Redeye November 20 2003

Believe you me: On Wednesday, Nov. 12, Buckhead’s behemoth ESPN Zone — towering in perfect irony across from Fadò, the pre-fab Irish pub — held one of several “Guinness Believer” events. If you surmised it was a chance to get free beer, you’re only half-right. The event also featured a motivational speaker type heading a 4 a.m. infomercial-style presentation extolling Guinness’ virtues. “Guinness is a light beer because it’s injected with nitrogen! Guinness will make you more fertile! Guinness is the path to true enlightenment, served at the Next-to-Last Supper!”

OK, so the last one isn’t true. But the first two were actual claims — though, thankfully, no attempts were made to prove the fertility thing, as the audience was primarily button-down corporate types and fraternizing wage slaves. Only one thing was proven conclusively: Guinness makes women drunk enough to play Final Furlong. But not even Guinness could erase the memory of seeing guys attempt this bouncy, ridiculous horseracing videogame.

Bucking heads: A trip to Buckhead, and not dead yet. Not that there weren’t worries. But thankfully, the city is looking out for our safety. Wow, wouldn’t a 2 a.m. bar-closing be great? Just think, instead of a trickle, it would be a flood of drunken people getting into their motor vehicles for one massive death rally. This is a ridiculous “solution” to a problem for which the blame is being grossly misplaced. Visit the Web page to let your voice be heard: www.umix.net/default.aspx?tabindex=5&tabid=26.

On a lighter note: Thursday, Nov. 13, East Atlanta’s Eastside Lounge stepped it up a notch, hosting local DJ/producer Karl Injex and auspicious imports Kyoto Jazz Massive. The combination of warm cascades of jazz_fusion deep_house beat_boogie and an intimate setting bodes well for the city’s ability to replicate, and then personalize, West London immediacy.

Local producer Chris Brann was to perform at Eastside, but opted to just hang. Brann did, however, perform Friday, Nov. 14, with his Ananda Project collective alongside DJs at Luxe (in Mumbo Jumbo’s former space) as part of an inaugural fashion event featuring Feresheteh Rashidi’s fall designs.

The next night, soulful NYC/N.J. selector Kerri Chandler made his first Atlanta DJ appearance with Kai Alce at MJQ, in an exploration of house from its roots in disco to its most contemporary reaches. Underneath the kaleidoscopic columns of light, the MJQ crowd stretched their hands upward, fleeting moments held firmly in quivering grasps.

Let’s not end 3 a.m. epiphanies.

Keep one RedEye open, and send all comments, questions, observations and invitations to redeye@creativeloafing.com.