It must have been 1974, and the story is an Atlanta legend.  Jimmy Buffett opened up for Billy Joel at The Great Southeast Music Hall, playing to about 20 people -- over the years, I've had about twice as many people tell me that "I was there that night."  They were to play 5 straight nights together, but Joel cancelled after that first night and Buffett continued to play that string and many more shows at The Hall.  I don't even know for sure how long the Music Hall was open. When I was old enough to go to shows on my own with friends in the late '70s I found myself there often, butt on the floor and back propped on the padded rest which was the way you sat to see a show at The Great Southeast Music Hall.  You bought your beer poured into a silver metal bucket with the the amazing, hip red logo of the guy with the crazy long hair emblazoned on it.  I found a couple of those buckets in my mom's attic a few years ago -- a tarnished remembrance of big times in a big "town."  When the Sex Pistols first came to America, the very first show they played was at The Great Southeast Music Hall on January 5, 1978.  They broke up shortly after that.  The legendary Atlanta promoter, Alex Cooley, booked The Sex Pistols and lots of the shows at The Hall: Robert Palmer, Al Kooper, Willie Nelson, Leo Sayer, Martin Mull... 

Tonight, we'll be reminiscing about those shows and the one-of-a-kind Atlanta venue that resided in the lower corner of Broadview Plaza (which is now the Lindbergh shopping mecca in Buckhead,) and you're welcome to join us!  The party's at 4 at Smith's Olde Bar, and my fellow River "ChattyHoochies," Deborah Reece and Kate McCarthy, will be there too -- Kate and I will be helping emcee, and Reece will be wailing with The Roosters at 8pm!  Thermos Greenwood is also performing.  Unfortunately, if you don't have tickets for the upstairs musical portion of the evening, that part of the event is sold out.  But you're still welcome to come by for free to the downstairs portion of the event -- a rock and roll reunion for the people that loved The Great Southeast Music Hall.  Congrats to my dear buddy Farrell for pulling this together -- it is sure to be a very special evening.  I hope to see you there!