ATLRetro

by Melanie Crew
Managing Editor/Contributing Writer

Retro Atlanta starts the year off with a whole lotta shakin’ shenanigans! Get your revved up rockabilly fix! Take a gander at all the Retro cinema! Come see what the kat drug in and live la vida Retro!

Monday, January 5

Rock out at 529 with Ganges Phalanges, Wicked Pretty, Nuka Waves, Get Damned and Broken Factory Windows! Truett Lollis delivers a night of blues and soul at Darwin’s Burgers & Blues in Marietta! Swing on by Big Band Night featuring Joe Gransden and his amazing 16-member orchestra at Café 290 every first and third Monday of the month! Or boogie on down to the Northside Tavern and spend an evening with Lola at her famous Monday Night Northside Jam! Get folksy with Jamie Laval at Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs! It’s a night of acoustic roots ‘n’ blues at Blind Willie’s with Bill Sheffield! And blues on down to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack for a taste of the Pork Belly’s and a plate full ‘o finger lickin’ BBQ!

Tuesday, January 6

It’s a Brat Pack invasion at the Northlake Festival Movie Tavern with their screening of John Hughes’s ‘80s classic, THE BREAKFAST CLUB (1985) during their “Classic Films on the Big Screen” series at 7:30! Spend an evening of networking and socializing with pop artists galore at the Hodgepodge Coffee House & Gallery at the Comic & Animation Artist Meet-Up happening every first Tuesday of the month from 7pm to 9pm! The Star Bar delivers a night of retro shenanigans with Kool Kat Jeff Clark and Stomp & Stammer’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Trivia at 8pm, followed by ‘80s Dance Night! Get bluesy with JT Speed at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! Jam it up with Joe Gransden and his jazz jam session at Twain’s in Decatur every Tuesday at 9 pm! It’s a night of rockin’ roots and Americana at Blind Willie’s with Joe McGuinness! Or boogie on down to Darwin’s Burgers & Blues in Marietta for a taste of Bill Sheffield’s acoustic roots and blues! And as always, The Entertainment Crackers get bluesy with their folksy Americana at the Northside Tavern!

Wednesday, January 7

Get funky at the Village Theatre with Song Missing Presents: The Atlantans Formerly Known as Prince event featuring writing, comedy and performances based on Prince songs. Event begins at 9pm and features music by Noel Stephen & the Darlings! It’s a hootenanny and a half at The Star Bar as they get smokin’ during their Slim Chicken Honky-tonk Extravaganza, featuring live-band old-time country and western tunes! Join in on the hi-jinks at The Plaza Theater as their Cineprov group riff’s Herbert Ross’ ‘80s classic, FOOTLOOSE (1984) at 7:30! It’s your last chance to catch John Hughes’ THE BREAKFAST CLUB (1985) at the Northlake Festival Movie Tavern during their “Classic Films on the Big Screen” series at 7:30! The Cazanovas get down and dirty at Blind Willie’s! Sean McConnell delivers a night of folk and Americana at Eddie’s Attic, with special guest Scotty Cram! Get some rhythm, soul and rock ‘n’ roll with The Hollidays at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! Or make your way to the Northside Tavern as Danny ‘Mudcat’ Dudeck fires it up with his rockin’ blues! And as always, it’s Ladies Night at Johnny’s Hideaway which plays hits from Sinatra to Madonna for a generally mature crowd.

Thursday, January 8

The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys and Gators in the Sawgrass deliver a night of foot stompin’ bluegrass at the Red Light Café! Hula on down to Trader Vic’s for a night of cool island tunes and a couple Mai Tais! Stagger on over to Noni’s Bar & Deli for their Bitter Heroes event featuring DJ Brian Parris as he gets charmingly morose with a little New-Wave, The Smiths and The Cure! The Northside Tavern gets rockin’ with a little Chicago/Delta blues of The Breeze Kings! Get the blues, Americana-style with Heather Luttrell at Blind Willie’s! Get your boogie on at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack, as Chickenshack featuring Eddie Tigner, delivers some honky-tonk blues! Darwin’s Burgers & Blues gets down and dirty at their Blues Jam hosted by The Cazanovas! And as always, get your boogie on at Mary’s, as the East Atlanta venue gets funky with their weekly Disco in the Village.

Friday, January 9

Get revved with a rockabilly ruckus at Smith’s Olde Bar with Kool Kat Caroline & the Ramblers, Cigar Store Indians and Motel Ice Machine! Caleb Warren & the Perfect Gentlemen deliver a night of old ragtime blues and jazz with Blood on the Harp and Rye Baby at The Earl! Jazz it up gypsy-style at Eddie’s Attic with Kool Kat Amy Pike and The Bonaventure Quartet! Shimmy down to Center Stage and get your burly-Q fix with Clubesque: A Modern Cabaret! Red Light Café delivers a night of stompin’ Americana with Hannah Aldridge, Lilly Hiatt, Sara Rachele and Liz Brasher! Sip a few cocktails and boogie down because it’s a night of French chamber pop under the dinosaurs with Kool Kat Jeffrey Butzer & the Bicycle Eaters at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis and IMAX event! Beverly “Guitar” Watkins gets down and dirty at Blind Willie’s! Get shakin’ and take it back to the ‘80s at Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs with Jendayi Bellydance and the World Bellydance Alliance’s ‘80s dance event! Rock out at Terminal West with Smithsonian dishin’ out their Smiths tribute along with Fauxgerty’s CCR tribute! Albert White gets down and dirty at Northside Tavern! Blues it up at Darwin’s Burgers & Blues at their IBC Sendoff Party featuring JP Blues, Blind Cadillac and GHP! Or get bluesy at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack with The Unusual Suspects! Stomp on down to the Crimson Moon Café for a night of modern string band tunes with some old time roots with Ugly Cousin! Cajun it up at the Red Clay Theatre with Donna the Buffalo! Make your way to Toco Hill-Avis G. Williams Library in Decatur for their screening of Gus Van Sant’s GOOD WILL HUNTING (1997) at 1:30pm! And as always, Time-Warp it up and get naughty with some uber musically-inclined transsexual aliens at The Plaza Theater as they continue their tradition of screening THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) every Friday night, featuring the live cast of Lips Down on Dixie at midnight!

Saturday, January 10

Surf on down to Kavarna for the Southern Surf Stomp featuring a night of sleazy, gritty surf rock with The Delusionaires, The Cherry Bomb, High Tide and more! Get retro jazzy at the Red Light Café with the Moonlighters Jazz Band! Rock out at the OHMPark Music Fest 2015 being held at The Earl and 529! The Earl rocks out with Twin Tigers, the Breathers, Warehouse, Semicircle and 100 Watt Horse. Or rock out at 529 with Kool Kats Spirits & the Melchezidek Children, This Piano Plays Itself, Slowriter and Highlander! Departure pays tribute to Journey at The Strand Theatre! The Star Bar delivers a night of blue-eyed soul and blues rock with James Hall, The Locksmyth and The Boy Jones! Get magical in a land of enchanting beings and fantasy at the Center for Puppetry Arts with their screening of Wolfgang Peterson’s ‘80s classic, THE NEVERENDING STORY (1984) at 7pm! Get geeky at Famous Pub during Markster Con and Dragon Fire Events’ Level Up Videogame Dance Party at 10pm! Or head over to the Charles D. Switzer Library in Marietta for their screening of Chris Buck/Kevin Lima’s TARZAN (1999) at 3pm! Stomp on down to Smith’s Olde Bar for a night with Rye Baby in the Atlanta Room! Or bluegrass it up in the Music Room with The Wind & The Wave, Honeywood and Old Salt Union! Get your ‘80s fix with Kool Kat Becky Cormier Finch with Denim Arcade at the Dallas Public House in Dallas! The Variety Playhouse delivers their 3rd Good Gracious Variety Show, featuring Little Country Giant, Lilac Wine, comedy by Dad’s Garage Theatre Co. and more! Get folksy at Steve’s Live Music with the Randall Bramblett Band and Heidi Pollyea! Blues it up with Frankie’s Blues Mission at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! John Nemeth gets down and dirty at Blind Willie’s! Or get the blues at Darwin’s Burgers & Blues with Cody Matlock and Barry Richman! The Barrow Boys deliver a night of Americana and surf at Java Monkey! Rock out with the Allman Brothers Tribute Band at Northside Tavern! And as always, DJ Romeo Cologne transforms the sensationally seedy Clermont Lounge into a ’70s disco/funk inferno late into the wee hours of the night.

Sunday, January 11

Get classically retro at the Fox Theatre with The State Ballet Theatre of Russia’s presentation of “Swan Lake” at 3pm! Rock out with Concrete Blonde’s Johnette Napolitano at Eddie’s Attic! Bluegrass it up at Smith’s Olde Bar’s Bluegrass Brunch with Cedar Hill in the Bar Room! Or shake it down to the Music Room for The Candybox Revue’s “Sugar & Spice & Everything Nice” burlesque and musical theatre revue featuring performances by Freya West, Kool Kat Ursula Undress, Kool Kat Talloolah Love, Candi LeCoeur, Kool Kat Roula Roulette, Ada Manzart and more! Get folksy at the Red Clay Theatre with Glen Phillips and Natalia Zukerman! Get sweet and low down blues-style at the Northside Tavern with Uncle Sugar! And blues it up with Fatback Deluxe at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack!

Ongoing

The Marietta Museum of History gets Victorian as they present their “Peeling Back the Layers: Victorian Wedding Ensembles” exhibit through May 2, 2015!

William Bremen Jewish Heritage Museum’s, “Where the Wild Things Are: Maurice Sendek in His Own Words and Pictures” getting wild through July 5!

HepCat’s Hop gets swingin’ every first Wednesday of the month at the 57th Fighter Group Restaurant!

Nerd Film Mafia screenings at the Diesel Fueling Station following NerdCore Trivia, every last Tuesday of the month!

ICON 80s: Music Video Dance Night rocks out at the Famous Pub every Friday night with a different 80’s theme!

The Star Bar delivers Stomp & Stammer’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Trivia at 8pm, followed by ‘80s Dance Night at 10pm, every Tuesday!

Boogie on down into Disco Hell at The Family Dog as DJ Quasi Mandisco delivers a night of classic funk, soul and disco the last Friday of every month.

The Plaza Theater Time-Warps it up as they screen, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) every Friday night, featuring the live cast of Lips Down on Dixie at midnight!

Every first and third Mondays are Big Band Nights at Café 290, featuring Joe Gransden and his amazing 16-piece orchestra playing jazz and swing standards in the tradition of The Glen Miller Orchestra and other legendary groups.  Second and fourth Mondays are Bumpin the Mango, ‘The groove that makes you want to move!’

Every first Wednesday is the Graveyard Tavern’s Graveyard Swing Night, featuring the swingin’ jazz and boogie-woogie sounds of the Savoy Kings!

If you have a suggestion for a future event that should be included in This Week in Retro Atlanta or see something we missed, please email us at atlretro@gmail.com.