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Thursday, October 87, aoio | The Red * Black
MUSIC NOTES
The Red & Black’s guide to music in and around Athens from Oct. 27 - Nov. 3.
Five days. Five venues. Sixty
bands. And all from a local
music festival that you've
probably never heard of before.
It’s called Next to Last Fest,
and starting tonight and running
through Sunday it will host some
of the most wonderfully diverse
sets ever seen on local stages.
The man behind this madness
is Will Donaldson, local musician
and music lover who had a deep,
spiritual message he wanted to
get across when he held the first
incarnation of this festival in 2006.
Just kidding; the main thing on
Donaldson’s mind was hearing
some great bands.
*1 had just started to work for
the New Orleans Jazz Fest and
just wanted to something like that
here," Donaldson said.
That first year was pretty infor
mal - about a dozen local bands
playing on a stage that Donaldson
had built in a pasture out past the
Georgia Square Mall.
‘lt was all free and no money
was spent or made.' he said.
The next year proved to be a
two steps forward, one step back
situation. More bands were invit
ed. bigger acts played, but the
planning phase proved a bit of a
downfall.
WEDNESDAY
Go Bam
9 p.m., free
Cos Cos Ri Cos
Big Hug Little Kiss
Big Eyes
Geisterkstzen
Sleeping Friends
Dead Dog
THURSDAY
New Earth Music Hall
8 p.m„ $lO
Eureka California
Tunahunny
The Lineup
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Everything From A to Y: Next to Last Fest
“We tried to go bigger, but I
ended up losing most of what I
put into it because I just kinda
misfired on a few different things
like promotion, pricing,"
Donaldson said. “And getting
people to come out that far was a
much greater challenge than I
thought it was gonna be."
After that it was time for a
break. Donaldson didn’t have the
money to fund such an event
again, and decided to travel
around and pursue some other
goals.
But as soon as he returned in
August of last year, the festival
planning hairs on the back of his
neck have been prickling.
‘I been kinda puttin' feelers
out since I got back, seein' what
would happen,’ he said.
Money was still an issue, but
Donaldson began working, send
ing out e-mails and calling around
to see what kind of acts he might
be able to book.
"Over the summer I just got
serious about trying to get money
to do it and almost gave up,"
Donaldson said. "I chose to keep
on working even when I didn’t
think I was gonna get it."
But to and behold, as occa
sionally happens to people who
Witches
Supercluster
The Plague
New Sound of Numbers
Weekends
Mouser
Hot New Mexicans
Big Eyed Beans from Venus
FRIDAY
New Earth Music Hall
4:30 p.m., $lO
Franz Nicolay (of The Hold
Steady)
Circle Pit
The Ramone
put in the effort, things worked
out.
Money was scrounged up,
and- maybe most importantly
-some acts signed on that actu
ally might make some of that
money back.
Once a couple bigger names
were booked and ready to go, it
was all a matter of filling things in.
‘Definitely it's the most indul
gent part, just getting to pick awe
some stuff that you like,"
Donaldson said.
These shows are stuffed with
highly-regarded local acts of
every shape and size, from the
indie-darling dancepop-rock of
Reptar, to Deaf Judges' piercingly
honest and heavy-hitting rap, to
face-melting avant-metal that
Lazer/Wulf hurls into the audi
ence's faces.
"I spent a tot more time think
ing about things that apply more
to an Athens audience."
Donaldson said of booking the
bands. "And I guess that means
several different things 'cause
there’s students and then there's
people who are into records, like
people who would know who
ESG is, so I focused on walking
that line."
Lending a helping hand with
Los Meesftts
Future Ape tapes
Lazer/Wulf
Run DMT
Marriage
Dope Body
Elite Tha Showstoppa
Deaf Judges
OJ Dog Dick
Nootd'Noot
Edan (
SATURDAY
Sehev-Stovall Chapel
5:30 p.m., $5
Halloween: UVE
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▲ Booking for The Next to Last Festival was assisted by Mercer West,
drummer of Quiet Hooves who will play Saturday and Sunday.
booking was Mercer West, the
man behind Party Party Partners,
which has become an important
promotions and productions
group in Athens.
The shows are booked lor a
slew of venues, including Go Bar,
The Seney-Stovall Chapel, the
Day Chape! at the State Botanical
New Earth Music Hall
2:30 p.m., sls
The Dirty Lungs
Summer Hymns
Steven Trimmer
Foot Ox Splitter Cake
The Back Pockets
Avocado Happy Hour
Grape Soda
Green Gerry
The Matt Kurz One
Gift Horse (as My Bloody
Valentine)
Dead Confederate (as Sonic
Youth)
Hume
EARPWR
Gardens, The Melting Point and
New Earth Music Hall, which will
host the main three days of
music, Thursday to Saturday.
“The set-up (at New Earth) is
realty advantageous because
having two stages, you can have
one on the deck and one inside,"
Donaldson said. That was a big
Bubbly Mommy Gun
Atuche
The Licktty Splits
Arrington de Dionysos Malaikat
dan Sings
Dirty Ming (Quiet Hoovee as
Prince)
ESG
Lord Scrummage
Reptar
SUNDAY
The Day Chapel at State
Botanical Gardens
3:00 p.m., $7
Theo Hilton and Toby Foster
WEDNESDAY
Hknocrshot’s Corns
Bah
8 p.m„ free
Jay Gonzalez
The Drive-By Truckers keyboard
ist playing solo originals
Calzoonia Lounge
10 p.m., $5 (21+) $7 (18+)
THURSDAY
Thk Caledonia Lounoe
10 p.m., $5 (18+), $7 (21+)
Old Canes
Beautiful, curiously dynamic
Americana-rock
Bain Mattox and Shot from
Guns
Multi-instrumentalist Mattox's
melodically charming folk rock trio
Compiled by Chris Miller
Designed by Ana Kabakova
deal."
So what shows would
Donaldson pick out as ones not to
miss?
Al! of them.
' I mean there’s so much cool
stuff going on, I don’t even know
where to start," Donaldson said.
Tm just really excited."
Nutritional Peace ft. John
Fernandes
Adrian Orange
Diane Cluck
The Meltino Point
8:30 p.m.. S2O
Lot Pteneroa del Caribe
Skeleton*
Bird Names
Clare and The Reasons
The Music Tapes
Van Dyke Parks
Quiet Hooves and The Dream
Scene
All-access wristbands available at
www.nexttolastfest.com for S4O
Bombsßombsßombs
Indie pop/qck, dean guitars and
dynamic drums
Maximum Susy Muscle
Amped up, erratic and hyper
technical progressive metal
llnfinrn Bammalm
AAOOefn rafanOlD
Soaring yet dance-friendy indie
rock from Atlanta
The Max Canada
10 p.m., $5
Shallow Palace
Unyielding rock for fist-pumping
and head-banging
VufGarrtty
Two-piece that could fill an arena
with its grungy pop
The 40 Watt Club
10 p.m.
Carla LeFever and the Rays
Soulful, funky rock that harkens
back to the classics
Clay Leverett
Local with storied country rock
history plays solo
Stoned Again
A rock ’n' rolling shrine to era of
70s rock greats
Qo Bar
10 p.m., free
Bomb the Music Industry
Irreverent indie punk crossing
Irish drinkin’ songs and ska
Cheap Girls
Raw and real rowdy pop rock;
gritty but hum-able
Chotto Ghetto
Metal-edged indie rock, howling
screams and off-beat melodies
The Matt Kurz One
A one-man multi-instrument
garage/punk/soul machine
Laura Stevenson
Dusky acoustic folk; harmonies
blowing like a midnight wind
Hendershot's Coma
Bar
8 p.m., free
Five-Eight
Memorable melodies and wild
energy in a rock 'n' roll hurricane
Lrrru Kinds Snuffle
Club
8 p.m.
Don Gallardo
Americana, guitar-strummin’ and
heartstring-pluckin'