BANDS DON’T JUST VISIT OUR CITY TO ROCK: THEY ALSO COME TO PLAY. WHERE YOUR FAVORITE ROCKSTARS EAT, SHOP, AND GET HANGOVERS – OUT AND ABOUT IN ATLANTA WITH…REX SHELVERTON AND JEREMY BRINGETTO OF

V U E

Compiled by Michelle Gilzenrat
San Francisco natives Vue were welcomed into Atlanta by the howling sounds of a tornado siren. With sheets of rain pouring down as they loaded into Smith’s Olde Bar on June 28, bassist Jeremy Bringetto admits that the band was “pretty freaked out.” Thankfully, by the end of the night the downpour subsided and the band rocked the stage more than any ol’ twister could hope to do.

What we want to know is, when Vue seek shelter on tour, for fashion, food, and fun, where do they run?

Where to Rock: Rex and Jeremy both agreed that The Earl is their favorite venue in the ATL. “The regular crowd just seems really hip,” said Rex. “There’s a good amount of walk-up from people who are visiting the restaurant to come watch bands play.”

Meat is Murder: Rex explains the special dietary needs of Vue: “When we are on tour, we basically look for any place that has vegan or vegetarian food . I’m vegan, Jeremy is vegan, Jessica is vegetarian, so is Carey …Jonah will eat anything.” Jeremy adds that finding a restaurant that satisfies all members of the band is actually “really easy to do in Atlanta. There’s this really good burrito place down the road from MJQ . . . and a lot of other spots around town.” In fact, Atlanta has at least 20 different vegetarian restaurants. See below for our number one pick.

Dream Jeanie: Being hip and attractive can have its benefits. “We get a lot of free stuff on the road,” says Jeremy, “especially jeans…When we were touring with The Ravonettes and The Sounds we got to be in this promo video for Levis that was shown in their stores, and in exchange we got like 20 or 30 pairs of jeans. It was a really strange shoot. We were filmed walking around some jail in Philedelphia…We also had a deal with Diesel but they were a bit stingier. We got like 4 pairs each from them.“ If you aren’t lucky enough to have denim connections, you can get Diesel jeans at other name brands at trendy Bill Hallman's in the Virgina Highlands.

Night-tripper?: Jeremy’s favorite traveling adventure, besides Atlanta of course, was Vue's night-crawling through Rome, Italy . "We were on tour with ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of the Dead and we had a day off in Rome. We got there at like 2 a.m. and I thought I would go to bed and get up in the morning to go sightsee, but they were like 'ah, screw that, let’s go around and see Rome at night.' At first I thought it was a really bad idea, but it ended up being amazing. We went to the Coliseum , all the Roman ruins, the Foro Mussolini ...We basically went around and saw all of Rome at 3 a.m. with nobody there." A nice idea if you want to avoid hordes of tourists...just bring a flashlight.

Hear brand new music from Vue at their website www.thevue.com

IN-DEPTH:

The Earl
Brush your bangs forward and don your finest denim jacket, The Earl is the hippest joint in East Atlanta. The front bar/restaurant features an impressive and tasty menu. Try one of their juicy hamburgers or munch on a heaping bowl of boiiled peanuts. After filling your tummy, head to the back room for quality live music. The Earl consistently books the most exciting indie bands from across the country.
Price range: No cover to enter bar; Shows range $5-$10
Address: 488 Flat Shoals Rd. East Atlanta, GA 30316
For more info: 404.522.3950 ll www.badearl.com

Cafe Sunflower
Hailed as the "Best Vegetarian Restaurant in Atlanta" by Creative Loafing, City Search Atlanta, and AccessAtlanta.com. Cafe Sunflower offers an a wide array meat-free meals. Featured on their menu is a selection of vegan desserts. That's right, rich chocolate cake and delicious carrot cake--made with no dairy or eggs! The best part is Cafe Sunflower is eager to share their vegetarian cooking secrets with you! Check the website for information on cooking classes and how to purchase their cookbook!
Price Range: Lunch: $7 -$10 Dinner: $13-$17
Address: 5975 Roswell Road (Sandy Springs), 2140 Peachtree Rd. (Buckhead)
For more info: www.cafesunflower.com

Bill Hallman Boutique
Atlanta Magazine named Bill Hallman best shop for urban cool clothing. Located in the trendy Virginia Highlands area, Bill Hallman's boutique features chic name brands and sexy styles. While in the neighborhood, make sure to stop into sister shoe store Bill Hallman Shoes to complete your new outfit!
Price Range: In typcal Highlands fashion: high.
Address: 792 N. Highland Ave.
For more info: 404.876.6055 || www.billhallman.com