🎧 The rise of listening bars

Tune in to Thursday

July 18 — Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport retained the title of the world’s busiest airport with more than 104 million passengers in 2023, according to a recent industry report.

☔️ Possible showers and 90° today.

🗣️ A community forum on proposed express lanes across the top end of the Perimeter will be held from 4-7 p.m. at City Springs today. Read more in Cathy Cobbs’ account of Monday’s Dunwoody meeting.

⛪️ The historic Ebenezer Baptist Church on Auburn Avenue is one of 11 Civil Rights Movement sites that may be added to the UNESCO World Heritage List .

💵 Former Sandy Springs City Council member Chris Burnett has been appointed as the city’s economic development director.

🏌️‍♂️ Interactive retailer Golf Galaxy is opening this weekend at the under-renovation Buckhead Landing shopping center.

🎾 Venus Williams withdrew from the Sunday Showdown at the final Atlanta Open. Sloane Stephens will now play Taylor Townsend on Sun., July 21 at Atlantic Station.

🎗️ Georgia native Bernice Johnson Reagon , a civil rights activist and founder of The Freedom Singers and Sweet Honey in the Rock, died Tuesday at 81.

ELSEWHERE

🦠 The White House announced that President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday.

🗳️ In his vice presidential acceptance speech at last night’s Republican National Convention, U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance said his hometown in Ohio was “a place that had been cast aside and forgotten by America’s ruling class in Washington.” Former President Donald Trump is tonight’s featured speaker.

🏊‍♀️ Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo took a dip in the Seine on Wednesday in a bid to demonstrate the cleanliness of the river for the upcoming Olympics.

📺 “Shōgun” picked up the most 2024 Primetime Emmy Awards nominations yesterday, with “The Bear” setting a Comedy category record with 23 nominations.

🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:

• Let the music eat
• Decatur Arts Alliance galleries
• Hypepotamus story
AND
• Quick Bites

Have a good day,
Collin & Sammie

🍑 Join the ultimate celebration of Southern gastronomy at Peachfest! Atlanta’s Peachtree Center will host over 40 of the finest chefs and barkeeps on July 21. Reserve your tickets and indulge in a premium culinary adventure .

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1. Music takes center stage at these Atlanta bars and restaurants

🎹 There has never been a better time to be a music lover in Atlanta. And for those who also love dining out, the proliferation of listening rooms and weekly events such as vinyl nights at coffee shops, combine the experiences of dining, drinking, and listening to music in a communal space.

Music-oriented restaurants and bars aren’t a new phenomenon. Listening rooms, for example, date back to 1920s Japan with jazz kissas, which are still around to this day. These jazz cafes encourage listening to music played via vinyl recording or high-fidelity audio system rather than as background noise. There is minimal conversation between patrons, who sip everything from coffee and tea to beer and cocktails.

Bars and restaurants that center music as part of the experience have increased in popularity across the United States in recent years. In Atlanta, these new third spaces now include The Frisky Whisker at Underground Atlanta, Stereo in Inman Park, Commune in Avondale Estates, Propaganda in Smyrna, Echo Room at Westside Motor Lounge, and The Bassment below Apt4B restaurant in Buckhead.

🎧 More on this story here.

Redeem your E-bike rebate at ElectroBike

SPONSORED BY ELECTROBIKE GEORGIA AND MONDAY MOTORBIKES

🚲 City of Atlanta residents 18 years or older may apply for a rebate on the purchase of an electric bicycle. ElectroBike Georgia is now accepting rebates at their Beltline shop at 151 Sampson St.

⚡ “This is an excellent incentive program to get people out of their cars and onto trails and bicycle lanes,” said Bruce Riggs, CEO of Monday Motorbikes , one of the brands ElectroBike carries. “We hope to encourage other cities and communities to offer similar initiatives for people to try e-bikes. Several Monday Motorbike models are included in the Atlanta rebate, so now is the perfect time for people to hop on an e-bike and find out what all the excitement is about.”

2. Decatur Arts Alliance debuts new art galleries, artist studios at Legacy Park

VIA SKETCHBOOK, A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER | SUBSCRIBE HERE

🎨 Opening this weekend, a showcase of decommissioned #LookUpDecatur public artworks will be the first art exhibition to grace the walls of the Decatur Arts Alliance ’s new art galleries and studios in Legacy Park.

Occupying rooms within the Hyatt Cottage that also houses Paint Love , the addition of gallery spaces and studios is only one phase of a much larger undertaking for Legacy Park’s plans for their Creative Village.’

Our Isadora Pennington spoke with Angie Macon, executive director of the Decatur Arts Alliance, about this development and all of the excitement that she and her team feel as they ready themselves for expansion.

🖼️ You can read the rest of this story here.

3. Meet the 10 startups selected for Techstars Atlanta’s 2024 cohort

🎓 Techstars Atlanta Powered by Cox Enterprises didn’t have to look too far from home to find the startups for its 2024 cohort. Over half of the startups selected come from either Atlanta or the greater Southeast region.

Those who follow the startup accelerator scene know that Techstars — one of the largest early-stage investors — has gone through some serious restructuring recently at the national level. But Techstars’ presence in the Southeast region has only continued to grow.

In Atlanta, Techstars has certainly made its mark on the city’s innovation ecosystem since first launching in 2016. Previous Techstars Atlanta startups have gone on to become some of the most recognizable growth-stage companies in town, including Bark, PadSplit, 2ULaundry, and MaxRewards. Other startups have gone on to successful acquisitions, including SAWA , Punchlist , and OrderNerd .

⭐ For more on this story from Hypepotamus, click here .

🍑 Join the ultimate celebration of Southern gastronomy at Peachfest! Atlanta’s Peachtree Center will host over 40 of the finest chefs and barkeeps on July 21. Reserve your tickets and indulge in a premium culinary adventure.

SPONSOR MESSAGE

4. Quick Bites

VIA SIDE DISH, A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER | SUBSCRIBE HERE

🍅 Today kicks off Tomato Feast at Atlanta’s La Tavola. Running through Sun., July 28, the Tomato Feast menu will feature dishes like Nasello fish with tomato pesto, artichoke, gigante beans, and pine nuts; or roasted chicken with cherry tomato panzanella, olive vinaigrette, and succo. You can reserve your space at OpenTable here .

🎛️ On Tues., July 23, musical legend and Atlanta native Ludacris will be at The Westside Motor Lounge to hand out lunch from the Knorr Fast Food Remix food truck. Three “Taste Combo” recipes will be available: Ludacris’s Lemon Pepper Chicken (inspired by Ludacris’ favorite Atlanta flavors), Chicken Tacos, and a Tofu Cheddar Broccoli Bowl . The event is part of Knorr’s partnership with Ludacris to create a music video for their “Taste Combos” campaign, “Fast Food Remix feat. Ludacris and Knorr .”

🧑‍🍳 Also on July 23, Atlanta’s Gezzo’s Coastal Cantina is hosting a hands-on cooking class for kids aged eight and up. Led by Chef Cam Floyd, registered guests will make homemade corn tortillas, explore various cooking techniques, and enjoy the tacos they have prepared as part of the class. Registration is limited to 15 students. For more information and to register, visit the link here.

🍸 Atlanta-based Aether Brand Group has acquired Corte Vetusto Mezcal (pictured) – the world’s most-awarded mezcal. The ultra-premium drink is hand-crafted by Juan Carlos Gonzalez Diaz, a fifth-generation Zapotec Maestro Mezcalero. Stay tuned to their website for more updates.

🍷 Don’t forget to head over to Castleberry Hill’s Wine Shoe tasting room and boutique wine shop this month. Throughout July, they are celebrating four years of serving Metro Atlanta and are hosting several events , including a “Basics in Wine Tasting” class on Sun., July 28. Geared toward novice wine enthusiasts, the event begins at 1:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here .

🎟️ And speaking of wine, don’t forget to grab your tickets to the Atlanta Wine Walk on Sat., Aug. 31 at Live! at The Battery.

🍽️ Executive Chef Demetrius Brown of Inman Park’s Bread & Butterfly has recently launched a dinner menu that explores French cuisine as seen through the lens of the African diaspora. Stay tuned to their website for menu updates and to make reservations .

🍗 Delilah’s Everyday Soul recently replaced Chef Shaun Doty’s Federal Burger at Colony Square food hall Politan Row, bringing its fried chicken and Oprah-approved mac and cheese.

🚚 Yoffi food truck , the latest offering from restaurant group DASH Hospitality, is now open in Dunwoody Village serving Mediterranean-inspired dishes.

🇫🇷 And, with the Paris Olympics beginning Fri. July 26, Star Provisions market and café – and restaurants Little Sparrow and Bar Blanc – are all offering takes on French cuisine to celebrate. Be sure to get your fix of pain de mie (Star Provisions), raclette service (Little Sparrow), or steak frites (Bar Blanc), just in time for the first-ever opening ceremonies on the Seine.

🌭 In yesterday’s newsletter, we asked you for your favorite hot dogs in town. The winner, with 30% of the votes, is Skip’s in Avondale Estates! Red’s was second, followed by Dog Days Hot Dogs & Burgers in Peachtree Corners in third.

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📧 Today’s newsletter was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.

The post 🎧 The rise of listening bars appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta .