The World.. This Weekend

Our Top 5 roundup of things to do in and around the ATL this weekend:

 

* ART

 

The Allure Of The Automobile

The High Museum of Art, 280 Peachtree Street

404-733-HIGH

www.high.org

 

More than 100 Peachstate Porsche Club America members and Porsche fans will drive their vintage and modern Porsches down Peachtree Street from the Governor’s Mansion to the High Museum of Art in celebration of Porsche Cars’ 60^TH Anniversary of being sold in the United States, and to commemorate the opening day of the museum’s new exhibit, “The Allure of the Automobile.” The exhibit will feature 18 of the rarest automobiles from the 1930s to the mid-1960s, including the 1938/39 Porsche Type 64 and the 1953 Porsche 550 Le Mans/La Carrera Panamericana Hardtop Coupe.

 

 

* FOOD

 

Aria

490 East Paces Ferry Road

404-233-7673

www.aria-atl.com

 

Now celebrating its 10^th anniversary, this perennial fine dining favorite recently received a rare 5-star review from the AJC, and was named one of the Top 3 out of 737 restaurants in Atlanta (Bacchanalia and Qionones Room at Bacchanalia were #1 and 2). Owner/Chef Gerry Klaskala continues to succeed in an economy-addled market thanks to his creativity and sense of culinary expression, best exemplified by signature dishes such as the Warm Lobster Cocktail, the Niman Ranch Slow Roasted Pork and the Zinfandel Braised Beef Short Rib. Pastry chef Kathryn King’s killer concoctions don’t hurt, either!

 

 

* MUSIC

 

Zakir Hussain & the Masters of Percussion

Rialto Center for the Arts, 80 Forsyth St NW

404-413-9849

www.rialtocenter.org

 

Indian music has fascinated me ever since I first heard it back in college, and the more I learn about it the more its myriad complexities intrigue me. Most musicians of the Indian Classical music tradition begin studying at a very early age, often practicing over 12 hours a day on their instruments. The tabla– usually two drums placed side by side, with metal dots in the center of the head to provide the trademark ringing sound– is one of the world’s most intricate percussion instruments: Students must master 64 different sounds, each with its own name and technique that must be perfected in order to be considered a “master.” Zakir Hussain is perhaps the greatest table virtuoso ever, and to watch his fingers flying across the drums is dazzling syncopated flights is as transcendent as any musical experience I’ve ever had. Here he’ll be accompanied by Taufiq Qureshi, Ganesh and Kumaresh, Sabir Khan, Navin Sharma, Sridar Parthasarathy and the Motilal Dhakis of Bengal. Definitely a must-see for percussion fans and Indian music lovers.

 

 

* PARTY

 

LiviRae Lingerie Bachelorette Party

Tongue & Groove, 565 Main St, Lindbergh City Center

404-261-2325

www.liviraelingerie.com

 

Mary hasn’t stopped raving about this independent lingerie shop in Kennesaw (started by former employees of Intimacy) since a friend first referred her to them a few months ago. Their upscale bras, panties and lingerie manage to be both incredibly sexy and very classy, with in-house alterations and hands-on custom fitting services. Tonight’s party is for the ladies only, with music, cocktails, select vendors and a lingerie fashion show that would surely get the fellas’ blood boiling, if only they were allowed in the door. Luckily for me, I have a press pass…  ;-)

 

 

* THEATER

 

Clash, Titan, Clash!

Dad's Garage Theatre 

280 Elizabeth St, Suite C-101 

404-523-3141 

www.dadsgarage.com  

 

Coming from the brilliantly bawdy minds of Lucky Yates (Archer) and Center For Puppetry Arts puppet-maker Jason Hines (whose hilarious Avanti Da Vinci remains one of my favorite ATL theatrical productions ever), this World Premiere play skewers Greek mythology as only Dad’s Garage can. Like a funnier, more pop culture-savvy Clash Of The Titans, the show tells the story of the hero Perseus, the son of Zeus and Danae, who killed Medusa and rescued Andromeda on the way to fulfilling the prophecy of slaying his grandfather, King Acrisius of Argos. But here the story in an excuse for partly improvised shenanigans and silliness, with Zeus played by Scott Warren like a roid-raging WWE announcer and many of the characters played by action figure-sized puppets projected on a big screen. It’s all in good, irreverent fun, continuing the theater’s 2010 run of original in-house creations.

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS- The Big To-Do Review

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS

The Big To-Do

ATO

Twelve years after the release of their debut album and nine years after the conceptual genius of Southern Rock Opera established them as the 21^st century’s Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Drive-By Truckers are more prolific than ever. In the last two years they’ve released a studio album, a live album and a B-sides compilation, collaborated with Booker T Jones and Neil Young on the Grammy-winning Potato Hole, and recorded frontman Patterson Hood’s solo album, Murdering Oscar.

 

With so much recorded output, the band’s trademark Southern-style storytelling and 3-guitar attack has long since been established as a bona fide brand. So the only question at this point is whether or not you’re buying into their twangy country-rock sound. For fans, The Big To-Do will likely come across as the band’s most rocking album since Southern Rock Opera.

 

Hard-driving songs such as the opening “Daddy Learned To Fly” and “The Fourth Night of My Drinking” are classic DBT, but the stripped-down grooves of the slyly humorous “Drag The Lake Charlie” and the off-kilter “The Wig He Made Her Wear” are as warped and colorful as the distinctively Southern stories they tell. Bassist Shonna Tucker continues to cut her compositional teeth, contributing two of the album’s 13 tracks. The piano-driven balladry of her “You Got Another” borders on breathtaking, while Jay Gonzalez’s organs and John Neff’s haunting pedal steel give the closing “Eyes Like Glue” a high lonesome appeal.

 

The increased contributions of the other members not only takes some of the pressure off Hood and Mike Cooley’s shoulders, it allows the band’s sound to expand in an organic way. Ten albums into their career, the Drive-By Truckers remain one of rock’s most consistent bands, and The Big To-Do is another strong feather in their creative cap. –BRET LOVE

(originally appeared in Georgia Music Magazine)

SHE'S OUT OF MY LEAGUE- Movie Review

SHE’S OUT OF MY LEAGUE- Expectations can be a bitch. Going into a film with high expectations can lead to disappointment and, in the worst cases, feelings that you’ve wasted two hours of your life. Going into relationships with expectations set too high? Well, that’s simply a recipe for disaster. 

She’s Out Of My League– much like its central character, Kirk, a nerdy airport security agent pining for an abusive ex-girlfriend who still hangs out with his abusive family– benefits greatly from lowered expectations. It’s got a no-name director (Jim Field Smith), a star (Jay Baruchel) who would barely qualify for the Hollywood C-list, and about as much hype as a new Starbucks. But in the end it delivers both laughs and emotion, balancing absurdist comedy and genuine drama with a deft, nimble touch. 

The story follows Kirk’s budding relationship with Molly (Alice Kim), the upscale event planner referenced in the title. Nobody can believe these two opposites belong together, least of all Kirk, and the film derives huge laughs from watching their disparate worlds collide.  But as crazy as Kirk’s friends and family are, Baruchel and Kim keep the film grounded by playing the emotions of their love for real, even when the circumstances surrounding them border on ridiculous. 

In the end, this heartwarming coming-of-age comedy about nice guys finishing first plays like a Judd Apatow film without Judd Apatow… or big stars… or hype. And yes, that is a VERY good thing. (B) –Bret Love

(originally appeared in INsite)

ALICE IN WONDERLAND- Win A New Era Cap!

To promote the release of Disney's new film adaptation starring Johnny Depp, New Era has designed and manufactured five ALICE IN WONDERLAND caps. 

Each of the five caps commemorates a significant character in the film. New Era sent us over two of their designs: the All Over cap (white 59Fifty style cap with a 360 degree sketched portrait of the main characters) and the Cheshire Cat cap (black 59Fifty style cap with the Cheshire Cat's grinning expression on the front). Each cap has a SRP of $35, and has lots of cool detailing to boot.

We're giving away a handful of these beauties to the first readers who refer 5 new fans to the blog in the next two weeks. Once your friends join, please post a comment letting us know and we will be in touch with you regarding shipping info. Thanks for reading, and for helping to spread the word!

HAWAII: Little Island, Big Fun

LITTLE ISLAND, BIG FUN

WHY HAWAI'I'S "BIG ISLAND" MORE THAN LIVES UP TO ITS NAME

by Bret Love

 

With a total area of 4,028 square miles– less than one-tenth the size of Georgia (59,424 square miles)– the island of Hawaii's nickname, "The Big Island," would appear to be something of a misnomer. After all, you can drive around the island's circumference from the rainy east coast city of Hilo to its sunny west coast counterpart, Kailua-Kona, in less than two hours. But what the Big Island lacks in geographical size it more than makes up for in ecological diversity, boasting 11 different ecosystems that includes the snow-capped summit of the tallest mountain in the world, an arid desert, humid tropical jungles, postcard-worthy beaches, and the world's most active volcano.

 

We began our Hawaiian adventure in the tiny hillside town of Holualoa. Though it's just a short drive from the hustle and bustle of Kailua-Kona, our stay at the quaint Holualoa Inn (www.holualoainn.com) felt far removed from the trappings of civilization. We actually had to slow our rental car to avoid hitting a wild boar crossing the road, and our pastoral stroll through the B&B's well-tended tropical gardens and coffee farm was interrupted only by various birds and mongooses in search of their morning meal. Yet its location made Holualoa Inn a perfectly tranquil base from which to explore the nearby coast.

 

Our trip got off to a rousing start when we embarked upon Captain Zodiac's Raft, Snorkel & Dolphin Adventure (www.captainzodiac.com). Leaving from Kona's Honokohau Marina, the 4-hour trek takes visitors to Kealakekua Bay, the site where Captain Cook landed upon first discovering Hawai'i (and also the site upon which he was later killed during a dispute with the natives). But the excitement began long before we even got there, with the sightings of a breaching humpback whale with young calf in tow and a massive school of hammerhead sharks swimming in search of sustenance. The bay seemed tame by comparison, with its natural harbor providing a buffer from the Big Island's pounding surf and allowing amazing opportunities to snorkel with Honu (Hawaiian green sea turtles) and a cornucopia of tropical fish.

 

On the way back we stopped at Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park (www.nps.gov/archive/puho/home.htm), a place of refuge where, until the early 19th century, Hawaiians who broke one of the ancient laws against the gods, defeated warriors and non-combatants alike could come to find safe haven. The 420-acre complex of archaeological sites was once home to several generations of powerful chiefs, and now includes temple platforms, royal fish ponds, coastal village sites and a reconstructed version of the original sacred temple.

 

The second leg of our trip found us cutting across the island to visit Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (www.nps.gov/havo), which was designated an International Biosphere Reserve in 1980 and a World Heritage Site in 1987. The park, which encompasses both the world's most massive volcano (Mauna Loa) and its most active (Kilauea, which has been erupting continuously since 1983), had changed considerably since my previous visit in 2006. Then, my team visited the Halema'uma'u crater, traditionally considered the sacred home of the volcano goddess Pele, where we left an offering only to be blessed with a rare double rainbow as rain pelted us from the rear and sun warmed us from the front. But in 2008 a volcanic explosion damaged the overlook on which we'd once stood and covered part of Crater Rim drive, hinting that perhaps Pele had had enough visitors for the time being. Still, we had a great time hiking through the Thurston Lava Tube, learning about the park at the Visitor Center, and browsing for traditional and modern art gallery at the Volcano Art Center (www.volcanoartcenter.org).

 

Drenched by a torrential downpour, we eagerly made our way to the Kapoho coast, where sun-soaked sanctuary awaited in the form of our residence for the next two days, Shangri-La (www.paradisedarling.com). An amazing rental property featuring four Bali-style cottages, an outdoor shower and hot tub, and a private lagoon surrounded by palm trees and stocked with thousands of fish, Shangri-La is the sort of heavenly haven that will leave you canceling plans just so you can immerse yourself in its serene splendor for a few more hours.

 

Unfortunately, duty called, so the next morning we set out for a sunrise boat tour with Lava Ocean Adventures (www.lavaocean.com). Launching before the sun had crested the horizon– when wind, weather and swell conditions are at their best– we set off down the Kalapana coastline towards a massive plume of billowing smoke. There, radiating intense heat, we found the spot where glowing streams of fiery magma flow from Kilauea all the way to the Pacific, creating a black beach of lava that has gradually expanded the Big Island's land mass by over 500 acres in the last 25 years.

 

Returning to Shangri-La after a stomach-churning boat ride that left us delighted to be back on terra firma, we were sad to bid a final farewell to Kapoho, but excited to head north to the island's Kohala coast to close out our Hawaiian holiday with a visit to the 32-acre Fairmont Orchid (www.fairmont.com/orchid). This 5-star resort offers something for everyone: Luxury lovers can play golf, savor impeccable cuisine and indulge in a relaxing treatment at the Spa WIthout Walls (all of which are administered in either a tropical garden surrounded by waterfalls or private beach-side tents); adventurous types can paddle an outrigger canoe to watch whales and dolphins on the move or hike through the largest field of petroglyphs in the Pacific; and families can snorkel with Honu in their white sand lagoon or learn about Polynesian history in the Gathering of the Kings cultural show and luau. Naturally, we partook in all of the above.

 

For our last day on the Big Island, we decided to ascend to Hawaii's highest peak with the guides from Mauna Kea Summit Adventures (www.maunakea.com). This awe-inspiring 8-hour excursion takes you slowly up the world's tallest mountain, which measures 33,476 feet above its base on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. After stopping briefly at the visitor center to eat dinner and get acclimated, buses make the bumpy ride up Saddle Road to the snow-crested peak at 13,796 feet. Here, above 40% of Earth's atmosphere and 90% of the water vapor, surrounded by many of the world's leading astronomical observatories, we watched the sunset from above the clouds, wearing parkas and snuggling together for added warmth. Afterwards, we descended to an area near the visitor center, where impeccable views of the night sky made for an exceptional stargazing experience to end our amazing week in Hawaii.

 

By the end of the week, after driving nearly 500 miles and taking a half-dozen tours (including exploring the island's massive volcanic craters and lava fields from the air with Blue Hawaii Helicopters), our minds were swimming with a cornucopia of vivid memories, from the fresh tropical fruits we'd been served for breakfast our first morning at Holualoa Inn to the excellent couples massage we received at the Fairmont Orchid just before leaving for the airport. But even after three visits in the past four years, I'm fairly certain I've yet to experience the majority of the wonders Hawaii's Big Island has to offer.

 

Then again, there's always next year...

(originally appeared in INsite Magazine)

MORNING, SUNSHINE!- My Interview w/Robin Meade

SUNSHINE SUPER(WO)MAN- ROBIN MEADE ON SELF ESTEEM, CONFIDENCE & EMBRACING YOUR INNER BITCH

by Bret Love

 

As the perennially perky host of HLN’s Morning Express, Robin Meade would seem to have it all: She’s funny, informed and drop-dead gorgeous. But as the former Miss Ohio explains in her new book, Morning, Sunshine, she wasn’t always so well put-together. Before landing an anchor job with the network then known as CNN’s Headline News, Meade suffered a series of anxious panic attacks that nearly derailed her career. Now, having conquered her own self-esteem issues, she’s on a mission to help others do the same. We recently sat down with the 40-year-old hottie for a candid talk that covered everything from growing up the daughter of a minister to being named “Sexiest Newscaster” in Playboy poll.

 

 

What was your childhood like, growing up in small-town Ohio?

 

I think the small-town lifestyle definitely had a big impact on my confidence level. When you grow up in a small town, you don’t get away with anything because it always gets back to your parents. My town was so small, we were allowed to go out for lunch downtown at the pizza joint and come back to school, and they trusted us to come back on time. It was so small, there were never enough kids for all the extracurricular activities, so you got to do whatever you wanted and never had to worry about being cut. That’s really good for your self-esteem! (Laughs)

 

How did your father being a minister impact you?

 

Well, he was an associate minister, but he refused pay. During the week he worked in a factory as a full-time manual laborer, and my mom worked in a different manufacturing plant as a manager. So I would get the union line from him and the managerial line from her, which really taught me to be balanced in how I viewed things. So now job I know that there are always two sides to every story, because I grew up seeing it in my own household.

 

When did you first realize you wanted to get into news?

 

My senior year of high school I took an aptitude test and the results showed that I was all about creative writing and reading comprehension. At the bottom it asked in what field you’d like to use these traits, but I didn’t know what to write. My friend had gotten similar results, and she wrote down that she wanted to be a broadcast news journalist. I thought that was a great idea, so that’s what I wrote down. Isn’t that terrible? (Laughs) I’d always asked a lot of questions and had a knack for making people feel comfortable talking about themselves, which played very well into this field. I remember when I entered a Junior Miss pageant and wrote down that I wanted to follow in Diane Sawyer’s footsteps, and my mom was like, “Honey, let’s write down something a bit more realistic!” It seemed like such a foreign idea for this kid from a cornfield to be like, “I wanna be on TV!”

 

Do you think being a beauty pageant winner helped or hindered your effort to break into the field?

 

It definitely helped me break into the field. I was competing for the title of Miss Ohio, and my first job was at a TV station that also happened to broadcast the pageant. So when I went in for my interview, the general manager already recognized me and gave me the chance of a lifetime. They had a TV station and an AM and FM radio station, and when you worked there you did it all. I carried my own camera, shot my own stories, edited them to create radio and TV versions… it was the single best learning experience about the mechanics of TV journalism. Then, when I won Miss Ohio in 1992, I got a job as an anchor at a station in Cleveland. So it definitely helped me break in, but I don’t think it did me any favors as far as being taken seriously, and by the time I got to Chicago I’d learned to just shut up about it! (Laughs)

 

What made you decide to write Morning, Sunshine at this juncture in your career?

 

One of the editors at the book company actually came to me because she liked the show and had a feeling there was more to me than meets the eye. She asked if I’d like to write a book and, if so, what I would write about. When I thought about what would have meaning for my viewers, I thought about trying to get through my panic attacks because it caused me to really examine myself. So many people see people on TV or in their office and think, “Oh, they’ve got it so easy!” because the grass is always greener on the other side. But I think if we as human beings could learn to talk about our problems, we’d know that life’s path is not always easy and get rid of the stigma that surrounds anxiety.

 

You talk about embracing your inner bitch: How do you suppress that desire to be liked all the time, and where do you draw the line as far as being TOO bitchy?

 

(Laughs) When I say embrace your inner bitch, it doesn’t mean I think we should zoom down and strike our neighbors with lightning bolts. It’s an internal thing: People-pleasers, when they stand up for themselves, have an immediate fear of the repercussions instead of just saying no. If you are going to stand up, draw a line and set boundaries, you have to learn to live with that and stop second-guessing yourself. You have to think, “Okay, they’re not gonna like me now, but what are the benefits of them not liking me?” Which is a tough thing for a people-pleaser to do.

 

Finding balance is something a lot of people wrestle with. How do you know when you find it, or is it constant struggle that never really resolves itself?

 

Whenever I come to a place of conflict or decision-making in my own life, I recognize the pendulum in my brain that goes back and forth, considering the good and bad of each decision. Once you can make it be still and come to the middle, you’ve balanced your thought process. You have to do the same thing with yourself: You’re not all good, you’re not all bad, you just are who you are. As far as balancing time, I think it’s constantly changing. But if you recognize that life isn’t all about work and it isn’t all about your marriage or your kids, then you’re finding that balance.

 

Everything you write about in the book is great, but some people may look at you– former Miss Ohio, voted sexiest newscaster by Playboy readers– and wonder you could relate to what the average girl is going through. What would you say to them?

 

Well, self-esteem isn’t always about your appearance. For me, it was about being liked and being likeable. I completely understand that someone could say, “You work in a visual medium, how can you not be confident?” But that has nothing to do with the inner turmoil of the soul and the brain. No matter what the roots of your self-esteem issues are, I think it helps to learn how to make a better assessment of yourself. You have to balance the things you don’t like about yourself with an honest assessment of the things you’re good at. I could be the simplest thing, but if you have some things you are confident about it can help you realize that the thing you aren’t confident about is not the whole of your being.

 

As a guy, I'm curious what we can do to help when our wives or girlfriends are wrestling with issues of confidence and self-esteem?

 

My husband actually took an extreme measure and went to his chiropractor, who said she helped people with mental breakthroughs, and said, “Oh my god, she needs help!” And thank goodness he did, because now we have this story and we can tell the rest of the world and hopefully it helps other people. But I think you can tell someone about all the positive things you see that they should be confident about, and it doesn’t have to be about their appearance. In fact, sometimes it’s better if it’s not. Once they write out all the reasons they have to be confident, it can bring their opinions of themselves up. So it’s really all about encouraging them and just being a good listener.

 

What do you hope people will get out of reading the book?

 

I hope they’ll understand that just because someone is a public figure, it doesn’t mean their life is a fairy tale. We can all learn something from each other. But most of all I hope that the little confidence-boosters I have in there can help them examine why they don’t have confidence. I hope they’ll emerge from it a better person, feeling better about themselves. 

(originally appeared in INsite Magazine)

March DVD Reviews

Breaking Bad: The Complete Second Season- In TV, you’re lucky to be associated with one classic show. With Breaking Bad, writer/director/producer Vince Gilligan (The X-Files) has two. This 4-DVD set finds chemistry teacher Walter White (Bryan Cranston) battling chemotherapy, domestic problems, inept assistant Jesse (Aaron Paul) and aggressive competition as he tries to build sales for his meth operation. Extras include commentaries, deleted scenes, making-of features, 6 original Webisodes and more.

The Princess and the Frog- Back in the ‘80s, Disney went through a major slump before The Little Mermaid ushered in a new era of animated excellence. Here’s hoping this amazing hand-drawn musical about an African-American girl (Anika Noni Rose) struggling to open up her own New Orleans restaurant will do the same. It’s got everything you want in a Disney flick– a strong heroine, humor, heart, wacky sidekicks, a great villain– plus a killer Jazz Age soundtrack. Oodles of DVD extras make it a must-own.

Swedish Auto- Beautifully shot and acted, this quiet, though-provoking slice of indie filmmaking stars Lukas Haas (“Witness”) as Carter, a quiet, cerebral auto mechanic who falls for Darla (Mad Men’s January Jones), a shy diner waitress with a troubled home life. At a time of year when there’s not much worth seeing at the multiplex, Swedish Auto is the perfect anecdote to loud, abrasive, big budget Hollywood movies. 

The T.A.M.I. Show- Released on DVD for the first time, this historic concert was filmed live at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in 1964, and has never been seen in its entirety since it originally appeared in theaters. The show features an incredible lineup of ‘60s rock talent, including the Rolling Stones, James Brown, Chuck Berry, the Beach Boys, the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles and more. Extras include director commentary and a 20-page booklet with rare photos and memorabilia.

We Live in Public- The latest Sundance Grand Jury Documentary winner from Ondi Timoner (Dig!) explores the effects the Internet is having on our society as seen through the eyes of web pioneer Josh Harris, whom the director filmed for over a decade. Harris believed the virtual world would inevitably control our lives. Through his experiments– including six months living with his girlfriend under constant online surveillance– he demonstrated the price we will all ultimately pay for abandoning our privacy.

 

 

OTHER MARCH DVD RELEASES

 

March 2- Cold Souls • Gentlemen Broncos • Ponyo • The Private Lives of Pippa Lee • Return to the 36^th Chamber • 2012 • Where the Wild Things Are

 

March 9- The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day • Capitalism: A Love Story • Edgar Allan Poe's The Pit and the Pendulum • Fix • Old Dogs • Planet 51 • Precious • Turn the Beat Around • Up in the Air

 

March 16- Armored • Astro Boy • Bandstand • Brief Interviews With Hideous Men • Broken Embraces • Did You Hear About the Morgans? • The Fourth Kind • Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume XVII •

Ninja Assassin • South Park: The Complete 13th Season • Wonderful World

 

March 20- The Twilight Saga: New Moon

 

March 23- The Blind Side • Fantastic Mr. Fox • Mad Men: Season Three • The Men Who Stare at Goats • Red Cliff

 

March 30- Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel • An Education • The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty • Sherlock Holmes • Sports Night: The Complete First Season 

(originally appeared in INsite Magazine)