Knoxville Marathon 2013

Posted on April 12, 2013 Written by 2 Comments
Knoxville Marathon Start, April 2013

Knoxville Marathon Start, April 2013

It’s hard to know at the end of this week whether I should continue recounting last weekend or move the focus to the upcoming weekend. I’ll go with last weekend, but I must mention that this weekend is likely the biggest of the Dogwood Arts Festival, with the Arts and Crafts Festival on Market Square and throughout Krutch Park. The artisan works are phenomenal and the food tent, in which chefs prepare dishes with wine pairings, is one of my favorite single events of the year.

Mayor Rogero, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Mayor Rogero, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

American Flag on Clinch Avenue, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

American Flag on Clinch Avenue, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Arm Cyclists, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Arm Cyclists, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Still, I must give a nod to last weekend’s Knoxville Marathon which drew several thousand people. The race has grown to include a 5K, Half-Marathon, Marathon and Marathon Relay. Urban Son-in-Law backed off to the half-marathon this year and many Urban Friends ran various other races. I think one reason for the massive crowds last weekend was the marathon, as a number of people came in from out of town or simply stayed downtown to enjoy the other events going on.

Health and Fitness Expo, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Health and Fitness Expo, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Health and Fitness Expo, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Health and Fitness Expo, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Arm Cyclists2, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Arm Cyclists, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Arm Cyclists3, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Arm Cyclists, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

I love the fact that a fitness-based event has become so big in the city. It also works beautifully to have so many great activities downtown to greet any out-of-town visitors. There is no way someone visited the city last weekend, encountered the beautiful weather, pianos on the square, Chalk Walk, First Friday, Rhythm and Blooms and came away with anything other than a very positive impression of what is happening here. They also spent time and money in the Health and Fitness Expo on Saturday.

Knoxville Marathon Start, April 2013

Knoxville Marathon Start, April 2013

Knoxville Marathon Start, April 2013

Knoxville Marathon Start, April 2013

Knoxville Marathon Runner, April 2013

Knoxville Marathon Runner, April 2013

Knoxville Marathon Start, April 2013

Knoxville Marathon Start, April 2013

The starting line and staging area always attract me. Nerves jangle about at every turn, runners giddy with excitement warm up maybe a bit too much. Proud families wish their loved ones well. The mayor spoke at this year’s opening and the national anthem makes any sporting fan’s blood reach a quick boil of anticipation. Some are there to win, others to have fun and others simply to finish. Music pounds from a PA system as it will throughout the race as live bands play for the runners.

Entertainment on Market Square, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Entertainment on Market Square, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

John D. Cable and the Empty Bottle Band, Clinch and Locust, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

John D. Cable and the Empty Bottle Band, Clinch and Locust, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

I photographed eventual winner Wojciech Kopec (2:22:15) as he left the start line (red jersey above, number 2), but missed him at the twenty-five mile mark. I did catch Edward Tabut passing the UT Conference Center, heading into the final stretch. He was about three minutes behind first place. He also nearly left the course by not turning onto Locust, but a policeman yelled, pointed and Edward corrected his course.

Second Place Runner (No. 4), Mile Tweny-five, Knoxville Marathon 2013

Second Place Runner (No. 4), Edward Tabut, Mile Tweny-five, Knoxville Marathon 2013

Third Place Runner, Mile Twenty-four, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Third Place Runner, Bryan Morseman, Mile Twenty-four, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Fourth Place Runner, Mile Twenty-Three, Knoxville Marathon 2013

Fourth Place Runner, Stewart Ellington, Mile Twenty-Three, Knoxville Marathon 2013

Fifth Place Runner, Mile Twenty-four, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Fifth Place Runner, Abraham Kogo, Mile Twenty-four, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

About four minutes behind him was Bryan Moresman in third and I really felt for the next two guys as I photographed them leaving Market Square. They ran within steps of each other around the twenty-four mile mark and clearly, they would battle to the finish line. In the end, while Stewart Ellington (No. 6) lead by a few yards at that point, Abraham Kogo (No. 3) would pass him in the end to win fourth place. Two seconds separated them at the finish line. You can find complete results here.

Half-Marathon Medal, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Half-Marathon Medal, Knoxville Marathon, April 2013

Others would pass through downtown on into the afternoon. In fact, Urban Son-in-Law spotted a couple going through around 4:00, well after the official times have stopped. It reminds me of Cake’s awesome song, “The Distance.” All that matters at that point is finishing. And whether anyone else knows or acknowledges the fact, you know. It has to feel good. I never made it to the complete marathon and I admire those who do.

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April 2012 First Friday, Market Square

Posted on April 9, 2012 Written by 1 Comment
Market Square, First Friday April 2012

It’s worth saying that this had to be one of the all-time most spectacular weather weekends in Knoxville History. Chilly enough for a light jacket all morning, comfortable enough to walk in the sunshine under gloriously blue skies all weekend. It was simply magnificent. Urban Woman and I enjoyed First Friday, but the whole weekend was simply amazing. We sat outside the French Market Saturday mid-morning sharing a crepe and coffee and pretending we were back in Paris. It felt like Paris or San Francisco in the summer. A young man helpfully walked by pulling his suitcase competing the motif.

Man Reading the Bible Aloud on Market Square

But before that it was First Friday – which also happened to be Good Friday on the Christian calendar. There was far too much to put into one post, so today I’ll just tell you what we found on Market Square as the evening got started. It was enough to indicate that the night would be jam-packed with fun.

Girl Skateboarding around Market Square Fountain

The first thing that hit me when we entered the square just after 5:30 was the size of the crowd. People were simply everywhere. Some were engaged in any of a number of activities spread around the area while others simply shared the space with friends, talking and laughing and generally enjoying the cool temperatures.

Bronze Guy on Market Square
Bronze Guy on Market Square
Bronze Guy makes new friends

There was some evidence of the fact that it was Good Friday. One of the first things I noticed (after the girl skateboarding around the fountain in her dress) was a gentleman reading the Bible aloud. No one seemed to be listening and this fact did not seem to disturb him. In the background a choir sang on the Market Square Stage.

The bronze guy was back and up to his usual non-shenanigans as he stood stoically in place. After a particularly heated debate between some teenagers regarding whether he was “real” he did suddenly swing his face toward them before freezing again which led to the inevitable squeals. One thing that bugged me a bit: I saw this guy and a guy twirling fire entertain large numbers of people – some of whom like the girls in the picture above had their picture made with the buskers – and get no money. As in none. Give the guy a tip, people. Otherwise they will go away.

Ribbon Twirler entertains the children
Ribbon Twirler on Market Square

Another man waved about a large stick with ribbons attached to the end, much to the delight of children who chased it about but seemed almost inexplicably disciplined about not grabbing and breaking the ribbon thus ending the game for the night.

Green Initiative offered a little education for your Friday Night

I’ll cover the Knox Heritage Salvage show in a separate post, but even without that or the other various events inside stores and restaurants, the crowd exhorted, cavorted and generally made their own fun. Absolutely delightful.

Filed Under: Bronze Guy, Downtown Knoxville, Downtown Knoxville Blogs, First Friday, First Friday April 2012, Knoxville Tennessee, knoxville tennessee blogs, Market Square, Ribbon Twirler

April First Friday, What to do?

Posted on April 6, 2012 Written by 2 Comments
New Sculpture, Krutch Park, Knoxville, April 2012

Happy Friday to everyone. It looks like the weather will be awesome for our monthly street party in the city and the crowds promise to be huge. As usual, there is so much to do in such a short amount of time, there is no way to catch it all. The most complete listing of events I’ve found is here.

A typical First Friday involves art openings all over downtown. Restaurants in particular are often the site of exhibitions of local or regional artists and this month is no exception in that regard. You might want to arrive in the downtown area as early as possible if you’d like to eat in a restaurant as the wait list grows rapidly throughout the evening. With any luck you’ll be able to enjoy some art and good food without too much wait.

New Sculpture, Krutch Park, Knoxville, April 2012

While there is still daylight left you might want to wander around Krutch Park where you will find a number of new sculptures which have been installed in the last couple of weeks. The Dogwood Arts committee decided to expand this great program last year to allow for the displays of these works of art for an entire year. I always miss some of the ones to which I’d grown accustomed, but it is also exciting to see the new works as they arrive. I’m already feeling more connected to this group than the last as a whole.

New Sculpture, Krutch Park, Knoxville, April 2012

I also enjoy watching the people, of course. Some great people watching is to be found on Krutch Park where you might typically enjoy a drum circle. Gay Street and Market Square are packed with people ranging from west Knoxville suburbanites to friends from areas surrounding the city and the usual cast of characters from downtown. The crowd is never dull.

New Sculpture, Gay Street, Knoxville

An unusual addition to this First Friday, is  the second annual Salvage Show presented by Knox Heritage. The show includes art made from architectural salvage by a list of prominent area artists. The exhibition will be held on the second floor of 36 Market Square, meaning you get the added bonus of seeing the inside of that great renovation. More details may be found here.

Morelock Music 411 South Gay Street, Music Until Late

The heart of First Friday is the arts and, in addition to art in restaurants and music spread in every direction, there are, of course, the formal galleries and this is their night to shine. The Art Market on Gay Street often has the coolest music going and featured artists from their co-op on hand to tell you about their works of art for purchase. Music is also generally found nearby at Morelock Music (standing room only) and WDVX studios at the corner of Gay and Summit Hill.

Old Photo of the 100 Block

Knoxville also has an Art District and this is where I inevitably spend most of my time. A concentration of galleries and other creative venues is clustered on the 100 Block of Gay Street and this is also the  site this First Friday of special celebrations. You can find more details here (click Art on the Block). Not only are there openings at every turn, but there is live music throughout the block as well as a drum line, fire eaters, $15 all-you-can-drink beer at 11 Cafe and much more.

New Sculpture, Krutch Park, Knoxville, April 2012

What’s not to like? Watch for me and say, “hello,” if you see me about. It promises to be a great night for everyone.

Filed Under: 100 Block, 36 Market Square, Art District, Art in the City, Downtown Knoxville, Downtown Knoxville Blogs, First Friday, Knox Heritage, Morelock Music, Sculptures

First Friday, Art and Passing Time in the City

Posted on February 22, 2012 Written by 1 Comment
Harpist on Market Square, Knoxville, February 2012

It’s hard to believe how quickly the winter has passed. There hasn’t really been much of one as far as the weather goes. It was just New Year and now it’s almost spring. I’ve barely gotten used to the winter hours for Just Ripe and they will be changing soon to spring hours.

Jazz in the Art Market, Gay Street, Knoxville, February 2012

In the hurry through February, I realize I never mentioned anything about First Friday this month. I like to throw it out there for your consideration because the art openings that night are generally up for the month at the Emporium and the UT Gallery. We also had a harpist on Market Square, though she came with strings attached. Her compatriots hovering nearby passed out religious tracts to anyone who paused. As always, we enjoyed the jazz in the Art Gallery on Gay Street, so there was a little soundtrack to the night.

Art in the Balcony at the Emporium, Knoxville

I didn’t particularly care for the exhibit on the balcony this go around. Somehow it just didn’t reach out and grab me. Maybe it will grab you. It’s called “Forward” and it is produced by Pellissippi State faculty. The piece pictured here looked like plastic that might have washed up on the banks of a polluted river – with a light illuminating it from behind. I’m sure I’m just not sophisticated enough to appreciate it all and, given the right tutelage, I might realize how incredible it really is.

Jake Livesay, Acrylic at the Emporium

Jake Livesay, Acrylic at the Emporium, Knoxville, 2012

Downstairs, two artists shared the space in a exhibition titled, “If Not Now, When? The emphasis for the artists, apparently is experiencing the moment. Jake Livesay exhibited works in acrylic, many of which featured a seemingly Native American motif. At first I didn’t care for it, but the more I studied it, the more it drew me in. It’s very geometric in nature, which can cause a work to seem cold or emotionally distant in my view, but that wasn’t so much the case with these pieces.

Victor Schmidt, Emporium, Knoxville

Victor Schmidt, Emporium, Knoxville

Victor Schmidt, Emporium, Knoxville

Victor Schmidt exhibited forged works of steel and brass. I enjoyed those quite a bit. I’m sure I didn’t gather everything the artist intended, being the rube that I am, but I did like the shapes and contortions and enjoyed imagining what the abstract expressions might represent, if anything more than beautiful steel and brass.

Japanese Art at the UT Downtown Gallery, Knoxville, February 2012

Japanese Art at the UT Downtown Gallery, Knoxville, February 2012

The UT Downtown Gallery is always interesting and this month it is no exception. Japanese artists are featured and particularly a technique of layering paint that I never did really understand. It is, however, beautiful, and impressive. The thing about Japanese art is that it has such a deep soul it bears up well under extended scrutiny. The longer I look, generally, the better I like.

Hopefully you still have another week or so to catch these fine exhibitions before they begin to give way to the First Friday openings for March which, incredibly, are close at hand.

Filed Under: Downtown Knoxville, Downtown Knoxville Blogs, Emporium, First Friday, Harpist, Jake Livesay, Knoxville Tennessee, knoxville tennessee blogs, UT Downtown Gallery, Victor Schmidt

Tim Lee with Surprise Guests Kevin Abernathy and Greg Horne at the Pilot Light

Posted on January 24, 2012 Written by Leave a Comment
Tim Lee 3 at Pilot Light, Knoxville, January 2012

This post has been slow in coming, but the night was so good, I can’t let it pass without a post and a glimpse at some of the pictures. It goes all the way back to First Friday this month. Urban Woman and I had delicious appetizers and beverages at 31 Bistro for a nice low price and then walked to the 100 block where my friend Mustapha was holding his official Grand Opening. We had mini-cupcakes and two great cups of Americano.

Urban Woman decided beauty rest was in order for her, so I walked her home and then went to the KMA for Alive After Five for the Streamliners with RB Morris. It ends early, so around 8:30 I walked over to Morelock Music on Gay street and listened to a little Old Time music for about an hour before walking to the Pilot Light.


Tim Lee, Susan Lee, Greg Horne and Kevin Abernathy

 My plan was to see the Tim Lee Three at 9:00 and then make it to Preservation Pub to hear Hudson K around 10:30. I’d seen nothing to indicate that Tim had an opening act and I knew Hudson K did, and so would be later taking the stage. The first indication that my schedule might not work out was that at 9:00 no one was close to getting on stage. I learned the show would start at 9:30, which I still figured would work out OK. I’d noticed Kevin Abernathy and Greg Horne were hanging out with Tim and Susan Lee, so I figured they would sit in for part of the show.

I talked with Kevin for a bit and learned, among other things, that he and his wife operate a kennel in south Knox County. He and everyone else were kind enough to put up with me while we waited for the show to begin. Of course, they were the show, and I realized Kevin was opening, which was cool, but I sensed Hudson K slipping off my list of possibilities for the evening. Still, it was pleasant watching the crowd slowly build. Most people seemed to have gotten the memo I missed about a later starting time, but the seats are comfortable and the waiting wasn’t unpleasant.



Kevin Abernathy, Pilot Light, Knoxville

 

Kevin Abernathy, Pilot Light, Knoxville, January 2012


Sometime after 9:30 Kevin took the stage and, as anyone who has heard him would expect, he was as good as ever – and this time with a twist, for me – he played solo acoustic. I’d heard him once before, at the Relix Theater last year, and he played with his band. As you might expect, his acoustic slot really highlighted the songs and the songwriting and I realized both were excellent. His guitar work is always going to be good, but maybe some of these songs get buried behind the band and might benefit from this sort of treatment more often.



Kevin Abernathy with Tim Lee at the Pilot Light



Tim Lee, Kevin Abernathy and Greg Horne, Pilot Light, Knoxville



As his set wound down he invited Greg Horne to sing harmony on a song and he added his great vocal touch. Greg seems to be the guy that all the guys want to sing with. He’s also an excellent musician and songwriter, of course. Tim Lee joined in, also, and the three of them finished Kevin’s set in great style.

Once Susan and Bill Van Vleet joined Tim on stage, the music turned to serious blues-based rock and roll – with a little punk element, I think, but they might disagree. The thing that rings true through every song is that this is a band with real soul. This is no manufactured, auto-tuned sterile money machine, this is a collection of people who want to play honest rock and roll and they know how to do it.



Tim Lee 3, Pilot Light, Knoxville, 2012



Time Lee 3, Pilot Light, Knoxville, January 2012



One of the highlights for me was a slow blues jam that I just could not get enough of. I kept thinking it sounded like some band, but the night was getting late and my poor memory mingled with fatigue and I couldn’t put my finger on it. Until the next day. I had my ipod on shuffle and hit a Zepplin song from, I think, their second album and realized that was it: Tim was channeling Jimmy Page. That might not sound possible if you haven’t heard Tim live. I’m telling you, I’ve heard Jimmy Page live and while I’m not saying Tim is as good as Jimmy Page – and I’m not sure anybody alive is – I’m saying Tim has the chops to bring Jimmy to mind.



Mobile Art Sales in the Old City after midnight



Around midnight I had absorbed all I could take in. I realized I had worked eight hours and then walked or stood for the next seven listening to music all around town. As I walked home I passed Preservation Pub and realized Hudson K was still playing. Maybe if I was sure they would have played a while longer I would have stopped in, but it was late, I was exhausted and I just didn’t have any more fun in me for that night. But it was a great night of music in the city and I went to bed a very happy Urban Guy.

Filed Under: Downtown Knoxville, Downtown Knoxville Blogs, First Friday, Greg Horne, Kevin Abernathy, Old City, Pilot Light, Tim Lee 3
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