Athfest 2012: All the madness of Manray and Bit Brigade

Saturday, June 23rd, 2012 (late)

Manray and Bit Brigade

The tale of my Manray adventure begins with a line... a long line stretching all the way across the Caledonia parking lot.  After popping over to Flicker to watch Boycycle's set, I was eager for another delicious taste of noise rock.  Apparently, everyone else felt the same way. I always liked Manray's style, and many of my friends are huge fans as well, but I had no idea just how popular these Flagpole Award winners had become until now.  You know a band is a success story in this town when even the press pass holders can't get inside because the venue's already far over capacity!  Finally, after about half an hour of waiting, I achieved victory and stepped through the gates.  Not a moment too soon, either. I managed to catch about two rockin' songs infused with hardcore melody before their set ended.  Filled with satisfaction from the sheer insanity of their noise, I grabbed a seat in the courtyard to wait for the next set to begin.

Once I heard a new note struck, I made my way back inside for the final show of the night. Cutting through the darkness and illuminating the whole stage, a massive video screen displayed early 90s game graphics.  And then the real fun began.  Bit Brigade, not content to merely serve up some rock like most of their fellow bands, showed off their utterly unique talents as they jammed their way through pitch perfect renditions of the soundtracks to the classic games Contra and Megaman while they were being played live.  I've got to admit, it was captivating to watch.  All the gamers in the venue were going wild as they made their way through the different characters and levels, a rather impressive feat in its own right.  The whole show was really just surreal.  It was almost like watching your friend from elementary school master his favorite games while a live band plays in his living room.  I can truly say, I've never seen anything like this before in my life. Crazy? Yes.  But there's no doubt, it was awesome as well!

  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. Plus, check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well! 

Athfest 2012: The ever-changing band Boycycle

Saturday, June 23rd, 2012 (late)

Boycycle

After seeing Bambara and Life Coach at the Caledonia, it was the perfect time to take the decibel level down a notch and head over to Flicker for a bit.  Once I arrived, I quickly seated myself in a cozy corner, narrowly inching out the small crowd that soon filled the room.  The band that I later found out was Boycycle started off their set as a solo act with their lead singer pounding away on the drums.  Then it slowly morphed into a full band with an ever-changing slew of talented members creating soft, indie tunes and wonderful arrangements.  The drum-heavy melodies, threaded together by the lead singer's unique and often ethereal vocals, simply touched my soul.  Not far into the set, they whipped out an accordion, adding yet another layer to their tunes.  I just loved what I heard!  As Boycycle finished their set, the crowd called for an encore, a testament to their awesome performance.  Unfortunately though, seconds into the first song, a really talkative drunk man had sat beside me and had begun narrating the whole set and having a conversation with himself which was extremely distracting. Hopefully, sometime soon I'll be able to see this band again and absorb their beautiful music without interruption!  

  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. Plus, check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well! 

Athfest 2012: Bambara and Life Coach blast us with sound

Saturday, June 23rd, 2012

Bambara and Life Coach

So how did this blog's favorite noise rockers Bambara do at Athfest 2012? Oh, they sucked.  Just kidding, you guys! Of course, they were awesome as always. After they ironed out a few technical issues (I've always felt that they sound their best indoors rather than outdoors where they played this year), they gave us the show we all desired. With the pure manic force of their performance, Bambara absorbed all sound in the world and then shot it back out at us in a blast of pure distorted essence. It was a beautiful assault of every one of our senses, no doubt, but it was all too short. Despite bassist William's claims that the band's set was actually longer than usual, those of us in the crowd were left desperately craving for more. Luckily, though, it seems we'll only have to wait a few more weeks for them to return: they'll be rockin' at Little King's annual Slopfest this year on July 21st, with heavy-hitters Manray no less.

And speaking of luck, I was quite happy to find the band Life Coach up next as well.  I had never actually seen them before this, though their name sounded rather familiar to me.  After a bit of research, I realized that I had just missed catching them a couple of months ago, so the time was ripe to see them in action this go around.  I've gotta say, I liked what I heard.  Pairing them with Bambara was a quite a genius move as they had a similar eardrum-bursting, rock sound.  I definitely hope I'll get to catch them again sometime!

  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. Plus, check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well! 

Athfest 2012: Pictures, bands, and a dancing banana

We caught all sorts of wild sights at Athfest 2012, and now we've got pictures of all of 'em up on the Echoreyn of Athens Facebook page!  You can see some of our favorites below:

Like Totally intros the Flagpole Awards

Stokeswood lights up the night

Emily Hearn sings so sweetly

Reptar puts on an insane show

Betsy Kingston belts it out during her set

Want to see more?  Check out the full album on our Facebook page!

  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. Plus, check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well! 

Athfest 2012: District Attorneys & Elf Power ease us into evening

Saturday, June 23rd, 2012

District Attorneys and Elf Power

After seeing them sweep the Flagpole Awards this year, I just had to check out the District Attorneys to see what all the fuss was about.  As I arrived, they were giving the crowd that had already gathered in front of the stage an amusing pre-show in the form of a mic check featuring everything from Arby's commercial jingles to classic songs like When A Man Loves A Woman.  I've got to admit, it was pretty funny.  Then it was time for their set.  Pure rock with almost punk vocals at times, they had the fans bobbing along to their tunes almost immediately. There's no doubt these guys can shred!

Not much later, it was Elf Power's turn to take the Pulaski Stage.  Fulfilling the yearly need for a well-established 90s headliner and hailing from this very town, they gave us a rock set that all of their longtime fans loved.  While there seemed to be a bit of a disconnect with the younger crowd who had never seen them before, by the end of the show, the whole audience seemed to be enjoying the tunes. It was quite a nice final set to see before I headed off to the venues for a bit of a grittier sound.

  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. Plus, check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well! 

Athfest 2012: Mad Axes and Seven Handle Circus go wild

Saturday, June 23rd, 2012 

Mad Axes & Seven Handle Circus

 Whew, it was time for another break from the heat.  After getting a taste of some quality country folk tunes from the band Josh Perkins Experiment In Southern Hospitality (yes, that really is its name), I popped in to the Caledonia to nab some shade again.  It was perfect timing too.  Apparently, they had changed up the schedule since I had last seen it, and the hip hop act Mad Axes that I had already been planning to catch was setting up onstage as I grabbed a spot on the bench inside.  Moments later, they launched into a cool mix of song and rap with an in-your-face edge to it.  They were up to all of their classic antics that I recall from their Deaf Judges days, leaping into the crowd and getting into full character while wielding giant axes.  One of the members even hearkened back to the old days, sporting a t-shirt emblazoned with the Deaf Judges name.  The insanity didn't stop there though.  From giving the mic to an awesome guest rapper to tossing free condoms into the audience to intro their Dirty Girls song, there was no doubt this show was wild!

Then it was time to venture back out into the burning sunlight for Seven Handle Circus.  Despite my near heat exhaustion at that point, I was diggin' their bouncy, upbeat folk tunes.  Man, these guys are talented!  Mixing violins, banjos, and fiddles in with electric guitars and bass, they put on a rockin' show for the crowd, and their fans responded in turn, singing along to their songs and requesting all of their favorite tunes.  The very best moment for me, though, was when they shattered any preconceived notions of genre and gave us an incredible cover of 90s hit Jump Around.  The crowd gleefully obeyed, forgetting the heat and losing themselves in the joy.  So much fun!

  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. Plus, check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well! 

Athfest 2012: Free Tomorrow and Packway Handle Band make it exciting!

Saturday, June 23rd, 2012

Free Tomorrow & Packway Handle Band

I've always loved bands that flat out refuse to be pigeonholed into a single genre.  Free Tomorrow, the next band to take the Hull Street Stage, didn't let anyone tell them how to shape their sound. First they gave us a bit of jazzy rock along the line of Atlanta's the Constellations, but not long after that, they were droppin' some wild hip hop beats and overlaying them with violin melodies.  Then they slipped a couple of covers into their set.  Excellent!

Moments later, it was Packway Handle Band's chance to show their skills.  My friends have been talking up this band for years now, so I was quite excited to get finally catch them in action.  Almost immediately, it became clear these guys also refused to adhere to a genre label.  While they had an overarching folk sound, they brought insanity into the mix with hints of nearly every type of music imaginable. One song about American music involved operatic crooning layered over rap and country folk tunes.  What madness it was!  I could only describe their style as clowning around for the super talented.  I've truly never heard anything like it!  Before the end of their set, they gave us a really nice cover of Take You There, proving that when it comes down to it, they've definitely got incredible music chops.  And then it was over... or so I though.  Without warning, the band stepped offstage and ran into their audience with reckless abandon, playing their instruments while falling into members of the crowd.  After clearing a suitable space, they rocked one final song as the fans gathered in a circle around them.  It was definitely one of the craziest, most exciting experiences I've had in the scene!

  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. Plus, check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well!