ABOUT TOWN: Kicking off 2024
Session musician J. Wilms launches a solo album with two hometown shows, plus other happenings during this first month of the New Year
Session player J. Wilms, better known outside of Atlanta rather than in the city he now calls home, is performing two local shows in January to promote The Fighter, his third solo album. “If you search me around the internet, you might find anything from crazy free jazz stuff to classical compositions to some more straight-ahead jazz stuff,” Wilms says in a recent interview. “This is a departure from all of it.” He calls the songs on the new record “stripped down, simple and honest,” and adds, “I was just trying to make a really straightforward record that could hopefully speak to some people that were going through some stuff.”
An Atlanta-based multi-instrumentalist, Wilms has worked with Beyonce, Chico Hamilton, Bebel Gilberto, TV On The Radio, and Run The Jewels, for whom he created a string and brass arrangement for the song “A Few Words for the Firing Squad.” He played bass in the touring band behind the musical Fela!, appearing alongside Patti LaBelle and Fela Kuti’s son Femi Anikulapo-Kuti, as well as plucking the same instrument for ABC’s The Gong Show; Wilms also was a guitarist for the orchestra in Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History Of Popular Music on HBO.
Much of this work was undertaken in New York City, where he lived for years until the pandemic soured him on the place. In an email to Creative Loafing, Wilms writes the situation “was really getting grim. A couple of people died in our building and we were in a neighborhood where they had refrigerated tractor trailer trucks with bodies near the local hospital; my daughter didn’t leave the house for two months.” He and his family’s return to the south was crucial in spurring his creativity. “Taking long walks in the relative quiet of the suburbs of Atlanta really helped me write and formulate all the songs on this record,” he notes.
Wilms is now in the midst of a project with Torbitt Schwartz, a.k.a. Little Shalimar. “A lot of people know him from co-producing Run the Jewels, but he has done tons of other stuff and is an extremely versatile producer, musician, and engineer,” Wilms explains. The music they’re making is described as “a kind of modern version of krautrock instrumentals — very stoney, long-form jams.” On top of that, it’s the tenth anniversary of Wilms’ first outing as a band leader — with a jazz record called Diamond People which he is mixing, remastering, and re-releasing. “I also have a companion record to The Fighter about a third of the way in the can and plan on having that done by the summer.”
Wed., Jan. 10, 8 p.m. Buteco at Southern Feedstore, 1245 Glenwood Avenue, Atlanta 30316 butecoatl@gmail.com butecoatlanta.com
Fri., Jan. 26, 7 p.m. Atlanta Soto Zen Center, 1167 Zonolite Place, Atlanta 30306 Aszcinfo@Gmail.Com aszc.org
Through Sat., Jan. 13
Gathered VI: Georgia Artists Selecting Georgia Artists, The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia — The sixth installment of this biennial exhibition contains works by Georgia artists, featuring “a diverse spectrum of artwork including sculpture, painting, photography, textile and new media,” a press release reads. “We anticipate this year’s selections to rival past exhibitions, extolling the breadth and talent encompassed within the state of Georgia’s visual arts community.” Jurors Betsy Cain, Joseph Peragine, and Bojana Ginn chose 64 finalists from 900 artworks submitted by 324 artists across the state. Winners will be announced at the closing reception on Sat., Jan. 13 from 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. — Kevin C. Madigan
Free entry. The Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia (MOCA GA) 75 Bennett Street, Suite M-1, Atlanta 30309 mocaga.org
Fri., Jan. 5 -Sun., Jan. 7
Alex Edelman: Just For Us, Alliance Theatre — The Alliance is presenting Alex Edelman’s one-man show for a limited engagement on its Coca-Cola Stage. Just For Us picked up a Critic’s Pick from The New York Times — where it was described as “belly-laugh funny” — plus a 2023 Obie Award, and Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations. A press release says, “His singular theatrical experience is an exploration of identity and our collective capacity for empathy.” Edelman, a Bostonian, found early success in Britain where he was named Best Newcomer at the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and subsequently hosted a BBC Radio 4 series called ‘Alex Edelman’s Peer Group.’ He has written comedy for television shows in the U.S. such as The Great Indoors and Teenage Bounty Hunters. Prior to Just For Us, he toured with the shows Millennial (2014–2015) and Everything Handed to You (2015–2016). Alliance Artistic Director Tinashe Kajese-Bolden calls Just For Us “Equal parts comedy and social critique, as comedic as it is courageous.” — Kevin C. Madigan
$35 - $125. The Coca-Cola Stage at Alliance Theatre. Woodruff Arts Center, 1280 Peachtree Street, Atlanta 30309. 404-733-4600. alliancetheatre.org.
Sat., Jan.13 - Sat., Feb. 24
Works by Benjamin Jones and Shawn Campbell, Whitespace Gallery — The work of two innovative Georgia artists comes to Whitespace in January. Benjamin Jones’s second solo show at the venue, Welcome to the Theater, features mixed media and new sculptures. It’s said to “mix whimsy with fear, demons with compassion, joy with despair,” reflecting “the pain, isolation, loneliness, and human vulnerability, experienced during the pandemic and the subsequent hopelessness that followed as the world dissolved into political and social upheaval.”
Act 1: From Dust by Shawn Campbell, represents the myth of the American cowboy, “cultivated from dust, pushed west and back east,” a press release states. “Cowboys have been recorded on the pages of novels, projected on silver screens, and broadcasted across radio waves, all while being consumed, sold, and romanticized.” Campbell’s work focuses on mythology, propaganda, consumerism, and social class. There will be an opening reception on Sat., Jan. 13 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. — Kevin C. Madigan
Free entry. 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Thu., - Sat., Whitespace Gallery, 814 Edgewood Avenue, Atlanta 30307. gallery@whitespace814.com whitespace814.com
Sun., Jan. 14
Tamborrada Festival, Cooks & Soldiers — The city of San Sebastián (or Donostia as it’s locally known) in Northern Spain’s Basque region has more Michelin-starred restaurants per capita than anywhere in the world. The food there is astonishingly good, and I speak from experience. The annual Tamborrada Festival proudly celebrates its distinctive fare by having a 24-hour-long drum bash every January with thousands of revelers that’s easily the loudest fiesta in the whole country. Cooks & Soldiers in Atlanta, whose focus is Basque cuisine, pays homage to the occasion by inviting punters to partake of typical dishes and related libations, along with live music and general frivolity. — Kevin C. Madigan
$50 ticket includes unlimited food; $70 per person ticket includes unlimited food & drinks. 1 to 5 p.m. Sun., Jan. 14. Cooks & Soldiers, 691 14th Street at Howell Mill, Atlanta 30318. 404-996-2623 tamborrada2024.splashthat.com
Sat., Jan. 20 – Sun., Jan. 28
La Bohème, Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center — “We continue this blockbuster season with one of my personal favorites,” says Atlanta Opera Artistic Director Tomer Zvulun. “Here’s the evergreen La Bohéme in a beloved production that has been well-traveled all over the U.S.” Italian-born conductor Jonathan Brandani will lead the orchestra in performing four shows of Giacomo Puccini’s masterwork; Nicaraguan soprano Gabriella Reyes will play Mimi, the seamstress; tenor Long Long will make his house debut in the role of the poet Rodolfo; singing the role of Marcello, the painter, is Zachary Nelson, and soprano Madison Leonard will portray Musetta. “The secret sauce of a great Bohème is in the people, and this is a truly magnificent cast,” added Zvulun. “Many of them are making their first appearance with The Atlanta Opera after forging extraordinary careers in opera houses around the world.” — Kevin C. Madigan
$45+ Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Atlanta 30339. 404-881-8885 atlantaopera.org
Opens Sat., Jan. 20
Angkor: The Lost Empire of Cambodia, Fernbank Museum — How and why did Angkor fall? That’s the question posed by this documentary on the fate of the largest and most advanced metropolis of the pre-industrial world. Angkor was the capital of the Khmer Kingdom from the 9th to the 15th centuries and spanned more than 400 square kilometers. Its ruins were discovered in 1860 and the vast location, consisting of temples, basins, dykes, reservoirs, canals and communication routes, is considered one of the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia. According to Fernbank, the film reveals every facet of Angkor’s storied existence — from housing the largest religious monument in the world to building an engineering marvel, and from being the wealthiest trading center of its age to resist invading armies. The documentary has an open-ended run at the museum. — Kevin C. Madigan
General admission tickets include the film in the Giant Screen Theater: $25.95 for adults, $24.95 for seniors, $23.95 for children ages 3-12, free for children ages 2 and younger, and free for Fernbank Members. 767 Clifton Road, Atlanta 30307 fernbankmuseum.org
Sun., Jan. 21
Jonathan Van Ness: Fun & Slutty Tour, Symphony Hall — Van Ness is a best-selling author, hair guru, online host and television personality, best known for the Netflix series Queer Eye, the web parody Gay of Thrones, and the Getting Curious podcast. He is also, as he told The New York Times in 2019, an “effervescent, gregarious, majestic center-part-blow-dry cotton-candy figure-skating queen.” His stand-up comedy show contains humor that is intended solely for adults, producers warn. — Kevin C. Madigan
$49.75 - $249.75 7 p.m. Atlanta Symphony Hall, 1280 Peachtree Street, Atlanta 30309 aso.org
Thu. Jan. 25 - Sat., Jan. 27
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Fox Theatre — Ailey’s dance company returns to the Fox as part of its 65th Anniversary North American tour, led by Artistic Director Robert Battle, with differing schedules each evening. On opening night, Thursday, Jan. 25, Ronald K. Brown’s new piece Dancing Spirit is going to be followed by choreographer Kyle Abraham’s Are You In Your Feelings?, “a work celebrating Black culture, Black music, and the youthful spirit that perseveres in us all,” an announcement says. It’s scored as a mixtape of soul, hip-hop, and R&B featuring, among others, Kendrick Lamar, Jhené Aiko, and Erykah Badu.
A world premiere of Century, Ailey Artist in Residence Amy Hall Garner’s first work for the troupe, will open the show on Friday, Jan. 26. The piece is inspired by her grandfather’s 100th birthday and is set to the music of Ray Charles, Count Basie, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and others. Century will be followed by Me, Myself and You, described as “a dreamlike duet about reminiscence” choreographed by former Ailey dancer Elizabeth Roxas-Dobrish. Hans van Manen’s “dynamic” Solo is next on the bill. “This explosive display of virtuosity and wit launches the performers into an exhilarating whirlwind of movement and musicality.” Friday’s program is repeated on Saturday at 2 p.m.
On Saturday evening, Dancing Spirit and Are You In Your Feelings are on the schedule. The finale each night will be, as always, Ailey’s own Revelations, a perennial since its debut in 1960. It “pays homage to the rich cultural heritage of African Americans while exploring the emotional spectrum of the human condition.” — Kevin C. Madigan
$34+ See website for details. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta 30308. 855-285-8499 foxtheatre.evenue.net alvinailey.org
Fri., Jan. 26
Nikki Glaser: The Good Girl Tour, Symphony Hall — Glaser’s style of comedy has been described as “shockingly honest” and designed to “help keep listeners sane, well-informed, and laughing through life.” She hosts three hit podcasts, produces the HBO Max reality dating series FBOY Island and stars in the E! sitcom Welcome Home Nikki Glaser. Her press release adds, “Nikki has multiple stand-up specials and late-night TV appearances in which she jokes about her most humiliating moments as a woman in the modern world.” — Kevin C. Madigan
$39 - $159. 7 p.m. Atlanta Symphony Hall, 1280 Peachtree Street, Atlanta 30309. 404-733-4800 aso.org
Tue., Jan. 30 – Sun., Feb. 25
Hamilton, Fox Theatre — Based on Ron Chernow’s biography, the life of founding father Alexander Hamilton is told and sung in two acts, detailing his involvement in the Revolutionary War as an aide-de-camp to George Washington, his marriage, his career as a lawyer and treasury secretary, and his ultimately fatal feud with U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr. The show made its debut off-Broadway in 2015 and was an instant smash. At the time, composer and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda said Hamilton is about “America then, as told by America now.” Direction of the touring production is by Thomas Kail, choreography is by Andy Blankenbuehler, and musical supervision and orchestrations are by Alex Lacamoire. — Kevin C. Madigan
$39 - $179 - $199. There will be a lottery for 40 $10 seats for all performances. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree Street, Atlanta 30308. 855-285-8499 foxtheatre.org/hamilton