Posted on:
Mar 29th, 2011 By:
Anya99
Here’s your weekly guide to where and why to get out…
Monday March 28
Francine Reed belts out some beautiful blues every other Monday at Cafe Circa. Northside Tavern hosts its weekly Blues Jam.
Tuesday March 29
Cathy Whitlock, author of DESIGNS ON FILM: A CENTURY OF HOLLYWOOD ART DIRECTION, provides a behind-the-scenes look at the masterful set design of GONE WITH THE WIND at the Margaret Mitchell House at 7 PM as part of the GONE WITH THE WIND 75th Anniversary Celebration. 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. Notorious DJ Romeo Cologne spins the best ‘70s funk and disco at 10 High in Virginia-Highland. Catch the official grand opening of Tuesday Retro in the Metro nights at Midtown’s Deadwood Saloon, featuring live video mixes of ’80s, ’90s, and 2Ks hits.
Wednesday March 30
It’s TNT, Tommy Lee and Tammy Renee in a knockdown funky drag-out “Keytar Loser Leave Grudge Match” vs. Lust at Star Bar. TNT perform hits from the ’70s to today but are especially known for their fun takes on ’70s and ’80s funkilicious, R&B and disco favorites like Stevie Wonder‘s “Superstition.” Cabaret theatrics meet post-punk adult-themed rawk in Lust, featuring another pair of powerhouse vocalists Susanne Gibboney and Blast-Off Burlesque‘s “Barbilicious” Hays.
At The Earl, New Zealand’s Surf City takes inspiration from surf music, Jesus and Mary Chain (originally “Kill Surf City” after that band’s song) and Velvet Underground. Get ready to rumba, cha-cha and jitterbug at the weekly Swing Night at Graveyard Tavern. Catch Joe Gransden every Wednesday night at 8:30 PM at Jerry Farber’s Side Door. The Hollidays and Danny “Mudcat” Dudeck bring on the blues at Fatt Matt’s Rib Shack and Northside Tavern respectively. 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 31
'64 MV Agusta 500cc is one of 11 vintage and contemporary Italian motorcycles on display at MoDA. Photo courtesy of Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum
Drink some wine and enjoy a gallery tour of PASSIONE ITALIANA: DESIGN OF THE ITALIAN MOTORCYCLE by previous Kool Kat curator Joe Remling during MODA‘s first Thursday night Drink in Design from 6-8 PM. Murphreesboro, Tenn. alt-country band The Only Sons plays Kathmandu Kitchen and Grill, formerly 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. Joe Gransden jazzes up Tantra now on Thursdays. 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.
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Category: This Week in ATLRetro | Tags: 10 High, 80s Band of Destiny, Andy Ditzler, Aurum Lounge, Barb Hays, Bart Webb Studios, Beatles, better than the beatles, Big in Japan, Blast-Off Burlesque, Breeze Kings, caboose days, cafe circa, Cathy Whitlock, chicken and pigs, Chris Hamer, Clermont Lounge, Deadwood Saloon, Designs on Film, Doctor Q, dunch, Eddie's Attic, Fedora Blues, Fernbank, Film Love, Francine Reed, Gone with the Wind, Henri Cartier-Bresson, High Museum of Art, Hollidays, italian motorcycles, J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, Jerry Farber's Side Door, Joe Gransden, joe remling, John Lennon, Kathmandu Kitchen and Grill, Last Rock n Roll Documentary, Lust, Margaret Mitchell House, Martinis & Imax, moda, Mudcat, Northside Tavern, Octane Coffee Bar, passione italiana, Pho Truc, Plaza Theatre, Please Pleaserock me, Pub 71, Retro in the Metro, romeo cologne, Ruby Velle, Smith's Olde Bar, Soulphonics, Southeastern Railway Museum, southern fried burlesque fest, Star Bar, Stevie Wonder, Surf City, Susanne Gibboney, swing dancing, Talloolah Love, Tantra, The Earl, The Glenwood, TNT, Tom Waits, Tongo Hiti, Toulouse-Lautrec, Trader Vic's, Urbnpop, Viva Las Vegas, Yoko Ono
Posted on:
Mar 22nd, 2011 By:
Anya99
Here’s your weekly guide to where and why to get out…
Monday March 21
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. Northside Tavern hosts a Blues Jam.
Tuesday March 22
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. Get a sneak preview of new Tuesday Retro in the Metro nights at Midtown’s Deadwood Saloon, featuring live video mixes of ’80s, ’90s, and 2Ks hits; official grand opening is next Tues. March 29.
Wednesday March 23
Not quite as cool as taking a TARDIS back to 688, but coming mighty close, ATLRetro’s top pick of the night is ’70s/’80s garage band extraordinaire The Fleshtones at Star Bar, with The Forty-Fives and Ghost Bikini opening. The Emory University Tango Ensemble and Tango Orchestra Club Atlanta present an evening of traditional and new Argentinian tango dancing and music at Emory’s Schwartz Center. Lots of weekly events, too. 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 and Danny “Mudcat” Dudeck bring on the blues at Fatt Matt’s Rib Shack and Northside Tavern respectively. 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 24
The Found Footage Festival brings outtakes and oddities found at garage sales, flea markets, dumpsters and other strange places to the Plaza Theatre, including a rare screening of cult classic HEAVY METAL PARKING LOT. It’s a bonafide ’70s night at Philips Arena as (ATLRetro) Rod Stewart thrusts whatever he has left and Stevie Nicks wails out “Rhiannon” one more time. 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. Joe Gransden jazzes up Tantra now on Thursdays. 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.
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Category: This Week in ATLRetro | Tags: 80s Band of Destiny, Alice in Wonderland, Alien, Andy Ditzler, Beatles, Blair Crimmins, Breeze Kings, burlesque, Cafe 290, Chameleon Queen, Dans le Moment, Deadwood Saloon, Derryl Rivers, Doo Gallery, Eddie's Attic, Emily Yetter, Fatt Matt's Rib Shack, Fedora Blues, Fernbank, Film Love, Fleshtones, Flying Circus, Found Footage Festival, heavy metal, Heavy Metal Parking Lot, Henri Cartier-Bresson, High Museum of Art, Hollidays, J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, Jerry Farber's Side Door, Joan Rivers, Joe Gransden, John Lennon, Katherine Lashe, Martinis & Imax, Mon Cherie, Mudcat, Northside Tavern, Only Sons, Pemberton Place, Philips Arena, Plaza Theatre, Retro in the Metro, Rod Stewart, romeo cologne, Rue de Paradis, Sana Blues, Schwartz Center, Shriek Movie Night, Smith's Olde Bar, Spanky & the Love Handles, Star Bar, Stevie Nicks, Susi French Connection, Syrens of the South, T. Grease Johnson, Talloolah Love, tango, The Earl, The Glenwood, Tongo Hiti, torchy taboo, Trader Vic's, Twain's, Viva Las Vegas, Yoko Ono
Posted on:
Mar 18th, 2011 By:
Anya99
Category: Weekend Update | Tags: Atlanta Boogie, Atlanta Rollergirls, Atlanta Symphony Hall, Atomic Rockets, Beatles, Belmont Playboys, Blast-Off Burlesque, Bryan Adams, Buckhead Theatre, Civil War, Clermont Lounge, Cloris Leachman, Cowboy Envy, Druid Hills, East Lake Golf Club, Eddie's Attic, Edward Gay House, Emily Yetter, Fatt Matt's Rib Shack, Fernbank, Fox Theatre, Glenn Phillips, Henri Cartier-Bresson, High Museum of Art, Inman Park, Italy, Ivy Hall, J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, Jerry Farber's Side Door, Martinis & Imax, moda, motorcycles, Museum of Design Atlanta, Peters House, Plaza, Red Light Cafe, romeo cologne, salsa, salsambo, Schwartz Center, SFJAZZ Collective, Showgirls, Spanky & the Love Handles, Star Bar, Swimming Pool Qs, Taboo-La-La, The Earl, Toulouse-Lautrec, Underground Atlanta, Wren's Nest, Yaarab Shrine Center
Posted on:
Mar 10th, 2011 By:
Anya99
Ask anyone in Atlanta’s neo-burlesque scene who started it here, and one name inevitably comes up— Eve “Torchy Taboo” Warren. She’s been dubbed the “Godfather of Atlanta Burlesque” and nothing seems more natural than her hosting the Dirty South Burlesque Showcase, a late-night cabaret on Saturday night for some of the best regional performers, one of several star-studded performance events at this weekend’s Southern Fried Burlesque Fest [read ATLRetro’s preview here].
With all the burlesque troupes and production companies performing here now, it’s hard to imagine that just 16 years ago, none of that existed. While Atlanta was home to one of the nation’s largest collections of adult entertainment venues, those venues had long ago left behind any appreciation of the art of the tease. Among all the stagnant bump and grind for big bucks, however, one dancer had a dream.
This red-haired 5-foot-nothing Rita Hayworth lookalike never had been an ordinary stripper. When she wasn’t dancing, she was vagabonding across Europe, performing at drag shows at The Sports Page, studying art history, sipping Polynesian cocktails, waxing poetically about corndogs and jitterbugging to rockabilly bands at the Star Bar. That’s how I met her in 1995 through my friend “Go-Go” Max Bernardi, another Star Bar regular and a singer, painter and performance artist whose artwork and acts were often seen at 800 East, an Inman Park warehouse that at the time was a haven for the city’s alternative creative scene.
The cast of Go-Go and Torchy's Taboo Revue including Eve "Torchy Taboo" Warren, "Go-Go Max" Bernardi, Wanda Baker, Tim Monteith, Ivy Godiva, Dave Olsen and the Queen Bee. Photo credit: April Stevens
Together, Eve and Max cooked up this crazy idea to put on a tribute to the burlesque variety shows of the mid-20th century which they would come to call GO-GO AND TORCHY’S TABOO REVUE. It took place at the Catch City Club, next to Center Stage in Midtown, on October 14-15, 1995, and included many top players in Atlanta’s burgeoning rockabilly, lounge and performance art scene. Useless Playboys former front man “Big Mike” Geier even returned to Atlanta from Richmond, Va., to emcee. Later on he’d found some band called Kingsized and perform with a neo-burlesque company called Dames Aflame, which incidentally also was founded by Torchy Taboo. Another reason why it’s only fittin’ that Big Mike will be hosting and the Dames Aflame are special guests at the FreeRange Burlesque Show Friday night at Southern Fried.
- “Go-Go” Max Bernardi clowns in her cowboy boots before her Taboo Revue opening number as Cleopatra.
Kelly Hogan (The Jody Grind, Rock*A*Teens), Wanda Baker (Bleu Velveeta) and Dave Olsen (Atlanta rockabilly swing icons The Lost Continentals) sang solo numbers, and almost every number was performed live by a seven-member lounge band, featuring Olson and other members of The Lost Continentals. Dashing up-and-coming illusionist, Christopher Tracy, provided magic, and Ivy Godiva, the weekly guest star of the then-infamous Go-Go Rama dances at the Star Bar, delivered laughs as his ravishingly redneck assistant, as well as a red-hot striptease to a revved-up rockabilly version of Dion and the Belmonts’ “Ruby Baby.” Puppeteer Tim Monteith boogied woogied as all three Andrews Sisters; he still regularly performs at Syrens of the South and other local shows and is competing in the first annual Southern Fried Burlesque Pageant earlier on Saturday night. In an artistic interlude, modern dancers Anik Keuller and Sonya Sconiers re-interpreted the Greek myth of Persephone without removing a stitch. And a certain ATLRetro writer/editor danced and sang as a 1920s art deco Bumble Bee Queen, with Bee-ettes “Saasha Foo” Wilson, hostess to many of 800 East’s zany variety shows, and her friend and fellow disco dancer Faith Farley.
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Category: Kool Kat of the Week | Tags: 315, 800 East, Amy Pike, Andrews Sisters, apache dance, Beatnik Burlesque Show, belly-dancing, Bettie Page, Bettie Page Lookalike Contest, Big Mike Geier, Bill Ward, Blast-Off Burlesque, Bleu Velveeta, Burlesque Hall of Fame, Catch City Club, Chicago World's Fair, Christopher Tracy, coochie, Dames Aflame, Dave Olsen, Dig-It, Dirty South Burlesque Showcase, drag kings, DragonCon, Edith Piaf, Eileen Passarelli, Go-Go and Torchy's Taboo Revue, Go-Go Max Bernardi, Go-Go Rama, Greg Theakston, Ivy Godiva, Jody grind, Kelly Hogan, Kingsized, Little 5 Points, Little Egypt, Lost Continentals, neo-burlesque revival, New Orleans, PolyPop, Rita Hayworth, Rock*A*Teens, rockabilly, Saasha Foo, Shim Shamettes, southern fried burlesque fest, Southern Fried Burlesque Pageant, Sports Page, Star Bar, Syrens of the South, Taboo Revue, tango, tease, Tease Magazine, Teaserama, tiki, Tim Monteith, torchy taboo, Useless Playboys, Varietese, Wanda Baker
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.
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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:
Feb 25th, 2011 By:
Anya99
Back in the day, a motley group of UGA art students had this crazy idea to start a band that combined their love of punk rock, beer and the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. For about a decade, Dead Elvis was a—welcome to some, nightmare to others—fixture on the Atlanta music scene, drinking buckets of booze and spewing out hard-ass, high-energy hardcore with their signature sense of humor. All the local fame and phlegm, though, never went to their heads—shhh, don’t tell anyone but they’re really swell, sweet guys. But in the mid-1990s as punk began to fade into Green Day-fueled corporate respectability, the band parted ways.
That is, until an awesome set at the 688/Metroplex reunion concert at Masquerade in 2009. Since then Dead Elvis has been rising from the grave periodically to haunt the Atlanta scene. The next of those occasional gigs is this Saturday, February 26, at Star Bar. This time they are teaming up with the El Caminos, another Atlanta classic, and Sex Pistols tribute band Sid Vicious Experience, for a not-to-be-missed old-school punk revival to raise money to help good friend Ed Waller who was in a serious motorcycle accident last fall.
ATLRetro recently caught up with Squirmy Rooter, aka Derek Yaniger, for a sneak peak and to find out what the band has been up to. Since those decadent days, Derek also has forged a righteous reputation as one of America’s top retro pop culture artists. His self-described “chicken scratchins” have appeared in Marvel Comics and on the Cartoon Network, as well as in scads of vintage revival magazines such as Atomic, Barracuda and Car Kulture Deluxe. He’s also designed posters for some of the nation’s premiere retro gatherings like Tiki Oasis, Hukilau and the Wild Weekend. And soon you’ll be seeing his artwork right here as ATLRetro revs up its engines to supersonic this spring.
1. For all the young ‘uns, what’s the quick history of Dead Elvis’s origins and how you got involved? As I recall, the band was founded in 1984 and it had something to do with beer?
I’m a little fuzzy on when she all began, but 1984 sounds about right. The bass player Ernie Danzig, lead singer (Tranny Danny) and myself (Squirmy Rooter) met in the halls of the Art Department at UGA. We were surrounded by heaps of other bands in Athens, but no one was makin’ with the punk rock bit. It wasn’t until we graduated and moved to Atlanta and met up with our lead guitarist Jet [Terror], that Dead Elvis finally rose from the crypt. And yes—it had a LITTLE somethin’ to do with beer!
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Category: Features | Tags: 688, Atomic, Barracuda, beer, Car Kulture Deluxe, Cartoon Network, Dead Elvis, Derek Yaniger, DragonCon, Ed Waller, El Caminos, Hard Rock Casino, Hukilau, Jet Terror, Kevin Rej, Las Vegas, Marvel Comics, Masquerade, Metroplex, MondoPop Gallery, punk rock, Ramones, Sid Vicious Experience, Squirmy Rooter, Star Bar, Tiki Oasis, Wild Weekend
Posted on:
Feb 24th, 2011 By:
Anya99
As I said at the start of the week, there are some tough choices this weekend, and a few additions not included in This Week to make it even harder. Whatever you choose, hope you have a ravishingly Retro good time!
Thursday Feb. 24
The Atlanta Opera presents the opening night of George Gershwin’s PORGY & BESS, a American folk opera about two lovers struggling to find happiness in Charleston’s Catfish Row. Find out more about the production at the Cobb Energy Centre which runs through March 6, in KOOL KAT OF THE WEEK spotlighting Costume Coordinator Joanna Schmink.
Good grief, CB’s an adolescent now, his little sister’s a goth, his ex-girlfriend’s in a mental hospital for setting too many fires, his friends are all drunk, and when his dog dies from rabies after killing a “little yellow bird,” he starts to question the existence of an afterlife.That’s the wacked-out premise of DOG SEES GOD: CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE BLOCKHEAD, a black comedy inspired by the popular PEANUTS comic strip and performed by the new Fabrefaction Theatre Company, which premieres today and runs through March 13.
ATLRetro will finally be joining the Last Of The Red Hot Truc-ers as Ghost Riders Car Club celebrates Vietnamese New Year with classic ’50s honkytonk and rockabilly for the last of their February Thursday night free gigs at Pho Truc in Clarkston. For a sneak peek, read Feb. 1 ’s KOOL KAT OF THE WEEK with guitarist Spike Fullerton. 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. And Breeze Kings bring on the blues at Northside Tavern.
Friday Feb. 25
Get back to rock’s rockabilly, country and Western swing roots with Big Sandy & His Flyrite Boys, with special guests Caroline & the Ramblers and The Stumblers, at Star Bar. It’s a soulful night at Highland Inn Ballroom with The Soulphonics & Ruby Velle and George Hughley with Johnny & the Lakewood 5. The Nick Longo Band jazzes up Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis & IMAX. And go really retro with a futuristic twist at AnachroCon, a three-day steampunk convention, which kicks off today in grande style with The Gaslamp Gala, a concert extravaganza organized and presented by The Artifice Club‘s Dr. Q, at 7 PM. Performers include The Ghosts Project with Nathaniel Johnstone (Abney Park) and Play it with Moxie, a ballroom jazz band. Admission is included in your AnachroCon membership, with VIP seating available for $5. All festivities are at the Holiday Inn Select Perimeter, 4386 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road.
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Category: Weekend Update | Tags: 7 Stages, Abney Park, AnachroCon, Artifice Club, Atlanta Opera, Atlanta Radio Theatre Company, Atlanta Rollergirls, Atomic Rockets, Becky Cormier Finch, Big Sandy & His Flyrite Boys, Breeze Kings, burlesque, Caroline & the Ramblers, Cemetery Surfers, Cobb Energy Centre, Dead Elvis, Denim Arcade, Denim Demons, Derek Yaniger, Dirty South Derby Girls, Dog Sees God, Dr. Q, El Caminos, Emily Yetter, Extraordinary Contraptions, Fabrefaction Theatre, Fernbank, Flathead Mike, Fox Theatre, French film, frenchy and the punk, Gaslamp Gala, George Hughley, Georgia Satellites, Ghost Riders Car Club, Ghosts Project, Giant Gila Monster, Gypsy Nomads, Henri Cartier-Bresson, High Museum of Art, Highland Inn Ballroom, horror movies, J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, Jean Renoir, Joanna Schmink, John Mellencamp, Johnny & the Lakewood 5, Martinis & Imax, Masquerade, Memphis Hustlin' Rollers, Mon Cherie's Rockabilly Lounge, Nathaniel Johnstone, Nick Longo, Northside Tavern, Oysterfest, Peanuts, Pemberton Place, Peter Pan, Pho Truc, Play it with Moxie, Plaza Theatre, Porgy and Bess, Red Balloon, Rev. Andy, Rialto, rockabilly, roy haynes, Ruby Velle, Rules of the Game, Sake Tuyas, Shane Morton, Sid Vicious Experience, Silver Scream Spookshow, Soulphonics, Spike Fullerton, Star Bar, steamhouse lounge, Talloolah Love, The Stumblers, Theatre du Reve, Tongo Hiti, Toulouse-Lautrec, Trader Vic's, vintage hairstyles
Posted on:
Feb 21st, 2011 By:
Anya99
It’s a veritable luau feast for Retro activities in Atlanta this week, and ATLRetro has some tough decisions about what to do, especially on Saturday night.
Monday Feb. 21
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.
Tuesday Feb. 22
The current incarnation of seminal progressive rockers The Church play their haunting melodies not just under the Milky Way but at Variety Playhouse. Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra are at Symphony Hall. Or if you live on the east side, swing dance to the Atlanta-New York Connection at the unlikely location of Northlake Mall’s Food Garden starting at 6 PM. Then head to Twain’s in Decatur for a Joe Gransden jazz jam session starting at 9 PM.
Wednesday Feb. 23
“If Elvis had been a woman, he probably would have sounded just like Kim Lenz,” says Rolling Stone. Decide for yourself when the scarlet-haired rockabilly queen brings her fiery voice to the Star Bar with her band The Jaguars. And if the night weren’t rockin’ enough, local faves Atomic Rockets and Junior, Dolan & Cash are also on the bill. 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. 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.
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Category: This Week in ATLRetro | Tags: 7 Stages, AnachroCon, Atlanta Opera, Atlanta Radio Theatre Company, Atlanta Rollergirls, Atlanta-New York Connection, Atomic Rockets, Becky Cormier Finch, Big Sandy & His Flyrite Boys, Breeze Kings, Broken Hearts Burlesque, Cafe 290, Caroline & the Ramblers, Cemetery Surfers, Cobb Energy Centre, Dead Elvis, Denim Arcade, Denim Demons, Derek Yaniger, Dirty South Derby Girls, Dog Sees God, Dr. Q, El Caminos, Emily Yetter, Extraordinary Contraptions, Fabrefaction Theatre, Fernbank, Flathead Mike, Fox Theatre, French film, Gaslamp Gala, George Gershwin, George Hughley, Ghost Riders Car Club, Ghosts Project, Giant Gila Monster, Gypsy Nomads, Henri Cartier-Bresson, High Museum of Art, Highland Inn Ballroom, jazz, Jean Renoir, Jerry Farber's Side Door, Joanna Schmink, Joe Gransden, John Mellencamp, Johnnu & the Lakewood 5, Junior Dolan & Cash, Kim Lenz, Martinis & Imax, Masquerade, Memphis Hustlin' Rollers, Mon Cherie's Rockabilly Lounge, Nathaniel Johnstone, Nick Longo, Northlake Mall, Northside Tavern, Pauline Kael, Peanuts, Pemberton Place, Peter Pan, Pho Truc, Play it with Moxie, Plaza Theatre, Porgy and Bess, Pub 71, Red Balloon, Retro in the Metro, Rev. Andy, Robert Altman, roller derby, Ruby Velle, Rules of the Game, Sake Tuyas, Sid Vicious Experience, Silver Scream Spookshow, Soulphonics, Star Bar, swing dancing, Talloolah Love, The Church, The Glenwood, The Stumblers, Theatre du Reve, Three Quarter Ale, Tongo Hiti, Toulouse-Lautrec, Trader Vic's, Twain's, Variety Playhouse, Wynton Marsalis, Yaarab Shrine Center
Posted on:
Feb 17th, 2011 By:
Anya99
The weekend is so close you can almost taste it. As usual, ATLRetro reminds you about what’s happening, including a new section at the end with ongoing events such as theater performances and exhibitions.
Thursday Feb. 17
Celebrate one of the most dynamic decades in pop music history when LIBBY’S AT THE EXPRESS PRESENTS THOSE FABULOUS FIFTIES, featuring songs made famous by Nat “King” Cole, Rosemary Clooney, The Mills Brothers, Buddy Holly, Hank Williams Sr., and the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley. The variety show stars local chanteuses Lisa Paige, Wendy Melkonian and Libby Whittemore, with musical arrangements by Robert Strickland, tonight through Sunday Feb. 20 at 7:30 PM at Actor’s Express in west Midtown.
Ghost Riders Car Club celebrates Vietnamese New Year with classic ’50s honkytonk and rockabilly every Thursday in February at Pho Truc in Clarkston. 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. The Joe Gransden Trio is at Atmosphere from 7-10 p.m. And Breeze Kings play the blues at Northside Tavern.
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Category: Weekend Update | Tags: 7 Stages, @tmosphere, Actor's Express, Atlanta Wine + Jazz Festival, Atmosphere, B-52s, Becky Cormier Finch, Breeze Kings, Center for Puppetry Arts, Classic Center, Denim Arcade, Eddie's Attic, Emily Yetter, Fifties, Francine Reed, Ghost Riders Car Club, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Henri Georges Clouzot, High Museum of Art, Highland Inn, Inferno, J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, jazz, Jesco White, Joe Gransden, Jonathan Richman, King Plow Arts Center, Libby Whittemore, Libby's at the Express, Lisa Paige, Minette Magnifique, Modern Lovers, Northside Tavern, Pemberton Place, Peter Pan, Pho Truc, Red Balloon, Robert Strickland, Roger Alan Wade, Romy Schneider, Serge Reggiani, Star Bar, Theatre du Reve, Thingumajig Theatre, Three Quarter Ale, Tinsley Ellis, Tongo Hiti, Toulouse-Lautrec, Trader Vic's, Variety Playhouse, Wendy Melkonian, wine
Posted on:
Feb 14th, 2011 By:
Anya99
OK, lovers, it’s back to the grind. It’s too late to check out ATLRetro’s top 3 picks for Valentine’s night, so let’s get right to the rest of the week.
Tuesday Feb. 15
Joe Gransden is back at Twain’s in Decatur for a jazz jam session starting at 9 PM. Or head back in time and over there to A NOVEMBER DAY: A WAR STORY, a timeless fable about friendship set against the backdrop of World War I, presented today by Thingumajig Theatre of West Yorskshire, England, today through Sun. at The Center for Puppetry Arts. Performers use hand, rod and shadow puppets, live music and a transforming set to tell the tale of a British soldier in WWI and his unexpected friendship with a stray dog. Suitable for ages 10 and up, with a teen and adult workshop on Sat. Feb. 19.
Wednesday Feb. 16
THE RED BALLOON takes flight at Theatre du Reve in 7 Stages’ Backstage Theater from Feb. 16-27. The stage adaptation uses puppetry and live original music to bring to life the classic 1956 French movie about a boy who befriends a shiny red balloon. Suitable for ages 4 and up.
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. Alice Cooper meets Kiss Southern-fried in Red Rocket Deluxe, headlining at Star Bar. 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.
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Category: This Week in ATLRetro | Tags: 7 Stages, Actor's Express, Atlanta Retro, Atlanta Wine + Jazz Festival, Atmosphere, B-52s, Baroness VonSchmalhausen, Breeze Kings, Buddy Holly, Carnivale, Center for Puppetry Arts, Classic Center, Diabolique, Eddie's Attic, Elvis Presley, Fabulous Fifties, Francine Reed, French film, Georgia Freight Depot, Ghost Riders Car Club, Hank Williams, Henri Georges Clouzot, High Museum of Art, Highland Inn Ballroom, Inferno, Jerry Farber's Side Door, Jesco White, Joe Gransden, Johnny Cash, Jonathan Richman, King Plow Arts Center, Libby Whittemore, Libby's at the Express, Lisa Paige, Mills Brothers, Minette Magnifique, Modern Lovers, Nat King Cole, Northside Tavern, Pho Truc, Pub 71, Red Balloon, Red Rocket Deluxe, Retro in the Metro, Roger Alan Wade, Romy Schneider, Rosemary Clooney, Serge Bromberg, Serge Reggiani, Shellie Schmals, Spike Fullerton, Star Bar, swing dancing, Swing Night, The Glenwood, Theatre du Reve, Thingumajig Theatre, Tinsley Ellis, Tongo Hiti, Trader Vic's, Twain's, Variety Playhouse, Wendy Melkonian