By Summer Stanley. It’s been eons since RuPaul dominated the A-town underground club scene, plastering the city with his own posters adhered with wallpaper and wheat paste, frustrating any would-be hoodlums’ attempts to tear down his image. As he advertised himself in 1983, RuPaul is still “Red Hot.” At Outwrite Books, Atlanta’s foremost queer bookstore on the corner of 10th and Piedmont, RuPaul is not in drag. Still, down to the orange silk
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An Interview by Nikki D. Bosompem. Atlanta native Laurah Norton Raines is pretty busy these days. Having achieved such accomplishments as writer, teacher, as well founder/editor of her own on-line literary magazine to boot, it is a wonder that she has the time to write such compelling, award winning short stories, such as Old Scratch and Medicine. Both of these stories won first place in the Creative Loafing fiction contest
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By Dee Corley. African Children’s Choir on A Journey of Hope, Michael Flatley’s Lord Of The Dance at The Cobb Center, Jamie Cullum, The Pursuit, Craig Ferguson, Agatha’s Mystery Dinner Theatre, A Fun Getaway With Dinner, Princess Diana Celebration Month at The Atlanta Civic Center, Crime In Stereo, The Wonder Years, Destroy The World, 7 Sisters Entertainment, OTEP, Envy on the Coast, Fall of Troy, The Chariot, Deathloch, Reverse Negative and more, Infected Mushroom, Full Metal Prophet, Babylon System, Chris Grass, Captain Crunk at The Masquerade, and more
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By Summer Stanley. After a long workday, in the midst of Atlanta’s rush hour traffic, there exists a happy alternative to stalling on Interstate 75 or winding slowly down Peachtree Street. Midtown’s Hotel Palomar, located on West Peachtree Street across from the staple Biltmore Hotel, is the eye of the urban grind storm, offering a complimentary
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By Nikki D. Bosompem. Despite the fact that a substantial snowfall blanketed Atlanta on Friday, February 12th, the originally scheduled date for the Goodie Mob concert, the legendary Hip Hop quartet “made it rain” at 9 PM on Saturday, February 20th to a packed Tabernacle Music Hall. Fans old and new came out and represented
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By Camillia Harris. Stacia, a native of Cleveland Ohio, comes to us with the sounds of Reggae and Soul. Stacia has a passion for soul music so she creates music geared towards life, love, and liberty. Stacia says, “Music has always been a love of mine.” Her musical experiences derive from her childhood. As a child she played in the orchestra, played the violin, and was a member of her high school gospel choir. Stacia started out doing background vocals for various local hip hop artist and live music with local musicians, which helped build her self-confidence to embark on her own dream of becoming an artist.
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By Gus Fernandez. I woke up last week in a hurry, late for class. In a hasty search for my keys in the living room I found a stranger on my couch, just stirring from a night’s rest. One good-morning-nod later, I had moved my search into the kitchen, where another stranger was rolling up her sleeping bag. I had to wait to brush my teeth too, because someone was in my bathroom.
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By Jon Adam Green. Ask former Gravel Undertone frontman Sean Thompson how he came to play for Teddy and the Bears, and be met with a simple reply.
“It was only inevitable this would happen,” remarks the scruffy-faced, SG-wielding lead guitarist as he nurses a Miller High Life during a Friday afternoon practice session. “Me and Ryan (Ryan Ross, drummer) worked together and he’d always come in with these songs [...] Eventually it happened one day when I was like, ‘These are really good. What are you doing with these?’”
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By Rosey Sumrall. Crafted with the materials of an old pub and salvaged artifacts, RiRa in Midtown has an atmosphere you cannot find at other bars. Their menu says it best:
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By Gus Fernandez. 529 in East Atlanta hosted our own Subsonics last Saturday. I’d been personally counting down the days until this show when I found out it was happening. Subsonics seem to have been playing in Atlanta for an eternity, their first release dating back to a seven inch from back in 1993. Clay Reed, brains behind the outfit, has been
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By Rosey Sumrall. There is a new kind of music seeping into the streets of Atlanta. It is new, but familiar. It is simultaneously rebellious, emotional, and sexual; something that grabs onto your collar, pulling you into what feels like a music video and leaving you wanting more.
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By K. Nola Mokeyane. Thanksgiving holiday was the catalyst for many locals and visitors’ desire to check out what the city of Atlanta’s nightlife potentially had to offer, but unfortunately many were not privy to the exuberant musical performance of Citizen Icon live at Vinyl. This independent rock band, consisting of four musicians right out of Atlanta, Ga., introduced a handful of newcomers to the chemistry they share
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By Madison Massey. The metro Atlanta area is dotted with hundreds of tucked away culinary gems. Field Good Gourmet Deli, featuring the refined creations of Chef Christophe Le Metayer, is a North Fulton jewel that should not be missed. Hailing from France, with over 25 years of gastronomic experience, Le Metayer remains humbly understated in a world of overboard cuisine.
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By Audra Biddle. I have been lucky enough to know the members of Groove Stain for quite some time now, and therefore rarely miss a show. Atlanta’s own 5-piece rock/reggae ensemble consistently brings a lively, engaging vibe to whichever venue they play, and their upcoming performance, this Thursday, December, 17th, at The Masquerade is sure to be no exception.
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By Josh Fritz. It was a cold Saturday night in Atlanta on the 12th of December, but don’t tell that to anybody who was downstairs in the Masquerade that night. A hardcore punk show was getting started and the audience was ready to burn some of the energy that they had burning inside of them. The Street Dogs were headlining the show, with the billed guests listed as Radio Nowhere, Stigma and Roger Miret & The Disasters. There were also
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By Summer Stanley. Kudos to Author’s Apology, truly a band of bleeding hearts, for displaying good form and sweeping their opening act last Tuesday. Aside from the emo blend and sappy sound, the songs resemble more a prayer booth confession than an apology. Nevertheless, the boys deserve praise for their enthusiastic performance and their oft-expressed gratitude for sharing the stage with such esteemed acts as forgetters and Gentlemen Jesse and His Men.
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By Summer Stanley. Everybody knows you have to belt the blues. And when the lights grow dimmer, and the mood becomes softer, you have to croon them. Sue G. Wilkinson, along with her eight member band gets you high when you feel low, and when you’re low they get down with you.
A veteran musician, Sue G. Wilkinson tackles the keys at the Five Spot in a rousing performance, with a spunk equal to any barroom brawl. But the Five Spot is no saloon, and this band is far from dive-ey. Rather, they’re lively. When joined with the bass, guitar, drums, trumpet, saxophone, not to mention the diva-licious backup babes, The Sue G. Wilkinson Band is an experience in jumpin’ and jivin’.
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By Audra Biddle. Houston Perry wanted to spoof the 1970’s London punk scene, and what resulted is hardly a laughing matter. The Bloodplums are to be taken very seriously. Featuring members of Atlanta’s own hip-hop/funk band, Heavy Mojo, The Bloodplums formed just two years ago and have already developed a sizable following. These guys are slowly sneaking through the back door of our city’s indie/punk scene and stealing the show at staple venues such as Lenny’s, where they most recently played, and Andrews Upstairs, where you can catch their next show.
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By Summer Stanley. She’s the ultimate diva, the reigning queen of the happily-ever-after love song, Eminem’s recent arch-nemesis, cougar, frequenter of the A-town clubs, close friend of our own artist, Jermaine Dupri. Though her movie, Glitter, flopped, her far less glamorous performance as a social worker in Precious is now raking in critical acclaim. Like the jewels ornamenting her flossy frocks, Mariah Carey just keeps getting better with time.
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By Summer Stanley. Whether you are heading to a metal show at Lenny’s or to the bottom of a pitcher at 97 Estoria, chances are you will pass through the Krog Street Tunnel. Intersecting Dekalb Avenue and Wylie Street, the graffiti-blanketed tunnel conjoins more than Cabbagetown and Inman Park. From the humblest tag – an artist’s signature, to intricate pieces – in the sense of slang for masterpieces – the tunnel is a cultural hub. Along with its 4 and ½ star ranking on yelp.com, the tunnel has that other factor which makes something a place: pathos.
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By Camillia Harris. Martin Crosby of Digital World Music has the creativity, the spunk, the charisma, the experience and the Northern flava to go along with what he has to offer as a producer. Martin originally from Cincinnati Ohio, now based in Atlanta, creatively displays more than 15 years of experience. As a producer along with engineering skills, Martin has an exceptional talent in writing and creating music.
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By Nikki D. Bosompem. Remember PM Dawn, Arrested Development, A Tribe Called Quest, and De La Soul? These were just some of the rap groups who chose to flow about social issues over the more popular “gangsta rap” themes seen in the late 80’s and early 90’s.
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By Summer Stanley. As per usual, Luckie Food Lounge is in full swing with a full crowd on Wednesday night. DJ Infamous and co. man the turntables as the star studded, dudded-up crowd bump n’ grind to Nicki Minaj, Lil’ Wayne, and of course, the man of the hour, birthday boy Gorilla Zoe.
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By Summer Stanley. What has always been my general love for food has lately morphed a more concentrated obsession. Not unlike Gawain seeking his Grail and armed with the passion of a religious zealot, I have searched far and wide for the best macaroni and cheese Atlanta has to offer. Surprisingly, it wasn’t at some picnic-tabled barbecue dive, and neither was it at some million-star, million-dollar, rapper-owned hot spot. It turns out the place to go to get your mac’ on is also full of candle-lit nooks for getting macked on.
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By Dee Corley. UNIVERSOUL Under The Bigtop Continues, events at The Masquerade, Professionals Date and Dash With an RSVP at The Mood Lounge, Tom Rhodes at The Punchline Comedy Club etc.
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By Josh Fritz and Rachael Spencer. On a cool and brisk Tuesday night, Rachael Spencer and I sat down with Will Brown from the band Romeo Spike for an interview. A very cordial young man and was quite welcoming to us both. After talking for a bit, we dove directly into the interview. The other band members weren’t able to make it to the interview, but did provide answers. Through the four of them, this is the end result.
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By Nikki D. Bosompem. Authors of urban literature, also known as street literature, have steadily made a formidable presence on bookshelves since its humble beginnings in the early 1970’s. The pioneers of urban literature boast such authors like Iceberg Slim and Donald Goines who opened the doors to a world of survival on the streets by doing whatever was necessary. For them, that meant unabashedly writing stories about what really went on in their lives as hustlers.
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By Nikki D. Bosompem. This was my first visit to the High Museum of Art since I was a small girl and it’s been 20 years since I stepped over its threshold. I have always wanted to go back to the High (as we Atlantans call it) because my experiences were enthralling but as adulthood ensued, I never made the time. I was born in the 70’s, raised during the 80’s. I was bathed in culture
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