• Athens Music Scene

    May 8, 2008

    Things that hack me off and make me sad this week>>

  • Athens Music Scene

    May 1, 2008

    My television is talking to me. For real. I think it is trying to communicate with me. It is using the Closed Caption feature to send me secret communiqués.>>

  • Athens Music Scene

    April 24, 2008

    Whacko Alert: I spent Sunday honoring many of the tragedies that have occurred in the past number of years (Waco, Oklahoma bombing, Hitler’s birth, etc.) by watching a disc of movies about the events of 9/11.>>

  • Athens Music Scene

    April 17, 2008

    I was wondering if there can still exist in the world music, or other art, that can be truly shocking. I mean, believe it or not, the early Beatles and Stones really put people out. Given the times and the way music was produced in the mid-’60s, that stuff was truly radical.>>

  • Athens Music Scene

    April 10, 2008

    With the weather as nice as it is (as of earlier this week), all I can think about is getting outside and enjoying it. At least there are windows. By the time you read this I am a-feared we will be back into the drizzles again. Yuckers.>>

  • Athens Music Scene

    April 3, 2008

    I am well aware of how stubborn and set I can become, but I think that many of us like to think that we are flexible and spontaneous and can endure or even welcome change into our lives. I also figured out how single — let alone narrow — minded I can become when I am in deep over my head.>>

  • Fur Peace launches season with blockbuster show

    March 27, 2008

    The good news first. The Fur Peace Ranch in Meigs County is launching its 11th season this Sunday with a blockbuster concert featuring two Rock ’n Roll Hall of Famers, Jorma Kaukonen and Roger McGuinn.>>

  • Athens Music Scene

    March 27, 2008

    There were a variety of losses in the last week, most of which were the several thousand students who boogied out of town. Have you ever noticed how peaceful, quiet and clean this town can be? Townies walking the streets with impunity, nabbing empty bar stools, enjoying the folks who never come to town except for these times of the year>>

  • Athens Music Scene

    March 20, 2008

    You ever play the game Telephone? You know, the one where you tell someone a sentence and then they turn and tell it to the person next to them who in turn does the same until it gets back to the beginning in some completely indecipherable form. That’s what Bar Talk is. Bar Talk is a sub-species of Gossip, but not necessarily malicious. It doesn’t quite qualify as Drunk Talk, though it occasionally dips its tongue in there, too.>>

  • Athens Music Scene

    March 13, 2008

    Oh my! Not only are you and I getting tired of me being tired of winter, I am getting real tired of the cynicism that pervades our electoral system.>>

  • Athens Music Scene

    March 6, 2008

    One of the things I really love about Athens is the sense of community that binds the town. It’s always fun for me when I have bands visiting from out of town and get to show them around and have them dig what we do here. It is a special place.>>

  • Athens Music Scene

    February 28, 2008

    This last week my body went through a period of Global Warming and my soul went through a Long, Dark Night of the Soul. The Creeping Crud that has been passing itself around town found me, apparently as I was writing last week’s column.>>

  • Athens Music Scene

    February 21, 2008

    The sun might be shining, but it’s colder outside than the look I got from my dog when I touched his tongue while he was yawning. We might have had a couple of warmish days to tease and ease us through what is most certainly the longest feeling month there is, but friends it ain’t over yet.>>

  • Athens Music Scene

    February 14, 2008

    I was feeling smug with my fairly substantial woodpile and my squeal-free four-wheel-drive truck as I prepared to leave the farm today. The slush was a bit of a hindrance, and a brief test of the wipers proved that the scraper would be necessary. As I forged through the icy morass, I tugged gently at the wipers to work toward freeing them from their prison. There was a sickening lack of tension in them as they easily broke free and moved toward me a manner that made me say, “Uh-oh.”>>

  • Athens Music Scene

    February 7, 2008

    People might think it odd that I don’t consume much music. In the various positions I have held — radio DJ, booking agent, newspaper music columnist, musician, etc. — you might think that I listen to a lot of recorded music. I probably should.>>

  • Athens Music Scene

    January 31, 2008

    I have a squeaky belt on my truck. It can be obnoxious. I get scornful looks from some people, and other people laugh at my misfortune. I know I need to change it, but have you spent any time outside lately? It’s either been cold or crappy, often both. The one nice day this week was spent gathering wood to keep the home warm. I simply must prioritize.>>

  • Athens Music Scene

    January 17, 2008

    I got some news the other night that had me crying in my beer, and I wasn't even listening to Hank Williams Sr. In order to confuse the issue, I cite the name of one of my favorite childhood books, "Hop on Pop." It appears as though the hop bubble has popped, or, due to the lack of hops, we will have to drink pop. What am I talking about? Always a fair question...>>

  • Athens Music Scene

    January 10, 2008

    As a naturalized citizen of Athens, I know a number of you are experiencing the culture shock that always comes when the students return after six or so glorious weeks of their absence. I say culture shock, but it is really more of a lack-of-culture shock. College students seem to get more and more obnoxious each year. After so many quiet nights, to walk down the street on Sunday morning to curbs littered with garbage and young, fairly well-to-do white kids yelling at each other across the street for some football-related incident seemed insulting somehow. Bah junebug!>>

  • Athens Music Scene

    December 31, 2007

    First of all, your eyes are not deceiving you. It's not Thursday already. This is a special Monday Athens Music Scene, in honor of New Year's Eve and New Year's Day today and Tuesday.>>

  • Athens Music Scene

    December 20, 2007

    Happy Solstice and Merry Christmas everyone! As the year winds its way out, and my wood stove keeps me warm (yeah!), I find myself relaxing into that near coma-like deep relief that happens when there is no one around but us ghost townies. It's so peaceful, calm-before-the-storm-ish.>>

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