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!

Athfest 2009: Rhythm in my heart and guitar in my soul

Don Chambers + GOAT with the infamous ladder

Saturday, June 27th 2009

Don Chambers + GOAT & Rachel O'Neal

As evening approached, my pals and I found ourselves back in front of the main stage for yet another show, this time Don Chambers + GOAT. Although by all accounts it should have started cooling down outside at this point, I could have cooked an omelet on the street if I'd had some eggs in my possession. Yeah, it was really that hot. We nearly all died of heat exhaustion before the performance even began. Yikes! Looking onstage, one of the first things I noticed about the band was that the drummer had set up a ladder decorated with what looked like hubcaps beside his drumset. A few seconds later, I learned that the strange looking contraption wasn't for decoration - it was for beat-making! Wow, what unique sounds it made! The rhythm seemed to exist on a different wavelength than the average drum beats as well. I could feel the beat shake my body as if the entire world was vibrating with the metal plates. It was such a wild sensation.

Then it was time to head on over to the welcome air-conditioning of the Green Room to hear Rachel O'Neal. Sitting in the church-like pews, listening to her acoustic guitar performance was a very soothing experience. Her soft voice stayed true to the sweet melodies that had filled my Athfest Saturday, and I remember thinking several times throughout her set that her songs would make lovely additions to a movie soundtrack of some sort. Due to a slight mishap, we weren't able to quite get our fill of her wonderful songs that day, so I truly hope I get to see her perform again sometime in the future.

For more blogs about Athfest 2009, click here! I'll be updating daily, so be sure to check back often. Also, don't forget to check out concert videos from Dreams So Real, Venice is Sinking, Dead Confederate and many more at http://www.youtube.com/echoreynofathens!