INsite Atlanta September 2019 Issue by INsite Magazine

SEPTEMBER 2019

INSITEATLANTA.COM

VOL. 28, NO. 2 FREE

8 YEARS! 2 G N I T ELEBRA

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FestivalS North Georgia State Fair • Helen, GA Oktoberfest Taste of Smyrna • Old Fourth Ward Fall Fest East Atlanta Strut • Norcross Art Splash & Wine Atlanta Pride Festival • Brookhaven Arts Festival Duluth Fall Festival • Decatur Craft Beer AIDS Walk • Red Clay Comedy • Mimosa Festival

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PG 2 • September 2019 • insiteatlanta.com

CONTENTS • SEPTEMBER 2019 • VOLUME 28, NO. 2

EARS! ING 28 Y T A R B E CEL

Atlanta’s

Entertainment Monthly

INTERVIEWS 10 Michelle Malone 17 Vanessa Williams 18 Aubrey Logan 18 Squeeze

FEATURES

17 08 Out on Film 11 Restaurant Deals 12 ATL’s Best Pizza 13 Red Clay Comedy 14 Fall Festivals

COLUMNS 04 05 06 07 08 09 09

PRESENTING THE 2019 & 49TH ANNUAL

Around Town On Tap Atlanta on a Dime Station Control Movie Reviews Under The Lights 18 New Releases

insiteatlanta.com STAFF LISTING Publisher Steve 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 Music Editor John Moore john@insiteatlanta.com

Advertising Sales Steve Miller (404) 308-5119 • ads@insiteatlanta.com

Octoberfest Parade Sept. 7 at Noon!

MAILING ADDRESS P.O. Box 76483 Atlanta, GA 30358 WEBSITE • 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 content, i.e., articles, graphics, designs and information (any and all) in this publication may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from publisher. SEPTEMBER 2019

INSITEATLANTA.COM

VOL. 28, NO. 2 FREE

S! TING 28 YEAR CELEBRA

Please see our Fall Festival feature on page 14.

Oversized Pretzels, Brats & Beer Cheese

Separate Kids Dance Floor

Contributing Writers / Interns: Alex. S. Morrison, Dave Cohen, Benjamin Carr, Demarco Williams

Large Selection of German & Domestic Beers

Live German Music Dancing

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FestivalS North Georgia State Fair • Helen, GA Oktoberfest Taste of Smyrna • Old Fourth Ward Fall Fest East Atlanta Strut • Norcross Art Splash & Wine Atlanta Pride Festival • Brookhave n Arts Festival Duluth Fall Festival • Decatur Craft Beer AIDS Walk • Red Clay Comedy • Mimosa Festival

September 5-8; 12-15; 19-22 Sept 26 – October 27 Daily

Admission: $8 Mon–Fri, $10 on Sat, FREE on Sun Time: Weekdays 6–10:30pm, Fri 6pm–Midnight, Sat 1pm–Midnight, Sun 1pm–7:00pm

1074 Edelweiss Strasse • Helen, GA 30545

For more information, contact the Alpine Helen Chamber of Commerce at 706-878-1619

HelenChamber.com

Oktoberfest Festhalle Friends

insiteatlanta.com • September 2019 • PG 3

Around Town NOW THROUGH SEPT. 28 OUR TOWN THE LARAMIE PROJECT

Theatrical Outfit; theatricaloutfit.org

The Theatrical Outfit puts on two acclaimed plays together for a nightly show. Our Town depicts the town of Grover’s Corners in three acts: “Daily Life,” “Love and Marriage,” and “Death and Eternity.” Narrated by a stage manager character and performed with minimal props and sets, this classic chronicles the Webb and Gibbs families as their children fall in love, marry, and eventually, in one of the most famous scenes in theatre, die. The Laramie Project tackles the kidnapping and subsequent death of a university student in Wyoming who was targeted because he was gay.

SEPTEMBER 6 - OCTOBER 6 BECOMING NANCY Alliance Theatre

In Becoming Nancy, it’s 1979 in the south London suburb of East Dulwich and David Starr has just been given the female lead in his high school’s play. The unconventional casting sends shockwaves through David’s small town, first with David, and then with his parents, his aunt, and his classmates. Before long, it seems like everybody has an opinion on whether David should go on with the show. Becoming Nancyis the hugehearted new musical that weaves a story of family bonds, first loves, and the courage it takes to find your own spotlight. Tickets at alliancetheatre.org/becomingnancy.

Events and Performances taking place around Atlanta

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 ATLANTA BOURBON FEST

City Winery; atlantabourbonfestival.com

This tasting event takes place on Saturday, September 7th at City Winery from 1-4pm; VIP starting at noon. There will be over 50 bourbons and whiskeys to sample as well as a few beer and wine options. Enjoy live music upstairs and DJ Aetii downstairs. Food is available for purchase from a select menu from City Winery.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 SUNDAYS ON THE RIVER CONCERT Chattahoochee Nature Center

The final performance of the 2019 Sundays on the River lineup is the amazing blues and R&B singer Shemekia Copeland on September 8. Copeland never holds back. Her instantly recognizable voice, capable of being sultry, assertive and roaring, delivers with every song. Bring a blanket, love for music, and plenty of food to share as Copeland takes the stage, with a backdrop of frog chorus from the nearby pond. Visit chattnaturecenter.org for tickets.

SEPTEMBER 12 - 15 BOYS IN TROUBLE

7 Stages Theatre in Little 5 Points

7 Stages presents this timely and urgent commentary on contemporary masculinity–these powerful dances place a trans and queer lens onto intersectional questions of embodiment, violence, black queer love,

whiteness, shame and posturing. This one week residency includes four performances and an artist workshop with trailblazing transgender choreographer Sean Dorsey. Tickets at 7stages.org.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 KRONOS QUARTET: MUSIC FOR CHANGE: THE BANNED COUNTRIES Schwartz Center for Performing Arts

Opening a season that explores the ability of music to bring people together, the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts presents Grammy Awardwinning Kronos Quartet performing Music for Change: The Banned Countries on Saturday, September 14. Featuring Iranian vocalist Mahsa Vahdat, the program highlights the rich diversity of artistic voices from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. "My goal for Kronos is exploring the ways that music can increase our understanding of our times and our connection to people around the world." says Kronos Quartet Artistic Director David Harrington.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 KEVIN JAMES

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

Kevin James began his career as a standup on the Long Island comedy scene. After being discovered at the 1996 Montreal Comedy Festival, he signed a network development deal to create his own sitcom. The King of Queens, which premiered in 1998, ran for nine seasons on CBS and gar-

nered James an Emmy nomination in 2006 for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. Tickets at cobbenergycentre.com.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

STAR WARS AND MORE: THE MUSIC OF JOHN WILLIAMS Ameris Bank Amphitheatre

Experience the family-friendly symphonic event featuring beloved scores from Star Wars, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones, Jaws and more, all performed by your very own Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Come early and experience fun activities before the show including picture opportunities with varying characters and on-site face-painters.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5 GEORGE THOROGOOD

Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheatre

George Thorogood and The Destroyers have been “Destroying” stages since 1975. They’ve sold over 15 million albums built a classic catalog of hits and played more than 8,000 live shows. They broke records with their 50 Dates / 50 States Tour, delivered landmark performances at Live Aid and on SNL, and became mainstays on radio, MTV and stage for more than two generations. Purchase tickets for their October 5th performance at The Fred at Amphitheater.org.

2019–2020

Candler Concert Series

KRONOS QUARTET WITH

MAHSA VAHDAT

September 14, 2019 at 8:00 p.m.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW 404.727.5050 arts.emory.edu/insite

SCHWARTZ CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS

TREAT YOURSELF.

The Best of Every Era Vintage, Costumes, Festival Wear, & Amazing Accessories.

GIVE YOURSELF THE VIP TREATMENT AND SUPPORT ATLANTA PRIDE'S YEAR-ROUND WORK. DON’T DELAY - VIP TICKET QUANTITIES ARE LIMITED AND WILL SELL OUT! ATLANTAPRIDE.ORG/VIP VIP AREA PRESENTED BY

/psychosistersatlanta ATLANTA PRIDE CELEBRATION OCTOBER 11-13, 2019 PG 4 • September 2019 • insiteatlanta.com

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428 Moreland Ave NE Atlanta (Next to Vortex) 404-523-0100 • Open 10am – 10pm(ish)

Kronos Quartet © Jay Blakesberg

Grammy Award-winning Kronos Quartet performs Music for Change: The Banned Countries. Featuring Iranian vocalist Mahsa Vahdat, the program highlights the rich diversity of artistic voices from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.

On Tap this Month MAJOR EVENTS COMING TO ATLANTA Friday, September 13: Fox Theatre

FTI REVIVAL BENEFIT CONCERT Fox eatre Institute (FTI) hosts an unforgettable night as it celebrates 10 years of preservation efforts supporting the state’s most significant historic resources with the highly-anticipated Revival benefit concert, hosted by Kevn Kinney. Performances by Drive-By Truckers, Drivin N Cryin, Bill Berry of R.E.M. and Atlanta-native Michelle Malone. Visit Foxeatre.org for tickets.

presents

don’t miss the final 2 shows of THE 2019 concert season!

kc and the sunshine band friDAY, september 27

Saturday, September 14: Atlanta Symphony

VANESSA WILLIAMS

Vanessa Williams performs alongside the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra to celebrate the ASO’s 75th Anniversary Season. After conquering the musical charts, Broadway, television and motion pictures, Vanessa is one of the most respected and multi-faceted performers in entertainment. See her perform live "Save the Best For Last”, "Dreamin," "Work To Do” and other hits. Visit AtlantaSymphony.org for tickets.

September 14 & 15: Piedmont Park

MUSIC MIDTOWN

Music Midtown Festival is back in Piedmont Park on Saturday, September 14 and Sunday, September 15. Festival hours are 1pm-11pm on Saturday, and noon10pm on Sunday. is year’s festival will be a treat for all music lovers with headliners Travis Scott, Panic! at the Disco, Cardi B, Billy Eilish, Vampire Weekend, Lizzo, Leon Bridges, Charlie Puth, Glack and more. Visit MusicMidtown.com for tickets.

September 19 - 29: Jim R. Miller Park, Marietta

NORTH GEORGIA STATE FAIR

e 87th annual North Georgia State Fair takes place ursday, Sept 19 - Sunday, Sept 29 at Jim R. Miller Park in Marietta. Over 300,000 people come out each year for live music, free attractions and shows, farm animals, ﬂower shows, blue ribbon competitions, local entertainment, and delicious fair foods. ere are also games and rides on the Great James H. Drew Exposition midway. Visit NorthGeorgiaStateFair.com.

September 25 - 29: State Farm Arena

George Thorogood and the Destroyers SATURDAY, october 5 The Good To Be Bad Tour - 45 Years of Rock

For more details, visit www.amphitheater.org

order tickets by phone at 877.725.8849

FOX THE ATRE INSTITUTE PRES EN TS

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS

DRIVIN N CRYIN DODD & THE COUNCILMEN FEATURING BILL BERRY OF R.E.M. MICHELLE MALONE AND SPECIAL GUESTS

DISNEY ON ICE: ROAD TRIP

Hit the road with Mickey Mouse and his pals for a high-octane ride in Disney On Ice presents Road Trip Adventures. Exciting twists and turns await as Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and guests of all ages embark on an interactive and memory-rich adventure to iconic Disney destinations. Featuring new and classic tales, this multi-generational experience comes to downtown Atlanta for nine performances. Ticketmaster.com.

September 27: The Fred Amphitheater

KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND

Come “Get Down Tonight,” and get ready to experience hit after hit from KC & the Sunshine Band for their electric show at e Fred on Friday, September 27. See them perform live classic hits: “at’s e Way (I Like It),” “Shake Shake Shake (Shake Your Booty),” “I’m Your Boogieman” “Keep It Comin’ Love,” and “Boogie Shoes” from the hit movie Saturday Night Fever. Get your tickets now at Amphitheater.org.

HOSTED BY

KEVN KINNEY FOXTHEATRE.ORG

SEPTEMBER I3TH

insiteatlanta.com • September 2019 • PG 5

Saturday, Sept 21 - Sunday, Sept 22 Friday, October 4

EVENTS HAPPENING FOR SMALL CHANGE IN ATLANTA

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

Friday, September 6

Sunday, September 8

The Green @ City Springs; Begins at 6pm Free; Leadershipsandysprings.org

Heritage Sandy Springs Free; HeritageSandySprings.org

MOVIES BY MOONLIGHT

Join family & friends for a free showing of Captain Marvel under the stars Friday, September 6 at the Green @ City Springs. Pre-movie food trucks, fun and festivities begin at 6pm; entertainment on stage at 6:30pm, movies begin at dusk. Now in its 15th season, Movies by Moonlight combines the nostalgia of a drive-in movie with the fun of a block party rolled into one!

CONCERTS BY THE SPRINGS See Band X for a free outdoor concert 7:00 - 8:30 pm Sunday, September 8. is will be the ﬁnal performance of the season for the outdoor concert series at the Heritage Green. A limited number of tables available for purchase. Coolers welcome and beverages are sold. Suggested donation of $5 per person, beneﬁts the Heritage Sandy Springs Museum & Park.

Saturday, September 7

Saturday, September 14

Logan Farm Park in Acworth Free; JRMmanagement.com/pizza

Johnson Ferry Baptist Church Free; EastCobber.com/parade

PIZZA, PINTS & PIGSKINS

Pizzerias from all over Cobb County will converge on Logan Farm Park for food, fun and games. Each restaurant will serve their best pizza dish along with other yummy fare. Bring the family to eat, play in the huge Kid’s Zone, listen to your favorite music, grab a cold beverage from the beer garden, relax and have fun. Help judge a myriad of other pizza contests. Relax to acoustic sounds throughout the day, while Yacht Rock Schooner performs in concert from 8:00 – 10:00 p.m.

EAST COBBER PARADE

Since 1993, the East Cobber Parade & Festival has become the area’s most popular tradition. e parade begins at 10am at Princeton Lakes subdivision entrance and travels south ending in the parking lot of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church. Known as the candy parade, it features over two thousand participants and more than eighty groups in ﬂoats, marching bands, classic cars, and more. After the parade enjoy live entertainment, arts & crafts, food and carnival games.

ROSWELL ARTS FESTIVAL

CITY GREEN LIVE

Held on the third weekend in September at the Historic Town Square in Roswell. Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Entertainment featuring local singers and dance companies begins daily at noon. Children’s paintings, sand art, balloon animals and other activities are also available. e festival oﬀers a variety of food trucks on site.

City Green Live is a series of free concerts on the Green at City Springs. Friday, October 4, Joe Gransden and his Big Band present Sinatra and friends. Pack an blanket and picnic under the stars. Only alcoholic beverages sold on site are allowed. Tables available for purchase. Festivities begin at 6:30 p.m., bands begin playing at 7:30 p.m.

Historic Town Square in Roswell Free; RoswellArtsFestival.com

The Green at City Springs Free; CitySprings.com/events

Saturday, Sept 21 - Sunday, Sept 22 Saturday Oct. 5 - Sunday, Oct. 6

MARIETTA STREET FEST

CANDLER PARK FALL FEST

Marietta StreetFest oﬀers many free activities including arts & crafts booths, Classic Car Show and the Marietta Grassroots Music Festival. e kid-friendly activity zone Tiny Tot Town features “make and take” art stations, interactive games, inﬂatable slides and bounce houses.

With a challenging 5K, Tour of Homes, live music, local food, fun-ﬁlled Kids Zone, and over 200 artist booths this free festival is not to be missed. e 5K kicks things oﬀ at 10am on Saturday followed by the 1 mile Fun Run at 10:45am. Tour of Homes is on Sunday from noon - 6 p.m.

Glover Park Historic Marietta Square Free; MariettaStreetfest.com

Candler Park Free; fallfest.candlerpark.org

CANDLER PARK FALL FEST

Candler Park • Free Saturday Oct, 5 - Sunday, Oct. 6 fallfest.candlerpark.org

RECEIVE UPDATED EVENTS WEEKLY. SIGN UP BY EMAILING SUBSCRIPTIONS@ATLANTAONADIME.COM ENTER ON THE SUBJECT LINE: SIGN ME UP INSITE!

PG 6 • September 2019 • insiteatlanta.com

Station Control

TV EXECS KEEP MINING OLD SHOWS

The Boys

BH90210

BY BENJAMIN CARR

HESE DAYS, IT IS ALL TOO common to milk existing intellectual property until it’s completely dry. Since making television is so expensive, it can be smarter to invest in big-name revivals and reimagined material. Some takes can be inspired, others total duds. The latest crop of new programming - from old source material - is a mixed bag, sometimes rendering the original material nearly unrecognizable.

BH90210 (Fox)

Dear God, this limited new series is the weirdest reboot of an old show that I have ever seen. The original cast mates of the 1990s hit teen soap opera return to their home network - as themselves starring in a silly reboot of their old show. Devised by Tori Spelling and Jennie Garth, it intensifies the personality quirks of the former teen stars, turning the show into a sort of Curb Your Enthusiasm of tabloid stars. Tori’s a washed-up reality star perpetually bankrupt, desperate for money. Jennie’s going through her third divorce. Jason Priestley is now a cad director with anger management issues. Within the show, Gabrielle Carteris is a grandmother, Shannen Doherty has transformed from a human nightmare into a saintly activist. Ian Ziering’s a self-promoting fitness guru, and Brian Austin Green is now married to a star who far eclipses his own fame. It’s nutty. And it’s kind of fun. It’s not a total disaster, even if it meanders incredibly and the plot is uneven. Tori’s kind of fantastic at milking her brand in a way that seems immune to shame. There are lovely tributes to Luke Perry, who passed away earlier this year. And Jennie Garth milks all the comedy she can out of the situation. Fans of the old Four Weddings and a Funeral

Beverly Hills 90210 should find this one a strange confection worth at least one taste.

PENNYWORTH (Epix)

A show about Batman’s butler from his days of being a young, incredibly sexy spy in post-World War II Britain seems like the most elaborate stretch of DC Comics’ best property possible. It takes place 30 years before the hero shows up, and it features Bruce Wayne’s parents - most famous for dying in an alley - as mysterious figures battling intrigue and evil. But, damn, this show works. It’s Downton Abbey meets James Bond. Unlike most prequels, the world of Pennyworth is mostly uncharted territory. Starring the great Jack Bannon and the very handsome Ben Aldridge, There won’t be many familiar villains or wink-wink nods in this. Instead, we get a beautifully shot, period spy thriller. It’s violent and funny, giving a sidekick a fantastic amount of spunk before putting him in the spotlight.

FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL (Hulu)

Devised by Mindy Kaling and based loosely upon the 1990s British romantic comedy, this hour long sitcom stars Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones) as an American expatriate with lots of friends. In the first season, much like the movie, there are four weddings and a funeral. Other than that, it has absolutely nothing to do with the source material. This show is kinda baffling, but it feels more like Friends and Coupling than anything else. On its own, the show is funny, endearing and mostly bland. Its cast is full of beautiful, racially diverse actors. The standout performer is Zoe Boyle as Gemma, a grumpy, conservative, rich prude who undergoes an emotional upheaval. It’s watchable but unremarkable.

STATE FARM ARENA SEPT 25 – 29 DisneyOnIce.com insiteatlanta.com • September 2019 • PG 7

FILM

MOVIES

Movie Reviews THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON (PG-13)

 The Peanut Butter Falcon proves that “predictable” and “formulaic” are not always negative descriptors. Being “tried and true” means something has worked before and can work again, especially with a little imagination behind it. Hitchcock could have made this suspenseful, but all Tyler Nilson and Mike Schwartz want to do is introduce us to some more or less likable characters and take us on the road with them to a fairly inevitable conclusion. It’s not a spoiler to say they don’t develop superpowers or get attacked by zombies. Tyler (Shia LaBoeuf) lives in a South Carolina fishing community. Since his brother’s death he’s been depressed and survives by stealing from his neighbors’ crab traps. Zak (Zack Gottsagen), 22, is a self-described “Down Syndrome person.” Apparently abandoned by his family, he’s been dumped by the state in a nearby nursing home where he’s looked after by Eleanor (Dakota Johnson). A designated “flight risk,” Zak escapes in his tighty-whities and hides on a boat. Having alienated any friends he had, Tyler sets the dock on fire and leaves – via the same boat, of course. Two tough guys follow Tyler and Eleanor goes hunting for Zak. Tyler hopes to resettle in Florida and Zak wants to go to a wrestling school advertised on a VHS tape that’s his prize (read “only”) possession. Maybe The Peanut Butter Falcon makes it look too easy for an odd couple of kindred spirits to find each other, but the real problem is that it makes it look too easy to make a movie that just about everyone can enjoy.

AQUARELA (PG)

1/2 Most documentaries show us things we may not have seen before and tell us what they are or offer a point of view about them. Aquarela has some awesome nature photography but without context it’s just a cure for insomnia. Filming was done in about a dozen countries and the oceans between them. First we’re on a partially frozen lake (in Russia, I think). Four men are walking around, kneeling down to peer through the ice. With no explanation for several minutes, what begins as a mystery becomes boring before they finally spot a car and go through a lengthy salvage process. Driving through ice into water appears to be a popular local sport, until some of the few words in the film explain that the ice melted three weeks earlier than usual this year. This film about climate change is all over the map. It’s just one unexplained shot after another, first of icy locales, then of the sometimes rough open ocean as we move southward. Aquarela has been praised by more patient critics, but I’m sure this is not what my doctor meant in telling me, “Stay hydrated.”

FIDDLER: A MIRACLE OF MIRACLES (PG-13)

 Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles offers nostalgia for the millions around the world who have loved Fiddler on the Roof since it premiered in 1964; but it also provides revelations and anecdotes from the show’s creators and many who have appeared in it over the years – including Topol, Harvey Fierstein, Danny Burstein and the late Zero Mostel. They’ve all starred as Tevye, the “Tradition”-bound man whose daughters defy him by choosing their own husbands as their Jewish community suffers a pogrom and is driven from their Ukraine home in 1905. The film connects the latter to historical incidents of discrimination that have occurred since and keep the story relevant today. One of the show’s biggest fans is the current Mr. Broadway, LinManuel Miranda, who shares its surprising relevance to his own culture. When you see the Temptations’ version of “If I Were a Rich Man” you will agree.

Has a Nice Niche

Before You Know It

they thought was dead (Judith Light) is actually a big soap opera star. Y FIRST REACTION ON SEEING Changing the Game explores questions the lineup for this year’s Out on Film of transgender athletes in high school and festival, which runs Sept. 26 through which team they should be allowed to play Oct. 6, was, “Is this for one year or five?!” on, through the stories of three students in Festival Director Jim Farmer assured me it different states with different rules. There was just for this year. Perhaps I was confused no easy answers and rules have to be one because the titles of most of the 125 narrative size fits all. films, documentaries, short films and web 5B is a historical documentary about the series were unfamiliar to me. I hadn’t seen HIV/AIDS ward at San Francisco General them and they didn’t have the Hospital in the early days of Award Season buzz associated the epidemic, when even many with this month’s festivals in health care professionals were Toronto and Venice. Sept. 26 – Oct. 6 afraid to touch the afflicted. No, Out on Film, now in its The Garden Left Behind will Various Locations 32nd year, is a niche festival answer a lot of your questions outonfilm.org about lesbian, gay, bisexual and about gender reassignment transgender (LGBT) people and in the course of a story about their interests. That doesn’t a Mexican-American (Carlie mean it can’t be appreciated by everyone. You Guevara) nearing 30 who’s trying to begin don’t have to have flown a plane to enjoy Top transitioning. Gun, or a spaceship to enjoy Star Wars. You Gay Chorus Deep South documents a tour don’t have to be a toy – or a cartoon – for Toy of five Southern states (bypassing Georgia) Story to interest you. by the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus after We all like to see ourselves represented on the 2016 election. Like the tour, the film screen, but we learn more about the world by is less about music (though there is some) seeing movies about people unlike ourselves; so than starting a conversation about “religious a good mix is healthy. freedom” laws permitting discrimination Out on Film’s opening night feature, For against LGBT people. They Know Not What They Do, is an excellent Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm documentary about four sets of parents, each Street is about Mark Patton, an actor whose of whom learned that one of their children was career peaked and virtually ended with the gay or transgender. All had been taught by first Elm Street sequel after he their churches that these things were wrong, and it were deemed “too in some cases a sin or abomination. Their gay.” Eventually it became stories range from happy to tragic, but all a cult classic and Patton are human and well told. found a new career That screens on Sept. 26 at the attending Cons. festival’s primary venue, the Landmark A full schedule with Midtown Art Cinemas. Closing film descriptions and of weekend films will be shown at the Out course a chance to buy Front Theatre Company and the Plaza tickets can be found at Theatre. outonfilm.org. I’ve just begun previewing the festival at this writing but here are a few more titles I’ve enjoyed: Before You Know It is less about director/co-writer Hannah Pearl Utt’s character being a lesbian than the Off-OffBroadway scene she and her sister are Scream, involved in and what Queen! My Nightmare happens when they on Elm Street learn the mother

BY STEVE WARREN

LOVE, ANTOSHA (R)

 You may not know who Anton Yelchin was on the way in, or you may just remember him from Star Trek and Terminator reboots; but after seeing Garret Price’s biographical film, you’ll miss him almost as much as the many friends, directors (J.J. Abrams, Jodie Foster, David Duchovny) and co-stars (Chris Pine, Kristin Stewart, Jennifer Lawrence, Willem Dafoe, Zoe Saldana, Jon Cho, Simon Pegg, etc.) who offer remembrances. Anton was born in Leningrad in 1989 to a pair of professional figure skaters who emigrated to the U.S. six months later because anti-Semitism was on the rise in Russia. He showed an early interest in acting, or at least being a showoff, as illustrated by countless photos and home video clips. His professional career, other than commercials, began in 2000 with an ER episode. Most of his films were little-seen independents, which may explain why he never became a megastar. (An interviewer rudely notes, “You’ve been a rising star for the longest time.”) But Anton worked harder than most, perhaps because he knew his time was limited. He was diagnosed at an early age with Cystic Fibrosis, and made the most of the time he had. He taught himself guitar and played with a band, the Hammerheads. He took kinky photographs, wrote and directed short videos and was ready to start his own feature film when he died three years ago at the age of 27. Anton’s parents are interviewed extensively and his mother proudly displays the stack of notes her loving son sent her, starting when he could barely write, all signed with her pet name for him: Love, Antosha.” See the rest of our movie reviews at insiteatlanta.com/movies.asp

AQUARELA

PG 8 • September 2019 • insiteatlanta.com

OUT ON FILM

Under The Lights ON STAGE THIS SUMMER

MARY POPPINS

Byers Theatre September 13 - 22 (770) 206-2022 CitySprings.com Set in 1910 London, the Banks family is struggling to keep things in order and call on Mary Poppins for help. Using a combination of magic and common sense, the new nanny must teach the family members how to value each other again. Mary Poppins takes the children on many magical and memorable adventures, but even the grown-ups can learn a lesson or two from the nanny who advises that “Anything can happen if you let it.” Mary Poppins is an enchanting mixture of irresistible story, unforgettable songs, breathtaking dance numbers and astonishing stagecraft.

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT

Horizon Theatre Sept 20 - Oct 27 (404) 584-7450 HorizonTheatre.com The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time brings Mark Haddon’s bestselling novel to thrilling life on stage. Tenacious and intelligent, Christopher is an autistic teenager who’s better at solving equations than navigating a world that’s stubbornly out of sync with how his mind works. After being wrongly accused of murdering his neighbor’s dog, he resolves to find the real culprit. But, when his inves-

tigation uncovers painful truths about his family, he dares to strike out on his own, embarking on a thrilling adventure that upturns his whole world.

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

Fox Theatre September 24 - 29 (855) 285-8499 FoxTheatre.org Willy Wonka opens his marvelous and mysterious chocolate factory to a lucky few. That includes Charlie Bucket, whose bland life is about to burst with color and confection beyond his wildest dreams. He and four other golden ticket winners will embark on a mesmerizing joyride through a world of pure imagination. The show performs songs from the original film, including "Pure Imagination," "The Candy Man," and "I've Got a Golden Ticket.” Experience the wonders of Wonka like never before with Oompa-Loompas, incredible inventions, the great glass elevator, and more at this everlasting showstopper.

HOME THEATER

NEW RELEASES

THE LATEST DVD, BLU RAY & VOD RELEASES By John Moore

THE PRETENDERS – WITH FRIENDS

(MVDVisual) This live set recorded in Atlantic City goes back 13 years – with 2006 appropriate bands – but the show still sounds just as compelling today as when it was first recorded. The Pretenders tear through more than a dozen of their classic tracks, as well as a few covers associated with their musical guests. with Incubus, Iggy Pop, Kings of Leon and Garbage’s Shirley Manson sitting in. While the band’s catalogue is the highlight, the group and Pop taking on his classic “Candy” and the Manson duet on Garbage’s “I’m Only happy When It Rains” are just as fun.

HAIL SATAN?

(Magnolia) No group in recent history has done a better job of both trolling and racking up court wins against overreaching Christians trying to force their religion on the country than the Satanic Temple. This funny and thought-provoking doc looks at the “religion” that was essentially set up in 2013 in part to ensure the separation of church and state, through witty theatrics and strong

court challenges. The filmmakers capture the spirit, the humor and the purpose of the group remarkably well.

MY SCIENTOLOGY MOVIE (Magnolia)

The Church of Scientology refused to grant interviews with Louis Theroux on his documentary, so he teamed up with Mark Rathbun, a former, highranking member of the church and hired actors to play out incidents documented by Rathbun and other former members of Scientology. The result is both terrifying and hilarious. The doc takes a bizarre turn when the church sends a camera crew and investigators to follow the filmmakers around which seems to only validate all the bizarre and frightening tactics Theroux and his team sought to highlight in the first place. insiteatlanta.com • September 2019 • PG 9

MUSIC

A FABULOUS REVIVAL

Georgia’s Best Rockers Join Together to Celebrate with the Fox Theater Institute

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

N FRIDAY THE 13TH, THE FOX Theater Institute’s “Revival” concert will celebrate the legacy of Georgia’s historic theaters and the institutes tenth anniversary while showcasing an incredible evening of Georgia’s best rock’n’roll artists. With sets from the Drive-By Truckers, Drivin ‘n’ Cryin, Michelle Malone and Dodd and the Councilmen, the storytelling event promises to be an unforgettable night of music and memories. DNC’s Kevn Kinney hosts the show and several special guests are expected to participate. In addition to the solid line-up, attendees can purchase a commemorative poster and bid on a number of cool collectibles, all to benefit the ongoing outreach programs of the Fox Theatre Institute. “Empowering performing arts centers within their communities is the heart of the Fox Theatre Institute’s mission” said vice president and chief operating officer of the Fox, Adina Erwin. “We look forward to celebrating, honoring and serving Georgia’s historic theaters.” INsite spoke with Michelle Malone about her own special memories of the Fabulous Fox. The Chris Robinson Brotherhood couldn’t make it and you are very ably filling that slot. How’d it all come about? Oh gosh, well Kevn Kinney and I have always been like siblings from different mothers since the day we met back in the ‘80s. I guess because he knows me so well and how much I love the Fox, he thought I’d be a good idea on the bill - so he called me. He just called up one night and asked if I’d be interested. I jumped at the chance because I love the Fox Theater. It’s been part of my family for generations, just like everyone who grew up around here. It’s very important to me so I’d literally do anything I could possibly do to help the Fox. You really complete the line-up. Anything with you and Kevn on it is going to rock, but the entire line-up is solid. I think so, too. It’s going to be a really great night of Georgia-born music and that’s a passion of mine. So it’s a win-win for me. Really it’s a triple-win because I get to play at the Fox again, it’s been too many years. I’ve seen you at shows at the Fox, just

enjoying the event as an audience member. Oh yeah, I’m always excited to just go see a show at the Fox. It’s so ornate and historic and means so much to me just as a music fan. But of course I’ve played there and now gearing up to play that stage again is the icing on the cake. Definitely exciting.

Michelle Malone

Do you remember the first time you played the Fox? I’m guessing it might have been around the time of your Arista album. So by 1990, perhaps? You know, I don’t really remember. But yeah probably right around there. But I’d go and sit in with the Indigo Girls there. Maybe I opened for them there, too. I do remember opening for Joe Cocker there, in the mid-tolate-‘90s. So it’s been a while but it’s always a beautiful thing. As an artist and a music fan, what was it like the first time you stepped on that stage? It was exciting because you have all these memories that flash through your head. It’s an experience having been in the audience and now you can see both sides so it brings a whole new perspective. It’s always been one of my favorite places to see a show or a movie.

I’ve never even heard of it since then.

Oddly enough, I’ve seen that movie and I have the soundtrack. Oh my God. I do, too! That’s so funny. I For anyone who grew up in the Atlanta remember walking into the Fox that day and area, seeing a show at the Fox - or the I’d never seen anything like it. The closest Omni for that matter - was sort of a rite of thing I guess to compare with a moment like passage into the world of live performance, that was going to church. But especially rock or jazz music. the Fox is just bigger, better, It wasn’t just a show, it was cooler, more ornate and a an event. completely different vibe. And It was! But it still is and Friday, Sept. 13 then the organ comes up and that’s the best part about Fox Theatre there’s a singalong! Which the Fox. It’s still a big deal to obviously, my family loved. foxtheatre.org go there. It’s still one of my Then there was a cartoon favorite venues that I’ve ever before the movie, which was played anywhere in the world also a cartoon. I mean, how cool is that? I’d - and I’ve played just about everywhere at never experienced anything like that in my this point. There’s a similar one on St. Louis, life. It made a huge impression on me. I still but I’m not from there so it doesn’t mean remember almost everything about that as much to me personally. I don’t have that day and then we bought the soundtrack. connection with it. I don’t remember any songs from it, but I remember the Fox. So that’s my first Do you remember your first visit to the memory of it. Fox?

“REVIVAL”

I do! When I was a tiny little kid, maybe five years old or something. I went to see a movie there with my mom and my brother. We went on a Saturday afternoon and we saw a movie called “Santa And The Three Bears.” It’s not a very popular movie, I guess.

So you were hooked on the Fox experience. Yeah then we used to go see The Nutcracker at Christmas or an opera or musical theater production. Then fast forward, I finally got to see live concerts there. So the whole Fox vibe isn’t lost on me at all. At all. I love that place, can you tell? Remember those great R.E.M. shows usually on or near Thanksgiving - during most of the ‘80s? Sure! Those were momentous occasions every year because almost everyone I knew was off on Thanksgiving - except for R.E.M. So I’d see all my friends who were musicians or just music fans at that show. Which is rare for people that do what we do. You never get to see that many musicians in one place because we’re always off in different spots, working. I wish they’d still do that.

Drivin ‘n’ Cryin PG 10 • September 2019 • insiteatlanta.com

Me too, it was so much cooler family gathering than having to endure your actual family. Drivin’n’cryin did it a few years, but by then things were so much different within the scene. I think that’s because it was kind of the

end of any era. Not just for Georgia music but for the industry as well. Everything was changing and the ‘golden age’ of Georgia music was definitely morphing into something else. And that’s a microcosm of the big picture. The golden age of rock music has changed in general. It’s more disposable now than it was then. Shows aren’t as a big of a deal event as they once were. We have other things to occupy our time and brains - such as Facebook and Netflix, unfortunately. That’s why a show like this is so important. Not only as an awareness-raiser but also as a family-style gathering. I really hope this show will have the same kind of feeling as those Thanksgiving shows. I hope it has that kind of air about it. I don’t think it was intentionally put together to have that kind of feel. It’s not just about the bands on the stage, or the audience although that’s all a part of it. But for me this show is really all about the Fox and helping other theaters in our great state continue to thrive and revitalize. It’s great that there’s an effort to help them remain in their part of the community. I think that’s just a win-win for everybody. Absolutely. The only way to revive is to come together as a community and that seems to be the pervasive spirit of this show. Exactly. I have some shows out west before then and I’ll get back here on the day before it. So I’m just gonna show up at the Revival and have a good time. Really that’s all anyone needs to do, just show up and enjoy it. So much of life is that way. You show up, you have a great time, you help a great cause and create some wonderful memories. But the only way any of us can make it can happen is because we just got up off of that couch. So my only advice about this show is to get out of the house, go out into the world and hear some live music. You’ll feel so much better. Michelle Malone joins the “Revival” at the Fox on Friday, September 13 and reunites with her band Drag The River on Sunday, September 22 at City Winery.

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Taste of the Month - Pizza!

Where to Go for the Best Pizza in Town Athens Pizza House

1341 Clairmont Rd. 404.636.1100 AthensPizzaAtlanta.com Since 1966 the Papadopoulos family has been serving up great Greek and Italian cuisine to the Emory / Decatur area. They offer many terrific pizzas at various sizes and over 25 toppings to choose from. You will also find great specialty pizzas like the Mediterranean, Santorini and Athens. But don’t let the name fool you, there is much more here than great pizza. Some of the favorite recipes on their Greek dishes go back over 50 years! Try the Veal Parmesan, Roasted Lamb or the Oven Baked Chicken. Athens Pizza offers daily specials for lunch and dinner and has an extensive catering menu. Athens Pizza is Zagat rated and winner of several awards including Best Greek Cuisine. The restaurant can also accommodate parties large and small with their private dining room.

Fritti

309 N. Highland Ave. 404.880.9559 Frittiatl.com Located in the heart of historic Inman Park just walking distance from the Atlanta BeltLine, Fritti is nationally recognized for its pizza and state of the art wood-burning oven. This world class oven can maintain a temperature of 1,000 degrees and cooks pizza unlike anything you have ever experienced. Fritti serves authentic Neapolitan Pizza that is prepared according to traditional artisan methods. The dough is made with Caputo flour and natural yeast, tomato sauce is hand milled and they use locally produced fior di latte mozzarella. Try their Salsiccia e Pepperoni (Italian sausage and roasted peppers), the Cotto e Funghi (Crimini and Portobello mushrooms with cotto ham) or the vegetarian Estiva (fresh tomato, red onion & arugula). Fritti offers a variety of antipasti dishes including offerings of funghi fritti (fried mushrooms), fried calamari, classic Sicilian arancini and bruschetta. Also find a bevy of delicious salads, Italian Skewers and pizza-bread Panozzi pizza-bread paninos. Their patio is among the hottest places to be in Inman Park as the entire dining room opens up to the lively street scene.

Mo’s Pizza

3109 Briarcliff Rd. 404.320.1258 MosPizza.com Feel at home at Mo’s, your neighborhood eatery offering a wide variety of lunch and dinner specials to please any palate. Mo’s has been serving up great pizza in Clairmont / N. Druid Hills for over 30 years! Everything is made using the freshest ingredients including the dough built from scratch every day. Menu highlights include Mo's Special, Meat Lovers and BBQ Chicken pizzas and you will love Mo’s traditional American fare like hamburgers, salads, sandwiches and more. Come to Mo’s this fall to watch the big game from one of their HD Flat Screens or hang out on their large outdoor deck. Mo’s is dog friendly. Stop in Monday nights and get a Large Cheese Pizza for just $8.50. Mo’s is one of the longest running and favorite pizza joints in Atlanta.

Savage Pizza

484 Moreland Ave. 404.523.0500 115 Laredo Dr. 404.299.5799 SavagePizza.com This eclectic neighborhood restaurant is a favorite hangout among residents of Little 5 and Avondale Estates. Savage prepares all their menu items using only the freshest vegetables and first quality meats, cheeses, breads and pastas. You'll find homemade sauces, fresh dough and thoughtfully prepared dishes made from scratch every day. In addition to their famous pizzas they also have great calzones, salads, subs and pasta dishes. Both locations offer the same great menu with ample seating inside and out with delivery to the area.

Fellini’s

7 Area locations FellinisAtlanta.com Fellini’s Pizza is an Atlanta icon. The fact that all seven locations are always bustling can be attributed to the great pizzas they make here. They have kept their menu simple, and focus on what they do best. Fellini’s pizzas can be ordered by the slice or as medium, large and Sicilian sizes. Try the classic Fellini’s special; which consists of pepperoni, mushrooms, Italian sausage, onions, meatballs, green peppers, green and black olives, and extra cheese. Another popular menu item is the White Pizza with mozzarella cheese, fresh garlic, oregano, and ricotta cheese. They also have a great Spinach and Mushroom pizza, and a Vegetarian pizza filled with meatless toppings. • Pizza

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Fellini’s also offers Calzones and great Salads. Fellini’s uses only the freshest ingredients. All their locations have large patios to enjoy the outdoors and the view. So come to one of the Fellini’s locations today and you will see why they are the landmark of Atlanta pizza.

Johnny’s NY Style Pizza

Over 50 Atlanta area locations: Order online @ JohnnysPizza.com Johnny’s Pizza is synonymous with great pizza and subs in Atlanta. The secret to their success is in the preparation. They always use the finest ingredients. Johnny’s specializes in NY style pizza, They have several house specialties including the Johnny’s Deluxe, Italian Special, Veggie, Steak & Cheese, Pesto and Buffalo Chicken. Johnny’s also offers plenty of individual toppings to create your own masterpiece. In addition Johnny’s offers subs, salads, sandwiches and other popular Italian dishes including calzones, strombolis, and lasagna. Johnny’s restaurants offer dine-in, take-out and delivery and now online ordering. Go to JohnnysPizza.com to find the location nearest you.

Harry’s Pizza and Subs

2150 Powers Ferry Rd. 770 .955.4413 harryspizzaandsubs.com Since 1989, Harry’s has been serving exceptional pizza to Atlanta. As you walk in the door, you experience an authentic New York vibe. Family owned and run, Harry’s is an excellent place for any occasion from a business meeting to an outing with your family. Not only do they serve real New York style pizza, they are also known for their chicken wings, oversized salads, and mouthwatering sandwiches. Harry’s offers daily specials on menu items and always has a special on draft beers. Visit on a Wednesday night and play a few rounds of BINGO, or come on a Thursday to find the restaurant filled for weekly trivia. Harry’s is a great place to visit during any sports season and watch on the big screens downstairs as well as in the upstairs dining area. Stop by and visit Rich, Ilene, and the family, and see for yourself why Harry’s is always filled with happy, pizza loving customers!

COMEDY

WINGING IT!

Rory Scovel Brings Improv and Live Podcasting to Red Clay Comedy Festival

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

your friends come along with you.

AST YEAR, COMEDIAN-ACTORYou have two very different shows planned, writer Rory Scovel brought his Noctuary both at the Earl. show to Atlanta’s Relapse Theater. Yeah on Saturday night, I’m doing the podcast The show was conceived as six evenings of live which is newer for me and Daniel. The completely improvised stand-up that was filmed stand-up hour on Friday is an improvised show for a documentary on the creative process. that I call The Noctuary. He’ll briefly reprise that concept on night one of this Right, that’s the improvised year’s Red Clay Comedy Festival stand-up show you did at The Earl. On night two, Scovel at Relapse. (co-star of Amy Schumer’s “I Feel Yes, so it’s that again. We just Pretty” film) will be joined at the finished the documentary of it venerable venue by Daniel Van Saturday, Oct. 5 and we’re waiting to see who Kirk for a live edition of their Pen East Atlanta Village wants to buy it. It’s becoming Pals podcast. an addictive way to work. Part redclaycomedy.com INsite caught up with of me wants to save my more Greenville-born Scovel by phone concrete hour and hold it till the from his home in Los Angeles. spring and come back to Atlanta and showcase that hour then. So for Red Clay I Is playing a comedy festival a different thought I’d come back and do this improvised experience than working in clubs or theaters? thing for now because there’s no way to burn When you’re doing a club you’re doing five or through any material from the regular show. six shows so there’s a little bit of a marathon element to it. A festival is kinda fun because Last time through you did six nights at it’s pretty much one headlining set so you can Relapse, to ostensibly build a show from kind of leave it all out there and then recharge scratch. How’d it turn out? for the next night. You do your one show and I can’t speak for the audience, but as the one then get out of the way because they have a performing it, I enjoyed it quite a bit. I enjoyed buffet of comedians. Since there are so many it to the point where I’d like to try and figure out comics there, it’s kinda strange that it’s a good how to make that my act out on the road - just way to basically catch up with friends. That’s knowing the whole thing will be improvised kind of the social business of it. It’s almost every night for every show. like a vacation where you’re travelling, and

RED CLAY COMEDY FESTIVAL

Knowing you have an hour or so to fill without any notes seems like quite a challenge. It is but once you get on stage you find yourself talking about the most random topics you can possibly imagine. Then you start to realize that all material is truly infinite. You really do find yourself talking about the most bizarre things that you’d never really thought of - and certainly would never write a joke about.

Any standout moments? Well I did it in Chicago and me and the crowd began debating about what an Eskimo Pie was. From that, we started debating whether or not Eskimo is a derogatory term. If I was sitting in a coffee shop trying to write jokes, I would never, ever come to that space on my own. I think that’s what I realized about that kind of show. In Atlanta, I found myself talking about robots for almost an entire hour and I’ve never once even cared about robots. But when you’re in that arena of having no clue of what to talk about and the topic is robots, you find yourself suddenly exploring that topic way more than you ever have. It was almost like surviving a conversation. Just trying to figure out how to keep that beach ball up in the air. Toward the end of the Atlanta run, did you eventually have a list of things to build on, culled from the previous nights? That was the original idea, to build a set over the course of a week. Instead, I got so addicted to the improv element we decided to just improv all six shows. So it basically became 350 to 400

minutes of material I’d never done before. To have done that, for me, was just bizarre. I found a lot of the topics to be sexual in nature, which was very interesting. If someone were doing a study on me they’d be like, ‘Oh you have some deep-seeded issues that you haven’t approached yet as an adult.’ Well it’s a popular topic. I understand people enjoy that sort of thing from time to time. (Laughs) It’s been mentioned a few times, yeah. It’s definitely very relatable! But really, just exploring whatever topic came to mind became useful to me to know that when I’m ready to build a new hour, I know how to find the material. A lot of the material I’m doing now in my regular set came from doing those six nights at Relapse. There’s something very satisfying about that. insiteatlanta.com • September 2019 • PG 13

Fall festivalS F

all is the perfect time to enjoy outdoor festivals in Atlanta. The hot humid days of August are behind us and the weather feels invigorating. If you thought the spring was a busy time for festivals in Atlanta, wait until you see our Fall Festival Guide! It is chock full of events happening throughout the metro area. Stop by any of the ones listed below and you are sure to see packed crowds filled with people of all ages and backgrounds. Many of these festivals have a similar theme: food, music, kid's area, local performers, arts and crafts, vendors and more. Many have free admission or a small admission fee. Check the individual websites for more details.

SEPTEMBER FESTIVALS HELEN, GA OKTOBERFEST

September 5 - 8, 12 - 15, 19 - 22 then Sept 26 - Oct 27 Daily; Festhalle, Helen, GA helenchamber.com Beer, brats, bands and Lederhosen - the Helen Oktoberfest has them all! Join the longest running Oktoberfest in the United States, which runs Thursday Sunday the first three weekends in September then every day from September 26 through October

27. Every year the Helen Festhalle houses the event. German-style bands from around the country and around the world play on the stage. Grab your partner and take a spin on the dance floor to lively Polka music. Visit the helenchamber.com.

TASTE OF SMYRNA

Saturday, September 14 11am - 8pm Downtown Smyrna smyrnacity.com The Taste of Smyrna is food, fun and music all day long! Nibble and nosh your way around the Village Green. Admission is free and samples can be purchased from $1 up to $4. Plan to sample from over 35 restaurants and listen to acoustic music on the beautiful Village Green and the Market Village. Scott Thompson provides acoustic music from 11am – 3pm adjacent to the Veteran’s Memorial. The kids will have a blast at the Kids Zone on the Euro Bungee Quad Jump, giant slides, bounces, special OPS obstacle course and more!

NORTH GEORGIA STATE FAIR September 19 - 29 Jim R. Miller Park Marietta northgeorgiastatefair.com

As the largest fair in metro Atlanta, the North Georgia State Fair attracts nearly 300,000 people every year. The fair features live music, free attractions and shows, farm animals, flower shows, blue ribbon competitions, local entertainment, and delicious fair foods. Headlining this year’s concerts are: Jeremy Camp (Friday, 9/20), Mitchell Tenpenny (Saturday, 9/21), Lee Brice (Wednesday, 9/25), Tyler Farr (Thursday, 9/26), Lanco (Friday, 9/27) and Travis Denning (Saturday 9/28). All concerts begin at 8 p.m. and are free with fair admission. A covered arena guarantees concerts rain or shine. There are also games and rides on the midway. New this year are K-9’s in Flight, King BMX Stunt Show, Ninja Experience and Sandscapes. Admission to the fair is $7.00; Children 10 and under are free. Ride tickets are $1.25 each with packages available. Discount tickets may be purchased online through September 19 and at all Metro Atlanta O’Reiley Auto Parts stores.

OLD FOURTH WARD FALL FESTIVAL Saturday, September 21 3pm-11pm Historic Fourth Ward Skate Park oldfourthwardfallfest.com

Experience Old Fourth Ward Fall Festival this year on Saturday, September 21 from 3pm 11pm. This event is FREE for anyone to attend at Historic Fourth Ward Skate Park, along the Atlanta Beltline. Enjoy food trucks, artist market, live music, DIY lantern making, craft beer & full bar service! Plus, festival location is the perfect location to watch the Lantern Parade!

EAST ATLANTA STRUT

Saturday, September 28 11am - 9pm East Atlanta Village eastatlantastrut.com The East Atlanta Strut is a free oneday extravaganza that showcases the city’s hottest in-town neighborhood. East Atlanta is the place to eat, drink, shop and play. Enjoy live local music on three stages, an artists market, free kids area and adult-size games including giant hamster ball races. Watch or join the beard contest, and be sure to check out the parade at 2pm. Dine at an array of food trucks and East Atlanta’s own terrific restaurants. The Strut features the beers of Creature

37th Annual

DOWNTOWN DULUTH

Saturday, September 28

• All Day Entertainment • 9am-7pm: Booths • 10am: Parade • 11:30am: Opening Ceremony

Sunday, September 29

• All Day Entertainment • 8am: Road Race • 9am-5pm: Booths • 10am: Worship in the Park

Fullscale Carnival Thursday–Sunday! Coupons on Website! Free Free duluthfallfestival.org Admission! Shuttles!

Great Beer, Great Cause

jOiN Us!

OCt. 19 NOON-5 pm DOWNTOWN DECATUR

decaturbeerfestival.com PG 14 • September 2019 • insiteatlanta.com

Comforts Brewing, including Classic City Lager, for those 21 or older wearing a $5 wristband available at the festival. All festival proceeds go back into the neighborhood and its community outreach. Leave the car at home. Parking will be limited to neighborhood streets, so take public transport or ride a bike and use the free bike corral. Don’t miss the Roll Before You Strut classic car show on Friday night, the 27th, at Motor City South from 7 to midnight.

SANDY SPRINGS FESTIVAL

Sept 28 -29 Heritage Sandy Springs sandyspringsfestival.com The Sandy Springs Festival – the city’s largest event and a community tradition for over three decades – returns on September 28-29 for two exciting days of familyfriendly fun! The Festival is again being presented free of charge to the community by Heritage Sandy Springs. This year’s festival features a Lightning 10k/5k, Pet Parade, and Chalk Walk. A new this year is the Sandy Springs Wine Festival, September 28, Noon to 5 p.m. This is a ticketed event within the free Sandy Springs Festival. Festival hours are Saturday, September 28, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, September 29, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This year offers entertainment from around the world in the Cultural District along with DJs and bands on the stage on the Sandy Springs Society Lawn. The Sandy Springs Festival is the primary fundraiser for Heritage Sandy Springs, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting history, stewarding a community park, and enhancing the cultural identity of Sandy Springs.

MIMOSA FESTIVAL Saturday, Sept. 28 Historic 4th Ward Skate Park atlantamimosafestival.com The Mimosa Festival celebrates the end of summer on Saturday, September 28 at Historic 4th Ward. There will be lots of Mimosas and extra mimosa flavors plus wine, beer & cider; Enjoy live Music with RTW, College Football & Air-Conditioned Tent with DJ Qtip. Ticket includes Bottomless drinks on all mimosa, wine, beer & cider samples. Cost is $45 advance, $50 after Sept. 19 and $60 day of event. Food not included with ticket. VIP passes and tickets available at AtlantaMimosaFestival.com. DULUTH FALL FESTIVAL

September 28 - 29 Downtown Duluth duluthfallfestival.org Come on out to the 37th annual Duluth Fall Festival. There will be 375 plus Arts & Crafts, Food and Sponsor booths with many exciting new vendors. A huge parade kicks off the Festival on Saturday morning at 10am followed by the Opening Ceremony. Then entertainment takes over on two stages. Sunday starts with a 5K race at 8am followed by Worship on the Green and more entertainment. The Carnival is back! Go to Festival website to print off a ‘Buy One Get One Free’ Carnival coupon for Thursday and Friday nights. During the Festival FREE shuttle pickups at Chattahoochee Elementary School, Duluth Middle School & Mason Elementary.

AIDS WALK ATLANTA & 5K RUN

Sunday, September 29 Piedmont Park AIDSWalkAtlanta.com AID Atlanta’s signature fundraising event, AIDS Walk Atlanta & 5K Run will be on S u n d a y , September 29 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the meadow in Piedmont Park. This is the largest AIDS-related fundraising event in Southeast supporting those living with HIV/AIDS. Become a ‘Change Agent’ to help raise over $750,000 of critical funds needed. Your support will make a difference as we try to move the needle closer to zero infections. All monies raised are used right here in our community to support the programs and services of AID Atlanta and 9 participating local HIV/AIDS service organizations. For more information on how to register, fundraise or volunteer, go to AIDSWalkAtlanta.com.

OCTOBER FESTIVALS RED CLAY COMEDY FESTIVAL October 4 - 5 East Atlanta Village;

redclaycomedy.com The Red Clay Comedy Festival returns to Atlanta for its 5th year! 2019 brings an incredible line up of headliners including M a r i a Bamford, Rory Scovel & Janelle James plus specialty shows like "What Just Happened?!" a Comedy + Magic Event with Harrison Greenbaum (Americas Got Talent), "Stand Up Science" with Shane Mauss and so much more!

Also featuring comedians Joe Bartnick, Steph Tolev, Dave Waite and more from around the world. Red Clay has built a reputation as one of the most fun and exciting comedy festivals in the country and we are excited to continue bringing top notch comedy to Atlanta every year! Full festival passes and tickets at redclaycomedy.com.

NORCROSS ART SPLASH & WINE FESTIVAL

October 5 - 6 Downtown Historic Norcross; splashfestivals.com The 16th annual art celebration, always known for its whimsical and fun artist market, will also feature an outdoor wine tasting venue highlighting 40 wines “from around the world.” The charming downtown district of Historic Norcross comes alive with artisan booths and a large tasting area where shoppers can sample wines while browsing the artist displays. Enjoy continuous live entertainment on the Thrasher Park Stage, energizing Kidz Zone, festival cuisine and tasty food from local restaurants. The award-winning art show will open Saturday, October 5 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. and Sunday, October 6 from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Wine tasting ticket times are available for Saturday from 10am to 6pm or Sunday from 12:30pm to 5pm. Tickets for the wine tasting tent are $40 through October 4 and then $45 during the weekend. Free shuttle parking is available.

TASTE OF ACWORTH

Saturday, October 12, 11am – 7:00pm Main Street – Downtown Acworth acworthbusiness.org The Taste of Acworth offers more than 30 restaurants and 100 booths featuring businesses from around the Acworth area. In

insiteatlanta.com • September 2019 • PG 15

addition to the great food, there will be two stages providing live entertainment throughout the day. The event also includes a kid zone featuring inflatables, a quad bungee, and challenging games. Admission is free and food samples range from $1 to $4. More than 20,000 people are expected to attend the 2019 event. Plan to bring your family to experience a true “Taste” of Acworth.

FESTIVAL ON PONCE

Oct. 12 & 13 Olmsted Linear Park festivalonponce.com The Festival on Ponce is a 2-Day local arts and crafts event held at the Historic Olmsted Linear Park. The Artist's Market features arts and handmade crafts. There is a Children's Park, local food and beverage concessions and live acoustic entertainment. Attendance is free. Stroll the event while enjoying the art on display and the historic gardens. This is a wonderful opportunity to appreciate the vision and legacy of one of America's most celebrated landscape architects, Fredrick Olmsted, Sr.

ATLANTA PRIDE FESTIVAL

October 12 & 13 Piedmont Park atlantapride.org The Atlanta Pride Festival coincides with National Coming Out Day and is the largest gathering of LGBTQ folks in the Southeast. The Official Kickoff Party returns to the Georgia Aquarium on Friday, October 11 from 7pm - 11:30pm.

This ticketed event launches the Southeast’s largest Pride Festival. The free Festival features, a marketplace, three stages, a family zone, a Gray Pride area, and tea dances. There are two marches scheduled for Saturday and the parade begins at noon on Sunday from the Civic Center MARTA station and enters the Piedmont Park on 10th Street. Expanded for 2019, the VIP area is convenient to the Coca Cola main stage. It is comprised of a covered seating and lounge area with premium bathroom trailers, video monitors, private bars, snacks, and phone charging stations. VIP pass holders also received priority access for artist meet & greets and VIP lines at select beverage booths throughout the festival.

TASTE OF ATLANTA

October 18 - 20 Old Fourth Ward Park tasteofatlanta.com Taste of Atlanta, the city's original food festival, comes back to the Old Fourth Ward Park Friday, October 18 thru Sunday, October 20. The festivities begin with the VIP Kickoff party on Friday night featuring tastes, cocktails and live music. Over the weekend experience delicious tastes from more than 90 of Atlanta's favorite restaurants. Sample exceptional food, wine, beer, and cocktail tastings and participate in seminars and food pairings and relaxing music cafes. Sip and savor what some of Atlanta's best restaurants, chefs and bartenders have to offer not found in the main festival in the VIP tent.

DECATUR CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL

Saturday October 19, Noon to 5 pm Downtown Decatur on the square decaturbeerfestival.com The Decatur Craft Beer Festival returns Saturday, Oct. 19, noon to 5 pm, for an afternoon of beer tasting and music on the square. Each general admission ticket includes a special tasting glass and sips from more than 80 breweries. Rock out to live music throughout the event, while a DJ keeps you moving between sets. Get a VIP ticket for the ultimate beer festival experience with an exclusive VIP section and special beers made just for this event by Georgia craft brewers. Tickets go on sale Sept. 3 at Freshtix.com, $50/general admission and $100/VIP. Local tip: plan to take MARTA to the Decatur station. Book a stay at the brand new Hampton Inn and newly renovated Courtyard by Marriott, just one block north of the square. Details at decaturbeerfestival.com, check Facebook and Instagram for updates.

BROOKHAVEN ARTS FESTIVAL

October 19 & 20 behind Brookhaven MARTA brookhavenartsfestival.com The 15th Annual Brookhaven Arts Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 19-20 behind the Brookhaven MARTA station. Over 140 participating artists feature works of fiber, glass, jewelry, mixed media, painting, photography, sculpture and more. Musical performances take place over the two days, with a classic car show on Sunday.

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It’s a wonderful time to take in the beauty of fall while enjoying terrific food, music, kids’ activities and art. The festival is located at 4047 Peachtree Road NE on Apple Valley Road behind the Brookhaven MARTA station. There is plenty of FREE parking in the MARTA lot, or ride MARTA right to the event! Admission is free. For more information, visit brookhavenartsfestival.com.

SMYRNA FALL JONQUIL FESTIVAL

October 26 - 27 Downtown Smyrna smyrnacity.com The Fall Jonquil Festival is located on the beautiful Village Green in downtown Smyrna. The festival takes place Saturday, October 26 from 10 am - 6 pm and Sunday, October 27 from 12 - 5 pm. Serving the area for more than 20 years, the festival will feature over 150 hand-made arts & crafts booths, a dozen food booths, live music and all types of children's activities. There will also be a children's Halloween costume parade.

TASTE OF KENNESAW

Saturday, November 2 Downtown Kennesaw kennesawbusiness.org Come on out to Taste of Kennesaw and sample over 40 local restaurants plus all types of children's activities and sponsor booths. Admission is free and samples are just $1 - $4. Grab a cold beverage from the beer garden, sample delicious food, and sit back and listen to great music on the Main Street Entertainment stages all day. The Kids Zone is packed with fun inflatables and interactive activities.

MUSIC

THE QUEEN OF MULTITASKING

Vanessa Williams Returns to Atlanta for the ASO’s 75th Gala

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

HE INITIALLY ROSE TO FAME AS the first woman of African-American descent to win the Miss America title when she was crowned in 1983. Thirty-six years later, Vanessa Williams is one of the busiest personalities in show business. The singer, actress, writer and fashion designer has released a batch of stylistically diverse albums, starred in a number of successful and critically lauded television and films and her current clothing line via HSN remains a popular brand. This month Williams arrives at Symphony Hall for a career-spanning musical performance at the ASO’s 75th Gala. Calling from a hotel in Los Angeles after shooting a guest spot on Lena Waithe’s new BET drama Twenties, Williams chatted with INsite about her career and her love of the symphony. It’s exciting to hear that you’ll be in town for the Symphony’s big Gala. It’ll be a good time and I always love working with symphony orchestras. So it’s my treat. Sounds like a fun evening and it should certainly be a different experience than your Capital Fourth performance in D.C. back in July. (Laughs) Oh you mean the show with all the bugs flying into my eyes and my mouth and my ears? I did notice that a few times, yes. But you transcended the obstacles. I had no choice! During the dress rehearsal the same thing happened. I swallowed a bug and obviously coughed through the rest of the song. But I was determined to get through the tune without having a ‘live moment,’ I guess you could say. I actually heard from Renee Fleming who’d done it the year before in the same set-up and she said the same thing happened to her. As soon as the lights went on, all these bugs just surrounded her as well. It’s not far from the Reflecting Pool, so it was a bit compromising. You won’t have that problem at Symphony Hall. No, it’ll be inside and gorgeous. Every artist I’ve talked to about symphonic shows agrees that there’s just nothing quite like that initial rush of performing with a full orchestra. Exactly. But that’s one of the options of having a repertoire that has live strings on the albums. To hear them again just as they were recorded is so great. Sometimes when you’re touring you have to use a synth pad on the keyboards to

replicate the sound of the strings. It gives the audience the same arrangements - but it just doesn’t have the same tone and resonance as a real orchestra.

For a set like the Gala, how deep will you delve into your catalog? Sometimes the orchestra will do one particular song and then I get to do my set or sometimes they’ll do half of the concert and I’ll do the second half. It just all depends on what they ask for and what is needed for the program. So there are the hits and then then the Broadway tunes as well. Your career has covered so many styles, you can almost create a custom set for every venue at this point. I can. What has become kind of the wild card in the set is from a show I did for the 100th anniversary of the Dallas Symphony. [Master cellist] Yo-Yo Ma was one of the special guests. We were able to do a couple of numbers together and one is from a musical called House Of Flowers [the 1958 musical by Harold Arlen and Truman Capote]. “I Never Have Seen Snow” is one of my favorites and depending on how good the cellist is determines if I’ll do that number or not. If there’s a premier cellist in first chair then I’ll break out the Yo-Yo Ma arrangement. I see some sweat sometimes but they always end up working it out.

I’M LUCKY. I’VE BEEN AROUND NOW FOR THIRTY-PLUS YEARS SO WITH THE HITS I’VE HAD BUT ALSO TELEVISION AND FILM AND BROADWAY AND A NEW CLOTHING LINE, I’VE GOT MANY SOURCES OF CROSSOVER REVENUE TO HOPEFULLY SUSTAIN ME FOR A WHILE.

were signed for eight years and ten albums or something and you knew you’d have a home for a while with a whole force behind you. There was a cushion and you really felt sustained. My middle daughter Jillian Hervey is in a band now called Lion Babe. They were on Polydor UK which was my first label. Now they’ve got their own label, she’s just finished a US tour and is headed to Poland this weekend. It’s all about creating awareness through music festivals and just playing live. It’s all about selling your merchandise and being a brand.

Looking back at your discography I was surprised to see that [Williams’ 2009 jazz album and most recent release] The Real Thing is now ten years old. I know but it’s not from lack of trying. I’ve been signed to a couple of labels since then but the industry is so different now. But I just got signed to BMG for a new two-record deal and I was in the studio yesterday. Now we’re Saturday, Sept. 14 all good to go and I’ll have Symphony Hall something new out soon.

VANESSA WILLIAMS

You know very well about being a brand because you cover so many aspects of the arts. I’m lucky. I’ve been around now for thirty-plus years so with the hits I’ve had but also television and film and Broadway and a new clothing line, I’ve got many sources of crossover revenue to hopefully sustain me for a while. I’m able to dip in and out of many different genres.

atlantasymphony.org

Will this be another jazz record or more in the pop direction? Where are you heading with this one? We’ll see. I’ve had a lot of ideas: big band, dance, tropical. I have some things recorded so we’ll see what ends up being released first. I’m happy to have a nice, stable relationship with a label again.

When [Williams debut album] The Right Stuff was released in 1988, an artist could actually feel at home on a label. There was some stability back then. You

You just filmed the role in Twenties but you’ve jumped around the TV dial for a long time. From Ugly Betty for several years to Desperate Housewives. Then after that I did 666 Park Avenue and Trip To Bountiful on Broadway and then back to TV for The Good Wife and Broad City. If it’s an interesting role, a great cast and some kind of organic connection for me and if it all works, then it’s fine. Every one of those projects you mentioned are vastly different. 666 was so different from Broad City, for example. Well that’s the luxury of having opportunities and not being afraid to take them. You have to be able to take a risk in this business to - I don’t want to say be relevant - but just to keep moving forward. Your new film “Miss Virginia” looks interesting and again, quite different from any of your other roles. Yeah that comes out in October I believe. I

play a journalist and Uzo Aduba (“Orange Is The New Black”) stars in it. I play a journalist who is kind of grilling her. Let’s not ignore your voice work, either. Like Disney, Jr.’s T.O.T.S. for one. It’s super easy and ten minutes from my house when I want to go to the studio. I get a chance to sing and it’s fun. It’ll be there for my grandkids whenever I get some! Any new Broadway shows on the horizon? I’m doing a reading for some backers in September based on one of the Colette novels. Then I have some other offers too so I think I could be back on stage, hopefully within the year - in something. You’ve done everything at this point, but do you consider the theater - and Broadway in particular - your first love? I would say yes. Just because it allows me the chance to sort of do it all. I get to work with a great ensemble and act in front of a live audience. You can’t beat the instant gratification of the live performance. But it seems that fashion is a close second for you now. The new line features some decidedly forward-thinking designs. I’m way more involved in it that people might expect with a “celebrity line” because I’m involved in every aspect of fabric, cut, colors and fit - even down to the hardware and accessories. It’s a really nice collaboration because the quality is there and they know I’m committed. I do love it. You’re especially hands-on with it. Some celebrities would just say, ‘Yeah whatever, just put my name on it’. Yes but people can see through that now. You can’t go on television and pretend that you know about something you have no connection with - or something that you might be seeing for the first time and trying to pretend you created it. People can always tell if you really mean it. That’s why for me, no matter what I’m doing, it’s all about being genuine and alive in the moment. insiteatlanta.com • September 2019 • PG 17

MUSIC

V IS FOR VIVACIOUS

Aubrey Logan Puts the Sass in the Koz Brass

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

HE CURRENT EDITION OF THE popular Dave Koz and Friends tour is crisscrossing the country as The Summer Horns. The seasoned line-up - including his longtime collaborators Rick Braun, Gerald Albright and Kenny Lattimore - are joined for the second year by relative newcomer Aubrey Logan on trombone and vocals. The youngest member of the ensemble, Logan shares her bandmates’ enduring appreciation of the great horn bands of the past. Whether she’s on tour with Koz, singing in a viral Post Modern Jukebox clip on You Tube or fronting her own jazz combo, Logan puts a decidedly vintage yet modern spin to her song selections - often spanning from the ‘20s to jazzy takes on current trends. INsite caught up with the sassy entertainer by phone before a recent Summer Horns show. Tell us a little about the theme of this year’s tour. We’re playing songs from the greatest horn bands of all time. Everybody from Earth, Wind and Fire to James Brown to Stevie Wonder. All those great horn licks we grew up loving. It’s just a lot of good summer fun - feel-good party music for people of all ages. This is your second tour with the Summer Horns. Yeah, we did it last summer and then Dave said, ‘Let’s do it again!’ So here we are. I jumped

at the chance. This time we have Kenny Lattimore along with us so the show has a little different flavor and the music is a little different. But we’re having a great time and these guys are consummate gentlemen.

You’re on the recent Summer Horns A to Z album. Was it recorded before last year’s tour? Yeah, it was and it actually went to number one. This year we didn’t do a new album but I made another solo record [Where The Sunshine Is Expensive] and it went to number one, too! I can’t thank Dave enough for introducing me to his audience and letting me be a part of two tours and an album. He’s such a great supporter. He has great taste in music, so I trust his vision for the show. Dave loves the collaborative vibe of playing with an ensemble. He does. And that really goes back to all our roots. A lot of us got our start in high school bands so it’s nice from a nostalgic sense to play with so many horns at once. In my ensemble I’m the only one out front but for this, there are five of us leading the show. It’s a good way to collaborate and play off each other. Plus, we all truly love the music

we’re playing. It all just falls into place when we play together because there’s no generational categories for us or the show or the audience. You weren’t around when most of those songs were first popular, but the rest of the guys were a big part of that scene. Yeah, they grew up with it. I wasn’t there for it when it was new but I was heavily influenced by it. Great songs never go away, so they’re just timeless to me. I really have my parents to thank for it. They’d play all kinds of music, all the time. It was everything from Beethoven to Whitney Houston to Dolly Parton. I grew up loving Chicago and James Brown and since I was a singer first, I just loved it all. How did you decide on the trombone as your instrument of choice? My friends were all in band in high school. I’d done musical theater and I could read music but I didn’t play any sort of wind instrument. My mother was choir director at my school so there was no way I was going to be in choir. But she asked the band director if I could join. He said, ‘Sure, what does she play?’ She said, ‘Well nothing - but she can read and she’ll learn really fast.’ My dad was a trumpet player and he also a

principal at another school. So he brought home some instruments for me to try out. Saxophone, flute and French horn were ok but when I picked up the trombone, not only could I make a sound on it, it reminded me of Chicago and the Buddy Rich band. So it stuck! It is an unusual choice. I guess so, but I never thought of it that way. It wasn’t until I moved to L.A. that people thought I was a little weird. It wasn’t the quintessential ‘womanly’ thing to play, I suppose. But I never had any sort of negativity about it. There’s a definite retro feel to much of your material. Yeah, that comes from not only playing with Dave, but also the Post Modern Jukebox. Where Dave takes things back to the ‘70s, the Jukebox goes all the way back to the ‘20s. Have you joined Dave for a Christmas tour yet? I haven’t but I’m doing my own Christmas tour this year as I plan what I was to put on my own Christmas album. I’m actually planning the tour right now as we speak. So the rest of the year should be pretty busy for all of us. Dave Koz and Friends - Summer Horns play at 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 7 at the Mable House Amphitheater. Koz returns to town on December 6 for a performance at Cobb Energy Center. Look for a conversation with Dave Koz in the December INsite.

BY THE BOOK

Squeeze Founder Chris Difford Looks Back on the Band’s Best Bits

BY LEE VALENTINE SMITH

You could do the Singles – 45’s and Under compilation and the QUEEZE IS CURRENTLY ON THE ROAD ACROSS audience would be happy, but you have some excellent recent the United States with a show known alternately as the releases that some of the audience may not have heard at all. Squeeze Songbook or the Difford and Tilbrook Soungbook Yeah, I don’t think that’ll be an issue. I know we’ll do a lot of tour. Either are appropriate because singer-songwriter-guitarists songs that people do want to hear and there’ll probably be some Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook are Squeeze, the only constant that they might not know. members since they debuted the group in 1974. Since the beginning, the group membership has been in constant flux with The Knowledge is a record that definitely needs to be heard. even one of the two principles occasionally stepping away from Yeah, that’s a good record. I think we’ll be playing some songs the band they created. from it. I mean, I think we’ll be dippin’ in and out of all those kind Regardless of the lineup, Squeeze has issued a number of of records that we’ve got to make it a kind of revolving sort of instantly recognizable pop hits and some intriguing album jukebox, I suppose. projects along the way. The Songbook tour is just as likely to include “Cool For Cats,” “Up the Junction,” Is this an extension of your current solo tour? “Tempted,” “Black Coffee in Bed” and “Hourglass” Those are kind of separate from Squeeze, I as well as lesser-known tracks from 2015’s Cradle to think. Likewise, when Glenn goes out and does Sunday, Sept. 22 the Grave and The Knowledge from 2017, their first his songs it’s his own show. But this year I feel Tabernacle two albums of all-new material since 1998. like we’re coming together for what will be a tabernacleatl.com This March, long before the band had even long tour so we’re embracing both the past and pondered a tour set, INsite spoke with Difford by our newer things while staying very much in the phone at his home in the UK. style of the band.

SQUEEZE

Last time we talked, A Round And A Bout was new and that was at the dawn of the ‘90s. It seemed like that album and the decade marked a definite turning point for the band. It did. I think it gave us the chance to take a break and then reform and come back to being a better band. It was good to take that bit of fresh air. It’s still a few months away but for this Songbook-theme show, how far back are you planning to go? I’m really looking forward to it but I don’t really know what it is yet. We haven’t even started talking about which songs we’re going to play – which is typical of Squeeze – but once we get into the rehearsals I guess we’ll figure it out. We’ve got 14 albums to pick from and I don’t think we can go too far wrong with it, hopefully. PG 18 • September 2019 • insiteatlanta.com

you’re doing an album, you already know what you’ll be doing and the audience knows what’s next. With an album, when you’re playing it live or just listening to it, there are tracks you skip for a number of reasons.

That’s a big challenge to embrace both halves of life - and present it properly. It is, but I think we’re finally grown up enough now to do it right. But we might still need some psychiatrists to come along on the road with us. Just in case.

If you’d played the first two Squeeze records from ’78 and ‘79, you’d be playing two very different visions of pop music. You had two almost diametrically opposed producers on those, John Cale and John Wood. John Cale was an inspirational choice but we were terrified of workin’ with him. He made us sort of sit up and beg for our songs. Before that, we’d just been gettin’ away with murder. John Wood was the kind of character who simply understood the simplicity of sound. You don’t need 150 microphones on the drums. You just want to capture the feeling of the performance.

A lot of bands are touring with entire album shows, playing a classic album or two in their entirety. That was a novelty at first but with the erratic history of Squeeze, it’s probably better to visit the songs as separate entities. Yeah, we did have an offer to play [1981’s] East Side Story album as a tour, which I think might have been brilliant but it never really got off the ground as an idea. I think by doing the Songbook tour, it gives us a wider perspective. Because when

You’ve said in the past that he actually made you throw out some of your songs and basically start over. He did, yeah. But I think he was probably right to do that. At the time, we had a lot of songs that were very much pop-orientated and I think it would have shown the wrong side of what we eventually became. It probably took us until East Side Story to feel that we were really at home. But I think in many ways we’re still learning, even now.

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at Chin Chin Brookhaven

115 Laredo Dr. @ Clarendon 404.299.5799 SavagePizza.com

all their menu items using only the freshest vegetables and first quality meats, cheeses, breads and pastas. You'll find homemade sauces, fresh dough and thoughtfully prepared dishes made from scratch every day. In addition to their famous pizzas they also have great calzones, salads, subs and pasta dishes. Both locations offer the same great menu with ample seating inside and out with delivery to the area.

Fritti 309 N. Highland Ave. 404.880.9559 FrittiRestaurant.com

Located in the heart of historic Inman Park, Fritti is nationally recognized for its pizza and state of the art wood-burning oven. This world class oven can maintain a temperature of 1,000 degrees and cooks pizza unlike anything you have ever experienced. Fritti serves authentic Neapolitan Pizza that is prepared according to traditional artisan methods. The dough is made with Caputo flour and natural yeast. They use San Marzano tomatoes and the finest quality buffalo mozzarella. Try their Salsiccia e Pepperoni (Italian sausage and roasted peppers), the Cotto e Funghi (Crimini and Portobello mushrooms with cotto ham) or the vegetarian Estiva (fresh tomato, red onion & arugula). Along with their award winning menu Fritti is known for their great value. Fritti offers a variety of antipasti dishes for $10VOTED or less includBEST ing offerings of funghi fritti (fried mushrooms), fried calamari, classic Sicilian ATLANTA! arancini and bruschetta. All their pizzas are available between $10 IN - $14.

Coming Next Month!

Fall Festivals Issue N. Decatur Plaza • 404.320.0101 Corner of N. Decatur & Clairmont

Midtown • 404.917.1100

10th and Monroe Ad Deadline East Cobb • 678.996.0045 EARS! ING 25 Y 125529 Johnson Ferry Rd. C E L E B R AT HOURS FOR STORES: Sept. 2 Aug. Mon–Sat: 11am–9:30pm Sun: 11am–9pm Atlanta’s Athens • 706.543.5000

$11.95

Best restaurant of Atlanta This eclectic neighborhood is Since 1998 a favorite among residents of Little/ Brookhaven & Other Locations 3887 hangout Peachtree Road, Buckhead 5 and Avondale Estates. Savage prepares Dine in Only

(404) 816-2229 • ChinChinGA.com

WE DO Street CATERING! Date

1591 S Lumpkin St

Entertainment www. Monthly mediterraneangrill .com

Authentic Eastern and Greek Cuisine Call SteveMiddle Miller at (404) 308-5199 or Cooked Fresh to Order • Dine In / Carry Out email steve@insiteatlanta.com to advertise

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

Landmark DINER

N OPE

24 Hours

3652 Roswell Rd.

at the corner of Roswell & Piedmont Rd. 404-816-9090 landmarkdiner.com

CATERING AVAILABLE

WHERE THE STARS MEET AT NIGHT! Tasty Sandwiches • Salads • Dinner Fare • Chicken & Veal Seafood Platters • Greek & Italian Cuisine Breakfast Menu Appetizers • Steak & Chops • Dessert Menu • Kid’s Menu

Open Daily for Lunch & Dinner • Dine In, Pick-up, Delivery ($12 minimum / limited area)

$3.00 Off

Any Medium or Large Specialty Pizza Not Valid with any other coupons

WWW.SAVAGEPIZZA.COM

Little Five Points • 484 Moreland Ave. (Next to L5P Pharmacy) • (404) 523-0500 Avonale Estates • 115 Laredo Dr. (Corner of Clarendon) • (404) 299-5799

SMOKE 911 2 OFF

Have BEST You Tried Our New Rustic Crust Italiano Pizza? FESTIVAL SMOKE View Our Full Menu Online: www.nancyspizza.com SHOP, BEST CIGARS! Any $20*

GEAR SOLD HERE!

Order!

*Minimum order required before tax & delivery. Not valid with any other offer. Must mention coupon when ordering & present at time of pick-up or delivery. Valid only at location shown thru 9/30/16

MIDTOWN • 404-254-5103

3 OFF

SERVING SPRINGS FOR OVER 15 YEARS! Any SANDY $25*

WATER PIPES • GLASSPIPES • DETOXIFICATION • CIGARS • POSTERS • SELF-DEFENSE Order! GRINDERS • DIGITAL SCALES • VAPORIZERS • HOOKAHS • HOOKAH TOBACCO *Minimum order required before tax & delivery. INCENSE • E-CIGARETTES & MODS • 100+ E-LIQUIDFLAVOR • SAFES Not valid with any other offer. Must mention coupon when ordering & present

at time of pick-upCOMPETITORS or delivery. WE’LL MATCH PRICES! SHOPSMOKE911.COM A crispy yet fluffy crust, Valid only at location shown

drizzledCircle with extra virgin| (404) olive oil 256-1116 & topped with our four cheese 6010 thru Sandy # B2 9/30/16 Springs

MIDTOWN • 404-254-5103 ROSWELL:

710 Holcomb Br. Rd. #240 (770) 992-4485

blend of romano, mozzarella, munster & provolone and juicy WOODSTOCK: ACWORTH: tomato fillets.92 All#108 the ingredients are3466 cooked on top of the pizza. Cobb Pkwy 8265 Hwy (770) 974-5585 (678) 445-5550

MIDTOWN • &265 PONCE MON-SUN: DE LEON AVE. NE •10AM-12AM 404-254-5103 SUN-TH: 10AM-12AM | FRI SAT: 10AM-2PM 10AM-12AM SUN-TH: | FRI & SAT: 10AM-2PM

insiteatlanta.com • August 2016 • PG 9