ATLRetro

DragonCon may be Atlanta’s best known and biggest pop culture convention, but this weekend more than 10,000 Japanese anime fans will descend on Cobb Galleria Centre and the Renaissance Atlanta Waverly Hotel next door for Anime Weekend Atlanta (AWA). The four-day pop culture convention kicks off tonight and runs through Sunday afternoon (Sept. 29-Oct. 2,2011).

While all ages attend, the AWA crowd tends toward the young (predominantly high school and college) and effusively enthusiastic in their costuming and passion for anime (for the uninitiated, a uniquely Japanese genre of animated TV shows and movies). Go, SPEED RACER aside, you might not think there’s much Retro about AWA. However, while some kids do go to lock themselves up in a room and watch anime 24 hours a day, thanks to the creativity of the con’s organizers, such as Event Director Jason Merrill, even casual anime fans like us can have a great time. After all, where/when else in Atlanta can you pretend you’re shopping a Tokyo flea market for vintage kimonos and Godzilla and Ultraman toys without spending a fortune on a plane ticket, as well as enjoy live concerts with bands from Japan, a burlesque show, a black-tie ballroom dance with a string quartet and a Saturday night vintage jazz Bebop Lounge?!

ATLRetro recently caught up with Jason to find out not only why anime has such a passionate following but also to get the full scoop on the many fabulous Retro connections and happenings at AWA. To find times and locations for the many fun things he mentions, check out the full weekend schedule here or download the new AWA app for Apple iPhone/iPad or an Android browser version.

How did Anime Weekend Atlanta get started, and how does today’s AWA compare to your early days discovering and enjoying anime?

My brother, Dave Merrill, and I grew up watching PRINCE PLANET, SPEED RACER, STAR BLAZERS, ULTRAMAN and SPACE GIANTS. It was hard to find new items unless you had the right connections. Dave got very active in the tape trading and convention communities so he had a steady stream of new and unusual anime to watch. He and his friends used to gather at my parents home to watch anime. That group became the fan club Anime X, which later threw the first Anime Weekend Atlanta, 17 years ago. I have to admit, I’m kind of glad they decided to throw an actual convention, because I don’t think my parent’s family room could survive this kind of thing.

The difference is night and day. Just the technology alone has made the entire experience so far removed from the old days. We would get untranslated anime on fifth-generation videotapes with bad tracking issues months (if not years) after the show first ran. So keeping up with the action would take a lot of effort. Now shows appear subtitled within a week of the original air date.

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Last summer’s Rockabilly Luau served up an island paradise of musical entertainment from Atlanta bands, but one Nashville band showed they really know how to ride the surf rock wave. Back then we predicted that guitarist Pete Jamestone and saxophonist/bass guitarist/vocalist Manda Lou, a dynamic duo of seasoned musicians, intended to cause some mighty fine trouble in the Retro music scene. Now we’re happy to tell you that their band, The Rebel Surfers are back and shaking up the Highland Inn Ballroom tonight (Fri. Sept. 23) with outrageous surf local heroes The Mystery Men at a PreParty for tomorrow’s Clarkston Surf Fest (read our exclusive Kool Kat preview with co-founder Wayne Foster here). And special guest Philip Townsend from C.N.i Cow will be helping them out on drums. Because we don’t want you to miss out and hearing the Rebel Surfers live, we’re doing something we haven’t done before and reposting our interview with Pete.

Friday, Sept. 23

You can even bring the kids and grab a sandwich and a milkshake (or cheap beer, if we know your type) at an 8 p.m. early gig by Spooky Partridge at Rocket 88 in Decatur. Dusty Booze and the Baby Haters play later. Come hang 10 and get revved up for tomorrow’s Clarkston Surf Fest with a Pre-Party at the Highland Inn Ballroom, featuring outrageous surf local heroes The Mystery Men? and Nashville’s awesome Rebel Surfers, featuring special guest Philip Townsend from C.N.i Cow on drums. In case you missed our interview with Rebel Surfers’ Pete Jamestone before their high energy set at the Rockabilly Luau last June, catch up on your reading here. Or if what you like is surfing the New Wave, Blondie plays Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, with the Romantics opening.

Blair Crimmins.

Blair Crimmins and the Hookers resurrect ’20s ragtime with a 21st century twist at Star Bar tonight in their only local show this fall, playing with two other well-reviewed time capsule acts, the Lonesone City Travelers from Orlando and giant-squid-lovin’ Matty Sheets and the Blockheads from Greensboro, NC. Vocalist Kayla Taylor performs a soulful mix of jazz standards from the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s at Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis and IMAX. It’s another sexy Tango Night at Callanwolde, including lessons in the authentic Argentine version for all levels followed by a dance party. The Blues Benders bring on the blues at Fat Matt’s, and Mudcatblues it down at Northside Tavern. Earth Wind & Fire take you back to the ’70s with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in the Delta Classic Chastain series. And it’s a hard Southern rockin’ night at Vinyl with Six Shot Revival, Motortrain, Bigfoot & The One Through Tens.

Feeling more cinematic? Also opening tonight at Dad’s Garage is ZONKERS – An Eighties Tit Comedy.Yup the zany guys and gals at Dad’s celebrate a beautiful and largely forgotten movie genre – films about girls with big boobs that are out of the league of the nerdy boys that crave them. At a summer camp! Plus zero gravity scenes set in outer space and a Boob Bot. Through October 14 on the Main Stage.

Comedy Kurt Russell’s Snake Plissken may not have been a smiling kind of guy, and we’re sure CineProv! will make the most out of calling him Snake when they ESCAPE FROM NEW YORKtonight at Relapse Theatre. Or share some nostalgia with your own kids as THE GOONIES (1985) starts a three-day run at GSU’s Cinefest with shows tonight at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. (Sat. and Sun. at 7 p.m.).

Saturday Sept. 24

Three big music events duke it out today. It could be a bit Retro to say that Music Midtown is back and its return is not unwelcome, but since the line-up is pretty contemporary, we have to say if you’re living in the best of yesteryear, the 5th Annual Clarkston Surf Fest has to win out with 1o great bands from noon into the night including local faves The Mystery Men?, The Surge! ,Stratogeezer and El Fossil, as well as regional favorites Daikaiju(AL), Aqualads (NC), The Intoxicators (FL), The Necronomikids (AL), Kill, Baby…Kill (AL) and The Monterreys (NC). Best of all, it’s free and family-friendly, so you introduce the kids to some great music without shelling out big bucks. Read our Kool Kat preview with Surf Fest co-founder Wayne Foster here.

On the other hand, we have to admit that any event centered around the Star Bar has plenty of Retro street cred, too. During Saturday’s Little Five Fest, for just $10 from 12:30 p.m. to gone midnight, you can enjoy more than 35 bands on multiple stages both in and outside the Star Bar, as well as at Criminal Records (12:30-3:30 p.m.) and Aurora Coffee (all ages 4-8 p.m.).  Extra Retro points go to you if you buy something at Criminal, which, as you’ve most likely heard, has been going through some tough times lately. Better yet, buy some vinyl.

Of course, that couldn’t be all that’s happening. Elvis Costello and the Imposters play Chastain. And in a punk rock slugfest, it’s Bad Brains up in Heaven at Masquerade vs. Meat Puppets at The Earl. How did that happen? And metalheads, get thee to Wild Bill’s for Stryper. If you’re more the ’70s rock revivalist type, The 32nd Annual Giant Miller Lite Chili Cook-Off at Stone Mountain Park serves up great chili, a jalapeno-eating concept and four tribute bands, Miller Time (aka AM Gold playing Steve Miller Band’s greatest hits), Sex Type Things (Stone Temple Pilots), ZOSO (Led Zeppelin) and Free Fallin (Tom Petty). Fun starts at 10 a.m. and concludes with 2011 Chili Awards at 6:30 p.m. And take a walk on the ’60s/’70s wild side down in Hell at the Masquerade as Mon Cherie & WarholBoy Present Incognito: A WarholBoy Factory Birthday Extravaganza including a “15 Minutes of Fame” Talent Show, Psychedelic Raffle and Edie Sedgwick Lookalike Contest, as well as Eye Candy Performances & drag by The Chelsea Girls, The Factory Gang, Ultra Violet and more. Be sure to dress to impress Warhol-style. And as usual, DJ Romeo Colognetransforms the sensationally seedy Clermont Lounge into a ’70s disco/funk inferno late into the wee hours.

Sunday Sept. 25

Front Porch Session Players serve up the music at blues “dunch” between 1-4 PM at The Earl. Snake Legs bring on the blues at Fat Matt’s. You’ve got another chance to see The Meat Puppets if you road trip it to The Melting Point in Athens.

Closing This Week

The Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)‘s current exhibit WaterDream: The Evolution of Bathroom Design, runs through Sept. 24 in the dynamic new Midtown space. Displays take visitors through a four-part journey into the bathroom from the birth of minimalist aesthetics in 20th century design to current concepts.

Just Opened

ALL BLUES, Robert Earl Price‘s compelling meditation on the moral complexities of journalist Ray Sprigle‘s 30 days impersonating a black man in the south in 1948, has its world premiere at 7 Stages. Watch for a preview article about this powerful production soon. Through Oct. 9.

Ongoing

Ding-Dong the Wicked Witch is the Hero?! That’s the premise of the Broadway hit musical WICKED, an upside-down retelling of the 1939 movie version of THE WIZARD OF OZ. And we can’t think of a more magical place for the Broadway Across America touring production to stage it than 1929 movie palace the Fabulous Fox Theatre. If you’re on a budget, come to the box office 2 1/2 hours before showtime and submit your name for daily drawings of limited last-minute $25 orchestra seat tickets. Read our exclusive interview with former Atlanta actor Mark Jacoby, who plays the Wizard, here. Tues.-Sun. performances run through Oct. 9.

 

LIFE AND DEATH IN THE PYRAMID AGE: THE EMORY OLD KINGDOM MUMMY features the first public viewing in 50 years of the oldest Egyptian mummy in the Western Hemisphere, acquired from excavations at Abydos by Emory Theology Professor William A. Shelton in 1920. Watch for a Really Retro piece on this fascinating exhibit at Emory’s Michael C. Carlos Museum soon. Through Dec. 11, 2011.

Tune back in on Monday for This Week in Retro Atlanta. If you know of a cool happening coming up soon, send suggestions to ATLRetro@gmail.com.

 

“Surfing is very much like making love. It always feels good, no matter how many times you’ve done it,” legendary ‘60s surfer Paul Strauch once famously declared. This Saturday’s Clarkston Surf Fest 2011 is too far inland for attendees to ride any waves literally, but with 10 of the Southeast’s top surf bands playing from noon into night, it’s sure to satisfy any lover of the fast-strumming oceanic music genre. The fifth annual event, held Sat. Sept. 24 in the playing field of the Clarkston Community Center, features local faves The Mystery Men?, The Surge!, Stratogeezer and El Fossil, as well as regional favorites Daikaiju(AL), Aqualads (NC), The Intoxicators (FL), The Necronomikids (AL), Kill, Baby…Kill (AL) and The Monterreys (NC). Best of all, it’s FREE and family-friendly, so you even can introduce the kids to some great music without shelling out big bucks.

The idea of a surf music festival in Clarkston, at first glance, sounds both improbable and absolutely awesome. But then we never expected Thursday night concerts by some of Atlanta’s best retrobilly/Redneck underground bands at an Asian restaurant (Kathmandu, formerly Pho Truc) in Clarkston either. That got us thinking there must be some pretty cool folks hanging ten in what’s not often dubbed Atlanta’s hippest suburb. Turns out Clarkston Surf Fest co-founder Wayne Foster doesn’t actually live there any more, but this beach party has become a labor of love for him and everyone else involved and losing a few good surf music friends has just inflamed his passion even more.

Seems like there must be a great story about how the Clarkston Surf Fest got started?
I guess it was 2004 or 2005 when my friend Randy Duke asked me to go to a surf music show at Under The Couch over at Georgia Tech. It was a band called The Penetrators. I figured with a name like that what could be bad? Wow! what a show. These guys were like modern day 1960s secret agents of rock. In between sets Randy introduced me to John McCorvey AKA “Eddie Katcher” who plays guitar in a band called The Surge! The three of us talked about how cool the music is and wouldn’t it be great if a bunch of surf bands could get together for an all-day show somewhere. Well, a light bulb went off in my head…… I was a freelance sound guy with a big PA. I also lived in Clarkston and was serving on the city council.

In 2006, I made arrangements to use the historic Woman’s Club cottage, and John lined up as many surf bands as he could. It was one of those Our Gang “hey, let’s put on a show right here in the barn” kind of events. Local advertising agency, MLT Creative, designed and printed our signs for free after I told owner, Billy Mitchell, about our plan. He’s a surf music fan. Stratogeezer, Big Ray & The Futuras, The Broken Spokes, El Capitan, The Penetrators and The Surge! played that first Surf Fest. What an experience. The Clarkston Community Center then offered us a bigger venue.

I understand this year is both special and bittersweet to you after the passing of your good friend and festival co-founder Randy Duke, as well as Spanky Twangler of the Penetrators. Can you talk a little about what both contributed to this festival and what you have planned to honor them.

We didn’t have Surf Fest in 2010 because of some personal issues in my life that were beyond my control. My best friend Randy Duke’s health had been deteriorating for some time. He passed away right around the time Surf Fest would have been going on. My girlfriend and I had also just bought a new house 30 miles away from Clarkston. I was apprehensive about doing Surf Fest again since I no longer live in Clarkston and am not involved in city government. I want to honor Randy and Spanky by not letting Surf Fest fade away. Both of these remarkable men were super musicians and both were instrumental in turning me on to the surf genre.

This year’s 10-band line-up is pretty incredible including not just some great local surf bands but terrific bands from across the region. Who’s new this year and how did you decide who would play this year?

The Monterreys, Kill, Baby… Kill!, The Intoxicators!, Aqualads, and El Fossil will be at Surf Fest for the first time. We decided who would play this year by finding bands willing to drive hundreds of miles to sleep on my vinyl couch, eat cold pizza, drink cheep beer, and work for gas money. There’s a lot of great surf bands out there and not enough venues for them to play. I wish we could have 30 bands and play all weekend! ………. (need more sponsors, need bigger venue)…… end of subliminal message.

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Monday Sept. 19

Adrian Belew Power Trio plays Variety Playhouse.  It’s a roots-rock/retrobilly Monday at The Earl with The Serenaders and Australia’s Wagons. Swing to bimonthly Big Band Night with Joe Gransden and a 16-piece orchestra at Cafe 290. From 3 PM on, savor tropical sounds and libations, as well as a Polynesian dinner during Mai Tai Monday at Smith’s Olde Bar. Northside Tavern hosts its weekly Blues Jam.

Tuesday Sept. 20

The original line-up of ’80s synth pop band Modern English want to melt with you at Smith’s Olde Bar. Grab your horn and head to Twain’s in Decatur for a Joe Gransden jazz jam session starting at 9 PM. Fedora Blues is at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. Notorious DJ Romeo Cologne spins ‘70s funk and disco at 10 High in Virginia-Highland. Catch Tues. Retro in the Metro nights at Midtown’s Deadwood Saloon, featuring video mixes of ’80s, ’90s and 2Ks hits.

Wednesday Sept. 21

Get ready to rumba, cha-cha and jitterbug at the weekly Swing Night at Graveyard Tavern. The Hollidays bringing some soul to 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 presented by Godiva Vodka, at Pub 71 in Brookhaven.

Whiskey Belt.

Thursday  Sept. 22

Dale Watson says there’s nothing Retro on his latest album CARRYIN’ ON, but the maverick country traditionalist has been playing around since the early ’80s and is playing Smith’s Olde Bar tonight with Mickey & the Motorcars. Go Retro-Polynesian to Tongo Hiti’s luxurious live lounge sounds, as well as trippy takes on iconic pop songs, every Thurs. night at Trader Vic’s. Honky tonk it with Whiskey Beltwho continue their all-September Thursday night free gigs at Kathmandu Kitchen(formerly Pho Truc) in Clarkston. Party ‘70s style with DJ Romeo Cologne at Aurum Lounge. Breeze Kings & Chickenshack bring on the blues respectively at Northside Tavern and Fat Matt’s Rib Shack.

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By Thomas Drake
Contributing Blogger

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981); Directed by Steven Spielberg; Screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas; Starring Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, John Rhys-Davies, Denholm Elliot; available on DVD from Paramount Home Video; BluRay release date unknown but allegedly soon; original theatrical trailer here.

Short: Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes? Men. Top Men.

Medium: Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is an archeology professor by day, and moonlights as a tomb robber by night (for Science!). The film starts in South America with an iconic scene where he is attempting to retrieve an idol from an ancient native tomb. The idol had traps guarding it, including a large well-timed boulder. Once he gets back, his mentor tells him that the government has a job for him.

It’s the early ‘30s, just before WWII, and Indiana has to find the Ark of the Covenant (it’s a radio for talking to God after all) before the Nazis do. Because you know, God might decide these Nazi guys are not so bad if they can just get a chance to relax over a couple of beers. At any rate, off they go to Nepal where they get a map held by Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), making for the best onscreen chemistry of the Indy movies. Then off they dash to Egypt for a map, and finally to Indonesia for the classic end scene.

When I was a child, I was commanded by my parents to close my eyes when Indy and Marion do. But if you like seeing Nazis get a well-deserved comeuppance, keep ‘em open. It’s not like they don’t do worse with CGI these days….

Maximum Verbosity: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK is one of those movies that does everything right. And unlike with STAR WARS, George Lucas doesn’t have enough control to be able to have Indy shout, “Noooooooooooo” to the heavens when anything bad happens to him. It’s been 30 years since the original came out, and it’s still going strong.

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Friday, Sept. 16

GSU’s Cinefest Film Theatre kicks off a three-day Femme Fatales Film Fest of fun exploitation flicks starring kickass ladies with MS. 45 (1981) at 9 p.m. A shy and mute seamstress goes insane after being attacked and raped twice in one day, in which she takes to the streets of New York after dark and randomly kills men with a .45 caliber gun.

Let the heathen be wakened and come out; It’s ROCKMAGEDDON AND B!TCHIN BURLESQUE at Smith’s Olde Bar. Rock out to the ISSUES, Asphalt Valentine and The Sexual Side Effects (read our Kool Kat with glam-orous Amber Taylor here) and cleav(age) your innocence as Mon Cherie Presents burlesque acts by New Orleans Jon, Stormy Knight, Katarina Laveaux,The Chameleon Queen, Scarlett Page and Lola Lesoleil. Also features a Rock N’ Roll Bazaar, The Final Battle Raffle and boobalicious cupcakes by The Sugar Dolls.

Though he has been described as “the premiere Atlantan with the vintage Chicagoan Blues sound,” those who have heard Rod Hamdallahknow that his unique and memorable musical style combines plenty of delta-blues, garage rock and even some country. Hear him for yourself tonight at The Five Spot & check out our Kool Kat of the Week feature on Rod here. Seminal ’80s proto-industrial band Swans return to rattle up Variety Playhouse. For a ’70s hot-blooded rock journey down memory lane, head toAaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood for a triple-header of Journey, Foreigner andNight Ranger.

Meanwhile, ’90s metalers Skid Row close out the Summer Rock Series atWild Bill’s in Duluth. Our newest blogger, Angelica Bakhsh, promises they’ll still rock your face off here. It’s monthly Salsa Night with Salsambo Dance Studio at Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis and IMAX. Monthly Friday Night Jazz at The High features the Gary Motley Quartet (free with museum admission & free to members), as well as a sneak peek performance of ALL BLUES, which has its world premiere at 7 Stages next week. The Breeze Kings bring on the blues at Fat Matt’s, and wild harmonica man Stoney Brooks is sure to geteveryone jitterbugging at Northside Tavern. CineProv! takes off on Tom Cruise ’80s military blockbuster TOP GUN at Relapse Theatre.

Saturday Sept. 17

GSU’s Cinefest Film Theatre continues its Femme Fatales Film Fest of fun exploitation flicks starring kickass ladies with LADY TERMINATOR (1985) at 5 p.m. and SAVAGE STREETS (1984) at 7 p.m. In the first, the spirit of an ancient evil queen posesses the body of a young anthropological student, who then goes on a murderous rampage. Then a teenage vigilante played by Linda Blair seeks revenge on a group of violent thugs who raped her handicapped sister and killed her best friend.

This weekend’s big music event is today’s East Atlanta Strut with five stages of live local music, including The BareKnuckle Betties (featuring Kool Kat Julea Thomerson), Jimmy Anderson Blues Band, Chicken and Pigs, blues and rock band The Stooge Brothers and the neo-glam Sexual Side Effects headlining the Earl Stage at 9 p.m. with special guest performers including Jade Lemons, Bucky Motter, Aileen Loy, fire dancing byLa CoCo Rouge and the go-go dancing Glam Squad (Alix Tichelman & Natalie Armstrong). But it’s not all about the bands, the day-long extravaganza also features the Imperial OPA Circus, a comedy stage, 5K run & walk, artists’ market, the Famous Strut Parade, free kids village, carnival stalls, bull ride, community booths, food and beverages. Funds raised benefit East Atlanta community projects and organizations.

Today also marks the first day of the weekend-long Atlanta Arts Festival at Piedmont Park. A revival of the old Fall Piedmont Arts Festivals, it’s ranked among the top 200 arts festivals in the nation, running from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and featuring over 200 artist vendors, artist demonstrations, live music, kids’ crafts, festival food and more. Also, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the 20th annual Marietta StreetFest celebrates the many antique shops and history of the Atlanta suburb with a Trash or Treasure antiques and artisan market, theHubcaps and History Classic Car Show, and free admission all day to the Marietta Museum of History. Proceeds benefit the latter.

Atlanta-based ’70s funk rock superstars Mother’s Finest play Wild Bill’s. Multiplatinum ’70s power ballad band Styx rocks Turner Field with a free concert after today’s Atlanta Braves vs. NY Mets game. Fans who want special access to the band can also purchase VIP Field Passes for $20 here. While we’re not sure if it’s Miller Time tonight, AM Gold (featuring our favorite bigfoot and area culinary connoisseur Jim Stacy) always takes us back to simpler rockin’ Top 40 days; hear ’em at Highland Inn Ballroom.Always nice to see Col. Bruce Hampton still playing around town; tonight he’s atNorthside Tavern. And DJ Romeo Cologne transforms the sensationally seedy Clermont Lounge into a ’70s disco/funk inferno late into the wee hours.

Sunday Sept. 18

The Atlanta Arts Festival runs for its second day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Piedmont Park with bands including Zydeco T and The Whiskey Gentry. Vito plays blues “dunch” between 1-4 PM at The Earl. Snake Legs bring on the blues at Fat Matt’s. And GSU’s Cinefest Film Theatre concludes its Femme Fatales Film Fest of fun exploitation flicks starring kickass ladies with INVASION OF THE BEE GIRLS (1973) at 5 p.m. and NINJA III: THE DOMINATION (1984) at 7 p.m. In the first, a powerful cosmic force is turning Earth women into queen bees who kill men by wearing them out sexually. Then an evil ninja attempts to avenge his death from beyond the grave, by possessing an innocent woman’s body.

Just Opened

Ding-Dong the Wicked Witch is the Hero?! That’s the premise of the Broadway hit musical WICKED, an upside-down retelling of the 1939 movie version of THE WIZARD OF OZ. And we can’t think of a more magical place for the Broadway Across America touring production to stage it than 1929 movie palace the Fabulous Fox Theatre. If you’re on a budget, come to the box office 2 1/2 hours before showtime and submit your name for daily drawings of limited last-minute $25 orchestra seat tickets. Read our exclusive interview with former Atlanta actor Mark Jacoby, who plays the Wizard, here. Tues.-Sun. performances run through Oct. 9.

LIFE AND DEATH IN THE PYRAMID AGE: THE EMORY OLD KINGDOM MUMMY features the first public viewing in 50 years of the oldest Egyptian mummy in the Western Hemisphere, acquired from excavations at Abydos by Emory Theology Professor William A. Shelton in 1920. Watch for a Really Retro piece on this fascinating exhibit at Emory’s Michael C. Carlos Museum soon. Through Dec. 11, 2011.

Closing Soon

The Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)‘s current exhibit WaterDream: The Evolution of Bathroom Design, runs through Sept. 24 in the dynamic new Midtown space. Displays take visitors through a four-part journey into the bathroom from the birth of minimalist aesthetics in 20th century design to current concepts.

Tune back in on Monday for This Week in Retro Atlanta. If you know of a cool Retro happening soon, send suggestions to ATLRetro@gmail.com.

By Angelica Bakhsh
Contributing Blogger

This Friday night (Sept. 16) at Wild Bill’s in Duluth, Skid Row will take to the stage just as they have for the last 25 years. In spite of several line-up changes, Rachel Bolan, Dave “Snake” Sabo and Scotti Hill have hung in strong. These three, along with singer of 12 years Johnny Solinger and their new-ish drummer, Rob Hammersmith, will no doubt rock our faces just as hard, if not harder, than we have come to expect. I hear the guys plan to play a set of songs from each of their albums, so you will get to experience all of your favorites from the span of their five full-length releases. This is no doubt a perfect show for long-time and new fans alike.

Bassist Rachel Bolan says we are in for a few surprises. The guys will be sharing the stage with local favorites Bigfoot which happens to include Jimmy Write. Jimmy, one of Atlanta’s finest guitar players, is in Rachel’s and Rob’s other band The Quazimotors. I’m crossing my fingers that this means we may get to hear a few of those songs. Dangerous New Machine are also playing in the opening slot.

Seeing Skid Row play at Wild Bill’s is always worth the trek. The crowd there is really into the music and it shows. When people drive to see a band in Duluth, they go because they want to, not because it’s convenient. There is something extra nice about seeing a band you love with likeminded people. No one acts as if they are too cool to be there, as tends to happen often here inside the perimeter and that’s refreshing. Rachel and Rob are both Atlanta residents, so you also get that feeling of hometown love from the fans. Top that with this being a make-up show from a cancelled date this last June and you know the event will be nothing short of kick-ass.

At press time, tickets were still available. Buy them here.

From the original L. Frank Baum novel to the 1939 musical movie version of THE WIZARD OF OZ, the tale of Dorothy Gale, her dog Toto and three misfits who deemed themselves incomplete without a physical brain, heart and courage could easily be called the quintessential American fantasy epic. Like Middle Earth is England in simpler, more magical times, Oz is an expression of Retro-Americana Midwestern know-how and whimsy. And that spunky little girl from Kansas, like her prairie counterpart Laura Ingalls Wilder, is an uniquely all-American heroine.

That is, until Gregory Maguire turned that heroine’s journey on its head, gave the Wicked Witch of the West a name, Elphaba, and had the chutzpah to suggest that things went down considerably differently and were rewritten by a government-run, propagandist media, as it were. (Shades of contemporary media politics? Well, the original Oz may have had some circa 1990 political satire between its pages, too.) The Broadway version of Maguire’s novel WICKED is more a twist on the familiar movie than the book, and whether or not you approve of tampering with a classic, the imaginative sets and costumes look even more magical on the Fabulous Fox Theatre stage, where it opens today and will be playing through Oct. 9 as part of the Broadway Across America series.

WICKED focuses on who’s the real good witch and who’s the real bad witch. But actor Mark Jacoby, a Georgia State University alumnus, got to tackle the conundrum of an all-American carnie man who landed in Oz accidentally and found himself, thanks to his seemingly magical balloon-borne arrival, declared Wizard and ruler of the capitol Emerald City. Jacoby is no stranger to playing sympathetic villains, having donned the mask of the PHANTOM OF THE OPERA for three years on Broadway. He’s also stepped into the shoes of many of American musical theater’s most iconic characters including SHOWBOAT’s Gaylord Ravenal (Tony Award nomination for Harold Prince revival), FIDDLER ON THE ROOF’s Tevye (Barrymore Award) and Father in the original Broadway run of RAGTIME. ATLRetro caught up with Mark recently to find out how he approached America’s most famous humbug in this villain-friendly version of Oz.

How is the character of the Wizard different in WICKED than in the 1939 movie WIZARD OF OZ and even the book? Do you think it is different? One of the intriguing things about this piece is how it’s been overlaid on the story we’re all so familiar with, mostly from the movie WIZARD OF OZ. They are the same people theoretically in context. You’re just looking at them from a different angle. I suppose an actor doesn’t have to take that literally. He can do what he wants. But I tend to think and the powers that be also do, that I should approach him as the same character we encountered in THE WIZARD OF OZ.  You just find out different things, and different things are emphasized. He’s flushed out a bit more. There’s more explanation as to how he got there, why he’s there, and what makes him tick.

I think the Wizard of Oz was someone who was in the right place at at the right time or the wrong place at the wrong time, whichever way you look at it. He’s regarded by the people of Oz as somewhat supernatural. As he says, I never asked for this, I was just blown here by the wings of chance. One could take that literally or is he telling a story? I choose to think he is talking literally. He has wound up in this situation, but he wasn’t malevolent. He wasn’t planning to become a tyrant or anyone overbearing with the population, but now he’s stuck with it. I’m not saying he’s a perfect man. He got hooked with all the adulation and all the power and all he has to do to maintain it.

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ATLRetro has been hearing a lot about Kool Kat of the Week Rod Hamdallah—from his fellow local musicians. Like his mentor, the sadly deceased Sean Costello, he’s been playing since very young and early gained a reputation as an Americana blues guitar prodigy. By age 17, he was sharing the stage with Sean and Dexter Romweber, as well as opening for top contemporary blues, funk, soul, rockabilly and roots performers such as Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Rosie Flores, Romweber and more. He’s only 21 now.

Anyone who’s heard Rod live—and live is the way he should be heard—talks about the dark lyrics, full-throttle energy and deep swamp passion he puts into his heavy licks. That hard-edged sound has earned him comparisons to Skip James, Captain Beefheart, Charlie Patton, Tom Waits and more recently the White Stripes. He looks the part, too—thick dark pompadour, sideburns, usually dressed in black.

This year Rod’s released a couple of singles, “Think About It” and a cover of Skip James’ “Devil Got My Woman” and has been playing Atlanta and touring the Southeast furiously. You can catch him next at The Five Spot on Friday, Sept. 16. We caught up with him recently to find out more about what made his influences, teaming up with drummer and frequent collaborator Gabe Pline, what he’s got planned for this gig and those recordings we’re looking forward to.

What happened at age 16 to get you, a Jersey boy into punk rock and skateboarding, so revved up about Southern blues and Americana?

I’ve always loved traditional music and was interested in what influenced punk rock. When I moved to Atlanta, live music became something I was around all the time. I watched guys like Sean Costello play around town and immediately wanted to play blues  and traditional American music.

What about Donnie McCormick and Sean Costello made them such an influence on you in the early days?

Sean was a great mentor and friend. He let me share the stage with him when others didn’t. He also turned me on to Donnie McCormick. I loved the inspiration and soul that came from them. [Editor’s note: Read a tribute by Rod to Sean Costello here.]

Rod Hamdallah and Gabe Pline. Photo credit: Scott Livignale.

How did you hook up with Gabe Pline?

Gabe and I would play together once and a while at jams and etc. He was a good person to talk to, where we could relate on music and personal pasts. I’ve always loves Gabe’s style of playing and his attitude on stage. He is definitely a big part of where I am today.

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