2015-16 whatzup Dining Club Cards on Sale Now NOVEMBER 12-18, 2015 Playing from the Heart Blues Guitarist Tinsley Ellis Story on Page 2 Also Inside Jackson Browne Great White Jesus Christ Superstar A Christmas Story - The Musical God’s Ear The Just So Stories Art & Entertainment Calendars WWW.WHATZUP.COM FACEBOOK.COM/WHATZUPFORTWAYNE FACEBOOK.COM/WHATZUPFORTWAYNE WWW.WHATZUP.COM Music, Movie, Theater & Book Reviews ---------------------Cover Story • Tinsley Ellis ------------------ Burgers • Bands • Bourbon Playing from the Heart By Mark Hunter poured it all out on stage. So yeah, sometimes I get so worked up down in my basement writing and singing A few years ago the rock/blues guitarist Tinsley that I just get exhausted. And I’m a morning person, so Join Us for All Ellis was going through some old music files on his I may go down there at six in the morning and by noon computer. The songs were mostly demos spanning his I’m just like done for the day. Have to take a little nap Komets Home Games 35-year career, things he’d played live, cover tunes and regroup.” and originals. Just for fun he collected the instrumen- Ellis is not your typical blues musician. He has a tals into a file and found that he had 20 or 30. He’d degree in history from Emory University in Atlanta, THURSDAYS always wanted to release an album of instrumentals, where he lives. He approaches the blues and his music so he got a band together and recorded Get It. The with the eye of a historian. He sees the survival of the only problem? He blues as dependent College Night & couldn’t find a label not on the reemer- willing to release it. gence of the B.B. Music Industry Night It wasn’t as King big band era but though Ellis was on the fact that guitar some nobody guitar music is popular and SATURDAYS player. Far from it. the blues is included He’d been around for in that. a long time and had “The blues came College Football released 11 albums out of a scenario of on three different la- racial discrimina- on Big Screen TV bels, including Cap- tion and things like ricorn, Telarc and the that. The people that king of blues labels, made blues music Alligator. initially didn’t set out SUNDAYS So he did what a to even have a career lot of people are do- in music. They were NFL Ticket ing these days. farmers and factory “I couldn’t get workers and just hap- 4910 N. Clinton Street, Fort Wayne • 209.2117 any label interested pened to catch the in it, and I thought, ear of Keith Richards ‘Well, I’ll just put it and Eric Clapton. If out myself,’” Ellis it wasn’t for the Brit- said in a recent phone ish Invasion, I don’t interview. “I felt know if it would that strongly about have been a big deal it. And it really put because nobody paid a smile on people’s much attention to it faces. It made a big here. So it’s really a profit too. And when phenomenon. I don’t it came time to do know that you can the next one, I just TINSLEY ELLIS recreate those con- decided that since I 8 p.m. Friday, November 20 ditions, and I don’t already had a label going, C2G Music Hall know that you would want I could put out an album to. whenever I wanted to and 323 W. Baker St., Fort Wayne “So the good news is I could make whatever al- Tix: $15-$30 thru Neat Neat Neat that guitar music is on the bum I wanted to. And that rise and that includes the felt good.” Record Store, Wooden Nickel Music blues genre. Guitar was That good feeling has Stores & www.c2gmusichall.com made for playing blues. led to two more exception- Guitar is king. I didn’t ally good records in as many years. Get It came out in make that rule I just enforce it. Guitar is on the up-rise 2013, Midnight Blue in 2014 and Tough Love earlier so that’s a good thing. That’s what I do.” this year. All three have been well-received by fans He could have easily followed a path to academia, and critics alike. And vinyl lovers will get the chance but he chose the life of a blues guitar player over that to nab Tough Love after the first of the year. of a professor. It’s a choice he has not regretted. Blues Blast Magazine selected Tough Love as best “I let music into my life as an invited guest; then Rock Blues album of the year. it turned into a friend; then it turned into a constant “I think that might be the first award I’ve won companion. Then music turned into a controller, and since winning the Latin award in high school,” Ellis now it’s a tyrant. Can’t get it to turn back into anything said, dryly. “Excellence in Latin.” else. It’s got me, got a hold of me.” Ellis peppered our conversation with droll humor. Turns out that’s not a bad thing. Not for Ellis and He said the motto for his label, Heartfixer, after the certainly not for music lovers. Fellow musicians have Albert King song, is “High Hopes, Low Expecta- long recognized the talent and passion Ellis brings to tions.” Just goes to show you the blues ain’t about just his playing. He’s good friends with Warren Haynes feeling sad. Which is not to say Ellis doesn’t play and and Derek Trucks, to name two guys who know their sing with deep emotion. After seeing B.B. King for way around a fretboard. He’s had people like Peter the first time, Ellis realized that you have to play from Buck and Chuck Leavell, as well as Trucks, make your heart. Otherwise you’re just faking it. guest appearances on his albums. When Alligator Re- “I think in the blues medium you pretty much bet- cords founder Bruce Iglauer finally gave Ellis a good ter do that or it’s not going to satisfy,” he said. “I re- member the first time I went to see B B. King he just Continued on page 4 2 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- www.whatzup.com ----------------------------------------------------------November 12, 2015 whatzup Volume 20, Number 15 t’s been a busy week for us here at World Headquarters, and before we mention what you’ll find in this issue, we’d like make you aware of a couple I of items. First item: The 2015-16 whatzup Dining Club cards offering buy one-get one or comparable savings at 20 area restaurants are now available. You can order online at whatzup.com or use the form on page 15 of this issue. Right now you Saturday, Nov. 14 • 8pm • $20-$40 can get one card for $18 and as many additional cards for friends, family and co- workers for just $10. This special pricing is in effect only until December 12, so you’ll want to act fast. UPCOMING EVENTS JOSHUA Item No. 2: We’re asking all of our readers to help us compile the ballot for the Best of 2015 whatzup Readers Poll by going to whatzup.com and taking a few DAVIS moments to nominate your favorite artists, clubs, media personalities, etc. You can make up to two nominations in as many or as few categories as you wish. Friday, Nov. 20 • 8pm • $15-$30 The results will be used to draw up the official ballot which will be published in January 2016. TINSLEY With that out of the way, there’s much to see and do here in northeast Indiana as the holiday season gets underway, and we’re happy to bring it all to you in the convenient, extremely well organized and comprehensive (not to mention) art and ELLIS entertainment guide that is whatzup. You’ll find this issue’s contents immediately below this paragraph, or you can simply start turning pages and let yourself be surprised. Either way, enjoy – and don’t forget to tell one and all that whatzup sent you. November 13 | 7:30pm inside the issue IRLS I G HT UT Saturday, Nov. 21 • 8pm • $25-$40 • features SCREEN TIME ...............................14 G N O New James Bond Film Opens Big THE MUSICAL GREAT WHITE ON BOOKS .....................................16 TINSLEY ELLIS ...........................................2 Pop Sonnets Nov. 14 | 8pm ACOUSTIC SHOW Playing from the Heart CURTAIN CALL ............................... 17 Saturday, Nov. 28 • 8pm • $15-$30 JACKSON BROWNE ..................................4 A Christmas Story: The Musical Keeping Up the Good Fight EAST on CURTAIN CALL ............................... 18 SUCH GREAT WHITE.............................................5 Jesus Christ Superstar Ready to Quietly Rock PRODUCTION NOTES .................... 19 CO RBI N The Just So Stories A • columns & reviews PRODUCTION NOTES .................... 19 Nov. 17 | 7:30pm God’s Ear NIGHT SPINS ...............................................6 JACKS on RECREATING THE MUSIC ForeverAtLast, W.A.S.P., Beach House, Destroyer, • calendars OF THE LAST WALTZ Deerhunter BR O W N E BACKTRACKS ..................................6 LIVE MUSIC & COMEDY ...................7 Friday, Dec. 4 • 8pm • $15-$30 Redbone, Wovoka (1973) MUSIC/ON THE ROAD ...................12 Nov. 25-Dec. 3 OUT & ABOUT ...................................7 JOHNNY A Make Some PBR Art, Earn Some $$ ROAD TRIPZ ..................................13 ROAD NOTEZ ................................. 12 ART & ARTIFACTS .........................16 FESTIVAL FLIX ................................................ 14 THINGS TO DO ..............................17 Burnt STAGE & DANCE ...........................18 of TREES SAVE THE DATE! The Piano Guys ............................... Dec. 3 Straight No Chaser ......................... Dec. 9 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Saturday, Dec.