Call me Ebeneezer Scrooge, but this particular holiday not even Mariah Carey’s Christmas album on loop was contagious enough for this grinch to catch the merry bug buzzing around the block.  Vagina Jenkins, Atlanta’s premiere prima donna and Creative Loafing’s “Best Burlesque Dancer” finally launched me into the spirit of the season.  The Big Freeze: A Holiday Spectacular, starring the Lady Miss Jenkins herself and local playwright Johnny Drago, is a blitz (bling+glitz) of local talent at the Eyedrum, the non-profit performance art space located just south of downtown.

The celebration begins with a variety show including Dickie Van Dyke’s groovy drag performance as Elvis singing “Santa Claus is Back in Town.” The show also included trapeze, by aerial artist Mel Mushill, and valiant effort by ambientdischord (Vivian Elliott) to rouse the crowd with her song “Queer Revolution.”

Honorable mention goes to Sadie Hawkins for her lyra routine – trapeze hoola-hoop – simultaneously the ribbon-wearing girl-next-door with the thousand-watt smile and the vixen showcasing a bicep strength I had previously attributed only to Madonna, as well as to Alex Abarca and Corian Ellisor for lavishing the audience with their man-on-man, packed muscle-on-muscle contemporary dance routine.

After the cabaret is Johnny Drago’s play, “Little Fruitcake’s Non-Specific Winter-Holiday Miracle,” which follows the plight of male prostitute Little Fruitcake – performed by Drago – in his efforts to escape his pimp, Sweet Nuthin’ (Emma Crandall).  In an admittedly “low-brow” twist on “It’s a Wonderful Life,” former Mayoral candidate Kyle Kaiser pokes fun at himself in a surprise cameo. He plays Little Fruitcake’s laptop toting, blackberry-texting “Non-Specific Winter Holiday Angel.”  Nods to infamous locales such as the recently ill-fated Cleremont Lounge charm, receiving enthusiastic cheers of recognition.

Ever classy and ever Atlanta’s own, Vagina Jenkins delivers in an unforgettable burlesque, the soundtrack of which began with the classic “Carol of the Bells” and slowly transitions into funkier tunes the closer Ms. Jenkins becomes to pasties.  With a lengthy set, multiple costume changes, and a lovely silhouette number performed behind a backlit sheet, the tease is complete in this fabulous finale to a heartwarmingly unconventional holiday extravaganza.

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.

Luciano Giarrano especially maintains the spotlight when Author’s Apology frontman’s pesky guitar string busted after the first song.  Giarrano banters for the crowd while technical errors are rectified.  With his guitar, keyboard, and tambourine skills, as well as his penchant for letting out an occasional yawp, Giarrano epitomizes the uniqueness and range of a star on the rise.

Gentleman Jesse and His Men, a headliner in their own right, are reminiscent of an edgier, unapologetic Beach Boys.  Blending punk lyrics and rock ’n’ roll doo-wop, these guys have a good-time singing about having a good time.  Atlantans don’t just love Gentleman Jesse’s stuff because of local pride but also because of the band’s relating to the young party set through carefree lyrics such as “All I need tonight is you.”

From their tatted-up bassist onstage, bumming a cigarette off his girlfriend, to their drummer’s inexplicable black eye, this band is the face of Atlanta’s new local hip boy.  Gentleman Jesse is a fresh return to happiness in indie rock, memorializing the good times just as they are in “Xmas Song”: “I’ll be getting over my hangover/on Christmas morn’/ and that’s the way I’ll celebrate the day Jesus was born.”

Before Gentleman Jesse’s star track has risen completely out of your humble native reach, this is definitely a band to get behind—or at least get a date with—if you’re feeling lucky.

The Drunken Unicorn reaches full capacity for forgetters.  The legendary Blake Shwarzenbach, formerly of the so-raw Jawbreaker, and Kevin, Against Me!’s first drummer, teamed up with bassist Caroline Paquita for a powerful new trio.  Gone are the days of Jawbreaker. Gone are the (good) days of Against Me! forgetters, true to their name, leaves little room for nostalgia.

In fact it is greatly due to their diminutiveness in number and in name (the “f” is purposefully lower-cased) that this band oozes understated swagger.  Mahon’s gangster trills and punctuated beats are the punch behind Shwarzenbach’s gravelly declarations.  When united with Paquita, who more than holds her own on the bass alongside two of modern music’s greats, forgetters pumps out one finely crafted punk anthem after another.

forgetters plays a respectably lengthy set, but the crowd still craves more.  Shouts of “When’s the album coming out?!” are finally met with a hesitant answer of February. Until then, this was not a show one could easily forget.

The Red Light Café presents the Atomic Rockets and Psycho Devilles
(21^st at 8:00pm)
Located on Amsterdam Avenue, the café is full of art work from locals, giving it an artsy feel. Both bands are in the rockabilly genre. Grab an after dinner drink at The Red Light, and spread your musical horizon wings a little farther.
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The Soul Shakers playing at Blind Willie’s
(22^nd at 9pm)
In Virginia Highlands there is a Cajun restaurant by the name of Blind Willie’s. They have been infamous for years for being one of the best blues clubs around. The Soul Shakers are a rhythm and soul rock and roll band. They are very influenced by the 50’s and 60’s. Come get some Cajun food and listen to The Soul Shakers for $5.
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Cavalia in Atlantic Station
(22^nd at 8:00pm; 23^rd at 3:00pm & 8:00pm; 26^th at 3:00pm & 8:00pm; 27^th at 2:00pm and 7:00pm)
Cavalia is not something to miss in your lifetime. It takes place in the huge white tent you may see in your peripheral view while driving on the highway. Come be amazed by the strong and magical bonds that are held between these acrobats, dancers, and the 60 beautiful horses.
Tickets

Day Before Christmas Eve Jam at The Five Spot
(23^rd at 9:00pm Doors Open)
The Five Spot is very diverse, on other nights they feature live art, animations, and many genres of musicians playing. The jam will be featuring Uprise, Charlie P, and EP3 PA Set. If you can make it before 10:00pm, you’re free!
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Halo Lounge holds the Matzo Ball
(24^th at 8:00pm)
This will be a high-energy night full of matchmaking and networking. The Society of Young Jewish Professors has been presenting this ball for 23 years now. They encourage Jewish singles to come out, but all nationalities are welcome! It is surely to be a crazy night full of partying at the magical Halo Lounge.
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Ice Skating at Centennial Park
(24^th at 10:00am – 5:00pm; 25^th at 5:00pm – 10:00pm)
Atlanta’s only outdoor ice skating rink is in the middle of Centennial Park! It’s the thirteenth year of their holiday tradition, which includes their extended holiday hours. At only $7, this is definitely a fantastic holiday event.
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The Laughing Skull Lounge presents comedian Dan Mengini
(26^th at 8:00pm & 10:00pm; 27^th at 7:00pm & 9:00pm)
In the back of the Vortex Bar and Grill is where the Laughing Skull Lounge settles. They are the smallest full-time comedy venue in the world, but bring some of the bigger names in. Dan has been on Adult Swim, One Tree Hill, and has over 35 television appearances. This is a great chance to experience both great comedy and an atmospheric restaurant in the heart of Little 5 Points.
Tickets

Atlanta Botanical Gardens presents Holiday Nights
(26^th - 30^th at 5:00pm – 10:00pm)
Take a relaxing walk through the magical gardens full of lights and take a look at the model trains chugging along. Take advantage of their extended hours! There will be holiday music accompanying you through your journeys, along with a cash bar!
Tickets

There are ticking time bombs in every city, ordinary people capable of doing great things. They wait tables, answer phones, sit in traffic. Unfortunately for some, they tick forever and never explode, but in the case of Ryan Stang and Kid Stuff, the fuse is hot and short. On the brink of blowing up, Kid Stuff already boasts a local draw more sought after than some of Atlanta’s more established bands just months after playing their first show.

…There are ticking time bombs in every city, ordinary people capable of doing great things…

Ryan is an Atlantan at heart, having spent the last few years in Alaska as a bicycle tour guide. He returned last year much to the delight of his friends and family. Since then he’s been a regular all over town at local rock and roll shows from the 529 or The Earl to The Highland Ballroom. A lover of music, Stang’s built friendships with devoted members of the scene including garage folk-pop group The North Trolls, Small Reactions, and This Piano Plays Itself. He calls himself a fan of these bands, but his passion lies in hip-hop and programming beats.

Before moving to Alaska, Ryan was squatting with Kyle Withrow, now in charge of booking at 529, at the Peachtree Hills apartments, which had supposedly been vacated to be leveled and replaced with new housing. While managing free rent, Stang built himself a make shift studio in one the bedrooms where he could program beats over which future Kid Stuff melody-man Tim Kohler would rap using his alias “The Electric Jew”, and record Withrow’s ongoing acoustic projects.

Perhaps because of the illegal nature of the operation, this whole project was kept secret from the world, and eventually was undone when Stang left the state.

… more sought after than some of Atlanta’s more established bands just months after playing their first show …

After returning, Stang struggled to settle back in, waiting tables at multiple restaurants, looking for a place to live with a nice big basement to make music in. Luckily for Atlanta, Ryan found his basement on the east side.

Tim Kohler of Hannah Barbarian soon after hauled his keyboards down to Ryan’s basement and put his contagious pop sensibility to work, writing hooks and vocal melodies over thumping beats. Sam Jacobsen, formerly of Small Reactions joined in with his synthesizer, adding another layer of swagger, dance moves, and impressive skill, never missing a note while wailing on the tiny keys of his Korg.

“The band is just about having fun,” Kohler says, “We just want people to forget about work, girlfriends, boyfriends, finals, and have fun”. The band’s first show was in the basement in which it was born, named, ‘The Funderdome’ by the group. Friends piled in wearing tie-dye t-shirts that had been homemade by Ruti Jones and friends especially for the occasion, and it was a complete mess of a success.

… “The band is just about having fun,” Kohler says, “We just want people to forget about work, girlfriends, boyfriends, finals, and have fun”. …

Ruti Jones became an official member at a Wonder Root show, their first performance outside of the Funderdome, when she was called up to sing back-ups on their cover of Aaliyah’s, “Are You That Somebody” (a 90’s classic). The dynamic between the four was completed as she added harmony, rhythm on tambourine, and most importantly, always a new idea to make the next show as much a visual experience as a musical one. The band makes and wears costumes. They bring in their own light show to venues. They put friends to work, gearing them up in homemade paper mache masks to wear in the crowd. They truly put on a performance.

Beginning the year, Ryan Stang’s social circle knew him as the guy who makes dance music in his basement. Now he’s quickly marking accomplishments off his list, having made people dance behind his mysterious box of beats at The Earl with Gil Mantera’s Party Dream, and 529 headlining a show with Living Rooms, and there’s more to come.

… will work together to make sure the event will force out the troubling emotions caused by real life …

The band is planning a show with The North Trolls to release a split on tape titled, “North Kids Trollin’ Fer Stuff”. The bands, each with an energetic live show, will work together to make sure the event will force out the troubling emotions caused by real life.

If you are looking for a place in Atlanta that is both relaxing and beautiful, check out Piedmont Park. Since 1904 Atlantans have been visiting this serene park located 2 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta. It runs down 10^th Street and Piedmont Avenue.

Piedmont Park offers its guests a myriad of things to do. One of the most enjoyable activities is following one of the four walking paths. Along the way you will pass fountains and plush green grass along the Clara Meer Lake.

Along with walking there are many other exercise related activities for you and your family. During the summer there is a swimming pool available at the Aquatic Center. Twelve tennis courts are available to the public if you want to hit some balls. Bicycle and rollerblading paths are separate from pedestrian walking paths so you can move faster. Along with two soccer fields, two sand volleyball courts and two softball fields. At Piedmont Park you can really get into shape!

If you would prefer to do less walking and more relaxing- then you are in luck! Piedmont Park stocks Clara Meer Lake with fish and all are welcome to catch them. They also provide guests with grills and picnic facilities if you want to have an outdoor party. You can also do one of the most relaxing things offered here- bird watching. With more than 175 identified species, there is plenty of watching to do.

Now what about the dog? Piedmont Park allows dogs to walk with the owners when on a leash; but one of the park’s best features is the separate Dog Park. They have enclosures for large dogs (above 30 lbs) and small dogs so everyone can play with dogs of the same size. Inside this gated park your dogs can be off leash, as long as they play well with others. There is also a watering hole right in the middle, so be sure to bring a dog bowl for some fresh water.

Activities and events are always being held at Piedmont Park, including a recent Paul McCartney concert that attracted approximately 40,000 people for a two and a half hour concert to raise money for Piedmont Park’s upcoming expansions.

Check the website for upcoming events and for all the information you need. They are found at www.piedmontpark.org. Go check it out and have some fun!

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 romping around Atlanta, spitting out twangy surf punk on vinyl ever since compact discs were the cutting edge.

This guy’s durability alone is enough to make the Subsonics worthy of recognition. The fact that he’s downright cool, sporting a look and attitude that could brand him a title such as Atlanta’s Iggy Pop doesn’t hurt him either, so seeing them play is not only like witnessing a little snippet of Atlanta history, it’s a great way to spend a night snapping fingers and shaking shoulders.  These guys rarely play out at all anymore, making this show all the more anticipated. The Subsonics don’t have much of a reputation for playing many shows, though. In fact the Subsonics’ main criticism is their lack of touring. Many fans of the group will tell you that the band could have really taken off with some more time on the road, but are the Subsonics a case of a missed opportunity? Well, in the eyes of an Atlantan such as myself, I say that’s not the case at all. The band has stayed true to its stomping grounds, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but maybe I’m just being possessive.

Also on the bill on Saturday, and excitedly so, were Atlanta newbies (compared to Reed’s veterans) The North Trolls, and Balkans. The North Trolls were admittedly psyched to be involved in the occasion. For them, the excitement for the night’s show began immediately after showing up, when they learned that the Balkans were all under-age, earning the rest of the bands more drink tickets, as the young Balkans would not be allowed to consume alcohol. Excellent.

After the North Trolls’ quick set of fast, southern style pop punk, the Balkans took the stage. Young age is not taken into consideration in this case. These guys play a low-fi style of hyper rock-n-roll, the singer’s Strokes-like voice putting them in the same category of a band like The Walkmen. It’s impressive.

And so then came the Subsonics, playing their music for a crowd mostly half their age, for musicians and fans who are being passed the torch lit by the band on stage. There was a feeling of respect in the room, made obvious when alluring Buffi Aguero (who plays drums standing up) asked if someone would bring her a vodka tonic, and multiple men handed her her drinks just moments later.

Needless to say the show was a success. Having moved to Atlanta only nine years ago, when Subsonics had already been around for a long, long time, I consider myself lucky to have been able to see them still. I recommend that we all look into the good music coming from Balkans and The North Trolls soon, as it shouldn’t be expected for many other bands to last as long as Subsonics have.

When one thinks of culinary Atlanta, one imagines traditional Southern cuisine: shrimp and grits, pit barbecue, turnip greens with fatback, and pecan pie. But that is a narrow representation of Atlanta’s diverse culinary offerings. Culinary Atlanta also offers a wide variety of more urban, modern cuisine. Some of these offerings include new variations on old favorites, while other dishes reflect the diverse cultures of an ever changing population.

One restaurant that has received much deserved attention is Two Urban Licks (820 Ralph McGill Blvd, Atlanta, Ga 30306; 404-522-4622). Since its opening in 2004, this revamped warehouse has been nominated for several awards, including Best Place to Take an Out of Towner. Chef Scott Serpas’ salmon chips have also been featured on ABCs daytime talk show, The View. The restaurant is noted for “fiery American cooking,” live blues performances, and small plates perfect for sharing or for enjoying solo. The unique wine wall, which stands 26 feet tall, holds over 40 stainless steel barrels and dispenses wine through a gravity-flow pouring system. Fruit- infused cocktails also hang from the rafters, adding an interesting flare. In addition to the main dining room, guests can dine in the courtyard or the patio. “This bluesy high-end grill is the ultimate hidden-in-plain-sight jewel.” (Conde Nast Traveler Hot List)

The menu features savory entrees that reflect traditional Southern ingredients and recipes, but within an updated twist. The popular salmon chips are loaded with short smoked salmon, chipotle cream cheese, capers, and red onion. Another highlight is executive chef Cameron Thompson’s fried chicken served with grilled corn slaw and chipotle honey mustard. Fried green tomatoes are dressed up with shrimp tarter sauce. The seafood lover will enjoy pan seared snapper served with a sweet potato purée, bell pepper confit, and basil vinaigrette. Also popular are the bronzed scallops with Gouda grits, smoked tomato broth, and Pico de Gallo.

Diners who enjoy the traditional tastes of culinary Atlanta will relish the peach cobbler with vanilla bean ice cream or the carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Executive pastry chef Jonathan St. Hilaire shows his playful side with his wide assortment of cupcakes and ice cream. Other crowd pleasers are the banana chocolate bread pudding soaked in vanilla bean ice cream and chocolate mousse.

Whether dining with a friend or an entire party, Two Urban Licks is a great option for anyone who wants a hip and updated taste of traditional culinary Atlanta.

Jennifer M. is an established author who enjoys writing and reviewing many topics including Culinary Atlanta and Culinary Arts. If you are looking for culinary information, or, thinking about a culinary arts career, please visit http://www.culinaryartsecrets.com

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