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!