Seattle band leads lineup of free show in honor of bar’s renovation
By Stephanie Laird
September 11, 2008
In celebration of the Union’s reopening following months of remodeling, a free show will be held this Saturday featuring Intelligence from Seattle and local bands Spooktober and Submarine Spaceship.
Reconstruction of the downstairs bar began in mid-March, originating as a small project with the intention of installing some new coolers. Once construction got underway, a slue of additional improvements followed suit, culminating in a significant face-lift for Athens’ oldest bar.
According to Cullen Beach, the general contractor in charge of the Union’s sprucing-up, once the old coolers were removed, they found the floor underneath was rotted and the floor joints were shot. These were some of the many issues the remodeling remedied.
Cullen also undertook the tedious process of revamping the electric, plumbing, heating and cooling systems in the downstairs bar. In addition, the old kitchen unit was removed, since bringing the kitchen up to code and purchasing a new stove and hood would be cost prohibitive at this time. While the old kitchen is out of commission, there’s talk of doing something simpler for food and possibly remodeling the kitchen area in the future, added Beach.
The downstairs bar now features a walk-in beer cooler with a relic “carry-out beer” sign hanging above it, which originally hung outside the Union in the late 1970s and early 1980s said Beach.
In addition, the refurbished bar boasts the only light-up bar top in Athens. The midnight blue glowing bar top has a back rail made of Padauk, an African hardwood that “looks like the landscape of Mars,” according to Beach.
Beach laid dark walnut stained hardwood floors throughout the downstairs bar and stained the new booths – two of which are U-shaped – and barstools to match.
According to Scott Winland, the Union’s manager and booking agent, the downstairs bar “still maintains the feeling of the Union,” and the traditional brick walls and antique aluminum tiling remain the same. This gives the bar its vintage and rustic appeal.
“It was time for a change,” said Winland, since a lot of the stuff downstairs had been there for so long.
To celebrate the Union’s grand reopening and remodeled downstairs bar, Intelligence, an indie thrash pop-rock band hailing from Seattle, will headline Saturday’s free show. Intelligence is the brainchild of lead singer and instrumentalist Lars Finberg, who formed the band in 1999. Since signing on with In The Red Records, Intelligence has produced many albums including “Icky Baby” and “Deuteronomy.”
Athens-based Spooktober, a minimalist indie-rock band, will join Intelligence on stage Saturday night. The free show will begin with the dynamic duo Submarine Spaceship, another Athens and Union favorite.
According to Winland, Saturday’s show will be a great way to spend the first night of the quarter celebrating the remodeled downstairs bar and the Union’s continuation as a vital venue in the Athens music scene.
Comments
Please log in to post a comment.
