by terri sapp

© Concert Sutra, All Rights Reserved

click photo for band website

One of my favorite bands, !!! (chk chk chk) made us all happy in the Fall of 2010 when they released their latest album called  Strange Weather, Isn’t It? just in time for my birthday!! !  Since their debut self-titled studio album in 2001, !!! has produced nothing but quality work.  After the 2007 release of the awesome Myth Takes record, I was not surprised to hear that their sound just keeps getting tighter and tighter!  It is hard to imagine an album that can stand up next to Myth Takes, because it is such a fantastic collection of songs, but Strange Weather, Isn’t It? holds its own in a major way.  I knew I loved this new release within the first few measures.

In true !!! form,  Mario Andreoni (guitar), Dan Gorman (horns/percussion/keys), Nic Offer (vocals), Tyler Pope (bass/various electronic devices), and Allan Wilson (horns/percussion/keys) , Shannon Funchess (vocals), Sean McGahan (various electronic devices/sound manipulation), Paul Quattrone and Jerry Fuchs (drums) kick off the new album with a lively, bouncing beat in “AM/FM.”  There are very few bands out right now that can control my body movement with their music, and !!! never fails me.  My booty loves their tunes…  The musicianship these young fellas display is beyond my comprehension sometimes.  The webs they weave with the different facets of the band always make for repeat listening between my office, car, and iPod, and it never gets old!! 

“Most Certain Sure” is one of my absolute favorite tracks on this album.  It seems to embody everything I love about the commonly referred to as ‘dance-punk’ band, !!!.  Between the sultry vocals by the ever sexy singer Nic Offer, the awesome lyrics, and multi-layered music, there is no going wrong here.  “Alright, guess I just had to learn what everybody’s always knoooown…And it’s a good thing, it’s a good thiiiiiiiiiing!”  “Most Certain Sure” makes me feel “strangely free!”  The seamless transition into “Wannagain Wannagain” is enough to keep any party going without even having to change the CD.  Shannon Funchess’s backing vocals compliment Offer’s and fit right in with Tyler Pope’s manipulation of his various electronic devices.  When we saw them play in Athens, GA at the 40 Watt in 2007, Tyler blew me away the way he transitioned from playing his guitar (that night) to the many devices he was working with to bring the sounds we are used to hearing on their records to the stage.  AWESOME!

On a funkier note, “Jamie, My Intentions Are Bass,” as you could imagine showcases the bass line.  The guitar riff is very memorable as well.  !!! is just an all around jammin’ party pumpin’ band!  I always visualize Offer’s cute moves and his seriously silly dances in my head when I hear songs like this one.  Just when I thought the next song was going to be a slower more melodic type of number, “Steady As A Sidewalk Cracks” busts out with a very upbeat and catchy chorus.  I know I go on and on about Nic Offer, but I am in love with his voice and singing style.  “Steady as a sidewalk’s crack, and let the grass grow through it.  But don’t you ever look back.  You’ve got to trust the music.”  That’s what I am talking about!  I am also always a sucker for horns, and “Steady” is full of them. 

“Hollow” has a more industrial-esque sound with a heavier drum focus and more rhythmic vocals.  The guitar is harder, too, and accompanies the sound manipulation that !!! has come to be known for.  “Jump Back” starts out with a sound reminiscent of a dance remix of a very playful Bauhaus song.  I absolutely love it.  Strange Weather, Isn’t It? serves it up song after song.  I have to say that if you do not have this album or any !!!, make it happen!  If you don’t watch it, “Jump Back” will turn into “Even Judas Gave Jesus A Kiss” and you won’t even realize it!  They seem to just flow.  “Judas” is total disco !!!  “I don’t wish that you were here now.  I don’t want those old times back.  I never wish that somehow we could change it back, ‘cause it’s all been tainted black!…I suppose that Judas had his reasons…and it all worked out the best.”  Words to dance to!  Lastly, like the grand finale, is “Hammer,” which was composed by !!! and Jerry Fuchs.  Since the time that we saw !!! before this album was released, with Jerry Fuchs on the drums, the Marietta native (Cobb County in tha house!) and former UGA student, was killed in Brooklyn in a very tragic freak accident involving a broken elevator and tremendous back luck.  What a terrible loss for !!! and music in general.  His drumming style and energy are captured forever in “Hammer.”  And, I agree with Offer when he repeats “Don’t Stop!!!” for most of the song!  Since I first learned of Fuchs early on in my love for !!!, I always put him in a category with the greats in the drummer world!  He has the chops to stand up with the likes of John Bonham or Chad Sexton, and the creativity to play next to another of my favorites Matt Chamberlain any day! 

For more information on !!! (chk chk chk), and to see if you could luck out and catch them live in a town near you, visit http://www.chkchkchk.net/.

by terri sapp

Photographs by terri sapp

© Concert Sutra, All Rights Reserved

click photos for photo gallery

At the risk of sounding like an old grandma, I often reminisce, especially when I am physically at a show, of my younger days with Nick Hexum, Tim Mahoney, SA Martinez, P-Nut and Chad Sexton, when I was more available to travel around on a whim to see my favorite rock band in concert.  To my knowledge, I have never missed a show in Atlanta, and I do not plan on it, unless physically impossible, or on my death bed at 98.  I made it just before and just after my major back surgery, which put me behind on bringing the coverage to my readers, but I was still there taking it all in.  I noticed more than ever at the Unity Tour 2010 that every song (with the possible exception of the newer ones that I am hearing live for only the first or second time), brings me back to a time in my 311 past when I was traveling the US enjoying the vibe.  On July 17, 2010 at the Aaron’s Lakewood Amphitheatre in Atlanta, Georgia, 311 played a setlist that got me strolling down memory lane.  My overwhelming 311 nostalgia has inspired me to organize my extensive collection to also not only archive for protection, but to also share with all of you.  It may take me a while to gather and process, but you will enjoy…stay tuned on that one.

At 311 shows these days, I look around and see myself in many of the younger kids who have come around to expand what was already an impressive fan base.  I am realizing, though, that whether you want to or not, as you get older, the things you used to be able to do are not as feasible anymore.  I am not trying to be a downer, just share my personal evolution as someone who (one of my friends pointed out to me today) has been following and collecting 311 since a lot of the younger fans these days were in diapers, and probably some may not have been born.  Don’t go thinking I am a little old lady, I am a child of the early 70’s, like most of the 311 band members.  One major example of change in my 311 world is my pit lust…in the beginning of my love and fanatic participation in 311, I would go to the end of the Earth for pit tickets at a show, camp out all day at a general admission situation, and very sturdily ride the front wall from beginning to end.  These days, I find myself (especially when shooting photographs and back and forth from the press pit) grateful for a good seat!  At one point, if I wasn’t within arms length of the stage, I was not happy.  These days, I actually look for something in the Loge (partially for the birds eye view), or ten to twenty rows back, due to the extremely loud speakers.  The way I look at it is not that I have become lame, but that I have had 16+ years riding the front row, and camping out all night to ensure Pit tickets for me and all of my friends, so now is the time that I pass the torch, so to speak, to the kids who weren’t around for all of the great experiences I have had.  After enjoying the front of the lawn with some friends on July 17^th, I finally feel perfectly content with the wanting a seat at the show.  Not that I do not want to dance the entire time, but sometimes I like the option to rest my weaker than before back and knees.

OK, so as difficult as 311 is to photograph, I did my best with a VERY crowded (more than usual) Press Pit, limited equipment (unlike my girl and Professional Photog Leah, who I miss very much), on edge nerves, Georgia heat, and an AWESOME first three songs that got me way too pumped to be working!  That said, my 2010 311 Photo Gallery can be found at http://www.leahyetter.com/100717cs311/.  Please check it out!

 Since this show made me realize that I have officially grown up with 311, I am going to take you down memory lane with me on my journey with 311 thus far.  For example, the first song on the set on July 17^th “Down,” was the song I watched (sitting in the Ed Sullivan Theatre) 311 play on the David Letterman Show, September 12, 1996.  “Off Beat Bare Ass” reminds me of the show at UMASS Amherst, September 13, 1996, the night after the Letterman Show when I threw a huge gift on stage (what’s up), and P-Nut grabbed it, put it in his mouth, and danced around on stage with it!  After that show, the guitar tech at that time, Trevor, jumped off of the stage to hand me the set list.  Good times.  Another of my fondest memories of “Bare Ass” was at one of the most fun and different shows ever, which took place at the Montgomery Motor Sports Park in Montgomery, Alabama.  Nick actually used and thanked us from the stage for the gift we threw them onstage (in so many words)!!!  The most memorable version of the ever popular “What Was I Thinking” happened October 31, 1997 in Berkeley, California when Todd and I traveled to see 311 at the Greek Theatre.  I will never forget watching P-Nut in his priest costume pound out the hardcore bass line in the then new song from the Transistor album.

The Independence Day 2009 show in Atlanta was the first time I ever heard “Mix It Up” live.  Another setlist favorite, “Beautiful Disaster” makes me think of the show in Pelham, Alabama at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre, with Incubus and Fishbone opening on September 16, 1997.  After this song, Nick proclaimed that the venue would not let Fishbone sell their shirts that read “Fuck Racism,” so Nick bought them and threw them out to the crowd.  “Taiyed” got a lot of play in 1995 and 1996, and ultimately reminds me of the great times spent with friends all around the states, like Kings Street Palace in Charleston, South Carolina on August 31, 1996 in my very close old friend Gordon’s town at the time.  What a weekend that was with Gordon and Todd!  However, I will never forget my night at Lakewood Amphitheatre on June 22, 2000 celebrating the 10^th anniversary with 311, where they played their album Grassroots all the way through, only to decide to play the whole Music album as an encore!!!  Even though the From Chaos album was released in 2001, I did not hear “Sick Tight” played until July 26, 2008 in Atlanta at (then called) Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheatre!  It was good to hear it again so quickly.  Another song we don’t get to hear all that often, “Purpose” will always remind me of the first time I saw 311 on SA’s birthday, October 29, 1995 at local club The Moon in Tallahassee, Florida.  “Brodels,” which was played later in the show this year (after “Gray Sky”), is also not played that often, and is another played at The Moon on SA’s birthday! They really pulled out a great group of songs that night, and what a party it was!  I don’t really remember hearing it again (per my records and memories, some shows lost forever in the haze of time) until August 26, 2006 in Atlanta.  “India Ink,” being a fairly new song was first played for me in Atlanta on July 4^th 2009.  I really love this song, and its funky attitude!

Some memories of a particular moment in a show are fleeting, or need some reminding to bring them back.  Some are burned forever, never to be forgotten…no matter whether you want to remember or not!  That said, on October 31, 1999 in Atlanta at the Tabernacle, 311’s super distorted alien version of “Flowing” was all it took to send my date at the time completely over the edge to the point of the guards on the front wall pulling him out and moving him along out of the pit, and over to Grady Hospital where we eventually found him being pumped with fluids to sober up…some can’t handle theirs!  “There’s Always An Excuse” takes me back to the biggest 311 show to date on August 26, 2006 in Atlanta at the Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheatre with 18,555 tickets sold.  What great energy that night had!  I can’t remember a show when I did not hear “Applied Science,” with a killer different drum solo from Chad Sexton, so there are many memories that stand out surrounding this song.  First, is the first time I ever met Chad, who was the first member of the band that I met.  After Shootyz Groove played their set at the Sloss Furnaces on May 21, 1996 in Birmingham, Alabama, I spotted Chad just casually walking around in the open crowd area near the soundboard.  Since there were no people around, I went over to shake his hand and introduce myself.  He was very sweet and gracious.  An extremely nice gentleman!  The other major moment with “Applied Science” was the second time I saw them at the Fox Theatre, Atlanta, on February 26, 2000 at the 99x Chinese New Year show, which was the first time I saw them expand the drum solo to include the entire band!

During the encore at the Omni in Atlanta on May 24, 1996, P-Nut came out in his underwear and played an unforgettable “Who’s Got The Herb?”  July 17, 2010 was my first time hearing “Sun Comes Through” live…making new memories!  “All Mixed Up” is an oldie goldie, but for me, September 11, 1996 at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia will remain at the top of my mind, and not because my recorder got snatched from the bouncer on the front wall!  Independence day, 2009 was so much fun, and the first time I heard many new favorite songs, including “I Like The Way.”  Even though I had heard “You Wouldn’t Believe” before, the sweetest version for me to date was at the Tabernacle in Atlanta on March 18, 2002.  Something about that venue’s charm is mesmerizing!  “Beyond The Gray Sky” is one of my favorite Evolver songs, so hearing it for the first time on August 22, 2003 in Atlanta put me in a trance!  This performance even included the “Coda” bass solo!!  Added bonus!!  The girls all love hearing “Amber,” and so imagine my excitement when I heard those first notes on August 31, 2002 in Atlanta.  The lights are always so pretty, too. 

“Livin’ & Rockin’” have never been the same as hearing them at the Tabernacle in Atlanta on Halloween in both 1999 and 2000!  February 26, 2000 at the Fox in Atlanta, and July 26, 2008 at Hi-Fi Buys in Atlanta were both shows where “Do You Right,” “Don’t Stay Home,” & “Hive” were all played in the same night.  The experience of hearing them played as a medley is a fairly new thing.  Too cool!  “Creatures (For A While)” on August 22, 2003 in Atlanta was my first live experience with that song, and every time I hear it now, I have such a love for the beat!  311 always mixes up their encore, sometimes playing more, and sometimes playing less!  This encore started with “Jackpot,” which I had only heard once more at the Independence Day show in 2009.  Then, “Come Original” rang out, which always makes me think of the after show on November 2, 1999 at Tremont Music Hall in Charlotte, North Carolina when Tim Mahoney took my camera and snapped a “Thelma & Louise” photo of us…my favorite type of photo!!!  Finally, they hardly ever go without asking P-Nut to “beat that thing,” but “Feels So Good” sticks out in my mind for being the only song on the setlist in Antioch, TN on May 19, 1996 at Veranda at Starwood, and at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre in Birmingham, Alabama on June 23, 2000, because they were filming Enlarged To Show Detail 2 during the encore at that show.  This year, P-Nut came out playing a very cool looking headless bass with light up fret markers!

In honor of my long life with 311, and in appreciation of my 311 live show virgin friend (that I have been hoping for the day she gave me the chance to convert her to a 311 liker, not hater), who so kindly stepped up and offered to help me (one of the band’s #1 fans) get tickets for our crew (on the second pre-sale) for the Atlanta 311 Halloween show at the Fox Theatre that we are all excited about.  I thought 311 fans would appreciate my “2010 311 Poem.”  And, a huge thanks to 311 for all of the years of memories, wonderful shows, and for playing the Fox for Halloween.  I can’t think of any other situation where my 311 virgin friend (who is a bridesmaid in my wedding that is booked to take place at The Fox in 2012) would actually come to me and say, “I wanna go see 311 with you guys!”  Leslie, this was written in your honor:

To My Newest 311 Show Virgin

Soon, you will be “Down,” not “All Mixed Up,” and “Plain” “Livin’ and Rockin” with a bunch of “Strangers” that will inspire you to “Reconsider Everything” and say to yourself, “What Was I Thinking” poking fun at you about 311 for “Light Years!?”  

Just pop the “Champagne” and maybe a little “Homebrew,” and get ready for the “Paradise” “Mind Spin” that comes with the “Jackolantern’s Weather!” 

With your “Sweet” help, we got so “Lucky” today, and I am proud that you saw “The Other Side Of Things,” and “Let The Cards Fall Where They May!”

“You Wouldn’t Believe” how “Uncalm” and “Loco” I feel right now! 

“How Do You Feel?” 

“To Be Honest,” “Time Is Precious,” and “Today My Love” you stepped “Outside” of your usual self, and helped me score “Six” “Random” tickets that will help us “Get Down” til the “Sun Comes Through” this Halloween, my favorite holiday! 

I promise the “Electricity” will “Do You Right,” and you will “Freak Out” cause it “Feels So Good!” 

If life ever “Seems Uncertain” and you want to try for a “Neverending Summer,” just remember “I’ll Be Here Awhile” so “Give Me A Call,” even if it is before “8:16 a.m.,” and say “Hey You” let’s “Freeze Time” and go “Flowing” in the “Golden Sunlight,” cause “How Long Has It Been?”…”Eons,” “Damn!” 

“I Like The Way” “It’s Getting OK Now” to think I’ve hit the “Jackpot” cause “It’s Alright” for Leslie to be “Running” with the “Hive!!” 

“Too Much Too Fast?” 

Nah, just “Wake Up Your Mind” and “Tune In”…we’ve been “Waiting” to “Welcome” you! 

Just “Thank Your Lucky Stars” cause “We Do It Like This” and you have secured a “Sick Tight” “Visit!” 

After this “Full Ride” “Intro” you will have “No Control” over wanting more. 

You will not feel like a “Prisoner” to the “Other Side Of Things,” and will not make the “Same Mistake Twice” to turn down a killer time with 311, even though “There’s Always An Excuse” when you need one, you will feel the “Unity,” grab your “Whiskey and Wine,” “Sever” the negativity, see “Beyond The Gray Sky,” and “Mix It Up!!!!” 

Getchoo some “Down South” my “Beautiful Disaster”!!!!!

by terri sapp

Photographs by terri sapp

© Concert Sutra, All Rights Reserved

click photos for photo gallery

In the hottest days of Summer in Metro Atlanta, Georgia, the Concert Sutra stumbled upon the opportunity to check out a very talented young performer from Nashville, Tennessee, Ashlyne Huff.  On June 25, 2010, Ashlyne joined up with the guys from another young band, Days Difference on the Jordin Sparks (past American Idol winner) Battlefield Tour.  I have to say that when the chance to cover a show at Six Flags Over Georgia appeared, I was intrigued.  This was a first in Concert Sutra history.  Even though the temperature was in the 100s, fighting the large adoring crowd was tough, and the MARTA ride bumpy, the time spent with Ashlyne was worth working harder than ever to get the coverage!  The show was full of wonderfully high energy, and the performers gave their all in the midst of debilitating heat.  I earned an even higher degree of respect for anyone able to pull off the caliber of show while braving such extreme conditions.

With a strong start, from the self-titled debut album “Ashlyne Huff,” “Comeback” got the crowd going and excited to hear more from the newcomer on the pop music scene, Ashlyne Huff.  The first thing that struck me when seeing Ashlyne do her thing was the smooth mix of vocal and dance skills.  “Make It Rain” seemed a perfect request on such a hot and humid first day of the Battlefield Tour.  With a more mellow tone, “Heartbeat” brought on the swaying.  Asweet song with a message of not giving up on love.  Having been written on iChat with a guy in Sweden, “Checklist” really gave the guys in the band time to rock it out! 

Ashlyne then took photos of the crowd making hearts with their hands to post on Twitter.  Followed by “Sweet Nothing,” which has an appropriately sweet melody that helps showcase Ashlyne’s vocal range.  In that same vein, and as a part of Cover Song Fridays, with Brandon on guitar, Ashlyne sang a gorgeous rendition of The Script’s popular song “Breakeven (Falling To Pieces).”  Even though I had never actually heard the song before Ashlyne introduced me to it, the audience was signing along.  I found it to be a beautiful song and great choice of cover for her!  As a part of her first single, “Heart of Gold,” Ashlyne asked her fans to learn a dance for purposes of a dance party feel on tour.  She made a contest out of it, and the winning video is hilarious!  You can probably find it on Ashlyne’s You Tube channel. FUN!  Big ups to the guys in the band who rocked it out:  Bryan Brophy on bass; Brian Barefoot on drums; and Brandon Hood on guitar.  They closed their portion of the show with an almost techno feeling rock song, “Trippin’ It Up.”  Out with a bang!

Visit the following address to view my photo gallery of my day with Ashlyne Huff at Six Flags Over Georgia: http://www.leahyetter.com/100625ashlynehuffcs/  and http://www.ashlynehuff.com/ for more on Ashlyne Huff.  I also had the opportunity to speak with Ashlyne behind the scenes on the first day of her appearance on the Jordin SparksBattlefield Tour.  Check out what she had to say to Concert Sutra below!

Concert Sutra:             I picked up from your performance that you are a trained dancer.  How long have you been dancing?

Ashlyne:          I’ve been dancing since I was 7, but taking it really seriously since I was 9, which is not that much difference.  I saw a Full House episode and saw her dancing to Motown Philly, Stephanie Tanner, and that was it for me.  I’ve been doing it ever since.  It was really my first love, and what got me into music in all genres.  It was a good introduction into everything that I’m doing now.

Concert Sutra:             Other than in the shower, how did you get started singing and performing in front of an audience?

Ashlyne:          Actually, I tried out for Opryland, which is no more, they had a kid’s club, kinda like the Mickey Mouse Club.  So, I tried out for it, not really wanting to sing, and I ended up making it, so it worked out, but I had to sing.  I was 11, but I would have done it at any time, but at 11, you kind of just wanna play out in the yard (giggles).  So, I did it, and I started to sing “When You Wish Upon A Star” every Friday and Saturday at the theme park, so this environment is close to home, this theme park thing.  From that point forward, I started dancing at school, of course, still dancing.  Eventually, it just became something that took over when I started writing.

Concert Sutra:             Did you have vocal lessons, or did you just practice a lot?

Ashlyne:          Well, I asked my Dad if he thought it would be a good idea, and he said, “I think because you are so young, I think you are very impressionable, so I think the best way for you to go about it is to get your hands on every type of genre of music,” which I was already exposed to from dance, but he said, “We’ll get you everything.  I want you to learn how to sing it.  Imitate it, and through that you will come up with your own style.”  It was a really interesting approach.  I just went along with what he said, and it worked out for the best.  Now, I’m trained, and have vocal lessons for maintenance, because it is a muscle, but I love that I started out just loving to sing rather than keeping track of what my vocal coach was saying.

Concert Sutra:             Do you ever go karaoke singing?

Ashlyne:          (giggles) Actually, I don’t karaoke.  I take it too seriously, so it’s no fun for me, but Ned (very nice guy inthe room with us who gave me a much needed bottle of ice cold water…THANKS NED!!!) is really good.  Ned’s REALLY good.

Concert Sutra:             I love karaoke!

Ashlyne:          You know, I will karaoke to something…because it is what I do, I really think about the notes, so basically I’d have to do a rap song!  Something I am totally not good at.

Concert Sutra:             Rap karaoke is fun!  (to Ned)  What is your favorite karaoke song?

Ned:    Heart of Gold.

Concert Sutra:             Good answer…Heart of Gold by Ashlyne Huff!

Ashlyne:          Or, Neil Young had one, too.

Concert Sutra:             We’ll go with yours.  I like the video, too!  I took dance for a while, too, so I was immediately like “this girl is a dancer, I can tell!”

Ashlyne:          What kind?

Concert Sutra:             Well, all kinds.  I started when I was very young, too, with the basics of tap, jazz, and ballet, and later went onto pointe, and in college did some modern and hip hop. 

Ashlyne:          You kind of have to learn all the basics.

Concert Sutra:             Tap is my favorite, though.  I am so spastic, I am good at it.

Ashlyne:          I wish I was better at tap. I so wish I was better at it.  I so appreciate it, though.  It’s so hard, and fun to watch.

Concert Sutra:             When you were growing up, was there a particular type of music you were exposed to?

Ashlyne:          Once we moved to Tennessee from L.A., I was really around Country music, because that is what my Dad started to produce, but I grew up on Janet Jackson.  And, I danced to the other stuff, so I don’t really think there was just one.  I wasn’t exposed to Country at dance, because you don’t really dance to Country, so it was pretty well rounded exposure.  I definitely got a lot of the Keith Urban and Rascal Flatts and LeAnn Rimes, which I think you can hear a little of how much I imitated them when I was learning.  I would just sing them to myself, and think, maybe someday!  So, this is a dream come true!

Concert Sutra:             What was it, or who was it that influenced you now to get into the music business?

Ashlyne:          Really a couple of different things…the idea that I really like to create started it all.  I have 25 journals, and I talked to my Dad when I was younger, and told him I really want to write, but I didn’t really know what that meant!  But, wanted to write in some capacity.  He said, “You’ve got to have something to say.  If you don’t have anything to say, it is kind of pointless, because why would you write without a point?”  So, that made me really think about what I would want to say.  I was really young, so I wanted to live more, so I went to school, and did everything I wanted to do to draw in from every aspect of life, so I would actually have some life experience to draw from.  From that point, I realized that I wanna say one thing, and that is that it is ok to be exactly who you are.  That particular thing made me wanna sing and want to say it out loud, instead of just be a physical writer.  I got pushed through the song writing by my Dad, obviously, so, long story short, it was definitely my Dad who told me I could do it, but it was in a lot of other things that kind of came to an agreement in my head…it took a while (giggles).

Concert Sutra:             You still keep a journal and all that.

Ashlyne:          Yes, I’m on #25.  It’s a little crazy! (giggles)

Concert Sutra:             Wow.  That’s dedication!

Ashlyne:          I still love to write, but it’s not a job, just my famous hobby, I guess.

Concert Sutra:             Do you play any instruments other than the vocals?

Ashlyne:          No, that was one thing I started…the piano when I was younger, and I would just get up and turn on Janet Jackson before my Mom could hear me, and before the timer went off, because I had to practice for 30 minutesor something like that.  So, I’d turn on Janet Jackson kind of low in the room and just dance until the timer went off.  She was like, “Yeah, you probably don’t wanna do this.”  (laughs)  I really like it, though, because I get to dance, and am not stuck behind something, but, no, don’t play anything.

Concert Sutra:             So, what is your writing process?  I know a lot of musicians use their pianos or guitars or something to write their songs.  How do you go about doing that?

Ashlyne:          I start with the lyrics, with an idea.  Sometimes it comes from something I’ve written.  Sometimes it comes from one word, or two words.  “Sweet Nothing” totally took on a life form of its own.  I went in there, had an idea…I like to co-write, because I just like to be able to hear someone else’s thoughts, which, I think changes the whole thing, because they draw stuff out of me that I would never think being only one person.  I only have just so much ideas, so when I bounce off of theirs, and start building, you can come up with a crazy…or simple song…whatever the case.  So, I love to have something to say, and then figure out where it goes, just let it go.  I have a lot of great co-writers who let me do that, and they are AWESOME!

Concert Sutra:             How do you travel when you are on the road?  Are you always in a bus?

Ashlyne:          For longer stints like this, we are on a bus, because we drive from place to place.  If they are more spread out in time, we fly to avoid going across the country and back and forth.  Right now, we are on a buss, and it’s nice.  I love the people on it.

Concert Sutra:             How do you pass the time when you are riding around?

Ashlyne:          Sleeping on over nights, obviously.  I bring my journal and my book.  I am always reading something to get into someone’s head, and research what’s going on out there.  I love to watch things on YouTube, and just kind of brush up on stuff that I’ve been missing when I’m on the road.  Very little TV, because there’s no time for it.  Just mainly hang out with the band, and get to know everyone on a different level.  It’s a good time.

Concert Sutra:             I could imagine!  Do you see a solo tour in your future any time soon?

Ashlyne:          I sure hope so.  I don’t know when.

Concert Sutra:             Have you done that, yet?

Ashlyne:          I haven’t.  I’ve been opening thus far, and I love opening.  I love getting to learn after I’m done.  I hope to in the near future have my own tour.  It’s in my sights.

Concert Sutra:             Well, you are doing really well getting your crowd out there, with your website, the social networking, the YouTube channel.  I think the internet these days is the way to go, for sure!

Ashlyne:          Thanks!  I love being on Twitter and those social networking things, because it helps put you on a different…you know…if your fan is in Indonesia, some of my fans are, and we can talk!  We wouldn’t be able to do that without it.  They wouldn’t be able to call me.  I wouldn’t be able to call them.  It’s just really difficult, so it makes everything come into one place, so everyone can chat!  That’s all I want to do.  I want to get to the fans.  That’s the only reason I’m doing this at all.  To be able to have that personal connection with them.

Concert Sutra:             Tell me about recording your first album, and how you went about getting it out to the public.  Also, tell me about your process of recording this next album you are working on.

Ashlyne:          The first one I wrote…I graduated college, and went straight out to Los Angeles for a week…scared to death…and with some really great writers…right before I left, I wrote this song with this guy, which was my first real co-write, and it was “Trippin’ It Up.”  So, right out of college I started writing for the album, and we narrowed it down to the six we have on the album.  The writing process kind of went into the recording process, because instead of just doing something on a guitar into a recorder, we really went into the studio and put a lot of detail into it.  Then, we went back in there after we decided which ones, and polished everything.  It was a different approach, because most of thetime, like in my Dad’s studio, they come in for three months or so, and they don’t do anything besides do that.  But we did it kind of…we would go back a lot and fix and change and polish.  To me, it was the best approach I could take, because I always want to change things, and try to make them perfect, and better and better and better.  You don’t have to settle, you can keep on going back in there and revisiting, so it was great.

Concert Sutra:             The studio is FUN!

Ashlyne:          Yeah, it’s really fun!  So, that was that album, (called Ashlyne Huff) and we put it out in Wal-Mart, on walmart.com, and on iTunes.  It is in those places at the moment.  And, I am starting the writing process all over again, writing, recording, and hoping to get something out as soon as possible, cause that’s what we do!  (giggles)

Concert Sutra:             Probably get a solo tour quicker that way!

Ashlyne:          Right!  Right!  (laughs)

Concert Sutra:             Do you still live in Nashville, or have you migrated to L.A.?

Ashlyne:          Currently, I still live in Nashville.  I will probably get a place out there just so I can be there more often, and have a place I call my own.  I’ll live in dual places.  Family is in Nashville.

Concert Sutra:             Is Nashville where your recording studio is?

Ashlyne:          Both.  It depends.  Basically, wherever I write is where I record.  We typically try to do it that same day, and really start working on it.  I was in Sweden for “Make It Rain,” so it’s really just wherever the producer is.

Concert Sutra:             Get on it while it’s hot…sounds like fun!

Ashlyne:          Yeah, that was awesome!  A little far…quite the plane ride…(giggles)

Concert Sutra:             Eeeewww, yeah, I bet.  Do you have any pets?

Ashlyne:          I do.  His name is Charlie, and he is the love of my life!  He’s a Yorkie, and he lives at my parents’ house.

Concert Sutra:             (looking around)  Where is he??

Ashlyne:          Well, I want him to be able to run around, and we have a really big yard at my house.  My parents take really good care of him.  They take him on walks and stuff, and I don’t want him to get cooped up, or get a bus cough, you know!  (in a slightly baby voice) He has allergies.

Concert Sutra:             (giggles)  Aaaawwwww!  That’s very selfless of you, Mom!

Ashlyne:          I love him, and I just want him to be the same when I get back, and it gives me something to look forward to.

Concert Sutra:             Charlie!  I love Yorkies!  They are SO cute!

Ashlyne:          Yes, Charlie…he is the coolest one…I’m just telling you…

Concert Sutra:             I’ll bet he is!  With a big yard in Nashville, how could he not be??

Ashlyne:          Yes, he gets lost in it!

Concert Sutra:             I heard you like to read books and watch movies.  What is your favorite book, and your favorite movie?

Ashlyne:          My favorite book…I feel like I’m reading it right now.  This author, Elin Hilderbrand, and the book is called The Castaways.  The way she writes, it’s just cool to me.  She starts out with a big thing, and then she unravels it as she goes.  It’s kind of like a murder mystery, possible murder mystery, you know, kind of like a girly book, but whatever…girls like that kind of stuff.  So, Castaways is the book, and I really like, as far as cinematography, I really like The Notebook, which is also from one of my favorite authors Nicholas Sparks…I got confused, I was going to say Jordin!  There’s just something about how he tells stories in a book that translates so well into a movie, and I’m a big book person, so it’s good to go from book to movie.  So, yeah, The Notebook, and The Castaways.

Concert Sutra:             OK, so, do you have an opinion on Team Edward or Team Jacob?

Ashlyne:          I haven’t seen the second movie…

Concert Sutra:             What???  Where have you been…on the road or something???

Ashlyne:          Yes!  I was on the road that whole time, so I missed the whole thing, so it was out of the theatres, and then I missed it again.

Concert Sutra:             OK, you have to catch up.

Ashlyne:          I saw the first movie, and of course, Jacob wasn’t really in there.  What I like about Edward is that he’s really mysterious, but I loved Jacob there, because he’s a little more normal.  I gravitate towards the normal when I look for a guy.

Concert Sutra:             When you get a chance, you really need to read the books.  I never thought I would hear myself say, but I broke down and read them recently…

Ashlyne:          I will.  I have read the same thing from a million people…I don’t know where I’ve been!  In The Castaways, I guess.

Concert Sutra:             You have been on the road and in the recording studio, and that is just fine! 

Ashlyne:          (giggles)  I’ll get on that.

Concert Sutra:             Just let me know…  So, tell me a little more about the Feed Projects.

Ashlyne:          It’s an organization I am really interested in…in general for myself.  I have a couple of feed bags, and every time you donate something, you get something back to show what you’ve donated.  So, I have a feed bag that says 2 on it, and it puts 2 children in Kenya through school for a year.  It’s like an instant…you know you did something, and you can show everyone what you’ve done.  I think it’s a great organization for young men and women to get going, because when you buy a bag, you may as well have helped someone, or if you buy a bear to sleep with, you might as well have helped somebody when you do it. I just like the idea of getting something and giving something.  I just want to get all the people I can involved with it, because I have food, and I had food growing up.  I want all the children…I know a lot of people who had food growing up, but there are so many people out there that don’t, and they can’t get to the next level if they don’t eat.  I think it’s very important, and it’s a little bit lost, because we sometimes just take for granted that we have food everyday.

Concert Sutra:             A really smart strategy to get folks to give with the give and take concept, I think.

Ashlyne:          Yeah, I think they had a great idea with it.  I fully support Feed Projects.  Visit http://www.feedprojects.org/ for more information.

Concert Sutra:             What advice would you give to all the young kids out there who dream about getting into showbiz?

Ashlyne:          I would say if you want to do it, you have to go for it!  The last thing you want to do is regret not going for it.  My main suggestion is to go to school.  And, go all the way through school.  I have a college degree, and I didn’t miss a thing!  You don’t have to be a super star when you’re 15, or 16, or 17.

Concert Sutra:             College was fun!

Ashlyne:          Yeah, and you learn so much about yourself!  And, reverting back, I really feel like I learned what I wanted to say during those formative years, so it really helped me out.  I just think education is really important, just to have.  If you have the means to do it, go for it!  All the while, be cooking up what you want to put out there once you’re done, and you’ll have two things to show for it when you’re done…your diploma, and your career.  It’s also just really believing in yourself.

Concert Sutra:             What did you study in college?

Ashlyne:          I studied Business Administration, with an emphasis on Music Business, so basically my job.

Concert Sutra:             So, you studied the Music Business, so there you go!!  Excellent!  Pretty smart…pretty smart!

Ashlyne:          (giggles)  It was so well worth it.  I loved college.

Concert Sutra:             Alright, well, thank you so much for talking with me, for your time, the pictures, the CD and the autographs…I love autographs!  I will be on the look out for your imminent solo tour!  Good luck, and see you next time!

By terri sapp

Photographs taken by Leah Yetter

© Concert Sutra, All Rights Reserved

click photo for Leah's MAGA photo gallery

2010 was my first experience with the Macon Film Festival after years of hearing about how wonderful a time it was.  I have to say, MaGa surpassed any and all expectations I could have possibly dreamed up from the tales I had been told from years past.  2010 was especially momentous because it was the fifth anniversary of the festival, and the organizers did NOT hold back in celebrating this milestone!  Some of the highlights that were special to Concert Sutra I will share with you here.  After reading, you will understand why it is that I am hooked will be forever ready for a good Q&A!  Concert Sutra’s Photographer, Leah Yetter has been attending the Festival for as long as it has been an event, and told me year after year how she knew, based on my love of the arts and film, how much I would enjoy MaGa.  She has only been more right only a few times in our longtime friendship!!

For those of you on Facebook, I have a couple of photo albums of photos that I took, and photos that Leah Yetter, Photographer took.  Please check them out here:

MY MAGA:  http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=63825&id=1476907249&l=5794dc4f71

LEAH’S MAGA:   http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=63830&id=1476907249&l=cc28947b25

As you can see, we had a blast at the 2010 MaGa Festival!  For more information and to see past coverage of the Macon Film Festival, visit their website at http://www.maconfilmfestival.com/. 

click photo for terri's MAGA photo gallery

The Macon Film Festival is generally a Thursday through Sunday event, and every minute of it is worth catching.  The schedule seems to allow for all of the films that one would want to catch, sometimes showing them multiple times at different venues.  The main venues for the films and workshops include The Cox Capitol Theatre, The Douglass Theatre, the Macon Marriott City Center, and Mercer University.  The films cover a wide range of emotions, and the workshops are informative and inspiring enough to make me want to transfer my theatrical talents to those of screenwriting and filmmaking.  I first showed up on Thursday evening, even though there were festivities going on most of the day.  My first time with MaGa was meeting Karen Black and watching Illeana Douglas’ web-based series Easy To Assemble.  Illeana Douglas participated earlier in the day in the dedication of the “Best In Show Award” renaming it after her grandfather, Macon native, Melvyn Douglas.  She also participated in a Q&A with her Producer, Dominik Rausch, along with her super cute pup Godfrey who follows her everywhere.  Easy to Assemble takes place in a world where Illeana Douglas as herself works as an associate at IKEA.  Her “best” friend Justine Bateman also decided to work (or pretend to work) for IKEA.  Much of what we were viewing surrounded the friendly competition between Illeana and Justine.  During the Q&A, Illeana indicated that there would soon be a Season 3, so to check it out and see what the series is all about, visit the website, http://www.easytoassemble.tv/episodes.php.  Maybe the most exciting part of the evening was the Festival After Party at Dolce Vita Café and Bar where I was able to chat with Illeana Douglas!  I brought my ticket from 1996 when I saw her on the David Letterman Show in New York City, and asked her to autograph it.  She laughed and told me that that was actually her first appearance on a talk show! 

First on the Agenda for Friday, was a very tough to watch for me (who is a bleeding heart for the animals), but important piece of work, Tom McPhee’s An American Opera.  So many people were aware and concerned about the animals left behind during the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, but Tom went and did something and incited others to do the same.  I applaud Tom McPhee for all of the heart wrenching work he does.  It takes a very strong artist to witness the types of disasters he documents and not walk around with tears streaming and a box of tissue!  I did not make it past the first scene in the movie before I was crying uncontrollably.  His work is necessary and extremely special.  When asked during the Q&A how he is able to keep it together while working with such difficult subject matter, he explained how he uses the camera as a filter to hold it together and get the job done.  However, once he is done, and the final project is complete, he allows himself to grieve and be overwhelmed with the emotions he feels.  I can only say WOW!  Tom is working from a mentality that having cameras in a disaster situation keeps folks on their toes.  The most penetrating quote that I took away from An American Opera is, “our treatment of animals is a reflection of our society.”  I am not the only one in awe of the work of director Tom McPhee, local Macon celeb AC Pup, the mascot of the Macon Animal Control Shelter, came down to the screening to collect donations and give love to those in attendance.

Next on our Friday Agenda was a highly unexpected treat called Automorphosis, which showcased the outstanding work of many car artists worldwide.  These cars were so amazing that one might not actually believe that they were cars!  Some of the themes that stood out to me the most included the following:  out house coffin car; spoon car; yarn car; brass van; hamburger motorcycle; liter bug VW Bug; horn car (from Smyrna, Ga); penny van; land yacht, which looks like a boat, but has a bed and couch inside; stain glass mosaic car; van covered with cameras that looks like a camera and can actually take photos; body part car; and a car cathedral made of a hearse and a partial VW Bug on top!  I am forever bewildered by the heights that some artists are able to achieve when they are moved to do so.  Later on Friday night, we found ourselves catching a series of short films.  The Dinner Party featured a very strange couple who lived in a neighborhood where the folks who live there actually have a manual on wrongdoings and missteps regarding neighborhood covenants.  The dinner party at question was an intervention of sorts that goes gravely wrong without the need for the cyanide casserole!  Misfortune Smiles was an interesting short involving a fortune teller, crystal ball, and some deadly predictions. 

click photo for MAGA website

To top the night off, we got a special screening of director Steve Balderson’s newest project Stuck, as well as a fabulous Festival After Party at the Sochi Gallery.  The house was packed at both events, partially due to the largely local cast used in the movie Stuck.  All those involved were out and ready to view and party!  The story of this homage to 50’s female prison black and white movie revolved around a suicide that was mistaken for a murder.  Most of the staging occurred in the jailhouse where the main character Daisy, played by Starina Johnson, ended up after being falsely convicted of murdering her mother, played by local September Carter.  Karen Black (who has quite a long career, but my favorite is seeing her work with Rob Zombie in House of 1000 Corpses) plays a neighbor witness who struggles with what she has witnessed throughout the film.  Jane Wiedlin formerly of the Go-Go’s even plays one of the lady prisoners.  She doesn’t say much, but is quite a character.  If you know the local Macon Theatre community, you will see Theatre Macon Director Jim Crisp as a lawyer in the movie, and Theatre Macon regular Tom Morris as a doctor!  Pleasant Gehman who plays Dutch really looked the part, and did a fabulous job leading Daisy through prison life.  Dutch and Daisy ultimately fall in love and have a gratuitous mutual masturbation scene before Daisy’s demise.  Stealing the show in my opinion was the Guard played by Stacy Cunningham.  This character was mean, nasty, and hilarious!  Cunningham played her flawlessly.

click photo for MAGA website

Saturday was full of fun and high learning for yours truly!  Days like Saturday at the 2010 Macon Film Festival make me understand why the organizers of this festival put so much of their time and energy into putting this thing together.  The Filmmaking 101 workshop with writers and filmmakers Michael Buchanan and Jason Winn and the Acting for Stage and Screen workshop with actress Illeana Douglas was my best spent time of the entire festival.  I learned so much about the processes of filmmaking and screen vs. stage acting that I was moved to give filmmaking a try!  I have always loved film and have had an over the top obsession with movies, but never thought to give it a go.  Since these workshops, I have been working on a screenplay of my own that one day I hope to submit to the Macon Film Festival!!  Who knows, right?  The Filmmaking 101 workshop offered a step by step guide to getting a film made, from the process of screenwriting to the hardest part of finding the funds to actually shoot your work.  Every bit of information from Michael Buchanan and Jason Winn has helped me s far in my journey to get a screenplay written, and networked to the right folks.  One of the highlights of the Acting for Stage and Screen workshop with Illeana Douglas was the demonstration of the different methods of acting used by Douglas in her work.  Being such a successful actor, Douglas was able to give examples that all attendees would recognize.  She also made it fun and interesting by using members of the audience to establish the nuances of each method.  One “Ah Hah” moment I had during Illeana’s workshop was when she explained why she preferred screen work to stage work.  With stage work, all of this time and energy is put into the project only to show for the run of the play, and with screen work, all of your time and energy, once it is complete will live on forever in the form of a film.  This seems pretty obvious, but I just never thought of it this way. 

click photo for MAGA website

Getting geared up for the grand finale on Saturday, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, we were able to view quite a few features and shorts.  One really special Narrative Feature, Blue Bus, starring Ron Recasner as August Dupree and director Phil Scarpaci as Joseph Mafe, followed two friends on a trip with a purpose that ended in a New Orleans cemetery.  In the final scene, all of the music and soul culminates into a very touching a cappella song in memory of loved ones passed.  On the last day of the festival, there were some technical difficulties on the final viewing of Blue Bus, and the actors who were in attendance of the festival gave an extremely special live version of the end of the film, song included.  Goosebumps for all.  Letters From Home was a touching short about the soldiers in Afghanistan and their different experiences surrounding the mail call.  Puppets of War on the other hand was a graphic short made with puppets, carnage, death, and buckets of blood. 

And then there was Alley Pat: The Music is Recorded…this Documentary Feature was my absolute favorite of all of what I saw!  Alley Pat was a disc jockey in Atlanta in the 50’s who did a lot of improvising, especially on the sponsor’s commercials.  The advertisers loved his style just as much as the listeners, because they paid him directly instead of the station.  He told it like it was for sure.  His humor crossed the color lines, even way back then!  He was so loved by the artists he played that he had the Drifters, Temptations, Sam Cooke, Lil’ Richard, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and more coming to the studio to promote shows they had coming up.  Alley Pat even went on tour with Ike and Tina Turner.  In the 60’s, he worked as a bail bondsman, and with the civil rights movement helping get folks out of jail.  His tag line “the music is recorded” came from the 30’s when there was a requirement to state when non-live music was being played.  His personality, even now when he is into his nineties comes through loud and strong.  The personal recordings that were saved throughout the years by the director of this documentary, out of love for his show, would be extremely valuable in a personal collection in my opinion!  I would love to listen to them all day long.  The more recent interviews that also made up much of Alley Pat: The Music is Recorded are also classic and priceless!  Read the blog and hear some clips from Alley Pat here: http://alleypattapes.blogspot.com/ and subscribe to the Alley Pat You Tube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/AlleyPatMovie.  This documentary should be distributed worldwide, but I am just glad that I was in the audience at the 2010 Macon Film Festival to learn about this genius piece of work on what I believe was the first time it was shown!

Another highlight of Saturday was the Student film Unearthed that was written, directed, produced, and edited by Alexander Atkins.  This film is very true to its name, and has a lot of Earthy imagery.  A man moves to the country to write, and becomes temporarily obsessed with his distractions.  A tree that the main character struggles with to decide whether to leave it inside or plant it outside plays a great role in this short film.  After deciding to plant the tree outside, while digging, he hits something under the Earth.  The tree ends up back in the house while the unknown object under the ground became the main focus.  It turns out that it is a car under the ground, which housed personal items, including a lamp, a box of random stuff, and an old school typewriter.  In the end, the character, after getting through nightmares of being buried in the car, ends up comfortable using the typewriter to write freely with the tree buried in the yard.  This film has a fantastic soundtrack, and awesomely dreamlike cinematography.  For more projects from this director, and to see more on Unearthed, visit http://www.drawingboardfilms.com/.   

This Side Up was one of the most fun and entertaining Narrative Shorts on Saturday.  A guy gets in a cargo crate to ship himself to a girl.  He has beer and Cheetos in the crate with him.  Eventually, the guy gets out of the crate in the back of the delivery truck, and discovers a Mexican guy in another crate.  They end up smoking a joint together and getting really blitzed and playing cards to pass the time.  Once they are close to delivery, they get back into the crates.  The problem is that the crates are mixed up.  The main character ends up in Mexico, and the Mexican guy ends up with his girl.  For sure a comedy of errors!

click photo for MAGA website

The grand finale of Saturday was watching on my favorite films, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Q&A with actor originally from Macon Jack McBrayer, and the Festival After Party at Bright Blue Sky Productions.  Jack spoke with the audience, and answered many questions.  He also got a key to the city from the Mayor and a special MaGa Award.  He explained how he met Tina Fey at Second City in Chicago, and got started doing a lot of improvisation.  Then, Tina Fey wrote the character, Kenneth, from 30 Rock with him in mind, which is a dream come true!  Of course, he loves working in films with Judd Apatow…who wouldn’t!!  When asked if he would consider doing serious roles, he said he would, but he bet you’d laugh! 

Sunday, the last day of the Festival was another full day/night of workshops and films.  I first made it to the Renegade Filmmaking (Small Budget, Big Film), where Stuck Director Steve Balderson gave many great tips on budgeting and ways to cut corners without compromising the quality of the product.  He talked quite a bit about selling yourself and your work.  Balderson even suggested a great payment schedule for folks who have to pay upon selling, which would have to be most all of those starting out in the craft.  He also went over many important steps in the process, from writing to casting to storyboarding to shooting. 

The Awards ceremony celebrated all of the favorites of the judges, as follows:  Animation, 1^st place went to Sebastian’s Voodoo, 2^nd place went to Skylight, 3^rd place went to Gym Lesson; Documentary, 1^st place went to Automorphosis, 2^nd place went to Alley Pat: The Music is Recorded, 3^rd place went to 45365; Experimental, 1^st place went to Even Flowers Wake Up in the Morning, 2^nd place went to Horizons, 3^rd place went to East Planet, Student, 1^st place went to Insha’Allah, 2^nd place went to My Homework Ate My Dog, 3^rd place went to Non-Love Story; Narrative Short, 1^st place went to Small Collection, 2^nd place went to Down in Number 5, 3^rd place went to Badewanne zum GI; Narrative Feature, 1^st place went to Road to Sangam, 2^nd place went to Myna is Gone, 3^rd place went to Blue Bus; and Best in Show went to Automorphosis. 

The grand finale of the 2010 Macon Film Festival was a special screening of That Evening Sun starring Macon native Carrie Preston, with Hal Holbrook, Dixie Carter, Mia Wasikowski, and Ray McKinnon.  A highly powerful and emotional story, That Evening Sun touches on domestic and animal abuse, ageism, socioeconomic conflict, inner family struggles, mourning dead loved ones, and various legal battles.  After the screening, we were treated to a Skype session with Carrie Preston, which was super cool.  Carrie’s Mom was there enjoying all of the fans of her daughter asking questions and paying compliments.  It was a special end to a special Festival!  If you are interested in learning all kinds of valuable information about filmmaking, and viewing a whole spectrum of long and short films, be sure to attend next year’s Sixth Annual 2011 Macon Film Festival!  Visit http://www.maconfilmfestival.com/ for more updated information in the beginning of 2011.