POSTED: Wednesday, July 7, 2010, 4:05 PM
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| Allison Weiss & The Way She Likes It |
AthFest 2010 @ various venues, Athens, Ga., June 24-27
words by M.J. Fine | photos by Chris Sikich
Held every year in late June, Athfest crams more than 150 bands into four days of wall-to-wall music. It kicked off Thursday night with awards bestowed by
Flagpole, the local alternative newsweekly, and the awesomeness kicked in early at the awards show with hot mini-sets from
Los Meesfits, a salsafied Misfits cover band, and
Elite tha Showstoppa, a rapper who didn't let a recent heart attack keep him down. There are too many acts for any two people to take in, but here are 10 of our favorite sights and sounds:
Allison Weiss & The Way She Likes It: Quirky pop tunesmith Allison Weiss is leaving Athens for New York to pursue her dreams of rock domination, but not before collecting a Flagpole Award for Best Solo Performer and holding an impromptu dance contest during her sweaty outdoor set. We'd all be better off if Weiss got her way.
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| photo by Chris Sikich |
| Flash to Bang Time |
Flash to Bang Time: After last year's staid performance at the Melting Point, Lynda Stipe and crew blew our minds this year at Ciné. Moving lights, bright films and polarized glasses made the show feel like an acid trip – not that we'd know – and the band's guitar explorations took flight in a way they hadn't before.
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| photo by Chris Sikich |
| Hope for Agoldensummer |
Hope for Agoldensummer: Flicker seemed like too small a venue to accommodate everyone who wanted to hear the rustic hymns of Hope for Agoldensummer, but the show went off without a hitch. Sisters Claire and Paige Campbell provided ice pops to cool off the crowd, and their heavenly harmonies took care of the rest.
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| photo by Chris Sikich |
| Casper & The Cookies |
Casper & The Cookies: Loaded with more makeup than could have possibly been comfortable in the Georgia heat, Casper & The Cookies did their own thing while hewing to the fundamental rule of Athens bands: Be poppy enough to hook the audience and weird enough to make them stay.
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| photo by Chris Sikich |
| The Orkids |
The Orkids: There were plenty of bands to check out if you were looking for originality and experimentation, but sometimes it's enough to rock out while the afternoon sun melts your brain. In that respect, The Orkids did not disappoint.
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| photo by Chris Sikich |
| Supercluster |
Supercluster: A supergroup in the best sense of the word, Supercluster draws its members from several generations of Athens musicians. It's hard to single out just one from the mighty collective, but Elephant 6 mainstay John Fernandes always comes up with something interesting, whatever instrument happens to be in his hand, and beloved former Pylon singer Vanessa Briscoe Hay blows our minds all over again.
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| photo by Chris Sikich |
| Henry Barbe |
Henry Barbe: The teenage son of local performer-producer David Barbe came off as shy during a showcase at Nuçi's, but considering how many sounds he coaxed out of a three-string acoustic guitar, it's only a matter of time before his confidence catches up with his talent.
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| photo by Chris Sikich |
| John Keane and Nathan Sheppard Present DéjàVu |
John Keane and Nathan Sheppard Present DéjàVu: John Keane, R.E.M.'s hometown producer, led a crack band through a warm tribute to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's classic first album, plus bonuses like "Ohio" and "Love the One You're With." The adoring crowd that filled the Melting Point skewed older, but not more mature.
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| photo by Chris Sikich |
| Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs |
Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs: She's been plying her craft for much longer than some of Athfest's other standouts, but Holly Golightly's one of Athens' newest residents, and her set was among the most hotly anticipated. She and Lawyer Dave did their level best to entertain rockabilly fans, girl-group aficionados and naughty children.
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| photo by Chris Sikich |
| Cracker |
Cracker: They're not technically an Athens band, but Cracker's got enough ties to the town to count them as one every couple of years at Athfest. With only nod to last year's unjustly ignored
Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey, they blasted through the hits and ended the festival on a high note.
