Listen to the full episode here
Or choose a segment below
Act One:
Grant Park’s monthly gathering of the Biological Misfits has no musical boundaries
Act Two:
Fernbank Museum of Natural History is set to embark on a two-year transformation
Act Three:
Atlanta author Van Jensen’s “Godfall” turns an extinction event into an otherworldly mystery
Act Four:
A look at cultural events coming up this week in Atlanta includeing the Piedmont Park Arts Festival
Act Five:
Kosmo Vinyl tells us the story behind The Elgins’ “Put Yourself in My Place”
Act Six:
Atlanta author highlights must-visit spots in North Georgia mountains.
Grant Park’s monthly gathering of the Biological Misfits has no musical boundaries
The Biological Misfits at The Battery. (Dwaine Go)
🔻Jump to this act’s audio clip timestamp to hear this segment. (1:30)
Once a month in Grant Park, there is a night of music where the community appears, and genres disappear — a night where no one, not even the musicians, knows what’s going to be played. Collaboration and discovery are the name of the game when The Biological Misfits are on the bandstand. The Biological Misfits were put together by Craig M Garrett and featured the late great Malcolm Jamal Warner on bass. “City Lights Collective” co-host Jon Goode sat down with Garrett to discuss music, community and Warner.
Their next show, “The Jam,” is at Buteco on Aug. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Fernbank Museum of Natural History is set to embark on a two-year transformation
The new permanent exhibition will be titled “Changing Earth.” (Fernbank Museum rendering)
🔻Jump to this act’s audio clip timestamp to hear this segment. (12:02)
After raising $27 million, Fernbank Museum of Natural History is set to embark on a two-year transformation, the biggest since it opened over 30 years ago. To determine what improvements were needed, Fernbank reached out to its guests for opinions and discovered that accessibility and enhancing the hands-on experiences were top priorities. One of the most significant changes is adding the permanent exhibit “Changing Earth.” An additional temporary gallery and a hands-on discovery zone will also be added. WABE arts reporter Summer Evans has the story.
Atlanta author Van Jensen’s ‘Godfall’ turns an extinction event into an otherworldly mystery
Atlanta-based author Van Jensen’s new novel is titled “Godfall.” (Courtesy of MC Watts)
🔻Jump to this act’s audio clip timestamp to hear this segment. (16:00)
What do you dream of when you dream? That line comes up multiple times in Atlanta-based author Van Jensen’s novel, “Godfall.” And the answer, well, if you’re Jensen, you dream of a unique story premise so compelling that it will start a bidding war for the TV rights. “Godfall” follows the story of David Blunt, the sheriff of a small Nebraska town during the time leading up to, and following, what should have been an extinction event – a miles-long object falling from space destined to crash into the Earth. That idea alone doesn’t seem so unusual. However, when you discover what the gigantic object from outer space IS, then the book orbits into a world of its own. When “City Lights Collective” co-host Kim Drobes spoke with Jensen, the author explained how the idea for the novel originated.
A look at cultural events coming up this week in Atlanta, including the Piedmont Park Arts Festival
The Piedmont Park Arts Festival is Aug. 16-17. (Ben Dashwood)
🔻Jump to this act’s audio clip timestamp to hear this segment. (32:10)
“City Lights Collective” member Shane Harrison spends his days at ArtsATL looking for cultural events to share with readers. He joins us weekly to share highlights, and today his mix includes surreal shadow puppetry and the Center for Puppetry Arts, Jimmie Vaughan of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, and some Canadian Comedy at Atlanta Symphony Hall.
In this week’s cultural highlights:
The Essential Theatre Play Festival continues through Aug. 31 at 7 Stages Theatre.
“Unraveling” is on stage at The Center for Puppetry Arts Aug. 13 through Aug. 17. The story combines elements of sci-fi, film noir, classic film and surrealism.
Two outdoor festivals are this weekend — The Piedmont Park Arts Festival and Pigs and Peaches BBQ Festival in Kennesaw.
South of Atlanta, The Stockbridge Jazz Festival at the VyStar Amphitheater Aug. 16 and 17. Plus, Jimmie Vaughan, founder of the Fabulous Thunderbirds, is performing at City Winery on Aug. 14.
You can find all of those listings and more on ArtATL’s website.
Kosmo Vinyl tells us the story behind The Elgins’ ‘Put Yourself in My Place’
Kosmo Vinyl joins “The City Lights Collective” every Wednesday to share the stories behind the records he treasures. (Canva)
🔻Jump to this act’s audio clip timestamp to hear this segment. (38:40)
Visual artist and music enthusiast Kosmo Vinyl bought his first LP when he was nine. He spent the next several decades immersed in music and began his professional career at London’s pioneering indie label, Stiff Records. In 1979, Kosmo started working exclusively with The Clash and stayed by their side until the punk icons disbanded in 1986. Over the years, Kosmo’s record collection became legendary. In 2014, he began posting about his favorite releases on social media for his series, “Kosmo’s Vinyl of the Week,” and he joins us weekly to share the stories behind the records he treasures. This week, he tells us the story behind The Elgins’ “Put Yourself in My Place.”
Atlanta author highlights must-visit spots in the North Georgia mountains
Long-time journalist Karon Warren wrote a book titled “100 Things to Do in the North Georgia Mountains Before You Die,” outlining places to visit, restaurants to try, day trip ideas, and weekend getaways. (Courtesy of Karon Warren)
🔻Jump to this act’s audio clip timestamp to hear this segment. (42:38)
If you’re looking for a close-to-home adventure, you might consider the North Georgia Mountains. Karen Warren is a long-time journalist and resident of the area, and her book, “100 Things to Do in the North Georgia Mountains Before You Die,” outlines places to visit, restaurants to try, and day trips to take. When WABE arts reporter Summer Evans spoke with the author, Warren explained the inspiration behind the book.
Missed a show? This playlist includes our previous episodes.
Or go to “The City Lights Collective” home page.
