About Flagpole. (Athens, Ga.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (June 14, 2000)
AikFhi 8000 Braids Hvsic SArts Zn Its Fourth Year The Festival Is Big-ger Than Ever //*T* L~ * — festival is totally different from any other music fes- I f I I tival that I've ever seen/ says Athfest booking director Troy Aubrey. ''It mainly concentrates on the Athens scene. The ticket prices are low, and there are no major distractions from corporations or record labels like at those big festivals elsewhere. Those are all about making money. That’s not our goal; our goal is to expose the arts and celebrate the local scene." AthFest 2000 is a musk and arts festival held in downtown Athens on June 22-25 that showcases the area's musical and artistic communities. The event is in its fourth year, and the festival staff is already in high gear and ready for the very full weekend of activities. "I try to emphasize booking local bands," says Aubrey. "We defi nitely have some strong acts this year from around the region, and eventually we’d tike to bring in more, but Athfest is mostly about Athens" This year's festival officially begins with a bang at the second annual Flagpole Athens Music Awards at the Morton Theatre on Thursday, June 22 at 7; 30 p.m.. Featured performers include Five- Eight, The Star Room Boys, Or. Arvin Scott, Georgia Guitar Quartet, Japancakes and the Dan Nettles Band. (See story about the awards on facing page.) The Eye Ball Music Video Showcase takes place immediately fol lowing the flagpole Athens Music Awards on Thursday evening at the 40 Watt Club. The showcase includes a competitive screening of music videos from around the globe. The competitive screenings begin at 11 p.m. with additional screenings beforehand. S1000 in cash prizes and other industry awards will be presented to winners chosen by a panel of judges including studio wi2 John Keane, Soufbeosf Performer Magazine's Lee Smith and MTV Networks' Heather Symmes. local "wild thing," The 8-Track Gorilla, will Me it all. The gist of Athfest 2000 lies within the massive lineup of live bands slated to perform around the downtown area. AU sorts of music-loud, aggressive punk, heavy, distorted rock and melodic alternative, pop-rock, jazz, country, blues, improvisations! and acoustic may be sampled at dozens of venues during the "Club Cnwt" and at the Outdoor Stages at the east end of Washington Street near the Courthouse. Over 130 acts are currently scheduled to perform on Friday night, Saturday and Sunday, June 23-25. A wide variety of fa roily-oriented KidsFest activities take place Saturday and Sunday, June 24-25, near the Outdoor Stage areas. Look for juggling, magic shows, music, rock climbing, singalongs, arts and crafts and annuals (like piano-playing dogs, llamas and zoo critters) fGr kids of all ages to enjoy Also adjacent to the Outdoor Stage area, 26 different regional artists will have booths on display at the Juried Artist Market, Browse through the booths and purchase everything from paintings to sculpture to handmade jewelry. And don't forget to visit the outdoor beer garden next to the Outdoor Stages and sample some of the delicious food available for purely?. This year's Musk Seminar Panels shift from the downtown caf£s and dubs to the air-conditioned rooms at the Classic Center across the street from the Outdoor Stages. The panel discussions start on Friday a ft# moon ami list through Saturday evening, June 23-24. took for several panel cJIscusafcK'tt between local and national experts m such topics as bon* recording, album production and manufacturing, on-line services and Internet tips, publishing and financing, studio recording, promotion and marketing and record Label backstopping. Those uninitiated into the current world of techno and dance may want to catlf.h the "Candy DJ Day" on Saturday, June 24 from 1 p.m, to 10:30 p.m. at the Athens Music Factory on Clayton Street Candy, run by longtime Athens music aficionado Michael Lachowski, is a specialty record shop that carries DJ gear and promotes modern electronic music (house, breakbeat, drum 'n' bass, etc.) and DJ ser vices. Local DJs, producers, recording artists and vendors will be present. Most of the Candy store will be available here throughout the day and a free "DJ School" will take place early in the after noon. An opening reception for the much-anticipated Rock Art exhibit takes place at the Lyndon House Arts Center on Hoyt Street on Saturday, June 24 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.. This collection of works by Athens musicians who also happen to be visual artists will showcase their stained glass, steel sculpture, photography, collages, paintings, mixed-media installations, flyers, posters and other media. The art opening will feature performances from Deonna Mann, Tim Conley, Casey Scott, Susan Staley, Dixie Blood Mustache and others, Georgia Mountain Stage is a rootsy variety show with old-time and bluegrass music, dancing and storytelling at the Athens Music Factory on Sunday, June 25 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.. This event, sponsored by the ever-busy Athens Folk Music and Dance Society, is traditionally the finale to AthFest. Featured performers include gui tarist Paul Lombard (Trunk Fire), vocal and string trio The Solstice Sisters, bluegrass combo The f-holes, the acting ensemble Athens Improv and storyteller Shirley Carmichael Ash Raymond wiU MC for the night Since 1998, Athens record label Ghostmeat Records, Musician's Warehouse and flagpole Magazine have produced AthFest CD compi lations to promote Athfest and local bands. Several bands offered previously unavailable material, and some are still exclusively AthFest-only tracks. The Athfest 2000 compilation features 21 local bands and a wide variety of music styles. The CD is available in stores downtown and at the festival Wristbands for this year's Athfest are now on sale, "I would sug gest getting the full-event wristband ahead of time," urges Aubrey. "The advance prices are less expensive than Ust year. If you're going to be here all weekend, a full wristband is the way to go; it gets you into all the clubs, it gets you in free at the EyeBatt Video Showcase and a discount at the flagpole Atfwns Music Awards. Act now!" A full schedule of Athfest events will be included in next week's issue of flagpole and will be available downtown during the festival and on the web at flagpole.com. and at athfest.com. Ballard Lmmann HjH mm 1 AN EXHIBIT Of VISUAL ANT BY ATHENS HUSKIANS J Lyndon House Arts (enter, Athens, Georgia June 20-July 29,2000 Opening: June 24th, Saturday K ph WITH ttMOXMARUf If DfQIU Mill, SttU SHUT, Dixie Biood Moonictu * Tim Coiut Houtsimrix !2-9 pm, wid/eai/sat 9-5 wi (urctt sun 4 kon) Call 613-3623 roi hoai iNfouunox m suit to: AIIAUMUOH, ATHFESUOfl A AW«WSlC.H! tew »nanw * KSTAumet ■ so«mw • were * aura* crums* 6 wu ir. Afar * hat faNwE Iota • fi turn ■ Om Owtm • ft* BM tawftfte Un Cm* / B*»i K Dw« nwtftMl lta» I fort* tafo* / k* !* ♦ T* U+j - £* NWi Hfc D^f - Ifo fta» - bf* bmt • Wfcx CA* hr * jadi l l<p* * tVtort bdwMb W; Wtaw - Do** has - tad* W^p - Jq Ns&irt* - la fadtirt* - Pint Sfoinr - Ctttf St* Vnt Mm • Sm ft Seky - Mart Wp * (jvt? low ‘ tana Ttaafoij - B* S^fc* 5bism»sa FLAGPOLE r v. .,'h4ga?lnt JUNE 14, 2000 FLAGPOLE M SrasMED ir Amot-Cuui Ccvtn Sunn *i:h nm ivipoit Pkon t»i (mig» (mmjl iai im Aim ihiotch »»r»5Tiarr;n. hot rue Gpmcj* Cuu*t Atumrt,
