ATLRetro

by Melanie Crew
Managing Editor

Hey kiddies! Retro Atlanta is the Kat’s meow! Shake a tail feather and come see what we’ve dug up for you this week! Live la vida Retro!

Monday, October 5

Kick off the spook season at the Highland Inn Ballroom with The Rookery Radio Hour LIVE “Night of the Werewolves” – a Halloween spooktacular! Rock out at The Earl with The Shrine and Gunpowder Gray! Get your Kubrick fix at The Plaza Theater with their screenings of Stanley Kubrick’s THE SHINING (1980), running through Oct. 8!Boogie on down to the Northside Tavern and spend an evening with Lola at her famous Monday Night Northside Jam! Get some soul with Brandon Reeves at Blind Willie’s! Skye Paige, “Queen of Slide Guitar” rocks out at the Little Vinyl Lounge! Get folksy with Jamie Laval at Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs! 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! Blast-Off Burlesque starts your week off right with a night of adults-only trivia at the Euclid Avenue Yacht Club at 8:30pm! Truett Lollis delivers a night of blues and soul at Darwin’s Burgers & Blues in Marietta! And blues on down to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack for a side of Dry White Toast and a plate full ‘o finger lickin’ BBQ!

Tuesday, October 6

Get your sleazy vintage surf noir rock and roll fix at The Earl with Shannon & the Clams, Cool Ghouls, Midnight Larks and Dusty Booze & the Baby Haters! Get monstrous at Chamblee Library’s screening of James Whale’s classic FRANKENSTEIN (1931) at 1pm! Shake a tail feather on down to the Fox Theatre for Broadway’s JERSEY BOY, a musical tale about Franki Valli and The Four Seasons, running through Oct. 11 (see our Kool Kat interview soon)! Get your ‘70s psych fix in the Basement with Kool Kats Spirits and the Melchizedek Children, Seluah, Chew and A Drug Called Tradition! Bluegrass it up with Cedar Hill and Classic Mountain Fiddles at Steve’s Live Music! Take a crack at Richard Park’s MIAMI CONNECTION (1987) during Riff Trax Live 2015, screening in theatres across Atlanta [Hollywood Stadium 24 in Chamblee, Perimeter Pointe 10; AMC Sugarloaf Mills 18 in Lawrenceville; Avalon Stadium 12 in Alpharetta; AMC Barrett Commons 24 in Kennesaw; Cinemark Tinseltown 17 in Fayetteville; GTC Merchant’s Walk Stadium 12 in Marietta; Regal McDonough Stadium 16; and Georgian Stadium in Newnan]! The Imposeurs play Elvis Costello at the Red Light Café! Blues it up with Andrew Black at Blind Willie’s! Or get the blues with JT Speed at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! It’s a night of trivia and corndogs at Pallookaville, with their “Trivial Matters” event! The Star Bar delivers a night of retro shenanigans with their Retro-Soul, Funk ‘80s & ‘90s Dance Party! Jam it up with Joe Gransden and his jazz jam session at Twain’s in Decatur every Tuesday at 9 pm! And as always, The Entertainment Crackers get bluesy with their folksy Americana at the Northside Tavern!

Wednesday, October 7

It’s Beatles mania at Eddie’s Attic as AM1690 presents: Beatles in the Attic featuring The Buggs! Rock out with Electric Six (formerly The Wild Bunch) and Yip Deceiver at The Earl! It’s a night of horror-themed geek trivia at Battle & Brew! Emory Cinematheque presents Kakaku Kidotai’s GHOST IN THE SHELL (1995) at 7:30pm! Or catch John McTiernan’s THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR (1999) at Studio Movie Grill (Alpharetta) at 7:30pm! Boogie on down to East Atlanta’s Graveyard Tavern for their Graveyard Swing Night, held the first Wednesday of every month, promising an evening of swingin’ jazz and jive with the Savoy Kings! Jazz it up with The Gordon Vernick Quartet at the Red Light Café! Kool Kat Scott Glazer’s Mojo Dojo gets jazzy and dishes out a night of blues and southern soul at Blind Willie’s! Get your rhythm ‘n’ soul and rock ‘n’ roll fix with The Hollidays at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! It’s a hootenanny and a half at The Star Bar with their Cowboy Karaoke event, featuring live-band old-time country and western tunes! Rock on downstairs to the Little Vinyl Lounge for a night of retro shenanigans with Kool Kat Jeff Clark and Stomp & Stammer’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Trivia at 8pm! Or make your way to the Northside Tavern as Danny ‘Mudcat’ Dudeck fires it up with his rockin’ blues! St. James Live! delivers their Hump Days Blues night, getting classic blues-style every Wednesday! And as always, it’s Ladies Night at Johnny’s Hideaway which plays hits from Sinatra to Madonna for a generally mature crowd.

Thursday, October 8

Get your old-school punk fix with The Vibrators, Burns Like Fire, The Riggs and Kool Kat Rev. Andy at the Masquerade! Get down and dirty with a night of old-time ragtime blues and Dixieland with Kool Kat Caleb Warren & the Gents and Waits & Co. at the Clermont Lounge ! Rock out at The Star Bar with Go!Zilla, Shantih Shantih and Metal McDonald! It’s Mai Tai Thursday, so surf on down to Trader Vic’s for a helluva island party! Get funky with Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and The Space Time Travelers at Aisle 5! Get your New Orleans’ funk fix with The Mar-Tans at Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint! Get down with Sweet Betty & the Shadows at Blind Willie’s! Bluegrass it up at the Red Light Café with the Dave Hardin Band! Bluegrass it up with the DejaBlue Grass Band at Eddie’s Attic! 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! Darwin’s Burgers & Blues gets down and dirty at their Blues Jam hosted by The Cazanovas! Get your boogie on at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack, as Chickenshack featuring Eddie Tigner, delivers some honky-tonk blues! 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, October 9

Atlantic Station kicks off their “Spooky Film Fest” with Tim Burton’s EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (1990) at dusk! Or catch Roger Corman’s MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH (1964) at The Plaza Theater, running through Oct. 15! Catch Landmark Midtown Art Cinema’s premiere screening of Stanley Nelson, Jr.’s THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION (2015)! It’s tribute night at The Star Bar, so rock on down for a night with Rumours (Fleetwood Mac); The Dirty Doors (The Doors); and Refugee (Tom Petty)! Celebrate 40 years with Dr. Frank-N-Furter and Jim Sharman’s cult classic, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) at AMC Phipps Plaza at 10pm! The Variety Playhouse gets funky with Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe and Dumpstaphunk! The Northside Tavern celebrates John Lennon’s birthday with Tullamore Road! Get your Americana fix with The Roosevelts at Eddie’s Attic! Bluegrass it up with Alex & Todd and Escape Vehicle at Steve’s Live Music! Atlanta Boogie dishes out a night of Kansas City and West Coast jump blues at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! Blues it up with Sandra Hall & the Shadows at Blind Willie’s! Rock out under the dinosaurs with Highbeams at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis and IMAX event! 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, October 10

Rock out surf-style at Kavarna with Kool Kat Chad Shivers’ Southern Surf Stomp, featuring Fiend Without a Face, The KBK and Bad Friend! Nikki Hill dishes out a night of rock ‘n’ soul with Black Linen at The Earl! Party on down to the Ponce City Market for their “Party on Ponce” event, featuring The Indigo Girls, Shawn Mullins and more! Get dark and gloom on down to Famous Pub for Kool Kat VJ Anthony’s Coffin Classics: Goth, Dark ‘80s and Industrial music video party! Rev it up with Kool Kat Hot Rod Walt & the Psycho-Devilles at Mule Camp Tavern! It’s a night of murder, mystery and comedy at Georgia Ensemble Theatre with “One Mysterious Evening”! Pay tribute to The Allman Brothers at Northside Tavern! Get your folk rock fix at Eddie’s Attic with The Ballroom Thieves and Hannah Aldridge! Rock out with Warren Haynes at the Tabernacle! Darwin’s Burgers & Blues gets down and dirty with The Cazanovas! Get another chance to celebrate 40 years with Dr. Frank-N-Furter and Jim Sharman’s cult classic, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) at AMC Phipps Plaza at 10pm! Get the blues with Beverly “Guitar” Watkins at Blind Willie’s! Mark Michelson pays tribute to Pink Floyd at Steve’s Live Music! St. James Live! delivers their Tribute to the Legends night every Saturday night! Fat Matt’s Rib Shack delivers a night of rockin’ blues with Dry White Toast! 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, October 11

The Atlanta Film Fest presents a screening of Wim Wenders’ BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB (1999), at the Rialto Center for the Arts at 5:30pm! Rock out folk-style with Matt Nathanson at Eddie’s Attic! Jazz it up with Tommie Macon & the Perfect Gentlemen at Steve’s Live Music! And get the blues with Fatback Deluxe at Blind Willie’s! Get groovy as Swami Gone Bananas gets down at Hottie Hawgs BBQ! And get sweet and low down blues-style at the Northside Tavern with Uncle Sugar!

Ongoing

The Atlanta Opera presents Giocomo’s “La boheme” at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center, running through Oct. 11! (LAST CHANCE!)

Chambers of Horror Haunted House terrifies with their adults-only gore-fest and blood-splattering through Nov. 1!

Netherworld Haunted House haunts every weekend through Nov. 1!

Blast-Off Burlesque geeks it up with a night of adults-only trivia at the Euclid Avenue Yacht Club, every Monday at 8:30pm!

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

The Star Bar delivers Stomp & Stammer’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Trivia at 8pm, every Tuesday!

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.

by Melanie Crew
Managing Editor

What are you doing this weekend? We’re monster mashing it up at the 2nd Annual MONSTERAMA CONVENTION, creeping and crawling into town this weekend, Oct. 2-4 at the Atlanta Marriott Perimeter Center!

1) Christopher Lee: A Villainous Tribute! Catch a horrorific line-up of Christopher Lee films on Saturday featuring Terrence Fisher/Frank Winterstein’s SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE DEADLY NECKLACE (1962), Jess Franco’s COUNT DRACULA (1970); and Robin Hardy’s THE WICKER MAN (1973)! And you must hammer out some time to catch “In Memoriam: Christopher Lee” on Saturday at 2pm; a panel with discussions about Lee and his amazing career. Our favorite villain has a body of work that includes screen credits for over 250 films!

2) Ricou Browning! “The Creature” extraordinaire and legendary underwater stuntman, director, actor and screenwriter will be lurking amongst the monsters this year (See our exclusive Kool Kat interview here)! Get aquatic with the infamous “Gill-Man” at the Black Lagoon Tiki Luau on Friday! And you won’t want to miss out on Ricou’s panels covering his monstrous cinematic life and everything in-between with “Return to the Black Lagoon” and “Thunderball & Beyond”!

3) Black Lagoon Tiki Luau! Hula on down (If you dare!) to the hotel pool on Friday night at 7pm and luau with The Creature himself, Ricou Browning! And for an experience you’ll never forget, throw on your suit and take a daunting dip into the Black Lagoon with effects artist, Kyle Yaklin (See our Shop Around feature on Kyle here) who will transform into the Creature of the night with his very own CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON suit crafted from the original mold!

4) Silver Scream Spook Show!  Kool Kat Shane Morton, a.k.a. ghost host with the most, Professor Morte and the Silver Scream Spook Show will be raisin’ hairs with a screening of Ernest B. Shoedsack/Merian C. Cooper’s KING KONG (1933) on Saturday at 3 pm! It’s no trick, but a special treat because Prof. Morte’s lovable sidekick Retch will be returning for a Spook Show presentation to remember. Read one of our very first Kool Kat interviews with Retch alter-ego Jon Waterhouse here.

5) FANGTASTIC FILM!  Friday’s frightening film feast includes a helluva offering of 16mm screenings including Sam Newfield’s THE MAD MONSTER (1942); Michael Reeves’ THE CONQUEROR WORM (1968); and Charles Laugton’s THE ISLAND OF LOST SOULS (1932)! Saturday slaughters with horrorific classics including Nathan Juran’s JACK THE GIANT KILLER (1962); James Whale’s THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935), Mario Bava’s BLACK SUNDAY (1960) and so much more! And Sunday gets sinister with Robert Siodmak/Erle C. Kenton’s SON OF DRACULA (1942); Antonio Margheriti’s CASTLE OF BLOOD (1964); and George Romero’s THE CRAZIES (1973)!

6) Spooktacular Guests! Spook it up with Larry Blamire (THE LOST SKELETON OF CADAVRA); horror novelist and filmmaker John Farris (THE FURY); horror history expert and documentarian, Kool Kat Daniel Griffith of Ballyhoo Motion Pictures, Kool Kat Shane Morton, ghost host with the most, a.k.a. Professor Morte, Victoria Price (daughter of the legendary Vincent Price. Get a taste of Vincent‘s cooking at a special Brunch with Victoria on Sunday!), legendary actresses, Lynn Lowry (THE CRAZIES; SHIVERS) and Candy Clark (AMERICAN GRAFFITI; THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH); glamour ghoul Kool Kat Madeline Brumby and so much more!

7) Twisted Television. Get terrified T.V.-style throughout the weekend and catch screenings of Gene Roddenberry’s made-for-TV movie, SPECTRE (1977); Kool Kat Daniel Griffith’s documentary, AS TIMELESS AS INFINITY: THE TWILIGHT ZONE LEGACY; THE OUTER LIMITS – “The Architects of Fear”; THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E – “The Abominable Snowman Affair”; STAR TREK – “The Man Trap”; and an episode of BORIS KARLOFF’S THRILLER!

8) Monster Makeovers! Get gore-gous with monster make-up galore as part of this year’s Makers Track! Effects man Kyle Yaklin and Kool Kat Shane Morton share the secrets of the monster trade with their “Casting the Creature” event, featuring a first generation pull from Jack Kevan’s master mold of “The Creature”! And Saturday gets spooktacular with a “Gore Gore Girls – Special Effects for Kids” event featuring mom/daughter duo, filmmaker Dayna Noffke (Tiltawhirl Pictures) and ultra spooky Vivi Vivian! And don’t forget to stick around for a creeping cornucopia of frightful faces and monster masks!

9) Deadly Dealers! Horror cons are the perfect place to stock up on both classic horror memorabilia, cult classics on DVD and creepy clothing, costumes and accessories. Vendors this year include Kool Kat Chris Hamer of UrbnPop; Horror in Clay (See our Shop Around feature here) and all the toys, collectibles and monstrous goodies you can get your grimy little hands on!

10) Monster Prom! Hey all you guys and ghouls, get frightfully funky at this year’s Monster Prom, dedicated to our favorite monster kid of all, Mark Schemanske! Dust off the old rat-infested tux, clear out the cobwebs, shine up your shoes and get ready to do the Monster Mash, and maybe even the Time-Warp into the wee hours of the morning!

Monsterama main con hours are Fri. Oct. 2 from 4 to 12 a.m.; Sat. Oct. 3 from 9 a.m. to 12 a.m.; and Sun. Oct. 4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more info, visit www.monsteramacon.com.

by Melanie Crew
Managing Editor  

Ricou Browning, “The Creature”/ “The Gill-Man” extraordinaire and legendary underwater stuntman, director, actor and screenwriter will be lurking amongst the monsters at the second annual Monsterama Convention, founded by our classic monster-lovin’ fiend, friend and ATLRetro contributing writer, Anthony Taylor! Monsterama creeps into town at the Atlanta Marriott Perimeter Center this weekend, Oct. 2-4! Browning will be joined by a guest list filled to the blood-curdling brim with classic horror connoisseurs like independent filmmaker Larry Blamire (THE LOST SKELETON OF CADAVRA); horror history aficionado and documentarian, Daniel Griffith of Ballyhoo Motion Pictures [July 2014; See ATLRetro’s Kool Kat feature on Daniel here]; Shane Morton, ghost host with the most, a.k.a. Professor Morte [June 2011; see ATLRetro’s Kool Kat feature on Shane, here]; Victoria Price (daughter of the legendary Vincent Price); spooktacular actresses, Lynn Lowry (THE CRAZIES; SHIVERS) and Candy Clark (AMERICAN GRAFFITI; THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH); glamour ghoul Madeline Brumby [October 2011; see ATLRetro’s Kool Kat feature on Madeline, here] and so much more! So, haunt on down to Monsterama this weekend and prepare for a ghastly weekend of ghoulishly maniacal mayhem!

Browning, the last of the original Universal Monsters is best known for his portrayal of “The Gill-Man” (underwater scenes) in Jack Arnold’s monster classics, THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954); REVENGE OF THE CREATURE (1955); and THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US (1956). He began his cinematic career at Wakulla Springs performing in underwater sports newsreels (alligator wrestling and more!) with Grantland Rice Films, and even played a role in bringing to life, with his “hose breathing technique,” the famous Weeki Wachee Mermaids, whose shows he later produced. Browning’s cinematic career spans many decades and genres, including underwater sequence work for Richard Fleischer’s 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA (1954); Terence Young’s THUNDERBALL (1965); Harold Ramis’ CADDYSHACK (1980); and an episode of BOARDWALK EMPIRE (2010). He is also co-creator, with Jack Cowden, of the beloved ‘60s television series (and films) FLIPPER, and so much more! In 2006, Browning was awarded Film Florida’s first Florida Legends Award, followed by his induction into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2012 for his wide range of cinematic accomplishments.

ATLRetro caught up with Ricou Browning for a quick interview about the birth of and morphing into “The Gill-Man”; about his expansive experience in the land of film; and his take on special effects and monster kids of all ages! And while you’re takin’ a gander at our little Q&A with Browning, catch “The Creature” in action here!

ATLRetro: As the only actor to portray “The Creature” more than once, you will forever be known as “The Gill-Man” to monster kids worldwide. And of course, we at ATLRetro are “Creature” fanatics! Can you tell our readers a little about how Jack Arnold discovered you for the role of “The Gill-Man,” and what kept you swimming back for more?

Ricou Browning: I was attending Florida State University when I got a phone call from the general manager of the hotel at Wakulla Springs and a friend of mine, Newt Perry. He said that he had some people from California coming to the Springs to look at it as a location to make a movie. He asked me if I would pick them up at the airport and take them to the Springs and show them around since he would be out of town. I said sure. So I did. After they arrived at the Springs, they loved it: the beautiful river and the wildlife; the clear water of the spring. The cameramen Scotty

Ricou Browning and Ginger Stanley

Welbourne asked me if I would swim in front of the camera so he could get some perspective of the size of a human being compared to the fish, the grass, the logs, etc. So I did. They enjoyed the Springs and they enjoyed the river. Afterwards I took them back to the airport and they left.

About a week later I got a call from Newt Perry again, and he said that they were trying to get a hold of me from California and that he gave them my phone number. That same day I got a call from Jack Arnold, who turned out to be the director of the film. He said, “We saw the photo footage that Scotty shot. We like the way you swim. How’d you like to play the part of an underwater monster?” I said, “sure, why not?” So I went to California and spent a number of weeks building the costume, and it turned out to be a bad one. So they remade the suit, and I came back to Florida and we started shooting the underwater sequences for the film.

Any special behind the scenes experiences you’ like to share with our readers?

One experience that I had is that while filming we shot in the wintertime and even though the water temperature was 71 degrees while the air temperature was around 49 degrees, we worked from a barge down in the middle of the spring and I was in and out of the water all day. After coming out of the water, they would take the head off my suit and my hands and my feet and I would be sitting there waiting to go over the next scene. I was shivering and the crew felt sorry for me. So every now and then somebody would come back to give me a little shot of brandy. After a few shots of brandy The Creature couldn’t swim very well, so they had stop that.

You got the joy of terrifying generations of unsuspecting audiences as a classic Universal monster, which of course spawned fan-driven conventions, such as Monsterama Con. What do you think it is that keeps generation after generation returning to classic monster movies? Tell us a little about your fans over the years.

I didn’t start getting requests for photographs until about 20 years after the film was made. I only had a few at that time, so I would mail them to the fans and then I’d get more requests. I gradually built up a large number of pictures and started attending shows signing autographs.

What do you think about the advent of computerized special effects and the more hands-off approach to filmmaking?

They talk about making a remake of THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON. Whether they will or not, I don’t know. But I hope they make it very similar to the way we did it, with human beings and not just computer special effects, because they overdo that. I think if it were done sparingly, it would be okay.

When you were growing up, did you dream of working on films? Or did the chance just happen upon you? Can you tell our readers a little about your introduction to the industry?

The first time that I worked underwater on films, it was for Grantland Rice Sports Films. They did crazy things at the Wakulla Springs like underwater picnics, underwater prize fights, etc.  They made a bunch of different crazy things that were used as short subjects at the end of movies in a theater.

Who were your favorite monsters as a kid?

My favorite monster was “The Wolfman” Lon Chaney Junior.

You have proven over many decades to be a well-sought after jack of all trades (underwater cinematographer, stuntman, actor, producer, director, screenwriter, etc.), and you’re still at it! What project would you say is your favorite?

I think one of my favorite movies that I worked on was FLIPPER. Jack Cowden and I created the television show FLIPPER, on air for four years (’64-’67), and then we made the two features (1963; 1996).

We read that you and your team were chosen over Jacques Cousteau to provide your services for several James Bond films, including THUNDERBALL (1966). Did you enjoy working on the Bond films?

I really enjoyed working on the James Bond films, THUNDERBALL and NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN.

by Melanie Crew
Managing Editor

Come on down and see what swell shenanigans we’ve dug up for you in Retro Atlanta this week ‘cause it’s the Kat’s meow with all the revved up honky-tonkin’ ‘billy and surf rock you could ever want! And you won’t want to miss all the ragtime, Dixieland Prohibition-era pandemonium! Sell your soul and get a bloody taste of some hellish classic horror! Get your fill of vintage films and boogie on down to the best funk and blues in town! So get hep to the jive and rock out in Retro Atlanta this week!

Monday, September 28

Do the Tango and get your 80s fix at Community Smith with their screening of Emile Ardolino’s DIRTY DANCING (1987) at 8pm, during their “Movie Mondays in the Garden” series! Boogie on down to the Northside Tavern and spend an evening with Lola at her famous Monday Night Northside Jam! Blues it up with Barrelhouse Bob Page at Blind Willie’s! Skye Paige, “Queen of Slide Guitar” rocks out at the Little Vinyl Lounge! Get folksy with Jamie Laval at Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs! Get funky and groove on down to Café 290 every second and fourth Monday of the month for a taste of Bumpin the Mango, ‘The groove that makes you want to move!’ Blast-Off Burlesque starts your week off right with a night of adults-only trivia at the Euclid Avenue Yacht Club at 8:30pm! Truett Lollis delivers a night of blues and soul at Darwin’s Burgers & Blues in Marietta! And blues on down to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack as they dish out a night of blues with Pead Boy & the Pork Bellies!

Tuesday, September 29

Stomp on down to the Variety Playhouse for a night with Lucinda Williams! Get some rock ‘n’ soul with The Mynabirds and Bad Bad Hats at Aisle 5! It’s Americana Open Mic Night at the Red Light Café, so stomp on down as Beedle Andrews dishes out a night of bluegrass, folk, blues, jazz and more! Blind Willie’s delivers a night of rockin’ blues and Americana with the Boohoo Ramblers! It’s a night of trivia and corndogs at Pallookaville, with their “Trivial Matters” event! The Star Bar delivers a night of retro shenanigans with their Retro-Soul, Funk ‘80s & ‘90s Dance Party! Jam it up with Joe Gransden and his jazz jam session at Twain’s in Decatur every Tuesday at 9 pm! And as always, The Entertainment Crackers get bluesy with their folksy Americana at the Northside Tavern!

Wednesday, September 30

Intergalactic robots invade theatres across Atlanta at 7pm with a special “Signature Edition” screening of Brad Bird’s THE IRON GIANT (1999) [Hollywood Stadium 24 in Chamblee, Perimeter Pointe 10; AMC Sugarloaf Mills 18 in Lawrenceville; AMC Avenue Forsyth 12 in Cumming; Avalon Stadium 12 in Alpharetta; AMC Barrett Commons 24 in Kennesaw; AMC Southlake 24 in Morrow; Regal McDonough Stadium 16; and Georgian Stadium in Newnan]! Or catch Boaz Yakin’s REMEMBER THE TITANS (2000) at Cinefest running through Oct. 2! Get funky with Mother’s Finest at Eddie’s Attic! Or get your reggae roots fix with the Wailers at Terminal West! Get some southern soul and rock out with Gareth Asher & the Earthlings and Melodime at Smith’s Olde Bar! Blind Willie’s delivers a night of Chicago and West Coast blues with the Electromatics! Jazz it up with The Gordon Vernick Quartet at the Red Light Café! Get a second helping of Lucinda Williams at the Variety Playhouse! Get funky with The Georgia Flood’s rockin’ blues at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! It’s a hootenanny and a half at The Star Bar with their Cowboy Karaoke event, featuring live-band old-time country and western tunes! Rock on downstairs to the Little Vinyl Lounge for a night of retro shenanigans with Kool Kat Jeff Clark and Stomp & Stammer’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Trivia at 8pm! Or make your way to the Northside Tavern as Danny ‘Mudcat’ Dudeck fires it up with his rockin’ blues! St. James Live! delivers their Hump Days Blues night, getting classic blues-style every Wednesday! And as always, it’s Ladies Night at Johnny’s Hideaway which plays hits from Sinatra to Madonna for a generally mature crowd.

Thursday, October 1

Stomp on down to the Masquerade for a night of old-time folk ‘n’ bluegrass with Stevie Tombstone and Ralph White! Take a crack at Richard Park’s MIAMI CONNECTION (1987) during Riff Trax Live 2015, screening in theatres across Atlanta [Hollywood Stadium 24 in Chamblee, Perimeter Pointe 10; AMC Sugarloaf Mills 18 in Lawrenceville; Avalon Stadium 12 in Alpharetta; AMC Barrett Commons 24 in Kennesaw; Cinemark Tinseltown 17 in Fayetteville; GTC Merchant’s Walk Stadium 12 in Marietta; Regal McDonough Stadium 16; and Georgian Stadium in Newnan]! Rock out and get psycho-billy’d at The Star Bar with Voodoo Glow Skulls, The Phenomenauts and Piñata Protest! It’s Mai Tai Thursday, so surf on down to Trader Vic’s for a helluva island party! Rock out and get the blues with Beverly “Guitar” Watkins at Blind Willie’s! Bluegrass it up at the Red Light Café with the Jason Kenney Band, CaroMia and Little Country Giants! Jazz it up with Jeff Bradshaw at Suite Food Lounge! Get funky at Smith’s Olde Bar with Bonerama, the Clibber Jones Ensemble and Secondhand Swagger! Get your rowdy folk fix at 529 with Onward, Etc., American Opera, The Ghost Pines and Joshua Loner! Rock out with Avers and The Marrows at the Drunken Unicorn! 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! Darwin’s Burgers & Blues gets down and dirty at their Blues Jam hosted by The Cazanovas! Get your boogie on at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack, as Chickenshack featuring Eddie Tigner, delivers some honky-tonk blues! 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, October 2

The horror! The horror! Atlanta kicks off its Halloween celebrations with a bang! Spook up the weekend with a whole lotta horror classics by haunting on down to the second annual Monsterama Convention invading the Marriott Perimeter Center and haunting all your senses through August 4! Experience three horrorific tracks (Main, Literary and Maker) while perusing the monsterific vender tables. Catch a haunting glimpse of classic horror and monstrous tales with the legendary “Gill-Man”/”The Creature”, actor, screenwriter, underwater stuntman and more, Ricou Browning (See our Kool Kat interview soon!); independent filmmaker Larry Blamire (THE LOST SKELETON OF CADAVRA); horror history expert and documentarian, Kool Kat Daniel Griffith of Ballyhoo Motion Pictures, Kool Kat Shane Morton, ghost host with the most, a.k.a. Professor Morte, Victoria Price (daughter of the legendary Vincent Price), legendary actresses, Lynn Lowry (THE CRAZIES; SHIVERS) and Candy Clark (AMERICAN GRAFFITI; THE GIRL WHO FELL TO EARTH); glamour ghoul Kool Kat Madeline Brumby and so much more! Rock out to some Victorian chamber metal with Valentine Wolfe and swim it up with the Creature and pals at the Black Lagoon Tiki Luau! And don’t forget to catch a helluva lot of 16mm screenings including Roddenberry’s made-for-TV movie, SPECTRE (1977); Sam Newfield’s THE MAD MONSTER (1942); Michael Reeves’ THE CONQUEROR WORM (1968); Charles Laugton’s THE ISLAND OF LOST SOULS (1932) and more! So, come on down for the horror that is the Monsterama Convention and get your classic horror fix! Get horrified at The Plaza Theater with their screenings of Stanley Kubrick’s THE SHINING (1980), running through Oct. 8; and Tod Browning’s FREAKS (1932), screening through Oct. 4! Or shock it up with the adults-only (and last season at its current location) Chambers of Horror Haunted House, spooking through Nov. 1 with limited dates! And you won’t want to miss Netherworld Haunted House’s horrorific 19th season, gorrifying through Nov. 1!

Rock on down to The Star Bar for their Rock and Roll High School: Ramones Tribute Show, featuring Kool Kat Hot Rod Walt & the Psycho-Devilles, Red Rocket Deluxe, McPherson Struts, Cadillac Junkies, the Mystery Men?, Ram-Ones, The Aggravated and more! Or get saucy at Paris on Ponce with their vintage-themed Body Art Cabaret! Blues it up with Aretta Woodruff & the Revue Band at Darwin’s Burgers & Blues! Rock out retro-indie style with Luna and Matt Hollywood & the Bad Feelings at Terminal West! Get rootsy with Cornmeal, Migrant Worker and Liz Brasher at Smith’s Olde Bar! Get your ‘60s indie pop fix with Syndey Eloise & The Palms at Mass Collective! Celebrate 40 years with Dr. Frank-N-Furter and Jim Sharman’s cult classic, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) at AMC Phipps Plaza at 10pm! Stomp on down to the Variety Playhouse for a night with Lucero! Get old-timey at Steve’s Live Music with The Luxury Kings and The Marlatov Cocktails! Blues it up with George Hughley & the Shadows at Blind Willie’s! Get funky under the dinosaurs with The Mar-Tans at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis and IMAX event! 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, October 3

Day 2 of the Monsterama Convention pays tribute to the infamous horror hound Christopher Lee with panels and screenings, including Terrence Fisher/Frank Winterstein’s SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE DEADLY NECKLACE (1962), Jess Franco’s COUNT DRACULA (1970); Robin Hardy’s THE WICKER MAN (1973) and more! Learn some haunting cinematic and television history with Professor Morte’s Silver Scream Spook Show’s screening of Ernest B. Shoedsack/Merian C. Cooper’s KING KONG (1933) and a screening of Kool Kat Daniel Griffith’s documentary, AS TIMELESS AS INFINITY: THE TWILIGHT ZONE LEGACY! You won’t want to miss the Monster Prom, dedicated to our favorite monster kid, Mark Schemanske! And stick around for a whole lotta horrorific classics including James Whale’s BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935), Nathan Juran’s JACK THE GIANT KILLER (1962), Mario Bava’s BLACK SUNDAY (1960) and so much more! The two-day Candler Park Fall Fest kicks off today with an artist’s market, a tour of homes, tasty food and a rockin’ musical line-up with 4^th Ward Afro-Klezmer Orchestra; Voodoo Po Boys; Bogey & the Viceroy; Clashinista; Smithsonian; Kool Kats Gringo Star and more! Get old-school during the Afropunk Fest in Central Park, rockin’ out through Oct. 4, with Public Enemy, Thundercat and more!

The Star Bar delivers a hootenanny and a half with their annual Johnny Cash Tribute & Diabetes Benefit featuring Kool Kat Spike Fullerton and the Ghost Riders Car Club; Dry Gulch; The Downer Brothers; Chickens & Pigs; The Sideburners; Slim Chance & the Convicts; Chance McColl and Al Shelton! Or head downstairs to the Little Vinyl Lounge for their All 90s All Vinyl party! Rock out at The Earl with Reigning Sound and the Subsonics! Get your old-time rockabilly fix with Roxie Watson at Eddie’s Attic! Get your ‘90s alt-rock fix with Collective Soul and Kevn Kinney at the Tabernacle! The Atlanta Opera presents Giocomo’s “La boheme” at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center, running through Oct. 11! Hillbilly it up with the Vaudvillains at the Crimson Moon Café! Make your way to Smith’s Olde Bar for a night with Abbey Road Live! Get another chance to celebrate 40 years with Dr. Frank-N-Furter and Jim Sharman’s cult classic, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) at AMC Phipps Plaza at 10pm! Sandra Hall & the Shadows get the blues at Blind Willie’s! St. James Live! delivers their Tribute to the Legends night every Saturday night! 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, October 4

Get really retro and Victorian today at the Historic Oakland Cemetery as they present their 36th Annual Sunday in the Park Victorian Street Festival, featuring food (our pals, Pallookaville and more), fun and entertainment! Check out the artists’ market, living history demonstrations, storytellers, spooky mausoleums, Victorian costume contests and carriage tours. And you won’t want to miss their vintage musical line-up with the Atlanta Bluegrass Allstars; High Tea; Five Long Years; The Bow Weevils; The Ghosts Project and so much more! It’s day 3 and your last chance to get your classic horror fix at the Monsterama Convention, featuring a brunch with Victoria Price and screenings of Robert Siodmak/Erle C. Kenton’s SON OF DRACULA (1942); Antonio Margheriti’s CASTLE OF BLOOD (1964); George Romero’s THE CRAZIES (1973) and more! It’ll be a day you won’t want to miss and a perfect ending to an amazing weekend, so haunt on down to the Monsterama Convention! Rock out at Day 2 of the Candler Park Fall Fest with Webster; The Jugtime Ragband; Guru Fish; Kool Kat Blair Crimmins & the Hookers and more! Afropunk Fest Day 2 rocks out with D’Angelo & the Vanguard; Twin Shadow; Benjamin Booker; Suicidal Tendencies; Curtis Harding; Adia Victoria and more! And spend the day with intergalactic robots as they invade theatres across Atlanta at 12pm with a special “Signature Edition” screening of Brad Bird’s THE IRON GIANT (1999) [Hollywood Stadium 24 in Chamblee, Perimeter Pointe 10; AMC Sugarloaf Mills 18 in Lawrenceville; AMC Avenue Forsyth 12 in Cumming; Avalon Stadium 12 in Alpharetta; AMC Barrett Commons 24 in Kennesaw; AMC Southlake 24 in Morrow; Regal McDonough Stadium 16; and Georgian Stadium in Newnan]! Folk it up with Slaid Cleaves at Eddie’s Attic! Rock out with the Foo Fighters at Centennial Olympic Park! Get groovy as Swami Gone Bananas gets down at Hottie Hawgs BBQ! And get sweet and low down blues-style at the Northside Tavern with Uncle Sugar!

Ongoing

The Atlanta Opera presents Giocomo’s “La boheme” at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center, running through Oct. 11!

Chambers of Horror Haunted House terrifies with their adults-only gore-fest and blood-splattering through Nov. 1!

Netherworld Haunted House haunts every weekend through Nov. 1!

Blast-Off Burlesque geeks it up with a night of adults-only trivia at the Euclid Avenue Yacht Club, every Monday at 8:30pm!

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

The Star Bar delivers Stomp & Stammer’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Trivia at 8pm, every Tuesday!

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.

by Melanie Crew
Managing Editor

Get revved up in Retro Atlanta this week and check out what’s on the retro menu!

Monday, September 21

Get your 80s fix at Community Smith with their screening of Howard Deutch’s PRETTY IN PINK (1986) 8pm, during their “Movie Mondays in the Garden” series! Boogie on down to the Northside Tavern and spend an evening with Lola at her famous Monday Night Northside Jam! Blues it up with Bill Sheffield at Blind Willie’s! Skye Paige, “Queen of Slide Guitar” rocks out at the Little Vinyl Lounge! Get folksy with Jamie Laval at Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs! 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! Blast-Off Burlesque starts your week off right with a night of adults-only trivia, “Freaky Fashion Edition”, at the Euclid Avenue Yacht Club at 8:30pm! Truett Lollis delivers a night of blues and soul at Darwin’s Burgers & Blues in Marietta! And blues on down to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack as they dish out a night of blues with Pead Boy & the Pork Bellies!

Tuesday, September 22

Get dark ‘n’ old-timey at the Red Light Café with Renee Is a Zombie, Big Brutus and Dendera Bloodbath! Blind Willie’s delivers a night of rockin’ blues with Fatback Deluxe! The Cody Matlock Band gets down at Darwin’s Burgers & Blues! It’s a night of trivia and corndogs at Pallookaville, with their “Trivial Matters” event! The Star Bar delivers a night of retro shenanigans with their Retro-Soul, Funk ‘80s & ‘90s Dance Party! Jam it up with Joe Gransden and his jazz jam session at Twain’s in Decatur every Tuesday at 9 pm! And as always, The Entertainment Crackers get bluesy with their folksy Americana at the Northside Tavern!

Wednesday, September 23

Get bizarre Lynch-style at the Highland Inn Ballroom Lounge as SCENE MISSING Presents: Blue Velvetlanta, featuring music, comedy and all around shenanigans based on David Lynch films at 9pm! TCM presents AlfredHitchcock’s horrorific classic, PSYCHO (1960) in theatres across the Atlanta area at 2pm and 7pm [Hollywood Stadium 24 in Chamblee, Perimeter Pointe 10; AMC Sugarloaf Mills 18 in Lawrenceville; AMC Avenue Forsyth 12 in Cumming; Avalon Stadium 12 in Alpharetta; GTC Merchant’s Walk Stadium 12 in Marietta; AMC Barrett Commons 24 in Kennesaw; AMC Southlake 24 in Morrow; Regal McDonough Stadium 16; Cinemark Tinseltown 17 in Fayetteville; and Georgian Stadium in Newnan]! Blind Willie’s gets folksy with Caryn Womack and Galen Crader! Get your jailbreak Americana fix at Eddie’s Attic with MIPSO! Jazz it up with The Gordon Vernick Quartet at the Red Light Café! Madisen Ward & the Mama Bear deliver a night of soul ‘n’ folk at Vinyl! Get funky with The Georgia Flood’s rockin’ blues at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! It’s a hootenanny and a half at The Star Bar with their Cowboy Karaoke event, featuring live-band old-time country and western tunes with Dry Gulch! Rock on downstairs to the Little Vinyl Lounge for a night of retro shenanigans with Kool Kat Jeff Clark and Stomp & Stammer’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Trivia at 8pm! Or make your way to the Northside Tavern as Danny ‘Mudcat’ Dudeck fires it up with his rockin’ blues! St. James Live! delivers their Hump Days Blues night, getting classic blues-style every Wednesday! And as always, it’s Ladies Night at Johnny’s Hideaway which plays hits from Sinatra to Madonna for a generally mature crowd.

Thursday, September 24

The Earl Smith Strand Theatre celebrates 80 years with their Symphony on the Square event at 8pm, featuring a night of big band era and Broadway tunes, a tribute to Elvis, and music from “Les Miserables”, “Westside Story” and more! It’s Mai Tai Thursday, so surf on down to Trader Vic’s for a helluva island party! Rock out and get the blues with Beverly “Guitar” Watkins at Blind Willie’s! Or pay tribute to the Grateful Dead bluegrass-style with The Grass is Dead at the Red Light Café! Blues it up with Lola at Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint! 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! Darwin’s Burgers & Blues gets down and dirty at their Blues Jam hosted by The Cazanovas! Get your boogie on at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack, as Chickenshack featuring Eddie Tigner, delivers some honky-tonk blues! 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, September 25

Honkytonk it up at The Star Bar with their Tribute to Waylon Jennings, featuring one helluva line-up with Kool Kat Cletis & His City Cousins, Slim Chance & the Convicts, Migrant Worker, Dry Gulch, Wade Sapp, Al Shelton & the Skylarks and the Hothouse Peaches! The year’s Hell on Wheels kicks off tonight with the Reverend Hylton! Or get your vintage car/motorcycle and custom culture fix at the East Atlanta Roll, kicking off this year’s East Atlanta Strut! Get old-school country-style with Willie Nelson at Chastain Park! Rock out at The Earl with Sham 69, The Dirty South Revolutionaries and Antagonizers ATL! Kool Kat Hot Rod Walt & the Psycho-Devilles fire it up at Deep South Deli & Pub in McDonough! Or get smooth ‘70s-style with Yacht Rock Revue at Park Tavern during their final Summer Sunset Concert! The Music Room gets down with their Soul Train Tribute Party, celebrating 35 years of soul, funk, disco and ‘80s! Or new-wave it up with Kool Kat VJ Anthony at Famous Pub during his ‘80s New Wave Music Video Dance Party! Help Joe Gransden & His Big Band celebrate 100 years of Frank Sinatra at the Peachtree Road UMC! Or catch The Rat Pack Now, paying tribute to Frank, Dean and Sammy, at the Red Clay Theatre! Make your way to the Red Light Café for a night with ATL Collective as they deliver The Beatles’ “Rubber Soul”! Folk it up with Brian Collins at Eddie’s Attic! The Earl Smith Strand Theatre screens Rob Reiner’s THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987) at 8pm! Get to the root of it all with The Southern Gothic and The Blue Dogs at Terminal West! Celebrate 40 years with Dr. Frank-N-Furter and Jim Sharman’s cult classic, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) at AMC Phipps Plaza at 10pm! Blues it up with Beverly “Guitar” Watkins at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! Hottie Hawgs BBQ gets down with the Rockaholics! Blues it up with Big Bill Morganfield and Levee Town at Blind Willie’s! Boogie down with Lethal Rhythms at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis and IMAX event! Or make your way to the Northside Tavern as Danny ‘Mudcat’ Dudeck fires it up with his rockin’ blues! 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! Tonight’s screening celebrates 40 years of Frank-N-Furter fun, so come on out for a night of the freaky ‘n’ bizarre and pick up a goodie bag!

Saturday, September 26

Rumble on down to Hell on Wheels in Buford and say ‘hey’ to Kool Kat Right Reverend Andy Hawley of Psychobilly Freakout (Garage 71 Internet Radio)! Come hell or high water, there are no excuses to miss this rockabilly rumblin’ extravaganza featuring a rockin’ musical line-up with Reno Divorce, Blood on the Harp and Rodeo Twister; vintage venders 2the 9’s Retro and Jezebel Blue [see our Shop Around feature here]; side-show shenanigans with Captain & Maybelle, monster art; Kool Kat Tori Rodriguez’ Bettie Page Fitness Pin-Up Pageant and so much more! Or strut your stuff at the East Atlanta Strut – Music & Arts Fest 2015, featuring an extravaganza of rockin’ retro tunes with Jackwagon, Bloodplums, Kool Kat Caroline & the Ramblers, Bear Knuckle and so much more! Swing on down to the Red Light Café for Atlanta Speakeasy ElectroSwing Fire & Flow Night with DJ Doctor Q, featuring performances by Kyo Flow, Foxy Roulette, Down South Swing, fire dancers and more! Or shake a sultry tail feather on down to Smith’s Olde Bar’s Music Room for The Candybox Revue: Assorted Mix event, featuring Burly-Q performances by Ariel Allegro, Annette Coquette, Tesla Goyle, Flame Cynders, hosted by Mistresses of Ceremonies, Kool Kat Lola LeSoleil and Kool Kat Ursula Undress!

Get wild with Contraband Cinema as they present Noel Marshall’s ROAR (1981) at Zoo Atlanta’s World of Wild Theatre at 7pm! Continue The Earl Smith Strand Theatre’s 80th anniversary celebration with their Silent Comedy Shorts event at 2 pm, featuring the films of Charlie Chaplin, Laurel & Hardy, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd; all accompanied by a live theatre organ! And luck be a lady tonight as The Strand presents their Classic Casino Night featuring tribute performances of The Rat Pack at 6:30pm! For one night only, The Plaza Theater screens John McDermott’s documentary, JIMI HENDRIX: ELECTRIC CHURCH (2015)! Rock out with Sonny Vincent, Shocked Minds and Zin Vetro at The Star Bar! It’s your last chance to celebrate 40 years with Dr. Frank-N-Furter and Jim Sharman’s cult classic, THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975) at AMC Phipps Plaza at 10pm! Kool Kat Hot Rod Walt & the Psycho-Devilles fire it up at the Sportsline Bar in Lawrenceville! Or put on those dancin’ shoes and get ready for a night of retro rock, Motown, funk, Big Band and more at The Basement for Electric Western’s Keep on Movin’ Rock and Soul Dance Party! Strung Like a Horse and Megan Jean & the KFB dish out a night of gritty garage punk grass in the Atlanta Room at Smith’s Olde Bar! Get your ‘60s/’70s rock fix at Kavarna with The Rainmen! Make your way to Chastain Park for a night with Janet Jackson! Little G. Weevil gets the blues at Hottie Hawgs BBQ! Or make your way to the Northside Tavern as Danny ‘Mudcat’ Dudeck fires it up with his rockin’ blues! Boogie down to the Opera Club for VJ Anthony’s Clash of the Decades Dance Party! Bluegrass it up with Greensky Bluegrass at the Variety Playhouse! Eighties it up at Wild Wing Café (Suwannee) with Kool Kat Becky Cormier Finch and Denim Arcade! Get yoru rockin’ blues fix with Brandon Santini at Darwin’s Burgers & Blues! Get jazzy with Norman Frank & the Ghost Dance at Steve’s Live Music! Sandra Hall & the Shadows get the blues at Blind Willie’s! St. James Live! delivers their Tribute to the Legends night every Saturday night! Blues it up with Larry Griffith at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! 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, September 27

Swing on by the Red Light Café for a night of Gypsy swing with Velvet Caravan and Kool Kat Amy Pike and the Bonaventure Quartet! Yo la Tengo rocks out acoustic-style at the Variety Playhouse! Blues it up with Lola at Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint! It’s day 3 and your last chance to get revved at Hell on Wheels! The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra presents “An American Salute to the Classics” at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre! Get your sci-fi fix at The Plaza Theater with their screening of Joss Whedon’s SERENITY (2005) at 6pm! Get groovy as Swami Gone Bananas gets down at Hottie Hawgs BBQ! Fat Matt’s Rib Shack gets the blues with Snake Legs! And get sweet and low down blues-style at the Northside Tavern with Uncle Sugar!

Ongoing

Blast-Off Burlesque geeks it up with a night of adults-only trivia at the Euclid Avenue Yacht Club, every Monday at 8:30pm!

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

The Star Bar delivers Stomp & Stammer’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Trivia at 8pm, every Tuesday!

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.

by Melanie Crew
Managing Editor

Chad Shivers, purveyor of that infamous high-energy reverb and maniacal mayhem a.k.a. Surf Rock, will be reviving Atlanta this Saturday, September 19, retro-style with his Southern Surf StompFest! at Little Tree Art Studios (Avondale Estates), from noon until 8 pm! Catch a wave and raise a ruckus with a whole lotta vintage vendors (our swanky retro pals, 2the 9’s Retro and Jezebel Blue [see our Shop Around feature here]; Uncle Daddy’s Woodworks [see our Shop Around feature on Dirk Hays here], Beachcomber Cory’s Tiki Hut; THE SURF King Surfwear, and more!), tasty vittles and of course one helluva rockin’ line-up, featuring El Capitan & the Band with No Name, Ouroboro’s Boys, Kool Kat Caroline & the Ramblers, The Beech Benders, The Surge!, The Gold Dust Lounge, The Mystery Men?, Aqualads, and DJ Dusty Booze spinning surf, rockabilly and ‘50s/’60s rock between sets, and so much more! And why not round out your weekend with Southern SurfStomp’s surf-tastic bookend events; the official pre-show at Sunbrimmer Records (Avondale Estates) with Chad’s current project, MOONBASE, Genki Genki Panic and Vacations; and the official after-party rockin’ out at Kavarna (Decatur), featuring Kool Kat Jeffrey Butzer’s surf-rock outfit, The Compartmentalizationists (SUTURES CD release); Band, James Band; and Gemini XIII! So, come on down and rock out surf-style at the most rock ‘n’ roll weekend-long beach party around!

Chad is no newbie to Surf Rock, or rock ‘n’ roll in general. His musical journey began at age 14, when he jumped head first into his first band, The Squares, in 1995 (active until 2002), releasing two records and extensively touring the Southeast. After selling his soul to the rock ‘n’ roll devil, he built a revved up repertoire with Sorry No Ferrari (2005-2011); joined Kool Kat Jeffrey Butzer & the Bicycle Eaters (2010); joined The Mystery Men? (2012); founded the Southern SurfStomp! (2014); and currently fronts his own group, MOONBASE [George Asimakos on guitar; Eric Balint on bass; Sonny Harding on drums and Chad Shivers on guitar], debuting, CREATION MYTHS, in August 2014. And if that isn’t enough, Chad has also performed with Jeffrey Butzer’s, The Compartmentalizationists, Sleep Therapy, the Insect Surfers, The Madeira, and his own Surf Rock Christmas outfit, Chad Shivers & The Silent Knights, dishing out The Ventures’ and The Beach Boys’ Xmas albums every season for the past five years.

Moonbase at Jacksonville Surf Fest, (L-R) George Asimakos, Chad Shivers, Eric Balint – Photo by Jamie Galatas

ATLRetro caught up with Chad Shivers for a quick interview about the Southern Surf StompFest!; Surf Rock’s history and resurgence; and his craft of spreading the infectious rock ‘n’ roll vibes of the Surf Rock subculture far and wide! And while you’re takin’ a peek at our little Q&A with Chad, get an earful of his current surf-rock outfit, MOONBASE’s “The Serpent” from their debut album CREATION MYTHS; and a sneak peek at The Compartmentalizationists’ “Blurry Eyes” from their new album SUTURES!

ATLRetro: Who doesn’t love surf rock?! And of course the Southern Surf StompFest! is right down ATLRetro’s alley! Can you fill our readers in on the history or your monthly Southern Surf Stomp! events? And how did you put together that righteous rockin’ line-up you’ve got waiting for our eager readers/listeners?

Chad Shivers: Southern Surf Stomp‘s inception was inspired by multiple factors including Greg Germani‘s incredible Ameripolitan shows; festivals such as Crispy Bess‘ Instro Summit held in North Carolina; and the desire to showcase the vast amount of talent within the Southeastern surf music community. Our first show was in April of 2014, and has been going strong ever since, featuring some truly great artists such as Eddie Angel (Los Straitjackets), Ivan Pongracic (The Madeira), Daikaiju, Kill, Baby…Kill!, Aqualads, and even a The Penetrators tribute. For the festival, I wanted to include Atlanta staples (El Capitan and the Band With No Name, The Surge!, The Mystery Men?), groups that have previously performed at our monthly event (Aqualads), and some fresh new faces (Ouroboros Boys, The Beech Benders, Gold Dust Lounge). I’m particularly excited to see Gold Dust Lounge from Miami, as I’ve been practically begging them to come up for the past year or so.

You’ve been devoted to the genre for quite some time, beginning in 1995 with your first band, The Squares, at the ripe old age of fourteen. Can you tell our readers how you became aware of surf-guitar and what drew you to the genre?

As a freshman in high school, I attended a house party where a cover band played a number by The Ventures and was completely enamored. Upon seeing my excitement, my friend Jeff, with whom I attended said party, later introduced me to Dick Dale (see ATLRetro’s feature on Dick here) and Man or Astro-man? and that was it. We started The Squares very shortly thereafter. Surf for me just has the energy of punk, the technical prowess of heavy metal, and the melodicism of pop music but (mostly) without lyrics; allowing the listener to create their own narrative.

You’ve been a member and have performed with surf rock and semi-surf rock outfits galore over the years [The Squares; Jeffrey Butzer & the Bicycle Eaters; The Mystery Men?; Sleep Therapy; The Insect Surfers; The Madeira; Chad Shivers & the Silent Knights, etc.]! What exactly is it about surf rock that keeps you coming back for more, even when you’ve stepped away for a bit?

I think it’s just that it’s so much fun to play and there’s an unbelievable amount of variation within the genre from lo-fi garage to highly technical, almost progressive rock and everything in between.  Not to mention, the people involved within the surf scene are among the friendliest, supportive, talented and interesting people you could ever meet.

Although the genre and its subculture hails from Southern California and has even been dubbed “SoCal folk music,” who or what would you say brought that particular sound to the Southeastern US?

Chad Shivers performing with the Penetrators T.R.I.B.U.T.E. – Photo by Jamie Galatas

Surf music in the South actually dates back to the ‘60s, and of course there was a later resurgence in the ‘90s with bands like Man or Astro-man? But any ‘scene’, I believe, can be attributed to The Penetrators. They were the jumping-off point for many including myself, aligned themselves with like-minded groups, and were absolutely instrumental – pun intended –in the development of the global surf rock community. What a bunch of incredible songwriters, instrumentalists, and just downright fun guys to be around. Their influence can still be seen, heard and felt greatly even today, and one cannot attend a surf music festival in the US without at the very least a mention of them.

Who would you say are your top three musical influences and why?

That’s quite a difficult question, as the answer will most likely change day to day.  But as of right now, in the most general sense: While not necessarily the greatest influence on me as a musician, hearing Social Distortion for the first time was really a game changer. They brought guitar music to the forefront of my mind and introduced me to punk rock, with which I still greatly identify and has led me down so many wonderful new avenues. Man or Astro-man? was the band that made me want to play surf. Yes, and more specifically, Steve Howe‘s playing has been a huge influence on me in more recent years.  They’re all just such masterful players, yet lyrical and serve the song.

Are there any noticeable differences between current surf rock and the sounds that were spilling out of the ‘50s and ‘60s?

Most definitely! I mean, there are guys out there still trying to recreate the sounds of the ‘60s, but I think for most of us it’s quite difficult to ignore the music of the past 50 years and avoid its influence.

How cool is it that your band, MOONBASE, shared a stage with the granddaddy of surf-guitar, Dick Dale, as well as Man or Astro-Man? at the Surf Guitar 101 Convention in California. Can you tell our readers a little bit about that experience?

We opened for Man or Astro-man? last year and Dick Dale earlier this year, both at The Earl. It’s a bit hard to believe and feels like everything has come full circle; from idolizing

(L-R) Stick Stechkin (of The Penetrators), Chad Shivers, Richard Whig (The Fringe Factory), Eddie Angel (of Los Stratjackets), Richard Hawes (of The Mystery Men?), Trace Luger (of The Penetrators), and Bob Walk (of The Surf King Surfwear) – Photo by Jamie Galatas

those guys as a kid to sharing the stage with them, it’s quite the dream come true. When we were approached about performing at the Surf Guitar 101 Convention this year, I was absolutely shocked!  I had no idea we were even on anyone’s radar out there and with our being more on the progressive side, wasn’t even sure how we’d fit in. The response was overwhelmingly positive however, and the opportunity to play with the likes of Davie Allan and The Arrows at the convention for their 50th anniversary and then the following day at the Huntington Beach Pier while people surfed behind us just miles from where it all began was truly a magical experience, never to be forgotten.

Can you tell our readers a little about your collaboration with our Kool Kat Jeffrey Butzer and his new surf-rock project, The Compartmentalizationists?

It’s no secret I’m a huge fan of Jeffrey Bützer and his music. He has always been so supportive and highly influential on me. He had performed with his trio The Compartmentalizationalists several years back, so of course I had asked him about resurrecting the project to perform at a Stomp. Other members being unavailable, I offered to back him and enlisted fellow Bicycle Eater (as well as Silent Knight, Small Reactions, and Gold Bears member) Sean Zearfoss on drums. After that initial show in June, we all had such a great time we decided to keep going which has led to Jeffrey to finally The Compartmentalizationalists ‘ debut album SUTURES, which we’ll be celebrating at the Southern Surf StompFest! after-party at Kavarna along with Gemini 13 and Band, James Band.

If you could put together a dream line-up of musicians to play with [still around or not], who would it be and why?

I stepped away from surf music for about 10 years in the early 2000s and regret missing many of the great shows that happened during that time. The biggest regret of them all is never getting to meet Eddie Bertrand (of Eddie & the Showmen and The Bel-Airs) or to see him perform.  Although Dick Dale holds the title of “King of the Surf Guitar,” Eddie is my favorite from that first wave in the 1960s. So I would have to say backing him either with his band, The Showmen, or quite possibly with Ivan Pongracic (The Madeira) also on guitar, Dane Carter (The Madeira) on drums, and Carol Kaye on bass.

What can ATLReaders expect to experience when they catch a wave and rock out at the Southern Surf StompFest? this Saturday? Anything special planned?

They can quite certainly expect to hear some of the finest surf music in the country and possibly even the world, performed by astounding musicians.  While there, grab some tasty food, enjoy your favorite beverage from The Beer Growler, and shop with our fine vendors. Of course, this is a free event, so please bring some cash to donate toward raffle tickets. We have some amazing prizes and contributions go toward helping us to pay the bands.

What’s next for Chad Shivers?

Hopefully after the festival I’ll be able to spend some much needed time with my family. The Spooky Surf Stomp! with Fiend Without A Face, The KBK and Bad Friend will be October 10. I’ll be doing my annual performance of The Beach Boys and The Ventures Christmas albums with my group the Silent Knights at Kavarna on December 12. I know it may be a tall order, but in 2016 I’d like to see the reach of the Southern Surf Stomp! expand beyond Atlanta, to include other cities in the Southeast and the monthly podcast to become a weekly affair, with revolving hosts. Also next year, be on the lookout for new releases from The Mystery Men? and Jeffrey Bützer and the Bicycle Eaters!

Anything else you’d like to tell ATLRetro readers about yourself, surf rock, etc.?

Nothing other than to ask them to please come out to the Southern Surf StompFest! or one of our monthly shows and bring plenty of friends and family! If you’d like to learn more about what’s happening in this wonderful community please visit our Southern Surf Stomp! website, ‘like’ us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter (@SouthSurfStomp)!

What question do you wish somebody would ask you and what’s the answer?

I’m not sure the question exactly, but it would most definitely involve a wealthy benefactor!

All photographs are courtesy of Chad Shivers and used with permission.

by Melanie Crew
Managing Editor

Hey all you old-school lovin’ kiddies! Check out what we’ve found for you this week! From sleaze slingin’ to surfin’ shenanigans to horrorific hootenannies, we’ve got it all! Get off that couch and live la vida Retro!

Monday, September 14

Boogie on down to the Northside Tavern and spend an evening with Lola at her famous Monday Night Northside Jam! Get some soul with Brandon Reeves at Blind Willie’s! Or get your 80s fix at Community Smith with their screening of John Hughes’ SIXTEEN CANDLES (1984), at 8pm, during their “Movie Mondays in the Garden” series! Skye Paige, “Queen of Slide Guitar” rocks out at the Little Vinyl Lounge! Get funky and groove on down to Café 290 every second and fourth Monday of the month for a taste of Bumpin the Mango, ‘The groove that makes you want to move!’ Blast-Off Burlesque starts your week off right with a night of adults-only trivia, at the Euclid Avenue Yacht Club, with a different theme every Monday night at 8:30pm! Truett Lollis delivers a night of blues and soul at Darwin’s Burgers & Blues in Marietta! And blues on down to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack as they dish out a night of blues with Little G. Weevil and Pead Boy & the Pork Bellies!

Tuesday, September 15

Rock out with Bobby Whitlock (Derek & the Dominos) at Eddie’s Attic! Kool Kat Quintron’s Weather Warlock invades EyeDrum with Old King Cole Younger! Catch Berhard Wicki’s DIE BRUCKE (The Bridge) (1959) at Goethe-Zentrum at 6:30pm! Make your way to the Variety Playhouse for a night with Blues Traveler! Make your way to the Decatur Library for their screening of George Sidney’s KISS ME KATE (1953) at 9:30am! Or get some summer lovin’ at the Northlake Festival Movie Tavern’s screening of Randal Kleiser’ s GREASE (1978), during their “Classic Films on the Big Screen” series at 7:30! Get your soul, pop ‘n’ blues fix with Chelsea Shag at the Red Light Café! The Hollidays dish out a night of rock ‘n’ soul at Blind Willie’s! Blues it up with Little G. Weevil at Darwin’s Burgers & Blues! It’s a night of trivia and corndogs at Pallookaville, with their “Trivial Matters” event! The Star Bar delivers a night of retro shenanigans with their ‘80s Dance Night! Jam it up with Joe Gransden and his jazz jam session at Twain’s in Decatur every Tuesday at 9 pm! And as always, The Entertainment Crackers get bluesy with their folksy Americana at the Northside Tavern!

Wednesday, September 16

Sleaze it up with The Dirty Magazines and Uncle Van & the Buzzards of Fuzz at 529! Rock out with Andrew W.K. and Girls Own Love at Terminal West! Get funky with Voodoo Visionary at Smith’s Olde Bar! Or funk it up with The Mar-Tans at Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint! Blind Willie’s gets down and dirty with their BB King tribute! Get folksy with Richard Shindell at Eddie’s Attic! Jazz it up with The Gordon Vernick Quartet at the Red Light Café! Get spellbound at the Studio Movie Grill (Alpharetta/Duluth) during their screening of Chris Columbus’ HARRY POTTER & THE SORCERER’S STONE (2001) at 2pm! Get your second helping of summer lovin’ at the Northlake Festival Movie Tavern’s screening of Randal Kleiser’ s GREASE (1978), during their “Classic Films on the Big Screen” series at 7:30! Get funky with The Georgia Flood’s rockin’ blues at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! It’s a hootenanny and a half at The Star Bar with their Cowboy Karaoke event, featuring live-band old-time country and western tunes! Rock on downstairs to the Little Vinyl Lounge for a night of retro shenanigans with Kool Kat Jeff Clark and Stomp & Stammer’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Trivia at 8pm! Or make your way to the Northside Tavern as Danny ‘Mudcat’ Dudeck fires it up with his rockin’ blues! St. James Live! delivers their Hump Days Blues night, getting classic blues-style every Wednesday! And as always, it’s Ladies Night at Johnny’s Hideaway which plays hits from Sinatra to Madonna for a generally mature crowd.

Thursday, September 17

Tonight begins a celebration of independent southern cinema, with the Y’allywood Film Fest, offering up a grab bag mix of goodies and shenanigans at The Mammal Gallery and EyeDrum, running through Sept. 19! Get old-time and bluegrass it up with the Dry Branch Fire Squad at Eddie’s Attic! It’s Mai Tai Thursday, so surf on down to Trader Vic’s for a helluva island party! Get your blues fix with The Slatterys at Blind Willie’s! It’s a night of folksy blues with Bubba-San’s Bait Shop & Sushi Band at Steve’s Live Music! 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! Darwin’s Burgers & Blues gets down and dirty at their Blues Jam hosted by The Cazanovas! Get your boogie on at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack, as Chickenshack featuring Eddie Tigner, delivers some honky-tonk blues! 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, September 18

Kool Kat Sen Artie Mondello, slinger of sleaze, and The Delusionaires dish out a night of shakin’ shenanigans with Tiger! Tiger! and Midnight Larks at The Star Bar! Or surf down to Sunbrimmer Records (Avondale Estates) for Southern Surf StompFest’s official pre-show with Moonbase (Keep your eyes peeled for our Kool Kat interview with Chad Shivers!), Genki Genki Panic and Vacations! Boogie on down to Piedmont Park for Music Midtown, running through Sept. 19, and featuring Elton John, Alice in Chains and more!

Get some soul with Kool Kat Ruby Velle & the Soulphonics at Terminal West, with Velveteen Pink and Claws! Rock on down to Smith’s Olde Bar for a night with Five-Eight, James Hall, the Electric Bonfires and Time Before the War in the Music Room. Or rock out folk-style in the Atlanta Room with Adam Klein & the Wild Fires, the Kenny George Band and Goldwing! Catch Woody Allen’s ALICE (1990) at the Toco Hills-Avis G. Williams Library at 1:30pm. Willlie Sugarcapps gets old-timey at Eddie’s Attic! Get your Americana fix at the Red Light Café with Chris Porter, Johann Greco and Kristen Englenz! Seth MacFarlane dishes out a night of jazz standards and a swingin’ good time at Atlanta Symphony Hall! Funk it up with Common Ground Collector at the High Museum! Get your rock ‘n’ blues fix with the Rockaholics at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! Michelle Malone dishes out her rockin’ Americana at Steve’s Live Music! Get down with Sandra Hall & The Shadows at Blind Willie’s! It’s Salsa Dance Night at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis and IMAX event, so cha-cha under the dinosaurs with the Salsambo Dance Studio while sippin’ a few cocktails!! The Northside Tavern gets the blues with Stoney Brooks! 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, September 19

Rock out surf-style at the first ever Southern Surf StompFest, presented by Chad Shivers (see our Kool Kat interview with Chad soon!), catching a wave at Little Tree Art Studios, featuring El Capitan & the Band with No Name, Ouroboro’s Boys, Kool Kat Caroline & the Ramblers, The Beech Benders, The Surge!, The Gold Dust Lounge, The Mystery Men?, Aqualads, and DJ Dusty Booze spinning surf, rockabilly and ‘50s/’60s rock between sets! Then mosey on down to Kavarna for the after party featuring Kool Kat Jeffrey Butzer’s surf-rock outfit, The Compartmentalizationists (“Sutures” CD release); Band, James Band; and Gemini XIII! Catch Day 2 of Music Midtown, featuring performances by Van Halen, Lenny Kravitz, Hall & Oates, Billy Idol, Panic! At the Disco, Catfish & the Bottlemen and more!

Spook on down to the Historic Oakland Cemetery for their History, Mystery & Mayhem tours! Get haunted at the Masquerade and get your horror rock fix with Kool Kats, The Casket Creatures at Monster Prom III! Kool Kat Hot Rod Walt & the Psycho-Devilles fire it up at the Dixie Tavern! Rock out blues-style with Brother Hawk, Reuben’s Bell and The Georgia Flood at The Earl! Pokey Lafarge delivers a night of early jazz, ragtime and western swing at Eddie’s Attic! Old-timey outlaw rockin’ shenanigans ensue at Smith’s Olde Bar with Reverend Hylton, Honeywood and Sweet Grass Sally! Make your way to the Gwinnett Center for JapanFest, running through Sept. 20, featuring a celebration of Japanese culture, from dance to martial arts to tasty food and drink! Get mellow ‘70s-style with Red Head Diamond at Steve’s Live Music! George Hughley gets the blues at Blind Willie’s! Honkytonk it up at the Crimson Moon Café with Roxie Watson! The Glenn Phillips Band and Cindy Wilson (B-52s) get down at the Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre! Blues it up with Ike Stubblefield at the Northside Tavern! St. James Live! delivers their Tribute to the Legends night every Saturday night! 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, September 20

Kick off the Halloween season with the “Master of Suspense”, Alfred Hitchcock as TCM presents his horrorific classic, PSYCHO (1960) in theatres across the Atlanta area at 2pm and 7pm [Hollywood Stadium 24 in Chamblee, Perimeter Pointe 10; AMC Sugarloaf Mills 18 in Lawrenceville; AMC Avenue Forsyth 12 in Cumming; Avalon Stadium 12 in Alpharetta; GTC Merchant’s Walk Stadium 12 in Marietta; AMC Barrett Commons 24 in Kennesaw; AMC Southlake 24 in Morrow; Regal McDonough Stadium 16; Cinemark Tinseltown 17 in Fayetteville; and Georgian Stadium in Newnan]! Or get witchy at the Studio Movie Grill (Alpharetta/Duluth) during their screening of Chris Columbus’ HARRY POTTER & THE SORCERER’S STONE (2001) at 2pm! Indie Craft Experience (ICE) Salvage 2015 promises a great day of vintage fun with 50+ vendors, local food, a DJ, swag bags for the first 100 attendees! Gypsy jazz it up with Stephane Wrembel at Steve’s Live Music! Stomp on down to Eddie’s Attic for a night with The Barefoot Movement! Get groovy as Swami Gone Bananas gets down at Hottie Hawgs BBQ! Fat Matt’s Rib Shack gets the blues with Snake Legs! And get sweet and low down blues-style at the Northside Tavern with Uncle Sugar!

Ongoing

Alliance Theatre presents ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST, running through Sept. 20! (LAST CHANCE!)

The Rialto Center for the Arts gets old-school with Theatrical Outfit’s presentation of “Memphis”, running through Sept. 20! (LAST CHANCE!)

Blast-Off Burlesque geeks it up with a night of adults-only trivia at the Euclid Avenue Yacht Club, every Monday at 8:30pm!

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

The Star Bar delivers Stomp & Stammer’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Trivia at 8pm, every Tuesday!

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.

by Melanie Crew
Managing Editor

Take a peek at the Retro menu this week and get your old-school kicks with Kool Kats galore! Live la vida Retro!

Monday, September 7

Blues it up at Park Tavern during WRFG’s 30th Annual Labor Day Blues & BBQ event, featuring performances by Albert White (Honoree), Chickenshack, Lola, Blind Cadillac, JP Blues and more! Or head to detention at Community Smith with their screening of John Hughes’ THE BREAKFAST CLUB (1985), at 8pm! It’s your last chance to get your geek on with Dragon*Con 2015, so come on by and catch all the comic, horror and sci-fi shenanigans winding down in Atlanta today! Skye Paige, “Queen of Slide Guitar” rocks out at the Little Vinyl Lounge! 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! Blast-Off Burlesque starts your week off right with a night of adults-only trivia, at the Euclid Avenue Yacht Club, with a different theme every Monday night at 8:30pm! Truett Lollis delivers a night of blues and soul at Darwin’s Burgers & Blues in Marietta! And blues on down to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack as they dish out a night of blues with the Pork Bellies!

Tuesday, September 8

Wink, wink – nudge, nudge, it’s Monty Python night at the Fox Theatre, with their 40th Anniversary screening of Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones’ cult classic, MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL (1975), followed by a Q&A with Terry Jones, at 7:30pm! It’s a night of burly-Q shenanigans with Kool Kat Katherine Lashe and Syrens of the South, at the Red Light Café with their Tease Tuesday Burlesque: Nerdtastic event featuring performances by Rosie Rivet-her, Fianna Flowerchild and more! Get your old-time rockin’ country fix at Eddie’s Attic with Jimmy Webb! Or bluegrass it up with Curtis Jones & Primal Roots at Steve’s Live Music! Danny ‘Mudcat’ Dudeck fires it up with his rockin’ blues at Blind Willie’s! Cody Matlock gets down and dirty at Darwin’s Burgers & Blues! It’s a night of trivia and corndogs at Pallookaville, with their “Trivial Matters” event! The Star Bar delivers a night of retro shenanigans with their ‘80s Dance Night! Jam it up with Joe Gransden and his jazz jam session at Twain’s in Decatur every Tuesday at 9 pm! And as always, The Entertainment Crackers get bluesy with their folksy Americana at the Northside Tavern!

Wednesday, September 9

Rock on down to Terminal West for a night of old-school punk with X and Dead Rock West! Get your ‘60s psychedelic rock metal fix at Center Stage with Uncle Acid & the Dead Beats, with Ruby the Hatchett and Ecstatic Vision! Lola gets down and dirty at Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint! You’re your way to the Studio Movie Grill (Alpharetta) for their screening of Garry Marshall’s PRETTY WOMAN (1990) at 7:30pm! Help pay tribute to the Rocket Man, Elton John with the BadAsh Allstar Team at Red Light Café! Stomp on down to Blind Willie’s for a night with Joe McGuinness! Get funky with The Georgia Flood’s rockin’ blues at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! It’s a hootenanny and a half at The Star Bar with their Cowboy Karaoke event, featuring live-band old-time country and western tunes! Rock on downstairs to the Little Vinyl Lounge for a night of retro shenanigans with Kool Kat Jeff Clark and Stomp & Stammer’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Trivia at 8pm! Or make your way to the Northside Tavern as Danny ‘Mudcat’ Dudeck fires it up with his rockin’ blues! St. James Live! delivers their Hump Days Blues night, getting classic blues-style every Wednesday! And as always, it’s Ladies Night at Johnny’s Hideaway which plays hits from Sinatra to Madonna for a generally mature crowd.

Thursday, September 10

Get your garage surf rock fix at The Star Bar with The Evil Streaks, The Mystery Men? and Rad Rex! The Rialto Center for the Arts gets old-school with Theatrical Outfit’s presentation of “Memphis”, running through Sept. 20! Get down and dirty and help the Clermont Lounge celebrate during their 50th Anniversary Party with Kool Kat Spike Fullerton and Ghost Riders Car Club, Captain & Maybelle and more! It’s Mai Tai Thursday, so surf on down to Trader Vic’s for a helluva beach party with Kool Kat Joshua Longino and The Disapyramids! Get your rockin’ lady blues fix with Beverly “Guitar” Watkins at Blind Willie’s! Geoff Achison gets the blues at Steve’s Live Music! Bluegrass it up with the Adam Ezra Group and Buttered Bourbon at the Red Light Café! 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! Darwin’s Burgers & Blues gets down and dirty at their Blues Jam hosted by The Cazanovas! Get your boogie on at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack, as Chickenshack featuring Eddie Tigner, delivers some honky-tonk blues! 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, September 11

Rock ‘n’ rev on down to the Masquerade for a night of mayhem and mischief with the Reverend Horton Heat, The Adicts, The Creepshow and Kool Kat Rev. Andy! Kick off the fall season with Old Fourth Ward’s Fall Festival, running through Sept. 12, and promising tasty food, lantern parades and performances by The Space Time Travelers (groove/funk); Marshall Ruffin (blues); The Whiskey Gentry (punk country) and more! Or get your psych-garage surf rock fix at The Earl with King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Michael Rault and the Reverends! Blues it up and celebrate 25 years of Fat Matt’s Rib Shack, running through Sept. 13, with Willy Jackson, the Slab Remains the Same, Fatback Deluxe, The Backyard Birds and Felix and the Cats! Slink on down to the Famous Pub for Kool Kat VJ Anthony’s BLACKOUT: Goth Industrial Dance Night, featuring Dark 80s, synth pop, post-punk and more! Geek it up at the Red Light Café with Blacklist Burlesque’s Game of Thrones Burlesque event! The Variety Playhouse delivers a night of ‘90s experimental post-rock with Godspeed You! Black Emperor! Rock on down to Steve’s Live Music for a night of tributes with Almost Billy Joel! Blues it up with Beverly “Guitar” Watkins at Blind Willie’s! Get your Djanjo Reinhardt gypsy jazz fix with Kool Kat Amy Pike and Bonaventure Quartet while sippin’ a few cocktails under the dinosaurs at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis and IMAX event! Rock out roots-style with Uncle Lucius at Eddie’s Attic! The Red, White & Blues Band gets the blues at Hottie Hawgs BBQ! Get folksy with Jason Kenney & Caromia at the Crimson Moon Café! Get your old-school country rock fix with Dwight Yoakam at Atlanta Symphony Hall! Pay tribute to BB King with Danny ‘Mudcat’ Dudeck at the Northside Tavern! Honkytonk it up at Darwin’s Burgers & Blues with the Cosmic American Derelicts! 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, September 12

It’s day 2 of Old Fourth Ward’s Fall Festival, so come on down for a day of retro performances with Moontower (funk/disco); Secondhand Swagger (soul/funk); the Jugtime Ragband (ragtime/Dixieland); Water Seed (funk/soul); the Georgia Soul Council (honkytonk) and more! It’s night 2 of celebrations at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack with Beverly “Guitar” Watkins, The Hollidays, Rough Draft, Frankie’s Blues Mission, Mr. Chapman’s Quarterly Revue and more! Rock out at Smith’s Olde Bar in the Atlanta Room with Kool Kat Ray Dafrico and the Ray City Rollers, Kenny Howes and Love is Loud! Or make your way to the Music Room for a night of tributes with Tribute and Rumours! Get your indie retro rock fix at The Star Bar with The Donkeys and Jessica Lee Wilkes! Funk it up with Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band and Heavy Chevy at Aisle 5! Or get funky with Earphunk and The Main Squeeze at Terminal West! Kool Kat Spirits and the Melchizedek Children dish out a night of ‘70s psych rock with Mamiffer at 529! Outr pals at Pallookaville dish out their Artist Bazaar, from 12-4pm! Learn about the history of beer while meeting some new spirited pals at Oakland Cemetery’s Malts & Vaults tour! Hula on down to Trader Vic’s for The History of Tiki & Trader Vic’s event! Delta Moon dishes out a night of Americana blues ‘n’ roots at Blind Willie’s! Get your ‘70s soul fix double-time at Eddie’s Attic with Angie Stone! Michelle Malone dishes out her rockin’ Americana at the Crimson Moon Café! Get down and dirty with Joe McGuinness at Hottie Hawgs BBQ! Cowpunk it up with the Bathhouse Janitors at the Red Light Café! Rock on down to the Variety Playhouse for a night with Cowboy Mouth and the El Caminos! Get down and dirty with Diedra & the Ruff Pro Band at Darwin’s Burgers & Blues! Blues it up with the Cody Matlock Band at the Northside Tavern! St. James Live! delivers their Tribute to the Legends night every Saturday night! 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, September 13

Rock out in Hell with The Atomic Bitchwax’s ‘60s psych rock/’70s riff rock at the Masquerade with Mos Generator and Against the Grain! Lola gets down and dirty at Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint! Folk it up with The Good Graces at the Crimson Moon Café! Rock out roots-style at Red Light Café with Letters to Abigail and Kate & Corey! It’s Sultry Sunday at Steve’s Live Music! Get groovy as Swami Gone Bananas gets down at Hottie Hawgs BBQ! Day 3 of Fat Matt’s Rib Shack’s 25^th Anniversary celebration brings you Atlanta Boogie, the Kerry Hill Band, Sana Blues and Snake Legs! And get sweet and low down blues-style at the Northside Tavern with Uncle Sugar!

Ongoing

Alliance Theatre presents ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST, running through Sept. 20!

The Rialto Center for the Arts gets old-school with Theatrical Outfit’s presentation of “Memphis”, running through Sept. 20!

Blast-Off Burlesque geeks it up with a night of adults-only trivia at the Euclid Avenue Yacht Club, every Monday at 8:30pm!

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

The Star Bar delivers Stomp & Stammer’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Trivia at 8pm, every Tuesday!

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.

By Claudia Dafrico
Contributing Writer

As the famed pop culture extravaganza that is Dragon Con takes over downtown Atlanta once again this Labor Day weekend, one has to think: where to even begin? In between countless meet and greets, discussion panels, vendors, and amazing cosplays to ogle at, it seems impossible to do everything Dragon Con has to offer in just four days. ATLRetro is here with our top picks to help you get your nerdy Retro fix without short circuiting from overstimulation.

GUESTS

CAROLL SPINNEY. The legendary muppeteer behind everyone’s favorite SESAME STREET resident, Big Bird, will be speaking at the Imperial Ballroom in the Marriott Marquis Atlanta on Saturday at 2:30 P.M.  This is a must-do for any con-goer, child or adult, that grew up with Big Bird and his neighbors.

PETER MAYHEW. With STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS approaching at near-light speed, the hype for the new film has reached peak levels. Be at the Mariott Imperial Ballroom Sunday at 4:00 P.M. to hear Peter Mayhew, the actor behind beloved Chewbacca, talk about the new installment in the saga and his experience appearing in all three STAR WARS trilogies.

BARRY BOSTWICK. If you’re one of many that have spent weekends past midnight with Dr. Frank N Furter and freinds, you’ll definitely want to make your way over to the Hyatt Regency Atlanta on Friday at 1:00 P.M. to catch up with Barry Bostwick, aka Brad Majors, from THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975), and see why he  was compelled to audition for the film. Also catch him at Lips Down on Dixie’s live performance accompanying RHPS at 1:30 A.M. on Sunday in the Hyatt Centennial Ballroom.

TERRY JONES. Terry Gilliam has been a guest at a couple of DragonCons. Now we get the other Monty Python Terry. What’s he best known for? Well, here’s a hint: “Spam! Spam! Spam! Spam! Spam! Spam!” Here him share his Python memories and more on Sunday at 11:30 A.M.. and he presents “Terry Jones: A Very Naughty Boy Live!” about the making of LIFE OF BRIAN (1979) on Monday at 10 A.M., both in the Sheraton Atlanta’s Grand Ballroom.

COMIC & POP ARTIST ALLEY

DEREK YANIGER. If the art of perpetual Kool Kat Derek Yaniger looks familiar, it’s probably because you can see it at the top of this article. Derek designed ATLRetro’s fabulous logo. Stop by his booth to get your fix of rockabilly, tiki and more in a sea of fantasy and steampunk.

PANELS

THE HISTORY OF PULP FICTION. Science fiction, fantasy, horror, weird fiction, adventure, noir. They all appeared in the pages of pulp magazines so it makes sense that Pulp Fiction has its own panel. Join fellow pulp lovers in a discussion of Pulp’s fascinating past and exciting future. (Sun. 10 AM; Augusta 3, Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel)

PEE-WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE: WE KNOW YOU ARE. There is perhaps no movie that is quite as quotable as Tim Burton’s classic PEE-WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE (1985) With a reboot rumored to be in the works, be sure to celebrate  the original on its 30th anniversary. Tell ‘em Large Marge sent ya! (Sun 10 PM; M303-M303, Atlanta Marriott Marquis)

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY REUNION. Since its premiere in 1968, Stanley Kubrick’s sci-fi epic has bewitched viewers of all generations. Two of the film’s stars, Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood, reunite to reminisce on the unbelievably unique experience they had performing in this landmark film. (Fri. 1 PM, Sat. 5:30 PM; Grand Ballroom East, Hilton Atlanta)

CHRISTOPHER LEE & LEONARD NIMOY: CLASSIC SCI FI LEGENDS. 2015 saw the loss of two of the most talented actors the Sci-Fi and Horror genres have ever known. Join other fans to celebrate the lives of Leonard Nimoy and Sir Christopher Lee, whose contributions to pop culture will never be forgotten. (Sat. 5:30 PM; M303-M304, Atlanta Mariott Marquis)

CTHULHU: NEW SPINS ON OLD MYTHOS. Everyone’s favorite Elder One has resurged in popularity in the past few years, and it looks like it is here to stay. Stop by to hear the experts explain how and why Cthulhu “works” in today’s world of pop culture, and where he’s headed in the years to come. (Fri. 7 PM; Peachtree 1-2, Westin Peachtree Plaza)

EXPLOITATION! In what might end up being the most entertaining and liveliest panel at Dragon Con, panelists and fans will gather to celebrate exploitation and cult films and all the revelry they bring. A late night panel for a late night crowd. (Fri. 10 PM; Peachtree 1-2, Westin Peachtree Plaza)

HISTORICAL HORROR. ATLRetro’s own Anya Martin will be moderating this panel, which will discuss and analyze the role history plays in horror fiction and how historical settings can bring new life (or death) to a story. Other panelists include Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Leanna Renee Hieber, Kenneth Mark Hoover and L. Andrew Cooper. (Sun. 11:30 AM; Peachtree 1-2, Westin Peachtree Plaza)

PARTIES

PIN UPS BY THE POOL. Who doesn’t love mermaids? Come see Dragon Con’s finest sea sirens compete for the grand prize, and join in on the fun by channeling your inner pin up for some poolside glam. (Fri. 8:30 PM; Sheraton Atlanta)

SUITS, SINATRA & STAR WARS. In wonderful Dragon Con fashion, two fabulous themes (the STAR WARS saga and the Rat Pack) have been combined to create what promises to be a swingin’ night for all. Dancing with a wookie to a Sinatra song is the best kind of night one can have, after all. (Fri. 10 PM; A601-A602, Marriott Marquis Atlanta)

MONSTER MASH FOR CHARITY. Halloween may be over a month away, but that doesn’t mean you can’t break out your Dracula fangs and Frankenstein bolts early. And the best part of this classic monsters graveyard smash? It’s all for a good cause! (Fri. 10 PM; Regency VI-VII, Hyatt Regency Atlanta)

MECHANICAL MASQUERADE. Go really retro Steampunk style at the Artifice Club‘s annual four-hour bash, orchestrated by Kool Kat Dr. Q and always a Dragon Con highlight. The theme this year is “Dystopia A Dark Future to Remember.” ( Sun. 10 PM;Peachtree Ballroom, Westin Peachtree Plaza)

BURLESQUE

DRAGONCON BURLESQUE: A GLAMOUR GEEK REVENUE-Burlesque is a Dragoncon staple; no Labor Day weekend would be complete without at least one show. Stay up late Saturday night to get a chance to check out Kool Kat Taloolah Love and the rest of the lovely ladies and mayhaps lads, too, of D-Con burlesque; they’re sure to put on a show that brings down the house. (Sun. 12:00 AM; Reg. VI-VII, Hyatt)

To check out the complete Dragon Con schedule, download the Pocket Program and/or app at www.dragoncon.org. 

by Melanie Crew
Managing Editor

Hey all you Kool Kats and Kittens! It’s Geeks ‘n’ Glory this week as Dragon Con 2015 invades our city! We’ve got all the sci-fi geekery your hearts could desire! We’ve got a whole lotta honky-tonk shenanigans, sci-fi film classics and more in film this week! And you won’t want to miss all the blues, punk and rock ‘n’ roll mischief! So, get out and get Retro!

Monday, August 31

Skye Paige, “Queen of Slide Guitar” rocks out at the Little Vinyl Lounge! Get down with Domino, featuring Greg Hester at Blind Willie’s! 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! Blast-Off Burlesque starts your week off right with a night of adults-only trivia, at the Euclid Avenue Yacht Club, with a different theme every Monday night at 8:30pm! Truett Lollis delivers a night of blues and soul at Darwin’s Burgers & Blues in Marietta! 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! And blues on down to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack for a side of Dry White Toast and a plate full ‘o finger lickin’ BBQ!

Tuesday, September 1

It’s sci-fi madness at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema’s “Tuesday Sci-Fi Classics” series, so get intergalactic with Stanley Kubrick and his classic, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968) at 7pm! Or get adventurous with the Dread Pirate Roberts at the Northlake Festival Movie Tavern’s screening of Rob Reiner’s THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987), during their “Classic Films on the Big Screen” series at 7:30! The Earl rocks out and mixes it up with the rockin’ country jazz of Earth and Holy Sons! Or get your psych fix with The Space Merchants and Weird Sin at 529! It’s Americana Open Mic Night at the Red Light Café, so stomp on down as Beedle Andrews dishes out a night of bluegrass, folk, blues, jazz and more! It’s a night of trivia and corndogs at Pallookaville, with their “Trivial Matters” event! The Star Bar delivers a night of retro shenanigans with their ‘80s Dance Night! Jam it up with Joe Gransden and his jazz jam session at Twain’s in Decatur every Tuesday at 9 pm! And as always, The Entertainment Crackers get bluesy with their folksy Americana at the Northside Tavern!

Wednesday, September 2

Sinister side-show shenanigans ensue at the Lefont Theatre with a one-time screening of Darren Lynn Bousman’s ALLELUIA! THE DEVIL’S CARNIVAL (2015) at 8pm, with pre-show fun with the filmmakers, burly-q, clowns and more! Jazz it up with The Gordon Vernick Quartet at the Red Light Café! It’s your last chance to adventurous with the Dread Pirate Roberts at the Northlake Festival Movie Tavern’s screening of Rob Reiner’s THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987), during their “Classic Films on the Big Screen” series at 7:30! It’s maniacal mayhem at the Alliance Theatre as they present ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST, running through Sept. 20! Boogie on down to East Atlanta’s Graveyard Tavern for their Graveyard Swing Night, held the first Wednesday of every month, promising an evening of swingin’ jazz and jive with the Savoy Kings! Make your way to the Studio Movie Grill (Alpharetta) for a screening of Billy Wilder’s classic, SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959) at 7:30pm! Get funky with The Georgia Flood’s rockin’ blues at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! It’s a hootenanny and a half at The Star Bar with their Cowboy Karaoke event, featuring live-band old-time country and western tunes! Rock on downstairs to the Little Vinyl Lounge for a night of retro shenanigans with Kool Kat Jeff Clark and Stomp & Stammer’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Trivia at 8pm! Or make your way to the Northside Tavern as Danny ‘Mudcat’ Dudeck fires it up with his rockin’ blues! St. James Live! delivers their Hump Days Blues night, getting classic blues-style every Wednesday! And as always, it’s Ladies Night at Johnny’s Hideaway which plays hits from Sinatra to Madonna for a generally mature crowd.

Thursday, September 3

Kick off Dragon*Con 2015 with the rockin’ gypsy cabaret duo, Kool Kat Frenchy & the Punk, along with Crystal Bright & the Silver Hands and Good Co. at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta at 8:30pm! Hula on down to Trader Vic’s for a few cocktails with Kool Kat “Big Mike” Geier and his Polynesian pop lounge band, Tonga Hiti! Get ‘yer medieval geek on at the The New American Shakespeare Tavern as they host their Much Ado About Nerddom III: A Geeky Variety Show, featuring Three Quarter Ale, Scene Missing Magazine, the Imperial OPA Circus, a magic show by Matt Felten and bawdy burlesque by the Hysteria Machines, Musee du Coeur and more! Get your gothabilly and old-time bluegrass fix at The Earl with Slim Cessna’s Auto Club and Cold Heart Canyon! Honkytonk on down to The Star Bar for a night with West End Motel, James Leg (Black Diamond Heavies) and Chance McColl! Angie Aparo gets folksy at Eddie’s Attic! Man Man and Shilpa Ray dish out a night of experimental garage ‘n’ bluesy rock at Aisle 5! Get old-timey and stomp on down to the Red Light Café for a night with Jericho Woods! 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! Darwin’s Burgers & Blues gets down and dirty at their Blues Jam hosted by The Cazanovas! Get your boogie on at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack, as Chickenshack featuring Eddie Tigner, delivers some honky-tonk blues! 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, September 4

Get your uber geek on, starting today, as the 29th Annual premier sci-fi convention, Dragon*Con 2015, kicks off, running through Sept. 6! It’ll be an event chock full of rockin’ retro shenanigans, including a comic/pop artist alley featuring a special art exhibit celebrating 75 years of Marvel Comics, a special signing of MARCH: VOLUME II by Congressman John Lewis, sci-fi classics, alternative history, comics, pop-art, fantasy, horror, paranormal, sci-fi literature, Star Wars, Tolkien, Star Trek and more!

The Red Light Café delivers a night of rockin’ blues with Katharine Cole, Humdinger and Daniel Morrow! Get some soul with Marcus Miller at the Variety Playhouse! Make your way to Decatur Square for the Decatur Book Festival featuring lectures, book signings and over 600 national and local authors, running through Sept. 6! Jazz it up with Randy Skinner & the Skin-Tones at Stagga’ Lee’s Goodtime Emporium! Blues it up with the Men in Blues at Hottie Hawgs BBQ! John Sosebee delivers a night of hillbilly and old-time blues at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! Get the blues with Lola at the Northside Tavern! Stomp on down to Darwin’s Burgers & Blues for a night with the Texas KGB! 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, September 5

It’s day 2 of Dragon*Con 2015! So, sci-fi it up with a whole lotta retro goodies! You won’t want to miss the Dragon*Con Parade at 10 am; Kool Kat Talloolah Love’s Glamour Geek Review; Lips Down on Dixie’s largest ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW event; a screening of Kool Kat Ricky Hess’ HORROR HOTEL episode, ALIENS STOLE MY BOYFRIEND; a performance from Kool Kat Frenchy & the Punk; the Hero’s & Villains Ball and so much more!

Punk out surf-style with Kool Kat Kate Jan and SEX BBQ, with their “Sex Noir City” album release party at 529, with New Junk City, Hello Cobra, Louie Louie and The Imperial OPA Circus! Or get your swampy gypsy rag-time sideshow fix at The Star Bar with Mayhaley’s Grave, Captain & Maybelle and Bonemeal Baker! Get geeky while glamming it up at Mary’s during their Dungeons & Drag Queens event, featuring demons, intergalactic divas, 8-bit video game heroes and more! Boogie on down to the Variety Playhouse for “Mighty Real: A Fabulous Sylvester Musical”, celebrating the life and music of Sylvester, the original ‘70s “Queen of Disco”! Get some rockabilly blues with Atomic Boogie at Good ‘ol Days Bar & Grill! The Red Light Café delivers a night with Justin Hylton, Jordan Igoe and Jason Waller! Make your way to the Aurora Cineplex for their screening of Les Blank’s A POEM IS A NAKED PERSON (1974) at 7pm! Get bluesy with Willy Jackson at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! It’s a night of rockin’ blues with the Larry Mitchell Band at Darwin’s Burgers & Blues! Blues it up and celebrate with Randy Chapman’s Birthday Bash at the Northside Tavern! St. James Live! delivers their Tribute to the Legends night every Saturday night! 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, September 6

It’s day 3 of Dragon*Con 2015, so sci-fi it up and get geek-filled with a whole lotta shenanigans, including another performance from Kool Kat Frenchy & the Punk; the Mechanical Masquerade; Kool Kat Daniel Griffith/Ballyhoo Motion Pictures’ event, MST3K Wars: The Network Strikes Back, a late night puppet slam and so much more! Get groovy as Swami Gone Bananas gets down at Hottie Hawgs BBQ! Get your stompin’ Americana fix at Kavarna with Blackfoot Daisy! Blues it up with Snake Legs at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack! Rock on down to the Crimson Moon Café for their Boomers Gone Wild event, delivering a night of ‘60s and ‘70s covers!And get sweet and low down blues-style at the Northside Tavern with Uncle Sugar!

Ongoing

Alliance Theatre presents ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST, running through Sept. 20!

Blast-Off Burlesque geeks it up with a night of adults-only trivia at the Euclid Avenue Yacht Club, every Monday at 8:30pm!

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

The Star Bar delivers Stomp & Stammer’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Trivia at 8pm, every Tuesday!

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.