Randy Bewley

(Photo/Michael Lachowski)

This hurts so much to write. It has been a very hard day for us all in Athens. We have lost one of our dearest friends. A critical part of our community has been taken from us and he will be missed sorely.

Randy Bewley, known to the world as the guitarist in Pylon, passed away on Wednesday, February 25, 2009 shortly before 5 in the afternoon. He suffered a heart attack while driving on Barber street in Athens on Monday. His van proceeded to drift off the road and tip over. No other people or vehicles were involved. Rescue workers did CPR at the scene and he was taken quickly to the hospital where he was placed in ICU. His family and bandmates were there by his side.

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Funeral arrangements for Randy Bewley announced (6:15 pm)

Calling hours for Randy will run from 6-8 p.m. FRIDAY at Bernstein’s Funeral Home, 3195 Atlanta Highway.

The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Saturday in Emmanuel Episcopal Church.

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(2:48 pm) Pylon requests that people post pictures and video of Randy to their facebook fanpage.
(9:25 pm) AJC Full article
(9:50 pm) Athens Banner Herald Guestbook
(12:42 am) Athens Banner Herald full story
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UPDATE FROM PYLON FANPAGE VIA FACEBOOK:

We love Randy
Today at 8:41pm
This past Monday evening, Randy Bewley had a heart attack while driving his van on Barber Street in Athens, GA. He was taken to Athens Regional Medical Center. Today, our bandmate and brother passed away at a little before 5 p.m. with his family and friends at his side. He will be missed, even as we celebrate his life and creativity. His guitar sound was as special as he was and always will be. Randy's guitar work defined not only a generation of sound but Randy himself. His visual art, painting and photos, combined with his signature sound formed a loose set of boundaries that helps understand him. His quiet devotion to family and friends will become a benchmark for those he leaves behind.
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My Favorite Bands Still Rock: An Essay

I got a message on Facebook last night asking my opinion on acts like Springsteen, U2, and Tom Petty's longevity and why they matter to younger fans. I ended up writing a whole lot more than what's in this post and in the response but I was so intrigued by this stream of consciousness essay that I had to post....


It seems that bands now are living past the old expiration date. While none can quite match those dinos of rock The Rolling Stones for sheer longevity, a lot of artists are getting on up there in age. Springsteen and Petty were out in the 70s making music and still seem to be holding on great.

U2 is now 31 years old, R.E.M. will celebrate 29 years this April 5th and they still strike a chord with audiences. Sure, they have the benefits of having their fans grow up with them. Those fans now have kids roughly the same age as they were when they first started playing. All that creates a huge fanbase and new lifeblood for the bands. But something interesting is happening...

Just like Michael Stipe looking to Patti Smith or Bono looking to John Lennon, musicians and fans are now looking to U2 and R.E.M. for inspiration. The two groups are brother bands, growing and touring throughout the 80s, releasing worldwide smashes in the early 90s, hitting a rough patch around the end of the century and releasing new, energetic, and future-looking albums in the past year.



U2 is THE band of the world. It would be easy to argue that they have never lost popularity, never hit a sour note (though Pop is considered a low point), never moved from that spot on top of the heap. Their last effort, "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" was very similar sounding to their first album "Boy". Any fans they may have lost during their experimental albums (Achtung, Baby; Zooropa; Pop), they gained back quickly with "All That You Can't Leave Behind" and "Bomb". Now we're on the verge of a new U2 record, dropping on March 3rd, called "No Line on the Horizon" and U2 seems as big as ever. The album sounds like the familiar U2, whether that is good or bad depends on the listener. Regardless of time, they still retain a stunning level of popularity.


R.E.M. hasn't had the same good fortune as U2. After drummer Bill Berry retired in 1997, the remaining members were left to figure out how to be a trio. What resulted were three albums (Up, Reveal, Around the Sun) that were fiercely experimental in nature and polarizing to fans. This was not the same band that released "Losing My Religion" but then again, they were still amazing to see live. Those who had faith enough in R.E.M. to stick around were rewarded with "Accelerate." The latest album was hailed by nearly everyone as a return to sound, a cross between hard rocking "Document" and the debut album "Murmur." Fans who had grown up listening to R.E.M. on college stations suddenly came back and, for good measure, brought the kids too. While U2 never hid their aspirations to conquer the world, R.E.M. has always had a secret vibe around them. They were the original indie band and the way they conduct themselves still gives them an incredible amount of indie cred, despite being worldwide rockstars. U2 seemed to have the pleasant route, R.E.M. had to climb mountains. Yet both still thrive.

So what is the appeal? One thing could be the cyclical nature of the music business. Old is new again. Rock is the new alternative which was the new punk which was the new rock...and so on. Another could be admiration for the personal lives of the artists. U2's Bono is just as comfortable talking about AIDS in Africa to state leaders as he is singing "Mofo" in front of thousands. R.E.M. and their staff have always been involved in human rights issues and other charity organizations. They quietly fund hundreds of events and organizations each year, keeping to the motto of "Think Global, Act Local." R.E.M.'s done more for Athens, both structurally and publicity wise, than any other band could do for any other town.


Both bands have done a lot to keep themselves in the public realm. U2 recently started streaming their new album on myspace.com and will appear on lots of shows to promote it. They're trying to reach out to new fans. Their policy on downloading and file sharing, however, may turn out to bite them later. You don't want to be seen as the enemy to your fans. U2 has been a little slow to incorporate new technology into their fanbase, but hopefully the band will remedy this soon.


R.E.M. has taken considerable steps to reach out to fans, especially young fans, with technology. They made video from their first single "Supernatural Superserious" available to fans to remix, edit, and create however they wanted. A twitter account was set up by the band to allow fans to follow the shows each night on the tour and get live minute by minute updates of setlists, funny happenings, and general atmosphere surrounding the tour. They invited concertgoers to take pictures, video, and twitter messages and combine them on a site to create that "show" feeling for anyone who couldn't attend. It was documentary by crowdsourcing. And the young fans came out in droves.

But when you come down to it, the reason that fans still care about U2 and R.E.M. is the music. It makes you think, feel, move. When a teenager picks up "Murmur" or "Boy", he can relate to the confusion and frustration. Someone can pick up "The Joshua Tree" or "Automatic for the People" and find comfort there. The songs matter. Young or old, a fan will stand by a band if the music continues to reach them in a way that nothing else can.

On June 21, 2008, R.E.M. had just finished a playing a song to their home audience in Atlanta. The crowd (and to some extent, the band) was trying to catch its breath. Michael Stipe walked up to the microphone and conducted a survey...

"If you were born before 1985, please raise your hand" About half the crowd lifted an arm.

"If you were born after 1985, please raise your hand" The other half jumped up in glee.

Stipe glanced at his bandmates and smiled. They launched into "Harborcoat," a song that was written before most of the audience had been born. And every last person sang along.

Weekly Injection

So here's some random stuff going on this week in Athens and in my own scary little world.

1) Music Business Panels - TUESDAY, folks from all parts of the music industry here in Athens, GA will be speaking on a panel in the SLC (I refuse to call it the MLC) Room 148 from 6-8pm. Expect tons of great advice from people like Widespread Panic and Team Clermont (thanks for the bookmark Shil!).

2) Taping a video. I'll be helping film a local artist in hope of someday getting him on Letterman. Expect plenty of "Oh God the camera fell on me" moments.

3) Album reviews. I've got the new Chris McKay & The Critical Darlings in the wings (check 'em out in the sidebar) and the new Old Ceremony is coming up soon too.

4) And this just made me smile. Check about halfway down for a familiar nickname. Ah, the wonders of the interwebs.

blueshades

Take a Picture Here...

One thing I love about Athens (besides the music of course) is all the different avenues of artistic expression there are. Especially photography. Man, there are some talented people in this town and they know their way around a camera. A ton of them are musicians themselves and end up taking pictures of other bands.

Many people underestimate the value of a solid press photo. Yes, it can be annoying to have to spend hours posing and smiling and jumping and stuff but it pays off. A great photo can make someone pay attention to you and grab you the front of a magazine or something. A self-made photo, when done wrong, will just look like every other myspace photo out there. Boring. So here's some great local photographers that shoot bands (with cameras!).

Michael Lachowski is in legendary Athens band Pylon. In addition to djaying every so often, he takes a LOT of photos. Having been the subject of TONS of photos himself, you can be sure he knows how to work with bands on that whole "Oh not more poses" thing. His site is here.

Also doing the band/photographer thing is Chris McKay. While not rockin out with his band the Critical Darlings, Chris takes photos of artists in concert. He does solid and straightforward stuff that will draw your attention. Check out his stuff here.

Probably the most familiar face behind the camera in town is Mike White. His shots are almost always concert ones and they are amazing to view. They lean towards the dramatic and epic shots that most photographers miss easily. Probably my personal favorite aspect of his work is his attention to light. Here's the site.

By NO means a comprehensive list. Just a few photographers I like (and probably owe some royalties to). Anyway, if you take pics in Athens, leave your contact info in the comments. Later!

blueshades

Venice Is Sinking at WUOG

Seeing as how we're still not up and running in the "Live in the Lobby" department, I've been trying to compensate a bit by inviting different artists to the station to dj for a bit and promote. Tuesday night found me staring down 4 members of Venice is Sinking, complete with records in tow.

Venice is one of those bands whose members stay consistently busy with different projects in Athens. The members have played in other bands and worked with the likes of PacificUV and Liz Durrett. So I really wasn't surprised when they showed up with tons of cds from their past excursions. The playlist was full of friends and familiar faces to Venice.

These guys took djaying seriously. Any gaps or miscues kinda threw them for a loop but overall, they did well. My favorite form of guest torture is the "announcement" segment we do every fifteen minutes. It's nice to see someone else ponder over pronunciation every once in a while. It was a lot of fun getting to chat with them.

Anyway, Venice was on to promote their new cd, AZAR, which we reviewed here. It was a massive undertaking for the band and it paid off. They're having a release show this FRIDAY at the 40 WATT. And you get a free cd with admission. Well worth your time. The band is expected to be out in Texas for the South-By-Southwest festival.

Lucas also mentioned that they've got the material for the next album which may be released on vinyl. That'll be nice to see.

Michael Lachowski at WUOG

After my trip to Macon, I got the honor of being the in-house dj to Michael Lachowski during his community radio shift on Valentine's night. The programming director had asked me about it a few weeks ago and I jumped at the chance. How often do you get to dj with a living local legend?

So Mr. Lachowski had already gotten there when I arrived and he was ready to roll. He had brought a few pieces of vinyl and his laptop with tons of music on it. I really didn't know what to expect. After the Mills "Kinky Boots" incident, I was prepared for anything. That song STILL haunts my nightmares. Oof.

Anyway, I was really digging his playlist. Lots of cool and danceable beats. Techno and dance aren't really something I've ever paid much attention to. I had to ask about where he got some of this stuff and how in the world he got into it. This led to a really cool conversation about New York.

Pylon had played there often in their early days and some of the music they heard had a pretty strong effect on my guest. He heard a song coming out of a boombox, ran up to the guy and asked where he got it, found the store, and continued to order from it back in Athens. Pretty neat!

He seemed really comfortable announcing and did a great version of our Sound of the City promo. The only thing that was giving us trouble was that damned mic button. Maybe it's the button or maybe something that guest djs that happen to be bassists do. I've done it plenty of times. You reach over, stop the record, start your talking, finish the talking, put on the record and then realize that you've still got the mic on. Common mistake. At least he didn't do like me and start cursing with the mic on. Or nearly strangle himself with the headphones, also like me.

Probably the neatest thing was just getting the opportunity to chat. He's got his hands full with Pylon, "Candy", SUXSEZ.com, the photography, graphic design...it's a lot. He very kindly answered any questions I had and even took a few pictures of the new station. If memory serves, I think his are the first actually posted to the web.

Overall, it was great to get to hang out with him for a while. Anyone who can be patient enough to deal with me on a Saturday night at WUOG deserves a medal. Hopefully, we'll have him guest dj on SotC sometime soon.

Dreams to Remember: My trip to Macon

Since UGA is doing a tribute to Otis Redding this Tuesday and I was asked to interview the family onstage, I thought it best if I head down to Macon and look at the Otis Redding: Dreams to Remember tribute to gain some insight for questions and context. Always one to mix business and pleasure, I made sure to visit our Athenians' exhibits too.

Got up this morning to the B-52s' Love Shack. Very appropriate. 1) Valentine's Day = Love = Love Shack. 2) B52s played their first gig on Valentine's Day, 1977. The time was 6:30 am. After finishing some research and printing out directions, I drove off towards my friend's house to pick him up and ride out to the great Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

The mist was sitting heavily on my windshield and the music from our ipods was providing an oddly appropriate soundtrack to the morning. A bit of Ween, some Television, and then Tom Waits. THAT was creepy to drive to.

A little outside of Macon, I got caught behind a tour bus touting "Athens Own! () Brothers". I forget the name. It was interesting to think about what music these brothers play and why they're on the road to Macon from Athens. For the most part, I was just miffed that their bus kept misting up my view.

We got to the Hall and I wasn't really sure what to expect. To be honest, my expectations were pretty low beforehand. I was expecting a few cardboard cut outs, a sequined outfit or two and that's about it. For a small space, the GA Hall was pretty cool.

We took a spin around the R&B/Blues lounge first. Outkast, Usher, Jermaine Dupree, and such were in there with James Brown, Wayne Cochran, Ray Charles, Little Richard, and Otis Redding. Kind of an odd juxtaposition to me but I guess it works. I spent a long time staring at this one Otis picture. He's getting off a plane, striding, with a guitar in his hand like a cowboy would hold a pistol by his side. Very striking. Then some more tourists came in.

REAL AUDIO:
"Wow, look at that picture of Ray! He looks just like Jaime Foxx."
I kid you not. *SIGH*

We went over to the backalley area where the producers and such are honored. I'm still waiting for our John Keane to be placed in the hall. But the Athens band stickers on the door was a nice touch. Then on to the country area where we laughed so hard at some of the pictures I was nearly in tears.

Then there was the "record store" area. Alongside the Allman brothers and the Black Crowes were our Athens bands. A pretty sizable portion was dedicated to the B52s with outfits from Cindy and Fred and a guitar from Keith. All sorts of posters from Love Tractor and Vic Chesnutt and so on. A few guitars and pictures from Widespread Panic and Drive By Truckers and a very large area for Pylon (yay!) then....R.E.M. In a small little corner. Hmm. That was weird. Arguably the most famous band to ever come from Georgia and they're in an area the size of a dorm room closet. Now, there were signs saying that stuff was being moved, so I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt here. Otherwise, WTF?

We glanced over the other attractions like the Gretch display and the kids education area but I was headed towards the Otis exhibit. Anything to try and shake these nerves a bit. And man, that display was something else. Records, telegrams, letters, receipts, photos... you name it, it was there. I learned a lot just walking around and staring. He seemed so solid. Here's a guy whose career was 6 years long but his record was the 7th most played song ever. He swaggered but he hugged. What an incredible life. So while it did put any informational nerves to rest, the sheer magnitude of this venture is finally starting to wear on me.

I think the final straw was reading the guest book they put out for people to sign. While a lot of signatures were very stupid (dead serious, someone wrote "First!"), the vast majority were long thank you passages to Otis and his family. I wrote my small bit in there, thanking him for "Dock of the Bay," which holds a very special place in my heart. As I was signing my name, I just had to think about if anyone would ever see it. What if someone came in and recognized it? That would be really cool. I hope it happens one day.

We hit the gift shop and came across a Cigar Store Indians release and couldn't help but take a peak at ol' Keith Perissi's photo in the sleeve. Nice one. There were a lot of local Athens artists available there and we noticed an ad for Packway Handle coming to the Hall.

Pulled out of the parking lot and headed back home, stopping by a Wendy's for food. Overall, I think that the Hall is pretty cool for what it is. I'd love to see bigger areas for artists like Widespread and REM and the producers and talent agents who get a very small amount of credit. Maybe some more interactive stuff. But overall, it was a great trip and worth the small admission price. I loved how the people at the front desk kept going, "Have you heard of Widespread Panic?" "They're from Athens dear." "Oh, have you heard of R.E.M.?" I'm still laughing at that. ME? Not hear of R.E.M. and Widespread?

It was a great trip back as well. We listened to a bit of Bambara's newest and some Sleepy Horses. We got back in time for the basketball game and for my shift at WUOG at 10pm (with Michael from Pylon! Post on that coming soon). Great day. Get yourself down there if you can.

Satisfaction. Chris McKay style!

Check the sidebar to the left and you'll see a nifty little gadget. It's a music player featuring Chris McKay and the Critical Darlings. Since they sold out of every last physical copy of "Satisfactionista," this is the best bet to hear the album unless you buy it from iTunes or Amazon or specially from the band itself ($5.99, insane deal). So enjoy!

CD Review: Venice is Sinking

I borrowed Venice is Sinking's second disc from the guys at Team Clermont and I am very reluctant to ever let it go. What follows is an epic journey into time and space through sound. A quick word about the artwork as always. It confuses me that an album so beautiful and weightless would have such a bleak looking cover. The color scheme works well with the songs themselves but I always saw fields of wheat or something instead of factories. That being said, pretty decent cover.

Azar One is a gentle and slow build into a magnificent aural atmosphere that will repeat itself in strains on the album. I am very reluctant to use the word soundscape but it explains so well what Azar One is doing here. Imagine walking up the side of a green mountain and finally reaching the peak just as the sun is rising and hits the fog below. It's surreal. Even Sigur Ros, kings of the epic sound journey, would be hard pressed to come up with something more.

Ryan's Song begins louder and adds dual vocals that act more as instruments themselves. The guy/girl harmony, compounded with a solid yet unassuming drumbeat and well composed string section make this a great transition into the rest of the album.

Okay: I LOVE THIS SONG. Coming straight out of Ryan's Song, Okay adds more weight to the foundation. The lyrics are fleshed out more and joined by a horn section instead of strings. The drums and bass are kicked up a bit more but not overbearing. "You'll be carried far enough away but not guilt free" they sing. At this rate, I don't care where they carry me, just as long as they're singing this song.

Azar Two: More soft instrumental to tide us over until we reach the next song.

Wetlands Dancehall: A song that really fits its title. I really felt like grabbing my beloved and going for a short slow dance in Memorial. It's very soft and the vocal harmonies are subtle enough to not be distracting. The lyrics are simple but it works. Sometimes you don't need an essay when a haiku will do.

Young Master Sunshine came so suddenly, I didn't realize that we were on the next song. It fit so well into Wetlands that I failed to notice the track change. The same slow dance feeling flows through here. A lovely string and horn arrangement If you're not into shoegaze, leave now. While most of the songs sound very similar, it works as a cohesive whole to create AZAR. "It's all too much but somehow it's more than enough."

Azar Three features a bit of pop and crackling as it transitions into an almost spacey sounding vignette. Reminds me of the music they play at EPCOT inside Spaceship Earth.

Sun Belt begins with a loud electric strum and melts into a shoegaze groove. Karolyn Troupe sings softly until a violin breaks in and begins to lead the band in a constantly shifting song. Quiet and heartfelt one moment, uptempo and sad the next, Sun Belt is an epic worth hearing just for sheer originality's sake.

Iron Range: The beginning really reminds me of U2's 'With or Without You.' It's quiet but you can tell that this is something that you MUST pay attention to. I could actually see the Sleepy Horses taking this as a cover with no problems. But comparisons aside, this is a beauty of a song. The harmonies come in after a while, perfectly in place. It has that peak of the mountain feeling again. You will be taken in and enveloped by it. Easily the best song on the album.

Azar Four begins sounding like an old piano caught in the rain. Another lovely little placeholder that holds its own.

Charm City: A very long and very satisfying journey through the album ends with a very long and satisfying song. All the old themes come back here. Plenty of piano and chimes, drums, vocals, string sections and horns...it's all in there. Just sit back and enjoy.


I give it an 9/10. I really can't find anything to complain about except that the small little Azars have potential for full songs instead of filler. Other than that, buy this record. Seriously. It's perfect for laying in the grass on a hillside, staring at clouds in the late afternoon. Fair warning, try to stay in one place and listen to AZAR as a whole, rather than in parts. While the songs are more than capable of standing alone, the whole experience is far greater when you listen to this all at once.

Housekeeping!

So we're working on a new Athens Music Junkie logo. Something a bit more appealing than our current hat/sunglasses thing. Yeah, it's cute but we need a change. Also coming up are some layout changes. Hopefully no more cutting off pictures and smooshing text together!

Upcoming Coverage:

Review of Venice is Sinking's AZAR
Venice is Sinking takes over WUOG on Tuesday
UGA Tribute to Otis Redding
A random concert
Community DJ Shift this Saturday evening
and anything else that strikes me as interesting.

As always, any compliments, complaints, questions or whatnot, please email.

Vic Chesnutt & Elf Power at the 40 Watt

Man, I was not in the greatest shape to be at this show. I've been battling this strain of ick that's been floating around Athens for the last week or so. I spent most of Friday in the bed (missing Strawberry Flats dammit!) but I was determined to rock! So I took some Tylenol, wrote out a will, and left for the 40 Watt.

Kudos to the boss lady for my ticket. I got in, grabbed a water bottle ASAP to quash a coughing fit and propped my near dead body in the corner. I sat nursing my Dasani until Liz Durrett came on. In my sleep deprived state, I struggled to stay awake because Liz's voice is just so comforting. It's like her songs are a giant patchwork quilt. So I got up and walked around, got more water, then sat back down. Her most bold moment came when it was just her and the guitar. I swear to Ort you could hear a pin drop in the Watt. Not a single breath, glass clink, nothing. Just all of us, standing in awe of her.

Elf Power came up next for a change of pace. I've been spinning "Spiral Staircase" a lot on my show so I was very happy to hear it live. Last time I saw them, I was blocked by some oaf in a MGMT shirt. But it was a nice upbeat set. I went through a third bottle of water and the last of my cough drops. It was quickly becoming obvious that I would not be able to stay the whole night.

I propped up in a corner again and was happy to find some friends ready to chat. After a lovely discussion about the music business in general, we did some Athens, GA assessing and then got up for the main act. Chesnutt was a vicious wit on Saturday night. Talkative and ready to rumble, man, he was a sound to behold with Elf Power backing him. My personal favorite was the exchange before "Stop the Horse." I don't think I've been called a nihilist before. Sweet!

I made it about 2/3 the way through the show and finally had to go crash. My head was about to split open and I felt bad for the people having to deal with me coughing because it's really not fair to them. So I very reluctantly left the awesome show and prayed that nothing TOO exciting happened afterward.

Thankfully, there is a solution for those of us who have to miss part of a show. Southern Shelter (big shout out!)!!! God, I love this site. So, if you want to hear the Vic/Power show, check out this link. Southern Shelter has fed my addiction to Athens music like nothing else. Check it out and click around. You never know what old shows you will find.

blueshades

Congrats to Athens Grammy Winner: Art Rosenbaum

Local man Art Rosenbaum brought back a Grammy to Athens. Art won the Grammy in Historical Album for his epic "Art of Field Recording: Volume 1: 50 year’s of Traditional American Music Documented by Art Rosenbaum".

WOO! Way to go!

Busy Night Tonight

Lots of stuff going on tonight should you find yourself out and about in the 20 degree weather. So if you feel like freezing your ATH off at any point tonight, here's some good places to hit up.

LOCAL LADS AND LASSES:

Free Lunch,The Incredible Sandwich,and The Mantras at Caledonia (BUNDLE UP!)

Patterson Hood w/Brad Morgan, John Neff, David Barbe, William Tonks, David Marr, Don Chambers at Farm 255

MOVIE: THE SACRED SITES OF THE DALAI LAMAS with Steve Dancz at Cine

OUT OF TOWNER:
Caroline Smith & The Good Night Sleeps from Minneapolis, Minnesota playing at GO BAR. Got an email from them a while ago. Very catchy melodies in the folksy lullaby vein.

There's your little post for the day. If you need me, I'll be hitching up the sled dogs.

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UPDATE: Just saw that athensmusic.com put up their first post in a week and of course it's on the exact same thing I just put up. *sigh* I feel so lame.

Happy Happy Joy Joy!

After yet another thirty minutes of searching frantically through boxes before my shift, I finally found them. The local records. The vinyl!! Those sneaky little Athens, GA 7"s and LPs had been hiding in the jazz collection, trying to be all cool and hip. Ha!

So last night's playlist on WUOG was very heavy on the vinyl. I threw in a cd right after each break because the record player is so far out of reach it creates the dreaded dead air. Everything went pretty smooth. A technical glitch every now and then but oh well. That's what college radio is for anyhow.

I think the best part of the night for me was when someone called up asking for the Method Actors when I had just grabbed it from the box. Great minds think alike. I sat back in my chair and just looked over each sleeve. Most of them were signed by the bands. The Brains, Method Actors, Pylon... each of them had these little scrawls on there like "Sorry for the crappy recording. Love you John!".

Live in the Lobby is still a no-go for a while. Until then, we'll just keep spinning the local vinyl (that I found!) and will try to get some local artists up for interviews and guest shifts.

Happy Wednesday,

blueshades

Spreadin the Love

Woke up this morning to a very welcome headline in my inbox.Just when you thought that Widespread Panic couldn't get any cooler. I love these guys.

From the Inbox: Scion/Vice Metal Fest

Just look at the beauty that is this poster. Wow.

So surely you've heard about the huge/amazing/awesome metal fest going on in ATL on the 28th at the Masquerade Music Park...for free! You wanna go right? Right? What's that? You don't know how to get tickets?

Directly quoted from the email:

"To obtain tickets to the fest please visit http://www.scion.com/rock and enter your email address in the register box. If you live within a 60 mile radius of a retail pick up location you will be given the option of stores close to you. Choose the store easiest for you to visit and you will be emailed a confirmation to get a pair of tickets at the that location. Bring this confirmation to the store to obtain your tickets. If you live outside that radius your name will be added to a will call list to get tickets day of at the venue and you will be emailed a confirmation for that. Early arrival is highly recommended, as a ticket does not guarantee entry. Once the park is full, that's it."

Oh, by the way, We're Sending Correspondents! That's right. We'll have another special guest post from two metalheads about Mastodon and everyone else at the fest. ROCK ON!

___________________________________________________________________________________

UPDATE: And now they're full. Sorry guys. Maybe hang around and see if anyone has an extra?

Random Sighting (Sorta)

Our buddy Mike Mills from R.E.M. hopped onstage with the Modern Skirts at the 40 Watt on Saturday to play "Motorcade." I wasn't there but heard it was awesome.
As is sometimes the case, I got a request Sunday morning for some pics. Having none myself, I headed to the Athens Banner Herald site and behold! Here ya go then.

Anyone else notice the new haircut?