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Fountain by Duncan McDaniel is an exhibition at the Parthenon in Nashville that combines abstract paintings and Greek mythology. The artist creates colorful and abstract representations of gods, goddesses, and horses. The show also includes replicas of the Parthenon marbles. Tommy Talton, a celebrated guitarist and singer-songwriter, passed away at the age of 74. He was known for his work with the band Cowboy and his slide guitar prowess. Kinsley Ellis is releasing a new album called Naked Truth, featuring acoustic blues and folk styles. The album highlights his versatile guitar picking skills. Atlanta has a vibrant blues and roots music scene with various venues and organizations promoting the genre. This program is intended for a print-impaired audience and is brought to you by the Georgia Radio Reading Service, GARS. Welcome to Metro Arts for Friday, January 5, 2024. I am Kristen Moody for the Georgia Radio Reading Service. Metro Arts is brought to you by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. For our first article, we go to the Burnaway Publication online for a review, Fountain by Duncan McDaniel at the Parthenon, Nashville, by Joe Nolan. Nashville's Athens of the South nickname was coined by classical scholar and former Princeton University, then College of New Jersey, President Philip Lindsley, who took over Nashville's struggling Cumberland College in 1824. The Tennessee Centennial and International Exposition of 1897 saw the construction of a replica of the Parthenon in Nashville's Centennial Park. The site was so popular that it was permanently rebuilt between 1890 and 1931, and Nashville sculptor Alan LaQuire installed his monumental replica of Athena Parthenos in the space in 1990. Today, the Parthenon is a museum and contemporary art gallery. Fountain is Nashville artist Duncan McDaniel's solo museum debut, and it's one of the best shows the city's seen in 2023. The exhibition includes McDaniel's paintings of repeating lines in wide-ranging palettes and colorful 3D arrangements of abstract paintings on clear acrylic sheets. With Fountain, McDaniel creates a conversation with the Parthenon's collection of 14 casts of the original Parthenon marbles, which were purchased in the 1920s from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The show also recasts Southern pop culture icons as figures in Greek mythology. McDaniel renders his gods, goddesses, heroes, and horses in his dancing repeating lines. The marble replicas serve as his models, but his candy-stripe abstractions flatten each figure into a sometimes unrecognizable silhouette, void of representational details. Pyrrhos, 2023, is clearly a horse's head, but it also looks like a sci-fi demon. Pyrrhos was one of the horses that pulled the chariot of the sun god Helios. The palette is appropriately fiery, and McDaniel's horse emanates a golden aura of pulsating lines. Another pair of standouts are two illuminated 3D paintings that anchor the back wall of the gallery. Pegasus, 2023, is rendered in a warm palette of straight stripes and long loops on stacked sheets of clear acrylic plastic, framed in a replica of a mobile gas Pegasus sign. The work hangs alongside Chrysior, 2023, which is named for Pegasus's brother, who is sometimes depicted as a winged pig. McDaniel's version is a languid expression of watery blues on acrylic plastic. This piece, also internally illuminated, is built inside of the frame from an actual piggly-wiggly grocery sign. Fountain is a striking and smart display that revives age-old myths and evergreen cultural conversations in Nashville. Fountain by Duncan McDaniel is on view at the Parthenon, Nashville, through March 31, 2024. That was Fountain by Duncan McDaniel at the Parthenon, Nashville, by Joe Nolan, from the Burnaway publication. Next, we move to the Creative Loafing publication online for obituary, Tommy Talton, 1949-2023, by Hal Horowitz, Tuesday, January 2, 2024. Celebrated guitarist and singer-songwriter Tommy Talton passed away December 28, after a long bout with cancer. He was 74. As a teenager growing up in Florida, Talton, born Frank Thomas Talton, played in a variety of bands. It was in 1969, when he joined fellow singer-songwriter Scott Boyer to form Cowboy in Jacksonville, Florida, that he began his rise to prominence. The two musicians remained the core of the band that had a revolving door of members during its existence, recording four well-received albums, Reach for the Sky, 1970, Five Will Get You Ten, 1971, Boyer and Talton, Cowboy, 1974, and Cowboy, 1977, for Macon's Capricorn Records label. Making home to the Allman Brothers Band, Wet Willie, the Marshall Tucker Band, Hydra, and other bands that defined the term Southern Rock. Latter-day music luminaries such as Randall Bramlett, Bill Stewart, and Chuck Levell were either members of or played on Cowboy releases. All Music Guide calls them one of Southern Rock's best-kept secrets. Bramlett posted on Facebook, acknowledging, he was truly one of the bravest and most compassionate people I've ever known. His struggle with cancer was epic, but he never lost his positive attitude or his sense of humor. The world is a better place with the gifts of his music and spirit. I'll miss you always, Tommy T. Play on. Cowboy famously opened for Greg Allman's 1973-74 solo tour, during which the band also served as members of Allman's backing band. Cowboy had two tracks featured on the Greg Allman tour, the subsequent double-live album from that now-legendary track. One of them, Where Can You Go?, an eight-minute showcase of Talton's slide guitar prowess, reflects the soul-blue side of the group's sound. Cowboy initially disbanded in 1977, but the two founders kept working together intermittently, resulting in Boyer and Talton's Cowboy reunion, 2010. Boyer passed away in 2018, and a final album, Ten'll Get You Twenty, appeared collecting recordings the two had made in 2007. Talton lived and played extensively in Europe in the 90s, but returned to the States, specifically Marietta, Georgia, in 2005. Most recently, he was a key member of the Greg Allman Band tribute shows that included other members from the original 70s lineup. Talton recorded four solo studio albums and two live albums, somewhere south of Eden, in 2017, his most recent. A benefit was held for him in August of this year to help defray medical expenses, as was a GoFundMe page that is still open. Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced. That was Obituary, Tommy Talton, 1949-2023, by Hal Horowitz. Next, Blues and Beyond, Let Politics Take a Backseat in 2024, Allow Blues and Roots Music to Soothe Your Soul in the New Year, Kinsley Ellis's new record, Is a Good Start, by Hal Horowitz. With a presidential election to look forward to in 2024, there will be plenty of contentious pressure in the country, specifically in the swing state of Georgia, meaning we will all need relief from the onslaught of civic discourse for the next 12 months. Thankfully, music is a perfect way to disconnect, if just for a short while, from the maelstrom of politics guaranteed to infiltrate our lives. There are plenty of blues and roots-oriented happenings to look forward to in 2024. The first major event occurs February 9th. That's the release date of Kinsley Ellis's new album. The all-acoustic outing is a first for our most visible and dogged road warrior veterans blues rocker, who typically burns with his combination of plugged-in guitar solos and a louder, more stringent attack on stage and on recordings. But for the appropriately titled Naked Truth, the long-time Atlanta resident dials down the volume, unplugs from the amps, and highlights his love of raw Piedmont and Delta blues and folk styles, only hinted on at previous albums, on a dozen songs for this, his 21st release. It's again on the blues powerhouse indie label Alligator, which, along with his months-long solo tour to support it, guarantees substantial visibility for the project. Only three tunes are covers, from Willie Dixon, Sun House, and most interestingly, Leo Kottke, as Ellis rambles through shuffles, slow blues, and even folksy fare such as the Jimmy Page-styled instrumental Silver Mountain. With a diverse and inclusive set, displaying Ellis' versatility and impressive six-string picking prowess, honed through four decades of nonstop work in the blues rock trenches, starting with his work in the Alleycats, then as frontman in this city's beloved Heart Fixers. His upcoming album release gig is scheduled for Eddie's Attic on Friday, February 9th, the day the album is first available, on both CD and gold metallic vinyl LP. It's a must-see show. While Ellis is listed as producer on Naked Truth, another Atlanta blues soul man, Eddie 9V, gets a behind-the-boards credit for one selection, House's Death Letter Blues. 9V's 2023 release Capricorn, for the German Ruff label, received near-universally positive reviews, as did his shows on the tour supporting it. He's found a vital mentor in Ellis, whose assistance should provide him with invaluable help navigating the cutthroat roots blues industry in 2024. Check out 9V's first major local gig of the year at Terminal West on Saturday, January 20th. With Atlanta the home of such vibrant and empowering blues and roots organizations as WRFG, whose four-hour weekday block of Good Morning Blues programming remains one of the most inspirational and educational outlets for local and national blues music, and the award-winning Atlanta Blues Society, with their aggressive community outreach and monthly gatherings showcasing local talent, as well as hosting the Atlanta Blues Challenge and other events, the city has a built-in advantage exposing roots music to more listeners. Venues such as Fat Matt's Rib Shack, Blind Willie's, the Northside Tavern, and Eddie's Attic keep the blues flame burning, booking weekly shows with local and national acts in the, let's call it Americana, genre. Watch this column for features on Atlanta musicians and the music that can hopefully make us a little less frantic during 2024's politically charged atmosphere. Welcome the Chinese New Year of the Wood Dragon, representing authority, prosperity, and good fortune with these colorful roots, blues, and Americana events. Friday, January 5th, John McEwen and the Circle Band, Eddie's Attic. Nick's nitty-gritty dirt band for 20-plus years, multi-instrumentalist McEwen is, at 77, a veteran of the bluegrass, folk music, and Americana scenes. He also has a clutch of solo albums, all of which display his mastery of various stringed instruments and a catalog so deep it's impossible to say what he'll play, but it'll be roots music, cool and impeccably performed. Tickets are $39.50, that's 7pm at Eddie's Attic, 515B North McDonough Street, Decatur, 30030. Call 404-377-4976 or visit eddiesattic.com for more information. Sunday, January 6th, Canyon Ladies, Eddie's Attic. Sing along to songs you know and probably love from women artists of the 70s and early 80s who defined the Laurel Canyon sound of melodic, often slick, countrified pop. Think the Mamas and the Papas, Linda Ronstadt and Joni Mitchell, etc. Despite the quintet's name, only three of the members are women, but they carry the bulk of the vocals for covers of tunes that sound as fresh today as when they were recorded. Tickets are $10-20, that's 6pm at Eddie's Attic, 515B North McDonough Street, Decatur, 30030. Call 404-377-4976 or visit eddiesattic.com. Tuesday, January 9th, Amy LeVere, Eddie's Attic. The short woman playing her big old stand-up bass has written some terrific tunes, both under her name and with the Motel Mirrors, a band she was a member of for a few years. LeVere's girlish voice and jazzy, funky vibe combine on soulful, charismatic Americana that should be more popular than it is, and she always puts on a great show. Tickets are $23, that's 7pm at Eddie's Attic, 515B North McDonough Street, Decatur, 404-377-4976, eddiesattic.com. Wednesday, January 10th, Kevin Kinney, Eddie's Attic. Drivin' and Cryin's frontman, founder, singer-songwriter is an Atlanta icon. He has been so influential in the Americana scene over almost four decades that he is now the focus of a four-CD collection of covers due out in 2024. Kinney's catalog is so deep that you're never sure what you'll get and no two shows are the same. Plus, he's an engaging roncanteur with some wild and wooly tales about life in a rock and roll band. Tickets are $26, that's 9pm at Eddie's Attic, 515B North McDonough Street, Decatur, 404-377-4976, eddiesattic.com. Thursday, January 11th, Sonny War, The Earl. Singer-songwriter War's combination of folk, blues, and gospel clicked on 2023 Anarchist Gospel, her fourth album, which resonated with critics and audiences, landing on many short lists as one of the finest of the year in her genre, although War rocks a little harder than the rest. She has attracted the attention of Jim James, Alison Russell, and other vocalists who assist on the disc. Tickets are $16-18, that's 8pm at The Earl, 488 Flat Shoals Avenue, NE, Atlanta, 404-522-3950, or visit badearl.com. Friday, January 12th, Aaron Lee Tajian, The Earl. There aren't many glam pop rockers from Nashville who have been members of both the New York Dolls and Drivin' and Cryin', but Aaron Lee Tajian fits that unusual bill. His own albums are terrific too, with 2021's melodic pop rockin' Tajian, Tajian, Tajian, the best written and produced entry in his catalog. But once you see him tear it up live, his studio work pales in comparison. Tickets are $20-23, that's 8pm at The Earl, 488 Flat Shoals Avenue, NE, Atlanta, 404-522-3950, or visit badearl.com. Jackson Stokes, The Ides of June, Smith's Old Bar. Any artist mentored by Devin Allman and Luther Dickerson, both of whom co-produced Stokes' 2019 debut, is off to a rousing start. Stokes followed that release with his year's Passengers Vol. 1 EP that further consolidated his soulful voice and bluesy pop. Arrive early for Atlanta's The Ides of June's tough, gutsy blues rockin'. Tickets are $12-15, that's 8pm on Friday, January 12th, at Smith's Old Bar, 1578 Piedmont Avenue, 30324, call 404-875-1522, or visit sobatl.com. Saturday, January 13th, Judy Collins, Buckhead Theatre. Now 84, the renowned Collins voice is as crystalline as you remember, and with six releases in the past six years, the iconic folk-pop artist shows no signs of slowing down. She wrote all of the original material for the 2022 song cycle, Spellbound, a first in her extensive career, and seems to be as creative and active now as at any time in her 60-plus year run. Her first album was released in 1961. Still, it's hard to imagine she'll be touring much longer. Catch her now and bask in the glow of a living legend. Tickets are $34-64+, that's 8pm at the Buckhead Theatre, 3110 Roswell Road, call 404-843-2825, or visit thebuckheadtheatre.com. Sunday, January 14th, Atlanta Blues Society Gathering and Jam, Old Courthouse Tavern. Join the trouble-tones as you connect with older blues fans at this month's meet-and-greet. The closing jam of talented local musicians is always fun, with the energy of blues lovers contagious. This event is free, 3pm at the Old Courthouse Tavern, 105 Glynn Street, South Fayetteville, 30214. Call 404-693-4900 or visit atlantabluessociety.org. Monday, January 15th, Charlatans UK Ride the Eastern. You can travel back to the 90s for this double-dose of Brit indie rock power. Both bands released debuts in 1990 and made splashes on the college radio charts in the States, but never broke big commercially. Charlatans have continued releasing albums despite minimal U.S. impact with 2017's Different Days, a recent High Point, showing that they are as talented at writing edgy UK pop rock as ever. An impressive double bill, especially if you're over 50. Tickets are $37.50 to $43. That's 8pm at the Eastern, 777 Memorial Drive, Atlanta, 30316. Visit easternatl.com. Tuesday, January 16th, Chuck Proffitt and Stephanie Finch, Eddie's Attic. Despite a recent health scare, Americana singer-songwriter rocker Proffitt always delivers live, even when he leaves his amazing Mission Express band behind. He and his wife Finch run through highlights from his bulging catalog of not-quite-hits with his usual aplomb and casually animated energy. He's a great songwriter, an even better performer, and when he lets loose on that beat-up telecaster for You Did, you'll want him, them, to play all night. Tickets are $39.50 to $47.83. That's 7pm at Eddie's Attic, 515B North McDonough Street, Decatur, 404-377-4976, or visit eddiesattic.com. Wednesday, January 17th, Dan Byrne, Vanessa Peters, Eddie's Attic. Singer-songwriter, folk rocker, author, and baseball superfan Byrne has been banging around since 1997, releasing often humorous songs like Adderall Holiday with their sharp observations and making fans of icons like Emmylou Harris. He recently found semi-stardom writing and performing charming children's tunes for Amazon's The Stinky and Dirty Show and on his own album, Four Feet Tall and Rising. The superb 2001 disc, New American Language, was just reissued, so expect some tunes from that. Tickets are $26.50. That's 9pm at Eddie's Attic, 515B North McDonough Street, Decatur, 404-377-4976, eddiesattic.com. Thursday, January 18th, Charlie Starr and Benji Shanks, Buckhead Theatre. The Blackberry Smoke frontman returns with fellow Smoke member Shanks for another post-holiday duo show. Without the baggage of a band, Starr is free to explore lesser-known tracks and charge into covers many of the southern rock variety that have influenced him. It's an acoustic, less intense gig than the ones with BS and a great way to get to know Starr's talents in a more intimate environment. Tickets are $30.50 to $162.95. That's 8pm at the Buckhead Theatre, 3110 Roswell Road, 30305. Call 404-843-2825 or visit thebuckheadtheatre.com. Friday, January 19th, B. Taylor Smith's Old Bar. A multi-instrumentalist, though primarily a piano pounder, Taylor doesn't just take the stage, she owns it. The woman is a force of nature, banging on those 88s with precision and power, while waving her arms in the air as she conjures up a gumbo of Dr. John-influenced New Orleans funk, rock and roll, and country. She'll make you a believer and fan after the first song. None of her albums capture the intensity of her live performances, not to be missed. Tickets are $15. That's 8pm at Smith's Old Bar, 1578 Tiedemont Avenue, 30324. Call 404-875-1522 or visit sobatl.com. Foy Vance, City Winery. It never hurts to have famous friends in your corner, or a cool handlebar mustache, especially when you're a struggling singer-songwriter. So it was a huge boost when Ed Sheeran and Elton John gave this Irish folk singer-songwriter the thumbs up, which immediately garnered Vance the attention of the mammoth fan base. That was in 2016. Vance's star has been on the rise ever since. He is touring behind Signs of Life 2021, another soulful slice of sensitive folk rock, one of the finest albums of that year. This event is sold out. That's 8pm at the City Winery on Friday, January 19th. City Winery is at Ponce City Market, 650 North Ave. Call 404-496-3791 or visit citywinery.com forward slash Atlanta. Saturday, January 20th. Green Ski Bluegrass, The Eastern. This Michigan-based quintet is another talented act among the recent trend of rock and rollers moving into the rustic bluegrass tent with dynamic shows and propulsive songs. They don't need a drummer to deliver the rollicking string band goods, but as solid as their albums are, see Stressed Dreams from 2022, on stage is where it all comes together. Tickets are $35. That's 8pm at the Eastern, 777 Memorial Drive, Atlanta 30316. Visit easternatl.com. Eddie 9V, Tyler Neal, Terminer West. If Atlanta is going to boast a next big thing in the soul, blues, guitar, slinger genre, it will be Eddie 9V. Having toured extensively in 2023, he is planning the same in 2024. Let's give him a warm local welcome as he headlines his first major local gig of the year, along with his buddy Tyler Neal opening. Tickets are $20 to $25. That's 8pm on Saturday, January 20th. Terminal West is at 887 West Marietta Street, Northwest. Call 404-876-5566 or visit terminalwestatl.com. Tuesday, January 23rd. Parker Millsap and Robert Ellis, Eddie's Attic. This double headliner pairs two Americana artists trading songs and between-tunes banter. Millsap's 2023 release, Wilderness Within You, found him dabbling in electronics, for better or worse, which at least showed he's not afraid of trying something new. Ellis' 2023 album was stripped down to hushed, jazzy downbeat acoustic guitar strumming and snoozy vocals that will likely, hopefully, get energized for the stage, and with Millsap by his side. Tickets are $32.26. That's at 7pm at Eddie's Attic, 515 Bean, North McDonough Street, Decatur, 30030. Call 404-377-4976 or visit eddiesattic.com. Tuesday, January 23rd. And Wednesday, January 24th. Al Di Meola, City Winery. Ex-Return to Forever jazz fusion world music guitar master, Di Meola, has released dozens of solo albums, some plugged in, but most recently, acoustic. His stunning collection of Beatles interpretations from 2020 was a reminder of just how talented, subtle, and creative he is. On a good night, his shredding prowess is mind-blowing. This tour, his first recording after recovering from a heart attack, is titled The Electric Years, so expect fireworks. Tickets are $55 to $100. That's 8pm on Tuesday, January 23rd and Wednesday, January 24th at City Winery, Ponce City Market, 650 North Avenue. Call 404-496-3791 or visit citywinery.com forward slash Atlanta. Thursday, January 25th. Sarah Shook and the Disarmers, The Earl. Call Shook, alt country, punk country, outlaw country, or just insurgent Americana, but they, she identifies as genderqueer, have released a great 2022 album, In Night Roamer, one that captures the singer's tough, snarling vocals and spiky roots rocking. The band is terrific, too, with a pedal steel player that brings the goods for even the most forceful rockers. A new album, Revelations, is due soon. Expect some fresh tunes you haven't heard before. Tickets are $16 to $18. That's 8.30pm at The Earl, 488 Flat Shoals Avenue, Atlanta, 30316. Call 404-522-3950 or visit badearl.com. The Record Company, Terminal West. Bluesy, stripped-down roots rockin' is nothing new, but this threesome plays it like they invented the genre. Some Southern rock influences creep into their latest fourth release, unimaginatively titled The Fourth Album, which, along with the blues at the heart of their sound, yields some great songs and invigorated performances. They're not breaking any barriers, but the music throbs and pulses with good melodies, solid playing, and tough, barroom-friendly tunes. Tickets are $25 to $30. That's 8pm on Thursday, January 25th at Terminal West, 887 West Marietta Street, Atlanta, 30318. Call 404-876-5566 or visit terminalwestatl.com. Friday, January 26th, A.J. Ghent, Attic. Billed as A.J. Ghent and his singing guitar, local slide six-string whiz lets his fingers do the talking, or rather singing, as he plays mostly instrumental tunes that don't need a vocalist to shoot straight into your soul. Like Dwayne Allman, his music ranges from beautiful and heartfelt to searing. Ghent's exquisite tone reveals more than most singers can. Tickets are $26.50. That's 7pm at Eddie's Attic, 515B North McDonough Street, Decatur, 404-377-4976, eddiesattic.com. Friday, January 26th and Saturday, January 27th, Lucinda Williams and her band, Variety Playhouse. The last time through town, iconic Americana artist Williams held court for four days at City Winery, telling stories and sharing songs from her deep, rich catalog. This time, it's a two-night stand in a venue three times larger. She will likely read from her recent autobiography, Don't Tell Anybody the Secrets, and of course, play music with her incredible band. Regardless of any past health issues, she is a stroke survivor. She still sounds amazing, and of course, her songs are classic. Tickets are $49.50 plus. That's 8pm at Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Avenue, Atlanta, 30307. Call 404-504-7354 or visit variety-playhouse.com. Tuesday, January 30th. The Milk Carton Kids, Buckhead Theater. It's the I Only See the Moon Tour, named after the duo's sixth and most recent album. Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan have been touring for over a decade, spreading their indie folk and Americana while gaining followers the old-fashioned way. There's some Simon & Garfunkel and Everly Brothers influence in their sumptuous harmonies, but their supple, stripped-down sound is unique and distinctive. And their dry humor between song banter is priceless. Tickets are $30 to $35. That's 8pm at the Buckhead Theater, 3110 Roswell Road, 30305. Call 404-843-2825 or visit thebuckheadtheater.com. Elvis Costello and the Imposters, Charlie Sexton, Coca-Cola Roxy. The oddly-named The 707 Tour takes Costello and his band through a clutch of southern states. It's always interesting to see which ringers Costello cherry-picks from his bloated catalog. You'll likely know a handful of older songs and won't recognize many of the newer ones. Regardless, his long-standing Impostors band injects jittery energy even to his most obscure songs, and he always brings it live. Tickets are $64 to $247. That's 7.30pm at the Coca-Cola Roxy, the Battery Atlanta, 800 Battery Avenue. LiveNation.com forward slash venue forward slash Coca-Cola Roxy events. Wednesday, January 31st. Alexa Rose, Eddie's Attic. Dulcet-voiced Rose weaves her Appalachian and Americana roots with early Joni Mitchell inspirations for contemporary folk that throbs with introspective passion. Her newest album, Headwaters, 2021, expands slightly into rock with a recent string-enhanced cover of The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony, co-sung with Matt Pond, having received well-deserved praise for its subtle flowing approach. Tickets are $20. That's 7pm at Eddie's Attic, 515 North McDonough Street, Decatur. Call 404-377-4976 or visit eddiesattic.com. Thursday, February 1st. The Steel Wheels City Winery. This Virginia-based quintet began as a straight-ahead bluegrass band but has since moved into more indie Americana waters, albeit with their hint of roots. The songs flow with strong melodies and vocals, along with impeccable instrumentation. Expect fresh material from a new album, Sideways, that rocks a little harder than their previous material due out in February. Tickets are $22 to $32. That's 8pm at City Winery. That's Ponce City Market, 650 North Avenue. Call 404-496-3791 or visit citywinery.com forward slash Atlanta. Jackson Dean D. White, May Esters, Terminal West. Country rocker Dean has come a long way since his 2018 debut. His most recent EP, recorded at Nashville's Historic Ryman, gives you an idea of his approach, though most of his music is tougher and swampier than most contemporary country. Opener White is geared to sweet folk pop and Esty's supple classic C&W round out an impressive roots build. Tickets are $25. That's 8pm on Thursday, February 1st at Terminal West, 887 West Marietta Street, Atlanta, 30318. Call 404-876-5566 or visit terminalwestatl.com. That was Blues and Beyond. Let Politics Take a Backseat in 2024 by Hal Horowitz from the Creative Loafing publication. Next, we move to the Atlanta magazine online for One City, Three Ways, Memphis, Tennessee. The culturally rich home of the blues offers history buffs, pop culture junkies, and music lovers much to savor by Emma Hunt. Over the last half century, Memphis has been marked by highs and lows from its musical heyday of the 60s and 70s when artists including Elvis Presley and Ike and Tina Turner rocked the world to the heartbreaking assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights struggles of that era. Today, the city strikes a balance between celebrating its rich cultural identity and honoring its sobering history. Live music floods out of its glowing Beale Street Clubs, world-class museums tell the city's stories, and murals and statues all around town pay homage to Memphis greats. Years of revitalization efforts have driven a cultural rebirth visitors will enjoy whether they're there for the barbecue, the blues, or the king of rock and roll. History buff. Stay. Sleep in a 1914 train terminal at Central Station Memphis, a 123-room hotel that still serves as an active station. The decor is fresh and modern, but the hotel's past shines through with original elements such as neon signs in the cocktail lounge, lounge railroad buffer stops in the entryway, and the departure board in the ballroom. Reflect. Carve out several hours to explore an immersive timeline of the civil rights movement from the middle passage to the present day at the National Civil Rights Museum at the historic Lorraine Motel. Sound effects and full-scale replicas place you right in the center of the Montgomery bus boycott and at the motel on the day of Dr. King's death. Devour. Open since 1919 and now in its fourth generation of family ownership, Arcade is the oldest restaurant in Memphis known to be a favorite of Elvis's. Eat like the king and order a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich or opt for classical diner cheeseburgers and milkshakes, several of which come boozy. Browse. New and used books line the shelves at Burke's Bookstore, open since 1875. First editions and signed copies, including a $750 signed copy of famous Memphis painter Carol Clore's Hostel Butterflies, make up some of the shop's rare offering. Don't miss the ever-growing photo wall of the many dog visitors over the years. Toast. Grab a cheap beer at Ernestine and Hazel's, a haunted dive bar with previous incarnations as a 1930s pharmacy, salon, brothel, and then a cafe frequented by music legends Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles. Today the late night joint is known for its back-to-basics soul burgers as well as the upstairs bartender Mr. Nate, who's been shaking cocktails for 30 years. Pop culture junkie. Delight. Each day at 11 a.m. the Peabody Hotel ducks ride the elevator from their penthouse down to the lobby where curious onlookers line the red carpet awaiting their arrival. After a day splashing in the lobby fountain, the beloved Mallards waddle back home at 5 p.m. on the dot with the help of the official duck master. Get all shook up. Experience all things Elvis Presley at Graceland, a 200,000 square foot wonderland. Tour his perfectly preserved mansion, including the kitched out jungle room and his personal racquetball court, and spend a few hours examining the museum's jaw-dropping exhibits, including ones highlighting his bedazzled wardrobe and extravagant car collection. Ascend. Ride the country's tallest freestanding elevator to the top of the iconic Bass Pro Shops pyramid, a former events arena turned megastore that also houses a bowling alley, hotel, 10 aquariums, a cypress swamp with 100 foot tall trees and live alligators, and several restaurants, including one at the top with 360 degree downtown views. Dine in style. Located in Priscilla Presley's former curl and dive spot, the Beauty Shop offers sandwiches, salads, and their own spins on other deli staples, such as the Reuben sandwich-inspired Oi Bae fries. Enjoy your meal beneath a vintage hooded Belvedere hairdryer, amid fun retro decor. Have a ball. Memphis is a basketball city, so make like a local and catch a Grizzlies game at FedEx Forum, aka the Grindhouse. The state's only NBA team brings an infectious energy to the city during basketball season, October to April, so pack some blue and gold. Music lover. Get the blues. Hit the high notes of Memphis's famous music scene at the Blues Hall of Fame Museum. Take a self-guided tour and admire the shimmering costumes of Coco Taylor and Denise LaSalle, handwritten Willie Dixon lyrics, Muddy Waters toyer jacket, and a guitar signed by blues greats, including B.B. King. Admire. Stand in the place where the million-dollar quartet Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins held their legendary 1956 jam sesh during a guided tour at Sun Studios. The studio, known as the birthplace of rock and roll, hosts nightly recording sessions to this day. Pay tribute. From the roughwood pews of an old Mississippi Delta church to the gold-trim grill of Isaac Hayes' Cadillac, the Stax Museum chronicles the rise of American soul music at the original location of Stax Records, which launched the careers of Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, and other greats. Tune in. Tune in. A Smithsonian affiliate, the Memphis Rock and Roll Museum walks through the city's complete music history, starting with the porch music of 1930s sharecroppers and leading up to Memphis' global cultural impact today. Check out Ike Turner's first piano and the original lyrics to Elvis' Heartbreak Hotel while using the museum's curated playlist of Memphis stars as your tour soundtrack. Groove. Beale Street's nightlife is not to be missed. Take in the glowing neon signs and bluesy tunes floating from the juke joints as you walk the historic strip, drink in hand. Be sure to stop in for live music at B.B. King's Blues Club, Rum Boogie Cafe, and Silky O'Sullivan's. Don't miss the goats. That was One City, Three Ways, Memphis, Tennessee, by Emma Hunt. Next, we move to the Arts ATL publication for Today in Street Art, How Cabbage Town Became an Arts-Friendly Community, by Arthur Rudick. According to local folklore, Cabbage Town got its name when a Model T truck loaded with cabbages overturned. The residents helped themselves to the newly liberated vegetables, and the smell of cabbages cooking permeated the community for weeks. Following the Civil War, German-Jewish immigrant Jacob Elsis opened the Fulton Bag and Cotton Mills. Houses built for the mills workers have today become private homes, but before the district became gentrified, Cabbage Town was a thriving home to artists and musicians. Today, Cabbage Town is one of Atlanta's best street art viewing districts. A mural-filled walking tour of the district starts at the corner of Wiley Street and Pearl Street, at the east end of the street. In 2010, when graffiti tagging on the CSX wall spread to cars and the nearby church, the neighborhood invited Living Walls to Cabbage Town to paint murals on the walls, hoping taggers would respect the art. In 2012, Forward Warrior was born. This informal annual painting party, hosted by Atlanta artist Peter Ferrari for his friends, utilized plywood panels in makeshift locations near the Atlanta Beltline. In 2014, the annual Forward Warrior mural painting event was given a permanent home on the wall. In 2015, the Forward Warrior mural painting event was given a permanent home on the wall. Disclosure, the author's website, Atlanta Street Art Map, is a sponsor of Forward Warrior and a mural in the Ty Street Mural Park. Cabbage Town has a reputation for being a welcoming place for artists and musicians, says John Durga, a longtime resident and Neighborhood Planning Unit representative. Forward Warrior was a perfect opportunity to continue in that spirit and to give back to the city. Ferrari's curation of Forward Warrior includes both established and upcoming muralists. An example of the former is Fabian Williams, whose mural features Martin Luther King Jr. as an apparition-like superhero floating above sleeping children. Think, I Have a Dream. In 2023, Williams updated the mural to include a portrait of Fulton County District Attorney Williams updated the mural to include a portrait of Fulton County District Attorney Fannie Willis. A Black woman holding the powerful accountable is part of the realization of Dr. King's dream. One of the emerging muralists is Trudy Tran, who painted her first mural at Forward Warrior in 2022. Tran's mural depicts a woman wearing a traditional Vietnamese dress, and a reimagined wedding turban. Walking west on Wiley Street, the Crog Street Tunnel appears. The passageway, also owned by CSX, was once a popular haunt for Atlanta's clandestine graffiti practitioners, and in 2002, the city decriminalized painting in the underpass. After the tunnel became part of the Atlanta Beltline in 2017, many of the writers moved on to other locations, but it is still a great place for graffiti newbies and tourists to try their hand at the art. Nothing there lasts long. The walls are repainted almost daily. Across the street from the tunnel is the Hood's favorite watering hole, 97 Astoria. The walls of the building and the fence surrounding the outdoor patio are covered with artwork. So many talented people hang out at Astoria, and they've become close friends of ours, says General Manager Catherine Arrington. They sit at the bar and draw or show us photos of what they've been working on while away. They come here for a quick drink before heading to art galleries in support of each other. An example of this community-supported creativity is a fanciful mural spontaneously designed by Big Teef and Jesse Jager. It features space aliens harassing an armadillo and a vulture in the middle of the desert. At the west end of the CSX wall, the original Fulton Bag and Cotton Mills building is now the Stax Condos, named after the mill's smokestack, which still stands. Austin Blue was the original curator of the Stax Square's mural project, which began in 2017. We wanted an application-based event that could get people in the door of public art, and the wall size was perfect for first-time muralists, he says. The wall is repainted by different artists three times per year. Kristen Consuega, a white Latinx queer non-binary artist and first-time muralist, is part of the most recent round. Consuega's mural features a portrait of myself in Blossom, she says. A block south on Carroll Street, visitors pass a small mural park next to Little's Food Store, where the outdoor eating space became an art space during the pandemic. Owners Brad and Nina Cunard consider everything at the store to be their living art project. The space features art such as Sean Fahey's Piece on Love, Chris Wright's mural spelling out Cabbage Town, and Reverend Dave DeChant's Stone Snail Image. We love that it is a constant evolution through change, both organic and planned. Art in the city brings life, and we are all about celebrating that beauty. Turning left onto Memorial Drive, mural explorers will pass a large-scale work by Spanish artist Ceibic, which features a girl and a dog, and a colorful alpaca. And a colorful abstract by Yo-Yo Ferro from the New School. The walking tour concludes at the Ty Street Mural Park. The park was founded by Donna Howells, aka Seven Dot, an artist who became a muralist at age 70, and David Lewis, co-owner of Wiley and Rhum. Lewis cleared the overgrown lot, obtained permission to paint from multiple out-of-state owners, and helped Howells recruit artists. She led a team of female artists to paint a mural titled Grit, and personally painted a mural titled How Cabbage Town Got Its Name. In Howells' words, it was gratifying to improve that entrance into Cabbage Town, a neighborhood we both love. That was Today in Street Art, How Cabbage Town Became an Arts-Friendly Community, by Arthur Rudick. Next up, Just For Us star excited to bring hit Broadway solo show to Alliance, by Benjamin Carr. Comedian Alex Edelman's acclaimed one-man show, Just For Us, will run this weekend, January 5th through January 7th, at the Alliance Theater, where early demand for the show proved so popular that an extra performance was added. Edelman said in a phone interview that he appreciated the response. I'm very excited to come to Atlanta, he said. I'm so thrilled. It's going to be my first time. The show, which played on Broadway at the Hudson Theater this past summer, after successful runs off-Broadway and in Washington, London, and Edinburgh, Scotland, centers around a visit Edelman made to a meeting of white supremacists in Queens in 2017, after receiving a massive number of anti-Semitic comments on social media. But he said the show is about more than just that. Some people seem to think the show is about anti-Semitism, and I can't say that I blame them for that, given that the show is about me going to this meeting of white nationalists, in part, Edelman said. But I also think the show is about assimilation, which is a slightly different thing, but not altogether completely different. So there's something there. Indeed, the show largely addresses Edelman's Orthodox Jewish upbringing in Boston, his family, and how he adapted to the influences of the outside world. I think the show is very much a comedy, he said. It's what I thought was funny, but it has found some resonance in this conversation about Jews and their relationship to the world in which they live in. And sadly, it's become pretty timely. But you know, when is a show about where Jews belong in the world not a little bit timely? Our audiences have been an even blend of Jewish and not Jewish, which is really interesting. The show has certainly resonated. It's funny jokes and stories at the core, Edelman said. Everything else is extra credit. To develop Just for Us, Edelman worked with comedian Mike Berglia and others to hone the material. When asked how it evolved over time, he joked in a deadpan tone that he was a member of the Nation of Islam when it first started. He credits a lot of the success of Just for Us to its director, Adam Brace, who passed away in April after a stroke. Brace and Edelman developed three shows together. Adam was my best friend for 11 years, my closest collaborator, Edelman said. His contribution is incalculable. I just have no idea how to progress without him. He was very good at what he did. He specialized in my very specific type of comedy and comedy theater. And to get to do the show with him was such a gift. I miss him terribly. Edelman said it is a tribute to be able to perform their latest collaboration on such a scale. He was a sounding board. He was a translator. He was a confidant, Edelman continued. He understood my best and worst impulses on stage. He knew me very well and found me very funny, which is huge. You need people like that in your life. Edelman said Just for Us succeeds because the comedy is intensely personal for both the performer and the audience. It started in a small room and it has advanced to these beautiful theaters, he said. Thank God it has been unanimously well received where it's gone. And it's rare to get that opportunity. At one point, Edelman left the writing staff of Netflix's Atlanta set comedy Teenage Bounty Hunters, which would have brought him to the city before now to concentrate on Just for Us. I was trying to make Just for Us more of a thing, he said. I was trying to invest in live performance. And the funny thing is, it didn't seem like a very good idea less than a year later when there was a pandemic. I love television writing, but live performance has always been my first darling. This was the culmination of that. That was Just for Us star excited to bring hit Broadway solo show to Alliance by Benjamin Carr. That concludes today's Metro Arts program, which is brought to you by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. This has been Kristen Moody for GARS, the Georgia Radio Reading Service. Thank you for listening to GARS.
