I've Got a Friend that You Can't See

Aman Amun (Brian McGaw) & I at a Crumbling Arches show in January

I entered the WUOG radio station premises in the Tate Center for the first time on Thursday with a feeling of great excitement and anticipation. I was just about to see one of the most creative Athens acts, Aman Amun, perform for the “Live in the Lobby” segment of the radio show. My friend Jordan (Athens Music Junkie) greeted me at the window and beckoned to me to come inside. The cozy little lobby with its walls covered in posters and CDs provided the perfect backdrop for Aman Amun’s soothing and melodious sound. Aman Amun’s alter ego, singer/guitar player Brian McGaw from the lovely Crumbling Arches, was just setting up as I got there, and he welcomed me in with a smile before beginning his mini show.

It is nearly impossible to place Aman Amun’s sound into any one genre. Brian uses both electronic and acoustic elements to create a listening experience far different from anything else I’ve heard in Athens. He began his short set with my second favorite song of his, “Opportunity Cost”, a calm yet heavy tune with an almost ethereal feel and an emphasis on the acoustic guitar. From there, he let the music flow out of his guitar, subtly changing without pausing into a newer song that was characterized by some rather impressive vocal work on his part. He continued to debut several new songs in an unbroken medley of soft strumming and computer-generated sounds. My only wish was that they had used a speaker with less static so that the songs could have been more clearly heard by the live audience. I’m not sure whether or not this affected those listening online.

Due to a series of terribly unfortunate circumstances involving prior plans, a friend’s rap craving, and a timing mix-up, I was unable to see the rest of Aman Amun’s show. My friend Sheila, who was happily listening to it at http://www.wuog.com from her room, told me that, just after I left, he performed my absolute favorite Aman Amun song “Scapegoating” complete with an interesting array of experimental sounds. I can’t believe I missed it. Sadness, indeed! However, I am overjoyed to say that he will be performing a more extensive and likely visually delicious show on May 1st in association with the Touch My Project interactive art show in the Lamar Dodd art building in Room S150. Since that’s a Friday and Reading Day for UGA students, everyone should most certainly check it out!