Kristen's Concert Picks: Get your fill of November's tunes!

Don't let the cool weather get you down!  Warm up with the delicious sounds of November.

Thu, November 1: Futurebirds @ 8 PM @ Georgia Theatre

Start the month the right way with some quality southern rock from the always great Futurebirds!

Fri, November 2: Cicada Rhythm @ 8 PM @ Melting Point

Craving something different?  You'll just love the lilting folk vocals of Cicada Rhythm!

Fri, November 2: Sam Sniper @ 11:30 PM @ Farm255

One of my favorites in the Athens scene, the unique southern rock of Sam Sniper will have you dancing in no time!

Wed, November 7: The Peaks @ 8 PM @ Go Bar

One of my newest favorite bands on the scene, the Peaks' dark and soulful tunes will no doubt entrance you!  

Wed, November 7: Blue Man Group @ 8 PM @ Classic Center Theatre

It's the Blue Man Group! Yeah, you've heard of them...  The lights. The insanity.  This time they're on your doorstep!

Thu, November 8: Brothers @ 9:30 PM @ Caledonia Lounge
Classic rock meets indie pop when Brothers plays.  You can catch 'em on the 29th of the month as well!

Thu, November 8: Life Coach @ 10 PM @ Little Kings

Life Coach will blast you away with their sound.  Be there!

Fri, November 9: Reptar @ 8 PM @ Georgia Theatre

It's REPTAR!  Get your tickets early because this outrageous band's show will surely sell out fast.  Prepare for the insanity!

Sat, November 10: Manray @ 10 PM @ Caledonia Lounge

Brace yourself for Manray's explosive noise rock sound!

Sun, November 11: The Skipperdees @ 9 PM @ Flicker Theatre

A spectacular mix of talent, heart, and southern folk makes every Skipperdees show just incredible!

Fri, November 16: Lazer/Wulf @ 9:30 PM @ Caledonia Lounge

Melodic rock infused with instrumental metal tunes, you'll love Lazer/Wulf's strength of sound! Plus, you can catch our town's latest noise rock addition, The Powder Room!

Sat, November 17: Ruby the Rabitfoot @ 9 PM @ Caledonia Lounge

You know her as Ruby Kendrick, but now she's Ruby the Rabitfoot.  With her sweet pop style, she's taking the town once again!

Fri, November 23: Young Benjamin @ 9 PM @ Flicker Theatre

Ambient and ethereal, Young Benjamin's melodies with transport you to another world.  Can't catch him on the 23rd?  Well, you're in luck!  He'll also be filling Flicker with his unbelievable sound on the 28th.

Sat, November 24: Velvet Runway @ 9 PM @ Melting Point

One of my favorite college memories is throwing a spontaneous dance party outside a rockin' Velvet Runway show.  Check out this quality 80s cover band!

Thu, November 29: The Viking Progress and John French & the Bastilles @ 9:30 PM @ Caledonia Lounge

Don't miss the innovative indie rock of Viking Progress and the dark, polished sound of John French and the Bastilles over at the Caledonia.  What a mix!

Thu, November 29: Qurious @ 9 PM @ 40 Watt

Wow, Qurious, Brothers, AND Thick Paint?  Catch the indescribable experience that is Qurious as they join indie pop rockers Brothers and Thick Paint, Graham of Reptar's DJ act at the 40 Watt.  This is going to be just wild!

Well, we've got an incredible month of tunes in store for us!  Totally pumped about an Athens show not listed here?  Post about it below so everyone can get the details.  Have an awesome November, you guys!

Kristen's Concert Picks: October is party time!

Happy October! My favorite month comes bearing musical gifts of all sorts. From cultural groups to cover bands, from rock to pop, I've got you covered. Oh, and just for you, I've uploaded live footage from several of the shows I saw during the past month. Visit my YouTube channel for videos of Bambara, The Warm Fuzzies, Doctor Squid, The Constellations, and more! And now, prepare yourselves for some spectacular musical adventures!

Fri, Oct 2: Incatepec @ 6 PM @ Terrapin Beer Co.
If you want a fully cultural experience, Incatepec is the band for you! A mixture of jazz, rock, and South American flute music, you've never heard anything like them before.

Wed, Oct 7: Death on Two Wheels @ 10 PM @ Tasty World Uptown
Heavy rock is the order of the day! Atlanta band Death on Two Wheels will have you banging your head and moving your feet to the beat.

Mon, Oct 12: Crumbling Arches @ 10 PM @ The Caledonia Lounge
Readers of this blog will know that this is one show you can't miss! My favorite rockers return to the stage to treat us to a night of amazing tunes and general madness. With the Winter Sounds, another awesome band, on the bill, this show should be nothing short of spectacular!

Thurs, Oct 15: Birds and Wire & Electa Villain @ 10 PM @ The Caledonia Lounge
Two bands I've been hoping to check out since Athfest playing together on one night? Awesome! With soft southern pop from Birds and Wire and classic rock from Electa Villain, this should be one crazy night.

Sat, Oct 17: Modern Skirts @ 9 PM @ The Melting Point
The Modern Skirts are gracing yet another Athens stage! You' know you've heard of them. The buzz about this soft pop band never stops.

Thurs, Oct 22: The Warm Fuzzies @ 9:30 PM @ The Caledonia Lounge
More happiness, more hilarity, more joy! Take it from me, you can never have enough of the Warm Fuzzies. They're smile-inducing pop rock at its best!

Fri, Oct 23: Velvet Runway @ 8 PM @ Tasty World Uptown
Love 80s tunes? Well, then Velvet Runway is the cover band for you! They'll transport you back in time so that your ears will believe you're hearing the jams as they were originally played. It's time to rock!

Sat, Oct 24: Dead Confederate @ 9 PM @ The 40 Watt Club
Headlining with the Meat Puppets and with opener Madeline, this show is sure to be HUGE! Dead Confederate's dark rock will most certainly entrance you. Be sure to buy advance tickets on the 40 Watt website!

Wed, Oct 28: Bambara & The Agenda @ 8 PM @ Ciné
For your ghoulish delight, there will be a performance of Halloween: Live followed by a show from our favorite hard rocker trio Bambara and The Agenda, another group of rockers on my list of bands to see! Oh yes!

Wed, Oct 28: Doctor Squid & Leading Edge @ 9 PM @ Tasty World Uptown
Want some pop, some rock, and some old school tunes? The Redcoat Band party is where it's at! With Beatles cover band Abbey Road live playing as well, this lineup is nothing short of super awesome.

Wed, Oct 28: Chris McKay & the Critical Darlings @ 10 PM @ The Caledonia Lounge
Yay, the Critical Darlings are back! We've missed them quite a lot while they've been off picking songs for their latest CD. This will be one of the few chances we Athenians get to see this group of energetic power rockers this semester, so be sure to check them out!

Thurs, Oct 29: It's my birthday! Yay!
Yeah, ok, I couldn't help myself. I had to mention it too. :)

Sat Oct 31: Krush Girls @ 9 PM @ The 40 Watt Club
No way... KRUSH GIRLS!?! This pair of (shockingly male) DJs were the reason I first set foot in downtown Athens. Newcomers may not have heard of them since they tend to reunite only for special occasions these days, but they are known all over Athens for their rockin' ability to keep the party going with their selection of pop dance tunes!

And those are my picks! Just like before, when a whisper reaches my ears of another awesome show, I'll be sure to add it to my list. Also, so this list doesn't get lost in the quagmire of blogs that I write, check out the side bar! I've just added a monthly concert picks button for easy access.

Ok, be sure to mark your calendars! This October is going to rock!

Happy Here and Now

Chris McKay and the Critical Darlings at Go Bar

Sometimes you've got to just embrace your life even when times are tough. Chris McKay took this idea to heart when he rocked out on the Go Bar stage with the rest of the Critical Darlings last night despite having a concussion. He just can't stay away from the rock! I'm utterly amazed at his ability to still maintain some semblance of his trademark rockstar energy while suffering from head trama. That's nearly superhuman!

Although the sound quality at Go Bar was rather horrible and Joe's microphone was most tragically dead, Chris McKay and the Critical Darlings still managed to fill my ears with some of their most danceable tunes. Their songs never cease to pull me to my feet and put a smile on my face. They've got a style that hearkens back to the days of classic rock, and there's a certain edgy joy in all of their lyrics which is evident in every one of their performances. And, on top of all of this, they're some of the sweetest guys ever. I seriously urge everyone to check these guys out!

After the Darlings, Alanta band the Pinx took the stage. The first thing that caught my eye even before they stepped onstage was a plastic owl with glowing red eyes that they apparently bring to all of their shows. Props for the props! I loved it. Once they began playing, it was clear why the Darlings and the Pinx are such good friends. They have a similar energy that the Pinx displayed last night with lots of head banging and some rather nice guitar parts that, at times, resembled the wildly impressive sound of the band of demons in the song The Devil Went Down to Georgia. They ended their set with some songs that had a darker edge to them that I truly enjoyed.

Afterward, while walking back through downtown, I ran into some friends who were dancing just outside of the gate of the Boar's Head Lounge to some 80's tunes. Now, I wouldn't mention a cover band in this blog unless they were amazing, but Velvet Runway, the band that was playing there, was just that. They rocked the songs as if they had written them, and it was impossible for all of us not to dance. Apparently, our enthusiasm was infectious because several people we didn't know joined us in our outdoor dance fest. Our excitement also sparked the interest of many potential lounge patrons, and during one of the songs, a guy informed us that we looked like the badasses from a scene in some old movie. Thanks, dude! Even the band showed their appreciation. Awesome.

Basically, the night was a blast! Two live bands and a cover band all in a row... You've gotta love Athens!