Athfest 2014

Having recently graduated, I have found myself back in Athens.  Though I still consider Athens my home, a lot has changed while I was away falling in love with the small town life and history of Milledgeville.  I was able to keep in touch with Athens through weekend visits and recent publications claiming its status as one of the south’s best kept secrets.  As I return and begin my adult life where I spent all of my adolescence and childhood, I hope to share my findings here so others may see what a magical the Classic City is.  

I can’t think of a better place to start this journey than with the annual Athfest music festival.  Originally started in 1997 to promote music coming out of Athens, Athfest has always been an important weekend for the community, as well as myself personally.  The glorious Pulaski Street stage is where I saw Perpetual Groove and Reptar play for the first time.  It’s where I, along with many others, celebrated the music the Modern Skirts had given us as they played their final show.

The Pulaski Street Stage, seated where Washington meets Pulaski, is where I spent most of Friday night.  My friends and I set up camp at Ted’s Most Best to enjoy Reptar, Family and Friends, and Judah and the Lion.  Not being too interested in battling crowds, Ted’s proved to be a great spot.  We were able to hear and see the bands, while enjoying refreshments in the form of Ted’s phenomenal sangria, $2 PBRs and, of course, King of Pops.

I ended the night at the Georgia Theatre for Dead Confederate.  This was just my third or fourth time in the theatre since their reopening in 2011, and I am still amazed by what an incredible building this is.  If you haven’t visited the gallery, located behind the upstairs bar, you really must.  This is my favorite spot and an amazing reminder of all of the history the Theatre holds.

I spent most of Saturday hopping from place to place with friends visiting from out of town.  At Little Kings I got the pleasure of seeing Life is a Flower, Life is a Gun (as well as enjoying a pick-up game of cornhole).  These guys are not to be missed.  They’re eclectic mix of instruments make for an amazing sound.  If you, like me, are a sucker for string instruments, this is a must listen.

Much of Saturday was built up around seeing Kishi Bashi that evening.  The once member of Of Montreal, Kaoru Ishibashi, graced Athens with his presence and did not disappoint.  NPR recently had his new album, Lightght, streaming and it was constantly filling the walls of my small Milledgeville apartment.  This album is perfect for a Sunday Summer Drive.

Further Reading--For more on Athens and the music scene check out these posts:

Treat Yo Self: Thrifty Finds in Athens, GA

Butch Walker at the 40 Watt

Birthday Weekend

Let's Move to Pasadena

Treat Yo Self Day: Thrifty Finds in Athens, GA

If you watch "Parks and Recreation" you know Treat Yo Self Day is a day in which you can treat yourself to absolutely whatever your heart desires.  There is no need to justify any actions taken on Treat Yo Self Day.  A couple of weeks ago, I was on fall break and going to be home alone all day, conditions were perfect for doing whatever I wanted.  I decided to spend the day downtown visiting a few of my favorite shops.

 

I started in Minx, a store best described as a "Blast from the Past."  Always filled with treasures, I find this a pleasant place to shop because of their organization and awesome deals (I've bought Lilly Pulitzer skirts here for $30 before).  Today I honed right in on their three large wooden crates filled with 60's Harlequin novels.  I chose to read an excerpt from The Emerald Cuckoo and quickly decided it must come home with me.  I'm already fully engulfed in Tracy and Lester's forbidden love affair.

                         

From here I went to Agora Vintage.  This was my first time in the store, recently opened by Agora's Airee Edwards, and it did not disappoint.  You walk in to find a wall of beautiful jewelry on one side of you and a wall of gorgeous purses on the other.  Walking in further, you will find racks of clothes in wonderful condition.  This store, filled with brands such as Gucci, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton, is a great addition to downtown Athens.  Seriously, if you've got some money burning a whole in your pocket, you should at least go see the beautiful tan Hermes Birkin bag they are currently housing.

Community is really like no store I've ever been in.  As their name suggests, they have a focus on local artists and craftsmen.  This is wonderful to have in a town, like Athens, that is filled with so much talent.  As well as jewelry, paper goods, art, and chocolates, all made locally, Community sells vintage and pre worn clothing, including their own line of clothing created in store.  They also offer sewing classes and alterations, making this the ultimate one stop shop for handmade goods.

Speaking of one stop shops, Junkman's Daughter's Brother is a mecca of gifts, home goods, costumes, and really just about anything.  The sister location of Junkman's Brother in Atlanta brings a taste of Little Five Points right into downtown Athens.  Junkman's has been around as long as I can remember and was one of my favorite places downtown to visit as a kid, though I know my mom cringed at my presence among some of their goods.  (She later took me on my 18th birthday so I could finally enter the infamous "Adults Only" section.)

Every time I walk into Dynamite I find something I need.  Not only is this a great place to find both men and women's vintage clothes and accessories.  It is one of the only places in Athens which carries American Apparel.  I often find myself shopping here for costume pieces, as well as great thrifty finds.

For lunch, I stopped at one of my favorite eateries for what has to be one of the least nutritious meals I have eaten recently.  Trappeze has the greatest pub atmosphere complete with a three page menu of draught beers.  Today I enjoyed a cheese plate with red dragon cheese and a side of fries with their divine garlic aoli dressing.  Remember, its Treat Yo Self Day and cheese and french fries are the nutritious equivalent of a dressingless Kale salad.  To drink, I had Red Hare Forbidden Fruit.  Because Trappeze has such a selection I like to try new things while I'm there.  I now know Red Hare is brewed in Georgia and they make awesome beers.  This is one of their seasonal brews and I predict I will spend the rest of the season finding somewhere that carries it.

After lunch, I went over to Hendershot's to get some work done.  This was my first time in their new location in Bottleworks and I really loved it.  They now have much more space and a full bar.  I hope to get their for a show sometime soon.  Wishing them luck in their new home!

Treat Yo Self Day ended with the grand finale that was Jimmy Fallon's Clean Cut Comedy Tour.  Stay tuned for more on this laugh filled night.

60's Harlequin Novel//Minx

Vintage Matchbooks and Double Dutch Tea Towel//Community

Mickey and Minnie Denim Shirt//Dynamite

Butch Walker at the 40 Watt 9/7/13

Last month, I found myself back in the 40 Watt, a venue I don't think I'd been in since high school.  The 40 Watt was originally opened in 1978 by Curtis Crowe who often joked the club was lit by a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling.  Since, the space has become a staple for Athens bands as well as more well known acts.  In high school, I saw The Whigs, The Modern Skirts, Fun., Band of Skulls, and Motion City Soundtrack play here, just to name a few.  Needless to say, I was very excited to be back there to add Butch Walker to this roster of acts.

Butch opened the show, just him and a keyboard, playing "Joan" and a couple of his heavier songs.  I was taken aback by this, that is sad material to start the night with.  But I quickly saw what he was doing.  By the time his band joined him on stage for "Mixtape," he had the whole crowd in the palm of his hand.  It stayed this way all night, people daring themselves to look away long enough to go to the bar. Granted, half of the crowd was before the social networking generation, but I felt like there was a minimal amount of cell phone use that night.  He played a wonderful high energy "Synthesizers" with pieces of "Come on Eileen" through out.  He covered bits of other songs including "Teenage Wasteland" and "The Ocean," joking that his younger band had never heard them before.  At the end of the night, he came into the crowd.  Everyone gathered around him waiting to see what he would do next.  The show ended with an amazing energy, everyone in the room experiencing a major endorphin release.  All-in-all it was an amazing show.  Now that I've seen Butch Walker once, I can't wait to see him perform again.  There's something about a group of people belting out songs like "Mixtape" and "She Likes Hair Bands" that warms my heart.  It is something everyone must experiences.

You can view the 40 Watt's full calendar here.

You can follow Butch Walker at Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Birthday Weekend

My twenty-second birthday was about a month ago and it turned out to be a wonderful long weekend of celebration.  It started Friday at the Buckhead Pub Crawl.  This particular pub crawl was in anticipation of the SEC/ACC football kick-off weekend.  We paid $15 for access to seven bars and a mixed drink at each.  I had never been out in Buckhead before and this was an awesome way to get a taste of most the bars in the area.

The next day I arrived back in Athens for lunch at one of my favorite spots, Last Resort.  I had crab cakes with a side salad drenched in their divine vidalia bacon dressing.  Of course, a trip downtown would not be complete without a stop at King of Pops.  Today I choose to with a new choice and had the coconut lemongrass, which did not disappoint.

We had people over to watch the first University of Georgia game of the season.  We may have just been tailgating at home, but we had a spread fit for kings: pimento cheese and curry chicken salad from Marti's at Midday, a Chick-Fil-A nugget tray, pizza dip, Mom's corn and pea salsa, and a heavenly red velvet cake.

One of my favorite gifts from my parents was my Mary Blair inspired Lesportsac weekender.  I have always loved Mary Blair's whimsical art and illustrations and this bag is the perfect tribute to her work.

We had a delicious seafood lunch at Marker 7.  If you haven't been yet, you must go.  You will feel as though you have been transported to the seaside by their Beach Boys heavy soundtrack and brightly colored decor.  The evening's activities included going to the new movie theatre to see "The Spectacular Now."  The movie was recently filmed in Athens, so we were very excited to see our home on the silver screen.  The movie was incredible.  I don't remember the last time one film caused me to feel so many different emotions.  People who have seen James Pondsolt's film, "Smashed," are familiar with his beautiful use of raw emotion, seen many times throughout "The Spectacular Now."  As a lover of young adult literature, I am now hoping to read Tim Tharp's novel which the movie is based on.

After the movie, we went downtown to Five Bar for dinner.  We started our meal with their delicious baked avocado, topped with baby shrimp and tempura flakes.  For my entree, I had the stuffed shrimp.  These shrimp come stuffed with crabmeat and wrapped in bacon.  They are served with a fresh greens salad topped with fruit, goat cheese and basalmic vinaigrette and their ever-changing risotto, tonight's being parmesan and eggplant.  Five is currently running a special on Sundays and serving their burger for $5.  This burger is topped with a mayo-based spread of tomatoes, onions, and bacon and served with french fries and their very own Five Sauce, a sort of wasabi honey mustard that I could happily eat on everything.

We came home to one of my favorite cakes in the world--Cecilia Villaveces' key lime cake.  My family has been ordering cakes from her bakery for years and they never disappoint.

Monday began leisurely by enjoying the "Arrested Development" marathon on IFC and a late sushi lunch at Sakura.  After lunch, we were craving something sweet so we went downtown to Always Baked.  Their homemade cookies come in a variety of Georgia themed flavors like Gregg Almond and, my personal favorite, the On My Mind.  Today we had ice cream sandwiches, two on my minds surrounding two scoops of cinnamon ice cream .  This is seriously the perfect sweet treat.

Upon the return to school, we began a celebration the Milledgeville way--with margaritas at El Tequila. I woke up on Tuesday (my actual birthday) to find a package from a package which contained what has quickly become my favorite item to wear around the house--Freudian Slippers!  They are the perfect mate to my "Freudian Sips" mug and I can't get over how thin my legs look in them.  If only I was the type of person who wears slippers outside of the house.

Celebration on Tuesday continued in usual Milledgeville fashion, with brunch at the Local Yolkal, dinner at Amici and karaoke at Buffington's.  Taylor Swift karaoke on your 22nd birthday may be one of the biggest cliches ever, but if just felt right.  My little sister even got to come and play for the night!

I don't know about you, but I actually am 22

Let's Move to Pasadena

It was the great Penny Lane who said "If you ever get lonely, just go to the record store and visit your friends."  Friendship is the perfect way to describe my relationship with the Modern Skirts.  I started listening and going to their shows in high school and they quickly became a piece of my home in Athens.  I often found myself starstruck upon seeing the band's members in local restaurants or making small talk with them in the frozen food section of Trader Joe's.  After I moved to Milledgeville for school they even came and played a couple of shows there, giving me the opportunity to introduce them to my new friends at school.  One of my favorites of these shows was an intimate acoustic set in the then open Jittery Joe's (another piece of home I was happy to find away at school).  I was saddened to hear of their time coming to an end, but happy to keep the memories I did have with the band, whether it be their last show at this year's Athfest or driving on a sunny day singing all of the words to "My Lost Soprano" with my roommate.

2011 Show in the Milledgeville Jittery Joe's

Final show at this year's Athfest