Make sure the chompers are sharp, Blue Gator. Get ready to be shuffled to the back, Front Room. Watch out for those strikebreakers, Union. There's a new venue in town.
The courtyard at 5 N. Court St., which normally houses diners scarfing delicious Chinese food or scrumptious muffins, is now open for musicians to strum, shred and croon.
Mike Sweeney, manager of the GRID Lab, is in charge of the new venue and said he merely wants to promote the underappreciated Athens music scene.
We don't have a Virgin Megastore nearby
Sweeney said. We just want to promote local music here.
The venue's first show on Sept. 30 was a great success, Sweeney said. Attila Horvath and Kento played to a crowd of approximately 20 people and 30 walk-ins, plus the gamers in the GRID Lab. The crowd was not huge, Horvath said, but a giant mass at a venue's first show cannot be expected.
There could've been more people Horvath said, but it's not like we were expecting thousands.
He said the venue's sound was great and of all the places he has played, the courtyard at 5 N. Court was bested only by Stuart's Opera House in Nelsonville.
For the first show, bands performed in the nook where a Nokia dealer was formerly located. For upcoming shows, however, the bands will play in front of the side entrance to Specialty Books because another company is leasing the space.
The introduction of this new venue is also the introduction of a new breed in Athens. Being both smoke- and alcohol-free, the venue at 5 N. Court St. offers a unique environment for bands to play. Instead of intoxicated fans stumbling around and smoke filling the lungs of all in attendance, this new venue is free of both of those unpleasantries.
Sweeney said he sees this new venue as a great way for bands to get promotion by not only playing a concert but also through a partnership with the GRID Lab. Bands that play at this new venue must submit a sample of their work, as happens with most venues.
The difference with this new venue is that a band's CD, assuming it is appropriate for all ages, can be played over the GRID Lab's sound system. Approximately 200 to 300 gamers attend the GRID Lab every week, adding another layer of promotion for local bands looking to reach new fans.
The next show Sweeney has planned is on Nov. 10 to coincide with the GRID Lab's league championship. No bands have been confirmed as of yet.
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Chris Yonker
