Of Squids, Crickets, and Fuzzies

The Warm Fuzzies fill us with glee

Thursday's UGA Freshman night at the Caledonia wasn't just for the Athens newcomers. After all, everyone can use a bit of happiness! I have to say, this was one of the best lineups I've seen. What a way to welcome people into the Athens music scene!

Gemini Cricket kicked off the night with their curious mix of garage pop tunes. They've got quite an interesting style, most clearly demonstrated in their I've Got My Boots On song in which both the female and male vocalists sang different lyrics in layers over each other. Also, they got the audience involved by having everyone whistle and meow along with their last song. Craziness.

Then the Warm Fuzzies leapt onstage. True to their name, pure joy emanates from this band! This was the second time I've had the pleasure of seeing them, and my friends and I agreed that their show was even better this time around (if that's possible). Nobody could help but smile, and the band members' hilarious comments between songs filled the audience with glee. Best of all, during their song Hey Milunka, they brought two concert-going newbies onstage to hold up lyric cue cards for the crowd. I'm sure that was an amazing experience for them! It was all just so much fun. As my pal Beth said excitedly after their set ended, "I feel so warm and fuzzy!"

After the Fuzzies, Doctor Squid finished off the night of happiness with a rather epic set filled with old favorites and a few rockin' brand new tunes. Everyone in the room was dancing like crazy and having an awesome time! As always, I was most incredibly impressed by their audience. These guys seriously have the most dedicated and enthusiastic fans ever! Nearly everyone in the crowd knew the lyrics to at least one of their songs, and pure excitement filled the air. Jason, Doctor Squid's new drummer, rocked his beats too, and this was only his second show with the band! Oh, and I can't forget to mention Mark's very entertaining interpretive dance and Larry's lovely bit of trumpet-playing. I love these guys! This whole show was just totally and completely spectacular!