They're dancing in the streets. And singing in the streets, too. In fact, performing arts during the Olympics are all over Atlanta, with big names, medium names and no-names everywhere you turn.
Itzhak Perlman played Atlanta Symphony Hall, Soundgarden is at the Underground mall and Mary Chapin Carpenter is coming to Chastain Park. Or, you may want to stop for the six clean-cut kids, ranging in age from 19 to 24, who are putting on a show in front of the AIM building - that's the Atlanta International Ministries."We're all on a 10-week mission," said Phillip Brunner, who's spending his summer vacation from the University of Louisville, Ky., with five other volunteers, who dance and sing cabaret-style show tunes to a boom-box tape.
A couple of blocks away, Juan Baldwin, of San Francisco, sits behind a set of drums, smiling as he rhythmically slams them with his drumsticks, while people begin to gather around, tapping their toes, chanting with the beat and dancing the night away. "I'm here for the Olympics - just to be here, to experience it."
And since Atlanta sits in the South, let's not forget the blues. Dan Aykroyd didn't - he opened a club dedicated to his favorite music, the House of Blues (patterned after those in New Orleans, Cambridge, Manhattan and West Hollywood).
In truth, the House of Blues may have more in common with Planet Hollywood or the Hard Rock Cafe, which are already here, though its rusted, snake-charming, smokehouse decor is unique.
And Aykroyd's presence was certainly a factor in filling the hall to its 2,200-seat capacity (and then some) during the nightclub's wild, rockin' debut weekend - which, naturally, coincided with the opening of the Games.
This House of Blues, however, is temporary, a renovated 92-year-old Southern Baptist tabernacle in the heart of the city. And yes, the Blues Brothers Band - featuring vocalists (sort of) Aykroyd, James Belushi and John Goodman - showed up to jam the night away both Friday and Saturday.
The backup band was Booker T. & the M.G.'s, and on Saturday a number of guests showed up to play on stage, including soul-man Eddie "Knock on Wood" Floyd, screaming Tommy "Pipes" McDonald, mouth harpist "Billy Boy" Arnold, guitarist Luther "Junior" Johnson and David Letterman's band leader, key-boardist Paul Shafer. One can quibble about the lead trio's vocal abilities (or lack thereof), but they certainly surround themselves with the best musicians. This show was the hot ticket (at $50 a pop), and afterward it was the talk of the town.
While athletes compete in Olympic stadium, House of Blues will continue the party atmosphere with Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Al Green, Little Richard, etc. Then, by Aug. 4, founder Isaac Tigrett - who also came up with the Hard Rock Cafe franchise - and main investor Aykroyd have promised to close shop. Aykroyd, however, left himself a loophole. "We'll just see how the city accepts and supports us," he told an Atlanta television station recently.