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SOUTHERN VISION
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ow interested am I in vintage dresses?
How much time do I have to take off
of work? Can I still go on tour all the
time and make a store happen? Could
my friends—who I'd want to be part of this
project with me—think I'm crazy Decause I’m
essentially taking ove r a vintage dress store
and trying to turn it into a more open-ended
cool space/store/thing?"
These were some of the thoughts going
through Michael Clancy's head as he spec
Enough Florida via tour van this past January.
He was on the road drumming with his ndie-
punk trio. Witches, when he received a sur
prising phone call from Kimberly Drew, at the
time the proprietor of Ohh. Boy!, a vintage
store located on West Broad Street, Her mes
sage for him was simple: she wanted to step
Michael Clancy
away from the Store and is offering * un to
Clancy to do with it as no wished. As someone
who'd never considered himself an entrepre
neur on that level, he was a little stunned.
After a week's worm of consideration, he
accepted. This is how things got roilina for
Southern Vision.
Having previously done a portion of the
Cooking work at The Hangar, the now-defunct
catch-all OIY space for band practicing, art
making and punk show-throwing, Clancy has
been eyeing this opportunity to both de-ghet-
toize his community's events and maintain
a location that will act as a store, yes, but
hopefully as something bigger as well.
Sounding a little baffled to hear the words
coming out of his own mouth, Clancy says. "I
own a business now—which is weird—but I
can open it to anyone. I don't want it to be
{exclusive]. I mean, I love punk, but I don't
like being part of some secret club with my
friends. I like doing these things so as many
people can be part of some kind of alterna
tive. There's commerce involved; it's still
a normal thing in some ways, but it's also
weirder and more open-ended. Making money
is in no way the point—I mean, we need to
make rent, but the idea is definitely to incor
porate and invite people so that we’re not just j
this secret thing."
In addition to many of the consignment
items that Ohh, Boy! already has for sale,
Clancy will be expanding the store's scope to
Include more records, musical eauiprnent and
•he like. The store will be volunteer-run. with
Detter consignment rates available for those
nmding the register. The scrappy, potential-
filled nature of Southern Vision provides a
muc -needed service to kids of all ages in
Athens: the vaguely purposed, cool swag-filled
hangout, a window into a music community
where all too often, ageism reigns on the
downtown scene.
It's apt that the store's grand opening
would see the return of a onetime staple of
the Athens punk scene, Andre
Gallant. Gallant established
himself as a guitarist and song
writer with Carrie Nations, by
now a widely and fondly regarded
band influenced by the gusto
of Guided by Voices and the
pep of Superchunk. As with the
journalistic work he'd honed
since Carrie Nations broke up in
2005 (including contributions
to Flagpole). Gallant used music
as a tool to communicate across
communities.
"I don't write political songs
at all," says Gallant. "But they're
emotional, and that's the kind of
journalism I did—very emotional
writing in seme sense. I'm telling
the same types of stories: stories
about hardworking people or
people trying to get by."
While walking around AthFest
with Patrick Jennings of the
recently hiatus-ed Hot New
Mexicans. Gallant acquired a
sense of urgency to return to the
platform of musical performance.
The duo agreed to play the roles I
of mutual ass-kickers, egg! g on j
and encouraging one another's
new musical ventures by going on
a joint solo mini-tour, startina in
Athens inq ending the next day in the punk
r 3tellite citv of Chattanooqa.
"!'m eager to start playing out." Gallant
says; as of late, he’s been fine-tuning a proj
ect featuring Clancy on drums. "I have a lot
les<i inhibition than when I was playing in
punk bands, where I would be more afraid to
p.ay acoustically or by myself."
The operative theme here, of course, is one
of support: bringing the unity-based feel of
the DIY circuit out into the world at large and
taking chances—chances like opening a busi
ness on a lark.
Once my friends were into it, I was like,
OK. As long as I have some people to help me
out,'" says Clancy. "I have nothing to lose, you
know?"
Jeff Tobias
r— \
WHAT: Southern Vision Grand Opening
WHERE: Southern Vision, 766 W. Broad St
WHEN: Friday, July 8,8:30 p.m.
HOW MUCH: FREE!
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Call (706) 542-6881 for more information.
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