One word says it all: SUMMER!

HAPPY SUMMER, YOU GUYS! It's the perfect time to relax in the sun, travel to someplace exotic, or at least change up the daily routine a bit. This is going to be rockin' summer, my friends. I can feel it! Before you go on your way, though, I've got some Athens music tidbits for you.

First, it's probably no secret that I'm a huge champion of the Caledonia. Shows at the 40 Watt blow me away, New Earth Music Hall has unbelievable acoustics and visual capabilities, and Rye Bar makes me feel like I'm truly experiencing the underground music scene, but Caledonia is where I spend most of my time. Seeing bands play there just feels so right: it's just cozy enough to feel like you're at a private show but just large enough to get the whole rockin' performance deal right before your eyes. I go to the Caledonia so much I'm hoping they'll start some sort of monthly pass system. Ooh, that would be awesome!

That being said, however, I have a very special place in my heart for Tasty World. Tasty World as I knew it when I first set foot in the venue was a two-story music powerhouse. My very first experience in the Athens music scene, seeing Crumbling Arches for the first time ever, happened on the lower level of Tasty World. I got my first taste of other bands like Doctor Squid and 23jinx (the band that would become Bambara) there too. Oh, memories! Since last summer, though, Tasty World itself has been fading from the scene becoming just an attic venue, setting down harsh age restrictions, and on occasion, double booking bands and dropping highly anticipated shows from the bill. Yesterday, the owner of Tasty World announced through Facebook that the venue will be closing its doors in July, presumably right after Athfest. I've got no more details as of yet, but I'll let you know as soon I get them. This is quite the tragedy. Goodbye, Tasty World! I'll miss the way you once were when I first saw you... and I'll never forget how you gave me my beloved Athens music scene.

Now here's a bit of happier news for you! Even more bands have appeared on the Athfest schedule over the past couple of days. Now we've got some info on who's playing Ciné, 283 Bar, and Little Kings. YAY! I hope you all are as excited about this summer's festival as I am. I just can't wait! I'll be starting my in-depth research of all the bands' MySpaces soon, and of course, I'll be keeping you posted with all the news you need to know about Athfest 2010!

Here's one for the bands. If you're in a band that's playing in Athens or Atlanta during the summer, let me know. Hooray for summer shows!

Hope you all have a spectacular summer, and don't forget to keep visiting us here at Echoreyn of Athens for all your Athens music news!