Athfest 2009: Rhythm in my heart and guitar in my soul

Don Chambers + GOAT with the infamous ladder

Saturday, June 27th 2009

Don Chambers + GOAT & Rachel O'Neal

As evening approached, my pals and I found ourselves back in front of the main stage for yet another show, this time Don Chambers + GOAT. Although by all accounts it should have started cooling down outside at this point, I could have cooked an omelet on the street if I'd had some eggs in my possession. Yeah, it was really that hot. We nearly all died of heat exhaustion before the performance even began. Yikes! Looking onstage, one of the first things I noticed about the band was that the drummer had set up a ladder decorated with what looked like hubcaps beside his drumset. A few seconds later, I learned that the strange looking contraption wasn't for decoration - it was for beat-making! Wow, what unique sounds it made! The rhythm seemed to exist on a different wavelength than the average drum beats as well. I could feel the beat shake my body as if the entire world was vibrating with the metal plates. It was such a wild sensation.

Then it was time to head on over to the welcome air-conditioning of the Green Room to hear Rachel O'Neal. Sitting in the church-like pews, listening to her acoustic guitar performance was a very soothing experience. Her soft voice stayed true to the sweet melodies that had filled my Athfest Saturday, and I remember thinking several times throughout her set that her songs would make lovely additions to a movie soundtrack of some sort. Due to a slight mishap, we weren't able to quite get our fill of her wonderful songs that day, so I truly hope I get to see her perform again sometime in the future.

For more blogs about Athfest 2009, click here! I'll be updating daily, so be sure to check back often. Also, don't forget to check out concert videos from Dreams So Real, Venice is Sinking, Dead Confederate and many more at http://www.youtube.com/echoreynofathens!