Nate Nelson Group

Nate Nelson plays Fat Matt's Rib Shack on Wednesday, October 21, with the Nate Nelson Group. It's a mid-week blues night in the heart of the city, and if you're not already familiar with the name, it's one that comes up more often than you might think.

Nelson is an Atlanta bluesman who emerged from the city's long blues tradition. He's often described as coming "from the ashes of all the great musicians that have come out of Atlanta, Georgia," and that's a fair way to put it. If you spend any time wandering the clubs, bars, and honky-tonks across the Southeast and ask around for the best instrumentalists, vocalists, and songwriters working the circuit, his name is usually one of the ones that comes up. He's a local presence in a scene that's always had a deep bench, and this is one of those nights where you can catch him on home turf.

The venue is just as much a part of the evening as the music. Fat Matt's Rib Shack is a small, boxy barbecue joint and an Atlanta landmark, the kind of place where live blues and good barbecue draw people from all over town. It's not a polished concert hall; it's a rib joint that happens to be a hub for the city's blues scene, and that's exactly why it works. You come for the food, you stay for the music, and you'll likely find yourself sitting close to the stage.

It's a straightforward night: the Nate Nelson Group takes the stage at 7 PM, and there's no cover, so you can just walk in and listen. Fat Matt's is at 1811 Piedmont Ave NE, in the 30324 zip code, right in the middle of the city. If you're looking for a Wednesday night that doesn't cost anything but your time, this is a good place to start.