Let me welcome you to the all-new Y2K compliant SwingTown 2.0 upgrade. It's been a long-time coming and while it may not live up to the hype, it should make it easier to find all the happening swing events on the Atlanta scene.
SwingTown's primary focus is to publicize swing events including Live Bands, Club Dance Events, Swing Competitions and Exhibitions, Dance Workshops, Area Studios and Instructors, and Special Events. Atlanta has a very strong Rockabilly community and there is a ton of good rockabilly music that comes through. SwingTown LOVES rockabilly so we list RAB events as well. There is also a Swing Community section consisting of two mailing lists - the SwingTown community list is an open discussion forum with close to 300 subscribers sharing info and experiences from their swingin' lives. The SwingTownNEWS list is a moderated announcements list with close to 500 subscribers to help keep people informed about what's going on - SwingTown publishes a weekly update of local events, and all subscribers can post event-related announcements to the NEWS (non-event related information should be posted to the SwingTown community list).
THE SITE:
- Welcome to SwingTown
- Introduction section - look here for info about site updates, credits, contact info, extravagant promises, rumor and inuendo, shout-outs, etc.
- What's Hot?
- This is the place to look for current events with the primary focus on live bands. Schedule highlights the next three weeks, with a section mentioning other shows coming through in the next few months (confirmed but subject to change). There's also a page here that highlights ALL-AGES SWING EVENTS in response to a clear need from the younger cats and kittens on the scene. Eventually we'll be adding a REGIONAL EVENTS section with general info for bands coming to nearby towns including Athens, Savannah, Macon, Birmingham, Chattanooga, Nashville, Charlotte, Greensboro & Columbia.
- In the Clubs
- This section directs you to any clubs in the area that have swing nights (usually with a DJ). We also list studio dances that are held monthly at most of the local dance studios. Most clubs are 18+ or 21+, but the studio dances tend to be ALL AGES, smoke free, super nice wood floors, etc. Lots of fun.
- Special Events
- The special events page lists... special events! Dance workshops, exhibitions, special parties (New Year's Eve info), etc. Check this page for upcoming excitement!
- Let's Go Dancing
- This section focuses on dancing and lists all the local dance studios and instructors where you can take lessons. There is also some material about the history of swing dancing as well as the myriad styles of swing. (This history/style info comes from other websites - please feel free to contribute).
- Hot Bands
- This is a two part section. The first part lists all the local swing or swing-friendly bands including reviews, CD/recording info, contact info (if you'd like to book them), etc. Part two will list regional, national, and international acts SOON. If you would like to contribute a band review, please look at the format we use, get all the info together (don't worry about the HTML - plain text will be fine) and send it on - we'll post it (and give you credit!)
- Cool Sounds
- This page lists all the local swing radio shows, and also has lots of (old) links to on line swing music (MP3, Real Audio, Netshow formats). Listen while you can - some of these will have to be removed because ASCAP people say so. These links will be updated soon to legitimate sources.
- Swing On Line
- This section is next on my list for a major update - lots of internet swing links from bands, to regional pages, to dance info, to style, etc. Everything you need to be the suave guy or Bogart-worthy dame you want to be.
- SwingTown Mailing Lists
- SwingTown offers two community mailing lists. The SwingTown list is an unmoderated conversational forum where almost 300 (and counting!) members share tips, stories, make plans, get directions, etc. The SwingTownNEWS is a moderated events announcement list for publicizing area swing events. We mail out a weekly events calendar, and you are welcome to post event-related info to the list.
- SwingTown Merchandise
- We've got SwingTown bowling shirts! Check em' out, buy one! Coming soon: on-line shopping! Swing CD's & books from Amazon.com, Hepcat, CD-Now, etc.
There is a lot of material here and a lot more material that needs to be here. We can't do it all and we can't know about it all. Please submit any info, details, corrections, additions, frivolities, jokes, etc. to info@swingtown.org and we'll see that it gets on the page.
SPECIAL THANKS:
To all swing community, near and far: Coco, DJ Alan, Notepad, Mark, Robin, Malon, Karla, Teresa, Jason, Amy, Caryn, Lili, Jim & Marcy, Moose, April, David & Heather and the rest of the Atlanta Dance World folks, Wes & the City Lights folks, Andy & Jan, Bobbi & the Masquerade, Gail & Cole everyone at the Star Bar, the lost Lost Continentals, Jay - David - Kat: we miss the 'Fools, the incomparable Tommy Dean and the League of Decency, Gwen Hughes and all her Katz, Steve & Carman (who aren't local but they're wonderful so we thank them!), ANYBODY who has helped get together ANY local swing event, the staff of the Natural Ball (because they deserve all kinds of thanks), Sara, Susan, Kacie, Charlie,... all the list regulars.... the list just goes on and on... Give me a chance and I'll add some more to it soon!
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