Z serves me a rumrunner and Dietra and I share a club sandwich with fries, using our bev naps for dinner napkins. We ride to Midtown and veg at Tim’s place on 11th, until they depart for a birthday party in Marietta. Then I walk into the night.
Other side of town, GREATeclectic, AKA Kendrick Daye, displays a large mural he created for the annual urban art show, tonight held at Compound: Art, Beats & Lyrics. Kendrick is co-hosting an after-party called #COOL later tonight at the W Midtown’s Whiskey Park. The show on the Westside ends at midnight, but here in the center of the peach pit it’s about to hit.
I first stop in for a fruity five-dollar martini at Einstein’s on Juniper. Nook is next, right on Frederick Law Olmstead’s gorgeous Southern jewel, Piedmont Park. Nook is a straight bar, complete with the drinkable Bud Lt. in bottle I purchased, piped in rock-and-roll and a group of tipsy girls singing loudly while drinking giant fishbowls of sugared booze cocktails through huge neon straws. A few cute couples are semi-quietly having martinis and beers. I glance back behind me to more martinis, more fish bowls. Off key singing is growing louder, even more loudly talking girls – This is America. So, I quickly finish my beer and get out of there.
The lobby of the W shimmers as I enter and ascend through the lower bars to Whiskey Park. Shannon at the door is more than welcoming and I continue my directional climb to the top. I step to the patio to have a look. Fanti and Obie, AKA Ethereal, and I have a chat about the magazine out on the deck in the humidity of the Dirty South summer night. City lights twinkle all around us, without even the glimmer of a star visible.
Back inside the tip-top bar, the canned air blows fiercely as the bass beats to the lyric, “all these bad bitches.” I notice a few as the track changes, and so does my mood. The VIP velvet ropes move for me as I do see a star: GREATeclectic’s freshly coiffed head appears in my line of sight. We are naturally amped up and VIP sipping, and I finally meet our publicist Dane face-to-face, up in the space.
Kendrick’s art display was a raving success and Art Nouveau Magazine has a new print issue available, which is a huge deal. We’re here to network less than just to celebrate the life of our art party. After all, the new issue is called New Art, New $$$.
Outside the VIP, 22-year-old fashion model Lindsay is celebrating her birthday with her fellow model best friend Devan. I dance with and for them and we make friends. A local photog named Marc shows up, and we hoist a few drinks as I introduce him to the Art Nouveau crew. The night wears on before we all eventually wear out.
Only a few hours later, I’m up and in East Atlanta for breakfast at Australian Bakery with my lovely wife. She has a sandwich while I quickly finish off a tasty meat pastry. We finish with fresh-baked sweets. She departs after a stroll in the sun together, and I head over to the newly reopened Glenwood to see my buddy there, original owner Dan Simpson: “Glad to be back in business.”
Next, it’s the EARL for a High Life from James, who has worked there forever. I meet a few cute flirty girls who are leaving and then Beth Howell replaces them at the bar next to me. A hair and makeup stylist who moved to East Atlanta yesterday from Alabama, she already has a new tattoo to show for it. She slowly sips on a Stoli O madras, and then I buy her a delicious layered shot of James’ creation to welcome her to my hometown of Atlanta.
Last stop is Graveyard for the Atlanta Indie Fest, featuring the Art Nouveau Magazine set and an all day event chronicling the urban music movement.
The Art Nouveau Magazine set on the basement stage was as follows:
1.GREATeclectic featuring Karen Alise – Welcome to the Freak$how / Animal
2.GREATeclectic featuring Karima – Heartbeats
3.Madam CJ featuring RAHBI – U Know My Name
4.Ben Carson – Selfish
5.Jack Preston – Trouble
Then I’m upstairs to hear Jackie Chain from Alabama rap with more mojo than any other half-Korean, half-white boy in the game. I meet him after the raucous set. I head outside and hang with the Fux Wit Me crew, and they are kind enough to give me a free green T-shirt. I catch Project Pat’s performance and hearing that hook, “I need a money man,” I think and know I am one. We shake hands after, and his people tell me to get in touch with them soon as we exchange numbers.
The last act I catch is the rap group The Canz. I meet Foster from the group and he tells me about how he and his brother, Prominent, have really been making things happen lately. I tell him I like the whole crew. On my way out, I meet a young group called SWC, Smooth World Control, and they give me a free copy of their new stuff. The long event weekend closing for the magazine, while the beats kept hitting.
