Tuesday Nights at the Five Spot

One Tuesday night I found myself wandering into one of Little Five Points' groovy establishments, The Five Spot. For years, I've heard good things about this place. It has been home to many an Open Mic. On occasion, I've seen ads running in the Creative Loafing announcing the arrival of some semi-famous independent artist whom I feel I should know. Tuesday nights as of late have been home to a musician's Open Mic which begins at 9:00pm.

THE SETTING

If you're speeding down Euclid Avenue in Little Five Points, more than likely you will pass right on by the Five Spot. It sits nestled amongst several different venues and stores on the street, and is not that brightly lit. The exterior has all the makings of a "dive" bar; a lively collage of flyers and advertisements are plastered along the exterior. Even the door itself is a work of art, so to speak.

During the week, there isn't much activity going on on the street. By 7pm, all of the stores have closed. So all that's left is the occasional night spot. One thing that I noticed and rejoiced upon, was the abundance of parking. As a matter of fact, on two separate occasions that I visited, I was able to get hold of a parking place directly across the street. (This is virtually unheard of at other night spots in Atlanta.)

INSIDE THE FIVE SPOT

Upon walking into this blissfully gloomy building, we were abruptly placed in a "lobby" of sorts. Assuming that this was not one of its busier nights, the front counter (the entire lobby, actually) was devoid of any human being. But for some strange reason, this area held a particular charm. I imagined that during crowded shows, this space must be home to dozens of bohemian looking persons, chattering about. The lobby also contains a few neat magazine racks which hold all of Atlanta's most popular free publications such as Rolling Out magazine, and the Creative Loafing.