Athens - The city where time stops, but the music never does

Just a small section of my ever-growing concert poster wall

Athens. I've yearned all summer for this delicious town, and here I am. Back again!

After being away, it feels kind of weird to walk these familiar streets, to see the faces of my favorite musicians and friends again, and to hear whispers of new bands, new songs, and new CDs. It's like moving back into a place where time has stopped and finding that all of the things and people and places that I love have just been waiting for me to return. It's a comfortable feeling as much as it's a strange one.

This semester, I hope to bring my blog back to its roots. I started this page so that I would have a place to chronicle my musical adventures, and most specifically, my great joy in the personal discovery of bands and acts that I'd never heard of. On occasion, a famous band will pass through this city, and it's always nice to check them out. To be honest, though, quite often I find that many of the local groups, the newer artists trying to book gigs with the most well-known headliners and the established bands that keep working diligently to get their names and their tunes to the masses, are just as good, sometimes better. There's true substance there!

These Athens bands have heart. They pour their souls into their music, not for the huge piles of money that their massively famous peers are getting for their national tours, but for the love of the music itself. It's a beautiful thing, and I definitely plan to continue to celebrate this dedication. If I can do my part to help those talented acts that truly deserve to be on the tips of everyone's tongues feed their music to the world's ears, I will. Maybe one day, they too will be among the bands that have emerged triumphant from the Athens scene, with fame in their hands, yes, but with our town's heart and soul still in their songs too.

Oh wow, speaking of famous Athens bands, the very first REM song I ever heard just suddenly started playing on TV. Yup, I'm definitely back in Athens! It's starting to feel like home again. I really can't wait to jump back into the music!

For a list some of the most exciting concerts in Athens during the month of August, don't forget to check out my concert picks. I've added several more for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!