Kristen's Concert Picks: August brings it back around

For most of us, August marks our triumphant return to Athens, the city of music. There's no better way to celebrate this joyous occasion than to fill our nights with some rockin' bands! And for those of you lucky people who have spent the summer in this lovely town, these tune-filled treats are sure to ease you out of the heat in just the right way. It is definitely time to party once again!

Wed, Aug 4: Matt Daniel @ 9 PM @ Melting Point
Multi-talented musician MAtt Daniel takes the stage to give us a solo act ruled by keyboards, guitars, and vocals. You may know him from the band Leading Edge, but he's got a nice style all his own too!

Thurs, Aug 5: Josh Perkins @ 9 PM @ Melting Point
This year's Athfest certainly gave us whole a list of bands we just can't wait to see again, and Josh Perkins was definitely one of them! Fill your ears with his softly southern rock.

Fri, Aug 6: Kaitlin Jones and the County Fair @ 10 PM @ Caledonia
Here's another one of my Athfest discoveries. I knew I loved Kaitlin Jones' dark southern rock sound almost instantly!

Fri, Aug 6: Ken Will Morton @ 8 PM @ 40 Watt
And here's yet another example of a rockin' band I first heard at this year's Athfest. With a bit of americana-style, Ken Will Morton's tunes are sure to brighten your day.

Wed, Aug 11: Novanauts & The Caste @ 9:30 PM @ Caledonia
LOVE these bands! From electronic to indie pop, these bands will definitely leave you dancing. Go to this show. Seriously, you will not regret it!

Wed, Aug 11: Doctor Squid & Groove Tangent @ 9 PM @ Melting Point
Oh, please someone, avenge me for this cruel fate! How can there be two such amazing shows just a few days before my return to Athens? Looks like the city will be filled with some of my absolute favorites this night as Doctor Squid, Groove Tangent, and Jason Harwell of the Warm Fuzzies take over the stage and pure joy to all who are lucky enough to be at the Melting Point.

Thurs, Aug 12: Popfest featuring Reptar @ 7:30 PM @ Caledonia
If you haven't experienced the insanity that is Reptar, do it now! You never know what these guys will surprise their fans with this time, but I can guarantee you it'll be fun.

Fri, Aug 13: Popfest featuring Madeline @ 2:30 PM @ Caledonia
Oh, the soft and lovely melodies of Madeline... Yes, they're beautiful.

Fri, Aug 13: Popfest featuring Bambara @ 7:30 PM @ Caledonia
Bambara's loud and crazy rock style has everyone in a frenzy. You've got to catch their show!

Thurs, Aug 19: Incredible Sandwich @ 9 PM @ Melting Point
Take a trip down to the tropics with the incredible sandwich! This band sprinkles a bit of jazz in here and there too for a super smooth ride.

Thurs, Aug 26: Aman Amun @ 10 PM @ New Earth Music Hall
Experimental, electronic, indescribable... Art, music, and innovation combine to make this a show like nothing you've seen before. And this one should be amazing. After all, the last Aman Amun show I saw at New Earth completely blew me away!

Fri, Aug 27: The Orkids, Venice is Sinking, & The Caste @ 10 PM @ New Earth Music Hall
Wow, this is a can't-miss show! With the Orkids, the Caste, Venice is Sinking, and the Premonitions on the bill, it'll be nothing short of unbelievable. Oh man, I am absolutely dying to hear the catchy tunes of the Orkids again after their awesome Athfest show!

Fri, Aug 27: Nate Nelson, Gift Horse, & Modern Skirts @ 9:30 PM @ 40 Watt
Ok, this is seriously going to be one of the BEST nights for Athens music ever! It'll be nearly impossible to choose which show to see... This one features kings of the Athens pop scene, Modern Skirts, along with the amazing voice of Nate Nelson and the pure rock of Gift Horse. Insanity!

Sat, Aug 28: The Shut Ups @ 10 PM @ Caledonia
It's true! The Shut-Ups will bring a smile to your face as you dance along to their electronic tunes. What fun!

Wow, this month is just filled with excitement, isn't it? I can't wait for all of these rockin' shows to start! As always, I'll add to this list as I hear of more awesome shows, so make sure you remember it whenever you're planning a tune-filled night. And hey, if you know of a show that you just can't let your fellow music lovers miss, let us know in the comments below. See you all around town and happy listening!

Debuts, Jams, and the Spirit of Giving

Refugees all over the world need our support, and the International Events Association hopes to provide! This group brought us a fund-raising night of tunes last Tuesday night to help satisfy this need.

Matt Daniel of the awesome band Leading Edge took the stage first to present his solo act. He's quite the talented fellow, I must say! He served up some nice, original songs on the keyboard and guitar and even gave us a musical homage to John Lennon.

Moments later, it was time for the official downtown debut of the band once called Neptica. Although (as I explained in my birthday party entry) they are now introducing themselves as Atlas, everyone I've talked to agrees that the Ha's Neptica Atlas sounds like a rockin' name. Hint, hint. :) Regardless, their songs were wonderful as usual. Jeff was particularly amazing on the flute and sitar. Wow, that guy can play! And Sarah's cello playing really completes their songs. She brings a finished quality to their sound which makes their tunes quite amazing to listen to. Singer Adriana was feeling a bit sick, but man, she's great. Even with her voice not up to her usual standards, she managed to sound absolutely beautiful, only a bit quieter than usual. Lovely music, indeed.

Another name-changing band, Bigfoot, stepped onstage next. Last spring, I raved about a new band called Cyrnaca that rocked the Myers Quad. Well, it seems that this band has gained a new member or so as well as a brand new name. Their sound, too, has changed to become a bit more danceable though they still maintain their ground-vibrating rock style. Best of all, the girl in the band played her violin as if it were a guitar. In all of my adventures through the Athens music scene, I've never seen anything like it! Weirdly enough, though, they were the third band I've seen in a month that played a cover of the Ghostbusters theme. Is this a new band favorite or something? I've truly enjoyed all of the awesome differences in each incarnation of this tune that I've heard so far this year, but honestly, if one more band plays it any time soon, I may have to ever-so-painfully remove my ears. One can indeed have too much of a good thing.

Then the final band emerged from amidst the crowd dancing wildly to Bigfoot's set and took their enthusiastic energy to the stage. Calling themselves CocoRico, they brought a refreshing taste of pop to the mix. Their sound was very finished, very impressive, and the singer's and keyboardist's unexpected series of hilarious risque dance moves was just plain unforgettable. They finished out their set with about 15 minutes of straight jamming with guest guitarist Parks Miller. Well, that was kind of unexpected. They're definitely a rockin' band though.

Good show. What a cool way to help those in need.