ATLANTA MUSIC GRAPEVINE — John Driskell Hopkins is an artist who likes to wear many hats. While he certainly has a fondness for millinery, he also applies his talents to a wide scope of interests. “Hop” is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and founding member of multi-Grammy Award-winning Zac Brown Band. You will also find him behind the board as an engineer and producer in his own studio, Brighter Shade Studios, leading the John Driskell Hopkins Band, and serving as a leader in the Atlanta chapter of National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. (MORE)

WXIA 11-ALIVE, “THE A-SCENE” — Students from two DeKalb schools were the big winners at the first “DeKalb Student Film Festival” on Feb. 21, bringing home awards in the ““Best of Show” and “Audience Choice” categories. The DeKalb School of the Arts was named the “Overall Winner” for their film, “Locked Out.”

The Academy Awards are Sunday, but these local students were the focus of paparazzi on the red carpet. The DeKalb Entertainment Commission (DEC) partnered with the DeKalb County School District for this first-ever film festival highlighting student productions.

OZ MAGAZINE — Dekalb Entertainment Commission has partnered with Dekalb County School District to create the first annual Dekalb Student Film Festival. The event will allow local students to showcase their film productions, competing in three difficulty levels. Students can win an award for Best of Show,” “Audience Choice” for their difficulty level, and there will be one “Overall Winner.”

Fourteen high schools as well as one middle school within the DCSD will submit work from their schools AV and Film programs. The event is free of charge and the public is encouraged to come and support local youth. The event takes place at the Dekalb County School District Office on Thursday February 21st. The red carpet ceremony will include fun and excitement starting at 5:30pm, followed by the festival from 6 to 8 in the evening. 

STOMP AND STAMMER — John Driskell Hopkins of the Zac Brown Band’s on-screen band from the forthcoming independent film Adolescence, The Bloody Wolves of Venice, proves to be a formidable, real-life creative force on its debut recording, The Revelation EP.

Hopkins teams up with bassist Greg Lee (Yacht Rock Revue), drummer Mike Rizzi (Sweet Tea Project), guitarist Mark Dannells (Yacht Rock Revue) and California guitarist Mick Murphy (My Ruin, Teenage Time Killers, Chevy Metal). The five-piece doubles as the on-screen bandmates of former Sons of Anarchy actor Tommy Flanagan.

OZ Magazine — In November 2018, that same Georgia World Congress Center hosted DreamHack 2018 as Atlanta joined Valencia, Marseilles and Stockholm as past host cities of this major three-day festival that brings gamers together for competitions, networking and more. DreamHack turns its venues into small cities with a popular 24-hour Local Area Network (LAN) area, Bring Your Own Computer (BYOC) section with catering and sleeping amenities, and a number of eSports tournaments.

It may surprise some, but the video game industry made more than twice as much as the global box office for films in 2017, reaping $70.4 billion versus cinema's $35.9 billion. Video gaming grew by 18%, while the world box office fell $1 billion short when it came to projections.

Elena Quevedo has been named chief development officer at Miami City Ballet. She was most recently senior vice president of advancement for The New Jewish Home, Inc. She has also worked with the New York city Ballet. Quevedo, a former academic, has a master’s in medieval architecture, and a Ph.D. in art history, from New York University.

VARIETY — The DreamHack Open is stopping in Rio de Janeiro for the first time ever in 2019, and tickets go on sale Jan. 5, the city announced on Friday. The Rio de Janeiro State eSports Federation confirmed the three-year contract and believes it’s an opportunity to increase the number of competitions within the city.

DreamHack, which launched in 2012, is an annual esports circuit for the online shooter “Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.” Rio is the first of seven stops and takes place Apr. 19-21 at the Olympic Park. Another new location, the Netherlands, will host the event in October.

“Visiting new places is always our goal, and with new stages in Brazil and the Netherlands, we are sure next year will be unforgettable,” said DreamHack’s Michael Van Driel.

“ATLANTA & COMPANY” WXIA-11 ALIVE — Joe Gransden and John Driskell Hopkins perform a Christmas classic LIVE on 'Atlanta & Company'

ESPORTS INSIDER — Sweden-based tournament organiser DreamHack is wrapping up the year by looking ahead to the next – announcing its full line-up of events for 2019.

DreamHack will host its multi-event festivals in three continents next year, marking its entry into South America. DreamHack Rio, hosted in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, will take place over April 19-21.

THE ESPORTS OBSERVER — DreamHack  will host its first event in South America next year, in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. The three-day festival will take place in the Parque Olímpico, with the former Olympic Arenas to play host to a bring your own computer (BYOC) area, gaming expo, and $100K prize pool Counter-Strike: Global Offensive  tournament.

The announcement today marks DreamHack’s 24th anniversary, and growth from a school-cafeteria LAN party to a global gaming and esports brand. In addition to Rio, there will be debut events in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and Dallas, Texas. Further event locations include Leipzig, Germany; Tours, France; Valencia and Sevilla in Spain; two more North American events in Montreal, Canada and Atlanta, Georgia; plus two festivals in the company’s home country: DreamHack Summer and Winter in Jönköping, Sweden.

STAR 94.1, “JEFF & JENN SHOW” — We talked with John Driskell Hopkins and got a special Christmas performance!

ASSOCIATED PRESS — Miami City Ballet has been awarded $3 million in support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The grant is part of a $37 million Knight Foundation investment announced Monday to further strengthen Miami art and culture organizations that fill out the city’s arts ecosystem, bringing Knight’s total investment in the sector to $165 million since 2005.