Kristen's Concert Picks: June will blow you away!

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June is the month for tunes.  From Athfest to the many smaller shows happening this month, your ears will have a veritable feast of sounds to enjoy in the coming weeks!

Sat, June 2: Manray @ 10 PM @ Caledonia Lounge

Kick off your June with a blast of noise and rock courtesy of Manray.  It's quite a way to start the month!

Tue, Jun 5: The Skipperdees @ 7 PM @ Melting Point
A southern twang and a great helping of talent make the Skipperdees a must see.  Check 'em out at the Melting Point.

Tue, Jun 5: Wowser Bowser @ 11 PM @ Georgia Theatre rooftop
If fun is what you desire, look no further than Wowser Bowser.  Their crazy tunes will have you dancing in no time!

Wed, Jun 6: Rachel O'Neal @ 6:30 PM @ Melting Point
I greatly enjoyed Rachel's soft acoustic guitar and lovely voice at my very first Athfest years ago, and it will no doubt be wonderful to hear her sweet melodies again!

Thu, Jun 7: Grinnin Bear & Death On Two Wheels @ 9:30 PM @ Caledonia Lounge
Folk tunes with a sense of fun, Grinnin Bear is always worth a listen.  And pairing them with heavy rockers Death On Two Wheels?  That'll be one amazing set!

Fri, June 8: Sam Sniper @ 8:30 PM @ 40 Watt

Gotta love the unique southern folk rock of Sam Sniper!

Mon, Jun 11: Madeline @ 9 PM @ Caledonia Lounge
You'll truly enjoy Madeline's dark melodies with a southern touch.  Catch her over at the Caledonia!

Tue, Jun 12: The Gold Party @ 11 PM @ Georgia Theatre rooftop
What do you get when electronic indie tunes have a fling with 80s era pop?  The Gold Party, of course!  Soak in their sound up on the Georgia Theatre rooftop.

Thu, Jun 14: Lullwater @ 9:30 PM @ Caledonia Lounge
Would you like a hint of folk with your hard rock?  Lullwater will be serving up some awesome sounds in the middle of the month.

Thu, Jun 14: Lera Lynn @ 8:30 PM @ Melting Point
Lera Lynn channels a power and a passion into her dark melodies that makes every one of her shows an experience. You won't want to miss her set!

Wed, Jun 20: Powerkompany, Little Tybee @ 8:30 PM @ Melting Point
The ethereal Powerkompany and the soft indie sound of Little Tybee are sure to complement each other perfectly at this Melting Point show.

Thu-Sun, Jun 21-24: ATHFEST @ All Day @ Downtown Athens
Athfest 2012!  Over 150 bands, many of them awesome blog favorites, will be gracing stages all over downtown for this multi-day event.  Get your advance wristbands right here before it's too late, and stay tuned for prep guides, coverage of the event, and a special version of our concert picks coming in the next few weeks!

Well, we knew Athfest was going to be amazing, but who could have guessed so many other incredible shows would be taking place in Athens during the rest of the month?  Got a show you're dying to share?  Comment below, and tell the world all about it.  Can't wait for all these tunes.  June is going to be wild!

Kristen's Concert Picks: February

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The month of strength and heart is upon us, dear Athenians.  February is filled with tunes you're sure to love!

Thu-Sat, Feb 2-4: Athens Business Rocks @ 8 PM @ 40 Watt

In Athens, nearly everybody's a musician.  Most likely, that server at the restaurant rocks the guitar like nobody's business in his free time, and that store owner plays a mean bass on the weekends. Athens Business Rocks is a 3-day show that celebrates these hidden musical talents and raises money for Nuçi's Space at the same time. You can't beat that!

Fri, Feb 3: the Athens band @ 8:30 PM @ Melting Point

Over at the Melting Point, the young super rockers of the Athens band will be taking the stage with heavy metal band Anvil. You won't want to miss this show, that's for sure!

Mon, Feb 6: DJ Mahogany @ 8 PM @ Georgia Theatre

Dying to catch another show at the Georgia Theatre, but running low on cash?  Well, then, I've got good news for you.  DJ Mahogany will be spinning the beats at the FREE Betsy Kingston and the Crowns album release party. Awesome!

Thu, Feb 9: Doctor Squid @ 9:30 PM @ Caledonia

What's this? Doctor Squid is back to bring their joy-filled rock to the Caledonia once more?  Amazing news!

Fri, Feb 10: Abbey Road Live @ 8 PM @ Georgia Theatre

Beatles fans of Athens, Abbey Road Live is back to rock the Georgia Theatre!  

Tue, Feb 14: Kishi Bashi @ 8 PM @ WUOG 90.5

As seen at past Of Montreal shows, this guy's got mad skills on the violin!  Check him out live on UGA's student run radio on Valentine's day. Perfect!

Thu, Feb 16: Modern Skirts @ 8 PM @ WUOG 90.5

Craving some Modern Skirts?  Great news!  You can hear their latest tunes live on WUOG 90.5 in the middle of the month.  Can't wait!

Fri, Feb 17: Of Montreal @ 8 PM @ Georgia Theatre

The magical insanity you'll find at Of Montreal shows is unequalled.  Get yourself to the Georgia Theatre, and have a ridiculous time!

Fri, Feb 17: Lazer/Wulf @ 10 PM @ Caledonia

Need more dark noise rock in your life?  Lazer/Wulf is here to fulfill that need!

Sat, Feb 18: Athens Business Rocks Finale @ 8 PM @ 40 Watt

It's time for the Athens Business Rocks Finale. Excellent!

Sat, Feb 18: T. Hardy Morris & the Outfit @ 8 PM @ Melting Point

I've been yearning to hear more of T. Hardy Morris and the Outfit since their show at last year's Athfest.  Add in the Modern Skirts, and this show is a definite can't-miss!

Sat, Feb 18: Efren, Sam Sniper @ 11 PM @ Farm 255

Gritty, folk rock and southern jungle madness of the folk variety under one roof?  That's right!  Get yourself some Efren and Sam Sniper at Farm 255 on the 18th.

Tue, Feb 21: Grinnin Bear @ 8 PM @ WUOG 90.5

Folk tunes with a sense of fun, Grinnin Bear will be taking over the airwaves over at WUOG. Don't forget, you can catch 'em play live at the station in UGA's Tate Student Center!

Tue, Feb 21: Half Dozen Brass Band @ 8 PM @ Georgia Theatre

The Half Dozen Brass Band knows how to have a good time.  Don't miss them!

Fri, Feb 24: Powerkompany @ 9 PM @ 40 Watt

If strong but ethereal tunes are your style, Powerkompany's the band for you!

Wed, Feb 29: Androcles and the Lion @ 9:30 PM @ Caledonia

Celebrate the leap day with a spectacular lineup of rockers featuring Androcles and the Lion, the Winter Sounds, and Sleepy Eye Giant.  Wow, what show this will be!

This is going to be quite a month!  As always, if you've heard of another incredible show happening in Athens this February, let us know all about it in the comments.  Have a wild time, my friends!

Puttin' on a smile with Grinnin Bear

Every band that's been on the scene for a while knows that the later the set, the more fans there are ready to hit the dance floor. It's the sad truth that, most of the time, when a group finds themselves first on the bill, they can expect to be greeted by a small crowd of seated listeners and an air of nonchalance. But local band Grinnin Bear beat the odds by a landslide at Sam Sniper's awesome album release show on Friday night. They may have been the show's opener, but don't let that fool you. They grabbed our attention from the very first song. Wow, they rocked it!

The band's hard and modern take on a twangy sound had all the people in the audience bobbing their heads and moving their feet to the funky rhythm. Indeed, their latest tunes were quite the toe-tappers. Man, they were fun! And there's no doubt about it, Hannah Samet is the master of the fiddle. I've seen her play before many times with Pholksinger Josh, but she truly emerges in all her glory as the female vocalist and fiddle player of Grinnin Bear. And all the members were up there onstage, playing their hearts out and having a great time! This band caught me by surprise, but boy, am I glad they were there to kick off the weekend's festivities. I can't wait till I get a chance to hear them again!