Whiskey A Go-Go is a famous nightclub in Los Angeles, but this L.A. Story happened right here in Macon. The last few weeks our city has been an outpost for the Hollywood set.  Steve Balderson’s  women in prison film “STUCK!” wrapped production on Sunday.

The films lead actresses included Starina Johnson,  Karen Black, Cult Film Queen Mink Stole,  Bob Dylan’s daughter-in-law Susan Traylor, Lead Guitarist of The Go-Go’s Jane Weidlin, Stacy Cunningham (who’s parents now live in Macon) and L.A. Belly dancer Pleasant Gehman.

Kim & I hosted the cast & Crew party at my house on Friday night. Can I just say the house was crawling with some very cool cats. L.A. celebrity photographer Austin Young flew in to shoot portraits of the cast and luckily came to the dinner. I Had A GO-GO in my home!  Still wrapping my head around that while at the same time freaking out a little! A little advice on entertaining Non-Southerners…they love the BBQ from Pig in a Pit!  And just to satisfy the vegetarians, I picked up some Tomato Tarts from Fountain of Juice. All I have to say is there were no leftovers!

Saturday night was a Hollywood reprieve…The Jazz Association of Macon’s garden party was delicious. Hosts Ned & Priscilla Esser and of course Mother Nature created a perfectly perfect event…aside from the pavement diving granny.  But hey, it ain’t a party ‘til there’s some blood shed!

I hosted the film’s Wrap Party on Sunday @ The SoChi Gallery. Ok, the film IS about women in prison and they are all on death row.  The main character, Daisy, is sentenced to hang so of course I had to make a statement with my signature cocktail: The “Hangin’ Daisy.” It was lethally yum and soothing to the throat.  But I have to say the highlight of the event was having one of the film’s stars (and world-renowned belly dancer) Pleasant Gehman entertain us all with a eye-popping dance.

One more thing I must say is that all the cast & crew absolutely loved Macon!  Several did not want to leave.  So, we can all be proud of the fact that we live in a beautiful & welcoming city! We are hoping that “STUCK!” will premiere at MAGA 2010…if so it will definitely be the place to Go-Go!

See you @ the Cox Capitol Theatre on Friday. My kids are desperate to see TWILIGHT (again!)

Future Love Paradise
Mary Cassatt Traveling Exhibit @ The Georgia Children’s Museum Museum.  May 12 – 22, 10:30a-5:30p.  $3 Admission ages 2 an up.

“Twilight” @ the Cox Capitol Theatre Friday, May 15, 2009 Showings @ 7:00p & 9:45p.  Tickets are $5.00

Macon’s Midnight Rider “Trolley Bar Crawl. “Friday, May 15 begins @ 8p

College Hill Corridor’s Movie In The Park: “The Graduate” May 17th @ 8:30p. FREE Event.

Tina Turner Tribute Concert starring Las Vegas performer & Macon native Michelle Marshall.  May 23rd @ The Douglass Theatre. 7:30 pm. $20 Adults, $10 Children.  For Tickets call: 478-742-2000.

DISCO NEVER DIED. It was just Resting Up for US!  STUDIO 54 PARTY @ The SoChi Gallery is a ‘To Be Real’ deal! Friday, June 5th.  9pm until.

DISCO & DIVA’S STUDIO 54 PARTY with SHIRLEY Q LIQUOR @ Club Synergy.
Friday, June 12th. 70′s themed event so come dressed as your favorite 70′s Diva or Dude.  Cash prize for the best dressed. $10 advance tickets, $12 @ the Door.

Check out my new column in Macon Magazine called The SoChi Life premiering in the June/July issue.

DRIVE. DRINK. ZINGO. $20 plus $2 per mile.  Way cheaper than a DUI & no driving around looking for your car the next day.  They pick you up in your car and drive you home. 478-254-6555.

Spring Breaking is a challenge in this economy, but we needed to escape the pollen and recharge our batteries. We left Macon in a downpour. The traffic was at a crawl. Would we miss our flight? The car became The Little Engine that Could..”I think I can, I think I can.” Well, it couldn’t. After doling out a few bucks we got on the next flight out.

We jetted to Philadelphia on Friday then hopped a train to Bryn Athyn, PA. Old friend Missy Thorne Pendleton greeted us at the depot and whisked us off to Starbucks for my first & second Triple Venti Latte of the day! I now realize I am addicted because I was in a fog from 6a-3p without those shots of espresso!
The Sandefur 4 went to Pennsylvania for a weekend of fun, friendship & doctor appointments. The ROARING 20s Party at Cairnwood was a fundraiser for the Beaux Arts high style mansion located in a true estate setting. The place was decked out in Pre-Black Tuesday decadence.

A great Philly find: Capogiro Gelato. OK, if you love real gelato, you’ll LOVE this place. Seriously delish and ½ the fat of ice cream. They will ship up to 6 pints anywhere in the country. Their flavor list changes daily.
After a few doctors appointments at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia we hoped yet another train for New York City. We bought Business Class tickets and couldn’t find a seat. Sitting on the floor of the train’s café seemed all too Great Depression-esque! This is what I’d call the BURNT TOAST of the week. At least NYC is at the end of the track!

It may be Spring but it’s still chilly in NYC. We slipped on some outerwear and hit the streets in search of food. With the economy in the toilet New York isn’t nearly as hopping as it usually is – and dinner reservations are easy to come by. MARS 2112 was the kids’ choice. You get there via space shuttle and are greeted by aliens. Upon arriving in Mars we notice that the place is all too real…we were about the only life forms there. So apparently the bad economy is intergalactic! The $16 hamburger didn’t send me into orbit either. The server said that Brad Pitt was here with his kids two weeks ago and had to leave early because of the “fans”…I’ll say it was probably more the “Food” that made him flee. Kids will get a kick out of the shuttle ride to Mars and the Martians walking around, but this is a “must not” for Foodies.

A Foodie MUST is Serendipity 3. Andy Warhol proclaimed it his favorite sweet shop and stars still flock to this quaint eatery. The real star here is the Frrrozen Hot Chocolate ($8.50) which is one of the best things on earth and you start with that first. They have an unbelievable dessert menu but their food is scrumptious too. Try the Caviar Burger with sour cream and cucumber slices ($18.50) or the High Heel Pump Prosciutto and melted brie on raisin pumpernickel with Russian dressing ($14.50.)

I’m a blue jeans kind of guy and there is no better place to buy them than Abercrombie & Fitch on Fifth Avenue. This has got to be the crown jewel of the chain. I felt like I was at Studio 54! The music is blaring. All the sales people are gyrating models. I mean seriously, it’s had not to get your move on here. And hey, the ACF Models are live and in person here. After buying 3 pair of jeans, I felt 20 years younger.
You have to see a show while you are in the city of Broadway. We saw SHREK, the Musical and Billy Elliott, the Musical. Billy Elliott is a total MUST SEE! It’s excellent. Had my daughter not begun projectile vomiting during the show it would have been near perfection.

We got home in time for my Sunday Haircut by Jack Adams @ Chadwick Hudson Salon. Hey, eyebrow guru Victoria Wright is now there too. She’ll pluck you up.

Do You ZINGO? It’s the COOLEST new thing in town! $20, plus $2 per mile. Way cheaper than a DUI & no driving around looking for your car the next day. They pick you & your car up and drive you home. 478-254-6555. DRIVE. DRINK. ZINGO!

Join The SoChi Tribe and check out my new column in Macon Magazine called The SoChi Life premiering in the June/July issue.

tS

Future Love Paradise . . .

THE WHITE TRASH PARTY
The SoChi Gallery
Friday, April 10th
“Business in the front, party in the back!”

Thirsty Thursday hosted by NewTown Macon
The Patio behind The Hummingbird
Thursday, April 16 from 5 – 7p

FIRED WORKS pottery show & sale, April 17th -26th
@ The Round Building in Central City Park

Historic Macon’s PARTY OF THE YEAR April 25th
This year’s theme is “The Jazz Age.” Flappers & Gangsters, baby! The old Karsten Denson hardware store will become a 1920’s Speakeasy for the night.

“SoChi” (pronounced SoChee) is the new buzz word for South of Chi Chesters Pharmacy – the one on Vineville Avenue. SoChi encompasses MidTown & Downtown Macon. Folks in the know KNOW SoChi is the place to be & be seen. It’s where most of the Macon fun happens. SoChi is sort of a “Phoenix from the Ashes” rebirth sort of thing. Whatever works to get us all into the groove of making our town a hipper place to hang.

Out of this an even newer buzz word has been birthed: “SoChilite.” You are a SoChilite if you live or play (SoChilize) in SoChi. This is one label I happily embrace!

A group of us fled SoChi for Tybee Island this past weekend. It’s a one-tank trip to heaven. We pulled into town late with starving kids so we found Bernie’s Oyster Bar and chowed down. I recommend their Oyster Po-Boy! While dining with two 10-yr olds the clock struck 10p…the bewitching hour that the oyster bar becomes a booze bar! My kids were thrilled to be at a bar for the first time. We quickly finished dinner and headed out the door….only to discover a100th birthday party taking place at Doc’s Bar across the street. Who are we to deny our kids of attending a birthday party? Not us. The sign on the door read “No One Under 21 allowed” which my son pointed out … but the crowd was coaxing the kids to “come on in!” 100 yr old Miss Sylvia was playing the Moroccas with the band as she does most nights. We wished the birthday “girl” a happy birthday and departed. It was a big night…two bars in one night for the kiddies!

Tybee was hosting a media weekend and man, did they ever roll out the red carpet for us. Top media from Atlanta and Macon attended their cocktail party on Saturday night. We mixed, mingled, dined and enjoyed the new wine SASSY BITCH. Thank you Tami Fricks! You, my dear, are the sassiest! Frankly, I like it! You can pick up a bottle at Vineville Beverage. Also a thank you to the city of Tybee for sharing your vibe with us!

The Macon Film Festival (MAGA) is quickly approaching and people are asking, “What is the attire?” Answer: Film Fest Funky! The hot new MAGA T-shirt will do just fine. So…come dressed to SoChilize!

tS

Future Love Paradise . . .

The Great American Trailer Park Musical @ Macon Little Theatre
Feb 6 – 15
For Tickets call 478-471-PLAY

Father/Daughter Valentine’s Day Dance
Friday, February 13th @ Museum of Arts & Sciences, 7 – 9 pm
For Tickets & more info, call 478-477-3232 ext. 200

Macon Film Festival (MAGA)
Feb 19 – 22, 2009
If you would like to be a sponsor, please call Terrell Sandefur @ 478-238-6630. Honored Guests will include: UGA Football Coach Vince Dooley, Actress Carrie Preston of HBO’s “True Blood” and Actress Karen Black of “Airport 75” and “The Great Gatsby.”