Athfest 2011: EoA's Guide to Athfest: Kristen's Concert Picks

Ever since my very first Athfest years ago, I've thrown myself ears first into the massive list of bands playing the festival to narrow down a schedule of sets to see. However, when confronted with a lineup of nearly 200 bands, I hardly expect anyone else to be as insane as I am. That's why, this year, I'm giving you a list of tried and true favorites that you've just got to catch live if you haven't seen them yet.

Thurs, June 23:

Flagpole Athens Music Awards @ 8 PM @ Morton Theater

For me, Athfest begins with the Flagpole Athens Music Awards! I'll give you more info about this show tomorrow, so stay tuned.

MAXfest with Sam Sniper & Yo Soybean @ 7:30 PM @ MAX

Free with a wristband and just $3 without, this unofficial Athfest kickoff party will feature the tunes of 7 awesome bands including the curious stylings of blog favorite Sam Sniper and the folk rock of Flagpole Award finalist Yo Soybean. It's going to be a crazy, southern-twinged show, that's for sure!

Fri, June 24:

Oryx & Crake @ 6 PM @ Hull Street Stage

Over on the Hull Street stage, you'll get the chance to hear the beautiful, pop rock of Oryx & Crake. Get ready for the rockin' beat of their tunes!

Futurebirds @ 9 PM @ Pulaski Street Stage

One of the headliners at this year's Athfest, these southern rockers never fail to put on an awesome show. They're clearly going places as well, so catch them live while you can!

Misfortune500 @ 9 PM @ the Arch Bar

A two-hour unofficial Athfest set featuring the dark rock sound of blog favorite Misfortune500, this show will, no doubt, be incredible. Best of all, it's free regardless of whether you have a wristband, so don't miss it!

the Athens band @ 10 PM @ Bad Manor

These young rockers were breakout stars at last year's Athfest, and they've only become more amazing since then. Check out their full-stage takeover on Friday at Bad Manor! And if you aren't doing the venue crawl, you can catch them out on the KidsFest stage at 2 PM on Saturday as well.

Powerkompany @ 10 PM @ New Earth Music Hall

The dark but sweet melodies of Powerkompany will drive you wild over at New Earth on Friday night.

Tealvox @ 11 PM @ Bad Manor

Quality soft rock is the Tealvox way, and there's no question that their set will be awesome. Be there!

Manray @ 11 PM @ 40 Watt

Is dark, melodic rock your style? Then Manray's the band for you! Catch their set at the 40 Watt on Friday night.

The Orkids @ 12 AM @ Bad Manor

Catchy, dance-inducing pop is the order of the day with the Orkids. If you're in the mood for fun, you need to make your way to this show!

Venice is Sinking @ 1 AM @ Melting Point

An Athfest staple, the soft and beautiful melodies of Venice is Sinking are an absolute must!

Sat, June 25:

Dirty Athens featuring Bambara @ 6:30 PM @Caledonia

The time has come... This Saturday, top blog favorite Bambara will be playing their final show in Athens before they relocate to the NYC. Be sure to make your way over to the Caledonia for the free, day-long Dirty Athens celebration (not officially part of Athfest) that will feature more than ten amazing bands including the Bambara boys. The raging perfection of their noise rock sound will definitely be sorely missed!

Lazer/Wulf @ 9PM @ Caledonia

If intense, instrumental metal gets you excited, Lazer/Wulf will deliver what you truly crave.

Reptar @ 11:45 PM @ 40 Watt

Reptar is blowing up in a huge way, and their untamed pop style and crazy shenanigans make every one of their live shows an insane experience! Word to the wise... If it's your first Reptar show, avoid the front row and keep watch for flying objects. Things are guaranteed to get wild at the 'Watt for these guys!

Looks like Friday's the night for most of the old favorites which means that, on Saturday and Sunday, we've got a whole slew of brand new ones to discover. Remember: exploration is key, so I encourage you to check out all the bands you can find at Athfest 2011. Let this list just serve as a starting point to help keep you from getting lost in the massive sea of sights and rockin' sounds.

Also, we've got videos from Athfests past of many of these bands up on our Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel if you want to get a feel for their sound. And hey, if you like what you see, feel free to subscribe! We'll be putting up footage from some of the best shows we see at Athfest this year once the festival ends.

Stay tuned for the unveiling of the brand new Echoreyn of Athens feature!