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ATHENS
m the few days since Craig Lieske
passed, reportedly from an aneury-
ism, on Friday, Jan. 19, some of the most
telling things said have been from those who
knew him the least. Nearly invariably, these
oral tributes have been along the lines of "I
didn't know him that well, but I was always
impressed by his knowledge/generosity/
friendliness." The point of mentioning this, of
course, is that if our Craig was so unassum
ingly able to touch those who barely knew
him, how much more was his presence felt
among those who were closest to him?
I first met Craig in the mid-1990s. He'd
moved to Athens in 1984 and graduated from
Clarke Central High School. Our first conversa
tions were about???what else????Athens music
history. A couple of years later he founded
Garbage Island, and that's when I really got
to know him. (Hell, the band rehearsed in
my living room.) I never got to perform with
him, though, until we were serendipitously
paired up to perform at one of the 40 Watt's
"Face/Off' events in September
of 2008. By this time, Craig had |=
known heavy, life-altering loss, 3
and had battled his own demons ^
for a long while. But he was =-
about to enter one of his bright- #
est periods. JL
By all accounts, Craig was |
at his best the past few years. 1
His road gig with the Drive-By
Truckers was a way for him to
work to the best of his ability
in an area where he could truly
excel, and also to be with close
friends every day. He was in
a wonderfully loving relation
ship with his girlfriend, Melinda
Cook, and those of us who had
known him for a long time had
never seen him happier or more
content. He was, it seemed, at
peace.
There is no set of words that
can sum up Craig's life. No list
of achievements to neatly tie up
loose ends; no list of friends by
which to measure his worth. We
each have our own story that we
wrote with him, and as we pay
tribute this week, let's listen to
each other. Let's hear each other's tales, laugh
and cry and hug and, above all, listen.
Let's remember how significantly a person
can be touched by even the tiniest of our
kindnesses. And then, let's be kind. Let's all
be more like Craig.
Gordon Lamb
I specifically remember one of our first
shows at the 40 Watt, where the France
had the bright idea of erecting a curtain to
hang in front of the stage to hide us from
the crowd. We made this gigantic monstros
ity out of PVC pipe and bedsheets, and it
could not have been more annoying. To add
to the obnoxious factor, we didn't tell the
club or sound guys we were doing it until 10
minutes before we went on. Without protest,
Craig helped us put it up. Then, as this thing
came crashing down in the middle of the first
song, taking out microphones and completely
covering everything, Craig came running out
on stage and pulled it apart around us so we
could continue playing. After the show, he
could have easily chewed us out and banned
our early-20s-naive-moronic asses from the
club. Instead, I remember him coming straight
up to me as soon as we finished playing and
saying, "You guys are idiots," with a huge
smile. At the time, the gravity of how rad that
moment was was lost on me. R.I.P. to a truly
wonderful human.
DJ Hammond
Lately I've been thinking of the idea that
we're all external hard drives for each other.
When one pathway is a bit hazy, call on a
friend to set things clear. Craig Lieske was a
fellow wanderer, wonderer, and a very reliable
arbiter of Athenian pursuits, and of the wider
world (which he traveled so you wouldn't
have to): someone I looked to as a measure of
our progress, personally and communally... I
played music with him in many configurations,
from a big band to an intimate one-on-one.
We laughed about art and tried to laugh about
politics. Craig endured the painful death of his
wife Janet. He found love anew with Melinda;
our hearts break for her. He invited me to
take a load off at Avid, any time. "Seriously,"
he said, "come over during your break. We'll
discuss things." I did, but not often enough. I
love you, Craig.
Killick Hinds
Craig Lieske was, and is, an awesome
dude. We haunted the same bars for years,
and it was an honor to get to know him. He
had a toughness and tolerance for the long
hours and late nights of that scene that I
could never, ever match, and he always had a
kind word for me. I feel like the west end of
Washington Street might up and blow away
without him there to hold it down.
Andy Rusk
When I found out, I immediately wanted
to listen to him play. Thinking about him
rocking around in his chair, hovering over his
guitar, shredding, making a beautiful ruckus,
laughing out loud. I am thankful to Sloan
[Simpson] for recording so many of his shows
and so much of his laughter... it's all in there.
In the corners. Such magic stuff.
Heather McIntosh
There is a hole in Athens' heart that could
only be filled by Craig. That "throw his back"
laugh will forever make me smile, and his gen
uine presence will never be forgotten. Here's
to you, Craig. We love you.
Chance Bracewell
I always appreciated his blunt honesty,
hilarious wit and love for a very wide range
of music. I could mention some Brahms thing
and he would be aware of it, or that I thought
I might have detected a tape edit somewhere
on Monk's Brilliant Corners album, and his eyes
would light up suddenly as he would respond:
"Really? You think that's edited?" Bereft of
cynicism, full of curiosity. I also enjoyed
watching him shred at the Georgia Theatre
on his guitar in a duet with an equally fine
drummer whose name unfortunately escapes
me. I always think of him when I hear tracks
from Interstellar Space because of that, and I
sincerely hope he is out there in Heaven right
now, grooving on Saturn, Jupiter, Joy and
Peace.
Brent Cash
When I was still 'on the scene' in Athens,
I was lucky enough to have many wonderful
chance encounters and conversations with
Craig. It always seemed to me that his goal
in our talks was to encourage me and make
me feel good about myself. He always focused
our talks on me and not himself, even when I
really had nothing much to say and he was the
one who had the truly interesting life, with all
of his musical projects, etc. At the end of the
evening, when I went home and laid my head
on the pillow, it was his kind words and infec
tious smile that I would remember. I came to
think of him as the angel in the movie It's A
Wonderful Life. That's how I remember him,
and I miss him badly. I loved Craig and hope
to see him again someday. Thank God for Craig
Lieske.
Chip Shirley
A few years ago, I was smack in the middle
of a very long tour, and was feeling very
homesick on a day off in Boise. I rounded a
corner on a stroll downtown, and very nearly
ran smack into one Mr. Craig Lieske. (DBT had
a day off, too.) Anyway, I can count the times
that I've ever been that glad to see someone.
It was as if the spirit of Athens appeared to
me when I needed it most. I'll miss you so
much, buddy. Hope to run into you unexpect
edly again someday.
Dottie Alexander
Craig and I graduated from Clarke Central
together, and it was many years later at
Flicker that we recognized each other. He
always spoke to me, asking me
how I was???genuinely friendly. A
few weeks ago, we stood outside
Low Yo Yo and I shared some sad
news about my life. He was very
empathetic, and told me about
a similar loss he'd experienced.
That moment has stayed with me
since. A hardworking, kind man
who took time to be truly present
with whomever he was talking to.
Peace to your family, Craig.
Amy West
When I moved to Athens in
the mid-'90s, Craig Lieske was
one of the first people I played
music with. I was bowled over by
his intuitive musicianship, unique
guitar sound and the effortless
ness of his improvisational play
ing. His approach to guitar was
much like his personality: humble
but self-assured, self-contained
but welcoming to collaboration,
grounded but capable of soaring
to great heights... When I came
back to town in 2007, I was
happy to see him standing on
that familiar patch of concrete
between Flicker and the 40 Watt???it was as if
our conversation had never paused.
Craig was always enthusiastic about his
projects... He spoke of each new project with
the same infectious energy and creativity.
Notably, he always followed up by asking what
was new or on the horizon with me, and that
same enthusiasm and sense of support was
there as I spoke. I'll miss so much about him:
his humor and dry wit, his playing and his
generous spirit. I am truly grateful and privi
leged to have had a friend and musical col
laborator like Craig for this all-too-brief time.
John Barner
Wasn't the manager of the big rock club
supposed to be a jerk? Wasn't the local John
Zorn freak supposed to be a snob? Wasn't the
improv maestro supposed to be alienating?
Craig Lieske drove, like a bull, in direct oppo
sition to all of these stereotypes. As manager
of the 40 Watt for many years, he lorded over
his minions as a benevolent dictator, quick
12 FLAGP0LE.C0M-JANUARY 23, 2013