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for all ages. 11 a.m. FREE! www.
treehousekidandcraft.com
KIDSTUFF: Tween Book Club
(Oconee County Library) This
month’s book is Winterfrost by
Michelle Houts. Attendees will
make Danish holiday crafts and
enjoy a traditional Scandinavian
winter snack. Copies will be avail
able for checkout at the front desk.
Ages 9—'12 years. 4:30 p.m. FREE!
www.athenslibrary.org/oconee
KIDSTUFF: Dungeons & Dragons
(Oconee County Library) All skill
levels are welcome, and DMs are
encouraged to join this one-shot
interactive game. Grades 6-12. 6-8
p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/
oconee
LECTURES & LIT: Third Monday
Book Club (Oconee County
Library) This month there will be a
cookie party and book swap. Meets
the third Monday of the month, and
new members are always welcome.
7 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.
org/oconee
Tuesday 20
ART: Cozy Craft Night: Fiber Arts
(ACC Library) Teens and adults
are invited to share warm drinks,
snacks and fun fiber arts. Bring a
project you’re currently working
on or start something new with
provided materials. 6-8 p.m. FREE!
www.athenslibrary.org
COMEDY: Open Toad Comedy
Night (Flicker Theatre & Bar)
Comedy performed by a mix of
newcomers and local favorites from
Athens and Atlanta. 9 p.m. (doors).
$7. www.flickertheatreandbar.com
EVENTS: Boulevard Brass Band
(595 Nantahala Ave.) Bring your
band instrument, meet outdoors
and rehearse songs simple enough
for beginners and open to impro
visation for more advanced musi
cians. Every Tuesday, 6-8 p.m.
FREE! calclements@gmail.com
EVENTS: No Phone Party (Hen-
dershot’s) Disconnect to connect
with a phone-free, laptop-free
happy hour featuring drink specials,
snacks, games and a record player.
Every Tuesday, 6-9 p.m. www.
hendershotsathens.com
KIDSTUFF: Oconee County Library
Storytime (Oconee County Library)
Join Ms. Carley for songs, stories
and crafts. For ages birth to 5
years and their caregivers. 10:30
a.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/
oconee
KIDSTUFF: Growing Readers
(Oconee County Library) Enjoy a
read-aloud story followed by activ
ities such as sensory bins, crafts
and play dough stations. Ages 5-9.
4:30 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.
org/oconee
SPORTS: Classic City Petanque
Club (Lay Park Community Center)
New players welcome. Scheduled
play days are Tuesdays, Thursdays
and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. www.
athenspetanque.org
ART: Tour at Two (Georgia Museum
of Art) These drop-in public tours
feature highlights of the permanent
collection and are led by museum
docents. 2 p.m. FREE! www.georgia
museum.org
CLASSES: Salsa Dance Class
(Cloud) Join SALSAthens for
Cuban-style salsa dance classes.
No partner necessary and beginners
welcome. 7-8 p.m. $10. www.
facebook.com/salsaathens
COMEDY: Gorgeous George’s
Improv League (Buvez) Come
out for some home-grown townie
improv. Bring some interesting
suggestions and a loose funny bone
to help create some improv magic
on the spot. Every Wednesday, 7
p.m. $5 suggested donation, www.
flyingsquidcomedy.com
EVENTS: R. Wood Studio Solstice
Sale (R. Wood Studio) Kick off
the official beginning of the winter
season with candlelit shopping. In
addition to handmade pottery in
a variety of rich glazes, the event
will offer locally-crafted stocking
stutters, linens, beeswax candles,
home goods, curated gift boxes and
gourmet Southern pantry items.
Dec. 21,10 a.m.-7 p.m FREE!
www.rwoodstudio.com
EVENTS: Project.Safe.Christmas
(VFW (Post 2872)) Attend a joyous
holiday concert featuring perfor
mances from talent such as The
Priestie Boys, Andreana Williams,
Tommy Jordan and many more.
There will also be a silent auction,
dinner and desserts (including
vegan option) provided by Tricia’s
Office. 7-9 p.m. $10. www.project-
safe.org
FILM: Wednesday Cozy Movie
Night (Athentic Brewing Co.) Bring
a comfy blanket, your favorite
snacks and cuddle up for a night of
holiday classics. 7-9 p.m. FREE!
www.athenticbrewing.com
FILM: Aces Go Places 3 (Flicker
Theatre & Bar) Screening of the
1984 film about a master thief
who is duped into stealing the Star
of Fortune, but when the scam is
revealed, he must help the police
recover it. 7 p.m. www.fiickertheatre
andbar.com
GAMES: A Christmas Story Movie
Trivia (B&B Theatres) Teams of
2-6 will go head-to-head on theirAf
Christmas Story movie knowledge
with Quizmaster David. The winner
will receive a B&B Theatres gift
card. 7:30 p.m. www.facebook.
com/bbathens12
KIDSTUFF: Winter Kick-Ofl (Sandy
Creek Nature Center) Drop off your
kids, while you attend to last minute
holiday errands, to explore the win
ter woods and enjoy time outside.
Ages 4-12. Registration required.
10 a.m.-12 p.m. $6, $9 (non-resi
dent). www.acc.gov
KIDSTUFF: Oconee County Library
Storytime (Oconee County Library)
Join Ms. Carley for songs, stories
and crafts. For ages birth to 5
years and their caregivers. 10:30
a.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/
oconee
KIDSTUFF: Library Crafternoon
(Oconee County Library) Drop by
the children's area for crafts and
plenty of fun. All materials sup
plied, all ages welcome. 3:30-5:30
p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/
oconee
KIDSTUFF: There’s Snow-Place
Like Home Holiday Extrava
ganza (Oconee County Library)
Craft a giant snowflake, snow globe,
DIY hot chocolate bar and winter
village. Bake and decorate snow-
themed cookies with a plushie
snowball fight concluding the night.
Wearing a winter hat enters you into
a prize drawing. Grades 6-12. 6-8
p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/
oconee
KIDSTUFF: Pajama Storytime
(Oconee County Library) Wear your
coziest PJs and join Ms. Carley for
bedtime stories and a snack. Ages
5 & under. 7 p.m. FREE! www.
athenslibrary.org/oconee
Down the Line
12/22 Classic City Petanque Club
(Lay Park Community Center)
12/22 Lego Club (Oconee County
Library) ©
EH> threats & promises
Robert Schneider’s Songs for Other Worlds
PLUS, MORE MUSIC NEWS AND GOSSIP
By Gordon Lamb threatsandpromises@flagpole.com
YEAR-END REPRISE: There’s a new two-song release from
Derek Almstead (Faster Circuits, Olivia Tremor Control),
who released his debut solo EP, Boxes, in March. These new
songs are a departure from the sounds of the EP, which
were largely a comfortable blend of psych and indie pop
similar to mixing, say, Belle & Sebastian with The Free
Design. Instead, Almstead leans more into heavier synth
sounds on “Suspended Animation” and then into soulful
new wave on “All This Time I Played
The Beast,” which would not be out
of place performed by Blondie or
Sade, and at certain points even
reminded me of “Driver’s Seat” by
Sniff ‘n’ the Tears. Each song fea
tures vocals by Emily Growden
(Faster Circuits) in the lead, and this
is a very nice addition. Find this over
at derekalmstead.bandcamp.com.
EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS WILL HAPPEN
TODAY: Robert Schneider (Apples
In Stereo, Obligatory Refractions) is
just about the most effusively kind
human being you could ever meet.
So, it makes complete sense that the
liner notes to his new album—in
which he discusses some rather
complex math while describing his
journey toward creating his own
“mathematically defined ‘non-Py
thagorean’ musical scale”—are as
conversational and layman-friendly
as possible. The album, Songs For
Other Worlds, is a 14-track record,
and each piece sounds exactly like that. Or, rather, what I
imagine they should sound like. Functionally (i.e. as a lis
tening experience), this swings from the pleasant (“Space
Song of the Blue Sky”) to the decidedly not so (“Suspended
Animation”). Schneider handles all the instrumentation
and, indeed, the album notes credit him with “sine waves,
synthesizer, re-tuned kalimba while standing in the ocean
at night.” Please keep in mind that this is decidedly not easy
listening. Nor, however, is it aggressively off-putting. In all
honesty, it’s there for you to experience, and what you take
from that will vary possibly even within the same listening
session. This is released courtesy of Cloud Recordings and
can be found at cloudrecordings.bandcamp.com.
PEOPLE TAKE PICTURES OF EACH OTHER: Practically right on the
heels of releasing the album Somewhere Sideways Same As
You, Drew Beskin & The Sunshine have upped its own
ante. On Dec. 16 the group releases a one-off single where
it covers The Kinks’ beautiful 1967 song “Waterloo Sunset.”
While its performance is more jumped-up than the original
and the guitars are more pronounced, there’s an obvious
effort to give this tune its due. Still, though, it’s an enor
mous challenge tackling something like this, if not from a
musical perspective then certainly a cultural one. Not only
is it among the most revered signature songs of composer
Ray Davies—imagine someone attempting to cover with
any degree of confidence “Stairway To Heaven” or similar—
it’s also geographically and experientially specific. Find this
and spin for yourself over at drew-
beskin.bandcamp.com.
GATHER TOGETHER: On Wednesday,
Dec. 21 a holiday benefit show
for Project Safe will happen at
the VFW (835 Sunset Dr.) at 7
p.m. Admission is $10. The event,
appropriately titled Project.Safe.
Christmas will feature vocal
performances from The Priestie
Boys, Reginald Willis and Eric
Johnson (both of The Athens
Voices of Truth), Claire Campbell
(Hope for Agoldensummer),
Andreana Williams, Todd Burton
and Tommy Jordan. Live musi
cal accompaniment is courtesy
of Micah Lewis, Mindy Towe,
Sally Coenen and Dick Daniels.
Attendees should expect a “spirited
show of classics, choral music, and
some singalongs.” The masters of
ceremony are Alzena Johnson and
Shawanda Johnson. Dinner and
desserts will be sold courtesy of
Tricia’s Office. For more information, please see facebook.
com/PrjectSafelnc.
TAKEN BY STORM: At long last, the vinyl LP of Monsoon’s lat
est album Ghost Party is available. However, due to being a
limited edition of 300, and the fact that it’s been on sale for
about a week, it’s likely very close to selling out. If you’re
interested, then run your stubby little fingers direct to
monsoonband.bandcamp.com and hop on it.
STUBBA HUBBA: Tickets are on sale now for the 2023
HeAthens Homecoming from the Drive-By Truckers.
This annual multi-night stand at the 40 Watt Club is basi
cally ground zero for the most ardent of Truckers fans and
is a regular pilgrimage for many. The 2023 run is happening
a little later this time around and will occur Wednesday,
Mar. 29-Saturday, Apr. 1. These shows will absolutely sell
out—even at the going price of $50 per ticket—so don’t be
caught wanting, cowboy. Head to 40watt.com, and grab you
some. ©
nasal!] mMu
Elite Tha Showstoppa: Everyday Of The Year (Independent) Local trailblazer
Elite Tha Showstoppa released a Christmas EP this season, using the five tracks
to showcase his versatility as a hip-hop, soul and R&B artist. The “Christmas”
theme itself is known for spanning emotions from jolly to melancholy, and Elite
traverses it all in a short amount of time. Title track “Everyday Of The Year” opens
with an upbeat, energetic tune carried by a keyboard with Elite rapping about win
tertime scenes and singing a chorus about spreading love. There’s an immediate
transition to a slower, darker theme, yet still carried by the keyboard, in “Be Kind”
that matches the message of slowing down. Then “Someday At Christmas” is the
most hip-hop heavy track carrying a playful tune with a head nod flow. Because
you can’t have a Christmas tape without a song touching on wintertime romance, “Under My Mistletoe” fills that order
with a lovely and smooth horn-driven outro. The EP closes with a soulful hymn featuring Andreana Williams that’s
uplifting and peaceful. Before digitally uploading the EP, Elite started with an “old fashioned” CD release inspired by
his mother, so physical copies are available for your classic Christmas needs. [Sam Lipkin]
DECEMBER 14, 2022- FLAGPOLE.COM 15