2

Letter from the EditorWhen I arrived in Athens, I re-

member one of the first shows I saw was The Modern Skirts. A year later, the band decided to call it quits and I went to its final show.

since then, I’ve written over a hundred articles for various outlets, gone to at least 200 shows since I arrived and covered more festivals than I have fingers. Each time I go to an event I remind myself of why I wanted to be a journalist. Too often musicians today are treated like a commodity, but the fact of the matter is no one’s love of music should come with a price tag.

There’s so fucking many insanely talented people in this city, but why should people only hear about them the day of or after their show? There are too many bands in Athens that it’s hard to remember them. Thus the idea of this project was born. I’ve asked Athens musicians, classmates, friends and music lovers who they loved in Athens and what you’re about to read is the result.

I know people may disagree with some of them, some might be too obvious, hell I already know I’ve forgotten at least 25 more incredi-ble groups. I hope this is something that could potentially be sustained because every fall several thousand people are pulled into Athens and in there is at least several hundred musicians that would appreciate their musicianship and legacy being documented for anyone to see.

This product was a result of sleeplessness nights, an extreme case of strep throat, strained friendships and above all my undying love of music. I listened to every single band’s singles, EPs and LPs on this list and it’s time for me to give back to those that have helped innumerable people through their brightest days and darkest nights.

ANDREWPLASKOWSKY

3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

456789

1011

1213141516171819

2021

2223

CANDID COAL PEOPLE // CICADA RHYTHM

DANA SWIMMER // DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS

ELF POWER // FAMILY AND FRIENDS

FUNKASAURUS WREX // FUTUREBIRDS

GRANT COWAN // THE HALEM ALBRIGHT BAND

MONSOON // MOSAIC

MOTHERS // NEW MADRID

NEW WIVES // NIFTY EARTH

OF MONTREAL // PACKWAY HANDLE BAND

RADIOLUCENT // REPTAR

RUBY THE RABBITFOOT // THE SALT FLATS

SAM BURCHFIELD // SATURN VALLEY

SHEHEHE // SON & THIEF

T. .HARDY MORRIS // TEDO STONE

UNCLE DAD // UNIVERSAL SIGH

WALDEN // THE WELCOME HOME

THE WHIGS // WIDESPREAD PANIC

WRENNPOP

VENUES: 40 WATT CLUB // GEORGIA THEATRE

CALEDONIA LOUNGE / FLICKER / THE FOUNDRY

4

Candid Coal People

Cicada Rhythm

Most bands hate unwarranted comparisons to other groups,

but Candid Coal People takes the monotony of Mumford and Sons and flips it on its head. The music builds on a traditional folk arrange-ment and adds electric bass and violin to create a unique interpre-tation of what folk music means to a younger generation. Its 2014 ex-tended play Love Will wasn’t totally representative of the group, howev-er. The band had a completely dif-ferent sound when performing it in a nearly hour-long set at the UGA Music Business program’s annual Space Jam concert series. The city of Athens should be waiting with bated breath to see what the band will deliver next.

Although Cicada Rhythm didn’t initially start out in Athens, this

folk duo has chosen to call the Classic City home for the time being. Returning to the roots of folk music, there’s gentle guitar picking and the intertwined har-monies of a female and male voice. One of the most interesting things about the band is that bass player Andrea DeMarcus is a Juilliard-trained. Don’t be fooled by their demo recordings though, the band transforms into an emotional powerhouse on stage as proven by a recent performance as part of Slingshot Festival.

ONLINE AT [candidcoalpeople.bandcamp.com]

ONLINE AT [cicadarhythm.org/home]

Courtesy of Candid Coal People.

Courtesy of Cicada Rhythm.

5

Dana Swimmer

Drive-By Truckers

Dad rock? Dad rock. Dana Swim-mer is a dad rock quintet from

Athens. After several months with-out any shows, the band came back in full force towards the end of 2014. A series of shows has lead up to the recording and inevita-ble release of new material – they promise! The 2013 Veloce EP recalls the blues rock that has popularized the Black Keys into a blowout arena rock duo. With age comes maturity and with the welcome reception back to the ever growing Athens

music scene, it feels like the band never disappeared at all.

There’s a lot to be said about a band that went from selling

vinyls of its first album out of the back of a car to selling out ven-ues around the United States. The turning point in the career of the Drive-By Truckers was 2001’s South-ern Rock Opera which received notice from Lost Highway Records earning the band a distribution deal. 15 years later, the band is still thriving thanks to the dedication of its members to keep the band alive throughout multiple line-up chang-

es and the production work of David Barbe. The band often has a run of three sold out shows at the 40 Watt Club once a year.

ONLINE AT [facebook.com/DanaSwimmer]

ONLINE AT [drivebytruckers.com]

Courtesy of Dana Swimmer.

Courtesy of David McClister.

6

Elf Power

Family and Friends

Elf Power is one of the most prolific bands to emerge from the Ath-

ens music scene. Paving the way for other similar psychedelic indie bands, the group has released 12 albums and toured constant-ly around the world to share its music. The 2013 album Sunlight on the Moon is a carefully curated body of work that contains the right amount of fuzz to back up its lush vocal harmonies and guitars. Most recently, the band opened for Neutral Milk Hotel at the 40 Watt Club and is currently working on a new record that should be com-pleted by the end of the year.

Flagpole didn’t name Family and Friends its Artist of the Year in

2014 for no reason. This multi-piece folk rock band has genuine heart -- something that resonates with the legions of fans it’s gained in three years. Mike MacDonald’s smoky vocals intertwine with the beautiful melodies the rest of the band cre-ates in the group’s recent EP Love You Mean It which was dedicated to all the fans. Family And Friends have popped out of Athens, but there’s still a pretty good chance you’ll find them playing a benefit event in the city they call home.

ONLINE AT [elfpower.com]

ONLINE AT [familyandfriendsband.com]

Courtesy of Elf Power.

Courtesy of Family and Friends.

7

Funkasaurus Wrex

Futurebirds

Who doesn’t love dinosaurs? It’s hard not to ignore the

band’s glowing, neon T-rex logo that adorns every poster promoting one of the band’s many gigs. As the name suggests, the group has ties to funk with the scuzz of South-ern rock. The Family Reunion EP highlights its versatility with the slow burner “Red Eyes Lady” and the appropriately named ode to food “Mr. Weaver D.” The band is bound to always be playing at a bar on the weekend just as you should

always expect to see one of the members lounging around at the terminally almost-closed Weaver D’s. AUTOMATIC!

If you played classic country music through a reverb chamber, you’d

get something that sounds a little like Futurebirds. The band loves its pedal steel guitar, feedback heavy electric guitar and mando-lin. 2013’s Baba Yaga is an eclectic album that at times sounds like psychedelic beach music from the 1950s all the way to folk rock exemplifying the group’s ability to fuse together the various genres of music each member likes. The result is patchwork of aural energy

that translates well live to highly energetic shows. Futurebirds often perform at AthFest and have performed at Bonnaroo, showing the whole world what Athens has to offer.

ONLINE AT [funkasauruswrex.bandcamp.com]

ONLINE AT [futurebirdsmusic.com]

Courtesy of Funkasaurus Wrex.

Courtesy of Jason Thrasher.

8

Grant Cowan

The Halem Albright Band

With only one song out, Grant Cowan shows that his voice is

one of the freshest in Athens. The music scene in Athens has more genres than there are labels for, but Cowan strips all the frills away until it’s just him and a piano. “I’m Sorry” is a heartfelt apology to a lover that chooses to carry on instead of wallowing in self de-spair. His voice effortlessly switches keys, dynamics and tempos with such ease it’s nearly impossible to take your eyes off him when he performs. His next move is releasing an EP and subsequently taking Georgia by storm.

The Halem Albright Band did not receive the People’s Choice

designation on the AthFest 2015 compilation for nothing; just listen to “Slip By.” Few bands in Athens lean towards reggae music, but Halem Albright does with such ease and confidence that other vocalists should be taking note. As a teenager he took an early inter-est in music which guided him to his 2010 debut that was acclaimed by notable Atlanta-area musicians. His voice remains highly controlled, but maintains a softness that ac-companies the sun-drenched soundscape his band creates. You’ve probably seen the band at one of many Atlanta festivals. It will be disappointing if they aren’t on the bill for AthFest.

ONLINE AT [facebook.com/grantcowanmusic]

ONLINE AT [halemalbright.com]

Courtesy of Grant Cowan.

Courtesy of The Halem Albright Band.

9

Monsoon

Mosaic

A girl-fronted rock band is a rarity in the recorded music business.

Monsoon is fronted by vocalist Sienna Chandler and is managed by UGA Music Business alum Sally Hackel. Most high school students are concerned with college appli-cations, but Chandler was out on the weekends headlining shows at venues she wasn’t old enough to enter. This spring’s headlining shows at the 40 Watt Club and the Ride A’Rolla album release brought out fans en masse. In March, the

band received attention from Yahoo and was featured in Modest Mouse’s “Lampshades on Fire” music video. Monsoon survived the wave of hype ahead of its album and continues to demonstrate why it’s deserving of acclaim.

A mosaic is an often intricate work of art composed of many

broken pieces of glass. The band Mosaic represents its namesake well, with three musicians that all come from different backgrounds. Each member brings pieces of themselves, whether it is their lyrics, voice or instrument and it is synthe-sized into something relatable to all listeners. Though the band has yet to release an EP, the warmth of its song “Late” -- that is part of its live set -- envelopes listeners and reso-

nates deeply in a way most bands are seldom able to achieve.

ONLINE AT [monsoonband.bandcamp.com]

ONLINE AT [facebook.com/TheBandMosaic]

Courtesy of Monsoon.

Courtesy of Mosaic.

10

Mothers

New Madrid

I feel comfortable in saying that there’s no other Athens artist like

the frontwoman of Mothers, Kris-tine Leschper. The arrangements of its songs are often sparse and Leschper’s voice hangs comfort-ably in the darkness like a ghost singing a dirge. Mothers’ down-trodden music transforms onstage into one of fear as its recent Athens AMP would suggest ending with Leschper’s voice becoming war-bled in fear as a masked individual cuts off her hair. The album has certainly been in the making for a while, however recent buzz on social media indicates it’s nearly complete. Might I suggest the title “Lullabies for Ghosts”?

Fresh off a solid eight shows at SXSW in Austin, Texas, New Ma-

drid is still in full tour mode promot-ing last year’s Sunswimmer album. For a band that received the title of Flagpole’s Album of the Year in 2012 and Artist of the Year in 2013, the stakes were increasingly high for its sophomore record. With the guidance of producer and director of the University of Georgia’s Music Business certificate program, the band ensured the hype wasn’t overblown by surpassing all expec-tations. The band forged towards a more psychedelic sound soaked in reverb and forlorn melodies in “Find My Blood,” creating a perfect soundtrack for the summer. Be sure to catch them May 8 at the 40 Watt Club.

ONLINE AT [soundcloud.com/mothers-1]

ONLINE AT [newmadridband.com]

Courtesy of Grant Cowan.

Courtesy of New Madrid.

11

New Wives

Nifty Earth

Doom pop is a difficult genre to pin down, but New Wives might

well be the pioneers of this new territory. The self-titled EP opens with drifting chords and Drew Kirby’s soft vocals before it explodes into a cataclysm of noise. Somewhere within the explosion a hook can be heard that stays a driving force for the rest of the track until it fades to the next apocalyptic track. The band’s ability to consistently switch dynamics at the drop of a hat is its strongest suit. Live, the music takes

on the gloom with drone effects. You’re most likely to catch New Wives performing regularly at the Caledonia Lounge especially with a new record on the way.

Nifty Earth is unlike any other Athens band right now; two

words can set them apart from the rest: electronic acoustic. The very presence of those two words is confounding because those two can’t possibly coexist. Wrong. Each instrumental stem – there are a lot of various layers – is bound togeth-er by electronic production. The product is a haunting, otherworldly sound that is highly atmospheric in nature before a hypnotic beat blips and clicks its way in. It sounds

urgent, it sounds peaceful and it sounds like nirvana.

ONLINE AT [newwives.bandcamp.com]

ONLINE AT [soundcloud.com/niftyearth]

Courtesy of Mike White.

Courtesy of Nifty Earth.

12

of Montreal

Packway Handle Band

Twenty years. Two decades is the length of time of Montreal has

been a band. It absolutely must be said that this group is undeniably an influence on later bands to come out of Athens next to jugger-nauts R.E.M. and The B-52’s. Each album is remarkably distinct from the early twee days to the Beatles glam of Skeletal Lamping to the mournfully angst ridden Aureate Gloom. Front man Kevin Barnes possesses a schizophrenic stage presence that compliments the Art Nouveau stage projections and album artwork motifs setting the bar impossibly high for other bands to achieve. The group will be a headliner at this year’s AthFest and there’s no telling what could happen.

The band’s name isn’t supposed to make sense. It’s fitting since

the group considers themselves to be electronic bluegrass. It’s won countless accolades out at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Competition and part of that can be attributed to the ‘rattletrap.’ The rattletrap is what sets Packway Handle apart from other bluegrass groups; it’s a hybridization of sever-al percussion instruments into one that allows them to go back and forth between traditional bluegrass and their own unique take on the genre. Currently, the band is on tour with Foreigner opening for Kid Rock.

ONLINE AT [ofmontreal.net]

ONLINE AT [packwayhandle.com]

Courtesy of Shervin Lainez.

Courtesy of Will Byington.

13

Radiolucent

Reptar

Radiolucent’s 2012 debut Turn Me On & Turn Me Loose crossed

several unconventional genres – gospel and Southern rock – into a product so genius that it earned the group a legion of core fans that continue to support the group through its changing lineups. Upon its release it seemed like the band never stopped touring to support it, but for the last year it’s been awful-ly silent. Fear not though, for at the time of writing the band released “Tell Em,” an unmastered demo for

its next record, which is so full of hooks and stacked harmonies that it vaguely resembles Queen at its mid-1970s prime.

One of the quintessential bands to know in Athens has been around for nearly seven years. The name comes from the Ru-

grats character which the band referred to as the “second stupid-est band name ever.” Though the band suffered a critical misstep in its bland 2012 debut Body Faucet, a preview of material from the new-ly released Lurid Glow shows the band has taken some of the criti-cism to heart resulting in a focused effort that combines New Wave influence with modern pop rock hooks. There have been serious contenders to be the city’s most revered band, but this new album

puts Reptar back on top. See the band on its nationwide spring tour in Atlanta this May.

ONLINE AT [radiolucentmusic.com]

ONLINE AT [reptarmusic.com]

Courtesy of Radiolucent.

Courtesy of Reptar.

14

Ruby the Rabbitfoot

The Salt Flats

Ruby Kendrick makes the kind of music that makes everyone

happy. Her often wispy voice slinks between hushed whispers to airy highs perfectly complementing the warmth created by dulcet acoustic guitar riffs and lullaby-like piano melodies. There’s not a single mel-ancholy sounding track on New as Dew which makes the album appropriate for brightening rainy days and enjoying the spring sun-shine. She was recently featured on Urban Outfitter’s blog as an artist to watch, but those of us in Athens know her very well. She’s currently touring around the US, but she always makes time for a stop back where she started.

In the last two years, rock and rollers The Salt Flats have been on the cusp of being one of Athens’ regional breakout bands. All of

that could very well change within the next few months following the release of its sophomore full length. Its 2013 debut LP Testing show-cased a diamond in the rough – a band confused about the direc-tion it was going -- with ambient guitars, emotive drums and the chilled out vocals of Eli Truett. In 2014, there wasn’t a single month without multiple shows in the staple venues for burgeoning groups. Perhaps the yet-to-be-titled second LP will solidify the band’s next move, but either way The Salt Flats have proven they have the guts to be an Athens mainstay.

ONLINE AT [rubytherabbitfoot.com]

ONLINE AT [thesaltflats.com]

Courtesy of Paige French.

Courtesy of The Salt Flats.

15

Sam Burchfield

Saturn Valley

It’s not often that an Athens musician breaks into the nation-

al music scene. Burchfield would probably say that it took months of meticulous work, but watching him live connects all the dots. He was initially an integral part of another popular band, Street Rhythm & Rhyme, before winning Campus Superstar 2013 which gave him the money needed to fund his debut EP Where to Run. Though his time on American Idol was ultimately cut short, he was quick to capital-

ize on the exposure and is currently reaping the benefits of his work by spreading his love of music with fans and children. This is just the beginning for the bluesy folk rocker.

Saturn Valley has come quite a long way in the few years since its creation. Initially a jam band, the group’s members and musical

palette have expanded incorpo-rating influences of Widespread Panic, the mellow sounds of Carlos Santana and pieces of other local artists to form a unique progressive jazz sound. Running an hour long at only eight tracks, On the Rings displays a band with an ability to create themes and intricately develop them with the precision of master class musicians. Saturn Valley should consider becoming tenants of the famed Georgia The-atre as it continues to play shows

to crowds of blissed out admirers.

ONLINE AT [samburchfield.com]

ONLINE AT [reverbnation.com/saturnvalley]

Courtesy of Sam Burchfield.

Courtesy of Saturn Valley.

16

SHEHEHE

Son & Thief

Okay, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who hadn’t

seen SHEHEHE at one of its many shows at the Caledonia. The band just released a their new album Rock & Roll Queen not even a month ago. The record is a gritty glam-punk affair that’s propelled by menacing guitars and angry shouting. Self-described as “new American jet rock,” the band upped the stakes on its second LP; the group dynamic in a live setting remains unparalleled as you can see the emotion on Nicole Bechill’s face and the crowd’s physically jarring response. Bring a neck brace.

Son & Thief’s long awaited EP Cardinal dropped back in Feb-

ruary and subsequently shot to the top of the new alternative music section on iTunes, where it stayed as a top-seller for over a week. Cardinal is a polished effort that equally uses each of the member’s talents guided by vocalist Shane Toriscelli to establish its signature hazy, dreamlike sound. It’s been a real treat to watch this band go from the beginning to a record release; if the opportunity arises to see them live, it’s not one that’s to be missed. We’ve only just begun to see what Son & Thief are capable of.

ONLINE AT [shehehe.bandcamp.com]

ONLINE AT [facebook.com/sonandthief]

Courtesy of SHEHEHE.

Courtesy of Son & Thief.

17

T. Hardy Morris

Tedo Stone

If you want to be successful in the music business, you’ve got to

prove you are capable of many things. Well, T. Hardy Morris has had his hands in a lot of projects since he arrived in Athens in 2006 for col-lege, including being a member of Dead Confederate, Diamond Rugs and releasing a solo album through Dangerbird Records. 2013’s Audition Tapes put Morris’ lyrical abilities at the forefront compared to the slow burning grunge rock of his Dead Confederate material,

but demos for his next record show a harder edge ready to raze down whatever stands in his way. He frequently makes appearances in Athens and will be touring with Diamond Rugs this summer, but his solo shows are a real spectacle.

It’s extremely difficult to pin down the genre of Tedo Stone when

each song on its debut Good Go Bad is drastically different from the next. Case in point, “Who” is a chill, almost ambient track contrasted by Stone’s aggressive radio pro-cessed vocals while “Back Again” hints at Patsy Cline’s lyrical stylings. After a few years on the road in preparation of the album, it’ll be interesting to see what Stone has gleaned from his experiences on his upcoming sophomore record

coming out in 2015. His music is not the kind that you can figure out with one listen, it takes multiple to decipher the complexities of his record.

ONLINE AT [t.hardymorris.com]

ONLINE AT [tedostone.com]

Courtesy of T. Hardy Morris.

Courtesy of Tedo Stone.

18

Uncle Dad

Universal Sigh

Uncle Dad is a band that takes music seriously, even if they

don’t take themselves seriously. De-spite only having one song out on Bandcamp, the band plays gigs like there’s no tomorrow. In fact, there might be something wrong if they don’t play at least two a week. All of this has been to prepare the group for the drop of its debut record. In the meantime, get a beer and get lost…in the sounds of a band who I can almost guaran-tee you’ve heard before when you drunkenly danced on a table at a bar that one night on that one weekend that one time.

As is this case with most of these bands, there are ties to the Uni-

versity of Georgia’s Music Business program. Here, the group found its bassist and vocalist Austin Parker. It’s a ballsy move for a band to re-lease live material because of the difficulty in getting the sound bal-anced, however that’s all Universal Sigh has out. Though the tracks run long, they perfectly capture the raw energy of the group’s blended mixture of jazz fusion with progres-sive rock that showcase the eclec-tic musical tastes of each member. The band only sporadically plays shows, so don’t miss its next show in May at the Georgia Theatre.

ONLINE AT [facebook.com/musicbyuncledad]

ONLINE AT [universalsighmusic.com]

Courtesy of Uncle Dad.

Courtesy of Universal Sigh.

19

Walden

The Welcome Home

What began as a friendship in high school blossomed into

something far greater than this group of four friends could have possibly imagined. Walden’s debut EP Painting Planets dropped a month ago in front of a crowd full of eager listeners at the 40 Watt Club. In seven tracks the band has cobbled together a wide range of mainstream influence – American Authors in “Canyon Call” anyone? -- with its own radiant positivity to put its name on the map. Determi-

nation has gotten the band to break Athens and soon enough you won’t be able to get their “nice-guy rock” out of your head.

A fledgling band in every sense of the word, The Welcome

Home shows promise as a band with staying power. The band’s only piece of studio music, “In Your Enti-ty,” gives lead vocalist Ryan Steffes’ peanut butter smooth vocals room to breathe as it is accompanied by twinkling keys and wavy guitars. The song would function great-ly as a soundtrack to a summer afternoon or a summer night spent looking up at the stars. While the band works on more studio materi-al for a future release, you have the

chance to hear these songs live first at its upcoming shows.

ONLINE AT [waldenmusic.net]

ONLINE AT [facebook.com/TheWelcomeHomeBand]

Courtesy of Walden.

Courtesy of The Welcome Home.

20

The Whigs

Widespread Panic

A current resident of the Classic City would scoff at anyone

who claimed to not know The Whigs, one of the biggest bands on this primer, but it can’t hurt for more people to know about them. Since 2002 the garage rock band has released five studio albums and toured relentlessly around the United States. 13 years together is a testament to the longevity and fo-cus of the trio who were deemed a Rolling Stone artist to watch nearly a decade ago. The band hasn’t forgotten its roots and they are likely to make a few sold-out appear-ances in Athens for both its old fans and the ones that are new to the area. They will also be headlining this year’s AthFest main stage on Friday, June 26.

The godfather of all Athens jam bands has been a fixture in the national scene since 1986. Drawing musical inspiration from the

Allman Brothers Band and the tour-ing drive from the Grateful Dead, the band has remained a tour de force for its policy of allowing fans to tape and trade shows freely. The risky move paid off resulting in im-mense exposure that has led to an astronomically high number of sold out shows at Red Rocks and the Philips Arena. It’s a wonder when the band ever sleeps since it never stops touring; a drive that younger mainstream musicians would only dream of having.

ONLINE AT [thewhigs.com]

ONLINE AT [widespreadpanic.com]

Courtesy of The Whigs.

Courtesy of Erin Notarthomas.

21

WrennPopWrenn’s career trajectory in

Athens is somewhat unheard of; in a semester’s time Erin No-tarthomas went from receiving a degree in photography at the Uni-versity of Georgia to releasing her crowdfunded debut pop album hi deeply inspired by the sounds of yesterday. Her art background serves as a perfect inspiration to the development of the character Wrenn and creates an extra layer of fan interaction in a way no other current Athens band has achieved

in recent memory. Each show is a dynamic piece in itself and it won’t be long until she takes root around the world for both her posi-tive music and relaxed performance art.

ONLINE AT [wrennpop.com]

Courtesy of Erin Notarthomas.

22

40 WATT CLUB

Georgia Theatre

TOP 5MUSIC VENUES

In Athens, every bar converts into a music venue at night to cater to the wide demographic of patrons that filter through downtown. There’s no shortage of places, but after going to a show at nearly every single venue in the last three years, I’ve compiled a list of the five places (in

no particular order) that I always find myself returning to.

This legendary venue is credit-ed with helping launch punk

and New Wave bands into the mainstream concert scene. Usu-ally home to the bigger Athens bands, the venue also hosts acts that usually become national favorites like Nirvana, M.I.A and even Arctic Monkeys. You’re most likely to see your favorite Athens band here doing a sold-out week-end run. Ticket prices vary by act.

After a fire destroyed the venue in 2009, GATH reopened at

the start of the fall semester in 2011 and has since been the go-to place for national acts to stop by and play a packed house. Much of this can be attributed to the talent booker Scott Orvold who managed to get Kenny Chesney, Modest Mouse, Wilco and STS9 all in the span of a semester. Ticket prices vary by act.

Courtesy of the 40 Watt Club.

Courtesy of Georgia Theatre.

285 W. Washington St.40watt.com

215 N. Lumpkin St.georgiatheatre.com

23

Caledonia Lounge

Flicker

The Foundry

Described by most as a narrow, black shoe box, The Cale-

donia Lounge is tucked away behind Hot Breath and is difficult for most first time concert-goers to locate. This is the place to see punk bands – if you’re into that – or most of the fledgling bands in Athens that are preparing to break out to other places. It’s also one of the only venues with a consistent ticket price at $5 for 18-20 and $7 for 21+.

Nestled away at the end of W. Washington between the

40 Watt and Clocked sits the multi-purpose Flicker Theatre & Bar. Though this venue isn’t used exclusively for musical perfor-mances, the construction and interior design is conducive to live music. For a show with top-notch sound clarity, Flicker is the low-key place to go enjoy a show without being bumped into by raucous fans. Ticket prices vary between free and $5.

Formerly the Melting Point, The Foundry offers perhaps the

strangest arrangement in which to see a concert. You can sit on the floor at a table and enjoy a full meal, or you can sit higher up in the reserved seating. The stage design allows the artist to be an arms-length away from the fans and this is often the venue most concert series are held at both in-doors and outdoors. Ticket prices vary by act.

Courtesy of citysearch.com.

Courtesy of Flicker Theatre and Bar.

Courtesy of The Foundry.

285 W. Washington St.40watt.com

215 N. Lumpkin St.georgiatheatre.com

256 W. Clayton St.caledonialounge.com

263 W. Washington St.flickertheatreandbar.com

295 E. Dougherty St.thefoundryathens.com