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FLAGPOLE
Qaiuixu**£, 25, 1995
From Behind the Curtain
Years of Pun
Flagpole first hit the streets of Athens in October of 1987.
Jared Bailey started it, and at the time, he and Barry Green
had recently resurrected the 40 Wat. Club (once again at 256
W. Clayton). They were bringing incredible acts to town, as
were the Uptown Lounge, the Downstairs Cafe and the then-
newly formed Rockfish Palace. The Athens Music Scene was
hot, but it was also being largely ignored by the local press of
the day. Flagpole was created to tell the story about the boom
ing music scene and let the readers know who was playing in
town and when and where it would happen.
Jared gathered up all the copy, art and photos that went
into those early issues. He also sold any of the ads that found
their way into Flagpole. He contracted with Java Printing
(owned by Rick Hawkins) to do the layout and production,
and the paper was printed in Crawford, Ga., by the good folks
at Greater Georgia Printers (who have printed every issue
since then).
When Flagpole began, I had just recendy moved back to
Athens and was working at Java Printing. (Today Java is un
derground on College Square, but back then it was in the old
gas station where Go Clothing is now.) I did some of the pro
duction work on many of those early issues of Flagpole, along
with Rachel Reynolds (our current production director and
my longtime pal.) We didn’t pay much attention to Flagpole
at the time — it was just another job at the shop — but things
have a way of changing.
I left Java in the fell of 1988 and began working as a freelance
graphic artist. I had some computer equipment and worked out
an arrangement with David Leaptrott at Classic Screen Print
for a space at his business in exchange for setting up the equip
ment there. In early January of 1989,1 ran into Jared. He wanted
me to work with him on Flagpole. I liked the idea, and we sat
down and came up with some plans to improve the look, con
tent, distribution and ad base of the magazine. With a spit ’n’ a
handshake, a partnership was formed.
Six years ago Flagpole was a 16-page, narrow mini-tab (77
2 ” wide by 10Y 4 ” tall). Three thousand copies were printed
and distributed every other week, mostly in downtown Ath
ens. Jared and I would garhei information and copy, sell ads
and plan each issue of the paper. Then I would lay it out in
the computer, paste up the flats, shoot the halftones, take it
out to the printer and help Jared distribute the final product.
The first issue of FlagpoL’. that I was really involved with
Sleepy
LaBeef
page
Club Hours Controversy
C hick a saw Kudd I'uppit'S
letters to the Kditor
H.L.H. Down Und«*i
itit») wit It t lie
came out six years ago on Jan. 25,
1989. The legendary Sleepy LaBeef
was on the cover. Inside there were
articles about LaBeef, R.E.M.’s start
ing their Green world tour in Austra
lia and Japan, the Chickasaw Mudd
Puppies’ recording White Dirt for Texas
Hotel Records, an interview with Bill
Taft (currently he’s in Smoke, but
back then he was in “An Evening with
the Garbageman” — a band that
would later evolve into the Jody Grind
— the issue also noted that Deacon
Lunchbox would open their upcom
ing show at the Downstairs Cafe), as
sorted short takes on other upcoming
shows (including an appearance of Lyle
Lovett at the Tate Center), cartoons, a
(surprisingly short) column by Ort, in
formation on registering to vote and a
call to arms about an attack on the club
scene by the City of Athens’ govern
ment. Late-night disco had begun at
some of the clubs and a new city ordinance made that practice
illegal. The back page of Flagpole was a two-sided petition for
folks to sign in the effort to get the new law repealed.
It worked. By April the law was repealed and we began to
get the idea that we could change things at the local level if
we got involved — and we did get involved.
We started out to be a voice for the music scene, to tell a
story that wasn’t being told. Over time the range of Flagpole
has expanded. We started to write about the visual arts scene,
books, writers, film, food, politics, local history,
microbreweries, the Internet and the list goes on. Over the
last six years, Flagpole has become part of Athens-Clarke
County. It has been and is a great experience.
There have been 251 other issues of Flagpole (and three
annual Guide to Athens issues) that I’ve worked on since that
first one. Each one is a snapshot of life in our town — con
nected to other stories and memories. Each issue is also tied
to the folks who worked with me to put Flagpole out. Working
with and knowing those folks is what has kept Flagpole mov
ing forward and it has made these last six years the best ones
FLAGPOLE
Magazi-ne
Colortoartr of AtSono’ Aitarutira Mule
It's Always FREE
this issue
Hnsic Feat
Ort
Vot«*i litrotM.it i«*4i
Hock H* Hoi I »:t i<|iwt l«
of my life. Just to list their names
would take several pages. To tell the
stories that relate to each one of them
would require a book.
Today 15,000 copies of Flagpole are
printed and distributed every week
and 98-100 percent of those are
picked up by the folks who live and
work in this town. The loyalty of our
ever-expanding base of readers has
made Flagpole the best advertising bar
gain in A-CC. Our advertisers know
that and their support has been a big
part of the success of Flagpole. Our
readers, our advertisers and the Flag-
pole staff are all part of the mix that
keeps this paper going, and I’m very
grateful to one and all for your help
over the years.
It has been six years of fun. I’ve
had a blast. The next six years should
be even more fun. The Flagpole staff
-iA is tighter and better today than it's
ever been. It is a privilege and an honor to work with all of
them — Pete, Matthew, Rachel, Bill, Alicia, Carolyne,
Deborah, Diana, Robin, Hillary, Richmond, Gina, Charles,
Margaret, Jason, John, Ort and all the writers who contribute
to the paper each week.
I also have to mention and profoundly thank Lisa May,
who just worked her last week as Circulation Director at Flag
pole. Lisa has left to join the army and she can never be fully
replaced. We can only imitate her efforts. She will be missed
on an hourly basis.
Now I’m beginning my seventh year as publisher of Flag-
pole. As always, the paper is changing and growing. I invite
you to grow with us. Let us know what you think of Flagpole.
Feel free to write, stop by the office or call me up and bend
my ear. The feedback and input we get from our readers is
very important. So are all of our advertisers. Please support
them with your dollars and let them know you saw them in
Fbgpole. Thanks.
Dennis F. Greenia
Publisher, Flagpole Magazine
CITY BAR
MON, The Randy
Anderson Sextet
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