ATLRetro

By Zohra Yaqub
Contributing Writer

Calu Cordeira

Monday, Oct. 8

Northside Tavern hosts its weekly Blues Jam featuring blues and southern soul singer, Lola Gulley. Head over to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack for a hearty serving of BBQ and Dry White Toast.

Tuesday, Oct. 9

Want to hear a harrowing and inspiring story of survival?   Come to FoxTale Book Shoppe for A RARE TITANIC FAMILY book signing at 6 p.m.  Recent Kool Kat Calu Cordeira mixes tiki libations at Mai Tai Tahitian Tuesday starting at 9 p.m. at the Dark Horse Tavern. Grab your horn and head over to Twain’s in Decatur for a Joe Gransden jazz jam session starting at 9 p.m. J.T. Speed rocks the blues at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack or you can blues it down with Nathan Nelson & Entertainment Crackers at Northside Tavern.

Ruby Velle

Wednesday, Oct. 10

Check out “MR. SATURDAY NIGHT” himself, Julian Velard, at Smith’s Olde Bar at 8 p.m.  for some classic piano pop.  Also performing is Kool Kat Ruby Velle & The Soulphonics.  Get ready to rumba, cha-cha and jitterbug at the weekly Swing Night at Graveyard Tavern. The Hollidays make it a soulful night at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. Danny “Mudcat” Dudeck blues it down at Northside Tavern. Dance to ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s hits during Retro in the Metro Wednesdays at Pub 71 in Brookhaven.

Thursday Oct. 11

Dance on over to Star Bar in Atlanta’s favorite little retro community, Little 5 Points, and enjoy a night of “Super Rock” with 1970s iconic garage/new wave rock band The Fleshtones.  Also playing will be Kool Kat Joshual Longino of Andrew and the Disapyramids, The Myopic I, Ghost Bikini, Absolutely Not, and Fringe Factory. Treat your ears to the artist Ella Fitzgerald once referred to as “the best young singer in America,” Janis Ian.  Ian will be taking the stage at Eddie’s Attic at 8 p.m.  Strip down the stress of the work week with the rockabilly and honkytonk music of the Ghost Riders Car Club featuring guitarist and Kool Kat Spike Fullerton at Clermont Lounge.  The show starts at 9 p.m.  Hooo weee!!  Git on down to Twains to enjoy some good ole countrified punk-rock and bluegrass with Grim Rooster at 9:30 p.m.  Class up your Thursday night at the museum with some honkytonk covers of Grand Ole Opry classics with Whiskey Belt at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History.  It’s a dance off!  Come down to Hand in Hand for the famous Midnight 80s and 90s dance contest.  Eat, drink and play a classic game with an adult spin every Thursday night as Mon Cherie presents Mad Lib-Ations, Atlanta’s newest Retro weekly pastime, starting at 7 p.m. at the Corner Tavern in Little 5 Points. The fun-filled night includes games and prizes from some of the city’s most fun Retro retailers, Psychobilly Freakout and punk faves spun by The Right Reverend Andy and a raffle. Relax with a tropical cocktail at vintage tiki bar Trader Vic’s where Tongo Hiti plays Retro-Polynesian luxurious live lounge sounds, as well as trippy takes on iconic pop songs, every Thursday night. The Breeze Kings and Chickenshack bring on the blues respectively at Northside Tavern and Fat Matt’s Rib Shack.  Culliton, Dean & Bass play Bluegrass Thursday at Red Light Cafe starting at 9 p.m., but come early and bring your own instruments for a locals jam at 7 p.m. Mike Z Trio honkytonks it up at Big Tex.

Friday, Oct. 12

Luche Libre masks + high energy rock = One awesome night at The Earl with Los Straitjackets.  They will be joined with Kool Kat Caroline & The Ramblers at 9 p.m.    Scat on down to Big Tex Cantina in downtown Decatur at 7 p.m. to check out the Tommy Dean Trio at as they play favorites from The Rat Pack, classic soul, and great American songbook standards.  Head over to Northside Tavern at 10 p.m.  if you are looking for a night of blues with John McKnight and Little G Weevil.  Whether you have been a vampire for four or 400 years, join the children of Nosferatu, Dracula and Lestat at Ritual’s 4th Annual Vampire’s Ball at The Shelter; make sure to dress the part to get the full, dark and delicious experience.  Get in the Halloween spirit as Plaza Theatre‘s Universal Monster Month continues with THE INVISIBLE MAN (1933)  directed by James Whale (FRANKENSTEIN, BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN) and starring Claude Raines, playing all weekend.  Longing for some Memphis soul or New Orleans funk?  Join The Mar-tans under the dinosaurs at Fernbank Museum of Natural History Martinis & IMAX to get your groove back.

Saturday, Oct. 13

Come watch the dancing vixens of Atlanta burlesque at MINETTE MAGNIFIQUE presents “TRICKS, TREATS + TASSELS: A Burlesque Halloween, featuring Kool Kats Vyolet Venom, Shellie Schmals and Kellyn Willey.  Shows start at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. at Jerry Farber’s Side Door.  Stephen King fans can enjoy a night at the Plaza Theater watching Splatter Cinema presents MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE (1986). Andy Warhol intended for KITCHEN to be the vehicle that would propel Edie Sedgwick into stardom; however, she had difficulty memorizing her lines, and much of her performance is improvised. See it during the Culture Shock party at the High Museum of Art which ties in with the recently opened Fast Forward: Modern Moments 1913-2013 special exhibition.

The Whiskey Gentry.

Take part in Candler Park’s annual Fall Festival this weekend.  The bands take the stage at noon and the lineup includes Rick Derringer who played guitar for Steely Dan, Alice Cooper and even “Weird Al” Yankovic, among many others, and Derek St. Holmes, guitarist for Ted Nugent.  Also featured at the festival will be the 70s light rock stylings of  Yacht Rock Revue, “Pogues go old time Nashville” country rock of The Whiskey Gentry, The Sundogs, Moontower, Kevin Lewis and My Homework Ate My Dog.  Kool Kat Ruby Velle is keeping herself busy this week and playing at Eddie’s Attic with Madeline and Rudy Currence.  Check out Larry Griffith Band at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack and Australian Pink Floyd is playing the Fox Theatre.  Got Festival Fever?  We have a cure for that – The 15th Annual Oakhurst Arts and Music Festival features the Oakhurst Community Music Collective, In The Wheelhouse, Sehwe Village Percussion, The BooHoo Ramblers and The Swamp Funk Quartet.  Go see a music icon who performed with Motown legends, Ike Stubblefield, at Northside Tavern, Atlanta’s home to the blues, and the Wayback Band at Shorty’s Pizza in Tucker.  And as usual, DJ Romeo Cologne transforms the sensationally seedy Clermont Lounge into a ’70s disco/funk inferno late into the wee hours of the night.

Bernadette Seacrest

Sunday, Oct. 14

Dig and claw your way out of the grave and join fellow undead in Zombie Walk Atlanta 2012 .  The walk begins at 3 p.m. at Wonderroot.  Come in your own makeup, but if you have been dead for a little too long and are struggling with today’s zombie fashion craze and makeup tricks, you can show up as early as noon and have the zombie staff help you. Candler Park’s annual Fall Festival rages on with performances by legendary blues chanteuse Francine Reed, the crazy Seed & Feed Marching Abominables, Back Yard Birds, Kool Kat Bernadette Seacrest, Lexi Street, Sunmoon Pie, Five O’Clock Shadows, Off McLendon and Village Fate Society.  Fat Back Deluxe rock the blues at Fat Matt’s, and Uncle Sugar blues it down at Northside Tavern.  Todd Prusin plays dunch at 1 p.m. at The Earl.

Last Chance/Don’t Miss – Closing This Week!!!

DRACULA THE ROCK OPERA merges JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR with Grand Guignol in a production that rocks hard but is surprisingly true to Bram Stoker‘s original novel. Not to be missed, this DRACULA has the energy, musical, acting and staging quality of an off-Broadway find but yet is completely homegrown, conceived by Rob Thompson (Dracula) of the Little Five Points Rock Star Orchestra and directed by Del Hamilton and Justin Welborn. Its cast and creative team also include Naomi Lavender (Mina), Chris Love (Jonathan Harker), Jeff Langston of AM Gold (Van Helsing) and Shane Morton of the Silver Scream Spookshow (Quincey). Watch for a full Retro Review soon. Through Oct. 14.

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