ATLRetro

by Melanie Crew
Managing Editor/Contributing Writer

Hey all you fabulous retro kiddies! Retro Atlanta is the Kat’s meow this ho-ho holiday season! We’ve got cult holiday flicks to Halloween in December to a whole ‘lotta of honky-tonk, blues and rock n roll! If you’re lookin’ for a thrill and the weather’s got you down, get off that couch, put on your dancin’ shoes and get Retro!

Monday, December 8

Rock on down to 529 and glam it up with Del Venicci, Muuy Biien, Friend Roulette and Tiny Hazard! Or for a night of spoken work punk rock and Lou Reed’esque goodness, make your way to Smith’s Olde Bar for a night with Hamell on Trial and Alex & Todd! Get funky and groove on down to Café 290 every second and fourth Monday of the month for a taste ofBumpin the Mango, ‘The groove that makes you want to move!’ Boogie on down to the Northside Tavern and spend an evening with Lola at her famous Monday Night Northside Jam! Blues on down to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack for a side of Dry White Toast and a plate full ‘o finger lickin’ BBQ! Bill Sheffield delivers the blues at Blind Willie’s! And don’t forget, The Plaza Theater is screening Frank Capra’s holiday classic, IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946), running through Dec. 11, along with Chris Columbus’ ‘90s holiday classic, HOME ALONE (1990) through Dec. 10!

Tuesday, December 9

Splatter Cinema and Enjoy the Film (Kool Kat Ben Ruder) splatter you with a sleighing good time at Cinevision Screening Room with their 35mm screening of Joe Dante’s mischievous sequel, GREMLINS 2: THE NEW BATCH (1990) at 8pm! And don’t forget to come early for some chilling lobby shenanigans! Or let Kool Kat Katherine Lashe and Syrens of the South seduce their way into your naughty (or nice?) little hearts at the Red Light Café at their Tease Tuesday: Naughty or Nice Edition, with performances by Tippy Tapage, Ada Manzhart, Mickie Sinn and more! For a night of vintage swagger, blues it up at Blind Willie’s with Atlanta Boogie! It’s a night of avant-jazz and funk at Atlanta Symphony Hall with Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood! Punk it up at 529 with Dinos Boys, Dirty Fences and the Moreland Wrecks! Sonny Landreth and Cindy Cashdollar deliver a night of traditional roots ‘n’ blues at Eddie’s Attic! You’ll shoot your eye out at the Northlake Festival Movie Tavern’s “Home for the Holidays” screening of Bob Clark’s holiday classic, A CHRISTMAS STORY(1983) at 7:30! Or catch the film at CineBistro at Town Brookhaven during their “Cineclassics 2014” screening at 6:30! Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint gets down and dirty blues-style with Lola! The Star Bar delivers a night of retro shenanigans with Kool Kat Jeff Clark and Stomp & Stammer’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Trivia at 8pm, followed by ‘80s Dance Night! Jam it up with Joe Gransden and his jazz jam session at Twain’s in Decatur every Tuesday at 9 pm! Or boogie on down to Darwin’s Burgers & Blues in Marietta for a taste of Bill Sheffield’s acoustic roots and blues! And The Entertainment Crackers get bluesy with their folksy Americana at the Northside Tavern!

Wednesday, December 10

Get your ‘70s dive fix at The Earl with Barreracudas, Hecter’s Pets and JP5! It’s a hootenanny and a half at The Star Bar as they get smokin’ during their Slim Chicken Honky-tonk Extravaganza,featuring live-band old-time country and western tunes! Kool Kat Scott Glazer’s Mojo Dojo gets down and dirty with a whole lotta jazz, blues and southern soul at Blind Willie’s! Get funky at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack with TheGeorgia Flood! Get folksy with Doria Roberts at Eddie’s Attic! Stomp down to Smith’s Olde Bar for a night with Freelance Ruckus, Blood on the Harp and Caleb Warren & the Perfect Gentlemen! Spend an evening of holiday prog-rock with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra at the Gwinnett Performing Arts Center! Get funky at the Elliott Street Pub with their Funk, Soul & R&B night! Beverly “Guitar” Watkins gets down at Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint! Or make your way to the Northside Tavern as Danny ‘Mudcat’ Dudeck fires it up with his rockin’ blues! Get holiday-retro at the Northlake Festival Movie Tavern’s “Home for the Holidays” screening of Bob Clark’s holiday classic, A CHRISTMAS STORY(1983) at 7:30! And as always, it’s Ladies Night at Johnny’s Hideaway which plays hits from Sinatra to Madonna for a generally mature crowd.

Thursday, December 11

The Earl delivers a night of raucous rock ‘n’ roll with Manic, Rapturous Grief, Tiger! Tiger! and Brawful! Get jazzy at the Variety Playhouse with a Peter White Christmas, featuring Rick Braun and Mindi Abair! Get funky at Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs with Dyn-O-Mite! Smith’s Olde Bar gets rock ‘n’ rootsy with Enter the Haggis and Mitch Haney! The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra tells the iconic story of Christmas with 400 musicians during their “Christmas with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra” event, running through Dec. 13! Make your way to The Strand Theatre for Marietta’s New Pops Holiday Concert on the Square event at 7pm! Or let Kool Kat David Richardson, a.k.a. “Baby Doll Schultz”, et al decide if you’ve been naughty or nice at Legendary Children’s Unholy Night party at the Masquerade! Kool Kat Spike Fullerton with the Ghost Rider’s Car Club rocks out at the Clermont Lounge! Twinkle toe on down to the Fox Theatre as the Atlanta Ballet presents their holiday tradition of “The Nutcracker”, running through Dec. 28! It’s a night of bluegrass and Americana at the Red Light Café with Johnny Campbell & the Bluegrass Drifters and Wild Hands! Eddie’s Attic delivers an evening with Patterson Hood (Drive-by Truckers)! Hula on down to Trader Vic’s for a night of cool island tunes and a couple Mai Tais! Stagger on over to Noni’s Bar & Delifor their Bitter Heroes event featuring DJ Brian Parris as he gets charmingly morose with a little New-Wave, The Smiths and The Cure! The Northside Tavern gets rockin’ with a little Chicago/Delta blues of The Breeze Kings! Get your boogie on at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack, as Chickenshack featuring Eddie Tigner, delivers some honky-tonk blues! Darwin’s Burgers & Blues gets down and dirty at their Blues Jam hosted by The Cazanovas! And as always, boogie down at Mary’s, as the East Atlanta venue gets funky with their weekly Disco in the Village.

Friday, December 12

The Star Bar is the Kat’s meow tonight with their Benefit for Greg Germani event, featuring a rockin’ musical lineup with Kool Kat Julea Thomerson spinning old-time country western records, Deke Dickerson, Kool Kat Cletis & His City Cousins, Kool Kat Caroline & the Ramblers, The Deja Bluegrass Band, Jay Murphree & Rodeo Twister, Slim Chance & the Convicts, The Wheel Knockers and more (if you can’t rock out, you can always donate here)! Shimmy on down to the Red Light Café for DJ Doctor Q’s Speakeasy Electroswing Atlanta event with guest DJ Bouncyhouse and sultry performances by Jenna Luca, Kool Kat Talloolah Love, Sadie Hawkins and more!

Eddie’s Attic hosts Grocery on Home’s rockin’ folksy holiday party, featuring Jared & Amber, Kappy Arnold, Marshall Ruffin, Lonnie Holley and Julia Haltigan! Stomp on down to The Earl for a night with Radiolucent, The Higher Choir and Blake Rainey & His Demons! Get some soul and neo-tropical funk at Terminal West with The Shadowboxers, Adron and Weisshund! Three Quarter Ale delivers a night of folksy Celtic Christmas rock with Knightsong at The Shakespeare Tavern! For a night of rockin’ soul, make your way to the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center for Diane Durrett! The Plaza Theater screens Jamie Keach’s GLEN CAMPBELL: I’LL BE ME (2014), documenting the life of the legendary country star! Shimmy ‘n’ shake on down to The Jungle Club for their Red & White Burlesque Ball at 10pm! Folk it up at Steve’s Live Music with Rachel Baiman, Caroline Spence, Vickie Vaughn and The Pussy Willows! Vinyl delivers their “I Love the ‘90s Showcase”! Rock on down to the Red Clay Theatre for an evening with the Randall Bramblett Band! The Sundogs put on their Tom Petty Show at Smith’s Olde Bar with Sugarfoot! Get folksy with Family & Friends under the dinosaurs at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis and IMAX event while sippin’ a few cocktails! Blues it up with Larry Griffith at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! Or make your way to Blind Willie’s for a night with Sandra Hall & the Shadows! It’s a night of classic rock with Hott With Harry Leggs at Darwin’s Burgers & Blues! You won’t want to miss dueling pianos with Eddie Tigner and Lola at the Northside Tavern! And as always, Time-Warp it up and get naughty with some uber musically-inclined transsexual aliens at The Plaza Theater as they continue their tradition of screening THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW(1975) every Friday night, featuring the live cast of Lips Down on Dixie at midnight!

Saturday, December 13

Rock out for a great cause at The Star Bar with their Toys for Tots show featuring Kool Kat Spike Fullerton with the Ghost Rider’s Car Club, Bully, Dusty Booze & the Baby Haters, Vito Romeo, Space Giants and more! Or rock on down to Hell and support WRAS Album 88.5 at the Masquerade with their counter-culture rock ‘n’ roll party, Pandemonium, featuring a rockin’ party with non-stop glam rock, circus performances with the Imperial OPA Circus and more! Catch a wave to Kavarna for their Southern Surf Stomp Christmas edition featuring Chad Shivers & the Silent Knights performing the Beach Boys and The Ventures’ Christmas albums with Kool Kat Caroline & the Ramblers! Shimmy on down to Jerry Farber’s Side Door for Kool Kat Kitty Love’s Cheeky Belles Burlesque, Jingle Belles Rock event, with performances by Kitty Love, Angelica Vice, JudyAnne Foxe, Valkyrie Jones and more! Smith’s Olde Bar delivers a night of furry faces and rockin’ tunes at their Battle of the Beards event, featuring Swank Sinatra and freak show performances!

It’s a retro cinema bonanza this week! The Muppets invade the Midtown Art Cinema with their free screening (with food donation) of Brian Henson’s holiday classic, THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL (1992) at 10am! Get mischievous holiday-style at The Plaza Theater with their screening of Joe Dante’s GREMLINS (1984) at 7:30pm! Spend an evening with Jack Skellington at the Center for Puppetry Arts with their screening of Henry Selick’s THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (1993) at 7pm! Or make your way to the Charles D. Switzer Library in Marietta for their screening of Jack Donohue’s classic, BABES IN TOYLAND (1961) at 3pm! The Powder Springs Public Library screens Ken Hughes’ CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG (1968) at 3pm! And explore Latino music through film at the Atlanta History Center with their “American Sabor Movie” screenings featuring Gregory Nava’s SELENA (1997) at 2pm!

For a night of retro rock, make your way to 529 for The Rock*A*Teens, Warehouse and Small Reactions! Experience a southern Christmas at Academy Theatre with their 15th annual “An Atlanta Christmas” running through Dec. 14! Rev down to the Dixie Tavern for a night with Kool Kat Hot Rod Walt and the Psycho-DeVilles! Get your smooth Christmas fix at the Variety Playhouse with Yacht Rock Revue! It’s a ‘70s reunion at Steve’s Live Music with Acropolis! Julia Haltigan delivers a night of antique Americana pop at Grocery on Home! Atlanta Rhythm Section delivers two rockin’ shows at Eddie’s Attic! Put on those dancin’ shoes and get ready for a night of retro rock, Motown, funk, Big Band and more at The Basement for Electric Western’s Keep on Movin’ Rock and Soul Dance Party! The Villain Family delivers a night of garage country at The Family Dog! Boogie on down to Hottie Hawgs BBQ for their Saturday Night Fever event! Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint gets down and dirty blues-style with Lola! Blues it up at Darwin’s Burgers & Blues with Tas Cru! The Northside Tavern delivers a night of rockin’ blues with Ike Stubblefield! Blues on down to Blind Willie’s for a night with Francine Reed & the Shadows! The Hollidays deliver some rhythm and soul at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! And as always, DJ Romeo Cologne transforms the sensationally seedy Clermont Lounge into a ’70s disco/funk inferno late into the wee hours of the night.

Sunday, December 14

Brunch it up at Pallookaville with a holiday puppet show put on by David Stephens and All Hands Productions at 9:30am! Or bluegrass on down to Smith’s Olde Bar’s Bluegrass Brunch featuring Honeywood! It’s a night of folk jazz at Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs with Lilac Wine! Lola gets in the spirit of the holidays at the Northside Tavern with her Annual Toy Drive! Stomp down to the Crimson Moon Café for a night with Jonathan Byrd & the Pickup Cowboys! And get jazzy holiday-style at Atlanta Symphony Hall with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and Cecile Mclorin Salvant!

Ongoing

Ann Jackson Gallery in Roswell exhibits “The Art of Dr. Seuss” through Dec. 12! (LAST CHANCE!)

Callanwolde Fine Arts Center’s exhibit, Vintage Coca-Cola Santas, featuring 14 original oil paintings by Haddon Sundblom in 1931 for The Coca-Cola Company, sleighs through Dec. 16!

The Strand Theatre’s Lumiere Piano Bar & Lounge, featuring classic silent films quietly flickering in the background, accompanied by a live pianist and tasty cocktails, runs through Dec. 20!

Serenbe Playhouse presents their adaptation of “Snow Queen” through Dec. 21!

The Strand Theatre’s “A Christmas Tradition” song and dance revue runs through Dec. 21!

The Gwinnett Ballet Theatre presents “The Nutcracker” at the Gwinnett Performing Arts Center through Dec. 21!

Shakespeare Tavern’s Atlanta Shakespeare Company presents Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”, running through Dec. 23!

The Alliance Theatre gets retro Dickens-style with their “A Christmas Carol”, getting Scrooge-y through Dec. 24!

Center for Puppetry Arts adapts Larry Roemer’s classic, RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER (1964) through Dec. 28!

The Fox Theatre and the Atlanta Ballet present their holiday tradition of “The Nutcracker”, running through Dec. 28!

Museum of Design Atlanta(MODA) exhibits 50 Years of Ebony Fashion Fair through Jan. 4!

The Marietta Museum of History gets Victorian as they present their “Peeling Back the Layers: Victorian Wedding Ensembles” exhibit through May 2, 2015!

William Bremen Jewish Heritage Museum’s, “Where the Wild Things Are: Maurice Sendek in His Own Words and Pictures” getting wild through July 5!

HepCat’s Hop gets swingin’ every first Wednesday of the month at the 57th Fighter Group Restaurant!

Nerd Film Mafia screenings at the Diesel Fueling Station following NerdCore Trivia, every last Tuesday of the month!

ICON 80s: Music Video Dance Night rocks out at the Famous Pub every Friday night with a different 80’s theme!

The Star Bar delivers Stomp & Stammer’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Trivia at 8pm, followed by ‘80s Dance Night at 10pm, every Tuesday!

Steve’s Live Music’s Gypsy Jazz Brunch offers up a plate of Hot Club jamming and Parisian Swing with Kool Kat Amy Pike and the Bonaventure Quartet from 12:30 to 3:30 pm every 2^nd & 4^th Sunday!

Boogie on down into Disco Hell at The Family Dog as DJ Quasi Mandisco delivers a night of classic funk, soul and disco the last Friday of every month.

The Plaza Theater Time-Warps it up as they screen, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW(1975) every Friday night, featuring the live cast of Lips Down on Dixie at midnight!

Every first and third Mondays are Big Band Nights at Café 290, featuring Joe Gransden and his amazing 16-piece orchestra playing jazz and swing standards in the tradition of The Glen Miller Orchestra and other legendary groups.  Second and fourth Mondays are Bumpin the Mango, ‘The groove that makes you want to move!’

Every first Wednesday is the Graveyard Tavern’s Graveyard Swing Night, featuring the swingin’ jazz and boogie-woogie sounds of the Savoy Kings!

If you have a suggestion for a future event that should be included in This Week in Retro Atlanta or see something we missed, please email us at atlretro@gmail.com.