knoxville's jobless recovery

Back in '02-03, the US economy recovered from recession in a peculiar way. Granted, that particular recession (caused by the dot-com bubble) was short and relatively benign compared to the one we're still recovering from. The economy shrank a mere -0.3% (compared to the '09 recession of -5.1%) and unemployment peaked at 6.3% ('09 was 10.1%).


In the years following the dot-com bubble burst, unemployment stayed high. in fact, the number of employed actually shrank even though the unemployment rate held more-or-less steady. (How, you ask? Exodus from the labor force) basically, the economy picked up without new jobs, leading most to suggest technological improvements fueled the upturn (like automated services, among many others). Now in '11, "economic recovery" is almost 2 years old, and Knoxville may be hitting its stride. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Knoxville very own jobless recovery with mannequins! Why hire from a staffing firm when you can dress up ex-goody's employees that you found on Craigslist?

Mannequin with (awkwardly placed) pitchfork, Broadway

Bed intruder preventer with optional bandana, E. Scott Avenue

an ode to the neighborhood potluck, fried chicken, and music

a few weeks ago, i searched for "potlucks" as an activity category on facebook. it was mainly on a whim to see how many people in the social networking sphere liked them too. it was kind of late at night, and i had just missed a my neighborhood's monthly potluck. to my surprise, it was there. and i proudly displayed "potluck"ing as a personal "like" on my profile page.

i really think that potlucks are what we need more of in our society. i am amazed at how sitting around a table and breaking bread together really forms community. food helps us cross social divides to strengthen groups around common goals like ridding our city of crime and blight (read about our neighborhood gatherings). friendships and potlucks are best when they are combined with activities. like shape note singing (the annual old harp thanksgiving singing is just around the corner).

and amazing free performances by local musicians. take this event tonight for example. relix variety theater is hosting abigail washburn (and special guests- we hear its cruz contreras tonight, but we imagine there will be more). the evening will begin with a potluck before the show begins.

mrs. lo and i saw abigail perform in a similar setting this past spring at the glowing body on central. at that time she was practicing songs for an upcoming recording session. mrs. lo and i raved about the evening for weeks to our friends outside knoxville because of how unique it was to listen to songs almost being written in our midst.

in the middle of the show, she told a quick aside about how she loves potlucks, especially when folks bring good vegetarian dishes (this was no different at the glowing body). lo and behold, however, a box of kfc chicken showed up much to her surprise. and she loved it!

so, mosey on down to my neck of the woods in Old North Knoxville tonight. if you miss it, abigail will be there for the next two wednesdays as the artist in residency performing songs from her soon-to-be-released album. (oh yeah, her hubby is bela fleck)

it's not too late to pick up a box of kfc and make our guests feel welcome to knoxville again!

Relix Variety Theater
1208 N. Central Street
8pm (show starts) 7pm (potluck)

p.s. she'll also be there on Nov. 10 and 17 in case you miss her.

famous knoxville duopolies?

of all knoxville's oddities and quirks, one of the things that puzzles me is when I pass by the following sets of businesses and wonder how on earth could they still be operating as separate small businesses. ironically, they're both on sutherland.


similar produce stands on sutherland



outdoor products stores, across the street from each other

econ theory suggests that they could increase profits by legally merging (to set prices higher, and restrict quantity sold) as long as their products are exactly the same. this would increase overall market power (in a legal sense) and would probably be easier for the produce stands than the outdoor stores since the latter are selling manufactured and specialized goods. but, what if we had one larger store for each type, and each offered expanded operating hours (for both) and more events (for the outdoor store) under one roof. going farther, if the produce stands collude, they could perhaps more easily open new fresh produce markets in underserved areas, one particular location comes to mind (at broadway and grainger, read more here).

as i write this, i realize that our readers probably have preferences of one of these stores over the other, or may choose another store that's in a different location altogether. for me, river sports is usually the front runner in outdoor gear in terms of popularity and quality of service. do you agree?

but the dominant firm in the produce example seems a little more ambiguous.

as the two sets of businesses stand now, they appear to compete. or, do they? for you econ oriented types, is some speculation to cooperation (price or output setting, aka illegal collusion as a cartel) justifiable?

a concert under the trees

Last night a fairly large contingent of the Wigshop went out see Ben Sollee perform at the Knoxville Botanical Garden. It was, simply put, wonderful. The Garden encourages you to picnic and BYOB/V at its concerts, so in typical Wigshop fashion we came well equipped with wine and assorted cheeses. (I also found out that I LOVE candied bacon, but that's another post)

Sollee is a cellist- but if you're not a classical buff don't let that stop you... neither is he. Combining an eclectic acoustic sound that could be called "indie folk," Sollee plucks, strums, and bows his cello to get a sound that lies somewhere between jazz, Americana, and Bach. It was great music. I'd definitely catch him when he comes to the Bijou later this year.

But, music aside, I'd like to talk about the venue.

The Botanical Garden is becoming one of my favorite places in Knoxville. I remember several years ago going to Chandler's on Magnolia and seeing a sign for our "Botanical Garden." Knoxville had a Botanical Garden? That was news to me. After lunch I drove up and was surprised by the elegant stone walls, quirky round guardhouses, and the sloping orchards that seem to come from a different era. In fact it is from a different era- this land was given to David Howell in 1786 for his service in the Revolutionary War. After 217 years of serving the Howell family's nursery and horticulture business, the land is now open to the public to enjoy. And one of the best ways to enjoy the Garden is to attend one of the increasingly frequent concerts there. Held on a stone terraced hillside under a canopy of huge trees, you can watch the sun set slowly on the distant plateau while listening to beautiful music. Or, as I preferred, lay on the soft grass and watch the sky darken through the silhouetted leaves overhead. Wonderful.

I would heartily recommend the Garden as one of those not-to-miss experiences in Knoxville. Like most of the good things in this city, it's a little hard to find and not well known, but it will surprise you and keep you coming back.

Now for some more pictures:


The stone terraces.


Mrs. The Pol enjoying the music, if not the chilly weather.


Mr. Sollee and his cello, with accompanying fiddle.


As well as being a politcal iconoclast, The Pol can put out quite a spread.

word to your mother: downtown is the place to be tonight

folks, we're looking at a mighty fine showing of art and culture downtown for this 5th month of the year. mosey on down to the heart of our beloved city and share an evening with friends (and mothers!). here are a few of our favorites to guide your evening.

-- the wigshop's own max and b will be presenting at the flourescent gallery (627 n. central) in no kno

-- remedy will be all chicked out tonight showing the movie mad city chickens to benefit community gardening

-- at the art market gallery (422 S. Gay St.) zophia kneiss presents some totally awesome metal art along with artist marilyn avery turner and live jazz and blues

-- The arts & culture alliance is hosting a reception for seven local artists at the balcony (100 s. gay street ) and the its 2010 members show will be downstairs.

-- drop by the live music show at the visitors center on gay street for ferd's first friday. top secret guests to perform!

-- take a gander at miss kitty's bodacious boots show - which includes a collection of five decades of cowboy boots! - at RALA (323 union next to coffee and chocolate).

-- remember your elementary school art teacher? ut downtown gallery (106 S Gay Street) is featuring knox county art teachers own work 5-9 pm

a complete list of events is here. there may be more events that we're not listing, so feel free to add in the comments! happy weekend, wigshoppers!.

[ck] update:


Ben Sollee was supposed to play Rhythm and Blooms but couldn't make it because of a volcano or something. But he'll be making it up this Sunday at 7 PM at the beautiful Knoxville Botanical Garden (see Max's photos here) which may be Knoxville's best place to see an outdoor concert. Sollee is an excellent and unorthodox cello player with a positive, meaningful message in his lyrics. I would highly recommend going to his concert at full price, but because you're reading this here we'll help hook you up! Go to the ticket site here and enter the password "wigsphere" and viola! $26.50 becomes $5.00! Now you have a cheap lovely Sunday evening experience ahead of you.

Also this weekend: Vestival!


A uniquely Knoxville event- looks like lots of good music and stuff to do, go check it out!

You gotta fight for your right to keep chickens in Knoxville

A few months ago ck wrote about the growing interest to change city code to allow hens in Knoxville. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. This is a small step to creating sustainable urban systems and chickens are integral to helping provide healthy nutrition (by way of eggs) and a rich source of soil amendments (through litter composting). Somewhere way back in knoxville’s history (and probably most cities for that matter) a line was drawn to restrict “barnyard” animals from the city. But Knoxville isn't the pioneering the "hen revolution" (see Seattle, Portland (OR), San Francisco, Denver, Fort Collins, Madison, Cedar Falls, Asheville, and Porland (ME) who have all recently changed this archaic and discriminatory practice against chickens!)

Yes, for a long time we did have only horses to get around, and the sights and smells were far from pleasant (read the first chapter of Superfreakonomics if this piques your interest). Maybe chickens were kicked out because they precipitated the perception of backward, no-shoes, toothless Appalachian culture that city-folk wanted to shake. Or maybe it was because a mayor back in the day got attacked by a rooster as a kid. (note: the city code amendment does not allow roosters, only hens) Who knows? But small backyard animals in small numbers like chickens, when If you think about it though, with good housing and clean bedding, are not much different than our typical household pets. In fact, under the new guidelines, chickens would be more regulated than cats and dogs under current city code!

Here are the highlights of the proposed code amendment: 1) annual permit to keep chickens is $25 2) how many chickens you can keep depends on your lot size (starts at 6 hens) 3) you have to keep it clean and have a nice structure (with a $25 building permit) 4) eggs=yes, meat=no (put down your cleaver, ck)

So, my question is this, Knoxvillians- are you with me?

If yes

Send an email to the police chief, mayor, and city council and tell them in what neighborhood you live and that you support the code amendment.

If no (or yes)

Educate yourself more about urban chickens! Go see the movie Mad City Chickens this first Friday from 7-8:30 in the Old City at Remedy Coffee House located at 125 West Jackson Avenue in the Old City!

Knoxville Urban Hen Coalition is teaming up with Three Rivers Market and the Parkridge Community Garden to screen it as part of the effort to educate Knoxville on keeping hens in the city, and to build support for the Proposed Knoxville Ordinance.

Mad City Chickens is a sometimes serious, sometimes whimsical look at the people who keep urban hens in their backyards. From chicken experts and authors to a rescued landfill hen or an inexperienced family that decides to take the poultry plunge—and even a mad professor and giant hen taking to the streets—it’s a humorous and heartfelt trip through the world of backyard chickendom. The movie runs about 1 hour 15 minutes.

Donations will go to support the Parkridge Community Garden.

the time has come...

for the inevitable and infamous first air quality alert day in knoxville. And KAT is running free all day.

so, you must be asking, what is this air quality alert day and why today? the most basic information that's available is that "sensitive groups" (e.g. elderly and children) should avoid prolonged exposure outside.

air quality is monitored and regulated by knox county, which leads me to ask, why don't we hear more about the condition of air quality on non-alert days? today's alert is elevated for low-level ozone, which isn't directly emitted from tailpipes, but is formed when those emissions (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen oxides) react with sunlight. it seems that low-level ozone is created near the source of emissions, rather than blown in from elsewhere (like how acid rain has affected our area).

when i first moved here i noticed that knoxville was a "nonattainment area" according to the EPA for ozone and fine particulate matter. and, apparently, it still is.

here are a few questions to others who might know more about air pollution and how to reduce it in knoxville.

1) If cars are the problem, what is the solution? Can we significantly offset driving alone in knoxville? smart trips is a great program, and needs to expand. Employers could match the smart trips incentives, and priority can be given in parking spaces to those who carpool. Smart trips rewards are currently ~$40 in gift certificates to awesome retailers downtown, and anyone can participate.

2) Do we need emissions standards? i'll admit, my converter needs to be replaced on my car. if i lived in atlanta or nashville, i would have to replace it in order to renew my car registration, but, shamefully, i won't replace it because i don't have to. confession is good for the soul.

3) Do we need more public transportation options? this blog has talked alot about fixed rail trolleys, but are those kinds discussions happening with development and redevelopment projects?

4) Is TDOT's "drive slower" campaign working? i personally prefer a "drive less" campaign, because driving less reduces gas consumption, and could reduce gas prices. but then you could get into a whole bunch of other problems like gas consumption rebounding and stuff.

I once heard that air pollution was so bad in Chattanooga and Knoxville in the 1980s that business folks downtown had to change shirt collars at lunch because the black dust from coal fired factories was so bad. Fortunately, the days of black plumes of smoke downtown are behind us. But when we look ahead, it doesn't seem that the air quality problem is going away without trying, even when we aren't on alert.

what are your thoughts on knoxville's air quality? (for those of you suffering from the pollen, i can sympathize, but let's not cut down the trees and flowers just yet!)

a real jubilee festival

With so many incredible venues to choose from in Knoxville, there's one that always stands out as uniquely Knoxville in my mind. Originally a church and now community art and music center, the Laurel Theater in Fort Sanders was the first place that I heard live music after I moved to Knoxville. Some boast it has the best acoustics of any venue in town. Much of their strength comes from the monthly calendar and programs that the non-profit that his housed there organizes, Jubilee Community Arts. (JCA's mission and reach is really too long to recreate here, so check out all their other projects like a record label, archives, and educational programs) On any given week throughout the year, one could dance in various folk styles (including the popular contradance), and sing shape-note with one of the most enduring groups in the country. I try to tune in to WDVX on the weekends when they host 5 solid hours of programming on Saturdays and Sundays, including lots of live shows from the Laurel Theater. While I really haven't visited as much as I'd like, I'm making a point to get there more often. Example- folk music festival!


This weekend they are hosting the 41st Annual Jubilee Arts Festival with a wide variety of live music acts, both formal and informal. It seems that 41 years could make it the longest running festival of its kind around. I'm going to try to make it to see Mike Bryant on Saturday, but I will definitely be there for the harp sing!

Here's the lineup:

Friday
7:00 Jim Turley & Friends (unfortunately, Jim passed away recently, so the schedule might change up some)
7:30 Matt Morelock, Ian Thomas & Ferd Moyse
8:00 Tom McCarroll & Tammie McCarroll-Burroughs
8:30 Danny Gammon
9:00 Lost Marbles
9:45 The Bearded

Saturday
7:00 Joseph Decosimo & Allison Williams
7:30 John Alvis
8:15 Roy Harper
9:00 Mike & Marcia Bryant
9:30 Jake Leg Stompers
10:15 Mumbillies

Sunday
11:00-3:00 Annual Epworth Harp Singing with dinner on the grounds (that means a potluck lunch for you non-southerners)

So, maybe you haven't heard of any of these folks, except maybe Matt Morelock and Ferd Moyse (the illustrious fiddler of the Hackensaw Boys) and Knoxville's The Bearded. For people who play music to keep it alive, these musicians are kind of big deals. For the rest of you, if you're into discovering new types of music, new or unfamiliar instruments, or even old traditional music recreated, then this weekend's wide variety of musical styles and depth of talent is not to be missed! Don't let the rain keep you inside.

Also- you might also be wondering why the sets are only 30-45 minutes. Well, if its any consolation, there will supposedly be jams all night long in the basement!

nokno in the morning

In the town where I went to college, there were these old men that used to sit near the front door of the town coffee shop to read the newspaper and talk politics. My roommate and I referred to them as “the gate-keepers of the city.” They were loud and funny, and one of them wore a kilt pretty often. Practically anyone visiting or living in town stopped in at least once a week for morning coffee, mostly because there was really nowhere else to go for a bite and cup of joe. And the coffee was good. When you entered the place, it was a rule that you had to greet the gatekeepers.

I see this same small town morning culture growing in North Knoxville. (To my knowledge, the wigsphere hasn’t reviewed Rankin yet, but it will) This morning I had the second opportunity to try the new best breakfast place in town, Mrs. Goodstuffs. This week marks the 10^th week of operating in their new location, just north of town between Fellini Kroger and Happy Hollow. It sits in a small strip-like building across from St. Mary’s on Woodland. It is technically on the frontier of the Old North Knoxville neighborhood.

The summer before last I lunched at their previous (and much smaller) pad in North Hills, but I must say, this location suits them much better. Its really spacious in the dining area, and you have your pick between retro laminate tables in front and booths in the back. Back in North Hills there was room for, honestly, 4 tables and it was packed.

I got there early and my friend who I planned to meet hadn’t arrived yet. I walked to the counter to order, and a polite mohawked man offered a seat to me while I waited. He brought me coffee and made sure that I had the newest Metro Pulse in hand while I waited. The menu is simple: your standard eggs, bacon and toast (with coffee for $4!), French toast, two sizes of pancakes (literally pan-sized- these could feed a small family), pretty much your standard fare. Apparently the large stack of pancakes is so big that our Mohawk fellow offered to buy them for my friend if ate them all. But he settled for the half stack.

I stuck with the basic meal, 2 eggs, 3 strips of back on two slices of toast, with coffee and added a side of hashbrowns ($1.25). For $5.25 I don’t think there is a better deal in town for sit-down, home-cooked breakfast. It’s hard to go wrong with this kind of meal, but seriously, the quality of the food (and lack of greasiness compared to other places) is definitely worthy of my support.



From others’ reviews this place has a really good lunch menu (especially their signature sandwiches). They also claim the best burger in town. Don’t look into the dessert case or else you’ll feel like you need about 4 of their desserts to take with, or maybe just all that is left of their pumpkin chess pie. Make a trip to North Knoxville in the morning sometime. With their space, they could have musicians line up for an early morning jam, or students sprung across the booths preparing for class. It’s definitely worthy of an early morning visit, with or without the "gatekeepers of North Knoxville."

Mrs. Goodstuffs Cafe
1008 E. Woodland Ave.
37917
(865) 971-3199
(google points to their old location on Fairmont Ave.)
Hours: Tuesday - Friday 6am - 5pm

Saturday 6am-4pm

Closed Sunday and Monday

flip this house, knoxville style

In a certain historic neighborhood in town there are two homes on the market that look oddly similar. One was redone a few years back by a well-known historic restoration firm. It's listed for 174% above the pre-restoration purchase price. The other, well, it sat on the market for a while last year and finally switch hands to the current sellers, who are asking 283% more than pre-restoration level after about a 5 month renovation (after falling in price 70K since being on the market).

Can you tell which house is the flip? (ironically, each are within sight of the other)

dayhiking and hot springs

The Smoky Mountains are ridiculously amazing! And if you haven’t hit them up yet, you might as well do it this year. I think Knoxville resembles the diversity you find in the mountains in lots of ways. There’s something for everyone, but you have to be willing to get out of your car. If you wanted you could pin up a map of the park to the wall, literally throw a dart and hit a trail, stream or feature worthy of a full day’s adventure. And since there are no entrance fees, you could do it on a tight budget of a half-a-tank of gas. We heard about a small creek trail near Cosby that folks travel from all over to see and hit it up in late March.

The only bad thing about our trip was the drive, which happened to take us through Pigeon Forge. But once we passed through and headed north from Gatlinburg, things start to look, well, a little more country. Off 321 we turn north to enter the park at Greenbrier. The trailhead for Potter’s Creek Trail was at the end of the Greenbrier road and we actually had trouble finding a parking spot. This seems a little odd because the park is known by the number of visitors who actually never get out of their car. They just drive around the place without ever setting foot on a trail. I mean, c’mon!

At only a few minute into the trail we hit wildflowers, lots of little irises, trilliums and purple and white flowers. We continued our saunter almost to the next trail junction, but decided to cut the hike short for our next leg of the trip- Hot Springs!

My wife will probably kill me if she finds out I’ve fibbed our secret Knoxville getaway. From Greenbriar, we headed north for about 45 minutes to Hot Springs, NC, a mecca for AT through hikers, whitewater bums, and Knoxville bo-bos like us. From Knoxville, the trip is only about an hour. Ever since we moved to Knoxville we’ve been going to HS, usually on Sundays, and always to take a warm bath in the naturally hot waters at the spa.

For $25 ($30 after 6 o’clock) you can rent a tub for two for an hour right on the French Broad River. For the most part, they are a series of hot tubs with jets with privacy fencing around them. Supposedly tub #8 is the hottest, since it is closest to the water source. What better way to relax after a long hike than to take a long soak!

After the springs we stopped in a new restaurant in Hot Springs called the Iron Horse Station. To our surprise the place was really nice for a small town, and the burgers are really good. I was craving a ceasar salad for a side and they were out of lettuce, which I guess happens when you have to pack in food for an isolated place like that. So we opted for French fries and steamed veggies, which had to have been the only place that actually serves really good steamed veggies with a burger. Not the frozen carrots and broccoli here, we got asparagus and eggplant and zucchini! The meal was complimented by the intermittent dialogue between the bartender and the town bum, who kept trying to sneak 40s of bud ice into the bar in his back pockets. Next door looked like a coffee shop in the daytime, and around the restaurant seemed like overnight rooms for guests. I imagine this new spot would be the perfect layover for throughikers, but for dayhikers, it’s a nice ending to a perfect daytrip from Knoxville.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Hot Springs Resort and Spa
315 Bridge StreetHot Springs, NC 28743
828-622-7676

Iron Horse Station
24 South Andrew St. Hot Springs, NC 28743
866-402-9377
Google Maps

old time

in knoxville, there is a big movement to restore the built environment. and it's partly the reason my wife and i were attracted here. and wigshop readers love old knoxville homes and buildings too.

old music, like old buildings, needs restoration too. on wednesday nights once a month, a group of local old time musicians get together in happy hollow to recreate ancient american tunes and stomp feet. their music is often mistaken for bluegrass, because people associate banjos, guitars and mandolins with bluegrass. but old time is different.

first, it's rarely accompanied with words. melodies are strung together to create tunes, and, with this group of musicians, a leader might even piece tunes from different songs together in the same song. second, there are no solos. old time is a communal event, not really for performance. i learned this the hard way by attending an old time jam and thinking my contribution to a jam was a clean-cut break away on the mandolin. fortunately, a friend politely suggested that there were rules to jamming, in spite of the appearance of chaos. this music was made for dancing and to enrich the soul, not for showing off. third, the old time banjo is clawed, not picked. and most banjo players are very proud of this. there are a lot of other ways old time is different than modern music, but you have to experience a jam on your own to fully appreciate its uniqueness and worth.

back to the event. tonight there is an old time jam at the time warp tea room from 7-9. from what i've heard it is a hard core group of old time players that broke away from the larger group of musicians (called group therapy) that regularly play on 2 fridays a month. this may be the only public jam in knoxville. this jam meets on the first wednesdays of the month, and it often attracts a few members of the infamous mumbilies.

if you haven't been to the time warp, its worth the trip to the holler itself. it's atmosphere is somewhat characteristic of knoxville, with good coffee, free wifi and a really cool restored ceiling from a hotel on jackson avenue. its also a good venue for live music, even kinds you can dance to.

be the change you want to see in knoxville

Just when I'm about to convince myself that I'll never find a full-time job with my degree, I run across an advertisement for the grand opening of the most inspiring group in Knoxville that I'm not a part of: Knoxville Overground.

Tonight they celebrate their grand opening in a sweet space in Sequoyah Hills, where they offer communal work space for entrepreneurs of social change. I met Alex Lavidge at a clean energy conference in the fall when I began my job search. After talking to him about his experience in the Silicon Valley and what he wanted to do in Knoxville, I thought his ideas were way too big for Knoxville. Fortunately, I was wrong. His networking non-profit has hit the ground running this year with tons of sponsors and a clear mission for their members: to be the change that you want to see in Knoxville. If you're in the area, check them out tonight at 7:00 in their new location at 1204 Kenesaw Ave. in Sequoyah Hills.

Needless to say, it's unlikely that we'd hear anything about entrepreneurial efforts with the economy as it is. Let's hope Knoxville fits.

the original freezo: a taste thrill

Some people say that I have a GPS in my stomach. It usually leads me to particularly unhealthy food from my childhood. And based on the location my wife and I decided to live in knoxville, I must say they're entirely correct.

The original freezo is basically the concession stand at the Doug Tew baseball fields where I grew up in South Alabama. At about the 7th inning, my stomach growled for cheese fries so loudly that we joked about it distracting batters when I played catcher.They've got corndogs and hamburgers and, by my account, an award winning frozen yogurt machine. I tried the chocolate dipped chocolate and vanilla swirl in a cone. If you're there at the right time, they've got peach shakes (see picture on the side). That's an ice cream fantasy if I've ever heard of one.

If you're in the mood for a cheap thrill (or fantasy), head up Central Ave from downtown to their drive-thru just past Happy Hollow. Minor setback- the hours are tough for the working (wo)man, 11-5 on weekdays. But the main reason you should go to the freezo is that it's 100%, bona fide Knoxalicious.

BCK 2 SKWL!

The phone's charged and the thermos is full and I stumble down the steps to the sidewalk like every ordinary day in Knoxville. I confess that I ride a short bus to school, appropriately a bright orange one. After a full summer riding the bus, the daily commute is beginning to be a little more comfortable, like a big, soft couch... sound familiar?

But in the first week of classes, things are rarely comfortable. Thousands upon thousands of undergrads eager to get their top bids, not realizing how crazy they look, how funny they smell or loud they talk. There must be hundreds of pounds of perfume out there! As a graduate student, I wish I could just huddle to in the library. But I am subjected to frequent outbursts of cheers, chants and an endless horizon of puke orange. And that's just on my walk to 9:00 AM classes.

In all seriousness, it is pretty amazing that the flagship campus of the state graces downtown. But must everything be so orange?

Lo

I came to Knoxville for a three main reasons: I wanted to go to grad school, I like to spend time in the mountains, and I enjoy floating rivers. Knoxville as a city never charmed me, but in the first few months of living here I realized that there was more to the city than interstates and shopping out west. When I hit up downtown for the fall 2007 lineup at the Bijou I met Andrew Bird, the Avett Brothers, Patty Griffin, and Freddy Smith.

Knoxville's the biggest city I've ever lived in, and I think I may be the only non-native Tennesseean on the wigshop lineup. I was born in Texas, grew up in Alabama, and moved here from Virginia. East Tennessee shares the best of each of those places and, for that matter, all of the south. Knoxville's laid back and comfortable. It's not too hot and not too cool, and if you avoid the SEC, you'll never notice when 100,000 people trash the city in the fall. (But the real reason I came here is to hunt down and reunite the greatest (and only) beach music jam band ever.)

My wife and I just bought an old house in the city and if you're here in the spring, you can come over and see the crocuses and camellias in bloom. When we're not working on the house or garden, catch us at Market Square, day-hiking the AT or floating a river.