ATLRetro

Tuesday, November 1

The Kinks’ Ray Davies invites you to come dancing at Center Stage. Grab your horn and head to Twain’s in Decatur for a weekly Joe Gransden Jazz Jam session starting at 9 p.m. JT Speed is at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. Catch Tues. Retro in the Metro nights at Midtown’s Deadwood Saloon, featuring video mixes of ’80s, ’90s and 2Ks hits.

Wednesday, November 2

The current line-up of Guns ‘N Roses finally brings the arena tour supporting their 2008 CHINESE DEMOCRACY album stateside, and one of the first dates is here in Atlanta at Philips Arena tonight. Compared to a crazy awesome mash-up of Joni Mitchell, Green Day, The Replacements and Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers, The Front Bottoms bring their eclectic indie punk acoustic sound to The Masquerade tonight. Slamdance On The Road presents the award-winning and critically acclaimed documentary SUPERHEROES directed by Michael Barnett, and the short HELLO CALLER at The Plaza tonight. It’s described as “a profoundly funny, eccentric and inspiring film that chronicles the extraordinary lives of real-life superheroes as they take to the streets to protect and support their communities.” Filmmakers and superheroes will be on hand for a Q&A after the screening. Get ready to rumba, cha-cha and jitterbug at the weekly Swing Night at Graveyard Tavern. The Hollidays make it a rhythm & soulful, rock n rollful night at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. Danny “Mudcat” Dudeck blues it down at Northside Tavern. Southern rock meets Funkytown at Smith’s Olde Bar with Sol Driven Train and Atlanta Funk Society. Dance to ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s hits during Retro in the Metro Wednesdays presented by Godiva Vodka, at Pub 71 in Brookhaven.

Thursday, November 3

Out on Film presents a celebration of the 10th anniversary of a modern silent classic CLAIRE, called an “uncompromising work of art” by American Cinematographer and “charming and poignant” by Variety at 8 p.m. at the Woodruff Arts Center. The Orchestra de Lune under Anne Richardson’s baton plays the soundtrack live to the 35mm print, and filmmaker, cast and crew will be in attendance. See a trailer here and buy tickets here.

The Center for Puppetry Arts’ official stage adaptation of the Rankin-Bass misfit Christmas TV classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer starts a two-month run through Dec. 31. Watch for an ATLRetro ‘Tis the Season exclusive behind-the-scenes preview soon. Influenced by botany, chicken and compassion, Atlanta soul country rockers Villain Family claim their sound lies somewhere betwixt Edgar Allan Poe and Hank Williams. Find out for yourself what that means when they play the Star Bar tonight with French funk ‘n’ roll duo Inspector Cluzo and Oakland folk/bluegrass/rock band Tornado Rider. Tongo Hiti serve up Retro-Polynesian luxurious live lounge sounds, as well as trippy takes on iconic pop songs, every Thursday night at Trader Vic’s. The Breeze Kings and The Chickenshack bring on the blues respectively at Northside Tavern and Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. Drunk on Crutches play Bluegrass Thursday at Red Light Cafe.

Friday, November 4

Pack your bags and grab your boarding pass. Then head on over to The Shelter as Mon Cherie and her fabulous crew of flight attendants & cruise Directors present the first of her new Bon Voyage, World Tour Destination Party series. The first sultry excursion is to The Islands of Hawaii – Where Everyone Gets Lei’d (well, at least the first 80 people, she promises!) Doors open at 9 p.m., and the tiki-inspired fun kicks off at 10 p.m. with a Bon Voyage Fanfare Celebration, complete with confetti & streamers as you arrive in the enchanted isles just as the Luau begins. A Hula Gals & Tiki Show stars LaLa Masseur, Stormy Knight, Toniet Gallego (aka Chinita La Chou Chou of Blast-Off Burlesque), Marilynn Chen and New Orleans Jon. More festivities include Maui Wowie Shots, a Pin-Up Swimsuit Contest, Holiday Spa Pampering, Tiki Fabulous Games & Prizes and Industrial Dance & Surfing Craze brought to you by DJ 313 and DJ Rev Andy. For the entire destination schedule, click here.

Queensryche brings their chaotic creative mix of metal and ‘70s art rock The Masquerade. International Bruce Springsteen tribute band Bruce in the USA rocks Variety Playhouse. You may spy Unknown Hinson, the King of the Country-Western Troubadours, and burlesque lovelies Syrens of the South at The Earl. It’s a punk rock/hard rock night at Star Bar with Tweezer, El Caminos and Nashville’s Spider Virus. HERO plays soulful soft rock at Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis and IMAX.

Saturday, November 5

The Criminal Cuties PinUp Pageant is the latest in an ongoing series of events to raise money to save Criminal Records, the hard-hit L5P record and comics shop, with some sexy fun at 7:30 p.m. (doors at 6 p.m.) Get the seductive scoop from this week’s Kool Kat Amber Lu here. Jump, Jive & Wail commemorates the 1940s era with an evening of swing dancing to the live music of the Peachtree Jazz Edition‘s 18-piece Big Band ensemble. This free event starts at 7 p.m. at Kennesaw State University’s Dept. of Museums, Archives & Rare Books (Museum of History & Holocaust Education), and also includes free swing dance lessons, a 1940s-style photo shoot, refreshments, a surprise raffle, and more! Attendees are invited (but not required) to wear 1940s attire. The High Museum of Art continues its MODERN MASTERS OF FILM series with THE CHELSEA GIRLS (1966), Andy Warhol’s voyeuristic peek into eight rooms at New York’s infamous Chelsea Hotel with a Velvet Underground soundtrack. Introduction and post-film discussion with Thomas Kiedrowski, Warhol aficionado and author of Andy Warhol’s New York City. Burnt Bacon brings their heady mix of blues, funk, country and soul to Northside Tavern. And as usual, DJ Romeo Cologne transforms the sensationally seedy Clermont Lounge into a ’70s disco/funk inferno late into the wee hours.

Sunday, November 6

Bonaventure Quartet serves up a jazz-ilicious blues “dunch” between 1-4 PM at The Earl.  

Ongoing

Fabrefaction Theatre Company brings Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s chilling, suspenseful, heart-pounding masterpiece of murderous barber-ism and culinary crime to the stage. A tale of retribution and in essence, obsession, SWEENEY TODD, THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET serves up a delicious portion of gruesome humor, sinister spite, and suspicious meat pies. Through Nov. 13.

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

LIFE AND DEATH IN THE PYRAMID AGE: THE EMORY OLD KINGDOM MUMMY features the first public viewing in 50 years of the oldest Egyptian mummy in the Western Hemisphere, acquired from excavations at Abydos by Emory Theology Professor William A. Shelton in 1920. Watch for a Really Retro piece on this fascinating exhibit at Emory’s Michael C. Carlos Museum soon. Through Dec. 11, 2011.

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