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4 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 k oyWßlk ' qlnußiu 51? l iHBk. ?i i*hiß mm 1 r~ ’’"'Ha fßfrei- gL A*sßßk?H ■ ■■•>'- ■■. '- W„ t S |f K jMfif" i ■*■ ?7 _ BrHhhpa • fiHfe'*4HHEiv^^ mMnHR ‘' >, '‘ - a # jfc\3b£ !&% 4gn - / *mjkij : * 'fcjß 'Zdftmßi HKSa If kV | •^Br l ' if* 1 WJB \ \ T '-* %, f• #■ 7J|| L k— fk jj -fl^Ss^v. K' / I iTviBK. —■ a thensstudenthousing.com ' * * L private bedrooms and bathrooms, resort-style amenities, townhome floor plans available. 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 r/vf., * f Ihtnu i■ ' , /. -v, NEW FALL ARRIVALS DAILY t Clayton Street • /06.54 3.01S I vywvv ShopPrivateGallery.com ——— in ~r Couenmr Quin Hoorn ▲ 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'