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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2007 > February > 13
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Fat Joe: Large and in charge
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Everything’s extreme with Fat Joe,” said the humongous rapper, explaining the rock-studded watch on his wrist and the doorknob-size diamond in his ear. “It’s Fat Joe!”
On Tuesday, Fat Joe and friends were ensconced in a suite at Midtown’s brass-and-marble temple of bling, the Four Seasons, promoting the video game “Def Jam Icon” that has done the impossible: It has made Fat Joe even bigger. “He’s got a couple of pounds on me,” agreed the artist formerly known as Joseph Cartagena, looking at the screen while his alter ego thrashed Red Man.
At the controls, Kudo Tsunoda of Electronic Arts guided a digitized Fat Joe, while the houses, water towers and passers-by bounced subtly to the beat of “Make It Rain,” a tune by, natch, Fat Joe. “We read the beat structure of the song,” said Tsunoda, “and it triggers the reactions in the environment.” Sure enough, cars crash and hydrants explode on the downbeat.
Other rappers doing battle with each other include Atlanta personalities T.I., Ludacris, Big Boi, Young Jeezy and Lil Jon. “I beat the [stuffings] out of Lil Jon,” said the Fat One, lamenting the fact that rival 50 Cent does not appear in this game. “A lot of people would like to fight that guy.”
Singer’s set list will be bittersweet
Atlanta singer-songwriter Guyton Maurice has one steadfast rule about performing “My Funny Valentine” Wednesday night at his holiday-themed gig at Einstein’s in Midtown. “Never make eye contact when you sing the line, ‘Is your figure less than Greek?’ ” Maurice allows, laughing. The singer’s two sets will mark a return to public performing for the pianist as he finishes the final mixes for “20 Questions,” a new studio album due in the spring. It’s been nearly a decade since Maurice’s debut recording “Fallen Angel” was released.
“I took a little break while we whittled down the 16 songs for the new album,” he explains. Tonight’s show should be notable, given Maurice’s twisted sense of humor. He’s combining sets of songs celebrating love and lamenting its loss while paying tribute to the inevitable singles in the eatery.
“Since I’ve been all three of those people and have written about all those situations, I’ll probably have something for everyone,” he says. “I have a few bitter love songs picked out, too.” One that may qualify is “Angel Eyes,” a standard that Frank Sinatra memorably committed to wax on his 1958 album “Only the Lonely,” following his very public bust up with Ava Gardner.
“It’s a song that I’ve known and loved for a long time, coming from a jazz background,” Maurice explains. “But I wouldn’t exactly describe it as a ‘slash your wrists’ song. But I know some songs that do fall into that category!”
For more info: www.myspace.com/guytonmaurice or www.napoleonmusic.com.
Blog: Our list of love songs to make Valentines by. Tell us yours.
Overscene
Barron Hilton, the little brother of Paris Hilton, supping on chicken tacos at Nava in Buckhead. As best as we were able to determine, Hilton does not share his sister’s blatant disregard for undergarments and was dressed appropriately at the fine dining establishment.
Not exactly that kind of Fender
A weekend battle of the bands fund-raiser featuring Decatur High School kids generated some loud rock music, shirtless fans (with their favorite band inked on their chests) and bemused parents, who could buy earplugs at the concession stands for $1.
Nickel and Dime Studios in Avondale Estates and Firehouse Guitars in Decatur donated prizes for the first- and second-place finishers, but perhaps the most talked about award was a so-called signed Fender.
When third-place finisher Perfect Orange unwrapped the item, the winners happily took possession of part of a 1971 Volvo.
Orange lead man Daniel Goldberg was enthusiastic: “I like it!” he declared. His fellow musicians whipped out their Sharpies and began signing, turning the rusty object into an art object. The gig benefited the DHS marching band to help pay for an upcoming trip to a music festival in Germany.
Daytona 500 honor
Country mavericks Big & Rich, who helped launch the careers of “Redneck Woman” Gretchen Wilson and Macon native Jason Aldean, will deliver the national anthem before this weekend’s 49th annual Daytona 500, organizers announced Tuesday. With a third CD due this year, Big Kenny Alphin and John Rich join several famous names already attached to the Sunday NASCAR event, which takes place at Florida’s Daytona International Speedway. Cal Ripken Jr. will be in the pace car, actor Nicolas Cage is the grand marshal, and “American Idol” Kelly Clarkson will perform in a pre-race show. Past anthem singers include Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas, Vanessa Williams, LeAnn Rimes and Mariah Carey.
Celebrity birthdays
TV news personality Hugh Downs is 86. Actress Florence Henderson is 73. Jazz saxophonist Maceo Parker is 64. “Access Hollywood” host Pat O’Brien is 59. Magician Teller of Penn and Teller is 59. Actor Enrico Colantoni (“Veronica Mars”) is 44. Singer Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty is 35.
Contributing: Richard Eldredge, Rodney Ho, Shane Harrison and news services.
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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Diners will feel the love at Souper show
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
To commemorate Valentine’s Day Wednesday, Souper Jenny owner Jenny Levison and her staff are putting down their ladles and picking up a microphone.
The soup troupe is in final rehearsals today for “Sex, Soup and That Schmuck That Left You: A Valentine’s Day Cabaret” at Andrews Upstairs in Buckhead.
But unlike most restaurant workers, Levison and Aimee Ariel, Sharon Litsky, Marcie Millard, Eric Miller, Nevin Miller, Rachel Miller, Hope Mirlis and Merrideth Ziesse are all trained theater professionals. When not facing down that scary line that routinely snakes out the door and into the parking lot each weekday, Levison and company work nights on most of the city’s stages.
“This is actually a good day job if you’re an actor,” Levison explained Monday as she and the staff sat at the Souper Jenny community table, clutching cups of caffeine. “We’re pretty flexible with the schedule, too, if you get booked for something long-term.”
For Valentine’s Day, Levison and staff are planning a parody number from the family-focused “Dreamgirls” musical, celebrating the sisters in soup.
Ziesse, meanwhile, is planning what she called “an interpretative tap dance to express the Buckhead dating scene.”
Adds Levison: “We’re trying not to be bitter, even though 90 percent of us are currently single.”
And, yes, soup will be served at the performance.
“We’ll probably do something with asparagus and rosemary, which are both aphrodisiacs,” Levison explains. “We want to do something to put people in the mood.”
And since only a handful of tickets remain, the staff is planning future performances as well.
Tickets are $40 and include hors d’oeuvres and dessert. Call 404-237-7687.
Two local kids on ‘The View’ Friday
Kate Atwood, who lost her mother to breast cancer at 12, remembers the loneliness and difficult rites of passage (buying that first bra with Dad: not so great). Atwood, now 28, started the nonprofit Kate’s Club in 2002 to give kids in similar situations a place to talk about their feelings with others their age. Atwood’s endeavor has caught the attention of comedian Rosie O’Donnell, who also lost her mother at an early age. O’Donnell invited Atwood to talk about Kate’s Club on ABC’s “The View.” It will air Friday.
Club members Josiah and Shamy Gnanamuttu, 9 and 17, of Woodstock will accompany Atwood on the talk show. The kids lost their dad to a heart attack two years ago and started coming to Kate’s Club shortly thereafter. “For us, it’s like a second home,” said Josiah, a fourth-grader at Carmel Elementary. “It makes me feel like there’s other people just like me.”
Shamy, a senior at Woodstock High School, said she’s excited and nervous about the television appearance. She’s hoping someone watching will feel moved to contribute to bigger digs for the organization, currently located in Marietta. “We’re so cramped!” she said.
Perhaps Rosie and a certain real estate mogul could bury the hatchet and come up with a solution?
Taking a bite out of Whole Foods stock
No one has to wave the latest radio ratings book at the folks at Whole Foods to demonstrate the strength of Q100’s reach this week. After a listener went on “The Bert Show” last week to extol the virtues of Cobra, a Whole Foods herbal supplement that reignited her relationship with her boyfriend, the chain sold out of the ginseng-laced stuff. The herbal remedy, marketed as a “male performance enhancer,” immediately vanished from shelves. “We had to overnight a shipment,” Whole Foods spokesman Russ Benblatt told Buzz on Monday. With Valentine’s Day looming, the high-end grocery chain finally has the product back in stock. Still, Benblatt concedes that Cobra isn’t his favorite product in the Whole Body aisle.
“We have something called Honey Dust,” he allowed, laughing. “It comes with a feather applicator. And that’s all I’m going to say about it.”
ON MY iPOD
Earth Wind & Fire singer-producer Maurice White: “John Coltrane. Miles Davis,” began the founder of the group, who oversaw the upcoming tribute to EW&F called “Interpretations,” featuring Lalah Hathaway, Dwele and others on a revised Stax imprint. “I have some of the currently popular things, too. I love OutKast. We played with OutKast. But I always go back to jazz.”
Celebrity birthdays
Actress Kim Novak is 74. Actor George Segal (“Just Shoot Me”) is 73. Actress Stockard Channing is 63. Talk show host Jerry Springer (left) is 63. Singer Peter Gabriel is 57. Singer Henry Rollins is 46. Bassist Todd Harrell of 3 Doors Down is 35. MC Natalie Stewart of Floetry is 28.
Contributing: Jennifer Brett, Sonia Murray and news services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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