Year of the SoChi Cat

2009 was my PACINO year. And by that I mean fast-paced with a lot of HIGH highs and a few drained Corpses (including Grey Goose bottles & Starbucks cups) left in my wake. The cash crunch made for a bitter atmosphere that was palpable. But for me the silver lining was streamlining: Machine Gun Style!

I exfoliated the dead cells including club memberships, faux friends and the suckerfish. I learned a new meaning of “Power of Attorney” and that my Nana’s old saying, “You are who you associate with” never rang truer!

It was also the Year of the Cat. You know, the one who jumps out of the high-rise window, Reinventing himself during the slow-motion free fall, landing on his feet as a new & improved version of himself, ready to kick ass and change my world – or at least, make a difference. Call me a pussy, it was after all, the Year of the SoChi Cat!

2009 is the year that the SoChilite was born – like the Phoenix from the Ashes, Baby! I coined the term “SoChi” (South of ChiChesters Pharmacy on Vineville Ave) in an effort to recharge some batteries and refocus our view of Downtown Macon and it ended up changing my life. I became the Pied Piper of SoChi, luring people into Downtown and to their amazement, they dug it! SoChi is about pouncing out of the box and grabbing life by the tail: opening yourself up to new experiences, opportunities and people. I would even dare say Growing as Human Beings. Maconites are blessed with an epicenter of amazing historic structures and an emerging arts & cultural center. SoChi is inclusive, not exclusive, so you are all invited and encouraged to come to SoChi and SoChilize with the SoChilites.

2009 was a year of The SoChi Gallery Theme Party. Themes included The White Trash Party, Pretty in Pink, The Studio 54 Party and The Night of the Living SoChilites. These events became defined by the Grand Entrance & the Elegantly Wasted Exits post a few Signature Cocktails.

What’s so fabulous about the bastard? Everything! The Fabulous Bastard was created in my honor at the hip little SoChi eatery: Lemongrass Thai Bistro. It was described as “very complex” by B-52’s front man Fred Schneider. I describe it as “SoChilicious!”

2009 was the year that the 4th Annual Macon Film Festival put this town on the film world’s radar! Governor Sonny Perdue & Coach Vince Dooley kicked off the ’09 festival with movie stars Karen Black & Carrie Preston in tow. The festival resulted in the motion picture “STUCK!” being filmed in Macon bringing with it indie film queen Mink Stole, Karen Black and rock-n-roller Jane Wiedlin of The Go-Go’s.

SoChi was the backdrop to some other sensational events including Bragg Jam, Second Sunday Brunch, First Friday, Cherry Blossom Festival, Fired Works & Fly South Fest.

SoChilicious new restaurants including Dolce Vita Café & Bar, Lemongrass Thai Bistro, Greek Corner Deli and Macon Pizza opened and The Rookery reinvented itself. Now we need to support them with our patronage.

It is my hope that one of your New Years Resolutions will be to join The SoChi Tribe and get involved in some of the many offerings going on in this amazing town we call Home. And to make sure you know what’s going on, “Say Hello to my Little Friend”: the eBlast!

Wishing you all PEACE, LOVE & THE SoCHI LIFE in 2010!

BALLS ARE ABOUT TO DROP

New Year’s Eve in Downtown Macon Cherry Blossom Ball Drop intersection of Cherry & Third Streets. Dec. 31st. 9pm until 2010.

NYE BIG DANCE @ The Terminal Station. Dec. 31st. $40 per person/$75 per couple/Table of 8 – $300. 478-477-7764. Music by The Grapevine

Rock & Roll High Class Reunion School NYE Party @ Cox Capitol Theatre. Come as Your Future Self. Dec. 31st. Doors open @ 9pm. $15. $30 with a yearbook.

FUTURE LOVE PARADISE

Sundance Film Festival. January 21-31. Park City, Utah.

The FOODIE AWARDS @ The Grand Opera House on Jan. 24th

URBAN COWBOY theme party @ The SoChi Gallery. Friday, January 29th. Cowboy Attire. Choreographer Pilar Wilder will be conducting Boot Scooting Boogie Line Dance classes @ the gallery every Wednesday night in January prior to the event. For more info: 478-238-6630.

Macon Civic Club Annual Musical Revue. This year’s theme: “After Midnight.” Feb 3rd – 6th. Grand Opera House. Click for Tix.

Macon Film Festival. Feb. 18-21, 2010. Downtown Macon. Sponsors needed. Levels are $500, $1,000, $2,500 $5,000 & $8,000. Contact me (Terrell Sandefur) if you’d like to be a sponsor.

“On a morning from a Bogart movie
In a country where they turn back time
You go strolling through the crowd like Peter Lorre
Contemplating a crime

She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running
Like a watercolor in the rain
Don’t bother asking for explanations
She’ll just tell you that she came

In the year of the cat” – Al Stewart, 1976

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 30th, 2009 and is filed under Atlanta, Lifestyle, Macon, Publicity, Restaurants, SoChi, Terrell Sandefur, The Arts, Uncategorized, event planning. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or Trackback from your own site.