ATLRetro

Friday, Sept. 16

GSU’s Cinefest Film Theatre kicks off a three-day Femme Fatales Film Fest of fun exploitation flicks starring kickass ladies with MS. 45 (1981) at 9 p.m. A shy and mute seamstress goes insane after being attacked and raped twice in one day, in which she takes to the streets of New York after dark and randomly kills men with a .45 caliber gun.

Let the heathen be wakened and come out; It’s ROCKMAGEDDON AND B!TCHIN BURLESQUE at Smith’s Olde Bar. Rock out to the ISSUES, Asphalt Valentine and The Sexual Side Effects (read our Kool Kat with glam-orous Amber Taylor here) and cleav(age) your innocence as Mon Cherie Presents burlesque acts by New Orleans Jon, Stormy Knight, Katarina Laveaux,The Chameleon Queen, Scarlett Page and Lola Lesoleil. Also features a Rock N’ Roll Bazaar, The Final Battle Raffle and boobalicious cupcakes by The Sugar Dolls.

Though he has been described as “the premiere Atlantan with the vintage Chicagoan Blues sound,” those who have heard Rod Hamdallahknow that his unique and memorable musical style combines plenty of delta-blues, garage rock and even some country. Hear him for yourself tonight at The Five Spot & check out our Kool Kat of the Week feature on Rod here. Seminal ’80s proto-industrial band Swans return to rattle up Variety Playhouse. For a ’70s hot-blooded rock journey down memory lane, head toAaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood for a triple-header of Journey, Foreigner andNight Ranger.

Left to Right: Hill, Bolan, Solinger, Hammersmith, Sabo. Photo courtesy of Skid Row.

Meanwhile, ’90s metalers Skid Row close out the Summer Rock Series atWild Bill’s in Duluth. Our newest blogger, Angelica Bakhsh, promises they’ll still rock your face off here. It’s monthly Salsa Night with Salsambo Dance Studio at Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis and IMAX. Monthly Friday Night Jazz at The High features the Gary Motley Quartet (free with museum admission & free to members), as well as a sneak peek performance of ALL BLUES, which has its world premiere at 7 Stages next week. The Breeze Kings bring on the blues at Fat Matt’s, and wild harmonica man Stoney Brooks is sure to geteveryone jitterbugging at Northside Tavern. CineProv! takes off on Tom Cruise ’80s military blockbuster TOP GUN at Relapse Theatre.

Saturday Sept. 17

GSU’s Cinefest Film Theatre continues its Femme Fatales Film Fest of fun exploitation flicks starring kickass ladies with LADY TERMINATOR (1985) at 5 p.m. and SAVAGE STREETS (1984) at 7 p.m. In the first, the spirit of an ancient evil queen posesses the body of a young anthropological student, who then goes on a murderous rampage. Then a teenage vigilante played by Linda Blair seeks revenge on a group of violent thugs who raped her handicapped sister and killed her best friend.

Bareknuckle Betties

This weekend’s big music event is today’s East Atlanta Strut with five stages of live local music, including The BareKnuckle Betties (featuring Kool Kat Julea Thomerson), Jimmy Anderson Blues Band, Chicken and Pigs, blues and rock band The Stooge Brothers and the neo-glam Sexual Side Effects headlining the Earl Stage at 9 p.m. with special guest performers including Jade Lemons, Bucky Motter, Aileen Loy, fire dancing byLa CoCo Rouge and the go-go dancing Glam Squad (Alix Tichelman & Natalie Armstrong). But it’s not all about the bands, the day-long extravaganza also features the Imperial OPA Circus, a comedy stage, 5K run & walk, artists’ market, the Famous Strut Parade, free kids village, carnival stalls, bull ride, community booths, food and beverages. Funds raised benefit East Atlanta community projects and organizations.

Today also marks the first day of the weekend-long Atlanta Arts Festival at Piedmont Park. A revival of the old Fall Piedmont Arts Festivals, it’s ranked among the top 200 arts festivals in the nation, running from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and featuring over 200 artist vendors, artist demonstrations, live music, kids’ crafts, festival food and more. Also, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the 20th annual Marietta StreetFest celebrates the many antique shops and history of the Atlanta suburb with a Trash or Treasure antiques and artisan market, theHubcaps and History Classic Car Show, and free admission all day to the Marietta Museum of History. Proceeds benefit the latter.

Atlanta-based ’70s funk rock superstars Mother’s Finest play Wild Bill’s. Multiplatinum ’70s power ballad band Styx rocks Turner Field with a free concert after today’s Atlanta Braves vs. NY Mets game. Fans who want special access to the band can also purchase VIP Field Passes for $20 here. While we’re not sure if it’s Miller Time tonight, AM Gold (featuring our favorite bigfoot and area culinary connoisseur Jim Stacy) always takes us back to simpler rockin’ Top 40 days; hear ’em at Highland Inn Ballroom.Always nice to see Col. Bruce Hampton still playing around town; tonight he’s atNorthside Tavern. And DJ Romeo Cologne transforms the sensationally seedy Clermont Lounge into a ’70s disco/funk inferno late into the wee hours.

Sunday Sept. 18

The Atlanta Arts Festival runs for its second day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Piedmont Park with bands including Zydeco T and The Whiskey Gentry. Vito plays blues “dunch” between 1-4 PM at The Earl. Snake Legs bring on the blues at Fat Matt’s. And GSU’s Cinefest Film Theatre concludes its Femme Fatales Film Fest of fun exploitation flicks starring kickass ladies with INVASION OF THE BEE GIRLS (1973) at 5 p.m. and NINJA III: THE DOMINATION (1984) at 7 p.m. In the first, a powerful cosmic force is turning Earth women into queen bees who kill men by wearing them out sexually. Then an evil ninja attempts to avenge his death from beyond the grave, by possessing an innocent woman’s body.

Dee Roscioli as Elphaba. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Ding-Dong the Wicked Witch is the Hero?! That’s the premise of the Broadway hit musical WICKED, an upside-down retelling of the 1939 movie version of THE WIZARD OF OZ. And we can’t think of a more magical place for the Broadway Across America touring production to stage it than 1929 movie palace the Fabulous Fox Theatre. If you’re on a budget, come to the box office 2 1/2 hours before showtime and submit your name for daily drawings of limited last-minute $25 orchestra seat tickets. Read our exclusive interview with former Atlanta actor Mark Jacoby, who plays the Wizard, here. Tues.-Sun. performances run through Oct. 9.

LIFE AND DEATH IN THE PYRAMID AGE: THE EMORY OLD KINGDOM MUMMY features the first public viewing in 50 years of the oldest Egyptian mummy in the Western Hemisphere, acquired from excavations at Abydos by Emory Theology Professor William A. Shelton in 1920. Watch for a Really Retro piece on this fascinating exhibit at Emory’s Michael C. Carlos Museum soon. Through Dec. 11, 2011.

Closing Soon

The Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)‘s current exhibit WaterDream: The Evolution of Bathroom Design, runs through Sept. 24 in the dynamic new Midtown space. Displays take visitors through a four-part journey into the bathroom from the birth of minimalist aesthetics in 20th century design to current concepts.

Tune back in on Monday for This Week in Retro Atlanta. If you know of a cool Retro happening soon, send suggestions to ATLRetro@gmail.com.