Atlanta Music category interest

Thursday towers

Sept. 19 — Georgia-Pacific said it will transform its iconic 51-story downtown Atlanta headquarters into a mixed-use development. The project will include 400+ high-rise apartments, offices, and a 35,000-square-foot plaza. Read more from our friends at Urbanize.

🌤️ Partly cloudy and 85° today.

🗳️ Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris will be in Atlanta on Friday to deliver remarks about the state’s abortion ban.

⚖️ The state has dropped money laundering-related charges against three activists involved in protests against Atlanta’s public safety training center, dubbed “Cop City.”

🏈 Mount Vernon School will pursue lighting its main athletic field for night games and practices to the dismay of nearby homeowners.

🔥 State energy regulators approved a plan by Georgia Power to buy about 80 megawatts of electricity generated by burning wood chips – or biomass – despite protests from environmentalists.

📍 Intown neighborhood Atkins Park has been rededicated to honor Dr. Eliza Atkins Gleason, the first African American to earn a PhD in library science, after originally being named for a Confederate colonel.

🚒 Sandy Springs is mourning the death of the city’s first fire chief, Jack McElfish, who died Sept. 16 after a battle with cancer.

⚽ Lionel Messi came off the bench in the 61st minute and nearly scored late in the match, but an Atlanta equalizer in the 84th minute gave the Five Stripes a 2-2 draw against Inter Miami last night.

ELSEWHERE

➡ For the second day in a row, explosions of communication devices killed at least 20 and wounded 450 in Lebanon yesterday.

📉 The Fed cut interest rates by 0.5%, the first reduction since 2020.

🫙 Tupperware Brands filed for bankruptcy. The once-iconic food storage container company has struggled to adapt its sales strategy.

🎗️ JD Souther, the songwriter who shaped the 1970s Southern California Sound with hits like the Eagles’ “Heartache Tonight,” died at 78.

🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:

• Thinking Man Tavern

• 100 Years of Swing

• Von Diaz at DBF

• Stadium-safe clear purses

AND

• Quick Bites

Have a good day,

Collin andamp; Sammie

🎉 Don’t miss Party on the PATH, an evening of live music, delicious food, and fun benefiting Livable Buckhead’s programs – creating a vibrant community where people want to live, work, and play. On Oct. 6 at Eclipse di Luna, the event includes tapas, sangria, and dancing to the sounds of 3rd Stream Big Band. Buy tickets today. SPONSOR MESSAGE

1. Thinking Man Tavern turns 21 in Decatur

🍻 Decatur’s Thinking Man Tavern, now entering its 21st year, will celebrate the benchmark on Sept. 21 by highlighting all the elements that have made the quirky bar successful: local music, specialty drinks, and a solid pub food menu.

The celebration will begin at 7 p.m. and feature a live performance from The Higher Choir and a super jam of local musicians. According to co-owner Davy Minor, Thinking Man will also unveil new seasonal beverages at the event, including a large array of Oktoberfest beers and new fall-inspired cocktails.

New cocktails – all named after songs – include the “Thunderstruck” with bourbon and apricot liqueur; “Crazy in Love” made with vodka, Joseph Cartron Poire Williams liqueur, and Boomsma Cloosterbitter; and “Back in the U.S.S.R.” which mixes Ukrainian brandy with espresso tequila coffee liqueur, Joseph Cartron Café liqueur, and fresh cream.

🧠 Learn more about Thinking Man’s history here.

Get your tickets to Party on the PATH

SPONSORED BY LIVABLE BUCKHEAD

🎉 On Sun., Oct. 6, enjoy an evening of live music, delicious food, and fun at the intersection of two Buckhead landmarks – PATH400 and the Miami Circle gallery district. Make plans to attend Party on the PATH and enjoy tapas, sangria, and dancing to the sounds of 3rd Stream Big Band’s explosive mix of rock, soul, and RandB.

General admission tickets are $65. VIP tickets include a pre-event cocktail hour with an open bar and are $85. Proceeds from the event support Livable Buckhead, a nonprofit organization working to ensure the long-term viability and prosperity of the Buckhead community.

➡ Get your tickets today!

2. Joe Gransden Big Band to celebrate ‘100 Years of Swing’ at PRUMC

🎺 Joe Gransden and his Big Band will be performing a concert called “100 Years of Swing” at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church (PRUMC) on Sept. 22.

The show is sponsored by the Atlanta Music Club, the city’s oldest chartered nonprofit music organization. The band will also be playing a similar show on Sept. 25 at the Eagle Theater in Sugar Hill.

Big band music has been a part of Gransden’s life since he was a young man. Ahead of the show at PRUMC, Sammie Purcell spoke with Gransden about his life and career.

🎼 You can find that interview here.

3. Tropical Cooking with Von Diaz

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DECATUR BOOK FESTIVAL

📚 Join celebrated food writer Von Diaz for a captivating panel session where she explores the vibrant and diverse culinary traditions of tropical islands from her latest book, “Islas: A Celebration of Tropical Cooking.” Discover 125 recipes and stories that highlight the rich flavors and ancestral techniques of islands across the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific oceans, bringing the essence of tropical cooking to your kitchen.

🗓️ The speaker session will be held on Sat., Oct. 5 at 11:15 a.m. at the First Baptist Church of Decatur.

➡ Get more information on the Decatur Book Festival here.

4. This Georgia entrepreneur wants you to ‘Cover Your Assets’ at the stadium

👜 Sports fans and concertgoers alike are all too familiar with the frustration of security bag checks, where a simple purse can turn into a major inconvenience.

These days, most big venues require clear bags to speed up security checks. That means that people’s personal items — be it credit cards, money, tickets, keys, or IDs — are exposed.

But a Southeast-based entrepreneur wanted to change how people get through the security line. Last year Linda Drinkwine launched CYA (Cover Your Assets), as a new line of stadium-safe clear purses. And now that football season is upon us, Drinkwine is ready to bring her bags to more stadiums.

🏈 Read the full story at Hypepotamus here.

💡 Ideas Festival Emory — a weekend featuring some of the most impactful and imaginative scientists, musicians, writers, filmmakers, and creators of our time. Sept. 20-22, in beautiful Oxford, GA. Check out the schedule here. SPONSOR MESSAGE

5. Quick Bites

VIA SIDE DISH, A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER| SUBSCRIBE HERE

🫐 Celebrate National White Chocolate Day on Sept. 22 with white chocolate selections from Bitzel’s Chocolates (pictured). Think white chocolate blueberries, ganache-filled white chocolates, white chocolate sheep and pandas, and white chocolate Bitzel Bark Bites, to name a few. For more on how to order visit here.

🥐 Poncey-Highland’s Sweet Auburn Barbecue is hosting an Asian Bake Sale on Sat., Sept. 21. Vendors will also include Baolicious, Crinkles by Nina, and Leftie Lee’s. Expect to sample everything from breakfast baos to cassava cake and ube croissants.

🦐 Get a taste of classic Italian dishes at Decatur’s no. 246 with the launch of their Blue Plate Specials this month. Think clam bucatini on Mondays, riggies alla carbonara on Wednesdays, and risotto frutti di mare on Sundays.

🤝 The Atlanta chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier is hosting “A Perfect Pairing” fundraiser on Thurs., Sept. 26 at King Plow Arts Center Event Gallery. The event will benefit the chapter’s mission for providing scholarships and grants for women seeking education and advancements in food, beverage, hospitality, and culinary professions. Tickets can be purchased here.

🎨 Nando’s PERi-PERi recently opened its first restaurant in Atlanta, and now an exhibition curated from the Nando’s art collection, “If You Look Hard Enough, You Can See Our Future,” is making a stop at the African Diaspora Art Museum of Atlanta (ADAMA). The exhibition opens on Fri., Sept. 20 and runs through Sat., Nov. 2 at no cost to the public.

🥨 Get ready for Oktoberfest with Atlanta’s The Porter Beer Bar. They are tapping 21 beers now through Oct. 6 and will be serving brats, pretzels, schnitzel, and new brewery features every week. For more details follow their Instagram here.

✍️ Author’s Den, located across the street from the Margaret Mitchell House, opens this week in Hyatt Centric. The rebranded restaurant will feature Southern cuisine with a global spin.

☕ Mark your calendars for Sat., Oct. 19. Tim Hortons will launch its first Suwanee location with grand opening events including a free coffee for a year giveaway to the first 50 cars in line, and any-sized hot or iced coffee for 99 cents and a 10-pack of Timbits for $1.

💃 Damsel Cabaret Restaurant andamp; Bar is hosting brunch beginning at 11 a.m. this Sunday. Choose from menu options like Bananas Foster french toast, Croque Madame, or shrimp and grits all while enjoying the music and dance of their “Uplifted” show. You can make your reservations here.

🏀 Stop by Decatur’s Three Taverns Brewery Thursday at 7 p.m. as Jolene Jolene hosts a watch party for the last Atlanta Dream game of the season. Beer will be on tap in addition to a Prosper House Kitchen menu of pizza, salads, sandwiches, and more.

🍕 Anthony DiNardo, owner of Henri’s Bakery andamp; Deli, has acquired Chamblee’s Galla’s Pizza. Be on the lookout for their reopening in September, with a revamped concept and name, Galla’s Pizza andamp; Tavern. You can follow their Instagram for more updates here.

🍝 The wait is over! Bocado will officially open in Sandy Springs on Friday. Look forward to a menu focused on small plates and wood-fired pizzas, plus pasta, seafood, and steak entrees.

📧 Today’s newsletter was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.