Inspired by a true story, The Fat Boy Chroniclesreveals the emotionally painful world obese teens experience in the face of a thin-obsessed society. At age 14, 5’5″ Jimmy weighs in at 187 pounds. Outside the comfort of his family and church, life for Jimmy is a constant struggle. The cruel taunts of his classmates make going to school or playing sports a humiliating experience. Yet, he still manages to focus on his goals — to lose weight and win over the girl of his dreams.
Mixtape Atlanta and Tin Roof Films present The Atlanta Premiere of The Fat Boy Chronicles. Cast, filmmakers, bands from the soundtrack, and other notables are all coming out to celebrate the release of this featured film based on the popular book by the same name.
Red carpet starts at 7 p.m. and the film starts at 7:30 p.m. Ticket to premiere includes free admission to after-part/concert at Vinyl featuring performances by All Get Out and Weapons of Audio. Both bands’ music is featured in the film.
Friday, May 28 – The Swell Season, Justin Townes Earle at Atlanta Symphony Hall
Even if you don’t think you know The Swell Season, chances are you probably do. Irish musician Glen Hansard and Czech singer/pianist Markéta Irglová starred in the 2007 hit indie film Once, recorded the Academy Award winning soundtrack, and since have been on the road touring as The Swell Season. The duo, backed by an amazing full band will be at the prestigious Atlanta Symphony Hall tonight. Bloodshot Records Americana musician Justin Townes Earle opens. GET TICKETS HERE.
Saturday, May 29 – Innocent When You Dream: The Music Of Tom Waits with Jeffrey Butzer & Tom Cheshire at The EARL
What better way to welcome another nasty humid Atlanta summer then with music from the bourbon-soaked legend, Tom Waits. Jeffrey Butzer (Jeffrey Butzer and the Bicycle Eaters, Midwives) and Tom Cheshire (All Night Drug Prowling Wolves, West End Motel) host their tribute to Mr. Waits this Saturday night at the EARL. Plan on hearing the classics, the rarities and a couple extra rarities (because that’s the kind of thing you should expect from two oddballs paying tribute to king oddball.) GET TICKETS HERE.
Sunday, May 30 – Third Annual Rockin’ Blues, Brews & BBQ at Park Tavern
Let’s face it, hosting your own Memorial Day weekend backyard BBQ is fun, but wouldn’t you rather not have to spend the day watching after your nosey neighbors, over cooking your burgers and worrying ”do we have enough coleslaw?” How do you measure how much is too much coleslaw anyway? Worry no more, Park Tavern has your back. The third annual Rockin’ Blues, Brews & BBQis this Sunday, and like the two years before, we’re pumped about what’s going down: three live blues bands, hit-the-spot cold brews and delicious BBQ – need we say more? The party goes from 2 p.m. – 11 p.m., bands start at 3 p.m. and Park Tavern’s grill master will be serving up BBQ, ribs and fried oysters! GET TICKETS HERE.
We have a couple of pairs of tickets to give away for upcoming shows at The Loft. Email us at win@ticketalternative.com with the band name in the subject for your chance to win.
Hip-hop duo Reflection Eternal (Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek) come to Atlanta on June 14. Check out their video for “Midnight Hour” with Estelle and then email us at win@ticketalternative.com for your chance to win.
Rapper Sage Francis, signed to Anti-, plays The Loft on June 19. Email us at win@ticketalternative.com for your chance to win.
We like to see Big Boi embracing his inner bizarre. And though this latest gem from the Outkast star doesn’t quite reach Janelle Monae or Andre 3000 weirdness, “Shutterbug” and its accompanying video is comfortably odd – and there’s a nice Dungeon Family shout out too.
Little Tybee has captured the hearts of many local music fans with their delicate, sweet folk indie rock over the past year or so. We are eagerly awaiting the release of the band’s new record, due out this fall, but in the meantime we’ve been treated to this delightful nugget, featuring the artistic wows of SCAD and the yo-yoing (yup, yo-yo) skills of Mark Montgomery. Next month they set off on a lil’ tour, stopping in Atlanta for a gig at Highland Ballroom on June 12.
Canadian indie trio Friendo and Chicago indie trio Yourself & The Air travel down to The Drunken Unicorn on Tuesday, June 8. Both bands have been buzzing lately with new music and great reviews – so of course touring the U.S. makes total sense. Join the bands for a night of lo-fi, noise pop fun!
Friendo with Yourself and the Air
Drunken Unicorn
Tuesday, June 8
$8 / 18 AND UP TICKETS AT DOOR
Ultimate Celebrity Death Match? Nah, but wouldn’t that be awesome?
Christina Aguilera with Leona Lewis, Thursday – August 5 at Aaron’s Amphitheater at Lakewood Xtina is back this summer with her new record BIONIC out June 8, a new tour, and – we can only assume – a new shiny dominatrix getup. Tickets for Christina Aguilera and Leona Lewis at Aaron’s Amphitheater at Lakewood go on sale Friday, May 21 – GET TICKETS HERE.UPDATE: The Christina Aguilera tour will be moved to 2011 due to prior commitments and time restraints. Official tour dates will be announced soon.
Patton Oswalt, Saturday – August 21 at The Tabernacle
Pudgy, self-deprecating, hilarious. Patton Oswalt is one of the funniest stand-up comedians on the road today. Part of a super-power of funny including Zack Galifianakis, Brian Posehn, Maria Bamford and several other comedians, Oswalt’s observational humor makes you realize it is in fact the little things in life that matter the most, or at least they are what we should be laughing at. Tickets are on sale now for Patton Oswalt at the Tabernacle Saturday, August 21. GET TICKETS HERE.
Alice In Chains with Deftones and Mastodon – Tuesday, September 28 at Aaron’s Amphitheater at Lakewood Could there be a more perfect representation of rock ‘n’ roll in one night? Alice In Chains, Deftones and Mastadon join forces for the BlackDiamondSkye tour. We don’t mean to go all Nostradamus on AMG, but we predict this trifecta of rock may cause the earth to shift just enough that we spin into another galxy where everyone wears black and belongs to a biker gang. Tickets go on sale Saturday, May 22. GET TICKETS HERE.
Jonas Brothers with Demi Lovato – Thursday, October 14 at Aaron’s Amphitheater at Lakewood
Disney created the Jonas Brothers, 12-year-old girls and their parents’ credit cards sponsored them, and now the boy band could probably bail out Greece and still have enough left over for their great-great-great-great grandchildren to buy a Lamborghini. Yeah, they’re pretty much Olsen twin rich. Tickets go on sale Saturday, May 22 at 10AM. GET TICKETS HERE.
Sad songs aren’t for everyone. Some musicians don’t like to write them; some find they simply can’t. Greg Laswell doesn’t fit either description. Laswell, a West Coast-born multi-instrumentalist now based in New York, thrives on them, producing ever-pleasant piano/guitar pop-rock from often dark origins (by the way, don’t make “sad” synonymous with “boring” or “soft.” Any particular Laswell song isn’t necessarily either). You probably know Greg Laswell, even if not by name. His music has been featured in a laundry list of TV shows — “Smallville,” “One Tree Hill,” “CSI: Miami,” “90210,” “Grey’s Anatomy” and “True Blood” to name a few — from the handful of records he’s released since 2003. Halfway through a nation-spanning tour behind the release of his latest record, Take A Bow, Laswell talks about his approach to writing the new record, seeing his songs in on television and the souvenirs he gathers on the road.
Guitar vs. piano: which instrument is the most natural to you? Do you tend to write more on one than the other?
I feel more natural on the the piano and it is my first love, but I think I have written more songs on guitar.
You’ve hugely benefited from TV placement over the years. I know some artists don’t like seeing their work as part of another’s vision, but it’s such an undeniably huge springboard these days. What’s your take on it?
My parents taught me to share. I think artists who don’t like seeing their work as part of another’s vision are silly. Every single one of their listeners is doing just that. I believe that once a song is written, it doesn’t belong to me anymore … like raising a kid the best you can and then sending him/her off to college. I want the best for them and I hope I raised them right, but my job is done. I’d be a bad parent if I tried to control their future. I’d also be an asshole. … Continue Reading
Atlanta is packed with cool shows this weekend. From documentary fundraisers to zombie dance parties to straight up rock shows. We thought you might like this list of things to do. See you there!
Friday, May 21 - AKA Blondie Fundraiser @ Eyedrum
Half Pint Productions hosts a fundraiser for the documentary centered around the Southeast’s most famous dancer – Anita Rae Strange AKA Blondie. The event will be hosted at Eyedrum this Friday and feature local bands Dead Rabbits, Predator, the Luchagors, MC Rotknee and a special poetry reading by the lady of the hour, Blondie.
Friday, May 21 – This Piano Plays Itself (CD Release) @ the Drunken Unicorn
ATL five-piece This Piano Plays Itself celebrates the release of their full-length As The House… this Friday at the Drunken Unicorn with fellow Atlanta bands United States and Nomen Novum. This Piano Plays Itself are known for their larger than life ambient sound (think Explosions in the Sky) with just a touch of psych-pop that makes them one bad-ass live band.
Friday, May 21 – Zombie Dance Party with Today The Moon Tomorrow The Sun, Night Driving in Small Towns @ Highland Inn Ballroom Lounge Zombie dance party with Night Driving in Small Towns and Today the Moon Tomorrow the Sun? Yes – we’re in! NDIST also happen to be releasing their new CD Serial Killer (free with admission). ATL band Oryx and Crake join in on the bill. Dress up as a zombie and dance all night long!
Saturday, May 22 – All The Saints, Tous Les Jours & Royal Thunder @ Star Bar ROCK, ROCK and more ROCK. That’s what is going down at the Star Bar on Saturday. Seriously, it’s going to get oh-so-good loud. Tous Les Jours frontman Ronney “Danger” is celebrating his birthday and wants you to come out, rock out and have a dozen PBRs. Say yes, slur yes, or just nod – did we mention it was going to get loud? Atlanta’s top-notch rock band All The Saints headline, Royal Thunder open.
Saturday, May 22 – I Am The Dot (Tape Release) @ WonderRoot
Pretty rad acoustic guitars/loops and songs about love are what we like about I Am The Dot. Releasing the Rare Creatures EP tape (don’t worry, it comes with a digital download) at WonderRoot on Saturday, May 22. Check out the super cool stop-motion video for “Love Song for Camus” then come out and see it live!
Sunday, May 23 – Wheatus, The Rise of Science, Baby Bay @ Drunken Unicorn
Let Wheatus take you back to a time when orange cargo pants and gel-spiked hair were in style and the cast of American Pie was still relevant (sorry Jason Biggs, the truth hurts). Best known for the hit song “Teenage Dirtbag,” Wheatus is on tour supporting their most recent recordings – Pop, Songs and Death Vol. 1 & 2. Local ATL bands The Rise of Science and Baby Baby open.
We adore the ease with which singer-songwriter (for lack of a better term to capture his eclectic style) Josh Rouse has changed from sound to sound, mood to mood throughout his career. His latest endeavor, El Turista, has taken another turn into bossa nova territory, and as our CD review showed, we couldn’t be happier to submit to his musical whims. Rouse will be sharing his music with a willing audience this Friday at Variety Playhouse, and we have a pair of tickets to give away. Simply email us at win@ticketalternative.com with “JoshRouse” in the subject for your chance to win.
We have a few pairs of tickets to give away for Imogen Heap‘s show at The Tabernacle on June 4. The British soft-voiced chanteuse has formed a successful solo career after leaving Frou Frou, and will surely pack the house with her unique sounds. Email us at win@ticketalternative.com for your chance to win tickets or buy them HERE.
Atlanta’s own fabulous star-in-the-making Janelle Monae is releasing her first full-length album today, on her own Wondaland Arts Society label in conjunction with P. Diddy’s Bad Boy records. The ArchAndroid is already making its way up the iTunes charts – right now it’s at number 11 on the Top Albums chart – so make sure you do your part and buy this amazing piece of art. There will be references to future worlds, poetic social commentary, sharp sounds mixing every genre from Stax soul to Studio 54 disco to mountain bluegrass to sweet Tin Pan Alley, and so much more than you could every dream of.
Yeah, the girl has style so killer it could defeat a Roman army, but her music and message goes so much deeper that we can understand why she rarely wants to talk about her clothes (though she did grace the pages of Vogue in April with a few words on couture and where she gets those wicked shoes).
Tons of big shows are coming up this year including the return of Limp Bizkit, The Black Crowes 20th year anniversary, and an extension on Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball Tour! Check out the list below!
Season 9′s top 10 finalists – Didi Benami, Crystal Bowersox, Lee DeWyze, Andrew Garcia, Casey James, Aaron Kelly, Michael Lynche, Siobhan Magnus, Katie Stevens, and Tim Urban – will perform live across North America this summer. A definite must for the die-hard American Idol fans! … Continue Reading
Born in Bermuda and raised largely on his parents sailboat, reggae-folk rocker Mishka‘s music career began by chance when a record executive heard a rough demo in the mid ’90s and quickly signed him to UK label Creation Records for a relationship that lasted two records and garnered a substantial buzz within the UK. Over a decade later, life has come full circle — the hype is back, thanks in large part to iTunes dubbing him 2009′s “Best New Artist.” Mishka’s attitude on life and music hasn’t changed much, though his home in the latter has. Residing now on actor Matthew McConaughey’s J.K. Livin’ label (a relationship also fostered completely by chance), the ever laid-back Mishka has a new record (Talk About), the golden touch of producer Butch Walker (two tracks on Talk About) and the makings of a musical resurgence he doesn’t plan on wasting.
So you’re checking in from Hawaii, right?
Ya man. Moved out here about seven months ago I guess. I love it. I’m a wind surfer, ya know, so it’s great for me. I love being by the beach.
Talk a little about your musical upbringing.
My musical upbringing was a pretty broad landscape. I grew up listening to a lot folk music and 70′s reggae and some rock, classical, everything. My parents were really into listening to music. So I had a strong musical foundation as far as listening. There’s a lot of musicians in my family. My big sister plays guitar and sings. My father can play harmonica, my mother liked to sing. There’s a lot of music in my family. It’s just sort of natural thing that I was always around, ya know? It just sort of grew and grew as I grew up. I love it. It’s part of life.
What’s your general philosophy as an artist?
I’m about one love. That’s the inspiration in my music. I really just look forward to being out there onstage doing the music. That’s what it’s about. There’s so much inbetween – getting there to that place where you’re actually playing your music. There’s planes, trains and automobiles and hotels and all the time in between, so it’s always just nice to be playing and that’s what I look forward to the most.
How does that fit in with the J.K. Livin’ (“Just Keep Livin’”) label philosophy?
JK Livin’ is Matthew’s [McConaughey] label that originally started as a movie production company. He started to branch out because he really liked my music. It’s hard for me to say what the actual philosophy of the label is other than that’s just the reality of living – you just keep doing it. … Continue Reading
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