The City Lights Collective

09/25/2025

Check out our final episode of "The City Lights Collective" at the link below.
Thank you to all of our listeners, supporters and contributors. It has been a joy to serve the Atlanta arts and culture community these last three months. ❤️

👾 DEVO discusses de-evolution, arts funding, and why their music still resonates today. Kim Drobes spoke with founding members Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale about the stakes for artists today.

⚰️ Sunday in the Park ft. Tunes from the Tombs at Oakland Cemetery for a day of music and community on Sept. 28.

🎉East Atlanta Strut returns this Saturday with merriment and neighborhood spirit.

🎤 We spotlight Atlanta artist Cyrus Nelson and comedian Dante Quitman in "In Their Own Words."

🌊 “Braiding Time, Memory and Water,” a new Flux Project film along the Chattahoochee, screens nightly at Core Dance storefront through Oct. 12.

📚 Urban Grind’s Thursday night open mic marks 19 years as a cornerstone of Atlanta’s poetry scene

Discover Atlanta’s arts and culture on The City Lights Collective. Today marks our last show on WABE. Thank you for tuning in these past three months!

09/24/2025

Check out today's final Wednesday episode of "The City Lights Collective" below.📚 Atlanta author Julie Olivia’s new slow-burn romance, "If It Makes You Happy," is a mix of Gilmore Girls meets Pumpkin Spice Café in a nostalgic 1997 small-town setting.

🎨 On Sept. 26, the Auburn Avenue Research Library hosts "Southern Ground: The Legacy of Radcliffe Bailey and the Future of Black Southern Art." It's a free panel discussion exploring his lasting influence.

🦋 Atlanta artist and puppet creator Chantelle Rytter returns with "Where the Weird Things Are," an “upside-down parade” in Old Fourth Ward Park on Oct. 4.

🎶 Kosmo Vinyl shares his “Vinyl of the Week,” with a story behind Mose Allison’s “Everybody Cryin’ Mercy.”

🎬 Shane Harrison from ArtsATL brings us his weekly cultural highlights, including the Atlanta Indian Film Festival, the Sweet Auburn Music Fest and the Out on Film festival.

Discover Atlanta’s arts and culture on The City Lights Collective. Tomorrow, is our last show and we will cover festivals, dance films, and poetry sessions.

09/23/2025

Check out Tuesday's final episode of "The City Lights Collective" below.
The show's last airing is Sept. 25

🎨 The Goat Farm is back and bigger than ever — don’t miss the second annual SITE Festival, sprawling across its 12-acre campus.

📚 Historian Edda Fields-Black returns to Atlanta to discuss her Pulitzer Prize–winning book "COMBEE," uncovering Harriet Tubman’s powerful Civil War raid.

🎶 Our “In Their Own Words” series spotlights Atlanta cinematic pop band Solid State Radio. Their upcoming performance at EAV Strut is Sept. 27.

😂 Comedian Joel Byars shares this week’s top comedy picks, from Holly Ballantine headlining "Mom’s Unhinged" to Josh Johnson’s two nights at Cobb Energy.

🖼️ And for Hispanic Heritage Month, Abernathy Arts Center presents "Caminos Compartidos," celebrating the vibrant work of Latin artists through Oct. 30.

Discover Atlanta’s arts and culture on The City Lights Collective. Tomorrow, we hear about the parade "Where the Weird Things Are."

09/22/2025

Check out today's final Monday episode of "The City Lights Collective" below. 🎶 From Prince to Beyoncé, Raphael Saadiq discusses his decades-long career ahead of his Atlanta show "The No Bandwidth Tour."

🍃 Myrtie Cope’s exhibit "Nature Embroidered" blends photography and hand embroidery. Now on view at Blue Heron Nature Preserve through Oct. 2.

🎨 GULCH magazine co-founders spotlight Atlanta’s art scene this week—from intimate gallery exhibits to the Atlanta Art Fair.

✨ Step inside aKAZI ATL, a gallery dedicated to contemporary African art,. Founders Anja and Jumbe Sebunya share their vision for the space.

🌊 The Southern Surf StompFest is this Saturday in Avondale Estates, with free music and entertainment.

Discover Atlanta’s arts and culture on The City Lights Collective. Tomorrow, we hear about Goat Farm's art fest "SITE."

09/19/2025

ICYMI: Check out yesterday's show of "The City Lights Collective:"🎬 Atlanta-based actor Tyriq Withers discusses acting in Jordan Peele’s new thriller, "Him."

🥞 Our "Brunchin’ on a Budget" mini-series wraps up with a stop at East Point’s Eat My Biscuits

🍿 Atlanta-made horror/comedy, "We’re So Dead," premieres on National Food Service Worker Day on Sept. 25 at the Plaza Theatre.

🎨 Digital and technology Atlanta artist Eddie Farr shares his journey.

📖 Author John T. Edge reflects on home, history, and reckoning in new memoir, "House of Smoke."

🎶 Dr. Scott Stewart breaks down this summer's blockbuster scores.

Discover Atlanta’s arts and culture on The City Lights Collective. On Monday, we hear about Southern Stomp Surf Festival.

09/18/2025

Thank you to our listeners, contributors and followers over these last three months (and 10 years before with "City Lights").
It's been a joy and a privilege. ❤️

09/17/2025

On today's episode of "The City Lights Collective:" 🥁 Atlanta band Improvement Movement is taking their genre-bending sound to the main stage at Shaky Knees.

🎉 Shane Harrison of ArtsATL shares this week’s cultural highlights, including pianist Lang Lang performing at Atlanta Symphony Hall.

🙏 Charmaine Minniefield’s “Praise House” Project returns Sept. 21 at South View Cemetery, honoring the victims of the 1906 Atlanta Race Massacre.

🌈 Atlanta's LGBTQ+ film festival, Out on Film, is Sept. 25-Oct. 5. Jon Goode spoke with Festival Director Jim Farmer about its roots and where it’s headed today.

🎶 Kosmo Vinyl shares the story behind Hoagy Carmichael’s "Hong Kong Blues."

Discover Atlanta’s arts and culture on The City Lights Collective. Tomorrow, we hear about the brunch spot in East Point, Eat My Biscuits.

09/16/2025

Check out today's episode of "The City Lights Collective:" 🎶 Two Atlanta powerhouses, the Atlanta Opera & Alliance Theatre, team up for a bold new production of "Fiddler on the Roof."

🎬 The new indie film "Remote" premieres at the Tara Theatre on Sept. 20. Filmmaker Ben Hall shares how the movie explores what happens when problems related to human emotions collide with AI.

🏛️ The National Center for Civil & Human Rights reopens Nov. 8. We get a sneak peek of the renovations and interactive exhibitions.

🎤 Comedian Joel Byars shares his top comedy picks, from Daily Show talent to hometown comedians, like Andrew Stanley.

🎟️ The Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre celebrates 90 years of resilience in Marietta’s historic square.

Discover Atlanta’s arts and culture on The City Lights Collective. Later this week, we hear about John T. Edge's new book "House of Smoke."

09/15/2025

Today on "The City Lights Collective:" 🎶 Fulton County Arts Council and Art Farm at Serenbe present soul vocalist Rhonda Thomas live Sept. 26 in Chattahoochee Hills.

🎭 Joy Deficit brings chaotic goodness every 4th Monday at Red Light Café.

🍝 "Made in Italy Expo" spotlights Italy’s thriving presence in the Southeast Sept. 15-22.

🖼️ GULCH creators share can’t-miss art happenings across the city this week, including the artist-run gallery Day & Night Projects.

🍷 We hear about interesting and unlikely food and wine pairings...from Magic City's wings to Chateau Elan's fine wines.

Discover Atlanta’s arts and culture on The City Lights Collective. Later this week, we hear from Tyriq Withers who stars in Jordan Peele's "HIM."

09/11/2025

Check out today's episode of "The City Lights Collective" ✨ Actors Colby Muhammed & Ambyr Michelle star in CBS’s "Beyond the Gates," where they play rival sisters.

🖌️ "In Their Own Words" features Atlanta muralist and painter Demetri Burke.
🎶 Singer ivri went from Instagram snippets at 15 to millions of listeners worldwide. She talks with us ahead of her Atlanta show at Masquerade, Sept. 16.

📜 Did you know? Starting in the 1880s, every lease in Atlanta expired on Sept. 1. Atlanta Archive founder Victoria Lemos has the scoop.

🎻 The Vega Quartet celebrates 20 years with a free concert tomorrow, Sept. 12.

🔥 Orisha Mythology, Caribbean folklore, dance & Black Punk collide in F.Punk Junkies at 7Stages.

Discover Atlanta’s arts and culture on The City Lights Collective. On Monday, we learn about Serenbe South Fulton Art's jazz night.

09/10/2025

Check out today's episode of "The City Lights Collective:" ✨ The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra presents a one-night-only performance on Sept. 19 featuring pianist Lang Lang and guest conductor Gemma New.

🎭 Shane Harrison spotlights the world premiere of a Topher Payne comedy & actor, comedian and podcaster Desi Banks performing at the Fox Theatre.
📸 Photographer Geo Gerard rode every road inside I-285 and captured it all for his exhibit "All the Roads Taken."
🎨 Forward Warrior Festival returns Sept. 13, turning Cabbagetown’s Wylie Street into a living canvas of murals.
💿 Kosmo Vinyl shares the story behind the New Miles Davis Quintet’s “Just Squeeze Me.”
👟 City Lights Collective contributor Oli Turner dives into the world of Atlanta’s run clubs—one mile at a time.

Discover Atlanta’s arts and culture on The City Lights Collective. Next week, we hear about Charmaine Minniefield's new Praise House Project display.

09/09/2025

Today on "The City Lights Collective:" 🎬 Sci-fi actor John Boyega reflects on his journey from "Attack the Block" to "They Cloned Tyrone," and his love for Atlanta.

🎭 A brand-new "Shakespeare Happening" festival brings free theater to Avondale Estates.

😂 Joel Byars spotlights comedy must-sees, including comedian Jim Gaffigan coming to Atlanta Symphony Hall.

🎶 Sacred Harp singers gather for the largest convention in a generation, keeping a centuries-old tradition alive. They'll be at the Foundry at Puritan Mill on Sept. 13 and 14,

🍸 RoughDraft Atlanta's Beth McKibben returns with "The Beverage Beat," looking at “transitional cocktails” perfect for Atlanta’s second summer.

Discover Atlanta’s arts and culture on The City Lights Collective. Tomorrow we hear from Atlanta photographer Geoving Gerard about his solo exhibit "All the Roads Taken."