Damien Jurado

w/ Okkervil River

Wednesday, October 3 @ 40 Watt Club

originally published October 3, 2007

For the past 12 years or so, Seattle's Damien Jurado has created more than mere music. His records - including the surprisingly intimate 2000 album Postcards and Audio Letters, which features found audio from discarded cassettes and other sources - have painted a complex portrait of the man. To be able to do this, to manage to project a distinct identity while working in the completely flooded arena of the singer-songwriter, is what other artists strive for and very few attain.

While not officially touring behind last year's album And Now That I'm In Your Shadow, his third for Bloomington, IN, label Secretly Canadian and ninth overall, that album is his most recent release. Jurado and his band entered the studio a couple of months back to work on some new stuff.

After his music, what's most striking about Damien Jurado is his appearance. At upwards of six feet tall and possessing the build of linebacker, he’s at first an intimidating sight. When he sits down and plays his songs filled with sad romance, life stories and regret, it's hard to believe that this voice and subject matter are coming from him. The experience is both captivating and exhilarating. Jurado’s shows tend to be quiet affairs, too. Athens audiences - to the eternal annoyance and intermittent shame of many - are not always the best ones for a quiet act. Look, if you come to this show, stop talking to whomever is around you and listen closely. You’ll have an entire world revealed to you, and it'll be worth every moment.

Gordon Lamb

"North Georgia Folk Festival"

Saturday, October 6 @ Sandy Creek Park

originally published October 3, 2007

It's rare that a band in Athens makes it past the four-year mark, cycling through a full batch of UGA students and potential fans. So when there's an annual music event that's lasted for 23 years - longer than most of those students have been kicking - it's worth a bit of notice. Couple that longevity with a healthy amount of musical talent and you've got the North Georgia Folk Festival.

The festival takes place at Sandy Creek Park, three miles north of downtown on Highway 441. Over the years, the music has focused more on local acts, though a few out-of-towners still make it through. This year's lineup includes the gospel of the Madison County Community Choir; the Irish fiddle tunes of Calico Jig; the traditional folk balladry of Mary Lomax & Bonnie Loggins; the jug-band and old-time tunes of the Trans-Fatty Playboys; the top-notch Americana of Little Country Giants; the blues and slide guitar of Marion Montgomery; the spirited bluegrass of the Packway Handle Band; and a whole lot more. The festival also boasts a wide array of artists working in classic traditions like quilting, basket-making and blacksmithing.

Starting at 11 a.m., the Kids' Fest portion of the festival delivers music from Pam Blanchard & the Sunny-Side Up Band and features hands-on arts and crafts. Admission to the festival is $12, though anyone under the age of 17 gets in for free (plus $2 park admission). Everything wraps up around 8 p.m. For more information, directions or details, visit the Athens Folk Music and Dance Society's website at www.athensfolk.org.

Chris Hassiotis