One word says it all: SUMMER!

HAPPY SUMMER, YOU GUYS! It's the perfect time to relax in the sun, travel to someplace exotic, or at least change up the daily routine a bit. This is going to be rockin' summer, my friends. I can feel it! Before you go on your way, though, I've got some Athens music tidbits for you.

First, it's probably no secret that I'm a huge champion of the Caledonia. Shows at the 40 Watt blow me away, New Earth Music Hall has unbelievable acoustics and visual capabilities, and Rye Bar makes me feel like I'm truly experiencing the underground music scene, but Caledonia is where I spend most of my time. Seeing bands play there just feels so right: it's just cozy enough to feel like you're at a private show but just large enough to get the whole rockin' performance deal right before your eyes. I go to the Caledonia so much I'm hoping they'll start some sort of monthly pass system. Ooh, that would be awesome!

That being said, however, I have a very special place in my heart for Tasty World. Tasty World as I knew it when I first set foot in the venue was a two-story music powerhouse. My very first experience in the Athens music scene, seeing Crumbling Arches for the first time ever, happened on the lower level of Tasty World. I got my first taste of other bands like Doctor Squid and 23jinx (the band that would become Bambara) there too. Oh, memories! Since last summer, though, Tasty World itself has been fading from the scene becoming just an attic venue, setting down harsh age restrictions, and on occasion, double booking bands and dropping highly anticipated shows from the bill. Yesterday, the owner of Tasty World announced through Facebook that the venue will be closing its doors in July, presumably right after Athfest. I've got no more details as of yet, but I'll let you know as soon I get them. This is quite the tragedy. Goodbye, Tasty World! I'll miss the way you once were when I first saw you... and I'll never forget how you gave me my beloved Athens music scene.

Now here's a bit of happier news for you! Even more bands have appeared on the Athfest schedule over the past couple of days. Now we've got some info on who's playing Ciné, 283 Bar, and Little Kings. YAY! I hope you all are as excited about this summer's festival as I am. I just can't wait! I'll be starting my in-depth research of all the bands' MySpaces soon, and of course, I'll be keeping you posted with all the news you need to know about Athfest 2010!

Here's one for the bands. If you're in a band that's playing in Athens or Atlanta during the summer, let me know. Hooray for summer shows!

Hope you all have a spectacular summer, and don't forget to keep visiting us here at Echoreyn of Athens for all your Athens music news!

Shaking it up with Wowser Bowser and Reptar

Here it is! The latest in my series of late show reviews of madly spectacular shows. See, the Critical Darlings weren't the only band I saw last Thursday. Not by far. After they rocked their return to the stage, I hightailed it to the Caledonia for some pure crazy in the form of Coco Rico, Wowser Bowser, Qurious, and Reptar.

Now I've seen Coco Rico before, but their (what could only be called a) mating dance never ceases to make me laugh. What ridiculousness! In this case, it totally set the scene for the rest of the night.

Then Wowser Bowser stepped onstage and stole the show. Seriously, they STOLE it! Even nearly a week later, I want to dance all over the place just thinking about them. In a whirl of paper confetti, they showered us with purely awesome tunes that were full of heavy drums and indescribable fun. You know when you hear something that just feels right? Wowser Bowser was one of those bands. Oh yeah! And I definitely wasn't the only one feeling it. Near the end of their set, the crowd flowed onstage to surround the band in what proved to be an epic display of fan love. Ah, I'm still basking in the moment!

Luckily, the rest of the night didn't disappoint either. Qurious, the next band up, donned masks a lá Of Montreal and gave us an eerily artsy performance beside a motionless, masked effigy. Whoa. I felt like I was in the midst of some sort of supernatural ritual. As they shared with us their ethereal tunes, something of a trance fell over the crowd, and they leaned and grabbed at the stage. All in all, it left me rather speechless. I think my pal Elizabeth may have summed it up best when she said that she felt like she " was swept up in some mystical ceremony invoking a feminist vagina god." Complete insanity, without a doubt.

And, to top it all off, there was Reptar. If you haven't heard of them yet, you will, believe me. Still rather new by even Athens' standards, they've taken the town by storm and gone so far as to perform at SXSW! Is it even possible to have this much of a following after one year? To appease their ravenous fans, many of whom had their faces covered in war paint for the occasion, they broke all the rules and played one of the longest sets ever. And you thought downtown closed at 2 AM. The party doesn't stop till Reptar says it does! They gave us a cover of Prince among their many dance-inducing original tunes, and the crowd went insane. Though no one could, to borrow another phrase from Elizabeth, "buy the hell out of their CD" because of some sort of failure on the part of the CD printing company, I'm sure the pre-orders were pouring in after that show!

Holy platypus, this lineup was outrageous. Oh Athens, I just can't get enough of you!

Chris McKay brings the rock back around!

Oh, exam time! With all these presentations, projects, and tests, I barely have a second to breathe. But, you know, even all this insanity won't keep me from the amazing shows that fill the final days of the semester! Forgive me if these next few reviews are a little late, but, no matter what, I can't resist sharing the awesomeness!

Last Thursday night, it was the band Chris McKay and the Critical Darlings that brought my blogger's ears full circle with a healthy dose of their classic rock. Shockingly, it had been exactly a year and a week since I last saw the band that helped inspire the blog. A year! Can you believe it's been that long? I'm so glad they've finally returned!

It's been quite a year for the Darlings, though. Most tragically, their drummer Josh Harrison had to bid adieu to the band recently when he relocated to Texas. Luckily, original Critical Darlings' beat keeper Josh Couillard was happy to step back into the role! Then they brought another old friend, this time Andy Ainsworth from Chris's old band Q-sign, to complete the quartet for this show.

Apparently, the four of them only had time for one practice together before their set. Wow, really? These guys made it look so easy! And Chris was back to his crazy tricks again, rocking and writhing in the floor with more energy than a kid full of sugar. Ah, I love it! They played a full set of the lovely tunes I've missed so much, and the band gave each song a bit of a new spin too. Way cool! I've got to say, though, I think that a little something was afoot during the show because every so once in a while a substantial gust wind would blow out from the instruments to the audience. It was like getting blasted by the rock! Crazy, indeed.

I'm definitely not going to let another year go by before I see these guys again!

Kristen's Concert Picks: May's tunes will keep you cool

And then it was May. If you can spare a moment between studying for finals, finishing (and starting) projects, and making plans with pals, you'll definitely want to check out these tunes!

Sat, May 1: Doctor Squid @ 10:30 PM @ Rye Bar
Don't miss the Squid's last show for a while! There is fun to be had, and these guys never fail to bring it!

Sat, May 1: Krush Girls @ 10 PM @ 40 Watt Club
And they're back for another visit! It seems Athens' favorite DJs Krush Girls are now go-to guys for a holiday celebration. Make the most of the end of the year, and party it up Krush Girls style!

Fri, May 7: Venice is Sinking & Hope for Agoldensumer @ 9 PM @ 40 Watt Club
Two bands with beautiful tunes playing together? Just plain awesome. Feast your ears on their soft but powerful sounds!

Fri, May 7: Death on Two Wheels @ 9 PM @ Melting Point
I saw this Atlanta band at a Caledonia show once, and they totally rocked it. Now that they're taking over the Melting Point, I'm sure they're going to do it again!

Sat, May 8: Brave New Citizen @ 10 PM @ Caledonia Lounge
Last Athfest, this band totally caught me by surprise... Trust me, they are worth your time!

Thu, May 13: Chris McKay and the Critical Darlings @ 9 PM @ Melting Point
Now that they've returned, they can't be stopped! Finals are over, so if you're still in Athens, you know you want to be at the Melting Point. Get the classic rock you crave right here!

Thu, May 27: Love Tractor & Romanenko @10 PM @ Caledonia Lounge
Love Tractor, one of the original bands of the Athens music scene, are sure to drive the crowd wild while newer face, Romanenko, will give you a serving of the rock of today!

What a month! And, of course, as more amazing shows pop up, they'll appear for you right here on the schedule. Got a show not listed here that you're dying to experience surrounded by a crowd of music-lovers? Comment below, and let us know the details so we can experience it too! As always, have an incredible May, you guys. Oh, and good luck with finals too, my fellow students!

Flashing lights for the Novanauts

It's just not possible to see an amazing show in the middle of UGA's campus amidst the dining halls and freshman dorms, right? Well, last friday just before darkness fell, the Novanauts showed us just how wrong this assumption was. In the breezeway between Creswell and Bolton, Kalvinova lead singer Luke Galloway debuted his latest music project to a small crowd of excited friends and fans.

Now, remember that last thing I said about Kalvinova that I may never say about another band again? Well, as a combination of electronic pop and rock with enticing large scale visual displays, the Novanauts band retains a similar style of pure awesomeness. Honestly, I could hardly believe my ears. I've never heard such a clean, professional sound from a band playing outdoors before! This was their first show? If I didn't know any better, I would have never guessed it. Their songs were expertly crafted already, and they had those in the crowd dancing up a storm. And then one of the coolest things of all happened. Just before several girls in the audience called for an encore, they gave us what proved to be a completely unforgettable experience.

Now, I've gotta say, this was the second time in a week that I've seen a band in Athens cover Lady Gaga's Bad Romance. Looks like this is the latest "it song" to cover. Truly, though, they completely blew me away with their version of it. It couldn't have sounded better if it was their own original song. But what made this whole thing even more memorable? Well, as the band rocked their way through the song, lights in three of the rooms on Creswell's third floor flickered on and off to the beat. I still don't know who planned this, but, wow, it was a wild sight! Combined with the music, I was practically experiencing sensory overload. Most awesome thing ever.

Really, the whole show kind of made me feel like I was in a movie or something. Bands can't sound this good just outside the freshman dorms, right? Pinch me! This had to be a dream, right? See, it really doesn't matter where a show is. The feeling is in the experience... And after seeing their first show, I can tell you the Novanauts' experience is a spectacular one!

Feasting on the sights and sounds

Welcome to the land of projects, papers, and sleepless nights!

STRESSED. That's how I feel right now. Who's with me? Yup, final exam time is definitely on its way.

Looking for a break? Me too. Luckily, we have tons of new pictures from shows all throughout the past month to divert our attention away from our studies for a bit. You can see them up on the Echoreyn of Athens facebook page. What fun! Here's a small sneak peak:

Bambara

the Athens band

You can check out the rest here!

And I've got some music news for you too. Little tidbits like band lineups are finally creeping ever so slowly onto the Athfest homepage. Ken Will Morton and several others have been added to the list for Friday's outdoor stage shows. I know I'm going to be keeping an eye out for more of these updates! Ah, the freedom of summer and the pure joy of Athfest. As you might have guessed, I can't wait!

Night on the Quad: One Year Later

Ah, springtime! One of my very favorite things about this time of year, besides the gorgeous weather, is the music. All of the little-known local bands and established favorites emerge from their winter hibernation ready to take on the world. Music festivals and events surround us!

Case in point: yesterday's Night on the Quad gave us a delicious list of bands to fill our hungry ears! Just about a year ago, this event gave me one of my earliest tastes of Athens' sound. This time around, I was happily surprised to find that I'd enjoyed three of the bands' tunes before and that one of the members of the first band I saw was no stranger either. Wow, what a difference a year makes!

I arrived on UGA's Myers Quad just in time to catch Koji Kondo's first song. Purely wonderful! This was the one band I hadn't seen before, and I'm quite happy to say, I got there just in time to delight in their tunes. But, wait a second! There was something so very familiar about the singer/violinist. Was it... Yes, it was! Hannah Samet, former member of Pholksinger Josh, was there to fill our ears with her sweet voice and violin's soft melodies. She and the rest of the band mixed traditional-sounding tunes with the rock style of the electric guitar to create a sound like no other. To put it simply, I loved it!

The last three bands were all ones I was incredibly delighted to see again. Groove Tangent was up next with a generous helping of their awesome covers. These guys truly have the best sense of fun! This time, Bad Romance was their Lady Gaga song of choice, and they rocked it most hilariously. I'm definitely going to have to keep seeing these guys whenever I can. After their shows, I can hardly keep the smile off of my face. Who would have ever thought I'd love hearing a cover band this much?

Then it was Carolina Ridge's turn. Having played this event three years running, Josh and Andy knew just how to give us the right mix of lyrical rhythm and folk melodies. And, for old time's sake, they even brought Hannah up to sing for two of the songs on the set list. Pholksinger Josh reunion! Best of all, they ended with the song I fell in love with all those many months ago, 18th Summer (April to August). Joy!

Last up was Bigfoot, the newest incarnation of Night on the Quad 2009's band Cyrnaca. Their set was a short one this time with a curious reading of some mysterious piece of paper to start things off. Interesting. Then they gave us a few minutes of their crazy rock sound before it was time to say goodbye to Night on the Quad 2010.

Man, I wish every Sunday was like this one!