ATLRetro

The World Famous Drive-Invasion 2014; Turner Field Green Lot (521 Capitol Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30312); Saturday, September 6; Gates open @ 10 a.m.; Admission $25 per person with car or $12.50 walk-up/no car ($26 through Ticketmaster).

By Aleck Bennett
Contributing Writer

You can’t keep some things down. When it turned out that the conversion to studio-controlled digital projectors made it impossible for the Starlight Drive-In to continue hosting the annual Drive-Invasion, things looked bleak for a while. But thanks to the tireless efforts of some of Atlanta’s finest, Drive-Invasion has found a new home: Turner Field. They’ll be setting up in Turner Field’s Green Lot and among the attractions you will find a 1000-foot grilling area, Jim Stacy’s Food Truck Midway (serving up a wide array of local culinary delights curated by Pallookaville’s own Mr. Stacy), the Silverscreen Gasoline Car Show (featuring the Discovery Channel CAFÉ RACER host and custom car celebrity, Atlanta’s own Bryan Fuller), an artists’ market, a kids’ play zone and two music stages.

Music-wise, you can expect an ear-filling variety of bands designed for maximum enjoyment before the sun goes down. You want some retro surf-rock action? Step right up and enjoy the sounds of Mystery Men?, Andrew & the Disapyramids (featuring ATLRetro Kool Kat Joshua Longino), and a tribute to the legendary Penetrators. You need some country-fried tastiness? Move it on over to the honky-tonkin’ tunes of Ghost Riders Car Club (featuring Kool Kat Spike Fullerton) and Cletis & His City Cousins (featuring Kool Kat Cletis Reid) . In the mood for some frenzied beat action? Get in the garage with The Brimstones, Rocket 350 and Jimmy & the Teasers. And for straight-up adrenaline-pumping rock and roll, blast off to Bigfoot (featuring Kool Kat Jett Bryant), Dusty Booze & the Baby Haters, Gargantua and The Biters.

But all that is prelude. They call this Drive-Invasion for a reason: drive-in movies. And they’re celebrating the end of the summer with a trio of beach party horror flicks that will keep the mood rocking until the last frame unspools across the screen: THE HORROR OF PARTY BEACH, JAWS and MAD DOCTOR OF BLOOD ISLAND.

THE HORROR OF PARTY BEACH (1964); Dir. Del Tenney; Starring John Scott, Alice Lyon and Allan Laurel; Trailer here.

THE HORROR OF PARTY BEACH answers the question “why only have one Creature from the Black Lagoon, when you can have a whole gang of them?” It tells a story old as time: when radioactive waste is dumped into the ocean, it creates a whole mess of monsters who then rise from the depths to kill innocent teens. It’s then up to young Hank and concerned father Dr. Gavin to find a way to stop the rampaging amphibious creatures. Imagine if HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP (1996) came out in 1964, and replace the gore and nudity with dancing and stomping beach music (provided by the Del-Aires, with half of their songs and all of the film’s score written by future porn legend Zebedy Colt!). HORROR zips along breezily thanks to director Del Tenney’s sure hand, and thanks to him keeping his tongue firmly planted in cheek. It’s not quite a send-up, but more a lighthearted take on teen horror and beach party flicks, much like INVASION OF THE SAUCER MEN (1957).

JAWS (1975); Dir. Steven Spielberg; Starring Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw; based on a novel by Peter Benchley; john oath Trailer here.

Then there’s JAWS. What can one say about this movie? When I was a tyke, it was so effective that even this unabashed horror movie fanatic—as committed then as I am today—believed that there were sharks hiding under my bed. (And yes, I fully grasped the logical problem in that scenario.) JAWS established Steven Spielberg as a Big-Time Director after years of working in TV and smaller-budgeted films like THE SUGARLAND EXPRESS (1974). It also singlehandedly created the modern summer “blockbuster” phenomenon (and simultaneously marked the end of the “New Hollywood” period of the late 1960s and early ‘70s), and its style and craftsmanship has exerted a lasting influence far beyond its immediate impact. It is, in many ways, a nearly perfect movie. Pitch-perfect performances from Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw are wed to dialogue so fresh that it’s still being quoted, imitated and parodied nearly 40 years after the film’s release. Add to that Spielberg’s precise direction, one of John Williams’ best scores and Verna Field’s expert editing, which work together to create an escalating tension that reaches peaks high enough to make you completely ignore the badly malfunctioning mechanical shark.

MAD DOCTOR OF BLOOD ISLAND (1968); Dir. Eddie Romero and Gerardo de Leon; Starring John Ashley, Angelique Pettyjohn and Ronald Remy; Trailer (featuring narration from the legendary Brother Theodore) here.

Rounding out the program is MAD DOCTOR OF BLOOD ISLAND, probably the pinnacle of writer/producer/director Eddie Romero’s Philippine-lensed series of “Blood Island” movies. And while that may sound like a pretty small category for a film to qualify as “the best,” keep in mind that there are something like 10 of them (six in the series, and four tangentially related). In this entry, John Ashley—the co-star of multiple AIP “Beach Party” flicks—stars as a pathologist who turns up at Blood Island to study the health of the natives, only to find mysterious deaths linked to the appearance of what appears to be green blood. Throw in Angelique Pettyjohn, heaps of nudity and gore, some of the most ludicrous pseudo-science ever spouted in a movie script and a rampaging monster that must be seen to be believed, and you have what amounts to one of the most definitive drive-in movies ever created. While it may never be regarded as a cinematic classic, it is an experience that I wholeheartedly suggest you undertake. It’s not for nothing that Eddie Romero was named the National Artist of the Philippines in 2003.

And let me take this time to warn you: to survive your exposure to the energies of MAD DOCTOR OF BLOOD ISLAND and to ward off contagion in the days after Drive-Invasion, you must prepare yourself by taking the Oath of the Green Blood, which will ensure that you will never become a green-blooded monster. Vials of Doctor Lorca’s Green Blood Potion will be available to the first 1000 visitors who stop by the Drive-Invasion booth or Professor Morté’s Silver Scream Spookshow booth. Remember: stay safe. Protection is prevention.

Aleck Bennett is a writer, blogger, pug warden, pop culture enthusiast, raconteur and bon vivant from the greater Atlanta area. Visit his blog at doctorsardonicus.wordpress.com

Stars both of the Burlesque Revival and of classic tease arrive in Atlanta this week for the third annual Southern Fried Burlesque Festival Thurs. March 21-24 at  the Wyndham Atlanta Galleria. Bras off to Syrens of the South Productions, and in particular Katherine “Lashe” Neslund, with assistance from Ursula Undress, who had a dazzling dream to start a festival in Atlanta.As a lover of classic burlesque but appreciative of the creativity that revival performers show, ATLRetro has to say that the big evening shows at the first two SFBFs were among the best in Atlanta. We loved the chance to see some of the nation’s and Southeast’s best, including legends that sizzled stages in the ’60s and ’70s, without traveling to New York, the West Coast or the Burlesque Hall of Fame. Aspiring performers can take classes taught by these talents on topics ranging from costuming to performance to the history of the art form, as well as shop from a host of vendors selling everything from pasties to vintage items.

Just a quick glance at the line-up suggests this year will be just as good performance-wise, if not even better. First, we have to admit that we’re pretty excited to see Portland, Oregon’s Russell Bruner, reigning King of Burlesque, after getting a peek at him during our own Kool Kat Kitty Love‘s first Sultry Sunday of the year back in January. Male exotic dancers may be notoriously boring, but dressed in a pin-stripe seersucker suit, top hat and debonair moustache, let’s just say Russell wasn’t just sexy but sassy–really capturing the spirit of the tease in ways that most male dancers simply don’t. Of course, that underlines the essential difference between burlesque, or in this case “boylesque,” and striptease/exotic dance. Burlesque comes from vaudeville and variety and is all about having fun–which, well, they say gals love a guy with a sense of humor.

Russell Bruner

OK, yeah, that was a lot of getting hot and bothered about Russell. SFBF 2013 also features a bevy of lovely ladies. Friday night’s all-star Free Range Burlesque will be headlined by Miss Exotic World 2010 Roxi D’lite, who also stars in BURLESQUE ASSASSINS, a Canadian comedy/action indie feature film which will have its Atlanta debut at SFBF. Set in a 1950s Burlesque theatre, it stars top burlesque performers from around the world and and follows a trio of sexy super-spies as they seduce their way within killing distance of a trio of villainy hell bent on global Cold War domination. How can one not want to see a movie whose description provocatively teases: “WITNESS the fatal fan dance of Koko La Douce! BEHOLD the brutal boa striptease of Bombshell Belle! SEE Bourbon Sue, a bad girl with a taste for booze, boys and Rock & Roll. Experience the carnage and the cleavage as the enemies of The Burlesque Assassins discover that when it comes to these women, LOOKS CAN KILL!” Catch the trailer here.

Known for having the “mouth of a sailor” and the “voice of an angel,” Cora Vette will be on hand as pageant mistress of ceremonies on Saturday night. She performed for more than one million guests over three years as Tanya in MAMMA MIA! at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. She now runs a burlesque company called Black Box Burlesque and also has a troupe of male burlesque performers called Cora Vette’s Hot Rods. In fact, she may be one of burlesque’s most diverse talents, having also written two burlesque musicals, the critically acclaimed Victorian comic burlesque operetta, LEADVILLE OR BUST! and a pot opera called REEFER MANIA: DENVER’S GONE TO POT.

Cora Vette.

Notorious for her costumes, 2012 Southern Fried Burlesque Queen, Denver’s Orchid Mei, returns. She gracefully combines traditional Chinese dance with influences from classic burlesque femme fatales and has performed with the Dresden Dolls. Also back are last year’s best group, New Orleans’ Slow Burn Burlesque! Atlanta’s own lovely Talloolah Love and Knoxville’s Kisa Von Teasa will be featured performers at the Southern Scorcher showcase, hosted by Minette Magnifique‘s Baroness vonSchmalhausen which also includes Fonda Lingue, Ursula Undress and many more talented performers  from all over the Southeast!

late night Saturday. SFBF’s legends this year are Canada’s Judith Stein and Detroit’s Toni Elling, who will both be performing Friday. And that’s not even counting Atlanta’s New Orleans Jon, who emcees on Friday; all the way from Stockholm, Sweden, Adoria Amoria – if you had any doubt that the revival had reached Scandinavia; Knoxville’s Sweet Little Psycho Kisa Von Teasa, and many more.

Here’s a quick rundown of SFBF daily highlights:

Thursday March 21

SFBF kicks off with a happy hour mixer, which also will double as the monthly meet-up of the Atlanta Burlesque & Cabaret Club from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., then get a sneak peek at burlesque’s future stars at the Just Hatched Newcomers Showcase and watch the Atlanta premiere of BURLESQUE ASSASSINS at 10 pm.

Friday March 22

The festival teases into full gear with classes and vendors during the daytime, the Free Range International Showcase headlined by Roxi D’lite and featuring performances by local and national stars at 9 p.m. and an after-party at 11:30 p.m with music by Till Someone Loses An Eye featuring Kool Kat Aileen Loy and Good Golly Svengali.

Judith Stein.

Saturday March 23

Take classes and shop the vendors’ market during the daytime, then see some of the south’s and nation’s finest compete in the Southern Fried Burlesque Pageant, at 8 p.m. It’s hosted by Cora Vette with farewell performances by last year’s winners Orchid Mei and New Orleans’ Slow Burn Burlesque. Then close out the night with the Southern Scorcher Showcase at 11:30 p.m. featuring Talloolah Love, Kisa Von Teasa, Fonda Lingue, Ursula Undress and many more talented performers  from all over the Southeast!

Sunday March 24

Get your final shopping done and catch up with the performers before they leave town.

To purchase advance tickets and peruse the full class and event schedule with performer bios, visit www.southernfriedburlesquefest.com/. And for the latest updates and extras, be sure to friend SFBF on Facebook and follow on Twitter. 

All photographs are courtesy of Southern Fried Burlesque Festival and the performers pictured.

Hot Rod Walt takes a ride on Paul "Stubbs" Diffin's bass. Photo courtesy of Hot Rod Walt.

Hot Rod Walt, aka Walt Richards, may have roots in Jersey and Florida, but since parking in Atlanta in 2006, he’s quickly become one of Atlanta’s hardest working rockabilly/psychobilly singer/guitarists. He has 200 original songs, and his main band, the Psycho-DeVilles, which also features Paul “Stubbs” Diffin (Blue Cats, Big Six) on bass and Steve “Burnout” Barnett on drums, have been racing ever since 2002 when they crashed OUT OF THE GARAGE AND ONTO THE STREET, the title of one of their four CDs. Their three other recordings have equally in-your-face titles: PSYCHO CADILLAC, SUPERCHARGER and NIGHT PROWLER. They’ve toured the US and Europe and shared the stage with some of the biggest names in the Retro Revival.

Left to right: Paul, Walt and drummer Steve "Burnout" Barnett.

Speaking of speed, in just the past two weeks, Stubbs literally lit his stand-up bass on fire at Rockabilly Luau (June 18; see ATLRetro’s Kool Kat feature on founders Chris Mattox and Jessica Vega here), and the band also shook up the Dixie Tavern in Marietta last Saturday. This weekend, they’re playing the Star Bar with Los Meesfits, Whiskey Belt and singer/songwriter Gail Linda Lewis—yup that’s Jerry Lee Lewis’s younger sister though she’s not riding any coattails (just ask Van Morrison). On Sunday, acoustic side project The Hot Rod Walt Trio heads outside the perimeter to play Brookstock at Wings and Brews in Jackson. Then they’re in-town at The Five Spot with The Seranaders on Thurs. July 7, and on Sat. July 9, they swing back to the Jailhouse Brewing Company in Hampton.

Pink and Blue Cadillacs from Hot Rod Walt's collection.

When Hot Rod Walt isn’t singing and strumming, true to his name, he hand-stripes and rebuilds custom cars and motorcycles and has accumulated a fantastic fleet of vintage wheels. That talent has earned him TV spots on Discovery Channel’s AUCTION KINGS, auctioning off his 1960 pink Cadillac, and CAFÉ RACER, which also included a band profile, on Velocity.

ATLRetro asked Hot Rod Walt to slow down long enough for a quick interview about guitars, automobiles and this week’s Star Bar show…

How old were you when you first picked up a guitar and what mischief did you make?

I got my first guitar for Christmas when I was around 12 years old. I will never forget being so stoked about it and I can still smell the smell of the wood and glue and paint it was made of. I didn’t come from a musical family so having an instrument seemed very exotic as a kid. I also remember my little brother and I fighting that day and my father threatening to smash my new prized possession !! (He would have done it too).

Hot Rod Walt doesn't miss a beat while Paul sets his bass on fire again.

Then a friend of the family got me an old Teisco electric with a chrome pick guard and that was it………. I was a rock star !

Why rockabilly/psychobilly, and how did you get started singing songs about hot rod cars and mean women?

I have been writing songs since I was able to write. I still have my first song I wrote in pencil as a very small child. In high school, I had some bands and always did my original songs with them. But at about 23 years old, I had moved to Florida and started an acoustic duo called Acoustic Boulevard. We had 85 original songs, no covers. Put out a nice album that did pretty good. I did that for about eight years. Then we put those 85 songs on the shelf, put on electric guitars and wrote 50 or so new songs and started an alternative type band called Slick Riddle. We put out three albums and had a great following in Florida.

Now to finally answer your question—I always loved rockabilly. My parents had given me all their Elvis 45s when I was a kid and I played them on my Fisher Price record player. I about wore them out!! I still have those records today in my 1962 Seeburg Jukebox. When the Stray Cats came out, I was very excited. I used to follow a band out of New Jersey called the Razorbacks. However it wasn’t till years later that one of my customers introduced me to The Reverend Horton Heat and Social Distortion. This is when things started to really change for me. I started digging and found this huge underground of music I never knew existed.

So I started the Psycho-DeVilles as a side project. It shortly became my only band and it skyrocketed. I figured that you can age gracefully playing rockabilly and that I can play this music till I’m dead.

I do write about hot rod cars and mean women. I have had over 100 hot rod cars through the years and I have known a few real meanies. Bangin’ gears in a ’32 is inspirational. So is divorce…

Have you played with Linda Gail Lewis before? If yes, when and where, and what’s she like? If no, are you and the band excited about the opportunity?

The Psycho-DeVilles played the big [Viva Las Vegas] Rockabilly Weekender in Vegas this past April, and Linda Gail was on the bill as well with Jerry Lee. She really tore it up, a great performer and a very sweet lady. Turns out that my bass player Paul Diffin did some recording with her when he lived in San Diego and they are friends. In fact,  they now both live in Acworth, Ga. So I put her on this bill with us at the Star Bar July 2nd. It’s gonna be a blast!!

You certainly play with an energy that rivals Jerry Lee Lewis, though he’s burning up a keyboard and you a guitar. Did Jerry Lee Lewis influence your sound and staging?

I love playing with energy !! I was heavily influenced by all the Sun Records performers. But I really do it because I want people to be entertained and come back for more and wait to see what we might do next. Give people something to look at “and” something to listen to. I don’t like to go out to see a motionless band so I refuse to be one.

Do you and the band have anything special planned for this Saturday’s show?

We have nothing super special that we will be doing but I think the entire event will be very special. The Los Meesfits are from Athens, Ga.. They are a salsa-styled Misfits cover band and lots of fun. Whiskey Belt is a guy/girl honky tonk duo with one of Atlanta best guitar players, Rich DeSantis. Of course, Linda Gail with a special appearance by her daughter Annie Marie Dolan. And then us… and you never know what might happen at the Star Bar!!

What did you think about the Rockabilly Luau and how’d you like to see that evolve? Other than Bubbapalooza, I don’t think I’d heard such a great line-up of so many quality local and regional Retro-inspired musicians in Atlanta this year—that is, before the monsoon hit.

The Luau was a great event. The folks that put it together really did a top notch job organizing and running it. Real pros for sure. We are really looking forward to next year’s event and we are already booked!! And yes, there were some great bands on the bill. I think that next year there are some real big surprises in store for us. Stay tuned.

You certainly play a diverse selection of locations—both in and out of the perimeter. What’s different between playing the Star Bar or the Five Spot and those suburban and out of the big city locations?

We do play a lot of shows—75-100 shows a year all over the country and beyond!! We even played Luxembourg, Germany, Belgium and Holland in 2010. I am now booking a Euro tour for Sept. 2012. We love playing all gigs, the concert type venues where there is a rockabilly scene, and the honkytonk biker bars outside the perimeter. We just do our best to keep the people there all night till the bitter end. I would rather play music than do anything else. I’m pretty sure my bandmates feel the same way.

How many vintage hot rods do you own now, what are they, and what are you working on right now?

I have always kept many cars on the road, usually 10-15. I currently have a ’32 Ford Roadster, ’32 Ford 3 window, ’34 Ford 5 window, ’51 Merc coupe, ’51 Merc Convertible, ’36 Plymouth coupe, ’64 Falcon convertible to name a few—and several more and motorcycles, too! I am currently doing the upholstery in a ’51 Plymouth Slantback that I chopped the top on last year for a customer. Red and black tuck and roll.

I seem to recall that you customize your guitars, too?

Yes. I am a Pinstriper. I pinstripe cars, guitars and bikes almost every single day. I am flying to California to the Fender Custom Shop and hand striping 10 special edition Hot Rod Walt Pinstriped Gretsch Guitars. Pretty cool !!

You have one fantastic rockabilly wardrobe—especially your jackets. What’s your favorite place to shop for clothes in Atlanta?

I make all my show clothes myself. I have some vintage stuff that I find randomly. But I usually find a halfways cool suit at Goodwill and then customize it to a Western style or ’50s style coat. Since I am an upholstery guy, I have industrial sewing equipment and just make whatever I want. I have quite a huge collection of suits. I always want to make a new one for every show!

Any other news you’d like to share about you or the Psycho-DeVilles—more upcoming gigs? Next new recording?

The Psycho-DeVilles are very busy and are always adding shows to our schedule. I also have a side project called the Hot Rod Walt Trio, where I play mostly acoustic stuff. Be sure and go to our official Website to keep up to date on all the latest: https://www.psychodevilles.com

We are also going back in the studio again to make our fifth Psycho-DeVille record. I have written 15 new songs for it. Actually a few of them are some tunes that I wrote many years ago that never got recorded. We hope to have a new album out by fall. We also have some more TV shows coming out this year. Stay tuned to CAFE RACER TV for my “haircut episode” on Discovery HDTheater.

What question do you wish someone would ask you, but they never do, and what is the answer?

I just want to say thanks to all our loyal friends out there. And want to thank Atlanta for being such a great place to play music ! I especially want to thank Steve and Paul and Roland for their great musicianship and loyalty.

If you, like ATLRetro, are depressed you missed the 10th anniversary Hukilau in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., last weekend, a little tiki treasure is coming here to lift your spirits. Say aloha to the Rockabilly Luau, this Saturday June 18 at the Masquerade Music Park, an all-afternoon (noon to 8 PM) celebration of two of the main fuels of the Retro revival—‘50s/’60s inspired music (rockabilly, psychobilly, surf, lounge) and the Hawaiiana subculture of cocktails, tiki art, hula and a nostalgic longing for island paradise that had its heyday from the 1920s-60s.

For a first-time event, the band line-up is a stellar round-up of some of Atlanta and the Southeast’s top Retro-inspired talent including Hot Rod Walt and the Psycho Devilles, Daikaiju (Huntsville, AL), The Mystery Men?, The Go Devils (Asheville, NC), Rebel Surfers (Nashville, TN), C.N.i. COW, Atomic Rockets and the lovely Pelvis Breastlies, as well as Nashville’s hula-hooping Spinderellas and burlesque troupes Blast-Off Burlesque, Dames Aflame and Davina and the Harlots. Hosts are Tyler Atomic (Atomic Rockets, “Built for Speed“ on WRAS 88.5 FM) and lovely nationally acclaimed Retro pin-up model Ashley Croft. But Rockabilly Luau is more than just another all-day concert, true to the luau spirit, attendees will be greeted with leis,  feast on island food (including the prerequisite kalua pig), sip tropical cocktails, watch live tiki carving, have a chance to purchase tiki memorabilia, and be treated to performances by authentic Polynesian dancers and fire dancers. A variety of contests (see below), body-painting and a pre-1968 car show top off the festivities which will benefit two local animal rescue charities, Friends to the Forlorn Pitbull Rescue and Shelter Angels Pitbull Rescue.

The creators of the Rockabilly Luau are Chris Mattox, who works for Frazier Harley-Davidson, and Jessica Vega, a Polynesian college student and manager of a clothing boutique. ATLRetro recently caught up with Chris for a preview.

How did each of you come to love rockabilly and tiki/Polynesian culture respectively, and what about each appeals to you personally?

Jessica Vega makes a blue friend on a Mai Tai Monday at Smith's Olde Bar.

I grew up on rockabilly and surf music. One of my fondest childhood memories was my dad taking me to see Dick Dale at the Variety Playhouse. A love for Polynesian culture was inevitable. Jess is Polynesian, and for her, an appreciation of her culture came first. She grew into the music and tiki culture as an offshoot of that.

How did you come up with the idea for the Rockabilly Luau?

Jessica, who’s Polynesian, mentioned that while there are all kind of Polynesian events in California and Florida, there aren’t [m]any here. I thought that was a real shame given the number of great surf bands and “tiki-philes” there are in the south. We decided to put together the Luau and give any proceeds to Shelter Angels Pitbull Rescue and Friends to the Forlorn Pitbull Rescue.

How is Rockabilly Luau different from other music festivals?

Blast-Off Burlesque

The Luau is different in a number of ways. First, we made a concerted effort to include people who were working to keep Polynesian culture alive. Second, as the Website states, this is a hangover you can feel good about; 100% of the ticket price goes directly to the charities.

You’ve got an amazing entertainment line-up from bands to burlesque. When you started approaching folks, did you feel there was a real hunger for an event like this?

Yes! People kept saying, “I’ve been waiting for somebody to do this!” It was really encouraging—not to mention, the whole shebang is for charity.

Can you tell me a little about the bands. What style does each play?

From the top, Hot Rod Walt and The Psycho Devilles are a psychobilly band, Daikaiju is a Japanese-inspired surf band, The Mystery Men? are a surfabilly band, The Go Devils are a psychobilly/surf/swing band, The Rebel Surfers are a rockabilly/surf/blues band, C.N.i. Cow is a rockabilly/surf/punk/metal band, The Atomic Rockets are a rockabilly band, and The Pelvis Breastlies are an all-female Elvis Tribute band.

Will you be serving mai tais and other exotic cocktails?

We will be serving exotic cocktails—Mai Tais, etc. They just won’t be served in coconuts. We have to save SOMETHING for next year. However, umbrellas are included.

What kinds of Hawaiian foods will be on the menu?

Hawaiian BBQ, veggie fried rice, smoothies, fruit lemonade, kalua pork…I’m making myself hungry.

I understand there will be contests, too. Can you give a little taste about what’s planned in that regard?

We have a hula hoop contest, a Hawaiian pin-up swimsuit contest and an ugliest Hawaiian shirt contest. You can’t say we don’t have a sense of humor.

Is the show all ages? What is the charge for parking?

The car show is all ages, and the parking is free of charge.

How did you pick the charities for this event? Do you have a special love for pitbulls?

We already knew both charities through our work at Ink for Paws, Inc. [a nonprofit organization founded by Mattox and Vega]. We knew they were both one-person charities and sorely underfunded. As for pit bulls, I own one and I think they get a bad rap. Both of these charities are trying to reshape hearts and minds about pitbulls.

Jax P. Snugglebear.

Can you tell us a little about your pit bull? What’s his name and what’s he like?

My pit bull looks like your typical, post-apocalyptic, vicious junkyard dog. His name is Jax P. Snugglebear. He’s the biggest lapdog you’ve ever seen. He’s about as dangerous  as a fluffy pillow. Unless you’re a squirrel. Then he’s like Chuck Norris’ mean older brother.

Do you hope to make this a regular, perhaps annual event?

Most definitely. The response we got was overwhelming. The Rockabilly Luau will definitely be an annual event.

Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door and can be purchased here.

The Star Community Bar presents: BUBBAPALOOZA 20 “In memory of Gregory Dean Smalley” Read the full ATLRetro sneak preview from Bryan Malone and Ted Weldon here.

FRIDAY May 27, Doors 7pm/$8

Main Stage
8:00 PM The Wheelknockers
8:45 PM Rod Hamdallah
9:30 PM Bareknuckle Betties
10:15 PM The Blacktop Rockets
11:15 PM Anna Kramer & theLostCause
12:00 PM Ocha La Rocha

Little Vinyl Lounge Stage:
10:00 PM Midway Charmers
11:00 PM The Atomic Rockets

SATURDAY, Doors 3pm/$10

Main Stage
4:30 PM Chickens & Pigs
5:30 PM Senator Artie Mondello
6:25 PM Uncle Daddy & the Kissin Cousins
7:15 PM Sonoramic Commando
8:00 PM The Stumblers
8:45 PM AM Gold
9:30 PM Cigar Store Indians (Ben)
10:20 PM Ghost Riders Car Club
11:15 PM Caroline & the Ramblers
12:15 PM The Billygoats

Little Vinyl Lounge Stage:
6:00 PM Western Union Messenger
8:30 PM The Disasternaughts
ALSO: Garage 71 will be broadcasting live.

Parking lot beside Star Bar:
The Redneck Cruise-In Car Show! Hosted by Garage 71; pre-1970’s & earlier Hot Rods & Cycles; starts Saturday at 5pm.

BBQ provided by SLOPE’S BBQ

Raffles & Prizes including gift certificates to the best shops and stores in Little Five Points (to benefit the family of Gregory Dean Smalley)

Get your official BUBBAPALOOZA 20th Anniversary photo at the PBR Photo Booth.

Sponsored by: Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer, Garage 71, Slopes BBQ, Starlight Six Drive-In, Plaza Theater, Memorial Tattoo, East Atlanta Tattoo, Criminal Records, Wax N’ Facts, El Myr, Junkman’s Daughter, Abbadabba’s, Euclid Avenue Yacht Club, Savage Pizza, Tin Roof Cantina & Star Community Bar

Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend may be a lot bigger and more famous, but down home here in Atlanta, the heartland of the Redneck Underground, we have our own mighty fine shindig called Bubbapalooza. Like all good and crazy ideas, it started with a man with a dream. Gregory Dean Smalley was a prolific guitarist and songwriter who settled in Cabbagetown and used to play in one band or another practically every night in Atlanta and Athens bars and clubs until he succumbed to AIDS in the mid-‘90s.

While Greg’s physical presence may have passed away, his no-holds-barred musical soul still burns brightly every Memorial Day weekend at the Star Bar. It’s hard to believe that Bubbapalooza is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and yet to anyone who’s been in the Atlanta scene for any amount of time, it seems impossible to imagine that there ever

Ghost Riders Car Club

was a time when it didn’t happened. On Friday May 27 (doors at 7 PM) and Saturday May 28 (doors at 3 PM), feast on BBQ, knock down a PBR, see some of the city’s most lovingly restored pre-‘70s hot-rods and rock and ramble to 20 rockabilly, Redneck Underground, cowpunk, surf and county-inspired bands, as well as have a chance to win prizes from Little 5 Points retailers in a raffle and have your 20th anniversary picture taken at the PBR Photo Booth.

ATLRetro caught up with Star Bar Booking Agent Bryan Malone (The Forty-Fives) and Ted Weldon (Truckadelic, Ghost Riders Car Club) for a sneak preview.

Bubbapalooza 20 is dedicated to Gregory Dean Smalley who founded the first Bubbapalooza and raffle proceeds go to his family. For those who haven’t been in Atlanta that long, can you briefly recap who he was and how Bubbapalooza got started and got its name?

Blacktop Rockets

Greg Smalley came down from Cedartown GA. in the ‘80s and was a founding member of The Grease Guns, The Diggers and The Bubbamatics and played with The Chant, Blacktop Rockets, Slim Chance & the Convicts & who else?

He played with Amy Pike, Kelly Hogan and several more. God, everyone from those days. But, yeah, Bubbapalooza was his bastard love child from the early days of 1991. It started as a festival to showcase the Redneck Underground which was a bunch of bands from the Atlanta/Athens area and even North Carolina. Plus it was to celebrate the early Star Bar’s trailer trash extravaganza of bad ideas & all things southern. It was a great excuse to have a show where all your friends play a bunch of rowdy songs & drink all night.

There’s more bands than we could even mention that have played Bubba, but here are a few: Southern Culture on the Skids, Deacon Lunchbox, Drive-By Truckers (they have a song about Greg Smalley called “The Living Bubba”), Kevn Kinney, Dex Romweber, BR-549, The Delta Angels, Kingsized, Truckadelic, Charlie Pickett, Redneck Greece Delux, Slim Chance & the Convicts, The Belmont Playboys, Greasepaint, Rocket 350. This list could go on and on.

Every year seems like a big family reunion for Atlanta’s rockabilly/Redneck Underground/old Star Bar scene crowd. Having hit a milestone 20th year this year, do you think it’ll be even more so?

A ton of the bands that are playing this year were actually onstage during the first Bubbapalooza, so yeah it is most definitely a homecoming. There will be a lot of friends and family all weekend and the kind of familiar faces that you only see at certain shows or in some cases just this one time of year. Even Mama Smalley will be here also to oversee the proceedings.

Are you doing anything special for the 20th year?

Hahahaha. The big thing is we’re still doing it 20 years later. That’s pretty crazy. It’s unbelievable having a get-together like this that’s lasted that long. It kind of says something about the crowd that was here at the very beginning, as well as all those who’ve joined in over the years. You can count on three things these days: Death, taxes & Bubbapalooza. Hahaha.

But, yeah, we have 20 bands this year, enough bands for a three-day festival. It’s gonna be a great mix of the regulars like the Blacktop Rockets, Caroline & the Ramblers, The Billygoats, plus a whole bunch of newcomers this year like Bareknuckle Betties & Uncle Daddy & the Kissin Cousins, Midway Charmers & some crazy surf from the Disasternauts, too. There’s so much music we’re even having bands downstairs in the Little Vinyl Lounge and tons of stuff on the back patio as well.

[Web-based radio station] Garage 71 is hosting a pre-1970 hot rod car show on Saturday. We’re expecting 20 or 30 entries for that. Oh, yeah, and there’ll be free Slope’s BBQ Saturday afternoon. Haha. It’s just gonna be a big old helping of Bubba hyjinks.

Can you tell us a little bit about the Redneck Cruise-In Hot Rod Show?

The car show will be hosted by Garage71. All the cars and motorcycles will be pre-1970. That will be Saturday afternoon starting at 5 PM. There’ll be some cool stuff down here for sure. There’s a trophy, too, I hear, so someone will drive out a winner of something to brag about. Not sure what the trophy looks like, but I’m sure it’ll come with something greasy like a bucket of chicken. Anything’s possible.

Uncle Daddy & the Kissin' Cousins

Expect a healthy dose of good country music, rockabilly, country-punk, southern rock, surf bands, hot rods, BBQ and a whole lot of good times and cold beer. You don’t necessarily have to drink PBR but it sure helps. Helps with most things really. Ha.

This is the kind of event that could really only happen at the Star Bar though, and it’ll be full of people who like good country and rockabilly music and are ready to let loose for Memorial Day weekend. Every year someone comes up and says “Happy Bubba” and makes a toast. It’s down-home stuff.

Sonoramic Commando

What’s the craziest, funnest thing that’s ever happened at a Bubbapalooza?

One of the funnest things that happens every year is when the stage is packed with about 40 people for a drunken rousing rendition of “She’s Breakin My Heart While I’m Drinkin’ Her Beer”—the old Diggers tune. It’s always brings down the house and is quite a moment.

What question did I not ask you that I should have and what’s the answer?

What’s a bad idea that became a tradition? Boone’s Farm Saturday.