Last weekend the United States rewound their clocks one hour. Last Monday night I rewound my internal clock to the mid-1990s, while the band Wolfmother rewound Rock and Roll’s clock back the the early 1970’s.

Last Monday night I was given the opportunity by CLEAR to attend, and live-blog, the Wolfmother show at The Tabernacle. When I arrived at The Tabernacle I met with CLEAR’s representative Ben and was told that the show had been moved from The Tabernacle main stage to the basement of the building — the space which was once known as the (new) Cotton Club. I was perfectly fine with the new arrangement as I love shows in smaller spaces, but unfortunately the change in venue also meant that I’d be unable to “live” blog the show because there was no place that I could be positioned to see what was going on without being in view of the bands and in a location where CLEAR’s signal could be received. As a nice gesture I was allowed to attend the show for free in exchange for this post (see, being a Metblogs author does have some benefits!).

The night was actually a triple bill. Unfortunately I never caught the name of the first band to take the stage; they put on a spirited, short set of rock which was well received by the small, but growing audience.

Second on the bill was Ohio’s Heartless Bastards. This band has been getting a lot of indie buzz of late so I was happy to get the opportunity to hear them for the first time. The band, which is a typical four-piece with anything but typical female lead singer, performed an admirable set which the crowd seemed to enjoy. I’ll admit that the band’s sound never quite caught my ear and I was pleased to see them wrap up their set as boredom set in.

With the “Cotton Club” now packed “Wolfmother” took the stage. But first I must inject some math to explain Wolfmother’s lineup…

Wolfmother[2009] = (Wolfmother[2008] – (original_member *2)) + (new_member * 3);

“What the hell does that mean?” you say? The current Wolfmother lineup consists of Andrew Stockdale (lead singer and original member), and Ian Peres, Aidan Nemeth, Dave Atkins who all joined the band after the departure of original members Chris Ross and Myles Heskett in 2008. Wolfmother formed in Australia in the early 2000’s and wound up changing band members after their first cd when Ross and Heskett left the band citing “artistic differences.” The new band lineup was responsible for Wolfmother’s latest cd “Cosmic Egg” which was released earlier this year.

How does one describe Wolfmother’s sound? Easy! Wolfmother’s sound can best be described as the love child of early Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath! Stockdale has brought back the 1970’s Rock and Roll sound with a vengeance, wailing into the microphone and pulling off guitar riffs that have must have Jimmy Page nodding with approval. All that’s missing from a Wolfmother show to make it authentic are acid-dropping teens, psychedelic lighting, and sequined bell-bottom jumpsuits.

Don’t take my description as an indication that I didn’t enjoy Wolfmother’s set. Just the opposite in fact. And, if the full house’s reaction was any indication I was not the only one “into” the show. Youngsters and old farts alike, yours truly is 44, were head bobbing and fist pumping throughout the entire set. Wolfmother obliged with a nearly two-hour set filled with great musicianship and showmanship. My only regret was that I didn’t sneak a camera into the show so that I could include some photos into this posting.

“Next time we play Atlanta we’ll be playing upstairs!” stated Stockdale at one point in the show. And you know, I believe him.

If you ever get the opportunity to see a show in the space formerly known as the Cotton Club I recommend you go. The only thing you need to take into account for this space is that the line-of-sight in the room is weird for such a small, rectangular space. Many locations are visually obscured by signage, poles, or air-conditioning duct work, so get there early and secure a good place to stand.

Even a political junkie like me looked at the down-ballot elections for Atlanta School Board and Municipal Court of Atlanta and thought, “Are you f***ing kidding me?”  Seriously, why are we electing these people?

I have NO IDEA who these people are.  When it came to Municipal Court, there wasn’t even a choice for who to vote for.  “Should so and so be retained?”  I voted no across the board, partly to be a contrarian and partly because I’ve never had a fun experience at Municipal Court – it is poorly organized and takes forever.  I have no idea if the judges have control over that stuff, but hey, that’s what you get for being on the ballot for a job no one pays attention to.

Seriously, these should be appointed positions.  Being elected to these positions probably creates less accountability than if the Mayor or the City Council appointed these positions, simply because no one knows who these people are.  I guess then you run into concerns about cronyism… So there isn’t a good solution?

Bah humbug.  I just don’t think I should be voting for positions that I forget exist except for one day every four years.  I mean, who do you know that could name one School Board member or one Municipal judge off the top of their head?  Let the Mayor or the City Council handle these things.  At least then the Mayor could actually run on an education platform instead of differing to the School Board no one pays attention to.

I was flipping around the TV Saturday morning prior to indulging my college football addition and I happened across This is Atlanta Cooking on WBPA.  Ria was on there cooking Shrimp and Grits.  I only caught the last ten minutes of the show, but I’ve already set the DVR to record the series. Also, my absolute favorite thing about the show is that Lois Reitzes narrates when the chef isn’t describing what is going on.  Lois Reitzes FTW!

I’m pissed I’ve only now discovered the show, because it looks like they’ve profiled some awesome restaurants – Murphy’s, the Flying Biscuit (which I actually think is overrated, but la novia loves), Rathbun’s, Sotto Sotto, Woodfire Grill… I’m at least going to try a few of these recipes for la novia.

I got an email from Georgia State today, with the following subject line:

Simulated gunfire downtown — They’re filming for a movie!

Sounds interesting.  I feel bad for the folks who didn’t check their email this morning and got a surprise on the way to class.

Turns out some new TV drama, “Past Life,” is filming downtown for scenes set in New York.  This preview looks fairly lame, but hey, they are spending money in Atlanta, so, woo!  Filming began around town in early August and will go on through December.

You may be thinking, “Wait, you said this was set in New York.  Um, have you seen this town?  Who is going to think it is New York?  You did mean New York city, right?  These must be the stupidest producers in the business.”

Ah, then you haven’t been to the Fairlie-Poplar district.  This historic piece of Atlanta is about the only part of the city that you could actually mistake for somewhere like NYC.  Narrow streets, hundred year old buildings, restaurants tucked into niche locations – it is really one of my favorite places in the city.

This isn’t the first film I’ve filming in Fairlie-Poplar, either.  A few weeks ago I was walking to class and they had Broad Street shut down.  It was full of smoke machines (for that NYC sewer-funk effect) and NYC taxi cabs.  My favorite moment was when some poor guy tried to hail one of the cabs and got pissed when it didn’t stop.  No one ever wants to go all the way to Brooklyn…

Train at Hartsfield

I’m out of town for the weekend, which means I got to spend Wednesday evening at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.  Now, us natives were using the ATL code long before it was in a video or movie or anything.  I can’t recall how many times I’ve been at Hartsfield in my life.  I love Hartsfield.  FTR, I completely agree with everything James has to say about how great the airport is.

I really have a life-long affair with Hartsfield.  When I was a tiny little boy, el hermano and I would get up as early as possible on the weekends.  I can’t tell you why – apparently it seemed like a good idea to our three and four year old brains.  Anyway, having twin boys up and running around at 6 am wasn’t my folks idea of a relaxing Sunday morning.  Their solution?  Hartsfield.

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There are few Atlanta-area music venues that I would call unique. Eddie’s Attic, while technically a Decatur music venue, would be one of those. Why is that? Well, first because Eddie’s Attic is located in Decatur smoking is not allowed within its confines. Second, and perhaps more importantly for me, it is a small venue which caters to acoustic shows and has a staff that works hard to make sure that the patrons keep their mouths shut during shows except for eating and drinking purposes. Yes, Eddie’s come right up front by mandating that talking through a show will not be tolerated and backs it up by asking people to leave if they can’t contain themselves from breaking this courtesy. Huzzah!

Another thing unique to Eddie’s is the concept of “early” and “late” shows; on many ocassions Eddie’s schedules two shows a night to provide options for its patrons.

Like many Atlanta/Decatur venues Eddie’s is more than just a music venue. Eddie’s has a separate bar and seating area outside where people can mingle and talk to their hearts’ content. Drinks and food can be ordered both inside and out.

Eddie’s Attic was originally opened in 1992 by Eddie (Owen), was sold in 2002 to Todd van Sickle (husband to Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles) who then sold it to its current owner, Bob Ephlin, in 2005.¹

Decatur’s parking may be Eddie’s the only detriment to a fun night at Eddie’s Attic. Limited metered spots (meters not checked after 6:30pm so I am told) are nearby, but if none are available you’ll find yourself paying to park in someone’s lot.

What I Like
• The sound is usually great.
• Silence from the audience is encouraged and enforced.
• Smoking is not allowed inside.
• Venue is small so shows are intimate.
• Because the room is all partially general admission if you get there early enough and you can almost guarantee a good place to see the show.
• Prices for shows are generally reasonable.
• Food is available through the show.

What I Dislike
• Parking can be somewhat of a bother.
• Venue is small so shows can sell out quickly.
• Stage is tiny, larger bands will never fit.
• Tickets cannot be purchased in advance at Eddie’s.

Address : 515-B North McDonough St, Decatur, GA
Capacity : 185²
Cameras Allowed? : Maybe, depending on the show
Smoking Allowed? : No
All Ages? : Only for specified shows
Ticket Source : Eddie’s Attic’s website
Favorite Shows I’ve Seen Here : Bob Mould, Alejandro Escovedo, Christine Kane

What’s your opinion of Eddie’s Attic?

I cannot emphasize how massive this thing is. And how awesome.

I just had the most incredible breakfast at Parish on N. Highland Ave in Inman Park.  I also can’t remember when I ate this much.  I had the Eggs Poulet:

Eggs Poulet – buttermilk biscuit, Creole fried chicken breast, poached eggs, andouille sawmill gravy, pontalba hash

Oh. My. God.  Fantastic.  I’m conflicted about this meal, though, because as incredible as it was, it was just too much.  The fried chicken was large enough to serve alone as my dinner.  The waitress looked at me with concern when I asked if anyone ever finished the whole thing.

Unfortunately, I have a complete inability not to eat things that are in front of me (James can testify to this).  I simply cannot stop shoveling things into my gut.

I ate this entire thing, and I feel like I have been beaten.  About half way through, la novia looked at me and laughed.  “You look stoned,” she said.  I was slumped in the chair with a vacant stare, my eyes drooping and my mouth half open trying to collect myself.  I felt like a prize fighter between rounds, trying to rally for the bell.

I have lots more to say about Parish – the market below is great, the interior architecture is fantastic, the wait staff is great, the history of the building is interesting – but I’m still recovering from the breakfast.

GSU's Aderhold Learning Center anchors life on Broad Street

I love when college starts in the late summer.  When I was in undergrad, it meant college football games – now I have to settle for catching my team on TV.  However, I started my penultimate semester at GSU for my MBA on Monday and can’t help but think about how much GSU has changed downtown.

Downtown isn’t awful when school is out, but it feels a little empty.  There is all this infrastructure and all these buildings, but it doesn’t really feel like anyone is home.  Downtown feels so different when school is in – there are just thousands more young people walking around.  Broad Street during lunch time is fantastic.  Downtown is alive, finally. (more…)

Atlanta is a confused, young city working hard to become something. Atlanta is like a kid who wants the promotion, thinks he’s ready but isn’t there yet.

I got to thinking, if I could have a few wishes to make this town truly world class, what would they be? Let’s have fun and see what we can imagine?

The first few are obvious. #1, a good public transit system. Sure MARTA does the best it can with what it has but we can all admit it’s far from world class. So first would be an outstanding public transit system on par with New York, San Francisco and London.

#2 would be for Atlanta to be a must stop for all musicians. So often I’ll look at artist’s tour dates and Atlanta is nowhere to be found. However you’ll always see New York, LA, Chicago, San Francisco or even Miami. I know there are routing and expense issues. I’m dreaming here. So every act I want to see should come through Atlanta!

Right now #3 would be to have a safer city. Crime plagues our city at present. Since January headlines are often filled with sad news of someone being wronged and even worse, murdered. There will always be crime, but it shouldn’t be this bad.

What are some dreams you have for Atlanta? What would make Atlanta world class for you?

I was reading Bill Simmons’ take on David Ortiz’s positive steroid test, and I couldn’t help wonder about who on the Braves did or does take steroids.  A decent number of ex-Braves were implicated in the Mitchell report, but IIRC most were implicated in their post-Braves career:

The report on the use of drugs includes the names of former Braves players Gary Sheffield, David Justice, Denny Neagle, Todd Pratt, Kent Mercker, Mike Stanton, Paul Byrd, Matt Franco, and John Rocker.

Of that list, I’d say David Justice, Kent Mercker, and Mike Stanton would be players whose use would make me sad.  Not that I liked them that much, but because they were important parts of the early 90’s clubs that I idolized so much. I don’t want anyone’s steroid use to taint those memories, and knowing that those players steroid use came while they were with the Yankees makes me laugh in a bitter, craven manner.  I don’t feel anything special about those particular players, just… the g-d Yankees.  Of course.

But that is old news.  I’m sitting here thinking about the list of 104 players who tested positive in 2003, and of who could have been using during the Braves mid-90s runs.  Some guys, like Gary Sheffield, were no surprise.  David Justice was a bit of a surprise.

If I’m honest with myself, who would I not be surprised took steroids?  I’m not saying I think these guys took steroids, but if I had to admit some Braves were using, this would be my list of guys to be suspicious of: (more…)