The Post-Greek Life Fashion Girl went to the Secret Squirrel for the first time with a
Mercer West Acolyte. Suffice to say, this is the girl who ends up spreading rumors
that there is an after-party at the Squirrel that in fact, isn’t.
entry-levelers and marginals piecing together vintage get-ups
of conflicting decades from their local thrift/ Salvation Army,
a studied eye can tell the difference between, say, the preten
tious academic hipster wearing tweed and wielding obscure
Hegel books in German and young hipster dudes in cut-offs.
They are also clean-cut, post-Greek life "Vampire Weekend
Bros," acolytes of local musician/promoter Mercer West,
acolytes of local musician Christopher Grimmett, acolytes of
one-time local video director Jason Miller—in other words,
bros with video-cameras, kids who live in Addieville, American
Apparel Models, gauged-out Ex-Myspace Scenesters and cute
girls with less than flattering "liberated" pixie haircuts.
OVERHEARD IN ATHENS:
"I'm really good friends with Reptar."
"I'm just really proud that at WUOG we have a music philoso
phy, unlike Georgia State."
"Oh, you like this? I got it from Urban Outfitters."
FAVORITE BANDS: Whatever is Pitchfork's "Best New Music."
CLOTHING: Anything from Urban Outfitters, Free People or
Anthropologie. American Apparel band t-shirts and
hoodies, WUOG t-shirts, skinny jeans (slightly cuffed),
thrift store cardigans, Keds, plaid, maxi skirts.
CONCLUSION: For the Athens Hipster Youth, the past is the
future, as uniforms of sub-cultures past are mixed into a
hodgepodge that lacks the aggression, anxiety and context
of the original, in exchange for a shallow mixture of ennui
and a lack of invention.
TOWNIE
A Townie is someone who either is from Athens, stayed in
Athens after graduating from the University of Georgia, or a
hipster who goes to Gainesville State. To the untrained eye,
a Townie is completely indistinguishable from your average,
everyday hipster, but a Townie can easily be distinguished
by either their jaded "Athens hasn't been good since R.E.M./
Widespread/Orange Twin" pose, or their unrealistically excited
"Athens is Austin" attitude. Of course, Athens has
much for the liberal-minded creative professional:
with cheap rent, a world-class music scene and a
yearly replenishment of beautiful young men and
women—as often quoted, "big-city culture in a
small town"—there's no wonder why people stick
around.
Another way to discern a Townie from the Hipster
Youth is from "used to be cool" trend tattoos like
stars, cupcakes, koi fish/lotus flower/bonsai tree
Japanese scenes, or the dead give away: a fake mus
tache on the pointer finger. In general, if he/she
has more than one tattoo, he/she is likely a Townie.
And if the person has stinky in front of his name, a
la "Stinky Steve," he's definitely a townie. Truth is,
an Athens Townie is what the Athens Hipster Youth
becomes after three to five years out of college.
OTHER VARIETIES OF TOWNIE: The Horny Bald Gay
Dude, the Frontman Who Started an Electro/DJ "Side
Project," Dita Von Teese Wannabes, Rollergirls, Sassy
Hairstylists, the "I am the last punk kid in Athens"
Kid, Jeff Tobias, the Buddy Holly Bro, Girls with
Zooey Deschanel Haircuts, Mustachioed Bro, Girls
with Asymmetrical Haircuts That Block Stage Sight
lines, Homely Grandmas and Spillage Train Crusties.
CLOTHING: Black square-framed glasses, facial/
neck tattoos, sleeves, scooter helmets, thrintage,
Wrangler denim shirts, plaid, Red Wing boots.
Doc Martens.
WORKS AT: Local institutions like The Grit, The Grill,
Five & Ten, Farm 255, The National, 40 Watt Club or
Caledonia Lounge. Gets beer money by contributing
to Flagpole.
BRAGS ABOUT: The Four Coursemen, being the roadie
for Drive-By Truckers/of Montreal, being in Athens
when "shit was real," how popular their now-defunct
band used to be, going to SXSW.
FAVORITE BANDS: Old shit.
LIVES: In the Boulevard area.
OVERHEARD IN ATHENS:
"You coming to DeVille?"
"After-party on Barber Street!"
"I'm so tired of this town."
"DJ Mahogany is DJ-ing..."
"Come to my show!"
CONCLUSION: For the Athens Townie, the past is the
future, as nostalgia for bygone "golden ages"—be
it for their once white-hot buzz bands, for their
anything-is-possible college years, or for the city itself—
informs their world-view today.
Christopher Joshua Benton
The Been-there-done-that Frontman who used to live in Bushwick,
Brooklyn always is with the most beautiful Sassy Hairstylist in town.
She also plays bass in his jangle-pop band.
BREAKFAST
LUNCH
DINNER
WEEKEND BRUNCH
BEER & WINE
706.354.7901
Corner of Chase and Boulevard
Ft heirloomathens.com Q
YOUR NEIGHBORS
YOUR FARMERS
YOUR FOOD
*******************
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
MENS ft WOMENS
VINTAGE, RECYCLED *
ft NEW CLOTHING AND *
VINTAGE ACCESSORIES ★
h. ★
★
OPEN EVERY DAY
1E:30-6PM
WE
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
★
Between Broad & Clayton, Across from Toppers if
FASHION!
T43 N. JACKSON ST.
DOWNTOWN
* ******************
'\
Strand Hair Studio
5 Points
michael
Mon-Sat 706.549.8074
AUGUST 17,2011 • FLAGPOLE.COM 21
