Link Mania!

We've got a lot of great links for ya today starting with this one from Jambands.com featuring Patterson Hood talking about his many projects.

Widespread Panic (who's "Til the Medicine Takes" I've been devouring) announced the Halloween Mail Order info today. Thanks again to Matt and Ellie for the info and recommendations on my journey into Panic-dom.

I was watching Sling Blade the other day and I remembered that Vic Chesnutt has a new album coming out soon! Tour info and more on Brooklyn Vegan.com.

And a happy birthday to Bill Berry! Our favorite farmer turns 51 today.

And You Can't Even Cry...

2008: It's absolutely freezing tonight as Katie and I walk back on aching feet to the car parked way to far away. We don't notice the chill because we're overheated from dancing. I'm cursing myself for wearing these shoes. Katie's giggling away at my blushing face. "If only I'd gotten that camera out in time! You were dancing so hard!" I can't even respond. I'm in shock. The only thing I can focus on are the orange lights in the car. There were a lot of orange lights that night. "You're really quiet Jordan." "Huh? Oh. Yeah. Sorry. I'm just a bit..overwhelmed." "I would be too if I had danced onstage with Pylon during my first ever 40 Watt show." I just bowed my head a bit and smiled. I think I'm in love with this band.

The drive up to Athens was rather uneventful as far as long drives go. I had predetermined my playlist the day before and was rocking out to some new bootlegs I'd received from another Pylon fan. It was wild hearing the very show I was at, where I got pulled onstage. I thought I felt my feet ache at the memory of how much dancing there was. I made it to a stoplight near the 10 Loop and probably looked like a loon to the elderly couple next to my car. I don't care. I'm in the mood for dancing.

I found a nice and cozy space to park the car and headed towards the 40 Watt. We have a lot of work to do. Balloons, buttons, and, of course, pylons. The door was still closed but a few members of Flash to Bang Time were already in the parking lot unloading various things. After a few brief introductions, we begin carrying all the odds and ends to the front of the Watt, praying that someone would open it soon so we could get out of the heat.

Our wish soon came true as our bicycle-riding savior opened the doors. More lifting and lugging of stuffs. A few more people began to drift in from the other bands. And soon enough, TUNABUNNY! YAY! I was absolutely thrilled that they were playing tonight. We did the little jump and hug thing and began to chat about what songs they were about to do. As that conversation was winding down, Michael and Maureen came in with quite a bit for us to do. Five of us were assigned to the button assembly line.

Pouch, card, button, button, button, seal. Over and over again. For three hundred times. It probably didn't help that "California" was stuck in my head. I mentioned this to the lady next to me who was sealing the button pouches and putting them away. Her name was Cathy. And boy, did she know some stuff about Athens in the 80s. She ought to. She lived it!

The button brigade took longer than we thought. By the time we were through, other people were already blowing up the balloons. Paul was arranging the screen and dvd for the Pylon footage and Michael was setting up his dj stuff. So Cathy and her friend Dolores and I went to Trapeze for coffee. It was absolutely fascinating for me to hear their stories about living in 169 and 170 Barber and all the interesting things that happened then. A bit of talk about Trestle politics, the 11:11 Klub, A.P.T...it was great. We also discussed wave theory, and much to Cathy's dismay, we placed her firmly in the third wave of Athens music. Sorry!



We returned to the Watt to find everything done for the night. It was about 7 p.m. and we were getting hungry so we headed to a mexican place downtown. More phenomenal stories were told, including some that I have been sworn never to repeat until after the teller's death. Darnit. There goes my bestselling tell-all. We talked about Randy a bit, how we found out about his passing. It was quite touching when we realized that part of the news had been distributed by this very blog. It made a difference. Wow.

Conversation drifted towards happier, and in some cases, downright hilarious, episodes. Our meal was done but we still had time to kill. Where to head? Off to Wuxtry of course! I'm poking around some local vinyl while Cathy's telling me different stories about each one. The most random discovery comes from a record marked "R.E.M. is Air Supply." Now THAT is a tale all to itself. Purchases made, we trot back towards the Watt, looking for mints to ward off the coffee/burrito breath.

We step back into Trapeze when we run into none other than Ort! The magical creature was celebrating his own birthday and began to strike up a very long conversation about this one beer company that uses this particular symbol and so on and so forth. I stepped aside to talk to a friend of mine who wanted to introduce me to someone. When I got back, we headed to the Watt with Ort promising to be right on our heels sometime around 1.

"Do you want to go onstage with us?" asked a Tunabunny. (I think it was Chloe!)
"Say what?"
"Come sing with us!"
"Uh, what song?"
"Human Body!"
"Do you have the lyrics?"

And thus began my mad scramble to remember the lyrics to "Human Body." I knew I knew the song but something about singing it in front of the people that wrote it intimidates the snot out of me. While the bunnies were getting all tuned up, I ran over to Caledonia to seek some sage advice from Gordon.

"Do it."
"I don't want to screw this up Gordon!"
"Do it! This is what Athens is about man. Just gettin up there and having fun."
"Sigh. Okay."

So I went back to the Watt, found a lyric sheet, and then proceeded to write the chorus on the palm and back of my hand. It's times like these I really wish I drank. Oh well, time to dance silly while stone cold sober. It felt great. The last time I was on this stage, I was dancing with Pylon. I looked out over the crowd towards the doors, having a bit of a flashback while yelping different verses about wearing safety shoes. I THINK I can show my face again. Thanks for the invite Tunabunny! It was fun!

Slightly starry-eyed, I wandered around talking until the picture show. Turns out there was a documentary of Pylon. I call it "Adventures in K-Mart." The kids were running around the store, picking up various items and tossing them around, playing with this, ignoring that. It was very sweet and a bit saccharine. Like watching someone's home movies. Every time Randy appeared, I just had to smile sadly and wonder if he was liking the party so far.

Next was Everybody Everybody. Just a singer, drums, and a bass. Intense. The light from a projector kept flickering and bouncing off the singer as she gyrated and screamed away into the mic. Some weird kung-fu dance movie was playing beside them. I was highly amused. And the Gold Party put on a great show after that. I was a bit busy talking to a friend to pay as much attention as I should have. I know, shame on me. But I think we all noticed the tight pants. Yes. Very, very tight pants...

The most touching moment of the night came when Vanessa, Curtis, and Michael took the stage between two acts. If you hadn't felt the impact of Randy's absence, you did then. I clutched my drink tighter. With a very calm voice, Michael discussed the RANDY t-shirts for sale that benefit Nuci's Space along with plans to release "Chomp" again on the same date as Vanessa and Randy's new project release "Waves."

Eventually, Flash to Bang Time took the stage. They played a few upbeat songs that I've heard them play before and then suddenly, something very familiar. The other Linda joined them onstage for the last songs of the night. "When I first heard this song, I cried," she said. I closed my eyes and jumped onto the floor.

You're funny and you don't know why
You're funny and you can't even cry
You're funny and you don't know why
You're funny and you don't even try
Cause your head is shaking
cause your arms are shaking and your feet are shaking
cause the earth is shaking

We danced. HARD. All of us. I knew very well that this could be the last time I heard Crazy live. For a few glorious moments, we're all in synch. It's not a few twenty somethings and people who could be their parents' ages, or those who grew up with Pylon versus those who didn't. Just us. Friends and family of Randy, dancing the night away in honor of him.

The music faded; the balloons disappeared in the hands of the revelers, leaving a path of pink in the wake of a hot Athens night. I hugged Michael for a very long time, glad to have made it up for a time like this. As we walked back to the car, I couldn't help but think about the times I've had with Pylon and their music. The joy, the energy, and on one night at WUOG, a bit of sadness. The night I fell in love with Athens, the night I got the setlist, and the night that Pylon became my favorite band.

But for the first time since that day in February, I cranked up Gyrate in my car. And finally, everything is cool.

Randy's Birthday

Just in case you missed the announcement in the Flagpole, on Homedrone, on WUOG, on the Athens Banner Herald, on blueshades' twitter, or anywhere else..



I'll be there, blowing up balloons beforehand and dancing like crazy later.

Jordan

Contest Time!

I think it's been awhile since I've held a giveaway so here goes.

Twitter followers may have an advantage here...

Question: In the cult film Athens, Ga: Inside/Out, what band does not have a speaking role?

First to email athensmusicjunkie@gmail.com with the answer to the question wins an Athens cd prize pack. Remember to put AMJ CONTEST in the subject line so I can spot the email quickly.

And if you're wondering where the heck that captioned photo came from, I'm not tellin'!

Music 101: Sign Up Now

Well, it's no secret that I'm a fan of the UGA Music Business program, having been through it, present Bruce Burch with an award for it, and received a lot of opportunities from it. Considering how much time I've spent with the program, I haven't really talked much about it. Guess I've been trying to avoid the whole "free advertising" versus "journalism" deal. Join me now as we tap dance on that line.

I never missed a class. It was partly out of fear of missing a phenomenal speaker, partly because I had work before and after, but mostly because it was honestly one of only three classes at UGA that I enjoyed. My friends from class are the greatest I've ever had because we went through something together that at times even we can't explain.

It's where I met Randall Bramblett and Soniah Leigh. The program placed me in an internship with the weirdest, most professional, and wonderful people that have ever been crammed into an office with J.J.

The program is extremely young and is still working out where it needs to improve but you will never have a more valuable resource in the music business. Some programs do nothing but teach you out of a book. This one ensures you an internship, brings experienced people to your doorstep, and the professors try their hardest to get you on your way to a job.

Which is why I'm insanely jealous that a) they've added a pre-class course for those who might be interested in the program and b) they've got a bona fida music superstar/darn nice person teaching the first class in the fall. I can tell you already, I may be asking for time off to get to these classes...

Anyway, it's not for the faint of heart. You earn what you put into the class. If you're just taking it for kicks, fine. You'll get your kicks. But if this is what you want to do for the rest of your life, buckle up. It's gonna be a hell of a ride.

I'll take my check now, Mr. Burch.*

*(for people who don't understand sarcasm, that was sarcasm)

The Trestle Mess

It seems like every year there's a story about how the R.E.M. steeple or Murmur Trestle is a)falling apart (they both are) b) in danger (they both are) or c)causing problems (again, both are). So it really came as no surprise to hear that there another story being written about a treasured icon facing extinction. What floored me was that I was asked to throw in my two cents.

Let me go ahead and say that yes, the steeple and the trestle should both be saved. Just to make you completely clear on my position in this debate. I feel strongly as an Athens music fan that we need to keep these things around. There's not much left to save but what's here needs looking after.

History is important for providing context and inspiration to generations who were not there when certain events happened. It's why we have things like historical foundations, to preserve areas of historic value for others to enjoy. And that may have not come across as much in the ABH article. No faults there, limited print space. But I've got cyberspace so here:

My three "out of town" friends weren't just from out of town. One came from Boston, another from Pennsylvania, and the last from Tallahassee. We met online via Murmurs.com, an R.E.M. fansite and had not met each other in the same place until Athfest. While I'd like to say that they came to visit me, they came because of Athens and our favorite bands that live here. Getting to see that trestle with them, knowing what it meant to all of us, was one of the greatest moments of my life.

It's just on an album cover. Sure, I'd be willing to buy into that if it were Around the Sun. But of all albums, Murmur grabbed critics by the ears and spun them around so hard that the crew at Rolling Stone still has a hard time figuring out where it came from. But for just an album cover, it sure made a stamp on music history. It's tied forever with R.E.M. and Athens and that's why fans look on it with great respect.

Economically, that trestle is a source of much needed tourism dollars. I believe Jared Bailey, Athfest creator, once said that they tried to measure the economic impact of R.E.M. on Athens but it's just so varied and large that it can't be grasped. How many of us came here because of R.E.M.'s music? How many of us ended up staying? How many of us bring our fan friends here and delight when they glimpse a band member walking near them? You can't measure that kind of effect.

People come to pay tribute to an album and band that mean something to them and to their lives. To use a comparison, Murmur is some people's "Patti Smith and a bowl of cherries" moment. Like I said in the article, being at a place, seeing something that holds meaning, makes it real. Like the people who visit Normandy Beach. Sure, a rock album can't compare at all to a war, but for some, it means just as much.

Now, R.E.M. would be the last to pay tribute to themselves or even acknowledge their legendary status as musicians. Meaning, the only people who could buy the trestle (R.E.M.) won't because they're not in the business of erecting statues to themselves. The fans on the other hand, could. They've saved the structure before. And after witnessing the uproar last year when Peter Buck's guitar was stolen, you can bet that they'd be lining up to save the trestle with dollar and pitchforks in hand. But a taxpayer and his money are not so easily parted in Athens.

The proposed rail to trail project that's currently threatening the trestle is a phenomenal project and definitely one I'd like to see completed. But the cost to repair the trestle may be too much for taxpayers, leaving fans to foot the bill of rehabilitating the structure. Maybe it's possible that the rails to trail project can just go around the trestle instead of incorporating it. I don't know. I haven't been part of those talks.

I just don't think we should take the easy way out on this one guys. I'm a broke writer currently sleeping on a friend's couch. But I'll pass a few bucks from my next paycheck if it means that I can see people's faces light up like my friends' did at the sight of that trestle. Cause the four of us are scruffy college-age kids too. And who knows what we might do?

Figuring Out the Widespread Effect

When people ask me questions about Athens bands, I try to answer as best I can. But I don't always know everything that I need to. Sure, ask me about Pylon or R.E.M. or Modern Skirts and I can fill your head with more random facts than you ever need to know. Ask me about Widespread Panic and I really can only quote you stuff from the Wikipedia page. So I'm setting out to change that.

Half the fun of being an Athens music junkie is diving into unknown territory. It's what caused me to drag a friend to a Pylon show at the 40 Watt, thus changing my perspective forever. Or what made me say, "What the hell. I'll start a blog." Finding a great new band is my kind of high. Delving into a back catalog, finding the fans, listening to the history... I can't imagine doing anything else.

Thankfully, Widespread Panic makes it a bit easier for me to keep track of their comings and goings. The band has, by far, the best band Twitter account that I have ever seen. They tweet often but with actual relevant information. Contests, pictures, random info, links and setlists, they've got it all.

So where to begin this voyage into Panicdom? I'm not overly fond of jam bands in general but I've been drawn to a few Panic songs from time to time. "Up All Night" really seems to resonate with me for some reason. I was introduced to their music via WUOG (which seems to be my main supplier). Since Widespread is considered a "popular" band, we're really not supposed to play them onair. But here was a copy of Free Somehow sitting at the mixboard.

I suppose I'm starting with that and heading back to the first album, working my way through the catalog until I reach the end. Or if you've got a better suggestion for where to start, I'd be glad to hear it.

Why Widespread and not someone else? Like mentioned before, I'm not real big into jam bands but I'm interested to see what the draw is. We've seen before that the band's really big into charity, especially stuff with Nuci's Space like the Voodoo Festival raffle. And I think it goes without saying that I like bands with a sense of duty and purpose. So here goes. Maybe I'll be done by the time they tour Georgia again.

Vacation All I Ever Wanted..

So I'm not currently in Athens at the moment. While this does afford me a rare opportunity to sleep, it also presents a few challenges. Like Internet connection. And current material. Thank goodness for my buddies back in Athenstown who've been calling me and keeping me up to date.

On the Modern Skirts front, we've got a phenomenal link sent in by our friend Matt. It's the live show that the boys did in Memphis. You'll notice that a little less than half the session is new material. And look ma! No "Pasadena".

Local grad Adam Wexler's new website GoRankEm has been gathering attention lately. The site allows you to rank the songs from your favorite artists, giving fans the chance to tell the world that regardless of a hit's sales, that may not be the artist's best song. It's an interesting concept and we'll be following up with Adam and his expeditions soon.

Remember reading about seeing Dead Confederate playing in a dumpster? Well, that footage has finally been uploaded by blog friend The Ice Cream Man on Bablegum. And yes, yours truly makes a cameo. *shameless plug*

And for a band that's supposedly on vacation, R.E.M.'s sure been hitting everyone hard with semi-new releases. Murmur and Reckoning are re-released (and holy cow does Murmur sound good on vinyl!) but the real news is the confirmation of a dvd packaged with the release of the Dublin Working Rehearsals. Also relaunched is a new version of REMDUBLIN.com. In other REMish news, THE MINUS 5 ARE COMING TO THE 40 WATT! Pardon me while I squeal like a preteen girl at a JoBros concert.

And last but probably most important, Randy Bewley's Birthday Party will be held at the 40 Watt on July 25th. Entry is $5 (goes to Nuci's Space) to see Flash to Bang Time, Gold Party, and our buddies Tunabunny. The limited edition "Randy" shirts will be available as will a package of three special buttons. I'll be making my way back to Athens for it so hit me up if you're there.

As always, keep rockin

Jordan

Coming Up (and Happy Birthday)

Yup. Happy Birthday Mr. Downs.

And now back to our regularly scheduled update on schedules.

It's summertime and though the livin' ain't always easy, it does slow down any music news for a while. But we're keeping you updated as best as we can. So here's a quick rundown of what to expect in the next weeks.

CD Review: Wonder how the Warm Fuzzies Ep sounds?

News!: Don't hold your breath for a new R.E.M. album next year...

Comix: Complete and random silliness

Contest: Sharpen those quiz skills. We've got a nice prize pack for you coming up soon!

Fall Previews: What's the UGA MBUS program up to? Who's got new albums coming up?

And whatever random musings I can come up with.

Debate: "Inside, Out" Fact or Fiction?

It's the cult classic movie filmed in the mid-eighties that has led tons of people to Athens in pursuit of music, fame, and the right to drink beer and create stickpiles while in their pajamas. Athens, Ga.: Inside/Out caused quite a stir when being filmed and after it was released. Some hailed it as the best introduction to the town's college music scene. Others called it nothing more than a sham that had nothing to do with the town's music at all. So is the movie more fact? or fiction?

FACT: You won't get a better idea of how the music scene in Athens was than this movie. You can read all the books you want but until you visually see how the town was, how the venues were, you'll have no idea. It offers you a glimpse into the young mindsets of these bands at a critical time in the scene. Where else do you get to go into Buck's house? Or see the other factors around town like the resturants and out of the way places that helped spawn such a creative force? Plus you get incredible performance footage of bands that aren't around any longer. This may not be all of Athens but it's real.

FICTION: There's a reason why so many bands hated this flick. Take a look at some of the people featured. A lot of them weren't even from Athens at that point, they had just arrived and happened to show up when the cameras were around. It makes everything look all shiny and happy sure but I'd argue that 86-92 was when the commercial side of Athens appeared with everyone wanting to cling to the Athens brand name. There's people in the movie that have nothing to do with the music at all! They're just there for entertainment's sake. This is not the real Athens at all.

What's your take?

Read a Book!: Concert and Chaos

This post is brought to you by the letters R, E, and M. And by the number 69.

One of the advantages of working in a library is the insane amount of information you have access to. Believe it or not, not all knowledge has been converted to the web. And some of these books in your local catalog are completely out of print or very rare. Case in point, Concert and Chaos: A Documentary of the Athens Music Scene Volume 1 by Jimmy Davidson.

I ran across this book while bored out of my mind and surfing the virtual catalog for something interesting. Lo and behold, there it was. I had no clue it existed. But apparently Mr. Davidson took the gargantuan task of documenting Athens music on. I should probably stress that trying to make a complete record of Athens music via book is really not possible. It's outdated by the time you finish writing it. Which is why a project like AthensMusicFamilyTree is a bit more plausible.

Yet I really loved flipping through this little curiosity. It's a heroic attempt at trying to capture a moment in time via the bands that played around circa 1989. There are a few major bands left out but the bands included are some favorites of mine and a ton I've never even heard.

Each entry begins with a list of bandmembers and a discography followed by a band history as told by the band itself. There's some great quotes in here, including one from Ted Hafer. When asked if he could change Athens in any way, he replied, "Elect Michael Stipe mayor." I can see the bumper stickers now.

I won't give away all the bands in the book but some that really stuck out were Gypsy Cab Company, the New Invincibles, and Billy James. I (heart) Billy James. There's a lot more obscure and not so obscure bands in here. Since there's only two copies I see in the system, I'm sending this one back next week. But make sure to check it out, it's an interesting snapshot of a moment in Athens music.

- Jordan

New Addiction: Flash to Bang Time

It seems like more and more bands are re-forming or getting around to playing again after a hiatus. I've been stunned by the amount of "old" Athens bands I've gotten to see around lately. Pylon last year and Dreams So Real this year, a few of the newer older bands have come back... Seriously, it must be something in the water. One of those newer older bands is a recent favorite of mine, Flash to Bang Time.

Now, I've seen the Oh-Ok/FtBT hybrid at the NEDfest a while back. And more currently, got to witness the band playing Athfest at the Melting Point. And I'll go ahead and completely admit that I was drawn to the band the first time simply because of the Oh-Ok connection. But the more I listened to the songs on myspace (put more up please!), the more I got away from who was in the band to what the band is able to do musically.

I hate female lead vocals about eighty percent of the time. They're usually too shrieky or too "I'm so dark and mysterious, listen to me sing like a guy." But I'm happy with Flash's singer, Lynda, and the musicianship behind the band is good. Sometimes poppy, sometimes a little moody but always unexpected and always welcome.

All of this is to say that Flash to Bang Time will be playing at Flicker on Wednesday, July 8th. If you'd like to see a bit of what to expect, lo and behold, AMJ has a video up on youtube. Imagine that. Be warned though, it was really really really dark in there so the vid quality isn't quite what I would've wanted it to be. That's why you should go to the gig on the 8th and tape a song yourself, right?

Dispatches from Athfest: Day 4, Sunday

Leaving Athens never easy, I saw the light fading out..

I woke up to the sound of my cell phone alarm blaring U2's "Vertigo" right into my left ear canal. Sorry Bono. Love you and all that but jeez, not what I needed at 9 a.m. I was due to leave Athens at 8 p.m. sharp, regardless of the show, in order to make it back in time for driving to work in the morning. Which meant I'd probably miss some of my buddy Randall's show. CRAP.

I didn't want to leave that couch. I had never known such comfort as that couch! I gathered up all my stuff from around the apartment and had it ready for me to leave. I left behind some cookies and lunchmeat. Took the bread. And the Cokes.

I called myself being on time as I drove back into the Parking Deck. Wait, it's not monitored on Sundays....SCORE! I did a small free parking cheer and started down the stairs to the kiosk where my friends were waiting to go on the Athens Music History tour.

As I walked into view, they burst into applause, starling the other couple waiting for the tour. I rolled my eyes.

"What?! I'm on time."

"We know. But you're famous! So we clapped!"

"Not famous. Have spoken to famous people. Not famous." I glared.

"Oh come on. Tony was going to have us bow but none of us felt like getting up."

"Great. So you acknowledge my so-called fame but don't think it's enough to get up?"

"Nope."

The day would only get sillier from there.

Our guide for the tour was none other than Side Effect Paul Butchart. Tony was especially happy about this. His high school teacher had given him a Side Effects album once and he loved it. Paul showed up and began taking roll when I heard him say "Is K.O. here?"

Wait. THE K.O.? Legendary WUOG Dj who instigated the birthday party that launched the Side Effects and R.E.M. into music history K.O.? I had met her at a few WUOG functions and a looong time ago during this "R.E.M. in Perspective" thing at the Chapel where she acted as a panelist. Sure enough, Miss Kathleen O'Brien Layson shows up not long after and we all pile on the bus. Heh. Pile on...Pylon...nevermind.

My brother had questioned why I even bothered going on this tour since I already know a lot about Athens music and the history of it. I knew that I would learn something from it. Even if it was a tiny detail, I would like to know. Plus, I'm hanging out with my friends in an air-conditioned bus listening to Paul and Kathleen talk about my favorite bands. What more could I ask for?

The tour started out with some explaining of the original downtown layout. The original sites of the 40 Watt, 11:11 Koffee Klub, and we saw the parking lot that was once Tyrones, O.C. All the while, we were listening to select songs from past Athens bands. Paul had a bunch of photos and a few R.E.M. books that I've never seen before to help demonstrate what was going on. Eventually we came to a stopping point where we all got out of the bus and stepped bravely into the scorching heat: the trestle.



Now, having been on top of that thing (FYI, NOT a good idea), it was nice to see it from the side again. Paul demonstrated the right angle to snap photos from (insert camera noises here) and we moved on. Off to see the place where K.O. used to live...the church. Or, rather, what's left of it.

Now here's where having K.O. along gets interesting. Since she had decided to come with the tour, she had a really good idea of where exactly all the rooms were. We watched as she took us through where the fabled closet was. You had to crawl through it and past a hole in the wall to get to the "stage" area. Also of interest, the steeple was haunted. The legend goes that three young children had been buried under the alter. Creepy. And unbelievably cool. I agree with Kathleen. If someone'd offered me a room there, I would've jumped at it.

We were all pretty amused by this and hopped back on the bus while Paul and K.O. discussed different amusing things they had done in the past. One of the more interesting things we learned about R.E.M. was a possible name meaning. Seems The Stiper admired an artist that signed his work "R.E.M." Not one I'd heard before.

We also went into the graveyard and saw the graves of Michael Houser and Ricky Wilson. I didn't feel quite right going out and taking pictures. I've been lost in that graveyard before, a la "Stumble," and I've seen the graves before. I dunno. It just seems like there's something sacred there that shouldn't be taken lightly. Just my thoughts. I guess just knowing what they had done during their lives and wondering at what might've been...

We continued on throughout various parts of Athens, got out at the street of stars and walked around. Saw the ol' Buck Manor and where K.O. got thrown off the porch during a meeting of the Gentleman's Club, comprised of some well known male Athens musicians. "I have seen every member of R.E.M. naked and they have seen me," smirked Paul from the front of the bus. K.O. nodded knowingly while some of the rest of us squirmed in our seats. They say that fandom knows no bounds. Actually, yes. Yes it does. There's a big fat line of "Didn't need to know that." And I'll leave the mental images to you. Ick.

The tour took a turn to the site where the back of Murmur was shot. Paul had cleared out some of the kudzu so you could compare the album with the real place. Across the track was the location of one of R.E.M.'s photoshoots. "I've had people recreate this photo, spend a long time getting in position and all that" he grinned.

I, being the incredibly cool person I am, said "Let's do that!" NERD! So Rebecca, Ziona, Tony and I spent a bit discussing who would be who in the picture. All I can say is, a resounding "NOT MIKE!" came from us all. Sorry Mills. It's a long and complicated inside joke...

The rest of the tour went very well with me finally figuring out where the E6 house was. All in all, a great tour. A little lacking on the Widespread and E6 fronts but that's to be expected. There's just SO much R.E.M. stuff around, it's hard to get all of it in. We arrived back at the kiosk and Tony immediately took off sprinting to his car. He had driven all the way from Boston with an album from the Side Effects, hoping to get it signed. Needless to say, Paul was very happy to do so. And even posed for pictures.



We stuck around a while longer, discussing WUOG with K.O. and Paul. I'm hoping to get them both up to the studio at some point for guest dj spots. It would be sweet revenge for K.O. She was one of the many volunteer djs who were fired from the station in the 80s. She even switched her major because of it. This kind of guest dj spot would be an epic middle finger to the administration. We'll see what comes...

We parted ways with our new friends and walked downtown to get smoothies. It was blistering at this point. Or at least it felt like it since we'd spent the last few hours riding on a nice, cool bus. We grabbed the drinks and headed over to Cine for a brief showing of some R.E.M. clips and Athens, Ga: Inside Out.

Thanks to Tony's incredible memory of all things R.E.M. and his talent with the youtube search engines, we'd seen most of the 1984 footage before. There were a few clips we could've quoted verbatim. For me, it was nice to just be incredibly nerdy about R.E.M. for once without worrying about the creepiness factor. Then began the main attraction. I realized that the last time I had seen this movie, it was with Ort. At Athfest. Wow. I think it's quickly becoming a tradition.

I also quickly realized that I hadn't seen the movie since Randy died. It was a bit hard to watch those clips of Pylon and Vanessa and Michael. Knowing that they would get back together (several times). I suppose that I had just tried to keep the idea of "No more Pylon" out of my mind. I didn't know Randy as well as I would've liked but I knew Pylon. They were why I fell in love with this town and its music. And to know that the band is done, that's just hard for me. I kept coming back to that every time I saw someone else in the movie that I knew was no longer with us. What precious little time we have with our family and friends.



"I can't walk down the street without 15 people stopping me to say 'Hello!'" spoke the 1980s Ort from the screen. Naturally, Ziona found this a good time to poke me in the ribs, laughing at how I'd said nearly the same thing last night. It's a Southern thing. You know someone, you ask them how they're doing. Even if you don't rightly care.

The movie ended and Tony and Rebecca were especially happy that we'd seen Time Toy and Love Tractor the night before at the Melting Point. I told them that Dexter was the exact same too. Nothing but hair and voice and untamed musical fury. It was a great show.

By this point, we were starving. The Transmet was looking better and better as we neared it. Pizza! And a long wait. During which time we found it necessary to go over the sightings from the night before. I also had stuffed a bunch of the Athfest Flagpoles in my bag because I wanted to keep them for my own article records. I made sure to tear out a page and run back to the 'Met where our pizzas were just about to be served. They were so hot and cheesy. Man, that was a good meal.

I was a bit anxious to get up to the Main Stage. Dreams So Real was coming up and I would be utterly crushed if I had to miss it. It was extremely interesting to talk to Trent Allen about the band for Flagpole (and the later Athfest Podcast). Finally got to see and meet the man at the Flagpole awards. Now I was going to get to hear him play! We headed toward the stage and stopped at the Athensmusic.net booth so Rebecca could get the Modern Skirts' first album.

I headed towards the backstage and ran into the second person I ever interviewed. Mr. Randall Bramblett! He was chilling out and unloading some stuff with his band. I chatted with him for a bit, knowing I wouldn't get to see all of his show. Twitter Buddy Jon Bird was floating around as were a LOT of people. And many of them clutching DSR vinyl and wearing DSR t-shirts. The anticipation was growing.

I hopped into the media pit and turned on the camera in time to get the very first song, "California." My god, it's like the last decade never happened. People were singing every line and from my vantage point, it looked like the guys in the band were having just as much fun!



Randall joined them for a song and then they launched into the rest of their set. I rejoined my friends only to have Ziona roll her eyes when I started singing along with "Jericho." I can't help it Z. Do you know how many times I've spun that album, waiting to hear it live? We all danced a bit and were blown away at the roar of approval the band received as it left the stage. I ran up to the guys and asked them to sign the article I'd written about them. It seemed like the right thing to do.

I turned and saw Bruce Burch headed our way, ready to announce Randall Bramblett as the closing act of Athfest. I couldn't really think of a better way for my Athfest to end. My friends and coworkers were all around, watching my favorite songwriter perform an electrifying set. I had to leave then to get back in time to go to work early in the morning. I hugged my dear friends goodbye, so glad to have finally met them all. I saluted Randall who nodded as I passed and made my way to the car. The sounds of Davis's guitar piercing through the air. I rode home in silence, just trying to remember it all...

If I had to try and describe what I did in the past week at Athfest, I could only say that it was all like a dream. I met friends whose faces I'd never seen, reconnected with some good buddies who I missed terribly, saw incredible performances from bands I hope to one day see make it big, and spent a lot of time falling back in love with the town that I hold close to my heart. Its music is the soundtrack of my life, its people, my family and friends, and its spirit, my goal. Now off we go to dream it all up again...

- Jordan Stepp

Your Athfest: Rebecca

You've been reading about my friend Rebecca from Murmurs.com and our adventures at Athfest. She's really really fond of birds, hence her view of what happened at Athfest. Rebecca's sketches and other artwork appears here from time to time as well as her incredible sculptures including "Jade" and "Birdis".This is her story.

Hi AMJ followers, I’m Rebecca and at my friend Jordan’s request I am hijacking the blog for a bit to tell you part of my Athfest story. Alright, so my story does not directly relate to the Athens music scene… but Athens birds make music too, right? Right. Firstly I should apologize for my lack of writing skills, as I am primarily an “artist” and not a writer. Secondly I’d like to let you know that I absolutely love birds, so this was a really moving experience for me.



On the Saturday of Athfest, my boyfriend Tony and I had just finished an excellent lunch at The Grill and were heading out to meet up with Jordan and Ziona. Immediately after we walked through the doors, I heard a little “squawk” and turned to see a fledgling grackle sitting under one of the trees. Excitedly, I skipped over to the tree and sat down on the cement wall that encircled it. “Hi little birdie!” I chirped and pulled out my camera to snap a few pictures. I only got about 3 pictures though, all of which were blurry, because the baby bird kept moving closer.



The next thing I knew the little bird leapt into the air, started fluttering its stubby baby wings, and landed right on my finger! Needless to say I was not expecting that; wild birds do not usually just perch on people, baby or no. At first I thought “Oh he must have done this by accident, I will put him down.” However when I lowered my hand to the ground and turned it so that he could jump off easily, he wouldn’t budge and seemed quite content to stay where he was. I quickly handed my camera to Tony and he took a bunch of pictures of me with my little feathered friend.



You would not believe how promptly that cute little bird drew a crowd, both of people and of birds. As I stroked the bird’s tummy over the next ten minutes, a group of people gathered wanting to know how I had ended up holding the baby. One couple even brought some water over for the fledgling to drink, and I soon became aware of some curious sparrows that were hopping around the tree and peering up at me quizzically while I sat there.



Presently I noticed the fledgling’s mother land in the tree right above my head. She stared at me intently with her vivid yellow eyes, and for a moment I was afraid she would dive at me because I was holding her baby. Luckily for me she seemed quite unaggressive, and only emitted several calls which her baby returned. She flew into a nearby bush, and once more I lowered my hand to let the baby go. This time he jumped down and flittered off to the bush to safely join his mother. As I turned to leave and meet my friends for another eventful day of Athfest band hopping, I bid an affectionate farewell to my little feathered buddy.

- Rebecca

Your Athfest: Ziona

You've been reading about my friend Ziona, a regular graphics/photography contributor here on AthensMusicJunkie. We met through an R.E.M. fansite called Murmurs.com. Here's Athfest's musicians through her eyes.

Dreams So Real's Trent Allen

Dead Confederate/Manchester Orchestra. Magnificent Dumpster

Flash to Bang Time

Liz Durrett

Modern Skirts

Randall Bramblett

Venice Is Sinking

Dispatches from Athfest, Day 3, Saturday

My first ever, honest to god, media pass. Shiny!

I woke up with my leg catacorner to the rest of my body and my earbuds threatening to strangle me. I had thought that Thursday/Friday night was bad. Oh ho ho was I ever wrong. The running back and forth all night had taken its toll on my body and mind. I had sworn that I would write some stuff up for Flagpole and this blog so I used the opportunity to sleep in and write. I also tried uploading some videos to the youtube page with varying stages of success.

I grabbed yet another bologna sandwich to tide me over until I could get out to downtown for another marathon run of bands. I really really wanted to see the Warm Fuzzies. They're friends of the blog and I dig the bubbly pop that they do. And since they were playing the Hull Street stage, I would get to stand under the mister! SCORE!

When I finally had parked in the deck and waded my way downtown, Dancer Vs. Politician was finishing up on the Main Stage. It had been a while since I had heard them so I asked Matt at the AthensMusic.Net booth who the performers were. Got an answer from Matt and a bit of snark from Mr. Aubrey.

"I thought you were supposed to know all the bands in this town."

Technically, yes. I'm working on it. Hence the "In Training" part of the blog title. Yes, it was my fail. Owning up to it right now. So after fingering through all the awesome cds that I couldn't afford, I went over to see the Fuzzies.

The Murmurs gang came by baring gifts in the shape of cool little buttons. One "violent green" Athfest button (told you we were nerds) and one GA Theatre one. We felt a little like steamed broccoli under the mister but the music alone was worth it. Songs about Dairy Queen and robots? Sign me up.

A few delicate strains of AZAR came ringing out from the Main stage and we knew that Venice is Sinking had arrived. It was, I believe, Lucas' birthday as well. I excused myself for a song to record from the pit. I ran into a lot of my bosses there and a few of my ex-profs as well. Venice is Sinking had a really good show going. By this point though, we were all sweating up a storm.



Next was a small performance from Liz Durrett at the Hull stage. We were sneaking into a corner when I saw Kris Langley from one of the bands that introduced me to Athens, Television Buzz. Turns out that the drummer, Brent Cash, has recorded a song for a Sonic the Hedgehog game. Very random, very cool. Kris' adorable son Will was there too, waving and saying hi. They eventually vacated their seats to my friends and I sat on the concrete, enjoying the flowing music and the wafting breeze coming through.

We toyed with the idea of going to see the Ginger Envelope but heat exhaustion won out so we piled into Trapeze. We ordered water and tea and remained fairly puzzled when the waiter asked that we not request more ice.

"Our industrial size icemaker can't keep up with the huge crowd."

So, with our room temp tea in hand, we proceeded to do what all young nerds do when bored in public..take pictures of ourselves. Half of my memory card is now dedicated to my friends dodging my various attempts at photographing them. We managed to finally get out around the same time as the Corduroy Road got onstage. I was meeting with a lot of friends at that point. Sorry to the gang for being such a pain saying "Be right back."

It was around this point that we headed back towards the Ice Cream Man. He waved and yelled "You've got to come see this!" So, after borrowing VIP passes from Steven and Daniel and tossing them horseshoe style around the gang's heads, we went back to find Dawson perched ontop of a dumpster, looking rather pleased. Once we got to the front of the dumpster, we found that members of Dead Confederate and Manchester Orchestra were occupying said dumpster.
(Photo/Jordan Stepp)

Wow, that's random. But it was for the Ice Cream Man and I think we all had a lot of fun being all special and seeing that happen live. We hung back and chatted for a bit, watching Don Chambers set up in the near distance. The heat at this point was ridiculous. We were all absolutely drenched in sweat and sunscreen. It was decided unanimously that we should all go back to our respective places of residence and take showers before headed over to the Melting Point. After all, you never know who you'll run into.

So I ran to my car and got back to the apartment in time to take a quick shower. I dressed up a bit and was in the middle of finding my shoes when all of a sudden I get a text message. Tony and Rebecca and Ziona are already at the Point. And they've already spotted someone squeal worthy. Random rockstars ahoy! I arrive soon afterwards and run in to talk to my buddies Wes and Kevin. "Welcome to soundcheck." I can't help but laugh.

Flash to Bang Time was great. I had heard a little of what they sounded like back at NEDfest but this was my first opportunity to actually get into what they were doing. Some of their friends and family were watching from afar while I, like the nut I am, was leaning up against a pole, trying to film the damn thing in the semi-darkness.

In between acts, I finally got to meet one of my twitter followers in person. She came up to me at the table and had noticed me filming. I guess that's how she figured it out. That and me tweeting "OMG" from the Melting Point. Come to think of it, that was probably it. She expressed a bit of disappointment at my lack of actual blue shades. The sad truth was that they had been crushed at the R.E.M. concert last year when I was in the pit. I haven't had a chance to get new ones yet. It was great to meet her (you know who you are!)

The blue shades, pre-REM show/before crushedness

Love Tractor came up next. I had been warned by several people that this was not the original lineup and that it might be lacking some actual oomph. While I did enjoy the "Fun to Be Happy" portion, I really didn't see much connection between the old Love Tractor and this new one. The music was good. Could've done without seeing the girlie parts flashed on a giant screen while eating my BBQ Pita thingies. Ick.

Then Five Eight. I love Five Eight. They had actually won me over at last year's Athfest show which is now immortalized on every pass, promo, and paper dealing with Athfest 2009. We enjoyed what we saw and heard, took a lot of photos from the top section and then left to the parking lot.

We had decided to make gifts for each other. Since I am lacking in pretty much any creative skill, I went with special t-shirts from different listening parties. Rebecca had made a very cool sculpture of a wolf for me and Ziona, dear Ziona, had made fingerless gloves, a special button, and a little felted rabbit...wearing a Mike Mills nudie jacket. The thing is freakin adorable.

Good bunny. BAD fashion sense.

Needless to say, we didn't make it back to Cine for The Buddy System like I had hoped. We were all just so drained. But this would prove to only be the beginning of our encounters with Athens Music history. I plopped down on the couch, mind racing, thankful that my guests had gotten to see some legendary people, and that we were only hours away from retracing some lost paths through Athens history. I looked up and the ceiling and smiled.

Your Athfest: Echoreyn of Athens

Hello, readers of Athens Music Junkie! Kristen here, blogger for Echoreyn of Athens. My good friend Jordan suggested that I share with you guys a bit about Athfest 2009 as I experienced it. Well, let me tell you! As a first-timer to the massive music festival, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, so I was amazed by the sheer volume of everything there: the people, the bands, the excitement. Wow!

I started off my Athfest experience on Thursday night at the Flagpole Athens Music Awards, my first true awards show, followed shortly afterward by my first true after party at the 40 Watt. Both of these events were nothing short of amazing spectacles for the eyes and ears! I’ve heard of so many of the bands that played at the awards show before and seeing them live was something of a dream come true. Even better, I was surrounded by the Athens music elite, the quintessential celebrities of this lovely town. You can keep your Brad Pitts and your Tom Cruises. I’ll be a hundred times more awestruck (and occasionally star struck) by people like Hardy Morris, Karolyn Troupe, and Trent Allen any day!

On Friday night, the true musical adventures began. And when I say adventures, I mean adventures… No other word can be used to describe our trooping back and forth all over Athens in an attempt to see lots of the best and often most buzzed about bands in town! Some of my very favorites from that night included Excali Brah and Deaf Judges for their costumes and general all-encompassing immersive performances, and Tealvox, Wilx, and the Empties for their energy and danceable rock. And I can’t forget the headliner that I had been waiting for weeks, Dead Confederate, who satisfied my craving for their music most wonderfully!

The next day, Saturday, was an all-day affair. The detailed itinerary that I had created a week earlier (after completing the rather insane task of researching all of 170+ bands on the Athfest website) informed me that we were supposed to be at the main stage for Dancer vs. Politician at 2 pm. Like the average college students, my friends and I barely managed to roll out of bed before 1 pm, so it was something of a miracle that we got there in time to see the band start their mic check. Since it can be assumed that most of the rest of Athens had the same ideas about sleep that we had, it wasn’t much of a struggle to get right up front near the stage (or rather, next to the bars that kept us ordinary citizens out of the press-badge-only section in front of the stage). In fact, to my incredible delight, it was surprisingly easy to get to the very front for all of the Athfest shows. I suppose it helps that, being a good bit smaller than many people, I can squeeze into impossibly tiny spaces, but I’d also like to think that it was just the general positive vibes wafting through Athens that made everyone happy to make room for all of their fellow music lovers. Either way, though, I think that I might be in at least half of the shots taken of the Athfest main stage audience by those photographers brave enough to venture onstage during the performances.

I’m not completely certain if this was the intention of the Athfest organizers, but it seemed to me that all of the louder bands had rocked the stages around Athens on Friday leaving the quieter, more calming acts for Saturday. Venice is Sinking, Dancer vs. Politician, Liz Durett, and Rachel O’Neal all rolled with this trend of beautiful, soft melodies. The Warm Fuzzies, however, chose a different avenue. We very nearly missed seeing this band, but thank goodness we managed to catch it. Their clever lyrics and general hilarity were a great addition to the awesomeness that was Saturday’s Athfest.

Sunday was a short day for us which was sort of a relief after the three previous jam-packed days. The heat was starting to get to all of us, and that morning I had noticed an unacceptable hint of a slight farmer’s tan forming on the back of my arms. Also, without the free Vitamin Water and Fuze that had been provided during the rest of the weekend, the idea of standing in the sun seemed just about as appealing as slipping into a pot of boiling water. To my great joy, the act we were truly staying for that day, Dreams So Real of fame decades past, was rock in its purest form and totally worth the heat and the trouble we had procuring a ride back to Atlanta. What an end to Athfest!

And then, for us, it was time to go. I really didn’t want to leave, but having no choice in the matter, I parted ways with my beloved Athens. I’ll be back in the fall, but that seems like much too much time from now. I can’t complain, though. I got to see 32 bands I’ve never seen before in just a few days! The music I heard and the memories I’ve made will stay with me forever. Athfest was, without a doubt, one of the most amazing events I’ve ever experienced! I can’t wait till Athfest 2010!

To read about all of my experiences at Athfest 2009, check out my blog. I will be posting Athfest blogs, show reviews, and concert videos on a regular basis for the next few weeks. Oh, and I’ve got to give a shoutout to Jordan for letting me do this. You rock, Jordan! Thanks for reading, everyone!

~Kristen Danch-Powell, Echoreyn of Athens