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Wednesday morning was a little surreal. It just didn't seem possible that the iconic McClung Warehouses were being completely gutted by a mammoth, sky-high fire. And it didn't seem real that the wind was carrying flames and starting new fires as far away as Barley's. But it was all too real: morning television shows were interrupted by live coverage, the interstate was reduced to a crawl, and the internet was abuzz with live feeds, blogs, and message boards devoted to the story. Even with the umpteen pictures all over the media taken of the building on fire, it still took awhile for the magnitude of the loss to sink in.

And then the questions began. Was it the city's fault or the owner's? Was it accidental or was it arson? That nutter seriously lived in that building? Without electricity? Dude, that's weird.




We here at 520 are proud of our men in black and yellow, and we're glad to hear that last week's injured firefighters are on the road to recovery. However, this week's edition of The Monday After is dedicated to that firetruck that was parked just a little too close to the burning building on Wednesday morning. May she rest in peace.



And now for our weekly rankings!

Fences at the Clarence Brown Theatre

If you missed seeing Fences at the Clarence Brown Theatre, shame on you. The Pulitzer Prize winning play by August Wilson is one of the most well-crafted stories ever to be set upon the stage. The gritty disparity explored in Fences is not easy to swallow, but still you're left with a sweet taste of hope once the curtain falls. I've seen this show produced two other times, but the majority of the cast of the CBT's show took me further into Wilson's saga of racial tension, family values and social status than any other production.

Kudos to the director, cast and also the set designer, who made me feel like I was looking at an actual inner-city tenament house. I'd love to see more things of this quality hit the sadly inconsistant CBT stage! (5/5) -F.H.

Llama Train at the Preservation Pub

This past Friday night I had the pleasure of seeing Llama Train, a local pseudo-jam band, at Preservation Pub. I've seen them a handful of times before, but more so than ever on this evening the crowd was dancing like mad, myself included, as Llama Train played until about 2 a.m. They're a fairly good live show, often switching instruments and vocal responsibilities, and certainly worth their $3 cover. (4/5) -D.S.

Breakers Sports Bar & Grill

This weekend I spent some time at Breakers Sports Bar & Grill (5000 Clinton Highway, Knoxville). Was it quality time? Not bad, really, as far as hanging out in a "sports bar" goes. Before this past Saturday night, I'd never seen a pool tournament - like a real, official one - in progress; now I have. Pool sharks aside, the number of fellow revelers packed in there with me was amazing - from the outside, the place is pretty unassuming and hides its actual size well. Unfortunately, it was so busy, my friends and I didn't have much luck getting quick service at the bar. Still, if you want to immerse yourself in Knoxville's Saturday night sports bar culture, Breakers appears to be the real deal. (Plus, once the kitchen closes, there's a 24-hour Krystal restaurant right across the street. Bonus!) (3/5) -B.T.

Bernadette West Party at the Preservation Pub

Last night was the going-away-party for Bernadette West at the Preservation Pub. It was supposed to be a surprise party, but I'm pretty sure several folks involved let the secret slip over the past couple of days. Nevertheless, it ended up being one of the best parties seen on Market Square in a long time. Some of Bernadette's favorite bands were asked to play a few songs in honor of the opportunities both she and Scott have given local musicians. Christabel & the Jons w/ Matt Morelock, Sara Schwabe & her Yankee Jass Band, Phil Pollard & the Band of Humans, Brandy Robinson and Llama Train all paid tribute to Bernadette in song and spirit. Somewhat of a big jam session, all the groups randomly traded off musicians and equipment and proved that the fellowship the Wests sought to create with the Preservation Pub has truly inspired local artists to work together. After last night, this audience member is conviced that the positive musical energy of Market Square will carry on through the Wests' unfortunate sentences. (5/5) -L.M.

Notes on a Scandal

I've been wanting to bitch-slap Dame Judi Dench for quite sometime now. I mean, that face. It's just so very unpleasant. Deep down, I'm sure she's a lovely person. No, that's a big fat lie. I'm convinced she's just like her characters: icy, snobby, and mean. I don't condone violence, or condone assaulting celebrities, so I've been resigned to never have my dream of taking Judi Dench down a notch realized.

Imagine my childlike joy, then, at getting to watch Cate Blanchett, movie goddess, get in a cat fight with the old badger in Notes on a Scandal. It was like watching Galadriel battle Gollum in an epic cinematic battle of pretty versus evil.

Dench's countenance aside, the movie was superb. Dench and Blanchett are masters at what they do, and watching the twisted relationship develop between their sublimely crafted characters over the course of the flick is a film connoisseur's wet dream. Extra kudos to Blanchett for doing the impossible: making you sympathize with, essentially, a statutory rapist. (4/5) -J.B.






Be good and don't play with matches! See you next week!