!

This band from Knoxville is pretty fun.

http://massdriverrockpower.bandcamp.com/album/mass-driver

hey mte!! i am in knoxville now. have just forwarded that link to every knoxvillian i know.

Thanks, Tracer Hand! Every time you share, an angel gets its wings, or something like that.

hey kingfish - i know some knoxmakers ppl

I have met some of the Knox Makers guys -- last I heard they were looking to start a maker space in Knoxville proper (current one is in Oak Ridge). They're nice fellas.

Tracer, when did you move back to the US?

If I get the chance, I'm going to try to stop by their meeting this week. I've gotten hooked on wiring up Arduino shit.

So, monday we went to dollywood, and I posted some photos which will hopefully amuse.

For example, these are not the unlicensed cartoon characters I'd first expect to see at an airbrush kiosk in Dollywood in 2014, but there you go:

https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/10464060_10152511779226596_9063586482227108219_n.jpg?oh=31dd362df32a2936700792e94eae2d88&oe=55457F1A

i've spent years avoiding dollywood or indeed the whole Pigeon Forge scene. sounds horrible.

Dollywood is great and amusingly strange. Bits of Branson mashed in with Colonial Williamsburg mashed with a Six Flags/Cedar Point.

Uh, any suggestions for the least annoying moviegoing experience for my extended clan to see a certain space movie on Xmas day? I wanna avoid Turkey Creek multiplexes like the fuggin' plague.

HELLO

there is a new community radio station in knoxville! WAZO

http://wozoradio.com/

YASSIN FALAFEL! Hometown hero!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz4Q_SlbZgQ

The lede from a short item I wrote for our daily email. What a world.

The talk of local social media yesterday was the announcement that Tom Boyd, the inventor of DNA testing for dog poop and the father of our state university president, plans a $40 million resort behind a South Knoxville Walmart that seems clearly derivative of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth. He even wrote his own accompanying book -- which you can download for free -- called The Bobbins -- Outcast to the Inner Earth.

guys this looks incredible! (the “Jazzbilly” thing)

https://knoxvillehistoryproject.org/events/

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAscOyurzIuH9zGM8ITIr-T1RAixF037MNg

i wish it was in person but still

Thanks I’ve been getting antsy missing two years’ wort of Big Ears festivals.

Was just thinking about the shrimp and grits at Tupelo Honey :(