11 minute read
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The arts are back
Live events, festivals return after a year of pandemic closure and streaming
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By Collin Kelley
With most of Georgia’s pandemic restrictions lifted by the governor and the accelerated rollout of the vaccine, many metro arts organizations are returning to live performances and events this month.
Of course, there will still be COVID-19 precautions in place. Most organizations will still be practicing social distancing and many will require masks, so be sure to check the precautions before you buy your tickets and head to the venue.
Happening Now
State Farm Arena
The Downtown venue will host its first entertainment event in more than a year May 7-8 with the “In Real Life Comedy Tour” featuring Mike Epps, DC Young Fly, Lavell Crawford, Karlous Miller, and Kountry Wayne. Tickets were selling out fast due to reduced capacity in the arena. Visit statefarmarena.com to snag yours.
Virginia-Highland Porchfest & Rock N Run 5K
Taking a cue from the Oakhurst neighborhood’s successful Porchfest (which is set to return in the fall), Virginia Highland’s event is set for May 8 from noon to 6 p.m. Porches along five streets will host live music from 56 different musicians and bands, while food trucks will be parked along Barnette Street. Wear a mask and watch for monitors, who will be ensuring social distancing. For a list of the bands and to sign up for the accompanying 5K race, visit virginiahighlanddistrict.com/ events/porchfest-and-rock-n-run5k/
Atlanta Opera
The Atlanta Opera is wooing patrons back with two productions – “The Threepenny Opera” and “The Threepenny Carmen” – being held outdoors in an open-air tent in the Cobb Energy Centre parking lot through May 9. The Opera made national headlines last fall when it returned to live performances with a pair of shows in the “Molly Blank Big Tent Series” on the Oglethorpe University campus. The Opera is also collaborating with True Colors Theatre Company on “The Concert for Unity” at Southwest Arts Center on May 9 at 2:30 p.m. featuring Black opera stars. For more information and tickets visit atlantaopera.org.
Variety Playhouse
The Little Five Points hall reopen its doors with concerts by Trevor Hall on May 11 and The Residents on May 17. Visit variety-playhouse. com for tickets and details.
Alliance Theatre
The Alliance has returned to live performances outside its home at the Woodruff Arts Center in Midtown. The Under the Tent Series is featuring a concert staging of “Working: A Musical” now through June 6 and the Woody Guthrie-inspired “Songs to Grow On” May 6-16. For tickets and more details, visit alliancetheatre.org.
High Museum of Art
The High Museum is stepping up its offerings with a spring and summer of big exhibitions including “Our Good Earth: Rural Life and American Art” and “Underexposed: Women Photographers from the Collection” – both running through Aug. 1 – and the touring “Calder-Picasso” opening on June 26. For tickets and details, visit high.org.
Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA)
MODA has reopened for private, hour-long visits for parties of one to 10 people at a time, through May 31. On exhibition is “Bike to the Future,” showcasing the latest in bicycle design featuring bikes from Philippe Starck, Tobias Knockaer, Edison, VanMoof, Civilized Cycles and more. For tickets and information, visit museumofdesign.org.
Atlanta Botanical Garden
“SUPER natural: Aerial Art in Motion, Glass Art in Bloom” opens May 15 featuring a custommade “skynet” billowing in the air above Storza Woods like a flock of multi-colored birds, while over-scale glass floral sculptures blossom throughout the more formal gardens. The skynet, called “Dream Flora”, is an experiential aerial sculpture by Patrick Shearn of Los Angelesbased Poetic Kinetics, known for its large-scale works of public art; the contemporary glass art is the creation of Seattle artist Jason Gamrath. For details, visit atlantabg.org.
THINGS TO DO Georgia Tech Arts Skyline Series
Art at Tech is also taking its programming outdoors with the socially-distanced Skyline Series, which continues in May with the Atlanta Ballet (April 30-May 9), Dance Canvas (May 15-16), Terminus School of Modern Ballet (May 17-18). For tickets and details, visit arts.gatech.edu.
The Masquerade
The iconic music venue is set to bring fans back to Underground Atlanta on June 12 with a show by Hot Mulligan, Heart Attack Man, Meet Me @ The Altar, and Super American. Other upcoming concerts include Tech N9NE (June 16), the Sad Summer Festival including All Time Low and The Story So Far (July 10), and Cody Ko and Noel Miller (July 25). For the full lineup of upcoming shows, visit masqueradeatlanta.com.
Festival Fever: Chastain, Ponce, & Piedmont Park
The Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces is restarting its slate of festivals beginning with the Chastain Park Spring Arts & Crafts Festival on May 15-16, Spring Festival on Ponce on June 5-6, and Piedmont Park Arts Festival on Aug. 21-22. For a full calendar of events and details, visit affps.com.
Coming Soon
Fox Theatre
The blockbuster musical “Hamilton” presented by Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Atlanta will welcome fans back to Fabulous Fox from Aug. 25 to Sept. 26. Other shows and concerts coming in the fall include Chris Tucker Comedy Tour, Allstar Legends of Hip Hop, Bill Burr, Boz Scaggs, Bill Maher, “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas,” Sarah Brightman, and Widespread Panic’s New Year’s Eve show. For details and tickets, visit foxtheatre.org.
Dogwood Festival
The 85th annual event is now scheduled to take place in Piedmont Park Aug. 6-8. For updates, visit dogwood.org.
Atlanta Symphony
Symphony Hall reopens on Aug. 22 for “One Night of Queen” performed by Gary Mullin & The Works. Other upcoming live shows include “Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox” (Sept. 8), Alan Parsons Project (Sept. 12), Amos Lee with the ASO (Sept. 24), and Chris Botti with the ASO (Nov. 5). For tickets and a full calendar visit aso.org.
Dragon Con
The annual sci-fi, fantasy, and cosplay fest is selling tickets for its annual Labor Day extravaganza, Sept. 2-6, at dragoncon.org.
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Continued from page 13 he and I would partner in the recovery of the $578.
As expected, Alex became irritated when I began asking questions regarding the need for him to access my computer, rather than authorize a refund. Alex became agitated and to be fair, he was an easy target.
We bickered while he tried every angle to convince me to load the remote-access program.
Finally, “Alex, I’d like to speak to your supervisor.”
“Hold.”
A few seconds later, another person not from around here came on the phone.
“Hello, my name is Nick Johnson, may I help you?”
“Hi Nick, where are you from?”
“Mr. Truman, we are trying to help you recover your money, but we need to do it from this end and so we need to load this program. It is completely safe.” (Blah, blah, blah.)
I must admit that Nick had a smooth routine and delivery of information meant to convince the intended victim that this was legit. I also think that in the back of his or her mind, the target usually wants to believe him because that $578 hit in the bank account looms large. He went on to say, “Just give us the access to help you get your money back.”
Eventually, I ran out of dialogue because I had no intention of granting access to load the program. Remember that anything designed to access your computer remotely, suggested from an unsolicited email, is bad mojo.
What this scam does, if you download the program they are pushing, is give your information to Alex and he tells you he needs your bank information to set the refund. Quite frankly, once you allowed the remote access, you’re most likely browbeaten enough to surrender the bank number. They access it, show you a screenshot of your bank statement and the refund is right there! On paper that is.
The next step is they admit that they have accidentally forwarded money from their Square account onto your account and they need you to refund that amount to them. To do that, they will text you a link and once you click on “yes,” thinking you’re refunding that small amount to them, they have your account access, and drain it.
So, the whole thing is to get that account number, fake a refund statement on it, and then convince you they need their money back.
If you don’t have PayPal or Square, or any other moneytransfer app, and you get this email, obviously don’t engage with them. If you do have an account and you need to verify the information, go to the legitimate source and start there. The scammers cannot do anything they want to do without your bank account information. Do your investigation independently outside of the email information.
I finally asked Nick how much time we had spent on the call -- by my account, a half hour -- and then told him I wanted to make a complaint about Alex Watson’s demeanor, so please transfer me to the human resources department.
He hung up.
Be safe and smart, Your friend, Harry Truman
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