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The 2006 Flagpole Athens Music Awards
Return For Another Great Show Honoring Local Music
A thFest weekend! It's a celebration of local music and art, and
with more than 175 bands performing in town this weekend,
there’s absolutely no reason for you to not catch that local
band you’ve always wondered about, but have never gotten around
to seeing, as well as to see your long-time favorites one more time
One of the wisest ways to spend your money is to drop a few
dollars and swing by the 2006 Flagpole Athens
Music Awards, the annual event that honors
and recognizes the best in local music over the
past year. We hand out awards, we feature
performers and we provide a great night of
entertainment, all at a reasonable hour and
within the walls of the historic Morton Theatre.
PUTTING ON A SHOW
It's time once again to find out who in local
music the townspeople have selected as deserving of
recognition. The awards show features trophies lov
ingly sculpted by artist Pattiy Torno in a number of
categories, ranging from Best Pop Band to Best Jam
Band to Best Solo Singer/ Songwriter to Album of
the Year. See p. 18 for a complete list of categories
and finalists. Flagpole always nabs a few local
celebrities as presenters, and this year you’ll
find improv guru Craig lieske, Orange Twin's
Laura Carter and dance party extraordinaire guy
DJ Mahogany, as well as a couple of other surprise
guests.
And of course, in a show honoring music, we've
got to present some music too, right? Damn right.
Producto debuts a new bassist at tonight's show,
and will deliver an ecstatic set of dramatic, mesmer
izing rock. Modem Skirts will perform a harmony
laden special acoustic set. Phosphorescent's Matthew
Houck lights up the stage with an intimate collection
of his broken-down balladry. Mandy Jane & the Jaws
of Life will wow with tongue-in-cheek, flashy coun
try, Supergroup Dark Meat plans to blast audiences
into a stupor with a carnivalesque mountain of sound.
All that, and more! Audiences will see the winners
of the Sprockets Music + Video Competition awards
for Judges' Choice and Audience Choice. A troupe of
breakdancers will display their skills. The Magictones provide jazzy
sounds throughout the night. Flagpole advertising director and
co-publisher Alicia Nickles is the hard-working grand organizer;
Flagpole music editor Chris Hassiotis hosts the whole thing and pro
soundman Matt Yelton makes sure it all pleases the ears.
categories with no finalists provided by the panel, creating a true
reader's choice award.
The following contributed to this year's panel: Betsy Beasley,
WUOG 90.5 FM's 2005 local music director; Xavier Elkins, the
owner and general manager of Hot 100.7 FM; JJ Flores, from
Team Clermont's radio promotions team; Michelle Gilzenrat, the
president of Harlot PR; Chris Hassiotis, music editor of Flagpole;
Claire Hendrick, Tasty World's booking agent and a fine bartender,
too; Gordon Lamb, Flagpole music writer, columnist and door guy
at the Caledonia Lounge; Shannon Marshall, the book
ing agent for Lunch Paper, an employee at
the 40 Watt Club and a musician in acts like
3 O'clock Sandbox and Pushbutton; Jason
NeSmith, who plays in Casper & the Cookies and
Of Montreal and owns Bel*Air Studio, where he
produces numerous regional acts; Winston
Parker, whose graphic design work graces
numerous local band posters and albums and
who also plays in USSR and works at the Go Bar; Deirdre Sayre,
Dark Meat
Flagpole music writer; and Mercer West, who operates a certain
secret DIY venue in town and also plays in bands like Mouser,
Telenovela and CoL Knowledge & the Lickity-Splits.
ROCKING THE AFTERPARTY
CHOOSING THE AWARDS
How are the award winners chosen? It's a pretty simple process,
and one we feel that best reflects the past year in local music.
It all started this year with a panel of locals plugged into the
music scene. Assembled by Flagpole earlier in the year, the panel
discussed the highlights of local music since last summer. What
have been the most memorable performances? Who has released
excellent albums? Who has been drawing the crowds? Which band
has clearly been working hard? Whose talent made itself evident?
Essentially, what local musicians over the past year have kept
Athens a terrific place to live?
Several hours of discussion led to a winnowing-down process in
which five finalists were selected for each category (except Album
of the Year, in which there were 10 finalists). There was a lot of
back and forth, and a lot of debate. Does a band that plays old-
time country as well as mountain music belong more in the folk
category, for instance, or the btuegrass category? Should a band
that plays excellent shows, but only played locally once or twice
over the past year, make the cut? That sort of thing.
After the finalists were selected, they were listed in the weekly
paper, as well as on www.flagpole.com, and the voting began.
Readers selected a winner in each category or could write in their
own candidates. Several categories—Best Album Artwork, Up &
Coming Band and Performer of the Year—are completely open
When all the confetti is spent, all the awards are handed out
and the curtain at the awards show closes, the official post-show
celebration gets kicking one block over at the 40 Watt Club. The
band Count, fronted by Count Kellam, the winner of last year's
Singer/Songwriter Award, takes the stage to deliver some heart
rending rock. Following that, the groups Electa Villain, last year's
Up & Coming Band winner, and Up Until Now deliver sets of intri
cate, multilayered sonic delight until the wee hours.
Anyone with an AthFest wristband or a ticket stub gets into the
40 Watt free of charge, so make your plans now to call in sick on
Friday and come out and start off AthFest the best way possible.
Can't make it to the Music Awards this year? Can't wait to read
the results in next week's paper? Visit www.flagpole.com/Awards on
Friday, June 23 for the scoop.
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WHAT: 2006 Flagpole Athens Music Awards |P
WHERE: Morton Theatre
WHEN: Thursday, June 22; doors at 7:30 p.m.;
show starts at 8 p.m. sharp!
HOW MUCH: $4 (with AthFest wristband):
without wristband: $6 (advance), (8 (door)
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NEWS & FEATURES I ARTS & EVENTS I MOVIES I MUSIC I COMICS & ADVICE I CLASSIFIEDS
JUNE 21,2006 FLAGPOLE.COM 17