ATLRetro

Monday, April 8

Kirkwood Ballers Club is an open mic night of sort, tailored for free and wild musical experimentation. Bring an instrument, a device, a record, a beat, a turntable, a laptop, a prepared piece of music, a song, a voice, a bag of blood, a film projector, a boyfriend, a girlfriend, an agenda, a broken guitar, and all your hang-ups for an evening at the Star Bar of jazzy, noisy, and totally arty musical madness, improvisation, and some concerted songwriting as well. Sign up to perform begins at 10 p.m. downstairs in the Little Vinyl Lounge, with music beginning at midnight. There’s no cover and performers get FREE beer after midnight. Northside Tavern hosts its weekly Blues Jam featuring blues and southern soul singer, Lola Gulley. Enjoy BBQ and Dry White Toast at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack.

Tuesday, April 9

EVENT HORIZON (1997), the sci-fi horror thriller about a spaceship that may have returned literally from Hell,  returns to the big screen at the Plaza Theatre as this month’s Splatter Cinema feature. Showtime is 9:30 p.m., but get there early at 9 p.m. for a chance to get your photo taken in a realistic reproduction of as set from the movie. Read our Retro Review here. William Holden plays a down-on-his-luck writer who ends up living in the mansion of aging movie star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) in director Billy Wilder‘s stunning SUNSET BOULEVARD, this week’s retro cinema classic  at Northlake Festival Movie Tavern. 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., or you can blues it down with Nathan Nelson & Entertainment Crackers at Northside Tavern. Head over to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack for some old school R & B, rock ‘n roll and blues with JT Speed.

Wednesday, April 10

DKA Disco down to Mary’s in East Atlanta every second Wednesday of the month. Take another trip down Billy Wilder‘s SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950) at Northlake Festival Movie Tavern. Old enough to feel Retro? It’s Ladies Night at Johnny’s Hideaway which plays hits from Sinatra to Madonna for a generally mature crowd. Get ready to rumba, cha-cha and jitterbug at the weekly Swing Night at Graveyard Tavern. Danny “Mudcat” Dudeck brings the gospel blues to Northside Tavern. The Hollidays bring a little soul to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack.

A-Bones.

Thursday, April 11

Ultra-legendary New York racket squad The A-Bones are making a sooper-rare Southern sojourn to The Earl, along with the legendary Charlie Pickett and super-special guest Norton Records recording artist Gaye Blades. Cover Me Badd: A Tribute To What We Like, a free show at the Star Bar, features tribute sets to Bad Brains (Banned in ATL), Nirvana (Nameless, Nameless), The Smiths (Smithsonian) and The Cramps (The De Lux Interiors).Your Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band shakes up Atlanta’s favorite famous dive strip bar, the Clermont Lounge. Relax with a cocktail while listening to Tongo Hiti playing Retro-Polynesian luxurious live lounge sounds, as well as trippy takes on iconic pop songs, at vintage tiki bar, Trader Vic’s, every Thursday night. Go to Northside Tavern to hear the classic 50s Chicago-style blues of The Breeze Kings. Get on over to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack to hear the honkytonkin’ blues of Chickenshack. 8th of January provide the strumming at Red Light Cafe‘s weekly Bluegrass Thursday.  Tommy Dean Trio honkytonks it down at Big Tex in Decatur. Billy Wilder‘s SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950) plays a final night at Northlake Festival Movie Tavern.

Friday, April 12

John Scofield Hollowbody Band plays Variety Playhouse. Singer-songwriter Peter Case has straddled multiple genres from folk to new wave. Catch an intimate show with him at The Red Light Cafe. The Jagged Stones, featuring Kool Kat Keef Richards, show off their sympathy to the Rolling Stones in a rockin’ tribute show at Steve’s Live Music. Derryl Rivers and the Flying Circus bring blues, jazz and a slight bit of funk under the dinosaurs at Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis and IMAX. Listen to the vintage jazz of Joe Gransden and his quartet play two shows at the Velvet Note in Alpharetta. Rumble Fish blues it down at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. Head to Northside Tavern for the Beverly “Guitar” Watkins Birthday Bash. Zydeco Ya-Ya plays Big Tex in Decatur. Bonaventure Quartet swings into Boulder Creek Coffee  near Mall of Georgia.

They Might Be Giants

Saturday, April 13

This weekend (April 13-14) marks the inaugural edition of Atlanta’s own “all Sherlock Holmes” convention, 221B Con at the Holiday Inn Select Atlanta-Perimeter.  To find out why it’s elementary you should attend, read our Kool Kat interview with founder Heather Holloway. They Might Be Giants play the Variety Playhouse, with Moon Hooch opening. Frank Barheim honkytonks it up at Big Tex. Blues piano maestro Ike Stubblefield tickles the ivories at Northside Tavern. The Stooge Brothers bring some hot and heavy blues to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. 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.

Sunday, April 14

Investigate the second day of Sherlock Holmes-themed 221B Con at the Holiday Inn Select Atlanta-Perimeter. Catch the unique sounds of affable miscreants Till Someone Loses An Eye featuring Kool Kat Aileen Loy  during Stripped Down [second] Sundays at L5P Corner Tavern. Gwen Hughes and The Trio jazz up The Family Dog. Cedar Hill honkytonk up brunch at Big Tex at noon. Check out some down and dirty Fatback Dekuxe blues at Fatt Matt’s Rib Shack. Cineprov makes horrific fun of the new EVIL DEAD at the Plaza Theatre.

Ongoing

The Italian Film Festival offers four days of contemporary Italian cinema (April 11-14, 2013) at the historic Plaza Theatre.

Make a date with FRIDA AND DIEGO: PASSION, POLITICS AND PAINTING, a blockbuster special exhibition showcasing the works of one of art’s most famous couples, at The High Museum of Art through May 12.

EXTREME MAMMALS from sabertooth tiger skulls and wooly mammoth fur to contemporary creatures such as the duck-billed platypus invade Fernbank Museum of Natural History through August 18.

Learn about  a different side to the third American president and Constitution author in the Really Retro special exhibition Slavery at Jefferson’s Monticello: How the Word is Passed Down at the Atlanta History Center through July 7.

Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night is Retro Cinema at Movie Tavern. Check out classic movies on the big screen weekly at 7:30 p.m.