Movies Under The Stars

This Saturday @ 9:00 pm Star 94 is coming to your neighborhood with FREE Movies on Saturday nights this summer! Movies start at sundown, around 8:30pm. This time will change as the sun sets later. It's Star 94's Movies Under the Stars. We'll bring our giant 40-foot screen to a park near you. Bring your blanket, lawn chairs, a picnic basket and your kids at Henry County Sports Complex in McDonough. More info @ www.Star94.com.
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Movies Under The Stars

This Saturday @ 9:00 pm Star 94 is coming to your neighborhood with FREE Movies on Saturday nights this summer! Movies start at sundown, around 8:30pm. This time will change as the sun sets later. It's Star 94's Movies Under the Stars. We'll bring our giant 40-foot screen to a park near you. Bring your blanket, lawn chairs, a picnic basket and your kids at the Campus Center at Oglethorpe Univ. More info @ www.Star94.com.

What's Going On?

Friday, September 5, 2008 – Thursday, September 11, 2008
Coming out with Hot Gay Joe

Kathy Griffin

• Fox Theatre
• Friday, September 5 @ 7:30p and 10:30p
• $37.00 - $57.00
• Join the star of the Emmy Award-winning reality series "My Life on the D-List” for TWO shows
• 404-817-8700
• www.foxtheatre.com

Where in the world is Hot Gay Joe?
Atlanta Cotillion VII

• Schwartz-Goldstein Hall at 1605 Peachtree Street
• Saturday, September 6 @ 7:00pm (show starts @ 8:30pm)
• $75 if you are in a dress, $150 if you are in a tux Every penny goes to AIDAtlanta
• Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres included
• Watch as Elizabeth Ann and I crown the 2008 Debutant Queen
• www.atlantacotillion.com

Gwinnett County Fair

• Gwinnett County Fairgrounds on Sugarloaf Parkway
• Thursday, September 11 – Sunday, September 21
• $5.00, $2.00 for seniors and kids 6-12, ages 6 and younger free.
• Ride tickets sold separately
• Midway rides, live music and livestock shows and competitions. Also, the Miss Gwinnett County Youth Pageant.
• 770-963-6522
• www.gwinnettcountyfair.com

Star 94 Movies under the stars – Happy Feet

• World Of Coca-Cola
• Saturday, September 6 @ Sundown
• FREE
• Watch a free movie on a 40-foot inflatable screen with the family
• www.star94.com

The Rome International Film Festival

• Various Locations around Rome, GA
• Friday, September 5 – Sunday, September 7 Various times; see web site
• $5.00-$7.50 individual screenings; $25.00-$150.00 packages
• More than 130 new independent films from 38 countries and 21 states.
• 706-204-2295
• www.RIFF.tv

Oktoberfest

• Helen, GA
• Thursday, September 11 – Thursday, September 18
• M-F - $7.00, Sat - $9.00, Sun. - FREE
• Under the big German tent, enjoy beer, music and maybe some Lederhosen
• http://www.helenchamber.com/oktoberfest.htm

Braves Bark at the Park

• Turner Field
• Sunday, September 7 @ 1:30pm
• $23.00 for 1 dog and 1 human; $12 for additional humans
• Braves v. Nationals game…with you pooch!
• Dogs must be 6 months old, be up-to-date on vaccinations and be with at least one human each
• 404-249-6400
• www.braves.com/bark

The Louvre and the Ancient World

• The High Museum
• Closes this weekend Sunday!
• More 70 works from the cultures of Greece, Rome and Egypt
• Third millennium BD through the third century AD
• $11, $15 or $18
• 404-733-5000
• www.high.org

Think you know what is hot in Atlanta? Have a favorite restaurant for me to try? Submit it here or send me an e-mail and let me know about your upcoming event or favorite restaurant @ HotGayJoe@gmail.com.

Pictures from the DNC day 1

From DNC Day 1

What's Going on?

Friday, August 22 2008 – Thursday, August 28, 2008
Coming out with Hot Gay Joe

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf

• 14th Street Playhouse
• August 23 - 29 (see site for times)
• $28.00 - $38.00
• 404.733.4738
• 20 vignettes recounting the challenges, triumphs, and inner strength of black women
• Directed by Jasmine Guy from "A Different World"
• www.14thstreetplayhouse.com
  

Sculpture in Motion: Art Choreographed by Nature

• Atlanta Botanical Garden
• Through October 31 (Tuesday - Sunday, 9:00 am - 7:00 pm)
• $9.0 or $12.00
• See wind-activated sculpture from various artists among the plantings
• Cocktails in the Garden are every Thursday through September - $3.00 drinks!
• www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org
  

Midtown Restaurant week

• All Over Atlanta! (Steel, Oceanire, Concentrics, re*past, Lobby, Strip, Spice Market and So MANY MORE!)
• Saturday, August 23 - Saturday, August 30
• $25 for a three-course meal (excluding drinks, tax and tip)
• MAKE RESERVATIONS NOW!
• www.atlantarestaurantweek.com
  

Fifth Annual German Bier fest

• Woodruff Park (it's near MARTA)
• August 23, 2:00 - 8:00p
• $30.00 in advance, $35.00 at the door (minors and DDs are free)
• 35 different German beers, traditional German music and lederhosen (I hope)
• www.germanbierfest.com
  

The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army

• High Museum
• Opens November 16, 2008 - April 19, 2009
• $11.00, $15.00, $18.00
• Get your tickets now - this show sold out in London
• 404.733.4444
• www.high.org
  

Miss Mary's Ice Cream Crankin'

• Roswell Square
• Sunday, August 24, 2:00 - 4:00 pm
• $5.00 per person, $15.00 for a family
• Ice cream eating contest, hand-cranked ice cream, fun and prizes - all supports the Drake House (North Fulton's crisis center and residence for homeless women and children)
• 770.587.4712
• www.thedrakehouse.org
  

Restaurant of the week - Outback Steakhouse

• 10955 Johns Creek Rd. in Alpharetta
• 1 of only 3 in the country with the new interiors
• Ask for Stephanie - she is a Jedi
• Outback has raised the bar (and moved it out from the center)
• Nice little touches that make the experience special; new menu items to make the mouth water
• Try the new Bloomin' Burger - it combines my two favorites
• 770.442.8775 (ask for Ainslee)
• www.outback.com

Movies Under The Stars

This Saturday @ 9:00 pm Star 94 is coming to your neighborhood with FREE Movies on Saturday nights this summer! Movies start at sundown, around 8:30pm. This time will change as the sun sets later. It's Star 94's Movies Under the Stars. We'll bring our giant 40-foot screen to a park near you. Bring your blanket, lawn chairs, a picnic basket and your kids at Briscoe Park in Snellville. More info @ www.Star94.com.

Map and Track the Road to Gold

I will be traveling for the next few days, but you might want to track the medal count. Google has a great way to do it; it is below.

Vote

I'm not going to tell you how you should vote, only that you should vote.

Find your polling place at www.sos.georgia.gov/elections/polllocator

What's Going On?

Update on Summer @ Zaya

• 240 N. Highland
• $5.00 Van Gogh Martinis
• 1/2 price appetizers weekdays before 7:00
• Bellydancing on Thursdays
• Hookah every night.
• 404.477.0050
• www.zayarestaurant.com

Julie Andrews and the Atlanta Symphany Orchestra

• Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Emcore Park
• Saturday, August 2 @ 8:30pm
• $27 - $75
• The great Julie Andrews performes music from Rodgers and Hammerstein and others
• 404.733.5397
• www.vzwamp.com

Happy Birthday Varsity

• 61 North Avenue (Duh)
• Saturday, August 2 11:00am - 4:00pm
• Celebrate 80 years of "What'll Ya Have?"
• The Cool Whips, music, NASCAR simulators and a documentary about the restaurant
• 404.881.1706
• www.thevarsity.com

SunTrust Lunch on Broad Concerts

• Fairlie-Poplar District (Broad Street & Walton Street)
• Every Friday through September
• Bring or buy your lunch and enjoy the free concerts
• 404.658.1877
• www.atlantadowntown.com

Alice in Wonderland

• Blackwell Playhouse in Marietta
• Saturdays through August @ 11:00am & 3:00pm
• $8.00
• Watch out for the rabbit hole
• 678.213.3311
• www.blackwellplayhouse.com

Sky Hike

• Stone Mountain Park
• Through August, 10:00am - 8:00pm
• $20, $22, $25
• Walk in the clouds (or 40 feet above thr ground)
• 770.498.5690
• www.stonemountainpark.com

Falcons Friday Night Lights

• Mill Creek High School
• Friday, August 1 @ 6:30pm
• First-ever scrimmage between the Falcons' offense and defense
• Autograph session and fireworks
• 678.714.5850
• www.atlantafalcons.com (click on All-Access Weekend

Movies Under The Stars

This Saturday @ 9:00 pm Star 94 is coming to your neighborhood with FREE Movies on Saturday nights this summer! Movies start at sundown, around 8:30pm. This time will change as the sun sets later. It's Star 94's Movies Under the Stars. We'll bring our giant 40-foot screen to a park near you. Bring your blanket, lawn chairs, a picnic basket and your kids for Horton Hears A Who at Swift-Cantrell Park in Kennesaw. More info @ www.Star94.com.

Italy part 2 - Pitigliano & Montepulciano

So the pics of the villa are coming, but you can see the places we visited in the slide shows below. First is a picture we took on our last evening in the villa; notice how Kai has turned into a ghost.

Restaurant of the Week

I have worked across from the new W Hotel since it was more than just a letter, and I was as excited to try the restaurant as I was to walk back and forth (and back and forth) in from the of the interactive digital wall at the entrance. Spice Market, the restaurant on the second floor of the über-chic hotel, provided me a meal that was as attractive and tasteful as the décor. I joined some friends (both old and new) for dinner at Spice Market on Wednesday, and sat down to a magical wine glass that never seemed to be empty. We started with what I assume was everything on the menu - Shrimp Tod Mon Pla, Chili-rubbed Beef Skewers and - my favorite - Spiced Chicken Samosas (pictured, center left). If you haven't had a samosa, this might be the place to break the streak.

Our salad was a salad (though it wasn't bad) - bring on the meat! I'll start with my favorite - Char grilled Chicken with Kumquat Lemongrass dressing. I joked on the radio today that I thought they were funny tasting tomatoes, but after your waiter pours the wine like mine, you might mistake them yourself. Anything cooked with kumquats has a special place on my list. This was delicious and just tart enough. We also tasted the Red Curried Duck. Curries are different based on the region, and you can find more information about them here. All you need to know was this one was good. I had to avoid the pea side dish because of my allergies, but the ginger friend rice was a nice substitution.

I wish I could say I passed on dessert, but I didn't. I even took home some of the cookies for the next day to help me enjoy cleaning. I was pleasantly surprised that Ovaltine could be combined with bananas and spiced milk chocolate. I believe my sentiments were best summed up by, "More Ovaltine, please!" The Thai Jewels and Fruit (pictured, right, bottom) was interesting and not to miss. It is crushed coconut ice, mango, passion fruit and palm seed.

Spice Market is the perfect spot for a date - the atmosphere, service and food are all top notch. You will need to plan ahead if you are on a budget, but it is worth the spend.

With Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's permission, I share these recipes here. Notice my favorite, Char grilled Chicken with Kumquat Lemongrass, is there. Enjoy!

Spice Market
188 14th Street (in the W Hotel)
404.549.5450
www.spicemarketatlanta.com

What's Going On?

Friday, Month, 2008 – Thursday, Month, 2008
Coming out with Hot Gay Joe

Think you know what is hot in Atlanta? Have a favorite restaurant for me to try? Submit it here (http://tinyurl.com/HotGayJoe) or send me an e-mail (hotgayjoe@gmail.com) and let me know about your upcoming event or favorite restaurant

The Color Purple

• The Fox Theatre
• July 15 - August 3 evening and matinee shows
• $29.50 - $67.50
• The national Broadway tour that debuted at the Alliance Theatre in 2004
• Based on Alice Walker's inspiring novel
• 404.252.8960
• www.foxtheatre.org

National Black Arts Festival Artists' market

• Georgia World Congress center
• July 24 - 27 (see site for times)
• COST
• Find great artists from around the world; wood, ceramic, jewelry and more
• Just one of many events taking place this week, visit the site for more
• www.nbaf.org

Where in the World is Hot Gay Joe?
Joining Hearts 21

• Atlanta Civic Center Plaza
• Saturday, July 26, 4:00 - 11:00pm
• P$50 in advance, $60 at the door (Tax deductible donation)
• Join DJ Ronald Belmares and you closest friends to dance your way to help Atlantans living with HIV/AIDS
• www.joininghearts.org

Where in the World is Hot Gay Joe?
Out & About @ Shout

• Shout in Midtown
• Sunday, July 27 4:00 - 7:00pm
• $5.00 donation at the door, benefits For The Kis in All of Us
• $5.00 Finlandia drinks, free t-shirts (while the last) and your frined onthe coolest patio in town
• www.forthekid.org

Need to Know - FREE Museums

• First weekend of every month
• Anyone who has ANY Bank of America card
• More than 70 museums across the country (three in Atlanta)
• Fernmank, Atlanta Histiry Center, Botanical Gardens
• http://promotions.bankofamerica.com/museums

Under the Bigtop; You're the Ringmaster

• Imagine It! The Children's Museum of Atlanta
• Now through September 14
• $11.00 for all 2 and up
• Circus fun and healthy eating, rolled into one
• Clown boot camp every Monday @ 2:00
• 404.659.KIDS (5437)
• www.imagineit-cma.org

Lawrenceville Ghost Tours

• Begins at the Aurora Theatre
• Friday & Saturdays @ 8:30 pm through September 27
• $12.00 for adults, $9.00 for the kids
• More than 200 years in the making, lean about the paranormal city of Lawrenceville
• 678.226.6222
• www.auroratheatre.com

Restaurant of the Week – Spice Market

• 188 14th Street (in the W Hotel)
• Talk about an entrance - from the lobby of the hotel
• Some of my favorites: the samosas with cilantro yogurt, chicken with kimquat lemongrass dressing and port satay
• Family style dining and a 20-minute, Bento box lunch.
• 404.549.5450
• www.spicemarketatlanta.com
  

Movies Under The Stars

This Saturday @ 9:00 pm Star 94 is coming to your neighborhood with FREE Movies on Saturday nights this summer! Movies start at sundown, around 8:30pm. This time will change as the sun sets later. It's Star 94's Movies Under the Stars. We'll bring our giant 40-foot screen to a park near you. Bring your blanket, lawn chairs, a picnic basket and your kids for Nim's Island at Taylor Farm Park in Powder Springs. More info @ www.Star94.com.

Italy part 1 - Roma

So they are finally here - the pictures from Italy. We had so much fun in Rome running around in our dirty clothes because Air France failed to transfer our luggage in CDG, but that wasn't going to stop us! We saw most of the timportant sites in one day - arriving early that morning and returning to our hotel after midnight. We stumbled onto the Pantheon by accident - what a surprise. Another nice surprise was the buzz we both got off just one vodka and Schweppes Bitter Lemon.

Below are the photos from our first day, including a panoramic that was assembled with Hugin and loaded with Panoye. You can also follow our adventures with the map below.








View Larger Map

Thank you for being a friend

Estelle Getty, the youngest of the four Golden Girls, died this morning. Growing up and watching the sexy single seniors in Miami, I couldn't help but wonder if my future included sholder pads and sequins. Head over to Towleroad for a nice tribute and some clips of Estelle at her best.

I'm back (sort of)

I know I am late posting pictures, but the Italian Interwebs weren't as available (or fast) as I had hoped. Pictures will be coming soon. Check back later this week for the best of Italy. In the mean time, there are some great events coming up that I will have up later this week. I am also visiting Spice Market this week for a review, so be sure to check back for the low down.

Movies Under The Stars

This Saturday @ 9:00 pm Star 94 is coming to your neighborhood with FREE Movies on Saturday nights this summer! Movies start at sundown, around 8:30pm. This time will change as the sun sets later. It's Star 94's Movies Under the Stars. We'll bring our giant 40-foot screen to a park near you. Bring your blanket, lawn chairs, a picnic basket and your kids at Town Green in Duluth. More info @ www.Star94.com.

Movies Under The Stars

This Saturday @ 9:00 pm Star 94 is coming to your neighborhood with FREE Movies on Saturday nights this summer! Movies start at sundown, around 8:30pm. This time will change as the sun sets later. It's Star 94's Movies Under the Stars. We'll bring our giant 40-foot screen to a park near you. Bring your blanket, lawn chairs, a picnic basket and your kids at Suwanee Town Center in Suwanee. More info @ www.Star94.com.

Italia

I know the posts have been a bit infrequent this week, but I have been planning a trip to Italy! I am headed there this Friday with the family for nine days. If they have the Interwebs there, I'll be sure to post plenty. If not, you will have to wait until I return. Cindy & Ray will have to manage without me for a few weeks.

Doubly Proud

This weekend the US celebrates its 232nd birthday and the (Atlanta) GLBT community celebrates its 37th (ish) annual pride. That means I'm double proud this weekend. Much like the beginnings of our country, the gay rights movement started with a few, dedicated activists who wouldn't tolerate unfair treatment from those in charge. For our founding fathers, the tyrant was the United Kingdon; for the early gay and lesbain movement it was the United States (the very country founded on the belief that "all men are created equal."). July 4th and Pride are both a time for us to reflect on the past and just how far we have come. It is also a time to look to the future and see just how far we have to go - both as a country and an individual minority within that country. This weekend as you watch the rainbow colors explode in the sky, spend a minute thinking about how proud you are to be an American, and much more pride you will feel when all her citizens are equal.

Stepping off my soapbox.

Let's party! This weekend will provide you with numerous options from parades, to artsts, celebrations, music and, of course, festival food! Check back tomorrow for Hot Gay Joe's Pride Picks - my list of the must-do events this weekend.

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Restaurant of the Week

My friend and self-proclaimed stalker, Amelia, is as easy to talk to as anyone I know and just as likely to sniff out a drink special. So it didn't surprise me when she became best friends with the owner of a new Atlanta restaurant that is offering $1.00 Ketel One drinks (ALL DAY EVERY DAY ALL SUMMER). She didn't let up until I agreed to review the restaurant. Alex and I attended the opening of Zaya a few months back, and it's hard to get a feel for a restaurant at its opening party. So I went back with Amelia and Alex to sample the Mediterranean cuisine.

After a few Ketel and sodas (that are conveniently priced at $1.00) we had a huge sampling of appetizers (still 1/2 price until 7:00 pm M-F). My favorite were the cheese fingers and the drunken halloumi (cheese flambe on a tomato with garlic sauce). We also had a huge bowl of yogurt salad and a totally new (to me) dish called stuffed kibbeh. It is lean beef and onions surrounded by lamb and cracked wheat. It's an item I'm sure Ill order again and again.
For the main course we had a series of kabobs and lamp chops. TRY THE LAMB CHOPS! They were tasty meat lollipops!

Finally, Tarek, brought out not one, not two but four desserts: progressive, flavored Crème brûlée, cheesecake flan and the heavenly molten chocolate cake. The absolute winner was the ashta. it is his twist on a traditional eggless custard. They make it with rose water and orange blossom, wrap it in a filo purse and bake it. It comes topped with homemade syrum and sprinkled with pistachios. If I hadn't eaten so much already, I would have finished it myself.
We left the restaurant stuffed just as the gays started filing in. It was really busy (especially for a Tuesday), so I'd call ahead for a reservation. It doesn't look like things are going to slow down this summer.

In summary, the service is about the only thing that can beat the great food (and $1.00 Ketel One drinks). Get your table before the place is too booked.

Zaya Restaurant
240 N. Highland, Atlanta, GA 30307
404.477.0050
www.zayarestaurant.com

What's Going On?

Premiere Party

· Georgia Freight Depot

· Sunday, June 29, 5:00pm – 9:00pm

· $35 in advance, $45 at the door

· 100% of the ticket sales go to help LGBT homeless youth (CHRIS Kids)

· Eat, drink and dance the night away

· www.premiereparty.org

They Had it Coming: The Music of Kander & Ebb

· Alliance Theatre at the Woodruff Arts Center

· Friday @ 8:00 pm, Saturday @ 2:00pm & 8:00 pm

· $25, $35 and $45 (matinee are $15, $25 and $35)

· Enjoy the music from the duo who brought us Chicago, Cabaret and Kiss of the Spider Woman

· www.agmchorus.org

Corndog-a-Rama

· All weekend (see site for times)

· Lenny’s (468 Decatur Street)

· $20 per day (multi-day passes available)

· Three stages, one bar and tons of corndogs

· Live music all weekend with new and established bands

· 404-577-7721

· www.corndogorama.com

DukesFest and Hazzard County Fair

· Atlanta Motor Speedway

· Saturday 9:00am – 10:00 pm, Sunday 9:00 am – 5:30pm

· $20, $35 for both days, <12>

· Meet the people on your lunchbox

· Get autographs from the cast, see hundreds of 1969 General Lees, stunt shows and Daisy Dukes contests

· 770-946-4211

· www.dukesfest.com

Peachtree Road Race Block Party

· Tap (14^th St. and Peachtree St.)

· Friday, July 4 @ 6:30 am

· FREE to sit (but you gotta buy your own beer!)

· Watch the healthy people run by and you eat cotton candy & hot dogs washed down with a beer

· Water for the runners both in bottles and squirt guns

· Brunch, lunch & dinner served all day

· 404.347.2220

· www.tapat1180.com

Atlanta Gay Pride

· Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center

· July 4 – 6 (see site for times and calendar)

· FREE (but your donations keep it that way)

· Parade on Sunday, booths, festival food, march, run, so much to do so little time

· Want to know my favorites, visit my blog for details on HGJ’s Pride Picks

· 770.491.8633

· www.atlantapride.org

Restaurant of the Week – Zaya

· Inman Park (240 N. Highland)

· Lunch, dinner and brunch

· Mediterranean classics (baba ghanuj and kibbeh) and some new twists (cheese fingers, yogurt salad and drunken halloumi)

· If you don’t have dessert, you are missing out – the Ashta is an amazing eggless custard wrapped in philo and drizzled with a homemade syrup and pistachios

· Don’t forget, $1.00 Ketel One drinks ALL DAY ALL SUMMER

· 404.477.0050

· www.zayarestaurant.com

Be sure to check back for all the juicy details and pictures!

Diana DeGarmo @ WetBar

Diane DeGarmo is performing @ WetBar this Saturday to benefit Atlanta Cotillion. Give me a reason you shouldn't go. Click the link for a larger image. Your $10.00 cover helps provide housing for people in Atlanta living with HIV/AIDS.

Don't have TOO much fun.

Movies Under The Stars

This Saturday @ 9:00 pm Star 94 is coming to your neighborhood with FREE Movies on Saturday nights this summer! Movies start at sundown, around 8:30pm. This time will change as the sun sets later. It's Star 94's Movies Under the Stars. We'll bring our giant 40-foot screen to a park near you. Bring your blanket, lawn chairs, a picnic basket and your kids for Bee Movie at McCurry Park in Fayetteville. More info @ www.Star94.com.

Screen on the Green

This week is your last chance for Screen on the Green at its new (and hopefully temporary) home, Centennial Olympic Park. If you are interested, pack some goodies and leave early - MARTA is your best bet. There are two stops: the GA Dome/GWCC/Philips Arena/CNN Center station on the East-West line and the Peachtree Center station on the North-South. More event info below.

• Show starts @ sundown (usually 9:00 p.m.)
• NO pets, NO glass and NO booze (but they do sell it there)
• NO high-back chairs, NO grills (as if), and NO umbrellas

Set a Record

"I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV, and while I'm surfing the interwebs, I only use Firefox. It's cleaner, faster and leaves no oily residue."

OK, that's not totally true, but it is faster and cleaner - you have to take care of the oily residue yourself. I do use Firefox because it allows me to add on helpful scripts or plug-ins that make browsing easier and less time-consuming, it is more secure and easier to mersonalize that some other, un-named browsers. Plus it doesn't hurt to stick it to the big guy every once in a while.

Today is Firefox Download Day. You can get in on the action by downloading the latest version of Firefox to your computer while setting a world record for the most downloads in a single day! Some other crazy records are included here. Are you ready to try? I promise it won't hurt!

Screen on the Green

Take a flight with ET. This week Screen on the Green returns to Centennial Olympic Park, as it will every Thursday evening Through June. If you are interested, pack some goodies and leave early - MARTA is your best bet. There are two stops: the GA Dome/GWCC/Philips Arena/CNN Center station on the East-West line and the Peachtree Center station on the North-South. More event info below.

• Show starts @ sundown (usually 9:00 p.m.)
• NO pets, NO glass and NO booze (but they do sell it there)
• NO high-back chairs, NO grills (as if), and NO umbrellas

What's Going on?

Friday, June 13, 2008 – Thursday, June 19, 2008
Coming out with Hot Gay Joe

Mamma Mia!

• Fox Theatre
• Nightly through Sunday
• $35.00 - $64.00
• ABBA’s best songs told on the big stage
• 404-817-8700
• www.FoxTheatre.org

True Colors

• Chastain Park Amphitheatre
• Monday, June 16 @ 7:00 p.m. (doors @ 5:30 p.m.)
• $39.50 - $79.50
• Time to drop names, Cyndi Lauper, B-52’s, Rosie O’Donnell and Carson Kressley
• A great show that also benefits the Human Rights Campaign (www.HRC.org)
• www.turecolorstour.com

Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall

• Ball fields at Heritage Park (101 Lake Dow Road in McDonough)
• All weekend (see website for times)
• FREE
• Regardless of your political views on the current wall, this is a powerful memorial
• 3/5 scale of the monument in Washington, D.C.
• https://hcwebb.boca.co.henry.ga.us/news/articles.aspx#924

Summer @ Zaya

• 240 Highland
• $1.00 Ketle One Drinks ALL SUMMER (I didn’t stutter)
• 1/2 price appetizers during the week
• Stay tuned for a review of the food
• 404.477.0050
• www.zayarestaurant.com

Taste of Brookhaven

• Oglethorpe University
• Saturday, June 14, 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
• $40.00 in advance, $50.00 @ the door ($350 gets you a table for six)
• Food and wine from Bones, Hudson Grille, Nava, Four Seasons Hotel, Repast, Spice Market, W Hotel and more
• Live jazz music, silent and live aution and chef demonstrations
• http://www.brookhavenartsalliance.com/tob/tobMain.html

Where in the World is Hot Gay Joe?
Martinis & Imax

• Fernbank Museum
• Fridays 5:30 – 10:00 p.m.
• $15.00, $10.00 for members
• What is there to explain – drink a martini and watch an Imax
• This week is Antarctica
• 404.929.6400
• www.fernbankmuseum.org

Restaurant of the Week – Parish

• 240 N. Highland (in Inman Park)
• I had the duck (and about three martinis)
• Alex had the (amazing) gumbo
• 404.681.4434
• www.parishatl.com

Think you know what is hot in Atlanta? Have a favorite restaurant for me to try? Submit it here or send me an e-mail and let me know about your upcoming event or favorite restaurant @ HotGayJoe@gmail.com.
Want to know what’s going on when I am not on the air? Check out my blog at http://lifesabechely.blogspot.com – leave me a voicemail, send me a message or make me your homepage.

Movies Under The Stars

This Saturday @ 9:00 pm Star 94 is coming to your neighborhood with FREE Movies on Saturday nights this summer! Movies start at sundown, around 8:30pm. This time will change as the sun sets later. It's Star 94's Movies Under the Stars. We'll bring our giant 40-foot screen to a park near you. Bring your blanket, lawn chairs, a picnic basket and your kids for Shrek The Third at Hobgood Park in Woodstock. More info @ www.Star94.com.

D-Lister on the A-List

When I saw Mamma Mia! on Tuesday, I noticed Kathy Griffin was coming to the Fox on Friday, September 5 for two shows (7:30 and 10:30). I'm getting my tickets, and you should, too! Don't forget to watch her tonight on Bravo as she hosts the A-List Awards.

Mamma Mia! (Here I go again)

On Tuesday night Alex and I saw Mamma Mia at the Fabulous Fox Theatre. WHAT A SHOW! I saw it for the first time a few years ago in London's West End, so I didn't think it could get any better. The first time he saw it, Alex thought it was cheesy, so we sat with different expectations as the overture started. By the time Sophie came out on stage I remembered why this is one of my favorite shows; it took Alex until the title song started.

The show was just as great as I remembered, and there were some surprises that I forgot about. Apart from the occasional extra loud bongo, the orchestra rocked all the ABBA classics. For those of you who don't know the story, I won't spoil it, but the premise is that a wedding is about to begin on a Greek island (not Lesbos) and they manage to seamlessly weave all the best ABBA has to offer.

If you aren't on your feet dancing by the end of the show, you have left too soon. If you have seen it, leave a comment below or a voicemail in the column to the right - I'd love to hear your thoughts.

It plays at the Fox every night at 8:00 until Sunday, June 15. Tickets are going fast (the place was packed at Tuesday's opening night performance) so get yours now - that means you, Steve! They run $35.00 - $64.00. I thought I would share another ABBA favorite below. Enjoy.

Yeah, rain!

I can't wait to check the rain barrels when I get home!

Screen on the Green

Pop, Six, Squish, Uh-uh, Cicero, Lipschitz! This week Screen on the Green takes us to 1920s Chicago. Don't forget the new location, Centennial Olympic Park. The party continues every Thursday evening Through June. If you are interested, pack some goodies and leave early - MARTA is your best bet. There are two stops: the GA Dome/GWCC/Philips Arena/CNN Center station on the East-West line and the Peachtree Center station on the North-South. More event info below.

• Show starts @ sundown (usually 9:00 p.m.)
• NO pets, NO glass and NO booze (but they do sell it there)
• NO high-back chairs, NO grills (as if), and NO umbrellas

Where in the world is Hot Gay Joe?

Watching Mamma Mia, that's where! I will be be at the Fox Theatre tonight for the opening of Mamma Mia. If you haven't seen the show (or want to see it again), tickets are still available. The details are below. I guarantee you will be dancing in the aisles by the end of the show. I'll provide more details and a review of the traveling show later this week. Stay tuned! If you need a taste of the music, I posted a video below.

Fox Theatre
June 10 - 18 @ 8:00 pm
$35.00 - $64.00

Movies Under The Stars

This Saturday @ 9:00 pm Star 94 is coming to your neighborhood with FREE Movies on Saturday nights this summer! Movies start at sundown, around 8:30pm. This time will change as the sun sets later. It's Star 94's Movies Under the Stars. We'll bring our giant 40-foot screen to a park near you. Bring your blanket, lawn chairs, a picnic basket and your kids for Horton Hears A Who at Boundry Waters Park in Douglasville. More info @ www.Star94.com.

The Drought (isn't that over?)

No, it isn't, so quit washing your driveway with the hose!

If you missed the article in the AJC, then you might want to take a look. Sonny's praying wasn't enough to rid us of the drought (or the gays), so now it's time for us to bring in the the folks from whom we stole the land and see if they can fix it.

Below is a Google map created by Water Crunch. It outlines the locations of the water wheel that took place over the weekend. If you haven't installed your rain barrels like I did, you better get 'er dun!

[via Water Crunch]


View Larger Map

Screen on the Green

Screen on the Green is back with Big Momma's House. Its new home is Centennial Olympic Park. Every Thursday evening Through June. If you are interested, pack some goodies and leave early - MARTA is your best bet. There are two stops: the GA Dome/GWCC/Philips Arena/CNN Center station on the East-West line and the Peachtree Center station on the North-South. More event info below.

• Show starts @ sundown (usually 9:00 p.m.)
• NO pets, NO glass and NO booze (but they do sell it there)
• NO high-back chairs, NO grills (as if), and NO umbrellas

What's Going On?

Friday, May 30, 2008 – Thursday, June 6, 2008
Coming out with Hot Gay Joe

Sweeny Todd, The demon Barber of Fleet Street

• Fox Theatre
• Now through Sunday (Fri @ 8:00p, Sat @ 2:00p & 8:00p, Sun @ 1:00p & 6:30 p)
• $19.00 - $55.00
• It won a Tony, it is a movie, and now you can see the original stage show
• 404-817-8700
• www.FoxTheatre.org

Rock & Republic Fashion Show

• Pure (2793 Clairmont Rd., Atlanta, GA 30329)
• Saturday May, 31 @ 11:00 pm
• FREE before 11:00 (text “tuckerkent” to #46786 for pass)
• Hot fashion, hot models, and the Morning Mess (2 out of 3 ain’t bad)
• 404-633-5020
• www.TuckerKEnt.com

Rocky Horror Picture Show

• Plaza Theatre (1049 Ponce De Leon Ave., Atlanta, GA 30306)
• Midnight, Friday, May 30
• You know the drill: It's just a jump to the left, And then a step to the right
• Real actors AND the movie!
• Description
• 404-873-1939
• www.myspace.com/lipsdownondixie

SmallDogs and Sommeliers

• Zoo Atlanta (Conservation ARC Building)
• Saturday, May 31, 6:30 – 9:30 pm
• $100 donation to Small Dog Rescue
• Fine wine, fine food, fine company, and a fine time for a very fine cause
• You might even hear a familiar Star 94 alum…
• www.SmallDogHumaine.org or www.SDRSpring.com

Pop Art @ The World of Coke

• The NEW World of Coca-Cola
• Everyday
• $9.00 (kids), $13.00 (seniors), $15.00 (adults) (they have group rates)
• The WOCC just celebrated it’s first birthday with a new (local) exhibit
• Artist Steve Penley, famous for his Coke bottle paintings, is now in the Pop Art Gallery
• www.WOCCAtlanta.com

Sex and the City

• All over (but good luck getting a ticket)
• Starts this weekend
• The girls are back together, and you don’t want to miss it

AVP Crocs Tour Pro Beach Volleyball

• Atlantic Station
• Saturday & Sunday 8:30 am & 6:00 pm, Monday 9:30 am & 2:00 pm
• $20 for general admission, $35 for reserved
• Sand volleyball means athletes, sweating, on sand!
• http://web.avp.com

Culinaire – Produced by Taste of Atlanta

• NEW World of Coca-Cola (121 Baker Street NW Atlanta, GA 30313)
• Wednesday, June 4, 7:30 cocktails, 8:00 – 11:00 main event
• $75 per person
• From the people who bring us Taste of Atlanta, try this appetizer
• 17 types of food from some of the best restaurants in Atlanta
• Chima , Dolce, Geisha House , Prime Meridian, Taverna Plaka, The Feed Store and more
• www.TasteofAtlanta.net/culinaire

Think you know what is hot in Atlanta? Have a favorite restaurant for me to try? Send me an e-mail and let me know about your upcoming event or favorite restaurant @ HotGayJoe@gmail.com or you can submit your event here.

Want to know what’s going on when I am not on the air? Check out my blog at http://lifesabechely.blogspot.com – leave me a voicemail, send me a message or make me your homepage.

Movies Under The Stars

This Saturday @ 9:00 pm Star 94 is coming to your neighborhood with FREE Movies on Saturday nights this summer! Movies start at sundown, around 8:30pm. This time will change as the sun sets later. It's Star 94's Movies Under the Stars. We'll bring our giant 40-foot screen to a park near you. Bring your blanket, lawn chairs, a picnic basket and your kids for Alvin & The Chipmunks at the Horse Park in Conyers. More info @ www.Star94.com.

Screen on the Green

This week Screen on the Green returns to Atlanta in its new home, Centennial Olympic Park, with Jaws. Every Thursday evening Through June. If you are interested, pack some goodies and leave early - MARTA is your best bet. There are two stops: the GA Dome/GWCC/Philips Arena/CNN Center station on the East-West line and the Peachtree Center station on the North-South. More event info below.

• Show starts @ sundown (usually 9:00 p.m.)
• NO pets, NO glass and NO booze (but they do sell it there)
• NO high-back chairs, NO grills (as if), and NO umbrellas

A Coke and a Penley

Yesterday I had the opportunity to meet artist Steve Penley at the new World of Coca-Cola (WOCC). He was there to celebrate his new-installed exhibit on the WOCC Pop Culture Gallery. His work replaces the Andy Warhol exhibit that has been there since the new World opened last year (more about that later). The exhibit is mostly Steve's take on the contour bottle in his signature style. There is also a piece that was commissioned for the new World of Coca-Cola's first anniversary that hangs in the gallery (see picture above).

This weekend there will be special events celebrating the first anniversary of the new WOCC, so if you and your family aren't part the more than 1.2 million visitors since the site opened last Memorial Day weekend in Pemberton Place, then this might just be your chance to go. Penley will also be there on Saturday and Sunday to sign autographs.

2,000 years in the making

Last night I got a sneak peek at The First Emperor: China’s Terracotta Army. It will open at the High Museum in November 2009, but it is never too early to start planning and getting your tickets. In 1974 a Chinese farmer was digging a well when he pulled up a terracotta soldier's head. That was the beginning of a discovery that would eventually uncover more than 1,000 soldiers (with an estimated 7,000 total).
The soldiers will settle in Atlanta from November 16, 2008 – April 19, 2009. They will also include artifacts from the era, gold and jade pieces and some interesting architectural elements.

Art? In Decatur?

It's back - the Decatur Arts Festival returns for its 20th year (one more and it can finally start serving booze). It runs all weekend (Friday 5 - 10, Saturday 10 - 6, Sunday 11 - 6) with great local and regional artists, festival food (my favorite), artists' market, stuff for the kiddies, dance, film and so much more. Based on the weather, Sunday might be your best bes, followed by Saturday. Regardless of what day you choose, be sure to save some of the good art for me!

Duran :||

Only the band nerds get the joke above. Tickets are still available. Maybe you will see my Bon Jovi-lovin' boss, Kelly there with her girls.
Chastain Park
Saturday, may 17 @ 8:00
$68 - $88 (reserved) $38 for the lawn
www.livenation.com

Rain, rain come again another day!

Every one of my friends thinks we are weird because Alex and I collect water. Some people collect stamps, others phone numbers; we collect water. We are not doing it to hoard and sell to the thirsty (though that might be profitable). Instead, we do it for for our plants and for the Earth. We collect it in the shower and use it to water our trees. We collect it while the shower heats up and use it for our garden, the dog's bowl and our laundry. And yesterday we collected it from the sky (via the gutter). On Sunday we installed our two Fiskers Rainwater Collectors. They were simple to install: level the base, cut a 1.75'' section out of the gutter, insert the diverter' attach everything and pray for rain. My prayers were answered last night. Atlanta had some good rain, and just look at how much water we collected! At one point during the storm Alex went out and emptied water from the 55-gallon barrel into buckets and we collect even more. In total, we collected 140+ gallons of water. If my math is correct, that's almost $0.21 worth of water! We're rich (not really, but with no rain in the forecast this week, we will be able to water the garden without touching the hose). All you need to have your very own 'sky juice collector' is about $100 (available at Home Depot), a hacksaw (either from Home Depot or a cartoon prison cake), a drill, a screwdriver and a gutter (sorry apartment dwellers). If you are bold enough to try it, lave a comment or voicemail and let me know how it works out for you.

What's Going on?

Coming out with Hot Gay Joe Friday, May 16, 2008 – Thursday, May 22, 2008

Petapapalooza
· Suwanee Town Center Park
· Saturday, May 17, noon – 9:00 p.m.
· FREE
· Dog athletic shows, music, pet contests and more!
· Vendors, photo booth and Kevin Fitzgerald from Animal Planet
· 770.945.8996
· www.star94.com

The Eagles – Long Road out of Eden
· Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Alpharetta
· Fri., 5/16, Sat., 5/17 and Tue., 5/20 @ 8:00 p.m.
· $65 on the lawn, $185 for reserved
· New venue, new stage show, old band
· 404-733-5397
· www.vzwamp.com

Dagmar Bruehmueller – Contemporary Fine Art Exhibit
· Tongue & Groove (@ Lindbergh Station)
· Friday, may 10, 8:00 – 10:00 p.m.
· FREE
· Contemporary art, rooted in the history and culture of Brazil
· See the art and have a few drinks – bring your checkbook ‘cause you have walls to fill
· 770.328.6136
· emergingartscene.blogspot.com or www.bruehmueller.com

Barbara Walters Book Signing
· Agnes Scott College
· Monday, May 19, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
· Price
· 404-370-8450, Ext. 2225
· www.wordsmithbooks.com

Star 94’s Movies Under the Stars
· Riverside Park - Roswell
· Saturdays all summer - movie starts @ sundown (around 9:00 p.m.), but get there early for more fun
· FREE
· Resumes after Petapalooza on Many 24 – Shrek the Third
· Bring the kids, a blanket and dinner
· 404.261.2970
· www.star94.com

31st Annual Atlanta Jazz Festival
· Woodruff Park – near Five Points
· May 24 – 26 12:00 – 11:00 p.m. (see site for specifics)
· FREE
· Future of Jazz performers on Saturday, Youth Jazz Band winners all weekend
· Artist vendors, festival food, jazz education seminars, as well as a special Kids’ Zone
· Take MARTA www.itsmarta.com
· www.atlantafestivals.com

Restaurant of the Week – Veni Vidi Vici
· 41 Fourteenth Street
· Alex had the perfectly-cooked salmon
· I had steak in a spicy marinara
· HUGE wine list
· FREE valet
· 404.875.8424
· www.buckheadrestaurants.com
Don’t Forget:
· Ultimate Restaurant Week Continues
· May 18 - 23
· Three-course meals for $29 *NEW menu this week
· The Buckead Life Group Restaurants (www.buckheadrestaurants.com)

Think you know what is hot in Atlanta? Have a favorite restaurant for me to try? Send me an e-mail and let me know about your upcoming event or favorite restaurant @ HotGayJoe@gmail.com or submit it here.
Want to know what’s going on when I am not on the air? Check out my blog at lifesabechely.blogspot.com – leave me a voicemail, send me a message or make me your homepage; I post events all week long!

Lunch for $1

I told you about FREE chicken breakfast sandwiches earlier this week, but they are back! Go into any McDonald's today and buy a medium or large drink (they all happen to be $1 right now) and you can try a FREE Southern Style Chicken Sandwich. Tell 'em Joe sent you.