Downtown Athens is the perfect place for a party, no doubt about it! Given my tendency to throw birthday parties two weeks after my actual birthday, I was on the lookout for a rockin' linuep of bands sometime around the 13th. I didn't have to search for long... WUOGfest featuring blog favorites Venice is Sinking and Reptar was prepared to take over the 40 Watt that very night!
So, on Saturday, my friends and I headed to the Watt dressed in our ridiculous best. Silly hats, feather boas, and condom dresses ruled the night! But enough about my party... what about the bands?
Well, I've been hearing buzz about Oryx and Crake for a while now, so I was quite overjoyed to learn that they would be playing just before Venice is Sinking on this night of nights. Truth be told, I'm always a bit skeptical of bands with an incomprehensible number
of members since, in the past, I've seen just as many multiple-personed bands give the audience a cacophony of noise as I've seen play cohesive music. Lucky for us, Oryx and Crake definitely belongs in the latter category. They managed to throw together a banjo, a violin, a cello, an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar, drums, a bass guitar, computer-generated layers, and vocals to create a sound that's just plain amazing. I'd describe their music as beautiful pop rock with an undeniably awesome beat. This is one discovery I'm incredibly happy to have made. I'd love to see this supergroup rock the stage again sometime soon.
And then, it was Venice is Sinking's turn to fill the fans' ears with their tunes. Now, clearly, I can't get enough of this band. I honestly saw them perform twice this week. They're just that good... always. They're definitely one of the two bands I've written about most on this blog. So why do I love Venice is Sinking so much? Maybe it's their sound that transcends this world with its softness.
Maybe it's the fact that most of their songs have a lovely fun beat, perfect for groovin'. Or maybe it's because, at the end of every show, they gather together a massive crowd of band members from countless Athens bands to help them play and sing their wonderful song Bardstown Road. No matter what it is, their shows never cease to be amazing. Even better, at Saturday's show, they debuted a brand new song that I really enjoyed. Yup, it's true! I'll always come back for more.
No other band but Reptar could finish out a night like this. Reptar's particular brand of crazy is the sole reason why I knew no one would question my friends and I when we drew all over each other with body crayons. When you've got a band that plays their first song next to a bunch of people who seem to be building some sort of blanket fort onstage, nobody wonders about anybody's actions anymore. Now, if you've never seen them, Reptar is widely known as one of the most fun bands in Athens. Their Of Montreal-like antics are an attention-grabber every time, and their tunes never fail to drive the fans nuts and leave them dancing up a storm. Crowdsurfing was the act of the night on Saturday, and one of the members, Will Kennedy, even involved some of the fans in his music making as he had them hold up his giant drum so he could give us the beat standing on the edge of the stage. Accessories were a band favorite with umbrellas, giant fish, and road signs showing up onstage throughout their set. Even crazier, they peppered the crowd with large sheets of paper as they played so that, by the end, the floor of the 40 Watt looked like the site of some office building explosion. Madness truly has never been so much fun!
What a night that was! It definitely ranks as one of my top favorite birthday parties ever. Oh Athens, you give us all such joy!
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That was the best concert ever!! I can't believe that 2 people got escorted out for jumping onto the stage. I, also, only got one hour of sleep before I had to go to work! :D Good times!
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