PopSmart

Hey, y’all: As of today, we’re merging Popsmart into our Fresh Loaf blog. So please click here for the same insight, event missives, pop culture news and Nobel Prize winning writing that you’re used to on Popsmart. If you had Popsmart bookmarked, in fact, we urge you to bookmark Fresh Loaf instead — if for no other reason than to humor us.

1) America Elects Its First Black President continues at Wood Is Wonderful Gallery.

2) Dr. Jim Cobb discusses his new book chronicling Georgia’s past at the Decatur Library.

3) Chattahoochee Nature Center hosts Flying Colors Butterfly Festival.

4) Have Heart, Verse and Fondation perform at the Drunken Unicorn.

5) Earth, Wind and Fire performs at Chastain Park Amphitheatre.

(Image Joel Gresham)

Election fever’s in the air, and while we have our opinions on who we want in office, we all have a responsibility to educate ourselves on the issues and, most importantly, to register to vote and play a part in the changing tide. To that end, the Five Spot in Little Five Points hosts JUST THINK!, a night of political exploration navigated by a progressive lineup of musicians and guest speakers. Steve Brodie and Cade Thacker will be on hand to share their knowledge about local and national elections Sun., JULY 13, while local talents Soulphonics & Ruby Velle, Randy Chapman, Swamp Wompus and Elemental Emcee will provide the musical entertainment. A portion of the proceeds benefit the Whitefoord Community Program Computer Clubhouse. $6-$8. 7 p.m. The Five Spot, 1123 Euclid Ave. 407-923-8800. www.myspace.com/justthinkevent.

(Photo by Lorace Deen)

1) Young Americans is on display at the High Museum.

2) Kenny Chesney and LeAnn Rimes perform at Turner Field.

3) The Five Spot hosts Just Think!, a night of political exploration.

4) Unplugged in the Park continues at Piedmont Park.

5) Atkins Park Tavern hosts the Dave FM Sunset Live Concert Series.

(Photo © Sheila Pree Bright)

Following the opening of several mini solo exhibitions, the Atlanta Contemporary Art Center hosts the out-of-town artists for ARTIST’S TALKS Sat., JULY 12. Daniel Duford, graphic novelist and sculptor, hails from Portland, Ore.; performance artist and video maker Dave McKenzie comes in from New York; and L.A. artist Susan Silton will be on hand to discuss her projects relating to language, the military and architecture. Also on display in the space are the works of Atlanta artists Craig Dongoski, Tim Hunter and Eric Mack. Free-$5. 11 a.m. Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, 535 Means St. 404-688-1970. www.thecontemporary.org.

(Photo by Dave McKenzie)

The fourth time is looking like it’s the last for New Street Gallery’s VINYL SHOW. Which is a shame, considering that this year’s silent auction/benefit, taking place Sat., JULY 12, hopes to offer up artfully designed vinyl record discs from an even wider range of figures in Atlanta’s art community. That includes efforts by Jonathan Bouknight, Adron and Toya North as well as Ed Hall. “It’s hard to get way-established artists, because they have to limit their [minimum] price,” says New Street co-founder Meshakai Wolf, who moved the show from the July Fourth weekend after many prospective attendees said it conflicted with their schedules. The bidding for these prized discs starts at below $100. Free. 8 p.m. 2800 Washington St., Avondale Estates. 404-298-8696. newstreet.org.

(Image courtesy Meshakai Wolf)

1) Chris Rock performs at the Fox Theatre.

2) Atlanta Contemporary Art Center presents Artist’s Talks with Daniel Duford, Dave McKenzie and Susan Silton.

3) New Street Gallery hosts Vinyl Show.

4) Papa Grows Funk performs at Smith’s Olde Bar.

5) Charles Frazier signs his new book, Thirteen Moons, at Eagle Eye Book Shop.

Cold Mountain author Charles Frazier returns to Atlanta to once again promote his follow-up novel, Thirteen Moons, which Curt Holman reviewed in advance of a previous appearance by Frazier. (I also reviewed the movie version of Cold Mountain.) Frazier will appear on Saturday, July 12, at 6:30 p.m. at the Gwinnett Center as part of the “Gwinnet Reads” series.Here is Frazier discussing the pressure to follow up Cold Mountain …

When it came to my coverage in this week’s issue of the New Street Gallery’s Vinyl Show, I wasn’t at the top of my game. Not only did I misstate the bidding situation in the See & Do section (bidding starts at below $100, not AT $100), but New Street co-founder Meshakai Wolf was understandably concerned about the way I excerpted comments from a phone interview I conducted with him for the Pulled Quote. The quote was used from my notes, and while it’s technically accurate, I didn’t do a very good job of “cleaning up” the comment, which left it feeling a bit clunky to me after the fact and, more importantly, confusing to Wolf and possibly our readers.

Read the rest of this entry »

I saw Kit Kittredge: An American Girl at 10 a.m. the day it opened, so I got to check out a bunch of trailers for upcoming kid-oriented films. The shocking thing was seeing the previews for two computer-animated talking-animal comedies, Space Chimps and Fly Me to the Moon. They’re the same movie!

OK, they have cosmetic differences. Space Chimps, as the title suggests, depicts a trio of chimpanzees on an outer space rescue mission (complete with aliens) and opens July 18. Opening August 8, Fly Me to the Moon depicts three young houseflies who secretly stow away on the Apollo 11 mission and thus share in the first moon landing experience with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. I shudder to think of the puns based on his name.

Now, I can get how the arm’s race-style competition between Hollywood studios yields to suspiciously similar movies like Antz and A Bug’s Life, or Deep Impact and Armageddon, or Dante’s Peak and Volcano (I could go on and on), but does either of these look like a good enough idea to be made — let alone twice? I dare you to watch them:

Read the rest of this entry »