November 10th - NuPop Movement Launch @ Wish

If you think about it, celebrities are those individuals who are celebrated because they dared to act or rather dared to convert their dreams into reality. The rest of the things we applaud them for are actually those attributes that WE project upon them. For instance, while living in Los Angeles, the level of disappointment I experienced after encountering a celebrity in real life never ceased to amaze me. I always expected for that movie star, or TV star or rock star to radiate some sort of mysterious oozing "it" factor. Following so many disappointments, I realized that this was unfair of me. Alas, they are ordinary people who are shorter, fatter, funnier looking and far less charismatic than their on-camera or on-air persona portrays them to be. And...they always look extremely annoyed. In person, they can't actually be their real selves because they have to deal with the fame bi-product of whatever dream they dared to chase. That must suck. Imagine having to deal with constant critique and ignorance-based judgement. I believe VIP exists for celebrities primarily to protect them from the unreasonable assault on their character. I only recall meeting one celebrity unaffected by the fame. That's Warren G. That fool will dance in the smack dab of the middle of any party with his arms raised up all night. Maybe that was his dream.

Anyhow, the annoyance factor was in full effect after dragging my ass, in the rain, to Wish in Little Five Points for the launch of a new Hip Hop inspired wrist watch entitled NuPop Movement. (Thanks, Erica for the invitation. I regret that we didn't get a chance to meet in person.) Apparently the Hip Hop community has a thing for watches with huge faces. Them and my momma. For real. My mom loves big faced watches. She can see the numbers better. Evidently Jermaine Dupri partnered with jeweler Pascal Mouawad to create this big faced fashion statement for the masses ...and my mother.

I walked in to find J.D., Monica and Big Boi posing for pictures in front of the makeshift red carpet while everyone else pretty much lined the walls gawking at them. Of the three, Big Boi looked the most annoyed. Dupri appeared to be making the most of the situation while Monica smiled fiercely and avoided eye contact. I took a couple of pictures. Looked at the big faced watches and then bounced to go see The Men Who Stare at Goats with my boyfriend. The movie proved to be an interesting take on existentialism. We enjoyed it.

Jermaine, Monica, Big Boi, thank you for sharing your time to be gawked at by members of the pain-in-the-ass general public. J.D., I hope you sold and continue to sell many watches. Big Boi, I can't wait for your next Outkast and/or solo project. Monica, I can't say that I'll be watching your show but your makeup was impeccable and I wish you the best. Um....keep standing. (???) As for the launch party itself, C'MON! We can do better! Handlers, Wish, whoever, we are dream chasers who make things happen. Here are a few event planning tips for next time.

1. Have some got-damn security at the door! Any deranged stalker could have walked in unchecked with an AK-47 under his coat, a Glock in the small of his back and a knife on his ankle.

2. Make sure you have someone stationed at the door to officialy greet any representatives of the media who dared to come out. Media amplifies your brand and helps you continue to finance the pursuit of your dream. You want to make sure your publicists build those relationships on your behalf.

3. You are or represent stardom, so wear it with pride. There are several liquor companies that would have gladly donated some of their product for the purpose of reaching your audience. That liquor could have moistened your guests' throats and buying attitudes. Additionally, your handlers could've negotiated some butler passes with hors d'ouevres to really finesse the money out of party-goer pockets. Why the hell do you think that fish Paris Hilton leaves the house every day without a red cent on her?

4. It was bright as hell in there! Everyone could see everything and therefore had no real incentive to circulate throughout the party and discover. Illuminate the red carpet and the merchandise ONLY.

5. Partner with a charity and do a dollar coat check or something during cold or rainy seasons. In this way, you make your guests (aka prospective buyers of your big faced watch and other merchandise) comfortable AND you build good will. Plus you get additional publicity through whatever promotion the charitable cause does independently.

And I'm spent.

July 15th - Ozlo @ Vortex Bar and Grill

This past Wednesday, I was supposed to go to this 30+ ATL event but it was all the way the hell out in Lawrenceville, which is an hour away from where I sleep. I had every intention of going but I made the mistake of stopping at Ikea first. After seeing this woman wearing the most ridiculous pair of pants ever and still being rather new to these here parts, I decided it was a bad idea to travel that far after 9:00pm. I didn't want to waste the night so I headed on over to Little 5 Points grooving to Maxwell and Vikter Duplaix .

I have been threatening to go to Vortex Bar and Grill for the longest and since I was flying solo, I just went ahead and made it happen. I walked through the skull's head and was delighted at the sight of tater tots on a few of the diners' platers. I love tater tots. Yum. I found a suitable seat, ordered a Rum Runner and a plain burger with tots and couldn't believe what I was hearing. In the corner, situated next to the fire exit, was a guy strumming his guitar and singing what sounded like the intro to LL Cool J's Mama Said Knock You Out. It was. I laughed. That song was followed by J Kwon's Tipsy, DJ Khaled's I'm So Hood (video below), Sir Mix-A-Lot's Baby Got Back complete with the spoken intro, an original ode to marijuana and Ginuwine's Pony.

The guy's name was Ozlo and I was so thoroughly entertained by his musical stylings that I bought him a shot of Jameson's. Turns out that Ozlo was an employee of Vortex and plays at the bar every Wednesday. Evidently, he travels all over Atlanta and delights barhoppers with his hip hop covers at several different venues. And this is yet another reason why I love this country. We create the best music in the world because of the intermingling and influences of so many different cultures. Music appreciation and interpretation transcends our apparent differences which is why there are such genres of music as Blues Rock and Gangster Grass. Anyway, please enjoy Ozlo's video below.

(Ozlo, dude, you killed it. I'm going to come see you again soon!)

June 17th - DJ Romeo Cologne's Funk Disco Party @ The Star Community Bar

Tuesday night did not end with Apache Cafe, but rather fell into early Wednesday morning. When one is betrothed to a wilder and more extreme night owl than oneself, the partying does not and will not stop until the both of you fall out. Hence, we left Apache Cafe and headed for Little Five Points with no particular destination in mind. As we drove down Moreland Avenue, we heard the unmistakable crooning of Michael Jackson wafting out of what looked like a total hole in the wall. However, people were still streaming inside, so we flipped a bitch, parked and made our way to The Star Community Bar.

Unbeknownst to us, the party had been going since 10pm. It was approximately 1:50am. As we made our way to the door we overheard a young lady and five guys trying to determine who was the least inebriated and therefore the most capable of taking the young lady home. She was, and I quote, "drunk off her ass" to which one of the gents replied "Oh, I'm not that drunk, I swear." I haven't checked the papers to see how that whole episode played out.

Sweets walked in, scoped the packed dance floor, made room for us and then we commenced to cutting the proverbial rug. About twenty minutes later, we were drenched with sweat, smiling, spinning around and generally having a fine time. We managed to attract a group of chicks who were celebrating their totally sauced friend's 21st birthday. That girl was very tall and very wasted. We were happy for her despite the several times she nearly fell on us and killed us.

The best part of all was the DJ. I later learned that his name was DJ Romeo Cologne and he hosted the weekly Funk Disco Party. I wished like hell that my sister would have been there. She's a child of the 70's for one and always waxes poetic about that era's party scene. Additionally, around the DJ's neck was a NECKERCHIEF! I've never seen any presumably heterosexual male, besides Charlton Heston in Soylent Green, wear a neckerchief. I don't know what purpose a neckerchief serves. All I know is that it took all of my will power to avoid pointing, laughing or screaming "It's made out of people!!!"

June 14th - Moods Music @ Little Five Points

Nothing captivates, motivates, communicates, inspires, relaxes, intrigues, revives or grooves like good music. Every night that I visit a dance club, I put my faith in the DJ to get me exactly where I need to be. I NEED to be high, free, moving my body, stretching, flowing, and letting go of my cares inside the womb-like warmth of a jammin -ass melody wrapped around a smooth beat. That's probably why there's been so many odes to DJs. DJs save lives. They can hype a crowd, unite a crowd, rock a crowd, calm a crowd. Due to their knowledge of music, they truly possess a unique power. After a career of spinning tunes, it is this most exquisite gift that prompted Darryl "D-nice" Harris to dream and realize Moods Music.

Moods Music, nestled in the soul of Little Five Points, is not your ordinary record outlet. At the respectable age of eight, the establishment is comparable to a fine wine shop. You come in. You enjoy the ambiance. You peruse the racks for that special gem. You check out the new. Reminisce over the old. Get recommendations of what would go well with dinner. Sample the goods. Chill and savor the flavor. Swap stories and exchange pleasantries with other connoisseurs. Hear about upcoming events to further whet your appetite. It's so cool. Additionally, no matter what day you visit, the cats behind the register know exactly where to find that obscure artist whose name you forgot but whose song you can't get out of your head. This is your destination for those hard-to-find grooves and the jams that you love that "don't be gettin' no airplay."

Yes, people still purchase CDs. Moods doesn't try to compete with itunes. Rather, it uses the electronic jukebox as an on-site tool to further promote its stock. I think that's a fine display of marketing savvy. In true entrepreneurial spirit, you'll also find incense, perfumes, lotions, candles, jewelry, t-shirts, and a cafe. LOL! I'm not complaining at all. I don't know anywhere else where you can find 100 sticks of incense for $5.00. Additionally, when I want to tempt my honey into the sins of the flesh, I dab on a scent called...um...Pussy. Thanks Moods.

This evening, as I walked down Euclid Avenue with my best friend, we dipped into Moods to scope out some jams and ended up staying for a live concert. The artist was a neo-gospel singer named Sonya McGuire . Her voice and accompanying musicians reminded me of a cross between The Clark Sisters , Cece Winans and Jill Scott. The performance was awesome. The songs were heartfelt . Truly touching. At the end, we scooped Sonya's My Journey CD to add to the family collection. If you like the sample below or even if you just want to check out the spot (which I strongly suggest for any music addict), get yourself down there and tell them OutPast30 Lady sent you. Who knows. You just might spot me there one Sunday inhaling Nag Champa.