ABC Pick

"Nuçi's Space's Birthday Weekend"

Saturday, September 30, Nuçi's Space

originally published September 27, 2006

Are there enough good things to say about Nuçi's Space? It's a resource and support center dedicated to promoting the emotional, physical and occupational well-being of the Athens music community founded in memory of local musician Nuçi Phillips after his 1996 suicide. Nuçi's Space has helped hundreds of local musicians and artists find professional counseling; countless more have performed, practiced, volunteered or simply hung out there. It first opened its doors in September of 2000, and a multifaceted event this weekend commemorates the anniversary.

Tonight's musical component features shorter, mostly acoustic sets from a bevy of local solo artists and bands, including Dodd Ferrelle, Murder Beach, Mikey Dwyer, Some Animal, Sleepy Horses, Old Iron Shoes, Sursie, Heather Purdin and Kyle Dawkins. Even Nuçi Phillips' brother KP Devlin swings through town from New York to deliver a set. Starting up at 6 p.m., the food, cake and music are all free and open to the public, although Flagpole encourages you to donate what you can, either in terms of money or volunteering.

Before the music gets going, however, an event starting at 9 a.m. that same day is worth a little attention. Birthday time for Nuçi's Space also means Space Race time; the annual fundraising five-kilometer race takes participants ranging from serious runners to casual walkers through a course on the University of Georgia's campus. Entrance costs $12 (or $10 for students), and maps, forms and other info is available at www.nuci.org/spacerace.

The third fundraising component of Nuçi's Space's anniversary comes in the form of the online Music Memorabilia Auction, featuring items from R.E.M., Wilco, David Bowie, Talking Heads, Drive-By Truckers, Shellac, Ben Folds, Pearl Jam and Ani DiFranco, among others. It starts later in October at www.nuci.org, but Nuçi's Space will hold a pre-viewing of all that stuff so you can go ahead and start putting off next month's rent now.

Chris Hassiotis