Crib Notes

UPDATE: Read the follow-up post, Sugarhill’s last jam — plus a Shameless Plug for the future of live music in Atlanta.

Next Tuesday will be the last night for Sugarhill — Atlanta’s premier destination for live soul and progressive urban music.

It’s a stunning announcement — but maybe not too surprising considering the obstacles the venue has faced since its inception.

Much of the onus for the club’s closing lies with “Underground [Atlanta] mismanagement,” according to co-owner Richard Dunn, who partnered with Jason Carter (Sol Fusion promoter), Freddy Luster (former co-owner of Yin Yang Café), and Rival Entertainment/Center Stage co-owners Josh Antenucci and Tom Cook to open the venue in September 2006.

(more…)

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BEST OF YESTERYEAR: Mic Club didn’t go out without a fight.

Mic Club — the weekly event hosted and promoted by Dres the Beatnik at Apache Cafe — gave up the ghost this past Tuesday before a packed house full of faithful followers.

The weekly show was canceled when Apache owner, Asa Fain and Dres couldn’t come to an agreement about Dres’ compensation. After a few circulated emails, with both men defending their decisions, things came to a head Tuesday.

Before the battles began, Dres took the mic, reminiscing about the event and its numerous helpers and supporters, proudly adding that for the past six years the show always went on — rain, sleet or snow. He also mentioned that 10 million DVDs had been sold that chronicled Mic Club, bellowing that the “World Famous Mic Club will never die!”

The words “love and loyalty” were repeatedly slipped into his diatribe, as he not so subtly suggested that he was shown none by the Apache owners.

“The only thing we ask is that you take care of the people that take care of you, and that’s why we’re at this point now,” he said.

Despite the original idea behind the event, the mediocre emcees were mostly props for Mic Club’s colorful ending. Shortly after 2 a.m., Dres got onstage for the final battle, but ended up sidetracked, deciding instead to talk about his troubled relationship with Apache.

At that point, Asa grabbed the mic from the soundboard at the back of the club, urging Dres to “talk about it” with him, before getting on stage and suggesting that Dres wasn’t telling the entire story. (more…)

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