ATLRetro

By Zohra Yaqub
Contributing Writer

Be sure and check back throughout the week for updates!

Jeffrey Butzer.

Monday, Dec. 10

Avoid making inappropriate photocopies of yourself on the office copy machine this year by coming out to Mary’s Holiday Office Party! Dance to some vintage and lounge-y seasonal music and drink some (probably spiked) punch – party starts at 8 p.m. Jeffrey Bützer and T.T. Mahony perform Vince Guaraldi’s A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS at Nine Street Kitchen in Roswell . This all-ages show is one of the new Christmas traditions in Atlanta and you can read up on it in our interview with Jeffrey here. The Plaza Theatre and Atlanta Film Festival 365 kick off the holidays with a celebration at The Plaza at 7 p.m. Come for karaoke, games, Guitar Hero and of course, free beer! At Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint, listen to the sweet blues sounds of The Breeze Kings at 6:30 p.m. Northside Tavern hosts its weekly Blues Jam featuring blues and southern soul singer, Lola Gulley.

Tuesday, Dec. 11

Splatter Cinema presents GREMLINS (1984) at The Plaza Theater, directed by Joe Dante and starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates and Hoyt Axton. Catch Aleck Bennett’s Retro Review. Don’t miss this week’s retro cinema classic, NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION (1989) at Northlake Festival Movie Tavern. The Christmas classic is directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik and starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo and Juliette Lewis. Check out the Tommy Dean Trio at the Georgia Shrimp Company in Peachtree City as they play favorites from The Rat Pack, classic soul and great American songbook standards. 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., or you can blues it down with Nathan Nelson & Entertainment Crackers at Northside Tavern.

Wednesday, Dec. 12

Remember when Peter Gabriel was the lead singer of Genesis? Windstorm Productions presents The Musical Box – The Exclusive Authorized Re-creation of Genesis’ “THE LAMB LIES DOWN ON BROADWAY” at Variety Playhouse. Get ready to rumba, cha-cha and jitterbug at the weekly Swing Night at Graveyard Tavern. Disco in the Village at Mary’s is your midweek neighborhood dance party and Danny “Mudcat” Dudeck brings the gospel blues to Northside Tavern.

Thursday, Dec. 13

Windstorm Productions presents A John Waters Christmas at Variety Playhouse. Spend a night with the legendary actor/director/writer as he puts the “X” in Xmas. VIP admittance is at 6:45 p.m. and make sure you wear that awesome Christmas sweater which your aunt knit you for a meet-and-greet after the show. Gas South Broadway Series presents WEST SIDE STORY at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center thru Sunday, Dec. 16. Don’t miss the Broadway classic as it makes its way through Atlanta this weekend, tickets range from $17 – $60 and show times are at 8 p.m. Head over to Atlanta’s dirty little secret, Clermont Lounge for the Dirty Santa Party with Bethamines, southern rock band, Six Shot Revival, all female Elvis tribute band Pelvis Breastlies and Capt. Stubb Tuggo. Abby Wren and What It Is CD Release Dance Party at The Earl! The jazz/rock driven-funk band got their start in East Atlanta Village and will be joined by the vaudevillian rock and roll act from New Orleans, Dirty Bourbon River Show, and the soul/funk/jazz/classical Indian/world sound of Norman Frank and The Ghost Dance. Nothing says “Happy Holidays!” like Silent Night Deadly Night: Mary’s Holiday Goth Night. DJs Santa/Satan will be spinning classic goth anthems, death rock, industrial, new wave, cold wave, noise rock; party starts at 9 p.m. Catch another screening of this week’s retro cinema classic, NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION (1983) at Northlake Festival Movie Tavern. It’s 80s vs 90s Thursdays at The Shelter. New Wave classics versus Booty-shaking Eurodance will get your moving and rare and underground music videos will be playing on the screens throughout night. 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. Go to Northside Tavern to hear the classic 50s Chicago-style blues of The Breeze Kings.

Friday, Dec. 14

The Star Bar throws its 14th annual Toys for Tots Celebration hosted by the Dream Team of Ted Weldon and Rotkee and featuring a local all-star band line-up including Mystery Men, Bully, Ghost Riders Car Club, Lizard Men, Roswell Hillbillies (Kinks cover band) and Swingset. Jeffrey Bützer and T.T. Mahony perform Vince Guaraldi’s A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS at The Earl. Read up on it in our interview with Jeffrey here. Joe Gransden performs his holiday show with the Augusta Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Shizuo Z. Kuwahara at 8 p.m. The Ron Kimble Band plays southern rock at Cooper’s Corner in Grayson and catch the Chatham County Line Special Holiday Show at Variety Playhouse at 8:30 p.m. Swing down to Northside Tavern to hear Stoney Brooks original tunes and swinging covers.

Photo courtesy of Yacht Rock Revue.

Saturday, Dec. 15

The Yacht Rock Revue brings back the sweet sounds of 70s light rock to the Yacht Rock Holiday Special at Variety Playhouse. Jeffrey Bützer and T.T. Mahony perform a second night of Vince Guaraldi’s A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS at The Earl. The Academy Theatre and the Atlanta Radio Theatre Company presents, for the 13th consecutive year, An Atlanta Christmas. Memories of Christmas past, our city’s past, and our past are told in a series of short, distinct vignettes, joined together by the image of a family gathered around the Christmas tree at 8 p.m. 25% of total ticket sales will be donated to the Center for the Visually Impaired. Make sure you check out our ATLRetro preview of last year’s show. Come out to Cooper’s Corner to party with AC/DC cover band, Sin City Atlanta, at 9 p.m. 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.

Sunday, Dec. 16

Get yourself on over to Variety Playhouse at 6 p.m. to party at the 2^nd Annual Holiday Hootenany with Deep Blue Sun, Papa Mali, Oteil Burbridge, Larry Keel, Col. Bruce Hampton Ret, The Mosier Brothers, Ike Stubblefield, Jeff Sipe, Count M’Butu, Grant Green Jr., and Gaurav Malhotra. Catch Joe Gransden at the Heritage Winter Classics in Sandy Springs with guest Francine Reed. Concerts start at 4:30 p.m. and the shows run one Sunday each month through February 2013. You have a second chance to enjoy Atlanta Radio Theatre Company presents An Atlanta Christmas at 2:30 p.m. at Academy Theatre in Avondale Estates. Catch another screening of GREMLINS (1984) at The Plaza Theater at 3 p.m. Lola Gulley’s Bluesin’ Toy Drive Festival is at Northside Tavern   from 1 p.m. until 10 p.m. Admission is a donation – money donations will go to the Atlanta Red Cross and toy donations will go to the Atlanta Union Mission. Enjoy some hangover-friendly live music with The Skylarks playing dunch at 1 p.m. at The Earl.

Photo courtesy of Atlanta Lyric Theatre.

Seasonal Activities

Are you dreaming of a WHITE CHRISTMAS? Head to The Strand Theater to catch Atlanta Lyric Theatre‘s production of the Broadway musical based on the beloved Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye film. Now through Sunday, Dec. 23.

The Center for Puppetry Arts’ official stage adaptation of the Rankin-Bass misfit Christmas TV classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is back for a third year with Rudolph, Clarisse, Hermie, Yukon and all the beloved characters. Read our interview with adapter/director and Center Artistic Director Jon Ludwig here. Now through Jan. 6.

Take part in an Atlanta tradition dating back more than 50 years! The Pink Pig is back at Macy’s in Lenox Square Mall. Ride the Macy’s Pink Pig Train on top of the mall through the 170-ft., 1950’s themed Pink Pig Tent. A portion of the ride’s proceeds will benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. The Pink Pig will be at Lenox until Jan. 1.

Bumble menaces Rudolph, Hermey and Yukon in The Center for Puppetry Arts' live production of RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER. Photo credit: Clay Walker.

Catch THE SANTALAND DIARIES at The Horizon Theater.  An outrageous holiday comedy, written by award-winning satirical writer David Sedaris, it stars Crumpet, a rebel without a Clause who recounts the true-life tale of an out-of-work writer’s stint as a Macy’s Department Store elf. Now through Dec. 30.

Award-winning Dad’s Garage offers a new take on the humbug Christmas classic with INVASION: CHRISTMAS CAROL. This nutty interpretation of the Dickens’ favorite throws all the conventional aspects of the story out the window, replacing them with a delicious improv flavor as different spirits visit every evening, to the surprise of even the cast! Shows run through Dec. 23 every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

At Fernbank Museum of Natural History, enjoy the 3rd annual WINTER WONDERLAND, featuring trees and other displays from around the world. New this year will be special photo opportunities with Fernbank’s holiday mascot, Santa-saurus and hop aboard the Santa-saurus Express train, through Jan. 6.

Ongoing

Gas South Broadway Series presents WEST SIDE STORY at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center through Sunday, Dec. 16. Don’t miss the Broadway classic as it makes its way through Atlanta this weekend, tickets range from $17 – $60 and show times are at 8 p.m. with a special afternoon performance on Sunday at 2 p.m.

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

Visit the High Museum of Art to see the Fast Forward: Modern Moments exhibit featuring artistic development from the past 100 years, 1913-2013. Artists include Henri Matisse, Salvador Dalí, Georgia O’Keeffe and Jeff Koons. Closes January 10, 2013.

Take retro to another level at the Genghis Khan special exhibition at Fernbank Museum of National History. Closes January 21, 2013.

If you have a Retro event you’d like to see listed in this weekly calendar, don’t forget to drop the details to atlretro@gmail.com.