ATLRetro

Monday Oct. 3

ATLRetro is heading to Netherworld tonight to see if we’ll be frightened by any classic monsters in Atlanta’s biggest, oldest haunted attraction, open every night in October and also Nov. 4 and 5. Watch for our phantasmagorical preview soon of it and all of Atlanta’s top Halloween haunts. If it’s too early in October for you to get into the spooky spirit, swing to bimonthly Big Band Night with Joe Gransden, special guest belle of the blues Francine Reed and a 16-piece orchestra at Cafe 290. From 3 PM on, savor tropical sounds and libations, as well as a Polynesian dinner during Mai Tai Monday at Smith’s Olde Bar. Northside Tavern hosts its weekly Blues Jam.

Tuesday Oct. 4

Art Opening & A Movie Presents NIGHT OF THE COMET (1984), sponsored by Atlanta Zombie Apocalypse at Plaza Theatre (Trailer here). What can be said about the greatest “California-Valley-Girls-With-Machineguns-Go-Shopping-After-The-END OF THE WORLD” movie of all time? Find out in our Retro Review by Philip Nutman here. New Orleans funk rock in a zoot suit band Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes plays with Delta Rae at Smith’s Olde Bar. Grab your horn and head to Twain’s in Decatur for a Joe Gransden jazz jam session starting at 9 PM. JT Speed is at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. Notorious DJ Romeo Cologne spins ‘70s funk and disco at 10 High in Virginia-Highland. Catch Tues. Retro in the Metro nights at Midtown’s Deadwood Saloon, featuring video mixes of ’80s, ’90s and 2Ks hits.

Wednesday Oct. 5

The Atlanta Burlesque and Cabaret Club meets tonight a 8 p.m. at Manuel’s Tavern. Steampunk favorites Extraordinary Contraptions turn The Five Spot Really Retro. The Aquanauts surf on down to Smith’s Olde Bar, and El Fossil rides a wave to the Star Bar with Retro-inspired rock/country band Sodajerk and Walk From the Gallows. Get ready to rumba, cha-cha and jitterbug at the weekly Swing Night at Graveyard Tavern. Frankie’s Blues Mission plays Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. Danny “Mudcat” Dudeck blues it down at Northside Tavern. Dance to ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s hits during Retro in the Metro Wednesdays presented by Godiva Vodka, at Pub 71 in Brookhaven.

Mike Geier in Tongo Hiti mode with two members of The Dames Aflame "hula special teams" unit.Thursday Oct. 6

Thursday October 6

If you’ve been keeping up with this week’s Kool Kat, you already know that Plaza Manager/Chief Projectionist Ben Ruder is smuggling in some CONTRABAND CINEMA onto the big screen tonight at Atlanta’s longest-running indie art-deco theatre. The reel action officially starts at 8 p.m., but we hear there’ll be some fun surprises, including a bonus film at 7:45, for those who arrive early. Go Retro-Polynesian to Tongo Hiti’s luxurious live lounge sounds, as well as trippy takes on iconic pop songs, every Thurs. night at Trader Vic’s. Party ‘70s style with DJ Romeo Cologne at Aurum Lounge. Breeze Kings & Chickenshack bring on the blues respectively at Northside Tavern and Fat Matt’s Rib Shack.

Friday Oct. 7

In the blink of an eye or a twitch of the nose, Mon Cherie Presents: Va-Va Voom ~ The Boobie Tube Burlesque Show. Not your ordinary Bump & Grind, this time Atlanta’s grande dame of Retrotainment takes you back to the Golden Age of TVLand, provocatively posing the question: “Do you Dream Of Jeanie or are you Bewitched?” Doors open at 9 pm with 2 shows at 10:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. at The Shelter, and cover as usual is a bargain $5. Ponderosa, Ocha La Rocha, Anna Kramer and Damon Moon & the Whispering Drifters make for a rockin’ redneck/retrobilly night at Star Bar. The Accidents and The Bums rock it ’70s New York garage style at Rocket 88 in Decatur. The Breeze Kings bring the blues to Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis and IMAX. John Sosebee plays Fat Matt’s, and  The Martans, featuring legendary Atlanta pianist Matt Wauchope, stir up an awesome blend of New Orleans, Memphis funk and blues at Northside Tavern.

It’s another just another NIGHT OF THE COMET at Plaza Theatre (Trailer here) with an encore screening of the 1984 cult classic at 9:30 p.m. We can only say it again: What can be said about the greatest “California-Valley-Girls-With-Machineguns-Go-Shopping-After-The-END OF THE WORLD” movie of all time? And again direct you to the Retro Review by Philip Nutman here. Meanwhile CineProv! pokes fun at FOOTLOOSE and holds out for a hero at Relapse Theatre.

Saturday Oct. 8

The Sugar Dolls serve up their 2nd Annual Day of the Cupcake party, an entire day of scrumptious activities, starting from noon to 7 p.m. at Sacred Heart Tattoo in Little Five Points and then continuing late into the night at Java Lords ($5 cover; proceeds to Atlanta Bully Rescue). You’ll lick your lips for cupcake-inspired games, a Sugar Skull decorating room so you’ll be all set for the Day of the Dead, tasty tattoos, live bands (including Six Shot Revival, The Sneaky Hand and The Claymores), karaoke, burlesque, pin-up hair-styling with Cherry Dame, a pin-up contest and, of course, cupcakes! And don’t forget ATLRetro is proud to be a sponsor so stop by, say hi and support our humble efforts by buying one of our first batch of official ATLRetro T-shirts with our rockin’ new logo by Derek Art.

The Supremes at the Apollo Theater. Photo courtesy of The Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc. Photo by Kwame Brathwaite.

Explore one of America’s most iconic theaters in AIN’T NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING: HOW THE APOLLO THEATER SHAPED AMERICAN ENTERTAINMENT, a new special exhibition opening today at the Atlanta History Center and running through March 4, 2012. Presented by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, in collaboration with the Apollo Theater Foundation, the display includes historic and contemporary costumes, playbills, music scores, graphic images and recorded music.

GSU’s Cinefest presents a rare 35mm print of one of Dario Argento‘s best early forays into the dark side, DEEP RED at 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. The Plaza Theatre screens BEYOND THE MYTH (2011), the world premiere of a new documentary about pitbulls, at 7:30 p.m.

Lexington, Kentucky garage/cow punk band Nine Pound Hammer returns to Star Bar, with special guests Cat Jacket (featuring Leroy & Freebass from Syrup) and Pelvis Breastlies. Acclaimed Nashville bluegrass band The SteelDrivers play Eddie’s Attic. Col. Bruce Hampton & The Pharoh Gummit team up with Colorado folk Elephant Revival at Smith’s Olde Bar. And as usual, DJ Romeo Cologne transforms the sensationally seedy Clermont Lounge into a ’70s disco/funk inferno late into the wee hours.

Sunday Oct. 9

Al Shelton serves up the music at blues “dunch” between 1-4 PM at The Earl. Fat Back Deluxe brings on the blues at Fat Matt’s.

Ongoing

ALL BLUES, Robert Earl Price‘s compelling meditation on the moral complexities of journalist Ray Sprigle‘s 30 days impersonating a black man in the south in 1948, has its world premiere at 7 Stages. Through Oct. 9.

Feeling more cinematic?  Dad’s Garage serves up ZONKERS – An Eighties Tit Comedy.Yup the zany guys and gals at Dad’s celebrate a beautiful and largely forgotten movie genre – films about girls with big boobs that are out of the league of the nerdy boys that crave them. At a summer camp! Plus zero gravity scenes set in outer space and a Boob Bot. Through October 14 on the Main Stage.Ongoing

Mark Jacoby as the Wizard in WICKED. Photo © 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 Americatouring 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 thru 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.

If you know of a cool happening coming up soon, send suggestions to ATLRetro@gmail.com.