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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
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