Athens Music Scene
By Eric Leighton
August 23, 2007
Hear ye! Hear ye! I hereby declare myself Emperor Norton III, ruler of Athens, Ohio. In keeping with my new title and the rights included therein, I hereby declare that summer shall not end. Time shall bend and the pleasant warm days shall remain and no influx of beanie-wearing others shall ensue. We will be encapsulated in a suspended time flux comprehensible only to Paul Sirag Sirag and other physicists with funny names. Each and every day shall be Robert Anton Wilson Day, and the Presbyterian Church shall be co-opted into a shrine for the goddess Eris. All Hail Eris! It is decreed!
Bonuses will be given to those who invent themselves out of jobs and replace them with leisure time. Following one's dream will be mandatory. Health care will be free to all and we shall secede from the "Union" despite my love for Abraham Lincoln, all that he attempted to hold together, and the price he paid for it. I mean really, how ashamed would he be to have these modern-day Republicans claiming him as their own!?!
You may call me delusional, but our founding fathers did the same thing. They claimed land that wasn't theirs and powers that weren't theirs either. Over the years the system they created has become horribly corrupt and stupid. I mean, at this point we might as well just elect a completely average individual to the highest office in this country. Well,
it would be a step up...
I decree as well that musicians will be raised up from what many consider to be the lowest form of life to somewhere at least solidly in the middle. I demand that each person be subjected to live music and forced to shut up through at least half of what they hear. People who go against the Emperor's wishes will be forced to listen to live tapes of the Dave Mathews Tribute Band - unmixed!!! Save yourselves and go listen to some of the fine music available this weekend! I have spoken, er, well, written! Decreed, that's it, I have decreed!
Fur Peace Station
Leroy Parnell is making his first trip to Meigs County's FPS Saturday night, and you should be counting yourself lucky that tickets are still left to be had, because he is someone to be heard. Parnell got his start at age 6 playing on the Bob Wills radio show, and over the years has performed in Kinky Friedman's band (among others). He frequently guests with the Allman Brothers Band. He has had 11 Top 10 singles over the course of five albums, and he is bringing his band up from Nashville to share with you. Do yourself a favor and catch this guy!
Foothills Blues and Arts Fest
Out in the hills of Meigs County resides the beating heart of a blues and arts festival. I performed at this event last year, and despite blistering heat and technical snafus, I managed to have a great time of it. This year's festival, the second, is even more on task with Dewey Decibel Sound taking care of the stages, yes, stages. This year they boast two different stages, one especially acoustic to bridge between the main acts. Featured acts on the main stage are: Bob Stewart (Athens), Liz Pahl (Athens), Opossum Trot Blues Band (Clearfield, Ky.), Mudfork Blues (the host band, from the Athens area), Jimi Vincent Band (Mansfield), Larry Garner (Baton Rouge, La.), and Wixom Slim & The Wyze Gyze (Detroit).
The Acoustic Stage features: M. Scott Horn (Akron), J.B. Brandt (Houston), Rebuilding Hope Dixie Land Band (Athens) and Zach Oden (Athens).
The best bit is that this show is FREE, along with free camping and parking, thanks to the numerous local sponsors (including this newspaper you're reading). And even though the show is down in the hinterlands of Meigs County, it's not really an especially long or difficult car ride. Check out the article in today's paper or visit: www.foothillsmusic.org for more information and directions.
Casa Cantina
Megan Cameron and Amethyst Stone will be at the Casa Cantina tonight, slinging their unique brand of keyboard-driven fantasy rock. The Red Road Travelers and the Wooly Lemons, two bands with funky bases (and basses) and familial-type ties, will fill out this evening nicely.
Friday night The Billy Cats get their swing on with classic country and countrified takes on jazz standards. These guys are great and feature members of the Wingnuts and the Royales, as well as Ted Harris, who for many years played with northeast Ohio's John Weniger Band (at least that's the word from Editor Smith).
Saturday evening, Silo Circuit will play an early show, like at 7. These guys are awesome with their gypsy-inflected tunes. You will love them.
Saturday night, darker rock invades the Casa. Church of the Red Museum hails from Columbus and takes their cabaret-influenced music the way of Nick Cave and Leonard Cohen. Interesting. Johnny Mundane and the Sweet Spots bring good, solid, dirty, blues-based rock and roll to the Casa from their Detroit home. Think Black Keys but different.
Jackie O's
Friday night, Dancin' Dan and his Red Hot Hits bring their supra fun, ultra-happy bunch of bouncers to Jackie O's to fill it with mirth and danciness.
Saturday night, Rhombus, a conglomerate of members of Fokushima and Papadosio, set you free with their somewhat DJ'd attack on music and grooviness.
Sunday night Jackie O's has a special show with two bands from Milwaukee. Dear Astronaut is the darker of the two reeling out their "dirges for the joyous, hallelujahs for the damned." Very Nick Cave inspired, but different from the band at the Casa. Partisan leans a little more lo-fi and gentle. They employ a harmonium like everyone's fave Beat the Devil but theirs is a decidedly less volatile experiment. Men of Gentle Birth round out this evening with their maniacal driving fuzzed-out rock and roll. There may be others cast into the miasma, so keep your ears peeled.
The Union
Saturday night, Casual Future brings their laid-back approach to noise-infested fun and fuzz to the Union. The Bad Chemicals, featuring Mike Elliott, rock their abstruse approach to music in the most endearing manner. Zephurous lets loose their largely instrumental tunes on this show, which will also be laden with numerous other local rock stars letting their talent shine like Class A stars.
Court Grill - Pomeroy
Friday evening Frank Fotusky brings out his acoustic blues and rags to the Court Street Grill to wow and impress.
The Speed Knobs have cancelled their show for Saturday, much to the dismay of Jackie. He loves the live music at the Grill!
VFW - Albany
The D&R Studio Band will unleash their classic rock upon the willing ears of the Albany VFW Saturday night. They often have a fish fry earlier in the evening.
Rhapsody - Nelsonville
Steve Zarate will make Friday night's dinner all the more pleasurable with his tasty noodlings and harmonious harmonica-izing.
Sandstone - Logan
In what is vying to become a typical weekend for Steve Zarate, he will be at the Sandstone again this Saturday night, regaling the folks on the fine patio with witty and familiar tunes for all to enjoy.
In my column last week, Editor Smith inserted a blurb about the passing of Dick Smith, the original drummer for the country-rock band McGuffey Lane. Smith, using information from the band's Web site, wrote that the band name came from the Athens street, McGuffey Lane, where one of the band members lived "during his college days at Ohio University."
Since then, we've been told on good authority that the Athens connection was a good deal more substantial than how it's described on the band Web site. The Web site isn't wrong; it just doesn't detail the full Athens connection.
Actually, founding members Steve Reis and Terry Efaw were both raised in Athens, graduating from AHS in 1968 and 1967, respectively. Also, the Reis family homestead was on McGuffey Lane.
All hail Eris and Emperor Norton III, or live music will descend upon you and pray on your nervous system while you sleep. Heheheh.
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