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Kool Kat of the Week: Digging Deep to Her Rockabilly Roots for a Breakthrough Album: Why It’s Worth Following Kim Lenz to Smith’s Olde Bar

Posted on: Aug 12th, 2013 By: Anya99

Kim Lenz. Photo credit: Joseph Cutice.

Los Angeles-based rockabilly-roots musician Kim Lenz and The Jaguars are no strangers to Atlanta, having played heard numerous times since she launched her career in 1998, but her return to Smith’s Olde Bar on Wed. August 14 is more than a little bit extra special. Her current US Tour supports a new album FOLLOW ME, due for release on Aug. 20 from Riley Records, which has received considerable advance budge beyond the roots community including from Country Music Television’s “Edge” Website.

Reflecting the impact of some recent life challenges for Kim, the new LP’s lyrics are a bit more serious and emotionally heavy and like so many great rockabilly and country women before her, a nice dose of female empowerment. The title track, “Follow Me,” is being compared to a range of amazing vocalists from Wanda Jackson to Amy Winehouse. The scarlet-tressed songstress also has some serious musical muscle behind the scenes since it’s produced by roots music icon Carl Sonny Leyland and recorded by Los Straitjackets bassist Pete Curry. In other words, despite some serious subject matter, it still puts the rock in rockabailly.

Kim has always been a mighty Kool Kat to ATLRetro, so we decided to catch up with her this week to find out more about her new songs and why you should follow her to her and The Jaguars’ Atlanta gig, which incidentally is opened by Chickens and Pigs with special guest Mark Johnson of Delta Moon.

ATLRetro: Your new album FOLLOW ME has been getting some pretty exciting advance buzz. How does it build upon your prior work and take you to the next level?

Kim Lenz: I love American roots music and that’s what I’ve been doing via rockabilly for a number of years. My new record goes a little further into the roots and I also stretched myself as a songwriter… digging deeper into personal places.

You opted to record FOLLOW ME on vintage tube gear to two-inch tape in mono. Why stay retro when there have been such advances in recording technology?

There is a certain magic when dealing with tubes and tape and plate reverb and such. Modern technology has its place, but starting with yummy ingredients is important in my opinion.

The title track, “Follow Me,” is one amazing female empowerment anthem. I understand it comes out of a recent dark time for you, including learning that you were adopted and the death of your long-time guitarist Nick Curran last fall. Can you talk a bit about the genesis of the song and what you hope others will take from it?

Most of my life I felt like I was so tough. But the last couple years knocked me down. So far I wasn’t sure I could get back up. Music has always been the best way for me to cope with life in general. I dealt with quite a bit of abuse growing up. This song is about taking back the real power of being a woman.

“Follow Me” is not the only song on the album that deals with life challenges. There’s a long history of female country vocalists who met hard issues head-on. Was there any one who has especially inspired you recently?

Strangely I rarely think of myself as a “female” musician. I think all artists use what they do to deal with life head-on. The ones I respect anyway. If I had to list he people who inspire me, it would be too many to print.

I take it, however, that this album is hardly a downer. You’ve said that producer Carl Sunny Leyland “took these sad songs and put a sparkle on them.” What was it like to work with him and can you expand on what you mean by that?

Carl is a genius. One of the if not the best roots musician on the planet. I brought these songs to him. He easily was able to see my vision but brought them out of the dark.

Any other songs on the album you’d like to single out for listeners to especially look out for?

We just finished making a video for “Pay Dearly.” It’s really dark and cool!

Kim Lenz. Photo credit: Joseph Cutice.

Do you and the band have anything special planned for this tour and/or your Atlanta stop?

Record digging!!!!

You’ve toured through Atlanta quite a few times over the years. Do you have any favorite must-do things when you’re here?

We usually rock out and drink too much!!!

Category: Kool Kat of the Week | Tags: Amy Winehouse, Carl Sonny Leyland, Chickens and Pigs, CMT, Country Music Television, Edge, Follow Me, Kim Lenz, Kim Lenz and the Jaguars, los angeles, Los Straitjackets, Pay Dearly, Riley Records, rockabilly, roots, Smith's Olde Bar, Wanda Jackson

Band on the Run: Burt & the Bandits Race Up to Marietta’s Earl Strand Theatre Sat. July 30 & Invade the Starlight Drive-In & Smith’s Olde Bar

Posted on: Jul 27th, 2011 By: Anya99

Burt and the Bandits, 8 p.m. Sat. July 30; $12 advance; $15 at the door; Earl Smith Strand Theatre, 117 North Park Square, Marietta.

When ATLRetro launched in January, we knew the first Kool Kat of the Month had to be Jon Waterhouse. In a city fortunate to have several strong contenders for its most Retro Renaissance Man (Or Woman), Waterhouse is an undisputed 20th Century Pop Culture King. And that’s not just because he hosts a radio show called THE POP CULTURE KING SHOW on AM 1690, though that show, along with a regular freelance gig with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, allows him to interview many 20th century icons.

No, what’s so cool about Jon is the quantity and diversity of Retro culture that he’s tapped into. He’s done promo work for Van Halen and fronted Van Heineken, a Van Halen tribute band. He hosts all of Blast-Off Burlesque’s shows, transforming seemingly effortlessly into a succession of creative characters from a sci-fi nerd to Rip Taylor. For four years and over 100 Silver Scream Spookshows at the Plaza Theatre, he played Retch, Professor Morte’s lovable sidekick. He’s collaborating on a book related to the 1939 classic movie THE WIZARD OF OZ.

And just when you wonder what he could possibly do next, Jon’s latest adventure is Burt and the Bandits, which pays homage to the 1977 Burt Reynolds hit SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT. They’re playing the awesome art-deco Earl Smith Strand Theatre in Marietta on Sat. July 30, and after getting the lowdown from Jon, we can’t think of a better reason to dust off the old Trans Am, get loaded up and truckin’, never mind them brakes, put that hammer down and give it hell all the way to OTP…

Burt & The Bandits. From left to right: Jon Waterhouse, Barb Hays, Benny Boynton, Tim Price and Doug Williams.

ATLRETRO: How did you get the idea of a SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT tribute band?
JON WATERHOUSE: Well, as a child of the ’70s, I remember the days when Burt Reynolds was the biggest movie star going. There really hasn’t been another film celebrity like him since. He kind of cornered the market with a perfect mix of machismo and silliness. I have a special spot in my heart for his films, especially his earlier exploitation flicks like WHITE LIGHTNING and its sequel GATOR. Of course the original SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT is at the top of the heap. Anyway, many of his films featured great, fun music. You’ve got the Jerry Reed tunes from SMOKEY, and even the Ray Stevens title track from CANNONBALL RUN.

So about six or seven years ago I had the idea of a band that would play songs from Burt Reynolds movies dressed as the SMOKEY characters. And the set would be supplemented with what I call “classic country comfort food” from the same era, back when country was at its coolest. Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton. It would be a tongue-in-cheek, comedic presentation, while still showing respect for the music. Heck, they did it with HEE HAW. Even Jerry Reed, who was a Chet Atkins disciple and one of the greatest finger pickers of his day, laced his music with humor. So that was the basic idea.

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Category: Features | Tags: AM 1690, Amy Dumas, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta Lyric Theatre, Banks & Shane, Barb Hays, Benny Boynton, Blast-Off Burlesque, blast-off world tour, Burt and the Bandits, Burt Reynolds, Burt's Place, Cartoon Network, CB, Chet Atkins, CNN Center, Convoy, Coors, country music, Cowardly Lion, Daisy Dukes, Dolly Parton, Doug Williams, East Atlanta Beer Festival, East Bound and Down, Elf on the Shelf, Godzilla, Hal Needham, Hee Haw, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed, Jon Waterhouse, Junior Justice, Karl Slover, Lasershow, Lonny Horowitz, Luchagors, Marietta, Munchkin, Omni International, Phyllis Diller, Plaza Theatre, Pop Culture King Show, Professor Morte, Ray Stevens, Retch, Sally Field, semis, Sheriff Buford T Justice, Silver Scream Spookshow, Smith's Olde Bar, Smokey and the Bandit, Snowman, Stone Mountain, Strand Theatre, Terry Funk, Tim Price, Trans Am, truckers, trucks, Van Halen, Van Heineken, Wizard of Oz, Woodstock, wrestling

Life Goes On for Murray Attaway as Guadalcanal Diary Rises Again 30 Years Later at Smith’s Olde Bar

Posted on: Jun 30th, 2011 By: Anya99

Photo courtesy of Guadalcanal Diary.

I see life like a mirror
And I see life so much clearer

We move so quickly
Who knows where the time goes
Where does this road lead?
No one knows, no one knows

-Excerpted lyrics from “Litany” by Guadalcanal Diary (2 x 4, 1987)

Back in the early ‘80s when alt-rock was still called post-punk or new wave and relegated to the ghetto of college radio, Athens seemed to grab all the cutting edge music glory in Georgia. While many music critics liked to insist Guadalcanal Diary came from that scene (their first LP was on Danny Beard’s DB Records, which while based in Atlanta, was known for breaking out The B-52s), the band actually hailed from Marietta, proving something much more innovative than the Big Chicken could hatch out of what’s often thought of as Atlanta’s most white-bread suburb.

It doesn’t seem like it could possibly have been three decades ago when they first got together to play a friend’s backyard wedding, but it’s mighty good to hear that Guadalcanal Diary, who broke up in 1987, are back and performing live, if only for two shows. The first was at AthFest last weekend, and rumor has it that the second at Smith’s Olde Bar is already sold out. Yeah, it seems like there are plenty of folks who miss hearing the voodoo jangly twang with an offbeat sense of humor of “Watusi Rodeo”—the name of their first EP released in 1983 (Entertainment on Disk) and later a song on the WALKING IN THE SHADOW OF THE BIG MAN LP (1984) released on DB Records and produced by Don Dixon (REM, Smithereens). Back then MTV’s CUTTING EDGE, the go-to late night show for progressive content, named the video for “Watusi Rodeo” its video of the year. They’d go on to cut three more albums, and even after they broke up, thankfully they’d occasionally reunite every once in a while for a show and even cut a live CD, GUADALCANAL DIARY AT YOUR BIRTHDAY PARTY, in 1998.

In more recent years, lead singer/guitarist Murray Attaway recorded a memorable solo album, IN THRALL, and lately he’s been performing again with Guadalcanal Diary guitarist and oft co-composer Jeff Walls in Bomber City. Walls has popped up in a variety of bands including Hillbilly Frankenstein, Dash Rip Rock, Southern Culture on the Skids, Man or Astro-Man? and The Woggles. ATLRetro caught up with Murray to find out why Guadalcanal Diary decided to regroup this summer and what’s ahead for him, Walls and the band…

You were one of the bands that converted me to a whole different way of looking at music, listening to WRAS in the early 1980s. It’s great to hear you guys playing again. What inspired you to bring the band back this summer?

That is very kind of you. The advent of social networking had a hand in the reunion. I had quite a number of music people, promoters and such contact me over the last few years asking if I had plans to do any more music. This led directly to Jeff and I starting Bomber City. As 2011 drew near, Jeff, Rhett, John and I began to discuss the possibility of doing a few Guadal shows to commemorate our 30th anniversary. And here we are.

Is it the whole original line-up—you, Jeff Walls, John Poe, Rhett Crowe?

Yes, we’d never consider it otherwise.

For those too young to remember, briefly how did Guadalcanal Diary get started and why the name?

Jeff and I had been writing songs together on and off for years, and we wanted to play them live. We both had been in a band called Strictly American with Rhett’s brother Curtis Crowe of Pylon, and John and Jeff were in a couple of bands together as well, The Motive and The Rooms. Rhett and I were a couple at the time and she wanted to learn to play bass, which Jeff taught her. The original idea involved doing a number of Civil War ballads all rocked up, but, thankfully, our originals sunk that idea. The name, taken from the Richard Tregaskis novel, seemed ambiguous enough to work creatively under. Plus, it sounds like water.

Who were your early influences? In an old Spin interview, you mention XTC, Bowie, Velvet Underground, Roxy Music but also old country like George Jones?

Yes, there are quite a few older country artists I like: Hank Sr., Johnny Horton, Buck Owens. Big list. Also Yes, Tull, Eno, Beatles, Stones, Miles Davis, Wynonie Harris. This could take days…

“Watusi Rodeo” is your best-known song, but what’s your personal favorite and why?

I like that song. I also like “Litany,” “Trail of Tears,” “Ghost on the Road,” “Vista” and “Pretty Is As Pretty Does.” “Litany” came along at a very happy time in my life, and I think the song reflects it. I hope.

In an interview from 1993, you were asked whether you had any regrets about breaking up in 1989 but you said that while you were possibly poised for the kind of mainstream success that Soul Asylum had, you were happy the band didn’t push it until you were burnt out and no longer friends. How do you feel about that now, or are you sick of answering that question?

Did the interviewer ask me specifically about Soul Asylum? I was only peripherally aware of them, so I’d be surprised to know that I compared Guadal to them. I am still happy that things turned out the way that they did. I don’t like the idea of comparing one group’s success to another’s. Guadalcanal Diary’s original goal was to be able to headline 688 on a Friday night. We went a little further, happily. I’m pleased with the body of work we left. I’m even more pleased that we are still good friends.

You’re often more associated with Athens than Marietta. Was the gig at AthFest a bit of a coming home?

Yes indeed. No matter how much we may have bitched early on about differentiating between us and Athens, Athens became Guadalcanal Diary’s home. So Athfest was great, certainly a homecoming.

Any special plans for the Smith’s Olde Bar show?

Yes, to top the performance at Athfest.

When will we hear Guadalcanal Diary live again or a new recording?

No plans, but either is possible.

What’s up with Bomber City and are you collaborating with Jeff on anything else?

After a personnel change last year, we’ve been rehearsing steadily and are ready to play live again. First show is July 30 at The Melting Point in Athens.

Are you up to any more solo work or anything else musically right now?

Between Guadal and Bomber City, and a startup company that I’m a partner in, my hands are full. Jeff’s the one who’s in four bands at a time, plus producing. I think he takes lots of vitamins.

What’s your favorite Atlanta used record store and why?

Wax n’ Facts. Danny Beard put out our first LP, and he’s also a relative by marriage. Plus great selection.

What question do you wish someone would ask you but they never do, and what’s the answer?

I wish someone would ask me why I like peanut butter and dill pickle sandwiches. Because they’re crunchy, sweet and sour.

Category: Features | Tags: Athens scene, B-52s, Beatles, Big Chicken, Bomber City, BuckOwens, Curtis Crowe, Cutting Edge, Danny Beard, Dash Rip Rock, David Bowie, DB Records, Don Dixon, George Jones, Guadalcanal Diary, Hank Williams Sr., Hillbilly Frankenstein, Jeff Walls, Jethro Tull, John Poe, Johnny Horton, Man or Astro-Man, Marietta, Melting Point, Miles Davis, MTV, Murray Attaway, peanut butter, Pylon, Rhett Crowe, Richard Tregaskis, Rolling Stones, Roxy Music, Smith's Olde Bar, Soul Asylum, Southern Culture on the Skids, Strictly American, The Motive, The Rooms, Velvet Underground, Watusi Rodeo, Wax n Facts, Woggles, Wynonie Harris, XTC, Yes

This Week in ATLRetro – Home Edition #13 – June 8-14, 2020

Posted on: Jun 8th, 2020 By: Anya99

by Melanie Crew
Managing Editor

We at ATLRetro care about your health and well-being, so This Week we are bringing you our thirteenth installment of our Home-Edition, a week’s worth of retrotastic fun you can experience straight from your couch!

Manic Monday, June 8

The Northeast Georgia History Center brings you their livestream program Lo-Fi History: History Lessons to a Beat at 4pm! Get countrified with Carolina Blue streaming live here at 8pm! Every Monday until live shows return Going Left Music will be presenting 2 artists to live stream on Smith’s Olde Bar‘s Instagram page (@smithsoldebar). Sets are 40 minutes and start at 8pm and 9pm Eastern Time. Tune in and enjoy tonight’s featured artists, Horti and Killer Whale! Geek it up with Dad’s Garage during Improvisers in Dungeons Getting Dragons, streamed via Twitch at 8pm! Spook it up as Patriarchy featuring Ian Svenonius shares “Burn The Witch” video via BrooklynVegan, and their debut LP ASKING FOR IT is out now via DERO Arcade! DooGallery presents their daily Covid-19 Art Show virtually in support of local artists through June 14! Rock out and tune into Kool Kat Rev. Andy Hawley’s Psychobilly Freakout Radio broadcasting on Garage 71 at 8pm, every Monday!

Timeless Tuesday, June 9

The Variety Playhouse brings you a night of rockin’ roots with Fantastic Negrito live streaming here at 6pm! Boogie down with BE Creative Arts Center’s virtual dance session, Soul Line Dance Tuesday at 8pm! Sixties/seventies-inspired pop/rock artist, Eddy Lee Ryder, releases new single, “There In Dreams,” and announces debut EP, EXPECTED TO FLY to be released July 10, 2020! LA-based artist Arrested Youth releases first fan co-written EP ARRESTED YOUTH & THE QUARANTINERS! LPX (Lizzy Plapinger) releases “Delayed Gratification” here from upcoming EP to come out Summer 2020. Her anthem for change “New Mood” can be streamed here and you can catch the video here! The Alliance Theatre has launched “The Artist’s Approach,” an online video Q&A series with leading theater professionals and features prerecorded conversations with award-winning actors, directors, and writers for stage and screen on their approach to their craft and tips of the trade. We know you need your swingin’ Joe Gransden fix, so why not visit his site and catch a video or two of his, including him and his band swingin’ it up at Café 290, here! Get musical with Andrew Lloyd Webber as he streams his musicals free online, every Friday, via his The Shows Must Go On YouTube channel here!

Way Back Wednesday, June 10

Wussy Wednesdays (WUSSY MAG) is back again at The Plaza Theatre with two DRIVE-IN screenings of the Albert Magnoli’s rock musical classic, PURPLE RAIN (1984)! Choose between one of these two times and locations: 8:45pm: Plaza Theatre Drive-In or 9:00pm: Dad’s Garage Theatre Drive-In! Stomp in up with the Wailin’ Jennys’s livestream, hosted by City Winery at 7pm! Atlanta four-piece disruptive rock band The Villa is excited to share their debut single and video “Turning Point“ premiering now with Alternative Press. Get down with Protomartyr as they live stream here at 8pm! The Nixons post-grunge it up with new EP SONIC BOOM through Intercept Music available for download here and share the official music video for single “Ghost of an Angel” here! Get your 80s-esque synth fix with machinegum’s “Kubes” video here!

Throwback Thursday, June 11

Slippery When Wet pay tribute to Bon Jovi via livestream here at 7:30pm! Indie folk it up with Whitney livestreaming at 8pm here, hosted by the Tabernacle! Ren Harvieu shares video for “This is How You Make Me Feel,” and B-Side track, “Revel in the Drama.” Her new album REVEL IN THE DRAMA is out now on Bella Union. Of the track Harvieu adds: “Revel In The Drama was inspired by the beautiful Japanese actress and singer Yoshiko Yamaguchi, who was best known as Li Xiang Lan, and seen as one of the great pop divas of 1930’s & 40’s Shanghai pop. I sampled her song Tuberose and wanted to create a new world of colour and enchantment.” Alt rockers Young Mountain announce debut EP IF YOU LEAVE and share their new video “James Albert” premiering now on SUBSTREAM MAGAZINE! Film Impact Georgia presents Ask a Pro Anything Featuring Development Executive Paige Simpson at 3pm! The Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF) is going live with filmmakers slated to play at the 44th Atlanta Film Festival! ATLFF will be hosting interviews with filmmakers from their 2020 official selections. Each interview will provide you with a behind the scenes look into the upcoming festival and the films we program! HENNESSEY share their single, “LET’S PRETEND (IT’S THE 80s)” here and announce S/T EP out this summer on Velvet Elk Records! Atlanta alt-country/indie rock band Nikki & The Phantom Callers releases debut LP, EVERYBODY’S GOING TO HELL (BUT YOU AND ME) out now! Check out their “Fallen Angel” video here!

Freaky Friday, June 12

Check out Kino Lorber’s new restorations of three classics of early cinema for Pride Month with their PIONEERS OF QUEER CINEMA, available via Kino Marquee’s Virtual Cinemas beginning today! Surf-Western duo Andrea & Mud announce new LP, BAD NEWS DARLIN’ releasing today. Check it out here! Geek it up and get scandalous during Dad’s Garage’s Scandal! League of Super Villains via their Twitch channel at 8pm! Guided By Voices share the video for “My Valuable Hunting Knife“ exclusively with Funny or Die. With this video, comes the announcement of the 25th anniversary vinyl edition of ALIEN LANES out later this summer! American Hi-Fi release their cover of Joe Jackson’s “Steppin’ Out” here! The Northeast Georgia History Center brings you their Member livestream program The History Behind Les Miserables at 2pm! Check out Femme Power TV by Femme Power Productions featuring innovative and intersectional web series, narrative, experimental, and documentary short films. And you won’t want to miss Queerantine, a stellar program of award-winning and underground queer artists! The Plaza Movie Club Time Warps it up with The Rocky Horror Quarantine Show every Friday here! A.A. Williams shares cover of Deftones “Be Quiet and Drive” and her debut album FOREVER BLUE (pre-order here) releases July 3 on Bella Union! Donita Sparks of L7 delivers “The Hi-Low Show with Donita Sparks” every Friday @ 3pm PT via “We Are Hear: On The Air” streaming network. Let it Come Down (Kramer) share video for single “Forget” on their new LP coming out today! The Earl Smith Strand Theatre is providing virtual classic double features every Friday night via Twitch TV here!

Scintillating Saturday, June 13

Let Puddles Pity Party serenade you in the comfort of your own home with his Summer Streaming Series at 5:30pm! Or celebrate Elton John and join the party with Beyond the Yellow Brick Road’s live stream event here at 8pm! Get rocked with 84 paying tribute to Van Halen via their live stream here at 9:30pm! Tune in and sleaze it up as Kool Kat Sen. Artie Mondello gets down during his Tex Mondeller An’ His Grievin’ Gee-tar streaming event at 11pm! Rock out and stream The Unfit’s single “Picture” here! The Used release heart-warming music video for “The Lighthouse” dedicated to frontline workers! MAMADRAMA, a mom-only band made up of five moms who rock by night, and roll (with 11 kids) by day, has released their new single “MILF.” Check it out here! Check out Kool Kat Jeffrey Butzer’s new piano collection of his older songs via LP here! Boogie down with DJ Livestream with Johnny’s Hideaway at 8pm! Garage rock duo, THE DODIES, released their debut album IT’S ONE HELL OF A RIDE. Check out their video for single “Boiling Point” here! The Center for Puppetry Arts is live-streaming performances and providing workshops on line via their website for free here! Hey parents! Check out the Children’s Museum of Atlanta’s virtual learning program #CMAatHome, featuring story time, singing and more!

Science ‘n’ more Sunday, June 14

Get hellacious and rock out with the Virtual Industrial Goth and Metal Show with Posadist and Everything, hosted by The Highlander at 6:30pm! Hayfitz shares debut album CAPSULES and plays virtual ALBUM RELEASE SHOW at 3pm! Check out Atlanta Movie Tour’s Georgia Film & Chill: The Best of Georgia Edition at 1:30pm! Brooklyn Americana songwriter Seán Barna shares “Naked Heart (Missy)“ via Cool Hunting with his new EP MARGARET THATCHER OF THE LOWER EAST SIDE out now! The National Theatre is streaming a production a week, every Thursday, here. Check out Aurora Theatre’s Digital Series 2020 featuring crafting, art, games and more! Feeling special? Why not check out Puddles Pity Party’s VIP Virtual Meet ‘n’ Greet at 2pm! Atlanta Contemporary presents their exhibit “The Life and Death of Charles Williams” which can be virtually toured here. Check out the Kennedy Center’s YouTube channel/digital stage here featuring concerts from Gladys Knight, Queen Latifah and more! The Metropolitan Opera is offering a Nightly Opera Stream. Click here for more information, including weekly schedule. Get experimental and stream Matt Wolf’s documentary SPACESHIP EARTH (2020), delving into Biosphere 2 and the eight visionaries who quarantine themselves for two years in the self-engineered replica of Earth’s ecosystem! The Fernbank Museum goes epically virtual! Catch virtual screenings of DINOS ALIVE! and MUMMIES and more!

Help support our local businesses and artists (A-Z Listing)

*Check out 7 Stages’ YouTube channel here to live stream, and while you’re at it, purchase a gift certificate or two to help now and see art later here!
*A Cappella Books – Join their VIP discount and membership club for discounts and more (A Cappella Choir). Members who would like to purchase anything online can do so by sending them your list via email or by phone order at (404) 681-5128. All choir members are eligible for free home delivery! Find out more and join here.
*Get monsterific and check out Monsterama’s Kool Kat Anthony Taylor’s Etsy page, Pop Kulture Vulture!
*Atlanta Science-Fiction & Fantasy Expo 2020 had to cancel/postpone (we’ll post their new dates when they announce) but you can still support their authors, artists & vendors at their Virtual Market!
*Browse and purchase your favorite books and more at Atlanta Vintage Books!
*Why not check out our Kool Kat Derek Yaniger’s art and creator of our ATLRetro logo!
*Dirk Hays, purveyor of all that is monstrous and weird, makes art, so why not check out Art by Dirk!
*Geek it up and check out Dr. No’s Comics & Games Superstore (online store here) in Marietta offering gift certificates which can be purchased over the phone for later use and curbside pick-up!
*Eagle Eye Book Shop is offering free shipping on $10 or more orders!
*The Earl Smith Strand Theatre – Help support them here.
*Help support the staff at Eddie’s Attic by contributing to their GoFundMe here.
*Jonathan Chaffin’s Horror in Clay, offers tiki mugs filling your every monster madness need!
*Check out Jeanne the Maskmaker’s Etsy page here!
*Get your vintage jewelry fix with Jezebel Blue and your retro style fix with 2the9s Retro!
*Kyle Yaklin gets creaturific with his creature masks and more!
*Landmark’s Midtown Art Theatre – Support by purchasing gift cards for future use here.
*Support the employees of the Masquerade via their GoFundMe here!
*The Plaza Theatre – Support by either purchasing vouchers for future events here, or by supporting their Go Fund Me here, or you can donate or become a member of The Plaza Theatre Foundation. Check out their online store here!
*Get jazzy and help support the Suite Food Lounge’s Suite Jazz Band here!
*Kool Kat Shane Morton, and Silver Scream FX Lab offers one hellacious merch store with monster masks, art and more!
*Support L5P’s Transporter Vintage and Retro via their Go Fund Me here!

Category: This Week in ATLRetro | TAGS: None

This Week in ATLRetro – Home Edition #12 – June 1-7, 2020

Posted on: Jun 1st, 2020 By: Anya99

by Melanie Crew
Managing Editor

We at ATLRetro care about your health and well-being, so This Week we are bringing you our twelfth installment of our Home-Edition, a week’s worth of retrotastic fun you can experience safely from your couch or socially distanced.

Manic Monday, June 1

Get down and dirty with Blue Monday with Chickens and Pigs at 9pm! Bard it up with Shakespeare on Digital’s (a.k.a. Shakespeare on Draught) presentation of THE TEMPEST at 8pm! Hey all you bird lovers, you won’t want to miss Alabama Audubon’s Birdwatching for Beginners online course at 6pm! Every Monday until live shows return Going Left Music will be presenting 2 artists to live stream on Smith’s Olde Bar‘s Instagram page (@smithsoldebar). Sets are 40 minutes and start at 8pm and 9pm Eastern Time. Tune in and enjoy tonight’s featured artists, Horti and Killer Whale! Geek it up with Dad’s Garage during Improvisers in Dungeons Getting Dragons, streamed via Twitch at 8pm! Spook it up as Patriarchy featuring Ian Svenonius shares “Burn The Witch” video via BrooklynVegan, and their debut LP ASKING FOR IT is out now via DERO Arcade! DooGallery presents their daily Covid-19 Art Show virtually in support of local artists through June 14! Rock out and tune into Kool Kat Rev. Andy Hawley’s Psychobilly Freakout Radio broadcasting on Garage 71 at 8pm, every Monday!

Timeless Tuesday, June 2

LA-based artist Arrested Youth releases first fan co-written EP ARRESTED YOUTH & THE QUARANTINERS! LPX (Lizzy Plapinger) releases “Delayed Gratification” here from upcoming EP to come out Summer 2020. Her anthem for change “New Mood” can be streamed here and you can catch the video here! Eddie’s Attic presents a live streaming event with Lloyd Cole here at 7pm! This year’s Gretsch Presents Georgia On My Mind concert is going virtual today and will run through June 2. Singer/songwriter Brent Cobb and Amy Ray of the The Indigo Girls are hosting this year’s show and you won’t want to miss the amazing lineup they have put together, supporting the Georgia Music Foundation! The Alliance Theatre has launched “The Artist’s Approach,” an online video Q&A series with leading theater professionals and features prerecorded conversations with award-winning actors, directors, and writers for stage and screen on their approach to their craft and tips of the trade. We know you need your swingin’ Joe Gransden fix, so why not visit his site and catch a video or two of his, including him and his band swingin’ it up at Café 290, here! Get musical with Andrew Lloyd Webber as he streams his musicals free online, every Friday, via his The Shows Must Go On YouTube channel here!

Way Back Wednesday, June 3

Wussy Wednesdays (WUSSY MAG) return to The Plaza Theatre with two DRIVE-IN screenings of the Albert Magnoli’s rock musical classic, PURPLE RAIN (1984)! Choose between one of these two times and locations: 8:45pm: Plaza Theatre Drive-In or 9:00pm: Dad’s Garage Theatre Drive-In! Or check out Atlanta Movie Tour’s Georgia Film & Chill: The Best of Georgia Edition at 5:30pm! The Nixons post-grunge it up with new EP SONIC BOOM through Intercept Music available for download here and share the official music video for single “Ghost of an Angel” here! Get your 80s-esque synth fix with machinegum’s “Kubes” video here! The Northeast Georgia History Center brings you their livestream program The Legacy of D-Day at 2pm! Surf-Western duo Andrea & Mud announce new LP, BAD NEWS DARLIN’ out June 12!

Throwback Thursday, June 4

Stomp it out June 4-7 for As the Crow Flies Online Fest Vol. 2 at 12pm, promoting upwards of 65 artists from the multi genres of roots music, rock, country, blues and the like! Indi folk it up with Whitney livestreaming at 8pm here! Alt rockers Young Mountain announce debut EP IF YOU LEAVE and share their new video “James Albert” premiering now on SUBSTREAM MAGAZINE! Folk rock it up with Angie Aparo live streaming via Eddie’s Attic at 7:30pm here! The Post-Apocalyptic Malone Show hosted by The Forty-Fives is back! Film Impact Georgia presents Ask a Pro Anything Featuring Development Executive Paige Simpson at 3pm! The Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF) is going live with filmmakers slated to play at the 44th Atlanta Film Festival! ATLFF will be hosting interviews with filmmakers from their 2020 official selections. Each interview will provide you with a behind the scenes look into the upcoming festival and the films we program! HENNESSEY share their single, “LET’S PRETEND (IT’S THE 80s)” here and announce S/T EP out this summer on Velvet Elk Records! Atlanta alt-country/indie rock band Nikki & The Phantom Callers releases debut LP, EVERYBODY’S GOING TO HELL (BUT YOU AND ME) out now! Check out their “Fallen Angel” video here!

Freaky Friday, June 5

Get retro rocked with Lesibu Grand’s Livestream Weekend, through Saturday. Geek it up and get scandalous during Dad’s Garage’s Scandal! League of Super Villains via their Twitch channel at 8pm! Guided By Voices share the video for “My Valuable Hunting Knife“ exclusively with Funny or Die. With this video, comes the announcement of the 25th anniversary vinyl edition of ALIEN LANES out later this summer! Abel Ferrara’s TOMMASO (2019), staring Willem Dafoe opens today via Lefont Film Society’s Virtual Pop-Up Cinema streaming here, hosted by Kino Marquee! American Hi-Fi release their cover of Joe Jackson’s “Steppin’ Out” here! The Northeast Georgia History Center brings you their Member livestream program The Tragedy of the Titanic at 2pm! Check out Femme Power TV by Femme Power Productions featuring innovative and intersectional web series, narrative, experimental, and documentary short films. And you won’t want to miss Queerantine, a stellar program of award-winning and underground queer artists! The Plaza Movie Club Time Warps it up with The Rocky Horror Quarantine Show every Friday here! A.A. Williams shares cover of Deftones “Be Quiet and Drive” and her debut album FOREVER BLUE (pre-order here) releases July 3 on Bella Union! Donita Sparks of L7 delivers “The Hi-Low Show with Donita Sparks” every Friday @ 3pm PT via “We Are Hear: On The Air” streaming network. The Earl Smith Strand Theatre is providing virtual classic double features every Friday night via Twitch TV here!

Scintillating Saturday, June 6

Rastagraphy presents their socially distant Art Bazaar (check out their FB event page with info on their social distance protocol) with 30+ artists, vendors, live music and more at 7pm! Stomp it up with Michelle Malone on Red Boots Roots Facebook Live at 7pm! Tune in and sleaze it up as Kool Kat Sen. Artie Mondello gets down during his Tex Mondeller An’ His Grievin’ Gee-tar streaming event at 11pm! Rock out and stream The Unfit’s single “Picture” here! The Used release heart-warming music video for “The Lighthouse” dedicated to frontline workers! MAMADRAMA, a mom-only band made up of five moms who rock by night, and roll (with 11 kids) by day, has released their new single “MILF.” Check it out here! Check out Kool Kat Jeffrey Butzer’s new piano collection of his older songs via LP here! Boogie down with DJ Livestream with Johnny’s Hideaway at 8pm! Garage rock duo, THE DODIES, released their debut album IT’S ONE HELL OF A RIDE. Check out their video for single “Boiling Point” here! The Center for Puppetry Arts is live-streaming performances and providing workshops on line via their website for free here! Hey parents! Check out the Children’s Museum of Atlanta’s virtual learning program #CMAatHome, featuring story time, singing and more!

Science ‘n’ more Sunday, June 7

Brooklyn Americana songwriter Seán Barna shares “Naked Heart (Missy)“ Via Cool Hunting with his new EP MARGARET THATCHER OF THE LOWER EAST SIDE out now! Quibi debuts New Trailer for Darren Criss’ Musical Comedy Series ROYALTIES and announces original soundrack. Republic Records to release soundtrack June 12th, the first major label release for a Quibi show. Featured artists include Darren Criss, Rufus Wainwright, Mark Hamill, Julianne Hough, Jordan Fisher and Sabrina Carpenter. Let it Come Down (Kramer) share video for single “Forget” on their new LP coming out June 12! The National Theatre is streaming a production a week, every Thursday, here. Check out Aurora Theatre’s Digital Series 2020 featuring crafting, art, games and more! Atlanta Contemporary presents their exhibit “The Life and Death of Charles Williams” which can be virtually toured here. Check out the Kennedy Center’s YouTube channel/digital stage here featuring concerts from Gladys Knight, Queen Latifah and more! The Metropolitan Opera is offering a Nightly Opera Stream. Click here for more information, including weekly schedule. Get experimental and stream Matt Wolf’s documentary SPACESHIP EARTH (2020), delving into Biosphere 2 and the eight visionaries who quarantine themselves for two years in the self-engineered replica of Earth’s ecosystem! The Fernbank Museum goes epically virtual! Catch virtual screenings of DINOS ALIVE! and MUMMIES and more!

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This Week in ATLRetro – Home Edition #11 – May 25 – 31, 2020

Posted on: May 25th, 2020 By: Anya99

by Melanie Crew
Managing Editor

We at ATLRetro care about your health and well-being, so This Week we are bringing you our eleventh installment of our Home-Edition, a week’s worth of (almost) summer fun you can experience straight from your couch!

Manic Monday, May 25

It’s almost summer, so why not get monstrous and catch a screening of Steven Spielberg’s JAWS (1975) at The Plaza Theatre’s pop up Drive-In (Plaza parking lot) at 8:45pm! Or catch Tim Burton’s MARS ATTACKS (1996) (Dad’s Garage parking lot) at 9pm! Guitar it up and honor guitar legend Doc Watson during Doc Watson Week via MerleFest, through May 29! Or get wild and spend Memorial Day at the Zoo, with the Yellow River Wildlife Sanctuary! Every Monday until live shows return Going Left Music will be presenting 2 artists to live stream on Smith’s Olde Bar‘s Instagram page (@smithsoldebar). Sets are 40 minutes and start at 8pm and 9pm Eastern Time. Tune in and enjoy tonight’s featured artists, Horti and Killer Whale! Geek it up with Dad’s Garage during Improvisers in Dungeons Getting Dragons, streamed via Twitch at 8pm, running every Monday through June 1! Get your Americana fix with today’s Nuncheon Session featuring a live-stream concert with Steven Bruce streaming at 1pm CT via SWEETHEART PR and BABY ROBOT MEDIA on Facebook! You won’t want to miss ACME RADIO LIVE’s SOCIAL DISTANCING SESSIONS via ACME RADIO LIVE’S FACEBOOK PAGE! Tonight features Marcella & Her Lovers (6 – 6:45pm CST) and Jason Walsmith Storyteller (7 – 7:45pm CST)! Come see what’s playing at the Starlight Drive-In here! Get artsy with Barry Gregg Clayworks’s Virtual Spring Studio Sale from 10am to 6pm! Spook it up as Patriarchy featuring Ian Svenonius shares “Burn The Witch” video via BrooklynVegan, and their debut LP ASKING FOR IT is out now via DERO Arcade! DooGallery presents their daily Covid-19 Art Show virtually in support of local artists through May 31! Rock out and tune into Kool Kat Rev. Andy Hawley’s Psychobilly Freakout Radio broadcasting on Garage 71 at 8pm, every Monday!

Timeless Tuesday, May 26

Catch Berit Ellingsen talk LIVE about her latest book, A TALE OF TRUTHS, with Cat Rambo, Alan Bailey, and the rest of the gang at If This Goes On (Don’t Panic) at 5pm here! Catch a special Indie Lens Pop-Up interactive live chat and online screening of Sergio Mata’u Rapu’s EATING UP EASTER (2018), featuring a live stream Q&A and community-led breakout discussions on topics such as responsible tourism and our National Parks, environmental sustainability in New Jersey, and more at 5pm! This year’s Gretsch Presents Georgia On My Mind concert is going virtual today and will run through June 2. Singer/songwriter Brent Cobb and Amy Ray of the The Indigo Girls are hosting this year’s show and you won’t want to miss the amazing lineup they have put together, supporting the Georgia Music Foundation! The Alliance Theatre has launched “The Artist’s Approach,” an online video Q&A series with leading theater professionals and features prerecorded conversations with award-winning actors, directors, and writers for stage and screen on their approach to their craft and tips of the trade. Today’s featured guest is Sierra Boggess! Get your Americana fix with today’s Nuncheon Session featuring a live-stream concert with Jack Barksdale at 1pm CT streaming via SWEETHEART PR and BABY ROBOT MEDIA on Facebook! UGA Extension Fulton County presents their Container Garden Webinar Series at 12:30pm, through May 26! We know you need your swingin’ Joe Gransden fix, so why not visit his site and catch a video or two of his, including him and his band swingin’ it up at Café 290, here! Get musical with Andrew Lloyd Webber as he streams his musicals free online, every Friday, via his The Shows Must Go On YouTube channel here!

Way Back Wednesday, May 27

The Nixons post-grunge it up with new EP SONIC BOOM through Intercept Music available for download here and share the official music video for single “Ghost of an Angel” here! Get your 80s-esque synth fix with machinegum’s “Kubes” video here! The Northeast Georgia History Center brings you their livestream program Needle Felting with Sophia Monsibais at 2pm! ELLEFSON, the solo band of Grammy-Winning MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson will release their cover of the POST MALONE track “Over Now”, currently available exclusively on BANDCAMP, and on all other digital outlets here. The track will appear on their as yet-untitled debut album, tentatively due in October. Brooklyn-based psych rockers Zebedee share new EP, FANCY SEEING YOU HERE, out on Bandcamp here! You won’t want to miss ACME RADIO LIVE’s SOCIAL DISTANCING SESSIONS via ACME RADIO LIVE’S FACEBOOK PAGE! Tonight’s kickin’ line-up includes EG Vines (6 – 6:45pm CST) and Stewart Eastham (Music) (7 – 7:45pm CST)! Get down with Frenchy and the Punk’s Live Stream #10 Finale at 4pm! Surf-Western duo Andrea & Mud announce new LP, BAD NEWS DARLIN’ out June 12!

Throwback Thursday, May 28

Kool Kat Vanessa Wright with the Women in Horror Film Festival present Hellbent for Horror Takeover Episode #4 at 8pm via Zoom with special guests Felissa Rose Esposito Miller (SLEEPAWAY CAMP, TERRIFIER 2) and Trista Robinson (ECHOES OF FEAR) and more! The Post-Apocalyptic Malone Show hosted by The Forty-Fives is back! This week they are celebrating Buddy Holly/National Hamburger Day today. Grab a burger and a beer and let’s learn about the history of the hamburger while listening to Buddy Holly via livestream at 8pm. Get grungy and rock out with Nevermind, the Nirvana Tribute Band Live Stream Show here at 8pm! Get your Americana fix with today’s Nuncheon Session featuring a live-stream concert with Vincent Cross streaming at 1pm CT via SWEETHEART PR and BABY ROBOT MEDIA on Facebook! Film Impact Georgia presents Ask a Pro Anything Featuring Director James Ponsoldt at 3pm! The Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF) is going live with filmmakers slated to play at the 44th Atlanta Film Festival! ATLFF will be hosting interviews with filmmakers from their 2020 official selections. Each interview will provide you with a behind the scenes look into the upcoming festival and the films we program! HENNESSEY share their single, “LET’S PRETEND (IT’S THE 80s)” here and announce S/T EP out this summer on Velvet Elk Records! Atlanta alt-country/indie rock band Nikki & The Phantom Callers releases debut LP, EVERYBODY’S GOING TO HELL (BUT YOU AND ME) out now! Check out their “Fallen Angel” video here!

Freaky Friday, May 29

Join Michelle Malone for Devil Moon Facebook Live at 8:30pm EST! The show will concentrate on her classic 1996 release, BENEATH THE DEVIL MOON! American Hi-Fi release their cover of Joe Jackson’s “Steppin’ Out” here! Get your Americana fix with today’s Nuncheon Session featuring a live-stream concert with XantheAlexis Music streaming at 1pm CT via SWEETHEART PR and BABY ROBOT MEDIA on Facebook! Hammonds House Museum presents A Virtual Evening with poet Jessica Care Moore at 7pm! The Northeast Georgia History Center brings you their Member livestream program I, too, am America – A History of Black Poetry with Chiara Richardson at 2pm! Brooklyn-based Queen/Weezer’esque indie rock band, The Next Great American Novelist (“Wicked” was featured in Season 8 of THE WALKING DEAD) share their new single, “Kubler,” from their forthcoming record, CARELESS MOON. Spend the day catching Story Time with Speculative Fiction Author Violette L. Meier at 1:11pm! Check out Femme Power TV by Femme Power Productions featuring innovative and intersectional web series, narrative, experimental, and documentary short films. And you won’t want to miss Queerantine, a stellar program of award-winning and underground queer artists! The Plaza Movie Club Time Warps it up with The Rocky Horror Quarantine Show every Friday here! Dark, psychedelic & theatrical outfit from Athens, Georgia, Immaterial Possession announce their debut self-titled album. Check out their single “Midnight Wander” here! Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees) shares his new track “Stockholm City Blues” here! His new album STRAIGHT SONGS OF SORROW is due out today on Heavenly Recordings featuring members of Afghan Whigs, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Lamb of God and more! A.A. Williams shares cover of Deftones “Be Quiet and Drive” and her debut album FOREVER BLUE (pre-order here) releases July 3 on Bella Union! Donita Sparks of L7 delivers “The Hi-Low Show with Donita Sparks” every Friday @ 3pm PT via “We Are Hear: On The Air” streaming network. The Earl Smith Strand Theatre is providing virtual classic double features every Friday night via Twitch TV here!

Scintillating Saturday, May 30

Tune in and sleaze it up as Kool Kat Sen. Artie Mondello gets down during his Tex Mondeller An’ His Grievin’ Gee-tar streaming event at 11pm! It’s a morning of reel film, so why not catch Kodak Coffee With Cameras Online Edition at 9am hosted by the Atlanta Film Society and Kodak Film Lab Atlanta! Get folksy with The Good Graces and more during Bye Georgia, Bye – A Kimono/Porch/Going Away Thing! The Used release heart-warming music video for “The Lighthouse” dedicated to frontline workers! MAMADRAMA, a mom-only band made up of five moms who rock by night, and roll (with 11 kids) by day, has released their new single “MILF.” Check it out here! Check out Kool Kat Jeffrey Butzer’s new piano collection of his older songs via LP here! Imaginary Tricks rocks out and unleashes their single “Believe It” with their new EP ART FLAKEY out June 19! Get heavy with THE HATE CLUB’s newly released single titled “A Dying Dream” via The Label Group/Ingrooves here! Boogie down with DJ Livestream with Johnny’s Hideaway at 8pm! Garage rock duo, THE DODIES, released their debut album IT’S ONE HELL OF A RIDE. Check out their video for single “Boiling Point” here! The Center for Puppetry Arts is live-streaming performances and providing workshops on line via their website for free here! Hey parents! Check out the Children’s Museum of Atlanta’s virtual learning program #CMAatHome, featuring story time, singing and more!

Science ‘n’ more Sunday, May 31

Let it Come Down (Kramer) share video for single “Forget” on their new LP coming out June 12! The National Theatre is streaming a production a week, every Thursday, here. Check out Aurora Theatre’s Digital Series 2020 featuring crafting, art, games and more! Atlanta Contemporary presents their exhibit “The Life and Death of Charles Williams” which can be virtually toured here. Check out the Kennedy Center’s YouTube channel/digital stage here featuring concerts from Gladys Knight, Queen Latifah and more! The Metropolitan Opera is offering a Nightly Opera Stream. Click here for more information, including weekly schedule. Get experimental and stream Matt Wolf’s documentary SPACESHIP EARTH (2020), delving into Biosphere 2 and the eight visionaries who quarantine themselves for two years in the self-engineered replica of Earth’s ecosystem! The Command Sisters unveil their first single and official music video for “I Can Do What I Want To” here! Join ARTISTSCAN for “Lean on Me” to raise more than $8 million dollars for COVID-19 relief and the Canadian Red Cross! DooGallery presents their final virtual Covid-19 Art Show! Check out Emory’s Carlos Museum’s “Carlos at Home” virtual exhibition tours and more. The Fernbank Museum goes epically virtual! Catch virtual screenings of DINOS ALIVE! and MUMMIES and more!

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This Week in Retro Atlanta, Aug. 26-Sept. 1, 2013

Posted on: Aug 27th, 2013 By: Anya99

Monday, August 26

Northside Tavern hosts its weekly Blues Jam featuring blues and southern soul singer Lola Gulley. Enjoy your BBQ with a side of Dry White Toast at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. Take a look at well…the bright side of life…er, death with Monty Python’s LIFE OF BRIAN (1979) at 9:40 p.m. at The Plaza Theatre.

Tuesday, August 27

Acid Jazz Meets ElectroSwing at Edgewood Speakeasy. Get ready to call the GHOSTBUSTERS (1984) at Northlake Festival Movie Tavern, as they continue their August retro cinema classic series of Classic Comedies! MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL (1975) brings coconuts and at least one killer rabbit to The Plaza Theatre at 9:40 p.m. Kool Kat Calu Cordeira mixes tiki libations during Mai Tai Tahitian Tuesday starting at 9 p.m. at the Dark Horse Tavern. Grab your horn and head over to Twain’s in Decatur for a Joe Gransden jazz jam session. Blues it down with Nathan Nelson & Entertainment Crackers at Northside Tavern. Crosstown Allstars brings the blues to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack, and Timo Arthur fires up the blues at Blind Willie’s. Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs hosts a weekly Bluegrass & Hootenanny Jam led by Jason Koornick & Hank Weisman.

Wednesday, August 28

It’s Ladies Night at Johnny’s Hideaway which plays hits from Sinatra to Madonna for a generally mature crowd. Danny “Mudcat” Dudeck brings the Piedmont blues to Northside Tavern, and Frankie’s Blues Mission deliver some soul to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. The Cazanovas blues it on down at Blind Willie’s. Greet the day with an 11:30 a.m. matinee of GHOSTBUSTERS (1984) at Northlake Festival Movie Tavern’s Retro Cinema series this week! And it’s your last night to worship at the altar of Monty Python’s LIFE OF BRIAN (1979) at 9:40 p.m. at The Plaza Theatre.

Tongo Hiti.

Thursday, August 29

Something called Dragoncon takes off in downtown Atlanta. There’s plenty o’ Retro at one of the nation’s biggest pop culture geekfests, a phrase we utter with the utmost affection, starting with The Annual Bunny Hutch featuring Kool Kat of the Week Talloolah Love. Get your boogie on at Mary’s, as the East Atlanta venue gets funky with their weekly Disco in the Village. Relax with a cocktail while listening to the groovy sounds of Kool Kat Big Mike and Tongo Hiti at vintage tiki bar, Trader Vic’s. Beverly “Guitar” Watkins brings the blues to Steve’s Live Music. Heather Luttrell delivers the blues at Blind Willie’s. Northside Tavern presents the classic 50s Chicago-style blues of The Breeze Kings. At Fat Matt’s Rib Shack, hear the honkytonkin’ blues of Chickenshack. It’s 80s/90s Retro Video Night with free drinks ’til 10 at The Shelter. Battlefield Collective and B Wayne and the Belfrys strum it up at Red Light Cafe‘s Bluegrass Thursday. And it’s your last chance to catch GHOSTBUSTERS (1984) at Northlake Festival Movie Tavern MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL (1975) at The Plaza Theatre.

Jeffrey Butzer. Photo credit: Melissa J Butzer.

Friday, August 30

Dragoncon continues in downtown Atlanta. Our top Retro pick for today is the Second Annual Pin-ups by the Pool Party. Read all about it from the luscious lips of Kool Kat of the Week Talloolah Love. Past Kool Kat Jeffrey Butzer & The Bicycle Eaters bring a touch of Bohemian Paris to The Basement, along with Loraine. Rolling Nowhere, Strung Like a Horse and I Want Whisky make it a righteous roots and honkytonkin’ night at The Earl. It’s garage rock, hard southern dishospitality and more at the Star Bar with another super multi-band line-up including Swamp Juice, Beitthemeans, Six Shot Revival, Dirt Bag Love Affair, Red Rocket Deluxe and our favorite all-female Elvis tribute band, The Pelvis Breastlies. Secondhand Swagger shakes up some soulful, southern-fried funk under the dinosaurs at Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis and IMAX. The Western Sizzlers and “very special guest indeed” Johnny Cash Now delivers some honkytonk blues to Northside Tavern, and Sandra Hall and house-band The Shadows serve up the blues at Blind Willie‘s. Timo Arthur Trio play the blues at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. ET (1982) phones home again at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema at midnight. And it’s your chance to Do the Time Warp again at THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW with full costumed floor show by Lips Down on Dixie every Friday at midnight at The Plaza Theatre.

Saturday, August 31

Cosplayers take to the streets for a 10 a.m. parade and much more as Dragoncon continues. Today also is the day for DragonCon Burlesque, A Glamour Geek Revue, produced by Kool Kat of the Week Talloolah Love. And we have to admit we’re pretty darned excited at hear Malcolm McDowall and David Warner together talking about TIME AFTER TIME with ATLRetro pal Anthony Taylor at 4 p.m. in the Atlanta Ballroom at the Westin Peachtree Atlanta. Plus the legendary Cabal Cut of Clive Barker’s NIGHTBREED (1989)screens at 11:30 p.m., also at the Westin, preceded by Q&A and Signing” at 10 p.m. with Russell Cherrington (restoration director), as well as stars Craig Sheffer, Doug Bradley, Nick Vince and Chris McCorkindale. Cigar Store Indians swing into Smith’s Olde Bar. Rev up for Sunday’s Drive Invasion with a groovy pre-party at The Star Bar with The Woggles, The Hate Bombs and Muck & the Mires. Neoglam/post-punk ATLRetro faves The Sexual Side Effects, featuring Kool Kat Amber Taylor, play ConTourage’s KahunaCon a few blocks down from Dragoncon at The Big Kahuna restaurant/club. The Randy Chapman Birthday Bash celebrates the blues at Northside Tavern, and Houserocker Johnson and The Shadows play the blues at Blind Willie’s. Ron Cooley and the Hard Times rock the blues at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. The Rainmen pour some 60s/70s good time rock n roll into Big Tex. 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. Bike on over to see sci-fi classic ET (1982) during midnight madness at the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema.

Sunday, September 1

Atlanta’s best Retro bands and movie all-day/night festival, DRIVE INVASION 2013 invades the world-famous Starlight Drive-In again. Headlining from the farthest reaches of the galaxy is MAN… OR ASTRO-MAN?, with Memphis garage thud legends The Oblivians, as well as surf, garage, honytonk and monsterganza from Gargantua, The Intoxicators!, The Pits, The Mystery Men?, Kill Baby Kill, Ghost Riders Car Club, a special tribute to The Penetrators, and more. This year’s flicks take off at dark with an ’80s sci-fi blowout with THE LAST STARFIGHTER (1984),THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKAROO BANZAI ACROSS THE EIGHTH DIMENSION! (1984), and JOHN CARPENTER’S: THE THING (1982). Catch Retro Reviews by Aleck Bennett of all three cult classics here.

Dragoncon also continues in downtown Atlanta. Our top picks of what to do on Sunday include The Artifice Club’s Mechanical Masquerade: The Retropolis. For more info, check out our interview with Kool Kat of the Week Talloolah Love! Treat the kids to a final morning matinee of ET (1982) at 10:30 a.m. at Landmark Midtown Art Cinema. Have a bluegrass brunch with Banjolicious at Big Tex starting at noon. Tony Bryant Blues Band bring on the blues style at Fatt Matt’s Rib Shack. Sample a spoonful of blues courtesy of Uncle Sugar at Northside Tavern. The Jez Graham Trio jazzes up The Family Dog with Sam Skelton. And Woody Allen’s BANANAS (1971) kicks off 10 Days of Woody Allen in this fall’s Director’s Series at 7:45 p.m. at The Plaza Theatre.

Ongoing

Johannes Vermeer’s GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING visits The High Museum of Art, along with other Dutch masterpieces by Rembrandt and more, through Sept. 29.

Every Tuesday night, Wednesday morning and Thursday night is Retro Cinema at Movie Tavern.

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.

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This Week in Retro Atlanta, Aug. 19-25, 2013

Posted on: Aug 21st, 2013 By: Anya99

Monday, August 19

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. Northside Tavern hosts its weekly Blues Jam featuring blues and southern soul singer Lola Gulley. Enjoy your BBQ with a side of Dry White Toast at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack.

Tuesday, August 20

Get Abby Normal with Mel Brooks‘ horrifiably hilarious YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974) at Northlake Festival Movie Tavern, as they continue their August retro cinema classic series of Classic Comedies! Kool Kat Calu Cordeira mixes tiki libations during Mai Tai Tahitian Tuesday starting at 9 p.m. at the Dark Horse Tavern. Grab your horn and head over to Twain’s in Decatur for a Joe Gransden jazz jam session. Blues it down with Nathan Nelson & Entertainment Crackers at Northside Tavern. Crosstown Allstars brings the blues to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack, and Danny ‘Mudcat’ Dudeck fires up the blues at Blind Willie’s. Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs hosts a weekly Bluegrass & Hootenanny Jam led by Jason Koornick & Hank Weisman.

Wednesday, August 21

Surf on down to the Star Bar to see The Mystery Men?, Gemini 13 and the Andy Browne Troupe. For the uninitiated, Andy used to lead a certain legendary local alt-punk band called The Nightporters. Catch up on a recent documentary about these guys directed by Andy’s co-conspirateur, guitarist Ray Dafrico, here. Experience an alt-rock foursome with Big Head Todd & the Monster, Soul Asylum, The Wailers and Matthew Sweet at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. It’s Ladies Night at Johnny’s Hideaway which plays hits from Sinatra to Madonna for a generally mature crowd. Danny “Mudcat” Dudeck brings the Piedmont blues to Northside Tavern, and Frankie’s Blues Mission deliver some soul to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. Greet the day abby normally with an 11:30 a.m. matinee of YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974) at Northlake Festival Movie Tavern’s Retro Cinema series this week!

Thursday, August 22

Joe Gransden is back at Café 290 for a release party for JAZZ CONTRASTED: TRIBUTE TO KENNY DORHAM, his latest album with Russell Gunn.Get your boogie on at Mary’s, as the East Atlanta venue gets funky with their weekly Disco in the Village. Relax with a cocktail while listening to the groovy sounds and spectacle of Jaye Lish & The Birds of Paradise Drag Show at vintage tiki bar, Trader Vic’s. Ross Bon blues it on down with Atlanta Boogie at Blind Willie’s. Go to Northside Tavern to hear the classic 50s Chicago-style blues of The Breeze Kings. Get on over to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack to hear the honkytonkin’ blues of Chickenshack. It’s 80s/90s Retro Video Night with free drinks ’til 10 at The Shelter. Doug Ratner & the Watchmen bring their brand of country fried rock ‘n’ roll down from Massachusetts, with Georgia’s own Caleb Warren & the Perfect Gentlemen kicking things off with their ragtime Dixieland blues at Red Light Cafe‘s Bluegrass Thursday. And it’s your last chance to re-animate YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974) at Northlake Festival Movie Tavern!

Friday, August 23

Klimchak Live! Nostalgia for the Future! returns to The Balzer Theatre at Herren’s for his third annual summer performances tonight and Saturday including a new performance of Klimchak’s Lebeato Lounge. The Retro-inspired musician also will be making a bunch o’ Punch while playing a glass xylophone tuned with punch. At intermission the audience gets to drink free punch, and the show will also feature a preview of music from this fall’s production of The Navigator performed by Klimchak and Kool Kat Nicolette Emmanuelle, as well as live versions of several Marimba Lumina & theremin pieces from his new recording “Nostalgia for the Future.” The Rebirth Brass Band comes up from the Big Easy to liven up Smith’s Olde Bar with Georgia Soul Council. John Hiatt & the Combo play Variety Playhouse with pop-country up and comers Native Run. We’re not betting our old video cameras that Rob Lowe will show up, but you can relive the ’80s in Atlanta and benefit AIDS Walk at a Club Rio/Weekends Reunion at The Shelter. An ’80s Party is also the theme for an OTP gig by Denim Arcade, featuring Kool Kat Becky Cormier-Finch, at Craze Tavern in Duluth. Epitome brings their blend of contemporary jazz and R&B rhythms under the dinosaurs at Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis and IMAX. Danny “Mudcat” Dudeck delivers the blues to Northside Tavern, and Delta Moon serves up the blues at Blind Willie‘s. Set It Off explodes the blues at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. For a midnight movie delight, go to the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema to visit WAYNE’S WORLD (1992) just outside of Chicago. MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL (1975) brings coconuts and at least one killer rabbit to The Plaza Theatre at 9:40 p.m., followed by your chance to Do the Time Warp again at THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW with full costumed floor show by Lips Down on Dixie every Friday at midnight.

Saturday, August 24

The Grant Park Summer Shade Festival takes off with food, art, vendors and live music including honkytonk/swing by The Cigar Store Indians, southern roots/rock from The Higher Choir, real down n dirty Bama rock n roll by Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires, another chance to hear a rare Atlanta performance by The Nightporters‘ Andy Browne Troupe and more! The Star Bar throws a Country Western Rock & Roll Party including Mississippi Shakedown; Caroline & The Ramblers, featuring Kool Kat Caroline Hull Engel; The Banditos; and Julea & Her Dear Johns featuring Kool Kat Julea Thomerson. The Rebirth Brass Band stays away from the Big Easy to liven up Smith’s Olde Bar for a second night, this time paired with Waterseed. Klimchak Live! Nostalgia for the Future! plays a second night at The Balzer Theatre at Herren’s (see Friday for details). The Jagged Stones, featuring Kool Kat Keef Richards, rock Dixie Tavern in Marietta. Get your glam on at Kavarna in Oakhurst when Jerome Newton and The Band Who Fell to Earth perform Bowie‘s entire ZIGGY STARDUST album at maximum volume as per the instructions on the original LP! Led Zepplica rocks the Variety Playhouse back to the ’70s with Janah. Fringe Factory Radio presents a 529 PSYCHEDELIC FREAKOUT with Bipolaroid, from New Orleans; Andrew and the Disapyramids, featuring Kool Kat Joshua Longino; Athens’ The Rodney Kings and Fringe Factory DJs. Descend into The Basement for a Keep on Movin’ Rock & Soul Dance Party. Danny “Mudcat” Dudeck bring the Piedmont blues to Northside Tavern, and The Electromatics spark up the blues at Blind Willie’s. The Hollidays make it a soulful night at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. Zydeco T plays Big Tex. Take a look at well…the bright side of life…er, death with Monty Python’s LIFE OF BRIAN (1979) at 9:40 p.m. at The Plaza Theatre. 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. And you have a second chance to rhapsodize in WAYNE’S WORLD (1992) during midnight madness at the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema.

Blair Crimmins.

Sunday, August 25

Day Two of the Grant Park Summer Shade Festival features ’20s ragtime from Blair Crimmins & the Hookers, Michelle Malone and more. Have a bluegrass brunch with Banjolicious at Big Tex starting at noon. DJs Tim Lawrence and Agent 45 add a Retro sound to dunch at The Earl. Tony Bryant Blues Band bring on the blues style at Fatt Matt’s Rib Shack. Sample a spoonful of blues courtesy of Uncle Sugar at Northside Tavern. The Jez Graham Trio jazzes up The Family Dog withJoe Gransden. British cult comedic classic MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL (1975) hilariously spoofs the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table at The Plaza Theatre at 9:40 p.m.

Ongoing

Johannes Vermeer’s GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING visits The High Museum of Art, along with other Dutch masterpieces by Rembrandt and more, through Sept. 29.

Every Tuesday night, Wednesday morning and Thursday night is Retro Cinema at Movie Tavern.

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.

Category: This Week in ATLRetro | TAGS: None

This Week in Retro Atlanta, August 12-18, 2013

Posted on: Aug 13th, 2013 By: Anya99

By Arla Lehtinen
Contributing Writer

Monday, August 12

Jazz it up with Bumpin the Mango at Café 290 every second and fourth Monday of the month. Northside Tavern hosts its weekly Blues Jam featuring blues and southern soul singer Lola Gulley. Enjoy your BBQ with a side of Dry White Toast at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack.

Tuesday, August 13

Come to The Plaza Theatre for an unforgettable night of horror and comedy with Tim Burton’s modern classic BEETLEJUICE (1988), presented by Splatter Cinema. The film starts on the big screen at 9:30 p.m., but come early to have your photo taken in a scene from the film, recreated in incredibly realistic fashion. Read our Retro Review here. Seventies pop rocker Peter Frampton and blues legend B.B. King take to the stage among others as Frampton’s Guitar Circus arrives to the Verizon Wireless Amhitheatre in Alpharetta. Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton take over the office in 9 TO 5 (1980) at Northlake Festival Movie Tavern, as they continue their August retro cinema classic series of Classic Comedies! Kool Kat Calu Cordeira mixes tiki libations during Mai Tai Tahitian Tuesday starting at 9 p.m. at the Dark Horse Tavern. Grab your horn and head over to Twain’s in Decatur for a Joe Gransden jazz jam session. Blues it down with Nathan Nelson & Entertainment Crackers at Northside Tavern. Crosstown Allstars brings the blues to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack, and Danny ‘Mudcat’ Dudeck fires up the blues at Blind Willie’s. Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs hosts a weekly Bluegrass & Hootenanny Jam led by Jason Koornick & Hank Weisman.

Wednesday, August 14

Kim Lenz & The Jaguars are just about to release their new albun FOLLOW ME and arrive to Smith’s Olde Bar to perform a gig and the title song from the new album. Kim Lenz is this week’s Kool Kat, so make sure to read our interview with her here. Before Kim and her band take the stage, hometown honkytonkers Chicken & Pigs open up the show at 8 p.m. Toto has endured changing trends and gone through decades of success since the ’70s. Now they arrive to The Chastain Park Amphitheatre to fill the darkening evening with familiar songs as they play a show with Kansas, who are celebrating their 40th year in rock. Old enough to feel Retro? It’s Ladies Night at Johnny’s Hideaway which plays hits from Sinatra to Madonna for a generally mature crowd. Danny “Mudcat” Dudeck brings the Piedmont blues to Northside Tavern, and Frankie’s Blues Mission deliver some soul to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. Greet the day with an 11:30 a.m. matinee of 9 TO 5 (1980) at Northlake Festival Movie Tavern’s Retro Cinema series this week!

Tongo Hiti.

Thursday, August 15

Get your boogie on at Mary’s, as the East Atlanta venue gets funky with their weekly Disco in the Village. DJ Osmose presents an all vinyl selection of vintage records and modern edits from around the world. Relax with a cocktail while listening to the groovy sounds of Tongo Hiti, featuring Kool Kat Big Mike Geier, at vintage tiki bar, Trader Vic’s. Tommy Brown joins The Shadows as they fill the night with blues at Blind Willie’s. Go to Northside Tavern to hear the classic 50s Chicago-style blues of The Breeze Kings. Get on over to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack to hear the honkytonkin’ blues of Chickenshack. It’s 80s/90s Retro Video Night with free drinks ’til 10 at The Shelter. Yankee Dixiestrum on down to Red Light Cafe for a Bluegrass Thursday with Holly Renee Allen. And it’s your last chance to see Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton in 9 TO 5 (1980) at Northlake Festival Movie Tavern!

Friday, August 16

Get your fix of the Queen of Pop at Mary’s, as the East Atlanta venue play Madonna’s best songs to celebrate her birthday in their annual Madonna-rama. Put on your favourite Madonna outfit for a chance to win prizes and drink tokens. ATLRetro friend Senator Artie Mondello comes to visit The Drunken Unicorn with Hunx & His Punx and Hunters. Wham Bam! Bowie Band! and Atlanta’s own Nirvana tribute band Nameless Nameless join forces to give you a fully loaded tribute night at 529 Bar. Salsa Dance Night featuring Salsambo Dance Studio brings Latin rhythms to spice the evening up under the dinosaurs at Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis and IMAX. Stoney Brooks delivers the blues to Northside Tavern, and Luther “Houserocker” Johnson & The Shadows serve up the blues at Blind Willie‘s. Rough Draft bring their mixed sounds of R&B and jazz to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. For a midnight movie delight, go to the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema to see PINK FLOYD: THE WALL (1982). Do the Time Warp again at THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW with full costumed floor show by Lips Down on Dixie every Friday at midnight at The Plaza Theatre.

Saturday, August 17

Come join Kool Kat Rebecca DeShon of HoopEssence in a Hula Hoop World Record Attempt at Piedmont Park. Personal hula hoop skills are not required, so don’t be afraid to come and cheer for Rebecca! Head out to Yaarab Shrine Center to support your chosen team as Atlanta Rollergirls reach the Home Team Playoffs. Denim Demons clash with Apocalypstix, and Toxic Shocks battle Sake Tuyas to determine who gets to continue on to fight for the League Championship in September. First bout starts at 5 p.m. Kool Kat Caroline Hull Engel and friends take to the stage when Alanna Royale and Caroline and the Ramblers team up to play an early show at Eddie’s Attic. Kool Kat Jeffrey Bützer brings a bit of intown Bohemia OTP to Roswell for a gig at the Swallow at the Hollow. Back in Atlanta, The Whiskey Gentry, featuring Kool Kat Lauren Staley Morrow, take over Center Stage with American Aquarium and

Caroline Hull Engel of Caroline & the Ramblers

Radiolucent. The show starts at 8 p.m. An hour later, Star Bar is filled with their own set of bands to give you a nice selection to choose from. Athens’ The District Attorneys, featuring Kool Kat Drew Beskin, rock out with Great Peacock and Blue Blood. One of America’s most successful and long lived bands comes South when Chicago bring their hit rock n’ roll ballads to the Verizon Wireless Amhitheatre. The Breeze Kings bring the blues to Northside Tavern, and Sanda Hall joins The Shadows to fire up the blues at Blind Willie’s. Willy Jackson takes the stage at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. 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. If you missed it on Friday, there’s a second chance to skip an education with PINK FLOYD: THE WALL (1982), playing at midnight at the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema.

Kitty Love.

Sunday, August 18

Join Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard as they search for love in the big city in Blake Edwards’ beloved BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S (1961), playing at 4 p.m. on the biggest screen in Atlanta at the Fox Theatre. Head to Red Light Cafe for a Disney themed burlesque evening. Kool Kat Kitty Love once again hosts her Sultry Sunday, this time featuring burlesque tribtutes to your favourite Disney princesses. Have a bluegrass brunch at Big Tex starting at noon. Tony Bryant Blues Band bring on the blues style at Fatt Matt’s Rib Shack. Sample a spoonful of blues courtesy of Uncle Sugar at Northside Tavern.

Ongoing

Johannes Vermeer’s GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRINGvisits The High Museum of Art, along with other Dutch masterpieces, through Sept. 29.

EXTREME MAMMALS from sabertooth tiger skulls and wooly mammoth fur to contemporary creatures such as the duck-billed platypus invade Fernbank Museum of Natural History through August 18.

Every Tuesday night, Wednesday morning and Thursday night is Retro Cinema at Movie Tavern.

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.

Category: This Week in ATLRetro | TAGS: None

This Week in Retro Atlanta, August 5-11, 2013

Posted on: Aug 6th, 2013 By: Anya99

Joe Gransden.

By Arla Lehtinen
Contributing Writer

Monday, August 5

Swing back to the golden age of jazz at Café 290 every first and third Monday of the month for Big Band Night with Joe Gransden and his amazing 16-piece orchestra. Melvins bring punk rock to The Loft at Center Stage as their 30th Anniversary Tour with Honky rocks through Atlanta. Northside Tavern hosts its weekly Blues Jam featuring blues and southern soul singer Lola Gulley. Enjoy your BBQ with a side of Pead Boy & the Pork Bellies at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack.

Tuesday, August 6

Adam Ant livens up Center Stage with his unique show and lets The Good, The Mad & The Lovely Posse and Prima Donna join in on the fun. See Zeppo Marx’s last role in a Marx Brothers film and let all four brothers delight you in DUCK SOUP (1933) at Northlake Festival Movie Tavern, as they continue their August retro cinema classic series of Classic Comedies! Kool Kat Calu Cordeira mixes tiki libations during Mai Tai Tahitian Tuesday starting at 9 p.m. at the Dark Horse Tavern. Grab your horn and head over to Twain’s in Decatur for a Joe Gransden jazz jam session. Blues it down with Nathan Nelson & Entertainment Crackers at Northside Tavern. J.T. Speed brings the blues to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack, and Danny ‘Mudcat’ Dudeck fires up the blues at Blind Willie’s. Steve’s Live Music in Sandy Springs hosts a weekly Bluegrass & Hootenanny Jam led by Jason Koornick & Hank Weisman.

Wednesday, August 7

Head to The Earl to witness The Mar-Tans land in Atlanta as they play a gig with The Secondhand Swagger. Jazz it up with Frank Barham and his jazz quartet at Elliot Street Pub. For blues go to Sweet Georgia’s Juke Joint and listen to the sweet sounds of Beverly ”Guitar” Watkins. Old enough to feel Retro? It’s Ladies Night at Johnny’s Hideaway which plays hits from Sinatra to Madonna for a generally mature crowd. Danny “Mudcat” Dudeck brings the Piedmont blues to Northside Tavern, and The Hollidays deliver some soul to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. Greet the day with an 11:30 a.m. matinee of DUCK SOUP (1933) at Northlake Festival Movie Tavern’s Retro Cinema series this week!

Andrew & the Disapyramids.

Thursday, August 8

Ghost Riders Car Club, featuring Kool Kat Spike Fullerton, bring their authentic honkytonk music to The Clermont Lounge. The Plaza Theatre welcomes you to a little flower shop featuring a bloodthirsty plant in LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS (1986), playing on the big screen at 5:15 p.m. and again at 7:15 p.m. Get your boogie on at Mary’s, as the East Atlanta venue gets funky with their weekly Disco in the Village. DJ Osmose presents an all vinyl selection of vintage records and modern edits from around the world. Relax with a cocktail while listening to the groovy sounds of Andrew and the Disapyramids, featuring Kool Kat Joshua Longino, at vintage tiki bar, Trader Vic’s. Tommy Brown joins The Shadows as they fill the night with blues at Blind Willie’s. Go to Northside Tavern to hear the classic 50s Chicago-style blues of The Breeze Kings. Get on over to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack to hear the honkytonkin’ blues of Chickenshack. It’s 80s/90s Retro Video Night with free drinks ’til 10 at The Shelter. Yankee Dixie strum on down to Red Light Cafe for a Bluegrass Thursday with Holly Renee Allen. And it’s your last chance to see the four Marx brothers in DUCK SOUP (1933) at Northlake Festival Movie Tavern!

Jeffrey Butzer. Photo credit: Melissa J Butzer.

Friday, August 9

With just one more months to go before Dragoncon, Atlanta offers two dance party events in one night to get you into the cosplay spirit. This month RITUAL sets up a party for all things that go bump in the night. RITUAL’S Midsummer Night’s Mare invites all sorts of mosters to doll up pin-up style and take a spin on the dance floor at The Shelter. Starting just a little later, Middle Earth Fairytle Ball takes over Museum Bar in ”Renaissance Pirate Steampunk Superhero style.” There will be a costume contest and a fashion show by Doctor Madness Custom Creations. If dancing is not what you’re yearning for tonight, there’s plenty of live music to choose from. Go visit The Drunken Unicorn and hear Jeffrey Bützer & The Bicycle Eaters, featuring Kool Kat Jeffrey Bützer, as they take to the stage with The Octopus Project and The Purkinje Shift. Fancy a night of modern retrobilly, Americana rock and some coutry swagger? Head to Red Light Cafe and get a chance to listen to The Serenaders, Kris Youmans Band and Lauren St. Jane all in one night. Enjoy an evening of ”rumba Gitano” under the darkening sky when The Gipsy Kings wander to The Chastain Park Amphitheatre. Gregory Peck takes on the role of lawyer Atticus Finch, defending a black man under false charges in the cinema classic, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962), playing at Marietta’s art deco Earl Smith Strand Theatre at 8 p.m. The Breeze Kings sound their classic Chicago-style blues underneath the dinosaurs at Fernbank Museum of Natural History’s Martinis and IMAX. Eddie Tigner & Friends bring the blues to Northside Tavern for a B’day Bash, and Sanda Hall joins The Shadows to serve up the blues at Blind Willie‘s. Atlanta’s own trio Jigsaw Johnson bring their sounds to Fat Matt’s Rib Shack. For a midnight movie delight, go to the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema and catch a few laughs with MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL (1975). Do the Time Warp again at THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW with full costumed floor show by Lips Down on Dixie every Friday at midnight at The Plaza Theatre.

Elvis Royale. Photo courtesy of Kingsized.

Saturday, August 10

ELVIS ROYALE! brings back the King to Variety Playhouse for one night only. Big Mike Geier and his Kingsized Rock ‘n Roll Orchestra are joined by Dames Aflame as they celebrate the music of Elvis Presley. Come enjoy the Vegas glitz dressed up in you favourite Elvis style and enter the ”Getcha Elvis On” contest. Head south of the city for the Bible Belt Burlesque Birthday Barn Burner. It’s a full night of burlesque with Lola LeSoleil headlining the event and Talloolah Love gracing the stage as MC for the evening. Special guests include Persephone Phoenix, Rena Rhinestone and magician Chad Sanborn. Unfortunately though Kool Kat Fonda Lingue‘s The Jewel Box Revue has been postponed and won’t be happening tonight. The Sexual Side Effects, a hard rockin’ neoglam band featuring Kool Kat Amber Taylor, is one of the many taking the stage at The Basement for the 2013 IMR Music Festival. Another Kool Kat shows her talents at Eddie’s Attic, when Kool Kat Amy Pike grabs the mic as Bonaventure Quartet celebrate the release of their new album. Rock out at The Highlander with Ledfoot Messiah, AM Gold featuring Kool Kat Joel Burkhart and Lightnin Ray & The Mystics, while Earl Smith Strand Theatre gets rocked back to the 70s when DEPARTURE: The Journey Tribut Band takes over the stage at 8 p.m. Ike Stubblefield brings the blues to Northside Tavern, and Big Bill Morganfield fires up the blues at Blind Willie’s. Mike Lowry and his band bring their guitar driven blues based rock toFat Matt’s Rib Shack. 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. If you missed it on Friday, there’s a second chance to catch a few laughs with MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL (1975), playing at midnight at the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema.

Rod Hamdallah

Sunday, August 11

Kool Kat Kitty Love celebrates the Goddess in every woman and throws an Empress Tea Party. Enjoy tea, tarot and dancing with special brunch menu items and become the Empress of your own life. Small admission includes unlimited hot tea. Blues man and Kool Kat Rod Hamdallah brings his sound to the stage at Smith’s Olde Bar among many others, on the last day of the 2013 IMR Music Festival. Have a bluegrass brunch at Big Tex starting at noon. Tony Bryant Blues Band bring on the blues style at Fatt Matt’s Rib Shack. Sample a spoonful of blues courtesy of Uncle Sugar at Northside Tavern.

Ongoing

STRAY DOGS by Matthew Myers and directed by Peter Hardy plays at The Essential Theatre through August 10 in revolving repertory as part of the 15th Annual Essential Theatre Play Festival with the unsettlingly provocative MYSTERIOUS CONNECTIONS by Hardy and directed by Ellen McQueen and SWIMMING WITH JELLYFISH by Katie Grant Shalin and directed by Bill Murphey.

Johannes Vermeer’s GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRINGvisits The High Museum of Art, along with other Dutch masterpieces, through Sept. 29.

EXTREME MAMMALS from sabertooth tiger skulls and wooly mammoth fur to contemporary creatures such as the duck-billed platypus invade Fernbank Museum of Natural History through August 18.

Every Tuesday night, Wednesday morning and Thursday night is Retro Cinema at Movie Tavern.

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.

Category: This Week in ATLRetro | TAGS: None

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