Arts & Events
Nine Atlanta events to (safely) get into the holiday spirit
We've curated a short list of drive-in and walk-through spaces—plus one streamable classic—for you and your family to enjoy the holiday season safely.
Jambo Books introduces children to a world of diverse characters
Jambo Books is a Decatur-based company that introduces children to a more inclusive set of heroes. Each box contains two or three books with main characters who are people of color, with story arcs often centering on self-confidence and empathy.
Eyedrum endures: The grandmother of Atlanta’s DIY scene reboots, but the mission remains
Just when it looked like it might be gone for good, Eyedrum announced a new headquarters on Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard, set to open in spring 2021.
Why Southern Voice, Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ newspaper, meant so much
Co-founder Chris Cash recalls why she founded Southern Voice, and why having an independent queer news outlet remains imperative in 2020.
When Erin Swenson transitioned in the 90s, a close vote kept her ordained as Presbyterian minister. Her new podcast tells her story.
Erin Swenson was the first Presbyterian minister to transition and remain ordained. Her new podcast, So Much More than Gender, shares her story.
Reminisce your days partying at Backstreet with this ultimate playlist
With the help of the nearly 10,000-person Facebook group I Partied at Backstreet who served as curators, we’ve assembled this massive three-decade, nearly 12-and-a-half-hour Backstreet playlist for our readers.
How to have a fun—yet safe—Halloween in Atlanta this year
Halloween doesn't have to be entirely cancelled, as long as you take certain safety measures and celebrate responsibly. Here are a few tips and suggestions from health experts and local parents.
The AIDS Memorial Quilt remains a powerful symbol
Friends, family, lovers, and strangers stitched colorful, personal, and heartfelt tribute panels measuring three feet by six feet—the approximate measurements of a grave, Jones says—that when stitched together create a 1.3 million square foot symbol as iconic as the red ribbon worn to raise awareness about the disease.
Wussy’s Jon Dean on Atlanta’s queer arts scene and the importance of representation
Today, in addition to covering local and national queer art and culture, Wussy hosts events across the city, like drag shows, dance parties, and movie screenings—and founder Jon Dean doesn’t plan to stop there.
Things to do
Five ways the Alliance Theatre’s drive-in Christmas Carol uplifts the spirit
A Christmas Carol: The Live Radio Play runs through December 24 in a lot next to Georgia State University's Center Parc Credit Union Stadium (formerly Turner Field). Here are a few ways the Alliance Theatre has gone the extra mile to make the experience special.
How to have a fun—yet safe—Halloween in Atlanta this year
Halloween doesn't have to be entirely cancelled, as long as you take certain safety measures and celebrate responsibly. Here are a few tips and suggestions from health experts and local parents.
Our Favorite Things: 99 of our top spots in the South
Since Southbound debuted in 2013, our staff and contributors have logged thousands of miles, consumed millions of calories, and taken countless notes and photos to showcase the very best destinations around the region. Although every place we’ve covered is special, some left a particularly powerful impression. Here, we give you the best of the very best, our favorite spots in the South.
Theater
Five ways the Alliance Theatre’s drive-in Christmas Carol uplifts the spirit
A Christmas Carol: The Live Radio Play runs through December 24 in a lot next to Georgia State University's Center Parc Credit Union Stadium (formerly Turner Field). Here are a few ways the Alliance Theatre has gone the extra mile to make the experience special.
Eyedrum endures: The grandmother of Atlanta’s DIY scene reboots, but the mission remains
Just when it looked like it might be gone for good, Eyedrum announced a new headquarters on Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard, set to open in spring 2021.
After 25 years of leading Theatrical Outfit, director Tom Key takes a final bow
Tom Key planned to exit on a note of fanfare this spring, ending his 25-year run as artistic director of Theatrical Outfit, one of Atlanta’s oldest professional theater companies. COVID-19 intervened, but Key’s vision for producing theater that enlightens and uplifts eventually will prevail under the direction of his replacement, Matt Torney.
Visual Arts
For Suwanee artist Anita Darling, art is a devotion
Every morning, Anita Darling walks barefoot to her backyard greenhouse in Suwanee. She stands still, feeling the dew under her feet, sips her coffee, and prays—in order to align herself with God and nature before starting to draw.
Eyedrum endures: The grandmother of Atlanta’s DIY scene reboots, but the mission remains
Just when it looked like it might be gone for good, Eyedrum announced a new headquarters on Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard, set to open in spring 2021.
Atlanta artist Lillian Blades’s three-dimensional “quilts” tell the story of her life
Lillian Blades’s colorful creations have a way of making you feel like you’re under the sea, rolling in the grass, and viewing a desert sunset all at once.
Music
What Lil Jon has been up to in 2020
We chatted with the underground king-turned-global phenomenon on what it takes to put his popular Saturday DJ sets, what he’s been up to during the pandemic, and the exciting new music he’s producing with his son, a recent NYU grad.
Q&A: KP The Great on his path from artist to executive, protest music, and more
Kawan “KP The Great” Prather’s multi-hyphenated career in the music business all started with him simply asking questions. The Vine City native hopped on the phone to chat about his storied career in the music business, making protest music, and his next ventures.
Remembering Little Richard, the Macon-born “architect of rock ‘n’ roll”
“He shaped musicians like Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Prince, and influenced how people dress and how they define themselves today,” says David Kirby, author of Little Richard: The Birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll. “He dreamed up a world that nobody thought possible.”
Film
Out on Film launches a “virtual theater” for this year’s LGBTQ+ film festival
Now an independent entity, Out on Film is one of the nation’s oldest LGBTQ+ festivals, one of the 10 largest of its kind in the U.S., and one of only three Oscar-qualifying LGBTQ+ fests.
Us Kids, a documentary about the Parkland school shooting survivors, plays tonight in Atlanta
Us Kids, directed by Kim A. Snyder, makes a stop on its nine-city tour at the Plaza Theatre Drive-In at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, August 27. Samantha Fuentes and Alex Dworet, who both survived the Parkland, Florida, shooting, will be at the Plaza for a Q&A, along with a virtual appearance from Snyder.
Making of a legend: A new John Lewis documentary explores his many heroic stands
Because the documentary explores John Lewis’s life, it is also, by necessity, a contemplation of heroism and sacrifice, by people like him who came from the humblest of origins.
