Al B. Hard does it Pony Style

I am pleased to announce the public availability of a site that I have been working on for over a year now. Photos of the BeltLine is a project of Ruth Dusseault, Artist in Residence at the Georgia Tech College of Architecture, designed to engage college-level students and instructors from around Atlanta in the collaborative effort of documenting the BeltLine and its surrounding territory as it evolves.

Created using the lovely Ruby on Rails, the site integrates the Google Maps API to provide a means for the photographers to place their work on a map of the BeltLine. While the current exhibition features are fairly basic, enhancements are planned that will allow visitors to more easily find photos based on several criteria, including the date they were taken and the user who uploaded them in addition to a full text search.

Beginning tonight, January 10th, there is an exhibit entitled Re\constructing Atlanta: A Contemporary Continuum at the Georgia State University Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design Gallery, located at the corner of Peachtree Center Ave and Gilmer St downtown. Coverage of the site and the event has been featured in Monday’s AJC, as well.

For more information about the BeltLine, visit the official web site. To find out more about what Ponystyle Industries can do for you, feel free to contact me at albhard@ponystyle.com.

This Saturday, August 19, I will be joining forces with some awesome local talents to present Pecan Pie Couture’s Wampum Disco Fashion Party at The Royal, downtown boogie down style. Here are some double-u’s!

• What? A celebration of Pecan Pie Couture’s Fall Line
• Who? Factory Aire (Lenny’s, CUDS, SOAP), Al B. Hard (Ponystyle Industries), Disco Goddess Ms Pope!
• When? Saturday 8/19 @ 10pm (I’m on first and Ms Pope will be spicing things up intermittently throughout the night)
• Where? 255 Trinity Ave SW, Atlanta, GA 30303 (The Royal)
• Why? Because the Good Lord gave you a booty, and you need to shake it.

DID I MENTION THAT IT’S FREE?!

So now that you are in the know, come on out and get down with us. I’ll be spinning lots of old, new and in-between disco and all that it inspires. Don’t forget to glitter up your chest for when the shirts come off and we all get sweaty together forever!

One highlight of last weekend was the collaborative yard sale that was held at Topher and David’s place. They had the entire front yard covered in everything from clothes to computers, and as things were sold a tally was kept of whose it was and how much it went for. But that was just the traditional part….

The fun began when they made a big batch of Pink Panty Pulldowns, a classic drink that I learned about years ago in a party far, far away. They were deceivingly alcoholic and delightfully pink, as usual. Of course, when drinking, it helps to have some unhealthy good-old-American hot dogs to grill, so you know that was in effect as well.

For most of the day Topher’s big ass stereo speakers were providing a pleasant musical accompaniment to the situation, and then it struck me: clearly, with the ready availability of turntables and records, we should be deejaying this operation. So we did. That made the fun move at twice the speed.

Experiencing all the buzz that came from such a thing made it obvious to me that a similar event needs to be happening in Atlanta very soon. We can hold it on the grassy lot in front of the Sampson Street lofts (or somewhere else, if there is sufficient space). We can have a barbecue and music and it will be all manner of fun. And maybe I can finally pawn off some of those records before I move!

Who’s with me?

Saturday night at the 40 Watt was pretty cool. DJ Epic opened things up to a crowd composed mostly of other DJs (me, Joe, Roux, Mahogany) and he tore things right down. Definitely a skilled worker, that one. Going to try to get a gig in the ATL worked out so he can visit.

Topher was next up to rock the spot, and he did, with aplomb. Unfortunately, the crowd didn’t have much net growth during this time, so the proper dancations could not seem to get off the ground. Our best guess about the lack of crowd was something about people resting up for next weekend, which is Athfest. That seems like a crock, though, because who the heck needs to rest for an entire week in advance of something that you’re staying in town for in the first place?

Mahogany definitely put down some exciting jams. Lots of disco-flavored soul and the dance moves to match. The crowd finally started dancing at this point, and after a wedding party arrived and doubled the numbers, things got pretty darn fun. It was definitely a sweaty good time.

Stay tuned for details of the potential upcoming ATL Deejay extravaganza.

I don’t know what you’re thinking of doing this Saturday night, but cancel it. Come with me to Athens for an evening of dancetastic soultacular groovin’ and shakin’ with my main man Topher and friends. From the Flagpole:

DJ EPIC, DJ ROUX & DJ MAHOGANY

(40 Watt) Tonight’s multi-tiered dance party offers a variety of sounds. Athens newcomer DJ Epic mixes anything and everything, from pop to soul to hip hop to country, smoothly blending beats. DJ Roux focuses on hip hop, dance and classic rock, and DJ Mahogany delivers his well-known mix of classic soul and funk and will work some “sweetly nasty” classic hip hop into his set. “All three of us will be spinning mostly vinyl all night long,” says DJ Mahogany. “There is a slight possibility that towards the end of my set that I will invite the other two deejays back out and we’re going to beat match vinyl literally off the cusp.”

Depending on the scene, I might even get up there and throw it down. Or perhaps I’ll play a behind-the-scenes Afrika-Bambaataa-style selector role. ZULU!

Today is opening day for Al Gore’s new film "An Inconvenient Truth" in Atlanta, at the Tara. I have a ticket for the 10 o’clock show, as do some other cool people I know. It should be fun. You should get a ticket too!

In related news, the film has been grossing more per-screen than any film in the country for the past two weeks, averaging $17,615 at only 77 locations last week. By comparison, the top grossing film, "The Break Up," averaged $12,760 per screen at 3070 locations.

I’ve also been reading the book version, which is like a coffee table book on science. I look at the pretty pictures and graphs that spell doom for humanity and am inspired. Try it!