atlanta’s sugarhill says goodbye on tuesday

This just seen on Creative Loafing’s Crib Notes:

“Next Tuesday will be the last night for Sugarhill — Atlanta’s premier destination for live soul and progressive urban music…. Much of the onus for the club’s closing lies with “Underground [Atlanta] mismanagement,” according to co-owner Richard Dunn, who partnered with Jason Carter (Sol Fusion promoter), Freddy Luster (former co-owner of Yin Yang Café), and Rival Entertainment/Center Stage co-owners Josh Antenucci and Tom Cook to open the venue in September 2006…. While Dunn is “99 percent sure” that Tuesday night will be the last night of business for Sugarhill, he says the owners hope to find a new location for the venue “sooner than later.” He plans to make the announcement of the closing official next week. That provokes a larger question — where will Atlanta’s progressive urban/soul scene migrate to next?”

Read the full article on Creative Loafing.

stone soul picnic – perkerson park 5/3

It’s gonna be a scorcher this Sunday!

But never fear, there will be plenty of cool soul and chill vibes to balance it out.

Break out your blankets, lawn chairs, and picnic baskets, and BRING YO’SELF to Perkerson Park this Sunday, May 3. From noon to 8pm, some of Atlanta’s most soulful DJs will spin, and there will be plenty of food and drinks on hand for the entire family.

Start the warm weather outdoor party season off right, and give yourself something to daydream about at the desk on Monday…. See you there!

cheers,

k

highland tap’s 20th – nightly specials 4/27-5/3

Thank God there are still some people who know how to celebrate their birthdays in grand style!

Highland Tap turns 20 years old this week, and they’re offering old and new patrons a host of tasty specials and nightly events during their weeklong celebration April 27 – May 3.

To kick off the festivities, co-owner Chip Ney held a small gathering to showcase some of Chef Bert Chapman’s appetizer creations. Here’s the rundown of my favorites:

Seared Ahi Tuna
As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not a huge fan of tuna. But Chef Bert makes me wanna eat those words along with every morsel of tuna on the plate. The medallions of tuna were seared perfectly with a nice edge of firmness on the outside and a cool, melt-in-your mouth center. Accented by a marinade with flavors of sesame and soy, little slivers of wakame, and a hint of very subtle smokiness that must come from Highland Tap’s hickory grill…. I couldn’t stop eating them!

Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes
Dense, meaty, lump crab with a crispy panko crust, nicely seasoned, but not so much that the delicate flavor of the crab had to compete with anything other than the fork and the gnashing of my teeth.

Spinach Artichoke Dip
You’d think there’d be nothing spectacular to mention about something so pub-pedestrian as spinach-artichoke dip and toast points. But, surprisingly…there is. The dip is delightfully smooth and creamy without being overly cheesy – the flavors of spinach and artichoke still shine through. The bits of toasted French bread are crisp enough to stand up to the creamy dip, but still soft enough that they don’t end up raping the roof of your mouth.

Perfect Martini
In a city with as many discriminating boozers as this one, if you’ve been awarded the prize of Best Martini in Atlanta, you’d better have the stuff to prove it. Highland Tap’s medaled martini is a stellar example of form meeting function. A pour of the vodka-version comes served in standard martini glass along with a sidecar of extra martini in a tiny pitcher on ice. The fact that I can keep topping off my glass after I’ve taken a few sips, somehow makes the perfect tasting cocktail taste even better.

Here’s the list of nightly specials that Highland Tap will offer this week:

Entrée Choices – $20
Monday – Baby Back Ribs with Fries
Tuesday – Country Fried Pork Chop with Mac & Cheese
Wednesday – Crab Cakes with Mashed Potatoes, Asparagus
Thursday – Jumbo Sea Scallops with Stir Fry Veggies
Friday – Petite Filet with Choice of Side
Saturday- Steak Oscar
Sunday – Seafood Fettuccine

Wine Choices – $20/ bottle
Monday – Fairvalley Sauvignon Blanc
Tuesday- Louis Latour Pinot Noir
Wednesday- Pine & Post Chardonnay
Thursday- Hahn Merlot
Friday – Clos Du Bois Marlstone
Saturday – Penfolds Cab
Sunday- Glass Mountain Chardonnay

Beverage Specials
Sam Adams High Gravity Beer – Bucket of 4 – $20
2 Grey Goose Vodka or Bulldog Gin Martinis in a Shaker- $20
Sam Adams Draft- $2 (keep the glass)

cheers,

k

prince on tavis smiley next week – sneak preview

In case you haven’t heard, Tavis Smiley’s interview with Prince will air on PBS next Monday and Tuesday night. Honey Soul has posted a couple of sneak previews of the interview. Here’s one of them:

 

Tune in to Tavis Smiley on Monday, April 27 and Tuesday April 28 at 11pm ET to see the full-length interview with Prince.

And if you haven’t gotten your copy of Prince’s 3-disc release Lotus Flow3r / MPLSound…get some.

Thanks to Honey for the share and remember to set your DVRs kids!

cheers,

k

alice walker archive exhibit opens at emory

The legendary, Georgia-born author and human rights activist Alice Walker unveiled her literary archive at Emory University this week. Entitled, “A Keeping of Records: The Life and Art of Alice Walker”, The exhibit includes a collection of manuscripts – the most noteworthy being the manuscript for her Pulitzer prize winning novel, The Color Purple. Letters, photos, and other memorabilia will also be on display as part of the exhibit, which runs through September 27.

In an interview broadcast on WABE this morning, Walker explained that one of the reasons she chose to donate her collection to a Georgia instituion was that she wanted “her Georgia kin to be surrounded by their own culture”.

What a wonderful gift from a living legend.

The archive is on display at the Robert W. Woodruff Library on Emory University’s campus.

Alice Walker speaks tonight at 8pm at the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts on Emory’s campus. The topic: Reflections on the Turning of the Wheel, Living a Life of Freedom and Choice. Admission is free – tickets are required.

visit Alice Walker’s blog

view a slideshow of the exhibit

 

cheers,

k

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

i’m listening to: tawiah – further away

Buy on | Listen | Watch

 

Track: Further Away (2009 single)

Sounds Like: sexy, angry, funky soul from across the pond

Makes Me Wanna: do a pole dance in a futuristic strip club at zero gravity; cut up pictures of my ex

Filed Under: british soul, UK soul, female vocalists, new funk

Other Albums / Tracks: In Jodi’s Bedroom (2008 EP)

 

Tawiah’s bold, brash lyrics and husky-smooth voice were first highlighted on her 2008 EP – In Jodi’s Bedroom. With the track Further Away, we get another taste of this UK youngster whose in-your-face sound blends effortlessly with an electro-tinged background complete with laser effects and a booming bassline. This track is so addictive it’ll leave you fiending for more!

cheers,

k

  

record store day – support your local indie music purveyors

Saturday, April 18 is Record Store Day!

Before the Internet revolution, there was really only one way to get your hands on independent music that the big box stores weren’t stocking on their shelves. You had to visit the indie record store in your neighborhood and browse the stacks. But today, the convenience of the 1-click download has caused many of us to forego those visits to these stores. Unfortunately, that means we’ve also forgeone the whole experience of in-store music shopping that creates a feeling of community and gives such a rush to us true music lovers. There’s nothing like going to the record store, chatting up the owner, getting some new recommendations and striking up converstations with fellow shoppers who either share your own musical tastes or can open you up to a new genre or artist you would have never found on your own.

National Record Store Day is a nationwide celebration of the indie music retailers who are keeping that feeling alive. Participating stores will have lots of goodies on hand throughout the day – including food / drink, live DJs, and contests / giveaways.

So while you’re out running your Saturday errands, and shopping for your locally-grown organic veggies and what-not, stop by your neighborhood record store and get some of that local-grown, organic music to take home witcha!

Here’s the list of Atlanta-area record stores that are participating in this year’s event:

Circle Sky Records

Atlanta, GA

Criminal Records

Atlanta, GA

DBS Sounds

College Park, Ga

DBS Sounds II

Forest Park, GA

Decatur CD

Decatur, GA

Fantasyland Records

Atlanta, GA

Low Yo Yo Stuff

Atlanta, GA

Moods Music

Atlanta, GA

North Georgia Compact Disc

Norcross, GA

Super Sound Music # 2

Decatur, Ga

SUPER SOUND MUSIC #1

Atlanta, GA

Wax’n'Facts

Atlanta, Ga

Wuxtry

Decatur, GA

cheers,

k

atlanta film festival starts this week!

“Since 1977, the Atlanta Film & Video Festival, organized by IMAGE and held at the High Museum of Art, IMAGE and other venues, has dispensed thousands of dollars worth of awards to artists and has grown into one of the most important “artists’ festivals” in the country.”

~excerpt from the AFF website

The 2009 Atlanta Film Festival begins in only two days and this year’s lineup has got me so excited I can hardly contain myself! The festival lasts from April 16-25, and all screenings will occur at the Landmark Midtown Art Cinema on Monroe Drive.

I’ve just finished scouring the site to assemble my personal festival schedule (they’ve even got a handy tool that I used to synch with my Outlook calendar). Honestly, there were lots more that I wanted to see than what I ended up with, but alas, time and budget won’t permit. 

Here are my picks:

Friday, April 17th
10:30 PM Animation Extravaganza 1

11:00 PM Squeezebox

Saturday, April 18th
12:00 PM Prom Night In Mississippi

9:55 PM Documentary Shorts 1

Sunday, April 19th
1:00 PM Rain

3:15 PM Six Continents Shorts

8:30 PM Animation Extravaganza 2

Thursday, April 23rd
7:00 PM Goodbye Solo

Saturday, April 25th
12:00 PM The Garden

4:00 PM Diversity On Screen

Visit the Atlanta Film Festival site to view the full schedule and to create your own festival schedule; or click here to find locations where you can pick up an official festival program.

happy viewing,

 

k

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