Fresh Loaf

Price: Most of the chicks love drummers. I’ve heard that a million times. We do most of the work and we’re driving the song. We control stuff more than anyone. It’s a powerful feeling. Takes a lot more energy being a drummer. But that’s cool. With the girls, as long as you’re hitting something, it’s fine. They just like the way you look back there, banging around. Not many people play the drums. You can find guitarists all over town. People who don’t play the drums think it’s insanely interesting.

Bob: I don’t think so. We’re a shy lot. We’re modest, not when we play, but our demeanor. Rock stars, blues players get them. We’re always at a disadvantage because we’re always sitting down and everyone else is standing up around you. Drummers have our own little world. We are more discreet and don’t advertise our exploits. We drummers talk about drumming with each other because nobody else will talk to us about it. The other musicians have no idea what we’re doing. Funny thing is, if the drummer isn’t good, it’s really hard for the band to be good.

Jake: Yes. There’s an old cliche that the drummer was the bad boy. I think that’s true. Of all the bands around here, the drummer is usually the hard-ass. I don’t know why. Maybe from swinging the stick. Drummers do get the ladies. It’s a dead heat between the lead vocalist and the drummer. It’s the aggression it takes being a drummer. It’s a very primal thing, holding the sticks, beating the drums. It’s also a proven fact that drummers, with all the activity, arouses a woman’s sexual desire when you’re all sweaty. [It's] a lot of extra work being the drummer.

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Celia: She made me watch The Exorcist when I was 5 and told me that was going to happen to me if I didn’t pray. I was devastated. I wore a rosary around my neck until I was 7. I have recovered. The Exorcist is no longer a scary movie — but every time I hear the soundtrack I do get a little frightened. She also told me that Jesus was watching me at all times, so when I was in a room by myself I was afraid to do something bad. I am now agnostic. And I’m afraid of Jesus Christ.

Andrew: Let me count the ways. When I was 16, my mother thought it would be a good idea to move to Key West. So instead of finishing high school with some sort of adult supervision, I finished on my own. I came home from school, got off the bus and there was a note: “I’ve gone to Key West.” I have lots of issues. I can’t hold a relationship. Lots of sedation and therapy. I did inherit my mother’s love of pills. But I’m a forgive-and-forget kind of guy. I did do a bunch of mushrooms in the Virgin Islands with her.

Amy: My mother has borderline personality disorder. She’s a fuckin’ maniac. Bless her little fuckin’ Ph.D. heart. When I was in high school, I was a singing telegram and my mother hired me for one of her lovers. She was married. So I delivered a singing telegram in a thong bikini to one of her lovers, delivering balloons. She was a [Washington] Redskins fan, so I came as Pocahontas. I learned the Redskins theme song. She then proceeded not to claim me as her daughter.

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Brittney: In Miami, I never heard of Cinco de Mayo. There’s a much larger combination of cultures here. There’s really not as much to do here as in Miami. They work very hard here and play hard. In Miami, people don’t sit out on the beach and drink. I’m sure if there was a beach here they would. Here, it’s typical to have two or three DUIs. You don’t find that in Miami. I went to college in Virginia, they don’t celebrate it. And I lived in Cincinnati, nothing there. People start drinking at a much earlier age here. It’s in the culture.

Charles: We are curious and excited about other people’s cultures or our perceptions of them. Thai food isn’t really authentic Thai food, but it’s our perception of what it is. I’d rather have that than in the Midwest, where they don’t even acknowledge Cinco de Mayo. We do exploit it, but in these economic times, it’s not a bad thing. Atlanta is an international city. We celebrate things without knowing, but at this point no one cares. We really don’t know what happened to the dinosaurs, either, but we’re moving on day to day fine without knowing.

Lauren: If you go by demographics, we have so many colleges and it’s a place for upstarts and young rappers and artists and entrepreneurs — and because they are so young, the bartending plays a large role in that. Atlanta is starting to become a mecca of the arts and music. Young people like to drink, so Atlanta caters to that. Atlanta is one of the top cities for young single women. Young single women drink. The problem is there’s not enough straight men for them.

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Tot: I’m a night-rider. Everywhere I go, I’m probably fucked up. Like right now I’m fucked up, so I have on sunglasses. That’s the truth. I’m fucked up on Ciroc. Ciroc does the trick. It gets you really good, and there’s no hangovers. I wear the glasses because, first of all, I’m just the shit, so I don’t want anybody to mess with me. You can’t let anybody see your face, because your eyes just allow people into your soul. I’m an artist, so I don’t want anybody all in my face.

Nikki: I was wearing black makeup and slept with it on and got raccoon eyes. When I fall asleep, it will get all under my eyes like I have bags. When you’re out at 3 in the morning, you’re not wanting to clean your face when you get home. You’re just trying to crash. And waking up early in the morning to go to work, girls are concerned with how they look. Glasses probably makes me feel more confident, ’cause I’m hiding what I’m not confident about. I shouldn’t feel that way, but girls are more insecure than guys.

Slam: When I have my shades on, my alter ego lets me know who I’m talking to. I know what’s going on. Everything is well-balanced. I can see everything in sight. I see all the beautiful women. You see them for what they are and who they are. I know whether you’re cute or ugly by looking at you with my shades on. There’s no glare. I can look around and nobody knows I’m looking at them. And nobody is looking at me like, “You’re the fucked up guy that’s staring at me.” You’re not putting any interpretation on me, ’cause I’m the guy who wears the shades at night.

(Photos by Jeff Slate)

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Ric: Definitely. When something can bring attention to nature, it’s a good thing. And they are beautiful, they’re beautiful trees. They’re kind of like the cherry blossoms in Japan. They only come a certain time of year, so you might as well enjoy them. The white blossom is different and really stands out in the midst of everyday green, pink and yellow. I’m not a botanist, but a beautiful flower is a beautiful flower. I’m new to Georgia and I’ve never seen a dogwood until I came here. It is a gorgeous tree and flower.

Gina: If there was an impressive display of them at Piedmont Park, then yes. But I’m from D.C., and the cherry blossoms are always so breathtaking and beautiful. The park here is lacking dogwood trees. It’s kind of silly to name it the Dogwood Festival when you only have five dogwood trees. In D.C., people go to see the cherry blossoms. It’s impressive. There are cherry blossoms! But here, call it a spring festival or something, so you don’t have any expectations of seeing beautiful dogwoods. Or plant some more dogwood trees.

Rosalyn: Yes. It’s a initial sign of spring. It’s symbolic of Christianity. It was the tree that was used for Jesus to be nailed to the cross, and the flower heavily resembles the cross. My parents and grandparents would always show them to us and explained to us what they meant. It’s the first tree I learned about. There’s a lot of sentimental value, especially for this area because it’s the Bible Belt. The white is a symbol of purity. Most people, if they know their history, know what the dogwood symbolizes. And when you see them, they are just so beautiful.

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Haley: A jumper and some platform heels, and you’re good to go. It’s easy and it’s the economy. You don’t have to buy a top and a bottom. Gucci hobo bags will be big. If you buy one fabulous item, like a Gucci bag, you’ll be able to wear it forever. In this economy, spend your money on bags and shoes and save money on clothes. Go for the Gucci hobo bag and the Christian Louboutin shoes — I have a hundred pairs of them — and the little jumper, and you’ll be recession-proof.

Lionel: Most people will be wearing black even in spring. It’s the uncertain future, the Addams Family syndrome. They’ll wear black and spend a lot of money because they are not saving a damn thing. Black is all colors not personified. Out of black comes everything. To wear the black is to be full of color and full of fashion. If you’re wearing black, you’re down with the Obama thing. The spring is coming out of the void. And when you come out of the void it’s always dark and into the sun.

Shaun: Scarfs are really coming back. I know it sounds crazy but people are going to start wearing two scarfs at one time even in the springtime. Sometimes you can’t decide whether you want polka dots or some stripes or some little tassels so you do double scarfs and you’re ready to go. It started with the women but it’s really carried over to the men. I actually knocked down a wall so I could make a closet just for scarfs. I’m up to about 115 right now. Alaska started it because it’s really cold up there, but you’ll see it in Atlanta.

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Sarah: Girl Scouts are very conscious of what they eat and what they tell people to eat. Girl Scouts are honest. Would we tell you to eat Girl Scout cookies and tell you they’re healthy if they weren’t? You can even buy them sugar free and they actually have zero trans fat now. They’re making a lot of changes so that Girl Scout cookies are healthy and have healthy ingredients like peanuts and coconuts. Girl Scouts are honest. And Girl Scout cookies are better and you’re supporting a good cause. I’d like to be a sales person or president when I grow up.

Anna: No. They have no trans fat in them. If you eat all the Girl Scout cookies in the world you’re going to get fat, but if you eat one or two a day you’re not going to get fat. And if you actually don’t want to eat any, you can donate money. My brother eats a lot of them, but he’s smart to realize that if he eats the whole thing he’s going to get fat. He uses common sense, and other people do too. Maybe you don’t use common sense. Don’t eat the whole box.

Kaylin: I’m sure if they weren’t eating Girl Scout cookies they would be eating something else because people are always eating. If other people are selling stuff that people are going to eat, why can’t we? Some people just sell things that make people fat. We sell things that don’t make people that fat, but we also use the money to support our programs. As long as you don’t eat a whole box in a short amount of time, you’ll be fine. And it would also help if you exercise.

(Photos by Jeff Slate)

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Mauricia: I’m drinking more to forget what’s going on. I’ve been unemployed for almost two years. But when it gets better, we’ll all be in a better place. Until then, I’ll continue to live life in a loving, fun way so that I don’t miss a day of appreciation and gratitude for what I have. Everything happens for a reason. I understand I’m on a path, and I’m not going to be bummed out about whether I have money in my pocket. And by drinking more, I eat less, so I’ve lost weight.

Clay: I work in a bar. The only way to make money right now is to network with other bartenders. So I’m constantly going out and drinking at other places to encourage them to come into my bar, so I make money off of them. It’s all one big family. I’m trying to build a clientele with service-industry people, so I’m always out drinking. It’s the not greatest thing. I also attempt to have a little bit more fun to encourage people to come by so they see my personality as a bartender. You’re constantly selling yourself.

Julie: It hasn’t affected me at all, because I’m a stripper. I make too much money for it to affect me. It’s just a working girl’s way of making it through without a man. People spend more during a depression on stripping and drinking, because they want to feel good. The naked body is an expression of life. You’re supposed to celebrate it. But I drink only on a select occasion because my body is what I live off of. I love to party, but I work hard on my body and keep it in pristine shape.

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Jason: It would be a minute and a half before I’d pee on that tree right there — but unfortunately I’m with a girl right now, so you know how that goes. When you’re with somebody, you sit there and wait, and you continue to wait until you make it to the one port-a-potty they have at Piedmont Park. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be waiting. I’m good right now. Maybe in another 10 minutes it could get a little urgent. They have 50 port-a-potties we can’t use. It’s fenced off unless you want to pay $30 to go to [Park] Tavern.

Bianca: I’ve been here about 10 minutes. I don’t even know what I’ll do. But [the park's new public restroom] looks really cool. I don’t know what it is. It’s not a port-a-potty. It looks really automatic and up-to-date. So that does make you want to stay a little longer. I’ll wait 10 minutes, or maybe more. I want to see what it looks like inside. It does look new and clean. If it was a regular port-a-potty, I’d probably find a bathroom before I got home. But because of the way it looks, I’ll stay longer.

Susan: I will wait awhile, because I don’t have to go that bad. But my girlfriend just paid $10 to cut in line after we waited about 10 minutes, after they denied her at those port-a-potties. She really had to go but I don’t have to go that bad. I figure I already have this spot in this line; I might as well take advantage of it while I’m here. I’ll have to go in 20 minutes, I’m sure. I don’t want to start this whole process all over again.

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Jodi, Jill & Laura: The complimentary color for green is brown. Green is a loud color. Green muted or green loud is too much. I don’t care what color you are, green is not the best color for anybody. So go ahead and go crazy with the accessories. Belts, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, hair, eye shadow, shoes. Do a bright green for St. Patty’s — it’s going to look tacky. Don’t get me wrong, we look stupid. But we wouldn’t look as stupid if we had green shirts and pants on. Too much green is too much.

Brendan: Try not to wear the goofy little antler thing with the shamrock or the green sunglasses. It’s tacky and disrespectful to what the holiday is supposed to be. In Ireland, you go to church, maybe a couple of beers after mass, and then you go home. Just use taste, like a nice button-down green shirt. Don’t show up wearing a shirt that says “Kiss me I’m Irish,” because more than likely you’re not. Throwing up, starting fist fights, basically acting like a jerk is not what it’s about. And don’t wear orange.

Aryn: It’s the only time I don’t wear green. I love green. It’s my favorite. My eyes are green. If I wear green it makes them more green. All of my tattoos have green in them. Fifty percent of my clothing has green in it, if not all. But on St. Patrick’s Day, it’s just too much. I get into drinking, but just don’t want to wear the green like everyone else. So I wait till after St. Patrick’s Day to wear green again. And I still get pinched a lot and I don’t like it.

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Rooster: She’s an entertainer, I’m an entertainer. We’re peers. I play drums and sing and she just sings and just sings and just sings and dances. I’m not better. She may be at the top of her game, but I’m at the top of my game. She’s inspiration for me. I’m waiting to be discovered. It’s a big enough world for everyone. I’m an older cat, she’s still young. She’s endured. The best is yet to come. There are more rap stars without talent than there are people like Britney.

Pete & Bo: We’re really good with the 7 to 15-year-olds. She takes over the teenagers who actually, like, go out and purchase CDs, but we get the kids going. And then the parents have no choice but to stand there and wait, so they wind up giving us $10 or so. Realistically, I don’t think Britney Spears could come down in the corner and entertain people like we do. With her name, she could, but if nobody knew who she was, we’re more talented. And we got way more sex appeal.

Kumar: I play horn and sell books. I’m definitely a better writer. Anytime a celebrity is popular I can’t stand them, but anytime the media picks on them then all of a sudden I love them, like Pamela Anderson.  Britney has been picked on enough so she’s endeared to me now. I do an entirely different style of music. For me to say I’m better is not giving her due credit. To say that she’s better is not giving me credit. As long as she sticks to pop and I stick to blues we’ll call it even.

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Antonio, Detroit: I would have spent my money. Any improvement would help. Maybe the people of Atlanta aren’t ready for it. Maybe they’re scared. But once they get it, they’ll like it. There’s always rumors. People say it’s going to take from the community or that [casinos] are not going to put back into the community, but they do in Detroit. We have three. They’ve helped out in the schools. Atlanta needs to catch up. Lot of youth down here, but no older people. It be a lot more fun with casinos.

Felicia, Seattle: No. I’m happy that it’s not here. I don’t like the implications of it. It’s taking food from people who can’t afford to do it, and there are plenty of places to go for people who can afford to do it. I like coming down here and seeing real people, not people trying to take someone else’s bucks. There are plenty of places outside Seattle to gamble, but none in the city. It would take away from the family atmosphere around here. It’s so nice. Just regular people all over here with families.

Anna Goiânia, Brazil: Oh hell yes! Yeah, yeah. Definitely. Way better. That would have been a lot of fun and brought in a lot more people here. I gamble in Brazil. What’s great about gambling in Brazil is that they don’t ask for ID. So if you’re twelve years old, you get in. I like to gamble. It’s fun. [Underground] is nice. It’s different, and I always like something that is different. Have met a lot of people, gone shopping for gifts and definitely would have gambled.

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Kelly: South DeKalb Mall. It’s terrible. It’s all high school kids going nuts. They’re always screaming at the screen. Drinks are splattered all around me. I get popcorn thrown on my head. It’s a day out at the zoo. People there never shut up. The floors are always sticky. They bring their screaming babies and never shut up. I’d rather drive 30 miles out of the way than go to that theater, even for a crappy C-movie. It always smells like someone peed in your seat.

Jane: Regal [Cinemas Hollywood] 24. God, it is awful. They tore down a beautiful drive-in to put this damn thing in. Twenty-four movies is just confusing. You want to go watch a movie, instead you’re listening to an 8-year-old translate the movie for his entire family. It’s always very crowded. It’s like parking at the mall on Christmas Eve. Instead of walking in to enjoy a movie, you feel like cattle hoping for a seat or a piece of popcorn. The experience is not enjoyable.

Nik: Atlantic Station is hell. It’s like a cancerous boil sprung out of the earth. It is horrible parking, almost like a labyrinth to find your way out of there. They trap you in there with the gates, and the [parking] cards constantly mess up. The concession stand is horrible. They don’t know the meaning of customer service. It’s a date crowd, and they also get people with families at 12:30 at night. So halfway through the movie, at a horror movie, you hear babies crying.

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Christi: Dirty talk is the key to my heart. Chocolate is boring, makes you fat and makes you sick. The last guy who gave me chocolates for Valentine’s Day … it was the worst relationship of my life. The chocolate didn’t help at all. He was totally obnoxious. I told him he didn’t owe me anything at all. I gave the chocolates away. The chocolate only made it worst. You stop at CVS to get me some cheap crappy chocolate. What’s the point? I’m not even into chocolate. The only chocolate I like is Snickers.

Brianne: The key to my heart is love, like real love. Chocolate … okay that’s great, but I need a little bit more than chocolate. Chocolate is good, but, you know, I’d like something a little bit more expensive. Show me you care. Chocolate is like the icing on the cake. But I need the cake. A trip would be nice, and you can never go wrong with jewelry or diamonds. That’s what I think about on Valentine’s Day — diamonds. You know they’re a girl’s best friend.  There has to be more to it than just chocolate.

Amy: Chocolate is a darling gesture but it has to part of a greater package. There should be the caramel of true love and respect. I’ve gotten chocolates from complete losers. You’re on the verge of dumping them and then they give you chocolate as if this is suppose to make up for everything else. If you get a loser that gives you quality chocolate he is a player and a poser. Your kind of brainless loser is going to get you cheap chocolate. The player springs for the good chocolate, but then he’s going to hit on girls behind your back.

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Jacob: It might inspire me a little bit. A lot more people will respect him if he quits. No one respects somebody killing himself, and that’s all cigarettes are — cancer sticks. It would be good if we all quit, and I hope Obama makes it. It would make me respect him more and it might help me. Just seeing your friends quit helps. My idea of being president is that you’re still a human being — but you have a voice and your voice represents everybody. So if he quit smoking, it would be a big thing.

Erica: No. Everyone knows smoking is bad for you and in the end you quit for yourself. I actually kind of like that he’s a smoker. It’s very human to have some sort of flaw. I mean, I don’t want to see a picture of him holding a bottle of Jack Daniels with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, but you should quit for yourself and not for anyone else. I don’t care whether he quits but he should be careful about his PR. Actually, if I saw him smoking at a bar I’d probably think he’s hot stuff.

Tre: I won’t stop. If my mother couldn’t get me to stop, Obama can’t make me stop. In fact, Obama should get up, after his inauguration speech, and fire up a cigarette. Have a glass of ‘nac [Cognac] and a cigarette and keep it real for ‘09. That should be his motto. He shouldn’t quit, but he should legalize marijuana. As long as he doesn’t get a tan like George Hamilton, it’s cool with me. The cigarettes kind of do your skin in. But if he continues to smoke, he should try to lower the cigarette tax.

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Pam: The bar tips are dwindling, but more people are coming out to drink. So what we might lack in quality we make up for in volume. Things are getting so bad [with the economy], it literally drives people to drink. They can’t afford to tip as they normally would, but regular customers tip the same. I have to give the biggest props to the Emory kids. They come in droves and still don’t know how to tip — but what they lack in substance they make up for in sheer numbers. It kind of all works out.

Phillip: My customers love me. They’re not going to let me down. They wouldn’t come in if they couldn’t tip. I take care of them, they take care of me. If you’re strange and we don’t know you, we kind of really don’t care. Well, we care, but we don’t know you. People are drinking. People want to forget about what they’re going through. So they have a few extra martinis and next thing you know they got a $40 check. And they’re like, “Oh this is Phillip, tack on an extra $10.” I listen to a lot of stories.

Tammy: If someone is laid off, you’re not going to get as much. Folks are being good, but it’s tough. But I’m up because of football.  Football has definitely saved us. I love those tight ends, baby. You do a little extra now, be extra nice and work a little bit harder. You do what you got to do. You have to stay above it. Folks are getting laid off left and right, my family too. But thank god for football. If it wasn’t for football, we would be devastated.

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Will: With the Atlanta music scene, there’s a lot of swapping out. It’s kind of an unspoken thing that if I go out to see your band, you’ll come out to see my band. That’s definitely changed. There’s less musicians supporting other musicians. Atlanta is more of an incestuous music community. It keeps itself afloat, because you have guys in other bands coming to see you — and then their friends come out. It adds up. As a whole, this city doesn’t support local musicians as much as they should. This is going to compound things.

Cisco: I’ve been playing for five years. Now you have to use your muscles rather than your talent to make a living. I’ve pawned some guitars. But I still have what I need to perform. Clubs gives you less gigs. Before, you used to play twice a month in every venue. Now it’s once a month. But you never give up. You can ask any musician here and that’s all we talk about now. Now it’s, “Can you lend me your cable? Hey, do you have an E-string, because I ran out?” It’s never been easy, but it’s never been this hard.

Leah: The economy is creating sort of a realistic stress that’s making people really want to localize. It’s bringing people out more so there’s a little bit more camaraderie and support around us. Shows are really full. People are taking that economic stress and realizing they have to funnel that energy and go listen to some music. Local bands are really having a strong and powerful impact. There is that need to connect, and that happens through music. So the music is actually thriving and working as a voice. And the audience is more passionate because they need it.

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Calli: Stand up to the boys at the dog park a little bit more. I get frisky and run around, until one of these big-boy dogs kind of intimidates me and I’ll run away. My owner tries to encourage me to buck up a little bit so I’m not as submissive. We sit down every Sunday and talk about the progress I’ve made. When I first came to the dog park, I was really, really scared. My owner, for my own well being, would like me to develop just a tad bit more confidence when I’m around the tough dogs, but still keep my sweet disposition. It’s a balance.

Lloyd: My resolution is not to pee on my foot. I’m not very bright, but hopefully I can break that habit. My owners take me to the dog park to watch how the other dogs pee. I guess I’m pretty hopeless. They give me positive reinforcement when I pee without hitting my foot. I get a little treat. At the dog park, I’ve been pretty good about it. But early morning at the house when I first start, I have a problem. I guess I’m not well coordinated. I’m four years old now. My owners love me, but I know this is a problem.

Axl Rose: I’m turning 1 next year. That will happen in March. My resolution is to get that freakin’ squirrel in the backyard. It’s always taunting me. The squirrel throws stuff at me. He sits on the wall and throws those things off of the magnolia trees, those big grenade things. I haven’t worked out the details yet, but I’m more self confident and braver and turning 1 and I’m going to kick that freakin’ squirrel. Not kill it, just kick it back. That’s my goal for 2009.

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Ryan: It was awesome, and I was really, really wasted. There was this really big shiny ball thing and it dropped from the sky, like a meteor. It was awesome, yeah dude, awesome. I remember this older guy asking me where he could get some Xanax. He opened a bottle of champagne, so we had some champagne. There was a perimeter around the whole thing. They searched you, but we snuck in a bottle of wine. I was pretty wasted. I’d go back this year if I had nothing better to do.

Lil Jon: Atlanta is a city full of energy, man. We got a new energy from the Hawks and the Falcons, so of course these Atlanta People are going to be out and having a good time. Underground is one of the best places. You can go club hoppin’ and act like you’re in a Vegas or a Miami, but you’re in Atlanta so you get that Atlanta culture. It’s not the Big Apple, but the Peach Drop is good for us. And don’t drink and drive. Get a driver. If not, stay home and get drunk.

Cat: All I remember is giant goggles and me accidentally sitting on someone else’s baby because it was so unbelievably crowded. There was a lot of screaming going on, mostly from the mother. She had a cow and she was in shock, as was I. I ran away, like “Sorry bye,” and disappeared into the crowd. I remember the rest of it was fun. Definitely try it once. But it’s not everybody’s cup of tea.

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Frank: I light fireworks off in the [Little Five Points] square at my own expense. Everybody walks by and says it’s just like New Orleans or Venice Beach. Nobody walks by and says, ‘Oh they’re just lighting up fireworks.’ The only people that don’t appreciate them are the people in the line of fire. One kind of got away from me and spun around. A lot of people ran for cover. Nobody got hurt.

Truth: I grind day in and day out, dealing with all the bureaucracy and all things the things that would deter a man from being independent. Everybody has a gift. I make chalices [smoking pipes]. It’s a ritual form of love and peace They’re designed to free your mind. More chalices, less cigarettes. I found a way to provide for and feed myself. If we can do this all over Atlanta, there wouldn’t be so many people begging.

Alexandria: I haven’t burned down anybody’s house, I haven’t been convicted of any crime, I served on jury duty, and I voted. I’m representing the normal person, who knows the difference between right and wrong. I’m the average, hard-working person in Atlanta that likes to have fun and takes pride in their work. If I won Atlantan of the Year, I would roll down Peachtree Street halfway naked covered in Christmas lights.

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Tony & Socks: I don’t know. But I’ll tell you about Cats — it’s no Sweeney Todd. You’re never going to see a movie about Cats starring Johnny Depp as a cat. It’s the longest Broadway show in history because nobody knows what’s happening so nobody says it’s bad. That’s the crux of it. I couldn’t understand a word they said. I saw it years ago. I’m not going to see that thing again. I have a cat, but I’ve never liked Cats. It has no plot. Give me West Side Story or Oklahoma! or Sweeney Todd.

Cliff & Pilot: I hope not. So many of us love animals, love music, love dance, and all of these are incorporated into the final product. It’s incredible. We’ve always seen in dogs and cats reflections of ourselves. I’ve seen cats do things incredibly human that freaked me out. And that play vocalizes and visualizes those things. There’s a parallel between animals and humans, and they just nail it. Plus, if you have children, there’s not a better play in the world. And what better place than the Fox.

Cassie & Snapper: All I know, it’s about slinking around in leotards. That doesn’t sound very catlike to me. If it was about cats, it would be a lot of sleeping, eating and getting petted. Most people who like cats like them because they hate people, so who wants to be surrounded by a bunch of people. I would never see Cats because I love cats. I don’t want to demean them by watching humans act like cats. And now I’ll make it a point never to see it just because you’re asking me.

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Jordan: Cinemechanica’s The Martial Arts. It’s not the individual tracks but it’s like an emotional roller-coaster ride if you listen to it from beginning to the end. It’s progressive indie. It’s awesome. The worst is the Cat Empire’s Two Shoes. It’s crap. Tone-deaf retards. They’re holier-than-thou musicians that aren’t on the level of being holier than thou. It’s trying to be radio-friendly. It doesn’t work. It takes a certain personality to listen to that crap — idiot. If you relate to it you’re just as bad as the music.

Dee: Best is Bad Brains’ Build a Nation. When they decided to come back, it sounded like new and old stuff put together. They put on a really reggae vibe and a really good punk vibe. They’ve been feeding off both and it comes off as a new look on music. Worst? The Killers’ Sam’s Town is horrible. All their music is horrible. They’re stuck in that whole “too indie” phase. They’re trying to come out with their own style, but they’re still making music that kids listen to like they’re in middle school or the ninth grade.

Bri: Venus Doom by HIM. His voice is just like so amazing and deep, and it’s foreign so it makes it like 10 times cooler. They know how to harmonize really well. It’s really easy listening. Really smooth. The new Good Charlotte CD — Good Morning Revival is the worst. They used to be really good, but they’re now mainstream and just crap. Before they got famous they really had their own sound; now it’s annoying. It’s made for American teenagers, and American teenagers don’t have good taste in music.

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Robert: Yes, it is. There are so many clubs and restaurants in this city holding New Year’s Eve bashes. On top of that, you got the Peach Drop. I was there last year — absolutely insane, in a good way. I was standing there and there were transsexuals to my left, 7 feet tall. I just thought, “This is cool.” I couldn’t move, but it was very happening. It’s a smaller version of Times Square. Atlanta is in the top five for New Year’s.

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Guyton: It used to be. The law changing the closing times, that’s when Atlanta became a nonhappening place. Personally I’d rather be home with friends. Before the law, I probably would have gone to some crazy dance party or a club, like Blue or the Warehouse. But clubs close too early now. Atlanta is no longer a party town. Most people now go out of town for New Year’s. Compared to other large cities, Atlanta is near the bottom.

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Jamil: In the South it is. Miami is overplayed. It’s been done before. Nothing new. It’s always water, alcohol, little outfits, predictable. Atlanta can offer a Southern culture feel, party-like-a-rock-star atmosphere. I’m staying in Atlanta for sure. Atlanta has a few hotel parties, you buy a ticket and you can just go and drink with your friends. Those are really the best places. On the East Coast, New York definitely has that stereotypical New Year’s Eve. But we’re better than Miami.

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Torthel: Greenbriar Mall. It’s the most ghettoist mall on Earth. People get shot all the time. I went to the movie theater and right before the movie started, some kids opened the emergency exit door and, like, 10 kids swarmed in. I never see security. Kids just come running down the courtyard and start fighting. You can’t really shop because there’s too much going on with people. They don’t go there to shop. They go there to socialize and fight and steal.

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Lauren & Meredith: Atlantic Station. The crowd was a little funny. They’re very judgmental. We’re a couple and if we show any signs of affection in public there, it was not good. We were looked down upon. Pretty conservative, in what I thought would be a more liberal area. People stare at you. It starts at the face. It goes down to the hands. They keep on turning like, ‘Oh, they’re not just sisters.’ And it didn’t feel very Christmasy. There was a Christmas tree, and that was it.

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Tony: Lenox Square. It’s the cheese mall factor. It’s like the women all look the same. You can be standing next to somebody and they’re standing next to the mannequin and you look at the mannequin and think it’s them. It just looks like a bunch of mannequins roaming around a cheese mall. Everybody walks and looks like they’re a superstar. The dude working at the gas station there looks like he’s a big pimpin’ dude. To be different, you’ve got to be like a mutant.

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Sara: I’m excited about going to my husband’s office party. I want to see if there’s really any hot girls he works with so I can be on him. I just want to make sure. I hope they’re all big and fat and have moles all over their face. I’ll be looking around. I’ll just keep a little list in my head. I’ll be real nice, but I’ll make sure I get their names. He has no reason to lie, but he’s a man, so you never know.

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John: My boss invited me and my pregnant fiancee to the party. My ex-girlfriend works there and she’s telling embarrassing stories about me, so my boss e-mailed me saying he heard I tend to get drunk and belligerent at these parties. That really pissed me off. I decided not to go. My ex tends to make snide remarks and my current fiancee has a propensity towards violence. I don’t want the baby to get hurt.

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Halima: No, because the first year meeting everybody is kind of nice and kind of cordial. The second year, when you realize people’s attitude and differences, you realize you’re better off staying home. I’m not going. I’d rather spend my time with people I really care about as opposed to people who are fake. You don’t want to be around people who smile in your face and give you a cheesy gift you don’t like. It seems ridiculous.

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