Athfest 2013: The Whigs rock through the night

Friday, June 21st, 2013 
 The Whigs

You can never get to a show too early. That's my mantra, and I'm sticking with it (despite the fact that I have been proven wrong many a time). On Friday, though, the clock was on my side as I stepped into the 40 Watt line, eager to secure my spot for the Whigs' show.  Before I knew it, I was through the door just before Athfest regulars Buxton stepped onstage.  These quality southern rockers from Texas are staples at the festival, and I've managed to see them in action every year for the past three years.  Definitely cool to run into them again!

Then it was the Whigs' turn.  Long before they jumped onstage, the crowd started chanting along to the familiar Atlanta Braves tomahawk chop.  This being my first opportunity to catch the Whigs live, I quickly determined that this was some sort of tradition, and my suspicions were proven correct as the band emerged to a recording of that very chant.  Launching into their hardcore southern rock set amidst an awe-inspiring show of lights, the band gave the crowd tune after awesome tune.  Fans flowed into the venue steadily, pumped for more, until the 40 Watt was completely packed. The earth-shaking bass and drums energized the crowd as they sang along to nearly every lyric, urging on the band who stretched their set to please the eager fans.  Around 1 AM, the floor cleared a bit as those trying to catch both the Whigs and Reptar in one night headed for the Georgia Theatre to (probably unsuccessfully) plead their way into the at-capacity venue.  However, those who stayed were treated to even more incredible tunes as the band transcended into what can only be described as psych drone territory.  Brilliant!  It was a long set but definitely a rad one.  What a night!

Leaving the venue, exhausted but enthused, I headed home for the night, passing some guy outside who shouted to me "surfing the E.A.C., dude" in Crush the Turtle's voice from Finding Nemo.  Weird but hilarious at the same time!  Simply put, Athens is awesome.


For all of our massive coverage of Athfest 2013, 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, soon you'll be able to check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well!

Athfest 2013: Discoveries, tunes, and late night wanderings

Friday, June 21st, 2013 
 Late Night Wanderings

Enthralled and even a little shell-shocked by the Modern Skirts experience, I traversed the streets of downtown looking for my next music fix.  Rather than simply choosing just one band's set, I decided to use my time to sample the tunes of many.  My first stop was Little Kings where I encountered Adam Klein and the Wild Fires putting on a show chock full of solid country folk with a touch of rock.  My whims next took me over to Ciné where Eureka California was sharing their indie rock style with a small crowd of fun-loving fans.  With a smile on my face, I let my ears lead me once again, and I soon found myself over at Farm255.  Onstage, the talented band rocked a funky sort of sound, and I just had to stay and hear a bit more.  I never did find out exactly who they were.  They could've been the newly formed Wu Stains Clan or some as-of-yet unknown band, but that's the beauty of Athfest.  Some of my favorite parts of the annual festival come from just feeling the music and rejoicing in the mystery and discovery of it all!  It was quite a sweet adventure and definitely an awesome way to get pumped for the final show of Athfest Friday night.

For all of our massive coverage of Athfest 2013, 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, soon you'll be able to check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well!

Athfest 2013: Modern Skirts bid Athens farewell

Friday, June 21st, 2013 
 Modern Skirts

As darkness fell over the city on Friday evening, an era in Athens music came to an end.  Modern Skirts, longtime rulers of the local music scene and beyond, played their final show together under the bright lights of the Pulaski Stage, the crowd hanging onto every last note.  After a touching intro, the band rocked it out with an insane level of tangible enthusiasm that the fans matched with their wild excitement.  Tossing a chorus over to the crowd, the fans sang the words back to the band they loved, filling each lyric with joy and energy. Then with great gusto, singer Jay smashed his maracas, spraying beans all over the stage as the bass reverberated up through the entire street.  Kneeling on the road in the press area, I felt the music and the beat wind it's way through me, immersing me in a full body rock experience.  The fans felt it too as they danced along gleefully, obviously relishing every minute of the show.  Just before leaving in the interim before the encore, drummer John jumped offstage to gift his drumsticks to one of their most passionate fans.  Screaming like a banshee, she accepted them with an expression of awe on her face.  Gotta love a band that cares so much about the people who have loved and supported them all of these years!

As they returned for their encore and struck up their final tune of the show, Jay gave a heartfelt dedication to the song, declaring, "This is for us and you and everybody."  Deafening cheers rose up as the band finished their song and gathered onstage for the very last time as the Modern Skirts.  There truly could not have been a more perfect send off!

For all of our massive coverage of Athfest 2013, 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, soon you'll be able to check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well!

Athfest 2013: Quiet Hounds emerge through a pink haze

Friday, June 21st, 2013 
 Quiet Hounds

After checking out another set of White Violet's soft quality rock (always worth a listen!), I made my way towards the main stage for Quiet Hounds.  I've been hearing buzz about this band for a while now, but nothing quite prepared me for the billowing pink smoke that rose from the stage as the band members, all sporting creature masks, began their show.  Soft indie rock with a slight gothic touch was their style, and they fully owned it, tune after tune a showcase of their mad talent and every song better than the last.  As cool breezes began wafting through the crowd, I felt like I could stand there all day, rocking out to their awesome sound. No doubt about it, Quiet Hounds was one of my absolute favorite discoveries from Athfest 2013!

For all of our massive coverage of Athfest 2013, 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, soon you'll be able to check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well!

Athfest 2013: Ceiling Fan and The Warm Fuzzies get things going

Friday, June 21st, 2013 

 Ceiling Fan
The Warm Fuzzies

Pumped and ready for all the bands and sounds that awaited me, I headed over to Pulaski Street just in time to catch the very start of Athfest 2013.  Nineties rockers Ceiling Fan made for an upbeat beginning to my fifth visit to the festival with a wonderfully fun set, proving once and for all that, yes, Athens music has always been that awesome!  They rocked out a wild roller coaster of tunes and even included one song that mixed in a bit of whimsical whistling.

Then it was time to walk on up to the Hull Street Stage to catch a longtime favorite we haven't seen in quite a while.  The Warm Fuzzies!  These guys were as smile-inducing as always, serving up a rad set of their bouncy electronic indie tunes with a touch of pop punk.  Man, even their song about death had a dance beat and a fun sort of spin to it.  There couldn't be two bands more perfect to kick off the festival!

For all of our massive coverage of Athfest 2013, 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, soon you'll be able to check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well!

Athfest 2013: the ever-insane Flagpole Athens Music Awards

Thursday, June 20th, 2013 

 Flagpole Athens Music Awards show 

Zombies and bands and ghosts, oh my!  Nobody does it like Athens when it comes to award shows.

The Flagpole Athens Music Awards 2013 kicked off the festivities with an eerie and awesomely theatrical performance by Brett Vaughn and the Miracle of Human Sound starring local musican Kayez along with several ghostly dancers and featuring Modern Skirts drummer John Swint and local folk rockers The Skipperdees.  What a sight!  Lights flickered in the darkness as a young woman, dressed in white and covered in blood, rose from the dead as the night began, setting the tone for what would be a haunting, wild, and utterly unique show.

Jazz masters and house band Kenosha Kid played us through the night, winning the first of the coveted awards for yet another year in a row.  And just when we weren't expecting it, punk zombies came out in full force as T. Hardy Morris leapt off a balcony to accept Dead Confederate's award for Heavy Rock.  Later on, the Barlettas proved themselves a band to watch when they nabbed Upstart of the Year.  And New Madrid cleaned house, getting both Album of the Year and Artist of the Year.

When it came to music, it was impossible to pick a favorite set of the night!  Soft and sweet Dream Boat gave us a taste of their amazing, soothing tunes. Then Jubee and the Morning Afters blew us away with their soulful hip hop layered over smooth rock. After that, Dead Confederate's ever-talented singer T. Hardy Morris brought his slow and sorrowful sound into the mix.  Man, I just can't get enough of his voice!

Hands down, the best segment of the show, though, was the unveiling of the two Music Video Award winners.  If you haven't seen Obvious Signs by Grape Soda yet, you've got to check this one out!  Live action, animation, and ghosts... What could beat that?  And Audience Choice Video went to Flames of Love by Spencer.  With a twist you'll never be able to anticipate, this video had the crowd practically bawling with laughter.  Great stuff!

All in all, it was a celebration of our town and of all of our unbelievable local talents, both big and small.  What a night!

For all of our massive coverage of Athfest 2013, 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, soon you can check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well!

Kristen's Concert Picks: Forget the heat with July's wild tunes!

Finally recovered from all of June's insane shows and yearning to fill your ears with more spectacular tunes?  Well, July's got some wild shows in store for us too.  Don't miss these awesome bands!

Mondays in July: Kenosha Kid @ 8 PM @ World Famous

The ever-amazing jazz band Kenosha Kid continues its residency over at the World Famous every Monday in July.  Kick off your weeks with these guys!

Sat, July 13: Ruby the Rabbitfoot @ TBA @ Caledonia Lounge
Upbeat and sweet, Ruby the Rabbitfoot's sound is sure to satisfy your cravings!

Fri, July 19: Dangfly! & Efren @ 8 PM @ 40 Watt

Efren's gritty folk rock style has made them a longtime blog favorite, and after catching Dangfly!'s incredible eclectic rock set at this year's Athfest, we certainly can't wait to see them again.  What a lineup!

Fri, July 19: Stokeswood & Jubee and the Morning After @ 10 PM @ Georgia Theatre Rooftop

Hands down, our favorite discovery of Athfest 2012 was the mind-blowingly awesome Atlanta rock band Stokeswood, and the soulful hip hop act Jubee and the Morning After left us cheering our heads off at this year's festival.  Awesome combination (and FREE show too)!

Sat, July 20: Camp Amped Grand Finale @ 7 PM @ Nuçi's Space

Bring your whole family and friends out to support some of Athens' emerging musicians at Camp Amped's free July session Grand Finale!

Sat, July 20: John French and the Bastilles @ 8 PM @ World Famous

Soft pop mingles with quality southern rock in every show featuring John French and the Bastilles.  Check 'em out!

Mon, July 22: The Skipperdees @ 10 PM @ Flicker Theatre

Oozing with talent, the Skipperdees soft, twangy tunes are sure to leave you begging for more!

Fri, July 26: Tealvox @ TBA @ Caledonia Lounge 

Head on over to the Caledonia near the end of the month for some undeniably amazing rock courtesy of blog favorites Tealvox!

Wow, this month has got a whole bunch of can't-miss shows!  Got news of another rockin' local set you're just dying to see?  Comment below, and let everybody in on the details.  Have a crazy one, you guys!