Atlanta International Gift and Home Furnishings Market
Retailers from across the country will fill Downtown restaurants, hotels and streets for the Atlanta International Gift and Home Furnishings Market. AmericasMart is the number one facility for gift, home furnishings, home décor, gardens, apparel and more.

The Color Purple
Oprah Winfrey Presents The Color Purple at the Fox Theatre at 8:00 PM. Admission $29.50 - $62.50. For more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com.

Michael McDonald and Al Green at Chastain Park
7:00 PM. Admission $25 - $90. For more information, visit www.classichastain.com

The Amen Corner
James Baldwin's "The Amen Corner" at the Alliance Theatre at various times. Presented by True Colors Theatre Company in conjunction with the National Black Arts Festival. Admission $34 - 48.

The SoShoelite Grand Opening Soiree
Join other SoShoelites for a sole experience with a European flair as you go on a journey through the "heels" of Spain, the "arches" of Italy and the "flats" of Romania for a night to remember. 7- 10 PM. RSVP@thegarnercircle.com

Embrace
The Fine Art Fair of the NBAF at the Mason Murer Fine Art Gallery. Admission $10 each day & $75 for opening reception and 3Day Pass.

Jewelry in July
Meet talented Jewelry Artists at the Botanical Garden's Garden Gift Shop on Thursday, July 17 from 6-10 p.m. Each jeweler creates intricate works of beauty that define her individual style, using materials such as handmade glass beads, semi-precious stones, shell, natural copper, freshwater pearls, vintage beads, recycled aluminum, tin, sterling and gold. From important, signature pieces to tiny, subtle earrings there is unique jewelry for every taste. All visitors enjoy a 10% discount, while Garden members receive a 20% discount on jewelry purchases during the evening.

Beer – Food – Music
Octane will be hosting in conjunction with JCL Global Culinary and Hellcat’s a beer and food pairing dinner. It's $35 a person for three courses of delicious premeditated goodness. Click here for the full menu. To RSVP, please email larisa@jclglobalculinary.com or cat@catnorman.com

National Black Arts Festival
The NBAF celebrates 20 years of art and culture. Events include a concert from Gladys Knight, the artists' market in the Georgia World Congress Center and Theatrical Outfit's performance of Gee's Bend at the Balzer Theater at Herren's.

Legends Celebration: An Evening with Gladys Knight
Get ready for a show that will have you dancing in the aisles and singing along as the National Black Arts Festival and The Coca-Cola Company honor Gladys Knight as the 2008 Legend. It’s impossible to hear songs like "If I Were Your Woman", "Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say Goodbye)", "Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me and of course "Midnight Train to Georgia" and not sing along. These songs are timeless classics. With a career that spans 5 decades and voice that seems to get better with time, this Georgia Peach is unmistakably amazing.@ the Atlanta Civic Center at 8:00 PM. Presented by the National Black Arts Festival. Admission $20 - $76.

Friday Jazz at the High Museum
5:00 PM - 10:00 PM. Featuring Tyrone Jackson & Rio Negro. Admission $18.

Ohio Players w/Suga Foot, Tortured Soul & Frank McComb
Hot Ice Live: Summer Soul Funk Fest at Center Stage Theater at 8:00 PM. Featuring the Ohio Players Revue, Frank McCombs, Tortured Soul, and Jiva (featuring Alex Lattimore, Rhonda Thomas, and Avery Sunshine). Music by DJs Kemit, Calvin Morgan, and Larrmarous. Hosted by Mitch Faulkner, Jamal Ahmad, and Ken Rye. Admission $25. Proceeds to benefit the Kenneth A. Batie Memorial Fund.

Jazz Around Town Featuring Kathleen Bertrand Artist/songwriter Kathleen Bertrand returns with a repertoire that ranges from straight-ahead jazz standards to spirite. Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church 407 Auburn Avenue N E. Atlanta, Georgia 30312

Downtown Restaurant Week
2008 Downtown Atlanta Restaurant Week showcases the Downtown Dining District as a hotbed of culinary activity and diverse dining options. A dynamic partnership between Central Atlanta Progress, The Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, Brand Atlanta and Bank of America, DARW is one of the most anticipated food events of the year and welcomes a handful of new hot spots that opened this year.

Creatively Speaking
Dr. Cornel West & Wynton Marsalis at Woodruff Arts Center's Rich Theatre at 3:00 PM. Featuring a discussion with Dr. West, Wynton Marsalis, and Carrie Mae Weems. Admission $20. *Alice Walker & Pearl Cleage at Woodruff Arts Center's Rich Theatre at 6:00 PM.

Elle Magazine
Elle says..."Locals log onto www.hushbox.com to sign up for Keith "KEBO" Brown's e-mail updates about upcoming events."

Terrance wrote:
Hey man,... you pair people from different walks of life in opulent settings to yield a wider consciousness and better understanding of just how similar we really are. Your events are are fashion shows, political platforms, sultry soirees, and listening parties all rolled into one... and I for one am really happy that you are here, doing the job that you do like no one else would. Continued Blessings,

Elizabeth Davidovich writes: To someone who (unknowingly!) kept my faith alive in the cultural environment that is Atlanta. So many who promise big and never deliver... These artists, producers, and promoters find themselves on my "Avoid" list and then dismissed from my consciousness altogether. As a frustrated artist in Atlanta, I thank you KEBO for living up to your own title. I'm proud Atlanta has such a classy ambassador and I wish for all the health, wealth, and success you deserve in the new year...

Jill Brummond of Brummond & Associates: I must say at first I thought it was the quantity in people but I am learning quickly it is the quality of people at an event. You are doing a good job at helping to diversify the city and do not let anyone tell you differently.

Elisa Kai Smith writes: I look to the Hushbox for sophisticated nightlife alternatives in the ATL. Thank you so much for your effort to diversify the nighttime experience in Atlanta. Please keep bringing us only the fabulous!

Fahamu Pecou, Diamond Lounge Creative wrote: I wanted to send you a personal thanks for all the support and commitment to this scene man. A lot of people talk about what they're going to do or what should be done and tomorrow everything is exactly as it was yesterday. Few (like yourself) actually do things to improve the scene and lend the support necessary to make fresh ideas (ShedSpace, Wet Paint, etc) reality.

What do you think?

IN:
Modern Architecture: Seems like Atl has caught the buzz
Swing Clubs, not as in dancing!
Weekend Excursions
Independent Films
context Furniture Store
RSVPing & Showing Up
Renting Villas
iPhone
Web Clients That Pay
Lifestyle Marketing Agencies

OUT:
Subdivision sameness
Strip Clubs
Once A Year Vacations
Overhyped Movies
Commercials
Rooms To Go
Not RSVPing & Showing Up
Extended Stay Hotels
iPod Wanna Bees
Would Be Web Clients Who Want To Barter
Big Boxes That Waste Your Money

Is it so wrong to go to an event with high expectations of the event when it has been promoted that way?

Think about the number of events many of you get invited to that say exclusive, private, next level or whatever the new desire to escalated to the next level terminology is and the event sometimes just does not measure up.

Please chime in, as we shall post the replies here as I hear to many folks discussing this but no one expressing their opinions loudly. Now is your chance and I promise you thousands will hear ya!

Robbin writes:

Kebo, thanks for putting it out there. My opinion is that many people don't really understand or define the terms of "exclusive or private" events. I always wonder who composed the master guest list to the "A List event". Most of the time it appears to be a way of enticing the masses to come to an event and feel "special". Everyone wants to go to the superstar artist, athlete, politician party. Usually you see your old college buddies or too many younger adults over partaking in the event sponsor's cocktail of the evening.The reason for going will usually result in a big letdown... I have found that finer charitable events are rarely private, but they are usually expensive. Money is the deciding factor. There's where you get the best dressed, best catered, most exclusive events. You have to pay to play. I always understand in Atlanta that when I get an email, to a free event, it is not exclusive. Bottom line, promoters trying to get paid on liquor sales, or album sales, or cover charges may have good or decent events, but they will rarely be top shelf, stimulating, or something worth talking about later.

Quality cultural events should be afforded to anyone open to learning more and growing. I believe that those of us who have experienced the "finer things" should not snub or judge others who may not have the experiences that we have had. Elitism is it being used to divide people by race, class, college, or perceived hotness into cliques. It's easy to criticize something, when you just show up and don't have to put in the work. I learned that it is up to you to make the event great. Dress well, be prepared to mingle, take a friend, and always have a "Plan B".