Posted on:
Mar 7th, 2011 By:
Anya99
Wow, there’s a lot flying and frying this week Retro-wise in Atlanta from Phoenix Flies to Southern Fried Burlesque Fest to a host of pop and rock performers who got their start in the ’80s. Here’s your weekly guide to where and why to get out…
Monday March 7
Atlanta Preservation Center continues its annual The Phoenix Flies: A Celebration of Living Landmarks, so-named after the iconic symbol of Atlanta—the mythical bird that burns and is reborn similar to the city post-Civil War. The event which runs through March 20 offers a chance to take its neighborhood historical walking tours for free, as well as experience additional behind-the-scenes peeks inside Atlanta’s most famous buildings of eras gone by. Today’s tours include The Temple synagogue (1930), designed by legendary Atlanta architect Philip Trammel Shutze at 10:30 AM; the Gothic revival Peachtree Christian Church (1925) at noon; and Grant Park at 5 PM. Reservations are recommended. After dark, Joe Gransden & his smokin’ 16-piece orchestra present another Big Band Night of jazz at Café 290, featuring Sinatra, Bennett, Basie and Joe’s originals. Blues chanteuse Francine Reed is back at Cafe Circa. Northside Tavern hosts a Blues Jam.
Tuesday March 8
Phoenix Flies features the Swan House at the Atlanta History Center (AHC), site of lavish parties in the 1920s and ’30s; other AHC facilities such as the 1840 Tullie Smith Farm and Cherokee Garden Library and Kenan Research Center, which both house rare photos and documents of Atlanta history; neoclassic First Church of Christ, Scientist (cornerstone laid 1903); Hinman Home (1896), now Stonehurst Place Bed & Breakfast; Midtown’s The Castle; a general Historic Midtown tour; and Wimbish House (1906), one of the last remaining homes on Peachtree Street’s once posh Mansion Row now the headquarters of Atlanta Women’s Club.
Splatter Cinema presents 1980s vampire classic NEAR DARK at 9:30 PM. Read Mark Arson’s Retro Revue to see why you shouldn’t miss this hard-edged horror Western directed by Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow and starring Lance Henriksen and Bill Paxton. Grab your horn and head to Twain’s in Decatur for a Joe Gransden jazz jam session starting at 9 PM. Fedora Blues plays Fatt Matt’s Rib Shack. Atlanta’s notorious DJ Romeo Cologne spins the best ‘70s funk and disco at 10 High in Virginia-Highland.
Wednesday March 9
Phoenix Flies tours the Fabulous Fox Theatre and offers a rare peek inside The Herndon Home, a beautiful 1910 mansion built by Atlanta’s first African-American millionaire Alonzo Herndon which has many eclectic aspects thanks also to his drama teacher wife Adrienne who would put on theater productions occasionally on the roof.
Get ready to rumba, cha-cha and jitterbug at the weekly Swing Night at The Glenwood. Catch Joe Gransden every Wednesday night at 8:30 PM at Jerry Farber’s Side Door. The Hollidays bring on the blues at Fatt Matt’s Rib Shack. Dance to ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s hits during Retro in the Metro Wednesdays presented by Godiva Vodka, at Pub 71 in Brookhaven, starting at 8 PM. Cover band ’80s Band of Destiny is in the Atlanta Room at Smith’s Olde Bar.
Thursday March 10
Stonehenge Mansion, one of today's Phoenix Flies tours.
Another busy day for Phoenix Flies including tours of Fox Theatre; early Edgewood-Candler Park; Unseen Underground exploring parts of the old railway lines and viaduct system not usually open to public view; Burns Club (1910), a replica of Scottish poet Robert Burns’ birth home with Burns poetry reading; City Hall; Stonehenge Mansion & Sanctuary, a Gothic mansion in Druid Hills built as a residence but now houses St. John’s Lutheran Church; and the Georgia Capitol.
The first annual Southern Fried Burlesque Fest kicks off with the Atlanta premiere of award-winning documentary DIRTY MARTINI & THE NEW BURLESQUE, with a Q&A afterwards with director Gary Beeber and Neo-Burlesque Revival superstar Dirty Martini, at the Holiday Inn & Conference Center in Decatur. Be sure to read our fest preview here. Chickens and Pigs play Pho Truc in Clarkston from 8-10 PM. Listen to Tongo Hiti’s luxurious live lounge sounds, as well as some trippy takes on iconic pop songs, just about every Thursday night at Trader Vic’s. Party ‘70s style with DJ Romeo Cologne at Aurum Lounge. Breeze Kings and Chicken Shack bring on the blues respectively at Northside Tavern and Fat Matt’s Rib Shack.
Read the rest of this entry »
Category: This Week in ATLRetro | Tags: 10 High, 80s Band of Destiny, Amy Pike, Atlanta churches, Atlanta History Center, atlanta preservation center, Aurum Lounge, Baseball Project, blues, Bonaventure Quartet, Breeze Kings, burlesque, Burns Club, Cafe 290, cafe circa, Callanwolde, Castleberry Hill, CC Booker III, Center for Puppetry Arts, Chickens and Pigs, City Hall, Clermont Lounge, Col Bruce Hampton, Colin Hay, Dames Aflame, David Spencer, dirty martini, Dream Syndicate, Drivin' n Cryin', Druid Hills, Eddie's Attic, Fatt Matt's Rib Shack, Fernbank, Five Spot, Fox Theatre, Francine Reed, Gary Beeber, Georgia Capitol, Georgia Tech, Grant Park, Gyna Rose Jewwl, Harmony Grove Cemetery, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Herndon Home, High Museum of Art, Hinman Home, Historic Downtown, Historic Midtown, Holiday Inn Decatur, Inman Park, J.T. Speed, jazz, Jerry Farber's Side Door, Jo Boobs, Joe Gransden, Johnny Porkpie, Katherine Lashe, Kathryn Bigelow, Kevn Kinney, Kingsized, L.P. Grant Mansion, lance Henriksen, Martinis & Imax, Meehan's, Men at Work, Mike Geier, Near Dark, Northside Tavern, Oglethorpe, Peachtree Christian Church, Pemberton Place, Pete Buck, Peter Pan, Philip Trammel Shutze, Pho Truc, phoenix flies, Piedmont Park, Plaza Theatre, Pub 71, REM, Retro in the Metro, Rick Springfield, romeo cologne, Rosie Palms, Smith's Olde Bar, southern fried burlesque fest, Splatter Cinema, Star Bar, Steve Wynn, Stonehenge Mansion, Stonehurst Park, Swan House, swing dancing, Swing Night, Sylvester Cemetery, Syrens of the South, Temple, The Glenwood, tiffany carter, Tongo Hiti, torchy taboo, Toulouse-Lautrec, tours, Trader Vic's, Tupelo Honey, Twain's, U2, Underground Atlanta, Uno Dos Tres Catorce, ursula undress, Variety Playhouse, Wild Bill's, Will Scruggs, Wimbish House, Wren's Nest
Posted on:
Mar 4th, 2011 By:
Anya99
Decided it might make more sense to run Weekend Update on Friday mornings than on Thursdays. You can still find out about Thursday activities, of course, in This Week in Retro Atlanta on Mondays. And of course, you can plan ahead for the whole weekend.
Friday March 4
Blair Crimmins.
Legendary pianist George Winston tickles the ivories at Variety Playhouse. Blair Crimmins and the Hookers provide a 1920s Vaudeville atmosphere during amagical Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis and IMAX themed“Night of the Kraken” tying in with its current MYTHIC CREATURES: DRAGONS, UNICORNS AND MERMAIDS special exhibition which will be open for viewing that night. Also, hear they’ll be serving up special mythic-themed cocktails, 
including a Krakentini, featuring Kraken rum, Silver Scream Spookshow‘s Professor Morte will be a special guest, and there’s a costume contest planned, too, so don your most mythical duds. Just about to post a last-minute interview with Blair about the fanciful festivities, so be sure to check that out.
Celebrate Mardi Gras early and decadently, or rather BART-I GRAS, with the insane crew of Avondale Estates’ Bart Webb Studios and the sexy and sassy Syrens of the South, Big Easy cuisine provided by Zatarain’s, beads, masks, and the first Bart-i Bra contest where the best decorated bra will be judged to crown the first Queen or King of Bart-i Gras.
Read the rest of this entry »
Category: Weekend Update | Tags: Ansley Park, ART Station, atlanta preservation center, Bart Webb Studios, Bart-I Gras, Blair Crimmins, Breeze Kings, Burns Club, Charles Fellingham, Clermont Lounge, Dixie Tavern, Dog Sees God, Druid Hills, Emily Yetter, Fabrefaction Theatre, Fernbank, Fox Theatre, George Winston, Grant Park, Henri Cartier-Bresson, High Museum of Art, Historic Downtown, Hot Rod Walt, Jerry Farber's Side Door, Kraken, Mardi Gras, Martinis & Imax, Mythic Creatures, Northside Tavern, Oakland Cemetery, Park Tavern, Peanuts, Pemberton Place, Peter Pan, phoenix flies, Piedmont Park, Ponce de Leon, Professor Morte, Psycho Devilles, Rhodes hall, romeo cologne, rum, Shamrock Fest, Silver Scream Spookshow, Sinatra, St. Patrick's Day, Syrens of the South, Toulouse-Lautrec, trolley, U2, Uno Dos Tres Catorce, Variety Playhouse, Yacht Rock Revue
Posted on:
Feb 28th, 2011 By:
Anya99
The Retro action in Atlanta isn’t quite as sizzling as last week, making it a great time to check out some of the ongoing great weekly events that pay tribute to vintage jazz, blues, funk and country. Or catch up on your city history with The Phoenix Flies: A Celebration of Living Landmarks, starting Saturday.
Monday Feb. 28
It’s definitely worth braving the showers to hear the vivacious voice of blues chanteuse Francine Reed at Cafe Circa in the Old Fourth Ward. And there’s a Blues Jam at Northside Tavern.
Tuesday March 1
Atlanta’s notorious DJ Romeo Cologne spins the best ‘70s funk and disco at 10 High in Virginia-Highland.
Wednesday March 2
Every Wednesday in March, The Hollidays bring their modern take on classic ‘60s soul, garage, rock ‘n’ roll and obscure blues to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. Danny “Mudcat” Dudeck plays the blues at Northside Tavern. Get ready to rumba, cha-cha and jitterbug at the weekly Swing Night at The Glenwood. Joe Gransden is off but jazz is still on the menu with Scott Glazer and the Real All-Stars at Jerry Farber’s Side Door. Dance to ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s hits during Retro in the Metro Wednesdays presented by Godiva Vodka, at Pub 71 in Brookhaven, starting at 8 PM. The Atlanta Burlesque and Cabaret Club meets at a new venue, Melton’s App & Tap, in Decatur, at 8 PM. Topic is how to do (and not do) a photoshoot with opportunity to speak to professional photographers and pin-up professionals.
Read the rest of this entry »
Category: This Week in ATLRetro | Tags: 10 High, Ansley Park, ART Station, Atlanta Burlesque and Cabaret Club, atlanta preservation center, Aurum Lounge, Bart Webb Studios, Bart-I Gras, Battle of Atlanta, blues jam, Breeze Kings, Burns Club, cafe circa, Charles Fellingham, Clermont Lounge, Danny Mudcat Dudeck, disco, Dixie Tavern, Druid Hills, Emily Yetter, Fatt Matt's Rib Shack, Fernbank, Fox Theatre, Francine Reed, funk, George Winston, Grant Park, High Museum of Art, Historic Downtown, Hollidays, Hot Rod Walt, Inman Park, J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, Jerry Farber's Side Door, Kraken, Mardi Gras, Martinis & Imax, Melton's App & Tap, Mythic Creatures, Northside Tavern, Oakland Cemetery, Park Tavern, Pemberton Place, Peter Pan, Pho Truc, phoenix flies, Ponce de Leon, Psycho Devilles, Pub 71, Retro in the Metro, Rhodes hall, romeo cologne, Scott Glazer, Shamrock Fest, Sinatra, Slim Chance and the Convicts, swing dancing, Syrens of the South, The Glenwood, Tongo Hiti, Trader Vic's, trolley, U2, Uno Dos Tres Catorce, Variety Playhouse, Yacht Rock Revue
Splatter Cinema presents 1980s vampire classic NEAR DARK at 9:30 PM. Read Mark Arson’s Retro Revue to see why you shouldn’t miss this hard-edged horror Western directed by Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow and starring Lance Henriksen and Bill Paxton. Grab your horn and head to Twain’s in Decatur for a Joe Gransden jazz jam session starting at 9 PM. Fedora Blues plays Fatt Matt’s Rib Shack. Atlanta’s notorious DJ Romeo Cologne spins the best ‘70s funk and disco at 10 High in Virginia-Highland.
The first annual Southern Fried Burlesque Fest kicks off with the Atlanta premiere of award-winning documentary DIRTY MARTINI & THE NEW BURLESQUE, with a Q&A afterwards with director Gary Beeber and Neo-Burlesque Revival superstar Dirty Martini, at the Holiday Inn & Conference Center in Decatur. Be sure to read our fest preview here. Chickens and Pigs play Pho Truc in Clarkston from 8-10 PM. Listen to Tongo Hiti’s luxurious live lounge sounds, as well as some trippy takes on iconic pop songs, just about every Thursday night at Trader Vic’s. Party ‘70s style with DJ Romeo Cologne at Aurum Lounge. Breeze Kings and Chicken Shack bring on the blues respectively at Northside Tavern and Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. 
Subscribe to ATLRetro
Join us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter