INsite Atlanta April 2018 Issue

State's ges

APRIL 2018

C

6 YEARS! 2 G N I T ELEBRA

INSITEATLANTA.COM

VOL. 26, NO. 9 FREE

FAB FAUX DWEEZIL ZAPPA OUTDOOR DINING GUIDE

SPRING ATLANTA DOGWOOD FESTIVAL ✿ SWEETWATER 420 FEST SMYRNA SPRING JONQUIL ✿ RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL ATLANTA JAZZ FESTIVAL ✿ KENNESAW BIG SHANTY INMAN PARK FESTIVAL ✿ KIRKWOOD SPRING FLING SWEET AUBURN SPRINGFEST ✿ TASTE OF MARIETTA IMAGINE MUSIC FESTIVAL ✿ DULUTH ARTS FESTIVAL HELEN BIERFEST ✿ CANDLER PARK MUSIC FESTIVAL DECATUR ARTS FESTIVAL ARTS ✿ SHRINE CIRCUS

THE INTERNATIONAL SENSATION

3 PERFORMANCES ONLY!

APRIL 6-7

FoxTheatre.org/Stomp

PG 2 • April 2018 • insiteatlanta.com

CONTENTS • APRIL 2018 • VOLUME 26, NO. 9

EARS! ING 26 Y T A R B E CEL

Atlanta’s

Entertainment Monthly

INTERVIEWS

07

07 Herb Alpert 14 Fab Faux 15 Dweezil Zappa 16 Bill Burr 17 Dave Davies 17 Randy Rainbow 18 Verve Pipe

15

At All Three Locations!

Duluth

FEATURES

2175 Pleasant Hill RD Corner of Satellite Blvd next to Starbucks 770-623-1552

09 Record Store Day 10 Spring Patios 12 Spring Festivals

COLUMNS 04 05 06 07 08 09 18

16

Follow us on the web!

10800 Alpharetta Hwy At Mansell Road Sprouts Center 770-518-3300

Pure Exhilaration!

Raise $1,000 to rappel for Special Olympics Georgia and take part in the rare experience in stepping Over the Edge and rappelling down the Overlook III building in Vinings.

insiteatlanta.com Publisher Stephen Miller steve@insiteatlanta.com Art Director / Web Design Nick Tipton nick@insiteatlanta.com Managing Editor Lee Valentine Smith lee@insiteatlanta.com Local Events Editor Marci Miller marci@insiteatlanta.com Movie Editor Steve Warren s.warren@insiteatlanta.com

50 Barrett Parkway at Bells Ferry Road next to Barnes & Noble 770-425-3472

ROSWELL

CHECK US OUT ON FACEBOOK! CD WAREHOUSE ATLANTA

Around Town On Tap Atlanta on a Dime Under The Lights Movie Reviews Station Control Album Reviews 17

STAFF LISTING

BARRETT PKwY.

Music Editor John Moore john@insiteatlanta.com Contributing Writers / Interns: Alex. S. Morrison, Dave Cohen, Benjamin Carr, Demarco Williams

Vinings Saturday, May 5, 2018

MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 76483 Atlanta, GA 30358 WEBSITE • insiteatlanta.com ADVERTISING INFORMATION (404) 308-5119 • ads@insiteatlanta.com Editorial content of INsite is the opinion of each writer and is not necessarily the opinion of INsite, its staff, or its advertisers. INsite does not knowingly accept false or misleading advertising or editorial content, nor do the publisher or editors of INsite assume responsibility should such advertising or editorial appear. No FAB FAUX content, i.e., articles, graphics, designs and DWEEZIL ZAPPA OUTDOOR DINING GUIDE information (any and all) in this publication may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from publisher.

APRIL 2018

INSITEATLANTA.COM

VOL. 26, NO. 9 FREE

S! TING 26 YEAR CELEBRA

SPRING

© Copyright 2018, Be Bop Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Check out our Spring Festival Guide on page 12!

Michigan State's Miles Bridges

ATLANTA DOGWOOD FESTIVAL ✿ SWEETWATER 420 FEST SMYRNA SPRING JONQUIL ✿ RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL ATLANTA JAZZ FESTIVAL ✿ KENNESAW BIG SHANTY INMAN PARK FESTIVAL ✿ KIRKWOOD SPRING FLING SWEET AUBURN SPRINGFES IMAGINE MUSIC FESTIVAL T ✿ TASTE OF MARIETTA ✿ HELEN BIERFEST ✿ CANDLERDULUTH ARTS FESTIVAL PARK MUSIC FESTIVAL DECATUR ARTS FESTIVAL ARTS ✿ SHRINE CIRCUS

Register as an individual or a team with $25 fee.

Visit OvertheEdgeAtlanta.org to register and learn more about the event contact Ally Jordan at allyson.jordan@specialolympicsga.org insiteatlanta.com • April 2018 • PG 3

Around Town

Events and Performances taking place this Month

SATURDAY, APRIL 7

SUNDAY, APRIL 15

Sandy Springs Entertainment Lawn

Fernbank Museum of Natural History

RHYTHM & BREWS

ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL

The 3rd Annual Rhythm & Brews event will be held on Saturday, April 7 from 2 7:00 p.m. Come celebrate both upcoming and established artists, playing original music that is deeply rooted in our region, while enjoying a variety of beers from area brewers. Attendees can enjoy frosty beverages as well as specialty fare from food trucks and local favorites. Visit HeritageSandySprings.org.

As part of the Atlanta Film Festival’s 42nd Anniversary, they are screening a special 25th anniversary presentation of Stephen Spielberg’s Jurassic Park at the Fernbank Museum of Natural History. Based on the novel by Michael Crichton, this groundbreaking epic film tells of a select group of scientists chosen to tour an island theme park populated by dinosaurs created from prehistoric DNA. AtlantaFilmFestival.com

FRIDAY, APRIL 13

APRIL 18 - 22

Fernbank Museum of Natural History

Brook Run Park

LEMONADE DAYS

CARNIVAL SCIENCE

Fernbank After Dark features themed science experiences, as well as live music, films in the four-story Giant Screen Theater, small bites and a rotating menu of craft cocktails and beers from the Mesozoic Bar, exclusively for guests ages 21 and up. Offered the 2nd Friday of each month, Fernbank After Dark offers a variety of unique after-hours experiences, including evening access to Museum exhibitions, live music, tapas menus, and science demonstrations. Activities and science themes change monthly along with a variety of fun and immersive programming. During Fernbank After Dark, guests are invited to enjoy all of the Museum's indoor exhibitions including traveling exhibitions. Experience Carnival Science on April 13 with live music by Zale.

Featuring more than 30 full-scale carnival rides, 20 fabulous food and beverage vendors, a 5K Run, three days of center stage performances and the popular Dunwoody Idol contest, Lemonade Days is a Dunwoody Signature Event that has become a highlight of the city’s calendar and its most popular family event of the year. Hosted by Dunwoody Preservation Trust Lemonade Days is the largest annual fundraising event. DunwoodyLemonadeDays.org.

SATURDAY, APRIL 21 RECORD STORE DAY

CD Warehouse Store Locations

Visit CD Warehouse on April 21 and cel-

SCIENCE NIGHTS for Adults Ages 21+

Craft Beers & Cocktails Giant Screen Movies Science Discoveries Live Music

APRIL 13

Carnival Science

MAY 11

Planes, Trains & Automobiles

FernbankMuseum.org | #FernbankAfterDark Space is limited. Advance ticket purchase highly recommended.

PG 4 • April 2018 • insiteatlanta.com

ebrate Record Store Day. This national event recognizes the vinyl record and those great album covers. To honor this event CD Warehouse will be buying and selling vinyl records throughout the month. Find out more at CDwarehouse.com.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY, APRIL 28 & 29 SMYRNA CRAWFISH BOIL Atkins Park in Smyrna

Come and join Atkins Park in Smyrna Saturday and Sunday April 28 & 29 for their 16th annual Crawfish Boil.

Atkins Park Partner & Zac Brown’s Executive Chef Rusty Hamlin will be on hand to boil your crawfish. Crawfish & Cajuns shipped directly from New Orleans. Tickets at smyrnacrawfishboil.com

FRIDAY, MAY 4

MOONLIGHT THROUGH THE PINES The Promenade at Piedmont Park

The Nature Conservancy of Georgia’s 24th annual celebration for conservation will feature live music from The Sundogs and gourmet cuisine by Dennis Dean. Attendees will enjoy an evening of music and mingling as they have encounters with native Georgia wildlife and hear from Conservancy scientists and environmental leaders. A silent auction featuring excursions and experiences in nature will round out the festivities. Tickets must be purchased in advance online at nature.org/moonlight.

FRIDAY, MAY 4

BASH OF THE EMPIRE VII

Fundraiser for Special Olympics of GA

May the 4th (Be With You), also known as I nte r n at i o n a l Star Wars Day. In honor of this rebellious day, Atlanta will be hosting another edition of Bash Of The Empire, Atlanta’s longest-running and most die-hard Star Wars themed party (18+, non-smoking).

Power up your lightsaber and join event producer Markster Con for a late-night dance party and celebration. This is the perfect opportunity to break out your inner galactic geek. 2018 marks the 7th return of this popular event within the Atlanta party scene, attracting a plethora of avid imperial sympathizers

SATURDAY. MAY 5 OVER THE EDGE

Fundraiser for Special Olympics of GA

Over the Edge is an exclusive opportunity for individuals to take their support of Special Olympics Georgia athletes to new heights. In exchange for raising money, p ar tic ip ant s will earn the rare experience of stepping Over the Edge and rappelling down Overlook III Building in Vinings. Become a sponsor by contacting Ally Jordan at (770) 414-9390 x 1118.

On Tap this Month MAJOR EVENTS COMING TO ATLANTA

ATLANTA’S FIRST URBAN WINERY, INTIMATE MUSIC VENUE, RESTAURANT & PRIVATE EVENT SPACE 650 NORTH AVENUE NE, SUITE 201, ATLANTA, GA 30308 PONCE CITY MARKET | CITYWINERY.COM/ATLANTA | 404.WINERY1

UPCOMING SHOWS

Saturday, April 7: Kingston Downs

GEORGIA STEEPLECHASE

Georgia Steeplechase is held on the beautiful 435-acre Kingston Downs complex. e event appeals to all ages and offers an array of entertainment. Activities include an Air Show, Hat Contest, pony rides, a petting zoo, live music and steeplechasing. Georgia Steeplechase patrons enjoy the circuit’s best horses and jockeys showcased in five premier races throughout the afternoon. Visit georgiasteeplechase.org.

Friday, April 20: Philips Arena

BON JOVI

Global rock icons and newly announced Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2018 inductees Bon Jovi, return to Philips Arena on their is House Is Not For Sale tour. is is the band’s first outing since 2013. at tour was their fourth in six years to be ranked the No. 1 top-grossing tour in the world. Bon Jovi released is House Is Not for Sale in 2016 which debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart for the bands sixth No. 1. PhilipsArena.com

apr 5

Phil Vassar

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Low Country Boil

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Loudon Wainwright III

Friday, April 27: Piedmont Park

YACHT ROCK REVUE

Yacht Rock Revue is bringing Prince's Purple Rain back to Piedmont Park to benefit the Piedmont Park Conservancy. e concert will take place at the beautiful Legacy Fountain Friday, April 27th starting at 7pm. e concert area will be protected by a Garden Tent.

Best known for their spot-on renditions of Hall & Oats, Michael McDonald, Steely Dan, Yacht Rock Revue will kick into high gear for this show. Visit ParkTavern.com

Virginia Schenck

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APR 1

THE WEIGHT BAND W/ TOMMY TALTON

APR 2

RAY HOWARD PRESENTS A TRIBUTE TO EARTH, WIND & FIRE

APR 3

N’STYLE ATLANTA PRESENTS KALENNA, ALTHEA HEART & NATT TAYLOR

APR 4

BILL FRISELL TRIO FEAT. THOMAS MORGAN & RUDY ROYSTON

APR 6

WISHBONE ASH

APR 7

KENNY LATTIMORE (EARLY & LATE SHOWS)

APR 8

THE JAMES HUNTER SIX

APR 9

THE BAYLOR PROJECT

APR 10

JIMMIE VAUGHAN & THE TILT-A-WHIRL BAND

APR 11

TYRONE WELLS W/ GABE DIXON

APR 13

CANDLEBOX ACOUSTIC (DUO)

APR 16

DAVE DAVIES (THE KINKS)

APR 17-18

THE SUBDUDES W/ VANCE GILBERT

APR 19

AN INTIMATE ACOUSTIC EVENING W/ RYAN BINGHAM (WAITLIST AVAILABLE)

APR 20

AN EVENING W/ BRUCE COCKBURN (WAITLIST AVAILABLE)

APR 21

THE VERVE PIPE

APR 22

KEVIN WHALUM

APR 23

RICHIE KOTZEN

APR 24

HADAG NAHASH

APR 26

LAUGHING SKULL COMEDY FESTIVAL: LOCALS ONLY SHOWCASE

APR 27

LAUGHING SKULL COMEDY FESTIVAL: THE INDUSTRY SHOWCASE (EARLY & LATE SHOWS)

APR 28

LAUGHING SKULL COMEDY FESTIVAL PRESENTS: CLAYTON ENGLISH, NOAH GARDENSWARTZ, MIA JACKSON, CALEB SYNAN & ROB HAZE (EARLY & LATE SHOWS)

APR 29

SCHOOL OF ROCK EAST COBB SPRING SEASONAL PERFORMANCE

Wine Down Weekends Are Back!

free music starting at 6:30pm every Fri - Sat in April & May on ATL’s most dog friendly patio

Friday, April 27: Atlanta Symphony Hall

ROB LOWE

Rob Lowe is bringing his hit one-man show Stories I Only Tell My Friends: LIVE! to Atlanta Symphony Hall.

Inspired by the success of his two NY Times Best-Selling memoirs, Stories I Only Tell My Friends and Love Life, Rob has created an all-new, peek behind the curtain at Hollywood, fame, fatherhood, marriage, and a life lived at the forefront of culture for four decades.

Tickets at AtlantaSymphony.org.

Saturday, April 28: Georgia State Stadium

FOO FIGHTERS

is historic, inaugural concert event at the newly renovated Georgia State Stadium (once Turner Field & home of the Atlanta Braves) will host one of the biggest rock n' roll acts in the world. Foo Fighters are back in Atlanta for the first time back since their sold out concert at Centennial Olympic Park in 2015. Joining the rockers will be special guests, e Struts. More info & tickets at RivalEntertainment.com.

Wednesday, May 2: Fox Theatre

YANNI

Legendary composer Yanni is celebrating the 25th anniversary of his iconic “Live at the Acropolis” concert with a worldwide tour. e concert went on to become a PBS special and is the second best-selling music video of all time. He’s been awarded more than 40 platinum and gold albums worldwide and has sold over 25 million records. e dazzling show comes to Atlanta at the Fox eatre on May 2. Visit Foxeatre.org.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 2 FOX THEATRE insiteatlanta.com • April 2018 • PG 5

takes place on Saturday, April 21 from 11am - 2pm. It features Live music, a beer tent, food trucks, vendors row, photo booth and silent auction.

EVENTS HAPPENING FOR SMALL CHANGE IN ATLANTA

Saturday, April 21

Know of a low cost event happening? Event@AtlantaOnADime.com

By Marci Miller

tect marine life and our ocean through interactive activities. Kids 12 and under who come dressed as a superhero will receive free admission with each paying adult from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

ART ON THE CHATTAHOOCHEE Saturday & Sunday April 21 & 22 Jones Bridge Park, Peachtree Corners ATLANTA ARAB FESTIVAL

Now through May 13

Saturday & Sunday, April 14 & 15

Free Event; gwinnettparks.com

Center for Puppetry Arts puppet.org

Main Street in Downtown Acworth splashfestivals.com

their work along the beautiful Chattahoochee River at Jones Bridge Park.

Browse vendor booths, taste food, check out demos and performances and enjoy the Kid’s Zone. In celebration of Gwinnett’s Bicentennial there will be a special Historic Art section. Patrons experience a little of the past with crafts created with old style techniques and/or designs.

e annual Atlanta Arab Festival in Atlanta, Georgia, is a celebration of the traditions and heritage of Arab Americans in the South. e two-day weekend event features authentic Arabic cuisine from area chefs and restaurants, live music performances, a fashion show, folkloric dance pieces, art exhibits, henna tattooing, carnival games, poetry and arts and crafts.

Saturday, April 21

Sunday, April 29

Centennial Park Downtown Atlanta 12 under Free; georgiaaquarium.org

Atlantic Station Fundraiser; autismspeaks.org

DR. SEUSS’ CAT IN THE HAT

ACWORTH ART FEST

In the Center for Puppetry Arts’ production of Dr. Seuss’s e Cat in the Hat, Sally, Nick and their pet fish take audiences on an unexpected adventure with the famous cat in the tall red and white striped hat and his mischievous companions – ing 1 and ing 2. is puppet-filled adventure explores curiosity, literacy and creativity and includes a gentle reminder about the challenge of responsibility. is faithful adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s classic tale transports audiences from the page to the stage.

e popular Acworth Art Fest is a true celebration of whimsical and vibrant art in the springtime. Artisans from across the country display their creative booths on the charming street with paintings, pottery, metalwork, folk art, glass, jewelry, yard art and much more.

Saturday, April 7

Tour fabulous homes in the historic Druid Hills neighborhood. e 50th anniversary of the Druid Hills Tour of Homes & Gardens is a volunteer project of the Druid Hills Civic Association benefiting historic preservation and green space restoration.

FOOD-O-RAMA

Old Fourth Ward Park; Free Entree facebook.com/food-o-ramao4w For the third year, Atlanta’s premier food truck festival, Food-O-Rama O4W, will roll into the city with more than 50 of the best food trucks and vendors from across the Southeast. e event will also feature a live music and DJs, craft brews and cocktails, an artist's market for shopping, a kids’ zone and more- all with no entry fee.

Friday - Sunday, April 20 - 22

ALIF Institute 3288 Marjan Dr Atlanta Showcasing Gwinnett's finest artists and Free Event; alifinstitute.org

SUPERHERO DAY

TOUR DRUID HILLS

Druid Hills Neighborhood Ticketed event; druidhillstour.org

Celebrate Earth Day by being a superhero for the sea. Learn how you can help pro-

AUTISM SPEAKS WALK Walk and help raise funds for improving the lives of people with autism.

Saturday, April 21

PARTY FOR PAWS

Puppy Haven Brookhaven facebook.com/puppyhavenATL Puppy Haven’s 3rd Annual Party for Paws

Dr. Seuss’ Cat in the Hat Center for Puppetry Arts puppet.org

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Take I-75 to Windy Hill Rd. ( Exit #260 ). Go west approximately five miles on Windy Hill Road and turn right on Austell Road. Turn left on County Services Parkway then left on Al Bishop Drive. Jim R Miller Park will be on your left.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK PG 6 • April 2018 • insiteatlanta.com

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MUSIC

HERB ALPERT

Musician/Producer/Record Mogul/Painter/ Philanthropist Reacts to the Moment

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

5

0 YEARS AGO THIS MONTH HERB Alpert was one of the biggest stars in the music industry. With a string of hits on his own A&M Records, sold-out concert tours and lucrative licensing deals, his next move was The Beat of the Brass, his second television special. Originally broadcast April 22, 1968 on CBS, the show’s soundtrack included the Burt Bacharach/ Hal David-penned “This Guy’s In Love With You,” featuring a rare vocal performance from Alpert.

Audience response to the song was so great that a single was quickly issued. The result was Alpert’s first number one record and the tune became a staple of the era.

After a three-tiered run with the Tijuana Brass spanning the ’60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, he has continued to release wildly diverse recordings - including last year’s excellent Music Volume 1 on his Herb Alpert Presents label.

The album finds the 82-year-old musician in fine form, still exploring standards and familiar material with a fresh vitality and openminded acceptance of modern sounds and technology.

He still tours the world with wife, singer Lani Hall and his band performing a mix of his hits and improvisational jazz. INsite spoke with Alpert by phone from his studio in Malibu.

What’s on your schedule for today?

Well I was just doing something like this [sits the phone down and plays a few bars of improvised jazz on his trumpet]. Practicing the horn!

I JUST WANT TO MAKE MUSIC THAT MAKES ME FEEL GOOD. AND YOU KNOW, I PAINT AND SCULPT SO IT’S A FUN SITUATION.

Now you have a new version of the A&M mindset with Herb Alpert Presents.

It’s a whole different world now. You have to deal with Spotify and iTunes and all that.

I just got an email yesterday that said in the month of December my music was streamed 16 million times, which is really just kind of mind-boggling. That’s probably a pittance compared to some of these artists getting billions of hits and it’s something I’d never really thought about before.

So probably somewhere on Earth at any given moment, someone is streaming one of your songs.

Do you practice every day?

That could be! But I’m not doing it for the I don’t have to, but I like to; there’s a glory or the attention. I just want to make difference. I’ve been doing music that makes me feel it since I was 8, so it’s just a good. And you know, I part of me. paint and sculpt so it’s a fun situation. and LANI HALL And like with Music: May 5 • City Winery Volume 1, you don’t have to citywinery.com/atlanta I love how Miles Davis release new records at this would direct his band to point in your career, but it’s “Just play.” That seems to be a solid collection of songs. the way you play and run record companies.

I like the process. I’m kind of a music junkie.

I don’t think there’s any other way to do I like to find songs that are fun to play and it. I’ve always tried to express myself as then I try to find a way to do them that hasn’t authentically as possible and then leave it at been done before, so that keeps it fun for me. that. React to the moment.

HERB ALPERT

You still find new ways of looking at often very familiar melodies - on your own terms.

I just try to find ones that touch me and then I do them. But it’s a whole different thing now. With A&M Records, we had these monster studios, A, B and C and they were equipped to handle lots of people. Now you can record on a laptop and do pretty much all that you could do in a big studio.

Is that the biggest change you’ve seen, people can stay home and record an album rather than to go to a good studio?

That’s one. Of course, the zeroes and ones have made a huge impact. When I started out, I had a mono tape machine and then a two-track stereo and then a four-track, then eight, sixteen, thirty-two. Now it’s endless.

Now you can have as many tracks as you choose, which is probably not really a good idea. You have so many choices, you can get confused.

This month marks the 50th anniversary of your hit “This Guy’s In Love With You.” You know, that just came by accident to me and it was Number One in two weeks. We did a TV show and the director wanted me to sing a song so I called a friend of mine, his name was Burt Bacharach. He sent me this song “This Girl’s in Love with You” that he’d recorded with Dionne Warwick. I liked it a lot. We changed the gender, Burt played piano on it and I produced it. It was one take, believe it or not. I was just doing it as a demo to see if I could handle it. I walked into the control room and they said, ‘Don’t touch it!’

I said, ‘Don’t touch what?’ They said, ‘Don’t touch that vocal, it was perfect!’ I just go for what feels good for me. If it feels right, I think there’ll be a certain amount of people who might like it and I’m ok with that.

Under The Lights ON STAGE THIS MONTH

FREAKY FRIDAY

Now Through April 22 Horizon Theatre (404) 584-7450 HorizonTheatre.com A musical adaptation of the classic Freaky Friday is set to dazzle audiences at Horizon Theatre, March 9 – April 22. When an over-worked mother and her teenage daughter wake up to discover they have magically switched bodies, each is forced to adapt to the other’s life, literally walking in each other’s shoes, for one freaky Friday. With a wedding fast approaching, the pair must find a way to switch back before their situation goes entirely haywire.

“Freaky Friday is full to the brim with heart,” said director Heidi Cline McKerley.

“At the show's core are the beautiful complexities of the mother-daughter relationship, what it means to be a family and how the power of empathy can improve every circumstance. The humor in the book translates well into this adaptation and plays an important role in the score, which audiences will find simultaneously catchy, soul-stirring and clever.” Freaky Friday employs rousing pop-rock harmonies and sharp choreography to breathe new life into this American classic

THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES

April 13 - 28 Marietta Theatre (678) 664-9343 MariettaTheatre.com In the midst of vying for prom queen and the hearts of their crushes, The Wonderettes are asked to entertain their peers at the 1958 Springfield High School prom.

Written and created by Roger Bean, the tribute to the timeless tunes from the 1950s and 1960s is set to take audiences on a melodic journey back in time when boys, big hair and bigger singing dreams occupied the minds of the Springfield High School Wonderettes.

SOMETHING ROTTEN!

April 17 - 22 The Fox Theatre (855) 285-8499 FoxTheatre.org From the director of Aladdin and co-director of The Book of Mormon and the producer of Rent, Avenue Q and In the Heights, this hilarious new musical comedy tells the story of brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom, two playwrights stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance Rockstar Will Shakespeare.

When a soothsayer foretells the next big thing in theatre involves singing, dancing and acting at the same time, the Bottom brothers set out to write the world's very first musical. With the most singing, the most dancing and the most gut-busting laughs on Broadway, it's something wonderful... something for everyone... It's Something Rotten! Nominated for ten Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Something Rotten! comes to Atlanta with three principal cast members direct from Broadway.

THE FLOWER ROOM

April 21 - May 13 King Plow Arts Center 404.607.7469 Actors-Express.com Actor’s Express will produce the World Premiere of Atlanta playwright Daryl Lisa Fazio’s The Flower Room, a hilarious madcap comedy about sexual discovery directed by AE Associate Artist Melissa Foulger.

Ingrid is an uptight academic who researches sexual behavior in primitive cultures while remaining completely closed off from her own sexual self. When she loses her university job, she turns to writing erotica to pay the bills – unleashing her own journey of sexual discovery. This hilarious madcap comedy was included in AE’s Threshold Festival of New Plays. Funny and naughty, but more so that it centers on a woman who awakens her sexual self on her own terms.

Thru April 22

More information about Alpert’s music, art and Foundation is available at herbalpert.com. insiteatlanta.com • April 2018 • PG 7

MOVIES

Movie Reviews

BY STEVE WARREN

PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING (PG-13)

1/2 I can’t imagine anyone who saw Pacific Rim saying, “That’s my favoritest movie ever and I can’t wait to see what happens next.” More likely the audience for the Bigger! Louder! Faster! sequel is people whose memory of the original is as fuzzy as mine, confused with elements of the Transformers movies. Those who care have had less than five years to wait to find out what happens ten years later. The alien monster Kaijus haven’t resurfaced (literally, from the Pacific depths) but our giant robot Jaegers stand ready to confront them when they do. Cadets are still being trained to pilot Jaegers in mind-melded pairs, but a Chinese company wants to replace them with drones operated remotely by a single pilot. Jake Pentecost (John Boyega), whose father (Idris Elba) was a Jaeger master who sacrificed himself in the first movie, finds his hero DNA kicking in when he’s forced to mentor Amara (Cailee Spaeny), a teenage girl cadet. Things go wrong and with the help of Jake’s frenemy Nate (Scott Eastwood), they have to destroy Tokyo, which crumbles like the buildings are made of Legos, to save the world from a new breed of Kaijus. With an eye on the Chinese boxoffice there’s some dialogue in Mandarin. It’s subtitled, making it easier to follow than the rapid-fire English blather. So just sit back and enjoy the ride, which is actually pretty enjoyable, if you like this kind of thing.

- Steve Warren

SHERLOCK GNOMES (PG)

 The trailers were so full of juvenile doubleentendre puns (“No ship, Sherlock” was my favorite) and fart jokes, I couldn’t imagine Sherlock Gnomes appealing to anyone above third grade. Well, most of that material is missing from the actual movie, which is pitched more to a first-grade level; but those kids won’t understand the literary references to Romeo (Gnomeo) and Juliet and Sherlock Holmes, so they’ll have to settle for a garden-variety story punctuated by executive producer Elton John’s greatest hits. The animated garden statues of 2011’s Gnomeo and Juliet have been moved to London, where there’s an epidemic of thefts of garden gnomes. It turns out to be a game that ace detective (or superdick) Sherlock Gnomes (voiced with surprisingly little distinction by Johnny Depp) plays with his nemesis Moriarty, who steals gnomes, leaves clues, and smashes the gnomes if Sherlock doesn’t find them in 24 hours. The subplot here is that the honeymoon is over for Gnomeo (James McAvoy) and Juliet (Emily Blunt), and he’s feeling unappreciated. This parallels Dr. Watson’s (Chiwetel Ejiofor) role in his bromance with Sherlock. Ticketbuyers are unlikely to let the

sun go down on Sherlock Gnomes, which should have the longevity of a candle in the wind.

- Steve Warren

THE DEATH OF STALIN (R)

 Maybe we should start learning Russian history before it becomes a requirement. What better kickoff than a satire based on comic books, speculative fiction which probably contains more truth than textbooks that would make War and Peace look like a short story? And what better teacher than Armando Iannucci, creator of Veep?

Telling a true story that’s less familiar to most of us than his alternate-universe presidential politics, he takes a more dry and subtle approach. You won’t laugh out loud much, but deep down inside you’ll be giggling almost constantly. In 1953 death brings an end to the bloody regime of Josef Stalin.

As second-in-command, wishy-washy Malenkov (Jeffrey Tambor) moves up temporarily. Beria (Simon Russell Beale), who apparently urged Stalin’s most ruthless policies and had his NKVD carry them out, wants an even harder line, while Khrushchev (Steve Buscemi) pushes for reforms.

In a country with no factionalism, everyone immediately starts choosing sides, while trying to straddle the ever-shifting party line. Stalin’s children play an important role, at least through the funeral. Andrea Riseborough, staking a claim to be the next Tilda Swinton, plays Svetlana, and Rupert Friend is her volatile, alcoholic brother Vasily. The British and American actors speak in their natural accents – this ain’t Red Sparrow – and hit all the right comedic notes in their strained comradery. Stalin had a reign Putin would envy, if he weren’t so busy trying to emulate it, and this is an entertaining way to learn more about it.

- Steve Warren

FLOWER (R)

 As a constantly surprising YA dramedy with a breakout performance from its female star, Flower reminded me a bit of Juno. But I kept thinking throughout that director Max Winkler and his two co-writers must never have seen another movie, because they organically sidestep seemingly inevitable clichés that keep threatening to pop up. At 17, Erica (Zoey Deutch, looking like a young Sharon Stone and lighting up the screen as few ever have) seems more like a potential jailbird than a Lady Bird. Her father’s actually in jail and she’s trying to raise money for his bail by blackmailing the men she performs oral sex on. Erica lives with her mother, Laurie (Kathryn Hahn), and resents any man who tries to take her father’s place. The latest, Bob (Tim Heidecker), is a real challenge because Laurie has decided he’s moving in. Bob’s 18-year-old son Luke (Joey Morgan), a physical and emotional mess, will be joining them too, having just spent a year in rehab for addiction to pills. Erica has a crush on 1/2

PACIFIC RIM: UPRISING Will (Adam Scott), a “hot old guy” she sees at the bowling alley where she and her friends hang out. Those are the moving parts of the story and you can’t be sure which way they’re going to move. Erica may be the most despicable – or not – character you fall in love with – or not – this year. At 23, Zoey Deutch has amassed a large filmography, mostly obscure indies that escaped attention or studio films where she hasn’t stood out. Flower brings her out of the shadows. Her Erica leaps off the screen and into your heart!

(Note: If you’re bothered by language, stay away.

Bleep all the F-words and Flower would be practically a silent film.)

- Steve Warren

NEW CHEFS ON THE BLOCK (R)

 “Nearly 30 percent of restaurants fail in the first year.” This is the story of two that didn’t, but they don’t make it look easy. Ambition comes in all sizes. Aaron Silverman raised a million dollars to open Rose’s Luxury, offering fine dining in a casual atmosphere on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. The final cost was $1,300,000, and the first month’s profit in October 2013 was $750.

Frank Linn had been driving a mobile version of Frankly...Pizza! around for a couple of years before making the jump to a permanent location, “just a pizza shop,” in Kensington, MD. His original budget of $85,000 almost tripled by opening day in July 2014, nine months later than planned.

Their parallel stories, both with happy endings, are told by Dustin Harrison-Atlas, the film’s producer-director-photographer-editor and Frank’s brother-in-law. Both start by gutting their buildings and redoing them from the ground up.

Frank’s is largely a family affair, with a lot of help from his parents, his wife and her sister. Aaron’s team becomes a family, as he applies a philosophy of putting his employees ahead of his customers and letting their happiness trickle down. (It works better than in economics.) While I enjoyed the film, I could have done with less cutting back and forth between the two stories. At first Aaron is the guy with the beard, but over the months he sometimes shaves and Frank sometimes doesn’t; so the viewer is constantly reorienting while also trying to keep track of staff members of both restaurants and a few guest chefs and a food critic who offer comments. There’s also the strong temptation to run to the concession stand because the food on display makes you so hungry!

- Steve Warren

JOURNEY’S END (R)

JOURNEY’S END PG 8 • April 2018 • insiteatlanta.com

1/2 Soldiers got PTSD before it was a thing, or before there was a name for it. Journey’s End is a historical drama about events that took place 100 years ago last month. It’s based on a play by R.C. Sherriff that’s been filmed several times. Although some shots are fired and bombs explode, it’s not a war movie in the traditional sense. It takes place one war and 22 years before

Dunkirk, but again finds British troops imperiled

by Germans in France. It’s a small group on the frontline but the Germans are preparing to wipe them out with a major offensive. Naïve Lt. Raleigh (Asa Butterfield), fresh from school and eight weeks of training, pulls strings to get assigned to the doomed company because it’s commanded by Capt. Stanhope (Sam Claflin), his sister’s boyfriend. What begins as Raleigh’s story to get us into the trenches, becomes more about Stanhope, a bitter alcoholic who still shows surprising humanity on occasion. Paul Bettany plays Osborne, the second-in-command, who handles the stress much better; and Toby Jones is the company cook, a veteran who illustrates the place of the working class vis-à-vis the elite officers. The story unfolds with the inevitability of a Greek tragedy, which combined with the claustrophobic setting makes us eager to get it over with. While we wait, some scenes are far more effective than others; and of course the British have no problem recreating any part of their history to perfection.

- Steve Warren

THE CHINA HUSTLE (R)

1/2 The one course I flunked in college was Economics 101. I appreciate a documentary that helps me understand a little about it without making me feel like an idiot. Once I got over my disappointment that The China Hustle is not the Jackie Chan action comedy its title suggests, I hunkered down and tried to learn something.

I learned, but I didn’t always understand.

Filmmaker Jed Rothstein is more interested in making a movie than explaining things to financial illiterates. Flashy visuals and music video editing provide diversion and distraction; but we need to focus on how, after our own market crashed in 2008, Chinese companies attracted American investors by merging with defunct American companies, getting listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and attracting billions in investments. A few people eventually exposed some of these companies for the fake figures that made them seem desirable, but the Chinese couldn’t be prosecuted in America and wouldn’t be prosecuted in China. If anything could be done to the Americans who recruited them and facilitated their fraud, I missed it.

It’s clear that Congress and the SEC had no interest in taking action, despite the billions lost by pensions and retirement funds. One of our narrators, Dan David, says at the beginning, “There are no good guys in this story – including me”; so it probably doesn’t matter that we can’t tell one talking head from another because their identities are briefly flashed on screen while we’re trying to understand what they’re saying.

Unless you’re fluent in financials, watch The China Hustle at home where you can have some power over the pace.

See the rest of our movie reviews at insiteatlanta.com/movies.asp

MUSIC

TV

Station Control

COMING AROUND AGAIN REALITY WORKS BEST ON TV

The 11th Record Store Day Will Be Totally Groovy

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

F

OR THE 2018 CELEBRATION OF Record Store Day, indie and major labels and participating record stores are going all out to mark the occasion. Locally, a number of the city’s best indie retailers are joining in the festivities with live music, prizes and social bonding galore.

The three locations of the Atlanta branch of CD Warehouse are readying their stores for the annual pilgrimage of music lovers. Overnight before the fun begins at 10 a.m. on the 21st, they’ll beef up their shelves with a healthy selection from the over 500 available new releases. Previews of the diverse slate of offerings is available at www. recordstoreday.com.

INsite spoke with owner David Kirk at the Duluth CD Warehouse as he finalized his orders for the event.

Can you give us a bit of history of CD Warehouse?

CD Warehouse is a corporation out of Oklahoma and back in the ‘90s, they bought out a couple of other corporations and eventually had over 300 stores worldwide, including France.

And locally?

We opened our first store in ’94 and then we grew to include five stores in the area. Now we’re down to three locations: the one here in Duluth and Roswell and Kennesaw.

Initially it was a dedicated CD store.

Yeah, back in the day it was all CDs. Used CDs were flying out of here. Everybody wanted to convert their collections over to disc. Then we got into DVDs and that morphed into Blu-Ray and then vinyl. Whatever format is out there selling, we’re here chasing.

The vinyl inclusion was a gradual process, right?

Yeah it began when vinyl started coming back.

Well it never really went away but artists weren’t all doing vinyl releases. Some did, though. I think Pearl Jam kept going with vinyl. Then we started buying and selling it.

Right, Bob Dylan was a big proponent of vinyl, too. A lot of the heritage artists carried on the march for vinyl.

Around 12 years or so ago, vinyl really started coming back. And then Record Store Day started 11 years ago.

The Record Store Day movement really revived interest in collectible records and promotional goodies.

It really did. It got people interested in all these new releases, many specifically tied to the Record Store Day promotion.

The Day has definite ties to the Atlanta music scene.

Yeah, Eric Levin down at Criminal Records in Little Five Points was one of the main guys in the formation of the event. It’s grown every year and the releases are just getting better and better. It has really brought a lot of attention to the small business who specialize in recorded music and entertainment. And they do stuff all year round, not just the one day.

That’s good because the market is changing even as we speak. Stores are rethinking their inventory.

Right, Best Buy and Target are getting rid of their

BY BENJAMIN CARR

CDs. I think that actually helps people find us. It’s really changing. Best Buy, for example, will stop selling CDs in June but they will still sell vinyl.

Duluth

BARRETT PKwY. ROSWELL

2175 Pleasant Hill RD for 50 Barrett Parkway 10800 Alpharetta Hwy There’s a definite market vinyl - obviously Corner of Satellite Blvd at Bells Ferry Road At Mansell Road for hardcore collectors now even next to Starbucks butnext to Barnes & Noblepedestrian Sprouts Center 770-623-1552 770-425-3472 listeners are picking up on the trend. 770-518-3300 CHECK USpackages OUT ON FACEBOOK! CD WAREHOUSE ATLANTA All these deluxe are great for collectors and there’s also a trend for people to get in line and buy some of the limited-edition stuff and then flip it online. Sometimes you’ll see the titles pop up on eBay that same afternoon.

How do you discourage that practice so real fans can purchase the releases?

We only sell one copy of any particular title to each customer. So they can’t come in and grab all the David Bowies, for example, and take them home to resell.

Good idea because reselling the product is the direct opposite of what Record Store Day is all about. It’s an in-the-moment event - part impulse buy and part communal experience.

It’s cool because you can look at the titles online, see pictures of the covers and the track listings and there’s often some special colored vinyl or inserts with each one. Glow-in-the-dark vinyl or multicolored pressings to make each one unique.

It’s turned into a competition of labels of who can make the most unique package.

Yeah, Jack White got into that where he had a hologram, a hidden track under the label, all kinds of special features. There’s about 500 releases for Record Store Day and they are all competing for everyone’s interest and that’s good for everyone.

How do you select which titles you will have available in the store?

You can order as much as you want, but sometimes you might not get certain titles because some are so limited. A few of them are around 400 copies worldwide, so it just depends on what you get. We have a list and we’ll let the employees check off what seems interesting to them, then we have to estimate how many copies we need to order. We have fourteen days to order and we also go by what customers are already asking for. That’s the great thing about having all the info online is that people start to get excited about some of them.

With the limited amount of product available, it creates a definite social atmosphere on the morning of the event.

It really does. We’ll have a waiting line. Last year the first person in line got here at 3:30 in the morning and we don’t open until 10. I’ll usually come in by 8. We had a radio station here last year and they dropped off donuts and coffee for the people in line.

O

UR REALITY SEEMS TO BE GETTING more like reality television everyday with porn stars detailing their affair with the President on 60 Minutes and news headlines becoming more jaded and absurd, Hollywood’s latest takes on reality television show us some signs of hope within the culture. Optimism, humor and quality entertainment have often proved the antidote to bad times, and some new and returning shows provide just that.

AMERICAN IDOL (ABC)

Like the reboot of Queer Eye on Netflix, this new variation on an old standard - which has moved from Fox for its return season - has more than its same old song-and-dance to present viewers. It’s still about dreamy-eyed kids who can belt out power ballads that bring happy tears to your eyes. But American Idol has doubled down on the stories of kids struggling to make their dreams happen in spite of modern challenges and adversity. The new season features the struggles of disabled people, single parents, the unemployed, immigrants and those who face down racism. Just as Queer Eye fought to change more than sloppy dressers, the new Idol wants to connect you to the better natures within all people.

Gone are the public shaming moments wherein terrible singers are humiliated. In their place is constructive advice for people who might not be the best fit or on the right path. The new judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan have an easy chemistry with one another and great advice for emerging talents. As the show segues from auditions into the competition and live shows, it should be fun to watch a star emerge on this reenergized, more hopeful show.

UNREAL (Lifetime)

Lifetime’s guilty-pleasure, fictionalized take on The Bachelor - featuring Shiri Appelby and Constance Zimmer as cutthroat producers dealing with perpetual behind-the-scenes drama of a tacky dating show called Everlasting - returns once again with a different flavor from the year before. Since the second season of UnReal devolved into storytelling chaos, including a racially-motivated police shooting and a double murder by its conclusion, the third season delayed to refocus the storytelling - is going out of its way to return to form. The wacky twists at the heart of this show are still ever-present, but a conscious effort to ground the central characters and their emotional lives seems to be at play.

The plot of the third season’s show-within-ashow has a very intriguing hook and new star.

This season’s Everlasting focuses on a lovelorn

American Idol

power-broker bachelorette named Selena, played

by Masters of Sex star Caitlin Fitzgerald as brainy and with an attitude. Fitzgerald has proven to be an excellent foil for the other female leads and the show seems to be regaining its footing. So far, there haven’t been any zany murders or, worse, tired characters.

Since the show has already been renewed for a fourth season, let’s hope that UnReal continues on its positive trajectory, dismantling sexist notions in Hollywood.

WILD WILD COUNTRY (Netflix)

The most outrageous, truly compelling new show to hit viewers is this six-part documentary on Netflix about a religious cult’s actual effort to overtake a small Oregon town called Antelope in the 1980s. Filled with video footage and interviews of the survivors - both townsfolk and people from the cult of Baghwan Shree Rajneesh - this series is both captivating and creepy, similar in its trajectory to other great crime documentaries and podcasts, like The Jinx, Serial and S-Town.

What begins as a purchase of a ranch for an agricultural commune soon escalates into national headlines, murder plots and an all-out war of ideas. Though purchase of the land by Baghwan and a group of his followers seems innocent at first, soon the town of 40 residents is overtaken by a new, intentionally designed city for thousands of free-love, materialst-minded, red-wearing followers called Rajneshpuram.

The most fascinating of the interview subjects is Ma Anand Sheela, at one point a leader of the movement but now a fugitive living in Switzerland. Sheela speaks of the religion and Baghwan with such devotion, even in current interviews, that her occasional admissions of political maneuvers, bioterror attacks and murder plots come as a shock.

The underlying message of Wild Wild Country is hard to discern, for its sympathies are evenly distributed among all of the people involved in its subject. But the resonance of its story - that something so shocking could happen in smalltown America - is hard-to-miss.

It’s like the old days of camping out in front of a record store to buy concert tickets. It was a ritual.

Yeah, I used to get in line for Springsteen tickets.

You’d bring something to sit on, some snacks or whatever. You’d freeze to death, but you’d finally get your tickets. For Record Store Day, people in line start talking about music and which releases they want to get. People can make friends based on the music they like. It’s just a lot of fun for all of us. Lately, pretty much every other customer that comes in are talking about Record Store Day. Record Store Day is April 21. For more information, visit recordstoreday.com.

insiteatlanta.com • April 2018 • PG 9

Spring Patio Guide

Places to Go when Dining Outdoors!

Park Tavern

500 10th Street NE 404.249.0001 ParkTavern.com

Some of the favorite recipes on their Greek dishes go back over 50 years!

Athens Pizza offers daily specials for lunch and dinner. As the weather accommodates in spring, diners head out to their patio which can also be booked for private parties. Athens Pizza offers an extensive catering menu for events.

Agave

242 Boulevard SE 404.588.0006AgaveRestaurant.com

The Patio at Park Tavern has one of the best views in the city overlooking Piedmont Park and the Midtown Skyline.

This amazing backdrop provides for a great atmosphere and is dog-friendly. The large climate controlled patio includes table seating, private cabanas, an oyster bar, fire pits, and TV's to catch your favorite teams in action. The patio can be transformed for weddings, private events, and concerts. April means concert season is back at Park Tavern with Yacht Rock Revue’s Purple Rain April 27 and the free Concert Series Sunset Sessions.

salmon, grouper, snapper, shrimp (flown in fresh daily) and more. They offer something for everyone: Trivia on Wednesday nights 7-9, "Date Night" Friday nights where it's Adults only after 6:30pm with Live music, aviation-themed playground right next to the restaurant where the kids can play before or after your meal. Full bar available too.

Athens Pizza House

1341 Clairmont Rd. Decatur 404.636.1100 AthensPizzaAtlanta.com

The Downwind Restaurant

Dekalb Peachtree Airport 2000 Airport Rd. #201 770.452.0973 DownwindRestaurant.com

Located inside the Dekalb Peachtree Airport off of Clairmont Road in Chamblee, this family owned restaurant is celebrating its 29th year! Come dine on their deck which is perched right above the runways. Choose from their award winning burgers, house baked turkey sandwiches and clubs, wild caught

Since 1966, the Papadopoulos family has been serving up great Greek and Italian cuisine to the Emory / Decatur area.

Athens Pizza is Zagat rated and winner of several awards including Best Greek Cuisine. So don’t let the name fool you, there is much more here than great pizza.

Soak up the sun!

PATIO SEATING Great Subs, Sandwiches, Salads & Wings Since 1980

(Mondays Only)

$8.50 Large Cheese Pizza!

Just off I-85 @ Clairmont (Corner of Briarcliff & Clairmont)

3109 Briarcliff Rd. • (404) 320-1258 • MosPizza.com Live Music & Entertainment • Full Bar • Daily Specials • Takeout Available

Downwind Restaurant at the Dekalb Peachtree Airport

Mon-Thu 11am-9pm • Friday 11am–10pm • Saturday Noon-9pm • Sunday Closed

770.452.0973 • 2000 Airport Rd. #201, Atlanta www.downwindrestaurant.com PG 10 • April 2018 • insiteatlanta.com

they like. Check for daily lunch and dinner specials. Everything is made using the freshest ingredients including the dough built from scratch every day. In springtime, their front deck is the place to be.

Families and friends flock here to catch some rays, enjoy the food and watch the Braves on one of their many screens.

The Flying Biscuit Cafe’

1655 McLendon Ave. 404.687.8888 1001 Piedmont Ave. 404.874.8887 Catering 404.849.2283 FlyingBiscuit.com

Consistently voted the Best Southwestern restaurant in Atlanta, Agave’s menu is a unique blend of eclectic southwestern cuisine and chef inspired dishes with an authentic southwestern flare. Before being seated, head to their expansive tequila bar where one can get two for one appetizers 5pm - 7pm seven days a week.

Then head to your table on their heated southwestern designed patio. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo at Agave May 5 and all week long. With creative daily specials, award winning margaritas and great ambiance one can see why this is a Cabbagetown favorite.

Mo’s Pizza

3109 Briarcliff Rd. 404.320.1258 MosPizza.com

Mo’s has been serving up great pizza in Atlanta for over 30 years! But the menu isn’t limited to pizza: sandwiches, subs, wings, nachos and salads ensure that anyone who comes here can find something

The Flying Biscuit serves great breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner seven days a week.

Their Candler Park location (shown) is the original Flying Biscuit cafe and boasts a large renovated patio. The Midtown location off Piedmont Park allows for dining inside and out. Their corner patio which is surrounded by windows that come off when the weather cools, offering great views of the bustling Midtown scene. The Midtown and Candler Park locations are offering a new beer & wine menu this spring in addition to nightly dinner specials.

Savage Pizza

Johnny’s NY Style Pizza

484 Moreland Ave. 404.523.0500 115 Laredo Dr. 404.299.5799 SavagePizza.com

Multiple Metro Area Locations JohnnysPizza.com

This eclectic neighborhood restaurant is a favorite hangout among residents of Little 5 and Avondale Estates. They offer a wide variety of salads, subs, calzones and of course pizzas to choose from at affordable prices. Savage Pizza uses only the freshest vegetables, top quality meats, cheeses, breads and pastas. On their menu you'll find innovative homemade sauces and thoughtfully prepared dishes made from scratch every day. Savage offers lunch and dinner with delivery to the area. Both locations offer patio seating.

Johnny’s Pizza is synonymous with great pizza and subs in Atlanta. They specialize in NY Style pizza, which is thin in the middle and thick around the edges. Johnny’s is also known for their delicious calzones, subs, sandwiches and salads. All Johnny’s locations offer patio seating including dine-in, take-out and delivery as well as online ordering. Visit JohnnysPizza.com for the location nearest you.

Twin Peaks Restaurant

Saturday, April 28th 3-7pm Tickets: www.eventbrite.com

Best of

Benefiting Bert’s Big Adventure

EATS • DRINKS • LIVE MUSIC •

3365 Piedmont Rd. 404.961.8946 TwinPeaksRestaurant.com

Coming Next Month...

City Winery Atlanta

650 North Avenue. Midtown 404.946.3791 CityWinery.com

Since opening in 2016, City Winery has taken Atlanta by storm. The concept of co m b i n i n g great wines and culinary innovations in an intimate setting of live music is unlike anything this city has seen. City Winery’s patio is a favorite destination for those heading to Ponce City Market. It’s a great setting to meet for a cocktail after work, dinner or for brunch on the weekends.

Featuring the “Best” food and drinks from our restaurants!

Twin Peaks, the mountain lodge-style sports restaurant in Buckhead and its beautiful Twin Peaks girls offer great views! All three patios: street level, second floor open air and lively rooftop are serviced by the outgoing Twin Peaks wait staff.

Twin Peaks Restaurant offers high-quality comfort food with a wide array of sandwiches and salads to choose from.

Choose from an extensive selection of 29degree draft beers on 32 taps while the girls pour and serve into huge ice-cold, frosted mugs. Several rooms are available for private parties and functions.

Best in Atlanta TAPAS!

EARS! ING 26 Y T A R B E CEL

Best in Atlanta BRUNCH!

For Advertising Call (404) 308-5119 or email steve@insiteatlanta.com insiteatlanta.com

Your Neighborhood Pizzeria!

Atlanta’s BEST Favorite ATL Pizza! Winner of

I Ns i t e ★ 201 7

Multiple Atlanta Locations: JohnnysPizza.com insiteatlanta.com • April 2018 • PG 11

SPRING APRIL

Georgia Renaissance Festival

Spring Festival On Ponce Historic Olmsted Park

APRIL 7 & 8

The two-day fine arts event features over 125 displays of local and regional fine art and crafts, utilizing the gorgeous landscape designed by one of America's most celebrated landscape architects, Fredrick Olmsted, Sr. In addition to the abundance of unique art, visit the children's area and enjoy gourmet food trucks, beverages and acoustic musical performances. For more information visit FestivalOnPonce.com.

Atlanta Dogwood Festival Piedmont Park

APRIL 13 - 15

The dogwoods are in full bloom, and that means it is time for the Dogwood Festival.

The festival takes place over the three-day weekend with live music, international performances, gourmet and festival fare, the popular disc dog competition and more under blooming dogwood trees. There is a Kids Village featuring huge inflatables, arts & crafts and face painting for all ages. Festival attendees will also have a chance to run in their 5K. For more information visit Dogwood.org.

I-85; Exit 61 - Fairburn / Peachtree City APRIL 14 - JUNE 3

The 2018 Georgia Renaissance Festival opens for its 33rd Season on the weekend of April 14 & 15, and runs for 8 consecutive weekends through June 3rd, including Memorial Day. Festival guests will be greeted by Queen Anne Boleyn and her Court, merry minstrels, fair maidens, gallant Knights and a full-day of entertainment on 10 stages, food fit for kings, and a marketplace of over 150 master artisans.

This year features a new Renaissance adventure or special promotion each weekend. Visit GArenfest.com.

Atlanta Spring Wine Festival Historic 4th Ward Park APRIL 14

The 2nd Annual Atlanta Spring Wine Fest will be held on Saturday, April 14th from 1-5pm at Historic 4th Ward Park. There will be over 50 wines on hand as well as a selection of beer and cider to choose from.

Enjoy along with live music and DJ, plenty of fun and games, and food available for purchase. For more information visit AtlantaWineFestivals.com.

2018

Enchanted Pub Crawl

Spring Bierfest

The Enchanted Pub Crawl, a 21+ celebration of all things magical and fantasy. is calling on all fairies, gnomes, princesses, kings, queens, mad hatters, as well as all others in the magical kingdom to tap into their inner child and come play as we celebrate with food, drink and merriment.

Incorporating numerous pubs in the Virginia-Highland area of Atlanta, registered attendees can expect a fun-filled day with fantasy themed photo ops, giveaways, food and themed drink specials, a charity raffle, an enchanted costume contest as well as a charity aspect to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society.

Visit EnchantedPubCrawl.com.

Head to the mountains of Helen, GA for the 3rd annual Craft Beer Tasting and Spring Bierfest. This year offers over 100 beers to sample. The event takes place on Saturday, April 21.

Beer tastings from noon - 5pm with Bierfest after party 6pm - 11pm. Free admission to After Party with arm band from Tasting.

Tickets available at HelenChamber.com or (706) 878-1908.

Virginia-Highland

APRIL 14

Sweetwater 420 Fest

Centennial Olympic Park APRIL 20 - 22 The annual music and arts festival celebrating Earth Day offers be plenty of live music, food, and SweetWater beer. Over the three day event more than 50 bands will perform on 5 stages including The String Cheese Incident, Umphrey’s McGee and Tedeschi Trucks Band. Visit sweetwater420fest.com for ticket information and band listings.

Helen, GA Festhalle

APRIL 21

Kennesaw Big Shanty Festival Downtown Kennesaw

APRIL 21 - 22

The Kennesaw Big Shanty Festival has activities for all ages. Take time to wander through more than 250 booths featuring a vast array of one-of-a-kind and homemade crafts. The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History sits at the center of the festival reminding visitors of Kennesaw’s important role in the Civil War. There will be two entertainment stages, festival foods, Kids Zone and more.

A parade kicks off the weekend on Saturday at 9:30am. For more info visit KennesawBusiness.org.

Helen Chamber of Commerce 3rd Annual

Craft Beer Tasting & Spring Bierfest!

APRIL 21, 2018

TIME:

12pm 5pm

PRICES:

Hofbrau Creature Comfort Miller Southern Brewing $25 Advance Terrapin Highlands $30 at Door Erdinger Paulaner $35 VIP Tickets Grumpy Old Men Three Taverns $40 VIP Sawtooth Ale at Door Oskar Blues Hi-Wire Fat Tire Gaelic Ale And More...

Oktoberfest Festhalle Friends

For additional information & Tickets visit HelenChamber.com or call 706.878.1908 1074 Edelweiss Strasse • Helen, GA 30545 PG 12 • April 2018 • insiteatlanta.com

FOLLOW US ON

APRIL 14 THRU JUNE 3 Saturdays and Sundays plus Memorial Day 10:30am - 6pm • Open Rain or Shine Located just minutes from Atlanta I-85 at Exit 61 - Fairburn SPONSORED BY

BUY TICKETS ONLINE AND

SAVE 25% USE PROMO CODE

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GArenfest.com

Artsapalooza

Lake Forrest Drive, Sandy Springs APRIL 21 & 22

Sandy Springs Artsapalooza is a two-day outdoor event with an emphasis on visual arts and handcraft. This festival will feature up to 125 local and regional artists representing disciplines in painting, ceramics, glass, woodwork, handcraft, mixed media and more. In addition to the beautiful selection of artwork, the festival will also include an amazing lineup of gourmet food trucks, live acoustic music, children’s activities, as well as free parking and free admission. In all, this festival is the perfect spring destination with activities for the entire family.

Visit SandyspringsArtsapalooza.com

Best Of Town

TOWN Brookhaven APRIL 28

Come out to Town Brookhaven on Saturday, April 28th from 3-7pm for Best of Town Brookhaven!

Experience the “Best” food and drinks from our participating restaurants. The event benefits Bert’s Big Adventure (bertsbigadventure.org). There will also be raffles, live music & more.

Participating restaurants include: Olde Blind Dog Irish Pub, HOBNOB Neighborhood Tavern, Bua Thai & Sushi, Tin Can Oyster Bar, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Tropical Smoothie Café, Marble Slab Creamery, Lucky’s Burger & Brew, Yogurtland, Costco & more. To purchase tickets, visit www.eventbrite.com.

Inman Park Festival and Tour of Homes

APRIL 28 - 29

The Inman Park Festival is a neighborhood event featuring food, music, fun, the city's largest street market and it's most outrageous parade. The parade takes place on Saturday, April 28 and will be led by the Inman Park Butterfly and followed by floats, clowns, jugglers, and the legendary Kelly's Seed and Feed Marching Abominables. The parade begins at Edgewood and Euclid at 2:00 p.m. and runs to Austin Ave. at the foot of Little Five Points. Children's activities include a giant slide, obstacle course, relay races and more.

Admission to all festival events is free, except for the Tour of Homes, which requires a paid ticket. For more information visit inmanparkfestival.org.

Smyrna Spring Jonquil Festival

The Village Green - Smyrna APRIL 29 & 30

The Smyrna Spring Jonquil Festival features over 175 Arts & Crafts booths, 15 food booths, an entertainment stage and a variety of children's activities. Artisans are from all over the southeast feature their own hand-made crafts, paintings, furniture, jewelry and much more. The huge interactive children's area includes big and small inflatable activities, sand art, and more.

New this year is The Grizzly Experience, an educational Grizzly Bear Show and exhibit.

The show offers an in depth look into the life of North America’s most prestigious predator, the Alaskan Grizzly Bear. Tonk, the 13-year-old 700-pound grizzly and the two juveniles, Yogi and Maggie delight crowds of all ages with their impressive size and amazing behavior. Admission is free.

For more information visit smyrnacity.com.

Duluth Arts Festival Duluth Town Green

85 RESTAURANTS • LIVE ENTERTAINMENT • KIDS ALLEY

APRIL 28 & 29

With an emphasis on the visual arts and family fun, this two day event is presented by the Atlanta Foundation for Public Space.

One of the most vibrant and fastest growing co m mu n i t i e s , Duluth is home to one of the largest and most enthusiastic art buying communities in metro Atlanta. The Duluth Spring Arts and craft festival is excited to bringing back the tradition to the arts community. The festival will feature up to 100 painters, photographers, sculptors, leather and metalwork, glass blowers, jewelers, and crafters. Also on hand will be artist demonstrations, live acoustic music, a children's play area, plus festival foods and beverages. Visit DuluthArtsFestival.com

FREE Admission • Tastes $1 - $5 • Sponsored by the Marietta Visitors Bureau

tasteofmarietta.com

Taste of Marietta

Historic Marietta Square APRIL 29

Taste of Marietta is celebrating its 25th anniversary showcasing Cobb County restaurants and caterers. It is the largest and longest running food festival in Cobb County and has become a favorite annual tradition among local residents. Over 85 of Marietta’s favorite restaurants will be offering samples. Tastings range from $1 - $5.

There will be musical entertainment all day on stages throughout the festival, fun and games in the Kids Alley, and a food judging competition. In addition to the event festivities, there are the unique shops and museums always present on the Marietta Square.

MAY Shaky Knees Music Festival Central Park

MAY 4 - 6

Shaky Knees Music Festival returns May 4-6 featuring bands across five outdoor stages as well as local food trucks, artisans and vendors. The music lineup includes Jack White, David Byrne, Fleet Foxes, Courney Barnett Japandroids and many more. Full lineup and ticket info at ShakyKneesFestival.com.

Chastain Arts Festival Chastain Park, Buckhead

MAY 12 & 13

This award-winning, two-day festival is held on Saturday and Sunday May 12 & 13 at Chastain Park. An estimated 40,000 visitors attend each year with over 185 displays of art and crafts, including many local and regional artists and artisans. In addition to the abundance of unique art, there will be a children's area in the adjacent green space, local gourmet food, beverages and a small stage for acoustic musical performances. This free event showcases painters, photographers, sculptors, leather and metal craft persons, glass blowers, jewelers and more.

Visit ChastainParkartsFestival.com.

Sweet Auburn Festival

Sweet Auburn District MAY 12 - 13

The original Sweet Auburn Springfest takes place Mother’s Day Weekend May 12 - 13. Enjoy fun, food and entertainment for the whole family. Visit SweetAuburn.com insiteatlanta.com • April 2018 • PG 13

Kirkwood Spring Fling and Tour of Homes Bessie Branham Park

MAY 19

Don't miss being part of the 16th Annual Kirkwood Spring Fling & Tour of Homes on Saturday, May 19.

Celebrating the historic and eclectic in-town neighborhood of Kirkwood, this family-friendly festival offers a fun-filled opportunity to enjoy the warmth of spring with a 5K run, artist market, diverse lineup of live music, creative kids' activities, Blue Ribbon BBQ Cook-off and Tour of Homes. The event will take place at Bessie Branham Park, rain or shine. Festival is free, with ticketing for the 5K and Tour of Homes. Visit KirkwoodFling.com.

Yarab Shrine Circus & Fair Jim R Miller Park, Marietta

MAY 19 - 28

The largest Shrine Circus and Fair in North America is back for its 76th year!

Packed with more excitement than ever, this year’s Tarzan Zerbini Circus features several new acts under the Big Top. For the first time in Marietta see the C a s t l e Performing Bears and the Fabulous Flying Bells on the flying trapeze. Check out the Human Bullet “Saturn” flying high above the crowds below. The Great Daredevil “Garcia” on the Wheel of Thrill will keep everyone on the edge of their seats. In addition to the (80-minute) circus under The Big Top, there are 35 exciting carnival rides and

attractions, as well as lots of carnival food.

The Sneak-a-Peek Ride-A-Thon begins Friday May 18. Midway opens Monday through Friday at 5 p.m.; Saturday at 10 a.m.; Sunday at Noon, and Memorial Day at 10 a.m. Visit 2017ShrineCircus.com

Decatur Arts Festival Decatur Square

MAY 25 - 27

Decatur's biggest arts event takes place over Memorial Day Weekend. Get started Friday evening, May 27, with the ArtWalk all around Decatur. The fun continues with the new dance festival, literary arts performances, musicians all day long on Decatur's community bandstand, a juried artists market, the fine arts exhibition, a special Kids and Teens Arts Festival and more. For additional info visit DecaturArtsFestival.com.

Atlanta Jazz Festival Piedmont Park

MAY 26 & 27

Celebrating over 40 years of musical mastery, the festival returns to Piedmont Park with three days of music over Memorial Day Weekend. The Atlanta Jazz Festival is

the perfect way to spend the holiday with family and friends. For the first time in the event’s history, it will feature an all-female lineup on Saturday. Artists include, Camille Thurman, Jazzmeia Horn and Tia Fuller, just to name a few. In addition to the Memorial Day Weekend Festival, 31 Days of Jazz events will be put on throughout Metro Atlanta beginning on May 1. The final weekend offers KidZone areas with games and inflatables. National and international musicians will perform on two stages.

Admission to the festival is free. Visit atlantafestivals.com.

Candler Park Music Festival Candler Park, Atlanta

JUNE 1 - 2

Celebrating 10 years at Candler Park in Atlanta, this year’s two-day event is set to draw more than 20,000 attendees and will feature live music, local food, crafts and interactive partner experiences. Additional weekend

event activities will include a food village filled with local restaurant vendors and food trucks, the exclusive Terrapin Brew Lounge where attendees can experience Terrapin craft brews, and adult field games. For full line-up and ticket information visit candlerparkmusicfestival.com.

Imagine Music Festival Atlanta Motor Speedway

SEPT 21 - 23

Imagine Music Festival (IMF) is a 3-day camping and electronic dance music festival held in Atlanta, Georgia.

Ranked top 5 in the nation, the festival is an all-encompassing, 360-degree sensory experience that blends music, circus troupes, performers, dancers, art, workshops, classes and more. Returning for their 5th year, the Imagine Festival will continue its immersive aquatic fairytale with an abundance of performers, live acts, unique atmospheres, amusement rides, vendors and The Imaginarium’s variety of sacred teachings, ceremonies, and transformational workshops. Fans can expect the lineup to be released late Spring. Tickets at ImagineFestival.com.

MUSIC

LET IT BE(ATLE)

The Fab Faux Preach the Message of Popes John, Paul, George and Ringo You’re lucky that your boss loves music as much as you and the band.

I’m so fortunate to have a boss who’s into the guitar. He’s a Beatles, Buddy Holly and rockabilly freak. He’s a song man and he’s turned me on to a lot of cool writers. He’s just a smart guy and he can talk to anyone about anything - whether it’s about music or to Gore Vidal or to some comic.

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

“W

E’RE DISCIPLES OF THE music,” laughs guitarist Jimmy Vivino during a wide ranging hourlong conversation that touches on nearly every style of music of the modern era. The “we” is The Fab Faux and his quartet has explored all aspects of The Beatles for over two decades. Actually music has been a lifelong occupation for the band since Let’s talk about your side he and his talented mates project. It started with a few “speak in a vocabulary based club shows and now it’s a fullon 45’s.”

Saturday, April 14 blown tour with merch and a But don’t expect costumes, The Tabernacle big production. wigs and fake British accents I’m glad you said project, tabernacleatl.com for this performance. This because it’s definitely not a Fab Five is Vivino, leader tribute show. If it’s a tribute of Conan O’Brien’s Basic to anything, it’s a tribute to the recordings and Cable Band, fellow late-night alum Will Lee the concept of those records. It’s about getting of David Letterman’s CBS Orchestra and inside them and bringing them to the stage. It’s session vets Frank Agnello, Rich Pagano and the farthest thing from the wigs and suits and Jack Petruzzelli. They don’t try to look like The accents and that corny stuff. There’s a place Beatles, their only focus is to faithfully play for that and I know people like it, but you start the music. to feel like you’re in the Hall of Presidents in Vivino called to talk all things Beatles from Disneyland. We don’t mimic anything other Los Angeles. than the sounds and the parts on those records.

THE FAB FAUX

You played the Tabernacle a few years back when Conan did a week of shows in Atlanta.

They fixed the stage, right? The week after we were there somebody was playing and the stage collapsed! But what a beautiful old theater. I’m glad we’re goin’ back in there.

PG 14 • April 2018 • insiteatlanta.com

There’s so much material to choose from.

You always have an advantage when there’s that much stuff. We started with the intent of playing the music that The Beatles themselves had never played live. We picked it up somewhere around ’66 and ’67 after they’d stopped touring. So it was pretty much from

Rubber Soul on out.

Were you tempted to look back at the early stuff too?

Oh yeah, we went backwards too. Now we’re one or two songs shy of playing the entire catalog because you have to try everything.

Even the quirky things. It’s all part of the whole history so each piece is important. And going way back, you see just how tight they’d gotten in the clubs. Because most of the early stuff is covers of great songs.

Each track is ingrained in the fans’ heads; they know every pause, every little aside.

It’s the x-factor ingrained in the audience and they fill in whatever we might miss. Growing up, we all studied those records more than our books when we were in school. It’s just amazing to know that some of it is over 50 years old now but it continues to inspire people. It’s a template for how to do it right. There are whole studies on the Beatles’ music at colleges. It’s fascinating.

You don’t look like the Beatles but you sure have a lock on all the instruments.

We’re obsessed with that stuff. In today’s technology, they’re making so many pedals and stuff. Like, they’re making a Beatle doubletracking pedal and an Abbey Road EQ pedal, but the missing thing is them. There’s nothing like what those four guys did together. Then we take it and do the best we can as a live band.

I remember hearing that you guys were

playing Beatle shows around your other day jobs. When did this band actually start?

20 years ago, Will Lee came up to me in the elevator of the building we both lived in on Mercer Street. He said, ‘Do you want to start a Beatle band?’ I said, ‘Get lost. What are you, crazy?’ But then I thought, ‘Well why not?’ If Will wants to do it, you know? I have a lot of respect for him as a musician. So we gathered the right bunch that could hang together for this long and go on this trip of exploring the music.

You’ve been together longer than the actual Beatles.

Way longer! Almost three times longer. Ringo says it’s eight years for the Beatles but yeah, it’s been a long time for us to be looking at this music. Think of it, it may take a band that long to make two good albums but the Beatles made this whole catalog - and the movies and everything else they did in that period.

MUSIC

DWEEZIL ZAPPA’S CHOICE CUTS The Outspoken Guitarist Brings Variety to The Variety desensitized to computer music, the less likely they can appreciate people who can actually play. There’s such a big difference between the human touch and a computer. Sometimes people prefer the computer because it can sound more perfected. But that’s not what actual people sound like. You have generations of kids who are really unaware of what they’re missing. Some things my daughter listens to is completely unlistenable to me.

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

A

S THE MISSION STATEMENT for his Dweezilla musical boot camp says, Dweezil Zappa’s goal is to “shatter boundaries and preconceptions.” In over three decades of music and performance, he’s stuck to this ideal while remaining intensely focused on his own musical individuality - as viewed through the prism of his considerable history and lineage. His mantra is obviously genetic. His dad was Frank Zappa the iconoclastic and staggeringly But you know people have been saying that prolific musician who challenged every for years. It’s generational. known standard of musical composition Well at the dawn of rock and roll people and performance. were terrified, they heard this rebellious Even as his latest crowdfunding campaign music and it was like, ‘Oh what happens if the supporting the use of his own last name has children start to think for themselves?’ completed, he remains at odds with the estate as he embarks on a new You were born in 1969, tour. Previous outings have a very tumultuous time found him examining suites for music and society. of his dad’s material and Saturday, April 7 Actually past the peak of promoting his own catalog Variety Playhouse your dad’s greatest ‘60s of original, progressive variety-playhouse.com material. Kids of today rock music. His most need to hear that stuff and recent studio release Via maybe wake up a little.

Zammata’ remains one of It’s a strange time for a lot of things now, his best, most diverse collections yet. obviously political-wise, but music-wise too.

For this journey, he’s offering a varied My dads’ music is oddly still prescient. It’s look at his many influences in a show called like he was the rock and roll Nostradamus, Choice Cuts, deftly blending the very best of predicting so many things. Many of his Zappa - Frank and Dweezil. INsite caught up statements of music are still true today. Like with the outspoken guitarist during last year’s it’s ripped out of the headlines.

“Cease and Desist” tour.

DWEEZIL ZAPPA

You’ve been releasing your own music for over 30 years now. What has been the most drastic challenges you’ve seen in both writing and releasing?

Writing wise, when I first started, I was focused around what the guitar would do, that was the main thing. Now it’s the song itself, the structure and coloring in the lines.

The guitar doesn’t have to be the main feature now because I have all these other musicians who can bring different colors, textures and timbres and that frees me up to do whatever I’m doing. That’s how it’s been while I’ve been busy playing my dad’s music. That’s the way he operated. He used the band as an orchestra. So the transition to working that way opens up so many more possibilities for me. And at the same time, it frees you up to be able to just create a feeling for the song, something that the listener can really connect with.

You and your dad have both released some great album-length listening experiences.

Does it bother you that the trend has shifted back to the single track?

Well that’s been around for so long in pop music, even when they went for the teen market with Elvis and beyond. But the experience of listening to a whole album has definitely died out for current and future generations. It’s not considered a foreground piece of entertainment much anymore. The goal used to be to create a focal point with music, a real listening experience.

Popular music has always been disposable, but now the shelf-life seems shorter than ever.

There’s a cloying kind of aspect to it and I think there are less people with the skills to make music, to listen to it, or even to be very competent recording artists. Now it’s instant gratification. And the more people are

Exactly. It’s like a wickedly astute capsule of cultural observations.

He’s really the only person I can think of who was saying so much about the social situation. He created it to be entertainment, yes, but there was definitely a message in there. He wasn’t this guy up on a pedestal preaching to everybody. I think he was really just showing all the sides of stuff.

The stupidity, the challenging ideas, all of these things.

compared to everything else that came out in 1966, this was from outer space. Now it still sounds like it’s from outer space. Nobody even got close to what Frank was doing and that was over 50 years ago. You can still play stuff from that record and it still sounds like it’s from the future. It’s fresh new ideas and they’re five decades old. I always tell people, ‘If you haven’t heard something it’s new. It doesn’t matter if its 50 years old or ten years old or two. It’s still new music.’

That’s the worst possible sort of ageism.

Yeah. Well my dad had a great quote, ‘The

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OW N E RIVAL

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mind is like a parachute, it doesn’t work unless it’s open.’ When people are walking around with blinders on, they’re gonna miss out on a lot of things. There’s a definite lack of respect for what came before us.

When you were growing up, did you pay attention to Frank’s music?

When I was growing up it was really the only thing I heard. By the time I heard the radio when I was 12, it seemed like there were so many instruments missing from the sound. I thought to myself, ‘Where’s the rest of everything?’

E NTE RTAI N M E NT PR E S E NTS

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WITH

Exactly, if he’d just preached it would have been soundly rejected.

He did it in a way that was like an audio movie. Not as, ‘Here’s a thing with three chords and I’m gonna tell you how to think.’

Which makes the fight for the Zappa name seem all the more ironic. It’s not a brand, it’s your last name.

It’s stupid. The idea of supposedly protecting the name by trademarking it [to use for marketing] is just preposterous. Just listen to a song like “Cosmic Debris.” Is that a song about a guy who wants to have yoga pants with his name on them?

People need the challenge of music like Freakout (1966) for example. I bought that in high school when I was exploring improvisational jazz. That listening experience is a timeless challenge for anyone who appreciates music as a true artform.

It’s like, imagine an 11-year-old goes into a record store with money he saved up from a paper route. They happen to select Freakout

by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention.

‘Oh, this for me!’ They bring it home and put it on. They’re a little bit scared but mostly fascinated. Then of course the parents come in and take the record away - or even destroy it - because they’re so terrified by what’s coming out of the speakers. All these sounds.

There wasn’t really distortion until then so

04/28 ATLANTA, GA INAUGURAL STADIUM CONCERT!

GEORGIA STATE STADIUM WWW.TICKETMASTER.COM insiteatlanta.com • April 2018 • PG 15

COMEDY

BILL BURR: ROCKSTAR OF COMEDY One of the Best Comics in Business

it is, if you’re putting out something of quality, people will want to see it. I remember when a special would come out and everybody would see it. Like a Sam Kinison special or whatever. If you missed it you were like in another country for three days at school because everybody was talking about it.

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

F

ROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS IN stripmall clubs in the ‘90s, Bill Burr has emerged as one of the hottest comedians on the scene. He’s joined the ranks of Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, ‘Dice’ Clay, George Carlin and Dane Cook as one of the few comics who can sell out Madison Square Garden.

There are too many shows to even For the past decade he’s hosted his keep track of because everything is so weekly Monday Morning Podcast, a segmented now. popular stream-of-consciousness hour of Yeah, we’ve got our third season of F Is ribald social commentary with surprisingly For Family coming out this year and my perceptive relationship advice. He’s also parents have yet to see it. But there’re released a series of specials - including the old, they’re not gonna sit down and try to excellent “I’m Sorry You Feel That Way,” figure out the password and the second filmed in luminous black and white at remote. I can barely figure it out! I did Atlanta’s Tabernacle in 2014. a small role in this movie [2012’s “Stand An accomplished actor, Burr has an Up Guys.”] There was a scene with Al impressive list of film and television Pacino and Christopher Walken, right? credits including roles in Breaking Bad, So the movie came and went, then about the upcoming “Frontrunner” with Hugh six months ago, my dad called me. He Jackman and his own cartoon show “F Is goes, ‘I’m about half asleep on the couch For Family,” now in its third season on and I left the TV on. I wake up and I see Netflix. But stand-up remains his main gig, Al Pacino. ‘Yeah ok, I’ll watch this.’ Then although he frequently plays all of a sudden, you come drums with other comics walkin’ out! I wake your in heavy metal free-for-alls mother up, I’m like, ‘Christ, in Hollywood. there’s Bill!’ That was a really Saturday, April 28 INsite caught up with Burr good movie, when did that by phone from Los Angeles, Fox Theatre come out?’ I was like, ‘Oh the morning after hanging foxtheatre.org about five years ago.’ out with his pals in Ministry.

BILL BURR

You’ve been releasing comedy specials for the past decade. Are there too many specials at this point?

It’s changed so much in the last year. The sheer volume that have come out has made me rethink my whole business model of when and how often to put them out. But you know people are just devouring stuff now. I got to do this panel [for SiriusXM] about this great new show coming out on HBO called Barry with Bill Hader, Henry Winkler and all these guys. It’s such a great show. I asked one of the writers, ‘Does it bother you that it takes all this time to create it - and then in one night, somebody can just binge the whole thing? Then they’re like that was so awesome, when’s the next season coming out?’ It’s like you gave ‘em a 10,000 dollar bottle of wine and they just shot-gunned it. ‘That was delicious, can I have another bottle?’

Right, people can binge watch an entire decade of your work in a night.

I just don’t know where it’s going from here. But the way I don’t freak out about

So his Breaking Bad binge weekend is a long way off.

You know, I can still talk about Breaking Bad and someone will yell out ‘spoiler alert,’ and think they have a legit argument.

The thing went off the air four years ago!

At what point can I talk about it? All I can do is just keep trying to compete against myself and make my current hour better than my previous one.

Speaking of specials, will your current tour eventually lead to a special at some point?

It’s gonna lead to something but I don’t know what. I do know I have no plans of recording this year, so I’m just going to go out there, work on the things I’m working on and make people laugh. I’m ridiculously thrilled that people are still coming to my shows and some markets are adding shows.

It’s just awesome.

More and more people are coming and you’re playing bigger venues every tour.

Yeah but you never know how long that

WHAT GOES UP COMES BACK DOWN AGAIN. IF I EVENTUALLY GO BACK TO PLAYING CLUBS AGAIN IT’S FINE. THAT WAS THE DREAM ANYWAY.

lasts. I’m not being stupid with the money I’m earning because how this business works is you get nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing and then you get all of it at once.

Then it goes away again. You’re like, ‘Was that it?’ ‘Yep that was it! Hope you didn’t buy too many fur coats, stupid, because the resale value is about one ninetieth of what you paid for it.’

You sold out Madison Square Garden a while back. That’s just about the pinnacle of arena shows. You come from a club background and there you are in the middle of the Garden - just a man and a microphone. How did that feel?

It’s oddly intimate. I learned that a while back. I opened for Dane Cook one time there. He was doing it in the round. So I was going, ‘Jesus Christ dude, I’ve never played an arena and we’re in the round.

How do I do this?’ He goes, ‘It’s easy. It’s just four theaters all stuck together.’ When you’re in the middle of the arena it’s way smaller. When you’re at one end of it, it definitely seems bigger.

So you went in there and killed it as the headliner.

You know I play drums as a hobby, right?

I rented some equipment and me and some buddies just went in and jammed. We played for an hour and a half in an empty Madison Square Garden! It turned it into a clubhouse kind of feel. So when I went out there, it didn’t feel like that ‘Holy shit, how am I gonna do this?’ That was definitely in the back of my head but it wasn’t up front, affecting my performance. I had one of the best shows of my life. I recorded it, planning to release it on vinyl. But the recording ended up getting screwed up.

But you know what, I still did it, so that’s cool.

That would have been a great companion piece to your vinyl of the Carnegie Hall show.

Yeah, that’s the thing. I want to make sure I can document those shows somehow because they are so special to me. I don’t

PG 16 • April 2018 • insiteatlanta.com

know what to do with them; I guess I’ll give them to my daughter and she’ll own all of them. Maybe she can do something with them.

I grew up buying comedy albums on vinyl.

I can play a comedy record over and over because spoken word is just like music to me.

Yeah! Those comedy albums. That was a big thing and then they came and went.

And now it’s the special. Everything comes and goes and changes. One of the reasons why we progress, for better or worse, is we get bored of stuff and then it becomes something else.

What was your goal, early on? Did you ever imagine playing a sold-out MSG? All I ever wanted to do was work the Improvs and Punchlines and the A-rooms.

That’s how long I’ve been doing standup. I just pictured myself coming in, you know, wearing a sport coat with the t-shirt underneath it and a feathered mullet. My red feathered mullet. Obviously, that went out the window! But what goes up comes back down again. If I eventually go back to playing clubs again it’s fine. That was the dream anyway.

If all else fails, you can join Ministry, right? They’ve offered you a spot.

Well I went to the show last night, but I didn’t go up onstage. I was like, ‘Listen if you want me to sit in and we’ll do a cover of an AC/DC or Aerosmith song, then yeah.’ But what he has going on with the DJ’s and the drumming is on a whole other level. And the songs are like eight minutes long. People came there to see Ministry, all right? If I go out there and sit in on an eight-minute song, the novelty wears off in the first minute. So you want to pick a quick song and the band laughs at you and makes fun of your playing and everybody waves. ‘Oh isn’t that cool, the dancing monkey is a fan of the same band we like.’

That should take no more than two-and-ahalf minutes total. I think I like that band too much to take them up on the offer.

MUSIC

COMEDY

DAVE DAVIES

HE’S A SENSATION

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

NE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL, influential and unique bands of the early ‘60s British Invasion was The Kinks. Led by brothers Ray and Dave Davies, the pair led various line-ups of the band until splintering in the mid-‘90s Since then both musicians have released a number of projects including Open Road, Dave’s recent collaboration with his son Russ and a live album recorded at New York’s City Winery.

Now almost a year to the day of his previous show, Dave Davies returns to Atlanta’s City Winery for a retrospective evening of his own considerable catalog of music and a look back at some of his favorite Kinks songs as well.

INsite caught up with Dave by phone from his American home in New Jersey.

ITH SELF-PRODUCED VIDEOS from his studio apartment in New York, Randy Rainbow has emerged as one of You Tube’s hottest social and political commentators. Since he does all his own editing and post-production, Rainbow (yes, it’s his real name) has really made a name for himself. What began as parody interviews and pop-culture skewering has now turned into a cottage industry for the quick-witted performer. Now his songs and skits are taking on a life of their own on the road in a live, three-dimensional production. Think Pee Wee Herman, Weird Al and Alan Sherman all rolled into one viral video and you’ve got the Rainbow connection.

The Manic Guitarist of Kinks Fame Ponders His Many Influences

O

Last year, Open Road, a collaboration with your son Russ, was new. What’s coming next?

I’m continually supporting it, but I also have a new album that’s scheduled to come out in the summer called Decades. It’s a collection of unreleased tracks from the ‘70s and it’s produced by my son Simon Davies.

The ‘70s were such a great period for you in general and the Kinks really came back strong during that time.

So many changes were happening then.

This album really captures the sound of that time. We converted a lot of the analog tapes and I think it’s got a good vibe of that time.

Randy Rainbow Owns the Net with Hilarious Viral Social Commentary

W

Road, “The Path Is Long,” which is one of my favorite new songs. There’s something for everybody. It’s just a good night out. You can’t beat live music. I know that’s cliché, but that’s where rock and roll lives, really. That anticipation of live music is exciting.

Back then, you didn’t have to label music by genre, you could just enjoy it.

You’re quite right, at home on Saturday night, we’d play “Hound Dog” and my sisters would play music from “South Pacific” and Perry Como and all the ‘50s Are these tracks from the Monday, April 16 balladeers. I think it really same era as your first solo City Windery helped The Kinks when we album [known by its serial citywinery.com/atlanta started because we had so number AFL1-3603]? much information to draw Yeah! Some of it. It’s just on, so many ideas. And a collection of songs I did in the early days the pathos came from that mixture. Hank at [Kinks’ studio] Konk. I used to go in Williams showed how sad life can be. But it’s sometimes on downtime with a few ideas and also pretty funny. There’s a lot of storytelling a few musicians and work out stuff. So there’s and character development in those songs. a lot of stuff that we’d never used. There’s one from that AFL session called “Within Each And the British Music Hall stuff was Day,” too. That’s in there. obviously a huge influence on your work, especially from the ‘70s.

How did it feel to go back and look at all Oh yeah! Well you have to realize, being that material 40 years later. an entertainer is an important part of being Strange. But me and Simon were able to a musician. It’s crucial to have that contact go through it. It’s interesting to hear that all with the audience, make a few jokes and just the feelings and emotions and lyrical ideas get a good vibe out of the evening. of that time still seem very current. Timeless themes, but they’re obviously caught up in You’ve always managed to pack a lot of that period. varied emotions into one song.

Because that’s what life is like. It’s That’s what I’ve always enjoyed about your observations. It’s like writing a script for music, whether solo or with Ray. It doesn’t people. To me, music has always been a visual sound dated, and not many bands can pull thing. You start developing these characters that off. for the songs and it’s like being on a film set.

I think the Kinks have always been able You watch them move around and interact to do that for some reason. It’s like we just with each other. That’s the job of the artist, to record things we like and we don’t worry look at all the layers. about anything else. It was just doing what comes natural for us. I’m really looking You’ve certainly mastered the raw forward to getting all this stuff out. expression. How did you feel when you made that initial burst of the “You Really There’s some remastered for iTunes Kinks Got Me” sound? That was a pretty shocking material from a while back as well. sound for 1964.

People are hungry for the unreleased and When I took that razor to the amp and so revitalized stuff. much raw came out, I thought, ‘Yes! That’s That’s true. So in the show I do, it’s a it.’ You know it when you hear it and I was mixture of my old and new and my favorite always looking for new ideas for music and I Kinks stuff. I’ll be doing a song from Open do now. It keeps you young.

DAVE DAVIES

about. I was excited to tour through Texas but I didn’t know what the response would be. But it seems like people are craving someone to bring some order to this chaos, which I hope I do a little bit.

Can you see any shifts from region to region?

Luckily I’m thrilled that I have a fanbase. So really it’s specifically my people at the shows.

They’re really supportive and along for the ride pretty much the whole way.

You’re famous for videos, so is the live show a multi-media event?

It is. And this tour, this show is really all about the music. It’s called ‘Randy Rainbow Live’ and that’s exactly what it is. Since many of my most popular viral videos have been the song parodies, so there’s background videos that will kind of segue into the songs. I have a live band, which is a lot of fun for me because I have a musical theater background. I’m getting to return to my roots!

How does it feel to be a viral sensation?

It’s amazing. I’ve been making videos for almost seven years now. I had a nice following and it led to a lot of cool opportunities and fun gigs but needless to say it went to the next level when um, ‘you-knowwho’ came on the scene. It might have been terrible for the country, but he’s April 12 been great for my career.

Are you bringing other comics? Is this a review style show?

It’s just me! What else do ya need? Then there’s a Q Buckhead theatre thebuckheadtheatreatl.com and A, talkback part, in the The first big thing from middle of the show. I get you that I remember some bonding time with was the “I’m Dating Mel the audience and that has become my favorite Gibson” video. part of the show.

That was it, the first one really. I always say, ‘the older, white, anti-Semitic misogynists are What’s next for you? An album, a DVD? really my wheelhouse.’ That’s where I shine.

I think the natural progression for me will They’re great for business. Maybe there’s some be an album. But because there’s so much kind of issues in my past that I need to work parody stuff, that gets a little tricky. I’m mostly out, but I just know how to deal with those known for parody but I’m looking forward types. I’m lucky that every time some crazy to collaborating with some composers and stuff happens, I’m able to make jokes and [five time Academy Award nominated and songs about it. Otherwise, I’d just be drinking Grammy, Emmy and Tony winner] Marc with everybody else.

Shaiman is gonna be writing some stuff for me.

So you were doing pop culture commentary and then Donald Trump comes along. Were Your stuff is so of the moment, do you think you heading toward political commentary you’ll ever do a DVD/concert film? anyway, or was that such a culture shock that People do ask for that and to me that almost it informed your path? seems a little antiquated now, the DVD thing.

That’s pretty much it. I’d always go to the If you want to do a marathon of my videos, most viral things. Whatever was trending, you can just go on You Tube. But I’ve getting whatever was on everyone’s Facebook or requests to do a greatest hits-type DVD. I’ve Twitter feeds. So for me, it’s easy to determine been touring this show for about a year now, the subject matter for my work, and it was just so it’s at a place where I would like to film it. a natural progression to talk about the current political climate.

Were you always interested in musical theater and performance?

Let’s talk about the live show. A while I’ve been in musical theater since I was 8. back, you were scheduled in the suburbs My parents put me in ballet. My mother just at the Atlanta Comedy Theater, how was wanted to gayest son she could possibly have, so that show? she’s been working That was one of my on this for a while. first live gigs actually.

So musical theater An incredible packed and performance house and it was has been a part of one of the greatest my life forever. Long audiences to date. story short, I moved to New York and As you’re taking started developing the show across the my comedy voice. country, can you Then that led to the see any cultural videos and somehow differences as you along the line, it’s cross the States? all kind of merged I just did a Texas together. Now here tour which I was a we are! little trepidations

RANDY RAINBOW

insiteatlanta.com • April 2018 • PG 17

MUSIC

MUSIC

“FRESHMEN” GRADUATES

Two Decades Later, The Verve Pipe Looks Back on the ‘90s – and Forward to Now

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

T

HE LATE ‘90S MUSIC SCENE is filled with some massive hits and heartbreaking misses of the moment.

One of the biggest radio hits of the commercial alternative boom was “The Freshmen.”

Michigan-based The Verve Pipe has managed to turn their one huge hit single into a twentyplus year career with a catalog of fine, if often overlooked, albums.

Leader Brian Vander Ark now leads a new line-up of the group and the result is a batch of more good music than they originally released during their 99X-approved heyday. Currently touring behind last year’s Parachute and a sprawling live reboot of their successful Villains album, the revived band returns to town for a show this month at City Winery.

Vander Ark looked back on the band’s interesting history during a recent call from his home in Grand Rapids.

should have gone right into the studio and done a new record. When we did finally record our next album, it cost us nearly a million dollars to make. You’re right, by the time it came out in ’99, the whole scene had changed and the album was a huge failure.

But it was a very strong record. Better than Villains, actually.

I’m proud of it. We’d sort of come into our own by then and people still say it’s one of their favorites. Sometimes I have to go back and look up my own lyrics online to relearn some of those songs because people want to hear them now.

VERVE PIPE

Then Underneath was even better, but it really had some really bad luck.

Oh yeah, it was released on 9/11. We were so pumped before it came out and then 9/11 hit and stations started playing classic rock and comfort music. We were so prepared and RCA was ready for a big marketing storm with it. Then two months later, we got the call that we were dropped. That was the end of an era for us in so many ways.

When Villains was released Saturday, April 21 in ’97, you became a part of City Winery the last gasp of big-money citywinery.com/atlanta label support.

Yeah, toward the end of the ‘90s, that kind of record deal The industry went into an just stopped and that’s what happened to us. overdrive of upheaval but you had a good run A lot of bands kind of fell into that same class. with your solo stuff. That period might have And now we’re all out doing anniversary shows even happened for you had you stayed on of those days. But that’s what you have to do to the charts. sustain a life in music. Some guys have it and I think in hindsight, yeah. But at the time I was some are back working in the mall again. just grasping for straws. Then the solo records started happening. Then we did the kids records Oh yeah, the old “superstar of the Guitar just to dip our feet back in the water and here we Center” syndrome. are with two new rock records in three years. It’s That’s the classic one. But ya gotta do what ya all come around. gotta do. Once you have kids, working becomes a priority but I can’t imagine not having a life in And you’ve finally released a live record. music. It’s just who I am. When I had kids, we Yeah, it wasn’t time before, but when the ended up putting out a kids’ album and it took 20-year anniversary of Villains was coming, I off for us like nobody expected. Next thing you thought it would be fun to do a live record of it. know, we did more kids’ music. It’s helped us So we used different instrumentation and told survive. Plus, it’s fun and it keeps us afloat so we stories and just redid the whole thing start to can also make rock records. I’ll pour cereal out finish and it’s gone over great. of my guitar when I do the kids’ shows but I’d rather do that than work at the airport.

Now you’re back on the road with a new An audience of kids is a really tough gig. line up.

Yeah and everybody gets along now, which is That’s nearly as tough as playing to a room full important when you’re my age. When you go of jaded hipsters. on the road with a bunch of guys who’d been You’re exactly right and it’s kind of the same together since ’92, you all start to commensurate thing! But the thing with kids is, you have to and then it’s that whole feeling of like, ‘Why are keep their attention for an hour and if you we doing this anyway?’ don’t sustain that entertainment factor, you’ve lost them. They get antsy and their parents get So you cleaned house. pissed. It’s not like at a rock show where you can Yeah, if they were unhappy, why stay? I’ve tried take a minute to tune your guitar. to find great players that actually want to be out playing music. That’s the group I have now, just When Villains was hot in ’97, you went for a terrific players and we have a blast on the road. couple of years before the next album and right So it’s fun again to play music people love and in the middle of that era, the industry was to be able to play new music too. We’ve been changing so fast. getting very positive reactions to the stuff on Yeah, what happened with Villains was the Parachute and I didn’t even expect it. You know, single “Photograph” hit and then the next single sometimes people roll their eyes when you say, didn’t hit, but then “The Freshmen” hit and it ‘Here’s some new music.’ But this record is going just kept hitting. We’d try to put a new single over great. We’re getting requests for songs from out and radio was like, ‘Well we’re still playing it. It’s a great feeling.

Freshmen.’ And that was almost a year later. We PG 18 • April 2018 • insiteatlanta.com

Punk

Album Reviews

REVIEWS BY JOHN B. MOORE

Professor And The Madman

Disintegrate Me (Fullertone Records)

We may just be a few months into the new year, but it’s safe to say Professor And The Madman are the best punk rock supergroup we’ll hear all year.

Fronted by Alfie Agnew (Adolescents, D.I.) and Sean Elliott (D.I., Mind Over Four), the rest of the band is filled out with members of The Damned, past and present - Rat Scabies on drums and Paul Gray on bass.

There are obviously plenty of punk influences that can be heard all over this one, but the band goes much deeper, mixing in classic psychedelica (“Space Walrus”), Power Pop (“Wishes”) and just about everything in between. There is also a strong Brit Pop vibe weaved throughout most of the songs here.

Elliot and Agnew taking turns in front of the mic throughout just adds to the appeal of this record.

Both are strong, but with distinct sounds that serve their respective songs well. There are one or two missteps along the way, like the predictable “Machines,” weighed down with uninspired lyrics, but for the most part, “Disintegrate Me” is everything you want a debut record to be: original, experimental and memorable.

6 String Drag

Top of the World (Schoolkids Records)

South Carolina’s 6 String Drag may not be the most prolific band out there – “Top of the World” is only their fourth release in about 20 years – but as long as everything moving forward sounds as good as this new release, all is forgiven.

Like every great Americana band to come around in the last decade or so, 6 String Drag comes out of the ashes of punk rock; frontman Kenny Roby switched to a more country vibe after his punk band called it quits. Their 1994 debut was solid classic country (read: not Bro Country), mixed with a little soul and R&B. “Top of the World” continues with that tradition, plenty of horns and organ, but have also added in more rock influences, across several decades and enough pop hooks to keep the songs in your head for hours. Across 11 tracks, Roby and crew turn in a remarkably satisfying mix of genres that stands as quite possibly their best yet.

Whether they’re bemoaning love gone awry in “Wrong Girl” or reliving youth in the hardcharging “Small Town Punks,” the band has never sounded as strong. The title track, the slowest one on the record, is achingly beautiful and a testament to just how confident they have grown over the years since that first record.

The Breeders All Nerve (4AD)

There’s always a sense of hesitation when a universally adored, classic band puts out new music after years away.

The Pixies are probably one of the best examples. “Indie Cindy,” the 2014 post-reunion album that came after two decades of silence was… well, underwhelming. Expectations are just too high for most bands to meet. The Breeders, coin-

cidentally made up of former Pixies bassist Kim Deal, may be one of the few exceptions.

“All Nerve,” the group’s fifth studio album and first in over 10 years, finds the band in a remarkably impressive place. Almost 30 years after they first formed, you’d have to go back to 1993’s “Last Splash” to find a Breeder’s record this strong.

The playing is as confident as it’s ever been with the same soft-loud-soft guitar build ups that The Breeders, and The Pixies before them, are known for. Songs like the slow tempo “Space Woman” and the brilliant, and equally slow “Walking With a Killer” are balanced out beautifully with faster and noisier fare, like “Archangel’s Thunderbird.”

More impressively, the album gets better with each repeated listen. Not all classic bands should keep making new music after the reunion. The Breeders are clearly an exception.

Reggie And The Full Effect 41 (Pure Noise)

Emo bands never die… they just usually grow up and keep making the same records they made in the early aughts. In the case James Dewees (aka Reggie & the Full Effect), that means another so-so effort with hints of promise that ultimately falls apart after repeated listens.

“41,” his seventh effort and first in about five years, carries many of the same hallmarks as his other records – both good and bad. There’s the ‘80s Depeche Mode-like synth sound throughout (used to its best effect on the impressively nostalgic “Heartbreak”) the trying-way-too-hard song titles (“Channing Tatum Space Rollerblading Montage Music”) and the mock hard rock tracks (“Karate School”).

When he sheds the forced goofiness, on a song like the straight-forward “Broke Down,” you can see the promise of a much better album. Unfortunately, those moments are few and far b tween.

For those who loved Reggie & The Full Effect when the Van’s Warped Tour was the highlight of your summer – Congrats! He’s back and just as you remember him.

For everyone else, nothing to see here.

Move along.

The Fratellis

In Your Own Sweet Time (Cooking Vinyl)

Since their debut just over a decade ago, Scottish alt pop band The Fratellis have been churning out infectiously catchy pop, with enough jangly guitars and power chords to appease the indie kids, but also boasting a much wider appeal. And “In Your Own Sweet Time,” their fifth record, is no different.

From the first track, the irresistible “Stand Up Tragedy,” throughout nearly the entirety of the record, the band keeps up the momentum. The only low point is the slow tempo album closer, “I Am That.” Excluding that lone track, The Fratellis manage to top an already strong track record, turning in their most satisfying album yet.

The band had help from producer Tony Hoffer, who’s diverse CV includes work with Beck, The Kooks and Belle & Sebastian, among others, adding to the eclectic nature of this record that draws influences from a slew of different genres over several different decades. It’s not hard to imagine everything from Gang of Four to Supertramp being played as psych up music as the band prepped for recording.

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