A plea to the venues

I've visited a massive number of venue websites since the beginning of the Echoreyn of Athens blog. As our regular readers know, every month we put out a Kristen's Concert Picks entry - a list, complete with descriptions, of exciting upcoming shows in Athens, handpicked for the sheer awesomeness of the bands that are playing them. Basically, if my friends and I have seen and loved a band live, we're sure to feature their shows here so that more fans of the scene can get a delicious taste of their tunes. And while checking out the websites, Facebook pages, and, yes, even the MySpace pages of some of our favorite local bands helps us to discover a few of these shows, most of the time the venue websites are our best friends in this matter.

So here's my plea, my call to action, if you will:

Venues, please make your websites cater to the fans!

After all, the whole point of establishing a venue is to create a space where fans can come and listen to their favorite tunes. If there are no fans in attendance (and trust me, I've been to a few of those shows before), then what's the point having the band rock your stage? And, let's be honest here, an empty venue does no favors for the bank account either.

See I've been on a bit of a website-building spree lately, and as such, I've found myself taking a critical eye towards the sites I come across. The venues that serve their fans best are those that post the key feature, the event calendar, right on the main page of the website for all to see.

Proving that a site need not be complicated to be the perfect venue space, the Caledonia Lounge tops the list of Athens venues with sites made for the fans. A single page (yes, just one) provides seekers and makers of rockin' tunes with all they need to find the place, book a show, and discover when their favorite bands are taking the stage. Everything you need to know in one glance... Now, that's awesome! Right up there with the Caledonia's site is 40 Watt's professional site. Their main page features three whole calendars of delectable music with upcoming big name shows listed in a simple breakdown up top and in more detail towards the bottom as well as a weekly show calendar to the side.

But, being one of Athens biggest and most famous venues, there's no way they would just stop there! They've also got a schedule tab which describes each show in great detail among other tabs that provide all sorts of useful information from directions to booking to even the rather fascinating history of how the club came to be. That is one solid website! Other examples of great venue sites built with the fans in mind include WUOG 90.5's site featuring shows for Live in the Lobby, New Earth Music Hall's site, and Nuçi's Space's site.

But what about the smaller venues, those that don't require a full site to keep their fans in the know? Well, Facebook is here to save the day! A well-maintained Facebook page can serve as a venue website too, provided that those who manage the venue's page include all location and contact info and update it regularly with event pages created for every show - a makeshift calendar of sorts. Best of all, Facebook is search engine optimized to be a top result whenever a fan searches for your venue which means that they'll easily find your page when they're dying to know exactly who's rockin' your stage next.

Now, once again, I've got to put in a short word against using MySpace as a website. I've noticed that venues that subsist solely on their MySpace pages tend to forget to update them regularly. Even worse, the site's new layout makes it difficult for fans to see the events listed anyway. At this point and time, I encourage venues to move beyond this site when establishing their web presence.

So, to sum it all up, is a quality website or a regularly updated Facebook page a must-have for venues? YES! In this day and age, nearly every fan who dreams of seeing their favorite band, whether it be a famous touring rock group or a fresh new indie singer/songwriter, will check the Internet first before heading downtown to catch a show. Venues, give these fans what they need: a chance to rock out to the tunes you provide!

Echoreview: Emergent Heart's One EP

These good causes just get me every time! Emergent Heart is a collective of musicians from our own town of Athens, GA as well as performers from as far as Virginia, New York, and Washington D.C. Conceived by Luke Johnson of the Premonitions and his friend Samuel Kim, this project quickly became attached to an organization near and dear to those of us here: Nuçi's Space. In case you are unfamiliar, Nuçi's Space is both a venue and a facility in Athens founded on the desire to help musicians through difficult times. Beyond this, Nuçi's Space also funds programs to help youth find their inner musician. Recently, Emergent Heart released "One", the first of a series of albums whose proceeds will go to the organization. So what's it like?

This EP starts off with What Do You Mean, a track that serves up a unique mix of several genres within one song, much like a mixed media art piece composed purely of sound. Layering a prominent beat over a sweet melody, this tune leads easily into the next. Enchanter, too, includes soft singing under a veritable party of percussion. Following this, the Future Doesn't Need Us has a low fi style that, while more conventional than the first two tracks, is definitely one of my favorites on the album. Then All Around You sneaks up on the listener with its deliciously dark sound. It is a most fulfilling end to the band's first EP.

While there is no single cohesive sound or style on the album, "One" provides a mix of tunes with a bit of something for all listeners. You can check it out for yourself on the Emergent Heart's website, and if you like what you hear, they urge you to donate the amount you would pay for the CD to Nuçi's Space right here. Enjoy and make a difference at the same time!

Nuçi's Space: A coffee bar with a taste for tunes

Nuçi's Space is indeed one of the most unique venues in Athens. Just outside the central music center of the town, it serves as a haven for musicians of all ages to practice and perform. Hundreds of records adorn the walls and a disco ball hangs from the ceiling making this cozy space a brilliant setting for an evening of tunes. Now you might be a little disoriented at first if you're a regular in the Athens night scene. One of your first hints that Nuçi's Space brings you a brand new experience is their opening time. More often than not, shows at this family-friendly venue start at around eight o'clock. Perfect for early sleepers and people who like to fill their whole nights with awesome shows! Another hint that this might not be your average club is the coffee bar tucked inside. No alcohol here, but there's quite a nice array of delicious coffees to choose from. Mmm! Had a bit too much coffee? Well, that's alright. Head on over to the back of the venue where you'll find some of the most beautifully clean restrooms in all of downtown Athens!

But what about the most important part? What about the music? A medium-sized, raised stage sits on one end of the dance floor, straight across from a very professional-looking, glass-walled sound room. Need to sit down? Well, you're in luck! Couches line one edge of the wall so you can sip your coffee comfortably while you enjoy the tunes. From your seat near the stage, you can also chat with band members as they head towards the corridor that leads to the many rooms of the backstage area. And if you are a member of a band yourself, Nuçi's Space is dedicated to helping you make the most of your talent as well. They rent out equipment to bands that need it, and through their Camp Amped summer program, they even help youngsters discover the music inside themselves! Truly, Nuçi's Space is quite the venue!

Nuçi's Space at a glance:

Ages: All ages

Cost: Usually around $5

Venue Website: http://www.nuci.org/

Venue Phone Number: 706-227-1515

Venue location & Google Map: 396 Oconee Street, Athens, GA 30601


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Reviews of recent concerts/events at Nuçi's Space:
Venice is Sinking/ Groove Tangent/ Rye
Tealvox/ Athens band/ Second Suns

Have any thoughts of your own about this venue? Dying to know something specific that I didn't mention? Be sure to comment below! Also, to read about all of the venues I've reviewed, visit my venues page!