Redeye - The Regular Irregulars July 27 2005

So I got this great backhanded compliment this week. I was speaking with Mr. Preston Craig of the Decatur Social Club and Sub:Merge about my love of a good snide aside when he said, “But what would the RedEye be without a slap on the ass while getting a hug?” And, indeed, I’m an ass man — I’ll butt in anywhere. But enough posterior puns. This week, we shout out some people always seen around the scene who run the backend but never do things half-assed.

Most of my weekend was spent shadowing Sterling McGarvey. It’s not hard, seeing as when this tall brother’s living large, it’s not because he’s clocking all the riches (he works in journalism) but because he’s easily spotted sweating it up head-and-shoulders above the crowd. I’m gonna briefly defer to CL’s own T. LaGon to explain Sterling’s place in the proceedings:

“I’ve seen Sterling grow from a self-conscious electronic music geek to a self-assured expert who writes with authority about the music he loves,” says Ms. LaGon. “He went from a friend of LunarMagazine.com to its senior music writer, to regular stories in AccessAtlanta to a bona fide ‘scenester’ in all the good meanings of the word.”

Sterling’s been publicly claiming nighttime as the right time for some time, though he’s moving to the OC as of this week. So I headed out to pay him my respects, first at the Mark on Fri., July 22, where he pounded some Flaming Lamborghinis to the pounding hard house of K-Swing. The real jump-off was Sat., July 23, however, checking out DJ Language at MJQ. Arriving around 1 a.m., I walked into a disco inferno and ran into some soul proprietors of the much-celebrated hustle and flow.

Following up the always frisky friction funk from Kai Alce, Language was laying down some melodic burners as if at his residency at New York’s APT. Over at the bar Karl Injex held it down — repping for both the ATL and NYC as Injex hosts his own night (“Rude.”) at APT every second Tuesday, as well as “Get Together” on the second Saturday of each month at our own East Side Lounge (where local photographer/bar manager Johnny Ether, an artiste with liquor or lens, recently celebrated a birthday).

Additionally helping keep things entertaining were DJ Gnosis and this dude we’ll call Thumbs McGee, though I believe his name to be Andreas. Dude, I hope you were on ecstasy, seriously. Because otherwise you shouldn’t have been so overjoyed to discuss overdriven kalimbas and opening a strip club shaped like the female reproductive system. But you made my night, you really did.

After being assailed by the close talker till 2:30 a.m., the party moved on to a spot whose location I can’t disclose, but one to which I will be returning. While there’s been a series of busts trying to shut down the afterhours scene, it’s comforting to know there are still freak flags flying fragrantly throughout the city. Hitting this space hit the spot as the soulful, belting house and brick loft vibe was like a little slice of New Jersey garage. It felt feisty but friendly as I sank into a sofa to wind down.

Speaking of creature comforts, I’m going to borrow a phrase from CL’s own Cliff Bostock and extend “Waitron of the Week” to Ms. Susannah Jean Aaron of the North Highland Pub as it’s her birthday this week. I know I give equal amounts of shit and shine to those who fall into a “rut” and just revisit a handful of places over and over, but even I gotta admit sometimes a friendly face is better than Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket to ride Fuck Mountain. Susannah’s been slinging drinks and witty comebacks as long as I’ve lived in Atlanta and helped ease me in to the dives I drive. So if you’re in the neighborhood, go buy the girl a shot, because she’d buy you a beer if you looked like you needed one. Ms. Aaron, RedEye gives you props, a hug and a slap on the ass to grow on.

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