Athfest 2012: Final take on the festival!

Wow, Athfest 2012 was just incredible!

I'm not exaggerating when I say that this Athfest was probably the best one I've ever attended.  And, to top it off, we've got tons of festival coverage from that one tune-filled weekend. I think it's ridiculously amazing that I was able to see 30 new bands in action that I'd never caught before as well as a bunch of old favorites.  What an awesome experience!  Let's break it down and crunch the numbers on this year's insane adventure...

Echoreyn of Athens' Athfest 2012 by the numbers

• 49 bands seen in concert
• 78 pictures
• 4 preparation guides
• 20 blogs
• 12 concert videos
• (At least) 13 new bands I'm dying to check out again!
• 3 more well-worn wristbands to add to my ever-expanding Athfest collection
• 1 glorious press pass
• 1 extremely enthusiastic vlog (see above)

Want another taste of the spectacular festival madness? We've got all of those rad pictures up on our Facebook page, videos galore of some of the most incredible live shows including footage of Emily Hearn, Stokeswood, Betsy Kingston and the Crowns, Holly Belle, Yip Deciever, Ruby Kendrick, Atlas Sound, and many more plus full vlog coverage on our YouTube channel, and a log of up-to-the-minute Athfest details on our Twitter page! 

You can also check out every bit of our massive coverage of Athfest 2012, from preparation guides to articles on some of the best featured bands and shows, right here!

Hope you had as much fun at this year's Athfest as we did.  Can't wait to experience the craziness of Athfest 2013!

Athfest 2012: Betsy Kingston and the Crowns and Bloodkin finish the show

Sunday, June 24th, 2012

Betsy Kingston and the Crowns & Bloodkin

By this time, I was pumped to be at Athfest regardless of the weather.  I had just seen some awesome acts on the Pulaski and Kidsfest Stages, and I was headed to the Hull Street Stage for Betsy Kingston and the Crowns.  Already in the middle of her set, Betsy and her talented band were passionately serving up some smooth, southern rock as I joined the crowd.  Immediately, I fell in love with her vocal style.  Throwing herself into every lyric, she and the Crowns put on a show that was deliciously intense and bursting with personality.  Basically, they rocked it out of the park!  Once their set had ended, I knew one thing for sure.  I had never had an Athfest Sunday more awesome than this one!

As I popped by the press tent for some sustenance before my trek back home, I caught a bit of Bloodkin's solid country rock.  The musicians milling around the press tent began dancing wildly to the tunes, to my utter delight.  Things like this make me fall in love with this town all over again. Then, walking out of the festival, I caught sight of a kid wearing a cardboard robot head.  Oh, the ridiculousness of Athens! It was just simply the perfect ending to Athfest 2012.

  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, check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well! 

Athfest 2012: Saint Francis and Sean VanMeter rock us into Sunday

Sunday, June 24th, 2012

Saint Francis & Sean VanMeter

Athfest Sunday morning is always the hardest.  After two days of exposure to the harsh sun's rays, it takes some incredible motivation to get back out.  Truly, the lure of awesome tunes is the only thing that keeps me coming back for more.

Journeying to the festival, I headed straight for the Pulaski Street Stage to catch the first act on my list, Saint Francis.  Within minutes, the band's upbeat country rock sound had the crowd up and dancing despite the killer heat.  I even saw a little baby groovin' to the tunes.  These guys were definitely good at what they do.  It was great way to start off the day!

Then it was time to head up the street to see what the kids were up to.  A lot of people just walk on by the Kidsfest stage without a second glance, but sometimes you can find some real talent there.  After a rather adorable father-son group finished their set, piano prodigy Sean VanMeter and his band Death of the Peanut King took the stage. Man, that kid can play!  He started off with a bit of Chopin and then launched into a medley of upbeat and classical melodies.  He followed this by changing up the genre and giving us a wonderful cover of John Lennon's Imagine.  It was all just incredible.  Then his band Death of the Peanut King rocked an awesome cover of Pat Benatar's Heartbreaker.  I'm so glad I chose to check out the Kidsfest stage!

  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, check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well! 

Athfest 2012: All the madness of Manray and Bit Brigade

Saturday, June 23rd, 2012 (late)

Manray and Bit Brigade

The tale of my Manray adventure begins with a line... a long line stretching all the way across the Caledonia parking lot.  After popping over to Flicker to watch Boycycle's set, I was eager for another delicious taste of noise rock.  Apparently, everyone else felt the same way. I always liked Manray's style, and many of my friends are huge fans as well, but I had no idea just how popular these Flagpole Award winners had become until now.  You know a band is a success story in this town when even the press pass holders can't get inside because the venue's already far over capacity!  Finally, after about half an hour of waiting, I achieved victory and stepped through the gates.  Not a moment too soon, either. I managed to catch about two rockin' songs infused with hardcore melody before their set ended.  Filled with satisfaction from the sheer insanity of their noise, I grabbed a seat in the courtyard to wait for the next set to begin.

Once I heard a new note struck, I made my way back inside for the final show of the night. Cutting through the darkness and illuminating the whole stage, a massive video screen displayed early 90s game graphics.  And then the real fun began.  Bit Brigade, not content to merely serve up some rock like most of their fellow bands, showed off their utterly unique talents as they jammed their way through pitch perfect renditions of the soundtracks to the classic games Contra and Megaman while they were being played live.  I've got to admit, it was captivating to watch.  All the gamers in the venue were going wild as they made their way through the different characters and levels, a rather impressive feat in its own right.  The whole show was really just surreal.  It was almost like watching your friend from elementary school master his favorite games while a live band plays in his living room.  I can truly say, I've never seen anything like this before in my life. Crazy? Yes.  But there's no doubt, it was awesome as well!

  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, check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well! 

Athfest 2012: The ever-changing band Boycycle

Saturday, June 23rd, 2012 (late)

Boycycle

After seeing Bambara and Life Coach at the Caledonia, it was the perfect time to take the decibel level down a notch and head over to Flicker for a bit.  Once I arrived, I quickly seated myself in a cozy corner, narrowly inching out the small crowd that soon filled the room.  The band that I later found out was Boycycle started off their set as a solo act with their lead singer pounding away on the drums.  Then it slowly morphed into a full band with an ever-changing slew of talented members creating soft, indie tunes and wonderful arrangements.  The drum-heavy melodies, threaded together by the lead singer's unique and often ethereal vocals, simply touched my soul.  Not far into the set, they whipped out an accordion, adding yet another layer to their tunes.  I just loved what I heard!  As Boycycle finished their set, the crowd called for an encore, a testament to their awesome performance.  Unfortunately though, seconds into the first song, a really talkative drunk man had sat beside me and had begun narrating the whole set and having a conversation with himself which was extremely distracting. Hopefully, sometime soon I'll be able to see this band again and absorb their beautiful music without interruption!  

  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, check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well! 

Athfest 2012: Bambara and Life Coach blast us with sound

Saturday, June 23rd, 2012

Bambara and Life Coach

So how did this blog's favorite noise rockers Bambara do at Athfest 2012? Oh, they sucked.  Just kidding, you guys! Of course, they were awesome as always. After they ironed out a few technical issues (I've always felt that they sound their best indoors rather than outdoors where they played this year), they gave us the show we all desired. With the pure manic force of their performance, Bambara absorbed all sound in the world and then shot it back out at us in a blast of pure distorted essence. It was a beautiful assault of every one of our senses, no doubt, but it was all too short. Despite bassist William's claims that the band's set was actually longer than usual, those of us in the crowd were left desperately craving for more. Luckily, though, it seems we'll only have to wait a few more weeks for them to return: they'll be rockin' at Little King's annual Slopfest this year on July 21st, with heavy-hitters Manray no less.

And speaking of luck, I was quite happy to find the band Life Coach up next as well.  I had never actually seen them before this, though their name sounded rather familiar to me.  After a bit of research, I realized that I had just missed catching them a couple of months ago, so the time was ripe to see them in action this go around.  I've gotta say, I liked what I heard.  Pairing them with Bambara was a quite a genius move as they had a similar eardrum-bursting, rock sound.  I definitely hope I'll get to catch them again sometime!

  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, check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well! 

Athfest 2012: Pictures, bands, and a dancing banana

We caught all sorts of wild sights at Athfest 2012, and now we've got pictures of all of 'em up on the Echoreyn of Athens Facebook page!  You can see some of our favorites below:

Like Totally intros the Flagpole Awards

Stokeswood lights up the night

Emily Hearn sings so sweetly

Reptar puts on an insane show

Betsy Kingston belts it out during her set

Want to see more?  Check out the full album on our Facebook page!

  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, check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well! 

Athfest 2012: District Attorneys & Elf Power ease us into evening

Saturday, June 23rd, 2012

District Attorneys and Elf Power

After seeing them sweep the Flagpole Awards this year, I just had to check out the District Attorneys to see what all the fuss was about.  As I arrived, they were giving the crowd that had already gathered in front of the stage an amusing pre-show in the form of a mic check featuring everything from Arby's commercial jingles to classic songs like When A Man Loves A Woman.  I've got to admit, it was pretty funny.  Then it was time for their set.  Pure rock with almost punk vocals at times, they had the fans bobbing along to their tunes almost immediately. There's no doubt these guys can shred!

Not much later, it was Elf Power's turn to take the Pulaski Stage.  Fulfilling the yearly need for a well-established 90s headliner and hailing from this very town, they gave us a rock set that all of their longtime fans loved.  While there seemed to be a bit of a disconnect with the younger crowd who had never seen them before, by the end of the show, the whole audience seemed to be enjoying the tunes. It was quite a nice final set to see before I headed off to the venues for a bit of a grittier sound.

  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, check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well! 

Athfest 2012: Mad Axes and Seven Handle Circus go wild

Saturday, June 23rd, 2012 

Mad Axes & Seven Handle Circus

 Whew, it was time for another break from the heat.  After getting a taste of some quality country folk tunes from the band Josh Perkins Experiment In Southern Hospitality (yes, that really is its name), I popped in to the Caledonia to nab some shade again.  It was perfect timing too.  Apparently, they had changed up the schedule since I had last seen it, and the hip hop act Mad Axes that I had already been planning to catch was setting up onstage as I grabbed a spot on the bench inside.  Moments later, they launched into a cool mix of song and rap with an in-your-face edge to it.  They were up to all of their classic antics that I recall from their Deaf Judges days, leaping into the crowd and getting into full character while wielding giant axes.  One of the members even hearkened back to the old days, sporting a t-shirt emblazoned with the Deaf Judges name.  The insanity didn't stop there though.  From giving the mic to an awesome guest rapper to tossing free condoms into the audience to intro their Dirty Girls song, there was no doubt this show was wild!

Then it was time to venture back out into the burning sunlight for Seven Handle Circus.  Despite my near heat exhaustion at that point, I was diggin' their bouncy, upbeat folk tunes.  Man, these guys are talented!  Mixing violins, banjos, and fiddles in with electric guitars and bass, they put on a rockin' show for the crowd, and their fans responded in turn, singing along to their songs and requesting all of their favorite tunes.  The very best moment for me, though, was when they shattered any preconceived notions of genre and gave us an incredible cover of 90s hit Jump Around.  The crowd gleefully obeyed, forgetting the heat and losing themselves in the joy.  So much fun!

  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, check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well! 

Athfest 2012: Free Tomorrow and Packway Handle Band make it exciting!

Saturday, June 23rd, 2012

Free Tomorrow & Packway Handle Band

I've always loved bands that flat out refuse to be pigeonholed into a single genre.  Free Tomorrow, the next band to take the Hull Street Stage, didn't let anyone tell them how to shape their sound. First they gave us a bit of jazzy rock along the line of Atlanta's the Constellations, but not long after that, they were droppin' some wild hip hop beats and overlaying them with violin melodies.  Then they slipped a couple of covers into their set.  Excellent!

Moments later, it was Packway Handle Band's chance to show their skills.  My friends have been talking up this band for years now, so I was quite excited to get finally catch them in action.  Almost immediately, it became clear these guys also refused to adhere to a genre label.  While they had an overarching folk sound, they brought insanity into the mix with hints of nearly every type of music imaginable. One song about American music involved operatic crooning layered over rap and country folk tunes.  What madness it was!  I could only describe their style as clowning around for the super talented.  I've truly never heard anything like it!  Before the end of their set, they gave us a really nice cover of Take You There, proving that when it comes down to it, they've definitely got incredible music chops.  And then it was over... or so I though.  Without warning, the band stepped offstage and ran into their audience with reckless abandon, playing their instruments while falling into members of the crowd.  After clearing a suitable space, they rocked one final song as the fans gathered in a circle around them.  It was definitely one of the craziest, most exciting experiences I've had in the scene!

  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, check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well! 

Athfest 2012: The Breaks and Showtime with Lowdive battle the heat

Saturday, June 23rd, 2012

The Breaks & Showtime with Lowdive

It happens at every Athfest.  You find yourself on the string of a yo-yo, rushing back and forth between the Pulaski Street Stage and the Hull Street Stage as the sun's heat beats down upon you.  Only the music keeps you going.

By the time the Breaks stepped onto the Hull Street Stage, it was already sweltering.  The fans, though didn't let the heat keep them down.  As the Breaks served up some solid southern rock headed by great female vocals, the crowd joyfully moved closer and closer to the stage, soaking in the tunes.

Then it was Showtime's turn to battle the heat.  Joined by rockers Lowdive, Elite tha Showstoppa and his Showtime gang gave us some rad beats and some pure quality hip hop.  It's no wonder they keep winning Flagpole Awards for their sound!  The crowd was loving it too.  This town is severely lacking in hip hop groups, so when we have a chance to party it up with talents like these, you can bet we take it!  The whole set was just awesome, but I've gotta say I loved it most when they mixed it up with a bit of reggae-inspired rap.  These guys are on the edge, innovators.  Way too cool!

  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, check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well! 

Athfest 2012: Emily Hearn and the Greys kick things off

Saturday, June 23rd, 2012

The Greys & Emily Hearn

Saturday, I woke up jazzed for another day at Athfest.  After an uphill trek to the festival in the blistering heat, I settled into a seat near the Hull Street Stage to catch some tunes from the Monsignor Donovan Ram Jam winning band The Greys.  Watching their set, it was no surprise to me that they had won that aforementioned battle of the bands. These guys owned the stage with their pop rock sound, and some of their songs had a bit of a tropical feel which set them apart from the rest.  It's always nice to start your day with a quality show!

Then it was time for some beautiful melodies from Emily Hearn over on the Pulaski Street Stage.  Having heard a few of her recordings before, I thought I was prepared for the incredible sweetness of her voice, but the moment she opened her mouth, I knew I was wrong.  There was a striking purity in her vocals that resonated through me as she sang and immediately captivated the audience. What a voice!  Apparently she only started writing music and singing onstage three years ago, but without a doubt, she was born to do this.  She and her awesome backing band added a few covers to her set including amazing renditions of Best of You by Foo Fighters and a song from Garden State.  My absolute favorites, though, just had to be her original songs, especially Love Charade, the song I managed to get a (shaky) video of, and her hit Rooftop.  Word on the street is, actor Bill Murray loved that song so much,  he took part in her music video.  How cool is that!  Then, much too soon, she was announcing her final song. As her set wound a close, Emily encouraged the crowd to sing along, and many people joined in most joyfully.  It was indeed a touching end to her show. There's no doubt about it, I absolutely MUST see her perform again sometime soon!

  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, check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well! 

Athfest 2012: Stokewood blows us away!

Friday, June 22st, 2012 (late)

Stokeswood

Energized by all of the amazing acts I had already seen throughout the day Friday, I power walked to Bad Manor for my final show of the night.  I didn't know much about Atlanta band Stokeswood, but I was definitely impressed when I saw the line for the venue.  After a few minutes of waiting, I stepped into the colorful, dreamlike haze that is the Bad Manor and nabbed a spot right near the stage.  Just seconds later, Stokeswood launched into their set and, before the first song had ended, I knew I was hooked.  These guys were amazing!  Their electronic indie rock and awesome vocals had me dancing almost immediately, and their energy was so intense, it emanated from the stage and filled the venue.  The band had something of a Bloodhound Gang vibe going at times, but it just worked for them so well.  As they lit up the stage, the crowd went insane, and even the smoke machines in the venue were moving in time to their tunes.  Just before the end, one of the members leapt off the stage to mosh with the crowd and dial up the madness of the show.  Brilliant!  I just loved the whole set from beginning to end.

It's no exaggeration on my part to say that this Athfest Friday was the single most exciting day of Athfest that I've ever experienced in my four years of attending the rockin' festival.  You can bet I was pumped to see what kind of shows Saturday would give us!

  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, check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well! 

Athfest 2012: Thayer Sarrano and Adron take Farm255

 

Friday, June 22nd, 2012 (late)

Thayer Sarrano & Adron

Almost immediately after I stepped into Farm255's courtyard, I ran into my friend Caity who has rocked out at many an Athfest with me.  Awesome!  Gotta love kickin' it with friends at shows. Musician Thayer Sarrano was already up onstage as we planted ourselves in front of the band, her soft unique voice wafting over the crowd.  I was greatly intrigued by her style of singing.  It was almost as if she was adding melody to simple speech, an underlying sweetness in her voice resting just below the darkness of her sound.  I thoroughly enjoyed her set, and I definitely hope to see her and her quality backing band again!

Then, before I skipped off to Bad Manor - my final destination of the night - I decided to stay and check out a bit of Adron's set.  Boy, am I glad I did!  I wasn't quite sure what to expect from her, so I was happily surprised to hear her lovely voice through the microphone.  Wow, first Holly Belle, and now this?  She and her indie rock band spouted out some fresh melodies touched with a hint of jazz that made the whole experience feel like a dream or some sort of balmy vacation on the deck of a cruise ship.  In one song, her voice even became a flute and intertwined with the tunes of the other instruments.  Truly amazing!  And to top it off, Adron's quirky, adorable personality and funny anecdotes between songs made the whole experience just incredible.  Friday night was shaping up to be simply spectacular!

  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, check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well! 

Athfest 2012: Beauty of sound: Young Benjamin and Holly Belle

 

Friday, June 22st, 2012 

Young Benjamin & Holly Belle

Off to the venues!  My first destination was New Earth Music Hall to see solo musician Young Benjamin.  Now I have to admit, when I first arrived, the latest layout of the venue confused me so much, I walked right past the stage.  Luckily, though, I figured out where I was supposed to be just as Young Benjamin began his set.  Immediately, I was immersed in an ethereal, otherworldly experience.  The collision of ambient, sometimes club-like backing tracks with the musician's deep and powerful vocals created a sound that flowed into my very soul.  It was just so good!  Near the end of his set, he promoted Emergent Heart, a wonderful music project that supports the efforts of Nuci's Space.   Always glad to hear people talking about a good cause!


 After Young Benjamin had finished, I strolled over to Little Kings to catch Holly Belle.  I was definitely looking forward to seeing her show since I truly enjoyed what I heard of hers online.  Sure enough, very soon there were beautiful jazzy pop vocals filling my ears, complemented by keyboard melodies and violin tunes courtesy of Flagpole Award Best Session Player Adam Poulin.  Hearing Holly and her band in person, I was awed to find that they sounded just like a perfect shot of her recordings.  Without a doubt, she has one of the best voices I've heard live since I started the blog.  How do pipes like that even happen?

Once Holly Belle's set had ended, I headed on over to Farm255 with pure joy in my smile.  I just love seeing such talented musicians!

  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, check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well! 

Athfest 2012: Watch videos, live the experience!

Missed out on Athfest? Or had a blast at the festival and dying to relive it?  We've got tons of live show footage up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube Channel right now!  Below, you can check out a few of our very favorites:

I just loved this song performed by Holly Belle.

Stokeswood was definitely one of my favorite discoveries this year!

Emily Hearn's pure voice was just incredible. (Forgive the wobbly camera. :P)

Craving more?  Check out our YouTube channel for a huge collection of Athfest sights and sounds.  We might have even caught your favorite band in action!

  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.!

Kristen's Concert Picks: July's tunes keep it cool

For optimal viewing of these picks on a mobile device, click here!

Is all of this intense heat getting you down? Let these rockin' tunes cheer you up!

Wed, July 4: The Skipperdees @ 5 PM @ Athens Farmer's Market

These girls infuse their southern folk with heart and soul. Celebrate the Fourth of July with the Skipperdees!

Thu, July 5: Qurious @ 9:30 PM @ Caledonia Lounge

Ready for an almost mystical experience?  Playing with Thick Paint, Reptar singer Graham's DJ act, Qurious is sure to deliver the insanity!

Thu, July 5: Cicada Rhythm @ 10 PM @ Georgia Theatre rooftop

You'll love Cicada Rhythm's blend of unique folk voices!  Catch 'em up on the Georgia Theatre rooftop.

Thu, July 5: Showtime with Lowdive @ 10 PM @ Max

If you're craving some awesome hip hop and rap, look no further than this year's Flagpole Award winner Showtime with their pals Lowdive rocking it out along with them! 

Fri, July 6: Thayer Sarrano @ 9:30 PM @ Caledonia Lounge

I caught Thayer Sarrano at this year's Athfest, and she's got a sweetness in her voice that makes her certainly worth a listen!

Sat, July 7: Tealvox @ 9 PM @ 40 Watt

Tealvox is the definition of pure, incredible rock.  Trust me, you'll want to be at this show!

Thu, July 12: Betsy Franck & the Bare Knuckle band @ 9 PM @ Georgia Theatre

Let Betsy Franck's strong, soulful voice inspire you!

Sat, July 14: The Viking Progress @ 8 PM @ 40 Watt

What a lineup! With the acoustic distortion of the Viking Progress along with solid rockers Easter Island and John French & the Bastilles, this will be a show to remember!

Thu, July 19: Sam Sniper @ 10 PM @ Georgia Theatre rooftop

Southern tunes with a unique rock flavor, Sam Sniper has long been one of my favorites.  Be sure to get a taste of their tunes!

Thu-Sat, July 19-21: Slopfest @ 7 PM @ Little Kings Shuffle Club

Are you ready for another spectacular music festival?  Catch a bunch of your favorites from Athfest and many more including Bambara, Life Coach, and the much buzzed about Manray at this three day fest!  Don't forget to make the most of this wild lineup with a multiday wristband bought at the door.

Fri, July 20: White Violet @ 7:30 PM @ Georgia Theatre

Is soft rock what you crave? White Violet is pure quality sound!

Fri, July 20: The Athens Band @ 8 PM @ 40 Watt

Youth rockers take it old school with a sound that's miles beyond their years.  Always a sight to see!

Fri, July 20: Grinnin Bear @ 10 PM @ Caledonia Lounge

In the mood to enjoy yourself with some awesome folk tunes?  The members of Grinnin Bear don't take themselves too seriously, but I can promise that you'll just love them!

Fri, July 27: Grass Giraffes @ 10 PM @ Caledonia Lounge

These guys are way too much fun.  Don't miss their set!

Tue, July 31: Reptar DJ Set @ 11 PM @ Georgia Theatre rooftop

Dying to hang with the members of Reptar? End the month with them, and dance it up to their DJayed tunes!


Looks like July's going to be extremely exciting!  Know of any other shows you think everyone should see?  Comment below, and give us all the details.  And have a good one, you guys. See ya around town!