It's been a blast, my friends!

Hey guys, Kristen here...  Or, as some of you might know me, Echoreyn of Athens, blog creator and local music scene enthusiast!  Lately, I've come to find that between my computer work, novel writing, and acting (Shameless plug: go see me in the Hunger Games: Catching Fire in theaters right now!), I no longer have the time I wish I had to keep up with this blog and with the scene I love so much.  It seems that the moment has arrived for me to officially wrap things up and clear the way for any new emerging music writers and explorers who are just now entering the scene.  Before I say goodbye, though, let's take a step back in time and relive all of the great memories we've had together.

Four and a half years ago, I fell into music blogging when a post I wrote on my personal blog about the ever-rockin' local band Chris McKay and the Critical Darlings turned up on the band's website. Since then, the Echoreyn of Athens blog has led me on the ride of a lifetime and given me a slew of incredibly unforgettable experiences! From Athfest to Music Midtown, from Summerfest and Summer Side Show to CMJ in New York, I've had the chance to visit venues all across the state and beyond and to see hundreds of unbelievable bands, international acts and local startups alike.  I've been on the road with musicians and visited my friends backstage.   I've been given shout outs during shows and even had some of my favorites play for my birthday party.  Hey, and remember that time they wrote an article about the blog in the Red and Black UGA newspaper? The joy I have felt in the Athens music scene is truly indescribable!

Even though I am taking this opportunity to say goodbye, this definitely isn't farewell forever.  I will always love and continue to support the Athens music scene whenever I can.  I may even come back to write a post or two when I catch a new band that blows my mind or when hear some big news about the scene that just has to be shared.  Beyond that, you can also still visit me on the Echoreyn of Athens Tumblr page, tweet me @Echoreyn, relive all of your favorite music moments on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube page, and get tidbits and news on the Echoreyn of Athens Facebook page.  You can also get to know me a bit better on my new personal tumblr blog or on my official website if you'd like.

I wish all of you still on the scene and all of you working to become a part of the scene good luck with your endeavors.  Keep on rockin'!  And to those of you who, like me, love going downtown to bask in all of the awesome tunes, keep on doing what you're doing too.  The scene needs all of you guys!

I'd like to thank each one of you for all of your support of the blog and of the scene we all love so much.  Without a doubt, it has been absolutely spectacular, my friends!
~Kristen a.k.a. Echoreyn

Echoreyn of Athens turns 3 and gives you a chance to win CDs!

Wow, I can't believe it's been three years since I began experiencing and writing about our amazing music scene as Echoreyn of Athens!  It seems like it's been both much longer and much shorter than that.  On one hand, I can hardly remember what my life was like before I had this scene and these musicians and this music.  I've seen bands emerge victorious, bands bid their final farewells, and bands reborn again.  I've weathered the losses of favorite venues and favorite rockers.  But, in the scheme of things, I've also found that I have so much yet to experience.  I've only had a taste of touring, a hint of the struggles musicians face, and a small glimpse of what large-scale success looks like.

I must say, though, this year has been a wild one for Echoreyn of Athens.  I attended my first Music Midtown, traveled with one of my favorite bands to New York City, and had the night of a lifetime as a Reptar house party exploded into an event that will be talked about in the scene for years to come.  And so much more joy awaits us in the scene!  Athfest 2012 is fast approaching, and you can count on Echoreyn of Athens to feature extensive coverage of the festival as always.  There's also sure to be even more exciting events we have yet to even dream of as we enjoy our next year on the scene.

And hey, why don't you join in our birthday celebrations!  How about we turn the tables this time, and give you a gift instead as a thank you for being such loyal readers of this blog.  A few of our favorite Athens music CDs are up for grabs to the first person (in the continental US) who sends a message to echoreyn@gmail.com with the answers to the following questions below:

1. What is the current and former name of the band that opened for Reptar at their memorable house show in mid-February?

2. What are the names of at least two of the bands besides Coldplay that played at Music Midtown this past year in Atlanta?

You can find answers to both of these trivia questions here on the blog.  Good luck on your search, and thanks for three incredible years in the scene!

~ Kristen

Echoreyn of Athens turns 2 and gives gifts to you!

Let's celebrate two years of Echoreyn of Athens: All About the Music! Today is our humble little blog's birthday, and there's no better way to rejoice in all the bands, tunes, and shenanigans that have filled those years than with a giveaway.

That's right! We've got a few of our favorite Athens music CDs that we want to give to you! All you have to do is be the first person to email us at echoreyn@gmail.com with the correct answers to the following five trivia questions about the Athens and Atlanta music scenes. All of the answers can be found here on this blog. Happy searching and good luck!

1. What local dance-inducing band opened for Ludacris during UGA's Homecoming show this year?

2. What year did Athens (the band) rock the stage at the Flagpole Athens Music Awards?

3. Which artist had signed with Virgin Records shortly before giving Echoreyn of Athens its first shoutout from the stage in 2009?

4. The Georgia Theatre is expected to reopen by what date this year?

5. What local band is making their triumphant return to the stage at the Melting Point on April 6th with several new members joining their version 3.0 lineup of musicians?

Hope to hear from you soon! Don't miss your chance to get your hands on these free tunes!

Site changes and the snowpocalypse

The snowpocalypse. Snowmageddon. The ice-splosion. No matter what you've been calling it, there's no denying that this past week has been insane for those of us in Georgia! Athens was inundated with so much snow that the entire first week of school was affected by it, and many of the shows downtown faired no better.

So what's a snowed-in blogger to do? Well, after taking a photography tour of campus, poking ice-covered objects with sticks, and relaxing by the fireplace for a few nights, I realized there was no better time to begin a bit of a redesign of the ol' Echoreyn of Athens website! I'm a little over halfway through the overhaul, and I'm pretty pleased with the changes so far. Like the new navigation bar at the top? Now it's easy to get your Echoreyn of Athens fix of concert picks, venues, pictures, and more from one convenient place! And hey, you can still and visit our using the new buttons above as well.

The biggest change to the site so far is probably the inclusion of the brand new "About Echoreyn" page at the top. Be sure to click there for contact info and a bit about the EoA crew! Got any suggestions for how we can really spice up the site? I'd love to hear your thoughts! Shoot me an email at Echoreyn@gmail.com.

Another new addition is the "Featured Photo." Every week, that photo will change to a different one from our collection of Athens music memories. Want a photo of your own to be featured? Well, send it to the email address above with your name and a little description, and it just might find its way up there!

That's all for now, my friends! Go forth and frolic, but don't forget your gloves. See you downtown!

Happy First Birthday, Echoreyn of Athens!

One year ago today, after finding my journal entry about the spectacular night I first heard Chris McKay and the Critical Darlings up on the band's webpage, I decided the time was ripe to start a blog. I called this blog Echoreyn of Athens since Echoreyn (pronounced "Ecko rain") had long been my pseudonym, and Athens, well... I lived in Athens, one of the greatest music cities in the world! At that time, I had nearly just discovered the scene for myself. I'd been to a few more shows here than most of my friends, but still, I was new to the unique tunes and ever-changing sound of Athens. Nevertheless, I had an inkling that there were tons more amazing experiences to be had in this magical little town. Now, over 100 bands later, I'm overjoyed to say that I was right!

From getting the birthday party of my dreams to having a say about the music of 2009 in Athens' magazine Flagpole to reading about Echoreyn of Athens in UGA's newspaper The Red and Black, it's hard to imagine a more exciting time! And to all of you who read this blog, I love you so much! You're a huge part of what's made this year unbelievably unforgettable. I truly hope you've had just as great a year in music as I've had.

I say, let's celebrate the one year anniversary of Echoreyn of Athens by taking some time out of our busy schedules to simply party it up downtown and discover a few new bands for ourselves that may catch our ears by surprise and put smiles on our faces. April's full of tasty tunes, after all! Oh, and don't forget to check out the video above for some rockin' footage from the past year including some never-before-seen clips of some of our favorite local bands. Here's hoping the next year of music is just as awesome as this one!

P.S. And wow, this seems to be quite a birthday for Athens music fans everywhere... The most famous band to come out of our town since, well, ever is turning 30 today too. That's right, Echoreyn of Athens shares its most joyous birthday with R.E.M.! That's wild!