Athens Music Scene
By Eric Leighton
Athens NEWS Writer
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!
Of course the few bad eggs are louder and more conspicuous than all the good eggs, and tend to spoil the box. I just need to keep remembering that if I'm gonna survive in this town.
Plus, I'll save my Parking Rant for later and head off into a more dated topic: The Inquisition! I'm talking about the inevitable and continuously dragged-out querying by well wishers about how exactly was my Christmas/New Year's/Break. I'm thinking of making a button that says: "Don't ask!" As in, don't bother asking me about my whatever in an attempt to make small talk. If I need to tell you about anything, I will. For the record, my break was delightfully low key with an opportunity to hang out with some of my favorite people.
It's not that I resent the sentiment; rather, I resent the prevailing culture imperative requires people to ask such mundane questions. Do you really want to know how mine was? Do you want to know about how Aunt Esther's asthma was acting up such that she could no longer cook the Christmas turkey; how this created a bidding war among the cousins, who with small children all want to stay at home; how the fact that cousin Jimmy and his wife (that nobody likes) got the rights to host and we all had to drive to Wisconsin -- which is practically Canada -- to freeze to death and eat some other family's recipes; that there was a breakout of hives so severe among the nieces and nephews that Aunt Esther's asthma began acting up in earnest and we had to life-flight her to a hospital in Green Bay because the only thing close enough to their stupid house was a podiatrist who worked out of his home and happened to be the neighbor? I didn't think so. Aunt Esther is fine, thanks for asking.
Despite my many and not-so-varied rants that I look forward to unleashing upon you in the coming weeks, I'll have to say (begrudgingly) Welcome Back! We were not bored a bit without you, but it is nice to have some opportunities to work a bit more during your stay. By the way -- it is definitely too late to wish me a Happy New Year -- but thanks for the thought. See you at the gig!
Casa Cantina
Tonight People Might Benefit from the jamming of Black Spyral Dancer and (perhaps) others at the Casa Cantina. Their metal take on jazzier and darker material is refreshing.
Friday night, DJ Barticus spins tunes for your dancing delight on a variety of media.
Early evening Saturday, The Bob Stewart Band brings their James Taylor-esque musical style to the Casa Cantina in support of the Feral Colony Caretakers spay and neuter fund. This runs from 6-8.
Saturday, Morgantown's Moon fuses straightforward rock energy with a '60s boppin' sound reminiscent of the Kinks and bands that might have a penchant for "Do Do Do-s" and "La La La-s." Zeb Dewar has returned to town for a brief visit and adds his considerable talents to the evening with the help of the Lonesome Two. Slop Models are a band outlet for talented singer/songwriter Clint Sutton from Cameron W.Va. Good poppy stuff.
Don't forget that each Monday Rattletrap hosts an old-timey jam at the Cantina beginning around 8 p.m., and that on Wednesdays Chris Biester hosts the Open Stage beginning about 10 p.m.
Jackie O's
Tonight Cold Bargain brings their Stevie Ray Vaughn-inspired blues-rock to Jackie O's.
Friday night is Merengue night, so very popular among the international set.
Saturday night, Brent Hopper and Brittany Reilly hit Athens on their way South for the winter. These folks mix all kinds of roots music into an acoustical bag of tricks; good singing, too. The Paranormals will open (or close) the night with their trademarked and patented brand of humor and musicianship.
Monday nights you can find yours truly in the guise of "Junebug" hosting the Open Stage; and Tuesday night at Jackie O's is for Celtic jamming.
The Union
Tonight the Union hosts the ever-popular Dance or Die.
Friday night the shoe-gazing (and name-mangling) aspects of local acts Russenorsk, Esskyma and Zephuros combine with the She Bears for a night of thoughtful music.
Saturday night a metal moon arises when Dead Will Rise celebrate their CD Release party. Other metal mavens are on the make that night: Indespise, The Heartland, Woe of Tyrants.
Blue Gator
Friday night the Gator hosts a Ladies Night Live with Hip Hop from Entouraje and MC Nasty and "live DJs all night."
Saturday night is an Open Doors Dance Party.
Every Tuesday night the Paranormals host an Open Stage; no sign-ups necessary.
Donkey Coffee
Friday night at the Donkey you can not only catch the great music of Nostra Nova, but you can catch the premier of Brian Wiebe's most recent film as well as four videos he made surrounding the music of Nostra Nova; sounds pretty cool to me.
Saturday night, Jesse Remnant (of Southeast Engine, brother to Adam) will perform at Donkey with Jordan Hull.
The Maplewood Tavern
The Mudfork Blues Band makes a too rare appearance at the Maplewood Tavern out on East State Street Friday night. This fine blues show is FREE and enables you, should you choose, to eat what are billed as "Athens' finest wings."
Baker Center
Tim Williams comes to Athens via Brooklyn to share his melancholy-tinged indie-folk music with us on Saturday night. His is a career on the rise, so say that you saw him here first - and for FREE. A local act will open the evening.
Baker has also released its weekly schedule for winter quarter, which includes the singer/songwriter circle Tuesdays from 7-9 p.m. in the 1804 Lounge; Acoustic Cafe at noon Wednesdays in the Theater Lounge; Bunch of Grapes (open stage) Night Wednesdays from 8-11 p.m. in the fifth-floor lounge; Coffeehouse Concerts/Band Open Stages alternating Thursdays from 8-11 p.m. in the Front Room; Open Stage with Bruce Dalzell Fridays from 8-11:45 p.m. in the Front Room; theater concerts in Baker Theatre alternating Saturdays from 8-11 p.m.; and special musical events Saturday nights from 8-11 in the Front Room. See the related story in today's issue for info on how programming is changing in Baker Center this quarter.
19 South
Tonight, the Ordinance returns to 19 South to rock things out a bit.
Sunday night offers a free show featuring Five Foot Forward and all of their tattoos. The show begins about 8 and is FREE!
Wednesday night, Cold Bargain, the new house band for 19 South, will rock the blues for youze. Special guests such as Kent Lankas will pepper their sets.
Rhapsody - Nelsonville
Steve Zarate will wax melodic with your wax peppers at the Rhapsody Restaurant on Saturday night from 6:30 to 9:30.
The Union Hall Theater - Chesterhill
The Billycats kick off the year at the UHT in Chesterhill (Marion and Coal Street). These guys combine jazz sensibilities with hot country swing. Good stuff and perfect in a venue like this one.
Smiling Skull
There will be a punk rock benefit for The Wire on Friday beginning at 8 p.m. E-mail circle5music at gmail.com for a better-informed writer. Oh, wait, Editor Smith tells me the bands that he saw listed for this show include The Sad Bastards, Bananarchy and Suzy Wong and the Honkeys.
That's all I can get to this week. Hit me up with info about your bands. See you at the gigs!
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