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Venue of the Month
The Fabulous Fox Theater in Atlanta, Ga.
by John Lapelle and Fiver Brown
Edited by David Saslavsky - saslavsky@parentsplus.com

During the big studio days of the twenties, all of the large movie companies in Hollywood owned their own theaters. These big studios had cornered the market in ticket sales for their respective theaters and had created virtual monopolies for one of the largest grossing industries in the U.S. The studio companies such as Fox and Paramount were making so much money that they began to construct these enormous and elaborate theaters all around the U.S., and only their movies could play there. The governmnet interfered after a few years because they felt it was unfair to the american public not to distribute this enormous wealth along to outside interests. So many of these beautiful theaters were left abandoned or picked up by free enterprise. But the cost of maintaining and restoring these grandiose theaters was too high, and many were left to rot in their own dust. Most were boarded up and condemned. This was a very unfortunate consequence to good commerce.

Among the surviving studio venues, The Fabulous Fox Theater is a diamond in the rough of the famed marquis theaters. With a 4,500 person seating capacity and not a bad seat in the house, the Fox displays a smorgasbord of architecture and the a wonderful representation of the guilded age of over-extravagance. On the outside of the Fox giant Russian onion domes look like psyachadelic tear-drops falling from the sky colored with creamy, pastel flavors of an old world sunset. This theme is reverberated down to the frame shapes of the street-level store front windows, which also have an onion dome shaped in the stone above the glass. A gigantic vertical neon sign flashes bright above the street as the signature two-sided billboard displays large black letters against a pristine white background.

The structure looks like a Hindu temple with an old school flashing sign slapped right on the front of it, it truly is an exhilarating site.

The Fox is located in the heart of downtown Atlanta right on famous Peachtree Street, home of the reknowned Peachtree Road Race. Catching a show at the Fox is guaranteed to be memorable no matter what, be it "The Nutcracker" or the good 'ole Panic, the Fox enthralls any audience with its magic. Even your parents would think it was cool. The city buzzes around the crowd as they slowly pour into the grand entrance hall past the old time ticket booth which lies perfectly centered in the front of this magnificent hall. Still outside, the crowd is led down the low entrance hall. Hanging art deco light fixtures silhouette the oncoming crowd in a dusty, gold haze and we still have not even made it inside yet.

Once past the ushers and security guarding the sacred doors like British beefeaters the ceiling opens up at least 100 feet as you enter the huge lobby of the ancient theater. Two huge, carpeted staircases with shimmering brass banisters bookend red curtained entrances to the heart of the legendary marquis. The red curtains foreshadow the huge stage which awaits ahead in the darkness. Walking deeper in to the Fox underneath the giant balcony, the molding work above has details echoing the intricacies of renaissance French interiors. The overhead lights are colored by stained glass shades framed in the ceiling. The cool church like colors spread themselves over the red velvety seats which have been witness to some of the best enterteinment in modern history. For normal people, Mikhail Baryshnikov has danced here and the famous original screening of "Ben Hur" was conducted here when the Fox was the largest screen in the south. For freaks and music lovers like us, the Fox has hosted the ultimate jam bands. The Grateful Dead have a couple of famous runs here in '77 and '78 and then came back for one last visit in '85 with three unbelievable shows. Phish has played here 4 times, once in '94 and then a famous three night run in fall of '95. And the Fox has become home to Widespread Panic, as they have played around 17 or 18 shows here. Including an extended run over New Years the last three years which have become famous as well.

Looking at the stage feels as if you are in another land staring at a dreadful castle. The stage is not framed in the regular Corinthian carved wood, instead it has a stone bridge lining the top and periphery of the stage. The bridge on top has full size gas burning lamps, and they shine above the performance and beneath the amazingly lifelike night sky which is reproduced with eerie accuracy and compete with twinkling stars. It literally appears as if it is occurring underneath the actual night sky far off in some medievel land. The large stone blocks that form the bridge over the stage look old and rustic, as if lifted off some old castle in Denmark. There are two private balconies which have gold shell alcoves, to me they are reminders of the two old, badgering men from "The Muppets", joking about how bad the show is going. The rear of the venue has a big top shading the rear seats, although from below it looks like an enormous Japanese temple roof. The Fox is a religious experience without the music, but with Widespread Panic as an accompaniment and their dedicated fans strapped into those sacred seats, it truly is nothing shy of complete and utter unmistakable magic.

The bathrooms are another story in itself, they have large waiting rooms with candles lit in glass vases that give off a weird sort of relaxation effect. Lines are never long, and if they are one can lounge in one of the old chairs that lie around scattered the waiting room. Thirsty? There must be at least 10-15 bars around the theater complete with full bars and friendly staff ready to get you wasted. There are also these two old thrones which are on opposite sides of the upstairs which resemble thrones of old kings, or it could just be a shoe-shine chair from the old days. The inside is truly as fun as the concert itself, just cruising sround during intermission and seeing how happy everyone is too be there is something everyone should experience.

As for the music that has come out of the Fox. Lets talk about the China doll from 5-19-77, absolutely unreal. Or the scarlet>fire from '78 is another thing to talk about. The run in 1985 was also out of this world. Three nights of complete intimacy tied in with some unbeleivable setlists. As for the recent stuff, I was fortunate enough to grow up in Atlanta at the same time Phish was still in their theater stage, or just starting to grow out of it. One of the funniest moments of all time was 4-23-94, Phish's first appearance at the Fox when Freaknik was in Atlanta. All of the kids from the show mingled with the black spring-break goers outside in the crowded streets of downtown Atlanta. A giant dance party ensued as they could not believe that we could actually dance. The show itself was also one for the history books, with a guest appearance in the first set by Merl Saunders as he accompanied Phish through a cool version of "Caravan" followed by Merl himself on the vocals for a fun, old fashioned "High-Heeled Sneakers". The second set also was on time with Merl and Col. Bruce fusing with the whole band on Page's keyboards for a couple minutes of unforgettable insanity that only phish in a small theater could provide. The fall of 1995 brought Phish back the Fox for a three night stand, and I had to fly home for the feeling of missing it would never go away. Mail order was tight and tickets were scarce. The intensity when they opened with "tweezer reprise" on the first night was uncomparable to anything I had ever experience at that point in my life. All three shows are sparkling, finely-cut gems permanently embedded in my memory. The third night was full-blown madness from beginning to end. And the "acoustic army" was one of the best breaths of air I have ever breathed in my life. I hope that rumors are true and Phish plans to come to the Fox in the spring of 1999 for one last 3 night stand. I will have to make it back to hotlanta for that one.

But the Fox is called home by only one band, and that is of course the Panic. Widespread has played over 18 shows here and I hope they squeeze out another 50 and I vow to never miss one. My first experience with the Panic at the Fox was over Thanksgiving in 1993. It completely blew my mind, and the next year it was at Thanksgiving as well which got us all thinking that it would be a tradition for years to come. But they saved the tradition for a more appropriate time to celebrate with family and friends and music. That time was the New Years Run. Playing 3 shows in '96, 4 in '97, and another 4 this recent new year. But every year they manage to make it a little more intense, along with a tighter sense of family. The list of special guests brought out with them over the years at this legendary venue is also an amazing piece of history. Panic has brought out John Keane, Col. Bruce Hampton, Jeff Mosier, David Blackman, Derek Trucks, Tinsley Ellis, Kevin Kinney, Count Mbutu, Chuck Leavell, Apt Q258, Yonrico Scott, and Vic Chestnutt over the years to share the magic with the fans and the theater. The slide shows and the balloons, the excellent sound, and the spirit of pure happiness accompany every New Years extravaganza. Unfortunately, due the popularity of the band and the growing complaints of the small venues for the big shows, this tradition might be coming to a close soon. If so, the "Over the Hills and Far Away" from 1 a.m. at the fox will never fade away, nor will the "Mike's" from 11-11-95, because those are memories you cannot get from just any place.

The Fabulous Fox Theater is a place everyone who reads this magazine should go out and see the next time they are cruising around Atlanta. It is a piece of history that will outlive all of us hopefully and continue to provide the place for magic to happen in the form of live music interacting with an attentive audience. Tours are available and if you get the chance, take one. Walk in take a look around, close your eyes, and take a huge breath. I promise it will feel good.

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fiver brown is a rising film student who likes to indulge in live music whenever remotely possible, he is accompanied by john lapelle who is eagerly pulling his arm in search of his next fix as well.

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Hey kids, write about your favorite arena or watering hole, send ideas to: David Saslavky