Welcome back, Jimmy Baron! Jimmy just sent me this message on his Facebook page (yeah, we love Facebook, too):

As old-school “Original Gangsta” Ice-T and Atlanta’s Soulja Boy (pictured) have traded barbs online earlier this week, it's been hard to know who to feel worse for: The 17-year-old “Crank That” phenom, clearly out of his league, giggling at his own jabs at Ice-T’s age, or the 50-year-old “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” star, lowering himself to a rambling, nearly eight-minute diatribe aimed at a teenager. Of course, it was Ice’s assertion on a recent mix tape that Soulja Boy is killing hip-hop that started the whole thing.

Neither performer has come out of this "feud" looking very good, and neither has Atlanta-born Grammy winner Kanye West, who took Soulja Boy's side in the debate. (Since you've been dying to know, I'm more inclined to take Ice-T's position, as he's clearly an artist who's proven his talent and longevity. Except that "Crank That" doesn't, strictly speaking, strike me as hip-hop: It's just a dissonant, slurred pop novelty, and attacking it as "garbage" inflates the song's pop-cultural status beyond what it deserves.

It’d have been better for everyone involved had the Iceberg taken a cue from NBA superstar LeBron James, who back in March dismissed an insult from Washington Wizard DeShawn Stevenson, saying that to respond would be like Jay-Z acknowledging a diss from … Soulja Boy.

Cold drinks, live music, a beautiful environment to enjoy them in—these are the promises offered by the SMIRNOFF ICE LIGHT MIDSUMMER MUSIC FEST, which gets underway at 2 p.m. tomorrow, Saturday, June 21, at Candler Park. The event, which doubles as an 11th birthday bash for local sports talk station 790 the Zone, also features a 5K run at 9 a.m., but the highlight is a live music roster including the Cazanovas, Swami, the Taj Motel Trio, Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ and headliners Blues Traveler. For more information, visit www.790thezone.com.

Enjoy live entertainment, video games, prizes and more at the REGULAR GUYS ALL-NIGHTER, kicking off at 11 p.m. tonight at the StarTime Entertainment complex in Roswell. Guests get access to the staff of Rock 100.5’s “Regular Guys,” a $50 game card for arcade games, live-band hard rock karaoke courtesy of Metalsome, a DJ and dancing, shooter girls and screenings of “The 40 Year Old Virgin” and “Fast Times at Ridgemont High.” For more information, call 770-817-4242 or visit www.regularguys.com.

If you’re a fan of Athens’ music scene—and who isn’t?—you’re going to be pretty busy this weekend. ATHFEST, the city’s annual celebration of its musical heritage, runs today through Sunday in historic downtown Athens, with more than 175 bands showcasing the best local, regional and nationally recognized Athens-based talent. There’s also a juried artisan market, a kid’s fest, film events, the Flagpole Music Awards and more. Some events may require a small fee. For a full listing of events and band schedules, visit www.athfest.com.

You don’t have to have been a pale, socially awkward teenager in the ’80s to appreciate the pallid glamour of THE CURE, but it certainly helps. Let’s face it: Without white-faced singer-songwriter Robert Smith and his knack for alternating moody dirges with insanely catchy guitar pop and even gloomy arena rock, the heart-on-their-sleeve emo bands of today wouldn’t exist. The band’s last proper album, 2004’s “The Cure,” was a not-entirely-successful attempt at stadium sludge-rock, but that slight misstep is overshadowed by a grab-bag of indelible hits, from the spiky New Wave of “Boys Don’t Cry” to the glittering “Just Like Heaven” and the jangly “Friday I’m in Love.” The Cure performs at the Arena at Gwinnett Center tomorrow, Sunday, June 15 at 8 p.m. 404-249-6400. www.gwinnettcenter.com.

BREW UP A GOOD TIME FOR CHARITY: Chow down on finger-lickin’ barbecue from Fox Bros., jam to the sounds of Almost Blue and wash it all down with some of Atlanta’s finest local suds during ROCK THE CURE, a fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation on Saturday, June 14. Brewery tours are also available. Tickets are $30 in advance and $40 at the door. The first 200 guests receive a limited-edition SweetWater/JDRF glass. For more information, call 404-420-5996 or visit www.jdrfgeorgia.org/rock-the-cure.asp.

DON’T FORGET YOUR PENGUIN SUIT: It’s the weekend—time to toss those boring work shoes in favor for something more dance-worthy. Boogie down at TANGO ON THE TUNDRA, the Fernbank Museum’s annual Lost Oasis fundraiser on Saturday, June 14. Revelers can enjoy bites from Proof of the Pudding and a themed open bar, complete with Tango-tinis and Cha-Cha Chills. And don’t forget the live music from Limelight. Tickets are $100, benefiting Fernbank’s children’s programs. 404-929-6300. www.fernbankmuseum.org.

ARTS AND CRAFTS ON THE ROCKS: Make the trek up to Stone Mountain Saturday afternoon to peruse the wares of local artists and crafters at the 36TH ANNUAL ARTS AND CRAFTS FESTIVAL ON MAIN STREET. The event lasts from 9 a.m. ‘til 8 p.m.—but what’s an all-day adventure without some sustenance? Lucky for you, the festival is held in conjunction with the 2ND ANNUAL BBQ COOKOFF, where you can taste and vote for your favorite barbecue dishes. Topping it off is a live performance from alternative rock band Five Star Iris. For more information: www.stonemountainpark.com.

The smooth voice and expressive lyrics of singer-songwriter INGRID MICHAELSON have given viewers an excuse to watch “Grey’s Anatomy” even if they’re not fans of ridiculously good-looking doctors. Having a number of her songs featured on the popular drama (and an Old Navy ad set to her song “The Way I Am”) helped Michaelson’s 2007 album “Girls and Boys” hit the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart. Catch the rising star’s pleasant, sometimes mournful melodicism for yourself tonight at 8:30 p.m. at Variety Playhouse. Greg Laswell also performs. 404-524-7354. www.variety-playhouse.com.

Thanks to some conspiracy-theory comments attributed to her in a recent issue of Blender magazine, ALICIA KEYS seemed in danger of being famous more for controversy than for her music. But one promotional spot for the WNBA and a reported $25 million deal with Vitamin Water later, the dynamic singer-songwriter is no longer “Fallin’” into career purgatory. Despite some clunky lyrics, her 2007 album “As I Am,” born out of a breakthrough following a soul-healing trip to Egypt, hit the top of Billboard’s Top 200, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Top Internet Albums charts, thanks to charged tunes like “No One” and “Superwoman.” And her current tour—which arrives at Philips Arena on Wednesday—is drawing favorable reviews, reminding audiences why the classically trained pianist “owes as much to Chopin as Mariah Carey,” as the Las Vegas Review-Journal recently noted. 404-249-6400. www.philipsarena.com.