ATLRetro

By Julia Carlson
Contributing Writer

Monday, May 20

Swing down to Café 290, and hear Joe Gransden and his awesome 16-piece big band perform swinging jazz at 8:30 p.m. Northside Tavern hosts its weekly Blues Jam featuring blues and southern soul singer Lola Gulley. Enjoy some BBQ with Pead Boy & the Pork Bellies at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack.

Tuesday, May 21

It’s all good. At least 20 guest singers honor the folk rock icon during 7th Annual Bob Dylan Birthday Bash at The Earl, hosted by Chickens and Pigs. Your $7 in advance/$10 at door admission benefits nonprofit Ovarian Cycle, which funds cancer research. Musical May continues as Stanley Donen directs SINGING IN THE RAIN (1952) with the help of stars Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds in Northlake Festival Movie Tavern’s retro cinema classic this week. 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 southern rock and blues with Crosstown Allstars. Tease up that big hair for a Heavy Metal Cover Band at 10 High.

Wednesday, May 22

Saxophonist extraordinaire David Sanborn and guitarist/vocalist Jonathan Butler deliver Satin & Soul at the Cobb Energy Centre, part of Atlanta’s all May month of jazz leading up to the Atlanta Jazz Festival at Piedmont Park this weekend. Get schooled by either of two of Atlanta’s burlesque finest  Katherine Lashe or Kool Kat Talloolah Love in Beginning Burlesque classes at Studio Burlesque. See our Kool Kat interview with Talloolah here. 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. Danny “Mudcat” Dudeck brings the Piedmont blues to Northside Tavern. Frankie’s Blues Mission preaches the blues at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. Go SINGING IN THE RAIN (1952) for a second night at Northlake Festival Movie Tavern.

Thursday, May 23

The American Cancer Society celebrates its 100th birthday in style with “An Evening with Quincy Jones & Friends” at the Fox Theatre. The legendary music producer/performer will be joined for an unforgettable performance with special guests including James Ingram, Patti Austin, Siedah Garrett, Nikki Yanofsky and Alfredo Rodriguez.More action than usual OTP as Raleigh, NC’s Chatham County Line brings their brand of bluegrass to Red Clay Theatre in Duluth, and Beverly Guitar Watkins blues it down at Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs. Back intown, it’s 80s/90s Retro Video Night with free drinks ’til 10 at The Shelter.  Have a maitai, mon, while listening to Lloyd’s Rocksteady Review play soulful sounds of ’60s and ’70s Jamaica with a nod to all other island music at vintage tiki bar, Trader Vic’s. 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. Cunningham Henson Duo takes the stage at Red Light Cafe‘s weekly Bluegrass Thursday. If you didn’t get the chance to go to Studio Burlesque yesterday, you have another chance to try out Beginning Burlesque with Ursula Undress at 6:30 p.m., followed by Performance Track Series at 9:30 p.m. It’s your final night to go SINGING IN THE RAIN (1952) at Northlake Festival Movie Tavern.

Friday, May 24

Gregory Dean Smalley and Earl Maddox may no longer be with us, but some of the city’s (and southeast’s) finest rockabilly and Redneck Underground bands raise a Boone’s Farm toast high to their legacy during the opening night of the 22nd annual Bubbapalooza 2013 at the Star Bar. Friday’s line-up includes The Belmont Boys, Hi-Test, Ghost Riders Car Club, Blacktop Rockets, AM Gold and Slim Chance & the Convicts. Check out  our preview of this year’s Bubba, but in the meantime, check out our 20th anniversary retrospective for some history.  Ask Colin Baker the Doctor’s name, we dare you, this weekend at TimeGate, Atlanta’s annual DOCTOR WHO/STARGATE convention through Sunday at The Holiday Inn Select Perimeter-Dunwoody. The actor played the iconic British science fiction protagonist from 1984-86. Watch for our Timegate preview later this week.  Mudcat brings the blues to Northside Tavern for a two-night jam.  The Nick Longo Band jazzes it up under the dinosaurs at Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis and IMAX. Enjoy BBQ with a side of Funky Bluestar at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack.  Gatsby’s throws an ’80s throwback party. Two Black and white classics start weeklong runs today at The Plaza Theatre: the recently digitally restored and finally complete silent METROPOLIS (1927) and Martin Scorsese‘s brilliant boxing drama RAGING BULL (1980) starring Robert DeNiro. Watch for Retro Reviews later this week.  Oh, and then there’s some comedy called PORKY’S (1982).

Saturday, May 25

The free Atlanta Jazz Festival kicks off today outdoors at Piedmont Park (through Memorial Day Monday). Catch the Aaron Diehl Quartet, Alexandra Jackson, Cecile McLoren Salvant, and more. The 22nd annual Bubbapalooza 2013 fires up its big night with BBQ and an all-star line-up of rockabilly/Redneck Underground bands at the Star Bar. Saturday’s line-up includes a herd of Kool Kats such as Caroline & the Ramblers, Cletis & His City Cousins, and Grim Rooster, plus Nashville’s The Billygoats and Ohio’s The Twistin’ Tarantulas, and many more. TimeGate, Atlanta’s annual DOCTOR WHO/STARGATE convention also has its big day at The Holiday Inn Select Perimeter-Dunwoody. Watch for our Timegate preview later this week.  Mudcat brings the blues to Northside Tavern for the second of a two-night jam. Mount Carmel will be bringing their 1973 musical spirit to The Earl. The Jumpin’ Jukes swing from Mississippi into 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.

Professor Morte (Shane Morton). Photo courtesy of Shane Morton.

Sunday, May 26

The free Atlanta Jazz Festival continues outdoors at Piedmont Park (through Memorial Day Monday). Catch Jacob Deaton and the Tribulation Band, Tia Fuller, Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Gamak and more. TimeGate, Atlanta’s annual DOCTOR WHO/STARGATE convention winds down at The Holiday Inn Select Perimeter-Dunwoody. It’s never too early to get ready for Halloween. Learn SFX make-up from the Silver Scream Spookshow‘s Professor Morte himself at Shane Morton’s Monster Makeup Class at noon. The Trio will jazz up The Family Dog from 7-10 p.m. Check out some classic bottleneck acoustic blues from The Tony Bryant Blues Band at Fatt Matt’s  Rib Shack. Enjoya honkytonk BBQ brunch with live music at Big Tex starting at noon. CineProv makes light of notorious REEFER MADNESS (1936) at The Plaza Theatre.

Ongoing

Two black and white classics start weeklong runs May 24-30 at The Plaza Theatre: the recently digitally restored and finally complete silent METROPOLIS (1927) and Martin Scorsese‘s brilliant boxing drama RAGING BULL (1980) starring Robert DeNiro. Watch for Retro Reviews later this week. Oh, and then there’s some comedy called PORKY’S (1982).

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.

Do you have or know of a Retro event we should include in This Week in Retro Atlanta? Be sure to email us at atlretro@gmail.com!