THE MOVE: Plan Accordingly - June 2020

(This edition of The Move was written prior to the worldwide demonstrations prompted by the killing of George Floyd. For a list of additional, more current Moves, click here.)

Didn’t you hear? COVID-19 vanished! Everything is back to normal and Georgia is “open for biz!” Screech. Reality check: COVID-19 didn’t disappear. Below is what’s coming up in the virtual world of disco, art, and underground in ATL.

A pandemic won’t stop national Pride. Atlanta’s most sensational queers prep for festivals, performances, and artist markets on the World Wide Web, mostly social media. Check out Atlanta-based influencer Rigel Gemini’s “Quarantine Playlist” collab with Atlanta Pride on Spotify! No doubt featuring Rigel’s new single “I Can’t.” The vid to go with “I Can’t” is adorbs and stars Ru Paul’s Drag Race legend Alyssa Edwards and Creative Loafing 2020 Lust Lister, Brande Elise!

More on music. The Move is listening to a lot of the Pure Moods ’90s tracks, Atlanta favs Lunar Vacation, Material Girls, Lady and Clementine’s Fantastic Party, and Nikki and the Phantom Callers.

Take a stroll back to the turn of the century and watch the Pure Moods commercial. Millennials will remember like it was yesterday. Prep the pitcher bc it’s still ok to drink alone at home without judgment. Oh, and stay sanitary distant, Bithkitz, bc she’s tired of wasting all the vodka on our hands.

WEDNESDAYS AND SUNDAYS P Groove’s Brock Butler cover sets

Unable to tour, yet thriving at home. Every Wednesday and Sunday, Perpetual Groove’s guitarist and lead vocalist Brock Butler covers his fav songs digitally on Busking Down the House. As of mid-May, Butler was up to 190 songs, with zero repeats.

“While I certainly miss the rock shows proper, there is always opportunity to push and be creative with new mediums. Taking time to learn some new covers I’ve always wanted to play and try my hand at pgroove songs that don’t necessarily scream to exist in the solo acoustic realm.” — Brock Butler

The Busking Down the House Facebook page was born March 13, 2020, to support the music community with performances and virtual tip jars. A whopping 32K members have joined. ”Our goals are to continue to support our artists and crews while continuing to bring you music.” — Busking Down the House.

Full Moon Yoga with Prince & Sade!

My friend and Sacred Thread Yoga owner, Annelise Leal, brings 90-minute gatherings honoring the moons, right to your living room! In June, Prince is the theme under the Strawberry Moon. In July, y’all!, it’ll be a Sade evening honoring the Thunder Moon. Don’t you just love being all privately spiritual and shit right from your home mat — or couch?

P.S. Congrats are in order for our yogi host. Annelise birthed her first child, Khya, at the beginning of the COVID-19 shut downs, at their home in East Atlanta Village! All are well and snuggly looking. I vote to let Khya stay up to honor the moons with us. xxoo. Zoom, $30

Drink & Doodle, June 10 & June 24

ABV Gallery is killing it with the 2020 version of their popular Drink and Doodle event series. Typically, the kewl kidz gather monthly at ABV in Studioplex on the Eastside BeltLine to hang out and watch artists doodle. Anyone in the room can bid on the doodles once completed. Naturally, this gathering has moved online.

A perk of the shutdowns? Drink and Doodle is now twice a month with one night being international. The quarantine company I keep likes to throw the show up on a projector. Add speakers, bc music is fresh. Great if you’re over watching old concerts or subpar Netflix stand-ups. The art is typically affordable, so just bid already!

Grateful Dating — for serious, single Deadheads only!

Are you into composting, brushing with Tom’s, and dancing in the street? Did your 2020 show dosage include 420 Fest, Jerry Day, Phish at Piedmont Park, and perhaps a little Panic? Are you single and looking for someone to turn on your love light? Facebook recommends Grateful Dating — a group for Deadhead singles to swap feelings, and probs granola recipes. There are two passwords before you can cross the bridge into a chat group full of some og woke white folk, AKA hippies. The first, a lyrical trivia question:

“What color was the sky when the sun was blue?” Seriously, this is a Deadhead group. This is a must-answer question.

Hint: The answer lives on the 1974 Grateful Dead album From the Mars Hotel.

Now, The Move isn’t looking for love bc she’s already cookin’ with one sexy noodler, but should you qualify for Grateful Dating, here is what internet hippies will not tolerate: trolling, catfishing, politics, selling, and absolutely zero Jerry vs. Trey, Phish vs. Dead, Jerry vs. John, or cover band baiting. https://www.facebook.com/groups/353011275140619

Dance Party @ Nonsense, Saturday June 13

Keep checking Nonsense ATL for Zoom dance parties. Danceable versions of all your pop stars! Like, literally all of them. Seriously, Karen. Other than dancing, DIY lewks are always encouraged.

“Grab some toilet paper rolls, bath towels, cardboard boxes, macaroni, whatever and show us what you’ve got.” — Nonsense ATL

Where else can you carb and cardio at the same time? Macaroni tube top, here she comes! https://www.nonsenseatl.com/

The Buffy Hour: Once More, With Distancing, Saturday June 6

”She irons her jeans. She’s evil.” — Buffy

How is she hunty?? She’ll be “five by five” once she gets to THE BUFFY HOUR on Wussy Mag’s twitch.tv. Quarantine hasn’t stopped Wussy Mag from giving the queer community stage time. Here’s the tea ... queer comedy, music, drag, and spoken word all about Buffy the Vampire Slayer!

”We will be dissecting all 7 seasons of this cult favorite, including the highs and lows, heartbreaks and big bads.” — Wussy Mag

Hosted by Powell Mansfield and Brigitte Bidet with special guests Tom Lenk and Jack Plotnick from Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Buffering the Vampire Slayer Podcast and Slayerfest 98 Podcast; and the Scooby Gang, including Dax Exclamationpoint, Hayley Ellman, Ian Aber, Joleen Lunzer, Julian Modugno, Kia Comedy, Olive Lynch, Maureen SanDiego, and Stella-Pearl Fontaine. Showtime is 9 p.m. EST at twitch.tv/wussymag

“Just cause you’re at home, doesn’t mean you can’t turn a lewk. We encourage your best ’90s fashions, pajama vampwear, Willow sweaters, and Magic Box loungewear. Break out the band candy, host a virtual watch party, and tune in!”

Suggested donation: $10 to PayPal — info at wussymag.com — to be split among performers.

Southern Fried Queer Pride 2020 Online Pop-Up Fest, June 26-27

The Move is tickled to announce Southern Fried Queer Pride 2020 is on(line)! Night one comes spicy with “HAWT SAUCE,” an online dance party. Day 2 will be workshops, an artist market, and a SWEET TEA queer variety show!

Last year, we learned basic cooking skills, DIY pad making, and thrifted our tootsies off. Stay tuned to SFQP’s website for more details on 2020’s virtual offerings.

Loser: Videos from the Alternative Era, Sundays

Missing Mary’s music video catalog? Samez. Chill out on Sunday nights with videos from the postmodern era of MTV’s “120 Minutes.” Google it, kids, but erase your history! twitch.tv/marysatlantahttps://www.twitch.tv/marysatlanta 10 p.m. —CL—