Rising alternative psych-rock band Wooden Indian Burial Ground and legendary punk songwriter Jonathan Richman will both make trips to the Union Bar & Grill, 18 W. Union St., Saturday and Sunday.
Wooden Indian Burial Ground, of Portland, Ore., will play with Athens-based bands Hex Net and Sport Fishing USA.
Richman, founder of punk band The Modern Lovers, will visit Sunday, touring with drummer Tommy Larkins, who last visited Southeastern Ohiofor the Nelsonville Music Festival.
Tim Peacock, bassist for Hex Net, said the band has history playing with Wooden Indian Burial Ground, playing once in Athensand once in Columbus.
“We love Wooden Indian Burial Ground,” Peacock said. “They put on a great show and make great music. Everybody should come to see them.”
And for those who come to see the garage rock of Hex Net, Peacock said, the audience should pick up “a Hex Net record, and maybe our bar tab.”
While Saturday night is a billing of younger men playing garage rock, Sunday’s crowd will be graced with a legend in rock music.
Richman is a rock-lifer, playing with The Modern Lovers, known for songs like “Roadrunner” and “She Cracked,” while also working on his acoustic-based solo material.
Marie Swartz, an Athensresident, said she was a casual fan of Richman’s work, but was impressed by his Nelsonville Music Festival set and is excited to see him again.
“The show was incredible; one of the best over the long weekend there,” Swartz said. “I looked back in my iTunes collection after it was all said and done, and it turns out I had a few Modern Lovers songs that I was pretty fond of.”
Upon hearing Richman would be back, Swartz quipped, “I know what I’m doing on the 17th.”
Daniel Spencer, vocalist and bass player for Athensband Fathers of the Revolution, said it was worth attending the show just because of Richman’s status as a punk icon.
“Athensis such a tiny pocket, a bit far removed from the world at times, and whenever a bigger act comes to town, it’s nearly always in one’s best interest to go to the show,” Spencer said.
The show will be a way for fans to learn more about music, Spencer said.
“I want to be a Richman fan. I want to understand his music and the history behind it,” Spencer said. “I want to be part of a larger music community that exists outside this town.”
ds834910@ohiou.edu
@drussell23
If You Go:
What: Wooden Indian Burial Ground with Hex Net, Sport Fishing USA
Where: The Union Bar & Grill
When: 9 p.m.Saturday
Admission: Cover
If You Go:
What: Jonathan Richman
Where: The Union Bar & Grill
When: 9 p.m.Sunday
Admission: Cover
