Club & Wire

Music News & General Warmth

originally published September 12, 2001

Club Crawl: Nuçi's Space, the beautifully-refurbished non-profit musician's resource center and rehearsal facility, has been buzzing with all sorts of activity all summer. Director Bob Sleppy (also the timekeeper with local band Michael) and the volunteer staff are now gearing for a special "first anniversary" celebration this month in the form of a two-day, fund-raising Athens club crawl they're calling "Right Side Glows," named after Nuçi Phillips' solo album released in 1996. "It's a way to get the word out about us and to bring Nuçi's Space downtown for a weekend," says Sleppy. "It's a wide variety of bands in a wide variety of smaller Athens clubs. We're basically allowing the bands to take charge of their door money and make their own donations to Nuçi's Space on their own." The events take place across downtown on Friday, September 21 and Saturday, September 22. Participating clubs include The Engine Room, Caledonia Lounge, Athens Music Factory, Tasty World, Lunch Paper, Wild Wing Café, Healing Arts Center, Flicker Theatre & Bar, Mean Mike's, Georgia Bar and Nuçi's Space itself.

"Nuçi's Space isn't just about the bands who practice here or the counseling referrals," Sleppy says. "It's about the whole music community - everyone from the bands to the clubs and the fans."


club-jasonroman.jpg
Bring Yer Conga: Athens percussion enthusiast and UGA professor Dr. Arvin Scott and percussionist Domingo "Sonny" Ortiz (Widespread Panic) bring the highly-successful "Beat The Drum" session back to the Georgia Theatre on Wednesday, September 12. As a part of Scott's "Drumming For Success" youth program, "Beat The Drum" allows participants to take part in a "spontaneous" drum orchestra conducted on-stage by the ever-smiling Scott. Musicians and non-musicians are urged to attend and participate.

Finger-Pickin Good: Progressive folk guitarist Leo Kottke - the highly talented and innovative acoustic 12-string guitarist and vocalist with the sophisticated playing style - returns to his birth home of Athens next week for a concert on campus. It's difficult to define exactly what sort of music Kottke plays; it's really a blend of country-blues, jazz, bluegrass, and classical... sort of a Lyle Lovett-meets-Christopher Parkening kinda thing. Fans adore him. The uninitiated should, too. Kottke released a fine collection titled One Guitar No Vocals in 1999. He'll pluck it out at Hodgson Concert Hall on Friday, September 21 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $21 and $26, available at the Performing Arts Center Box Office (542-4400).


club-nowitsoverhead.jpg
40 What?: Velena Vego, manager and booking agent of Athens' 40 Watt Club, is looking for an administrative intern available in the early evenings. Those interested in shuffling through press kits, fielding phone calls and peeking into the weird underside of the rock and roll biz (for free) should contact Vego at 549-9997.

What's Poppin' at 90.5 FM WUOG, You Ask?: Your gatekeepin' pals at 'UOG are still broadcasting university soccer games and schooling new student volunteers (Monday, September 10 brought a fresh influx). Carey Carter is still assembling material for the annual "alumni magazine" Airwaves (look for it on your favorite mode of public transport in early October). Feel the station's sinister presence at Nuçi's Space on Thursday, September 20, when it presents "Live In Nuçi's Lobby." And give the next WUOG exec you see a friendly A-frame hug; it's a harried time of year, and everyone's a bit more strung out than usual. Meanwhile, suck on new music from Skeleton Key's Erik Sanko (we dig, dig, dig this album), The Preston School Of Industry, Erase Errata, Master Of Rap T.N.T., Ken Stringfellow and anything else worth presetting for. (If we're not playing what you want, when you want it, call 542-4567 and see how them bones land. [Emerson Dameron]

Whoa: Where's Jeff Mangum? When he's not busily tinkering with songs and instruments at his secret headquarters outside downtown Athens, the much-lauded Neutral Milk Hotel frontman is usually rummaging around the bins in funky record stores and deflecting rumors about his musical projects. Well, it looks like Neutral Milk fanatics may finally get a fix of sorts. Mangum's new solo live album, Live At Jittery Joe's, will be released on Tuesday, September 18 on the Orange Twin label. The disc documents a solo acoustic performance at the old coffeehouse on Washington Street in 1997. The album is an enhanced CD with a video of the show that you can watch on your computer! Still no official word on any sort of Neutral Milk Hotel reassemblage, though.

Homecoming: That interstellar digibeat machine Sound Tribe Sector 9 returns to Georgia next week after a year of touring behind its trancy-dancy album, Offered Schematics Suggesting Peace (Landslide). The quintet relocated to Santa Cruz, California two years ago after establishing itself in Athens and Atlanta as one of the weirdest, most experimental improv groups of the region. It's been a year since the band played in Athens, and we're still waiting. Look for the STS9 at the Tabernacle in Atlanta on Friday, September 14.


club-blackcrowes.jpg
They're Baaaack: Remember Dayroom? You know, the hyper-active alt-pop band with the goofy lead singer who could play his ass off? The local campus favorite that sold thousands of CDs? The band that broke up a year and a half ago? Well, it looks like the foursome is regrouping for two special shows next month. "It is my pleasure to verify some of the rumors you might have heard and officially announce that Dayroom will perform two very special reunion shows in early October," announced Nomad Artists exec and former Dayroom manager Troy Aubrey recently. "The guys have been in heavy communication over the last few months and have decided that playing together again would be one hell of a good time." Look for a full-fledged reunion on Friday, October 5 at Smith's Olde Bar in Atlanta and on Saturday, October 6 at the Georgia Theatre.

On A Personal Note: There will be another full-fledged reunion of old farts... and I'm one of them! A Roosevelt reunion featuring the original lineup - bassist John "Big Daddy" Crain, guitarist Daniel Pruitt and yours truly on drums - is scheduled for Friday, September 28 at the Caledonia Lounge. A limited edition, 17-song "best of" album titled 1990 1993 (Dust Bunny) comes out that week. Does anyone remember us? No? Oh well...

Please music news to us by email at music@flagpole.com by voice mail at 549-2630; by fax at 549-8981; or by simple post at P.O. Box 1027, Athens, GA 30603.