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Surviving the Atlanta snowpocalypse, Pocket the Moon news, five things I'm diggin' 


Jan11 083

Photo by Patrick Duffy



Well, we've been in the middle of a snowpocalypse here in Atlanta all week. It seems like the entire metro area has basically been shut down since Monday.

Fortunately, though, Geoff and I have still been able to make some progress with Pocket the Moon, and I have some updates for you on the project!

You can now check out the Pocket the Moon website to hear a preview track and see what we've been up to! Click here to listen to "Bridge." This is a song Geoff and I have been doing together since the Novo Luna days, but I'm really excited about the Pocket the Moon version.

You can also find Pocket the Moon on Facebook, Reverb Nation, and Twitter. So add us on there! We may be giving away promotional tickets to shows on Facebook and Twitter, so you could get FREE stuff!

Pocket the Moon website - http://pocketthemoon.com
Pocket the Moon on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pocket-the-Moon/130546320341615
Pocket the Moon on Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/pocketthemoon
Pocket the Moon on Reverb Nation - https://www.reverbnation.com/pocketthemoon

We managed to squeeze in a photo shoot with Belenen before the ice storm hit on Sunday night, so those photos will be coming soon! We're also planning a photo shoot with Alisha Gaspard (I'm ending the "every time a band I'm in gets awesome photos from Alisha, we break up right afterwards" curse). Haha. We're excited to be working with such talented photographers, and we're excited to see what comes from it!

Also, we have our first official show on Saturday, February 5th at Drunken Unicorn. We will be playing with Ether Overdrive and Audiophile with Brennan Johnson, featuring members from Dubconscious, Collective Efforts and Entropy. This is sure to be an awesome night of music and for just five bucks to see three bands, you won't want to miss it! So bring your friends!

In the spring of 2011, you can expect a full album release from Pocket the Moon, and you can also expect to see us play shows with the incredibly talented Nerdkween (who is actually going to play South by Southwest!) and the also incredibly talented Sydney Eloise (who some of you may have seen at The Star Bar when we played there last month).

Speaking of the Star Bar, you can check out a few of our songs from that set in this video, thanks to Dominant Sound.




So make sure you "like" us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and come see us play at the Drunken Unicorn! And thank you so much for your support!!




Shortwave Society

If you're looking for some new things to check out this weekend once the ice thaws, 1880's Dance Party will be playing with Pink Pompeii and Shortwave Society at Drunken Unicorn on Friday, January 14th. It's only 5 bucks, and it will definitely be an amazing night of music you don't want to miss. I will definitely be there so throw on your coat, scarf, and gloves, and come hang out with me and hear some great live music. For cheaper than the price of a movie!


The Head

Also, The Head will be having an EP release show at Vinyl with Young Orchids. I'm definitely going to that show as well. I got the opportunity to see The Head at Star Bar last month, and these guys have a really solid sound. Check it out!


If you're looking for something a little more visual and you missed the Ponce Crush art crawl last weekend, Young Blood Gallery, Kibbee Gallery, and Beep Beep Gallery are still running their exhibits - Anima/Animus at Young Blood, Picturing the Beast: Animal Imagery in Contemporary Prints at Kibbee, and Year of the Rabbit at Beep Beep - featuring some of the cities most talented local artists. Anima/Animus and Picturing the Beast run through January 29th, and Year of the Rabbit runs through February 3rd. Check it out!

There are so many artists doing amazing things in Atlanta, so get out there and support them. Most of the time it's pretty cheap, and it's great to be a part of the community and see what kind of work local artists are creating (in all mediums!). Plus, you can get cheap beer at most music venues, theatres, art galleries, etc. And who doesn't love that?

So I'll end this blog post with a new segment called five things I'm diggin':





1. Jake Shimabukuro's version of "Hallelujah" on Peace Love Ukulele






2. This piece by Kelly McKernan, local artist, entitled Hit Me






3. My friend's blog domesticationfail.com - I'm pretty much the opposite of domestic, but it's really fun to read about her domestic adventures!





4. These hothlanta t-shirts







5. My little brother's writing for DeadJournalist.com now! (Hey, Kev, think you can hook Pocket of the Moon up with a solid review? Kidding, kidding.)

Happy September!! 



Photo by A.D. Gaspard

September is here! And there are a lot of great things going on!

First of all, I have some upcoming events:
  • Friday, September 3rd - Sara Crawford and the Cult Following at Smith's Olde Bar - The Atlanta Room - 9:00 PM - 21+ - $8 - My band and I will be playing a set at Smith's Olde Bar in the Atlanta Room. Also, our good friend Kayesha Belnap is moving back to Utah, so we're making this a send-off show! She's going to sing a song with us, too. :-)
  • Saturday, September 4th 1:00 AM, Sunday September 5th midnight - The short film I wrote, Leapfrog, will air on Atlanta Shorts on PBA 30, Atlanta's PBS Station - Tune in and check it out!
  • Tuesday, September 7th - My chapbook of poems, Coiled and Swallowed, will be released. It will be available here on my website or through Virgogray Press
  • Friday, September 24th - Sara Crawford and the Cult Following at MINT Gallery - 10:00 PM - $4
There are a ton of really great events going on this month that I'm excited about! Here are a few:


MUSIC
THEATER
  • A Confederacy of Dunces - Theatrical Outfit - Running until September 12th - A World Premiere Stage Adaptation by Tom Key based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning Novel by John Kennedy Toole - Directed by Richard Garner - Like Shakespeare’s Falstaff, Ignatius Reilly of A Confederacy of Dunces has the bombastic comic power to subvert reality and his madcap adventures in the 1960s French Quarter of New Orleans prove to be as laugh out loud hilarious as they are brilliantly revelatory of the human condition. It is a tumultuous story, filled with the truly rendered accents and dialects of New Orleans rebels. Two voices, however, dominate: a sharp-eyed omniscient narrator and the sometimes hapless and self-destructive Ignatius J. Reilly. Despite those tendencies, Reilly composes brilliant sketches of his adversaries and dramatizes a set of restrained values that contrasts dramatically with the world in which he moves, through various insignificant jobs and sometimes slapstick mishaps. These are dramatically played off against the equally untidy lives of a host of supporting characters, including his comically oppressed mother, a radicalized girlfriend who taunts him from New York, a strip-bar operator, a pants factory owner, and a Keystonian New Orleans policeman. Richard Garner, Producing Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Georgia Shakespeare Festival, directs.

  • Becky Shaw - Actor's Express - Running through September 25th - Playwright: Gina Gionfriddo - Director: Freddie Ashley - ATLANTA PREMIERE - "Gina Gionfriddo is some kind of genius! Devastatingly funny. Sends little shockwaves of delight through the house." - Newlywed Suzanna fixes her best friend Max up with her husband's beautiful but odd co-worker Becky Shaw. The blind date ignites a fuse that will soon set Becky off in the midst of Suzanna's family. The resulting blast of dysfunctional hilarity has everyone scrambling for cover, but finding none.


                                                                                                                                   
  • The Nerd - Kudzu Playhouse - Running through September 19th - By Larry Shue - Directed by Wally Hinds - This extraordinarily inventive, side-splitting comedy is one of the funniest plays ever written. The action centers on the hilarious dilemma of a young architect who is visited by a man he's never met but who saved his life in Vietnam—the visitor turning out to be an incredibly inept, hopelessly stupid "nerd" who outstays his welcome with a vengeance. "Shue delivers a neatly crafted package that uses some classic comic forms to bring the audience to its knees, laughing."

VISUAL ARTS
/OTHER

  • D. Lammie Hanson - art and music - Friday, September 3rd - 6:00 PM - Avisca Fine Art Gallery - Multi-disciplinary artist D. Lammie Hanson debuts new artwork from her 4 Elements series and perform music she created in conjunction with the art project . Free

     
  • LUCKY STAR: An Evening of Art & Burlesque inspired by Madonna - dooGallery - September 25 - 8:00 PM - $10 donation - Madonna’s unfettered spirit of individuality will be used to benefit The Rainbow Center, an Atlanta-based organization who serves the needs of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered (GLBTQ), those questioning their sexual orientation and gender, their families and friends. The Rainbow Center is a community resource and support center for social, therapeutic, spiritual, educational or volunteer pursuits.
     
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
  • QuickSylver Productions seeking short films for SylverReel: A Night of Shorts - The event will be held at the Midtown Arts Cinema. Built in 1987, operated by Landmark since 2003, and located in the Midtown Promenade Center (at 8th & Monroe), the Midtown Art Cinema is quickly becoming the premier home for independent, foreign language and documentary films in the heart of in-town Atlanta. Click here for submission info.

Thanks for reading, everyone! Hope you all have a wonderful fall, and I hope you all get out there and support local and independent artists!

NEW songs, Leapfrog on TV, upcoming shows, upcoming poetry book release! 



Origin by Manami

I have a lot going on recently, so I thought I'd post a blog about it :-)

Recently, I got the opportunity to play an acoustic set with Be Atlanta. First of all, these guys are freaking awesome. They're doing all of the things I love(d) about groups like Have You Heard, Atlanta Guardian, and 4th Ward Heroes, promoting local music. They host local music shows, they promote local bands, they're constantly posting videos, songs, show listings, etc. Even at their shows, in between sets, they play a playlist of local music. Definitely check out their website - http://beatlanta.com - And check out their shows, too. They have another show tomorrow - Friday, August 27th - with Before the Solstice and Capibara.

They posted a blog about the acoustic show I played the other night, and they even included a couple of videos of some new songs I've been working on:




This one is called "Don't Try So Hard." (Ironically, I was trying way too hard to remember the whole song. It's that new, people!)



And here's "Rooftops." It's about my experience in Mexico.

In other news, my band and I have been trucking along, working on a new EP that we're hoping to release in October. The EP will feature the songs, "You Told Me," "Irresponsible," "Tangled," and the crowd favorite, "Hipster Haircut." Have I also mentioned that my band is ridiculously awesome? These guys amaze me every day with their versitility and talent. I have so much fun practicing with them, and I can't wait for our next show!!

Speaking of shows, I have a few coming up:
  • Acoustic set at the Grant Park Summer Shade Festival - Saturday, August 28th - 12:30 - Historic Bandstand Stage - FREE - All ages - I will be playing an acoustic set this Saturday at 12:30. I am so, so, SO excited to be playing the same event as so many incredible Atlanta musicians! (Like Wade in the Rhythm, The Goldest, and Lindsay Apple to name a few!) I will be hanging out all day after my set checking out the music, so come out to this FREE festival and enjoy some great bands!
  • Sara Crawford and the Cult Following at Smith's Olde Bar - Atlanta Room - Friday, September 3rd - 9:00 PM - $8 - 21+ - My band and I will be returning to one of my favorite venues, Smith's Olde Bar, to rock your face off. Come check it out!
  • Sara Crawford and the Cult Following at MINT Gallery - Friday, September 24th - 10:00 PM - $4 - All ages - This is part of the Rock Science Revival music series! A lot of great bands have been playing these shows recently, and I'm really excited to be joining them!
In other non-music happenings, I recently got some very exciting news about Leapfrog, the short film that I wrote, directed by Michael Tillman. On September 4th at 1:00 AM and September 5th at midnight, Leapfrog will air with some other short films created by Atlanta filmmakers on the show, Atlanta Shorts. The show airs on PBA 30, Atlanta's PBS station. So make sure you tune in for that!

Also, my chapbook of poems, Coiled and Swallowed, will be released through Virgogray Press on September 7th. I will be having a poetry book release night at Cool Beans in the Marietta Square. The date is TBA, but it will be in mid-September! The first half of the evening will be a poetry open mic night, and then I will read a few poems from the book and have copies available for people to purchase. So all of you poets out there, definitely come and join us for this! Read a few poems, bring copies of your books, and we'll have a night celebrating poetry!

Once again, I just want to say thank you all so much for your continued support of my artistic projects! I hope you will all also continue to support other local and independent artists in Atlanta and all around the world. Trust me, we all need your support! (And I will be posting a blog soon with my September artistic event recommendations, so send me those if you have any you'd like me to include!)

And now I'm off to the Star Bar for an awesome FREE night of music brought to you by 4th Ward Heroes and Mixtape Atlanta featuring Tyler Lyle, Little Horn, and Richard Sherfey!

More from Mexico, my upcoming events, and a night of poetry you shouldn't miss 



Photo by me from Guanajuato, Mexico

Hey everyone. I'm still in Mexico! Coming into the last week here. I can't believe it! I will be happy to come home to Atlanta, but sad to leave San Miguel. It's really beautiful here. And I'm definitely changing and growing. As a writer, as a person. I'm finding myself. Finding myself on the rooftops and the terraces with the mountains on the horizon, among the mariachi bands in the Jardin of San Miguel, in the silence of the Catholic churches, in the cleansing waters of the hot springs, climbing the pyramids, in the dancers on the streets of Guanajuato, in my Form and Idea class where our final project involves plaster elbows, listening to the other students read their work, in late night chats at the hostel - drinking wine on the terrace, in the workshops of my playwriting class, in the margaritas at La Cucaracha, on the buses to excursions riding through the rural parts of Mexico, in the markets where a language I don't know buzzes all around me...This has truly been an amazing experience. I've met so many incredible people, so many talented poets, playwrights, screenwriters, non-fiction, and fiction writers. I've learned so much about writing, about art, about another culture, about myself. And I'm incredibly grateful for that.

Well, I'm definitely going to be jumping right back into my crazy busy life when I get home, and I'm really excited about that! I have a lot of exciting upcoming events:
  • Wednesday, August 4th - solo/acoustic show at Actor's Express - A night of theatre and music! - Working Title Playwrights presents Essential Shorts - new short plays written by WTP affiliates presented in concert readings - as part of Essential Theatre's Festival of Plays! I will be playing an acoustic set after the show. See both for just a five dollar donation! The show starts at 7:30 pm - 887 W Marietta St NW # J107, Atlanta, GA 30318
     
  • Sunday, August 22nd - solo/acoustic show - Be Atlanta's Acoustic Sundays - 10:00 pm - FREE - all ages - 197 Howell Dr. SE, Atlanta, GA
     
  • Saturday, August 28th - solo/acoustic show - Grant Park Summer Shade Festival - Historic Bandstand stage - 12:30 pm
     
  • Friday, September 3rd - Sara Crawford and the Cult Following - Smith's Olde Bar - The Atlanta Room - 9:00 pm - $8 - 21+
     
  • Tuesday, September 7th - Release of my chapbook of poems, Coiled and Swallowed, through Virgogray Press

So that's what's going on with me. I hope all of you back in Atlanta are having a great summer full of good times and wonderful art of all kinds! :-)

And I thought I'd pass this onto you, from Kyle McCord (who was featured in my Poem of the Week back in September). For those of you in Atlanta, you should definitely check it out!

Sunday, July 25th come hear Dream Horse Press authors Kyle McCord and Keith Montesano read from their recently released books. They will be joined by special guest Kara Candito. The event will be at 6:00 p.m. at Beep Beep Gallery at 696 Charles Allen Drive, Atlanta. The event is part of the DHP First Book Tour, with readings in seventeen different locations across fourteen states. For any questions about times or directions, contact: kfmccord@gmail.com, or find us on Facebook.

Kyle McCord's book, Galley of the Beloved in Torment, was the winner of the 2008 Orphic Prize. He’s received awards or grants from the Academy of American Poets, the Vermont Studio Center, and the Iowa Poetry Society. He has work forthcoming or published from Boston Review, Cimarron Review, Columbia: a Journal of Art and Literature, Cream City Review, Gulf Coast, Volt and elsewhere. He currently lives and teaches in Des Moines, Iowa.

Keith Montesano’s, Ghost Lights, was published this year by Dream Horse Press. Other poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Hayden’s Ferry Review, American Literary Review, Third Coast, River Styx, Crab Orchard Review, Sonora Review, Ninth Letter, and elsewhere. He currently lives with his wife in New York, where he is a PhD Candidate in English and Creative Writing at Binghamton University.

Kara Candito is the author of Taste of Cherry (University of Nebraska Press), winner of the 2008 Prairie Schooner Book Prize. Her poems and reviews have appeared or will appear in such journals as Blackbird, AGNI, Prairie Schooner, The Kenyon Review, Gulf Coast, Sycamore Review, Nimrod, Contrary Magazine, The Rumpus, Best New Poets 2007, Diode, New South, and The Florida Review. She has received awards for her poetry, including an Academy of American Poets Prize and scholarships from the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference.


So there you go. Make sure you check that out! It should be a great event.

I hope all is well back in the USA.

June/July events! 



Summer - Oil on canvas - by Bisat from DeviantArt

It's summertime! Oh, how I love Georgia summers. :-)

So, if you are a new reader to my blog/website, here's the story. A few years ago, I started a Facebook group called Atlanta Bohemians, a group for any and all kinds of artists in the Atlanta metro area to promote their events, post about auditions/calls for entries, or where art supporters can find information about independent and local musicians, actors, playwrights, screenwriters, film makers, painters, sculptors, poets, authors, and any other kind of artist you can think of. I started sending out monthly lists of different artistic events around the city, and I got a great response.

When I started this website, I thought I would move those lists over to my blog. Because I wanted the website to not only be about me promoting my own artistic projects, but I also wanted to promote and support other local and/or independent artists. I try to do that in other ways too, sharing poetry that I like in my "Poem of the Week," posting photography and art pieces from independent artists on my blog entries, posting music sharing podcasts where I share independent music, etc. I just love art so much. And I think there is nothing more powerful than going to that show where the band plays a song that reaches out to you or going to a play that just completely speaks to you or hearing a poem that just sucks you in or staring at a painting and being incredibly overwhelmed by the complex beauty in life. Art is a reflection of life, art helps us appreciate life, the good, the bad, everything becomes beautiful. I know nothing has helped me more in my own life to really be in the moment, to have real spiritual experiences, to really feel a universal love for everyone and everything than a perfect piece of art at the perfect time. And actually, you don't have to sit in the audience of a hugely popular Broadway musical or go see paintings by artists who have been dead for centuries or turn on the radio to find this art. It's everywhere. It's all around you. And there are tons of living, breathing artists who are writing songs, painting paintings, taking photographs, writing screenplays, making films, performing spoken word, etc. in spite of their 9 to 5 day jobs or their waitressing jobs or their bartending jobs or their low-paying non-profit jobs. And these artists truly inspire me. Working at places like The Georgia Ballet or Horizon Theatre and seeing these people work 60 hours a week for very little pay just because they love art. And if I can inspire one person to go out there and see an original, new play or see a local, unknown band or see an art exhibit from a living Atlanta artist or see an independent film made by a local filmmaker, then it's completely worth it to me.

SO! With that in mind, here are a bunch of awesome things you can do in June and July to support the local artists! And of course, if I have forgotten anything, please leave a comment.

Visual Arts




June 5th - 27th - Young Blood Gallery - "Interior/Posterior" with 6 women artists Megan Kimber, Merrilee Challis, Daisy Winfrey, Chrystal Chan, Jennifer Davis & Lesley Reppeteaux



June 12th - July 4th - Beep Beep Gallery - "The Big Bang" a solo exhibit of new work by Matt Relkin



Friday, June 18th - ASI Gallery - works by Laura Rubio - Opening reception June 18 , 2010 - 7 - 9:30pm - Free admission - Exhibition will run from June 18 - July 18, 2010



July 9th - September 19th - Atlanta Contemporary Art Center - Amy Myers: Feminine Space

Friday, July 16th - Art Party. 30+ artists showing. No theme. Its an art show that morphs into a party with Bands & DJs. Free drinks, $10 donation. 21+. More artists are always welcome. Visit www.dooGallery.com for more information.



Music


Saturday, June 19th - Five Spot - Wade in the Rhythm, Cloudeater, Dan Marshall Project with special guests including Dre-Money - 21+ - 9PM - Advanced Tickets: 7$

Saturday, June 26th - Star Bar - Howlies - Coathangers - Balkans - Mermaids - 21+ - 8$ - 9 PM

Thursday, July 1st - Star Bar - FREE THURSDAY SHOW! - Abby GoGo - Carnivores - Grenadines - 21+ - FREE - 9PM

Wednesday, July 7th - Smith's Olde Bar - James David Carter- Glen Pridgen Band - Brandon Perry - 21+ - 8PM

Saturday, July 10th - Wonderroot - Littlefoot, Cloudmouth, Revo - 9PM

Saturday, July 17th - Star Bar - The Selmanaires - with special guest, Adron - 21+ - 8$ - 9PM



Theatre



Tuesday, June 15th - WORKING TITLE PLAYWRIGHTS Presents Theroun D'arcy Patterson's SEMBLANCES - Staged Reading - Academy Theatre 119 Center St., Avondale Estates, Ga. - 7:30 PM - FREE to WTP members / $5 suggested donation all others at door.

June 12th and 13th - Harvest 2010 The Backyard Plays - Onion Man Productions - A new collection of nine 10-Minute plays by local playwrights!

June 11th - June 27th - A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum - Atlanta Lyric Theatre

June 9th - June 27th
- Reasons to be pretty by Neil LaBute - Pinch n' Ouch Theatre 

July 7th - August 7th - 12th Annual Essential Play Festival - Featuring three plays, Qualities of Starlight by Gabriel Jason Dean, directed by Peter Hardy, Darker Face of the Earth by Rita Dove, directed by Betty Hart, Sally and Glen at the Palace by Peter Hardy, directed by Ellen McQueen



Call for Entries/Submissions

Seeking bands and artists! Children's Restoration Network is trying to break the Guinness World Record for the longest concert by multiple artists at the Red Rabbit in Johns Creek. They are still looking for bands and artists who want to participate, people who want to volunteer to be witnesses, and just people who want to come out and enjoy it all. It will take place from July 10th - July 24th. Learn more at www.worldslongestconcert.com or email Richie Tyre at richie@childrn.org.



Other

Java Monkey Speaks - Open Mic Poetry - Every Sunday at 8:00 pm - Java Monkey coffee shop - Decatur

Friday, July 2nd
- DODEKAPUS PRESENTS: CARNIVAL FUNDRAISER FOR LIVING WALLS - A carnival themed event with games, prizes, food, booze, bands, kiddi pools, a kissing booth, tarot booth, giant twister, screenprinting on site, and much much more - 5:00 PM



There you go, guys. Lots of awesome events to make your summer fun :-)

And I'll leave you with a poem. It's sort of my ode to summers in Georgia.


Georgia June Outside of a Coffee Shop

by Sara Crawford


Thursday night in Georgia June,
outside sitting,
sipping on hot coffee,
with a splash of hazelnut.
Everyone around me sweats bullets, slurping
on smoothies and iced lattes.
To me, the night air is a warm
blanket covered
in stars and fireflies that twinkle
through the sheets.

My bones are growing as we all rotate
through space, but I don’t feel
any older
than the teenager sitting next to me,
her bare feet propped on the chair
in front of her,
toenails painted neon green, her flip-flops (practically made
of straw) are scattered
lazily on the ground beside her.
She laughs, and I laugh with her as if
I am a part of the conversation,
peering at her feet from behind
my magazine.

A couple exits the coffee shop,
opening the door
behind me.
The air conditioning escapes
from inside, whispers to my skin.
Goosebumps rising, I shiver.
The door closes.
I sigh with relief and wrap myself
up in the night, sinking into
Georgia June.



Asheville, SO MUCH GOOD MUSIC, shows with my new backing band, other May events! 






MAY IS HERE!!! May is always one of my favorite months of the year (and not just because my birthday is May 9th!).

I have had the opportunity to see SO many incredible musicians live recently! I recently saw Beach House (who I'm currently totally obsessing over) in Asheville, North Carolina. What a wonderful experience! First of all, I'm totally in love with Asheville. It's a beautiful town in the middle of the mountains, there are tons of really friendly, laid back people, and the music/arts scene is completely thriving. Thursday night, my little brother and I went up to check out an open mic night at the Courtyard Gallery. That was one of the most diverse and unique open mic nights I've ever been to! I had a great time. Afterwards, we just wandered around Asheville where TONS of bands were playing in several different bars/venues. We finally stumbled across a bluegrass band called The Blooms. They were totally ROCKING IT OUT! They had so much energy and passion! It was contagious! People were dancing and having a great time.

Needless to say, the Beach House show was completely amazing, totally worth driving four hours. (They actually played in Atlanta at The Earl the night before they played Asheville, but that show sold out in like five minutes and I couldn't get a ticket! And besides. Any excuse for a road trip!) I just love everything about them, their stage presence, the way Alex Scally's guitar parts intertwine with the organ and the vocals so well, Victoria Legrande's passionate vocals, the overwhelming longing and emotion in every single note. They played every song from their latest album, Teen Dream, which I was thrilled about because I'm completely in love with the album.

I loved being in Asheville. The whole town just seemed to be in love with music the way that I am and everyone seemed so supportive of local and independent musicians. I would love to live in a place like Asheville someday. And I plan on going back and playing a show there sometime in the near future, hopefully with my backing band.

Speaking of the backing band and my music, May is going to be a HUGE month for me/us.

- Monday, May 3rd - 7:00 pm - I will be playing Open Mic Night at Eddie's Attic in Decatur. This is a pretty big Open Mic Night. It's a competition, and the winners win prizes and get a chance to compete in the Open Mic Tournament! Musicians come from all around to play here. You have to sign up for it months in advance! One of the judging criteria is audience response so if you aren't doing anything tomorrow night (er...tonight?), come down and cheer me on :-)

- Wednesday, May 5th - 11:00 pm - I will be playing "9 to 5" by Dolly Parton for 500 Songs for Kids at Smith's Olde Bar. This should be SO much fun!! And it's for a great cause. 500 Songs for Kids is going on all week, so check it out at some point!

- Friday, May 14th - 9:00 pm - Lenny's Bar - FIRST SHOW WITH BACKING BAND - First of all, I'm ecstatic to be playing with these guys. I always leave band practice with a huge smile on my face. They're giving my solo songs so much ENERGY! And they're all such solid musicians. I absolutely love playing music with these guys. And I'm REALLY excited about the Lenny's show because Goodland and Wade in the Rhythm will be joining us!! So make sure you come check that out!

- Thursday, May 20th - 10:00 pm - Smith's Olde Bar - Atlanta Room - We are playing another show (me and the backing band). The Atlanta Room is one of my favorite places to play, and I'm just so excited to be getting out there with the new band!!! So come out and support local music :-)

- Saturday, May 29th - 7:00 pm - Cool Beans - Marietta, GA - We'll be playing outside of Cool Beans, my favorite coffee shop ever. This show is free and all ages, so for those of you who can't get into Lenny's or Smith's, make sure you come check this show out!!!

Of course, we all know this blog definitely isn't just about me and my artistic projects. I just want to share art with people!!! I can't say that enough. I'm just so excited about it all!

So here are a few really cool events coming up in May where you can support local/independent artists!!!

MUSIC

- May 5 - Krog Jam - Electric Duane - The Ruination - Invisible Circus

- May 15 - Star Bar - A Fight to the Death (CD release) - Adron

- May 21-22 - Freedom Fest at The Lake Claire Community Land Trust - Wade in the Rhythm - Selmanaires - Charlie Wooten Project - Carnivores - The Nice Guise - The Jason Allbright Band - Invisible Circus - Abby GoGo and many, many more!

- May 25 - The Earl - Tealights - The Sour Notes - Little Tybee



THEATRE

- Jitney - True Colors Theatre Company - May 2 - 30 - A boisterous gypsy cab station offers a poetic thrill ride look into the vitality of life in Pittsburgh’s Hill District in 1977. A son returns home after twenty years imprisoned to face his father whose station is threatened with demolition. Battling the forces of urban redevelopment, the motley crew of drivers plan, dream and muse in this rich blooded humorous testament to August Wilson’s enduring legacy.

- The Nerd - The Rosewater Theatre - April 23 - May 22 - One of the funniest plays ever written, this extraordinarily inventive, side-splitting comedy was first presented by the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, then produced in Great Britain, then went on to Broadway. The action centers on the hilarious dilemma of a young architect who is visited by a man he's never met but who saved his life in Vietnam—the visitor turning out to be an incredibly inept, hopelessly stupid "nerd" who outstays his welcome with a vengeance.


VISUAL ARTS

- Disaster Planning - May 1 - 30 -  Young Blood Gallery - with Atlanta artists Steven Dixey, Stenvik Mostrom, & Kenn TwoFour



April events! 



Photo by Beverly Crawford

SPRING IS FINALLY HERE! I couldn't be more excited. I always feel like spring is the most hopeful time of the year. For me, anyway.

So. I was at Lenny's last night seeing The Judies, and I was thinking (as I do often), "Wow, there is so much good music going on in Atlanta! I'm so glad to be here right now." Seriously, guys. You can go to any venue in Atlanta virtually any time of the week and see incredible musicians. They're everywhere! And there's music for everyone! The Atlanta music scene is such a great one. You guys should all go take advantage of that!

On that note, there are a lot of great things going on in April, and I thought I'd share my picks for the month with you so you can go check them out! :-)

MUSIC
THEATRE
  • Lookingglass Alice at the Alliance Theatre - 3/31/10 - 5/2/10 - Defy logic – and gravity – in a topsy-turvy, timeless tale of a little girl who journeys through the looking glass to become a queen. Marvel as Alice floats, falls, and flies overhead in a radically reconfigured Alliance Stage. It’s a dizzyingly playful feat of ingenious wonder, peppered with playful acrobatics certain to awaken the kid in all of us. Once you pass through this looking glass, you may never want to come back out!
     
  • THE SHOW! - Out of Hand Theatre - at Horizon Theatre - 4/2/10 - 6/18/10 - A 60 minute late-night Freak Show, Out of Hand style. The Show! is never the same twice because the audience runs The Show. A ridiculously interactive Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Event, The Show! is wild, big fun!!!!
     
  • 100 Saints You Should Know - Actor's Express - 3/18/10 - 4/17/10 - The lives of five people collide in this emotionally charged drama about unraveling faith and the redemptive power of human connection. While Matthew is on an enforced furlough from the priesthood, he seeks refuge at the home of his curious and devout mother. He is followed by Theresa, the rectory’s cleaning lady, who is desperately searching for meaning and completion while trying her best to raise her unruly teenage daughter alone. Through vividly poignant character sketches, we find sometimes that God really is in the details – even when those details get messy. Featuring Carolyn Cook.

VISUAL ARTS
  • Fight or Flight - New work by Kelly McKernan - Beep Beep Gallery - Opening Saturday, April 10th 8:00 pm through May 2nd - In this newest body of work, Kelly McKernan continues to explore her psychological responses to the stresses and struggles of reality. While much of her previous work commented on the consequences of using idealism as a coping mechanism, “Fight or Flight” takes a more direct and personal approach by addressing these responses in terms of biological survival tactics.
     
  • Cartoon Madness 5 - The Lunchbox Show - Alcove Arts Gallery - Opening Saturday, April 10th 8:00 pm - For thirty-five years, metal lunch boxes were a critical accessory for school kids. Starting with the Hopalong Cassidy model in 1951, a lunch box could be a child's most personal statement. While the exterior let everyone know what was the coolest new TV show or pop music group, the interior neatly housed a meal of your choosing (with help from Mom).
     
  • Conor McGrady - On Foreign Soil - Saltworks Gallery - March 19 through April 24 - SALTWORKS is pleased to present On Foreign Soil, featuring new works on paper by New York-based artist Conor McGrady. The exhibition will be on view from March 19, 2010 through April 24, 2010. This is the third solo exhibition on McGrady's work at the gallery.


OTHER EVENTS
  • Collective Conscious Art Show - Friday, April 9th - 8:00 pm - 431 Fair St. SW, Atlanta, GA 30313
     
  • Extremity Experiment - Open Mic Night - Saturday, April 24 - 6:00 pm - Atlanta Contemporary Art Center - As always, we welcome singers, poets and musicians to bless the mic and those looking to network. This experiment will be sure to enlighten and entertain all of your senses.
     
  • Rocky Horror Picture Show at Frolicon - For all of you convention goers out there, make sure you check out Rocky Horror Friday, April 2nd at Midnight (Technically Saturday...). I'll be playing Janet this year and it's carnival themed! Should be a lot of fun!!
     
  • Talking Back to the Muse - Saturday, April 17th - 8:00 pm - Composition Gallery - Poetry Atlanta and Composition Gallery in Candler Park team up for this special evening to celebrate National Poetry Month on Saturday, April 17, 8 p.m. Favorite Atlanta poets will be reading a classic poem followed by a response, rebuttal or rant of their own. It's sure to be a unique evening of poetry.
     

There you go, guys! Lots of incredibly awesome things to check out. I'm definitely going to be at several of those events! So get out there and support your local and independent artists! Share the art! You never know what you'll experience. You could go to a show and the band could play that perfect song that you need to hear, you could see a painting that really touches you, you could see a play that makes you laugh your ass off. There is all kinds of wonderful art going on in Atlanta, so get out there and experience it!

If I missed an event that you'd like to share, make sure you leave a comment here on the blog!

Healing - The show this Friday at Hearth Atlanta - a few March events 



Thanks for all of the support and well wishes from everyone recently! I really have appreciated that. I am so blessed to have so many awesome, wonderful, loving people in my life. (And I'm also really glad that I have so many diverse people in my life of all different ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and with all completely different political and religious beliefs - as was further solidified in the massive healthcare debate that exploded on my Facebook today. Haha. It really keeps things interesting for me, and I just love being around all different kinds of people!)

I'm doing much better. On top of everything else, I randomly got some kind of stomach flu over the weekend that my mom also had, which made for a pretty miserable past couple of days. But today, my flu is gone, I'm on the painkillers for my endometriosis, and I made an appointment with a new doctor for Thursday. So I'm feeling pretty good about things. I feel like it's all a part of a huge shift that I'm going through, even me getting sick and having these endometriosis issues. I can't really explain it, but I feel like something important is happening and there's a huge shift in my life, my attitude, my way of thinking, etc. I feel really good about it, though.

So. As you can see above, I'm playing a show on Friday! It's at the new Hearth Atlanta in Little Five Points, which I'm really excited to check out. I hear it's an awesome new venue. The address is 317 Nelms Avenue, Atlanta, GA. I'll be starting off the show at 8:00 pm. I'll be playing some new songs, some old songs, a new cover or two. And I'm really excited because the night is going to be such an incredible and diverse night of Atlanta music! Headlining the show is one of my absolute favorite Atlanta bands, Wade in the Rhythm. I've gotten a chance to see them a few times and even play with them (as Long Absent Friends), and they always, always put on an awesome show. They're a reggae band comprised of incredibly talented musicians, and I love how positive and spiritual their lyrics are and how they always have the whole crowd dancing. Even if you can't make it for my set on Friday, they are definitely worth checking out! This show is actually all ages! (For once!) And it's BYOB. 7 bucks at the door, 5 bucks in advance. I'd absolutely love to see you there! It's going to be such a fun night! And it will give me a chance to make up for the show I had to cancel last weekend, too! Here's the facebook event.

Sorry I didn't get my March events posting up, but here are some awesome things that are going on the remainder of the month:

Music - Shearwater - Wye Oak - Hospital Ships - The Earl - Wedneday, March 24th - 8:30 pm - 12 dollars - 21+

Film - 5th Annual Women in Film and Television International Short Film Showcase - Midtown Art Cinemas - Thursday, March 25th - 7:00 - 9:30 pm - 15 dollars

Music - Sara Crawford, Wade in the Rhythm, Dre Money, and others at Hearth Atlanta! - Hearth Atlanta - Friday, March 26th - 8:00 pm - 5$ in advance, 7$ at the door - BYOB - All ages - See above

Theatre - The Annunciation...Sort Of: Mary Says "No" by Celeste Miller - 7 Stages Theatre - March 25 - March 28 - Featuring Celeste Miller’s own famous talking dance in rare form, this lively, collaborative piece presents a different outlook on what might have happened if the world’s most beloved religious mother, Mary, had said “NO”. This world premiere is a combination of dance, live music, spoken text, and video, and draws its content from the Gospel of Luke and Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species.

Theatre - Fuddy Meers by David Lindsay-Abaire - Onstage Atlanta - March 19 - April 10 - It’s just another day for Claire... she wakes up and has no idea who or where she is. Her husband greets her with a cup of coffee and her book of memories. But on this morning, a man appears from under the bed and convinces her to go on a journey to find out who she truly is.

(Sorry. I don't have that many event listings for March, but all of these things are definitely worth checking out! Send me your events for April!)

Cool stuff to do in February!! 



Waterfall at Roswell Mill by Gareth Botha


Well February is here! Time for Valentine's Day, wishing it was warmer outside, getting really sick of the whole winter thing, birthdays for Aquarians, all of that crap!

If you've got the "I'm sick of winter" blues, here is a bunch of really cool artistic stuff for you to do! Lots of choices, so don't ever say I didn't tell you about anything cool to do!


Music


- TONIGHT! February 2nd - My band, Long Absent Friends, will be playing at Lenny's Bar along with Goodland, Transloader, and Aftermath. (Goodland features Geoff Goodwin and Chase Adkinson, who I played with in Novo Luna.) Goodland will be on at 9:00 PM, Long Absent Friends at 10:00 PM. The cover is 6 dollars - 21+ - Lenny's Bar - 486 Decatur Street Southeast, Atlanta, GA 30312

- February 4th - Nobody's Darlings, Ordain, The Mitch Hansen Band, and The Issues - 9:00 pm - 6 bucks - 21+ Lenny's Bar - 486 Decatur Street Southeast, Atlanta, GA 30312

- February 4th - Lindsay Appel, Lexi Street & Soul ShakersThe EARL! - 9:00 pm - 7 bucks - 21+

- February 4th - Haji Basim - Library Coffee Company - 2523 Caldwell Rd NE - Atlanta, GA

- February 19th - Trances Arc, The Modern Society, The Biters - The Earl - Atlanta, GA - 9:00 pm - 7 bucks

- February 20th - Elliott Rubin - 8:00 PM at The Uptown Loft, Johns Creek, Georgia - Cost: $5

- February 20th - Laura Veirs & The Hall Of Flames, Cataldo, The Old Believers - Star Bar - 9:00 pm - 12 dollars

- February 26th - Kim Boekbinder of Vermillion Lies, Adron, Rita of Helen Keller's Ukulele - The Drunken Unicorn - $5 for 21+, $7 for 18+

- February 27th - Blair Crimmins & The Hookers, A Fight to the Death - Star Bar - 9:00 pm - 8 dollars




Theatre/Dance

- February 13th - The Voodoo Revue: A Mardi Gras Masquerade! Come and enjoy a night of mayhem and excitement as The Collective transports you back to a time of voodoo magic and old New Orleans. This is event is a fundraiser for The Collective and our newest work Rising Sons performing at 7 Stages February 18th-21st. -  We will have three amazing bands performing, including Skylights and H.M.S. Disco. Also, enjoy comedy, magic, and other acts from Collective performers!  -  The cover is $10 (cash only, please!) and the event is BYOB (must be 21 to drink!) Doors open at 8pm and the show starts at 9pm.  -  Don't forget your mask and your dancing shoes! It is sure to be a fantastic time!

- January 22 - February 7 - Relapse Theatre presents Clive Barker's "A History of the Devil," running January 22 through February 7, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Friday and Saturday performances begin at 7:30, Sunday performances at 5:00. Tickets are $10 at the door, First Come, First Serve!

- February 5th and 6th, 2010 - doors at 7:00 p.m. - Spectrum: Mythos at The Georgia Ballet Studios - Join The Georgia Ballet for an incredible evening of extraordinary performances that showcase the company in contemporary and inventive new choreography! Spectrum: Mythos, An Evening of New Works will include a one hour dance showcase performance, live music, food and drink, and a silent auction with fun and exciting items for everyone.

- February 12 - March 14 - Shooting Star by Steven Dietz at Horizon Theatre - Sparks fly and snowflakes fall as two old flames meet by chance in a blizzard bound airport. Reed, a suit-and-tie with Blackberry, and Elana, a bohemian with rain stick, were once idealistic college lovers. Here they reconnect and share stories deep into the night. Humor, heartache, secrets, and snow. When morning comes and all flights are cleared for departure – what’s the final destination for these two? A delicious, bittersweet comedy with heart and bite.

- Jan 29 - Feb 21 - Alliance Theatre - Tennis in Nablus, A World Premiere by Ismail Khalidi -  Palestine. 1939. Allegiances… and identities… are never what they seem. Under British colonial rule, two nations buckle under conflicting claims to their rightful land. And as the world explodes around them, one divided family seeks to achieve the delicate balance between peace and freedom.




Visual arts

- February 4 - Eyedrum - Ayed Hallim: Instrumentalities - Opening reception for a Small Gallery show of new assemblage works by Atlanta bricoleur Ayed Hallim. Hallim, the pseudonymous alter ego of a former local arts journalist, creates works in found metal, spent packaging, and other repurposed materials. After the reception, Hallim performs during Open Improv on some of the "perjunction" instruments included in the exhibition. Exhibition on view through February 21.

- February 5 - "Columns, Stacks, Heaps, and Piles" by Justin Richel - Young Blood Gallery - Starting Friday, February 5th, YBG will be displaying a series of small-scale works on paper by Justin Richel. This series will focus on small and affordable works from the "Sweets" series.

- February  6 - Art Papers 11th Annual Art Auction - 7:00 to 10:00 pm - Mason Murer Fine Art

- February 13 - March 7 - Beep Beep Gallery - Material - "Material" is a group sculpture featuring five artists working in a variety of media. Artists include: Lucha Rodriguez, Romy Maloon, Crystal Wagner, Chase Folsom, Jessica Orlowski



There you go! Tons of awesome artists to go out and support! :-)

As always, leave a comment if I've left something out.

Stay tuned for another podcast full of music sharing and awesomeness. (Like a mixy but with me talking in between songs so it's legal!)





2010 is looking awesome so far - January artistic events in the Atlanta area 



Photo by Andrew Zucker

Hey everyone! First of all, Thanks for listening to my podcast! I got a lot of positive feedback on it so I'm definitely going to try to do more of those in the upcoming year. I'm thinking more podcasts in the whole "mix CD" format. They'll probably just be essentially me sharing awesome music with everyone.

Secondly, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season, and I hope 2010 is treating you well so far. I rang in the New Year having an awesome time jamming out to the Sealions at the Highland Inn, and I am really looking forward to everything this year has in store.

10 reasons I am excited about 2010:

1. I'll be playing a lot of open mic nights, solo shows, and shows with my band, Long Absent Friends. I already have two solo shows lined up and two band shows.
2. THE 7TH HARRY POTTER MOVIE IS COMING OUT. (That's right.)
3. I'll be writing a play for the Horizon Theatre Apprentice Company to perform this spring.
4. New albums from Arcade Fire, Beach House, Massive Attack, the list goes on!
5. Due to my little brother being awesome, I will be going to see MUSE and the SILVERSUN PICKUPS in February!
6. My poetry book, Coiled and Swallowed, will be published from VergoGray Press sometime this summer or fall.
7. The final season of Lost. Maybe all of our questions will finally be answered.
8. I have gotten a book called The Daily Writer with writing exercises for every day. I've been doing them every day so far, and I really love them. It gives me a chance to stretch my writing muscles for a little bit every day.
9. I'll be starting graduate school with University of New Orleans Low Residency program (MFA in Playwriting) and traveling to Mexico for my first semester this summer!
10. Did I mention THE 7TH HARRY POTTER MOVIE?


There are a lot of things coming up in January in the Atlanta area that are worth checking out. So, let's get started.

My Events
In the Atlanta area...

MUSIC:
Here are some shows that you should check out.
OPEN MIC NIGHTS:
I've been compiling a list of open mic nights that I'm planning on going out to. Open mic nights are great for meeting other musicians, hearing some new voices, or just having a good time. A lot of people have asked me to share my liste of open mic nights that I'm going to check out, so here's what I have so far.
  • MaccrackensMondays - 9:00 pm - Marietta- I've been to this one before. Maccrackens is a really fun bar. Also, on the first Tuesday of every month (at 7:30 pm) The Play Pen has another open mic night there for not just musicians but also writers as well! (I'll be checking out that one tonight!)
  • Eddie's Attic - Mondays - 7:30 -  Decatur - National and local acts perform 2 songs each, with 3 finalists returning for a third song at the end of the evening for a chance to win a cash prize and a spot in the bi-annual, nationally acclaimed Open Mic Shootout. - Musicians - You have to sign up for this months in advance, but it's always a fun thing to do on Monday nights. I'll be playing in May of this year!
  • Ragamuffin - Thursdays - 8:00 - Roswell - I've never been to this open mic night before, but I've heard from other musicians that it's really cool. Actually, Michael (guitarist), Kyle (violinist), and I from Long Absent Friends will be going this Thursday, January 7, to play a short acoustic set. Come check it out!
  • Red Light Cafe - Wednesdays - 8:00 - Atlanta - I haven't been to the open mic night at this venue, but I've played a lot of shows there, and it's one of my favorite venues.
  • Rev Coffee – Wednesdays – 8:00 pm – Smyrna - This one is also new to me, but I've heard good things.
Let me know if you have any additional open mic nights for me to add to the list!


THEATRE:
Here are some cool shows that I'm hoping to check out.
  • The Cantebury Tales - The New American Shakespeare Tavern - January 1 - January 31 - Join us for a medieval romp through boisterous and bawdy olde England. Drawing on the Celtic British influences of Geoffrey Chaucer's writing, this hilarious adaptation reintroduces the tales in forms ranging from classical to spaghetti Western! We've got two new tales to tickle your fancy!
  • Good Boys and True - Actor's Express - Jan 14 - Feb 13 - It’s the 1980s and the boys at St. Joe’s Prep School are clean cut, well bred, Ivy League-bound – and having a lot of sex. When a scandal involving one little videotape threatens to grow beyond closed-door whispers to engulf the entire school, the ugly underpinnings of an elite machine threaten to give way. As one mother struggles to glean fact from fiction, she finds herself face to face with truths about her perfect son and their privileged existence. From one of the writers of the HBO hit “Big Love.”
  • Tranced - Aurora Theatre - Jan 14 - Feb 7 -  A Regional Premiere by Bob Clyman Directed by Susan Reid This suspenseful drama is a twisting tale of recovered memories and political intrigue.
  • On-Demand Reading of A THOUSAND CIRCLETS by Theroun D'arcy Patterson - Working Title Playwrights - Tuesday, Jan. 12 - Academy Theatre, 119 Center St., Avondale Estates, Ga. FREE to WTP members. $5 at-door suggested donation all others.


OTHER EVENTS:
  • January 23 - High Museum, Harper Dance Continuum Theatre presents 2 artists, 1 dancer and DJ Tabone. 8 pm in the atrium. - Artists Vickie Martin and Lance Carlson will paint with "HIGH allowed" material while Tracey Perkinson moves between two canvases of spandex - choreographed by Heather Harper

That's all I have so far. Feel free to add comments to the blog if I left anything out!

Holidays, Atlanta events, good times. 



Reticent by Gareth Botha


Well, December is upon us and there is a lot going on!

First of all, I have several announcements/upcoming events:
  • UNSENT LETTERS CD release - December 15th - On December 15th, I will release my debut album! It will be available here on the website for digital download for 5 dollars or you can order a physical copy for 7 dollars.
     
  • Unsent Letters CD release show at Smith's Olde Bar in the Atlanta Room - Friday, December 18th - 11:00 pm - 8 dollars - 21+ - Come out to Smith's Olde Bar where I will be playing a set and selling my CD (for just 5 dollars!). Come shoot some pool, drink some beer, and hear some music! I would absolutely love to see all of you there!
     
  • New Facebook Page - I have a new artist page on Facebook. So if you are on Facebook, be sure to become a fan for all of the updates, and suggest me to your friends!
     
  • Long Absent Friends shows - I am in a new band called Long Absent Friends, and we are playing our first shows ever coming up! We will be playing on December 27th at 10:00 pm at Smith's Olde Bar in the Atlanta Room and January 8th at 8:30 pm at Red Light Cafe. Come check it out! Especially if you are a fan of the Smashing Pumkins, Stars, Arcade Fire, and/or Broken Social Scene.
     
  • New links - Check out my links page for a couple of new things. For example, my brother, Kevin, has a new music blog which is pretty sweet.

THEATRE

December is a time for theatres to do Holiday shows! Actually, for a lot of theatres in Atlanta, a great portion of their ticket sales comes from these shows. (See this interesting article from Access Atlanta.) So make theatre part of your Holiday traditions!

Some of my favorites:
  • Atlanta Ballet's Nutcracker - December 11 - 27 - Nutcracker has always been a Holiday tradition for me, and I absolutely love this production. (And not just because I played a toy soldier in it when I was 12! Haha.) Combine the beautiful dancing with the gorgeous costumes and set and the imaginative coreography...not to mention Tchaikovsky's classic and beautiful score...and it's really hard to go wrong.
     
  • A Christmas Carol - The Alliance Theatre - Nov 27 - Dec 24 - What is Christmas without a little Dickens? Alliance has always done an excellent job of staging this Holiday classic, and it's really just a fun show.

     
  • Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris - Horizon Theatre - Nov 27- Jan 3 - I have a personal relationship with this hillarious holiday show about an out-of-work 30-something writer who takes a job as an elf at Macy's. Last year, when I was working as an apprentice at Horizon, I did my crew/volunteer hours on this show, and I ran the spotlight. Even though I saw the show literally 30 something times, it was still funny. So check it out!
For more Holiday show listings, check out Access Atlanta or Atlanta Performs.


STAGED READINGS

  • Turning Pastoral by Matthew Katis - Saturday, December 12th - 7:00 pm - Kennesaw State University - FREE - Come out to this staged reading of CMU grad student, Matthew Katis's, new play. 
     
  • Working Title Playwrights presents The Scrapbook: A Modern Christmas Carol by Raymond Fast - Monday, December 14th - 7:30 pm - Academy Theatre - "You can't buy happiness. Nice thought - until you're money's gone. Since Gary's heart attack, he and wife Micki have lost their business, home, and savings. Now Gary thinks their kids and grandkids would be happier not traveling across country to visit them for Christmas. Can the memories awakened by a scrapbook remind Gary that love has no price tag, needs no trappings, and is worth more than anything money can buy?"
Come help these playwrights develop their new works! Your feedback is the most important thing for playwrights!


MUSIC

Three shows that I'm hoping to catch!

Well, that's it for me. If there are any December events that you'd like to mention, be sure to leave a comment here on the blog so that all of my readers can hear about it. :-)

Stay tunes for my Top 10 Albums of 2009. I'm thinking of doing this in a podcast as opposed to a blog so I can actually play some tracks for you. :-)


My music news and five Atlanta bands that everyone should check out! 

There is definitely a lot going on right now for me musically!

First of all, I posted five tracks from Unsent Letters on the music page along with lyrics. These tracks are "Excommunicated," "Flames," "Cyclone," "Wait," and "Irresponsible," and these are the newest versions of these songs, which will be on Unsent Letters, of course, which will be released here, Tuesday, December 15th. I have also put these tracks on my Myspace page and my Last FM page. (If I get more listeners on Last FM, I could possibly be played on their radio stations, so go listen to me there! And add me to your library, if you have a Last FM account. That would rock!)

Secondly, I will be back on Story with Amie Flanagan on KSU Owl Radio Monday, December 7th 10:00 - 11:00 am. I had so much fun the last time, and I'm excited to go back! Amie's show is very entertaining! I'll bring my guitar along and play some more live songs, so tune in!

Also, I am officially in a new band called Long Absent Friend. I am playing piano and singing in this project along with Michael Tillman, who is on guitar/backup vocals, Kyle Weiss on violin, Ben Hopper on bass, and Kyle Hilkin on drums. I really like the music we're playing so far. It sounds a little bit like Arcade Fire meets Broken Social Scene meets Smashing Pumpkins. We have a gig booked already, and we'll be playing our first show at the Red Light Cafe on Friday, January 8th, so stay tuned for updates and news on this project, including tracks, shows, and a myspace page.

I think there are really a lot of awesome things going on in the Atlanta music scene right now. I like to try to get out there and see local bands as much as I can, and I have found that there is a huge amount of talent in the Atlanta scene. Here are some of my favorite bands/musicians that I have seen playing around town. You guys should all visit their websites, check out their tunes, purchase their music or go see them play if you like what you hear. In my opinion, they all put on great shows.

Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun



Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun on Myspace

Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun is about the collaborative. It’s about the connections between sound and people. It’s about the heart and the head. It’s for mistakes and triumphs, and against arrogance and underconfidence. Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun is about sharing the ideas that are created by four friends in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s all for sharing much further than there, penniless or plentiful. - From their myspace page.


A Fight to the Death




A Fight to the Death website

Instead of the usual boring band bio, we’ll just tell you that A Fight to the Death is Avant-Western-Americana-Gypsy music built with Latin and Mediterranean rhythms, surf twang, and melodies fit for lonely midnight drives through the desert. - from their website



Billions and Billions



Billions and Billions on Myspace

We are committed to the progression of music. Most of our songs are written on the spot and we feel that is the way to keep improving our sound. Maybe it's a hit. Maybe it's a miss. But you can bet, whatever it is, it's going to be like nothing you've ever heard before. - from their myspace


Siberia My Sweet



Siberia My Sweet's Website

Siberia My Sweet is an Atlanta based project with a goal to expand the landscape for new wave alternative rock by combining ambient subtlety with a melodic, yet more abrasive, core than the current standard. Forging a harmonious blend of opposites, the music creates a unique beauty that combines both the hard with the soft. Formed in the fall of 2005 by vocalist Kelly Andrews, Siberia My Sweet saw the addition of Luci Harrell (guitar) in 2006 and Erin Sellers (keys) in 2008. Currently showcasing in the southeastern region, Siberia My Sweet is well on its way to making an impact that won’t go unnoticed. - from their myspace page


Sealions



Sealions Website

"This three piece has a lot of potential and I’m thrilled about the prospect of their first full length album dropping sometime this year." -Davy Minor on Ohmpark

Pride  



Atlanta Pride Parade 2009, Picture from Creative Loafing

Well, I had loads of fun at Pride on Sunday. (Originally, I planned to make it out on Saturday and play guitar for a little bit, but it was all cold and rainy...so instead, I went Sunday for the parade.) I did end up giving out all of the sampler CDs that I made. Some people seemed pretty excited that I was just giving out my music to random people. Taking self-promotion to the streets, I called it. (Oh, and if you happened to get one of my CDs and that led you to this website, drop me a comment!)

Anyway, one of my favorite things about Pride is seeing parents supporting their gay daughters or sons, seeing churches that don't condemn people for their sexual orientation, seeing politicians who actually support the LGBT community. I just love seeing all of the acceptance, open love, and support.

I suppose the main reason that I go to Pride every year is because I don't see gender when I look at people. In fact, I don't really even believe in gender. I think there should be a word for that. Gender-free maybe? (Although I've only heard one other person use that. So maybe I should give this person credit? Though I'm not sure she coined the phrase? I'll get back to you on that. Haha.)  Sure, there is biology. There is such a thing as biological sex. But sex (like ethnicity) does not define anything about a person. I'm not saying everyone is completely alike, and there are no differences. But I think the main differences are individual and not based on biological sex, ethnicity, etc. It's a whole slew of things, really. Background, culture, family, genetics. Gender is a social construct. (So is race, really.) And when I look at a person, I don't want to see a black person, a white person, a man, a woman, I just want to see the person and get to know s/he for who s/he is, regardless of that person's sex, race, or biology. I realize that this is sometimes impossible, based on the way we as humans feel the need to classify and label things in our minds. Even our language is very "gendered." There is no gender-neutral pronoun, which makes us further have to put everyone in these strict categories. "Boy" or "girl." "He" or "she." I have some friends who use gender-neutral pronouns like "ze," "zir," "zirself," etc. I think that's an excellent idea, really. Maybe I'll start trying that.

And with that belief, I think that love happens without regard to sex, race, or biology, too. When I see a homosexual couple, I don't really even think to myself "oh, it's a gay couple." It's more like "Oh, it's a couple. Two people." I don't even necessarily like labels like "gay," "straight," "bisexual," etc., though I do understand why they might be necessary for some people. But basically, what I'm trying to say is, I go to Pride because I am proud to be gender-free.

Just because summer is winding down doesn't mean there aren't cool things to do! 

Well, summer is winding down, students are all going back to school, and I'm taking advantage of the fact that I deferred my graduate school admission until next year and using the time to work on my various artistic projects! (Oh, and to save money. Which is sort of essential to the whole grad school plan anyway.) I have a lot going on right now! First of all, I have another solo/acoustic show at Smith's Olde Bar in the Atlanta Room on Thursday, September 24th at 10:00 pm. (Special thanks to everyone who came out to my last show!) Also, I'm hard at work on my acoustic/solo album, which I'm hoping to release in mid-November. In other news, I'm still singing with Novo Luna, and we're hoping to play live in the next month or so and release our EP. Stay tuned for info on that! And, Michael Tillman and I have started a new musical project. We're in the process of recording our songs before we start the search for a bass player and a drummer, so be on the look out for a lot of new music, new projects, and shows coming up!

And just because summer is coming to a close does not mean that there aren't a lot of awesome things going on! Did you miss out on those summer music festivals? If so, don't worry. There are lots of cool music festivals/events coming up in Atlanta that you can check out! I'm definitely going to try to get out to most of these shows. And they're all free or at least pretty cheap!
  • NOPHEST Summer Music Festival - August 28-30 at Wonderroot - 982 Memorial Drive - Atlanta, GA - featuring 20+ Atlanta bands! - Tickets are $5 per day or $10 for a weekend pass. For more info, visit http://nophest.blogspot.com/
  • Grant Park Summer Shade Festival - August 29-30 in Grant Park - For the performance schedule, go here
  • Little Five Points Other Sound Festival - September 19th in Little Five Points - Featuring multiple bands on multiple stages, at the Star Bar, an outdoors Little Five Points stage, and Criminal Records - For performance schedule, go here
  • And, this one's not exactly a festival, but it's still kickass and FREE - Atlanta Guardian Showcase Night at the Star Bar - August 27th - Featuring Abby GoGo, Ghostfinger, Cockfight, and Small Reactions - For more, info visit Atlanta Guardian
But don't think I forgot about you theatre folks. Here are some really cool plays that I'm excited to check out in the upcoming months:
  • Grey Gardens - Actor's Express - 8/27 through 10/10 - Actor's Express is pleased to bring you the Atlanta Premiere of Grey Gardens, the hit Broadway musical based on the acclaimed film that documents the lives of Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis’ flamboyantly eccentric aunt Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter “Little Edie.” Mother and daughter cling to each other through hysteria, happiness and heartbreak as the beautiful home around them falls into ruin. Indulge in the lush music, mysterious glamour and “The Revolutionary Costume for Today” inside the dilapidated, 28-room mansion called Grey Gardens. For more information, visit Actor's Express.
  • Hair - 7 Stages - 9/11 - 10/10 - The American Tribal Love Rock Musical - Because who really doesn't love hippies dancing and singing? For more information, visit 7 Stages.
  • The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) - The New American Shakespeare Tavern - 8/8 - 9/6 - I saw this last year, and it's absolutley hillarious, especially for us Shakespeare geeks. For more information, visit The New American Shakespeare Tavern.
  • Pippin - Cobb Children's Theatre at the Cobb Civic Center - August 21 - 23 - I had to throw this one in because when I was in high school, I did quite a few shows with CCT, and I don't think my life would be the same now if I hadn't. CCT is really a great organization, and they do so much good for the community. I really believe that putting high school kids in a theatrical production like this is a great thing to do for society. It gave us a sense of community, family, and taught us an incredible amount about theatre, art, and life, and CCT continues to do that for teenagers today. Pippin is their Summer Stock production, featuring high school and college students. (And for those of you OTPers who don't like to drive ITP, you can still see theatre!) For more information, visit CCT.
  • Third by Wendy Wasserstein - Horizon Theatre - 9/11 through 10/11 - The final play of Horizon's 25th Season from celebrated, award-winning playwright Wendy Wasserstein (The Heidi Chronicles). A liberal college professor and an articulate and conservative student jock nick-named Third face off over politics, ethics, and values. A bold accusation and mid-life changes unexpectedly throw Laurie Jameson�s well-ordered world into disarray. With her trademark smart dialogue, crackling wit, and intelligence, Wasserstein looks at the challenge of re-imagining ourselves in the third act of life. For more information, visit Horizon Theatre.
And here are a couple of other cool events coming up:
  • MIXT - Mint Gallery - 684 John Wesley Dobbs Ave, Unit B - Atlanta, GA - August 22 - 8:00 - 11:00 - The 3rd annual mixtape exhibit featuring work from numerous Atlanta artists including Bean Summer, Jason Kofke, Kelly McKernan, Chris Hamer, GutterPOP, Jason Travis, Sergio Garzon, Travis Thatcher, and more. Each artist will create a mixtape to be played alongside their artwork. Come and enjoy the music and have a drink. Visit MINT gallery.
  • Atlanta Underground Film Festival - Various venues around town - August 26 - 30 - For schedule and more information, visit Atlanta Underground Film Festival
So, there you go. Lots of cool things coming up! Music events, theatre events, various artistic events. Free things, cheap things, even an OTP event. So stop being lame, and get out and support some local artists! We always appreciate it.

Do you have any events you'd like me to check out? Calls for submissions? Anything? Send me an e-mail at events@saracrawford.net

July events: Theatre, music, and more! 

There are a lot of awesome things happening in July, and I wanted to share them with you!

First of all, I have a couple of events going on. On Wednesday, July 29th, I will be playing an acoustic set at Smith's Olde Bar (1578 Piedmont Ave NE, Atlanta, GA) in the Atlanta Room (downstairs) at 8:00 pm. This is part of the Songsmith’s Songwriter Showcase, and it's a 21+ show. The cover is only five dollars. This is my first acoustic show in over a year so come out to hear the old songs, some new songs, and a wacky cover or two.

Also, I will be participating in the 24-hour Plays which will be showing on Sunday, July 26th at 8:00 pm at The Academy Theatre (21 N Avondale Plz, Avondale Estates, GA). On Saturday, July 25, 2009, 16 writers will meet at 10pm at The Academy Theatre. Paired randomly, they will have until dawn to come up with eight 12-minute scripts. Eight directors come in at 9am and cast their plays from sixty headshots submitted by our brave thespians. Then it’s a marathon day of rehearsing, staging, costuming, and setting tech for an 8:00 p.m. curtain on Sunday, July 26th. The show ends at 10pm, exactly 24 hours after the writers first convened! This is a fundraiser for the Working Title Playwrights, and I will be one of the writers in this madness so come out and see!

Here are some other great events coming up that you should check out:

Music
  • Benefit for PASTE Magazine, Friday, July 10, 8:00 pm at The Earl, 488 Flat Shoals Ave, East Atlanta, GA featuring A Fight to the Death, Nicholas (from YOU), Attractive Eighties Women, Richard Parsons
  • Atlanta Guardian Showcase at the Star Bar (FREE SHOW) Thursday, July 23rd 8:00 pm. Featuring Today the Moon, Tomorrow the Sun, The Middle Men, Brain Box, and Tasty Beverage. These shows are always a lot of fun, and the bands are really great. Plus, it's FREE.
  • GoGirls Showcase at Uptown Loft 9700 Medlock Bridge Road John's Creek (Duluth area) Friday July 10th. 8pm - featuring Cornerstone, Green bracelet, Electricsoul, and Cell Fehrenbach!
Music/Film
  • Tripple Indie Night: Two bands and a film! Wednesday, July 8th 7:30 pm at The Strand, 117 North Park Square, Marietta, GA. Triple Feature Indie Night: Misfortune 500 (Band) @ 7:30 PM; Nowhere In Africa (Oscar-Winning Flick: A German Jewish refugee family moves to and adjusts to a farm life in 1930’s Kenya) @ 8 PM; Thy Mighty Contract (Headlining Band). Doors open at 7 PM. Ages 18+. Tickets are $8 in advance. $10 at the door. Strand Box Office: 770.293.0080 or www.EarlSmithStrand.org.
  • Tripple Indie Night: Two bands and a film! Wednesday, July 22nd 7:30 pm at The Strand, 117 North Park Square, Marietta, GA. Triple Feature Indie Night: Tealights (Band) @ 7:30 PM; Food, Inc. (film) @ 8 PM; A Fight to the Death (Headlining Band). Doors open at 7 PM. Ages 18+. Tickets are $8 in advance. $10 at the door. Strand Box Office: 770.293.0080 or www.EarlSmithStrand.org

Theatre
  • The Essential Theatre Power Plays: Food for Fish, a play by Adam Szymkowic; Jim Crow and the Rhythm Darlings, a play by Vynnie Mel; and Ice Glen, a play by Joan Ackermann. Check out these great new works at Actor's Express. For more information please visit http://www.essentialtheatre.com
  • Measure for Measure (FREE PLAY!) July 10th and 11th at 8:00 PM Seney Stovall Chapel, 201 North Milledge Avenue, Athens, GA. Classic City Arts brings you a FREE production of Measure for Measure. Check it out!
  • A Cool Drink of Water, a play by Thomas W. Jones II, July 10 - August 23 at Horizon Theatre. Hopes and dreams brew as a family searches for their “cool drink a water” in this provocative and contemporary twist on A Raisin in the Sun. Newly “retired” from his good job, Walt is dreaming new schemes. Wife Ruthie’s nest is almost empty, but wannabe rapper son Trane won’t move out and get a job. And Benita and Asa move back from Africa with baggage and secrets. Is that Mama Lee haunting the house? A powerful and funny update to a classic story. For ticket information, see Horizon Theatre.
Visual Arts
  • Big Tuna at Alcove Arts Gallery - July 10th - 7:00 pm at Alcove Arts Gallery, 2852 East College Avenue, Decatur, GA. A tribute to the genius of DAVID LYNCH. Featuring new work from nearly 30 nationally reknown & emerging artists under the influence of this artist's work: Chet Zar, Amy Botello, Dan May, Leslie Ditto, Danni Shinya Luo, Aaron Nather, Silvia Ortiz, Aunia Kahn, Aeron Alfrey, Brian Colin, Bryan Cunningham, Patrick “Star 27” Deignan, Dave MacDowell, Ashley Surber, Apricot Mantle, Mark Henderson, Cory Benhatzel, Joe Peery, Justin Kauffmann, James Burns, Macsorro, Matt Sesow, Kelly McKernan, Shaun Thurston, Brent Houzenga, and H.C. Warner ...to name a few.
A Call to Artists
  • Our House in a non-profit agency that helps women find childcare and support as they try to work their way off from Welfare. They are looking for some Atlanta artists to donate some artwork (such as paintings, sculpture, handmade jewelry) that they can use to sell in our Silent Auction called Fall Fantasy. Fall Fantasy will be held at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center on October 24, 2009, this year. The event will feature a silent and live auction along with dinner and dancing. As in the past, all proceeds will be used to support Our House programming.

    If you're interested in submitting art for this, please contact Marie McMenamin at mccannon17@yahoo.com.

That's it for July. If you are interested in these events, you can find more information and helpful links on my Calendar page. Again, if you have any recommendations or announcements you'd like me to post on here (or in the Atlanta Bohemians group on Facebook).

I'm really looking forward to all of the great artistic events going on in the Atlanta area in July!

Fun weekend of music: Free show at Star Bar on Thursday, Corndogarama on Saturday and Sunday! 

In case you haven't heard, Atlanta Guardian is hosting a free night of awesome music this Thursday, June 25th at The Star Bar! Lindsey Appel, A Fight to the Death, Royal Bangs, and Adron will all be playing. Here's a little info on these bands:

Atlanta Guardian is thrilled to be able to fly Adron in from New York to her hometown to give you all an unforgettable performance. She only plays with her full band in Atlanta once every six months so don't forget to catch her all-star cast including Mario and Tommy from the Selmanaires plus Chris Case (Samadha, Cadillac Jones) at what's sure to be one of the best concerts all year.

According to Spin magazine, the best band at Bonnaroo '08 was Royal Bangs. Originally from Knoxville, they've been touring the country all summer. This is an amazing chance to see one of the best emerging bands in the country.

If you've never seen A Fight to the Death play live, imagine being on a haunted carnival ride in an old west saloon. If you can't visualize that, you should just come to the show. One of Atlanta's favorite bands, they get their audiences moving every time.

Lindsey Appel is an up and coming singer / songwriter. She was voted best singer/songwriter in Atlanta in 2008. She will be starting off this incredible night of music, so make sure to get their on time!


Also, this weekend is CORNDOGARAMA in East Atlanta! Corndogarama is a two-day Atlanta music festival that will include things like tricycle races, BEER, stunts, MUSIC, eating contest (of course) and tons of other totally entertaining human tricks. You can check out the schedule here. There are several bands that I'm really excited to check out and lots of bands that I'm excited to see for a second or third time!

I feel like there is just a lot going on right now in the Atlanta music scene, and I'm so excited to be a part of it in whatever way that I can! Whether it's playing a couple of acoustic tunes at Eddie's Attic open mic night or singing with Novo Luna at the Red Light Cafe, rockin' out to Attractive Eighties Women or A Fight to the Death at The Earl or the Star Bar, checking out upcoming and new bands at these great venues, or hanging out with the guys at Atlanta Guardian. Right now is a very exciting time in music, especially in Atlanta. I think everyone should go out and support new, independent, and local music. There is some really great talent out there! (And we all know you can't really rely on MTV or mainstream radio to find new, good music anymore.)

In the meantime, I'm busy recording my acoustic album. Tomorrow, I'm working on the title track, "Unsent Letters." I'm really very excited about this. These songs have all been with me for three to five years, and it's really time to put them all on a cohesive album. I'll feel really great about it when it's finished. It's going to be simple, raw. Just me and my guitar, maybe some percussion, piano, and harmonies. We'll see.

Anyway, let me know if there are any shows coming up that you'd like me to mention on here! I always love to support new music. Oh and sign up for my mailing list to stay up-to-date!

Sara