Editorial
Front Page - Friday, May 14, 2010
River City Roundabout
No chains needed
What better way to start a column on all things local than with the alternative metal show by rockers with an infamous past: Alice in Chains.
 The first Alice in Chains studio album in 14 years, “Black Gives Way to Blue,” has put the band back on the charts and allowed a whole new generation to revel in their sound. Chattanooga fans new and old packed the Memorial Auditorium for the April 28 show.
Although I can’t say I listened to AIC in their original heyday, after the performance I felt like a lifelong fan. Before the show though, I needed to fill the tank with some local grub.
About a block away from the Memorial Auditorium, on Vine Street, is a small brick building tucked between a campus bookstore and apartments that have housed their fair share of students over the years. The University Pizza and Deli, known to the regulars as The UPD, has been serving at their current location since 1997, but is an often overlooked eatery because of its proximity to the UTC campus. Yet the clientele is hardly limited to students, with business people enjoying an after work meal as well as four concert-goers I met who had the same idea of filling up their stomachs before they would fill up their ears.
The UPD has a casual and quaint atmosphere. The server taking your order will most likely be student or part of the family who owns the UPD. Images of Palestine, Mosques and a T-shirt from the Hard Rock Café in Jerusalem adorn the walls to reflect the family’s heritage. Alongside these items are UTC memorabilia. It is quite the contrast, but this blending of two cultures is also reflected in the menu, with items such as falafel, gyros, Baba Ganoush alongside tater tots, pizza, hamburgers, chicken parmesan and Philly cheesesteak. My stomach certainly didn’t know where to turn.
Although I missed the Tuesday $5 pizza deal, I ordered one of their pizzas anyway, topped with mushroom, sausage and pepperoni along with an order of cheese breadsticks. The pizza came out hot, with a soft crust, topped with juicy mushrooms and made from homemade dough that offered an enjoyable, salty taste. I may have confused the waitress though, because she brought me mozzarella sticks rather than cheese breadsticks, but they were crispy, hot and went well with the cold marinara sauce they came with. I stuffed myself with this meal and took the rest to go as I walked to the show.
The opener for the show was Shooter Jennings, son of country music singer Waylon Jennings. The group effort of his band in electronic beats, coupled with amazing guitar solos and Jennings flexibility to play any instrument he was handed, made for a sound reminiscent of a heavy country music Pink Floyd. I particularly enjoyed the Nashville native’s song “California via Tennessee,” about a move made to California solely to get away from a lady friend in Tennessee.
Then there was Alice in Chains. When the white curtain with the heart hologram dropped to reveal the band, they wasted no time in assaulting the eardrums – in a good way. Their set alternated between previous albums and their latest with Cantrell and DuVall sharing the singing workload almost equally. Cantrell’s abilities with a guitar are not fully appreciated in the studio, and seeing him live was a jaw-dropping affair.
While losing your front man is usually the death sentence for a band, AIC has not suffered this fate, and indeed might be a smoother and savvier band than when they began, with experience gained along their career, even with the loss of Staley. Although, it is hard to say anyone could replace his vocal prowess, DuVall gives him a run for the money. His similarity to Staley’s sound is phenomenal; it’s a difficult comparison.
All the favorites songs, new and old, made an appearance before the band made their exit with a shower of guitar picks and drum sticks on the audience as well as tossing out a signed drum cover that two men in my row almost killed each other to get their hands on. But, considering the show AIC had just put on, who wouldn’t?
The most impressive factor in this was the ability of this band to speak to fans in any decade. Before the show, my 15-year-old sister, who was born when Staley and the band were making their last performances, asked me to pick her up a band t-shirt.
Mind you, this is the same sister who likes Taylor Swift.
To me, this speaks of the ability of this band to draw fans of any age and music taste, and I’m sure I’m not the only one excited about the fifth studio album the band has hinted at. There are certainly no chains holding this band down.
Email Erica Tuggle at reporter@hamiltoncountyherald.com.
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