Spectacular Bands Galore: The Orkids, The Premonitions, the Caste, & VIS!

Four must-see bands in one lineup? Impossible, right? It's a rare occasion when there's a show filled to the brim with bands I love, but lucky for me, that was my Friday night.

As I got in line to enter New Earth (yes, there was a line!), I could already hear the Caste rockin' the stage. What!?! A show that actually started on time? What are the chances? Their fun yet dark pop rock sound already had the crowd pumped by the time I got close enough to see the band. Ah, such fun! About half an hour later, the Caste jammed their way out with style, leaving their fans begging for more.

The Premonitions took over the stage next, ready to show off their new sound. This band's been on my radar for a while, but last I'd heard of them, they had played their final show in Athens. What a surprise it was then to find that they were rocking a new member lineup with some of my favorite bands! I'd been looking forward to experiencing their super unique tunes live for some time, and the band did not disappoint. Giving

us a wild mix of hard and dark southern rock, swing melodies, and hints of electronica, their set was eerily perfect for their name. Lead singer Kara McKenney's strong, deep voice drove the songs forward, and every member of the band was fully absorbed in their tunes.

Just after the Premonitions finished their last song, longtime favorites Venice is Sinking began to play. Watching them this time, I finally realized why I can never get enough of this band. You know that beautifully satisfied feeling you have after you hear a massive classical orchestra play a rock cover in a huge auditorium? That's what Venice is Sinking feels like. Amazing as always!

And then, it was time for the band that's getting all kinds of buzz around town lately, the Orkids! True dance pop/electronica bands are few and far between in Athens, but this band has got it covered. Seriously, their songs are just undeniably awesome in every way. Hearing them play live again was happiness-inducing to the extreme! Their set had the whole crowd going absolutely crazy. They even made singing Happy Birthday to lead guitarist Adam Monica into a memorable moment with their hilarious attempt at an impromptu unique tune. Just thinking about the band has got me smiling again. When they had played their last note, I knew I couldn't live another minute without their Paper Dolls album, so of course, I had to get it. I'm not kidding... they're just purely unbelievable!

Ah, Athens makes adding new rockers to my list of favorites so easy. Shows just don't get better than this!