Athfest 2013: The Whigs rock through the night

Friday, June 21st, 2013 
 The Whigs

You can never get to a show too early. That's my mantra, and I'm sticking with it (despite the fact that I have been proven wrong many a time). On Friday, though, the clock was on my side as I stepped into the 40 Watt line, eager to secure my spot for the Whigs' show.  Before I knew it, I was through the door just before Athfest regulars Buxton stepped onstage.  These quality southern rockers from Texas are staples at the festival, and I've managed to see them in action every year for the past three years.  Definitely cool to run into them again!

Then it was the Whigs' turn.  Long before they jumped onstage, the crowd started chanting along to the familiar Atlanta Braves tomahawk chop.  This being my first opportunity to catch the Whigs live, I quickly determined that this was some sort of tradition, and my suspicions were proven correct as the band emerged to a recording of that very chant.  Launching into their hardcore southern rock set amidst an awe-inspiring show of lights, the band gave the crowd tune after awesome tune.  Fans flowed into the venue steadily, pumped for more, until the 40 Watt was completely packed. The earth-shaking bass and drums energized the crowd as they sang along to nearly every lyric, urging on the band who stretched their set to please the eager fans.  Around 1 AM, the floor cleared a bit as those trying to catch both the Whigs and Reptar in one night headed for the Georgia Theatre to (probably unsuccessfully) plead their way into the at-capacity venue.  However, those who stayed were treated to even more incredible tunes as the band transcended into what can only be described as psych drone territory.  Brilliant!  It was a long set but definitely a rad one.  What a night!

Leaving the venue, exhausted but enthused, I headed home for the night, passing some guy outside who shouted to me "surfing the E.A.C., dude" in Crush the Turtle's voice from Finding Nemo.  Weird but hilarious at the same time!  Simply put, Athens is awesome.


For all of our massive coverage of Athfest 2013, from preparation guides to articles on some of the best featured bands and shows, click here! More entries on all the bands and madness of the festival will be posted daily, so be sure to check back often. Plus, soon you'll be able to check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well!

Athfest 2011: Buxton makes an impression

Saturday, June 25th, 2011

Buxton

Staving off all of the early signs of heat stroke, I opted to step back into the shade of the Caledonia Lounge once the Knockouts were finished. To my great surprise, as I seated myself with some friends, I saw Houston's own Buxton setting up on the outdoor stage. I had met the super cool electric guitarist of the band after their Flagpole Awards Afterparty show, and I was eager to see the band perform more than one song during this go around. However, the band had been under the impression that they were playing the Dirty Athens show much later on, so to catch them now was just a happy coincidence. Although generally not my favorite of the music genres, I truly enjoyed their all-encompassing soft country rock sound. And apparently this being the day of sea-faring songs, they also gave us a very unique indie tune that resembled something of a traditional shanty. Awesome. But their love for the fans and friends they made in Athens extended beyond the bounds of just this show. Aware that many of the people they had invited to see them would arrive too late to catch their set, they performed an impromptu mini show in the Caledonia parking lot later that day as well. Oh, the unexpected surprises of Athfest are always some of the most exciting!

For all of our massive coverage of Athfest 2011, from preparation guides to articles on some of the best featured bands and shows, click here! More entries on all the bands and madness of the festival will be posted daily, so be sure to check back often. Plus, you can visit the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel for show footage and Athfest vlogs as well!