Athfest 2012: Dancing wildly with Reptar and the Orkids

Friday, June 22nd, 2012 

The Orkids and Reptar

It was 9 PM, and I had one monumental decision to make: Reptar or The Orkids?  Impossible!  I couldn't choose just one.  Maybe it was madness on my part, but I knew I was going to do everything in my power to see them both rock their stages.

My first order of business was to get myself to Go Bar where one of my longtime favorite pop rockers The Orkids would be taking the stage soon.  The last time they played in Athens was right around Athfest of last year, so this show was a bit of a reunion of sorts.  Walking in, the band gifted me and each of their other fans with glow stick bracelets which set the mood perfectly.  Then they launched into a set of hits, and wow, they sounded even better than I had remembered them!  I just had to dance along, though I have to admit the other girls in the front row gave me a run for my money as far as moves are concerned.  The band finished off the show with guitar player Adam shredding on the mic stand in rockstar fashion.  Oh man, seeing old friends and some of my favorite bands just reminds me why I can't get enough of this Athens town. What a memorable set!

Then, with not a minute to spare, I hightailed it to the Pulaski Street Stage to see the veritable kings of our music scene in action.  Luckily, flashing my press pass, I was able to make it into the media area just in time to catch the insane madness that was Reptar.  Billed by many as one of the wildest shows Athfest has ever seen, I was positively engulfed by the manic energy that surrounded me.  Although I later heard that I missed watching guitar player Jace jump off the stage and rock away with blood dripping down his face in what just might have been the most hardcore moment ever, you better believe I was there to see keyboardist Will dive into that tumbling ocean of people and then surf back to the stage.  These guys just have no fear!   I was in pure, ecstatic awe to hear their thousands of fans screaming in appreciation. Even the photographers couldn't stop themselves from dancing and getting sucked into the excitement. In fact, there were just as many of them gleefully taking pictures of the unbelievably massive crowd as there were nabbing shot after shot of the band!  I've honestly never seen anything like it. That show was just too incredible to be believed!  I can promise you that no one there will ever forget this night.

  For all of our massive coverage of Athfest 2012, 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, get ready for show footage and Athfest vlogs coming soon to the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well!