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GABE VODICKA
EEH> feature
New Year’s Noise
GO BAR GOES OUT WITH A BANG, AND MORE SHOWS TO SEE
ByGabe Vodicka music@flagpole.com
N ew Year’s Eve 2019 may fall on a
Tuesday—that least partiest of
nights—but there’s still a lot of live music
leading up to the advent of 2020, starting
with nearly a week of shows at a venue in
transition: Prince Avenue haunt Go Bar,
which will close Jan. 1 to begin a journey
from nightclub to eating establishment.
Go Bar will open with a new name
and a new look in spring or summer, says
co-owner Tom Hedger. Plans include adding
a kitchen and outdoor dining area and end
ing the late-night events that have made
the bar a sleazy-chic haven for Athens’ club
crawlers and night owls for the past 20
years.
Hedger announced the change in an Oct.
10 Facebook post, in which he thanked
“all of our wonderful customers, countless
bands, DJs, and performers who have come
through our doors and helped provide all of
the years of freaky, funky fun.”
Hedger—who, at age 49, can be found
pouring drinks most nights until last call—
says the decision to end late-night oper
ations was based on several factors, chief
among them sheer burnout. As he jokingly
explains, the change sprang from a desire
to “figure out a way to age gracefully in the
nightclub business.”
However, one aspect of the new model
has been a dream for some time. “We’ve
always wanted to put a kitchen in that
space,” says Hedger, but the building’s tiny
footprint meant that the current stage and
performance area took up much of the nec
essary square footage.
Hedger points to the mixed-use devel
opment going up in the former St. Joseph
church property across the street from Go
Bar as another reason for curtailing loud,
late-night shows, citing
past complaints from
residential neighbors.
The development will
include 126 apartments,
as well as a Piggly Wiggly
grocery store, a restau
rant and other commer
cial space.
The Go Bar news has
elicited a mixed reaction
from the local creative
community, specifically
those in the experimen
tal music scene, which
has found a home there
in recent years due to the
venue’s anything-goes
booking policy. “Happy
for y’all to be making the right changes
for you, but sad for live freaky music to be
more and more irrelevant to people,” read
one comment on Hedger’s Facebook post.
Hedger says he sympathizes with that
sentiment and appreciates what Go Bar has
meant to Athens, but after two decades of
decadence, it’s time for something different.
“It’s a very bittersweet thing,” he says.
To mark the end of an era, leading up
to Dec. 31, the venue will host a series of
shows from some of its closest friends and
allies. On Thursday, Dec. 26, Dr. Fred will
host the last edition (for now) of his weekly
karaoke event, while Friday sees perfor
mances from Dead Neighbors, Wieuca, Free
Ride and DJ Mahogany. Saturday’s action
kicks off at 5 p.m. and features no fewer
than 12 acts, including Frank Hurricane,
Calico Vision, Thrum, Sad Dads and more.
On Monday, Dec. 30, Madeline and Nana
Grizol play their annual homecoming dou
ble bill, and New Year’s Eve features the
dance-tastic D J lineup of Immuzikation,
Twin Powers, Mahogany and Fog Juice. See
The Calendar on p. 10 for complete listings.
Five more shows to check out:
Hayride
Friday, Dec. 27 @ Georgia Theatre
Long-running local rock trio Hayride
hosts its seventh annual Hayride Holiday
Party with support from fellow OGs
Donkey Punch and more recent punk faves
Monsoon. It’s a rare townie throwdown on
the Theatre’s main stage, so get those tall
boys ready.
Saturday, Dec. 28 @ 40 Watt Club
Still going strong after more than three
decades, acclaimed Atlanta hard-rock crew
Drivin’ N Cryin’ sounds newly invigorated
on Live the Love Beautiful, its latest studio
album, released in summer.
Saturday, Dec. 28 @ The Foundry
Another local tradition returns to The
Foundry, as Randall Bramblett hosts his
annual holiday performance with his ace
backing band in tow. Bramblett deftly
blends old and new Athens with his rootsy,
genre-spanning work.
Flynt Flossy & Turquoise Jeep
Saturday, Dec. 28 @ Caledonia Lounge
A viral internet sensation that just won’t
quit, Flynt Flossy and the eclectic Turquoise
Jeep crew channeled “Tim and Eric” energy
on early singles like “Lemme Smang It.”
It’s good, mindless fun for letting loose
post-Christmas.
Monday, Dec. 30 & Tuesday, Dec. 31 @
Georgia Theatre
South Carolina guitarist Marcus King
brings his buzzy brand of bluesy Southern
rock to the Theatre each of the last two
nights of 2019, with an upcoming debut
solo LP, the Dan Auerbach-produced El
Dorado, on the way in January. ©
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DECEMBER 25, 2019 & JANUARY 1, 2020 | FLAGPOLE.COM 9