Redeye July 29 2004
Saturday night’s all right. Elton John had it right. Saturday night’s still good for getting as greased as a diesel truck. And since it’s Atlanta, it’s good for a haul/crawl up Peachtree Street. The Peachtree traffic at 11 p.m. — 1 a.m. on the weekend — is a snail’s pace ... if the snail was stoned and stopping every few feet to have a conversation about rims. Still, it’s my Best of Atlanta nomination for Place to Hear New Music in the city, and Saturday night I found myself in the thick, blasting Belinda Carlisle and feeling like a pimp with my two ladies in attendance.
The evening started at Luxe, now offering a Saturday night “Absinthe Social” from 10 until close. For those chasing absinthe’s elusive “green fairy/dragon/monster,” it’s more likely you’ll just need a chaser — the anise/ fennel flavor is an acquired taste. But the ceremony of lighting sugar cubes on fire and watching the glass glow milky green is still a thrill, and the aural accompaniment — by DJs including Jeff Myers and Rareform — helps take off the edge.
Speaking of Myers, he recently reopened his Jazz, Space + Bass storefront in Cabbagetown next to 97 Estoria. Offering a rarefied selection of downtempo and nu_rhythms, it’s open Thursday through Saturday in the afternoons. Check out the website at www.jazzspaceandbass.com. Myers isn’t alone in cyberspace. Also operating out of Atlanta — a crowded bedroom, indeed — is www.loft101.com, another resource for the move-the-crowd crowd (aka DJs) in need of a vinyl fix.
Gypsy nights Just two weeks ago, I wrote a blurb about new spot Django, which local musician ChrisMFCase posted on Friendster.com. One way or another, the word got out. After spending the requisite 20 or so minutes creeping three blocks up Peachtree, I got to the joint around 1:30 a.m. to find it full-bodied and sweltering to Keiran’s retro rhythms. Taking breathers on the patio at different points were musician Mark Spence and DRES tha Beatnik. The vibe was genuine; the atmosphere was live.
The eagle has R. Landed Greetings from Chicago. While I’m up in the Windy City at a forum on nightlife’s struggle in the American marketplace, I’m proud to say a little piece of Atlanta can be found everywhere, including Wicker Park at the Rainbo Club. Not much to look at from without, I’ll admit — actually nearly nondescript. But within, the neighborhood institution reveals a welcoming room of deeply stained wood, comfortable nestles and, here’s the kicker, a ring of fluorescent R. Land art. I felt right at home, sipping a beer amid a plethora of leering kittens and gelatinous caricatures. Cheers.
Keep one RedEye open. And send all comments, questions, observations and invitations to redeye@creativeloafing.com.