Sounds ran rampant in front of music fiends of all ages on the Uptown streets of Athens last Saturday night at the eighth annual Athens Music Festival. The preview of the upcoming school year's notable music scene drew a large contingent of musicians and fans.
We haven't had much of a chance to play (shows) in the summer
said Mike Healy, drummer for the band Papadosio and a music production and performance major at Hocking College. I'm really excited for the school year. We're going to try to play as many shows as possible and build up a bigger following.
The festival, organized by Scott Winland, featured 40 bands from the Athens area playing in nine venues. The event cost $10 for an all-access blue bracelet or $5 per venue and benefited the Appalachian Community Visiting Nurses Association Hospice and Health Services.
From a business standpoint this is the best night of the summer said Brad Clark, booking manager at O'Hooley's Pub and Brewery, 24 W. Union St.
Performances kicked off at 4 p.m. at The Front Room in Baker Student Center and featured various acoustic acts. The festival came to an end at 2 a.m.
Early in the evening, a crowd gathered in the back room of Donkey Coffee & Espresso, 17 1/2 W. Washington, to hear local musician Jake Householder, who occasionally intertwined his solo acoustic set with the foreboding whine of his harmonica.
I'm going to play songs that are slow
introspective and thoughtful
Householder told the audience. Hopefully they won't put you to sleep.
Across town at O'Hooley's, Men of Gentle Birth ripped through a set of hard, fast-paced rock 'n' roll laced with plenty of distortion and feedback.
The band, equipped with three guitarists, one bassist and two drummers, created an ear-piercing wall of sound accompanied by an engagingly destructive stage presence. At the end of their set, the group knocked over a mic stand and shoved their drums to the side.
They came out nice and easy
said Jim Fike, a professor of art photography at Ohio University who was watching the show. But they hit some sandpaper towards the end.
Following Men of Gentle Birth was a set by the two-member band Kitten Fister, known for its bizarre stage show and freewheeling antics. Lead singer and bass player Brad Clark who goes by the moniker 'Beace,' was clad in a lion costume and was accompanied by drummer and back-up singer Scottie Fortmeyer.
It's good to see intellectual and diverse bands
said OU graduate student Todd McGill. I bet that suit's hot.
Papadosio, who plays their own version of progressive jam band music infused with electronica, entertained a shoulder-to-shoulder audience at the Casa Cantina, 4 W. State St.
They're the best live show in Athens
said Andrew Schwartz, a junior plant biology major. I can't wait for more shows from these guys
and if there's this many people here now
wait until school.
