Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 4/8/16

Around the corner, the church bell rings. Its noon in Atlanta on a dreary, fog-laden, barely spring day with all the hope that bacon will bring sunshine and happiness. Yes, bacon. That means BaconFest 2016 was upon us with all its bacon-y glory. That unmistakable sizzle, that smoky goodness, hilarious games, and pair it with beer, and that’s BaconFest.  This year, fresh off purchasing new digs, Dad’s Garage moved the festival from Masquerade Music Park to their new location in Old Fourth Ward. What’s ironic is this irreverent bunch of improvers now reside in a church. But you know, that’s how they like it… ironic. New place, same fun.

The best, and our favorite activity at BaconFest is always the Hobo Wine Tasting. We remember the first year that we attended and I was fascinated by the sheer nastiness of the wine. To think that this year’s best in show was Arbor Mist Blackberry is a travesty. In what world is Arbor Mist ever good? Whatever you do, DO NOT try the Thunderbird. It’s rubbing alcohol light. Stay away! Everything in between is pretty gross as well, Night Train, Cisco (Strawberry & Peach), Mad Dog 20/20, and Wild Irish Rose. Fun fact: Dayroom, a local Athens band from the late 90’s had a song called, Irish Rose. They talk about drinking cheap wine and waking up stinking like Wild Irish Rose. We assume they mean this drink. WHY, Dayroom, why? Drinking it is one thing, but smelling like it? Gross.

Another game we enjoyed this year was the Battle Shots. Based on the game, Battleship, opponents guessed the location of the shots on the board. If you hit their boat, they would drink the corresponding shot. If they hit your boat, you drink your corresponding shot. Yes, we can see where this would turn you sideways but it was just Miller Lite in there. It was looking like we would win but unfortunately a guy with a cat face-painted on his forehead beat us. This game wasn’t really about winning or losing, but about getting to drink all your beer in a fun, interesting way. It was fun!

We got Rick Rolled at BaconFest! In the church’s basement, adjacent from the photo booth was a Rock Band set up. While we were sitting there, we hear “Never gonna give you up…” Yep, we just got Rick Rolled. We all laughed about it. Some of the other games included human Foosball, which the ball kept coming out of the game and knocking over people’s beers or hitting them in the head. You could get a kiss from the Clairemont Lounge’s world-famous, Blondie. Yeah, no thanks. Plus, there were the caricatures, roasting, and face-painting.

All-in-all between the bacon, bacon chips, beer, games, and improv skits, BaconFest didn’t disappoint. The weather was a little misty, with light rain mixed in early, but gave way to a pretty nice day overall. It didn’t keep the bacon lovers away. The lines got long, so thank Caren West PR for Whole Hog VIP! Since there was no actual VIP, they made separate lines at all the stations for Whole Hogers to get up front. It was pretty nice! Go Whole Hog next year!

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 2/15/2016

While the low clouds and frosty morning dew have plagued the land for months, the long winter wasn’t as brutal as the one before, yet the town-folk were ready for some good old-fashioned sunshine and warmer temps. Once Atlanta Winter Beer Fest comes around, there is light at the end of the cold, winter tunnel, and it’s always the best way to kick-off festival season 2016. This year, the weather was almost warm, and the beautiful day, along with the unlimited winter beer made for an ideal Atlanta festival day. We love Atlanta Winter Beerfest!

We always challenge ourselves to find new and exciting beers to chat about and this year was no exception. Over the last few years with the local brewery phenomenon, and the bigger brands clawing to keep up, beer is getting more exciting with new and inventive ingredients to step it up a notch. Be it nuts, chocolate, and everything in between, brewers are pulling out all the stops to entice beer aficionados to buy their beer. Bring it, we say. That being said there were a few fun beers we discovered at this beer festival.

The best beer that we hadn’t tried of Atlanta Winter Beer Fest was Orpheus’ The Ferryman. This Imperial Stout has a little bit of everything from the darkness of the malt, to the nuttiness of the hazelnut, and sweetness of the vanilla. It was the right balance between the sweet and bitter. Has anyone else noticed that a lot of breweries are using hazelnuts in their brew? Monday Night’s Georgian Imperial Stout has it, as well as Southern Sky had a specialty one with hazelnut for one of its employee’s birthdays. It does ad a good flavor to it. We’ll take it!

Some other good beers we discovered were Unknown Brewing Co out of Charlotte’s Silverback Stout. It was a good drinkable stout even if it was a little bitterer, hoppy than I like. It has a lot of chocolate up front and that makes up for the bitter finish at the end. Unknown Brewing just launched in Atlanta in December so you should be able to find something yummy from them at your local haunt. We’re keeping an eye out as we’d love to try the Imperial Stouts they offer. Finally, Burnt Hickory didn’t bring my favorite, Big Shanty Stout, due to the fact it was so popular they were literally OUT, but they had a good Brown Ale called Mudhoney (yes, a tribute to THAT Mudhoney). It was a balanced beer between hops and malt that ended with a sweeter honey hint. Have we mentioned we love the rock-n-roll themed names Burnt Hickory gives all their beers? They have great selection of beers AND name them something fabulous that appeals to our love of rock! Well done, gentlemen.

http://atlantawinterbeerfest.com/

 FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://www.dadsgarage.com/

By Liz and John Attaway

There is a sign in the heart of a big city that glitters against the night sky. It is notorious for its beautiful ballets and mesmerizing musicals. The town folk all hold it in the highest regard and visit it several times a year in all their finest; ladies in their ball gowns and gentlemen in their tuxes and top hats. Just think about pulling up in a Model-T and walking down the red carpet. Those days are gone but the nostalgia and the sign still stands, as glittering and prestigious as ever. Welcome to The Fabulous Fox Theatre. Juxtaposing the beauty and prestige is Dad’s Garage, an improv troupe that is irreverent and playful, while entertaining Atlanta without any of the pretense. That’s what made the Dad’s Garage & Friends event so interesting: East meets West, North meets South, Paula Abdul’s Opposites Attract. You catch the drift. Tonight, Dad’s Garage finds itself getting all dressed up, even “Schmancy”. Well played, Dad’s Garage, well played.

To go along with their new shiny shoes and bow ties, Dad’s Garage & Friends boasted many celebrity friends that Kevin Gillese, the Artistic Director of Dad’s Garage, said “you’ll never see this combination of actors again.” That’s what I call: #truth. Of those featured celebrities were Amber Nash and Lucky Yates who voice Pam and Krieger on the show Archer from FX. Followed by Fred Willard who has appeared on TV shows from Modern Family to Mad About You to Rosanne. Colin Mochrie, a frequent Dad’s Garage visiting actor, is from the original and CW reboot of Whose Line is it Anyway. Cedric Yarbough who portrayed Deputy S. Jones/Rufus from Reno 911. Gary Anthony Williams who wore a loud pink button down voices Uncle Ruckus on Adult Swim’s The Boondocks, and was recently seen in The Internship. Last but not least, there was also David Willis, who is the voice of Meatwad from Aqua Teen Hunger Force on Adult Swim.

Beyond the celebs was some very funny skits, sketches, songs, and modern dances. My favorite skit was the Atlanta Opera sings the skit that Mochrie described as, “the first opera with an NC-17 rating.” They took audience ideas like Frisbees, Batman and the Penguin conversation, and the invention of the Cotton Gin and incorporated them into a script that the Opera singers would put their spin on. It became naught quickly. Like the Batman and Penguin skit, it was like a duck with Tourette’s. Topics ranged from friends, lovers, flying, the devil (but spelled kdevil), and cotton. I laughed so hard I almost cried when the typos became rampant and the Opera Sings had to sing the words exactly as typed. The look on their faces was PRICELESS. Worth. Every. Penny.

Keeping with the Atlanta Opera, who was a partner for the night, was the Atlanta Opera sings Jaden Smith’s Tweets. Yes, Jaden Smith of Will Smith fame. The best ones were “Most Trees are Blue” and “Dying is mainstream #money.” The Atlanta Opera wasn’t the only ones singing as Yarborough and Williams took audience suggestions and were tasked with improving a song that incorporated the audience’s ideas. A young lady in the front named “Kat” gave them the suggestion of a giraffe. They sang about this giraffe to the tune of Reggae and the funniest, Gospel Hip Hop, totally made up for this event but one part choir, one part Kayne West (who was a guest host, kind of). It was a hoot.

Beyond the song shenanigans, as advertised, the Dad’s Garage troupe did their version of “Too Many Cooks” The Musical. Of course, it started with a very large family at home. Other elements that they blended into the musical was Coat, Smarf, the cat-like puppet that reminded us for Alf, and the machete wielding killer. In “Too Many Cooks” style, (SPOILER ALERT) the killer lops the head off of a bunch of the actors and ended with him standing among the dead. I think I’ve seen this before…

A few other tidbits that were amusing included Two Lies and a Truth, where Gary Anthony Williams had the best line saying that he tried to dig his way to the devil. Meatwad admitted that he got paid in tater tots (because let’s not lie, their awesome). The segment about 1-star reviews on Yelp for Atlanta Attractions included a scathing review of the beloved Clermont Lounge. The reviewer stated that it’s “a great place to get an incurable disease.” I would admit that I wouldn’t wear opened toed shoes or a long dress there. It may stick to the floor. Shudder. Finally, we got a treat with an exclusive improved Archer scene that was specially made for the event. Lucky Yates, who voices Krieger, and Amber Nash, who voices Pam both lent their voices and it was just like watching an actual Archer episode. Krieger must have really pissed off that big cat that kept attacking him. So fun.

With a few Hitler gabs and a literal choir, the Dad’s Garage and Friends came to a close. What an enjoyable night full of laughter and wonder. We’ve actually never been to an actual Dad’s Garage show, we’ll have to get out to a show and see what they do day-in and day-out to keep so many close friends (and good ones at that). Maybe once they take over that church in the Old Fourth Ward. Dad’s Garage has been around since 1995. They used to be located in Inman Park and have been displaced recently to perform at 7 Stages Theatre until their permanent home is finished. ANNOUNCEMENT: They will be opening on New Year’s Even 2015-16 in their new location! Cue the Choir.

Want to get out to The Fox Theatre? Here’s their web address to see upcoming shows and ticket information here: https://foxtheatre.org/

Can a corn dog change your life? Yes. Yes it can.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://www.hogsandhopsatlanta.com/

By Liz and John Attaway

The billowing BBQ smoke twisted its way into the clear, spring air, while meat, veggies, and even doughnuts were welcoming their finishing touches before the masses descended upon them. This year’s Hogs and Hops 2015 was a mecca of BBQ taste testing with everything from pork sausage, corn dogs, pulled pork, Hawaiian park tacos, bacon, collard, mac and cheese, wings, and even corn, donuts, and popsicles.  Beyond the cuisine, there was beer to pair and entertainment to watch. So we sipped along, chowed down, and enjoyed every savory bite.  There were so many good things to taste, we should have brought our elastic waist pants.

Let’s dive right in to the meat and potatoes of this festival: the BBQ! Of all the offerings at Hogs and Hops, Smoke Ring’s pulled pork was the of the pork BBQ category. It was slightly smoky, tender on the inside, yet a delightful crisp on the outside. It was so tender and flavorful that we had seconds. I’d have to say, my favorite overall tasting was the Pallookaville Corn Dogs. More carnie food than BBQ, it was a flavorful, salty, pork hotdog enveloped in a perfectly fried cheese batter that had a sweet, fluffy inside and crisp, fried outside. It was salty, sweet and glorious. Bravo, Pallookaville! Can a corn dog change your life? Yes. Yes it can. Now I get why your lines are epically long at festivals. Let’s not forget DBA Barbeque that brought a smorgasbord of goodies that included their deliciously delightful smoked turkey, as well as their crisp bacon. Starting with the smoked turkey, which was the best pork alternative being tender and juicy. They also were the only participant that brought bacon. That’s a win in our books.  John had about 10 helpings. I think those were probably his favorite.

Beyond the traditional BBQ offerings was Sweet Auburn’s pork taco filled with pork, sauce, and slaw. I have to say the sweet, Asian inspired slaw was the perfect topping, even go as far to say the best part of this taco. We enjoyed it! In the veggie category two stood out: Hottie Hawgs corn and Pallookaville’s Collards. The corn was the right amount of sweet and smoky, topped with butter and seasoning salt, of course, hold the butter for me. I snuck a piece of DBA’s bacon around a piece of my corn. I must say what a mashup that was! Healthy BBQ option? I think so! Then, the collards at Pallookaville were crunchy, balanced with vinegar and slight ham flavor. I’ll take a big fat bowl any day.

Deserts were scarce but they did have several King of Pops flavors and The Naked Donut Co. We love the Naked Donut Co and their donuts remind me of benefits. Little flavor pillows fried and topped with whatever you want from deulce de leche, candied bacon, cinnamon, brown sugar, to maple glaze. Too bad they were out of the candied bacon, but who could blame them they had the longest line at the festival. I bet it was divine. Picture it with me now.

One tidbit about the beer before we bring Hogs and Hops 2015 to a close: did you know Porters go well with smoked BBQ? You learn something new every day! It’s the right amount of malt that mixes with the meat’s smoke that really does it! My favorite of the porters was Jekyll’s Smoked Porter. It paired the best with the pulled pork from Smoke Ring. Reformation also had a very good stout called Stark with a good balance of malt and hops. I also discovered was Eagle Creek Puffs Magic Stout. I like Irish Stouts so-so and will drink one in a pinch but this one had more body and flavor, not as “nitro” or bland as most Irish Stouts I encounter. I also like that it wasn’t as dry.

With too much food in our bellies and some beer on our minds, I left with only one on my mind: stuffed. Can we do it again this weekend? If you find you missed out on this one and you’d like to come out to one of Atlanta Beer Festival’s other events there are many coming up including Kennesaw Craft Beer Festival on Saturday, May 2nd and then Summer Beer Festival back at The Masquerade, Saturday, June 20th. Cheers!

KUMAIL NANJIANI & THOMAS MIDDLEDITCH BIOS 

Kumail Nanjiani

A clever standup comedian with a unique cultural perspective, Kumail Nanjiani was born in Karachi, Pakistan but moved to Iowa to attend college. He had never even seen a standup comic before a fellow Grinnell College student showed him Jerry Seinfeld’s HBO special I’m Telling You for the Last Time. He was instantly hooked, but he didn’t try his hand at performing until he graduated and moved to Chicago. Nanjiani attended Second City writing classes and performed at open-mike nights around town, and then in 2007, he introduced his one-man show, Unpronounceable. In 2008, he brought the show to Los Angeles and New York City, landed a job as writer on the Comedy Central television show Michael and Michael Have Issues, and began making regular appearances on the network’s The Colbert Report. In 2010 he starred in the film Life as We Know It and in 2011 he joined Ali Baker and introduced the video game/comedy podcast The Indoor Kids. In 2013 he hosted his Comedy Central special, Beta Male, which was also released as his debut album that same year.

Thomas Middleditch

Thomas Middleditch can currently be seen as Richard Hendrix, the central character in Mike Judge’s (recently Emmy nominated) series on HBO, SILICON VALLEY. Thomas will soon be seen in the feature films, THE FINAL GIRLS, and THE BRONZE opposite Melissa Rauch from “The Big Bang Theory”. Thomas has also been featured on THE OFFICE, playing the role of Dwight Schrute’s brother, and he was “Fuzzy” in the Paramount Pictures feature, FUN SIZE.  Other film work includes: WOLF OF WALL STREET, BRASS TEAPOT, THE KINGS OF SUMMER, THE OTHER GUYS, BEING FLYNN, and SPLINTERHEADS.  Thomas is a regular performer at UCB, he is a member of THE IMPROVISED SHAKESPEARE COMPANY and creates and performs comedy shorts with College Humor.

The Improv Atlanta is located at:

More information on upcoming shows:

http://www.theimprovatlanta.com/