Wednesday highlights
May 14 — MARTA is hosting a series of community meetings – including this morning in Sandy Springs and this evening at its Buckhead HQ – about the redesign of over 100 bus routes across Atlanta.
🌂 A 20% chance of showers and 82° today.
🗣️ The Atlanta City Council will hold public hearings related to the 2026 budget on May 21.
🗳️ Tara Overzat, a licensed professional counselor, has announced her candidacy for the Sandy Springs City Council District 3 seat.
🍗 Raising Cane’s and Zaxby’s are trying to persuade the City of Dunwoody to let them have double drive-thru lanes at new locations.
🎓 Morehouse College has named 1992 alumnus Dr. F. DuBois Bowman as its next president.
🏫 The Westminster Schools has appointed Jay Rainey as its next president, beginning July 1. He succeeds the retiring Keith Evans.
🚣♂️ A 12-acre piece of property in Cobb County will become another park in the Chattahoochee RiverLands project.
ELSEWHERE
🇸🇾 President Donald Trump announced the lifting of all sanctions against Syria, saying it was time for the country to move forward “with a chance at greatness.”
⚾ Pete Rose and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson were removed from MLB’s permanently ineligible list, potentially opening their path to the Hall of Fame.
⚖️ Erik and Lyle Menendez were resentenced yesterday, making them eligible for parole after serving over three decades for the murder of their parents.
⚖️ Singer Cassie Ventura detailed years of sexual abuse and exploitation from Sean “Diddy” Combs, who is on trial for sex trafficking and racketeering.
PICTURE THIS: The Andrew & Walter Young Family YMCA celebrated its grand reopening with special guests, including the facility’s namesakes, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, and Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts. Located in southwest Atlanta, the YMCA just completed extensive updates, which include renovated locker rooms, a refreshed gymnasium, and a new lobby (Photo by Kat Goduco).
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Helium Comedy Club
• A unique arcade
• ATL Asian Eats
AND
• Concert Picks
🎹 Join Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra on May 25 at Atlanta Symphony Hall. Goldblum launched the MSO 30 years ago, delighting audiences by playing contemporary arrangements of classic jazz and American Songbook standards. Tickets available now! SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Helium Comedy Club gears up for upcoming star-studded shows
🎭 It’s been roughly seven months since Helium Comedy Club opened its doors in Alpharetta last October. Now with the summer looming, the club has a heavy-hitting lineup on the horizon.
Starting May 16, Helium will host comics like Hannibal Buress, Colin Jost, Lisa Ann Walter, and Damon Wayans Jr. Tickets for the summer shows are on sale on Helium’s website.
The Metro Atlanta spot joined owner Marc Grossman’s growing roster of comedy clubs, which now includes nine clubs in cities like Philadelphia, St. Louis, Austin, and Raleigh, among others.
🎤 Learn more about Helium in Atlanta here.
Kim Chong Hak’s American debut at The High!
SPONSORED BY THE HIGH MUSEUM
🏔️ At The High, Kim Chong Hak: Painter of Seoraksan bursts to life with vibrant colors and dynamic landscapes. Experience the energy of Korea’s Mount Seorak through Kim’s expressive brushstrokes – perfect for celebrating the vibrancy of spring!
➞ Don’t miss this breathtaking exhibition. Open now!
2. An independent arcade struggling to be unique: Starrcade
🕹️ Located at Town Center Mall, Starrcade offers a different kind of arcade experience for gamers looking for that little something extra.
Everyone loves the nostalgia of an old arcade game, but the games at Starrcade aren’t the ones you normally see on an arcade floor. Instead, Starrcade specializes in finding games that can’t be found anywhere else and fixes them up to give Atlanta’s gaming community the experience of a lifetime.
These games are not only difficult to find, but also require a lot of upkeep. Inside Starrcade, you’ll find games like Cosmo Gang and Pinpoint Shot, all unique and kept finely tuned by the Starrcade team.
👾 Read more about Starrcade and the community surrounding it here.
3. Facebook group ATL Asian Eats has 40k members
💻 ATL Asian Eats – a 40,000-member-strong private Facebook group – is influencing the city’s Asian food scene.
Karly Giang, owner of Milla’s Macarons, created the group in 2019, and it’s populated by people who always seem to know the best places for hot pot, sushi, or all-you-can-eat dim sum well before most traditional media outlets.
Keeping it private helps protect the group’s integrity, making it a trustworthy source for unbiased restaurant recommendations.
🍲 Find out more in Candy Hom’s feature story.
🎹 Join Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra on May 25 at Atlanta Symphony Hall. Goldblum launched the MSO 30 years ago, delighting audiences by playing contemporary arrangements of classic jazz and American Songbook standards. Tickets available now! SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Concert Picks
VIA HOW DO YOU ATLANTA?
Wed., May 14:
🔴 The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus @ The Masquerade (Hell)
🤡 Insane Clown Posse @ The Masquerade (Heaven)
🇦🇷 DUKI @ Tabernacle
Thurs., May 15:
💀 BERTHA @ Terminal West
🎛️ Dei V @ Buckhead Theatre
👅 D. Savage @ The Loft
Fri., May 16:
🪡 Pierce the Veil @ Lakewood Amphitheatre
🎵 The Whigs @ Terminal West
💐 Yola @ Variety Playhouse
🦴 The Bones of J.R. Jones @ Aisle 5
Sat., May 17:
🎷 Brian Culbertson + Marcus Anderson @ Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre
🪖 Citizen Soldier @ Buckhead Theatre
🔥 Memphis May Fire @ Center Stage
🏗️ The Crane Wives @ The Masquerade (Heaven)
💙 Sturgill Simpson (pictured) @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Sun., May 18:
☀️ Empire of the Sun @ Coca-Cola Roxy
🚗 Big Trip @ The Masquerade (Purgatory)
Mon., May 19:
🎵 Central Cee @ Coca-Cola Roxy
Tues., May 20:
💥 The Wrecks @ The Masquerade (Heaven)
🐭 Of Mice & Men @ Center Stage
Wed., May 21:
🙏 Sarah and the Sundays @ The Masquerade (Purgatory)
🎤 Durand Bernarr @ Tabernacle
TUNE IN
🎙️ Don’t miss Sammie with the AJC’s Mike Jordan every Thursday at 9:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. as they preview the top events in town on WABE.
🎹 Join Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra on May 25 at Atlanta Symphony Hall. Goldblum launched the MSO 30 years ago, delighting audiences by playing contemporary arrangements of classic jazz and American Songbook standards. Tickets available now! SPONSOR MESSAGE
🔤 Don’t miss News Word Atlanta, our new, daily word game – Presented by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta’s premier undergraduate learning experience.
