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I.UITIIlUfU, UHIIUUII,
Cemetery Improvement
Society, MeteorEYES
Caledonia Lounge
Throbbing disco beats, masks
reminiscent of Kabuki theatre,
a surplus of fuzzed-out bass
guitars—MeteorEYES may be the
darkest dance show you'll find in
Athens this week.
The band hails from South
Florida, a musical wasteland
better known for rearing the
likes of 2 Live Crew and Vanilla
Ice than for acts like this.
Without musical peers in the
band's hometown, MeteorEYES
was free to choose its own
adventure. When lead singer Shannon Fortner started creating plastic facemasks for each
show (and, yes, there's one she's made specifically for the Caledonia gig), there were not
enough critics around to judge her. When Fortner took the Portishead-influenced, trip-
hop elements of her other group, Spontaneous Habit, and combined them with drummer
David Curran's art-punk fixations (see: The Locust), fans didn't seem to mind. It's hard to
be outcast from a music scene when there's not much of one to begin with anyway.
Spontaneous Habit performed slow, sexy jams worthy of a Jenna Jameson flick, but
after a fan began dropping CDs by TV on the Radio and The Knife in the band's tip jar,
Fortner decided to take her music in a different direction. MeteorEYES was the result.
"This guy would just show up with a bunch of CDs, and that's how he would tip us,"
Fortner says, sitting outside a Sarasota gay bar on a typical sweltering Thursday night
"I don't even know if he knows how much he influenced us," she adds.
It's an odd way to start a band. But then, Fortner clearly relishes the role of being the
odd bird. If the masks speak to a metaphorical kind of alienation, Fortner's life and lyrics
speak to a very real variety of alienation. Fortner's partner lives in London. She says that
because visa laws are more restrictive for same-sex partnerships than for hetero couples,
she rarely gets to see her girlfriend. That separation anxiety forms the foundation of
many of MeteorEYES' lyrics. [Mark Sanders]
Atlanta, GA and doesn’t skimp on
the cowbell.
Farm 255
11 p.m. FREE! www.farm255.com
CHRISSAKES Local hardcore band
with haunting, brooding guitar rifts
and explosive, screaming vocals.
See story p. 23.
GG KING Lo-fi, snarling ‘60s-inspired
garage punk like that of fellow
Atlantans Black Lips.
VINCAS New project trom Chris
McNeal (ex-Paper Lions. Teenage
Meth Lab, Maserati). Energetic,
erratic garage punk with growling
guitars, howling vocals and a bit of
rockabilly blues swagger.
Fat Daddy’s
9 p.m. FREE! 796-353-0241
BROS. MARLER Brothers Drew and
Daniel Marler bring their brand of
Neil Young/Elliot Smith/Allman
Bros.-influenced music to the people
as an acoustic duo,
Flicker Theatre & Bar
8:30 p.m. $5. www.myspace.com/
flickerbar
BRIAN CONNELL Local musician
whose original songs are in the
classic spirit of Leonard Cohen and
Bob Dylan.
The Globe
10 p.m. FREE! 706-353-4721
DUSTY LIGHTSWITCH Described as
“one of the most exciting and satis
fying live bands in town’ by our own
Gordon Lamb, this revolving cast of
local eccentrics delivers rock and
roll with epic possibilites.
Gnat's Landing
6 p.m. FREE! www.gnatslanding.net
BLAKE WHITWORTH Georgia-born
singer-songwriter whose style
borrows equally from the sincere
simplicity of artists like James
Taylor and the rock sensibilities of
Counting Crows.
Go Bar
10 p.m. $5. www.myspace.com/gobar
THE BRUNETTES When you think
’indie duo from New Zealand,”
you probably think Flight of the
Conchords. But, you SHOULD have
thought The Brunettes, an Auckland
outfit with soaring pop ballads and
ethereal harmonies.
SENRYU This Knoxville outfit’s
schizophrenic psych-pop will appeal
to fans of Of Montreal.
THROW ME THE STATUE Light,
uptempo pop songs with a deeply
• layered instrumentation. They also
may be secretly Canadian.
TWIN POWERS Local Kindercore
Records alum Dan Geller and local
chef Eddie Russell mix up contem
porary Top 40 with danceable ’80s
new wave and Britpop tunes.
Lansdowne Road Irish
Pub
10 p.m. FREE! 706-208-3682
HARP UNSTRUNG This local act
gives melodic alternative rock a
bluesy, Southern twist.
Little Kings Shuffle Club
10p.rn.FREEImyspace.com/littlek- .
ingsshufffeclub
DJ MAHOGANY Freaky funk,
sultry soul, righteous R&B, and
a whole lotta unexpected faves as
DJ Mahogany dips into his bag of
goodies from the ‘60s, 70s and '80s.
The Melting Point
8:30 p.m. $10 (adv.), $15 (door), www.
meltingpointathens.com*
STRAWBERRY FLATS Southern
rock frcm local music vets John
Keane, Scott Sanders, Tim White and
Deane Quinter. Impressive playing to
support their especially impressive
musical resumes.
Morton Theatre
7:30 p.m. $10 (adults), $5 (students).
706-613-3771*
KYSHONA ARMSTRONG Local
songstress Kyshona sings soul
ful ballads over acoustic guitar in
the first of the “Countdown to the
Centennial’ concert series.
jMOYUBA! Afro-cuban drum en
semble brings the timeless rhythms
of the Carribean.
The Office Lounge
9 p.m. 706-546-0840
MAC-N-CHZ These Southern rockers
do originals and classic covers.
Rye Bar
10 o.m. www.myspace.com/ryeba-
rathens
LSDJ Get your psychedelic groove on.
Square One Fish Co.
9 p.m. FREE! www.squareonefishco. •
com
PATRICK HOYDAR Solo acoustic
stylings from former Beyond
Tomorrow member.
Terrapin Beer Co.
5:30 p.m. www.terrapinbeer.com
CALEB STINE Baltimore native with
a suprisingly refreshing take on
modern country.
Wild Wing Caf6
9 p.m. FREE! www.wildwingcafe.com
SABO Hailing from Augusta, the band
plays 70s-influenced rock drawing
on The Doors and Stevie Ray.
Sunday 16
Square One Fish Co.
1-4 p.m. FREE! www.squareonefishco.
com *,
SUNDAY JAZZ BRUNCH Rotating
local jazz artists play Sunday af-
>• continued on next page
150 CRANE DR. (next to best buy) • (706) 548-7233
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AUGUST 12,2009 • FLAGPOLE.COM 37