ATLRetro

by Melanie Crew
Managing Editor

Hey all you retro-lovin’ kiddies! It’s that time of year again! The big jolly fella may be spying to see if you’re naughty or nice, so show ‘em how good (or bad, we don’t mind!) you are by gettin’ out and seeing what ATLRetro has in store for you!  It’s a week of holiday cheer, retro-style, so whether you’re hankerin’ for a good classic flick or are needing to get your retro rockin’ fix, come see what we’ve found for you! 

Monday, December 23

Swing on by Eddie’s Attic for three chances to experience Joe Gransden’s Christmas Special w/ Francine Reed! Celebrate 80 years of The Plaza Theater with a screening of George Cukor’s THE WOMEN (1939), the first film to screen at the theatre, at 7pm! The Earl Smith Strand Theatre continues its tradition of playing Frank Capra’s IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946) on the big screen all day on the Monday before Christmas. Fuzzy pajamas are encouraged, and popcorn and drinks will be served. Get there 15 minutes before showtime for a holiday preshow and sing-along on the Mighty Allen Theatre Organ. Rev it up as Kool Kat Hot Rod Walt goes solo for the night at Smokin’ Cues in Stockbridge! Get some soul with Musiq Soulchild at City Winery! Dave Ellington brings you A Charlie Brown Christmas at Venkman’s! Catch Studio Movie Grill’s (Marietta/Alpharetta)  screening of Jon Favreau’s ELF (2003) at 7:15pm!  Experience the glow of the Atlanta Botanical Garden‘s annual electrical extravaganza shining nightly through Jan. 11! Rock out and tune into Kool Kat Rev. Andy Hawley’s Psychobilly Freakout Radio broadcasting on Garage 71 at 8pm, every Monday! Get your vinyl fix at Little 5 Points Corner Tavern’s Records of Mass Destruction, every Monday! Get funky and groove on down to Café 290 every second and fourth Monday of the month for a taste of Bumpin the Mango, ‘The groove that makes you want to move!” Get the blues with Larry Griffith at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! Boogie on down to the Northside Tavern and spend an evening with Lola at her famous Monday Night Northside Jam!

Tuesday, December 24

Slash it up for the holidays and catch a screening of Bob Clark’s BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974) at The Plaza Theater! Or catch a Flashback Cinema screening of Frank Capra’s IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946) at theatres across Atlanta [Northlake Festival Movie Tavern (Tucker); GTC Merchant’s Walk Cinemas (Marietta); Movie Tavern at Horizon Village (Suwannee); and The Springs Cinema & Taphouse (Sandy Springs)! Jam it up with Joe Gransden and his jazz jam session at Venkman’s! Experience the glow of the Atlanta Botanical Garden‘s annual electrical extravaganza shining nightly through Jan. 11! The Star Bar delivers a night of retro shenanigans with DJ Quasi Mandisco’s Dance Party featuring retro-soul, funk, ‘80s, ‘90s and more! And as always, groove on down with Swami Gone Bananas at the Northside Tavern!

Wednesday, December 25

We hope you have a rockin’ retro Christmas this year! For those of you wondering, ATLRetro is alive and hopping, so come on out and see what the jolly old fella has up his big red sleeve! Experience the glow of the Atlanta Botanical Garden‘s annual electrical extravaganza shining nightly through Jan. 11! The Highlander rocks out with their Xmas Skaryoke Punk/Metal/New Wave Karaoke Night, every Wednesday! Funk it up with the Mike Veal Band at Tin Roof Cantina! Or make your way to the Northside Tavern for a rockin’ night of blues with the Tyler Neal Band! 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 26

Boogie down to The Star Bar and celebrate all things film during the ATL AV Contractors’ Ball! Beer & Lounge it up with the Reverends and Fux at the Clermont Lounge! Folk it up with Davin McCoy at Eddie’s Attic! Slash it up for the holidays and catch a screening of Bob Clark’s BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974) at The Plaza Theater! Experience the glow of the Atlanta Botanical Garden‘s annual electrical extravaganza shining nightly through Jan. 11! The Northside Tavern gets rockin’ with a little Chicago/Delta blues of The Breeze Kings! The Star Bar kicks it in the Little Vinyl Lounge with Karaoke Night, every Thursday! And as always, boogie down at Mary’s, as the East Atlanta venue gets funky with their weekly Disco in the Village.

Friday, December 27

Get rocked at 529 with West End Motel’s XMAS SPECTACULAR featuring Kool Kat Adam McIntyre/The Pinx, Backwoods Payback and more! Jazz it up with Turkey’s Emrah Kotan at the Red Light Café! Get your southern rock fix with Atlanta Rhythm Section at the Buckhead Theatre! Spend the night with Anthony David & Friends at City Winery! Get down with Gran Torino at Smith’s Olde Bar! Boogie down to the Tabernacle for a night with STS9! Get rocked at the Variety Playhouse with Drivin’ N’ Cryin’! Catch a screening of John McTiernan’s DIE HARD (1988) at The Plaza Theater! Experience the glow of the Atlanta Botanical Garden‘s annual electrical extravaganza shining nightly through Jan. 11! Get down with Dad Heavy at Waller’s Coffee Shop! Get down with Ike Stubblefield at the Northside Tavern! Fat Matt’s Rib Shack gets the blues with Willy Jackson! Time-Warp it up 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 28

Get some soul with Avery Sunshine at Center Stage! Rock out with Michelle Malone at the Crimson Moon Cafe! Get the rockin’ blues with Brother Hawk  at The Earl! Spend the night with David Ryan Harris at Eddie’s Attic! Bluegrass it up with Keller Williams at Terminal West! Get your Americana fix with Adam Klein and A. Lee Edwards at Waller’s Coffee Shop! Netherworld haunts this holiday season with their Lights On Tour! Have a deadly good time during Kool Kat VJ Anthony’s COFFIN CLASSICS: Goth Industrial Dance at Amsterdam Atlanta! Spend the night with Anthony David & Friends at City Winery! Get your glam on and experience Queerly Beloved Revue’s End of the Year Bash at the Red Light Café, featuring burlesque, drag, cirque and more! Experience the glow of the Atlanta Botanical Garden‘s annual electrical extravaganza shining nightly through Jan. 11! Boogie down to the Tabernacle for a night with STS9! The Randy Chapman Trio get down at the Northside Tavern! Get the blues with Johnny Scales at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! And as always, DJ Romeo Cologne and DJ Kwasi Mandisco transforms the sensationally seedy Clermont Lounge into a ’70s disco/funk inferno late into the wee hours of the night.

Sunday, December 29

Monsters, poets and madmen invade the Highland Inn & Ballroom during Frankenstein’s Ball: An Immersive Holiday Experience! Croon on down to The Vista Room for The Rat Pack Tribute Show! Spend the night with Peabo Bryson at City Winery! Speakeasy on down to the Crimson Moon Cafe for a night with Roberta Donnay & The Prohibition Mob Band! Spend another night with David Ryan Harris at Eddie’s Attic! Get folksy with Donna the Buffalo at the Red Clay Theatre! Runnin’ Down a Dream pays tribute to Tom Petty at Smith’s Olde Bar! Folk it up at Waller’s Coffee Shop with Ben Trickey and Will Saint Raines! Experience the glow of the Atlanta Botanical Garden‘s annual electrical extravaganza shining nightly through Jan. 11! Boogie down to the Tabernacle for a night with STS9! Get the blues with 10,000 Pontiacs at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! Funk it up with Risky Biscuit at Tin Roof Cantina! Get sweet and low down blues-style at the Northside Tavern with Uncle Sugar!

Ongoing

The Aurora Theatre rings in the season with their Christmas Canteen, through Dec. 23! (LAST CHANCE!)

Get your diner fix this holiday season with Horizon Theatre’s production of WAFFLE PALACE CHRISTMAS, running through Dec. 29! (LAST CHANCE!)

Experience the glow of the Atlanta Botanical Garden‘s annual electrical extravaganza shining nightly Nov. 16 – Jan. 11!

New-Wave it up with Kool Kat VJ Anthony during an 80s New Wave Music Video Dance Party every 2nd Saturday of the month at Amsterdam Atlanta!

Have a deadly good time during Kool Kat VJ Anthony’s COFFIN CLASSICS: Goth Industrial Dance every 4th Saturday at Amsterdam Atlanta!

Geek it up as NerdLanta presents their Back to the ‘80s Movie Night, every third Thursday of the month, at Mother Bar+Kitchen!

ATL CRAFT presents a magical occult Movie Night every second Friday of every month!

My Parents’ Basement goes old-school with their monthly Pinball Tournament, every first Wednesday of the month!

Geek it up and get to bowlin’ at The Comet Pub & Lanes’ Comet Cosplay, getting nerdy the first Monday of every month!

Dad’s Garage’s Big Boozy Nerdy Game Night brings out the kid in you, every first Monday of the month at 7pm! 

Union EAV rocks out with their Punk Rock Karaoke ATL, and every last Tuesday of the month!

The Highlander rocks out with their Punk/Metal/New Wave Karaoke Night, every Wednesday!

Get your vinyl fix during Little 5 Points Corner Tavern’s Records of Mass Destruction! event, every Monday!

Geek it up at My Parents’ Basement with their weekly Tuesday night Nerd Trivia at 8pm!

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

Get your reggae fix with Rub-A-Dub gettin’ down at WildPitch Music Hall, every second Sunday of the month!

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.