In a city with a metropolitan population of almost five million, it’s hard to stand out, but a handful of folks have caught Atlanta’s—and our—attention. We present our list of the people who are shaking up Atlanta’s nightlife scene.
A pioneer for Atlanta’s indie rock scene, Preston Craig has wowed Atlanta with his rave-worthy DJ skills, his promotions company, *KISS* Atlanta, and the founding of Decatur Social Club, an increasingly popular Friday night event held at Azul. After 11pm, the dining areas morph into a late-night indie/electronica/hip-hop dance hall where throngs of party people from every walk of life start pouring in to socialize and 
mobilize.
Event planner and DJ Christian “Sohl” Weaver of The Sohl Collective spins up an eclectic energy of beats ranging from Afro and Brazilian pulsations to old-school hip-hop to Brit pop at funky art gatherings and crowded clubs such as The Mark, Eleven50, and Hush Lounge. Weaver fuses cultural divisions and is serious in his quest to bring something new to the dirty dirty. And those swaying booties don’t lie.
Kal Wayman’s number is on more dressers and in more purses than any other gentleman this side of the Mason-Dixon Line. Okay, it’s not as scandalous as it sounds. This fun-loving partier set up a phone number for friends to call to get the scoop on where the best party was in town on any given night. The fun escalated, as it always does, and now Kal’s Party Line (404.695.0682) receives 4,500 calls a week.
Speaking of music-makers with momentum, Chuck Jones is the “haute” half of the act DJs Haute & Couture (Lindsey Crowell plays fashionista DJ Couture). Together they’ve set up residency at Lenny’s Bar two Fridays a month, which means local clubbers have just two weekends a month to let their dancing feet recover.
British bloke Ike Umar of Ike’s Nightlife achieved fame status for his instrumental role in promotions and celeb-getting appeal. Now the 23-year-old claims to hold the title for the youngest club owner in the ATL with the recent opening of Hush Lounge, which he co-owns. Umar still hosts two wildly popular nights for young professionals: Aiko Thursdays and Hush Saturdays.
