Athfest 2012: Watch videos, live the experience!

Missed out on Athfest? Or had a blast at the festival and dying to relive it?  We've got tons of live show footage up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube Channel right now!  Below, you can check out a few of our very favorites:

I just loved this song performed by Holly Belle.

Stokeswood was definitely one of my favorite discoveries this year!

Emily Hearn's pure voice was just incredible. (Forgive the wobbly camera. :P)

Craving more?  Check out our YouTube channel for a huge collection of Athfest sights and sounds.  We might have even caught your favorite band in action!

  For all of our massive coverage of Athfest 2012, from preparation guides to articles on some of the best featured bands and shows, click here! More entries on all the bands and madness of the festival will be posted daily, so be sure to check back often.!

Kristen's Concert Picks: April brings the rock!

For optimal viewing of these picks on a mobile device, click here!

Don't let work and classes and all this crazy weather get you down.  When it comes to rockin' tunes, April's not fooling around!

Tue, Apr 3: Tumbleweed Stampede @ 11 PM @ Georgia Theatre Rooftop
Get your dance on with Tumbleweed Stampede at the beginning of the month as part of the Georgia Theatre's new Get Up Get Down concert series!

Fri, Apr 6: Ruby Kendrick @ 9:30 PM @ Caledonia Lounge

If sweet melodies tickle your fancy, you'll definitely want to catch Ruby Kendrick's set at the Caledonia!

Fri, Apr 13: Hope for Agoldensummer @ 8 PM @ New Earth Music Hall

Hope for Agoldensummer was one of the very first acts I saw in Athens, and their sweet, folksy sound still gets me every time.  Beautiful!

Sat, Apr 21: Futurebirds @ 9 PM @ Georgia Theatre 

That's right! Southern rockers Futurebirds will be taking the Georgia Theatre just after the middle of the month to give everyone the sound they've been craving.

Sat, Apr 21: Manray and Lazer/Wulf @ 10 PM @ Caledonia Lounge

Is dark, melodic rock your tune style of choice?  Well, then, have yourself a nice delicious dose of Manray and Lazer/Wulf. Excellent!

Tue, Apr 24: Gringo Star @ 11 PM @ Georgia Theatre Rooftop 

If you're dying for a spectacle and yearning for a band that sounds like no other, don't miss Gringo Star's rooftop set!

Wed, Apr 25: The Skipperdees @ 9:30 PM @ Caledonia Lounge

Want a bit of soulful folk and southern style?  Look no further than the Skipperdees.  What talent these girls have!

Fri, Apr 27: Dreams So Real @ 8 PM @ Melting Point

Remember back in 2009 when Dreams So Real reunited to headline Athfest?  Well, it looks like luck has shined down on us once again!  Another rockin' show?  It's a dream come true!

Sat, Apr 28: Powerkompany @ 10 PM @ Caledonia Lounge

The strong, otherworldly sound of Powerkompany is just what you'll need to end the month.  Enjoy!

No doubt, April will be an incredible month of tunes!  As always, if you've heard of another awesome Athens show you think everyone should know about, give us all the details in the comments below.  Happy listening, my friends!

Crumbling Arches: THE END OF AN ERA

To call Crumbling Arches my favorite band in the world would be an understatement. If I loved these guys any more than I do, they'd probably have to put me in the crazy house. Seriously. As the band that's most responsible for bringing me into the Athens music scene, motivating me to find and follow my own dreams, and giving me the most spectacular memories like my insane birthday party last year, I can't thank them enough. And somewhere along the way, I was lucky enough to become friends with all of these awesome guys too. Crumbling Arches may have just played their final show, but this band will always rock a huge piece of my heart.

Attending their final show was as bittersweet as I knew it would be. I've been mentally preparing myself for this for quite some time now, but seeing the band in all its glory just like in the old days brought back a veritable flood of memories. They played through some of the highlights of their body of work, songs that span over the more than eight years that they've been together. Several of the tunes were from the very beginning of the band's existence, long before I had ever gotten a taste of their sound. Purely rockin'! And, rather spectacularly, as the show wound to an end, they thanked me and other fans that have been there through it all by name. Nothing can beat a band who truly loves their fans back! Most tragically, though, the set itself was much too short. I wasn't ready for it to be over. It still hadn't really hit me that this was the last time they would all be playing together like this.

Luckily, however, their final note belonged to a song I've been dying to hear as it was recorded many years ago, a song that I had never gotten to see performed in its original version in all my years of loving this band. Phantom, the band's notorious Phantom of the Opera cover, brought me full circle again with an epic finish that involved Alex perching atop Zachary's shoulders and smacking the drums with reckless abandon, lots of delicious falsetto, and just pure magic. Phantom was the very first recorded song I ever heard from Crumbling Arches all those long years ago. There could be no greater finish than finally seeing that tune performed live at the end of their final show!

It's only just starting to hit me that I won't get to see them again like this. Singers/ guitarists Brian McGaw and Alex McKelvey are off to New York in less than a month, fully ready to debut a sure-to-be-awesome brand new joint music project there to complement their amazing solo acts Aman Amun and Mud Scholar. Ever-smiling bassist Ian Hennessee will be jetting to Africa with the Peace Corps soon, and Zachary Hennessee will be working at an environmental consulting firm in Atlanta which is just brilliant. I will miss this band and these people more than I could ever express in words. If ever there comes a day that these guys reunite to play once more, you can bet I'll be in the front row, ready to sing along to their tunes just like I always do!

More than Music: the Banter

It's just the tunes, right? That's the reason we all don our dancing shoes and leave our cozy rooms for the wild world downtown. Well, yes, the music's a big part of it. But let's be honest, amazing songs from super talented bands abound in Athens! It takes more than just a rockin' set of songs to stand out in this town.

So what do some bands do to keep us coming back for more? Well, most songs take a bit of setup time, but nobody wants to just stare off into space while they wait for the music to start again. After all, we are the get-it-now generation. These bands embrace the time between tunes to give us unforgettable experiences that we could never have lounging around listening to the stereo at home. How do they do it? Well, they simply open their mouths!

Banter. Talk. Spontaneous awkward conversations with the audience and with each other. It's so simple yet so wonderfully entertaining! Some of the things I've heard downtown would make even the most stoic people burst into hysterical laughter. Classic stuff.

Most of my favorite bands employ this technique to keep their fans excited. During one of the very first shows I saw in Athens, Venice is Sinking's drummer Lucas kept an awesomely hilarious commentary going as the rest of the band adjusted their instruments. The second time I saw them, he and singer Karolyn had a highly amusing mock argument during the show about the pronunciation of their album AZAR. Fun, interesting, relevant to the music... You've got to love these guys!

Atlanta band The Constellations give their whole set a sexually charged atmosphere as they flirt incessantly between songs. Lead singer Elijah especially loves to dish out lust-filled compliments to anyone and everyone in the audience and to the beautiful girls of the clap squad too. He's also not afraid to say whatever crazy thing comes to mind, and I absolutely love it! Some of the things he says would shock your mother and make your father cringe. It's all so in the moment! The crowd just can't wait to find out what he says next.

Birthed of pure joy, the Warm Fuzzies put a cute, personal spin to their songs by giving a bit of a background story. Why this subject, why this song? Often their stories are completely off the wall, but true or not, these tales make the songs that follow even more fun to hear! I just adore learning how a band came up with their lyrics, what they were doing when the tune came to them, or who their love song is really about. Ooh, juicy!

And, of course, I can't forget Crumbling Arches! These guys have banter down to an art form; they're the undisputed kings of the talk. Half the reason I love their shows so much is that I can't get enough of their between-song insanity. I've heard curiously ridiculous stories about their childhood, tattoo explanations, wonderfully awkward puns, band history tidbits, rap battles, and even an impromptu song so wild it made the audience squeal with glee. These always make for an incredibly memorable night!

All that bands need for this bit of banter is the creativity they already possess. Perfect! And hey, even for the bands that really hate using their voice instruments for the "lesser act" of speaking, merely introducing the band and sharing the name of the song to be played works too. I mean, how else are we supposed to pick out our favorites?

But talking's not the only thing bands do to gain a bit of a reputation around here, of course. Stay tuned for another chapter of More than Music!

To read about all of the ingredients that make up a live show to top all others, click here!

What an UNBELIEVABLE night! Crumbling Arches & the Ha's Neptica Atlas bring dreams to life...

Spectacular. Nearly indescribable. Pure euphoria. I'm still recovering from the shock of having my dream birthday party become a reality. My absolute favorite band in the world played a set just for me and my pals!?! Pinch me! This can't have really happened, right?

This culmination of over a year of dreaming and planning took place on Friday the 13th... What an ideal date for a costumed concert party! Since Halloween is my most favorite holiday, the house was adorned with tons of balloons, lights, and streamers in black, orange, and purple. Ooh, festive! Candy, juice boxes, and cake filled the room with sugary sweetness as well. However, it was the performances that topped everything else!

The band formerly known as Neptica made their official debut as the night began following a spontaneous name change to Atlas. Henceforth, I shall refer to them as the Ha's Neptica Atlas... until further notice, at least. Well, whatever they choose to call themselves, they were simply amazing! Everyone gathered around them in a semicircle on the floor, fully absorbed in their folk acoustic sound. During one song, they even had the attentive crowd wave their arms fluidly to their organically-formed music. The members of the audience jumped at the opportunity to involve themselves in the creation of such melodic magic. Beautiful. And what a curious array of instruments they used! It's purely awe-inspiring to hear Adriana, Parker, Jeff, and Sarah combine their musical talents to create a such wondfully fresh mix of tunes. I rejoice in the fact that I've gotten to see them grow as a group from one of their earliest practices into a now fully realized band with limitless potential! Their official public debut will be at a benifit concert at Tasty World on December 1st, so never fear, you'll get to see these bundles of talent for yourselves soon!

Then, just minutes later, it was Crumbling Arches' turn. I don't think I've ever gone into a show with so much anticipation before. I mean, CRUMBLING ARCHES! This was the band that first introduced me to the Athens music scene, that first inspired in me a true love of music. To have them perform at my birthday party as a favor to me is nearly beyond comprehension. And the set they played! Wow! Kicking things off with a completely ridiculous cover of the Ghostbusters theme infused with a slight hint of birthday references, they had the whole house dancing and yelling "busting makes me feel good!" Just plain hilarious. They followed this song with a wonderful set of their newer tunes including the holiday appropriate and deliciously dark Vampire Sex song. Mmm, how I love the organ-sounding keyboard in that one! And then, most joyfully, they dedicated their song Mutant Love to me. Everybody say awww. I just can't stop smiling! Their final tune of the night was old favorite, I'll Make a Man Out of You, their rock version of the ever-popular Mulan song. I'm not exaggerating when I say that the floor was shaking wildly from the nearly 50 person crowd rocking out to this song! Nothing can beat the energy that filled that room. Unbelievable! Ian finished things off by saying that whenever I want to celebrate another fake 18th birthday, they'll be there. Oh man, I love these guys!

Right now, I'm practically oozing appreciation. I absolutely must thank all of the members of Crumbling Arches and the Ha's Neptica Atlas for their spectacular performances as well as the members of Bambara for the use of their PA system. Also, I can't forget to thank the people who made this possible like the owners of the house especially Olivia, Kelly, and Megan as well as my pals Susannah, Meghan, Leona, and Sheila (you all know what you did). Oh, and I guess I should thank the police officer who didn't give us a noise violation too. :) I can never thank you all enough! As my friend Susannah declared, this party was the stuff of legend! It seems that the line between dreams and reality is not quite so thick after all. At this moment, I am utterly and completely ecstatic!

Stay tuned for tons of videos from this incredible event! Coming soon.

The Bambara experience... An explosion of sound

Bambara rocks so hard the colors blur

Four bands on a Thursday night? Say it with me... Athens rocks!

To start off my night, I swung by WUOG's headquarters in Tate to catch Aman Amun play his second Live in the Lobby show. I just can't get enough of his new songs! The one about the mirrored mask is definitely my new favorite. I could listen to that one over and over again. His show on the 19th is going to be amazing!

A few hours later, I headed over to the Caledonia Lounge to catch the end of local Christian rock band Marriage's set. I saw them for a short time at Athfest this past summer, and it seems I'm always destined to arrive just before they finish. After their last few songs, a North Carolina band with just about the coolest name I've ever heard, Hammer No More The Fingers, stepped onto the Caledonia stage. Apparently, they played with Athens' own Bambara in their hometown a while ago, so they decided to double up again during their first visit to our city. This band totally rocked it out of the park! Their music was dance-worthy rock, filled with fun. Most adorably, one of the members brought his sister and his cousin from two different parts of the country to relish in the tunes. Bringing the family... what a sweet thing to do! I certainly hope this band visits Athens again sometime.

At midnight, Bambara began their set. Two years ago, I saw them in their previous incarnation as 23jinx, but I must say, I love their new sound! Their incredibly loud, hard rock style has captured the ears of many in the local scene and even as far away as Europe, and I can see why. It's got a wild, untamed quality to it that still manages to be quite rhythmic and invigorating. And, to my great delight, they played all of my favorites from their latest album including Shake, Native Tongue, and Lullay. Yay! This is also a band that knows how to truly embrace their rock. All of the members were fully absorbed in the music. It's a beautiful thing when a band loves what they're doing so much that it shows. Man, their energy was thrilling! They are just some generally cool guys as well. Awesome!

Seeing all of these rockin' bands was totally worth the three hours of sleep I got that night. What a time!

Aman Amun & Boombox, Names in Lights!

Thursday night marked my return to the beloved 40 Watt Club. Finally! Splashed across the marquee were the names Boombox and Aman Amun. I'd been waiting for this GA Theatre-presented show for weeks, so I'm sure you can imagine just how excited I was that the day had arrived!

Unfortunately, my friend Sheila and I encountered a few problems in the form of some already drunk out-of-state visitors who happened to sit beside us. Let me tell you, getting stared at, unblinkingly, by some girl for ten minutes and then having the same girl (that you didn't talk to) accuse you of making her cry and complain to the bar staff about you for no reason kind of sucks. Then getting harassed by her boyfriend who continuously insists that you and your friend look foreign and "don't belong here" will definitely put a slight damper on your spirits. Luckily, though, once Aman Amun started his show, all of my anger and confusion melted away.
Now picture this... You're in a dark room and in front of you hangs a large screen. A solitary figure stands before you holding a guitar and an array interesting objects. As the music begins, lights and colors flash across the screen, created by the music itself, in an array of stunning brilliance. This is just a taste of what the Aman Amun experience is like.

Aman Amun's downtown debut quite exceeded my expectations, and that's saying something, as any of my twitter followers can attest. He started with a remix of one of the songs off his Waxing CD, Exploring the Obvious. Using one of his newer technologically fascinating gadgets, he managed to make his live singing sound like it was spouting from some sort of electronic robot. Even cooler, as he sang, the smiley face drawn onto the screen behind him moved it's mouth to his words. And he used something that I'm quite sure was an iPhone to control a bit of the performance as well. Wow!

Aman Amun's stage before the show

One of my favorite things about his shows is that they're completely dynamic and unexpected. He's always improving and perfecting every aspect of his live performance so that each show is not only different from but better than the one before it. Following his first song, he introduced a few of his newer songs, presumably from his upcoming album. These had an electronic rock feel that still maintained the deeply moving essence and beautiful lyrics of his earlier songs but also incorporated a more danceable beat. Pretty soon, the members of the audience had crowded around the stage, moving and dancing, some quite exuberantly. He finished his set with a new take on an old favorite, Scapegoating. Watching his shows, I always feel like I'm privy to something special, something filled with incredible potential. To sum up, I'll quote Flagpole's Michelle Gilzenrat who put it best when she tweeted from the show, "Aman Amun is genius [...] Give him 1 year. 1 year."

After Aman Amun's set ended, the Alabama duo Boombox stepped onstage. The first thing that caught my eyes as they began their show were the massive, color-changing lights that flashed around them. They were seriously beautiful! Once I'd been thoroughly mesmerized by the lights and the wild patterns they made on the floor, I began to listen to the music. If I had to place Boombox into a genre, I'd call their sound techno jazz with a touch of disco. The lyrics in their songs were few and far between. I was actually quite surpised by the fact that most of their music seemed to be layered over the same constant beat. From what I had read of them, I was expecting something different, I suppose. Their tunes certainly had everyone dancing, though. One of their songs in particular captured my notice because it parted from the similar beat, providing everyone with a more unique, and quite enjoyable, dancing experience, more of what I was expecting of them. Yay.

All in all, it was a pretty visually and musically tasty night, an awesome way to usher in another year of brand new downtown Athens music adventures!

More than Music: the Fashion

Ian and Zachary of Crumbling Arches
sporting their show attire with style

Why do people go to live shows? For the music, of course! Right? Well, technically the answer is yes, but with a good stereo and a few high quality recordings, you can pretty much recreate the same effect at home. There must be more to it.

I think most people go to live shows for the experiences, for the chance to see and be a part of something awesome and unforgettable, something they can't have at home. The music is important, yes, but it's only a small part of what makes a live show an event worth traveling through downtown (or even across a few states) to enjoy. So what else makes a show bridge the gap between good and FREAKIN' SPECTACULAR? Hold your breath with me now... I'm about to plunge right in.

Since I just spent the past day sewing up a storm in the hopes of having double the "downtown wardrobe" by the time I get back to Athens, I'll start with the subject at the forefront of my mind: fashion! Or, more specifically, band member fashions. Now the key thing to remember when picking a rockstar outfit as a member of a band or a clever imposter is to stand out. Wearing your normal, everyday t-shirts and jeans just won't cut it. Take a cue from your favorite Halloween costume or eccentric, established rocker icon, and go wild! Remember you can't go wrong with bright colors and crazy patterns.

Take it from Ian of Crumbling Arches. From what I've seen of his onstage fashions, his closet must be full of shirts with hypnotising designs, artfully ripped jeans, and multicolored pants. Alex of the same band keeps everybody's eyes on him with his array of curiously interesting and slightly ridiculous hats. Brian and Zachary generally keep it simple and classy with their dressy/casual take on suits - always a good choice. The members of this band and Doctor Squid too have also been known, at other times, to don some rather spectacular costumes as well, among them phantom masks, kitty suits, santa hats, and even full-face squid masks. And while we're on the subject, I can't forget to mention bands like Deaf Judges and Excali Brah. For them, costumes are mandatory show wear. It totally works, too. Nothing makes me more gleeful than seeing a bunch of fully grown men wearing capes and vampire fangs!

Sometimes, though, fashion choices directly relate to the music being played. The members of Chris McKay and the Critical Darlings take it old school all the way with their sound and their threads. Basist Frank DeFreese definitely does it right with his shiny, eye-catching clothing. In fact, just before I saw the Critical Darlings perform for the first time, I noticed him wandering by in the semi-darkness. Without knowing anything about the guy, I instantly knew that he must be a member of one of the featured bands. That's the way it should be! His clothes totally tipped me off. He had to be more than just an average bystander. And you can't miss Carly Kane, lead singer of Stellate, when she's rocking the house either! Her brightly-colored clothing smacks of fun just like her music. You'd know she was a star from a mile away!

Other whole bands choose to rock their looks uniformly. No, I'm not talking about the matching outfits worn by the boy bands of the nineties. I'm sure we all want to forget about those! I'm talking about a small hint of color coordination like the matching red glitter eyeshadow worn by all of the members of Casper and the Cookies (especially the men). Things like this ensure that these groups won't be forgotten in a sea of bands trying to stand out and make a name for themselves.

So, now that you've got a handle on some of the fashions of Athens and Atlanta bands, what's next? A live show has to be more than just a rockstar outfit, right? Well, naturally. As always, stay tuned for more!

To read about all of the ingredients that make up a live show to top all others, click here!