Athens Music Scene

For a guy who writes a music column, I don’t know very much about the music that is happening around me. I am more involved in the music that I make than I am actively consuming music anymore. I miss that visceral connection with live music performed by people other than those I’m in the band with.

As a younger man, I was out seemingly every night checking out bands, and man, did I get to hear some great ones Butthole Surfers, Jesus Lizard, the Minutemen too many to contemplate, at least right now. I was down at the record store every day perusing the vinyl and buying new records from up-and-coming bands. I knew the cool stuff before it was cool (of course).

Soon after I moved to Athens, when I went to live what I like to call Stupid in the Woods (no electricity, no wood, no running water unless I ran to the well to get it!), my rock and roll music lifestyle was sidetracked. There's not much you can do with your Marshall stack with no 110v outlet available. During this time, I discovered, in a very direct way, how your music can reflect your environment.

Gone was the constant grind of the city life that I so recently left; present was the whippoorwill, grasshopper and cicada. There was no band room to go plug into and wail, but there was a porch to enjoy with a dulcimer and a guitar. I had to make an adjustment for sure. This is not that story.

Once I disappeared into the woods and started adopting the more native musical vernacular, my musical diet was totally changed. For breakfast was bluegrass, old-timey, classic country Doc Watson, Clarence Ashley, Hank Williams (Sr. & Jr.), Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, John Prine, the Stanley Brothers, the Hutchison Brothers, Big Mon. These became my new beacons (or bacons, for the breakfast analogy), and for what it was worth, I sought out the living among them and heard them play when and where possible. My rock and roll fantasy had burst into flames, but my circle was unbroken, no questions about it.

For the most part, all of this music was produced in the past or at least it hewed to an older tradition than the indie rock I previously devoured. It was more of a musical mining job, heading to the attic and dragging out old boxes. Nearly 20 years later, I have started to come up for air but what have I missed?

Here, my friends is what I have been getting at: Pretend that I'm Rumpledstiltskinnikins and I just woke up from a nice, long 20-year nap. I would like you to tell me what the most important musical artists have been since I was asleep. Give me your Number 1 with a bullet, or your top 10, or your top 20. If you have the inclination, give me local, regional, national and worldwide picks. How have they brought the musical conversation forward? Give me your best so I can check it out. I am hungry for some new musical meat. I have been dozing too long, and am just itching to find the best of the best.

I'll take these notions, explore them and post things to a blog at an undisclosed location that I am setting up for inane things just like this (I know, I know, "Great, just what we need, another blogger."). E-mail me your most important bands or information about your particular band: athens.musc.scene@gmail.com.

To those of you recently arriving in Athens, welcome home. We in the Athens Music Scene are looking forward to playing for you (and with you).

Casa Cantina

Tonight the Casa is back with a free show featuring the re-formed Bram Riddlebarger & His Lonesome Band featuring Bram crooning classic country tunes on guitar and drums, Johnny Borchard on lap steel and Tom Hirbe on upright bass. The Rattletrap Stringband gets a rare night out filling it with "old-time songs, fiddle tunes & absurd lies," and empty mason jars.

The Jill Andrews Band will perform a free show at Casa on Friday night. Andrews used to co-lead the everybodyfields, a nice group that made some appearances in our area. Expect well-written songs sung in a plaintive voice, like they just walked out of a "Crossing Boundaries" set. Kyle & Jess from Duke Jr. will more than amply open this event.

DJ Barticus hosts another '80s Dance Night on Saturday, if those eye-catching fliers are any indication.

Jackie O's

Friday night Jackie O's plays host to two fundraisers. The Beer & Cheese Incident is an event hosted by Planned Parenthood of Southeast Ohio in the Brewery to raise money and to expose you to delicious cheesy foods and fine beer. Fittingly, The Porters will provide the musical entertainment from 10 p.m. onward, though the eating begins earlier.

The Raccoon Creek Partnership takes the recent discussion concerning that longest of creeks and tosses it off of the Moonville bridge. They are out for an evening of fun and celebration in the Public House Friday night and will have music provided by Tommy Stumpp (nee Stumpf), That's What She Said, and the Seven Hill Swamp Queens.

Saturday night, "those funkin' kings of rock and soul," The Royales, are back laying it on thick in the Public House. Check out their new tunes and Pat's shoes (or Roman's shoeless!). Jess & Kyle from the Smokey Boots are slated to get your juices flowing at 10.

The Union

Laura Stevenson brings her goofy grin, her fun-loving attitude and her band The Cans to the Union on Saturday night. Good, jangly fun. Nathan Moore's Sport Fishing USA isn't just a late-night infomercial; it's a musical act performing on Saturday. Octopus & Owl and Blithe Field will also perform.

Stuart's Opera House

The Opry House hosts the final edition of its free Summer Concert Series Thursday, Sept. 9, in the across-the-street parking lot, featuring the sizzling eclecticism and humor of The Hot Seats. This monthly series has been a refreshing option during the hot months of summer, bringing unique national acts to our little corner of Appalachia. (This show was incorrectly reported to be occurring Sept. 2 in our print edition. The show isn't till Sept. 9. The mistake was not Eric Leighton's but the editor's.)

Wisteria - Cornstalk Festival

The Ragbirds, Wendy Rule, Wormz, Elemental Groove Theory, Gary Leidy, Corissa Bragg, Kenny Klein and Brian Henke are but a few of the bands that you can hear at Wisteria's Cornstalk Fest 2010 taking place Friday, Saturday and Sunday. For clearer notions of what they intend and directions to the lovely place, visit: wisteria.org.

Donkey Coffee

Lizzy Pitch brings her endless road show into Donkey Friday night for a night of classically driven piano and guitar music that swells and falls right into your lap, occasionally making your eyes do that water-leaky thing. Josh Richardson continues in the long line of talented musicians bearing his last name.

Perth Elliott drives the piano with constantly moving melodic lines. Her voice and the words that it sings can conjure up powerful emotions in an individual. She'll bring herself and her new album, "The Gay Church," to Donkey Saturday night along with opener Cynthia Robinson.

OU Inn - Cutler's Restaurant

Dale Kulchar brings his prodigious talents to bear on a musical set at Cutler's Restaurant in the OU Inn on Saturday evening at 6.

This may or may not be all the things musical happening around town, but it's all that I have available to me here at AMS-HQ right now. Keep your ears peeled for that lovely sound that goes around live music! Giggity!