THE MOVE: September, Plan Accordingly

The Move is a column intended to help you beat the fight against basic, one move at a time. Look here for all the best underground, and some above-ground, events in ATL. Bc you CAN have a balanced diet of disco and yoga. Warning of side effects: Overdose of culture and queerdom. Bloated bank account from lack of overpriced ticket purchases. Confusion meeting clarity via mind, body, and soul. Consume at your own risk.

My GAWD, swamp-ass season isn’t going anywhere any time soon. If you can’t take the heat, read on for the sweet tea, my sweaty bithkitz.

SUNDAY SEPT. 1 House in the Park

House music in Atlanta, outside of festivals, is typically played at night. Late night. Unlike Europe, South America, and basically the rest of the planet where house music is played in every taxi, cafe, Laundromat, and, well, everywhere 24/7. Americans typically associate it with underground club raves. House in the Park happens outside. During the day. In Grant Park. And, it’s family-oriented. For eight hours, four DJs will make the park pulse with international house music while families and extended families park tailgate tent to tailgate with spreads that would make any BBQ pitmaster swoon.

“House in the Park” is a musical exploration of the soul and a vision to see House Music become a unifying movement, transcending every strata of society, ethnic identification, race classification, age, and lifestyle,” claim those who organize House in the Park. It’s been speshy to watch a free festival grow into a larger, ticketed event. Think of it this way: Even if you only dance part of the day, it’s still cheaper (and more fun) at a modest $10, than most exercise classes. Thank you, DJ Ramon “Rawsoul” Guyton and Kai Alce for uniting Atlanta via worldwide vibes.

MONDAY, SEPT. 2 Chaka Khan Pond

Atlanta’s favorite day party, Chaka Khan Hacienda, will be setting up poolside at the W Midtown this Labor Day. NYC’s spicy redhead, Amber Valentine, will share the DJ deck with Chaka Khan Mother, Ree de la Vega. The Human Rights Campaign is the hostess with the mostest swag, info, and a cabana giveaway! Braids with Babes will be there to braid your locks and glitter those pecs. IDK about y’all, but I’d much rather spend my Labor Day at the W than at that dirty death pond y’all call Lake Lanier. I hear it’s not even safe for pups these days. #bluegreenalgae

SUNDAY, SEPT. 8 Queer Yoga Deep Stretch

First and foremost, this is an event for every body, not just those who identify as queer. Don’t expect to be converted, unless you want to. Do expect to leave inspired by colorful vibes and diversity. Located in the gorgeous King Plow ballroom. Yogis are invited next door to Counter Culture Coffee for some FREE special cups of Joe afterwards. “ALL humans of ALL shapes, sizes, colors, and identities who are willing to contribute to a positive and uplifting community environment are welcome!” says instructor/organizer, Patrick Joseph Boston.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 11 Flying Lotus

What do Steven Ellison, FlyLo, and Captain Murphy have in common? They share a human body with Flying Lotus, an American record producer, musician, DJ, filmmaker, and rapper from LA.

John Coltrane was an experimental jazz influencer. His great-nephew, Flying Lotus, is known for experimental hip hop, alternative hip hop, and electronic music. A Flying Lotus performance is much more than a DJ spinning other musician’s tracks. He creates and records each beat he plays, on staging that is more theatrical than the typical concert stage. Oh the LIGHTS! One can’t really imagine what’s cooking for this tour, but we do know we need to take 3D glasses with us to the Variety Playhouse for this event, according to FL’s Twitter.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 12-15 Boys in Trouble

If you, or someone you know, suffers from toxic masculinity syndrome, this is the prescription for you. A nice dose of timely and compelling commentary on contemporary masculinity will fix you right up. Doctor’s orders. This is an all male dance performance, which places a dynamic queer lens on questions of embodiment, violence, black queer love, whiteness, shame, and posturing. Recommending this for fraternities, Brian Kemp’s staff, and all males who regularly frequent the Ivy Buckhead, or any Buckhead dive bar really.

“Sean Dorsey Dance’s award-winning, multigenerational ensemble performs these athletic dances with gusto — moving seamlessly between full-throttle dancing, live speaking, and intimate storytelling,” according to 7 Stages.

THURSDAY & FRIDAY, SEPT. 12 & 13 Heather McMahan’s “Farewell Tour”

A year ago, Heather McMahan was on the verge of winning 2018’s “Best Comedian” by Creative Loafing’s critics. I convinced her to have a slumber party at my carriage house and we hit EAV, with wigs, in full character. Well, Heather stayed in one of her many popular street characters, “Tiffany from Decatur,” and attempted to be “Cim, with a C,” (pronounced Kim), a Zima lush Tiffany met at their shared megachurch.

Since then, Heather’s fame has EXPLODED. A true comedic Instagram sensation, her popularity grew modestly until Maria Shriver became a fan. In July, Shriver was co-hosting the 17th, I mean 4th, hour of “The Today Show” when she recapped Heather’s Instagram stories from the weekend prior. THE. NEXT. WEEK. Heather was on, not as a guest, but as a HOST of “The Today Show” with Jenna Bush Hager. A week after that, she announces her first tour, “The Farewell Tour,” an eight-city Southeastern tour, which sold out in minutes. Why keep a sold-out show on The Move? B/C this is one Atlantan living her truth and doing the most with it — we should be very proud.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 22 Hemp Painting Class

This month, learn how to use hemp for building, sculpting, and painting, oh my! This Decatur workshop with Aviva Kessler will teach attendees how to make a small batch of hemp sculpt and learn how to apply pigment to it and also to hemp plaster batches. You’ll even use hemp paints to paint an actual wall at Waller’s Coffee Shop, and go home with your own small sculpted and pigmented “hemp rock.” I got to hold a hemp rock during Aviva’s “Friends in High Places” podcast interview, and it was surprisingly lightweight. I’m no builder, but I’d prob be kewl with a hemp hut for a home. Just don’t smoke your rock.

Aviva has spent 20 years advocating for marijuana. Bless her. She’s done so by song and education. She crushed CL’s Live from the Archives performance, available on CL’s Instagram. BONUS!! You can catch her with her band, Aviva and the Flying Penguins, live at the Clermont Lounge Thursday, Sept. 19.

MONDAY, SEPT. 23 Drag / Burlesque Open Stage

Open mic for drag AND burlesque, holy bajesus, we’ve all died and gone to queer heaven. A safe space and event for those itching to blossom into performance creativity. Amen! We will likely see many stars born from this open mic. I can feel it. “Do you have a drag or burlesque dream in your heart or an act you’ve been wanting to try in front of a new audience? Tonight is your night! Newcomers welcome!” at The Bakery Atlanta.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 28 MY ILLEGAL BODY

A timely event to benefit Planned Parenthood and the Feminist Women’s Health Center, My Illegal Body will feature live performances by Atlanta favs rose hotel, Riboflavin, Rated Age, TAYLOR ALXNDR, and Taves & Weatherly. Some DJ action with Aja Arnold and Kale Svvick. This event is donation-based, obvi. Also, a write-off! Make your accountant proud by supporting your local performers supporting women. The scene sets up at 529 in East Atlanta Village. C U there!

SUNDAY, SEPT. 29 Meet At MET

Got wheels? Roll over to the MET, formerly known by most Atlantans as the Metropolitan Lofts, during Atlanta Streets Alive Southwest. All afternoon into early evening, the MET will host an artist market, and offer live screenprinting by the MET’s own Danger Press, illustrated fortune telling by Paper Ghost Fortune Machine, The Analog Vending Machine! by Sarah Lawrence Design Emporium, art installations by Dayle Bennett of Design Studio No. 4, and even breakdancing by West End’s own Toma Fit. Galleries MINT, Mutiny Artwrx, and Flora Aura Photography by Charlie Watts will be open for passersby to peep.

Atlanta Streets Alive occurs three times a year, closing down different sections of Atlanta streets to vehicles for an afternoon. “Bring your bicycle or just your feet, and get ready to explore your community streets in a safer, healthier, more livable way,” per Atlanta Streets Alive.

Psst… Xtra! Xtra! Weed all about it! Shameless plug for CL’s latest POTcast series, “Friends in High Places.” Listen along as I interview the likes of those mapping out the cannabis industry for Georgians, bc it’s not coming, it’s here. Cannabis entrepreneurs, politicians, legal experts, artists, and activists, are all available for your listening curiosities on iTunes, Spotify, SoundCloud, and of course, creativeloafing.com/podcasts.