Athfest 2011: The surreal world of Ye Olde Sub Shoppe

Saturday, June 25th, 2011 (late night)

Ye Olde Sub Shoppe

Highly intrigued by the list of nonsensical terms Flagpole Magazine used to describe the next band, my friends and I took seats up at the very front of the Flicker Theatre in anticipation of Ye Olde Sub Shoppe. What ensued was quite possibly the most surreal experience of my entire life!

Right off the bat, the band charmed the audience with their characteristically point perfect awkwardness. Armed with several adorably miniature instruments including a rather small guitar, a ukelele, and a melodica, they set about giving us what could only be classified as experimental folk pop tunes laden with some of the most ridiculously hilarious lyrics I've ever heard! Smiles splashed across our faces as things leapt from merely weird to levels of absurdity only found in movies about the most indie of bands. With a sense of amused joy bordering on incredulity, we watched as the band members suddenly dubbed themselves Ye Olde Sex Shoppe, announced their support of safe sex, and threw a huge pack of condoms into the audience. These landed on my friend's lap momentarily before she shrieked and tossed them behind her, causing a ripple effect that sent them flying backwards to disappear behind the crowd. Oh man, one of the funniest things I've ever seen!

These guys clearly don't take themselves too seriously at all, and I absolutely loved that about them. Half the time, it seemed like they were actually just performing for themselves in front of the bathroom mirror, and the rest of the time, it almost seemed like they were making up all of these cleverly silly songs on the spot. The thing is, as utterly ludicrous as their songs were, you can't deny there's quality in their tunes as well. Later, they eagerly asked the members of the crowd if they had ever wet the bed before launching into a song about just that. Every bit of their show was sheer madness down to their band t-shirts featuring a picture of one of their friends, expressly duplicated without his permission. Seriously, my friends and I could not stop giggling during their set, and everyone else who came to have fun was undoubtably entertained as well.

I think my friend Deirdre put it best when she labelled the members of this awesomely unique trio the hipster, the hippie, and the nerd (a simply spot-on observation) and exclaimed that hearing them talk alone made the show worth attending. The crazy songs were just an added bonus. Honestly, these guys redefined what it means to be a unique band in the most insanely brilliant way possible! Did this all even actually happen? Was it the product of an overactive imagination or just a surreal dream? You be the judge. I'm still not entirely sure. But I can tell you one thing. I am definitely going to have to see Ye Olde Sub Shoppe again!

For all of our massive coverage of Athfest 2011, from preparation guides to articles on some of the best featured bands and shows, click here! More entries on all the bands and madness of the festival will be posted daily, so be sure to check back often. Plus, you can visit the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel for show footage and Athfest vlogs as well!